When Ostracizing Type 2 Diabetes Became an Accepted Lifestyle

When it comes to Diabetes, and the messages being put out there in the media, it is really hard for myself and other folks not to become angry -- if not downright furious. I have to tell you, I generally look through articles, and skim through different headlines, and just tend to "cherry pick" whats going to be real news, and ignore and pass over the fluff. If I were to read it all, I might be en route to a heart attack in less time than you can say "duck fiabetes."

But on Wednesday, just having gotten home from a long, physically and mentally exhausting shift at work, I failed to listen to my own advise. A dear friend of mine shared a news article, in my "Living with Diabetes" Facebook group... and I just lost it. I dont think I have ever been so outraged by an article before. (Well, except maybe for Wendell Fowlers abusive tirade against little Type 1 Diabetic children having ice cream. OMG, how dare they! Thats almost as dangerous as Paula Deen having a cheeseburger! *snark, snark*) I was seeing so many shades of red, and purple, I just could not think straight. I said a bunch of things, in my group, about the article, and to my husband... went and kicked a few things around... flipped off Dr Oz on the TV... and then I felt like my head was going to explode. It was just too much.

Having taken at least, a few days, to calm down... I can probably now tell you what I really think about this piece, with a little more perspective. The piece is called "Curing Diabetes: How Type 2 Became an Accepted Lifestyle" (Yes, you are reading right... That IS the headline for this article), and it was written for The Atlantic, by reporter John-Manuel Andriote, who has supposedly been specializing in HIV/AIDS reporting since 1986. I guess, I would like to think that being exposed to such a world would have given Mr. Andriote some perspective, and a keener sense of tact, and to an extent it has... but, apparently, not enough to have helped him rethink such a terrible headline.

The article itself makes a few key mistakes, which well, to an outsider would not be as self evident. And why would they? Our current government, medical advisory agencies, and medical industry want to do all they can to pass blame onto the Type 2 patient, entirely, and take on NO responsibility themselves. Ive shared on this, before, many times. Especially, the deep denial of how multi-faceted the triggers are for Type 2 Diabetes, and the roles pollution and other medications, etc., have in the development of the disease. It is unfortunate that everyone in the industry quotes such poorly done research studies that do not take these complexities into account, or even consider to do so, to blanket claim that 80% of all Type 2 Diabetes is "largely preventable." These simplistic allegations lead to discrimination, misunderstanding of a very complex disease, denial of health management resources and tools by the insurance industry, and uneducated reporting that often leads to societal abuse, bullying, and further discrimination.

Still, there is some good, among the bad, to be found in this article. I do feel that, had the author taken some time to meet with members of the diabetic online community, this article could have really shed some light more adequately, on a lot of issues that affect our community, without contributing so much to the problems it so tries to address.


The Good in this Article: 

• Right off the bat, the article addresses the issue that the medical industry does not like to discuss with patients, or at least seldom does, the idea that they can manage their diabetes without medications, much less what Diabetes even IS. This is, indeed, a struggle we have right now. But it is a deep, and complex problem involving a lot of ethical concerns which affect almost every aspect of the health industry, including the American Diabetes Association itself (its probably not an accident that they recommend diabetics keep their blood glucose levels at or below 180 mg/dL -- a very high, and potentially long term dangerous, blood glucose level), as well as other diabetes medical guideline agencies. The fact is, many medical professionals receive kick backs and incentives from the pharmaceutical industry -- large kickbacks and benefits -- and its in their pocketbooks best interests to keep as many of their patients taking certain medications. This is not something exclusive to the diabetes industry, though. I am sure this is one of the prime reasons why there are now, commercials on mainstream media, for prescription only medications. Its BIG business, and theres no better salesman out there than your doctor. 
• Andriote does some thinking outside the box, which is helpful: Chronic illness, particularly obesity and diabetes, are multi-faceted diseases which do not have just one contributing factor to them (though at times he seems to suggest they do) and thus, will need a multi-sector response. He speaks about our sedentary jobs, and a poor transit system, and the lure of the food industry, and how addicting high fat/high sugar/high salt/food combinations can be... and the supposed "myth" that healthy foods cost more than unhealthy foods. He even quotes an article from someone who supposedly "destroyed" this myth. What is perhaps not understood by people who claim that healthy food is cheaper than fast food is that most dedicated Type 2 diabetics dont consider healthy food what they consider healthy food, and they have to cut back on carbohydrates in order to control blood glucose, and not rely solely on their medications for control. Id like to see Andriote actually trying to live a lower carbohydrate lifestyle, at a grocery store, with a maximum of $350 for 2 people, for a month worth of groceries, and not being able to eat as many starches, grains, and other foods which ARE the cheaper foods, for their value and how far they go. Living on lean proteins, and veggies, and cutting back on all those starches and breads, and grains is NOT cheap. Also, per the fast food cost example he uses, if one assumes poor people buy value meals at fast food joints to feed all of their family members, one might be very, very naive: there is such a thing as a dollar menu, or less, at these places... And people KNOW this. How can you beat $2 for two double cheeseburgers at McDonalds??? It costs me $2.88 a lb alone, for chicken! (And its cheaper in Iowa, than in many places...) 
• Andriote talks about the need for balance in media industry reporting (Surprisingly): On the one hand, you dont want people dismissing diabetes as not serious enough, but on the other, you dont want to create a public backlash for patients. "When the media do focus on type 2 diabetes, said Sarah Gollust, assistant professor at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health, they give twice as much coverage to the behavioral risks for it than any of the other factors that contribute. But this over-emphasis on personal responsibility tends to blame and stigmatize people with type 2 diabetes or who are obese. Those living with the disease may feel its their fault if they cant always maintain the ideal blood sugar level. Worst of all, said Gollust, public support could erode as people are expected to cover the costs, however they can, of a medical condition its believed they brought on themselves ... Public support for addressing diabetes is imperative when you consider the tremendous amount of money it costs to manage the disease." This is a very important reality that we, as Type 2 Diabetes patients face as we strive to manage this disease. We NEED support, and we cant succeed without it. However, many of the undercutting remarks Andriote makes, including his headline, are FAR from being fair and balanced, and certainly not supportive! On page 2, Andriote has a "listing" of facts, and goes on to say that "Although there is a genetic predisposition for type 2 diabetes, the vast number of cases are the outcome of poor diet, obesity, and a sedentary lifestyle." Of course, this is contradictory... because ALL cases are of genetic predisposition. If not, then ALL obese persons would have diabetes -- and this is simply not the case. (I wont even go into his usage of the phrase "people of color" to talk about African-Americans, Latinos, and other minorities...) 

