When I was a junior in high school, I remember my teacher giving out an exam review and one of the questions on it was:
"what was the Battle of the Bulge?".
My answer was "the war on carbs"
Now, future history-major me would have never answered the way I did, but at the time I did not know the answer and decided to see if I could get a little chuckle from my teacher (I loved her, btw, she was one of my influences to go into the whole education profession. Ms. McCluggage....Amber knows.)
Year's later I now find myself in an actual battle of the bulge and one thing that has helped me the most is cutting the "bad" carbs completely (.....ok, mostly) and replacing them with healthy, whole grain "good carbs".
I've never been the greatest baker, but I like to expand my culinary knowledge from time to time and recently I've been doing a lot of research about the differences in flours- mostly between whole wheat flour and white flour (all purpose- bleached or unbleached white flour).
In my research I have found a LOT of different types of flours. check this list out (and I'm sure this is not all of them)
All purpose flour, amaranth flour, barely flour, bread flour, brown rice flour, buckwheat flour, corn flour, flax seed meal/flour, job's tears flour, kaumt flour, masa harina, millet flour, oat flour, quinoa flour, rye flour, sorghum flour, soy flour, spelt flour, teff flour, white rice flour, whole wheat flour.
SHEESH
Oat flour is what I use in the protein bars I make (recipe is actually Jamie Eason's and will probably be a post very soon) it is literally ground up oatmeal in a food processor. I do not have a food processor, so I have to buy oat flour which is kind of pricey still since it's not too common....I sure would love to make my own and spend a little less on oat flour.... *cough cough* :-)
Whole wheat flour and white all purpose flour, on the other hand come from the same place in the beginning. Whole wheat flour is derived by rinding or mashing the wheat's whole grain.
The word "whole" refers to the fact that all of the grain -bran, germ, endosperm- is used and nothing is lost in the process of making the flour. In contrast to white refined flours, which contain only the endosperm. Because the whole flour contains the remains of all of the grain, it has a textured, brownish appearance and is also a heavier flour than the white flour.
"Enriched" white flour has had all the good stuff stripped from it and then replaced.
"Fortified" white-wheat flour does not contain the macronutrients of the wheat's bran and germ, esp fiber and protein. Whole Wheat is a good source of calcium, iron, fiber, and other minerals like Selenium- we need selenium for the functioning of the thyroid gland.
Now, what doesnt make sense to me is that if we know that it's good stuff, WHY are we taking it out!? Seriously, the process of making white bleached flour is ridiculously complex compared with the process of making the whole wheat flour, and the whole wheat flour is better for us! go figure.
So after all of this research and newfound knowledge, I felt empowered to make something with delicious, nutritious whole wheat flour! I needed to bring a dessert to Easter dinner at my parents house and thought surely there would be a recipe for cupcakes using whole wheat flour. There were. A few, in fact. So I chose the tastiest looking one (and also the one that I had the most ingredients already for) I found THIS recipe and decided to try it. It looked good.
I followed all the steps, did all the right measurements. My cupcakes were a fail. They didn't rise and they were dense. boo. I expected a little extra weight to these cupcakes because of the heavier flour but these were really dense. I tasted them and they still tasted okay, just not like a cupcake- more like a banana-bran muffin. So, not being one to waste I am currently eating them for breakfast :-)
If anyone knows of some cupcake recipes with whole wheat flour (that actually work) I'd love to try them out- OR if you try this recipe and figure out what I did wrong, let me know!
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Arn't you gunna blog?
I wanted to post the "tip of the week" from My Fit Foods. This email gets sent out weekly- duh- by Mario Mendias, the owner/founder of My Fit Foods. This week's tip, due to the upcoming Easter holiday is about eggs. That's right, people, PROTEIN-filled, deliciously scrumptious, the incredible edible EGG :-)
Here is it:
Many of you are getting ready to dye your Easter eggs this week for those wonderful Easter Egg hunts this Sunday, so we wanted to take this week to celebrate the miraculous egg. Eggs really are miraculous in so many ways. Besides being an excellent protein source with 5.5 grams of very bio-available protein (three eggs would give you a whopping 16.5 grams of protein!), they are also very high in tryptophan, an amino acid that helps make serotonin, our "feel good" and cravings control neurotransmitter.
