Thursday, January 31, 2013

Day 30, the Diabetic Food Stamp project

Don't let the recent numbers fool you.

This is hard. While I may eat under budget some days I tend to be under on calories, energy and stamina. I also take a lot of time to shop and cook.

This morning I begin with 5.72.

I started my coffee and was suddenly ravenous so instead of starting with fruit (my plan) I went right for the bacon and a chili cheese omelet. I actually used two eggs.

Wow it was good.

Coffee .10
2 eggs .42
Cheese .20
Bacon .51
Chili (leftover remnant from yesterday's cup)
Total 1.23
Carbs 5 grams

I have a presentation to make at a Senior Center today. So I am off to get pretty and talk good, as it were.
I refer to fast food as fat food.

I came home ravenous at 2:00 and had fat food for lunch. I fried up 3 of my Chinatown chicken thighs.Cutting them into strips and hitting them heavily in spice and coating in flour while the oil heated I was able to eat quickly. I will now have some fruit or something good, but I had to get the serious hunger out of the way.

This was followed by a half pound of cherries and a second coffee.

Chicken .93
Cherries 1.00
Coffee .10
Total 2.03
Carbs a shocking 50 grams

Not dangerous but many more carbohydrates than I'd imagined.

I got in a good work out and came home hurting.

Not muscular soreness from the workout but pain. I was hit by a car a year ago November and it really took a toll on my body. I was just about pain free after a long rehab when a tile came loose at NYSC and I took a hard nasty fall, reviving old pain and giving me brand new pain. I don't take drugs, I just cope.

Or at least I thought I was coping until I gave up wine for this food stamp project. Many nights I would have a glass of red with dinner, and when I really hurt, two glasses. Wine was my anesthetic. Last night as I curled up in my chair I wanted my glass of red very badly, but instead got up...and made beans.

All week long I have been reading about creamy dips paired with crisp chips. America is determined to put on 10 lbs this weekend for a ball game and all the food bloggers want to help them along.

I love chips and dips. Last night when at trader Joe's they served a chip with a creamy spinach dip. It was too expensive to purchase on this budget so I got a can of re-fried beans. I paired them with organic corn chips, which are a little extravagant but I think I can make it work with limited portions both for cost and carbs.

IMPORTANT: if you want to avoid GMO products get only organic corn. Most corn in the US is swill from Monsanto and best avoided.

I took a portion of the beans and covered them in cheese and tomatoes from the street vendor (end of day price). When it was bubbly and lava like I took it from the oven and had scooped with my measured chips.
Does that not look delicious?

Beans .49
Cheese .20
Tomatoes .36
Corn Chips .49
Total 1.54
Carbs 55 grams, in the safe zone but pushing it. Fortunately the carbs in beans are very slow to digest and your insulin does not spike. Without rice they are a good choice for a diabetic.

Day Total 4.80, I can carry over .92

That was my goal for the month to get through it not over budget. My entire budget was for the two months of the project and I still have a few of the foods made ahead, but I still felt it important not to run out.

Of course I am still not getting far too few calories today was 1,510.




4 comments:

da bitch in 23 said...

You got more discipline than most, me included.

I know I got arthritis and I know a drink helps. When it gets bad I take a shot, not all the time but when I need it.

Doctors give all kinds of drugs, one works, side effects kill me.

A shot does it.

Anonymous said...

I keep noticing your Vitamin E is low. What are you going to do to get your E up?

D is low but you get most of that from the sun.

What has a lot of E?

Anonymous said...

Looks like you get about 50 grams of fiber a day.

We are all supposed to get more but I just learned the most Americans get about 15.

You eating changes from day to day (I think you get bored) but you are really getting some good nutrition over all. ( I will let you answer Miss Vitamin E)

What I am learning is how to stay healthy on a budget. I think you should go on Dr. Oz and talk about this. He is all about fiber and I know not all the women who watch him are rich suburban types. You know there has to be some on budgets who could use some good news.

Karl said...

The question of Vitamin E. Leafy greens such as Spinach are a great source of E, but one of the best is nuts. I do eat foods with E, we will see tomorrow how I balanced out for the month.

It may be time to add in more Spinach if I can do that while keeping everything else in line including budget.