Wendy's Story and More...

Here it is, the long awaited Wendy's story...Well, when i am running around all day, I usually stop at Wendy's fast food place for a spicy chicken sandwich. With a sugar free lemonade, it comes out to about $5.50 more or less and about 470 calories and 16 G of fat. I think that is a reasonable amount of calories for lunch. I truly enjoy the sandwich, and with the drink, I feel full afterwards...Well, being cheap as i tend to be, I said to myself, Hey, I can get the dollar menu spicy chicken to go wrap and a drink and spend about $2 something...Well, i have had the snack wraps over at McDonalds, and they are very small, so I thought by getting two I would still save some money and be happy...I was looking around for the nutritional info while I was ordering but i was driving up and they only have it displayed in a corner inside the restaurant (NOT FOR LONG, more later on this!) The Spicy Chicken Go Wraps were delicious! But, I knew as soon as I saw them they were bigger than McDonalds. Of course, I would have been satiated with one of them, but of course, i had to eat both because they were so good. when i got home, i looked up the nutritional values online...NOT SO GOOD. The snack wraps were 320 EACH, with 15 grams of fat. Do the math and you come out with me eating 640 calories and 30 grams of fat vs my usual sandwich at 470 calories and 16 G of fat. HAD THE NUTRITIONAL INFO BEEN AVAILABLE THROUGH THE DRIVEIN, I COULD HAVE MADE AN INFORMED CHOICE. I wouldn't have chosen the cheaper option, but the healthier one! THE GOOD NEWS: STARTING FEBRUARY 2011, ALL RESTAURANTS in Maine WILL BE REQUIRED TO HAVE NUTRITIONAL INFO CONSPICIOUSLY DISPLAYED (ON MENUS, MENU BOARDS, ETC). I went seeking this info of WHY it wasn't there and found out it had been recently passed as a law. HAPPY HAPPY JOY JOY There is a happy ending to this story! Lesson learned: Stop being so cheap :)

PRODUCTS I LOVE: My husband recently bought one of those new zero calorie, naturally sweetened SOBE waters enhanced with vitamins, etc. The difference between these and the other is that this is naturally sweetened. It is very good! You don't get that funny aftertaste like most low calorie drinks, especially if you drink it ice cold. I have been putting them in my freezer for a few hours, and drink them slushy! SO good and satisfying..I really liked the Yumberry Pomegranate.

SIMPLIFY: Here's a great, healthy dessert that you can whip up in literally 10 minutes. Melt 1 cup dark chocolate chips in the microwave. Stir in Craisins, Sliced Almonds (you can use dried blueberries, pecans, walnuts, whatever you like). By the tablespoon drop them on some wax paper. Chill for 5 minutes. DONE. They are so good but also addictive. Just because they are good for you (antioxidants) doesn't mean the calories won't add up. Great for when you get called upon to make cookies for a special event, cookie walk, etc!

Important Information!

Did you know the world was coming to an end? That' right, and the food supply will be greatly affected, so you must eat all you can right now, as much as you can and as fast as you can...

OKAY, it's not true, but if you had been watching me on a handful of days the past few weeks (especially this last one), you would have had to beleive that is what I was thinking. Last time I wrote I mentioned several reasons why I hadn't been writing so much. Feeling a lack of control was one of them. It is hard for me to try to give advice on health when i am not practing what i preach. I am like a child. Every time I try to set limits for myself, I rebel or act out, and throw caution to the wind. I go for the things that I know are the worst for me in terms of my goals (like carbs-my number one goal is to feel comfortable and confident in my own body!) Or if i manage to stay with healthy foods, i eat way too much of them. I am sharing this with you because that is what this blog is about: I hope through my struggles and perspectives I will help other people see they are not alone (as several of you have told me, thank you). Maybe together we can figure something out. It's me, WRINKLES AND ALL (luckily not too many yet!:)

I blame SOME of this on the visit of my monthly "friend". Yes, the cravings are much stronger a week or so before. I am armed with many weapons, strategies, etc. to combat these (take a walk, know the witching hour that you tend to eat too much-for me it's while preparing dinner). You have to understand that to me, these days, eating too much is eating past the point of a normal person being full. OKAY, I caught myself. I always though i was special (hopefully we all do!). But when it comes to eating too much, i have to remind myself that MANY of us have issues. THAT IS NORMAL. I am working to change that, especially in myself. The REAL ISSUE THAT BOTHERS ME IS THE LACK OF CONTROL. I LIKE BEING IN CONTROL AND CAN'T FIGURE OUT WHY THE ONE THING I CAN CONTROL 100%, I CAN'T CONTROL!!!!!

