Oats, Diabetes, Food Budget, Joy
diabetes and nutrition and good food
Pre diabetes diagnosis, my breakfast was either an Eggo waffle with syrup and margarine or a piece of white toast with Cheez Whiz or a package of instant oatmeal with milk. Peaches and cream was my favourite. Breakfast was just something I had to get it over with basically, to fill hunger. I usually had to have a snack a few hours later. So I had carbs and sugar and that was it. Not particularly healthy, just convenient.
When I learned I had diabetes, I was overwhelmed with the need to make dietary changes and I felt like I didn’t have alternatives to the type of food I was eating. I had to do a lot of research and reading. I found out about Adam Brown’s amazing book, Bright Spots and Landmines, the Diabetes Guide I Wish Someone Had Handed Me (available as a free pdf here) and it was revelutionary for me because he had great recipes and a lot of uplifting advice about ways of dealing not just with physical health issues, but also mental health. I also received excellent support from the Community Diabetes Education Program of Ottawa and the Facebook group, Diabetes 101 for Beginners.
My husband and I tinker with recipes to make them tasty and good for my blood sugar levels. Oatmeal has been one of those recipes. Steel cut oats are typically best for controlling blood sugar levels and whole grains in general are rich in fibre and essential minerals. At first I could eat only 50 grams of oats to maintain a good blood sugar level. Now I can eat 120 grams. I make a batch of 12 every two weeks and freeze in individual 120 gram-size packages and I microwave it for 2 minutes and 30 seconds every morning.
Here’s the current and most delicious version of my oatmeal.
120 grams steel cut oats
splash of lactose free 1% milk
one egg
1 teaspoon of breakfast blend spice (homemade blend: coriander, ginger and Ceylon cinnamon)
1 teaspoon of 100% maple syrup
a handful of chopped walnuts
a handful of berries
a teaspoon of unsweetened, shredded coconut
It’s tasty, filling and manages my blood sugar levels wonderfully. Before my diabetes diagnosis, I had to think about my diet only in terms of not causing bowel obstructions since my colon was removed in 2009. I’m not saying I didn’t enjoy food, but my go to meals and snacks were often processed, high carb foods. We used to eat a bag of snacks every week: chips, cookies, chocolate. Now we don’t do that at all, and we don’t feel any sense of deprivation. Delicious meals like the oatmeal are much more satisfying to me than toast and cheez whiz could ever be.
Our food budget is lower too. Processed foods and junk food are very expensive. While fruit and vegetables are difficult to get for a good price, it can be done by keeping an eye on grocery flyers. If you live in Ottawa-Gatineau, check out Donovan Burey’s Weekly Grocery Flyer Review on Reddit. There are also apps to help save money on groceries, but I have found they are slanted more to USA grocery stores. Here’s a list of best grocery apps for Canadians.
Charles and I go to the Bulk Barn for spices, oats, coconut . We avoid those little jars they sell in grocery stores, which are often quite expensive. Even Amazon sells spices at very high prices, so you have to be careful.
Having to be more mindful about what I eat because of diabetes has led to a fuller and richer diet, which is more nutritious and cheaper than what I was eating before. My brain and tummy are happy.
It’s a sunny and cold morning in Ottawa today. We smelled our first skunk of sprinter (spring/winter) and it was a doozy. Happy February 25!