I am constantly frustrated when we travel and don't want to stop for a long meal. Where and what can I eat that is fast food? I choose to limit myself to under 20 carbs for an items and eat no more than 45 carbs at a meal sitting. So here - from their websites - are some items that I can possibly eat. Wooohooo for me :)
McDonalds
Chicken McNuggets 6 pc - 18 carbs (this is with no sauce)
Spicy Chicken McBites - 18 carbs (this is with no sauce)
Premium Bacon Ranch Salad with Grilled Chicken comes with a dressing - 10 grams of Carbs
Premium Caesar Salad with Grilled Chicken comes with a dressing - 10 grams of Carbs
Wendys
Chicken BLT Cobb Salad - 9
5 Piece chicken nuggets - 13 (this is with no sauce)
5 Piece spicy chicken nuggets - 12 (this is with no sauce)
Stay away from the BBQ, Honey Mustard and sweet and sour sauce - Ranch comes in at 2
Taco Bell
Fresco Chicken Soft Taco - 18
Fresco Crunchy Taco - 13
Fresco Grilled Steak Soft Taco - 19
Chicken Soft Taco - 18
Crunchy Taco - 12
Crunchy Taco Supreme - 15
Dorritos Locos Taco - 13
Dorritos Locos Taco Supreme - 15
Grilled Steak Soft Taco - 19
Soft Taco Beef - 19
Volcano Taco - 14
Cheese Roll up - 18
The 'sauce' packets don't amount to much carb wise so enjoy.
Jack in the Box
Grilled Chicken Salad - 14
Chiquita apple bites with carmel - 17
Grilled Chicken Strips with Teryaki dipping sauce - 16
Chicken strips grilled 4 pieces - 5 (this is with no sauce)
Chicken Club Salad with Grilled Chicken Strips - 12
Beef Taco - 17
1 Egg Roll - 15
KFC
Actually you can eat all of their chicken - all recipes - but only one piece if it's a breast but up to 3 for wings or legs and still be under the magic 20 grams of carbs.
Crispy Strips 3 - 17
Popcorn chicken Individual - 18
Original Recipe Bites 6 - 7
Double Down with Original Recipe Fillet - 18
All the salads are good - but stay away from the 'Hidden Valley' Ranch dressing and the croutons.
Okay sides are Green Beans - 4
Mashed Potatoes with Gravy - 19
Mashed Potatoes without gravy - 15
Macaroni and Cheese - 19
As far as sauces are concerned - stay away from the orange ginger, spicy chipolte and sweet and sour. These will push your numbers up to high. All the rest are acceptable.
You won't find Carl's Jr. here. I don't eat there. Personal protest against their horrible TV ads.
For a list it's not bad or atleast it's a start.
Enjoy!
Update:
Did Panda Express last night and numbers were horrible so went on line to check. Okay, so the sweet fire chicken is not a good idea (53 carbs) but I can have kung pao, broccoli beef and black pepper chicken. And, of course, I can have all the veggies I want. But definitely no rice. And it doesn't matter in what form either (steamed or fried). No, No and No!
Thursday, December 20, 2012
Thursday, September 20, 2012
GI verses GL and Why Should I Care?
My final transfer from my old blog - Good Bye Temple Tenant Improvement - I appreciated the things that you taught me :)
I have been studying the GI (Glycemic Index) and the GL (Glycemic Load). Trying to find out what they are and how they effect me.
Originally there was the GI and everyone started waving the flag that this was the new end all be all for dietary measuring. How many commercials did you see on TV about this? Tons. Basically the GI is how high your blood sugar goes up after eating 50 grams of available Carbs in any one item then that is compared to the same measurement of eating 50 grams of sugar. The number they come up with is the GI. That's fine but the amount of stuff you have to eat to get that 50 grams made some people cry foul. I mean to get 50 grams of carbs from carrots you would have to eat 1.5 pound and 50 grams of watermelon requires you to consume 6 cups. Most of us just don't eat like that so the GL was created to give you more of a balance in determining how to eat. The GL measures the actual amount of available carbs in a normal serving. If you take the two numbers together then you get a better idea of what is good and what is bad for you.
Numbers under 55 for the GI are the best, 56 to 69 are medium and 70 and up are high. With the GL the number you are looking for is under 10, then 11 to 19 is medium and over 20 is high. There is some really good info on this on the web site www.mendosa.com(just type in GI in the search engine and go to the post on 'lists'). Again there are tons of charts out there giving you the GI and GL of items.
So why do I care about the GI or GL in my diet. Well I am a diabetic and my blood sugar level is a constant source of aggravation to me and knowing the GI and GL just give me one more tool to keep my blood sugar under control. I read too that insulin can effect cancer growth (which was all new to me).
The more I learn the more I realize that everything in my body seems to be intertwined with everything else. I know, I know, just eat right and exercise and it will all fall into place. That's the plan.
Enjoy!
I have been studying the GI (Glycemic Index) and the GL (Glycemic Load). Trying to find out what they are and how they effect me.
Originally there was the GI and everyone started waving the flag that this was the new end all be all for dietary measuring. How many commercials did you see on TV about this? Tons. Basically the GI is how high your blood sugar goes up after eating 50 grams of available Carbs in any one item then that is compared to the same measurement of eating 50 grams of sugar. The number they come up with is the GI. That's fine but the amount of stuff you have to eat to get that 50 grams made some people cry foul. I mean to get 50 grams of carbs from carrots you would have to eat 1.5 pound and 50 grams of watermelon requires you to consume 6 cups. Most of us just don't eat like that so the GL was created to give you more of a balance in determining how to eat. The GL measures the actual amount of available carbs in a normal serving. If you take the two numbers together then you get a better idea of what is good and what is bad for you.
Numbers under 55 for the GI are the best, 56 to 69 are medium and 70 and up are high. With the GL the number you are looking for is under 10, then 11 to 19 is medium and over 20 is high. There is some really good info on this on the web site www.mendosa.com(just type in GI in the search engine and go to the post on 'lists'). Again there are tons of charts out there giving you the GI and GL of items.
So why do I care about the GI or GL in my diet. Well I am a diabetic and my blood sugar level is a constant source of aggravation to me and knowing the GI and GL just give me one more tool to keep my blood sugar under control. I read too that insulin can effect cancer growth (which was all new to me).
The more I learn the more I realize that everything in my body seems to be intertwined with everything else. I know, I know, just eat right and exercise and it will all fall into place. That's the plan.
Enjoy!
Onions for All (or you may offend some)
Still moving items from the old blog.
I thought I would find a ton of amazing things about onions but oddly enough, even though they have been around forever, research just hasn't confirmed anything. Everything I find is 'we think' or 'looks promising'. If you go the the vegetarian/health food web sites they call onions the best thing since sliced bread, with claims of fixing just about everything. But when you go to the more scientific sites they qualify everything with 'we just don't know'. So I will do the same. These items are promising but not proven so . . .
Onions show that they might give protection against tumor growth especially with stomach cancer. In rats, that have diabetes, onions slowed kidney damage (but of course rats aren't people - yet). There are some studies that are working on the possible benefits of onions on Alzheimer's. Onions have something called Quercitin which may have Anti-inflammatory (another post in embryo) and Anti-oxidant properties. Nutrition wise I see that it has folate (good) and is low on the Glycemic Load.
The only negative thing I can find about onions is, if you have heartburn, onions may be a 'no no' to you and then, of course, there is the breath issue. That's why if we are going to have onions then we are ALL going to have onions.
I think the biggest benefit of onions is that it helps things taste better without adding any unwanted calories. Period. Sadly I love them best fried :( Onions come in a variety of colors and pungency's. Some of the more favorite varieties seem to be the less pungent varieties and are actually thought to be less helpful health wise. The more pungent the more health benefits the scientist think the onion has.
I guess we wait for the scientist on this one.
Finally on to the last transfer from my old Blog - Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load- I think I finally understand them :)
I thought I would find a ton of amazing things about onions but oddly enough, even though they have been around forever, research just hasn't confirmed anything. Everything I find is 'we think' or 'looks promising'. If you go the the vegetarian/health food web sites they call onions the best thing since sliced bread, with claims of fixing just about everything. But when you go to the more scientific sites they qualify everything with 'we just don't know'. So I will do the same. These items are promising but not proven so . . .
Onions show that they might give protection against tumor growth especially with stomach cancer. In rats, that have diabetes, onions slowed kidney damage (but of course rats aren't people - yet). There are some studies that are working on the possible benefits of onions on Alzheimer's. Onions have something called Quercitin which may have Anti-inflammatory (another post in embryo) and Anti-oxidant properties. Nutrition wise I see that it has folate (good) and is low on the Glycemic Load.
The only negative thing I can find about onions is, if you have heartburn, onions may be a 'no no' to you and then, of course, there is the breath issue. That's why if we are going to have onions then we are ALL going to have onions.
I think the biggest benefit of onions is that it helps things taste better without adding any unwanted calories. Period. Sadly I love them best fried :( Onions come in a variety of colors and pungency's. Some of the more favorite varieties seem to be the less pungent varieties and are actually thought to be less helpful health wise. The more pungent the more health benefits the scientist think the onion has.
I guess we wait for the scientist on this one.
Finally on to the last transfer from my old Blog - Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load- I think I finally understand them :)
Fungus among Us
Counting down - only 2 more left to move from my old blog.
