My Life's Biggest Project: Better For You Comfort Food

My Life's Biggest Project: Better For You Comfort Food: "I am pretty sure that this super cold weather we have gotten has made more than just myself feel like a need for warmth. I call it snuggle w..."

Better For You Comfort Food

I am pretty sure that this super cold weather we have gotten has made more than just myself feel like a need for warmth. I call it snuggle weather, but thanks to my current single status that is not an option...lol. One of the other things that comes to mind this time of year when I'm freezing is wanting comfort food. In the summer when it's hot and I'm sweating like a man I don't normally want something heavy, in fact that is the time of year that I love sandwiches, not sure why, but that is what seems like a summer food to me. In the winter though I tend to want something a little more hearty. Another thing I think about is how ridiculous my utility bill is going to be so I go ahead and stay a little bit more cool because really I can wear a hoodie and have a blankie when I'm sitting on the couch and that's not a problem. You know the poor kid strategy for survival lol.

Just the other day for example, I got home and my hands were freezing because I had forgotten my gloves, well I immediately thought that, that day would be a great soup day. So I go through my cabinets and look around and I didn't have any soup, but I did have some Ramen noodles that my mom left when she was staying with me after my surgery. I got a packet out and struggled with wanting to eat it. The packet is still sitting on my counter because I opted for a grapefruit instead of my sodium packed noodles. But the point is I really wanted something to make me feel warm and the problem with that is that normally these kinds of foods are packed with bad for you stuff. So seeing that this was a problem for me I thought that it might be a problem for others out there so I decided to do some research.

In this I came across a Web site that gave five different options for some of our favorite winter dishes, but in a more healthy way to have them. The article is entitled "5 Winter Dishes Lightened Up" (good title huh!) and it is written by Laurie Saloman and reviewed by Quality Health's Medical Advisory Board. I will fill you in on the secrets of the page.

Eggplant Parmesan- As I've said before I have a weakness for Italian food. The problem with this dish is while yes it is more healthy in the sense that you are having a veggie than overloading on protein you are pulling in some other bad things. Most of the time when you order this at a restaurant it is breaded and fried and doused in fatty cheese and sauce so Saloman writes the following;

"A better solution: Grilled eggplant. Salt eggplant rounds, lightly spray each side with cooking spray, and grill until they're brown and soft on both sides. Layer them with tomato sauce and low-fat mozzarella and bake until bubbling. Add wilted spinach leaves or roasted pepper slices for extra flavor."

Meatloaf- Everyone has there own way of making meatloaf and sometimes it can be better for you than others. I myself am a huge fan of my BFF Eric's, but it probably isn't the best thing in the world for me, but I'm in love with it regardless.

The slimming secret offered in the article is to substitute "lean ground chicken or turkey" instead of the fatty beef that we normally use in meatloaf. Saloman suggests cooking, "diced peppers and onions mixed in with the meat" to provide a little kick and some more flavor. She says that it is even OK to top it with fat-free cheese mixed in with some Salsa to give it a little for of that extra something.

Chicken pot pie- I forget about chicken pot pie most of the time, but whenever I have one I remember that I really do like it. It's just one of those things like Ramen noodles that I have pretty much told myself that I just can't have. Here is a way that you can according to Saloman's article;

"Skip the butter, flour and heavy cream that traditionally give this dish its thickness. Instead, substitute a can of reduced-fat cream of celery soup. Simply mix the soup, frozen vegetables of your choice, and cooked chicken pieces together and put into a pie tin. Top the pie with reduced-fat refrigerated crescent-roll dough and bake for a satisfying winter night's dinner."

French Fries- As Americans we are all so very use to having fries as a side with everything that we eat. Heck they come with every combo meal that is out there. Fries have become the default food and the sad thing about it is that they are so freaking bad for you. If you still want to be able to eat fries and not feel as guilty about it you should definitely read this tip.

"There's no rule that says French fries have to be friend to be good. Slice up some potatoes, lightly salt them, place them on a baking sheet and spray them with cooking oil. The bake them at 450 degrees, turning once, until they're crispy all over. Want a nutritional boost? Substitute butternut squash slices for white potatoes."

I for one can tell you that the squash option is amazing. I actually prefer it to the potato.

New England clam chowder- This is where we get back to what I said about soup earlier. One thing we can't help but think about during chilly weather is soup so it only made sense to me that at some point during this article it would be mentioned. It may be the last on the list, but that doesn't make it any less important of an option than the rest.

