Types of Diabetes

DIABETES

Diabetes Basics

dIAbetes is a number of diseases that involve problems with the hormone insulin. Normally, the pancreas (an organ behind the stomach) releases insulin to help your body store and use the sugar and fat from the food you eat. Diabetes when one of the following occurs:

• When the pancreas does not produce any insulin.
• When the pancreas produces very little insulin.
• When the body does not respond appropriately to insulin, a condition called "insulin resistance."

Diabetes is a lifelong disease. Approximately 18.2 million Americans have the disease and almost one third ( or approximately 5.2 million) are unaware that they have it. An additional 41 million people have pre-diabetes. As yet, there is no cure. People with diabetes need to manage their disease to stay healthy.

The Role of Insulin in Diabetes

To understand why insulin is important, it helps to know more about how the body uses food for energy. Your body is made up of millions of cells. To make energy, these cells need food in a very simple form. When you eat or drink, much of your food is broken down into a simple sugar called "glucose." Then, glucose is transported through the bloodstream to the cells of your body where it can be used to provide some of the energy your body needs for daily activities.

The amount of glucose in your bloodstream is tightly regulated by the hormone insulin. Insulin is always being released in small amounts by the pancreas. When the amount of glucose in your blood rises to a certain level, the pancreas will release more insulin to push more glucose into the cells. This causes the glucose levels in your blood (blood glucose levels) to drop.

To keep your blood glucose levels from getting too low (hypoglycemia or low blood sugar), your body signals you to eat and releases some glucose from the stores kept in the liver.

People with diabetes either don't make insulin or their body's cells no longer are able to recognize insulin, leading to high blood sugars. By definition, diabetes is having a blood glucose level of 126 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) or more after an overnight fast (not eating anything).

Types of Diabetes

Type 1 Diabetes

Type 1 diabetes occurs because the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas (called beta cells) are destroyed by the immune system. People with type 1 diabetes produce no insulin and must use insulin injections to control their blood glucose.

Type 1 diabetes most commonly starts in people under the age of 20, but may occur at any age.

Type 2 Diabetes

Unlike people with type 1 diabetes, people with type 2 diabetes produce insulin. However, the insulin their pancreas secretes is either not enough or the body is unable to recognize the insulin and use it properly. When there isn't enough insulin or the insulin is not used as it should be, glucose can't get into the body's cells.

Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes, affecting almost 18 million Americans. While most of these cases can be prevented, it remains for adults the leading cause of diabetes-related complications such as blindness, non-traumatic amputations and chronic kidney failure requiring dialysis. Type 2 diabetes usually occurs in people over age 40 who are overweight, but can occur in people who are not overweight. Sometimes referred to as "adult-onset diabetes," type 2 diabetes has started to appear more often in children because of the rise in obesity in young people.

Some people can manage their type 2 diabetes by controlling their weight, watching their diet, and exercising regularly. Others may also need to take a pill that helps their body use insulin better, or take insulin injections.

Often, doctors are able to detect the likelihood of type 2 diabetes before the condition actually occurs. Commonly referred to as pre-diabetes, this condition occurs when a person's blood glucose levels are higher than normal, but not high enough for a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes.

Gestational Diabetes

Gestational diabetes is triggered by pregnancy. Hormone changes during pregnancy can affect insulin's ability to work properly. The condition occurs in approximately 4% of all pregnancies.

Pregnant women who have an increased risk of developing gestational diabetes are those who are over 25 years old, are above their normal body weight before pregnancy, have a family history of diabetes or are Hispanic, black, Native American, or Asian.

Screening for gestational diabetes is performed during pregnancy. Left untreated, gestational diabetes increases the risk of complications to both the mother and her unborn child.

Usually, blood glucose levels return to normal within six weeks of childbirth. However, women who have had gestational diabetes have an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes later-in-life.

What Are the Symptoms of Diabetes?

