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!
Showing posts with label Health. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Health. Show all posts
Thursday, September 20, 2012
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!
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!
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Popeye was Wrong!
Okay so back to my writing about making my diet more healthy. Last time I wrote a bit about eggs for breakfast. Well today I'm going to add spinach to that list since I add spinach to eggs occasionally to up it's vitamins for me. Spinach, that green bitter vegetable. I'm sure someone out there is saying it's not bitter. Well compared to the other leafy veggies I think spinach is bitter unless it's hidden in something or under something (like dressing). I do like spinach which is good since it has a lot of great stuff in it.
Well oddly enough I came into this believing that it was a great source of Iron. Every time I go to give blood and find my hematocrit (test for iron in your blood) is to low they say eat spinach. Well one cup of spinach only gives you 5% of your RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance) of Iron. According to one of my sources this misinformation happened years ago when a scientist moved a decimal point in the wrong direction and made spinach high in iron. That got out and just like a fake, juicy rumor on the internet there is no stopping it. It has iron but if you are iron deficient I would actually look to a different source. Think of eating 20 cups of spinach to get 100% of your iron a day. You can see why I think you should look somewhere else. Just an FYI I eat Cream of Wheat fortified with iron when my iron gets low - helps a lot.
What spinach really has is Magnesium, Calcium and Potassium. It's huge on vitamin A (56% of your RDA in one cup) and over the top on Vit K (181% of your RDA). Vitamin K helps with a lot of things but most important to me is it helps with the absorption of Calcium and helps prevent osteoporosis. A real plus at my age.
Spinach is a good source of omega 3 fatty acids and folate (folic acid) - all good stuff.
In our household we eat spinach in tons of foods. Salads are where you find it normally but we have it in Smoothies too. Try looking at Allrecipes.com and put in green smoothie. It's awesome. You don't taste the spinach in the smoothie but get all the benefits. I add it to eggs too that's why I'm blogging about spinach at the point. Spinach wilts when it gets heated and according to your taste you can have it plain, with lemon and olive oil or mixed in sauces. I make a pasta dish we refer to as the 'San Francisco' - Fettuccine, and an Alfredo based sauce with chicken, shrimp and Spinach. It's awesome. So try mixing it into your food to 'hide' it from those who frown on it.
Next: Onions (I love onions).
PS - well I read recently that spinach has a lot of iron in it in a major publication. BUT it has to be cooked and you need to eat a whole cup to get the iron. This makes sense since you need about 20 cups of fresh to get a your 100% RDA so if you wilt it then you can fit a whole lot more in a cup. I hate cooked spinach unless it's disguised by something. Hmmmm.
Well oddly enough I came into this believing that it was a great source of Iron. Every time I go to give blood and find my hematocrit (test for iron in your blood) is to low they say eat spinach. Well one cup of spinach only gives you 5% of your RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance) of Iron. According to one of my sources this misinformation happened years ago when a scientist moved a decimal point in the wrong direction and made spinach high in iron. That got out and just like a fake, juicy rumor on the internet there is no stopping it. It has iron but if you are iron deficient I would actually look to a different source. Think of eating 20 cups of spinach to get 100% of your iron a day. You can see why I think you should look somewhere else. Just an FYI I eat Cream of Wheat fortified with iron when my iron gets low - helps a lot.
What spinach really has is Magnesium, Calcium and Potassium. It's huge on vitamin A (56% of your RDA in one cup) and over the top on Vit K (181% of your RDA). Vitamin K helps with a lot of things but most important to me is it helps with the absorption of Calcium and helps prevent osteoporosis. A real plus at my age.
Spinach is a good source of omega 3 fatty acids and folate (folic acid) - all good stuff.
In our household we eat spinach in tons of foods. Salads are where you find it normally but we have it in Smoothies too. Try looking at Allrecipes.com and put in green smoothie. It's awesome. You don't taste the spinach in the smoothie but get all the benefits. I add it to eggs too that's why I'm blogging about spinach at the point. Spinach wilts when it gets heated and according to your taste you can have it plain, with lemon and olive oil or mixed in sauces. I make a pasta dish we refer to as the 'San Francisco' - Fettuccine, and an Alfredo based sauce with chicken, shrimp and Spinach. It's awesome. So try mixing it into your food to 'hide' it from those who frown on it.
Next: Onions (I love onions).
PS - well I read recently that spinach has a lot of iron in it in a major publication. BUT it has to be cooked and you need to eat a whole cup to get the iron. This makes sense since you need about 20 cups of fresh to get a your 100% RDA so if you wilt it then you can fit a whole lot more in a cup. I hate cooked spinach unless it's disguised by something. Hmmmm.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Making Eggs - Eggs-sigh-ting
Sorry for the horrible title but Eggs just lend themselves to it. :)
So my last blog was on eggs for breakfast - still trying to eat myself healthier - so what do I put on or with eggs that can make them better.
Salt - I use too much salt and I know that but I just have never found anything to replace it. I did look to see if any salt is better than another - no - rats. Some have better minerals (sea salt) and some have added iodine (table salt) and some are better loved by chefs (kosher salt) but they are all just salt. Now don't get me wrong salt is an important part of keeping us chemically balanced. We need it, we just don't need so much of it. Salt substitutes use Potassium Chloride as part of their chemical properties and too much of that isn't good for you either (it also affects certain medicines that you take so consult a Doctor before switching to a salt substitute). So what it comes down to is watch the salt. There are Salt free spices that might be worth considering too.
Egg Substitutes - I have tried egg substitutes and they're great for mixing with stuff (like in cakes) but taste awful as a stand alone item (scrambled). They have less fat and cholesterol but . . . I did find an article that suggested mixing one egg with an egg white based substitute. I'm going to try this and get back to you on it.
Mixing in Veggies - this was suggested by a nutritionist when I was in a study of food and it's affects on Cancer. Adding Spinach, mushrooms, onion, zucchini, fresh tomatoes or using pico de gallo on your eggs adds a whole new level of healthy eating. I struggle with getting enough veggies in my diet and don't want to just drink my veggies so this works really well. It helps to cook the veggies first (except the spinach and tomatoes) and then add the egg.
