Recipe Tweaking Tips

At first I thought making meals for Joani was hard. Diabetes is such a big daunting word that it seems like too much work was needed in order to ensure that meals prepared for diabetics neither raise nor lower blood sugar levels. I remember spending almost one whole night just studying different researched recipes and comparing them to see how I can tweak them to accommodate Joani's personal food preference and condition.

It turns out that it really is not as difficult as I first thought it to be. Here are two of the details of the info I got online:

• Scrap the potatoes for good.

Well, they didn't really say omit it totally. However, because spuds are generally known to have a high GI despite the variation according to the specific type(some types have low GI they say), it is best to just skip them altogether. Besides, I do not really have the luxury of time to go out of my way to hunt down specific types of spuds if they are not available at the nearby grocery.

Sadly, Joani likes them. But for her health's sake, I really do not have much of a choice. Good thing there are other foods and veggies she enjoys that are low GI, which I can cook or use as substitutes in place of potatoes for her favorite dishes.

• Choose fat wisely.

Hydrogenated oils and trans fats are not good for diabetics(even non-diabetics actually). Studies say that they can promote the development of type 2 diabetes if consumed regularly or in large amounts. Trans fats are common among purchased baked goods. To keep Joani safe from health troubles, I opted to just do the baking myself, so I do not have to worry if her fave cupcake, which I usually just get from the grocery, has trans fat or not. For oils, I stick to suggested healthy ones like olive, canola, and corn for cooking and making salad dressings.

More to come in my next post. Do watch out for it!

A Little Bit of This, A Little Bit of That

To be diagnosed as diabetic when you are born with a sweet tooth is like being given a death sentence...Well, that was how I thought it to be with my relatives who were diagnosed as type 2(Me being a lover of dessert and all foods sweet). But after having stocked up on vital knowledge on the disease after Joani's diagnosis, I realized that it was not the end of the world after all for dessert lovers like me. Nonetheless, limiting sweets consumption is still a must, so as to stay safe from any potential health trouble arising from diabetes. 

In planning meals for Joani, I have seriously studied the different ways whereby I can tweak recipes to make them diabetes-friendly. Though daunting at first, it is really not that hard when you really get down to doing it. In fact, the guidelines are relatively simple and the needed substitutions are very doable, especially because healthy replacements are widely available nowadays. I wish I could tell you more about these guidelines in this post. But sad to say, I only have half an hour to make a snack for Joani before she gets back from school...

Squash Those Balls!

Without question, potato balls are yummy. But the GI of potato varies from a medium 57 to a high  85, depending on how it is cooked. To spare oneself from diabetes trouble, it is best to just find a replacement for potato—and what better alternative is there than the very nutritious and low GI summer squash. Call me a fanatic, but the taste and health merits of this lovely veggie are more than enough reasons why it has become one of my and Joani's faves. 

Since Potato Balls rank among our most-loved dishes best enjoyed as snacks, I have tweaked the classic recipe to make it more suitable for Joani. Dig this variation I created, and I'm sure you would go crazy for it just as well.

Squashed Balls

Ingredients:

1 cooked summer squash (baked/microwaved/boiled)

1 onion chopped

2 beaten eggs, divided

2 cups flour, divided

1 pack meat breading mix or seasoned bread crumbs

1/8 tsp. iodized salt

1/4^th tsp. pepper

1/4^th teaspoon onion powder

1/4^th teaspoon garlic powder

2 cups canola oil for deep frying

Procedure:

Scoop the flesh of the squash into a bowl and mash with a fork or potato masher. Add onion, half the beaten eggs, 1 cup flour, salt, pepper,onion powder, and the garlic powder. Mix well. Then shape into balls. Meanwhile, start heating the oil. For each ball, dip in egg first before rolling in the breading mix/seasoned bread crumbs, which is combined with the remaining flour. When oil is hot enough, deep fry squash balls until golden brown. Drain in paper towels and serve hot with catchup.

Yellow Burgers?

Do you know what glycemic index is? For most of us at the peak of health, such medical jargon would neither ring a bell nor catch interest. But for those diagnosed as diabetics, not knowing what it is spells big trouble. Why? Glycemic Index or GI is the term used for the measure of the effects of carbohydrates on blood sugar level. And with the need to closely and religiously monitor the latter because of the havoc wreaked by diabetes, there really is no justifiable reason to allow oneself be left in the dark.

