New Maintainers - Wk of 11/14

[CorgiGirl]

Can you believe that Thanksgiving is next week! I need to finish up some garden clean-up on Tuesday. Wednesday I have an appointment to have my cholesterol re-checked. I am really hoping the LDL is lower this time. How is everyone doing? Vickie

[JONAH'S GRANNY]

Thanks for starting things Corgi. As we approach the holidays eating gets more difficult. Seems like cooking for the family is such a big job that making special things for myself falls by the way. I've just always done items a certain way and hate to change them because I know they are well liked. I'm thinking I might make a lowcarb dessert but other than that I guess I'll be eating turkey and green beans. Everyone else can have the potatoes, gravy, dressing, macaroni & cheese, fresh yeast rolls, pecan pie, etc. Call me tired, old, and lazy. Do most of you have a big family to cook for? I also happen to have a bunch of picky eaters and that creates problems too. Problems, problems! I guess I just wish I had someone to cook for me.

Hope your checkup goes well, Corgi

[ginabw]

Ann, don't any of your kids want to host the day? My mother has the opposite situation, my sisters and brother and I all want to start our own family traditions and have the big holidays at our own houses, so that our kids will grow up like us, with memories of holidays at home. But my mom still wants to do them. Last year they did come visit us for Thansgiving, but when we lived at home we always went to them, and on Xmas we would have breakfast at home, but then always had to hurry out to their house for Brunch at noon. If your kids don't want to host, they should at least bring some side dishes, desserts, appetizers, or drinks!
This year my two SIL and nephew will be arriving on Thanksgiving Day, so that only gives me 8 to cook for. I am doing the Turkey, my regular stuffing and also a new LC stuffing, and only LC desserts. I mean, the LC pumpkin cheesecakes and custards are as good as the real thing, why bother with the other? It helps too that one of my SIL has to eat gluten free because of allergies (she is naturally skinny too and apparently lost another 10 lbs when she had to change her diet). I have been surfing the recipe room and board and have found some other great recipes for this holiday season too.
Well, my 125 did not stay, but only 126 this a.m., so who knows. I will stop fussing about it. I too will have to visit the dr. for annual and will have my blood checked, was pretty high but on the way down last time it was checked last March. Let us know Vicki, and good luck!

[mykneesareback]

I made my husband a sugar free pumpkin cheesecake today for his birthday tomorrow, it smells good I think, will see if he likes it. He is diabetic. I have made stuffing for him by doubling the celery and onions up, and using less bread stuff, or using low carb bread or whole grain bread. Also have tried using brown rice, with celery and onion and chicken broth, it was a different taste and texture and some of the guests who are not diabetic or on a low carb plan did not care too much for that. Do any of you make that "Sans Sucre" mousse stuff, sugar free, low fat, there are several flavors and you can add fruit to them, or put several flavors together to get fancy looking desserts. My guests like that stuff ok, don't know it's sugar free unless I tell them. I'm making a one layer chocolate cake, sugar free with sugar free frosting for Thanksgiving to bring to my mother in laws. It takes some thinking and making of lists to figure out what to make to get through these holidays though.

Doris

[ginabw]

Has anyone else seen the thread on the main lobby about cinnamon? I have decided to give it a try during the holiday period.

[Mariasol]

gina,
I think the ones that try it and not lose, do not post their stats?

I tried it for 5 days (was due for a change in my morning tea anyway). I gained 2 pounds and got constipation. Not necessarily due to the cinnamon though.

I have now lost those 2 pounds and will use cinnamon occasionally but will not go out of my way to add it.

Mariasol

[mykneesareback]

My diabetic husband has some cinnamon every day, has been trying to do that since this May, and it seems to help keep his blood sugars down, but not a whole bunch. He feels it can't hurt, and his dietitian and doctor approve, so he continues to use it, plus it is one of his very favorite flavors anyway. I haven't tried it because I don't particularly care for it.

