Showing posts with label about. Show all posts
Showing posts with label about. Show all posts
Friday, March 13, 2015
Summer Means Grilled Vegetable Salads and Things Im Thinking About on Tuesday 6 17 2014
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| Whole Wheat Orzo and Grilled Vegetable Salad with Feta, Olives, and Herbs |
Even though the official first day of summer is a few days away, lately I've been thinking of those things I love to cook in the summer but never make any other time of year, and grilled vegetables that get turned into salad are at the top of that list. I love grilled vegetable salads, and there are a couple on the blog that are my all time favorites, starting with the Whole Wheat Orzo and Grilled Vegetable Salad with Feta, Olives, and Herbs shown above. I could eat this all summer long! Two more grilled summer salads I'm equally crazy over are Grilled Sweet Potato Salad with Basil, Thyme, and Feta and Grilled Zucchini Greek Salad. Did you notice the common ingredient in these three favorite grilled salads? Yes, I do love Feta cheese and recently my favorite Feta cheese showed up again at Costco after I hadn't been able to find it for a couple of years. It doesn't take much to make me happy; finding that Feta at Costco again totally made my day, and the summer has gotten off to a good start.
Now, here are a few more things I've been thinking about . . .
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Things Im thinking About on Tuesday 12 24 2013
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| Photo of Christmas Balls from All Things Christmas. |
It's Christmas Eve, and I'm spending a few days celebrating Christmas with my sister's family including some very cute kids. This may be a short edition of Things I'm Thinking About, but I do want to share a few Christmas things I spotted on the web, and of course I want to send out wishes for a happy holiday season to my wonderful readers. My life is enriched so much by the nice messages I get almost daily from people who are enjoying the healthy food. Happy Holidays everyone and thanks for your support of my blog! And no matter how you're celebrating this magical the season, I hope you'll be able to spend time with those you love, hopefully enjoying some good holiday food.
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Chard and Garlic Scape Pesto and Things Im Thinking About on Tuesday 5 6 14
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| Spring has sprung, and I'm rushing the season and thinking about Garlic Scape and Chard Pesto. |
It's feeling a lot like Spring at my house, and even though I already complained about it once, can I say one more time that I'm feeling pretty serious garden withdrawals? At my old house I would probably have volunteer chard coming up in the garden by now, and one of my favorite things to make in the spring is Garlic Scape and Chard Pesto like you see in the photos above. If you like garlic, but don't know what Garlic Scapes are, use that link to go and read about them. Then hit up your local organic grocer or farmer's market and make some of this amazing pesto right away!
Don't get me wrong, I love my new house, and I feel more than blessed to have a house that's big enough that my enormous family can come here for a party. But I'm also optimistically making plans for a bit more gardening on-the-fly this year (until I can build a real greenhouse, hopefully this fall.) Tonight I told my neighbor across the street how I was just going to slip a few tomato plants in among the flowers in a sunny but sheltered spot by my garage. "The deer will eat them," she said, without even thinking twice. I guess we're going to find out whether deer like tomatoes, mint, and basil, because those are the three plants I've decided I have to at least try growing outside this year.
Now on to a few more things I'm thinking about . . .
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Thursday, March 12, 2015
Learning Food Photography with White on Rice Couple and Things Im Thinking About on Tuesday 10 14 2014
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| Todd and Diane's huge collection of cutting boards, captured by iPhone! |
If you follow me on Instagram or Twitter you might have noticed that a few weekends ago I was enthusiastically sharing about a food photography workshop hosted by my good friends and amazing photographers, Todd Porter and Diane Cu of White on Rice Couple. I've heard Todd and Diane talk about food photography at several blogging conferences, so I knew the workshop held in their fabulous food photography studio outside Los Angeles would be informative, but I never imagined how life-changing it would end up being for me. Two days of listening to the experts, watching demonstrations, and practicing new shooting methods really got me thinking outside the box on my personal food photography journey.
Plus Todd and Diane had visited my house on the tour for their gorgeous cookbook, so they could help me with one of my biggest photography challenges, which is too many big windows in the rooms where I normally shoot. When I got home, I bought black foam core boards and clamps the very next day! A few food bloggers have been asking me about the workshop, so I thought I'd share some highlights and a few of my photos.
Plus Todd and Diane had visited my house on the tour for their gorgeous cookbook, so they could help me with one of my biggest photography challenges, which is too many big windows in the rooms where I normally shoot. When I got home, I bought black foam core boards and clamps the very next day! A few food bloggers have been asking me about the workshop, so I thought I'd share some highlights and a few of my photos.
