Archive for the ‘diabetes’ Category

I’m back… I’m nationwide?

Posted: October 9, 2012 in diabetes, Disney, Exercise, Food porn, Foot issues, Physical activity, Stubby the Wonder Toe, Supportive Partner Woman, Travel
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Greetings!

I know, its been quite awhile. I started writing this from the laundry room of Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside Resort. I know… I go to such interesting places on vacation. What can I say? It’s a gift.

So, it’s been about a month since I scribbled anything down. Just been crazy busy at Chez T and, well, just nothing really interesting to report. Done some stumbling recently, food-wise, not a serious backslide, but enough that my last doctor visit resulted in just a one-pound loss. In a month. Granted, I wasn’t working out like crazy… trying to keep the tempo down to prepare for our trip. Fat lot of good that did me.

See, after one day of serious walking, with preventative measures in places (Stubby cocooned in moleskin, his counterpart wearing a gel pad), I get a freakin’ blister NEXT TO THE GEL PAD!!!! This, as you can imagine, did not make me happy. Especially not with five days to go.

Supportive Partner Woman (de facto nurse of unparalleled skill!) then decreed an easier pace and began a regimen of rubbing my feet with ammonium lactate cream, which, according to the surgeon, is good stuff. This, coupled with Betadyne and gauze and a lot of moleskin, really enabled me to stay upright. It’s the one blessing of neuropathy… I can’t feel the pain of a blister. Looking back, I thing the problem was due to the crazy high humidity. It made the air chewy and we usually wound up with two showers a day.

So, for us a vacation to Disney World is more about the friends and the food than anything else. We paid two visits to Ohana for meeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaat on a stiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiick! There’s an art to eating somewhat healthier at Ohana… that is to view it as a high protein meal. Just keep in mind that when the nice server brings a sizzling skewer of dripping meat, he or she will automatically adjust your request by a factor of three. So, if you would, in fact, like one more piece of steak, make sure you have friends to share it with, because you’re getting three giant pieces.

The food at Ohana is not bad… you start with the Ohana welcome bread, which is a sweet Hawaiian style bread that has a touch of pineapple flavor. Then you get a salad, which would be better with less dressing. It’s positively drowning. I’m pretty sure I saw a lettuce shred clinging desperately to a life ring as its mates all drowned in the Vinaigrette Sea.

The staff follows this with the chicken wings and dumplings. I’m not a huge fan of wings to start with and these are just meh, so I usually pass on them. The dumplings are awesome, though, and it takes a great deal of self-restraint to not totally strap on the feed bag. This is followed with the greens, which consist of snow peas and broccoli that are well prepared. The share a plate with some tasty lo mien.

After the BS is dispensed with, it’s on to the main event. The meat. See, Disney wants you to believe that Ohana means family, but in reality, Ohana means meat. Lots of meat. Lots and lots of meat. We’re talking meat with a capital MEAT. The room is dominated but an open wood fire cooking giant skewers of steak, chicken, pork and shrimp. I love the shrimp. It has a nice level of spiciness without being too much to numb the palate. The steak has a wonderful marinade… not sure what all is in it, other than garlic, Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce. Makes it very bold.

The chicken is pedestrian… not a ton of flavor, probably kept mild for people who don’t care for spice. The pork, though, is not that great. It’s usually a little overcooked and the BBQ sauce is way too sweet for my palate. I think the open fire is simply too hot and dries out the meat. Pork, IMHO, should be done low and slow with just enough sear on the outside to keep the juices in. Here’s a view of the cooking fire in action:

After the gorging is over, they hit you with dessert. They bring a banana bread pudding topped with vanilla ice cream. If that’s not enough, they will dump an Exxon Valdez sized load of caramel sauce on top. I’m lucky, though… since I have dietary restrictions, they usually bring me a nice plate of fresh fruit.

I will provide more food details over the next few days, but suffice it to say that even with all the food, I still managed to lose 2.5 pounds while away. So, not a total loss.

Talk to you again tomorrow.

Song of the Day: Gangnam Style – PSY
Currently Reading: The Tombs – Clive Cussler

How to tell when you’re getting old… or, Senior Moments… I haz dem.

