Hypo Pizza

I love pizza! On this new hypo diet I'm not really allowed to have it though. Ok ok, I am, but it is very restricting with what can be on it, and pizza delivery places don't exactly have that whole grain crust option. Anyway, once I get an idea in my head it is pretty hard to just let it go. Once I get that craving it is equally hard to let it go, and so I gave in and ordered the pizza I wanted so badly.
Some of it was because of my inherited German stubbornness and reluctance to accept this new lifestyle, the rest of it is also stubbornness. But here's what I learned:
1) That Dominoes pizza binge really hit the spot because I had been dreaming about it for weeks.
2) No one should be allowed to eat half a large delivery pizza, no matter how good it is or how long they had it reserved online.
3) I felt like ass after I ate that pizza.
4) I need to find another way to satisfy my pizza craving that won't leave me feeling sick all night.
5) I need it to be delicious and as easy as ordering online.


Enter my dear friend, Lester...
We had a date night, and let me explain because my family had some Facebook confusion:
Lester is a girl. I am not cheating on my husband and dating other people. And even though she has been my "second husband" for years now... I'm not into her like that.
Lester and I devised a plan to meet up at her place to make a pizza, and because I like bragging here it goes:
IT WAS THE BEST PIZZA I'VE EVER MADE!!!


Here is the recipe for all you lovely people
Hypo Margherita Pizza
1 whole wheat Boboli pre-made pizza crust (Yup, it's a real product!!)
2 large tomatoes, sliced
1 tablespoon of that pre-chopped garlic in a jar
A few glugs of olive oil
Some salt
Fresh mozzarella cut in slices to cover the pizza
Fresh basil leaves (roll about 5-10 together in a ball and slice it thinly)
Grated Parmesan
Preheat the oven to 450. Put olive oil on pizza crust, then mozzarella, then tomatoes, sprinkle with garlic and a little salt. Toss it in the oven and watch some Jersey Shore or other trashy TV for 8-10 minutes. When it comes out toss on the sliced basil and Parmesan. Slice, eat and return to the TV trash.

We rounded out the hypo meal with some fresh green beans sauteed in garlic and some fresh fruit. It really was delicious and super easy.
So here's what I learned:
1) There is no other place in at least a 40 mile radius that I could go to for this delicious well rounded and controlled meal.
2) Leftovers would probably be good, but the two of us polished of the whole thing easily.
3) I felt great all night, despite eating half a pizza.
4) As far as the diet... I spaced out the slices.. one for dinner and the other a little while later as my snack. It still wasn't perfectly on point, but it was really, really close.
5) With the ingredients on hand I can make it faster than a pimply faced pizza delivery person can find my house.
6) It was cheaper than delivery. The most expensive part was the fresh mozzarella, and I have several plans for cooking with the remainder of it in the future.

Mmmmmmm...learning tastes good.

Ain't no party like a Hypo girl's party

I love to entertain and make delicious goodness so we frequently have parties where I can show off and create happy bellies. Back in the beginning of December we put this BBQ on the calendars and everyone was excited...the problem was how soon it came after the unexpected diagnosis.
I spent most of the week in a deep depression. I'd make frequent trips to the bathroom to hide the tears that came without warning. I sat in my car crying and desperately searching the internet for recipes I could make people that I would also be able to enjoy. For those of you that don't know, the diet is very particular with amounts and types to be eaten, and the limitations have been frustrating.
Here is a sample dinner I made earlier in the week:
3 oz. skinless baked chicken
1 cup steamed broccoli
One small sweet potato, chopped and baked with olive oil and garlic
1 small apple

It was good, it was healthy but it is not exactly party food. Despite that, I decided to make something similar.
My husband planned to make a brisket and he started smoking it at 8 in the morning.  I prepped the sweet potatoes and.... well that was it. Normally party prep includes hours of dicing, stuffing, blending, baking, frosting and the works, but there was nothing else this time. My dear friend offered to bring Ratatouille, and I had fruit juice to drink while I kicked their butts at 10,000.