The symptoms of type 1 diabetes often occur suddenly and can be severe. They include:

• Increased thirst.
• Increased hunger (especially after eating).
• Dry mouth.
• Frequent urination.
• Unexplained weight loss (even though you are eating and feel hungry).
• Fatigue (weak, tired feeling).
• Blurred vision.
• Labored, heavy breathing (Kussmaul respirations).
• Loss of consciousness (rare).

The symptoms of type 2 diabetes may be the same as those listed above. Most often, there are no symptoms or a very gradual development of the above symptoms. Other symptoms may include:

• Slow-healing sores or cuts.
• Itching of the skin (usually in the vaginal or groin area).
• Yeast infections.
• Recent weight gain.
• Numbness or tingling of the hands and feet.
• Impotence or erectile dysfunction.

How Is Diabetes Managed?

At the present time, diabetes can't be cured, but it can be treated and controlled. The goals of managing diabetes are to:

• Keep your blood glucose levels as near to normal as possible by balancing food intake with medication and activity.
• Maintain your blood cholesterol and triglyceride (lipid) levels as near their normal ranges as possible by decreasing the total amount of fat to 30% or less of your total daily calories and by reducing saturated fat and cholesterol.
• Control your blood pressure. Your blood pressure should not go over 130/80.
• Slow or possibly prevent the development of diabetes-related health problems.

You hold the key to managing your diabetes by:

• Planning what you eat and following a balanced meal plan
• Exercising regularly
• Taking medicine, if prescribed, and closely following the guidelines on how and when to take it
• Monitoring your blood glucose and blood pressure levels at home
• Keeping your appointments with your health care providers and having laboratory tests as ordered by your doctor.

Remember: What you do at home every day affects your blood glucose more than what your doctor can do every few months during your checkups.

Reviewed by Certified Diabetes Educators in the Department of Patient Education and Health Information and by physicians in the Department of Endocrinology at The Cleveland Clinic.

THIS WEIGHT LOSS DEVICE TO TREAT OBESITY LOOKS INSANE—BUT IS IT, REALLY?

Here's why leading doctors think the stomach-draining AspireAssist could actually help people.

Unless you’ve been avoiding cable news and Twitter lately (in which case we're jealous), you’ve probably heard about AspireAssist, the controversial new obesity treatment that was approved by the Food and Drug Administration last week.

Basically, it’s a tube that’s surgically inserted into a person’s stomach, and allows them to drain some of the food they’ve just eaten through a port valve and into a toilet. Approved for folks with a BMI between 35 and 55 (a BMI over 30 is classified as obese), the AspireAssist can prevent the body from absorbing nearly a third of a meal’s calories. (Here’s a video that shows how it works.)

Now, before we go any further, let’s just admit that our knee-jerk reaction was that this device sounds totally bonkers. We weren’t alone, either. The media dubbed it a "bulimia machine." Stephen Colbert explained it as "machine-assisted abdominal vomiting."

But is this opinion fair? Probably not.

“It’s not society’s job to judge [the AspireAssist] based on whether they think it’s morally okay or not,” says Yoni Freedhoff, MD, author of The Diet Fix and the director of the Bariatric Medical Institute in Ottawa, Canada. (For the record, he’s unaffiliated with the device.) “Our opinions should be based on evidence and results.”

And, he says, the data behind the AspireAssist is actually pretty good. A year-long trialfollowed 111 people who used the AspireAssist and compared them to 60 people who didn’t have the device. Both groups received dietary and lifestyle advice along the way. After 52 weeks, those who were using the AspireAssist lost 12.1% of their body weight, while the other group lost only 3.6%.

As for the criticism that the device mimics bulimia, it’s not approved for people with that very serious eating disorder. It’s not approved for anyone with binge eating disorder or nighttime eating disorder either.

There has also been concern that the device will encourage gluttony, or that people who opt for the AspireAssist will eat whatever they want, with a 30% discount on calories. (It almost sounds unfair, right?)

Only, that’s not what happened in the study, says Louis Aronne, MD, director of the Comprehensive Weight Control Center at Weill Cornell Medicine and New York-Presbyterian, and a researcher who was involved in the clinical trials of the device. “People didn’t keep eating,” he says. “They felt full.”

