BEWARE! New Jello Product…

Mousse Temptations!  Watch out, this is too good to be true and dangerous at the same time!  Yes, it is sugar free and Yes,  it is only 60 calories, but Yes, you want to have more then one!  It comes in three flavors, dark chocolate, chocolate and caramel indulgence.  ALL delicious.  They certainly have a great texture and not the plastic fake after taste like some sugar free Jello products! This wonderful little delight could trigger all those sugar temptations!  This will be a true test to your willpower! For me it is a once in awhile treat!  You have to decide if you can manage this sweet temptation – hence the name!  Good luck!

Until Monday…keep thinking veggies and protein

Protein Bread…

Trader Joe’s Complete Protein Bread California Style, made with organic sprouted wheat berries, corn and oats.  This is the only bread that I will eat and I only have one slice about 4 times a week!  It’s only 90 calories a slice, 0 calories from fat, sodium 160mg, carbohydrates 15g, dietary fiber 2g, sugar 1g, protein 5g.  It takes awhile to get used to it, some people find it on dry side.  I eat it mostly in the mornings as my egg in the hole breakfast (see blog 11/24/09)!  Toast it and smear it, this is the bread of choice for our house!  Try it!


Thank you Bob for the photo!

Training story...

I used to think that a good cardio workout was all I needed!  WRONG!  It is all about a great healthy diet, strength/weight training and cardio to have a well-balanced being!  It only took me years to figure that one out!  Back in 1998 when I was training for the Chicago marathon, I found myself eating anything and everything and not putting on the weight! Funny how that works!  I was running 40 to 50 miles a week and feeling great!  My general manager at the restaurant I was working in at the time used to ask me how many chocolate fig custards I was planning on having that week so they could prep enough!  Well the joke was on me!  After the marathon, when I took a break from running, and certainly not running those long distant miles, I forgot to stop eating the anything and everything!  That was the start to my demise and before I knew it, I was starting to pack on the pounds!  Again, it is all about getting into a routine and developing great healthy habits!  I am eating so much healthier, the strength and weights training have certainly helped my running and biking!  Just get off the couch!  OK – you can watch the Olympic, because they are certainly inspirational!!!

SARDINES…

I am trying desperately to acquire a taste for these amazingly healthy little fish!  I was spoiled back in May when we had the pleasure of my brother and my diet guru in town and we went to The Publican for dinner!  What a meal!  I got to try things that I never had the chance to try before and one of those was a sardine!  Bob and my guru fought over the cheek meat, I was just happy that I liked THOSE sardines!  Nothing like what you get in the can!  I did try the sardines in the can with water!  Big mistake!  I just couldn’t eat them and thought that would be the end of my sardine adventure!  Well, while at Mitsuwa on Saturday, I spotted the fresh little fish!  Bob made a tasty little treat!  He cleaned them and pulled out the backbones, added salt and pepper to taste, sprinkled some EVOO and lemon juice on them.  Grilled them on a high heat grill about 2 minutes on each side!  An EXCELLENT first attempt with these little tasty fish! I am so spoiled!  I don’t think I will ever even attempt the canned sardines again!  They aren’t easy to find and next time we do we are going to try smoking them! 

Just remember all the added health benefits.  They are rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids seem to have the ability to regulate and lower cholesterol levels in the blood, as well as improving the ratio of good and bad cholesterol. It is this ratio between good and bad cholesterol that is thought to play a key role in heart attack risk, and this is one of the most important effects of omega-3 fatty acids in the diet. One small sardine contains about 25 calories, 1 gram of fat, 3 grams of protein and zero carbohydrates. They also contain 17 milligrams of cholesterol and 61 milligrams of sodium.

Mushrooms….

