Hope 4 You

About 2 years ago I was asked to share my story in a book and to be honest I was a little apprehensive. Ultimately I declined the offer because I was nervous about publishing my story. I thought it would put me under a microscope. At the time it wasn’t right for me so I let the opportunity go and continued on my personal journey. Then about a year ago I was presented with another opportunity to share my story in a First Place 4 Health book entitled Hope 4 You. I have used all the first place 4 health resources and the timing was right for me to share my story. I’m happy to share my story and I hope it continues to inspire people to give Christ, First place in there lives.

You Can Overcome Setbacks.

“Fall seven times, get up eight.” - Japanese Proverb
It doesn’t matter how often you fall. What matters is how you land and where you end up.

In the years ahead, you’ll go through successes and failures, highs and lows, steps forward and steps back, times of plenty and times of difficulty. When the dust settles and the books of life are squared away, you’re doing well if you come out the other side better, stronger and happier for the experience.
Some see weight loss and healthy living as struggles. Usually, it’s because they have an all-or-nothing approach that only accepts perfection. Faced with anything less than 100% success, they fall into guilty despair, convinced that they’ve failed. Then they revert to old habits and the cycle starts over again.
We don’t see it that way. Healthy living is a process of learning. Life doesn’t always pan out like you thought, it has a toolbox full of wrenches to throw into your plans. Dieting setbacks can show up in a lot of ways. Do any of these look familiar from your dieting past?

Plateaus: “The scale is simply not moving, and I’m getting frustrated.”
Burnout: “I just can’t keep up this tough regimen anymore.”
Weak Moments: “I had a really bad week, and spent all weekend eating cheeseburgers and donuts.”
Discouragement: “I’m never going to make it all the way, I might as well give up.”
Interruptions: “Why did I have to get sick now?”
Injuries: “Can’t believe I pulled a muscle right when I was starting to see progress.”

Since you’re developing a new, healthy lifestyle, you can do things differently this time. Instead of expecting perfection, you can concentrate on damage control, on bouncing back. Here are four strategies to help you along:
Keep a positive attitude
Several studies have shown that optimists reach more goals than pessimists. They see more success not because they fail less often, but because they get back up more often. People with positive attitudes see setbacks for what they really are. When you have a setback, it’s not a brick wall that must be climbed (or that can stop progress altogether). You’ve merely met a gate; it may delay you for a second, but if you open that gate and move through it, you’ll soon be on your way.
Trust in your plan
You spent a lot of time setting up a smart dieting plan with smart strategies that made sense for your tastes and your life. You laid out the steps you needed to take to move steadily forward. You knew that weight loss was just a matter of time if you followed that consistent plan. Well, what was true in the beginning is still true, even after you have a setback. The same plan will work. If you get back on the horse and keep riding, all the work you’ve done to this point won’t go to waste. Remember that you can do this because you’re doing it the right way. 

Believe in yourself
Self-discipline can be hard. But you have the skills and knowledge to overcome that hurdle often enough to build healthy habits. If things go wrong or you make a mistake, instead of beating yourself up, pray about it and give yourself a pep talk. You are worth the effort. Your weight loss goals and new lifestyle deserve another shot. After all, you’re already doing more than most people even try to do. Giving Christ Control of your life is challenging but you’ve already seen the blessings of His presence in your life. You can do this.
Give yourself good reasons to keep going
Return to the basics of motivation to get back on track. What were your main motivations for joining Christ First? Who can you reconnect with that might give you a lift? Have you been rewarding your good behavior often enough? The answers to these questions may hold a golden nugget of motivation that you may have forgotten about. Be sure that if you need motivation Kirsten and I can help you in that department as well.

Eating Tips for the Holidays

Ah, Thanksgiving. A holiday filled with family, gratitude, and food, food, food! An interesting statistic about the day: an average plate of Thanksgiving classics contains anywhere from 1,600-3,000 calories — that's over most people's recommended daily allowance. While I am not trying to deter anyone from enjoying a great meal that can take hours, even days, to make, there are ways to make sitting down at the Thanksgiving table healthier.

• Don't skip breakfast. Whatever the day, whatever the occasion — don't skip breakfast. Missing the first meal of the day slows down your metabolism, which causes your body to store more calories later, and you may end up gorging at dinner because you're extra hungry. Besides a hungry person is a grumpy person, which is no fun on a holiday!

New Class starting in January

This week as we approach the Thanksgiving Holiday, I challenge you to ask yourself one very important question. “Who is in control?” God or Me? Are you putting Christ first in your life. Maybe you want to learn how. We can help you get your life back. It’s about a fresh start, A New Beginning. Does that sound like something you want? Let us know and we will begin working on a date and time for our new January meetings. Our Christ First groups have lost a combined total of over 500 lbs this year.

Expect a Miracle

 

E-mail kevin.eckert@comcast.net for more info.

or call the church office at 815-235-2824

Workout at a High Intensity Level

 

Creating Weight-Loss

Weight loss is achieved by creating a negative caloric balance in your body. You need to eat fewer calories than you burn through exercise and metabolic processes. Your body will then turn to stored energy or body fat to fuel itself and your body weight will decrease. According to Dr. Len Kravitz, assistant professor of exercise at the University of New Mexico, research shows that significant weight loss is created by moderate to vigorous exercise and not low intensity exercise.

