Eat to beat diabetes: Why you can STILL enjoy these takeaway treats - or opt for a super salad that will fill you up

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Twenty years ago I started to worry about my health, and so, based on standard dietary advice I decided to cut down on the fat in my diet.

However, my wife, Clare (who is a GP and who has produced this new 8-Week Blood Sugar Diet Recipe Book in conjunction with dietitian Dr Sarah Schenker), continued to eat what she liked — a diet which included its fair share of fats.

Over the next decade I grew larger, expanding around the middle and, to my complete horror, developed type 2 diabetes — whereas Clare maintained the slim figure she had when we met at medical school.

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The problem with foods that are rich in refined carbs, such as pastry, biscuits and cakes, is that they are rapidly broken down and digested by the body, creating a spike in blood sugar levels.

It is quite clear to me now that the dietary advice I had been following was wrong.

As part of my work, I keep up to date with all the latest research and nutritional thinking, and I am now convinced that a blanket ban on fat not only deprives us of a key source of nutrients but can also lead to an increase in the consumption of other, more pernicious foods, such as refined carbohydrates.

Many experts believe that the recent surge in �dia-besity’ (diabetes plus obesity) has been fuelled by our unhealthy obsession with low-fat eating over recent years, which in turn has led to over-consumption of cheap and easily digestible carbohydrates.

The problem with foods that are rich in refined carbs, such as white bread, pastry, biscuits and cakes, is that they are rapidly broken down and digested by the body, creating an instant spike in blood sugar levels.

This is soon followed by the release of the hormone insulin, whose job it is to bring the blood sugar back down to normal. This, in turn, can trigger a crash, making us hungry again.

But it’s not just sugar and white flour. Even �natural sugars’ such as honey, maple syrup and agave nectar all cause blood sugar spikes.

In fact, these days most processed foods (take-away curries, breakfast cereals, muffins and flavoured yoghurts) are stuffed full of sugar.

Even basic carbohydrates such as rice, pasta and potatoes, which diabetics are encouraged to eat in abundance, have the same destructive quick-hit impact on blood sugar levels.

If you base your diet on lots of cheap and readily available carbohydrates — as so many of us do — your blood sugar levels can be stuck on high and your body may become destructively resistant to insulin. You are likely to be storing up problems for the future.

That’s why I have based the 8-Week Blood Sugar Diet on a relatively low-carb Mediterranean style of eating.

My first rule is to minimise or avoid the �white stuff’, and even avoid �going brown’.

Brown rice is fine if you have it in small quantities, but most wholemeal breads contain added sugar, and its extra fibre can only have a small impact on reducing the carbohydrate load.

PERFECT PIZZA 

Serves 1

• 80g celeriac, peeled and grated (or cauliflower)
• 2 tbsp soft cheese
• 1 tbsp Cheddar, grated
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 3 tbsp tomato purée
• 2 mozzarella balls, torn
• Handful of basil leaves, shredded
• Handful of black olives chopped

CALORIES 490 • PROTEIN 30g • FAT 38g• FIBRE 4g • CARBS 6g

Preheat oven to 200c. Place grated celeriac in a bowl, add cheeses and mix in egg with some black pepper.

Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper brushed with a little oil. Shape celeriac mixture into a circle on paper and bake it in oven for 15 mins.

Remove base from oven and allow it to cool for a minute before spreading tomato paste over surface. Then dot it with the mozzarella, basil and olives and return it to oven for another 4-5 minutes. (You can add some anchovies, spinach or feta or the topping of your choice.)

It might feel like a big step to make (and I certainly took some persuading!), but I recommend that you switch from pasta and white rice to quinoa, beans and lentils instead.

The impact on your blood sugars and your health will be significant, and the bonus is that once you move away from basing your diet on starchy carbohydrates and sugars, you will you no longer feel quite so hungry.

Your body’s natural feedback mechanisms will kick back into action to switch off those hunger signals and tell you when you are full.

Instead of piling your plate with potatoes and pasta, try filling it with vegetables, salads and wholegrains. Aim to eat a rainbow — from purple beetroot through red and yellow peppers to dark, leafy greens.

You can enjoy fruit, too, but it’s best to keep it to no more than one or two portions per day to keep sugar intake under control.

