Boring low carb eating ... again

Green egg salad (2 hard boiled eggs, 1 small avocado, mayo, salt and pepper)
Cold roast pork with Dijon mustard
Garlic cheese curds
Jalapeno Cheddar
Olives

Didn't calculate the exact macros on this but pretty sure I just about got my daily protein requirement while taking in almost no carbs.

Love eating like this. Yummy, nutritious, very satisfying and don't feel "stuffed" after eating.

Enjoy!

Crazy good

Although not real low carb, my dinner the other night was amazing.

• Sauteed chicken livers with garlic and scallions
• Oven roasted parsnips, carrots, and onions

The carrots and parsnips ran up the carb count a bit but they also delivered a whole lot of fiber and vitamins A and C. Delicious and well worth the carbs. I coated them in olive oil and seasoned them with salt, pepper, thyme and oregano. In the oven at 325 for about 45 minutes. YES!

Chicken livers were sauteed quickly in coconut oil then added butter, scallions, and garlic. If you're not eating liver (chicken or beef) you are really missing out on a nutritional powerhouse. Quick and easy to prepare and CHEAP.

Enjoy!

Good stuff

watch this (and his other videos)

Chia pudding

strawberry vanilla
chia seed pudding

Unless you've been living under a rock you know that in order to be one of the nutritional "cool kids" you gotta include chia seeds in your way of eating.

Here are a few things that make chia seeds a nutritional powerhouse ...
A 1 ounce (28 grams) serving (about 2 Tbsp) of chia seeds contains:

• Fiber: 11 grams.
• Protein: 4 grams.
• Fat: 9 grams (5 of which are Omega-3s).
• Calcium: 18% of the RDA.
• Manganese: 30% of the RDA.
• Magnesium: 30% of the RDA.
• Phosphorus: 27% of the RDA.

They also contain a decent amount of Zinc, Vitamin B3 (Niacin), Potassium, Vitamin B1 (Thiamine)

and Vitamin B2, making it one of the most nutrient dense foods.

Given my life-long desire to be "cool", I have tried to get in on this. Up until now, I have struggled to find a Yummy! way to make this happen.

Here is the basic recipe I "follow" ... 1 cup of milk to 1/4 cup (4 Tbsp) chia seeds, sweeten to taste. Okay, it's not much of a recipe, more like a basic ratio. I use whole Milk as I want all that good fat, but any of  the nut waters ... you might call them milk, but I ain't never seen nipples on an almond or a coconut ... and I am thinking about trying this with kefir, but the cost would be a deal breaker for me. I sweeten with aspartame, and yes I'm aware of the "risks" so spare me, sometimes in combination with a sugar-free flavored syrup (Torani, DaVinci, etc.). Additions/flavorings might include cocoa, cinnamon, fresh fruit, chopped nuts ... you get the idea.

I tried throwing the mix into our Ninja bullet-style blender but did not care for the results. I found small, 16 oz. Mason jars work really well. I stir everything into the jar shake really well and stick it in the fridge. It is key to go back regularly during the first hour or so and shake vigorously (cocoa generally will need stirring). Let set in fridge overnight at a minimum. The seeds swell, absorbing the liquid, turning the concoction into a tapioca-like pudding that, if you flavored it well, can be quite delicious. note: leave "headroom" as the seeds do expand, particularly if left for more than a day.

A normal desert serving would probably be 1/2 cup although I tend to eat the whole thing as a meal with a tablespoon or two of uncooked rolled oats stirred in just before eating.

Enjoy!

Vegetable soup

My basic soup base loaded with bok choy, bean sprouts, snow peas, bamboo shoots, carrots, celery, and tofu. Topped with green onion, cilantro and Spam (can't help it, I'm from Hawaii).
So good I may just do it again tonight!

