Food Log- again. lol

If you have suggestions for topics you would like me to blog about, let me know.  Mostly, if you have questions about what it's like to be diabetic; or what changes have been hard or easy to make; or if you want to have a recipe changed up so that it is more diabetic friendly- please let me know.

Until then, here is another food log. :)  I had a hard time eating yesterday.  I was so tired, and just really didn't feel like I wanted any food.  I did force myself to eat some, because it is important that I do.  It is actually important that anyone does.  Skipping meals is not healthy. 

Shake for breakfast.  Tell me you're surprised. :)

A few steamed veggies started my lunch.

A handful of grapes.

A cheese stick.

and 1/2 of a sugar free pudding and lunch was over.  I didn't feel like eating, the small amounts I had, were all I could handle.

Easy dinner.  Soup over rice.  

I actually had vanilla ice cream with toffee bits and some caramel topping, but I didn't have a picture, so this is the picture I am using.  Later I had a healthy handful of cashews.

Daily Log --

Someday I will not have to eat like a diabetic. Instead, I will need to choose to eat like a diabetic.  That is a 'wake-up' thought.  Being forced to eat healthier and choosing to eat healthier, well those are very different mind sets. My goal is to stick with it.  Life long habits, right? Please do share with me ways that you stay motivated to make good food choices.

For now, here is my food log.

This was a tasty breakfast. With Almond Milk, of course.

Sugar free soda.  It is a nice little treat on a hot day. (And yes, I still love grape.)

And a snack after measuring my sugar levels.  Gotta love a cheese stick.

Left over tortellini and salad for lunch.  mmmmnnn. 

My family now begs for smoothies throughout the day- and it is hot, so after a bit of yard work, I give them what they want. :)

Dinner was a bit dull.  Hotdog and steamed veggies. Afterward I also had a handful of chocolate chips.  It was that kind of day.

So at night, my sugars were really really low, at 61, so I opted for one of my favorite treats.  I melt chocolate chips and peanut butter together, and this time I added Nutella and I dipped my banana in it.  It is a naughty treat, but it is possible to make only a small amount.  It is a fast and yummy fondue. 

What are you willing to do?

It started out as a fluke.  I randomly posted my lunch on Facebook with the caption, 'eat like a diabetic.'  It was meant to be a tongue-in-cheek comment on how boring my meals were.  Then one person said "blog this." Then another, then another.  Enough people asked for a blog, that I thought, "Why not?" So I started logging my meals online. 

I  have to admit that keeping this blog has been more than a little uncomfortable for me.  I am not really a "share with the world" kind of person.  I normally would tell my friends about my diabetes, in person, if it came up in conversation; but to blog about it is so completely open.  Don't get me wrong, I am not a shy person.  I am very outgoing, but I don't share really personal things.

 While I know that what I eat is not necessarily personal, it does open me to a lot of scrutiny.  Especially since I normally take a lot of joy in what I cook and consider myself a good cook.  I also take some enjoyment from knowing that what I make is normally from scratch and my own unique recipe.  What I have shared here so far has been modifications for the changes in sugar and starch, or has been made using "prepared" foods that make things quick for me.  It is actually embarrassing to me.  Funny, huh?

As I move through this journey, I fully expect to learn to cook all my new foods from scratch and to develop recipes that are as tasty as the originals.  And so far, I have been really pleased with the recipes that I have developed and shared.  They are my reality at this point, as is my diabetes.  But I think it is funny, how sometimes I just don't want to share a recipe, because I know that I have used a commercially prepared sauce or a can of soup. 

Sharing my feelings on the day that I realized that I did indeed have diabetes, was completely foreign to me.  I didn't want people to feel sorry for me, but I felt so many emotions at that moment. It wasn't that I wanted to be "honest to my followers." It was more that I needed that outlet at that moment.  Having done that, I was able to move forward.  This blog has helped me more than anything, to keep on track.  To be accountable to so many, has forced better habits of diet and exercise on me.

I have been surprised at how many of my friends have followed my journey.  I have also been grateful.  This isn't the most scintillating of blogs- I mean, it's a food log.  But it has shown me how many people care about me, and that has been humbling.

