Wow, talk about starting well and then falling off the wagon!
Waking glicemy was 79. Perfect. :)
BREAKFAST: 3H at 8:30 am
I had a Bullet-Proof "Latte" after reading about it on the Ketosis posts on the Low Carb Friends board. They mentioned coffee, but I added an egg to my Hamilton Beach single-serving blender to get protein enough to call this breakfast. I also had a cream cheese waffle I made yesterday, with 1T pumpkin butter. Add 4 sausage links, and I was feeling great. Total carb count for all of breakfast = 6g. I may have found my breakfast.
Lunch. Well, lunch was my downfall. The kids and I went to Friendly's with my sister-in-law Karen. I got a salad which had 30g carbs, and took 4 units for it. I figured that was not enough, but I decided to take care of it with dessert, which I knew I'd have. I did not order dessert, but had some of the kids' ice cream. I probably had a scoop of ice cream total, and probably underestimated how many carbs I ate. In fact, since restaurants do stuff carbs and fat into their foods, I should have known. I think I estimated another 30g carbs, but only took 3 units.
Before dinner, at about 5:45, my glicemy was 136. Oooph. I had already decided no dessert tonight, although it is New Year's Eve. I think I'll have some of the gelatin I made with Crystal Light, and may add some cream and walnuts. Maybe I'll have to have it plain.
I just took 5 units to get my blood sugar down and cover for dinner, though. At about 10, I'll check again and take another unit or two if I really have to.
DINNER will be at about 6:15, pork sausage link with this cauliflower "popcorn" recipe. Then, seriously, just gelatin. That should be 10g carbs.
I goofed on the carb readings in the sausage. Estimate it to be about 15g carbs for dinner. By 8 pm, I was feeling hypoglycemic, but am better now. I did have a gelatin dessert, topped with about 2t cream and about 1T walnuts. I'm feeling great now!
Monday, December 31, 2012
Sunday, December 30, 2012
December 30, 2012, Food Diary
I think I'm getting better at this mealtime thing! What made a huge difference was reading in The Diabetes Solution that I'm not really supposed to eat anything less than five hours before going to bed. I did it last night, and my blood glucose level was 79 upon waking this morning. I was hungry, but I'm definitely not going to starve if I go this route.
BREAKFAST: 3H at 8:20 am
Two cream cheese low-carb waffles made from this batter. Actually, I had stuck in my head from this link that for every ounce of cream cheese you use, you should use one egg. So, rather than Linda's 1/2 the number of eggs for each ounce of cream cheese, I did 1:1 and I thought the fluffiness was accurate. I might try the half to one ratio just because the carb count is lower.
I also had three sausages at 2g carbs total, as well as 1T Peppermint Mocha creamer with my coffee. I still estimate I only had 8g carbs for breakfast.
I had a cup of coffee with 1T half and half. When you're low-carbing it, that makes a difference. 1g.
LUNCH: 3H at 12:45
I had sauteed peppers, red onions, and radishes with about 5 oz protein. I estimate the carb count at about 12g.
DINNER: 3H at 5:30
Leftover sauteed asparagus from last night, with about 7 oz chicken. Total carbs ~ 15g.
Then, the kids wanted to try a low-carb chocolate cake. So I went to this link, which has four versions on it, and tried version #2. I had earlier done versions #1 and the dairy-free version. This one was not sweet enough, so I told Shana we'd try version #3 tomorrow night for dessert, since it has more DaVinci liquid. I think I'll try the bulk stevia I have, since it doesn't seem to affect my blood sugar. I estimate that this has a lot of carbs in it, especially next to the snow ice cream made with sweetened condensed milk using real sugar. Total carbs ~ 15g. I took 1H with this, and will check my blood sugar before going to bed to make sure I don't need more insulin.
BREAKFAST: 3H at 8:20 am
Two cream cheese low-carb waffles made from this batter. Actually, I had stuck in my head from this link that for every ounce of cream cheese you use, you should use one egg. So, rather than Linda's 1/2 the number of eggs for each ounce of cream cheese, I did 1:1 and I thought the fluffiness was accurate. I might try the half to one ratio just because the carb count is lower.
I also had three sausages at 2g carbs total, as well as 1T Peppermint Mocha creamer with my coffee. I still estimate I only had 8g carbs for breakfast.
I had a cup of coffee with 1T half and half. When you're low-carbing it, that makes a difference. 1g.
LUNCH: 3H at 12:45
I had sauteed peppers, red onions, and radishes with about 5 oz protein. I estimate the carb count at about 12g.
DINNER: 3H at 5:30
Leftover sauteed asparagus from last night, with about 7 oz chicken. Total carbs ~ 15g.
Then, the kids wanted to try a low-carb chocolate cake. So I went to this link, which has four versions on it, and tried version #2. I had earlier done versions #1 and the dairy-free version. This one was not sweet enough, so I told Shana we'd try version #3 tomorrow night for dessert, since it has more DaVinci liquid. I think I'll try the bulk stevia I have, since it doesn't seem to affect my blood sugar. I estimate that this has a lot of carbs in it, especially next to the snow ice cream made with sweetened condensed milk using real sugar. Total carbs ~ 15g. I took 1H with this, and will check my blood sugar before going to bed to make sure I don't need more insulin.
Friday, December 28, 2012
December 28, 2012, Food Diary
Maybe all the aggressive hunger I experienced yesterday was just a precursor to getting sick. I felt it come on right before I went to bed, and though I dosed up with Zicam and Vitamin C, I still woke at 3:30 am completely unable to breathe. The upside to being sick is that now that I am sick I am only as hungry as I usually get.
Waking glicemy at 5:57 am = 75.
BREAKFAST was served in two parts. I had the low-carb cinnabon and a cup of coffee with SF Peppermint Mocha creamer at about 6:15 am. I took one unit of Humalog then, and estimate the carb count at about 7g.
SECOND BREAKFAST was just bacon at around 9:45 am. I also had a cup of coffee with SF creamer, so that was about 3g. I listed both breakfasts together in my diabetes management app as 10g carbs for breakfast.
LUNCH occurred around 12:20 pm. I had 7 oz haddock filets seasoned the easiest way possible, with both lemon juice and butter, as well as garlic powder and celery salt. So, all of the carbs were found in the vegetables. I had 1/2 cup each of green beans and the sauteed orange bell peppers from last night. Total carbs estimated at 10g.
Then I had a cup of coffee with SF creamer and a slice of Mr. Almond Bread. Oooh, I am stuffed!
SNACK happened about 3:15pm. I took 1H to go with it. First, I had the leftover sauteed orange bell peppers and a cheese stick. Total carbs for this were about 3g. I also had a handful of nuts, about 3g carbs. Then I made two fat bombs! These are awesome!
The first I made had about 1T olive oil, 1/2 t vanilla extract, 1/2 t cinnamon, 1T natural (NSA) peanut butter, 1T cocoa, and 1-1/2 t stevia powder. This was fantastic. I really wanted another one, but my MIL's cocoa has 3g carbs per T, so I decided to try a Lemon Vanilla version.
The Lemon Vanilla I made started with about 1T mayonnaise. MIL's has sugar in it, so I will have to try at home where my mayo doesn't have sugar! Everything at MIL's house has sugar in it!!! Ok, so with the mayo, I added 1T plant protein powder that MIL has. That has 3g carbs, just like the cocoa. I added vanilla extract, and DaVinci SF Vanilla syrup to liquify the fat bomb. I think I added a bit of coconut manna and a touch of olive oil to the mix to make it indeed fatty.
These total were 8g estimated.
DINNER: 3H at 6:15 pm
I had the cauliflower mac & cheese shown here. This is fantastic and I don't miss noodles at all. The cauliflower gives the mac & cheese such a rich texture, and I can change up the flavoring with the cheese I choose. In this dinner, I added my protein of the salmon patties I made yesterday and a bit of ham. Combining this with the last of the radishes, a half dozen snap peas, and some sour cream dip, I had about 15g carbs. Now, at 7pm, I'm enjoying a cup of half-caff coffee with another T of creamer, for another 3g carbs, while I download children's classics for the Kindle so we can use them in our homeschool.
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SUPPER: 4H at 9:45 pm
My glicemy before enjoying supper was 116, and I had every intention of just having gelatin with walnuts and cream when I remembered the ice cream my in-laws had graciously bought for me. UGH. So I had a scoop of that as well, and a tad bit of natural NSA peanut butter. I had started with two units of Humalog, but boosted to 4, because two was supposed to get me back down around 80, with just the gelatin.
Waking glicemy at 5:57 am = 75.
BREAKFAST was served in two parts. I had the low-carb cinnabon and a cup of coffee with SF Peppermint Mocha creamer at about 6:15 am. I took one unit of Humalog then, and estimate the carb count at about 7g.
SECOND BREAKFAST was just bacon at around 9:45 am. I also had a cup of coffee with SF creamer, so that was about 3g. I listed both breakfasts together in my diabetes management app as 10g carbs for breakfast.
LUNCH occurred around 12:20 pm. I had 7 oz haddock filets seasoned the easiest way possible, with both lemon juice and butter, as well as garlic powder and celery salt. So, all of the carbs were found in the vegetables. I had 1/2 cup each of green beans and the sauteed orange bell peppers from last night. Total carbs estimated at 10g.
Then I had a cup of coffee with SF creamer and a slice of Mr. Almond Bread. Oooh, I am stuffed!
SNACK happened about 3:15pm. I took 1H to go with it. First, I had the leftover sauteed orange bell peppers and a cheese stick. Total carbs for this were about 3g. I also had a handful of nuts, about 3g carbs. Then I made two fat bombs! These are awesome!
The first I made had about 1T olive oil, 1/2 t vanilla extract, 1/2 t cinnamon, 1T natural (NSA) peanut butter, 1T cocoa, and 1-1/2 t stevia powder. This was fantastic. I really wanted another one, but my MIL's cocoa has 3g carbs per T, so I decided to try a Lemon Vanilla version.
The Lemon Vanilla I made started with about 1T mayonnaise. MIL's has sugar in it, so I will have to try at home where my mayo doesn't have sugar! Everything at MIL's house has sugar in it!!! Ok, so with the mayo, I added 1T plant protein powder that MIL has. That has 3g carbs, just like the cocoa. I added vanilla extract, and DaVinci SF Vanilla syrup to liquify the fat bomb. I think I added a bit of coconut manna and a touch of olive oil to the mix to make it indeed fatty.
These total were 8g estimated.
DINNER: 3H at 6:15 pm
I had the cauliflower mac & cheese shown here. This is fantastic and I don't miss noodles at all. The cauliflower gives the mac & cheese such a rich texture, and I can change up the flavoring with the cheese I choose. In this dinner, I added my protein of the salmon patties I made yesterday and a bit of ham. Combining this with the last of the radishes, a half dozen snap peas, and some sour cream dip, I had about 15g carbs. Now, at 7pm, I'm enjoying a cup of half-caff coffee with another T of creamer, for another 3g carbs, while I download children's classics for the Kindle so we can use them in our homeschool.
See this link for that advertisement.
SUPPER: 4H at 9:45 pm
My glicemy before enjoying supper was 116, and I had every intention of just having gelatin with walnuts and cream when I remembered the ice cream my in-laws had graciously bought for me. UGH. So I had a scoop of that as well, and a tad bit of natural NSA peanut butter. I had started with two units of Humalog, but boosted to 4, because two was supposed to get me back down around 80, with just the gelatin.
Thursday, December 27, 2012
December 27, 2012, Food Diary
My waking glicemy today around 8am was 88, and after having a scoop of NSA Carb Control ice cream as well as a peanut butter cup, was pretty good! I'm fairly sure, though, that my blood sugar is going low at night because I woke up with both feet asleep overnight.
BREAKFAST: 3H at 9 am
Caveman French Toast (2 eggs, frothed with 1T water, with cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg, and a dash of ginger added, fried in skillet, to make 2 good-sized French toast/pancake crepes), topped with a total of 1T pumpkin butter. Estimated 3g carbs.
Coffee with 1T SF Peppermint Mocha creamer, 2g.
3 small chocolate donuts from Foodie Fiasco, probably 1g.
Total carbs ~ 6g.
LUNCH: 3H at 12:15 pm
Carrots and broccoli, topped with meat sauce. Total carbs = 11 g.
One salmon patty topped with hot sauce. Total carbs = 1 g.
SNACK: 3H at 4:30 pm
Oh man! I'm hungry. I think the reason is that I forgot to take my daytime dose of Lantus, and I'm sure my BG is a bit elevated. Anyway, I took 3 units and then had 1/4 C cottage cheese, plus 4 strawberries and 4 pineapples. I also had a 2g carb cinnamon roll and a piece of fudge, then took another shot (it counts in the 3H) and had a NSA chocolate popsicle! Oooh! Total carbs estimated at 35g!!!
DINNER: 3H at 6:15 pm
Ok, I'm getting close to full. I do like what I fixed tonight and will definitely do it again! So, I took two of the salmon patties (held together with eggs and adobo spices) on top of sauteed yellow bell pepper, red onion, and mushroom, with bacon slices on top of that. I added two medium-sized tomatoes for flavor. Pair it with the last glass of diet ginger ale, and I'm doing okay.
Total carbs at dinner = 12g.