Soup II (electric boogaloo)

It seems I have had a "thing" for Asian style soups lately. Last night it was egg drop soup with green peas and tofu. I make these soups fresh, usually single servings. I don't follow (or make) recipes; In fact, I seldom even measure anything. I have actually received some culinary training*, so it's not as though I am unable to follow, or even write recipes, I just prefer "improvisational" cooking (more on that in the future).
So, for those that are curious about my soup "recipe" ...

Most all start with pretty much the same base (measurements are estimates)

• Chicken stock 2 cups
• 1 Tbsp chicken "Better Than Boullion"
• Finely diced fresh ginger 2 tsp
• Finely diced scallions 2-3 (depending on size) white in the soup, dice the tops for a garnish just before serving
• Finely diced garlic 1 clove
• Chili paste (NOT Siracha! photo of what I use below) depending on how daring you are and how hot the chili paste you get is a couple tsp is probably a safe starting point,
• Shoyu (aka soy sauce) 2 Tbsp
• Sesame oil 5-6 drops 
• 1/3 cup rice vinegar
• Black pepper and Chinese 5-spice to taste

Combine all ingredients in a pan, bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer for 20 - 30 minutes. If I am doing a soup with fresh vegetables I'd add them as soon as the base was boiling. For this soup, I then added frozen green peas (1/2 cup) and some diced firm tofu returned the base to a full boil then lightly beat 2 eggs in a measuring cup and poured them slowly into the boiling soup. Immediately shut off the fire and cover the pan. I let it stand for maybe two minutes as I get my bowl ready with a bit more shoyu and sesame oil. Pour the soup into the bowl, top with the diced green onion top (cilantro is good too). Do not overcook the eggs or they will be "rubbery" ... and no one likes "rubbery" eggs.
You can keep this very low carb and with the tofu, it has a good amount of protein. I find it very filling ... in fact as I post this it is the 23rd hour of my fast since eating the egg drop soup. Tonight some sort of vegetable soup ... stay tuned.

Enjoy!

I'll try and remember to post other soups I make with the list of ingredients that go with the basic broth. 

 

*I worked for a number of years in the food and beverage industry and at one point was the "chef" of a small restaurant ... head cook would be more accurate ... and eventually restaurant manager

... doing this reminded me of why, and how much, I hate recipes

Soup

chicken stock

garlic chili paste

scallions

ginger

cilantro

sesame oil

shoyu (soy sauce to you haoles)

rice vinegar

black pepper

five-spice

napa cabbage

white mushrooms
shirataki noodles

mung bean sprouts

tofu

topped w/ spam and green onion

virtually zero carbs, high protein, and all kinds of Yummy!

Eating healthy,and low carb, should not (must not) be boring

I broke my 18-hour fast this afternoon with:

A chicken, brat-style, sausage with some Saverne raw sauerkraut (the craft beer flavor)

4% fat cottage cheese

A medium avocado

and some heirloom cherry tomatoes

I didn't figure the macros on this but know there are just a few carbs and a goodly amount of fats and proteins

Simple. Satisfying.

(and Yummy!)

Enjoy!

Read the label

The fewer foods with labels you eat the better off you are ...

Frittata ...

... "an egg-based Italian dish similar to an omelette or crustless quiche enriched with additional ingredients such as meats, cheeses, vegetables or pasta." 

Spinach, sweet potato, mushroom, onion, and cheese Frittata (with bacon, of course) 
Healthy, lots of protein, low carb, and of course ... Yummy!

How was your breakfast?

 Enjoy!

chile verde

pork, bell peppers (green and yellow), anaheim chilis, onion, Ortega chilis, tomatillos, salt and pepper.

8 hours in the slow cooker and this will be some good eating.

the final product

I was not disappointed

link

we gotta get out of this place

Exactly!

Superfood, indeed!

This was dinner last night. Started with my standard raw veggie bowl with a chunky bleu cheese dip. As a special treat, I cooked up some calf liver and onions with bacon. The term "superfood" is thrown a lot these days ... but in the case of liver I think it certainly applies. 

Obviously high in protein and low in carbs, but its amazing health benefits come from its abundance of micronutrients. consider the following chart ...