Finally what comes to me is cheese - I have been known to make a fairly good omelet but I usually end up making more of a country style omelet than the fancy french style. But I always add cheese. It is a good source of calcium but is it also high in fat. I think if you can do without then do without.
My favorite way of having eggs is in eggs Benedict (my Daughter makes it awesome) - lets see, poached eggs, good, Canadian bacon, not so good, whole wheat English muffins, good, holindaise sauce, definitely a no no. Hmmm looks like Eggs Benedict is not on my list :( Think if I added some spinach to it it would help? Didn't think so.
Back to the drawing board.
Next I think I will hit the veggies that I mentioned in this blog. First up will be Spinach.
PS - tried the egg substitute made primarily from egg whites this morning - mixed 1 egg with 1/4 cup of substitute - yuck! I would rather just have one egg. Sadly I bought a whole box of the egg substitute at the local Costco - I guess I'm going to use the rest of it in baking. Lesson - only buy a single if you are trying it out for the first time, if it works, great, if not you won't have wasted your money (duh!).
So my last blog was on eggs for breakfast - still trying to eat myself healthier - so what do I put on or with eggs that can make them better.
Salt - I use too much salt and I know that but I just have never found anything to replace it. I did look to see if any salt is better than another - no - rats. Some have better minerals (sea salt) and some have added iodine (table salt) and some are better loved by chefs (kosher salt) but they are all just salt. Now don't get me wrong salt is an important part of keeping us chemically balanced. We need it, we just don't need so much of it. Salt substitutes use Potassium Chloride as part of their chemical properties and too much of that isn't good for you either (it also affects certain medicines that you take so consult a Doctor before switching to a salt substitute). So what it comes down to is watch the salt. There are Salt free spices that might be worth considering too.
Egg Substitutes - I have tried egg substitutes and they're great for mixing with stuff (like in cakes) but taste awful as a stand alone item (scrambled). They have less fat and cholesterol but . . . I did find an article that suggested mixing one egg with an egg white based substitute. I'm going to try this and get back to you on it.
Mixing in Veggies - this was suggested by a nutritionist when I was in a study of food and it's affects on Cancer. Adding Spinach, mushrooms, onion, zucchini, fresh tomatoes or using pico de gallo on your eggs adds a whole new level of healthy eating. I struggle with getting enough veggies in my diet and don't want to just drink my veggies so this works really well. It helps to cook the veggies first (except the spinach and tomatoes) and then add the egg.
Finally what comes to me is cheese - I have been known to make a fairly good omelet but I usually end up making more of a country style omelet than the fancy french style. But I always add cheese. It is a good source of calcium but is it also high in fat. I think if you can do without then do without.
My favorite way of having eggs is in eggs Benedict (my Daughter makes it awesome) - lets see, poached eggs, good, Canadian bacon, not so good, whole wheat English muffins, good, holindaise sauce, definitely a no no. Hmmm looks like Eggs Benedict is not on my list :( Think if I added some spinach to it it would help? Didn't think so.
Back to the drawing board.
Next I think I will hit the veggies that I mentioned in this blog. First up will be Spinach.
PS - tried the egg substitute made primarily from egg whites this morning - mixed 1 egg with 1/4 cup of substitute - yuck! I would rather just have one egg. Sadly I bought a whole box of the egg substitute at the local Costco - I guess I'm going to use the rest of it in baking. Lesson - only buy a single if you are trying it out for the first time, if it works, great, if not you won't have wasted your money (duh!).
Egg-cellent
I figured I do a bit more research on what I eat for breakfast - this is part of the Jan will get healthier by eating better part of my life. So I love eggs. Scrambled, fried, poached, hardboiled, omleted (is that a word?), whatever. Just bring on the eggs. If I'm not eating Oatmeal for breakfast then I'm having eggs. So what is good and bad about them.
Well they are low on the glycemic load (I've been reading about that so I will have more on it later). High in Vit A, E and Folate (which is another word for Folic Acid which I wrote about in a previous post). All good. Low in calories, only about 80 per egg. This, of course, is great if you are on a diet. They are a complete protein - easy to digest so you can get the full benefits from it. High in Choline too - simply this helps with Brain functions. Good for diabetics since there are no carbs to deal with.
Bad stuff - Cholesterol. Everyone waves that red flag on eggs but the latest research shows that we actually only get 25% of our body's cholesterol from what we eat. The rest is genetic (or Jeannettic, sorry family joke). So eating upward of two eggs a day (unless you have serious cholesterol problems) is okay.
Bad stuff II - Saturated Fat. Eggs have it. All animal protein has it to some extent. So over doing on eggs is just like eating to much of anything that is high in saturated fat (like steak or butter) it is going to push your saturated fats too high in your diet. This has been linked to heart disease and a possible increase in Breast cancer. I think I will leave Saturated Fat for another blog.
Next: Can I really make eggs any better? Hmmmm
PS. Found new website with lots of information broken out in easy and understandable language - nutritiondata.com - watch the measurements on the items reviewed, some are single serving and some are by the cup.
Well they are low on the glycemic load (I've been reading about that so I will have more on it later). High in Vit A, E and Folate (which is another word for Folic Acid which I wrote about in a previous post). All good. Low in calories, only about 80 per egg. This, of course, is great if you are on a diet. They are a complete protein - easy to digest so you can get the full benefits from it. High in Choline too - simply this helps with Brain functions. Good for diabetics since there are no carbs to deal with.
Bad stuff - Cholesterol. Everyone waves that red flag on eggs but the latest research shows that we actually only get 25% of our body's cholesterol from what we eat. The rest is genetic (or Jeannettic, sorry family joke). So eating upward of two eggs a day (unless you have serious cholesterol problems) is okay.
Bad stuff II - Saturated Fat. Eggs have it. All animal protein has it to some extent. So over doing on eggs is just like eating to much of anything that is high in saturated fat (like steak or butter) it is going to push your saturated fats too high in your diet. This has been linked to heart disease and a possible increase in Breast cancer. I think I will leave Saturated Fat for another blog.
Next: Can I really make eggs any better? Hmmmm
PS. Found new website with lots of information broken out in easy and understandable language - nutritiondata.com - watch the measurements on the items reviewed, some are single serving and some are by the cup.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
How Can I Eat More Whole Grains? And Why Should I Care?
