Tomato and Goat Cheese-Walnut Pesto Flatbread Recipe by Jill Weisenberger

There are so many wonderful ways to enjoy summer produce, including Jill’s delicious heirloom tomato flatbread recipe!

“The goat cheese and walnut pesto pair perfectly with these beautiful heirloom tomatoes,” says Jill Weisenberger MS, RDN, CDE, CHWC, FAND.

Tomato and Goat Cheese-Walnut Pesto Flatbread Recipe by Jill Weisenberger RD

Ingredients

For the Goat Cheese-Walnut Pesto
1 cup packed fresh basil leaves (about 16 g)
1/3 cup walnut pieces
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large garlic clove
juice of 1/2 lemon (about 11/2 tablespoons)
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
5 ounces soft goat cheese
For the Tomato Flatbread
4 medium to large tomatoes

FULL RECIPE

Quick Takes with Registered Dietitian Jill Weisenberger

Q: How much is ‘too much’ when it comes to eating carbohydrates for someone with type 2 diabetes?

Jill Weisenberger (JW): This is way too individualized for me to give you a solid answer. If your blood glucose is in your target range before eating, but above your target range 2 hours after eating, chances are you ate too much carbohydrate. Though it might suggest something else such as taking your medications incorrectly or needing a different dose, or it might even be your blood sugar’s way of reminding you not to miss your usual exercise.

Q: How much is too much when it comes to eating carbohydrates for someone with pre-diabetes?

JW: People with prediabetes have more flexibility because they are not at risk of having a dangerously high blood sugar level. Instead of focusing on the quantity of carbohydrate, I prefer to focus on the quality of carb-rich foods. Aim to eat fruits, vegetables, pulses, whole grains and other wholesome, nutrient-rich foods.

Q: Are there any carbohydrates someone with pre-diabetes should avoid?

JW: recommend limiting what I call fun foods. For me, that’s chocolate. For someone else, it’s corn chips. If it doesn’t had much to the wholesomeness of your diet, eat just small amounts or skip it completely. It’s almost always reasonable and possible to fit in favorite foods. However, I do urge extra caution around sugary beverages. Sugary drinks, like sodas, sweet tea and lemonade, are linked to increased risk of type 2 diabetes.

Q: I’ve read that adding walnuts to your meal plan is a good idea. Why or why not?

JW: Love walnuts! And yes, they are a great addition to the diet. They give us omega-3 fatty acids, fibers, phytonutrients and more. Diets with nuts are associated with improved heart and blood vessel health in people with diabetes and in the general population.

Jill Weisenberger’s candid and energetic approach and her sound nutrition and fitness advice has earned her a place as one of 10 Dietitians You Need to Follow on Social Media in US News & World Report. Jill offers healthy and delicious recipe ideas and nutrition strategies and is renowned for disease prevention and management, nutritious, delicious meals, and truths (and myths!) about food trends.

**Divabetic Scavenger Hunt: At Home Party**

Divabetic Scavenger Hunt & Smoothie Party: At Home Party – Register Now!

Looking for a fun way to socialize without putting your diabetes at risk?

Join the happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic for this free and entertaining, Scavenger Hunt: At Home Party on Thursday, June 18, 2020, 7 PM, EST. This hilarious night of virtual diabetes wellness and conversations features make-your-own smoothies with Jill Weisenberger MS, RDN, CDCES, CHWC, FAND.

Having diabetes does not mean you need to deny yourself all the foods you love, but it is about healthy choices. One good choice is to eat a lot of fruits and vegetables with smoothies. During our online Scavenger Hunt, Jill shares tips for making healthy smoothies without compromising your diabetes wellness.

When: Thursday, June 18, 7PM, ET

Where: on Zoom Register Now on Zoom Code

Fee: Totally Free

How: Mr. Divabetic will have a list of people may find around their kitchen. Once he posts an item you will have 30 seconds to find it and accumulate points for fun prizes including Jill Weisenberger’s Diabetes Weight Loss Week by Week bestselling book. After the hunt, we’ll sit back, laugh, make smoothies and enjoy a toast together until we can do it again in person.

**Divabetic’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast**

We’re talking about “I Know What You Ate Last Summer” with Jill Weisenberger MS, RDN, CDE, CHWC, FAND on Diabetes Late Nite with music from ‘The Best Of Patti Austin’ album courtesy of SONY Music. Addtional guests: Chris Pickering co-founder of ‘The Betes Bros, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE, Lorranie Brooks and Mama Rose Marie.

