Tag: diabetes cooking

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The Happy Diabetic’s Iowa- Style Apricot and Onion Pork Chops Recipe

Several years ago, I met Chef Robert Lewis, aka the Happy Diabetic, at a Taking Control Of Your Diabetes (TCOYD) Expo. His upbeat attitude and friendly demeanor drew me to him immediately as he showed a captive audience how to make healthy meals at home. He has appeared on numerous Divabetic podcasts, including this year’s Divabetic Mysteries: A Christmas Peril. 

Chef Robert was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes after a vacation in Colorado in 1998. When he was traveling back home, he felt super tired and sluggish, very thirsty, and had to urinate at almost every rest stop. Chef Robert knew something was wrong. He just wasn’t sure exactly what it was. So a few weeks later, he visited his doctor, and that’s when he was diagnosed with diabetes. 

” I was in denial for at least six months, and things were not going well for me,” he said in an interview with Beyond Type 2 diabetes. “Once I took ownership in it, really, then some amazing things started to happen – I started to focus. I was able to seek out people with the right information. And I just slowly started making some lifestyle changes.”

From there, Chef Robert started attending diabetes education classes and putting his culinary degree to work, creating recipes that tasted good and were actually healthy. 

He adds, “I started creating some recipes and worked with some really good dietitians who helped me with some of the nutritional components.”

Iowa- Style Apricot and Onion Pork Chops Recipe By The Happy Diabetic 

Ingredients 
4  5oz 1/4 inch bone-in pork chops
1/s cup of whole dried apricots and or apples peeled and sliced
1/2 cup of sliced white or yellow onions
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 Tablespoon chopped garlic
pinch of rosemary
Fresh ground pepper to taste
Directions 
Preheat the sauté pan. Place 1 T olive oil in the pan and heat to medium.  Place the seasoned pork chops (seasoned with salt and pepper) and cook for 2-3 min. Add the garlic, onions and the whole dried apricots and or apples peeled and sliced. cook of 4-6 minutes covered. spoon the apples and or apricots and onions over the pork chops. Cook covered until the internal temp is between 155-165 degrees.
Serves 4
Nutrition Information: Cal: 290, Total fat:12.67g, Total Carbs: 29.83, Protein: 17.29

We’re talking about how to get over the fear and anxiety about speaking publically about your diabetes and related health issues (including depression and sleep apnea) with musical inspiration from Carly Simon.

Grammy winner Carly Simon has recorded over 30 albums, won two Grammies, and an Academy Award. Carly Simon managed to accomplish her dreams by overcoming severe stuttering and painful migraines to achieve her success. When I was a young child,” Carly Simon has revealed, “I had a stammer. And the only time it went away was when I sang. One day, my mother said to me, ‘Don’t speak it, sing it.’ And that’s what I did.”

Leading advocates share their journeys and tools that help them: FreeStyle Libre 2 App, CPAP machines, and a new line of baked good mixes, TruEats.

The FreeStyle Libre system measures glucose levels through a small sensor applied to the back of your upper arm. It provides real-time glucose readings for up to 10 days, both day and night.

Sleep Apnea is a potentially serious sleep disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts. If you snore loudly and feel tired even after a full night’s sleep, you might have sleep apnea.

Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy is a common treatment for obstructive sleep apnea. A CPAP machine uses a hose and mask or nosepiece to deliver constant and steady air pressure.

TruEats Baking Mixes have 1g of Sugar or Less + Complex (Good) Carbs for great-tasting, steady energy that’s diabetic friendly. Guests include Marten Carlson,  Alysse Dalessandro Santiago, Surinder and Daven Kumar, and Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDCES.

October’s Divabetic podcast features music from Carly Simon’s Coming Around Again album courtesy of SONY Music.

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God, Faith And Diabetes

When you’re dealing with diabetes health challenges, do you seek out your doctor or do you say, “it’s in God’s hands” and do nothing?

Many people turn to faith-based ways to manage health and life challenges. Saying “I’m leaving it to God’ is a common way to normalize and cope with challenging situations. It’s been reported that over 300 published scientific studies have demonstrated the medical value of religious commitment (including worship attendance, prayer, scripture study, and active participation in a spiritual community). These benefits include enhanced ability to cope and manage mental illness, chronic illness, pain, and addictions.

Recent research has shown that a large number of women are incorporating spirituality as part of their breast cancer treatment. Spirituality has been defined as a felt connection with a non-mental, non-emotional, and non-physical aspect of being commonly referred to as a ‘Higher Power’ or something greater than the self.

