Author: Barbara Stroud

I started the ArtFoodHome.com daily (now 4 times/week) blog 1/1/11 (easy to remember, right?) and have kept it going since then. Come back each day - I share with you: ART: featured artists, art events, workshops, etc. FOOD: recipes, restaurants, and good finds along the way HOME: house plans, home design, places here in Charleston... On year 14 of artfoodhome.com - share this site with anyone who you think might enjoy it!

Featured Artist… Ken Dewaard!

On By Barbara StroudIn ART5 Comments

Morning on Monhegan by Ken Dewaard

Ken Dewaard is one of our favorite artists. Super nice guy as well as talented beyond words. The man can paint ANYTHING! You must check out his website, look at the paintings he did of China… whoa! I spent a great deal of time agonizing over WHICH painting… usually there is a painting or two that stands out to me… with Ken there were many… decisions, decisions… Check out his work, I promise you will not be disapointed!

If you’re fortunate enough to be in the Pine Mountain area of Georgia, Ken will be participating in the Third Annual Plein Air Paint Out, Art Show and Sale at Calloway Gardens. Sunday, April 15- Sunday, April 22!

Here’s a blip about Ken from his website…

For Ken there is nothing more rewarding and challenging than painting under an open sky, surrounded by the scents and sounds of nature, along with it’s ever changing color and harmonies to excite one’s creativity.
After receiving his Bachelor of Arts with honors, Ken began working in a commercial art studio in Chicago. He continued his studies at the American Academy of Art, where he studied with nationally recognized watercolorist, Irving Shapiro. Upon Irving’s recommendation Ken joined the acclaimed Palette and Chisel Academy of Fine Art in Chicago, where he soon began studying with Scott Burdick
as well as Dan Gerhartz.
It is here that Ken adapted his direct and pure approach as well as his bravura brush style, which he achieves by painting from life.
Strongly inspired by John Singer Sargent, Nicolai Fechin, Joaquin Sorolla and the Russian Impressionists, Ken finds himself painting an array of subject matter from everyday life. The feelings Ken evokes in his paintings are due in part to the excitement and passion he feels while capturing the fleeting effects of light, or the wonderful color nuances and harmonies presented by nature and all of her beauty.
Ken continues to travel throughout the United States as well as Italy. He has spent many a summer day painting the Italian hillsides, American vistas, and beauty wherever it finds him. This has always been a contributing factor in his work, insight, and inspiration and growth as an artist.
Ken is an instructor at the Kewaunee Academy of Fine Art, 
in Kewaunee, Wisconsin. He currently resides with his wife and four young children in the beautiful driftless area of southwest Wisconsin.

And… one that isn’t for sale (it’s ours!)… Love this one, View Of Booth Bay…

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Cooper River Bridge Run… March 31, 2012. Inspiration and Registration… (& Bridge Run RESULTS!)

On By Barbara StroudIn HOME, THOUGHTSLeave a comment

Bridge Run 2011 {Image}

Hello again… Here’s an update to this post… the bridge run is over… click HERE to get the results. It’s a searchable site, so you don’t have to scroll through 43,00+++++++ names!  Just click whether you want to see the wheelchair results or the Searchable site to check results… Great job everyone!

Yes. The March 31, 2012 Bridge Run in Charleston, SC IS. SOLD. OUT. Well… almost… you still have a chance for a ticket, but it’ll cost you! The flip side of that is that it’s for a good cause… the money goes to charity. This year they capped the regular registration at 43,000 people (good grief that’s a lot of people!), it sold out 23 days before the race (according to an article in the Post and Courier). I went to the Bridge Run’s website and indeed they have sold out, BUT for $150 (that you can raise for a charity) you can buy a Charity Connection Registration (mail/fax or in person only). There is a cap on the number of Charity Connection Registrations, it’s set at 1200! So it’s still possible to participate! From the BridgeRun.com website… this is the info on the Charity Connection Registration:

