Ridiculous Diets of 2010

The extreme rigor we put our bodies through for that perfect figure is ridiculous. I heard somewhere that man kind's intelligence is evolving every day, increasing our mental function by the minute! Well, I think they have it backwards. When you read the absurdity of these following diets that were used THIS YEAR, you might agree with me. Humans are dumb.

A diet review of almost 1500 diets was done by a team from Diets in Review. Here are the most ridiculous diets of 2010!

The hCG Diet
The gist: Daily injections of the female pregnancy hormone, with a prescription via a doctor, or even more sketchy, ordered off the Internet, all while eating a 500-calorie diet.
My take: WTF? I'm all up for the injections...genius....but 500 calories!!! You know what you could eat for 500 calories!!!! An apple, 1 cup of rice, 1 slice of 2% cheese, 8oz of milk and a 100 Calorie pack to top it off. Can you imagine eating that day after day? You'd be brain dead! Ridiculous.

The Baby Food Diet

The gist: Replace your adult-sized meals with little jars of baby puree.

My take: Alright, housewives of America, you've really done it this time. Seriously? Do you weigh 20 lbs and crap your diaper? NO! So, I'm pretty sure this food is not made for you. Figure out another way to portion control.

The Tapeworm Diet

The Gist: You swallow a parasitic tapeworm, which you can find in under-cooked meat or infected animal feces, and wait for it to begin breaking down your digestive system, so that you don't want to eat.

My take: Give me the injections and baby peas! This one sucks the worst! Is this even real? Well, I looked online, here is what I found....If you are currently using the tapeworm diet, high-fives all around. That is what I call commitment!

The Twinkie Diet

The gist: Live off of grocery store snack cakes, and supplement with a few canned veggies so that you can go public with your fad and become famous.
My take: GENIUS! Why didn't I think of this? Ugh, I was so meant to be famous....this could have been my way in. Damn you Kansas State Nutrition Professor.

 

Rules for Your New Year's Resolution

We are now counting down to the New Year. I'm already hearing the buzz...."I'm going to work out for 3 hours everyday." "Well, I'm going to ONLY eat cabbage soup for the first month of 2011." "Oh yeah, well I'm going to drop 10 lbs in the first 10 days by eating with chopsticks only."

The madness seems to be about the same every year. Everyone is looking for the most outrageous goal to out-do the nut in spandex sitting next to them. Well, guess what? Those people won't last 2 weeks! You can't expect a miracle come January 1st. It's just another day, and you have to approach your health just like you would any other day of the year.....REALISTICALLY.

How about this for a change....."I'm going to try one new "healthier" lifestyle change at a time, so I can stick to my goals and ACTUALLY see results - This as opposed to trying some ridiculous diet where you start twitching 3 days in and acting like some hanis, crazed a$$ hole/biatch." Just a thought.

With that in mind, hopefully you are thinking about a change that you can make this New Years. But, hopefully, it is a realistic, achievable, and healthy goal. Here are some helpful hints when making your New Year's Resolution:

• Think to yourself, 'can I keep this goal up for more than 30 days?'
• If you asked your physician, would he or she approve of your goal?
• Will your goal make you feel better about yourself?
• Is your goal measurable?
• Does your goal set a time limit? (ex. I am going to try one new vegetable every 30 days this year)
• Is your goal realistic? (ex. 'I am going to only eat fruits and vegetables' is not realistic)
• Is your goal specific? (ex. 'I am going to eat more fish' is not. However, 'I am going to eat fish 1 time per week' is!)

So, when it comes time to make that New Year's Resolution, ask yourself these questions and set a goal that will improve your self esteem - as opposed to making you feel like an overweight failure.

Moral of the Story: Set yourself up for success!!
Happy New Year!





Holiday Recipe Week: Jose Cuervo Cookies

Jose Cuervo Cookies

1 cup of water
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup of sugar
1 tsp salt
1 cup or brown sugar
4 large eggs
1 cup nuts
2 cups of dried fruit
1 bottle Jose Cuervo Tequila

Sample the Cuervo to check quality. Take a large bowl,
check the Cuervo again, to be sure it is of the highest quality,
pour one level cup and drink.

