Living It With Lisa

The other day I got an email that FLOORED me.  There has been lots of banter about obesity, and sometimes I admit that I will be very aware of how many people whose paths cross mine are decidedly overweight.  What I didn’t realized was that there was a study on just that.  So here it is…

The Trust for America’s Health released a new ranking of the U.S.’s fattest states.  Curious on where your state ranked?   Mississippi tops the list for the fifth year in a row — 32.5% of its adult residents are considered obese.  Colorado, meanwhile, continues to be the leanest with only 18.9% of adults falling into the obese category.  The saddest thing on their chart is that you can find the stats on obese kids in each state, too.

People it is time to wake up and do something!

Okay I am not a food stylist.  I really know that after watching The Food Magicians on the Food Network.  Hopefully you will enjoy my first attempt a sugar free, gluten free cake for Carters 21st birthday.

That is how my party planning started.  I knew that I wanted to serve an entire meal that was diabetic friendly and that the attendees wouldn’t even realize it…and that included the cake too.  The menu was the easy part, it was the cake that took 3 tries to get it right.  Victoria and I were sick of Chocolate cake by party time since we had been sampling for days.  Vic on the other had was sad to see

it stop.  I determined that he was not a good cake taste tester.  He liked them all.  Even the one that tasted like an unsweetened bar of Bakers Chocolate!

So here is the menu:

Gazpacho Soup, Shrimp Cocktail with Cocktail Sauce, Fruit Platter, MamaLisa’s Cauliflower, Zucchini & Squash Slaw, Roasted Artichoke Salad, with Smoked Brisket with BBQ sauce, and Chocolate Cake with Whipped Cream, Strawberries and Chocolate Sauce.

Uncle Jerry brought his yummy Salsa with chips  and Tori had a special request so I also made Roasted Garlic with Toasted Baguettes.  Carter’s Mom Roseanne brought her family favorite Vidalia Onion Casserole.  So those items were the only no-no on the menu.

Yes, all the sauces were diabetic.  The BB!Q sauce I made my original BBQ sauce and then updated the recipe to make it diabetic and I am telling you …there was hardly a difference.   My girlfriend Stacy had

also turned me on to a line of products from Walden Farms that were sugar free.  I took their cocktail sauce which is surprisingly good and added some horseradish.  YummE!

The gazpacho and its yummy topping was a hit.  I served it in espresso cups that I bought for our wedding reception, so no spoons needed!  It is the perfect way to serve soup to a crowd.

MamaLisa’s Cauliflower is always a hit and very little is ever left over.  Very simple,  Steam the cauliflower, top with a mustard mayo mix, top that with shredded colby cheese so it will melt.

The Zucchini & Squash Slaw (gotta figure out a better name for that) is a recipe that I modeled after Cucumber Salad.  Except that I cut the veggies with a mandolin to resemble spaghetti pasta.  The vinegar ‘cooks’ it and it gets al-dente.  There were actually a couple of guests that thought it was pasta when they looked at it.  Then I spice it up a little bit with some Sambal hot sauce and some cilantro.  Carter and Vic LOVE it … Carter requested it to be on the menu.

Vic make the brisket and it was perfect.  He has mastered brisket in his smoker.  Rubbed some Salt Lick Rub on it the night before and smoked for 12 hours.  Put in the warming drawer till ready to serve and it was tender and moist.

The cake turned out fabulously.  Some of the comments were that it tasted like a brownie.  If any of you have had a flour-less chocolate cake you will know that it is a dense cake.  So was this one.  It took me a few tries to get the ratio of chocolate right and the ratio of the two sweeteners right.

Serve it with a dollop of whipped Cream sweetened with Stevia,  a strawberry and a drizzle of Walden Farms Chocolate Sauce.

Carter took some home with him and called me the next day.  He had taken some to work and the coworkers said they would buy this and they weren’t diabetic.  It is nice to know my perseverance paid off.  My goal was to have a dessert that anyone would eat because it really tasted good and it wouldn’t matter that it was Sugar Free and Gluten Free.  It really was remarkably good if I say so myself!

So overall the Birthday Celebration was a success.  One of  best complement of the day was from one of Carter’s college buddies as he was leaving.  ”Who knew that diabetic food could be so good!”

Do you know anyone who is afflicted?   It is becoming a much smaller world as the majority of our population is obese which can be linked to diabetes.   Diabetes in many cases can be reversed with diet and exercise  but why wait until you are diagnosed.   Think about your food choices and improve them now so you have a better quatlity of life … the rest of your life.

