Archive for the ‘Health’ Category

How to Feed Your Family Healthy Meals on a Tight Budget - Video

Thought you might enjoy this video today on “Thrifty Thursday”

Step 1: Start with hot cereal

Start the day with a hot cereal; they’re much cheaper than cold cereals. Oatmeal is a nutritional winner and very inexpensive if you buy a container of plain, old-fashioned oatmeal.

Step 2: Stretch your milk

Stretch your milk dollars by diluting a can of evaporated milk or some powdered milk with water to create whole milk.

Step 3: Stock up on frozen veggies

Stock up on frozen vegetables when they go on sale. Unless your produce was just picked, it’s just as healthy — or even more so — to eat the frozen stuff, which locks in the nutrients.

Canned vegetables are another cheap alternative to fresh, but rinse them before eating because many are loaded with salt.

Step 4: Eat fruits in season

Limit your fruit purchases to whatever is in season, the exception being bananas and apples. The former are relatively inexpensive year-round, and the latter are low in calories, high in fiber, and may reduce your risk of heart disease and cancer.

Step 5: Snack happy

Enjoy healthy snacks without spending a fortune by air popping corn kernels and buying nutritious nuts like almonds, walnuts, pecans, and peanuts. Buy in bulk.

Step 6: Limit meat consumption

Only eat meat two or three times a week, and make cheap meats as tender and tasty as pricier cuts by marinating them overnight or slow-cooking them in a Crock-Pot.

Step 7: Eat alternative proteins

Make the most of alternative sources of protein, like peanut butter, eggs, chunk light tuna (which is not only the cheapest kind of tuna, but also contains the least mercury), and beans.

Buy bagged beans in bulk — the kind you soak overnight. They’re cheaper and healthier than canned beans, which are high in sodium.

Step 8: Eat brown rice

Eat brown rice. It’s a bit pricier than white, but much better for you and still a nutritional bargain.

Step 9: Indulge in dessert

Indulge in desserts by making them from scratch using nutritious ingredients that you have on hand. Bake your own oatmeal and peanut butter cookies; mash and freeze overripe bananas for “ice cream”; bake bruised apples with a little honey.

Weight Loss with Beans & Weekly Motivational Pep Talk  (plus, Healthy Recipe of the Week)

Finally, I’m through with the introduction of my weight loss series. (You’re probably relieved as well as I am because I hate talking about myself.)  Now I’m going to focus on explaining some positive benefits of various superfoods and hopefully encouraging you to keep on track each week.

*To view previous weight loss topics click here.

Recent research statistics have shown that those who ate beans weighed an average of  6.6 pounds less than those who didn’t eat beans EVEN though the bean consumers ate around 200 extra calories daily than the non bean-eaters.  That’s a pretty good reason to eat beans right?

The reason for the positive results above are mainly due to the fact that beans are high in fiber, and fiber increase is associated with weight loss.  Since beans are low cost and quite affordable, there’s really no excuse not to hunt down some tasty recipes that will allow you to include more beans in your diet.

Here’s some more positive points to ponder about beans:

*plant-based source of important vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients

*protects cell walls from oxidation which protects your overall health & keeps metabolism in balance.

*excellent mix of complex “good” carbs & protein warding off hunger; makes you feel full and satisfied.

*takes long to digest providing an excellent source of long-lasting energy.

*low in fat and calories

Weekly Motivational Pep Talk:

Find some extra activities that you enjoy doing that require physical moving around.  Doing a little of “something” is better than doing absolutely nothing!  Our modern conveniences have given us a much cushioned environment that allows our metabolism to become sluggish.  We must make extra efforts to exercise our bodies.  If you absolutely hate exercise, make a goal that you’ll get up and move around to do something that requires activity at least 3 times each day.  For example, in the morning, run up and down your steps 5-10 times…ANYTHING that will get your heart pumping a little.  Go…go…go!!!!

(Go ahead and comment below to update us on your goals and accomplishments!  I would love to hear from you!)

Healthy Recipe of the Week:

Basic Lentil Soup (my favorite lentil recipe; I usually double it)

Combine in kettle:

1/2 lb. lentils
6 cups water
Cook 30 minutes or until tender.

