Scattershooting

Landing in St. Louis, but no plane changing before the last leg to Boston, we were told we could de-plane if we wanted to for some “real food.”  (I guess as opposed to the Southwest free peanuts?)  The next thing the flight attendant said was, “There’s a Dunkin’ Donuts!”  Passengers bolted! There must be a shortage of Dunkin’ Donuts I was unaware of....

Have you tried that Greek yogurt yet?  I just read that the reason it’s so much thicker and has so much more protein than regular yogurt is because it’s been strained of all liquids.  Do you like the texture though?

I am irrationally afraid of blood clots, and airplanes make me crazy.  I’m also very short.  So my legs will stretch out in front of me, vertically, and not bother my neighbor in front of me.  If I lean forward though, it’s like a little exercise!  It pulls and strains my muscles as though I’m doing yoga.  I should develop a whole series of exercises to do while seatbelted into an itsy bitsy space!  Think it’ll catch on?  Nahhhhh.....me neither.

My sweet Joe bought a cookbook for his terribly clever blogger daughter who lives in a cracker box (her words, not mine.)  The kitchen, if you can call it that, is a corner.  No kidding.  It’s perfect for her, though, and she’s made lemonade out of this tiny space as she uses it for a springboard for her “Two recipes” blog, subtitled “One year.  Two recipes.  Three square feet kitchen.”  (I think that’s stretching it a bit!)  This cookbook, called “Gourmet Food from a Crappy Little Kitchen” has some interesting recipes (this is where I read about the greek yogurt) but really handy is her guide to useful kitchen gadgets with multiple functions.  Anyone with a kid in a small space kitchen could learn a thing or two; I know I’ve added a few things to Hatsie’s gift list!

Footnote:  on the last night of my visit instead of going out to dinner, she cooked for K and me.  She made “foolproof” spinach risotto that I’d stack up against any restaurant dish anywhere.  Oh my goodness....sister can COOK!  :)

So about 3 years ago, I developed an adult onset nut and seed allergy.  Who knows how long I’d been allergic to them, because I was always itchy in my nose and eyes, but just thought I was allergic to airborne stuff.   One weekend, I overdosed on almonds and nearly had sneezing fits, and STILL didn’t get link the two, until the next time I had some almonds and started sneezing violently.  Come to find out, the swelling in the roof of my mouth every single time I ate peanut butter (which was once a day like clockwork) wasn’t normal!  Anyway, I’ve got a blog about that in the future, but where Hatsie and I went out to dinner Friday night, I could hardly find anything---from breads to salads to entrees---that didn’t have some form of nut or seed.  When did this happen?

Boston is cold.  And you walk everywhere.  I told Hatsie that kind of weather would have us Texans hunkered down with a pot of chili in the slow cooker.  These Boston people think nothing of walking through the park, all hours of the night, in the snow, in high heels and mini skirts.  Beats anything I ever saw....great exercise though!  

I love to travel; I'm nervous if I don't have a plane ticket in my back pocket.  But coming home tonight, my sweet Joe has dinner ready and a glass of vino poured.  There's no place like home....

"I Couldn't Help It"

This morning, as I made my way to gate 6 at Love field, (headed for Boston!) I was overpowered by the delicious, intoxicating aroma of freshly baked cinnabons.  I had already eaten my breakfast, pre-crack of dawn, so I wasn’t hungry, nor tempted.  But it made me aware of several things all at once.  It’s the topic of today’s blog....

The “I couldn’t help it” confession.

Back to my original theory that most of us simply don’t know anything about what’s making us unhealthy, I present to you “Exhibit A.”  I sat next to a cute little older lady(these days, I don’t use “old” anymore, because it’s like the pot calling the kettle black) while waiting to board.  Her conversation to her companion went something like this:

Confessor, (giggling):  “I just ate one of those cinnamon rolls.  I had to...they were calling my name...  At least I didn’t get two!”

Friend, as she’s munching on that trail mix they sell in the airport little store, and feeling wayyyy superior that she’s eating “healthy”:  “Don’t I know it!  That’s why I bought these.  So I wouldn’t give in to temptation!   Oh well.  You only live once!”  So many ways to go here, that it's hard to concentrate.

But the "I couldn't help myself" excuse needs to be exorcised.

Yes.  Yes she COULD HAVE helped it.  

She shouldn’t have walked in hungry.  She should’ve eaten a decent breakfast at home. (Peanut butter on an English muffin is very quick and very portable!)  And if she HAD, by chance eaten already, she should’ve checked in with her stomach to see if she was um, HUNGRY.  (What a concept, right?)

She should’ve been aware that Mr. Cinnabon bakes those yummy concoctions timed so that the waft of cinnamon and yeast bread makes her crazy.  He’s no dummy.  It’s his business to sell her sweet rolls.  She is just exactly the sucker he gets up in the morning  for, then laughs all the way to the bank.  Remember, digestion starts first with the eyes and nose...powerful senses, these two.

She should’ve been armed with the facts.  She should’ve known that instead of the “only” one cinnamon roll she ate, she could’ve had a half cup of oatmeal with a few walnuts, an orange and a glass of skim milk.  (Fiber, excellent whole grains, the right kind of unsaturated fat, citrusy vitamin c, and some protein in the milk.)  And would’ve eaten less calories...  Look it up.  