Posted: September 10, 2012 in diabetes, Exercise, Physical activity, Senior Moments, Weight loss
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So, after a nice weekend which included a wonderful break to the heat we’ve been having, Monday dawned sunny, cool and breezy. Having been cleared by the physical therapist to attend water Pilates, Supportive Partner Woman wanted to be at the gym by 10:00 for class. I thought that would be an excellent time to go… I could get my cardio in while she was doing the Pilates thing.

I had a great workout. 30 minutes and decent resistance on the elliptical, followed by a training loop on the bike. I’m still leery of the treadmill, as I don’t need a blister relapse before vacation. I finished and waited for SPW to emerge from the pool area. We went home and I was browsing through my calendar, wanting to make sure that my scheduled session was in fact at 11:00 tomorrow. Turns out I made a whoopsie and the session was for 11:00 today. That would be 11:00, or 33 minutes earlier than the current time. So, I skipped my session at the gym because I was at the gym. Sigh.

I called in and Cory had a good laugh at it… I was still pretty mortified. The sad part is that if I hadn’t decided to check, I probably would’ve missed the Thursday appointment as well, thinking it was on Friday.

So, the weekend was pretty good… had an unexpected Saturday off, so SPW and I traveled to Berks County to see her family and I took a side trip to see my mom. See, I’ve been a bad son… I haven’t stopped in to see her for several months. No particular reason, I just got caught up in life. It’s not a good thing, though. There’s more to life than working and not taking enough time for your family. Let’s face it… when it comes down to it, family is all you can really count on.

It was nice to see Mom, though. In a surprise move, she was trying to feed me, but I managed to escape without damage. I had stopped at Chick-Fil-A on the way to her house, as my sugar level was starting to go low. I ordered a #1 with a fruit salad, as opposed to fries, and it was very tasty. I probably should’ve gotten a grilled sandwich, but I felt that I needed the carbs. Three hours later, the blood sugar was going low again, so that necessitated me taking a glucose tablet. That held me off until we had dinner.

Crab quesadilla with onion rings and green beans.

We went to a new place for us, after getting shut out at Bonefish Grille. It’s a place called the Black Knight Tavern and Grille. We’ve been getting mailers from them for a couple of years, just never got around to trying them. Turns out the food is pretty good. Maybe not the greatest cuisine on the planet, but it was serviceable and filling. It also had the advantage of being pretty nicely priced. They offer a couples special. You get an appetizer to share, a choice of two selected entrees, and two small desserts. All for around $25. So, SPW (lover of fine crustaceans!) and I agreed on a crab dip appetizer that was served with some yummy warm bread. For her entrée, SPW went with a grilled swordfish, served with fries and green beans. I opted for a crab quesadilla topped with shrimp, served with onion rings and green beans. Like I mentioned earlier, the food is not haute cuisine. It’s basically pub grub, kicked up a notch. My quesadilla was fresh, loaded with plenty of crab meat. The rings were very crispy, and the only drawback with the beans was that they were a little oily.

Is this place going to earn a spot on our dining rotation? Probably not. The service was a little slow and the ambience isn’t that great. Our server seemed to have a regular in the same room as us and spent most of her time chatting up the regulars rather than attending to her other tables. I also realize that this probably wasn’t the smartest choice in terms of nutrition, but with my sugars running a little low all day, the carbs were probably a good choice. That’s what it all comes down to… making a smart choice. You have to weigh your options and know that if you had ice cream earlier in the day, you’d be better off having a big salad for dinner.

That pretty much sums it up for today. Keep making the good choices… your body will thank you.

Song of the Day: Learn to Fly – Foo Fighters
Currently Reading: Return to Atlantis – Andy McDermott

Quote of the Day:

Progress is impossible without change and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything. ~George Bernard Shaw

Full blown freakout mode

Posted: August 20, 2012 in diabetes, Doctors and Dentists and Nurses... oh my!, Exercise, Stubby the Wonder Toe
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Good very early morning.

I’m kind of freaking out at the moment. See, I have a doc’s appointment in the AM and I’m sure the scale’s not going to like me. It hasn’t been the greatest food week or two. I’d get back from what I was doing and realize I had to eat some lunch but we didn’t have anything in the house so I’d stop and get something to eat and my blood sugar would be low and OMG look there’s Twizzlers and Twizzlers rock and no fat and should raise the sugar nicely and while I’m here at Sheetz I’d get some chicken fingers because I need to have protein and yadda yadda yadda. Whew.

zAt any rate, the good news is that Stubby the Wonder Toe seems to be healing quite nicely. I’m hoping I can get cleared to go back to the gym… if not for cardio then maybe for some strength training. I really find myself missing it.