Fuel Contribution

When you exercise, your body needs to fuel itself from stores of carbohydrates and fat. It is a mix of fuel types and not just one or the other. The contribution percentages are what varies depending on the intensity or effort of exercise. When you exercise at a lower intensity, it is burning a higher percentage of fat and lower percentage of carbohydrates. As your intensity increases, this shifts so that you burn more carbohydrates and less fat, according to the National Strength and Conditioning Association.

Intensity and Caloric Burn

In theory, low-intensity exercise does sound like the answer because you are burning a higher percentage of calories from fat. However, it is calories in versus calories out that determines weight loss not where it comes from. Higher intensity exercise burns more calories so contributes to better weight loss results. Consider that you might burn 100 calories during a 20 minute, low-intensity walk. It is possible that 60 calories are from fat and 40 are from carbohydrates. Now increase this to a 20 minute, high-intensity run and you may burn 200 calories. If only 40 percent is from fat, you have burned 80 fat calories compared to 60 at low-intensity exercise.

Exercise Recommendations

To lose a significant amount of weight, which is defined as 5 percent or more of your total body weight, the American College of Sports Medicine recommends an accumulation of 225 to 420 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise each week. This should be a combination of cardiovascular and resistance exercise for the most health and weight-loss benefit. Choose activities that you enjoy as well as challenge you to stay motivated.

Considerations

None of this means that low-intensity exercise is bad. If you are new to exercise or have a chronic medical condition, it might be the best choice for you. Discuss limitations with your doctor so you have guidelines to follow. Low-intensity exercise is also a good way to let your body recover from higher levels of physical activity or a way to ease back in after a break. Listen to your body and adjust your exercise intensity accordingly.

Beef and Sweet Potato Stew

prep time:30 min

start to finish:4 hr

makes:4 servings

1 3/4 pounds boneless beef chuck roast, trimmed of fat to make 1 1/4 pounds lean beef stew meat

2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled, halved lengthwise, and sliced 1/2 inch thick (3 cups)

1 medium onion, cut into wedges (1/2 cup)

1 3/4 cups Progresso® beef broth

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/8 teaspoon salt

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 can (14.5 oz) Muir Glen® no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained

1/2 cup dried apricots or pitted dried plums (prunes), quartered

2 tablespoons chopped unsalted peanuts

Sliced green onion (optional)

1. Cut meat into 1-inch pieces. In a 3 1/2- or 4-quart slow cooker, combine meat, sweet potatoes, and onion. Stir broth, cumin, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, salt, and garlic into mixture in cooker.

2. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 7 to 8 hours or on high-heat setting for 3 1/2 to 4 hours.

3. Stir in undrained tomatoes and dried apricots. Sprinkle individual servings with peanuts and, if desired, green onion.

Nutritional Information

2 cups: Calories 350 (Calories from Fat 80); Total Fat 9g (Saturated Fat 2 1/2g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 60mg; Sodium650mg; Total Carbohydrate 33g (Dietary Fiber 6g, Sugars 16g); Protein 36g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 210%;Vitamin C 20%; Calcium 10%; Iron 20% Exchanges: 2 Starch; 0 Other Carbohydrate; 1 Vegetable; 4 Lean Meat Carbohydrate Choices: 2
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Fast-Food “Hamburger”?

It comes from a cow, yes, but before being stuffed in the bun of a Whopper or Big Mac, fast-food hamburger patties pass through the hands of a company called Beef Products. Beef Products specializes in taking slaughterhouse trimmings traditionally used only in pet food and cooking oil and turning them into patties. The challenge is getting this by-product meat clean enough for human consumption, as both E. coli and salmonella like to concentrate themselves in the fatty deposits. So how does Beef Products go about "cleaning" the meat? With an approach similar to what you might use in your bathroom—by using ammonia. See, the company has developed a process for killing beef-based pathogens by forcing the ground meat through pipes and exposing it to ammonia gas. And not only has the USDA approved the process, but they've also allowed those who sell the beef to keep it hidden from their customers. At Beef Products' behest, ammonia gas has been deemed a "processing agent" that need not be identified on nutrition labels. Never mind that if ammonia gets on your skin, it can cause severe burning, and if it gets in your eyes, it can blind you. As an ingredient in one of the foods we consume most, our government doesn't even deem it important enough to inform eaters of its presence. Add to the gross-out factor the fact that after moving through this lengthy industrial process, a single beef patty can consist of cobbled-together pieces from different cows all over the world—a practice that only increases the odds of E. coli contamination. So if you're set on the challenge of eating fresh, single-source hamburger, pick out a nice hunk of sirloin from the meat case and have your butcher grind it up fresh. Hold the ammonia.

I wonder what God thinks about these creations? I think if we are to put Christ First we need to ask ourselves if He would eat these “burgers”.

Whole Wheat ?

Whole wheat, multigrain, 12-grain, "Made with whole grains"—there are many labels you can put on bread to make it sound healthy. What really counts when it comes to buying better bread? Fewer ingredients, key labels, and basic weight math.

