Portion Control

 With Thanksgiving right around the corner it is a good time to think about how much food we really want to eat at one sitting. So many of us grew-up being told that we had to clean our plates before we could leave the dinner table, the problem with that today is our dinner plates are much bigger. Not only plates but bowls, cups and glasses. Now our brains believe that we need that much more food to be satisfied. That may contribute to Americans eating 200 more calories a day then they did 40 years ago. Then with a wonderfully looking and smelling holiday dinner in front of us the calories increase even more.  

If you are one of the many Americans not wanting to put on extra pounds this holiday season try this; 

Use a smaller dinner plate, going back for seconds will be comparable to one large full plate. Your brain will think you ate more than you did and still be satisfied.  Pour your wine or soda into a champagne flute, taking sips will make your drink last longer and then need for less refills. It is hard to eat while your mouth is full so make meal time enjoyable and take your time; talk, laugh, and complementing each other will help let your brain have the time needed to get the message when you’re full.

Go ahead and enjoy a good holiday meal with friends and family, Happy Thanksgiving!

Cranberry Muffins

I woke up this morning with the desire for a cranberry muffin. I don't think that I have ever had one and since most bakery muffins are not made with whole grains and healthy sweeteners. I needed to create a cranberry muffin recipe myself, which I just love to do anyway. After looking at about 7 recipes on-line and in some cookbooks that I have this is what I came up with. They are sooooo good I don't know why I ever waited so long. You have to try them, remember they are good for you too!

Cranberry Muffins

2 C whole wheat flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

6 tsp. melted non-hydrogenated buttery spread

¾ C dried cranberries ( ½ C of the cranberries soaked in ½ C water)

½ C soy milk with 1 tsp. of vinegar

1 egg or egg replacer

1 tsp. orange zest

1/3 C agave

Mix all the wet ingredients together then add in all the dry ingredients until everything is combined. Spoon into muffin tins. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Cranberry Cream Cheese Icing

2 oz. cream cheese softened

1 tsp. soy milk

¼ C dried cranberries

Blend together in a small food processor leaving some pieces of cranberries visible.

Cows

 I grew-up near a lot of farms and was a member of the local 4-H club. Spending a good deal of time around farm animals including cows was something I loved to do. I think that cows are an impressive animal, maybe not my favorite farm animal but I do like cows, spending their days in the green fields dotted with shade trees and the meandering stream.


 So when saw this add-campaign last year about "Happy Cows come from California"  it made me think about the cows from my childhood. They didn't seem unhappy so I thought that the cows in California must be really happy then. This pasts' summer vacation plans took me to California, so I was looking forward to seeing these very "Happy Cows."

 After a few days in California when traveling from Sequoia National Park to Monteray Bay I got my first sight of cows. Much to my horror they were all on what I believed to be "factory farms."  My view was only from the road but I never saw such repulsive conditions. Thousands and thousands of cows crowded under metal roofing, standing  in what looked like mud, not a blade of grass, a tree or stream in sight for miles around.

Now to be fair I don't know if cows have the ability to be happy or sad but if they do the cows in Pennsylvania, from my prospective, are much happier then those in California!

Hemp Milk Popsicle

A couple of weeks ago I found a recipe for for coconut milk ice cream and thought that I would give it a try. While I was shopping for the coconut milk I decided to pick-up some hemp milk also. Tried the coconut milk ice cream a few different ways and was still not happy with the results ( I am still working on that one) so I switched to the hemp milk. Everyone loved it! After having made it a few times I decided to put it into popsicle molds because after freezing scooping can be difficult with an ice cream containing little fat.

Hemp milk is not only a delicious alternative to dairy milk it is full of healthy benefits such as;

A natural source of balanced Omega 3 oils
Provides all the amino acids producing a quility protien
Excellent source of calcium, magnesium, vitamin D as well as many of the B vitamins
Free from lactose, cholesterol, soy, and gluten
No refined sugar

Recipe;

2 cups Hemp Milk
3 teaspoons honey or brown rice syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla

Mix all ingredients together and chill in the refrigerator for 6 hours. Pour into popsicle molds and freeze for 24 hours before serving or add into an ice cream maker and for manufacturer directions. 

