Holiday Treats for Diabetics...

I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes last year, and one of the things I learned was this: Nothing is off-limits to diabetics; the key is moderation. It was once thought that sugar was *the* main problem for diabetics. It's not - it's carbohydrates that affect our blood glucose levels, and sugar is just one type of carb. A baked potato has the same effect on our blood sugar as a brownie, and fruit can spike our blood sugar as much as a candy bar can. That being said, the American Diabetes Association revised its guidelines in 1994 to allow sugar in diabetic meal plans, as long as it's factored into the carb count for the meal plan. For example, if someone is allowed 30 grams of carbohydrate per meal, they could have a teaspoon of sugar, which is 4 carbs, in their coffee or tea if they wanted. That would leave them 26 carbs for the rest of their meal.

Baked goods, even if sugar-free, are usually high in carbohydrates because the flour alone is a major source of carbs. So the key here is small servings, worked into an individual's meal plan.

There are many diabetic and low-carb recipe sites; you can use a search engine to find them. Here are a couple you can check out:

CHEESECAKE

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Generously butter the bottom and sides of a 8- or 9-inch springform pan.

2. In a large bowl, combine the Splenda and the cornstarch. Beat in the cream cheese. Beat in the egg. Slowly drizzle in the half and half, beating constantly. Add the vanilla and stir well. Pour (spread) the mixture into the prepared pan. Bake until the top is golden, 45 to 55 min. (Top will crack, but this doesn't affect taste or texture.) Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 3 hrs. Remove springform collar; refrigerate.

Serves 8 very generously.

I hope this is helpful to you.

Karen

Karen omitted the crust on the cheesecake - it's one of the major sources of carbohydrates in a cheesecake. If you want a crust, try using a nut crust.

Mix crushed nuts with some Splenda and cinnamon to taste, stir in some melted butter or margarine that bakes well until if forms a dough like texture, press it into the pan and bake it at 375 or so until it's browned. It won't get a crunchy as a graham cracker crust will, but it will add a new flavor to your cheesecake.

If the mixture is too crumbly, try adding a little bit of soy flour. You can find it at health food stores and some major grocery stores carry it. It has much fewer carbohydrates than wheat flour does.

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Lori

Happy Thanksgiving Karen!

And thank you for sharing your informative message and receipe! We didn't get a change to try the cheesecake yesterday -- but will for Christmas. The ingredients works for everyone!!!

Pat

Pat