 

Marion Nestle, author of the San Francisco Chronicle's Food Matters column, does a great job making common sense of the myriad labels and marketing blather on bread:

To decide whether these have anything in them worth eating beyond their calories, you must inspect labels to make sure the first ingredient is whole grain, the total number of ingredients is small and devoid of unpronounceable chemicals, the fiber content is at least 2 grams per 1-ounce serving and the label says 100 percent whole wheat. Anything less is reconstituted white bread with occasional pieces of the original grain added back.

Nestle explains the basics of what makes bread whole wheat, as opposed to just white, then offers up a simple, if not exactly easy, method of comparing apples to apples in terms of wheat content:

Food labeling rules do not make it easy to figure out fiber content. Some white breads list 1 gram of fiber, but watch out for serving size. It takes two slices to reach half a gram, which can be rounded up to 1.

Whole wheat bread with 2 grams of fiber per 1-ounce slice may have four times as much fiber as white breads. But watch out for breads listing 3 grams fiber; their slices may weigh nearly 2 ounces.

The whole column is a kind of revelation for your Lifehacker East editor, who has been known to just stare at the 45 different breads on display at Wegmans, then just grab the Italian and admit defeat. It's why we also decided to try and make sense of "Organic" and other food labels on our own.

Whole wheat, but not the whole story [SFGate]

Success Story

I read an interesting success story. Check it out.

https://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0B0CWxUX376HTZjJhY2E3OGEtM2U3Ni00YmNmLTkzZDAtYjFlY2I0NjQ3NWY3&hl=en

Zumba Mondays 6-7pm

We had our first class of Zumba last night and I’m amazed at the workout I got. We will be doing Zumba every Monday night from 6-7pm. Invite your friend and join our dance party.

10 Steps to Manage Your Weight

Practice these simple, everyday food and fitness smarts to keep your hard-fought new weight.

You've just lost weight and you don't want to see that number go back up on your scale. With these 10 tricks from dietitians and successful dieters, you'll be able to maintain your weight with ease.

1.Build more lean muscle. Maintain, or even increase, your metabolism by continuing to build lean muscle. "Muscle has a higher metabolism than fat does," explains Emily Banes, RD, clinical dietitian at Houston Northwest Medical Center. If you don't yet train with weights, add this type of exercise to your overall program now. If you do, increase the amount of weight you're working with to keep yourself challenged.

2.Fight off hunger with more filling foods. A three-year University of Pittsburgh study of 284 women between the ages of 25 and 45 found that those who avoided weight gain the best were the ones whose meals kept them feeling full. "Keeping that feeling of fullness can be done with foods high in fiber — think fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein," says Jenna Anding, PhD, RD, of the department of nutrition and food science at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas.

3.Avoid temptation. The University of Pittsburgh study also found that women who best controlled their weight were good at resisting the temptation to binge on forbidden treats. This doesn't mean never indulging in a gooey dessert again, but rather picking — and limiting — your moments. There are many ways to avoid daily temptations, including planning ahead when eating out and banning your worst weaknesses from the house.

4.Count calories. Another hallmark of successful weight maintenance, according to the University of Pittsburgh study, is regularly counting calories. Use your calculator to keep a running total throughout the day if that helps you keeps track of calorie consumption. Maintaining weight loss is hard; it's okay to be as careful as you were during the weight- loss phase of your diet.

5.Plan your meals in advance. A maintenance diet has a lot of the same components as a weight-loss diet. Having a meal-by-meal plan that you can stick to, although it has more calories than your diet plan did, can act as a guide to keep you on track.

6.Consider adding minutes to your exercise plan. Experts recommend at least 30 minutes of physical activity five days a week, but emphasize that the more you exercise, the better able you are to maintain a weight loss. You should aim for 60 to 90 minutes of physical activity every day.

7.Measure your portions. According to a Center for Disease Control (CDC) study of more than 4,000 U.S. adults, the biggest factors in success were measuring portions and fats, the most caloric foods, in particular. This doesn't mean you have to carry a food scale everywhere you go, but using it as often as possible at home will teach you how to eyeball portion sizes at restaurants and immediately know how much to eat, and how much to take home in a doggie bag.

8.Weigh yourself daily. The same CDC study reported that people who weigh themselves once a day are twice as successful at keeping off lost weight as those who don't step on the scale as often. Daily weigh-ins, which can be discouraging when you're on a diet, can be a boon during maintenance; they let you see, and stop, any slow creep upward as soon as it happens.

9.Include dairy in your diet. According to a study of 338 adults, those who ate three or more servings of low-fat dairy daily were more likely to keep off the weight than those who ate one serving or less. For women in particular, this has the additional benefit of improving bone health.

10.Let your plate be your guide. When you can't count calories or measure portions accurately, Banes recommends using the "plate method" as a way to control the amount you're eating. A great tip for dieters, it works just as well for people on a maintenance plan. Simply put, when you serve yourself using this method, at least half your plate should be vegetables and the remaining space should be divided evenly between lean protein and whole grains. If you go back for seconds, limit yourself to vegetables, fruit or low-fat dairy.

By Madeline Vann, MPH

Medically reviewed by Pat F. Bass III, MD, MPH

Natural Cures For Depression Anxiety

If you are concerned about taking prescription medications for depression anxiety, either because of how they affect you or because of their side effects, there are natural ways to treat depression anxiety. Believe or not, Apple is one of the best remedies for mental depression. Apples contain helpful chemical substances such as vitamin D, phosphorus and potassium that help the synthesis of glutamic acid. Apple juice should be taken with milk and honey, and can be a very effective tonic and may also recharge your nerves.

