Beware The Food Manufacturer

I know many of you just don't get my passion for eating right and exercising as a means to good health.  I know most of us just expect good health to happen and wonder why we are "unlucky" when our health goes to hell in a hurry.  And do we want our doctors to fix our problems in a hurry!

Having two parents who suffered from many health problems, plus a husband who is a physician and dedicated to promoting better health, has definitely affected my outlook.  I don't want to spend time and money at the doctor's office or hospital trying to fix what I ruined.  Please don't take your good health for granted.  View it as the precious gift that it is and take care of it like you do your other possessions. 

A recent Harvard study showed that women who already have heart disease are three times as likely to die suddenly from cardiac arrest when they eat a diet high in trans fats.  You should know that trans fats are found in highly processed foods like fries, snack cakes, cookies and crackers.  A food has trans fats if the ingredients include partially hydrogenated oils.  Many  food companies have begun switching oils since trans fats are getting the bad reputation they deserve but be careful.  Palm, coconut or palm kernel oils are highly saturated fats and are no better for you in the long run.  Look for foods that contain canola, soybean or other non-hydrogenated fats.

What would you rather eat?  A simple homecooked meal that is good for you and tastes good or some store bought crap with who knows what in it?

 Fried okra, tomato salad featured in previous blog, butter beans and boiled potates.

This simple meal was delicious and full of nutrition.  The okra was the hardest thing to make because it involved alot of slicing.  Doesn't this look more appetizing than pizza or another tired hamburger?  Doesn't your body deserve better?  Think about it. 

I'll be working on an index of my recipes.  Hopefully that will be ready soon so you can find them easily. 

Foods To Embrace

After my last post about foods to avoid, a friend jokingly asked what's left to eat?  Now I know she knows better but some of you don't know there is a world of food out there to explore.  Being a foodie, my mission is to leave no food unexplored (except for those involving insects or spoilage).  The best approach to food is not to view food preparation as a chore but rather as an adventure.  That does not mean we should set out to eat at every fast food chain in the nation.  Rather we should enjoy the chance to try new things. 

My family tried the new Indian restaurant here in Jonesboro and we loved it.  The spicy smells that greeted us when we walked in the door were irresistible.  I discovered mango lassi, the kids liked the milk balls in honey syrup for dessert and Barry learned once again to listen to his wife.  He ordered his food spicy, not mild, which was a bit much for his American taste buds.  He said it was only a bit milder than the chipolte incident awhile back.  See?  An adventure in eating.

I have a wonderful new salad recipe to share that may seem outside of your comfort zone of what should and should not go together.  Trust me, the flavors of this salad go together amazingly well.  Plus, it is a very attractive dish.  It is easy to make and the leftovers were just as good the next day.  Try it this weekend before you can't find the ingredients.  The key to this recipe is finding good tomatoes.  Store bought just won't do so steal some from your neighbor's garden if necessary. 

Tomatoes with Fresh Peaches, Goat Cheese and Pecans
2 lbs tomatoes, sliced (try heirloom or different varieties mixed together)
1/3 cup white balsamic vinegar
1 minced garlic clove
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/8 tsp. salt
1 large diced, peeled peach
2 Tbsp. fresh chopped basil
3 oz. crumbled goat cheese
1/2 cup coarsely chopped, toasted pecans
Lay tomato slices in a pretty dish.  Whisk vinegar through salt together.  Add peaches and basil.  Pour gently over tomatoes.  Sprinkle with pecans and cheese and fresh black pepper to taste.       

I had yellow tomatoes but it would have been nice if I had a mix of tomato varieties.  Enjoy one of the last summer weekends we'll have and don't forget to exercise!

Top Ten Foods To Avoid (Or Ignore As Much As Possible).

I was thinking the other day that if more people simply avoided eating certain popular foods, we'd have less of an obesity epidemic.  So I decided to come up with my own list of the top ten foods to avoid as much as possible.  That doesn't mean eating them only once a day - it means eating these foods once a month or less.  Really. 

I'm pretty successful at keeping these foods out of our hands most of the time.  However, if you are a regular reader, you know I confessed to a milkshake habit recently.  I'm getting a handle on it though.  Without further preaching, here is my list of the top ten worst foods, in no particular order.

 
1.  Chips.  Need I say more?  Even baked, there is nothing here but fat and salt, neither of which is particularly good for you. 

2.  Ice Cream.  Cold, creamy, smooth and delicious, might as well spread it on your belly.  Don't try the "but it's dairy" routine.

3.  Fries.  No, these don't count as a vegetable and they are just as bad as chips.  Find a healthier version of potatoes.

4.  Sodas.  I know they can be addictive and taste good but really, would you mix up some sugar, water and a bit of food coloring and drink it?  That's basically what sodas are.  And because we tend to think what we drink doesn't count, these babies can pack on the pounds. 

