EAT YOUR MEDICINE

Nutrition basics for everyone

BA SED ON

T H E BL O O D SU G A R SO L U T I O N

Mark Hyman, MD
Author of the bestsellers UltraMetabolism, The UltraMind Solution and The Blood Sugar Solution

Table of Contents
Quit the 5 Foods That Cause Diabesity ......................................................................................................... 3 5 Steps to Get Started on The 6 Week Blood Sugar Solution ....................................................................... 4 6 Week Road To Success: Inflammatory Ingredients To Avoid .................................................................... 5 All Calories are NOT created equal. Focus on food quality .......................................................................... 6 4 Principles for a Healthy Planet and a Healthy You..................................................................................... 6 Choose SLOW Carbs, not LOW Carbs ............................................................................................................ 6 Fat Does NOT Make You Fat ......................................................................................................................... 7 Eat High - Quality Protein for Blood Sugar and Insulin Balance and Hunger Control ................................... 8 Use Herbs and Spices to Add Flavor and Make Your Meals Come Alive ...................................................... 8 Nutrition is Not Solely About What to Eat But Learning How and When..................................................... 8 Avoid Food Allergies and Sensitivities .......................................................................................................... 9 Eat Well For Less: Reorganizing How You Spend Your Money Can Also Change Your Health ..................... 9 How to Succeed at Restaurants, Business Luncheons, Social Events ........................................................... 9 Create An Emergency Pack ......................................................................................................................... 10 Be Prepared For Holidays and Special Events ............................................................................................. 10 Proper Metabolism Begins With the Breath ............................................................................................... 11 Putting It All Together: Record Your Meal-Time Experience In a Journal .................................................. 11 Appendix A: Serving Sizes ........................................................................................................................... 12 Appendix B: Phytonutrient Rich Foods ....................................................................................................... 14 Appendix C: Low Glycemic Vegetables ....................................................................................................... 15 Appendix D: Sea Vegetables ....................................................................................................................... 16

Page 2

Quit the 5 Foods That Cause Diabesity

The following foods spike insulin, which is the fat storage hormone responsible for you belly fat. These foods also cause cravings and can be addictive. They mess up your hormones and brain chemistry, increasing you appetite and causing you to crave sugar and refined carbs. The key to regaining control of your hormones and brain chemistry is to cut out these foods and eat real food. 1. Sugar - Avoid all pseudonyms for sugar including artificial sweeteners and even socalled healthy alternatives such as stevia and agave. Ditch the sweetened and sugary drinks too. No juice, alcohol, sweet coffees or other liquids full of sugar. If you have to ask, is this okay for me? it isnt! After even only one to three days off sugar, your brain chemistry will change, ending the vicious cycle of addiction and cravings. Sugar is eight times more addictive than cocaine! 2. All flour products (even gluten free) - From bagels, crackers and pasta to cookies, wraps and pizza dough, we are bombarded with poor quality sources of carbohydrates at every meal. Avoid these foods. They are absorbed into your bloodstream too quickly, causing blood sugar to rise and insulin to spike. Remember that gluten free alternatives might even cause as big a spike (or bigger!) in blood sugar than the wheat-based product. 3. Processed junk food - This includes all trans fats, (avoid anything with hydrogenated oils) and poor quality fats, high fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners and flavorings, preservatives, dyes and anything you could not imagine growing in nature. All of this stuff literally confuses the body. Your weight regulation and metabolism malfunctions. MSG (monosodium glutamate), for example, found in most processed foods often under other names such as hydrolyzed vegetable protein, yeast extract or gelatindramatically increases cravings and binge eating. 4. All gluten and dairy - These are the two most common major inflammatory foods in our modern diet. Foods that trigger inflammation tend to promote obesity and diabetes. The scary part is that most people are unaware of their hidden sensitivity to gluten and dairy. Besides a scale that just wont budge, other signs of a food sensitivity are: nasal congestion, indigestion, bloating, autoimmune diseases, rashes, drops mood or energy, headaches, joint or muscle aches, and even chronic disease such as heart disease and cancer. Curious to learn whether you have a food sensitivity? Try eliminating gluten and dairy to see if those stubborn pounds start falling off your waist! 5. Higher Glycemic Index Carbohydrates - This includes all grains, starchy vegetables and fruit. You should do this only if you have advanced diabesity, have type 2 diabetes or are hitting a stubborn plateau with weight loss.

