Sugar Turned On Me

There are parts of winter I like, when it’s cold and still and the whole world seems peaceful. There there are times when it warms up just to become wet. Even worse are when it become wet and bitingly cold.

This winter has had a lot of that last one.

Chilly weather leads to thoughts of how to get warm and very often those thoughts lead to comfort foods. The problem for me is that most comfort foods involve a lot of sugar or starch, like pot pies or pasta dishes. This doesn’t play well with my blood sugar.

There are options available, though. Three things that are warm and diabeties friendly:

• Oatmeal: Plain oatmeal has fiber and isn’t terrible calorie or carb wise. Flavorwise, it’s pretty boring, but makes for a good blank canvas and plays well with dried fruits and cinnamon .
• Vegatable Soup: While there is no one true vegetable soup recipe, the base concoction of a tomato-y broth plus assorted green, yellow and orange nibbles is a tried and true classic. It goes well with grilled cheese, if that’s acceptable to your diet, and it also allows for a lot customization. Add some beef chunks and you’ve got stew.
• Chili : Another high protein, low carb option. Also, the spices help with the whole feeling cold thing.

Warm drinks, like hot tea or coffee, are also good winter options as in addition to their benefits in upping your body tempature, recent studies have shown that just holding something warm will elevate your mood.

According to one article I read, people turn to carbs in winter because carbs boost the brain chemicals that tell you you’re feeling good, thus making gray and cloudy days seem less dreary. When you don’t really have the option to dive into the breads or potatoes, this doesn’t mean that food can’t be a comfort. It just means you need to work with it a little more.

Announcment:
After some thought, I’ve decided to stop trying to put up articles 5 days a week. Attempting to say that much about being newly diabetic has turned out to be a more ambitious goal that I’d first thought and as a result, I feel like some of my recent blog entries have suffered. So, beginning this week I’m going to regularly be posting on Teusday and Thursday. I may still be posting randomly at other times, but in order to put my thoughts forth more clearly I feel slowing down for the time being is the best option.

Thanks for reading and see you on Thursday.

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