What’s on Your Plate?

Sunday, August 7, 2016

“PLATE” #1

Do you live for a buffet/smorgasbord dinner? NOOOOoooooo! My conscience screams, DON’T do it! If you have issues with portion control, that kind of dining can be a downfall.

I read a great article in Everyday Health. the title was, “Sizing Up Your Plate: Why Portion Control Matters.”

Everyday Health does a great job in its discussion of diabetes and this T2D “listens” very carefully when they “talk.”  D. Wolter-Nitta, RD, CDE, nutritionist and certified diabetes educator at Montefiore Medical Center in Bronx, NY, was quoted on the topic of portion control. For the Type 2 Diabetic, who may be overweight, losing some pounds can lead to better blood sugar control and “possibly” less need for medication. Some of the information noted in the article will be familiar to you and some will seem like common sense. I read everything diabetes related. Truth is, there’s always more to learn and, if nothing else, reading the info will put it in the forefront of my mind. Can’t hurt, right? Everyday Health noted that Jill Weisenberger, RD, CDE, and writer, out of Yorktown, VA, stressed that “not eating proper carbs at a meal can lead to higher or lower blood sugars,” and we know what that can produce. Problems.

She, along with others, had some good points:

• Weigh and Measure your food. LOL — right!  We’ll see about that.  🙂    Okay, I’ve never been thrilled with doing “the scale thing,” but she’s right. It’s really difficult to guess how much food is the right amount, and we know that portion control is imperative. That’s why…
• Visual Aids are so important! I was having difficulty awhile back in my T2D journey, and I went to a diabetes educator for help. I thought I had portion control down pat but was stunned to learn that the fact that I was eating apples the size of a softball didn’t make the grade. She tossed me a tennis ball and informed me that THIS was the size I should have been consuming. “Really?” I queried, while looking at the small ball that seemed to be lost in my hand. I realized that the difference in size meant that I was eating what would be considered two apples at each sitting. AAArrrggghhh! That explained my weight gain.                 By the way, when shopping for apples, TRUST ME, the ones that come packaged in the plastic bags are the size you should be eating.   It’s called SMALL! At first, I was saddened by the fact that my beloved apple snack had just shrunken to about one-third of its size.  Here’s what helped a LOT:  I sliced the apple into very thin slices — VERY thin!  During that same appointment, the Diabetes Educator shocked me into realizing that I’d been overeating just about everything — without even knowing it. She showed me a plastic hamburger to demonstrate the portion that we should be eating.  It seemed so small and alone on the plate — probably one-third of the size I’d been scoffing down. Next on her agenda was the “deck of cards” — another visual aid to slap me silly into “getting” the world of portion control.  WHAT??? How many of us eat a portion of chicken, fish or beef that takes up one-third to half of the dinner plate? Well, get a grip! The deck of cards it is.
• Read Food Labels!   Besides the obvious — carbs, protein, fiber, it’s important to check out the food labels for the SERVING SIZE.  You may be surprised to learn that a can or package contains more than one serving per person.
• Use Smaller Plates.  This is an easy one. Substitute a luncheon-sized plate for a regular dinner plate. This tricks your eye, because it looks like you have a lot of food on your plate when, in fact, your plate is smaller.    🙂
• Beverages. Again, read those labels. You may be surprised to see that the serving size information will force you to make a different decision. Drinking is the fastest way to get carbs into your system; therefore, for better blood glucose management, it’s better to eat your carbs than drink them.
• SNACK, SNACK, SNACK! Tim Harlan, M.D. and Medical Director of Tulane University Group in New Orleans, states (in Everyday Health) that snacking is important for the diabetic. He says that snacking “controls overeating, controls cravings, and keeps blood sugar stable.” MAKES SENSE!  🙂
• WRITE, WRITE, WRITE! Another common sense tip. Keeping a food log is important when managing blood glucose levels. Simply put, it keeps us on track and holds us accountable. Not a big deal.

    “PLATE” #2 — continued in next post — will focus on eating out and will include social events such as weddings!

So folks, WHAT’S ON YOUR PLATE???

 

 

PROGRESS — One-day-at-a-time

Every day is Day #1, but progression, in a positive sense, feels great!

This morning, I took my blood sugar — before I put on my sneakers.  Post-breakfast, and Pre-walk it was 156.  Post walk = 67!

That’s an 89 point drop, PEOPLE!     A round of applause, please.  🙂

Worth celebrating, I’d say; but not with a cake, that’s for sure.  Instead, I poured delicious, clear, spring water, in a cold, frosted, stem glass, accompanied by half of a shiny, bright red, with a tinge of yellow, Gala apple — sliced really thin!  Refreshing and delicious, and I’m NOT being sarcastic.

               Water in a “stem.”
                        (Paris)

Celebrating with a Gala!