Don't have a multi-vitamin? Eat an egg! They are packed with almost every B vitamin, loaded with carotenoids like lutein and zeaxanthin, which give antioxidant protection, and have a healthy fatty acid profile. Eggs can be especially healthy for our thyroids, supplying important nutrients such as iodine, Vitamin D, B-12, and selenium.
Eggs really are one of the most nutrient dense foods we can eat and very affordable too, but many people are stay away from them due to their cholesterol content. Well, I am here to tell you that there is no need to worry! Very little of our body's cholesterol comes from food, whereas most of it is actually manufactured by the liver. There are many factors including inflammation, high insulin, and oxidative stress (damage!) that are the true causes of heart disease. We actually need cholesterol as a major building block in our body, helping with repair of every cell in the body and assisting in hormone and brain health as well.
Eggs can even help promote weight loss as seen in an eight week study of 160 overweight men and women. One group ate a bagel breakfast and one group ate a breakfast including two eggs. They each had the same amount of calories per day at a 1,000 calorie deficit. The egg group lost twice as much weight as the bagel group! And very importantly, they had an 83% decrease in waist circumference compared to the bagel group and much higher energy levels.
This study validates what we teach here at My Fit Foods with our 21 Day Challenge. Eating a high protein breakfast with eggs is an excellent way to control your blood sugar, which has beneficial effects throughout the day. This is why the egg group lost more weight and had more energy but also lost more tummy fat.
So, here's to our famous Breakfast Tacos for Breakfast, Lunch, or Dinner!! And don't forget to try our new Fit 2 Go Snack with a boiled egg, apple slices, a touch of grapes, and an all-natural peanut butter.
To your health!
Okay hungry people, go eat some eggs! And have a Happy Easter, I will be spending mine with family and ffffoooooddddd, yum. The yum is for the food, not the family. :-)
Here is it:
Many of you are getting ready to dye your Easter eggs this week for those wonderful Easter Egg hunts this Sunday, so we wanted to take this week to celebrate the miraculous egg. Eggs really are miraculous in so many ways. Besides being an excellent protein source with 5.5 grams of very bio-available protein (three eggs would give you a whopping 16.5 grams of protein!), they are also very high in tryptophan, an amino acid that helps make serotonin, our "feel good" and cravings control neurotransmitter.
Don't have a multi-vitamin? Eat an egg! They are packed with almost every B vitamin, loaded with carotenoids like lutein and zeaxanthin, which give antioxidant protection, and have a healthy fatty acid profile. Eggs can be especially healthy for our thyroids, supplying important nutrients such as iodine, Vitamin D, B-12, and selenium.
Eggs really are one of the most nutrient dense foods we can eat and very affordable too, but many people are stay away from them due to their cholesterol content. Well, I am here to tell you that there is no need to worry! Very little of our body's cholesterol comes from food, whereas most of it is actually manufactured by the liver. There are many factors including inflammation, high insulin, and oxidative stress (damage!) that are the true causes of heart disease. We actually need cholesterol as a major building block in our body, helping with repair of every cell in the body and assisting in hormone and brain health as well.
Eggs can even help promote weight loss as seen in an eight week study of 160 overweight men and women. One group ate a bagel breakfast and one group ate a breakfast including two eggs. They each had the same amount of calories per day at a 1,000 calorie deficit. The egg group lost twice as much weight as the bagel group! And very importantly, they had an 83% decrease in waist circumference compared to the bagel group and much higher energy levels.
This study validates what we teach here at My Fit Foods with our 21 Day Challenge. Eating a high protein breakfast with eggs is an excellent way to control your blood sugar, which has beneficial effects throughout the day. This is why the egg group lost more weight and had more energy but also lost more tummy fat.