04/02/202004/02/2020

Healthy Snack Tips for Book Lovers by Jill Weisenberger MS, RDN, CDE, FAND

How are you avoiding unnecessary stress and anxiety?

Are you like me? I’m keeping my spirits up by reading, reading, reading and staying off of social media during the pandemic. One of my favorite book series is the Camper & Criminals Cozy Mysteries by Best-Selling Author, Tonya Kappes.

The amateur sleuth in the series, Mae West, goes from lavish to lacking over night. Mae’s husband, now ex, had a huge Ponzi scheme going on until he got caught. Not only did he cheat their friends out of most of their savings but he also left Mae penniless. When Mae meets with their lawyer she quickly finds that the only thing she has left is an RV and a Campground located in Normal, Kentucky. When her ex escapes from prison and is then found dead in Normal there is no shortage of suspects to be had. Mae’s attempt at a fresh start in Normal is quickly overshadowed by a quest to figure out who wanted her ex dead the most.

Unfortunately I’ve been known to polish off a bag of pretzels while I’m reading Tonya’s Camper & Criminals series without noticing! Since many Divabetics like to read after dinner and/or before bedtime, I contacted our good friend, a Diabetes Late Nite podcast guest, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, Certified Diabetes Educator and Best-Selling Author Jill Weisenberger MS, RDN, CDE, FAND for her recommendation on late night snack ideas.

3 Tips for Healthy Snacking for Book Lovers by Jill Weisenberger MS, RDN, CDE, FAND

1. Plate your snacks. It’s pretty easy to polish off a bag of pretzels or a row of cookies if you eat from the package. It’s also pretty easy to remove a serving and put it in a dish. Why not treat yourself like you’re special enough to eat out of a dish. You are, you know.

2. Treat snacks as nutrition opportunities. Run through what you’ve eaten today, and take note of what’s missing. My guess is that most folks didn’t meet the recommendations for fruits and vegetables, so snack on one of those.

3. Be original. If you’re worried about making poor snack choices, create your own snack menu. Write down at least 5 healthful snack ideas that you enjoy. Keep this list in the kitchen. When it’s snack time, choose one item from your personalized menu.

**Jill Weisenberger’s Healthy Dip Ideas**

And What’s one of Jill’s favorite snack ideas?

JW: I’m a big veggie pusher, so I like any raw veggies, or veggies dipped into a healthful yogurt sauce or some salsa. If you want something a little different, I recommend the dehydrated or baked carrots or beets. They’re super crunchy and are delicious by themselves or with a dip.

Jill Weisenberger’s comprehensive guide, ‘Prediabetes: A Complete Guide: Your Lifestyle Reset to Stop Prediabetes and Other Chronic Illnesses’ will lead you through dozens of concrete steps you can take to reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and other lifestyle-related chronic diseases. Taking an individualized approach to your lifestyle “reset,” this book will allow you to choose your own path to wellness, help you gain a greater sense of wellbeing, boost your confidence in your abilities to maintain a healthful lifestyle, and potentially even help you reverse prediabetes and avoid type 2 diabetes and other chronic illnesses. You’ll be feeling better than you have in years!

Jill Weisenberger, MS, RDN, CDE, CHWC, FAND is a great resource for all things nutrition, food and diabetes. Whether she’s speaking, writing, chatting on social media, appearing on TV or working with individuals, her candid and energetic approach appeals to busy people, and her sound nutrition and fitness advice gets results. In fact, her appreciation for science and ability to translate science into actionable information earned her a place in US News & World Report’s 10 Dietitian’s You Need to Follow on Social Media.

Mr. Divabetic’s healthy culinary misadventures continue in Divabetic’s 6th Annual Diabetes Mystery Podcast, Gingerbread Men Prefer Blondes. when he enters a baking competition with headless cookies and pureed kale hot cocoa for the judges to sample. As if this dreadful combination wasn’t bad enough to land him at the bottom of the throwdown, his mother, Mama Rose Marie, is accused of poisoning one of the celebrity judges! Things go from bad to worse when the snake phobic Mr. Divabetic hears about the giant python’s escape.

Now, the happy healthcare host must decide to face his fear of snakes and recipe rejection or throw in his apron and risk getting caught up in another murder investigation. Can Mr. Divabetic and his team of amateur sleuths hunt down the real killer and get Mama Rose Marie out of jail? Will he be the next murder victim? Can he ever create an edible recipe?

