Category Archives: Food

Corn. Sigh.

Posted on by
2

Corn, sigh. A lot of individuals don’t realize it’s also considered a grain, nor do they realize it is in almost everything. Plastic, batteries, pre-packaged food, tea, deodorant, etc. It has quickly become the universal ingredient in consumables.

Proudly, I was born and raised in the state of Iowa-the corn state; ironic, no? It makes me sad to read things about how damaging corn is to our bodies, environment, land, and soil when much of the livelihood of the state where I’m from, is reliant on it.

This article, is devastating: http://n.pr/Rlasks. Think about it for a minute, why would you want to put this in your body? Barely anything can even survive around or near it because of the toxicity required to grow it, to meet the world food demand? Do you think that maybe, just maybe, we shouldn’t be consuming this stuff?

Corn is so genetically modified (thanks Monsanto!), most of the countries outside of the US that rely on imports of corn, are now banning it. Doesn’t that speak volumes, to anyone? http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390444358804578018472810435506.html

Is this what you want to happen to you? http://vedicviews-worldnews.blogspot.com/2012/09/monsantos-corn-found-to-be-toxic-in-rats.html

Paleo Resource Article

Posted on by
1

Paleo…it’s a way of life, and a great one at that!

Here’s an awesome, brief article from http://greatist.com/ about the Paleo lifestyle: http://greatist.com/health/debunking-diets-paleo-facts/. It’s informative, but not overwhelming, and has a great basic explanation of what living Paleo is all about.

🙂

T1D, Treating Lows, and Paleo

Posted on by
9

I’ve received a lot of inquiries about how I treat low blood sugars when they occur, living the Paleo lifestyle, with T1D. Not easy, and something that I was fearful, of prior to starting Paleo. Now, I’ve become so comfortable with it, I don’t give it a second thought. Honestly, this was one of the biggest hurdles for me, and the thing I was most nervous about.

Living Paleo, I have far fewer low blood sugars than I used to as a result of being far more stable (props to the Dexcom CGM too, as it makes me aware when I am randomly dropping, or whatever, (T1D is lame)), but we all know T1D, and how psychotic it can be-so I do still encounter them here or there without notice or warning. When I do, this is how I treat them:

  • Honey Stinger, Gold Energy Gel (1 pouch 29g carb)
  • Chocolate Agave #9 Slo-burn Energy (1 pouch, 14g carb)
  • Blue Diamond Vanilla Almond Milk (8oz, 15g Carb)
  • Lara Bars (depends on kind of bar, but typically 19-24g carb)
  • Revolution Foods, Organic Mashups (1 pouch 13g carb! Organic too)
  • POM Juices (~74g carb per bottle)
  • Naked Juices (varies, anywhere from 30-60g carb)
  • Fresh fruit (varies depending on the fruit)
  • Home dried fruit (pineapple, grapes, strawberries)
  • GlucoLift all Natural Glucose Tablets http://www.glucolift.com/ (proudly, a part of the Non-GMO project, they rock, and so does their creator, Chris Angell, also living with T1D)

The honey stinger, vanilla almond milk, organic mashups, POM Juice, Naked juice, fresh fruit, and GlucoLift are fast acting carbs, for me (you might be surprised how fast acting they are for you, too, especially, red seedless grapes). The Chocolate Agave #9, and Lara Bars, are slower acting. It depends on how fast I’m dropping, if I have insulin working, if I’m performing some type of activity, etc.

Here are some real life examples:

If I’m sitting at my desk and it’s 2:30 in the afternoon, with just a faint memory of lunch bolus left, but I’m on the lower side, I’ll eat an apple or other fresh fruit, free of charge, sometimes a Lara Bar. If I am at home, getting ready for bed, after a walk with my Lucy dog, and I’m hovering a little lower than preferred, I’ll pour and drink 6-8oz of vanilla almond milk and call it a night. If I’m hiking and at a good level, but with a lengthy distance, I’ll have a Chocolate Agave #9 (OMG, DARK CHOCOLATE AND AGAVE), tastes like the best dark chocolate frosting, ever, with only 2 ingredients!

Depending on the patterns I’ve seen, I will adapt. I take my lunch to work almost every day, and when I don’t, I pack extra fruit, juices, etc. just in case I need them. Sometimes, it may be a sip, and other times, it might be the whole bottle; either way, I’m prepared.

At first, it really didn’t seem that convenient to me, but it is more convenient than you’d think, healthier (vitamins and minerals, instead of high fructose corn syrup, etc.), and actually pretty easy (can you throw a banana in your purse, grab an apple out the door? Probably!). Apples, pears, bananas, grapes, etc. are just as “fast” as starburst, smarties and caramels.

Is it 100% Paleo, no. Do I always have a choice with T1D? No. I do the best I can.

Raisins…or Dried Grapes

Posted on by
3

I’ve thought those puny little shriveled things were so gross, for so long. Not until I went to lunch with some co-workers and our charcuterie plate came with fresh, dried grapes. Holy buckets! I never saw raisins the same.

Seth tried drying some red seedless grapes in the food dehydrator he bought me for Christmas last year, and they were fabulous. It takes a long time, but it’s well worth it in our opinion. We couldn’t get over the size difference between store-bought and home dried (interesting to think that you don’t like a certain food, but in reality, if you actually make the food yourself, it is good!):

I recently tried drying black seedless grapes, and much to my surprise they didn’t take near as long to dry and taste even sweeter! You can munch on them, use them in salads, add them to baked vegetable dishes, combine them with a meet and cheese board, etc.

My Favorite Brussels Sprouts Recipe

Posted on by
4

Brussels sprouts are one of my favorite vegetables, although I didn’t realize it until about 2 years ago. For the most part, my love of them was roasted with a little oil, kosher salt/pepp, and that was it, until I tried this recipe: http://www.wholeliving.com/150865/roasted-brussels-sprouts-and-grapes-walnuts

Not only is this recipe so flavorful, its gorgeous, and it set me out on a journey of cooking sprouts in new ways:

I *think* Fall has settled in, here in San Diego, and this is the perfect time of year for roasting vegetables. When I first made it, I didn’t measure anything. The addition of thyme (I didn’t have fresh, so I used dried) is probably my favorite flavor 🙂

Here are some fun facts on Sprouts:

  • First widely cultivated in sixteenth-century Belgium, which is where their name comes from
  • Key dietary recommendation of the American Cancer Society
  • Contain a chemical called sinigrin, which suppresses the development of precancerous cells
  • High in isothiocyanates and sulforaphane, which inhibits cell proliferation, neutralizes carcinogens, and detoxifies environmental toxins
  • Supply good amounts of folate, potassium, and bone-building vitamin K, as well as small amounts of beta carotene

Source: The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth, The Surprising, Unbiased Truth about What You Should Eat and Why, Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S., 2007