Saturday, December 22, 2012

Lentil Soup with Soy Chorizo, Cheese, Sour Cream and Chives over Cauliflower



Lentil Soup with Soy Chorizo, Cheese, Sour Cream and Chives over Cauliflower    

Dinner today made up for any shortcomings of lunch.

We tested a meatless soy chorizo sausage. The idea was to cook cauliflower in one pan, and lentil soup in another. Take the soy chorizo sausage and chop it into chunks and put them into the lentil soup. The final step was then to put cauliflower into the bowl, ladle the sausage filled lentil soup over the cauliflower, and top it all with a dollop of sour cream, some vegan cheese and chopped chives.

Things didn’t quite work out the way we planned. Not sure we knew enough about cooking the chorizo product because it came in a plastic casing. The first thing I did was to cut it into sausage chunks. Then my wife noted that the plastic casing was supposed to be removed before cooking. So, we picked up each chunk and removed the plastic outer casing. As a part of that process, the chorizo chunks turned into like ground chorizo because it literally fell apart once the casing was no longer holding the material in a sausage shape. The chorizo “sausage” was not “packed” and did not hold together like regular sausage.

I grew up on a farm in the Midwest; or more specifically, central Illinois and moved west in 1986. Over the years, our taste in food has grown accustomed to Southwest flavors and we love them. Both my wife and I grew up learning from our families, that when faced with a challenge or adversity you always Improvise, Adapt, and Overcome! The chorizo smelled good and so we just added the “ground” chorizo to the hot lentil soup. This chorizo gave the soup some really special flavor and when eaten it provided a slow heat which crept up throughout the meal but went away directly after one stopped eating.

We put the steamy soft cauliflower into the bowl, ladled the chorizo lentil soup over the cauliflower, and topped it all with a dollop of sour cream, some vegan cheese and chopped chives. It was heavenly. I hope if you make it, you enjoy it just as much!  When we make this again, after January, we’ll eliminate the sour cream because that’s not vegan and not allowed on our modified vegan diet. Anyone have ideas what to use as a good tasting sour cream substitute?  Infinityman@cox.net

Pea Protein Soy Milk Shake with Pomegranate


Breakfast - Pea Protein Soy Milk Shake with Pomegranate seeds

Modified Vegan Diet - week 1


So what have we planned for our "modified" Vegan Diet?

Some background for those who are new and have not been following our story - My wife and I will be starting a modified Vegan diet in January and will be eating this way for 90 days. We’re working closely with a Dietician. The Dietician has given us some non-standard Vegetarian/Vegan eating guidelines which are:
No wheat, no nuts, no sugar-free pudding, no Jell-O, no animal products (dairy, meat), no oils (except a little spray Canolo), a salad a day with fat free dressing, no milk or other dairy products, no creamer for coffee, lots of fiber (beans), sea salt instead of regular salt, low sodium, gluten-free, ground golden flax seed powder spread over each dinner meal, a daily protein shake, no potato, no rice.

Here's a preview of week1 - Jan 1-5. Breakfast is simple and will always be a protein shake. Likewise, lunch is simple and will be a salad. Dinner is variable and what we're planning is shown with one caveat' which is: The dinners shown are what's on the plan, however, since we have new gadgets and meatless products and my wife is generally the one who must prepare these meals; the final decision about what the dishes are at each meal is up to her. That means, there may be some changes to what is show and planned. Will post updates as things progress.

Friday, December 21, 2012

Gluten-Free Bread Taste Test


Just received via the post today. A carb-zero, gluten-free bread. It is made primarily out of oats. Now I toasted a piece. My review is: If one were to take outmeal, then dry it out, paint it on a wall like plaster, let it dry, then chip it off and put it into a bag to eat - THAT is what you would have here. I won't be ordering this again although the idea is good.

The brand I like most is called UDI'S gluten-free bread. It really tastes GOOD, is comparable in carbs and calories to this carb-zero stuff and toasts very well. http://udisglutenfree.com/

Our Babies


Our babies. Coco on top and Charlie.. 

Lunch today. Tofu burger



Tofu burger on toasted low-carb bread with tomato slice and mayonaise. Abt. 400 calories and 32g of Carbs. 

Mayan end times?


