Recipes, assorted

You know what, Wooly? Even though I am presently following the South Beach diet, I still gag at the thought of eggplant, let alone the taste. People tell me that it is delicious, but I can't manage it. Today, I almost gagged while eating lunch, because it had chopped avocado in it. Sigh! Thanks, anyhow.

Kather> Eggplant parmesan for those on a near-zero carb diet:

On Thu, 14 Jul 2005 13:11:08 -0300, "Katherine" spewed forth :

I've always viewed eggplant the way I do tofu - largely innocuous until other stuff makes it taste like something. Last night's dish actually tasted more like pizza than anything, especially with the fresh mozzarella (no shredded cheese food product for me!). I will admit that babaganouche is something I don't care for...

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Babaganouche? I know I could find it by googling, but you can tell me. It is the texture of eggplant and avocado and zucchini that I don't like.

Katherine

I think you're crazy, I love avocado LOL. But I'm with you on the eggplant. Every time I have had it, it feels slimy

On Thu, 14 Jul 2005 14:37:35 -0300, "Katherine" spewed forth :

I can see how the texture of those items you mention might be offputting. I despise guacamole but avocado slices are heavenly.

Babaganouche (spelling varies) is baked eggplant mushed up with various other veggies and seasonings and used as spread or a side dish. I don' like it. If I'm going to eat something of that texture it'll be an item with more protein value - tuna salad made with my own sugar-free mayo, for example.

If you've got a good bakery nearby have a look for lavash. Its a Lebanese flatbread, very flat and crackerish. Just before baking it is drizzled with olive oil, sprinkled with salt and various seeds. I can eat two smallish pieces without any adverse BG effects. Naan made with oat and buckwheat flour is an acceptable bread substitute if I limit myself to a piece weighing only half an ounce.

I've only been doing teh low-carb diet thing for a couple of weeks now but I'm discovering that "Standard American Fare" really doesn't lend itself to low/no-carb modification; after all, how many slabs of beef can a person eat in a day? My big problem right now is that I can't have *any* grain-based carbs until dinner or my BG bounces all over the place. I'm having a hard time finding things I want to eat for breakfast so I'm looking at other cultures for ideas.

This morning I had half an avocado with 1/4c of lentils and a cup of yogurt. Texturally it was lacking but my BG was rock-steady until about 30 minutes before I was planning to have lunch, when it took a dip. Lunch was leftover eggplant "pizza" with some salad and a cracker. I'm starving, but my BG is a little high because of the cracker, so I'll work the stepper for 15 minutes and hope I can find a decent snack in an hour or so.

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Okay - I give up - what is your "BG" (besides a big grin) ?? Needless to say, I have not followed a low carb diet for years, and certainly not South Beach or Atkins. The best results I have ever had was the Weight Watchers Points plan - where you could eat anything - it was all portion control and counting points - which makes the most sense to me. That way you aren't depriving yourself and there's no need to starve. YMMV.

Shelagh

Hi Wooly,

I know what you mean, but the low carb does work, been there, done that and still use it most of the time. It's a big adjustment for sure and different things effect BG's. Now I can have five or six saltine crackers and nothing happens to mine.

BG's are the blood sugar readings.

Hugs,

Nora

LOL Katherine, you sound like me! I gag at the thought of eggplant, avacado, and a few other things too.

Oh... have you (or anyone else) seen Saturn Peaches before? I happened to see them in the grocery store the other day and thought "Hmmm, the peaches are mal-formed this year!", but apparently that's what they are supposed to look like... FLAT!!! The lady at the check-out said "I keep asking people who are buying them what they are like, but everyone says it's the first time they've ever seen them so they are just trying them for the first time. I keep hoping to finally ask someone who has already tasted them.... we're all calling them 'Donut Peaches' because of their shape." LOL

Gemini

LOL Thank you, Shelagh! I was sitting here looking very puzzled while reading about her BG too. I even scrolled up and re-read the entire thing again thinking I *must* have missed something. :o)

Gem

Ahhhh, *now* it makes sense.... now that it's right in front of me that is! LOL Thank you Nora! :o)

Gem

On Thu, 14 Jul 2005 14:50:57 -0500, "Shillelagh" spewed forth :

BG is blood glucose, in my case. I had gestational diabetes back when, and now I'm a type 2 diabetic. Tho I'm basically healthy I've had some orthopedic problems in the last couple of years that have reduced my ability to excercise as vigorously as was my usual wont. That in its turn produced some weight gain despite my efforts to control my weight through a low-fat diet (which stresses complex carbs, something to keep in mind as you read the rest of this, if you read it at all) and the excercise I can do.

