Loving Life with Diabetes

It’s Christmas eve!

I’m actually excited about Christmas this year. I wasn’t able to get exactly what I wanted to get people, but I got some better stuff then I have in the past and I’m happy with how the season has turned out.

The biggest obstacle I have now is staying away from all the sweets. I’m lucky in that I only have one Christmas to go to this year and it’s at my home so I can come hide upstairs for a few minutes away from the food! I also have tomorrow as a planned splurge day. I love these days and I love even more that my doctor told me to take these days. Pretty much the rule is if you sugar is high and you know exactly why it’s high, then your okay. If it’s high and you’ve been following the lifestyle change and not having a splurge day then theres a problem.

So I will be enjoying some good cookies and cake tomorrow, I might even eat some pie, but I’m not sure yet! The good news is my nephew just started walking a week ago and he can zoom all over the place, guess who I will be chasing around tomorrow!

If your looking for some good eating tips for diabetics check out these sites:

special occasions

10 tips for diabetics and holiday eating

Sweet holiday tips for diabetics

Happy Holidays!

Herb Roasted Cornish Hens

Herb Roasted Cornish Hens

Number of Servings: 4

2 Cornish hens
freshly ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic, sliced
2 teaspoons minced, fresh rosemary leaves
2 teaspoons minced, fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
2 shallots, roughly chopped
1 1/2 carrots, roughly chopped into 1″ pieces
1 lemon

Cooking instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.2. Rinse the Cornish hens with cold water and pat dry. Season with pepper inside and out.

3. Stuff the insides of the hens with garlic, rosemary, thyme and 1/2 bay leaf each. Place a few pieces of shallots, and carrots

4. Scatter the rest of the shallots, carrots and celery on the bottom of a roasting pan. Place the hens on top of the vegetables.

5. Squeeze juice from the lemons all over the hens and add 1/2 to each hen cavity. Roast in the oven until the hens are golden brown and crisp and the juices run clear when the thigh is pierced with a sharp knife, about 45 minutes.

6. Transfer the hens to a serving platter and let rest for about 5 minutes. Remove the skin from the hens and cut each one in half.

Serving Size: 1/2 Cornish hen

• Calories 194,
• carbohydrate 7g 
• Fat 5g
• Fiber 2g
• protein 30g
• saturated fat 1g
• sodium 100g

Sugar Free Hot Cocoa

How good does this sound? I love hot coco, but since I can’t have the sugar I look for other ways to make it. I like this recipe because I can make it up in a large batch or just for one serving.

 1/4 cup dry skim milk powder

1 1/2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa

1 teaspoon splenda

1 cup boiling water.

makes one serving

Getting through today

Well today is my first real test of the holiday season. I have to try not to go too crazy, although I am allowed to eat alot and more then what I normally would, but I’m going to try not to go too out of control.

I love thanksgiving food, I do remember though that I don’t like the I’m going to explode feeling you get after eating too much. So I think I will be okay. My biggest thing is trying to keep my sugar down, so I have to watch the carb. Of course everything including the veggies will have carbs because my mom still has not figured out what a carb is. I’ve pretty much given up on her.

I’ll try to remember to write more later today and let you know how I did.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I am so confused!

I thought the low carb craze was over with, but maybe I’m wrong. I was reading an article on yahoo today about microwave diets. Pretty much it was giving suggestions on different healthy options for TV dinners. I couldn’t believe how many people were complaining that there are way too many carbs. I use these meals alot as it’s just me and it’s hard to find single serve anything thats not $8 or more. For my meals I have to have 60 grams of carbs. most of the meals listed don’t come anywhere near that. So how can they have too many???? According to my nutritionist the average women needs at least 45 grams of carbs at each meal. I think only half hit that or was higher.

I really am tempted to ask them if they are losing weight on there diets and if they have any energy. Since I started eating better carbs I have found my energy level increasing like crazy! Is it just me?

Is fast food the problem?

Recently I read an article about fast food. Yes I know its everywhere fast food is bad for you. But is it really? Fast food chains have a bad rep, but there are a few that actually have some good options, if you know how to make them that way.

