Mantras & More

Yesterday we opened up about how diabetes can bring us down. Today let’s share what gets us through a hard day.  Or more specifically, a hard diabetes day.  Is there something positive you tell yourself?  Are there mantras that you fall back on to get you through?  Is there something specific you do when your mood needs a boost?  Maybe we’ve done that and we can help others do it too? (Thanks to Meri of Our Diabetic Life for suggesting this topic.)

What gets me through a hard diabetes day? Besides a lot of complaining? LOL But seriously, that is a good question. To be honest, I don’t think there is any one thing that gets me through a rough d day. Each day is different, each “difficult situation” is a different experience. Here are some of the “happy thoughts: that help me through a rough spot: “This, too, shall pass.” is one of my favorites. The thought that I am not alone ALWAYS helps in these situations. A nap can help (time permitting, of course) Even a good cry, once in a great while, can help. The thought that I’ve made it this far, and I am one tough cookie, helps 😉 Reaching out to a friend, who just happens to be a diabetic and talking about it, or talking about EVERYTHING BUT, helps! And of course, my dog. I don’t know why, but the comfort of animals in rough situations somehow always centers and calms me. ❤

Poetry Tuesday

This year, Diabetes Blog Week and TuDiabetes are teaming up to bring out the poet in you! Write a poem, rhyme, ballad, haiku, or any other form of poetry about diabetes. After you’ve posted it on your blog, share it on the No Sugar Added® Poetry page on TuDiabetes, and read what others have shared there as well!

Oh Lordy! I haven’t written poetry since I can’t remember when!! I know the name of this blog says “Poetry Tuesday” and I am fully aware it isn’t Tuesday, so bear with me as I play “catch up”

 

D is for the DOC and the amazing friends I have made, IRL and on the ‘net

I is for I HATE ketones

A is for how angry this stupid disease can make me

B is for my useless Beta Cells

E is for my amazing endo!

T is for how tired highs & lows can make me.

E is for endless testing, EVERYDAY.

s is for the support I find in others 🙂

ChAnGiNg ThE wOrLd!

“Let’s kick off Diabetes Blog Week by talking about the diabetes causes and issues that really get us fired up. Are you passionate about 504 plans and school safety? Do diabetes misconceptions irk you? Do you fight for CGM coverage for Medicare patients, SDP funding, or test strip accuracy? Do you work hard at creating diabetes connections and bringing support? Whether or not you “formally” advocate for any cause, share the issues that are important to you. (Thanks go out to Kim of Texting my Pancreas for inspiring this topic.)”

 

Where do I even start on this one?! So much has inspired me and my passion for advocating for diabetes education and rights, I honestly don’t know where to begin! I’ll be honest, I haven’t been able to blog due to school, but I would have to say I have always been open to the idea of listening and supporting the DOC in all senses of the word: from education to test strip accuracy to support groups and now working towards my BSN so I can become a CDE. I’d say my formal connection started almost seven years ago, when I attended my first support group for diabetic women, and eventually facilitated that group for period of time. I think support and education are the two things that are my passion. Without either of these, I’d be lost. (I’m sure others would agree) Advocacy, teaching and getting the proper information to people who may not know has always been a passion. Being open and honest with my professors in school has helped a great deal as well. This past semester I had a close relationship with my nutrition professor and she asked me to look over her power points for the lecture on PWD, to see if she had everything correct and if she forgot anything. I can not tell you how good that made me fee, that a college professor wanted MY input on HER lecture. It was a pretty damn awesome feeling! I think it’s safe to say changing the world one person at a time seems to be my plan of action.

Superbowl Sunday!

Superbowl Sunday is here at last! How the hell did that happen? It seemed like football season just started! Oh well, I digress. I love Superbowl Sunday! I like the gatherings, the parties and the food that all goes with the big game. I’m not the biggest football fan in the world, in fact, using the word “fan” would be a huge stretch! To be honest, I’m more of a “Puppy Bowl” fan! 🙂  As a diabetic this day can be a tricky one. For me, it’s a total crap shoot. There are tons of chips and carb-laden foods, which I love, but can wreak havoc on blood sugars. My favorite game day foods are chips and salsa or guacamole, wings and you guessed it, chili! Both of these foods can be really deceiving in how many carbs they actually have. But days like this happen but once a year, so I’m OK with that! There will be a LOT of swagging going on today! Besides, that’s what extended boluses and temp basals are for, right? 😉 I hope everyone enjoys the big game, and let the best team win!