Listen, for what it’s worth.  I have my moments.  I never want anyone to think I’m not just as human as this lady.  But I call a spade a spade.  I always, always make a choice, (good or bad) having taken a look at probable consequences.  A long time ago, I made an informal list of “instant regret” foods.  You know those foods that you eat and almost before you’re finished, feel crummy over?  Whether it’s a physical reaction or a mental one, foods on this list just aren’t worth it to me.  Donuts are on this list for me.  Instantly, I get this filmy greasy coating on the roof of my mouth that no amount of chewing gum or water will remove.  It requires brushing.  Other foods are on my "instant regret" list because they are just so unhealthy that I feel guilty for junking up my body.  Dodie’s seasoned french fries, for example.  Just so good, but sooo bad.

You only have this life to live.  It’s true.  So instead of viewing this as a reason to mistreat your body and make horrible food decisions, why on earth don’t you make mental and physical changes to ensure this life is long, disease-free, easy and happy?

I think I'll go to Boston!

I'm going to Boston to see my practically perfect daughter on Friday!  And though she's a cooking machine (www.tworecipes.blogspot.com) I figure we'll be eating out a lot.  This trip is obviously for pleasure, but you might travel for your job and have no choice but to frequent restaurants for your meals day after day.  It's time to talk about ordering from a menu!

Portions are extraordinarily large in most restaurants.  Unless you're in a terribly fancy place that convinces you to sell a kidney for their stingy portions, you will be served way more than you should eat.  Get this in your head.

Look to see if they have a lunch menu and a dinner menu.  "Lunch menu" equals smaller portions for smaller prices.

  

Some restaurants will let you order off it even if it's dinnertime.  Others will tell you it's ok, but they will charge you a couple dollars more.  Unless you have the set-up to doggy-bag the other half of your dinner-sized meal to heat up the next day for round 2, you're better off paying the extra bucks.

If this restaurant brings chips or bread to mindlessly munch on while you wait for your food, don't get carried away.

If you order a salad, ask for your dressing on the side.  Even if you end up using it all, it's your choice, not theirs.

If you like soup as a starter, enjoy broth based soups instead of cream based ones.  Keep the cheese and croutons to a minimum.

Look for entrees that are grilled or baked.  Avoid fried.

Sauces.  Creamy white sauces will pile on additional saturated fat calories. Ditto for gravies.  Red, tomato based sauces are fine.

Sides.  Baked potatoes are great sources of fiber and potassium.  (Did you know a baked potato has more potassium than a banana?)  It's the toppers for the potato that make this such a bad idea.  Instead of the usual butter, sour cream, bacon and cheese, tray a little salsa.  Try sprinkle of parmesan cheese. Try a douse or two of some low fat salad dressing you've asked your waiter to bring.

Sides.  Look for vegetables without sauces.  Steamed or grilled veggies are good choices.  Fired or creamed aren't.

Pizza.  Dang.  These are so all over the place it's hard to advise, other than to say that the culprits are actually the cheeses and toppings.  If you're careful about ordering crispy-as-you-can-get crust, then add veggie toppings, 2 or 3 pieces are a fine meal.

Mexican food.  Corn tortillas are healthier for you than flour, and you can ask for an order while everyone else is mindlessly munching on chips.  (See #3.)  If you have a choice between whole beans (borrachas-sp?) or refried, go with the whole.  Sadly, they add lard to refried beans.  Look for things not smothered in cheese sauces or dripping in oil.  OH, and I read once that the worst, absolute worst culprit-fat grams-wise on a Mexican house menu was a cheese stuffed chili relleno.  Go figure.

Sandwiches.  Remember the deck of cards comparison to how much protein you should be eating at any one meal?  And that cheese isn't a freebie?  And the standard for a serving of starch is the size and width of a slice of one piece of normal loaf bread?  So you be the jury.  When that sandwich comes, have the good sense to make it healthy and not over the top.

That's enough.  Except for this:  did you know that most restaurants who have a website post their menus?  You could always know before you go, so you don't make last-minute-hungry-as-a-bear bad choices!

I hope your weekend fills you up like mine is going to!

Carbs Gone Crazy!

Things I love:  movies, Italy and all things Italian, soul searching for meaning and purpose, God, my husband, my children, writing and Julia Roberts.

All my planets lined up in the movie, Eat Pray Love.  If you haven’t read the book or seen the movie, I highly recommend both. In the movie, there is a scene when Elizabeth is in Italy to eat and learn Italian.  (Let’s pause a moment and exhale a collective, “sighhhh.”)  She learns a new word, attraversiamo, which she repeats for the sheer pleasure of saying it.  She loves the syllables, the sounds the vowels make, and the irony of how such a beautiful word could have such a utilitarian meaning.  Translated, it means, “Let’s cross over.”

What on earth does this have to do with anything and why am I blogging about it?

Stay with me here…I’m going to give you a peek of how my brain works…so I have been trying to crank out the third blog about carbs, titled “Carbs Gone Crazy.”  And I am having the devil of a time keeping my sarcasm out of the way.  In my head, I’m thinking “do I really need to ‘educate’ folks about why excessive amounts of processed (store bought) cookies, chips, baked goods, fast food, cokes etc is a terrible idea?  Is there a human out there that doesn’t know that the reason people are so quick to bash carbs is because of what “we” have made them into?  How many times should I wag my finger over the enormous quantity of sugary cokes, drive through junk-in-a-bag and “convenience” foods that Americans consume?  Really?