Add:

2 carrots, chopped or sliced
1/2 c. sliced green onions
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 & 1/2 cup of tomato juice
1/2 c. minced parsley
1 T butter
1 & 1/2 tsp. salt
dash pepper
1/2 tsp. dried oregano

Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer until carrots are tender.

Options:
Add some cubed turkey ham
Double the recipe and freeze half.

Recipe Source:

More-With-Less Cookbook : Suggestions By Mennonites on How to Eat Better and Consume Less of the World’s Limited Food Resources

*Another recipe to consider ~ Red Lentil Soup with Garlic
=======================================================

For further individual study:

Research statistics & nutritional excerpts on the superfoods that promote
weight loss have been taken from:
The Superfoods Rx Diet: Lose Weight with the Power of SuperNutrients
=======================================================

Disclosure: This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

Stop being so serious.  Seriously!

A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones. – Proverbs 17:22

A friend says something funny, and you laugh so hard you begin to cry. Perhaps this uncontrollable laughter goes on for several minutes. Did you feel the tension dissipate? What you are experiencing is a release of the stress you’ve been carrying for days. The old adage, “Laughter is the best medicine” is true.

Why is laughter your secret weapon to beating stress?

You may be surprised to know that laughter is equivalent to fifteen minutes on an exercise bike.  It not only lowers the blood pressure, but increases the endorphins in your body which contributes to a healthier immune system.

Life is too short to spend it moping around.  As Christians, we have no excuse to stay down and depressed.  Galatians 5:22 says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,”

Take a break from your household chores and just laugh….by simply reading a book of jokes or laughing with a friend or being silly with your kids, you will be amazed how laughter can improve your physical and emotional well-being. Laughter actually distracts you from the underlying stress, and brings you to a balanced and calm state. It is, as they say, infectious.

Laugh daily. Yes, schedule it!  Note to self: Have I laughed today?

It is the cure-all for stress, frustration and, in some cases, depression. Perhaps you’ve used the expression, “One day we will remember this and laugh our heads off.“  By having a positive attitude, and using laughter as a mechanism to celebrate life instead of stressing over it, you’ll become healthier and less stressed when confronting negative events.

With so much going on in our lives, laughter is a precious commodity that can make anyone’s day brighter. As you go through your daily routine, find something to laugh about. Look at the bright side; tell yourself the cup is half full; laugh until it hurts. You may not have control over certain aspects of life, but you can control the stress. Laughter is your secret weapon to beating stress.

Now….go laugh a little!

Tackling the Weight Battle

I remember as a child loving food.  While growing up, I had no brothers or sisters to compete with; therefore, I tried to compete with my dad to be the first to get second helpings.  I remember being sort of  “chunky” most of the time, but as a young child, this didn’t really concern me so much.  The only one that seemed concerned was the nurse at my school during my 6th grade year.  I had reached the awesome weight of 100 pounds!  Thankfully, as I hit my teenage years, I took a big U-turn.  Admiring a “skinny” friend in junior high, I soon lost interest in those second helpings!

I do recall reading from a weight loss book one summer break during my college days.  This was actually the first time that I had done any reading on this subject. I remember the author stating that all her family had been heavy, but she had learned that she could overcome that tendency by eating right.  I remember being shocked.  It seemed that society had always blamed weight issues on hereditary traits.  My grandmother was very heavy when I was young and my mother had faced the weight battle as she got older.  I guess I thought I would have no choice but to face heavy weight in years to come.   This was my first realization that I needed to take matters  into my own hands and become accountable for the things that I ate.

My weight has been up and down over the years.  The three times that I actually lost a lot of weight, I did not even realize that I was losing it.  All three times someone else had pointed the fact out to me that I had lost weight before I had even noticed it myself.  Considering this now, I realize that we often become way too preoccupied with food. I know that I was much more active during these times, but I also know that I was too busy to worry about “watching my fat calories”.

After having my third child, I had reached my highest weight ever.  I still remember the shock the first time I reached back to scratch my shoulder and felt the fat beneath.  And like many people, after seeing a photo of myself, I knew I had to do something!  I started doing some 10 minute exercises in the morning and then began to include some stair stepping exercises during the evening.  My weight gradually fell off.

