It’s not easy. The apple pie is glistening in it’s own syrup. The spice cake is just waiting for my teeth to scrape it off the fork. And the chocolates. Cake. Brownies. Double-chocolate walnut cookies. And shiny, custard pumpkin pie. Yum. Yum. All the tastes and smells of the season. It is a veritable feast for the eyes and the nose. Not all cultures celebrate the same feast, but all of us celebrate our holidays with food. How is a diabetic to win?
One of the things that we have done, in our household, is to re-create our old recipes. We’ve learned to make apple pie with sweet apples, like “golden delicious,” and NO SUGAR. Yes that’s right. No sugar. We spice it up with cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and vanilla, and the apples do the rest, by bubbling up the mixture into a lovely, natural syrup. We also leave off the bottom crust, covering only the top. We love to cut the top crust into shapes, with cookie cutters, and decorate the top of the pie with the cut outs. It’s easy, then, to shave off some calories and fat, by staggering the pieces, with just enough crust to give everyone a taste.
Another discovery we’ve made is a natural syrup called “Agave,” which is boiled down from the desert plant, “Agave.” It has a lower “inulin” response, which releases its sugars into the body s-l-o-w-l-y, if it is used wisely. About 1/2 – 3/4 cup should do it in pumpkin pie, but you could go down to 1/4 cup and still taste the sweetness. Give yourself time to enjoy your feast. It takes 20 minutes from your first bite, for your stomach to know it’s being fed. Slowly eat, then wait 1/2 hour before eating dessert. Drink a large glass of water with your meal, and you will find that your will-power will have more “power.”
In the United States, Agave can be bought in health food stores and in Wal-Mart. It comes in both light and dark. The dark has a light molasses flavor, while the light is much like honey in taste. It’s wonderful on a biscuit or English muffin. Agave can also be bought through Amazon.com, for those who can’t find it elsewhere.
In the U.S., Thanksgiving and Christmas are the hardest times of the year for diabetics. It’s also the time of year that TV anchors love to ridicule people who are over-weight, which basically includes 80% of all diabetics. The TV screens are filled with nothing but the stomachs and rear-ends of people who are doing nothing more than shopping or going to work. Why is this not considered an invasion of privacy? Because they don’t film their faces?? As if the person targeted does not recognize the shoes she wore yesterday or the gentleman does not know the color of his pants and shirt!!
So, I ask those who ridicule, do you have your facts straight? Does obesity “cause” diabetes? Here are some facts from the American Diabetes “facts and myths” page.
Myth: Diabetes is not a serious disease. Fact: “Diabetes causes more deaths a year than breast cancer and AIDS combined. Two out of three people with diabetes die from heart disease or stroke.”
Myth: Obesity causes diabetes. Fact: “Being overweight is a risk factor for developing this disease, but other risk factors such as family history, ethnicity and age also play a role. Unfortunately, too many people disregard the other risk factors for diabetes and think that weight is the only risk factor for type 2 diabetes. Most overweight people never develop type 2 diabetes, and many people with type 2 diabetes are at a normal weight or only moderately overweight.”
For those who are interested in truly being informed, check out the facts on Diabetes.org’s Diabetes Myths page at http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/diabetes-myths/
We live in a world filled with false-health information. One of the greatest myths is that diabetics cause their disease. The other is that obese people will develop diabetes. Yet, another insists that a thin person, who exercises incessantly, will never develop diabetes. How stupid. Type I diabetes rarely promotes weight gain. Mary Tyler Moore and Halle Berry both have Type I diabetes (also called brittle diabetes). Type I diabetes usually attacks children. So, whether Type I or II diabetes, before you criticize, learn the facts.
I wonder if those who take pot-shots at us, do so because they hide secrets themselves? Strangely enough, they do not see that they are obsessed with food. It doesn’t matter if you’re in love with food, or fear it, an obsession is an obsession. A diabetic need not fear food, as long as we treat food wisely and include moderate exercise. There are also diabetes medications which can suppress appetites, and even help you lose weight. Januvia and Byetta come to mind. However, all this must be discussed with your doctor. And do your homework. If you are reading this, you have access to, literally, a world of information.