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.
I just wanted to throw in a video here from www.everydayfoodstorage.net. I think this will help your decision to use whole wheat more! Thank you Crystal!
Of course wheat isn't the only awesome grain out there so I'm going to change horses here just a bit (or at least add more passengers to it) and throw in the term 'Whole Grains' of which wheat is a big part but whole grains brings in a lot of other really good things for me. Whole grains included rice, barley, corn, quinoa, sorghum, spelt, rye and bunch of other things.
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 like Crystal mentioned in the Video. 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 put out by UCSD, Moore Cancer Center). 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).
I've been pondering lately how can I make wheat a bigger, better part of my diet? And what can I do with what I am already eating to increase the 'Wow' factor in getting the good stuff out of it?
Haven't a clue that's why I write this silly blog :) Okay, Okay, I eat whole wheat in a cracked format in cracked wheat cereal. I tried cooking it in a crock pot and it turned into mush (and if mush is what you are looking for great but for me - not so much). So I got out on the Internet and looked at alternatives to cooking. You're gonna love this one. The night before I want it, I take 2 cups of water and boil it in the microwave. I pour it into the 'unplugged' crock pot add 1/4 tsp of salt and 1 cup of cracked wheat. Put on the lid. Then cover it with a kitchen towel and go to bed. The next morning, voila, cracked wheat cereal enough for 2 to 3 people. You can actually refrigerate the left overs to be used the next day. I usually have to drain any excess water off it and then microwave till hot but it's ready to go. You can put the same stuff on it that you add to oatmeal except don't add the ground flax. The flax turns into this gelatinous substance that make the cereal nasty. Not on my list.
Oh and the easiest way to get cracked wheat is to crack your own. I got this hand grinder that I can hook onto my kitchen counter. In just 5 minutes I can hand grind about 6 or 7 cups of cracked wheat. I put it in a sealed container and put it in the refrigerator so the oils in the wheat don't go rancid and the vitamins stay longer. I try not to do more than my family will eat in 2 weeks time.
And just a quick note - if your body is not used to cracked wheat is can be pretty rough on your insides. Maybe start with small amounts spaced over several days and work your way up. We have it about 3 times a week. Please note too the texture is different that probably anything you have ever eaten and may take some getting used to but I really like it.
What else do I eat that has whole wheat in it? Bread. I can make this but usually I buy it from some big box store. I actually don't by whole wheat bread, I usually buy whole grain bread. The one with all the lumps in it (that was a serious issue with my kids when they were small and texture is everything). I try too, if I am buying any other bread product (buns, English muffins, tortillas, dinner rolls, etc.), to pay more attention to the ingredients on the package. If whole wheat isn't listed as the first ingredient (whole, sprouted or malted) then I go back to see if there is anything better. Unfortunately this is usually a higher cost item so I have to weigh my options. Sometimes I pick the lesser quality just because the cost is so prohibitive.
So to continue on with Bread comes butter. I probably mentioned this before but I eat butter not margarine. There are several reasons. One is taste, butter just tastes better. Two is it's natural - it comes from a cow, nothing else added (except maybe salt) so my body has a better chance of processing it. And finally my cancer is estrogen positive and soy products are a question mark item for estrogen positive. Do they or do they not make my cancer grow? So the next time you are at the grocery store look at margarine's. What it the first ingredient? Soy Oils. Bad. So it's butter for me :)
You know another option on bread is cinnamon and a sugar substitute for flavor. I put a mix of cinnamon and splenda in a small glass shaker so I can have it on cereal and toast. Works great. And cinnamon is good for your blood sugar - 1/4 tsp a day is suggested. What better way is there to get that than on toast with butter.
Enjoy!
I just wanted to throw in a video here from www.everydayfoodstorage.net. I think this will help your decision to use whole wheat more! Thank you Crystal!
Of course wheat isn't the only awesome grain out there so I'm going to change horses here just a bit (or at least add more passengers to it) and throw in the term 'Whole Grains' of which wheat is a big part but whole grains brings in a lot of other really good things for me. Whole grains included rice, barley, corn, quinoa, sorghum, spelt, rye and bunch of other things.
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 like Crystal mentioned in the Video. 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 put out by UCSD, Moore Cancer Center). 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).
I've been pondering lately how can I make wheat a bigger, better part of my diet? And what can I do with what I am already eating to increase the 'Wow' factor in getting the good stuff out of it?
Haven't a clue that's why I write this silly blog :) Okay, Okay, I eat whole wheat in a cracked format in cracked wheat cereal. I tried cooking it in a crock pot and it turned into mush (and if mush is what you are looking for great but for me - not so much). So I got out on the Internet and looked at alternatives to cooking. You're gonna love this one. The night before I want it, I take 2 cups of water and boil it in the microwave. I pour it into the 'unplugged' crock pot add 1/4 tsp of salt and 1 cup of cracked wheat. Put on the lid. Then cover it with a kitchen towel and go to bed. The next morning, voila, cracked wheat cereal enough for 2 to 3 people. You can actually refrigerate the left overs to be used the next day. I usually have to drain any excess water off it and then microwave till hot but it's ready to go. You can put the same stuff on it that you add to oatmeal except don't add the ground flax. The flax turns into this gelatinous substance that make the cereal nasty. Not on my list.
Oh and the easiest way to get cracked wheat is to crack your own. I got this hand grinder that I can hook onto my kitchen counter. In just 5 minutes I can hand grind about 6 or 7 cups of cracked wheat. I put it in a sealed container and put it in the refrigerator so the oils in the wheat don't go rancid and the vitamins stay longer. I try not to do more than my family will eat in 2 weeks time.
And just a quick note - if your body is not used to cracked wheat is can be pretty rough on your insides. Maybe start with small amounts spaced over several days and work your way up. We have it about 3 times a week. Please note too the texture is different that probably anything you have ever eaten and may take some getting used to but I really like it.