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Wednesday, March 11, 2015
Summer Means Tomato Salad with Goat Cheese and Things Im Thinking About on Tuesday 8 19 14
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| For years I've loved this Summer Tomato Salad with Goat Cheese, Basil Vinaigrette, and Fresh Herbs. |
It's tomato salad and tomato sandwich season, and even though my new town has a weekly farmers market where I've been stocking up on tomatoes, cucumbers, and zucchini, I can't get over how much I'm missing my garden. I love all the summer veggies, but tomatoes are the summer treat I wait for every year, and my favorite way to eat them is this Summer Tomato Salad with Goat Cheese, Basil Vinaigrette, and Fresh Herbs. I've probably been making this salad for at least 20 years and I never get tired of it. (The other two tomato salads I make over and over are Middle Eastern Tomato Salad and Tomato, Olive, and Fresh Mozzarella Salad with Basil Vinaigrette.) I'm savoring summer for at least another month here before I'm willing to even think about fall, so a lot more tomato salads are going to be on the menu!
And I'm seriously investigating the idea of a greenhouse so I can grow things away from the deer and other critters for next year. If anyone has greenhouse suggestions, I am all ears!
And I'm seriously investigating the idea of a greenhouse so I can grow things away from the deer and other critters for next year. If anyone has greenhouse suggestions, I am all ears!
Now here are a few more things I've been thinking about . . .
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Monday, March 9, 2015
Getting SMART about New Years Resolutions
The New Year is just 7 days old and already resolutions are being broken. So what can you do to help keep your resolutions on track? Don’t make a resolution, make a SMART goal. SMART is an acronym that stands for specific, measurable, achievable, realistic/relevant and time-bound. Some of the most popular New Year’s resolutions are “getting fit” or “losing weight”, but these resolutions are nothing more than great ideas if you don’t have a plan in place to help you achieve your goals.
Read more »
Before we even get to the goal setting, grab a pen and some paper and write it down. Writing down your goals will accomplish a few of things. First, it will make your goal more real. Better yet, write down your goal and hang it somewhere so you see it every day to reinforce your motivation to change. Second, writing down your goal and the steps you’re going to take to get there will make it a less overwhelming and less frustrating process. Finally, have a plan laid out and accomplishing one thing at a time will help you stay focused, keep you on track and make you more successful.
Be specific
The most common mistake people make is using broad statements as goals. Phrases like “I want to lose weight” or “I want to get healthier” don’t tell us anything about what you are going to do lose weight or get healthy. You are more likely to achieve your goal if they are well-defined and focused.
Make it measurable
Setting a goal with no measurable outcome is like a football game with no one keeping score. You don’t know what the outcome of the game is because there was no way to measure it. The same is true for goal setting; if you don’t have a measurable outcome you are less likely to be successful. So play the numbers game. Attaching numbers to you goal gives you a concrete way to track your progress.
Is it Attainable?
Far too often people set goals beyond their reach by asking and expecting too much of themselves. No goal is attainable without a schedule or the steps in place that you are planning to take. So how are you going to achieve you goal? Maybe you are going to walk during lunch twice a week or maybe instead of your typical afternoon snack of a large peppermint mocha with extra whip you’re going to swap it out for apple slices with 1 tablespoon of peanut and a glass of water. Whatever steps you are going to take write them down as part of your schedule. You are more likely to go for that walk if you have carved time out of your day to do.
Is it Realistic?
Some examples of unrealistic goals include losing 10 pounds in a week and becoming a vegan overnight. If you set goals like this you are setting yourself up to fail. This can also be a good time to look at your short-term and long-term goals. If your long-term goal is to become a vegan than start by examining why you want to make that lifestyle change and educating yourself on what the vegan diet entails. Being honest with yourself if important too. If you know that you will never give up cheese perhaps veganism isn’t for you.
Time-Bound
This goes back to the numbers game. Give yourself a time-frame for achieving not only your overall goal but each step along the way. It is important to be specific and realistic about the time it is going to take you to achieve your goals.
So what exactly does a SMART goal look like? Let’s take a look at a resolution vs. a SMART goal.
SMART goal: I am going to lose 25 pounds with a goal of losing 1-2 pounds per week for the next 6 months by walking for 40 minutes at lunch on Tuesdays and Thursdasy and eating fruits and vegetables for my afternoon and evening snacks.
See the difference? You could probably even go a step further and specify what types of fruits and vegetables you plan to eat as a snack. A few words of advice:
Don’t get upset by setbacks – change is a process and you are only human. The best thing you can do is try to figure out why you slipped up what you can do to stop it from happening again. Be POSTIVE, even in the face of setbacks.
Be flexible – if you are finding that a part of your plan isn’t working that ok! This is a process of trial and error. Making tweaks to your plan is important because it makes it a more doable plan for you.
