Healthy Cooking by design

Buckle your seat belt because I’m about to give you some truly amazing reasons to add green tea to your daily routine.  I was reading up on some of the health benefits of green tea when I came across an article at one of my favorite websites - World’s Healthiest Foods.  Before I direct you to their site for all the details, let me give you some of the truly amazing highlights of daily adding 2 cups of green tea.

• 22% less likely to develop breast cancer
• 62% less likely to die from a stroke
• lowers LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, and lipid peroxides
• 46% less likely to develop high blood pressure or hypertension
• fights cancer cells at the genetic level
• up to 50% less likely to develop prostate cancer
• 46% lower risk of ovarian cancer
• 56% less likely to die of ovarian cancer if drinking green tea after diagnosed
• hinders tumor growth
• helps prevent cancer cells from growing, moving, and replicating
• improves insulin sensitivity in type 2 diabetes
• protects kidneys and liver
• improves bone density and protects against osteoporosis
• promotes fat loss - specifically visceral fat (76% decrease in 16 weeks!)
• increases endurance for exercise by 24%
• protects against Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and other neurodegenerative diseases
• lessens bacterial or viral infections

All the details are available in this lengthy, but inspiring article on Green Tea at World’s Healthiest Foods.  I hope I have whet your appetite for this great beverage.  And, like anything else, keep trying different brands until you find one you like.  My current favorite hot green tea (with a little honey and lemon juice) is Good Earth Green Tea with Lemongrass.   My kids like Bigelow Earl Grey Green Tea as a hot tea.  And my husband likes Luzianne Green Tea iced with lemon and sugar.

Protein for breakfast really keeps you full and satisfied for hours. And it is easier than you think to have it ready in the morning. One of my favorite ways is in casserole form. Eggs, skim milk, chopped fresh spinach, a little Parmesan or 2 percent sharp cheddar cheese, mild rotel, and a little chopped turkey bacon if you like. Bake it in an 8 x 8 casserole dish and now you have 6 large squares that are easy to warm up in the microwave all week. Another favorite is to make a scrambled egg mixture with a small amount of 2 percent cheddar cheese, onions, garlic, peppers, and chili powder. Put your southwest scramble into whole wheat tortillas, roll, and refrigerate or freeze. Very easy to warm up in the microwave.

Another thing we don’t often think about is how perfect that leftover piece of chicken or salmon is to start out our day. An adult pb & j is another great starter. I buy a natural peanut or almond butter and either mix it with some honey or use an all-fruit jam and put it on a whole grain bread, thin bun, or mini bagel.

Try starting your day with some protein and whole grains and see how your energy levels stay constant and how many hours you feel full and satisfied.

Do you know the reason those new Reebok shoes to tone your rear and legs are supposed work?  They are taking something you are already doing (walking) and linking it with exercise.  Now, I don’t know if those shoes really work, but let me share with you a few ways that concept really works for me in other areas.

I take activities I already do and combine them with things I want to be doing - or more specifically, that I want the results of doing.  Like returning phone calls while driving, worshiping in the shower, reading my Bible before and during my breakfast, etc- two birds with one stone.  That method of combining is just as effective with exercise.

I do sit ups and crunches before I get out of bed (or at least before I get dressed).  I started with just 5 sit ups each morning, but now I do a bunch of them and don’t stop until I really feel the burn.  I combine leg lifts with brushing my teeth.  Not only do I brush my teeth for a longer time (like I should anyway), but in about one year my legs were toned and you could see defined muscle.  Now, a year sounds like a long time, but I just tell myself  - if I don’t make any changes to my routine, my legs will be in the same shape (or likely worse) in a year.  So, morning and night, I do leg lifts - alternating which direction I lift, or in circles, etc.  I also combine some kind of exercise with tv commercials.  If I have to sit there anyway, why not do leg lifts or half-sit-ups while sitting on the couch.  When I wanted green tea’s health benefits, I linked it to the dreaded afternoon slump and replaced my afternoon coffee with hot green tea, lemon, and honey.  And to add more walking to my day, I park farther away and walk briskly into the store; or take the stairs instead of the elevator.

The key to any of those being effective is consistency.  Just link the thing you are wanting to do (or that you are wanting the results from doing) to something you are already doing.  And start small!  Just add one thing to your routine and do it every time.  And just remember, combining the new thing to your established routine is the first step to seeing results.