My Husband hates mushrooms so they don't show up very often in our regular meals but after all I have read about them I suspect that I will try to add them as a 'side' to the things that we eat. That way he can choose without all the whining. Actually, he's pretty good about it. He just politely puts them on my plate.
Mushrooms (and I'm dealing with mostly the button mushrooms that you get in the grocery store) are a fungi. They are over 60% water so are a good diet food and contain a good dose of fiber. On the GL they stand at 2 so eat them to your hearts content. The stand outs on the vitamin list included Riboflavin and Niacin (both B vitamins) and Selenium (which seems to lower the risk of prostate cancer and heart disease according to one source). They also seem to be high in antioxidants.
My favorite thing about Mushrooms are that the latest research shows that mushrooms decrease the production of estrogen which may help in protection against estrogen positive cancers. It also may protect against estrogen positive tumor growth.
I like mushrooms so even though there are a lot of 'mays' in the research on mushrooms it's enough for me to continue eating them.
The one negative I found was that mushrooms are high in something called purine which may contribute to gout. I guess it reminds me everything in moderation.
Just an FYI mushrooms can be cleaned with just a quick wipe from a paper towel or you can even wash them in cold water but remember they will act like a sponge and soak up some of that water. I wash them but only right before I use them so that they absorb less. Store them in a paper bag in the refrigerator to help them last longer.
Enjoy!
My Husband hates mushrooms so they don't show up very often in our regular meals but after all I have read about them I suspect that I will try to add them as a 'side' to the things that we eat. That way he can choose without all the whining. Actually, he's pretty good about it. He just politely puts them on my plate.
Mushrooms (and I'm dealing with mostly the button mushrooms that you get in the grocery store) are a fungi. They are over 60% water so are a good diet food and contain a good dose of fiber. On the GL they stand at 2 so eat them to your hearts content. The stand outs on the vitamin list included Riboflavin and Niacin (both B vitamins) and Selenium (which seems to lower the risk of prostate cancer and heart disease according to one source). They also seem to be high in antioxidants.
My favorite thing about Mushrooms are that the latest research shows that mushrooms decrease the production of estrogen which may help in protection against estrogen positive cancers. It also may protect against estrogen positive tumor growth.
I like mushrooms so even though there are a lot of 'mays' in the research on mushrooms it's enough for me to continue eating them.
The one negative I found was that mushrooms are high in something called purine which may contribute to gout. I guess it reminds me everything in moderation.
Just an FYI mushrooms can be cleaned with just a quick wipe from a paper towel or you can even wash them in cold water but remember they will act like a sponge and soak up some of that water. I wash them but only right before I use them so that they absorb less. Store them in a paper bag in the refrigerator to help them last longer.
Enjoy!
Abondanza :)
One more carry over from my old blog - three to go :)
Tomatoes were once thought to be poisonous. Someone must have gotten sick on them and declared them so and everyone avoided them because of that. Imagine not having tomatoes in sauces or on salads. Where would Pizza be without tomatoes? Interesting thought. Well we are big tomato eaters in our home. Spaghetti sauce, salads, salsa, and chili all come to mind.
So what's good about tomatoes? Well first it starts with the color. The brighter the red the more pluses for your diet. The red shows an increase in the beta carotene - lycopene. It's an antioxidant but even more importantly they have found that carotenoids have a killer effect on cancer, especially Prostate, Lung and Stomach cancers. One book I read said that caroteniods actually 'mobilize the body's defense systems against carcinogens'. They did mention that to absorb all the benefits of the tomato you must eat it with a little bit of fat to help your body absorb the lycopene better. So just add a bit of olive oil to whatever your cooking.
They also did some studies where they had people eat food high in cooked tomato product (mostly tomato paste) and they showed a mark decrease in heart disease. Tomato Juice has been shown to help stop blood clots from happening. Another article mentioned that Tomatoes have actually been shown to help with reducing some migraines.
Tomatoes have B6 (niacin - great for raising your HDL) and Folic Acid (great for lowering your Triglycerides). It's high in Vit A & C & K. Oh, and it's a wonderful source for Potassium. So when you suffer from leg cramps next time instead of eating a banana grab a tomato instead.
If you are on a diet, tomatoes are wonderful since they are mostly water and very low in calories. And the GL on this is 2 for a whole cup of fresh tomatoes.
One thing I didn't know about tomatoes is that you need to store it outside of the refrigerator. Now that I think about it the tomatoes are always in the center section at the grocery store and not in the refrigerated section. They say that refrigeration interferes with the ripening process of the tomato and takes away the flavor. Well I guess I will have to make room in my fruit bowl for the tomatoes.
Oh, and Tomatoes are a fruit :) I'm sooooo glad that I like tomatoes. Definitely a plus.
What next? I just realized that I had skipped over Mushrooms. I love Mushrooms. In our household the mushroom lovers are female and the mushroom haters are male. I must go back and cover mushrooms.
Enjoy!
Tomatoes were once thought to be poisonous. Someone must have gotten sick on them and declared them so and everyone avoided them because of that. Imagine not having tomatoes in sauces or on salads. Where would Pizza be without tomatoes? Interesting thought. Well we are big tomato eaters in our home. Spaghetti sauce, salads, salsa, and chili all come to mind.
So what's good about tomatoes? Well first it starts with the color. The brighter the red the more pluses for your diet. The red shows an increase in the beta carotene - lycopene. It's an antioxidant but even more importantly they have found that carotenoids have a killer effect on cancer, especially Prostate, Lung and Stomach cancers. One book I read said that caroteniods actually 'mobilize the body's defense systems against carcinogens'. They did mention that to absorb all the benefits of the tomato you must eat it with a little bit of fat to help your body absorb the lycopene better. So just add a bit of olive oil to whatever your cooking.
They also did some studies where they had people eat food high in cooked tomato product (mostly tomato paste) and they showed a mark decrease in heart disease. Tomato Juice has been shown to help stop blood clots from happening. Another article mentioned that Tomatoes have actually been shown to help with reducing some migraines.
Tomatoes have B6 (niacin - great for raising your HDL) and Folic Acid (great for lowering your Triglycerides). It's high in Vit A & C & K. Oh, and it's a wonderful source for Potassium. So when you suffer from leg cramps next time instead of eating a banana grab a tomato instead.
If you are on a diet, tomatoes are wonderful since they are mostly water and very low in calories. And the GL on this is 2 for a whole cup of fresh tomatoes.
One thing I didn't know about tomatoes is that you need to store it outside of the refrigerator. Now that I think about it the tomatoes are always in the center section at the grocery store and not in the refrigerated section. They say that refrigeration interferes with the ripening process of the tomato and takes away the flavor. Well I guess I will have to make room in my fruit bowl for the tomatoes.
Oh, and Tomatoes are a fruit :) I'm sooooo glad that I like tomatoes. Definitely a plus.
What next? I just realized that I had skipped over Mushrooms. I love Mushrooms. In our household the mushroom lovers are female and the mushroom haters are male. I must go back and cover mushrooms.
Enjoy!
'Goosekini'
Another blog carry over from my old blog - almost done :)
When my Daughter was little the word zucchini was beyond her ability to pronounce so it became 'goosekini' and has been ever since.
Zucchini is the one vegetable that you can eat to your heart's content since it's about 95% water. Very little nutrition but a great filler if you are on a diet.
It's considered to be a summer squash (as opposed to the winter squashes, like butternut, acorn and pumpkin). If you plant your own garden and want something that will way over produce. Welcome to the wonderful world of zucchini. Make sure you pick them when they are still small or they get too many seeds and a thick skin.
One of my favorite things about zucchini is that they take on the flavor of whatever you are cooking them with. I have seen them shredded in pineapple juice and they taste like pineapple (a friend used them on ice cream as a topping). Weird. I just like that fact that they blend in with whatever your making and add bulk without calories.
Fry them up with olive oil, onion and garlic and add them to your eggs in the AM. Fry them up with olive oil, onion and garlic and add fresh tomatoes and basil and serve them as a side with dinner. I like them. Bestest taste is fried in batter with ranch dressing (I go out of my way to go to Mimi's for fried zucchini). Of course, it's not bestest for my diet so it's only an occasional item. Love it too in bread with lots of cinnamon.
Since I way over planted this summer I'm sure I will be sick of zucchini by the end of the summer but for now . . . it's all good.
Tomatoes next, I think. Enjoy!
When my Daughter was little the word zucchini was beyond her ability to pronounce so it became 'goosekini' and has been ever since.
Zucchini is the one vegetable that you can eat to your heart's content since it's about 95% water. Very little nutrition but a great filler if you are on a diet.
It's considered to be a summer squash (as opposed to the winter squashes, like butternut, acorn and pumpkin). If you plant your own garden and want something that will way over produce. Welcome to the wonderful world of zucchini. Make sure you pick them when they are still small or they get too many seeds and a thick skin.
One of my favorite things about zucchini is that they take on the flavor of whatever you are cooking them with. I have seen them shredded in pineapple juice and they taste like pineapple (a friend used them on ice cream as a topping). Weird. I just like that fact that they blend in with whatever your making and add bulk without calories.