I grew up eating liver and I'm committed to increasing the frequency that I eat it these days (includes chicken liver too).

More info and the source of the above chart here.

RAW BEEF LIVER

Enjoy!

White Rabbit ...

Made me laugh

Vegetarian Weekend

Sometimes you just gotta change things up.

"Breakfast" today (at 5 pm):

• Romaine heart
• Celery
• Radish
• Baby Crimini mushroom
• Broccoli
• Cucumber
• Cherry tomato
• Sugar snap peas
• Red onion
• Creamy poppy seed dressing
• Croutons

'twas off the charts ...

"Dinner" tonight? I'm thinking a baked sweet potato and a zucchini / mushroom / onion saute with a glass or two of a nice Syrah.

Sounds like a plan and a half.

Enjoy!

You put that in your mouth?!?!

I am always very concerned (and, to be honest, slightly amused) by people who seem surprised to learn that a medication they are taking may cause serious complications. I see this a lot with cholesterol "lowering" drugs (statins) and with metformin, two commonly prescribed medications  The possible side effects of the statins can be devastating (don't get me started) while the side effects of metformin (Glucophage) are relatively minor ... the most notable being B 12 deficiency which can lead to peripheral neuropathy.
If you are taking metformin you really need to make sure your doctor is testing your B12 (and folate) levels yearly. Sure, your doctor should know this, but my experience is very few do. Sad state of affairs but it is ultimately you who will be suffering the consequences.
Oh, and if you are taking 'statins' and do not have a genetic predisposition to high LDL levels, you really, really need to do your research and consider getting off them (here is a good starting point).


Every prescription I've ever received comes with a voluminous information package. It is daunting and, really small print and I never read that stuff either. What I do is go online to sites such as RxList. There are a number of sites that might work ... I like RxList a lot. Review the information you find and pay close attention to the possible drug interactions, the contraindications and of course the side effects. If you have concerns talk to your doctor and/or pharmacist.

Supplements are much harder (if not impossible) to get unbiased and accurate info on. There are tons of sites out there, but as to their accuracy or impartiality (many are selling supplements, so ...) it is a crap shoot. One thing you might be helpful is to learn how to spot the less than honest brokers. Here is a good start on that. 

... cause you don't just put anything in your mouth, now do you?

-be well.

That's Lunch!

Trip to Trader Joe's yesterday for some veggies (and $10 Rebel Yell)

Those sugar snap peas are awesome!!!

Dip is a cracked black pepper, raspberry mayo.

Always been a big fan of eating my vegetables raw, but lately  ... not so much ... but I'm back baby!

In case you are not aware of the benefits of eating Snap Peas  I'm sharing the nutritional profile below.

Enjoy!

Sugar Snap Peas:

Something new ...

"Breakfast" today -
Walnuts
Unsweetened flaked coconut

Protein shake:

• milk
•  kefir
•  cocoa powder
•  cinnamon
•  cayenne pepper (really)
•  sweetener
•  whey protein concentrate
•  creatine

What's new you ask?
A couple days ago I started adding 5 grams of 100% creatine to my protein shakes. No, I'm not looking to get "swoll" ... just looking to stop, or slow, the muscle weakness/loss in my legs (thanks to motor neuropathy), improve results from lifting and to reap some of its  other benefits (heart health, lower blood glucose and LDL cholesterol). Not all the evidence on those benefits is conclusive but ... it's safe, cheap (80 days worth for $10) so I figured I'd give it a 3-4 month trial.

Death to the chicken finger

A follow-up, of sorts, to my previous post ...

"For a generation, many North American parents have indulged children’s picky eating tendencies by sticking them in an endlessly repeating loop of chicken fingers, burgers, pizza, plain pasta, mac and cheese, and grilled cheese sandwiches. Anyone who has sat down for a meal with youngsters over the past 25 years will recognize this list of typical “kids’ foods.” Pushed out of the picture, to varying degrees for different children, are fruits and vegetables and anything else that might challenge them, from spicy delicacies to unfamiliar proteins. To picture what this might look like to a visitor from almost anywhere else in the world, imagine we just mashed up some bread and cheese and mechanically separated chicken flesh together, called it Kiddy Chow, and bought it by the bag to rip open to feed the tots."

read the full article here
(if you don't read the article at least watch the video)

Teach your children ...

