Diabetic Recipes
STBrink
In the beginning, there is orange and black foil. That foil is joined by yellow and red, with the black fading away. In what seems like an instant, the yellow and orange are things of the past and the red takes hold alongside glittering green and silver. All of these beautifully colored foils, they signify the enemy. They are the harbingers of what is, quite possibly, the most difficult time of year for me; the dreaded days between Halloween and Christmas.
I know, they're supposed to be fun and mysterious through October, then family-filled and warm through November, and merry and bright through December. But in the end, it all boils down to the foil - and the food wrapped in the foil. I have a mad sweet tooth. If you give me a choice between potato chips, a turkey dinner, and a Snickers Bar, I'm going to pick the Snickers Bar every time. Given my recent struggles with staying on track, the Holiday season couldn't be setting in at a worse time.
Two days ago, the first gigantic bowl of candy showed up on a co-workers desk, and yesterday some frosted pumpkin-shaped sugar cookies appeared in the office kitchen. So on Monday, I had two peanut butter cups and didn't eat the bread from my lunchtime sandwich and yesterday, I had two sugar cookies and didn't eat my packed lunch at all. I was grateful that, in spite of these indulgences, my bloodsugar peaked out at 127 mg/dl Monday and 129 mg/dl yesterday. And on both days, I made my way to the gym and put in an hour of workout time. Oh, the joy of small miracles.
But I simply can't maintain this kind of eating through the entire Holiday season. Not only is it not good for my body, which needs fruit and veggies and whole grains even though my brain needs candy - it is not good for my psyche.
Every year, I struggle with the time between Halloween and Christmas. And it isn't just the food. It's the seemingly constant darkness and the cold and the snow and the elevated number of sick people in my midst. The candy and the struggle of keeping my diabetes in-line only exacerbates all of the other wintertime trials people face.
In the past, I've mostly folded to the pressure of the foil. I've eaten the candy and enjoyed it. Last year, I was able to curb some of those desires having gained a good deal of momentum from a summer of consistent healthy eating and exercise. But being a little off-track this year, I fear I may once again fall into old (bad) habits.
But I won't go down without a fight.
This is where you come in, dear readers. Tell me (and others out there who MUST resist the foil) - do you have any tricks that help you through this time of year? How do you avoid the constant temptations? How do you adjust to the darkness, the weather, the illness that comes with winter?
Damned you, colorful shiny foil. Damned you, I say.
Hmm... (1) Keep busy, away from sources of temptation. Avoid parties and dinners out where there are no healthy alternatives. (2) Volunteer to do things that take you away from the food -- for example, man one of the exhibits at the haunted house, or play a character in the Dickens Village. (3) Find recipes and snacks that satisfy the sweet tooth and have better health profiles. (As an example, I'm fond of Genisoy brand Southern Peanut Butter Fudge nutrition bars and will generally choose them over Snickers bars on a taste-per-taste basis.)
I know where you are coming from. I ate some minhershey's kises today, a treat brought in by teachers for the kiddies and they ahd left overs. I bolussed like heck and din ot run over 150, but I know the feeling and I do not wantot give in. And I really want a Reese's peanut butter pumpkin shaped cup right now...On to the d-llie recipes.
I'd suggest not trying to avoid it. Make a deal with yourself to indulge in one small treat a day to keep the cravings low.
If you try to avoid it all you're just setting yourself up for a day of eating nothing but candy and hating yourself for it.
Moderation is good.
Ugh ... the blasted holiday candy. My coworker has a constant stash of chocolate and candy treats. I had to convince my brain that visiting her desk didn't automatically equal a snack.
For me, it's a matter of letting myself indulge, but not go completely nuts. Like Nocjef said, making a deal with myself to have a taste here and there helps keep me from devouring the whole bowl.
"A taste." I sound like a crack addict. ;)
Nicole, I agree with the "let yourself indulge, but not too much," tack. (Though, I realize that's so much easier said than done.)
I'd say ban (as much as possible) all foil-wrapped goodies from the house, but follow the "when in Rome" philosophy when outside, but again-- in moderation.
And keep talking and writing about your struggles with this. I've found that I tend to cope with things a whole lot better when I communicate with others about them...
I thought we were all ok as long as you take the insulin for it. It's the same thing eating a whole piece of toast at 20 carbs, as it is 20 carbs of candy. Maybe that's why I have problems.
Great post! We all struggle this time of year: I have to stay away from the "goodies" because if I start I can't quit; I gained 10 lbs. one Winter & that was my incentive to "stop eating sweets." (1) Eat salad: all that munching is productive! (2) Eat carrots (they don't raise my b/s); (3) Exercise; (4) Find a hobby (mine is beading) that keeps you busy in the evenings.
The lists of "things to do at the holidays" always says "bring a healthy dish (and I always get the image that they're suggesting steamed vegetables) to the party so that you know there is something there that you can eat". Well, if I'm at a holiday party, steamed vegetables are the last thing I want to bring. Instead, I'll bring a dessert that I can eat; I'll make something delicious and sweet, but use Splenda in the recipe instead of sugar to cut the insta-glucose carbs way down.
Nocjef has the best idea I've seen on how to deal with the foil. It's what I do, and one trick to doing it is remembering, and telling yourself, that the first bite is always the one that tastes best, and everything else is downhill.
Nicole, I wanted to know how you lost weight. In reading your story on the Dlife wall, and going to your other blogs, where you were selling clothes, I read you had lost 40 pounds. I've had type 1 for nearly 15 years, and cannot seen to lose the 30 pounds put on after having my 4 kids. What was your secret? I am dying to lose weight, and have done the whole go off insulin for a while to shed the pounds, but was too sick, had to go back, and gained it all back. Oh, what to do! Steph