Choose berries, apples and pears — unpeeled, as this is where most of the nutrients are found — and minimise your intake of high-sugar �tropical’ fruits such as mango, pineapple, melon and bananas. The real key to a long-term eating plan that will keep you feeling full and not craving sweet things, is keeping your intake of fats and protein high. The body doesn’t store protein, so you need to maintain an adequate level in your diet to avoid muscle loss. It also helps to reduce your appetite.

Our recipes and meal plans have been designed to be rich in good- quality proteins such as eggs, fish, chicken, pork, prawns and tofu.

Nuts, seeds and pulses are packed full of protein, too. Aim for 45g of protein a day for women and 55g for men, but try to cut back on processed meats such as bacon, salami and sausages which can be high in salt and preservatives.

Dairy products are a good source of protein too, and one of the most delicious features of the 8-Week Blood Sugar Diet is that you can enjoy the rich, satisfying taste of full-fat milk, yoghurt, crème fraiche and cheese.

The latest studies have failed to find convincing evidence that eating saturated fats leads to a greater risk of heart disease.

In fact, some studies have found that people with higher levels in their blood of a particular saturated fat called margaric acid (the sort you get in milk and dairy products) had a lower risk of heart disease.

The 8-Week Blood Sugar Diet and the recipes featured in the Mail this week actively encourage you to consume more fats such as olive oil, yoghurt, nuts, avocados and coconut milk.

Not only does fat make food taste better, but it is an excellent source of slow-burn energy. And, although healthy fats may be higher in calories than carbohydrates, they keep you feeling full for longer.

WHICH FATS SHOULD I USE FOR COOKING? 

Olive oil and rapeseed oil are rich in �monounsaturated fats’, which are also found in avocados, olives, almonds and hazelnuts.

Not only is this good for you, but these oils are also better at resisting damage caused by heating than the polyunsaturated fats found vegetable oils (such as sunflower oil).

Olive and rapeseed oils are rich in 'monounsaturated fats' which are also found in avocados, olives and almonds

When fats and oils are heated to �smoke point’ (when frying or baking) they undergo an oxidation process which has been linked to an increased risk of cancer and heart disease, but olive, rapeseed and coconut oils release less of these nasty chemicals.

Use extra virgin olive oil for drizzling on salads and vegetables. Studies show that coconut oil can be helpful in reducing the harmful visceral fat that can target the abdomen.

BRING ON THE VINEGAR

Vinegar has been found to help reduce weight and visceral (abdominal) fat, improve lipids and insulin sensitivity, so not surprisingly it features in a number of recipes in this book. Vinegar has also been shown to suppress the appetite, and it also delays the breakdown of food into sugars in your gut.

A recent study showed that adding just two teaspoons of vinegar to a meal cut the post-meal blood sugar spike by 20 per cent, while another study showed that dieters who consumed a tablespoon of vinegar a day for 12 weeks, lost 1.2kg more than those taking a placebo drink.

 Burgers, kebabs and chicken korma are still on the menu

Chicken korma 

Serves 2

• 2 tbsp oil
• 2 onions, one finely chopped, the other sliced into rings
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1cm root ginger, finely chopped
• 1 tsp garam masala
• ½ tsp cayenne pepper
• Seeds from 4 cardamom pods
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 4 small boneless chicken thighs or 2 small chicken breasts, chopped into 1-2cm chunks
• 200ml coconut milk (or 200ml full-fat natural Greek yoghurt)
• 25g ground almonds
• ½ medium cauliflower, grated
• Handful of coriander, roughly chopped

CALORIES 340 • PROTEIN 28g • FAT 19g • FIBRE 5g • CARBS 17g

Heat 1 tbsp oil in an ovenproof casserole or pan and fry the finely chopped onions, garlic and ginger over a medium heat for 2-3 mins. Add the spices and cook for 1 min. Add the chicken and cook for 2-3 mins, then pour in the coconut milk and ground almonds and simmer gently for 20 mins.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a non-stick frying pan and fry the onion rings for 5-10 minutes until browned, turning them frequently. Drain on kitchen paper.

When the curry is nearly ready, fry the grated cauliflower gently in the oil remaining from the fried onions for 5 mins, then pile it onto two plates, top with the chicken curry, sprinkle with coriander and scatter the fried onions on top. Serve the korma with 100g fine green beans on the side.