Charity Connection 

Along with registration, the Bridge Run offers participants the opportunity to help raise money for 12 charities.  It can be scary choosing a charity to donate to.  In this economy, every dollar counts. You want to be sure your hard earned donations are going to the cause described, and not squandered.  The bridge run has done the research for you.  We’ve found, among many, 12 well deserving charities.  Along with the larger, more reputable non-profits, we’ve found other smaller less exposed ones, that also, need and deserve your help. Just one dollar can make a difference!  What do you get with your donation, large or small?  Each participant who donates to one of our charities receives an additional, specialized bib, showing your support, of a good cause. Here’s how… click HERE for a list of charities, visit the Bridge Run website for details…

  • Now, you can leverage your run to raise money via crowdrise.  It’s super easy to join and all the money you raise will contribute the charity.
  • Choose your donation amount with regular registration. Register online or via paper registration, for $30 (before 2/01/12) and donate any amount from $1 up.  You may also donate separate amounts to multiple charities. For example, you may choose to donate $1 to charity x, and $20 to charity y. 
  • Register through a specific charity, for $150, set fee.   When donating $150 or more to the Charity of your choice you will not only get the delight of making an impact, but you will also receive a specialized Cooper River Bridge Run Charity Bib, free entry into the Race, and free packet mailing before 2/23/12.
 There was another article in the Post and Courier (newspaper) that told an inspirational story of two men who lost weight the hard way. Exercise and healthy eating. It’s a must read, if that won’t get you off your duff nothing will! These two guys are doing the bridge run… Clinton Terrill who started at 500 pounds and is now down to 238 (and still dropping) and Bryan Ganey who started at 577 pounds and is at 287 and still dropping… KUDOS TO YOU GUYS! If nothing else the bridge and the bridge run inspires people to M O V E! You’ve got to admire hard work!
Catch you back here tomorrow!

Featured artist… Tom Soltesz!

On By Barbara StroudIn ART, Featured ArtistLeave a comment

“Down The Street And Across The Bay” by Tom Soltesz

I ran across Tom’s work years and years ago… I was on a California plein air website and there were so many artists it was hard to fathom! When I looked at his work I fell in love with it!  I love his bold strokes and his subject matter. He did a painting of some trees in Muir Woods years ago that was just out of this world! I still remember that painting. He’s got an interesting story… can you imagine KNOWING you’re going to be a professional artist at age 7? Yep, me either!

You’ll see on Tom’s website that he also give workshops. He even gives weekend workshops for $100! How tempting! Might be a great time for a little vacation to Califor-knee-eye-A!

A blip about Tom from his website:

 In 1954, Tom was born in a small coal-mining town in western Pennsylvania.  There were little or no cultural influences.  At the age of 7 Tom decided to become a professional artist.  He believed that to be an artist came naturally, and that involved little effort.  This was his first major misconception.  Living in a town of less than 5,000 he received little artistic training, and since Tom was from a family of 7 children, being sent to art school was out of the question.  Upon graduation from high school and being voted “most artistic” of his class,  Tom moved to Florida where he talked his way into a job painting billboards for Florida Outdoor Advertising.  In one year, Tom became their top pictorial artist.  After one more year Tom decided there was little chance of growth.  In 1974, he moved to Denver, Colorado and he enrolled in the Colorado Institute of Art where he received a degree in Advertising and Design.  He freelanced his way through college and graduated with a professional portfolio and since he still had the wonder-lust for travel, Tom moved to Manila, Philippines and started a graphic design studio.  He had by now become a painter/designer, and he worked in watercolors and designing logos, packaging, and ad campaigns for some of the biggest companies in South East Asia.  From Manila he moved to Hong Kong to manage the studio of a major designer.  Tom continued to paint and draw while he freelanced for various companies in both Hong Kong and the Philippines.  He was greatly influenced by the artists of the Philippines, both landscape and figurative, especially by the Philippine artist known by the name of Amorsolo.  Tom was asked to move to Papua New Guinea to upgrade the corporate image of San Miguel Beer Corporation, but since there were little social activities in New Guinea, he continued to develop his painting abilities.  In 1981 Tom decided to return to the U.S. and further educate himself as a painter.  He enrolled in the Academy of Art College in San Francisco and studied illustration and fine art.  Tom freelanced his way through the academy and graduated with knowledge of a variety of illustration and painting techniques.  He decided the only way to continue to paint in the various styles that he enjoyed, was to service a diversity of clients.  Tom started working with interior designers by supplying them with custom paintings, murals and screens, and he worked on hotels, restaurants, and residential projects.  He has been involved in projects in a number of countries and has supplied clients with room art custom painting, murals, and tromp L’oeil.  Tom is represented by numerous galleries in California.  His fine art oils are mainly landscapes and florals, however he also does figurative works.  Tom teaches plein air landscape painting, an Artist member of the California Art Club, and The Baywood Group of painters which is a socially active environmental group of landscape painters. Tom recently won “Best in Show” at the annual San Luis Obispo Plien air festival and an “honorable mention “at the 2005 Carmel art festival. Tom was recently featured in the April issue of South West Art magazine, and the April issue of The Artist’s Magazine 2007. Tom has many collectors in the United States and abroad and continues to develop into one of the most important landscape painters in the U.S.

