Tag: type1diabetes

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

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)

Traveling diabetic

The Table
De Meye Estate, Stellenbosch

Hi,

Jan here.

The utmost care is taken to source the highest quality organic ingredients for the country cuisine served at The Table restaurant. Limited seating under ancient oak trees ensures that the service matches the care taken with food preparation.

While the Beetroot Tarte Tatin starter wasn’t an option for me, the green and sour-cream salad was tasty, and the olives delicious. It’s accompanying stone-ground bread very tempting!

I didn’t understand the slow roasted Karoo lamb, with a cold aubergine tagine and roasted veg dish. While perfect for my diabetic needs, the cold veggies made the tender lamb ‘soapish’. Something even the delish Merlot couldn’t sort.

The panna cotta with raspberry gelato looked amazing and there were a bunch of takers to ensure my serving wasn’t wasted.

Blood sugars

Low 5.0 mmol/L (Fasting target 4 – 6mmol/L)

High 5.8 mmol/L (2 hours after meal target, less than 7.8 mmol/L)

Weight 86Kg

Diabetic Carbs 45g (target, less than 50g)

BEETROOT TARTE TATIN (serves 4)
ingredients:

  • 8 – 10 small to medium sized beetroots
  • 60g butter
  • 120g brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • fresh thyme leaves or oregano
  • sea salt and black pepper
  • ready rolled puff pastry
  • sour cream to serve

method:

  1. Place the beetroots in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a simmering boil over medium heat and cook until a knife pierces through the beetroots easily. Drain from the water and allow to cool before peeling and cutting in half.
  2. Preheat oven to 200C. Melt the butter in a heavy based 24cm pan or skillet. Add the sugar and cook until golden and caramelised. Add the red wine vinegar (be careful of hot steam!) as well as the garlic and fresh herbs,
  3. Arrange the beetroot halves evenly over the caramel. Season with salt and pepper. Trim the pastry into a disc or square big enough to cover the beetroots. Tuck in any excess pastry edges, and prick the pastry lightly with a fork.
  4. Bake for 20 minutes or until puffed and golden. Cool in the pan for a couple minutes, then carefully turn out onto a serving plate. Top with sour cream.

Traveling diabetic #26

Kommetjie

Hi,

Jan here.

There is something special about being on the road at sunrise. How to deal with fingers that get increasingly frigid on the steering wheel while driving something I will need to think about. Particularly as winter approaches.

Road works added an extra hour and a half to the trip. Fortunately, Terry had packed a box of cold braai bits so we could eat at one of the long ‘stop-and-go’ points, which kept my blood sugars from plummeting on the six hour trip.

Bistro 1682 at Steenberg. Mouth watering options. The risotto with pecorino cheese and Steenberg Sauv Blanc too tempting to resist. It didn’t disappoint. Terrifyingly morish. I did limit the damage to the starter portion and didn’t succumb to the equally tempting dessert menu

Blood sugars

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

High 6.9 mmol/L (2 hours after meal target, less than 7.8 mmol/L)

Weight 85Kg

Traveling diabetic #25

Johannesburg

Hi,

Jan here.

Larger than normal jump in my blood sugars after my morning run. Body screaming for extra energy to cope with the hills and unaccustomed altitude?

Some good news as elevated blood sugars only seems to kick in when exercising above ones VO2 max (maximum or peak volume of oxygen consumed in exhaustive exercise). Although this does make me wonder if I’m only ‘coasting’ the rest of the time!

Jenny made a delicious diabetic sensitive meal on the Weber with boereworse wrapped in cheese and bacon. Served with cold grilled veggies and a tomato and avocado salad. Mum’s cream and strawberry cake not an option.

A lazy Border Collie puppy.

Blood sugars

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

High 7.3 mmol/L (2 hours after meal target, less than 7.8 mmol/L)

Weight 86Kg

Traveling diabetic #20

Emirates, Business Class

Hi,

Jan here.

Spoilt with Business Class lounges and lights in Emirates, thanks to accumulated miles on UN missions.

Salmon gravlax, cheese and a stir fried steak with seasonal veggies the easy choices. Scallop tartare. Bresaola with Parmesan and more smoked salmon the in-transit options in the revamped terminal B lounge. 

A very good Hermitage red wine irresistible.

Blood sugars

High 5.0 mmol/L (2 hours after meal target, less than 7.8 mmol/L)

Low 4.7 mmol/L (Fasting target 4 – 6mmol/L)

Weight 84Kg

Traveling diabetic #19

Hi,

Jan here.

Can Tho City – Mekong Delta

An organised tour, with nothing in our control, other than being ultra cautious.

Elephant ear fish, presented whole, on a rack, with all the pride of a prize catch. The flesh is peeled from the fish and wrapped in rice paper with greens and more noodles than anything else. Served with a chilli sauce, it didn’t taste like much. Ginger chicken bits, spring rolls and a plate of green beans and carrot. The dressing the worry.

Particularly after a morning of being shown through the other delicacies of the Mekong Delta. Coconut candy made from caramelised coconut juice, sugared ginger, rice popcorn, sticky rice cakes with honey and peanuts, jasmine tea with honey and kumquat, rice flower and sesame seed cake. Fortunately they were happy with small, polite samples.

A modest supper of green mango salad and pork spring rolls.

Blood sugars

High 7.3 mmol/L (2 hours after meal target, less than 7.8 mmol/L)

Low 5.6 mmol/L (Fasting target 4 – 6mmol/L)