What else do I eat that has whole wheat in it? Bread. I can make this but usually I buy it from some big box store. I actually don't by whole wheat bread, I usually buy whole grain bread. The one with all the lumps in it (that was a serious issue with my kids when they were small and texture is everything). I try too, if I am buying any other bread product (buns, English muffins, tortillas, dinner rolls, etc.), to pay more attention to the ingredients on the package. If whole wheat isn't listed as the first ingredient (whole, sprouted or malted) then I go back to see if there is anything better. Unfortunately this is usually a higher cost item so I have to weigh my options. Sometimes I pick the lesser quality just because the cost is so prohibitive.
So to continue on with Bread comes butter. I probably mentioned this before but I eat butter not margarine. There are several reasons. One is taste, butter just tastes better. Two is it's natural - it comes from a cow, nothing else added (except maybe salt) so my body has a better chance of processing it. And finally my cancer is estrogen positive and soy products are a question mark item for estrogen positive. Do they or do they not make my cancer grow? So the next time you are at the grocery store look at margarine's. What it the first ingredient? Soy Oils. Bad. So it's butter for me :)
You know another option on bread is cinnamon and a sugar substitute for flavor. I put a mix of cinnamon and splenda in a small glass shaker so I can have it on cereal and toast. Works great. And cinnamon is good for your blood sugar - 1/4 tsp a day is suggested. What better way is there to get that than on toast with butter.
Enjoy!
One more English Translation - Omega 3 Fatty Acids
Sorry, a lot of postings today on health issues - must be January. Diet season :)
So how many times do we hear about Omega 3 fatty acids and how important they are for us in our diets. Well Omega 3 fatty acids are an unsaturated fat (this is the good kind of fat) and is great for you. Our body doesn't produce it so we have to look at outside sources to get it. The discovery of it all started with the Greenland Inuit tribe who ate a diet high in fish and had a wonderfully low incident of heart disease (thank you Wikipedia).
Omega 3 fatty acids come in 3 varieties. I refuse to give you the long scientific names but they are known as ALA, EPA and DHA. ALA is from primarily plant sources (like flax). EPA and DHA are primarily from fatty fish like salmon, albacore tuna, sardines, etc. There are tons of lists on the Internet if you are interested in finding out all the foods that have Omega 3 fatty acids in them. The biggest difference between them all is that the body processes the EPA and DHA version better than the ALA version so you get the biggest benefits from them.
So why is it good for you? Well according to all the different research sites that I looked at it lowers triglycerides. My doctor has me taking supplements (via fish oil) to help with this since my cancer drug raises my triglycerides. If you have a bad reaction to fish oil (like it constantly coming back to haunt you) my Doctor suggested that you freeze the pill. Weird. The recommended dosage is 500 mg per day (make sure you include whatever you eat in that 500mg).
Omega 3 fatty acids also increase your HDL (this is the good cholesterol - I always remember this by the fact that the LDL needs to be low and the HDL needs to be high). It's great for your heart and some researchers say that it helps lower high blood pressure. It also shows promise in helping fight off Alzheimer's disease and cancer.
If eat a lot of fish or have flax in your oatmeal every day :) then you shouldn't need to take any supplements. If you take supplements make sure you run it by your Doctor first (especially if you are a heart patient). Better safe than sorry.
Enjoy!
So how many times do we hear about Omega 3 fatty acids and how important they are for us in our diets. Well Omega 3 fatty acids are an unsaturated fat (this is the good kind of fat) and is great for you. Our body doesn't produce it so we have to look at outside sources to get it. The discovery of it all started with the Greenland Inuit tribe who ate a diet high in fish and had a wonderfully low incident of heart disease (thank you Wikipedia).
Omega 3 fatty acids come in 3 varieties. I refuse to give you the long scientific names but they are known as ALA, EPA and DHA. ALA is from primarily plant sources (like flax). EPA and DHA are primarily from fatty fish like salmon, albacore tuna, sardines, etc. There are tons of lists on the Internet if you are interested in finding out all the foods that have Omega 3 fatty acids in them. The biggest difference between them all is that the body processes the EPA and DHA version better than the ALA version so you get the biggest benefits from them.
So why is it good for you? Well according to all the different research sites that I looked at it lowers triglycerides. My doctor has me taking supplements (via fish oil) to help with this since my cancer drug raises my triglycerides. If you have a bad reaction to fish oil (like it constantly coming back to haunt you) my Doctor suggested that you freeze the pill. Weird. The recommended dosage is 500 mg per day (make sure you include whatever you eat in that 500mg).
Omega 3 fatty acids also increase your HDL (this is the good cholesterol - I always remember this by the fact that the LDL needs to be low and the HDL needs to be high). It's great for your heart and some researchers say that it helps lower high blood pressure. It also shows promise in helping fight off Alzheimer's disease and cancer.
If eat a lot of fish or have flax in your oatmeal every day :) then you shouldn't need to take any supplements. If you take supplements make sure you run it by your Doctor first (especially if you are a heart patient). Better safe than sorry.
Enjoy!
In English please! What are Antioxidants, Phytoestrogens and Folic Acid?
Whenever I read a health blog there are always terms that go way over my head. So recently I was studying about Antioxidants, Phytoestrogens and Folic Acid. And I decided that what I needed was an english translation of that those things mean so what I hope to accomplish today is exactly that. All of this information is from my research on the internet and in books. Again I'm just a passer on of information.
Antioxidants - apparently oxidation occurs in our bodies all the time, even the act of breathing creates oxidation (really? breathing oxygen causes oxidation, who would have thought). When oxidation occurs a 'free radical' can be formed. Free radical molecules can contribute to some of the diseases of old age, cancer, arthritis and Alzheimer's. The idea is to give your body enough antioxidants to stop or slow the effects of oxidation by overwhelming the free radicals. When your body doesn't have enough antioxidants then the free radicals run wild. So antioxidants are good.
Phytoestrogens - for this one I need to give you some specifics about my cancer. I was diagnosed with an estrogen positive cancer. This means that being female is killing me. The cancer I have battled in the past LOVES estrogen. This is why so many women take meds for years after having cancer in hopes of blocking estrogen to their cancer. Ditto myself as well. There are several different types of phytoestrogens, some are better at helping battle estrogen positive cancers than others. Soy is a phytoestrogen but studies have shown that it may actually cause estrogen positive cancers to grow. So for now this is on my 'no no' list. Most phytoestrogens help by attaching themselves to the receptors on cancer cells that usually an estrogen would attach to, thereby blocking the cancer cell from getting what it loves most. This is the kind of phytoestrogens we want. Phytoestrogens = good!