ONE OF MY SAVING GRACES IS EXERCISE. I know when I get off track, even a short work out or walk will boost my spirits and motivate me to be healthy. Of course, my children and family are right up there with motivators!!!

A friend mentioned maybe artificial sweetners had something to do with my wild cravings, but I just don't use them enough to think that. I use real sugar in my coffee, and honey in my tea. Yes, it could be sweetners in general...I can't help but feel it's more psycological than physiological. Actually, I have to beleive it's both..the cravings are generated by something...MY advice to you if you are going through this: Find a physical activity you love to do and can fall back on in times of trouble. It won't let you down...

OKAY, ENOUGH OF THAT FOR TODAY. ON TO FUN STUFF: BEAUTY PRODUCTS I HAVE DISCOVERED. There are several:

FOR HAIR: As most of us age, our hair get's coarser. I have always had THICK, wavy hair, but now after kids even more so. I had heard about Keratin, a plant protein in some shampoos that can really help smooth and relax hair. There is an expensive salon treatment you can get ($200). There is also a pricey shampoo called Liquid Keratin you can get on drugstore.com for about $25. I found a great product in Rite Aid (yes on clearance) called Naked Naturals Citrus and Keratin Conditoner. It really relaxed my hair after the first shampoo. It just seemed to take the bulk out. I got it for $3.49, but I think the regular price wasn't too steep, maybe $9.99...

MAKE UP/FOUNDATION: I am forever in search of the perfect one (do i go liquid, mineral powder/ SO many choices. One i really like is called Beyond Natural. It came with this fantastic silky primer lotion that kind of helped to prepare the canvas (aka your face) so the foundation went on smoother. The foundation is WHITE in the tube, but adjusts the color needed to match your face. Light weight, and light to medium coverage, good for summer.

NEXT TIME: I know I promised the Wendy's story, but it will have to wait! I got into other things! Please know that today is a great day for me. I made healthy choices yesterday and feel good. I feel in control. Hope you ALL have a good day today!!! Looking forward to the week!

On My Mind

It has been a while since my last post. There are a few reasons for this, all of which I think are relatable to the premise of this blog. One of the reasons that I will discuss today is that I have been researching much interesting material for this blog, and I have kind of gotten overwhelmed. I will try to break it down and share it all with you if not now, then over time!
One of the problems is that the books I have been reading have some conflicting information, and I guess I do not have a strong enough background in it all to tell you what is correct. I can only give my opinion. Out of my bookshelves, I dug out Fit for Life, by Harvey and Marilyn Diamond. I like this book because it emphasizes a natural approach to being fit. It stresses the importance of Natural Hygiene, which is described as the body's regulatory process for staying healthy. Basically is states the body is a very efficient machine which is constantly striving for optimal health. Give it the right fuel (HEALTHY FOODS) and it will take care of you, and cleanse and maintain itself. The book downplays the role of supplements in one's diet, stating that they really don't work. That you need all the chemical componets of food and the digestion to get your nutritional needs met. There is MUCH to the book
but the major points are EAT ONLY FRUIT or Fresh Fruit Juice in the morning. FOOD COMBINING IS KEY. You can eat what you want but it has to be in the right combinations. The book debunks the theory of the food groups, especially the dairy and meat portions. (The book talks about how poeple say we need to eat protein to keep up our strenght and to build muscle, yet in fact, many of the strongest animals on the planet are vegetarians!)

Food Combining brings me to another book that I have mentioned before: Marilu Henner's Total Health Makeover. I really like this book. It adopts many of the principles of Fit for Life. She stresses the food combining, no dairy and no meat. I do agree with this. I am sure they are right: eating foods in proper combinations and in the proper order will certainly have a positive impact on one's health, well being, and weight. THE PROBLEM IS I AM NOT THAT DISCIPLINED!

