Healthy Mexican Sweet Potato

I am so excited share my Mexican Sweet Potato recipe with you! This is definitely one of my all time favorite lunches (its a good dinner too!). It is so full of flavor, colors and awesomeness. It has just enough of every ingredient so you don’t feel like you are missing out while keeping it low carb. Every time I eat this I make a mental note that I must make it again really soon! ? As with all my meals it is also healthy, diabetic friendly and insanely easy to make! Try it and if you do let me know what you think!

Healthy Mexican Sweet Potato

115g Cooked Sweet Potato /// 105cals/25carbs
Chicken (I used Trader Joe’s Grilled Chicken strips) /// 110cals
2 TBSP Salsa (I used Trader Joe’s Salsa Verde) /// 10cals/1carb
1oz Shredded Cheddar Cheese /// 110cals
1oz Avocado /// 45cals/4carbs
1 serving Sour Cream /// 50cals
Corn (I used 1/4 serving of Trader Joe’s fire roasted corn) /// 25cals/5carbs
Cilantro
Meal Total: 455cals/35carbs

I started meal prepping in advance so I can sleep a little later in the morning! I am very excited about this.

YUMMMM!!

I had some grapes on the side as well which is why they are in the photos – I love the color they added ?

Any plans for the weekend? I will be upstate — in fact I leave in a little while. Enjoy!
Eva

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Pumpkin Cottage Cheese

Hello and happy Wednesday! I hope you are enjoying it. It is so warm here in NY and I am loving every second of it.

When I was writing my post about my pumpkin favorites I decided I wanted to share an awesome healthy, low carb, diabetic friendly pumpkin treat with you – so I chose my pumpkin cottage cheese.

I started making this a couple of years ago but I really perfected it this year thanks to the Torani Pumpkin Pie Syrup! This is so yummy and satisfying, I hope you try it and enjoy it as much as I do. ?

Pumpkin Cottage Cheese

MAIN INGREDIENTS:
1/4 Cup Canned Pumpkin (I used trader Joe’s organic pumpkin) 25cals/5carbs
1/2 Cup Cottage Cheese (I use Horizon organic regular) 120cals/4carbs
1 TBSP Torani Pumpkin Pie Syrup
1/4 Tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
1/4 Tsp Cinnamon (I use Ceylon cinnamon – it has a smoother taste than regular cinnamon)
1/8 Tsp Nutmeg

TOPPINGS (feel free to change these based on your taste buds!) :
9g or 1TBSP Pumpkin Seeds (55cals/1Carb)
3g or 1/2 TBSP Walnuts (25cals)

TOTAL: 225Cals/10Carbs

Pumpkintastic!
Eva

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My Pumpkin Favorites

Since today is Halloween and there is only 1 month left of pumpkin season I decided to share my pumpkin favorites. I have been eating/using most of these for years now. Some, like the Noosa Yogurt are new additions. As a self proclaimed “pumpkin queen” I consider myself an expert on all things pumpkin. ? As a Type 1 Diabetic that likes to stay fit and eat healthy, low carb, diabetic friendly meals/snacks – I am very picky about my pumpkin treats. Pumpkin stuff tends to be very sweet and loaded with sugar. But not all of it! I hope you enjoy and try some of these yourself.

My Pumpkin Favorites

Trader Joe’s Canned Organic Pumpkin: The Basic, I love that Trader Joe’s sells organic pumpkin. Most health food stores do as well. I use this in SO MANY recipes including smoothies, my pumpkin cottage recipe (coming soon!) and pumpkin custard to name a few! Sometimes I even mix it with some full fat ricotta, vanilla and stevia – creamy, sweet and low carb!

Torani Sugar Free Pumpkin Pie Syrup: They also have pumpkin spice syrup but I am a pumpkin pie kind of girl. I mostly use this in my smoothies and in my pumpkin cottage recipe coming soon! I actually do not like it in coffee like most people do. I hate syrups in my coffee – I am all about half & half. ?

Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Waffles: I eat these one way – one waffle toasted  with a huge slice of provolone, mozzarella or muenster melted on it. This is SO GOOD – its the perfect sweet and savory treat – try it!

Andalou Naturals Pumpkin Honey Glycolic Mask: All natural, smells great and it burns a bit when you apply it. I like the burn because I know it is working.

Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Spiced Pumpkin Seeds: I almost didn’t get these because they are higher in carbs but I made it work. I eat half a serving (I weigh it on my food scale) with a big piece of mozzarella and some beef jerky. Its one of my favorite snacks. Sweet and Savory!

Noosa Pumpkin Yoghurt: This is also nigh in carbs but again, I make it work (I do not like to say no to myself when I really want something!). So, I have half a serving of this too (It’s a big container) and I add walnuts to it. This Yogurt is so creamy and delish.

Have your own pumpkin favorites? Let me know, I love to try new pumpkintastic treats!
Happy Halloween!
Eva

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My Carbohydrate Story

This is My Carbohydrate Story

Carbohydrates, carbohydrates — the villain in our diabetic story.

I remember the early part of my T1D days. Everything was “SUGAR” (or the “white devil” as I call it).

You can’t have that Eva, it has sugar.

Count the grams of sugar on the label!

Can you have natural sugar?

What is the difference between sugar-free and no sugar added?

I am not allowed to eat sugar.

Thankfully in this day-in-age we understand that it is a carbohydrate that counts. In case you aren’t privy to this information I will break it down for you in a super simple way. Every Carbohydrate turns into sugar. So if you take a piece of bread (10 carbs) and add a tablespoon of sugar to it (15 carbs) guess what? You actually have 25 grams of sugar not 15 because the carbohydrates turn into sugar. Yes there are different kinds of carbs meaning a piece of white bread turns into sugar much quicker than oatmeal. So the oatmeal won’t raise your blood sugar as fast but guess what? You still have to cover for it.

I was diagnosed with diabetes at the age of 6. In my early years I was under tight control thanks to my mother. I was also a kid and did what I was told so when they said I couldn’t have sugar I didn’t eat it. I would only have sugar when I was low and I would savor every single bite. Things changed as I got older.

When I was about 15 my blood sugars were out of control. I remember a nutritionist telling me I could not eat carbs. I asked her what carbs are. She explained that they are foods like bread, candy and fruit. I looked at her and said: “So you are telling me I can basically only eat veggies and meat?” I walked out of there and just accepted that I would never have control over my blood sugars.

When I was 21 I tried the big diet craze – Atkins. I was in heaven thinking about endless amounts of cheese, chicken salad and well… basically cheese and chicken salad. I figured I wasn’t eating sugar so I should have great blood sugars. I stopped testing and barely gave myself insulin. This lasted about a week. I was hospitalized with my first and last case of ketoacidosis. It was horrible to say the least and I vowed to never get it again. After that I moved onto the South Beach Diet because it had some carbs. I made sure to test myself and give myself the proper amount of insulin. Once again I wound up in the hospital. I actually didn’t have diabetic ketoacidosis but I had the same symptoms. After that I told myself I would never go low carb again!

I remember telling people throughout the years why I wouldn’t go on low carb diets. “They can kill me!” I would say. I was very passionate about it. I had no desire to reduce my carbs. In fact, it was the opposite – i ate high carb – in fact most times carbs were the only thing i ate. Why? Because I was STARVING! During this time I was at the height of my disordered crash diet, binge cycle that would last over 15 years. (Read about that here) Plus I really thought carbs were good (don’t be too hard on me – it was the early-mid 2000’s when carbs ruled!) I tried carb counting but I found it to be hard and tedious so I gave up on that and continued guesstimating my insulin for years.

