Archive for Food

The Power of Green Tea

Now that my yearly fast is done I’m so glad to be able to have green tea again. This year or shall I say last year (Nov 28-Dec 24) I was on a fast where I could only drink water. The first few days I had a head ache out of this world (caffeine withdrawals) but by the 3rd day it was all good. Except I missed my tea!

I became a fan of green tea about 2 years ago we I was doing some research on free radicals and antioxidants.  I would go online and look for different teas; green, black, red, white any kind of tea I could find I tried.  They all had pros and cons but the ones I seemed to like the most was the green and chai teas.

Let me share with you some of things I heard and many health benefits of green tea. First let me say that any thing I post in this blog is for educational purposes only! You still need to read and research plus check with your physician before making any drastic changes to your diet and lifestyle. Remember I want you healthy, fit and fabulous.

What is green tea?
Green tea contains a powerful antioxidant known as EGCG (epigallocatechin) which responsible for all the health benefits of green tea.

What are the benefits?
1. Reduces risk of breast, stomach esophagus, colon and prostate cancer.
2. Decrease BP
3. Lowers cholesterol levels and while  improving the ratio of good (HDL) to bad (LDL) cholesterol.
4. Helps with rheumatoid arthritis
5. Decrease risk of Infection
6. Helps with impaired immune function
7. Assist in the prevention of death of brain cells- less chance of Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s
9. Natural antiseptic for cuts, burns or inflamed breakouts or blemishes.
8. Increases the metabolism which can lead to weight loss! (That’s the one you were waiting to hear). But tea alone will not help you lose weight. You still have to make health conscious food choices and exercise.

How much to drink? And when?
I know what you’re thinking, “that’s some powerful stuff”. If it can do all of that why don’t  people don’t drink more of it?  One is reason is you have to consume at least 8 cups of green tea a day for it to have the maximum effects. The second draw back is, it contains caffeine. The good thing is the caffeine is about half that of a cup of coffee.

The best time to have a cup of green tea (especially if your adding it to you eating plan to lose weight) is right before you go to bed. It keeps the metabolism going through out the night.

Other alternatives
If drinking 8 cups of green tea a day is too much for you taking a green tea supplement works just as well. Generally 1 green tea supplement will give you around 8 cups worth of the antioxidant found in the tea.  Caution, when taking this supplement make sure the first line ingredient is green tea otherwise you may not be getting as much of the tea as you think.

Suggested Brands:
Bigelow (Best flavor)
Celestial Seasonings Green Tea (variety pack is good especially the Lemon)
Lipton (Diet Green on ice is wonderful)
The Republic of Tea  (the brand I started with, they have a variety of teas  visit www.republicoftea.com)

Let’s go Green, it does more than help the environment!

Milk Does The Body Good

What do you usually drink following a good workout? Water or maybe a sports drink, right? Have you ever thought about drinking milk? Better yet, when was the last time you had a glass of milk?

Milk contains Vitamin D, and as women Vitamin D has several health benefits we need and often neglect. The most common health benefit is for the joints and bones, as it assist the body in absorbing calcium. Milk also has some really good  fitness benefits as well:

1. Build strength
2. Help soreness
3. Refuel muscles
4. Improves performance( especially for runners)
5. Lose weight- alpha linolenic acid helps with long term weight control

Research as shown that when you consume the recommended daily allowance of Vitamin D, you’re less likely to suffer from osteoporosis and joint pain not to mention also helps to slow down the affects of arthritis.

Although Vitamin D is produced by the body you need to get at least 1 hour a week of sunlight for the body to produce adequate amounts. As we age we tend to produce less Vitamin D so that’s where your daily supplemental intake comes in.

As mentioned above milk is the one source many people think of when it comes to Vitamin D. Other dietary sources of Vitamin D can be found in fish, cod liver oil and oral Vitamin D supplements. When drinking milk try to choose the fat free or 1%; whole and 2% are higher in saturated fats. I would recommend trying soy, almond or rice milk. They’re high in Calcium, Vitamin A, D, and E. If you want a little flavor and variety try chocolate milk, it has all the carbs, protein and calories needed to refuel after a workout.

So the for you next post workout drink try my favorite: use 1 cup of milk (I use vanilla soy) with a 1 -2 scoops of whey protein, 1 cup of frozen berries, mix in a blender and your muscles will thank you in the morning.

Tired of the Same Meal…Try Something New

There comes a time when we all get tired of the same meal week after week. Take it from me, there are only so many things you can with chicken, fish and turkey, especially of you’re trying to eat healthy. Sometimes we cook and eat the same things 1.because of convenience and 2. because we just don’t know what else to cook.