Fry them up with olive oil, onion and garlic and add them to your eggs in the AM. Fry them up with olive oil, onion and garlic and add fresh tomatoes and basil and serve them as a side with dinner. I like them. Bestest taste is fried in batter with ranch dressing (I go out of my way to go to Mimi's for fried zucchini). Of course, it's not bestest for my diet so it's only an occasional item. Love it too in bread with lots of cinnamon.
Since I way over planted this summer I'm sure I will be sick of zucchini by the end of the summer but for now . . . it's all good.
Tomatoes next, I think. Enjoy!
We want the 'Whole' Thing
I am still working on carrying over my old blog to this blog - here is one of my carry over entries.
Whole Wheat is a Mormon mantra. We store it. We grind it. We cook with it. At least that's the hope or why else would our garages be full of it :) Wheat stores incredibly well in it's grain form. They actually had grains of wheat in the pyramids in Egypt that they planted and grew wheat from. Incredible grain. Unfortunately the modern world has processed it into a white, fine powder and has taken away most of its nutrition so it ends up being mostly starch. If you are looking for truly whole wheat bread you either have to make it yourself or it has to have the words 'whole' or 'sprouted' or 'malted' before the word wheat to let you know that the whole wheat has been used. It also needs to be the first ingredient.
So what does it do for me? Well whole grains will digest slower than the processed stuff so it stays with you longer and it helps to regulate your blood sugar (no spiking with whole grains). Since it has bulk it helps with those that are 'intestinal challenged' or have diverticulitis. It has been shown that is may help with DNA damage (that's the B vitamins in it) and in suppressing cancer cell growth (I just quoted this out of the 'Food for Thought' book). Part of that is tied up in Ligans (same stuff that is in Flax). They think it may help suppress hormonally motivated cancers (like mine).
So how do I eat whole grains? Well as bread or in toast (with butter - I can't have margarine since it is made from Soy oils), in cracked wheat cereal (been doing some experimenting with this), in pastas, brown rice, barley, etc. There are some brown rice cereals on the market (Bob Redmill farina, comes to mind). All good.
I need to make sure and read my label for my bread, even though it's multi grain they say you still have to be careful that they are using the whole grain. More stuff to worry about.
Oh, well. Enjoy!
Whole Wheat is a Mormon mantra. We store it. We grind it. We cook with it. At least that's the hope or why else would our garages be full of it :) Wheat stores incredibly well in it's grain form. They actually had grains of wheat in the pyramids in Egypt that they planted and grew wheat from. Incredible grain. Unfortunately the modern world has processed it into a white, fine powder and has taken away most of its nutrition so it ends up being mostly starch. If you are looking for truly whole wheat bread you either have to make it yourself or it has to have the words 'whole' or 'sprouted' or 'malted' before the word wheat to let you know that the whole wheat has been used. It also needs to be the first ingredient.
So what does it do for me? Well whole grains will digest slower than the processed stuff so it stays with you longer and it helps to regulate your blood sugar (no spiking with whole grains). Since it has bulk it helps with those that are 'intestinal challenged' or have diverticulitis. It has been shown that is may help with DNA damage (that's the B vitamins in it) and in suppressing cancer cell growth (I just quoted this out of the 'Food for Thought' book). Part of that is tied up in Ligans (same stuff that is in Flax). They think it may help suppress hormonally motivated cancers (like mine).
So how do I eat whole grains? Well as bread or in toast (with butter - I can't have margarine since it is made from Soy oils), in cracked wheat cereal (been doing some experimenting with this), in pastas, brown rice, barley, etc. There are some brown rice cereals on the market (Bob Redmill farina, comes to mind). All good.
I need to make sure and read my label for my bread, even though it's multi grain they say you still have to be careful that they are using the whole grain. More stuff to worry about.
Oh, well. Enjoy!
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Homemade Ice Pack
So my daughter has been down for about 6 days now with a herniated disc. Not fun and no health insurance to help. So she has been booking it to the Chiropractor 3 times a week. Last Monday we got her a Tens machine and some natural anti-inflammatories. We were also instructed to ice her back several times a day. Well have you seen how much reusable ice packs are? And we needed half a dozen to rotate so one is always frozen. So off to my pinterest boards to see if I had a recipe to help. Yup and here it is:
3/4 cup dawn dish washing detergent
1/4 cup rubbing alcohol
1/2 cup water
Put it all in a Ziploc bag and then shove the whole thing into a food saver bag and seal it up. I tried just putting the mixture in the food saver without the Ziploc and sucked the mix into the trough to seal it. What a mess! So I put it in a Ziploc, with as much air out of it as possible, laid flat inside of the food saver bag and sealed it up. Look, no leaks! Or I should qualify it - No leaks outside of the food saver bag.
Enjoy!
3/4 cup dawn dish washing detergent
1/4 cup rubbing alcohol
1/2 cup water
Put it all in a Ziploc bag and then shove the whole thing into a food saver bag and seal it up. I tried just putting the mixture in the food saver without the Ziploc and sucked the mix into the trough to seal it. What a mess! So I put it in a Ziploc, with as much air out of it as possible, laid flat inside of the food saver bag and sealed it up. Look, no leaks! Or I should qualify it - No leaks outside of the food saver bag.
It also does not set up hard like water would. It's very flexible. Works amazingly well.
Enjoy!
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Homemade Dog Shampoo
So Pippa is now 8 months old and weighs 65 lbs. (this is an old shot of her). Anyway pretty much weekly since she was tiny we give her a bath - actually it's more like a shower - actually it's more like we ALL get a shower :) So I finally used up the dog shampoo I bought months ago and wanted to find a lower cost alternative since the 1/2 gallon of soap runs about $20. I treat my dog's hair better than I do mine, but we just couldn't swing the big bucks this time. So I found this on the Internet and tweaked it a bit. To my surprise, it worked wonderfully well :) But the site had no picture that I could 'pin' so I couldn't save the information. So I'm putting it here.
I used a 1 gallon container - Milk Jug, whatever. Rinse it thoroughly.
Into it put:
1 1/2 cups of Dawn dish washing detergent (no antibacterial stuff)
1/4 cup glycerin (you can get this at any pharmacy not too pricey)
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup of totally pulverized oatmeal (used the Vitamix)
additional options include:
Several drops of essential oils (I used lavender)
2 T vitamin E oil (again you can get this at any pharmacy - I didn't use it)
Then fill the jug to the top with Water.
Shake like crazy and your done.
Simple.
Don't use too much even though it seems watery - the soap takes forever to wash off if you do.
Enjoy!
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Lyphedema
For those of you who don't know I suffer from a condition known as lymph edema. It's because of the cancer surgeries. When I had cancer the second time the final tumor was removed by using a procedure known as lymph node dissection. They removed all the lymph nodes that they possibly could from my left under arm. I have a arm hole not an arm pit. Anyway then after that they did radiation therapy. 6 weeks of being zapped. My surgeon told me when I was having the surgery that I would likely develop this condition. Well it took 3 1/5 years after surgery but I finally did it. Wooohoo for me :( Not exactly a goal I'm proud of.
What happens is my arm does not drain properly because of the destruction from the surgery and radiation so that finally whatever route the fluids were taking to get out of my arm blocked up. Hence the fat arm.
See how much bigger my left arm is than my right. This is what it looks like. This is actually the first night I discovered it. So I sent an email to my Doctor and she sent me to a physical therapist. You might ask why she did not see me. Well it's because this condition is permanent. No drug or surgery will correct it. The only thing that will keep it under control is exercise/massage, a lovely compression sleeve and glove and care. Did I mention that this condition in permanent? Joy :( Fortunately this condition has relatively little pain associated with it (At least my lymph edema has none - can't speak for all). And I still have my arm (you have to look for the blessings).
I have specific limitations too. I'm not supposed to fly in a plane, go up into high altitudes, take a dip in a hot tub or do any heavy lifting. Some of these I can do but only my sleeve and glove in place - which takes the fun out of a lot of things.
So now I wear my fashion accessory daily, do my massage in the AM and do my exercises 2x a day. That's it :) Everyday for the rest of my life :) Simple :) but a pain :(
So you might wonder why I am sharing this today. Because yesterday I had my first appointment with the physical therapist in a long time and what do you know - my arm is actually shrinking - not back to normal but several sizes smaller. Wooohooo for me :) And I actually have permission to remove my glove and watch my hand to see if there is any swelling. If so then the gloves go back on. If not then I get to have my hand FREE. Love it!
Enjoy! Enjoy Life!
What happens is my arm does not drain properly because of the destruction from the surgery and radiation so that finally whatever route the fluids were taking to get out of my arm blocked up. Hence the fat arm.
See how much bigger my left arm is than my right. This is what it looks like. This is actually the first night I discovered it. So I sent an email to my Doctor and she sent me to a physical therapist. You might ask why she did not see me. Well it's because this condition is permanent. No drug or surgery will correct it. The only thing that will keep it under control is exercise/massage, a lovely compression sleeve and glove and care. Did I mention that this condition in permanent? Joy :( Fortunately this condition has relatively little pain associated with it (At least my lymph edema has none - can't speak for all). And I still have my arm (you have to look for the blessings).
I have specific limitations too. I'm not supposed to fly in a plane, go up into high altitudes, take a dip in a hot tub or do any heavy lifting. Some of these I can do but only my sleeve and glove in place - which takes the fun out of a lot of things.
