So – Obviously I’ve been struggling with my blog lately. Too many things going on is the excuse with the move to the house, two weddings in one year, travel to England (for one of said weddings), etc. etc. etc. One other thing that happened. I had to get a new doctor as mine left the practice and then get a newer doctor because they decided to close the office I have been going to for 25-years, that is another story. The first new doctor looked through my chart on our first visit and said, “You don’t seem to be doing managing your Diabetes very well.” “Ummm, What Diabetes?” It seems my A1C was going higher and higher. But, that said, the only thing my previous doctor had said to me was “We won’t use the D word, you are doing pretty good but you need to work on your diet and exercise.” It would seem that wasn’t the case and the fact that he wrote Diabetes during my last visit but didn’t say anything to ME, much less put me on meds or anything was, to say the least, vexing. The new doctor said that she would be in touch once she got my test results. She called me at home at 10:30 at night to say my A1C was serious (8.6) and that she was putting in a prescription for me to start the next day and she was also putting in a referral to a Diabetes counselor and a dietician. Also, she commented that I would obviously not be able to “control my disease through diet”… I’m sorry, you JUST met me and told me I have Type 2 Diabetes… you don’t know what I can or can’t do. I was annoyed and that is probably an understatement.
Upon returning from England, in early July, I went to the Diabetes counselor and the dietician. I was told I would be testing my blood, the levels I was looking for, etc. I had already started a fairly low dosage of Metformin, the common first drug for Type 2 Diabetes. I had lots of questions for the dietician as I wasn’t sure exactly what I needed to change. It seems the big culprit is Carbs. She told me to limit my carbs in a meal to 30-45g and limit my snacks to 15-20g and to try to keep on the LOW side of the goals. Also, most EVERYTHING has carbs – the only foods that don’t have carbs are things “with a face”, i.e. proteins. Potatoes, grains, rice, legumes, sugar all equal carbs. Vegetables that grow under the ground are higher in carbs, meaning carrots, etc. I have to say I am pretty offended that healthy things like beans and many veggies are high in carbs – that really does some damage to a lot of things we eat. She told me not to worry about fat but not to go crazy. She also said not to GRAZE during the day. If I am eating a snack, do it in 15-minutes. Grazing was definitely something I did during the day, nibbling on healthy things like nuts and dried fruit, etc. Also, I drink hard ciders because of being gluten-free… no more – they are nothing but sugar. What doesn’t have carbs? Distilled liquor like whiskey, vodka, and tequila. Good to know! (big smile) The session with the counselor and the dietician was great and I learned a lot. Now to put things into action.
First thing was to look at my daily diet to see where I was going wrong. Next up, removing as many carbs from our diet as possible while not punishing my Heart. As a cook, I know that good food is all about the flavors and often the mouth-feel. A little richness can go a long way with simple healthy food. The easiest carbs to remove? Those side dishes of potatoes, pasta, and rice but how to replace them with something equally yummy and textured. Bring on the cauliflower rice, roasted veg, etc. Difficult meals? Veggie Thursdays have been our vegetarian dinners each week, frequently with beans, rice… carbs! The first few weeks we had eggs of some sort every Thursday but I think I’ve made the decision to stop Veggie Thursdays – as my Heart said, “We are eating a LOT more vegetables so it’s probably ok.” (smile) The biggest problem is there aren’t many vegetarian proteins that aren’t carb-heavy, i.e. beans, tofu, etc.
Also, I couldn’t do this overnight. How to adjust meals we love and how to find meals that did what I needed but were still appetizing for my Heart and my family. And sometimes you have to be able to “cheat” and have the things you love. For me that means Asian food, pizza, Mexican food… all of which are fairly carb-heavy. What are good options? What are good alternatives? We eat out often – I don’t want to be one of those people who can’t enjoy a fine meal without dissecting it into something that doesn’t resemble what the chef created.
Here is my journey so far…
One of my Heart’s favorite childhood dishes – Salmon with parsley sauce on mashed potatoes. It should be canned salmon but I frequently do fresh salmon, seared in a pan and the big adjustment was having it on sautéed asparagus or spinach v. mashed potatoes. It totally worked and my Heart loved it.
I Love Poké – This is traditionally served on rice. I tried it without rice and it was perfectly fine… so delicious and my Heart didn’t miss the rice either. Another option is cauliflower rice, which we both really like.
