Embrace the New Year

We'll hear it the entire month of January... A New Year - A New You.  So I ask...What makes the idea of a new year fill us with excitement and anticipation of setting new health and fitness goals?    Maybe instead of rolling our eyes at the age old cliche, we should embrace the simple truth in this phrase and look to the new year to set goals not just for a new diet but for an overall healthier lifestyle. 

First, set realistic goals. If are currently not exercising don’t set a goal of running a marathon by the end of the year. Start by adding a short walk into your routine a few times a week and slowly work up to 30 minutes 4-5 times a week.   If your goal is to start running, once you can comfortably walk 30 minutes at a time, add 1-2 minute running breaks into your walk and slowly work up to longer periods of time as you get more comfortable. 


Second, slowly make healthy changes in your diet.  A complete pantry overhaul may be what you need but to keep your family from thinking you have lost your mind...make simple changes one at a time.  For instance, switch from white rice and pastas to brown.  Switch from white bread to wheat and multi-grain varieties.  Be more conscience about the packaged products you are purchasing; if they contain high fructose corn syrup or any kind of hydrogenated oils, put them back on the shelf.  And the most important nutrition goal you can have is to limit your animal protein and start eating a larger variety of fruits and vegetables.

Third, have fun. Try not to look at healthy eating and exercise as a daunting, punishment to endure. Instead, try to turn it into a new way of life – your new and improved lifestyle. Exercise stimulates various brain chemicals, which may leave you feeling happier and more relaxed than you were before you worked out. You'll also look  and feel better when you exercise and eat a healthy diet on a regular basis, which can boost your confidence and improve your self-esteem.

Healthy Snack Choices

I happen to believe that healthy snacking is an important part of eating a well balanced diet.  Eating healthy snacks between breakfast and lunch and then again between lunch and dinner helps to keep you from becoming too hungry and then either over eating or making poor food choices at meal time.

Starting off you day with a healthy breakfast is the beginning of a great food day.  Add a little protein to your breakfast to help keep you feeling full for a longer period of time.  Skip the sweets like donuts or pastries and opt for Kashi cereals or oatmeal topped with fresh fruit and a few almonds or walnuts and make sure you use skim or low fat milk.

For your morning snack choose low fat yogurt (make sure it does not contain high fructose corn syrup or any artificial sweeteners) and top it with fresh berries, a sprinkle of cinnamon, and a couple of chopped walnuts.

For your afternoon snack I recommend you follow Elvis’s lead and eat a sliced banana with a heaping tablespoon of all natural peanut butter.

Here are a few other healthy snack options:

• Fruit smoothies: Opt to make your own with fresh or frozen fruit, low fat yogurt, a little light vanilla soy milk, and a dash of cinnamon – store bought smoothies may contain high fat yogurts or ice cream.
• Berries: They are sweet, easy to pop into your mouth, and a much healthier choice than a candy bar. Raspberries, blueberries, strawberries and blackberries are all anti-inflammatory, rich in flavonoids (compounds to protect cells against damage) and offer immune-boosting antioxidant activity.
• Cut Up Vegetables: The fiber in veggies will help fill you up, and they provide a nice, satisfying crunch. Choose a wide range of colors (broccoli, cauliflower and carrots are good choices). I like to keep baby carrots and cut broccoli on hand to have an easy to reach for snack.
• Nuts: When eaten sparingly, nuts are a great snack. Walnuts are rich in omega-3 fatty acids.  Nuts can be high in calories and fat (even if it's the healthy monounsaturated kind) so watch your portion control.
• Dark chocolate: An ounce of dark chocolate now and then will satisfy a sweet tooth while providing antioxidant polyphenols (A kind of chemical that may protect against some common health problems and possibly certain effects of aging). Choose high quality dark chocolate with at least 70 percent pure cocoa, and enjoy the rich flavor.

3 Easy Steps to Better Health

The focus of my blog has always been..."when did food stop being food?"  I still get amazed walking down the aisles of the grocery store at the abundance of packaged, processed, salted, boxed and canned things on the shelves that we call food.  If there is a list of ingredients a mile long...undecipherable names of preservatives and chemicals in the label - can we really call it food?  What happened to  food that we can recognize?