Groundhog Day…

Happy Groundhog Day everyone! I don’t know why, but I look forward to Groundhog Day, probably because it’s that “mid-point” in winter where you can almost see the light at the end of the dull, dark and dreary tunnel. You guessed it, I’m not much of a winter person, I could take it or leave it. I’d prefer to leave it, if at all possible, but alas, where I live we have a winter season, so I’m stuck with it. Don’t get me wrong, I definitely try to enjoy each season as it comes and I do try to enjoy winter things such as nice boots, warm jackets & accessories, cozy fires and the like. It’s not all bad:) I’m itching to see what  Punxsutawney Phil has to say this year!! Guess we’ll just have to wait and see!

February First Foodie Friday!

Try saying that a few times quickly!! Wow! I can’t believe how fast January flew by and it’s already February 1st! That being said, this day got away from me, and I did want to get a recipe in for today, better late than never, I always say!

Cooking low carb can sometimes be daunting, but I’d like to share with you one of my “go to” recipes for when I’m looking for something without processed carbs in it. I like to call it “sausage and peppers” But it’s not your traditional Italian sausage and peppers, I add lib, A LOT on this one! You can too! Try this recipe out, and if something doesn’t tickle your fancy, leave it out or add more veggies, the choice is yours! I usually make this for David and myself, with some leftovers, so this will easily feed 2.

Tricia’s Ad-Lib Sausage and Peppers

2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 Mild Italian Sausage Coil (usually 1lb of sausage)

2 Red bell peppers, cut in thin strips

1 medium onion, medium chop

8oz sliced white mushrooms

1 28oz can diced tomatoes

In a skillet, cook sausage according to package, set aside. In a large frying pan, add oil and heat to medium temperature. Add red peppers cook 1-2 mins, then add onions, cook about 2 more minutes, then add mushrooms and cook together until veggies are tender. Add can of diced tomatoes. Cut cooked sausage into bite-sized pieces and add to tomato-veggie mixture. Bring to a bubble, lower heat and let simmer about 10 minutes. Enjoy!!

This recipe can be “beefed up” with some sort of pasta if you wish (but then the “lower carb” content goes out the window, but that’s OK, if you like!) I usually like to use Orzo if I want to make it with pasta. Just cook the pasta while simmering and serve over a bed of pasta! I’d love to see some of my readers share their favorite recipes, be it your own or ones you’ve been cooking for years and love! Please feel free to share:)

 

Foodie Fridays

I enjoy watching shows about food, or cooking shows to get ideas for meals. I even sometimes cook what I see. Last week while watching The Chew they featured a few interesting recipes for “Meatless Mondays”   I have to say, I love the idea of a Meatless Monday, or Friday or any day, really. Don’t get me wrong, I like meat, but sometimes I can just do without, and especially without cooking it!!

Well, yesterday I was watching Mad Hungry, with Lucinda Scala Quinn and I was surprised to see her cooking something I grew up thinking my grandmother created, chickpeas & pasta in tomatoes! Now, I know my grandmother didn’t actually “create” it, but when you’re a kid and a grandmother cooks you something that no one else has ever made, seems logical that they created it, right? 😉 Ahhh, but I digress. I never got my hands on my grandmother’s recipe, so coming across this show was kind of a blessing in disguise! Now, I can’t take credit for the recipe, because this is the one from the show. I don’t know much about copyright infringement laws, so I figured I’ll just post a link to the recipe:

Pasta with Chickpea-Tomato Sauce

Not the exact name I’d use, but whatever! The thing I love about this recipe, besides being super simple to make, is all the ingredients can probably be found in your kitchen! No need to run to the supermarket, or buy any fancy machines or tools to make this dish…oh yea, and it’s yummy, too! 😉

What is your preferred way to treat a low?

