The Diabetic Pastry Chef

Unsweetened almond milk, with only 2 grams of carbs per cup, is an effective low-carb substitute for milk in your recipes.

Using alternative flours can sometimes result in heavier, drier baked goods.  However, sifting flours several times adds more air, making the flour lighter.

Sugar and fat make baked goods moist.  But – as diabetics – we, of course, opt to use less sugar.  Adding 6 to 9 ounces of sour cream or 1/4 cup mayo to cake batters will add moisture.  Alternatively, you can also add a small box of sugar-free dry pudding mix or 8 ounces of  plain yogurt.  I’ve also had luck with adding a tablespoon of vinegar to the batter to add moistness. The Chocolate Zucchini Bundt Cake recipe found in The Diabetic Pastry Chef cookbook is a very moist cake recipe.

Happy baking!

A meal planning technique many diabetics use for managing their blood glucose levels is known as carb counting.

Carb counting should take into account how active you are; and what, if any, medications you are taking.  Generally a diabetic should start with 45 to 60 grams of carbs per meal and adjust this to their health.  Food labels and carb counters can be relied on for help in carb counting.

To further lower the carbs in my recipes, or in your own, you might choose to use a mixture of some of the lower-carb flours such as coconut flour, almond flour, flaxseed flour, soy flour or oat flour.

Portion size, that is. If you’ve ever found yourself baking a cake or pie and devouring it all in a few sittings, this tip is for you. Think portion size.

Don’t bake a cake - bake cupcakes or bake your pound cake batter in mini cake pans.  Eat one and freeze the remainder of the individual portions.

Don’t bake a pie – bake small tarts.

Portion puddings and ice cream into ramekins.

One or two cookies is a portion size. Freeze the rest.

Once you’ve had your portion for the day, that’s it!

Here are some important guidelines to remember when drinking alcohol, according to the American Diabetes Association (ADA):

http://www.diabetes.org/food-and-fitness/food/what-can-i-eat/alcohol.html

I have compiled a list of many topics related to diabetes for your information.

I was previously unaware of some of the medical, clinical and pharmaceutical terms on this list. I thought it would be a great resource to share with other diabetics to keep everyone in the know of things that are happening in the world of diabetes. There are so many facets to this disease!

How many of these topics do you know enough about?

diabetic ketoacidosis
diabetes
Syndrome X
symptoms of diabetes
diabetic ketoacidosis
type 1 diabetes
hyperosmolar hyperglycemic nonketotic syndrome
juvenile diabetes
type 2 diabetes
Metabolic syndrome
gestational diabetes
diabetes and pregnancy
diabetes and steroids
diabetes mellitus
diabetes and interstitial cystitis
diabetic neuropathy
high blood triglycerides
diabetes insipidus
elevated triglycerides
diabetes diet
diabetic kidney failure
poor wound healing
unhealed sore
nonhealing sore
leg ulcer
foot ulcer
diabetes diet plan
fingerstick blood glucose
polydipsia
oral glucose tolerance test
excessive thirst
blood sugar level
gestational diabetes diet
polyuria
diabetic nephropathy
excessive urination
polyphagia
fasting plasma glucose
diabetes nutrition
glycosylated hemoglobin
hemoglobin A1c:
natural cure for diabetes
smoking and diabetes
insulin
insulin injections
glucose
pancreas
ketones
Muscle Insulin Sensitivity
rosiglitazone
rosiglitazone side effects
alpha-glucosidase inhibitors
Exubera
Exubera side effects
Sulfonylureas
Thiazolidinediones
Biguanides
D-phenylalanine derivatives
Amylin
Amylin synthetic derivatives
Incretin mimetics
Prompt insulin zinc
Humulin R
Avandia
Avandia and heart attacks
Merck diabetes drug
Januvia
Novolin R
inhaled insulin
extended insulin zinc

The recipes I have submitted were adapted to my preferences and dietary needs. I encourage you to adapt them to yours. If you do not want to use white flour, I suggest you use the flour you are most comfortable with such as oat, soy or almond flour. You may prefer to use sour cream in place of yogurt, or Stevia in place of sugar, whole milk or lowfat milk, etc. This is all your choice. My recipes are only guidelines as to how to modify recipes to suit your dietary needs while retaining the most flavor.

Try adding cinnamon to your waffles, muffins, pancakes, quick breads, baked fruit pies and other baked goods. One half teaspoon of cinnamon per day has been shown to lower blood glucose levels by up to 20% in some individuals.