Cashew nut for depression anxiety

The cashew nut is rich in vitamins of the B group - especially thiamine -- and is, therefore, another helpful remedy for general depression. Vitamin B can stimulate the appetite and be nervous system. It is also rich in riboflavin which help keeps the body active, cheerful and energetic.

Try rose

Try preparing a drink consisting of 15 gm of rose petals in 250 mL of boiling water. Drink this occasionally, instead of coffee or tea, and it may help treat the condition.

Lemon balm

Lemon balm, the herb, has been used successfully in the treatment of depression.. It can alleviate brain fatigue and help raise your spirits. It is best to take a cold infusion of the balm. Just place about 30 gm of the herb in half a liter of cold water and allow the mixture to stand for 12 hours. Strain this infusion and drink it in small doses throughout the day.

Vitamin B

Did you know that your diet can have a profound effect on your mental health? Eating foods rich in vitamin B., such as whole grains, green vegetables, eggs and fish helps restore vitality. This is because these foods will build up brain chemicals such as Serotonin and Nor epinephrine that you may be lacking and that can affect your mood substantially.

Exercise

Exercise helps ease depression in a number of ways, which may include:

• Releasing feel-good brain chemicals that may ease depression (neurotransmitters and endorphins)
• Reducing immune system chemicals that can worsen depression
• Increasing body temperature, which may have calming effects

Exercise has many psychological and emotional benefits too. It can help you:

• Gain confidence. Meeting exercise goals or challenges, even small ones, can boost your self-confidence. Getting in shape can also make you feel better about your appearance.
• Take your mind off worries. Exercise is a distraction that can get you away from the cycle of negative thoughts that feed anxiety and depression.
• Get more social interaction. Exercise may give you the chance to meet or socialize with others. Just exchanging a friendly smile or greeting as you walk around your neighborhood can help your mood.
• Cope in a healthy way. Doing something positive to manage anxiety or depression is a healthy coping strategy. Trying to feel better by drinking alcohol, dwelling on how badly you feel, or hoping anxiety or depression will go away on their own can lead to worsening symptoms.

Our Fitness Room

 

Yes, It’s small I know. But what it lacks in space it makes up for in character. This room now has 5 bikes, 2 elliptical machines an ab machine and a 200 lb stack weight system. No more excuses. I’ll leave the door open for you. I’d be glad to join you for a workout anytime.

New Session, New Devotional

For the next session beginning on Sept 8th, we will be going through the book Faithfully Fit. As I read through this devotional I knew we needed to start this journey with this book. Here is what the back of the book has to say about its contents.

 

New Food Resources

Check out this new info! 

 

New Session Starting

In a few weeks we will be welcoming new people into our Christ First Weight loss group. If you have someone who has expressed an interest in joining one of our groups please let me know. Kirsten and I would love to share what we have learned through our weight loss journey. If you would like to join one of our groups please E-mail stjohnucc@comcast.net or call the church office at 815-235-2824.

Movie Nights Featuring Food, INC. and Fresh

On August 7th we will be presenting the Documentary Food, INC. I’m looking forward to sharing this film with our congregation and Christ First participants. This film has sparked a bit of controversy across the nation and I look forward to great conversation following the film.

The Following Sunday, August 14th, we will also be viewing the movie Fresh.

As our Christ First members take steps to restore their temple we challenge ourselves to look at food from a whole new Organic perspective.

We will be viewing these movies in the theater room at 7pm. All are invited.

Recipe Rehab: Lasagna

Lasagna is a classic one-dish meal that is perfect to take to your summer gatherings or potlucks. Layers of noodles, meat sauce and cheese are a tasty combination, but the calories add up quickly and can total near 800 calories per serving. For those watching their calories, this one dish could use up half of your daily allotment! One of our readers wrote in with the request to lighten up her favorite dish.
In order to do this, I will replace the traditional sausage and ground beef with low-calorie summer vegetables, such as eggplant, zucchini and mushrooms. This will not only lower the calories, it will add more fiber and nutrients to the meal. The layers of cheese also help to pack on the calories and cottage cheese fillings tend to be very high in sodium. For the lightened up version, I will reduce the amount of cheese throughout the layers, without sacrificing taste, by using a mixture of low-sodium ricotta and strongly-flavored Parmesan. With a sprinkle of mozzarella on the top, this dish will brown nicely. My version is half the calories of traditional lasagna, so enjoy it guilt free!

