Butternut Squash Soup Remix

Nikki and Jen are at it again -- cooking up a storm and making us drool over their yumminess. It's Soup Week at Bariatric Foodie, were you cooking along with them?

I inadvertently cooked along by making a pot of soup last weekend before I realized it was Soup Week and happened to make my own version of one of their featured soups. But since Nikki and I seem to share the same brain (or something), I was on the same wavelength as the Pouch Party girls, so now it's a three-way-soup day!

A year ago I concocted a delicious Butternut Squash Soup recipe (click link for recipe) and since it's harvest time and squash is so abundant right now... I pulled out the soup pot and whipped up a batch for my lunches this week. As you remember in the post about Meal Planning, I usually cook one big pot of something on Sunday afternoon and then eat that dish for lunch every day of the week. Well this week it was soup paired with a side dish of some sort of protein. This week it was either my favorite Jennie-O Cracked Pepper Turkey from the deli or canned chicken topping a salad.

This evening I'm enjoyed my last bowl for dinner and paired with with fish.  If you have a Kroger grocery story nearby, check out the Private Selection (store brand) Pecan Encrusted Tilapia with Sweet Potato and Chipotle Sauce. Yum!

Thanks Bariatric Foodie for the shout out about my Butternut Squash Soup recipe. Can't wait to try your two versions so I can compare the deliciousness.

~Pam

Hypoglecemia Sucks

I hate feeling like a freak... Like I'm somehow not normal. I can go long stretches of time when life just goes along all happy-go-lucky and I'm living in Normalville. Then suddenly I'm slapped back to Realityville and reminded that I can't be like everyone else. 

Tonight our Print Production class went on a field trip to a printing company and about halfway through the tour I knew I was having a blood sugar crash. I left the tour and headed for my car where I tested my blood and ate a granola bar (which was all I had available). Count was 42. 

Fast forward an hour and I'm feeling foggy headed and tired but figured it was just after effects. I was driving and on the phone with my mom and I told her what happened.

Scolding occurred. A granola bar isn't enough... I shouldn't be driving without substantial food... Instructed to pull over and eat... I obey. So here I sit in the parking lot of Wendy's eating a plain chicken breast that cost me nearly $5, is too dry so I'm choking it down and my pouch is screaming at me that it does NOT want food. But still I eat it. 

I didn't eat unhealthy today.  Everything I ate today was good for me. But I screwed up at lunch and forgot to pack the canned chicken that should have gone on my salad... Before class I tried making up for the carby lunch by having a light dinner heavy on protein. So even thought I ate healthy, my meals were not BALANCED properly within the context of each meal. Which reliably brings on a crash and surprises me every time because I was "behaving."

So I'm blogging in the parking lot of Wendy's while I wait for the fogginess in my head to clear so I can drive home which is an hour away. 

Yeah... Hypoglycemia sucks!

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

Pumpkin & Apple Farms

One of the things I love most about Michigan is the fall harvest. There's an abundance of farms who open their front doors and welcome the neighbors to enjoy the harvest. While I was vacationing last weekend I stopped at three wonderful places - two pumpkin farms and an apple orchard. The pumpkin farms were stops along the way from the Mackinaw Trolley Color Tour (photos from that tour coming soon). Then the apple orchard was a stop I made on the way home.

(Click on the photos below to see them larger.)

First stop was Pond Hill Farm in Harbor Springs, MI. There were pumpkins and squash and fresh vegetables to buy plus a huge selection of canned goods. I bought some of those goodies -- pickled zucchini, blueberry jam, raw honey and garlic pepper jelly. There were even pig races for the kids (and adults) to enjoy.



Next stop was the Pumpkin Barn in Levering, MI. It was just a small family-owned operation with a selection of pumpkins, gourds and apples - but it was a lovely little spot in the woods. There were these tiny homemade donuts and warm spiced apple cider - of course I had to have a taste test.



And finally I made a detour on the drive home so I could visit this apple orchard. The Knaebe Apple Orchard and Cider Mill was brimming with people! First I was enthralled with the drive down a country road to get to the orchard - it was lined with beautiful old trees that were at the peek of their color. Absolutely gorgeous. Once I arrived the roads were lined with cars because the parking area was full. Walking up to the main building I strolled passed the rows and rows of apple trees. Bright red and green apples were still growing on the branches. The general store was packed with delicious homemade goodies and apple-themed accessories. The back room had crates and crates filled with one apple variety after another. I picked up some of my favorites - Macintosh. Everyone was going crazy for the Honeycrisps, of course. Out back there was a petting zoo and children were enjoying the hayride. I nabbed a cup of hot cider and enjoyed the beauty of the orchard before I left.

Hello GoWear

In May I took off the GoWear Fit after wearing it for a year. I gave it to my mom so she could figure out how many calories she was burning and she wore it for several months. But I've got it back and I'm wearing it again.

