The (Extended) Milk Stage.

We Americans really like to pretend like we’re baby cows. Usually the milk drinking infant/child stage passes, but not for us. We love milk.

As a kid, I would critique the taste of each new gallon of milk. I would inform my mom whether it was a good cow or a bad cow that made our milk that day. I think she probably thought I was a little bit crazy, but she went along with it.

Some people just pick up on those subtle taste differences.

European Milk Experience

The first time I tasted milk in Europe, I realized I had been cheated in life. All this time I thought I was drinking really good milk – I had no idea it could get even better. I couldn’t get enough of it. I started asking for milk everywhere. I didn’t realize that this was going to set me up for a variety of different comments from the staff serving me.

“Oh! Are you a little baby? You need to drink the BABY milk?”

“Look at the American! She orders milk like a BABY!”

“I think she’s just going to drink it straight – like a BABY.”

I looked at them in return like they were crazy. I loved the stuff. I wasn’t going to quit just because they thought I was a baby. I did learn something though – they don’t drink milk as adults in Europe. They might use it in cooking, but the majority reserves the drink for infants and young children.

What an idea.

All of this to say that milk doesn’t need to be quite the staple that it has become. I think in America we tout the benefits of calcium in milk a little too much. We encourage people to drink it all the time. But, in truth, there are plenty of other things that you can eat/do to lead to strong bones. Not to mention, as you age – it gets less and less likely that you’ll be able to break down the lactose found in milk. Unfortunately, lactose-intolerance can lead to diarrhea post-milk-consumption… a benefit, only if you’re constipated.

Drinking Less Milk

Since I drink milk less now, I have started only buying half gallons and sometimes it will actually go bad in my fridge.

Luckily, I have found a solution: ORGANIC MILK.

• Stays better longer (Sometimes the expiration is WEEKS past the other milks)
• It tastes better (approaching the quality of European milk)
• The skim milk version tastes like real milk instead of tasting like “milk water.”
• Less antibiotics and growth hormones – healthier cows, healthier humans.

It costs more than the regular milk – but, I think it’s worth it.

A Note to the Diabetics: Milk is a source of carbohydrate. Every cup of milk is about 12 grams of carbohydrate. Carbohydrates do not change from milk to milk – in whole milk, 2%, 1%, and skim the carbohydrates are the same. Excessive milk consumption can raise your blood sugar too high. I would encourage you to drink it as a treat, instead of drinking it as if it were water.

Would I lie to you about peanut butter cookies?

I think not. I’ve been around the block. I’ve had my fair share of different peanut butter cookies. I’m here to tell you, it doesn’t get much better than this…

After all, if you’re going to eat an empty carbohydrate – it might as well be a DELICIOUS, AMAZING, PERFECTLY COOKED empty carbohydrate.

Recipe: The Best Peanut Butter Cookies Ever.

Makes 18 Medium/Large Cookies.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 C Butter, softened
• 1/2 C Crunchy Peanut Butter
• 1/2 C Brown Sugar
• 1/3 C Sugar
• 1 Egg
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 3/4 C Flour
• 1 tsp Baking Soda
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1/2 C Oats
• 2/3 C Reese’s Peanut Butter Chips

Directions:

1. In a medium mixing bowl, combine butters, sugars, egg, and vanilla. Mix until smooth.
2. In a small mixing bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, and oats.
3. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix well.
4. Add peanut butter chips.
5. Bake at 350 F for 10 minutes.

A Note to the Diabetics: Each cookie is 17g carbohydrates and 160 calories. If you are interested in learning how to find carbohydrate information for your own cookie recipes… you can do it easily online with a “recipe analyzer tool.” I use http://www.caloriecounter.com. Remember to enter your ingredients in their simplest form so the tool can find them easily.

The Menu for My Grown Up Lunch 4/18/13:

• Grilled Chicken + Beer Can Chicken Seasoning
• Small Baked Potato (30g)
• Broccoli, Cherry Tomatoes, Mini Peppers
• 2 slices Colby Cheese
• Orange, small (15g)
  

Before I get into the business of how to make this meal (very easy), I want to cover the fact that you should have a microwave before attempting this. It’s pretty easy to assemble there, and all the ingredients are very inexpensive to bring.

It’s amazing what you can make work when you have limited groceries in your house for lunch.

Side Note: Know Yourself

One thing I know about myself is that I’m an “eater.” Some people can sit down to a meal and have very little on their plate and still feel satisfied. Not me. When I sit down to eat, I want to eat a lot.