I did make this for a snack I'll have before I get the kids. I estimate it at about 6g, because I made 1/4 a recipe and I'll probably eat it all. I am starting to think I have overeating issues!!!
Boy, am I stuffed. Ironically, I did nothing today!!!
BREAKFAST: 3H at 9 am
Caveman French Toast (2 eggs, frothed with 1T water, with cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg, and a dash of ginger added, fried in skillet, to make 2 good-sized French toast/pancake crepes), topped with a total of 1T pumpkin butter. Estimated 3g carbs.
Coffee with 1T SF Peppermint Mocha creamer, 2g.
3 small chocolate donuts from Foodie Fiasco, probably 1g.
Total carbs ~ 6g.
LUNCH: 3H at 12:15 pm
Carrots and broccoli, topped with meat sauce. Total carbs = 11 g.
One salmon patty topped with hot sauce. Total carbs = 1 g.
SNACK: 3H at 4:30 pm
Oh man! I'm hungry. I think the reason is that I forgot to take my daytime dose of Lantus, and I'm sure my BG is a bit elevated. Anyway, I took 3 units and then had 1/4 C cottage cheese, plus 4 strawberries and 4 pineapples. I also had a 2g carb cinnamon roll and a piece of fudge, then took another shot (it counts in the 3H) and had a NSA chocolate popsicle! Oooh! Total carbs estimated at 35g!!!
DINNER: 3H at 6:15 pm
Ok, I'm getting close to full. I do like what I fixed tonight and will definitely do it again! So, I took two of the salmon patties (held together with eggs and adobo spices) on top of sauteed yellow bell pepper, red onion, and mushroom, with bacon slices on top of that. I added two medium-sized tomatoes for flavor. Pair it with the last glass of diet ginger ale, and I'm doing okay.
Total carbs at dinner = 12g.
I did make this for a snack I'll have before I get the kids. I estimate it at about 6g, because I made 1/4 a recipe and I'll probably eat it all. I am starting to think I have overeating issues!!!
Boy, am I stuffed. Ironically, I did nothing today!!!
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
December 26, 2012, Food Diary
Waking Glicemy = 80!
BREAKFAST: 3H at 8 am
Sugar-free Frappuccino. I love this drink! She lists all her carb counts in "net carbs," while diabetics have to consider "total carbs." I estimate this 12oz drink at 7g carbs. A 16oz version, which would satisfy me more, would be around 10-11g carbs. I add an egg to this drink for more protein and satiety. I can't have it for breakfast without that, or I would find myself hungry an hour later.
I also had three mini chocolate donuts from Foodie Fiasco. That would be around 3g carbs. I even threw in a fourth cup of cooked broccoli. Hungry this morning!
With a cup of coffee and SF Peppermint Mocha creamer, total count at breakfast is about 12g.
LUNCH wasn't till about 3 pm due to a trip to the barn after Pop's lunch. I had 2H at about 1:45, though.
Ham salad on iceberg lettuce, with two small tomatoes and two large mushrooms. Small serving of green beans with spaghetti & meat sauce. Total carbs at lunch = 12g.
SNACK happened right after lunch! I took another 1H at 3:10 pm and had this for my snack (using 1.5T cocoa at 3g carbs/T and omitting the baking powder) with a cup of coffee and SF Hazelnut creamer. Total carbs = 5g.
Ok, I managed to wait till 7ish to eat dinner. PHEW. I don't know what it is, but I'm on an eating spree from 3 till about 7, usually! I must explore and remedy that!!! If I'm not eating, I am researching things to eat!
I had looked at recipes a while back for pizza crusts. Breads and bread products are a big concern for me, since wheat and anything carby like that has had to be removed from my diet, and almond and coconut flour are expensive, making it hard to test recipes confidently. I even can't really do the "deep dish" pizza crust with the cream/egg/cheese base, because of the amount of dairy in the recipe.
However, I remembered this recipe tonight after seeing this one on Maria Emmerich's site. Maria's husband Craig mentioned making individual pizzas, so I figured I would try the one on Linda Sue's site. Maria's recipes tend to be a bit expensive, while Linda's don't. So, Linda's are safer to try. Now that I had success with Linda's, I might try Maria's for the family when we get back to Alaska.
I also think the kids will like Linda's. Kevin might find it a bit greasy, but pizza is greasy, right? I will make sure the tomato sauce is not wet, as greasy AND wet pizza would not be fun to eat at all. My mother-in-law's sauce was nice and meaty, and not too saucy, which I might try to replicate, both for the protein and for the relative dryness so that this pizza stays nice and easy to pick up.
I keep not taking pictures of my food! However, this made a fantastically crunchy-yet-pliable pizza. I topped it with said meat sauce, sauteed red onion and mushroom, mozzarella, and pepperoni slices.
I estimate the total carbs this way:
Crust: 2g (from www.genaw.com)
Meat sauce: 1g
Veggies: 3g
Mozzarella: 1g
So I only have consumed 7g carbs so far for dinner! Maybe I'll have some carb-control ice cream to celebrate doing so well! ;)
BREAKFAST: 3H at 8 am
Sugar-free Frappuccino. I love this drink! She lists all her carb counts in "net carbs," while diabetics have to consider "total carbs." I estimate this 12oz drink at 7g carbs. A 16oz version, which would satisfy me more, would be around 10-11g carbs. I add an egg to this drink for more protein and satiety. I can't have it for breakfast without that, or I would find myself hungry an hour later.
I also had three mini chocolate donuts from Foodie Fiasco. That would be around 3g carbs. I even threw in a fourth cup of cooked broccoli. Hungry this morning!
With a cup of coffee and SF Peppermint Mocha creamer, total count at breakfast is about 12g.
LUNCH wasn't till about 3 pm due to a trip to the barn after Pop's lunch. I had 2H at about 1:45, though.
Ham salad on iceberg lettuce, with two small tomatoes and two large mushrooms. Small serving of green beans with spaghetti & meat sauce. Total carbs at lunch = 12g.
SNACK happened right after lunch! I took another 1H at 3:10 pm and had this for my snack (using 1.5T cocoa at 3g carbs/T and omitting the baking powder) with a cup of coffee and SF Hazelnut creamer. Total carbs = 5g.
Ok, I managed to wait till 7ish to eat dinner. PHEW. I don't know what it is, but I'm on an eating spree from 3 till about 7, usually! I must explore and remedy that!!! If I'm not eating, I am researching things to eat!
I had looked at recipes a while back for pizza crusts. Breads and bread products are a big concern for me, since wheat and anything carby like that has had to be removed from my diet, and almond and coconut flour are expensive, making it hard to test recipes confidently. I even can't really do the "deep dish" pizza crust with the cream/egg/cheese base, because of the amount of dairy in the recipe.
However, I remembered this recipe tonight after seeing this one on Maria Emmerich's site. Maria's husband Craig mentioned making individual pizzas, so I figured I would try the one on Linda Sue's site. Maria's recipes tend to be a bit expensive, while Linda's don't. So, Linda's are safer to try. Now that I had success with Linda's, I might try Maria's for the family when we get back to Alaska.
I also think the kids will like Linda's. Kevin might find it a bit greasy, but pizza is greasy, right? I will make sure the tomato sauce is not wet, as greasy AND wet pizza would not be fun to eat at all. My mother-in-law's sauce was nice and meaty, and not too saucy, which I might try to replicate, both for the protein and for the relative dryness so that this pizza stays nice and easy to pick up.
I keep not taking pictures of my food! However, this made a fantastically crunchy-yet-pliable pizza. I topped it with said meat sauce, sauteed red onion and mushroom, mozzarella, and pepperoni slices.
I estimate the total carbs this way:
Crust: 2g (from www.genaw.com)
Meat sauce: 1g
Veggies: 3g
Mozzarella: 1g
So I only have consumed 7g carbs so far for dinner! Maybe I'll have some carb-control ice cream to celebrate doing so well! ;)
Tuesday, December 25, 2012
December 25, 2012, Food Diary
With today being Christmas day, I was prepared to go over my insulin and carb limit, but I think I did ok. Part of this was due to having a late breakfast and being too full to have a decent lunch.
Waking BG was 96 at 8:07 am.
BREAKFAST: 4H at 8 am, breakfast at 10:30 am
Two sausage patties, one sausage link, top to a breakfast pizza, top to a breakfast casserole (both had eggs and meat), meat appetizers, and a small amount of low-carb cinnamon roll. Two cups of coffee, both with 1T heavy cream, at 2g carbs apiece. Estimate 8g carbs for breakfast.
LUNCH: 2H at 1:30pm
Small portion of breakfast casserole, containing a small amount of hash brown potatoes, and a half a sausage patty. One more cup of coffee with cream! Estimate 6g carbs at lunch.
Pre-prandial BG was 91 at 6:00pm.
DINNER: 3H at around 6:30pm
Ham, broccoli, carrots, green beans, and salad. Estimate 15g carbs at dinner.
DESSERT: 2H at around 8pm
I had a great little dessert consisting of 9 thawed frozen strawberries and 2T slivered almonds. I also had one sugar-free chocolate wafer cookie. I also had another cup of coffee (I know) with 1T creamer at 2g carbs. Estimate 20g carbs for dessert.
Waking BG was 96 at 8:07 am.
BREAKFAST: 4H at 8 am, breakfast at 10:30 am
Two sausage patties, one sausage link, top to a breakfast pizza, top to a breakfast casserole (both had eggs and meat), meat appetizers, and a small amount of low-carb cinnamon roll. Two cups of coffee, both with 1T heavy cream, at 2g carbs apiece. Estimate 8g carbs for breakfast.
LUNCH: 2H at 1:30pm
Small portion of breakfast casserole, containing a small amount of hash brown potatoes, and a half a sausage patty. One more cup of coffee with cream! Estimate 6g carbs at lunch.
Pre-prandial BG was 91 at 6:00pm.
DINNER: 3H at around 6:30pm
Ham, broccoli, carrots, green beans, and salad. Estimate 15g carbs at dinner.
DESSERT: 2H at around 8pm
I had a great little dessert consisting of 9 thawed frozen strawberries and 2T slivered almonds. I also had one sugar-free chocolate wafer cookie. I also had another cup of coffee (I know) with 1T creamer at 2g carbs. Estimate 20g carbs for dessert.
Monday, December 24, 2012
December 24, 2012, Food Diary
I had a hypoglycemic episode last night. At about 3:30 am, I woke with the desire to check my blood sugar. I really thought it was high, because after the cantata we attended last night, I had some full-sugar treats and medicated with what I thought was a decent amount of insulin. When I eat full-sugar treats, I don't know how much insulin to use, because I don't eat them often and I don't have enough experience on how much insulin treats how much full-sugar treats.
I did take home some no-sugar-added cookies, and I estimate each to have about 10g carbs.
BREAKFAST: 3H at 8:30
I actually didn't eat till about 10:30, besides my supplements and one chocolate donut from Foodie Fiasco's blog. At 10:30 I had a dessert I had seen here that I chose to sweeten with 1/2T cocoa and some peppermint extract. I used DaVinci SF Vanilla liquid instead of the splenda called for in the recipe.
I also had a cup of coffee with 1T SF Peppermint Mocha fake creamer.
Total carbs ~ 4g.
LUNCH: 3H at 12:45
6oz hamburger with 1oz American cheese (1g carb). Broccoli, cauli-rice, and cooked carrots, estimated at 7g carbs. Coconut bread with 1/2 T pumpkin butter, estimated at 4g carbs. Total carbs conservatively estimated at 12g.
SNACK: 1H at 3 pm
I had about an ounce of beef tips at 1g carbs (think beef-version of pepperoni), a handful of veggies (1g) plus sour cream dip (1g), and 1 serving creme brulee (I estimate this at 4g). Pair it with diet ginger ale and I'm quite satisfied. For now! I'm thinking of making a peanut butter cookie. Hmm. We have a Christmas Eve service tonight and I could have dinner for the night about 7:30 and put the kids to bed afterward.
Oh, hah! It didn't take me long to break down and make it. I used the plant protein powder in the cupboard at my mother-in-law's and added about half a tablespoon almond butter. I think it was about 4g carbs.
Total carbs at snack = 10g. I need to wait till after 7:30 to eat dinner, and if I have any dessert, it needs to be the gelatin cups I made.
I did take home some no-sugar-added cookies, and I estimate each to have about 10g carbs.
BREAKFAST: 3H at 8:30
I actually didn't eat till about 10:30, besides my supplements and one chocolate donut from Foodie Fiasco's blog. At 10:30 I had a dessert I had seen here that I chose to sweeten with 1/2T cocoa and some peppermint extract. I used DaVinci SF Vanilla liquid instead of the splenda called for in the recipe.
I also had a cup of coffee with 1T SF Peppermint Mocha fake creamer.
Total carbs ~ 4g.
LUNCH: 3H at 12:45
6oz hamburger with 1oz American cheese (1g carb). Broccoli, cauli-rice, and cooked carrots, estimated at 7g carbs. Coconut bread with 1/2 T pumpkin butter, estimated at 4g carbs. Total carbs conservatively estimated at 12g.