Today I would like to challenge you (again) to step out of your comfort zone and try something new. You may be surprised at what you might like. For example many people don’t eat egg plant,neither did I until I found a recipe for roasted eggplant. I was shocked at how much flavor and how good it was. Same goes for asparagus. Try them grilled and not over cooked they’re awesome, and healthy.

There are thousands of recipes on line. You can pretty much google any meal and find a recipe for it. Not all recipes are created equal, you may have to replace some of the ingredients, and that’s ok as long as you don’t alter the recipe with unhealthy ingredients. I like to go to healthy sites and see what other people around the world cook and how. Some sites will even send you weekly recipes directly to your email inbox. Here are some site to get you started. (*ones I subscribe to)

1. EatBetterAmerica.com*
2. FoodFit.com*
3. Eatingwell.com
4. Healthy.Betterrecipes.com
5. Recipezaar.com*

Again I challenge you to go and browse the above sites and see what you can make for your family. Guarantee they’ll be happy with a change.

Cheers to Happy Eating!

Living Without Eating Meat

What if you had to live without eating meat. Could you? Have you ever tried? Many people would say no immediately to the question, but give it some thought. You’ll be surprised that you probably could. There are so many health benefits when it comes to a vegetarian diet.

• Vegetarian diets are cholesterol free and therefore and help lower the risk of cardiovascular disease.
• Vegetarian diets have also been studied and found to reduce some cancers( lung and breast),
• Decrease obesity
• Help with diabetes (especially diabetes type 2) 
• Improve renal (kidney) function

The main reason for the health benefits is that meat contains saturated fat which increase the risk of developing those health issues. Now, becoming a vegetarian is not something you can do without doing proper research on the different types of vegetarians. First you must decided if you’re going to eat ANYanimal containing foods. 

Types of Vegetarians:

1. Lacto vegetarians- eat foods that contain dairy products . 
2. Total vegetarians- eat only plant food. They do not eat any animal foods, including fish, eggs, dairy products, and honey.
3. Vegans- not only omit all animal products from their diets, but they also eliminate them from the rest of their life. Vegans use nothing from animals, such as leather, wool, and silk. 
4. Lacto- ovo- vegetarians- eat both eggs and dairy products. 
5. Pesco vegetarians- include fish into their diets.
6. Pollo vegetarians- eat poultry, such as chicken, turkey, and duck

You have to select a vegetarian diet plan that fit your lifestyle and consume foods that you really like eating. Start slow if you’re considering becoming a vegetarian. Instead of eating the usual meat you eat with a certain meal try it with a meat substitute (tofu or tempeh) or no meat at all. Cut down on the amount of eat you eat per week. Try a meal with all veggies, but I would really encourage you to not start without first weaning your self from meat. Cutting cold turkey, will be very hard if you’re not use to discipline when it comes to eating.

If you’re considering trying a vegetarian diet there are some important things to remember when balancing your meals. Protein normally comes from meat and is needed for growth, immune functions and muscle mass. Since you’re not eating meat you still need the protein in your diet. Tofu, tempeh, quinoa, seitan,black beans,chick peas, kidney beans, lentils,soybeans all have at least 15 grams of protein. Here’s a simple equation to ensure that you are getting enough protein daily.

Your body weight in kilograms (to get kilograms divided your wt in pounds by 2.2) X 0.8= grams of protein per day.  For example 120/2.2= 54.5 X 0.8= 43 grams per day

One ounce of meat contains at least 7 grams of protein per ounce. If you’re eating at least 3 oz of meat with each meal, you’re meeting your daily requirement of protein in just 2 meals; based on a 120 pounds. (7×3=21×2=42). So as you can see meat supplies alot of protein. Reading the nutritional facts is very important when becoming a vegetarian to make sure you get enough protein in your diet.

After eliminating meat from my diet for the last month I have really considered making it a permanent life change….maybe. But if this is something that you are seriously thinking about I wish you all the success and health benefits that being a vegetarian can bring.

Happy Eating…

Amaze Yourself this Christmas

Christmas parties, shopping, eggnog, cookies, cakes, pies, turkey I can spend 5 minutes listing all the wonderful things that make Christmas one of my favorite times of the year. As you spend time with your family and friends this Christmas I wanted to share with you some simple easy to do tips that can help you avoid those dreaded unwanted calories.

Being that it is Christmas I know many women love this time because we get a chance to do what we do best….SHOP. As you’re out shopping this weekend don’t allow food and sweet temptations overwhelm you. Here are few items you can do to eat while out and about:

• McDonald’s fruit and yogurt parfait ~160 calories
• Chickfila dream cone~170 calories
• Starbucks cappuccino (tall with nonfat milk no whip) ~ 75 calories
• Wendy’s chili~ 190 calories
• For a detailed list of the On the Go healthy food items download a copy of my free report.