The Bad in this Article: 

• Andriote, sort of, implies that most Type 2 Diabetics could manage their condition without the need for medications, if they just try a little hard, and then they would be cured. There is a BIG disconnect in here: 
• For one -- he fails to realize that by the time the average person is diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes, their disease is so advanced, they have lost nearly 40-80% of their beta cell function, making it extremely challenging to near impossible to control blood glucose levels without the assistance of oral medications, or insulin. Again, being the multi-faceted disease that it is, diabetes NEEDS a more aggressive and aware medical community, as well as increasing efforts in continuous education FOR the medical professionals, as well as patients. A medical professional who cannot think diabetes, and catch all the symptoms and markers of diabetes, in an age when its being considered as an "epidemic," is a medical professional who will endanger lives, and contribute to the rising costs of the disease when it comes to complications that are not being caught on time. 
• Secondly -- The kind of lifestyle changes to achieve true remission and euglycemia, are a lot more stringent than what the ADA might tout. You *cannot* reach euglycemia -- true euglycemia -- while thinking that blood glucose numbers below 180 mg/dL are normal. True euglycemia are levels that are below 140 mg/dL or lower, after 2 hours of eating, and in fact, rarely exceed that. In fact, some might even say below 120 mg/dL at 2 hours, or less. Not everyone can achieve those levels -- especially, if they struggle with hypoglycemia, or  have other health related dietary considerations to make that might not allow them to easily cut back on carbohydrates, or increase certain levels of exercise, etc. I, for example, have to consume 80-100 grams of carbohydrate a day, at a MAXIMUM, in order to maintain my euglycemia. This is unrealistic to many people... and its not a character flaw! It is HARD, often unrealistic, work. 
• Thirdly, he goes on to claim that if folks worked hard at it, they could "cure themselves," and he uses an opinion paper, mind you, to try to back up his assertions. He even goes as far as claiming that this is the opinion of the American Diabetes Association (ADA), by claiming that the ADA says that "maintaining normal blood sugar without medication for at least a year could be considered a "complete remission,"" when in fact, the ADA specifically highlights a the end of the second paragraph, in that same opinion paper that "The opinions and recommendations expressed herein are those of the authors and not the official position of the American Diabetes Association." Moreover, the panel of those expressing their opinions recognized that they had clear conflicts of interest in the matter, and also, found it difficult to reach consensus considering the wide arrange of questions to be considered. The group does, though, make a very telling distinction between a cure, and a remission... which the author of this article seems to gloss over, quite nicely, to what he could take out of context, and better fit into his piece: "Medically, cure may be defined as restoration to good health, while remission is defined as abatement or disappearance of the signs and symptoms of a disease (3). Implicit in the latter is the possibility of recurrence of the disease. Many clinicians consider true cure to be limited to acute diseases. Infectious diseases could be seen as a model: acute bacterial pneumonia can be cured with antibiotics, but HIV infection, currently, can at best be stated to be in remission or converted to a chronic disease. The consensus group considered the history of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia, which evolved from a uniformly fatal disease to one that could be put into remission to one that can now often be considered cured (4). Conversely, chronic myelocytic leukemia is now considered to be in prolonged remission, but not cured, with therapies such as imatinib ... For a chronic illness such as diabetes, it may be more accurate to use the term remission than cure. Current or potential future therapies for type 1 or type 2 diabetes will likely always leave patients at risk for relapse, given underlying pathophysiologic abnormalities and/or genetic predisposition. However, terminology such as “prolonged remission” is probably less satisfactory to patients than use of the more hopeful and definitive term “cure” after some period of time has elapsed. Additionally, if cure means remission that lasts for a lifetime, then by definition a patient could never be considered cured while still alive. Hence, it may make sense operationally to consider prolonged remission of diabetes essentially equivalent to cure. This is analogous to certain cancers, where cure is defined as complete remission of sufficient duration that the future risk of recurrence is felt to be very low."