5.  Pizza.  The pizza chains have taken what could be a decent food and turned it into a fat and salt nightmare.  Just say no unless your aim is to look like the Michelin man. 

6.  Hamburgers.  Same thing as pizza.  What could be a decent food has been supersized and fatticized into another metabolic nightmare for your body.

7.  Cookies, cakes, donuts, etc.  Little Debbie and the Kebler Elves are not your friends.  They are greedy profiteers who could care less that their products make rolls around your waist as long as they are putting dough in the bank. 

8.  Bacon and sausage, or any fatty meat.  Yes, I love good bacon, especially on a BLT.  However, fatty meat isn't going to do anything except make you a fatty.  There are better forms of protein.  Find them. 

9.  Coffee drinks.  Frozen, hot, latte or not, coffee drinks have become one of our pleasures but we don't stop to think about the growing calorie content.  These drinks have come along way from a simple cup of joe.

10.  Cheese.  Now you may wonder why I've put an innocent food like cheese on this list.  Cheese is fine in moderation but it has become a much abused additive to our food.  I actually love cheese but not when it is gobbed on sandwiches, pizza, casseroles or salads.  Cheese can be high in fat so use cautiously please.

I hope you'll think about this list, particularly if your kids eat these foods on a regular basis.  You are not doing them any favors if they do.  I hope everyone had a lovely Labor Day weekend and got some good exercise while enjoying friends and family. 

Time For Another Confession

Some say that confession is good for the soul but to tell the truth, I'd rather not tell some things.  However, in my quest for good health and in order to help you in your quest for good health, I feel compelled to make confessions sometimes.  Today's confession is: I really wanted to loose an inch this summer but haven't managed to do so.  My love of good food gets me in trouble.  Perhaps I would have been more successful if I hadn't hurt my back and spent several weeks taking it easy and doing rehab.  Perhaps I would have been more successful if I hadn't developed a nasty habit of having too many after dinner milkshakes, no matter how small they were.  Perhaps if I didn't love martinis and if I didn't eat the brownie crumbs from cutting the brownies I made for the church youth group, I would have kissed that inch goodbye.

The good news, and there is good news,  I didn't gain any either.  I maintained my weight and size by eating right most of the time and exercising as much as possible.  The point is we have to be diligent.  We have to keep up the good fight and do what we know to be right.  You can't loose a bunch of weight or have it sucked off and stick with your bad habits.  That fat will come right back and bring more with it. 

The bad news is that the winter holidays and all that party food is just around the corner, waiting for you.  Make a pact with yourself and a friend or someone you love.  Resolve to start exercising this WEEK and to support each other.  Start small, exercise for 20 minutes 3 times a week.  Build on that and make sure to do something you like.  Cut back on the portions you eat right NOW.  You don't need seconds of anything unless it's water or raw vegetables.  Start now and you'll be prepared and in shape to battle your way through the office Christmas party or Aunt Pat's pecan pie.  Start now and you'll feel good about yourself.  Taking action rather than wallowing in inaction gives you power and makes you stronger.

Think about it: deep down, you know I'm right.    

Build A Better Lunch

Continuing our back to school theme, let's talk about building a better lunch.  What you eat for lunch can make or break your diet.  If you are grabbing fast food with your co-workers or letting your children eat what passes for a nutritious lunch in the school cafeteria, you are neglecting your health and that of your children.  Eating those types of lunches should only happen occasionally.  Don't tell me you don't have time to prepare lunch in the morning, get organized.  Yes, your kids can help with their own lunch if you provide some good choices. 

Tuesday's blog provided a few ideas that work for lunch or snacks but let's think about sandwiches.  There is nothing wrong with a good old peanut butter sandwich for lunch for kids or adults.  I love peanut butter; just pick a brand with the least sugar, salt and other additives.  Use whole wheat bread and then get creative with toppings.  You can just use your favorite jam but you could add sliced bananas as well or a sprinkle of raisins or other dried fruit.

Many times we stick with just meat and cheese on our sandwiches which is pretty boring after awhile.  Try using a different bread such as rye or adding some roasted red pepper (buy the jarred kind) to your sandwich.  I recently tried the "living" lettuce which still has the roots attached.  It stays fresher longer and is easier to break off the leaves than the iceberg lettuce.  You could also add thin slices of cucumber to your sandwich for some crunch.  I have even been known to add a couple of slices of bacon to a sandwich. 

I mostly buy whole wheat bread but for variety, I often get the new super thin bagels or the thin buns some of the bread companies have come out with.  Experiment with different condiments too but use less of the fatty ones like mayo.  I like cranberry sauce on turkey with Havarti cheese.  I really like avocado and red onion on turkey but it's hard to keep avocado from turning brown.  Kids find it fun to use two different kinds of bread or ham and turkey together.