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Photo: a balcony at the Island Inn, Monhegan Island, Maine…

On By Barbara StroudIn THOUGHTS, TRAVEL3 Comments

Several years ago we stayed in a room at the Island Inn that had a balcony… it was a delight, sitting out there in your own chairs overlooking the most gorgeous view EVER! The room was nice, but much smaller (which is fine, we don’t spend much time in our room at all). We’ve tried all different rooms and all seem to be fabulous! This year we’ll be on the third floor, so that will be nice and quiet… and you get a bonus workout each time you walk the three flights to your room, ha ha… helps burn off all the tasty food… although it seems like all we do is hike, walk, well… and  e a t! This surprise shot showcases our little bag of treats on our porch… can’t remember what it was but i’m sure it was good!

Enjoy your Sunday… catch you back here tomorrow!

Photos: Time to act crazy with the sprinkler!

On By Barbara StroudIn HOME8 Comments

Well, it’s that time of year A L R E A D Y ! Time to play in the sprinkler… Time to get hosed off after your morning walk because it’s so warm… Crazy weather. Am hoping it doesn’t get any warmer (yeah, right!). It seems that everyone has weird weather right now. For most of us we simply cannot complain. It’s beautiful!

Ahhh, show those teeth Charlie! The beast gets a little crazy when he gets wet!

Ok, it’s time to calm down… time to go run laps I N S I D E the house… ahhhh… happy weekend!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Featured Artist… Gene Costanza!

On By Barbara StroudIn ART2 Comments

Gene Costanza, artist at M Gallery of Fine Art {image}

Isn’t this a fabulous Charleston scene? I remember many years ago it seemed like so many of the paintings were the same… most of the Charleston paintings were pastel in color and all the same in subject matter… things have been changing for years now. The paintings are more modern even though they’re not contemporary… I think it’s the influence of working plein air for many artists. There is nothing like that quick loose style, it’s fabulous. This painting was done by artist Gene Costanza. Happened to see on Facebook that he’s in town painting right now…  (as I write this)… that’s one thing about our city. You can be walking around downtown and run into artists set up on the street painting. I still marvel at that. I love to watch someone paint. Everyone approaches it so differently. There are truly SO MANY GREAT ARTISTS it blows my mind. We are very fortunate to have such a strong art community. We support the arts and all the different events… our galleries work hard here in Charleston to keep the public involved in the art… art walks, receptions, they get very creative, and we are very lucky indeed!

Gene Costanza is an exceptional artist, and I’m thrilled to know that he’s being shown here locally at M Gallery! Check out his work, or his website (or both!)… catch you back here tomorrow!

