Book of Days - Week 18 - April 27, 2020

* Outside my window… (weather, what do you hear, what do you see?)  it is Spring and the birds are singing.  It’s  65 F in the mornings and 85 F in the afternoons.  Can’t ask for better weather but hardly no one is outside.  We are still under the COVID-19 “Stay-Home, Stay-Safe” order.  This reads like the start of a book or sci-fi novel I’ve read somewhere before.  

* My thoughts are.... on my test results and my DME.  My A1C is 10.1%. It has been years since my A1C has been within a normal range. There are very few things I want more than to see it lower to 7.   The desire is there. I am passed the denial stage I think most of us go through when diagnosed in our younger years.  My goal this year is to get it down and keep it down below 8. I am not feeling very confident  I will succeed, but I am the most optimistic about my treatment than I have been in over eight years.

* Today’s Quote… “Let how you live your life stand for something, no  matter how small or incidental it may seem.” ~ Jodie Foster

Sometimes we think that what we do is not of any value or will not make any difference that really matters and we forget that it defines and forges are character and that has nothing to do with anyone else.

* I am thankful for…spending a week with my granddaughter and playing with her, my daughter and granddaughter spending quality time together with me. Family is everything.

* From my research …(any skills, training, etc.; notes you want to share this week) a) Diabetic Macular Edema is treated in two ways: by injecting medicine in your eyes and by lowering your A1C.  b) Drinking alcoholic beverages (especially on an empty stomach) can make your blood sugar fall. (I always thought that drinking raised it.) c) When sugar enters your bloodstream, it attaches to hemoglobin, a protein in your red blood cells. Everybody has some sugar attached to their hemoglobin, but people with higher blood sugar levels have more. The A1C test measures the percentage of your red blood cells that have sugar-coated hemoglobin.

* From the kitchen…(menu for the week, what are you cooking?)  Monday: Sunday leftovers. I ended up cooking baked chicken and brown rice for dinner Sunday instead of what I originally planned   Tuesday: Turkey Tacos and prep for the next day's crockpot meal.  Wednesday:  Crockpot Meal: Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup; Thursday: Leftover soup and a sandwich,  and prep for the next day's crockpot meal.  Friday: Crockpot Meal: Slow Cooker Salmon with Creamy Lemon Sauce;  Saturday: Leftovers, Grill, Sandwiches, or Special Requests  Sunday: Broccoli, chicken, and cheese rice casserole.

* I am wearing… a TWA (teeny weeny afro). My hair is taking forever to grow back but it is healthy and bouncy. As my health improves so will my hair.  I am going to start taking Biotin to start treating my nails and hair. We are on lockdown due to the novel COVID-19 virus so I cannot get my nails done professionally. I am going to take this opportunity to nurture them and see if I cannot get them to stop splitting. They may not grow quite as long as they do when I go to the salon, but if they are healthy and presentable, I will be content with that.

* I am creating…(crafts, sewing, etc;)  a garden in my balcony. I have Begonias, a Magnolia Bush in bloom, a Lemon tree, an Ivy, some Nispero  (Japanese loquat), Lavender (which smells great), and bunching onions. I want to add Roses, Hibiscus, Gardenias, Tulips, and try my hand at an avocado tree.  I always want to add about 4 more hanging plants. The bamboo around my balcony serves as a privacy screen but allows light to filter through. I absolutely love it.

* My adventures this week…(where are you going this week?) my faith routines remain online or from home: the midweek meeting, letter-writing, and Sunday service.

* Becoming well-read…(What are you reading this week?)  I am reading a book called, "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks”.  It is a true story about a woman whose cells were taken without asking. The cells never died and they launched a medical revolution.  More than twenty years later her kids find out and that is where the book begins.

* I manifest and co-create…(what are your hopes, dreams, and prayers this week) Peace and tranquility in my house and with my children. This wisdom to know when to speak and the self-control to know when to hold my tongue. Patience and most of all love.

* Today’s Melody…(what music are you listening to? even if it’s just the sound of a bird…) The best of Blake Shelton.

* One of my favorite things... my garden and the serenity it brings me..

* Further plans for this week… I am going in search of the flowers I mentioned, a few more hanging plants, and a birdhouse for the garden. I may go for a walk or a hike this weekend.

* Still….life (share a picture you’ve taken OR a picture you found online that speaks to you)

This is a photo, not a painting.  The dramatic colors you see throughout the mountain are a result of trace minerals associated within the sandstone, coloring the sand in reds, greens, and yellows.