 “People assume that [obesity] is under a person’s control,” says Dr. Arrone. “They think, ‘[That person] should stop eating as much.” But in fact, it’s more complicated than willpower alone.

When we eat, our brains produce hormones that eventually tell us we’re full, he says. But as time goes on and we gain weight, that “you’re full” signal may become blunted. He suspects that may explain why the AspireAssist can help people: They get the food they need to stay full, minus about one-third of the calories.

If it still seems like a quick-fix solution, keep in mind that the device needs to be surgically implanted, and you have to spend about 5 to 10 minutes after every meal draining your stomach. “[The AspireAssist] doesn’t sound like the easy way out,” says Dr. Freedhoff. “It sounds incredibly involved.”

Dr. Freedhoff said he was personally shocked by how many people have reached out to him and expressed negative reactions to the device. “I’ve never seen something more raked over the coals,” he says.

It might be because we tend to think people who can’t lose weight are “lazy, slothful, and gluttonous,” he says. Never mind the fact that obesity is a complicated mix of genetics and our environment—or that weight loss is pretty freaking hard for plenty of people.

“We only moralize about obesity, which is always fair-game in our society—from Saturday morning cartoons to late-night comedy shows,” says Dr. Freedhoff.

Regardless of how people feel about this particular device, it’s time for all that to change, he says.

A weight-loss device approved by the FDA last week has some doctors up in arms, with one even attempting to put together 4,000 physicians to sue the agency. That’s because they say the device, which lets patients pump some of the food they've just eaten directly from their stomachs into the toilet, isn’t safe and may lead to eating disorders.

"This is the first time that I look at a device that was approved by the FDA and I am absolutely, utterly, and totally appalled that it was approved," says Joseph Gutman, an endocrinologist and diabetologist in Pembroke Pines, Florida, who has treated patients with obesity for over 30 years. Gutman says he’s put together a group of 750 physicians who want to sue the FDA to take the device off the market; his ultimate goal is to get 4,000 doctors to join him. "It is the most pathetic exhibition of ignorance on the part of our agency, the FDA. It is nothing but a bad trick. It’s like a bad joke."

The device, called AspireAssist, was approved by the FDA based on a one-year study of 111 people. The approval is for people with a body mass index (BMI) of 35 to 55 who have failed to lose weight with non-surgical therapies. (BMI is a measure of body fat based on height and weight; for a person who’s 5 feet 9 inches, the 35 to 55 BMI range translates to about 236 to 365 pounds.) AspireAssist also shouldn’t be used on patients who have eating disorders, the FDA says.

A person with AspireAssist has a tube surgically implanted through the abdomen into the stomach; it enters using a "port valve," an opening just above the belly button that patients can open or close to drain the food. After a meal, the patient waits 20 to 30 minutes before connecting the pump to the valve; the food is drained and dumped into the toilet. The process takes about 10 minutes and the device can remove up to 30 percent of the calories consumed with a meal, according to Kathy Crothall, president and CEO of Aspire Bariatrics, which makes the device and is based in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania.

There are some obvious side-effects: the port valve can cause infections and the tube can leak. But some experts fear that the device itself might trigger eating disorders. That’s because the device, in some sense, mimics bulimia — a disorder where people binge eat and then throw up. "Instead of throwing up through the throat, you throw up through the tube," Gutman says. "This is mechanized bulimia. It’s a device that makes bulimia okay."

The company says that binge eating on the device isn’t possible; patients must chew their food too thoroughly to binge. If they don’t chew long enough, the food gets stuck in the tube, which is no bigger than a straw, says Shelby Sullivan, who led one of the trials of the device on 17 people at Washington University in St. Louis with funding from Aspire Bariatrics. Lotta Frisk, 52, who lost 148 pounds over four years thanks to the device, says she chews every bite from 55 to 75 times. "I can’t put in food and throw it out," she says. "I need to chew."

