Book Review - Diabetes Slow Cooker Cookbook by Shelby Kinnaird and Simone Harounian

 

I want to mention upfront that I received a complimentary copy of this book and was asked to share a review of my honest thoughts regarding “Diabetes Slow Cooker Cookbook.” The thoughts below are my own and come from reading the cookbook and testing out some of the recipes.

This is a great Slow Cooker cookbook! I have been a follower and admirer of Shelby Kinnaird for many years. The partnership between Shelby and Simone Harounian shines through this book. It is clear they want to help people live life as their healthiest selves. They do this throughout the cookbook by sharing their expertise, experience and passion. Shelby and Simone put their personal and practical knowledge on the line for all of us. It is clear they have put thought and their love for us and good food on every page.

First they share why slow cookers can be great for your health. This includes a section about “Eating Healthy with Diabetes” which is an uncomplicated overview of the basics. It is a great reference guide for those living with diabetes…and honestly relevant to all of us wanting to eat healthy.

Then there is a section on “Golden Rules of Slow Cooking.” You are going to love this part! Again it is filled with common sense advice when using slow cookers. We all need to be reminded of these Golden Rules!

There are many other parts of the book that help you be a better cook and a successful chef with a slow cooker. For instance, they guide you on how to make a balanced meal using the recipes in the cookbook. Shelby and Simone also point out that there is always room for Comfort Food in a healthy lifestyle and they list some of their favorites they have included in the cookbook.

Sweet and Sour Scallops from Diabetes Slow Cooker Cookbook

When checking out the merits of a cookbook it is a must that you also check out the recipes. I can say I have prepared two recipes so far: “Sweet and Sour Scallops” (see photo above) which I served with brown rice and steamed edamame as well as a side dish, “Orange Carrots and Parsnips” which I served with roasted pork and steamed broccoli. The ingredients included are primarily fresh and focused on wonderful combinations of whole foods that are accessible at your local grocery store. Both were easy to follow, created attractive dishes, and were tasty. My true test is to share recipes with my family and if they say the recipes are a “repeat” then I know they have hit the mark. Both recipes were voted to be “repeats.”

If you are looking for a slow cooker cookbook that also provides a great resource for those living with diabetes as well as those wanting to live a healthy lifestyle, this book is for you. I for one am adding it to my bookshelf with my other favorites that I use regularly. I recommend this cookbook.

Check out the other Book Reviews on our Live Vibrant Blog!





 

0

Making Peace With Feeling Hungry

I have avoided feeling hungry all my life

I have avoided feeling hungry my entire life. I have been scared of it and how it makes me feel. It is truly symbolic of the emptiness I can feel and can trigger my feeling that life might not be going so well. That is until a friend of mine said something very meaningful to me: “Hunger is just a state of being. You can control how you feel about it.” Somehow I had always believed that the “state of being” and how I felt about it were one in the same. By separating those two things I realized I actually could exert a control over my reactions in a way I never thought possible.

Here are some tips on how you can help yourself move through your hunger

• Be ready with a plan on how to address your hunger
•     Have planned, health snacks ready
•     Think about when you want to schedule what you eat during the day…this will help you in communication with yourself about managing your hunger
• Acknowledge when you feel hungry
•     Think about how long ago it was when you last ate
•     Is it time to eat your snack or do you want to wait awhile?
• If it is not time to eat, lean into your hunger
•     Think about why feeling hungry is a good thing…believe it or not hunger makes your body healthier and it helps you think better!         
•     Take a number of deep breaths…and smile…
•     Next let go of thinking about it…move on to thinking about other things
• Introduce new habits that help you move on from feeling negatively about your hunger
•     Stand up and stretch when you are feeling hungry
•     Take a brief break and walk around your home or office
•     Move on to a necessary task at hand
•     Drink a tall glass of water or make a soothing cup of tea…sip and enjoy

Hunger may never become my close friend but I can certainly can work with it. I no longer need to be afraid of hunger. I can acknowledge it, lean into it and learn to co-exist with it. I no longer need to stuff myself with food in order to try and kill it. Remember, hunger is just another message your body is sending to you. You can control how you respond to that message.

