Make Time For Your Health: Watch This

Tomorrow (Tuesday, February 1st) at 4:00 pm (and then again at 9:00 pm), watch Michael Pollan and others talk about meat, and how Oprah's staff did for one week on a completely vegan diet.  Should be enlightening!

To see the listing and a preview, click here.
Michael Pollan & A Vegan Challenge on Oprah tomorrow (Tuesday)

Make Time For Your Health: Eating Well

Over the past couple of weeks, I have lost 10 lbs (10 of about 50 that I need to lose), and I've been asked a few times how I'm doing it.  There's no big secret.  I'm eating healthier than I ever have and starting to exercise again.  I have put it off for so long because I've felt that there just wasn't the time.  When I'm not spending time with the family, taking care of the house and pets, I'm working (any chance that I get).  When you have your own business and work for yourself, there never really a time that you're not working (or at least thinking about work).  So exercise has seemed like a luxury I just didn't have time for.  But I know now that I have to change that way of thinking.  If I get too run down or sick, if I'm not in good shape and energetic, then everything else is going to suffer too.  (Take care of mama and mama will take care of you.)
I started with my diet.  I have been writing down every single thing I eat and drink in a journal.  I've been counting calories, and trying to stay under 2,000 (or even 1,800) per day.  I try to keep my daily amount of sugar below 60 grams.  I'm not vigilant about counting every calorie, but know enough now thanks to the sources I mentioned below to know what's a good choice (and not so good one).  I've been starting to move more - even doing Wii Fit - and find that the more I move, the more energy I have and desire to keep moving.  Eating well and exercise are both contagious, which is a good thing.
So I hope to share some tips with you, and hope you'll share some with me, as I'm just learning.  Try some of this out and let me know how it works for you.  Here are a few to get you started:

• Read Labels and Count Calories - As I mentioned in the earlier post about the book What to Eat by Marion Nestle, to lose weight you have to eat fewer calories.  If you're not sure about a product, don't have a label for it, what to plan your next shopping trip or be prepared to eat out, go online!  I like the website Calorie Count, as it shows the nutritional labels for a huge variety of products.  You can also go to the manufacturer's website itself and look for its nutritional information (here's a direct link to Starbuck's Beverage Nutrition - www.starbucks.com), and plan before you go out.
• Don't Drink Your Calories - You'd be amazed at the calorie and sugar count of most packaged/bottled beverages out there.  I used to love drinking AriZona iced teas and Lipton's green tea with honey.  A single (8 oz) serving of AriZona's sweet tea has 90 calories and 23 grams of sugar!  That's probably not surprising given it's a sweet tea.  But 8 oz of their bottled/canned green tea has 70 calories and 17 grams of sugar.  (Given that 8 oz is pretty small and most of us probably drink at least 3-4 glasses of these kinds of beverages per day, that can add up to at least 300 calories per day and over 68 grams per sugar on these drinks alone!)  Lipton's PureLeaf Green Tea with Honey has 60 calories and 16 grams of sugar per 8 ounces.  Sounds healthy, but guess what?  Not so much.  I know that I would much rather save my daily cache of calories on food instead of beverages.  (Smoothies and the occasional latte are my exception, but I treat them like a dessert.)  Throughout the day I drink water (add flavor by dropping in a slice of lime, lemon, cucumber, etc.), hot or iced tea (made myself so there are little to no calories), and occasionally a glass of 2% milk (122 calories and 12 grams of sugar).  Skip juices or again, treat them like a whole snack, and watch the amount you give to your kids!  Just 1 cup of apple juice has 120 calories and 26 grams of sugar!  For the (now) occasional coffee, I order a Tall Cinnamon Dolce Latte with 2% milk and no whip. I know from reading their nutritional guide that it has 200 calories and 29 grams of sugar, so it's definitely a dessert!  I could switch to the sugar-free syrup but I'd rather have a really delicious drink every once in a while instead of drinking something I don't like the taste of more frequently.
• Have a Small Snack Before Meals - A handful of plain nuts (almonds, walnuts, etc.) or an apple are great choices.  The help you to feel fuller and not eat as much when you sit down for a meal.  
• Avoid Eating Out & When You Do, Be Prepared - Since I started eating better, I have only eaten out on one occasion.  It's much easier to keep track of what your eating and its nutritional value, not to mention cheaper, to make meals at home instead of eating out.  Don't get me wrong - eating out is a luxury to me (especially when done without the kids) - but it's very difficult to know what to order to stick to your diet.  Take time to plan ahead by doing some research.  Take Starbucks again.  There are times when I just absolutely need a drive-through.  I think of Starbucks as a great alternative to the fast food drive-throughs around here.  My favorite:  Roma Tomato & Mozzarella Sandwich (380 calories, 18 grams of fat, 40 carbs, 2 grams of fiber and 16 grams of protein).  Ask them to heat it up so that the cheese is gooey.  It's got basil and roasted red peppers for sweetness.  Their pumpkin bread - another one of my favorite items there - has 390 calories, 15 grams of fat, 60 carbs, 2 grams of fiber and 6 grams of protein.  I'd rather have the sandwich, personally.  I used to order the Reduced-Fat Cinnamon Swirl Coffee Cake, but even though it only has 9 grams of fat, it still has 340 calories, 62 carbs and only 4 grams of protein.  Again, the sandwich would be a better bet.   For the kids, we used to order the Protein Artisan Snack Plate and it's still a good choice for anyone.  We just found that we could make it ourselves at home and pack it to take in the car.  It consists of one hard-boiled egg, a few apple slices, some grapes, a couple of small slices of cheese, a small package of Justin's Peanut Butter (available in these single serving packages at Central Market, Safeway (in the organic section), Fred Meyer, etc.).  It also includes a muesli flatbread but no one in my family likes that taste of that thing so we pack our own multi-grain bread or crackers.  Total calories for the Protein Pack is 370, with 19 grams of fat, 36 carbs, 4 grams of fiber, 17 grams of sugar and 13 grams of protein.    