So now I wear my fashion accessory daily, do my massage in the AM and do my exercises 2x a day. That's it :) Everyday for the rest of my life :) Simple :) but a pain :(
So you might wonder why I am sharing this today. Because yesterday I had my first appointment with the physical therapist in a long time and what do you know - my arm is actually shrinking - not back to normal but several sizes smaller. Wooohooo for me :) And I actually have permission to remove my glove and watch my hand to see if there is any swelling. If so then the gloves go back on. If not then I get to have my hand FREE. Love it!
Enjoy! Enjoy Life!
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Diabetes and Counting Carbs
I am a diabetic and have been for over 9 years. My Mom had type 2. Usually that is related to weight but not with my Mom she was, as my brother-in-law once said, 'a bag of bones'. And yet she was insulin dependent. I also have other family members who have diabetes who are not overweight - it's just in our genes. When my Mom passed in 2003 I started using her blood sugar monitor. That's when the challenge began. My first reading was 230. My Brother who had been helping me learn how to use the monitor (he's diabetic too) looked at me wide eyed when the reading came up. Not good. I had no idea that your blood sugar should be around 100. So it was off to the Doctor for me.
Fortunately I got a Doctor that wanted to try to help me rather than just putting me on Medications. So I was off to meet with a dietitian and learn about carbohydrate counting. After several months of trial and error I was able to control my Blood Sugar with JUST DIET AND EXERCISE. No medication for me :)
I have had several people ask me how to do it and thought I would share with you all. Please note that I am not a dietitian and this is 'my' method. Run it by your Doctor first if you are concerned. But it's easy - truly. It's just a matter of assigning a carb amount to the food that you eat and then staying within certain dietary numbers for each meal and snacks. I will show you how I do it :)
So everything in my life that I eat, that is a carbohydrate, has been given a 15 carb rating. I do everything by approximations. Which means some of these meal items are worth a little more and some a little less but they are all worth around 15 carbs each (or a multiple of 15). Oh, and I drink a ton of water. Most of my drinking at meals is water. I would rather use my carbs for something more fun to eat :)
My eating pattern is:
30-45 Carbs for Breakfast
15 Carbs for Snack
30-45 Carbs for Lunch
15 Carbs for Snack
30-45 Carbs for Dinner
15 Carbs for Snack
I should also mention here that I eat 'normal'. I have no extremes in my diet (not vegan or only organic or DASH or whatever) and I eat junk food and desserts too. I just work them into the menu.
So let me give you a basic method for counting:
Meat and Veggies (except those below) are basically free (unless you have a lot of sauce on the meat).
Starches like Potatoes, Pasta and Rice are measured in 1/2 cups for 15 carbs.
Fruit (except dried) is also measured in 1/2 cup or a medium sized fruit for 15 carbs.
Bread is 1 slice, 1/2 a bagel and one small roll are all 15 carbs.
Milk and milk products (like yogurt, cheese and cottage cheese) have carbs too - 1 cup fat free milk, one slice of cheese, one 6 oz container of yogurt and 1/2 cup cottage cheese - 15 carbs.
Now becareful - some veggies have hidden carbs - especially your yams, sweet potatoes, potatoes, and winter squashes. Just watch them. And sauces can kill you if you don't know what is in them. And if you drink alcohol - this would be a great time to quit since alcohol is high in sugars.
So here is some idea of how I eat:
12. 1 serving of oatmeal with milk and 1/2 cup smoothie (45)
13. 1 cup smoothie, a hard boiled egg and 1 slice of toast (30)
15 Carbs
1. ½ cup non-fat Milk and 1 slab of Graham Crackers
2. 2 long celery sticks and 1 Tablespoon of Peanut Butter
3. 2 cups popcorn plain
4. Apple with 1 Tablespoon of Peanut Butter (or plain)
5. Sugar Free Jello
6. One serving of fruit*
7. 1-8”tortilla rolled with mustard and deli ham slice.
8. ¼ cup low fat cottage cheese with ¼ cup fruit cocktail
9. ½ cup ice cream, frozen yogurt, no toppings
10. 3 Ritz crackers and 1 slice of cheese
11. ½ cup pretzels
12. 10 peanut butter pretzels
13. 1 cup sugar free hot chocolate
Lunch
BASIC COMPONENTS - 3-4 oz of Meat or Protein (beans), 1 cup of approved veggie (steamed, salad-ed, stir-fried, etc.), 1 serving of carb (1/2 cup rice, medium potato, 1 cup pasta, 1 slice bread), Water or diet soda.
3. 1 medium slice of beef roll (family recipe), gravy, large salad*, water or soda (45)
4. 1 BBQ Chicken Breast, ½ cup veggies**, ½ cup rice, water or diet soda (15)
5. 1 cup pasta, 1 cup spaghetti sauce with 3 meat balls or 1 cup San Francisco Sauce (My Alfredo sauce made with apple juice), 1 tbs. grated Parmesan cheese, large salad*, 1 dinner roll, water or diet soda (45)
6. 1 hoagie roll, 3 deli slices of roast beef, 1/3 cup au jus, large salad*, water or diet soda (45)
7. 1 slice of pizza, large salad*, water or diet soda (30)
8. Meat (chicken or Beef) and Veggie** Stir-fry, ½ cup rice, water or diet soda (15)
9. 1 cup Homemade Chili, 1 corn muffin, large salad*, water or diet soda (45)
10. 1 cup twisty pasta salad with chicken on a ½ cup of fresh spinach (family recipe), water or diet soda (30)
11. Large Salad* with 1 grilled chicken breast on top, dinner roll, water or diet soda (15)
12. 1 ½ cup of Hamburger Pie (Hamburger, Mashed Potatoes, mixed veggies), water or diet soda (45)
13. 2 Salmon Cakes, cream sauce, large salad*, water or diet soda (30)
14. Chicana (family crock pot recipe), 2 small 6" tortillas, fat free sour cream, large salad*, water or diet soda (30)
15. 1 ½ cup of beef stew, water and diet soda (45)
16. Medium Size Piece of pot roast, 1 medium potato, 1/3 cup cooked carrots, water or diet soda (30)
17. 1 Sloppy Fred (family name for Sloppy Joe's), large salad*, water or diet soda (30)
18. 2 slices of Ham, ½ cup rice, ½ cup veggies, water or diet soda (15)
19. 1 ½ cups ham stew (family recipe), water or diet soda (45)
20. 1 med BBQ steak, 1 med baked potato, ½ cup veggies, water or diet soda (15)
21. Dinner of your choice
As you can see, I don't starve myself. I do all the snacks - they are really important for maintaining your Blood Sugar stays constant. And that is it. I just did this for months and months and lost the weight I was carrying and my Blood Sugar has maintained it's self. Enjoy!
Fortunately I got a Doctor that wanted to try to help me rather than just putting me on Medications. So I was off to meet with a dietitian and learn about carbohydrate counting. After several months of trial and error I was able to control my Blood Sugar with JUST DIET AND EXERCISE. No medication for me :)
I have had several people ask me how to do it and thought I would share with you all. Please note that I am not a dietitian and this is 'my' method. Run it by your Doctor first if you are concerned. But it's easy - truly. It's just a matter of assigning a carb amount to the food that you eat and then staying within certain dietary numbers for each meal and snacks. I will show you how I do it :)
So everything in my life that I eat, that is a carbohydrate, has been given a 15 carb rating. I do everything by approximations. Which means some of these meal items are worth a little more and some a little less but they are all worth around 15 carbs each (or a multiple of 15). Oh, and I drink a ton of water. Most of my drinking at meals is water. I would rather use my carbs for something more fun to eat :)
My eating pattern is:
30-45 Carbs for Breakfast
15 Carbs for Snack
30-45 Carbs for Lunch
15 Carbs for Snack
30-45 Carbs for Dinner
15 Carbs for Snack
I should also mention here that I eat 'normal'. I have no extremes in my diet (not vegan or only organic or DASH or whatever) and I eat junk food and desserts too. I just work them into the menu.
So let me give you a basic method for counting:
Meat and Veggies (except those below) are basically free (unless you have a lot of sauce on the meat).
Starches like Potatoes, Pasta and Rice are measured in 1/2 cups for 15 carbs.
Fruit (except dried) is also measured in 1/2 cup or a medium sized fruit for 15 carbs.
Bread is 1 slice, 1/2 a bagel and one small roll are all 15 carbs.
Milk and milk products (like yogurt, cheese and cottage cheese) have carbs too - 1 cup fat free milk, one slice of cheese, one 6 oz container of yogurt and 1/2 cup cottage cheese - 15 carbs.
Now becareful - some veggies have hidden carbs - especially your yams, sweet potatoes, potatoes, and winter squashes. Just watch them. And sauces can kill you if you don't know what is in them. And if you drink alcohol - this would be a great time to quit since alcohol is high in sugars.
