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13
Apr
2013
 Coconut Oats and Pollen Week



Did you know that bee pollen may actually be good for us? I know, it sounds ridiculous. But, I got to thinking about it after this pollen filled week. Here is Georgia, the pollen count reached 8000 and we are at peak pollen season. It’s fine if you don’t suffer from allergies, but for those who do, we kept up inside. Blurgh.

Total Pollen Count for 4/11/2013: 8024

Anyway, fyi, bee pollen is thought to be the next up and coming superfood due to its antioxidant content, and mysterious supposed healing qualities… We can not really say for sure what it may be good for, but a lot of scientists and doctors have been experimenting with it in areas such as in chemotherapy healing.

So, before the pollen hit, we got engagement pictures taken in the most beautiful spring weather!

engagement photo

And, in the meantime, I have been neglecting my blog. Poor blogosphere… Oh well, sometimes it is good to take a break.

…Just like I took a break from eating oatmeal. Sometimes I’ll eat oatmeal for weeks, then I take a month long break until I find a new way to cook it. Well, I have discovered a new oats creation!

coconut oatmeal

Coconut oats!

Cook some plain oats with your favorite milk (or water), add a pinch of cinnamon, 1 packet of stevia, and add 2 Tbsp. of unsweetened coconut. Make sure the coconut you buy is the unsweetened flakes in the bakery isle. Heat for a few minutes as needed, and enjoy! I usually stir in 1-2 Tbsp. of chopped walnuts to make it more filling.

The coconut is nice because it adds a little bit of fat to make it satisfying and a hearty breakfast. Have you tried adding coconut to your oats?

27
Jan
2013
 How is that Spelt?



I picked up some fresh spelt pasta from the farmer’s market last weekend. It was the first time I had spelt in a pasta before. Mr Cyclist was wondering what spelt is…

Well, I can tell you I turned it into this:

spelt pasta

Spelt is a form of wheat. Many might categorize it in the “ancient grain” category, therefore it has been less processed than the modern wheat plant we find in most everything these days. The outer layer of spelt is also more tough, so it is said to hold in nutrients better.

An interesting fact: Those who do not tolerate wheat products say that they can eat spelt-based foods and feel fine. If you have Celiac’s disease, it is NOT recommended to eat spelt because it DOES contain gluten. However, those with mild food sensitivities do well choosing spelt over traditional wheat.

The end result is a slighter healthier grain than your traditional whole wheat pasta. Plus, this one was fresh made! Yum.

healthy spelt pasta

I cooked some shallots and garlic, then sauteed a lot of fresh spinach. I added some pesto chicken sausage from Trader Joe’s and some sun-dried tomatoes.

22
Jan
2013
 Leftover Broccoli Stems? Don’t Throw Them Out!



Many of us only use the florets of the broccoli plant. But, what about the poor little broccoli stems? I used to throw them out, but Mr. Cyclist had a genius idea for cooking them.

chile broccoli stems

He sliced the stems on the julienne setting on the mandolin. Then, sauteed in oil, chili oil, garlic, and sriracha sauce. Topped with black sesame seeds. It was absolutely delicious, but super spicy. I could only eat a few bites at a time.

asian kale salad

We had a cute little salad with it, and some miso soup!

ginger kale salad

Yesterday, I also went to the farmer’s market to load up on fruits, vegetables, and spices. It was a mad house. I finally made it out of there alive, and loaded up my fridge.

fridge with veggies

You can’t really tell from this picture, but there are loads of oranges, clementines, spinach, kale, carrots, celery, cucumber, peppers, herbs, apples, some dried fruit, eggplant, brussels sprouts, and more…

I also picked up these spices for $0.40-$2 each!!

cheap bulk spices

What a steal! This week, I will have plenty of healthy recipe ideas ready to go. It definitely helps to do this shopping ahead of time.

7
Dec
2012
 Male vs. Female Portions



I often come across female patients who attribute their weight gain to matching the portions of their significant other. We simply don’t need to eat that much! I always recommend using smaller plates, and thinking about eating 50-75% of what your man is eating. This all depends on your size, his size, and both of your activity levels.