SNACK: 1H at 3 pm
I had about an ounce of beef tips at 1g carbs (think beef-version of pepperoni), a handful of veggies (1g) plus sour cream dip (1g), and 1 serving creme brulee (I estimate this at 4g). Pair it with diet ginger ale and I'm quite satisfied. For now! I'm thinking of making a peanut butter cookie. Hmm. We have a Christmas Eve service tonight and I could have dinner for the night about 7:30 and put the kids to bed afterward.
Oh, hah! It didn't take me long to break down and make it. I used the plant protein powder in the cupboard at my mother-in-law's and added about half a tablespoon almond butter. I think it was about 4g carbs.
Total carbs at snack = 10g. I need to wait till after 7:30 to eat dinner, and if I have any dessert, it needs to be the gelatin cups I made.
Sunday, December 23, 2012
December 23, 2012, Food Diary
I woke with a great blood glucose level this morning, 71. It's due partially to totally medicating my evening snack, but also to avoiding cheese and nuts. My body LOVES walnuts; in other words, it hardly shows a BG rise when I eat them. Plus, I only had a tablespoon of cream on the zucchini crisp last night, and my body didn't blink an eye.
I was intrigued by a fellow member on the "Low Carb Friends" board who said she mixes egg with her coffee and finds herself sustained through lunch. Ideally, I'd have just eggs and coffee with breakfast meat and eat lunch around 1:30 or 2. Then, a snack around 5 would facilitate dinner around 8:30. I would love to be able to sustain that!
BREAKFAST: 3H at 8:30ish
Two egg yolks left over from the kids' sunny-side-up eggs the day before, plus a sausage and this sugar-free Frappuccino. I love the Internet! You can find so many great recipes out there!!! Total carbs ~ 9g. Ouch, but it was good. :)
LUNCH: 3H at 12:50
Iceberg lettuce, topped with a bit of red onion and mushrooms, as well as leftover pork strips from the night before. I also added a bit of horseradish cheddar, which I guess has negligible carbs in it. Add Italian dressing from the fridge, and black coffee. It's tough being at others' homes because you are subject to what they have. She knows I eat healthy, so she got iceberg lettuce, but really, I'd rather not eat iceberg lettuce if I don't have to because it really contains no nutrition whatsoever. Oh, I ate the last two slices of apple leftover.
I'd guess the total carb content to be right at 15g.
I also accidentally took 7u Lantus instead of my daytime dose of 5u. Maybe I can make that work to my advantage by enjoying some of that carb-control butter pecan ice cream the in-laws got for me. Hmmm....
SNACK: no meds, at 3:15 pm
Yes, I needed the blood sugar boost. I opted for a tablespoonful of peanut butter (oh, so excited to see what my blood sugar is later!!!) and a scoop of Schwan's Carb Control Butter Pecan ice cream. Total g carbs was around 20. I'll probably take meds at about 6:30, maybe right before tonight's concert. I'll wait to do my dinner till I get home from the cantata, and just call that good for today. Oh well, so much for overmedicating earlier!
I was intrigued by a fellow member on the "Low Carb Friends" board who said she mixes egg with her coffee and finds herself sustained through lunch. Ideally, I'd have just eggs and coffee with breakfast meat and eat lunch around 1:30 or 2. Then, a snack around 5 would facilitate dinner around 8:30. I would love to be able to sustain that!
BREAKFAST: 3H at 8:30ish
Two egg yolks left over from the kids' sunny-side-up eggs the day before, plus a sausage and this sugar-free Frappuccino. I love the Internet! You can find so many great recipes out there!!! Total carbs ~ 9g. Ouch, but it was good. :)
LUNCH: 3H at 12:50
Iceberg lettuce, topped with a bit of red onion and mushrooms, as well as leftover pork strips from the night before. I also added a bit of horseradish cheddar, which I guess has negligible carbs in it. Add Italian dressing from the fridge, and black coffee. It's tough being at others' homes because you are subject to what they have. She knows I eat healthy, so she got iceberg lettuce, but really, I'd rather not eat iceberg lettuce if I don't have to because it really contains no nutrition whatsoever. Oh, I ate the last two slices of apple leftover.
I'd guess the total carb content to be right at 15g.
I also accidentally took 7u Lantus instead of my daytime dose of 5u. Maybe I can make that work to my advantage by enjoying some of that carb-control butter pecan ice cream the in-laws got for me. Hmmm....
SNACK: no meds, at 3:15 pm
Yes, I needed the blood sugar boost. I opted for a tablespoonful of peanut butter (oh, so excited to see what my blood sugar is later!!!) and a scoop of Schwan's Carb Control Butter Pecan ice cream. Total g carbs was around 20. I'll probably take meds at about 6:30, maybe right before tonight's concert. I'll wait to do my dinner till I get home from the cantata, and just call that good for today. Oh well, so much for overmedicating earlier!
Saturday, December 22, 2012
Possible LC Birthday Cake Recipe Using Squash
here at the Low Carb Friends Recipe Room. Kevin's mom has tons of pureed pumpkin and squash in the freezer!
Sugar-Free, Instant Ice Cream (with Dairy-Free Option)
I just saw a post for instant ice cream, and remembered that we had easily done this ourselves several months ago! Use full-fat coconut milk for a dairy-free option, and sweeten with stevia if you need to keep your carb count at a minimum.
Instant Strawberry Ice Cream
1 C heavy cream (or coconut milk)
1/2 C to 2/3 C frozen strawberries, to taste
5-10 drops liquid stevia, optional, or to taste
Cut frozen strawberries into slices, and lay on parchment paper. Freeze until needed. The frozen aspect of the strawberries will mix nicely with your cream or coconut milk to create this awesomely decadent dessert right away.
When you are ready to enjoy your ice cream, place strawberries into a stick blender bowl, Ninja, Magic Bullet, or similar device. Whir until your strawberries are almost pureed. Add the cream and continue to mix. Your mixture will instantly set up into a nice ice cream!
Variations: use tropical fruits, blueberries (adding nuts after the ice cream is made), mixed berries, or your favorite frozen fruit. Right now Costco has a Townsend Farms cherry blend that would be great with added vanilla and slivered almonds.
Instant Strawberry Ice Cream
1 C heavy cream (or coconut milk)
1/2 C to 2/3 C frozen strawberries, to taste
5-10 drops liquid stevia, optional, or to taste
Cut frozen strawberries into slices, and lay on parchment paper. Freeze until needed. The frozen aspect of the strawberries will mix nicely with your cream or coconut milk to create this awesomely decadent dessert right away.
When you are ready to enjoy your ice cream, place strawberries into a stick blender bowl, Ninja, Magic Bullet, or similar device. Whir until your strawberries are almost pureed. Add the cream and continue to mix. Your mixture will instantly set up into a nice ice cream!
Variations: use tropical fruits, blueberries (adding nuts after the ice cream is made), mixed berries, or your favorite frozen fruit. Right now Costco has a Townsend Farms cherry blend that would be great with added vanilla and slivered almonds.
December 22, 2012, Food Diary
In an effort to get better blood glucose control, I'm keeping a log of my food eaten and when, as well as what medicine I take to counteract the carb intake. I've been looking a little at the Atkins diet, which seems to fall short in its opinion about vegetables. It seems to view veggies as bad because they contain carbs, while Dr. Bernstein recognizes that vegetable consumption is important for the nutrients it contains. That said, I have to get better about consuming more veggies and less treats.
Fasting BG after gelatin dessert last night = 71.
BREAKFAST (9:30 am): 3H
One sunny-side up egg (0.6g CHO), two full pieces bacon, one cup coffee with 1T SF Creamer (2g), two donuts (1.4g). Total carbs ~ 4g.
SNACK (12:00 pm): no medicine
Chocolate custard (see post #5) (3g carbs)
LUNCH (2:00 pm): 3H
Grilled cheese (1g CHO) sandwich using Ginny's microwave coconut sandwich bread (6g CHO), raw veggies (4g CHO), 1/3C cooked veggies (4g CHO)
Total Carbs at Lunch: 15g.
DINNER (5:30 pm): 3H
Ham slices with mustard, onion slices (about 10, estimated at this website at around 3g CHO), broccoli with cheese (bag said 6g, I used 9g to be conservative). Small cup black coffee and water. Total carbs = 12g.
DESSERT (8:30 pm): 3H
Zucchini Crisp (half serving) with 1T raw milk and walnuts, two apple slices. Total carbs ~ 15g.
Fasting BG after gelatin dessert last night = 71.
BREAKFAST (9:30 am): 3H
One sunny-side up egg (0.6g CHO), two full pieces bacon, one cup coffee with 1T SF Creamer (2g), two donuts (1.4g). Total carbs ~ 4g.
SNACK (12:00 pm): no medicine
Chocolate custard (see post #5) (3g carbs)
LUNCH (2:00 pm): 3H
Grilled cheese (1g CHO) sandwich using Ginny's microwave coconut sandwich bread (6g CHO), raw veggies (4g CHO), 1/3C cooked veggies (4g CHO)
Total Carbs at Lunch: 15g.
DINNER (5:30 pm): 3H
Ham slices with mustard, onion slices (about 10, estimated at this website at around 3g CHO), broccoli with cheese (bag said 6g, I used 9g to be conservative). Small cup black coffee and water. Total carbs = 12g.
DESSERT (8:30 pm): 3H
Zucchini Crisp (half serving) with 1T raw milk and walnuts, two apple slices. Total carbs ~ 15g.
Friday, December 21, 2012
December 21, 2012, Food Diary
The world was supposed to end today. We're all still here. I remember Jesus's words to the Pharisees and Sadducees that they could interpret the weather, but not the times. We just don't know how long we have left, but may we live like we are in the end times!!!
BREAKFAST: (3H)
2 cups coffee with SF creamer, 2g x 2
Sunny side up egg with bacon slices, 0.6g
Ricotta pancakes, 1g
Leftover cabbage and mushrooms, 3g
TOTAL CARBS ~ 9g
LUNCH: (3H)
1.5 C Salad, 4g
2 Polish sausages + 1 slice cheese, 1g
1/2 C cooked veggies, 4g
TOTAL CARBS ~ 9g
SNACK (3pm): (no insulin - should have taken a unit or two)
About 1/3 C SF Butter Pecan Ice Cream ~ 10g
Fat Bombs - I added cocoa, almond butter, & liquid Splenda for about 4g carbs
DINNER (Christmas party): (3H, should have taken 4H)
Carrots ~ 10g
Buffalo Chicken Dip ~ 10g
Marinade for Chicken Kabobs ~ 5g
TOTAL CARBS ~ 25g
SNACK: (4H to make up for missed insulin today)
SF Gelatin with 1T cream and Walnuts ~ 3g
TOTAL CARBS FOR DAY ~ 60-62g
TOTAL UNITS INSULIN = 13H + 12L
BREAKFAST: (3H)
2 cups coffee with SF creamer, 2g x 2
Sunny side up egg with bacon slices, 0.6g
Ricotta pancakes, 1g
Leftover cabbage and mushrooms, 3g
TOTAL CARBS ~ 9g
LUNCH: (3H)
1.5 C Salad, 4g
2 Polish sausages + 1 slice cheese, 1g
1/2 C cooked veggies, 4g
TOTAL CARBS ~ 9g
SNACK (3pm): (no insulin - should have taken a unit or two)
About 1/3 C SF Butter Pecan Ice Cream ~ 10g
Fat Bombs - I added cocoa, almond butter, & liquid Splenda for about 4g carbs
DINNER (Christmas party): (3H, should have taken 4H)
Carrots ~ 10g
Buffalo Chicken Dip ~ 10g
Marinade for Chicken Kabobs ~ 5g
TOTAL CARBS ~ 25g
SNACK: (4H to make up for missed insulin today)
SF Gelatin with 1T cream and Walnuts ~ 3g
TOTAL CARBS FOR DAY ~ 60-62g
TOTAL UNITS INSULIN = 13H + 12L
Thursday, December 20, 2012
December 20, 2012, Food Diary
Day 3 of logging food has helped me identify some key areas that I need to target to better control my blood sugar.
BREAKFAST: 2 cups coffee with 2T no-sugar-added Peppermint Mocha fake creamer (4g carbs)
4 cream cheese pancakes (see recipe below). Two sausages and one sunny-side-up egg. Total carbs = 7g.
CREAM CHEESE PANCAKES
2 ounces cream cheese
2 eggs
dash of vanilla essence
liquid splenda or other sweetener
Mix in blender and pour onto warm skillet. You do not need to grease a nonstick skillet, but butter would enhance the taste of these yummy pancakes!
LUNCH: One Polish sausage, one egg, one cheese puff (recipe below). Assortment of veggies with 1T sour cream dip (1g carb). One small breaded chicken breast (1g carb).
Total carbs = 15g.
CHEESE PUFF
1 slice American cheese
parchment paper big enough to fit the slice
Lay the American cheese on the parchment paper, and nuke in microwave till it's puffy and crisp. In my 1500 watt microwave, I cook for 50 seconds.
SNACK: One serving zucchini "apple" crisp, topped with 1T flax meal. One cup decaf coffee with 1T no-sugar-added Peppermint Mocha fake creamer. Oh, and I drizzled a bit of raw full-fat milk on top. MMM. Total carbs = 10g.