Thursday, December 20, 2012

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Merry Christmas

There are many things which have made me happy, things that have never fattened my purse by even that much. Christmas is one of these. I’ve always looked on Christmas as a good time; a kind charitable, forgiving, pleasant time. It’s the only time when people open their hearts freely. The only time when men and women seem to realize that all human beings are really members of the same family. And that being members of the same family they owe each other some measure of warmth and solace. Therefore, though it’s never put a scrap of gold or silver in me pockets, I believe that Christmas has done me good and will do me good.
A Christmas Carol – Charles Dickens

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Good News/Bad News

When I was diagnosed with T2 Diabetes on August 22, 2012; my doctor and I set a goal to get my HbA1c Glucose percent below 7. At that time, I was 7.2.
 
My approach upon being diagnosed with Diabetes is to take it very seriously and to get motivated and beat this thing into submission by managing it instead of it managing me. I educated myself and read everything I could find on the disease; its symptoms and how to manage it effectively.
 
By the end of November I had eliminated foods from my diet that elevate my blood glucose at the 1 hour mark after mealtime beyond 140 and at the 2 hour mark after mealtime above 120. Due to this testing I found that anything containing rice or potatoes really shot my glucose up into the stratosphere and so these were eliminated. Wheat products were eliminated. Anything white (white bread, white flour, white pasta) were eliminated. 
 
In addition, I started a program of weight loss; consuming less than 1500 calories per day until I get myself to my goal weight of 200. When I started, I weighed 250. My wife; God bless her golden heart, (I love her so much!), went on the same diet with me and has also lost a copious amount of weight.
 
The Good News – is that my latest official HbA1c percent came back from the doctor at a 6.1!! That’s right! I was elated. My cholesterol numbers were just excellent, and walking out of the doctor’s office I felt like THE MAN! I got this thing managed! Just keep doing this consistently and make sure my glucose does not get elevated beyond certain limits and becomes battery acid in my veins and I can do this!
 
The Bad News – Yesterday and again today, as I was dancing because I thought I had this thing licked -my foot neuropathy seemed worse than before. I thought that just could not be happening since my numbers are doing so well; but the fact is that my feet are getting more numb, more tingly and more concerning to me. So I did some research and found…
 
Think of it this way. Each time a diabetic consumes carbs, their sugar levels rise above normal. When this happens they may suffer glycation damage—the damage sugar causes to microscopic blood vessels. This leads to the degeneration of nerves that are fed by these microscopic blood vessels. Hence diabetic neuropathy.
Fasting blood sugar levels miss these events, because after an eight-hour fast we find that many diabetics’ blood sugar levels normalize. A1C levels may also miss these spikes, because they take an average of blood sugar levels over time—they do not identify what happens on a day-to-day basis with blood sugar.
As a result many supposedly “well-controlled” diabetics still develop neuropathy, and other diabetic complications that can be prevented.”
————————————————————————————————————————
http://www.thefootsurgeon.com/neuropathy.html
Among the most common complications of diabetes is neuropathy. Unfortunately, even with your blood sugar in good control, neuropathy may occur. In fact, over time, this will occur in up to half of diabetics. Once diabetic neuropathy occurs, it almost always gets worse. Currently, there is no agreement on why it occurs, and there is no medical treatment to prevent it.”
————————————————————————————————————————
http://www.phlaunt.com/diabetes/16162153.php
Neuropathy is a word which means “sick nerves.” It is an early complication of diabetes which starts to occur in people who have blood sugars most doctors dismiss as “normal” or “mildly pre-diabetic.”
Because nerves are damaged by the “mildly” elevated blood sugar levels that most doctors ignore, almost one half of people with Type 2 diabetes already have detectable neuropathy by the time they have been diagnosed with diabetes. Many other people who are never officially diagnosed with diabetes but have higher than normal blood sugars also get “diabetic” neuropathy. It may be a major cause of the impotence so common among men in their 40s and older.

————————————————————————————————————————
 
Shit! Shit! Shit! Have another visit scheduled with my doctor on Thursday morning. Will discuss with her and figure out what to do next. Looks like I have more to do to stay ahead of this disease!

Organic tofu burger


Lunch today - Organic tofu burger with tomato on toasted lite whole wheat English muffin. Really great!  

Monday, December 17, 2012

1000 Vegan Recipes


Received from a friend today. Excellent!

