Robin Ellis

Diabetes cases rise to nearly 26 million in US…

February 9, 2011 by Robin Ellis

A piece by AFP (Agence France Presse) notes a disturbing recent report, from the prestigious Centre for Disease Control in the USA.

Diabetes cases climb to nearly 26 million in US

Friday, 28 January 2011

As reported by the CDC, the number of diabetics in the United States has grown to nearly 26 million, a 10 percent increase over 2008

“These distressing numbers show how important it is to prevent type 2 diabetes and to help those who have diabetes,” said Ann Albright, director of the CDC’s diabetes translation division.

‘We know that a structured lifestyle program that includes losing weight and increasing physical activity can prevent or delay type 2 diabetes.’

Type 2 diabetes accounts for 90 to 95 percent of the cases. The condition arises when the body gradually loses its capacity to produce and use insulin to regulate sugar levels in the blood.

In 2008, 7.8 percent of the US population, or 23.6 million people, had diabetes and 57 million adults were classified as pre-diabetic with higher than normal blood sugar levels, according to a study by the Centers for Disease Control.

The CDC found that the number with diabetes has since climbed to 26 million people and 79 million more are now considered to be pre-diabetic, which increases their risk of heart disease and stroke.

The CDC estimates that around 27 percent of Americans with diabetes, or around seven million, are not aware of it.

Last year, the CDC warned that one in three American adults could be diabetic by 2050 if the current trends persist.

As a postscript—I would add to paragraph three that, in my experience, changes in the way you eat also play a role in controlling the condition.

Posted in Diabetes | 1 Comment »

Poaching eggs

February 7, 2011 by Robin Ellis

A tip on egg poaching from Elizabeth David

Our guest hens are laying an egg a day; and with Madame Arcati—our own—that adds up to four.

So I am looking for new ways with eggs for lunch.

Elizabeth David — doyenne of English food writers, whose first volume A Book of Mediterranean Food appeared in 1950—is always worth revisiting—for recipes certainly, but also for an entertaining, an informative read.

All her books are still in print.

In her second, French Country Cooking, she writes a page-long essay on poached eggs!

She confesses that she learned all she knows about poaching eggs from a cookery book published by the Buckinghamshire Women’s Institute (!).

Here’s the tip–and it works.

Lower each egg, still in its shell, into a saucepan of boiling water, for about 20 seconds; then retrieve it.

This has the effect of coating the egg neatly in its own white, and avoiding the swirling chaos that can occur.

To poach the egg—put a little wine vinegar in the boiling water, crack the egg into a small bowl and carefully lower it into the water. Encourage the egg to turn over, and after a minute or so, gingerly lift it out.