Category: Uncategorized
Random Fact
428,900 Oklahomans have diabetes. (diabetes.org)
Playing in the Snow!
Chocolate Whip Oatmeal

Ingredients Include: 1 cup cooked oats, 1 egg white, 1 tsp sugar or honey, 2 tsp sugar-free dark chocolate powder, and ground cinnamon
Directions: Make meringue by whipping 1 egg white. After the egg white begins to form, add 1/4 tsp of sugar and 2 tsp of dark chocolate powder to the egg white and keep mixing on high until the mixture is completely formed. Fold the egg white mixture along with 3/4 tsp of sugar into the oatmeal. Sprinkle cinnamon on top to help stabilize blood sugar levels and extend the bold taste.
Tip: Switch it up by adding bananas, coconut, peanut butter, or nuts.
Nutritional facts: Calories~ 200, Fat- 0 gr, Carbohydrates- 33 gr, Protein- 9 gr
American Diabetes Month
Miss Tulsa State Fair
Around the World in 80 Words
Nothing forms a better picture of where you see yourself in the world better than travel. Alice Shi Kemble, another wordpress blogger, posted Five Words which inspired me to document my travels in the same way. (http://aliceshikembel.wordpress.com/2013/07/24/five-words/) Below are 5 words and 3 pictures which describe each country I visited.
NOVA SCOTIA Fish and Chips, Lighthouse, Boardwalk
IRELAND Bold Colors, Irish Accent, Galway
ENGLAND Big Ben, Tailored, Tube, Tea
BELGIUM Architecture, Two Hour Breakfast, Chocolate
FRANCE La Siene, Croissant, Street Art
GERMANY Sausage, Window Flowers, Friendly People
PORTUGAL Tile Art, Portuguese, Beach Climate
SPAIN Smells, Salsa Dancing, Flamenco, Spice
ITALY Gelato, Cinque Terra, Bella Lingua
GHANA Obamaland, Street Venders, Basket Balancing
SOUTH AFRICA Vibrant, Colorful, Safari, European Influence
ARGENTINA Theatrical, Beef, Antique, Gaucho Ranch
URUGUAY Simplistic, Slow, Warm, Beach, Spanish
BRAZIL Favela, Amazon, Rio, Collective, Humid
DOMINICA Warm, Snorkeling, Vegetation, Hot Springs
HOME Personal Space, Home, Freedom, Burgers
Seville, Spain
Hello All,
My amigos and I took a train to Seville, a city 2 hours from Cadiz, Spain. We had a bad habit of packing our bags and leaving the ship without knowing where we would sleep. At 12:30 a.m. we still had nowhere to stay because there was a bullfight being held in Seville. Luckily the Spanish keep late hours so the gelato (ice cream) shops were open. We wandered around with our gelato until we were able to secure a hotel.
The next day we hiked the Cathedral of Seville which didn’t have stairs but 35 ramps which lead to the top. It is the largest cathedral in Spain and the third largest cathedral in the world by the standard of square footage. Several of the pictures below are taken from the heights of the cathedral.
Quote of the Day
I received this quote from one of the contestants at Miss Oklahoma. Everything we had worked for during the past year was about to be showcased. “Remember to look through the windshield–and not the rear view mirror…Why? Because you’ve already been there! The future is in front of you.” –Leah Shaver former Miss Texas
There is always more that can be done and accomplished; however, there comes a point when we have to embrace the gains we have made.
Focus on Slow Carbohydrates
I received a question earlier this week asking how to satisfied hunger while cutting calories. I thought I would address the major contributors to hunger and follow up with suggestions to slow its return. I want to stress that being hungry is good because it signifies that our metabolism (energy burning system) is working. This post focuses on the role carbohydrates play in satiety.
It is a good idea to focus on carbohydrates (carbs) that are released into the bloodstream slowly. These are called complex carbs.
The DL on Carbohydrates. Carbs are the bodies quickest source of energy. The stomach breaks down complex carbs into glucose, the simplest carb. Glucose is then released into the bloodstream and transported throughout the body. More complex carbs take longer for the stomach to break down because they have to be converted or broken down into glucose. These complex carbs are introduced to the bloodstream in slower increments. This is the reason we feel immediate energy when we consume foods that are processed (highly broken down carbs) like ice cream, white bread, and candy.
Solution: Eat Slow Carbs. This is where common sense comes into play. Generally, the less processed a food, the longer it takes the stomach to break that food down. Try making the switch from white to whole grain bread. A grain of wheat is made up of a germ, an endosperm, and the bran. White bread only contains the endosperm and is lacking in fiber and other nutrients derived from the germ and bran. Below is a list of slow digesting carbohydrates:
Green Vegetables, Brown Bread (the best is whole grain), Oatmeal, Bran Cereal, All Beans and Legumes
Solution: Fill up with Fiber. Fiber does not digest but is very useful to the diet. Eating a slow carb diet and high fiber diet go hand and hand because fiber slows digestion. The average woman should eat around 25 grams of fiber/ day. The average man should consume 38 grams / day. (http://www.iom.edu/Reports/2002/Dietary-Reference-Intakes-for-Energy-Carbohydrate-Fiber-Fat-Fatty-Acids-Cholesterol-Protein-and-Amino-Acids.aspx)
Fiber is contained in the skins of fruits and vegetables. Don’t peel your organic potatoes! Other high fiber foods are bran, vegetables, legumes, and fruits (apples and pears contain a lot of fiber.)
Solution: Portion sizes. When food is digested in large quantities and quickly it leaves the body with an energy overload–too many calories in the system. This causes the body to store the remaining energy as fat. Note that carbs are not the enemy, they are simply the poison of choice for many individuals when food is consumed in excess. Fat and protein are also stored as fat when eaten in quantities too large for the body to burn at one point in time. Consuming carbohydrates in smaller amounts can help stabilize blood sugar levels and combat fat storage.
One portion size of grains is about the size of your clenched fist. Remember, most every food contains carbs with the exception of meat.
Hope this helps,