Get someone else involved – Many people find that it is hard to make big changes alone. It is totally ok if you need help. The important part is that you ask for it. Find a running buddy to help motivate you to reach your fitness goals or enlist the help of a professional, like a registered dietitian to achieve your nutrition goals. Getting help and creating a support system is a great way to help you be more successful.
References
Eisenstadt, Lisa. (2011). 6 ways to actually keep your new year’s resolution. Forbes Magazine. Available from http://www.forbes.com/sites/dailymuse/2011/12/30/6-ways-to-actually-keep-your-new-years-resolution/2/
Geithner, C., Albert, J., & Vincent, J. (2007). Personal balance: Its importance and how to achieve it. ACSMS Health and Fitness Journal, 11(1), 7-14.
Guest blogger: Chelsea Rambo, USD Dietetic Intern
Thursday, March 5, 2015
Paula Deens Interview In Prevention Magazine The Misinformation About Type 2 Diabetes Continues
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| Paula Deens Interview in May 2012 Prevention Magazine. Follow Foods For Long Life on FACEBOOK ! |
Prevention Magazine
I like reading health magazines. Rarely do I agree with everything thats printed in any one particular magazine but if you read enough of them youll gain little bits and pieces of information on health, recipe ideas, exercise and new products. Prevention is an interesting magazine that Ive read off and on over the years. Its on the "health light" side of the spectrum and contains way too many drug advertisements but I always learn something new from each issue and it occasionally inspires me to write about a topic. This month they interviewed Paula Deen whose media empire was created by popularizing fat and sugar ladened Southern recipes and who "shockingly" announced having type 2 diabetes .
Ive been biting my tongue on the whole Paula Deen situation for some time now. Really, is there much to be said about it? A person consuming a cup of sugar a day in her "sweet tea" and promoting a diet of overly rich food getting type 2 diabetes is as shocking as the Marlboro man dying of lung cancer. But after reading her interview and knowing what influence she has on so many people, I feel inclined to comment.
Background
Paula Deen is a famous Southern cook. Her media empire includes 2 cooking shows, a cooking magazine and 14 cookbooks. She also has a restaurant in Savannah, Georgia. So needless to say, she has great influence over the diets of millions of people. Her cookbooks have collectively sold over 10 million copies!
A while back she was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes but didnt disclose it for 3 years. During this time she continued making millions promoting rich, unhealthy food to a nation already suffering from obesity. While personally dealing with this health issue and also trying to develop a roll out strategy that wouldnt jeopardize her successful business, she worked out a lucrative endorsement deal with Novo Nordisk to recommend their diabetes drug Victoza.
Needless to say, this created a public relations nightmare for Ms. Deen and this extensive interview with Prevention Magazine is an attempt to smooth things over.
The Interview
From a public relations standpoint, I think it was well done. It was very human and most people struggling with weight and food control issues will definitely be sympathetic and relate to her story and her actions. But because she is a person with such strong influence on others, I take issue with her now selling her tainted view of diabetes. In particular, Ms. Deen feels that diabetes "is not something we chose." She made a point of sharing that she feels no blame for this and wants the 25 million other people out there with diabetes not to blame themselves either. She also said "We have been trained to think that diabetes is caused by your diet, and its just not true. There have been no studies that have proven that one certain food causes diabetes." She certainly doesnt deny that lifestyle is part of the puzzle, but she doesnt stress how critical diet is in turning around this horrible disease.
Her Approach
She stopped drinking sweet tea which amounted to 1 cup of sugar per day.
She eats somewhat better (less processed carbs and smaller portions) but she continues to eat "the real stuff" but in smaller portions.
Walking has become part of her daily routine.
She takes 3 drugs: Victoza, metformin and Actos.
The Truth about Type 2 Diabetes
Thankfully in the same issue of Prevention Magazine Joy Manning wrote an article, "The Food Cure", about the ability to treat and reverse type 2 diabetes with food and exercise. Her take is that diabetes is preventable even if it runs in your family. Its also curable with diet and exercise. She gave an example of a 49 year old, 245 pound type 2 diabetic who lost 55 pounds on a low-fat, plant-based diet and an exercise regimen. Within 6 months the persons blood sugar was restored to a normal range and she reversed her diabetes without ever taking a single drug.
Some other interesting "food facts" in the article are:
* 1 1/3 servings of leafy greens can cut your risk of diabetes by 14%.
* Eating lots of beans and soy reduces the risk by almost half.
* Drinking sugary beverages can increase the risk by 26%. Cutting them out of your diet can improve blood sugar in a few days.
* Eating bacon can increase your risk of diabetes by a whopping 50%.