"A bowl of this creamy, briny soup packs in boatloads of calories, so lighten it up. Adding extra vegetables and clams gives the soup body, while cutting the heavy cream to half a cup and using reduced -fat milk instead of whole milk slashes fat. Enjoy with whole-grain crackers or bread, " said Saloman.

I hope that some of these things help you and I hope you enjoy them. If you try any out or have any other suggestions for healthier options I would love to try them and even post them in another post later on. Let me know what you got.

My Life's Biggest Project: Soda or Pop

My Life's Biggest Project: Soda or Pop: "It doesn't really matter what you call it, it's the same thing. I for one prefer to call my bubbly beverage soda, but I may be the only Okla..."

Soda or Pop

It doesn't really matter what you call it, it's the same thing. I for one prefer to call my bubbly beverage soda, but I may be the only Oklahoman who does. The pop thing doesn't really bother me, but I just don't say it. What does bother me however is when somebody says something about a coke. Like, "what kind of coke do you want?" That question does not even make sense at all. Why would you ask me what kind of coke I want? I mean unless you are asking if I want cherry or vanilla or diet, but a coke is a coke, like coca-cola. It is not the universal word for soda.

This tangent may sound silly, but it has to do with what I want to talk to you all about today. I don't care if you call it soda, pop or coke, but the fact remains that it's not good for you. I for one miss Dr. Pepper when I can't have it. In fact while dieting I cut all soda from my diet, but when I just can't take it any more I go get a Diet Dr. Pepper and it is the best thing I've ever put in my mouth. I mean seriously I would rather waste calories on that soda than on a donut or piece of cake. I'm pretty serious about my Diet DP. If you are like me then you know it is a struggle when trying to lose weight. By doing this I mean trying to cut out your favorite soda. I truly think that DP is like my crack. So while researching today I came across an article that I will post for you that is written by Steve Edwards, a writer for Beachbody.com. The article is entitled "Top 10 Reasons to Give up Soda". I am going to assume that Mr. Edwards is from the north because he called it soda instead of the top 10 reasons to give up pop. Or maybe he is a uniquely different southerner/ middle American like myself...lol. Regardless this is what he has to say.

10. "Soda may cause cancer. According to a report in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, consuming two or more soft drinks per week increased the risk of developing pancreatic cancer by nearly twofold compared to individuals who didn't consume soft drinks. As reported, the study "followed 60,524 men and women in the Singapore Chinese Health Study for 14 years. During that time, there were 140 pancreatic cancer cases. Those who consumed two or more soft drinks per week (averaging five per week) had an 87 percent increased risk compared with individuals who did not."
    
    "Then why, you're probably asking yourself, is this number 10 on our list, and why is soda still even on the shelf? Not that I'd challenge the ability of such large corporate power to hide such a thing but, in this case, the study slit its own throat. As one of the researchers noted, "Soft drink consumption in Singapore was associated with several other adverse health behaviors such as smoking and red meat intake, which we can't accurately control for," meaning that we have no way of knowing for sure if soda was the culprit. Still, it doesn't hurt to know that when you drink soda it lumps you into a fairly unhealthy user group.^1"
9. "It's not just about calories. Calories grab headlines, but recent science is showing that diet soda drinkers are still in the crosshairs. A 2005 study by the University of Texas Health Science Center showed there's a 41 percent increased risk of being obese—and a 65 percent increased risk of becoming overweight during the next 7 or 8 years—for every can of diet soda a person consumes in a day. Admittedly, this one should be higher on the list, but I wanted to make sure the article-skimming crowd knew the score up front: that diet sodas are very much a part of the problem."
8. "It's the water . . . and a lot more. Okay, so that was a beer slogan, but soda is also made up mainly of water, and when you're slinging as much of it as they are, and you need to sling it cheap, sometimes you can't help but run into problems with your supply chain. In India, Coca-Cola^® has found itself in hot water, and not the kind they thought they were purchasing rights to. Two of their factories have been closed, but one continues to run amok." 
   
   "According to a report in The Ecologist, "They accuse the company of over-extracting groundwater, lowering the water tables and leaving farmers and the local community unable to dig deep enough to get to vital water supplies. Since the bottling plant was opened in 2000, water levels in the area have dropped six metres, and when a severe drought hit the region earlier this year the crops failed and livelihoods were destroyed."^2"
7. "BPA: not just for water bottles anymore. Nalgene^® and other water bottle companies took the heat when the dangers of bisphenol A (BPA) were made public a couple years back. While these companies went to great lengths to save their businesses, the soda companies somehow flew under the radar and continue to use it in their products. A recent Canadian study has found that BPA exists "in the vast majority" of the soft drinks tested. Most of these were under the national limits set for toxicity, but some were not. And remember how much soda the average person consumes, meaning odds are most soda consumers are at some risk."
   
