{"id":4655,"date":"2010-02-08T08:58:51","date_gmt":"2010-02-08T13:58:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=4655"},"modified":"2015-12-30T07:10:45","modified_gmt":"2015-12-30T12:10:45","slug":"eating-abroad-with-diabetes-hong-kong","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=4655","title":{"rendered":"Eating Abroad with Diabetes \u2013 Hong Kong"},"content":{"rendered":"

How do people with diabetes embrace their inner Julia Child (insert favorite chef here) when traveling abroad?\u00a0 Do we stick with what we know because it is safer? How can we enjoy food and manage our blood sugars when everything is unfamiliar?\u00a0 And what do you do if you relocate abroad, as I have, leaving everything behind including your local market, favorite restaurant or Whole Foods store (not to mention extended family, friends and medical connections)?<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

For the past year I\u2019ve lived in Hong Kong, and while it is not exactly China, it is Cantonese.\u00a0 And there is a Cantonese saying, \u201cAnything that walks, swims, crawls, or flies with its back to heaven is edible.\u201d\u00a0 If you are brave enough to meander through the alleys of a Hong Kong wet market\u2014famous for density and oddities\u2014you\u2019ll understand.\u00a0 Look up and you\u2019ll see loins of pork and other fresh or dried meats dangling above on metal rods or wire.\u00a0 Remind yourself that it is 30\u00b0<\/strong>C (86\u00b0F<\/span>) <\/span><\/span><\/span>in the market and keep walking.\u00a0 Continue forward, but this time look down and survey the maze of fish and fish intestines on the fishmonger\u2019s table \u2013 and remember fish are the symbol for luck and money.\u00a0 The Chinese eat every single fish part; in fact, the Chinese eat almost every part of every animal.\u00a0 Look down farther below and you\u2019ll find stacked cages of turtles, and frogs or ducks, geese and chicken \u2013 too alive and wide-eyed for any westerner to consider eating.\u00a0\u00a0 Had enough?<\/p>\n

Now is probably a good time to head straight for the pastel circus of vegetables and fruit\u00a0 \u2013 gorgeous zucchinis and gourds, mushrooms and cabbage or Chinese grapefruit (pomelo), dragon fruit and mangos.\u00a0\u00a0 Much of the fruit is imported from Thailand or the Philippines, while vegetables are sourced from local farmers.\u00a0 It is hard not to appreciate their hard work and low prices, but it is also difficult to get excited when rumor has it that local goods grow extra green from \u201cnight soil\u201d (soil fertilized with human waste).<\/p>\n

What\u2019s a western girl with type 1 diabetes (and a family to feed) to do?<\/p>\n

Dining In <\/strong><\/p>\n

I could always head straight for the US, Aussie or European expatriate market and buy a jar of Newman\u2019s tomato sauce, chilled package pasta and a head of iceberg lettuce – for $25 American dollars or more.\u00a0 At least then I would be able to read the nutrition labels.\u00a0 But the truth is, with a little compromise and ingenuity,\u00a0 I can take care of healthy diabetes eating, manage a budget and even eat local .\u00a0 I know I am crossing the \u201cgreen\u201d line when I don\u2019t buy completely local, but I go halfway.\u00a0 I buy almost all veggies and produce locally (I ask about fertilizer when I can) \u2013 ditto for grains, rice and noodles.\u00a0 I buy imported meat, fish and dairy.<\/p>\n

A typical meal in my Hong Kong kitchen always comes down to the use of my wok, as it does for the seven million Chinese that live here.\u00a0 It is a way to flash cook ingredients without losing nutrients.\u00a0 I substitute olive oil for vegetable oil\u2014and I have developed a self-taught mix and match system for the wok.\u00a0 Children love it. Below you\u2019ll find five main ingredients\u2014all you need to do is chose one grain, one protein, add two or three vegetables, and flavorings.<\/p>\n

1. Grains, 400-500 grams: White or brown rice, rice or wheat noodles.\u00a0 They all need to be boiled and cooked through.\u00a0 You can toss them in the wok or serve directly from the pot or strainer.\u00a0 If you don\u2019t own a wok, a very hot large frying pan will do.<\/p>\n