You see, it is one thing to call something a "cure," because it is more hopeful, and more satisfactory to a patient... than for that to be, actually, a cure. The likelihood might be low, but it is, in fact, not a cure. As a comparison to HIV made above, for example, people like Magic Johnson have had their HIV infection in remission for years, but would would we say that hes cured? Not in a million years. Just because I cant "infect you" with diabetes does not mean Im cured. This debate among colleagues does not equate to something actually being "officially" considered a cure. Obviously, operationally, we cannot treat presently uncontrolled diabetes in the same way as diabetes in tight control, or in remission... So DUH, it can be "operationally" a cure, but not in truth. Remission is remission. A cure, is a cure. This is truly, irresponsible journaling at its best. 

I would add that the amount of mental focus that is required in maintaining diet, food carbohydrate counts, exercise, and meal planning often borders on obsessive and unhealthy, and ends in many an eating disorder for many diabetes patients. The psychological ramifications of attaining euglycemia, at all costs, for many... have NOT been assessed, and yet, they are just as much a part of the disease as hyperglycemia and other markers. Diabetes is NOT just a disease of high blood glucose!  

• The author uses statistical scare tactics to put the fear of God in you: But he does not put them in perspective. Its one thing to discuss how the rate of diabetes will triple, or double, or whatever. Its quite another to not discuss the rate of population growth, right along with that. Obviously, people ARE reproducing, and diabetes isnt just happening in a vacuum where the rate is growing by leaps and bounds larger than what it is. Its hard to say, because what will the population be in 2050? Our population is EXPLODING to what are potentially unsustainable levels, and of course, thats going to make numbers for any disease seem scary high, without some perspective. What would the rate be in RELATION to total population at that time? THAT is what the question should truly be... In addition, the author wrongly states that the prevalence of obesity has been increasing, year after year, when the prevalence of obesity has remained STEADY for the last 12 years.  Could it change, tomorrow? Sure... but for now, I think we can say many folks are starting to be more conscious of obesity, and their health, even if they might not see themselves as overweight. Andriote fails to keep balance in the picture hes trying to paint.
• While Andriote wants to instill a sense of seriousness to diabetes, while claiming we need support, he attacks commercials with friendly faces and role models, claiming that persons who are fit, or joggers, or younger folks -- are not what most Type 2 Diabetics are like. Perhaps not (some) newly diagnosed Type 2 Diabetics, but is it wrong to have positive role models to aspire to? Is it wrong to see that some of us HAVE made changes, and CAN live a healthful life? Is it wrong for me to see another 35 year old I can relate to, on the tv? I fail to see just what he wants to accomplish, here. Does he want a fat, old Joe, sitting on a sofa, not able to move, and popping pills, or doing leg exercises from a chair, because he cant move? Would THAT be more appropriate? Or perhaps, he wants people with their limbs amputated, like the city of New Yorks shocking diabetes ad campaign? Im not sure whats the alternative hes looking for, here, and whats running through his mind. 

Of course, I cant end without discussing... that headline. "Curing Diabetes: How Type 2 Became an Accepted Lifestyle" ... Im guessing hes trying to say most people just "accept" and take the diagnosis as a given, that they will need to live with this disease, forever... and take pills forever. But boy, is it an uneducated headline. Yes, people can live pill free, for a while... and depending WHEN they were diagnosed, if it was late in life -- maybe they might never have to take any meds, ever. But no, its not a cure. Type 2 Diabetes IS a progressive illness, and the likelihood of a need for medications increases with the LENGTH of time weve had this disease -- and not exactly with how well weve taken care of it. Time goes by, and not in vain... our bodies DO age. Things break down. My father was in remission for years, yet he was never cured; diabetes still progressed, and still took his life. It happens.

Diabetes is not an "accepted lifestyle" anyone chose, anymore than people who got AIDS or HIV (by whatever method), CHOSE that as their lifestyle. I bet you $1,000,000 that this author would NEVER dream of writing "Curing HIV: How HIV Became an Accepted Lifestyle," merely because he read an opinion piece on how one can keep HIV in remission for YEARS. The headline even seems to sort of imply that we "coddle" people into being lazy about their care, and lazy about "curing themselves," so that we dont need to support them. Its not a disease, if you would, its a "lifestyle." Yes, because Type 2 Diabetes is sooooooo glamorous. Its the lifestyle of the fat, and sloppy, and just give me my Metformin, over here. Ill take it with a side of that value meal, please. 