I often say that one of the greatest gifts a parent can give a child is an understanding and appreciation of good nutrition.
In that light ...

If you frequent health or nutrition sites you have no doubt seen the photo on the left in some ad ... it is omnipresent. While perusing a couple of my regular health blogs, I came upon one that had this photo. Asher, my (then) almost 3-year-old grandson, was sitting in my lap and said:

"Egg"
"Avocado"
"mmm ... Yummy!"

That's EXACTLY what I am talking about.

I am very proud of my son and his wife for teaching their children well.

Great way to break your fast

Eggs (2 fried Spanish style)
Bacon (2 slices thick cut)
Avocado (1/2 medium)
Grape tomatoes (8 fried in EVOO)
Strawberries (4 "largish")

Nutrient breakdown for entire meal:
Calories - 688 kcal
Carbs - 13.5 grams (total)
Fiber - 6.3 grams
Protein - 23 grams
Lipids - 60 grams

If you're interested in such things ...
Pre-meal blood glucose 100 mg/dL
2 hours post 100 mg/dL

What's a Spanish fried egg, you ask ... It's an egg fried very quickly in very, very hot olive oil. Some use olive oil AND butter but just olive oil does fine. What you get in a Spanish fried egg is a crispy, delicate white that crunches then practically melts in your mouth. The yolk is just set, but still runny enough to soak into your toast (if you are so inclined). In other words, no rubbery white, no overcooked yolk ... just Yummy perfection!

(and if you're worried about the oxidation of the olive oil at high heat ...the egg is in and out of the pan in less than two minutes ... no need to get the oil so hot that it’s smoking. A Spanish style fried egg is not likely to turn extra virgin olive oil into a health threat.)

Enjoy!

When you just can't decide ...

... Mixed plate!

It was time to eat and I just could not decide what to have so I put this together. It was wonderful, very filling.

1 medium avocado, 2 hard-boiled eggs, cucumber slices, some broccoli florets, a couple teaspoons of mayo and a generous sprinkle of Tapatio hot sauce.

nutrition

calories - 460 kcal

carbs - 17 grams

fiber - 11 grams

fats - 38 grams

protein - 17 grams

and significant amounts of B vitamins 

and vitamins A, C, and K 

Yummy!

The Gingerbread Man

Hyperinsulinemia is a serious and little-known problem. This is from Catherine Crofts, a New Zealand pharmacist and researcher in metabolic disease.  (read her article here)

(click on picture to view larger image)

Balance

I'm not a subscriber to the notion of "everything in moderation". I'm talking about balance. Specifically nutritional balance, ideally getting all of your nutritional needs through the way you eat.

One of my favorite sayings has long been  "eat as if your life depended on it". Seems pretty obvious doesn't it? Many type 2 diabetics got "here" (or, at or least the journey was hastened) by poor eating habits. Many, if not most, type 2's recognized that and made major changes to how/what we eat. But are we eating healthy? Really? Or have we simply replaced one poor eating plan for another ... avoiding entire nutritionally beneficial food groups to save a few carbs, sometimes having to rely on supplements to try and "round out" our nutritional requirements.

Trust me when I say, "been there, done that" and I have the scars to prove it. When first diagnosed I went a bit overboard. I ate about 20 total carbs a day and less than 700 calories. Without a doubt, I was wasting away losing a large amount of muscle mass (and a lot of fat too) but hey, I quickly lowered my A1c from 10.0 to 5.8 so yay me, right? Although I can't prove it, I am convinced that my poor eating contributed to my stroke and perhaps to some of the complications that I have developed despite maintaining tight control for 8 1/2 years now.

