After V’s diagnosis I started receiving a lot of advice about the type of diet he would have to be on.
I started receiving comments that warned: Your life, as you know it, is over.
I was told there would be no more travel; no more eating out; no more fun.
I got depressed... I mean, who wouldn't?
And I wasn't even the one with the condition!
I started doing my own research.
Guess what? The opinions are all over the board as to what's good, what isn’t; what works and what doesn’t.
I started noticing what they were feeding him in hospital (a special ‘Metabolic Diseases' Unit). They were feeding him a lot more than he ate at home - even desserts, though, not often. His plate was loaded with potatoes or pasta at both lunch and dinner.
I met with the dietitian. We had a long discussion of what is good, what is not and she gave me a list of the ‘no more than’ rules. You know: no more than 250gr of pasta, no more than 150gr of red beans, etc.
I came home and weighed and measured.
As it turns out, my normal portions were less then her maximum portions. So, now my question will be do I have to make him eat more potatoes/rice/pasta to come up to her requirements?
I think the answer is no.
In retrospect, I think her guidelines are for bread-eating French, (naturally) and we don’t eat bread with our meals. In other words, we’re fine.
The dietitian is mainly concerned about carbohydrates (of which sugar is one). Not about eliminating them, but about eating the correct amount of them.
(She is also concerned that he eat a well-balanced diet, not gain weight, and exercise, but that's all for future posts.)
The main change I will have to make, as cook, shopper and person generally in charge, is in the combination of foods in any one meal.
For example, we love Red Beans and Rice; White Beans and Pasta.
Our normal amount of pasta or rice with a meal is perfect, maybe even a bit on the low side. As is our normal amount of red or white beans. But to combine the 2 normal amounts in one meal would be too much.
Those are the recipes I'll have to tweak.
As time goes on and menus are decided on, I'm sure there will be more adjustments... And I'll share and explain as I discover them.
Oh, and to all those nay-sayers and doomsday prophets: You're right: He’s probably done having before dinner martinis.... At least, on a regular basis.
But the doc yesterday said not to forget the red wine with dinner. A glass, not a bottle...
His only strict rule is not to drink alcohol on an empty stomach; always have something to nibble with it. I think we can live with that.
And he’s going to have to stop picking up Magnum bars on his trips to the DIY stores (when he’s by himself - he never did that when I was along.... Like any kid he forgot to destroy the evidence).
I should qualify all this with the fact that he does not have to lose weight. And I'll qualify that with the statement, that if one did have to loose weight, one could do it easily by eating what we do on a daily basis...
Which would be a far healthier way of doing it than going on some 'diet'.
Here is a pasta recipe with the correct portions for 2 people - each eating half, of course....
Pasta with Chicken, Spinach and Feta
A pasta dish with a Greek twist - feta cheese and dry-cured black Greek Olives, plus peppers, garlic and onions.
2 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless
1/2 red or green bell pepper
1/2 onion
2 cloves garlic
1 tbs paprika, smoky is nice
1 tbs olive oil
15oz (450gr) chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup (4oz, 125ml) white wine
3 - 4oz (100gr) fresh spinach or frozen
2 tsp dried basil
2 tsp dried parsley
3 - 4oz (100gr) feta
1/2 cup dry-cured, pitted Greek olives
1oz (30gr) grated Parmesan
1 1/4 cups pasta, bite size
Cook the pasta according to package directions.
Slice the pepper into matchsticks. Chop the onion and mince the garlic. Cut chicken into bite-size pieces. Pit olives, if needed and cut in half. If using fresh spinach, pick through leaves, discarding any that are damaged or wilted, and tearing any that are huge.
In a large skillet heat oil. Sauté paprika in hot oil for 1 minute. Add onion, pepper and garlic, sauté for 5 minutes. Add chicken and sauté until cooked through. Add wine, herbs, tomatoes and spinach, if using frozen, and cook, uncovered until spinach is thawed and sauce has reduced and thickened. If using fresh spinach add when sauce is almost ready, 1 minute before adding the rest. Add olives, feta and cooked, drained pasta. Toss to combine. Sprinkle with Parmesan and serve.
Note: To pit olives, place them on a flat surface, place the flat of a large knife on top and hit with the base of your hand. This will crack and flatten the olive. Pick the pit out.
The answer to the question... No, life is not over!
Maybe just changed a wee bit ...