The cast of Gingerbread Men Prefer Blondes features Mama Rose Marie, Best-Selling Author Tonya Kappes, the Charlie’s Angels of Outreach (Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE and MaryAnn Nicolay BA, DTR), The Happy Diabetic Chef Robert Lewis, Seveda Williams, Coach The Cure’s Trisha Artman, Jillian Walsh, Wendy Radford, Dave Jones, Lorraine Brooks and Max Szadek.

Throughout this podcast we will be featuring music from the original Broadway cast recording of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes courtesy of SONY MUSIC.

08/05/201911/21/2020

What You Should Know About Intermittent Fasting & Diabetes with Jill Weisenberger

A new study from New Zealand suggests intermittent fasting is good for someone living with Type 2 diabetes. Since then Divabetic’s social media feed is blowing up with story after story about this topic. We reached out to our friend and colleague, Registered Dietitian, Certified Diabetes Educator, Jill Weisenberger MS, RDN, CDE, CHWC, FAND to help us understand what intermittent fasting is and why or why not we might want to include it fasting in our diabetes self-management. Here’s her response:

Q: what is intermittent fasting?

Jill Weisenberger (JW): There are a variety of approaches, but they all put emphasis on restricting eating at certain times. One common version of IF is the 5:2 plan, which means to eat healthfully and normally for 5 days of the week and to restrict eating to just a few hundred calories 2 days per week. Another form of IF is to extend the overnight fast to 12 or even 16 hours.

Q: I’ve read that intermittent fasting can help with weight loss and lowering A1C. Are these outcomes realistic for people with type 2 diabetes?

JW: Some studies do show improvements in weight and blood glucose control and even insulin sensitivity. However, when these IF diets are compared to other dietary strategies for weight loss, the results aren’t so clear that one way is better than another. IF, especially the 5:2 plan, can increase the risk of hypoglycemia in anyone taking a medication that has hypoglycemia as a side effect. There may be populations in which IF is a potentially harmful, such as pregnant women, adolescents and people with eating disorders.

My limited experience with the 5:2 plan suggests that it makes daily exercise very hard.

Q: Can intermittent fasting help people with prediabetes? If so, why? If not, why?

JW: If the person with prediabetes is overweight and if IF leads to weight loss, then yes, IF can help people with prediabetes. There was one study in men with prediabetes who were instructed to eat only during 6 hours of the day and to fast for the other 18. Compared to people eating for 12 hours and fasting for 12 hours, those in the longer fasting group saw improvements in blood pressure, insulin sensitivity and beta-cell responsiveness.

Overall, I think that IF can be a tool for some people. In others, it might not be helpful at all, and in some it can be harmful. I like to discuss it in depth with my patients before they decide to give it a try. If someone wants to restrict the hours of eating, I think it’s important to let this work with the circadian rhythms, so stop eating hours before bed and fast longer during the night. I don’t suggest eating a large dinner and fasting all day.

Intermittent Fasting Calculator

Intermittent Fasting (IF) Calculator helps you cycling between Eating and Fasting: CLICK HERE

Jill Weisenberger’s comprehensive guide, ‘Prediabetes: A Complete Guide: Your Lifestyle Reset to Stop Prediabetes and Other Chronic Illnesses’ will lead you through dozens of concrete steps you can take to reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and other lifestyle-related chronic diseases. Taking an individualized approach to your lifestyle “reset,” this book will allow you to choose your own path to wellness, help you gain a greater sense of wellbeing, boost your confidence in your abilities to maintain a healthful lifestyle, and potentially even help you reverse prediabetes and avoid type 2 diabetes and other chronic illnesses.

Diabetes Late Nite with music from Patti Austin

Jill Weisenberger appears on Divabetic’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast featuring music by Patti Austin. We’re talking to Jill about healthy strategies to help you deal with the “FOOD POLICE”.

LISTEN NOW

05/26/201905/26/2019

‘Should You Put An Egg On It?’ with Jill Weisenberger MS, RDN, CDE, FAND

People aren’t just eating eggs. They’re obsessing over them. Every menu item from burgers and pizza to oatmeal are topped with eggs as though they are a condiment or sauce!

We reached out to our friend, Registered Dietitian Jill Weisenberger MS, RDN, CDE, FAND to share some advice on the nutrition pro’s and con’s to putting an egg on it.