Download Our Free eBook:
Healthy Lifestyle & Weight Loss

0

Why Livliga Works — It is a System

 Livliga is a System of Right-Sized Tableware

We are often asked not only “Why Livliga works” but also “Why is it unique.” There are three main reasons Livliga is unique. It is because it uses the psychology of eating in the actual design of the tableware. It also has built in measurement in each piece of the suite of dinnerware, serveware and glassware that makes up the line of product offered. But perhaps most importantly, it is designed as a system. Together the Livliga suite of tableware acts as a system to make it effortlessly mindful to eat healthful portions.

Livliga has three patents. One of those patents is specifically for the unique system we have created with our right-sized tableware. Nowhere can you find dishes and drinkware, muchness serveware, like serving spoons, that are all right-sized and designed to work together to serve up just right portions. In the supersized world we live in everything we use tends to be oversized which makes serving up standard servings impossible. 

To make right-sized eating an every-meal and daily habit you need a system of right-sized beautiful tableware that makes it a pleasant, possible, and satisfying experience. Livliga makes it an achievable process that can become a lifestyle of healthy living.

Bottom line, Livliga offers a suite of products all designed to work well together and provide a system of right-sized tableware to support mindful eating as well as your health and wellness goals. Interested in finding out more information? Visit the product use page on our website and then take time to discover all the designs we have and choose the one you love the most to use mindfully in your healthy lifestyle!

 

Download Our Free eBook:
The Science & Psychology Behind the Plate

0

Snack Time—9 Rice Cake Combos

 

Snack Time—9 Rice Cake Combos

Rice cakes are my go-to as a base for some fun and varied snack ideas. They provide a crunch and savory foundation for a whole host of ideas to make healthy snacks. It is a great way to create tasty combos, find new favorites…and is a perfect way to use up some leftover food items in a different way.  I also like them because it doesn’t take much time to assemble them, they can be tailored to your mood, and each day you can plan for a different combo or stick to a favorite.

There are a number of choices in rice cakes these days. My favorites are Lundberg and Quaker. The wonderful thing is they are gluten free and low in carbs so they suit many needs and lifestyle choices from being diabetes-friendly, bariatric-friendly, and kid-friendly.

The calories are 28 to 35 per cake, depending on the brand you buy. They are a nice size too so you can concoct one or two snacks and still have the total calorie count around 200 calories.  Below are nine Rice Cake Combos to choose from. Use this as a jumping off point for coming up with your own healthy creations.

1. Almond Butter and Banana Served Up on Halsa
(⅛ cup almond butter topped with ½ sliced banana)

2. Avocado Topped with Salsa Served Up on Celebrate
(¼ sliced and mashed avocado topped with 2 tablespoons of salsa)

3. Cheese Spread with Shredded Carrot Served Up on Halsa
(⅛ cup Alouette spreadable cheese topped with ¼ cup shredded carrot)

4. Cottage Cheese and Sliced Strawberries drizzled with Honey Served Up on Celebrate
(¼ cup lowfat cottage cheese topped with 3 sliced strawberries and drizzled with 1 teaspoon honey)

5. Cream Cheese and Smoked Salmon with Red Onion Served Up on Vivente
(⅛ cup whipped plain cream cheese topped with ½ ounce smoked salmon and 1 tablespoon thinly sliced red onion)

6. Egg Salad with Shredded Spinach Served Up on Celebrate
(¼ cup egg salad on a bed of 3 leaves of baby spinach thinly sliced sprinkled with dill)

7. Hummus and Roasted Red Peppers Served Up on Vivente
(⅛ cup hummus topped with ⅛ cup thinly sliced roasted red pepper)

8. White Beans with Coarse Salt and a drizzle of Olive Oil Served Up on Halsa
(¼ cup mashed white kidney beans, cannellini, topped with 3 sliced cherry tomatoes, pinch of sea salt and a drizzle of olive oil)

9. Yogurt, nuts, herbs and Lemon Zest Served Up on Vivente
(⅛ cup plain Greek yogurt topped with sprinkles of chopped roasted almonds, herb de Provence, sea salt and lemon zest)

Jumpstart Your Livliga^® Lifestyle
with our Get Started Guide!