So I will keep blogging my meals, and thank you for your kind comments and help in keeping me one track. 

Low Sugars

My sugar levels have were low last week. Normally, I worry about levels that are too high, so this is new to me. I haven't been able to track down a reason either.  So this week, I have a goal to watch what I eat very carefully and make sure that I am eating enough, eating on time, and eating the correct foods.

Here is Friday's food log.

Normal smoothie for breakfast.

This is an all fruit bar.  No extra sugar added.  They are delicious.

And when the calories and the sugar are low- I went ahead and had more than I normally would. 

I just wanted a small lunch, so I started with toast. Whole wheat, of course.

A cheese stick for protein.

And I shared a cup of soup with my daughter.  She ate the noodles, I ate the broth.

Mid afternoon snack.  This is a really sweet treat that is almost guilt free.  about 100-110 calories.  Sweetened with Truvia.  No added hormones and non-hormone fed cows, for the milk.  Yum!

My husband brought home dinner.  I requested BBQ.  I find I can have almost anything I want- in moderation.  What you see on my plate is actually what I had.  I didn't have seconds.  I was too full.  I also had some ice cream later in the evening, but I forgot to photograph it.

Another Food Log

 Last night was a rough night, so not everything is pictured, but I will still log it.

shake for breakfast

2 burritos for lunch.  I was really hungry.  It left me on the high end of my sugars, but not out of range.

Frozen Pizza and fresh veggies for dinner.  I am getting tired of cooking I think.

I also had some milk (almond) with my meal.  I didn't have 2nds.  This gave me awful heartburn, so even though I wasn't full, I didn't want any more.

Snack after dinner. But I also had cheese and crackers and some sugar-free hot cocoa later in the evening.

Summer Dilema

Hey! Are you ready for another food log?  You've been waiting, haven't you?  Do Some of you stop taking care of yourself during the summer, because you are taking care of kids instead?  Are you running to swim lessons and trying to find fun activities for the kids?  Do you look at the clock and realize it's 3:00 and you still haven't had lunch?  Do you then decide that you might as well wait for dinner?  Well, stop it!

Do you know why this is so bad for your body?  You allow your blood sugar levels to drop, and you start to feel tired and maybe a little sick.  Then you over-eat, when you finally sit down, and you elevate your levels beyond what is good for your body.  Plus, you tend to eat what is fast and easy.  That is not always, and I would guess is actually rarely healthy.

Here is the thing, you can keep a small package of nuts in your purse, or in your car.  When you feel a little hungry, but can't stop, eat a handful of nuts.  Or grab a cheese stick as you walk out the door, so that you have a little protein snack.  This seems to be the one thing that can keep me on track- I have to eat.  I can't skip. I have noticed that if I am diligent with my snacks, I can even eat things that are "naughty" without having it effect my sugar levels or my weight in an extremely negative way.  Part of that is that I am never "starving" so I don't over-indulge.  I am satisfied with a bit.  Usually.  I have my days- and if you have been following this blog, you know that.  But overall, I am doing so much better than I ever have.

That being said, here is yesterday's less than stellar food log. lol

Peanut butter cup smoothie.  My kids Love this. I actually, think this is the one I added blueberries to, so it's not the right photo, but its a smoothie. :)

Lunch was pretty good.  It looks small, but I was full.  Tuna on whole wheat, fresh cherries, no-sugar-added mandarin oranges on cottage cheese and a light yogurt. Just water with some fresh lemon to drink.

I had 1 1/2 cookies and a sliver (about 2 bites) of cake. This cake was dangerous for me.  I gave it away today.  It was delicious, but I don't need to eat it by myself.  I got a taste- that is enough.

I love this for a snack. 

Tortellini.  Pasta sauce and some Parmesan.  Yum.