Food Diary Template

If you would like to food journal with me, use the food diary template and post your results in the comments below. It is a fun, interactive way to keep each other accountable.  This is not about what is online-worthy. Don't overthink it.  The idea is to identify your eating habits and correct them if necessary.  It works well together with other types of health diaries. The guide explains how to use it.   I currently use a hunger scale to measure how hungry I am, and found it useful to record my Before Breakfast, Before Lunch, Before Dinner and Before Bedtime readings here as well: 
-----
Before breakfast BgL:

Breakfast:

Total carbs:

Time:

Scenario:
Hunger Scale:
My Feelings:

Before lunch BgL:

Lunch: 

Total carbs:

Time: 

Scenario: 
Hunger Scale: 
My Feelings: 

Snack:

Total carbs: 

Time: 

Scenario: 
Hunger Scale: 
My Feelings: 

Before dinner BgL:

Dinner: 

Total carbs: 

Time: 

Scenario: 
Hunger Scale: 
My Feelings: 

Before bed BgL:

Total carbs for the day:  

My Standard Weekly Menu

Planning a menu for the week helps me know what to buy and tracks my cooking.  It also helps me meet my goal to have a home-cooked, healthy meal most nights. By planning ahead, I can also keep prepared ingredients and leftovers to make cooking easier as the week gets more hectic or for those nights when I am not inspired to cook everything from scratch, at least for weeknight cooking, My plan is to have a list of dishes that cook easily using ingredients I can easily find, but that can be changed up each week for variety.

I cook for a vegetarian daughter, an almost vegetarian son and I am diabetic so let's just say it takes a bit of creativity!

Here is my basic menu for a week’s worth of cooking, developed with these principles in mind. I do try to remain flexible to take advantage of special occasions, requests from family members, or the availability of a seasonal ingredient.

Monday - Sunday Leftovers

Tuesday - Taco Tuesday (Turkey Tacos are a family favorite, but tacos, in general, are super easy, fun, and fast. (. Sub turkey with avocado or beans if you are vegetarian and it is just as tasty.)

Wednesday - Crockpot Meal (Prep what you can the night before.  Cook thinking of leftovers for the next day. Turn the Crockpot before you leave for work and add the final touches when you get home .)

Thursday - Leftovers

Friday - Crockpot Meal (Prep what you can the night before.  Cook thinking of leftovers for the next day. Turn the Crockpot before you leave for work and add the final touches when you get home .)

Saturday - I like to make a hearty breakfast.  Friday Leftovers, Grill, Sandwiches or Special Requests

Sunday -  I take special requests and I cook thinking of leftovers for the next day.

Shopping list: Keeping the pantry stocked is the key to cooking at home. If I open the fridge and see nothing quick or easy to cook during the week, I tend to order out, especially if I waited too
long and I am starving. Here is a standard list of ingredients to keep on hand to make an entire week’s worth of meals:

• Produce: fresh fruit for snacking and breakfast; salad greens and vegetables; seasonal vegetable; broccoli; potatoes or sweet potatoes; onions; garlic
• Meat: boneless chicken breasts; bacon (I get turkey bacon), ground meat and sausage for the freezer (also turkey); other meat that you like for stir-fries or grilling
• Eggs: I buy 1 carton of 18 to make sure I always have enough eggs on hand for a quick meal
• Dairy: yogurt for snacking and breakfast; one or two kinds of cheese; butter, almond milk
• Bread: tortillas (i buy corn for me, flour for others); breakfast bread (croissants are my fave); sandwich rolls
• Pantry: various dried pasta; canned beans and tomatoes; tomato puree; chicken stock; olive oil and vinegar; salsas, sauces, and condiments that you enjoy (I make my own); nuts and popcorn

My Food Diary Guide

From my LiveJournal...circa 2019

What exactly is a food diary?

A food diary is a record of foods that you eat on a meal-by-meal, daily, or weekly basis. I can include nutritional or other dietary information, organize and track foods by food group, and so on. This lets me monitor what, when, and how often I eat, as well as where your nutrition needs lie.

How does it help me?

• It keeps me accountable for my calorie/carb consumption.
• It helps me zero in on my nutritional needs.
• It helps you identify your eating habits, and correct them if necessary.
• It works well together with other types of health diaries.

What am I tracking?

The food — Write down everything I eat or drink, every day, no matter how small. Included ingredients if I know them.

The amount — Write down the amount (small, medium, large) if I know the serving size that would be even better.

The nutrition stats — Calories, fat, carbs, and sugar are what I watch.

The time — When do I eat – as well and how much do I eat at the time?

The scenario — Am I eating at home, or somewhere else? Am I eating alone, or with other people? Am I focused on another activity while eating, or was eating my only preoccupation?

My feelings — Record how hungry am I (on a scale of 1 to 10) before I eat, and note how happy or sad I am before, while, and after I eat.

