Focus on the Food when Eating...

I found this article fascinating and almost impossible! When you’re eating, don’t do anything else!  Ha Ha Ha - I am having breakfast as I am typing this!  But in reality we really should be aware of the fact that we are eating and pay attention to the food you are eating and the signals you’re getting about your hunger level.  

Here are some baby steps you can take;

Don’t eat while watching television

Don’t eat while cruising the internet

Don’t eat while working at your desk

Don’t eat standing up

Don’t eat while reading

I know, there isn’t enough hours in the day!  I eat lunch at my desk just about everyday and I catch up on my email, browse the internet and sometimes read a magazine.  I usually have dessert while watching some TV and how often do I find myself having breakfast standing up at the counter reading the paper!

LOOKS LIKE I FAILED!!!

Heathy Way to Handle Food Cravings...

"WILL POWER" to curb the intake of the foods that I crave. We all want to be able to enjoy these foods. We just want to be able to eat them sanely, not in what feels like an out of control pig-out. We need nutrition skill power (not will power) to learn how to manage today's food supply.  

I wish I could say that I am a good example of this!  I feel I have the nutritional skill power, but I can’t just stop at just one cookie!  I do have those moments where I spin out of control.  It happened just last week!  Bob and I went to brunch at Cafe Ba-Ba Reeba!, a Spanish tapas restaurant.  Granted, it was small plates and for the most part we kept it pretty healthy until my dear friend, the executive chef, started to send out more food!  OMG, we couldn’t insult him and yes it was yummy, but way out of my comfort zone! The items involved had cheese and hollandaise (need I say more) and other stuff that I really do not miss.  Yet, it was an “out of control pig-out.”  

Keep in mind, your brain has a memory for the food you crave. If you try to ignore your craving for, let's say, chocolate, you'll end up eating it sooner or later. This may happen after you've tried to curb your craving with an apple, almonds or a wedge of laughing cow cheese, anything but the chocolate--and then, 500 calories later, you succumb to what you truly wanted. You could have more wisely enjoyed the chocolate in the first place; you would have saved yourself a bunch of calories!

After my “pig-out”,  I did my usual, felt a little guilty, got over it and just ate healthy for the remainder of the day and the rest of the week!  Just another example of my meal to meal plan!

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

This recipe has become my standard pre-race dinner! It is  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), 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 put a 1/4 of a cup of whole wheat couscous in each, than split the vegetable mixture in two and place on the foil.  Season the halibut (we are now using halibut cheeks) 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! Place 2 basil leaves on each. 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!  

Until Monday...Keep thinking veggies and protein!

More on Spices...

Since we are no longer indulging in such things as butter, cream and excess salt, you might think our food is going to be bland!  Far from it!  I will keep on mentioning The Spice Shop, because the possibilities are endless!  Spices will enhance your dish, not distract from the flavor!

Although we are  inclined to scour the Web in search of the best diets and meal plans, the truth is, some of the tools to weight-loss success are already on your spice rack! Here are five ingredients that not only add flavor to your favorite dishes but can help in your battle against the bulge.

1. Cinnamon

A 2003 study published in Diabetes Care showed that as little as one teaspoon of cinnamon per day can boost the body’s weight-loss ability by reducing blood sugar and promoting healthier processing of carbohydrates. It also lowers LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) by seven to 27% and total cholesterol by 12 to 26%. Plus, cinnamon has been shown to prevent the metabolic syndrome commonly seen in pre-diabetics. But before you go on piling the spice by spoonful, note that cinnamon contains a chemical calledcoumarin, which can lead to liver damage if consumed in very large amounts.

2. Cayenne

The main ingredient in spicy cayenne—capsaicin, which is also found in other hot peppers—has long been studied for its fat-burning abilities and thermogenic properties (the stimulating of the central nervous system to produce heat in the body, leading to an increase in calorie burning). In fact, Nicholas Perricone, M.D., cites several of these studies in his wildly popular The Perricone Weight-Loss Diet and concludes that capsaicin acts as an appetite suppressant. Many think that cayenne pepper promotes weight loss because it’s simply difficult to overindulge in spicy food. However, later studies performed by the Journal of Obesityalso found that the spice increases fat oxidation, “ramps up energy expenditure, and stimulates activity by the sympathetic nervous system”—all which help the body to shed excess weight. Not a fan of fiery cuisine? Not to worry! Research has found that cayenne’s ability to reduce appetite is equally effective whether ingested as food or in capsule form.