0

Finding Your Zen: 8 calming foods that will naturally help you feel better

Mint is a calming food to help you feel better

There are so many influences in our lives, not all of them good. Many of them can make us nervous, anxious, unhappy, or even depressed. What we eat can make a difference and allow us to feel calmer and more centered. The right foods can help us feel better and improve our overall health. Below is a list of 8 foods that have a naturally calming effect. We have included links to recipes that incorporate these foods that are available on our blog. Pamper yourself with nurturing foods that are naturally helpful to your mood and your health.

8 calming foods that will naturally help you feel better:
 

Mint—contains menthol, which is a natural muscle relaxer that can lead to a calming effect. Brew some fresh mint tea by growing your own in an herb garden. 

Turmeric—in addition to being the popular spice of the moment, is full of curcumin, which is being studied for its use in promoting brain health and treating anxiety disorders. Golden milk, a hot drink with turmeric and spices, is a calming beverage that many folks are using to start or end their long days or try this Carrot Hummus with Turmeric you can share with others.

Orange—vitamin C is one of the vitamins that can help ease anxiety and promote a sense of calm, and there is no better source than oranges. Eat them whole or try one of these recipes that use orange marmalade. 

Salmon is a calming food that will naturally help you feel better...ours was served up on the Halsa pattern!

Salmon—omega-3 fatty acids are helpful in naturally regulating dopamine and serotonin, the feel-good neurotransmitters in our brains. So, a diet rich in them can really help balance your mood! Salmon is a great source, and this recipe for Pan-Roasted Salmon with Tomatoes and Capers is sure to become a favorite go-to recipe.

Spinach—magnesium is one of those minerals that are thought to help with feeling calmer, and you can find it in abundance in dark leafy vegetables like spinach. Try this fun family favorite recipe of Pizza with a Cauliflower Crust and Spinach.  

Chocolate—dark chocolate, in addition to being most people’s comfort food, especially on the go, offers the added benefit of flavonoids, the antioxidant that can help lower blood pressure and anxiety levels. Note that we are talking about dark chocolate, at least 70% cacao content. Try making this guilty pleasure of Warmed Dark Chocolate with Popcorn…a perfect snack to munch on while curling up to watch a feel good movie.  
 

Berries are another calming food to help you feel better

Berries—are naturally packed with antioxidants, which have been shown to protect your cells from stress and can help ease some depression. Any fresh or frozen berries can be easily incorporated into your diet, but we love this recipe for a kid-friendly and diabetes friendly Berry Delicious Smoothie Bowl.

Walnuts—are a great source of alpha-linolenic acid, which research has shown to have a mood boosting effect. Try this recipe for Roasted Turkey Salad with Dried Cherries and Walnuts.
    

Enjoy! And Live Well!

Download Our Free eBook:
Emotional Barriers to Sustained Weight Loss Success

0

5 Great Blogs to Help You Keep Your Momentum in the New Year with Healthy Eating!

 

It seems it is easier to getting started in the New Year focusing on our healthy and healthier lifestyle. What is harder is sustaining the momemtum for long term success. We all need some ongoing inspiration and reminders of how to stay on track. Below are 5 Great blogs that will help you continue your focus on healthy eating.

5 Great Blogs to Help You Keep Your Momentum in the New Year with Healthy Eating!

Top 10 Right-Sized New Year Health Tips


8 Great Tips for Right Sizing Your Food Environment


6 Ways Livliga Helps Us Eat a Balanced Diet


Nutrition is About Portion and Proportion


Portions and Nutrition—How Do They Relate?

