It is common for families to enjoy a holiday dinner together on Easter. While an Easter dinner with family is an opportunity to get together and celebrate, typical Easter recipes do not always fit into the diabetic diet. If you live with diabetes, you may have to make changes to your recipes so that they are more diabetes friendly. With a few simple changes, you can have a healthy holiday dinner that tastes delicious and keeps blood sugar levels in check.

Easter Recipes and Diabetes

When you imagine typical Easter recipes, you likely think about the rich flavor of glazed ham, paired with a side dish like bread or scalloped potatoes. Your family may serve pork or turkey as main dishes instead of ham, but Easter dinner generally includes a protein source combined with various side dishes, which typically aren’t low carb. In addition, Easter recipes tend to include meats wrapped in bacon, which adds a significant amount of saturated fat to these seasonal favorites.

Traditional dishes may not be entirely diabetes friendly. For instance, nutrition experts recommend a balanced diet that includes fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean protein sources, and low-fat milk and cheese. On the other hand, the diabetic diet should limit sweets, beverages with added sugars, and foods that are fried or high in saturated fat. An Easter meal may include highly processed breads, sweet desserts, cheesy potatoes, and other dishes that can be high in calories and refined carbohydrates.

Making Easter Dinner Fit Into the Diabetic Diet

If you have diabetes, you can make your Easter dinner fit into your diabetic diet. You might consider hosting the Easter meal so that you can ensure that the food served will fit within your eating plan. You can ask guests to bring side dishes that they want to enjoy, but you can make main dishes that fit within your eating plan, and have fruits and vegetables on hand for you to eat with your meal.

On the other hand, if you don’t want to host Easter dinner, or another family member prefers to host, you can offer to bring some dishes that fit within your diabetes eating plan, or talk with the host about your dietary needs. Loved ones will often be willing to accommodate your needs so that you can still eat with everyone else.

Regardless of the specific menu for your Easter dinner, it is also helpful to keep portion sizes in mind. Nutrition experts recommend using the plate method when preparing meals. This involves filling half of your plate with a non-starchy vegetable, one-forth of your plate with a lean protein source like grilled chicken, and the remaining one-forth with a starch or grain like corn or a whole grain roll. Using this method assists with portion control and helps you to limit yourself to the appropriate serving size for each item.

5 Easter Recipes to Try

Keeping diabetes friendly eating in mind, there are some fantastic Easter recipes that fit within your diet. Consider the recipes below for a healthy Easter meal.

lemon grilled chicken
Lemon Grilled Chicken

Chicken is a great source of protein, and when it’s grilled, it is low in fat and fits well within a diabetes eating plan. Use this simple recipe as your main dish and pair it with a salad, topped with a sugar-free dressing. Prepare the chicken by marinating it in a combination of lemon juice, garlic, and olive oil, and then throw it on the grill to cook until it reaches a temperature of 160 degrees.

Cinnamon bread
Low-Carb Cinnamon Bread

You can keep blood sugar levels in check and still enjoy Easter desserts. Sweetened with cinnamon, a low-carb dessert bread allows you to treat yourself while keeping your meal diabetes friendly. Kids will even enjoy this low-carb cinnamon bread.

Follow the recipe below to prepare this dessert:

  • Gather the following ingredients for the bread: 2 1/2 cups of blanched almond flour, 1 cup of Swerve no-sugar sweetener (confectioner’s style), 1/2 tbsp. of baking powder 1 tsp. of ground cinnamon, a pinch of salt, 4 eggs, 1/3 cup of unsweetened vanilla almond milk, and 4 tbsp. melted butter
  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  • Mix almond flour, confectioners Swerve, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl until well-combined.
  • In a separate bowl, mix the wet ingredients: eggs, melted butter, and almond milk.
  • Combine wet and dry ingredients and mix to form a thick batter.
  • Mix 4 tbsp. granular Swerve and 1/2 tbsp. ground cinnamon in a small bowl to create the swirl for the bread.
  •  Get a 8.5″ x 4.5″ bread pan, line it with parchment paper, and spray it with non-stick baking spray.
  • Add 1/3 of the batter to the pan, and then add in 1/3 of the swirl, and use a toothpick to mix it into the batter. This is the first layer of the cinnamon bread. Repeat this process with the remaining batter, until you have added all three layers to the pan.
  • Bake the bread for 60-70 minutes, adding a tinfoil tent after 45 minutes.
  • Remove bread from oven, allow it to cool to room temperature, and then slice and serve!

dviled eggs
Diabetes-Friendly Deviled Eggs

Deviled eggs are a traditional Easter dish, and you can make a healthy version that fits within your diet. Your taste buds will love the diabetes-friendly version of this side dish, which you can make with the following steps:

  • Boil 12 eggs, and then allow to sit in cold water for a few minutes to make peeling easier.
  • Slice eggs in half vertically, remove egg yolks, and then place the yolks into a bowl.
  • Mash the yolks, and then add 2 tbsp. light mayonnaise, 1/8 tsp. dry mustard, a pinch of salt, and fresh ground black pepper to the bowl.
  • Mix all ingredients together in the bowl.
  • Add the yolk mixture to the egg whites.

cucamber lime salmon with ginger
Cucumber Lime Salmon with Ginger

Another main course idea that fits a diabetes diet is this salmon recipe, which includes the rich flavor of lime and ginger. Follow the steps below to complete this recipe:

1) Begin by mixing the following 13 ingredients in a blender to make the cucumber lime sauce:

  • 1 tablespoon grated lime zest
  • 1/4 cup lime juice
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar or white wine vinegar
  • 4 teaspoons sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
  • 2 teaspoons minced fresh gingerroot
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 medium cucumbers, peeled, seeded and chopped

2) Combine 1/3 cup minced gingerroot, 1 tablespoon lime juice, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper in a bowl.

3) Coat ten 6-ounce salmon filets with the above mixture.

4) Lightly coat the grill rack with oil, and then grill salmon, skin side down, for 10-12 minutes on medium-high heat.

5) Remove from grill and serve salmon with the sauce prepared in step one.


Quinoa Salad

Another recipe to consider for your diabetes-friendly Easter dinner is a quinoa salad, which is high in protein and rich in flavor. Follow the recipe below to make:

1) Make a dressing by combining the following ingredients in a bowl:

  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons minced fresh gingerroot
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt

2) Bring two cups of reduced sodium chicken broth to a boil, and then add one cup of quinoa. Reduce the heat and simmer, while covered, for 12-15 minutes.

3) Remove quinoa from heat and transfer to a large bowl.

4) Add the following to the quinoa, and mix:

  • 1 cup chopped tart apple
  • 1 cup chopped cucumber
  • 1/2 cup minced fresh parley
  • 1 thinly sliced green onion

5) Add in the dressing prepared in step one, and you’re ready to serve!

Key Takeaways

With each recipe above, you can enjoy low carb, healthy dishes and still celebrate a memorable Easter dinner with family. The good news is that all the recipes discussed here are delicious, and they use simple ingredients. Friends and family alike will enjoy getting together to celebrate, and you won’t have to worry that you’re ruining your diabetes eating plan.

In general, it’s best to stick to a balanced meal that is free from heavily processed foods or refined carbs. Instead of the chicken and salmon recipes discussed here, you might consider a recipe using lean beef, lamb, or pork. If you’re into seafood, you could also consider shrimp. For side dishes, you can pair these protein sources with fresh fruit, broccoli, carrots, brussels sprouts, and other diabetes-friendly options. Finish off with a lower-carb dessert (if you don’t prefer the recipe discussed here, you can try other flavors using a similar recipe, such as lemon bread or strawberry bread) and pair it with coffee enjoyed around the table with family and friends.