End result: insulin insufficiency. That basically means my pancreas doesn't produce enough insulin to handle a quantity of sugars (starch of any sort is just sugar) most people consider "normal". Apparently some of the weight gain was diabetes-induced. If you don't burn it, it has to go somewhere, and a diabetic's body turns it into fat :P Had I known even a year ago what my problem was there's a good chance I wouldn't have to be on a near-zero carb diet and taking these nasty pills :P

My doc recommended I drop all carbs and start adding them back gradually while monitoring my BG to see how much I can eat of what carb foods without seeing any adverse effects. In my case it looks like wheat and oats are major problems in quantities exceeding about an ounce; rice is also a bit scarey - 2 tablespoons with dinner the other night put me right up over my upper limit. Processed corn (tortilla chips, for example) seems to have litle or no effect on my BG but I can't eat tortilla chips and bean dip for breakfast every day!

I've always been about being healthy, not adhering to someone else's idea of what my weight ought to be. When I was physically capable of working out at the gym for 3 hours a day I weighed 160# and wore a size 12. According to the standard chart my BMI (body mass index) was in the borderline overweight/obese range, but that chart doesn't take into account bone density or fat/muscle ratios. When I had my BMI calculated at the sports medicine clinic it was 20.5 - well within "normal" limits by most measures and approaching that magical "underweight/no menses" number of anything below 20.

I'm still not "fat" if you look at me. I'm tallish and I've always carried myself with good posture so people don't notice that I'm not exactly skinny. Rubenesque might be a good word for me, right now. Even my endocrinologist's nurse trotted me to a second scale to verify my weight when I went in for my first appointment as she was sure I couldn't possibly weigh that much. Unfortunately my fat/muscle ratio currently exceeds my pancreas's ability to produce, and its a problem I'll have for the rest of my life to some greater or lesser degree, but hopefully a problem I'll be able to control with diet.

I'm not condoning anybody's commercial diet plan over anybody else's. I'm not following a commercial diet plan. Doing such wasn't the point of any of my posts, nor did I intend to regale you all with my health problem. I figured I'd chip in a recipe, since that seems to be the theme of the day, and it segued into why I'm eating the way I'm eating.

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That's what the avocado was like today! However, I saved the pit and will root it later, as it makes a lovely FREE green plant.

Katherein

We have a very basic bakery, which doesn't even make pita bread, so I don't think I'd be able to get anything more exotic. Low-carbing is interesting, isn't it? Fortunately, with South Beach, most veggie carbs are not forbidden, so it is a little easier.

Katherine

I agree with you, Shelagh. That being said, I never had much luck with WW. Atkins really worked for me last year, but I prefer this one, mainly because there are fewer forbidden foods. Plus, the final stage is almost the same as a diabetic's diet, which is very healthy.

Katherine

Saturn peaches? Never heard of them. But I will be in Halifax next month, and will look for them there. If I find them, I'll let you know what I think.

Hugs, Katherine

Hey Wooly - I read it all and found it educating. I have a friend who also has diabetes and yes, she has to really watch her carbs too.... I understand it's that way with diabetes. I must have missed the fact that you had diabetes (if you had mentioned it sometime before).

I wasn't advocating WW Points plan - just mentioning that I had good results with it in the past, as a contribution to the discussion.

Good luck with your food plan and getting that BG under control! Shelagh

Wooly, A low-carb diet is the healthiest for me too (when I can stick to it!) I generally have eggs, cheese and/or meat for breakfast. That keeps me going for hours. One of my favourites is an omelette with salsa, but I have been known to make "wraps" with slices of chicken or ham and light cream cheese, or avocado.

You might find these sites useful:

Wooly,

If you like both eggplant and zucchini, you should give ratatouille (vegetarian version) a try. Cube both zucchini and eggplant for colour, then simmer with seasonings, onions and diced tomatoes for hours (think crock pot all day).

Tara

I love ratatouille - but don't include the eggplant. I use it to help deplete my supply of zucchini.... spoon it over rice and there's the meal!! ;>)

Shelagh