Friends Don't Let Friends Cook Hungry

It's a dangerous world out there, my friends...especially for those who cook hungry. Does the following scene sound familiar?

You are already hungry, but you still have to cook dinner. So, you pull out the bag of potato chips to have by the stove while you cook up whatever it is that you are ACTUALLY eating for dinner. 200-300 calories later, you are ready to sit down for your meal!

It is not uncommon for people to ingest several hundred unnecessary calories while cooking on an empty stomach, and it's not likely to stop any time soon...at least not for me.

So, want you need to do is make sure that you have handy, go-to snacks to have out while you are preparing your meal.

Lately, I've been keeping a bowl of grapes in the fridge that are easy to pull out and have on the counter while I'm cooking. Another go-to is carrot sticks. The important factors are convenience, crunch and low-calorie.

So, next time you go for the bag of chips, think twice and try and grab something with a few less calories!!

Happy Monday:)

I'm a hypocrite.

Yesterday I posted a bunch of astounding statistics about obesity in America. Well, that's great and all, but when you think about it, statistics don't mean $&*t...pardon my language.

85% of this and 45% of that. Oh, 45% of the 3% that did this felt this and then 5% of 6% of the population between the ages of 2.4 and 3.6 are this because of that. WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN?!

I've always hated it when speeches started off with a good ole' statistic, the speaker thinking "Oh, yeah, this will rope em' in." Ugh. I'm just not into it - and what did I do yesterday? Exactly that.

Why don't we take a statistic I found very compelling and actually see what they are really saying. You might get a better understanding of things, and I won't feel like such a hypocrite.

Let's go with....

According to a 2008 Centers for Disease Control statistic, 32.2% of men and 35.5% of women are obese.

Ok, obesity is defined as a BMI of  30 or greater. Here is a BMI chart that shows you what that means, height and weight wise.

So, if you are 5'6'', that means that you weigh 190 lbs or more. If you are 6', that means you weigh 230 lbs or more. BMI is not the best measurement of health, but it is the easiest way to get a mass number quickly. BMI doesn't take some cases into consideration - like those that have a LOT of muscle mass. But, think about how many overweight people you know vs. how many body builders you know.....see the big picture?

I don't know the exact study that this came from, but the CDC is a usually a very reliable source, so I'm going to give them the benefit of the doubt that the study passed all the stats tests we were taught in high school. Also, the stat is talking about adults only, even though it doesn't state that. So, simplified, it is actually saying that "Approximately, 1 out of 3 U.S. adults have a BMI of 30 or greater." Wow.

Let's look further.

When it comes to obesity, there are many health and economical consequences. We know the health consequences (heart disease, type II diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, stroke, gallbladder issues, sleep apnea, joint pain, infertility, and much more), but what about the economical consequences both on the individual and the country as a whole?

Direct costs are the funds spent on preventative, diagnostic, and medical treatment services. Then there are the indirect costs from decreased productivity, restricted activity, absenteeism, and lost future revenue due to premature death. This number for the U.S. was almost 147 Billion back in 2008 - who knows what it is now?!!

To put 147 Billion in perspective, that's enough money to.....I don't know.....buy everyone in Africa a laptop or feed everyone is Asia for 100 years. Something ridiculous like that.

So, now the stat is saying, "1/3 of the adult U.S. population is costing themselves, employers, Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance companies over 147 Billion dollars a year for something that is (for the most part) a preventable issue." Wow. Even more powerful.

Really, I just wanted to redeem myself and let you know that it's important to look into statistics and look at the issues behind what they are stating.

Plus, I promise to not talk about statistics anymore:)

DID YOU KNOW? Statistics that will blow your mind

Think about these numbers for a second. How did we get here? What can we do to improve these issues even the slightest bit?

• According to a 2008 Centers for Disease Control statistic, 32.2% of men and 35.5% of women are obese. (Keep in mind, that is "obese." This number does not even include those who are "overweight.")

• The estimate number of those who are overweight and/or obese is 64 - 68% of the U.S. population.

• Americans are the heaviest of people in developed countries.

• The U.S. Surgeon General has called obesity a national epidemic

• The number of overweight people in the world is over 1.1 billion - equalling the number of undernourised people.

• Americans who live in Appalachia and the South are the least likely to be physically active in their leisure time. In many counties in that region, more than 29% of adults reported getting NO physical activity other than at their regular job.

• A 2007-2008 statistic from the CDC stated that 17% of children ages 2 to 17 are OBESE.

• Over 10% of children 2 to 5 are OBESE.