Cheese, Spinach, and Tofu Quesadilla


Lunch at Pita Jungle. Cheese, Spinach, and Tofu Quesadilla. Great! Also had a black bean burger (without the bun - Carbs).. and some greens.

Sunday, December 16, 2012

Vegan Diet Plan Ready


On the advice of a Dietician, we’re started in modified Vegan Diet on January 1, 2013. I say “modified” because it is stricter than a typical Vegan Diet.
We’ve completed selecting our meal recipes and have them entered into the Living Cookbook 2013. Once that was done, they were entered onto the Calendar in Living Cookbook 2013 (Radium Technologies - one of the best cooking programs avaialble) and from there we were able to create a Shopping List within the app automatically. We should now be ready to start our Vegan Diet on Jan. 1, 2013. Happy New Year.

Saturday, December 15, 2012

Our Puppies


Our little Chihuahua puppies; Charlie in the background and Coco in the foreground. They were just spayed and neutered. Coco has both back legs bandaged because they also removed her “dew” claws at the same time. She gets the bandages removed next Tuesday.

Eat Tofu


Hap-Pea Christmas!


Vegan Christmas!


Soy to the World!


Domino's Gluten-Free



Friday, December 14, 2012

NO Carb Noodles Found

We were looking for a no-carb noodle to introduce into our 2013 Vegan diet and found a site with some pretty spectacular products in noodles, rice and other categories. NO Carbs!

We ordered four packages of the noodles. They are packaged in containers of water. You drain the water, then rinse the noodles and cook them.

For our palette, these were not ideal because they tasted sort of scrunchy.. (It’s the only word that comes close to what we felt). We won’t be purchasing them again but…

1) My daughter thought they were great!

2) I wrote to the company asking if they are planning to produce a dry version (as that would solve our “scrunchy” issue with the taste) and they said they were going to introduce a dry version in the near future and to watch the web site for details. (http://www.miraclenoodle.com)

For anyone who needs to eliminate carbs and still wants to enjoy a lot of pasta, these may be ideal for you.

Gregory

Almond Flour Pancake Lunch



Almond Flour Pancake Lunch

We put the hotcakes in a bowl. On those went 1/2 cup of plain yogurt and then some blackberries to top it all off! We used almond flour instead of coconut flour and the cakes were dry and wanted to fall apart when flipped. They were good though.
 
Abt. 440 calories, 42g of Carbs which come primarily from the yogurt and blackberries.

Recipe below and additional info can be viewed here: http://www.foodiefiasco.com/2012/12/07/coconut-flour-pancakes-vegangluten-freegrain-freelow-carblow-caloriehigh-protein/

Ingredients
2 egg whites *Note(We used Egg beaters)
1/4 cup coconut flour *Note:(We used Almond Flour instead of coconut flour)
1/2 cup almond milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
stevia (I use 1-2 packets.)

Combine all ingredients and stir until thoroughly combined. (Be patient as this may take a few minutes.) Stir in remaining 1 teaspoon coconut flour. Heat a greased nonstick skillet over medium high heat for a minute or two. (You want the pan to be completely pre-heated so the first pancakes cooks correctly.) Pour desired amount of batter onto skillet (I used two tablespoons to make medium-sized pancakes), and cook until golden, a few minutes on each side. Transfer to a plate and repeat with remaining batter, re-greasing (or spraying with cooking spray) between each pancake. Top at will and devour!

Thursday, December 13, 2012

Can we comfortably consume soy / tofu?

Have been researching the various types of tofu and soy milk products and started running across concerning information about a higher risk of cancer when consuming soy products.
 
Here’s an interesting article on the topic that I find balanced, learned and thoughtful. It is written by experts and scientists. 
 
 
After reading many articles - we have concluded that we will definately be consuming tofu on our new diet and: ”No, I don’t think I’ll turn into a girl or that my wife will get cancer because of estrogen in soy..”  but... will stop immeidately and let you know if things change.

Vegan Meal Prepartion and Experiments


My wife and I will be starting a modified Vegan diet in January and will be eating this way for 90 days as a trial. We’re working closely with a Dietician to plan the diet. We want to ensure we eat healthy and get the proper nutrition and also because the Dietician has given us some non-standard Vegetarian/Vegan eating guidelines which are:  

No wheat, no nuts, no sugar-free pudding, no Jell-O, no animal products (dairy, meat), no oils at all, no plain yogurt, a salad a day with fat free dressing, no milk or other dairy products, no creamer for coffee, lots of fiber (beans), sea salt instead of regular salt, low sodium, gluten-free, ground golden flax seed powder spread over each dinner meal, a daily protein shake, no potato, no rice.

