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“The key is not to prioritize what's on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.”
-Stephen R. Covey

Thursday, April 1, 2010

Sweet Pineapple Salsa-



Basically add as much of each ingredient as you would like. Just depends on your taste preferences.


Pineapple

Lime juice

Cilantro

Onion

Pepper


Chop it all up or throw it in the food processor and you have one delicious salsa!!!
It goes great on top of a salad or jazz up a chicken breast or fillet of grilled fish. Of course it always tastes great as a chip dip, just keep the chip consumption in check:)

Egg Facts- Making informed choices

I came across this when doing a google search...

Myth 2- Eating eggs raises your cholesterol levels.

Truth- Dietary cholesterol found in eggs has little to do with the amount of cholesterol in your body. The confusion can be boiled down to semantics: The same word, "cholesterol," is used to describe two different things. Dietary cholesterol—the fat-like molecules in animal-based foods like eggs—doesn’t greatly affect the amount of cholesterol circulating in your bloodstream. Your body makes its own cholesterol, so it doesn’t need much of the kind you eat. Instead, what fuels your body’s cholesterol-making machine is certain saturated and trans fats.

Eggs contain relatively small amounts of saturated fat. One large egg contains about 1.5 grams saturated fat, a fraction of the amount in the tablespoon of butter many cooks use to cook that egg in. So, cutting eggs out of your diet is a bad idea; they're a rich source of 13 vitamins and minerals.

There is a lot of truth in the above statement, but I feel it gives the wrong impression.
In an attempt to write a new and interesting magazine article a few details may have been left out.
No wonder nutritional info. is so confusing!
The following articles come from MayoClinic.com and a Harvard Study. I like them so much more.

Question
Eggs: Are they good or bad for my cholesterol?

Answer
from Thomas Behrenbeck, M.D.
mayoclinic.com

Chicken eggs are high in cholesterol, and a diet high in cholesterol can contribute to high blood cholesterol levels. However, how much the cholesterol in your diet can increase your blood cholesterol varies from person to person.

When deciding whether to include eggs in your diet, consider the recommended daily limits on cholesterol in your food:

If you are healthy, it's recommended that you limit your dietary cholesterol intake to less than 300 milligrams (mg) a day.

If you have cardiovascular disease, diabetes or a high low-density lipoprotein (LDL, or "bad") blood cholesterol level, you should limit your dietary cholesterol intake to less than 200 mg a day.

One large egg has about 213 mg of cholesterol — all of which is found in the yolk. Therefore, if you eat an egg on a given day, it's important to limit other sources of cholesterol for the rest of that day. Consider substituting servings of vegetables for servings of meat, or avoid high-fat dairy products for that day.

If you like eggs but don't want the extra cholesterol, use only the egg whites. Egg whites contain no cholesterol. You may also use cholesterol-free egg substitutes, which are made with egg whites. If you want to reduce cholesterol in a recipe that calls for eggs, use two egg whites or 1/4 cup (59 milliliters) cholesterol-free egg substitute in place of one whole egg.

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Egg Nutrition and Heart Disease : Eggs aren't the dietary demons they're cracked up to be.

Common misconceptions keep many people, especially those worried about heart disease, from eating eggs. The July issue of the Harvard Heart Letter unscrambles the dietary facts and myths about the egg.

Fact: Eggs are a good source of nutrients. One egg contains 6 grams of protein and some healthful unsaturated fats. Eggs are also a good source of choline, which has been linked with preserving memory, and lutein and zeaxanthin, which may protect against vision loss.

Fact: Eggs have a lot of cholesterol. The average large egg contains 212 milligrams of cholesterol. As foods go, that’s quite a bit, rivaled only by single servings of liver, shrimp, and duck meat.

Myth: All that cholesterol goes straight to your bloodstream and then into your arteries. Not so. For most people, only a small amount of the cholesterol in food passes into the blood. Saturated and trans fats have much bigger effects on blood cholesterol levels.

Myth: Eating eggs is bad for your heart. The only large study to look at the impact of egg consumption on heart disease—not on cholesterol levels or other intermediaries—found no connection between the two. In people with diabetes, though, egg-a-day eaters were a bit more likely to have developed heart disease than those who rarely ate eggs.

If you like eggs, eating one a day should be okay, especially if you cut back on saturated and trans fats. Other ways to enjoy eggs without worrying about cholesterol include not eating the yolk, which contains all the cholesterol, or using pourable egg whites or yolk-free egg substitutes.

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Also a point to remember-

One large egg contains about 90 calories, with about 50 of those calories coming from the yolk. Even if you aren't concerned about the cholesterol levels, you may be able to cut back on the calorie content of your food by eating just the egg whites. Or you could consider the option of scrambling one whole egg with a few extra egg whites. This way you keep both your cholesterol and calorie count in check, yet keep the taste you were going for.