I honestly don't believe in any kind of "diet".  I think healthy living is a lifestyle choice.  Believe me, living in Texas in the summer is not the place I really want to go for a run but exercise is one of the most important ways to maintain good health so heat or no heat - I run.  SO what can we do to get on our way to living and most importantly eating healthy?  I say start with a few minor changes.  I'll do more descriptive blog posts on each topic but I think I can break it down into a few easy steps:

1.    Get rid of any products in your kitchen that contain high fructose corn syrup.
I am a big fan of Dr. Oz and he even goes as far as to say to get rid of any products that contain any kind of corn syrup or nay syrups at all)
2.    Get rid of all the products in your house that contain partially hydrogenated oils or any kids of hydrogenated oils.
3.    When you shop at the grocery store do almost all of your shopping around the perimeter of the store.  The perimeter of the store contains the fresh fruits and vegetables, the fresh meats, fresh dairy and more.  When you start going up and down the aisles that’s where you find all the packaged and processed foods.

I think if you start to foces on these 3 steps you will be on the right track of a newer, healthier lifestyle.

Are Your Carbs White?

One of the easiest changes we can make in our diet is switching all of our "white" products to brown.  If you are still eating white bread, pasta and rice it is now the time to switch to the whole wheat/whole grain versions.

Don't be discouraged if your family has some resistance at first.  Significant changes in the way you and your family eat may take time.  Start with one product at a time and slowly introduce the new products into the diet a little at a time.  For instance, if you normally eat white rice, the next time you make rice serve half white/half brown rice mixed together.  Do this a couple of times and slowly work your way to eliminating all of the white rice and serving brown rice only  Do the same with spaghetti.

I actually think that the switch to whole wheat/whole grain bread is the easier change to make.  There are so many great tasting whole wheat and whole grain breads out there.  I prefer the ones that are labeled multi-grain, 7 Grain, etc.  Be sure to read the label to make sure your bread does not contain high fructose corn syrup.  Also look to see if your bread is All Natural and that it actually contains 100% whole wheat or 100% whole grain.

If you find that your kids are resisting the changes just be honest with them.  Share with them that you are making these changes so that they are eating a more healthy diet to keep them strong and healthy and to keep them from getting sick. 


So what's the skinny?  Why are whole wheat and whole grains better for you? 

Eating whole grains such as oatmeal, whole-wheat bread, brown rice and pasta as part of a healthy diet can help reduce the risk of heart disease, some types of cancer, and Type-2 diabetes.  The whole wheat versions also contain more vitamins and nutrients that have not been striped out in the refining process.

So start today - make the change.  Yes you can!

The Benefits of Healthy Snacking

Make sure you eat enough.  What?

I know that on the news the last few days there have been reports about how much kids are snacking and how it is affecting the rising childhood obesity problem we have in the US.  I don't really have a problem with snacking.  In fact, snacking between meals is an important part of keeping your metabolism revved up.  I think the problem we have is what we are snacking on and the kinds of snacks we are providing for our children.

I know for myself, if I don't have a light healthy snack between breakfast and lunch and then again between lunch and dinner - I tend to over eat at meal time, and this is even after I have eaten as much preparing the meal as I do when I sit down to eat the actual meal.  Do you know what I mean?  That topic I have had on my mind lately and is for a later post!

What we need to be aware of is the kind of snacks we choose for ourselves and our children.  I keep my refrigerator stocked with good, healthy snacks:

• Bananas
• All natural low fat yogurt - I like Stonyfield Farms (most other brands contain either artificial sweeteners, tons of fat, or High Fructose Corn Syrup)
• Grapes (Keep them washed and ready to eat in a bowl)
• Carrots Sticks (follow the grapes comment)
• Apples
• All Natural Peanut Butter (I've said it before - Elvis had the idea with peanut butter and bananas - just keep your portions under control)
• Almonds - Again portion is the key - just a handful

For my kids, they eat almost all of the snacks I mentioned above.  For school my older son only wants a Clif Kids Z Bar, which is not a bad choice but my younger son wants a variety of different snacks throughout the week.  He likes Cheddar Bunnies, Cuties mixed with craisins, homemade healthy muffins (he doesn't get those as often), etc.