I keep three copies of a comprehensive list of foods with nutritional analysis, including glycemic index, at the ready: One I posted by the kitchen, another I keep in my work desk, and the third one folded neatly between the pages of my prayer book in my bag. Also, I keep a compilation of recipes arranged neatly in a folder, which I use as a reference every once in a while, just in case I need some fresh recipe ideas for Joani's meals.

One veggie recipe that I have grown fond of is “Yellow Burgers.” Why yellow? Yellow because instead of ground beef, this recipe calls for summer squash and carrots. Though a vegetarian delight that is both a sight for sore eyes and a pleasure to the taste buds, these burgers were met with suspicion when Joani first laid her eyes on them. But upon taking a bite, she was totally smitten. Since squash is the primary ingredient for these burgers, it is good for diabetics. With a GI of 15, squash ranks among the veggies that diabetics can indulge in without fear. Mixed with carrots, which also has low GI(39), this veggie burger is packed with nutrients, especially Vitamin A and C. So...Without further ado, here is the recipe below. 

Yellow Burgers(aka Summer Squash Patties)

1 summer squash grated

4 big carrots grated

1 Vidalia onion(sweet) chopped

A small bunch of green or Welsh onions chopped(white part discarded)

1 egg

2 cups of flour

1/8 tsp. iodized salt

1/4^th tsp. pepper

½ beef boullion cube grated/pulverized

1/8 stick of non-fat or low-fat butter
¼ cup olive oil

Procedure:

It's quite simple. In a bowl just combine the first nine ingredients well. Heat a non-stick pan and melt the butter with olive oil. Make small thin patties and fry. Make sure that the patties are spaced evenly to prevent sticking together while promoting even cooking for each. Flip once when golden brown. Serve hot with catchup or barbecue sauce and a salad of fresh greens on the side.

Mmmmmushrooms!

Since time immemorial, I've always been a big fan of mushrooms. Portobello, oyster, button, shitake, or whatever—there is no edible fungi sold in the grocery store that I never liked. Mushrooms of every kind, shape, size, and yes, even color have always been at the top of my fave foods list. Mixed with other veggies or just cooked a la carte, these delectable fungi are a staple in my and Joani's weekly diet. Having a low glycemic index due to little carbohydrate content, they supply the body with soluble fibre, which has been identified to regulate blood sugar levels. Besides this, I found out thru research that mushrooms could also curb appetite and are low in fat but high in water content, hence they can benefit people like me who need to seriously participate in an effective weight loss program soon.

Before, TV snacks meant popping a bowl of popcorn in the microwave. However, after I have successfully cooked a batch of my own version of mushroom fritters (I got the idea of making them after tasting an appetizer of crispy fried mushrooms at a nearby restaurant.), what was once Joani's seemingly never-ending love affair with popcorn finally came to an end. Well, popcorn, especially unsalted and unbuttered, is not really bad provided she does not eat too much. But mushrooms are far more nutritious and tastier.

Get a load of my version of these crispy mushroom goodies!

Mushroom Fritters

25-35 pieces of oyster mushrooms, washed in clear running water

1 egg beaten

1 cup flour

1 pack spicy or garlic flavored meat breading mix

2 cups canola oil for frying

Dip:

¼ cup tomato juice

¼ cup chopped stewed tomatoes

1 red onion cubed

1 red bell pepper cubed

1 green bell pepper cubed

1 tbsp. Splenda or any sugar substitute

1/8 tsp. Salt

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 tbsp. olive oil

½ of a beef bullion cube

Procedure:

Start making the dip first.

1. Heat the 1 tbsp. olive oil in a skillet.
2. Stir fry the onions until translucent. Follow with the bell peppers, red and green. Cook for one minute.
3. Add in the stewed tomatoes and cook for another 30 seconds.
4. Pour in the tomato juice.
5. Add the beef bullion, sugar and seasonings. Adjust according to taste.
6. Let boil. Then simmer for 5 more minutes. Set aside.

Now for the fritters.

1. Heat oil in deep fryer.
2. Mix the flour and breading mix in a bowl. Place the beaten egg in a separate bowl.
3. Dip each mushroom in egg first, and then roll in the flour mixture.
4. Deep fry on high fire until golden brown. Do not crowd the fryer, so mushrooms would cook evenly and won't stick together.
5. Drain in paper towels when done.

Serve the mushroom fritters immediately (best enjoyed warm) with the bowl of dip on the side. Enjoy!

