When you have type 2 diabetes, it's important to keep track of how many carbs you're eating. Even though there's nothing like that first taste of a fresh strawberry in the spring, it's still good to know the carb count and health benefits of strawberries. Like most fruit, strawberries are a carbohydrate, but they're also packed with vitamins, fiber and lots of antioxidants. Make fresh strawberries part of your healthy lifestyle.

Calorie, Carbohydrate and Fiber Counts for Strawberries

1 large (1-3/8") strawberry:

Calories - 6, Fiber - 0.4 grams, Carbohydrates - 1.4 grams

1/2 cup whole strawberries:

Calories - 23, Fiber - 1.4 grams, Carbohydrates - 5.5 grams

1 cup whole strawberries:

Calories - 46, Fiber - 2.9 grams, Carbohydrates - 11.1 grams

1 pint strawberries:

Calories - 114, Fiber - 7.1 grams, Carbohydrates - 27.4 grams

Another way to gauge the effect of strawberries on blood sugar is the glycemic index. The glycemic index is a way of measuring how quickly a carbohydrate enters the bloodstream and how high it raises blood glucose levels.

The glycemic index is a scale from 1 to 100, with higher glycemic numbers indicating foods that raise blood sugar higher and faster than foods with lower glycemic numbers.

The glycemic index for strawberries is 32 to 40. This makes strawberries a healthy choice for people with diabetes.

Popeye knew what he was doing when he ate his spinach. Vegetables are packed with nutrition and are low in calories and fat, and high in fiber. They fill you up, and can help you keep your diet on track. Eat 5 to 9 servings of vegetables a day.

·         1 cup chopped cooked turkey or chicken

·         1 cup shredded Gouda or Jarlsberg cheese

·         1 tomato, chopped

·         2 Tbsp. chopped green onion

·         1/3 cup Caesar salad dressing

·         2 leaves romaine lettuce

Preparation:

Combine all ingredients except lettuce in medium bowl and mix well. Place mixture on lettuce leaves and roll up; serve immediately or wrap in foil and refrigerate up to 4 hours. Serves 2

Parsley's Many Therapeutic Health Benefits Include Its Use For:

· Anemia: Builds up the blood because it is high in iron.  The high vitamin C content assists the absorption of iron.

· Antioxidant: Increases the anti-oxidant capacity of the blood.

· Bactericidal (kills bacteria) 

·         Bad breath

·         Baldness: Believe it or not, men even scrubbed parsley onto their scalps to cure baldness-which doesn't work.

·         Blood purifier

·         Blood vessel rejuvenation: Maintains elasticity of blood vessels, and helps to repair bruises.

·         Diarrhea is greatly helped by drinking parsley tea.

·         Digestion: Parsley is an excellent digestion restorative remedy. It improves the digestion of proteins and fats therefore promoting intestinal absorption, liver assimilation and storage. Because of its high enzyme content, parsley benefits digestive activity and elimination.

·         Dissolves cholesterol within the veins

·         Diuretic

·         Ear health: Treats deafness and ear infections.

·         Edema: Acts as a diuretic and blood vessel strengthener.

·         Fatigue: Parsley is high in iron so helps repair and provides components for better blood cells.

·         Gallstones: Helps dissolve them.

· Glandular support of the liver, spleen, kidneys and adrenal glands.

· Gout

·         Hormonal support: In women, parsley improves estrogen and nourishes and restores the blood of the uterus. Conditions like delayed menstruation, PMS, and the menopause (dry skin, irritability, depression and hair loss) can often improve.

·         Hormone balancing is achieved through the volatile fatty acids contained in parsley.

· Immune booster: The high vitamin C, beta carotene, B12, chlorophyll and essential fatty acid content render parsley an extraordinary immunity enhancing food. Parsley is an immune-enhancing multi-vitamin and mineral complex in green plant form and one of the most important herbs for providing vitamins to the body.

·         Inhibits tumor formation, particularly in the lungs.

·         Insect bites: Rub on to relieve the swelling and itch.

·         Jaundice

·         Kidneys: Parsley is effective for nearly all kidney and urinary complaints except severe kidney inflammation. It improves kidney activity and can help eliminate wastes from the blood and tissues of the kidneys. It prevents salt from being reabsorbed into the body tissues; thus parsley literally forces debris out of the kidneys, liver and bladder. It helps improve edema and general water retention, fatigue and scanty or painful urination.

·         Liver congestion: It enriches the liver and nourishes the blood. Parsley helps reduce liver congestion, clearing toxins and aiding rejuvenation.

·         Menstrual irregularity: Parsley helps to make the cycles regular by the presence of apiol which is a constituent of the female sex hormone estrogen. 

·         Menstrual pain 

·         Night blindness: Bad eyesight is a sign of Vitamin A deficiency.

·         Rheumatism

·         Spleen strengthening: The parsley root in particular strengthens the spleen, and can, therefore, treat malabsorption.

·         Stamina loss and low resistance to infection, point to a sluggish liver. This can manifest itself in blood deficiencies, fatigue, a pale complexion and poor nails, dizzy spells, anemia and mineral depletion.

·         Stomach problems

·         Strengthens loose teeth: In the Middle Ages parsley was used for many conditions including 'fastening teeth' (Scurvy, which is caused by a Vitamin C deficiency, makes the gums spongy and the teeth loose.)

·         Uterine tonic

·         Weight loss benefits from being a diuretic