Well it has been 40 days since Chad and I have started eating all natural food. It's kind of ironic because today is Ash Wednesday, now is the time people start giving up things for Lent, which is 40 days. I guess Chad and I are just ahead of the game :)
This experience has taught Chad and I how to prepare, shop, plan and explore natural foods. My husband has lost 15+ pounds and has motivated him to get back into the gym. Eating this way has also pushed me into other healthier choices, my co-worker and I have started to work out every morning at 6am before we go into work. Never would I have thought I would actually enjoy this but I do. Now that I am working out so early I am also mindful of getting enough sleep. I guess you could say that there is a domino effect in starting healthy habits. Plus doesn't take 6 weeks to make or break a habit? I think Chad and I will continue our efforts in eating clean but will cheat for convenience sake here and there.
Actually I have already cheated this week! I gave myself the permission to get some pizza for lunch on Tuesday. My rationale? It was fat Tuesday!
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Sugar Sugar
As I walk through the grocery store I see more and more foods that are considered sugar reduced or sugar free. They are being advertised as healthy too. These products all are "healthier" because synthetic sweeteners are being used in the products. These sweeteners have all been chemically engineered to out smart our bodies that they are in fact not sugar or our bodies simple can't metabolize them. Surely there are consequences to these chemicals we put into our bodies.
Here is an article I found online going into more detail about specifics on sugar substitutes and which are "safer" and the ones to stay clear of.
Sweet nothings.
David Schardt
And remember: real sugar is hardly a toxic chemical. The problem is the large amounts that Americans eat. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has suggested a limit of ten teaspoons of added sugars per day for people who eat a 2,000-calorie diet. That's 40 grams, about as much as you'd get from one 12-ounce soft drink or two six-ounce fruit-on-the-bottom yogurts.
Safe SUCRALOSE
NEOTAME
Safe, but large amounts can cause diarrhea SUGAR ALCOHOLS
TAGATOSE
Probably safe, but certain people should avoid ASPARTAME
INADEQUATELY TESTED ACESULFAME
STEVIA
UNSAFE SACCHARIN
Here is an article I found online going into more detail about specifics on sugar substitutes and which are "safer" and the ones to stay clear of.
Sweet nothings.
David Schardt
And remember: real sugar is hardly a toxic chemical. The problem is the large amounts that Americans eat. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has suggested a limit of ten teaspoons of added sugars per day for people who eat a 2,000-calorie diet. That's 40 grams, about as much as you'd get from one 12-ounce soft drink or two six-ounce fruit-on-the-bottom yogurts.
Here's a scorecard showing which artificial sweeteners are safe...and which are questionable. With that in hand, you can check our "Sweet vs. Sweet" chart (p. 11) to see which sweeteners are in which foods.
Also known as: Splenda.
What is it? Sugar (sucrose) chemically combined with chlorine. Its "made from sugar" label slogan is technically true, but misleading.
Why it's low-calorie: Our bodies can't burn sucralose for energy.
Safety: Sucralose passed all safety tests in animal studies.
Comments: There is no reason to suspect that sucralose causes any harm.
What is it? A synthetic derivative of a combination of aspartic acid and phenylalanine, the same two amino acids that are used to make aspartame. The bond between the amino acids is harder to break down than aspartame's, so neotame is more stable.
Why it's low-calorie: Our bodies can't metabolize neotame, and only tiny amounts are needed to sweeten foods.
Safety: Unlike aspartame, neotame isn't broken down in the body into the amino acid phenylalanine, which is toxic to people with the rare disorder phenylketonuria (PKU). Animal and human studies have raised no safety concerns.
Comments: Neotame is so new that it hasn't yet appeared in any foods. It's always possible that once millions of consumers start eating neotame, some people may turn out to be sensitive to it.
Also known as: sorbitol, xylitol, mannitol, maltitol, lactitol, isomalt, erythritol, hydrogenated starch hydrolysates.
What are they? Sugar alcohols aren't sugar and won't make you tipsy. They're made by adding hydrogen atoms to sugars. For example, adding hydrogen to glucose makes sorbitol.
Why they're low-calorie: Some sugar alcohols are absorbed better than others. Erythritol, which is largely unabsorbed, has virtually no calories, while maltitol and hydrogenated starch hydrolysates are absorbed enough to provide three-quarters the calories of sugar.
Safety: Too much sugar alcohol traveling unabsorbed through the intestinal tract can cause bloating, gas, and diarrhea. Unfortunately, the FDA only requires a "laxative effect" warning notice on labels if consumers could ingest 50 grams of sorbitol or 20 grams of mannitol from the food in a day. But just 10 grams of sorbitol, for example, can cause GI distress. (If sugar alcohols have made you sick, send a letter to CSPI--JE, Suite 300, 1875 Conn. Ave. N.W., Washington DC 20009. We'll forward it to the FDA.)
Comments: Sugar alcohols don't raise blood sugar as rapidly as sugar does, yet they're as bulky as sugar. So they can be used tablespoon-for-tablespoon to replace the sugar that's been removed from lower-carb foods. But while they may have a minimal impact on your blood sugar, they may have more than a minimal impact on your waistline and hips.
Also known as: Naturlose.
What is it? A "mirror-image" form of sugar that's manufactured from milk sugar (lactose).
Why it's low-calorie: Unlike sugar, tagatose can't be digested by enzymes in the intestines. Most passes through the body unabsorbed.
Safety: Because tagatose isn't well-absorbed, consuming large amounts can cause flatulence, rumbling noises, bloating, and nausea. Studies have raised no other safety concerns.
Comments: Tagatose is so new that you're only likely to find it in one food--Diet Pepsi Slurpees sold at 7-Eleven.
Also known as: Equal, NutraSweet, NatraTaste.
What is it? A synthetic derivative of a combination of the amino acids aspartic acid and phenylalanine.
Why it's low-calorie: Only tiny amounts of aspartame are needed to sweeten foods.
Safety: People with the rare disorder phenylketonuria (PKU) can't metabolize phenylalanine, so they should avoid aspartame.
Whether aspartame causes headaches is unclear. An industry-funded study of people who complained of aspartame-induced headaches concluded that it doesn't. But an independent test in 1994 of 26 similar people found that the sweetener was linked to symptoms in the 11 who were "very sure" they were sensitive. That suggests that some people react to aspartame, though fewer than the number who believe they do.
The most serious charge--that aspartame increases the risk of cancer--has never been proved. Among the many animal studies on aspartame, only one hints at an increased risk.
There's no foundation to claims floating around the Internet that aspartame causes everything from Alzheimer's disease to multiple sclerosis.
Comments: Clouds hang over both aspartame and acesulfame, but researchers have done more--and better--studies on aspartame. Even so, because aspartame is used in so many foods, the FDA should err on the side of caution and require non-industry-funded studies to resolve any questions about aspartame's safety.
People who believe they suffer from headaches or other symptoms after consuming foods that contain aspartame should avoid the sweetener.
Also known as: Sweet One, Sunett, acesulfame potassium.
What is it? A synthetic chemical.
Why it's low-calorie: Our bodies can't metabolize acesulfame.
Safety: The safety of acesulfame (pronounced ace-SULL-fame) rests on three animal studies conducted in the mid-1970s. The first was inconclusive because it found a variety of tumors both in mice fed acesulfame and in control mice fed acesulfame-free diets. The second was so plagued with sick animals that the FDA tossed out the results as unreliable.
In the third study, female rats fed acesulfame were twice as likely to develop breast tumors as control rats. While most of the tumors were benign, there were some malignant tumors--one in the 60 control rats, two in the 60 rats given low doses of acesulfame, and three in the 60 rats given high doses of acesulfame. The sweetener's manufacturer argued that acesulfame seemed to cause more tumors only because the control rats happened to remain unusually tumor-free. The FDA bought the company's interpretation and refused to require more safety testing.
Comments: Acesulfame should be better tested. Until then, try to avoid it.
Also known as: Sweet Leaf, Honey Leaf.
What is it? An extract from a shrub that grows in Brazil and Paraguay.
Why it's low-calorie: Our bodies can't metabolize stevia.
Safety: When male rats were fed high doses of stevioside (stevia's active ingredient) for 22 months, they produced fewer sperm and there was increased cell proliferation in their testicles, which could cause infertility. And when female hamsters were fed large amounts of a derivative of stevioside, they had fewer and smaller offspring. That--combined with the absence of other animal studies that are normally required for food additives--led the FDA, Health Canada, the European Union, and the World Health Organization to conclude that stevia shouldn't be allowed in food.