I just can’t get enough!  I love the earthy flavor of mushrooms!  Bob and I traveled to Arlington Heights to Mitsuwa Japanese Market on Saturday.  It was slightly overwhelming for my first visit, but when I saw the mushrooms I was in heaven.   We made a quick decision for our Saturday night dinner!  We got the 100% pure Berkshire Pork, sliced perfectly, four different kinds of mushrooms, (Enoki, Brown forest, shitaki and Miatai) baby broccoli, bok choy and fresh bamboo shoots.   Bob did a magnificent job putting all these ingredients together for a fabulous meal! He first sautéed an onion, garlic and ginger.  Browned the mushrooms, added a tablespoon of  low sodium soy, black pepper to taste a cup of homemade chicken stock, then flash cooked the pork and laid the Enoki mushrooms on top.  Served with a wonderful brown rice with some pickled ginger (0 sugar) for some extra flavor!  A great glass of red wine!  Mushrooms, wine = heaven.

“Mushrooms contain about 80 to 90 percent water, and are very low in calories (only 100 cal/oz). They have very little sodium and fat, and 8 to 10 percent of the dry weight is fiber. Hence, they are an ideal food for persons following a weight management program.”

Vitamin D…

I feel like this is the new “IN” vitamin and now included in any lab blood work from my doctor!

What it is:  Vitamin D is known as the "sunshine vitamin."  The body naturally produces the stuff when the suns rays shine upon us.  Luckily, you don't need to be a sun-worshiper to get the benefits of this vitamin.  Just a few minutes in the sun each day is enough to meet daily requirements.

What it does:  Vitamin D is essential for helping the body absorb calcium. Not surprisingly, then, it's important for bone, hair and teeth health. It is also helpful in boosting the immune system.

Where to get it:  Besides the sun, you can get vitamin D from food sources like salmon, tuna and sardines.

Living in Chicago, sometimes seeing the sun is a luxury, especially in the winter months!  Thank God, I have finally developed an appreciation and love for salmon. I just can’t get enough of it! I always make sure I have enough for leftovers the next day to have in my salad.  Also, starting to daydream about the Spring and Summer! For the true vitamin D = SUNSHINE!!

Until Monday… keep thinking veggies and protein!

Quinoa (pronounced keh-NO-ah or, sometimes, KEEN-wah) is a relative newcomer to the American pantry. The tiny, ancient Peruvian seed, which has a mild, nutty flavor, is related to leafy green vegetables and is often used like a grain. Quinoa is as versatile as rice but it has a protein content that is superior to that of most grains, because it contains all the essential amino acids. In particular, quinoa is high in lysine, an amino acid important for tissue growth and repair. It’s also a good source of manganese, magnesium, phosphorus and copper, and it has a high iron content.  It has easily become know as a super-food!

One of my new favorite staples in the pantry!  In the summer Bob makes a quinoa salad that we serve cold at our Millennium Park concert/picnics.  This recipe changes all the time, but the basics are usually, red, yellow, orange dices bell peppers, fat free feta cheese, green onion, red onion, edameme, tomatoes, cucumbers, diced up grilled chicken breast and a lemon, oregano vinaigrette.  This has easily replaced what used to be either a pearl couscous or orzo salad!

Keep it UP!!!

If you look back on my Wednesday fitness blogs you can see a pattern!  I don’t get on the floor!!  Unless I am in a yoga class! I am either on my stability ball or I am standing!  I could probably get up and down off the floor a lot easier these days, but I have found what works for me so far! Flexibility has never been my strong suit, so I have compensated for more strength and cardio training! I got a great gift for my birthday, a 2-year subscription to Shape Magazine!  I will be inspired to try some new exercises and will pass them on! As I start daydreaming about the Spring and Summer, I keep thinking about the free yoga glasses on the great lawn at Millennium Park on Saturday mornings!  It won’t be soon enough for me to dust off my yoga mat!  So there you have it, my only floor routine (so far)!

I can’t get enough of the salad stuff…

It is easy to think you are eating a healthy meal because you are eating salads!  A low calorie, healthy meal can easily turn into a disaster when you start adding the wrong ingredients!  Here is an easy guideline that might help and you can go absolutely wild with these super salad starters!

