Simple Grilled Salmon with Herb Crust

Simple Grilled Salmon with Herb Crust

Fish makes a great main dish when you're carb counting, not only because it's high in protein and low in carbs, but also because it contains omega-3 fatty acids.

These polyunsaturated fatty acids help protect against heart attack and are vital to the proper function of brain and nerve cells.

The fish that are especially abundant in omega-3 fatty acids are the high-fat cold-water fish, such as mackerel, albacore tuna, salmon, sardines, swordfish, and lake trout.

All shellfish also contain omega-3 fatty acids.

So... Give this a try.

Grilled Salmon with Herb Crust

Ingredients:

12 ounces fresh or frozen skinless salmon fillets, about 3/4 inch thick

1/3 c coarsely snipped fresh oregano

1/3 c coarsely snipped fresh cilantro

1/4 c sliced green onions

1 tbsp lemon juice

2 tsp olive oil

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp ground black pepper

1 clove garlic

Directions:

Thaw fish, if frozen. Rinse fish; pat dry with paper towels. Cut into 3 serving-size pieces, if necessary; set aside.

In a food processor, combine oregano, cilantro, green onions, lemon juice, oil, salt, pepper, and garlic.

Cover and process until chopped. (Or use a sharp knife to finely chop oregano, cilantro, green onions and garlic.

Transfer to a shallow dish. Stir in lemon juice, oil, salt and pepper.)

Generously coat both sides of fish with herb mixture. Place fish on the greased rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium coals.

Grill for 6 to 9 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork, turning once halfway through grilling.

Makes 3 Servings.

Nutrients Per Serving:

171 Calories

7 g Total Fat

1 g Saturated Fat

23 g Protein

3 g Carbohydrate

1 g Fiber

59 mg Cholesterol

276 mg Sodium

Diabetic Tips of the Month

Tip #1.

A free food is one with less than 20 calories and 5 grams carbohydrate per serving. Examples include diet soft drinks, sugar-freegelatin dessert, sugar-free ice pops, sugarless gum, and sugar-free syrup.

Tip #2.

Sugar-free does not mean carbohydrate-free. Compare the total carbohydrate content of a sugar-free food with that of the standard product. If there is a big difference in carbohydrate content between the two foods, you may want to buy the sugar-free food. If there is little difference in the total grams of carbohydrate between the two foods, choose the one you want based on price and taste. Make sure to read the label carefully to make the best choice.

Tip #3.

“No sugar added” foods do not have any form of sugar added during processing or packaging, and do not contain high-sugar ingredients. But remember, they may still be high in carbohydrate, so you have to check the label.

Tip #4.

Fat-free foods can be higher in carbohydrate and contain almost the same calories as the foods they replace. One good example of this are fat-free cookies. Fat-free foods are not necessarily a better choice than the standard product, so read your labels carefully.

Healthy Cooking Tips for Persons                            With Diabetes

Healthy cooking and diabetes management:

A healthy diet is not only critical to proper diabetes management, but will also help in maintaining desirable weight, controlling normal blood sugar levels, and preventing heart diseases.

Always consult your physician, registered dietitian (RD), or nutritionist to assist in planning and preparing healthy meals.

Some healthy cooking tips include the following:

• Use vegetable oil spray instead of oil, shortening, or butter.
• Steam vegetables using a low-fat broth or water.
• Season foods with herbs and spices, vinegar, lemon juice, or salsa.
• Use low- or no-sugar jams instead of butter or margarine.
• Eat or cook cereal with skim milk or 1 percent milk.
• Use low-fat or fat-free cottage cheese, or nonfat yogurt.
• Drink fruit juice that has no added sugar.
• Eat chicken or turkey without the skin.
• Broil, roast, stir-fry, or grill meats. Always buy lean cuts of meat.
• Use lemon or lime on fish and vegetables instead of butter or sauces.
• Use canola or olive oil in food preparation instead of vegetable oils.
• Buy whole grain breads and cereals.

Physicians and other experts can provide helpful resources that further cover meal planning, offer healthy recipes and cooking tips, suggest exercise programs, manage weight, and more. Excellent diabetic reference books and pamphlets are also available through your library.

Low-fat Vegan Diet Good for Glucose ControLow-fat Vegan Diet Good for Glucose Control

A study headed by Neal Barnard, MD, president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, showed that a low-fat vegan diet can lead to weight loss and lower blood glucose levels. The results were published in the journal Diabetes Care in 2006.

The researchers recruited 99 people with type 2 diabetes for the 22-week study. Most were overweight. The participants were asked not to change their exercise habits during the study.

Half were randomly assigned to and given instruction on a low-fat vegan diet. In this diet of vegetables, fruits, grains, and legumes, 10 percent of calories came from fat, 15 percent from protein, and 75 percent from carbohydrate. The participants were asked to avoid animal products and added fats and to choose foods with a low glycemic index, such as beans and green vegetables. They were not told to limit calories, portions, or carbs.

The other participants followed diets that were individualized and that adhered to American Diabetes Association’s guidelines. Participants who were overweight were given calorie limits.

Average A1c in the vegan group was 8% at the start of the study and 7.1% at the end. Average A1c in the ADA-diet group dropped from 7.9% to 7.4%. The vegan group lost an average of 14 pounds, while the ADA-diet group lost about 7 pounds.

In the vegan group, 24 out of 49 people did not change their diabetes medications during the study, and average A1c in this subgroup dropped from 8.07% to 6.84%. In the ADA-diet group, 33 of 50 participants did not change their diabetes medications, and their average A1c dropped from 7.88% to 7.50%.

In the vegan group, 39 people did not change their cholesterol meds. Their average total cholesterol dropped from 190 mg/dl to 157 mg/dl. In the 41 people in the ADA-diet group who did not change their cholesterol meds, average total cholesterol dropped from 195 mg/dl to 176 mg/dl.

A study headed by Neal Barnard, MD, president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, showed that a low-fat vegan diet can lead to weight loss and lower blood glucose levels. The results were published in the journal Diabetes Care in 2006.

The researchers recruited 99 people with type 2 diabetes for the 22-week study. Most were overweight. The participants were asked not to change their exercise habits during the study.

Half were randomly assigned to and given instruction on a low-fat vegan diet. In this diet of vegetables, fruits, grains, and legumes, 10 percent of calories came from fat, 15 percent from protein, and 75 percent from carbohydrate. The participants were asked to avoid animal products and added fats and to choose foods with a low glycemic index, such as beans and green vegetables. They were not told to limit calories, portions, or carbs.

The other participants followed diets that were individualized and that adhered to American Diabetes Association’s guidelines. Participants who were overweight were given calorie limits.

Average A1c in the vegan group was 8% at the start of the study and 7.1% at the end. Average A1c in the ADA-diet group dropped from 7.9% to 7.4%. The vegan group lost an average of 14 pounds, while the ADA-diet group lost about 7 pounds.

In the vegan group, 24 out of 49 people did not change their diabetes medications during the study, and average A1c in this subgroup dropped from 8.07% to 6.84%. In the ADA-diet group, 33 of 50 participants did not change their diabetes medications, and their average A1c dropped from 7.88% to 7.50%.

In the vegan group, 39 people did not change their cholesterol meds. Their average total cholesterol dropped from 190 mg/dl to 157 mg/dl. In the 41 people in the ADA-diet group who did not change their cholesterol meds, average total cholesterol dropped from 195 mg/dl to 176 mg/dl.