Comments: Stevia can't be used as an ingredient in food. But it can be sold as a supplement, since safety rules for supplements are looser than for foods. Stevia is promoted by the health-food industry as a natural alternative to synthetic sweeteners like saccharin, aspartame, and sucralose. But "natural" doesn't automatically mean "safe."
Also known as: Sweet 'N Low.
What is it? A synthetic chemical that was discovered in 1879 when a researcher at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore noticed that a compound he spilled on his hand tasted sweet.
Why it's low-calorie: Our bodies can't metabolize saccharin, and only tiny amounts are needed to sweeten foods.
Safety: In 1977, the FDA tried to ban saccharin because animal studies showed that it caused cancer of the bladder, uterus, ovaries, skin, and other organs. Bowing to pressure from the diet-food industry and dieters, Congress intervened to keep saccharin on the market, though with a warning notice on the label. (At the time, saccharin was the only high-potency sweetener.)
In the late 1990s, the Calorie Control Council--which represents the low-calorie food and beverage industry--convinced the FDA and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) that the main health concern about saccharin was bladder cancer in male rats, but that people didn't develop bladder cancer through the same mechanism as the rats. In 2000, over the objections of a number of scientists, the NIH removed saccharin from its list of carcinogens and Congress removed the requirement for warning notices.
Yet last year the National Cancer Institute noted that one of its own studies--the best human study of saccharin use ever done--had found "some evidence of an increased risk of bladder cancer" in heavy saccharin users, "particularly for those who heavily ingested the sweetener as a table top sweetener or through diet sodas." "Heavy" meant "six or more servings of sugar substitute or two or more eight-ounce servings of diet drink daily."
Comments: Just because saccharin no longer carries a warning doesn't erase the evidence that it may cause cancer in humans.
Schardt, D. (2004). Sweet nothings.Nutrition Action Health, 31, 8-11.
But the packaging said it was healthy...
The FDA has certain restrictions on how food can be labeled. This helps protect consumer from being manipulated into buying what they think could be healthy but in fact is not. Below is an article I found on companies misusing the word "Fresh" on packaging. (Bold emphasis added by me.)
You can find more information on FDA labeling restrictions at FDA.gov
Several food manufacturers removed the word "fresh" from their products this spring, marking advances in FDA's on going effort to enforce its rules on proper food labeling.
The first two products targeted by FDA, Citrus Hill Fresh Choice orange juice and Ragu Fresh Italian pasta sauce, are both heat processed. The juice is reconstituted from concentrate, while the pasta sauce contains tomato paste. Labeling the products "fresh" is misleading, FDA said.
On April 26, the manufacturer of Citrus Hill, Procter & Gamble Co., of Ohio, agreed to change its orange juice label and remove the word "fresh," after FDA inspectors, accompanied by a U.S. marshal, seized a shipment of the product on April 24 from a warehouse in Minneapolis, Minn.
FDA had repeatedly warned Procter & Gamble to amend the labeling, but the company refused to comply. Since 1963, FDA has not allowed the term "fresh" on commercially processed orange juices. In 1969, it ruled that "fresh" could not describe any food that had been heated or chemically processed.
"The food label must be truthful," said FDA Commissioner David A. Kessler, M.D., when he announced the seizure. "We have taken firm action on the use of the term 'fresh' on the food label.
"The use of the term 'fresh' on this product is false and misleading, and it is confusing to consumers," Kessler added. "Today's action will send a clear message that the FDA will not tolerate such violations of the law."
Following this action on May 2, after months of negotiations with FDA, Ragu Foods Company of Trumbull, Conn., agreed to change its Ragu Fresh Italian pasta sauce trademark to Fino Italian pasta sauce. It will also change the ingredients list to include tomato paste.
FDA said consumers need not return Citrus Hill or Ragu products to stores or discard them, since there was no reason to believe that the products pose any health risk. FDA's actions related to Citrus Hill and Ragu were truth-in-labeling issues, not health safety ones.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Black bean salsa
Came across this recipe online at Allrecipes.com and loved it. I bought 100% whole wheat pita bread and the two together were great. I though about puree this a bit next time too that way you could use it as a sandwich spread or make it into a bean burrito. Great source of protein and easy place to squeeze more veggies into your diet. Delish!
Black bean salsa Allrecipes.com
1 can black beans - (15 oz), drained, rinsed
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 small bell pepper, finely chopped
1 ripe tomato, peeled, seeds removed and chopped small
1 Tbs red wine vinegar
1 Tbs olive oil
1/2 tsp sugar
1 pinch Freshly-ground black pepper, or to taste
Black bean salsa Allrecipes.com
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Elaboration on Cow Lactation...
Since I have been shopping in healthier stores and specialty shops I have come across a lot of concepts to eating healthy: organic, all natural, 100% whole grain, free-range, 100% grass fed, omega 3 enhanced, preservative free and products that are rBGH free. Most of the verbiage above I understand but the last one I didn't really know what it meant. I looked online and on Sustainabletable.org it gave a detailed explanation. I have posted it below. (Bold emphasis added).
What Is rBGH & rBST?
Somatotropin is a naturally-occurring protein hormone produced in the pituitary gland of animals; Bovine Somatotropin (BST or bST) triggers nutrients to increase growth in young cattle and lactation (milk production) in dairy cows. Artificial BST is produced using recombinant DNA technology (biotechnology), and called rBST for short. rBST is commonly known as Bovine Growth Hormone or rBGH.2 When injected into cows, rBGH increases milk production 10-15 percent and in some cases up to 40 percent. Approximately 17% of all cows in the US are given the artificial growth hormone.4
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) approval for rBGH came in 1993. According to opponents of the drug, effects of rBGH were never properly studied. The FDA relied solely on one study administered by Monsanto in which rBGH was tested for 90 days on 30 rats. The study was never published, and the FDA stated the results showed no significant problems.
The FDA continues to assure consumers that rBGH is safe for cows and humans, despite evidence to the contrary. In 1994, the FDA prohibited dairies from claiming there was any difference between milk from rBGH-injected cows and milk produced without the artificial hormone5. This controversy, discussed below, continues today.
In 1998, an assessment by Health Canada (Canada's equivalent of the FDA), determined Monsanto's results of their 90-day study showed concern and reasons for review before approval of rBGH5/6. Today, the European Union7, Japan8, Australia9 and Canada10 have all banned the use of rBGH due to animal and human health concerns.
This article makes the FDA look a little fishy...continue reading below for more disturbing information about how rBGH affects the cows.
Problems included an alarming rise in the number of deformed calves and dramatic increases in mastitis, a painful bacterial infection of the udder which causes inflammation, swelling,11 and pus and blood secretions into milk12. To treat mastitis outbreaks, the dairy industry relies on antibiotics. Critics of rBGH point to the subsequent increase in antibiotic use (which contributes to the growing problem of antibiotic resistant bacteria) and inadequacies in the federal government's testing program for antibiotic residues in milk13. The FDA relies on pasteurization to kill off bacteria, hormones and antibiotics in milk.
So not only do the cows end up getting the rBGH, antibiotics are used with it to fight off infections that it causes. Behind the use of rBGH it sounds like there is a lot involvement with government lobbyists and greedy drug companies. It really makes you wonder about all the marketing about food and healthy living. Do all these companies have our best interests at heart or is it money?
I guess if you take out all the politics, marketing, packaging and commercializing of food you end up with... food that is naturally grown!
The Sustainable Table. (2011). Retrieved February26, 2011, from http://www.sustainabletable.org/issues/rbgh/
What Is rBGH & rBST?
Somatotropin is a naturally-occurring protein hormone produced in the pituitary gland of animals; Bovine Somatotropin (BST or bST) triggers nutrients to increase growth in young cattle and lactation (milk production) in dairy cows. Artificial BST is produced using recombinant DNA technology (biotechnology), and called rBST for short. rBST is commonly known as Bovine Growth Hormone or rBGH.2 When injected into cows, rBGH increases milk production 10-15 percent and in some cases up to 40 percent. Approximately 17% of all cows in the US are given the artificial growth hormone.4
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) approval for rBGH came in 1993. According to opponents of the drug, effects of rBGH were never properly studied. The FDA relied solely on one study administered by Monsanto in which rBGH was tested for 90 days on 30 rats. The study was never published, and the FDA stated the results showed no significant problems.