Sadly, Andriote could have done SO MUCH to advocate and help our community, but instead he chose the low road of blame, and veiled vitriol in between his lines. How someone who has written for the AIDS community can be so close minded about the needs of another equally ostracized community is BEYOND me. 

CHG Best of July 2010

You guys! No-Cook Month was a sweet, ovenless success. Thank y’all for being there. We’re so happy with how it all came out, we’re gonna try another theme month pretty soon. (TBD!) In the meantime, here’s a rundown of what July 2010 hath wrought:

JULY RECIPES
Chocolate Cherry “Ice Cream” Popsicles
Chopped Salad
Greek Antipasto Pita
Herbed Tuna in Tomatoes
Refrigerator-Pickled String Beans
Sprouted Grains
Sprouted Quinoa and Mango Salad
Tamarind-Blueberry Granita
Vegan Mayo
Vegan Worcestershire Sauce
Watermelon and Feta Salad with Mint
White Bean and Roasted Red Pepper Wraps with Spinach

JULY ARTICLES

Man, it was Countdown Central this month, which kicked off with 13 Ways to Cook Without an Oven.

Two weeks later, we brainstormed 18 No-Cook Meal Ideas.

We rounded off our roundups with the mighty 68 Cheap, Healthy, No-Cook Recipes. Bookmark it for yo mama.

And last, but far from least, Ask the Internet elicited some faboo answers to the following inquiries:

• Camp Stove Recipes for Kids?
• Favorite Smoothie Recipes?
• Favorite Weird Kitchen Tool?
• Recipes Without Onions?

For more Cheap Healthy Goodness…

1) Have your say!
We love reading creative comments and participating in thought-provoking discussions. There’s even a fabulous new Ask the Internet column, where readers can write in with various inquiries and/or offer helpful suggestions. Sweet.

2) Spread the word!
Like us? Link to us! Refer us to a bookmarking site! (We have StumbleUpon and Digg buttons now!) Or just talk us up to your mom. That’s nice, too.

3) Behold our social networking!
Subscribe to our feed, join our Facebook page, or check out our Twitter … thing. They’re super fun ways to kill time, minus the soul-crushing frustration of Lost.

4) Buy from our Amazon Store!
If you click on the Amazon widget (lower left hand corner) and buy anything from Amazon (not just what we’re advertising on CHG), we get a small commission. And that’s always nice.

5) If you ever fall butt-first into a Brooklyn sewer grate overflowing with cooking oil, realizing shortly thereafter the stoppage was clearly caused by the neighboring restaurant, resist the urge to burn down said restaurant.
You will probably be arrested.

different kind of soups

Different Kind of Soups

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BENEFITS:

Can be highly nourishing.

An ideal food for convalescents.

Easy to make and economical.

DRAWBACKS:

Commercial varieties are often high in salt and fat.

Soups are nourishing, comforting and inexpensive, soups are a staple food worldwide. A simple soup can be made in minutes with a few vegetables, broth and seasonings, while more elaborate concoctions may be based on long simmered stocks and exotic ingredients.

different kind of soups

HsayaEMADE SOUPS:

Even a novice cook can make a delicious soup with a few basic ingredients, diced carrots, potatoes and other vegetables simmered in a broth with herbs. Leftover meat or seafood can be added for more flavor and nutrition. Cooks who have the inclination can simmer left over bones with vegetables to make a soup stock reduced sodium canned broths are also acceptable. Bouillon cubes can be used, but they are high in monosodium glutamate (MSG), sodium, and other additives, taste the soup before adding salt or seasonings.

Although the slow cooking of vegetables soups made with fresh ingredients still provide and excellent variety of nutrients, including vitamins, minerals and protein. Vitamin loss can be minimized by adding the vegetables toward the end of the cooking process, bringing the soup to a boil, and cooking only until the vegetables are barely tender.

Making your own soup allows you to control the salt content and important consideration for people with high BLOOD PRESSURE or those who are on sodium restricted diet. Use herbs and natural vegetable flavor to replace salt.

Chilling the stock forces the fat to congeal on the surface and makes it easy to remove for fat free soups. Or remove the fat by pouring the stock through a deflating cup. Cream soups and New England style chowders contain high amounts of saturated fat this can be reduced with losing flavor or texture by substitution evaporated skim milk for cream and whole milk.

different kind of soups

CsayaMERCIAL SOUPS:

Canned and instant soups come in many flavors; the quality and nutritional value are equally variable. Although canned soups are not as nutritious as their homemade counterparts, they are better than instant soups, which are so highly processed that food authorities have described them as little more than a mixture of MSG, artificial flavors, sodium, dyes and other additives.

different kind of soups

TYPES OF SOUP:

Whether made from scratch or canned, soup falls into one of six types. Cooking methods and ingredients frequently overlap.

Chowders, such as bouillabaisse, combine coarsely chopped vegetables and fish, shellfish, or meat with stock for a stew like consistency.