Folic Acid (or Vitamin B9) - this is the one you want to repair the damage to yourself (it repairs damaged cells) or if your pregnant (helps protect against birth defects). It builds and maintains strong cells and is necessary for the production of red blood cells (if your anemic this may be something to look into). It also helps keep our DNA in line so that it doesn't morph into something bad (like cancer). It's also water soluble, which means your body can't store it. You need to get more each day. I've always heard that it helps with your mental health too (but I think that includes all the B Vitamin category). Just one more thing - probably an old wives tale (but then I am an old wife) high doses of a B complex will help keep the mosquitoes away. I have actually used this, I start it about 2 weeks before I go camping and dose myself heavy on it till camp is done. Seems to work for me. So Folic Acid is in the plus category too.
Just a reminder that all these items need to be eaten in food (not taken in pills). There are things in your food that combine with the vitamins and nutrients so your body can absorb them and get the most benefits from them. Careful too overdosing on some things may actually come back and bite you in the behind.
Enjoy!
Antioxidants - apparently oxidation occurs in our bodies all the time, even the act of breathing creates oxidation (really? breathing oxygen causes oxidation, who would have thought). When oxidation occurs a 'free radical' can be formed. Free radical molecules can contribute to some of the diseases of old age, cancer, arthritis and Alzheimer's. The idea is to give your body enough antioxidants to stop or slow the effects of oxidation by overwhelming the free radicals. When your body doesn't have enough antioxidants then the free radicals run wild. So antioxidants are good.
Phytoestrogens - for this one I need to give you some specifics about my cancer. I was diagnosed with an estrogen positive cancer. This means that being female is killing me. The cancer I have battled in the past LOVES estrogen. This is why so many women take meds for years after having cancer in hopes of blocking estrogen to their cancer. Ditto myself as well. There are several different types of phytoestrogens, some are better at helping battle estrogen positive cancers than others. Soy is a phytoestrogen but studies have shown that it may actually cause estrogen positive cancers to grow. So for now this is on my 'no no' list. Most phytoestrogens help by attaching themselves to the receptors on cancer cells that usually an estrogen would attach to, thereby blocking the cancer cell from getting what it loves most. This is the kind of phytoestrogens we want. Phytoestrogens = good!
Folic Acid (or Vitamin B9) - this is the one you want to repair the damage to yourself (it repairs damaged cells) or if your pregnant (helps protect against birth defects). It builds and maintains strong cells and is necessary for the production of red blood cells (if your anemic this may be something to look into). It also helps keep our DNA in line so that it doesn't morph into something bad (like cancer). It's also water soluble, which means your body can't store it. You need to get more each day. I've always heard that it helps with your mental health too (but I think that includes all the B Vitamin category). Just one more thing - probably an old wives tale (but then I am an old wife) high doses of a B complex will help keep the mosquitoes away. I have actually used this, I start it about 2 weeks before I go camping and dose myself heavy on it till camp is done. Seems to work for me. So Folic Acid is in the plus category too.
Just a reminder that all these items need to be eaten in food (not taken in pills). There are things in your food that combine with the vitamins and nutrients so your body can absorb them and get the most benefits from them. Careful too overdosing on some things may actually come back and bite you in the behind.
Enjoy!
Pondering the Health Issue - Inflammation
I have been reading a lot recently about inflammation and it's effect on our health. Apparently chronic inflammation actually leads to other serious health issues. An example would be arthritis (chronic inflammation) can bring on early Alzheimer's or heart disease. How many times have you had an ache or pain somewhere that is relentless and you end up feeling tired or in pain all over? Doctors think that by reducing inflammation in your body you actually can delay or remove the threat of having some of the more serious health issues (heart disease, diabetes, etc.).
There are several anti-inflammatory diets on the market but basically this is how you eat (This is specifically from Web Md but I have seen this on several web sites):
1. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. Some of the sites specifically mention Green, Orange and Yellow Veggies.
2. Minimize saturated and trans fats. There is talk on the Internet specifically about Omega-6 fatty acids and the need to decrease them. I think I need a blog on that.
3. Eat a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, such as fish or fish oil supplements and walnuts. Try having Tuna (albacore) for lunch and remember to talk to your Doctor before starting any supplements.
4. Watch your intake of refined carbohydrates such as pasta and white rice. Again avoid the starches that have no good nutritional value in them.
5. Eat plenty of whole grains such as brown rice and Bulgar wheat. There is so much good in whole grains you just have to look. I think I need a blog on whole wheat and whole grains.
6. Eat lean protein sources such as chicken; cut back on red meat and full-fat dairy foods. This means no hot dogs, processed meats or salami. And watch your red meats. I recently read to get the lean meats you need to look for the words 'loin' or 'round' in the title of the meat. Actually these are usually the cheaper cuts of beef and pork.
7. Avoid refined foods and processed foods. Back to my donuts . . .
8. Spice it up. Ginger, curry, and other spices can have an anti-inflammatory effect. Cinnamon is also on this list.
You know the more that I look at this diet the more it reminds me of the 'how to eat if you want to avoid cancer' diet I talked about last month in a blog. Seems to me if you watch what you eat. Eat more whole foods rather than processed stuff. Watch your fats and salt then you will have it made.
Just one more bit of information that I found - believe it or not flossing your teeth can help to curb inflammation. When you have stuff trapped between your teeth it can actually cause an inflammatory reaction in your body. So get in there and floss. Enjoy!
There are several anti-inflammatory diets on the market but basically this is how you eat (This is specifically from Web Md but I have seen this on several web sites):
1. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. Some of the sites specifically mention Green, Orange and Yellow Veggies.
2. Minimize saturated and trans fats. There is talk on the Internet specifically about Omega-6 fatty acids and the need to decrease them. I think I need a blog on that.
3. Eat a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, such as fish or fish oil supplements and walnuts. Try having Tuna (albacore) for lunch and remember to talk to your Doctor before starting any supplements.
