GOINGF RWARD FRIENDS WITH DIABETES IN THIS ISSUE: & the Peaceful VOLUME VIII, ISSUE 2

Transcription

1 GOINGF RWARD FRIENDS WITH DIABETES אדר תשע ה 15 Winter VOLUME VIII, ISSUE 2 IN THIS ISSUE: & the Peaceful LOW-CARBER

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3 PURIM & the Peaceful LOW-CARBER Dealing with the Festival of Food If you ve got young kids at home, your Purim observance is likely not the low-key kind that focuses on Megillah, giving gifts and tzedaka. Even if you prefer fulfilling the mitzvoth with as little sugary food as possible, once kids are involved, your Purim is likely to become more food-focused than the other holidays. And even if there are no little kids demanding candy-stuffed MISHLOACH MANOS and pounds of hamentaschen, the holiday s traditions can still make it hard to adhere to a healthy low-carb food plan. What is a low-carber to do in the face of piles of baked goods and food treats being literally left on the doorstep? Focus. Prepare. Be grateful. Enjoy. First, it s focus. While to kids, and even to some adults, the holiday is a yummy excuse to s t u ff oneself and shower loved ones with baked good and sweet treats, Purim itself has nothing to do with sugar. Nothing. Zilch. Gornischt. Even when fragrant smells are emanating from your neighbors doors and the local bakery is hawking those ubiquitous triangular pastries, remember

4 that this is not the national baking holiday. It is not imperative to participate, and you are not being judged on your baking skills. Remind your children (and spouse if need be) to focus on the meaning of the nonfood aspects of the holiday. If necessary, remind yourself too. You have baked before and you will likely bake again: this year, however, you have decided to focus on the other parts of the holiday and your health. Even if you or your wife has been known as the neighbourhood baker, if the food is too much of a temptation, keep it out of the house. Likewise, you have tasted lots of treats in your life. Nothing bad will happen if you abstain, or only eat what your food plan allows, this year. Think of it this way: Queen Esther was willing to sacrifice herself for the Jewish people thus, you can certainly sacrifice your baking and overindulging on sugary snacks for your good health. Ok, thoughts set on the holiday and not the treats, but now what? Prepare. Even though you will be focusing on the religious and spiritual aspects of the holiday and spending less time baking, there is still much to prepare. First, you might need to take a bit of time to prepare yourself mentally for your kids demands and your own cravings and habits. Habits die hard, but it is possible to celebrate and enjoy Purim without eating a lot of sugary treats. However, to keep your focus, it is vital to prepare in advance. Try to think about how much, if any, baking you can safely do, how much, if any, food treats you are willing to have in the house, what you will give as MISHLOACH MA- NOS, what you will do with all the goodies you receive, and how you will organize the Seudah. Next, set limits and make decisions before the holiday arrives, if you can. If you can handle some baking, decide which treats will give the most pleasure to your family while causing you the least amount of struggle. If having piles of candy for MISHLOACH MANOS is disturbing, choose other items, and if you can t face all the goodies that will appear at your house, ask your kids or

5 spouse to deconstruct all of the MISHLOACH MANOS, freezing the baked goods and storing the candy and snacks for their lunches. If you want to appreciate the efforts your friends have made, but don t want to be tempted, ask your kids to photograph the MISHLOACH MANOS before unwrapping them. One nice idea is to donate the treats to a local soup kitchen or needy family. In terms of the Seudah, is it easier for you to host or be a guest? If you can, do what is easiest and best for you. If attending someone else s festive meal, offer to bring something you enjoy eating that adheres to your food plan. That way, no matter what else is on the table, at least you have that item. Ideally, let your hostess know that you are following a food plan for your health. You can offer to bring your own food, but if you feel she will honour your needs without becoming distressed, let her know what you can eat and see how you can assist her. If that doesn t work for you, handle this meal as you do all meals you can t plan: eat an appropriate meal beforehand, or save up your carbs so you can indulge more than usual without throwing your entire week s food plan into disarray. If you can host the meal, the menu is up to you. Dry wine and whole wheat bread are better options than sweet wine and bread made from white flour. Prepare healthful dishes you enjoy, and if you must cook a family favourite, try choosing the one that will tempt you the least. Given a choice, there are some people who confess that they sometimes purposefully prepare a dish they don t like. And finally, if you fast on Taanit Esther, prepare ahead of time what you will eat to break the fast. In some communities, hamentaschen and cakes are served following the reading of the Megillah, without any lowcarb options on hand. If that is the case in your shul, be sure to bring something appropriate to the Megillah reading so you can break your fast wisely. Be Grateful. We all know how easy it is to get carried away with the small stuff, but it is really important and beneficial to stop and look at the big picture. In the case of Purim, the big picture includes being thankful: Appreciating Hashem, of course, and Esther and Mordechai too. And while we re at it, it is probably a good time to appreciate your spouse who makes efforts

