Diabetics Rejoice!: January 2015

Thursday, January 8, 2015

Easy Cream of Spinach Soup

This is my favorite time of year for soup! I usually have some type of soup in the refrigerator so I don't have to think or worry about what's for lunch. Another reason I love soup is because it's a great way to sneak more vegetables into my day. If you're someone who doesn't find crunching on vegetables a delightful past time, try cream soups! They're packed with nutrition and will disguise the fact that they're mainly vegetable. This delicious soup is quite similar in texture and taste to a creamy pea soup, but with many fewer carbs. You can get creative with toppings, if you like. Pictured is dry roasted pine nuts that have been crushed, but also crumbled bacon or finely chopped ham would be nice, or try a sprinkling of lemon zest and a drizzle of lemon flavored olive oil. The ease of using frozen chopped spinach makes this a quick and simple meal that you can enjoy tonight.

Easy Cream of Spinach Soup

Makes about 6 servings (about 1-1/4 cups each)

2 TB light olive oil or refined coconut oil

1 cup chopped celery or celeriac (celery root)

1 large leek, sliced

7 oz. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

1/2 cup white wine

4 cups chicken or vegetable broth

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

black pepper to taste

1/4 cup heavy whipping cream (or full-fat coconut milk, if avoiding dairy)

1. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add chopped celery or celeriac and leek. Sauté for a few minutes until leek begins to soften. Add wine and spinach and sauté for another minute. Add broth and simmer gently for about 20-25 minutes or until celeriac is softened. Salt and pepper to taste.

2. Place soup mixture into a blender (in batches, if necessary) and puree until smooth. Add heavy cream or coconut milk and stir until well blended. Adjust seasonings, if necessary. Serve hot.

Nutritional Information per serving (not including toppings): 127 calories, 6.3 g carbohydrate (1.4 g dietary fiber, 1.6 g sugar), 8.6 g total fat (3 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat), 14 mg cholesterol, 586 mg sodium, 57 mg calcium, 279 mg potassium, 4.3 g protein. Net carbs per serving: 4.9 grams

More about my experience with Type 2 diabetes:

After experiencing gestational diabetes while pregnant in 1988, it wasn't long before a diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes was made, and then, much later, I was correctly diagnosed with autoimmune Type 1.5 (Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults, also known as LADA).

Like many people newly diagnosed, I had to read and learn what diabetes was all about. I did everything my doctor told me to do, took my medication exactly as prescribed, began to exercise more, I consulted with a diabetic nutritionist, I changed my carb-loving lifestyle to within the dietary guideline of my nutritionist and lost some weight. For many years, following the advice of the experts, I managed the disease fairly well. Yet, it concerned me that my need for medication continued to rise steadily, but I was told by my doctor that diabetes is a progressive disease and that what I was experiencing was normal. In a few years of trying diet change, exercise and oral medication alone, I was prescribed insulin to go along with the oral meds. My blood sugars stabilized, but my need for more and more insulin over time to manage good control continued to go slowly and steadily upward, along with my weight. With the larger and larger amounts of insulin (the fat storage hormone), it didn’t take long for me to become obese! I was not pleased because at the rate my need for meds was growing, it appeared that it wouldn't be long before my condition would be too difficult to control.

Finally, I said "enough!" Something had to change! I read The Diet Cure by Julia Ross and began a diet overhaul unlike anything ever suggested by my diabetic team. Two other books I highly recommend are The Blood Sugar Solution by Dr. Mark Hyman for a T2 diabetic and Dr. Bernstein’s Diabetes Solution by Dr. Richard Bernstein for a T1 or any diabetic on insulin. I cut out all white starches and grains from my diet and went 100% sugar free. (No expert had ever suggested I look at the sugar grams in the foods I ate before and I was shocked to discover large amounts hidden in most processed foods, even items not meant to be sweet!) I began to eat mainly fresh vegetables, very small amounts of fruit and only when it's in season (I love summer berries!), plenty of healthy fats and a moderate amount of high-quality protein. I now follow a Ketogenic diet which allows about 20-30 grams of good carbs per day, mainly in the form of non-starchy vegetables. I don't go out often but, when I do, I go to a restaurant where I know I can eat within my diet. By living this lifestyle, I lost over 65 pounds but, more than that, my need for medication grew less and less. I now need only very small amounts of insulin at meals and 4 units of long-acting insulin at bedtime (down from over 25 units when I was eating higher carb). The best part is that I’ve been able to stop all other oral prescription medications, as well! My blood glucose is always steady, in a normal range and hardly ever goes above 100 mg/dl. My A1c is consistently 4.9 or lower. These excellent health outcomes keep me motivated to stick with a keto lifestyle, plus I really enjoy the food!

I am now at my ideal weight and have kept it steady for over six years. My cravings for carbohydrates and my voracious "sweet tooth" are well controlled. I am motivated to cook and have made cooking healthy my #1 hobby. I'm excited about incorporating the alternative flours into my baking so I can occasionally still enjoy a dessert or bread product in my diet. The outlook of managing my diabetes and the future of my health is extremely positive.

If you're reading this and dealing with similar issues, take heart! You can make the necessary changes to your diet and lifestyle to share in this positive outlook, too. Just take it one day at a time, be good to yourself, and do not depend solely on medication. I had to face the fact: There is no "magic pill" out there! Instead, I needed to commit to eating well to heal myself from within. Remember, it's your future and your health; no one can do this for you! You owe it to yourself and your loved ones!

Thursday, January 8, 2015

Easy Cream of Spinach Soup

Diabetics Rejoice!