Download Our Free eBook:
The Science & Psychology Behind the Plate

0

Monday Motivational Meal — Slow Cooker Vegetable Beef Soup

 

One of the ongoing debates about eating healthy is the challenge to do it on a budget. There is often the underlying assumption that it is not possible to eat healthy on limited resources. With a little planning it is. Soups are the easiest. Come Fall I particularly love a homemade Vegetable Beef Soup. It is hearty, healthy and good for our immune system to keep the flu and other viruses at bay. For perfect portioning serve it up in your favorite Livliga bowl with our award-winning LivSpoons!

Try this recipe here! 

Download Our Free SOUPS eCookbook
and Enjoy Healthy Recipes All Year Long!

0

Exploring Meal Delivery Services as Part of a Healthy Lifestyle

As we have all been faced with varying degrees of staying safe at home, more of the meal prepping has fallen on us as part of our daily responsibilities. Sometimes it feels hard to keep up with and also be mindful of what we are eating. Some have found a real benefit in subscribing to meal delivery services.

There is a lot to think about when deciding on whether a meal delivery service makes sense in your life. Are they actually going to be more helpful? Can they be affordable? And equally importantly, are there plans that are health-minded and able to be personalized for me?  

Here are some thoughts about meal delivery plans and the choices available:

Why meal delivery service plans can be helpful now—

• Easy way to plan your meals for the week ahead
• Allows you to budget 
• Not wasting money with junk or unused foods
• Menus designed with ingredients for specific meals delivered to your home
• Easy way to home cook a meal when you are not comfortable cooking
• You can stay in place

 

What to look for in a meal delivery service plan?

• Choice in frequency—decide on what makes sense for you…how many meals do you want delivered each week and for how many meals a day
• Quality of ingredients—is it important that the ingredients be fresh or is is okay that the meals have been prep and prepared so all you have to do is warm it up
• Cost—the cost can very…the fresher the ingredients the more costly the plans can be…also the frequency and quantity of meals each week influences the overall cost
• How much prep is required by you—this is a really important question…all of us are different…be honest in what you are ready to take on
• Flexibility and variety in choice—each plan varies…make sure you find a plan that meets your needs
• Number that can be served with an ordered meal—if you are looking for individual meals or meals to serve a family make sure the plan you like can meet that need
• Calories—this is important to note because plans vary in the amount of calories per meal. Make sure to find a plan that meets your healthy lifestyle needs. In looking at the plans previously I found many of them ranged from 600-1000 per serving per meal. My goal is to find meals for 400-500 calories per meal.

 

How do I find plans?

• Ask your friends and those who share specific health requirements with you like those in the bariatric community or diabetes community
• Look to experts you respect
• Check out online reviews like: ConsumerAdvocate.org
  

 

Some examples of plans—as a place to start—

• Freshly- good for quick meals and single people
• Veestro- good for eating vegan
• BistroMD- good for special dietary needs
  

 

What to keep in mind once you have your delivery—

• Since most plans come to serve multiple people
• Remember to measure—Livliga helps! Use those LivSpoons!
• Remember to pre-portion for all intended meals from the order received
• Serve your meals up on right-sized plates and sit down to eat it to maximize the pleasure from your meal and the sense of feeling satisfied at the end of the meal
• Think about how the meals you order fit into the bigger daily plan and weekly plan for eating healthy

It is so important to find the rhythm and routines that support us in a healthy lifestyle. For some that can mean taking advantage of meal delivery services. Any way we can create a healthy food environment and sustain a healthy lifestyle is the right one for us.

Download Our Free eBook:
Healthy Lifestyle & Weight Loss

0

Monday Motivational Meal — Lentil Salad with Soft-Cooked Eggs

 

Enjoy the trend of Meatless Mondays with a Fresh Lentil Salad and Soft Cooked Egg. This vegetarian meal is a great way to foster healthy routines in our daily lives. The flavors and textures are delicious. The lentils make it an ideal meal for a heartier Fall Supper. ...served up on Livliga, of course! 

Try the recipe out here!

