thefiresidepost.com is introducing a new author.  Suzanne writes diabeticdietrecipes.org to help others get information needed to raise awareness on healthy eating habits and its associated benefits to support those living with diabetes on a daily basis.

Suzanne lives in Illinois, which is handy because Bryan lives in Iowa and Ohg lives in Missouri.  Suzanne began diabeticdietrecipes.org in 2009 to help other people like her understand how to provide objective and credible information on healthy eating.

Suzanne is married, invested over 2 years as a teacher, corporate trainer and workshop leader.

Please enjoy the information offered by Suzanne.  Here is her debut post for thefiresidepost.com:

Will you be cool as a cucumber? Not merely is the cucumber known for it’s capability to cool-down our bodies, it has also been seen to assist with jaundice, diarrhea, epilepsy, sore throat, conjunctivitis (redness of the eye) and swelling of extremities.

Frequently you should attempt to deseed the cucumber as the body can have trouble digesting the seeds. You can deseed them yourself easily by cutting them in half and using a spoon to eliminate the seeds or in order to eliminate this step it is possible to buy cucumbers that are already seeded.

Fresh cucumbers are simple to add to salads and for an easy salad just toss diced cucumbers with sliced red onions, red tomatoes and your favorite all-natural, low-fat balsamic vinaigrette. This can be a fast way to make a refreshing salad that reaps the benefits of cucumber.

Anti-diabetic Benefits of Cucumber:

Beta cells contained in the pancreas produce the hormone insulin.Cucumber is found to get a hormone essential for beta cells in the insulin production. Moreover, the Glycemic Index of cucumbers is found to be zero.

Why Cucumbers have not a glycemic index listed? Does this imply that they do not raise blood glucose?

No !. It means that under the “rules” for the concept of the glycemic index, it is too hard to get an accurate number. It is because you’ll need to eat a very big amount of the food to get 50 grams of carbohydrate at a time in order to be tested. In general, the lower the amount of carbohydrate in a vegetable and the more fiber it has, the less the increase in blood glucose will be.

The carbohydrates are primarily responsible of the raise of the glucose level.But the carbohydrates present in the cucumber are easily digestible in a diabetes patient’s stomach.

Tips for Preparing Cucumbers:

Unwaxed cucumbers do not need to be peeled but should be washed before cutting. Cucumbers can be sliced, diced or cut into sticks.

Just a few Quick Serving Ideas:

– Use half-inch thick cucumber slices as petite serving “dishes” for chopped vegetable salads.

– Mix diced cucumbers with sugar snap peas and mint leaves and toss with rice wine vinaigrette.

– For refreshing cold gazpacho soup that takes five minutes or less to make, simply purée cucumbers, tomatoes, green peppers and onions, then add salt and pepper to taste.

– Add diced cucumber to tuna fish or chicken salad recipes.

Cool Cucumber Salad Recipe:

Photo: http://www.diabeticdietrecipes.org/Cucumber_Salad.jpg

Ingredients:

– 3 medium cucumbers, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/4-inch slices

– 1 carrot, peeled and shredded

– 1/2 red onion, sliced paper-thin

– 1/3 cup minced cilantro

Dressing:

– 1/2 cup rice vinegar

– 2 tsp. honey

– 2 tsp. Reduced-sodium soy sauce

– 1 1/2 tsp. toasted sesame oil

– Pinch dried red pepper flakes

Preparation per 8 servings:

Preparation time: 25 minutes

Marinating time: 60 minutes

1. Combine the cucumbers, carrots, red onion, and cilantro in a large bowl.

2. Combine the dressing ingredients. Pour dressing over cucumbers, cover, and refrigerate for an hour. Salad may be eaten with a fork.

Nutritional Values per Meal: 1/2 cup

– Calories: 25

– Calories From Fat: 10

– Total Fat: 1 gram

– Saturated Fat: .1 grams

– Cholesterol: milligrams

– Sodium: 50 milligrams (without added salt)

– Total Carbohydrate: 5 grams

– Soluble fiber: 1 gram

– Sugars: 3 grams

– Protein: 1 grams