Celebrate Good Times...Come On!

I was inspired to write today's post after reading some comments on a friend's Facebook status. The question posed was basically whether or not the poster should break his diet in order to celebrate an occasion with some pizza. What amazed me was the number of people saying he should go for it because that specific occasion doesn't happen often and needed to be celebrated. This left me thinking, why does a "proper celebration" need to include junk food.

We hear this every day. The child being told, "I'm so proud of your good grades, let's get some ice cream." The wife being told, "Congrats on your promotion, let's go out for dinner - order your favorite dessert." Or how about a class pizza party to celebrate a great school year. There are so many times in our lives that food is offered to us to celebrate or reward us, and I believe this sets us up for failure when it comes to controlling our weight.


We've all heard of emotional eating, feeding the depression or self hatred with bad choices from the menu. But this isn't the only type of emotion eating. Isn't feeding our good feelings, our happy and self loving feeling, with bad choices just as destructive? While it may not contribute to the same type of self-propelled, vicious circle, it does present it's own dangers. I think the best example is one I have witnessed myself several times - the weight loss support group that celebrates with meal out...burgers, fries and all!

Don't get me wrong. I am absolutely not saying that you shouldn't enjoy the foods you love in moderation. In fact, I am an advocate of allowing yourself some treats to prevent yourself from rebounding following a strict diet. However, I do believe that each person needs to really stop and think about WHY they are going to eat the foods they feel are "junk" or "not allowed". If it is because you truly want to allow yourself a small bowl of ice cream because you like it and enjoy it, and have kept your calories in check, then by all means, enjoy. But if the reason is because everyone else is having it to celebrate, perhaps you should rethink it. Having a fruit bowl rather than a chocolate brownie isn't going to damper the occasion or make it any less special. In fact, you may find yourself in an even better mood when your scale doesn't go up following the celebration. Just don't celebrate THAT fact with a cookie.....

Back and Better Than Ever!

I'm back! I cannot believe how incredibly busy life can get as a mom, wife, cook, chauffeur, housekeeper, full time employee....you get the picture. Somehow my blog became swept into the pile of things I just didn't have time for. And lately that has me thinking...how many of us are doing the same with our health?  Let's be honest, diet and exercise take time and work. Time we may not have. Or do we?

I had this exact conversation with my mom a couple days ago. Imagine a person who has 20 pounds to lose. If you told this person they needed to lose all 20 pounds in say, 3 months, I am sure there are many excuses that could be made as to why that isn't possible. No time, too busy with the kids, not enough money to buy healthy foods, my knee isn't able to handle the workouts.....

Now tell that same person that if they lose all 20 pounds in the 3 months, they will be given $100,000. I bet they get those pounds off in a hurry!

Becoming healthy, thinner, in better physical shape....whatever your goal....needs to be a priority. No, you likely won't be handed a small fortune when you reach your goal, but the prize for succeeding is much better than money! You will live longer, feel better, become more confident, finally wear that 2 piece bathing suit!

Let's make our goals our priority. Remind yourself "I HAVE TIME FOR ME". The kids, laundry, television set will not mind you taking 30 minutes to hit the elliptical, get out for a walk, prepare fresh veggies for the week, or read some motivational blogging!

Let's get back on track.

I am going to do the same.

I'm back, and promise more healthy tips and tricks to have you feeling better than ever!

Kill Those Cravings!

I don't know about you but I often become the victim of cravings. Oh, those nasty cravings! Sometimes I want chocolate, other times I want something salty like peanut butter cookies. These cravings can be hard to ignore! Many diets take the approach that you just do not, can not, WILL NOT indulge. I, however, would like to make a slight, yet very significant change to that statement. Here it goes: You do not, can not, will not indulge...all the time!



When I have an overwhelming urge to give in to something "naughty", I follow a few simple steps:

1. Try to ignore it. Have a glass of water. Get your hands and mind busy with something else. Call a friend. Go for a walk. Get off the couch! Often times this is all it takes to make the craving stop.

2. Try a substitute. There are many healthier alternatives that may help you to satisfy the urge but not give in to something unhealthy. Here are a few examples that work for me (you may have your own that work for you):

• Kill that chocolate craving by eating fresh pineapple instead. I find that the bitter sweetness of pineapple tends to substitute for the bittersweet chocolate taste that I often crave.
• Rather than indulge in fatty peanut butter cookies, have a little peanut butter with some celery instead.
• Replace your ice cream with a fat free yogurt or sherbet, or a low cal low fat portioned ice cream treat.

3. If the above steps fail and I still find myself craving something terribly, I will take a look at how I have done with my calories and fat that day and decide if a small treat would be okay that day. For ME, I find if I deny myself all of the treats I enjoy, I will start sneaking them and rebelling against my diet. However, by allowing  myself a small treat here and there that I incorporate into my diet plan for the day, I stay on track better.

Now the challenge: Try to find a craving substitute that works for you and post it in the comments section below. Together we can kill those cravings - or learn to work with them.

The Road to a Better Muffin....

...or any other baked good for that matter.

I love muffins. And before I learned how fatty they were, they were my breakfast of choice. Today, they are still an occasional item on my daily diet.

I was not ready to give up muffins completely. There had to be a way to enjoy this food without so much fat.