Ingredients:

• 9 whole wheat lasagna noodles
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pound button mushrooms, sliced
• 3 medium zucchini, sliced
• 1 medium eggplant, sliced
• 2 (28 oz.) cans crushed tomatoes
• 1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2teaspoon black pepper
• 16 ounces part-skim ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese

Instructions:
1. Prepare the lasagna noodles according to directions. When cooked through, set aside on paper towels to dry.
2. Sauté the onions and garlic in the olive oil over medium heat. Add the sliced mushrooms, zucchini and eggplant, and cook until tender. Mix in the crushed tomatoes and tomato paste. Season with spices. Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.
3. In a small bowl mix together the ricotta and Parmesan cheeses.
4. Evenly coat the bottom of a 9-inch by 13-inch baking dish with about a half-cup cup of the sauce. Remove another half-cup of the sauce and set aside.
5. To assemble the lasagna: Top the sauce in the baking dish with an even layer of noodles cutting to fit the pan if necessary. Spread the half of the cheese mixture over the lasagna noodles. Then layer with half of the remaining sauce mixture. Repeat.
6. Top the final layer of noodles with the reserved half-cup of sauce. Sprinkle with grated mozzarella cheese.
7. Cover with tin foil and bake in a 350°F oven for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 20 minutes until the cheese has browned.
Serves: 9
Nutrition Content (per serving):
329 calories, 11 g fat, 5 g saturated fat, 45 g carbohydrates, 10 g fiber, 21 g protein, 619 mg sodium, 400 mg calcium

LIVESTRONG.COM

 

I just started using a great website. It is called Livestrong.com. This website recently partnered with the daily plate to offer a huge database of foods. I can track any food item. I also love the recipe calculator. I’ve used Sparkpeople.com for about a year now and Livestrong is a great alternate option. I love that they offer a pay option that removes all the ads. Spark people doesn’t offer this option and the ads are on every page. If your looking for a different Nutrition and fitness tracker, give www.livestrong.com a try.

Burning Calories at the Gym

"Calories burned" readings on gym equipment are only estimates, but they provide a pretty good measure, depending on how honest you are with your information.

You finish your workout on the treadmill and the machine reads 300 calories. But how do you know if that number is truly accurate? Experts say there's a good chance it's not.

Burning Calories at the Gym: Crunching the Numbers

At the end of your workout, most cardio machines provide you with the number of calories you burned. Keep in mind though that this reading is an estimate — and often an overestimate — and should not be taken as gospel. "If you see that you expended 300 calories for a workout, there is probably about a 10 percent margin of error," says Pete McCall, MS, an exercise physiologist with the American Council on Exercise. "The number you see on the treadmill, stationary bike, elliptical machine, stair climber, etc., is just an estimate, but it is a relatively accurate estimate. It is based on what is called metabolic equivalents, or METs, which refers to how much oxygen your body uses."

McCall says that one MET is equal to 3.5 milliliters of oxygen per kilogram of your body weight per minute. This is the amount of oxygen your body requires at rest. When you work harder (e.g., when you exercise), your body burns more METs. "Your body has to expend energy to use oxygen. If you're running, your body needs more oxygen and your body spends more energy," McCall says.

The cardio equipment at the gym uses information on the number of METs it takes to perform a given exercise, as well as your weight if you enter it, to give you an estimate of how many calories you burned. "It is more accurate if you enter your weight and your age than if you don't," McCall notes.

If you are trying to lose weight, you may be particularly interested in finding out the exact number of calories you burned during your workout.

"If people are really concerned about monitoring weight loss, the gym equipment is a good estimate, but the best estimates are going to come from heart rate monitors," says McCall.

Newer heart rate monitors allow you to program in your resting heart rate and your age, and they use this information to give you a more precise estimate of the calories you expend.

Burning Calories at the Gym: Maximizing Your Burn

When deciding which piece of gym equipment will give you the best burn, don't count on the calories-burned estimates from the machine. In order to burn more calories, you simply have to work harder. So the best way to determine which piece of equipment will help you burn the most calories is by gauging how hard you are able to work on it — if you're not able to sustain a workout on the elliptical machine, for instance, use the treadmill instead.

While you can use the calorie counters on gym equipment as rough guidelines, the most important way to maximize the number of calories you are burning is to find a piece of equipment you enjoy using and to use it often.

Crunchy Garlic Chicken

Ok, let me just say this. This has butter and has the option to be fried in a little bit of olive oil. The flavor is in this dish. Your friends and family will absolutely love this dish. If your looking for a healthier alternative to this recipe try this one.

main courses | serves 2
This crumbing technique is so versatile – you can cook pork or even cod in exactly the same way. As there is butter in the crumb mixture, you can grill, fry, roast or bake the meat dry in the oven and it will go lovely and golden.
To prepare your chicken:
Peel the garlic and zest the lemon • Put your crackers into a food processor with the butter, garlic, parsley sprigs, lemon zest and a pinch of salt and pepper • Whiz until the mixture is very fine, then pour these crumbs on to a plate • Sprinkle the flour on to a second plate • Crack the egg into a small bowl and beat with a fork • Lightly score the underside of the chicken breasts • Put a square of plastic wrap over each one and bash a few times with the bottom of a pan until the breasts flatten out a bit • Dip the chicken into the flour until both sides are completely coated, then dip into the egg and finally into the flavored crumbs • Push the crumbs on to the chicken breasts so they stick – you want the meat to be totally coated
To cook your chicken:
You can either bake or fry the chicken • If baking, preheat your oven to its highest temperature (475˚), place your chicken on a sheet pan and cook for 15 minutes • If frying, put a frying pan on a medium heat, add a few good lugs of olive oil and cook the chicken breasts for 4 to 5 minutes on each side, until cooked through, golden and crisp
To serve your chicken:
Either serve the chicken breasts whole, or cut them into strips and pile them on a plate • Beautiful and simple served with a lemon wedge for squeezing over, and a tiny sprinkling of salt • Great with a lovely fresh salad or simply dressed veggies.

