More than 2 million Canadians live with diabetes.

Diabetes is rapidly becoming the largest health problem in the Western world. As our society becomes more overweight and the population ages, there are many more Canadians at risk for developing diabetes. If you have been diagnosed with diabetes, careful meal planning is key to managing the disease.

The importance of proper and flexible meal planning was one of the key principles behind the revisions to the Canadian Diabetes Association Meal Planning System (also called the Good Health Eating Guide). The new system will be closely modeled on the U.S. system, which is based on 15g of carbohydrate per serving in each of the carbohydrate-containing groups (starch, fruit, vegetables, milk and sugars). The Complete Canadian Diabetes Cookbook is one of the first books on the market to reflect these changes.

This cookbook contains 500 diabetes-suitable recipes with complete nutritional information for each recipe. Healthy cooking becomes a breeze -- and that's a major step in taking control of diabetes. Managing diabetes doesn't have to mean eating uninteresting food for the rest of your life. You'll be amazed at the wonderful variety of flavors you can savor while following your meal plan.

About the Author
Katherine E. Younker, MBA, RD, is a Certified Diabetes Educator who has worked with the Canadian Diabetes Association for several years.

Excerpted from Complete Canadian Diabetes Cookbook by Kathryn Younker. Copyright © 2005. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Preface

Every day, more and more Canadians are being diagnosed with diabetes or some form of glucose intolerance. Good nutrition and healthy eating, together with an active lifestyle, are keys to successfully managing blood glucose levels while reducing the risk for other chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis and cancer.

The majority of people with diabetes, and their family members, will tell you that meal planning is the most challenging task in living day to day with this disease. In fact, most Canadians have eight to nine "standard" meals, which can become uninspiring whether or not they have health concerns. Complete Canadian Diabetes Cookbook is a collection of recipes from a variety of sources. It reflects the wealth of cooking styles and foods used across Canada and provides you and your family with many great dishes, along with information on how to include them in a healthy lifestyle.

Although not originally designed for those with diabetes, these recipes have been analyzed for nutrient content, and for each recipe you will find the nutrient information (energy in calories, carbohydrate, fiber, protein, fat, saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium) that will help you fit these recipes into your meal plan. Carbohydrate and fiber values have been included with each recipe to permit easy carbohydrate counting for those who like more flexibility at meals.

Included are recipe tips, complete meal suggestions and make-ahead information. You are sure to find new spins on some of your family's favorites, and other recipes that will soon become standards. I hope you will find this book a welcome addition to your healthy lifestyle.

Enjoy!

Katherine E. Younker