POWER OATMEAL

I am a great fan of Quaker Oats Weight Control Oatmeal.  I usually buy the box that has 3 flavors:  Maple Brown Sugar, Cinnamon, and Banana Bread.  These little 20-carb instant oatmeal packets have 7 grams of protein, too.

So, to even up the protein and carbs, I add 1 scoop vanilla whey protein after I cook the oatmeal.  It is totally delish and the whey protein tempers the glucose spike.

ICED HAZELNUT COFFEE WITH WHEY PROTEIN

Here is a delicious way to get your protein in!

Make hazelnut coffee - I like 8'oclock coffee, but any flavored coffee will do.
Add stevia to taste.
Add one scoop vanilla whey protein
Add whipping cream.to taste

This makes a creamy hazelnut coffee which is great, hot or cold.

MOUNT STRAWBERRY DESSERT

Here is one of the best recipes for a light dessert.

Slice  3/4 cup strawberries
Top with2 tbs cool whip
Top with 2 oz cereal of your choice for sweet crunch

Serve with whey protein drink to balance protein and carbs, or have adequate protein in your meal to balance it.

Fat 2 gm, Carbs 23gm, Protein 2 gm Fiber 3 gm  Cals 122

BBQ BRISKET TOSTADA

1 Mission Carb Balance Tortilla
2 oz cooked beef brisket
red onion to taste
tomato
light mayonnaise

Place brisket in cold pan and turn on heat.  Add onion, saute until clear.  Place onion and brisket on tortilla.  Add mayonnaise.  Add tomato.  Fold over and fry until tortilla is browned.

Fat 10gm Carbs 18gm, Protein 22gm, Fiber 11gm, Cal 271

PEACH CRISP

1/2 cup quick cooking oats
1 oz hemp hearts
3 tbs flour
1/2 cup Splenda
1/4 cup butter
4 cups peaches
1 tbs flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp allspice

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
In a medium bowl, combine the oats and 3 tbs flour and Splenda.  Cut in the 1/4 cup butter until crumbly.
Place peach slices in a pan sprayed with cooking spray.  Sprinkle with remaining 1 tbs flour.  Scatter the oat mixture over the peaches.  Sprinkle top with cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and pecans if desired.
Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until golden brown.

Makes 9 servings.

Calories 138, Fat 7gm, Carbs 16 gm, Protein 3 gm, Fiber 2 gm.

Serve with at least 15 gm low fat protein to balance protein and carbs.  This could be whey protein, chicken, ham, fish, turkey or cottage cheese.

BANANA PROTEIN SHAKE

Banana Protein Shake

1/2 C cottage cheese
1 cup water
1 packet stevia
1/2 banana
1 scoop vanilla whey protein

Blend all in blender.  Add one cup ice and blend again.

Fat 4 gm, Carbs 32 gm, Protein 34 gm, Fiber 4 gm, Calories 301

PROTEIN AND WAFFLES FOR BREAKFAST

Most waffles are about 12 carbs.  So, when you apply the equal carbs and protein rules, you can have a protein drink from whey protein and one waffle.

If you want more waffles, eat more protein!  A piece of ham, or turkey sausage links are great.  But two waffles is the limit for most women with diabetes.

Try to choose the whole grain waffles.  Van's Blueberry frozen waffles are delicious without syrup.  But if you really want syrup, use the sugar free type.

No reason to feel left out at breakfast, just use the balancing protein and carbs rule.

JIMMY DEAN TURKEY SAUSAGE BREAKFAST BOWL

There aren't a lot of frozen foods that are balanced in protein and carb and designed for people who eat 5 small meals a day.  I am proud to announce that Jimmy Dean Delights Turkey Sausage Breakfast Bowl fills the bill!

This is a delicious combination of egg whites, potatoes, turkey sausage and cheese that has 240 calories.  The food composition is:  8 fat gm, 19 carb gm, 22 protein gm, and 2 fiber gm.  Perfect!

Each day I have protein only for first breakfast, then this breakfast bowl is a great candidate for my second breakfast 3 hours later. 

Most diabetics cannot tolerate too many carbs on waking, because the liver dumps glucose into the blood stream overnight.  Thus first breakfast is always protein only.  I like whey protein (vanilla or chocolate) in my coffee for first breakfast.

By the time 9AM rolls around, my body is finally ready to start processing some carbs.  And this little breakfast bowl is a real treat, yet it fits in to my diet of 1200 calories daily.  Thank you, Jimmy Dean!

FRENCH TOAST FOR A BALANCED BREAKFAST

As you see, I carefully balance protein and carbs in order to control my blood sugar.  It is actually easy to use everyday foods, the ones we are familiar with, to do this.

