soy bacon should be illegal

Posted on February 22, 2008 by ellen

So it’s now 3.5 weeks into the vegan diet.  Surprisingly, I’m not yet ogling anyone’s burgers, wings, or even bacon (altho’ I do feel we need new legislation to regulate what is allowed to be called bacon.  Soy bacon is definitely an oxymoron).  The whole thing (maybe due to its newness) still feels like a bit of a grand adventure.  I always seem to be eating outside of the mainstream anyway, so “not eating what everyone else is eating” is nothing new. 

While I don’t really miss the meat, I do miss the cheese.  I used to eat a lot of cheese - it was such a quick and delicious snack.  And it “really” melts, not like the “puddling” of soy cheese.  The Dr. Barnard book I read said that there are 4 types of foods that we physiologically crave, and they have been shown to affect our brains in similar ways to drugs or alcohol.  They are:  sugar, chocolate, meat and cheese.  So maybe I need to go to some “Cheese-Eaters-Anonymous” 12-step program to help me through this withdrawal.  Or maybe systematic desensitization where I work my way up to being able to watch pizza commercials without screaming in agony.

On the upside, I’ve lost 4 pounds while eating my usual huge amounts of food.  I’ve also re-discovered the cookbook section at the library and have effectively cleared the shelves of dozens of vegan cookbooks.  I’m planning to post some excellent new recipes on my cookbook site ellenlovescookbooks.com  so check it out if you’re in the mood for eating beans.  I’m the queen of beans these days!

And my blood sugars you ask?  The jury is still out on those.  As far as I can tell, they’ve stayed about the same (at least in the morning which is my every day testing time).  Maybe they’ll continue to improve as I stay on the diet.  And losing more weight may help, and giving up all caffeine and almost all artificial sweeteners, and exercising more, and reducing stress, etc., etc., etc. (I hear the King of Siam in my head when I type that).  I feel I need to trust this process (that’s not easy for me) and stay the course.  I still have 2 months until my next A1c (3-month blood sugar average) and I’m hoping for the best.  Wish me luck and send me your best vegan recipes … 

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fear has 7 letters

Posted on February 2, 2008 by ellen

Insulin. 

On a recent trip to my endocrinologist (due to inadequately controlled blood sugar levels) I heard the dreaded word:  insulin.  The long and short of the situation is that I’m running out of ways to get my sugars under control.  I was doing the low carb diet, the meds and the exercise.  Now the doctor has added a 2nd diabetes med (the maximum dosage) and still all is not tickety-boo.  His question to me was:  what do we do if this doesn’t work?  His suggestions:  another drug to add to the first two (causes weight gain) or bedtime insulin.  Whatever urgency I was feeling before has now become major motivation.  Insulin to me is the absolute last resort.  And this is not a fear of the unknown, rather it is a fear of the known.  I had to use insulin when I was pregnant with my younger daughter and it sucks.  Twice-a-day injections in the thigh:  morning and evening.  And the myth that it doesn’t hurt is just that, a myth. 

So, I did what I had to do when the going gets tough - I went to the library.  The book that leapt into my hand that day is a fairly new one (2007) by Dr. Neal Barnard.  In stark contrast to my low carb diet of old, Dr. Barnard advocates a vegan, low-fat, low G.I. diet.  In his well-researched book he very clearly describes what goes on in the cells of people with type 2 diabetes.  Apparently we have little bits of fat in our cells and mitochondria are responsible for eating up this fat.  Unfortunately, we people with type 2 diabetes have fewer mitochondria in our cells, so the fat is not effectively munched up.  The problem arises because it is the fat that causes our cells to become insulin resistant.  Adopting a low fat vegan diet eliminates fat from our daily intake, reduces the fat in our cells, and decreases insulin resistance.  This should result in better blood sugar levels and lower blood pressure.