Clear broths, such as consomme or bouillon, are stained concentrated stocks made from a mixture of aromatic vegetables, either cooked in water or beef or chicken broth. Noodles, vegetables, and diced meat may be added to the strained broth. Some broths are thickened with a beaten egg just before serving. When a concentrated beef or chicken consomme is chilled, its natural aspic forms a solid jelly, which is a digestible food for convalescents.

Cold Soups, such as the Spanish gazpacho and Scandinavian style fruit soups are always served chilled. Others, such as the leek and potato vichyssoise, are equally flavorful and nourishing whether served hot or cold.

Cream soups, based on vegetables, meat or seafood are often thickened either with the same roux that is used for sauces or with cream. The fat and calorie content of cream soups can be drastically reduced by replacing milk and cream with evaporated skim milk or double strength reconstituted skim milk. (Nonfat yogurt can be used instead of sour cream in some soups, but it will curdle if the soup is cooked after it is added).

Vegetable purees (potage) are smooth textured soups made from vegetables that are simmered in stock or another liquid and then blended or sieved. Vegetable soups, including mines stone, are made with chopped vegetables boiled  quickly in water and are thickened with rice or pasta. 

different kind of soups

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different kind of soups

different kind of soups

different kind of soups

different kind of soups

different kind of soups

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Eggless Tiramisu

Tiramisu is a well known Italian dssert and the word tiramisu means pick me up or lift me up,this dessert is made with ladyfingers bisucits aka savoiardi, dipped in coffee and layered with whipped mixture of egg yolks and mascarpone cheese, flavoured with wine and cocoa.Actually its really hard to imagine tiramisu without eggs, that too the savoiardi biscuits its quite a challenging bake without eggs. For our this months of Eggless Baking, Gayathri and Sowmya of Nivedhanams suggested honestly challenged us to make this incredible Italian dessert. Initially i was planning to make an eggless cake for making this layered tiramisu, but while discussing Gayathri was saying that it will be different and  more challenging if we could make a eggless ladyfingers aka savoiardi biscuits. Then i went on searching and finally i got an incredible eggless saviordi biscuits from Aparnas space. After going through her post, seriously i boosted myself and prepared some eggless saviordi biscuits.

Instead of making tiramisu in a round serving dish, i went for individual servings. These individual servings are really amazing and we really enjoyed thoroughly this medium sized individual tiramisu. Eggless tiramisu turned out extremely pect.Eventhough these eggless ladyfingers dont have that super soft like texture of the regular lady fingers biscuits,they tastes exactly likesuper  nutty shortbreads. I kept my tiramisu for almost two days in fridge to make this biscuits a bit softer.By the way dont expect that these ladyfingers will turn super soft as like those lady fingers biscuits with eggs.

Today is our last day of a month blogging marathon, seriously i enjoyed running this long month and since this week is misc week, am posting some recipes for few events going around this virtual world.Sending to Flavors of Cuisines - Italian event guest hosted by me,event by Julie. Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#27.

 Recipe source : Recipezaar
Eggless Saviordi Biscuits:
4tbsps Sugar
1tsp Vanilla extract
1+1/2cups Butter (unsalted & softened)
2cups All purpose flour
1/2cup Coarsely grounded almonds
Powdered sugar for coating

Beat the sugar and butter,vanilla extract for few minutes, add the flour anf coarsely grounded nuts, make a semi solid dough.

Transfer it to a piping bag,and pipe it over a baking sheet lined over a baking tray with enough spaces.

Or else grease your hands and make oval shaped biscuits, arrange over a baking sheet,with enough spaces.

Bake them in 300F, for 30-40minutes until they turns slightly brown at the edges.

Take out of the oven and cool them in a cooling rack, once they are slightly cool,roll them in powdered sugar.

Store in an air tightened box and use when required.

Mascarpone Cheese:
Recipe Source: Baking Obsession
500ml Whipping cream
1tbsp Fresh lemon juice

Heat water in a wide skillet, reduce the heat to simmer.

In an another vessel, take the cream and place it inside the water simmering skillet.

Stir the cream and after 15minutes, add the lemon juice and continue heating, until the cream curdles.

Whipping cream will become thicker and it will cover a back of your wooden spoon, you can see just few whey and remove the bowl from the water,let it cool a bit.

Line a siever with dampened cheesecloth and keep them over a bowl, transfer this mixture to the lined sieve.

Dont squeeze the cheese or press,once cooled completely cover it with a plastic wrap and et them sit in for a day.

Next day you can see ur super luscious,creamy mascarpone cheese.

Assembling the Tiramisu:

1cup Whipping cream
1/2cup Sugar

20nos Eggless ladysfinger biscuits (can increase or decrease as per need)
1+1/2cup Mascarpone cheese
1cup Cold coffee
2tbsp Dark chocolate powder

Chill the whipping cream and bowl by keeping in freezer for few minutes, whisk the whipping cream until it reaches stiff peaks with a electric hand mixer.