4. Watch your intake of refined carbohydrates such as pasta and white rice. Again avoid the starches that have no good nutritional value in them.
5. Eat plenty of whole grains such as brown rice and Bulgar wheat. There is so much good in whole grains you just have to look. I think I need a blog on whole wheat and whole grains.
6. Eat lean protein sources such as chicken; cut back on red meat and full-fat dairy foods. This means no hot dogs, processed meats or salami. And watch your red meats. I recently read to get the lean meats you need to look for the words 'loin' or 'round' in the title of the meat. Actually these are usually the cheaper cuts of beef and pork.
7. Avoid refined foods and processed foods. Back to my donuts . . .
8. Spice it up. Ginger, curry, and other spices can have an anti-inflammatory effect. Cinnamon is also on this list.
You know the more that I look at this diet the more it reminds me of the 'how to eat if you want to avoid cancer' diet I talked about last month in a blog. Seems to me if you watch what you eat. Eat more whole foods rather than processed stuff. Watch your fats and salt then you will have it made.
Just one more bit of information that I found - believe it or not flossing your teeth can help to curb inflammation. When you have stuff trapped between your teeth it can actually cause an inflammatory reaction in your body. So get in there and floss. Enjoy!
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Eating Better: Starting with Breakfast - specifically oatmeal!
The idea with this entry in my blog is to give me a place to put all the info that is running around in my head in one easy to access location. Hopefully this will work as planned :) I'm going to take each item that I eat regularly and research it out and give its pros and cons and then try to figure out how to make it better for me by adding stuff or subtracting stuff or just cooking it in a different way. I realize, sadly, that one of my options will be just to discard it from what I currently eat. I'm concerned that all my goodies may end up in that category but we will see. My other criteria is to keep my family in budget. Would I like to buy organic and the nicer cuts of meat? Of course. Is it in my budget? Hardly. So the plan is to eat well and eat within budget. So if you see the 'Eating Better' heading on the blog entry it's addressing my latest eating research.
So what do I eat for Breakfast - let's start with oatmeal. I find from my reading that oatmeal comes in several different forms. Steel Cut like Scottish oatmeal - I love Scottish oatmeal but it takes forever to cook and with not being a morning person I've had to give up Scottish Oatmeal on the week days. Rolled oats - they actually steam the oat grain and then smash it with rollers and then cut it into different sized pieces - Old Fashioned or Regular, Quick and Instant. Old Fashioned is too coarse for me (but great in Cookies) and instant tastes like wall paper paste and too many times comes prepackaged with sugary stuff so I go with Quick. It cooks in a minute with just water and a dash of salt. I found out from my reading that nutritionally they, the different oatmeal's, are really all about the same*. All oatmeal includes both the bran and the germ. So eat what you like.
So what is good about Oatmeal? Well it's high in soluble fiber - this slows digestion so it stays with you longer - this is a huge plus for those trying to lose some weight. It also is low on the Glycemic Index that means it's a good carbohydrate and won't cause sugar spikes (I am a diabetic and have to watch my sugars). I'm still researching Glycemic Load which is different than Glycemic Index but it makes no difference in reference to Oatmeal. There is lots of information that it MAY lower cholesterol but there is nothing definitive although advertising has run with the idea in the media. The speculation is that it is good for your heart and some studies show that what is good for your heart also helps with protection against cancer (my personal buzz word). Nutrients include Calcium, Iron, Manganese, Zinc, Vitamin E and B Vitamins. In one book I read (Food for Thought, Healing Foods to Savor, from UCSD Medical Center, Moores Cancer Center, http://www.healthyeating.ucsd.edu/) it said that oats include antioxidants, phytoestrogens, and folic acid. Since I am still discovering exactly what that means - I'll try translating that into English later in another blog.
Before I start I just wanted to add another book reference to my library of things I quote from. I got this at Costco and it's by Readers Digest. I know, like what do they know about health and can I really trust this as a source. Well I read through the list of consultants on the book and most of them have MD or PHD or RD or some other big title attached to their names. Looks good to me. The book is called Food Cures by Readers Digest.
So when I stare, sleepy eyed, at that big bowl of Oatmeal in the mornings what can I add to it to make it better for me? It has to be simple and quick.
1. Ground Flax Seed - I am discovering that ground Flax seed is awesome. All the articles I have been reading about it says that I definitely need to add it to my diet. Why? Flax is a good source of Omega 3 fatty acids (another term that needs English translation work). I do know it's a plus for your heart. It also is a good source of phytoestrogens (the good phytoestrogens called Ligans). The cancer fighting properties in this are awesome. It's high in fiber both the soluble (for maintaining blood sugar) and insoluble fiber (as any three year old would tell you 'it helps you poop'). You can easily get Ground Flax Seed but try to make sure that it's cold ground to make it healthier or you can grind your own but don't eat the seeds without grinding or they just go straight through you. Oh and you only need a couple of tablespoons of ground flax a day to get the health benefits from it.
2. Cinnamon - all you need is about 1/4 to 1/2 tsp per day of this and it does wonderful things for your blood sugar level. It also helps lower your triglyceride level (my is always horribly high because of my cancer drugs). I have been reading a lot about the new buzz word 'inflammation' and how that effects us all - I'll probably do a blog about it too - but for now cinnamon helps reduce inflammation. All good. I have actually mixed cinnamon with a sugar substitute and put it in a shaker to put on Oatmeal and other stuff too. Works great!
3. Fresh or Dried Fruit - bright colored fruits add great stuff to your oatmeal. Blueberries have the most antioxidants of any fruit that I have seen so far. Fresh is best (when you cook them they loose some of their pluses) and dried seems to concentrate the amount of sugars in the fruit. One of the things I am learning is that the brighter and the more intense the color of the fruit the more health benefits it seems to have. I like raisins and dried cranberries too but they both have a lot of sugar, all natural, but sugar none the less. I have to be careful on the amounts that I am adding of these items. If I use fresh I can use more. Bananas are great too - you get a lot of potassium from them (getting leg cramps? add some bananas to your diet). Of course I haven't even listed all the vitamins and minerals but that would take up a whole page for each fruit :)
4. Non Fat Milk - yes, I drink non fat milk (not 1% or 2% or whole milk). I raised my kids on powdered milk so going to non fat milk was a huge upgrade. My kids think that the 'fatty' milks are thick. Non Fat has more of the milk solids without all the fat that whole milk has in it. Good for you and your family. We are huge milk drinkers (6 gallons a week for a family of 4). Lots of Calcium, Vit A (good for your skin and eyes) and Vit D (big cancer fighter).
