DON'T FORGET THE SUNSCREEN
Summer is not a time to forget your routine. It’s a time for diabetics to be even more diligent in our efforts to stay healthy. I grew up close to the beach and during the summer we spent many days on the beach and all summer outdoors. I love outdoors and I love the beach but with type 2 diabetes I must limit the time I spend both places.
Before I go out, I make sure to put on sunscreen. Yes, it important that I and you wear sunscreen. I look for a sunscreen which will block both UVA and UVB rays, with a SPF of at least 30. I don’t stay outside for too long, and I always have on a hat and lightweight clothing. When you’re outside stay in the shade. If you stay outside for more than two hours don’t forget to reapply the sunscreen every two hours.
STAY HYDRATED
Extreme heat can affect our blood sugar, and overall health. It will cause stress on our bodies which will cause blood sugar levels to rise. When we spend time outside we have to prevent dehydration by drinking plenty of water. Try to avoid sugary sodas or sports drinks. I like to have a glass of water with a lemon or lime wedge.
STAYING IN-TOUCH WITH YOUR BODY
Making sure I listen to my body is key. If I start to feel dizzy, sick, fatigued or sweat too much my body is trying to tell me to get inside where it is cool and check my blood sugar. I like to ride my bike but since the temperature go up quickly in the morning, I only ride it in the evening when it cools down and the temperature start to drop.
Going Barefoot – ABSOLUTELY NOT
Checking my feet every day is almost an obsession with me. I don’t want to imagine the difficulty that would come with foot problems. My personal advice to anyone who is diabetic is “do not go barefoot”. Not on the beach, not at the pool. Wearing sandals, sneakers or flip-flops could help prevent injury to your feet. Something as simple as a small cut or scratch took several weeks to heal and that was with me keeping it clean and putting an antibiotic on it every day. Healthy feet play a vital part in our overall health. Please take care of your feet.
DON'T FORGET THE FIBER
I include fiber rich foods in my meal each day like to help my digestive system. Here are a few examples
- Artichokes
- Asparagus
- Bananas
- Onions
- Pears
- Raspberries
- Whole Grains
I may use artichokes on my veggie pizza: eat a banana as a mid-morning snack; I’ll put raspberries along with granola on top of my yogurt; and enjoy a grilled chicken sandwich on whole wheat, whole grain bread. phyllo wrapped asparagus and one of my personal favorites is shrimp cevice with red onions
Shrimp Ceviche
Ingredients
- 1 pound cooked shrimp peeled and deveined
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
- 1/2 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
- 1 cup Roma tomatoes seeded and diced
- 1 cup cucumber diced
- 2 whole jalapeno peppers seeds and vein removed minced
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro chopped
- 1/4 cup red onion finely chopped
- 1 avocado pitted and diced
- sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Instructions
- Mix lemon, lime and orange juice in large bowl.
- Add cooked Shrimp (leave shrimp whole)
- Toss to combine
- Add tomatoes
- Add jalapeno
- Add cucumber
- Add red onion
- Toss ingedients to combine
- Let marinate for ten minutes
- Add avocado
- Add Cilantro
- Season ceviche with sea salt and pepper to taste
- Serve with corn tortilla chips
- Enjoy
Try the Ginger Spice Tea Iced
Iced Ginger & Spice Tea
Ingredients
- 4 Cups Water
- 2/3 Cups Honey
- 1/2 Cup Ginger Water See instructions making ginger water. You can also add a tablespoon of the diced ginger.
- 1/2 Lemon and Lemon Zest
- 1/2 Orange and Orange Zest
- 10 Whole Cloves If cloves are small add 12
- ¼ tsp Cinnamon
- ¼ tsp Turmeric
Instructions
- Ginger Water: Peel, and dice a large ginger root into small pieces. Place diced ginger in a sauce pan with 4 cups of water. Bring to boil and let simmer for 30-45 minutes. The ginger has been extracted when the water is yellow in color. Cool and store in an airtight container. Refrigerate until ready for use.
- HONEY, GINGER AND SPICE TEA
- Add 4 cup of water to a saucepan
- Add Honey
- Add ginger water
- Grate and add zest of 1/2 Lemon and 1/2 Orange
- Squeeze the juice of 1/2 lemon and the juice of 1/2 orange in tea mix
- Bring tea mix to a boil
- Add whole cloves
- Add cinnamon
- Add Turmeric
- Let tea mixture simmer for 10 minutes
- Remove from heat
- Let cool
- Use a strainer or cheese cloth when pouring up tea
- Serve over ice
- Add lemon and/or orange wedge for garnish
- Enjoy
Zucchini Salad with Figs & Feta
Ingredients
- 2 medium zucchinis
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive
- 1 teaspoon honey
- black pepper and a pinch of salt
- 6 ripe figs
- ½ cup feta cheese
- dollop of greek yogurt
- 1 cup walnuts roasted
Instructions
- Make zucchini ribbons by using a vegetable peeler
- Cut off the bottoms of the zucchini.
- Make strips by using the peeler to peel from the top down to make one piece
- Place the zucchini in a bowl
- Whisk the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, honey and salt and pepper together
- Pour over zucchini
- Cover and allow to marinate for five minutes.
- Cut the tops from the figs
- Slice the figs into quarters
- Place the zucchini on a plate and top with figs, feta cheese and roasted walnuts
- Place a dollop of Greek yogurt on top of salad
- Garnish with a fig slice
- Drizzle with olive oil
- Enjoy