Put the cheese, sugar in a bowl, whisk it for a while, now fold the whipped cream to the cheese mixture.

Dip half of the eggless ladysfinger biscuits in the cold coffee, turn both sides, soak for few minutes.

Arrange the biscuits in a single layer in a round serving dish or in individual cups.

Spread enough cream in a uniform layer covering the biscuits completely.

Dip again the eggless ladysfinger biscuits in the cold coffee and arrange over the already prepared layer.

Spread evenly again remaining cheese, sift the chocolate powder over the cream cheese.

Cover those individul cups with a plastic wrap, place the pan in fridge, keep atleast for 2days..

Serve it.

The 25 Food Project Finale Recipes Conclusions and an Exit Interview

Our Project has come to an end. The Husband-Elect, a six-foot, 205-pound man in his mid-30s, has been successfully fed for a week on $25. Needless to say, we are celebrating with beer.

Thanks to everyone who wrote throughout with suggestions (especially wosnes and CJ). Your ideas were super helpful, especially during a mid-week culinary rut, when my sinuses threatened to take over the world.

Included below is a breakdown of the week: the final numbers, an analysis of what worked and what didn’t, the Husband-Elect’s exit interview, and recipes made over the last seven days. I’d love to hear what you think and what you would have done differently.

In the meantime…

THE NUMBERS

Final cost total: $24.99
Daily cost average: $3.57
Daily calorie average: 2631 calories
Daily fat average: 86.7 g fat
Daily fiber average: 38.4 g fiber
Daily average prep time: About 48 minutes per day, total

The fat and fiber are a little higher than recommended, and the calorie intake means he’ll probably lose some weight over the course of a year. I’m satisfied, though still kicking myself for not including protein. Maybe next time.

About the prep time: staying within a strict budget means you gotta cook at home. For me, 48 minutes a day is worth it. Your mileage may vary, and that’s okay.


THE THREE MOST UNEXPECTED FINDINGS

1) Husband-Elect was always full at the end of the day (sometimes egregiously so). I never thought he would go hungry, but I figured the budget restrictions would mean some deprivation. It wasn’t so.

2) Including produce was tougher than expected. Stating the obvious: when your budget is this limited, fruit and vegetables are expensive, at least compared to a box of pasta. Since produce isn’t very calorie dense, serving it and still hitting that daily 2600-calorie number was rough. We managed, but with effort.

3) How much the average adult male eats compared to the average adult female. Honestly? It was eye opening. At 5’ 9”, I am not a small woman, but the comparative amount of calories, fat, protein, and fiber he required blew me away.

About that last part: I have a newfound, monstrous respect for those of you who feed athletes, teenage boys, larger guys, and anyone who requires a lot of calories in general. I shudder to think what this project would have been like using my mountainous younger brother, who makes The Rock look like Steve Buscemi.


WHAT WORKED OUT

• Starting with a big chunk of meat and stretching it as far as it would go. I used a 3.5-lb pork shoulder over and over: in tacos, on top of egg noodles, as a breakfast side, in a peanut sauce, etc. It always felt significant, even when it was only a few ounces.
• Making a big pot of chili at the beginning of the week. Dense, nutritious, and filling, the veggie-and-bean dish became the basis for a lot of lunches. I only wish I had used it in more creative ways.
• Coupons, shopping from the circular, and unexpected discounts. I found fantastic bargains on potatoes, canned tomatoes, dried egg noodles, and organic salad greens. Staying flexible with the plan and keeping an eye out for bargains was vital.
• Big, healthy breakfasts. They kept Husband-Elect sated for a good chunk of the day, and I didn’t have to scramble to make up the calories later.
• Baking. Ain’t nothing wrong with a few homemade cookies, which are usually cheaper and always better tasting than store bought.
• Starches. Potatoes, pasta, rice, oatmeal – some not terribly healthy, others outrageously so. But they filled him up for little cost, and it helped.
• Fruit. Especially bananas. Versatile, cheap, nutritious, portable, readily available. We always have a big bowl, and now I know why.
• Peanut butter. How did people live before peanut butter? Thank you, George Washington Carver or Mr. Jif or whomever.

WHAT DIDN’T WORK OUT

• Using too few generics. Tiny flavor differences, huge price differences. Buying house brand foods would have halved the cost of some dishes.
• Not allowing for more snacking and grazing. I mentioned this a few days ago, but it’s tough to avoid eating when the urge strikes, whether you’re on a budgetary diet or an actual diet.
• Low-fat foods. I buy skim milk and 2% cheese, because he can’t tell the difference and I per them for myself. When you’re trying to pack in so many calories, these are not helpful. It made me wonder how households manage when one person is trying to lose weight, while the other is eating normally.
• Canned beans. I should have bought dried. They would have gone much further.
• Coffee. It’s not terribly expensive, but it has no real nutritional value, either. Two cups on Sunday almost killed my budget.