Fast forward to 4 years ago when I started to recover from my disordered eating. I was feeling great, eating clean, taking in the calories my body needs AND I had energy. I was eating protein, carbs and healthy fats. I felt like I was finally getting it right but I knew I wasn’t quite there yet because i still didn’t have full control over my sugars. About 2 years ago I started researching carbs and diabetes and knew I had no place to go but down —- in carbs!

I started following people like Vinnie Tortorich and Stephanie Keto Person. I also read Dr. Bernstein’s book called the “Diabetes Solution”. First I cut out grains then slowly but surly I went down, waaaaay down to less than 20 carbs a day. (Please note: I did this very slowly and carefully with many low blood sugars – it wasn’t easy). This was not good for me. Yes my blood sugars were easier to control and I was only giving myself 5-8 units of Lantus a day and 6 units of Humulog but i SUFFERED. This goes down as the worst time in my life – i was TIRED, I was LETHARGIC and I was MOODY. People say that if you are doing low carb correctly and getting everything you need you wont feel like this but I was eating healthy, taking supplements and using MCT oil. I was only getting my 20 carbs from some veggies. Oh and to top it off I didn’t even lose weight – nada!

Finding Balance.

After this I stopped low carbing. I took a while off and then I went back to the drawing board. At this point I truly found my balance. A balance where I can have a fruit or a piece of chocolate. I now eat a diet of 2,300 calories a day (My TDEE) and around 150 carbs a day – sounds like a lot? Its not – just look at my posts. I used to eat well over 200 carbs a day. Want to hear the crazy part? I don’t miss any of those carbs because I am nourished and SATISFIED. Because I get my full amount of calories and enjoy everything I eat I don’t feel any urges to binge or overeat. If I want something I either find a low carb recipe or figure out a low carb recipe. I also get to eat things I love like cream cheese, butter and PEANUT BUTTER! The icing on the cake is my blood sugars! They are better than ever. Because I keep the amount of carbs I eat the same at every snack and every meal its so much easier for me to maintain control. Even though every day is still different – consistency is definitely key when it comes to maintaining blood sugars. To me thats the secret. I eat around 40 carbs at breakfast lunch and Dinner. Around 8-15 carbs per snack. I say I am low-mid carb since I am not a super low carb or ketogenic.

In the end its up to you to find your balance. There are many people I have seen and read about that thrive on ketogenic diets but I am not one of them. I am happy with the way I look, feel and most importantly with my blood sugars. I am not saying I never cheat because I do but I am not perfect and this blog is not about being perfect.

Thank you so much for reading my story <3
Eva

Low Carb Diabetic Protein Shake

Low Carb Diabetic Protein Shake

1 Scoop Vanilla protein powder (I use Tera’s) (110cals/4carbs)
1 Cup Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk (40cals/2carbs)
1/2 Cup Pumpkin (I use Trader Joe’s Organic Pumpkin) (50cals/10carbs)
1.5 TBSP Pumpkin Pie Syrup (I Use Torani)
1/4 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
1/8 tsp Nutmeg
1 TBSP Walnuts (8g=50cals/1carb)
1/2 Small Banana (50g=45cals/11.5carbs)
1/8 tsp Xanthan gum
Optional:
1/2 TBSP Hemp Seeds (25cals, .5carbs)
1 tsp Chia Seeds (25)
Total: 345cals/29carbs

This is a winner all around. It is SO GOOD! It tastes like a thick milkshake you would get at an ice cream store. It’s also very filling. It actually amazes me sometimes how good a diabetic friendly, low carb recipe can be. You just need to be a little more creative ? I hope you make this protein shake and enjoy it as much as I did!

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WIAW – What I ate Wednesday 10.07

WIAW – What I ate Wednesday 10.07

Hey! I hope your week is going swimmingly! I know that doesn’t even sound like a real word but it is!
I am officially in “fall mode” with all my meals and cooking. Even though today it is about 70 degrees out. It is absolutely gorgeous! Its so nice to have this kind of weather in October. I started out yesterday with a LISS run. LISS is the fancy term for Low Intensity Steady State. I ran for 40 minutes but kept it to more of a run/jog. I started this new workout program that I am loving right now but I want to do it for a few weeks before I write about it.