My life is a bit different than it was in the Spring, so I want to get an idea of where my calorie burn levels are right now. I haven't been exercising like I used to because I've been spending a lot more time sitting in front of the computer writing my book.

So I want to see how well I'm burning calories right now and see if my eating is in line with what I'm burning. Which means I need to fire up FitDay again and start logging food for a week or two, just to make sure I am eating the amount of calories I think I am. (1200-1400 calories/day) I guess right now I just want to do a little check up on what my body is doing and to make sure I'm doing it all right.

If you haven't heard of the GoWear Fit (now actually called the Body Media) - you can read the past blog posts about it in the GoWear Fit Category. I honestly believe it's one of those tools that all WLS patients should have access to. Whether you buy one for yourself to use or rent one from a gym or clinic (they are out there, you just have to look hard for one in your area). I'd love it if surgeon's offices would have a supply of these devices and allow patients to use them for a time just so folks would have a better idea of how much to eat when they hit maintenance. So if you have the chance to use a GoWear Fit -- do it!

By the way, on another topic ... I don't think I mentioned that I didn't take that work-study job after all? Remember this post from a couple months ago when I said I was taking this little part time job and it'd infringe on a bunch of areas of my life.  Well, I decided I wasn't willing to make those sacrifices so I called and revolked my job acceptance. I'm glad I did.

~Pam

Five Favorites: Workout Music

Do you love hard pounding music pouring into your ears when you're sweating your butt off? If so... here are some great resources to find the perfect music for you!

Before I link you to a bunch of websites where you can find music, let me tell you about my music player. I know many people prefer their iPods - and that's fine - but I'm sort of an anti-Apple type of gal, so I went with a better system. LOL! I love my Sansa! I've got 16gb of space on the Fuze plus an SD slot for more storage if I need it. I can play videos and FM radio and record my grocery list (or Brain Dump List) while I'm walking if I need to. It's a great little music player and I love it!

But of course, any MP3 player will work for downloaded music. So choose your favorite device and run with it.

Now... on to the music!



Podrunner
DJ Steve creates workout mixes based on the pace of your walking or running speed. The music mixes last about 1 hour - so you listen to the same mix for your entire workout. All the mixes are based on Beats Per Minute ranging from 125bpm to 185bpm which matches your walking or running pace. So if you walk 4 miles per hour, you'd download and listen to Podrunner mixes with 140bpm. He also has some cool Interval Training mixes which helps you train for your first 5k, 8k or 10k races (sort of like the Couch to 5K program). I have several mixes loaded onto my Sansa that I use during 5k races.


Best Workout Music
I love this search engine for music! Similar to the Podrunner system, the songs in this database are sorted based on their beats per minute to match your pace. The difference is that you're not getting pre-engineered mixes, you are directed to popular/current songs that already match this pace. You can choose the genre of songs you prefer (rock, country, hip hop, jazz) and then a link is provided to Amazon so you can buy the song immediately.  Explore the website a bit too - there are a couple free software programs you can use to alter your favorite songs to match the BPM you need or to scan a song you own to see how many BPM it has. You can also download pre-designed playlists that others have put together.


Couch to 5k
As I mentioned above, this program is great for beginners who want to learn how to run their first 5k race. You start out with a run-walk system where you run for 60 seconds and walk for 90 seconds... then gradually increase your running interval until eventually you're running an entire 5k without walk breaks. There's an entire community built around this program with message boards, blogs and clubs to join. Cool Running is a great website for runners (and walkers) - check out their training page for lots of great tips no matter what distance you're going.


Pandora Internet Radio
Many music players and Smartphones (like my Palm Pre) have the ability to access the Internet... or have apps for Pandora. You can build a custom radio station based on your favorite music for workouts or anything else in your life. I've got lots of stations built for various occassions and often have Pandora playing when I'm at work or at home working on the computer. I can also bring up my Pandora app on my phone and connect my phone to my car radio and let it play through my speakers. Ooo... so high-tech, huh? Anyway, Pandora is great and it's free!


Amazon Music
Did you know that Amazon has a huge MP3 music store? You can buy anything on Amazon! You can either search for your favorite songs to download directly, or do a search for a keyword like "Exercise" and get lots of suggestions for albums and individuals songs. There are even companies who only sell workout music (like My Fitness Music). The reason I like Amazon Music so much is because the songs you download are put right onto your computer and you can do whatever you want with them - burn a CD, add to a music player, play on your computer, create a playlist, whatever. I can even access the Amazon store from my phone and download while mobile! Plus, the prices are great!

