Fight Diabetes with This Simple Recipe

Lentil salad with goat cheese and fermented cinnamon apples

We have all heard about diabetes and how prevalent it has become. In fact, over the last 35 years the number of adults diagnosed with diabetes has almost quadrupled to 422 million. Earlier diabetes was a disease that we related to getting old, but nowadays we see the disease, specifically type-2-diabetes, start developing from childhood even. Diabetes occurs due to genetics and to a large degree lifestyle as well. But what is diabetes? Diabetes is a disease characterized by elevated blood sugar levels, which over time lead to serious complications.

Type-2-diabetes is the most common diabetes type and accounts for approximately 90% of all diabetes cases. It develops due to insufficient insulin production and/or insulin resistance (the inability of cells to respond properly to the insulin). It is a disease that develops over a long period of time and often with only small symptoms before it is too late. Fortunately, we can take matters in our own hands and actively prevent type-2-diabetes through exercise and eating right.

This lentil salad with goat cheese and fermented cinnamon apples is made with ingredients that not only taste good, but also show beneficial health effect in general, and particularly in preventing diabetes. Two main dietary guidelines in a diabetes hindering (and in general a healthy) diet, is eating foods with a low glycemic index (GI) with a high fiber content.  GI is a scale measure (1-100) of foods ability to raise your blood sugar. The higher GI, the higher raise in blood sugar. This is why we want to choose low GI foods – it is all about avoiding huge swings in blood sugar levels.

High fiber foods and vegetables have a low GI and have been shown to improve glycemic control. Cabbage, lentils, peas and pistachios do not only have a low GI, but also high fiber content, especially in soluble fiber. Soluble fiber might have an even more beneficial effect when it comes to diabetes treatment and prevention, than food higher in insoluble fiber. Furthermore, the before mentioned ingredients are magnesium rich. This mineral has likewise shown protective effects against type-2-diabetes by improving insulin sensitivity and glucose regulation.
This recipe does not only include ingredients that are good for glycemic control. Because of the high content of fiber and protein from specifically lentils, cheese and peas, the salad will keep you full for a long time. It is therefore also a decent choice of dish if you need to lose a couple of pounds or simply maintain a healthy body weight, which is the first step in preventing type-2-diabetes.

Ingredients (4 pers.)

Dressing

¼ white cabbage (sliced)

2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar

1 ½ cup lentils (cooked)

2 tbsp. oil

1 handful of parsley (chopped)

1 tbsp. honey

1 red onion (thin sliced)

1 squeezed lime

Sprouts (I used broccoli sprouts)

100 g goat cheese

Fermented cinnamon apples (app. 1 apple)

Pistachio nuts

Green pea pure

400 g frozen peas (defrozen)

4 whole grain tortillas

1-2 cloves garlic

2 tbsp. oil

1 squeezed lime

1 handful mint

Dash of Salt

Mix all the vegetables for the salad with the dressing. Sprinkle with goat cheese and pistachios and decorate with cinnamon apples on top.

Mix all the ingredients for the pea pure with a hand blender or food processor.

Serve the salad with pea pure and heated, crispy tortillas