I started out yesterday with one of my favorite breakfasts of all time: the WAFFLEWICH!
2 Vans Multi-Grain Waffles /// 3 Egg Whites /// 1 Big Slice of Provolone Cheese /// 2 Applegate Farms Organic Turkey Sausages. I love this sandwich – it never gets old for me.

My first snack is my new favorite – I eat it at least 3 times a week. Ricotta /// Unsweetened Coconut Shreds /// Cacao Nibs /// Walnuts //// Grapes

For my lunch this week, I was in the mood for a huge fall salad. This one included: Spinach /// Broccoli Slaw /// Walnuts /// Pumpkin Seeds /// Apples /// grapes /// Shredded Cheddar /// Avocado /// Trader Joe’s Grilled Chicken


My Second snack was a simple one: Blueberries /// Macadamias /// Mozzarella

Dinner was so good I can’t even tell you! Actually i can tell you but I am going to wait until next week.

My dessert was one Wasa Crisp’n Light /// Peanut Butter /// Dang Coconut Chips

I hope you had as many good things to eat as I did yesterday ?
Eva

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WIAW – What I ate Wednesday 09.23


WIAW – What I ate Wednesday 09.23

Why hello! Happy Friday Eve! Like I said yesterday these past couple of weeks have been crazy! Last night Brian and I had appointments for our yearly physical. I always feel like it’s a waste for me get a one since my endo checks everything. On the other hand I need a doctor close by to run to in case I come down with the flu or strep throat or some kind of flesh eating zombie virus. So I “show face” at the general doctor once a year. Plus I am with Brian so its not too horrible lol.

Today I woke up with a 164 blood sugar. If you follow me on Instagram I mentioned that I am trying to get my morning numbers on point by eating more consistent at night (no extra picking, eating same amount of carbs/cals). Well last night I didn’t get home from the doctor until 8pm and I was STARVING!! I scarfed down my salad from Panera and then ate my Hail Merry Miract Tart so needless to say I haven’t been very consistent (frown). Anyway, after I woke up I gave myself some insulin and did the “upper fix” workout from the Beachbody 21 Day Fix. Then my blood sugar was 75 and I was feeling good!

Here are some eats:

I never get sick of a breakfast like this. Its so basic but so good ?
Everything bagel flat /// Plenty of Temp Tee cream cheese /// Grapes /// 2 Eggs over easy with melted Swiss cheese.

My first snack was: Organic Apple Slices /// Cheddar cheese /// Sunflower seeds

My “Lunch of the week” is: Turkey /// Spinach /// Broccoli Slaw /// Brussels spouts /// Mozzarella /// Pignoli nuts /// Avocado /// Evoo /// Strawberries (not pictured) // Chocolate square (not pictured)

My second snack was this favorite combo of mine (recycled picture): Yogurt /// Pumpkin seeds /// Unsweetened coconut /// Walnuts

Dinner: Panera Ancient Grain, Arugula & Chicken Salad (I scarfed this and my snack down so fast. As soon as I was done I realized I forgot to take a pic). I guess you have to look at the professional shots ?

Night time snack: Half a Hail Merry Miracle Tart (I LOVE AND AM OBSESSED WITH THESE!!!)

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Bai5 and KeVita (My 2 Favorite Drinks)

Hello!

Happy Hump Day everybody! One day closer to the weekend yay! The past 2 weeks have been super busy for me. I have had four doctors appointments, plans with family/friends, a tutoring appointment and a nail appointment. My nail appointment was last night – like the color? I love it! It’s this awesome cherry red color. Not very fall-ish but hey I am still holding onto summer for as long as possible!

