FBS: 74

Good!  I am already in the 70s!  Even if I am on a wheat-free diet, I still get to eat the food that I like and it is not portion-restricted except for the rice because it will make the sugar go up.  Ideally, I should remove all carbs but I cannot do it yet.

I actually eat normal regular everyday food, like...

Chicken Tinola.



I made a chicken sandwich filling the other day because PD wanted it.  I cannot eat it with bread and followed the suggestion of my Ate to use cucumber instead.



Cucumber Sandwiches sans bread.



I love Taco Salad!



I have a new and very simple fresh salsa recipe.  I was watching the food channel the other day and saw how easy it was.

Fresh Salsa with Lime

2 tomatoes, deseeded and chopped
1 red onion, chopped
juice of 1 lime
1/2 t. rock salt
freshly cracked pepper

Food Diary:

Breakfast:

1-egg Shrimp Omelette

Lunch:

1/2 C. white rice
Chicken Tinola

Snack:
cashews with skin
*cucumber sandwiches

Dinner:

Taco Salad sans taco shell
Fresh Buko juice

PS.  I was able to buy fresh buko in Rustans Rockwell today.  After Hermie cracked it open, I put the juice and meat in a microwavable measuring cup because I wanted to put it in the freezer.  I forgot all about it until Hermie brought it in my room after dinner.  Wow! It was like Buko Sherbet!

I was busy on the phone talking to Corry and Wriggly was barking and barking! I told him, Wriggly, this is buko juice and it is not for dogs!  So... there I was on the bed talking to Corry and before I know it, when I turned I saw Wriggly quietly licking the empty measuring cup!!! I told Hermie to wash it very well.

Bad boy, Wriggly!!!!!

Bee Propolis of Ilog Maria

FBS report: 109

14 day ave.: 92
30 day ave.: 103

Finally!!! Air 21 delivered my Bee Propolis already.  I have been waiting for it since Monday! I was not able to take it for 2 days, I hope that was not the reason why my FBS went up to 109 today.

The Bee Propolis is a powerful antioxidant, strengthens the immune system, fights bacteria, viruses and fungi, combats arthritis, rheumatism and hypertation.  It is also rich in phytochemicals.

My doctor prescribed a multi-vitamin to me but I would rather take the propolis because it is all-natural.  I also read online that it helps people with diabetes.  According to the pamphlet that came with the product, it strengthens the pancreas and stimulates natural insulin secretion.

It was Corry who gave me my first bottle.  The moment I wake up, I take 1 ml. of the bee propolis and 1 glass of water everyday.

You can order online at http://www.ilogmaria.com/

Food Diary:

Breakfast:

2 soft-boiled eggs (I have yet to master the art of cooking eggs, the other side of soft-boiled egg was still runny.)

Lunch:

1/2 C. white rice
steamed spareribs
half an order of steamed chicken feet
broccoli leaves
1 pc. taro puff

Snack:

cashews with skin

Dinner:

1/2 C. white rice
Kilawaing Puso ng Saging
Pinangat na Kitong

So hard....

FBS report: 72

I am very happy again with my results this morning! Even without the bee propolis the FBS reading was still low! I was afraid if I do not take it, I will see a spike in my blood sugar.

AIR21 has not yet delivered my Bee Propolis!!!  I keep on calling to follow up but to no avail.

I cooked Pinakbet today for lunch.  I already have a recipe here in my blog but I liked the version today.

Pinakbet



100 g. pork belly cut into small cubes or strips
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 onion, sliced
3 tomatoes, sliced
1 inch-knob ginger, sliced
2 T. raw bagoong
1 C. water
squash
eggplant, sliced
okra, cut into 2
stringbeans, cut into 2-inch length
(I do not like ampalaya but you may add.)

Brown the  pork pieces in a wok until the oil comes out.  Set aside.

In the same wok with the oil from the pork, saute garlic, onions, ginger and tomatoes.  When the tomatoes are wilted, add the pork and bagoong,  then water.

As soon as it boils, layer the squash, eggplant and okra (and ampalaya).  When the vegetables are crisp tender, add the stringbeans and cook for about 2 minutes more.

I also had the Chicken and Pork Adobo of Mayette for lunch.



The fatty pork pieces are reserved for PD.

Wednesday is KST (Kasambahay Sa Tahanan) day in Bel-Air.  A group of women serves as facilitators to the household helpers.  We always have merienda after each session.

It is so hard for me every week  to watch Mona eat the delicious food!  Mostly pasta, bread and something meaty plus dessert.  Tita Ope of Salcedo Market prepared the merienda today! I really love her Chicken Relleno and I had a slice.  Mona had the Baked Macaroni, crunchy buttered baguette, relleno and the bread pudding which tasted like leche flan!  I had to taste just a quarter of a teaspoon bread pudding because Mona said it was very, very good.

I had to bring my own snack, a handful of cashews with skin and 4 little cubes of cheese!  I am very proud of myself because I did not indulge in the wheatful merienda, albeit super YUM! I did not even finish the nuts I was eating, I got full immediately.