Salads are suppose to be healthy but when you add their dressing to it, it becomes about the same as the cheeseburger you really wanted. The best thing I think to do is to either bring your own dressing in a small bag or only use a little bit. yes I know this stinks but it is better then not having dressing at all. The other thing is if you really don’t eat out much, go ahead and have that cheeseburger, just don’t do it everyday and you will be fine.

I think Americas problem with losing weight is that we think we can not have the foods we love, we can but we need to learn how to do it in moderation. I learned this quickly after a stay in the hospital for a week. Your life changes when your told you almost died because of diabetes that you didn’t know you had. This decease can kill you. I’m only 24 and it almost got me. I didn’t grow up on fast food, we couldn’t afford it, but we also couldn’t afford healthy store bought food.

Now I come to the point of this rant. The government needs to step in and help people learn how to eat right. Home economics classes are becoming a thing of the past. In my high school they turned the home economics room into a huge office for the superintendent. Our school only had 500 kids k-12. He didn’t need a big office. Even if it’s not home economics that healthy eating is taught in lets put it in health class, I know mine didn’t cover food at all. I actually don’t think I learned anything because they were afraid to teach anything. I think that teaching people is the only way to get our nation back in shape, that and fixing the welfare program so that people who really need it can get the healthy food they need, and the people who do not really need the assistance need to be booted off.

What do you think?

Corn and Avocado Relish

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 ear corn, shucked
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped red onion
2 tablespoons chopped scallions
1/2 tablespoon seeded, chopped jalapeño pepper
1/2 teaspoon chopped, fresh cilantro
1/2 avocado
salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper

Cooking instructions

1. Preheat the grill or oven to 450°F.
2. Roast the corn on the grill or in the oven until it begins to turn golden, about 10 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, mix the lime juice, olive oil, vinegar, red onion, scallions, jalapeño and cilantro together in a bowl.

4. When the corn is cool enough to handle, cut the kernels from the cob and add them to the bowl. Pit, skin and chop the avocado and add that to the bowl.

5. Season with salt and pepper.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 2 tablespoons

Calories 103

Protein 2 g

Total Carbohydrate 12 g

Dietary Fiber 2 g

Soluble Fiber 0 g

Insoluble Fiber 1 g

Sugar 3 g

Total Fat 6 g

Saturated Fat 1 g

Monounsaturated Fat 4 g

Polyunsaturated Fat 0 g

Cholesterol 0 mg

4 Tips to Simplify Exercise

Exercise is proven to reduce blood-sugar levels. For people who have type 2 diabetes, it can even reverse the need for medication. So why is it so hard to stick to a workout regimen? Try these tips to make it easier to stay active:

Choose an activity you enjoy and you’ll automatically increase your chances of sticking with it. Walking is most popular and most frequently recommended if you’re overweight. Start slowly, walking 10 minutes five days a week. Gradually increase to walking 30 minutes five days a week. You can also take the stairs, mow the lawn, and vacuum your carpets. Most weight-loss programs encourage you to do several types of activity to burn the most calories. While you walk, you can also listen to tapes that encourage you and help you vary the pace for a better workout. Or you can get a book on tape from the library and enjoy it while you get your exercise.

You don’t need to join a gym, but having a trainer when you first begin to exercise helps you succeed. A personal trainer can help identify activities you enjoy and develop a routine that meets your goals. He will teach you the proper way to perform each move, reducing your risk of injury (which could sideline your routine). Keeping track of how many minutes you work out or how many calories you’ve burned helps identify patterns and provides good insight into your progress. You’ll be able to see the connection between calories and weight loss.

Measure your hips, waist, biceps, and thighs. Muscle weighs more than fat, so if you don’t see a change in the scale, you’ll be able to encourage yourself with the changes in your measurements — and how your clothes fit, too!

Something sweet!

Low Calorie Sweeteners

Low-calorie sweeteners are “free foods.” They make food taste sweet, and have no calories and do not raise blood glucose levels. They do not count as a carbohydrate, a fat, or any other exchange. They can be added to your meal plan instead of substituted.

The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the use of these low-calorie sweeteners. The American Diabetes Association accepts the FDA’s conclusion that these sweeteners are safe and can be part of a healthy diet.