Image and blip from the artists website:

GENE COSTANZA
American, b.1954 
 
Gene Costanza is a contemporary realist painter of traditional subject matter, focusing primarily on landscape and man’s interaction with it and nature. Equally at home painting “en plein air’ as well as in the studio, Costanza orchestrates paintings that engage the viewer to enter the subject with him by capturing the light and atmosphere.
 
Over twenty-five years of his life was spent in Law Enforcement in such specialties as SWAT, K9 Handler, K9 Supervisor, Patrol Supervisor and Detective.  About mid career, the desire to return to artistic endeavors surfaced after having been abandoned in his early twenties.  Though dormant, there was a constant underlying desire to again delve into the mysteries of paint, light, and subject matter.  Costanza believes it took a decade and a half of discipline to mold his personal tendencies so that he could study and work as hard as one needs to in the very difficult endeavor of making a good painting.  Costanza retired from law enforcement to become a full-time painter.  
 
Primarily “self-taught,” he has studied with a number of great contemporary artist/teachers including; Kevin McPherson, Matt Smith, Jeffery Watt, and has a long standing close personal as well as professional friendship with Scott L. Christensen.  It is Christensen whom Costanza credits with most of his growth.  Frequently these two can be found painting, fishing, hunting or just enjoying the fellowship of intimate friendship.
 
His work is in collections from coast to coast and is included in the permanent collection of the Academy Museum in Easton, Maryland.
 
Costanza is married and has two grown sons and makes his home in Eugene, OR.

A quick and easy butter bean salad, can you say healthy?!

On By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, HEALTH, Recipe2 Comments

Monza’s butter bean salad with shrimp… To. Die. For. Amazing! Image: Monza

Today I made a wonderful butter bean salad reminiscent of the one that Monza serves here in Charleston. Well, it wasn’t quite butter bean salad since I used fresh Lima beans from Whole Foods, but it was darn close. I’m not sure what their recipe is, but I can tell you we devoured these beans in no time flat, didn’t even give them time to chill! Next time I make these I will make it the night before! If you make it to Monza some time soon I highly suggest their butter bean salad. You can get it with just the olive oil and lemon, or with tuna or shrimp. Tasty!

Monza-ish Butter Bean/Lima Bean Salad – this recipe serves 2-3

1 container of fresh butter or lima beans

3-5 tablespoons olive oil

1-2 cloves of garlic, peeled but not cut

1 wedge of lemon

Salt

Wash the beans, in a medium or large heavy saucepan, add the beans and cover with water (cover with about 2″ water). Bring to a boil, then turn down to medium. Stir occasionally. Cook about 1 hour or until done. Then drain.

In small heavy saucepan, add the olive oil, turn it on medium, add a clove or two of garlic that has been peeled but not minced. Cut a few X marks to let the juices out… add to hot oil, then turn on low until fragrant. After the garlic sits a few minutes in the oil, pull it out and discard or set aside for another use.

Squeeze a wedge of lemon into the slightly cooled oil (be careful, if oil is hot then it’s going to spit), stir briskly or whisk until blended. With the beans in a separate bowl, pour the olive oil mixture over top of the beans. Sprinkle a little salt. Let cool, then pop into the refrigerator (good luck, half were gone before they got to the fridge, and I’m not kidding!).

If by chance they get dry add a little extra olive oil before serving (if you used all the garlic infused olive oil, regular is fine, and if you don’t like garlic, skip that step). I can’t tell you if they’ll get dry since we gobbled them up…

Next time I’m going to try beans in a carton (like FIG brand) if I can find them, or another non BPA brand like Eden… that will quicken this process. I’ll report back if I can find a good brand and if it tastes this incredible! This is going to be tasty with salmon and tzatziki sauce…

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Featured artist… Elizabeth Tolley!