That's it for now!  I will share more soon, but look forward to your comments.  

Make Time For Breakfast

Scrambled Eggs with Smoked Salmon and Lemon Cream Sauce

Ingredients

2 eggs
Smoked salmon/lox
1-2 tbsp sour cream (or plain yogurt)
Juice from 1/2 lemon
Salt & pepper
1 tsp fresh dill (finely chopped)

Beat the eggs and season with salt and pepper.  Scramble the eggs in a saute pan over medium heat until cooked (but still soft).  Place scrambled eggs on a plate and cover with a few strips of smoked salmon.  In a small bowl, mix sour cream and lemon juice.  Salt to taste.  Add sauce to the scrambled eggs and salmon, then sprinkle with fresh dill.

* To lighten this dish, I like to use one whole egg and then one egg white.  You could also substitute the sour cream for reduced-fat sour cream or plain yogurt.

Pot Sticker Dumplings from Mad Hungry

I treated myself to Lucinda Scala Quinn's Mad Hungry cookbook for Christmas, and tried this recipe last night.  So easy, tasty and cheap!  No reason to buy the frozen variety again.  (I didn't make the sauce last night - instead I used soy sauce - but I will try it out next time.)

Makes 36 dumplings

• SOY-VINEGAR DIPPING SAUCE
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 whole scallion, trimmed and sliced
• 1 hot green chili, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons water
• DUMPLINGS
• 1/2 pound ground turkey, chicken, or pork (if using poultry, add 1 teaspoon peanut oil to the mixture)
• 1 cup finely chopped bok choy
• 1/2 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger
• 1 small garlic clove, minced
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1 large egg white
• 36 dumpling wrappers
• Peanut oil, for frying

Directions

1. In a small bowl, combine all ingredients for the dipping sauce. Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together the turkey, bok choy, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil, and salt. Stir in the egg white.
3. Working with 6 at a time, lay down the dumpling wrappers on a work surface. Spoon 1 teaspoon of filling onto each one. Lightly wet the edge of each wrapper with water. Fold the dough over and pinch around the edges. This is easiest done by picking up each dumpling and pinching around the edges with thumb and forefinger. Place on a baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap to keep the dumplings from drying out. Repeat until all filling is used. (Freeze any dumplings that will not be cooked immediately. After they are frozen, transfer them to a resealable plastic bag or wrap in plastic.)
4. To cook the dumplings, heat a large skillet and swirl some oil around to coat the pan. Add a single layer of pot stickers. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes (2 minutes longer if frozen), until they begin to turn golden on the underside. Don't move them. Add 1/4 cup of water to the pan and cover immediately. Cook for 5 minutes, or until the meat is cooked through and the dumplings release from the pan. Serve immediately with the dipping sauce.

From Mad Hungry, November 2010

See the video demonstration at: Pot Sticker Dumplings and Soy Vinegar Sauce - Martha Stewart Recipes 

Make Time For Your Health

What To Eat by Marion Nestle
is an excellent guide to food - what to eat, what not to eat, how to shop smartly. It delves into the lengths that food industries will go to in order to convince us that their food is good for us (when it's not). It will (hopefully) change the way you eat. It's thick but I found it to be a pretty quick read.  I borrowed it from our local library (to save money) but may have to buy a copy.  It is that helpful.  (And only $11.66 in paperback on Amazon.com.)

