Posted by Rachel on: January 03 2010
Just have to say this...please stop eating this garbage!
This customer was buying diet cherry 7-up and fudge brownies. Diet sodas in general crack me up. Don't fool yourself. Chances are you will end up getting cancer from the aspartame sweetener then loose weight. I probably mentioned this before, but soda leaches the calcium out of your bones too. Also, you would be better off having a drink that your body can recognize on a molecular level, as in 'real' sugar than a processed man made sweetener. Bad!
Posted by Rachel on: January 03 2010
Since it's a new year, I thought it would be a perfect time to start looking at what and how much food we eat. I'd like to share with you an alternative food pyramid I found recently.
Imagine the below content is shaped like a pyramid:
Clean Water 6-8 Glasses
Fats 2-3 TBS.
Calcium Foods 2-5 Servings
Whole Grains 2-5 Servings
Protein Foods 5-8 Ounces (1 cup)
Fruits 2-4 Servings & Vegetables 3-5 Servings
They USDA'S food pyramid has Bread, Cereal, Rice and Pasta as 6-11 servings, which is located at the bottom of their food pyramid. It seems a bit strange because most Americans consume bleached flour products, pastas and breads, white rice and highly processed sugared cereals all of which have very little if any, nutritional value. It's no wonder why 1 in 3 are over-weight or obese.
Anyway, it just makes me think a little more about what we're told to believe in. I think it's time to watch what we eat and start reading the ingredients in our food. By the way, if you don't know what 'enriched' flour or noodle means, then look it up because chances are the foods you consume are not nutrient dense and may cause illness in the future. Perhaps, use the above food pyramid as a guideline to healthier eating habits.
Good luck and be well!
Posted by Rachel on: November 21 2009
Yeah, the holidays suck! Wait, I sound like a 12 year old boy yelling at his parents because he has to sit next his grandma at Thanksgiving. The kind of grandma who tends to play with her food a little too much at the dinner table. Those darn sweet potatoes try so hard to escape the corners of her mouth, but never find refuge back on her plate. Needless to say we all have that person in the family that takes a little extra patience.
Of course I'm not here to talk about family dynamics (or am I?). I guess what I'm trying to say, and failing miserably, is that it's difficult resisting all the tempting foods durning the holidays. In my family, we have the usual fattening temptations; turkey, stuffing, potatoes, pumpkin pie, custards - and darn near everything else you can think of (and no, I wasn't meaning to channel Sarah Palin's voice there, sorry about that, it just came out.). Anyway, I'm sure you know these temptations all too well and perhaps fear the holidays because of it.
So I'm just going to say it. Eat whatever you want this holiday season. And don't feel guilty about it. Strange logic, I know, but sometimes it's healthier to avoid the emotional stress of eating well.
When you're stressing about food, you're essentially feeling fear. Fear of getting fat, fear of a heart attack or whatever. Fear triggers a chemical rush of adrenaline, which is good for when you need that flight-or-fight response to avoid a large predator (like those T-Rex's we have here in Santa Barbara), or a speeding motorcycle. But when your body undergoes stress as a constant part of our everyday life, it's not really good for our overall health. Our thoughts are powerful, and well connected to the body. Too much adrenaline can result in many symptoms and diseases. I know people who get insomnia from worrying that they don't do enough for their family, or diarrhea from worrying about a job interview.
There are a million thoughts that effect us mentally, physically, and spiritually everyday, so it is important to keep a healthy attitude towards those stressors. And sometimes, that means letting your hair down and just enjoying Thanksgiving.
Obviously, I'm not saying go ahead and eat unhealthily all the time, but if you are going to have something that you know is not nutritious for you, is it not better to really enjoy it and not feel guilty? Tell yourself you will do better tomorrow. I say, enjoy the holidays and be kind to yourself. Or a healthy looking Santa Claus will come a put your least favorite veggie in your stockings. Ho, ho, ho!
Posted by Rachel on: October 27 2009
Posted by Rachel on: September 11 2009
This is one of my favorite hot-weather recipes. And very healthy. Enjoy!
Ceviche Tostadas
-Use a big pot of water to boil
-Add 3x Bay Leaves
-Add 4-6 cups of textured soymeat -buy at (Lassens)
-Reduce heat and cook/boil for 10-15mins
-Take off stove and strain, but then put the textured soy back in the pot with cold water to cool off
Cut up:
-1 red onion
-1 bunch of cilantro
-2-3 tomatoes
-1-2 avocados (goes on top)
Squeeze:
-2 lemons and sieve out pulp
*Put all the produce in a big bowl and put a side
*Now drain the pot of ceviche into a strainer and remove the bay leaves
Note: be careful this step may still be hot (its best to do this by getting a second sieve and place a little at a time in the sieve, using your fist to drain out the water)
*Add the dried mixture to your bowl and mix together
Sea salt to taste
-Place tostada on a plate and add the ceviche mixture, add a few slices of avocado on top
I'd like to thank ChazWags' for the photo. This picture of ceviche looks similar to the textured soy ceviche you will be making.
Posted by Rachel on: September 03 2009
I noticed the cancer screening article yesterday in the Daily Sound and thought of my mother in law who has a dear friend that is battling cancer (melanoma) right now.
She asked me what foods would help nourish her friend during this unimaginably rough time.
Here's a little list of stuff I've been working on.
Cancer Fighting Foods:
Posted by Rachel on: August 07 2009
Posted by Rachel on: August 06 2009
Posted by Rachel on: July 15 2009
There are many types of peanut butter and it's difficult to know which ones to buy. So, here are a few things to consider before buying your Jiffy or your Skippy.
Jif- contains the following ingredients:
Made from roast peanuts and sugar. Contains 2 percent or less of: molasses, partially hydrogenated vegetable oil(soybean), fully hydrogenated vegetable oils (rapeseed and soybean), mono-and diglycerides and salt.
Why is this brand not good for you?
Because if contains SUGAR and PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED OIL
So what?
Well, too much SUGAR special refined sugar can do many of the following:
-Depletes vital Vitamins and Minerals
-Suppress the Immune System
-Can cause Hypoglycemia and Candida (yeast overgrowth)
-Contributes to Obesity, Diabetes, insulin resistance, Gallstones, and Asthma
What are HYDROGENATED fats?
Hydrogenation is a mixture of polyunsaturated fats with hydrogen, changing their biochemical structure. Making it harder for your body to digest, absorb, transmit and utilize properly. They act like saturated fats in the body and increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer.
Skippy- contains the following ingredients:
Roasted peanuts, sugar, partially hydrogenated vegetable oils (cottonseed, soybean and rapeseed) to prevent separation, salt.
Again, this brand is similar to Jif and it's not considered to be a healthy choice.
Why?
Because of the SUGAR, HYDROGENATED OILS and SOYBEAN OIL. Unless you know that soybeans are organic, they could be potentially GM (genetically modified).
Trader Joe's Creamy Salted(or Unsalted) Peanut Butter- contains the following ingredients:
Dry roasted peanuts, and salt
Why is this brand a better choice?
Because it goes through minimal processing. There are no additives, and no added sugar.
Raw Peanut Butter- contains the following ingredients:
Peanuts
Why is this good?
Because it is the freshest way to eat real peanut butter. It truly is a “whole food” when you eat it in this way. It can be made by using a food processor or buy them freshly ground at your local health food store.
*I would recommend that you take a look at the ingredients and the price of peanut butter then next time you go shopping. The popular name brands are often more expensive than a Trader Joe’s or a local health food store. Skippy is at $3.59 while Trader’s is $1.79 and if organic it’s $2.99.....your choice!
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