Bonus #6

iTunes
I can't just leave this one off because I don't like Apple, right? So I'm including a link for those who have iPods. iTunes requires you to download their software and install it on your computer - then you can access your account from that software. (This is one of the main reasons I don't like iTunes - I regularly access the internet from 4 different computers, so having iTunes installed everywhere isn't convenient or practical for my uses.) There are millions of songs, podcasts, videos and everything else on iTunes. You can share playlists with other users or create your own. I don't buy my music here, but I do enjoy access to lots of free podcasts on various topics (mostly graphic design right now).

Go play some music!  Go sweat your butt off!  Have fun!

~Pam

WLS Support Groups Work!

Did you know that if you attend an in-person WLS support group that you have a better chance to lose more weight and keep it off more successfully for the long term?  Yep, it's true!

I attend 3 different meetings each month - one of them I lead. If you don't have a local group, then start your own and gather other WLS patients in your area to meet on a monthly basis.


For more information about the groups I attend... as well as support group meeting topics... see the special page for Support Groups above.

I found a couple studies on the topic.

• Zirui Song, et al published an article in the ASMBS publication Surgery for Obesity and Related Diseases (SOARD) in 2006 entitled: "Association between support group attendance and weight loss after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass."
  
  Results: Patients who attended more than 5 support meetings within the first year lost 55.5% of their excess weight. Patients who attended less than 5 meetings lost 47.1%. So by attending meetings, they lost an additional 8.4% of their excess weight.
  
  In real world numbers that would mean:300-pound pre-op weight, with 135-pound ideal weight = 165-pound excess weight
  >>  47.1% EBWL = 77lbs lost
  >> 55.5% EBWL = 92lbs lost

• Whitney S. Orth, et al presented their findings at the International Federation of the Surgery of Obesity annual meeting in 2006 in a report called: "Support Group Meeting Attendance is Associated with Better Weight Loss."
  
  Results: Patients who attended support meetings saw a reduction in BMI by 42% whereas patients who did not attend, only realized a 32% reduction in BMI.
  
  In real world numbers that would mean:300-pound pre-op weight at 5'6" (me!) = 48 BMI>> 32% reduction = ending at 33 BMI (still obese)
  >> 42% reduction = ending at 28 BMI (just overweight)
  

So what does that mean to you?  It means, find a support group in your area and attend the meetings!  In fact, find more than one support group and attend as many meetings as possible. 

~Pam

Reactive Hypoglycemia after Bariatric Surgery

Reactive hypoglycemia is becoming more and more commonly diagnosed after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery. Doctors and research clinics are recognizing this trend and are studying the phenomonom. But if you research online, you'll find that the published information is going to discuss extreme cases of "severe hypoglycemia" in patients being studied at the Mayo Clinic and elsewhere.

Most of us post-op folks don't have the "serious" kind of reactive hypoglycemia that requires removal of parts of our pancreas or study in a clinic. Most of us have a form of reactive hypoglycemia that is easily managed through diet changes and close monitoring of our condition, symptoms and habits. It seems that this type of reactive hypoglycemia is showing up around 12-24 months post-op in many people I've talked to on the forums. I was officially diagnosed with reactive hypoglycemia about 15 months after my RNY.

Reactive hypoglycemia is scary. It sucks big time and it's definitely no fun to have. Waking up in the middle of the night with a blood sugar crash is pretty horrifying. It's happened to me a couple times and I have since taken steps to make sure it doesn't happen again. But it takes some work to figure out how to control the crashes and some planning and discipline to make sure the plan works. You CAN live with it and it can be managaed through some diligent lifestyle adjustments and careful attention the detailed signals your body gives you.
This article is going to be a long one... so grab a cup of tea and prepare for an educational session.

What is Reactive Hypoglcemia?
Reactive hypoglycemia or Postprandial hypoglycemia (low blood glucose after meals), is a medical term describing recurrent episodes of symptomatic hypoglycemia occurring 2–4 hours after a high carbohydrate meal (or oral glucose load). Symptoms vary according to individuals' hydration level and sensitivity to the rate and/or magnitude of decline of their blood glucose concentration. Some of the food induced hypoglycemia symptoms include:

Mild Hypoglycemia

• Increased or sudden hunger
• Feeling shaky, dizzy or nervous
• Pounding heartbeat
• Drowsiness, feeling tired
• Sweating (cold and clammy)
• Numbness or tingling around the mouth
• Headache or stomachache

Moderate Hypoglycemia

• Any of the above mild symptoms, plus:
• Headache
• Personality change
• Irritability
• Confusion and/or difficulty concentrating
• Headache or stomachache
• Slurred or slow speech
• Poor coordination

Severe Hypoglycemia

• Any of the above mild or moderate symptoms, plus:
• Loss of consciousness
• Seizures and/or convulsions
• Death

 
Do I Have Reactive Hypoglycemia?
Many doctors will want to do a "Glucose Tolerance Test" on you to find out if you officially have reactive hypoglycemia or not. This is a very bad idea! It has been determined by the science people that a glucose tolerance test on post-gastric bypass patients will not give an accurate test result. Even for those who don't experience dumping syndrome (or who have a high threshold for sugar before dumping is induced) the glucose tolerance test is too excessive an amount of sugar for RNY folks. The test gives you an 8oz glass of pure glucose to drink before the test and contains about 70-100g of sugar. Yikes!

