What's Cooking Wednesday: Soup's On!

I made this yummy soup yesterday:

Delicious and healthful!

If you read my blog regularly, you know I shared my struggle with gaining weight over the months since my mother passed.  If you missed it and are dying to read it, here you go:  Fashionista Friday: Bikini Ready?

It has been nearly a month since that post, and I am just about the same weight, give or take a few pounds.  I was counting calories and carbs, and seeing no result.  For the last 10 days I've been sticking to Weight Watchers, which I used to lose many moons ago.  After 1 week with that, I saw no change and am feeling very discouraged.

In 2009 my mother had her first surgical amputation.  She came to stay with me for her recovery, and I researched and planned diabetic-friendly eating.  It wasn't a "diet" per se; it was the right foods in the right quantities.  It was a lot of food.  She and I both lost 20 pounds in 3 weeks!  It was great.

I decided to go back to those basics.  The information I have, by the way, I got from an excellent work by Dr. Julian Whitaker in his book Reversing Diabetes.  It's not genius; it's whole foods and portion control.

I started yesterday with this soup. I made some seasoning changes and whatnot, but it's very similar.

Garden Soup, adapted from Reversing Diabetes 

5 cups water
2 cups cauliflower, chopped
1 cup peas, fresh or frozen
1 carrot, diced
1 small onion, diced
12 grape tomatoes or 1 small tomato, diced
2 cups chopped cabbage
1 apple, peeled and diced
4 ounces whole wheat pasta or spelt grain pasta
1/2 cup cooked garbanzo beans (chick peas)
1 T. olive oil
2 tsp. salt or more to taste
2 or 3 tsp. garlic powder, to taste
1/8 tsp. coarse black pepper

Begin to heat water over high heat and prep veggies and apple, adding them to the water as they are ready.

Add the pasta and beans, cover, and cook for 10 minutes. 

Add oil and seasoning and simmer 5 more minutes.

Makes 4 servings, 2 cups each.

Interesting Info

(at least I find it interesting)

I wanted to fill you in on something I have learned over the years, and this does not come from the book I mentioned above....I have no idea what combination of resources brought this conclusion to me, or if it's a conclusion I read somewhere along the way...

In the U.S., whole grain is pushed and marketed widely.  Read your labels.  If I market something and put a small amount of whole grain into the ingredients, I can market that as "whole grain".  Watch what you're buying, and make as much as possible yourself.

Also, what is marketed in the U.S. in whole wheat products is typically semolina wheat.  This is not because semolina is the best grain for you; it is because it is the easiest to grow and and the cheapest to harvest and process.

I'm not saying semolina wheat is bad for you...I don't have the research on that....

I'm just saying it's not the best for you if you are watching your glycemic index.  If you are diabetic or pre-diabetic or insulin resistant, this is something to think about.

Spelt grain products are much more healthful and don't make your blood sugar spike like semolina products.  Try spelt grain pastas and breads.

Also, if you can afford $5 or $6 for a loaf of store-bought bread, start buying sprouted grain breads, muffins, tortillas, etc.  Sprouted grain products are not made from processed flour products, making them your best bet for health and for keeping your blood sugar stable.



***This is not medical advice and is my opinion, drawn from several research sources and my personal experience caring for my mother.  It is not a substitute for professional medical and dietary advice.***