There are many weight tracking methods currently employed by millions of people across the globe. Some are based on personal inspiration, while most are due to health experts’ recommendations. Whichever is the case, the goal is to achieve a high level of fitness and prevent the complications of being overweight.

The good thing about weight loss methods is that there are proven options among the hundreds available. One of these options is the use of weight loss apps or calorie-tracking apps.

Weight loss apps continue to grow in number and are quickly becoming a norm among fitness enthusiasts and people with overweight. The increasing digitalization of these apps has made them accessible from any part of the world.

As expected, though, with the growth in digital weight tracker apps, questions on their effectiveness continue to surface. Studies have also proven if they’re indeed effective and can help people with their weight tracking and management goals.

To proffer answers to this question, this article explores the nature of digital weight trackers, the most popular weight loss and management apps, and finally, how weight tracking apps interact with top weight management methods.

The Role of Digital Apps in Weight Tracking

Weight tracking apps are the go-to do-it-yourself (DIY) option people with weight goals continually opt for.

There are different types of digital trackers. However, a top app usually doubles as a body fat percentage and calorie counter app as well as an underlying disease monitoring app. This means that such an app helps people in their weight loss journey and prevents an underlying disease from worsening.

These types of weight trackers provide nutrition information that works well with the condition a person has as they seek to establish effective weight control. Some weight tracking apps also include exercise tracking features that encourage a fit and healthy lifestyle.

Digital weight trackers have become a very viable option, with many having multiple features such that they handle the role of a traditional diet coach effectively. While there have been questions about how effective digital weight tracking apps are, there are proven studies about their effectiveness.

A study titled Comparing Self-Monitoring Strategies for Weight Loss in a Smartphone App: Randomized Controlled Trial gives an idea of how effective these apps can be when used correctly.

The study was a controlled trial involving randomly selected participants who were either overweight or obese. The respondents were 105 with an age range of 21–65 years. The body mass index (BMI) ranged from 25 to 45 kg/m2.

All participants were subjected to a 12-week weight loss program with the MyFitnessPal app being the tool for monitoring the changes and improvement. The goal was for the respondents—shared into a group of three—to self-monitor any the following:

  • Weight and diet on a weekly basis with actions plans, lessons, and feedback (simultaneously considered)
  • Weight though the fourth week, then with added diet (sequential)
  • Monitor the effect of just the app

All three groups aimed to lose up to 5% of their weight at the time in 12 weeks. Every respondent received a tailored calorie goal and automated reminder in the app.

The researchers recorded respondents’ engagement which was defined by the days in a week that patients inputted entries in the app. A respondent must have an entry equal to or greater than 800 kcal per day for data to be calculated. Also, the participants’ weights were noted at the start of the trial and after 1 month (4 weeks), 3 months (12 weeks), and 6 months (24 weeks).

The study result showed that only 100 participants were qualified to go on with the study. Of these 100 participants, 84 returned for the 1-month visitation. By the end of three months, only 76 out of 10 returned.

The analyses showed a significant change in participant weight irrespective of their groups. However, the comparison of the results from the three groups after three months didn’t show any significant weight difference.

The results clearly showed that people could stick with weight-tracking diet plans provided by a weight loss app (third group) and enjoy the same result as those that track weight as well (either concurrently or sequentially) with the aim of achieving quicker results. It’s important to note that the MyFitnessPal app used has been proven to be designed by experts, and only similar expert-made apps may offer these results.

From the study above, it’s clear that the type of app used for tracking weight is extremely important. Different great apps are proven to track and manage weight excellently. The next section will highlight the significant ones.

Top Weight Tracking Apps

weight loss/ diet tracking apps

This section considers the best weight loss apps currently in the market. While many factors and metrics determine a good weight tracking device, weight data on caloric intake is one of the most important features.

Fats consumed are also very important, and the good thing is that most of these apps provide reports on these factors. This list includes fitness apps, diet apps, weight-related disease tracking apps, and multiple tracking tools features.

Klinio App

The Klinio app is a diabetes management app that attempts to make it easier for people with the condition to get the right food that works for them. This app helps people know the right food that doesn’t increase sugar but is full of nutrients that the body needs. It was designed by experts and has been tested to work for both short- and long-term conditions.

While the Klinio app focuses on helping diabetes and cardiovascular patients know the right food to eat, the recommended meals also work well with weight loss. The food is highly nutritious and low in cholesterol levels, making the app one of the best diabetes and weight loss apps available in the market currently.

So if you’re diabetic, Klinio is arguably the best weight loss app that encourages weight management and control.

Lose It! App

Lose It! is one of the top user-friendly apps that ensures weight loss and better health. This app counts the number of calories consumed daily and records how much is burnt out. The app is expertly designed to use users’ current weight, exercise habits, age, and desired goals to determine which calorie is best for them.

Users can get up to 33 million foods that work well with weight management. However, you should know that these food suggestions are strictly for weight management and aren’t intended to target other diseases like the Klinio app does with diabetes. Adding additional foods to the app is possible if you don’t want to search through its food library.

An additional feature of this app is the graphical reflection of weight change. With decreased weight, the graph moves downwards. On the contrary, if you aren’t following your diet goals, the graph moves upwards as your weight increases.

This app is a subscribed version, and the payments range differs as the services and features you want will determine the price range.

MyFitnessPal

MyFitnessPal digital app is one of the more popular app options currently available to smartphone users. The app does exactly what its name suggests — help users achieve fitness through healthy choices.

This app doesn’t just focus on exercises; it’s more of a weight counter. It has the cliché calorie counter that most weight apps have, so it’s basically a weight management app.

The app keeps track of the nutrition information of up to 11 million foods and considers many restaurants globally. This means you’re more likely to find any food that you like on the app and know if it’s healthy or not.

This app also includes a message room for all users to share their ideas and help each other with the latest tips to handle their different weights. It’s a subscribed app as well with different payment ranges.

WW App

The WW app—formerly called the Weight Watchers mobile tracking app—is a top weight checker that helps users with their weight goals. It includes different services that, when implemented religiously, lead to a significant reduction in a person’s weight. This app is well known for its high focus on weight loss by reducing fatty foods.

The app has points that define different weight goals. The ZeroPoint is designed for users willing to follow a strict food timetable, including vegetables, fruits, and lean proteins. The good thing about the WW app is that different studies reinforce its effectiveness for people who desire to lose weight.

Are Free Weight Loss Apps Also Effective?

using weight loss app

Most top-rated weight tracking apps that you’ll come across, or recommended ones, will require a subscription. While it’s possible to find free apps with services that can help manage weight, you should understand that the services most of these apps offer are extremely limited. Namely, you won’t be able to enjoy personal and updated information as most software developers will restrict these features.

A free weight tracking app designed by medical experts and professionals will most likely have a catch to it. It may require that you go for premium paid services to access certain features, which require running expenses to function adequately.

So what customers should know is that free apps will always have limited services that may make them archaic in the long term. This is evident in beneficial areas of the ever-updating food recommendation and new diet breakthroughs researchers make daily.