Page 3

Interested in getting results faster or moving past a weight plateau? Heres a great way to get a jumpstart on losing those stubborn pounds and healing from diabesity. For six weeks, avoid carbohydrates with a higher glycemic index such as potatoes, grains and fruit (besides a small serving of berries daily) to give yourself a metabolic tune up. While these vegetables and fruits can be healthy and full of nutrition, they may cause a spike in blood sugar and an insulin surge too great for certain individuals.

5 Steps to Get Started on The 6 Week Blood Sugar Solution

1. Get Prepared: Connect with your motivation for getting healthy by keeping a journal. Write about why you want to change and what is important to you. Dancing at your sons wedding, playing with your grandchildren, feeling more energy? Take measure of yourself (record your weight, height, body mass index, fasting blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol). You may even want to do specific medical tests to help you assess your diabesity and its root causes. In my free guide, How To Work with Your Doctor to Get What You Need, you can find exactly what tests you should do, what they mean and what to do about any abnormal results. Do a pantry and kitchen makeover (get rid of the 5 foods that cause obesity and add in real whole foods from the pantry list in The Blood Sugar Solution Cookbook).

2. Detox from Addictions: Carefully eliminate substances that keep your body on the viscous cycle of cravings and addictions. Sugar, alcohol and caffeine are best eliminated before you start the 6 weeks. In my book, The Blood Sugar Solution, I show you how to do this without the uncomfortable side effects.

3. Add in the right foods and lifestyle habits to turn on weight loss: Start filling your pantry and refrigerator with fresh, whole, real foods. Choose fresh vegetables, berries, whole grains, beans, nuts, seeds and lean animal protein such as fish, chicken and eggs. No gimmicks or weird stuff just actual food! And learn to create the perfect plate and eat twice as many veggies as anything else on your plate. This helps balance blood sugar and keeps you feeling full. Heres the breakdown: o 50% low starch, low-glycemic veggies (crunchy or green ones). These are fiber rich foods to help reduce glycemic load. You actually get unlimited refills on this side of the plate. o 25% lean and clean protein. A serving size = the size of your palm. o 25% slow-burning carbs like gluten free whole grains or sweet potatoes.

Page 4

Examples of meals you can eat: o Breakfast: vegetable frittata over black rice

o Lunch: Triple A salad (arugula, avocado and artichokes) with canned wild salmon and fruit only 1 fruit a day o Dinner: grilled chicken, broccolini, cup adjuzki beans

4. Get Together to Get Healthy: Find a partner in your home, your neighborhood or even online, and share the journey of getting healthy together. Not only does finding a partner or group to do this with work twice as well and lead to twice as much weight loss, but it is also more fun getting healthy together than alone.

5. Personalize it! What makes this program unique is your ability to customize a plan to get real, lasting results. Diabesity can be caused by or worsened by many things: inflammation, environmental toxins, gut problems, hormonal imbalances and nutritional deficiencies. Customizing the program according to your specific triggers will help you get the best results. The Blood Sugar Solution provides specific quizzes and personalized recommendations to fix these problems. This is the last diet you will ever need because this last step tailors your individual symptoms with specific personalized solutions. You will, once and for all, heal your symptoms at their root cause and feel like a new person. People say to me all the time that they never knew how sick they were until they started feeling so well. This step shows you how!