Have you ever considered the idea that burning sweet smelling incense is very similar to breathing second hand smoke?  Until today, I hadn’t either.  I heard it on the radio news and decided to check it out.

This study, of more than 61,000 people across 12 years, found that people who burned incense all day were 80 percent more likely than non-users to develop squamous cell carcinoma of the entire respiratory tract. While a number of people on the study did contract lung cancer, those numbers were not necessarily increased from the general population.  However, the instances of nasal, oral, throat, or larynx cancer were significantly increased.

This article at Natural News.com explains that the air quality inside a poorly ventilated temple with heavy incense use was 40 times more polluted than the inside of a cigarette smokers house or similar to standing at a busy intersection filled with car exhaust.

Whether you burn incense all day or just occasionally, it seems helpful to highlight the idea that we can avoid many diseases when we breathe clean air, drink clean water, and eat natural food.

Wikipedia says “A macrobiotic diet (or macrobiotics), from the Greek “macro” (large, long) and “bios” (life), is a dietary regimen that involves eating grains as a staple food supplemented with other foodstuffs such as vegetables and beans, and avoiding the use of highly processed or refined foods. Macrobiotics also addresses the manner of eating by recommending against overeating and requiring that food be chewed thoroughly before swallowing.” Macrobiotics has lots of healthy recommendations and has similarities to the Mediterranean Diet that my cooking and lifestyle is based on.  Except that I believe in variety and moderation of all kinds of natural foods, so I would not adhere to the macrobiotic recommendation that certain vegetables be avoided, etc.

I hung out on one particular site which grabbed my attention with phrases like “Trying to understand the true potential and essence of your food through nutritional analysis alone is like trying to understand the current US political agenda using mainstream media spin on the subject as your only source of information. (nutritional analysis alone being people who just count calories or carbs, or buy a cereal because it has lots of fiber)- taken from the article titled Understanding Food Energetics; and

“Today we have a nation that is addicted to sugar. In 1915, the national average of sugar consumption (per year) was around 15 to 20 pounds per person. Today the average person consumes his/her weight in sugar, plus over 20 pounds of corn syrup.” “- taken from the article titled The Hidden Story of Big Sugar.  One of my biggest problems with sugar is that it hinders your immune system and makes it sluggish - not at all what I want when my body (or my children) encounters a germ - a sleepy, half-hearted attempt to fight it off.

The site with the above articles and others like Raising Healthy Children and Whole Grains for Whole People is called Macrobiotic Guide.  They even list their Top 15 Super Foods.  Please don’t hear me saying that I agree every suggestion offered in this guide.  Instead, like most every site I find about diet and nutrition, they provide a lot of information that is thought provoking, much of which lines up with commonly accepted beliefs.   I always appreciate reading research and theory, and just apply the suggestions that mesh well with my family’s outlook on diet and nutrition.

We sometimes struggle with the “all or nothing mentality”.  Its either carrot sticks and water or a Big Mac meal with ice cream later in the day.  But let’s imagine that our dietary and lifestyle choices all equal either a positive number or a negative number on a number line, and we tally them up each day.  Viewed that way, you have an infinite number of increasingly healthy choices or increasingly unhealthy choices, with the occasional choice being neutral.   So even the smallest healthy choice - like parking a few spaces farther out in the parking lot or drinking green tea in the afternoon - are small positive numbers that get added in to the overall result of the day.  And we know this is true, because we clearly see it working in the reverse - lots of little choices over time at the drive thru, or the vending machine, or ice cream at night gradually add up to make a negative difference.

Let’s say a Big Mac meal equals negative 20 as a choice.  That same meal, if you skipped the fries might only be a negative 15 - a better choice.  And if you drank unsweetened tea instead of the coke, then that meal might only be a negative 5 choice.  Later today, you could walk around the block, a positive 10 choice, and have a fruit and yogurt smoothie instead of DQ, another positive 10 choice, and now you’re solidly in positive territory for the day.

I was thinking about all this today, because I was craving pancakes.  Now I could have bought buttermilk pancake mix, syrup, etc and had a lot of negative numbers for my day.  Or I could have made whole wheat pancakes and topped them with fruit and nuts and had only positive numbers added to my day.  Instead, I compromised.  I made whole wheat pancakes (positive), spread them with natural peanut butter (positive), sprinkled some chocolate chips (negative), and drizzled them with honey (neutral).  So, my overall effect was positive.  Not as positive as it could have been, but also not as negative as it could have been.  And it was very satisfying.