One thing I want to stress is forget about dieting. This is the time of year where food is what brings  families together. I wouldn’t want you to be sitting around not enjoying some of your mom’s to die for mac and cheese all because you’re on a “diet.”  The key to success is moderation. You can still partake of the food and not worry if what you ate will stick to your hips in the morning. Some of the students of the 21 Day Health and Fitness Challenge can attest to that fact.  They followed these tips and didn’t gain a pound for Thanksgiving and you can too!

• Monitor you portions
• Eat more vegetables
• Decrease alcohol consumption
• Turkey (white part) no skin
• Substitute fat for non fat items ( i.e. milk for nonfat milk or sour cream
• Limit the sweets ( sharing is caring)
• Push away from the table when full
• Get moving (walk, clean up, play with the kids)

There’s a week left before Christmas so go ahead and make plans to enjoy your self,  just remember to make health conscious food choices and you’ll be amazed at how well you do.

Merry Christmas!

“How May I help You?”

Whenever you go to a place of business that’s normally the first thing the sales person, waiter or customer service rep ask. Think about what you usually say. “Oh, I’m just looking” or “I haven’t decided yet”. Customer service is big business. As a paying customer it’s your right to get what you ask for. So why is it that we are afraid to ask what we want when it comes to eating out.

You have to know me to know what I ‘m getting ready to share. When I go out to eat I always have several request AFTER I read the menu, don’t want to make the server upset :-). 

1. Do you have a nutritional facts guide? Typically for fast food restaurants.
2. Do you have splenda (if it’s not on the table)
3. Whole grains instead of white flour (i.e. waffles, pancakes, pasta)
4. Sugar free items (syrup)
5. Egg substitute
6. Turkey bacon or sausage
7. No butter
8. Look for items that are cooked in olive oil
9. Salad dressing on side
10. No croutons
11. Substitute white or baked potato for sweet potato or extra vegetables
12. No bread, vegetable soup instead

Don’t laugh at my list of request. Just wait until you finish the program you’ll think the same way. I feel that since I’m a paying customer I should be able to have it my way. Now, you may have to pay a little extra for substitutions but you’ve worked hard at eating healthier… what’s 1.99 more?

Eating out can be just as healthy as cooking at home. Resturants can pretty much do anything you need to keep you on track with your healthy eating life style. The next time you hear ”How may I help you?” tell the truth, get want you want as  you continue on the road to your “I Love My Body” attitude.

Staying On Track

Now that Thanksgiving is over many women will continue to eat unhealthy making the excuse that they’ll eat better when the new year starts.

Why wait? Is my question.Just because you kinda ate off the plan for Thanksgiving, doesn’t mean you have to start completely over, especially if you’re a 21 Day student. Get back on track with what you have already learned.

I would suggest starting with week 1 if you know you ate too much food, not just for Thanksgiving Day but for the entire weekend. I know for many women just being around family and friends it’s hard to eat healthy while everyone else is enjoying food loaded with fat and sugar.

If you stayed on the plan… I CONGRATULATE you! I’m pretty sure you made an impact on your family. Eating healthy during the holidays can be challenging but you did it. Again congratulations!

For those of us (me included) that ate and ate and ate and totally forgot about the plan I would really recommend starting with week 1 as soon as possible. The longer you wait the harder it will be. I promise. Don’t fall back into the old habits. You’ve come too far, learning to make health conscious food choices and changing your body image to have to start all over.

Christmas is just around the corner. There will Christmas parties and family gatherings and you know what that means…FOOD. So with that being said,I want you make a commitment that you will that you will make health conscious food choices from now until Christmas. I know you can do it, you’re reading this blog as evidence you need too

Overcome Not Over Eat Holiday Survival

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, one of my favorite Holidays. I have enjoyed Thanksgiving every since my family started a tradition of going to a different family members home every year. Majority of my family members live in different states, so traveling is something I look forward too.

Trying to travel and eat healthy is not a good combination, especially if you’re driving long distance and spending several hours on the road. What about being in the airport and smelling the Cinnabons! OMG… I can smell them now.

Here are a few travel survival tips I use when I’m trying to eat healthy on the road:

1. Eat a healthy meal before you travel
2. Bring snacks with you (nuts, fruit, protein bar)
3. Chew gum
4. Drink plenty of water
5. Eat foods that are high protein, low fat, low cards
6. No processed foods (chips, sweets)
7. Consume green tea (helps increase the metabolism)

Thanksgiving is about being thankful, so why put undo stress on yourself about dieting. Instead of dieting why not just make health conscious food choices, while still enjoying the food. Here are some tips as to how to avoid over eating:

1. Smaller serving sizes- use the rim of the plate as a guide. Try not to place food to the outer edge of the plate. Use the center of the plate
2. Use the 1 table spoon method- 1 table spoon per item
3. Remove the skin from the turkey
4. Use chicken in stead of pork and fat
5. Substitute reduced fat items instead of the regular
6. Try sugar free foods
7. Consume more vegetables
8. Share a dessert with someone
9. Monitor your carbohydrate intake (limit the cards to 2 servings)
10. Decrease the consumption of alcohol

Now that you have had a great meal, don’t go and sit on the couch and watch football. Keep moving! This will help burn some of those excess calories. Wash the dishes, play with the kids, even involve the family in games that require movement like charades. Finally take a walkout side and enjoy the fresh air.Try some of these tips and after the holiday let me know how it went. 

