Tuesday 31 July 2012

It's a wrap...a green wrap!

If you're avoiding gluten most of the time like I do sometimes it's hard to find brown rice sprouted wraps or something as a healthy alternative to wrap your veggies. In comes the Collard Green. LOVE LOVE LOVE this vegetable - mostly because it looks like a lily pad and is yummy to eat too.

So today I did my wraps in a collard leaf, and made my own peanut-lime sauce to go along with it:

2 Large Collard Leaves
Sliced red, orange and yellow peppers (1/4 of a pepper each - julienning these works wonders too)
1 Sliced avocado
Green beans - for an extra veggie crunch
Julienned Carrots
Sunflower Seeds
Chopped Kale (next time I may saute the kale a bit beforehand)

Cover with Peanut-lime dressing:

3 tbsp raw peanut butter
1 tbsp organic tamari-sauce (gluten-free)
1 tbsp sesame seed oil
1 full lime freshly squeezed
1 inch of ginger grated
2 cloves of garlic

*Note all vegetables thoroughly washed before, and buy organic veggies and products when possible.




Yes I am still mastering my rolling skills, and different combinations of veggies and sauces and brainstorming of ways to get a little more substantial crunch in there - but until I have a dehydrator the green beans may have to do!

The key is slicing the veggies thin enough so that they will roll well, and lining them up as well on the leaf properly - maybe I should just use toothpicks like the real peeps do!

Because there is literally no sugar in this, I left my blood sugar alone. The avocado does count as some, but the fiber also brings the carb ratio down in the fruit....and I was 4.1 before I indulged so will just do a test in 2 hours and let you know how it goes!

Happy Wrapping!
xo

Monday 30 July 2012

Last Minute Mondays

Today I slept in. I don't think this has ever happened to me in the past few years - especially this late. I felt the warm sun on my face, I rolled over thinking I still had a few minutes to spare and I glanced at my blackberry down on the ground...7:58am?!?!?!?!?!?!

I had planned to wake up early this morning, make a green juice, a veggie omelette while I was practicing my 20 min yoga routine and put together my lunch. Needless to say, I had to throw a random lunch together to get to work in time and this is what I came up with:

Last Minute Monday Salad

2 handfuls of arugula (the bed of the salad for everything else to topple on top)
1/2 cup of leftover greek-seasoned quinoa
1 handful of grape tomatoes
1 sliced avoado
Handful of red cabbage sliced
1 cup of julienned carrot and zucchini mix (leftover obviously)
Sprinkle of Pumpkin seeds

Squeeze 1/2 a lemon on top with some black pepper


Now this salad can really be a mixture of what is in your fridge, easy to grab and throw together. I usually have extra quinoa in a glass container in the fridge along with sliced veggies for easy access. It is filling, it's delicious and it's fast - basically everything people want in a lunch from home. It will make  you feel like you haven't woken up on the wrong side of the bed and slept in over an hour!

Happy Monday!


Thursday 26 July 2012

Got a sweet tooth?

Even though I hardly ever eat any type of sugar I do still crave it now and again...especially chocolate. Usually dark, with a crunch of course haha, but the craving is still there nonetheless.

So what's a girl to do when she wants chocolate, but can't have sugar? Reach for a sugar-free chocolate? Oh please...NEVER! Substitute a raw vegan recipe for a grocery-store bought chocolate bar? HELL YES!

I cannot admit this recipe is my own, I found it on one of my favourite sites therawtarian.com and it is amazingly delicious, easy and fast!

Raw (Diabetic) Chocolate Fudge

3 tbsp of raw cacao powder
2 tbsp coconut oil
1 tbsp honey or less - I use less because I don't like anything TOO sweet

Mix in a bowl until seems like a nice smooth consistency, store in fridge for 5 min and voila - chocolate fudge!

Now this my friends is any diabetic's dream - and hopefully your's as well!

xoxo


Wednesday 25 July 2012

Spiral Supper - Raw Zucchini Pesto Bowl

Spiralizer. The first time I heard this word I thought it was some type of dance move. Little did I know that it would be my favourite kitchen tool of all time - or well, one of them!

Now I have to admit, I borrowed one from a friend tonight and used it for the first time - yes, I devirginized myself tonight of spiralizing - and it was grand!

So without further ado, here is tonight's yummy Spiral Supper:

Raw Zucchini Pesto Bowl

1 large green zucchini spiralized
1 small yellow zucchini spiralized
3 tablespoons of homemade pesto OR Classico pesto sauce if you don't have time to whip up your own
1 handful of hemp hearts for some crunch
1 handful of sliced almonds
1/2 container of cherry tomatoes cut in half
Sprinkle of Parmesan Cheese (tonight I grated some old white cheddar instead)

YUM!


The Spiralizer and the fresh zucchini noodles


With the shredded old white cheddar - yum!


