It’s Too Hot to Cook

     This blog post is dedicated to my mom who was the inspiration for me writing this tonight. As I sit on my couch in my un-air-conditioned house I come to a realization, it’s too hot to cook. My 3-year-old kiddo is running around the house with his 7 month old lab puppy, both seemingly unaffected by the ambient temperature that is currently creeping up to triple digits.  The air is positively stagnant and the thought of turning on the stove, oven, or standing in front of the BBQ makes me want to physically melt into a puddle right here on the couch. Then a little voice pipes up mid dash through the living room…”mama I’m hungry!” Crap I guess I have to feed him something. 

            Now I may not be mother of the year, but I pride myself in actually feeding my child every day regardless of the sweltering heat. So what is a gal to do? Well I suggest that you make "cook-less" dinner.  My mom always makes a cold salad, like a Chinese chicken salad using leftover grilled or poached chicken and crispy won ton noodles. Having grown up with this delight, I can promise you it is a quick and easy crowd pleaser any day of the week.

Some people suggest making a cold soup like a gazpacho, but that just never feels like a dinner to me. I am one of those people who need to use a utensil for my main course, not just drink it lol.http://healthfulmama.com/2013/07/20summermeals/

     My other secret is to employ the ever-amazing talents of a crock-pot. You can prep it the night before when the weather finally cools down or in the morning before the temperatures start to rise.   I make mean Jack Daniel’s pulled pork sliders with shredded cabbage, and it doesn’t take more that 10 minutes of prep time before breakfast. There are practically a bazillion delicious crock-pot recipes, and using one doesn’t make the house feel like you are preheating to the eternal temperature of the sun. I’m including a link at the bottom to the “Top Thirty Slow Cooker Recipes” as awarded by AboutFood.com specialists. http://southernfood.about.com/od/crockpotrecipes/a/top_crockpot.htm.

     Another favorite of mine is “tapas for dinner night”. I put out a huge spread of small dishes and antipasti including salami, cheeses, olives, crackers, fresh fruits, and salads. This is just so much fun! You can have your own impromptu indoor picnic, as long as you don’t forget the wine.  The key to this route is to balance the heavy meats and cheeses with the lighter fruits and salads so you don’t blow you r health and fitness goals. If wine isn’t your thing, there just isn’t anything quite as refreshing as a good ol’ fashioned Arnold Palmer (half lemonade and half iced tea).

Or this fantastic idea I found coupons.com!

No-Bake Steak Pizza

Grab just five items from the deli or salad bar section of your favorite grocery store, pile ‘em high on a piece of flatbread, and you’ve got a delicious dinner done in minutes. No oven, stove or skillets required.

Ingredients:

• Serves 4
• 4 pieces flatbread
• 4 cups arugula
• ½ pound thick-sliced deli Roast Beef, cut into strips
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• ½ cup feta cheese
• 1/3 cup balsamic vinaigrette

Directions:

Place flatbread on four serving plates. (Grill or microwave if warm flatbread is desired). Top with arugula, roast beef, tomatoes and a sprinkling of cheese. Drizzle with vinaigrette. Salt and pepper, if desired. Serve and enjoy! Check it out:  http://www.coupons.com/thegoodstuff/what-to-cook-when-its-too-hot-to-cook/

     Just incase curiosity got the best of you and you have to know, since it was just the two of us tonight, I served a 3-year-old’s version of “tapas” tonight. Baby carrots, radishes, humus, watermelon, strawberries, blueberries, apples (fruit all arranged in the shape of a star of course), salami, string cheese, cheddar slices, and an arugula salad from my garden. It was minimal effort and I didn’t even break a fresh sweat! I hope I have given you some great examples of what to eat when you are way too hot too cook. As always I love feed back and would be delighted with any suggestions you could give me to add to my next bog post.

www.nutritionevolution.info

I Am An Emotional Eater

There I said it out loud. I am not proud to admit it, but I am after all only human.  I eat when I am stressed out. I also eat when I am happy, when I am sad, when I am lonely, and when I am mad.  That sounds a tad like Dr. Seuss, but it’s the truth. Ok, but seriously I also eat when I am bored.  Why? Well I don’t know, but if you are like me you may turn to food for comfort; consciously or unconsciously. We all know that there are worse thing out there than being addicted to food in times of stress or when you are feeling low, but emotional eating can really sabotage your weight-loss efforts. Emotional eating often leads to eating too much, especially too much of high-calorie, sweet, fatty foods.