6 to help you follow a lowcarb food plan, especially if he loves your hamentaschen, but understands your need to reduce the amount of baking you will be doing this year; your kids who helped organize the MISHLOACH MANOS; your friends who understand and support your commitment to your health; and your community that creates a comfortable communal framework in which you thrive. I might be going out on a limb here, but as someone who follows a low-carb food plan, I feel grateful that I am not held captive to high-sugar food. There were years when the entire holiday centered around sugary desserts and snacks. Many people find it a blessing that they have better health now that high-carbohydrate food is out of their lives. Enjoy. There is lots to enjoy during Purim. Watching children prepare their costumes, feeling the festivity in the air, appreciating the holiday decorations in schools and shops: all of these things can create a special Purim mood, and none of them have carbs! You can play holiday music, decorate the house, and further get into the spirit by helping the kids with their costumes and raising money for one of the local charities. Making groggers and masks are fun projects with the younger set. Purim is a special and wonderful holiday, and it can be fully festive without sugary food treats. Take the time to focus, prepare, be grateful and this Purim might be the most enjoyable yet! EASY A piece of fruit, can of soda, and small bag of nuts makes a sensible, low carb and mitzvoh-adhering MISHLOACH MANOS. Creative Mishloach Manos Ideas SIMPLE GLAMOUR Chocolate dipped strawberries, some salted cashews, a small bottle of dry wine. ELEGANT Chocolate truffles made with dark or sugar-free chocolate, chocolate covered almonds, and a bottle of champagne.

7 Enjoy your Carbolicious bread! You can have a Sandwich that's great... And still loose weight. And still loose weight.

8 GOING F RWARD Junior VOLUME 1 ISSUE 1 Welcome everyone! This is I H the first edition of our Going Forward Junior! We are very excited and hope that you are too. We welcome your input, so please let us know what you would like to see and if you have any poems or stories to include. Please don t be shy! Also, please let your friends know about this. We would be happy to expand our mailing list. (The ed version is free of charge, however there will be postage fee for anyone who needs it mailed to cover mailing costs.) Do you know that your insulin pump is constantly giving you insulin. That is why you should not take your pump off for a long time. Then you will be missing the insulin that you were supposed to get and your sugar may go high. Your sugar can go low or high if you are excited or nervous, or from doing a lot of brain work. I know someone whose sugar goes low from grocery shopping. When you walk into a store and look around, your brain is processing a lot of information. That is enough to make someone s sugar low! C? ANSWER SEND YOUR Does your class know that you are diabetic? Send in your answer and it will be printed in the next newsletter. You can include your name and grade or just your grade (to remain anonymous). CALL: whylevy@yahoo.com MAIL: Mrs. Levy, 500 East 3rd St. Brooklyn, NY NTACT US

9 M E E T D O V Y Would you like to be here? Please let us know and we will be glad to interview you, too. Hello Dovy! How old are you? Seven How old were you when you were diagnosed with type one diabetes? 1 year Do you have a pump? Yes Which one? Animas What color? Blue Do you have a CGM? Yes, a blue Dexcom What is your favorite subject in school? Parshah and math Do you know anyone else who is diabetic? Yeah, my sister! What is your favorite game? Monopoly Joke A diabetic walks into a bakery and asks the guy behind the counter, What do you have that is safe for diabetics? The Baker says, Everything. As long as you don t put it in your mouth. Life has two rules: #1 Never quit, #2 Always remember rule # 1. Unknown ALWAYS TAKE YOUR INSULIN. COUNT YOUR CARBS. DRESS WARMLY, STAY SAFE, AND OF COURSE, HAVE A SWEET DAY!

10 D I A B E T E S Across 5. PADS COME IN HANDY TO CLEAN FINGERTIPS 6. THE CLEAR STUFF YOU INJECT TO HELP THE SUGAR GO INTO YOUR CELLS 9. LOOK AT THE NUTRITION LABEL FOR TOTAL 10. I HAVE TYPE DIABETES 12. A LITTLE COMPUTER THAT TRACKS YOUR GLUCOSE CONSTANTLY Down 5. THE ORGAN IN YOUR BODY THAT USED TO MAKE INSULIN 6. WHEN YOU TAKE INSULIN TO CORRECT OR COVER FOOD 9. WHEN YOU ARE YOU NEED TO TAKE INSULIN ASAP 10. A LITTLE COMPUTER-LIKE THINK THAT HAS INSULIN IN A CARTRIDGE 12. THE DR./SPECIALIST THAT YOU VISIT 13. THE BACKGROUND INSULIN IS CALLED YOUR

11 Members and their wives upon the birth of their baby BOY GIRL Members and their husbands upon the birth of their baby BOY GIRL 455 Members upon their engagement and Marriage BOY GIRL Members upon their Bar Mitzvah

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