   "Out of 72 drinks tested, 69 were found to contain BPA at levels below what Health Canada says is the safe upper limit. However, studies in peer-reviewed science journals have indicated that even at very low doses, BPA can increase breast and ovarian cancer cell growth and the growth of some prostate cancer cells in animals."³
6. "Can convenience. As in the 1950s colloquialism: can it. Speaking of the 1950s, those were the happy days when most of our soda was consumed at soda fountains, obesity was a term hardly anyone had heard of, and the most feared epidemic was one involving atomically mutated insects taking over the world. Now instead of hoofing it down to the corner confectionery for one soda, we fill trucks with pallets of shrink-wrapped cans or bottles and quaff the stuff by the six-pack. Not only does this ensure that our diets will be out of balance, it wreaks havoc on the world around us. The bottled-water industry (which is mostly owned by the soda industry) famously uses 17 million barrels of oil a year, and the aluminum industry uses as much electricity as the entire continent of Africa. Not only that, aluminum mining accounts for a ton of toxic chemicals left behind for every ton of the metal produced.^4"
5. "The Frankenfood factor. Whether you consume diet or regular soda, you're getting all the genetically modified food you need and more, via high fructose corn syrup or aspartame. Both of these are under plenty of scientific as well as anecdotal scrutiny. Findings aren't pretty, but so far this multibillion-dollar industry has kept these sweeteners on the shelves while alternative sweeteners meeting cost requirements are explored. Since it's almost impossible to read health headlines without finding one of these ingredients in some type of controversy, I'll just use one example:"
   
   "The Center for Science in the Public Interest, a nutrition and food safety advocacy group, called on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to review the claims, which stem from research conducted by the European Ramazzini Foundation in Italy. The foundation reported that rats who consumed aspartame in exceedingly large quantities were more likely to develop cancer. CSPI executive director Michael Jacobson considers this an important finding that should not be overlooked." ⁵
   
   "I know, there I go again with the cancer. But some people need to be shocked in order to take action. For me, seeing the Diet Coke^® and Mentos^® experiment was all I needed to swear off the stuff."
4. "Foreign news cares how much soda we sell in our schools. How bad is your country's problem when the whole world is watching its daily actions? "Nearly one in three children and teenagers in the U.S. are overweight or obese and health experts say sugary drinks are part of the problem." 6 Yep, bad. The world is well aware of the problems soda is causing and is looking to us to lead. And we certainly are trying. Are you with the program?"
   
   "Under the voluntary guidelines, in place since 2006, full-calorie soft drinks were removed from school canteens and vending machines. Lighter drinks, including low-fat milk, diet sodas, juices, flavoured waters and teas were promoted in their place."⁶
   
   "And, while great and all, it appears that no one got the memo about diet sodas."
3. "Diet? Um, that's just like your opinion, man. When it comes to soda, treat the word "diet" as a slogan. A study at Boston University's School of Medicine linked diet soda with increased risk factors for heart disease and diabetes. To be more specific, the study "found adults who drink one or more sodas a day had about a 50 percent higher risk of metabolic syndrome," which is a cluster of risk factors such as excessive fat around the waist, low levels of "good" cholesterol, high blood pressure, and other symptoms that lead to heart disease and/or diabetes. And, for those of you only concerned about how you look in the mirror, "Those who drank one or more soft drinks a day had a 31 percent greater risk of becoming obese."
2. "Soda outkills terrorists. A study out of the University of California, San Francisco, shows that soda has killed at least 6,000 Americans in the last decade."
   
   "From ABC News: "The new analysis, presented Friday at the American Heart Association's 50th Annual Conference on Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention, offers a picture of just how horrifying the damage done by excess consumption of sugary drinks can be."
   
   "Using a computer model and data from the Framingham Heart Study, the Nurses Health Study and the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, researchers estimated that the escalating consumption between 1990 and 2000 of soda and sugar-sweetened beverages, which they abbreviated as 'SSBs,' led to 75,000 new cases of diabetes and 14,000 new cases of coronary heart disease. 
   