 Finished product with my little bulldog pepper shaker in the background - for aesthetics obvi!

The great thing about this dish is that it's all veggies! Hemp hearts for protein, the added cheese for protein and taste (yes some fat as well) so it's easy on the sugar and the body. 

Happy Wednesday! xoxo

Tuesday 24 July 2012

Running Appetite - my avocado muffin

For the first time in a long time I decided to embark on a short and quick run this morning - only about 4km but I still give myself credit for waking up 1/2 an hour earlier and getting my butt in motion!

Before my run I ate 1/2 a banana. My blood sugar was 6.2 so I figured if I'm going to run hard I better have something to help me along the way. Post-run I had a hemp protein smoothie with spinach and the rest of the banana with some almond milk - yum!

But after my drive to work I realized I had still worked up an appetite, and only had a few choices for my mid-morning snack. Sometimes we use enough energy to actually enjoy a nice carbohydrate - and don't get me wrong, I don't follow a carb-free diet by any means, but I do limit my breads and pastas quite a bit. So, I grabbed my last sprouted ezekiel english muffin and toasted it with 1/2 of an avocado spread on top - finished with a TINCH of salt and some black pepper - yum! Along with a warm green tea I was off to the races - no pun intended - to face my computer for the next 8 hours!

So instead of grabbing a quick breakfast at some type of popular chain I opted for a delicious alternative that although seems random, is actually quite yummy! I did have to give myself 3 units of insulin to cover the 30g of carb in the muffin and half avocado but it was worth it in the end!

So far my Tuesday looks like this:

banana - run - warm lemon water - shower - hemp protein smoothie - drive to work - avocado muffin - work work work (design design design)!

Happy Tuesday!
xo

Monday 23 July 2012

Oh Monday Morning...

Each morning I start off with a glass of warm lemon water - it is the one routine I have been able to stick to consistently thus far - yoga on the other hand does not always get the same result! Green juices or smoothies are my interlude to a more substantial breakfast once I get to work.

However, sometimes the office A/C is on just a little too high and I require a little more warming up than usual so I go for a nice warming tea. My favourite lately is called "Revitalize" by the brand PUKKA that has many different flavours, most with cleansing properties and a little kick of some type of spice! Revitalize is a warm tea consisting of organic cinnamon, cardamom and ginger meant to "warm & invigorate", as the package reads. You would truly think this tea would be better suited for a cold winter night cuddled up on the couch with a warm blanket - but, sometimes our office resembles the same type of weather! I love the smell of this tea and furthermore the taste - anything with ginger and cinnamon is ok in my books and helps the tummy as well!

So maybe the next time you feel like going for a hot chocolate in the extreme heat of summer reach for one of these delicious Pukka teas - and if you don't sit in an air-conditioned office all day (lucky you) then maybe over a little ice with some almond milk would be refreshingly just as delicious!


Oh, and obviously no insulin required for this little treat!

P.S - don't you love the logo? Pukka Teas can be found in most grocery stores and many health food stores as well - their website is: http://www.pukkaherbs.com/

Thursday 19 July 2012

Kale Quinoa Herb Bowl

Happy Thursday! Today I wanted something a bit more substantial to get me through the day and will last me to my much anticipated spin class tonight, so what better than quinoa to the rescue!

This salad is crunchy, tasty goodness with fresh herbs to give it more of a kick!

Kale Quinoa Herb Bowl

1/3 cup of cooked quinoa
Big handful of Kale
Grape tomatoes sliced in half
1 avocado sliced (sorry about the scoops in the photo)
2 tbsp of Hemp Hearts
Handful of Pumpkin Seeds
10 full unsalted roasted almonds
Freshly chopped Parsley and Basil leaves

Dressing:
Olive oil, apple cider vinegar, freshly squeezed lemon and black pepper

Sprinkle with dried oregano


This salad is so fresh and tasty! I love tomatoes and greens mixed with fresh herbs, the quinoa gives it just that extra amount for it to be filling and satisfying, and the kale and avocado add taste and nutrients to the salad. Of course we can't forget the healthy fats and crunch from the almonds and pumpkin seeds as well!

For this salad I gave myself 2.5 units of insulin as I was 6.2 when I checked my blood and there is approx. 25 carbohydrates (avocado, few tomatoes and quinoa) in this salad. It is SOOO satisfying and fresh for a hot summer day - I hope you will all try it!


Monday 16 July 2012

Kale, Chickpea, Slaw Salad

What better way to start your week than with a healthy, delicious and of course nutritious salad! I call this the Kale, Chickpea, Slaw Salad because those are the main players however if you know me, of course there is some crunch, avocado and lemon goodness!

