OTC Cold Remedies - Diabetics Beware!

For Crying Out Loud!

I've been Fighting a Cold for the last 7-10 days, and so, of course, have been taking OTC Cold medicines. Daytime & Night Time Cold Caplets, and a 'Sugar Free' Vitamin C & Zinc drink additive.

For the past week, my blood sugar has been spiking like mad, even with the low carb diet and careful glucose monitoring that I've pretty gotten down stone cold solid ever since I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes.

It's been driving me crazy all week trying figure out why my blood sugar was going crazy, when I have had it completely under control for quite some time.

On a hunch, I checked the ingredients list on some of the stuff I've been taking, and discovered they ALL contain maltodextrin. For those that slept through chemistry class, maltodextrin is a complex sugar that the human digestive system breaks down into simple sugars very quickly. And BTW, how do you get away with listing something as 'Sugar Free' that contains maltodextrin?

Apparently the pharmaceutical & nutritional supplements industries doesn't consider this worth a specific notation on their labels pointing out that taking these types of products will have adverse side effects on your blood glucose levels if you are diabetic!

I might as well have been swallowing sugar cubes... Give me a BREAK!

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Diet and Nutrition - Be careful who you get your advice from!

One of my biggest rants is the staggering amount of 'dietary disinformation' that is dispensed to diabetics by professional dietitians on a regular, consistent basis.

On a recent hospital stay, I was advised by a hospital nutritionist that I *needed* more carbs in my meal choices, even as a type II diabetic. After enduring the same argument over and over for multiple meals, I did finally cave in (against my better judgement!) and followed the advice given, and increased my carb intake for one of my meals. Needless to say, my after meal blood glucose level shot up to almost 300, instead of the typical 120-140 ranges I was accustomed to seeing, and required a substantial shot of insulin to correct.

The sad fact of the matter is that all too many certified dietitians and nutritionists are dispensing advice to diabetics that can/will undermine any chance of establishing effective dietary management of their diabetes.

For an excellent source of 'real' dietary advice for diabetes management, check out Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes Solution. Not only informative, it's also an entertaining look at the dietary lifestyle changes involved in effectively managing your diabetes. Here's an example-

"The fallacy that eating fat will make you fat is about as scientifically logical as saying that eating tomatoes will turn you red."

http://www.diabetes-book.com/

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Better Choices, Better Health for Diabetes

For the next six weeks I will be participating in a workshop from Stanford University on managing chronic health conditions. The free Better Choices, Better Health Diabetes workshop is designed to help diabetics take control of their diabetes. Check out how to sign up here! 

From time to time, I will add updates here on my experiences with this program

Salad - It's what's for dinner!

A recent dLife poll reports that roughly 74% of respondents use either low carb or carbohydrate counting as their dietary control method. Like these respondents, I learned very early on in the evolution of my diabetes lifestyle that sticking with a low carb menu plan gives me the optimal results that help keep me motivated and on track with maintaining my targeted glucose levels. 

One of the key elements in my dietary arsenal is the inclusion of a low carb dinner salad 2 or 3 times each week. Long regarded as a dieter's staple, the lowly salad can be transformed from the ill regarded 'rabbit food' to a gourmet feast with ease. And the possibilities are virtually limitless!

(my current favorite base of greens)

The key to salad nirvana is to start with a fresh, crisp base of greens. My current favorite mix is a combination of iceberg lettuce, spinach leaves, thinly sliced napa cabbage, shredded carrots, shredded red radishes, and shredded celery. Feel free to mix in whatever strikes your fancy, or whatever is in season. Other options include romaine or other varieties of lettuce, sprouts, different greens, virtually anything from the garden can be incorporated into your base mix.

The next step in your quest for a satisfying salad meal is what I refer to as embellishments. Some of my favorite embellishments are diced tomatoes, cucumbers, sunflower seeds, and slices of yellow, white, or red onion. As in the base mix, feel free to add in whatever strikes your fancy here, but keep in mind that the ultimate goal is a low carbohydrate count. Add in whatever you like, but keep amounts in line with their effect on the total amount of carbs. 

The next phase of your salad extravaganza is the dressing. And this is where many folks tend to stumble, if not completely fall down. The key here is to select an enjoyable dressing that has a low carb profile. If you are watching your sodium levels (and you should be!) this is also something that should be taken into consideration. For the most part, I opt for dressings of the olive oil/vinegar or balsamic vinegar varieties. Here again, portion control is important. On a large dinner salad, my preferred dressing is less than 5 carbs for 3 tablespoons. Always measure your salad dressing!  Despite your conviction that you can 'eyeball' it accurately, chances are you really can't, and even if you can, over time you will slowly start adding more than the desired amount. You can't keep your human nature from asserting itself, so always measure the dressing. I personally like to sprinkle my salad with a variety of salt free seasoning mixes before I add the dressing, to really pump up the flavor profile.

Last, and by far not the least, is the topping phase. As with every other step, here you are limited only by your own creativity. Obvious choices are a seasoned grilled chicken breast, seasoned grilled salmon, seasoned grilled tuna ( a George Foreman grill makes these options very easy!), some tuna salad, egg salad, or tuna and egg salad (substitute tangy plain greek yogurt and green olives in the recipe for an added flavor punch!), a chefs salad with sliced meats and hard boiled eggs, or even a taco salad with a topping made from spiced ground meat, tomatoes, and fiber rich red beans (skip the dressing here and garnish with salsa and sour cream. Sliced jalapenos are even an option!)  

