Book Review: The Sugar Blockers Diet

The Sugar Blockers Diet: Eat Great; Lose Weight: A Doctor’s 7-Step Plan to Lose Weight, Lower Blood Sugar and Beat Diabetes—While Eating the Carbs You Love, Rob Thompson with the Editors of Prevention 2012.
This is wwat I gleaned from the Sugar Blocker Diet.  Good stuff to eat that will help black the sugar rush in your blood stream when you eat too much starch, like too much potato, rice, bread, corn etc.

Sugar Blockers: Fruit: Apricot, Avocado, Black Berries, Grapefruit, papaya, peach, pear (not quite ripe), raspberries, strawberries and water melon.

Vegetables: sprouts, artichoke, asparagus, broccoli, cabbage, carrot, cauliflower, celery, collard greens, cucumber, dandelion greens, lettuce, mushrooms, onions, peppers, scallions, spinach, tomatoes, water chestnuts, beans, peas,

Other: beans (not all the way done) best is lentils (navy and pinto also good) but all good; nuts, chia seeds best, almond, sunflower seeds hazelnuts; bran; flaxseds; Fiber supplements; Metformin.

Other ideas, fat ½ hour before meal can cause system to digest more slowly, cheese or nuts;

Cinnamon

Vinegar and pickles will create better enzyme balance

Protein with Carbs

Exercise right after eating (20 minute walk) will allow cells to absorb carbs without insulin

Strength based exercise.
One other tid-bit, Metformin can cause diarrhea as a side effect.  I take this medication so something to watch for.

Health As I See It: Taking Care of My Health

State of Welllness: Wellness Works winter 2014

This county provided pamphlet starts with a review of the health of county workers.  It is not very flattering, but good to know I am not alone.  55 percent of the county in general, and 56 percent of county worker are either overweight or obese.  I must admit I would like to get down to just being overweight.  51 percent of county workers have high blood pressure or are borderline, 44 percent are stressed or very stressed.  I have to say with regards to stress, it is stressful doing more with less, which seems to be the trend.

So some answers:

Eat right.  They suggest enjoying your good by eating more slowly, and eating less.  Prepare portions visually by using smaller plates, have of plate should be fruits and vegetables; leafy colored vegetables over starchy ones (my favorite is potatoes which didn’t make the list).  Make half your grains whole grains—watch the bread and the rice.  Eat less processed food, ingredients list should be short and sweet, avoid sugary drinks and make sure to include dairy.

Get physical activity:

“Exercise is absolutely essential to a healthy lifestyle.  Try to get in at least 150 minutes moderate physical activity each week; more if weight loss is the goal.”

Smart goals

These are goals that are attainable and time bound.  They are specific identifying actions to reach the goal; measurable, how much how long etc.; attainable, outcome is within reach; relevant, start small and make sure you have skills, resources to achieve goal; and time-bound, have an end date.

March into May, the county is sponsoring an exercise program which they do every year, to get people more active and to measure their activity. 

Restaurant Review: * Long John Silver's

Long john Silver’s

I had a choice to make, knowing that I was going to have to eat out for lunch.  There was a Subway available, but also a KFC.  I prefer the taste at KFC, but knew I would have a greater caloric intake.  When I got to KFC I discovered it was combined with Long John Silver’s, and not knowing there food but being game for seafood I gave it a try.  I ordered a platter, which must have been intended for a couple people because I had lots of shrimp, one piece of chicken, to cod filets and a couple hush puppies.  Everything was cooked in a similar fashion, breaded and deep fried.  The filets were dripping in grease.  I thought, ”This is going to kill any chance of having a sensible diet today,” and I was right. 

I checked to caloric values later, and they really weren’t terrible.  However when I added the condiments, I was looking at a meal with over 1500 calories.  That is way over half of my daily goal.  As for the taste, I didn’t much care for the hush puppies, nor did I care for the dripping grease.  I guess they were going for the English fish and chips idea.  There fries were really pretty good.  The shrimp would have been very good, but they were too hot to enjoy.  After I ate the first shrimp, I had to let my food sit for a while, while it cooled off.  My final analysis, I don’t think I will eat this type of food again.  I would have been happier with KFC.  I did enjoy the chicken strip by dipping it in the KFC honey mustard.  That stuff tastes great, but it too has its caloric value.