Back to our critics, especially those who run and run, and diet, diet, diet. While they may be running for their lives, we can go for a walk in the snow, or in the morning coolness in warmer locations. Walking is the perfect exercise for diabetics. Walking slowly melts the fat and, in turn, builds muscle. Take a stroll after you eat. In fact, consider doing that walking, literally, after you eat. It’s not how fast you run, but it’s how far you go that matters.
One of my tricks for getting that walking done, is to portion the walks throughout the day. When it’s light enough to see and be safe, I pop on my jacket, neck-warmer, and hat, and walk once around our circle. Then I grab one of the dogs, looking for excuses to be outside, or take several trips up and down the stairs. You know your life, and you know how to work it in. Set a timer, and take a walk when the timer goes off.
If you have a treadmill, set your pace to ten minutes at a time. If you have a long stretch of road, walk away from the house for ten minutes, then walk back home. In bits and pieces you can accomplish much. Whatever you do, be careful of “going on a diet.” Eat wisely, but eat well. Make certain that you maintain your weight by eating all foods. Then do your short stretches of walking, rowing, or cycling, and don’t give up.
When you see so-called experts speaking of the “obesity failures of society,” remember that they, too, have their issues. The Bible tells us to practice “moderation in all things.” Running for miles is not moderation. Dieting to extreme thinness can rob you of necessary fat, and your body will steal protein from your heart, which can lead to cardiac arrest.
It has taken me a year to accept that I will never be slender again. But that’s okay. I also have a warm, loving family and abundance in a time of much want. We have enough to share, and we do. God has blessed me, and I know it. I have no real complaints, except vanity. My husband and children think I am beautiful, and I have begun to realize that it is all right to grow old. Growing old beautifully, requires a heart full of love with a spirit of humility. I am now content and grateful, by the grace of God.
Have yourself a blessed holiday season filled with peace and plenty.
With love,
Jaye Lewis
www.entertainingangels.org
www.jayelewisliliesofthefield.blogspot.com
www.entertainingangelsencouragingwords.blogspot.com
One of the things that we have done, in our household, is to re-create our old recipes. We’ve learned to make apple pie with sweet apples, like “golden delicious,” and NO SUGAR. Yes that’s right. No sugar. We spice it up with cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and vanilla, and the apples do the rest, by bubbling up the mixture into a lovely, natural syrup. We also leave off the bottom crust, covering only the top. We love to cut the top crust into shapes, with cookie cutters, and decorate the top of the pie with the cut outs. It’s easy, then, to shave off some calories and fat, by staggering the pieces, with just enough crust to give everyone a taste.
Another discovery we’ve made is a natural syrup called “Agave,” which is boiled down from the desert plant, “Agave.” It has a lower “inulin” response, which releases its sugars into the body s-l-o-w-l-y, if it is used wisely. About 1/2 – 3/4 cup should do it in pumpkin pie, but you could go down to 1/4 cup and still taste the sweetness. Give yourself time to enjoy your feast. It takes 20 minutes from your first bite, for your stomach to know it’s being fed. Slowly eat, then wait 1/2 hour before eating dessert. Drink a large glass of water with your meal, and you will find that your will-power will have more “power.”
In the United States, Agave can be bought in health food stores and in Wal-Mart. It comes in both light and dark. The dark has a light molasses flavor, while the light is much like honey in taste. It’s wonderful on a biscuit or English muffin. Agave can also be bought through Amazon.com, for those who can’t find it elsewhere.
In the U.S., Thanksgiving and Christmas are the hardest times of the year for diabetics. It’s also the time of year that TV anchors love to ridicule people who are over-weight, which basically includes 80% of all diabetics. The TV screens are filled with nothing but the stomachs and rear-ends of people who are doing nothing more than shopping or going to work. Why is this not considered an invasion of privacy? Because they don’t film their faces?? As if the person targeted does not recognize the shoes she wore yesterday or the gentleman does not know the color of his pants and shirt!!