With people set to arrive at 6 I made sure to adjust my eating times accordingly and followed the rules all day.
At 5:30 the sweet potatoes went in and at 6:00 I realized I didn't have nearly enough for 2 pregnant women, 3 big guys, myself and the kiddlets. 
Looking back, that is when I lost it. Normally I have back-ups I can make other things to fill in any gaps. My Minnesotan upbringing trained me to be ready for unexpected guests and snowstorms, and I take great pride from being able to whip up something without notice. And yes, I had other things I could have made...but not that I could have eaten that would have followed ALL the rules.
Around 6:15 there were still no guests and I started to get super emotional. The baking pans in the cupboard refused to cooperate which led to the discovery that I have Hulk like strength when left without food. My poor husband was at a loss for what to do with me and the new hole in the cupboard.
At 6:20 he was excused to get the doorbell and the friends took over. I am so lucky for this friend. She helped me off the floor (literally) and listened to me blubber through the options.
By 6:30 I had powered through the shakes and mixed up a mixture of brown and white rice (because only handfuls remained of each kind) and topped it with homemade bruschetta that I almost always have around.

While it didn't follow all the rules or portion sizes, I think I came pretty close for my first social event.
4 oz Smoked Beef Brisket
1/2 cup diced sweet potato baked with garlic and olive oil
1/2 cup Brown/White Rice mix with bruschetta
1 cup Ratatouille
8 oz Odwalla Tropical Fruit Juice
There was also some delicious BLT dip and whole wheat crackers that I probably shouldn't have been snacking on...but peer pressure got the best of me.

It's baaaack!

Coffee!! I love coffee!!
After 2 days of fighting the headaches and pains and sleepiness,I brought it back. The doctor's words were to avoid caffeine intake and so I did. That said I am not going all in, I won't repeat my 22 oz coffee runs. But these headaches need to stop.
This morning I mixed a shot of espresso in with my 8 oz glass of milk in the morning and some sugar free caramel syrup. Not only was it delicious, but I also feel a little better.
Coffee has been studied for years and really has legit health benefits. For example coffee drinkers are less likely to have type 2 diabetes, Parkinson's disease, and dementia. They also have fewer cases of certain cancers, heart rhythm problems, and strokes. (Here's a great article to tell you more in case you don't believe me.)
So why did it make me feel better? Well it helped derail the withdrawal symptoms, but I think it also had something do to with elevating my blood sugar giving that me that instant "happy feeling".
I've done my research and I understand that caffeine releases glycogen and that further aggravates the blood sugar roller coaster, especially in hypoglycemics. So coffee needs to go eventually but for now I think I will focus on it being more of a treat than a necessity.
Hypoglycemia.org said it best, "Be extremely careful when and how you eliminate the offending substances. Only YOU, with the guidance of a health-care professional, can decide. Some patients choose to go at a steady pace. If you drink ten cups of coffee a day, gradually reduce consumption over a period of days or weeks."


As a side note a little sugar free caramel syrup (the coffee kind, not the ice cream kind) and some hot milk is delicious and a great way to curb that sweet tooth. I had that tonight with my whole grain toast before bed.

Withdrawls and hunger pains

One of the things that prompted my doctor to subject me to the HORRIBLE Glucose Tolerance Test was the fact that I was always hungry. I could sit down and polish off half a large pizza by myself and be hungry a few hours later. So maybe it is the hunger pains, maybe it is the caffeine withdrawals or maybe it is the sugar withdrawals. I don't know what it is exactly, but I am miserable. I hate this life.
I want coffee.
I want an English muffin with peanut butter and jelly, or an apple fritter.
I don't want to think about what I can eat or when I have to eat or how much I can have. It's exhausting!
There is nothing in my home that I can have for dinner. I had a business lunch where there was nothing I could eat. There is a BBQ at my house this weekend and I don't know what to do for people. Why should I cook big elaborate meals and entertain when I can't enjoy any of it myself?
I have dieted before with great results and I know the drill. Consume fewer calories than you burn. It was simple. This is insane.
I have poured over the Diabetic Exchange Diet that was prescribed and I still believe that this is crazy. How am I supposed to go from 2500 calories a day (that is my recommended daily intake based on my height, weight and lifestyle) to 1200 calories? It seems idiotic to cut calories by that much, that quickly. He wants me to workout too!  Is it really smart to send someone with low blood sugar who's taken a drastic cut in calories out to workout by themselves for an hour three times a week? UGH!!