Okay- and seconds, with some salad.  No dressing- I just didn't feel like it.

about 1/4-1/2 cup of this.  I also had one orange cream bar.  Too yummy to pass up- but no seconds. :)

Off Track

The easiest way to get off track for me to be too tired to deal with eating.  If I get too busy or overwork, I tend to not care about what I eat.  I just grab something fast and easy.  I have spent the last 2 days being too busy and too tired to care.  This does not reflect well on my food log-or my sugar log, which is the bigger concern.  I have not checked my sugars regularly in those two days.  Considering how hard I have worked to keep my levels in control the last few months, this seems silly.  Two days can really throw a diabetic or a dieter off track.  I will report what I can here in my food log, but I have a goal to be much more diligent over the next few weeks.  I'm sure that success doesn't mean I never mess up.  It means that I get back on track the minute I realize I am not being diligent enough. :)

This is a blueberry shake.  It is a clam shell of blueberries and a couple cups of ice cream and some milk.  I made enough for the whole family.  Yes, I ate it for lunch.  Ahhhh---  I did say I needed to do better.

I really needed some protein.

And some yogurt covered pretzels where yummy, although not filling.  I did not over do it, I only had a couple.  However, when combined with the day- it wasn't a good choice.

Teaching my son to make a yummy fast meal, so we made BBQ sandwiches in Grands rolls.  I generally start teaching with some easy things like mac and cheese and hamburger helper, etc.  Then when they understand the rules of using the oven and stove and measurements, I move them into cooking from scratch.  He was so proud of these, so even though they are not great food for a diabetic, it was worth it.

a big slice of watermelon. 

Some pork n beans from the can.  I love this stuff.

4-5 Big strawberries. Yum!

a small handful of chocolate chips.  Sometimes you gotta have a fix.

Then since I'd already had the chips, I figured "why not?" on the tootsie roll.  I did give some to my kids.  It felt great to eat it, but 10 min. later, I did not feel great.  In fact I felt sick.  Lesson learned.  1 or 2 of the little tootsie rolls is a much better option.  Save the king size thing for when you're hiking and need a quick pick me up. :)

Low Fat Mac and Cheese with Broccoli

I don't have a normal food log today.  I do, however, have some meal ideas for you.  Coming up with something new for dinner can be a real drag when you are diabetic or dieting.  I have a few standards that I always go back to: Stir-Fry, Taco Salad, Chicken with Salad, Soup, and then I'm out of ideas.  While there is nothing wrong with this menu, it does get a little monotonous. This weekend I made a homemade Mac and Cheese that was WAYYYY lower in fat and pumped up in nutrition with the addition of broccoli, (FAMILY LOVED IT.) I also made a pork loin roast and celery with peanut butter.  I stuffed my fridge with fruits and veggies so that is mostly what we ate this weekend.  Snacks were cherries and strawberries. We ate watermelon until we were covered in red sticky juice, and we piled our plates with avocados and tomatoes.

This is pasta boiling in skim milk instead of water. Well actually only simmering.  If you let it boil, bad things can happen to milk.  Cooking the pasta in the milk allows the mac and cheese to get creamy without the standard white sauce.  (This is 3 cups uncooked pasta and 3 1/2 cups 1% milk.)

I didn't use the cream cheese photographed here, because the pasta was creamy enough and I didn't want to add any extra calories.  I only used about a cup of the cheddar cheese and then I used a few slices of reduced fat swiss cheese.  I am not a swiss cheese fan, but in a recipe like this, a bite of strong cheese is really helpful for adding taste with just a small amount of cheese. Yes I do add mustard, and that is some onion powder in front of it.

This is for the top of the casserole. It is a little less than a cup. You can skip this step.

I ended up adding double this amount of broccoli.  Just line your pan and spray it with cooking oil.  I used olive oil. Then add bite sized portions of broccoli.

I added the swiss cheese directly to the noodles and milk and stirred.  It is only 3 thin sliced pieces.

Then I added the cheddar and the mustard and the onion powder. (about 1 Tbl mustard and 1/2 tsp onion poweder.)

See how creamy.  You could serve it like this, but I wanted the broccoli in there.

So I dumped it over the top of the broccoli and then added a tiny bit (about 1/4 cup) milk over the top, to make sure there was enough liquid to cook the broccoli.

Crush a few of these.  I only used a very small few.  One handful is enough for the whole top of the casserole, and of course, you can leave this off.  You can also use toasted bread crumbs or panko.

I also added the last of the cheese.

bake at 375 for about 20 min. until the top is golden.