Diabetics Rejoice!: July 2022

Sunday, July 24, 2022

Keto Lemon Curd and Goat Cheese Spread

The other day I went to a party and the hostess served a delicious spread that was lemon curd topped with goat cheese that she had picked up at the Farmer’s Market. It was really good! Traditional lemon curd is mostly sugar, so I couldn’t do more than sample it at the party. I came home and, the very next day, made myself some sugar-free lemon curd using my easy, microwave method and topped it with plain, soft goat cheese. If you are not a fan of goat cheese, like my husband, you can blend together a combination of cream cheese and ricotta to replace the goat cheese. The taste is very similar, but it is even creamier and more spreadable. This makes a wonderful appetizer served with low carb crackers or spread it on your keto toast or pancakes for breakfast.

Keto Lemon Curd and Goat Cheese Spread

Makes 1 1/2 cups

1/2 cup (or more) sugar free Microwave Keto Lemon Curd (click here for the recipe)

Topping:

8 oz. plain, soft goat cheese

Process in a food processor until smooth:

4 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup whole milk ricotta cheese

A pinch of salt

2 drops monkfruit extract or stevia (optional)

1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

1. Allow the lemon curd to set up and cool completely in the refrigerator. To prevent a skin forming on the top, place plastic wrap directly on the lemon curd as it cools.

2. In a small glass serving bowl, spread the cooled lemon curd on the bottom of the bowl. Depending on the size of your bowl, you will use 1/2 cup or more. You want the lemon curd to come up the side of the bowl about 1/4th of the way. (I put mine into three 4 oz. Mason jars because I didn’t plan to serve it all at once, see photo below.)

Place lemon curd on the bottom and top with the goat cheese

3. Carefully, spoon in the goat cheese or the cream cheese/ricotta mixture and smooth the top with the back of a spoon or an offset spatula. Cover and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Nutritional Information per 2 tablespoons: 102 calories, 1.9 g carbohydrate (0 g dietary fiber, 0.4 g sugars, 0.4 g sugar alcohols), 9.7 g total fat (6.2 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat), 41 mg cholesterol, 50 mg sodium, 31.6 mg calcium, 25 mg potassium, 96 IU Vit A, 2.3 g protein. Net carbs per serving: 1.5 grams

Friday, July 8, 2022

Keto Strawberry Milk

I have a confession to make: When I was young, I loved Nestle’s Strawberry Milk powder to make strawberry milk. I still enjoy the flavor, but don’t want all the sugar and carbs. I created this recipe to satisfy my craving for something sweet, nostalgic and bursting with fresh strawberry flavor!

Keto Strawberry Milk

Makes 1 serving

3 ripe medium strawberries

8 oz. Keto Dairy Milk, click here for recipe (or unsweetened almond or coconut milk)

8 drops monkfruit extract or liquid Stevia, to taste

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon strawberry extract

2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

1. Place the strawberries, low carb milk of choice, monkfruit sweetener and extracts into a blender and blend on high until the strawberries are completely incorporated into the milk mixture.*

2. Add heavy cream and blend on low until incorporated. Pour into a glass and enjoy!

*Alternative Suggestion: If you’d like to turn this into a breakfast or meal replacement smoothie, add a scoop of protein powder to the blender in step 1.

Nutritional Information per serving (entire recipe): 251 calories, 3.7 g carbohydrate (0.7 g dietary fiber, 2.8 g sugars), 24.1 g total fat (15 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat), 90 mg cholesterol, 146 mg sodium, 141.9 mg calcium, 84 mg potassium, 121 IU Vit A, 6.2 g protein. Net carbs per serving: 3 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!

Sunday, July 24, 2022

Keto Lemon Curd and Goat Cheese Spread

Friday, July 8, 2022

Keto Strawberry Milk

Diabetics Rejoice!