Turn on the electric mixer. Beat one cup of butter
in a large fluffy bowl.

Add one peastoon of sugar. Beat again. At this point
it's best to make sure the Cuervo is still ok, try another
shot just in case.

Turn off the mixerer thingy.

Break 2 leggs and add to the bowl and chuck in the cup
of dried fruit.

Pick the frigging fruit off the floor.

Mix on the turner.

If the fried druit gets stuck in the beaters just pry
it loose with a drewscriver.

Sample the Cuervo to check for tonsisticity.

Next, sift two cups of salt, or something. Who geeves
      a sheet. Check the Jose Cuervo is it still OK. Now shift the lemon juice and strain your nuts.

Add one table.

Add a spoon of sugar, or somefink. Whatever you can find.

Greash the oven.

Turn the cake tin 360 degrees and try not to fall over.

Don't forget to beat off the turner.

Finally, throw the bowl through the window, finish the
Cose Juervo and make sure to put the stove in the wishdasher.

Cherry Mistmas!

Holiday Recipe Week: Bold Winter Green Salad

Add some color to your meal with this awesome.......

Bold Winter Green Salad

Ingredients


2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, or to taste
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
12 cups chopped mixed salad greens (can buy bagged in produce section or on the salad bar)
3 large hard-boiled eggs
Directions
1.Place garlic to taste in a large salad bowl and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add lemon juice and vinegar; let stand for 5 minutes. Whisk in oil in a slow steady stream until well combined.

2.Add salad greens and toss. Add chopped up hard boiled egges - chop however you like. (Sprinkle on top of individual salads)
Tips & Notes
Make Ahead Tip: Prepare the dressing (Step 1), cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day.

Tip: To hard-boil eggs, place eggs in a single layer in a saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and cook at the barest simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, pour out hot water and cover the eggs with ice-cold water. Let stand until cool enough to handle before peeling.

Makes 10, 1 1/4 cup servings

Nutrition Per serving: 92 calories; 8 g fat (1 g sat, 6 g mono); 22 mg cholesterol; 3 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 2 g protein; 1 g fiber

Source: http://www.eatingwell.com/

Holiday Recipe Week: Fruity Appetizer

Start your meal off right with these colorful fruit kebabs!!!! OR serve for desert!!!!

Fresh Fruit Kebabs with Lemon Lime Dip

Serves 2

Ingredients

■4 ounces low-fat, sugar-free lemon yogurt

■1 teaspoon fresh lime juice

■1 teaspoon lime zest

■4 to 6 pineapple chunks

■4 to 6 strawberries

■1 kiwi, peeled and diced

■1/2 banana, cut into 1/2-inch chunks

■4 to 6 red grapes

■4 wooden skewers

Directions

In a small bowl, whisk together the yogurt, lime juice and lime zest. Cover and refrigerate until needed.

Thread 1 of each fruit onto the skewer. Repeat with the other skewers until the fruit is gone. Serve with the lemon lime dip.

Nutritional Analysis(per serving) Serving size: 2 fruit kebabs
Calories 160 Cholesterol 4 mg
Protein 4 g Sodium 45 mg
Carbohydrate 36 g Fiber 4 g
Total fat 1 g Potassium 516 mg
Saturated fat < 1 g Calcium 122 mg

Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com/

Holiday Recipe Week: Stuffing

We are starting this lovely holiday recipe week off with a staple at any table.....stuffing. No matter what holiday you are celebrating this time of year, this healthy recipe will fit in with any meal! Enjoy!

Time: 20 mins

Cook Time: 1 h 25 mins
Total Time: 1 h 45 mins

Ingredients:
3 teaspoon oil, olive, extra virgin
4 ounce(s) prosciutto, thinly sliced, cut into ribbons
2 cup(s) onion(s), chopped
2 cup(s) fennel bulb(s), diced
1/4 cup(s) shallot(s), minced
2 teaspoon sage, fresh, minced
2 teaspoon thyme, fresh, minced
1 teaspoon rosemary, fresh, minced
8 cup(s) baguette, stale, preferably multi-grain (not sourdough), cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 medium pear, bosc, ripe but firm, chopped
1/3 cup(s) parsley, flat-leaf, chopped
1/3 cup(s) nuts, hazelnuts, toasted, chopped
14 ounce(s) broth, reduced-sodium chicken
1/4 teaspoon salt
pepper, black ground, to taste