Nutrition Facts Per Serving: Calories 431.9, Fat 22.9, Carb 9.3, Fiber 0.2, Protein 39.1, Sodium 478.7

Healthy Lifestyle While Away

I’m hoping that this week will be full of tips on how to navigate those out of routine times in our journey. Sometimes we are left at the mercy of others when it comes to what we eat. Or we can stick to our commitment and promise to placing Christ First in all areas of our lives, including our body which is God’s Temple. Kirsten and I have already sat at the dinner table at a fried food joint as the rest of the group dined on Brown colored creations. It was difficult to have people wanting you to eat but you can’t. Kirsten and I are very sensitive to the groups needs and we feel odd most of time, but you can make great decisions while away from home. You can sit at the table with others and not eat because nothing is healthy. I’ve done it several times now and I will do it today as well. Kirsten and I will be packing our lunch and we will be cooking our own dinners. Or you can cave to the pressure of others and temptation. Let’s be honest, I love food. It’s like an alcoholic at the bar for me. I see the food and my mind races to figure out how I could eat it. I would love to eat fried foods and still be healthy, unfortunately I can’t do that, I won’t do that, no one should eat this.

I’m not sure how many of you go away and blow off your excersice and healthy living lifestyle. I would argue if you give into the temptation of the unhealthy food around you and you stop working out, it’s not much of a lifestyle for you. Maybe you adjusted your food alittle to lose a few pounds but you still cheat and eat the wrong things. Maybe you cave to the pressure of others, family, friends or those in your traveling group.
My advice, do what pleases the Lord not yourself or those around you. God wants you to be healthy and sometimes the rest of the world gets in the way. Pray and trust that God will provide a way for you to place Him first in your life. I promise you He will, He has for me already.

Walking Krape Park

Have you been to Krape Park lately? Have you ever gone for a walk there and wondered how far you traveled. Click the picture to see a Walk the Park flyer from the park district. Get walking.

My Elliptical

So, a couple of years ago Kirsten and I decided to invest in a commercial grade piece of fitness equipment. Some of you have seen it taking up half my living room. This is another purchase that I was nervous about in the beginning but it has paid off big time. I chose the Elliptical because I needed a piece of equipment that gave me a low to no impact workout. At 455lbs. I wanted to be sure I didn’t injure myself working out. If you’re considering the purchase of a piece of fitness equipment, skip the Wal-Mart sales and order a quality unit from one of these vendors. Your body will thank you for it.

       

   

The Heart Rate Monitor

Some of you have noticed that I’m always looking at my watch during workouts. I do this to make sure I’m working as hard as I should be. My watch is my heart rate monitor. It calculates the intensity of my workouts and tells me precisely how many calories I have burned. Using a heart rate monitor is the best way to see if you are pushing yourself enough during workouts. For those who don’t have a monitor I tell them to push themselves so they sweat.

A heart rate monitor senses and displays your heart rate. Walkers can use heart rate to adjust the intensity of their walk -- speeding up or slowing down to stay in their chosen heart rate zone. Two walkers going the same speed may be in different zones -- one barely working at all, the other near maximum and straining. As your fitness improves, you can walk faster at the same heart rate.

ECG-Accurate Monitors with Chest Strap

The most accurate heart rate monitors use a chest strap which fits snugly around your chest just below the breast. The transmitter detects the electrical activity of your heart just like an ECG. It relays this to a display, usually worn like a wristwatch. Make sure you stay away from the one touch finger pulse options.  

Heart Monitor Features

Basic models display only your heart rate, and perhaps elapsed exercise time. With increasing price you get a variety of useful features such as: Heart rate zone alarm: Set the zone and it alerts you when you are high or low. Timers: Countdown timer, stopwatch, interval timers, clock, alarm. Calories burned. Time in zone, splits. Fitness test. Computer link. Pre-programmed workouts.

Display and Ease of Use

Besides features, shop for how easy it is to use. Can you read the numbers easily? Does it have a backlight for use in low light? Are there so many features that you will have to carry the manual to figure out how to use it each time? Are the buttons well labeled and easy to find and push?

Also be sure to get a unit that will calculate calories burned. Polar makes some of the best heart rate monitors available. Polar Options

When I bought my monitor I bought the best on the market. I new I wanted features and my FT80 has so many. It is my personal trainer. It was the best investment I have made along my weight loss journey. (Along with quality shoes, Precore elliptical, and workout DVDs. More on those in the coming days).