3. Black Pepper

Among the dozens of health benefits of this common household ingredient is its ability to improve digestion and promote the absorption of nutrients in tissues all over the body. Plus, its main component—piperine (which gives pepper its pungent taste)—boosts fat metabolism by as much as 8% for several hours after ingesting it. If you want your pepper to pack the most punch, use freshly ground pepper, which has the most concentrated amounts of piperine.

4. Mustard Seed

Like the other hot ingredients on this list, spicy mustard helps boost metabolism and allows you to burn fat more quickly, thanks in part to its thermogenic properties. Scientists at England’s Oxford Polytechnic Institute recently found that eating just one teaspoon of hot mustard can “boost metabolism 20 to 25% for several hours after eating, resulting in an additional burn of about 45 calories if a 700-calorie meal is consumed.”

5. Ginger

Long used for its medicinal properties, ginger is also an effective diuretic (a substance that increases the elimination of urine). It improves gastric mobility (i.e. it pushes food and waste through the digestive system) and hinders the absorption of cholesterol. Although according to the Mayo Clinic, more study is needed, preliminary evidence suggests that this versatile spice helps to increase metabolism.

A Few Reasons I stopped Going to the Gym...

There are so many gyms all around Chicago, but for some reason I could never find one convenient enough for me!  I wanted to just be able to roll out of bed and be there!  Too much work that early in the morning, even when we had a workout room in one of the places that we resided.  I love being able to just get on the stationary bike or treadmill in my pajamas, and of course in the warm weather, throw on some running clothes and hit the lakefront path!  

At the gym I got so tired of it becoming such a “social” atmosphere!  I get pretty focused when I am working out!  I just want to get into my music and get into my zone!  I don’t want to hear all the grunts. I don’t need to see butt cheeks and cleavage.  I need more distance - personal space does matter.  And most important the hygiene issue - wipe down the machines when you are done!  All too stressful for me!  The only thing I do miss is the sauna and steam rooms!

Again, whatever works for you - just work it!!!!!!

When it comes to protein, don't fool yourself, "fuel" yourself… 

Build a protein-based breakfast into your morning breakfast routine and make sure you get protein throughout the day.  I do have an egg or two (omega 3 eggs) just about every morning, with either my greens or a slice of protein bread, or sometimes both! 

Animal protein sources provide all of the essential amino acids so they are called complete proteins. People who eat meat, fish, dairy products, or eggs get all of the essential amino acids each time they eat any of these protein sources.

Vegetarians and vegans rely on plant proteins to get their amino acids. Soy contains all of the essential amino acids, but other plant protein sources are incomplete proteins, meaning that they don't provide all of the essential amino acids.

Protein is what helps me from getting hungry throughout the day and keeps me “fueled”.  I always have a protein in any of my salads, or as part of any of my three major meals a day, whether it is for lunch or dinner, it’s what sustains me!  Unfortunately I have to stay away from the cheese and a lot of dairy, not only because of the high fat content, but because I have learned throughout my weight loss process that I have become lactose intolerant!!!!

THIS WEEK IS GOING TO BE SOME OF MY FAVORITE BLOGS!

Food for thought...

I have received this email numerous times and find it fascinating!  Not necessarily all proven by science, but yet amazing!

A  sliced Carrot looks like the human eye. The  pupil, iris and radiating lines look just like the human eye... And YES, science now shows carrots  greatly enhance blood flow to and function of the  eyes.

 

A  Tomato has four chambers and is red. The  heart has four chambers and is red. All of the research shows tomatoes  are loaded with lycopine and are indeed pure heart  and 
blood food.

Grapes hang in a cluster that has the shape of the heart. Each grape looks like a blood cell and all of the research today shows grapes are also profound  heart and blood vitalizing food.

A  Walnut looks like a little brain, a left and right hemisphere, upper cerebrums and lower cerebellums.  Even the wrinkles or folds on  the nut are just like the neo-cortex. We now know walnuts help develop more than three (3) dozen  neuron-transmitters for brain function.