I’ve been able to work with this by incorporating lots of “healthy eating” into my lifestyle. I want to maintain my current weight instead of gain weight and I want to lead a healthy lifestyle. To do these things I have to keep my calories down and make smart choices. These smart choices that are low in calories and high in nutrients help me to be able to eat bigger portions. Bigger portions make me happy.

Now that we’re all happy, let’s get started…

How to Make Your Grown Up Lunch:

Grown Up Lunch Instructions:

1. AT HOME: Dice up one chicken breast, coat in “beer can chicken” seasoning mix from McCormick (or whatever you like best) and cook over high heat in a skillet with 1 Tbsp oil. When chicken is done, remove from heat.
2. Dice up 3-4 mini sweet peppers and add to chicken. Grab one small potato, a crown of broccoli, two slices of cheese, and a handful of cherry tomatoes and head out the door.
3. AT WORK: Poke holes in potato and microwave on high for ~4 minutes.
4. Once this is done, add cheese to potato and assemble broccoli in a microwavable bowl with 1/2 inch of water. Cover with a plate and heat on high for 2 minutes. This will steam the broccoli.
5. Add broccoli to top of potato. Reheat chicken, or add cold to potato mixture. Add tomatoes to potato.
6. Enjoy!

Calorie Breakdown

• 1 small potato = 120 calories, 30g carb
• 2 slices of colby cheese (1 oz) = 110 calories, 0 carb
• 3 mini sweet peppers = 15 calories, 0 carb
• 1 crown of broccoli = 15 calories, 0 carb
• 1/2 chicken breast = 60 calories, 0 carb
• 1 tsp oil = 50 calories, 0 carb
• 1 orange = 60 calories, 15g carb

The whole meal: 430 calories, 45g carb 

Appropriate…and filling. I’m a happy person.

Happy Eating!

Yesterday, I asked my boyfriend if he thought I looked fat.

He said no. He said that I’m beautiful.

Really, I knew that I wasn’t “fat.” I’ve been the same weight +/- 10 pounds since I was 15 years old. Why would I pick yesterday to call myself “fat?”

I think we all do this. I can sit and nit pick all day long on myself – but when you ask me to give a report on someone else, I think they are beautiful. Why can’t I remember that I am beautiful, too?

Fortunately, I was set straight by a great marketing campaign for Dove Beauty Products.

We are more beautiful than we think.

Watch this… it’s real crazy… http://realbeautysketches.dove.us/

There is a disconnect in what we perceive in ourselves and in what others perceive of us. I think this is due to the comparison game. When I see someone with a beautiful nose, I look at my own nose and wonder – why can’t my nose be like HER nose? Her nose is beautiful. It can be disheartening when we look in the mirror and see something different.

But here’s the BEAUTIFUL truth: We ARE different.

We’re different, but the differences are beautiful. Do something for me… try to embrace the way that you look. For too many years, poor self esteem has been used to “motivate” people to eat better or exercise more.

You are beautiful already.

If you’re not currently eating right and exercising, don’t do it on account of the fact that you think the world doesn’t find you beautiful.

You ARE beautiful already.

Instead of starting healthy behaviors because you feel unattractive, change your mindset. Act differently because you care about the person staring back in the mirror. That person matters today and tomorrow. If you don’t take care of him/her today, you could lose out on him/her being there for you tomorrow. We take care of the things that are valuable.

You are valuable.

Take care of yourself, beautiful reader.

In Diabetes Education class, I like to give an example relating to alligators.

I ask them to envision a world where 70% of of females are dying of alligator bites. If this were true…

• Would it make sense that I show women pictures of alligators?
• Would it make sense that I show them a map of the USA and highlight the areas where alligators are likely to live?
• Would it make sense that I ask them not to take vacation there, even though their friends might be asking them to go?

I think that’s very easy for people to understand. Almost all my patients agree with me that these things make sense.

But, I like to do something called the switcheroo.

I tell the class, “That’s good that you agree because 70% of diabetics are dying of heart disease and stroke. So, I’m going to show you what that ‘alligator’ looks like and where the ‘swamps’ are located. Ready to get started?”

Well, they can’t disagree with themselves. I trapped them. Now, they’re ready to learn.

Let’s talk about something I like to call the ‘swamp.’