Landsberger, et al., suggested using modified glucose testing. They recommend obtaining a fasting blood glucose level and a two-hour postprandial level after consuming the most carbohydrate-loaded breakfast the patient can tolerate. source
 
So if your symptoms match all or some of those listed above and you suspect that you have reactive hypoglycemia, definitely see your doctor. And discuss alternative methods for testing your condition for an official diagnosis.

Marathon Blood Testing Week
When I suspected I had reactive hypoglycemia I did a whole week of marathon blood testing so I could learn what my body was doing with various types of food or meals. Here's the deal. You need to understand what's going on with your body. You need to learn what foods or activities trigger a crash and what makes you feel good and sustains your blood sugars. It's different for everyone so you'll have to do the work to figure it out for yourself.

Here's how the blood testing marathon went for me...

My brother has had Type I diabetes since he was 10 years old. So I borrowed one of his blood glucose monitors and bought a container of test stripes for it. I later bought my own glucose monitor. When you're shopping for one, look at the price of test strips and supplies, not the monitor itself. Most insurance companies won't cover these supplies for hypoglycemia, so this will likely be an out-of-pocket cost, so shop wisely. I bought the ReliOn brand from Walmart.

I tested my blood sugar several times a day. An hour before a meal, a few minutes after eating, an hour afterward, two hours after, etc. Then after seeing what my blood sugar did with good, healthy, balanced meals.... I did a bit of naughty experimenting. What would happen to my blood sugar if I ate chocolate? ice cream? pancakes? pasta or crackers? What happens after coffee? milk? fruit juice? How does the number change over time.... 5 minutes, 20 minutes, 60 minutes, 90 minutes after eating.

Guess what I found out about chocolate? Starting from a normal blood sugar reading of about 100, my glucose level will spike to about 215 within 20 minutes of eating some chocolate (about half a Hershey's bar). Wow! And I'm a non-dumper, remember... so I was never even aware that my glucose spiked that much, I felt no symptoms of a high blood sugar count or dumping at all. But within 90 minutes of eating that chocolate my blood sugar crashes down to a level of 50. Same thing happens with ice cream, except the crash comes faster.

I also tested whenever I FELT different which helped me recognize what my signals were for a low blood sugar count. For me it's an overheated feeling, lightheadedness, shakiness -- those are my primary signs of low sugar. But I can also get the signal of a strange feeling on my tongue -- like my tongue is fuzzy or swollen or something or my lips tingle. I also can get a super cold nose while the rest of my body is overheating. Each person is different, so you need to test based on what you think is an off feeling for you and see if that "feeling" is really connected to blood sugar or if it's something else (like mere head hunger or a craving or whatever).

Make notes of your discoveries. Keep a food log and keep track of your blood glucose readings at all the various times before and after meals. Also track your symptoms (or off-feelings) and what your glucose reading is for those symptoms. Over time you'll be able to spot trends and understand how your body  is working a bit better.

I found that if I eat a balanced meal of protein, complex carbs and good fats that my blood sugar remained stable for hours and hours. I could go 6 hours without eating and never have a low blood sugar count if I eat a healthy meal. It was only after a meal or snack that was based in simple carbs and not enough protein that I saw my crashes. And sometimes with meals out of balance with too much protein and not enough carb or fat to balance it out.  I also found that coffee is a trigger for me and if I'm going to drink my morning coffee (which I still do), then I need to make sure I have a snack or meal planned within an hour after drinking it.

I also experimented with which foods would raise my blood sugar out of a crash and keep it stable without causing another crash in an hour. So often you hear of diabetics eating candy to bring their blood sugar up quickly -- that doesn't work well in our situation, that will just cause a new cycle of crashes and spikes. We need a BALANCE of nutrients, not sugar! For me it's peanut butter crackers - or - a handful of grapes and a slice of deli turkey or cheese. Basically a bit of simple carbs to bring the crash up quickly, then a balance of protein and fat to keep the numbers up.

So you'll need to play around with foods and figure out what YOUR triggers are, and what foods work best to bring you back from a crash. You'll also need to figure out which foods should be with you at all times (I carry a granola bar in my purse for emergencies and have an extra stash in the glovebox of my car).

It's a process and it takes patience and experimenting -- and you'll go through a whole jar of test strips. But it's worth the effort and you'll learn to recognize a low blood sugar count well before it becomes an emergency. I can now catch a dropping count when I'm in the 60's or low 70's. It's rare for me to hit the 40's or 50's anymore.