   "What's more, the burden of the diseases translated into a $300 million to $550 million increase in health care costs between 2000 and 2010."⁷
1. "It's the "real thing" . . . not exactly. Should having the number-one source of calories in the world come from something that's entirely manmade be a metaphor for a dying world? It doesn't have to be this way. After all, there's nothing in soda that we need. In fact, there's nothing in soda that even comes from the earth except caffeine, and that's optional. It's a mixture of altered water (injected with carbon dioxide gas), artificial flavors (yes, "natural flavor" is artificial), artificial color, and phosphoric acid, along with its sole caloric source that is a by-product of genetically modified corn production and offers virtually no nutritional value. It's about as real as The Thing."

• Sources:
• ¹ http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-02/aafc-sdc020310.php
• ² http://www.theecologist.org/News/news_analysis/373906/cocacola_just_part_of_indias_water_freeforall.html
• ³ http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2009/03/05/popcans.html
• ⁴ http://www.pacinst.org/topics/water_and_sustainability/bottled_water/bottled_water_and_energy.html, http://www.earth-policy.org/index.php?/books/eco/eech6_ss3
• ⁵ http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Diet/story?id=3317079&page=1&CMP=OTC-RSSFeeds0312
• ⁶ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8557195.stm
• ⁷http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Wellness/study-sugary-drinks-lead-early-grave/story?id=10019518"

Also a lot of you had a lot to say to me about the HCG diet and I really appreciate your feedback. I got Facebook messages, e-mails, phone calls and even some face to face talkings to about the diet. I heard good things and bad and would love to hear whatever else it is that you have to say about it. Your words are always welcome. I look forward to hearing what you have to say. Also the next time you get that crazy caffeine craving and have to have that soda, feel free to refer back to this post, it may be inspiration you need to not drink that soda!

My Life's Biggest Project: To HCG or Not to HCG

My Life's Biggest Project: To HCG or Not to HCG: "This is the big question I have looming over my head at this point. The question being wether or not I should try out this HCG diet or not. ..."

To HCG or Not to HCG

This is the big question I have looming over my head at this point. The question being wether or not I should try out this HCG diet or not. My sibling who is a gorgeous girl and not what I would consider overweight in the least is a promoter of the HCG diet. I’ve talked about it a little bit in an early post, but she truly believes that it is a miracle diet, so I decided to do a little bit of my own research. One of the things I found was how it is a miracle. Promising quick results like up to 30 pounds lost in 30 days. But of course I found this on Web sites that were promoting or selling the HCG diet kit so of course I have to consider my source. In a country where two thirds of U.S. adults are either overweight or obese it only makes sense that there would be a need to promote something that promises quick and easy results. I’ll tell you a little bit about the diet.

HCG stands for human chorionic gonadotropin which is a hormone found in the urine of pregnant women. The HCG hormone is supposed to suppress hunger and trigger your body to use stored fat as energy. Most of these diets restrict eaters to only take in about 500 calories a day and the food must be organic, unprocessed along with taking the HCG injections or serum drops under their tongue (according to an article on webmd.com written by Kathleen M. Zelman, the oral HCG may contain very little if any HCG). The dieter is to follow the plan for 45 days straight and it promises to fix your metabolism and lose up to three pounds a day.

Diet experts are not on board with this. Most believe that the reason the dieter is losing weight is obvious it is because they are essentially starving themselves by cutting their calorie intake down to 500 a day. This also is not fixing the metabolism it is in fact ruining it according to nutrition experts.

Knowing everything that I read on this Web site should of course be a deterrent for me trying this out myself right? Well yes and no. Here is where I need your advice. When my friend Adrienne was down the other day she and I talked about this diet and she said a woman that she went to church with lost a lot of weight on this particular diet and that she did not do the 500 calories instead it was more like 1000 or 1200, I can’t remember exactly what Adrienne said. However the point is that the woman who did the HCG diet lost like 80 pounds and it has changed her life. Not only has she been off the HCG portion of the diet for three months she has maintained her weight loss and made a lifestyle change that has allowed her to lose this weight. Adrienne said that she lost the weight fast, but has kept it off. Sometimes I know all we need is that little push to keep at it.

So I am seriously considering trying this particular thing out. I would love to hear your input. Is this something I should try out or not? Have you tried it or known of anyone else who has? I know my sib wouldn’t do it if she didn’t believe that it truly would work out so I trust her judgment. I would just really like to get some other opinions before I try it out myself. Let me know what you think.

My Life's Biggest Project: Shake it Fast, But Watch Yourself

My Life's Biggest Project: Shake it Fast, But Watch Yourself: "To go with last nights theme today I tried out a hip hop dance workout that I picked up at Wal-mart for like five bucks. I bought it right a..."