It is helpful to me to look at each small choice I make as adding positive numbers to my day - and therefore having a positive result in my overall health.  I am wanting to live in positive territory, so I look at each choice I make as either helping me get there, or negating some of the good choices I have already made.

Special photo thanks to TheD at Stock.xchng.

When you think “healthy peanut butter”, be honest, do you think of a gritty, unappealing mass that will tear bread if you attempt to spread it?  You’re not alone.  Let me point you to a couple of really great tasting, healthy peanut butters so you don’t have to compromise the flavor or texture you love.

My first favorite is from Trader Joe’s (Think of them as the Aldi’s of Whole Foods - their own brands, lower prices, great tasting healthy food, with a helpful staff.).  Trader Joe’s Roasted, Salted Peanut Butter has the smooth creaminess and flavor of any kid-friendly “Jiff-type” peanut butter.  Its very delicious and only about $1.79 for the regular 16 oz. jar.  Another one that I just tried that has the same consistency, delicious taste, and a similar low price is Kroger’s Natural Creamy Peanut Butter.

My next favorite is a little more pricey, but I bring a jar home whenever I go to Trader Joe’s.  It is their Valencia Peanut Butter with Roasted Flaxseeeds.  It is about $4.99 for the 16 oz. jar.  But, holy cow, I’ve never tasted anything like it.  I buy the crunchy, salted one.  They have all their varieties in unsalted, if you prefer.  I also splurge on their Almond Butter.  It is also about $4.99 for the 16 oz. jar.  I buy the raw, salted variety.  It does have a little texture, but is very soft and spreadable and really delicious.  Its really a great deal because most almond butter is $12.00-$15.00 a jar.  But, back to peanut butter.

My next favorite is available at Publix, Kroger, and Walmart.  Its Smuckers Natural Peanut Butter.  I buy the creamy, salted variety.  This one does have a little texture, but is still very spreadable (and its very far from gritty).  I have seen it as high at $3.16 and as low as $2.23, depending on the store.

All of these are appealing to me because when looking for a healthy peanut butter, I want:

• just peanuts (with the peanut oil) and salt (no hydrogenated oils added)
• flavorful peanut taste (not the taste of other oils and sugars)
• creamy and spreadable texture (not gritty and dry)
• reasonable price (I have a large family and live on a budget)

And to get all of those, I don’t mind the monthly trip to Trader Joe’s to stock up (on peanut butter and other things), or the minute or two it takes me to stir peanut butter to recombine the oil that first time before I stick it in the refrigerator (I think of it as exercise).  But if the stirring bothers you, go here to buy a lid with a built in crank and paddle (designed to screw onto natural peanut butter jars).  Then you could even have a child stir it without making a mess.

*Special photo thanks to Crystala at Stock.xchng

P.S. After putting up this post, a reader contacted me and suggested I try the Publix brand natural peanut butter.  So I tried their crunchy variety and thought it was delicious.  Its ingredients are simply peanuts and salt.  I’m sure there are many other natural peanut butters out there that are delicious and won’t break the bank, so get brave and try some.  Thanks for the suggestion!

People ask me all the time to help them “healthify” a recipe and I’m happy to do it.  Apparently I’ve had enough experience messing up recipes that I know the pitfalls to avoid when substituting.

While some recipes cannot be redeemed - Deep-Fried Snickers Bars, for example - most can either be made healthy or can be re-worked to keep the same flavor elements you love, but in a new recipe.

Here are a couple of practical suggestions:

• Make it healthier and smaller.  Grandma’s cheesecake can be made with 1/3 less fat cream cheese, half the sugar, topped with real fruit, and made in a half-batch when having company over.  Everyone enjoys a big piece, and then it’s gone.
• Rework the proportions.  Use the largest amount of the healthiest ingredient and the smallest amount of the unhealthiest.  In a cheesy chicken and broccoli casserole, use a huge amount of broccoli, then a reasonable amount of brown rice, then some chicken, and top with a little cheese.  This concept works in most casseroles and soups.
• Experiment with new brands to use.  There are tons of pastas, breads, crackers, and cereals made with whole grains.  The ones with the most nutrition have “whole” wheat or oats, etc as the first ingredient in the list.  They all have a different taste and texture, so experiment until you find ones you like and then use whole grains.

If you have a favorite recipe that you would like to “healthify” but can’t figure it out, email it to me and I’ll be glad to tell you how I would do it.