So here is some idea of how I eat:
Breakfast
30 – 45 Carbs
1. 1
serving of Oatmeal and 1 cup of non-fat Milk (45)
2. 1
serving of Kashi without dried fruit, one hard boiled egg and 1 cup of non-fat Milk (45)
3. 1
egg, 1 slice of toast and 1 cup of non-fat Milk (30)
4. ½
cup peach slices, 1 slice of toast and 1 cup of non-fat Milk (45)
5. ½
bagel, 1 tablespoon of cream cheese, 1 egg, 1 cup of non-fat Milk (45)
6. 1
Slice French Toast, Sugar free Syrup, 1 cup non-fat Milk (45)
7. ½
bagel, 1 Tablespoon of cream cheese, ½ cup peaches, water (45)
8. ½
bagel, ¼ cup cottage cheese, 2/3 cup orange juice (45)
9. 1
quarter Belgian waffle, ¼ cup applesauce or ¼ cup sugar free syrup, 1 cup
non-fat Milk (45)
10.
¼ cup egg beaters, ¼ cup onion, mushrooms and zucchini, 1 Tablespoon
shredded cheese, 1 slice toast, 1 cup non-fat Milk (30)
11.
1-8” Tortilla, ¼ cup egg beaters, 1 Tablespoon shredded cheese, 1
breakfast sausage, ¼ cup salsa, 1 cup non-fat Milk (30)
*2/3 cup of orange juice may be substituted
for Milk
Snack
15 Carbs
1. ½ cup non-fat Milk and 1 slab of Graham Crackers
2. 2 long celery sticks and 1 Tablespoon of Peanut Butter
3. 2 cups popcorn plain
4. Apple with 1 Tablespoon of Peanut Butter (or plain)
5. Sugar Free Jello
6. One serving of fruit*
7. 1-8”tortilla rolled with mustard and deli ham slice.
8. ¼ cup low fat cottage cheese with ¼ cup fruit cocktail
9. ½ cup ice cream, frozen yogurt, no toppings
10. 3 Ritz crackers and 1 slice of cheese
11. ½ cup pretzels
12. 10 peanut butter pretzels
13. 1 cup sugar free hot chocolate
* One Serving of Fruit – ¼ cup raisins, one apple, ½ cup applesauce or peaches or fruit cocktail, ½ banana, one orange, ½ cup grapes
30 – 45 Carbs
1. 1
slice of bread, 3 slices of Deli Turkey
2. ½
can of soup, ½ cup carrots** with fat free ranch dressing, one serving of
fruit*, water (30)
3. 1
cup chili, one serving of fruit*, water (45)
4. One
8" Tortilla, 3 slices of Deli Turkey or Ham, Romaine Lettuce, 2 Slices of Tomato
and Mustard, one serving of fruit*, water (45)
5. Chicken
Salad – One cup of Lettuce, 1 Tablespoon shredded Parmesan, ½ cup cooked
chicken, 2 Tablespoons Dressing, water (30)
6. 1
grilled cheese sandwich, ½ cup carrot sticks**, water (30)
7. ½
can soup, ½ sandwich, water (30)
8. ½
peanut butter and jelly sandwich (limit peanut butter to 1 tablespoon and Jelly
to 1 Tablespoon), ½ cup carrot sticks**, one serving of fruit*, water (30)
9.
One Hot Dog and Bun, ½ cup carrot sticks**, one serving of fruit*, water (45)
10.
One Corn Dog, ½ cup of carrot sticks**, one serving of fruit*,
water (45)
11.
½ bagel, Deli Turkey
12.
1 slice of bread, Canned Tuna (or Chicken or Beef) made up with celery
and fat free mayo, Lettuce, one serving of fruit*, water (30)
*One Serving of Fruit – ¼ cup raisins, one
apple, ½ cup applesauce or peaches or fruit cocktail, ½ banana, one orange, ½
cup grapes
** side salad may be exchanged for Carrot
Sticks (fat free dressing only)
Dinner
30 - 45 Carbs
BASIC COMPONENTS - 3-4 oz of Meat or Protein (beans), 1 cup of approved veggie (steamed, salad-ed, stir-fried, etc.), 1 serving of carb (1/2 cup rice, medium potato, 1 cup pasta, 1 slice bread), Water or diet soda.
1. 3-4
oz of Salmon, Large Salad*, 1 slice of bread or 1 med baked or steamed potato,
water or diet soda (45)
2. 1
hamburger with low carb bun (no cheese), lettuce, tomatoes, water or diet soda (30)3. 1 medium slice of beef roll (family recipe), gravy, large salad*, water or soda (45)
4. 1 BBQ Chicken Breast, ½ cup veggies**, ½ cup rice, water or diet soda (15)
5. 1 cup pasta, 1 cup spaghetti sauce with 3 meat balls or 1 cup San Francisco Sauce (My Alfredo sauce made with apple juice), 1 tbs. grated Parmesan cheese, large salad*, 1 dinner roll, water or diet soda (45)
6. 1 hoagie roll, 3 deli slices of roast beef, 1/3 cup au jus, large salad*, water or diet soda (45)
7. 1 slice of pizza, large salad*, water or diet soda (30)
8. Meat (chicken or Beef) and Veggie** Stir-fry, ½ cup rice, water or diet soda (15)
9. 1 cup Homemade Chili, 1 corn muffin, large salad*, water or diet soda (45)
10. 1 cup twisty pasta salad with chicken on a ½ cup of fresh spinach (family recipe), water or diet soda (30)
11. Large Salad* with 1 grilled chicken breast on top, dinner roll, water or diet soda (15)
12. 1 ½ cup of Hamburger Pie (Hamburger, Mashed Potatoes, mixed veggies), water or diet soda (45)
13. 2 Salmon Cakes, cream sauce, large salad*, water or diet soda (30)
14. Chicana (family crock pot recipe), 2 small 6" tortillas, fat free sour cream, large salad*, water or diet soda (30)
15. 1 ½ cup of beef stew, water and diet soda (45)
16. Medium Size Piece of pot roast, 1 medium potato, 1/3 cup cooked carrots, water or diet soda (30)
17. 1 Sloppy Fred (family name for Sloppy Joe's), large salad*, water or diet soda (30)
18. 2 slices of Ham, ½ cup rice, ½ cup veggies, water or diet soda (15)
19. 1 ½ cups ham stew (family recipe), water or diet soda (45)
20. 1 med BBQ steak, 1 med baked potato, ½ cup veggies, water or diet soda (15)
21. Dinner of your choice
** Veggies may include – green beans, corn,
peas, mixed veggies, broccoli, carrots, stir-fry zucchini, onion and tomato,
* Salad may include – romaine lettuce,
celery, spinach, tomatoes, cucumber, carrots, broccoli, sliced almonds, feta,
grated Parmesan, As you can see, I don't starve myself. I do all the snacks - they are really important for maintaining your Blood Sugar stays constant. And that is it. I just did this for months and months and lost the weight I was carrying and my Blood Sugar has maintained it's self. Enjoy!
Monday, September 10, 2012
Diet Diary and General Fluff :)
Okay so my diet diary is a success. If nothing else I am still keeping it and my Blood Sugar is now consistently in the 100's (last night it was 97 before bed - wooohoo for me). So I have to say if you are thinking about a Diet Diary - stop and just do it. I am suprised. I think you will be too. And with that I'm done reporting on my Diary. I'm still going to keep it but I'm not sharing with you all unless something amazing happens :) Enjoy!
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
My Diet Diary Revisited
So I have been doing this for a week now and am still at it. Surprised? Yup, me too. Anyway I have noticed a definite change in my Blood Sugar (BS) and my weight is down 2 pounds even after labor day yesterday and eating my way through 2 BBQ's. My BS last night was 126 and this morning was 111. Pretty darn good if I say so myself. And I have actually had several readings in the AM in the 100's. Wooohoo for me :)
So what have I noticed while doing this? Well I am more food conscious. It was, that if I was hungry, I would just grab the first thing I could find (usually bread or cookies) now I pay more attention to what I'm grabbing. And I look for healthier alternatives to my usual snacking. Does this mean that I eat no more bread and cookies - as the kids would say, hecka no. But I am not eating 3 or 4 of those items a day. Only one. And I try to eat it earlier in the day so I'm not carrying it at night. Gives me a chance to work it off.
So on to week 2.
Enjoy :)
So what have I noticed while doing this? Well I am more food conscious. It was, that if I was hungry, I would just grab the first thing I could find (usually bread or cookies) now I pay more attention to what I'm grabbing. And I look for healthier alternatives to my usual snacking. Does this mean that I eat no more bread and cookies - as the kids would say, hecka no. But I am not eating 3 or 4 of those items a day. Only one. And I try to eat it earlier in the day so I'm not carrying it at night. Gives me a chance to work it off.
So on to week 2.
Enjoy :)
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
My Diet Diary
So my health has not been the best over my life time. I had every childhood illness that was possible in my day and a few more :) As an adult I have spent more time (and money) on health issues than anything else. Top that off with battling cancer twice, diabetes and lymphedema. I often times say that Heavenly Father gave me a great mind and a crummy body.
So that said I have been noticing an increase in my blood sugar level over the past few months that has had me worried. In 2003, after my Mom's passing, I inherited her blood sugar monitor and discovered that I had a problem. I was overweight and eating badly and my blood sugar was coming in around 200+. So off to the Doctor I went. After some experimenting with food and exercise and monitoring my BS (Blood Sugar) we (the Doctor and I) found that by simply eating healthy and exercising I could bring my BS back into normal range without medication. So I dieted and exercised 40 pounds of me off and watched what I ate for the next few years until about 5 years ago when I had cancer (again) and was supposed to die so my attitude was like 'who cares'. So I ate whatever I wanted.