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add prosciutto; cook, stirring, until crispy, about 5 minutes. Drain on a paper towel.
3. Wipe out the pan and heat the remaining 2 teaspoons oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, fennel and shallot and cook, stirring, until softened and beginning to brown, 6 to 8 minutes.
4. Add sage, thyme and rosemary and cook, stirring, for 1 minute more. Transfer everything to a large bowl and gently stir in bread, pears, parsley, hazelnuts and the prosciutto. Add broth; toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon the stuffing into the prepared baking dish; cover with foil.
5. Bake for 40 minutes; remove the foil and bake until the top is beginning to crisp, 25 to 30 minutes more.

Makes 12 servings...
Nutritional Info (Per serving):

Calories: 176, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 489mg, Dietary Fiber: 6g, Total Fat: 5g, Carbs: 29g, Cholesterol: 8mg, Protein: 9g

Source: http://www.everydayhealth.com/

A Friday Funny:)

The Story of Creation (from Anti-Aging, Nutrition, News, Resources)

In the beginning, God created the Heavens and the Earth and populated the Earth with broccoli, cauliflower and spinach, green and yellow and
red vegetables of all kinds, so Man and Woman would live long and
healthy lives, unless there was an E. Coli attack.

Then using God’s great gifts, Satan created Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream
and Krispy Creme Donuts. And Satan said, “You want chocolate with
that?” And Man said, “Yes!” and Woman said, “and as long as you’re at
it, add some sprinkles.” And they gained 10 pounds. And Satan smiled.

And God created the healthful yogurt that Woman might keep the figure
that Man found so fair. And Satan brought forth white flour from the
wheat, and sugar from the cane and combined them.

And Woman went from size 6 to size 14.
So God said, “Try my fresh green salad” And Satan presented
Thousand-Island Dressing, buttery croutons and garlic toast on the
side. And Man and Woman unfastened their belts following the repast.

God then said, “I have sent you heart healthy vegetables and olive oil
in which to cook them.” And Satan brought forth deep fried fish and
chicken-fried steak so big it needed its own platter. And Man gained
more weight and his cholesterol went through the roof

God then created a light, fluffy white cake, named it “Angel Food
Cake,” and said, “It is good.” Satan then created chocolate cake and
named it “Devil’s Food.”

God then brought forth running shoes so that His children might lose
those extra pounds. And Satan gave cable TV with a remote control so
Man would not have to toil changing the channels. And Man and Woman
laughed and cried before the flickering blue light and gained pounds.

Then God brought forth the potato, naturally low in fat and brimming
with nutrition. And Satan peeled off the healthful skin and sliced the
starchy center into chips and deep-fried them. And Man gained pounds.

God then gave lean beef so that Man might consume fewer calories and
still satisfy his appetite. And Satan created McDonald’s and its
99-cent double cheeseburger. Then said, “You want fries with that?”
And Man replied, “Yes! And super size them!” And Satan said, “It is
good.” And Man went into cardiac arrest.

God sighed and created quadruple bypass surgery.

Then Satan created HMOs.

We are all struggling through the holidays. Try and make one good decision today at lunch, and celebrate that victory - it's better than nothing!!

Happy Friday!

Are Veggie Burgers Better?

Veggie burgers are a great way to go meatless without having to sacrifice taste! Now, when I say "veggie burgers" I'm also including bean burgers and soy burgers.

I like the chipotle Morning Star black bean burgers at 210 calories per burger with only 7g fat - with only 1g of it being saturated. They are a little high in sodium, but with 17g of protein (from textured soy protein), they're still a great low-fat substitute for your everyday ground beef burger.

Beyond that, I'm not too schooled on the best choices out there....so, I turned to a taste test done by another great electronic newsletter I get, Tight Bod with a Pod. They based their top picks on taste and health (meaning low in sodium and sugar) Here is what they had to say.