Except for my falltastic Zucchini Bread Protein Shake recipe. If you follow me on Instagram the ingredients are on there. I may however do a detailed recipe on here next week so look out ?

OK I have to be honest this post was supposed to go out yesterday and my WIAW post was supposed to go out today but last night I had a quest bar and sliced turkey with cheddar for dinner. Then I ate Wasa crackers as my snack so I am going to do my WIAW post tomorrow when the food lineup is a bit more interesting!

OK so now onto the subject of the post ? my 2 FAVORITE drinks! They both have very little carbs. I have been drinking them for years now. Bai5 and KeVita! Recently Bai has become much more popular but I used to only be able to get them at the health food store. Now they are everywhere including 7-11 and Stop & Shop – yay! KeVita is only available in the health food stores, Wild by Nature and Wholefoods. However, it is certainly worth the trip!

Bai5 is probably the best all around drink. When I was little I used to dream of flavors like this. But the only “fun” drinks were loaded with sugar. As I got older Snapple started making some fun flavors but nothing like this! Plus Bai is naturally sweetened and antioxidant infused – healthy healthy! BTW they also makes Bai Bubbles and Bai Antiwater – I don’t love Bai Bubbles and I haven’t had the water. My Favorite Bai5 flavors are: Molokai Coconut, Congo Pear, Sumatra Dragonfruit, Ipanema Pomegranate, Malawi Mango and Brasilia Blueberry.

Next is KeVita. They actually just changed their packaging so if you see it and it looks different – thats why. I love KeVita because it is light, refreshing and lightly carbonated. The flavor is not overpowering at all and does not taste fake.KeVita is a probiotic drink. It is certified organic and naturally sweetened. Can you ask for more out of a drink??? My favorite flavors are: Coconut, Strawberry Acai Coconut, Mojita, Pinapple Coconut and Mango Coconut. See a trend? I am a coconut freak!

Have you tried these? Do you love them as much as I do?
Have an awesomely fantastic Hump Day!!

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Swiss Chard!

My meal last night was awesome!

Steak, Swiss Chard and Portobello mushroom fries. When I saw the Portobello fries at Trader Joe’s I had to try them!

My meal measurements:

Steak – 5oz = 200 cals, 0 carbs

Mushroom Fries – 1 Serving = 100 cals, 6 carbs

Swiss Chard – 6oz (cooked) = 36 cals, 6 carbs

Olive Oil – ½ TBSP = 60 cals, 0 carbs

The star of the show:

Just looking at the swiss chard made me happy – the vibrant colors are amazing! Thinking about my body being nourished with this made me feel fantastic! I seasoned the chard with the olive oil, Himalayan salt, ginger and fresh garlic.

My meal totaled 12 carbs so I had a few chocolate chips afterwords to satisfy my sweet tooth with added another 5 carbs.
Have an awesomely fantastic Saturday!
Eva

Monday night tex mex dinner

Tonight I was in the mood for a little tex mex!

Chicken 5oz = 165cal, 1carb
Broccoli 5oz = 45cal, 7carb
Butter .5oz = 50cal, 0 carb
Tomato 123grams = 25cals, 5carb
Tex Mex Mixture 1/7 of mixture = 104cals, 15carb
TOTAL: 389cals, 28carbs

Dinner was more carbs than I wanted but I added in that tomato last minute. Its fresh from the garden and they are my absolute favorite! They are the only veggie that to me, may as well have a different name when picked fresh from the garden because it tastes NOTHING like the ones in the store.

I seasoned the chicken with low sodium taco seasoning which is why it has 1 carb.

My “Tex-Mex Mix” is a can of fire roasted tomato’s, a can of black beans, a can of sliced black olives and white onion. I put it in a pot and simmered it so the flavors blended together while I cooked the chicken. I topped it with fresh cilantro.

Brian’s was a bit more exciting…

I added fire roasted corn and green chiles to his.

I had a bunch of the tex-mex mixture left over so I saved it for Brian’s lunch the next day! ?