The FDA continues to assure consumers that rBGH is safe for cows and humans, despite evidence to the contrary. In 1994, the FDA prohibited dairies from claiming there was any difference between milk from rBGH-injected cows and milk produced without the artificial hormone5. This controversy, discussed below, continues today.
In 1998, an assessment by Health Canada (Canada's equivalent of the FDA), determined Monsanto's results of their 90-day study showed concern and reasons for review before approval of rBGH5/6. Today, the European Union7, Japan8, Australia9 and Canada10 have all banned the use of rBGH due to animal and human health concerns.
This article makes the FDA look a little fishy...continue reading below for more disturbing information about how rBGH affects the cows.
Problems included an alarming rise in the number of deformed calves and dramatic increases in mastitis, a painful bacterial infection of the udder which causes inflammation, swelling,11 and pus and blood secretions into milk12. To treat mastitis outbreaks, the dairy industry relies on antibiotics. Critics of rBGH point to the subsequent increase in antibiotic use (which contributes to the growing problem of antibiotic resistant bacteria) and inadequacies in the federal government's testing program for antibiotic residues in milk13. The FDA relies on pasteurization to kill off bacteria, hormones and antibiotics in milk.
So not only do the cows end up getting the rBGH, antibiotics are used with it to fight off infections that it causes. Behind the use of rBGH it sounds like there is a lot involvement with government lobbyists and greedy drug companies. It really makes you wonder about all the marketing about food and healthy living. Do all these companies have our best interests at heart or is it money?
I guess if you take out all the politics, marketing, packaging and commercializing of food you end up with... food that is naturally grown!
The Sustainable Table. (2011). Retrieved February26, 2011, from http://www.sustainabletable.org/issues/rbgh/
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Apricot-Glazed Scallops
Chad and I are still trying hard to eat naturally and I can tell you know I have never cooked so much in my life! It's been good though because I enjoy cooking and looking up new recipes. My husband has lost 15 pounds since we started eating this way! He has had to put 4 new holes in his belt to keep his pants up :) Time to go shopping! Chad has also been swimming about 3 days a week to help with his weight loss.
While I was on my to NYC I picked up a copy of the latest Clean Eating magazine at the airport and found a ton of recipes I want to try. I made one of them tonight. Chad ranked it a 8 out of 10. We thought this recipe would be great with shrimp too.
Apricot-Glazed Scallops
6 oz cellophane noodles (aka bean thread noodles)
1 Tbsp safflower olie (I used olive oil)
1/2 cup minced white onion
1 tsp minced fresh ginger ( I used 1/2 tsp of ground ginger)
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 lb fresh or frozen large sea scallops (thaw if frozen)*
1 1/2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup all natural apricot preserves
2 cups fresh or frozen snow peas (do not thaw, if frozen)
Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
1. Soak noodles in very hot water for 10 minutes, set aside.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a wok or large skillet on medium-high.
Add onion, ginger, and garlic and cook for 2 minutes, until tender, stirring frequently.
Add scallops and cook for 2 minutes on each side, until opaque.
In a small bowl whisk soy sauce into apricot preserves. (I added some additional water to this)
Add apricot mixure to wok and bring to a simmmer.
Add snow peas and cook for 30seconds to a minute.
Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper. Serve scallop mixture over noodles.
*Healthy note: Scallops are rich in vitamin B12, omega-3 fatty acids and magnesium.
Apricot-Glazed Scallops. (2011, February). Clean Eating. p. 62.
While I was on my to NYC I picked up a copy of the latest Clean Eating magazine at the airport and found a ton of recipes I want to try. I made one of them tonight. Chad ranked it a 8 out of 10. We thought this recipe would be great with shrimp too.
Apricot-Glazed Scallops
6 oz cellophane noodles (aka bean thread noodles)
1 Tbsp safflower olie (I used olive oil)
1/2 cup minced white onion
1 tsp minced fresh ginger ( I used 1/2 tsp of ground ginger)
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 lb fresh or frozen large sea scallops (thaw if frozen)*
1 1/2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup all natural apricot preserves
2 cups fresh or frozen snow peas (do not thaw, if frozen)
Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
1. Soak noodles in very hot water for 10 minutes, set aside.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a wok or large skillet on medium-high.
Add onion, ginger, and garlic and cook for 2 minutes, until tender, stirring frequently.
Add scallops and cook for 2 minutes on each side, until opaque.
In a small bowl whisk soy sauce into apricot preserves. (I added some additional water to this)
Add apricot mixure to wok and bring to a simmmer.
Add snow peas and cook for 30seconds to a minute.
Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper. Serve scallop mixture over noodles.
*Healthy note: Scallops are rich in vitamin B12, omega-3 fatty acids and magnesium.
Apricot-Glazed Scallops. (2011, February). Clean Eating. p. 62.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
What's grass have to do with yogurt?
Most mornings for breakfast I have been enjoying yogurt with raspberries. My favorite is Trader's Point Creamery Organic whole milk yogurt. Across the bottle is has a label stating, " Made with 100% Grass fed Milk". I decided to do a little research and find out what exactly that means and why it's healthier for us to consume products from animals that are grass fed.
At SustainableTable.com I found information that explained the difference between cows that solely eat grass and cows that eat a lot more, "Pasture-raised (grass fed) animals enjoy a diet free of the unnatural feed additives routinely administered on factory farms. Industrial farms frequently supplement animal feed with a range of byproducts including chicken manure, plate waste from restaurants, and animal blood in order to bolster the quantity and protein content of the feed. "
On the Trader's Point Creamery website it explained how the cows spend 99% of their time in the pastures and are 100% grass fed. They ensure their customers that no synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides are used and their cows never receive antibiotics or synthetic hormones.
Below one of the owners of Trader's Point Creamery explains the nutritional benefits of grass fed cow's milk.
In a recent interview, Dr Kunz said, “We have discovered just how important grazing animals are to human health. When animals are raised on pasture and eat the rich greens, they acquire nutrients that are important to human health: omega-3, fatty acids, conjugated linoleic acids (CLA), beta-carotene and vitamins A and D. When people eat products such as: milk, meat and eggs from grass fed animals, research suggests that the risk of diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease and cancer is reduced.”
So not only am I going to continue to eat my yogurt because it tastes amazing but now I have learned it's healthier than your standard low-fat sugar filled yogurt. Cheers!
Traders Point Creamery. (2011). Products. Retrieved February 22, 2011, from http://www.tpforganics.com/products/
The Sustainable Table. (2011). Pasture-raised. Retrieved February 22, 2011, from http://www.sustainabletable.org/issues/pasture/
At SustainableTable.com I found information that explained the difference between cows that solely eat grass and cows that eat a lot more, "Pasture-raised (grass fed) animals enjoy a diet free of the unnatural feed additives routinely administered on factory farms. Industrial farms frequently supplement animal feed with a range of byproducts including chicken manure, plate waste from restaurants, and animal blood in order to bolster the quantity and protein content of the feed. "
On the Trader's Point Creamery website it explained how the cows spend 99% of their time in the pastures and are 100% grass fed. They ensure their customers that no synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides are used and their cows never receive antibiotics or synthetic hormones.
Below one of the owners of Trader's Point Creamery explains the nutritional benefits of grass fed cow's milk.
In a recent interview, Dr Kunz said, “We have discovered just how important grazing animals are to human health. When animals are raised on pasture and eat the rich greens, they acquire nutrients that are important to human health: omega-3, fatty acids, conjugated linoleic acids (CLA), beta-carotene and vitamins A and D. When people eat products such as: milk, meat and eggs from grass fed animals, research suggests that the risk of diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease and cancer is reduced.”
So not only am I going to continue to eat my yogurt because it tastes amazing but now I have learned it's healthier than your standard low-fat sugar filled yogurt. Cheers!
Traders Point Creamery. (2011). Products. Retrieved February 22, 2011, from http://www.tpforganics.com/products/
The Sustainable Table. (2011). Pasture-raised. Retrieved February 22, 2011, from http://www.sustainabletable.org/issues/pasture/
Monday, February 21, 2011
New York, New York
I just got back from NYC. Five friends and I traveled out to the Empire State to visit our good friend Katie that we went to U of I with. I knew that eating natural would be a lot harder since we would be eating out a lot, I wouldn't be able to cook my meals and we would spend some of our evenings out late on the town.