Prior to starting our modified Vegan lifestyle this coming January, my wife and I are doing a lot of research into things like:

1)      How do we replace the drink mixes we currently use that contain Aspartame and NutraSweet with drink mixes containing only Stevia?  Our Dietician instructions include stopping drinking drink mixes with Aspartame or NutraSweet.
2)      What does Almond and/or Soy milk taste like? Can we use them for cooking and a 1:1 direct replacement for regular cow’s milk?
3)      We stopped eating pasta altogether months ago due to the impact on my blood-sugar. Now, since this new diet is so challenging, we want to re-introduce it to our diet as an option (as long as my glucose levels remain unaffected) and so we must choose gluten-free pasta.
4)      We will need to find some replacement for regular wheat-based flour since we’re not supposed to eat wheat and also must eat gluten free while not impacting my glucose levels.

 We have a lot of questions and so off to the local grocery store we went to see what we could discover. Some of the questions we have are:  What does Tofu taste like? How does it cook? How will meatless products taste? How do we cook completely meatless meals for 90 days and still make it palatable and enjoyable for our family? What kind of Vegan or Vegetarian products are at the grocery store? We’ve never really had any need to look specifically for products in this category.

While at the store, we found a wide variety of Vegan/Vegetarian products that are all new to us and so like a kid with a science project, we’re learning and experimenting and we picked up a few things to try:

·         Tofu in two varieties – silken and firm.
·         A carton of refrigerated Almond milk and Soy milk.
·         Meatless veggie burgers. I got three different types regular, portabella and garden.
·         Meatless breakfast sausages
·         Meatless luncheon slices called Tofurky. Got the peppered and plain types,
·         Meatless chicken nuggets
·         Meatless Orange Chicken Chinese cuisine meal.

We also saw products we will try in the future such as meatless bacon, Vegan cheeses, and margarine. The store didn’t have all of these items in one place and so we literally went through each aisle looking specifically for products marked Vegan, Vegetarian, Gluten or Sugar-Free. It was time consuming and I’m certain there is more to discover in future visits.  Will let you know what we find.

After we got home, the first thing I tried was the meatless chicken nuggets. My daughter and I heated them in the microwave and they were awesome! Truly! The texture and the taste were just perfect. I could eat these anytime. I could only have four of them because they are high in carbs but those four were just excellent.

I never did get to try the Portabella meatless burgers. My daughter heated those up and liked them so much she finished them over a two day period of time and before I could even get my hands on one. Will purchase and try those again in the future.

The next thing was to attempt an entire meatless main meal; and so last night I cooked our first Vegan meal. It consisted of firm Tofu cut into bite-sized chunks and then heated in skillet with a little Canola oil spray and Tamari (a Soy Sauce substitute our Dietician recommended). Once the Tofu was cooked the way I wanted it, I added mixed vegetables that had been steamed in a bag in the microwave. In another pan I browned some meatless burgers (the flame-grilled variety).  In another pan, I cooked some gluten-free spinach pasta.

When plated, I first poured a teaspoon of balsamic vinegar. On top of this went a spiral of the green pasta. On one side of the pasta went the browned Tofu and vegetable medley and on the other side went two golden brown meatless burgers.

The meal was simply awesome. We came away satisfied and saying: “We can DO THIS for 90 days! This is completely doable and enjoyable!”   I’m getting excited to do this now. Will post the diet plan as soon as it’s available.

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Spayed and Neutered

Not much progress today on planning our Vegan diet. We have two little puppies. One male and one female. Today was their day for getting spayed and neutered and so this took up the lion's share of the day.

They are now resting comfortably with cones on their heads. They get a checkup in three days and sutures removed at the end of two weeks. Poor babies.

We have a thing for our animals and support the AAWL (Arizona Animal Welfare League).