Any top app you’ll get will definitely require that you subscribe to enjoy its services for effective weight loss. The good thing is that these subscriptions don’t cost much compared to their benefits. Most are generally below $100 for yearly subscriptions.

Weight Loss Apps and Intermittent Fasting

While a good weight loss tracker works well with controlling weight, its compatibility with other specific targeted weight programs is vital.

You can take certain measures when using a weight loss app to pursue your desired weight, and one of the most important is intermittent fasting. Intermittent fasting is an advanced weight management control that helps people control their food intake and ensure they eat only healthy recipes.

A common concern that people have is if digital weight loss apps work with intermittent fasting. The following sections offer answers to that by considering what intermittent fasting is and possible inclusion for someone using a weight loss tracker.

Intermittent Fasting — A Brief Overview

A weight loss diet focuses on the food we eat, while intermittent fasting focuses on the time we eat. Intermittent fasting is a pattern of eating where you eat once in a couple of days or fast for some hours every day weekly.

Intermittent fasting is done differently, but all its methods boil down to regular fasting and eating periods. For instance, you could choose to eat once daily every two days or eat for eight hours daily and fast during the day’s remaining hours. Intermittent fasting aids weight loss during a metabolic switch that happens to the body.

When you stay without food for some hours, the body uses up all the sugar in its storage, and without sugar to function with, it starts to burn body fat.

Intermittent Fasting Diet Plan

People are advised to see their doctor before choosing the best intermittent diet plan. Once you get your doctor’s approval, you can start with a daily food restriction for 1–8 hours daily.

For example, you can start with the 5/2 method, which involves eating without restriction for five days and restricting yourself to one meal containing 500–600 calories for the remaining two days of the week. With this plan, you can eat normally from Monday to Friday and eat once daily on Saturday and Sunday.

The 16/8 method is also a popular intermittent fasting plan where you fast for 16 hours and eat for the remaining eight hours of the day. This method is very popular because it’s adaptable in the long term.

Other longer-lasting periods are used in intermittent fasting like the 72, 48, 32, and 24 hours fasting periods, which might be dangerous for you. This is because staying without food for too long causes the body to store more fat due to starvation.

However, it takes the body about 2–4 weeks to get used to the change accompanying intermittent fasting. This could cause you to feel cranky or hungry when getting accustomed to the method. But once you get used to the adjustment, you’ll be able to stick with it and start to feel better.

Intermittent Fasting, Weight Loss Apps and Underlying Conditions

Intermittent fasting does more than burn fat. This is because of the changes it introduces into the body — a metabolic switch that affects the brain and body. This results in a leaner, healthier body, a sharp mind, and a longer life-span.

Intermittent fasting also helps protect the organs from heart disease, several types of cancer, neurodegenerative disorders, and bowel diseases. This weight loss method is known to work well in preventing obesity and promoting verbal memory.

Intermittent fasting is very effective for people that have diabetes as well. With less time spent eating and a good break between the last meal and bedtime, people with the condition can effectively deal with the symptoms and prevent the complications that it causes.

Summarily, intermittent fasting and weight loss apps pursue the same goal, and experts recommend the duo as they go hand in hand. Still, you may need your doctor’s advice to help you determine the best intermittent fasting plan for you to lead a healthy life.

Conclusion

Top weight loss apps do more than just track weight. Proper application of their features can help better manage other related issues and underlying conditions that worsen due to being overweight.

People with more weight are usually vulnerable to diabetes, heart diseases, infections, cardiovascular diseases, etc. With a decent subscription or free weight loss app, many people can counter the effects of these conditions without really focusing on them.

Some apps are more direct, targeting certain underlying conditions while also enhancing weight loss. For example, diabetes meal apps, like Klinio, target calorie and sugar consumption from food intake.

While these apps focus on making life close to normal for people with diabetes, they also help control weight increase and obesity. With this being the case, people should go for a top weight loss tracker that’s been proven to work to get the best benefits.

At Klinio, we aim to create the most efficient and sustainable way to manage diabetes. Therefore, Klinio’s personalized meal plan is one of the main unique features to assist users in their diabetes management journey. 


The Klinio app builds a personalized meal plan according to your personal needs, such as allergies, food preferences, or likes and dislikes. Ultimately, Klinio provides you with an entire meal plan for each day, including snack and dessert options.


Most importantly, each meal recipe comes with complete nutritional information, including calories, sugar, cholesterol, fat, carbs, protein, etc. Plus, you won’t have to worry about portion sizes, as the meal plan creates optimized portion sizes for those who want to manage diabetes and lose weight efficiently. 


Here is an example of a 3-day meal plan borrowed from Debbie, who has type 2 diabetes and seeks to lose weight and improve her high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Debbie tried to deal with diabetes on her own, but her lack of nutrition knowledge and struggle with consistency in her dietary habit approach proved to be too much of a burden. Thus, she took a leap of faith and started managing her diabetes issues by using the Klinio app. Now, Debbie is successfully sticking to a healthy and enjoyable diet, which was specifically tailored to her needs.


Day 1:


Breakfast

Greek Yogurt Chocolate Mousse with Raspberries
Calories (100g) – 121.03 kcal
Glycemic load – 7.54


Lunch

Lunch Wrap with Chicken and Avocado
Calories (100g) – 394.53 kcal
Glycemic load – 31.94


Snack

Peanut Butter Toast
Calories (100g) – 168.15 kcal
Glycemic load – 9.58


Dinner

Blueberry and Raspberry Smoothie
Calories (100g) – 200 kcal
Glycemic load – 8.57


Day 2:


Breakfast

Overnight Oats with Blackberries
Calories (100g) – 266.27 kcal
Glycemic load – 10.96


Lunch

Corn Tortilla Wrap with Turkey
Calories (100g) – 220.39 kcal
Glycemic load – 15.22


Snack

Rice Cakes with Avocado and Egg
Calories (100g) – 455.53 kcal
Glycemic load – 26.66


Dinner

Immune Boosting Orange and Strawberry Smoothie
Calories (100g) – 145.29 kcal
Glycemic load – 8.87


Day 3:


Breakfast

Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Mozzarella
Calories (100g) – 481.43kcal
Glycemic load – 22.93


Lunch

Turkey Kebab with Veggies and Egg
Calories (100g) – 577.8 kcal
Glycemic load – 29.2


Snack

Blueberry and Strawberry Smoothie
Calories (100g) – 126.82 kcal
Glycemic load – 5.65


Dinner

Zucchini Parmesan Rounds
Calories (100g) – 154.54 kcal
Glycemic load – 1.21

*Note, this meal plan was carefully designed to fit the needs of a specific customer. This is just a small sample of meals that Klinio offers.

How did you like this customized 3-day meal plan? Do you want to find out what others think about Klinio? Click the link here to find out more. 

From now on, the Klinio solutions can be found on the web platform!

If you’re not a fan of using a mobile app, feel free to check out a new and rapidly evolving Klinio web platform. Here, you’ll find your Klinio profile all in one place. 

On the home page, you’ll see tabs that enable you to log metrics, such as blood glucose, eA1C, weight, blood pressure, and Hb1Ac. These tabs will help you keep track of your data and see the bigger picture of your condition straight on your computer screen. Feel free to check your daily tasks and get encouraged to log your daily meals. What’s more, in the Nutrition section, you’ll find your personalized meal plan with recipes and complete nutritional value information. 

The personalized meal plan is one of the key features of the Klinio program. For people with diabetes, nutrition is essential for many reasons, such as maintaining a healthy weight, keeping blood sugar levels stable, or balancing healthy amounts of sugar and carbs. 