DINNER: 2 Polish sausages with a slice of cheese on top. I've been hungry after dinner. 1/2 cup cooked green beans, and 3/4 cup sauteed red bell pepper, mushrooms, and onions. I also had a small apple slice as I was cleaning up the table. At about 3g carbs for the sausages and cheese and 3g carbs for the apple slice, plus 15g carbs for the veggies, this was a 21g carb dinner. That's a little higher than I like. I'm off for another shot. I'm going to try to stick to a gelatin dessert topped with a little heavy cream and walnuts. The walnuts don't seem to spike my blood sugar.
DESSERT: I switched gears and had a creme brulee for dessert. Plus I added the leftover mint chip ice cream from John's dessert! Oops! Oh, and a cup of nuts, about 2T of pistachios. I really need to work on dessert. Took 2 units because of the sugar in the ice cream. It was only about 2T also. But still... total carbs for dessert = 15g.
Total estimated carbs for the day = 70g.
BREAKFAST: 2 cups coffee with 2T no-sugar-added Peppermint Mocha fake creamer (4g carbs)
4 cream cheese pancakes (see recipe below). Two sausages and one sunny-side-up egg. Total carbs = 7g.
CREAM CHEESE PANCAKES
2 ounces cream cheese
2 eggs
dash of vanilla essence
liquid splenda or other sweetener
Mix in blender and pour onto warm skillet. You do not need to grease a nonstick skillet, but butter would enhance the taste of these yummy pancakes!
LUNCH: One Polish sausage, one egg, one cheese puff (recipe below). Assortment of veggies with 1T sour cream dip (1g carb). One small breaded chicken breast (1g carb).
Total carbs = 15g.
CHEESE PUFF
1 slice American cheese
parchment paper big enough to fit the slice
Lay the American cheese on the parchment paper, and nuke in microwave till it's puffy and crisp. In my 1500 watt microwave, I cook for 50 seconds.
SNACK: One serving zucchini "apple" crisp, topped with 1T flax meal. One cup decaf coffee with 1T no-sugar-added Peppermint Mocha fake creamer. Oh, and I drizzled a bit of raw full-fat milk on top. MMM. Total carbs = 10g.
DINNER: 2 Polish sausages with a slice of cheese on top. I've been hungry after dinner. 1/2 cup cooked green beans, and 3/4 cup sauteed red bell pepper, mushrooms, and onions. I also had a small apple slice as I was cleaning up the table. At about 3g carbs for the sausages and cheese and 3g carbs for the apple slice, plus 15g carbs for the veggies, this was a 21g carb dinner. That's a little higher than I like. I'm off for another shot. I'm going to try to stick to a gelatin dessert topped with a little heavy cream and walnuts. The walnuts don't seem to spike my blood sugar.
DESSERT: I switched gears and had a creme brulee for dessert. Plus I added the leftover mint chip ice cream from John's dessert! Oops! Oh, and a cup of nuts, about 2T of pistachios. I really need to work on dessert. Took 2 units because of the sugar in the ice cream. It was only about 2T also. But still... total carbs for dessert = 15g.
Total estimated carbs for the day = 70g.
December 19, 2012, Food Diary
Breakfast: Ricotta Cheese Breakfast here, 2 cups coffee, each with 1T sugar-free creamer. One egg and two sausages.
Lunch: Hake Fish Filets (5 oz protein) with leftover cabbage hash and cut green beans. Total carbs: 12g.
Snack: I made these Paleo Chocolate Banana Doughnuts for the kids. They were not low-carb, but I made mini-doughnuts, which I estimated were 4g carbs each. I had two, and a cup of coffee, so the total carb count was 11g.
Dinner is where I fall off. I have trouble from then till bedtime, because of all the snacks. I had the rest of the fish, and a relish tray. I also had two pieces of cheese and part of a beef stick, as well as a serving of green beans. This chica's fine all day till dinner, then I'm famished! Especially at the farm house, where savory items have sugar in them. I wonder if it's the absence of true unsugared items or the treats in every nook and cranny which make me hunt for food. I gotta figure that out, though.
After dinner, I did have some apple slices and a chocolate bar. I also enjoyed the eggnog with it. Total carb count from dinner on was about 60g. I have a lot of work to do in this area!
Lunch: Hake Fish Filets (5 oz protein) with leftover cabbage hash and cut green beans. Total carbs: 12g.
Snack: I made these Paleo Chocolate Banana Doughnuts for the kids. They were not low-carb, but I made mini-doughnuts, which I estimated were 4g carbs each. I had two, and a cup of coffee, so the total carb count was 11g.
Dinner is where I fall off. I have trouble from then till bedtime, because of all the snacks. I had the rest of the fish, and a relish tray. I also had two pieces of cheese and part of a beef stick, as well as a serving of green beans. This chica's fine all day till dinner, then I'm famished! Especially at the farm house, where savory items have sugar in them. I wonder if it's the absence of true unsugared items or the treats in every nook and cranny which make me hunt for food. I gotta figure that out, though.
After dinner, I did have some apple slices and a chocolate bar. I also enjoyed the eggnog with it. Total carb count from dinner on was about 60g. I have a lot of work to do in this area!
Low-Carb Eggnog, Heidi-style
Around the low-carb world, there are recipes for anything known to humanity, all made with low-to-no-carb sweeteners. I looked around to find an eggnog recipe I could use, because, well, it's Christmas season and I miss certain things like peppermint mocha and eggnog.
After looking around, I tried my own. It was fantastic! I don't have a picture of the eggnog anymore, because I polished it off this morning!!!
Ingredients
8 oz almond milk or coconut milk (non-full-fat is ok)
4 oz heavy cream
1-2 eggs, depending on how eggy you like your nog
1/2 t cinnamon
1/2 t nutmeg
pinch cloves
1 t SF DaVinci French Vanilla syrup
Blend it up in your favorite single-serving blender. Makes 2 servings! MMM!!!
After looking around, I tried my own. It was fantastic! I don't have a picture of the eggnog anymore, because I polished it off this morning!!!
Ingredients
8 oz almond milk or coconut milk (non-full-fat is ok)
4 oz heavy cream
1-2 eggs, depending on how eggy you like your nog
1/2 t cinnamon
1/2 t nutmeg
pinch cloves
1 t SF DaVinci French Vanilla syrup
Blend it up in your favorite single-serving blender. Makes 2 servings! MMM!!!
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
December 18, 2012 Food Diary
I've had fun trying different recipes that are low-carb mockups of "standard American diet staples. Today's breakfast was no exception!
BREAKFAST: 2 oz cream cheese blended with 2 eggs, 1/2 t cinnamon, 1/2 t vanilla, and nutmeg. Fry on griddle with just a touch of bacon grease or other fat, and top with butter and pumpkin butter. I used about a tablespoon of pumpkin butter on four pancakes that were all about 2" across. Total estimated carbs = 3g.
2 cups coffee with no-sugar-added Peppermint Mocha Creamer. Estimated carbs = 2g per cup.
Total CHO = 7g.
LUNCH: 6 oz chicken breast with shredded cheese, on top of a salad with cabbage, onion, and broccoli stems added. Pink crystal light to drink.
Total CHO = 12g.
DINNER: 7 oz chicken breast with melted American cheese and salsa on top, and sauteed red cabbage. Two baby English cucumbers, with sour cream dip. For dessert, no-carb gelatin with 1T cream, almonds, and shredded coconut on top.
Total CHO = 16g.
BREAKFAST: 2 oz cream cheese blended with 2 eggs, 1/2 t cinnamon, 1/2 t vanilla, and nutmeg. Fry on griddle with just a touch of bacon grease or other fat, and top with butter and pumpkin butter. I used about a tablespoon of pumpkin butter on four pancakes that were all about 2" across. Total estimated carbs = 3g.
2 cups coffee with no-sugar-added Peppermint Mocha Creamer. Estimated carbs = 2g per cup.
Total CHO = 7g.
LUNCH: 6 oz chicken breast with shredded cheese, on top of a salad with cabbage, onion, and broccoli stems added. Pink crystal light to drink.
Total CHO = 12g.
DINNER: 7 oz chicken breast with melted American cheese and salsa on top, and sauteed red cabbage. Two baby English cucumbers, with sour cream dip. For dessert, no-carb gelatin with 1T cream, almonds, and shredded coconut on top.
Total CHO = 16g.
Saturday, December 15, 2012
Almond Butter Hazelnut "Mousse"
I have to keep my carb content per meal at or below 15 grams, or one carb exchange. Sometimes, though, especially after being at a party, I really want something sweet as a treat. I like to keep those at or below 15g carbs too. This was a spontaneous recipe tonight, after a spontaneous Christmas get together at my sister-in-law's house.
2T almond butter (peanut butter would work too)
1t cocoa
1T sugar-free creamer (I used Nestle hazelnut)
1/2t vanilla
1T chopped nuts
Mix together in a small glass ramekin and microwave for 20 seconds. Place in refrigerator for 15 minutes to cool down, then enjoy! Top with homemade whipped cream or full-fat coconut milk, depending on your dairy tolerance. This cooked up to be like a hazelnut chocolate mousse.
Total carb content - 12g. I don't count fiber content, but since I would guess it to be around 8g, I would guess a usable carb count at 4g.
2T almond butter (peanut butter would work too)
1t cocoa
1T sugar-free creamer (I used Nestle hazelnut)
1/2t vanilla
1T chopped nuts
Mix together in a small glass ramekin and microwave for 20 seconds. Place in refrigerator for 15 minutes to cool down, then enjoy! Top with homemade whipped cream or full-fat coconut milk, depending on your dairy tolerance. This cooked up to be like a hazelnut chocolate mousse.
Total carb content - 12g. I don't count fiber content, but since I would guess it to be around 8g, I would guess a usable carb count at 4g.
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Saturday, December 01, 2012
One Minute Bread, The Next Minute Toast
This recipe originated with Jennifer Eloff, a low-carb blogger I've just started to follow. I made it tonight and it was OH SO GOOD! It even looks like an English muffin when microwaved in a cereal bowl! I'm so excited! It's so good with a little Xylitol-sweetened jelly. I'm going to make my next batch of jelly with no added sweetener at all, just some gelatin added to thawed frozen fruit. The liquid in there will set nicely as a jelly or jam.
Here's my version. I even think it looks like an English muffin, and has the texture of one as well! MMM!!!
In two minutes, you will discover you can have your bread and eat it too. Thanks to Ginny's Low Carb Kitchen for posting the recipe for this!
Here's my version. I even think it looks like an English muffin, and has the texture of one as well! MMM!!!
Friday, November 16, 2012
November 16: A Day in Process
So far today we have done nothing! Oh, I guess if you count spending a few hours in the kitchen AGAIN, we did do that! I've made almond milk, Jello, and am now embarking on coconut milk. The recipes all said it was super easy to make coconut milk. I'm trying to remind myself we've only been up for a few hours, for us!
Thursday, November 15, 2012
God Provides!
Yesterday we had a "fellowship day." It was so jam-packed with activities that I knew getting school done would be a stretch, and that proved true. Given the fact that Shana and I had decided to get her "Little Hearts for His Glory" homeschool guide done before our Hawaii trip, I mused that days like today could put off that beloved trip. She had been working so hard to complete school to prepare for her trip, that I hated to think about that! I also wanted to reward diligence!
My friend Tammie, upon my arrival to her house, shooed me out to go to the housing office to sign up for housing benefits under the spouses of deployed servicemembers program. I happily obliged, given that it had snowed for the first time the night before, and I had had to spend 45 minutes that morning shoveling my driveway. However, on the way to the office, I realized that I really didn't want to forego a day of school so we could stay on task!
So, I did what I have learned to do when I face adversity, or anytime, really. I prayed, asking God to help me be ok with whatever path He had for us for school while Kevin was gone. No sooner had I arrived back at Tammie's house, when I learned that they had done a character lesson while I was gone! So my kids DID get school while I was out. Sure, it was not a day from our guide, but I learned yesterday that real school involved character-building, in whatever form. They received an education yesterday, not just in "socializing" with their friends (who says homeschooled kids are not socialized!?), but also in receiving an education from a fellow believer and her family who love education at home and take my children alongside her?
Psalm 27:1-3 says, "The Lord is my light(A) and my salvation(B)—
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold(C) of my life—
of whom shall I be afraid?(D)
My friend Tammie, upon my arrival to her house, shooed me out to go to the housing office to sign up for housing benefits under the spouses of deployed servicemembers program. I happily obliged, given that it had snowed for the first time the night before, and I had had to spend 45 minutes that morning shoveling my driveway. However, on the way to the office, I realized that I really didn't want to forego a day of school so we could stay on task!
So, I did what I have learned to do when I face adversity, or anytime, really. I prayed, asking God to help me be ok with whatever path He had for us for school while Kevin was gone. No sooner had I arrived back at Tammie's house, when I learned that they had done a character lesson while I was gone! So my kids DID get school while I was out. Sure, it was not a day from our guide, but I learned yesterday that real school involved character-building, in whatever form. They received an education yesterday, not just in "socializing" with their friends (who says homeschooled kids are not socialized!?), but also in receiving an education from a fellow believer and her family who love education at home and take my children alongside her?