My Opinion
I strongly believe that our bodies have the amazing ability to prevent and reverse most diseases when given the right environment. That includes healthy foods, clean water, clean fresh air, exercise, and other factors like minimizing stress and having a positive attitude. Of all diseases, type 2 diabetes is perhaps the most preventable and reversible with diet and exercise. Ms. Deens half-hearted approach of eating a bit better and taking 3 different drugs is not my idea of "giving people hope", which was the goal of her interview.
Her comment about continuing to eat the "real stuff" but in smaller portions projects the wrong message. It creates a vision of someone choking down fruits, vegetables, beans and whole grains and leaving room for the coconut cake. I work diligently each day creating delicious and healthy recipes so that you and I can eat well, stay healthy and not feel deprived. HEALTHY RECIPES ARE THE REAL STUFF!!
Here are some dietary guidelines for those trying to prevent or reverse diabetes without drugs:
* Your meals should be composed of mostly vegetables (about 1/2 your plate) - non starchy ones like greens, cauliflower, broccoli, zucchini, etc. Include raw veggies whenever possible.
* Eat some protein at every meal in the form of beans or tofu, an occasional pasture-raised egg, high omega-3 wild caught fish or lean poultry. Beans are the best form of protein because they are high in fiber which helps control blood sugar levels. Hemp seeds are an excellent protein source and contain omega-3 fatty acid.
* Enjoy some complex carbohydrates such as brown rice, oatmeal, popcorn and other whole grains.
* Include "good" monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats such raw nuts, flax, chia, hemp and other seeds, avocados and olives.
* Include whole fruits such as apples, berries, pears, peaches, etc.
Avoid the following:
* Saturated fats from high-fat dairy and animal products especially ice cream, cheese, hot-dogs, bacon, hamburgers and sausage. All foods that contain trans fats.
* Sugary drinks such as soda, juices and "sweet tea".
* Highly processed "white" foods such as white bread, rice, pasta and sugar.
* Foods high in sodium.
Heres a Sample Menu!
Breakfast
1/2 grapefruit
Fresh Cranberry Pear Oatmeal with Pecans
or plain oatmeal with chopped apples and walnuts.
Cup or two green tea
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| Oatmeal contains beneficial fiber that controls blood sugar levels. |
Lunch
Eggless Egg Salad Sandwich with lettuce, sprouts
and sliced tomatoes on Whole Grain Bread
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| Always select whole grain bread for your sandwiches. |
Dinner
Green Salad with lemon and extra virgin olive oil
Barley Mushroom Stew
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| Barley is a wonderful grain that is also high in fiber. |
Dessert
Vanilla Chia Seed Pudding with Hemp Milk and Blueberries
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| Chia pudding is packed with omega-3 fatty acids. Blueberries are one of the highest foods on the antioxidant scale! |
Snack
3 cups air-popped popcorn with nutritional yeast
Real Hope
There is hope for diabetics but not the kind of hope that Paula Deen is trying to sell. She hopes she can continue to convince people that her recipes arent going to kill you. And that you can eat them in moderation along with a handful of pills and live a long and healthy life. That is simply not true.
Diabetes is a serious disease and to cure it takes some serious commitment . The complications include neuropathy, cataracts, skin infections, heart disease, hypertension, depression, hearing loss, gum disease, nerve damage, kidney disease, stroke and more. But there is hope - REAL hope!
With a change of diet, which can be painless with the many recipes I supply on this blog, diabetics can turn their lives around. Once a person eats better and loses some weight, they will feel better and have the energy to exercise. Continuing to eat the unhealthy foods that lead to diabetes, no matter what portion you eat, is not a good idea while you are trying to make this change. These are trigger foods and controlling portions will be quite difficult. So its best to cut them out completely until blood sugar levels are back to normal and you feel secure in your new eating regimen.
Eat as if your life depends on it because it does!
There is hope for diabetics but not the kind of hope that Paula Deen is trying to sell. She hopes she can continue to convince people that her recipes arent going to kill you. And that you can eat them in moderation along with a handful of pills and live a long and healthy life. That is simply not true.
Diabetes is a serious disease and to cure it takes some serious commitment . The complications include neuropathy, cataracts, skin infections, heart disease, hypertension, depression, hearing loss, gum disease, nerve damage, kidney disease, stroke and more. But there is hope - REAL hope!
With a change of diet, which can be painless with the many recipes I supply on this blog, diabetics can turn their lives around. Once a person eats better and loses some weight, they will feel better and have the energy to exercise. Continuing to eat the unhealthy foods that lead to diabetes, no matter what portion you eat, is not a good idea while you are trying to make this change. These are trigger foods and controlling portions will be quite difficult. So its best to cut them out completely until blood sugar levels are back to normal and you feel secure in your new eating regimen.
Eat as if your life depends on it because it does!
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