Klinio program offers a fully customizable, diabetes-friendly meal plan generated according to your personal needs, favorite food, allergies, etc. This personalized meal plan covers the entire day, from breakfast, lunch, and dinner to snacks and even desserts. What’s more, this program provides users with a meal plan that displays a nutritional value, including the calories, carb count, the amount of sugar-containing, cholesterol, etc. The personalized meal plan is a great tool to learn about a healthy diet when dealing with diabetes on a daily basis.

It’s hard to imagine the Super Bowl without fried, cheesy, and way-too-salty food. But for a person with diabetes, that’s not the way to enjoy this special occasion. To not leave you crunching on celery sticks while your friends enjoy a feast beside you, here are 5 healthy Super Bowl snack recipes you can whip up and enjoy the game to the fullest:

1. Bacon and mushroom quiche bites

Ingredients for 24 servings:

  • 8 slices bacon 
  • 1/4 pound fresh mushrooms, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1/3 cup green onion, chopped
  • 1 2/3 cups Swiss cheese, shredded
  • Pastry for a double-crust pie (homemade or purchased)
  • 5 eggs
  • 1 2/3 cups sour cream

Instructions:

  1. Heat oven to 375oF (190oC).
  2. On a lightly floured board, roll out the pastry dough until it is 1/16-in. thick.
  3. Using a 3-in. cutter, cut out 42 circles; re-roll scraps as needed.
  4. Fit circles into the bottoms and slightly up sides of lightly greased 21/2-inch muffin pans.
  5. Meanwhile, fry bacon slices until crisp; drain, then crumble or chop.
  6. Chop mushrooms, sauté in butter until limp and liquid evaporates.
  7. Combine bacon, mushrooms, green onions, and cheese. Divide, filling muffin cups equally.
  8. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, add sour cream, and stir until smooth. Add about 1 tablespoon into each muffin cup.
  9. Bake until puffed and light brown, 20–25 minutes. Cool in a pan for 5 minutes and then remove.
  10. Serve warm or let cool on wire racks. If made ahead, wrap cooled quiches airtight and refrigerate overnight.
  11. Reheat, uncovered, at 350F for about 10 minutes.
Total calories456 kcalServes10
Total fat27 gServing size1 slice (1,5 oz/45 g)
Total carbohydrate13 g
Total protein12,6 g
Sugar3,2 g

2. Cheddar and Apple Bites

apple cheddar bites
Ingredients for 24 Servings:

  • 1 refrigerated pie crust (1/2 of a 14-ounce package)
  • 1⁄2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
  • 1⁄4 cup apple butter
  • 24 thin apple slices, halved

Instructions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 450F (230C). Lightly coat a mini muffin tin with cooking spray.
  2. Unroll the pie crust onto a clean surface. Roll the dough into a circle about 12 inches in diameter. Cut twenty-four 2-inch circles out of the dough with a biscuit cutter, re-rolling the scraps if needed. Place the dough circles in the prepared muffin cups, gently pressing the dough into the bottom and sides of each cup. Prick the dough with a fork. Bake until lightly browned, 5–6 minutes.
  3. Add 1 teaspoon of cheese to each cup, then top with 1/4 teaspoon of apple butter. Bake until the cheese has melted, 3–5 minutes more. Let cool for 10 minutes. Top each bite with a few apple pieces, if desired.
Calories50.9 kcalServes24
Fat2.9 gServing size1 cup
Carbohydrates5.5 gFiber0.2 g
Protein0.8 g
Sugars1.4 g


3. Roasted Butternut Squash 


roasted butternut squash
Ingredients for 4 servings:

  • 1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • salt and ground black pepper to taste

Instructions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 400F (200C)
  2. Toss butternut squash with olive oil and garlic in a large bowl. Season with salt and black pepper. Arrange coated squash on a baking sheet.
  3. Roast in the preheated oven, for 25 to 30 minutes, until the squash is tender and lightly browned.
Calories176.8 kcalServes4
Fat7 gServing size2/3 cup
Carbohydrates30.3 gFiber5.1 g
Protein2.6 g
Sugars30,3 g

4. Beef and Blue Cheese–Stuffed Mushrooms


beef and blue cheese-stuffed mushrooms
Ingredients for 36 servings:

  • 1/2 pound 96% lean ground beef
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 36 small button or cremini mushrooms (about 1-1/2 to 2-inch diameter)
  • 1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese 
  • 1/4 cup soft whole wheat bread crumbs 
  • 3 tablespoons minced chives 
  • 1/2 teaspoon steak seasoning blend

Instructions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 375F (190C)
  2. Remove and reserve stems from mushrooms. Season mushroom caps with salt and set aside. Mince stems to yield 1/2 cup; discard remaining stems. 
  3. Combine ground beef, minced stems, blue cheese, bread crumbs, 3 tablespoons of chives, and steak seasoning. Spoon beef mixture evenly into mushrooms.
  4. Place stuffed mushrooms on a rack in a broiler pan. Bake for 15–20 minutes. Sprinkle with additional chives, if desired.
Calories15 kcalServes36
Fat1 gServing size1 mushroom
Carbohydrates1 gFiber0.1 g
Protein2 g
Sugar0 g

5. Glazed Sweet Potatoes  


glazed sweet potatoes
Ingredients for 8 servings:

  • 2 1/2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced into 3/4-in. rounds
  • Kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 2 whole star anises
  • 3 whole cloves
  • 1/2 cup toasted unsweetened flaked coconut (optional)

Instructions:

  1. Bring a large saucepan of water to boil. Add potatoes and 1 tsp salt. Cover and return to boil, then reduce heat and simmer until just tender, for 9–11 minutes. 
  2. Meanwhile, combine sugar, cinnamon, star anise, cloves, 1/4tsp salt, and 2/3 cup water in a small saucepan on medium-high. Bring to
    a simmer and cook, for 2–3 minutes, occasionally whisking to dissolve sugar, until mixture thickens into a light syrup.
  3. Transfer sweet potatoes to a serving platter and pour half of the syrup over the top of the potatoes. Serve remaining syrup on the side. Garnish with coconut flakes.
Calories136 kcalServes8
Fat1 gServing size1 cup
Carbohydrates33 g
Protein2 g
Fiber3 g

To Sum Up

Either if you are somebody who struggles with diabetes, or simply want to make a better choices when snacking during Super Bowl, choose these healthy snacks and share your thoughts with us. But, if you’re interested in regular diabetes meal recipes, the Klinio app offers a bunch of delicious personalized recipes with a pre-calculated nutritional value for your daily meal plan. 

At Klinio, we’re always aiming to improve and do better so that you and other users would get the most efficient diabetes management experience.   

So today, we would like to share some news on the most recent Klinio app updates. Our team introduces Today’s tasks.

This new feature is a personalized today’s plan prepared according to the CDC program. The main idea of this upgrade is to bring some specific tasks to the user and encourage them to accomplish them daily. 

Today’s task feature involves the “total progress” bar, which gives users a sense of progression and achievement to their daily tasks.

When it comes to academy articles, they are split into smaller chunks of readings per day (for the first 16 days) so that users would access educational content in more convenient proportions. 

Finally, in the new “Track more” section, users will be able to add additional trackers for their daily health tracking.  

We hope that the new feature upgrades will help you out in your diabetes management journey and bring you better health results.