So I switched.  I have given up my bacon(!!!) and eggs and am now eating oatmeal every morning for breakfast.  My chicken wings have been replaced by tofu dogs and I have waved bye bye to butter, margarine, and even peanut butter (too high in fat and protein).  It’s still early in this new lifestyle (5 days now) but so far it hasn’t been too bad.  I need to eat every few hours, but I feel really good about what I’m putting into my body. 

And my blood sugars?  Well, the first day they were through the roof (one after-meal reading was over 20).  But slowly, they seem to be coming down.  They’re still too high, but my next A1c (3-month blood sugar average) will be the real test.  My last A1c was around 8.6 when ideally it should be less than 7.0.  I have a few months before my next doc appointment to test the effectiveness of this new diet.  In the meantime I’ll be back at the library, looking for vegan cookbooks.

Posted in Diabetes, Family, Food, Lower Carb, Wellness | Leave a comment

getting accustomed to luxury

Posted on January 22, 2008 by ellen

Some people are so good at appreciating luxury.  Five stars are a necessity.   For me, frugality still often wins out.  I just can’t enjoy myself if I feel like I’ve overspent.

My parents recently got a new luxury vehicle.  We all refer to it as the “hotrod.”  I’ve been anxious about driving it as I do not want to be the one to christen it with the first ding. 

Well, I had to drive it today as our car was in the shop.  I sat down on the heated leather driver’s seat and the only thing I could think of was that it felt like I had peed my pants.  One person’s luxury is another person’s …

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gtbr

Posted on December 31, 2007 by ellen

This is a tough time of year for the GTBR or “gut-to-boob-ratio,” as I like to call it.  You know, when you look in the mirror and think “oh my God, my gut looks bigger than my boobs!”  I have found that Christmas feasting is a definite contributor to the GTBR phenomenon, and also that there is generally an inverse relationship between the GTBR and ambitions in other areas of life!

With the Christmas schedule my usual routine has been altered, but I’ve really been enjoying the break.  As I was filling in our calendar for the upcoming year, I took the opportunity to reflect on the beauty of relaxation.  Our kids’ schedules are generally pretty packed throughout the school year.   While they do enjoy their various extra-curricular activities, the break from them all is more than welcome.  Balance in our lives is something we’re constantly striving for.  Time for play is something to cherish.

This break our whole family has had time to do the things we love – get together with family and friends to share food and talk, go to some live performances, goof off at home, and catch up on a few niggling chores – the kind where you need a quiet moment to focus your energies on the task at hand. 

I have heard that even-numbered years are ones where you enjoy completion and fruition.  They are supposed to be easier than their odd-numbered counterparts.  Won’t that be nice. 

I’m looking forward to a year of prosperity and wellness.  One of love and hope.  See you there.

Posted in Family, Food, Friends, Laughs, Wellness | 1 Comment

practice makes perfect

Posted on December 12, 2007 by ellen

I have been away from my “blogging practice” lately.  In pondering the whys of this situation, it dawned on me that I seem to have room for only so many “practices” at any one time in my life.  For instance, if I’m working hard on my healthy eating practice, my blogging practice drops off.  Or if I’m spending a lot of time on my cooking practice, some of my exercise practices may fall away. 

I have recently begun a new healing visualization practice, to work on ridding my body of the diabetes it does not need.  This is one practice I cannot afford to give up.

I have incorporated the healing visualizations into my regular meditation time, which is right before I go to sleep at night.  I originally began meditating because I had a hard time falling asleep.  I find that meditating calms my mind and body, and allows sleep to overtake me.  When I first started, I used a CD, but now I can usually reach a meditative state quite quickly and easily. 

Incorporating the visualizations has given my meditation more of a focus.  I get bored quite easily, so I alternate between many different scenarios in which I visualize my body returning to its healthy state.  One of the challenges of a chronic illness like diabetes is that my body sees this state as its “new normal.”  My body needs to be reminded of its once healthy self so it can begin the process to return there. 

Posted in Diabetes, Food, Laughs, Makes Me Wonder, Wellness, Writing | Leave a comment

do you love food?