6 Week Road To Success: Inflammatory Ingredients To Avoid

Sugars in all forms: from syrups, nectars and honeys to stevia, sucralose and xylitol. If you have to ask is this okay? it isnt. Flours in all forms: including seemingly benign gluten free. Avoid bagels, wraps, pasta, pastries, bread etc. All Processed food: As Michael Pollan says, if it was grown on a plant, not made in a plant, then you can keep it in your kitchen. If it is something your great grandmother wouldnt recognize as food, throw it out (like a lunchable or go-gurt). Stay away from food-like substances. Gluten and dairy: All forms and please remember to read ingredient labels for hidden sources. Advanced Plan? Avoid ALL grains, starchy vegetables and fruit (except cup berries per day)

Page 5

After 6 weeks please refer to chapter 26 in The Blood Sugar Solution book to learn how to safely reintroduce these foods without sabotaging your success

All Calories are NOT created equal. Focus on food quality

Food is information and literally talks to your genes and controls gene expression, hormones and metabolism. What you eat has the potential to determine if you will develop disease or gain weight. Eating a sugar cookie versus a small handful of raw almonds can promote expression for disease. So choose a nutrient dense meal where there are quality calories working for your health goal! Honor responsible portion sizes. See chapter 19 of The Blood Sugar Solution and Appendix A for more examples of portion sizes for when the 6 weeks are over. Glycemic Load is MORE important than mastering calories: How quickly your meal raises your blood sugar and spikes insulin is the essential piece of information you need to understand to sustain healthy weight and wellness. Foods with fiber, protein and antiinflammatory fats mitigate the negative effects that blood sugar and insulin spikes have on your system. Curious about what this looks like? Dr. Hymans nutritionally balanced and complete meal plan provides a terrific example of how to create low glycemic load meals. Always combine a carbohydrate with some fiber, protein or anti-inflammatory fats. Never carb it alone!

4 Principles for a Healthy Planet and a Healthy You

Eat REAL food. Shop the perimeters of your market for nutrient-dense whole foods. Clean up your diet. Choose organic, grass-fed and pasture-fed meats and wild, small and sustainably farmed fish. Go organic. Choose as much organic food as your budget allows. See the top offenders at www.ewg.org Stay local. Farmers Markets and CSAs are great opportunities to procure high quality fresh food.

Choose SLOW Carbs, not LOW Carbs

Green Carbs: Eat Freely Fill your plate with 50% slow-burning, low GI vegetables such as kale, broccoli, lettuce, radish, arugula, celery, mushroom, snap pea, bok choy, asparagus, bell pepper, watercress, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, tomato, dandelion greens, hearts of palm, cucumber etc. See Appendix C for more low GI vegetable ideas. Seaweeds: For more information on seaweeds see Appendix D

Page 6

Yellow Carbs: Eat in Moderation Avoid if on the Advanced Plan Whole Grains. Brown and black rice, quinoa, amaranth, millet, teff and buckwheat Legumes. Red, green and yellow lentils, black beans, kidney beans, adzuki beans, mung beans, chick peas, pinto, black-eyed and fava beans etc. Dark Berries. Blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, wild blueberries. Limit to c of on the Advanced Plan Stone Fruit. Nectarines, plums, peaches, apricots. Apples and Pears Fiber. Aim for 30-50g daily

Red Carbs: Eat LIMITED Amounts Starchy, high glycemic cooked vegetables. Sweet potato, yam, winter squash, parsnip, pumpkin High-Sugar fruits. Grapes, bananas, dried fruit like raisins, dates, etc. and all fruit juice or fruit packed in juice

Forbidden Carbs: Avoid COMPLETELY Processed carbs Gluten-containing whole grains (wheat, barley, rye, kamut, spelt, einkorn, triticale) Dried fruit Resistant starch

Boost Phytonutrient Intake by choosing foods with dark colors. See Appendix B for a list of phytonutrient rich foods

