Worried you're headed for diabetes? If you're carrying extra pounds, you're probably already somewhat insulin resistant, says , director of nutrition at Duke University's Duke Integrative Medicine. That means your body isn't responding optimally to insulin, a hormone made by the pancreas that allows glucose (sugar) from food to stay at a healthy level in the blood.
Though changing your overall eating style is the best way to improve your blood sugar, snack time often trips up otherwise conscientious eaters who find themselves mindlessly grabbing chips and doughnuts.
In general, choose more plants and whole grains, and fewer simple starches and processed foods -- even for snacks. Reardon's choices for five snack foods that won't undermine the rest of your diet:
DIABETES-FRIENDLY SNACK: KALE CHIPS
They're so good you can't eat just one -- but you don't have to worry about holding back. Dark leafy greens in general provide dozens of flavonoids, substances that have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits. And kale, a cabbage kin, is often called the world's healthiest vegetable, loaded with vitamin A, vitamin C, and almost 50 different flavonoid compounds.
To make kale chips, tear kale into bite-sized pieces. Carefully wash and dry. Drizzle with a little olive oil and sea salt, then bake at 350 degrees until the edges start to brown, about 10 to 15 minutes.
You're basically dehydrating the kale -- a process that works for many other vegetables, Reardon says. The drizzle of oil that adds crispness and a little flavor is much less than in a similar batch of fried potatoes. You can also bake spinach chips, sweet potato chips, carrot chips, or taro chips. Previous Page1
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