We’ve heard your feedback about the Klinio app. So, today, we’re super excited to share some information on the newest app features. 

Now, the Klinio app has an improved and better-organized home page. With this newly upgraded home page, users will access tracking features easier and quicker than before.  

Klinio home screen

So, what changed? Firstly, the Klinio team redesigned current widgets into a more compact layout for better relevance. Now, you won’t need to swipe through widgets as before – all the widgets will be in one place.   


What’s more, the Klinio team has introduced new widgets for tracking weight and eA1c estimations. These new features will allow users to access main health tracking metrics more conveniently without going to a different page. 

The final home page feature that got introduced is the diabetes risk and management score. This new feature was built to provide insights into users’ condition and their progress. The diabetes risk score will take only a minute to calculate and provide foresight into your health status. Ultimately, this score will help you better understand how your nutrition and lifestyle habits will affect you in the future.  

Also, we need to mention that scores are different for each condition. Meaning that the risk score is for people with prediabetes, and the management score is for those with type 1 and 2 diabetes.

People with diabetes are susceptible to several risks when they don’t properly manage their condition. Namely, diabetes can metamorphose into different conditions that make it more dangerous and life-threatening. One of the negative turns of diabetes is it becoming an emergency.

A diabetic emergency is a condition in which the health of a person with diabetes quickly deteriorates to the extent that they risk losing their life or developing permanent damages to their systems. Diabetic emergencies are usually fast and could manifest in less than 24 hours.

The major reason people experience diabetic emergencies is due to their inability to pay attention to signs and symptoms in their bodies. Many people with diabetes barely know that they suffer from the condition, with the majority taking the necessary treatment steps only when it becomes a medical emergency.

This detailed guide focuses on getting and implementing proper diabetes care during an emergency and when you should get immediate medical attention to protect your health and live more healthily.

What to Expect?

  • The Facts About Diabetic Emergency
  • Types of a Diabetic Emergency: What Are the Signs of a Diabetic Emergency?
  • Diabetic Emergency Treatment

The Facts About Diabetic Emergency

The high number of diabetic emergencies is due to a lack of proper diagnoses and effective management tips. According to the Center for Disease Control CDC, 4.6% of the American adult population aged 20 and above have undiagnosed diabetes.

Without proper diagnoses, most people are often left to live with the condition and aren’t likely to take any preventive measures as they don’t know their status. It’s usually when their health deteriorates to a state of emergency that they get diagnosed and seek appropriate diabetes care.

Diabetes emergencies can be fatal and are the primary cause of diabetes death which is still on the high side in the US. As of 2019, diabetes was still one of the major causes of medical death, causing 87,647 deaths in the said year. It was ranked as the 7th leading cause of death in the US, accounting for 26.7 out of 100,000 deaths.

The best way to prevent the series of complications that diabetes can cause requires knowing exactly how to tell the symptoms and the steps you can take to manage them properly.

A lack of balance in blood sugar levels is the primary cause of diabetes, and diabetic emergencies are rooted in this imbalance. Without appropriate care tips, a person with low or high blood sugar levels can experience extreme blood sugar imbalance, leading to a diabetes emergency.

Types of a Diabetic Emergency: What Are the Signs of a Diabetic Emergency?

<img decoding=

The best way to prevent a diabetes emergency is to implement great preventive tips. However, if there’s a deterioration to the extent of the condition becoming an emergency, knowing the diabetic emergency symptoms to watch out for is key to living and remaining healthy.

Knowing the symptoms isn’t enough to guarantee better diabetes care during an emergency; you should also familiarize yourself with their risk factors. This section outlines the different types of emergency diabetes and their respective symptoms to help diabetics know the appropriate steps to take.

There are four types of diabetic emergencies, including:

  • Severe hypoglycemia
  • Severe hyperglycemia
  • Diabetic ketoacidosis
  • Hyperglycemic hyperosmolar syndrome

Severe Hypoglycemia

Hypoglycemia, simply put, is the complications that arise from low blood sugar or low blood glucose.

While most of the complications with diabetes do arise from high blood sugar, people with diabetes can get low blood sugar. This happens when they consistently take too much insulin or other high blood control medications such that it affects the normal level of their blood sugar drastically.

When a person’s blood sugar levels are below 70 mg/dl, they suffer from hypoglycemia and experience insulin shock.

Hypoglycemia can lead to various complications and can be life-threatening in certain instances. The primary hypoglycemia victims are those with type 1 diabetes. However, as mentioned earlier, people with diabetes 2 are also at risk if they take medications that control blood sugar unusually.

There are different signs of hypoglycemia, and patients should know them to ensure they live healthier. An early symptom of severe hypoglycemia includes serious hunger and shakiness.

At this point, the condition is still at its earliest stage and can be quickly curbed. The issue, however, is that there may be poor diagnosis except for diabetics that generally perform regular check-ups. In severe conditions, people can experience a seizure or a diabetic coma.

The risks factors of hypoglycemia include:

  • Skipping meals that should help ensure a higher level of blood sugar
  • Too much exercise compared to medical recommendation
  • Drinking large quantities of alcohol
  • Taking more than the required level of insulin consistently

The signs and symptoms of hypoglycemia include:

  • Dizziness, confusion, and nausea
  • Excess hunger
  • Shakiness, nervousness, irritability, and anxiety
  • Sweating, clammy skin, chills, and pale skin
  • Rapid beating of the heart
  • Tiredness and weakness  
  • Tingling in the mouth area
  • Headaches
  • Seizures
  • Loss of consciousness or coma
  • Weight loss

Severe Hyperglycemia

Although high blood sugar is a common symptom of diabetes, if sugar levels consistently maintain a high range, it’s a diabetic emergency. Severe hyperglycemia is characterized by blood glucose readings greater than 125 mg/dl when you haven’t eaten for at least 8 hours.

While too much sugar is the primary cause of hyperglycemia, severe hyperglycemia isn’t necessarily triggered by carbs or a sugar-filled diet. This doesn’t mean that starchy food won’t worsen it. In fact, taking carbohydrates when you have this condition can have far-reaching effects.

The common symptoms of severe hyperglycemia include:

  • Abdominal pain
  •  Rapid pulse
  •  Dry and warm skin
  • Fruity smell in breath
  • Excessive thirst
  • Drowsiness
  • Diabetic coma

Severe hyperglycemia can quickly develop into more serious diabetic conditions like diabetic ketoacidosis — an increased and life-threatening form of a diabetes emergency. Hyperglycemic hyperosmolar syndrome is another serious complication that can develop from severe hyperglycemia.

Diabetic Ketoacidosis 

Diabetes ketoacidosis (DKA) is one of the more severe complications of severe hyperglycemia. It’s a diabetic emergency condition that occurs due to a lack of enough insulin that your body needs to keep high blood sugar under the safe level.

Diabetic ketoacidosis occurs when the liver produces too many ketones to lower blood sugar. Ketones are, however, harmful to the body organs and could lead to a series of conditions, including death.

While the high production of ketones causes DKA, it’s easily triggered when a person falls sick or has an infection. Some type 2 diabetes medications can also prompt it, including canagliflozin, empagliflozin, and dapagliflozin.

DKA can have immediate effects, with people collapsing in as little as 24 hours after an excessive production of ketones by their body.

There are different signs and symptoms of diabetic ketoacidosis. However, they’re usually tricky because they may look similar to other diabetic conditions, explaining why most people with a DKA emergency are typically caught unawares.