*Updated note: When I got my mail after writing this I got a WHEL study news update. WHEL is Women's Health Education and Learning - it's findings are from an on going study of cancer patients. It's through Kaiser and UCSD - the Moores Cancer Center. Anyway they said that any processing of Oats takes away some of the nutrition so your best option is Steel Cut Oats (Scottish Oatmeal) worst scenario is Instant (I told you it tasted like wall paper paste).
So what do I eat for Breakfast - let's start with oatmeal. I find from my reading that oatmeal comes in several different forms. Steel Cut like Scottish oatmeal - I love Scottish oatmeal but it takes forever to cook and with not being a morning person I've had to give up Scottish Oatmeal on the week days. Rolled oats - they actually steam the oat grain and then smash it with rollers and then cut it into different sized pieces - Old Fashioned or Regular, Quick and Instant. Old Fashioned is too coarse for me (but great in Cookies) and instant tastes like wall paper paste and too many times comes prepackaged with sugary stuff so I go with Quick. It cooks in a minute with just water and a dash of salt. I found out from my reading that nutritionally they, the different oatmeal's, are really all about the same*. All oatmeal includes both the bran and the germ. So eat what you like.
So what is good about Oatmeal? Well it's high in soluble fiber - this slows digestion so it stays with you longer - this is a huge plus for those trying to lose some weight. It also is low on the Glycemic Index that means it's a good carbohydrate and won't cause sugar spikes (I am a diabetic and have to watch my sugars). I'm still researching Glycemic Load which is different than Glycemic Index but it makes no difference in reference to Oatmeal. There is lots of information that it MAY lower cholesterol but there is nothing definitive although advertising has run with the idea in the media. The speculation is that it is good for your heart and some studies show that what is good for your heart also helps with protection against cancer (my personal buzz word). Nutrients include Calcium, Iron, Manganese, Zinc, Vitamin E and B Vitamins. In one book I read (Food for Thought, Healing Foods to Savor, from UCSD Medical Center, Moores Cancer Center, http://www.healthyeating.ucsd.edu/) it said that oats include antioxidants, phytoestrogens, and folic acid. Since I am still discovering exactly what that means - I'll try translating that into English later in another blog.
Before I start I just wanted to add another book reference to my library of things I quote from. I got this at Costco and it's by Readers Digest. I know, like what do they know about health and can I really trust this as a source. Well I read through the list of consultants on the book and most of them have MD or PHD or RD or some other big title attached to their names. Looks good to me. The book is called Food Cures by Readers Digest.
So when I stare, sleepy eyed, at that big bowl of Oatmeal in the mornings what can I add to it to make it better for me? It has to be simple and quick.
1. Ground Flax Seed - I am discovering that ground Flax seed is awesome. All the articles I have been reading about it says that I definitely need to add it to my diet. Why? Flax is a good source of Omega 3 fatty acids (another term that needs English translation work). I do know it's a plus for your heart. It also is a good source of phytoestrogens (the good phytoestrogens called Ligans). The cancer fighting properties in this are awesome. It's high in fiber both the soluble (for maintaining blood sugar) and insoluble fiber (as any three year old would tell you 'it helps you poop'). You can easily get Ground Flax Seed but try to make sure that it's cold ground to make it healthier or you can grind your own but don't eat the seeds without grinding or they just go straight through you. Oh and you only need a couple of tablespoons of ground flax a day to get the health benefits from it.
2. Cinnamon - all you need is about 1/4 to 1/2 tsp per day of this and it does wonderful things for your blood sugar level. It also helps lower your triglyceride level (my is always horribly high because of my cancer drugs). I have been reading a lot about the new buzz word 'inflammation' and how that effects us all - I'll probably do a blog about it too - but for now cinnamon helps reduce inflammation. All good. I have actually mixed cinnamon with a sugar substitute and put it in a shaker to put on Oatmeal and other stuff too. Works great!
3. Fresh or Dried Fruit - bright colored fruits add great stuff to your oatmeal. Blueberries have the most antioxidants of any fruit that I have seen so far. Fresh is best (when you cook them they loose some of their pluses) and dried seems to concentrate the amount of sugars in the fruit. One of the things I am learning is that the brighter and the more intense the color of the fruit the more health benefits it seems to have. I like raisins and dried cranberries too but they both have a lot of sugar, all natural, but sugar none the less. I have to be careful on the amounts that I am adding of these items. If I use fresh I can use more. Bananas are great too - you get a lot of potassium from them (getting leg cramps? add some bananas to your diet). Of course I haven't even listed all the vitamins and minerals but that would take up a whole page for each fruit :)
4. Non Fat Milk - yes, I drink non fat milk (not 1% or 2% or whole milk). I raised my kids on powdered milk so going to non fat milk was a huge upgrade. My kids think that the 'fatty' milks are thick. Non Fat has more of the milk solids without all the fat that whole milk has in it. Good for you and your family. We are huge milk drinkers (6 gallons a week for a family of 4). Lots of Calcium, Vit A (good for your skin and eyes) and Vit D (big cancer fighter).
*Updated note: When I got my mail after writing this I got a WHEL study news update. WHEL is Women's Health Education and Learning - it's findings are from an on going study of cancer patients. It's through Kaiser and UCSD - the Moores Cancer Center. Anyway they said that any processing of Oats takes away some of the nutrition so your best option is Steel Cut Oats (Scottish Oatmeal) worst scenario is Instant (I told you it tasted like wall paper paste).
Battling Cancer 'On the Offense'
I was visiting my Oncologist the other day and noticed in her file of reports a new report out from the American Institute for Cancer Research and thought today I would give you the low down from their most up to date information. If you want to prevent cancer these items will give you the best case scenario for doing that. Not that they are a guarantee but research has found that people without cancer are most likely to do all of the following:
1. Be as lean as possible with becoming underweight. I guess it's best to first find out what your healthy weight is for your age and sex and then go from there. It means about 15 more pounds of me has to go.