I recently read that a study by Joslin Diabetes Center researchers showed that obese adults who lost just 7% of their weight and did moderate intensity exercise for six months improved their major blood vessel function by approximately 80%,  regardless of whether or not they had type 2 diabetes.

Why wait till you are overweight and on your way to obese.  Start today and make some changes.

Now that is something to think about…for the health of it!

With the recent episode through which Senator Ted Kennedy went, many people speculated that he perhaps had had a stroke. Further tests have confirmed that instead he is suffering from a brain tumor. However, it reinforces the fact that early detection of a stroke is critically important. Obviously those around Sen. Kennedy acted quickly for that very reason.

According to several neurologists, they say that if they can get to a stroke victim within 3 hours the effects of a stroke can be totally reversed … totally. The key is getting a stroke recognized, diagnosed, and then getting the patient medically cared for within 3 hours, which is tough.

STROKE: Remember the 1st Three Letters….S.T.R.

 And now there is a Fourth Indicator, the Tongue!

STROKE IDENTIFICATION:

During a BBQ, a friend stumbled and took a little fall – she assured veryone that she was fine (they offered to call paramedics).  She said she had just tripped over a brick because of her new shoes.

They got her cleaned up and got her a new plate of food.  While she appeared a bit shaken up, Ingrid went about enjoying herself the rest of the evening

Ingrid’s husband called later telling everyone that his wife had been taken to the hospital – (at 6:00 pm Ingrid passed away.)  She had suffered a stroke at the BBQ.  Had they known how to identify the signs of a stroke, perhaps Ingrid would be with us today.  Some don’t die.  they end up in a helpless, hopeless condition instead.

RECOGNIZING A STROKE

Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify.  Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster.  The stroke victim may suffer severe brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke.

Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions:

S  -  Ask the individual to SMILE.

T  -  Ask the person to TALK and SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE (Coherently)  (i.e. It is sunny out today.)

R –  Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS.

If he or she has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks, call emergency number (911) immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.

New Sign of a Stroke ——– Stick out Your Tongue

A new fourth indicator  has been isolated.  Ask the person to ‘stick’ out his tongue.  If the tongue is ‘crooked’, if it goes to one side or the other, that is also an indication of a stroke.  Although this does not fit easily into the STR method, remember S(mile), T(alk), R(aise), TONGUE. 

The ability to immediately determine a POSSIBLE stroke can be beneficial to reversing the condition when presented to a neurologist within 3 hours.

Now here is some insight we all need in coping with stress.  Did you know that researchers found that twenty seconds of belly laughter is equivalent to three minutes of working out on a rowing machine?   Now who is heading to the comedy club tonight! Stress vs. laughter?  Who knew that laughter is the ultimate stress buster.

Many of you know that I love cookbooks. I have WAY too many. One time I actually counted and there were over 125. So I put myself on a cookbook diet! I wouldn’t let myself buy another one until I made a recipe out of EACH one!

That diet did last for a very long time. But alas I started adding more. When Christopher Guerierro got me hooked on the idea of eating as many raw vegetables as possible in order to utilize all the nutrients that started me on another ‘division’ of my cookbook library. Yes, it is now a library because I love to read cookbooks!

What are some of my FAVs?

The absolutely latest cookbook (purchased on Friday at Michael’s) is THE FOOD YOU CRAVE, Luscious Recipes for a Healthy Life by Ellie Krieger. Ok, I bought it at a crafts store! I don’t even have to be in a book store! I am an addict! I have picked out several recipes to try.  If you are looking for fresh ingredients put together in innovative ways with little or no fuss, this cookbook is for you.

SUNDAY SOUP, A Year’s Worth of Mouthwatering, Easy-to-Make Recipes by Betty Rossbottom is a MUST HAVE in your collection.  I made 4 soups the first week and one twice to rave reviews from Vic and Victoria.  The first element I loved is that the cookbook is set up according to seasons so you automatically know what to use at the peak of freshness…so go to your farmers market.  The second element is that there were multiple recipes that you just wanted to try right away … with pictures of course.

Cooking Light’s 5-INGREDIENT 15-MINUTE Cookbook is an all time favorite. I bought this years ago. Beats frozen food any day.  So working moms, college kids, single guys, those who don’t want to fuss and muss to long in the kitchen … must try it.