Kale, Chickpea, Slaw Salad

2 cups of chopped kale
1/2 cup of chickpeas mixed with olive oil, oregano, parsley and black pepper
Slaw mix: julienned red pepper, yellow pepper, carrots and zucchini
1 avocado
3 tbsps of Hemp Hearts
Small handful of Pumpkin seeds

Top with apple cider vinegar, fresh lemon juice and a sprinkle of tumeric!




With this fun salad you have protein, carbohydrates, fiber and lots of other green veggie goodness! 
The chickpeas have approximately 21g of carbs per 1/2 cup serving, and the avocado was pretty small so I would count it as 10g of carbs. I would give myself 2.5 units because there is also a lot of fiber in both and I usually give insulin depending on the food itself and the ration 10g = 1 unit.

The thing I like about this salad as well is that it's filling, it has lots of protein from the various sources, and it's still refreshing and good for you!

Friday 13 July 2012

My definition...my definition is this...

Most people can always find some way to define themselves, whether it's through their relationships with others - mother, daughter, friend, husband, occasional lova - or through their careers, hobbies etc.
But there are also people who start to define themselves by their disease or suffering - "I am a victim of (fill in the blank)", or "I am a survivor of (fill in the blank)", which in theory is probably a better approach, but still a definition based on an illness or disease. 

My philosophy has always been to not define myself by my illness - the big d (and it doesn't get a capital either!) I can't imagine living a life where all of my energy is put into my disease. Don't get me wrong, I would not survive if I pretended it did not exist because after 25 years it becomes your life, but doesn't have to define it.

Still with me?

I truly believe that focusing on the positive, focusing on the healthy and the happy is what keeps me going. If I sat at my cubicle each day obsessing about the fact that I have an electronic device attached to me 24-7 (also known as an insulin pump), that looks like it's an iPod from 1983, my health would suffer. Emotionally I would drain myself of any happiness, and physically I would probably dig myself into a rut as well. But disease or no-disease everyone can benefit from this outlook on life. Take a moment and give thanks to the universe AND yourself for giving you the ability to read this blog post, the ability to make a healthy salad for lunch, the ability to run 5km after work or even walk the dog around the block. 

Once we start being thankful, things start to look brighter and soon you will forget that you are attached to a mini-beeping device that resembles R2D2's left arm ;)

Wednesday 11 July 2012

Crunchy Colourful Salad Mix!

This salad is not only colourful, it is delicious and nutritious! I like to mix things up when it comes to cooking, or in this case preparing, my food. Every day is different - even though it may seem like eating salad everyday could get boring let me tell you - it isn't! I LOVE crunch, actually I will not eat a salad without some type of crunch (and let's be honest, without avocado) so in this healthy mix I included goji berries and pumpkin seeds for a little somethin' special!

Crunchy & Colourful Salad

Ingredients:

organic arugula
red cabbage chopped
carrots and zucchini grated
avocado sliced
pumpkin seeds
edamame beans (pre-cooked)
goji berries (dried)

Dressing: 
oil olive, flaxseed oil, dash of apple cider vinegar, dijon mustard and juice of half a lemon



Not only is this salad AWESOME for an office worker like myself, it doesn't have much effect on my blood sugar levels. There is only 1/2 a grated carrot in the salad, which doesn't have much sugar, and the goji berries (a handful if that) are not going to effect it much either.

In total I would give myself 0.5 units of insulin to cover the 5-10 grams of carbohydrates from the carrot and berries - and this type of lunch will fill you up and keep you going - no 3:00 slump with this crunchy, colourful salad mix! 

Tuesday 10 July 2012

Protein...

Protein. It is heavily debated in all nutrition, athletic and even cafeteria circles - how do you get protein if you don't consume animal meat or dairy? Well, there are many different ways, whether it's from nuts and seeds, legumes, sprouts, even avocados contain protein. Now with plant-based diets becoming more and more popular, UFC fighters, boxers and other athletes are adopting vegan diets and at the peak of their careers.

For myself, diabetes is ruled by inflammation in the body and what is one of the main causes of inflammation (other than caffeine, alcohol and sugar?) - you got it, animal protein. So, after reading this article I had to post it - Rich Roll is pretty freaking awesome, and you can check out his website here:

http://www.jailifestyle.com/

So here is a great article on protein and a plant-based diet from Rich Roll:

http://www.richroll.com/nutrition/slaying-the-protein-myth/
Welcome to my new adventure, and bear with me as I start to put this thing together - slowly but surely, day by day.

At My Sweet Pancreas you will find amazing recipes, healthy tips - sometimes sourced from other authors, sometimes found through my own experiences, as well as fun and exciting quotes and tips to make you smile.

My Sweet Pancreas is my journey as a diabetic - actually, I won't be referring to myself as such after this as I don't believe in putting energy into defining myself through a disease - to cure myself, and to eventually help others overcome this chronic illness.

So hopefully you, whether diabetic or not, will enjoy my journey and be inspired to live your life to the fullest potential with a huge smile on your face and inside!