Diabetic Living Australia

It’s easy to let life become a bit of blur sometimes. Especially over the past couple of years when uncertainty has loomed and our focus has narrowed to just getting through each day. So, I was happily surprised when our new art director Dania (welcome aboard!) pointed out that this is our 100th issue. Wow! That’s well over 4000 deliciously healthy recipes, reams of expert advice, hundreds of inspiring real-life stories, countless features from diabetes experts and more. Not to mention you, our loyal and fabulous readers – thank you for joining us on this journey and I hope you’ll continue to share your lives with us for many issues to come. In this issue, we have plenty of delicious winter recipes to keep you warm and healthy throughout the season.…

DIABETES 101 Getting your head around ‘diabetes lingo’? Read on… • When should I test my blood glucose levels (BGLs)? This varies depending on the type of diabetes and your medication, but possible times include before meals, two hours after eating, before bed, before you exercise and if you’re feeling unwell. • What should my BGLs be? As a guide, if you have type 1 diabetes, a healthy target to aim for is 4-6mmol/L before you eat, and 4-8mmol/L two hours after starting a meal. If you have type 2 diabetes, aim for 6-8mmol/L before meals, and 6-10mmol/L two hours after starting a meal. Ask your doctor or Credentialled Diabetes Educator for more guidance. • What’s mmol/L? It stands for millimoles per litre of blood, and is how BGLs are measured. • What’s HbA1c? It’s…

Baby on board? Keep moving While babies born to mums who are overweight or are living with type 2 diabetes have an increased risk of developing diabetes themselves later in life, there may be a way to protect bub in the womb. According to a recent study, exercising during pregnancy can help to reduce baby’s chances of developing type 2, due to the way physical activity encourages the placenta to release a key protein. Called SOD3, this protein improves baby’s metabolic health and can even mitigate the impact of mum not eating well or being overweight. Official physical activity guidelines recommend that during pregnancy, it’s wise to be active most, but preferably every day, clocking up at least two-and-a-half hours of moderate-intensity physical activity a week and doing muscle strengthening activities…

MONDAY LC GF BEAN & PUMPKIN RAGOUT PREP 10 MINS COOK 50 MINS SERVES 2 (AS A MAIN) 1 Tbsp olive oil1 small brown onion, finely chopped250g peeled and diced pumpkin2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced½ tsp ground cinnamon½ tsp ground turmeric1 tsp cumin seedsPinch dried chilli flakes325ml (1¼ cups) passata125ml (½ cup) water½ tsp caster sugar1 x 400g can no-added-salt butter beans, drained and rinsed½ bunch flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped2 tsp dried mint4 Tbsp reduced-fat Greek natural yoghurt 1 Heat 2 teaspoons of the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until the onion softens. Add the pumpkin and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, for a further 8-10 minutes or until the pumpkin edges are starting to soften. 2 Add the cinnamon, turmeric, cumin seeds and…

GROCERIES WALNUTS Roughly chop a small handful and add to a vegie-packed garden salad. Drizzle the salad with a dressing of balsamic vinegar, a dash of olive oil, fresh lemon juice and freshly ground black pepper. SPAGHETTI Break into small pieces and add to homemade vegetable soup for the last 12-15 minutes of cooking. PASSATA Use in soups, casseroles and pasta sauces. ARBORIO RICE Use to make baked risotto or creamed rice (only serving a very small portion each). STOCK Use in soups, sauces and casseroles. Alternatively, freeze the remaining stock in a small airtight container for later use. CURRY PASTE Combine with leftover yoghurt, freshly squeezed lemon juice and freshly ground black pepper. Use to marinate fish or chicken. Grill or oven-bake. COCONUT MILK Use in a breakfast smoothie, savoury sauce or in baking. YOGHURT Serve leftover…

GROCERIES ❏ 100g pkt walnuts❏ 500g pkt dried spaghetti❏ 400g bottle passata❏ 1kg pkt arborio rice❏ 1L carton salt-reduced chicken stock❏ 400g can no-added-salt butter beans❏ 210g jar Thai green curry paste❏ 400ml can light coconut milk FRUIT & VEGETABLES ❏ 1 fennel bulb❏ 1 lemon❏ 1 bunch flat-leaf parsley❏ 1 bunch coriander❏ 1 bunch thyme❏ 8 (170g) Brussel sprouts❏ 250g punnet cherry tomatoes❏ 1 small brown onion❏ 1 small piece pumpkin❏ 100g sugar snap peas❏ 1 long red chilli❏ 1.5kg bag Zerella Spud Lite Potatoes❏ 4 small carrots + 1 large carrot❏ 1 large red onion❏ 60g rocket leaves❏ 1 small avocado❏ 200g broccoli florets MEAT & POULTRY ❏ 200g skinless chicken breast fillets❏ 170g thick beef fillet steak SEAFOOD ❏ 100g mussels or clams❏ 1 small cleaned squid hood❏ 100g green king prawns❏ 200g skinless…