Healthy Eating

Feb 28, 2008

Pumpkin Paradox A Diabetes Miracle

Pumpkin pie contains diabetes beaters. The benefits to diabetics are: 1. Lower high blood sugar 30%. 2. Triple the power of your body’s natural insulin. 3. Keep diabetes out of your life.
Why exactly does pumpkin pie taste so good? A big part is the spice, right? Pumpkin pie is spiced up with cinnamon and cloves and both of these spices taste wonderful when you add them to something sweet. I developed a recipe in which yams are used instead of pumpkin and it tastes better than pumpkin pie and is better for you. The trick is to even increase the number of spices by adding nutmeg, allspice, and ginger. I call it "Yamsmash Pie" because I add a jigger of bourbon to the mix instead of using sugar, hence the name "Yamsmash." The pie was such a hit that we made it a regular part of our Thanksgiving Dinner. But before we go further, let’s examine what we have here in the way of healthy benefits.
Researchers have found that cinnamon triples the effectiveness of the natural insulin your body makes. In my book, "Make Eating A Lifestyle Change" I show the blood-work results that prove my point. In two months I dropped triglycerides from 1374 to 76 using a nutrition-based-regimen which includes cinnamon, and at the same time dropped cholesterol from 274 to 133. My doctor became a believer and insisted I write the book.
Mother Nature seems to cause us to crave cinnamon. We use it in baked goods and some even use it in the making of Chili. Lately, scientists have been taking a close look at these "sugar-loving spices and were finding that they’re astonishing effective medicines for diabetes. Believe it or not, cinnamon turns out to be an amazing diabetes drug. In fact, its chemical structure is intriguingly close to . . . insulin!
Not only that, researchers have found that cinnamon may also triple the effectiveness of the natural insulin your body makes. Well, if you’ve got diabetes—or if you’re at risk—this simple fact could be life-changing - it was for me. Type II diabetes happens when the insulin in your body becomes less effective. Imagine turning it around with a pinch of cinnamon! I use cinnamon in the old fashioned oatmeal I prepare using diced apples, and raisins and a touch of honey.
Does this sound to good to be true? Let me simply quote a scientist who’s helping to unlock this miracle:
"Cinnamon itself has insulin-like activity and a bio-active component that we believe has the potential to prevent or overcome diabetes." —Professor Don Graves, University of California, Santa Barbara
Preparation and use is simple.
I sprinkle my oatmeal with cinnamon. In making my "Yamsmash Pie" I use ½ teaspoon of cinnamon with the same amounts of nutmeg, allspice, and ginger. You can use yams or sweet potatoes - the fact is most people will think it is pumpkin pie and ask for a second helping. This recipe doesn’t even require a pie shell. About 1 hour or slightly more in a 400 degree oven will have your guests licking their chops. Sugar-free and fat-free cool whip make a nice topping. My wife is the official taste-tester and she has to stop herself after the second helping. Yams are inexpensive and can be baked in a 400 degree oven with a roaster for the same hour or micro-waved by peeling and cutting into discs and placed in a casserole dish with two tablespoons of water for 9 minutes on high. As you know there is some difference in the microwave ovens and so you need to test for the best results. You can sprinkle the yams with cinnamon after they are cooked and even spray them with a cholesterol-fat-free margarine. Mashing them is easy and adding 2 beaten eggs and a ½ cup of skim milk, a teaspoon of sea-salt, 2 beaten eggs and 1 tablespoon of baking powder to the 4 large yams produces a great-tasting treat. Test the pie with knife inserted 1 inch from the side of the filling to come out clean will guide you as to whether or not it is done.
This is just another example of the way food can do it better, cheaper, and with more benefits and no side effects. You can begin a regimen of eating that provides a preventive side to your health issues rather than waiting until the consequences of bad choices begins to take its toll.

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