For sides, grab that fruit or some yogurt.  Skip the chips and cookies.  And PLEASE don't give your kids a soda for lunch.  You don't need one either; drink tea or water.  Even if you and your kids don't take lunch every day, try to do it 2 or 3 times a week.  It will really help.  The weekend is approaching so use it to plan next week's lunches.          

Snack Better - 10 Suggestions

School has started and that means I have lunches to pack and after school snacks to provide.  I am always looking for new things for my kids' lunches instead of the same old peanut butter sandwich and yogurt.  I'm hoping this year YOU make a vow to limit processed foods and offer your kids something better.  It doesn't have to be hard, just use your imagination and start with this list.

10 Suggestions for better lunches and snacks.

1.  Boiled eggs.  Couldn't be easier or more portable.  Works for breakfast, lunch, dinner or a snack.  A bit a salt and pepper makes it better.  Boil up a bunch one night to top off a salad or to eat by itself.

2.  Raw vegetables and a low fat dip such as ranch.  Yes, kids will eat raw veggies if you put a tray out on the table.  You can even purchase vegetable trays at the store or put your own together.

3.  Hummus with raw vegetables, pita bread or chips.  Hummus can even be a substitute for mayo or mustard on sandwiches.

4.  Fresh fruit.  How simple is a banana or an apple tucked into your lunch?  It's as easy as grabbing a bag of chips and better for you.  Kids can help themselves to fruit like grapes and strawberries.

5.  Cottage cheese.  Serve plain or with fruit or raw vegetables and get a serving of dairy.

6.  Peanut butter on toast.  Melted peanut butter just seems to taste better.  Top with bananas or a drizzle of honey.  Oh, make the toast whole wheat.

7.  Nuts!  Almonds, cashews, pistachios, peanuts all pack alot of nutrition in a very portable package.  Mix with some dried fruit like raisins or cherries to make your own trail mix.

8.  Chips with a layered bean dip or homemade salsa.  Get some fresh vegetables and fiber into your kids while giving them chips!  Don't rely on the jarred stuff though or you are defeating the purpose.

9.  Smoothies.  Make them at home with fruit, yogurt and a splash of orange juice.  If you have a Magic Bullet processor the clean up is much easier.  Kids can do this by themselves too.

10.  Cheddar fondue with apple slices.  The following fondue recipe is simple and quick to whip up and makes for a different treat.  Try other things to dip such as thick slices of ham or cubes of bread.

Cheddar Fondue
1/4 cup butter
3 Tbsp. flour
1 1/2 cups milk
1 lb. grated cheddar cheese
Melt butter over low heat in a medium sauce pan.  Add flour and stir well.  Slowly add milk, stirring constantly.  When milk mixture is warm, add cheese in small amounts, stirring till melted.  Serve warm.

I hope you've gotten a little inspiration and you're ready to forgo the DingDongs and put down the Pringles.  Skip the lurid colored jello which is just jelled sugar water.  Give yourself and your kids something to power up your brains and keep you slim. 

       

School Has Started But Summer Ain't Over

I find it amusing that we tend to think that summer ends when school begins.  Look at the calendar: we still have plenty of hot summer days left.  The severe heat we've been experiencing has really zapped my appetite and my desire to cook as well.  Still we must eat and I still don't like fast food so what is the cardiologist's family eating these last dog days of summer? 

One thing I find appealing is plenty of fresh fruit served really cold, especially melons.  I love icy cold watermelon with a bit of salt and pepper on it.  Salt and pepper enhances the sweet flavor of melons.  I also love cantalope with cottage cheese and blueberries, with a sprinkle of salt and pepper of course.  Pasta salads, if you avoid all the fatty dressings and use plenty of raw veggies, are another excellent choice.

We are still eating fish as often as possible and I have another recipe to share with you.  This baked salmon dish is packed with nutrition plus turns out beautifully, making you look like Bobby Flay.  Give this recipe a try and you'll be out of the kitchen in no time.  Serve with a side of roasted potatoes or steamed asparagus. 

Baked Salmon with Strawberry Salsa

4 to 6 salmon fillets
1/2 red bell pepper, sliced thin
1 orange, sliced thin
1 pint strawberries, washed and sliced
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1 clove garlic, minced

Place salmon in a baking dish lightly coated with baking spray.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Top with orange and pepper slices.  Mix remaining ingredients and spoon over fish.  Cover dish with foil and bake at 350 for 20 to 30 minutes or until fish flakes easily.  I like my salmon to be just a bit undercooked as it retains more moisture that way.  You can discard the orange slices before serving if desired.  This dish is very unique with the fruit and fish combo. 

Next week I will give some lunch box suggestions for back to school lunches.  Have a lovely summer weekend.