Are there any sure-fire ways to get happy? Harvard psychologist Daniel Gilbert lists a few in his best-seller "Stumbling on Happiness." I haven't read the book but I did read an interview in the Feb. 2010 issue of Reader's Digest Magazine. While Gilbert really seems to resist attributing feelings of contentment and satisfaction to a relationship with God, he does admit that those who regularly attend church report greater feelings of happiness, as do those who are married. Gilbert lived with his then-girlfriend for twelve years until his research uncovered the fact that a commitment to marriage leads to far greater feelings of joy than co-habitation, and he promptly proposed. He said he really does love his wife more than his girlfriend, "even though she's the same person." Gilbert attributes this to the fact that a commitment to something that is expensive or difficult to end leads to feeling more satisfaction with your decision. Gilbert is certainly not the first to report these findings, but his personal reaction and experience was enjoyable to read.
Other short-cuts to happiness included giving to others (money, time, or belongings); letting time soothe hurt or angry feelings (this only works if you are willing to let the negative emotions go over time); finding small, everyday moments that make you happy instead of waiting for some huge event to make your month; and finally, investing in experiences instead of in material possessions. Gilbert reminds us that things are shiny and new for a short time, then begin to lose value, whereas experiences are associated with other people and events that connect us with feelings of excitement, joy, belonging, etc., and these things maintain or grow in value over time.
So what does this have to do with eating for health and happiness? Grab your spouse and head over to the church cookout and pig-out with your friends and family. On the way, stop by the red, charitable giving container by WalMart and finally drop off that bag of out-grown clothes your kids don't need. That should cover all your bases and give you at least one good afternoon!
Seriously, today, tomorrow and the day after, pick something from this list and try it out. Write down what you did and also how you felt about yourself afterwards, or about life in general. Some things will make you feel really good right away, others will grow over time. Writing it down will give you a starting point to see what seems to make a real difference in how you feel. Then, keep doing it!
Monday, May 31, 2010
Where Can I Find Goat Milk in Central Minnesota?
Last week I visited Missy Isder's Sparkling M's Dairy Goat Farm in Little Falls, MN and took home three gallons of fresh, raw goat's milk. You can buy raw milk in MN if you purchase it on the farm and bring your own container. Goat milk tastes quite a bit like cow's milk, with just a hint of an after-taste that is a smidgen different, but not unpleasant. Try it, and don't forget to scoop some of the cream off the top and eat it right off the spoon - amazing! Make sure you leave the milk whole, the butterfat contains important enzymes and other properties crucial to your health and the bacteria-fighting nature of raw milk.
Once we got home, we made mouth-watering ricotta cheese, and Boursin-style herbed, creamy cheese to die for, and drank the rest of the milk right off. Later in the week we visited the Little Falls Farmer's Market next to Zoomski's restaurant and bought a carton of truly delectable sun-dried tomato and basil goat cheese from Becky Lindholm of Scandia Valley Dairy. Wow - I have to make this cheese next! In the meantime, I will just grab some more at the Farmer's Market when I am in town on Wednesdays and Saturdays. You can contact Missy at sparklingms@hotmail.com and Becky at goatdairy@q.com.
If you are concerned about safety, know that raw milk is inherently disease-resistant and hypoallergenic. Pasteurization does extend the shelf-life of milk (and profitability, tax revenue, processing fees, etc.), and destroys potentially harmful bacteria, but also eliminates beneficial bacteria that otherwise makes raw milk naturally disease-resistant. This includes 65 percent of raw milk’s lactoferrin, a protein the FDA has approved for use as a spray to prevent contamination of meats with E. coli, and 69 percent of its xanthane oxidase, an enzyme that potently inhibits the growth of E. coli and Salmonella enteritidis, at concentrations naturally present in raw milk.
Heat also denatures the milk proteins which renders milk more allergenic and difficult to digest. In fact, a 2006 study found that people who drank more raw milk were less likely to suffer from eczema and allergic disorders. Those who are lactose intolerant often find they can drink and enjoy raw milk without any of the stomach upsets normally associated with pasteurized dairy products. Among a host of other ailments, supporters have credited drinking raw milk with relieving the symptoms of autism, behavior problems, frequent infections, deafness, asthma and allergies and other serious health conditions.
If nothing else, buying raw milk directly from the farmer supports the local economy at the source. If you are concerned, heat the milk at home per the guidelines provided at www.foodsci.uoguelph.ca/dairyedu/pasteurization.html.
I was raised on raw goat's milk as I had a severe allergy to cow's milk. Since recently experiencing a resurgence of lactose intolerance I've returned to raw goat's milk products with great satisfaction. I still love goat's milk and since their first drink, so do my kids (human kids, not goat kids, although . . never mind.) For more info read my Examiner.com article.