I will say I didn't do too bad. For breakfast I went to the closest Whole Foods and bought some whole grain bread and natural peanut butter and had toast most mornings for breakfast. We went to brunch pretty much everyday since we enjoyed sleeping in and it took some time for 6 women to get ready each morning. One brunch I ate an asparagus, goat cheese and tomato omelet. The omelet also was served with a mixed green salad and I drank water. I tried to drink water and tea with meals and I also enjoyed eggs Florentine over spinach, veggie omelets and sushi during my trip.
To balance out my better meals I also enjoyed some NY pizza, hot chocolate, rice krispie treats, Oreo milk shake, watermelon margaritas, white wine, party mix, mozzarella sticks and a spinach ricotta calzone. Overall the junk food I consumed the Oreo milkshake and the watermelon margaritas were totally worth it- the rest wasn't even that satisfying.
The junk food binge is over and I am ready to eat better again. I already packed a healthy breakfast of yogurt and raspberries and a black bean and onion whole wheat quesadilla for lunch!
All the walking we did in NYC makes me feel a little better about the bad eating that took place but like my husband told me before I left "It's vacation!"
I will say I didn't do too bad. For breakfast I went to the closest Whole Foods and bought some whole grain bread and natural peanut butter and had toast most mornings for breakfast. We went to brunch pretty much everyday since we enjoyed sleeping in and it took some time for 6 women to get ready each morning. One brunch I ate an asparagus, goat cheese and tomato omelet. The omelet also was served with a mixed green salad and I drank water. I tried to drink water and tea with meals and I also enjoyed eggs Florentine over spinach, veggie omelets and sushi during my trip.
To balance out my better meals I also enjoyed some NY pizza, hot chocolate, rice krispie treats, Oreo milk shake, watermelon margaritas, white wine, party mix, mozzarella sticks and a spinach ricotta calzone. Overall the junk food I consumed the Oreo milkshake and the watermelon margaritas were totally worth it- the rest wasn't even that satisfying.
The junk food binge is over and I am ready to eat better again. I already packed a healthy breakfast of yogurt and raspberries and a black bean and onion whole wheat quesadilla for lunch!
All the walking we did in NYC makes me feel a little better about the bad eating that took place but like my husband told me before I left "It's vacation!"
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Apple Walnut Bruschetta
Found this recipe from a Clean Eating magazine. We added chicken breast to this to make more of a meal out of it instead of an appetizer. I gave it a 10/10.
Ingredients:
2 heads of garlic
2 Granny Smith apples, unpeeled and sliced
1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese (3oz)
whole grain baguette
1/4 cup coarsely chopped unsalted walnuts, toasted
Note: To toast walnuts place them on parchment-lined baking sheet and cook in a 350degree oven for 8-10minutes, stirring once.
1. Preheat oven 350degrees. Slice 1/4 inch off the top of each head of garlic, making sure to expose each clove. Wrap garlic in foil and place on baking sheet. Roast on top rack for 30-35 minutes or until garlic is soft and fragrant.
2. Arrange apples in a single layer on a parchment -lined baking sheet. Place in oven alongside garlic for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool to room temp.
3. Remove garlic from oven, open aluminum foil and let garlic cool to room temp. Remove roasted garlic cloves from the skins and trasfer into a medium bowl. Mash garlic lightly with fork and add cheese. Mix until combined with garlic chunks. Set aside.
4. Slice baguette into thin pieces. Arrange baguette on baking sheet and toast on bottom rack in oven for 6-8minutes, flip halfway to toast other side.
5. Spread each toasted baguette slice with about 2 tsp of garlic cheese mixutre. Place apple slices over top garlic-cheese spread, top with walnuts. Serve immediately.
* We used larger baguette slices and then added a grilled chicken breast to make an open face sandwich of sorts.
This meal is great because it includes whole grains, fruit and omega-3 rich walnuts.
Ingredients:
2 heads of garlic
2 Granny Smith apples, unpeeled and sliced
1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese (3oz)
whole grain baguette
1/4 cup coarsely chopped unsalted walnuts, toasted
Note: To toast walnuts place them on parchment-lined baking sheet and cook in a 350degree oven for 8-10minutes, stirring once.
1. Preheat oven 350degrees. Slice 1/4 inch off the top of each head of garlic, making sure to expose each clove. Wrap garlic in foil and place on baking sheet. Roast on top rack for 30-35 minutes or until garlic is soft and fragrant.
2. Arrange apples in a single layer on a parchment -lined baking sheet. Place in oven alongside garlic for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool to room temp.
3. Remove garlic from oven, open aluminum foil and let garlic cool to room temp. Remove roasted garlic cloves from the skins and trasfer into a medium bowl. Mash garlic lightly with fork and add cheese. Mix until combined with garlic chunks. Set aside.
4. Slice baguette into thin pieces. Arrange baguette on baking sheet and toast on bottom rack in oven for 6-8minutes, flip halfway to toast other side.
5. Spread each toasted baguette slice with about 2 tsp of garlic cheese mixutre. Place apple slices over top garlic-cheese spread, top with walnuts. Serve immediately.
* We used larger baguette slices and then added a grilled chicken breast to make an open face sandwich of sorts.
This meal is great because it includes whole grains, fruit and omega-3 rich walnuts.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Would you like that salad with a side of pesticides?
I found this article online on politicsdaily.com, pretty scary how pesticides are proven to cause brain damage to children and we are still using them on everything....
*This is only a portion of the article and the bold emphasis was added by me.
Salinas, California: The Salad Bowl of Pesticides
Contributor
SALINAS VALLEY, Calif. – Locals call this place the world's salad bowl. Dole, Naturipe and Fresh Express are here, where much of the global fruit and vegetable trade emerges in neat green fields just over the hills from the Pacific Coast.
The difficulties facing migrant workers who plant and pick the crops is an old story. But in Salinas, a new story is emerging -- one with serious implications for the rest of the country and with an ending that has yet to be written.
It is here that University of California, Berkeley public health professor Brenda Eskenazi and her colleagues have spent the past 12 years studying mothers and children who are exposed to pesticides used in the fields.
The Center for Health Assessment of Mothers and Children of Salinas (CHAMACOS) is a joint project of UC Berkeley, the Natividad Medical Center, Clinica de Salud Del Valle de Salinas and other community organizations. Its goal is to assess exposure to pesticides and other pollutants in pregnant women and young children to determine the effects on their health, and to try to prevent contact with the chemicals.
After forming partnerships with local health care providers, the researchers were able to recruit 600 women, who submitted to a series of tests to measure pesticide levels in their bodies. Investigators tracked the women throughout their pregnancies, waiting at hospitals as babies were born to collect the umbilical cord blood. As the children grew, Eskenazi and her team also charted their growth, mental development and general health.
This group is now 10 ½ years old, and Eskenazi's work has set off alarms among public health officials. She and her colleagues have found that at age 2, the children of mothers who had the highest levels of organophosphate pesticide metabolites in their blood had the worst mental development in the group. They also had the most cases of pervasive developmental disorder.
At age 5, the children whose mothers were most exposed during pregnancy had poorer attention spans compared to those born to a mother who had lower levels of pesticide metabolites in their urine. Metabolites, as referred to here, are compounds that are formed as a chemical breaks down in the body. They are evidence that someone was exposed to a chemical.
"We have very, very high reports by the mother of behaviors consistent with pervasive developmental disorder," said Eskenazi at a recent neurotoxicology conference. "These include signs like the child is afraid to try new things, can't stand anything out of place, and avoid looking others in the eye. This is considered to be autism spectrum behavior."
The difficulties facing migrant workers who plant and pick the crops is an old story. But in Salinas, a new story is emerging -- one with serious implications for the rest of the country and with an ending that has yet to be written.
It is here that University of California, Berkeley public health professor Brenda Eskenazi and her colleagues have spent the past 12 years studying mothers and children who are exposed to pesticides used in the fields.
The Center for Health Assessment of Mothers and Children of Salinas (CHAMACOS) is a joint project of UC Berkeley, the Natividad Medical Center, Clinica de Salud Del Valle de Salinas and other community organizations. Its goal is to assess exposure to pesticides and other pollutants in pregnant women and young children to determine the effects on their health, and to try to prevent contact with the chemicals.
After forming partnerships with local health care providers, the researchers were able to recruit 600 women, who submitted to a series of tests to measure pesticide levels in their bodies. Investigators tracked the women throughout their pregnancies, waiting at hospitals as babies were born to collect the umbilical cord blood. As the children grew, Eskenazi and her team also charted their growth, mental development and general health.This group is now 10 ½ years old, and Eskenazi's work has set off alarms among public health officials. She and her colleagues have found that at age 2, the children of mothers who had the highest levels of organophosphate pesticide metabolites in their blood had the worst mental development in the group. They also had the most cases of pervasive developmental disorder.