Now shake your head and clear it like this.  Jump with me to an email that I got yesterday from a precious friend.  She is raising her practically perfect toddling daughter and marvels daily about the daily.  I take great pleasure in these stories, told as only a mother can, and invariably, I am taken back to when I was in her shoes.  How lucky am I to be reminded all over again what a gift my own children were and are to me?  In her email my friend writes, “my 18 month old daughter is learning how to feed herself well. Most people make excuses that their children will only eat junk....well she’s has never had it, so whole food IS her food. It is really gratifying and comforting to know that she is getting the nutrients she needs for health, energy, and this insane pace of growth these littles go through.”

Brava!  Last I checked, mamas do the grocery shopping.  Mamas are IN CHARGE of what their children eat.  Kids are born intuitive eaters (eat when they’re hungry, stop when they’re full) and don’t have a taste for junk.  They are only tricked up when they are offered a cookie to make them quit crying.  Or a happy meal soda instead of milk.  One lady I know honest to goodness drives through different fast food places to satisfy each of her three children’s whimsy.  Sound even remotely familiar? 

Wow---that was a tangent I didn’t even plan on taking you to.  I was going to stick with the “whole foods” (in this case, baby girl ate salmon, turkey breast, steamed veggies and brown rice) rant and use it as “exhibit A” when I talk about GREAT carbs.  Carbs that are necessary and vital and yummy and good for you.  Do I still need to do blog #3, “Carbs Gone Crazy?”

Let’s cross over.  Let’s leave the junk and cross over to the side where we are treating our bodies with love and respect by the choices we make to feed ourselves.   Let’s enjoy the health benefits that will follow….

Attraversiamo. 

Carbs, Continued!

Where did I leave off?  Carbohydrates are foods with naturally occurring sugars.  (2 key words:  naturally occurring.)  They can be sorted into four groups, so we’ll talk about those first, then I’ll give you my take on what’s gone so terribly wrong with carbs!

Fruits:  Generally speaking, this group takes the prize for the most carbohydrate grams per serving.  Duh...fruit is SWEET and tastes GREAT.  Plus, fruits supply lots of vitamins and fiber.  I’m a little shocked that the latest “advice” from huge weight loss “expert” companies are calling fruit “free” though. (When you hear that word, how do you interpret that?  Free as in “doesn’t count,” right?  Ummm.  NO.)  

Remember these things when incorporating 2-3 servings of fruit into your daily menu:

*When you can, eat the peel.  Nutrients and fiber are found here.*  *A serving is roughly the size of a tennis ball.  A whole banana is 2 servings.  If it’s “wet” fruit, (please no sugar added wet fruit) 1/2 cup is one serving.*  *Change up your usual.  Eat citrus.  Then some berries.  Enjoy a banana.  Try different kinds of apples.  Eat 1/2 cup of grapes.*  *I’m not a fan of juice, because psychologically, chewing is important.  Not to mention you lose the benefit of adding fiber if forgo the whole fruit.  But if you must, be sure you get no sugar added juice, and then drink 6 ounces for your serving.*

Vegetables:  With fewer naturally occurring carbs, vegetables taste not as sweet.  They have such a high role in your diet though that I could devote a blog to them a week and still not make you understand what a big deal they are.  First of all, there are a jillion different choices to explore.  Think about your produce section and give yourself a grade for “variety.”  Do you go to the same ole, same ole?  (That grade would be a “C.”)  Here’s a challenge.  Try a new vegetable each week.  

IF there’s such a thing as “FREE” (as in, eat as much as you want, any time you want) this would be the category.  Eating vegies pack so many benefits (fiber, vitamins, minerals, raw, cooked, salads, colorful...) that you would be smart to eat AT LEAST the recommended 5-7 servings per day.  I’m not going to waste space talking about a serving size of this or that.  I AM, however, going to warn you that “free” means JUST vegies.  It doesn’t mean the cheese sauce, the ranch dip, the fried on the mushroom, the bacon in the green beans.  And, (don’t kill the messenger) potatoes, corn and peas have so much carb concentration that they actually slip into the “starch” category.  (Coming up next.)  

Grains/Starches.  This is where it gets squirrelly.  From yesterday’s blog (part one) remember when I talked about “whole foods?”  Whole grains have carbs in them.  So naturally, things made out of these grains contain carbs.   But you can’t eat most grains in their original form without adding stuff to them.  (Rice, oatmeal, cooked barley, quinoa are examples of whole grains that are eaten unchanged.)  And for some strange reason, Americans have become accustomed to grains that have been processed to the point that they are literally just shadows of their original glory.  Pity, because the whole grain is needed if you care about vitamins, minerals and fiber.   If you care to get the maximum benefit from the grain, be savvy about labels.  Food manufacturers are very slimy when it comes to this, for some reason.  Simply put, you must find the words “100%” or “whole” for you to rest easy that the grain hasn’t been ruined by processing.  

If you would like a pretty clear list of whole grains vs refined (or processed,) go here:  http://www.mypyramid.gov/pyramid/grains.html  

One more thing.  There’s a sub-section here, legumes, (like beans and lentils) that have carbs and proteins.  This is especially good news for us vegetarians!