Resources:
“Minnesota Dairy Goats,” Mills Farm Life, Fall 2008, p.4
“Response to Anti-Raw Milk Article Published in Clinical Infectious Diseases, January 2009 Prepared by The Weston A. Price Foundation,” http://www.realmilk.com/documents/ResponsetoInfectiousClinicalDiseaseArticle.pdf, accessed on May 31, 2010
“Where Can I Find Real Milk?” http://www.realmilk.com/where3.html#mn, accessed on May 31, 2010
More reading:
The Raw Milk Revolution: Behind America's Emerging Battle Over Food Rights
Storey's Guide to Raising Dairy Goats: Breeds, Care, Dairying
Raising Goats For Dummies
Raising Milk Goats Successfully
Powdered Goat Milk (good for baby formula):
Meyenberg Evaporated Goat Milk, 12-Ounce Cans (Pack of 12)
Meyenberg Powdered Goat Milk, Vitamin D, 12-Ounce Cans (Pack of 3)
Meyenberg - Meyenberg Goat Milk (Powdered), 12 oz powder
Milk, Goat, Powder, Instant, Can, 12 oz.
Once we got home, we made mouth-watering ricotta cheese, and Boursin-style herbed, creamy cheese to die for, and drank the rest of the milk right off. Later in the week we visited the Little Falls Farmer's Market next to Zoomski's restaurant and bought a carton of truly delectable sun-dried tomato and basil goat cheese from Becky Lindholm of Scandia Valley Dairy. Wow - I have to make this cheese next! In the meantime, I will just grab some more at the Farmer's Market when I am in town on Wednesdays and Saturdays. You can contact Missy at sparklingms@hotmail.com and Becky at goatdairy@q.com.
If you are concerned about safety, know that raw milk is inherently disease-resistant and hypoallergenic. Pasteurization does extend the shelf-life of milk (and profitability, tax revenue, processing fees, etc.), and destroys potentially harmful bacteria, but also eliminates beneficial bacteria that otherwise makes raw milk naturally disease-resistant. This includes 65 percent of raw milk’s lactoferrin, a protein the FDA has approved for use as a spray to prevent contamination of meats with E. coli, and 69 percent of its xanthane oxidase, an enzyme that potently inhibits the growth of E. coli and Salmonella enteritidis, at concentrations naturally present in raw milk.
Heat also denatures the milk proteins which renders milk more allergenic and difficult to digest. In fact, a 2006 study found that people who drank more raw milk were less likely to suffer from eczema and allergic disorders. Those who are lactose intolerant often find they can drink and enjoy raw milk without any of the stomach upsets normally associated with pasteurized dairy products. Among a host of other ailments, supporters have credited drinking raw milk with relieving the symptoms of autism, behavior problems, frequent infections, deafness, asthma and allergies and other serious health conditions.
If nothing else, buying raw milk directly from the farmer supports the local economy at the source. If you are concerned, heat the milk at home per the guidelines provided at www.foodsci.uoguelph.ca/dairyedu/pasteurization.html.
I was raised on raw goat's milk as I had a severe allergy to cow's milk. Since recently experiencing a resurgence of lactose intolerance I've returned to raw goat's milk products with great satisfaction. I still love goat's milk and since their first drink, so do my kids (human kids, not goat kids, although . . never mind.) For more info read my Examiner.com article.
Resources:
“Minnesota Dairy Goats,” Mills Farm Life, Fall 2008, p.4
“Response to Anti-Raw Milk Article Published in Clinical Infectious Diseases, January 2009 Prepared by The Weston A. Price Foundation,” http://www.realmilk.com/documents/ResponsetoInfectiousClinicalDiseaseArticle.pdf, accessed on May 31, 2010
“Where Can I Find Real Milk?” http://www.realmilk.com/where3.html#mn, accessed on May 31, 2010
More reading:
The Raw Milk Revolution: Behind America's Emerging Battle Over Food Rights
Storey's Guide to Raising Dairy Goats: Breeds, Care, Dairying
Raising Goats For Dummies
Raising Milk Goats Successfully
Powdered Goat Milk (good for baby formula):
Meyenberg Evaporated Goat Milk, 12-Ounce Cans (Pack of 12)
Meyenberg Powdered Goat Milk, Vitamin D, 12-Ounce Cans (Pack of 3)
Meyenberg - Meyenberg Goat Milk (Powdered), 12 oz powder
Milk, Goat, Powder, Instant, Can, 12 oz.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Guilt-Free Hollandaise
I recently discovered this wonderful, light, and creamy sauce when I ordered Eggs Benedict for the first time. The funny thing is, I've always wanted to try Eggs Benedict, but was convinced I wouldn't like them. It all started when I was about 9 years old and out for breakfast with my mom. E.B sounded great to me, so I ordered them, but the waitress convinced me the Hollandiase sauce draped over the fried egg, Canadian bacan, and english muffin stack was too "mature" for my taste-buds and I should order something else, like pancakes, which I did. Since then I have lingered over the menu at diners and cafes across the country, longing for Eggs Benedict, until that little voice creeps in the back of my mind whispering, "You won't like it. Order something safe, like pancakes."