Psalm 27:1-3 says, "The Lord is my light(A) and my salvation(B)—
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold(C) of my life—
of whom shall I be afraid?(D)
2 When the wicked advance against me
to devour[a] me,
it is my enemies and my foes
who will stumble and fall.(E)
3 Though an army besiege me,
my heart will not fear;(F)
though war break out against me,
even then I will be confident.(G)"
to devour[a] me,
it is my enemies and my foes
who will stumble and fall.(E)
3 Though an army besiege me,
my heart will not fear;(F)
though war break out against me,
even then I will be confident.(G)"
I don't have to worry or be concerned about the education my kids receive; God has it all under control. And even when my covering, my husband, is gone, I can trust in God's unfailing love and grace to cover a multitude of my sins, including not knowing or trusting how my children will learn. Thank God for His covering over me, that He can be my rock and my salvation and I have nothing to fear, even the potential state of a trip to Hawaii or a reward to my daughter for being diligent!
God knows my needs, and provides in such sweet ways!!!!
Monday, November 12, 2012
November 12, 2012: A Day in Review
So, for as many plans as we had today, we sure enjoyed our day at home! Ha! All our plans got cancelled! First, I was supposed to tutor at the Little's house, but Tammie remembered about 9 this morning that it was Veteran's Day Observed, so her husband was home. And after he was gone all weekend at a retreat, she really wanted to spend time with him! Understandably!
Then Samantha Zeno texted to say that Brianna had to come home sick from school. Poor thing. :( She didn't have the stomach bug that has been going around, but was wiped out. We'll try to reschedule next week.
So, was I surprised when Lynsey cancelled AWC Small Group tonight? Noooo! It was par for the course today! They just have had a lot going on, and needed to catch up on things. Understandably!
What did the Hovans do with our day? I baked and cooked all day! Surprise, surprise! Still getting a feel for my new diet, I had some things I wanted to try out. I made the microwaveable spinach lasagna from Ginny's Low Carb kitchen, this pumpkin mock danish, Maria's protein pumpkin waffles, and the Paleo coconut bread from The Complete Idiot's Guide to Eating Paleo, which I have on my Kindle. Everything turned out great, except for the coconut bread. I won't use dried eggs again; the bread needed something fluffier and the eggs have to be beaten before you add everything else. I'd probably add the baking powder to the eggs. By the time I added the baking powder (toward the end), there was nothing for the baking powder to cling to.
We also had a good day at school, and the kids played together a lot. Well, I might add. At one point, when John was playing the music track on our electronic keyboard, I heard him singing along. He is quite the musician!
For dinner, kids had sausage, cabbage, spinach, and carrots, and that makes me proud. I shared the mock danish with them, and topped theirs with berries and whipped cream. They are doing great on the low-carb thing. I have so much to purge from my house before it gets to where I want it, user-friendly to cook low-carb!
I also made Ginny's cracker/cereal mix and it did not go over well with the kidlets. I loved it, and loved how it puffed up and made me feel full. I used salted sunflower seeds and flax seeds, and I think it was too salty for Shana, with the salt from the Parmesan cheese. Next time, too, I will try almond meal and flaxseeds, the Parmesan cheese, and then season it with both cinnamon and stevia drops to make it sweeter. She might like that better.
The kids did great at getting baths and going to bed, and I was able to get the bathrooms clean, as well as the floors vacuumed. What a great day! All that remains is to make the Mr. Peanut Bread with SunButter tomorrow. :) It's a full day tomorrow, though, too. :)
Blood sugars were good today. I think my BS spikes when I eat dairy products, and I had the cream in the pumpkin cheesecake. At dinner it was 101, after taking insulin with my snack. I'm about to take my nighttime dose of insulin and hit the sack. :)
Then Samantha Zeno texted to say that Brianna had to come home sick from school. Poor thing. :( She didn't have the stomach bug that has been going around, but was wiped out. We'll try to reschedule next week.
So, was I surprised when Lynsey cancelled AWC Small Group tonight? Noooo! It was par for the course today! They just have had a lot going on, and needed to catch up on things. Understandably!
What did the Hovans do with our day? I baked and cooked all day! Surprise, surprise! Still getting a feel for my new diet, I had some things I wanted to try out. I made the microwaveable spinach lasagna from Ginny's Low Carb kitchen, this pumpkin mock danish, Maria's protein pumpkin waffles, and the Paleo coconut bread from The Complete Idiot's Guide to Eating Paleo, which I have on my Kindle. Everything turned out great, except for the coconut bread. I won't use dried eggs again; the bread needed something fluffier and the eggs have to be beaten before you add everything else. I'd probably add the baking powder to the eggs. By the time I added the baking powder (toward the end), there was nothing for the baking powder to cling to.
We also had a good day at school, and the kids played together a lot. Well, I might add. At one point, when John was playing the music track on our electronic keyboard, I heard him singing along. He is quite the musician!
For dinner, kids had sausage, cabbage, spinach, and carrots, and that makes me proud. I shared the mock danish with them, and topped theirs with berries and whipped cream. They are doing great on the low-carb thing. I have so much to purge from my house before it gets to where I want it, user-friendly to cook low-carb!
I also made Ginny's cracker/cereal mix and it did not go over well with the kidlets. I loved it, and loved how it puffed up and made me feel full. I used salted sunflower seeds and flax seeds, and I think it was too salty for Shana, with the salt from the Parmesan cheese. Next time, too, I will try almond meal and flaxseeds, the Parmesan cheese, and then season it with both cinnamon and stevia drops to make it sweeter. She might like that better.
The kids did great at getting baths and going to bed, and I was able to get the bathrooms clean, as well as the floors vacuumed. What a great day! All that remains is to make the Mr. Peanut Bread with SunButter tomorrow. :) It's a full day tomorrow, though, too. :)
Blood sugars were good today. I think my BS spikes when I eat dairy products, and I had the cream in the pumpkin cheesecake. At dinner it was 101, after taking insulin with my snack. I'm about to take my nighttime dose of insulin and hit the sack. :)
Sunday, November 11, 2012
November 11, 2012: A Day in Review
Today is Veteran's Day, so with Kevin gone, I woke this morning reflecting on the major sacrifice not only our family is making, but many have made around the world at various times. I also remembered the lives friends of ours have given on behalf of our country, to secure freedoms both here and abroad. I also thought of all the people in our glorious nation who have probably either forgotten the service of our countless armed forces over the generations, or don't believe that they should be fighting, for various reasons. What nerve they have to judge the service of our troops, or to deem negligible the sacrifice of those who gave their lives.
Anyway, we did a simple breakfast of leftovers. :) I did make up eggs and sausage, as well as an omelet with the dried veggie mix and chorizo for me. I had a donut, so I split it for the kids, and gave them both the leftover shake. They didn't want it today, so I think I'll doctor it up tomorrow with some more fruit and peanut butter. For tomorrow, I made these chocolate buns from Ginny's Low Carb Kitchen blog, and I'll spread almond butter on the inside. For Tuesday, PWOC, I'll make Maria's "Healthified" Cereal with Chocolate Almond Milk. Tasty, and low-carb!
I have to get the family off of dairy. I can't tolerate it, and though I think I've suspected for a while, now I know, after getting results from Dr. Jackson at West End Center for Allergy and Injury Repair in California. I started taking supplements Saturday, and could tell a difference Saturday night. No wheat or corn, either, but I was already off of those.
The highlight of our day was not the food we ate, but the company we kept. Kelly and Robbie Johnson's daughter, Eavan, had a birthday party today at the Mac Center, the local ice skating place. The Lady Mustangs were leaving as we arrived with Stephanie Kuhn and her kiddoes. Shana had a bit of a hard time because the bars were in high demand, but we usurped Anna Claire from American Heritage Girls to help her until she was able to get a bar. She loved it. John did ok too, falling a couple of times, but he had a great time and is really good at gross motor skills for a 3.5 year old.
Everyone else had pizza, while I had toppings off pizzas and veggies with garlic butter sauce. ;) I did fine, and wasn't hungry at all after my two-egg equivalent omelet. I didn't even eat lunch until 3, when I had a leftover piece of pizza (with cheese on it), plus plenty of veggies. Then we had sausage and cabbage bake for dinner. MMM. I actually added fennel fronds! I don't mind crunching on them! :)
Oh, ok, anyway, we were able to gear down after our party, although John woke from his car nap and didn't go back to sleep again. I got dinner into the oven before chapel (a win!) and just set the timer to turn the oven off. NICE! It did, even though the oven was still beeping when we got home.
Chapel was great. I can't tell you how much peace I have. I don't know if it's the supplements, or just a stage of life, or God. Well, I guess God's on top of it all. It's nice to feel good, and it's nice to have peace about Kevin being gone. The kids did ok eating dinner tonight, although John didn't want his cabbage. He didn't even like his chocolate cherry ice cream (no sugar added). With a little bit of whining, he did go right to sleep. Oh, and his turtle's not in his room. What a change for him! I thought he'd never let it go! We turned on his closet light, closed that door, and I haven't heard from him since. I did turn on the humidifier for its original reason, and to mask sound. I'll turn that off before I go to bed; it sounds like a cargo plane!
Thought about starting that healthified cereal, then thought, "oh, the immersion blender is still wet from ice cream. Nah!" It's ready to go. Oh, just a note, I do want to make Mr. Peanut Butter Bread, the Healthified Cereal, Ricotta Waffles, and Ginny's Low Carb Microwave Spinach Lasagna. I won't be able to make all tomorrow, but this week, at least. :)
And I am still hunting for dairy substitutes.
Anyway, we did a simple breakfast of leftovers. :) I did make up eggs and sausage, as well as an omelet with the dried veggie mix and chorizo for me. I had a donut, so I split it for the kids, and gave them both the leftover shake. They didn't want it today, so I think I'll doctor it up tomorrow with some more fruit and peanut butter. For tomorrow, I made these chocolate buns from Ginny's Low Carb Kitchen blog, and I'll spread almond butter on the inside. For Tuesday, PWOC, I'll make Maria's "Healthified" Cereal with Chocolate Almond Milk. Tasty, and low-carb!
I have to get the family off of dairy. I can't tolerate it, and though I think I've suspected for a while, now I know, after getting results from Dr. Jackson at West End Center for Allergy and Injury Repair in California. I started taking supplements Saturday, and could tell a difference Saturday night. No wheat or corn, either, but I was already off of those.
The highlight of our day was not the food we ate, but the company we kept. Kelly and Robbie Johnson's daughter, Eavan, had a birthday party today at the Mac Center, the local ice skating place. The Lady Mustangs were leaving as we arrived with Stephanie Kuhn and her kiddoes. Shana had a bit of a hard time because the bars were in high demand, but we usurped Anna Claire from American Heritage Girls to help her until she was able to get a bar. She loved it. John did ok too, falling a couple of times, but he had a great time and is really good at gross motor skills for a 3.5 year old.
Everyone else had pizza, while I had toppings off pizzas and veggies with garlic butter sauce. ;) I did fine, and wasn't hungry at all after my two-egg equivalent omelet. I didn't even eat lunch until 3, when I had a leftover piece of pizza (with cheese on it), plus plenty of veggies. Then we had sausage and cabbage bake for dinner. MMM. I actually added fennel fronds! I don't mind crunching on them! :)
Oh, ok, anyway, we were able to gear down after our party, although John woke from his car nap and didn't go back to sleep again. I got dinner into the oven before chapel (a win!) and just set the timer to turn the oven off. NICE! It did, even though the oven was still beeping when we got home.
Chapel was great. I can't tell you how much peace I have. I don't know if it's the supplements, or just a stage of life, or God. Well, I guess God's on top of it all. It's nice to feel good, and it's nice to have peace about Kevin being gone. The kids did ok eating dinner tonight, although John didn't want his cabbage. He didn't even like his chocolate cherry ice cream (no sugar added). With a little bit of whining, he did go right to sleep. Oh, and his turtle's not in his room. What a change for him! I thought he'd never let it go! We turned on his closet light, closed that door, and I haven't heard from him since. I did turn on the humidifier for its original reason, and to mask sound. I'll turn that off before I go to bed; it sounds like a cargo plane!
Thought about starting that healthified cereal, then thought, "oh, the immersion blender is still wet from ice cream. Nah!" It's ready to go. Oh, just a note, I do want to make Mr. Peanut Butter Bread, the Healthified Cereal, Ricotta Waffles, and Ginny's Low Carb Microwave Spinach Lasagna. I won't be able to make all tomorrow, but this week, at least. :)
And I am still hunting for dairy substitutes.
Wednesday, November 07, 2012
November 7, 2012: A Day in Review
I can't believe I wrote the entire last post without even mentioning the 2012 Presidential Election! That deserves its own post, and I don't want to write that tonight. I'm too tired. :)
So, today was another good, busy day. The only trouble plaguing me besides the election is that tutoring appointments keep getting pushed back. I wonder if we will really have a regular tutoring gig.
Anyway, we started the day great. I got to cuddle with John, just holding him for ten minutes or so. How glorious! This was after I got to do my own devotions, and I lavished hugging on him and wrapping him in a blanket.
Then, after breakfast, Shana and I did school, with the exception of reading a chapter of Buster Bear and practicing Irish Dance. We have to do two storytimes and two dance practices tomorrow.
We then went to meet Kathe Kale to get some Wholy Living food, like almond meal, coconut flakes, and freeze dried raspberries. We go through all that stuff like water. Oh, and I got a few more cans of dried eggs. I can't decide if I like them or hate them.