Fat Does NOT Make You Fat

Get an oil change: replace the BAD fat with the GOOD fat Choose anti-inflammatory fats such as omega 3 fats and monounsaturated fat over trans and hydrogenated fats Omega 3s: wild or sustainably raised cold-water fish such as salmon, sardines, herring, small halibut Monounsaturated Fats: Olives and oil, avocado Healthy Oil Choices: Extra Virgin Olive Oil, walnut and flax oil for salads, sesame, grapeseed and sunflower oil for baking Healthy Saturated fat? Yes! Enjoy coconut butter and oil in place of butter

Page 7

Eat High - Quality Protein for Blood Sugar and Insulin Balance and Hunger Control
Beans or legumes Whole soy products. Choose Non-GMO and organic, avoid industrial over processed soy Nuts and Seeds Omega-3 eggs or Free range eggs Mercury-free fish, shrimp, and scallops Organic, grass-fed, and hormone-, antibiotic-, and pesticide free poultry Responsibly small portions of wild game and lean and clean red meat. See Chapter 19 for more details.

Use Herbs and Spices to Add Flavor and Make Your Meals Come Alive
Wheat Free Tamari, Red Chili paste (Sriracha is great!), Tahini, Exotic spices, Kosher salt, Peppercorns, Fresh Herbs, Homemade or store bought organic, GF, low Sodium broth or stock. Canned Foods: canned salmon, sardines, boxed tomatoes, beans or frozen artichokes

Nutrition is Not Solely About What to Eat But Learning How and When
Creating the perfect plate to ignite your metabolism: o 50% Low Starch, Low Glycemic Carbohydrate vegetables (as much as you like!) o 25% Lean and Clean Protein (fish, chicken, eggs, meat, beans, whole soy) o 25% Complex, Slow Burning Carbohydrate (whole grains, sweet potato, winter squash) o If on the advanced plan, simply make you plate 75% low starch vegetables and protein 25% Avoid Eating Like A Sumo Wrestler and Earn Your Ideal Body: always have a protein-based breakfast within 1 hour of waking up, eat a protein-based mini meal every 2-4 hours, and stop eating at least 3 hours before retiring to bed. Establish Your Rhythm and Stick to It: Your body evolved and exists today because of natural rhythms. Stick to a rhythm and a schedule of when you wake up and go to bed, when you eat and when you exercise. But especially when you eat. This will optimize digestion, empower your metabolism and synchronize hormones.

Page 8

Avoid Food Allergies and Sensitivities

Some foods for some people have the wrong information: Because food is information, take note on which foods signal unhealthy messages to your body. Most common are gluten and dairy. Please avoid for these for 6 weeks. After week 6 revisit chapter 26 to properly reintroduce them into your diet without sabotaging success!

Eat Well For Less: Reorganizing How You Spend Your Money Can Also Change Your Health
Because cheap food is inexpensive due to subsidization it might seem like you have to buy this junk food in order to stay within your budget. For 1 week track all your expenses and observe how much of what you spend your money on contributes to achieving your health goals. If you can see certain items that do not serve your ultimate health goals perhaps this is a good place to start rearranging your spending habits. Reorganize your budget and priorities and potentially create more funding for good food. Money is like life energy. It represents your time in a monetary way. How you spend your money reflects how you spend your time. What do you want this pattern to reflect for you? Make choices that give you MORE resources: Choose three things to change that can give you more time or money and record them in your journal. Reflect on how your life and health change as you go through the 6 weeks. Dr. Hymans Tricks For Eating Well For Less: o Shop at neighborhood stores like Trader Joes or shopping clubs like Costco o Join your local food co-op o Join Community Supported Agriculture programs (CSAs) o Develop a repertoire of cheap, easy-to-prepare meals which decrease stress, time and cost o Create a pot luck club at work

How to Succeed at Restaurants, Business Luncheons, Social Events

For 6 weeks try your best to AVOID these situations as surely it creates anxiety and precarious eating adventures. However, when you must, follow these guidelines: Be Obnoxious! Be clear about your needs and do not accept any food that does not nourish or support you. Do not assume you are being impolite; you are simply taking care of yourself. Choose the restaurant when you can. Tell the server you do not want bread on the table nor the alcohol menu. But do ask for raw cut-up veggies-no dip.