My point, my concern, is that it seems that a lot of type 2 diabetics get so hung up on the carbohydrate reduction aspect that we lose sight of the importance of total nutrition. Entering into to the mindset that the lower the A1c the better, no matter the cost or food group we exclude.

All I am suggesting is that you keep "balance" in mind and that you "eat as if your life depends on it".

Soup is good for the soul

Vegetable soup specifically.
This started by making vegetable stock from the veggie trimmings/peelings from our cooking for the previous week. Stuck them all in the crockpot with seasonings and about two quarts or so of water and cooked on high all day ... strained, put in the fridge overnight. Next morning chopped  yellow onion, celery, carrots, red bell pepper, green beans, cabbage and zucchini ... then because we had them added some frozen pearl onions, chopped spinach and green peas. Added a bit more water and some salt and cooked for 6 hours in the crockpot.  Right there would be good a very low carb meal, but I added a 1/2 cup of barley and a can of great northern beans to kick up the nutrition a bit and cooked for 2 more hours.
I love making soups and stews. They are always very "improvisational" and dictated by whatever is on hand. I never cook from a recipe and never more true than with soups. If it sounds good ... throw it in!

(here's a picture of the finished product)
Yummy!

Spaghetti

Italian sausage, ground beef, red bell pepper, onion, garlic, tomato, on zucchini "noodles" topped with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
I didn't do a breakdown on the nutrients but it is low carb and high protein.
Yummy!

Tacos

Perhaps not what you think of when you hear "tacos" but ...

Low "net" carb, high in fiber, protein, and healthy fat ... these were yummy! and very satisfying.

La Tortilla Factory whole wheat, low carb tortillas (3)
Avocado (1/2 large)
Roma tomato (1)
Red cabbage (1/2 cup shredded)
Coarse sea salt
Fresh ground black pepper
Frank's Red Hot

Nutrient totals for 3:
Carbohydrates: 41 grams
Fiber: 28 grams
Protein: 18

At 41 total grams  (13 'net') this may not be what many consider "low carb" ... but the proof is in the postprandial test. At 1 hour after eating my blood glucose measured 95 mg/dL. Which is pretty close to my "walking around" number.

(after I made these I had thought that adding a strip of bacon to each would have been awesome and would have added another 12 grams of protein to the meal... and virtually zero carbs).

enjoy!

Low Carb "Burrito" Bowl

Seasoned ground beef
Onion
Corn (omit for even less carbs)
In a spaghetti squash "bowl"
Topped with plain yogurt and Frank's (of course)
You could get really creative with this ...
shredded cheese, avocado, black olives, diced tomato ...
enjoy!

I don't like curry ...

... but this ...
My son crafts some of the most interesting (and delicious) meals.
I have maintained for much of my life a dislike of curry which started as a child. My mom made chicken curry and curried rice. Come to find out, it's not curry I don't like ... it was HER curry.
Couple weeks back Jason threw together this 'curry' with chickpeas, zucchini and served it with riced cauliflower and quite honestly it is one of my favorite meals he has made (and that's saying something)
Low carb, high fiber and super yummy! ... pretty much everything I ask for in a meal.

Pork Stir Fry

pork
eggplant
carrot
yellow onion
tomato
green onion

very simple

extremely Yummy!



(paired with Yellow Tail Shiraz)

Keep it simple

Fresh veggies and some pickled peppers (Peter would be so proud) with bleu cheese dip

Enjoyed this with a glass of sangria (low carb, of course)

Breakfast

Kippers (1 can), Avocado (1 medium) and Eggs (3 large)

Protein: 41 grams

Carbohydrates: 19 grams

Fat: 59 grams

Calories: 752

Oh Yeah!

Tuit Nutrition: Being Fat Adapted Versus "In Ketosis" (a.k.a. Don't be a Ketard) Pt.1/3

Tuit Nutrition: Being Fat Adapted Versus "In Ketosis" (a.k.a. Don't be a Ketard) Pt.1/3