Then, after lunch, we took a quiet time and roused about 2pm to go to our friends the Baka's. You know those friends who are like family? We hadn't caught up in a while, so it was so fun to go and play. We really needed some one-on-one time with our friends, and got some of that today. How funny, though, that her husband is the one who's home, and ours is not.
Best part of that visit was all of it. No, seriously, I just loved seeing all the kids perform the John 9 account of blind Bartimaeus. How precious. Shana played Jesus, and John was a neighbor. They all did a great job. Hannah Grace, Cathy's middle child and the same age as Shana, played the blind man. I loved hearing her sing praise songs to God at the top of her lungs. After the election results, that time was so much sweeter.
Then the kids and I went to Burger King, for I had a free meal punch card to use and I promised them a special dinner since we weren't staying at the Baka's for dinner. We love doing that, but they really needed a family-only meal tonight. We saw friends Kimberly Jensen and Hannah Sorenson visiting together before Discovery, the chapel religious education program. How nice to see friends all day!!!
I loved breakfast. I mixed together 5T of the dried egg powder with a couple of handfuls of the dry vegetable mix from Kathe's Living Proof Alaska business. I also added 6T water, plus a little cream, chipotle, and cheese. Then, I added tomatoes on top (rather than salsa, which would have been my go-to had I not had leftover diced tomatoes) for a very, very filling lunch.
However, I was hungry two hours later when heading to meet Kathe. How frustrating was that! I maanged to stave myself off till lunch at 1:15 or so. I had salad again, with salmon on top. That salad bag was huge, and I hate to throw food away. That said, iceberg has no nutrition at all. I'm sure I'll be more satisfied once I can tear into the spinach.
I got to make a salad and bulgogi-thickness steak strips for my dinner. I added walnuts and cheese for protein. I'm a bit bothered that Dr. Jackson said I have no calcium in my body at all. I certainly eat a lot of it! What is happening to my food, and why is it not absorbing in my blood stream? I'd really like to get the dairy thing and fat absorption figured out. Blood sugars today were consistent.
So, today was another good, busy day. The only trouble plaguing me besides the election is that tutoring appointments keep getting pushed back. I wonder if we will really have a regular tutoring gig.
Anyway, we started the day great. I got to cuddle with John, just holding him for ten minutes or so. How glorious! This was after I got to do my own devotions, and I lavished hugging on him and wrapping him in a blanket.
Then, after breakfast, Shana and I did school, with the exception of reading a chapter of Buster Bear and practicing Irish Dance. We have to do two storytimes and two dance practices tomorrow.
We then went to meet Kathe Kale to get some Wholy Living food, like almond meal, coconut flakes, and freeze dried raspberries. We go through all that stuff like water. Oh, and I got a few more cans of dried eggs. I can't decide if I like them or hate them.
Then, after lunch, we took a quiet time and roused about 2pm to go to our friends the Baka's. You know those friends who are like family? We hadn't caught up in a while, so it was so fun to go and play. We really needed some one-on-one time with our friends, and got some of that today. How funny, though, that her husband is the one who's home, and ours is not.
Best part of that visit was all of it. No, seriously, I just loved seeing all the kids perform the John 9 account of blind Bartimaeus. How precious. Shana played Jesus, and John was a neighbor. They all did a great job. Hannah Grace, Cathy's middle child and the same age as Shana, played the blind man. I loved hearing her sing praise songs to God at the top of her lungs. After the election results, that time was so much sweeter.
Then the kids and I went to Burger King, for I had a free meal punch card to use and I promised them a special dinner since we weren't staying at the Baka's for dinner. We love doing that, but they really needed a family-only meal tonight. We saw friends Kimberly Jensen and Hannah Sorenson visiting together before Discovery, the chapel religious education program. How nice to see friends all day!!!
I loved breakfast. I mixed together 5T of the dried egg powder with a couple of handfuls of the dry vegetable mix from Kathe's Living Proof Alaska business. I also added 6T water, plus a little cream, chipotle, and cheese. Then, I added tomatoes on top (rather than salsa, which would have been my go-to had I not had leftover diced tomatoes) for a very, very filling lunch.
However, I was hungry two hours later when heading to meet Kathe. How frustrating was that! I maanged to stave myself off till lunch at 1:15 or so. I had salad again, with salmon on top. That salad bag was huge, and I hate to throw food away. That said, iceberg has no nutrition at all. I'm sure I'll be more satisfied once I can tear into the spinach.
I got to make a salad and bulgogi-thickness steak strips for my dinner. I added walnuts and cheese for protein. I'm a bit bothered that Dr. Jackson said I have no calcium in my body at all. I certainly eat a lot of it! What is happening to my food, and why is it not absorbing in my blood stream? I'd really like to get the dairy thing and fat absorption figured out. Blood sugars today were consistent.
November 6, 2012: A Day in Review
I started this day with a super-low blood sugar. Probably most troubling about that was not having any idea how low it was! I'm almost embarrassed to say it online, because if I had felt bad at all, I should have gone to the ER. Really. It was 49. I'm trying really hard not to overdose on insulin, so I can avoid the lows, but the night before at small group I had a lot of fats in my diet, and right now they're tampering with my blood sugar too. Annoyingly so, so I took an extra unit of Humalog before taking Lantus and going to bed.
PWOC was great! I got to sit with the homeschoolers in the Fellowship Room and do school with them there. The only thing was that school was super close to the food, and even though I got relatively healthy food (I really wanted the snickers pie or pumpkin cheesecake!), I still took 8 units of Humalog. I have a tendency to want to take a ton of insulin to cover high blood sugars, but I still have to get toned down, or I will find myself having more lows. Later, when I went in for a massage with friend Karli Arntz, I felt my blood sugar go low again. She sent me home with raisins and water, telling me that massages will work toxins out of you. I wonder if insulin gets released too to the blood stream , aggravating the problem for a diabetic. Note to self.
This was the day Kevin left, and thankfully we were busy all day. That helped it go by quickly, and we weren't thinking of him being in a warzone, or at least we weren't crying about it. We did think of him and pray for him throughout the day.
John and I went to Bible study, where he got to play with another little boy. I got him home and in bed just in time for Shana to get to the door after American Heritage Girls. She arrived with a super big coffee order.
What a great day; I went to bed with relatively normal blood sugar levels.
PWOC was great! I got to sit with the homeschoolers in the Fellowship Room and do school with them there. The only thing was that school was super close to the food, and even though I got relatively healthy food (I really wanted the snickers pie or pumpkin cheesecake!), I still took 8 units of Humalog. I have a tendency to want to take a ton of insulin to cover high blood sugars, but I still have to get toned down, or I will find myself having more lows. Later, when I went in for a massage with friend Karli Arntz, I felt my blood sugar go low again. She sent me home with raisins and water, telling me that massages will work toxins out of you. I wonder if insulin gets released too to the blood stream , aggravating the problem for a diabetic. Note to self.
This was the day Kevin left, and thankfully we were busy all day. That helped it go by quickly, and we weren't thinking of him being in a warzone, or at least we weren't crying about it. We did think of him and pray for him throughout the day.
John and I went to Bible study, where he got to play with another little boy. I got him home and in bed just in time for Shana to get to the door after American Heritage Girls. She arrived with a super big coffee order.
What a great day; I went to bed with relatively normal blood sugar levels.
Monday, October 15, 2012
Monday, October 15, Menu and Thoughts!!!
OK, my friends are asking for recipes and menu lists. So I'll post here. The only problem is I feel like I am cooking ALL DAY every day and there are still flops! Oh well, I am just trusting it will get better!
Breakfast - the family had leftover pumpkin pecan muffins, and I had low-carb Caveman French Toast, basically French Toast batter by itself. Coffee. MMM.
Lunch - LOTS of leftovers. Hubby and I had salad with steak strips on top, while kids had ham deli slices and cheese, as well as raw veggies. No dip.
...
Breakfast - the family had leftover pumpkin pecan muffins, and I had low-carb Caveman French Toast, basically French Toast batter by itself. Coffee. MMM.
Lunch - LOTS of leftovers. Hubby and I had salad with steak strips on top, while kids had ham deli slices and cheese, as well as raw veggies. No dip.
...
Dinner - Paleo burger buns (MUST work on these, they were dry, but I think it's because I used emergency storage dried eggs. Hmm), grilled burgers, and Ginger-Garlic Cauli-Rice from http://www.thepaleomom.com/
What took me so long today? All the baking! I made the Paleo bread that was posted here before at http://
What took me so long today? All the baking! I made the Paleo bread that was posted here before at http://
Monday, October 08, 2012
Primal Banana Pancakes
Still on Operation Use Our Bananas Up, I also made these pancakes from a recipe I found on SparkRecipes.com. It is fantastic, and super easy.
Primal banana pancakes
Submitted by: SAYITBARBERRYIntroduction
I got this from Mark's Daily Apple website. It's a super easy way to make peanut butter banana pancakes. Gluten free! I got this from Mark's Daily Apple website. It's a super easy way to make peanut butter banana pancakes. Gluten free!
Number of Servings: 10
Ingredients
- 2 slightly overripe bananas
2 T all-natural peanut butter
one egg
non-stick spray
Mash bananas and mix with peanut butter and egg. I mix mine in a large measuring cup so that I can just pour it straight from the cup.
Spray pan with non-stick spray. Pour batter onto the pan slowly and make sure that the pancakes don't touch. Watch carefully, as the pancakes do not bubble like normal ones do. When the edges look slightly brown, flip the pancakes. They do not take a very long time to cook.
I like to eat mine with jelly or honey.
makes approx. 10 small pancakes.
Number of Servings: 10
Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user SAYITBARBERRY.
Spray pan with non-stick spray. Pour batter onto the pan slowly and make sure that the pancakes don't touch. Watch carefully, as the pancakes do not bubble like normal ones do. When the edges look slightly brown, flip the pancakes. They do not take a very long time to cook.
I like to eat mine with jelly or honey.
makes approx. 10 small pancakes.
Number of Servings: 10
Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user SAYITBARBERRY.
Paleo Banana Waffles
These scored major points in our family! In fact, they didn't even need maple syrup...a legitimate sweetener in the Paleo world. And because they're made with bananas, they were super sweet. I would guess that each 3" square waffle (our batch made 10) would contain about 20g carbs, not a small amount! I'd have to take one unit of Humalog just to cover that, and probably two if I put the berries on top that the family did!
From this blog came the recipe to beat out any other waffle recipe. I really think we've found our one, unless I am willing to make up my own that's more low-carb. That's possible. :)
I made a double-batch and made enough for later this week. Score!!!
Paleo Banana Waffles (makes 5 3x3" square waffles)3 Tblsp coconut flour
3 Tblsp almond or other nut flour
1 tsp gluten-free baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 ripe bananas, mashed
3 eggs
1 Tblsp coconut oil or clarified butter, melted
Pre-heat waffle iron. Mash the bananas in a medium sized bowl. Add the eggs and melted coconut oil and mix. Stir in the almond flour and cinnamon. Sift the remaining ingredients: coconut flour, baking powder and baking soda and stir gently to remove any lumps. Add the batter to the waffle iron and cook until it stops steaming or the waffle iron lid can be opened without pulling the waffle apart.
We like to eat these topped with the Costco triple berry mix and homemade whipped cream. They're equally good slathered in butter and maple syrup, if you're into that sort of thing.
From this blog came the recipe to beat out any other waffle recipe. I really think we've found our one, unless I am willing to make up my own that's more low-carb. That's possible. :)
I made a double-batch and made enough for later this week. Score!!!
Paleo Banana Waffles (makes 5 3x3" square waffles)3 Tblsp coconut flour
3 Tblsp almond or other nut flour
1 tsp gluten-free baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 ripe bananas, mashed
3 eggs
1 Tblsp coconut oil or clarified butter, melted
Pre-heat waffle iron. Mash the bananas in a medium sized bowl. Add the eggs and melted coconut oil and mix. Stir in the almond flour and cinnamon. Sift the remaining ingredients: coconut flour, baking powder and baking soda and stir gently to remove any lumps. Add the batter to the waffle iron and cook until it stops steaming or the waffle iron lid can be opened without pulling the waffle apart.
We like to eat these topped with the Costco triple berry mix and homemade whipped cream. They're equally good slathered in butter and maple syrup, if you're into that sort of thing.
Paleo Seafood and Salmon Chowder
Paleo Seafood and Salmon Chowder: (From Caveman Strong...)
Ingredients:
15-20 raw shrimp (lrg)
3 slices of bacon or 3 oz of pancetta, diced
1 small onion finely chopped
1 teaspoon dried dill or 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh dill
1 bay leaf
black pepper to taste
1/8 tsp of cayenne pepper or to taste
2 stalks of celery finely chopped
1 1/2 to 2 cups of chopped peeled turnips or small cauliflowe florets
1 1/2 cups of chicken stock or organic chicken broth (BOX)
5-6oz salmon filet (organic)
1 can of unsweetned coconut milk
dill to garnish
Instructions:
#1Cook bacon in large saucepan over med – low heat when the bacon releases the fat and onion, dill , bay leaf , black pepper and cayenne pepper and cook until the bacon is almost crispy.