Salad Greens (Romaine, Iceberg, Spring Mix, Etc.) - 3 cups = 25 calories, <0.5g fat, 3g fiber
Tomatoes - 1/2 cup = 15 calories, <0.5g fat, 1g fiber
Cucumbers - 1/2 cup = 8 calories, 0g fat, <0.5g fiber
Mushrooms - 1/2 cup = 8 calories, 0g fat, <0.5g fiber
Pepper Strips - 1/2 cup = 12 calories, 0g fat, 1g fiber
Pepperoncinis, Jalapenos, Sweet Peppers - 1/4 cup = 10 calories, <0.5g fat, 0.5g fiber
Alfalfa Sprouts - 1/2 cup = 5 calories, 0g fat, <0.5g fiber
This is only to name a few and an easy way to get started! I added fresh steamed asparagus to my salad tonight and don’t forget carrots and celery can also give your salad an extra crunch!
You can add salsa – 1/4 cup = 25 calories.  Try adding some salsa to the fat free Greek yogurt to make a faux Russian dressing! Lemons are always great to have on hand and of course vinegar - red wine, champagne, rice etc.  and most of these are 0 calories.  I could go on and on – it’s endless!  Just  make sure you add a protein and there you have it!  I have been into the one bowl meal these days and what could be easier then a fresh salad with grilled or smoked skinless, boneless chicken breast, salmon, pork tenderloin or steak and on and on!! Fast, easy and healthy, my three favorite words!

I have an extra beat for BEETS…

There is nothing like roasted beets for that added earthy, hard-to-define flavor!  I love them in my salad, not just for the flavor but also for the vibrant color!

Roasting is the easiest way to cook beets. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Cut the greens away from the beets, leaving about 1/4 inch of stems. Scrub the beets and place in aluminum foil or a baking dish (or lidded ovenproof casserole dish). Salt and pepper to taste.  Add 1/4 inch of water and cover tightly. Place in the oven and roast small beets (three ounces or less) for 30 to 40 minutes, medium beets (four to six ounces) for 40 to 45 minutes, and large beets (eight ounces or more) for 50 to 60 minutes. They’re done when they’re easily penetrated with the tip of a knife. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the covered baking dish or aluminum foil. Cut away the ends and slip off the skins.  They will keep for five days in a covered bowl in the refrigerator. Best not to peel them until you plan to eat them.

The picture is our salad from Saturday.  Mache lettuce with roasted beets and roasted garlic, Chilean sweet onion and a champagne, tarragon vinaigrette!

Approximate Nutritional Information: 1 roasted beet: 44 calories; Total fat: 0.2g; cholesterol 0mg; sodium 77mg; Total carbohydrates 10.0g; Dietary Fiber 2.0g; Sugars 8.0g; Protein 1.7 g. (Data provided by calorie-count.com)

It’s My Party and I’ll Cry If I Want To…

OK, not sure I should be admitting this but, it might help me seen more human or perhaps a total hypocrite – “do as I say, and not as I do”!  Here it goes…
I am going for it; it’s our BIRTHDAY splurge – foie gras!  OMG!  Now that is legal again in Chicago, and easier to obtain, we are celebrating with one of my most favorite delicacies!  Bob is surprising me with a meal fit for royalty and I will enjoy every mouthful!  I feel confident that whatever weight I do put on it will come right off – a few extra sit-ups, an extra mile or two on the treadmill – A clean healthy diet for the rest of the week!  I KNOW I CAN DO IT!  CHEERS!!!!!