The last category where you’ll find naturally occurring sugars is in dairy.  Actually, this lactose is a buggar of a sugar, because it’s especially tough to digest and gives some people gas, bloating and other allergic reactions.  Even so, it’s a pretty good idea to incorporate 3 servings of dairy into your daily routine.  Because there are so many different varieties of dairy to choose from, I teach a rule of thumb.  A serving of dairy should have between 80-100 calories in it.  Now hold on to that thought, and let me tell you what you want to get out of your dairy serving.  You want calcium and vitamin d, plus the protein bonus, with as little saturated (because it’s animal based) fat as possible.  Got that?  So obviously you want to maximize the amount of calcium and vitamin d you get per 80-100 calories.  For example, a cup of skim milk has 90 calories.  A cup of whole milk has 180, so your serving size would be 1/2 cup.  CLEARLY, you don’t get the same benefit from your allotment of dairy if you choose whole milk.  But if you must, you must.  Drink 1/2 cup.  It’s better than nothing.

That’s enough.  Part 3 will go into Carbs gone Crazy.  

Carbs, Part One

DISCLAIMER:  I am all for healthy food.  But I am not an “organic” purist, so stay with me as I talk about today’s topic.  (It’s never that simple though, right?--if I were raising my babies today, I would fork over the extra cash for two things organic:  meat and milk.  You can’t convince me the hormones they feed those poor animals to make them ready for slaughter faster and faster don’t somehow end up in our systems, which wreaks havoc on our poor hormones.   Please don’t ask me for the scientific study to prove my theory.  It’s more based on common sense than anything else.)

Today, before I get to the point, I need to lay some ground work...consider WHOLE FOODS.  (Not the grocery store.)  In the old days, we used to teach “stay as close to the tree as possible.”  What that actually means is to try to eat like our grandparents did.  Joe’s precious family grew up on a farm, and I’ve heard stories about their food for years.  Seems like there was a time that if his mama didn’t raise it or grow it, they didn’t eat it.  

Today, we have (arguably) advanced technology that allows us to keep fresh food cold and to store processed food without fear of spoilage for literally years.  (EWWWW.  Ick.)

What this means is that we are eating food that has been messed with until it and hardly resembles its original form.  And (again with the common sense) while these additives might technically be “safe” according the the FDA, (don’t GET ME STARTED with how whacky they pick and choose what they evidently care enough about to get in the middle of), you must admit, as often as you can avoid them, you should.

So whole foods then are clean, simple, unprocessed foods. 

Got that?  Now hold that thought as we move to CARBOHYDRATES.

Man is that a volatile subject.  Raise your hand if you’ve ever tried, or read about, or knew someone who’s been on a “no carb” diet.  Someone, (perhaps Dr. Atkins, who sure did have a heart attack, may he RIP) convinced us a long time ago that carbs were evil and should be avoided if you have want to have any real weight loss.  (Bull.)  

After people began having life threatening health issues from overloading their poor bodies with TOO MUCH protein, generation two of the “no carb” diets refined it to “low” or “good” carbs.  

Hear me well.  Your body NEEDS a balance of all three nutrients:  proteins, carbohydrates and fats.  You will be soooo sorry if you cut out any one of these altogether.  I have seen the evidence of many a dear soul who has tried to beat the system and cut out fat.  Or carbs.  Or even protein.  Believe me, it ain’t pretty.

Dang it.  I’m so wordy, and so full of information that I fear making these blogs too long will make readers stop before they actually get to the message.  So, I’m going to stop here.  Tomorrow, I’ll unpack and hopefully clarify this carb mystery once and for all...Come back!

Taming the Grocery Store

I’ve hinted that I had some pointers on how to successfully navigate your grocery store, and last night, while organizing my pantry (what?  Why are you laughing?  You don’t organize your pantry on a random weekday night?) I decided this would be a great beginning for this blog.  I had to chuckle at some of the bizarre things in there for which there was no category.  For example, where would I put the tin of sardines?  Nope.  Not by the tuna, because I store my tuna cans in the fridge so when I make tuna salad it’s ready to eat.  Where should the clam sauce go?  (Not clams.  Not clam juice for the occasional bloody bull.  Clam sauce.)  By the soups or in the pasta sauce section?  I always know when dad’s been shopping… (By the way, my dad lives with us.)

Occasionally, I’ll ask him to go to Kroger to pick up something very specific for me. (I usually even write down the brand!) Never fails, though. Yes he brings home my request, but never without the exotic (man’s obsessed with stuffed olives) or somewhat sketchy (Spam.  ‘Nuff said) as well.  He walks up and down every aisle in the grocery store.  Not because he is lost.  It’s because he has “Dr. Consumer” stamped across his forehead, and he is exactly the kind of sucker Kroger opens their doors for! 

Can you relate to my wandering father?  How do you do your food shopping?

I guess grocery store owners must sign a pact that they’ll set up their stores exactly like their competitors.  It’s a good thing, though, because it makes this lesson universally simple.

Pick the majority of your food from the perimeter and the middle aisle.  

Think about it.  That takes in produce, meats, the fish counter, dairy, eggs, good juices, frozen foods and the deli section.  It also includes the bakery, but I’ve yet to see a national chain of grocery stores bake anything but junk, so it’s best to get your bread from the bread aisle after you’ve read some labels.  (Remember, you’re looking for the words “whole” or “100%” on the front.)

About 75% of your food should come from these two areas.  The other 25% might be soups to cook with, tuna, bread products, peanut butter, pickles, popcorn and Wheat Thins Stix!  

And so you know?  A grocery store is like a playground for clever food marketers.  It’s no mistake you get assaulted with buy one/get one “deals,” fresh fried chicken, test tasters of guacamole, cakes and cheeses and eye-level bestsellers.  This, my friends, is why YOU GO IN PREPARED.  You make your list, and you don’t vary. 