Kidney Beans actually heal and help maintain kidney function and yes, they look exactly like the human kidneys.

Celery, Bok Choy, Rhubarb and many more look just like bones. These foods specifically target bone strength. Bones are 23% sodium and these foods are 23% sodium. If you don't have enough sodium in your diet, the body pulls it from the bones, thus making them weak.  These foods replenish the skeletal needs of the body.

Avocadoes,  Eggplant and Pears target the health and function of the womb and cervix of the female - they look just like these organs. Today's research shows that when a woman eats one avocado a week, it balances hormones, sheds unwanted birth weight, and prevents cervical cancers. And how profound is this?  It takes exactly nine (9) months to grow an avocado from blossom to ripened fruit. There are over 14,000 photolytic chemical constituents of nutrition in each one of these foods (modern science has only studied and named about 141 of them).

Figs are full of seeds and hang in twos when they grow. Figs increase the mobility of male sperm and increase the numbers of sperm as well to overcome male sterility

Sweet Potatoes look like the pancreas and actually balance the glycemic index of diabetics.

Olives assist the health and function of the ovaries 

Oranges, Grapefruits, and other Citrus fruits look just like the mammary glands of the female and actually assist the health of the breasts and the movement of lymph in and out of the breasts.

Onions look like the body's cells. Today's research shows onions help clear waste materials from all of the body cells. They even produce tears which wash the epithelial layers of the eyes. A working companion, Garlic, also helps eliminate waste materials and dangerous free radicals from the body. 

Seemingly Healthy Food that Isn’t Really Good For You...

I have to mention the obvious because this recently happened to me!  A very sweet person at work overheard me talking about how much LOVE Greek yogurt!  I guess he missed the Fat Free part because the next day he came in with some 2 percent flavored Greek yogurt for me!  SOOOO Sweet of him!  Way too much sugar and carbs for me!  I wasn’t as familiar with this particular brand - Chobiani, so I went on-line and they also have some fat free fruit flavored yogurt - still not as healthy!  It is an easy trap to fall into!  Just because something is fat-free doesn't make it healthy. In fact, many flavored yogurts have upwards of 15 grams of sugar in that tiny 6-ounce serving! My advice - buy your favorite plain, fat-free Greek yogurt (mine brand of choice right now is the Fage) and flavor it up with some fresh or frozen berries, that way, you control what's in it!

Until Monday - keep thinking veggies and protein! 

Rev Up Your Metabolism...

Losing weight isn’t all about eating less, it’s also about eating more, meaning more nutrition-dense food, to crowd out those empty calories and keep you full all day. That’s important, because restricting food will kill your metabolism. It sends a signal to your body that says, “I’m starving here!” And your body responds by slowing your metabolic rate in order to hold onto existing energy stores. What’s worse, if the food shortage (meaning, your crash diet) continues, you’ll begin burning muscle tissue, which just gives your enemy, visceral fat, a greater advantage. Your metabolism drops even more, and fat goes on to claim even more territory. Here are some no-brainer ways to motivate your metabolism to burn more fat.

1. Eat some heat!  Spicing it up will also fire up your metabolism.
2. Breakfast is soooo important - you know that!
3. Staying Hydrated with cold water can raise resting metabolism by about 50 calories daily)
4. Get up, Stand up - move away from your desk, or even try standing up and talking on the phone!
5. Drink Coffee Or Tea - Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant, so your daily java jolts can rev your metabolism by 5 to 8 percent!
6. GO TO BED EARLIER 

Falling Back Asleep Myth

MYTH

If you wake up in the middle of the night, it's best to lie still and try to fall back asleep. Getting up will only wake you up more. 

TRUTH

If you can't fall back asleep within 15-20 minutes, get out of bed. Go to another room and do something relaxing, like listening to music or reading. If you lie there stressing out about falling back asleep, you'll only get more anxious--and never fall asleep. 

Don’t forget exercise is also important, especially strength training!

Running...