For example, I sit at a desk all day, and get in about 30-60 minutes of exercise most days. Mr. Cyclist also tends to be at a desk a good part of the day, but when he goes to exercise he does about 60-150 minutes!

So, our portions end up looking something like this:

His:

Pasta, turkey meatballs, lots of brussels sprouts!

Mine:

I always try to put a small amount of food on my plate, and then go back and get more after I see how I feel. And I did. Got another bite of turkey meatball and a few more bites of veggies :)

Another thing I am working on is eating more during the day, so that I don’t feel the need to eat a larger portion for dinner.

PS- This is a great time for brussels sprouts to be in season!

Do you have any tips or tricks for your portion control?

25
Nov
2012
 Holiday Festivities and The $4 Turkey



Yes, I got a turkey for $4! Craziness. All you have to do is buy the turkey 1 to 2 days after Thanksgiving. The turkey was supposed to be about $14 for 10 pounds, but it had a discount of about $10!

I should run back and get another!

We started this tradition of making a turkey after Thanksgiving because I never do Thanksgiving at my home, so I miss all the leftovers.

By the way, my bourbon vegan truffles came out fantastic. Recipe here.

I put these cute little leaf sprinkles on them for fall ;)

We got our Christmas tree safely home yesterday. I could have sworn it was going to fall off the car.

The kitties have been running everywhere around the tree. This morning, one even tried to climb it!

I underestimated their ability to jump, and had to move ornaments higher. They look sweet, but they are trouble makers! Haha.

Time to get ready to cook that turkey! Going to eat it with some mashed cauliflower instead of mashed potatoes. I have this amazing recipe that I will post later.

24
Oct
2012
 Happy Food Day!



Today, October 24, 2012 is National Food Day!

A day to eat real food, and celebrate being a foodie!

Some fun things for you to check out:

More updates to come in a few hours…

18
Oct
2012
 Garbage Dinner



Sounds disgusting, and the picture doesn’t look too appetizing. But, this is what happens when I am not home and Mr. Cyclist scavenges through the freezer and cupboard to create a dinner of leftovers.

Definition of garbage dinner: Take a lot of your odds and ends and leftover foods, and combine them into a one-pot meal tastefully and somewhat artfully.

I heard of someone else who uses this term “garbage dinner”, but I can’t think of who. It’s a pretty smart idea. That way, you don’t have little bags of this and that hanging out in the pantry until you have to throw them away.

For our meal, we had lots of frozen vegetables: peas, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, brussels sprouts, carrots, peppers, onions, and potatoes cooked in a curry sauce (that is the dark ugly color you see). Served on top of whole wheat egg noodles. With an egg on top for protein. Haha! The curry sauce was pretty tasty and I like vegetables, so I enjoyed this meal.

Have you ever made meals out of leftovers like this?

26
Aug
2012
 Healthy Airplane Travel Snacks



I don’t like to get stuck in a situation where I don’t have healthy food options available to me (unless I am prepared to eat something less healthy, then that is OK). Preparation and planning is the key for overall healthy nutrition.

I am about to take a long international flight (more on that later), so I stocked up on some goodies:

Going counter clockwise from top:

  • Essential Eating sproutedwhole wheat and olive oil pretzels (good to calm nauseous stomachs and easy to travel with). Healthier than your average pretzel.
  • Packet of Justin’s almond butter (love these because they are super duper portable way to still enjoy almond butter)
  • 100 calorie Health Warrior Chia bar: It’s pretty small… but, good source of a few healthy fats. Made of chia seeds mainly, oats, some peanut butter, and brown rice.
  • Go Raw Spirulina Energy bar: I have had the little bite size pieces before, but not the “bar”. It is a little wacky, but taste slightly sweet with a nice sesame flavor.