PS.  and no … I didn’t make a recipe from each cookbook before I broke down and bought another one … almost … does that count?

PS.  and no … I am not going to count my cookbooks … Ignorance is Bliss!

Now you just KNOW that I am always aware of healthy tidbits regarding our lives but now with a much keener eye to the health of a diabetic, since Carter has been diagnosed with Diabetes.  Our goal is to maintain his health without insulin so that means diet.   It has never been truer that “we are what we eat”.  

FRUIT:  Did you know that one cup of strawberries has more vitamin C than an orange?  They are also an excellent source of fiber, which helps your body maintain normal blood sugar levels.

And on the FIBER note … that is something many of us do not eat enough of each day.  In order to keep toxins moving through our colon the average adult needs to eat 25-30 grams of fiber daily.  Whole fresh fruits and vegetables are excellent sources of fiber.  Are you getting enough fiber in your diet?

As you know my girlfriend Dianne and I have be researching the benefits of dark chocolate (which is more than 70% cocoa).   I just read this article and am thrilled to share it with you!

Chocolate May Boost Brain Power and Fight Fatigue

The next time your energy slumps, but you need to be sharp, a cup of hot chocolate might be just the boost you need.

That’s because flavanols, which are chemicals plentiful in dark chocolate, fight fatigue and hone mental sharpness, according to scientists at the Brain, Performance and Nutrition Center at Northumbria University in Newcastle, UK.

Researchers gave 30 people a series of math tests before and after having either a flavanol-loaded chocolate drink or a placebo beverage. On a test that required repeatedly subtracting numbers, volunteers who got the flavanol-rich drink performed better than those drinking the dummy drink. In addition, the flavanols seemed to offset the fatigue from the intense mental concentration.

“We asked them about their mental fatigue, and that increased, but the cocoa offset that increase,” said researcher Crystal Haskell.

The brain-boosting effect is tied to flavanols’ ability to dilate blood vessels, allowing more blood to reach important areas of the brain.

The study also found that a 500 mg dose of flavanols worked best. That’s the equivalent of five bars of chocolate, so researchers are trying to discover whether lower levels work as well.

“The amounts we were giving them were more than you would get from eating small amounts in diet,” said co-researcher David Kennedy, “But there is quite a bit of evidence showing that general consumption over time is protective against neurodegenerative disease and decline in cognitive function.”

Flavanols are also found in red wine, olive oil, broccoli, blueberries, tea, and onions. They’ve been linked to lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and brain function.

Carter, my son by marriage, was diagnosed with Diabetes recently.  It has been a whirlwind of emotions to say the least.   When he called me to share the news, I immediately knew what I had to do.   I had to help him learn how to eat.  In order to do that I had to teach him to plan a menu, shop for groceries, cook those goodies and not feel like he was the weird college kid.

Just imagine… no more soft drinks and limited if any fast food.  Now that is just the start… but it seems like the end of the world for a college kid.  At 20, Carter has a lifetime ahead of him and with diabetes there is NO SHORTCUT!  If you THINK you can beat the system, you run the risk of damaging your organs, losing your limbs, or losing your eyesight.   This is a very serious life sentence.

Ah ha!… a life sentence?  Could be.  Depends on ones attitude.  If we really think about it we created diabetes with the choices generations have made since the creation of processed food.   The reality is … this diagnosis creates and demands the best choices for ones body.  Healthy Clean Food.  Imagine that!

Here is food for thought:   How do YOU shop for groceries?   Think about it.  Does most of your food come from the premises or the interior of your grocery store?  If you shop the premises you will find dairy, fresh meat and fresh vegetables.  If you shop the interior of your store you will generally be purchasing and eating frozen foods and processed foods.  The healthier choice is obvious.  However there are unclean foods on the perimeter too.  We are navigating a jungle and need to choose to feed our bodies at the cell level.

So my journey continues for a healthier cuisine, with an emphasis on a diabetic lifestyle that a college student can live with and grow with as the journey of a lifetime begins for him.

We all know that listening to music can be an excellent stress reducer.  Just ask Vic. Sometime I walk into his office and XM radio is on the Spa channel while he is working.  I know it’s a tough day if he can stay awake and work listening to that!  

So, I have to believe it when I read that a study with cardiology patients who listened to classical music for 30 minutes produced calming effects equivalent to a 10-mg dose of Valium.  

WOW!  Beethoven or Mozart anyone?