Which brings me to a television program I recenly viewed. It was kind of an infomercial for PBS televison, part of their fundraising efforts. But because it was PBS, I listened. It was called Change Your Brain, Change Your Body by Daniel G. Amen. Mr. Amen take scans of people's brains to find out where the activity or lack of it is. He has a list of several different types of brains based on the scans. If there is more activity in one part of the brain, and less in another, he states there are certain supplements that can help bring you to an even level and help you stop overeating. It is highly fascinating, and a must read. I have yet to try his theory, but I plan on it. One thing that we can all do right now is wean ourselves off the sugar habit. Eating sugar and sugary foods only increases our cravings for those foods. And artificial sweetners and diet sodas are the worst! They make you crave sugar even more. I am not innocent when it comes to this. If you've read my previous blogs, I struggle with making the right nutritional choices versus eating lower calorie, artificially sweetned food and drinks to save calories. I do indulge in diet sodas occasionally if i get an urge for something worse calorically. The lesser of two evils? YUP.. One thing Dr. Amen said really made me think: He was describing his healthy daily diet and he mentioned he always had "dessert" which consisted of plain yogurt and blueberries. He asked the audience if that sounded boring. They said yes, and then he said something profound: NO, WHAT'S BORING IS CONSTANTLY FINDING YOURSELF BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD BECAUSE YOU'VE GIVEN INTO YOUR FOOD CRAVINGS AND UNHEALTHY HABITS. That actually is boring me to tears. Don't you wish you could make the right choices as if on autopilot? Without the stuggle? YOU CAN, but it takes just a bit of training. Dr. Amen says it takes about 2 weeks to stop craving sweet stuff after you stop indulging. Interesting...

The last book that I will discuss briefly is one I am very interested in. It is called The Perricone Weight Loss Diet by Dr. Nicolas Perricone. I picked it up after reading The Perricone Prescription which has all kind of information for maintaining weight, health, and what foods and supplements are best for health, beauty, anti wrinkle, etc. I love this book and it's wealth of info. There is just one problem: If I listen to Fit for Life, then the supplements Dr. Perricone suggests would be useless considering Fit for Life says supplements have no value. I think I have come to a conclusion on this: If prescription pills work for curing conditions, then supplements which are a form of a drug, can work to help boost healthy conditions. I do absolutley go by the fact that THE BEST REMEDIES ARE IN THE FOODS YOU EAT. The Perricone books go deeply into anti-inflammatory foods which keep your body balanced and reduce free-radicals. MUCH MORE ON THIS NEXT TIME, BUT THESE BOOKS ARE WORTH A READ.

I encourage you to check out these books. Then you'll be as confused as I am. I do have a bit of a clue. Going back to common sense: The less processed, the better (make your own salad dressing instead of bottled. You just don't know what is in there!). Listen to your body, and eat only until you don't feel hungry anymore, not until you are full (I have to work on that one).

Next Time: My lunch stop at Wendy's and what I learned....

All or Nothing: Not for Me!

I have a book called Jane Brody's Personal Health issued by the New York Times. A friend gave me this book in 1988!!! (I know this because he graciously signed the book to me with the date). I tell you this because a friend asked me recently when I got "into all this" meaning health and fitness. It surprised me to see the date on this book because I only date my involvement in fitness back to my step-aerobic days in NYC in the 90's. The funny thing about this book is that is has a lot of relevant information even today. There is SO much good information in this book, but to stick to today's topic, all or nothing, I will only quote a few passages. She states: "40% (back in 1982 when the last update to the book was written)of the population are overweight by 20 lbs or more. Instead of adopting a long lasting, nutritionally sound solution to their weight problem, most grasp at health-damaging straws including fad diets and reducing drugs that nearly always fail in the long run..." "Most of us have moved away from the simple menus of yore based on ...grains, fruits, vegetables, dairy, and animal and vegetable protein. More than half the food we eat today is PROCESSED...We have also moved far away from the menu HOMO SAPIENS evolved on: a diet rich in complex carbohydrates and fiber (from starchy vegetable, fruits and foods) and low in animal protein. The high meat, high sweet, low fiber diet we currently eat is overtaxing our metabolic abilities and undermining our health." In the intro to the book, she mentions how she lives, which pretty much mirrors my own philosophy: "My guiding principle is moderation. ...I eat three reasonable meals a day with snacks and a preselected "no no food" like 2 small cookies or a 1/2 cup of ice cream...And lo and behold, I lost weight...no more binges, whole bags of potato chips, whole pints of ice cream...I never skip a meal. I consume most of my calories at breakfast and lunch."