Because patients have to chew longer, they eat more slowly and often feel full faster, Sullivan says. And that may make patients eat less. "At some point they just get tired of chewing," she says. "So they are feeling that full sensation with less food because they’re eating slower and they’re also literally just getting sick and tired of chewing."

Eric Wilcoxon, 44, who’s had the device since 2013, agrees. Because of all the chewing, Wilcoxon says he has smaller meals and also eats more fruits, steamed vegetables, and grilled chicken, which are all easier to chew and aspirate with the device. "You have to chew your food beyond comprehension," he says. "I mean, you just don’t grasp how much you have to chew your food."

Wilcoxon, from Poplar Bluff, Missouri, lost 128 pounds with AspireAssist. He was 389 pounds when he decided to get the device in the clinical trial at Washington University, after ruling out bariatric surgery for fear of the complications. AspireAssist was more appealing, because it’s reversible. He also saw one of his best friends lose a lot of weight with a gastric band, a silicone device wrapped around the stomach that restricts the amount of food a person can eat — only to gain it back once the band was removed.

He plans to keep the device indefinitely, he says. That’s because it still lets him enjoy his favorite foods. "If we want to go out tonight after my boy’s ball game and if I want to have a great, big ribeye, I can," he says. "I don’t have to aspirate every meal."

Chewing isn’t the only behavioral change, Sullivan says. She argues that people who use the device make healthier choices for meals because they actually see what comes out of their stomachs and think twice about it. "Healthy food doesn’t look that bad. It looks about the same as it came in, it’s just chewed up," she says. "Things like hamburgers and french fries, now that does not look good."

The FDA approved the device based on a small clinical trial that only ran a year. That makes some experts nervous about the long-term effects for patients like Wilcoxon. "There’s no scientific basis in the long term as to what this does," Gutman says. "The studies are incomplete." It’s also hard to know how the patients will react once the device is removed. Will they regain all their weight back, as it’s often the case with temporary obesity treatments? "If the Aspire device is meant to be there for a year or two, the moment you remove it, patients will have a 98 percent chance to regain all the weight back," says Raul Rosenthal, president of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. That’s because most people regain weight after diets, often because they go back to unhealthy behavior.

Others worry that the device will give patients the impression that they can eat as much as they want, because they can just pump the food out afterwards. Instead, curing obesity means changing eating habits, teaching patients to eat less and eat healthier foods, combined with exercise. "I find it difficult to see how this won’t be seen as an easy way out, to the sense that people can eat more and not absorb the calories," says Konstantinos Spaniolas, a bariatric surgeon at the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University.

5 Ways to Cook Hot Dogs

Everyone has a favorite way to prepare hot dogs. This versatile food can be boiled, fried, grilled or roasted in the oven. Dress it up with a classic combination of mustard and ketchup, or get more creative by adding onions, relish, and a variety of other toppings. This article provides instructions on grilling, boiling, microwaving, and oven-roasting hot dogs.

• Prep time: 13-17 minutes
• Cook time (grill): 2-3 minutes
• Total time: 15-20 minutes

Ingredients

• Hot dogs
• Condiments, such as ketchup, mustard, relish, and ranch dressing
• Toppings, such as chopped onions, chili, grated cheese, lettuce, hot peppers, or tomato sauce

Grilling Hot Dogs

1. 
   1
   Fire up your grill. Grilling hot dogs results in a pleasant smoky taste, and many consider this to be the best way to prepare them. Any sort of grill will work, so go ahead and light your charcoal, gas, or wood-fired grill.
   

   • While the grill is heating up, prepare the hot dog buns and condiments. Hot dogs are best enjoyed hot from the grill.
   • Make sure that one side of the grill is hot and one side of the grill is a little cooler. You can do this by stacking up the charcoal a little higher on one side. If you have a gas grill, you should be able to control the heat using the knobs on your appliance to make hot dogs good.
2. 
   2
   Lay the hot dogs on the cooler side of the grill. Place them at an angle to create a diagonal sear-mark on the dog.
3. 
   3
   Cook the hot dogs for a minute on each side. Hot dogs come already cooked, so your goal here isn't to cook the dog so much as give it some good color and get it piping hot without burning it.
   

