This Winter is challenging for many: Co-Vid-19, job losses,
financial difficulties, more anxiety and on and on.
And if you’re suffering from stress, anxiety and
other issues, perhaps a bowl of soup might help
you reach a Zen state.

Soup?
Yes, according to recent research, increased stress levels
doesn’t just make it harder to relax or enjoy the here and now,
it can also raise your odds of getting diabetes.

That’s right- the hormones produced when we’re stressed or anxious
can increase blood sugar, making diabetes inevitable.

So, if you think that stress and anxiety aren’t really that
harmful, think again.
Luckily, there are some non-medicinal things you can do to help
lower the anxiety and stress levels and make yourself diabetes-proof.

Those things:
a) Spend times outdoor.
Either walking or looking at the beautiful scenery all around you.
Nature helps you lower stress levels as effectively as a lot of meds.
Plus, walking (especially outdoors) help boosts moods better than
anti-depressants.

b) Get More Vitamin D-
Especially from the Sun. Staying indoors for long periods of time
during the Winter months make many of us more stressed and
anxiety-ridden.
So, to counter this, start taking advantage of the warmth of the
Sun in March and April.
The Sun is called nature’s Vitamin D and it (D) can lower your odds
of getting diabetes by a whopping 55%.

c) Listen-
To instrumental music. Listening to this type of music
can lower levels of the stress hormone known as cortisol.
Plus, instrumentals can help normalize blood-sugar levels
in less than 3 months.

d) Eat-
More foods that lower stress levels and balance your blood-sugar.
The foods:
beans…lentils, navy, kidney,
legumes…green peas and chickpeas
seeds…pumpkin, chia and sunflower
Aim for 3 servings a week.

e) Eat Soup.
More importantly, eat Butternut Squash and Ginger Soup.
Here are the ingredients and the recipe.
The ingredients:
Butter 1 Tbs.
1 onion, chopped
2 tsp. grated ginger, (use fresh or powdered)
3 cups of cubed butternut squash (buy fresh or frozen)
3 cups of chicken stock
1 can of chickpeas (rinsed and drained)*
4 Tbs. sour cream
4 Tbs. pumpkin seeds *
To make:
In a large pot, melt butter over medium heat;
add the onion and ginger. Cook, stirring, until softened,
about 5 minutes. (do not let onion get too brown)
Add the chickpeas, squash and stock; bring to a simmer.
Cook until tender, 20 mins. In batches, puree soup
in blender, blend until smooth. Season to taste with
salt and pepper. Top with sour cream and pumpkin
seeds.
Enough for 6 servings.

* Chickpeas- boost your body’s levels of magnesium,
a mineral proven to lower anxiety levels.
* Pumpkin seeds help lower diabetes risk by 30%.
That’s your recipe for this week, so make sure when
writing out this week’s grocery list, add the
aforementioned foods.

Sources:
* University of Zurich, Switzerland
* Rovira i Virgili University, Spain
* Uma Naidoo, M.D.