Fast Healthy Dinner

No time for cooking tonight...so we had a very healthy dinner in less than 10 minutes.

Here is what we had....

Veggie Wraps

100% Whole Grain Tortillas
Hummus
Red Peppers
Spinach
Salsa
Raisins
Organic Cheese
Herbs (pick your favorite: dill, thyme...or any you like)
Chopped tomatoes
Chopped broccoli

I put everything inside the large tortillas and wrapped it. 

Served it with fresh berries.

I made dinner in less than 10 minutes and we ate on paper plates:)

You can do this!!

Melissa

Are you addicted??

I am reading a very interesting book about  the hidden reasons behind food cravings.  It is written by Dr Neal Barnard who heads up the Cancer Project that I have mentioned in the past.  He said that there are certain foods that are capable of stimulating precisely the same part of the brain that responds to heroin.  He named 3 big ones: sugar, chocolate, or cheese. 

He mentions several ways to start breaking the addiction.  Here are a few to try....

• First, be sure to have breakfast. 
• Second, fiber rich foods are essential. (Plant based foods)
• A few ideas for breakfast: a bowl of old-fashioned oatmeal (not instant...this spikes your insulin and is the same as eating sugar...he says this will trigger your cravings)  I agree completely. Another option a half of a cantaloupe, some toasted pumpernickel bread.  These are all loaded with fiber.
• Third, choose healthy protein sources.  He is a vegetarian so he recommends: beans, veggie sausage, tofu etc.  (He believes meat also triggers cravings)

I would like you to try these few things compared to what you normally do and see if you can see any change in your cravings. 

Do you notice that you are not dying to have chocolate or junk food when you make these changes.  I will continue to post more of what the book suggests.  He completely believes the same as Dr Joel Fuhrman who wrote "Eat to Live." 

Remember that small changes can make a big difference in the long run.

To your health,

Melissa

Eat this first Challenge

Here's my challenge for you...before you eat any junk food for the day...I want you to have eaten all of the following:

Vegetables (4 or more servings for the day)
Dark -green leafy vegetables, broccoli, kale, bok choy, spinach or any of your favorites. Dark-yellow and orange vegetables such as sweet potatoes, squash and carrots.  Include a variety.
Serving size: 1 cup raw vegetables *1/2  cup cooked vegetables

Whole Grains (5 or more servings for the day)
Includes whole grain bread, brown rice, whole grain pasta, oatmeal, barley, buckwheat groats, whole grain tortillas and others. 
Serving size: 1/2 cup hot cereal * 1 ounce dry cereal *1 slice bread

Fruit (3 or more servings for the day)
Try citrus, berries, melons and any of your favorites!!
Serving size: 1 medium piece of fruit *1/2 cup cooked fruit *4 ounces of fresh fruit juice

Legumes (2 or more servings for the day)
Think beans, pinto, black bean, kidney, garbanzo and others.
Serving size: 1/2 cup cooked beans

Try to eat all of this before you indulge.

Keep up the good work....your getting healthier every day!

Melissa

Veggie Melts for dinner in less than 15 minutes

Tonight we just had a quick dinner.

I made veggie melts with Ezekial wraps.

Sauteed spinach, red peppers, tomatoes in a skillet.  Added hummus to an ezekial wrap and placed in a warm skillet with a touch of olive oil.  Added a little organic white cheddar cheese and the sauteed veggies.  You could use any veggies that you enjoy.

Served with a side sauteed zucchini, red, green and yellow peppers (these were left overs from yesterday)

A side of Mary's twigs.

Dessert was greek yogurt with rasberries, blueberries and blackberries.

Try one of these fresh salsa's

Mango Ginger
1 medium mango, peeled
1 cup pineapple
1/2 cup red onion
2 Tbsp scallions
1 Tbsp fresh ginger grated
1 clove garlic
1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tsp of honey or agave syrup

Tomato-Corn
1 1/2 cups grape tomatoes
1 cup corn kernels
1/2 cup red onion
1/2 cup black beans
1/4 cilantro or parsley
1/2 jalapeno
1 clove garlic
1/2 tsp cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar

Cucumber-Peach
2 cups peach, peeled, pitted
1 cup cucumber
1/2 cup red bell pepper
1/2 cup red onion
2 Tbsp fresh mint
1 tsp hot red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to tast
2 Tbsp white balsamic vinegar

For each, simply chop and mix the ingredients, and refrigerate for an hour before serving.

Serve with whole grain crackers or some baked whole grain chips!

Enjoy,

Melissa

4 cups of veggies today

I want you to have 4 cups of vegetables today.  I prefer green ones but I will not be picky.  You choose...it can be anything but I want you to have 4 full cups of vegetables today. 

Eat Greens!
Melissa

Quinoa Couscous

QUINOA COUSCOUS

INGREDIENTS

1 cup quinoa


2 cups water


1/2 cup fresh basil


1/4 cup fresh parsley


1/2 cup raisins


1/2 cup chickpeas, drained

1/2 cup toasted almonds


1 tablespoon olive oil
 




STEPS

In a saucepan, pour in 1 cup of quinoa and 2 cups of water.

Bring to a boil.

Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until all the water is absorbed (about 10-15 minutes).


Remove and put in a bowl.


Chop the basil and parsley, and mix into the quinoa.


Toss in the raisins, chickpeas, almonds, and olive oil.


Salt and pepper to taste.