So here I sit 5 years later still alive :) and struggling now with no longer being able to keep my BS under control with just diet and exercise. So I'm looking at Medication. That's when I put my food down. NO - I absolutely refuse to add one more pill to my life. 'No More Meds' is my battle cry. I know my Mom was an insulin dependent Type 2 diabetic and was skinny as a rail so I have that in my genes but I refuse to give in without a fight.
Enter my Diet Diary. I really thought this would be just another exercise in futility. Nope, been doing it only 3 days and have already lost 3 lbs and find myself not eating the junk I would in the past. Now if it will just hold. I will keep you updated on that.
So what do I measure, you may ask? Well I do my BS in the AM and at night before bed. I also weigh myself every morning. I have not really gained any weight over the years since my initial weight loss but I could still afford to get my weight down lower into my healthy range. I'm sort of at the top of it right now.
I write down everything I eat - everything. And I leave my Diary out for all of my family to review so that they can cheer me on or tell me what for. I think I eat less junk out of fear of what they will say if I mess up. Whatever motivation works.
So I started out the week on Sunday AM at 166.3 with a BS of 110 - this AM I was 163.9 with a BS of 118. I'm 5'9" so that weight is nothing to panic about but I would like it down in the 140's. Although what I am going to wear when I get that size is going to be a challenge. I'm tall and really skinny on my bottom half (we are a no butt family) and can't find pants (comfortable pants) to fit me to save my life. Oh, well I will deal with that later.
So this is my weekly report. Hopefully we will see that BS coming down as my weight comes down and my diet become more consistent.
Enjoy! Someone should because I won't be :P
So that said I have been noticing an increase in my blood sugar level over the past few months that has had me worried. In 2003, after my Mom's passing, I inherited her blood sugar monitor and discovered that I had a problem. I was overweight and eating badly and my blood sugar was coming in around 200+. So off to the Doctor I went. After some experimenting with food and exercise and monitoring my BS (Blood Sugar) we (the Doctor and I) found that by simply eating healthy and exercising I could bring my BS back into normal range without medication. So I dieted and exercised 40 pounds of me off and watched what I ate for the next few years until about 5 years ago when I had cancer (again) and was supposed to die so my attitude was like 'who cares'. So I ate whatever I wanted.
So here I sit 5 years later still alive :) and struggling now with no longer being able to keep my BS under control with just diet and exercise. So I'm looking at Medication. That's when I put my food down. NO - I absolutely refuse to add one more pill to my life. 'No More Meds' is my battle cry. I know my Mom was an insulin dependent Type 2 diabetic and was skinny as a rail so I have that in my genes but I refuse to give in without a fight.
Enter my Diet Diary. I really thought this would be just another exercise in futility. Nope, been doing it only 3 days and have already lost 3 lbs and find myself not eating the junk I would in the past. Now if it will just hold. I will keep you updated on that.
So what do I measure, you may ask? Well I do my BS in the AM and at night before bed. I also weigh myself every morning. I have not really gained any weight over the years since my initial weight loss but I could still afford to get my weight down lower into my healthy range. I'm sort of at the top of it right now.
I write down everything I eat - everything. And I leave my Diary out for all of my family to review so that they can cheer me on or tell me what for. I think I eat less junk out of fear of what they will say if I mess up. Whatever motivation works.
So I started out the week on Sunday AM at 166.3 with a BS of 110 - this AM I was 163.9 with a BS of 118. I'm 5'9" so that weight is nothing to panic about but I would like it down in the 140's. Although what I am going to wear when I get that size is going to be a challenge. I'm tall and really skinny on my bottom half (we are a no butt family) and can't find pants (comfortable pants) to fit me to save my life. Oh, well I will deal with that later.
So this is my weekly report. Hopefully we will see that BS coming down as my weight comes down and my diet become more consistent.
Enjoy! Someone should because I won't be :P
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Disneyland
Over the years my family and I have developed a serious addiction to Disneyland. Every couple of years we buy a year pass and then use the heck out of it. One year we went to Disneyland 8 times - this is quite a feat since we live way up in the central valley of California and it takes 5 to 6 hours of driving time to get there. Since we are such Disney addicts I thought I'd share some of the things we do to make Disneyland more fun and less painful.
The biggest issue with going to the park is money. You can sink a wad of cash there faster than you can say Mickey Mouse. Look for the deals online before going, specifically for your tickets - AAA, credit unions, a lot of places sometimes get Disney specials. Disney itself offers deals sometimes if you buy way in advance. Never buy a one park pass - you'll be sorry. You'll want the experience of visiting both parks. If you are considering going more than once in a year then look at the year passes. We find if we can go 3 times then the pass pays for itself and then some. We only buy the deluxe pass not the big bells and whistles premium pass. We don't want to go on the block out days anyway since that is when the park is the busiest. Disney offers a way to make monthly payments on your pass rather than pay it all at once if that helps your budget. And the pass gives us discounts for dining in park (10% most places) and buying Disney Junk (again 10%). If you have a Disney Credit Card you can also get discounts and points for using at Disneyland - be careful though there are two Disney Credit cards - one has a fee. Also if you eat dinner in the park sometimes you get, on your receipt, a 20% off at World of Disney and several other locations at a specific time (like only till Noon). We save our shopping and do it all at once with this discount.
As far as where to stay if you have bucks to spend or are looking for a 'once in a life time' experience then stay in the Disney Hotels but if you are on a budget then remember the farther away from the park the better the price. There are a multitude of shuttles that run from all the hotels to the park. Some times there is a fee for the shuttles and sometimes there is not - ask. We like to stay right across the street from the park at the Best Western. We enjoy being able to take a break in the middle of the day to rest up for the evening activities. There are two within easy walking distance. One offers breakfast and the other doesn't. We usually take the one with the breakfast - saves us money by not having to eat in the park plus we stuff our pockets with fruit and granola bars for later. They are Bestwestern Anaheim Inn (no breakfast as of this writing but the girl assured me last time that it is on its way)and Bestwestern Park Place Inn (breakfast mostly carbs and boiled eggs but they say they are upgrading that soon). Please note too that all hotels charge a fee for just existing, taxes and parking too. So the price you get quoted won't include all that. I have a membership to their 'Gold' club for Bestwestern so I earn free nights at hotels. It does help.
I had to put this shot in - that is from the Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters - this was my Son's score - actually this was where the machine stopped counting his final score was over 2 million and was the high score for the day.
Favorite times to visit Disneyland:
1) When it rains - the park just clears out of families that have small children so we watch the weather report for Southern California and cheer when a storm is coming when we will be there.
2) In the middle of the week - Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Don't ever go on Saturday or Sunday - it's crazy then. If you only have one day then Wednesday is the best.
3) And off season - fall, right after the kids are back in school and January to March before the weather gets good and spring break happens.
4) After a major holiday - we usually go after Labor day and Thanksgiving - there is no one there. Everyone has rushed in for the day and rushed out again.
Make sure you watch for the park change outs before you go. By change outs I mean the seasonal change outs and the pre-scheduled maintenance shut downs. You can easily do that online. Realize that if you are going specifically to see a specific ride it would be horrible if it was during one of the change out times. Like Haunted Mansion closes right after labor day to create the Nightmare before Christmas set up and the Small World ride closes before Halloween and opens mid November to create it's Small World Holiday.
And watch the calendar for Disneyland - Disneyland's times change every day. Some times they open early and close early and sometimes they open late and close late. And California Adventure and Disneyland's times NEVER match up. One is always open and closed before the other. We try to go at least once when the park is open till midnight so we can ride the rides in relative peace since most have given up and gone back to their hotels. And a lot of the shopping is open for an hour before and an hour after the park is open so you can actually get into Disneyland an hour early but only to shop.
Eating in Disneyland is expensive but so are all the restaurants surrounding the park. They mark up their prices accordingly. We usually don't eat Breakfast in the park. Either we eat the 'Hotel' food or I bring bagels and orange juice for my family since the hotel offers refrigerators and microwaves in the rooms. If I do eat breakfast in the park then I eat a Carnation Cafe and have Oscars Choice - eggs and hash browns. Oscar is the chef and often times will come out and visit with guests. Good food at not a bad price.
Lunch for us is usually Taste Pilot's Grill in California Adventure. Plain simple hamburgers and salads. We appreciate the open condiment area where I usually stock up on lettuce and tomatoes for my hamburger and fill up on the salad I can make with them. They have ranch dressing in the open condiment area for dipping your fries so I just use it on the lettuce and tomatoes. And we NEVER buy drinks - ask for water everywhere and they will give you a small glass for FREE.
Dinner - we have two places we like. Boardwalk Pizza and Pasta in California Adventure on the Boardwalk next to Goofy's Fly School (try their chicken and sun dried tomato pasta - love it) and Rancho Del Zocalo in frontier land at Disneyland near the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (I love their chicken taco salads but my family loves their burritos).
If you have never been to Disneyland and want to have a true Disney experience then you need to eat at the Blue Bayou. It is probably one of the most expensive place to eat in Disneyland (that the public is allowed in) but the food is Amazing. Oh, and it's inside the Pirates of the Caribbean ride :) My family of 4 adults usually spends $200 for dinner there and that's with watching our pennies and drinking water. Just a heads up for this place - you need reservations. There is a number for Disney dining and you can make reservations months in advance and they only serve Lunch and Dinner.