I’m going to head to bed and try to actually sleep instead of my usual freakout mode habit of sleeping wide awake.

I’ll keep you posted.

Butt kicking and more!

Posted: July 26, 2012 in Cooking, diabetes, Exercise, regrets, Wanda, Weight loss
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It was Thursday, that means another session at the gym with Ryan and Cory. However, Cory had to have knee surgery, so it’s just Ryan trying to wrangle everyone. This can be a little trying, I am sure, but he’s doing a fine job. This, however, necessitates a change in my routine. I’ll be going Tuesday and Friday of next week instead.

It should be interesting to see what effect that has on me. It’s always hard to change routine when it gets set. This is part of my problem. I get set in my ways and it’s hard to move on. It also seems like heavier a rut I get into, well, the harder it is to escape said rut. At least I’m recognizing the problem and am going to face it head on.

I also managed to prepare a nice lunch for Supportive Partner Woman (annoyed with New Balance!) and I. Originally I wanted to grill some salmon yesterday, but after getting a late start and having to visit Dr. Doogie, we just didn’t have time. So, I had a cedar plank soaking for around 26 hours that I threw on the grill and the salmon really picked up the cedar flavor. It turned out to be very smoky and a beautiful red color that no dyed farm-raised salmon can match.

So, SPW has actually noticed changes in me. Not only that I’m smaller, but better general muscle tone and better disposition. I’m not quite as cranky as I once was. These are my biggest motivations to keep with the program and deal with any changes. When Ryan asked me if I’d be willing to come in at 8:00 next Friday morning, I hesitated, thinking that I only get out of work at midnight, but as I then told him, “I need this more than sleep.” It’s true. Having these guys to help navigate me through the process of getting healthy and atoning for many many years of dietary sins has been invaluable.

So, being about halfway through the program, I can honestly say that the weak link for me has been the dietitians. I don’t feel that I’m getting that much from those sessions. They seem to think I should be eating more calories, and yet my regular provider recommended I keep my intake around 500 calories less than what the dietitian said. I realize the one specializes in diet, but the other deals with a lot more diabetes on a daily basis. Speaking with another patient this morning, we were in agreement on this. We;d love for someone to tell us what we should eat and what we should avoid. It’s all very confusing.

I can say this… I’m sticking with the exercise program, regardless of what my surgical future is. I feel better and healthier, my sugars are better and clothes fit better.

I will try to write more tomorrow… busy day for me, have to get a haircut in the morning and have some other things to take care of before work.

P.S. I mentioned that SPW is annoyed with New Balance. This is the second pair of 623 cross trainers that she’s bought and in both pairs, the insole has slipped back toward the heel, causing a gap between the insole and the base of the show. This causes SPW’s toes to rub, causing pain and blistering. I’ve not had that problem, and I’ve worn the 623. Granted, not as hard as she has because I had to switch to a motion control sole to keep the feet in better shape.

Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

Posted: July 20, 2012 in diabetes, Exercise, regrets, Weight loss
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It’s Friday here in Cow Country and it’s been a decent morning. I managed to get to the gym for some cardio, run a couple of errands and get gas. Supportive Partner Woman (finder of dusty, rarely (if ever) worn sneakers!) had a hair appointment and got moving early, which left me to my own devices, such as they are.

The NB 856… very supportive

I mentioned yesterday about my shoe situation. I stopped at the grocery store on the way home from work and picked up some new shoelaces, got the cross trainers laced up and decided to try them on this morning after the gym. Imagine my surprise when I realized they actually mostly fit. They are still a little tight around the toes, so I won’t be wearing them for any long walks or gym sessions just yet. Maybe after I wear them to work for a while and get them broken in.

It’s nice that the actually fit… it’s another example of a result that I’m not seeing on a scale, sort of like when you can take another notch in your belt, so buckle the car seatbelt.