As I look at what I have been blessed with this year, I would like to say that I so thankful for all the people that read and comment on this blog. Your words of encouragement mean so much to me. I know that by doing this blog I’m helping women all over the world develop the “I Love MY Body” attitude.

Happy Thanks giving!

Let it Go….

I couldn’t wait to write today’s blog; this topic was on my mind every since a high school class mate left a message on my FB.  Members of the 21 Day Health and Fitness Challenge received a heart felt message that I thought was something all ladies needed to hear, entitled “Are You Allowing Food to Kill You?” The comment left was “People use food as a stress release.”  So my question still remains the same, “Are you allowing food to kill you?”

We all have things that we have to deal with on a daily basis but how we choose to handle them will determine our victory over it. Stress is not good for the body at all. Some people say that they can handle stress but the truth of the matter is you may think you can handle the stress. Externally you can  fake and pretend that nothing is bothering you but internally it’s World War 3 going on. The chemical process of stress leads to several different health issues that you may not be aware of until it manifest as a physical sign and symptom and by then the damage has been done.

For example many auto immune disorders can be caused by stress. One that I know all to well is Polymyositis. A very close family member was diagnosed with it several years ago. The doctors ran so many test and everything came back negative, then finally after a muscle biopsy the diagnoses was made. Polymyositis affects less than 20,000 women between ages 35-50 but the shocker is they don’t know the real cause. Most literature says that stress could be the cause. 

Now that lead to my second question ” If you’re stressed then how do you handle that stress?” My class mate said she used food to help her manage stress. This leads to another question “What kind of food are you eating?” I’m pretty sure it’s not celery and peanut butter. More than likely it’s processed food, high in sugar and  fat. You want something that’s going to make you feel good. Women tend to use food as a comfort mechanism and that can lead to unhealthy eating practices thus weight gain. Next thing you know you’ve gained 15-20 pounds and don’t remember how and when you put on the weight. So you start dieting and you lose 10 pounds. You’re feeling good about your weight loss and believe that you will have the remaining 5-10 pounds off in no time. Then BAM! An unexpected life changing event happens and  you start eating and eating and eating. A month later the weight you loss is back and then some.

If you eat for comfort let’s look at how we can help you deveolp better coping skills. When something happens that may cause undue stress, deal with the stressor first. Then, if possible remove the stressor from your life. Second, set boundaries or limits as to being involved with the stress. For example if it deals with work leave work at work. Try not to take it home with you. Third, channel the negative energy from stress into something else; like your favorite hobby. Then the last suggestion, do things that make you happy puts a smile on your face.

This is the only life you have. Treat it with all the value it’s worth because once it’s gone it’s gone and the thing you were stressing about wasn’t even worth it.

Killing Me Softly

I try really hard to think before I speak, but since I’m not perfect I’ve said things that after I said it wished I could take it back.  People often say, “If looks can kill”.  How about saying, “If words can kill” too. That little pink thing in your mouth has so much power. It  should be classified as an accessory to the crime of murder. That’s a powerful statement but it’s true.  Words can kill your spirit, attitude, passion, desire and even your goals.   As women we know how to say just the right words at times to get what we want . That can be good but it can also be bad.

Let’s say for instance you’ve gained 20 pounds since graduating college. You want to lose the extra weight but just haven’t done it. You’re out shopping one day and see an old college friend. The first thing that comes out of her mouth is, “Wow you’ve gained weight!” Immediately you become defensive. Tons of emotions and thoughts go through your mind. Do I curse her out and give her a piece of my mind? Or be the bigger person and say something nice? Then without even thinking you say, “Girl you look fabulous!” It only takes a second to change the tone of a negative comment.  Even words spoken by someone you don’t care about can really make an impact on your self esteem. From that one comment other negative comments and thoughts can arise. ”Am I fat? Do I need to lose weight? Why didn’t my family tell me how I looked?” All these question about yourself from what someone said…..WORDS.

Your body is YOUR body, and if you’re happy with what YOU look like don’ t allow someone elses words to impact you in a negative way.  If you look in the mirror and feel you need to make some physical changes do it for YOU not for anyone else. The ultimate goal of the 21 Day Health and Fitness Challenge is to have the “I Love MY Body” attitude.