Thai red curry

Serves 2

• 1 large chicken breast, sliced
• ½ onion, chopped
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large garlic clove, diced
• 2cm root ginger, diced
• 3-4 heaped tsp Thai red curry paste
• 1 red pepper, deseeded and sliced
• ½ 400ml tin coconut milk
• ½ tbsp Thai fish sauce
• ½ tsp lime zest or kaffir lime leaves
• ½ cauliflower, grated
• Generous handful of fine beans

CALORIES 300 • PROTEIN 4g• FAT 25g• FIBRE 2g • CARBS 14g

Heat the oil in a wok or wide-based saucepan and fry chicken and onion. When browned, add the garlic, ginger and curry paste, then the red pepper, coconut milk, Thai fish sauce and lime zest and cook for 15 mins. Meanwhile, steam or fry the cauliflower rice and throw the green beans into the curry pan a few minutes before the end.

(Use prawns or tofu instead of chicken if preferred.)

Chicken kebabs 

Serves 2

• 2 skinless chicken breasts
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• ½ red chilli, deseeded and chopped
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 6 wooden skewers, soaked in water

For the satay sauce:

• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• 2 spring onions, diced
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• ½ red chilli, deseeded and chopped
• 3 tbsp peanut butter
• ½ tbsp fish sauce
• 100ml coconut milk

CALORIES 460 • PROTEIN 33g • FAT 44g• FIBRE 2g • CARBS 10g

Cut each chicken breast into 12-15 cubes then make a marinade by mixing the garlic and chilli, soy sauce and coconut oil and toss the chicken in the marinade. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Thread four or five chicken cubes onto each skewer, season and grill for 12-15 mins, turning every 3-4 mins.

For the sauce, fry the spring onions, garlic and chilli in the coconut oil until soft, add the peanut butter and fish sauce and stir for another 2 mins, then blitz in a food processor with the coconut milk, adding a splash of soy sauce if you wish. Serve the kebabs on a bed of rocket, with the dipping sauce in a small pot on the side.

Crispy Chinese duck

For years we felt guilty eating crispy duck pancakes because of the high-fat content in duck, only to realise we have been worrying about the wrong thing — it’s the starchy pancakes we should avoid. Don’t worry too much about the sugar in the hoisin sauce, which is absorbed slowly as part of the meal.

Serves 2

• 2 duck legs
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• ½ tbsp sesame oil (this is optional)
• 1 small cucumber, cut in half lengthwise and deseeded
• 6 spring onions
• Hoisin sauce, 1 tsp per â€?pancake’
• Cos or little gem lettuce

CALORIES 340 • PROTEIN 13g • FAT 35g• FIBRE 1g • CARBS 5g

Place the duck on an oven tray, score the surface with a sharp knife and rub soy sauce into the skin, drizzle with sesame oil and leave to marinate while the oven heats to 200c. As soon as you place the duck in the oven, reduce the temperature to 160c and roast for an hour, turning and basting it regularly. Chop the cucumber and spring onions into matchsticks and divide between two plates.

The duck is ready when the flesh easily comes away from the bone. Use a spoon and fork to shred it and serve with the vegetables, lettuce �pancakes’ and a bowl of hoisin sauce.

Turkey burgers

Serves 6

• 500g minced turkey (or pork)
• 4 spring onions or 1 leek, finely diced
• 4 fresh or soft dried apricots, very finely chopped
• 100g halloumi, finely diced (or 100g chopped cashews)
• 1 egg, beaten
• Handful of coriander, finely chopped
• ½ tsp chilli flakes, to taste
• 1 tbsp olive oil

CALORIES 180 • PROTEIN 26g • FAT 8g• FIBRE 1g • CARBS 2g

Mash all the ingredients except the olive oil together in a bowl, and season with salt and black pepper. Shape the mixture into six balls, flatten slightly, then leave in the fridge for 30 mins. Heat the olive oil in a pan and gently fry burgers on both sides until cooked. Serve with salad and 2 tbsp quinoa or bulgar wheat (add 35 calories).

These are delicious as nibbles if you make them into smaller, bite-sized balls and serve them with tzatziki.

