TOOLS FROM MRS. TOOLE :)

Just when I think I have had enough of all this fitness and nutrition info, I find a whole new bunch of news to share with you all. That excites me. I mentioned last time I was reading what not to eat if you were going to be really strict with yourself and detox. Well there piece of information I liked in there (more really, but one I thought would be helpful to you all. Diets high in protein promote greater fat loss versus high carb diets. So, if you want a peice of fruit like an apple ( a carb), eat it with some peanut butter or a small peice of cheese. Thumbs up, yes I like that! If you want to eat some bread (whole grain of course), dip it in some olive oil! YUM.. Just remember, not too much of the good fat! Don't fool yourself..The diet guide also mentioned eating vegetable soups and stews that have a high water content, thus filling you up. If you've been reading this, you know I am a proponent of that. I was in the kitchen the other day trying to think of something for dinner (danger zone not to be prepared, but I managed not to sabatoge my self that day) and I came up with the most fantastic, filling STOUP (as rachel ray would call it). Healthy, very satisfying, very filling. I made a huge pot of it, and lived on it for a few days. It was so good, but of course, it you get bored easily, you could always freeze the rest in portions for yourself. Then simply take out as needed. My best advice to day is to cook more than you need of each healthy think you make, and freeze in portioned containers. You're cooking anyway, so just buy a little more of all and do it. Also, do not cook hungry. The best time to cook is after you've had a meal. I generally have no temptation to BLT when I do this. So, dinner at 4 p.m., then while you are cooking for yourself or everyone else, you won't pick. If you choose to eat another meal, most likely it will be a small one, and then have some nice hot tea with lemon! Perfect...maybe even a square of dark chocolate with it. I just bought some dark covered chocolate cranberries. Full of anti-oxidants and delish. Just portion out how many you think is reasonable, and close the bag immediately and don't go back!

Here is the Smoked Chicken STOUP recipe:

1 fully cooked whole chicken or turkey (smoked or rotisserie style from the store)
Celery Tops (a few)
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1 Can cream of corn
1 can Rotele style diced tomatoes (I used green chiles and jalepeno)
1 red pepper, diced
1 orange pepper, diced
1/2 small onion, diced
2 celery sticks, diced
2 cloves minced garlic
1 can white beans, partially drained
chopped basil

Remove chicken from the bones. Chop and set aside. Simmer bones in water for one hour. Add the celery tops to this broth for flavor.

Drain broth in colander, drain it into another cooking pot.
To this broth add remaining ingredients except basil and simmer for 1 hour
10 minutes before you're done, add chopped basil. Add more water if you need.

You will adjust the recipe as you need it, but it is very easy and very delicious.

You can also add some spinach when you add the basil. That brings me to my final tip: STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT PEOPLE WHO EAT A COMBO OF LEAFY GREENS AND BEANS HAVE THE LEAST WRINKLES. THEY ARE FULL OF COMPOUNDS THAT HELP PREVENT AND REPAIR WEAR AND TEAR ON YOU SKIN CELLS AS YOU GET OLDER.

Bon Appetite!

Healthy vs Low Cal

Right now I am at war with myself. Over the weekend, I celebrated my 41st Bday and I had a great time. You probably know what that means: Overindulged. Not horribly, but enough to know the daily weigh in would not make my day. So, I decided to take it easy this week. I set up a reward for myself so that if I followed my plan, it would be waiting for me. So far so good on limiting my indulgences this week, but I have an issue. I have been reading these strict diet plans (normally not a fan of) but they interest me because they tell you all the things you should be staying away from if you want to achieve great fitness results in a short amount of time. The kind of results body builders want before a show. Or if you want to detox, which is truly what I am talking about. These plans advice very healthy things like no caffeine, alcohol,sugar, processed foods, low salt. The problem is in order to combat my cravings, in the last few months I have reverted back to low calorie processed, chemical laden foods (light dark chocolate pudding, for example). So they help me stay slim, but are they good for me? No, of course not. I have to ask myself then, what is the goal? I would love to get rid of the toxins in my body, but I then keep adding more of them. In response to this, i have lowered my intake of coke zero and those darn puddings ( i will finish them,they are in the fridge after all). Even fitness bars are off the list and there is nothing I love more than a ZONE Dark Chocolate Bar. They say they have all these added vitamins, but when it comes right down to it, they scream PROCESSED. So, perhaps I will opt for a small pc. of 60 or 72% cacoa dark chocolate (I tried the 86% version, it was awful, maybe too healthy for me :)

Have any of you dealth with this struggle. What are your tips?

Duck Fat

The name of this restaurant both scares me and intrigues me. Duck fat aka confit is a precious gem of the cooking world, mainly French, that offers a wonderful and deep flavor to many dishes. With that said, no, it is not good for you. I want to try this restaurant, whose specialty is the gravy covered fries cooked in you guessed it, 25% Duck Fat. I know when a menu or dish is that intense a little will go a long way, so I am not worried that I will overindulge too much. What I do worry about is how I will feel afterwards. Will I feel bloated, nauseous? Who knows. The caterer in me wants to try it and so I will. All the menu items are inventive and made from scratch from 2 very well known restaurateurs and chefs, so I am looking forward to it. A light dinner is all I will need to get me back on track.