Another Disney experience is the Character Breakfasts - you can eat with a lot of different Disney Charaters. Pick the character and call Disney dining to find out which locations they are in. The places they are are usually buffet style dining. Several are located inside the Disney hotels. Lots of good food - lots of picture opportunities with family.
For a quick snack you can never go wrong at Bengal BBQ in adventure land. Fairly in expensive and tastes great. Or the Corn Dogs at the Little Red Wagon at the end of Main street.
And finally my addiction - at the Tiki Bar - the Dole Pineapple Whip Float. LOVE IT!
Here is the Disney Menu for pricing and deciding in advance where you might want to eat.
My maiden name is Duffy - love this sign :)
Fast Passes:
This is the only way to go in Disneyland and California Adventure. Fast pass your way through the day and you will have a great evening. It's simple. Start your day by getting a fast pass to something you really want to ride. You do this by going to the ride location and seeing if they have a fast pass kiosk area (all the big rides do). You run your park pass through the machine and it spits out one of these little tickets. The large time at the top is the first time that you can actually use it on that day. The large time on the bottom means the time you have to use it by. They used to not enforce that but that has changed. Now you must use it between these times. Now it's really hard to see but on the bottom before the date it tells you when you can get your next fast pass ticket. You have to wait for that time to pass before you can get another fast pass ticket on any ride. If you jump the gun you will get a ticket that says 'NO' actually it says something else but I can't remember what. You use the fast passes to cut time off your waiting in line. Very ingenious of Disney to do this. So instead of waiting for the ride you are spending money on food or junk.
So I hope you enjoy your stay in Disney's magic kingdom. If you enjoyed my blog then my name is Jan and this was the Jungle Cruise, if not then my name is Bob and this storybook land
- sorry family joke :)
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Backyard and 'OUR POND' :)
Welcome to the garden part of my backyard. Last year I read a book by Mel Bartholomew on square foot gardening and decided to abandon my old traditional gardening method in favor of this. Results are that I have had more produce in a smaller area and less trouble with my garden.
The big pompom flowers are the onions going to seed from last fall. There is Zucchini in the front and Cucumber plants on the bamboo on the right (this morning I was looking at them an they have almost reached the top of the bamboo and have lots of little cucumbers in view).
Second square foot planting bed with tomatoes and peppers. On the left are two small squares with zucchini in them. In the back is the final hurrah for my cauliflower (I planted them too late and got no produce off them but they sure looked amazing).
In the side area is the tiered flower bed and the potato box. Your looking at peppers, strawberries, beets and herb on the top. The weird uprights are holding a netting to keep the birds from eating everything. Worked well.
Close up of my zucchini plant. No I don't know why I put this in. Maybe because I have a spade in the shot. I have spades all through out the garden. You'll see them in other shots. Makes it easier to get rid of weeds.
Patio Tomato. The reason why we have our garden fenced off is in a couple of blogs back. Her name is Pippa and she is a omnivore and eats absolutely everything.
Just a quick shot of our pond. Made it ourselves - you can probably tell. Love our waterfall.
Looks like Mickey Mouse right - well maybe only in my head. We made the bowls out of concrete. and then lined the spillway with a piece of copper. Took a ton of work but came out wonderful. I had these two ginormous bowls that I used for food services when I do a church event. Bought them at a restaurant supply. We sprayed them with pam and then filled them with concrete (the bowls needed a bit of cleaning at the end but came out fine). Then we pushed a mold (from some weird pot thing we found at the Dollar store)into the center of the concrete to make the 'Mickey' and scooped out some of the concrete on the side to provide an area later for the spillway. We had to weigh down the mold since it wanted to float to the top and we used old pieces of 2 x 4's in the area where the spillway was to help keep the shape till it all set. We left it for 24 hours and then filled the bowls with water and left it for a week. Then we broke it out and let it set for a couple of days. We sealed it with a concrete sealer (otherwise it weeps) and glued the copper spillway in place (if you don't have the spillway then the water tends to travel down the side of the bowl). We have a piece of plastic piping in the side of the top pot, we put it in when we made it, we just need to glue the tube from the pump that you see coming over the top into the piping and we're done.
Enjoy!
My Front Yard
Okay so this year we finally created a halfway decent front yard. I had convinced my husband that he did not want to mow any more and we let the grass in the yard die. Well that was way back in the summer of 2006, unfortunately in the spring of 2007 I got cancer, again, long story, so the yard just sat and grew weeds. Well we finally got back to it. And . . . . I love it :)
The brick work was inspired by something I saw on Pinterest. I just modified it to sweep around the rosemary and the bird bath. And of course I LOVE my bathtub. A good friend was dumping it and I and got it for FREE :) Thank you Kris! I put pots in it so I can change it out at different seasons. These pictures are from early in the season so I was waiting for Daffodils and Tulips to make their debut. Later pictures have the Gladiolas and Dahlias.
Better shot. You can see the raised patio in the back. This is an early shot - no swing.
Truly my house is not this blue. But this is the way the shot came out. So don't you just love the fence. We designed it ourselves. Cutting down 1" x 6" x 6' boards into smaller boards to create the slats on the fence and to create dimension we put some on the front and some on the back. We used a jig to make sure that the spacing stayed the same. I sprayed the whole thing with clear deck stain when I was done to keep the redwood looking new. See the patio in the back with the still in process swing (I have to create a sling for it before it will hold anyone). Plants across the front includes white cloud roses and lantana. We also planted peter pan agapanthus by removing and old one in another part of our yard and then dividing it up. Saved some bucks :)
Shot from another direction. That's an almond tree in the center front of the yard. At some point it may get too large but at least it will shade the front of the house. And a small lemon in the blue pot on the left. Grown from a seed. No flowers or fruit yet but I'm hoping soon.
We added a pot on the patio and you can see my unfinished swing. We tore apart the old stuffing on it and I decided to make a sling to string over the old framework, then I will add cushions. Our ground cover is just bark chips over landscaping cloth.
So we're almost done. Everyone that stops by tells us that they love it. Including strangers just driving by. Woooohooo for us :)
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Pippa
I have been super busy for the last couple of weeks. Not only is the local Garden Club coming to my house next week :( but we have a new puppy. A crazy, plant, bark chip, shoes, kleenex and rock eating puppy. My quiet life will never be the same. And no we didn't name her after any famous people - she actually picked her own name (since it was the only thing she would come to).
We know she is part Lab and we think she is part hound. Only time will tell. Enjoy!
Showing total attitude in the back yard. She is such a girl.
Asleep with her cow.
With Mom at the office. Look at those legs.
We know she is part Lab and we think she is part hound. Only time will tell. Enjoy!
Porch Upgrade . . . In Process
Okay so my front porch was far from welcoming. Actually it was down right ugly. It still needs some paint but I moved out the large pot (which left a large stain) and painted an old chair red. Then I updated the wreath with some cheerful pink. But the crowning achievement is the fence (place French Horns trumpeting here) and a cute welcome sign (created by my Daughter and her Cricut). I love it!
I think I will have to paint the concrete porch at some point - I tried bleach and baking soda and it just made it worse. And the mailbox needs to be more understated (bought spray paint for that job). And of course I had to take the picture when the sun was not shining. I will update that on another day.
So do you want to make your own :)
So to create your own awesome fence you need:
1 - 4" x 4" (measure to see how long you need - I wanted ours to start on the step below)
1 - finial top with a screw bottom
1 - wedged shaped top (it goes under the finial and on top of the 4" x 4")
1 - 2" x 4" (again you are going to have to measure and then double it)
And enough fence boards to cover your area
Wood Screws
Mollies and Bolts for the wall
White wash paint and brush
Electric Drill and Electric Screw Driver
Circular Saw or Chop Saw
First you need to cut the 4" x 4" to the right height. Then chop the back off the wedge shaped top so that when it is on the top of the 4" x 4" it mounts flush with the wall. Then drill and screw in the finial top. Creating your 4" x 4" post.
Then cut the 2" x 4"s to match the necessary length to go from the 4 x 4 post to the wall. Mount the 2" x 4"s to the 4" x 4". We just eyeballed exactly where we wanted the horizontals to go on our 'fence' and drilled pre holes and then screwed it in with wood screws.
Then we mounted it onto the wall with Mollies and bolts. It went into the mortar in our brick wall. We made sure that the bolts would be accessible after the fence boards were attached so that I could take it down and paint the wall (and the fence) later.
Then we put on the fence boards. We created our own pattern. If you really want to do this on the cheap and have a table saw then you can do what we did. Buy the 1" x 6" x 6' redwood fence boards at your local home improvement store for about $2.00 per board and cut the board long wise in half and then cut them in half the other way. You will end up with 4 - 3' fence boards, 2 with flat ends on both ends and 2 with a flat end and a diagonal cut end for about 50 cents each. Hence the pattern in our 'fence'.
I leave it to you to figure out where to mount your fence boards. The trick is keeping them even. And trust me it was a trick :) And keeping the bottom edge straight. We did have to do a bit of chopping here to make everything work.
Once everything is put together then take the fence down and white wash it. I did it with exterior paint mixed with a lot of water. Came out awesome. Then remount when it is dry.
What do you think?
Enjoy!
