"GARLIC AND GREENS"

In early 2007, I was diagnosed with "pre-diabetes" Before people develop type 2 diabetes, they almost always have "pre-diabetes"-blood glucose levels that are higher than normal but not yet high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes.

According to the American Diabetes Association, "there are 54 million people in the United States who have pre-diabetes. Recent research has shown that some long-term damage to the body, especially the heart and circulatory system, may already be occurring during pre-diabetes. People with pre-diabetes are at higher risk of cardiovascular disease. People with pre-diabetes have a 1.5-fold risk of cardiovascular disease compared to people with normal blood glucose. People with diabetes have a 2- to 4-fold increased risk of cardiovascular disease."

Having all the symptoms of diabetes, and being told that pre-diabetes is a condition that can be reversed, I decided to change my eating habits to something healthier, and tried to do regular walking as my exercise. For me it took determination and mindset to avoid eating my favorite chocolate and sweet treats.

I stayed focused by having only 'minimal' intake of sweets and carbs (chocolates, candies, cookies, cakes, white rice, white bread). I tried to satisfy my craving for sweets with food that are naturally sweet (like fruits and fresh juices), and by cooking savory dishes with sweet ingredients (like balsamic vinegar, and sweet veggies such as carrots and squash). I also decided to cook our own food, avoided fast food/processed foods, drank more green tea and fruit juices, drank less or no coffee, ate more greens and added more garlic and tomatoes to my dishes.

Just last week, my doctor gave me a clean bill of health! She said my blood glucose level is now normal. What a relief!

By the way, I want to believe that replacing part of my rice intake with large servings of cooked greens (and garlic that gave it my favorite flavor) in my daily meals helped me get back in track in terms of maintaining my sugar level. I am not claiming it did, but as I said, I want to believe it did help. I used to eat a lot of rice. But now, I satisfy my hunger more with vegetables and lean meat or fish than having my usual cups of rice.

It takes practice (and time) to acquire the liking for other kinds of vegetables and food that we do not normally eat (say "tofu"?). We just have to know what style of food preparation we enjoy, so we do not get bored and give up on trying to eat vegetables and other healthier food.

Almost everyday, I try to cook our vegetables in different ways, trying different preparations, just so I can get to know which ones my husband enjoys the most. I already know what I like: anything green and garlicky!

Garlic is rich in nutritional value (has Vit B5/B6, Vit C, calcium, iron, manganese, zinc, phosphorous, selenium, copper, folate to name a few...).

Consuming greens on a regular basis can help us stay healthy, since the greens provide us with fiber and nutrients such as Vit A, B, C, K, manganese,magnesium and iron. These nutrients/phytonutrients can provide us help with our vision, support normal bone growth, boost the immune system, maintain normal blood sugar levels and may help prevent heart disease.

Why not try this simple garlicky recipe here of green leafy vegetables, and use it as a side dish, or as toppings in your pasta or rice (add some bacon bits or ham bits if you like). Tell me how you like it.

[CHICHAY TIP: If you like "ampalaya' (bittermelon), try using collard greens which has the bitterness of bittermelon! I like it just slightly cooked so it's still crunchy!]
- CHICHAY

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"GARLIC AND GREENS"

What You Need:

• 5 handfuls greens of your choice (chard, collard greens, baby mustard, spinach, baby bokchoy, broccoli rabe)
  
• 2 tbsp olive oil


• 5 cloves of garlic, peeled
  
• salt and ground black pepper

How To:

-Cut the greens to bite sizes if they are whole pieces.

-Thinly cut the garlic cloves into slivers and add it to the hot pan with olive oil, stirring constantly until the garlic is slightly brown (not burned!)

-Once the slivers turn lightly golden, add the greens and toss to coat with the hot oil.
-Season with salt and pepper as soon as the greens start to wilt.

-Transfer to a plate and serve immediately.