#2Add your celery , cauliflower and chicken broth simmer until vegetables are tender and 5 – 7 minutes .
#3(Optional: I poached the fish before adding it to the soup, so the soup wouldn’t taste too “fishy” for the kids. ) In a med saucepan bring 3 cups of water to boil. Add shrimp to boiling water for 10 seconds, remove then add to soup. Add salmon to boiling water for 5 mins, remove, chop in bit size pieces and add to broth.
#3 Remove skin from salmon and chop in bit size pieces, add to soup along with the raw shrimp (peeled).
#4 Simmer slowly stir in coconut milk, bring to boil and then simmer for approx. 10 minutes.
#5 ENJOY!
Ingredients:
15-20 raw shrimp (lrg)
3 slices of bacon or 3 oz of pancetta, diced
1 small onion finely chopped
1 teaspoon dried dill or 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh dill
1 bay leaf
black pepper to taste
1/8 tsp of cayenne pepper or to taste
2 stalks of celery finely chopped
1 1/2 to 2 cups of chopped peeled turnips or small cauliflowe florets
1 1/2 cups of chicken stock or organic chicken broth (BOX)
5-6oz salmon filet (organic)
1 can of unsweetned coconut milk
dill to garnish
Instructions:
#1Cook bacon in large saucepan over med – low heat when the bacon releases the fat and onion, dill , bay leaf , black pepper and cayenne pepper and cook until the bacon is almost crispy.
#2Add your celery , cauliflower and chicken broth simmer until vegetables are tender and 5 – 7 minutes .
#3(Optional: I poached the fish before adding it to the soup, so the soup wouldn’t taste too “fishy” for the kids. ) In a med saucepan bring 3 cups of water to boil. Add shrimp to boiling water for 10 seconds, remove then add to soup. Add salmon to boiling water for 5 mins, remove, chop in bit size pieces and add to broth.
#3 Remove skin from salmon and chop in bit size pieces, add to soup along with the raw shrimp (peeled).
#4 Simmer slowly stir in coconut milk, bring to boil and then simmer for approx. 10 minutes.
#5 ENJOY!
Friday, October 05, 2012
A great Primal/Paleo Pizza Crust Recipe
I found this Paleo/Primal pizza crust recipe and want to bookmark it to give it a try!
Looks like a great mix of inexpensive and low-carb ingredients for someone like me. Can't wait to try it!
"The Perfect Primal Pizza Crust Recipe"
Looks like a great mix of inexpensive and low-carb ingredients for someone like me. Can't wait to try it!
"The Perfect Primal Pizza Crust Recipe"
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Chocolate Biscotti the Low-Carb Paleo Way
I happen to LOVE chocolate, and I happen to miss it often. I can't often have it without a dose of insulin or a prick of the finger, so I find myself thinking twice before choosing to indulge myself one of my loves.
When I ran across this post on how to make a Paleo chocolate biscotti, I was happy for others, but sad for myself because I noticed that the main sweetener and texture provider was none other than half a banana. That would be enough for me to have to consider taking a shot before indulging in any biscotti.
So I ruminated over my options: (1) just make it with banana and take the shot, (2) consider what other options were fat and sweet replacers and use one of them. I know that mashed banana and applesauce are often used for beaten egg, and so I figured beaten egg could possibly be a substitute for one of them. Oil is too, as well as flax meal, but oil doesn't provide the beefiness that egg does and flax meal still has carbs, though not as much as banana.
I opted to use an extra egg in place of the half banana called for in Curlygirl's recipe. I still had to sweeten up the batch to make the biscotti worth considering. Solution! I had recently purchased some Sweet Leaf stevia drops in several flavors. I had decided to replace the raisins in the original recipe with raspberries, since any time I can get berries, it provides the antioxidant boost. Raisins just provide a spike in blood sugar, bad for a diabetic like me. So I decided to add the chocolate raspberry stevia drops to the chocolate raspberry batter. VOILA! Magic goodness.
The bonus was I tested my blood sugar about an hour and a half later, and it was virtually unchanged from the biscotti!!! SCORE~!
Here it is. My batch made about six three-inch biscotti, so I guesstimate there to only be about 6-7 carbs apiece.
2 eggs - beaten
1T almond meal
1T almond butter
1/8c raspberries (adds antioxidants, but use another fruit of choice for variation)
1/3 cup mixed nuts (Almonds, pecans and walnuts work well. I also added cashews and shredded coconut.)
1.5T unsweetened cocoa powder (you can see how dark mine turned out, but the flavor was right on. Any less would be too little.)
10-12 drops liquid stevia (I used chocolate raspberry, but change things up for variation!)
1 ml dropper almond extract
You could see how the variations on this recipe are as endless as your imagination. Use your favorite fruits, add vanilla and cinnamon instead of cocoa, use pumpkin puree in the place of one of the eggs.
Put in greased medium sized bowl (I used corningware 1 serving bakeware). Microwave for 2 min. You could probably bake this at 350 for 20 min, but I have not tried it. Remove from bakeware. Slice. Enjoy!
When I ran across this post on how to make a Paleo chocolate biscotti, I was happy for others, but sad for myself because I noticed that the main sweetener and texture provider was none other than half a banana. That would be enough for me to have to consider taking a shot before indulging in any biscotti.
So I ruminated over my options: (1) just make it with banana and take the shot, (2) consider what other options were fat and sweet replacers and use one of them. I know that mashed banana and applesauce are often used for beaten egg, and so I figured beaten egg could possibly be a substitute for one of them. Oil is too, as well as flax meal, but oil doesn't provide the beefiness that egg does and flax meal still has carbs, though not as much as banana.
I opted to use an extra egg in place of the half banana called for in Curlygirl's recipe. I still had to sweeten up the batch to make the biscotti worth considering. Solution! I had recently purchased some Sweet Leaf stevia drops in several flavors. I had decided to replace the raisins in the original recipe with raspberries, since any time I can get berries, it provides the antioxidant boost. Raisins just provide a spike in blood sugar, bad for a diabetic like me. So I decided to add the chocolate raspberry stevia drops to the chocolate raspberry batter. VOILA! Magic goodness.
The bonus was I tested my blood sugar about an hour and a half later, and it was virtually unchanged from the biscotti!!! SCORE~!
Here it is. My batch made about six three-inch biscotti, so I guesstimate there to only be about 6-7 carbs apiece.
2 eggs - beaten
1T almond meal
1T almond butter
1/8c raspberries (adds antioxidants, but use another fruit of choice for variation)
1/3 cup mixed nuts (Almonds, pecans and walnuts work well. I also added cashews and shredded coconut.)
1.5T unsweetened cocoa powder (you can see how dark mine turned out, but the flavor was right on. Any less would be too little.)
10-12 drops liquid stevia (I used chocolate raspberry, but change things up for variation!)
1 ml dropper almond extract
You could see how the variations on this recipe are as endless as your imagination. Use your favorite fruits, add vanilla and cinnamon instead of cocoa, use pumpkin puree in the place of one of the eggs.
Put in greased medium sized bowl (I used corningware 1 serving bakeware). Microwave for 2 min. You could probably bake this at 350 for 20 min, but I have not tried it. Remove from bakeware. Slice. Enjoy!
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Paleo Meals - Success from Salmon
We did ok today. Once again, the family got to food before I could take pictures! Uh oh!
Remember, the deal is that we are low on funds this month, so we're ekeing by on what we have and TRYING not to shop or eat out for the rest of the month! I'm glad tomorrow's the 19th!
But we did ok today. In fact, we ate like royalty tonight, just from our sauteed salmon. I think it was because it was paired with baked squash and I was ready with a Paleo-ish treat. :) Read on:
Breakfast - eggs, bacon, fruit (for the family). I had eggs and bacon only. With coffee. Lots of coffee.
Lunch - Mom had salad plus tuna, cashews, and Dijon vinaigrette. Yum.
Dinner - Sauteed salmon with lemon pepper. I topped mine with olive oil mayo and dill. Once again, UMMM. Also, acorn squash baked in the oven with butter, cloves, and cinnamon. So nummy.
The kids had the salmon, plus a slice of cheddar cheese each (they're 6 and 3), and raw veggies. We added sushi nori once we heard John talking about sushi and sticking his carrots on the edge of his fork like Mater does in "Cars 2." He really pushed us over the edge tonight!
For dessert, I whipped up peanut butter cookies from the Diabetes Diet cookbook. They could have been Paleo, except for the use of PB. But since the kids are gradually working over to almond butter, I just used the PB. It's nice having the carb content of foods, and Dr. Bernstein puts it in there, since he's both Type 1 like me and an endocrinologist specializing in diabetes.
I'm so full you could stick a fork in me. Satisfied, content, happy! I didn't even snack today, and I didn't miss it!
Remember, the deal is that we are low on funds this month, so we're ekeing by on what we have and TRYING not to shop or eat out for the rest of the month! I'm glad tomorrow's the 19th!
But we did ok today. In fact, we ate like royalty tonight, just from our sauteed salmon. I think it was because it was paired with baked squash and I was ready with a Paleo-ish treat. :) Read on:
Breakfast - eggs, bacon, fruit (for the family). I had eggs and bacon only. With coffee. Lots of coffee.
Lunch - Mom had salad plus tuna, cashews, and Dijon vinaigrette. Yum.
Dinner - Sauteed salmon with lemon pepper. I topped mine with olive oil mayo and dill. Once again, UMMM. Also, acorn squash baked in the oven with butter, cloves, and cinnamon. So nummy.
The kids had the salmon, plus a slice of cheddar cheese each (they're 6 and 3), and raw veggies. We added sushi nori once we heard John talking about sushi and sticking his carrots on the edge of his fork like Mater does in "Cars 2." He really pushed us over the edge tonight!
For dessert, I whipped up peanut butter cookies from the Diabetes Diet cookbook. They could have been Paleo, except for the use of PB. But since the kids are gradually working over to almond butter, I just used the PB. It's nice having the carb content of foods, and Dr. Bernstein puts it in there, since he's both Type 1 like me and an endocrinologist specializing in diabetes.
I'm so full you could stick a fork in me. Satisfied, content, happy! I didn't even snack today, and I didn't miss it!
Monday, September 17, 2012
Meals are gonna get creative!
I will post what we eat the next two weeks. Because of "surprise" car repairs totalling almost $2K, and because we believe in cash-flowing such needs as we can, we have very little cash left for the rest of the month.
Last night for dinner we had Caveman French Toast topped with berries and homemade whipped cream. Then we had some leftover fruit with pecans for dessert. I'm surprised people had room for it; I was so full!
This morning we had Paleo Oven Pancakes with maple syrup built into the batter. I topped it with the rest of our fresh berries from Costco. We also had bacon.
For lunch, I heated the very last of our veggie burgers (not Paleo because they contain soybeans), and topped them with bacon and cheese. We also had raw cabbage and some more of our raw veggies. I would have roasted the cabbage, but hubby returned for lunch and surprised me; I was not ready for it. We added raw seaweed leaves too.
Last night for dinner we had Caveman French Toast topped with berries and homemade whipped cream. Then we had some leftover fruit with pecans for dessert. I'm surprised people had room for it; I was so full!
This morning we had Paleo Oven Pancakes with maple syrup built into the batter. I topped it with the rest of our fresh berries from Costco. We also had bacon.
For lunch, I heated the very last of our veggie burgers (not Paleo because they contain soybeans), and topped them with bacon and cheese. We also had raw cabbage and some more of our raw veggies. I would have roasted the cabbage, but hubby returned for lunch and surprised me; I was not ready for it. We added raw seaweed leaves too.
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Just Because It's Paleo Doesn't Make It Healthy
I have been a bit amused by some recent conversation about "Paleo bread." For those of us who have been riding the Paleo train for a while, we might catch the humor in that. While there is such a thing as bread made from Paleo ingredients, the whole idea of Paleo bread is a huge paradox.
One of the keys to the entire Paleo movement is a shift from two ideals our current culture embraces, the idea of bread, and the dependence on grain as sustenance. Our hunter-gatherer ancestors would not have been so concerned about eating bread as we are; they were ecstatic when they either caught something to eat (meat) or stumbled on a bush they could forage (vegetables, fruit, or nuts). The mere idea of bread would have been foreign to them, simply because they wouldn't have been able to even break the grain open with their teeth, or would have taken so long to do it that they would have given up chewing the grains and moved on to something more productive.
Among the Paleo movement, there is a discussion many people have agreed to disagree on. While most of us make allowances for being able to own a 7.5"x3.5" loaf pan to make our bread from Elana's Pantry, we don't often say that eating "Paleo bread" is necessarily a Paleo idea. These breads are made from Paleo-approved products, but they don't embody the whole Paleo lifestyle.
Dallas and Melissa Hartwig of Whole30 advocate going a whole 30 days on a purely meat, vegetables, eggs, and isolated fruits and nuts to rid our systems of dependence on typically American food like cookies, cakes, chips, potatoes, cereal, and the like...and, yes, bread.
If you google Paleo desserts, you'll come up with literally HUNDREDS, if not thousands, of recipes that look fantastic. However, if you make such desserts the crux of your Paleo diet, I don't think you'll lose weight or see all the amazing benefits of the Paleo lifestyle. Honestly, as a diabetic, I can tell you you're not retraining your body to burn fat and metabolize protein, you're just keeping yourself on a dangerous carbohydrate cycle that continues to keep you dependent on such "treats."
