Mix it up!

Why didn't I think of this before? When I don't make my own yogurt - and kudos to anyone who always makes their own yogurt - I buy Wallaby Organic vanilla yogurt. It's delicious, but it's sweet. Very sweet just like most any yogurt other than plain. I had a brilliant idea the other day - I bought one container of vanilla and one of plain and mixed them together. Voila! Instantly lowered the sugar content. So am I late to the party? Do other people regularly do this? 

I've discussed low-fat vs. full-fat and asked you to read labels and make the best decision for you. Many low-fat products add numerous unnecessary ingredients. I'm very comfortable buying low-fat Wallaby vanilla yogurt because there's not lots of added crap... other than sugar that is. 


Action Item: Check the sugar content on your yogurt. Unless you enjoy plain yogurt, and hopefully you do, then your favorite is likely high in sugar. Look for lower-sugar content yogurt or mix yours with equal amounts of plain yogurt. This can be done with non-dairy yogurts as well. Besides consuming less sugar, you may just learn to love the taste of plain yogurt (or plain yogurt sweetened with fresh fruit!) I'm getting there, but still working on loving plain yogurt's tart taste.

For Further Reading: Low-fat, Lite and Nonfat and Sweet Snack

Make Your Own Bread Again

So you might have seen this recipe already. I found it somewhere online; not sure if it was a facebook post, Greatist or MSN. Then after making the bread and telling a friend about it, I saw it highlighted again as a top story on MSN.

If you missed it, then you're getting another chance. If you like bread but don't love to make it, this link is for you!

My Mother's Peasant Bread: The Easiest No-Knead Bread 

You Will Ever Make

Two different batches. The color of the bread came out the same, it's just the lighting in the kitchen that was different.

That link, from www.alexandracooks.com, takes you through every step with details and advice. I've made this bread twice and we love it. Why? You ask. 

1. It's simple
2. It's delicious
3. It only has 6 ingredients: flour, salt, water, sugar, yeast, butter. And very little of everything except flour.
4. I used whole-wheat flour and it worked!

The second batch I made, I added pepitas in the buttered bowl. Next time I plan to try the recipe with some oat flour replacing some of the whole-wheat flour. The website offers a gluten-free option as well.

My bread did not rise as well as Alexandra's, but I'm working on that. Guessing it might be the whole-wheat flour, or perhaps with bread I need to adjust it a little for living at 5300 ft, or I realized that I did not mix my yeast/sugar/water before dumping it in the flour. No matter - still delicious. And I did not have Pyrex bowls, so I used two of my Polish pottery bowls that worked perfectly.

Action Item: Come on, try this bread. It still takes a little time, because you do have to let the dough rise for 1.5 - 2 hours at first, then 30ish minutes the second time. 

For Further Reading: I was going to list some articles about the benefits of making your own bread. Instead I'll ask you to go to your search engine and type in "why you should make your own bread" and the results give you a good overview: save money, healthier for you, to stop feeling bloated, you know what's in it, etc. Bread is time consuming and I know you can't make all your bread at home without skipping workouts or taking time off work, but you can make it often. And when you can't, be sure to buy bread with whole grains and very few ingredients. 

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Monday Refresh

I signed up for the Healthy Monday Summer Challenge to learn more good information, recipes, ideas, etc. I loved that every Monday, they sent this Monday Refresh which I think is a great reminder for people struggling with behavioral changes. If it speaks to you, save it somewhere on your computer or print it and place it on your refrigerator. Start Fresh. It’s a new week, another chance for a new beginning. Feel positive, confident and optimistic. You can do it! Set Intentions.  What’s your goal? Why are you trying to achieve it? Imagine how good you feel when you’re at your healthiest. Commit yourself to the actions you need to achieve your goal. Make a Plan.  Decide what you’re going to do and when you’re going to do it. Break it down into small, manageable steps. Be specific. Either make a mental note or write it down. Connect with others. Share your intentions. Get your family, friends, co-workers on board. Anything is possible when we do it together! Stay on track.  Occasional slip ups happen to everyone. Don’t feel defeated. Just refresh your intentions and get back on the path.

Energy Truffles

Lucky me, while perusing facebook I ran across a creative friend's post explaining how to make a quick, high-protein (yet sweet) snack that she made to help her daughter sustain energy through a two-hour gymnastics class.

This caught my eye, because I had been searching for new foods/recipes for high-energy activities. I tried this recipe — verdict is "yummy" and "simple." I've made them three times already.

My son will rarely eat nuts (other than pistachios) so this is a great way to occasionally include other healthy nuts in his diet, and the Nutella made it easy to encourage him to try them. The nuts and oats (protein, fat and fiber) mixed with a little quick energy (sugar/carbs) seem to do the trick!