VEGETABLE- and GRAIN-BASED:
•Dr. Praegers – California Veggie Burgers

•Morningstar Farms – Garden Veggie

•Gardenburger - Veggie Medley

•Sunshine Burgers – Original

•Amy’s Kitchen – California Veggie Burger – (low sodium version if available)

SOY-BASED:

•Boca- Go for the Vegan and organic version for less additives and non-GMO soy

•Morningstar Farms - Grillers Prime Veggie Burgers

So, try something knew this week and add a veggie burger to the menu!

Cookies from Co-Workers....Enough Already!

Tis the season, right?! Well, I'm sick of it. No, I don't want your homemade cookies, no I don't want a bag of Snickers in a Ho, Ho, Ho bag, no I don't want your grandmother's fudge recipe. No, No, No!!!!

This is the worst time of year for almost everyone when it comes to maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and usually the work place is one of the main contributors to that difficulty.

Yes, cookies are so easy to make in bulk and put on a pretty plate and wrap in pretty red cellophane and smack a bow on - but its not a good gift. No one needs MORE cookies. ESPECIALLY a whole plate of them!

Here are some ideas that are just as easy, and just as cheap!

• Homemade recipe book of all your favorite "healthy" recipes. 3 hole punch the print outs and put it in a cheap folder! Done!
• Gift wrapping supplies - stuff a x-mas bag with ribbon, tags, extra bags, tissue paper, etc. The receiver will be so grateful! Also, you don't have to put a whole thing of ribbon or tags - make little goodie bags filled with just a little of each - cheaper that way!
• New reusable water bottle - you can never have enough!
• Iron on someone's initials to a cheap apron - so cute!
• Themed salt and pepper shakers - very personal - you can look for a favorite team, hobbie, pet - they have everything - just look around online
• Homemade oatmeal mix - in glass jars, place oatmeal and your favorite mixes like brown sugar, raisins, etc. Put a tag on it that says the measurements - for example: 1/2 cup oatmeal with 1/2 cup milk for 1:30 in the microwave!
• Mini hand lotions - you can always use that in your desk drawer
• Gum - I'm ALWAYS running out!

See, you don't need cookies or candy to make a thoughtful gift (or to apply the lowest amount of effort for you co-workers while still coming off as the sweet guy who brought everyone something.)

Enjoy!

Healthy Queso?

The other night while sitting at El Nopal (a fabulous Mexican restaurant) downing queso by the bucket, I started to brainstorm how I could make a "healthy" queso. It is one of my favorite indulgences, and I would love to eat it more than the once a month. (Ok, I probably eat it more than that, but I'm pretending to be healthy here, so go with it.)

Alright, here is what you do. You are going to need.....
2% Velveeta cheese
salsa of your choice
a green, red, and yellow pepper
a bundle of green onion
(optional) 1 lb of Laura's Lean beef
(optional) 8oz. fat free cream cheese

Here is where you can play with it:

You can microwave this in a large bowel or you can use a small "dip" crock-pot.
The amounts are up to you - but, you need to mix the Velveeta, salsa, diced peppers and diced onion. Add the salsa slowly, because if you do too much, your queso will take on a very unappetizing color. Optional, you could add the lean beef and 4-8oz of cream cheese.

With this recipe you get the added vitamins and minerals from the fresh vegetables, less fat from the 2% Velveeta, and lean protein if you add the lean beef!!!! Its a win-win!!

Here is the other part. (the chips) You can go baked if you want. That is what I would do. (It really is just about them being salty) If you are feeling fancy, you can put some lime juice in a small spray bottle, spray the chips, and then add a little extra salt (they will have more of the Qdoba taste to them).

Happy Fiesta-ing!!!

My Grocery Cart

Just like I would want to know what my financial adviser's finances look like, I would want to know what my dietitian's grocery cart looked like. Well, here it is! This is what I stocked up on last night at Kroger (my traditional shopping location.) My goal was to grab my breakfast ingredients, stuff to pack for lunches this week, a couple ingredients for dinner, and a few emergency ready-to-eat meals. Let's see how I did!!!!!

First of all Kroger has these new awesome carts that are just the perfect size! Love them. Anywho...starting with ...   

