Rosemary in Cookies, say what?!...

We tend to think of Rosemary as a savory herb; rosemary chicken, rosemary potatoes, etc… However, like cinnamon and ginger, rosemary actually compliments “sweet” tasting foods VERY well!

Next question: aside from a fun spin on flavor, does rosemary actually provide any benefits?

YES… It does! Most herbs are comprised of varying amounts of certain nutrients. As far as rosemary is concerned, rosemary contains beneficial unsaturated fats and anti-oxidants, as well as vitamin B6, potassium, copper, Vitamin A, calcium, iron, and more! It also contains fiber, which we could all use a little more of.

Every holiday, my mother makes short-bread cookies, and puts chopped fresh rosemary in them. I know the holidays are over, but as far as I am concerned, cookies are acceptable at all times of year… (I guess since this is a nutrition page, I should probably put the whole “in moderation” line in). Try adding a little rosemary to your favorite basic sugar cookie, or short bread dough, and see what you think! I personally feel like rosemary would also be good in vanilla milkshake… but haven’t tried it yet… If you want, try adding rosemary to other sweet recipes, and share with me the ones that work!

Holiday Eating for Cardiac Health

Mediterane – eggs

Be aware, these eggs are no lower in calorie than traditional deviled eggs. However, this festive twist on traditional deviled eggs are a great source of mono-unsaturated fats from olive oil and hummus, which are very cardio-protective! As well as lycopene from the tomatoes, which is a potent anti-oxidant that may reduce incidence of cardiovascular disease and certain cancers!

Ingredients:

          -4 eggs

          -1 heaping tbsp. hummus

          -2 tsp lemon juice

          -1 tbsp. garlic powder (or ½ tbsp. fresh minced garlic)

          -1 tbsp. paprika

          -olive oil

          -pepper to taste

          -goat cheese

          -chopped sun-dried tomato

Instructions:

-Boil 4 eggs (tip: a wedge of lemon or lime in the water makes the eggs easier to peel!)

-Place eggs in ice bath, and/or allow to cool

-Peel eggs, slice long ways, scrape yolk into a bowl

-Add hummus, lemon juice, garlic powder, and paprika to yolks and mix

-Begin slowly pouring olive oil, continuing to mix

-Stop mixing yolks with olive oil when you reach the consistency you want

-Add pepper to taste

-Place spoon full of yolk back in each egg, top with sun-dried tomatoes and crumbled goat cheese (tip: at Christmas can add a sprig of rosemary for garnish and added holiday color!)

Approximate Nutrition per 2 pieces: 200 calories, 28 g fat, 8 g protein, minimal carbohydrate

Pumpkin Chiffon Mini Dessert

This dessert is delicious for being completely sugar-free; yes, you read right! COMPLETELY sugar-free. It also provides a good source of Vitamin A, and some fiber – which can help remove bad cholesterol.

Ingredients:

-1 package Dream Whip (prepared per box instructions); can use Cool Whip as substitute

          -2 Cups Pumpkin (typically 1 whole can)

          -2/3 Cup 2% milk

          -1 package sugar free instant vanilla pudding mix

-1/4 tsp nutmeg

          -1/4 tsp cinnamon

-1/4 tsp ginger

Instructions:

          -Mix all ingredients

-Place in small, individual cup/bowl; garnish with extra cinnamon sprinkled over the top; garnish with a cinnamon stick

-Optional: lightly toast oats and chopped walnuts over the stove, serve chiffon alternately layered with oat and walnut mixture providing more texture, fiber, flavor, and anti-inflammatory omega-3’s to dessert!

Approximate Nutrition (should make ~16 servings): 44 calories, 2 g fat, 0 g protein, 3 g carbohydrate*

*Keep in mind since these are mini-desserts, if multiple small servings are eaten these values will add up!

Sparkling Holiday Salad

This holiday fruit salad really does sparkle, and is packed with VERY strong flavor without any added sugar! The fruits add a variety of vitamins, minerals, and anti-oxidants, and the cinnamon contains chromium; shown to promote blood glucose control. Keep in mind – since this recipe is all fruit, it is solely carbohydrate!