At age 5, the children whose mothers were most exposed during pregnancy had poorer attention spans compared to those born to a mother who had lower levels of pesticide metabolites in their urine. Metabolites, as referred to here, are compounds that are formed as a chemical breaks down in the body. They are evidence that someone was exposed to a chemical.
"We have very, very high reports by the mother of behaviors consistent with pervasive developmental disorder," said Eskenazi at a recent neurotoxicology conference. "These include signs like the child is afraid to try new things, can't stand anything out of place, and avoid looking others in the eye. This is considered to be autism spectrum behavior."
Kaplan, S. (2010). Salinas, California: The Salad Bowl of Pesticides. Retrieved from: http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/12/21/salinas-california-the-salad-bowl-of-pesticides/
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Farming in the Winter?
This morning I met my mom at the Indy Winter Farmers Market. She volunteers at the market every Saturday morning so I met her at 9 a.m. for her to show me around.
There was such an eclectic mix of people and booths as we walked around. I totally cheated our diet and taste tested a salted carmel homemade marshmallow, they even toasted it for us. Uh...Yum. There was so many yummy things to buy but at least 50 % I couldn't buy because it was
A. Made of tasty yummy sugar
B. Made of bread
C. Made of soap
Bummer. There was fresh produce there though. I saw apples, tomatoes, lettuce, fresh herbs and homemade cheeses. I was too tempted to stay and shop so my mom and I went for coffee. I felt bad not buying anything but since we have only been eating this way for 2 weeks I am easily led astray, hence the marshmallow.
Here is the link to the Indy Winter Farmers Market. The market is open on Saturdays from 9-12:30 until April 30th.
http://www.indywinterfarmersmarket.org/
Even though I didn't stay long to shop it was a great way to see how others actually make a living from people who eat local food and food that is made naturally.
I will tell you one thing, about 3 weeks ago I would have torn up those baked goods...
There was such an eclectic mix of people and booths as we walked around. I totally cheated our diet and taste tested a salted carmel homemade marshmallow, they even toasted it for us. Uh...Yum. There was so many yummy things to buy but at least 50 % I couldn't buy because it was
A. Made of tasty yummy sugar
B. Made of bread
C. Made of soap
Bummer. There was fresh produce there though. I saw apples, tomatoes, lettuce, fresh herbs and homemade cheeses. I was too tempted to stay and shop so my mom and I went for coffee. I felt bad not buying anything but since we have only been eating this way for 2 weeks I am easily led astray, hence the marshmallow.
Here is the link to the Indy Winter Farmers Market. The market is open on Saturdays from 9-12:30 until April 30th.
http://www.indywinterfarmersmarket.org/
Even though I didn't stay long to shop it was a great way to see how others actually make a living from people who eat local food and food that is made naturally.
I will tell you one thing, about 3 weeks ago I would have torn up those baked goods...
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Sneaking in vegetables
Chad and I are still working hard at eating naturally, avoiding processed foods and artificial ingredients. It's become a game almost to try to sneak in as many fruits and vegetables as I can into our food so that we are full after we eat and so we get the additional vitamins, antioxidants and fiber into our diets.
I like to add fresh or frozen raspberries to my yogurt for breakfast, add mushrooms and onions into our wild rice and when I am making a tomato sauce I try to add an extra can of diced tomatoes. I'm pretty much like a vegetable ninja- no one really knows how all the those vegetables could be snuck into the meal so discreetly.
Here's a side dish I made with some scallops the other night. We both loved it and I will definitely book mark this one in my recipe book. I have altered the recipe a bit from the original I found in my recipe book.
Green beans and Edemame in Lemon and Herb Sauce
Ingredients:
1 part frozen or fresh green beans
1 part frozen or fresh shelled edemame (soy beans)
1 Tb. butter
4 tsp. flour
1/4 cup vegetable stock
1 Tb. heavy cream
variety of spices to season with: rosemary, thyme, tarragon and sage. I used basil and garlic
salt and pepper
1 Tb. lemon juice
1. Cook beans in boiling salted water fro about 10 minutes and drain.
2. Melt butter in saucepan. Add the flour and vegetable stock.
3. Remove pan from heat, stir in cream, lemon juice and herbs. Season with salt and pepper to tase. Pour the sauce over the beans, mixing well. Serve immediaetly.
Stacey, J. (2001). Cookshelf: Vegetarian. UK: Parragon Publishing.
I like to add fresh or frozen raspberries to my yogurt for breakfast, add mushrooms and onions into our wild rice and when I am making a tomato sauce I try to add an extra can of diced tomatoes. I'm pretty much like a vegetable ninja- no one really knows how all the those vegetables could be snuck into the meal so discreetly.
Here's a side dish I made with some scallops the other night. We both loved it and I will definitely book mark this one in my recipe book. I have altered the recipe a bit from the original I found in my recipe book.
Green beans and Edemame in Lemon and Herb Sauce
Ingredients:
1 part frozen or fresh green beans
1 part frozen or fresh shelled edemame (soy beans)
1 Tb. butter
4 tsp. flour
1/4 cup vegetable stock
1 Tb. heavy cream
variety of spices to season with: rosemary, thyme, tarragon and sage. I used basil and garlic
salt and pepper
1 Tb. lemon juice
1. Cook beans in boiling salted water fro about 10 minutes and drain.
2. Melt butter in saucepan. Add the flour and vegetable stock.
3. Remove pan from heat, stir in cream, lemon juice and herbs. Season with salt and pepper to tase. Pour the sauce over the beans, mixing well. Serve immediaetly.
Stacey, J. (2001). Cookshelf: Vegetarian. UK: Parragon Publishing.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Organic- What's the big deal?
Even though Chad and I are not eating 100% organic, I have been buying as much produce that is organic as possible. People, including myself, have steered clear of organic produce because of the questionable benefit and increase cost. I started to dig a little bit deeper about what makes a product organic? Is it safer to eat?
On the MayoClinic.com site I found a nice chart to illustrate the differences between conventional produce vs. organic produce.
So the major benefits I can see are that organic foods stay clear of the chemicals and pesticides that a lot of farmers commonly use on conventional produce. When addressing the question if organic is more nutritious than conventional produce Mayoclinic.com stated that "Researchers have concluded that organically and conventionally produced foodstuffs are comparable in their nutrient content".
I think even though the nutrition may be the same it makes sense that MayoClinic.com does list common concerns that can persuade people when choosing organic over other produce. See below.
Pesticides. Conventional growers use pesticides to protect their crops from molds, insects and diseases. When farmers spray pesticides, this can leave residue on produce. Some people buy organic food to limit their exposure to these residues. According to the USDA, organic produce carries significantly fewer pesticide residues than does conventional produce. However, residues on most products — both organic and non organic — don't exceed government safety thresholds.
Food additives. Organic regulations ban or severely restrict the use of food additives, processing aids (substances used during processing, but not added directly to food) and fortifying agents commonly used in non organic foods, including preservatives, artificial sweeteners, colorings and flavorings, and monosodium glutamate (MSG).
Environment. Some people buy organic food for environmental reasons. Organic farming practices are designed to benefit the environment by reducing pollution and conserving water and soil quality.
Taste. Some people say they can taste the difference between organic and non organic food. Others say they find no difference. Taste is a subjective and personal consideration, so decide for yourself.
Mayo Clinic. (2011). Organic foods: Are they safer? More Nutritious? Retrieved February 8, 2011, from
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/organic-food/NU00255
On the MayoClinic.com site I found a nice chart to illustrate the differences between conventional produce vs. organic produce.
| Conventional | Organic |
|---|---|
| Apply chemical fertilizers to promote plant growth. | Apply natural fertilizers, such as manure or compost, to feed soil and plants. |
| Spray insecticides to reduce pests and disease. | Use beneficial insects and birds, mating disruption or traps to reduce pests and disease. |
| Use chemical herbicides to manage weeds. | Rotate crops, till, hand weed or mulch to manage weeds. |
| Give animals antibiotics, growth hormones and medications to prevent disease and spur growth. | Give animals organic feed and allow them access to the outdoors. Use preventive measures — such as rotational grazing, a balanced diet and clean housing — to help minimize disease. |
So the major benefits I can see are that organic foods stay clear of the chemicals and pesticides that a lot of farmers commonly use on conventional produce. When addressing the question if organic is more nutritious than conventional produce Mayoclinic.com stated that "Researchers have concluded that organically and conventionally produced foodstuffs are comparable in their nutrient content".