If you’re a diabetic and you’re reading this, you already know each and every low can be totally different. I’m wondering how others like to treat lows… Juice? Skittles? Jelly beans? Nerds? Soda? Glucose tabs? Glucose gel? Growing up, my lows were (almost) always treated with orange juice or a regular Coke. (A Coke especially if it was a super bad low) My parents would tape Charms candies into the inside of my lunchbox. I preferred Lifesavers, but looking back, Charms were individually wrapped, so I guess I understand their logic. I learned the joys of glucose tablets in my 20’s. I also learned the nastiness of glucose gels in my 20’s. YUCK!!! If I am low, and not completely out of my mind, good luck on trying to treat me with gel!! At some wonderful point, when lows were a part of my daily life (sometimes 2, 3 or more times a day…) I learned that 7 Pixie Stix had 15g of carbs! Pure, easily digestible sugar! Woo hoo! Except you need water to go with 7 of those things, they do tend to dry out your mouth. Since meeting my boyfriend, David, we both have navigated our way though different candy to treat our lows. I believe we started out with Starbursts. But when you’re low, the last thing you want to do is unwrap this tiny thing and try to chew. Skittles were a popular favorite for a while. I believe 1 Skittle = about 1 carb (give or take) At Easter time, Starbursts have great jelly beans that David loves to stock up on! He buys so many that we still have bags left! You will always find him with one form or another to treat a low. I, on the other hand, have gotten a little sloppy with it, because I always depend on him. I’ve found myself without more than once and I am looking to change that. I now carry a tube of 10 glucose tabs, and I also like to carry these fruit strips made by Archer Farms, usually mixed berry or raspberry. They are quite tasty and have 12g of carbs, they work really well when I’m at 70 and feel like I could drop, but don’t want to get too crazy. Go-Go Squeeze is another favorite of mine. It’s squeezable apple sauce and the mixed berry flavor has exactly 15g of carbs, no OD’ing there!

Now it’s your turn! I’m really interested in what you guys use to treat YOUR lows!! I don’t care if you think it’s boring or stupid, I want to hear it! I’m always open to new ideas, because I’m sure I’ll be treating lows for a long time, or at least until there is a cure 😉

Foodie Fridays!

While I was driving the other day, a thought popped into my head for an idea to blog about…Foodie Fridays! I just had this crazy thought, maybe it came from my desperation to try to find healthy, lower carb recipes for dinner  or maybe it just came from my lack of original meal ideas in general, who knows why? I just thought this idea might work! I’m hoping to share some meal and snack ideas and recipes with you a few Fridays a month, and (hopefully) my readers can share meal ideas and recipes in return! Now before you run for the hills, the “meal ideas” and recipes can be simple, easy things….they don’t even have to be original recipes, at that! Here’s to healthy, fresh food fun! 🙂 (and not so healthy from time to time, as well!)

I’ve been kind of desperate for dinner ideas lately, but I have to say, I absolutely *love* my crock pot! I love the idea of throwing in a handful of items turning it on and letting it cook itself all day! Just yesterday I cut up a few stalks of celery, carrots, an onion, a couple of potatoes and 2 chicken breasts, 2 cups of water with some chicken bullion for seasoning and boom! A pretty good and definitely simple meal! Kind of a chicken stew of sorts. 🙂 No pictures, sorry! I hope to include some pictures of what I make in future posts! (for my diabetic friends: I basically bolused for the potatoes and carrots, which by the way I ended up low afterwards…so it’s not as “carby” as I thought!)

Plural of pancreas?

I was commenting on a friend’s Facebook status today, when I realized I was talking about more than one pancreas. I actually had to ask: “What is the plural of pancreas? Pancreas? Pancreai? Pancreata? Pancreases? I’m pretty sure I’ve never run into this issue before, or I’d know the answer. After asking my boyfriend and then looking it up on-line, we have the answer! Pancreases! (or at least that is what I’ve been told, even though spell check is saying it’s wrong, but has no good alternative!) Now back to your regularly scheduled programming! 😉