Ingredients:

-Sliced/diced fruits of choice – example: apple, orange, pomegranate, fresh cranberries, blackberries

          -1 tbsp. ground ginger

          -1 tbsp. ground cinnamon

          -1 ½ tbsp. crystallized ginger

-2 cinnamon sticks (optional: for decoration, and will mull and continue to flavor fruit)

          -1 can diet Gingerale

-optional: ½ tbsp. honey if sweeter flavor desired, unsweetened coconut flakes to make salad sparkling AND snowing!

Instructions:

-Chop all fruits into bite size pieces and place in large bowl

- Add ginger, cinnamon, crystallized ginger, cinnamon sticks

-Pour Gingerale over mixture and toss

Approximate Nutrition per ½ Cup: 80 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g protein, 15-20 g carbohydrate

It's a Boy!... It's a Girl!... It's... a Hermaphrodite??... Hopefully...

I really, really like fruit. And sometimes at HEB, I pick up random fruits that look fun and interesting just to try them and see what they're like. Over the summer, I discovered a fruit called a Rambutan.





It looks kind of weird and like it would be difficult to peel, but it is not at all. The spikes don't poke you, you just dig your finger nails into the skin, and it peels easier than an orange to expose a golf-ball sized, white fruit. And how did it taste you may ask?

This fruit was absolutely delicious!... it was like candy that is good for you, and it really is good for you. Upon further investigation, I found that it is high in many micro nutrients, like copper, manganese, vitamin C (but so is everything else in the world it seems like), a small amount of riboflavin and niacin, and it even contributes a little iron to your day. There is not much fiber or potassium compared to other fruits, but... the reason we eat a variety of fruits (on top of the fact that they're tasty) is to put the missing pieces together, right?

I liked it so much, I ate two (to me, they're how most people would describe potato chips... can't have only one!), took the pits out, and put them in a pot in some dirt. To be honest... I didn't put a ton of effort into them, because I wasn't sure they would grow. They aren't native to Galveston, and the fruit was probably chilled in transport, which might effect the seed... I don't know, I'm not a plant scientist... And then one morning I woke up, and found this:



Hence the title.... IT'S A BOY!!... or.... IT'S A GIRL!!... or hopefully, so I can actually get fruit one day... IT'S A HERMAPHRODITE!!

It is growing! I did some research on growing it, once it started sprouting, and it will grow in tropical environments in the United States, cannot withstand temperatures less than about fifty degrees, and prefers soil high in phosphorus. It takes 4-5 years for fruit, so, I will follow up in 4-5 years for a gender reveal, and to let you know how it goes!

Exercise? I thought you said extra fries!!

Exercise? I thought you said extra fries!!

So, this post is about weight loss packages, programs, pills etc... I'm simply going to tell the story of a circumstance that recently presented itself in my life, and you can make your own judgments. 

Fade into story time....

Once upon a time, there was welcome weekend at UTMB. I met a lot of people, found my way around campus, learned to play texas hold 'em, and... Was given the opportunity to be a representative for a certain weight loss system. The specific one doesn't matter, because they are all about the same.

At first I was kind of interested for three reasons:

1) It would have been a good job to have while in school. You can sell as little or as much as you like so if you have a busy week, it's no big deal.

2) It appeared to be backed by legitimate people that know a great deal about nutrition that I felt could be trusted.

3) I do feel that some people need a little bit of a weight loss boost before they can take over on their own. So, something like this could be beneficial for that reason as long as it is not harmful.

I wasn't sold, I'm skeptical, but my roommate and I decided to go to the "party" for it anyways to learn more information.

Upon our arrival, we were handed a glass with one of the product drink mixes in it. Remember this minor detail, it is important later. After about half an hour or so of small talk, we actually started the product "party". We were shown a lot of personal testimony regarding the product; people lost weight, people gained weight, people focused better, it is safer than energy drinks, the product knows EXACTLY what your body needs at any given time and gives it to you. Basically, want to be Spiderman? USE THIS PRODUCT!!

The thing is though, nobody could tell me HOW it worked. These were all medical students promoting this product, and they had absolutely no idea of the chemistry behind it's nutrition. For instance, they kept promoting the drink mix to my roommate and I because it is sugar-free. I noticed however that it had a few calories, so I asked where the calories came from if it's sugar free. The girl's response: vitamins and minerals. 

Ok...

FAT, PROTEIN, AND CARBOHYDRATES ARE THE ONLY SOURCE OF CALORIES. PERIOD.