I just really need to strengthen my resolve every Wednesday and bring my own food or I can always skip the merienda part and ask Mona to walk home! Hahahahahahaha!

Food Diary:

1 scrambled egg
2 T. chicken sandwich filling

Lunch:

Chicken Adobo
Pinakbet
1/2 C. white rice

Snack:

1 slice chicken relleno
handful of cashews
4 cubes of cheese

Dinner:

1/2 C. white rice
left over pinakbet
left over Bicol express

Happy Face

FBS report: 70

As happy as I can be!



Wow! 70! My lowest ever!!!!!  Hahahahaha.... doing my happy little dance.  I am really so grateful that my sister from Canada told me about the Wheat Belly book.  It really is life changing for me. 

Of course, it entails a lot of  hard work to be able to sustain the wheat-free lifestyle and to forget about some of my favorite food such as .... well ... junk food!  I still miss Cheetos Jalapeno and Ruffles Sour Cream and Cheddar but I am glad I do NOT crave for them anymore!!!! 

Do you think it had to do with the grilled food I had yesterday?

I went to the market again today and  bought Tilapia which I grilled for lunch.



I love using my custom-made griller.



Since I was already at the Poblacion Market, I also bought ingredients for Adobo and Bicol Express.

I spent the whole day cooking!  I told Hermie, even if hot oil splattered on me while frying the chicken and pork adobo, I did not mind because I enjoy cooking so much!

I woke up late and did not have time to eat my eggs for breakfast, instead had a handful of cashews with skin.



Air 21 has not delivered yet the probiotics I ordered from Ilog Maria! I missed my dose of Gold Propolis this morning! I wonder if it will affect my FBS tomorrow morning?  I hope not!  I think it also helps in my diabetes plus it is an immune booster. I do not take any other vitamin anymore, just the Propolis.

Food Diary:

Breakfast:

handful of cashews with skin

Lunch:

2 pcs. grilled Tilapia
Sauteed Upo



1/2 C. white rice

Dinner:

1/2 C. white rice
left over upo
Bicol Express

Kilawing Puso ng Saging

FBS report: 92

Better!!!  So much better than yesterday.  I am already on the 4th week of being wheat-free! I was only able to do vegan 19 out of 21 days.  That was so hard.  Wheat-free is so easy!!!

I mean easy for me.  I just realized that not everybody can do wheat-free for the reason that they are so busy and might not have time to prepare the food themselves. 

I was soooo busy the whole day! I woke up early to go to the market.  I wanted to cook Kilawing Puso ng Saging, my FAVORITE!!!  I bought the banana heart in Rustans Rockwell yesterday but I forgot to buy pork.  I also bought charcoal because I grilled Chicken Inasal and pork liempo for lunch. 

I do not like the way Hermie grills food, it usually turns out super dry and overcooked.  Plus .... I want to use the griller I had custom-made for me a couple of years ago when I had my BBQ business.

After lunch .... I cleaned out my refrigerator! OMG! I had so many expired sauces, jams and jellies!  Hahahaha well..... I sorted out the bottles and Hermie cleaned the fridge.

My day did not stop there! I was looking for an important document and I had to clean out my cabinet!  I really hate filing!  I had receipts and bank statements UNFILED since 2008!!!  I just put them all in a big plastic bin.  That was filing for me.

I planned on eating salad for dinner but I did not have the energy to prepare my salad.  Good thing I still had the leftover Kilawing Puso ng Saging.

Kilawing Puso ng Saging



1 big banana heart, (not the red one)
garlic, chopped
onion, sliced
200 g. pork, cut into small cubes
100 g. shrimps, peeled
1 t. salt
freshly cracked black pepper
1/4 C. vinegar

Prepare a big bowl with water and 2 T. rock salt.  Slice the banana heart diagonally and soak in the salted water for 10 minutes.  Drain, rinse and squeeze out the excess water.

Saute garlic and onions in oil.  Then add the pork, continue sauteing until the meat is not pink anymore, about 10 minutes under low heat.

Add the shrimps and then the drained banana heart.

Pour 1 C. water, let it boil then lower the heat.  Cover and cook until the meat and vegetables are tender and most of the liquid has evaporated.

Add the vinegar in the last 5 minutes of cooking.  Do not stir.

Food Diary:

Breakfast:

2 poached eggs

Lunch:

Kilawing Puso ng Saging
Grilled Chicken thigh



Grilled Pork liempo



1/2 C. rice

Snack:

cashews with skin
cheddar cheese

Dinner:

1/2 C. white rice
left over Kilawing puso ng saging

Identify the Culprit

FBS report: 121

I knew my FBS reading this morning would be higher than 100 because of the double celebration yesterday.  I now have very LOW standards!  It has to be 90 or lower.  But Mariger said not to beat myself up because it was not that high, compared to the FBS  of 250 up to 397 last May and April.

I would like to identify the culprit for making my blood sugar spike.