Progress = one-day-at-a-time.    It’s all about attitude, right?    

 

GANACHE, GANESH? To-mA-to, To-mAH-to? What’s the Difference?

I had an interesting conversation with my daughter the other day.  She told me that a good friend had come to her home and brought her “a Ganesh.” My mouth started to water, of course; my reaction to all things chocolate.

“That’s wonderful,” I replied, “what kind?”

There was a silence.  “Mom, do you know what a Ganesh is?”

“Of course!” I couldn’t believe she was questioning MY knowledge of anything in the chocolate family. “Was it cake, or truffles, what???”

She started to laugh. “Not GanACHE, Mom.  GanESH!  Ganesh is a Hindu God!”

Now, we were both laughing. I mean REALLY laughing.  My mouth stopped salivating. My ignorance was showing.  I thought back to my studies of Buddhism, remembering the Four Noble Truths, The Three Pillars, and The Eight Fold Path. I went through the rolodex in my brain to find Hinduism.  Ganesh slipped through the cracks; I just couldn’t recall it.

Our conversation ended with my daughter’s description of the lovely Ganesh her friend, Denise, had gifted to her.  (Good friends are hard to find.)     🙂

                 A “Gifted” Ganesh!

Although this blog is focused on diabetes,  I hope you won’t mind, if I take a “dive” into history — just for a moment.

When I hung up the phone, I immediately, went to the Internet and looked up this Hindu god.  Ganesh has an elephant head, four arms, and a huge belly, and as soon as I saw him, I recognized him from a visit that my daughter, son and I, had made to the Rubin Museum of Art, in NYC.  The Hindu god, Ganesh, has an extensive history, and is known as the god of obstacles.  Perfect to have around when things get in your way!  He is also considered the god of literature and learning  (I love him, already!), as well as the patron of the arts and sciences, intellect and wisdom.

                                     Ganesh!

Obviously, there is NO comparison between the Hindu deity, Ganesh, and the mixture of chocolate and cream that we chocoholics know as Ganache.  Are you familiar with the history behind Ganache?

 The Eiffel Tower

I learned, while in Paris, that Ganache was “born” at the Parisian Patisserie, Siravdin, around 1850. It seems though, that the Swiss take exception to that point of history.  They believe it’s theirs…  It matters not to me — it’s absolutely scrumptious!

                              Chocolate Ganache

But, all things being equal, Ganache = POISON to Diabetics.  😦   Sorry…

Ganache is made with melted dark or milk chocolate and heavy cream.  Some culinary experts add liqueurs or almond or vanilla extract, as well as butter and/or sugar to the mixture.  There are a multitude of recipes, as well as uses for Ganache.  Some chefs use it cold as a filling or frosting, and some mold it into truffles.  Lastly, warm Ganache can be used as a glaze and drizzled over a cake.

 GANACHE, GANESH? 

To-mA-to, To-mAH-to?

 There’s a difference, a HUGE difference!  🙂

ENOUGH OF THAT — I have to get an apple — NOW — before I take a major plunge into an abyss of bad choices and run to the store to get something chocolate and yummy.  Thinly sliced apples, Galas,  my favorite, help to alleviate my craving for something yummy and crunchy. When eaten in moderation, they have little negative impact on my blood sugar.

         A YUMMY andDiabetic-friendly snack!

APPLES = YUMMY!  That’s my “mantra.”

🙂

Diabetes, one day at a time, with a SMILE!

“Acceptance”

Monday, September 22, 2014

Once I accepted that I actually had diabetes, I set out to become the poster-person for what I termed, “this miserable disease.”

Not happily, I went on medication. “Not for long,” I told my doctor. Believing that I could do this with diet and exercise, I set about on my journey to lower my blood sugar. Come hell or high water!

No more cakes, cookies, candy, OH, MY! This wasn’t going to be easy, but I was determined. Apples became my salvation — sliced VERY thin (kind of like potato chips, but not). I brought them to work, and devoured them at home. No, it wasn’t the same, but my blood sugar was coming down.

Next on my agenda was exercise. HAHAHAHA! No, really. That’s what they told me to do. This girl was not about to darken the doorway of any self-respecting gym; it just wasn’t going to happen.

I was told that walking, plain old walking, would bring down my blood sugar. I can walk. And walk I did! Evidently, this basic form of exercise has a great effect on belly-fat. Seriously, it was falling off me — probably left in the street somewhere 🙂
You might not have said I was Overweight, but I did need to lose some pounds, and walking did it.

Started WALKING!

It wasn’t long before I could see the results. I did notice something else though, my blood sugar was going down and so was I. I began to feel light-headed and sometimes actually passing out. After conferring with my doctor, we decided that I would stop the medication. I did it! I succeeded in lowering my blood sugar through diet and exercise. I thought I was “cured!” Maybe not…