Worded another way in case that didn't make sense: 

VITAMINS AND MINERALS DO NOT PROVIDE CALORIES.

Turns out, the product had a few carbs. Might not have been sugar carbs, but in the end they'll metabolize the same.

Even after moments like this though, I still gave those representatives the benefit of the doubt. I thought well, that's barely half a serving of carbs, so it doesn't count for much, and they're just representatives. They don't know the chemistry, but I can figure it out.

So at the end of the night, I didn't make a decision because I wanted more time to figure it out, but I did buy a box of the drink mixes. I figured if I was even thinking about being a representative, I should probably try the product myself.

One of their big cases was that this product was much safer than energy drinks, having just a little bit of caffeine, and loads of vitamins and minerals. So the first thing I did when I got home was look at the caffeine content. 120 mg my friends... ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY MILLIGRAMS... This "little bit of caffeine" is QUITE a lot of caffeine. Most people don't have a clear idea of caffeine content. To put it into perspective, Red Bull has 80 mg of caffeine. I believe these people were just regurgitating what they had been told, and most people don't know normal caffeine amounts, but this is much more than most energy drinks. However, I now understood all those claims made about better focus and energy! no duh at 120 mg!

Then, I looked at the vitamin and mineral content. Many of the vitamins and minerals were well over 100% the daily value... More like 500-700%. Some of these will be stored, but some won't. So to a great extent, people are paying for fancy glow-in-the-dark pee...

Also, vitamins in super high amounts can cause adverse reactions...

Also, also... Past a certain threshold, extra amounts of a vitamin just aren't going to do a whole lot for you. Take Vitamin C for example. This vitamin is associated with good health. If you are deficient in Vitamin C, your immunity will be poor. But, when you have what you need, any extra your body will simply get rid of. More isn't always better, there is a threshold for EVERYTHING in nutrition. Everything. Protein is another popular thing to supplement in nutrition, however did you know that once you've achieved all the protein you can use, there is a pathway that turns the remainder to fat??... And no one wants that!

The thing is, I was very optimistic at the get go, but the more I looked at it, the more I viewed it as a money making scheme. Yes, if you follow it you will be consuming less calories, and a caffeine content that high will suppress your appetite and probably speed the metabolism some.

You'll also be taking questionable supplements all day long. You'll be pumping money into this, and if you stop, you WILL gain the weight back, because you didn't actually learn how to take it off to begin with; you're dependent on the product.

Also, the diet they recommend to go along with the various supplements is a healthy diet plan. If you simply ate a healthy diet like they recommend, you would lose weight without needing all the supplements.

At this point, I realized it was around 1 am. For those that know me well, you know that I am NOT a night owl. Not even a little bit. But I had SO. MUCH. ENERGYYYYYYYYY..... It was unbelievable! I cleaned the apartment, I did an hour long tae bo workout, I realized that I never ate my dinner, because I never got hungry for it. I wasn't actually able to lie down until 3 or 4. Remember why?? ;)

Now, I don't have much caffeine on a daily basis at all, like... Maybe 50mg, so it affected me more, but I had that drink at 8:30. Couldn't be calm enough to rest until around 3:30...

Then I thought about the way I eat, and how I get basically all the same components of this (minus the caffeine... clearly!) for a whole lot cheaper and feel excellent.

So... I decided not to do it. Which... was not wise for me financially, as I have not landed another job with nearly the pay and flexibility. But, that gives you an idea of how I felt about it, and I have lived happily ever after since!

Joke of the Day: I wanted to lose weight, so I went to the paint store. I heard I could get thinner there!

So, it's been a year, maybe next fall I'll make another post! Actually I'm going to try an keep it going :)

So Food Doesn't Go To Waist...

November is upon us! bring on the cool weather, pumpkin flavored everything, Thanksgiving, and...

                                   http://www.omgsocute.com/page/5/                                    

(I hail from Lubbock, Texas... land of Prairie dogs galore!)

Uh-oh, wait a second... ANYTHING but the 8934857205764029376 extra pounds!

It seems that at this time of the year especially, there are many moments in which we bite off more than we can chew,

http://www.ifunny.com/pictures/we-cant-eat-whole-pie-we-just-cant/

( Challenge accepted!)  

And end up like this:

http://www.tickld.com/pic/t/443312

(Caught red-handed!... Or... white-pawed I suppose?)