I think the important point here is that if we are eating an overall healthy diet, healthy snacking is OK.  Sending your kids to school with packaged, highly processed foods loaded with sugar for snack is probably not a good idea and really upsets the teachers.  Make lots of healthy options available to your kids, model the behavior, and you will be setting them up for a life time of good choices - and hopefully good health too. 

Three things you can do today for better health!

If you can only remember three things this month to get you on the road to better health let these be on the top of your list:

1.  Avoid any foods that contain High Fructose Corn Syrup:
WHY: May elevate fat levels in the blood and elevate cholesterol. May slow fat burning and cause weight gain, may inhibit our natural ability to feel full and therefore may cause us to eat even more.

2. Avoid any foods that contain Partially Hydrogenated Oils:
WHY: Clogs arteries, raises bad cholesterol, risk of heart disease.

3.  Do most of your shopping around the perimeter of the gorcery store:
WHY: The outside or perimeter of the grocery store contains all of the fresh produce, meats, and dairy.  The inside or aisles of the store contain all of your packaged, processed, boxed and canned meals.

A Better Alternative to the Slice and Bake Cookie

I was so excited when I found these cookies today. They are from Pillsbury "Simply"and seem to have a better list of ingredients than most slice-n-bake type cookies. Although still not the healthiest food in the world, these cookies do not contain high-fructose corn syrup, trans fat, artificial colors or preservatives.

I found 2 flavors, peanut butter & chocolate chip. The peanut butter are in the oven right now so I will let you know how good they are after they have been "kid-tested".

Here is the link to their website for more info:
http://www.pillsbury.com/products/sweet-treats/Refrigerated/simply-cookies.htm#

Healthy Kids Drinks for Back to School

If your kids take a sack lunch to school you have a little more control over what they are eating and drinking.

What your kids are drinking at school is as important as what they are eating. If you pack a juice box in their lunch, make sure they only drink 100% juice. I know it can cost a little more but if you are not buying 100% juice your kids are getting tons of artificial ingredients and sugar packed into one little box.

Most juice boxes contain:

*Only 10% real fruit juice
*High-fructose corn syrup
*Only 20% of recommended daily value of Vitamin C

My two favorite brands are Juicy Juice and Minute Maid 100% Juice. I have found both at Target and Market Street.

If they buy school lunch encourage them to buy low-fat milk or bottled water and discourage sodas of all kinds.

A Healthier Cracker

Not long ago, I had a craving for crackers and cheese. I picked up a box of the most popular brand of buttery round crackers and decided to read the ingredients. I was shocked to find that the ingredients included partially hydrogenated soybean oil and high fructose corn syrup. Unbelievable! So I went on the search for a healthier cracker and this is what I found:

Eat This: Back to Nature Classic Rounds: They taste as good as the more popular brands but they contain no trans fat, no hydrogenated oils, and no artificial preservatives.

Not That: Popular Brand Crackers containing HFCS and Hydrogenated Oils.

I have found these crackers at Super Target, Market Street and Kroger

Homemade French Fries

This is a great, healthier version of french fries. If you like a lot of spice and flavor go heavy on the dried minced onions. If you are not so much into the flavor - go easy. Make sure you use your "all natural" ketchup that does not contain high fructose corn syrup. Yes - if you missed one of my previous entries most regular brand ketchup has HFCS so make sure to read the label and pick a healthier choice or go with out (is that allowed?)

3 Med. potatoes
4 TBSP Butter, Melted
¾ Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
½ tsp. garlic salt
¼ tsp. paprika
1/8 tsp. onion powder
1/8 tsp. pepper
2 tsp. dried minced onion
Canola Oil

Scrub potatoes and cut in half. Cut each half into four large slices. Brush potatoes with melted butter.

Add all other ingredients, except oil in a large plastic bag. Add several potato slices at a time to bag. Shake to coat with cheese mixture. Place coated potato slices on oiled cooking sheet. Bake in pre-heated oven at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes, turning at least once while cooking. Makes 6 servings.

