HOLY BASIL TEA LOWERS BLOOD SUGAR

Holy basil tea is a contributor to lower blood sugar for most people.  In my case, I found it reduces my blood glucose by about 20 points after meals.

I drink holy basil tea twice per day.  I drink it in the morning, when insulin resistance is highest, and I drink it before my lunch.  In both cases, my blood sugar is lower than if I did not drink the tea.

Holy basil is a member of the mint family, and you can taste that when you add stevia to sweeten.  It has a robust flavor, very tasty, with a hint of mint.

It also has and effect on the serotonin in your brain, bringing a mood lift.

Holy basil is also anti-inflammatory.  It stimulates the immune system and has anti-viral and antibacterial properties.

Holy basil tea is planted outside many houses in India, and you can grow it yourself.  It wants full sun and spreads easily.  It is an annual.

Enjoy!

BUCKAROO COOKIES WITH FARINETTA

Buckwheat farinetta is a wonderful help for insulin resistance.  They contain D-Chiro-Inositol, which is helpful, especially if you have PCOS.

I buy the farinetta, which is the outer hulls of buckwheat, from Minn-Dak growers on the web.  I freeze the farinetta, and when the cookies are made, I freeze the cookies.  They are delicious, and balanced in protein and carb.  The cookies hardly even disturb my blood glucose.

BUCKAROO COOKIES

3 C buckwheat farinetta
1 tbs baking powder
1 tsp salt
4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 c flax meal
3 tbs stevia
2 eggs
2 cups water, enough to make a stiff batter
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 c blueberries, frozen
6 scoop vanilla whey protein
10 tbs chia seed
1 1/2 c no sugar applesauce
2/3 c extra virgin coconut oil

Preheat oven to 300F.

Combine water, eggs, vanilla, chia seed, applesauce and coconut oil.

Mix farinetta, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, flax meal, stevia, whey protein.
Add frozen blueberries to dry ingredients and mix.

Combine liquid and dry ingredients.  Batter should be stiff but not dry.

Drop by 1/4 c measure on greased cookie sheet.  Bake for 35 minutes.  Cool and freeze.

Makes 30 cookies.  Fat 9 gm, Carbs 16 gm, Protein 13 gm, Fiber 6 gm.  Calories 201.

WHY YOU NEED THAT PROTEIN SHAKE IN THE MORNING

I understand that many people just can't eat in the morning right after they get up. If they only knew that this is a symptom of the wrong eating patterns, and that it contributes to the weight problem, I am sure they would go for a delicious protein shake! It is easy to make, takes only a minute or two in the blender, and it does many things to improve glucose control. Let me show you!

Most diabetics have a problem with high blood sugar in the morning. Their liver has dumped glucose into their bloodstream overnight, and unless they eat SOMETHING, which starts calorie burning, that blood sugar will continue to climb. Your body relies on the stimulus of food to actually start burning calories. So, if you don't eat in the morning, you are contributing to your high blood sugar problems.

The first thing to do is to make a high protein, moderate carb shake. You can find many brands of whey protein that are natural, with no artificial sweeteners. I have experimented with this for all the time I have spent losing weight, and the Reese's Shake is my alltime favorite. But here is another winner:

ORANGE JULIUS SHAKE

1/2 cup 2% cottage cheese

1 cup water

15gm serving whey protein, orange pineapple or any other flavor

1 tbs chia seed

Blend all in blender. Add one cup ice and blend again.

Fat 4gm, Carbs 13gm, Protein 27 gm

This will keep you going all morning, start your calorie burning engine, and keep your blood sugar low. It tastes great! The chia adds fiber, protein, and a very few low glycemic carbs, along with omega 3 fats.

The wonderful thing about whey protein in the morning, according to Dr. John Gray (of Mars and Venus fame) - is that for women, your mood is set at "good" for the entire day if you get up and have a whey protein shake within two hours of waking. The amino acids tyrosine, tryptophan, and others in whey protein are precursors to serotonin, the feel good brain chemical.

And I have found that if I have the same number of carbs, protein, and fat in any other form than a protein shake, my blood glucose control is not as good. The whey protein has a low glycemic index, and you can use that to help control your blood sugar for hours.

If you are on a low fat diet, be sure to add some coconut oil to your shake.  A low fat diet can trigger gallstones, and the coconut oil will keep your gall bladder flushing to prevent them.  Use up to 2 tbs coconut oil daily for women, and up to 3 tbs coconut oil for men.  Coconut oil also raises your metabolic rate, so don't be afraid to use it, even in a low fat diet.

The best bonus is it tastes good!

GALLSTONES AND MORBID OBESITY

If you are over forty, obese, and female, your risk for gallstones is high.  In my case, I ended up in the hospital for six months with gallstone pancreatitis.

But, if you are losing weight with a low fat diet, the diet itself can increase your risk for gallstones.  This is because the gall bladder needs to flush each and every day, and if you are not eating enough fat, it does not do that.  When combined with all the debris coming out of your cells as you lose weight, it is a recipe for gallstones.  The gall bladder never flushes and the gallstones are much more prone to develop.

So, if you are using the daily log sheet, add 2 tbs coconut oil daily to your low fat diet.  The coconut oil not only keeps the gall bladder flushing, but will improve your metabolic rate as well.  The more weight you need to lose, the more coconut oil pushes up the number of calories burned.

You can use coconut oil in many foods.  Fry with it, put it in your protein cocoa, put it in hot oatmeal, and in your shakes.  Use it up to 2 tbs daily for women and up to 3 tbs daily for men.  It is delicious and will keep you full, as well.

BERBERINE HELPS BOTH GLUCOSE AND CHOLESTEROL

In my many searches on the net for what helps with glucose, I ran on to a reference (more than one, actually) that says berberine may help.  I tried it, and it knocked my glucose down by about 20 points.  The dosage will vary according to your weight and degree of insulin resistance, so work with your doctor to establish how much to take.

The other benefit for berberine is that it also helps with cholesterol.

You may want to consider taking alpha lipoic acid along with berberine to prevent the berberine from taking glucose from skeletal muscles.

Berberine has been in use for centuries in China and Middle Eastern countries with no bad side effects.