Page 9

Ask for water. Drink 1-2 glasses before your meal to reduce appetite Tell the server you will die if you have gluten or dairy. Not a lie-just a slow death. Ask for simple food preparation. Grilled fish with an entire plate of steamed vegetables with some olive oil and lemon drizzled on top. Always ask for olive oil and lemon in lieu of dressing. These often have hidden dairy and gluten as well as unhealthy oils. Skip the starches. Ask for double vegetables Avoid sauces, dressings and dips which are usually laden with hidden sugars, poor oils, gluten and dairy Follow hari hachi bu. Do as the Okinawan Japanese do and stop eating when you are 80% full. Instead of eating until you are FULL, eat until you are NO LONGER HUNGRY! Bring leftovers home as even too much of the right foods may spike insulin. Ask for berries for dessert.

Create An Emergency Pack

Buy a small hand-held cooler you can keep in your car, at work, trips etc. Its your life pack. Whats in Dr. Hymans Life- Pack: o Small bag of raw almonds, walnuts or pecans o Small bag of cut carrots or celery o Small container of hummus such as Wild Garden single-serve packets o Can of wild salmon or sardines o A container of chickpeas with olive oil, lemon, herbs, salt, pepper o Healthy whole food protein bar (eat half in morning, half in afternoon) o Bottle of water

Be Prepared For Holidays and Special Events

Sometimes you will have to eat someplace where you perceive to have no control. Avoid food-anxiety by planning ahead and making your host aware of your dietary needs and: Eat a small protein-based meal before the event Bring your emergency pack as a backup in case there is nothing to eat. You can always eat after. Just relax and eat. Choose nourishing foods such as lean poultry, fish, beans and vegetables. Have as many vegetables as you want. Do your best and relax. Stress will decrease your metabolic power. And remember, there is always tomorrow to resume your routine in the morning!

Page 10

Proper Metabolism Begins With the Breath

Mindful Eating increases awareness, pleasure, digestion, absorption and metabolism of your meal. Notice how your food looks, feels and tastes in your mouth. How does the smell and thought of your meal make you feel? Savoring your meal is an act of gratitude to your body and the earth that created your food. When we eat unconsciously we eat more. Avoid multitasking while eating and eat while you eat. Nothing more! Turn off the phone, TV, email, computer and take a break from media while you focus on nourishing yourself. Remember the 20 minute rule. By eating consciously and slowly, you allow yourself to honor your true hunger and satiety needs by providing ample time for your brain to get the signal that your stomach is full. Steps to Practice Mindful Eating: o Take Five before a meal. In one minute transform your metabolism by taking five slow breaths. Breathe in through your nose for a count of 5, pause, out through your mouth for a count of 5. Repeat 4 more times or until you feel relaxed and ready to begin your meal. You can put one hand on your belly to help you connect with deeper belly-breathing. o Offer gratitude before the meal. o Bring your attention fully to the food.

Putting It All Together: Record Your Meal-Time Experience In a Journal

Write down what you ate in as much detail as possible. Think about how this meal or snack made you feel. How does your body feel? Do you have more or less energy? How has your digestion been altered? How did you sleep that night? Every evening, think about how your experience with food impacted your day.