0

Monday Motivational Meal — Bariatric-Friendly Greek Yogurt Tzatziki Sauce

 

Earlier this year we shared a new cookbook with you, Half the Stomach, Twice the Taste: Cooking for a Bariatric Lifestyle authored by Hilary Cutler, MS, RD, CSOWM, CD and Emily Tieu, MS, RD, CSOWM, CD. We are still loving the recipes like this Greek Yogurt Tzatziki Sauce that has only 6 ingredients! This is a wonderfully created bariatric resource in which all recipes are served up on Livliga’s Just Right Set® bariatric! 

 

 

 

Find this bariatric-friendly recipe here.

0

Monday Motivational Meal — Individualized Homemade Pizzas

Looking to make dinner a family affair? Everyone can participate in making Individual Pizzas! The best part is you can choose your favorite nutritious ingredients as toppings. Enjoy this healthy family meal on our Celebrate Pattern to inspire mindful eating!

Get this yummy recipe here!

Download Our Free eBook:
Manage Your Diabetes Through Portion Control

0

10 Tips for Cutting Carbs

The seasonal changes in our lives are always a good time to check up on our carb consumption. We can all benefit from limiting our highly processed and packaged carbs. Instead planning meals with high quality carbs that come from whole foods is much healthier for us, and honestly, more satisfying. Healthy eating is the best gift we can give to ourselves as well as the ones who we love.

Here are 10 tips for cutting carbs as we focus on living life as our healthiest selves:

1. Cook and prepare most of your meals
2. Read the labels on the canned and packaged foods you buy and choose the healthiest option
3. Plan your meals and snacks ahead of time
4. Track what you eat with a food journal or a convenient online app like Fitbit
5. Include whole grains for the carbs you plan for your meals
6. Choose high protein snacks like unadulterated yogurt, eggs or homemade smoothies 
7. When eating fruit choose whole fruits or canned fruit with no added sugar
8. Be aware of quantities, measuring your food, especially your carbs, and serve up right-sized standard servings
9. Swap out refined sugar with other natural sweeteners like apple sauce, honey, or maple syrup when cooking or baking
10. Drink flavored waters instead of sugar packed sodas

Download Our Free eBook:
Manage Your Diabetes Through Portion Control

0

Monday Motivational Meal - Broccoli and Sweet Apple Slaw

You can create so many dishes to include in a Picnic/Tailgate Menu. We want to highlight one of our favorite family summer salads, Broccoli and Sweet Apple Slaw with Dried Tart Cherries. This recipe is super easy to make and easy to measure up in right sized portions with our LivSpoons. We put our salad in the Aveq serving bowl which works perfectly with our Livspoons!

You find the recipe here!

0

Monday Motivational Meal

This melt-in-your-mouth Mediterranean Sea Bass recipe is perfect for those hot summer days. This colorful and flavorful dish pairs beautifully with our Halsa portion control dinner plate! Enjoy!

Want to try this recipe? You can access it here!

0

Monday Motivational Meal

The flavors, textures, and taste of this dish from the  DASH Diet Mediterranean Solutions Cookbook takes you to a wonderful, healthy place. This delicious Pan-Roasted Cod is further inspired by being served up on our artist designed Vivente portion control dinner plate.

Read our review of the cookbook here!

0

Monday Motivational Meal - Simple Shrimp Soft Tacos

Enjoy this Simple Shrimp Soft Tacos recipe that is kid-friendly! This do-it-yourself meal is easy and fun to do with the whole family. Serve it up on our very own children's line, Kidliga!


Try this recipe here!

Download Our Free Kids’ Activity eBook!
Sammie & Sax: Fun, Food, & Fantastic Ideas

0

Monday Motivational Meal

You will find that each bite of this Sunrise Egg Salad recipe is flavorful and satisfying...not to mention all the ingredients are easy-to-find and inexpensive. Right size this healthy bariatric-friendly meal on our Just Right Set® bariatric plate!

Find this bariatric-friendly recipe here!

0

Three Favorite Soups for Spring and Summer

Soups are so nurturing. They fill our stomachs and our souls with goodness. Soups are also very flexible. You can make them from what you have on hand and can adapt them to feed one or many. Another wonderful thing about soups is that they can reflect the seasons and our moods.

