Author: Jan Raats

Be inspired by the high-energy art of award winning artist, Jandre. An emotional artist, the influence of the Impressionists on his Representational style is evident from his limited pallet of colours, however, it is to Kandinsky that he looks for his inspiration where objects depicted arise out of pure emotion. In this focus on form and colour, he asks questions of the viewer to see beyond the mere representational to the emotional signal contained in clusters of line and colour, reinforced by ridges of light made possible through his technique of painting with his fingers, imparting his emotions directly onto canvas. Traveling extensively, his material is taken from his environment, dominated by his work as a humanitarian – most recently with the United Nations in South Sudan - in post conflict, emergency response, and in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Awards and Exhibitions 2016, Special Merit Award Winner and Honourable Mention 'Art of outstanding quality', LST Open Art Exhibition 2015, 2014, 2013, 2011 and 2009 Honourable Mention London International Creative Competition 2008 Finalist at the Thapong Botswana Artist of the Year 2002 Finalist at Patchings, Nottinghamshire Selected for the Permanent World Children’s Exhibition in Toulouse France. Several group and solo exhibitions (Cape Town)

The Traveling Diabetic

Knysna

Someone decided that the August running challenge should include hills. 2,500m of hills to be exact.
Not that we have a shortage of hills in our part of paradise, with every route heading up mountains to some extent.
However, my normal route is along next to the estuary which only has 72m change in elevation. This is because it has good street lights, which although summer is approaching most of my running starts in the dark, and because its a pretty route with the moon shining on the water on the way out, and the start of the sunrise on the return.
I’m also a tad cautious when it comes to hills as I strained my achilles tendon a few years ago training up hills, which took a painful eighteen months to heal.
A real surprise listening to a podcast by Dr. Tim Noakes (1) talking about the findings of research tracking athletes who are using his Low Carbohydrate, High Fat (LCHF) lifestyle where tendonitis has disappeared, or healed rapidly on a low carb diet.
As high blood sugars seem to stir up a bunch of tendon trouble (tendons thicken with blood sugar and more likely to tear), regulating blood sugars is probably the key factor. Which, I do through an ultra low carbohydrate diet and plenty of exercise.
Perhaps I’ll include hills once a week and see how my body responds.

Blood sugars

Fasting 5,4 mmol/L (target 4 – 6mmol/L)

2 hours after meals 5,3 mmol/L (target, less than 7.8 mmol/L)

Weight 87Kg

Diabetic Carbs 27g (ideal daily target, less than 20g)

The Traveling Diabetic

Montagu

Snow on the mountains. Blue finger pads. That’s when they are warm enough to move beyond their frozen state. The result of trying to coax blood icicles to measure my sugar levels.

Last minute trip down to Montagu. Grab bag. Toys and food for Prince. Extra jackets for rain and cold. Books. Quick clean out of the fridge for bits that would grow. Jar of French pate and a couple of bottles of wine for emergencies. Riedel travel glasses and Nespresso machine, because why deal with bad wine glasses and coffee.

A decent prosciutto and pecorino salad for lunch. Even if the pasta dishes were tempting in the cold weather.

A veggie, packed bobotie dinner (made without the optional honey) with Dad and Mary for their 8th anniversary. A compulsory extra glass of wine.

https://realmealrevolution.com/recipe/veggie-packed-bobotie/

Blood sugars

Fasting 5,4 mmol/L (target 4 – 6mmol/L)

2 hours after meals 5,3 mmol/L (target, less than 7.8 mmol/L)

Weight 87Kg

Diabetic Carbs 27g (ideal daily target, less than 20g)

Veggie-Packed Boboti

5 tbsp butter

1 onion , chopped

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

1 red pepper, seeded and chopped

1 cup grated courgette

1 tbsp grated fresh ginger

3 cloves garlic, crushed

1 tbsp mild curry powder

1 tsp tumeric

2 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp ground coriander

3 whole cloves

5 whole allspice

2 tbsp honey (optional)

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

400 g tin whole peeled tomatoes, blended

800 g beef mince

1 tsp dried mixed herbs

salt and pepper

for the custard

1 cup milk

2 eggs, beaten

8 bay leaves

1 Melt the butter in a wide-based pot and gently fry the onion, carrots, red pepper and courgette until soft. Stir in the ginger and the garlic and fry for minute or so. Add the spices and fry for another minute to release their flavour.

2 Pour in the honey, vinegar and tomato, and bring to the boil.

3 Mix in the remaining ingredients, ensuring that everything is combined well; you don’t want meatballs in your mince.

4 Cook for about 15 minutes, stirring all the time. When it’s done, season well with salt and pepper.

5 Spread the mixture in a greased ovenproof dish.

6 To make the custard, lightly beat together the milk and the eggs.

7 Press the bay leaves into the bobotie mixture and carefully pour over the custard.

Bake for 30minutes, until the egg topping has set.

The Traveling Diabetic

Knysna

Higher than expected fasting BS levels.

