Sneaky Sugar

There are some canned and prepared foods in which I expect to find added sugar. It's kind of the nature of the beast, y'know?

But in my green beans? Here's the sitch.

As I prepared a meal of meatloaf and mashed potatoes for this evening's meal, I thought adding green beans to the plate would be a good idea because I had my carbs figured out. So, I grabbed a can of Del Monte Specialty Dill Green Beans, opened it, poured the green beans into a bowl and heated it in the microwave. The scent of the seasoned green beans promised an interesting vinegar based flavor (which my husband declared as "delicious" as soon as he took a bite).

Imagine my surprise, then, when I tried the beans myself and they tasted sweet. Really, really sweet! In fact, they tasted too sweet (and a lot like a dill pickle to be honest). I mentioned this to my daughter who decided to grab the can and look at the carbs (something I did not think would be necessary. Hello. GREEN BEANS!)

The Del Monte Specialty Dill Green Beans had 17 carbs, 14 sugar per half cup, with sugar as third in the listed ingredients

<blink, blink>

Seriously?

When I mentioned how super sweet the beans tasted (and I've had little to no added sugar since October 3rd, when I was diagnosed with Type II Diabetes), my husband and daughter were puzzled. To them, the more distinct flavor was vinegar and they liked the beans a lot.

Well, it seems I have been treated to a lesson on being more aware of hidden sugar in my food (and in vegetables, of all places) and checking everything before I put it in my mouth so I can make a more informed decision. Because green beans! Who knew?

In the future, the fancy canned dill beans will be for my husband and daughter exclusively. Blech. I'll just stick with the normal frozen or fresh unsweetened green beans.

The Diabetes Wars?

I have been very discouraged to discover there is a (ridiculous) conflict between some people who have Types 1 & 2 Diabetes being waged in online communities, Facebook posts, etc.

Nasty comments. Misinformation being shared as medical "fact", and a general sense of "my disease is more imporant than yours" is very much present.

Seriously?

While we may have different issues, there should be a point of solidarity in that we do all have a form of diabetes which threatens our health. I would think the desire to have proper education into the causes of all types of diabetes, the treatments available, how best to live with diabetes, etc., should take precedence over petty jibes.

Diabetes Types 1 and 2 are both prevalent in my family. Perhaps this is why I have never thought of the people who have to deal with the issues which come from these diseases (myself now included) as being in "opposing camps".

Personally, I would like to see people with diabetes stop comparing and disparaging  one another's conditions  in some kind of bizarre "mine is better than yours" contest and work together for the improvement of health (and awareness) for all.

Medical Alert Jewelry--It Can Be Functional and Fun

Alright, so I know a guy is less likely to care about having a medical alert bracelet (or necklace) which is not only functional (with all pertinent medical info) but is attractive to wear. But I'm a woman who likes the bling. So, when I learned it would be wise to wear medical alert jewelry, I decided to find someone who could make me something pretty.

There are a lot of sites (including artisans on Etsy) which offer attractive bracelets (and is what I'm now wearing) and necklaces. Some companies or artisans offer prices which are a little more expensive than others but I suppose it comes down to what you want, what you can afford, and your personal style or preference.

For myself, I went with Laurens Hope.

This site has many styles (sporty, classy, extra bling, traditional) from which to choose for women, men, and children. I opted for something which is a little conservative, can be worn with any outfit, and is classically pretty.

I love my bracelet! It is pretty, functional, and doesn't look like a Med ID on first glance to the average Joe or Mary.

Although I do have to say that I ordered the size of the bracelet based on the site's measuring recommendations and it would probably have been better to go a half size smaller. But I am very happy with this bracelet and highly recommend Lauren's Hope.

So, if you have to wear medical alert jewelry find something which you are going to enjoy wearing. It's kind of pointless to have a bracelet or jewlery with life saving info on it if you aren't going to bother putting it on.

SOME OTHER MED ID SITES

American Medical I.D.

Medic Alert Foundation

Hope Paige

N-Style ID

ETSY ARTISTS

Penni's Prints

Kendyl's Boutique

Creations by MonaLisa

EMS Alerts

November is American Diabetes Month

Just wanted to give a shout out that November is American Diabetes Month.

If you are like me, and have been recently diagnosed with diabetes, the lifestyle changes which are required to deal with this condition can seem overwhelming. Thankfully, there are plenty of resources out there online, as well as books and magazines, which can help.

American Diabetes Association--www.diabetes.org/
Diabetic Living--www.diabeticlivingonline.com/
Diabetic Gourmet--www.diabeticgourmet.com/

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photo credit: GDS Infographics via photopin cc

Okay--So Death by Chocolate Is Not Such a Great Idea Afterall

I've had an official diagnosis of diabetes for one month. No big deal, right?

Well, I'm beginning to understand why there are cautions for people learning how to manage diabetes that it can get a bit overwhelming from time to time. And it's not testing the glucose levels which is getting me down, so much as the enormity of trying to reorient my way of thinking about food.

