What to Eat

I tell people what to eat. Every day. All day. Some people listen, some don't. While it's true, there is no "one perfect way to eat for every person," there are some basics that work for damn near everybody. I can tell you this... calories in vs. calories out is a myth. At best, it is an oversimplification. Energy balance is a complicated equation that involves common sense (I mean, seriously-- we all know what to eat... often, we just choose to disregard this knowledge), individual biometrics (height, weight, age, activity level) and a healthy dose of planning and mindfulness. Do you want to best your best self? Fantastic-- are you willing to put in some work to make it happen? No? Well, then I hope you like the person you are now because it isn't going to change... and it might get worse. Chew on that.

Back... By Popular Demand.

Excuse me while I rant.
America needs an enema.
24 million of us have diabetes. 81 million of us have cardiovascular disease. 74 million have hypertension. Over 60% of us are overweight-- over 30% of us are obese. America, wake the hell up! You are killing yourselves. You eat a diet based on convenience with absolutely no regard for nourishment. You estabish this pattern as the norm for your children. You feel bad. You are so accustomed to feeling bad, you don't even realize how bad you feel. Don't you want to change? Don't you want to eat food that not only tastes good, but that makes your feel good... inside and out? Don't you want to have energy? Don't you want to feel good about yourself, maybe even love the person staring back at you in the mirror?

No one can make this committment for you. Simply wanting to change is not enough. This is a call to action.
More to follow...

Cowgirl Supper

Been a while since I’ve posted a recipe…
I’m calling this one “Cowgirl Supper” because my little girl loved it (can’t remember the last time I saw her eat with such relish!)… and my husband and I liked it too. Such a rare treat to find something we all enjoy.

What you’ll need:
1 lb. lean (90/10) ground bison (although beef would work fine)
1 can reduced sodium black beans (15 oz) - Undrained
1 can petite diced tomatoes (15 oz) – Undrained
1 cup frozen yellow corn (extra sweet Niblets work great!)
1 jar Traditional spaghetti sauce (15 oz)
1 ½ cups elbow pasta (I used DHA fortified Barilla Plus)
½ cup water
Shredded Colby/Jack cheese

Brown the beef at medium high heat in a large walled-skillet. Then add all remaining ingredients except cheese and simmer until the pasta is cooked and most of the liquid is absorbed. Sprinkle top with cheese. Enjoy!
(For some extra zing you can add a couple of tablespoons of chili powder, but I wouldn’t recommend it if you are trying to feed a picky toddler)

Eating Well's Nutrient Library

Want to know why a certain vitamin or mineral is good for you? Want to know what foods to find it in and how much you need in your daily diet? Then check out Eating Well Magazine’s online Nutrient Library.

This resource features highlights on 27 essential nutrients and why they promote good health. The site even offers a Food Sources Table which tells you which foods are rich in the featured essential nutrients. You can then browse the website to find recipes that incorporate these foods.

If you want to know more about the vitamins and mineral required in your diet, what happens if you get too little or too much, and which foods offer the best nutrient composition, this is the place to look. I’ve taken entire courses on this material and can honestly say that the info. presented here is all most of us would ever need to know…

Check it out: http://www.eatingwell.com/health/nutrient_library/nutrient_library.html

Seasons Eatings!

Some of my friends say I ruin the holidays with all my talk of healthy eating, moderation and compensation for over-indulgence with physical activity. I want to thank my Mother-in-law for the following instructional guide to making the most out of the holiday season. Enjoy!

HOLIDAY EATING TIPS from Nancy:

1. Avoid carrot sticks. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet table knows nothing of the Christmas spirit. In fact, if you see carrots, leave
immediately. Go next door, where they're serving rum balls.

2. Drink as much eggnog as you can. And quickly. It's rare... You cannot find it any other time of year but now. So drink up! Who cares that it has 10,000 calories in every sip? It's not as if you're going to turn into an eggnog'oholic or something. It's a treat. Enjoy it. Have one for me. Have two. It's later than you think. It's Christmas!

3. If something comes with gravy, use it. That's the whole point of gravy. Gravy does not stand alone. Pour it on. Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes. Fill it with gravy. Eat the volcano. Repeat.

