Monday, March 31, 2008

When Life Gives You Sour Grapes, Make Homemade Grape Juice



We had a bunch of red grapes in the fridge that just weren't sweet enough and nobody was eating them. I took them out (about to toss them) and said to my guy, do you want to eat these, they are really sour. He said don't throw them away, I'll make grape juice... and that is exactly what he did. It was delightful. He took the grapes, washed them, threw them in the blender with water, honey and powdered cloves, zapped and strained it and voila... the most delicious grape juice in the whole wide world.

Why the cloves you ask. For flavor, of course and there is also something in cloves that helps cleanse your system and kills eggs of parasites (if you have them), according to Dr. Suzanne Gudakunst's book. We just wanted something unusually yummy though.

One of the interesting things about living with a guy who spent so long in South America is that down there they really know a lot more about fruits and veggies. Making grape juice (and other juices) is quite common in the culture he lived in. This is the guy who makes stewed apples/homemade applesauce and turned me on to chayote, what he calls shoo-shoo. He also cuts up fresh pineapples for me all the time because he knows I love it. I sure am increasing my fruit and veggie intake and loving it!

Saturday, March 29, 2008

Random Weight Loss Tips

- Drink a half gallon of water or so a day (one ounce for every pound you weigh)

- "Dip the Tip" instead of dunking your food in fatty sauces or dressings, dip the tip of your fork in the goop first, before putting the fork into your food. You'll get the flavor without all the fat.

- "A moment on the lips, a lifetime on the hips." Stay conscious of what you are consuming before it consumes you.

- Eat some fruit first thing in the morning, before anything else. It digests faster and by having it first you take the edge off the hunger and so it doesn't just sit on a pile of goop in your stomach fermenting for hours. Learn to combine (or separate) foods for maximum benefit and acid/alkaline balance.

- Eat less processed foods. If you are on Weight Watchers, give the core plan a try.

- Don't drink your calories. Drink mostly water and green tea. Switch to skim milk and be a designated driver.

- Lay off the pop and sweetened drinks. Diet soda is full of artificial sweeteners which they are finding may have the same addictive qualities as sugar and make you crave sweets. Instead of substituting, train your tastebuds to like things less sweet so you are not craving so much.

- Watch for more random weight loss tips here.

kat

Thursday, March 27, 2008

Yummy Lowfat Homemade cholesterol free FRENCH FRIES!!

I had these last night and I just had to share the recipe. Don't rush the recipe, the secret is in the soaking. Give yourself two hours to make these. They would probably be even better unpeeled.

Oven Baked French Fries

2 Tablespoons cornstarch
4 cups water
2 teaspoons reduced sodium soy sauce
4 medium potatoes, peels and cut into strips
4 teaspoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt

1. In a large bowl, combine the cornstarch, water and soy sauce. Whisk until well blended and smooth. Add the potatoes to the bowl. Cover and refrigerate for one hour.

2. Preheat over to 375 degrees. Drain and pat the potatoes dry with paper towels. In a large bowl toss the potatoes in the olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray and arrange potatoes in a single layer.

3. Bake for 15 minutes, turn them over and bake for another 15-20 minutes or until the French Fries are tender and golden brown.

Sunday, March 23, 2008

Intriguing diet website to check out
(but not right after a big fat Easter dinner)


There's a 'New Gal' in town and her name is Dr Suzanne! And she's done something no one has ever done before:

She's found the "REAL" way to lose FAT, be HEALTHY, and yet still eat whatever you want!

Here's how her new "T0P Secret Fat Loss Secret" works:

Dr Suzanne discovered something that a small group of other doctors are just now catching on to -- Namely that ALL sicknesses and diseases (including Obesity) start in the intestines (your colon).

This happens because of "toxic build-up" due to your body being unable to get rid of a small amount of what you eat in every single meal or snack you take in. And over time, this little "left over bit" starts to add up - and BIGTIME!

It works basically like this:

You eat say 100 "units" of toxins in every meal or snack.

You "poop-out" most of it -- say 99 units.

Subtracting means you have 100 - 99 = 1 left over "toxic" unit.

Over 1,000 such snacks or meals you end up having 1,000 "toxic" units in 'build-up.'

Although each small meal or snack may seem meaningless to you, these built-up "stores" of toxins cause your body to equally build up FAT.

Why?

To "protect" you from the poisonous "toxins."

That's right! The extra pounds are your body's way of putting a big "rubber tire" of insulation between YOU and the "bad junk."

And once you have BOTH extra "fat stores" and "toxins" you're in BIG, BIG TROUBLE!

What then happens is you fall vulnerable to every kind of 'sickness' and 'disease.'

And this pattern is what's been happening now for the better part of 50 years (more so in the United States than perhaps anywhere else on earth!)

