Islets of Langerhans

How this Fast Diet Lifestyle works: Eat these meals tomorrow, for a calorie total of less than 600. On another day this week, eat the meals from a different post, a second day of eating 600 calories or less. Eat sensibly the other days of the week. That’s it. Simple way to lose weight and be healthier. Welcome to henash01 and zeefur and DonnyFood and getbetterhealthforlife.com who are now Following.

Search the atlas or Google Maps as you will, you will never find the Islets of Langerhans, as they are located in your pancreas. Part of the Endocrine System of your body, they release hormones which regulate how the body functions. One of the most important of these is insulin. When one eats, the amount of glucose in the blood rises. To counter-act that, the Beta Cells in the Islets release insulin so that the blood will not have too high a content of glucose. When the pancreas fails to produce enough insulin to keep up with the sugars, the result is diabetes — a break-down in carbohydrate metabolism. Childhood Diabetes [known as Type I] used to be a death sentence and adult-onset diabetes [Type II] had no happy outcomes. Diabetes was first noted by doctors in 552 BC and the Greek physicians gave it its name. Called the ‘Sugar Sickness’ later in Europe, it was known to be helped by eliminating sugar from the diet, yet still there was no cure. On January 11, 1922, Canadian researchers Frederick Banting, and Charles Best injected an insulin extract into a young patient. The child’s blood sugar levels were reduced a bit. A further refinement of the insulin extract, improved by J.B. Collip, turned out to be the key to the cure. The trio were awarded the Nobel Prize for their work. Diabetes is still very much with us. The Standard American Diet, which pushes highly processed foods, is much to blame. By eating a diet low in Simple Carbohydrates; high in Complex Carbohydrates and colorful vegetables; and by lowering your weight, pre-diabetes can often be reversed. One of the reasons that Dr. Michael Mosley developed the Fast Diet was because he was pre-diabetic. And it worked!

What are some foods that are good for lowering blood glucose? Cold water fish, such as salmon; leeks; shrimp; butternut squash; red curry paste; and spinach are all good foods for keeping high blood glucose low. And look at that — today’s meals contain those very ingredients! Fasting and focusing on wholesome food choices can reduce your risk of needing supplemental insulin. Now is a good time to join the Fasting Lifestyle.

Leek & Salmon Bake: 129 calories 7 g fat 1 g fiber 10 g protein 7 g carbs [7 g Complex] 64.5 mg Calcium  NB: The food values given above are for the egg bake and fruit only, not the optional beveragesPB GF  Simply delicious. 

One 2-oz egg ½ oz salmon [could be leftover from a previous meal] 1/3 oz leek, sliced thinly cross-wise 1 tsp low-fat sour cream OR plain Greek Yogurt dill weed to taste dash lemon juice 1 oz pear OR ¼ cup blueberries   Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] or lemon in hot water  Optional: 5-6 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories]

Spritz an oven-proof ramekin [for 2 people, Dear Husband likes to use a 6×4” oval casserole] with non-stick spray and set the oven for 350 degrees F. Slice the leek and put in a microwave-safe dish. [NB: if the fish is raw, cut it into small pieces and put it in the dish, too] Cook in microwave for 30 seconds at high heat to soften the leek. Add to the ramekin. Whisk the egg with the sour cream, dill, lemon juice, and salt/pepper to taste. [NB: some people find dill to be a very strong flavor] Pour over the salmon/leek mixture and bake for 12-15 minutes. Prepare your beverages of choice and dish the berries. Have a wonderful breakfast and a wonderful day.

Thai Butternut Squash Soup:  253 calories   9 g fat 4 g fiber 19.4 g protein 24 g carbs 112 mg Calcium  GF PB  Found in the Toronto Globe & Mail, this recipe makes a lot of delicious soup. It freezes beautifully, so you can enjoy it often. Don’t forget to add 3 oz of chopped shrimp and ¼ cup chopped spinach to each serving. HINT: makes 6 cups of soup. Save out one cup for dinner and freeze the rest in portion-sized servings.

2 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 cups chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp salt
Heat oil in large soup pot over medium-low heat. Add onions, garlic, and salt. Cook about 10 minutes or until onions have softened.
1 Tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and grated
4 tsp Thai red curry paste, or more to taste
Stir in ginger and curry paste. Cook for a minute or two longer
2½ # butternut squash, peeled, seeded, sliced ½ ” thick [about 6 cups]
3 cups water or unsalted chicken broth
Add squash and water/stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until squash is tender, about 15-20 minutes.
1 lime, zest and juice Zest and juice the lime. Put 1 tsp of zest and 1 tbsp juice in the pot. Save remaining zest and juice.
½ cup ‘lite’ unsweetened coconut milkWhen squash is tender, stir in coconut milk. Puree the soup with a blender or food processor until smooth.
Return to pot, reheat, adjust flavor with more lime juice and/or curry paste.
per bowl: 3 oz chopped cooked shrimp 
¼ cup baby spinach cut as chiffonade
For each serving, stir spinach + shrimp into hot soup. Serve when spinach is just wilted.