And another thing.  Don’t become a food snob.  There is absolutely nothing wrong with frozen fruits and vegetables. They are picked and flash-frozen so as to minimize the nutrients lost in the process.  Oftentimes, frozen vegetables have more vitamins and minerals, not to mention fiber, than the “fresh” ones that got all bendy and slimy in your produce drawer in the fridge.  Same with fruits.  Alert, alert, though.  Buy your frozen foods simple and without sauces or sugars added.  Next up, it’s time.  CARBS.

Salad Bar for Beginners

“Let’s just go get salad!”

What just popped into your head?  Was it a vision of a lovely mound of arugula topped with a few sprinkles of gorgonzola, a few thin slices of pear and a dab of crunchy walnuts, drizzled with a balsamic vinaigrette?  

Or was it a plate mounded with spoonfuls of white chicken salad, alongside the oily pasta salad, tucked into the layer of shredded cheddar cheese, croutons and almonds?  In your mind’s eye, do you have somewhere buried on that plate some iceberg lettuce, maybe some tomatoes, some ham and chicken cubes, boiled egg if they have it, and topped with enough ranch dressing to dunk your cornbread muffins in?

There’s so much to talk about here, but first I want to say this about that.  Just because you CAN “all you can eat” doesn’t mean you should.  You paid for it, that’s true, but that doesn’t mean that to get your “money’s worth” you need to eat until you’re sick.  Let’s set the record straight.  If your salad bar experiences resemble my second description, there’s not one single reason to “just” get salad.

Let’s start with the vegetables.  In general, the higher or deeper the color, the more nutrient value that food item has.  So when given a choice of iceberg, romaine or spinach, spinach wins the award for most nutritious.  Close your eyes and walk with me down this salad bar row.  First you’ll pick out  the deepest leafiest greens they offer. Next you’ll add some purple onion rings, some broccoli, shredded carrots, sprouts, green peppers, tomatoes, crunchy celery, some artichoke hearts and mushrooms.  (Lots and lots of fiber in that bowl now...that’s ok because you’re drinking water with your meal!)  

The tough part comes next.  You’ll approach the chopped ham, turkey and egg containers right alongside the gunky chicken, tuna and pasta salads.  Go for the pure chopped meat every time.  (It’s safe to say unless you create your chicken or tuna salad at home so you know how it’s made, you should avoid them.)  Next are the shredded cheeses. (Wow.  Can’t say this enough:  cheese COUNTS.  It’s not a freebie topper).  Pick a combination of 3-4 golf ball sized proteins and leave the white gloppy salads alone.

Now you have to navigate the dressings. I bet you didn’t know that ladles are exact measurements.  Typical salad bars use the 2 T size (or enough to fill one of those little plastic cups for to-go salads.)  Dust off your home economics and remember that 4 T = ¼ cup.  Now go to any website that has nutrition information for salad dressings and be careful your eyes don’t pop out as you red about the calories and fat PER TABLESPOON.  How many ladles full of dressing did you use last time?  You do the math.

Skip those.  At the very end of the line, you’ll find cruets of oil and vinegar.  If they have balsamic vinegar, even better.  Take one of those to-go cups for dressings and pour some oil in one and some vinegar in another.  This is your dressing.  (I don’t recommend many fat free dressings.  But if you simply cannot stand oil and vinegar, this is a better option than the full fat stuff.)

Don’t be tempted by the nuts, croutons, sunflower seeds, cornbread and trail mix to top your salad with.  Just don’t.  Ok, maybe a sprinkle of seeds or nuts.  But no croutons.  Take a package or two of crackers if you’d like a little crunchy starch.  Again, unless you home-make your croutons, it’s a good plan to break that habit and learn to like salads again without them.

What’d I leave off?  Fresh fruit.  Great choice.  Fruit in whipped cream or pudding?  Not so much.  Gingerbread muffins?  Huh?  Why?   

One more thing.  This is your MEAL, right?  You’re not eating this to kill the time before your food comes, right?  

In Honor of Joe

My sweet Joe has kept his promise to me that 2011 will be a check-everything-out year, and it started with a physical and blood work up.  Everything came back great, thank God.  Next, they want to test him for sleep apnea (I can save them the trouble.  Man snores like it’s his JOB.) and do a baseline colonoscopy.  

So in honor of the test that he has to endure this week, I think it’s a pretty good time to talk about colon health.  Remember, I believe that we are what we eat.  Think about that.  If we aren’t what we eat, or drink, or breathe, what are we?  (I’m not talking about our souls.  I’m talking about the our bodies, our machines.)

I can name this colon tune in two notes.

FIBER and WATER.  

Think of that push broom that Bert danced with while singing “Chim Chiminee” with Mary Poppins.  THAT’S what fiber does to the roughly 25 miles that is your colon.  (I might be exaggerating some.  Maybe it’s not 25 miles, but it’s an unbelievable length of twisty turny tube in there.)  

And to put it bluntly, fiber will get stuck (as in constipation) without enough water to keep it moving. 

I usually don’t give people a number for anything.  (For example, if someone told me that I should eat “X” amount of calories, Miss Type A would bydang hit that number and not have a stick of gum more.)  But I make an exception with fiber.  

You should aim for 35 grams of fiber per day.