   • Keep turning the dogs until all sides have developed a nice, even char.
   • If the dogs are hot but have not developed color, move them over to the hot side of the grill. Grill them quickly, just to develop a bit of char, and then move them to a plate.
4. 
   4
   Serve the hot dogs. Place them in a bun and serve with any combination of mustard, ketchup, relish, onion, tomato, cheese, or sauerkraut.

Boiling Hot Dogs

1. 
   1
   Fill a large saucepan with enough water to cover hot dogs easily. For 4 hot dogs, 4 cups (about 1 liter) of water should be more than enough. Be sure to use a pan large enough so that the water falls at least a few inches below the rim.
2. 
   2
   Bring the water to boil. Place the pan on a burner and turn the heat to high. Let the water come to a full boil before proceeding.
3. 
   3
   Add the hot dogs to the water. Once the water is boiling, slip in the hot dogs one by one with tongs.
4. 
   4
   Simmer the hot dogs. Turn the burner down to its low setting and simmer hot dogs for anywhere from 3 to 6 minutes, depending on how you like your hot dogs cooked.
   

   • For a moister, softer hot dog, simmer them for less time, around 3 to 4 minutes.
   • For a crispier hot dog, simmer them for more time, around 5 to 6 minutes.
5. 
   5
   Remove the hot dogs and serve. After the hot dogs are finished boiling, remove them from water and dry them off carefully with a paper towel before placing them in a bun. Serve the hot dogs with any combination of mustard, ketchup, relish, onion, tomato, cheese, or sauerkraut.

Microwaving Hot Dogs

1. 
   1
   Place hot dog in a microwave-safe bowl. Use plastic or glass, rather than a metal bowl. Make sure the bowl is deep enough to hold the hot dogs comfortably.
2. 
   2
   Cover the hot dogs with water. It may boil over the sides, so try to leave an inch (2.5 cm) or so between the top of the water and the rim.
3. 
   3
   Cook the hot dog. Place the bowl in the microwave. Close the door, then cook the hot dogs on high for 2 to 3 minutes. Some larger hot dogs may need more time in the microwave.
4. 
   4
   Remove the hot dogs from the microwave and drain away the water. Let the hot dogs stand for 30 seconds to cool and dry off, since they will be bursting with heat when they come out.
5. 
   5
   Serve the hot dogs. Once the hot dogs are dry, put them in buns and serve them. This quick method of cooking hot dogs is conducive to serving with a simple mustard and ketchup combo for an on-the-go meal.

Oven-Roasting Hot Dogs

1. 
   1
   Preheat the oven to 400° F (~204° C). This method of cooking hot dogs results in juicy, blackened hot dogs. They taste about as close as you can get to grilled hot dogs without the inconvenience of lighting up the grill.
2. 
   2
   Make a lengthwise slice down half of each hot dog. Use a sharp knife and cut on a stable surface, since hot dogs can be slippery. Do not slice through the hot dogs themselves; just make a cut that will serve as a vent in the surface of the hot dogs.
3. 
   3
   Place the hot dogs on a baking tray or roasting pan. The hot dogs will drip as they release juices, so you may want to line the pan with aluminum foil for easy clean up.
4. 
   4
   Cook the hot dogs for 15 minutes. Place the roasting pan in the oven and let the hot dogs cook until the skin begins to brown and the dogs begin to curl gently.
   

   • Brown the hot dog by turning on the broiler if you prefer your hot dogs crispy.
   • Add cheese and place the hot dogs back in the oven for an additional minute, if desired.
5. 
   5
   Serve the hot dogs. Carefully take the hot dogs out of the oven and place them on buns. Oven-roasted hot dogs pair wonderfully with chili and cheese. Scoop chili on top and sprinkle on some cheese, then serve the hot dogs with forks.