She goes on with her wisdom, but for now I will discuss what she has said thus far. What amazes me is that this came out in the early 80's . There are plenty of authors today that reintroduce this information and most of us think it is something new or that they discovered. For example, there is a book that has been on my must read list for a couple of weeks now. It is called The Primal Blueprint, and basically discusses the HOMO SAPIEN diet as Ms. Brody mentions. It does go a step farther than she does, saying we should not eat grains at all and only get our complex carbs from potatoes and vegetables. THAT KIND OF ALL OR NOTHING MENTALITY IS WHAT GETS MOST OF US INTO TROUBLE IN THE FIRST PLACE. Some other books that I really like are Skinny Bitch and Total Health Makeover, by Marilu Henner. I do like to read these books for general information, and I will even go a step further to say most likely their philosophies work for weight loss and health. However, they definitely promote the all or nothing theory, and I just can't do it. Skinny Bitch wants us all to be vegans. The authors also don't like anything processed and ALOT of other things. I would not be long for this world mentally if I followed their advice to the letter. Marilu has some great tips, but she believes in NO DAIRY and food combining, meaning at each meal you only eat 1 type of food at a time (only protein or starches). CAN WE PLEASE LIVE IN THE REAL WORLD. I DO!!! So do most of us as far as I know.

SO much information to DIGEST (sorry for the pun, could not resist). So, I leave you with 3 tips for your week: SPREAD OUT YOUR MEALS. I have mentioned this before, but it's worth repeating. When you make your meal plate up, place half of it on another plate, and wrap it up and put it in the fridge, knowing you can have it anytime you want. Finish slowly what you have portioned. If you still are hungry, eat the portion you wrapped. Most likely, if you are like me, you will realize that your half portion was enough for now. Maybe you will want the rest of the portion in an hour or two as your snack. Same amount of calories doing double duty-serving as a meal and a snack. Can't beat that. Tip number two: Have one (maybe two) meals a week where you have what you want (like pepperoni pizza or something you know perhaps isn't the best choice). Just do it in a portion controlled way so you don't do too much. Have it, enjoy it, and move on. Lastly, be mindful of your posture this week. When you find yourself slouching, sit up straight, and tighten up your stomach. You will be amazed how this feels. And it works your muscles to sit like this, so this is a good habit to adopt.

AHH Warmer Weather...How do you feel about it?

Most people seem really happy about the warmer weather arriving. Even I suggest often how happy I am about it. Lately, I have been truly happy about it. But there was a time when I dreaded it. Sometimes I still do if I haven't made the right choices the day before or even that day. Warmer weather means less clothes. Less clothes makes some uncomfortable, especially if they are not feeling confident about themselves. I used to fantasize that if I lived in a warmer climate I would be more active, and because of the warmer temps, be in less clothes more often, which would mean I would be more fit in general. WELL, it is a well know fact that overweight people live everywhere, warm and cold climates. My point is that it is up to you to live mindfully and responsibly when it comes to your eating, no matter what season. The problem is it is way too easy to overeat in the winter because you know you can rely on those extra layers. There are a few problems with this theory. One is that you are fooling no one, especially yourself. The other is the yo-yo weight is just not healthy, physically or mentally. The past few years I have made a concious decision to stay active in the winter. I am not saying I don't slip up with my food consumption, but staying active really helps you stay honest with yourself. In a recent article I read about "Shorts Shock". How when you go to put them on either they are a bit too snug in the waist, or you just feel awful in them. Don't let this happen to you. If it is happening, now is the time to get into motion. The truth of the matter is exercise will help you look and feel better, but if you eat too much, no matter how much you exercise, you won't look as good as you want or feel as good as you want. Advice: Have some houmous or some low fat dip or peanut butter around that you can just dive into when the hunger strikes. Pre-portion a decent amount, eat it, then walk away. Literally go for a walk to do something, but don't stay in the kitchen! QUICK FIX: When I need something sweet, I make some hot chocolate (they have a women't health one from Nestle now) and I add light whipped cream. Very satisfying.

