Some good came from isolation during the pandemic
Just before the pandemic kicked off I got some health news that shook me. I was diagnosed as pre-diabetic. Despite me thinking I was eating healthfully, safe from harm, I was going down a path that I wanted to avoid. My dad developed type 2 diabetes in his middle age and suffered health issues that I wanted to avoid. I flailed about, trying to figure out what to do, how to change my diet to get my blood glucose levels down.
I was mad and scared. How could this happen to me when I was trying my best? I went extreme and ate a lot of meat, not enough vegetables, no bread, no rice, no potatoes. I did lose weight but didn’t feel great. I increased my movement, added some walking, added another weekly lesson riding my horse. It was (barely_ ) enough but I reduced my A1C levels into a non-pre-diabetic level. I felt relieved but not completely satisfied that I “beat” it.
Then, lockdown began and so began me working with different ways of eating. Oh, I made a lot of beans from scratch! And wow, I didn’t know that brothy beans could be so GOOD!
My teenage nephew got a diagnosis for type 1 diabetes, and it was a shock. My brother and sister-in-law turned into diabetes encyclopedias, learning and broadcasting all the latest research and information as they dove in head first. My brother went vegan to show his son the way. It inspired me to challenge myself to go vegan, too. I learned a lot. Explored a lot of different recipes for making vegetables delicious. I did feel the benefits of eating vegan. I tried to add in fermented foods (sourdough bread is life, kimchi is such a kick!) and cooked a lot of tofu. Do you know how good that is with peanut sauce? My tofu-averse husband will definitely eat it with peanut sauce.
I also studied Eat to Beat Disease by Dr. William Li during the pandemic, diving headfirst into his ideas for using food as medicine. I was already a fan of the concept, and this book helped me learn even more. I believe in the power of good food making a big impact on our health.
Since that pre-diabetes diagnosis I have dropped my A1C level to 4.4% (down from 6.3%) which makes me proud. This is because of another pandemic discovery: the Glucose Goddess (Jessie Inchauspe) on Instagram. She taught me how to drop and level my glucose levels. She discovered these methods while using a CGM (continuous glucose monitor) on herself for a work project. She is not a doctor, but her careful approach and excellent teaching skills gave me more clarity than I ever was able to learn on my own. She now has two books but her instagram posts taught me almost everything I needed. I used her methods and really felt the stability as my glucose spikes flattened out. I’m so grateful. I’m sticking with her methods.
Some of my favorite tips from Jessie Inchauspe:
- Eat a savory breakfast
- Eat a vegetable starter before eating the rest of your meal
- Have dessert after a meal rather than on its own
- Drink a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar diluted in a glass of water before a meal
- Take a walk after a meal
There’s more, with recipes and inspiring stories in her instagram. I encourage you to check out her books.
As we started to emerge from isolation I was getting discouraged about the work required to maintain eating vegan. Now I mostly eat vegetarian food and added eggs, occasional fish or poultry and cheese. Glorious cheese. My revelation is in how I look at building meals full of vegetables and cooking beans every week. It makes me feel better. I think I ate more than my fair share of beef before the pandemic. Now, I don’t miss it. Lately I’ve been eating pickled herring (just like my Norwegian grandma used to feed me) and canned sardines to see if I can increase the amount of omega-3 I get in my food to support menopause. I eat cruciferous vegetables for the many benefits, but especially gut health (I lean HARD on the big frozen bags of broccoli from CostCo) and gobble up spicy roasted cauliflower. When I cook tofu ramen I discovered I really love soft leaves of baby bok choy from our co-op and throw in a couple bundles. Cruciferous vegetables actually have a fighting chance at getting used before they die in my fridge. I love that about them. I had never really considered the health benefits from fresh herbs but now I love to add chopped handfuls of basil, mint, cilantro to salads, soups and of course a bowl of beans, adding scent and flavor and the anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits. Rosemary and garlic on pasta and pizza? Yes please.
I just got a wonderful cookbook that offers glorious vegetable recipes. I’ll link to it below. Seems like vegetables are really surging forward for cooking at home and eating out. I relish this choice. Crispy brussels sprouts are on so many restaurant menus. So great!
Here is my simple recipe for beans that I use most often. I hope the delicious broth surprises you like it did me.
Easy Brothy Beans
Makes a LOT of brothy beans (10 bowls? Or use some for brothy bowls and some for other bean recipes like quesadillas, enchiladas, salad topping, vegetable soup)
1 package Rancho Gordo Beans (my favorite for this is Royal Corona), rinsed well
About 4 cups+ of water
2 T Better Than Bouillon seasoned base (I use organic mushroom or vegetable, lower sodium)
1 onion, chopped in half
2 celery stalks, chopped in half
2 cloves of garlic, sliced in half, or 2 T powdered garlic or BOTH (I use both)
1 dried bay leaf (still not sure this tastes like anything but tradition demands bay leaf)
Opt. 2 T dried herbs like oregano or dill, plus fresh ground pepper and maybe 1 t cracked red pepper if you like a bit of heat with your brothy beans, like me!
To finish the pot of beans:
1 t each salt and pepper
Juice of 1 lemon, plus its zest
Handfuls of greens (chopped spinach, kale)
Extra virgin olive oil or your choice of oil
The night before, rinse beans and soak in water in a covered bowl
The next morning put the beans with the soaking water in a medium size pot
Cover with additional water, putting level of water 2” higher than the beans
Throw in the onion, celery, garlic, seasoned base paste and bay leaf
Cook on high, furiously bubble it up for 15 minutes, stir it up
Lower heat to lowest setting
Start checking for soft beans after about 3 hours, could take longer (note: you don’t have to soak the beans the night before but will need to cook on low much longer.. 4 to 6 hours?) It’s important that the beans are soft all the way through. Take a careful bite.
If the beans no longer have water covering them as they cook because of absorption and evaporation, add more, keeping it an inch or two above the level of the beans.
Toss out the vegetables -they have given you all they have to give. Finish the beans with salt and pepper, chopped greens (give them a few minutes cooking time to soften with those beans) lemon juice, and if you’re a lemon monster like me, the zest, drizzle in some good oil. If you’re looking for extra, sprinkle with fresh, fluffy parmesan.
These are great all by themselves, in a big bowl, maybe with some toasted sourdough bread to dip? Save some in the freezer for using in recipes or just treating future you with some brothy beans.
LINKS:
Tenderheart By Hettie Lui McKinnon
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