• Overweight and obesity result from an energy imbalance. This involves eating too many calories and not getting enough physical activity.

• Body weight is the result of genes, metabolism, behavior, environment, culture, and socioeconomic status.

• Behavior and environment play a large role causing people to be overweight and obese. These are the greatest areas for prevention and treatment actions.

• Between the years of 1977 and 1996, the quantity of pre-packaged salty snacks increased by 93 calories or 0.6 ounces, soft drinks by 49 calories or 6.8 ounces, hamburgers by 97 calories or 1.3 ounces, French fries by 68 calories or 0.5 ounces and Mexican food by 133 calories, or 1.7 ounces.

(Hmm. I wonder if there is any correlation?)

Sources: Department for Health and Human Services: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention American Medical Association Journal

"Pudge" Free Brownies

Amazing. That is all I have to say. I tried these brownies for the first time yesterday, and I was astounded. They were so moist and delicious! Here is the secret.

No Pudge! Fudge Brownies. In original, cappuccino, raspberry, and mint and at 110 calories a serving - these are perfect!

They only call for 6oz of low-fat yogurt, but check out their website for more great recipes!!

Thank you, Sasha, for introducing these fabulous treats to my life!!!

Rotisserie Chicken

I had to call in reinforcements for this one......trusty ole' Mom and Dad. I found a recipe that I wanted to try and it called for chopped rotisserie chicken. I'd seen these poor things under heat lamps at the grocery, sitting there all sad just begging for a nice family of 4 to take them home. I've always just walked by, never sure what I would do with it. 

Well, I didn't want to be a hypocrite and NOT do something just because I didn't know how. So, I called up my Mom to see if she would have time to show me how to pull apart the lucky chicken that I had plucked from under that sad, sad heat lamp.

Thankfully, her and Tom (my Dad :) had some time after their afternoon walk and before preparing their own dinner to squeeze in a small cooking class! Here's how it went.

This is the lucky lemon pepper chicken I chose.

Dad went after the leg first, it just tore away with a little tug. Then, he just started picking. You just pull off any meat that you find, sifting it through your fingers removing any skin that is on the chicken and watching out for any bones along the way.

After the leg, he grabbed the breast. He just used his thumb to push a large part of meat away from the bone and then sift, sift, sift.

Slowly, but surly, the shredded chicken started to pile up.

He just kept looking for lean pieces of chicken. When he came across a bone, a little blood (ugh), or a fatty part of the meat, it was discarded.

A lot more of the chicken was discarded than I thought there would be. Here is a large part of what was left over.

All the leftovers were placed back in the bag and taken OUTSIDE. Don't make the mistake of leaving it the house or you will be left with a smell that is definitely not appetizing.



Our final product.

From there, I was ready to complete my recipe!

Chicken Nachos

Ingredients
1 can re-fried beans (the fat free only had 20 less calories per servings, so I got the regular for taste)
Tortilla Chips of your choice (I went with multigrain Tostito Tortilla Chips, but you could do baked for less calories)
1 Rotisserie chicken
2 cups shredded 2% Mexican cheese blend
1 can Rotel or diced tomatoes (I did Rotel because it was on sale)
1/2 cup chopped green onion
Optional: Serve with salsa, guacamole, plain avocado, and/or sour cream
- I went with avocado and salsa

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Microwave refried beans with a pinch of water for about 1 min (just so they are "spreadable.") Arrange tortilla chips on a large foil-lined baking sheet; top with beans, chicken, cheese, tomatoes or Rotel, and green onion.
Bake for 10 min or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

It was a crowd pleaser:)

And using the foil made clean up a breeze!!!!

Thanks Mom and Dad for the Sunday afternoon cooking lesson!!!

If the Stars of Jersey Shore Were Foods...

Snookie would be a Little Debbie Fudge Round.....an Oatmeal Cream Pie with a tan

Deena would be a meatball dropped on a fraternity house floor.....gross, but you still sort of want to eat it

Sammy - Jello with fruit chunks in it.....trying for fancy, but could still be served at your next Nascar party

J-Woww...Cantaloupe(s).....no explanation needed

Pauly D a chocolate glazed doughnut.....shiny all over, how does his hair stay like that?

Ronnie would be a T-Bone steak.....thick and cheap

Vinny delicious Neapolitan Ice Cream...sweet and offers something for everyone

Lastly....

The Situation... a fried Mozzarella stick dipped in marinara sauce.....a cheese d!@& with a fake Italian flare

God love The Shore.

