Two words: Dough-nuts (Donuts!!)

I rarely treat myself to a donut (or 2), but that doesn't mean the cravings go away. Armed with a new Non-Stick Mini Donut Pan, I figured I'd try my hand at a healthier baked donut (I know- sacrilege on top of sacrilege). The results were surprisingly positive. A snack of 3 mini donuts was only 210 calories (more nutritional info below)!

These are cake-style donuts, not yeast.

Not the prettiest picture, but that's what happens when you ice them too quickly (because you may want to tear into warm donuts) and it's taken with your phone:


I made several substitutions for a standard baked donut: I used stevia for the granulated sugar (about 1/8:1), used whole wheat pastry flour, added cinnamon to the batter (good for the blood sugar) and added ginger instead of nutmeg, then Earth Balance (stick, not spread) instead of shortening. I also added vinegar to the (skim) milk, for more of a buttermilk (the recipe called for plain ol' milk). EV coconut oil would also be a wonderful substitution for the shortning, but I don't have any on-hand at my bf's place.

The crowning jewel was Powdered Xylitol for confectioners sugar. Boy, oh boy! It sits on the tongue *exactly* the way the real thing does. How did I not know this stuff existed?? Sugar-free confectioners sugar?!! I welcome you to my life. For those new to sugar alcohols, they can be a little wacky on the digestive system if over-used, so definitely practice moderation.

I did 3 different glazes/toppings: Vanilla (which I put on when too warm, so immediately soaked into the donut), powdered sugar, and chocolate. They were actually all a little warm to glaze, but I couldn't resist the thought of eating them warm.

The final verdict: With the vanilla glaze, the whole wheat-ness came through a bit too much. I'd skip it next time. The chocolate was my second favorite (I added a little baker's chocolate to the vanilla). I barely noticed the whole wheat flour and it was seriously very good. The powdered sugar, however, was the winner, for both my boyfriend and me. The sugar hitting the tongue with that burst of sweetness, it tasted like a real powdered sugar donut.

Nutrition info (1 mini donut):

Calories: 70

Fat: 1.9 grams

Carbohydrates: 8 grams

Fiber: 1 gram

Sugars: 0 grams

Protein: .5 grams

Good Trend

There's a pretty exciting trend going on. It appears my hard work is really paying off. Last night, I went to my friends' house for a little informal Tony Awards party. They made a wonderful dinner. I had whole wheat pasta with a nice, rich meat sauce, a salad, and roasted carrots with roasted garlic. I had about a half of a strawberry basil martini, which was worth every sip (or I wouldn't have continued to sip) and a third of a glass of sparkling shiraz, also worth it. I had pie, too. Not a third of a piece or a half of a piece, I had a pretty normal sized piece of pie. It was a lemon-lime cream cheese pie, so perfectly tart, on a graham cracker and brown sugar crust. Yum! So, did I have a huge sugar spike this morning as I somewhat expected? No! It was a comfortable 87. Apparently, my body and I are on much better speaking terms these days. I like that.

As for the Tony Awards, I was very happy Memphis won as much as it did, including Best Musical. I had no doubt. If you're in NYC, go see it. It's great! I love the score and the cast is extraordinary.

Now, back to our regularly scheduled program...

Fasting glucose: 87
Exercise: EA Active Personal Trainer for Wii-- 45 min. It was my first workout using this one. Considering I was about 2 feet from the air conditioner and my face was dripping with sweat by the end, I'd say it was a good one. Slow, but steady.

Breakfast:
Cereal-- half Smart Bran, half Kashi Island Vanilla with Vanilla Slender soy milk

Morning snack:
Laura's Wholesome Junk Food, Anna Banana Split (4 pieces). I love her stuff. They're a small bit of indulgence, but contain wholesome, pronounceable ingredients. I haven't seen the flavor Grandma's Gingerbread anywhere yet, but if I do, I'm nabbing a tub of it. The Lemon Vanilla looks tasty, too; another flavor I haven't seen at the store.

Lunch:
Leftover chicken thigh, skin removed
Leftover mashed potato salad
Simple tomato and cucumber salad, no dressing

Post-workout snack:
8 oz. of Vanilla Soy Slender with a squeeze of sugar-free chocolate syrup

Dinner:
I wanted something light that seemed heavy. Zucchini fettuccine (using lightly sautéed ribbons of zucchini as pasta) with "meat" sauce (made with Bocca crumbles) and Parmigiano Reggiano fit that pretty perfectly. It was incredibly filling and tasted wonderful for a low calorie impact (this serving weighed in at 196 calories). Every recipe I've seen for zucchini fettuccine has said to discard the center of the squash, once you hit the seeds. No way! I cubed it and added it to the sauce. Grating it would work, too, if you don't want such large chunks. I often grate veggies into my sauce anyway.

