July 6, 2016 by Doug Warren

Tuna and Veggie Pasta Salad

Tonight for dinner I prepared this Tuna and Veggie Pasta Salad. The recipe was from Diabetes & Heart Healthy Cookbook (page 37).

I had a lovely 2015 Syrah from our wine club at the local beautiful Tuscan winery Flat Creek Estate.

We are having our 3 grandkids stay at our house over the weekend from Friday through Monday so my son can celebrate their wedding anniversary. They were out of town earlier for some kids’ soccer tournaments so they booked a rain date for now. It should be fun but we will have to think of things to do indoors with the temperature around 100 with even higher heat index.

However, it probably wouldn’t be a good idea for grandpa to experiment with low-carb diabetic meals during their stay. So I decided to do my cooking in the middle of this week before they arrive. Yesterday I finished off leftovers from the meals I cooked last week when I initially made too much.

Tomorrow night I will do a Roasted Red Pepper Soup with Mozzarella along with whole wheat bread.

July 4, 2016 by Doug Warren

Squash Stuffed with Bulgur and Roasted Bell Peppers

Last night I made another vegetarian whole grain dinner, with bulgur this time. I used a recipe from the Diabetes & Heart Healthy Cookbook, 2nd edition (page 115) and adjusted it for only 2 servings.

There were 39 carbs for a serving of 2 squash halves, but I decided to just have 1 1/2 so I actually had 29 carbs (plus 4 for the wine). After I took the photo, I cut off half of one shell and saved it for a leftover meal.

Now I have to plan my meals for this week. I’m going to do all meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner on 3 days (Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday) since we’re having the grandkids stay with us over the entire weekend (Friday through Monday).

July 1, 2016 by Doug Warren

Spinach, Artichoke, and Mushroom Toss

Last night I made a vegetarian dinner. It was Spinach, Artichoke, and Mushroom Toss from Diabetes and Heart Hearthy Cookbook, 2nd Edition (page 117). The vegetable mixture was placed atop quinoa and sprinkled with feta cheese and parsley for about 34g carbs per serving. Here’s the finished product.

And of coarse, it needed a nice glass of Pinor Noir from France too.

For Sunday evening, it’s Squash Stuffed with Bulgur and Roasted Bell Peppers. So far, so good.

June 30, 2016 by Doug Warren

Diabetes Progress: Jun 2016

It’s been almost 10 years since I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes in October 2006. And over the past year I have made great progress in getting my blood glucose levels under control.

Every 3 months, I get a Hemoglobin-A1C blood test and visit my doctor for a Diabetes Follow-Up to review my results and discuss how I’ve been doing with my diabetes since the last checkup. The A1C test provides a measure of average blood glucose levels over the past 3 months based on the percentage of glucose attached to hemoglobin in the blood. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends that your A1C should be less 7.0%, which is equivalent to a blood glucose level of 154 mg/dL

My A1C this week was only 6.9%, which is equivalent to about a 151 estimated average glucose level. Actually I was surprised since during that time I had a bilateral inguinal surgery, root canal and crown, and 56 chigger bites. My previous tests over the past year had been 7.0, 7.1, and 6.9 so it’s been fairly consistent and demonstrates that my current health focus matters.

Recently, I have increased my daily exercise and reduced my meal carbs significantly and it’s really starting to make a difference. In addition to my usual 30 minutes on a treadmill at the local gym after lunch, I had added a 15-minutes morning walk after breakfast as well as another 15-minutes evening walk after dinner. At the same time, I have tried to eat less carbs per meal and trying to target about 25-35 grams per meal, although I am aiming for less with a high-protein breakfast.

For the past 7 days I have had an average blood glucose of 140 with a variance of 23%. My average total carbs per day has been 129 grams with average 68 minutes exercise a day. I have had 15% Highs (> 180) with 2% Lows (< 70), and I have only had to inject meal-time insulin on 3 of those days.

Although this requires constant attention and discipline, this is all very encouraging and shows that I am on the right track. I just need to keep it up, and my next test should be even better yet.

June 29, 2016 by Doug Warren

My First Dinner

I have had Type 2 Diabetes for almost 10 years now. Focusing on my health is very important to me so I decided to finally start cooking, and last night was my first dinner!

Actually, I have wanted to get started for quite a while, and have even been gathering recipes in anticipation. I think that I will enjoy it, and it will be another way to try a variety of meals that are especially diabetic-friendly since managing carbs is critical for good glucose control. Also, my wife needs a break after cooking for me almost 49 years now. She appreciates the time off, and actually liked the first meal I prepared. I think she was probably surprised that I pulled it off, but didn’t mention it.

For this meal, I used some recipes from Diabetic Meals in 30 Minutes – Or Less! by Robyn Webb for the American Diabetes Association (pp. 157-161): Chicken Rigatoni, Oven-Based Parmesan Zucchini, Salad Greens, Balsamic Vinaigrette, and Pinot Noir. I made everything except the wine, and it actually came out pretty well. Here are some photos.