Happy Friday!!

Put the Bag DOWN

I'm sitting on my couch right now watching DVR'd episodes of this season's American Idol, and I just finished off a bag of some "oh so healthy" flavored mini rice cakes.

Don't roll your eyes at me, they're good! However, "healthy" only refers to one serving. I ate 6. That's right, 360 calories of rice cakes! Is that even possible?

Yes, because I broke the cardinal rule! I brought the whole bag into the living room with me planning to only eat a few, but, mesmerized by Jennifer Lopez's fabulous hair, I lost track. (and now I just added to my J-Lo booty.....trust me, not everyone can pull it off).

I beg of you, do NOT, under any circumstances, take a bag, box, container of ANYTHING anywhere with you. Always try to portion out your food.

• put a serving of a snack in a separate bowl
• divide a bag of chips or cookies into individual baggies
• buy individually wrapped chocolate, not a candy bar

You're going to have slips, obviously, but make it a point to put the bag away. Take what you want, close it up, and put it back in the pantry!

Here is a pic I just found of me breaking the cardinal rule once again. Enjoy.

Yeah, that's me on the left. To be fair, I was on vacation:)

Diet or Regular: Which is Better?

This has been a debate for years. Unfortunately, the answer I have usually doesn't make people very happy.

The Issues:

Regular Soda:
Sugar, calories. To put it into perspective, there is an equal amount of calories in 8oz of Coca-Cola and 5 Starburst Chews. In a large McDonald's Coke, there is the equivalent of more than fifteen Starburst Chews.
Think about what happens when you eat at a restaurant. You are most likely receiving a 12oz glass, and let's say that it's refilled twice. That is 429 calories. That is equivalent to more than twenty-one Starburst Chews. Keep in mind that ONLY TWELVE COME IN A PACK!

Diet Soda:
Artificial sweeteners. Let's say you make the switch to diet soda - you really think you are doing well - think of all those calories you are saving. Unfortunately, you might not be doing as good as you think. A study was presented at the American Diabetes Association meeting that actually showed a strong correlation between diet soda and obesity. The more diet drinks consumed per day, the higher the rate of obesity. This is not a causation result, (meaning the diet drinks cause obesity). There is just a correlation.
Picture this.....you ingest a diet soda, tricking your body into thinking that you are consuming calories. Your body readies itself to breakdown calories, but imagine the surprise when they don't come. Your body is now set and ready to digest calories, but there is nothing there. There is a large chance that your body is smarter than you think it is now triggering you to consume calories.
Also, artificial sweeteners are much, much sweeter than sugar itself. Because of this, you can actually program yourself to crave this high dosage of sweetness. If and when you consume something with table sugar, it is not going to have the same power that the artificial sweetener had. Not a good thing.

So, long story short......neither is going to be a good option. But, everything in moderation. If you can't avoid it completely, I would go with taste. Which one do you like better? If you are going to drink soda, choose that one.

Easy as that:)

Importance of Eating Pattern

I meant to blog yesterday about how you shouldn't eat chocolates on Valentines Day, but I was too busy eating chocolates on Valentines Day. Sorry about that.

Actually, I was just taking a long blog weekend. But, now I'm back if full swing.

Today I wanted to write about the phenomenon of food storage. You have only been eating one meal a day, but you can't drop those extra pounds! Have you ever seen a "mature" man, maybe in his 50's, with a huge gut that you could bounce basketballs off of? Perhaps he is sitting in a lounge chair with a nice Budweiser balancing on his extended abdomen. No, he is not a protein starved child, he is a man who is storing for the winter! Yes, like a bear.

This man is most likely is the type of guy that drinks down a couple cups of coffee for breakfast, skips lunch except for maybe a handful of M&Ms or Ruffled Lays, then heads home for a nice meat and potatoes meal with 4-5 beers to follow. Overall, he is probably not taking in more calories than he needs.....but he is starving himself all day and then taking in his day's worth of calories at one time. And even though he is probably not hungry during the day, his body actually interprets this as starvation.

Do you know what happens when your body thinks it's starving? Thankfully, metabolism slows down and you naturally start storing calories as fat for later use. This would be great if there was an actual food shortage. HOWEVER, this is most likely not the case. Furthermore, if you are wanting to lose weight, this is obviously not going to be an effective way to go about it.

So, what can you do? Spread it out. 3 meals, and 2-3 snacks - This clues your body into the fact that there is more food coming. This signals the brain that it is OK to burn calories instead of storing them, inevitably speeding up your metabolism....or at least decrease the rate of decreased metabolism (which unfortunately happens with age). 

