It pays to have two doctors in the family.
Late last year, my two daughters, Dr. Ma. Krista and Dr. Josa Bernadette, prevailed on me to have a long-delayed medical check-up following a bout with mild pneumonia.
It was then when it was found out that I had a sugar-level which was beyond the allowable limits.
That was when remedial measures were made, including a recommendation for a lower intake of rice.
But I love eating rice. I was raised in a rice-eating family.
Lately, Dr. Krista told me that white corn could be a very good substitute for rice.
Here is what I found out about white corn in relation to diabetes: “white corn, when processed into grits, can be a good staple suited for diabetics as it has higher amylose content that makes it harder to gelatinize and digest.
“It is also known to have a low Glycemic Index (GI), causing carbohydrates to metabolize slower and more efficiently, thus gradually releasing glucose (simple sugar or monosaccharide) into the bloodstream, avoiding ‘sugar rush’ or excess of sugar presence in the body.
“Since diabetes is a chronic disease characterized by too much sugar or glucose in the bloodstream, patients diagnosed to have the condition are advised to shift to food low in Glycemic Index, one of which is corn, particularly the white variety.”
I checked out the different websites for the benefits that could be derived from eating corn and I was amazed by what this staple food of the Visayans, derisively referred to as the food of the poor farm workers, offers.
There are three vitamins white corn offers in large doses and these are Thiamine, Niacin and Riboflavin.
Read this: Niacin “Lowers Cardiovascular Disease Risk. Aside from helping to balance cholesterol levels and triglycerides, vitamin B3 niacin has other benefits for heart health, including the ability to reduce atherosclerosis, which is the dangerous hardening of the arteries that can lead to heart disease.”
Here is what Thiamine could do: “Thiamine is among eight B vitamins that play a key role in helping the body convert food into fuel for our bodies. That fuel (glucose) is then used to produce energy. Vitamin B1, along with all the B vitamins, is needed to keep the brain and nervous system functioning optimally, as well as for healthy skin, hair, eyes, and liver.”
And Riboflavin?
“Riboflavin is simply another name for vitamin B2. It’s one of eight B vitamins that your body uses to metabolize fat and protein and to convert carbs into the glucose your cells require for energy. Your nerves and brain need riboflavin to function properly and it also helps keep your skin, eyes, hair, and liver healthy. As a water-soluble vitamin, your body doesn’t store it, so you need to regularly get enough in your diet.”
At 63, is it to late for me to shift to a corn diet?
I don’t believe so. It is never to late to change diet, especially since I intend to live up to age 120. Just kidding.
This weekend, I started my gradual shift from white rice to white corn and I am thankful that my house help, Mina, a Maguindanao Muslim who has stayed in my farm along with her husband and children for many years now, is an expert in cooking white corn grits.
She initially started with two cups of rice and one cup of corn and when I told her that I liked more corn in my diet, she increased it to 50-50 ratio, meaning one cup of rice and one cup of corn.
At first, she cooked it the traditional way which was to allow the water to boil first before the rice and corn are poured into the cooking pot.
Today, she succeeded in cooking the 50-50 mix in a rice cooker by simply putting two cups of water for the two cups of rice and corn.
I love the taste and the firmness of the cereals she served.
Plant more white corn please.
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