Effects Of Alcohol On Your Weight Loss

If you frequently have a glass of wine with dinner, or a few beers after work, you may wonder about the effects of alcohol on your weight loss. As you diet, each food or beverage you consume has an effect on your weight loss speed. Alcohol is no exception. Alcohol has fat, just as food does. Alcohol can lead to overeating, and the calories in alcoholic beverages are generally consumed in addition to other food and drink. Liquid calories add up quickly, so be aware of the calorie content of your drink. Alcohol has 7 calories per gram. Fat has 9 calories per gram. Drinking an alcoholic beverage from time to time won’t kill your diet, but frequent drinking will. Alcoholic beverages can be just as bad for your diet as that greasy pizza – maybe worse. Liquid calories are typically easier to consume, and drinking your calories can cause them to add up more quickly than you’d think! There are other effects of alcohol on your weight loss as well. Alcohol loosens you up, and helps you relax. It also loosens your dieting resolve. This means that you are less focused on your weight loss goals, and may inadvertently consume more calories than you originally intended. One wing or chip can turn into many, as you become more relaxed about your diet. Consuming large amounts of alcohol can be synonymous with consuming larger amounts of food. Alcoholic beverages are also generally consumed in addition to food. So, if you drink several drinks with a high calorie content, you are probably also eating at the same time. This can lead to taking in a high number of calories in a short amount of time, simply because you are not paying attention to your drinks. You can help slow this process down by drinking a glass of water after each alcoholic beverage. You’ll feel fuller, and in turn you’ll eat and drink less. There are several effects of alcohol on your weight loss. Drinking alcoholic beverages can add calories to your day quickly. Alcohol has a high calorie content, similar to fatty foods. Liquid calories in alcoholic beverages go down easily, but pack a dietary punch. Alcohol can also cause you to eat more than you originally intended. Dieters, drink with care, and be careful how many calories you consume through your drink of choice.

Union Dairy Time

Do you enjoy going to Union Dairy? They serve Cedar Crest ice cream. Click here for the Nutrition Facts info.

Tea Oatmeal Rocks!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients:
1/4 cup oatmeal (I used Coach's Oats)
1 & 1 1/2 cups brewed chai (I used Tazo, but any kind will do)
1/2 mashed banana
1 Splenda packet
almonds, raisins, and pumpkin seeds to garnish

Cooking tip:
I like my oatmeal really creamy, and this cooking tip seems to really do the trick. Combine oatmeal and 1 cup of the chai the night before, bring to a boil for just a quick second, and then turn off the heat and cover the pot with a lid. In the morning add the other 1/2 cup of chai, mashed banana, Splenda, and finish cooking the oatmeal like you normally would.

Tea oats are heavenly.

  

                                                                                                                           

 

 

 

 

 

 

This next batch of oats was infused with vanilla & caramel flavored tea (Bigelow brand).

Cooked with:
1/4 cup oatmeal
2 cups tea
2 Splenda packets
1/2 mashed banana (for texture and sweetness)
a few drops of vanilla extract
Topped with:
granola (w/ sunflower seeds, dried coconut and raisins)
strawberries

Garden Chicken Burger with Hoisin Barbecue Sauce

1 Tbsp (15 mL) vegetable oil
2 shallots, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup (125 mL) hoisin sauce
2 Tbsp (30 mL) each honey and rice wine vinegar
2 tsp (10 mL) each fish sauce and low-sodium soy sauce
1 pound (450 g) ground chicken (or turkey)
1/2 cup (125 mL) oats
1/2 cup (125 mL) each chopped onion, red bell pepper, zucchini
2 Tbsp (30 mL) tomato paste
Salt and pepper to taste
Whole wheat hamburger buns

To make sauce, heat oil in a skillet; add shallots and garlic and cook until soft. Add hoisin sauce, honey, vinegar, fish sauce, and soy sauce and cook until thickened. Set aside.

In a bowl combine chicken, oats, onion, red pepper, zucchini, tomato paste, salt, and pepper and mix gently. Shape into patties about 3/4 inch (2 cm) thick. Grill, covered, over medium heat for 4 to 6 minutes per side or until internal temperature is 165 F (74 C). Serve on buns topped with hoisin mixture. Makes 4 to 6 patties.

Nutrition facts per burger, sauce, and bun: 424 calories; 24 g protein; 12 g fat (3 g sat. fat, 0 g trans fat); 57 g carbohydrate; 7 g fibre; 910 mg sodium.

Big Bad Buzz on Vitamins

You work hard to maximize your health. Are supplements working against you?

They’re good for you. They’re a waste of money. Good for you. A waste. Good. Waste. Good. Waste. And so it goes—50 years of medical opinion on dietary supplements. Perhaps we should be consoled that scientists are inching their way toward the “truth,” but the ping-ponging of expert advice has left consumers in a predictable state: whiplashed and utterly confused. Read more…

It's a Holiday Weekend

Click this link for some things to look out for and stay away from this weekend.

Fattening Foods of Summer Slideshow

The Key to Weight Loss? Write It Down

A new study shows that staying motivated to lose weight is the key to success. And the easiest way to do that is to keep a food diary. The formula for successful weight loss may be in your head. A new study published in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior has found that knowing what motivates you, and staying motivated, is key to successfully losing weight. And a paper and pen may be the most powerful tools for doing just that. Read more …

Tips for Eating Out Without Over Doing It

If you're trying to manage your calorie intake, eating out can be extremely challenging.

Research in the past has shown that those who eat out regularly have higher intakes of fat, salt and calories. This makes sense given the choices available in most restaurants these days.

Ted's post, Do You Spend too Much on Food? stated, "Americans spent on average 37% of their food budget on eating out in 2009." That's a lot of eating out!

A recent survey, carried out by the CDC, looked at Read More ….