Below is a chart that shows you a positive eating pattern that will help your metabolism stay in check. The percentages show you how much of your daily caloric intake you should shoot for. For example, if you normally eat around 2,000 calories, for breakfast, which should be around 20% of your daily intake, you would need around 400 calories.

Meal                                    Time                                        % Intake 
Breakfast                    Within one hour of waking                      20%
Snack                          Approx. 2 hours after breakfast             10%
Lunch                                                                                        20%
Snack                          Approx. 2 hours after lunch or an           10%
                                    hour or 2 before an afternoon
                                    workout
Dinner                                                                                        30%
Snack                          Anytime after dinner                               10%

Everyone's schedule is different, and you have to adapt your pattern to your life. The point is to spread your intake out in order to keep your metabolism up!

Cholesterol 101

There is lot of confusion when it comes to cholesterol. There are good parts and bad parts, so from there it gets a little fuzzy for people. Let me break it down.

One too many cheeseburgers.

LDL cholesterol, or low-density lipoprotein is called the "bad" cholesterol because it puts you at risk for heart disease. (I always think "L" for "lousy.") This type of cholesterol can build up inside your arteries, mixing with other substances to form a hard lining.......plaque. Plaque can build up and make arteries narrow, meaning that less blood can flow through to your heart, putting you at increased risk for heart attacks.
HDL cholesterol, or high-density lipoprotein has the opposite effect of LDL cholesterol. (I always think "H" for "healthy.") This cholesterol helps keep arteries clear. Instead of sticking to the artery walls, HDL cholesterol moves through the bloodstream to the liver, where it can be broken down and eliminated from the body.

When you have a lipoprotein profile done, you will get results for Total Cholesterol, HDL, LDL, and Triglycerides (a form of fat in the blood).

So what do your numbers mean?

Total Cholesterol

• Normal                  <200 mg/dL
• Borderline High       200-239 mg/dL
• High Risk                >240 mg/dL

HDL

• Low - Women        <50 mg/dL
• Low - Men             <40 mg/dL
• Normal - Women   50-60 mg/dL
• Normal - Men        40-50 mg/dL
• Good                      >60 mg/dL

LDL

• Optimal                   <100 mg/dL
• Near Optimal          100-129 mg/dL
• Borderline High       130-159 mg/dL
• High                        160-189 mg/dL
• Very High                >190 mg/dL

Triglycerides

• Normal                   <150 mg/dL
• Borderline High       150-199 mg/dL
• High                        200-499 mg/dL
• Very High               >500 mg/dL

How to Improve your Levels:
A poor profile could be due to being overweight or obese, physical inactivity, smoking, or excess alcohol consumption - all lifestyle improvements that can be made. If you are concerned about your levels, then tell your healthcare provider that you would like to have your cholesterol checked - then you can form an action plan from there!!!

Source: American Heart Association

Scientifically Proven Diets

For your dog. Seriously?

Yes, that's right. We are so bad at portion control that we have to pay for a company to portion out our dog's food and treats. I was watching TV the other day and a commercial for one of these pet-diet products came on. I thought I was watching a Saturday Night Live skit. I started chuckling until I realized that it was REAL!!!

By the time they showed the small plastic bags filled with portioned out dog food and bone shaped treats, I was rolling.

Is your dog overweight? Here's an idea and you can use it FOR FREE! Feed him or her a little less and take him or her on a freakin' walk!!!

Under the name of Science Diet, Prescription Diet, or Therapeutic Weight Reduction Program, millions of pet loving suckers are paying god knows how much for someone to pre-wrap their dog's treats.

Seriously folks, can we really not even keep our pets in shape? Actually, it's not the actually overweight pets out there that I'm worried about - It's the overly weight-obsessed country club diva's pet I believe will suffer. I can see it now. "Now, what diet did you say that fluffy was on? I think Snuggles here could lose a couple inches around her mid-section."

The phenomenon of the wafer-thin purebred is surely on the rise. Do dogs even have have collar bones? - That's how I determine state of anorexia......by the collar bones.

12 Funny Fitness Fails

This is just for some Monday morning giggles:)

Follow the link for more....
http://www.oddee.com/item_97476.aspx

Appetizer Week Part V

This is the easiest and tastiest one yet! These bite size treats have it all....make your health conscious guests happy, your cheese lovers happy, and your meat lovers happy.

This would also be a great recipe to whip back out this summer for a pool party - very light, but quenches that salt and pepper craving!!