A few weeks ago, it hit me that I have allowed one comment made by a well-meaning waitress to influence my breakfast choice for the past 35 years! So, I ordered it and you know what? I loved it! I loved it's buttery, lemony goodness. I loved its delectable, rich creaminess. I loved it until I realized how much fat and calories it contains. But, now that I have found my love I will not be thwarted that easily.
Lucky for me I came across a recipe on EatingWell.com with only 1 gram of fat and 17 calories per delicious tablespoon. I made it this morning and well, let's just say that 1 cup of Hollandaise contains 16 tablespoons of delectable yellow cream, and well, 15 of those tablespoons got in my belly! So what - if you're gonna pig out on 15 grams of fat, breakfast is the time to do it. I'll do an hour on the treadmill and burn off 250 calories before lunch like that (snap.)
By the way, if you can stir gravy, you can make this incredibly easy and tasty sauce. It's not just for eggs, replace your cheese sauce on broccoli or cauliflower with this recipe, or use it as a twist on biscuits and gravy. You can cover it and keep in in the fridge for two days (good luck with that) and just reheat in the microwave for a minute.
Hollandaise Sauce
1 tbl unsalted butter
3/4 cup non-fat buttermilk (I mixed mine from dry baking buttermilk) - divided
**Tip: you can make butter milk by mixing 1 tbl lemon juice or vinegar to 1 cup skim milk.
1 tbl cornstarch
1/2 tsp salt (I used kosher coarse salt)
pinch of cayenne pepper ( I used a dash)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tbl FRESH lemon juice (about 1/3 of a fresh lemon - you do want that fresh taste)
Melt butter in a medium heavy saucepan over low heat, swirling pan to coat, and letting it turn golden before pouring off into a small bowl, reserve.
Whisk in a diffferent small bowl 1/4 cup of the buttermilk, the cornstarch, salt and cayenne until smooth. Whisk in the egg and remaining buttermilk and pour in buttered saucepan.
Put pan over medium low heat and continue to whisk continually until it starts to lightly simmer. Whisk and stir 15 seconds. (Mine never simmered, it just continued to thicken to about a pudding consistency.)
Remove from heat and squeeze in the lemon juice (remove any seeds that come out with the juice) and the reserved butter.
Serve hot or warm.
*To make Sauce Moutarde, add 2 tsp Dijon mustard. For Sauce Maltaise, use 1 1/2 tbl orange juice instead of lemon juice.
Eat healthy and happy! By the way, here are some links to the Eating Well magazine and also their cookbooks. EatingWell
; The Eating Well Cookbook: Favorite Recipes from Eating Well, the Magazine of Food & Health
Source: http://www.eatingwell.com/print/6144
A few weeks ago, it hit me that I have allowed one comment made by a well-meaning waitress to influence my breakfast choice for the past 35 years! So, I ordered it and you know what? I loved it! I loved it's buttery, lemony goodness. I loved its delectable, rich creaminess. I loved it until I realized how much fat and calories it contains. But, now that I have found my love I will not be thwarted that easily.
Lucky for me I came across a recipe on EatingWell.com with only 1 gram of fat and 17 calories per delicious tablespoon. I made it this morning and well, let's just say that 1 cup of Hollandaise contains 16 tablespoons of delectable yellow cream, and well, 15 of those tablespoons got in my belly! So what - if you're gonna pig out on 15 grams of fat, breakfast is the time to do it. I'll do an hour on the treadmill and burn off 250 calories before lunch like that (snap.)
By the way, if you can stir gravy, you can make this incredibly easy and tasty sauce. It's not just for eggs, replace your cheese sauce on broccoli or cauliflower with this recipe, or use it as a twist on biscuits and gravy. You can cover it and keep in in the fridge for two days (good luck with that) and just reheat in the microwave for a minute.
Hollandaise Sauce
1 tbl unsalted butter
3/4 cup non-fat buttermilk (I mixed mine from dry baking buttermilk) - divided
**Tip: you can make butter milk by mixing 1 tbl lemon juice or vinegar to 1 cup skim milk.
1 tbl cornstarch
1/2 tsp salt (I used kosher coarse salt)
pinch of cayenne pepper ( I used a dash)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tbl FRESH lemon juice (about 1/3 of a fresh lemon - you do want that fresh taste)
Melt butter in a medium heavy saucepan over low heat, swirling pan to coat, and letting it turn golden before pouring off into a small bowl, reserve.
Whisk in a diffferent small bowl 1/4 cup of the buttermilk, the cornstarch, salt and cayenne until smooth. Whisk in the egg and remaining buttermilk and pour in buttered saucepan.
Put pan over medium low heat and continue to whisk continually until it starts to lightly simmer. Whisk and stir 15 seconds. (Mine never simmered, it just continued to thicken to about a pudding consistency.)
Remove from heat and squeeze in the lemon juice (remove any seeds that come out with the juice) and the reserved butter.
Serve hot or warm.