Saturday, March 27, 2010

Spinach Salad-

Again this one is another simple everyday idea. We had it for dinner at our house the other night and it was delicious.

Here is what I added-

Spinach leaves
Grilled Chicken (leave it out if you want vegatarian)

And lots of these-

Red Onion
Carrots
Cucumbers
Apples
Tomatoes

I used a little olive oil, balsamic vinegar and pepper on top to jazz it up...Voila!

It really isn't hard to be healthy.

I promise there are more recipes to come. Ones that will spice up your regualr routine. Enjoy!

It Really is Easy...

I was without computer for a few days so I am sorry about the delay on the recipes...
Before I get into any of the new and different recipes I want to just share a few recipes that you are probably already familiar with. Just to help you see that healthy eating is easy.
I was reminded the other day about Hawaiian Hay Stacks. It is such an easy dinner I don't know why I never remember to make them. The good thing about them is everyone can add whatever toppings they like. It is as easy as made to order can get.
To make this yummy meal a healthy dish go for the brown rice. The kind that takes more than 5 minutes to make. Then add toppings like chicken, tomatoes, olives, celery, pineapple, cucumbers, cashews, almonds or avacados for some healthy fat, peas or carrots. Really anything you like. Just keep it fresh and healthy!
I am working on making a gravy for the haystacks that is healthier than the regular cream of chicken soup. I have some ideas in the making, but I want to try them out before I post them.
Super Easy! Super Yummy!
Like I said, this isn't a new and crazy recipe. But it is a reminder that eating healthy, natural foods isn't rocket science.
I am going to post the other ideas in separate posts so they are easier to read.

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Refocusing...

I just got back from a weekend trip to Idaho to see family and it seems it has taken me 4 days to get back on track from the 4 day vacation. But I am back and ready to share a few thoughts and insights. I am motivated and refocused!

Over the weekend I heard a lot about the HCG diet. Up to this point I had never heard about it, but once it was brought to my attention I have seen ads for it all over the place. If you haven't heard about it you can google it. You will find plenty of websites with info. I still have yet to find a website that actually explains how the diet works. Most of them are very vague. Essentially you eat a very low calorie diet (VLCD) and take HCG drops. There is also a list of approved foods you can eat. The diet is done for 3-4 weeks with the promise that you will lose 1-2 pounds a day on average.

I have never tried it so I can't give my personal opinion on the diet. Many people I talked to swear by it. I am still skeptical. Not skeptical that you will lose weight...if you are only eating 500 calories a day some pounds will be shed. I am skeptical as to why people want to do this to themselves.

Maybe you can lose the weight on this plan, but what happens once you stop the diet? You obviously can't keep up this type of diet regimen for long periods of time. And I am still not sure why starving yourself for weeks at a time is more desirable than trying a little exercise and healthy eating.

I understand the desire for quick results.

So I am not going to say you should or shouldn't do this diet. Or any other jump start diet. But the reality is if you don't change your ways (the ones that led to the weight gain in the first place) the weight will come back.

No matter what diet plan you choose to follow, you have to be ready to make lifestyle changes.

There are many things we can do to improve upon our health habits. But the one I want to focus on is all about going back to the basics. Time to cut back the refined and processed foods. I have a sis-in-law who has mastered this to a T. She has lost so much weight, looks fantastic, and feels amazing. The best part is she is a phenomenal cook. All her food is healthy and everything is delicious. She cooked for us all weekend and I was in heaven. Her example is what has motivated me to refocus my efforts. And I want to share with you the wonderful things I find.

I hope we can discover together that this journey to better health can be tasty and enjoyable. Your challenge this week is to cut back the refined foods. Try recipes that are full of fresh or frozen veggies. Learn to make sauces and seasonings from scratch so you can cut back the salt and fat, yet enhance the flavor. Figure ways to improve upon your favorite recipes that you cook the most often. I will be sharing my finds. Please share yours!

If you are going to do any of the crazy kickstart diets, that is your deal...but once you are done please join me here and lets get healthy by changing our habits one day at a time. These are the lifestlye changes we all need to make.


I already have a few fun recipes, but you will have to check back later if you want more:).

Monday, March 15, 2010

Weekly Challenge-

I haven't posted a weekly challenge for a few weeks. This week I am going to keep it simple yet challenging...

Within the next 7 days (the day you read this is day #1) your challenge is to do 500 push-ups. You can split them up however you like with the only rule being you need to do at least 10 in a row to make them count.

I wouldn't procrastinate this challenge!

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Time to take it Outside!

The weather here has been absolutely spectacular! It is definitely time to start taking some of those workouts outside...running, walking, biking. Spring is really on the way. And isn't it such a relief?!

Here is a great strength routine you can do at any local park. It would be the great way to finish off a long run.

Video explanation-
Play Away the Pounds - Fitness Magazine

Pictures and words-
http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/workout/lose-weight/total-body/park-workout/?page=1

Enjoy the great outdoors!