Before 1954 in fact, people ate much fattier foods, full of greasy cholesterol and oils, yet the number of people who suffered diabetes, cancers, strokes and just about everything else, pales compared to today!

So the "guilty party" had little to nothing to do with all the so-called "bad foods" -- and pretty much went completely unnoticed.

"Unnoticed" until Dr Suzanne began studying the problem.

You see, Dr Suzanne comes from a family of "chunky" people -- yet despite this she is very lean and even "sexy!"

People who meet her think she's some kind of "aerobics trainer" or someone who starves themselves half to death -- but that's NOT the case at all!

Dr Suzanne doesn't really exercise that much, and she even "eats like a pig!" (according to one close friend and "insider").

So how is this possible?

Luck? ... Hardly!

Dr. Suzanne discovered that if you simply get rid of the same amount of toxins and JUNK going in, you never end up getting the "toxic build-up" in the first place.

And NO toxic build-up means absolutely NO disease, and NO extra "pudge" around the middle, butt, or love handles, nor the armpits or the backs of the legs.

Going back to our little equation above, we get:

1,000 "toxic" units - 1,000 "toxic" units = 0 "toxic" units

And when you have 0 "toxic" units, you have 0 "toxic" build-up.

And of course, when you have 0 "toxic" build-up, you have 0 "disease," and 0 "extra fat!"

But what is more surprising than this discovery is the fact that even though she (and a growing number of other newly enlightened doctors) has mountains of evidence supporting this, the "mainstream" medical establishment is out to get her just like
prosecutors in the notorious "Salem Witch Trials!"

Short of trying to burn her at the stake, other doctors would rather keep selling you "toxic" drugs -- that although eliminating one symptom cause who only knows how many "other" very damaging and even dangerous conditions?

Also, not surprisingly, weight-loss food companies would equally like some "evil" to befall the lovely Dr Suzanne.

"I guess it's just a matter of economics," suggests Dr Suzanne, "after all, if people follow my advice they will never get sick in the first place, they will never get fat, and therefore they will have little need or dependency on either other doctors or special diet foods."

And this means a major loss in income to doctors and food manufacturers -- and in terms of BILLIONS of dollars lost to them!

So serious this has become that Dr Suzanne recently suffered death threats -- believed by at least one federal law enforcement agency to have originated from high up in the world of big business from the drug empires (and I don't mean the illegal drug dealers, but the "legal" drug dealers!) Think about it:

99% of everyone you know that says they are doing a "new diet" only end up failing anyway.

The woman we all know who said five years ago that she was on some new diet to "L0SE 25 pounds" now weighs 50 pounds more (Ha! Horrible, yet a tad funny!)

Or how about the guy who joins the gym to "get back into shape" who a year later looks even worse?

These are the people YOU and I both know.

They're all around us, and are clear "PROOF" that diets and exercise DON'T really work - and not because those things aren't good for you and me, but because something else is standing in their way!

And that's none other than "toxins!" Get rid of "them," and get rid of "everything else!"

It's just that simple.

But you MUST know what you're doing, or else you may make a mistake by thinking you have, when in fact you haven't!

And that's precisely what's inside Dr Suzanne's T0P Secret Fat Loss Secret!"

Now, at this point I would like you to strongly consider everything
I've said here, and I hope you will even get her "Top Secret Fat
Loss Secret" for yourself.

So, rather than write a single sentence more, why don't I just give
you the link so you can get it right now before it's too late:

-> Dr. Suzanne's Top Secret Fat Loss Secrets

Please, do what you think right now is BEST... Do it for YOU.


the Internal Cleansing Kit $275

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Stewed Apples and Oatmeal

Over the weekend we made some stewed apples. It is like homemade chunky applesauce and is absolutely wonderful. It is also really easy to make. You take a bunch of apples, slice and core them. (I have a little gizmo that does this.) Do not peel the apples. Toss them into the food process and zap 'em till they are small pieces. Throw them into the pot, add cinnamon, cloves and honey to taste and cook down for about an hour. Your house will smell soooo good, like baking an apple pie. Stewed apples are good hot or cold. Try them.

Sunday morning I decided I wanted to try them in oatmeal. I sometimes eat the instant cinnamon oatmeal such as the Quaker weight loss oatmeal. This time I made the old fashioned oatmeal from the drum, added some of the homemade apple sauce, a little more cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg and a bit of wheatgerm and honey. I also added some coffee mate fat free French vanilla to the skim milk I pour over it. This was the best damn oatmeal I've ever tasted!