*To make Sauce Moutarde, add 2 tsp Dijon mustard. For Sauce Maltaise, use 1 1/2 tbl orange juice instead of lemon juice.
Eat healthy and happy! By the way, here are some links to the Eating Well magazine and also their cookbooks. EatingWell
; The Eating Well Cookbook: Favorite Recipes from Eating Well, the Magazine of Food & HealthSource: http://www.eatingwell.com/print/6144
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Potato: A Good Food with a Bad Rap
What's the deal with white potatoes having such a bad rap? They are a natural vegetable, a tuber, just like sweet potatoes, so why are they banned from so many diets? I get it that if you slather them with milk or cream, butter (or that nasty,cancerous, chemical laden, wanna-be margarine), and a load of full-fat sour cream, then you've kinda defeated the whole vegetable purpose, but what about a plain potato, skin and all?
I checked the FDA website for the nutritional value of white, russet potatoes and was pleasantly surprised at the results. Potatoes seem pretty darn healthy to me.
The main difference I saw between white and sweet potatoes is that the sweets are minimally lower in calories (a 7 oz. sweet potato has about 208 calories versus 220 in a white potato.) Sweets do have more calcium (56 grams in the sweet to 20 grams in the white) and thousands of RE units of Vitamin A (4350) whereas white potatoes have none. If you need Vitamin A - hands down, eat a sweet potato. Plus they taste great plain.
On the other hand, white potatoes have a bit more protein than sweet potatoes (5 grams in a white 7 oz. potato versus 3.5 grams in a sweet) and iron (2.8 mg compared to 1 mg in a sweet), and slightly less sodium (16 mg versus 20 mg sodium in a sweet.)
Harvard Medical School's Health Publications website lists the Glycemic Index for a russet potato (26) as slightly higher than that of a sweet potato (17), which could make sweet potatoes a safer bet if you are pre-diabetic or diabetic. Alternatively, the glycemic load for a boiled white potato was actually less (14). Go figure. The lower a food's glycemic index or glycemic load, the less it affects blood sugar and insulin levels.
I like the fact that one medium white potato has about 110 calories (not bad for a 100 calorie "snack") and NO fat of any kind: no saturated fat, no trans fat, no unsaturated fat. White potatoes are a good source of protein, low-fat carbohydrates, fiber, and various vitamins and minerals including high levels of Vitamin C, as well as a good amount of Potassium, and Vitamin B6. Go easy on the butter and choose low-fat sour cream if you must, but for heaven's sake, enjoy it!
So at the end of the day, eat a potato, it's fine.
Sources:
http://www.drmirkin.com/nutrition/sweet_potatoes_not_white.html
http://www.health.harvard.edu/newsweek/Glycemic_index_and_glycemic_load_for_100_foods.htm
http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products
I checked the FDA website for the nutritional value of white, russet potatoes and was pleasantly surprised at the results. Potatoes seem pretty darn healthy to me.
The main difference I saw between white and sweet potatoes is that the sweets are minimally lower in calories (a 7 oz. sweet potato has about 208 calories versus 220 in a white potato.) Sweets do have more calcium (56 grams in the sweet to 20 grams in the white) and thousands of RE units of Vitamin A (4350) whereas white potatoes have none. If you need Vitamin A - hands down, eat a sweet potato. Plus they taste great plain.
On the other hand, white potatoes have a bit more protein than sweet potatoes (5 grams in a white 7 oz. potato versus 3.5 grams in a sweet) and iron (2.8 mg compared to 1 mg in a sweet), and slightly less sodium (16 mg versus 20 mg sodium in a sweet.)
Harvard Medical School's Health Publications website lists the Glycemic Index for a russet potato (26) as slightly higher than that of a sweet potato (17), which could make sweet potatoes a safer bet if you are pre-diabetic or diabetic. Alternatively, the glycemic load for a boiled white potato was actually less (14). Go figure. The lower a food's glycemic index or glycemic load, the less it affects blood sugar and insulin levels.
I like the fact that one medium white potato has about 110 calories (not bad for a 100 calorie "snack") and NO fat of any kind: no saturated fat, no trans fat, no unsaturated fat. White potatoes are a good source of protein, low-fat carbohydrates, fiber, and various vitamins and minerals including high levels of Vitamin C, as well as a good amount of Potassium, and Vitamin B6. Go easy on the butter and choose low-fat sour cream if you must, but for heaven's sake, enjoy it!
So at the end of the day, eat a potato, it's fine.
Sources:
http://www.drmirkin.com/nutrition/sweet_potatoes_not_white.html
http://www.health.harvard.edu/newsweek/Glycemic_index_and_glycemic_load_for_100_foods.htm
http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products
Low Fat and So Good Even Your Kids Will Love 'Em Oatmeal Cookies
My kids wanted to make cookies today in the Easy Bake Oven, so I went online to the "Cook Yourself Thin" website for a recipe. I adapted the following Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies (I skipped the raisins and rum and saved at least 10 calories per cookie) and let the kids have at it. They only had the patience to cook two cookies in the easy bake oven (each cookie takes as long as a whole sheet in the oven) but we finished the rest in the traditional way. The result: Two high fives in taste, flavor and texture!! And I ate two because they are only 110 calories a piece with 1/3 of the fat of regular oatmeal cookies.