TIP: When we don't have the luxury of going to a wonderful new restaurant for lunch, we have to manage on our own. It is amazing how I panic if I am hungry and don't have anything prepared or planned for lunch. I panic because I know I will grab anything I see to satiate myself. Probably too much of it too. I have a couple of good ideas about this, considering this is the position I found myself in today. Luckily, I kind of did plan ahead. I bought that little snack/lunch portion of pre-marinated or flavored tuna that comes with crackers. Bumble bee makes this one it is a spicy thai flavor (yes it was spicy, and this is coming from Mrs. Del Fuego herself). I didn't even have to add cayenne pepper to it ( a natural metabolism booster, so I read). Anyway, it was perfect. I replaced the crackers with some whole grain bread and added lettuce and onion. It was just right and got me past the "I need food now" stage. Then I had a very small oatmeal raisin cookie and some tea and I could not be happier. Also, Campbell's Selects (the lite variety) makes some good soups like Veg beef Barley and Southwestern which are so low in calories you can eat the whole can and other things too. Good news is the soup is rather filling so you probably won't need much more than maybe some grainy bread.

If I haven't written about Zumba before, I just have one thing to say about it: Do it! It is fun and great exercise. Will get you off the couch and in a good mood.

Good luck and remember: Respect yourself before you wreck yourself...This is from an old school rap song, but I play this phrase often in my head. You will "wreck" yourself emotionally and physically with the wrong habits! Take care!

The Power Within...Not a New Concept

"Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man (woman...)" Benjamin Franklin had it going on, didn't he? Amazing. Such a simple concept, yet so difficult to achieve. He stated it so succinctly though: Everyone has vices and yes, to battle them is a literal war within. Ben let's you know though, that this war will never end. There is always going to be temptation with unhealthy, decadent foods. The point is as I have mentioned, know that it will be a never ending battle. Enjoy each triumph and learn from each set back. Set goals for yourself. Little ones.."I will not have dessert today"... I will not eat until I am uncomfortable. I will exercise today, or even just break a sweat. I love this other quote I read recently: "Health has no finish line". You have the power to make good choices every moment. If you make a bad choice, always try to follow it up with a good choice. Balance is the key. Remember, no one ever says "I wish I hadn't exercised!"

This week is my 41st birthday. I will treat myself to a espresso body scrub and an antiaging compulift facial. I will report the results to you. Consider me your guinea pig. I chose the espresso body scrub because coffee is supposed to invigorate you cells, detox you, and somehow fight cellulite. At 41, I have the least amount of celllite I have ever had since I started noticing such things. I have hope for you all that struggle with this. If you lessen your body fat, you will see a noticeable difference. I never believed it, but it is true. Quite the motivator. For my birthday I am dreaming of that Starbucks Coffee Ice Cream with Chocolate Covered Espresso Beans and Flourless Chocolate cake. The experts say don't offer yourself food rewards. I think this it true, but I am sure I will truly enjoy that dessert, and for your birthday, why not? Plus it's loaded with antioxidants, so not all bad (dark chocolate, coffee even has anti oxidants...)

Persistence is Better Than Perfection

The statement above could not be more true at this moment. I just spent a lot of time writing a great blog post, and I accidentally deleted it! There is just not enough time today to redo it, so I will give you the highlights:

EVERYONE SLIPS UP. The holidays are a magical time, even for adults. I enjoy them and look forward to them. With that said, yes, I did overindulge. The point is even if you ate and drank irresponsibly, refuse to give up and abandon your efforts. I wish I could say that I was perfect over the holidays, but I wasn't and that is ok. I am proud of myself because I know i will not give up my efforts to live a healthy lifestyle. The rewards are too great. With that in your back pocket, toss out the old and bring in the new.

CREATE A NEW STANDARD FOR YOURSELF. When you get to your goal weight, and you will, set you maximum acceptable weight a bit lower. My maximum allowable weight allows me to overindulge, and that is something I want to get away from. Aren't you tired of the Feast or Famine Lifestyle? I am. Everything in moderation. In one of the post holiday weight loss articles i was reading, it suggested you might consider not going to social events that were outside your controlled food environment. NONSENSE. I am not saying I have never either done that or considered it, but I won't anymore. I think as an adult, I should be able to go to an event and have self control. It is something I strive for anyway. Another article advises how to dress 10lbs. thinner. NO! Don't fall for that. You deserve more. You deserve the real deal. To be comfortable in your own skin. Don't settle for less.

Exercise! I know in past blogs I said you don't have to exercise to lose weight, and technically that is true. BUT, exercise give you a good place to go when you slip up, making you fell instantly better once it is over. It also truly tones your body if done regularly. So, find something you love, and do it!