A Healthier Pancake

My boys love pancakes. On occasion we will whip them up a batch from scratch but most of the time I use a mix. My favorite mix is Maple Groves Farms - All Natural Honey Buckwheat Pancake Mix. I add about a TBL of ground flax seed meal and a tsp of cinnamon to the mix. I also use canola oil.

They are on the healthier side of pancakes and do not contain partially hydrogenated oils or high fructose corn syrup like other mixes. Most importantly they taste pretty good. We also only use 100% natural syrup. You'd be surprised but the popular syrup brands almost all have high fructose corn syrup in them so make sure you buy only 100% maple syrup.

Top your pancakes with chopped pecans and fresh blueberries. Mmmm.....

Here is the website for Maple Grove Farms. You can also find this mix at Market Street.

http://www.maplegrove.com/index.asp

The “Other” Ketchup

I mentioned in yesterday’s blog that we need a healthy ketchup to go with our organic French fries. I read the ingredient list of the most popular brands of ketchup and they have both high fructose corn syrup and corn syrup in them. Again I ask, “Is that really necessary? What happened to food just being food? Why can’t they use natural ingredients like regular sugar?" Thankfully I have two recommendations for a healthier version.

My favorite is:

Annie’s Natural Organic Ketchup: It is made with all natural ingredients, cloves and all spice and is even better than the “regular” stuff.

My second choice is Heinz Organic Tomato Ketchup. It is made with organic tomatoes and sugar.

Both of these choices are pretty good. I was happy to have more than one alternative. I know it’s expensive to throw out food and start fresh so use up what you have and when you go to purchase it next time – make the healthier choice. Small changes – one at a time.

What BBQ Sauce is Healthy?

My Eat This Not That Product today is BBQ Sauce. Most BBQ Sauces on the shelf in the grocery store contain high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) and loads of other un-natural ingredients. Make sure you read the label on every product you buy.

Research has shown that high-fructose corn syrup goes directly to the liver, releasing enzymes that instruct the body to then store fat. This may elevate triglyceride (fat in blood) levels and elevate cholesterol levels. This fake fructose may slow fat burning and cause weight gain. Other research has shown that HFCS does not stimulate insulin production which means that we don't feel full when we should and therefore eat more.

Eat This: Annie's Natural Original BBQ Sauce. It is a Vegan, Gluten Free Product, and Made with Organic Ingredients. It is sweetened with brown rice syrup instead of HFCS or other un-natural sweeteners and has a really sweet and tangy flavor. I love it!

Not That: Other BBQ Sauces that contain HFCS and other unnatural ingredients.

I have purchased this delicious BBQ Sauce at Market Street and you can also buy it on line:

http://www.annies.com/an

Make small changes every day. You don't have to do a complete diet overhaul in one day. Change one product at a time and slowly you will have a kitchen full of better for you, more natural foods.

What Salad Dressing is Healthy?

If you are like me, you would think that a regular light Italian dressing would be just fine to put on top of your healthy salad. Well, if you are like me, you will be totally shocked that one of the first ingredients in most salad dressing is high fructose corn syrup!

When I started reading labels on all the products I used to buy, I was continually shocked at all the unhealthy ingredients that go into the most simple of foods.

Today my focus is salad dressing. Check the labels of the dressings you have in your refrigerator. I think you will probably be shocked at not only the number of indecipherable ingredients on the label but also that it contains large amounts of sugar, high fructose corn syrup, preservatives, and more.

I went on the search for a healthier alternative and aside from just going without dressing all together, I found one that I really like and wanted to share the information.

Eat This: I like Annie’s Natural Lite Raspberry Vinaigrette. It is Dairy Free, Soy Free, and Gluten Free and is one of the best “all natural” salad dressings I have tried. I have found it at Market Street but I think they also sell it at Super Target and Kroger (in their “healthy living”) section. You can also buy it on line. Here is the URL:

http://www.annies.com/an#jump302

Not That: Salad Dressings loaded with unhealthy ingredients, fat, and preservatives.

How to Make a Gourmet Salad in 5 Minutes

When it comes to salad I am on the lazy side. I am usually in a hurry but still want a nice salad with dinner. I usually start with a bagged salad. Make sure you wash and drain it well. I like Dole Tender Garden, 7 Lettuces Blend, or Classsic Romaine. I even mix bags together for more variety. You can use any kind you prefer but try to make sure it has some of the darker greens mixed in like spinach or endive. The more color in the bag the better.