Saccharin (Sweet N Low, Sugar Twin)
Saccharin can be used in both hot and cold foods to make them sweeter. You may recall that some studies giving very large quantities of saccharine to rats raised concerns that saccharin could cause cancer, but many studies and years of use have shown saccharin to be safe in the quantities used by consumers.

Aspartame (NutraSweet, Equal)
Aspartame is another low-calorie sweetener. Because high temperatures can decrease its sweetness, check the manufacturer’s Web site or call their toll-free number for guidelines when using aspartame in recipes.

Acesulfame potassium (Sweet One, Swiss Sweet, Sunett)
Another low-calorie sweetener on the market is acesulfame potassium, also called acesulfame-K. This sweetener is heat stable and can be used in baking and cooking.

Sucralose (SPLENDA)
Sucralose is the newest low-calorie sweetener on the market. Sucralose is not affected by heat and retains its sweetness in hot beverages, baked goods, and processed foods.

If you like to cook, you know that sugar does more in hot foods, especially baked goods like cookies and cakes, than just add sweetness. It also affects the way the foods cook and the final texture. Substituting a low-calorie sweetener may affect the texture and taste. Many people use a combination of sugar and a low-calorie sweetener to reduce overall calories and sugar while still producing acceptable results.

All of these low-calorie sweeteners may help people who are overweight or have diabetes to reduce calories and stick to a healthy meal plan. In addition, these sweeteners are useful for reducing calories and carbohydrates when used instead of sugar in coffee, tea, cereal, and on fruit.

Are low-calorie sweeteners safe?

The low-calorie sweeteners in the United States all underwent extensive testing before they were approved. Results showed that low-calorie sweeteners are safe for everyone, including children and pregnant women. However, people with a rare condition called phenylketonuria (PKU) should limit their intake of aspartame, one type of low-calorie sweetener.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of reduced-calorie or low-calorie sweeteners?

Foods with low- or reduced-calorie sweeteners can have fewer calories than foods made with sugar and other caloric sweeteners. That can help if you’re trying to lose weight or even prevent weight gain. However, some sugar-free foods or products that use low-calorie sweeteners actually have more calories than, and may have more fat than, the sugar sweetened versions.

When you’re considering foods with low- or reduced-calorie sweeteners, always check the Nutrition Facts on the label. By comparing the calories in the sugar-free version to the regular version, you’ll see whether you’re really getting fewer calories. You’ll also want to compare the fat content of the labels. Some people choose the regular version of a food and cut back on the serving size instead of buying the sugar-free version. Consider price as well. Sometimes sugar-free versions cost more.

Low-calorie sweeteners are useful for adding extra flavor or sweetness to your food, with few if any extra calories. You can experiment with your own recipes to include reduced- and low-calorie sweeteners.

Rice with chicken recipe

Rice with Chicken, Spanish Style
This is a good way to get vegetables into the meal plan. Serve with a mixed green salad and some whole wheat bread.

Ingredients - Serves 8
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 medium red/green peppers, cut into strips
1 cup chopped mushrooms
2 cups uncooked rice
1 3-lb chicken, cut into 8 pieces, skin removed
1 teaspoon salt (optional)
3 1/2 cups chicken broth, fat removed
4 cups water Saffron or Sazón, for color
3 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup frozen corn
1 cup frozen green beans
Olives or capers for garnish, if desired

Directions
1. Heat the oil over medium heat in a nonstick pot. Add the onion, garlic, celery, green pepper, and mushrooms. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, for about 3 minutes or until tender.
2. Add the rice and sauté for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly until it begins to brown.
3. Add the chicken, salt, chicken broth, water, saffron (Sazón), and tomatoes. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer.
4. Cover the pot and let the casserole simmer until the water is absorbed and rice is tender, about 20 minutes.
5. Stir in the peas, corn, and beans, and cook for 8-10 minutes. When everything is hot the casserole is ready to serve. Garnish with olives or capers, if desired.

Nutrition Information
Serves 8
Serving size 1 cup
Calories 330
Carbohydrate 24 grams
Protein 27 grams
Fat 14 grams

Daily Servings According to Diabetes Food Guide Pyramid
serving from Grains/Beans/Starchy Vegetable group 1
serving from Meat group 1
serving from Vegetable group 1
serving from Fat 1