Woo Hoo!

I stepped on the scale first thing this morning and, happily, have lost the 2 pounds I gained over Birthday Extravaganza Week 2010. I'm back to where I left off.

I also took a look at my blood glucose level (fasting, of course): 82!! That's the lowest I've been yet!! Wow. If I could do cartwheels without landing on my rear, I would. Go me!

I was actually a little curious about my sugar, eating right before I went to bed. Well after my post last night, I got a bit of a sweet tooth and was a little hungry, so I poured a 6 oz. container of strawberry yogurt (Light and Fit) into a bowl and topped it with a diced nectarine. I also added a little soy whip on top, just for a little extra decadence. I'm happy that didn't even cause so much as a blip! I do know that protein alone later in the evening generally helps, so I'm guessing it was the yogurt in play here.

Okay, I'm off to have some breakfast and head out for the day. I hope everyone is having a lovely Sunday!

Sugar

University of California, San Francisco has a program, "UCSF Mini Medical School for the Public", with lectures available online. Knowing it's not some fly-by-night institution, but rather a solid school, I figured I'd check it out. It's eye-opening in areas, for sure, and in some cases absolutely fascinating (to me, at least). The latest lecture that really caught my attention was by Dr. Robert Lustig, professor of Pediatrics in Endocrinology, on the subject of Sugar. I'll warn you, it's somewhat lengthy (an hour and a half), but interesting, especially if you've had issues with diabetes (Type 2) and/or weight loss.

I'm not one to follow the latest fads, and consider as many (reputable) sources as possible. I don't follow a single be-all, end-all diet. I've been trying to eat foods as whole as possible for several years now, though strictness levels have varied. This does provide much more incentive to keep up what I've been doing in more recent months and maybe even step it up a bit. Of course, I'm far from perfect, but I like to think I'm pretty strong-willed. By no means have I eliminated fructose from my diet, nor am I completely demonizing a single factor. I eat a lot of whole fruits, especially when in season, but this is definitely incentive to think twice about HFCS and other fructose additives. Thankfully, I don't eat a ton of agave nectar (I use it sparingly), but in thinking about it, it's pretty concentrated fructose, as well. I may use even more moderation there and use more of a variety of sweeteners than that just being my "safe" go-to. I can tell I'll be spending some more time on NutritionData for a bit.

Die, Diabetes, Die

A few months ago, I went in for my normal, post-labs, state-of-the-union doctor appointment. I was going pretty regularly, to monitor my liver and my blood sugar, in addition to a few other more minor issues. Both levels had seemed pretty intent on staying elevated.

This was the first time my doctor and her nurse had noticed my somewhat-dramatic weight loss. I'd taken off my bulky sweater before weighing in and was wearing a pretty form fitting t-shirt underneath, so it would have been tough not to notice. I got a good pat on the back and everything looked like it was headed in the right direction.

It appeared as though things were finally getting toward being under control. Being mid-February, my doctor said, "Your annual physical is coming up in June. I think it's safe to just schedule your next appointment then, since you're obviously going in the right direction". February to JUNE?!! Wow. That was a huge boost of confidence.



A few weeks ago, I went back in because my right arm kept going numb. Being newly-diabetic, any numb appendage was frightening. It's new territory, so I didn't know it was virtually impossible that it was related, due to timing, location, etc. It turns out it's just a pinched nerve. Whew!! That was a few tons of stress removed.

While I was there, my doctor weighed me (not unusual). I was down a few more pounds. She commented that I was doing extremely well and she liked what she was seeing. Great! She also said, "So, do you think you're going to beat this thing?". I replied, "What, diabetes? That's certainly a goal". She said, "I think so, too".

Wow.

Wow, wow. This is something in my head, of course, that I'd thought, but hadn't ever said out loud. After all, once you have it, is it really beatable? Being something that runs in my family, I haven't seen anyone reverse it. Apparently (with Type 2), it's possible. And, apparently, she thinks I have it in me. It's nice to draw on that in moments of weakness. I can use as many people in my corner as possible. Go me!

My fasting sugar levels have been in normal range for several days now, without so much as a blip. I've definitely landed in a good zone. Today, I'm getting more spinal injections, which is what aided in getting my glucose levels so elevated in the first place, but hopefully with some hard work it will just be a minor hit for a couple of days. Fingers crossed!!

We didn't discuss my liver at my last appointment. I've been very careful, though, and halved my headache meds (which is rough to tolerate at times, but it's reeeeeally hard on my liver). I'm hopeful that being as kind as possible to my internal organs will pay off, too.