• Mexican Pork Stew   (More on the way!)

In addition to medical treatment and other health-building habits, Diabetic Divas can help keep their blood glucose level down in a healthy range of 90 to 100 ml/dL by eating a low glycemic index (GI) diet.

Low GI meals are perfect for diabetics because they consist of foods, and combinations of foods, that convert to glucose and enter your bloodstream at a slower rate than some other foods, especially highly-processed or "refined" foods, which can spike your BGL to dangerous levels before you know it.

Low GI foods include whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and combinations. See a list here. Adding a low GI ingredient to a not-so-low GI recipe can lower the dish's over GI rating, making it more healthy for Diabetic Divas.

Develop Healthy Dietary Habits

• Drink water. Make a conscious effort to drink six to eight 8-ounce glasses of cool, refreshing water each day. Ice it up and add a squeeze of lemon, if you like. If you drink plenty of water during the day, you will hydrate your cells to help you (1) look your healthiest, (2) have more endurance during the day, and even (3) help you lose weight. If you are thirsty, you could already be a quart low! Many sugary drinks, even diet pop, do not actually quench your thirst, but they may get you addicted to their bevy of unpronounceable ingredients.

Most municipal tap water is relatively 'safe' to drink. If you are concerned about chlorine or other chemicals and particles, check with your water treatment agency for the current analysis of the water they supply. If you prefer filtered water, try a filter that fits on the faucet's spout or that filters your water in a pitcher, such as Pur, Brita or Culligan. There are also larger under-counter and countertop filters. Do some research online by Googling "water filters" to find out which one best suits your needs. Bottled water varies in quality, some claim to be natural, others have been filtered for you, and still others are reported to be the same tap water you get from your faucet! When all is said and done, a cool glass of water from your tap is probably fine, and less expensive than the alternatives. So drink up!

• Avoid bad fats. Saturated and hydrogenated oils (such as Crisco shortening), animal fat (all visible fat should be removed from meat), fatty cuts of meat (marbled prime rib), and trans fats should be omitted from your diet. Butter is a saturated fat that can be used sparingly on occasion and may be better for your health than margarine. Dairy products such as yogurt, cottage cheese and milk are best for you if they are low-fat (or non-fat, if you prefer).

• Eat healthy fats. Mono- and poly-unsaturated oils, such as extra virgin olive oil and canola oil, are the best oils to use. Use canola oil if you want a neutral-flavored oil that won't smoke as quickly as olive oil does. Olive oil is great for salad dressings and sprinkled on hearty whole grain bread. Healthy omega-3 fatty acids are found in flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, and walnuts.

• Avoid sugar. Limit or avoid refined sugars, including this insidious thing called 'high fructose corn syrup' that shows up in way too many products, even foods that aren't supposed to be sweet! Read labels and avoid it like the plague. Use natural sweeteners such as stevia or agave. Or try calorie-free sucralose (Splenda^®) occasionally. It's not exactly a natural food, but it is quite sweet without calories and may be appropriate for diabetics to use in limited amounts instead of regular sugar. Ask your doctor. Recipes can be sweetened naturally with fruit juice or applesauce. Applesauce is good because it not only adds fiber, nutrients and sweetness, but it also replaces the bulk that sugar provides in certain recipes, helping to keep the volume and texture of the recipe.

Once you've been off of sugar for a week or so, the desserts and sodas that you used to crave will be unpalatable because they now taste much too sweet. Give it a try!

• Eat whole foods. The bulk of your diet should consist of natural, unprocessed whole foods, such as fresh organic fruits and vegetables. Choose a variety of different colored produce to get the full spectrum of nutrients. If a food has an ingredients label, or has more than one ingredient on the label, most likely it is not a whole or natural food.

• Eat whole grains. Bake with whole wheat flour instead of highly-processed white flour, or use a combination. See my favorite carrot cake recipe. Make a delicious multi-grain cereal to keep in the freezer and cook for breakfast. Sprinkle with chopped dried fruit and walnuts before serving.

• Eat berries. Blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, and cranberries are excellent natural foods. Wild blueberries (smaller than other blueberries) are one of the best fruits to eat. Buy them fresh or frozen, and use them in simple desserts or fruit smoothies.

• Eat dark chocolate. Semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate (as opposed to sugar-ladened milk chocolate) can be beneficial to your health. You can get 72% Belgium chocolate bars at Trader Joe's for about $1 a bar in a pack of three. Break them into 1/2-ounce sections and keep in the freezer for a refreshing and healthy snack.

• Eat nuts. Walnuts, macadamias, filberts, almonds, cashews, pistachios and peanuts are chocked full of nutrients. Walnuts are one of the best nuts to eat because of their healthful omega-3 fatty acids. Chop and sprinkle them on cereal, salads, and casseroles. Keep them in the freezer and set a bowlful on your kitchen counter every morning as a reminder to "snack healthy". And don't forget peanut butter—it's one of the good fats to use in moderation. Buy natural peanut butter to avoid unnecessary sugar and hydrogenated fat.

• Take nutritional supplements. Fortifying our diets with nutritional supplements is important for all Diabetic Divas. Pollution, anxiety, aging, and medication are a few of the things that can deplete our daily nutritional supplies or prevent nutrients from doing their job well, so we need to protect ourselves with supplements. See Supplements