Healthy Buffalo Chicen Dip

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbtkfBIGEPU

The Most Important One To Love

There are so many kinds of love: puppy love, childlike love, friendship love, family love, passionate love and the heart-warming, butterfly-inspiring, never-ending, lifelong partner kind of love we all look for and hopefully experience and enjoy.

There is nothing more loving than showing someone how much you care through your actions. Saying "I love you" is one thing, but when we really treasure someone, we want that person to see and experience our love, not just hear us say it.

If you love your children, you treat them well, nurture them, help them, stand by them, hug and kiss them and promise to do so forever.

If you love your sister/brother, you have fun with them, spend time with them, giggle with them, share secrets with them and promise to do so forever.

If you love your spouse, you speak kindly to them, honor them, are truthful to them, share your dreams with them and dedicate your time together to living life to the fullest.

But what about the kind of love we have for ourselves?  

If your actions to others is the best measure of how much you love them, shouldn't that be how you measure the love and respect you have for your body, your mind and your spirit? So step back and take a measure: How much do you love you?

How do you treat yourself? How do you nurture your mind and body? How do you support your choices? How do you honor your spirit? How truthful are you? How well do you treat yourself?

The most important relationship we have is the one we forget about. The most important person to nurture, support, respect, honor, care for, be kind to, be dedicated to, LOVE...is you.

Too often, though, we chose to fill our bodies with non-nurturing foods that make us feel disgusting and embarrassed. We find excuses to skip the supportive workout that would give strength to our body and spirit and avertingly look away from the mirror because guilt and disrespect fill our eyes. We retaliate against this continual behavior with the most internal and cutting kind of mental damage we can create and pretend it isn't happening. We have secrets we think no one can see. We show ourselves the most abusive kind of love there is.

If your actions depict how you really feel, begin the change today. Show the person that means most – the person that you will be with forever and the person who ultimately effects every other relationship you have and the way you share your love with them – that you care enough to love YOU.

Super Bowl XLV Black Eyed Pea Dip

Super Bowl parties are known for their dips, chips and beer:) I'm not saying I expect you to ditch EVERYTHING fun and eat (for example) raw broccoli while your friends and family are indulging. What I am saying is that even at times like these you that you can find a middle ground. It does not have to be all or nothing. If you eat a chip you don't have to eat the whole bowl...and the pizza...and the brownies...and have a 12 pack of beer.  You can practice moderation. You CAN have a few healthy options available, load up on those and ALSO have some fun.

Try the dip below with some crackers and veggies and maybe you'll be more inclined to skip the tortilla chips and nacho cheese:)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZbhLi_7d6I&feature=autofb

AND BY THE WAY...Go Packers!!!!!!!!!!!

Football Fare Gone Healthy

Most of us will be watching some pretty exciting football games over the next few weekends. I will admit, that being from Wisconsin, I am a little more excited than some of you may be...GO PACK!  Regardless, if you're going to huddle around the TV with food galore, you may as well be making some good choices. Here are a few ideas/tips/tricks/recipes to make your Sunday its best!

* The biggest tip I can give you is to focus on what you CAN control and deal properly with the rest.

* If you're going to a party, offer to bring something. That way, at least you'll be in control of (and very comfortable eating) one of the dishes.

* If you're throwing the party, be specific with what you want your friends to bring. Maybe you make the dips and they bring the crackers and veggies. That way, you can be in control of what goes into the dips.  Or, you make the meats and request they make specific side dishes.  

* Consider a taco bar! With the right lean meats (ground round/extra lean ground turkey/ground chicken or even ground venison) and healthful toppings (nonfat Greek yogurt, tomatoes, salsa, lettuce, avocado, beans and maybe a little cheese), you're going be able to enjoy eating and have fun.

* Think about whether is it worth the calories, and then decide if you're going to drink alcohol.

* Weigh your options and look at how balanced your week was and determine if you want to cheat or not.

Dip suggestions

* Combine nonfat Greek yogurt with dry ranch seasoning. Eat with veggies or whole grain crackers.

* Consider making the guacamole recipe on the blog.

* Blend nonfat cottage cheese with a dip mix that you have. Enjoy with crackers or veggies.

Other thoughts

* Make buffalo chicken: Marinade chicken tenders with Louisiana hot sauce, serve with your ranch-yogurt dip.

* Make meatballs: Combine lean ground meat with onion soup mix, steak sauce, worcestershire sauce and soy sauce, form into meatballs, brown on the stovetop, add marinara sauce and simmer until ready to eat.

Use these suggestions, your own judgement, really look at your goals and how you're going to get there and weigh your options before going into this Sunday's get-togethers. What do you really want? The cause of your dilemma isn't the game, the company or the food...it is the opportunity. So, is your decision going to be a greasy burger and nachos or to feel GREAT on Monday morning?

In the end, isn't that what it always comes down to? Choice....

Sex Up Your Appetizers

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfJw340Jf-U

Comfy Pants...

How many times have you gotten home after a long day, put on your comfy pants, let out a sigh and thought, "That's better?"

Are your weekends full of comfy pants? Are your evenings all about comfy pants? Do you long for your comfy pants most of your waking hours?

