Invisible Illness Awareness Week

I never knew anything like this existed!

http://invisibleillnessweek.com/

Aside from his fading scar, my husband's coronary artery disease is invisible. My CFS is invisible, as is my hypothyroid, hypoglycemia, partial deafness, asthma, and degenerative disc disease and other arthritis and neuritis problems. And now that my labwork is showing I have an autoimmune disease, add that to the list.

I think I'll be spending a lot of time on that web site the next few days. 

VeganMoFo Day 22 - Pea Soup

Specifically, the Double Pea Soup with Roasted Red Peppers from Veganomicon. Again, I like to run an immersion blender through the pot before adding the frozen peas. I'll make up a loaf of bread to go with it.

Sorry, but foods lately have been pretty basic and simple, like yesterday's veggies and rice and tomorrow's Spanish rice. Between feeling punky from the hypo spell the other day, wishing the doc would increase my thyroid dosage because I'm starting to fall asleep right after breakfast again, and the change in weather, I just don't feel like making anything more elaborate. Many people say hypoglycemia and hypothyroid go hand in glove, and I believe it. Add the shorter days and there's a recipe for depression if I ever saw one.

The one bright spot on the menu? My son, who has been unemployed since he graduated with his M.S. in Electrical Engineering this past May, has a job interview today. If everyone can send positive thoughts towards Jersey City's financial district (right across the water from downtown Manhattan) around 2pm we would greatly appreciate it. :)

VeganMoFo Day 20 - Hypoglycemia Woes, Kasha Pilaf & Rye Bread

I tried to behave. After Saturday's dietary indiscretions (We wound up with another pizza instead of the beans as planned), I figured I'd eat smaller portions of very healthy foods on Sunday to make up for it. I exercised as usual. Breakfast was a fat-free homemade bean burrito; lunch was a big green salad with some garbanzos and a fat-free dressing; dinner was another salad and baked beans. I had just started eating the dinner salad when the first hypo symptoms hit. By the time I finished the salad my hands were shaking and I felt drunk. Luckily we had some apple juice in the house so I poured myself a small glass to hold me while I ate the rest of dinner. Baked beans are great for people with hypoglycemia - loads of protein and fiber. I ate more than Dr. McDougall's 1-cup of beans a day recommendation, but then again, Dr. McDougall believes veggies, rice and potatoes are good for hypoglycemia. He also doesn't believe that potatoes cause abrupt rises in blood glucose levels, even though dozens of people have reported just that happening. Hypos and diabetics need similar food plans - low in sugar and refined carbs, high in protein and moderate in fats. Dr. McDougall's plan is high in complex carb starches and low in protein and fats, a hypoglycemic's nightmare. So we hypos on McDougall compromise and use a bit of oil in our cooking, more beans and other high protein foods.

Tonight for dinner I'll be making a vegetable soup with whatever bits and drips of veggies I have in the freezer, and something I haven't made in ages, Kasha Pilaf. That's kasha, the grain, not Kashi, the cereal. Kasha is also known as buckwheat groats and comes in a few different grinds - fine, medium and coarse. I like the coarse best - more to chew so it feels like more bulk. I'm modifying the recipe found on the box of Wolff's brand kasha, which basically has you add sautéed onion, mushrooms, and any other veggies you want to a batch of prepared kasha. I usually serve this with either onion or mushroom gravy, too. I'll probably pop this rye bread in the ABM to go with it, too. I substitute Earth Balance for the butter in this recipe.


* Exported from MasterCook *

Hearty Apple Rye Bread

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 12 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : ABM Whole Grains

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 tablespoon gluten, wheat -- if using whole wheat cycle
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon allspice
2 1/2 cups bread flour
3/4 cup rye flour -- medium
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons bread machine yeast
1/2 cup chopped apples -- "dried"
1 1/3 cups water

Add all ingredients except apples in the order shown in your machine's
user's manual.

Add apples at the fruit-and-nut beep or just before the final kneading (40
minutes in on my Oster machine - Sue)

sg 11/6/2002

Source:
"Bread Machine Favorites by Fleishman Yeast"
Copyright:
"2002"
Yield:
"1 1/2 pounds"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per Serving: 180 Calories; 2g Fat (8.9% calories
from fat); 6g Protein; 35g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 3mg
Cholesterol; 191mg Sodium. Exchanges: 2 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 0
Fruit; 0 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.

NOTES : The recipe says 1 1/2 lb loaf, but it was a lid-thumper in my
2-pound Oster machine


Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0