Reactive Hypoglycemia IS Manageable!

Make sure you are eating according to the RNY Laws - protein first, moderate complex carbs and healthy fats. Figure out an eating schedule and stick to it. You'll want to make sure you have a planned meal or snack every 3 to 4 hours. You'll also want to keep a food log including the times you eat and also keep track of any blood sugar highs or lows on that same log so you can spot any patterns that might develop. Pay attention to what your body is telling you and adjust your new schedule accordingly.

~Pam

Body Fortress Protein Powder

Body Fortress Vanilla Protein Powder

For those who have read this blog for a while (or who see me on ObesityHelp.com) know that my primary brand of protein supplement is Body Fortress. I go through vanilla about 6 times as fast as I go through my chocolate. I also buy some strawberry, but rarely use it and one jar could last me six months or so. But yeah, I go through vanilla like crazy.

Normally I buy my Body Fortress at Walmart when I do my grocery shopping. But I noticed they raised their prices recently - at least they did at my store. It's now around $16 +tax. I've also checked Meijer and Target and see their prices are even higher than Walmart. So I went on a search to find a better price for my beloved protein powder.

Amazon to the rescue!

Yeah, yeah, yeah... I'm an Amazon shopping addict. I know. But I just love 'em so much!  Seriously! Where else can you order dry roasted edamame alongside a GoWear Fit and pick up a new book while you're at it (next purchase will be Kiss the Girl as soon as I finish reading the first Alex Cross book on my Nook). See? Isn't Amazon fabulous?!

So anyway, back to protein...

I found a GREAT deal on Body Fortress and it's an even better deal if you sign up for auto-ship. So it's a two-pack of the normal 2lbs jar for only $29.98 (free shipping). Ok, so that comes out to $15 each, not that much better of a deal than Walmart, right? But the catch is that if you sign up for auto-ship, you automatically save 15% each time you order (and still get free shipping). A 2-pack ends up being $25.48. So only $12.75 each - much better deal! And I don't even have to think about picking it up at the store or running out, because with auto-ship, it'll arrive when I need it. I've set it up to ship every 2 months right now. I can adjust it if I find I need it sooner.

Hey, what can I say. I'm excited about protein!  Here's the link:

Body Fortress Whey Protein Powder, Vanilla, 32 Ounces (Pack of 2)

~Pam

My Weekend Up North

I spent the weekend in Nothern Michigan (Up North, as we like to call it). I left mid-day on Friday and got home Sunday evening. My base was Mackinaw City but I made it as far west as Harbor Springs and enjoyed
a color tour through the Tunnel of Trees along M119 and down to Rogers City to visit an apple orchard on the way home. I shot over 1000 pictures and of all of them, this is about the only one of me (I nabbed another tourist to snap a shot of me).

For those who don't recognize it -- that's the mighty Mackinaw Bridge behind me. The five mile span that connects Lower Michigan with the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

I've got a few sets of photos - with stories - that I want to share with you over the next several days. There are some spectacular shots of the beatiful autumn colors and some fun pictures of pig races, a goose with an evil eye and even a few food photos (and maybe even an attempt as recreating a recipe or two).

Every time I come home from a weekend of exploring, I'm reminded of just how beautiful Michigan really is. I love that I live in such an amazing place.

~Pam

Living in a Non-Op World

Just because you had WLS, doesn't mean everyone else did too. How can you make good choices about living a healthy life when all those around you don't follow the same rules? Cookies in the breakroom at work --- dinner with friends who choose a buffet restaurant --- a family tradition of a lazy Sunday afternoon gathered around the TV. How can you remain a part of their lives, not grow resentful or angry, but still make good choices for your weight loss surgery lifestyle?

Here's a list of ideas the support group members came up with in response to various situations we'll find ourselves in after WLS. The goal is to still participate in things going on around you in life, but to do it in a way that you don't expect others to change their own behavior for your lifestyle choices.

My family only serves unhealthy food at gatherings so it's impossible to eat right around them!

• I don't have to eat the food they make.
• I can bring a healthy dish to pass to add to the meal.
• I can choose to eat smaller portions.
• Suggest a new recipe for the meal - a healthier option that's delicious too.
• Talk to family members about boundaries or guilt-trips about not eating all their prepared dishes.
• Suggest other types of family gatherings that don't focus on food.

During the holiday my Grandma slaves over the stove to bake cookies and other delicious treats. It'd be rude not to have one!

• Thank Grandma for her hard work, but explain that eating sugary treats makes you sick and you can't indulge.
• Ask if you can take some treats home for other family members instead.
• Have one bite or taste only. (There's no need to eat the whole cookie!)
• Share new healthier recipe options with Grandma and ask if you can make the treats together.

My spouse doesn't like to walk and I don't like to walk alone, so I don't get a lot of exercise.