You’ll find fiber in fruits, vegetables, legumes and grains.  Thanks to the nutrition facts label, the processed foods you buy make it easy to keep track of.  The “whole” fresh foods, like corn and potatoes will take a little more research.  Go here for a good place to start.    http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/high-fiber-foods/NU00582

And Mike, I’m not a huge fan of getting your fiber through Metamucil.  The reason is simple.  I’m sad thinking about all the other nutrients, vitamins and minerals you don’t get drinking that nasty stuff.  Plus, I like to chew.  

Oh, and do yourself a favor.  Take a few days without changing anything and tote up your fiber numbers.  If you need to ramp it up, don’t do it all at once with a bunch of Fiber One cereal.  (It’s an acquired taste...I LOVE it.)  You will blow up like a toad and not be fit to be around as you toot and toot some more. (She said “toot!”)  I recommend adding 5 grams each week until you’re in the 35 grams per day range.  

There’s so much more to say about fiber, so stay tuned.  For now, do a little research and get smart and get busy!

You'll LOVE this!

Hello from mid February!  We got through January, which is my least favorite month, and early February dumped snow and ice on large hunks of the country.  But middle February brings a Big Day filled with roses, gifts, romance and chocolate and it’s HERE!  

I’m not a huge fan of forced holidays, but I can’t blame Mr. Hallmark for the A+ job he’s done reminding buyers to remember their loved ones.  And although I’m way too practical to spend a lot of money on flowers, I’m tickled that my dear little KB, flower shop owner extraordinaire is enjoying a record-breaking month.   I love sussies and Masher is the king at surprising me with great stuff, so VD sussies aren’t anymore special than the rest....

But chocolate!  Let’s rejoice in some GREAT NEWS.  Chocolate is heart healthy!   Chocolate is GOOD for you!  In moderate amounts on a daily basis, chocolate actually helps PREVENT  heart disease and high cholesterol!   So let’s unpack that sentence.

First, “in moderate amounts.”  Does this mean you cut back from 4 Snicker bars to 2?  Or from the dinner plate size of brownies to the salad plate size?  Sorry.  No.  Here’s the deal.  

1 ounce of pure dark chocolate per day is a great thing!  

That’s 6 Hershey’s kisses!  Or 1/4 cup of Nestle Toll House chocolate chips, which just makes me smile.      

I said DARK though.  And I said PURE.  This means that technically, you can’t call Snickers heart healthy.  Nor can you extol the virtues of brownies with a clean conscience.  Mixed with all the added sugar and junk, chocolate quickly slides into the BEWARE, BEWARE category...

And another thing!  You know what ELSE is actually good for you, in moderate, “pure” amounts?  Wait for it...COFFEE!  Not coffee on steroids from the coffee company on steroids.  A cup of black coffee is the standard here.  When you add in everything under the sun (and still call it coffee?  huh?) you’re messing with the benefits.  But 2 cups (as in 16 oz.) of pure black coffee goes in the “win” column.

So when your lover comes in with a box of Dove chocolates or chocolate turtles, thank and thank him some more.  But let him eat those.  Get yourself a couple of kisses (then get the candy kind!) and sit down with a nice hot cup of coffee and sigh that you’re the luckiest Valentine in the world!  <3

The Fire in my Belly

I went with dad to the doctor yesterday and while waiting (and waiting, and waiting) I read an article in a recent edition of Time magazine that talked about the shameful lack of knowledge that medical doctors have about preventive health practices.  I won’t go into the politics of the “why,” (because evidently they don’t get PAID to talk about how to prevent illness and disease) but I can’t resist a comment or two about their solution.  Get this.  Harvard College of Medicine no less has finally added a course (as in, ONE) on nutrition and wellness.  Only it’s not offered in the regular medical school curriculum...it’s offered as continuing education for doctors already out here.  Doctors already practicing.  Who don’t know about health and wellness through nutrition.  Does that strike any of you as odd?  And somewhat creepy?

Folks...I’m sorry, but this needs to be said.  “Follow the money trail.”  The insurance companies, who rule the universe, have finally decided to pay for ONE health and wellness session a year.  (Maybe.  This might go into effect in 2014.)  One.  So, because they can now get PAID to offer this session, doctors are looking for a way to impart this information.

Hello?  

I hate to say it, docs, but don’t bother.  Don’t give one perfunctory lecture on eating less, exercising more, and cutting out tobacco and alcohol.  That’s not a bad message, but America has had that generic message crammed down our throats for years.  Yet...we’ve continued to ignore it.   What’s keeping us from putting our considerable talent and intelligence behind getting healthy through nutrition?  What?  (This is not a quiz...I don’t know the answer)

I just know this.  There are proven causes and effects between what we eat and how we feel.  We can prevent disease through our food.  We can lessen the odds of family genetics getting us by reducing or eliminating harmful foods proven to lead to undesired illness.  My sweet mom has had not one but TWO cancers that are familial.  My odds of getting colon and breast cancer are higher than yours.  You better BELIEVE I’ve read up on foods I should incorporate into my diet to prevent those two killers.  I may get one or the other anyway, but it certainly won’t be because I pulled that russian roulette trigger by eating harmful junk.

I feel so passionate about this that it BAFFLES me that others don’t.  I can’t relate on any level to someone who doesn’t care about her health.  Never mind the outward appearance, although naturally, when you take care of the inside, the outside usually matches, doesn’t it? 