Posted on October 25, 2007 by ellen

If you’ve enjoyed reading my blog (my general ramblings on life and diabetes), you may want to check out one of my other sites as well - my ramblings on food, (specifically recipes and cookbooks) is at www.ellenloves.com/cookbooks and my ramblings on Vancouver-area restaurants is at www.ellenloves.com/restaurants.

One of the newest additions to my cookbooks site is a weekly post of one (or more) of my favourite recipes.  It’s something that I have cooked during the preceding week and is called my “weekly FILL (food I love lots).”

Hope to see you there!

Posted in Food, Lower Carb, Recipes, Restaurants | Leave a comment

my FILL for this week – homous and whole wheat pita crisps

Posted on October 25, 2007 by ellen

These are truly staples in my diet.  The homous is creamy, lemony and garlicky.  The pita crisps are crunchy, with a touch of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Simple and delicious.

Homous

(adapted from “A Taste of the Mediterranean, Vegetarian Style” by Mary Salloum”)

1 can chickpeas (19 oz), rinsed and drained

1/4 cup tahini (sesame seed paste)

1 garlic clove

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 to 1/3 cup lemon juice (or more to taste)

1/2 tsp oregano

2 tbsp olive oil

Combine all ingredients in food processor.  Blend for several minutes until homous is a smooth paste.  Garnish with kalamata olives or olive-oil packed sundried tomatoes, if desired.

Whole Wheat Pita Crisps

(idea from “Dietitians of Canada – Great Food Fast” by Bev Callaghan and Lynn Roblin)

Even my daughter, who generally shuns anything that even looks remotely whole wheat, gobbles these up.

6 large whole wheat pita pocket breads

1-2 tsp olive oil

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

With kitchen scissors or a paring knife, cut all the way around the pita bread, in order to split it into two identical circles.  Repeat with remaining pita breads.

Brush each pita circle with olive oil.  Stack and cut each circle into 6 to 8 triangles.  Spread the triangles out onto 2 large baking sheets.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Bake in a 350 degree F. oven for 12 to 15 minutes, until crisp.  Cool and store in an airtight container or ziploc bag.

Posted in Appetizers, Mediterranean, Quick and Easy, Weekly FILL (food i love lots) | Leave a comment

i am NOT my spelling test

Posted on October 14, 2007 by ellen

As I watched my younger daughter tear up her spelling test today (because she did not get the mark she wanted), I tried to convince her that the number was unimportant. She had worked hard studying for the test over the past week, and that was more important than her actual score. But to her it was a big deal. She knew she had studied hard, so getting 3 wrong was like a slap in the face. She also used the number to compare herself to the other children sitting at her table. She decided that she was the “dumbest” because everyone else got a better mark than she did.

While my heart was breaking for her, I couldn’t help but think about how I too struggle against the numbers in my life. When I was younger it was mostly a struggle with my weight. I have only recently been public about how much I weigh because I want my daughters to think about their weight as just one number in the equation of their overall health: not the be-all and end-all of their existences. I know I will be only one influence in their lives and we will be at a constant battle against all that is evil in the media today. One of our family members already struggles with an eating disorder, and this is a huge problem amongst young girls these days.

The day-to-day struggle for me now is my blood sugar numbers. My older daughter today told me that my meter reading was bad (she is incredibly rule-bound). I tried to explain to her otherwise, but she retorted that it is supposed to be between 4 and 7, so everything else was bad. While I too try to convince myself that it is just a number, it’s incredibly hard to stave off the disappointment when things are not as you want them to be. One way I relieve my disappointment is through writing – my blog is definitely therapeutic. And many studies have validated the therapeutic value of writing – journaling your fears, regrets, anxieties, etc. is a good tool for lessening your negative emotions.

Other haunting numbers in my life are those in my bank account. For a while I was getting increasingly anxious about our debt. When I sat down and really thought about it (I meditated on it actually), I realized that I was equating the dollars in the bank (or lack thereof) with my self worth. I was interpreting my perceived lack of money as a reflection of my value as a person. I have never valued the “rat race,” but my challenge now is to earn more money while being true to my own needs and values. I try to reflect my values in where I spend my money, and I need to also reflect my values in how I earn money.

