After a 2 week break due to Memorial Day, we reconvened at the Center at Spring Street for class 3, but had a role reversal.  My teaching partner, Mandel, did the powerpoint presentation and education lesson about fats and salt while I cooked!

I added to the education lesson, clarifying that the ABCs of diabetes stand for A1c, Blood pressure, and Cholesterol and pointing out that people with diabetes and hypertension are more likely to be salt sensitive, among other things.

For the cooking demonstration, I made Sautéed yellow squash and snow peas in the electric frying pan and Classic Caesar salad.  The hot dish used a minimal amount of oil and many herbs.  I made sure I knew what nutrients the vegetables were good sources of and delved into those benefits while cooking.  The Caesar salad was made from a plain Greek yogurt base for some bite, but no raw egg or anchovy paste.  Very light and tasty if not exactly what they’d serve at Caesar’s Palace!  Mandel had baked a Buttermilk chocolate cake at home using brown sugar Splenda and that was served to all as well.  These recipes are all in the Dining with Diabetes cookbook, at class we give copies of all recipes used, then at the last class, we give them a cookbook that includes everything.

After class, one participant hung around and asked me if I knew what hydrogenation meant (we had taught about trans fats in class), I said sure, “it means the liquid oil was bombarded with hydrogen molecules through some kind of process and became more solid.”  She went on to explain that she was a retired high school chemistry teacher and she taught Mandel and me a thing or two! She said “you are both a carbon, you each have 4 places to bond, head, each hand, and feet,” and then had me hold Mandel’s hand. “Now you have 3 places left to bond,” so we could bond to another carbon on both sides and hydrogen top and bottom.  Then she had us hold both hands (like playing London Bridge), and said “now you have a double bond, you only have 2 other places to bond, one place for the next carbon and one hydrogen. So you will be an unsaturated link.” It was like a light bulb going off for the first time!!  I knew about this but never really “saw” it until I acted it out! I gave her a hug, she was a great teacher!