Q. Are there any health benefits to putting an egg on it?

Jill Weisenberger‘s Answer: Eggs are nutrient-dense, inexpensive and easy to prepare. They give us protein; lutein which is important for eye and brain health; choline, which is important for cognition, especially during fetal development; and a host of other vitamins and minerals. I like the idea of adding an egg to some lower-protein meals like oatmeal. We need a steady supply of protein – as in breakfast, lunch, and dinner – for optimal muscle synthesis. From a nutrition standpoint, I don’t see the benefit to adding an egg to hamburgers. There’s already adequate protein there. I’d rather see folks eat eggs at meals that have lower amounts of protein, such as this Savory Oats and Lentils recipe (https://jillweisenberger.com/healthy-savory-oats-and-lentils-recipe/), which I often have for dinner.

Q. Are there any drawbacks to putting an egg on it?

Jill Weisenberger‘s Answer: It’s really important to have variety in the diet, so I can imagine that if someone is eating eggs or an egg at most meals, there’s either too little variety or too many calories. But in general, no, there are no major health consequences to adding eggs to any number of foods. A fraction of the population is sensitive to cholesterol in foods. Since eggs have a lot of cholesterol, some people will need to put some limits on intake. For most of us, however, the amount of saturated fat we eat affects our blood cholesterol levels more than the amount of cholesterol we eat.

Q. Let’s talk calories. How many calories are we talking about when we add an egg to it?

Jill Weisenberger‘s Answer: Depending on the size, eggs have roughly 60 to 80-ish calories. More importantly, let’s look at what we’re eating eggs with. A breakfast of eggs and biscuits with sausage gravy and side of bacon isn’t in the same ballpark as a couple eggs, with whole grain toast and a bowl of strawberries. Eggs have a lot going for them, so let’s enjoy them in good company – whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes.

Q. Can we eat the yolk?

Jill Weisenberger‘s Answer: The yolk is where the cholesterol is, so anyone needing to limit dietary cholesterol should eat more egg whites than yolks. But like I said, that’s not most of us. The yolk also contains a lot of nutrients, including lutein.

Q. Not all eggs are created equal. Is it worth buying organic eggs? What types of eggs do you recommend we buy at the store?

Jill Weisenberger‘s Answer: Usually, there’s not much difference nutritionally when you’re comparing eggs of the same size. Buy the ones you like. However, there are some eggs out there with a few differences. You can buy pasteurized eggs, which are good if you like to eat your eggs runny. And some brands feed their chickens an enhanced diet, so the eggs might contain more omega-3 fatty acids or lutein.

Identify your risks for developing type 2 diabetes

Set personalized and meaningful behavioral goals

Identify and build on your motivation for a lifestyle reset

Create positive new habits

Change eating habits for weight loss and greater insulin sensitivity

Choose wholesome foods in the supermarket and when away from home

Tweak your favorite recipes

Reduce sedentary time

Start or improve upon an exercise plan

Reduce emotional eating

Organize and track your progress with tools included in the book

Much more

We’re talking about ‘HEART HEALTH & DIABETES’ with musical inspiration from the rock band “Heart”. Adults with diabetes are two to four times more likely to die from heart disease than adults without diabetes. People with insulin resistance or diabetes in combination with one or more of these risk factors are at even greater risk of heart disease or stroke. However, by managing their risk factors, people with diabetes may avoid or delay the development of heart and blood vessel disease.

Guests include Author of ‘Nutrition & You’ Dr. Joan Salge Blake, EdD, RDN, LDN, FAND, Jill Weisenberger, MS, RDN, CDE, CHWC, FAND, Glucose SOS founder Pamela Heyward and the Charlie’s Angels of Outreach. Throughout the podcast we will be playing music from Heart’s “The Essential Heart” album courtesy of SONY Music

LISTEN NOW

11/02/201805/21/2020

Common Questions About Sweeteners with Jill Weisenberger MS, RDN, CDE, FAND

Recently we received this question about sweeteners from Linda in Rochester NY, a member of the Divabetic community, who is living with type 2 diabetes on Divabetic’s FB page.

Linda writes “Splenda (sucralose) is my sweetener of choice, tasting the most like sugar. I’ve been told it raises blood sugar. I’ve also heard that stevia does not affect blood glucose levels, but it has a nasty after taste to me. Splenda has a stevia product out that’s not bad, but expensive. Your thoughts?”

We contacted our good friend, a Diabetes Late Nite podcast guest, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, Certified Diabetes Educator and Best-Selling Author Jill Weisenberger MS, RDN, CDE, FAND, who consulted to Splenda about two years ago on a small project. Currently, Jill is a consultant to the Calorie Control Council, a trade organization for non-nutritive and low calorie sweeteners like sucarlose and stevia. Below are Jill’s answers and advice regarding Linda’s questions.