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Monday, December 10, 2012

Working on Diabetic Vegan Diet Plan now

      
Started work today on the Diabetic Vegan Diet. My Dietician wants me to go on a “special” Vegan diet for 90 days. If you recall my previous post regarding our Dietician Consult, the diet plan she is asking us to follow is:

A Vegan diet.. with no wheat, no nuts, no sugar-free pudding, no Jell-O, no animal products (dairy, meat), no oils at all (Canola oil cooking spray used sparingly is okay), no yogurt, a salad a day with fat free dressing, no milk or other dairy products, no creamer for coffee, lots of fiber(beans), sea salt instead of regular salt, low sodium, gluten-free, ground flax seed, a daily protein shake, no rice, no potato.

My wife and I are going to start it January 1st, 2013 and so, I am planning the diet now.
First, we know that we’re having a protein shake for breakfast. We’ll have it with soy or almond milk or water. We’ll blend various types of fruit with it to ensure we get some variety. This will be daily - every day for 90 days.

Second, we are being asked to have a salad a day. So it figures that a lunch salad will be good. It’s easy to grab one at the office or if I have to go to lunch with a colleague or client, then I can always have a salad. No meat, no eggs, nothing animal and fat free dressing.

That then, leaves the dinner…..

Since this is for 90 days, I first starting reviewing and finding at least 120 Vegan / Vegetarian recipes that I think my wife and I would enjoy. I copied and pasted each into a table in a Microsoft Word document.

The next step will be to go through each recipe and change them. For instance, if there are potatoes, then I’ll substitute cauliflower or tofu. If there is regular pasta, then I’ll substitute vegetarian vegetable-based pasta. If there are ingredients I know we won’t like, I’ll eliminate it or substitute something else. If there are ingredients that are hard to find, then again, something must be done since I am living on the ingredients I can obtain from our local grocery. If there are any dairy products, then I’ll substitute almond or soy milk. and so on…..

The next step will be to have my wife go through the table of recipes and mark the ones she does not think she’ll like. These will be eliminated. Since we’re both going to be following this diet plan, we both have to enjoy the food we’re going to be cooking and eating. If I need to rinse and repeat this step until I get 90 recipes that we believe we’ll enjoy then that’s what has to be done.

The objectives of this exercise:
1) Create a diet plan that contains one dinner meal for each of the 90 days.
2) Identify Vegan side-dishes and sauces that can be used to enhance the food.
3) Create a diet plan that includes as much quality, healthful and “normal” foods as possible so that the 90 days is tasteful and enjoyable from a meals perspective. I will NOT be sitting around with a stalk of celery in my hand and craving anything else!

The next to last step is to submit the diet plan to our Dietician for review and comment. That will ensure we have a good plan, to last us for 90 days, where we eat foods that we believe we’ll enjoy and that are within the specifications the Dietician has asked us to follow.

The final step will be to combine the agreed upon entrées with side dishes and fruits according to the Diabetic “Plate Method”; which includes half the plate in Vegan (vegetable) entrée, then a quarter of the plate with a meat substitute like Tofu or other protein substitute and finally a quarter of the plate fruit, beans, or other starchy veggies such as corn.

If any of you are Vegetarians or Vegans and you have suggestions or if anyone would like a copy of the 90 day plan once it’s done, just let me know. email = infinityman@cox.net

Diabetes Life - Dinner


  • Lemon Garlic Pork Tenderloin Medallions 4 oz - 130 calories, 1g carbs
  • Creole and Garlic Vegetable Medley 112 calories, 7g carbs
  • Fresh Tomato Slices 16 calories, 2g carbs, with Celery Salted Mayonaise 90 calories, 0g carbs

Total - Abt. 350 Calories, 10g Carbs

Sunday, December 9, 2012

Mom's 86th Birthday!



Spent the day with family today celebrating my Mother’s 86th birthday!

Finished a proper and fantastic diabetic meal…
…..and then came time for presents and cake…..

Sister: It’s Mom’s 86th birthday, aren’t you going to have a nice big piece of her birthday cake?

Me: Starting back at her with a disgusted look on my face. “And… why wouldn’t I want to have a piece of that brilliantly toxic chocolate whipped cream frosted cake Sis?

Sister: Stares back at me for a few seconds and then, as if she has an epiphany: “Oh well, I guess “The Diabetic” just can’t have any today!

Me: Looking at Mom. “Can I slap her please Ma?

Mom:She loves doing that to you. You know?