• Walk with a neighbor.
• Get a dog.
• Go to the mall and walk with the other mall walkers - and window shop!
• Use a treadmill, stationary bike or video aerobics instead.
• Park in the far corner of the parking lot to get extra walking in while doing errands.
• Join a walking club or races.
• The hard suggestion --- learn that walking by yourself is OK and can be a great way to meditate, clear your mind and get a great workout. Don't rely on someone else to get the exercise you need.

I have to buy chips and treats! My kids need them for their lunches. But I can't keep my hands out of them! (This applies to spouse's treats too)

• Childhood obesity is approaching epic proportions. Kids don't need chips or sugary treats for lunch! Buy healthier options that you can eat too. Apples, soy crisps, veggie sticks, etc.
• Set limits with children or spouses about which foods are allowed in the house. Your home is your safe domain and you have the rights to set the rules.
• Keep treats for other family members in inconvenient places - outside the normal food storage spots. For instance, Lori's husband can have his potato chips, but they must be stored in his work truck, not in the house.
• If there is no way around having unhealthy food in the house - then employ the techniques you've learned here: Managing Emotional Eating

There are always bagels, muffins and cake in the break room at work and bowls of candy on co-workers desks. I have no control over these daily temptations!

• Stay away from the break room.
• Keep healthy meals/snacks in your desk drawer that are "legal" for you.
• Keep a dish of sugar free candies at your desk.
• Be sure to eat breakfast and snacks according to your schedule so hunger does not become an added temptation.

When my friends go out to eat, they always choose a buffet restaurant. So I just sit at home and don't socialize with them anymore. ...Or... there's never anything healthy on restaurant menus, so I just order whatever I want and try not to feel guilt about eating bad food.

• Prepare yourself before arriving at a restaurant. Most businesses have their menu published on their website along with nutrition information. Otherwise, use Diet Facts website to look up nutrition labels for menu items. Know what you'll order before you arrive.
• Buffets are not evil. Have a plan of action before you decide what to eat. Browse the entire buffet first, then decide which foods meet your eating plan criteria. Use a small salad plate instead of a dinner plate. There are always several high-protein, lean meat choices - choose these first, then go for the veggies and healthy salad options. Load up your plate with the same amount of food as you'd serve yourself at home for a normal meal. Stop thinking of a buffet as "all you can eat" and start thinking of it as "eat what is right for me."
• There's ALWAYS something you can order at a restaurant. It might take a bit of work and creativitiy to find those healthy options, but it's entirely possible. Don't be afraid of the restaurant menu!
• Ask your server for help in choosing the healthiest options.
• When ordering from a menu - anything is fair game. Ask for substitutions or order ala carte.
• Understand cooking terms so you can order the healthiest prepared options.  Here's an online Food Dictionary that can help.
• Request fat-free or low-sugar dressings for salads. Order dressing on the side and dip your fork in for each bite, rather than drowning your salad with too much dressing.
• Replace unhealthy carbs (potatoes / rice) with healthy veggie option.
• Request no oil or butter.
• Avoid the bread basket - ask your server to take it away when other diners are done with their serving.
• When your meal arrives, immediately ask your server for a to-go box. Divide your meal and decide what your allowed portion is, then box up the rest to take home. This will discourage over-eating.
• If all else fails, order a mug of hot tea and just socialize with your friends/family. You can eat later when you get home. (This is NOT recommended though, the whole point of this exercise is to be part of the non-op world.)

Kitchen Storage Idea

My  lovely friend Edie asked me for a picture of this, so I figured I'd share it with ya'll too. It's a corner of my dining room that serves as storage for my spices, pantry dry goods and some sugar free flavored syrups.


So it's actually two different parts. The top is my spice rack and the bottom is some general storage on a hand crafted bookshelf. I love having my pantry dry goods in quart canning jars. I've been inspired to do that ever since watching the cooking show "Chef at Home" with Chef Michael Smith. (Wow! I just Googled Chef Smith and didn't remember how gorgeous he was - look at those eyes! Yum!)

Anyway....

I also store my sugar free flavored syrups on this shelf. The small bottles in front are from Walmart - that's the only size they sell and when I'm out of a big bottle and need an emergency stash, I'll pick up a little bottle at the store. But normally I get my syrups from Amazon (of course, you know I'm addicted to that site!). Or sometimes I'll score and find a bottle at TJ Max (like the Blueberry flavor that's not even opened yet cuz I don't know what to do with it). In fact, I'm a bit low on vanilla and need to place an order - since I'm thinking about it, might as well do it now, huh? Torani 3-pack syrups are the best price ($16 for 3 bottles and free shipping).