I came across a link on facebook today called “Cup O’ Joe for a Joe” and couldn’t resist checking it out and passing it along to other coffee lovers.  Not only because I love a good cup of coffee, but I love to support our troops.

The creator of this campaign is the Green Beans Coffee Company.  They got their start with, and have a unique dedication to, the troops of the United States military. Their company mission is “Honor First, Coffee Second”, and they donate a portion of every sale to charities that support military families and their children.

You can go to their site and pay two bucks for a cup of coffee to be delivered to a soldier who has signed up, along with a note from you if you like.  They can even send a note of thanks back telling you how much that little gesture from home meant to them.  On facebook, you can read some of the thank you notes soldiers sent back to others - I dare you to not cry!

I know money is tight for many of us right now.  But who says we should give out of our abundance?  I could choose to skip my cup of coffee (or other indulgence) once a week or even once a month to send it to someone who will appreciate it a lot more than me.  I mean, they are skipping EVERY COMFORT OF THEIR LIFE right now for me.  The least I can do is send them a cup of coffee with a thank you note from home.  Thanks Green Beans for a great idea!

Why is portion control so important?  I suppose it depends on whether you are trying to burn all the calories you take in each day, or have extra ones to store away for later.  Even as I write this, I am enjoying 1/2 cup of oats, cooked, and topped with measured amounts of butter, brown sugar, bannana, etc.  Instead of feeling frustrated at the thought of measuring my breakfast (or approximating it because I’ve made it so many times), I find security and peace of mind knowing that I will burn all the calories I eat today and still be a size 7 tomorrow.

Imagine you bought fertilizer for your lawn, but it did not come with directions for proper application.  You would wander your yard, scatter the amount you thought was right, and hope for the best.  Through trial and error (and watching the results), you would discover what did not work well, but would probably not get the maximum benefit without the directions.  It is the same with food.

Most companies selling food are not only trying to make money, but are unconcerned with your health or the long-term results of eating their food.  I like to think of them as used car salesmen.  I evaluate each company individually to see how much they know about what they are selling, and how accurately they represent that information.  The Center for Science in the Public Interest, has some great lists of the best and worst foods.  Here are just a couple of their examples of restaurants not understanding (or caring) what they are selling, and consumers not understanding (or caring) what they are eating:

• Chili’s Big Mouth Bites with French fries (four mini bacon cheeseburgers with fried onion strings): 2,350 calories, 38 grams saturated fat, 3,940 milligrams sodium.  That’s about two days worth of RDA for most people.
• Olive Garden Tour of Italy, with lasagna, chicken parmigiana, and fettuccine alfredo: 1,450 calories, 33 grams saturated fat, 3,830 milligrams sodium.  If you’re over 40 or have high blood pressure, that’s more than twice the sodium you should have in an entire day.
• Ruby Tuesday’s “Fresh Chicken & Broccoli Pasta.” It sounds healthy, but its 2,060 calories and 128 grams of fat make it the equivalent of two 12-ounce sirloin steaks, two buttered baked potatoes, and two Caesar salads. (CSPI calls this dish “Angioplasta.”)
• Cheesecake Factory’s “Chris’ Outrageous Chocolate Cake.” This 1,380-calorie menu item is the equivalent of eating two Quarter Pounders plus a large fries—for dessert.
• Starbucks Venti White Chocolate Mocha and Blueberry Scone would provide 1,100 calories—or about as much as one would find in a Burger King bacon double cheeseburger, medium fries, and medium Coke.

Most of us realize that our desires will drive us to an unhealthy place unless control or restraint is applied.  We easily recognize this with the number of hours we (or our children) watch television, the amount of candy we eat in a day, how much money we spend frivolously out of our paychecks, etc.  Most adults don’t really live by “if it feels good, do it”.

Once we decide that we want to use portion control when eating, the question is how.  You could check out Mayo Clinic’s slide show on Portion Control for Weight Loss, Web MD’s article on Portion Control and Weight Loss, or look at The Portion Plate - an actual plate that shows portion guidelines.  You could also search a particular food in Calorie King’s Food Database and they will tell you the appropriate serving size, allow you to select other serving sizes, give you the nutritional information, as well as the amount of exercise needed to burn those calories.

Most of us have never been taught this information and yet it is foundational to good health and maintaining a healthy weight.  Once you get used to seeing and using healthy portion sizes, it is easier to see that both at home and in a restaurant, we serve and eat a lot more food than we need.

Special photo thanks to loleia at stock.xchng.