The Road to Saiety (and Sanity): What Choices Will YOU Make?

Every time I eat a truly healthy meal I feel great. Each time I make the wrong choices I know I won't feel good as good as I could about myself. I think this is a universal statement. It would probably apply to most reading this blog. If it is so obvious, then why do we consistently make the wrong choices? Don't we want to feel good? Of course we do, but there are many other components to the story. Here is a great example. Yesterday morning, I was feeling pretty good about myself. Taught a really fun ZUMBA class (something I love that keeps me moving, motivated, positive), did not overeat the day before, made healthy choices overall. So in the morning I was not feeling panicked or guilty or any of the things that may entice you to make unhealthy choices. I woke up, baked some triple chocolate chip cookies I was donating (did not Bite,Lick,Taste the dough!), and went about the routine. Had my usual two cups of coffee, then started getting hungry. Really hungry because as I mentioned when you kind of eat a light meal for dinner the night before, you tend to be a bit hungrier when you get up which is a good thing. The interesting thing about this morning is that i had several choices for breakfast, some healthy some not. There was just a smorgasbord around me. You name it, those wonderful cookies baking, gorgeous blueberry muffins, homemade pancakes, granola, sausage, egg and cheese casserole, and some hard boiled eggs. All were ready and waiting, no additional prep needed. What was I to do?

THIS IS THE GOOD PART: Because I was in such a good state of mind, I knew that whatever I chose would lead me to the same place, sort of. All of these choices would lead me to feeling not hungry anymore or satiated. I did not want to use the word full because in a perfect world, you are not supposed to eat until you are full, just not hungry anymore. HOWEVER, WHICHEVER PATH I DID CHOOSE WOULD LEAD ME TO A VERY DIFFERENT PLACE POST MEAL: Did i want to feel great, feel like I can do anything, feel light and clear headed, ready to focus on other things besides what I eat. OR If I chose the Sausage Casserole and Cookies, I would have wound up in my non happy place: "OH I shouldn't have eaten that, it is so bad because of x, y and z" Ok, I won't eat until x time, and I will eat no carbs and have no wine and basically I will make up for what i just did".

Bottom line: If your goal is to satiate your body, choose the healthier path because the place you will end up in is much nicer :) JUST KNOW THAT WHAT YOU CHOOSE HAS TO TASTE GOOD, OR YOU WILL KEEP LOADING UP ON CARDBOARD UNTIL YOU GET SOMETHING THAT IS TASTY! (btw, I chose the hard boiled eggs and had a yogurt. It tasted great and I was happy).

The Bottom line paragraph is a good segue into my TASTING GOOD PHILOSOPHY and THE ANATOMY OF A PERFECT SALAD. I have heard alot about this book called "Skinny Women Don't Eat Salad". I am here to tell you this one does, but it has to taste good. It has to have the right textures and flavors to make you insanely happy you chose the salad.

Here are the requirements for THE PERFECT SALAD: YOU CAN CHOOSE A THEME FOR YOUR SALAD, WHICH MAKES IT EASIER TO PAIR UP THE INGREDIENTS: ASIAN, MEXICAN, ITALIAN, BUFFALO WING, MEDITERRANEAN, SWEET AND TANGY...I WILL BE GIVING RECIPES FOR EACH ONE IN THE BLOGS TO COME. IF YOU CAN'T COME UP WITH A THEME, FOLLOW THESE GUIDELINES:

Mixed Greens (both crunchy and darks). I like a little of each: iceberg, romaine, mesclun, and maybe some baby spinach. My absolute favorite green is Arugula. So spicy and delicious! SECRET INGREDIENT: CHOP UP YOUR FAVORITE FRESH HERB LIKE BASIL OR CILANTRO. YOU WON'T BELIEVE HOW TASTY THIS WILL MAKE YOUR SALAD. EVEN DRIED HERBS WORK, ESPECIALLY BASIL IN AN ITALIAN THEMED SALAD. CILANTRO WILL WORK IN THE ASIAN OR MEXICAN SALAD.