Favorite Cookbooks and websites for recipes

Cookbooks

• The Eat Clean Cookbook by Tosca Reno (I have all 3 of them)
• Body by God by Lisa Young (This was a great place to start)
• Eat to Live by Joel Fuhrman
• Food to Live By from Myra Goodman
• The Maximum Energy Cookbook by Sharon Broer
• The Maker's Diet
• The Conscious Cook by Tal Ronnen
• The kind diet by Alicia Silverstone
• Graeme Street has a cookbook but it is primarily for fitness
• Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld
• Food Beautiful by Sarah
• New York Body Plan by David Kirsch has some great recipes in the book
• The Clean Eating Magazine has great recipes
• Eating Well magazine has really good recipes
• The Athlete's Plate by Adam Kelinson

Websites that have great recipes.  Some of these websites have things that I do not endorse but they are good resources for recipes.

• http://www.101cookbooks.com/
• http://www.bragg.com/
• http://www.ohsheglows.com/
• http://www.honeyline.com/
• http://www.drfuhrman.com/
• http://www.foodbeautful.com/
• http://www.thekindlife.com/
• http://www.nomeatathlete.com/
• http://www.feastingonfitness.blogspot.com/
• http://www.shapeupmom.com/
• http://www.greensmoothiegirl.com/
• http://www.livingfuel.com/
• http://www.hacres.com/

Please share your favorite healthy cookbooks, recipes and websites that you enjoy! 

Eat to live!
Melissa

What about Boca Burgers?

What do I think about Boca Burgers?


BOCA MEATLESS BURGERS ROASTED ONION (NATURALLY FLAVORED)

Ingredients: WATER, SOY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, ONIONS, DRIED ONIONS, WHEAT GLUTEN, CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF SALT, METHYLCELLULOSE, DRIED GARLIC, CORN OIL, NATURAL FLAVOR (NON-MEAT), YEAST EXTRACT, CARAMEL COLOR, SOY SAUCE POWDER (SOYBEANS, SALT, WHEAT, MALTODEXTRIN), SESAME OIL, GUM ARABIC, SPICE.


Personally, I feel that if you really wanted one that you could have one on occasion.  I do not consider these a health food.   First of all, they are processed and have some added oils that are not really on my list of great things to eat.  They also are high in sodium.   If you are trying to avoid eating meat then go to Bragg's website  http://www.bragg.com/.  She has some wonderful recipes for making your own veggie burgers without the extra things you will find in a Boca Burger.   If you just are looking for something different and not a vegetarian then try turkey burgers.  You can add all kinds of things to flavor the ground turkey. 

I did find some veggie burgers by Sunshine at Wholefoods and they do not have any extra ingredients.  I tried them but they are not part of my normal routine.  I do consider them healthier than a boca burger. 

Remember try to stick with things that you know what all the ingredients are and as close to unprocessed as possible.  But if you are choosing between McDonald's or a Boca Burger then the Boca Burger is an excellent choice! 

To your health,

Melissa

The Green Monster

Today I made a shake for the kids and we named it the Green Monster.

1 cup frozen mangos
1/2 to 1 banana
Large Hand full of Spinach
1 Scoop of protein powder
1 and 1/2 cups of water

Blend and serve.  We had ours with a bowl of steel cut oatmeal and berries.

The kids loved it!  They kept asking why it was green:)

Melissa

What's for dinner?

Tilapia- I marinated it with lime juice, olive oil, sea salt, a little agave syrup, parsley, cilantro and minced garlic. Then broiled it for about 10 minutes.

Quinoa with asparagus for a side.  Made 2 cups of quinoa and set aside.  Then in a skillet, add olive oil and 1 can of garbanzo beans (drained), add a little sea salt and garlic.  Cook the garbanzo beans for about 2 minutes and then add the chopped asparagus. Add a lid to the asparagus for a few minutes until bright green and a little soft.   In another small skillet...toast slivered almonds.  Then add quinoa to the beans, asparagus and almonds.  You can top with squeezed lemon if you would like.

Another Success Story

My husband John is a huge cyclist and of course a healthy eater!  However, back in October 2009 he went into have a check up and discovered that his cholesterol was high.  The doctor strongly suggested he get on meds right away.  John decided to see if I could tweak his diet or help him try to decrease this the natural way.  The doctor really believed this would all be in vain and said it must be hereditary..how could he be eating any healthier? 

Well, I did some research and spoke to Dr Joel Fuhrman's staff.  He is author of the book "Eat to Live."  We changed John's diet and went totally vegan.  He gave up all dairy, meat and coffee.  He ate exactly what Dr Fuhrman recommends: Veggies, Beans, Fruit, Whole grains, Raw nuts, and more veggies!  He added garlic tablets, Vitamin C with Bio, 1/2 glass of POM juice a day and completely quit coffee. 

He continued his regular exercise program of cycling and weights.

The results are below:
Oct 23, 2009   Total Cholesterol 244
Nov 23, 2009  Total Cholesterol 179

The doctor was amazed...they could not believe that diet alone could take down someone's cholesterol within 30 days!  He continued eating vegan for a few months.  However, we have added some fish and other lean meats back into his diet.  He will be going in for a recheck soon.  I will let you know if adding the meat back into his diet increased the results.

I would highly recommend you reading the book "Eat to Live".  Regardless if you are a vegetarian or not...adding more greens into your diet will help you live a healthier life.

Remember you are what you eat!!!

Melissa

Article about "Why I am not a vegetarian"

I posted an article tonight that was really interesting. I have read "The China Study" and found it fascinating. My husband and I also did live out this lifestyle for a few months following Dr Joel Fuhrman's book "Eat to Live" which is based on this study. It did drop his cholesterol by about 30% in 4 weeks but we have added some fish and a little chicken back in our diets. I personally feel better when I am having more protein. But I still believe that the more plants the better! I would love to hear any of your feedback about this subject. I have done a lot of research on this one and still feel I have much to learn!