Rambling

Okay, mission accomplished.

I managed to find low and no-carb snacks on yesterday's shopping trip. If you're wondering what the hell I'm talking about, see yesterday's post.

So, winner #1 is almonds. Three net grams of carbs per quarter bag. And by net grams, I mean grams of carbs minus grams of fibre. That's how it works. Don't ask me why. Almonds are tasty, salty and they do a pretty decent job of filling me up and killing the hunger pangs. Downside is that they're expensive. Stupid expensive.

Winner 2 is radishes. I read that 10 medium size radishes is equal to one carb. Great. I love radishes, they're a vegetable and I can eat them all day.

Number 3 is pepperoni. Again, tasty. And I get one carb for each stick. They're pretty big sticks.

Number 4 is pumpkin seeds. Three grams of carbs minus three grams of fibre. Not a big fan of them though. I like pumpkin seeds fresh out of the oven, crisp, a little burned even. The pre-packaged ones are a little soggy, a little on the soft side. Hmm, maybe I'll throw them in the oven before consumption.

Anyway, enough of that crap.

Survivor. I'm not buying whatever was going on last night with Boston Rob. It just didn't add up.

If he passed out and fell over (as the creative camera work suggested), why was his hat sitting neatly over his eyes as if he were sleeping? When people pass out, they tend to fall forward, not backward. Why was he on his back? While the Australia chick told the camera she "saw everything," she did not elaborate on anything. Why not. They usually tell all.

Probst didn't look like he was buying it either. He looked like a guy who'd been roped into playing along.

Oh, and medical, of course, found nothing wrong. So his explanation of "the flu" doesn't fly. With the flu he'd at least have had an elevated temperature.

Something stinks here and I'll guess we'll just have to watch to find out what this little game was all about.

I have to wonder, with the professional poker career not exactly taking off, maybe ol' Rob is using this Survivor season as an audition for an acting career. If so, more lessons needed. It just didn't ring true.

And . . . enough of that crap.

Playgroup day today and . . . it's Friday and Neomom has the weekend "off." Which means hours of homework.

So have a great day and a great weekend!

No-carb Fun!

Aw fuck!

I know, I know, but it's how I feel.

I'm on day 3 of a no-carb diet and I'm not loving it.

Have I mentioned that I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes about three years ago? Well, I was. And in those three years I have been monitoring my blood, trying to eat "a little better" and doing my best to keep it under control.

For those of you not familiar with this little problem, here is a short primer.

First, Type 2 is not insulin dependent. My pancreas is apparently not producing the insulin my body needs to convert blood sugar into energy. It's producing some, but not enough to keep up. Therefore, the glucose in my blood tends to build up if I let it. I try to control this problem with oral medication. Not needles full of straight insulin. Some day I may have to go to needles, if my pancreas craps out entirely, but I'm hoping it's a long way off.

Second, sugar is not my enemy. It is one of my enemies in the army that is carbohydrates. Your body turns carbs into sugar. So a bowl of Kraft Dinner, for example, is worse than a chocolate bar for me.

Stress is my enemy. The flu and bugs like it are my enemy. These things have a major impact on blood-glucose levels.

And recently, I've had a fair bit of them all. (To say nothing of Valentine treats. My bad.) I've been losing the fight.

And so, my best weapon right now is the no-carb diet. I've got to get things back in line. Call it a cleansing.

But one of my biggest problems with this disease, and the "standard" methods for control, is that I am not a "typical" Type 2. To be blunt, I'm not overweight. Never have been. I've been about the same weight and body type since high school more than 25 years ago. If anything, I'm underweight.

And it seems most (99 per cent) books, recipes and advice is geared for those that not only need to control blood sugar, but those that also need to lose weight. I think if I followed most of the advice I've heard and read, I'd disappear.

Anyhoo, the ol' no-carb diet. Breakfast is three eggs and some bacon. No toast, no potato. Yeah, I know, too much cholesterol. Rob Peter to pay Paul? Time will tell.

Lunch has been a salad with chicken chunks and supper has been a salad with steak chunks. They do the job for a while, but I'm usually hungry a little while after meals.

Bah, I'm boring myself here. And I have the disease. If you don't, this must be very boring.

Bottom line is that today I'm pissed off. I have to shop for two entities in my house— myself and everyone else. I'm preparing six meals a day instead of three. And yeah, I know, I could combine things, but I'm feeding a picky 4-year-old, a picky two-year-old (yeah, Sontoo is getting a little more finicky) and a wife that, when on night-shift, has her own list of agreeable food.

And now I'm stressing myself out just thinking about today's shopping trip. So I'm gonna stop. I have to research no-carb snacks to get me through between meals.

Happy Thursday. Survivor night! Yay.

Food is the Answer - What's the Question?

So let's talk snacks.

