Family Traditions!!

Family Traditions!!
Blueberry Cake...passed on from my Grandma...now my kids favorite Birthday Cake!

Saturday, February 12, 2011

My New Favorite Foods ~

YOU do not have to EAT like a Bird to lose weight..you just need to pick the right foods....

Ok, so I did this crazy thing and went on a Clean Eating Schedule of 5 foods for 5 day....Spinach, Eggs, Plain Yogurt, Raw Almonds/ Raw Almond Butter and Raspberries with 8-10 cups of Water.  You are allowed to have Herbal Tea, 1 cup of coffee/day and seasonings and 1/4 cup of 100% citrus juices/day also. 
My inspiration is the book: CINCH by Cynthia Sass, MPH, RD  

Crazy as it seems, I loved it and felt 100% better at the end of the 5 days then when I started! 

Here are some attributes of the 5 foods you eat:

Spinach ~  Did you know, ONE CUP of SPINACH Leaves = 5 CALORIES!
  • 20 cups of Spinach has the same calories as a 1/2 cup of Brown Rice! 
  •  Research also shows us that the antioxidants and other natural substances in spinach can help ward off the metabolic processes that lead to obesity and heart disease.   
Hate being sick - eat more spinach! 
  • Spinach is RICH in Vitamin A and Vitamin A strengthens the Immune System and helps strengthen the skin cells that line the inside of our nasal passages and digestive track, which helps to keep viruses and bacteria out of the body. 
~ One cup of Spinach has almost 400 percent of your daily vitamin A requirement
YOU CHANCE OF GETTING SICK JUST LOWERED!
(Money saving TIP: do not wash spinach before storing, the moisture will spoil it!)

ALMONDS ~ there is a trend with these 5 foods...studies show that eating nuts regularly reduces the risk of weight gain and obesity.
  • Almonds are one of the best sources of Vitamin E
  • Vitamin E is one of the body's key antioxidants
  • Almonds are a great handy source of Protein...One you can grab and go!
I portion out 1/3 cup of whole, raw almonds and keep them in my purse or in my car.  It is a great afternoon snack with a cold glass of Water!

ALSO, a new love is Almond Butter...substitute it for peanut butter. 
~ When buying, read the ingredients. 
  • The lst jar my Husband bought (we will blame it on him) had almonds, unrefined cane sugar, palm oil and salt. 
THE ONLY ingredient should be ALMONDS.  That jar was $7.99. 
  
 Then I found a jar for $12.99 with just Almonds and


  •                                                                    Look at how much I ate already - Eat GOOD FOOD!
  • KETTLE makes one with just Almonds & Salt...sodium is only 55mg/2tbsp....so I found that one OK.  The KETTLE brand is so good, I can eat it by the spoonsfuls.  (cost: $5.99 and worth it!)


Shop at WHOLE FOODS or Trader Joe's for better selection and !more competitive pricing!

(peanut butter has Roasted peanuts, Sugar (2nd ingredient..yikes), Hydrogenated vegetable oils(cottonseed, soybean and rapeseed), salt)   Yikes and I will say YIKES Again!!  Hydrogentated anything is very bad!!  Avoid it, remove it, do not eat it! 

RASPBERRIESResearchers have found that there is a natural substance in raspberries, called ketones, which are known to prevent an increase in overall body fat and visceral fat, the deep internal belly fat considered to be the most damaging type of body fat. 
  • High in Fiber (one study showed that for every gram of fiber we eat, we eliminate 7 calories...EAT AWAY!)
  • One cup of Raspberries = 30% of the fiber you need daily and 50% of your daily vitamin C needs.
  • Raspberries rank as one of the TOP TEN anti-inflammatory fruits, and inflammation is one of the unknown causes of DEMENTIA.  Raspberries may also slow down aging in the brain!
Vitamin C can protect your body's cells from premature aging and disease, and it can regenerate other antioxidants, such as Vitamin E

DID YOU KNOW:  Fresh and Frozen are equal in nutritional value!  During the winter months I buy Raspberries frozen...but make sure the only ingredient is Raspberries!

Eggs ~  They are a proven weight-loss food. The protein in eggs ranks highest, among all foods, in protein absorption and the ability for the body to incorporate in the bodies tissues.

Do Eggs raise your cholesterol?  Newer Studies have indicated NO
  • Eating 1 to 2 whole eggs/day does not measurably change your blood-cholesterol levels
(please remember that there are disease states that require eliminating eggs or using Egg White or Egg substitutions...so the above recommendation is to the average, healthy human being)

Yogurt ~ This is a weight-loss weapon and can be a healthy snack for you and your family
  • BEST choice - buy Plain Yogurt and sweeten it yourself and add fruit
More info to follow....