One of my favorite breakfasts is French Toast.  The egg in the recipe slows down the blood sugar spike from the bread, and I always serve it with whey protein cocoa to make protein grams equal to carb grams.  Here is the recipe:

French Toast


1 egg Egg, whole, raw, fresh
1 slice Pepperidge Farm Oatmeal Bread
1 tbs Butter, with salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon, ground
1 tsp Honey, strained or extracted

Soak bread in beaten egg. Melt butter in pan. Add soaked bread and sprinkle with cinnamon. Turn when first side is browned. Spread honey on cooked toast.

Cal. 267, Fat 17.5 gm, Carbs 19, Protein 8gm, fiber 1 gm.

Serve with whey protein cocoa to make protein gm > carb gms - the secret to blood sugar control!

WILL POPCORN RAISE MY BLOOD SUGAR?

The short answer is yes.  But there is good news.  Popcorn is actually one of the better snacks for diabetics IF YOU EAT IT WITH EQUAL GRAMS OF PROTEIN.  My favorite way is to have a whey protein cocoa with my popcorn.

And you have to portion control it.  Three cups is 16 carb grams, when the popcorn is air popped.  This is actually a very generous amount.

Here is my favorite popcorn recipe:

1/2 c yellow popcorn
PAN spray
2 heaping tbs nutritional yeast
shake or two of paprika
garlic salt to taste
sea salt to taste.

Pop the corn in an air popper.  As the popcorn comes out the chute, spray with pan spray, so the seasonings will stick.  Add garlic salt, sea salt, and nutritional yeast and paprika.

Serve with at least 15 gm protein.  My favorite is chocolate whey protein cocoa, but you could also have ham, chicken, fish, eggs, cottage cheese or regular cheese.  Just check your food labels to make the carb gm and protein gm equal.

The protein dulls the blood sugar spike from the popcorn.  Popcorn is about 55 on the glycemic index, so it is not terrible.  Just make sure to eat it with protein!

STRESS AND BLOOD SUGAR

Well, if you haven't figured it out by now, allow me to inform you.  Stress raises blood sugar.  Now how can we avoid stress?

There are many natural supplements that increase serotonin, the feel good chemical.  Among them are reishi and holy basil, and whey protein.

Reishi also lowers blood sugar on its own, if it is high.  Ganoderic acid A and B are the active ingredients.  You don't need to worry about taking too much reishi.  It is a mushroom, a food, and it is an adaptogen.  If your blood sugar does not need lowering, it will not lower it, but if it does, then the reishi goes to work.

Reishi also activates the immune system.

So does holy basil.  Holy basil generates lots of serotonin, and I guess it does not take much to figure out why they call it "holy."  Holy basil is great for lowering blood sugar, too.

Whey protein is a wonderful way to balance protein and carbs, and it also works to generate serotonin.  The amino acids in whey protein are all precursors to serotonin.  You get a distinct mood lift when you make whey protein a regular part of your diet.

Also good are:  exercise, far infrared sauna's, magnesium (Epsom salt baths) and deep breathing.

The standard treatments are meditation, prayer, and any other spiritual method that gets you out of yourself.  Take a kid to a park.  Volunteer at a soup kitchen.  Do anything you can to avoid the "poor me" phenomenon.  It is a wonderful world, full of magic and beauty.  Go take a look.  Your blood sugar will come down when you calm down.

HOLY BASIL TEA LOWERS BLOOD SUGAR

Holy basil tea is a contributor to lower blood sugar for most people.  In my case, I found it reduces my blood glucose by about 20 points after meals.

I drink holy basil tea twice per day.  I drink it in the morning, when insulin resistance is highest, and I drink it before my lunch.  In both cases, my blood sugar is lower than if I did not drink the tea.

Holy basil is a member of the mint family, and you can taste that when you add stevia to sweeten.  It has a robust flavor, very tasty, with a hint of mint.

It also has and effect on the serotonin in your brain, bringing a mood lift.

Holy basil is also anti-inflammatory.  It stimulates the immune system and has anti-viral and antibacterial properties.

Holy basil tea is planted outside many houses in India, and you can grow it yourself.  It wants full sun and spreads easily.  It is an annual.

Enjoy!

BUCKAROO COOKIES WITH FARINETTA

Buckwheat farinetta is a wonderful help for insulin resistance.  They contain D-Chiro-Inositol, which is helpful, especially if you have PCOS.

I buy the farinetta, which is the outer hulls of buckwheat, from Minn-Dak growers on the web.  I freeze the farinetta, and when the cookies are made, I freeze the cookies.  They are delicious, and balanced in protein and carb.  The cookies hardly even disturb my blood glucose.