SO if you are like me and prone to emotional eating, there is hope. You can take steps to regain control of your eating habits and get back on track with your weight-loss goals. First thing you need to do is identify your individual “triggers”. You know the things in your life that stress you out or drive you into a binge eating frenzy. There are some people who actually eat less and loose weight when they are stressed out…I hate those people. Just kidding, we all have our own battles to fight and mine is with food.

Personally, my biggest trigger is schoolwork. When I have a big project due I find myself reaching for guidance from the fridge instead of my textbook. Your triggers could be work or family related, perhaps an illness or your feeling financial pressure, it’s different for each of us. Food serves as a distraction, it provides pleasure, and can even sooth a broken heart (Ben and Jerry is always my go to rebound). The worst part of emotional eating is that it often becomes a vicious cycle. Your emotions cause you to overeat, and then depression over blowing your diet makes you feel bad about yourself, so you overeat again.

The key to breaking the cycle is identifying your emotional triggers like I said, but there are some other steps you can take to minimize the power your emotions have over what you put in your mouth.  This is what has worked for me. I keep a food diary of everything I eat. Write down what you eat, how much you eat, when you eat, how you're feeling when you eat and how hungry you are.  I know this sounds tedious, but the cold hard truth in black and white is often enough of a deterrent to prevent overeating.

Snack healthy and take away temptation. Don’t buy the unhealthy treats and snacks that you just cant resist. If you feel the urge to eat between meals, take a moment to think if you are really hungry or just bored. Then choose healthy low-fat, low-calorie snack, such as fresh fruit, vegetables with hummus or unbuttered popcorn. Finally if you have a set back, let it go. Don’t beat yourself up over it because that will start the cycle again. Just count that as a cheat day and get back on the wagon in the morning and make better choices.

www.nutritionevolution.info

Everyone Should Have a Garden

Gardening is a great way to add more fresh produce into your life and it provides more health benefits than you probably realize. Physically, gardening is a great way to get some exercise, fresh air, and vitamin D from sunshine. I personally love the way it feels to have my hands in the soil, it’s relaxing, therapeutic, and I feel connected to nature. It’s my way of zoning out, decompressing, letting go of stress. I find it satisfying and rewarding to plant a seed, water it, nurture it, and watch it grow and thrive every day. I feel proud when I can share my bountiful harvest with people in my life. Your gardening experience can be tailored to your lifestyle and your skill level because having a green thumb isn’t a prerequisite.  Although gardening is a labor of love and you can create an impressive backyard design, it isn’t necessary invest a large amount of money, time, or space to reap the benefits from growing your own fruits and vegetables.

            You actually save money and time by omitting the necessity to run to the store to buy vegetables or salad to go with every meal. In fact, not only are homegrown vegetables a cost effective choice, but also you have control over the quality of your produce. If you want to maintain a strictly organic lifestyle, you have the power to ensure that your garden is chemical and pesticide free, plus you know that everything you eat has been handled safely from the first sprout to delicious harvest. If you don’t want to wait for mature produce to ripen from the whole seed sprouting process, you can always use the time saving method of planting starters.

            If you live in an apartment or don’t have a large backyard, please don’t let that be a deterrent. There are so many creative container garden ideas that take up very little space. I have even seen amazing examples on Pinterest of herb gardens being grown in a hanging shoe rack! Kitchen counter tomato plants or windowsill gardens are also a great option for those of us that have little or no outdoors space. There is just nothing quite as sweet as tasting your own fresh, homegrown, produce. I dream all winter about getting to pick and eat cherry tomatoes right off the vine, warmed by the sun, just popping them in my mouth without worry because I know they are clean and pesticide free.