Mellon, Mozarella, and Ham skewers

Ingredients

20 1 inch honey dew or cantaloupe cubes
20 thin strips of ham of your choice (honey baked, hickory, smoked...it's all good!) about 1/2 lb.
Mozzarella - recipe calls for 20 fresh Mozzarella cheese balls, but you can substitute diced Mozzarella cheese sticks or Mozzarella cheese cubes for convenience sake - will still taste delicious!
20 4 in tooth picks
Cracked Pepper

Directions

1. Thread 1 melon cube, 1 ham slice (sliced into a strip like bacon), and 1 mozzarella ball, cheese sick slice, or cube onto each of 20 (4-inch) tooth picks. Sprinkle with cracked pepper.


Nutrition

Calories:64


Fat:3.7g (sat 2g,mono 0.0g,poly 0.0g)

Protein:5.4g

Carbohydrate:2.3g

Fiber:0.0g

Cholesterol:15mg

Iron:0.3mg

Sodium:222mg

Calcium:67mg


Source myrecipes.com

Appetizer Week Part IV

HOMEMADE...........

Get those Sister Schubert Wheat Dinner Rolls back out. It's time for....

Turkey Sliders (serves 8+, depending on how much meat you put on each bun)

Ingredients

One lb lean ground turkey
2 slices 2% cheese (flavor of your choice)
8 Wheat Dinner Rolls
8 cherry tomatoes
8 pickle slices (flavor of your choice)

Directions

Put ground turkey in a bowl. Use a small scoop to form one to two oz patties, then place them in a preheated pan sprayed with fat-free cooking spray. Cook over medium heat for four minutes on each side. During the last minute, lay a fourth of a cheese slice on top. Cover with lid to melt. Serve on rolls with pickle and tomato tooth picked on top of the bun (makes them look fancy:)

Add ketchup, mustard, or lettuce if you like - or just have them set out to use.

Note: If you want the turkey to have a slight onion taste (to taste more like an actual White Castle burger) add a packet of onion soup mix to the meat and mix. Then scoop into patties.

Appetizer Week Part III

Adding beans to the traditional artichoke dip adds fiber to an already healthy option!

Warm Artichoke and Bean Dip

Ingredients

1 can (19 or 15 ounces) cannellini (white kidney) beans, drained and rinsed

1 can (14 ounces) artichoke hearts, drained and rinsed
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped (or 3 teaspoons jarred minced garlic)
1 tablespoon reduced-fat mayonnaise
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese (or shaved or pre-grated Parmesan cheese)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (or parsley seasoning)
1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest (or lemon juice)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F . Coat a 2- to 3-cup baking dish with nonstick spray.


2. Place the beans, artichoke hearts, garlic, mayonnaise, cayenne pepper and black pepper in a food processor (or hand blend or use a blender). Process until almost smooth. Transfer to a medium bowl. Add in 2/3 cup of the Parmesan, parsley and lemon zest, mix. Scrape into the baking dish and smooth with a spatula. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of Parmesan.

3. Bake the dip, uncovered, for 20–25 minutes or until it is heated through. Serve warm. One serving 1/4 cup.

Serve with whole-wheat pita crisps or low-fat wholegrain crispbread or crackers!
 
Source: Readers Digest Version
 

Enjoy!

Appetizer Week Part II

Spinach-Turkey Roll-Ups

(hint: for your less health conscious guests, you might want to change the name to either nutmeg turkey roll-ups or honey mustard turkey roll-ups:)

Ingredients

2 teaspoon mustard, honey

dash(es) nutmeg, ground

8 slice(s) turkey, breast

1 cup(s) spinach, baby

1/2 medium pepper(s), red, bell, seeded and cut into thin strips

4 cheese, string (mozzarella), sticks

Recipe Tip:

Make-Ahead Directions: Prepare turkey roll-ups as directed. Wrap each roll-up in plastic wrap. Chill roll-ups in the refrigerator for up to 4 hours.

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, stir together honey mustard and nutmeg. Carefully spread mustard mixture evenly onto turkey slices.
2. Divide spinach among turkey slices, allowing leaves to extend beyond the turkey. Top with pepper strips and cheese.
3. Starting at an edge of a turkey slice with cheese, roll up each turkey slice. If desired, cut each roll-up in half.

Makes 8 servings.

Calories: 40, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 220mg, Dietary Fiber: 0g, Total Fat: 1g, Carbs: 2g, Cholesterol: 9mg, Protein: 5g

Source:
http://www.everydayhealthy.com/