2. Protein (skinned and chopped), 300 grams: pork loin or other, chicken, shrimp (whole), fish (red snapper is a good option) or tofu<\/p>\n

3.\u00a0 Chopped vegetable, 300 grams:\u00a0 Chinese cabbage (Choi Sum), broccoli, carrots, spinach, beans, asparagus, sweet potato, mushrooms (whatever is seasonal)<\/p>\n

4.\u00a0 Fresh flavors (diced), 20-35 grams:\u00a0 onion, garlic, ginger \u2013 whatever you like<\/p>\n

5.\u00a0 Brown sauce:\u00a0 Combine 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon hoi sun sauce, 2 tablespoons rice wine in a bowl and stir\u2013 all of these ingredients are available at most US and UK markets, and all have about 3-5 grams of sugar per tablespoon.)<\/p>\n

6. Olive oil, water<\/p>\n

Example:\u00a0 Ginger Pork with Carrots and Choi Sum over rice<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Coat wok with 1 tablespoon olive oil, then heat on highest flame, and add ginger. Toss for 60 seconds and add pork.\u00a0 Sear pork for flavoring and brown for two minutes with a pinch of salt.\u00a0 Remove ginger and pork, set aside.\u00a0 Add carrots, choi sum, garlic and onion to wok, then add a teaspoon of water, stir and cover for two minutes.\u00a0 When the vegetables are just tender, add the ginger and pork (again) and pour in dark sauce.\u00a0 Cook and toss for 2-3 minutes until pork is done (without overcooking the vegetables) and the sauce is slightly reduced.\u00a0 Serve over 1\/2 cup of rice.<\/p>\n

30 grams of carbohydrate (depending on how much rice you use)<\/p>\n

Fat:\u00a0 approximately 4-5 grams<\/p>\n

Dining Out
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

Eating out is a major pastime in Hong Kong \u2013\u00a0perhaps because most locals live in apartments no larger than a couple of hundred square feet \u2013 and no food is more popular than Dim Sum<\/a>.\u00a0 Dim Sum means \u201cfrom the heart\u201d and on any morning or Saturday afternoon you\u2019ll find extended Hong Kong families or business men seated at round tables choosing a variety of items from the trolley carts.\u00a0 It\u2019s important to learn how to navigate through the huge assortment of fatty foods cooked in heavy oil and syrupy sauces.\u00a0 The table will be covered with a palette of brown (sugar or fat) or white (dough) with soy or sweet sauces for dipping.<\/p>\n

Sadly, vegetable dishes are not a part of Dim Sum dining, instead, it\u2019s all about rice noodles and pork or pork fat, dumplings which are steamed or fried with shrimp and meat and a tiny bit of shredded cabbage.\u00a0 Choosing the steamed option is best, but watch out – a steamed pork bun has more than 30 grams of sugar, and barbecue sauce used for duck dishes and pork is very high in fat and sugar.\u00a0 When I have had enough of dumplings, spring rolls, pot-stickers and noodle rolls, I usually ask for a bowl of rice and choi sum, even though the waiter might grimace and walk away sucking his lips (a sign of disappointment).<\/p>\n

Bottom Line<\/strong><\/p>\n

Eating Dim Sum (and many other high fat\/high carb Asian dishes) is not easy for diabetics, but with common sense and moderation, it can be done without a sugar overload.\u00a0 Eating in requires more work, but guarantees a great meal and better control of my blood sugar.\u00a0 And I love the flash cooking!<\/p>\n

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For the past year I\u2019ve lived in Hong Kong, and while it is not exactly China, it is Cantonese. And there is a Cantonese saying, \u201cAnything that walks, swims, crawls, or flies with its back to heaven is edible.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":68,"featured_media":4670,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1449,1431],"tags":[1579,560],"yoast_head":"\nEating Abroad with Diabetes \u2013 Hong Kong<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"How do people with diabetes embrace their inner Julia Child (insert favorite chef here) when traveling abroad? 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