Makes about 40 (2 1/2-inch) cookies
Calories per cookie: 110
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup natural unsweetened applesauce
3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1 large egg white
1/4 cup milk
2 teaspoons pure almond extract (or vanilla as originally called for, but we love the fortune-cookie flavor almond extract adds)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups oats (not instant) I used quick oats.
1. Set the oven rack in the middle position. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or spray with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
2. Using a handheld or standing mixer, beat the butter, applesauce, brown sugar, granulated sugar and salt on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl halfway through. Beat in the egg and egg white, milk and amond or vanilla extract.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and cinnamon, add to the batter, and beat just until the flour is absorbed. Gently fold in the oats with a rubber scraper.
4. Use 2 spoons to scoop out the batter by rounded teaspoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets, 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake until the cookies are set but still soft in the centers and beginning to brown on the edges, 17 to 20 minutes.
5. Take out and leave on pan 1 minute to let set. The scrape off right away and let cool on a wire rack so they don't end up sticking to the pan.
Click on the book title to see the Cook Yourself Thin: Skinny Meals You Can Make in Minutes (Voice)
video or books Cook Yourself Thin Faster: Have Your Cake and Eat It Too with Over 75 New Recipes You Can Make in a Flash!
; " Cook Yourself Thin " : The Delicious Way to Drop a Dress Size
; Cook Yourself Thin Quick and Easy: Shift the Bulge and Still Indulge with Over 100 New Recipes
at Amazon.com or check them out at your library. The show recipes since December 2009 are online, but it's also nice, I think, to have a book you can thumb through on hand. Eat happy and healthy!
Resources: http://www.mylifetime.com/shows/cook-yourself-thin/recipes/chewy-oatmeal-raisin-cookies
Makes about 40 (2 1/2-inch) cookies
Calories per cookie: 110
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup natural unsweetened applesauce
3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1 large egg white
1/4 cup milk
2 teaspoons pure almond extract (or vanilla as originally called for, but we love the fortune-cookie flavor almond extract adds)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups oats (not instant) I used quick oats.
1. Set the oven rack in the middle position. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or spray with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
2. Using a handheld or standing mixer, beat the butter, applesauce, brown sugar, granulated sugar and salt on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl halfway through. Beat in the egg and egg white, milk and amond or vanilla extract.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and cinnamon, add to the batter, and beat just until the flour is absorbed. Gently fold in the oats with a rubber scraper.
4. Use 2 spoons to scoop out the batter by rounded teaspoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets, 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake until the cookies are set but still soft in the centers and beginning to brown on the edges, 17 to 20 minutes.
5. Take out and leave on pan 1 minute to let set. The scrape off right away and let cool on a wire rack so they don't end up sticking to the pan.
Click on the book title to see the Cook Yourself Thin: Skinny Meals You Can Make in Minutes (Voice)
video or books Cook Yourself Thin Faster: Have Your Cake and Eat It Too with Over 75 New Recipes You Can Make in a Flash!; " Cook Yourself Thin " : The Delicious Way to Drop a Dress Size; Cook Yourself Thin Quick and Easy: Shift the Bulge and Still Indulge with Over 100 New Recipesat Amazon.com or check them out at your library. The show recipes since December 2009 are online, but it's also nice, I think, to have a book you can thumb through on hand. Eat happy and healthy!
Resources: http://www.mylifetime.com/shows/cook-yourself-thin/recipes/chewy-oatmeal-raisin-cookies
Friday, May 14, 2010
Oh yeah - real food again!
I did it, or may be survived it. It got down to a matter of principles, finishing those last days of the Master Cleanse. I am glad I did it. I am stronger, more toned, and a total of 8 lbs. slimmer. But, I'll be honest: I don't think I could have gone one more day. It was nail-biting hard the last day. I finally tasted a bite of the too delicious chimichangas I made my family for dinner, before spitting it out after I got a good taste!
For weight loss: a thumbs up. Just don't go hog-wild the first day off. Today I broke my fast with some miso soup broth. Later I ate a quarter of a fresh mango. That's all my stomach could hold. It's more good practice for me I guess with self-control (in the past me and self-control did not pair well with food because, well, it just tastes so darn good!). I'm going to maintain with eating a varied, healthy diet of the calories it takes to maintain 116 lbs. or less on 6 days a week, while using my treadmill. The 7th day is always my "day off" and I don't work out that day and eat any old thing I want to. It's good for me and good for my body to give it a metabolic switch once a week so I don't get used to the same calories all the time and have my metabolism slow down.
