The Diabetes Project Part 2 Day One

Today I begin a month long Diabetes project.


I contacted the Dietician who advised me on the first one and because my weight is much lower than when I began the first my carb count has been set higher to keep up with my energy expenditure.

I have a maximum of 60 carbs per meal, 15 per snack not to exceed 200 per day. I will be purposefully having more sodium and more fat than most diabetics, so unless I post a recipe don't follow everything I eat.

Rhonda Trousdale the brilliant endocrinologist at Harlem Hospital got me started on this one as I prepare to do more work with diabetics and bariatric patients.

Prior to Rhonda's e mail I had already consumed one large sourdough pretzel and some coffee with goat milk. Carefully I had some sliced ham and 3/4 cup of fresh delicious cherries and I was at 40 grams of carbohydrate for breakfast. The bulk of those carbs came from my Trader Joe's sourdough pretzel.

I like challenges and will plan for what the day may bring.

I planned and in a sense I failed. I took the last two pretzels with me and some cheese in case I needed a snack, but because I was out all day and it was not a good day they were lunch.

For dinner I had to use what was thawed (shopping got moved to today)so I made a braised pork belly with cabbage and rice.

Calories 2,115 total carbs 139 grams. Well under my 180 max even with my one full cup of rice.

However...I was out of balance with too few carbs (yes you can have two few, even a diabetic) and 60% of my daily calories from fat. A little more protein would have been nice.

I came in way low on fiber and vitamin content. While I will be having the rest of the belly tomorrow I will have to plan the rest of my day to be more balanced.

Carbs...unlike calories cannot be carried over into another day. What you don't eat in balance at any particular meal is gone forever. 

A perfect salad...beyond lettuce

I am often asked via e mail 'What do you eat?';This is it. For me a very typical salad or breakfast is cucumber, tomato, yogurt and maybe a flat bread.

I will be having a small filet of fish next with some chard from the garden. This for me is a typical meal, especially in summer.

Pasta soup for Diabetics and bariatric patients

There are few foods that satisfy like the combination of pasta, tomatoes and sausage. When I first began to share recipes I posted a wonderful sausage pasta.

However diabetics and others who have weight issues can't sit down to a big bowl of pasta. I have been experimenting with the noodles made from yam starch called Shirataki in most pasta dishes they are horrible. They just don't absorb sauce and flavor and typically ruin the dish, however they are fine in soup.

This soup is a very easy throw together soup that will satisfy the deep need for flavor without throwing you into the carb/calorie bus.

One Italian Sausage
11 cloves of garlic
6 cups chicken broth
1 cup chopped cherry tomatoes
1 cup tomato sauce (prepared is fine but none containing sugar or High Fructose Corn Syrup)
1/2 pound of fresh spinach (torn, stems removed)
4 teaspoons of grated parmesan
Italian Seasoning (use a blend, as much as you like.)
1 bag Shirataki noodles rinsed

Remove the sausage from the casing and crumble in a soup pot. Brown and drain. Set the sausage aside and put the garlic in the pot on low heat and warm til fragrant, careful not to burn. When the garlic scent is heady pour in the chicken broth, tomato sauce, chopped tomatoes and bring to a boil.

When boiling add the seasoning to taste and the torn spinach and noodles. Turn the heat off and cover. Let the spinach hang out for about 5 minutes. Serve in 4 large soup bowls dividing the sausage between them, either on the bottom or crumbled on top. Sprinkle with cheese and serve.

260 calories and only 16 grams of carb per bowl. (These will be big bowls)

You can follow with a chopped vegetable salad or something else light.

This is a flavor filled dish and very satisfying.