            Besides being a healthy lifestyle choice, having a garden is a way to add sustainability into our world. The earth is designed to grow vegetation and that lifecycle of a garden helps to enrich the soil and put clean oxygen into the air. Gardening has been apart of our culture since people stopped roaming as nomads and civilizations settled. During World War 1 and 2, American’s used to show their support for the troops by planting a “Victory Garden”. This was not only a symbolic gesture, but also a way for them to get valuable nutrition in a time when fresh produce was hard to come by.

Many people have lost sight of where the food they eat comes from. I try whenever possible to teach young people about the benefits of growing their own food, and help them learn the skills necessary to maintain a simple garden.  I believe that engaging children in the growing process with hands-on experiences and through garden based nutrition programs is going a monumental step towards reversing the obesity epidemic in America.  Like I said, gardening provides more health benefits than you probably realize and a positive relationship with healthy food is the most important.

 http://athome.kimvallee.com/2011/05/creative-container-gardening/

www.nutritionevolution.info

Late Night Snacking, Your Diets “Arch Nemesis”?

How many times has this happened to you? You were good all day, made great healthy food choices, and even went to the gym. You’re excited and feeling proud of yourself, then BAM…late night snacking ruins it all. A sweet tooth or craving for a salty crunchy treat can undo all that careful planning and calorie counting. Who is to blame, Mother Nature, weak restitution, or that second glass of wine? If you are like me it may even be a combination of all three, or something else entirely. So what can you do to battle these personal diet demons? Luckily there are loads of low calorie options to help you satisfy your cravings without expanding your love handles.

If you crave sweets before bed try grilled peaches with honey and fat free whipped topping, sorbet, sugar free chocolate pudding, Greek yogurt with fresh fruit and honey, angel food cake with strawberries, or even Special K^® Chocolatey Delight Cereal.

 

Links to low calorie sweet snack recipes:

* http://www.cookinglight.com/food/recipe-finder/sweet-treats-under-150-calories

* http://www.food.com/slideshow/weight-watchers-desserts-113

* http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/recipes/desserts/low-calorie-dessert-recipes/?page=2

If you are more of the salty crunchy type I suggest trying some cheesy kale chips (super quick and easy to make at home also), spicy pumpkin seeds, popcorn sprinkled lightly with brewers yeast,  Edamame, pretzels with hummus, some low fat string cheese, pickles, or cucumbers with Tabasco.

Links to low calorie salty snack recipes:

* http://www.rd.com/slideshows/stop-the-craving-24-healthy-snack-ideas/

* http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/recipes/snacks/low-calorie/9-salty-snacks-under-100-calories/

* http://www.shape.com/healthy-eating/diet-tips/snack-awards-2011-20-best-low-calorie-snacks

Bust your diet destroying cravings with any of these snack choices, they are all between just 120 and 150 calories per serving. Beware though, even the best choices can add up if you don’t mind your serving sizes and watch your portion control. I suggest measuring out the suggested serving size in a separate dish, then seal and put the package away before enjoying your snack. You are less likely to binge eat if the bag isn’t easily accessible on the couch next to you. Hopefully that walk back into the kitchen will give you the chance to think about the ramifications to your waistline of that snack refill. I am an emotional snacker personally, and I sometimes go back and forth between craving sweet and salty in the evening. If you are like me, it’s important to be extra mindful of munching on the couch if you are watching TV because it can lead to mindless or addictive snacking.

To prevent becoming a couch binger, I find it helpful to engage in some self-distraction techniques while watching TV. On commercial breaks I get up and do some pushups or sit-ups, fold laundry, or dust the living room. Doing something productive while watching your favorite shows can be “win win” for you and your health goals. Chores get done and your hands are too busy to reach for those chips. Self-restraint is always the best option, but we are all human and we all moments of weakness when our cravings or that extra glass of wine cloud our judgment and we reach for that late night snack.

The key is to stick to low calorie options and mind your portion control so you can have a little treat without ruining the entire day of healthful decisions. When all else fails I go for a walk. It gets me out of the house, away from temptation, and it burns calories.  I hope you found these tips helpful and I would love to hear from you if you have found some great low calorie snacks or have tips of your own that you would like to share.

Nutrition Evolution Links:

www.nutritionevolution.info

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