I could not let the National Diabetes Awareness month go by without sharing with you my two favorite Diabetes super foods that have been shown in studies to help with insulin sensitivity and blood sugar control.
Actually these foods are two of the best on the planet whether you have prediabetes, full blown diabetes, or are perfectly healthy. Chances are that you already enjoy one of these foods on a daily basis. They are blueberries! The other food you may not have ever heard of. It is a staple of the South American diet. I’m speaking of Chia seed, of course. One of the sweet things about these two foods is that they can be enjoyed together. My favorite way to do that is with a blueberry smoothie. As a matter of fact, the study done on blueberries that shows they help with insulin sensitivity was done using blueberry smoothies. If you’ve been following my blogs for a little while then you have read about Chia seed and it’s tremendous health benefits. When you combine these two super foods together then you get a super duper food!
Here is my recipe for a blueberry smoothie, and whether you have diabetes or not, I know you will enjoy this delicious treat.
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1 cup of unsweetened almond milk
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2 heaping scoops of standard process whey protein powder
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2 tablespoons of chia seed
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1/4 cup of frozen blueberries
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1/4 cup of crushed ice
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1 packet of stevia powder (for sweetness if necessary)
Put it all together in your blender and you’ve got one awesome and healthy snack or meal replacement.
In this 2010 study participants drank two blueberry smoothies a day and a significant increase in their insulin sensitivity was the result. That means that the likelihood of becoming prediabetic or diabetic decreases. Below is the summary of the study found on webmd.com
Drinking blueberry smoothies helped obese adults who were pre-diabetic improve insulin sensitivity, researchers report.Sixty-seven percent of people who drank a blueberry smoothie twice a day for six weeks experienced a 10% or greater improvement in their insulin sensitivity, compared with 41% of people in the placebo smoothie group. The study results are published in the October issue of The Journal of Nutrition. The findings suggest that compounds found in blueberries, which have also been found to improve heart health, may help people with prediabetes by making the body more responsive to insulin. What the biochemical chain reaction or cellular pathways might be remain unclear. But given the challenges of getting people to eat more fruits and vegetables, researchers suggest a smoothie may be a tasty alternative to help people increase their fruit and vegetable intake and boost their health.
I also want to give you a quick reminder on the incredible benefits of the Chia seed. This is pulled from my previous blog, Why Doesn’t BB King Eat Chia Seed?
Just two ounces of Chia contains almost 9x more Omega-3s than wild salmon, 5x the calcium of 2% milk, almost 3x the iron in raw spinach, 3x the antioxidants of blueberries, all essential amino acids, vitamin B, D, and E, is an excellent source of fiber, and is a more digestible protein than beans, soy, or peas. The benefits of these little seeds CANNOT be overstated. There is absolutely no reason to not begin incorporating Chia seed into your diet immediately. Check out this infographic from www.diabetickitchen.com.
Healthy Blessings and Happy Holidays,
Dr. Phil
P.S.
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