On By Barbara StroudIn ART, Featured ArtistLeave a comment

“Color of Sunset Maine” by Elizabeth Tolley {Image}

It’s funny how I can skim through an artists paintings, and really like some of them but be sucked in by one of Maine… Elizabeth Tolley is a California artist who painted a fabulous Maine painting… I think she captured the sunset perfectly. There are the most wild and gorgeous sunrises and sunsets. It makes you want to jump out of bed early in the morning to see the sunrise, and be home in time to see the sunset… Of course when you plan for it, it’s not fabulous, but when you’re out and about and [GASP!] without a camera that’s when you’ll see the most spectacular of skies! As my husband said, this painting has an old world look about it… it does, it’s fabulous, and ooowie, would I love to be there… Right. Now.

Here’s a blip about Elizabeth from her website!

Elizabeth “Libby” Tolley is an American Painter and Author. She is a fourth-generation Californian. Painting the rural landscapes of California’s Central Coast has been her focus. The artist brings these California scenes into the national spotlight, as her paintings have been selected for inclusion in art magazines, books, and national exhibits.

In 2007, Libby completed an instructional book on painting landscapes called, Oil Painter’s Solution Book: Landscapes, 100 answers to you oil painting questions. The book, published by North Light Books, answers questions students have asked over the years, and illustrates the process of painting both on location and in the studio. The book has been well received by artists in all mediums. Over 25,000 copies have been sold.

Libby has been featured in over 25 articles in international art magazines including, The Artist (UK), Southwest Art, Plein Air Magazine, The Artist’s Magazine, and International Artist Magazine. Libby’s paintings have graced three magaxine covers.

San Diego Flora, another book released in 2007, included her paintings “Morning on the San Mateo” and “Afternoon on the San Mateo.” “Morning on the San Mateo” was exhibited in the Capistrano Light Exhibit sponsored by The Irvine Museum.

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Photo: Azalea’s in Charleston… Happy Spring!

On By Barbara StroudIn HOME, THOUGHTSLeave a comment

H A P P Y  S P R I N G ! Can you believe it’s SPRING already?? Time flies… I mean it’s whizzing by at such a pace I can barely believe it… Maybe because it’s been like spring in Charleston most of the winter. It still comes as a shock that today is the first day of spring, or should I say… one season closer to summer, ahhh! Like those of you in cool climates dread winter, I dread summer… here’s hoping that this will be an unusually cool summer (woohoo! That hasn’t happened since 1989 when I moved here, but winter has never been so mild either, so… there’s hope)!

It’s a beautiful time here in Charleston, everything is blooming. It seems that everyone has azaleas, and the street is lined in pink blooms. Very pretty indeed!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Featured Artist… Robert Spooner!

On By Barbara StroudIn ART, Featured Artist1 Comment

“Gloucester Morning” by Robert Spooner

I really enjoy Robert Spooner’s work. The golden light in this painting is pure magic! It reminds me of Mackinac Island, MI… so many great paintings to choose from, I couldn’t select only one, sigh…

Robert’s plein air pieces are amazing. In many ways they remind me of the way our friend Tim Bell paints. Fast and loose and with such incredible style. Of course I love the ICE CREAM HOUSE! Matter of fact I would love to pop in that little ice cream house right now… His work has ‘air’, you can feel it. If you get a chance, check out Robert’s website. I look forward to seeing some of his pieces in person at M Gallery in Charleston, SC!

A blip about Robert from his WEBSITE :

Robert Spooner was born in Roswell, New Mexico in 1956. He received a bachelor of fine arts degree from Louisiana Tech University in 1978 and pursued a career in graphic design. It was not until 1998 that he developed an interest in oil painting after having taken it up as a creative antidote to the structured advertising world where he was working as a designer and illustrator. He became further motivated to continue on this path of expression when he enrolled in painting classes at the Denver Art Students League and studied with noted painters Kim English and Quang Ho.

 The dimensions of his canvas are determined by the story needing to be told. Robert works from large shapes in a scene to the small, all the time keeping his values in check. Arriving at the focal point, which in many cases may be a face, he slows down to spend more time on what he considers to be the heart of the painting or story.