Frying Hot Dogs

1. 
   1
   Cut up some hot dogs. You can fry whole hot dogs, but they taste most excellent when they're cut into bite-seized pieces. That way, more surface area gets a crispy brown sear. Take two or three hot dogs - depending on how many you want - and cut them into smaller pieces you can fry.
2. 
   2
   Heat some oil in a frying pan. Place the pan on the stove and turn the heat to medium high. Add enough oil to rise up the sides of the frying pan by about 1/4 - 1/2 inch (.6 - 1.3 cm). Let the oil heat up completely. To test whether it's ready for the hot dogs, drop a crumb of bread into the hot oil. If it immediately starts sizzling and sputtering, the oil is ready.
3. 
   3
   Place the hot dog pieces in the frying pan. Do this carefully, since they may sizzle and pop right away. Put them all in the pan in a single layer and let them start to fry. Try not to overcrowd the frying pan, since this will cause the hot dogs to cook unevenly.
4. 
   4
   Turn the hot dog pieces. Use tongs to carefully turn them over after a minute or two, when the first side has become brown and crispy. Keep frying the hot dog pieces for another minute or two, until they're cooked just the way you like them.
   

   • Remember that hot dogs are pre-cooked, so you can cook them to any texture you like without worrying about whether they're still raw in the middle.
5. 
   5
   Drain the hot dog pieces. Use the tongs to transfer them to a paper-towel-lined plate so the oil can drain off and the hot dogs can cool a bit.
6. 
   6
   Serve the hot dogs. They're delicious with fried peppers and onions, mixed into macaroni and cheese, or on their own with some ketchup and mustard.

5 Easy Ways to Cook Broccoli

Broccoli is not only high in vitamin C, folic acid, and fiber, but it's also easy to cook and a nutritious addition to any meal. Whether you're steaming, sautéing, roasting, or blanching the broccoli, it's a tasty veggie that tastes great on its own or with a variety of other meats or vegetables. If you want to know how to cook broccoli, just follow these steps.

Time Duration

• Prep time (Steaming): 15 minutes
• Cook time: 3-5 minutes
• Total time: 20 minutes

Steam Fresh Broccoli

1. 
   1
   Clean the broccoli. If you bought your broccoli at a commercial grocery store, a thorough rinse is fine. If you grew your own broccoli or bought it at a farm stand, soak the broccoli in salted water for 10 minutes, then rinse it thoroughly.
   

   • Garden-fresh broccoli is prone to cabbage loopers, a common garden pest. In their larval stage, cabbage loopers are green, approximately 1-inch-long worms. Though they're harmless, they can be a real appetite killer. The worms die in the salt water. The cabbage loopers will float to the top of the surface of the water where you can skim them off and dispose of them.
2. 
   2
   Trim away the trunk of the main stem. This is the thickest part of the broccoli. The stem of the broccoli is completely edible, but the last inch or so will be a bit tougher and not as tasty. You can eat the stem, or discard part of it.
3. 
   3
   Cut the florets. Cut the trunks of each floret, or little bunch of broccoli, until you break the florets into several smaller pieces that are easy to work with. If you're not a fan of the stalks, cut just below the crown. If you want to get more mileage from your broccoli, cut farther down the stalk closer to the main stem of the broccoli bunch.
4. 
   4
   Place a steamer basket in a saucepan. Fill a saucepan with 2 inches (5.1 cm) of water, insert a steamer basket, place a cover on the pan, and place the pan on a burner over medium heat. Bring the water to a boil.
5. 
   5
   Place the broccoli in the steamer basket. Remove the lid from the pan, place the broccoli florets in the steamer basket, and replace the lid on the pan.
6. 
   6
   Steam the broccoli. Allow the broccoli to steam for 3 - 5 minutes, depending on how much broccoli you are cooking.
7. 
   7
   Remove it from heat. Remove the pan from the burner, and remove the lid immediately. Otherwise, the broccoli will continue cooking and will quickly get soggy.
8. 
   8
   Serve. You can serve the broccoli plain, with sauce or seasoning, or you can incorporate it into another recipe.

