pricey. This inspires me to brown bag and awful lot. We are permitted
to store food on site so I stock it with food that I hope won't damage
me much. Prepackaged food is pricey as well and the costs add up if
I'm to actually satisfy my appetite.
While attempting to increase my HDL cholesterol (a questionable need,
stay tuned.) I wanted to increase my vegetable intake. Higher fiber
food slows down the release of sugar in the blood stream. sugars can
be converted to triglyceride, a fat building block that appears to be
instrumental in the manufacture of LDL cholesterol which is, so far,
still an enemy of mine. Foods that don't increase blood sugar very
much are called "low-glycemic". Flour products are the opposite. HIGH
glycemic. They promote heart disease and stroke.
Soups were getting on my nerves so I ventured into the no man's land of
the shopping isle eschewed by my mother when I was a boy. I began
purchasing canned vegetables.
My mother wrote off canned veggies partially due to my father's
distaste for them. They are all you get with school lunches though and
it occurred to me one day that their flavor never bothered me then, so
it was time to reacquaint myself and leave my prejudices behind.
Green Giant fresh picked sweet corn is rather tasty but almost any
brand of green beans, peas, or beets will suffice. This added some
variety to my lunches. I took up an old recipe my father stood by. A
can of Garbonzo beans (aka chick peas) doused with Italian Dressing.
Very simple and straightforward. It was this idea of seasoning beans
that may have inspired my mixing the garbonzos in with the Masala Chana
I buy. It is a dish made with Chick peas in an Indian sauce (curry
based, I think.) They are a bit pricey so when you add a full can of
generic chick peas to it, you've tripled the amount of food at a very
small price. I found you could also make the canned chili go a lot
further using a can of kidney beans.
This had been working out well enough when I spied some canned
vegetables I hadn't noticed before. They were stocked with another
brand "Glory" that I'd wanted to try but they are laced with trans fat
and I won't give money that keeps these nasty chemicals in our food
supply. The cans were a dull light olive green or ecru with a pale
yellow brand name. Asked to make an uglier can in which to put food,
I'd be sorely challenged. Dubiously, I picked up a can of "Hoppin'
John". A dish I'd never heard of with black-eyed peas, tomatoes, and
jalapeno peppers. I like black-eyed peas enough to take the chance on
this ugly can with the odd recipe inside.
It was a VERY different lunch choice; tasty, packed with fiber and
vitamins while serving relatively low calories. It was a winner. I
tried more varieties of canned veggies from this strange company with
the ugly cans, no marketing savvy, and the unusual recipes: Mararet
Holmes. (http://margaretholmes.com/seasoned_southern_classics.cfm) The
lady can be proud.
The field peas with snaps are too salty but good if you're sure to
drain them really well. Other than that I enjoy everything she makes
that I've tried. Sadly, one of her greens recipes has trans fat but
none of the others do.
Most recently, I've used Margaret's well drained collard greens to
spread out another Indian dish called "Palaak Paneer", a curried spinach
with some cheese cubes. It was better than the Palaak alone.
For those looking to enrich their dinner and lunch tables, save money,
tame diabetes or promote weight loss, a stroll through the canned food
section, sharp on the lookout for the ugliest canned food known to man
could serve you well in more way than one.
Next: Going nuclear.
* DM
Fitness Goals:
60 beats per minute resting pulse.
10 minutes hard cycling. (intensity 5 out of 10)
Weights: 3 days - 100 lbs. - 6 cycles of 5,5,5,10 repetitions (2 cycles/day)
Current Fitness Record:
(since last entry)
Pulse: 60 beats per minut
0 x < 2 min cycling - intensity - (Pulse = 126 at last check 2-2008)
0 day - 65 lbs. - 0 cycles
Blood Pressure: 125/69 11-2007
RECENT SYMPTOMS : None.
ONGOING SYMPTOMS: Weak, clicking knees, Slight pain in right knee when kneeling and shifting knee to the right. Hyperhidrosis.
DIAGNOSIS: Unknown injury to right knee, possible impact from small stumble onto
landing of concrete stairs 2006. Injured knee joints from sprinting.
DRUG REGIMEN: Aspartame. (3 diet sodas daily) Caffeine (three cups of coffee daily. One cola.)ONGOING TREATMENT: Tri-Annual dental visits. Cycling / Spinning for strength training.
PROGNOSIS FOR FOLLOWING WEEK: Slow improvement of knees. Good health.
POTENTIAL TREATMENTS: Fish Oil supplements. Leafy greens. Axillary vacuum curettage.
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