Why do I want to keep a food diary?
My why — (Examples: I want to lose 50 lbs. I want to monitor how much sugar I take.)

Goal — (I want to reduce the amount of insulin I have to take. I want to give my best to my loved ones and that includes my health.)

Be honest, keep it handy, and keep at it!

Meal Planning 101: Set aside time to plan meals.

"When you follow a healthy meal plan, exercise regularly, and take your medicine as scheduled, you’ll successfully manage your diabetes without a problem." I read that and I want to scream.  It is partially true, but it is also incomplete, shallow and simplistic.

The issue is not lacking desire, willpower, or drive.  It is not due to self-pity. Let's just get that out of the way once and for all.

The challenge is the logistics of it all.  If you have a partner, it helps but it still frustrating in the best of circumstances.  How does a person with a full-time job find the time to prepare healthy meals? The last thing on your mind when you come home from work is finding a healthy recipe, all the ingredients, preparing it, cooking it, and then cleaning up.

Throw family and their needs and wants into the mix and it is enough to make anyone order a pizza and call it a day. In the United States, fast food is abundantly available at any time of the day or night, ridiculously cheap and extremely accessible and convenient.

That is where meal planning can offer very real, very practical help.  It is an essential tool in managing diabetes.

Because what we eat, how much we eat,  and even when we eat  - all play an important part in managing our blood glucose levels, meal planning helps create optimal conditions for your body to work better.

The key is to plan far enough in advance so that you anticipate what you are eating, are well prepared for the meal, keep the meal preparation and cooking as easy as possible, and train others to respect that by keeping to your plan.

Stick to what you know in the beginning.  If you want to plan a meal outside of the routine, prepare for that meal by jotting it down and any ingredients you will need you do not already have, and schedule time for the day you want to cook that particular meal - preferably on a day off.

Remember: The hardest part is the logistics.  Set aside time to plan meals.  Meal planning does require some time but it time well spent. Try to give yourself 30 minutes once a week to think about what meals to make. If you need more or less time that's okay.

It is very easy to feel overwhelmed by planning ahead for meals. Start with planning dinner meals only and instead of 7 meals, cook 3-4 meals and plan for some leftovers and free days.

Current  Menu Planning Checklist:

1. Try to plan on the same day every week. 
2. What meal will you cook? (Center meals around the vegetables instead of around the protein.)
3. What ingredients do you need? 
4. How much time does it take to prepare the meal? 
5. How much time does it take to cook? (I prefer recipes with a cooking time under 30 minutes unless it is the weekend.  
6. What day do you plan to cook each meal?
7. Are you cooking enough to have leftovers? (Make leftovers into another meal by adding something else.)
8. Create a grocery list based on the ingredients needed for the next week or two.
9. Adapt recipes to taste.  Here is where you can get creative without feeling overwhelmed.
10. Stick to the plan.

Why I Want to Meal Plan

Meal planning consists of three basic steps: 1. Selecting your meals for at least a week. 2.  Shipping for the ingredients based on the meals you have selected.  3. Setting aside time to prepare the upcoming meals you chose.  I like to add 4. Entering it all in my paper planner (pen to paper makes me happy).

Most people know that meal planning can help save money, lose weight, simplify the cooking process, and reduce the stress of "what's for dinner?" Those are all common reasons that many choose to have a meal plan.

For me, it is about finding that sweet spot between meal planning and getting to eat spontaneous meals from time to time. It is about avoiding foods that are slowly poisoning me when someone else prepares the food without feeling remorse afterward or beating myself up because I made a poor choice or made someone feel awkward, rejected or slighted in some way. Saying no at a restaurant is simple; you order what you want from a menu and skip what you do not want. Rejecting a meal specially made meal when you are invited as a dinner guest in someone's home is an entirely different, much more delicate matter - especially among Latinos.

I have gone to both extremes: coming up with a reason to cancel, or accepting the invitation and eating whatever I was served; neither of which I recommend.  The more consistently I meal plan, the less anxious I will feel about occasionally indulging in a meal made with love at a friend's.

Meal prepping can involve eating the same dish or types of food a few days in a row.  It is not for people who prize variety and freshness above all else.  I do not mind leftovers, I would even say I enjoy them. What I want is options and simple recipes for everyday meals. I want sanity and peace.

I will not stick to fancy dishes or the time and effort they take on a daily basis. I do not always want to start from scratch or spend hours perusing a cookbook.  That is just not for me.  I want to be intentional and mindful about what I eat, understand how it fuels my body, be aware of how it makes me feel, and enjoy the company I am with. I am not fascinated with or entertained by how unique or special the dish is.