A common symptom of DKA is severe dehydration. Other apparent signs include:

  • Dry mouth and lip peeling
  • Dry skin or/and flushed skin
  • Fruity breath and difficulty in breathing
  •  Abdominal pain

Anybody with a sugar level of 240 mg/dl can develop diabetes ketoacidosis, so it’s essential you continuously test for the condition if your sugar level falls in that range.

Hyperglycemic Hyperosmolar Syndrome

This condition isn’t as common as DKA because the blood sugar level barely reaches the ranges where it occurs. However, if it happens, the faster the person gets help from a medical emergency expert, the higher the chances of survival.

Hyperglycemic hyperosmolar syndrome (HHS) is a severe hyperglycemia condition in which blood sugar gets above 600 mg/dl. This condition may occur with or without DKA.

There are risk factors to having this condition, and they include:

  • Infections such as urinary tract infection, pneumonia, and sepsis
  • Medications and psychiatric treatments that cause dehydration
  • Lack of a diabetic management plan
  • Undiagnosed diabetes
  • Misuse of some substances
  • Having underlying health conditions, especially cardiovascular conditions such as heart attack and stroke.

The symptoms of HHS include:

  • Dry mouth
  • Weak or rapid pulse
  • Low-grade fever, especially for adults
  • Headache and vomiting, especially for kids
  • Seizures and loss of consciousness
  • Paralysis

Diabetic Emergency Treatment

<img decoding=

There are medical steps and treatments that people with diabetes can take to cater to their condition. While a rule of thumb is to contact your doctor if you have any of the signs of a diabetes emergency, there are other steps that you can take to improve and better your health.

This section outlines individualized treatment steps for the various types of diabetic emergencies to help you make better decisions relating to your health.

Hypoglycemia Specific Treatment

If your condition is caused by hypoglycemia, then there are several necessary steps and lifestyle changes that you can implement to live much healthier.

For example, if the symptoms of hypoglycemia start suddenly, then taking glucose tablets and high-carb food temporarily can help improve the condition. You could also opt for more sugary drinks and candy to improve your blood sugar.

Additionally, carrying glucose gel with you or having a sugar lump once in a while are great ways to reduce the effect of hypoglycemia.

The American Diabetes Association recommends that people with hypoglycemia include the following changes and modifications to their health and lifestyle:

  • Add 15 g of carbs and check their blood sugar level after 15 minutes to see if it rises to 70 mg/dl. If the level is still below 70 mg/dl, take another 15 grams of carbs and recheck your blood sugar in another 15 minutes. This measure is known as the 15-15 rule.
  • After successfully increasing your blood sugar level to 70 mg/dl or a little bit above it, eat a proper meal. Incorporating fruit juice into your diet is also recommended.
  • If hypoglycemia symptoms persist after following these steps, the ADA advises that patients seek medical help to get expert advice on a possible underlying condition.

Hyperglycemia Specific Treatment

Hyperglycemia is a more common cause of diabetic emergencies in people with diabetes. As such, diabetics with a general management plan are familiar with the steps taken to improve it.

One of the first steps to take is to consult your doctor and get expert advice on successfully managing the condition.

You should also get a diabetes emergency kit that helps you keep the condition under check at all times.

A diabetic emergency kit generally includes an insulin pump that helps you get enough insulin to control blood sugar rise. With an insulin pump, you can effectively manage early morning high blood sugar rise and bedtime rise as well.

An emergency kit also contains insulin doses that complement the job of an insulin pump.

If hyperglycemia is still in its mild and early stages, then the following can help:

  • Moderate to intense exercising
  • Eating less
  • Changing insulin dose or similar medications as to when recommended by an expert

If hyperglycemia symptoms persist after taking the following steps, don’t hesitate to call a doctor.

DKA and HHS Specific Treatments

There are barely any effective home tips for DKA treatment. Hence, patients with the conditions must visit a doctor immediately for professional treatment.

If you show signs of DKA coupled with high blood sugar levels, you should purchase a test kit for the condition and test your urine. Consequently, if the results show that you have ketone levels, you should contact your doctor and instantly commence your treatment process.

The treatment for DKA is also the recommended treatment for HHS.

Conclusion

You can take several steps to treat diabetes emergencies and live healthily. The primary one is to consult a doctor and get a diabetes diagnosis. After that, you should wait for your doctor’s recommendation on the best medications to improve your health state.

You can also implement the various proven and effective tips outlined in this article to help you make a better decision that improves your overall health.Your meal choice also plays an essential role in preventing and improving a diabetic emergency. With our Klinio app, you can know the proper meals to take to improve your condition. Whether you’re suffering from severe hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia, you can successfully tailor your diet using tips from our app to fit your health demands.

The relationship between diabetes and mental health is a common focus of studies in recent times. Many studies suggest that people who have diabetes may also be susceptible to several psychological and mental health conditions, and vice versa.

However, the link between the two is generally psychological, as people managing diabetes and high blood glucose tend to become less aware of their environment and slowly become distressed. Mental health professionals confirm that most diabetics, despite not being diagnosed, suffer from several underlying mental health conditions.

This detailed guide thoroughly examines the relationship between diabetes and mental illness. Namely, it clarifies whether the duo is a cause for concern and examines the different types of diabetes-associated mental disorders alongside their therapy.

The Connection Between Diabetes and Mental Health

Diabetes can cause severe changes to your lifestyle. This can be pretty challenging as you would need to adapt to new ways of doing things and become more conscious of the kind of food you eat.

Generally, people with diabetes risk being mentally affected at the early stage of their diagnosis. Some get past it and synchronize their minds to the new challenges, while others get stuck. Over time, the latter group may exhibit mild to severe mental conditions, including disassociation from family and environment.

Safe to say, having a mental health crisis or any kind of mental illness can make it challenging to keep up with your diabetic routine. Studies suggest a bidirectional relationship between diabetes and mental health. A person with diabetes can suffer from several psychological conditions over time and be exposed to the same risks as people with only mental disorders.

The American Diabetes Association established an unclear link between mental health and diabetes following results from the German National Health Interview and Examination Survey. The study “On the Association Between Diabetes and Mental Disorders in a Community Sample” established that people with diabetes aren’t significantly likelier to meet the minimum of one mental disorder criteria of the 4th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Psychiatric Disorders (DSM-IV) than those without diabetes.

It also confirms that people with diabetes having anxiety or affective disorders had optimal glycemic control more often than not. Additionally, it reveals that while people with diabetes were more at risk of having affective disorders, the results had little statistical significance after considering variables like age, socioeconomic status, marital status, and sex.

Conversely, the same study indicates that the link between anxiety disorders and diabetes remained significant after considering these variables. Furthermore, the study suggested that diabetes may not cause a mental disorder. However, there’s a likelihood that diabetics could end up with several mental conditions that are purely born from their state of mind.

With many revelations coming from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the American Diabetes Association (ADA), mental health professionals have sought to offer patients a better treatment plan in tackling mental issues. Treatment has focused on reducing the psychological effects of diabetes of the type 2 form as it’s the more prevalent type of diabetes.While the link between diabetes and mental illness is strong and quite disturbing, the good news is that an improvement in the management of diabetes will also trigger an improvement in mental health and vice versa.