So, here's to our famous Breakfast Tacos for Breakfast, Lunch, or Dinner!! And don't forget to try our new Fit 2 Go Snack with a boiled egg, apple slices, a touch of grapes, and an all-natural peanut butter.
To your health!
Okay hungry people, go eat some eggs! And have a Happy Easter, I will be spending mine with family and ffffoooooddddd, yum. The yum is for the food, not the family. :-)
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Breakfast Goodies
My older sister and I were having a discussion about the whole blog-thing and she made the comment on mine that I should clarify something.
My diet and Dave's diet are directly related to the workouts we do.
Dave will have MUCH more protein every day because he lifts almost every day. When you lift weights, you are essentially ripping your muscle tissues apart. The healing process is the actual "building" of the muscle. The soreness you feel is the dryness of your muscles because when you ripped them apart, the lactic acid came out and it is kind of sitting on top of the muscle- this is why heat, stretching and movement helps with sore muscles. If you do not supply your body with extra protein (and water, for that matter) you are going to recover much slower and have a hell of a time building any muscle!
(PS, protein also take longer to breakdown in your tummy, that's why you feel satisfied-not full- longer. Eating lean proteins has been a BIG part of my own weight loss)
I, on the other hand, will vary my meals every day depending on the workout I'm going to do. On the days that I run or know I will do a cardio workout of some kind I will have carbs-- GASP "but carb is a four letter word!" you say. ;-)
I mean, I will have GOOD carbs, I will have whole grains- the complex carbs. Your body actually needs these for sustained energy...... the carb-thing is going to have to be another blog, though, or I will be here all day.
On the days I know I will lift weights, I will have more protein in my meals and snacks. Make sense to everybody?
Good, moving on.
Breakfast.
Most days I know as early as breakfast what kind of workout I am going to come home from work and do so I will start fueling my body for it at breakfast. I always have coffee, it's an evil necessity, and so tasty.
Here is my running/cardio day breakfast & mid-morning snack (small meals, keep the metabolism runnin!)1/2 cup quick cooking oats (from the tub)
1 cup Mootopia milk (I use fat-free. It has 12g protein per 1 cup and less sugar than reg milk. plus its lactose free)
1 packet splenda
1/4 cup raisins- I use golden. dried cranberries are also tasty
sprinkle of cinnamon to taste.
-stir it all together in a cereal bowl- pop it in the microwave for a min, stir, and put it back in for another 45secs to 1min. I like mine to be kind of a porridge consistency....obviously the longer you cook it, the more solid it will become.
This oatmeal is a whole grain, low in calories and t-a-s-t-y. For my mid-morning snack I will much a medium sized piece of fruit or a half cup of apple sauce.
Weight Training Day Breakfast
4 egg whites (I use egg whites from the carton-3/4cup, it's just faster)
2 tablespoons of Bulghar
a small handful (less than 1/4 cup) of raisins- again, I use Golden
place all ingredients in a small non-stick pan and cook like an omeltte. Be careful when flipping, I've splashed eggwhite on the stove once or twice :-)
The raisins act kind of like a sweet element- almost like when you get pancake syrup on your eggs. The bulghar is there for some crunch.
My mid-morning snack is normally a cup of Greek yogurt. I buy the Yoplait vanilla-honey. If I am feeling naughty I will put a sprinkle of dark choc chips in it too :-)
If you make either one of these breakfasts, let me know what you think!!
My diet and Dave's diet are directly related to the workouts we do.
Dave will have MUCH more protein every day because he lifts almost every day. When you lift weights, you are essentially ripping your muscle tissues apart. The healing process is the actual "building" of the muscle. The soreness you feel is the dryness of your muscles because when you ripped them apart, the lactic acid came out and it is kind of sitting on top of the muscle- this is why heat, stretching and movement helps with sore muscles. If you do not supply your body with extra protein (and water, for that matter) you are going to recover much slower and have a hell of a time building any muscle!