Cooking is the means to an end for me. It is not a passion of mine, although I love cooking for loved ones, I am not a foodie or an epicurean by any means.  I love a well-prepared meal and enjoy it most when in good company.   I need to enjoy meal planning and to keep it simple for it to be sustainable.

Book of Days - Week 17 - April 20, 2020

* Outside my window… (weather, what do you hear, what do you see?)  it is Spring and the birds are singing.  It’s  65 F in the mornings and 85 F in the afternoons.  Can’t ask for better weather but hardly no one is outside.  We are still under the COVID-19 “Stay-Home, Stay-Safe” order.  This reads like the start of a book or sci-fi novel I’ve read somewhere before.  

* My thoughts are.... on meal planning and whether I will master it and stick to it or burn out. I have been having mixed feelings.  I am excited about getting my levels even more under control, resigned to saying bye to spontaneous meals and anxious about the awkwardness in insisting on a specific food or saying no to certain foods when I am sharing meals with others. I am a Latina.  Both of my parents were Cuban and the vast majority of my friends eat when they get together to socialize. And I am not talking take-out. I am talking about homemade meals made with love, that took time and energy. Culturally, rejecting food offered is a no-no.  I mean you CAN say no, but it is very awkward.  The host or hostess does not know what to offer the guest instead. The guest politely declines and insists he or she is fine and then when dessert arrives, everyone stops to see if the person who said no to something at dinner is not going to have even the smallest bit of dessert. It happens and it is very uncomfortable.

* Today’s Quote… “My own experience has taught me this/ if you wait for the perfect moment when all is safe and assured it may never arrive.” ~ Maurice Chevalier

One can miss out on once in a lifetime opportunities that way.  I know I have.

* I am thankful for…still having a job amidst this COVID-19 pandemic, for the insurance which is so incredibly instrumental in my treatment. For reuniting and getting close to my daughter and having both my kids home during the “stay home, stay safe” order. I am thankful for my faith routines, even if it is virtual.

* From my research …(any skills, training, etc.; notes you want to share this week) Meal Planning is basically a three-step process: a) Plan the meals b) List and buy the ingredients c) Create your grocery list around those ingredients. I add a fourth step, which is to d) enter steps one through three down in my ring-bound paper planner.

Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) is a way to measure glucose levels in real-time throughout the day and night. A tiny electrode called a glucose sensor is inserted under the skin to measure glucose levels in the tissue fluid. I am not new to it but when I first wore one, I thought, "Yay, fewer finger sticks!"  What I have come to realize over time is that the real-time feedback helps change patterns of behavior because now you have a way to "see" how your body is reacting to a certain food or activity - with the added bonus of a lot fewer finger sticks for the win!

* From the kitchen…(menu for the week, what are you cooking?)  Monday: Ground turkey tacos with cubed tomato, avocado, shredded cheese, and cilantro. Tuesday: Brown or Wild rice, leftover lentils and grilled Chicken breast; Wednesday: Fend for yourself day; Thursday: Cabbage with Turkey Sausage and Red-Skinned Potatoes; Fun Friday: Take out; Saturday: Fend for yourself day or leftovers; Sunday: Broccoli, chicken and cheese rice casserole.

* I am wearing… make up every day.  I believe it is a part of leaving the house in a decent condition. There are different levels of make-up. It is about presenting ourselves as put-together and beautiful at all times.  You have to dress for the occasion and the audience, not necessarily for your own comfort levels, but that does not mean you always have to glamor up.

* I am creating…(crafts, sewing, etc;)  a life planner, faith planner, and an art journal. Paper planning makes me happy.  I have been using ring-bound planners since 2014 and I love using them. Something about putting pen to paper, and seeing my schedule all in one spread that I find very satisfying.  This year I discovered stickers and that added just the right touch of playfulness and whimsy to the planing process. Pretty with a purpose. Gotta love that!

* My adventures this week…(where are you going this week?)  I am going grocery shopping to start my meal planning. Believe me, that is an adventure right now with the COVID-19 quarantine still in effect.

* Becoming well-read…(What are you reading this week?)  I am reading a book called, "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks”.  It is a true story about a woman whose cells were taken without asking. The cells never died and they launched a medical revolution.  More than twenty years later her kids find out and that is where the book begins.

* I manifest and co-create…(what are your hopes, dreams, and prayers this week) Peace and tranquility in my house and with my children.

* Today’s Melody…(what music are you listening to? even if it’s just the sound of a bird…) The birds singing this morning, announcing Springtime.

* One of my favorite things... is having my granddaughter over to visit.

* Further plans for this week… regarding my faith routines are all online: the midweek meeting, letter-writing, and Sunday service.  I also plan on spending the night at a friend's house on Thursday.

* Still….life (share a picture you’ve taken OR a picture you found online that speaks to you)

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