Pleasurable Changes for the Better

Going grocery shopping has always been a pleasure for me and Joani. Like me, the delight and excitement sweeping across her face upon seeing all those foods on display, as we enter the grocery store, is immediate. Something about being surrounded by shelves filled with rows upon rows of food of every imaginable kind fills our hearts with glee like no other. Apparently, having a love for food and a hearty appetite to match is inherent in our family genes, I and Joani in particular. Thus, it is unsurprising why I grew to be the size of the blimp I am today. But on Joani's part, her fondness for food has nothing to do with her acquiring juvenile diabetes.

Speaking of diabetes, ever since Joani's diagnosis, we have radically changed our style of grocery shopping. Gone are those days when we just gave in to the compulsion of grabbing any food item that caught our fancy, and dumping them in our cart without looking at the nutrition label. You just can't take any chances with diabetes when it comes to food. The risk of throwing caution to the wind is so great that Joani and I had seriously resolved to conform to strict dietary standards mandated by her doctor, every time we have to pay the grocery a visit.

It is not easy, believe me. And resisting the temptation of all those sweets and tasty foods that are major no-no's in Joani's diet, as we enter the grocery, can prove too much at times. Needless to say, the need to conform has sapped half the excitement we experience every time we do our grocery shopping. Yes, we still find it pleasurable to be in the grocery store. But the thought of having to avoid certain sections, so as not to get tempted, not only reduced our shopping hours, but our shopping pleasure as well. A real bummer, I know. But diabetes left me and Joani with very little choice, or maybe none at all.

On the upside, though it took quite some time to get used to, changing our grocery shopping ways has paved the way toward our becoming healthy eaters. The shopping experience may have declined somewhat, but the excitement of cooking up delicious meals stayed intact. In fact, it made it even more exciting than ever. The challenge of coming up with great tasting meals that would conform to the dietary standards set for Joani thrilled me so. As with everything else done during the first time, I have had my fair share of flops—tasteless foods, burnt or uncooked ones, you name it. However, with practice, I got better at it. Over time, I finally learned the ins and outs of good diabetic cooking, that these days, more often than not, I find myself looking forward to cooking up our latest grocery finds even more than the process of hunting them down at the grocery store.

Someone to Lean On

Caring for a child who is diabetic is just like having diabetes yourself. As the parent or guardian, the burden of managing his or her illness rests on your shoulders. In my case, the responsibility of teaching Joani how to control her condition thru proper diabetes management is a 24/7 affair. Being just a child, I cannot expect her to be as diligent and attentive to her health needs as she ought to be. However, even at her young age, Joani has shown remarkable maturity in handling herself well despite the restrictions posed by juvenile diabetes. 

I could never be more proud of my little angel. Thus, I have promised to stay strong for her through thick and thin. Even if she gets old enough to be left on her own, as her guardian, and in fulfillment of my promise to Anita, I would always back her up to ensure that she steers clear of any complications that could arise from diabetes. Valiant as this may appear, I know that taking on the hurdle of managing diabetes for life is far from easy, even if I am not the one directly affected by it.

For Joani to stay strong, she would need the support of her loved ones, especially mine. But being a flawed, fragile human being like every one else, I am afraid that time will come and my strength of heart and mind would wane, or worse fail (I do hope not.). Though inevitable, this is an option I can never take or allow to happen. Thus, I resolved to nurture my own will power and inner strength by seeking support from friends, loved ones, and diabetes associations online.

These days, provided there is a computer or laptop, the convenience afforded by diabetes virtual communities make seeking support and resource assistance so much easier than before. Browsing through the net, I found five dependable sites offering the kind of support and assistance we can use in our fight against diabetes. Check them out below:

• Children with Diabetes
  http://www.childrenwithdiabetes.com/
  The online community for children(juvenile diabetics), their families, and adults with diabetes.
• Diabetes Forum
  http://www.diabetesforum.com/
  A virtual community for diabetics
• Talkdiabetes
  http://talkdiabetes.net/forum/
  A social network for diabetics
• TuDiabetes
  http://www.tudiabetes.org/
  Managed by the Diabetes Hands Foundation, it is an online community for people whose lives are affected by diabetes
• NDAUSA Forum
  http://forums.ndausa.net/
  A reliable online diabetes association for diabetics, their families, or any one interested in diabetes prevention, management, and treatment

Want more details? Do check out this comprehensive article at http://www.diabetesshield.com/diabetes101.html. The information would sure come in handy when you need to find a good online diabetes association to lean on.