As a cleanse: I am not sure. I really started seeing the effects the past couple of days with my skin getting all bumpy (toxins coming out) and getting very run-down feeling. Today, after 10 days of no solid food, and for the first time in a week, I actually had a bowel movement. I won't go into details :) It must be some old gunk finally getting the clean-out. So, maybe as a cleanse I would prefer to do the GNC brand, or other 7 day cleanse. On that, I had three days of feeling like I had the flu, then lots of energy, which makes me think it does the job faster. If I am only just now moving out the toxins on the Master Cleanse, I sure wouldn't want to go another 10 days! But, believe it or not - some people have done it for nearly a year!!
Since I still haven't reached my original weight goal, I decided that along with doing all the tricks I learned while losing 40 lbs. about two years ago, I am also going to incorporate the "Cabbage Diet" also known as the "Heart Disease Diet" into my daily eating. This goes right along with a macrobiotic or vegetarian diet. It is just variations on vegetable soup, with additional fruits, vegetables, and some dairy. You can read more about it in these books if you are interested: The New Cabbage Soup Diet
, The Cabbage Soup Diet (Original)
, The Ultimate Cabbage Soup Diet
. Most of the food is also actually "Negative Calorie" foods, which reportedly take as many calories as are in the food just to chew and digest them. You can read more about it here Foods That Cause You to Lose Weight:: The Negative Calorie Effect
. You can find a lot of the info by doing an online search, but supposedly the books also have more food listed, as well as more information about why it works (my guess is the fact you are eating 600 to 1000 calories a day except on the meat and dairy days.) I have tried to order them both from the library with no luck. So, got to buy them if you want them, but you should be able to click on the link I provided to Amazon.com and get a used copy.
Just so you know, I used the concepts from these plans, as well as about a gazillion tips I came up with by reading countless books and magazine articles to lose weight myself (40 lbs in about 9 months,) and if you want to know all of them, I wrote about it in my book, Effortless Weightloss: Small Changes That Lead To Extraordinary Results!
available at Amazon.com or my website http://www.karenrwinkelman.com/. Eat happy and healthy!
For weight loss: a thumbs up. Just don't go hog-wild the first day off. Today I broke my fast with some miso soup broth. Later I ate a quarter of a fresh mango. That's all my stomach could hold. It's more good practice for me I guess with self-control (in the past me and self-control did not pair well with food because, well, it just tastes so darn good!). I'm going to maintain with eating a varied, healthy diet of the calories it takes to maintain 116 lbs. or less on 6 days a week, while using my treadmill. The 7th day is always my "day off" and I don't work out that day and eat any old thing I want to. It's good for me and good for my body to give it a metabolic switch once a week so I don't get used to the same calories all the time and have my metabolism slow down.
As a cleanse: I am not sure. I really started seeing the effects the past couple of days with my skin getting all bumpy (toxins coming out) and getting very run-down feeling. Today, after 10 days of no solid food, and for the first time in a week, I actually had a bowel movement. I won't go into details :) It must be some old gunk finally getting the clean-out. So, maybe as a cleanse I would prefer to do the GNC brand, or other 7 day cleanse. On that, I had three days of feeling like I had the flu, then lots of energy, which makes me think it does the job faster. If I am only just now moving out the toxins on the Master Cleanse, I sure wouldn't want to go another 10 days! But, believe it or not - some people have done it for nearly a year!!
Since I still haven't reached my original weight goal, I decided that along with doing all the tricks I learned while losing 40 lbs. about two years ago, I am also going to incorporate the "Cabbage Diet" also known as the "Heart Disease Diet" into my daily eating. This goes right along with a macrobiotic or vegetarian diet. It is just variations on vegetable soup, with additional fruits, vegetables, and some dairy. You can read more about it in these books if you are interested: The New Cabbage Soup Diet
, The Cabbage Soup Diet (Original), The Ultimate Cabbage Soup Diet. Most of the food is also actually "Negative Calorie" foods, which reportedly take as many calories as are in the food just to chew and digest them. You can read more about it here Foods That Cause You to Lose Weight:: The Negative Calorie Effect. You can find a lot of the info by doing an online search, but supposedly the books also have more food listed, as well as more information about why it works (my guess is the fact you are eating 600 to 1000 calories a day except on the meat and dairy days.) I have tried to order them both from the library with no luck. So, got to buy them if you want them, but you should be able to click on the link I provided to Amazon.com and get a used copy.Just so you know, I used the concepts from these plans, as well as about a gazillion tips I came up with by reading countless books and magazine articles to lose weight myself (40 lbs in about 9 months,) and if you want to know all of them, I wrote about it in my book, Effortless Weightloss: Small Changes That Lead To Extraordinary Results!
available at Amazon.com or my website http://www.karenrwinkelman.com/. Eat happy and healthy!
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Update on Master Cleanse - 7 lbs down!
In the last post I told you I started the The Master Cleanse
. It has been one week and I usually weigh on Tuesdays, so yesterday I took a peek to see if in addition to getting rid of toxins and colon crud, if I lost weight. Now, I have also been using my treadmill 6 days a week, because I don't want to lose valuable muscle tone, and I did some simple exercises using light weights for my upper body. Well, I was pleasantly surprised to see I had lost 7 lbs! Sure enough, all my clothes are fitting again. Yea!
