Strawberry banana walnut oatmeal!

Why are people afraid of carbs? Even as a type 1 diabetic, I don't understand that. CARBS ARE ENERGY.That is all. Quick sugars are one kind and they are dangerous, especially for diabetics. Those are usually found in candy, soda pop and other sugary foods.

The difference: monosaccharides vs polysaccharides. Polysaccharides take longer to digest because they have to be broken down into monosaccharides before the body can use them. That gives your body more time to respond, and it gives my insulin (and your pancreas) more time to work before it hits.

So carbs are good for you! Especially at breakfast time! Why at breakfast time?  Because carbs are energy! It helps you to get ready for the rest of the day! Even for type 1 diabetics!

Why am I bringing this up? Because I want to tell you what a good breakfast option is, but I have to justify eating so many carbs before I can do that.

Fun fact: I love making breakfast at any time of the day.

So, here we go!

Strawberry banana walnut oatmeal!

What you need: 

3 medium sized strawberries

1/2 a banana (you can just eat the other half if you want)

1/2 cup of walnuts

Single serving of oatmeal, NOT instant. 

Step 1:

Get your oatmeal measured out and start boiling your water or milk (whichever you prefer). 

Step 2: 

While the water is heating up, wash and cut your fruit. Also measure out your walnuts. 

Step 3: 

Your water will most likely be boiling by the time your fruit is prepared, so go ahead and stir in your oatmeal. Let it cook for a minute or two if you don't want it overly soupy.

Step 4:

Pour up your oatmeal when you are satisfied with the soupiness (definitely a word). Then add your fruit and walnuts.  

Step 5 (optional):

Add a teaspoon of pure cane sugar for sweetness if you aren't satisfied with the natural flavoring from the fruit. 

Enjoy!!! 

This breakfast is a great energy booster that covers most of your food groups (especially if you drink a glass of milk with it). It most definitely helps me to get a good start on my day. I also do this recipe with blueberries (with no walnuts, but thinking about adding almonds). Mix and match until it fits your tastebuds. :)

"New Year, New you"

I just want to take a moment to tell you all about my most recent discovery....

Since last semester, I've made some major changes in my diet and exercise program. Yes, I took a PE class that forced me to do that to begin with. After I realized the benefits of the lifestyle change, though, I have been implementing it.

Part of what made me realize the difference was my most recent A1C. I went from a consistent 7.1-7.9 to a 6.9. I guess it doesn't seem like that big of a difference, but it definitely is! Some other things I noticed was an absence of depression, more energy, more drive and a clearer mind. I can process things much better and much faster now than I could before I changed my diet and exercise program.

Honestly, it isn't that difficult to follow my diet plan because of how I've changed it. It isn't expensive, like people say it is. It doesn't taste bad, like people say it does. It isn't boring food, like people say it is. It's easy when you get used to following a simple rule: cover you food groups. That's the only way to actually have a decent diet. Make sure that every meal is balanced (i.e., you have fruits, veggies, protein, dairy and some kind of grain). If you aren't able to make the meal balanced (I have a hard time eating a veggie with breakfast most days) then cover that food group with a snack a few hours later. The more difficult details about my change in diet are the calorie counting and the portion sizes. I have to make sure that I am eating around 1800 calories a day, which is difficult because I'm usually low on that. I also have to make sure that I am eating the proper amount of each food group every day, but I usually don't pay close enough attention to that. I just make sure that I have balanced meals. I cut out soda and most sweet stuff on the week days, too. I don't eat any processed foods if I can help it. I have to allow myself some way to escape it if I want, because otherwise I won't follow it. :) I know me. That is too true. The weekends are my way of allowing myself to splurge.

The exercise plan is harder to follow because of an ever changing schedule. Work, school, diabetes, life in general doesn't like to play along. I like to make sure that I get at least 1 hour of exercise in at least 5 days a week. That can be yoga, riding my bike, going for a walk or whatever I want to do that day. Preferably, 2 or 3 of those days will be a more vigorous exercise, but like I said life doesn't play along. I try to stretch for 30 minutes or so before bed because it helps me to sleep better, but I am not always able to do that. I don't follow a beach body program or any of the other trending exercise routines. I just do what works with and for me, and that helps me to better control diabetes and my body.

(Random Fun Fact: Until about September, I didn't think I could exercise regularly or vigorously. I always assumed that I would just die because of diabetes. I never imagined this kind of lifestyle to be possibly for me...)

I'm not doing any of this to lose weight or anything like that. I just want to be healthy, and I've come to the realization that this is the only way to do that. This year, my goal is to keep my A1C below 7. Please pray for me as I continue working to control My Little Monster (diabetes)....