Tip of the Week

My tip this week would be to eat breakfast!  I think it really does make a difference.  Here's what my breakfasts are like-

Winter - 5 minute oatmeal that I start on the stove top (I’ve tried to figure out how to fix this entire dish in the microwave, but I just had to accept that 5 minute oatmeal won’t cooperate!). Anyway, I start the oatmeal, put about an ounce of blueberries and an egg inside a high-sided Corelle bowl and sprinkle with salt/pepper and a dab of butter, then when the oatmeal has cooked for 3 - 5 minutes I put the oatmeal over the egg/blueberries and nuke for 1 - 1.5 minutes (depends on how done you like your egg). You need a high-sided bowl to nuke oatmeal in because it really fluffs up!

Summer - 1 small whole grain tortilla (no enriched products) that I throw into a small skillet. While that’s cooking I crack an egg into a bowl, add 1 ****er, salt/pepper (I also like to add hot sauces and red pepper flakes). When the tortilla is finished I spray the skillet with a little Pam and soft scramble the egg. I roll the egg onto the tortilla and add a little 4 blend Mexican cheese and a good size pinch of fresh spinach.

Both of these meals keep my blood sugar stable and stick with me for Hours! There’s many a day I’m amazed that it’s early afternoon and I’m not hungry.

Side note, I also only use eggs that come from vegetarian fed chickens; I just can’t get past the smell/taste/etc of cheap eggs.  If you have a problem with eggs, give these a try.

Becky

I'm trying to picture the egg/blueberry/oatmeal thing.  So you put partially cooked oatmeal over the raw egg which also has blueberries in it?  So do you eat the egg mixed up into the oatmeal? It sounds promising, but I just can't picture it. And I too have discovered the joys of really good eggs.  They are just beautiful, taste great, and not so scary as those with all the strange things in the feed.  I simply can't go back to the pale yellow & runny white of the standard eggs. Thanks for the suggestions, Sally

The egg basically gets pouched in the oatmeal and the blueberries do add a blue color. I tend to start eating at the top where it’s mostly oatmeal, hit the pouched egg about half way down, then finish with the blueberries at the bottom. I will admit that it’s not the prettiest dish when you get down to the bottom, especially if you like your eggs as runny as I do... LOLOLOL!

What do you like to fix for breakfast? Anything quick, easy, and can be eaten on the way to work?

Becky

In the warmer weather I will do just dry shredded wheat (I do use the frosted)--I need the fiber!  Then I'll drink a glass of milk about a half hour latter.  But on weekends I'll try to do eggs and maybe bacon or a homemade sausage patty.   When it's cooler I do the oatmeal or malt o'meal thing.  I just hate having to wash the pot all the time! Breakfast has always been the toughest meal as I want to eat something but my stomach isn't always in the mood for it. Sally

Breakfast is also the toughest meal for me and after 3+ years of basically the same thing I'm in need of a change. I can't do milk and cereal anymore, makes the hypoglycemia do tail spins, but I also know that not eating breakfast sets me up for a bad day.

For a while I would fry about ½ lb of bacon in the evening as I was cooking dinner, put it in a container, then make a BLT in the morning (except I would use fresh spinach instead of lettuce) on a slice of whole wheat toast. That was quick, easy, tasty, and I could eat it going down the road!

Becky

I've been fortunate to not have the hypoglycemia issue, but I do still have to be careful with milk--i think I have a touch of lactose intolerance.  But it is such a good source of easy protein I hate to give it up.   At first I ate those Power Crunch bars as they were the only ones I could tolerate.  I liked them because they were light and easy to digest.  So many protein bars have the body mass of year old fruitcake!   I wonder why carbohydrates tend to be more common in breakfast foods than proteins?  Other than eggs and bacon/sausage/etc., breakfast foods are muffins, cereals, breads, pancakes, etc.  All lovely, but not really what I want or need.  Every so often I "justify" biscuits and gravy claiming the gravy as my protein--milk and sausage after all!  I can do yogurt some, but I'm not a big fan because of the texture.  I would even try some leftovers for breakfast, but they just seemed too heavy.   But I have to say, the further out I get, the less enjoyable eating has become.  The fun is in the anticipation and the disappointment is in the eating.  I still fill up quickly (when I eat the foods I should) and just get tired of having to chew so much!  My dog winds up with as much off my plate as I do half the time.  That, of course, just breaks his heart Sally

You askled why carbs for breakfast? They set you up to eat all day. Think about it, the typical bfast I was raised on, cereal, toast, moo, and juice? I'd want to eat before I left for school.

On weekends, my dad cooked, eggs, bacon or sausage, things with serious fat. Fat satisfies. No, I don't recommend 50's & 60's style fat, but if I ate what you guys are eating, I'd be eating non-stop all day! OMG!

I was good with egg, bacon, toast (1, 1, 1) and that turned my wanter off most of the day.

BTW, I never noticed the connection myself til I read it in Today's Dietitian. Recommending carbs only for bfast in nursing homes and facilities because fat would cause ppl not to eat the snacks. They lose points for weight loss in those facilities. I know they put 30# on my dad and he did SO not need it!

I didn't know that about the nursing homes.  Yet another reason to stay mentally and physically healthy as long as possible.   I don't worry too much about fat as I try to keep it moderate and generally a healthy one.  You might find the book "Good Calories, Bad Calories" interesting.  It reports on how the low-fat, high carb diet became the standard.   I do try to limit my starchy carbs to about one meal a day--usually breakfast cereal (hot or cold).  I just can't do eggs every morning.  I seem to do alright with the cravings.  I am more a night muncher, so I make sure to focus on a good solid protein for dinner.

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I know, very scary. My dad always said never to put him in a nursing home,. Called them warehouses. Had to put my granpa in one when he needed medical care (not homecare) and it about killed my dad and it wasn't even HIS dad!

Fast forward another 30 yrs and now my dad had dementia. Once brilliant, top in his field of work, stayed active and I did the best I could til he needed more strength care than I could do. But in his case, I was ableto put him in a private memory care, not what one thinks of as a "nursing home". He had made good money and saved a lot of it, thank goodness, so he never wanted for anything.

But he was a little 135# man, 5'7", and they grew him from a size 32 pants to 38 in about 4 months. I had to go throw a few fits to let him lose wt. He had a bad leg and had enough trouble getting around, bad heart, so the last thing he needed was to be carrying an extra 30-40# EGAD! He was losing interest in eating at all, so, they just fed him higher and higher calorie things. But I sneaked him protein (he kinda fancied the apple Nectar) and deviled eggs. I could always get them into him!

But still, in the end, he would just look in my eyes and shake his head about any food, even ice cream and stuff he loved. It was time. I'm glad he never had to not know who I was or feel that his family had abandoned him. So many with dementia can be right WITH their families, but are looking for that 6 yr old, not the 56 year old, you know?

OK, well, long story to say that we don't always have control over our aging process, as much as we might try and I'm certainly inundated with enough info to make me look and be 20 forever. Just isn't happenin', tho.

I just about get in my protein drink and vitamins for breakfast.  Then around 9:30 or so have some swiss cheese or something.  I don't think I could do the oatmeal.  I like my fruit, but strawberries are out of season, so I have my canned mandarin oranges. Huum, tip for the day. Look for trigger s.  What causes you to nibble?  For me I drive alot at night seeing patients.  Maybe for a hour or so between patients.  So when I'm tired I nibble.  I find if I keep some protein nibblies it helps, rather than my tendency to go for the carb nibblies. blessings, Tami