                          

Breakfast:                                                            

1. Skim milk - I drink about a gallon a week         

2. Low Sugar Maple and Brown Sugar Oatmeal that I add milk and natural peanut butter to every morning.

Lunches/Snacks:                                                   

1. Kroger Sandwich Slims - the Generic Sandwich Thin - for Peanut butter and jelly or turkey and cheese sandwiches

2. 2% American Cheese slices

2. On the Go Campbell's Soups - vegetable and chicken noodle

3. Apples and Bananas

4. CowPals light string cheese

5. Pretzels and peanuts (I mix them together as a snack or a side item for lunch)

Dinner:

1. Canned Chicken (that I mix with Light Mayo, a pinch of salt and sugar, chopped almonds, and a drop of 2. lemon juice for homemade chicken salad)

3. Lima Beans steam bag (add a little salt for a yummy side dish)

4. 2 Emergency Healthy Choice Meals (for those days when cooking is out of the question:)

Ingredients mentioned, but not bought (i.e. peanut butter), I already had at home. I got out of there for under $30! Not bad.

Try a new snack this week to have in the afternoon to ward of after-work refrigerator scavenging:)

Buffet Etiquette

Have you ever been through a buffet line and seen someone double dip, dip their head under the glass cover, grab things with their hands, or any other disgusting act like these?

I know what you are thinking, "Erin, of course I haven't seen this!!! I don't eat at buffets!!!"

Well. good for you, but yes you do. Salad bars, buffet lines at weddings, family style serving at holiday parties - "buffets" are everywhere!

Here is an article from Washington State University that discusses some pretty good buffet food safety etiquette practices.

YOU NEED TO READ THESE!!! PLEASE!!! I really don't want a side of bacteria with my salad bar purchase. Thaaaaaanks!

Click on the link!

http://clark.wsu.edu/family/General-food-safety/FoodSafetyAndBuffetEtiquette.pdf

FYI: I'm taking a blog vacation next week. I will be back the following Monday (December 13th) with some great articles leading up to the holiday. See you then!

High Fructose Corn Syrup: Not So Sweet

There has been a lot of "bad mouthing" high fructose corn syrup - and rightfully so. Unfortunately, this sweetener has negative effects on health beyond that of regular sugar (and it's in EVERYTHING). It has been associated obviously weight gain, but also increased risk of high blood pressure, metabolic syndrome (discussed before), and Type II Diabetes. Also it has a specific effect on appetite, leaving consumers less full than if they were eating a product with regular sugar - leading to over-eating.

My advice: Proceed with caution. Everything in moderation. If I am doing a comparison of, for example, yogurts, I would grab the one without high fructose corn syrup. However, if I'm going to eat a processed food like candy, I know its in there, but I eat it anyway. I try to avoid it, but it doesn't deter me from eating a food. Make sense? Like I said - everything in moderation.

The one thing I get really concerned about is the soda. This is one of the main culprits and really should be avoided if possible (especially with children!!!!!!!). It's just unnecessary - give them something else to drink!!!

Here is an extended article from the Everyday Health - Healthy Living Newsletter concerning this topic. Sign up to have it sent to your email daily!

New Weight Watchers Program for 2011

I have to be honest. I have never been a huge fan of Weight Watchers. I have, in the past, visualized crazed women hording points for midnight binges claiming they were "still within their points." I didn't think the program focused enough on healthy eating vs. dieting. I thought that people became so hung up on the "points" that they lost sight of the fact that an apple or an orange is more nutritious than a bag of 94% fat free popcorn.

Well, it looks like that is all changing!!! With President and CEO David Kirchhoff at the forefront of the new movement, Weight Watchers is revamping itself with the new PointsPlus program. From first glance, it looks like an excellent improvement to the outdated Weight Watchers we all know.

They are completely changing the points system, taking into account food and beverages' fat, carbohydrate, protein, and fiber content! (As opposed to just saturated fat and calories). Also (my favorite part) fruits and vegetables are FREE!! This is to encourage increased intake of these nutrient packed foods!! Awesome!

Lastly, there are now "real living" points. These are extra points for those necessary occasions when you want to splurge on a glass.....or a umm.....bottle of wine:)

Looks like Weight Watchers might be back on my good side! Good for them!

Find a meeting near you!