That’s a story in and of itself. We have two cars… SPW’s ’08 Honda Civic and my ’99 Oldsmobile. We don’t use the Olds too much… it’s the beater car that I take to work or that we drive in the foul weather. The Olds, for whatever reason, has short seatbelts and when I was at my biggest a few months ago, well, I couldn’t get it to buckle without totally wedging it under my fat. Sometimes, I would just wedge the belt in there and that was it. I figured that I wouldn’t get pulled over f0r driving without a seatbelt. Yeah, stupid of me, I know. The belt fits now, without even having to wedge it underneath the rolls.

I’m not too proud of some of the things I’ve done as a result of my weight, or that have helped contribute to my weight. Risking my life because I didn’t want to track down a belt extender is just one of a litany of dumb moves I’ve made. I’ve eaten an entire pound of cheese in a sitting more than once. A few months ago, I bought not one, but two packages of sugar-free cookies and went all Cookie Monster on them. Not a good thing.

The changes I’ve made seem to be taking root. I’m much more able to resist the temptations than I was a few short weeks ago. The talk of cookies inspires me to share an instant classic with you:

Talk to you all tomorrow.

Thursday lament

Posted: July 19, 2012 in diabetes, Exercise, Foot issues, Stubby the Wonder Toe, The Beetus, Weight loss
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It was Thursday… that means a session with Ryan and Cory. I’m really starting to get used to the schedule. I go in, do 20 minutes of cardio, lift for a while, then finish with 10 more minutes of cardio.

Today was no different… except I tried some different programs on the treadmill, the arc trainer and the elliptical. Random hills or intervals. Just trying to break up the monotony. I noticed something, though… the more I do this, the easier it is to do 60 minutes. Today I was shocked when my time was done. It only felt like half an hour had elapsed.

I need to do something about my shoes, though. See, one of the issues with diabetes is that it does a number on the nerves in your feet. This is not just referring to neuropathy, but also pronation. This has caused my feet to flatten out and spread. Couple with poor circulation which makes the feet swell and finding a new pair of sneakers is a tough job.

Typical diabetic sneaker. Nice Velcro.

I’m a big fan of New Balance footwear… have been for ten years. They make a shoe that is wide enough to fit my foot comfortable and give some great support. After I had the issues with Stubby the Wonder Toe, the docs recommended getting diabetic friendly athletic shoes. I had looked at some of them and they were butt-ugly, no color or anything. Typical. It seems that if you aren’t the perfect size, you are out of luck when it comes to decent apparel. Same thing obviously goes for diabetes. I dug in my heels and did my research. I found that New Balance had a line of diabetic friendly footwear.

The running shoes I wound up with. Much more stylish.

Supportive Partner Woman (super supportive!) and I went to the nearest New Balance store and found that there were some much nicer options available. Options that didn’t entail Velcro closures. I found a pair that I liked and promptly found them on Amazon for 1/2 the price. After some teething problems (read: blister) I grew very accustomed to these shoes and have worn the hell out of them going on 18 months. I bought a new pair of cross trainers that didn’t fit well and that was because my circulation had been so poor that my feet were swelling so much I could barely fit in the new ones.

Lately, thanks to the gym time, my feet aren’t swelling nearly as bad, and now I need to consider placing the cross trainers back in circulation. Only problem is I have cannibalized them, taking the insoles and the laces and using them in the running shoes. I plan on picking up some new laces and changing the insoles yet again as I’ve noticed the soles of the running shoes are nearly worn through.

Did I do the right thing in refusing to get diabetic sneakers? I don’t know. I just couldn’t see myself in these ugly shoes. By making diabetic shoes that unappealing, it’s like a stigma. We don’t all have one foot in the grave. I chose to go with something with more pizzazz. I liked them. One other choice I made was to go with a sturdy pair of Merrell hiking shoes as my other go-to shoes. They keep my feet warm and dry in the winter and have plenty of support. Not the best choice for general summer wear, but what can you do?

One more note. WTF is up with Sports Authority not carrying wide-width shoes? I was told by the “helpful” sales associate that not many people have wide feet. Seriously? They do have them available on the website, but what good does that do? I won’t buy a pair of shoes without trying that brand/model to see how it fits my feet.

On that note, I’ll let you go. Got a busy weekend ahead visiting the Philadelphia Zoo with the Magic Meets crew and having a group dinner at Jack’s Firehouse.