Page 11

Appendix A: Serving Sizes

Eat 3 meals per day with 2 snacks. Each meal can have 15 grams of carbohydrate, and each snack, 7.5 grams. As your activity increases, you can slowly begin to double this. This is not intended to be a life-long way of eating. As insulin sensitivity improves, you can increase your consumption of natural carbohydrates to 30-50 grams per meal. Choose primarily from starchy vegetables, whole grains, legumes, fruit and yogurt. Reduce refined carbohydrates and sugars. STARCHY VEGETABLES (Cooked unless noted otherwise. Each selection contains 15 grams of carbohydrate)
Food Item Serving Food Item Serving

Winter squash Beetroot Carrots Green peas Turnips Parsnip Pumpkin Sweet potato/yam

cup 1 cup 1 cup cup cup 2/3 cup 1 cup medium

Artichokes Burdock Root (raw) Corn Jerusalem artichokes Lima Beans Baked Potato Swede

1 root cup cup cup medium large

LEGUMES (amounts are cooked unless noted otherwise. Each serving contains 15 grams of carbohydrate) Food Item Serving Food Item Serving Adzuki beans Broad (fava) beans Black-eyed beans Kidney beans Mung beans Split peas cup cup cup 1/3 cup 1/3 cup 1/3 cup Black bean Chickpeas French beans Lentils Navy or pinto beans 1/3 cup 1/3 cup 1/3 cup 1/3 cup 1/3 cup

GRAINS (cooked unless noted) Food Item Serving Brown rice Buckwheat (kasha) Teff 1/3 cup 1/3 cup 1/3 cup

Food Item Millet Polenta Quinoa Popcorn (popped)

Serving 1/3 cup 1/3 cup 1/3 cup 2 cups

Whole-grain Flour and meals (items are dry, and contain 15 grams carbohydrates) Food Item Serving Food Item Serving Amaranth flour Brown rice flour 2 Tbls. 2 Tbls. Arrowroot flour Buckwheat flour
Page 12

2 Tbls. 31/2 Tbls.

Fruit (all fruits are raw, unless noted) Selections equal 15 grams carbohydrate Food Item Serving Food Item Serving Apple 1 small Applesauce w/o sugar cup Dried apricots 7 halves Banana medium Fresh berries cup Currants, dried 2 Tbls. Figs, dried 1 medium Grapes 15 grapes Mangos medium Nectarines 1 medium Tangerines 2 small Pears large Prunes 3 prunes Strawberries 1 cup Tomatoes 1 medium Dried apples Apricots Avocados Dried banana Cherries Dates Grapefruit Kiwi Melons Oranges Peaches Plums Raisins Sun-dried Tomatoes 3 rings 2 medium avocado 1 Tbls. 1 cup 2 medium large 1 large 1 cup cubes 1 medium 1 medium 2 fruits 2Tbls 1/6 ounce

Bread and crackers (These are less wholesome carbohydrate options than the previous lists. But are convenient. Whole grains are always a better option. Food Item Serving Food Item Serving Rice crackers 4 crackers Rice cakes 2 cakes

Page 13

Appendix B: Phytonutrient Rich Foods

Medical properties of different phytochemicals in a plant-rich diet Curcumin Turmeric Glucosinolates broccoli Anthocyanidins Berries and Black Rice Saponins beans, quinoa Quercetin onion, apple Gingerole ginger Kaempferol strawberries, broccoli Rutin parsley, lemon Catechins tea (white is highest in antioxidants, green is a great option too) Isoflavones soy Allicin garlic Phytosterols nuts, seeds Betasitosterols avocado, rice brown Tocopherols vitamin E Omega 3, 6 and 9 fatty acids sea vegetables, salmon, borage oil Sulfides garlic, onion, shallots DIM broccoli family Silymarin artichokes, milk thistle Salycylic Acid peppermint Lignans flax seed, sesame seed, broccoli Resveratrol grape skin Cinnamic Acid cinnamon, aloe Capsaicin chili Ellagic Acid walnuts, berries Probiotic kimchi, sauerkraut, kefir Prebiotic FOS, inulin

