Paula Deen has diabetes

The queen of butter is set to reveal her diagnosis and hopefully, dispel rumors that she is going to peddle insulin pills. The gossip mill is working overtime this weekend with her future news and what this will mean for the most beloved cook this side of Mississippi. I personally hope she begins to incorporate more healthy dishes into her cookbooks and shows instead of popping pills and chasing them with butter cocktails. She will not lose her faithful followers if she grills fish every now and then or substitutes applesauce for so much butter. However, some things must be enjoyed in extreme moderation and her famous Gooey Butter Cake is just not going to make it as a Gooey Margarine Cake.

While many people believe the myth that too much butter and sugar causes diabetes, it’s just not true. Diabetes is disease of the pancreas and its ability to metabolize sugar. Weight gain is a risk factor because extra weight means ALL body organs must fight harder to do their job. The pancreas either slows down in producing insulin OR the body begins to resist the insulin.  Genetics is an even bigger risk factor. We all know skinny people who have Type 2 and we know many obese people who have lower fasting blood sugars than marathon runners. and body builders.

So I will be checking the news and twitter feeds on Tuesday to see what she has to say. In the meantime, I’m going to celebrate National Oatmeal Month and make Wilford Brimley proud. Before he peddled diabeetus supplies, he was the oatmeal man. Whipped banana oats with very low sugar granola for crunch, almond butter and my preserved peach butter that I made last August.

• 1 cups of water
• 1/2 cup of old fashioned oats
• 1/2 banana sliced very thin
• 1/8 teaspoon apple pie spice (sub pumpkin pie or plain cinnamon)
• Toppings optional: granola, almond butter, peach butter.

1. Bring water to a boil.
2. Add oats. Reduce heat to medium.
3. When they reach desired consistency, add bananas and whip with spoon or whisk until they are evenly mixed in.
4. Add spice and continue stirring.
5. Put in bowl and use desired toppings.