I think even though the nutrition may be the same it makes sense that MayoClinic.com does list common concerns that can persuade people when choosing organic over other produce. See below.
Mayo Clinic. (2011). Organic foods: Are they safer? More Nutritious? Retrieved February 8, 2011, from
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/organic-food/NU00255
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Planning ahead
This week I am determined to do a better job meal planning. So before I went to the grocery I sat down and went through several cookbooks I hadn't touched in years.
Two in particular gave me great ideas and new recipes. The New Mayo Clinic Cookbook this book was written by two registered dietitians, Cheryl Forberg and Maureen Callahan. It was chock full of fresh and all natural meal ideas. I found a tasty recipe for Portobello Mushrooms with Thyme and Garlic. The other cookbook I revisited was Cookshelf Vegetarian. I book marked a ton of recipes from this one! I have planned to make homemade Spinach Gnocchi with Tomato and Basil sauce and Green beans and Edemame in Lemon and Herb sauce. Even though the gnocchi is potato based I am going to use whole wheat flour and even out the meal with vegetables as the side dish. I am excited to post how these new recipes turn out.
Once I get the inspiration for the week's meals I sit and plan it out. Let me give you an idea of how simple ingredients turn into a week's worth of meals. To begin I write down the categories of meals I plan to prepare: breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks and dessert. Then I list the dishes I plan to make for each category. Then I dissect each meal into it's ingredients and just write down the things I don't already have in the house. Here's the breakdown. (Note how all this food is fresh or frozen and never processed.)
Breakfast: 100% whole wheat bagels, yogurt and berries, scrambled eggs
Need: bagels, butter, yogurt, raspberries, eggs, Swiss cheese
Lunch: egg salad, tuna salad, chicken wraps, grilled shrimp and wild rice, salad with walnuts and goat cheese
Need: 2 cans of tuna, celery, chicken stock, white onion, button mushrooms, red onion, wild rice, mixed greens, goat cheese
Dinner: whole wheat gnocchi with green beans and edemame in lemon and herb sauce, grilled portobello mushrooms with asparagus, garlic scallops, warm shrimp salad
Need: vegetable stock, edemame, 2 lemons, 1 large potato, spinach, tomato puree, portobello mushrooms, asparagus, scallops, shrimp, yellow bell pepper
Snacks/Dessert: kiwis, oysters, salmon slices with cream cheese, dark chocolate, strawberries, green apple, mint tea
This week the groceries rang up to about $140. This will feed my husband and I for a full week. I also plan on some of the dinners to give me left overs to eat as lunches too.
Let the eating begin!!!
Two in particular gave me great ideas and new recipes. The New Mayo Clinic Cookbook this book was written by two registered dietitians, Cheryl Forberg and Maureen Callahan. It was chock full of fresh and all natural meal ideas. I found a tasty recipe for Portobello Mushrooms with Thyme and Garlic. The other cookbook I revisited was Cookshelf Vegetarian. I book marked a ton of recipes from this one! I have planned to make homemade Spinach Gnocchi with Tomato and Basil sauce and Green beans and Edemame in Lemon and Herb sauce. Even though the gnocchi is potato based I am going to use whole wheat flour and even out the meal with vegetables as the side dish. I am excited to post how these new recipes turn out.
Once I get the inspiration for the week's meals I sit and plan it out. Let me give you an idea of how simple ingredients turn into a week's worth of meals. To begin I write down the categories of meals I plan to prepare: breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks and dessert. Then I list the dishes I plan to make for each category. Then I dissect each meal into it's ingredients and just write down the things I don't already have in the house. Here's the breakdown. (Note how all this food is fresh or frozen and never processed.)
Breakfast: 100% whole wheat bagels, yogurt and berries, scrambled eggs
Need: bagels, butter, yogurt, raspberries, eggs, Swiss cheese
Lunch: egg salad, tuna salad, chicken wraps, grilled shrimp and wild rice, salad with walnuts and goat cheese
Need: 2 cans of tuna, celery, chicken stock, white onion, button mushrooms, red onion, wild rice, mixed greens, goat cheese
Dinner: whole wheat gnocchi with green beans and edemame in lemon and herb sauce, grilled portobello mushrooms with asparagus, garlic scallops, warm shrimp salad
Need: vegetable stock, edemame, 2 lemons, 1 large potato, spinach, tomato puree, portobello mushrooms, asparagus, scallops, shrimp, yellow bell pepper
Snacks/Dessert: kiwis, oysters, salmon slices with cream cheese, dark chocolate, strawberries, green apple, mint tea
This week the groceries rang up to about $140. This will feed my husband and I for a full week. I also plan on some of the dinners to give me left overs to eat as lunches too.
Let the eating begin!!!
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Eat and Learn
I am beginning to appreciate the food we have been eating this week. Even though it takes more time to prepare I do find myself happier after I eat and since the food tastes better I don't feel like I have to overeat it.
In this short week of eating naturally I have learned a couple simple things:
1. Adding fresh herbs and garlic can upgrade a dish instantly.
2. Stir frying additional vegetables with your chicken or shrimp easily increases your vegetable intake and makes you fill fuller faster.
3. Having a couple pieces of dark chocolate for dessert helps keep your sweet tooth at bay but still is satisfying.
4. Hard boiled eggs are a great source of protein that can be eaten for breakfast, a snack or part of lunch.
5. Meal planning is essential.
Here's my favorite lunch this week!
Simple and natural recipe for Egg salad on toast.
Boil water. Add eggs gently to water. Boil 10 minutes. Rinse eggs in cool water until they have cooled off. Peel eggs and chop coarsely.
2 coarsely chopped boiled eggs
2 tsp organic mayo made with olive oil
1 tsp Dijon mustard
pepper to taste
Mix above ingredients. Toast a piece of 100% whole wheat bread and spread egg salad on top. I also ate a side salad with walnuts and natural raspberry vinaigrette to complete my lunch. Super easy and delish!
My husband says he has lost 4 pounds this week already. We both started to get back into the gym this week too. Feels good to be back on track.
In this short week of eating naturally I have learned a couple simple things:
1. Adding fresh herbs and garlic can upgrade a dish instantly.
2. Stir frying additional vegetables with your chicken or shrimp easily increases your vegetable intake and makes you fill fuller faster.
3. Having a couple pieces of dark chocolate for dessert helps keep your sweet tooth at bay but still is satisfying.
4. Hard boiled eggs are a great source of protein that can be eaten for breakfast, a snack or part of lunch.
5. Meal planning is essential.
Here's my favorite lunch this week!
Simple and natural recipe for Egg salad on toast.
Boil water. Add eggs gently to water. Boil 10 minutes. Rinse eggs in cool water until they have cooled off. Peel eggs and chop coarsely.
2 coarsely chopped boiled eggs
2 tsp organic mayo made with olive oil
1 tsp Dijon mustard
pepper to taste
Mix above ingredients. Toast a piece of 100% whole wheat bread and spread egg salad on top. I also ate a side salad with walnuts and natural raspberry vinaigrette to complete my lunch. Super easy and delish!
My husband says he has lost 4 pounds this week already. We both started to get back into the gym this week too. Feels good to be back on track.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Snow days mean we can cheat right?
Day 2
My husband and I woke up early this morning. I woke up in a panic thinking of how I was going to get to work with all the ice that had sheeted the roads last night. I walk downstairs and I find that my husband too is in a panic- he is standing in front of the open refrigerator with a worried look on his face. "Now what am I suppose to eat for breakfast?"
Chad ate a 100% whole wheat bagel.
Tonight for dinner we had seared scallops, green beans and some asparagus risotto. The scallops were amazing and the green beans tasted really good too. The risotto was a total cheat for the day but I caved when my husband looked at his plate of 6 scallops and 1 cup of green beans and asked if I was trying to starve him. Haha.
Tomorrow I want to make this recipe for Chicken wraps I found in The Perfect 10 diet book. Here is the recipe below. Chad and I will give you our rating tomorrow on how it turns out.