Q: Can Splenda raise blood sugars?

Jill Weisenberger MS, RDN, CDE, FAND(JW): Splenda is a brand. It’s not a specific product. I assume that you mean sucralose, as this was the original Splenda sweetener.

There is no reason to think that a compound that is essentially without carbohydrate (like sucralose) could directly affect blood sugar. A teaspoon of sucralose provides less than a gram of carbohydrate. A teaspoon of sugar provides 4 grams, and a teaspoon of honey provides about 5 grams of carbohydrate. From a blood sugar standpoint, sucralose is the better choice.

Q: Can Stevia raise blood sugars?

JW: As with other non-nutriitive sweeteners (NNS), it cannot directly affect blood sugar levels.

Q: Can you recommend any Stevia products that have little to no after taste?

Some newer stevia products use the extract Reb D instead of Reb A. I find that Reb D tastes better, but taste is an individualized thing. Splenda Naturals is a stevia sweetener made with Reb D. If you hunt around in the supermarkets, you might find others as well.

Q: What sugar substitutes do you recommend?

JW: I have no real preference. I am not fearful of low calorie and non-nutritive sweeteners. Many of the scary headlines are misleading or based on studies that provide only a small picture of the full health landscape. Other headlines are downright false. That being said, I don’t think anyone needs artificial or NNS. We can adjust our tastes to learn to enjoy foods without added sweetness or we can use very small amounts of regular sugar. I use very little of any type of added sweetener, but I use a wide variety of types – both natural and artificial, both with calories and carbs and without. But since I use very little, I know that it affects me minimally.

Q: Can you share a few tips about using sugar substitutes for people living with type 2 diabetes?

JW: If anyone is truly fearful but wants to continue using sweeteners, I recommend using a variety, so no one sweetener is consumed in large amounts. The category of NNS is quite large, and each compound is metabolized differently. Keep in mind that the dose makes the poison. Small amounts of NNS are not considered harmful. But even water when consumed in very large amounts can cause death.

Jill Weisenberger’s comprehensive guide, ‘Prediabetes: A Complete Guide: Your Lifestyle Reset to Stop Prediabetes and Other Chronic Illnesses’ will lead you through dozens of concrete steps you can take to reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and other lifestyle-related chronic diseases. Taking an individualized approach to your lifestyle “reset,” this book will allow you to choose your own path to wellness, help you gain a greater sense of wellbeing, boost your confidence in your abilities to maintain a healthful lifestyle, and potentially even help you reverse prediabetes and avoid type 2 diabetes and other chronic illnesses. You’ll be feeling better than you have in years! Inside, you will learn to:

Identify your risks for developing type 2 diabetes

Set personalized and meaningful behavioral goals

Identify and build on your motivation for a lifestyle reset

Create positive new habits

Change eating habits for weight loss and greater insulin sensitivity

Choose wholesome foods in the supermarket and when away from home

Tweak your favorite recipes

Reduce sedentary time

Start or improve upon an exercise plan

Reduce emotional eating

Organize and track your progress with tools included in the book

Much more

LISTEN NOW: Diabetes Late Nite podcast featuring music by Patti Austin. We’re talking about healthy strategies to help you deal with the “FOOD POLICE” with guests: Poet Lorraine Brooks, Jill Weisenberger MS, RDN, CDE, CHWC, FAND, Chris Pickering co-founder of ‘The Betes Bros, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE, and Mama Rose Marie.

Mr. Divabetic is celebrating World Diabetes Day with musical inspiration from Aretha Franklin on Diabetes Late Nite scheduled for Wednesday, November 14, 6 -7:30 PM, EST. Guests include Poet Lorraine Brooks, Dr. Wendy Satin Rapaport, Diabetes Strong‘s owner Christel Oerum, Beautyphonics CEO and “Beneath The Makeup”Author Suzanne Perez, Mama Rose Marie and the Charlie’s Angels of Outreach. Throughout the podcast we will be playing music from Aretha Franklin’s ‘Aretha Franklin Sings the Great Diva Classics’ courtesy of SONY Music.

Diabetes Late Nite is a fast-paced, full-filled hour of diabetes education and wellness advice that encourages listeners to “laugh a little, learn a lot.” Enjoy over 175 free podcasts available on demand anytime, anywhere on blogtalkradio.com and i-Tunes!