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Prediabetes Help Needed

Wow, what a manic Monday it’s been!

Yesterday, I didn’t leave Charleston until 6pm, soaking up every moment of sunshine during a short shakeout run, a long walk on the beach, another game of Bocce, and lunch on the front porch with the other stragglers.

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Due to my late flight and the taxi line at LaGuardia, I didn’t get home until 9pm, thoroughly exhausted from the wonderful weekend and ready for bed!

This morning, after a quick four miler on the treadmill, I was able to wear my first Fall outfit thanks to this morning’s cool weather.

IMG_4780 (480x640) IMG_4782 (640x478) IMG_4783 (640x478) Blazer: Hive and Honey Charlotte Cardigan Blazer in Mustard Yellow (Only $69 on Piperlime)

Necklace: 80% off on Kate Spade sample sale last week

Shoes: Cole Haan Stephanie Air Oxford Pump

Pants: Express Editor Black Pant in Tall

T-Shirt: Gap Favorite Long Sleeve T-Shirt

My work day was longer than I expected but my meals kept me going all day long.

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IMG_4652IMG_4784 (640x478) Tonight’s dinner was eaten late as I didn’t walk through the door until 9:30. Bo is still at the office and therefore the meal’s only requirements were healthy and easy. I opened up a can of Progresso Low Fat Clam Chowder and added a 1/2 cup of vegetables to it before microwaving. The result was a warm, filling, and comforting bowl of soup.

Last but not least, I need to enlist your help. Unfortunately, there are some things in life about which you never want to be right. For years, I’ve been telling my father that he needed to watch his weight and start exercising more. Over the past fifteen years, he has started carrying all of his weight in his abdomen area, which is infamous for causing many problems in both women and men. While he has supported my mom’s healthy habits over the past year by converting my brother’s old bedroom into an amazing workout room complete with flat screen television, treadmill, elliptical, and recumbent bike! Unfortunately, this change didn’t really affect his habits.

IMG_4525My father was just diagnosed with prediabetes. The American Diabetes Association describes this on their website as follows:

Before people develop type 2 diabetes, they almost always have "prediabetes"—blood glucose levels that are higher than normal but not yet high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes. There are 79 million people in the United States who have prediabetes. Recent research has shown that some long-term damage to the body, especially the heart and circulatory system, may already be occurring during prediabetes.

Unfortunately, my dad also found out from his doctor today that there is blood in his liver. Therefore, his risk has now reached a higher level and he really needs to spend the next few weeks staying active through both his full time job and exercise, evaluating his food choices, and cutting out alcohol. I’m happy that I’ll be home this weekend on vacation and able to help him and provide some motivation. But, right now, this is totally new for he and my mom and they are looking for any healthy food recommendations, substitutions, or diabetic suggestions.  So far, he has discovered frozen grapes as a great dessert and snack substitute in place of sugary treats.

If you have any recommended books, websites, or recipes please leave a comment! I know this is a common diagnosis and I’m dedicated to helping him get healthy!

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ashleyd /

A Busy Day at the Beach

 

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What can I say? The fresh air, long run, good food, and bocce games took it out of us.

After everyone finished their runs we made lunch and were entertained by our new guest, Isabelle. Isabelle is the second baby our group of girlfriends has had but she was the only one to make the trip down to the beach this weekend. She had more outfit changes than Brittney Spears and was the center of attention all day.

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My lunch was more delicious than normal as my hunger returned just in time.

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A turkey sandwich, complete with cheese, mustard, and Duke’s mayonnaise. On the side I enjoyed some pickles, Baked Lay’s Ruffles, and a Blue Moon Pumpkin beer.

After lunch our group split into two groups, the ESPN crowd and the beach crowd. Normally I would have been on the couch cheering for Georgia Tech, Georgia, and Notre Dame. But, since I’ve only had two beach weekends this summer the beach was my destination of choice yesterday.

These are the beverage choices of a long runner: a gallon of water and a beer.

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IMG_4741 (478x640)We were blessed with gorgeous weather again yesterday though the wind kept things too cool for swimsuits.

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After the Dawgs won the game the rest of the group came down to the beach for a game of Bocce.

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Bocce is the perfect beach game because it allows you to keep talking, hold a beer, and play all at the same time. The driftwood, shells, and soft sand made for a more challenging game than normal.

By dinner time everyone was ready for a big Low Country meal, a Low Country Boil. Also known as Beaufort Stew or Frogmore Stew, a Low Country Boil is, according to Coastal Living Magazine

 

Once called Frogmore Stew, this one-pot wonder was created by a National Guardsman when he needed to cook a meal for 100 soldiers. Richard Gay, who learned the recipe from his family, had everyone remembering his stew. The dish was later named Frogmore, where Richard was from, by the guards who teased him about home. The postal service eliminated the name Frogmore, which changed this popular dish to Low country boil.

This seafood dish is a combination of shrimp, sausage, corn, and potatoes. Great for relaxing trips to the beach, it is also easy to create for a crowd. Low country boil can be served on newspaper for easy clean up. Crab, onion, and butter are frequent additions to the pot, and having a removable drain basket only makes cooking easier. The rule of thumb here is the bigger the crowd, the bigger the pot.

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It was delicious! What a wonderful day!

Question: What is your favorite food from your region of the United States?

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Fall Comfort Foods

Fall has made an appearance in New York City, even if only for a brief stint this time around. Yesterday morning as Bo and I headed to the gym, a light jacket was required to keep the morning air from chilling my body. At Starbucks, I was tempted by their Fall posters, and finally chose a Chai Tea bag instead of my normal Green or Awake.

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But, my favorite part of Fall is definitely comfort food. While all good things must be enjoyed in moderation, I don’t think I will ever tire of roasted root vegetables, spaghetti squash, pumpkin oats, apples fresh from the orchard, pears, or brussel sprouts.

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Since Bo and I rarely make it home from work in time to cook a full meal during the week, we have a habit of cooking for the masses on Sunday. Around 3pm we’ll head to the grocery store, filling our cart with ingredients for at least two meals.

This week’s Sunday comfort meal was roasted chicken, fall salad, garlic green beans, and risotto!

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We followed our favorite roasted chicken recipe again this week but we opted for a larger chicken since we knew we wanted it to last a few days. If you use a larger chicken, make sure you do some research on cooking times as it is easy to under cook it.

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Our Fall salad included fresh greens and radicchio, chopped beets, a hint of blue cheese, sliced apples, tomatoes, and a homemade mustard vinaigrette.

I love to serve a hearty side with a meal like this but rarely have the time to make something from scratch. Luckily, my friends at Foodbuzz provided this week’s side; risotto!

IMG_4492 (478x640) I received two bags of Bird’s Eye Steamfresh Chef’s Favorites as part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program. We thought the mushroom and green bean risotto would pair well with the roasted chicken. This side is quite dense calorically, 180 calories per serving, but when enjoyed in moderation as a side it is perfect!

IMG_4493 (640x478) IMG_4496 (640x478)You can’t beat the ease of this risotto since all you do is stick it in the microwave for 4 minutes! The mushroom flavor was rich and the risotto was cooked perfectly! I highly recommend these items as a freezer staple, perfect for an easy week night dinner. They are available in grocery stores nation wide later this month.

Question: What is your favorite Fall comfort food?

 

 

Disclosure – As part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program, I received Birds Eye Steamfresh Chef’s Favorites (Lightly Sauced Mushroom & Green Bean Risotto, Lightly Sauced Primavera Vegetable Risotto, Light Sauced Roasted Red Potatoes & Green Beans and Lightly Sauced Creamed Spinach). All product opinions expressed are my own.

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