Until Monday… I know all I will be thinking about is my veggies and protein!
(picture from Gourmet Magazine)

Garlic…

We use this in just about everything!  I swear it has kept the vampires away – OK – how about just the winter common colds!!! “This tasty bulb has a mild cholesterol-lowering effect and also keeps LDL from building up in the arteries and contributing to plaque. You need to consume several gloves a day to get the protective benefits.” We fit it into our meals, as often as we can in our cooking, roasting, sautéing or marinating.   It pairs well with just about everything from roasted meats and poultry to vegetables, soups, and stews. We often use it in our vinaigrette dressings! If you are eating at our place you never have to mind your garlic breath, because everyone around you will have the same aroma!

Pump up the volume…

And pump up your workout!
Music is what keeps me going, and going and going! Music is the answer to everything!!!! It’s all about the playlist! Get out the CD’s, get on iTunes, whatever, and get the music going! I have different playlists for different purposes! For my workouts, nothing inspired me more then the theme from the movie Rocky! Bring on any Funk; Motown and even some Disco will definitely get me moving!  What can I say; I am a product of the 70's and 80’s!  Yeah, yeah - I got some new stuff also! Just give me the music!  Working out to good music is like having a great party!  You know it’s a good time when everyone gets off his or her butts and dances!!! So get off your butt, turn on the tunes and MOVE!
Just to name a few that might get you started…
Gonna Fly Now – Bill Conti
Single Ladies – Beyonce
Dancing in the Street – Martha Reeves and the Vandellas
Proud Mary – Ike and Tina Turner
Jump (for my love) – The Pointer Sisters
Dance to the Music – Sly & the Family Stone
Livin’ the Vida Loca – Ricky Martin
My Life Would Suck Without You – Kelly Clarkson
We Are Family – Sister Sledge
Sexy Back – Justin Timberlake

Just for the HALIBUT (the hell of it)...

This was pretty easy, especially for the novice chef such as me!  This recipe is for 2 servings.
I julienne a red bell pepper, ginger, shitake mushrooms (you can never have too many), 3 cloves of garlic, 4 basil leaves and a big handful or more of fresh baby spinach.  The recipe called for sugar snap peas - we forgot them and substituted with edamame.  Mix all the vegetables in a bowl with salt and pepper to taste. Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees.  Take two big pieces of aluminum foil and split the vegetable mixture in two and place on the foil.  Season the halibut and place them on top of the vegetables.  Fold up the sides of foil and add 2 tablespoons of vegetable, fish or chicken broth (all we had was chicken broth), a squeeze of lemon might also work! Then seal the foil, place on a small hotel pan (shallow baking sheet) and cook for 15 minutes or until the halibut is nice and flaky!  Bob made some quinoa with toasted almonds, which was a wonderful side!  Teamwork in the kitchen!

Our Healthy Super Bowl Feast…

A week long of looking at picture after picture of chicken wings – where to get the best and who makes the best, I was salivating over them!  I just had to try and satisfy the craving!  We made faux chicken wings served with faux fries and broccoli slaw!  What would super bowl be without the chicken wings!    This is was our first attempt at a healthy version!  We got chicken tenders (next year we will try the skinless chicken thighs) and Bob marinated them in some Worcestershire sauce, Franks Red Hot Sauce and garlic.  Then, sautéed the tenders and then added more of the Franks to give them the authentic chicken wing flavor – it’s all about the sauce. (The Franks sauce is 0 calories, no fat, but somewhat high in sodium.)  A side of broccoli slaw prepared with wasabi, rice wine vinegar and a dash of soy sauce.  Baked sweet potato fries, (pre-cut from Trader Joe's) spray a sheet pan with EVOO, salt and pepper add some spices and herbs, set the convection oven at 425 degrees for 25 minutes.  OMG – this all worked for me!  2011 our place!!