Why aren't all your pants "comfy" pants? Why don't you feel so good in your jeans that they would be classified as comfy? Why do your work pants dig into your tummy when you sit down in a not-so-comfy kind of way? What choices can you make so all of your pants become more comfy?

Let's chat about just a few:

• Eat a low-fat, high-protein, fibrous carbohydrate breakfast when you get up tomorrow morning.
• Pack at least one snack (a bit of protein and a bit of carbohydrates), such as a 1/2 cup of low-fat cottage cheese and a handful of whole wheat crackers...maybe even 2 snacks.
• Bring your own lunch from home! Either leftovers from last night or a beautiful sandwich of whole wheat bread, organic lunch meat and maybe some mustard.
• Get your workout in!  Strength training is #1 and just 10 minutes of cardio can boost your mood!
• Make your own dinner of foods that are as natural as possible, have low sodium, lean protein, smart carbohydrates and always include fresh or steamed vegetables.
• Finally...DON'T put on your comfy pants--especially for an entire day on the weekend!

Don't lose focus. Keep those jeans/dress pants/skirt/whatever on until after you've eaten for the day, so you remember how much further you have to go before ALL your pants are just as comfy as the next!

A Real Secret

Yesterday's blog made me think about something...secrets. Let's chat.

The definition of the word "secret" is as follows:

• not open or public; kept private or not revealed 
• not expressed
• hidden 
• confidential 

That means that if I had eaten something "naughty" yesterday and not told you guys, it would have been a secret. The only people who would have known (since no one was home) would have been me and me. The moment I shared the information with someone, it wouldn't have been a secret anymore.... And let me tell you, if I had done that, I wouldn't have told ANYONE...it would have been a REAL secret...or would it have been?

You see, I think the guilt, anger, disappointment, sadness - OK, let's be honest - the truth would have been all over my face. I would have tried my best to believe it wasn't, but I think it would have been pretty obvious.  

Food is something we lie about all the time. We keep these secrets, thinking no one knows, and lie, thinking everyone believes us when the TRUTH is all over our faces.

We bring pants into the dressing room in a size too small and walk out saying, "I just didn't like them."

We go to weekly weigh-ins and say we followed our "plans," only to weigh in at the same weight (or more) and swear we don't know what happened.

 

We smile and say, "I'll pass," when chips, brownies or cake are offered, but then, in the comfort of our own homes, when no one is looking, we create these secrets - which slowly become continual, enabling, sickening, uncontrollable lies.

Instead of lying to ourselves, we need to look in the mirror and deal with what we see. We need to make one of two decisions. We can choose to live in our current lives without complaints, OR we can choose to put forth the honest effort necessary to make changes. The one choice we do not have is to lie behind closed doors...because sweetie, the truth is all over your face!

Just (Don't) Do It!

Its funny how a craving or impulsive moment can ruin your day...if you follow through on it, that is.  I'm sitting here, working on my computer, and suddenly, all I want to do is eat something bad.  It's weird.  I have no idea where it came from. I'm not hungry. I'm not bored. I'm not stressed, angry, sad, mad, overly glad, lonely, or any of the other things commonly associated with random, unnecessary eating.  I'm just fine.  

So, I thought about it.  No one is home.  I could eat whatever I wanted and no one would know but me.  I could pull out some Christmas cookies or Halloween candy (yes, we still have a ton). I could have chips. I could look through the freezer... There are heaps of things I could indulge in right now, without anyone around.

Then I thought a little more.  Why would I want to do that?  Right now, I feel great.  I've had two-and-a-half days (I cheat on the weekends) of perfect eating and wonderful workouts and now, just because I "think" I want X, I'm going to ruin this momentum...this pattern...this entire day???  Really?  For what?  The most temporary euphoria there is (for the most part).  I'm going to knowingly eat something that will taste fantastic in my mouth only to realize the second I swallow that it wasn't worth it and then go on with the rest of my night pissed off at myself...and actually, the rest of the world.  All for that one moment of flavor? 

Well, today I decided that I just wasn't going to do it...and I feel so much stronger (and happier) because of it.  

What are you going to do?

Marinades by: YOU!

There's nothing like throwing a nicely marinated steak, chicken breast or shrimp skewer on the grill.  You're guaranteed more flavor and typically more tenderness than a plain piece of meat because of the make-up of the mixture.  Acid from common marinade components like citrus, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, teriyaki or vinegar break down the meat fibers making the meat more flavorful and tender.

It's easy to go to the grocery store and purchase a pre-mixed marinade but if you take a moment to look at the label, the added sodium and preservatives may surprise you.  Why not whip one up on your own and enjoy the natural flavors and ingredients you add to your meat, poultry or seafood!

Try the following suggestions (as overnight marinades) and watch for a great video on marinades later this week!

Seafood
Combine 1-2 c. vegetable broth, the juice of a lemon and a lime,  1 T. onion powder and 1 T. fresh ground ginger.

Steak
Combine 1-2 c beef broth, 1/4 c Worcestershire sauce, 2 T steak sauce, a few shakes of tabasco sauce and 2 cloves of presses garlic.