Managing expectations

Posted: July 18, 2012 in diabetes, Doctors and Dentists and Nurses... oh my!, Weight loss
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Last Friday, I wrote about my disappointment with my results on the scale. I thought I had lost a lot more than the numbers showed. I was pretty disappointed by this, but after reading the supportive comments, I realized that weight ain’t nuthin’ but a number. So, I accepted the three-pound loss and moved on.

Today I had an appointment with Rachel Ho, CRNP, or as Supportive Partner Woman (brave little toaster!) and I refer to her, East Coast Jeanine. I really have a ton of respect for her. Her tableside manner does not brook any argument, but she’s as supportive and caring as any health care provider I’ve ever had. She told us up front that when she was working in the hospital, they called her the Dictator and the Sergeant. I can certainly respect that.

Upon our arrival, the nurse, Mike, took me back to the livestock scale to get weighed in. The scale was bouncing around for whatever reason, but settled on 360.8. On Friday, it was 365.5. So, in 5 days, I lost another five pounds. Woot! Not only that, she was very pleased with my blood glucose log for the month. In fact, she seemed pretty giddy about it. I’m due to get another hemoglobin A1C test and she thinks I’ll be in line with what they want.

Not only is the weight down and the sugars are leveling out, they always take your blood pressure and pulse. My first visit with her, my resting pulse was 82. Today, it was 68. Blood pressure is coming together nicely as well. Systolic was a little high, at 140, but diastolic was 80. Not sure how much is due to white coat syndrome, which I get  like crazy. Usually after talking with Rachel, she will take the BP again and get one that’s right in line.

Fresh cut corn chowder

I even got up early and got to Hempfield Rec this morning to get some cardio in. I did 35 minutes between the treadmill and arc trainer and worked out my legs. We don’t do a lot of lower body stuff with Ryan and Cory, so I’ve taken to working those when I’m on my own. Apparently you shouldn’t work the same muscles every day.

All in all, a good day. After it was over, SPW (STILL the bestest wife in the world) and I paid a visit to the library. Me to pick up a book, SPW (library felon!) to pay a fine. Followed that up with a visit to Isaac’s for a combo. We both ended up with the Finch sandwich (turkey, bacon and Muenster on pumpernickel) and a cup of the Fresh Cut Corn Chowder, which is made from locally grown corn and is yummy. Didn’t even mess up my blood glucose reading, as I ordered the mayo on the side and just spread a taste on the bread.

All in all, a pretty good Wednesday. Have a butt-kicking tomorrow and an appointment with Shauna (dietitian) next week.

Thank you for reading and for all the support. It is greatly appreciated!

Eating better=better results

Posted: July 16, 2012 in Cooking, diabetes, Physical activity, The Beetus, Weight loss
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I’ve known for some time that you are what you eat. I always figured that was crap, since I never turned into a giant bag of snack food or a big loaf of bread.Fact is, there’s truth to it, something that I am seeing almost every day. Since I’ve started to really monitor what it is I’ve been eating, I notice that not only am I losing weight, I feel better. Better physically and far better about myself mentally.

It’s also enabled me to make some changes in my lifestyle that I probably couldn’t before. I’m now much more able to get up and go for a walk than I was just a few weeks ago. Even after totally getting arc trainer-ed to death today, I still went out for a walk. Was it an intense walk? No, but it was activity and I didn’t feel the need to sit around and eat. That’s a huge plus.

So, changing what we eat has been a huge part of the success I’ve had so far. Eating more protein and less carbs. Being mindful of the sugar content of what I do eat and its glycemic value. Being active and thinking of stuff to do to avoid raiding the fridge. Every one of these small changes is helping me toward a bigger one and a healthier lifestyle.

Fresh local corn, steamed broccoli, balsamic marinated asparagus and sautéed scallops with a side of tomato/mozzarella salad.

Now, Supportive Partner Woman (bestest wife in the whole wide world!) and I have started a bit of a Sunday tradition. She’s been working most Sundays while I’ve had off. So, I try to think of a nice, healthy dinner and prepare it so she can come home, eat something that’s not breaded, fried or otherwise prepared elsewhere, and we actually get to eat at our own table.