(PS, protein also take longer to breakdown in your tummy, that's why you feel satisfied-not full- longer. Eating lean proteins has been a BIG part of my own weight loss)
I, on the other hand, will vary my meals every day depending on the workout I'm going to do. On the days that I run or know I will do a cardio workout of some kind I will have carbs-- GASP "but carb is a four letter word!" you say. ;-)
I mean, I will have GOOD carbs, I will have whole grains- the complex carbs. Your body actually needs these for sustained energy...... the carb-thing is going to have to be another blog, though, or I will be here all day.
On the days I know I will lift weights, I will have more protein in my meals and snacks. Make sense to everybody?
Good, moving on.
Breakfast.
Most days I know as early as breakfast what kind of workout I am going to come home from work and do so I will start fueling my body for it at breakfast. I always have coffee, it's an evil necessity, and so tasty.
Here is my running/cardio day breakfast & mid-morning snack (small meals, keep the metabolism runnin!)1/2 cup quick cooking oats (from the tub)
1 cup Mootopia milk (I use fat-free. It has 12g protein per 1 cup and less sugar than reg milk. plus its lactose free)
1 packet splenda
1/4 cup raisins- I use golden. dried cranberries are also tasty
sprinkle of cinnamon to taste.
-stir it all together in a cereal bowl- pop it in the microwave for a min, stir, and put it back in for another 45secs to 1min. I like mine to be kind of a porridge consistency....obviously the longer you cook it, the more solid it will become.
This oatmeal is a whole grain, low in calories and t-a-s-t-y. For my mid-morning snack I will much a medium sized piece of fruit or a half cup of apple sauce.
Weight Training Day Breakfast
4 egg whites (I use egg whites from the carton-3/4cup, it's just faster)
2 tablespoons of Bulghar
a small handful (less than 1/4 cup) of raisins- again, I use Golden
place all ingredients in a small non-stick pan and cook like an omeltte. Be careful when flipping, I've splashed eggwhite on the stove once or twice :-)
The raisins act kind of like a sweet element- almost like when you get pancake syrup on your eggs. The bulghar is there for some crunch.
My mid-morning snack is normally a cup of Greek yogurt. I buy the Yoplait vanilla-honey. If I am feeling naughty I will put a sprinkle of dark choc chips in it too :-)
If you make either one of these breakfasts, let me know what you think!!
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Back to the Beginning
On January 23rd, 2010 Dave got a text.
His ex-girlfriend, who still had his dog in CA, could not keep her any longer and asked him if he could take her--if not, she would have to go to a shelter. OF COURSE he could not let that happen, SO, long and dramatic story cut short, on Feb 11th at 8pm we got in the car and drove through the night and until about 5pm the next day to arrive at his mom's house in Yorba Linda, CA.
The next day, Dave went to pick up Shalan and brought her to his mom's house. We bathed her and packed all of her things into the car and started driving....about 24hrs after we had arrived. We drove through the night, yet again, and arrived back home on Feb. 14th.
Fast Fwd to March: Shalan goes to the vet for the normal stuff, shots, heartworm, etc. She needed her teeth cleaned, but because of her age, the vet wanted to do some bloodwork to make sure she was okay to go under. The night before I took her in to get bloodwork, Dave was petting her and noticed a lump in her throat. Neither one of us thought much of it, but he asked me to mention it anyway.
The next day, we're at the vet and Shalan's being a ham, getting all of the tech's attention. I mention the lump to the vet and she feels it. Then she suggests that we go back into the back room. She tells me they want to get a sample and send it to the lab- it'll take a few days before they'll call us with the results.
A few days later I'm at work and I get a phone call from Dave's mom- they called her because they couldn't get ahold of Dave or myself. Results are in- it's Thyroid Cancer.
We take Shalan to Heart of Texas Veterinary Specialty Clinic and see a surgeon to have the lump removed. We are told from there she will have to have some chemo.
We went through surgery and 4 rounds of chemo (one chemo every 3 weeks) with her and we are pleased to say that Shalan-dog is cancer free!
Of course, every day I still check her neck!
Chemo in humans has all kinds of nasty side-effects. Because of this, I specifically asked the vet what we should expect. Shalan never lost hair, she never had diarrhea or vomiting, but it did increase her thirst and her appetite. Weight-loss is common from chemo, as well, but not with my Shalan girl. She actually gained weight....and eventually we knew we'd have to help her take it off.