Above the shelf I have metal tracks and brackets with wooden shelves. My dad helped me hang this a couple years ago and I've used my spices so much more than I used to. It's nice to have the spices all out and in the open rather than buried in a cabinet where I can't find anything. In fact, that cabinet to the right of the shelving is where my spices used to be stored.



So, in case you've been wondering how you can store your spices, pantry stuff or sugar free flavored syrups -- maybe this will inspire you.

~Pam

My Letter Obsession

It's so nice to have the day off work today... And the weather is gorgeous too. I had a hot stone massage this morning (OMG!) and then stopped at a local diner for lunch.

Right around the corner is the antique shop that's is as big as a whole city block. I browsed a bit and was hoping to find some old printer block letters. Oh boy! I hit the motherload! There were drawers and drawers and boxes and displays and tables full of letters. It was like Christmas morning!

Since I've been going to school for graphic design my absession with typography has grown and grown. I recently bought an old printers drawer that was cleaned up and painted. I've got it hanging in my (newly decorated) living room and I've slowly been filling it up with these cool letters.  Mostly loving the ampersand and the letter 'P'.

So I bought some goodies today and can't wait to get them home and add them to the others.

For now though... I'll sit a while longer here on this park bench in the sunshine. Then head across the street to the Nut House and see if they have some cashew butter... I'll tell you about that new obsession in another post.

Pam

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

My new favorite oatmeal

I recently bought a box of oatmeal just because I liked the name of it. Silver Palate Thick and Rough Oatmeal. Doesn't it just sound like it'd be interesting? I found it at Big Lots (a closeout store) and it was about $2.50 for the box. I later found it at my local grocery store for around $4.50. But now I see that I can buy a case of it on Amazon and it comes out to around $3.70 a box. Or you can buy it directly from Silver Palate. 

My new favorite oatmeal


So before I get into the recipe I've concocted, I think it's important to understand that this "thick and rough" oatmeal is different than what you might be used to. This stuff is a LOT different than normal oatmeal - if it were the same of stuff, I wouldn't be raving about it, of course.

So let's have a little oatmeal lesson first (or you can scroll down and get straight to the recipe if you prefer):

Groats - this is the name of the oat kernel once the hard outer husk has been removed. All the variations of oats below are based on the groat.

Steel Cut Oats - also called Scottish Oats or Irish Oats - this is the groat kernel chopped into two or three small pieces and resembles small pellets rather than traditional oats we're used to seeing. They have a distinct nutty flavor. Cooking time is about 15-20 minutes and are great for recipes like Baked Oatmeal.

Old Fashioned Rolled Oats - these are made when the groat has been steamed and then rolled flat. The thickness of the rolled oat determined the final texture of the oatmeal. For instance Quaker Old Fashioned Oats have been rolled fairly thin, so it's what most people associate with rolled oats. But the thickness of the rolled oat varies based on the process used, so thick or rough oats will have a distinctly different texture than one that's rolled very thin. Cooking time is based on the thickness of the rolled oat and can range from 3 minutes to 10 minutes. See the recipe below for my new favorite breakfast!

I prefer the thick cut because the oatmeal doesn't have the traditional creaminess that thin oats has. I like that each individual rolled oat stands up on it's own and is firm in texture. Creamy oatmeal has it's place, but I don't like it when it's so cream it just slithers down my throat without the benefit of actually tasting it (get your mind out of the gutter people!).

Quick Oats - these are also made when the groat is steamed and then rolled flat. However, the original groat has been cut into smaller pieces and then rolled even thinner than normal - this allows quick cooking times.  Depending on the brand, some quick oats lose significant fiber content during the more extensive manufacturing process. Cooking times range from about 1 to 3 minutes. This variety  is best used in oatmeal cookies or recipes where little liquid is being used.

Instant Oatmeal - this is a highly processed form of oats and pre-packaged for convenience. The oats have been cut and rolled thin like quick oats, but then pre-cooked so the packaged oatmeal only needs hot liquid to re-hydrate. I often have Quaker Weight Control Oatmeal on hand for a quick breakfast at work or on the run. Most varieties have added salt and various flavorings already added. Be careful when choosing instant oatmeal as many brands have large amounts of added sugar.

Here's a photo that gives a nice visual of the difference between rolled oats and steel cut oats.

And now on to the recipe. I have plans to play around with this a bit, but for now, this is how I've been eating it for the past couple weeks. (I'm going to try baking it and making several batches at once so I can just heat and go in the morning - we'll see if that turns out.) The beauty of oatmeal is that it doesn't cause a reactive hypoglycemic crash for me, so it's an idea breakfast. I usually have a bowl of this oatmeal first thing - around 7:00 a.m. - then have some type of protein drink around 10:00 a.m. to round out my morning routine.

