“FUNK” — U!

Saturday, September 10, 2016

So there!!!        

That’s how I’ve been feeling — in a funk.  Tired, aggravated with the world, you know the deal. We’ve all been there.

Not being a very patient person,…I want/need OUT of this feeling, NOW!  Ah, patience. Not one of my virtues. I guess I’m frustrated because I’ve been working hard at beating the hell out of my T2D, desperately trying to get off the medication. I expected to feel great by now (always in a rush…)  I have a B12 deficiency, so I had the blood work done yesterday to determine if that’s the issue at hand. I hope so. That’s an easy fix.

When I got up this morning, I headed for John’s Farms for some fish— “brain food,” right? Maybe that’ll help. I bought swordfish, which I LOVE grilled.  Next, I drove to my absolute favorite local farm — Meyer’s. I stocked up on some of their fantastic zucchini — the golden zucchini is amazing. I swear the attraction for me is the color, not just the taste. They’re such a rich, golden shade of yellow —  beautiful. 🙂

Thanks to my nephew, Keith, (I like to refer to him as “Farmer Keith”). He’s got some “Green Thumb!”  Thanks, Keith, for an outrageous supply of bright red, scrumptious, cherry tomatoes. Mouthwatering — OMG — they’re incredible! I could eat them like candy, but — oops, oh yeah, diabetes. I paired these jewels of his “farm” with some amazing zucchini, and the result was a casserole that, at this very moment, smells FANTABULOUS!!! Can’t wait ’til it comes out of the oven.

Do you hear a change in my “tone?” I do. Just taking the actions that I took today, are causing an improvement in my attitude. Music helps too — Hoping the “Funk” departs — SOON!

Watch for my next post. I’ll include a photo of the finished product. If it’s tasty, I’ll include the recipe!  🙂

 

 

 

 

WHY? Why? why?

Forgive me for what may seem like I’m climbing on a soapbox.  Diary of a Dedicated Diabetic is, however, a blog about taking care of ourselves.  These words are about our taking care as individuals, and as a country.

It’s been difficult to write about anything positive amid the sadness of the world . The terror that took place in San Bernadino, California, this past week is just overwhelming,  especially with Paris and Brussels, barely in the background.

To hear people speaking about “another” mass murder caused my heart to break.  I no longer want to hear the statistics of these events.  I don’t want to listen to, or engage in, conversations that use words like, “so sad, unbelievable, and what can we do?” These conversations bring a sense of helplessness, and I don’t believe that we’re helpless.  We are not victims! 

We, in the United States, are members of a democracy.  I’m so grateful for that.  But, because we live in a democratic nation, we CAN do something.  We can call and write our Congresspeople.  We can voice our concerns and opinions.  We can and must demand that they take actions to make and keep our schools, malls, churches, movie theaters, and workplaces SAFE!  We should and must expect them to listen and act — for the good of all.

And now — about diabetes.  Type 2, in my case.

Making good choices and taking care of ourselves on every level is imperative. Last Thursday night, I made a great choice!  I went to a seminar on diabetes that focused on the Holidays.  One of the handouts was titled, “Holiday Season Eating.”   🙂

First of all, the presenter was excellent.  She was a diabetes educator/registered dietician and really knew her stuff.  Her presentation was filled with information and helpful hints; we left with a packet of healthier recipes; time well spent.

There was much discussion about portion control (happily, without using those words). Non-starchy vegetables were encouraged. She reminded us that  1 cup raw or 1/2 cup cooked non-starchy veggies = 5 grams of carbs. LOTS of choices — no need for that feeling of deprivation.  

A four-page, double-sided folder was given to us as an easy-to-read chart of everything you always wanted to know about good choices, for the person who has diabetes.  It’s in a simple format that makes preparation quick and easy.  Speaking of preparation, there was a lot of discussion about its importance (We knew that!  Do we do it? Not necessarily…) but,  Heather placed it right up to the front of our minds.  Thank you!

This was the first time, EVER, that I didn’t want a diabetes education seminar to end. There was much more information to pass along to you. I’ll do that in future blogs — promise!

In the meantime, let’s stand together and make good choices in every level of our lives.  

 

Preparing for the holidays?

Wishing you bundles of JOY!

 

BAKED ZUCCHINI “FRIES” — Amazing!

What a great summer we’re having. Remember to BUY LOCAL!  I’ve been shopping my local farm stands, and they’re chock full of fabulous fruits and veggies. Take advantage of the abundance of these fresh, colorful and healthy fruits and vegetables.

Zucchini was never my favorite, but when I had my first zucchini fry, it was LOVE.  BUT, I’m pretty much off fried foods, so I had to search for an alternative.  Baking was the answer.  We can still have the foods we want, without the tons of oil.  Perfect!

What’s better than FRIED zucchini?  “FRIED” zucchini — just bake them.  I was at Meyer’s Farms the other day, and I bought Golden Zucchini.  The color was amazing.  Much brighter than the usual yellow zucchini.

GOLDEN zucchini, RED and YELLOW tomatoes from Meyers Farm!

Here’s the recipe (it’s a video).  This one uses parmigiana cheese (you can skip it, if you’d like). Baked zucchini fries are awesome — try it, you’ll like it!  🙂

ENJOY!

Absolutely, positively, THINKING POSITIVELY! :)

I love color.  Any color — reds, greens, oranges, browns, purples, yellows!  You name it — I LOVE them all.  Colors make me happy!

Take rainbows, for instance.  The anticipation involved in just viewing a rainbow — what’s at the

What’s waiting for you at the end?

end of it?  The colors are pale and serene and invoke a feeling of calmness.

What about the bright color of  beautiful Black Eyed Susans?  The incredible shades of yellow and

Black-eyed Susans on the East End!

brown can put a smile on your face, especially if they’re in abundance.

The BOLD colors of vegetables in the summer can light up my life!  They reflect the joy of the summer harvest.  They’re absolutely MOUTHWATERING!

RED onions, YELLOW onions and WHITE garlic from Meyers Farm!

GOLDEN zucchini, RED and YELLOW tomatoes from Meyers Farm!

Precious gifts from the soil of Long Island.  There’s no place I’d rather shop locally for my vegetables than Meyer’s Farm in Woodbury.

It’s easy to THINK POSITIVELY and eat properly with these on my kitchen counter.  Today is another Day #1, and it will absolutely, positively be a great day!

Produce from Meyers Farm in Woodbury, NY