4. As for mashed potatoes, always ask if they're made with skim milk or whole milk. If it's skim, pass. Why bother? It's like buying a sports car
with an automatic transmission.

5. Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your eating. The whole point of going to a Christmas party is to eat other people's food for free. Lots of it. Hello?

6. Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Year's. You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do. This is the time for long naps, which you'll need after circling the
buffet table while carrying a 10-pound plate of food and a vat of eggnog.

7. If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like frosted Christmas cookies in the shape and size of Santa, position yourself near them and don't budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the
center of attention. They're like a beautiful pair of shoes. If you leave them behind, you're never going to see them again.

8. Same for pies. Apple, Pumpkin, Mincemeat. Have a slice of each. Or if you don't like mincemeat, have two apples and one pumpkin. Always have three. When else do you get to have more than one dessert?
Labor Day?

9. Did someone mention fruitcake? Granted, it's loaded with the mandatory celebratory calories, but avoid it at all cost. I mean, have some standards.

10. One final tip: If you don't feel terrible when you leave the party or get up from the table, you haven't been paying attention. Re-read tips; start
over, but hurry, January is just around the corner. Remember this motto to live by: "Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, body thoroughly used up, totally worn
out and screaming 'WOO-HOO, what a ride!'"

So, to be clear, the views expressed in this post are not necessarily those of the blogger. Pretty much do the exact opposite of these tips and you'll respect yourself on New Years Day!!!

Happy Holidays.

Don't just believe what you read...

It seems one cannot open a newspaper or magazine, turn on the television or log on to their computer without being inundated with health-related news. Countless publications and websites are dedicated to informing the public about everything from drug efficacy to nutrition advice, often presenting conflicting information. Some sources seem reputable, others may not. How do you sort out the fact from the fiction?

Check out Health News Review.org. I first heard about this website from a spot on NPR’s Morning Edition and am very impressed. This project, supported by The Foundation for Informed Medical Decision Making, was established to improve the accuracy of health reporting and help consumers make informed decisions about health care. Reviewers are qualified members of the medical and public health fields, with the appropriate credentials to be authorities on health-related topics. They review news stories which make specific claims with regard to treatments, procedures, drugs, vitamins and nutritional supplements, and diagnostic/screening tests and score them based on a standardized rating system. Articles are given “stars” based on how they fair on 10 different criteria, specifically:
1. Availability of treatment/product/test/procedure
2. If and how costs are mentioned in the article
3. If there is evidence of “disease mongering” in the story
4. Does the article grasp the quality of the evidence? (e.g. adequately point out limitations)
5. How harmful evidence of treatment/test/product/procedure is reported
6. Does the article establish true “novelty” of approach (is it really new information?)
7. How the benefits of the treatment/test/product/procedure are framed (through objective, quantitative data)
8. Whether the article seems to rely solely or largely on a news release
9. Is information from an independent source or are potential conflicts of interest reported?
10. Whether or not alternative options are presented.


This website is clearly a great resource to investigate health claims-- Access it for yourself at: http://www.healthnewsreview.org/

Hormones and Antibiotics, Oh My!

Consumers, beware! Don’t believe everything you read on the label.

Due to concern over growth hormones and antibiotic accumulation, many companies have started labeling their products as “Hormone Free” or “Raised Without Antibiotics.” While this trend may have begun as a means to help us avoid taking in excess toxins with potential long-term consequences, this has evolved into a mere marketing ploy. For example, Tyson Chicken has recently “come clean” about their practice of labeling chicken as “Raised Without Antibiotics” even though they do, in fact, inject their chickens with them. They skirt the issue by injecting the birds before they are hatched so that their claim is still technically true. Shady.

With regard to “Hormone-free “milk, you simply have to trust the producer. The hormones in question occur naturally in cows, so it would be nearly impossible to test for the addition of extra, synthetic ones. Producers have to sign an affidavit stating that they don’t inject these hormones (specifically, rGBH), but who trusts corporations these days… Monsanto, the company that manufactures the synthetic hormone, claims that milk from these cows is just as safe as the all-natural variety. Maybe we should just believe them—I’m sure they have our best interest at heart (*wink*)