BUCKAROO COOKIES

3 C buckwheat farinetta
1 tbs baking powder
1 tsp salt
4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 c flax meal
3 tbs stevia
2 eggs
2 cups water, enough to make a stiff batter
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 c blueberries, frozen
6 scoop vanilla whey protein
10 tbs chia seed
1 1/2 c no sugar applesauce
2/3 c extra virgin coconut oil

Preheat oven to 300F.

Combine water, eggs, vanilla, chia seed, applesauce and coconut oil.

Mix farinetta, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, flax meal, stevia, whey protein.
Add frozen blueberries to dry ingredients and mix.

Combine liquid and dry ingredients.  Batter should be stiff but not dry.

Drop by 1/4 c measure on greased cookie sheet.  Bake for 35 minutes.  Cool and freeze.

Makes 30 cookies.  Fat 9 gm, Carbs 16 gm, Protein 13 gm, Fiber 6 gm.  Calories 201.

WHY YOU NEED THAT PROTEIN SHAKE IN THE MORNING

I understand that many people just can't eat in the morning right after they get up. If they only knew that this is a symptom of the wrong eating patterns, and that it contributes to the weight problem, I am sure they would go for a delicious protein shake! It is easy to make, takes only a minute or two in the blender, and it does many things to improve glucose control. Let me show you!

Most diabetics have a problem with high blood sugar in the morning. Their liver has dumped glucose into their bloodstream overnight, and unless they eat SOMETHING, which starts calorie burning, that blood sugar will continue to climb. Your body relies on the stimulus of food to actually start burning calories. So, if you don't eat in the morning, you are contributing to your high blood sugar problems.

The first thing to do is to make a high protein, moderate carb shake. You can find many brands of whey protein that are natural, with no artificial sweeteners. I have experimented with this for all the time I have spent losing weight, and the Reese's Shake is my alltime favorite. But here is another winner:

ORANGE JULIUS SHAKE

1/2 cup 2% cottage cheese

1 cup water

15gm serving whey protein, orange pineapple or any other flavor

1 tbs chia seed

Blend all in blender. Add one cup ice and blend again.

Fat 4gm, Carbs 13gm, Protein 27 gm

This will keep you going all morning, start your calorie burning engine, and keep your blood sugar low. It tastes great! The chia adds fiber, protein, and a very few low glycemic carbs, along with omega 3 fats.

The wonderful thing about whey protein in the morning, according to Dr. John Gray (of Mars and Venus fame) - is that for women, your mood is set at "good" for the entire day if you get up and have a whey protein shake within two hours of waking. The amino acids tyrosine, tryptophan, and others in whey protein are precursors to serotonin, the feel good brain chemical.

And I have found that if I have the same number of carbs, protein, and fat in any other form than a protein shake, my blood glucose control is not as good. The whey protein has a low glycemic index, and you can use that to help control your blood sugar for hours.

If you are on a low fat diet, be sure to add some coconut oil to your shake.  A low fat diet can trigger gallstones, and the coconut oil will keep your gall bladder flushing to prevent them.  Use up to 2 tbs coconut oil daily for women, and up to 3 tbs coconut oil for men.  Coconut oil also raises your metabolic rate, so don't be afraid to use it, even in a low fat diet.

The best bonus is it tastes good!

GALLSTONES AND MORBID OBESITY

If you are over forty, obese, and female, your risk for gallstones is high.  In my case, I ended up in the hospital for six months with gallstone pancreatitis.

But, if you are losing weight with a low fat diet, the diet itself can increase your risk for gallstones.  This is because the gall bladder needs to flush each and every day, and if you are not eating enough fat, it does not do that.  When combined with all the debris coming out of your cells as you lose weight, it is a recipe for gallstones.  The gall bladder never flushes and the gallstones are much more prone to develop.

So, if you are using the daily log sheet, add 2 tbs coconut oil daily to your low fat diet.  The coconut oil not only keeps the gall bladder flushing, but will improve your metabolic rate as well.  The more weight you need to lose, the more coconut oil pushes up the number of calories burned.

You can use coconut oil in many foods.  Fry with it, put it in your protein cocoa, put it in hot oatmeal, and in your shakes.  Use it up to 2 tbs daily for women and up to 3 tbs daily for men.  It is delicious and will keep you full, as well.

BERBERINE HELPS BOTH GLUCOSE AND CHOLESTEROL

In my many searches on the net for what helps with glucose, I ran on to a reference (more than one, actually) that says berberine may help.  I tried it, and it knocked my glucose down by about 20 points.  The dosage will vary according to your weight and degree of insulin resistance, so work with your doctor to establish how much to take.

The other benefit for berberine is that it also helps with cholesterol.

You may want to consider taking alpha lipoic acid along with berberine to prevent the berberine from taking glucose from skeletal muscles.

Berberine has been in use for centuries in China and Middle Eastern countries with no bad side effects.