I know my breakfast and lunch were wheat-free yesterday but the food last night had traces of wheat.

Kare-Kare:

Knorr Beef cubes which contain MSG and tapioca starch.
Ground toasted rice = rice starch.
Ground roasted nuts, kind of confusing because under the list, it says peanuts can be consumed in UNLIMITED quantities but peanuts are legumes which belong in the Consume in Limited Quantities.

Pork Barbecue:

Soy sauce, which is made of 50% wheat.
MSG, maybe? which has wheat.
Ketchup is under the list, Consume rarely or never.

Barrio Fiesta Bagoong

MSG

So, I am assuming, those food were the culprit why my sugar went over 100.

Today was wheat-free, I hope.  I did not even receive communion.  The problem with wheat is, if I get to taste even a minute particle of it, it will make me eat and eat and crave for more food, because as I have repeatedly shared, wheat is an appetite stimulant.  So, I just prayed several Our Fathers instead of receiving Holy Communion.

I made Ceasar Salad Dressing from scratch because I wanted to control what ingredients to use, to make sure it was wheat-free. Plus I like my dressing, pourable.

Ceasar Salad Dressing - 1 serving



1 egg yolk
1/8 t. mustard
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 T. olive oil
1-2 t. lemon juice
1 fillet of anchovies

Add the garlic and mustard to the egg yolk, beat slowly.
Add the oil little by little and continue beating but not too fast.
Then, pour the lemon juice, beat again.
Mash the anchovy fillet into the dressing.

I am hoping for a normal FBS tomorrow.

Food Diary:

Breakfast:

Mushroom and Cheese 2-egg omelette

Lunch:

Bicol express
Leftover Bagoong fried rice

Snack:

Almonds and cashews with skin (good for diabetics)

Dinner:

Salad Greens with Ceasar Salad dressing and parmesan cheese.
Beef steak.

Seaside Market, Macapagal

FBS report card: 84

Yes! Even if I ate Talangka yesterday, my FBS this morning was still in the normal range!  I only had one serving of rice (1/2 C.) that was why there was no spike in my blood sugar level.

Ohhhh but I do not know if I will have good results tomorrow! I had back to back celebrations today. 

We had our usual Saturday family lunch and we celebrated the birthday of my Grandma. She would have been 104 years old tomorrow!  It was she who taught me how to cook.  She was the Martha Stewart of her time.

 I woke up very early to go to Seaside Market on Macapagal Ave. to buy seafood and liempo.



My menu was really simple but everybody enjoyed the lunch.



I just bought Suahe, Squid, Pork Belly and Crabs.

I asked each one what their preference was, Female, Male or Gay crabs.  Tita Portia and I like female crabs, My sister and brother both like Gay crabs.



The rest of my family do not eat crabs.

The special request of Sophie was grilled squid.



Of course, the Sotanghon Soup was for Gilly.



I now know how to cook soup without using MSG, Knorr cubes or Magic Sarap.  I only use salt, pepper, patis and a little sugar.

Green Mangoes



I grilled the Pork Belly with salt and pepper only.



Everybody loved the Grilled Shrimps with Butter Garlic.



1/2 K. Shrimps, Suahe
1 t. rock salt

Skewer the shrimps with the bamboo stick.  Season with salt.  Brush with Butter Garlic while grilling.

Butter Garlic

2 T. butter
2 T. Olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

Melt the butter in a frying pan together with the olive oil.  Brown the garlic until light golden brown.  Let cool.

My Kuya said it was like eating in Boracay!  But I told him, our food was better!

I did not eat rice because I know I was going to need to eat rice for dinner!

Corry asked me to cook for her birthday celebration with her family.

Her request: Kare Kare!





I also bought crabs for her at Seaside Market, Female, Gay and the claws!



We also had Butter Garlic Shrimps with Orange



1.5 K. Shrimp Suahe
3 t. rock salt
1 small bottle Minute Maid Orange
2 bars Magnolia Gold Butter
2 T. sugar

Melt one bar of Magnolia Gold butter in a frying pan.  Cook the garlic until light golden brown.  Remove the garlic from the butter and set aside the melted butter and toasted garlic.

In the same frying pan or wok, pour the minute maid orange juice, when it boils add the shrimps and cook until the color is orange.  Remove the shrimps from the wok and transfer onto a casserole dish.  Pour the melted butter in which the garlic was browned.

Add one bar of butter and sugar to the remaining liquid in the wok.  Let it boil until the butter melts.  Pour onto the shrimps.

Garnish with the toasted garlic.

They ordered Pork barbecue from Amber.

 There was also Pancit and Rellenong Bangus.

Ohhhh I really wonder what my FBS would be tomorrow!

Food Diary:

Breakfast:

1 poached egg

Snack:

Cashews with skin

Lunch:


Grilled Pork
Crab
Grilled Shrimps
Grilled Squid
Green mangoes with bagoong



Dinner:

Kare-Kare
pork barbecue
Garlic Butter Shrimps with Orange
Rellenong Bangus
1/2 C. rice