I have to keep track of what are good carbs and what are not. What kind of starchy vegetables work fine for me and those which cause a glucose spike. Monitoring what I eat 24-7 with a kind of obsessiveness which gets exhausting (especially when on a 16 day book tour. That was a challenge).

Honestly, walking the grocery aisle can be like running a gauntlet. There is refined sugar everywhere and in much of the food (frozen-prepared-bread) which I took for granted.I suppose it doesn't help to have candy everywhere as a main feature from October to January (and then Easter in the Spring).

Not a lot of fun for an admitted sugar addict. Cold turkey pretty much sucks. Thank goodness there are sugar-free options when my sweet tooth really acts up or everyone around me is indulging in a milkshake or something.

Ah well. It is what it is. "Death by chocolate" is a great idea when contemplating dessert, but when it becomes a potential reality in your life (ala diabetes) the whole idea changes your perspective a bit.

Being healthy is what really matters.

***************************************************************************** photo credit: kroszk@ via photopin cc

The Pokes are Worth It

In the first week since I've begun monitoring my glucose levels, and changing my whole way of eating, I'm already seeing some success. 

Glucose levels which started off high have tapered down to between normal levels before and after meals. And yesterday, I remained in the target ranges all day (with the exception of the fasting blood glucose---still too high every morning).

So hooray for progress!

It has meant giving up caffiene and (obviously) added sugar. I'm looking at the carbs on everything and convenience cooking is out the window but it does seem to be helping. I've been warned not to get too worried if my glucose levels shoot up again in spite of doing everything I'm supposed to do but so far so good.

Now if I could just get all the stores to hide the Halloween candy....

The Thought and Time Consuming Realities of Diabetes

So, there are very good reasons why (if you are diagnosed with pre-diabetes) one should listen to one's doctor and follow the recommendations of losing weight (although not easy with age & hypothyroidism but having slow, positive impact), exercising (still working on that one), and altering one's eating profile.

You know, before actually jumping the line from "pre" into "diabetes". Here's why:

The Obvious: Various health issues ranging from neuropathy of the feet (which I have had in varying degrees for two years and is a drag), potential blindness, dental issues, possible kidney ailments, heart disease, etc.

The Not-So-Obvious: There is SO much you have to consider when you have diabetes (every day stuff you take for granted) from poking your finger for a blood glucose check (before and after meals), checking your feet daily for injury or problems, the medicines you can ingest (cough drops, allergy/cold/flu medicatons, etc), the types of food you can eat (and I'm not talking sweets or junk food) which could be high carb foods (including peas, corn, etc), putting a major kibosh on caffiene (that's a tough one for this Diet Mtn Dew drinker).

Yes. I have been given permission to be obsessive.

And it's exhausting!

Diabetes Is Quite the Wake Up Call

Here's the thing.

I've known about this possiblity for two years.

Two years.

Yet, I did not make the changes which could have prevented a diagnosis. I could have altered my lifestyle but chose instead to ignore (stick my head in the sand--foolish) and think "No. This isn't going to happen".

And so now, my life is measured in a series of blood glucose checks before meals, after meals, etc. An exercise which can prove to be both encouraging and discouraging.

This is my life now. I have diabetes.

Yay Me!

I made a stir fry using Baby Bok Choy (new for me), fresh grated ginger, spring onions, garlic, baby portabella mushrooms, and sweet snap peas over brown jasmine rice!
This may not seem like a big deal to some, but this is on the heels of an (admittedly not vegan) rainbow chard quiche (wherein I used coconut milk rather than cream or half and half) for dinner yesterday.
I'm feeling very accomplished.

Good Days and Bad

Well, there are good days and bad.
Some days, I have no problem avoiding cheese, eggs, or meat products. Other days, not so much.
But today has been a good day!
I made a very tasty pasta dish with olive oil, toasted walnuts, roasted garlic and brussel sprouts.
My husband even liked it!

Maybe This Time It Will Stick?

So, a couple of years ago I started this blog to chronicle my "journey to health" through a vegan diet. Except, I pretty much abandoned the whole plan within a few weeks. I have found it difficult, I suppose, to adhere to a vegan eating plan because I'm the chief cook in my home and those I'm feeding are dedicated omnivores with no desire to even try vegetarian cuisine on a consistent basis, let alone vegan.

Here's the problem.

A few weeks ago, I was officially diagnosed with high blood pressure and pre-diabetes. My doctor is now making a change to a low sodium vegan food plan. His recommendation, so long as I follow it will (hopefully) control the first and prevent the latter from turning into Type II Diabetes. Well, that's the plan anyway.

My husband is on board in a way. His suggestion is to make a vegan meal and then add a meat protein on the side for other diners (such as himself).

Alright. I will give it a go.

Life changes. Old habits can be hard to kick. On the plus side, there are very few processed foods now in my kitchen, replaced with lots of fresh fruit, veggies, legumes, etc. Tonight's meal will be a homemade vegetable soup (he will have to deal with no meat a few days a week) and Olive Oil Bread from Isa Chandra's new cookbook "Isa Does It". BTW. You can find a recipe for Isa's Olive Oil Bread on her website, The Post Punk Kitchen. There's a link on the right.