I wore a continuous glucose monitor for "fun" for a couple of weeks in December and again in January (I wrote about it and what I learned here) and I fond the best way to keep my sugar low was to severely limit carbs and anything with sugar (which sadly included nearly my favorite fruits-- though I would "splurge" here and there).
That meant I had to get a bit more creative with meals. In cutting carbs I would add extra veggies and found that I lost well over 4 lbs easily. I can't say I'll 100% keep this up for life since thankfully I don't need to but I will definitely be watching my carbs and trying my best to make sure my only sweet treats are fresh fruit throughout the normal course of a day.
Here are some of my favorite meals I've made:
 |
| pot roast with onions and mushrooms served with asparagus & mashed cauliflower |
 |
| 1/2 cup berries with raw nuts, Greek yogurt mixed with protein powder, and chia seeds |
 |
| pork chop with broccoli & salad sprinkled with basil seeds and a homemade olive oil vinaigrette |
|
| Fish with green beans and cauliflower |
 |
| veggie omelet with salad |
 |
| vegetables with hummus, edamame, and an orange |
 |
| taco salad |
 |
| vegetable & tofu stir fry over riced cauliflower-- light on the coconut aminos |
 |
| 1/2 a pita with tuna, lettuce tomato and a salad |
 |
| shrimp and chicken stir fry over riced cauliflower |
 |
| More protein packed yogurt with fresh fruit and granola; though this does cause a higher spike than nuts! |
 |
| omelet with broccoli and sweet potatoes I boiled and then let sit in the fridge overnight |
 |
| salad with tuna, pecans, and 1/2 an apple |
 |
| veggie omelet (that got slightly stuck to the pan!) with mixed veggies-- squash, onion, peppers, and mushrooms |
 |
| Chicken breast, broccoli, and acorn squash with a bit of butter, salt & pepper |
Linking up with: Spread the Kindness,
That's great that you lost 4 pounds cutting down on carbs. I find that I can eat real carbs such as potatoes and rice and test my blood sugar and it seems to be ok. But not candy or cake- that doesn't work for me. I like seeing all your meals.
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteGreat ideas for me to refer to! I have roasted sweet potato cubes in the fridge right now. I have heard putting bread in the freezer reduces the glycemic index? But, I am trying not to eat much bread right now. So interesting!
ReplyDeleteWe always freeze our bread since I buy several loaves at a time but I rarely eat it too.
DeleteI have been eating low carb as well for the past almost three weeks with an occasional cheat day or dessert. I have also lost weight. The last time I checked it was almost five pounds so that was encouraging. Yes, it is hard!! I will check out your meals/recipes for sure. I know what foods to eat that are low carb; finding new ways to eat them is always helpful.
ReplyDeleteI've had some cheat days here and there too.
DeleteThanks for sharing these meals! I love how colorful they are. So glad this monitor helped you.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.kathrineeldridge.com
You're welcome!
DeleteWhen someone is first diagnosed it is very hard to immediately begin eating correctly. Your journey first with the monitor and now this line up of the food you actually ate, will no doubt be quite helpful to many. As a former Administrator in Assisted Living, I can tell you that blood sugar issues are important to stay on top of. More importantly you have made is seem important yes, but doable. Very nice, thank you.
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome!
DeleteYour meals look very well balanced!
ReplyDeleteThanks
DeleteGood job on cutting back with the carbs. I think I would struggle. Your meals look delicious! I am not usually a fan of all the veggies but you make them look so tasty!
ReplyDeleteAw, thanks.
DeleteThese all look so delicious and pretty, too! I love all of the colors on the plate. That makes it more appetizing to me!
ReplyDeleteIt sure does. I always try to eat a rainbow of colors.
DeleteOutstanding meals as always. What an interesting experiment. Funny how much and how quick we can drop with no carbs right?
ReplyDeleteAw, thank you.
DeleteIt all looks very delicious!
ReplyDeleteThanks!
DeleteI love these: I need to get back to creating meals like this!
ReplyDeletewww.chezmireillefashiontravelmom.com
It's so easy to slip back into our old ways isn't it?
