Company is coming....Help what do I serve?

[aromaticwings]

I have a question. I am supposed to have some company coming over tomorrow. It is only another couple. Both are in very bad health.. One has severe diaities and is always in and out of the hospital due to very spiking sugars.. she also has nuropathy(sp?) is very insulin dependant and has heart problems. she is bad. Her hubby well I know of two heart attacks..



She and I ahve been discussing raw foods and the lifestyle. She wants me to go to a dr to get "checked out" and I want her to start raw as much as she can.



So we made a deal she will try raw if i go get checked out.. now they are coming over tomorrow to share some project she is doing and i told her i can show her some raw foods.. mix smoothies etc..My worry and question is.. what should I make that would be appealing.. get someone hooked and show them how easy it is.. on a very low budget. they are pretty much home bodies also. I do not want to spike her sugars with lots of fruits...but want a variety for snacking while they are here..



help.?? Please???

Debbie

[rawpriestess]

pesto stuffed mushrooms
enchiladas
rawviolies

these are excellent, and are low glycemic, easy to make, I would make the rawviolies up ahead of time, but then have a few to make to show her how to do it,

then I'd make the marinara sauce with her,

I'd make the enchilada wrappers up and then make the filling and a salsa with her, and I'd have the pesto stuffed mushrooms in the dehydrator warming

all of these can be like appetizers, just cut the enchiladas into bite size bits,

serve the rawviolies with toothpicks,

etc.

these all are extremely savory, and delicious, warmed, or room temp, and look like cooked foods and are super delicious.

[aromaticwings]

thanks RP.. she does like mushrooms also... I don't know about the rawviolies.. I do not have one of those spriral thingies to make thin cuts.. would I need like some yeast stuff?? dont think she needs the yeast right now...she says she is not allergic to anything

[juliebove]

If she uses insulin, then snacking may be out of the question. You don't say whether she has type 1 or type 2 diabetes. People with type 1 do not produce any of their own and must use insulin or they will die. They also have somewhat more leeway with their diet than people with type 2. I don't use insulin so I don't know a lot about it other than what I've read, or been told by people who use it. I do know there is a formula used to figure the carb count of the meal and how much insulin to inject. If she is having control issues, an insulin pump might be the best thing for her, no matter the diet.

People with type 2 diabetes usually produce enough insulin but they are insulin resistant. Some of us produce waaaay too much insulin but our bodies just can't seem to use it properly. For us, eating the right amount of carbs, and not too many, is the key. Exercise is also important. Some of us need to use meds and/or insulin. If a person with type 2 diabetes needs to use insulin, they usually need to use a LOT more than a person with type 1 would. And while an insulin pump seems like a good idea for any diabetic who needs to use insulin, insurance companies often will not cover them for people with type 2.

Neuropathy is caused by high blood sugar. Keeping it in range is the key to keeping the pain of it down. However, some type 1's are what is called "brittle". This means no matter how hard they try, they can't keep their numbers in range. It can take some experimenting to figure out what works for them. I know of one such person who found that she had to eat smaller than usual meals and frequent tiny snacks, mainly nuts and seeds. She was not necessarily a raw foodist but ate a macrobiotic diet, consisting mainly of organic vegetables.

I have type 2 diabetes. My breakfast is usually pumpkin seeds. Lunch and dinner are often large salads, but I do add other things besides just greens so they are more hearty. I made a corn salad the other day using whatever I had onhand that seemed like it would work. I found it to be very good. My family didn't much care for it though. Said it was too sweet. I was very cautious with how much I ate, the first time I ate it because corn is high in carbs. Yet, my blood sugar didn't spike at all! In fact it was low and I had to eat a snack. I found the same to be true with the raw beet salad I made. And amazingly, I ate about a 3" piece of RP's brownies and didn't spike after that either!

Most vegetables work quite well for me. I am not overly fond of fruit, so I haven't been working very hard on working them into my diet. I do like grapefruit and am able to eat that. I've eaten strawberries with no problem and 2-3 cherries at a time. I sometimes eat about 1/2 an apple or pear, thinly sliced on a salad. And I've found that a mix of nuts and seeds with a very small amount of dried fruit (perhaps cut into tiny pieces) mixed in is doable for me.

Alas, when it comes to diabetes there is no one diet that will work for all of us. Some diabetics find that certain foods will cause them to spike no matter how small their portion is.

[aromaticwings]

she is wanting to try some smoothies.. something fruity.. should I use a nut milk to keep the sugars lowered or more controled.. was thinking of something green with a bit of fruit..

[aromaticwings]

I was just informed that she is type one or so her endo thinks now.. she is on an insulin pump... now..she only thinks half what i tell her is worth anything and her hubby thinks raw food lifestyle is voo doo...so i want to make a great impression.. but want to keep things simple as possible.

[juliebove]

If she is on the insulin pump, then pretty much anything should be doable. You should probably ask her if she needs to know the carb count of what she is eating. I think she might, but I'm no expert on an insulin pump. As for the nut milk, this will probably be okay. I don't know what the fat content of a nut milk is though. Diabetics have to be careful not to consume too much fat at one time because fat delays the absorption of carbs and that can cause low blood sugar.

[Sharon in Colorado]

How about a well combined multi-course meal?

Make sure their stomachs are empty before they arrive. Tell them to come hungry...

Start out with some plates of sliced melon

Then maybe a nice pureed fruit soup, like strawberry soup.

At this point a small green smoothie in a juice glass would be great.

Then you could move on to a nice little plate of greens, with citrus or other fruit that works well with greens.

At this point you could introduce something a little heavy, with very little carbs.

For dessert perhaps some sliced strawberries with a cashew sauce.

Starting with the more watery sweet fruits and moving slowly to fats should work well for a diabetic. Take plenty of time, relaxing between courses. They should be happy and satisfied at the end of the meal.

[Mosaicsbymichelle]

I posted this in another section but there is a new movie that is in the process of being made and it deals with diabetes and a raw food diet. I think it is for type 2 but very interesting. The trailer can be seen here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynXGA6fCEgU&mode=related&search=raw%20food

Also, there is a blog that I like and the woman had a whole list of different foods she made for a group of women that were curious about raw food. Here is the link for that:
http://www.mawintheraw.blogspot.com

Hope that helps a bit.
Michelle

[JinxieKat]

Just for those out there that think you need a slicer for the rawviolies, a potato pealer works just as well. What I do is cut down the turnip so that it is just slightly narrower than my potato pealer blade, then I just peal off strips and use those to make the rawviolies. You get some waste cause you have to trim the sides off, but you get _alot_ of rawviolies and the thickness is perfect for folding and softening. Very Very good stuff!!

Taevia