I hope that you too will enjoy this healthy fun snack!

Mulberries

Mulberries one of the lesser known edible berries but just as powerful as the popular blueberry, black and red raspberry. In-fact many consider this berry to be a nuisance because of the dark purple stains it leaves behind after it ripens and falls to the ground. As a kid growing up I had weeks of purple hands and feet; (I did not like waring shoes in the warm weather) and purple tongue. My brothers and I couldn't get enough of this juicy berry. Now the only accessible place I know where the Mulberries grow are in the parking lot of my work. I take a container to work and before I leave to come home I spend about 10 - 15 minutes to get a heaping quart of berries to share with my family. Often co-workers will question me about what I am doing not know anything about these delectable berries.

The facts are mulberries are full of vitamins B, C, K and minerals iron, magnesium and potassium.They are also a good source of fiber and resveratol the antioxidant that is also found in red grapes which boost of many health benefits.

So what do you do with a mulberry? My personal favorite is to eat them right off the tree, I probably eat as many as I put into the container. But there are so many other ways to enjoy a mulberry like blended into a smoothie, baked into a pie or cobbler, cooked down into jam or made into a sweet mulberry wine.

No-matter what way you eat your mulberries do eat some they are truly worth the purple fingers to get some these amazing berries!

It Ain’t Easy Being Healthy

         

            It ain’t easy being healthy but it is a whole lot easier then having one or more of the many diseases that are plaguing this country. Every week we hear about the rising numbers of people with cancer, heart diseases, and diabetes. This week obesity has been the main focus from every news source. And they all have their own rationalization as to why obesity is increasing at such disturbing rates. Some say it is the restaurants that are causing this with their unhealthy menu choices. Others blame the food industry, advertisers or the government, the schools and our parents. But could it really be the combination of all of these?

            It has never been that just one single thing makes us sick and not just one single thing that makes or keeps us healthy so let’s stop playing the blame game and place the responsibility back on the individual. I guess the big problem with this ides is that most individuals are not motivated to get healthy or to stay healthy. I got motivated as a teenager when doctors told me that it would not be long before I would be in a wheelchair for the rest of my life. Some people get motivated to quite smoking after having a child. Having a heart-attack motivates others. What will it take to get people motivated to be healthy? Maybe just taking some small steps will provide each person with opportunity to find their own motivation. It may not be easy being healthy but it is worth every bit of effort.

These are six essential areas that directly affect the quality of our health

What we eat

What we drink

How we exercise

The rest we get

The air we breathe

What we think

 What motivates you to be healthy?

Everyday Salad

          Spring is in full bloom now and weather you grow your own vegetables or buy them, the freshest salad fix-ens are now available. A salad is the best way to get a delicious variety of raw vegetables. Raw vegetables are so good for us because they come with all the enzymes that are needed for good digestion. Raw vegetables also provide much needed fiber, vitamins, and minerals (plus, they help to clean our teeth). Have fun while making a salad, see what new flavors you can add and change it around often. I have listed different vegetables, fruits, seeds, and nuts that I use, but don’t limit yourself—add in any healthy flavor that you can come up with. Many times it is the dressing that is the unhealthiest part of a salad so choose a dressing that enhances the flavors and nutrition of your salad. I like to squeeze a few lemon wedges over my salad.

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Greens- romaine, red or green leaf lettuce, bib lettuce, baby spinach, dandelion greens, kale, arugula, collard green, chard

Cabbage- red or green

Carrots (sliced with a vegetable peeler for a nice thin slice)

Daikons (sliced with a vegetable peeler for a nice thin slice)

Sweet peppers- red, green, orange, yellow

Hot peppers- fresh or dried

Cucumbers

Snow peas

String beans

Tomatoes- red or yellow, cherry, grape, plum

Squash- yellow, zucchini

Sprouts- alfalfa, mung, soy, radish

Avocado

Artichoke hearts

Onions- white, yellow, red

Fruit- apples, raisins, dried cranberries, dries dates

Olives- green or black

Nuts- almonds, peanuts, walnuts, pecans

Seeds- sunflower, pumpkin, ground flax, hemp

Soy beans- dried and toasted or edamame

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          Start with a base of greens, shredded cabbage, carrots or squash.  Then just build up from there with ideas from the list above and let your taste buds and eyes be your guide. Variety and change will keep you from getting tired of a daily salad plus supply you with an assortment of nutrients. Prepare the salad in a large bowl so that everyone can help themselves or in individual dishes so everyone can create their own. Serve as a side dish or as a meal.