Water ~ I found this very interesting:
When our water intake is inconsistent, our bodies hang onto fluid we do drink giving us that  bloated feeling and look!  When our body is consistently hydrated, it does not hold onto the fluid and it sheds that fluid that is putting on the extra pounds and make your clothes fit tighter. 
  • I drank 8-10 glasses of water/day and after 3 days, my arms were thinner and my boots zipped right up, usually I had to pull and stretch just to zip over my calves and I am a size eight. 

Thursday, February 10, 2011

We can only agree on one thing...WE BOTH LOVE NUTS!

When you ADD the right FOODS, you will start  LOSING the pounds!!  That is a great trade off. 
Ok, let's start by addressing the SQUIRREL on this page.  Yes, the squirrel and I are enemies...I am sorry, but it eats too much and stuffs its cheeks full of nuts.  It takes from the birds and yells at me when I force it to leave my yard.  I am not kidding when I tell you that it calls all its friends into my yard and they laugh at me.
Send me you best TIPS on keeping squirrels out of my birdfeeders.  Watching birds is my time to relax and these nut eaters are making me crazy!!
Ok, they may make me crazy but they are SMART EATERS....
They LOVE Nuts -  Let's Talk about Nuts.  
  • Studies have found that eating nuts regularly reduces the risk of weight gain and obesity.  
  •  Almonds are busting with minerals, B vitamins and vitamin E, one of the body's key antioxidants, plus FIBER and PROTEIN 
  • Numerous studies have also shown that almonds help slash "bad"  LDL cholesterol and lower blood pressure to lower the risk of heart disease. 
When buying Almonds, the best are RAW, UNSALTED ALMONDS...you will get used to them.
    Buy Slivered and Sliced Almonds and use them in recipes that you frequently prepare.  Try Almond Butter...but buy almond butter that has only one ingredient...almonds!
Serving Size ~ 2 Tablespoons  (have 2 servings/day)
Stay tune for more life changing information...

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Don't judge a BOOK by it's COVER

Reading Labels and figuring out what is good and what is bad does require you to be a ROCKET SCIENTIST!!!  Because the nutrition labeling rules and policing the guidelines is out of this world!!  Ist follow your common sense:  natural is better than processed, along with others tips you will find as you read this post. 

  Fall in love with nuts, yogurts, raisins, oatmeal, brown rice, plain baked potatoes, beans, whole wheat products, almond butter/peanut butter, mozzarella cheese, olive oil, fruits and vegetables, chicken, fish, tuna, salmon and a moderate amount of lean red meat.

A great meal (pictured above):  2 cups Raw Spinach, 1 cup Raspberries (a few blueberries for color), add One Egg for protein and some sliced Almonds
I use balsamic Vinegarette ~ about 1/2 to 1 tablespoon.  It is a great healthy meal for Lunch or Dinner!
TIP: Pick fruit that is in season or use frozen...the nutritional value is sometime higher in frozen because it is frozen during its peak of freshness!  My raspberries in this picture are frozen because where I live, fresh aren't even available during this winter season and if they are, they are so expensive!!
TIP:  Add cinnamon to foods for flavor and it soothes the stomach.  Did you know:
Besides using it in cooking, cinnamon is also thought to have health benefits.
In traditional Chinese medicine, Cassia cinnamon is used for colds, flatulence, nausea, diarrhea, and painful menstrual periods. It's also believed to improve energy, vitality, and circulation and be particularly useful for people who tend to feel hot in their upper body but have cold feet.
Research shows that cinnamon has some benefits  for diabetes, indigestion, and colds.
It's a common ingredient in chai tea, and it is believed to improve the digestion of fruit, milk and other dairy products. I FOUND THAT INTERESTING!

I Love this Tea in the WINTER!

Tips I live by:
Use herbal Tea , it is a great appetite suppresant.  Add lemon and enjoy a great cup of tea!
~ Cook with fresh garlic, it soothes the senses and puts the cook in a better mood!
~ When eating out, never hesitate to specialize a menu item.  Leave off a sauce.  Ask for a red sauce instead a cream sauce.  Ask for veg instead of carb.  **SPLIT MEALS...portion sizes are too large in restaurants!**
~ Alittle dark chocolate (every day!!) can eliminate that hunger for sweets and help you to say no to the sweets that only "STICK TO YOUR HIPS"

A great nutritional book written by a dietitian is one I am using  as a resource for this blog.  It is a great guide to healthy living!  Here is a recipe for a healthy, clean smoothie:
6oz. NON FAT PLAIN YOGURT
1 cup Raspberries
2 tablespoons of Almond Butter
1/2 c crushed Ice
1/8c Orange Juice (optional)
**Blend well**
Ok, a few tips for today...hope they help!