Believe me, there's not a day that goes by that I don't daydream (or dream at night!) of a fantastic Paleo cheesecake or ice cream, and my children ask every day for such treats. But they are just that...treats. They should not make up the bulk of your Paleo diet.
That's why Whole30 can be hard sometimes! We all love a treat, but we can't have treats while retraining our bodies, without risking a complete breakdown of achieving our goals. And I don't know about you, but I want success.
Melissa Joulwan, author of the popular "The Clothes Make the Girl" website and Well Fed cookbook, has a recipe in her cookbook not approved for Whole30 meal plans. However, she offers it as a treat after you successfully complete your Whole30! However, don't have it the next day, and the next day, and the next day...
One of the keys to the entire Paleo movement is a shift from two ideals our current culture embraces, the idea of bread, and the dependence on grain as sustenance. Our hunter-gatherer ancestors would not have been so concerned about eating bread as we are; they were ecstatic when they either caught something to eat (meat) or stumbled on a bush they could forage (vegetables, fruit, or nuts). The mere idea of bread would have been foreign to them, simply because they wouldn't have been able to even break the grain open with their teeth, or would have taken so long to do it that they would have given up chewing the grains and moved on to something more productive.
Among the Paleo movement, there is a discussion many people have agreed to disagree on. While most of us make allowances for being able to own a 7.5"x3.5" loaf pan to make our bread from Elana's Pantry, we don't often say that eating "Paleo bread" is necessarily a Paleo idea. These breads are made from Paleo-approved products, but they don't embody the whole Paleo lifestyle.
Dallas and Melissa Hartwig of Whole30 advocate going a whole 30 days on a purely meat, vegetables, eggs, and isolated fruits and nuts to rid our systems of dependence on typically American food like cookies, cakes, chips, potatoes, cereal, and the like...and, yes, bread.
If you google Paleo desserts, you'll come up with literally HUNDREDS, if not thousands, of recipes that look fantastic. However, if you make such desserts the crux of your Paleo diet, I don't think you'll lose weight or see all the amazing benefits of the Paleo lifestyle. Honestly, as a diabetic, I can tell you you're not retraining your body to burn fat and metabolize protein, you're just keeping yourself on a dangerous carbohydrate cycle that continues to keep you dependent on such "treats."
Believe me, there's not a day that goes by that I don't daydream (or dream at night!) of a fantastic Paleo cheesecake or ice cream, and my children ask every day for such treats. But they are just that...treats. They should not make up the bulk of your Paleo diet.
That's why Whole30 can be hard sometimes! We all love a treat, but we can't have treats while retraining our bodies, without risking a complete breakdown of achieving our goals. And I don't know about you, but I want success.
Melissa Joulwan, author of the popular "The Clothes Make the Girl" website and Well Fed cookbook, has a recipe in her cookbook not approved for Whole30 meal plans. However, she offers it as a treat after you successfully complete your Whole30! However, don't have it the next day, and the next day, and the next day...
How I Manage Diabetes While on the Primal Diet
***NOTE: This post and blog are not intended to diagnose, treat, advise, or advocate any particular medical decision, choice, treatment, or program. Any and all information in this blog post and all others are solely intended to communicate my personal and particular situation and choices. I do, however, believe that if it can work for me, anyone dealing with diabetes can also approach their situation with similar resources as presented in this blog post and all others and make particular choices related to their situation to have similiar results, depending on his or her current health situation.***
Managing diabetes while on either the Paleo or Primal diet
has been one significant way I have been able to live well with diabetes. By “living well with diabetes,” I mean I have
been able to regulate my blood sugars within a range relatively unheard of for diabetics. And this has all happened within three months
of “going Paleo” (although technically, I have gone Primal, meaning I am eating
certain dairy products).
I owe it to my friend Sharon, a fellow Primal Blueprint
follower, for bringing the Primal/Paleo idea back up to me, in the hospital after
my diagnosis, no less. So as I sat there
with insulin and fluid bags hanging from both arms, I really didn’t see any
other option. It was either be bound by
the carb-insulin train, or try really hard at my last effort to have some
semblance of a normal life. (I have had
several diabetics shake their fingers in my face since then, telling me I can
eat whatever I want. Unfortunately, what
I have known about these certain diabetics is that they all have had health
problems of some kind connected to their diabetes. So, having “whatever you want to eat” is
really synonymous with slowly dying every time you take a bite. That is NOT how I choose to live.
As I embarked on my Primal journey upon two weeks of leaving
the hospital, I did so enthusiastically and joyfully. I was optimistic that this new way of eating
would allow me to have a relatively normal life. I spoke with a friend during this period of
time that relayed to me that she did not think that diabetes was God’s will for
my life. Though I knew the numbers
didn’t lie, I believed her and agreed with her in prayer. And though I now still know my numbers prove
out that I deal with diabetes, I am thankful and proud to report that my
numbers, three months after my diagnosis, show that I have blood sugar levels
that are relatively normal, like that of a non-diabetic!
So, What Do I Do?
Primal Lifestyle
I follow the Primal Lifestyle as found here. I tweak diet as you can see below, based on
needing to regulate my blood sugar.
Target Blood Sugar Levels
I use Dr. Richard Bernstein’s Diabetes Solution and Diabetes
Diet as the definitive resource to understand and manage my diabetes. From these great books, I’ve tweaked the
Primal Diet staples
to include tips from Dr. Bernstein as he has used his methodology to manage his
own Type 1 Diabetes.
As he recommends, I strive to stay within a very narrow, low
range for blood glucose measurements.
Because I adopt a low-carb Primal diet, I am able to easily predict the
impact of the natural carbohydrates I eat on my blood glucose level. And because I have gone grain-free and
refined sugar free, as recommended by Diane Sanfilippo here. Please note, however, that she is not
providing medical advice (nor am I, and I cannot claim to have diagnosed or
treated anyone or take responsibility for anyone else’s health but my own, not
even my husband’s.)
So, going grain and refined sugar-free, as well as very low
carb, I can say that backing that up against a Primal lifestyle has allowed me
incredible control of my blood glucose.
I strive to keep it between 70-90.
Insulin Regime
Dr. Bernstein has advice related to how to determine the
optimal long-term insulin dosage for a Type 1 Diabetic, which I am. I have followed his advice and adopted an
appropriate Lantus dosage for myself.
Again, my dose will not necessarily work for someone else, who needs to
determine his or her optimal Lantus dose with doctor supervision and input.
I, personally, take two doses of Lantus, 6 units around 9 am
and another 6 units right before I go to bed, around 9:45 pm. This allows optimal impact on my blood sugar
during times when I need to take Lantus impact into consideration.
Dr. Bernstein has reasoning dependent on the performance of
Lantus and other basal insulin products, so please consult his book for that
reasoning and the way to determine the right dosage for any particular
individual who is Type 1.
Diet
Here’s where I really seem weird. However, remembering that I can’t necessarily
eat carbs without expecting an impact on my blood glucose level, the reasons I
eat as I do should start to become apparent.
This section requires some knowledge of how diabetes manifests in a
person who is Type 1.
Normally, a person who is Type 1 Diabetic will experience a
slight rise in blood glucose upon awaking.
This is typically known as the Dawn Phenomenon. Because of this rise in blood glucose, Dr.
Bernstein recommends that a Type 1 eat less carbs at breakfast than at any
other meal.
Dr. Bernstein also recommends that diabetics eat three meals
a day, NO SNACKING. This is really
critical, as I believe that someone who is diabetic should know what his or her
blood glucose level is before putting ANYTHING in his or her mouth, and I
follow Dr. Bernstein’s advice not to inject more fast-acting (or mealtime)
insulin until at least five hours after injecting the previous dosage of
fast-acting insulin. It would stand to
reason, then, that mealtimes such as 7:30 – 12:30 – 5:30 would be suitable, or
in my case, closer to 8:30 – 1:30 – 6:30.
Then, it would also stand to reason, it’s too late to snack
before bed.
On the Primal diet, I’ve been so satisfied I am sometimes
not hungry at a typical meal, so I will skip
it and not suffer any ill effects.
A typical daytime meal plan will look something like this.
BREAKFAST: Eggs and
either sausage or bacon, with sautéed vegetables. Often I clean out my fridge the night before,
chop away, and sauté in bacon grease.
Before you look at me funny, read this
article. If you are going to eat
less carbs, you are going to need to be ok with eating more protein and
fat. And believe me, my cholesterol is
VERY healthy! Back to a low-carb
breakfast, I achieve it by going for a savory one. Gone are the pancake, biscuit, or French
toast days. However, if you really miss
it, you can find a Paleo or Primal recipe for anything. I very rarely partake, and only as long as my
fasting BG was around 70, with fast-acting insulin to cover it. I aim to have this kind of breakfast only
once a week, and twice very, very rarely.
Also acceptable is to have leftover meat with vegetables for
breakfast. Whole30 co-creators Dallas and
Melissa Hartwig call breakfast “Meal 1.”
It doesn’t have to look like the all-American breakfast, especially if
you are going for consistent blood glucose levels throughout the day! Read on to find out how I satisfy my desire
for something sweet.
Before I move on, I relish the fact that one Paleo/Primal
given is the copious enjoyment of coffee, and not even Swiss Water Decaf! Leaded, fully-caffeinated coffee - espresso is even better. I enjoy mine in the morning with a tablespoon
of heavy cream (not whipped cream, but whipping cream you buy in the milk
cartons at Costco. Forget the small
pint-size!) and several drops of stevia.
For lunch, I
would have a salad topped with meat strips.
I use a homemade dressing shown here,
or simply olive oil and vinegar of choice.
Or, I will empty the fridge of leftovers. If my BG is low enough, I’ll enjoy an avocado
with lunch or berries and nuts for dessert.
Now, here’s where I have my froo-froo coffee drink, if I am
at home, or a half a Lara bar. I have
been working on a frappuccino drink that uses minimal carbs. My body reacts to heavy cream as if it were a
carb, so I will take one for the team and choose to cover this drink with a
unit of fast-acting insulin. I can
publish it later, and link here as well.
It’s a good excuse to update my blog, and work on traffic!
I will often have dinner
after my family. I know this goes
against convention, but I sit with my family during lunch, I just don’t choose
to eat until at least 6:30 so I don’t get hungry or tempted right before bed. Dinner will be a more traditional meal, but
again, will not contain more tham 20 g carbohydrates. Often, it only contains 15g from the
vegetables. I do a meat and two
vegetables.
We are all full after dinner, though my (young) kids are
often in the mood for a dessert before they go to bed. I can often get them to have yogurt and fruit
with nuts (like a parfait) and I make my own yogurt with no added sugar. It is fantastic.
In a day, I aim to eat between 50-80g carbs. As you can imagine, it is very hard to keep
this number below 80g. I count any and
all carbs I eat, not considering creamer or supplements or drink packets as
“free.” I count EVERY carb, even if it
comes from vegetables. The reason for
this is because my carbohydrate intake is so low, and because I want to keep my
BG within that range of 70-90.
Specifics about what I eat and don’t eat
I eat whole, clean foods.
I have for the most part been able to eliminate processed foods except
for those allowable on the Primal diet.
I am still eating Xylitol (and am trying to figure out how I feel about
it), as well as powdered zero-calorie drink mixes. I am also eating cheese, heavy cream,
full-fat no-sugar-added yogurt, and butter.
I eat almond flour and coconut flour.
Almost everything else I eat is raw or minimally processed. I am the one who processes most of my food,
and if I eat something made by someone else and don’t have a chance to ask what
is in it, I literally add at least one unit of fast-acting insulin, and often
two. The reason is that most sauces contain
enough sugar to cause a significant spike in my blood glucose.
As for eggs, I consume many of them. Most of the recommended substitutes contain
carbs, so I don’t substitute. I will
sometimes do that, but only within reason and if the recipe makes sense with
the substituted carbs.
I also consume large amounts of fat. I love bacon grease and have been known to
eat a tiny bit on a spoon when I want a treat.
The bacon flavor is very satisfying.
Once you can’t consume carbohydrates without punishment, you look at
consumption of fats differently. More
socially acceptable is to savor a small amount of heavy cream on a teaspoon
with a sprinkle of cinnamon.
Speaking of cinnamon, raw stevia (either the leaves or the
drops) and cinnamon are considered blood glucose stabilizers, so I consume some
of each in moderation. I have stevia
drops every day in my coffee, even though most Paleo educators advocate weaning
yourself off of sweets using stevia, and eventually dropping even the stevia.
Exercise
I follow Mark’s Daily Apple’s exercise
advice. I get outside every day it’s
nice for as long as I can either stand it or my schedule will allow. I rotate my schedule between: circuits,
intervals, yoga, playtime, rest, and Oxycise
on the days I can’t do any of the above.
I know Oxycise sounds crazy, but since it works, I do it when I can’t do
something else.
Daily Schedule
Because of rises in cortisol
levels, I often wake early. My kids do
too, because they’re on the Primal meal plan too. If they don’t, I can get some things done
before everyone wakes. I often turn into
bed, tired, before 10pm, and often I’m asleep soon after that.
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