Thursday’s have been Veggie Thursdays for the past few years. Finding out beans are nothing but carbs have made the options a lot more difficult. Frittatas and other egg dishes are the best options but that can get old, another reason we aren’t doing Veggie Thursday every week. That said, we still do enjoy those egg dishes adding a lightly dressed salad or spinach or arugula make the meal much more filling and satisfying.
Another favorite is Étouffée – another dish that is supposed to be served with rice. I still have to perfect the cauliflower rice but it works. Good texture and all the flavor is in the sauce.
There were definitely baby steps in the beginning. I really wanted that chicken teriyaki burger but I did trade the fries for broccoli, totally worth the carbs in the burger and I didn’t miss the fries at all !!! This is the reality of this being a lifestyle change and not a “diet”. If I am eating this way the rest of my life, I better still be able to eat the things I LOVE or I won’t keep it up!
Another thing I figured out – not to worry about the quantity of the protein as much… I needed to feel FULL and not hungry in an hour. I generally serve about double that amount of shrimp now, depending on the size. I might not eat all of them and I definitely don’t feel like snacking an hour or two later.
There are some meals that are still worth the carbs, although I am getting used to less carbs so this is less tempting. I now skip the rice and go for the super cheesy refried beans!
As I am adjusting my own meals, I also have to figure out how to make family meals, like Sunday Roast, that still satisfy my family. This meal – Roasted pork tenderloin, super simple Greek salad, and sautéed asparagus – was a Hit and no complaints about the lack of carbs, especially as my son and daughter-in-law also adopt a lower carb lifestyle.
Cravings, crazy days, things go pear-shaped. In other words, $h!t happens. The easiest and quickest foods are often fast food, which are neither healthy nor carb friendly but, sometimes, it’s what you want or have time for. My Heart travels a lot during certain times of the year which means I am on my own. My own schedule can mean several late evening meetings a week, also not conducive to making “dinner” when I get home at 8:30pm or later. What to do? I LOVE fried chicken, one of my guilty pleasures, but this time I did chicken tenders (look at the size of those and they are actual chicken breasts, boneless & skinless) with a side salad (vs. the fries I might usually have). Quick and a little indulgent but not off the charts.
Another favorite is pizza, which has ALL the carbs. I don’t waste carbs on bad pizza but, once in a while, pizza from the local pizzeria we love is worth every carb. Their veggie pie rocks and I can wax poetic about the lamb gyro pizza.
This dish was proof that I could still eat all the deliciousness without the carbs. Flounder stuffed spinach, ricotta, and parmesan and roasted cauliflower? Yes Please. So much richness and flavor and lots of texture in the cauliflower meant we didn’t miss any carbs.
I am a fan of stir-fry but what do you usually put it on? Rice or noodles. This homemade sesame chicken is served up on a sautéed cabbage blend that includes cabbage, broccoli, carrots, etc. So there are lots of flavors and textures with far less carbs!
Again, living low carb but not losing flavor is often about textures and good ingredients. Roasted asparagus is delicious, add a squeeze of lemon juice and some parmesan can make it a standout side. A little parmesan, a small handful of panko crumbs, and herbs on top of roasted salmon adds texture and crunch and can make it feel like there is a carb-y side.
Take-away Chinese food just needs judicious ordering – Egg Foo Yung is just veggies, eggs, and meat or shrimp. The BBQ pork is sweet, so a little high in carbs but I’m not eating any rice and the chicken with broccoli is not breaded so that helps. I’ve never been a fan of heavily breaded dishes so I’m not struggling too much.
For homemade Chinese dishes, like my favorite Mabo Tofu, again serving it on sautéed cabbage works to keep the carbs lower and I don’t really miss the rice. Also, one of my favorite dishes with leftover Mabo Tofu is ramen but I’m working on perfecting Zamen (ramen made with zoodles – zucchini noodles) which, is surprisingly satisfying.
I am still on this journey but more than 35 lbs. later, it is working. The last time they did my blood work, my A1C was at 5.7, which is the bottom measurement for PRE-Diabetes. I am hoping to be completely out of the Diabetes range at my next visit. I’m currently at a plateau for my weight so I’m analyzing how to get this going down again… coming into the summer might help as we eat more grilled dishes and salads, not to mention dancing at our favorite vineyard every Saturday.
I’m not sure where I’m going with my blog, although posting my meals each week might be a start as I adjust old favorite recipes to accommodate the changes in diet. Whatever happens, thanks for following my journey! Maumi
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