Identifying Mental Health Issues as a Diabetic

While most people with diabetes complications may also suffer from mental disorders, only very few actually know that they’re going through such. For most people, the psychological effects of diabetes aren’t really a thing, and that’s where they get it wrong. Many anxiety disorders can be related to diabetes, and diabetics must know that they may be susceptible to any of them if they hope to manage their condition better.

The biggest challenge with identifying diabetes-associated mental health disorders is the common denial and reluctance of diabetics to seek the assistance of mental health professionals. An estimated 45% of mental distress in diabetes is generally left undetected, with most of them not knowing that they suffer from some medical condition.

On top of that, other research suggests that only one-third of diabetics with mental health conditions get proper diagnoses and related treatment. Most generally associate the symptoms with everyday stress or diabetic symptoms.

To identify your mental health condition as a diabetic, you’d need to get a proper diagnosis from a doctor, as that’s the only way to be sure. A mental health screening remains the best option to identify if you’re going through any mental condition.

Apart from a diagnosis, though, there are often noticeable signs that could point to you having a mental health condition. Subsequent sections help you understand if your diabetic condition could be causing you psychological distress and touch on how to manage them.

Types of Mental Health Issues Associated With Diabetes

Still not sure of the mental illnesses linked with high blood sugar levels? The following sections illuminate this topic.

Eating Disorder

There are two major eating disorders connected with diabetes — binge eating and bulimia.

For people suffering from the psychological effects of diabetes of the type 2 form, binge eating is the more common variant. Binge eating is generally considered as excessive compulsive eating without control. The person only gets to stop when their body can no longer take more.

For people with type 1 diabetes, bulimia is the more common eating disorder, and it’s simply a combination of binge eating and purging (vomiting). The subsequent purging is a deliberate act carried out by the person to get rid of the food already consumed to avoid weight gain. Other unhealthy means of preventing this weight gain include excessive exercise and fasting.

Both eating disorders are serious mental health problems, with bulimia considered a life-threatening condition.

Anxiety and Stress

Anxiety and stress are more common mental health conditions attributed to diabetes. The most popular condition is generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and is experienced mainly by diabetics at the beginning stage of their condition after diagnosis.

This mental disorder may go away after a while or could linger on. It’s a risk as it affects a person’s daily life. If not quickly diagnosed, it could become worse and lead to distress.

Psychological Distress  

People with diabetes can sometimes feel frustrated, worried, tired, or discovered as they have to follow a diabetes care plan every day. Some may think that the disease controls them. Others may develop the condition slowly when they believe that their diabetic care fails, or they develop a different ailment or have sick days.

A significant symptom of distress is the sudden feeling of being overwhelmed with everything surrounding your condition. You could start skipping appointments with your doctor or default checking your blood sugar. This generally happens when you start thinking of how long you have had to follow a routine and how limiting it can be.

However, it’s important to note that distress and depression are quite different. While diabetes can trigger both, distress is a medical condition ranging from mild to severe. Moreover, severe psychological distress could generally lead to depression.

Depression

Depression is a later-stage mental health condition associated with diabetes. Most diabetics won’t get to this point, but urgent medical attention is generally needed when they do. There are different stages of depression, with comorbid depression being among the latter.

Comorbid depression, also known as a comorbid psychiatric disorder, combines a series of conditions, including affective disorders, anxiety disorders, somatoform disorders, and abuse/dependence disorders. It’s a major depressive disorder, and anyone experiencing it may not see a purpose to their existence.

Treatment and Therapy​​

Although diabetes may not have a definite treatment period, you can adequately manage the associated mental health disorders. All mental health conditions, including comorbid mental disorders, can be successfully treated with the right therapy and medication.

There are more than a few diabetes clinics dedicated to mental health screening, and they generally handle the management of diabetes and mental health in three stages.

Stress Management

A health care team or clinic will generally suggest a therapeutic stress management routine to handle your condition if it’s at the beginning stages. Treatment at this stage doesn’t involve any medication and is generally focused on acknowledging self-value.

While there’s no one-way-fits-all method to carry out stress management therapy, here’s an outline of the general tips offered by most doctors and clinics:

  • Maintain a high level of self-worth
  • Have a positive attitude
  • Talk to a loved one
  • Exercise and eat right
  • Practice relaxation skills such as visualization, deep breathing, or meditation
  • Book an appointment with a diabetic educator
  • Visit a mental health professional who has experience dealing with diabetic patients
  • Visit an endocrinologist — a special doctor that understands better the challenges of diabetes more than a typical doctor

Therapy

Suppose stress management doesn’t help your condition as much as you want. In that case, you may consider registering with a professional to help you walk and work through your distress or issues. At this stage, there are three different types of therapy available.

Cognitive-behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Cognitive-behavioral therapy is generally focused on two areas — cognitive and behavioral.

Cognitive therapy is designed to help you develop a positive belief about yourself and life, while behavioral side therapy encourages you to take healthier actions. This type of therapy works well for depression and distress.

Family Therapy

Family therapy generally involves a family, including the diabetic. The family is enlightened on ways to help the diabetic live better and avoid irregular eating habits. It’s also designed to treat conditions such as bipolar disorder.

Dialectical-Behavioral Therapy

This therapy focuses on the diabetics learning essential control skills with the guidance of a professional. The focus skills to be learned include:

  • Mindfulness
  • Emotion regulation
  • Distress tolerance
  • Interpersonal effectiveness

Medication

Medication is generally the last option and must be strictly administered by a mental health professional. They may prescribe antidepressants such as SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, e.g., fluoxetine) and TCAs (tricyclic antidepressants, e.g., amitriptyline) to control blood sugar levels for people with diabetes 2.

Research suggests that using these antidepressant medications in depressed patients may increase the chances of optimal glycemic control by 200% compared to depressed patients who don’t use these medications. However, there are claims that TCAs and SSRIs may induce weight gain, boosting the chances of having diabetes. Hence, you should consult a medical professional for advice before commencing these medications.

Conclusion

It’s clear that there’s a link between diabetes and mental health. As a person with diabetes, you must recognize that psychological awareness and responsibility are just as important as major treatments. Abandoning or paying less attention to your mental health could lead to several conditions that degrade your health and underlying condition.

This article outlines the different mental conditions that could result from being a diabetic and how you can properly manage them and enjoy your daily life. Our revolutionary app, Klinio, is an excellent guide that helps plan your meals, reducing your risk of slipping into binge-eating and bulimia. Klinio also doubles as a virtual caregiver, offering continual guidance tailored for each individual that carves out your path towards improved health.

Quite often, there are misconceptions that people with diabetes can not eat any desserts, at all. However, given the right ingredients, they can easily enjoy sweet delicacies safely. 