  • Trail mix from Trader Joe’s: Cashews, almonds, raisins, and walnuts! Always need to bring some nuts for traveling.
  • Dried blueberries: This packet is only 130 calories, and they are fun to eat. Crunchy and flavorful (and dehydrated so it is plane safe).
  • Think Thin bars: for some protein if needed
  • Lara Bar: Could be part of a breakfast the morning my flight gets in. Lara bars are pretty much a pureed trail mix compacted into a bar. Pure fruit and nuts–nothing else.

I am not going bring every single bit of the snacks you see. I have put some of them into smaller baggies so they are compacted more. Most I will bring in my carry-on. And the rest of the trail mix and a bar will go in my checked luggage.

This was the current state of my packing about 1 day ago…

All lined up against the bedroom wall. So, I better go and get organized. See ya later!

2
Jul
2012
 Dietitians are Not Perfect



Shape Magazine posted an article about 7 Foods a Nutritionist Would Never Eat. Well, here is what I think of their list (some pretty accurate):

  1. Rice Cakes: Yes, most are a processed white rice flour. Not a diet food. But, recently, you can find higher quality, less processed brown rice cakes. These could make an excellent snack with a little almond butter spread on top!
  2. Fat Free Salad Dressing: Completely agree with this. Never buy foods that are fat free that aren’t meant to be. Usually a lot of sugar, salt, and additives are added back in to replace the fat.
  3. Seitan: A wheat gluten protein replacement product (a tofu alternative). The problem is that you are ingesting almost 100% wheat gluten. Some are sensitive to high quantities of gluten. Other than that, to me, it seems like a frankenfood, and it just doesn’t taste that great. I probably wouldn’t have put it on this list, but, yes, I don’t eat it.
  4. Shark: Chock full of mercury. So, no thank you.
  5. Re-fined and Re-fortified Grains: This is a no brainer. I try to avoid these as much as possible. But, if I am at a nice Italian restaurant, of course I will have a piece of bread. I try to be healthy, not crazy.
  6. Sugar-Sweetened Beverages: Absolutely avoid! I can’t remember the last time I had a soda, bottled juice, or anything sweetened with sugar. Perhaps I have had a margarita or two in the past few years, but that’s about the only liquid sugar I can think of!
  7. Grits: I didn’t know what grits where until I moved to Atlanta. I then realized that they are a processed corn product. No nutritional value whatsoever. However, I do eat them occasionally mostly because I think they taste OK, and my Southern boyfriend cooks them.

Exhibit A: Fancy garlic tomato grits.

Anyway, the point is that nutritionists/dietitians are not perfect. But, there are definitely a lot of things we do not keep in our diets to stay healthy. Another thing I would’ve added to the list is processed meats with nitrites like hot dogs and jerky. Nitrites=cancer causing.

22
Apr
2012
 Go Green with Foods on Earth Day



Happy Earth Day! Time to think about how we can help the planet by choosing sustainable foods.

Eat less meat. Even if the average person reduced meat consumption by just 20% we would see a difference. And we could save money :)

Why? Excess animal waste pollutes the earth (cows produce about 18% of greenhouse gases) and raising the animals requires many more resources, water, land (hundreds of acres of forests have been cut down to grow food for cows).

This also requires the use of more pesticides and herbicides.

Did you know fact: Much of our tax dollars are helping to provide resources for meat production.

How to eat less meat: Pick a few days out of the week to eat no meat. Try joining in with Meatless Mondays. Remember to choose other high protein foods like quinoa, beans, peas, lentils, and nuts.

Choose Sustainable Foods. This means the foods have been produced to try to work in harmony with natural resources and the environment.

  • Try to choose more organic foods to support better farming practices when you can.
  • Go to the farmer’s market or join a CSA to get food as local as possible.
  • Try not to choose “at risk” seafood. Find out what to choose here.
  • Buy foods that are in season.
  • Choose fair trade foods and products to help the farmers receive fair pay and conditions. You can find a guide here.
  • Get rid of plastic packaging and bottles. I like these glass water bottles from LifeFactory that have a flip-top.
  • To read more go to Sustainable Table here.

Happy Earth Day!

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