A recent study examined the benefits of prayer in racially diverse breast cancer patients. They found that women who prayed found positive aspects in their experience with breast cancer.

‘Recently, I had the opportunity to visit St. Francis Xavier Church on a trip to Missoula, Montana.

When this beautiful church was built in 1892, it became the largest church in Montana. It is a cruciform church in the Romanesque Revival style. The church also has stained glass windows, a pipe organ, and a massive church bell, Painters of the Italian Renaissance greatly influenced the Turin, Italy, native, who employed many of the same devices used by early Renaissance artists: feathery trees, oval female faces, classical costumes, and painted pilasters.

How Does Faith Help Life With Diabetes?

Mr. Divabetic hosts this episode of Divabetic’s popular Diabetes Late Nite podcast with musical inspiration from Country Music Superstar Carrie Underwood.

Carrie Underwood is inspiring us to talk about “keeping the faith and diabetes.” The country superstar and her husband are very outspoken about how important Jesus is in their lives. ‘How do your spiritual values impact your diabetes health? Are your spiritual and religious beliefs and practices harming or helping your daily diabetes routines?  The happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic talks to the experts on ways you can keep your faith in your self-care management during your darkest hours and gets a ‘real-life’ perspective on how faith has transformed health outcomes.

In less than 10 years, Carrie Underwood has sold 64 million records worldwide, scored 18 #1 singles, and earned nearly 100 major accolades, including six GRAMMY® Awards.

Carrie Underwood is celebrating the first amazing chapter in her career with the 19 Recordings/Arista Nashville release of Greatest Hits: Decade #1, a 25-song collection that includes such radio staples as “Before He Cheats,” “All-American Girl,” “Cowboy Casanova,” “Blown Away,” “See You Again,” and her six-week #1 breakthrough hit “Jesus, Take the Wheel.” We will be playing selected songs throughout the podcast courtesy of SONY MUSIC.

Guests include Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDCES, Dr. Beverly S. Adler PhD, CDCES, Neva White DNP, CDCES, Mama Rose Marie, Poet Lorraine Brooks, and special guest Carrie from New York.

Looking for a fun way to socialize without putting your diabetes wellness at risk? Do you need a little help staying on track with your diabetes self-care?

Join the happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic for this free, fun Virtual Salad Making Party with special guest, Jill Weisenberger MS, RDN, CDCES, CHWWC, FAND on Wednesday, August 18, 2021, 7 – 8 PM, EST on Zoom.

FREE PROGRAM – REGISTER NOW

 

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Healthy Red Quinoa Tabouli Recipe by Jill Weisenberger

Last night, Jill Weisenberger MS, RDN, CDCES, CHWC, FAND shared her delicious Red Quinoa Tabouli recipe, answer our questions and even recommended some helpful kitchen tools at Divabetic’s Cooking Party on Zoom.

Jill’s latest book, The Beginner’s Guide To What To Eat With Type 2 Diabetes will teach you how to enjoy eating again without all the worry and guilt.

You’ll learn to fit in your favorite treat foods, so you never feel deprived, choose the right foods to avoid blood sugar spikes, keep track of the carb counts in your usual foods, eat to feel full – no more long-lasting hunger pangs, and more!

Enjoy a diva-licious discount on Diabetes Smarts bonus information when you purchase Jill Weisenberger’s The Beginner’s Guide To What To Eat With Type 2 Diabetes.  To save, enter the code ‘DIVABETIC’ for the bonuses to be free here.

 

“Enjoy this refreshing Mediterranean-style salad as a side dish with hot or cold foods, or make it into a meal with the addition of kabobs, chickpeas, chicken or salmon,” says Jill Weisenberger.

Healthy Red Quinoa Tabouli Recipe by Jill Weisenberger

Ingredients

Salad

  • 1 cup red quinoa cooked according to package directions with salt omitted (about 3 cups cooked)
  • 2 cups tightly packed finely chopped fresh parsley (about 3.5 ounces) Use more as desired.
  • 1/2 tightly packed cup finely chopped fresh mint (about 3/4 ounce)
  • 2 cups quartered cherry tomatoes (about 13 ounces)
  • 1½ cups diced cucumber (about 8 ounces)
  • ½ cup diced scallions (about 1.25 ounces)

SEE FULL RECIPE

 

Jill Weisenberger MS, RDN, CDCES, CHWC, FAND guests on this episode of Divabetic’s Diabetes Late Nite  podcast with music from Maria Callas. Throughout the podcast we will be featuring music from the Grandiose Stimmen: Maria Callas album courtesy of SONY Music.

