Posted on 01/18/2012 9:09:57 PM PST by doug from upland
Could it be the bacon, egg and glazed donut burgers, y’all?
When butter-loving country cook Paula Deen announced this week that she has type 2 diabetes, foodies everywhere started buzzing.
What can you expect when you concoct a Lady’s Brunch Burger out of bacon, eggs and a beef patty with glazed donuts for buns?
Could all that piggy pudding and Uncle Bubba’s seafood pot pie be to blame?
Sort of, local nutrition experts say. But not entirely.
Diabetes educators say no certain type of food leads to diabetes, but the calorie-laden goodies Deen whips up can lead to weight gain -- one of the culprits.
Weight, activity level and genetics all contribute to type 2 diabetes, said Marcia Johnson, clinical supervisor for the diabetes education program at Spectrum Health. Risk also increases as you age.
“Diabetes is much more common in people who are overweight, especially if they carry the extra weight in their midsection,” said Johnson, a registered nurse who has worked in diabetes education since 1979.
Sorry, Lots O’Meat Lasagna, darlin' -- you’re out.
Deen, 64, star of the Food Network show “Paula's Best Dishes,” found out three years ago she has type 2 diabetes, but kept it under her hat until this week, when she revealed the news to Al Roker on NBC's Today show.
Deen told Roker she doesn’t plan to change how she cooks, but said she has always encouraged moderation.
"I share with you all these yummy, fattening recipes,” she said on "Today." “But I tell people, in moderation ... it's entertainment. People have to be responsible."
No more pork chops with cheddar and bacon grits?
“This kind of food is unhealthy not just for diabetics, but for everybody,” Johnson said.
But lovers of Deen’s fried chicken and beefy macaroni and cheese don’t have to give the comfort food up entirely, Johnson said.
“Occasionally treat yourself to a small portion,” she said. “Or rework a recipe so it’s healthier.”
Deen’s son Bobby does just that, promoting lower-calorie versions of his mom’s recipes, on his new Cooking Channel show, “Not My Mama’s Meals.”
Experts say a big factor is genetics – whether you’ve inherited a susceptibility to the condition.
“If you have those genes -- relatives with diabetes -- you want to get regular check-ups,” said Carolyn Belsito, registered dietitian and diabetes educator at Metro Health.
“We’re learning more about the causes of diabetes all the time,” Belsito said. “There are studies that show you’re at a higher risk if you have sleep apnea, as well as stress.”
Experts say small changes in lifestyle can make a big difference.
Deen has said that since the diagnosis, she quit drinking sweet tea. That’s a big change for a Southern gal.
“Giving up sugary beverages can have a huge influence,” said Spectrum Health’s Johnson. “People often drink a whole day’s worth of calories just in their beverages.”
Deen also said she now regularly hits the treadmill -- another good move to prevent the disease, Johnson said.
“Exercise helps with weight control, but it also immediately burns up blood sugar,” Johnson said, “and it continues to drop for the next day or two.”
One in 12 people in West Michigan has diabetes, according to 2008 data from the Alliance for Health. Statewide, the disease is estimated to cost $6.5 billion in health care expenses and lost time from work.
Diabetes prevents the body from making or using the insulin needed to convert food into energy. Sugar builds up in the blood, and that can eventually damage the heart, eyes, kidneys and feet.
Deen is now being paid as a spokesperson for Novo Nordisk, the pharmaceutical company that supplies her diabetes medication. She and her family are appearing in a new ad campaign for the company this month.
Meanwhile, experts say they’re happy the butter diva went public.
“It’s a wake-up call for people who might see themselves in her,” said Belsito of Metro Health.
“I hope some good can come from this,” Spectrum’s Johnson said. “Diabetes is mostly self-managed, so getting people talking about it and learning about it is good.”
So is Double Chocolate Ooey Gooey Butter Cake. But just a smidgen, y’all.
Trying to lose 200 pounds of ugly fat.
It isn't working.
My wife refuses to give me a divorce....
And there isn't any comparison between homemade mayo made with yard eggs and the store-bought canola/chemical emulsion.
/johnny
/johnny
Actually if you balance your sugar, the donut, with protein, the bacon and hamburger patty,you will keep your blood sugar more stable than if you eat them separately.
Mmmmmmm......yummy.
I make everything from scratch, too, being a cook. It’s GOOD to have a live-in chef. ;)
- - - -
Oh yeah. I went to culinary school specifically to make it easier for me to cook for MrR. It came in handy when I was in grad school, because I could do catering on the side, and I was one of the class stars, but the real reason was to become more efficient in the kitchen and in making things from scratch.
My father was real Le Cordon Bleu (Paris) and a fairly well known resort chef, my mother’s grandfather was a cook with Barnum & Bailey Circus. circus before opening his own restaurant, so cooking runs in the family (both sides).
We joke that MrR is my built-in sous chef.
Good fat from healthy animals doesn’t make you fat. It doesn’t give you diabetes. Sugar and grains do.
Stick to kid’s cereals then.
Only if you have the right genetics.
/johnny
Shiver.... My internship was bad enough in Texas. Some of my chef instructors were old farts that had done the european internships and lived and worked there.
They told stories that gave nightmares.
But it is good to be able to look at a garden, squirrels in the trees, and be able to put together a meal in your mind.
I eat local (mostly), I eat fresh, and I eat in season. Late spring is always mexican and italian, because that's when the 'maters and basil and cilantro are at their best.
/johnny
And most times, it's soaked in bourbon.
But that's a once a month thing that gets eaten over week, and half gets tossed after it gets mouldy.
Anybody that sits down and eats the entire recipe in one sitting is likely to die early.
But some can with no real effect.
People are different, genetically, on what their body handles.
/johnny
All true.
No more pork chops with cheddar and bacon grits?
“This kind of food is unhealthy not just for diabetics, but for everybody,” Johnson said.
No it isn’t. The gluttony thing is unhealthy.
That is an insane statement. All animal protein is a known cause of cancer. Humans require fats, true, but from plant based sources such as avacados, olives, and nuts.
“All animal protein is a known cause of cancer.”
LOL
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