But my most pressing task is to help my daughter continue to see her own self worth in the face of disheartening “objective information.” To convince her that she is NOT her spelling test. That she is wonderful, beautiful, intelligent, and delightful. And I’m not saying that just cuz I’m her mother.

Posted in Diabetes, Family, Wellness, Writing | 1 Comment

this week’s FILL – broccoli cheese soup

Posted on October 12, 2007 by ellen

This is such a great soup for a cool fall day.  It’s quick and easy to make, and soooo delicious. 

Ingredients:

1 pound broccoli, chopped

2 cans chicken broth

3 cans water

1 can cream of mushroom soup

fresh ground pepper to taste

cayenne (red chili) pepper

1 cup grated cheese, plus more for garnish (I use cheddar or a Tex-Mex combination)

1)  Put the broccoli in a large pot and cover with the chicken broth and water.

2)  Bring the broth to a boil and cook the broccoli until tender.

3)  Remove the broccoli with a slotted spoon and place in food processor.  Process until fairly smooth.

4)  Return the broccoli to the pot.  Add the cream of mushroom soup.  Whisk into the soup if necessary to remove lumps.

5)  Season with the black pepper and cayenne pepper.

6)  Add the grated cheese to the pot and heat until incorporated. 

7)  Ladle into bowls and garnish with more grated cheese.

Variation:  To make this dish even more special, ladle soup into ovenproof bowls.  Garnish with grated cheese and toasted French bread or croutons.  Broil until the cheese is bubbly.

Posted in Comfort Food, Ellen's Own Recipe, Low Carb, Soup Recipes, Weekly FILL (food i love lots) | Leave a comment

upping the supplements

Posted on October 12, 2007 by ellen

I’ve described my use of supplements in previous posts, but I have always felt like I was piecing together bits and pieces of information from various sources, while not knowing which supplements were “essential.” Most recently I have been taking chromium, a multivitamin, and extra vitamin C to boost my immune system. I’ve never done any empirical research, such as testing my blood sugar levels with or without the supplements, so I cannot honestly say I know they work for me. However, in my case, I’m sure the psychological effects are positive as I feel like I’m being proactive in treating my diabetes.

Yesterday, I was sent a link to an article about the “4 best supplements for diabetes.” Those supplements are chromium, magnesium, Vitamin E, and alpha-lipoic acid. In the article, a brief description of each supplement is given, its potential benefits, and also nutritional sources of the ingredient if available. It’s a concise article that emphasizes the most important supplements, so you can eliminate the guesswork in figuring it out for yourself.

Today, I went out and bought myself some magnesium, Vitamin E and ALA. I am committing to more regular blood sugar testing as an adjunct to the additional supplements, so I can monitor any changes. Once a week I will do a full day of testing (7 readings in all) and I will test at least once a day for 5 out of the remaining 6 days (with one day off – phew!).

This reminded me of an old psych study (these are the types of things I think about in the middle of the night) which studied various manipulable factors of workers’ environments, to see if they had any influence on their efficiency. The findings indicated that any type of change improved efficiency – not because the change itself was efficiency-enhancing, but because the researchers were spending time studying the workers, the workers naturally became more efficient. So what’s my point? My point is that I’m expecting that I will see an improvement in my blood sugar levels simply because I am spending time studying it. It’s natural to “pull up one’s socks” a bit if you know you will have to test your blood sugar. Kinda like when you keep a food record you automatically eat less.

So, I’m assuming that part of the improvement I see will be attributed to the record-keeping itself. But I’m also hoping to see even greater improvement due to the supplements themselves. I’ll let you know how it all goes. In the meantime, if you’re interested in checking out the “supplement article” I mentioned previously, please click on the following link.

www.revolutionhealth.com/healthy-living/natural-health/vitamin-boutique/supplements/diabetes?msc=A62588

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