Wild about Wild Rice…

But get this - it's not actually rice but rather a long-grain marsh grass seed that the Indians used to harvest by canoe!  I have been really enjoying wild rice as a side dish with my smoked pork tenderloin or smoked chicken breast.  I have been known on occasion to sprinkle some over my salad!  As much as I love the whole-wheat pasta, I can only handle it on occasion. I find my body absorbs the calories and the carbs and I automatically put on a pound or two.  Wild rice and brown rice do not have that effect on me!  But, that's just me and my relationship with most carbs.  "Wild rice towers over other grains when it comes to amounts of protein, minerals, B vitamins, folic acid, and carbohydrates. While the protein content of 1/2 cup of cooked wild rice measures 3.3 grams, that same quantity of long grain brown rice contains only 2 grams. The bonus is that the wild rice, though high in carbohydrates at 17.5 grams, has only 83 calories for 1/2 cup cooked, almost 25% less then brown rice! "  I have portioned out my 1/2 cup servings and they are lined up in my freezer.  You can always add the mushrooms or other veggies when you are ready to re-heat!  Wild rice and shitake mushrooms – a match made in heaven!


Until Monday… remember those veggies and protein!

Healthier vs. REALLY HEALTHY…

Sure you can be served a ton of vegetables, and think you are eating really healthy, but you have to think about how are they really prepared!  If they are grilled you can be sure there is a lot of oil involved, and that now turns those “healthy” vegetables into something that’s just healthier then maybe the alternative, which could be something with cream or butter!  When you aren’t home preparing your own food, these are the things you have to keep in mind.  Your best bet is to order your vegetables steamed with nothing on them and ask for a plate of lemons!  I run into this problem all the time when I am out or at work!  I am very fortunate that every Wednesday our office gets lunch brought in form our various restaurants.  As I am going through the buffet, people are watching what I am eating!  I try not to be too critical or self-righteous, but I always get the question “why aren’t you eating any of the vegetables?” My only response is  “It looks like they are drowning in oil or butter!”  I make my way to the salad and it is a good day when they have the cheese and the dressing on the side and there is a protein available!  If not, I always have a can of tuna available; my bag of salad and my special homemade vinaigrette is in the fridge waiting for me, ready to go!

Schedule it in…
I seem to do my workouts in the morning. The last thing I want to do when I get home from work in the evenings is change, workout, shower again and change again.  This also leaves me the flexibility of having a social life!  The alarm goes off, yeah I might hit snooze button one or two times, but then – up and at em!  The only time I might work out in the evening is a walk after dinner, a bike ride to meet up with some friends, ice-skating or as punishment for being too lazy in the morning!  There are times you do need to listen to your body and have a total rest day! It’s just a matter of finding a routine that works for you! If you make time to work out, you will eliminate the excuse that “I don’t have time,” and afterward, you’ll be happy that you created time for yourself. Plus, the consistency of regularly scheduled workouts is critical to the achievement of any health or fitness goal.  Once you get in the habit or a routine, it almost becomes an addiction!  Get the endorphin buzz!

Salad Spinners….

Hurray!  What a great invention!  A must have for all salad lovers!  This contraption puts the fun back into washing and then drying the lettuce and veggies.  Of course I use this at home all the time.  I am a big fan of the OXO spinner.  During the week I have to admit that I do use the salad in the bag for my lunches at work.  I just don’t have the kitchen, space or time to be washing and chopping up my salads!  Believe me, I am eating salads all the time and always looking for any short cut to help make life easier!

EATING - Slow it Down…

Bob and I both have this problem! We eat way too fast; you can call us the speed demons!  To say the least, I am not proud of this and it is forever a work in progress. Eating too quickly contributes not only to indigestion, but also to consuming far more calories than one needs. Restaurants love us, we snarf and we leave, no lingering, so an extra turnover for the server!  I wish I could use the excuse that I came from a huge family and the only way to get food was to be fast!  No, I am just a scarfing, woofer that is just genuinely too excited to eat. I shovel food down so fast that the carefully layered flavors that Bob or I labored over barely register. As I am constantly watching what I eat, I am also thinking about my next meal!  I am going to put down my fork, inhale before each bite, chew every bite and just try to slow it down!  I might have to start eating every meal with chopsticks!