Food Diary!

I've wanted to do a food diary post for a while now. I read a lot of different kind of blogs and many fitness writers post a lot of food diaries. I love reading them but there's one thing that I always find a bit disturbing - how much food they actually do eat?! Also it would be good to know the measurements of the person, at least their height. Otherwise it can be misleading for the reader. A good few times I've found myself thinking "he/she eats so little and exercises like crazy". 

As a diabetic I have to weigh and measure all the food I eat. That's how I know how much insulin to take. The amount of insulin is determined by carbohydrates, aka carbs. Besides carbs, insulin intake is determined also by exercise, stress, current blood sugar level, previous and next day, weather (!)..everything really! I use MyFitnesspal for counting, it's a really handy app and will count all your macros and nutritients for you. You can also scan products with it. 

So without further do here's an example from yesterday, that happened to be a day off :) And my measurements are: 175cm (5'9"), 72kg (158 pounds). Active and sporty lifestyle, type 1 diabetes since I was 10 years old.

BREAKFAST
Egg whites 200gr
Cold smoked salmon 60gr
1 tbs Avocado (leftovers)
Oat porridge 50gr with Almond milk (unsweetened) 300mll
Strawberries 50gr
Raspberries 50gr

482kcal, 37gr Carbs

GYM
45min legs and glutes workout, stretching 10min.

Blood sugar rise after breakfast so not enough insulin. The workout took it down a bit, and towards lunch it was almost in balance. 

SNACK
1/2 protein cookie
190kcal, 19gr Carbs

Some protein bars are ok, and after workout you should take some extra protein anyway. I try to find bars etc that are low in sugar and carbs and over all have not many ingredients. I don't eat them every day though. 

LUNCH
Quorn "mince" (vegetarian) 200gr
Peas-corn-pepper mix 100gr
Chickpea-rice mix 125gr
Avocado 70gr (half)

483kcal, 36gr HH

Using leftovers form the freezer ;)

SNACK
1/2 protein cookie
190kcal, 19gr carbs

Rest of the cookie. Blood sugar decides to go down, probably the workout is still working in my body and I took too much insulin on lunch. The cookie brings it up slowly but surely. 

Dairy Milk Chips Ahoy
2 pieces (one row has 3 pieces)
56kcal, 5gr carbs

I bought this for my boyfriend :) We were travelling to Dublin, this time first to Ikea and then to ENFUSION martial arts fightr & show. 

DINNER
Roast beef & Egg on Flat Bread
444kcal, 38gr carbs (--> estimation!)

*Exceptional situation*, aka on the road. I was lazy, and we just bought ready made stuff from the garage. Sometimes I just can't be bothered to cook dinners to go, like I usually do for gigs. Here you can see how difficult it can be with diabetes if you don't know exactly what you're eating. There can be something surprising in the sandwhich and it can be difficult to assess how much insulin to take. In this case I got it pretty much right. 

SNACK
340kcal, 38gr carbs

I tried a new bar, from the same cookie company. Tasted good, but was heavy in calories. 

NIGHT SNACK
1/2 cookie
190kcal, 30gr carbs

It was a very late evening so I needed some extra food. 

The Almighty Egg

So today it's time to take a look at something very important: The almighty egg! Eggs are absoluteluy amazing ingredient packed with proteins. As a person who does a lot of sports I've learned that egg is basically my best friend giving me loads of fuel and energy. So I've developed a good few egg recipes and besides normal eggs I use a lot of egg whites. As a tip for people watching thier weight I can indeed tell, that egg whites are nearly zero in calories but very filling and nutricious. 

Here are a few super simple recipes I use and of course googling around the internet will show you dozens of other great egg recipes! If you find something that look especially delicious let me know :)

FRITTATA
Egg whites
Soy cream
Basil
Spinach
Pepper
Cherry tomato
Potato (you can also leave this out)
Lean bacon medallions
German salami company pepperoni (or similar low calorie sausage)

INSTRUCTIONS
Start by slicing the potato into thin slices. Boil them quickly and fry on the pan until golden brown. You can also fry the bacon and sausage befrehand so they're nice and crispy. Whip the eggs, soy cream and seasoning together. Chop basil and spinach finely and add to the mix. Poor the mix to the pan, and throw everything else on top. Let cook under a lid on small heat until ready! 

RED BEET GOATS CHEESE OMELETTE
This omelette was inspired by leftover beet-goat cheese mix that I served earlier with a steak. Surprisingly it fits perfectly in an omelette as well :)
1 Beet root
Goats cheese
Spinach
Fresh Basil
Soy cream
Egg whites

INSTRUCTIONS
Chop beet root finely and mix with goat cheese. Mix soy cream and eggs and season to your taste. Pour the mix on the pan and fry for a few minutes until firm. Add the rest . When the cheese is starting to melt, flip one side over the other, let cook for half a minute, and serve! 

OMELETTE WITH COLD SMOKED SALMON, HUMUS & FETA CHEESE
1 Whole egg
Egg whites
Soy yoghurt
Humus
Cold smoked salmon
Feta cheese
Spinach
Cherry tomatoes

Warning, this is a very heavy dinner!

BREAKFAST EGG MUFFINS
Egg whites
Spinach
Fresh basil
Seasoning
Tomato finely chopped
Lean bacon
Cold smoked salmon

INSTRUCTIONS
Mix everything expect the meast together. Pour the mix into small silicone cup cake moulds. Throw in the bacon and salmon. Cook in the oven at 200c for about 15 minutes. Works beautifully as a breakfast and snack! 

Sweet potato travels to Scandinavia, Italy and India!

For christmas I'm sharing a few super simple but delicious tips on my favorite carb; the Sweet Potato. I LOVE sweet potatoes! It works beautifully as mash, chips, baked, boiled, and so many more ways. 

Here is "Sweet Potato In 3 Ways":

Nro. 1 Italy

• Use small potatoes. Bigger are hard to handll since they are extremely hard and will cook slower.
• Brush the skin under water until all dirt is gone 
• Lay the potatoes on a baking tray and spray with 1kcal spray and season with salt, pepper and garlic 
• Baby carrots are a lovely side to this, seasoned with rosemary 
• Bake for 30 minutes in 200c 

• When the sweet potatoes are ready, make a deep-ish cut to them. The potato should be lovely and soft inside. 
• Fill with ricotta, parma ham and fresh basil leaves. 
• You can pimp your own italian sweet potato according to your own taste! Mozzarella, different cold meats, pesto etc :) 

Nro. 2 Scandinavia

• For cooking the sweet potatoes same as before! 
• Cold smoked salmon (or as grave lax)
• Quark or cottage cheese
• Lactose free version: soy yoghurt with diced cucumber, lemon juice, salt, pepper, garlic 
• Sprinkle parsley on top

No. 3 India

For cooking the sweet potatoes same as before!

Soy raita: soy yoghurt with diced cucumber, lemon juice, salt, pepper, garlic 

Oriental vegetable mix (frozen), fry on a pan

Courgette chips (bake in the oven or in the pan; pan is faster) 

Season with paprika, mild chili powder and cayenne pepper