What’s your opinion?  What are your thoughts?  Did your eyes glaze over or did I start a fire in your belly?  If you glazed over, please share why...If you’ve changed even ONE thing in the name of better health, pat yourself on the back and share that too.  

And Morgan, here’s a link to the article you want about why you shouldn’t be drinking diet cokes.  Thanks to the lovely JC for the info!    http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41479869/ns/health-diet_and_nutrition/

Super Bowl Sunday!

I’m working with a client now who is pretty darn close to Superwoman.  She’s a fabulous single mother, she works full time, she is in graduate school, she is a wonderful daughter and a loyal friend.  She is the very epitome of success, right?  Except for one thing.  Her pesky eating habits.  She has had the devil of a time trying to change them on her own, so she enlisted my help.  Recently, she shared with me that she’d done really well all week long, but that Friday night she had made no plans for dinner so when her phone rang with the offer of KFC, she said “bring it!”

No, this isn’t about how to make better choices at KFC.  (Although, they offer a grilled chicken and I’m pretty sure they have corn on the cob and green beans.  Don’t do biscuits---look up the ingredients....)

This is about before the KFC invasion.  This is about having NO PLANS for dinner on Friday night.  She knew she would eat dinner.  (Right?) She knew that she had a busy day and would be home in a hungry tizz.  (Right?)  She knew that she was leaving herself wide open for temptation.  (Right?)

So today, I’m posting my weekly menu.  Take from it what you will.  Some of you may just glance over it and remember only that I plan a whole week’s worth of food each Sunday of my life.  Some of you may print it and make it your own.  

Superbowl Sunday:  ribs, pigs, wings, hummus, lavash chips, Joe’s homemade salsa, guac and chips.

Monday:  Hatsie’s latest blog!  http://tworecipes.blogspot.com/2011/02/james-and-giant-potato.html

Tuesday:  (taking dad to the doctor at 3:30, so need something quick when we get home), crawfish jambalaya, rice, green salad.

Wednesday:  spaghetti, hamburger crumbles, roasted vegies (since I don’t eat meat, we’ve always made spaghetti pile-on, with all the toppings separate.)

Thursday:  salmon, asparagus risotto.

Friday:  homemade pizzas (Pillsbury pizza dough in a can---best stuff ever.)

Saturday:  bumaround for dad; early VD dinner out for us!

If anybody wants recipes, comment, tweet or facebook your requests!  I’m off to go find something green and yellow to wear to Kroger!  Go Packers!

Snowmaggedon 2011

We have had record breaking cold weather here in Dallas; today marks the 4th snow/ice day in a row that the kids have been out of school and businesses are shut.  It was charming day 1, and surprising and exciting day 2.  By yesterday, when my company said “come back to work,” you’d have thought it was Christmas day.  Until that commute.  Oh my gosh.  2 hours there and 3 hours back.  So this morning, when I woke to around 6” of snow, I made the wise decision that even if my fellow coworkers can get there, I’m not going to put myself and Masher in that dangerous driving situation.  Sick day, here I am!

Now that you’re up on the weather report, the reason I lay that back story is because I am fascinated by all the profile statuses on FB that involve food.  People are so bored and so antsy, and they are ending up in the kitchen.  One dear friend posted her menu for the entire week, and it sounded like a week at the State Fair food.  And that got me to thinking that maybe it was time to talk about the headgames we play that make such a huge impact on our health.  You may not be able to relate to any of this at all, so if you’ve never eaten out of any reason besides hunger, stop now.  You’re a freak and you don’t need me at all...  

Do you know Proust?  In another life, I studied French at UT.  One of the harder things I had to do was read lots of French literature, in French.   One story has lingered to this day, so I guess my college education (or one of my degrees, anyway) wasn’t a complete waste, right?  It is the story of the madeleine, where he eats a bite of the delicious cake and “involuntary memories” come flooding back to him.

Duh.  Food, folks, is about as emotionally charged as it gets.  We eat when we’red happy, sad, tired, angry, bored, depressed, anxious, lonely...what’d I leave out?  Oh.  HUNGRY.  Then add the double whammy that the smell, taste, sight or even thought of food calls forth a rush of memories from the past, and our emotions are given absolute rule over our actions.  

How do you change this?  First--you call yourself on it.  With your food journal in your hand, write down what you’re feeling when you’re eating.  (If you even KNOW what the emotion is...if you don’t, write that down too.)  Your food journal might look like, “ate a dozen Hershey’s Kisses in front of the tv.  NO idea why.  They were good. At least they’re little.”  What do you think the emotion was?  Lonely, perhaps?  Bored with reruns?  Tired as heck from chores, so the chocolate was a reward?

Second, you remember that your feelings won’t kill you...actions might, but feelings don’t.  In other words, we eat to keep from feeling these emotions.  Mostly because they might make us squirm.  They might make us look at something that needs changing up.  Next thing you know, you’ll have to be doing something about it, and then what?  So we choose a bag of fritos instead, which makes us squirmy too (guilt is probably THE most powerful emotion) but we don’t think about that until tomorrow, Scarlett.

Last, you put detours in place.  Detours like hot bubble baths.  Phone-a-friend.  Journaling.  Watching a really great movie.  Reading a fabulous book.  The point is, if you don’t have something READY, you’ll find yourself in the kitchen whipping up a batch of cookie dough.  So right this minute, do some orderly thinking and come up with a detour plan.  Say it in your head over and over.  Mine looks like this, “today, when I get so stir crazy from being shut inside all day, I am going to dust off Disney, starting with Little Mermaid.”  Ahhhh...now that’s a plan! 