Are they necessary? How often? Must I lug something from each of the four food groups with me every time I leave the house? Can the boys not survive an hour or two without eating?

I'm asking these questions for two reasons:

1. Sonwun is required to bring a snack to preschool. He's there from 1 to 3:15. He wouldn't get a snack in that time period in my house. He just ate his freakin' lunch. Why does he need to eat at preschool? I'm not paying you to monitor him at feeding time.

2. Playgroup runs from 9:30 to 11. So many of the moms bring snacks. Some of them highjack the little picnic tables and lay out a freakin' buffet. Seriously, six different bowls of food. Again, the kids just had breakfast. (Or maybe the didn't and you just choose to feed them breakfast at playgroup). But for the rest of you, why do we need to feed them every half hour?

Oh, and as a side note to the buffet . . . Would you people please not leave the food out the entire time. You and your kids walk away, giving any child the chance to sneak up and help themselves. And yes, I realize you don't mind, but I DO. I don't know you, I don't know your kids. But I do know that communal food bowls are the perfect place to share whatever disease, virus or plague that is going around. So knock it off. You want to feed your little butterball, do it. But recognize there are other little people in the freakin' room and keep it to yourselves.

And a special note to the mom who brought sugar-coated Timbits as a snack for her child and left them out for all. When my 18-month-old tries to help himself, don't encourage him. I don't want him to have that. Especially the one that already had a fucking bite out of it. Keep your crap for your own kids. That's your decision. What my son puts in his mouth is, generally, my decision.

Now I will admit up front that I'm still relatively new at the parent gig. But I want my boys to eat a good healthy breakfast, lunch and dinner. Filling their little bellies every hour during the day with crackers, or cheese or fruit or whatever happens to be lying around at Playgroup, tends to make them a little less enthusiastic about cleaning their plates at meal time. And I don't need that.

By nature I'm an observer. Can't help it. I think that's why I fell in love with photography. And I can't help but notice that some people think that whenever a child makes a negative noise of any kind, it's a cry for food. And, based on my admittedly limited experience, IT'S NOT! A hug, a diaper change, a little attention is often all that is required. Yeah, I know, it's easier just to shove a Timbit in the kids' mouth and continue your conversation with the woman beside you, but I just don't think that's a good idea.

In this age where we, apparently, are all consumed with the childhood obesity "crisis," maybe it's time to take a look at the out-of-control snacking. Are we teaching the kids that food is comfort, food is love, food is the answer to every question?

Are you unhappy little one? Here, have a cookie. Here, have a poptart. It will make you fell better. I don't think that's a great message to impart on a little sponge-of-a-mind.

And, you know, to each their own, I guess. But when a snack is "mandatory" equipment for preschool, I have to question it. Granted, at least they insist the snack is approved by Canada's Guide to Healthy Eating. But maybe there should be a Guide to Healthy Eating Habits and Attitudes to go with it. Every childhood problem is not solved with a snack - even if that snack meets with the approval of the Canadian government.

And every child does not need food between 1 and 3:15 each day. I recognize that there are some children who don't get a healthy snack at home and the most nutritious thing they eat is the little snack at preschool. But does that mean we must make them all sit down together and eat something? No peer pressure here. I mean, what if I choose to send Sonwun to preschool without a government-approved snack? Will he have to sit aside, by himself, while the others graze? I must assume so.

I repeat two things I've said in previous posts.

1. I need to know why. Why is the snack mandatory at preschool? My kid can go two hours without eating. Is that really an issue for so many others? If so, we have other issues we need to deal with.

2. I don't want to be "one of those parents" that makes life miserable for those charged with my sons' care, but see #1. I need answers. These boys are my most prized possessions and I'm interested in everything they do, say and eat.

And if that makes me a pain in the ass, so be it.

Now, all that being said. If my kid needs a snack, he'll get one. Sonwun is almost four. He can ask for a snack if he's hungry. If the request immediately follows lunch, I know he's not really hungry but is looking for attention. If he asks in a whiny voice, it usually means he's looking for attention. If he asks 10 minutes before supper, it ain't happening. He gets what he needs based on my experience, the things I've read and the time of day. He doesn't always get what he wants.

Sontoo is just learning to speak, but I am intimately familiar with the noises he makes. I know there is one for sleep, one for attention, one for food, about six for "my brother's teasing me" and, when a diaper change is in order, he has already started climbing the stairs toward his bedroom to let me know. If I don't catch him in time, I'll find him sitting on the change table. He's quite a climber. And when it comes to snacks, he too gets what he needs based on my experience, the things I've read and the time of day. He doesn't always get what he wants.

Rant over. Have a great Thursday. I must go prepare Sonwun's snack for preschool. And remember, Kiddies Northern Preschool is a "Nut Aware" environment. Who comes up with these names? Bah, that's a rant for another day.