Shortly after, I began to notice that I was exhausted all the time and had an extremely hard time facing the cold and my hair began falling out.  After being tested, it was found that I had problems with my thyroid.  And as many of you probably already know, the thyroid affects your metabolism.  So of course, keeping the weight off began to be quite a struggle.

Since then, I have read numerous articles over boosting metabolism.  The best advice by far which has helped me tremendously has been weight lifting.  Now don’t misunderstand me.  I do not lift huge weights that you see men lift.  I started with 2 pound weights and have now worked up to 5 lbs weights.  As you get older, your muscles tend to decrease and your metabolism begins to slow down as a result.  Muscle burns more calories, and so building muscle has always given me 100% positive results.  I actually find it more pleasant doing muscle building exercises than any other exercising that I’ve done.  You get faster results in shorter periods of time.

Eating healthy foods has been the key to long-term weight maintenance.  Yes, I still gain some weight at Christmas and Thanksgiving time, but it’s not nearly as difficult now to gear myself back into shape because I’m building healthy eating and exercising habits.  When you have established a habit, it will seem odd when you are not performing your ordinary routine.  You will become more anxious to get back into your normal routine when the holidays are over.

It’s surprising to realize that when America began to introduce sugar substitutes and fat substitutes and more processed foods…America’s average weight went up.  Our bodies began to starve nutritionally for real foods…and soon we found ourselves eating even more and struggling with cravings that couldn’t seem to be satisfied.  I beg you to do your own research on the downside of sugar and sugar substitutes and learning what benefits healthy fats can do for you!

To be continued next Monday…

Here’s some additional superfoods and superspices to include in your daily diet. *Sidekicks following

(Click here to check out last week’s list.)

Apples: pears

Avocado: artichokes, asparagaus, extra virgin olive oil

Dark Chocolate (Check for real cocoa butter)

Dried Superfruits: apricots, blueberries, cherries, cranberries, currants, dates, figs, prunes, raisins

Extra virgin olive oil: canola oil, coconut oil

Honey

Kiwi: guava, pineapple

Onions: chives, garlic, leeks, scallions, shallots

Pomegranates: plums

Superspices: Cinnamon, Cumin, Garlic, Oregano, Thyme, Tumeric

P.S. Boost your metabolism with exercise; if you haven’t committed to exercising at least 10 min. in the mornings…join me by visiting my post on health & fitness (click here).  Just leave me a comment!

Disclaimer: I would like to clarify the fact that I’m not a certified dietician.  I rely on health-focused research and learned experiences.  Any major diet changes should be consulted with your own doctor.   Some people are diabetic and others have food allergies.  This is something to always consider when making any changes in your own diet.

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A Super Start to Weight Loss with Super Foods

I just can’t believe a week has already gone by since I’ve started the new series on weight loss!   (For those who missed last week, Click here to view last’s week’s topic)  I’ve actually been chewing at the bits to write this next article…

First I want to say, if I had the perfect metabolism and have never had to struggle with weight loss myself, I would probably never have started this series. I wouldn’t feel qualified.  Why? Because who wants to learn how to fix a broken door from someone who’s never fixed a broken door in their entire life?  (Next week, I’ll tell you  a little bit about my own personal struggles.)

Now,  you’ve probably been waiting on me to suggest the perfect weight loss book with all the answers.  The fact is, I refuse to suggest any “one” book as the “ultimate” weight loss book.  Why?

The Bible says in Proverbs 11:14, “Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.”

I don’t rely on any one book for weight loss (there’s lots of valuable information regarding our health).  The only Book reliable enough to stake your life on would be the Bible, God’s Holy Word!   Man is often in error.  And as I write, there will also be a diversity of opinions on weight loss.  We must do our own homework and seek the facts!

On a positive note, I will probably suggest a few books here and there to help with certain topics that we’re covering. 

What books will I suggest for help? First, the author must have done his homework well with proven statistics.  Secondly, the book should also be driven from well-researched information.  Thirdly,  the book should be nutritionally sound and support good health. 

If you have a book now that you’re absolutely enthused over and has been successful for you, then I’m not trying to squash your enthusiasm or discourage you. On the other hand, please don’t close the door completely to learning more about your health. Remember, there’s a lot of great information available and we can learn from other people’s success as well!