Eating Out

In today’s world, where nutrition is less and less important in the attempt to make a profit, it’s hard to find a restaurant to support your healthy eating habits. You can do it, but it’s significantly harder. And, it might be more expensive. Tough cookies. I think it’s the price you pay for choosing to eat away from home.

One classic mistake is going to a buffet. Whether it’s a Chinese buffet, KFC buffet, Pizza buffet, or Homestyle Buffet – I would have to say this is a “never appropriate” type of thing. But, then I got to thinking about it …and I think I was wrong. All-you-can-eat buffets are appropriate for some people.

6 Types of people that SHOULD visit an all-you-can-eat buffet

1. Packs of Teenage Boys – These types of predators like to travel together. Be warned! Their appetite can be voracious. Due to their growth season, these creatures might need up to 3000-5000 calories per day. This can be very expensive to provide for, so it might be okay if they visit a buffet together.
2. Underweight Individuals – Some people have really had a hard time in life; and no matter what they do, they just can’t seem to put on the weight. They might have issues with their health that prevent them from storing energy and high fat foods in plentious amounts are just what the doctor ordered. These people belong at a buffet.
3. Homeless Eaters – While some of the humans on the streets like to consume their calories in alcohol, others may fall into the category of “eaters.” If it’s been a long time between meals, a buffet is the best buy for your money.
4. Sumo-Wrestlers – Watch your step around these creatures. If they decide to sit down, they might not see you in time! Excess weight and mass is a MUST for these animals. It’s not easy to keep up a big heavy body like that; but fortunately, they can put in some hard work for less money at an all you can eat buffet.
5. Eating Competitors – Any one making a living out of eating competitions might call the buffet their “home away from home.” Where else can you get 50 servings of one type of food? If you’re trying to train for an eating competition – this is a really good spot to practice.
6. The Extreme Runner - I will include those animals that love to run miles upon miles… just to come back to the place that they started. These extreme runners burn up to 2000-4000 calories in one marathon race. While they may be engaging in questionable behavior (running in circles), they are a loveable bunch of eaters that MAY consume food at a buffet as well.

Well, there you go. It’s a strange group, but this is what I want to see when I walk into an all-you-can-eat buffet.

Now, for the rest of yous…

If you’re not trying to gain weight for less money, do not attend an ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT BUFFET. It’s not a smart choice.

EVERYONE overeats there.

Stay out of the swamp, peeps. It’s for your own good.

*Special prayers go out to marathon runners everywhere. Yesterday was tough, but these are the moments that make us stronger.

Some moments in your life are going to seem pretty dismal…

My advice: Try to see the silver lining.

This past Thursday, I was sitting at my desk going through my emails when the Maintenance worker came into my office with a nervous look on his face.

• Worker: I’ve got bad news to tell you, but I’m not really sure how to say it…
• Me: (Looking at him expectantly) What is it?
• Worker: (Taking a deep breath) Your car rolled down the hill and into a tree. It might be totaled.
• Me: (not believing it) Are you serious?
• Worker: I’m dead serious.
• Me: (totally calm) Okay, let’s go see it then.

My car is a goner.

I stayed pretty cool while I surveyed the damage. I told myself “It’s just a car. It’s just a car.” And, it is just a car. I performed all the neccessary collision steps and called my insurance, but in the meanwhile, I’ve come to terms with the fact that I might not have a car after all of this is said and done. The insurance company told me that if the damage to the car is greater than the value, they’ll just write me a check. They encouraged me to get all of my things out of the car before it was towed because I might not see it again.

That’s a lot to deal with, but I feel like I handled it with the best of them.

You know what is the most exciting thing about this news? I have a bike. I know how to use it.

Allow me to share….

EIGHT life improvements since wrecking my car:

1. I’ve been wanting to start riding my bike to work for awhile now. This is my chance to do it. In fact, this is my chance to ride my bike EVERYWHERE I go.
2. I no longer have to pay for car insurance or gasoline.
3. I prevent myself from going on shopping sprees because I can only buy what I am capable of carrying back with me.
4. By the same limitation, I prevent excess groceries and food waste.
5. I get to spend more quality time with friends… while they drive me around on rainy days.
6. I have extra money, so I can offer to PAY for someone ELSE’S gasoline.
7. This provides a great excuse to carpool OR have your friends come to you.
8. Duh… I’m in shape and can eat more cookies ’cause I burn more calories. ;)

How can you use the sad parts of life to get your body moving in the right direction? Or in any direction at all…? ;)