Page 14

Appendix C: Low Glycemic Vegetables

Arugula Artichoke Asparagus Bean sprouts Beet greens Bell peppers (red, yellow, green) Broccoli Brussels sprouts Cabbage Cauliflower Summer squash Cucumber Dandelion greens Eggplant Endive Fennel Garlic Ginger root Green beans Hearts of palm Zucchini Mushrooms Mustard greens Onions Parsley Radishes Radicchio Snap beans Snow peas Shallots Spinach Swiss chard Tomatoes Turnip greens Watercress Celery Chives Collard greens Jalapeno peppers Kale Lettuces

Sweet Potato, Beans, Lentils and Squash = GI around 50. Medium burning but great in appropriate portions (1/2 sweet potato or cup for beans, lentils and cooked squash Dose makes the poison with regards to these starches! If enjoyed in appropriate amounts they have a benevolent effect on satiety and pleasure.

Page 15

Appendix D: Sea Vegetables

Sea vegetables have 10-20 times the minerals of those found in land plants. They are an excellent source of minerals such as iodine, calcium, and iron. Some of the health claims associated with the consumption of sea vegetables include detoxification, alkalization of the body, softening hardened portions in the body, decreasing dryness, removing residues of radiation, lowering cholesterol, and improving water metabolism. Agar Culinary use: Natural jelling agent. Can be used in place of animal gelatin. Preparation: cup of agar gels one quart of liquid. Agar thickens at room temperature, unlike gelatin, which must be chilled. Storage: Store in a sealed container in a cool, dark place where it will keep indefinitely. Health Claim: Promotes digestion. Arame Benefits: Good introductory sea vegetable due to its milder flavor. Culinary use: Great in salads. Preparation: Soak in cold water. Storage: Store in a sealed container in a cool, dark place where it will keep indefinitely. Health Claim: If eaten daily, arame will promote glossy hair and clear skin.

Dulse Benefits: Very high in iron (14mg per cup). Culinary uses: Leaves can be soaked for five minutes and added to soups or salads. Flakes or granulated dulse can be sprinkled onto most food for a nutritional boost. Preparation: Soak in cold water, or add flakes directly to food. Storage: Store in a sealed container in a cool, dark place where it will keep indefinitely. Health Claim: If eaten daily, arame will promote glossy hair and clear skin.

Page 16

Hiziki Benefits: Very high in minerals (34g of minerals/100g). Richest of all sea vegetables in calcium. cup of hiziki = calcium in cup whole milk. Culinary uses: Great in salads. Preparation: Soak in cold water before using. Cook in apple juice and combine with other vegetables to moderate strong taste. Storage: Store in a sealed container in a cool, dark place where it will keep indefinitely. Health Claim: Normalize blood sugars. Builds bone and teeth. Kombu Benefits: Rich in minerals, kombu increases nutritional value of all food with which it is prepared. Culinary uses: Contains glutamic acid, which acts as a tenderizer. Add kombu when cooking beans. Preparation: Soak in cold water before using. Storage: Store in a sealed container in a cool, dark place where it will keep indefinitely. Nori Benefits: Culinary uses: Most commonly used in making sushi. Can also be eaten directly from package by lightly toasting and crumbling onto food. Preparation: Soak in cold water before using. Storage: Store in the freezer in a zip-lock bag to preserve freshness. Health Claim: May aid in lowering cholesterol. May help treat painful or difficult urination, goiter, edema and hypertension. Wakame Benefits: High in calcium and niacin. Culinary uses: Often used in soups. Can also be toasted and ground into a condiment. Preparation: A small amount expands when soaked. Soak 10-15 minutes. After soaking, remove the main rib or stem and cut leaves into small pieces. Storage: Store in a sealed container in a cool, dark place where it will keep indefinitely.

Page 17

Brands to look for: Maine Seaweed Co. Eden Emerald Cove Airwan

References: Lair, Cynthia. Feeding the Whole Family. Moon Smile Press, Seattle, WA, 1997.

Copyright 2013 by Hyman Enterprises LLC; Diabesity is a trademark owned by Hyman Emterprises LLC

Page 18