Days Nine- Eleven

A funny thing happened after writing my last blog about sugar and how I had once read that eating animal protein helps with sugar cravings. Later that same day I went on to read some very contradicting information in Breaking the Food Seduction, by Neal Barnard, M.D. In his chapter on meat he says, "It turns out that meat stimulates a surprisingly strong release of insulin, just as a cookie or bread does, a fact that surprised nutrition researchers." That truly surprised me, but at the same time it made sense as I recall times of eating what I thought was a healthy meal--baked, white chicken breast, salad, side of vegetables--and seconds afterward I could not wait to get my hands on some dessert. 

Barnard added, "In fact, beef and cheese cause a bigger insulin release than pasta, and fish produces a bigger insulin release than popcorn." Normally when a person eats something sweet or with a high glycemic index, their bodies compensate by releasing insulin to balance the excessive amount of sugar going quickly--too quickly--into the blood. All that insulin can then bring on another craving for a sugary or simple carbohydrate, and the poor body is up and down between overly high blood sugar and too much insulin, which if I am understanding correctly can lead to diabetes. 

Before following the low-fat vegan diet prescribed by Dr. Barnard, my blood sugar levels were all over the place. My hunger went from "am I hungry?" to "if I do not eat this instant I am going to pass out!" Now I become aware of my hunger in a much gentler way. For that, I am immensely grateful. I used to think it was just me and how eating was supposed to be. Since starting the diet, I have been on a much more even keel with my hunger and energy levels. 

So, let's talk about food!

I tried out a couple of new things as promised over the last few days. Day Nine was more of the usual fare, but I ventured out in a new direction for breakfast the next morning, on Day Ten. 

This is what Neal Barnard calls the Breakfast Scramble in his book 21-Day Weight Loss Kickstart, with a couple of ingredients added by me.  

The ingredients are:

4 ounces of firm tofu, crumbled, 1 Yukon Gold potato, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, 2 teaspoons of Turmeric. To these I added some chopped onion and a few crimini mushrooms. (Ezekiel toast with apple butter pictured with the scramble). 

I chopped up and microwaved the potato for about 3 minutes (adding a couple tablespoons of water in the bowl so that they would not dry out). I sprayed the frying pan per the recipe directions with fat free oil spray--first time I have added anything oil-like since starting the diet. I then added the onions and mushrooms and let them cook for a few minutes before adding the crumbled tofu and 1/4 teaspoon of salt (salt--also something I have not done in over a week).

The directions said to allow the tofu to cook for up to five minutes before adding the potatoes and Turmeric. I did that, and I have to add a note here. I believe 2 entire teaspoons of this spice is WAY too much. I almost stopped after one teaspoon, but I wanted to see how it would taste. I tossed all of the ingredients in the pan, but it was difficult to get the Turmeric to fully mix in with the other ingredients. While I was eating it, I sometimes stumbled upon patches of powder in my mouth. I like the spice, but not so much that I would shake some into my hand and pop it into my mouth. 

Minus the overload of Turmeric, I think it was a tasty dish. I could not taste the salt to save my life. The firm tofu crumbled up really well, and if I didn't know any better, I might not have known it was in there. One can add other vegetables and use any leftovers in a breakfast burrito. The recipe says it serves two, but I ate a little less than one serving.

For Lunch on Day Ten, I added brown rice, cauliflower, and tomato to Trader Joe's Latin Black Bean Soup.

The rice was pre cooked, of course, but I had this weird idea that raw cauliflower and uncooked tomato might taste good in the soup as well. I was wrong, but I had to get ready for work and ate the weird concoction anyway. Oh well, not all creative attempts are successes. 

The bean soup is really tasty on its own and great with rice as it is a little thicker than a broth, but not as thick as some split pea soups. It only has 1 gram of fat per 8 ounce serving, which follows Dr. Barnard's guidelines. Plus, it is easy to prepare. Just shake, heat, and eat. Sometimes we all need convenient foods to help save time. 

For Dinner that night, I made a big salad which included edamame, carrots, cucumbers, red bell pepper slices, zucchini slices, and tomato. I topped it with Annie's Naturals Mango Vinaigrette. I also enjoyed a toasted slice of Dave's Killer Bread, Rockin' Rye with nothing on it.  

  

The next day, Day Eleven, was a little more of the same. For lunch I cooked some edamame in a pan with vegetable broth, after a few minutes I added garlic powder before incorporating some crimini mushrooms, red bell pepper strips, zucchini slices, and pre cooked sweet potato, chopped. Once the veggies were cooked through, I added some brown rice. I liked the light flavor, but my husband, Gerald, added some Bragg's Liquid Aminos to is bowl.  

For a light Snack after work, I enjoyed a couple of Mandarin oranges. 

Now on to day 12......