Do's and Don'ts: Fats

Back to fats.  Once more because they are that big a deal.  I fear I’m doing too much preaching and not enough teaching...I don’t want to forget my purpose here and that’s to show you how to break bad habits and add good ones for the single purpose of getting healthier.

Try this:

• Never, ever fry anything in butter anymore.  Boom.  Simple.  Use olive oil instead.  If you’re one of those FREAKS who doesn’t like the taste (ummm, I guess we can still be friends....) try the lightest of light colored versions.  You can’t taste the wang.  Me?  I go for the green colored stuff.  Yummm.
• 
  
• Make your own salad dressings.  It’s a bad, bad idea to put white, creamy stuff on top of your salad.  (I’ll not go into the fat free white creamy stuff here, but hold your horses.  It’s a’comin’...)  Experiment with spices and mustards and vinegars.  There are a jillion different flavor combinations you can explore.  Get you a whisk and after you’ve put your vinegar, mustard, spice combo in a small bowl, whisk a dribble of olive oil in and watch it emulsify.  It’s really cool to watch, by the way.
• 
  
• Anytime, ANYTIME, there’s a lower fat version of your grocery store list, buy it.  Stop whining and get used to it.  Isn’t it worth setting a new standard in the name of your health?  (I’ve got so many stories about my kids asking if I’d make “Shelly’s soup” or “Donna’s casserole,” but my gig at my house was low fat.  Period.  And you know what?  Nobody went hungry.)
• 
  
• Can you imagine a meatless meal?  No?  Get creative with soy crumbles then, which I will stack up against ANY ground beef or turkey casserole in front of Billy Bob or Bubba.  I PROMISE you he won’t be able to tell the difference.  Get sneaky if you have to.
• 
  
• Henceforth, any and all dairy should be FAT FREE.  (There’s always that dang exception though---I can’t find a FF cheese that is any good.  Reduced fat, yes.  FF, no.)  This means milk, sour cream, yogurt, cream cheese (unless you are counting it as a fat and you know who you are!) and cottage cheese.  
• 
  
• Stop buying a bunch of processed junky snack foods.  That should be repeated.  Stop buying crap.  Snacks for kids (because you’ve stopped eating in between meals, right?) should be healthy, for heaven’s sake.  Please no store-bought sweets for them...please? 
•  
• Fried stuff?  Wow.  Surely you don’t need me to tell you to lay off the fried chicken, fried pickles, fried oreos or fried potatoes.  Hear my voice in your head when you reach for your next fried catfish nugget.  For the LOVE OF GOD.  NO.

Is that enough or do you want more?  

Recipe Time

I am NOT one of those women who Cook.  (Capital C.)  I cook.  (little c.)  I fix food for my family to eat.  Oh I go through stages when something pulls me into the kitchen (boredom, stress, what I perceive is a craving...) but for the most part, I just don’t get my good feelings about myself from my cooking.  It’s a good thing, too....

But some of my best friends, as well as my practically perfect daughter and Masher are huge recipe nerds.  Heaven knows there are millions of people out there who are like them, or there would be no cooking channels, there would be no cookbook bestsellers, and there would be no online recipe vaults for anything and everything in the world to cook.  In case you’re one of THOSE PEOPLE, here’s my Eggplant Parmigiana.  MY WAY.

2 eggplants

4 egg whites plus 1T water

2 cups dry Italian bread crumbs

1 jar spaghetti sauce, 60 calories or less per 1/2 cup

3/4 c skim mozzarella 

1/3 c parmesan cheese, shaved

spices you like:  basil, garlic, oregano, thyme, red pepper flakes, black pepper etc.

2 eggplants, skinned and sliced 1/4” thick.  In a large bowl, place eggplant in water to which 1 T of salt has been added.  Put a plate on top to weigh down and submerge the slices in water.  Let soak for 20 minutes.  Rinse thoroughly, then dry on paper towels.  Keep switching out the paper towels when they get soggy.  (This is a pain, and I guess worth it?  Apparently the salt brings out the bitterness in the eggplant.  I guess....)  Set the dried slices aside.

In a bowl, whip 4 egg whites with 1 T cold water.  

In another bowl, use 2 cups dry Italian bread crumbs.  

Dip the eggplant slices in the egg whites, then cover completely with crumbs.  

Place on no-stick cookie sheet and BAKE for 15 minutes at 350, PER SIDE.  

In a casserole, start with 1/4 c. jar spaghetti sauce (look for the healthy version with 60 calories or less per 1/2 cup.  Keep looking.  It’s there.)  Top with a single layer of eggplant.  Top with a 1/4 c skim mozzarella (read your cheese label carefully), some shaved parmesan cheese, and some fave spices.  Repeat layers ending with cheeses.  This last time I made it, I chopped up fresh basil and added a little drizzle of pesto on top of the eggplant layers.  Oh my.  

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes until bubbly and melty.  Let sit for a few minutes to set up, then enjoy with a spinach salad dressed with balsamic-mustard vinaigrette.(Balsamic vinegar whisked with some dijon and a DAB of olive oil.)  Then for my starch loving Masher, I cook some pasta and toss it with a dribble of olive oil and fresh ground black pepper.

It’s good.  And healthy.  And gets you over the craving-Italian hump.  Do you want more recipes?