Insides churned to mush from the jarring cycle along the contours through the forest.

Nothing in my daily food tracker that should have pushed my blood sugars to such levels. Nuts with a couple of glasses of wine at friends and the cappuccino after the cycle being the cause of my daily carbs being above the 20gram level I’m trying to maintain.

It does mean a day of vigilance and while the colder weather may have been an excuse to hide in the studio (read, lazy), I will need to schedule vigorous exercise into the day.

Perhaps it’s the moon?

Blood sugars

Fasting 7.4 mmol/L (target 4 – 6mmol/L)

2 hours after meals 6.4 mmol/L (target, less than 7.8 mmol/L)

Weight 87Kg

Diabetic Carbs 48g (daily target, less than 50g)

The Traveling Diabetic

Knysna
Headaches, with a tad of grumpiness and more than the usual clumsiness that resulted in knocking over my coffee cup that scared, an already sensitive, Border Collie.
Colder weather increasing my insulin sensitivity? At least that’s the excuse I’m using for my tougher than usual cycle up the hills to Buffels!
Nuts on my new list of foodstuffs to be careful about as I look to get my average daily carb count down to below 30. The target level (rather than the 50 I have been using) indicated in a new study on diabetic control through lifestyle changes.
Despite the red warning zone around milk, a cappuccino is still special.

Blood sugars

Low 3.4 mmol/L (Fasting target 4 – 6mmol/L)

High 5.9 mmol/L (2 hours after meal target, less than 7.8 mmol/L)

Weight 87Kg

Diabetic Carbs 23g (daily target, less than 50g)

The Traveling Diabetic

Nieu Bethesda – The Ibis Lounge

One of those rare restaurant meals where we could relax completely, as Barbara designs her dinner menu according to your dietary needs (In my case, the diabetic no sugars, including the hidden ones, or carbohydrates) and what is seasonal in the harsh Karoo climate. Local ingredients that include herbs guided by Nevil, the herbalist, and his generations of knowledge.
Limited seating, with staggered eating times ensure a personalised experience. The creamed mushroom spinach, delicious.
Stopped at the ‘Two Goats’ craft brewery. A beer (even with its loaded carbs), irresistible in the heat with my mouth dry after walking the dusty streets. The beer, sort of, balanced by the cheese platter. Skipping the bread basket. Tried their version of an IPA, as on the few occasions I drink beer, its that or a bitter beer where available. The beer wasn’t too my taste and there were too many sweet bits with the cheeses.
I did get a bunch of photo’s for painting inspiration!

Blood sugars

Low 5.8 mmol/L (Fasting target 4 – 6mmol/L)

High 6.7 mmol/L (2 hours after meal target, less than 7.8 mmol/L)

Weight 87kg

Diabetic Carbs 53g (daily target, less than 50g)

The Traveling Diabetic

Graaf Reinert ‘Our Yard’

Fabulous wine selection. Art, a tad scary. Maria’s coffee roaster on the premises, ensuring stunning espresso at an unbelievable price.

Karoo lamb. Flavored by sparse, arid plains, fragrant ‘rhinosterbos’. (Memories of which, are festering wounds under my skin caused by hours of ‘fire and movement’ drills as a soldier during the crazy years)

Overpowering tomato sauce that screamed with sugars. A bucket full of vegetables, perfectly cooked. Shaded, comfortable courtyard. Attentive service that was accommodating to a puppy who has spent six hours being buffeted by howling winds confined in his ‘mobi-kennel’.

The ‘onion rings’, sublime!

Blood sugars

Low 5.3 mmol/L (Fasting target 4 – 6mmol/L)

High 6.5 mmol/L (2 hours after meal target, less than 7.8 mmol/L)

Weight 87kg

Diabetic Carbs 53g (daily target, less than 50g)

Traveling diabetic

Knysna

Hi,

Jan here.

A tad listless. Can’t imagine the spare ribs with their bbq basting had that much of an impact? Certainly my fasting sugars were a bit elevated at 6.5mmol/L, but nowhere near crazy levels.

Thrilled that the ‘lifestyle’ management of my diabetes is handling the occasional food that I know is off the the rigid dietary guidelines without flying outside the safe limits.

It did mean that instead of heading out for my morning run (the day grey with a slight chill), I did the Border Collie meander, with Prince, around Harbour Town visiting the important ‘sniff spots’. Tea to warm my cold hands.

Tea is not my best, and certainly hasn’t been able to excite like a glass of good red wine does! However, at East Head Cafe I had a cup of TWG rooibos (Crème Caramel Tea), which is blend of delicate French spices and red tea/rooibos. Delicious. I’m hunting a supply.

Blood sugars

(30 day averages)

Low 5.7 mmol/L (Fasting target 4 – 6mmol/L)

High 6.0 mmol/L (2 hours after meal target, less than 7.8 mmol/L)

Weight 87kg

Diabetic Carbs 38g (daily target, less than 50g)