I still have one more day on the cleanse, but I can definitely recommend this as a great jump start to a new diet. Aside from detoxing and weight loss, the cleanse serves the purpose of getting my everyday "diet" back to healthy and clean. I've broken my sugar cravings, cleaned out my liver of toxins, including a glass of wine (or two) I enjoy on most evenings (no alcohol on the master cleanse, though, remember), and reminds me that food is for nutrition and sustenance primarily, and pleasure secondarily. After all, I have had nothing but the maple lemonade on the cleanse all week and still alive and feeling good - so all my cravings have just been psychological, not a physical need (I'm talking to stay alive not getting all the vitamins and minerals I need for long-term eating - just making a point here.) I like getting that in perspective once in a while because I can come up with some crazy good arguments for dashing to Patrick's Grill in Pierz for some of their soooooo delicious chicken wings in a heartbeat.
You know, living on nothing but the The Master Cleanse for ten days can test your discipline, but if you think about it, it also challenges any food addictions you have developed. I think this would be a good option for fasting and prayer, when not eating at all is more than you are ready for. I can tell you that it became a labor of love to plan delicious, and healthy, meals for the rest of my family, when I wasn't eating. But, I really enjoyed the way the food smelled so good, and I even seemed more creative (or maybe everything seemed better to me because I wasn't getting any of it!) I did freeze portions of the food that seemed the yummiest so I can have some next week!
End of story? If you can stick it out, it works. Sure I had days that stretched my will power (Mon and Tue) but I kept telling myself I can eat anything I want in the world, but just not TODAY. It's temporary. The hardest days were the ones my husband was home, but lucky for me he cooked dinner one day. He was really supportive of my plan and tried not to suggest anything tempting to me. At the end of the day, I had to decide to shove away temptation, (put it on a list of things you are going to eat next week) and push on, or give up and feel like a big, fat looooser. (That's just my self-talk - you can come up with your own.)
Now, I can't see inside my body to know the detox results, but for weight loss alone - worth it. Just make sure you drink plenty of water, so you're not only mainly water weight, and do some kind of load-bearing exercise (even walking is good as it strengthens and tones your whole body) so you do not lose valuable muscle instead of compacted colon gunk and fat.
. It has been one week and I usually weigh on Tuesdays, so yesterday I took a peek to see if in addition to getting rid of toxins and colon crud, if I lost weight. Now, I have also been using my treadmill 6 days a week, because I don't want to lose valuable muscle tone, and I did some simple exercises using light weights for my upper body. Well, I was pleasantly surprised to see I had lost 7 lbs! Sure enough, all my clothes are fitting again. Yea! I still have one more day on the cleanse, but I can definitely recommend this as a great jump start to a new diet. Aside from detoxing and weight loss, the cleanse serves the purpose of getting my everyday "diet" back to healthy and clean. I've broken my sugar cravings, cleaned out my liver of toxins, including a glass of wine (or two) I enjoy on most evenings (no alcohol on the master cleanse, though, remember), and reminds me that food is for nutrition and sustenance primarily, and pleasure secondarily. After all, I have had nothing but the maple lemonade on the cleanse all week and still alive and feeling good - so all my cravings have just been psychological, not a physical need (I'm talking to stay alive not getting all the vitamins and minerals I need for long-term eating - just making a point here.) I like getting that in perspective once in a while because I can come up with some crazy good arguments for dashing to Patrick's Grill in Pierz for some of their soooooo delicious chicken wings in a heartbeat.
You know, living on nothing but the The Master Cleanse
for ten days can test your discipline, but if you think about it, it also challenges any food addictions you have developed. I think this would be a good option for fasting and prayer, when not eating at all is more than you are ready for. I can tell you that it became a labor of love to plan delicious, and healthy, meals for the rest of my family, when I wasn't eating. But, I really enjoyed the way the food smelled so good, and I even seemed more creative (or maybe everything seemed better to me because I wasn't getting any of it!) I did freeze portions of the food that seemed the yummiest so I can have some next week!End of story? If you can stick it out, it works. Sure I had days that stretched my will power (Mon and Tue) but I kept telling myself I can eat anything I want in the world, but just not TODAY. It's temporary. The hardest days were the ones my husband was home, but lucky for me he cooked dinner one day. He was really supportive of my plan and tried not to suggest anything tempting to me. At the end of the day, I had to decide to shove away temptation, (put it on a list of things you are going to eat next week) and push on, or give up and feel like a big, fat looooser. (That's just my self-talk - you can come up with your own.)