Consider this regarding your weight loss (weight control) program…

- Does it focus on counting and cutting calories?  (The focus should mainly on eating healthy portions and obtaining good health through healthy eating so that your metabolism is naturally boosted.  Simply continuing to cut calories can decrease your metabolism.)

- Does it encourage you to focus on no fat & low fat foods, use diet foods & substitutes?  (We need healthy fats for our well-being. Many are deficient in healthy fats and do not even realize it.  Sugar substitutes, diet drinks, and the ingredients in many processed foods increase cravings and encourage more weight gain.)

- Does it leave you hungry, tired & bored?  (Fad diets always seem to have a short life span .  People become hungry with limitations & bored with the same foods over and over.  Once they quit, they gain back the weight.  Permanent weight loss requires a lifetime change.  Learning to eat healthy makes this possible!)

Last week, I said that I was going to encourage you to eat more….

Many of you are in a rut.  You can’t figure out why you can’t lose even one more pound despite the fact that you’re surviving on a low calorie diet and even exercising.  If you’ve been dieting for a long time, your body may be fighting against starvation.  It’s well-equipped to fight this battle!

If this seems to be your case, you probably need to consume more food to give your metabolism a boost.  But, don’t grab a hamburger or donut!  Instead, consider eating some Superfoods that are good for you.  Remember, fruits do have a natural sugar, so you want to balance with vegetables and fruits together!

For those who say,  “I’m hungry all the time“… God didn’t intend for us to just sit and watch our husbands swoon over his delicious meal every night while we sit with 3 little peas on our plate!

God’s creation has provided an abundant multitude of wonderful foods with adequate nutrition that can satisfy any human being on earth!   Can you imagine Eve counting calories!  (Yes, that’s laughable….”Sorry, Adam, but I’ll have to pass on that banana, I’m watching my calories.“)

Now, I’m trying to keep each article short because I know you ladies are busy, and I don’t want to discourage you from taking time to read my articles each week.  (Sadly, I realize I’ve already been too long-winded this week.)  Yet, I told you that I was going to share 14 Superfoods that can help promote weight loss and boost your metabolism.

I won’t be able to expand on the value of these Superfoods this week; however, you can start by incorporating some of these in your meals & replacing some for your snacks.  You’ll be one smart step on the way to making healthier choices in your diet!

Introduction to 14 Superfoods: (sidekicks following)

Beans – all dried beans, green peas, low-sodium canned beans, string beans, sugar snap peas

Blueberries – blackberries, boysenberries, cherries, cranberries, purple grapes, raspberries, strawberries and other fresh & frozen berries.

Broccoli: brussels sprouts, bok choy, cabbage, cauliflower, collards, kale, mustard greens, Swiss chard, turnips

Oats: Other top choices: wheat germ & ground flaxseed.  More options: amaranth, barley, brown rice, buckwheat, bulgur wheat, couscous, kamut, millet, quinoa, rye, spelt, triticale, wild rice, yellow corn

Oranges: grapefruit, kumquats, lemons, limes, tangerines

Pumpkin: carrots, butternut squash, orange bell peppers, sweet potatoes

Salmon: Alaskan halibut, bass, chunk light tuna, clams, herring, oysters, sardines, trout

Soy: edamame, miso, soy milk, soy nuts, tempeh, tofu

Spinach: bok choy, collards, kale, mustard greens, orange bell peppers, romaine lettuce,  Swiss chard, turnip greens

Tea: black tea, green tea

Tomatoes: Japanese persimmons, pink grapefruit, red fleshed papaya, strawberry guava, watermelon

Turkey: skinless chicken breast

Walnuts: almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, hazel nuts, macadamia nuts, peanuts, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds

Yogurt: kefir

(I’ll be sharing some additional Superfoods & Spices next week!)

P.S. Boost your metabolism with exercise; if you haven’t committed to exercising at least 10 min. in the mornings…join me by visiting my post on health & fitness (click here).  Just leave me a comment!

Disclaimer: I would like to clarify the fact that I’m not a certified dietician.  I rely on health-focused research and learned experiences.  Any major diet changes should be consulted with your own doctor.   Some people are diabetic and others have food allergies.  This is something to always consider when making any changes in your own diet.