Beef stir-fry

Serves 2

• 200g beef fillet, thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp mirin (or sherry)
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2cm root ginger, grated
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely diced (or 1 tsp chilli flakes)
• ½ 400g tin black beans
• 1 tbsp coconut or rapeseed oil
• 150g asparagus, cut into 3cm batons
• 100g mange tout or sugar snap peas, chopped into thin sticks (optional)
• 1 tsp sesame oil (optional)
• 2 tsp sesame seeds
• Handful of coriander leaves, torn

CALORIES 250 • PROTEIN 27g • FAT 13g• FIBRE 3g • CARBS 5g

Mix the mirin, ½ tbsp soy sauce, ginger, garlic and chilli in a bowl and marinate the beef for 30 mins. In a separate bowl, marinate the black beans in ½ tbsp soy sauce. Place a wok over a high heat, add the oil and then the beef and stir-fry for 2 mins, or until the meat is brown. Add the asparagus, mange tout, black beans and sesame oil and reduce the heat, then stir in 2 tbsp hot water and the remaining soy sauce and stir-fry gently for another min until the vegetables are tender. Season and sprinkle over the sesame seeds and coriander leaves. Serve with cauliflower rice.

Super salads that will fill you up

Often it can be a struggle to find healthy food to eat on the go, especially if lunch is a high-carbohydrate sandwich or filled jacket potato.

But with a little planning, you can pack up something delicious and different every day.

Here are some yummy alternatives to the standard sandwich — simple salads that not only taste great, but will fill you up, too.

Use cos or Little Gem lettuce leaves as �wraps’ instead of a starchy taco or tortilla.

Salmon and avocado wrap

Serves 1

• 1 avocado
• 4 outer leaves from a cos or little gem lettuce
• 100g smoked salmon
• Squeeze of lemon juice
• 1 tsp sesame seeds

CALORIES 470 • PROTEIN 26g • FAT 50g• FIBRE 7g • CARBS 5g

Mash the avocado and spoon it into the base of each lettuce leaf. Add a strip of smoked salmon, a squeeze of lemon, a grinding of black pepper and scatter with the sesame seeds, then roll up the lettuce and wrap in cling film.

Orange and sardine salad

Serves 2

• 2 oranges (including the zest of one of them)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Juice of half a lemon
• 100g watercress
• ½ red onion, thinly sliced
• Handful of tarragon or coriander leaves, torn
• 120g tin sardines in oil, drained (or fresh sardines if available)
• 1 tbsp pumpkin seeds

CALORIES 320 • PROTEIN 19g • FAT 19g• FIBRE 4g • CARBS 19g

Make a dressing by whisking together orange zest, oil and lemon juice with salt and pepper. Peel both oranges and cut into slices. Arrange watercress, onion and tarragon leaves in sealable container, add orange slices, then sardines. Drizzle over dressing and sprinkle with pumpkin seeds.

TIP: Buy fresh sardines that have been scaled and gutted, with heads and gills removed (two per person). Rub with olive oil, salt and pepper, and cook on a griddle for five minutes, turning once.

Moroccan chickpea salad

Serves 4

• 200g quinoa
• 350ml vegetable stock
• 400g tin chickpeas, drained
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 tsp ras el hanout (or paprika)
• 8 cherry tomatoes, halved
• ¼ cucumber, deseeded and diced
• 100g pomegranate seeds or raisins
• 4 spring onions, finely chopped
• Handful of mint or coriander leaves
• 2 tbsp flaked almonds, toasted

CALORIES 400 • PROTEIN 15g • FAT 14g• FIBRE 8g • CARBS 60g

Place the quinoa in a saucepan with the stock, bring to the boil, then simmer for 10-15 mins until the stock has been absorbed. Remove from heat, cover and leave to stand for five minutes. Put chickpeas in a bowl and add the oil, lemon and spice.

Mix well to coat then add the quinoa and all other ingredients and toss together. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Pear and goat’s cheese salad

Serves 2

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp cider vinegar
• 2 heads of chicory
• 1 pear, cored and sliced
• 60g goat’s cheese, diced
• Handful of rocket leaves
• 2 tbsp hazelnuts, toasted

CALORIES 310 • PROTEIN 9g • FAT 26g• FIBRE 4g • CARBS 12g

Whisk together oil and vinegar with some salt and pepper.

Discard outer leaves of the chicory and separate the rest from the stalk. Arrange leaves on two plates, with the pear slices and cheese on top. Drizzle over the dressing and scatter the rocket leaves and nuts on top.

Adapted by Louise Atkinson from the 8-Week Blood Sugar Diet Recipe Book by Dr Clare Bailey with Dr Sarah Schenker, published by Short Books at £14.99 © Sarah Schenker and Clare Bailey 2016. To order a copy for £11.24 (offer valid to October 13, 2016) call 0844 571 0640 or visit mailbookshop.co.uk P&P free on orders over £15.