To spruce it up I add about ½ cup of craisins, ½ cup sliced almonds, and ½ cup chopped carrots(I use the baby carrots that have already been peeled). If you have more time add some chopped onion and green pepper as well. To really make it gourmet add 1/2 of a chopped Granny Smith Apple with the peel on.

To keep your salad healthy stay away from high fat, creamy dressings. My favorite salad dressing is Annie’s Naturals Lite Raspberry Vinaigrette. Stick to the recommended serving – measure it out if need be. If you already have a favorite dressing make sure to read the list of ingredients. Many salad dressings contain high fructose corn syrup and lots of calories and fat.

Healthy Snack on the Go

Eat This Not That

When you are on the go I know it's hard to grab a snack that is simple, healthy and actually tastes good. If I am at home I usually snack on grapes, carrot sticks or bites size pieces of broccoli. Keeps these snacks washed, cut up and readily available so that when you are at home and hungry they are easy to grab so you don't grab that bag of chips! But when I know I am going to be running around all day I want a convenient healthy snack. So today's Eat This Not That is Soy Joy Bars vs. Candy Bars

Eat This: Soy Joy Bars. They are all natural, made with whole soy, real fruit and four grams of protein, and have no trans fat. They come in a variety of flavors. I like the Apple Walnut and the Mango Coconut best. Keep a box at home, one in the car, and one at the office. They are that perfect 3:00 pm snack.

Not That: Candy Bars. Most candy bars are high in sugar and low in healthful nutrients and can cause an unhealthy spike and then crash in blood sugar. They are usually loaded with unnatural ingredients, high in trans fat and high fructose corn syrup.

The Other Pop-Tart

Funny how things work but I had 2 different conversations with 2 different friends today about pop-tarts. I thought that was a good sign for me to give you a healthy alternative to the “regular” pop-tart, which can contain ingredients such as high fructose corn syrup and partially hydrogenated oils, both of which are products to avoid.

When I went on my search for a healthier alternative I found Nature’s Path Organic Frosted Toaster Pastries. You can buy them at places like Market Street and Whole Foods and even on line. I have included the website.

Now I don’t recommend that you have your kids (or spouses!) eat them every day for breakfast but they are a much better alternative than the regular brand, come in a variety of flavors, are USDA certified organic and best of all…my kids love them!

http://www.naturespath.com/

What’s Up, Sugar?

What happened to food being sweetened with plain old sugar? Why is it that everything from yogurt to bread is sweetened with High-fructose corn syrup (commonly known as HFCS in our household) And what is HFCS?

High fructose corn syrup is common sweetener and preservative. HFCS is made by changing the sugar in cornstarch to fructose — another form of sugar. The end product is a combination of fructose and glucose. Because it extends the shelf life of processed foods and is cheaper than sugar, high-fructose corn syrup has become a popular ingredient in many sodas, fruit-flavored drinks and other processed foods.

In fact, when I started reading food labels I found that HFCS was in a majority of the foods I purchased. It is in everything from soft drinks to yogurt to cookies. It also lurks in unexpected places, like crackers, bread, salad dressing and canned soup. It has made me walk down the aisles in grocery stores yelling, “Why are they trying to poison my kids?” granting many strange looks from fellow shoppers. Yes I am overdramatizing but you get the point.

So why is it bad? Well there is as always a debate on whether a product is bad for you or not. But my philosophy is that if it isn’t found naturally in nature and has been chemically processed, it can’t be that great. Research has shown that HFCS goes directly to the liver, releasing enzymes that instruct the body to then store fat. This may elevate fat levels in the blood and elevate cholesterol. This fake fructose may slow fat burning and cause weight gain, may inhibit our natural ability to feel full and therefore may cause us to eat even more.

So, why not return to a more natural way of eating? Only buy products that are sweetened naturally with sugar, cane sugar, honey, maple syrup and other ingredients found only in nature.

**Again, I am not a doctor or a nutritionist, just a fellow eater**