 Robert explains that his art is not about any one approach but it is about developing as an artist by exploring various visual approaches. The discoveries he makes along the way are what fuel his desire to be an artist. He also finds inspiration from a number of artists and their works including Quang Ho, Alex Kanevsky, Dan McCaw, Dennis Miller Bunker, Morgan Weistling, Matt Smith, Anders Zorn and Valentin Serov.

 Catch you back here tomorrow!

PHOTO: Hanging out on a streetcar in San Fran… good times!

On By Barbara StroudIn TRAVEL5 Comments

This is my weekend “wish I was there” photo… Fred and I had so much fun in San Fran… went for years, then thought we should try somewhere on the east coast and never made it back… need to get back there to “our” little boutique hotel that was so cool (and had wine and cheese and night, and before bed, hot cookies and milk… oh heavens!) it’s called the INN AT UNION SQUARE and it’s one awesome place! If you make plans to go to San Fran, check it out!!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Featured Artist… Kim English!

On By Barbara StroudIn ARTLeave a comment

Kim English… a master of light… his paintings are striking. He is a versatile artist, the man can paint anything and it’s fabulous! Kim is in many galleries, he gives workshops (he’s giving one in Switzerland in August of this year!). The man is talented. And from artist friends I’ve heard nothing but good things about Kim, he’s a super nice guy who is talented beyond belief, he paints, he sings, good grief…! His paintings are a joy, if you aren’t familiar with Kim’s work I highly suggest you check him out, he’s in galleries all over the country! In Charleston, he’s at the Wells Gallery. I love this painting, “Conifer Sunset” (above). The one thing I love is the light on in the house with the sky getting dark, the sun setting, the day winding down… it’s magical. Oh, and those trees… L O V E  T H O S E  T R E E S !

I couldn’t make a decision, so I included two images… “Private Garden” is such a sweet painting, once again with fabulous light, and sigh… that pop of red… brilliant. I love how the shutters and window aren’t perfect, they aren’t perfectly square, they have CHARACTER. Fabulous! Here’s a blip about Kim from the Saks Galleries website (blip and images from Saks Galleries):

Colorado-based painter, Kim English, depicts in his paintings the simple beauty found in daily life. Known for his mastery of chiaroscuro, each piece speaks to the true focus of English’s inspiration the harmony existing between light and shadow. His subject matter, ranging from a street side fruit stand in Mexico to sun filled windows, creates a particular mood, through which the viewer is introduced to charming scenarios that are wrapped in depth and texture, and are entirely about paint. This is the primary force of English’s painting his astonishing manipulation of his medium. He maintains a feeling of spontaneity by completing each painting in one sitting the alla prima method. He says of using this method, Immediacy is important. Not only because it is often the nature of people, but for me it is the most instinctive way to paint.

English was born in 1957 in Omaha, Nebraska and raised in a rural community near Colorado Springs. After graduation from the Rocky Mountain School of Art he joined the faculty and later began teaching at the Art Students League of Denver and the Scottsdale Artists School. He has exhibited at the Allied Artists of America winning the Gold Medal of Honor; the National Academy of Design; the Artists of America-Denver Rotary Club; NAWA 21st Annual Exhibition; Arts for the Parks; the Colorado Governor’s Invitational – Loveland Museum; the A.R. Mitchell Memorial Museum of Western Art; The Knickerbocker 42nd Annual Exhibition; the Oil Painters of America and won both the Certificate of Merit and the Joseph Hartley Memorial Award at two Salmagundi Club Exhibitions.

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Healthbeat: Beat Your Sugar and Starch Addiction… Here’s how…

On By Barbara StroudIn HEALTH4 Comments

I have to share with you a fabulous article from Prevention Magazine. Now don’t roll your eyes… hey, every little thing we can do to preserve our health is worth it, right? These are LITTLE changes that can help you beat the sugar and starch addiction (yes, addiction… America is addicted to sugar, and I’m no different. I am struggling to stop my sweet tea (and it’s not very sweet, I make “sweet tea” with 3 tablespoons of sugar for 2 quarts)… I find I don’t want to drink it… sigh… BUT tea is good for you, so I bought a mint plant and pluck off a section and place it in the glass and smash it with a spoon to release the wonderful mint flavor… at least that adds a different flavor!). Here are a few things YOU can do… this is adapted from the Prevention Magazine article adaptation of The Sugar Blockers Diet: Eat Great, Lose Weight–A Doctor’s 3-Step Plan to Lose Weight, Lower Blood Sugar, and Beat Diabetes–While Eating the Carbs You Love, by Rob Thompson, MD, with the editors of Prevention (Rodale, 2012). 