So do you want to make your own :)
So to create your own awesome fence you need:
1 - 4" x 4" (measure to see how long you need - I wanted ours to start on the step below)
1 - finial top with a screw bottom
1 - wedged shaped top (it goes under the finial and on top of the 4" x 4")
1 - 2" x 4" (again you are going to have to measure and then double it)
And enough fence boards to cover your area
Wood Screws
Mollies and Bolts for the wall
White wash paint and brush
Electric Drill and Electric Screw Driver
Circular Saw or Chop Saw
First you need to cut the 4" x 4" to the right height. Then chop the back off the wedge shaped top so that when it is on the top of the 4" x 4" it mounts flush with the wall. Then drill and screw in the finial top. Creating your 4" x 4" post.
Then cut the 2" x 4"s to match the necessary length to go from the 4 x 4 post to the wall. Mount the 2" x 4"s to the 4" x 4". We just eyeballed exactly where we wanted the horizontals to go on our 'fence' and drilled pre holes and then screwed it in with wood screws.
Then we mounted it onto the wall with Mollies and bolts. It went into the mortar in our brick wall. We made sure that the bolts would be accessible after the fence boards were attached so that I could take it down and paint the wall (and the fence) later.
Then we put on the fence boards. We created our own pattern. If you really want to do this on the cheap and have a table saw then you can do what we did. Buy the 1" x 6" x 6' redwood fence boards at your local home improvement store for about $2.00 per board and cut the board long wise in half and then cut them in half the other way. You will end up with 4 - 3' fence boards, 2 with flat ends on both ends and 2 with a flat end and a diagonal cut end for about 50 cents each. Hence the pattern in our 'fence'.
I leave it to you to figure out where to mount your fence boards. The trick is keeping them even. And trust me it was a trick :) And keeping the bottom edge straight. We did have to do a bit of chopping here to make everything work.
Once everything is put together then take the fence down and white wash it. I did it with exterior paint mixed with a lot of water. Came out awesome. Then remount when it is dry.
What do you think?
Enjoy!
Keeping The Glass Population Down
Does anyone else struggle with having way to many glasses to wash by the end of the day. Hands up here :) I can't believe how many glasses 4 people can go through in just one day. We have tried assigning glasses or cups to individuals but they always seem to be dirty when they want them or they hoard them and never wash them. Ooooo Gross. So I was thinking when I go to parties everyone has those cute rings that they put on fancy stem ware so that everyone knows what glass is theirs. So translate that into real life. Bingo.
Binder Mini Clips! In Colors! Everyone gets assigned a color and there you go. Just make sure that you fold the clippy part down or you will stick someone in the eye. Working wonderfully in my house. Enjoy!
Monday, May 7, 2012
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Okay so I'm a Pinterest Addict. At some point there will have to be an intervention but for the moment I am thoroughly enjoying all my new found ideas :)
I tried a recipe from Sweet Peas Kitchen. I follow her blog. This lady really has some wonderful recipes. The following is a picture from her site of her amazing Chicken Tortilla Soup. Trust me when I tell you it is wonderful. My family just loves it :)
Unfortunately I do not have an hour plus when I get home to create such yummy goodness so I have had to do the usual 'Jan' to it and recreated something similar but not the same. Mine is a bit spicier but I like it :)
You start with:
One Yellow Onion Chopped
1 heaping Tablespoon of minced Garlic
(I always buy it in the jar because I am too lazy to chop the cloves myself)
You put these in a large (big enough for everything else to go in) thick bottomed pot with olive oil and saute till the onions are turning clear
To this pot you add:
3 - 16 oz cans of chopped tomatoes
1 - 16 oz can of chopped tomatoes with chilis
1 small can of diced chilis
2 teaspoons of ancho chili powder
2 teaspoons of cumin
6 cups of chicken broth
1 tsp of powdered chicken soup base
1/2 tsp fresh grated pepper
1 - 16 oz bag of frozen corn
1 - 16 oz can of black beans (rinsed)
Bring everything to a boil and then simmer for 15 minutes.
While everything is simmering cut up 3 large pre-cooked chicken breasts.
I cut them in large hunks and then shred them with my hands into bite sized pieces.
and then you need a 1/4 cup of fresh chopped cilantro
This is then added to the pot and you continue to simmer for another 20 minutes.
We serve it on a bed of tortilla chips (chips in first then the soup on top) and top with grated Mexican mix cheese and green onions.
Enjoy!
Monday, April 30, 2012
Closing Remarks on my Cancer and Lymphedema
I was pondering my title for this last blog and wished that everyone who had cancer had a chance to put in closing remarks on their cancer but that is just not the nature of this disease. I lost 2 friends just this last year to cancer (brain tumor and colon cancer) and had 2 other friends (both with lymphoma) beat it and are still with me. You just never know.
The statistics were against me (and still are) but so far it has been 5 years. Still alive. Still grateful to have a new morning to wake up to each and every day.
Thank you, God.
So for my final blog I thought I'd share a bit about the repercussions of my cancer:
1. It took months to recover from the chemo and the depression. I still get winded when working in the yard or hiking with my husband. For our 33 wedding anniversary we decided to hike Half Dome at Yosemite. 4,000 feet increase in altitude over 7 miles. We made it half way up the sub dome before I bombed out - altitude sickness - even after months and months of preparation. I realized on that hike how much damage the cancer had done to my lungs as I struggled up the mountain. You just never really get it all back. My kids say that I look much older than I am. Sad.
2. The cost. I had great insurance but there are still financial repercussions from having cancer. Whether it's co-pays, prescriptions, special food or just gasoline to treatments. It all adds up. We had to sell my Husband's fancy 1950's pickup truck to pay for all the extras :( Fortunately we had a fancy 1950's pickup truck to sell, some aren't so lucky.
3. The on going issues. First, is the medication that I have to take for the rest of my life. Arimidex, which is an anti tumor medication for women who are in menopause, is the drug of choice. At first it was $400 per month but now they have a generic version that my Oncologist says works just fine. Thank goodness. Second, is the possibility of never getting health insurance again if I leave my job (or if my job goes away). No one will take me. So if that ever happens I will live my life at the county hospitals until I reach Medicare age - if they still have it. This is a constant fear. Much as I hate President Obama's health care (since I would have been in the 'no' category for any treatments) I still think that everyone should be able to get health insurance - reasonably priced health insurance.
4. Finally, Lymphedema. This is the condition that my Surgeon was afraid that she was condemning me to because of my lack of lymph nodes there would be issues with drainage of my arm. I did pretty well for almost 3 1/2 years after surgery. My arm looked fine and then one day -
The statistics were against me (and still are) but so far it has been 5 years. Still alive. Still grateful to have a new morning to wake up to each and every day.
Thank you, God.
So for my final blog I thought I'd share a bit about the repercussions of my cancer:
1. It took months to recover from the chemo and the depression. I still get winded when working in the yard or hiking with my husband. For our 33 wedding anniversary we decided to hike Half Dome at Yosemite. 4,000 feet increase in altitude over 7 miles. We made it half way up the sub dome before I bombed out - altitude sickness - even after months and months of preparation. I realized on that hike how much damage the cancer had done to my lungs as I struggled up the mountain. You just never really get it all back. My kids say that I look much older than I am. Sad.
2. The cost. I had great insurance but there are still financial repercussions from having cancer. Whether it's co-pays, prescriptions, special food or just gasoline to treatments. It all adds up. We had to sell my Husband's fancy 1950's pickup truck to pay for all the extras :( Fortunately we had a fancy 1950's pickup truck to sell, some aren't so lucky.
3. The on going issues. First, is the medication that I have to take for the rest of my life. Arimidex, which is an anti tumor medication for women who are in menopause, is the drug of choice. At first it was $400 per month but now they have a generic version that my Oncologist says works just fine. Thank goodness. Second, is the possibility of never getting health insurance again if I leave my job (or if my job goes away). No one will take me. So if that ever happens I will live my life at the county hospitals until I reach Medicare age - if they still have it. This is a constant fear. Much as I hate President Obama's health care (since I would have been in the 'no' category for any treatments) I still think that everyone should be able to get health insurance - reasonably priced health insurance.
4. Finally, Lymphedema. This is the condition that my Surgeon was afraid that she was condemning me to because of my lack of lymph nodes there would be issues with drainage of my arm. I did pretty well for almost 3 1/2 years after surgery. My arm looked fine and then one day -
Yup, that's what it looks like. Stinks. I was having dinner with my family (including my Brother) when my Brother said 'Sis, why does one of your arms look bigger than the other'. And I just knew. Rats.
So I contacted my Oncologist who referred me to a Physical Therapist. At first it was just my arm and then after a month my hand abandoned me and decided to go over to the other side and now it's pretty much my whole left side. So I get to wear a custom sleeve with a big compression pad in it and this pretty glove. Actually this was my first glove, my later ones were my skin toned. Although I do like the dark one since it shows dirt less. Still looking for ways to bling it up a bit :)
I have to be candid with you as much as I do not enjoy having Lymphedema - I would hate having cancer more. This is so something that I can live with and hey, I still have my arm. Wooohooo for me :)
Truly - Wooohoo for anyone that has beaten cancer or is battling cancer or is a caregiver for someone who has cancer or well you get my drift.
Thanks for reading - if you have any questions of me or just need someone to talk to about cancer, I would love to hear from you.
Enjoy!
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