So Dave, Shalan and I started running.....I was thrilled.....
Soon, Dave found a work-out buddy in our neighbor and started weight training with him...so it was just me and Shalan running....or rather, Shalan pulling me until I just couldn't take it any longer.
Soon enough, Shalan and I were running 2 miles, twice a week. The fitness bug had bit. I started feeling better about myself- sleeping better, had more energy and soon enough I saw a shift in the scale.
At the time it seemed like such a long road- getting started and disciplined was tough. But now it's part of my life. I have lost about 14lbs, I did the Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving and just recently completed my first 10k. I can't owe it all to running. I also began weight training. Dave started showing me things after we moved to the new house in Novemeber.
Weight training is so important for women! It helps build not only muscle but bone as well! You're burning calories even after you stop actually lifting the weights and you will lose body fat!
Click HERE for more benefits of weight training for women.
*My personal disclaimer- PLZ do NOT start lifting weights without someone who knows what they are doing! Injury is not the goal!*
So, that was my journey up to where I am now. Along the way, Dave and I changed our eating habits and that's when I started experimenting more and more (esp with protein powder, but that's a diff post)
I decided that 2011 would be a year for change and I'd say so far, so good!
His ex-girlfriend, who still had his dog in CA, could not keep her any longer and asked him if he could take her--if not, she would have to go to a shelter. OF COURSE he could not let that happen, SO, long and dramatic story cut short, on Feb 11th at 8pm we got in the car and drove through the night and until about 5pm the next day to arrive at his mom's house in Yorba Linda, CA.
The next day, Dave went to pick up Shalan and brought her to his mom's house. We bathed her and packed all of her things into the car and started driving....about 24hrs after we had arrived. We drove through the night, yet again, and arrived back home on Feb. 14th.
The next day, we're at the vet and Shalan's being a ham, getting all of the tech's attention. I mention the lump to the vet and she feels it. Then she suggests that we go back into the back room. She tells me they want to get a sample and send it to the lab- it'll take a few days before they'll call us with the results.
A few days later I'm at work and I get a phone call from Dave's mom- they called her because they couldn't get ahold of Dave or myself. Results are in- it's Thyroid Cancer.
We take Shalan to Heart of Texas Veterinary Specialty Clinic and see a surgeon to have the lump removed. We are told from there she will have to have some chemo.
Of course, every day I still check her neck!
Chemo in humans has all kinds of nasty side-effects. Because of this, I specifically asked the vet what we should expect. Shalan never lost hair, she never had diarrhea or vomiting, but it did increase her thirst and her appetite. Weight-loss is common from chemo, as well, but not with my Shalan girl. She actually gained weight....and eventually we knew we'd have to help her take it off.
So Dave, Shalan and I started running.....I was thrilled.....
Soon, Dave found a work-out buddy in our neighbor and started weight training with him...so it was just me and Shalan running....or rather, Shalan pulling me until I just couldn't take it any longer.
Soon enough, Shalan and I were running 2 miles, twice a week. The fitness bug had bit. I started feeling better about myself- sleeping better, had more energy and soon enough I saw a shift in the scale.
At the time it seemed like such a long road- getting started and disciplined was tough. But now it's part of my life. I have lost about 14lbs, I did the Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving and just recently completed my first 10k. I can't owe it all to running. I also began weight training. Dave started showing me things after we moved to the new house in Novemeber.
Weight training is so important for women! It helps build not only muscle but bone as well! You're burning calories even after you stop actually lifting the weights and you will lose body fat!
Click HERE for more benefits of weight training for women.
*My personal disclaimer- PLZ do NOT start lifting weights without someone who knows what they are doing! Injury is not the goal!*
So, that was my journey up to where I am now. Along the way, Dave and I changed our eating habits and that's when I started experimenting more and more (esp with protein powder, but that's a diff post)
I decided that 2011 would be a year for change and I'd say so far, so good!
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