It's summer, and grill fever grips the nation once again. It's time for picnics and barbeques: at home, at the park, visiting friends, co-workers, relatives. Now, be honest: does a part of you dread the next invitation because you (or your child, your partner, or a guest) face dietary restrictions? If so, let me just say this: you have my sympathy. You see, I do not have diabetes, but I don't eat meat. No, there is no medical reason. But does it impact my social life? You bet!

Diabetics must watch what they eat. But this is easier said than done when it's BBQ season. So much tasty food that you mustn't eat! And then there's the challenge of making dishes that are diabetic-friendly, but that don't scream "I Have a Medical Condition!" to other party-goers. Hosts and guests alike can always turn to the Web for inspiration. This recipe for Roasted Veggie Chili from the Kraft Foods website looks good. It uses BOCA and lots of veggies instead of meat. I love Boca burgers, but beware, the fake meat deal could turn off your guests depending on how traditional their tastes run. (I've tried to accept that my fake meat creeps them out as much as their real-deal meat makes me shudder.)

For a more elegant affair, try the Diabetic Gourmet recipe for Grilled Ginger Tuna. Their website says it's great for guys who are dyed-in-the-wool Red Meat Men. It's satisfyingly big and meaty with a juicy marinade, but much healthier than a steak. On the other hand, this would only suit a smaller gathering of adults because of the price of those tuna steaks! This site also has some terrific suggestions for scrumptious yet filling summer salads.

Other sites with summer recipes worth checking out include DLife, Better Homes and Gardens and AllRecipes.

Bottom line: the best recipe for relaxed summer BBQs? Plan on a good mixture of dishes. Don't do just burgers and coleslaw. Do provide at least one filling and healthy diabetic-friendly main dish and a couple of types of snacks too. One could be super-simple, like a fruit plate. This is your best insurance policy to ensure everyone chows down happily and leaves content!

For those of you who have lived the dietary gospel -- no meats and fatty foods and eating lots of greens and cooked vegetables -- guess what! It appears you've reduced the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, according to study findings published in the American Journal of Epidemiology.

The study examined of 36,787 adults who provided dietary information over 4-years. At the beginning of the trial no adults had type 2 diabetes, but at the commencement of the study 365 new cases of type 2 diabetes were diagnosed. The researchers defined 4 eating patterns: a Mediterranean diet, a salad and vegetable diet, a diet of mostly meats and fatty fried foods, and a diet of many different fruits.

The Mediterranean pattern was associated with country of birth but not with diabetes. There was an inverse association observed between the Salad and Vegetable pattern and diabetes. The Meat pattern was positively associated with diabetes. No association was observed between the Fruit pattern and diabetes risk. The results of this study show a positive outcome for people who favor a diet high in salad and cooked vegetables. Those who eat a diet comprised mostly of meat and fried foods might find it helpful to avoid the onset of type 2 diabetes if they switched to foods with a lower fat saturation and more fiber assimilation.