Instructions (from Kristin Nelson-Patel):

• Grind a handful of mixed raw nuts in a coffee grinder, mix with about 1Tbs Nutella in a small bowl. The Nutella will just soak the near-pasty nuts right up but you start to get a sticky dough.
• Now, grind a handful of rolled oats (we use Trader Joes certified G...F rolled oats) to a powder.
• Start just kneading the oat powder into the dough until it's still soft but doesn't stick to your hands.
• Now roll that into little balls, toss each ball in the oat flour to coat and roll again until the surface oat powder is mostly absorbed but keeping the surface drier than it otherwise would have been.
• Voila. You now have several Nutella energy truffles. 

Action Item: Make these truffles. You'll feel like a chef! At least I did. And realizing that I can use my coffee grinder to grind nuts is a beautiful thing. (I can't believe I had never thought of that either!)

For Further Reading: Nuts to Increase Energy. For those thinking of the environment, you may be happy to know that Nutella's parent company has a palm oil charter and will achieve 100% traceable segregated, RSPO-certified palm by the end of 2014.

Top 10 List

Here's one Top 10 list from Harvard HEALTHbeat that is neither entertaining nor good for you! But unfortunately this is what people in the US are eating - by choice, by situation or both, and this is why so many Americans are overweight and unhealthy.

 

If you are reading this, your diet is probably on the right track or you are trying to make it better. Good for you! Take charge of your health and be a good role model for those around you.
 

Top 10 sources of calories in the U.S. diet

According to the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (a panel of 13 nutrition experts charged with helping develop federal nutrition standards), Americans are eating many more calories than they used to.

Very few people follow the federal dietary guidelines, which recommend daily servings of dark green vegetables, orange vegetables, legumes, fruits, whole grains, and low-fat milk and milk products.

Instead, we eat foods full of refined grains, sugar, fat, and calories — just check out the list below.

This is one Top 10 list you don’t want to make. Take a look and see what you can do to get closer to the recommended dietary guidelines.

What Americans eat: Top 10 sources of calories in the U.S. diet

1. Grain-based desserts (cakes, cookies, donuts, pies, crisps, cobblers, and granola bars)
2. Yeast breads
3. Chicken and chicken-mixed dishes
4. Soda, energy drinks, and sports drinks
5. Pizza
6. Alcoholic beverages
7. Pasta and pasta dishes
8. Mexican mixed dishes
9. Beef and beef-mixed dishes
10. Dairy desserts

Source: Report of the 2010 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee

Here's the guide to think of each time you eat or prepare a meal. Eat a variety of foods. See just how colorful you can make your plate, and you'll be on your way to better health!

Action Item: Think about your own Top 10 list. Does it include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, etc.? If not, try really hard the next few days to make good decisions and better choices with your cooking and eating. Tackle one section at a time. Start by adding fruit to each meal if you don't already. Or cut back on your protein serving size (i.e. no plate-covering steaks) and be creative with other protein-rich foods such as fish and beans. One step at a time.

For Further Reading: Harvard Health Publications, Dietary Guidelines from MyPlate.gov.

What's in Season?

I think many of us look forward to summer and eating some of the traditional fruits that are in season, but what else might be in season and why should we try them all?

I found this website for North America - www.eattheseasons.com. Of course, this will vary a little based on where you live in the US, but it's a good starting point. The site is also published in the UK and maybe other countries/areas too.

So what's in season in July?

arugula, beets, beet greens, bell peppers, carrots, corn, cucumber, eggplant, garlic, kohlrabi, peas, radishes, rhubarb, zucchini

apricots, blackberries, blueberries, cherries, lemons, limes, melon, mulberries, nectarines, passion fruit, peaches, plums, strawberries, tomatoes

 

Why choose fruits and vegetables that are in season?

From www.eattheseasons.com, there are a number of good reasons to eat more local, season food:

• to reduce the energy (and associated C02 emissions) needed to grow and transport the food we eat
• to avoid paying a premium for food that is scarcer or has traveled a long way
• to support the local economy
• to reconnect with nature cycles and the passing of time
• seasonal food is fresher and so tends to be tastier and more nutritious
  

Action Item: Try a new fruit and/or vegetable today. Chilled fruits are one of the most refreshing choices on a hot summer day!

For Further Reading: Another great website for finding what foods are fresh and local in your area is the Eat Well Guide. And if you don't enjoy shopping often for fruits and veg, read this post and see if your area farmers offer a Community Supported Agriculture program.