This past week, SPW (shopper of great skill!) came across scallop pieces at a good price. These were gorgeous, though… they might have been pieces, but they looked like real sea scallops. Since I needed to use them, I sautéed them in some olive oil, made some local sweet corn that we picked up at Root’s Market, added some steamed broccoli and as SPW is a far of asparagus, threw together a quick and dirty balsamic marinade, then sautéed the asparagus. Turned out rather tasty.

To make the marinade, I took 1/2 cup of olive oil, about 1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar, added a touch of oregano, garlic powder and basil. Mixed them together and put the marinade in a Zip-loc bag with the asparagus spears. Put it in the fridge for about 15-20 minutes. Only change I will be making is to let it marinate longer… the flavor was good but not completely married.

The other item I threw together was a quick tomato and mozzarella salad. I seeded and diced some Roma tomatoes, then diced 8 oz. of mozzarella. Added some Italian salad dressing (I said it was quick) and finished it with some basil. After stirring it, I covered the bowl and put it back in the fridge. It makes a very easy, light and refreshing salad.

I did that whole meal in around 25-30 minutes. Can’t argue with it. It’s fun to create and to tweak recipes. The only thing I won’t change is my chocolate chip cookie recipe. I tweaked it a few years ago and hit a home run, so I do it the same, even using the same baking sheets. If anyone wants my recipe, feel free to ask.

Until next time…

Not a total waste

Posted: July 10, 2012 in Cooking, diabetes, local markets, produce, Supportive Partner Woman, Weight loss
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Crowds gather around the produce.

So Supportive Partner Woman (eater of big ole salads!) and I managed to make it to Root’s Market today. The place was hopping, pretty much as expected. There’s a certain beauty of the Root’s complex. Interspersed among the various produce stands outside are people selling all manner of goods, some of which are probably hot. It seems this kind of market is pretty well-established in central Pennsylvania. Discounting the real farmer’s markets and roadside produce stands, you have Root’s, the Green Dragon and Saturday’s Market. Of the big three, SPW (peruser of markets!) and I prefer Root’s. It seems to be more focused on the local fresh produce and dairy, and it’s physically the closest to us. Green Dragon, located in Ephrata, is not as nice as it used to be. There’s a lot more vendors coming in from out of the area to hawk whatever it is they are selling. Saturday’s is our least favorite. Again, it’s not as neat as I remember it being way back in the early 90’s. Lots of people selling junky stuff and not enough fresh, local fare. That’s important to me… if I can, I prefer to support the local economy.

Most baked good stands have an amazing variety of tasty offerings.

So, Root’s. We managed to find yellow zucchini, cucumbers, eggs, celery, tomatoes and passed up a tempting variety of cheeses, meats and baked goods. Oh, and we passed on the (likely) counterfeit sports jerseys too. There are a few pointers I can share, though. First off, bring a bag or two. Most stands will gladly provide you with plastic grocery bags. They are fine, but after an hour of walking around with 37 bags, you start longing for nice, wide canvas handles. We usually take an insulated grocery bag along with a cold pack, depending on what we buy. If it’s a quick run, like today, we’ll leave that bag in the car and load the groceries in it rather than lug the bag around.

Sugar free chocolate selections

Sugar free candy options

One thing I was very pleased to see, though, was a stand offering a large selection of sugar-free candies and chocolates. Given the obesity epidemic and the instances of diabetes in the US these days, it’s nice to know that even in an area known for such offerings as sticky buns and shoo-fly pie, the availability of sugar-free items is becoming prevalent.

In short, Root’s is a great place to obtain nearly any food you desire, many times for less than what you would pay at a grocery store. For example, the local Weis Markets likes to advertise green bell peppers at 10/$10.00. I got lovely peppers at a Root’s stand at 3/$1.00. That’s a 66% discount.  In addition, most of the food is locally grown on family farms, rather than mass-produced and shipped in. These markets are great places to find apples in the fall, peaches in the spring/summer and delicious meats and cheeses all year round. If you live in a place like Lancaster, surrounded by farms, why buy stuff shipped in from some other state, incurring the shipping costs, the chemical treatment and the fact that it’s often picked too early.