Chicken Wraps
Servings: 4 to 5
½ cup sour cream
½ cup green onion, finely chopped
½ finely chopped teaspoon fresh parsley
Cayenne pepper, to taste (optional)
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (optional)
½ cup toasted sunflower seeds
1 head butter lettuce leaves, separated, washed, and dried (to use as wraps)
My husband and I woke up early this morning. I woke up in a panic thinking of how I was going to get to work with all the ice that had sheeted the roads last night. I walk downstairs and I find that my husband too is in a panic- he is standing in front of the open refrigerator with a worried look on his face. "Now what am I suppose to eat for breakfast?"
Chad ate a 100% whole wheat bagel.
Tonight for dinner we had seared scallops, green beans and some asparagus risotto. The scallops were amazing and the green beans tasted really good too. The risotto was a total cheat for the day but I caved when my husband looked at his plate of 6 scallops and 1 cup of green beans and asked if I was trying to starve him. Haha.
Tomorrow I want to make this recipe for Chicken wraps I found in The Perfect 10 diet book. Here is the recipe below. Chad and I will give you our rating tomorrow on how it turns out.
Chicken Wraps
Servings: 4 to 5
Total Time: 20 min.
Ingredients
4 cups cooked, chopped skinless chicken breast, cooled to room temperature½ cup sour cream
½ cup green onion, finely chopped
½ finely chopped teaspoon fresh parsley
Cayenne pepper, to taste (optional)
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (optional)
½ cup toasted sunflower seeds
1 head butter lettuce leaves, separated, washed, and dried (to use as wraps)
Directions
- Combine the chicken, sour cream, green onion, parsley, pepper, nutmeg, and sunflower seeds in a large bowl.
- Spoon the chicken mixture into butter lettuce leaves, and roll up. Serve.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Groceries
Day one:
I went grocery shopping yesterday and I ended up going to Pogue's Run Market and then to Kroger as well. My grocery list this week consisted of:
Fruits: organic kiwis, strawberries, raspberries, organic lemons
Vegetables: red onion, white onion, organic mixed greens, organic asparagus, tomatoes, artichokes, green onions
Dairy: locally made full fat plain yogurt, goat cheese, heavy cream, organic cream cheese, swiss cheese
Protein: locally raised chicken breast, chicken wings, canned tuna in water, locally laid eggs, shrimp, scallops
Fats: walnut oil, mayo made with olive oil
Sweets: 70% dark chocolate, agave syrup
Carbs: 100% whole wheat bagels
Other: apple cidar vinegar, garlic chili sauce
All this totaled $180, not too bad for a lot of fresh, local and organic produce. I just hope this will last us the week. When my husband looks in the refrigerator he looks worried like I am going to starve him to death. The thing is there is no longer convenience to our food, I have to prepare it all the day before for the most part.
My food for the day:
Breakfast: plain yogurt and raspberries for breakfast
Lunch: Salad and garlic shrimp
Dinner: Seared apple cidar chicken and asparagus
Dessert: 4 strawberries dipped in dark chocolate (these were to die for!)
My husband ate:
Breakfast: 100% whole wheat bagel with butter
Lunch: tuna salad and salad topped with shredded swiss cheese
Dinner: Seared apple cidar chicken and asparagus
Dessert: 4 strawberries dipped in dark chocolate
9pm tonight my husband is rooting around in the fridge saying "What time do I have to stop eating?" Haha this is going to be a learning process....
I went grocery shopping yesterday and I ended up going to Pogue's Run Market and then to Kroger as well. My grocery list this week consisted of:
Fruits: organic kiwis, strawberries, raspberries, organic lemons
Vegetables: red onion, white onion, organic mixed greens, organic asparagus, tomatoes, artichokes, green onions
Dairy: locally made full fat plain yogurt, goat cheese, heavy cream, organic cream cheese, swiss cheese
Protein: locally raised chicken breast, chicken wings, canned tuna in water, locally laid eggs, shrimp, scallops
Fats: walnut oil, mayo made with olive oil
Sweets: 70% dark chocolate, agave syrup
Carbs: 100% whole wheat bagels
Other: apple cidar vinegar, garlic chili sauce
All this totaled $180, not too bad for a lot of fresh, local and organic produce. I just hope this will last us the week. When my husband looks in the refrigerator he looks worried like I am going to starve him to death. The thing is there is no longer convenience to our food, I have to prepare it all the day before for the most part.
My food for the day:
Breakfast: plain yogurt and raspberries for breakfast
Lunch: Salad and garlic shrimp
Dinner: Seared apple cidar chicken and asparagus
Dessert: 4 strawberries dipped in dark chocolate (these were to die for!)
My husband ate:
Breakfast: 100% whole wheat bagel with butter
Lunch: tuna salad and salad topped with shredded swiss cheese
Dinner: Seared apple cidar chicken and asparagus
Dessert: 4 strawberries dipped in dark chocolate
9pm tonight my husband is rooting around in the fridge saying "What time do I have to stop eating?" Haha this is going to be a learning process....
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Time to Shop
Well today is the first day I will be grocery shopping for this new diet. I usually just head to Wal-mart, push through the crowds and grab all the usual low fat frozen meal for lunches, some vegetables and fruits, whole wheat bagels, soy milk and skim milk. I find I usually buy the same things over and over- I guess you just get into eating ruts and I am able to get out of the store faster...I mean have you ever been to Wal-mart? It's a whole different world in there...
Today I am planning on doing a little research on where to shop. Wal-mart's produce is standard at best and doesn't carry necessary local or organic produce. I recently heard about this little grocery store, Pogue's Run Grocer that just opened up on 10th street here on the East side of Indianapolis.
I found this information on Pogue's Run Grocer website, http://www.indyfoodcoop.org/
The mission of the Indy Food Cooperative, Inc. is to provide public education about health and nutrition, to create neighborhood economic opportunities through direct job creation and sourcing from local producers, and to provide access to healthy food choices for low to moderate income residents on the Near East side of Indy. The means to these ends is the operation of Pogue’s Run Grocer at 10th and Rural Streets, featuring budget cooking and nutrition classes, living wage jobs, and affordable, local, fresh, and healthy food options.
I'm interested on how expensive things are and how big the store is. I am going to go dig into The Perfect 10 Diet book to try to plan out our meals for the week. This is going to be tricky because the convenience of frozen meals, eating a bowl of cereal or grabbing quick processed foods is the fast approach to eating we are used to. We will be making all our food instead. I will also have to shop at more than one store because I will still need to get laundry detergent and toothpaste and those kinds of thinks.
I'm sitting here actually a bit anxious about starting this diet tomorrow. Eating is one the best part of the day. What if I dread eating this way and am always hungry? I guess we will find out.
To clarify I am not going on this diet to lose weight, I see this diet to be a processed food and chemical detox and I will probably just feel a lot better and hopefully stop craving sugar all the time. My husband is hoping to lose 15 pounds over the next 7-8 weeks and I think he will find he will have a lot more energy too. When I was reading this book it dawned on me that I may have single handedly helped my husband gain his 20 pounds when we got married and started living together. When I talk to Chad about his eating habits when he was a bachelor he monitored his fat intact but not by eating low fat he instead ate a lot of grilled chicken, pasta, some vegetables and protein shakes. I on the other hand don't eat a lot of meat and so my diet unfortunately is made up of a lot of carbohydrates. I think I was maintaining a consistent weight by eating in moderation but Chad is 80 pounds heavier that I am so the intake of carbohydrates he began to consume increased greatly when we moved in together, his protein intake decreased and our low fat diet never left him full or satisfied.
Here's some information that I thought was interesting in The Perfect 10 Diet book:
Do you have no control over your appetite? You may have a Leptin problem. Leptin is secreted by the fat cells, and not a endocrine gland. Leptin manages how much fat is stored around the organs and under the skin. When the fast cells are filled with an abundance of food, more leptin is secreted, and the leptin enters the brain to curb your appetite. As a result, you feel full and satisfied. Initially, scientists believed that if you gave leptin to overweight peole, it would stimulate fat burning. Unfortunately, it had the opposite effect. Overweight people were not leptin deficient; in fact, they produced too much leptin. It turns out that excessive levels of leptin often go hand in hand with high sugar and elevated insulin levels. You see, food without nutritional value, such as refine carbohydrates, low-fat products, foods containing high -fructose corn syrup and trans-fats, and other fake foods, sends erroneous signals to the brain. The body interprets those signals as starvation, which makes the body burn fewer calories and store fat even in the presence of high leptin levels. When Leptin is high because of all the fake food you eat, you satiety switch becomes broken. As a result, you gain weight, because you will be as hungry as a wolf and will have no control over your appetite (pg 63 The Perfect 10 Diet).