In spring it is time to freshen our palates and bring in brighter flavors and use the ingredients available. Spring can be mixed weather with storms and hot days. Here are three soups that fit the season and also the vagaries of this transitional season. They can also be great for the upcoming summer months!


Freshen your palate with a fruit soup. Here is a recipe for:

Chilled Cantaloupe Soup with Fresh Ginger

Use the leftovers and bones of your spring lamb to make an immune boosting bone broth soup. Here is a recipe for:

Welsh Lamb and Root Soup

Beat the heat with a pantry-friendly soup. Here is a recipe for:

No-Cook Healthy Gazpacho Soup

Complement these soups with a muffin freshly baked! Click here to choose from ones we love on our blog.

Enjoy! And Live vibrant!

Download Our Free SOUPS eCookbook
and Enjoy Healthy Recipes All Year Long!

0

Monday Motivational Meal

There is nothing more juicy or sweet than our recipe for Chilled Cataloupe Soup with Fresh Ginger. This makes a great cold soup and a healthy summer meal. Get ready to spoon up this refreshing soup from our favorite Halsa bowl!

Download Our Free SOUPS eCookbook
and Enjoy Healthy Recipes All Year Long!

Try this recipe here!

0

Best Diet for Healthy Eating—DASH Diet Comes Out on Top

Dash Diet Comes Out on Top!

Every year the U.S. News and World Report comes out with a new list ranking the Best Diets. The battle for the top position seems to toggle between the Mediterranean and DASH Diet.  In 2020 it is a tie for these two approaches to healthy eating.

All of us have a sense of what the Mediterranean diet is but what is a DASH Diet? According to the Report “The DASH Diet…stands for dietary approaches to stop hypertension and is promoted by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute to do exactly that: stop (or prevent) hypertension, aka high blood pressure. It emphasizes the foods you've always been told to eat (fruits, veggies, whole grains, lean protein and low-fat dairy), which are high in blood pressure-deflating nutrients like potassium, calcium, protein and fiber. DASH also discourages foods that are high in saturated fat, such as fatty meats, full-fat dairy foods and tropical oils, as well as sugar-sweetened beverages and sweets. Following DASH also means capping sodium at 2,300 milligrams a day, which followers will eventually lower to about 1,500 milligrams. DASH Diet is balanced and can be followed long term, which is a key reason nutrition experts rank it as U.S. News’ Best Overall Diet, tied with the Mediterranean Diet.”

From the Book: Spanish-Style Pan-Roasted Cod...served up on Livliga's Vivente dinner plate...oh...so...good!

When you compare these two diets it is evident that they are very similar in types of foods they promote and their focus on health as a lifestyle. I got to thinking that if you combined the two you would end up with the perfect long-term healthy lifestyle diet. It turns out Marla Heller, MS, RD has already done this in her book, The DASH Diet: Mediterranean Solution.

Livliga Healthy Lamb Tagine on Halsa Portion Control Dinnerware

Ms. Heller offers detailed information about our health and the impact the food we eat, in specific quantities, has on our health. She presents a compelling argument why all of us can benefit from these two methods of eating combined. As she states, “The Mediterranean and DASH diets have so many hidden benefits for the health of the whole body. These diets help reduce systemic inflammation, and risk of heart disease and stroke, type 2 diabetes, and certain types of cancer. They protect our bone health and kidneys, and may even be associated with a lower risk for depression.” She also provides an eating plan as well as a 14-day Meal plan to get you started. Recipes are provided like Spanish-Style Pan-Roasted Cod and Lamb Tagine. Of the recipes I have tried I found them to be simple and straightforward to follow as well as tasty to eat. Here is another version of Lamb Tagine available on the Livliga Live Vibrant blog.

Tending to our health is the greatest gift we can give to ourselves as well as the ones we love. It is amazing to realize that just by eating certain foods and cooking them in a certain way we can improve our health and live as our healthiest selves.  We all deserve to live a healthy life.

Download Our Free eBook:
Healthy Lifestyle & Weight Loss

0