Enjoy a salad today and everyday! 

Spring Broccoli?

If you have never heard about "Spring Broccoli" you are not alone, I never had either. But there waiting there in my garden when I went out to get the soil ready for planting my vegetable seeds was a broccoli plant full of florets ready for the picking. The first of the year I went out to the garden to pick, what I thought was, the last of the fresh broccoli. But with our mild winter the plant did not die as usual during the winter. I may not add broccoli to what I consider "spring vegetables" but this year my family had the unexpected joyed of home-grown broccoli for a spring dinner.

Welcome to Meatless March

If you already go Meatless congratulations, March is celebration YOU!

If you still enjoy meat regularly here is your chance to explore some new and flavorful foods as well as improving your health. Did you know that by Cutting back on animal protein you can lessen your risk of heart disease, cancer, & obesity? Its true that studies show that these major health issues and many more health problems are more prominent in people who consume animal products regularly.

Do you think that this is just a fad that some people go through for a short period in their lives? The numbers of vegetarians are consistently growing not only for their own personal health but also for the health of our planet. In fact you may of heard of some...Pythagoras, Aristotle, Socrates, Plato, Confucius, Buddha, Gandhi, Leonardo da Vinci, Benjamin Franklin, Natalie Portman, Carrie Underwood, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Lindsay Wagner, Ted Danson, Bob Barker just to name a few.

Why don't you give it a try, start with just one meatless meal a week.

So, you are now sure if you will like the taste? Here is a meal that you will never miss the beef in.

CHILI
2 cups TVP flakes
2 Tbs. ketchup or tomato sauce
2 cups boiling water
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic
Jalapeno pepper or pepper of your liking (optional)
2Tbs. chili powder
2tsp. cumin
2tsp. oregano
½ tsp. cayenne
2 28oz. cans of tomatoes, chopped
2 16oz. cans red kidney beans with liquid
2 cups of frozen corn

Pour the boiling water over TVP, add the tomato sauce and let stand for 10 minutes. In a large pot sauté the onion, garlic, and peppers in olive oil then add in the seasonings. You can add as much heat or as little as you like.

Add in the TVP to the pot and blend it all together well. Put the tomatoes and beans into the pot also and simmer for 45 minutes. Add in the frozen corn and cook for another 15 minutes. Serve with warm corn bread and a salad.

HONEY, MORE THEN JUST SWEET

For most of us honey is a nutrient rich alternative to refined white sugar, but there is so much more to this golden sweetness. Honey as a food and a health remedy has been around since ancient times and is now making a come-back. As a food honey will never go bad. Because of its low moisture content no organism can effectively multiply in substantial amounts and because of its high sugar content bacteria is unable to survive. Be aware that not all honey is equal, it can be made from a variety of plant, by the way it is collected and refined or not refind all contribute to its quality. Regardless of what type of honey you have it can be dangerous to infant so never feed it to anyone under 12 months old.

Today some are finding allergy relief from raw honey local to where they live. Why is this? As the bees are collecting pollen to make their honey they visit many of those plants that cause the allergy symptoms. When they return to the hive and transform the pollen into honey not all the pollen spores get converted but remain in the honey. When the honey is eaten the pollen spores then act as a homeopathic remedy or a vaccine does by causing an immune response. Antibodies are produced strengthening the immune system and ready to help you fight off the symptoms caused by the local foliage. There is no scientific analysis of this but it works for so many and what could it hurt to try.

But scientists are looking at honey for other health benefits, according to Science Daily, “Honey could be effective at treating and preventing wound infections.” (Jan. 30, 2012.) They are learning all about what makes honey so good as an antibiotic. That is good news with the growing antibiotic resistance that we have been seeing. The better news is that there are so many more health benefits then I mentioned here so go on and enjoy your honey.