Well folks, there is.

The trick to enjoying some of your favorite foods is to make them at home so you can control EXACTLY what goes into them.

Here are some little changes you can make to your muffin recipes to make them better for you:

• Replace the oil in your recipe with applesauce or baby food. When I make banana muffins I like to use banana baby food rather than oil. When I make blueberry muffins, I use blueberry baby food. Try using a similar flavor or try something different to make a new taste. Use strawberry baby food in your banana muffins and enjoy a new treat!
• Replace the chocolate chips in your recipe for fruit! While I do enjoy a good banana chocolate muffin, I feel better about my choice when I opt for a delicious fruit muffin instead: strawberry rhubarb, apple cinnamon or peach muffins are great choices!
• Watch your nuts! While nuts are quite fatty, some contain many essential vitamins and minerals and can be an excellent source of protein. The best nuts to eat are: Hazelnuts, Almonds, Pecans, Macadamias, and Walnuts.
• Replace your white and brown sugars with a sugar substitute such as Stevia or Splenda.
• Try using a recipe that uses whole wheat flour rather than white all purpose flour. White flour contains very little nutritional value for the body. Our bodies actually cannot tell the difference between eating a spoonful of sugar or a slice of white bread. Whole wheat flour, however, is a much better option. In fact, The Journal of the American Medical Association in 2003 stated that simply swapping out your white bread for whole wheat bread can cut your heart disease risk by up to 20%.

These are just some of the many ways you can make your muffins - or many other baked goods - healthier and better for you.

Let's get some feedback! Post your favorite tricks to making your BAKED GOODS healthier in the comments section below!

Today's Recipe: Pepper and Avocado Wraps

Looking for a quick lunch or snack? Try a tasty pepper and avocado wrap. Not only are they DELICIOUS, but they are healthy. They contain some very good for you veggies, as well as a little dairy and some healthy fat. Yes, that's right. Healthy fat. Not all fats are a bad thing. Look for an upcoming post about fat in the next couple days. In the meantime, try these super yummy wraps. (I must send a big thanks to my mom, Lori, for this recipe.)

Personally, I am not a big fan of the whole wheat wraps - I often purchase the Smart Wraps that taste more like a flour tortilla but actually contain more whole grains. I do recommend you peek at the fat content of the wraps before you buy - many contain a LOT of fat.

Combine the following ingredients in a tortilla wrap of your choice:

• red and yellow peppers
• green onion
• avocado
• low fat cheddar cheese
• salsa
• grilled chicken (optional)
• apple slices (optional)

The combination of ingredients makes for a surprisingly tasty combination. To be honest, when my mom first told me about the wraps I thought they sounded boring. Turns out they are anything but.  

Start Slowly - It's Not a Race

 We've all heard the story: while the Tortoise slowly plugs away and works his way to the finish line, the Hare zips along, stops for breaks and ultimately loses the race.

In my first post I talked about how easy it is to take on too much at once in your quest for healthier living and end up frustrated and giving up. I personally think that it can be better to make little changes, or even some big ones, here and there, and let them add up to a big result.

An example of a small change may be to start using turkey bacon rather than a full fat pork bacon, or egg whites only in your breakfast or lunch. Start with just the change to your bacon, then after a while, add the switch to the egg whites. If you make so many changes to your meal at once, you may have trouble sticking to your new healthy eating plan if you aren't one who enjoys the tastes of those foods.

So try it today - make one change to just one meal. Sure, you wont see the pounds fly off as fast as you might think you could if you made many changes at once, but then remind yourself that it's good to be a Tortoise! Take things slow if you aren't ready, and you will still win this race.

Today's Recipe: Breakfast Quinoa

I love, love, love quinoa. I have to send a thanks to my Bead Happy girl, Lisa, for turning me on to the stuff.

Check out Lisa's blog here:  http://beadhappytoday.blogspot.com/

Let's take a quick look at what quinoa is. Wikipedia states that quinoa "is a grain-like crop grown primarily for its edible seeds....As a chenopod, quinoa is closely related to species such as beets, spinach, and tumbleweeds."

Doesn't that sound tasty?I mean who doesn't enjoy a good tumble weed. And when I think yummy and nutritious, I immediately think beet.

Well the truth is, it is DELICIOUS. And you will love it even more when you learn a bit more about it. Quinoa has a lower carbohydrate count and higher protein count than rice, potatoes, cereal, and pasta. It's just plain fantastic. Quinoa can be used in so many different ways: replace your spaghetti noodles with quinoa to enjoy a more guilt free spaghetti. Have quinoa instead of rice or potatoes with your evening meal. Put cooked, cooled quinoa in your salads to make them more filling. And my personal favorite, cook a delicious breakfast dish using quinoa.

Here is how you do it:

Mix 1 part quinoa with 2 parts water in a pot. Add a sprinkle of cinnamon and brown sugar twin (or, alternatively, use brown sugar. If using brown sugar, add it at the end when adding in the milk). Bring to a boil. Add in thinly sliced apple and a handful of raisins. Turn stove down to medium, cover pot and stir occasionally. When nearly all of the water is gone and the quinoa have a ring around each kernel, it is ready to eat! I also like to add a splash of milk before I eat it. It's almost like an oatmeal, but better and better for you. 

Yumm!