Yoga May Help Fight Depression

Yoga May Help Fight Depression

Putting Foods Off-Limits Can Sabotage Your Diet

Do you ever notice that as soon as you decide a certain food is "off-limits", it's the food you crave more than any other? For me, it's cake- specifically, yellow cake with lots of white icing. My husband's birthday is coming up, and I always make his favorite cake (which happens to be yellow cake with white icing.) He's content to eat one or two pieces, and then be done with it. I tell myself that I shouldn't eat any of it, because the less I have, the less I'll want. But as soon as I do that, I find myself thinking about how good it would taste, and usually I end up caving in and indulging more than I should. A new study shows
Read more ...

Mama’s Red Beans and Rice

Ingredients

2 T canola oil
1 large onion, diced
1 yellow or red pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch green onions, sliced, green part reserved for garnish
1 lb. turkey smoked sausage
3 (15 oz) cans of kidney beans
1 ( 14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes with basil and garlic
1/2 t red pepper flakes
1 T oregano, dried flakes
1 t thyme, fresh or pinch dried
1 bay leaf, whole
1 pinch salt
1 t black pepper
1 c Instant brown rice
1 c water

Directions

Slice sausage in half lengthwise and then in half again. Cut crosswise to dice. Heat oil in a large dutch oven or heavy saucepan. Once hot, add onions, diced pepper, garlic, and white parts of green onion. Cook until tender. Add sausage. Cook just until browned. Add spices, beans, and tomatoes. Stir to combine. Add rice, stir to combine and cook for 1 minute to coat the rice. Add water. Bring to a boil and immediately reduce to a simmer. Cover and continue to cook for 25 minutes or until rice is tender. Remove bay leaf before serving and finish with hot sauce and sliced green onions. Makes 12 hearty one-cup servings.
Vegetarian smoked sausage (found in the refrigerated health food section of most supermarkets) makes a great substitute for the turkey sausage.
Number of Servings: 12

Nutritional Info

• Servings Per Recipe: 12
• Amount Per Serving (1 Cup)
• Calories: 221.7

• Total Fat: 4.3 g
• Cholesterol: 5.8 mg
• Sodium: 146.6 mg
• Total Carbs: 37.8 g
• Dietary Fiber: 9.1 g
• Protein: 8.9 g

Jillian Answers 10 Questions

Getting Healthy When You Have Diabetes

More people who are carrying a few extra pounds are being diagnosed with diabetes and required to take medication as part of their treatment. And while these people generally know they should lose weight and more conscientiously, they may not realize that time is of the essence.The bottom line is, if you're one of these people, you could die before you get around to getting on a diet.The sobering facts are that people with diabetes Click to read more…

Why Run? | Active.com

Whether you have taken up running to lose weight, to improve fitness, to relieve stress, to compete, or just to kill time, you'll find that the benefits are many.

No doubt you're looking for "the best way" to run, and we can point you in the right direction. Keep in mind, though, that there are few universal truths to running. Everything depends on the individual, and techniques that some runners swear by might not be right for you. Experiment, find what makes you comfortable. It's not terribly complicated: the only hard and fast rule to running is that you simply keep putting one foot ahead of the other. Read more...

In Case You Didn't Know, Yoga Is the Secret to Longevity

In Case You Didn't Know, Yoga Is the Secret to Longevity: "
I've become a big fan of the OnSugar blog Yoga Off the Mat, but I think this most recent post is my favorite.My great friend / yoga colleague Cindy Storman told me a wonderful story recently. I just had to share this with everyone.I've known Cindy for almost a decade now, and she has not aged a bit. Good genes and longevity run in her family.So picture Cindy, at her Great Aunt Esther's 100th birthday party. Since her Aunt Esther is in such great shape, both physically and mentally, she wanted to mark this milestone, and a huge party was thrown in her honor. Over 100 of her family and friends joined for the celebration.

During the party, she was sitting in a chair with her tiara on. Her many children, grandchildren, great gran children, and the children of their children all gathered around her. They began to share stories about her through the years... all on film.At one point, Cindy asked her Auntie, 'What do you think the secret to your longevity is?'Esther thought for a moment, and then said 'Oh, it's the yoga, it's definitely the yoga.'

Cindy was shocked. Cindy has taught yoga for more than ten years, and had never heard her Auntie mention yoga to her. Auntie continued to explain wisely how you have to do one side, and then the other. And you have to do it reeeaaal slow. And you have to have a good yoga teacher, 'like my Cindy over here.' (This made Cindy smile.)Then Cindy asked, 'So, exactly how long have you been doing yoga? 'Aunt Esther replied 'Oh... about 6 months now.'I love this story. You are never too old to start a yoga practice!

Simple Diet Changes, Big Rewards

Here are 10 simple changes to help you lose weight now.

Purge your cupboards of junk food; buy bags of organic fruits and veggies; switch to low-fat and low-sodium products; scout labels and load up on diet foods. Sound familiar? If you’ve ever gotten frustrated with the dozens of changes required to jump-start a new diet plan, you’ve got company. No wonder you’re likely to say, “I’ll do it tomorrow.”

Instead, you could simplify the whole dropping pounds experience. Here’s a look at 10 small dietary changes to kick start your program. No clean sweeps of the pantry or newfangled foods to buy. Just easy, breezy diet changes that pay off big so you can whittle your way to a healthier diet—and maybe drop a pant size along the way. Read More…