Now, I can't see inside my body to know the detox results, but for weight loss alone - worth it. Just make sure you drink plenty of water, so you're not only mainly water weight, and do some kind of load-bearing exercise (even walking is good as it strengthens and tones your whole body) so you do not lose valuable muscle instead of compacted colon gunk and fat.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Using a Cleanse to Get Rid of Bloat and Jump-Start Weight Loss
If your weight loss has stalled, or you are just getting started, you may want to do a cleanse. A cleanse is intended to do just that, clean the sludge and toxins from your digestive tract. If you notice that no matter how many sit-ups you do, your lower belly pooches out more than usual (this disclaimer for those of us who have had children but not a well-deserved tummy-tuck), you might be bloated from a full colon, and can benefit from a cleanse.
There is no end to the cleanse and detox products on the market, and no limit, it seems, on what some companies will charge for their product. You can start with something as simple as a senna tea (a natural laxative), or invest a little more in a complete program of herbs and vitamins purchased in a kit, like the one I used from GNC a few months ago. I like Yogi brand Yogi Tea Get Regular 16 Bags
because in addition to senna, it also has lots of beneficial herbs like burdock and dandelion to facilitate the elimination of impurities, and Indian sarsaparilla and juniper berry to promote healthy kidney and liver function. A package of 16 bags costs less than $5 and I like that as well.
A relatively inexpensive cleanse is one you can make at home, "Master Cleanse." It has been also called the Lemonade Diet because you can lose quite a bit of weight, but it's first use is as a cleanse and detoxing agent. The basic ingredients are simple and easy to find: lemons (organic preferred), organic grade B real Maple Syrup, cayenne pepper powder, and purified water. I love the taste, but if you do not like real maple syrup, you may want to choose a cleansing kit that involves capsules or teas. For ten days, you drink 6-12 cleansing drinks over the course of the day. Each drink consists of 10 oz. purified water, the juice of half of a lemon, and a tenth of a tsp. cayenne. I add a dash of cinnamon to help slow the processing of the sugar in the maple syrup, but this is not a part of the original recipe. I also add fiber to scrape down the walls of my G.I. tract and help carry away toxins and fat. I just started my own cleanse and I am also using my treadmill for one hour a day (can be broken up into smaller chunks.) I will let you know how it all turns out.
I don't eat anything else over the course of the ten days, as advised in the original method created in 1941, The Master Cleanse, by Stanley Burroughs although the follow-up book by Peter Glickman, Lose Weight, Have More Energy & Be Happier in 10 Days, Second Edition
, also has suggestions to use features of the cleanse in your daily diet to keep the weight off past the initial phase. Many people lose up to twenty pounds within the ten days (the more overweight you are, the more weight you will lose) - a side benefit!
The first few days of a cleanse you may feel sick and tired, as the toxins are released, but drink loads of water and this will pass. The next phase is incredible energy, gorgeous skin, and a sense of being "clean," truly! Stick it out. Any questions? Check with your doctor or nutritionist, I'm not one. Be well!
There is no end to the cleanse and detox products on the market, and no limit, it seems, on what some companies will charge for their product. You can start with something as simple as a senna tea (a natural laxative), or invest a little more in a complete program of herbs and vitamins purchased in a kit, like the one I used from GNC a few months ago. I like Yogi brand Yogi Tea Get Regular 16 Bags
because in addition to senna, it also has lots of beneficial herbs like burdock and dandelion to facilitate the elimination of impurities, and Indian sarsaparilla and juniper berry to promote healthy kidney and liver function. A package of 16 bags costs less than $5 and I like that as well.A relatively inexpensive cleanse is one you can make at home, "Master Cleanse." It has been also called the Lemonade Diet because you can lose quite a bit of weight, but it's first use is as a cleanse and detoxing agent. The basic ingredients are simple and easy to find: lemons (organic preferred), organic grade B real Maple Syrup, cayenne pepper powder, and purified water. I love the taste, but if you do not like real maple syrup, you may want to choose a cleansing kit that involves capsules or teas. For ten days, you drink 6-12 cleansing drinks over the course of the day. Each drink consists of 10 oz. purified water, the juice of half of a lemon, and a tenth of a tsp. cayenne. I add a dash of cinnamon to help slow the processing of the sugar in the maple syrup, but this is not a part of the original recipe. I also add fiber to scrape down the walls of my G.I. tract and help carry away toxins and fat. I just started my own cleanse and I am also using my treadmill for one hour a day (can be broken up into smaller chunks.) I will let you know how it all turns out.
I don't eat anything else over the course of the ten days, as advised in the original method created in 1941, The Master Cleanse
, by Stanley Burroughs although the follow-up book by Peter Glickman, Lose Weight, Have More Energy & Be Happier in 10 Days, Second Edition, also has suggestions to use features of the cleanse in your daily diet to keep the weight off past the initial phase. Many people lose up to twenty pounds within the ten days (the more overweight you are, the more weight you will lose) - a side benefit! The first few days of a cleanse you may feel sick and tired, as the toxins are released, but drink loads of water and this will pass. The next phase is incredible energy, gorgeous skin, and a sense of being "clean," truly! Stick it out. Any questions? Check with your doctor or nutritionist, I'm not one. Be well!
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