Have a Fatty Snack

Have a fatty snack 10 to 30 minutes before your meals. Reason: You remain fuller longer. 

At the outlet of your stomach is a muscular ring, the pyloric valve. It regulates the speed at which food leaves your stomach and enters your small intestine. This valve is all that stands between the ziti in your stomach and a surge of glucose in your bloodstream. But you can send your pyloric valve a message to slow down.Fat triggers a reflex that constricts the valve and slows digestion. As little as a teaspoon of fat–easily provided by a handful of nuts or a piece of cheese–will do the trick, provided you eat it before your meal.

Start Your Meal With A Salad

 Reason: It soaks up starch and sugar.

Soluble fiber from the pulp of plants–such as beans, carrots, apples, and oranges–swells like a sponge in your intestines and traps starch and sugar in the niches between its molecules. Soluble means “dissolvable”–and indeed, soluble fiber eventually dissolves, releasing glucose. However, that takes time. The glucose it absorbs seeps into your bloodstream slowly, so your body needs less insulin to handle it. A good way to ensure that you get enough soluble fiber is to have a salad–preferably before, rather than after, you eat a starch.

Eat Some Vinegar

 Reason: It slows the breakdown of starch into sugar.

The high acetic acid content in vinegar deactivates amylase, the enzyme that turns starch into sugar. (It doesn’t matter what kind of vinegar you use.) Because it acts on starch only, it has no effect on the absorption of refined sugar. In other words, it will help if you eat bread, but not candy. But there’s one more benefit: Vinegar also increases the body’s sensitivity to insulin.

You should consume vinegar at the start of your meal. Put it in salad dressing or sprinkle a couple of tablespoons on meat or vegetables. Vinegar brings out the flavor of food, as salt does.

Include Protein With Your Meal

 Reason: You won’t secrete as much insulin.

Here’s a paradox: You want to blunt insulin spikes–but to do that, you need to start secreting insulin sooner rather than later. It’s like a fire department responding to a fire. The quicker the alarm goes off, the fewer firefighters will be needed to put out the blaze.

Even though protein contains no glucose, it triggers a “first-phase insulin response” that occurs so fast, it keeps your blood sugar from rising as high later–and reduces the total amount of insulin you need to handle a meal. So have meatballs with your spaghetti.

Nosh on Lightly Cooked Vegetables

 Reason: You digest them more slowly.

Both fruits and vegetables contain soluble fiber. As a rule, though, vegetables make better sugar blockers, because they have more fiber and less sugar.

But don’t cook your vegetables to mush. Boiling vegetables until they’re limp and soggy saturates the soluble fiber, filling it with water so it can’t absorb the sugar and starch you want it to. Also, crisp vegetables are chunkier when they reach your stomach, and larger food particles take longer to digest, so you’ll feel full longer. Another tip: Roasted vegetables like cauliflower can often serve as a delicious starch substitute.

Sip A Glass Of Wine With Dinner

 Reason: Your liver won’t produce as much glucose.

Alcohol has unique sugar-blocking properties. Your liver normally converts some of the fat and protein in your blood to glucose, which adds to the glucose from the carbs you eat. But alcohol consumed with a meal temporarily halts your liver’s glucose production. A serving of any alcohol–beer, red or white wine, or a shot of hard liquor–will reduce the blood sugar load of a typical serving of starch by approximately 25%.