Or this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XghJuH6GSCo

(I mean, this dance is just SO catchy and attractive....)

A never ending goal of the season is how not to let food go to "waist", but still thoroughly enjoy, and reap the benefits of delicious fall and Thanksgiving foods. Although finding fun ways to exercise is not a half-bad idea, in fact it's one excellent way to combat this dilemma, this post aims to provide some generic recipe modifications which are healthier, but still tasty.

First and foremost, FATS!

• Fat provides the greatest amount of calories per gram (9) out of all the macro nutrients, therefore it is a good place to start when reducing calories.
• In baked goods the fat element (meaning butter or margarine) can be replaced with lower calorie applesauce, mashed banana, or the good low-inflammatory omega-3's and monounsaturated fat provided by mashed avocado (I know, it sounds odd, but don't bash it 'til you try it!). You'll find by these substitutions, the final product is not greatly altered at all. In fact in my experience replacing fat with applesauce, brownies come out more dense, and I personally like them better that way.
• Another option is cutting butter, oils, and margarine by 1/3 to a 1/2 in recipes. Butter is sometimes very overdone to maximize optimal taste, however SO much is not always necessary to achieve basically the same thing.
• Mozzarella cheese is naturally lower in fat.
• On sandwiches, try guacamole or mustard instead of mayo. It still fulfills that need for the sandwich to not be dry, but are both better options for all that leftover turkey! 
• In casseroles or stews, cut back the meat and replace what you cut with veggies. This cut decreases fat, adds fiber, plus veggies are just delicious!
• Replace heavy cream with low fat versions of yogurt, cream cheese, or mayo (however I personally hate the flavor of low-fat mayo, so I would use yogurt probably!)
• Fat-free milk versus whole saves about 66 calories, and 8 grams of fat per cup.

Sugar, and spice, and EVERYTHING nice!

• Try using 1/3 to 1/2 of the sugar recommended. Recipes can be sweetened further by the addition of spices and flavorings such as cinnamon, and almond extract.
• Reduce salt by 1/2 in recipes that do not require yeast. In yeast breads it is necessary as a leavening agent, but otherwise some can be left out.
• Use unsalted or low sodium broths.
• Use other seasonings for flavor that would compliment the recipe; such as pepper, garlic powder, or cumin if you're going south of the border, etc...

Pasta please!

• Pasta is just about my favorite thing ever, and switching to whole wheat over regular can triple fiber AND reduce calories. Double win!
• Pasta is also a good vessel for vegetables, and we could probably all use more of those guys! I usually add broccoli to pasta, and it is awesome.
• For those people that don't really like fruits, vegetables, or healthy things, another thing you can do if you make your own pasta sauce (red, tomato based sauce that is), and canned sauce too, is add plain canned pumpkin. Sounds odd, I know, but it just tastes like plain, regular pasta sauce! Really the only thing an ornery, anti-vegetable child (or adult for that matter) might notice is a thicker texture.

http://www.livescience.com/48555-facts-about-pumpkins.html

(Fun Fact: Pumpkins are quite possibly the oldest domesticated plant on earth with evidence dating back as far as 10,000 B.C.!)

Condiments, keepin' it classy!

• I would say cut back the condiments, but let's face it, they're delicious!
• Condiments tend to be packed with INSANE amounts of sugar and added fat. Dipping food into the condiments instead of pouring condiments all over food may help you use less.

Crazy For Carbs!

• Try to keep those pesky carbs down to about a fourth of your plate. This will be proven impossible at Thanksgiving dinner. I am aware. However, if this plate visual is maintained on a regular basis, one day out of the year will not make or break you if the choice is made to splurge on all the carbohydrate loaded dishes. It is possible too, that if you get used to doing this it will become a natural part of you, and you will follow suit at big meals (this is not me, but it may be some of you!).
• If you're a tortilla lover like me, switch to corn. You will get used to the differing taste, corn tortillas provide much less calories and carbs, more fiber, and a serving size is two! Plus, for those of you who follow nuval, corn tortillas generally have a very high score.

These are just ideas, go through and pick some that fit your life-style and eating habits and have at it! This time of year does not have to be a Hunger Games style massacre of all food in sight. Enjoy, don't dread!

http://www.chelciesfoodfiles.com/2013/10/16/wiaw-why-are-mms-so-good/

Happy Fall Y'all!

-Mollie