So, I ask those who ridicule, do you have your facts straight? Does obesity “cause” diabetes? Here are some facts from the American Diabetes “facts and myths” page.
Myth: Diabetes is not a serious disease. Fact: “Diabetes causes more deaths a year than breast cancer and AIDS combined. Two out of three people with diabetes die from heart disease or stroke.”
Myth: Obesity causes diabetes. Fact: “Being overweight is a risk factor for developing this disease, but other risk factors such as family history, ethnicity and age also play a role. Unfortunately, too many people disregard the other risk factors for diabetes and think that weight is the only risk factor for type 2 diabetes. Most overweight people never develop type 2 diabetes, and many people with type 2 diabetes are at a normal weight or only moderately overweight.”
For those who are interested in truly being informed, check out the facts on Diabetes.org’s Diabetes Myths page at http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/diabetes-myths/
We live in a world filled with false-health information. One of the greatest myths is that diabetics cause their disease. The other is that obese people will develop diabetes. Yet, another insists that a thin person, who exercises incessantly, will never develop diabetes. How stupid. Type I diabetes rarely promotes weight gain. Mary Tyler Moore and Halle Berry both have Type I diabetes (also called brittle diabetes). Type I diabetes usually attacks children. So, whether Type I or II diabetes, before you criticize, learn the facts.
I wonder if those who take pot-shots at us, do so because they hide secrets themselves? Strangely enough, they do not see that they are obsessed with food. It doesn’t matter if you’re in love with food, or fear it, an obsession is an obsession. A diabetic need not fear food, as long as we treat food wisely and include moderate exercise. There are also diabetes medications which can suppress appetites, and even help you lose weight. Januvia and Byetta come to mind. However, all this must be discussed with your doctor. And do your homework. If you are reading this, you have access to, literally, a world of information.
Back to our critics, especially those who run and run, and diet, diet, diet. While they may be running for their lives, we can go for a walk in the snow, or in the morning coolness in warmer locations. Walking is the perfect exercise for diabetics. Walking slowly melts the fat and, in turn, builds muscle. Take a stroll after you eat. In fact, consider doing that walking, literally, after you eat. It’s not how fast you run, but it’s how far you go that matters.
One of my tricks for getting that walking done, is to portion the walks throughout the day. When it’s light enough to see and be safe, I pop on my jacket, neck-warmer, and hat, and walk once around our circle. Then I grab one of the dogs, looking for excuses to be outside, or take several trips up and down the stairs. You know your life, and you know how to work it in. Set a timer, and take a walk when the timer goes off.
If you have a treadmill, set your pace to ten minutes at a time. If you have a long stretch of road, walk away from the house for ten minutes, then walk back home. In bits and pieces you can accomplish much. Whatever you do, be careful of “going on a diet.” Eat wisely, but eat well. Make certain that you maintain your weight by eating all foods. Then do your short stretches of walking, rowing, or cycling, and don’t give up.
When you see so-called experts speaking of the “obesity failures of society,” remember that they, too, have their issues. The Bible tells us to practice “moderation in all things.” Running for miles is not moderation. Dieting to extreme thinness can rob you of necessary fat, and your body will steal protein from your heart, which can lead to cardiac arrest.
It has taken me a year to accept that I will never be slender again. But that’s okay. I also have a warm, loving family and abundance in a time of much want. We have enough to share, and we do. God has blessed me, and I know it. I have no real complaints, except vanity. My husband and children think I am beautiful, and I have begun to realize that it is all right to grow old. Growing old beautifully, requires a heart full of love with a spirit of humility. I am now content and grateful, by the grace of God.
Have yourself a blessed holiday season filled with peace and plenty.
With love,
Jaye Lewis
www.entertainingangels.org
www.jayelewisliliesofthefield.blogspot.com
www.entertainingangelsencouragingwords.blogspot.com