DeleteThose all look so delicious! I love tuna salad and the omelet looks great. I will have to get back into some of these blog meme's!
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteOOh all of this looks so good. I am having butternut squash tonight to go with some chicken in the crockpot that I poured green chile enchilada sauce on. I need to write down a few of your meal choices and try them!
ReplyDeleteThat sounds delicious.
DeleteVery very nice. Question: Did you try cauli mash yet and did you notice any improvements on concentration and/or sleep?
ReplyDeleteI didn't notice any difference in concentration but I do think I slept better.
DeleteSleep better is wonderful!
DeleteYour meals look so much like ours now!!
ReplyDeleteXOXO
Jodie
Thanks!
DeleteCongrats on the weight loss! We did the Atkins diet several years ago. The problem was we went into ketosis (I think), and I swear my mouth always tasted like I was sucking on a brussel sprout! I think your addition of some good carbs (like fruits and nuts) probably keeps that from happening. I am having a lot of problems with eating lettuce right now...isn't that the weirdest thing? I love salads, but they don't love me back, and it's definitely the lettuce portion. I need to do some investigating.
ReplyDeletehttps://marshainthemiddle.com/
Yeah, I do think I was in ketosis for part of the time since all my cravings did go away but since it was only a few days before I resumed regular eating I didn't have any other side effects.
DeleteGood timing! Before I sat down to read your post, I was on Pinterest looking for low-carb lunch inspiration. I’m going back to work next week and trying to find things to look forward to, and healthy, fresh lunches are one of them. Food is always such a motivator for me. Thanks for the great ideas, all your meals look so delicious! Ruth@playworkeatrepeat
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome!
DeleteEverything looks so delicious!
ReplyDeleteAw, thanks!
DeleteThose all look so delicious! Now I want to get some more pecans for my yogurt!
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteThanks for sharing all those great recipe ideas. I've been thinking a lot about what you shared in post about the monitor every time I open the fridge!!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome!
DeleteEvidently blood sugar increasing is another one of those joys of maturing, Joanne. At least that's what my doctor told me. In addition to what you eat, evidently the timing matters too...so combining protein with your carbs is always a good idea and moving within one hour of eating...especially carbs or sugars...helps. I hadn't thought of wearing a continuous monitor. I might try that. I'm going to check out your previous blog post now.
ReplyDeleteType 2 diabetes runs in my family so I've always been hyper aware of the possibility I could develop it too. I did find that time of day mattered a lot in what I ate.
DeleteThis is a great assortment of yummy (and healthy) looking meals! Since my husband is gluten, dairy and sugar free, many of our dinners consist of a protein, a veggie, a salad and maybe a starch like rice or potato. I sometimes get in a rut and am looking for recipes I can adapt. Thanks for the ideas!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome!
DeleteSuch a good mix of protein and veggies.
ReplyDeleteI need to try some of these!
Happy Sunday, Joanne!
Happy Sunday, Veronica. We're bracing for a HUGE snowstorm to hit this morning and run throughout the day tomorrow too.
DeleteThese all look delicious! I did a carb cycling program a couple years back and low carb days ended up always being my favorite!
ReplyDeleteI can see why!
DeleteCongratulations on making lower carb meals that are tasty and satisfying. Losing 4 lb is a gift for your effort. 2 years ago, I was diagnosed as diabetic. I had been on a sugar-restricted diet for years as it just simple made me feel better. Of course, I occasionally splurged. Now, as a diabetic, I no longer splurge. Diabetes can kill you - there's no allowance for playing around. It's sad, but I'll live. You always look so healthy and smart. Take care of yourself! #MMBC
ReplyDeleteYeah, my grandmother had diabetes and had to be very strict with herself.
DeleteI think eating low carb is delicious...it even looks delicious! I have never thought of adding protein powder to my yogurt. Brilliant!
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteYour meals looks very tasty and also colorful!
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteSuch a great post! I need to add some of these to my regimen for sure.
ReplyDeleteAw, thank you!
DeleteThese all look yummy!
ReplyDeleteThank you!
Delete