Sister: Eating a piece of cake, smiling and staring intensely at me….

Me:I know

Saturday, December 8, 2012

Today's Recipies


Take a walk!



My doctors have been telling me, "Get out and walk. Do some sort of exercise on a regular basis." Like a broken record, this mantra has been ringing in my ears and it has been the toughest thing because one actually has to fit the time and effort into your busy day. There's special clothing, a shower, the time and so on.
 
I already work like 12 hours every day. Right now, it’s dark when I leave the house and dark when I get back. My wife suggested getting a treadmill, walking machine, or stationary bicycle and just use one of those for right now and until the season changes so that it is light very early in the morning. I prefer to walk early in the morning, before my brain figures out what I'm doing..
 
So today, we girded our loins, pinched our buttocks and got out there for a 30 min. walk. We have to really bear down and incorporate this type of exercise into our lifestyle from now on. The advantage of exercising every day is so when you die, they'll say, 'Well, he looks good doesn't he.'

While out walking, I asked my wife: "What do you love most about me? My tremendous athletic ability or my superior intellect?"

"What I love most about you," she said, "is your enormous sense of humor."

Friday, December 7, 2012

Diabetes, Sleep and Anti-Depressant


     I’ve always been a “night owl”. I recall that as a boy, I would sit at the bottom of the stairs where the night light was on and read the bible. Everyone else was asleep, but I was up and reading. In a family of twelve, it was the only time things got quiet and one could concentrate.

   For a couple of years now, I’ve had a really hard time sleeping; or rather getting to sleep. My mind races with thoughts from the day and what I need to do tomorrow, my legs bother me and I have a rash which was diagnosed as psoriasis (but is really due to the Diabetes) and it itches. In aggregate, all of these things mean that many nights I get only about four hours of sleep and then start my twelve hour day over again at work.

     Now that I have Diabetes, my body can’t deal with the lack of quality sleep. I’m not the same person I was before and it has become unhealthy for me physically and psychologically. The lack of sleep has been making me depressed and less able to deal effectively with the demands of the day and living with this disease.

     I consulted my doctor, who wanted to prescribe an anti-depressant. I was hesitant to have this drug because of the stigma I have in my mind about the term “anti-depressant” which said to me in my internal-speak: “Hey, cry baby, you should be able to deal with life. Why the heck do you need a drug like this?! You’ll be marked in your files as like crazy or something.”  In addition, we’ve all heard the stories about people taking anti-depressant drugs who start doing crazy things or committing suicide.

     When I expressed my concerns to my doctor, she said that the dose was small, there is no interaction with the other drugs I’m taking, she believed this would help and the stigma was all in my head; a huge number of people use this class of drug to help with all sorts of issues.  So, I told her I would try them… and I did…

    I’m happy to report that they’re working great!  The very first night (I take one at bedtime), I slept long and well. The second night I slept very hard and deep. I awoke this morning really in much better shape than I’ve been in weeks thanks to my doctor’s expertise and this drug.

      I’m sure everyone has a different experience, but for me, these have helped me deal with the tiredness and to get the quality rest I need to deal with this disease more effectively.  I have another appointment in two weeks where I will say – “Thank you Doc! This was one of the better outcomes, and it’s making things better for me and my life. 

HbA1c “unofficial” results


Home A1c test results came back today! Under seven! Very happy to have achieved our goal. Now onward to Vegan for 90 days in 2013. Happy Holidays!

Thursday, December 6, 2012

Eggplant and Spinach Lasagna and Salad



The salad is a Spinach Leaf Salad, Sliced Cherry Tomatoes and Thousand Island Dressing with shredded Monterey Jack cheese on top.

The Eggplant and Spinach Lasagna is so simple:
1. Put a layer of sliced eggplant on the bottom of a cooking dish
2. Put layer of raw fresh spinach leaves or frozen spinach on top of eggplant
3. Spread a layer of cooked hamburger, sauteed onions and mushrooms
4. Put down a layer of Ricotta cheese
5. Spread a layer of canned chopped tomatos
6. Finally, put some shredded cheese
7. Put it in the oven until eggplant is cooked (350 degrees for 25 min.)

no eggs, no breadcrumbs, no pasta noodles

This is about 300 Calories and 23g of Carbs per slice.