The bad news for the day is that I didn’t make it to the gym. I had a bit of a headache early and just needed to relax. I did manage to at least get my squats in, so the day wasn’t a total loss and I will take a lunchtime walk as well. I think we all have days like this and despite our best efforts, we just don’t get the work in. As a lot of people will say, “Keep moving forward.”

In a future post, I hope to discuss our first ever visit to Lancaster Central Market, as well as a return visit to Hoover’s Farm Market outside of Lititz, PA. Hoover’s has a nice selection of produce, as well as a great pumpkin selection in the fall and is home to crazy-huge potatoes. I also want to talk about the proliferation of Mennonite delis and markets, all of which seem  to thrive in the Lancaster area.

Hope you all have a great night!

Vacation prep

Posted: July 3, 2012 in AllEars.net, diabetes, Disney, Disney Food Blog, Supportive Partner Woman, Travel, Weight loss
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One of the biggest challenges someone trying to embrace a healthy lifestyle can face is vacation. Now, Supportive Partner Woman (bearer of plentiful camera equipment!) and I aren’t going anywhere until the end of September, but I’ve started thinking ahead.

Primarily what kills me is the meals. I tend to embrace the “calories don’t count on vacation” philosophy. That’s obviously not true, but I did tend to go overboard on what I was eating when we’d go away. We’d sit down at a nice restaurant and while I might order a “healthy” option, it would be bathed in a cream sauce or some other preparation that would pretty much kill me.

Many of you know that SPW (owner of the original geek vest!) and I go to Disney World on a regular basis. This is good and bad, as there’s a lot of lousy options to choose from. If you’re willing to do a little research, you can make some decisions ahead of time and lessen the caloric collateral damage.

My first stop when I need to check Disney facts is All Ears. For more that 15 years, All Ears has been the authority for Disney info. It’s a fine site run by one of the best people I am privileged to call a friend, All Ears offers every fact you could conceivably want to know about Disney World. Curious as to what a typical room might look like in a given resort? Check All Ears. Reviews of restaurants, resorts and attractions? All Ears. Curious as to what a menu looks like at a particular restaurant? You guessed it… All Ears. Deb and her team have most of the facts and if it’s something they don’t know, they find out.

Healthier items in blue, not quite-so-healthy items in red.

It’s the menu section I visit most frequently. Used to be so I could drool over the latest offerings, but nowadays, it’s to see where the sensible choice might be. In addition, the menus give pricing (current as of when the menu was dated), ingredients, and other useful information.

Disney has made a lot of strides over the years of serving diners with food allergies and restricted diets.

‘Ohana Fruit Bowl (photo courtesy of Disney Food Blog)

As a diabetic, when I make a dining reservation, I let Disney know of my condition. When I arrive at the restaurant, a chef will come to the table and go over what is low in sugar and carbs with me. Often times, the chefs will go the extra mile and create something special. For example, when dining at ‘Ohana at Disney’s Polynesian Resort, the family style meal includes a bread pudding with bananas and caramel sauce. When I asked if there were alternatives, the chef came out, said he could work with this and brought me a lovely bowl of fresh fruit served in a hollowed out pineapple. Not only was it a great presentation, the fruit was very fresh and quite tasty.

To summarize, it’s possible to eat healthy when you’re away on vacation. It might take a little more effort and research, but it can be done.

Other places you can go for information and reviews of Disney restaurants include the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World, by Len Testa and Bob Sehlinger, available on Amazon in both book and Kindle format, Passporter’s Guide to Walt Disney World, available at Amazon, and Passporter’s Open Mouse for Walt Disney World and the Disney Cruise Line. This has not been updated in a few years, but has a lot of specific information useful to travelers with challenges.

If you are looking for other web-based resources, Disney Food Blog has a great section regarding special diets, ranging from kosher to vegan to gluten-free to diabetic to low-carb/South Beach.

Not much of a reader? In addition to having her own podcast, AJ from Disney Food Blog makes semi-regular appearances on the WDW Today podcast. Listen for her reviews and tips on dining throughout the World.

I’ve concentrated on Disney because that’s where we’ve been vacationing the most, but the same principles apply anywhere you travel. Even cruise lines have gotten into the act. Royal Caribbean has a low-cal section to their dinner menus each night and offers a sugar-free or no sugar added desserts. You can continue to make better choices as to what you put in your mouth while you’re on vacation and not lose out in the taste department.

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