Foods that help balance leptin include: vegetables, fruits, whole grains, foods containing natural fats, and fish.
Interesting stuff, right? As I read this book I want to dive into other resources to see what other research supports Dr. Aziz's information I am reading.
I will post my grocery list once I make it! Signing off.
Today I am planning on doing a little research on where to shop. Wal-mart's produce is standard at best and doesn't carry necessary local or organic produce. I recently heard about this little grocery store, Pogue's Run Grocer that just opened up on 10th street here on the East side of Indianapolis.
I found this information on Pogue's Run Grocer website, http://www.indyfoodcoop.org/
The mission of the Indy Food Cooperative, Inc. is to provide public education about health and nutrition, to create neighborhood economic opportunities through direct job creation and sourcing from local producers, and to provide access to healthy food choices for low to moderate income residents on the Near East side of Indy. The means to these ends is the operation of Pogue’s Run Grocer at 10th and Rural Streets, featuring budget cooking and nutrition classes, living wage jobs, and affordable, local, fresh, and healthy food options.
I'm interested on how expensive things are and how big the store is. I am going to go dig into The Perfect 10 Diet book to try to plan out our meals for the week. This is going to be tricky because the convenience of frozen meals, eating a bowl of cereal or grabbing quick processed foods is the fast approach to eating we are used to. We will be making all our food instead. I will also have to shop at more than one store because I will still need to get laundry detergent and toothpaste and those kinds of thinks.
I'm sitting here actually a bit anxious about starting this diet tomorrow. Eating is one the best part of the day. What if I dread eating this way and am always hungry? I guess we will find out.
To clarify I am not going on this diet to lose weight, I see this diet to be a processed food and chemical detox and I will probably just feel a lot better and hopefully stop craving sugar all the time. My husband is hoping to lose 15 pounds over the next 7-8 weeks and I think he will find he will have a lot more energy too. When I was reading this book it dawned on me that I may have single handedly helped my husband gain his 20 pounds when we got married and started living together. When I talk to Chad about his eating habits when he was a bachelor he monitored his fat intact but not by eating low fat he instead ate a lot of grilled chicken, pasta, some vegetables and protein shakes. I on the other hand don't eat a lot of meat and so my diet unfortunately is made up of a lot of carbohydrates. I think I was maintaining a consistent weight by eating in moderation but Chad is 80 pounds heavier that I am so the intake of carbohydrates he began to consume increased greatly when we moved in together, his protein intake decreased and our low fat diet never left him full or satisfied.
Here's some information that I thought was interesting in The Perfect 10 Diet book:
Do you have no control over your appetite? You may have a Leptin problem. Leptin is secreted by the fat cells, and not a endocrine gland. Leptin manages how much fat is stored around the organs and under the skin. When the fast cells are filled with an abundance of food, more leptin is secreted, and the leptin enters the brain to curb your appetite. As a result, you feel full and satisfied. Initially, scientists believed that if you gave leptin to overweight peole, it would stimulate fat burning. Unfortunately, it had the opposite effect. Overweight people were not leptin deficient; in fact, they produced too much leptin. It turns out that excessive levels of leptin often go hand in hand with high sugar and elevated insulin levels. You see, food without nutritional value, such as refine carbohydrates, low-fat products, foods containing high -fructose corn syrup and trans-fats, and other fake foods, sends erroneous signals to the brain. The body interprets those signals as starvation, which makes the body burn fewer calories and store fat even in the presence of high leptin levels. When Leptin is high because of all the fake food you eat, you satiety switch becomes broken. As a result, you gain weight, because you will be as hungry as a wolf and will have no control over your appetite (pg 63 The Perfect 10 Diet).
Foods that help balance leptin include: vegetables, fruits, whole grains, foods containing natural fats, and fish.
Interesting stuff, right? As I read this book I want to dive into other resources to see what other research supports Dr. Aziz's information I am reading.
I will post my grocery list once I make it! Signing off.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
The jist of it
For the next seven weeks my husband, Chad and I will be pioneering a new way of eating. This blog will help us be accountable to it and also serve as a Health Promotion project I am doing for a college class.
The idea for the content of this blog came from a book I was recently gifted, The Perfect 10 diet by Dr. Aziz. The title pretty much put me off immediately. Who needs to be a 10? What kind of hoax diet is this that promises you the perfect body? This "diet" probably encourages drinking veggie shakes and starvation. No thanks! Well since it was my own mother who gave me the book I thought I would give this book a chance. So despite my doubts I picked it up to flip though and quickly found that the title may just be a marketing gimmick to reel in superficial fad dieters, desperate unhealthy people, book cover surfers and apparently even my mother. The attention getting title doesn't do this book justice because once I began reading it I found it really did support healthy living.
As I continued to read The Perfect 10 Diet, I was quickly drawn in because, as a nurse and relatively healthy person, this book was chock full of medical research and common sense. Random scary fact: The average American eats a pound of pesticides a year. That's a lot of chemicals, that certainly makes me rethink organic fruits and vegetables. Dr. Aziz also went into more detail about how these pesticides actually act as hormones when they enter our bodies. Pesticides are often termed "Gender Benders" as there is research to prove that have caused males in many species to become feminized (pg 20 The Perfect 10 diet). I will continue to post excerpts of great information I extract from this book and other personal research I plan to make.
For now, let me give you a little background on my husband Chad and I and what our eating habits are on a normal basis. Overall I feel we eat pretty healthy. Well at least I feel pretty good when we compare ourselves to the "typical American". These are the things I tell myself and others that we are in fact "healthier than thou": we don't frequent fast food joints, we pack our lunches most days for work, we rarely drink soda and if we do it's diet, we eat a low-fat diet and rarely eat red meat...I could make this list longer and longer as I try to convince myself, husband and everyone around that we LIVE healthy. I'm about half way through The Perfect 10 Diet book and these are now my thoughts now: we never eat organic, we probably only eat an average of 7 vegetables a WEEK, our low-fat diet has caused both me and my husband to gain weight due to the great increase of carbohydrates we eat, we are consuming innumerable amounts of chemicals through processed food and our meal planning for the week is poor at best.
This weekend this our last weekend to eat whatever we want and that is why I am at this very moment finishing my 3rd pack of fruit snacks...they are just so good. Who can have one pack?
The idea for the content of this blog came from a book I was recently gifted, The Perfect 10 diet by Dr. Aziz. The title pretty much put me off immediately. Who needs to be a 10? What kind of hoax diet is this that promises you the perfect body? This "diet" probably encourages drinking veggie shakes and starvation. No thanks! Well since it was my own mother who gave me the book I thought I would give this book a chance. So despite my doubts I picked it up to flip though and quickly found that the title may just be a marketing gimmick to reel in superficial fad dieters, desperate unhealthy people, book cover surfers and apparently even my mother. The attention getting title doesn't do this book justice because once I began reading it I found it really did support healthy living.
As I continued to read The Perfect 10 Diet, I was quickly drawn in because, as a nurse and relatively healthy person, this book was chock full of medical research and common sense. Random scary fact: The average American eats a pound of pesticides a year. That's a lot of chemicals, that certainly makes me rethink organic fruits and vegetables. Dr. Aziz also went into more detail about how these pesticides actually act as hormones when they enter our bodies. Pesticides are often termed "Gender Benders" as there is research to prove that have caused males in many species to become feminized (pg 20 The Perfect 10 diet). I will continue to post excerpts of great information I extract from this book and other personal research I plan to make.
For now, let me give you a little background on my husband Chad and I and what our eating habits are on a normal basis. Overall I feel we eat pretty healthy. Well at least I feel pretty good when we compare ourselves to the "typical American". These are the things I tell myself and others that we are in fact "healthier than thou": we don't frequent fast food joints, we pack our lunches most days for work, we rarely drink soda and if we do it's diet, we eat a low-fat diet and rarely eat red meat...I could make this list longer and longer as I try to convince myself, husband and everyone around that we LIVE healthy. I'm about half way through The Perfect 10 Diet book and these are now my thoughts now: we never eat organic, we probably only eat an average of 7 vegetables a WEEK, our low-fat diet has caused both me and my husband to gain weight due to the great increase of carbohydrates we eat, we are consuming innumerable amounts of chemicals through processed food and our meal planning for the week is poor at best.
This weekend this our last weekend to eat whatever we want and that is why I am at this very moment finishing my 3rd pack of fruit snacks...they are just so good. Who can have one pack?
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