That doesn’t mean you should have several drinks (especially if you have diabetes, as multiple drinks can cause hypoglycemia). Not only does alcohol contain calories, but it also delays the sensation of fullness, so you tend to overeat and pile on calories. Be especially mindful about avoiding cocktails that are made with sweetened mixers–yet another source of sugar.

Save Sweets For Dessert Only

 Reason: All of the above.

If you eat sweets on an empty stomach, there’s nothing to impede the sugar from racing directly into your bloodstream–no fat, no soluble fiber, no protein, no vinegar. But if you confine sweets to the end of the meal, you have all of the built-in protection the preceding rules provide. If you want to keep blood sugar on an even keel, avoid between-meal sweets at all costs–and when you do indulge, don’t eat more than you can hold in the cup of your hand. But a few bites of candy after a meal will have little effect on your blood sugar and insulin–and can be quite satisfying.

 Bonus Sugar Blocker: Move Your Body

 There are other ways of blunting sugar spikes, and exercise is one of the best. Your muscle cells are by far the biggest users of glucose in your body and the target of most of the insulin you make.
When you exercise, your muscles need to replenish their energy stores, so each cell that you work out begins making glucose “transporters.” These sit on the surface of the cell and allow glucose to enter.In the meantime, while cells are still making the transporters, they also open up special channels that allow glucose in, independent of insulin. So to reduce sugar spikes, try going for a walk after eating.
Here’s a quick QUIZ to see if you’re at risk for Diabetes. I know sometimes you just don’t want to know, but this is one time you need to know. If you know you can prevent things from getting worse and turn things around!
Now with all that being said, it’s not really that hard. Have a small salad with some sort of fat (cheese, avocado, etc.), and a vinaigrette (any type of vinegar and olive oil). Then for your meal have a lean protein and a lightly cooked veggie. Sip a small glass of wine if you drink wine (not a reason to start drinking if you don’t). If you’re going to eat a sweet, have it after a meal as dessert, then… take a walk! Even if it’s just around the block. Leash up Fido and make his day!
Catch you back here tomorrow!

Featured Artist… Janis Sanders!

On By Barbara StroudIn ART, Featured Artist2 Comments

“On an Island” by Janis Sanders

I ran across Janis Sander’s work while checking out the artists at Camden Falls Gallery located in Camden, Maine. Her work is striking. The colors are vibrant, the subject matter is clean-lined and visually appealing. I love how the brights play off the darks. That fabulous green against the darker colors. Great work! Bright grass, dark shadow… I love it! If you’re in the area of Camden, Maine pop in and check out her work!

“Coastline” by Janis Sanders

Here’s a blip about Janis… she is just such a likable person! Blip and images from Camden Falls Gallery:

Expressive Intention

Salt air, salt spray, sweet smell of summer grass, verdant marsh, an old house at the water’s edge, wind in your hair, sun on your face.

These elements draw me outdoors, to the grassy dunes of Truro, the calm marshes of the North Shore, to the rugged cliffs of Maine.

Many of my paintings are done “en plein air”, a method introduced in the mid-1800’s by Boudin and other French artists, and pursued vigorously by the Impressionists, a name coined by an art critic in response to Claude Monet’s work, Impression, Sunrise, 1872.

Each of my works is done as spontaneously as possible, with only minimal blocking in of forms.

I begin each painting with the sky, to me the most important element.

The sky IS light, some days slightly purple, sometimes hazy cream, clear aqua, rosy, peach, celadon; we are immersed in it. Sky is the key to determine the entire atmosphere of the painting, and visually and practically provide the backdrop for the other objects in view.

My self-assigned task for each work, is to convey the ethereal ‘thing’ of light in paint, as the sun casts its breath on the world.

I paint vigorously, expressively, physically, applying paint with a palette knife in blocks/area of color, smoothing/blending minimally to keep the paint fresh and say the essence of the ‘thing’.

I take tremendous joy in the attempt, and the subsequent sharing of the result with you.

Thank you for looking, sharing the experience.

I would say thank Y O U Janis! Thanks for sharing! Catch you back here tomorrow!