Thanksgiving... probably the worst day of the year for eating healthy. I read once that the average American eats 5000 calories on Thanksgiving, whoa! So, is it time to regroup in preparation for Christmas? 
Happy Monday everyone!
Instead of viewing temptations as roadblocks, think of them as motivators--the devil on your shoulder, if you will. If you stop, they'll get you; if you stay one step ahead, you'll always come out on top.On eating out:
Follow the same rules at a restaurant that you would at home: Choose whole grains when possible, fill half your plate with vegetables and fruit, and opt for lean cuts of meat and low-calorie preparations.Munching on Junk Food:
On being lazy:Are you stressed or upset about something? Instead of reaching for the
chocolate bar or the chips, close your eyes and take a few deep breaths. Eating your feelings leaves you feeling worse than when you started. Go for a walk, get out of the kitchen, remove trigger foods from the house--whatever it
takes.
You get home from work and gaze longingly at the sofa. You had a long day,and a bit of rest sounds much better than socializing or spending time with others. You just want to be alone with your feet up, mind empty and the TV on. Instead of punishing yourself for being lazy, anticipate this respite from the hustle and bustle of your life and plan for it. Watch your favorite TV show, paint your nails, ask your partner to give you a foot rub. Reward yourself for being motivated, sticking with your healthy lifestyle plan and working out regularly. A bit of time spent doing nothing can help carry you through the rest of your hectic and action-packed life.
When temptations step in your path, don't cower. Confront them and enlist them as your allies. Soon you'll be stronger and more determined and will have traveled a little farther in your healthy living journey.
I have now read several different articles that suggest feeding your body what it needs first and then allowing yourself a treat as a diet strategy. The idea is if you eat all that you are supposed to eat first and are then still hungry you allow yourself to have a little something that you are craving. It’s kind of like what you tell little kids, “Eat your veggies and then you can have dessert.”
Based on what I’ve read, for many people, after they eat what they are supposed to eat, they often find that they are not even hungry anymore and very often can easily make the choice NOT to have the treat at the end of the day.
We all know essentially what we are supposed to have each day to make our bodies run properly, right? But just as a review, this is the minimum of what a 30 something women is supposed to have daily. Your specific minimum may be different depending on age, gender, height, weight, and activity level. You can find out at mypyramid.gov.
8 – 8 oz glasses of water (or more if you are exercising)
6 – 1 oz servings of grain (a minimum of 3 servings should be whole grains; a serving is 1 slice bread, 1/2 cup cooked rice, pkg instant oatmeal, 1 cup ready to eat cereal, 3 cups popcorn, etc.)
5 servings of vegetables (a serving is 1/2 cup of most veggies or 1 cup of leafy vegetables)
4 servings of fruit (a serving is 1/2 cup of fruit, i.e. a large banana or apple could be considered 2 servings)
3 servings of dairy (8 oz milk, 1.5 oz cheese, 8 oz yogurt, etc. – or get your calcium from some other source)
3 oz of protein (=88 grams, try to get at least half of your protein from plant sources such as beans or nuts)
So after you have eaten all that, you might just find that you really aren’t that hungry after all!
Someone mentioned that they were looking for some vegetarian recipes. So am I. Not that I plan to become a vegetarian, I just want to reduce the amount of meat that I eat to only a few times a week. I found this one here.
1 box plain couscous
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, diced
1 red pepper, diced
1 zucchini, cubed
1 can diced tomatoes, including juice
1/2 can drained garbanzo beans
1/2 cup craisins (optional)
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
salt to taste
Heat olive oil over medium heat in large sauté pan. Sauté garlic, onions, and red pepper for 3-4 minutes. Add zucchini. Sauté until tender crisp. Add diced tomatoes, garbanzo beans, craisins, and spices. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Make couscous according to package directions.
I really liked this recipe. Nathan liked it too, but said that he probably would have liked it better without the craisins. Personally, I loved the burst of sweetness and flavor that the craisins added. The only thing I think I will do different when I make it again is increase the spice level. Maybe double the amount of cayenne pepper or perhaps add some curry.
Nutrition Facts
4 Servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories
291.8
Total Fat
1.7 g
Total Carbohydrate
69.4 g
Dietary Fiber
8.5 g
Sugars
13.9 g
Protein
10.7 g
I decided to go ahead and share the first low-fat, low-calorie recipe that I’ve tried so far. I am looking forward to all the recipes that you all will share on here in the days and weeks to come! (Oh and there really is no need to have a picture with it, you all just know that I am a camera freak, right?)
This is a slightly modified version of a recipe I found at KraftFoods.com.
4 Whole Wheat Tortillas
8 oz boneless skinless chicken, cut into pieces, salted and peppered
2 cups frozen fajita veggies (onion, red pepper, green pepper) - or use fresh
1/3 cup barbeque sauce
1/4 cup cheese
Sauté chicken and veggies in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. When chicken is cooked through add BBQ sauce. Put 1/4 of the chicken mixture on a whole wheat tortilla. Sprinkle with a little cheese. And viola! A super quick very yummy healthy meal! Dallin loved them. Me too!
I paired it with some fresh mango and it was delish!
Nutrition Facts
4 Servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories
251.5
Total Fat
6.5 g
Sodium
649.0 mg
Potassium
250.1 mg
Total Carbohydrate
30.2 g
Dietary Fiber
5.0 g
Sugars
2.7 g
Protein
19.7 g
*To get the nutrition info, I used a recipe calculator at this website (which also happens to be one of the ones that Jaren mentioned, Thanks J). You just enter in the ingredients, put in the number of servings and it calculates the nutrition information per serving. Very handy!
I thought maybe we should start out by each sharing some of our health goals so we know what each of us are looking for in this site and can hopefully find a way to support each other based on each of our goals. Some questions to ask yourself might be:
1. Are you wanting to lose weight, maintain weight, or is weight not something you are worried about right now?
2. If you will be starting a diet plan, which one will you be using? Or will you be creating your own and are just looking to make healthier food choices?
3. What are your exercise goals? Cardio? Strength training? Days per week? Time per session?
4. Are there any dietary restriction that you plan to make? Eat less meat? Lower or cut out sugar intake? Eat only low fat dishes? Avoid processed foods?
And lastly, we need a good title for our blog. Please make some suggestions and then we can do a poll and vote on which one we like best. Thanks!
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