 (a completed grilled chicken salad)

Dinner salads, served 2-3 times a week, provide an abundant source of fresh vegetables, essential nutrients, healthy vitamins, minerals and fiber, plus an endless variety of taste sensation in a low carb package that is satisfyingly delicious. And they will also help keep your glucose meter showing you those numbers you really want to see!

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A Pat on the back for me!

I finally got the results back from my HbA1c test on Sept 26.

The test came back at 6.9%, down from 10.5% three months earlier. 

I'm taking credit for a win on this one!

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The Vegetti Report - Use scores a 5, Tastes Scores a 10!

So I have been using the Vegetti® for a couple of months now, and decided it's time to share my experiences with it. I typically use it about once a week. I did try a hand held julienne slicer instead of the Vegetti®, which was a total waste of time. And I'll be honest, I'm still looking for the 'perfect' solution. But until I find it, the Vegetti® does get the job done.

Despite the advertising claims, the Vegetti® really only excels at cutting zucchini. Yellow squash cuts somewhat less effectively, mostly due to the shape and the larger concentration of seeds in the center of a typical yellow squash. Carrots and parsnips are much more difficult to get started, but once the Vegetti® finally does settle down and starts cutting them, they do cut nicely. In my experience, cutting the squash items on the thick blade, and the carrots and parsnips on the thin blade, yielded the best results.

My favorite dish is a mixed combination of zucchini, carrot, and yellow squash. Once you have shredded out the desired amount, you have two cooking options. You can saute the strips in a pan with a bit of non-stick spray, butter, or olive oil. Feel free to spice them up with anything you prefer. You can also dip them in salted boiling water, like you would real pasta, for about 5 minutes. Both methods have their merits, and do result in a slightly different taste profile. My personal preference is to saute with olive oil, minced garlic, and a bit of crushed red pepper flakes.

At this point you can serve as a delicious side dish, or use as the base for your favorite pasta sauce. I've enjoyed Vegetti® pasta with my own low carb traditional pasta sauce, made with ground turkey. I've also served it with a low carb tomato sauce with grilled shredded chicken. And it also makes an excellent base for a low carb chicken marsala entree.

So for those of you that love pasta, and are looking for a way to enjoy pasta without blowing your glucose levels out of range, you owe it to yourself to give the Vegetti®, or other similar device, a try. These shredded vegetable strands have a low carb, low glycemic nutritional profile that lets you indulge your 'pasta' cravings to the fullest and still keep your glucose meter happy!

Vegetti® is a registered trademark of the Ontel Products Corporation

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A Great Lunch Time Option!

Today I'm going to talk about one of my favorite low carb lunch choices.
The turkey wrap. It goes as follows:

1 Flat Out Whole wheat soft flatbread
2 slices turkey (2oz)
Shredded lettuce (sometimes I use shredded spinach instead)
1 Shredded baby carrot
1/2 shredded red radish
tomato slices
cucumber pieces
mild banana pepper slices
black olives
sprinkle with your favorite no salt seasoning blend

Hint: Build your wrap lying on a piece of foil wrap.
After you fold up your wrap, wrap the entire thing in your foil.
I prefer foil because you can easily peel it away as you eat your wrap!

Mix up your toppings according to your own tastes. Use avocado, sprouts, or anything else you like! Just remember to fill it FULL of fresh veggies, and enjoy! 

Eggs are a great Low Carb Breakfast Choice

All too often, eggs get a bad rap for healthy nutrition, but that's just not true. They can be a major component of a low carb lifestyle! I typically do an omelette for breakfast every other day.

My recipe for a great veggie/cheese omelette goes something like this. Into your favorite non-stick pan, coated with your preferred nonstick spray, add liberal amounts of the following ingredients-

Diced green, red, and yellow peppers

Diced onions, mushrooms,tomatoes, zucchini

Shredded fresh spinach.

Season liberally with your favorite no-salt seasoning blend.

For the egg portion, you can take either of the following options.

If you are using large eggs, take 1 whole egg, and two egg whites, mix together with 3 tbs water.

If you are using jumbo eggs, take 1 whole egg, and one egg white, mix together with 3 tbs water.

Or you can use 1/2 cup of 'eggbeater' type egg substitute.

Since I limit myself to two whole eggs per week, I can do two omelettes with real eggs, and the rest are done with eggbeater products

Once your veggies have cooked the way you like them, pour in your omelette mixture, and cover the pan with a tight fitting lid.

Just before the eggs are cooked to the desired doneness, sprinkle about 1 ounce of real shredded cheese on top. I prefer sharp cheddar, but colby or even mozzarella works just as well. Note: no reduced fat or non-fat cheese products, Use the real stuff, or skip the cheese entirely!

Recover, melt the cheese, slide the omelette onto a plate, and fold. Add a couple of tablespoons of salsa if that's your style.

You can add a slice of low carb bread, with 1 tbs of no sugar added jam/jelly, and still have a delicious, nutritious, 1 carb breakfast!

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