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Doctor Visit Today


Talked about a number of things as depected above. It went well.

Received a flu shot, additional medication, praise, a foot check, blood pressure check, and weight check.

Gave blood for more tests(A1C), scheduled the next visit and additional tests.

Oh joy! My numbers were looking good.

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Low Carb, High Fiber Lunch Recipie


Made these for lunch today. They're easy and excellent.
  1. Take a low carb, high fiber tortilla.
  2. Take knifeful of mayonaise and spead it evenly covering the entire tortilla
  3. Lay down a layer of raw spinach leaves sticking them to the mayonaise
  4. Put down a slice or two of thinly sliced turkey breast
  5. Lay some thinly sliced cheese or shredded cheese on top
  6. Roll up and slice diagonally.
Healthy and Delicious.... TWO are: 320 Calories and 22g of Carbs.

Breakfast of Champions


Protein Powder - 100 calories.
Blended with frozen berries - PRICELESS and good.

Flu


Monday, December 3, 2012

Diebetic Life



1- 171 calories, 27g carbs, Breakfast - Fresh Blackberries with plain unsweetented yogurt.
 
2- 256 calories, 11g carbs, Lunch - Spinach salad with cherry tomatos, shredded Monterey Jack cheese, chicken cubes, cucumber, and Ranch dressing.
 
3- 333 calories, 32g carbs, Dinner - Tomoato slices, Zuccini summer sqaush with garbonzo beans, Swai fish fillet with homemade tater sauce(Mayonaise, Lemon juice and Cilantro).
 
760 calories and 70g carbs for the day!

Sunday, December 2, 2012

As a Fatter of Mact


 If you want to get just a little loopy; pop into your local retail grocery establishment that has a well-stocked “low carb”or “health food” section! Talk about ca-razy!
 
Went to my local super-market this morning and visited the “low carb”section. While not that large in comparison to the rest of the market, there was a surprising selection of items. I’d never been in this section of the market before today as there was never any real interest or need to.
 
There were sugar alternatives, flour alternatives, things I’d never seen before, brands I’d never heard of, cookies and sweets and all manner of things. Lots to see and learn. This is where reading the nutritional labels is vital for two reasons: 1) because there’s a wide range of products; each with some claim of using only the best ingredients and promoting some kind of health. -- and 2) because many of these items are several times the cost of the regular brands in the same category and you want to take the time to make sure you’re actually getting what you’re paying for in terms of the kinds of foods we have to eat as diabetics.
 
I love cookies. It’s a weakness, but there it is. I love the sandwich cookies with the creamy filling. To me, these are a little slice of heaven in my mouth. I make room for two cookies a day on my diet and unless I am dying of something that is a direct result of the cookies and have to give them up, I always will make room for two cookies a day.
 
I generally get the cheapest sandwich cookies available. You can get like 50 lemon cream cookies for about $1.99. Today however, I left the cheap ones on the shelf. My recent visit to the certified Dietician has somehow made me just a little more conscious of the foods I’m eating. Instead I picked up some higher priced cookies. The package contained fewer cookies and the ingredients were a little better. It took me about ten agonizing minutes to come to grips with the fact that I would be paying more money (about twice as much) and getting fewer cookies in the package (less than half as many), but the ingredients were just a little healthier. I kept going from one shelf to the other, reading the nutrition information and so on before finally placing the “healthier” cookies in my shopping cart and moving on. That was before I came to the “low carb” section of the market.
 
The “low carb” section had several cookie selections. The sandwich varieties claimed to have the best ingredients and so on. The packaging was upscale and so was the price. In the end, after another ten minutes of reading, I found the “low carb” cookies didn’t seem to be significantly better than the others already in my cart.
 
If you're going to make a visit to your own local “low carb” or “healthy” supermarket section, be prepared to spend time getting used to the products and reading labels. It takes time but having the nutritional facts can really pay off in buying foods that help you avoid the risk of getting fatter.

Saturday, December 1, 2012

The World Wide Diabetic


International Diabetic Awareness Month (November) comes to a close and we now have some statistics and estimates published by the International Diabetic Foundation. http://www.idf.org

There are an estimated 371 million people worldwide with the disease and 50% remain undiagnosed per the IDF. Not sure how they figured that out? 

CLICK on the images below to enlarge. 

Notice where this disease is the highest?