EXIT INTERVIEW WITH THE HUSBAND-ELECT

How do you feel?
I feel well fed, but I think I was somewhat overfed. During the experiment I felt like dinner was too much, and by the time I got home from work I wanted less more often. With a full breakfast and healthy lunch followed by a hearty dinner, my stomach was bloated each night.

Do you feel like you ate too little, just enough, or too much?
I think I ate a little too much. Again, dinner every night was an enormous meal after being filled for much of the day. Fantastic food, but I think I could have had less each night, maybe a smaller dinner with a little healthy snack later. I’m not much of a dessert person, and although it was a nice treat, I wouldn’t want a dessert every night for a week ever again.

What was the best part about the week?
I think when you got linked to by Boing Boing and Lifehacker. Also peanut butter spread on banana bread. Yes I know I’m contradicting my previous dessert statement, but something like that glorious combo is a magical rare treat, not something to toss in to fill out a calorie count. And when I say magical, I mean at least a third level cleric healing spell magical.

What was the worst part about the week?
The worst was being told I could have bacon on Saturday and Sunday then having that dream ripped away and replaced by something not bacon.

Has it changed any of your opinions on money and food?
It certainly has. It’s reminded me that it’s nice to have some cash to treat oneself, and I’m grateful that I can afford a dinner out and a beer sometimes, because I missed them. On the other hand, I’ve always enjoyed a home cooked meal, and this past week I got plenty of them. I also appreciate that YOU love these things so much, so I can enjoy it with you, and stuff my face. Thanks!

What are you going to eat tomorrow?
Pizza and beer and nachos and lobster and ostrich. In a slurry. Or maybe sushi. With a salad.

Do you like the shirt I’m wearing?
It’s ok. I think you’re much cuter in the plaid blue and white number your sister gave you.


RECIPES

These are the foods that got us through the week. Some aren’t terribly healthy, but all are inexpensive and tasty as heck.

Banana Ice Cream with Peanut Butter
Brown Gravy
Easy Vegetarian Bean Chili
Gingersnap Oatmeal
Light Banana Bread
Maple Morning Polenta
Pancakes
Peanut Sauce
Roasted Chickpeas
Slow Cooked Puerto Rican Pork
Snickerdoodles
Traditional Mashed Potatoes
White Bean Dip

A grocery list is forthcoming.


RELATED POSTS

In case you want more details, these posts document every step of the experiment. Its a good thing we own several calculators.

The $25 Food Project: One Man, Seven Days, 21 Meals
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
Ask the Internet: $25 Grocery List from Scratch?