2. Be physically active for at least 30 minutes every day. My dog drags me around the block every day for 20 minutes (actually she drags me the first half of the walk and then I drag her the second half - she old too). Being physically active holds a lot of options - not just normal exercise. Another point for me to ponder how can I up my activity each day.
3. Avoid sugary drinks. Limit consumption of energy-dense foods (particularly processed foods high in added sugar, or low in fiber, or high in fat). Yah, pretty much eliminates all the fun stuff from my diet, no soda, no ice cream, no goodies . . oh! No Donuts :(
4. Eat more of a variety of vegetables, fruits, whole grains and legumes, such as beans. Makes sense to me but I do struggle with cooking beans. The rest of the items are regulars in my diet but cooking beans, especially from scratch, I just have trouble with and canned beans usually have so much salt. I guess I've just added a new skill to learn to my list :)
5. Limit consumption of red meats (such as beef, pork and lamb) and avoid processed meats. This means no more hot dogs, salami, and bologna (I guess my bologna doesn't have a first name unless it's 'No'). Oddly enough I don't included Pork on my usual red meat list. Does anyone else?
6. If alcohol is consumed at all, limit alcoholic drinks to 2 for men and 1 for women daily. Being LDS (Mormon) pretty much puts the ca bosh on any drinking for me so this isn't an issue but since I don't know who might be reading this I thought I should included it anyway.
7. Limit consumption of salty foods and foods processed with salt (sodium). My Son has issues with salt so we are pretty low salt focused in our diet. Although I do eat canned soups and chili sometimes and the labels on those items scare me. Oh, and always remember to check the serving size sometimes you think it's one and it's really two - makes for twice the salt that you may not have anticipated.
8. Don't use supplements to protect against cancer. I learned this first thing - supplements, magic juice, heavy doses of anything that is way over your recommended daily dose is bad for you and if you have cancer it may play havoc with your treatments. Eat healthy and get your vitamins as naturally as possible and never take supplements without letting your doctor know you are doing it.
Oddly enough smoking wasn't on the list. It would have been tops on mine. I'm pretty sure that's a 'Duh' item, a no brainer.
1. Be as lean as possible with becoming underweight. I guess it's best to first find out what your healthy weight is for your age and sex and then go from there. It means about 15 more pounds of me has to go.
2. Be physically active for at least 30 minutes every day. My dog drags me around the block every day for 20 minutes (actually she drags me the first half of the walk and then I drag her the second half - she old too). Being physically active holds a lot of options - not just normal exercise. Another point for me to ponder how can I up my activity each day.
3. Avoid sugary drinks. Limit consumption of energy-dense foods (particularly processed foods high in added sugar, or low in fiber, or high in fat). Yah, pretty much eliminates all the fun stuff from my diet, no soda, no ice cream, no goodies . . oh! No Donuts :(
4. Eat more of a variety of vegetables, fruits, whole grains and legumes, such as beans. Makes sense to me but I do struggle with cooking beans. The rest of the items are regulars in my diet but cooking beans, especially from scratch, I just have trouble with and canned beans usually have so much salt. I guess I've just added a new skill to learn to my list :)
5. Limit consumption of red meats (such as beef, pork and lamb) and avoid processed meats. This means no more hot dogs, salami, and bologna (I guess my bologna doesn't have a first name unless it's 'No'). Oddly enough I don't included Pork on my usual red meat list. Does anyone else?
6. If alcohol is consumed at all, limit alcoholic drinks to 2 for men and 1 for women daily. Being LDS (Mormon) pretty much puts the ca bosh on any drinking for me so this isn't an issue but since I don't know who might be reading this I thought I should included it anyway.
7. Limit consumption of salty foods and foods processed with salt (sodium). My Son has issues with salt so we are pretty low salt focused in our diet. Although I do eat canned soups and chili sometimes and the labels on those items scare me. Oh, and always remember to check the serving size sometimes you think it's one and it's really two - makes for twice the salt that you may not have anticipated.
8. Don't use supplements to protect against cancer. I learned this first thing - supplements, magic juice, heavy doses of anything that is way over your recommended daily dose is bad for you and if you have cancer it may play havoc with your treatments. Eat healthy and get your vitamins as naturally as possible and never take supplements without letting your doctor know you are doing it.
Oddly enough smoking wasn't on the list. It would have been tops on mine. I'm pretty sure that's a 'Duh' item, a no brainer.
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Vitamin Supplement Overload!
One more article to help you focus on your health in the new year. I was reading online that there is a new study, from the University of Minnesota, that says that taking vitamins may actually shorten your life. Scary thought. The idea is that we are dosing ourselves into a vitamin overload and actually damaging our bodies in the process. Makes sense to me. Really. Think about it, if you take too much of, say, vitamin B then your body has to work harder to get rid of the excessive amount that you have taken. So you're putting your liver and kidneys into overdrive. Anytime an organ has to work harder means that I am wearing out that organ. So like I said this all makes sense.
Time to re-evaluate my vitamin taking. Truly we if we eat right then we really shouldn't need supplements. I take a fish oil pill each day because my Doctor has told me it will help with my Triglycerides. And a calcium pill since I am getting on in years and my Mom had serious issues with bone density. Interestingly enough taking calcium actually extended your life according to the research. Well at least that is one that I don't have to worry about. I don't take a multivitamin but I think the B complex has to go especially since B6 and Folate are mentioned in the article.
If you are interested in the article then follow this link:
Time to re-evaluate my vitamin taking. Truly we if we eat right then we really shouldn't need supplements. I take a fish oil pill each day because my Doctor has told me it will help with my Triglycerides. And a calcium pill since I am getting on in years and my Mom had serious issues with bone density. Interestingly enough taking calcium actually extended your life according to the research. Well at least that is one that I don't have to worry about. I don't take a multivitamin but I think the B complex has to go especially since B6 and Folate are mentioned in the article.
If you are interested in the article then follow this link:
Enjoy!
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