Here are the main guidelines that I took away from this book:

• EAT LESS AND MOVE MORE.
• Count Calories:  When it comes to losing weight, it's the calories that count.  You need to eat 2,000 calories or less per day to lose weight or maintain your weight if you aren't very active.  
• 3,500 calories = 1 lb of body fat.  To lose one lb. of body fat per week, you have to eat 500 fewer calories per day (or increase your activity levels so that your body uses 500 more calories than usual).
• Pay attention to the actual "serving size" listed on a food's nutritional panel!  And eat smaller portions than you are currently.
• Read Labels:  When shopping for food, start by reading the ingredient list - the shorter, the better.  (My own rule:  If I don't recognize the name of an ingredient or couldn't tell you what it is, I don't buy that product.  Or go by Michael Pollan's advice in In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto (another excellent book):  Don't eat anything that your grandmother wouldn't recognize as food.)  Then check the food product's serving size, number of calories, amount of fat and saturated fat (don't buy anything with TRANS FAT) and sodium.  If these are larger percentages of the daily value, don't buy this product (or only buy it on occasion).
• Sugar:  Try to limit your intake of sugars to 10% or less of your daily 2,000 calories.  That would be no more than 60 grams (about 4 tbsps) of sugar per day.  If a product has more than 15 grams of sugar per serving, consider it a dessert and treat it as such.
• Shop the Outer Perimeter:  For the healthiest (i.e. least processed) foods, stick to the outer perimeter of the grocery store.  That's where you'll find fresh produce, dairy, meat, seafood and usually breads/grains.  The more processed foods are shelved on all of those middle aisles.  Look for food products with the least amount of processing - those that are pasteurized, frozen, jarred or canned are usually healthier choices than boxed items.
• Stop Buying Your Children "Special" Foods:  You would never know it by going to a supermarket, but children are supposed to eat the same foods that their parents eat.  The best way to get kids interested in real food is to teach them how to cook it.  Better yet, teach them how to grow it.

Some of my own guidelines:

• Food is healthier, cheaper and tastes better if you make it yourself.  And I promise it doesn't take that much time, either.  For example, I love potstickers (Gyoza, dumplings, etc.).  Instead of eating out or buying the frozen variety, I decided to try making them myself.  (I'll be posting the recipe here soon.)  Not only was it so much easier and tastier than I expected, but I fed the whole family for less than $10.00 (including a second batch that I froze for another meal).  The ingredients:  Ground pork, bok choy, ginger, garlic, egg white and Gyoza wrappers.  (I dare you to pick up a bag of the frozen variety and find a list that short!)  This is an easy and fun recipe to let your kids help with as well (up to the frying part)!
• Remember that food is processed to preserve it for much longer than Mother Nature EVER intended.  The shorter the life-span of a food, the healthier because the ingredients used to preserve that food through the next decade isn't good or anything that your body recognizes.  Exception:  If you do your own canning (or buy jarred goods from a reputable source who does not use preservatives like partially hydrogenated oils).  

Marion has her own blog at www.foodpolitics.com I can't recommend following her enough, or getting one of her books.  I am constantly learning from people like Marion and Michael, and hope they will open your eyes as well.

Make Time For The Stuff That Matters

I'm a wife, a mother of two, a professional photographer, a member of a cooperative preschool, a volunteer (for Soulumination), and an avid reader/cook/foodie/fountain of information.  I wish I had more time for so many things, but mostly just wish I had more time.
I'm creating this new blog as a place to share do-it-yourself project and party ideas, recipes, things to do and places to go with the kids, ways to take better care of yourself (because if you don't, you can't take care of anyone else), and hopefully to encourage you to stop and fully savor each and every moment.  I know that this blog is yet another thing I'm taking on, but I love sharing ways that I find to eat better, get healthier, save money, try new things and make things myself.
I imagine that I will be sharing a lot of recipes here.  I love good food.  I have an addiction to cookbooks, and know that I will never be able to get to all of the new recipes that I want to try (but that I can get to a quite a few).  More than ever, though, I have an appreciation for fresh, local and healthy ingredients.  I am currently heavier than I have ever been in my life, and have already started on my journey to lose weight and get fit.  (I have lost 10 lbs in my first two weeks.)  If any of you are on a similar journey, I hope a few of my tips will help you as well.  Mostly, I want to change the way that my family eats and the way that so many families in the United States eat.  We know that there's an epidemic of obesity in this country, but I don't know if most of us know how to change that.  I hope I can address that here as well.
So please follow this blog, drop a line and let me know if you find it useful.  Share your own tips.  Most importantly, make time to do what matters most to you and savor each and every minute of it.