Cook Frozen Broccoli

1. 
   1
   Open the broccoli package. Just cut or tear the top of the broccoli package to take out the broccoli. It may be easier to cut the package.
2. 
   2
   Cook the broccoli over a stove top. Place the desired portion in a pot with 2–3 inches (5.1–7.6 cm) of water. Warm it over medium heat just until the water begins to boil. Immediately remove the pot from the burner..
   

   • If you're cooking it in a microwave, cook it for 1 - 3 minutes, depending on the strength of your microwave and the amount of broccoli being cooked. Broccoli should be cooked al dente. If it is still partially frozen, cook it for more time in 30-second increments until it's done, and then remove it from the microwave. Place it in a covered microwave-safe dish with 1 inch (2.5 cm) of water.
3. 
   3
   Strain and serve. After you strain the broccoli, you can serve it plain or with seasoning, or incorporate it into another recipe.

Sauté Broccoli

1. 
   1
   Make sure the broccoli is as dry as possible. You should have washed it earlier -- if it's prepackaged from a grocery store, then you don't need to wash it again.
2. 
   2
   Separate the florets from the stems of the broccoli. Cut the florets, the bushy parts of the broccoli, away from the stems. The stems are completely edible -- just trim or rip off any leaves and make sure you've washed off all the dirt.
3. 
   3
   Fill a skillet with 2 tsp. of vegetable oil and cook it over medium-high heat. Cook it for at least 30 seconds so it starts to heat up.
4. 
   4
   Add the florets of broccoli to the oil. Throw in a pinch of salt along with it.
5. 
   5
   Toss the broccoli. This will coat it in the oil.
6. 6
   Add the stems a minute later. The stems will cook a bit more quickly, so they should be added a bit later.
7. 
   7
   Stir the broccoli until it's green and tender. This will mean that it's ready.
8. 
   8
   Serve. Serve the broccoli with other sautéed veggies or on its own.

Roast Broccoli

1. 
   1
   Preheat your oven to 425°F (218 °C).
2. 
   2
   Make sure the broccoli is as dry as possible. If it's wet, it'll end up a bit soggy.
3. 
   3
   Separate the florets from the stems of the broccoli. Cut the florets, the bushy parts of the broccoli, away from the stems. The stems are completely edible -- just trim or rip off any leaves and make sure you've washed off all the dirt. You can cut off the last inch or so of the stems, which will be a bit tougher and less tasty.
4. 
   4
   Toss the broccoli with 3 teaspoons of olive oil and half a teaspoon of salt.
5. 
   5
   Place the broccoli on a foil-lined baking sheet. Place it on the sheet in one layer.
6. 
   6
   Roast it for 20-25 minutes. Roast it until it's crunchy and a caramelized.
7. 
   7
   Serve. Serve these roasted veggies on their own or with a squeeze of lemon.

Blanch Broccoli

1. 
   1
   Separate the florets from the stems of the broccoli. Cut the florets, the bushy parts of the broccoli, away from the stems. The stems are completely edible -- just trim or rip off any leaves and make sure you've washed off all the dirt. You can cut off the last inch or so of the stems, which will be a bit tougher and less tasty.
2. 
   2
   Place a bowl of ice water next to the stove.
3. 
   3
   Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Make sure it's boiling rapidly.
4. 
   4
   Add 2 tablespoons of salt to the water.
5. 
   5
   Add the broccoli florets to the water. Cook them until they're crisp-tender, about 1 - 1.5 minutes.
6. 
   6
   Remove the broccoli with a slotted spoon.
7. 
   7
   Place it into the ice water immediately.
8. 8
   Wait for the water to return to a boil. Cook the stems until they're crisp-tender. This should take another 1 - 1.5 minutes. Cook them for another 30 seconds if you'd like softer veggies. Place them in the ice water when you're done.
9. 9
   Serve. Enjoy this blanched broccoli in a vegetable platter, cold salad, frittata, or another casserole.