In the meantime, readers, I’d love to hear what you have to say. The comment section awaits!

~~~
If you like this article, you might also like:

• The Argument for Spending More on Food
• The Case for Frozen Food
• Spend Less, Eat Healthier: The Five Most Important Things You Can Do

Top 10 Links of the Week 1 22 10 – 1 28 10

This week, we question authority, stand up to The Man, and discuss some lovely options for midday snacks. Tally ho!

1) Serious Eats: How Do You Eat for a Week for $50?
I think this thread might be longer than the Constitution. And the ideas are just as excellent. What, me exaggerate?

2) GMA: Grocery Bill Was Out of Control, but Year-Long Meal Plan Saves Texas Woman Time and Money
Leslie Chisholm, mother of four boys, started planning her family’s dinner a year in advance. It took some time, but she’s managed to reduce her grocery bill by half. Moms take note! (Note: it’s a video.)

3) Slashfood: What Can I Get You Folks – Using Your Coupon
“For whatever reason, coupon users tend to be among the most impolite diners,” says Slashfood columnist/waitressing vet Hanna Raskin. Here, she suggests ways to avoid being that guy. A solid comment thread follows the post. (Incidentally, when I worked in the food industry, the very best and very worst customers were almost always senior citizens.)

4) Jezebel: OK Helps Kourtney Shed Baby Weight with Photoshop Phony Diet
This whole piece is just emblematic of why I love Jez, but especially this sentence: “Since women have already learned from other magazine covers to loathe their ‘bikini bodies’ and that they should be wrinkle-free after 40, why not send the message that their bodies arent good enough mere days after theyve brought forth life?”

5) Jezebel: Whole Foods Employee BMI Discount Raises Legal Concerns
Whole Foods is giving discounts to workers in good shape. Normally, this would anger me, since it seems like discrimination. But here’s the hitch: if you’re trying to project a certain image with your business, does it make sense to encourage employees to uphold that impression? Hooters does it. (Note: This is a devils advocate kind of question. IMHO, its discrimination.)

6) The Kitchn: Quick and Light – 14 Ideas for Fresh and Easy Snacks
All of a sudden, I’m hungry for kale chips. And roasted chickpeas. And granola. And … you get the idea.

7) The Simple Dollar: Trimming the Average Budget – Alcoholic Beverages
For all this talk about frugal food, you don’t see booze mentioned very often. Trent attempts to remedy the situation with smart tippling strategies. As always, the comment thread is required reading. Drink up!

8) Coupon Sherpa: Recipe for Survival - 23 Ways Restaurants Save Money
Restaurants have taken some serious hits these last few years, so it’s logical they’re making cutbacks. Many are pretty reasonable, but a few border on unethical, e.g., the porcelain plates with bumps built in to make it look like you have more food. (Thanks to Simple Dollar for the link.)

9) Consumerist: You Ignore Calorie Info for Yourself, but Not Your Kids
Oh, man. So interesting. Parents buying fast food dinners for their kids saved 100 calories per meal when the nutritional data was posted on the menus (670 calories vs. 570 calories). Apparently, this can mean 10 pounds per year, ungained by children.

10) Serious Eats: Taste Test – Veggie Burgers
Morningstar Grillers: still the best! Even after all these years out of college, when vegetarian friends taught me they were totally the best!

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Boston.com: Weight Watchers Sues Jenny Craig
It’s like the ‘90s East Coast/West Coast hip-hop feuds, starring Valerie Bertinelli instead of Suge Knight.

The Kitchn: 6 Ways to Reuse Oatmeal Tins
As someone on an oatmeal kick of epic proportions, this will come in handy.

Neatorama: Brain Slug Cupcakes
Because sometimes, you just want a cupcake shaped like a brain slug.

New York Times: The New Old Way to Tote Your Beer
If you’re a serious microbrew fan, growlers are your best friends. They’re essentially gallon jugs that you can ill at local pubs/specialty stores. One of roommates does it, and it’s saved him quite a bit of cashola.

Serious Eats: Finally, a Heavy Metal Cookbook - Hellbent for Cooking
For those about to cook, we salute you.

Wise Bread: Frugal, Gluten-Free Living – Kitchen Tools That Stretch Your Budget and Time
Celiac folks! Look here! I swear its not weird.

AND ALSO

McSweeney’s: Benefits Not Provided by “Friends with Benefits.”
My most excellent and hilarious friend Tony got a piece in McSweeney’s! This is the link to it. Because that’s what we do here.

Thank you so much for visiting Cheap Healthy Good! (We appreciate it muchly). If you’d like to further support CHG, subscribe to our RSS feed! Or become a Facebook friend! Or check out our Twitter! Or buy something inexpensive, yet fulfilling via that Amazon store (on the left)! Bookmarking sites and links are nice, too. Viva la France!

Diabetes Risk Factors This four Owned Women Only

Diabetes Risk Factors This four Owned Women Only - The majority of risk factors for type 2 diabetes in men and women is the same. But based on a study of 1 million women found that there are only a few factors that are owned by women. What are they?

Studies conducted by Denice Feig of the Department of Medicine and Department of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Canada and his colleagues revealed that there are two conditions related to pregnancy and can increase the risk of type 2 diabetes include preeclampsia and gestational hypertension (high blood pressure during pregnancy).

Though estimated 5-8 percent of pregnant women reported experiencing preeclampsia, a deadly condition in which a mother had high blood pressure, fluid retention (water retained in the body in excess) and proteinuria were found in his urine when the pregnancy reaches 20 weeks of age.

Whereas gestational hypertension is a condition in which a prospective mother suddenly develop high blood pressure when entering the womb 20 weeks of age but did not find any proteinuria in his urine. This condition is also erred to as pregnancy-induced hypertension (pregnancy-induced hypertension).

The conclusion was obtained after the researchers analyzed data from 1,010,068 pregnant women who reported giving birth between April 1994 and March 2008. Information about the presence of gestational hypertension, preeclampsia and gestational diabetes in participants was collected and evaluated.

According to the findings of previous studies, gestational diabetes is also said to be one of the risk factors for type 2 diabetes. This condition usually appears in the third trimester of pregnancy.

As a result, 30 852 people suffer from gestational diabetes; 27 605 people suffer from gestational hypertension and preeclampsia 22 933 people. In addition, 2,100 people are known to suffer from gestational diabetes as well as gestational hypertension, whereas participants who experienced gestational diabetes and preeclampsia reached 1,476 people.

When in-followup, 35 077 people (3.5 percent) reported having diabetes type 2. However, as quoted Emaxhealth, the magnitude of the risk of type 2 diabetes based on the presence of pregnancy-related conditions specified above are:

- 1.95 times greater in patients with gestational hypertension

- 2.08 times more likely to develop preeclampsia

- 12.77 times greater in patients with gestational diabetes

- 15.75 times greater in participants who develop gestational diabetes and preeclampsia

- 18.49 times greater in participants who have gestational diabetes and gestational hypertension

But apparently in addition to pre-eclampsia and gestational hypertension, the researchers also found two other diabetes risk factors were not found in men, which gave birth to a baby weighing more than 4.5 kilograms and the polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS).

Because women who have PCOS are known produce androgens (male hormones) in the number of abnormal so they experience symptoms such as hair loss on the scalp, acne, weight gain, hair appears on the face, irregular menstruation, insulin resistance to fertility problems . As has been long known to weight gain and insulin resistance also encourages a persons risk for developing type 2 diabetes.