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Slightly Sinful Shortbread Recipe from SPLENDA®

A lot of us living with diabetes who are cutting back on high-carb foods like starches, desserts and processed snacks still have a sweet tooth.

Keep in mind, SPLENDA® contains maltodextrin and dextrose, two carbs that supply about 3 calories and 1 gram of carbs in each packet ( 6 ) even though it’s calorie-free. SPLENDA® can be substituted for sugar in a 1:1 ratio for most recipes.Happy baking! 

Slightly Sinful Shortbread Recipe: Total Carbs per serving: 8.5g

Combine flour, SPLENDA® Granulated and rice flour. Beat butter until smooth and creamy. Gradually add flour mixture, beating until smooth. Press evenly into a greased 8’ square baking pan. 
 
Bake at 325°F (160°C) for about 35 minutes or until lightly browned at the edges and firm to touch. Cool on rack. Cut into small squares. Store in the refrigerator.

FULL RECIPE

Divabetic Bookshelf: Shortbread And Sorrow

“A light, cozy mystery read with a cat-loving and cafe-owning amateur female sleuth, in a small English village setting with quirky characters. Written in British English. No cliffhanger, swearing, gore or graphic scenes! Contains mild peril.“

Plot Summary: When Julia’s gran, Dot, wins an all-inclusive spa trip to Scotland, Julia finds it difficult to refuse the offer of a relaxing week away from her café. Along with her sister, Sue, they pack up her tiny vintage car and drive all the way from Peridale to Seirbigh Castle, ready to be pampered. The last thing Julia expected was to be caught up in another murder investigation, but when the cruel owner of the family-run spa, Henry McLaughlin, is shot dead, she can’t resist ditching the facemasks and massages in favour of cracking the case.

Julia quickly befriends the young cook and talented-baker, Blair, and acquires a job in the kitchen so she can observe the strange family in the wake of the murder. Henry’s wife and children are acting suspicious, and with an incompetent young Detective Inspector on the case, Julia makes it her mission to discover the secrets held within the ancient walls before Seirbigh Castle claims another victim.

BUY NOW

Divabetic’s Carb Kitty Video Game
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Caponata Quinoa Salad Recipe by Chef Jonathan Bardzik

Storyteller, Cook and  Author Jonathan Bardzik surely knows a thing or two about the importance of cooking with fresh ingredients! He’s one of the hottest chefs in the Washington D.C. area, as his ‘farm to table’  cuisine has lit up farmers markets, including Mosaic Central Farm Markets, and even on the shelves at local bookstore.
“I believe that life can and should be lived well, and that living well is within reach – across many economic levels – each and every day by preparing a simple meal, setting a table and sharing it with those you love, even – and maybe especially – when that is a table for one,” said Jonathan in an interview with Instinct magazine.
Serves 6-8
Ingredients:
3 tbs olive oil
3 small eggplant in 1/2” dice
2 medium sweet peppers
3 tbs capers
1 lg tomato, diced
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
2 tbs chopped basil
1/4 cup chopped parsley
3 cups cooked quinoa
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
2/3 cups olive oil – the good stuff!
Directions:
Warm 2 tbs oil in 12” skillet over medium heat. Cook until lightly browned on all sides, then reduce heat to medium low and cook until fork tender. Remove from pan.
Warm 1 tbs oil over medium heat. Thinly slice peppers and add to pan. Cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add capers and cook until fragrant, 1 minute longer.
Toss together eggplant, peppers, tomato, onion, basil and parsley.
Mash garlic into a paste with a pinch of coarse salt. Whisk together garlic, red wine vinegar and mustard. Whisk in olive oil to form a creamy emulsion.
Dress salad and serve over quinoa.
Jonathan Bardzik is the author of three incredible cookbooks: ‘Simple Summer’, ‘Seasons to Taste’, and ‘Fresh and Magical Vinaigrettes‘, all of which are chock full of delicious recipes that you can make for your own friends, family or that special someone all year round.
Storyteller, Cook and  Author Jonathan Bardzik will appearing at Collar Greens: Wellness Day & Dog Parade to help families and their pets to stay healthy and happy at Mosaic Central Farm Markets on Sunday, June 9, 2019. Check out all the amazing activities from this year’s Collar Greens event:
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