Klinio has found the middle ground between the tasty and healthy by providing a diabetes-friendly dessert recipe book full of delicious ideas for sweet cravings. Here are some of the dessert recipes you can find in Klinio book:

1. Cheesecake

cheesecake for diabetics

Ingredients:

  • Sliced almonds  1 cup 
  • Granulated stevia divided  2 tbsp
  • Ground cinnamon  1/4 tsp
  • Salted butter melted  2.5 tbsp
  • Non-fat Cream cheese  16 oz (450 g)
  • Large eggs  2
  • Pure vanilla  1 tsp
  • Non-fat Sour cream  8 oz (225 g)

Instructions:

  1. Heat oven to 300°F (150°C). 
  2. In a food processor, add almonds, 3 teaspoons of stevia, and cinnamon. Pulse chop until almonds are finely ground. 
  3. To make the cheesecake crust, in a medium bowl with the melted butter, stir in the ground almond mixture and mix well.
  4. Press the crust into a 9-inch springform pan, making an even layer. Set aside. 
  5. In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese with a hand mixer on low speed for about 2 minutes or until cream cheese is fluffy. 
  6. Using the hand mixer, mix in the remaining stevia and one egg at a time.
  7. Once all three eggs have been mixed in, add pure vanilla and sour cream. Mix on low until fully combined. 
  8. Pour the cheesecake mixture over the crust. 
  9. Bake in the oven for 1 hour or until the top is golden brown. This can take up to 30 minutes extra of baking time.
  10. Turn the oven off and leave the cheesecake in the oven with the door open for one hour to let it set. 
  11. Cover the cheesecake with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 24 hours before serving. Serve chilled or at room temperature
Total calories456 kcalServes10
Total fat27 gServing size1 slice (1,5 oz/45 g)
Total carbohydrate13 g
Total protein12,6 g
Sugar3,2 g

2. Peanut butter Cheesecake Cupcakes

peanutbutter cupcakes
Ingredients:

  • Fat free cream cheese, softened  8 oz (225 g)
  • Powdered erythritol  ¼ cup
  • Vanilla extract  1 tsp
  • Heavy whipping cream  ¼ cup 
  • Peanut butter  ¼ cup
  • Sugar Free chocolate  ¾ cup
  • Coconut oil  2 tsp

Instructions:

  1. Mix cream cheese, erythritol, and heavy whipping cream until smooth. 
  2. Mix in peanut butter and vanilla extract until fully combined, set aside. 
  3. Melt chocolate and mix with coconut oil. 
  4. Brush silicone cups with chocolate mixture and place in freezer for 5 minutes 
  5. Repeat previous step (4) and freeze for 10 more minutes. 
  6. Place a couple spoonfuls of cheesecake fluff into cup and freeze for 15 minutes.
  7. Top cups with chocolate to cover cheesecake fluff. 
  8. Freeze for 20 minutes covered or refrigerate for 1 hour
Total calories172 kcalServes6
Total fat15 gServing size1
Total carbohydrate7 g
Total protein6 g
Sugar2,3 g


3. Chocolate Cupcakes 


chocolate cupcakes
Ingredients:

  • Coconut flour  ⅓ cup 
  • Unsweetened cocoa powder ½ cup
  • Powdered erythritol (or other low carb sweetener of your choice) ¼ cup
  • Baking powder 1 tsp
  • Baking soda ½ tsp  
  • Salt ¼ tsp
  • Eggs 4 whole 
  • Vanilla extract 1 tsp
  • Stevia extract 8 drops 
  • Extra light olive oil 4 tbsp 
  • unsweetened almond milk (or another dairy-free alternative) ½ cup

Instructions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Prepare muffin tins by greasing or baking with cupcake liners. 
  2. In a medium bowl whisk together coconut flour, cocoa powder, erythritol, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. 
  3. Make a well in the center of the dry mixture. Add eggs, vanilla extract, stevia (if adding), olive oil and almond milk. Mix until the ingredients are well combined. Allow to sit for 5-8 minutes.  
  4. If mixture becomes thicker in consistency than can add 2 tbsp of water to batter until it reaches your desired consistency. 
  5. Spoon 2 tbsp of batter into each tin. Bake 20-22 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. 
  6. Frost with your favorite low carb frosting or whipped cream and enjoy!
Total calories234 kcalServes12
Total fat14 gServing size1 cupcake
Total carbohydrate17 g
Total protein11,2 g
Sugar3,2 g

4. Chocolate Chip Cookies  


chocolate-chip cookies
Ingredients:

  • Coconut oil ¾ cup
  • Swerve sweetener ⅔ cup
  • Eggs 2
  • Vanilla extract 2 tsp 
  • Almond flour 3 cups 
  • Baking soda ½ tsp 
  • Salt ½ tsp
  • Unsweetened chocolate chip ½ cup

Instructions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). 
  2. Add softened butter (or coconut oil) and swerve sweetener in a stand mixer (or hand mixer with a large bowl), mix on medium until combined. 
  3. Add 2 eggs and vanilla and mix until combined. 
  4. Combine almond flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. 
  5. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until combined. 
  6. Fold in chocolate chips 
  7. Scoop 18-21 cookies onto lined baking sheet. Flatten them out by pressing down on the top slightly. 
  8. Bake for 10-12 minutes. 
  9. Let cool on the cookie sheets for 30 minutes
Total calories264 kcalServes20
Total fat23 gServing size3 cookies
Total carbohydrate10 g
Total protein11 g
Sugar3,5 g

5. Homemade Oreo Cookies  


homemade oreos
Ingredients:

  • Almond flour 5 oz (144g)
  • Cocoa powder 1.5 oz (40g)
  • Black cocoa powder or more regular cocoa 1 tbsp
  • Kosher salt 1 tsp
  • Baking soda ½ tsp
  • Espresso powder or instant coffee (optional) pinch 
  • Unsalted grass-fed butter at room temperature 2.8 oz (80g)
  • Erythritol ½ cup
  • 1 egg 

For vanilla cream filling:

  • Unsalted grass-fed butter 2 oz (60g)
  • Coconut oil 1 tbsp 
  • Vanilla extract ½ tsp 
  • Kosher salt pinch 
  • Powdered erythritol or other powdered sweetener of your choice 2 oz (60g)

Instructions:

  1. Add almond flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking soda and espresso powder (optional) to a medium bowl. Whisk until thoroughly combined and set aside. 
  2. Begin to cream butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer, 1-2 minutes. Add in sweetener and continue to beat until thoroughly mixed and much of the sweetener has dissolved (3-5 minutes). 
  3. Add in egg, mixing until just incorporated. The mixture will appear slightly ‘broken’. 
  4. With your mixer on low, add in half of your flour mixture- mixing until just incorporated. Mix in the rest. 
  5. Wrap cookie dough with cling film and refrigerate for 1 hour (or overnight). 
  6. Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C and line a baking tray with parchment paper. 
  7. Roll out the dough between two pieces of parchment paper until nice and thin. Cut out the rounds. 
  8. Transfer cutout cookies onto the prepared baking tray and place in the freezer for 15 minutes prior to baking. 
  9. Bake for 8-12 minutes. Since the cookies are dark already and you can’t guide yourself by color, we suggest doing a trial with one cookie if possible. When ready, the cookies will be puffed, but you’ll want to push the baking time to get them nice and crisp. So just keep an eye out for them. 
  10. Allow to cool for ten minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Allow to cool completely, as they’ll continue to crunch up (this may take a few hours). 
  11. To make the vanilla cream filling, cream butter and coconut oil (or more butter) in a medium bowl with an electric mixer. Add in vanilla extract and a pinch of salt, and mix until fully incorporated. Add powdered sweetener to taste and mix until fully incorporated and light and fluffy in texture. 
  12. Spread or pipe vanilla cream onto a cookie and put on a second cookie. Refrigerate until set. 
  13. Once you add the filling, keep them refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Total calories389 kcalServes28
Total fat34 gServing size3 cookies
Total carbohydrate12 g
Total protein14 g
Sugar1,6 g

To Sum Up

And there are more super tasty options for your sweet cravings in this book. But, if you’re interested in regular diabetes meal recipes, the Klinio app offers a bunch of delicious personalized recipes with a pre-calculated nutritional value for your daily meal plan.