Chicken
Combine 1/4 c balsamic vinegar, the juice of 2 oranges, 1 clove of pressed garlic and 1 finely chopped shallot.

Keep in mind that if you're cooking the meat over your stove you can pour the marinade into your pan and cook with it too!

Shrimp Guacamole

Here's the recipe.

1 lb cooked shrimp
3 avocados
2 limes
1/2 c. nonfat Greek yogurt
1 T. garlic paste
1 T. lemongrass herb blend
Salt and pepper
1 c. diced tomatoes
1 1/2 c. corn
1/2 c. chopped leeks
1 diced chipotle pepper, seeds removed
2 T adobo sauce
2-3 T. chopped cilantro

Cream avocados, yogurt, juice of 2 limes, garlic paste, lemongrass blend, salt and pepper in large mixing bowl.
Add tomatoes, corn, leeks, chipotle pepper, dobo sauce and cilantro and stir together.
Dice shrimp into small pieces and fold into avocado mixture.
Enjoy with some great, hearty crackers!

This recipe along with photo and nutrition information will appear in my cookbook due out this Spring!

Rock Your Avocado Video!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HkX6agjHU8

Video is coming. This is way harder that I thought!

Book Article!

http://www.postcrescent.com/article/20101216/APC0904/101216106/Greenville-woman-publishes-healthy-eating-cookbook

It Only Takes a Day

Today was great.  I did exactly what I was supposed to do and I feel awesome!  Yet, I find it so strange, even though I knew that was all I had to do.  Just one day and I'm different...stronger...thinner...more confident...one day of following the rules and everything changed.

Here is my day at a glance:

• Woke up:)
• Drank my protein coffee, with one slice of whole wheat toast, my multivitamin, my Mangosteen juice (I'm hooked) and out the door I went.
• Had my pre-workout nitric oxide drink and KILLED a shoulder/leg workout with my fab husband.
• Had my post-workout meal.  Today it was cottage cheese and whole grain crackers.
• Had lunch...turkey breast with black beans, onions, green peppers (a few other things) and some Greek yogurt. (the recipe is in the next cookbook...Tex Mex Turkey Soup).
• Wrote, cooked and photographed 4 new recipes for the book while I enjoyed some Christmas music.
• Now, my children are about to burst through the door and we're having grilled chicken, wild rice and vegetables for dinner.

So after one picture perfect, clockwork kind of day and I'm convinced that I'm a new person.  Really, you may ask?!?  Well, that's how I feel and I think, initially, its all about how we feel?

I can't tell you how many times someone looking to change their life (weight loss goals, fitness goals, health goals, relationship goals, etc.) asks, immediately...when will I notice a difference?  Its as if they are terrified that they won't be able to hang on long enough to notice the changes and are certain they will give up on their task before they even begin.  They are so afraid that they won't have enough endurance, strength, courage, determination and dare I say it willpower (which I don't believe in...but that's another blog) to achieve what they want so badly.  

Well, my answer is this...if you follow the rules, I swear you'll notice something different within 24 hours.  You will feel different...you may even act differently...you will certainly want to see what another day (and then some) could lead to and let me tell you, if you feel different long enough that goal you have will be right around the corner in no time.  You can do it...its only 24 hours...just try it and see...what you experience will surprise you, count on it!

Holiday Comfort Foods

I find the term "comfort food" very ironic. "Comfort food," a phrase which has been popular since the 1970's, refers to foods that are stated to lead to emotional improvement, relieving negative responses and enhancing positive feelings.  Comfort foods are suggested to encourage feelings of well-being or result in quick and easy satisfaction. Home cooked meals come to mind when we think of comfort foods but more recently fast foods and quick-to-prepare meals are more heavily selected for comfort uses with ice cream, potato chips, chocolate, cookies and cake topping off the list.

Studies have shown strong correlations between consumption of comfort foods and the very negative (and far from comfortable) feeling of guilt. Indulging in comfort foods is often a response to emotional stress, with the hope that even a brief feeling of comfort or relief will follow the meal. However, this trend is a large contributor to the epidemic of obesity in the United States and elsewhere. 

When have you felt comfortable after "stuffing your face" with cake? When have you enjoyed stress relief from consuming a large french fry? When have you experienced enhanced positive emotions from over-eating mashed potatoes and gravy? When has a "comfort food" left you comfortable in mind or body??? Not only are your pants tighter, which is the opposite of comfortable, but you avoid the mirror, you shut down mentally, you punish yourself with negative thoughts and possibly negative actions...none of which are comfortable in ANY way!!!

I think it's comfortable to look in the mirror and like (or at least not mind) what you see knowing that you are improving on it every day. I feel comfortable when my pants fit well and I can breath properly when I'm wearing them. I'm comfortable not having to back track after over indulging in Holiday eats and staying the path toward a healthier and more balanced lifestyle. I'm comfortable with whole grains, vegetables, lean meats, a great workout program and positive people in my life.  I'm comfortable calling a spade a spade...comfort food...you suck!

food 2 Medium

Hello!

I can't wait to begin using this site to reach out to all of you in new and exciting ways!  Watch for weekly videos, new recipes and lots of great cooking, eating, entertaining and fitness related information!