The Low-Carb Queen

I want to start out by saying a heartfelt "thank you". I received so many emails, Facebook comments and messages in regards to my previous post. I was not ready for the outpouring of love and support, and I truly appreciate it. So once again, thank you.

Now, let's move on to some other stuff, shall we? It's sort of related to everything, but sort of not.

A few months ago we began seeing a new reproductive endocronologist at one of the leading fertility clinics in the country. I've got to say, he's probably the best doctor I've ever had for anything. He took his time with us. We never felt like we were being herded out the door. He also took the time to explain everything. I was never put on a medication without going over exactly what it would do for us, and what some of the possible side effects would be. He also took a step back and looked at the bigger picture. Namely, he had me take some blood tests to determine whether or not I was insulin resistant. Turns out, I am. BIG TIME. When I finally got my results back, they gave me a reference chart to compare my numbers. They would consider "High Insulin Resistance" at 23.0. I was at 124.0. I was literally off the chart.

So, what does that mean? I'm planted firmly into the "Pre-Diabetic" range. Lucky for me my insane insulin levels don't translate into high gluclose. It's higher than normal, but I'm not in bad enough shape yet. All I know is that I'm NOT going to be sticking myself with a needle once or twice a day. So, it means a serious lifestyle change. And it needed to happen immediately.

Enter the wonderful world of Low-Carb foods. I'll admit openly that I am NOT good about dieting. I hate it. I love me some sweets. I also really love things like pasta. Apparently, taking in a lot of carbs makes insulin resistance much worse. So, I've had to drastically cut down on my go-to yummies.

I've started eating much better. I still eat my pastas and stuff, but I do it all in moderation. I'm also having to cut WAY down on my soda intake. For those who know me, you know how difficult that is for me. But the upside of everything is that I've lost almost 20 pounds in a little over a month. That's insane. I feel so much lighter and I can see a massive change in myself.

So, I don't want to keep all of these yummy recipes to myself. I wanted to pass along some really great recipes I've come across in my quest to reduce the 'ol insulin levels. Eat, enjoy, and lose some weight in the process!

Want to see more of my wonderful world of Pinterest? Follow me! I have recepies, Disney bits, and home DIY projects (peppered with funnies and daydreaming of baby stuff)!



** Note: I did not create these recipes. This is simply a collection of recipes that have been passed along to me, or that I've discovered on Pinterest.

Perfectly Grilled Chicken Breasts with Garlic, Lemon & Herbs

By Jennifer Segal

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1¾ pounds total)
• 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (mixed with 1/4 cup of lemon juice)
• 4 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme (I use fresh basil and fresh rosemary in mine, but you can use the thyme and oregano, too)
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1-1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1-1/2 teaspoons lemon zest, from one lemon

Instructions

1. Place chicken breasts between 2 pieces of wax paper and, using a meat mallet, pound to an even ½-inch thickness.
2. Mix all ingredients except chicken together in a 1 gallon zip-lock bag. Add chicken breasts and massage marinade into meat until evenly coated. Seal the bag and place in a bowl in the refrigerator (the bowl protects against leakage); let the chicken marinate at least 4 hours or up to 12 hours.
3. Clean grill and preheat to high. Lightly dip a wad of paper towels in vegetable oil and, using tongs, carefully rub over grates several times until glossy and coated. Place chicken breasts on the grill (make sure they are well-coated with the marinade; the more garlic, lemon zest and herbs on the chicken, the better!). Grill, covered, for 2-3 minutes per side.

Yummy Chocolate Cake (Diabetic Friendly)

Ingredients

• 1 package (18-1/4 ounces) chocolate cake mix
• 1 package (2.1 ounces) sugar-free instant chocolate pudding mix
• 1-3/4 cups water
• 3 egg whites
• FROSTING:
• 1-1/4 cups cold fat-free milk
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 package (1.4 ounces) sugar-free instant chocolate pudding mix
• 1 carton (8 ounces) frozen reduced-fat whipped topping, thawed
• Chocolate curls, optional

Directions

• In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, pudding mix, water and egg whites. Beat on low speed for 1 minute; beat on medium for 2 minutes.
• Pour into a 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 12-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.
• For frosting, place milk and extract in a large bowl. Sprinkle with a third of the pudding mix; let stand for 1 minute. Whisk pudding into milk. Repeat twice with remaining pudding mix. Whisk pudding 2 minutes longer. Let stand for 15 minutes. Fold in whipped topping. Frost cake. Garnish with chocolate curls if desired. Yield: 16 servings.

Nutritional Facts 1 piece (calculated without chocolate curls) equals 197 calories, 5 g fat (3 g saturated fat), trace cholesterol, 409 mg sodium, 35 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 3 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 2 starch, 1/2 fat.

  

 

Country Italian Beef

MAKES: 6 to 8 servings

SERVING SIZE: 1 2/3 cups

CARB GRAMS PER SERVING: 25

• 2 pounds boneless beef chuck pot roast
• 8 ounces tiny new potatoes, halved or quartered
• 2 medium carrots or parsnips, peeled and cut into 1- to 2-inch pieces
• 1 medium onion, chopped (1 cup)
• 1 medium fennel bulb, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch-thick wedges
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
• 1 14 1/2 ounce can lower-sodium beef broth
• 1 cup dry red wine or lower-sodium beef broth
• 1 6 ounce can tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 - 2 cups fresh basil leaves, spinach leaves, or torn escarole

1. Trim fat from roast. Cut roast into 2-inch pieces; set aside. In a 4- to 5-quart slow cooker combine potatoes, carrots, onion, and fennel. Add meat to cooker; sprinkle with rosemary.
2. In a medium bowl whisk together broth, wine, tomato paste, tapioca, pepper, and garlic. Pour over all in cooker.
3. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 8 to 10 hours or on high-heat setting for 4 to 5 hours. Stir in basil just before serving.