Pam's Thick and Rough Nutty Oatmeal

1 1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup Silver Palate Thick and Rough Oatmeal
2 tablespoons chopped nuts (I used almonds)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 glug sugar free vanilla syrup (Torani has a great price for a 3-pack right now)

Bring water and salt to a boil. Add the oats and cook over low heat for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring often. Just before all the water is evaporated, add the nuts, cinnamon and sugar free syrup (I like vanilla, but any flavor would work here). Let it cook for a minute longer until all the water is gone. Serve immediate and enjoy!

I like to eat it just like this. No extra toppings or dressings... just plain oatmeal with nuts and cinnamon. The SF syrup gives it just a hint of sweetness to make it perfect. I love the thick texture. But if you like toppings, some options would include: milk, Splenda Brown Sugar, berries, raisins or cranberries, sliced banana or apple.

Enjoy!

~Pam

Brain Dump - Part 2

See Part 1 of the Brain Dump process.


My Emotional Journal - great for keeping brain dump lists!

 So now that you’ve got this big long list of stuff you’ve dumped out of your brain, it’s time to do something with all those bullet points. The process for going through the bullet points really depends a lot on what’s on your list. So I’ll detail the steps below for a couple different types of lists – pick which one applies to you and run with it.

The Emotional Turmoil Brain Dump List

When we have a lot of emotional baggage that we need to work through, sometimes it can seem very overwhelming to look at the big picture of everything that needs to be dealt with. So a Brain Dump list for emotional and psychological issues can help make the process more manageable. For this type of list you would put one small problem on each line and just keep listing things until you’ve emptied your brain of the swirling thoughts. Rather than listing the big things on the list, you’d drill down and list all the little things that make up big issues. So instead of listing “relationship problems” as a single bullet point, you’d list individual problems within each of the relationships you want to work on.
Once you have a finished list, it’s time to deal with the items on the list one by one. DO NOT rearrange the list or try to organize it in any way. In fact, don’t even read the list. Just let it live on paper the way it was created. Take the first item on the list and write it down on a new sheet of paper. Then close the original list and don’t look at it again. Right now your only concern is that single item.

Set a timeframe for you to work on this single item. It could be a day or two or it could be a week or more – depending on the nature of that item and how much time you’ll devote to this process each day. Explore your thoughts and feelings about this single item and journal about as much as you need to. Meditate on the solution, write out your feelings, talk about it with a loved one if that’s appropriate. Do whatever you need to do in order to get this one single issue resolved.

Once you are “finished” with that single item – end it. If you literally need to write “The End” after your journal entry, then do it. Or if it’s just a mental acknowledgement that the topic is closed and you feel like it’s resolved, then just make that mental note. But make a formal END to the single item you’ve just worked through.

Now take a day off. Consciously allow your mind to be clear and take an emotional vacation day from the work you’ve just put in. Because tomorrow, you do the whole process over again with the second thing on your list.

Yes, this is a long process and it could take months or even years to work all the way through the list. As you think of new things to add to the list, you’ll just write them to the end of the current list and deal with them in order. The key is to keep your brain free of the emotional turmoil so you can continue to work on one small issue at a time and grow little by little along the way.

The To-Do List Brain Dump

When you’re planning a big event, vacation, project or just have a lot of stuff to do in life… you’ll likely have a list that looks like a huge task list. For this type of list you’ll actually work with the Brain Dump bulleted list after it’s done to organize it into categories so you can actually get these tasks done in an organized way.

You’ll want to start with some blank sheets of paper – one sheet for each of the main categories of tasks that are included on your Brain Dump list. It can be individual sheets of paper, or just new pages within a journal or even a computerized document – whatever works best for you. At the top of each new page, write the category. Examples might be:

• Household tasks
• Work tasks
• Kid tasks
• Home improvement tasks

Once you have your multiple lists ready to go, start copying individual bullet points from the master Brain Dump list onto the category pages. You can organize the tasks on each list priority or in groups of like tasks. It might also be a good idea to decide which items need to be done right away and which things can be put off for several weeks or longer. Cross stuff off the Brain Dump list as you transfer them to the category lists and keep going until you are done.

Once you have several sheets of task lists, make a plan to get those to-do lists complete. Don’t overwhelm yourself with trying to do them all at once – that would defeat the purpose of the Brain Dump process. Instead, determine which things are most important and start there. You might want to mark priority tasks with a red star or something that works for you.

Combination Brain Dump Lists

More than likely you’ll end up with a Brain Dump list that is a combination of the above two types of lists. The way to deal with this is to go through your Emotional Turmoil list and pull off the Task List stuff. Cross off tasks as you remove them from the main Brain Dump list and leave the Emotional stuff alone – just ignore that stuff cuz you’re not allowed to be looking at those items, remember.

So now that you’ve got a perfectly clear brain, how does it feel? Have you learned anything about yourself along the way? Have you added anything to the process that’s helped you – that might also help someone else? Please share it with us all.

~Pam