PROTEIN: I always add a source of protein to my salads. Think hard boiled eggs, avocado, beans, nuts and seeds (i especially like sunflower seeds or almond slices. Cheese is also great, (goat, feta, shredded cheddar, whatever) but only add it if you feel the salad is missing something. Sometimes these other things will be more than enough to satisfy. Meat is great too. Marinated Chicken, Steak slices, turkey roll ups, what ever you like. This is a great opportunity to use up leftover meats like last night's baked chicken or pork line or rib eye steak!

Some kind of Onion: Either Green (scallions which work well with mexican, asian) or red bermuda, or plain white. I think it really adds to the dimension of a salad

A GREAT DRESSING: I ALMOST ALWAYS USE CITRUS IN MY DRESSINGS. If you can make your own, great. Making one is easier than you think, and is also less expensive and healthier than what you can buy (not all those fillers and preservatives. So, for example, if it were an italian salad, i would use extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper, and my favorite vinegar or a mix of vinegars. If you need a little creaminess to it, add a dab of mayo or lite sour cream and blend. or even plain yogurt. Maybe then add some herbs or dijon mustard. You will get it down to a science eventually and find exactly what you like. For the mexican or asian dressings I would use lime juice olive oil, rice wine vinegar. Or go crazy and use sesame oil, soy sauce and some cider vinegar for your asian dressing. One pre-packed dressing that I have come to like is Ken's Lite Caesar. It is tasty on lots of different salads, not just Caesar. You can even marinate your chicken or steak strips in it before cooking. YUM.

Texture: I always like to have something crunchy in the salad. For mexican salads I like a handful of crumbled up tortillas added just before eating. For Asian, they sell crunchy noodles or asian snack mix (just not too much of these things!)

Sweet and Salty: I love adding craisins as a little sweet surprise. For salt I add salted nuts (like sunflower) or OLIVES. Love those, kalmata or California. Depends on the type of salad.

THIS SEEMS LIKE A LOT OF WORK, BUT IT IS NOT IF YOU DO IT AHEAD. MAKE A FAIRLY LARGE BOWL OF IT, OMITTING WHAT MIGHT GET MUSHY AND ADD THOSE THINGS AT THE END. PORTION OUT A LITTLE LESS THAN YOU THINK YOU MIGHT EAT. I AM PRETTY SURE THAT IF YOU FOLLOW THIS FORMULA, YOU WILL BE HAPPY WITH THE LESSER PORTION, AND FORGET ABOUT FILLING YOUR BOWL AGAIN.

Food For Thought

I could not help but use the cliche above because in this instance it fit: You have to loosely plan or think about what you are going to eat for the entire day. If you don't you tend to eat whatever is around. At the end of the day you are wondering what just happened! Yesterday was a perfect example. I did not intend to eat white flour laden carbs at EVERY meal, but I did. Anyone who reads this regularly knows that I am all about everything in moderation. But I do try to stick to some loose rules, one of which is not to have carbs at every meal and try to stay away from them for dinner. The scale went up today, not surprisingly. I was happy because I followed the mindful pattern all day: ate until I had enough and no more, did not pick or BLT mindlessly (BITE, LICK, TASTE). But I could have made less caloric choices. Overall, good day though. I would rather have carbs at every meal than give into mindless eating. Even if you are eating a salad, you can still overeat. So, my advice: Think about what you eat for the day. The best plan of action would be low carb with a healthy fat (olive oil, avocado, natural peanut butter). Another good choice is to try one whole day with no meat per week. It will not only help you stay healthier, it also reduces your carbon footprint (the production and transportation of meat is one of the main drains on the environment).

NEXT TIME: I will get to anatomy of the perfect salad and revving up metabolism, promise. I should know by now that I have to write what is fresh on my mind, and not plan...that's what blogging is all about!