Two more weeks until my big 10 mile race!  I feel pretty confident I can do it and I am really hoping to beat my time from last year!  Running on the treadmill all winter really helped me with my speed.  Now that the sun is up when I am, I am working on the elements and taking different approaches!  My favorite of course, is the ideal situation, slightly overcast, 50 degrees and very little wind, I have my iPhone in hand with IMapMyRide app. (that way I get my pace, distance, time and minutes per mile).  Saturday was my last chance to get in my long run!  It was 40 degrees, could have rained at any moment and very windy!  I had my Apple shuffle clipped on and my Nike watch on!  I went out with the intentions of running for 2 hours and was pleased with the hour and 45 minutes that I achieved!  I just couldn’t push myself against the wind and I even had to change my route so I could get away from the lakefront where the gusts were real intense.  

During my weekday runs, I try to improve covering the same distance in less time. For example, I set out to run for 30 minutes and see how much distance I can cover instead of sometimes running for four miles harder than I can safely run. The more you train, the easier your runs will become. You can either cover the same distance with greater ease, or maintain the same intensity and run farther in the same amount of time.  

Now I just have to keep my legs warmed up, eat real well and get lot’s of rest!  Think of me on race day - May 28th!

Sprouting...

When I think of Thai food, I think of the the sprouts!  I have even been known to substitute sprouts instead of having the noodles, especially in my Pho! The Mung Bean is the most popular Asian choice of sprouts.

Beans and grains are a time-honored way to get plenty of protein with low fat, high fiber and no cholesterol. Sprouts:  are beans that have been sprouted and are a wonderful addition to a variety of meals, salads, sandwiches and stir-fries.

Grown locally year round, sprouts are a good source of protein and vitamin C. One cup of sprouts contains approximately 30 calories.  There are a lot of different sprouts out there; don’t forget about the alfalfa, broccoli, radish, soybean and wheat sprouts!

Farmers Market is Back...

Hold on to your wallets!!!!!  And you think Whole Foods is “whole paycheck”!!Granted you find some new and wonderful produce at the farms market!  It’s exciting to find purple cauliflower, and exotic mushrooms, but I am almost getting offended by the costs!  If memory serves me right, it used to be a lot less expensive when farmers markets started making a presence every weekend in Chicago!  I remember planning my weekends around going to the markets and getting the freshest produce.  Now if I miss it I can get it at Whole Foods!  Hell, even Costco has some fabulous organic produce!  I’m not sure I need to pay extra for eggs with green or blue shells!  As long as they are organic, omega 3 eggs, I am content!

I do appreciate how much the farmers markets have grown and have influenced the way people shop and eat and the innovation to the restaurant industry!  I work for a restaurant company that has over 60 different concept restaurants nationally.  I know I can walk into just about any of our Chicagoland restaurants and there will be a special menu featuring fresh produce from Chicago’s GREEN CITY MARKET!  And, of course that is the menu I will seek!

Rules....

Here are 5 of the basic rules I live by!  Keep in mind, rules are made to be broken!!!  But for the most part it is all making healthy eating choices and exercising!  It’s also mathematically simple: Energy In (measured in calories) minus Energy Out (exercise/movement) = weight loss!

1. I try and be as prepared as much as possible!  Bob and I go over menus every week.  It helps our grocery budget and helps me prepare what we will need for my lunches and dinners!  I make sure I have healthy snacks at work, in my purse wherever I just might need them!  It makes it harder to make up excuses!  I do eat massive amounts of salad.  I find this almost a brainless option - I get my vegetables and I always have a protein handy!
2. I don't turn one bad meal into a bad day or week!  I might whine about it and feel guilty, but I make sure the next meal is healthy and I like to think I don’t indulge too often.  The scale can tell!!!  DO NOT THROW IN THE TOWEL!
3. I don’t drink my calories.  There's nothing sadder than realizing you just consumed hundreds of calories by sipping a sweet drink... and you're still hungry! For the most part, I drink water.  Those days that I do go on a long run, I make sure the drinks I have are 10 calories or less!  I do have a glass or two of red wine just about every night!
4. Identify and avoid your trigger foods.  For me these are the cookies I can't be trusted around - "just a few" turns into WAY too much; these are the  foods that seem to make you hungrier and hungrier. Don't keep these foods in the house. They're too tempting and not worth the trouble.
5. Learn to say - No butter, No oil, No salt!

Until Monday - keep thinking veggies and protein!