Doris

[CorgiGirl]

Gina, I use cinnamon in lc pancakes and mixed with cottage cheese. I use it because I like it--I can't tell that it has made a difference in my weight. I am back down to 108 as of Wednesday and hoping to be lower Thursday.

Doris, I have made several sugar free/low carb sweets but my family does not care much for them. So I will be making regular pies/cakes for them for Thanksgiving. I will make Dottie's Pumpkin Pound Cake for me.

I had my cholesterol checked Wed morning. For the past 3 months or so, I have been restricting cheese and beef (per my dr's request) and using more low or no fat foods but my LDL is higher than 3 months ago. It is now at 320. My total cholesterol is 419. The good news is that my HDL is 86 and the trigs are 64.
Vickie

[mykneesareback]

My family likes the Sans Sucre sugar free whipped desserts and eats them without complaint, and this latest sugar free pumpkin cheesecake I made, my husband says it's the best sugar free thing I have made for him all year, so far. I plan to try a bunch of cookie recipes from the "Diabetic Cooking" magazine we got from our dietitian, there are several recipes in there that sound good. And some have some real sugar in them, which the dietitian says is allowed these days, the rules have changed.

Doris

[sugarless4life]

Vickie, are you taking Lipitor or any statin drugs for your cholesterol?

If not, I highly recommend you try the FLUSH FREE NIACIN which you can find at Walmart in the vitamin section. I take 2 500mg capsules a day and its worked wonders with my cholesterol, raising the HDL and lowering the LDL.............no side effects and cheap!

Betty

[ginabw]

Vickie, sorry to that your cholesterol check was not good news! Did your doctor recommend any other dietary changes?

Well, I have been adding the cinnamon the last couple of days and noticed an increase in appetite, not a good thing! Today was better though. I added it to my scrambled eggs this a.m. and it was OK. No change on the scale though, which is fine as I have promised not to obssess (Ha!). I just wish I could be one of those people who didn't care about food and was never hungry!

[CorgiGirl]

Betty and Gina, I went back to my dr Friday and she gave me two weeks of Niaspan to see if I can tolerate it. If so, she will have me take it for 6 weeks to see if it works. Betty, I didn't think to ask her about the flush free Niacin. If the Niaspan gives me problems I will ask about the flush free. Glad to hear it is working for you. Gina, when I went to my dr in June, she told me it was ok to stay on Atkins but to cut back on the beef, cheese, and eggs. I have been eating lower fat (but using olive oil, nuts, natural peanut butter) and stopped eating cheddar cheese and just have beef/pork 2-3 times a month. I have been eating 2 eggs a day though. My dr told me to do lower fat--not no fat. She understands my concern about taken statins and said we can try several things before going with a statin. My high cholesterol is hereditary. She also told me not to be concerned about adding soy products to my diet so I am going to add soy and also be more consistent in using ground flax seed and using oat bran.

By the way, I am down to 106.75 and going on down! I have reduced my portions as well as carbs and eating 3 meals a day.
Vickie

[mykneesareback]

Vicki, my husband's cholestrol thing is due to heredity, so we switched to egg substitutes back in January of this year, he is on Lipitor, and the doctor may take him off of it next month cause his cholestrol finally went down to a safe number. He eats real eggs once a week. I also switched to eggs substitute, and I add an egg white to each of our breakfast eggs plus at least a cup of veggies, we have them most every morning in fact. I also hard boil eggs and have the egg whites only most of the time for lunch or snacks. Just in case that tip helps.

Doris

[CorgiGirl]

Doris, thanks. I am giving up the egg yolks. I also bought a powdered egg substitute to use in my lc pancakes and breads. I know I have been eating too many eggs but I love them. I also plan to start using oat bran and flaxseed more regularly. I also need to add nuts back on a regular basis. I have cut back on extras like nuts since I have been trying to lose a few lbs before Thanksgiving. Vickie