Hamilton!

How this Fast Diet Lifestyle works: Eat these meals tomorrow. On Monday, eat the meals that will be posted on Sunday.  Eat sensibly the other days of the week.  That’s it.  Simple way to lose weight and be healthier.

Tomorrow is the anniversary of the birthday of the Founding Father Alexander Hamilton. Yes, that Hamilton: the one on the $10 bill; the first Secretary of the Treasury; founder of the; the one who was shot by Aaron Burr; and the one currently made famous by Lin Manuel Miranda’s hit musical.  He was born in Charlestown, Nevis [West Indies] in 1755/57, raised in St Croix, and educated in New York City. Hamilton had a meteoric rise through the ranks of the Continental Army, being a brilliant artillery officer, he was named George Washington’s aide-de-camp at age 20.

A convincing writer, he penned most of the “Federalist Papers” and went on to form the Federalist Party. His political work earned him the animosity of Vice President Burr, ending in their fateful duel in 1804.

Our meals today reflect Alexander Hamilton’s life: part Caribbean, part Colonial America. What else would you expect from this complex, influential man?

Welsh Rabbit ScrOmelette:  300 calories    10 g fat   2.5 g fiber   16.8 g protein   32 g carbs 258.7 mg Calcium  PB GF   The origional version of this recipe is served in Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia at Chownings Tavern. We love Welsh Rabbit/Rarebit for a homey supper, just as people did in Colonial Days.  And here are the same flavors in breakfast form.

Welsh Rabbit ScrOmelette w: pear

1 ½ two-oz eggs HINT: If you are serving one person, crack three 2-oz eggs into a small bowl or glass measuring cup. Whip up those eggs and pour half of their volume, crack three 2-oz eggs into a jar with a lid and put it in the ‘fridge for next week.                                                                                                                                                                   ¼ oz Cheddar cheese                                                                                                                                               1 tsp Worcestershire sauce                                                                                                                                  ½ tsp dry mustard                                                                                                                                                   1 oz pear or strawberries                                                                                                                             blackish coffee or blackish tea or lemon in hot water                                                                                       5-6 oz green smoothie or fruit smoothie or unpasturized apple cider

Grate the cheese and stir in the Worcestershire and mustard. Spritz a fry pan with olive oil or non-stick spray and heat over medium-high. Whisk the eggs and pour into the pan. Add the cheese mixture and scramble or let cook then fold as an omelette. Prep the fruit and the beverages and ponder the rebellious days of Colonial America.

St Kitts Fish Stew: 307 calories     2.5 g fat      4.4 g fiber       42 g protein       31 g carbs           279 mg Calcium  PB    This typical Caribbean recipe is made with salted fish. No doubt it was food of the enslaved African population. Plan ahead to leave time for soaking the fish overnight.St Kitts Fish Stew

2 oz yellow bell pepper, cut as 1/2”x2” pieces                                                                                                          1 oz scallion, sliced in 1/2” pieces                                                                                                                                                   1 clove garlic                                                                                                                                                             ¼ cup onion, coarsly chopped                                                                                                                           2 oz salt cod                                                                                                                                                                                              3 oz tomatoes [cherry or slicing-type], cut in chunks                                                                                   1/3 cup fish stock +/or water                                                                                                                                      1 dumpling**                                                                                                                                                          

** Dumpling                                                                                                                                                             2 Tbsp white whole wheat flour   +  3 Tbsp flour   [or 5 T. flour]                                                               2/3 tsp baking powder                  pinch salt                                                                                                pinch sugar                          7 tsp milk nutmeg                                                                                       Combine all the dry ingredients, then stir in the milk with a fork.                                                   The batter should be stiff but not dry. [add a little water if needed]

Soak fish overight in water. Next day, drain and cut into pieces 1”x2”. Prepare the batter for the dumpling**.  Put the broth/water, bell pepper, scalion, garlic, and onion in a saute pan and bring to a simmer. Place the dumpling on the vegetables so that it is not sitting in the broth. Cook uncovered for 5 minutes. Then put the fish around the dumpling and top the fish with the tomatoes. Cover the pan and keep at a simmer for 10 minutes. The dumpling should be firm to the touch when it is fully cooked. Check to see if it is done. Taste the dish to see if it needs salt [!!]. Different, delicious, and very pretty.

Ingredients for next week: breakfast, single portion

1 two-oz egg 1 two-oz egg
 bleu cheese  chicken sausage
 fat-free cottage cheese  pan muffin [10-grain cereal, buttermilk, butter, baking powder, sugar, unbleached flour]
 applesauce + raspberries
 raspberries
Whatever you need for your smoothie Whatever you need for your hot beverage
Whatever you need for your hot beverage Whatever you need for your smoothie

Dinner, single portion:

 1 hot dog [Hebrew National reduced fat]  grilled sirloin steak [4 oz for 2 servings]
 canned baked beans  mushrooms      +   red wine
 carrots, raw or cooked  creamed onions
 peas
 puff pastry [part of a frozen sheet]
 thyme
Sparkling water Sparkling water