the Diabetic Gourmet

I'm not a doctor or nutritionist. I'm a gourmet cook who was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes at the age of 46. Like many middle aged women, I am peri-menopausal, and fighting weight gain.

My "medical team" was lazier than I was about my fasting blood sugar of 139, My A1C of 7 and my high cholesterol and high blood pressure. My advice was to "watch my diet, try to get some exercise, and let's see where we are in six months, ok?"

Well, as it currently stood, I had to take a break after walking up the stairs in my tri-level home. I was getting up 3 to 5 times a night to use the bathroom. I was not happy about my 25 pound weight gain, the numbness in my legs and hands, my feet splitting open and bleeding and my blurry vision. The very idea of exercising brought me to tears. I could barely get my housework done and I was exhausted from lack of a good night's sleep. What kind of condition was I going to be in six months from now?

You might think my being a gourmet cook might make this easy. You'd be wrong. My husband and daughter have come to expect great tasting food. Going to a "normal" restaurant was challenge. That food became sub par. Serving up "diabetic dishes?" Well I might as well announce to the gang, "Hey everyone, get ready! We're headed to the local nursing home for a mouthwatering dinner! Then we're swinging by a cozy, little ICU unit for a scrumptious dessert! Hop to it!"

Trust me, if I served up "diabetic recipes" I'd be locked up in a looney bin in ten seconds flat.

No, the only way I was going to turn things around and stick to a plan, was to learn about how our bodies process food, design dishes that were full of flavor, lived up to gourmet standards and were healthy. Most of the "Diabetic" recipes I found switched out ingredients with artificial sweeteners and focus on feeding our bodies with foods that don't provide any nutritional value, let alone celebrated the art of food. They just remind us of the things we shouldn't eat and how awful being diabetic was. Diabetic Donuts? Really? Really?? You won't find that stuff in my kitchen. Instead you'll find recipes that will explode with flavor, and will nourish your body with the things you need to feel good and help you on your way towards healing your body, mind and soul.

I hope you and your loved ones join me on this journey of healthy living.