I do have a major sweet tooth and have gradually switched over to Splenda and honey as sweeteners. I put honey on grapefruit and it is yummy. I have heard a bit about Stevia and will probably start using that as well but I don't get to the stores that sell it much and from what I've read, it tastes a bit like licorice at first and is quite expensive. For now I am trying to adjust to things less sweet, such as coffee. One Spenda packet in a big cup of joe does it for me now. It used to take about 3 teaspoons of sugar or two Splendas. I'm making progress on cutting sugar and moving towards whole foods....

Sunday, March 16, 2008

The Glycemic Index Diet Plan And Its Benefits For Weight Loss


If you have concerns about diabetes or you need to lose weight the Glycemic Index Diet Plan might be just the solution you’re looking for. This diet is based on a diet plan that was developed in the 1980’s as a way for diabetics to better control their blood glucose levels and subsequently manager their diabetes.

It was discovered that the diet plan had a wonderful side effect; efficient weight loss. Since that time the Low GI Diet, as it is often referred to, has become quite popular with non-diabetics as well. Individuals who use the diet claim they are able to lose weight as well as retain more muscle. Many people report the diet helps them to shave off weight in critical areas as well, including the stomach.

Under the Glycemic Index Diet Plan, foods are divided into three categories based on how they rank on the glycemic index. The glycemic index ranks foods according to how quickly the body is able to digest them. Foods that are processed more quickly by the body rank higher on the Index. Foods that take longer to be digested by the body rank lower on the scale.

The idea is to base your diet on foods that rank in the low to medium range by eating foods that rank high on the Index sparingly. Some of the low foods which are allowable on the Glycemic Index Diet Plan include broccoli, tomatoes, cauliflower and other fruits as well as whole grains. Legumes are also allowable. Some foods rank in the middle range, including bananas and apricots.

When dieters first start the eating plan they are in what is known as Phase One. Under this phase, dieters are encouraged to eat only foods which are low on the glycemic index in order to lose weight. These foods are low in calories and high in fiber which makes it easier to lose weight. Dieters should plan to be on the first phase of the diet for about three to six months depending on how much weight they want to lose. After that time period, the individual may then advance to the second phase, which is the weight loss maintenance phase. In this phase, you may eat low as well as medium foods according to the glycemic index. It is important to understand that exercise is an important component in both phases of the diet plan in order for it to work effectively.

The Glycemic Index Diet plan by itself is not a complete solution for weight loss. You must be dedicated to participating in an active and healthy lifestyle. It should also be understood that this is not a diet in the true sense of the word but rather a change in lifestyle. If you abort the diet plan after losing weight and return to eating large amounts of highly processed and refined foods it is quite likely that you will regain weight, particularly if you are not exercising on a regular basis.

One of the major advantages of this diet plan is that it is not as restrictive as many other diet plans. For example, you can have some carbs on this diet as long as they are good carbs and they rank low on the glycemic index. In addition, it is perfectly okay for you to eat out. Once you have become familiar with which foods rank low on the index you can then usually find something on any menu which is acceptable according to the Low Glycemic Index Diet plan.

Vegetarians frequently find that many low carb diets do not work well for them because they place a strong emphasis on meat. With the Low Glycemic Index Diet plan there is no such problem because proteins from vegetables can replace meat.

With time and dedication the Low Glycemic Index Diet plan has proven to be quite effective at managing diabetes, promoting weight loss and encouraging a healthy lifestyle.

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Wesley Atkins is the owner of The Low GI Diet Breakthrough - In his nutrition program you too can discover how to lose 19 pounds of fat every 21 days with the Low GI Diet.

Thursday, March 13, 2008

Homemade Bread

Here is an awesome bread recipe that my daughter made. It is a somewhat soft whole wheat oatmeal bread with no white sugar so it is pretty healthy. It has a slightly sweet taste and is great alone, with peanut butter and jelly and I just made my famous french toast with it. The secret to great french toast is to add cinnamon and vanilla to the egg and milk goop and sprinkle on more cinnamon while it is cooking. Usually I make french toast with cinnamon raisin bread. I'll bet you could add some raisins to this recipe and make your own delicious high fiber cinnamon raisin bread that is chemical free....mmmmm

Vermont Whole Wheat Oatmeal Honey Bread
Whole wheat and oatmeal bread with just a hint of cinnamon. Yum!

2 cups boiling water
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup maple sugar or brown sugar
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1 tablespoon (kosher) salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 pkg active dry yeast
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

In a large mixing bowl, combine the water, oats, maple(or brown) sugar, honey, butter, salt and cinnamon. Let cool to lukewarm. (about 40 minutes)

Add the yeast and flours, stirring to form a rough dough. Knead (about 10 minutes by hand, 5 to 7 minutes by machine) until the dough is smooth and satiny. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover the bowl with lightly greased plastic wrap, and allow the dough to rise for 1 hour.

Divide the dough in half, and shape each half into a loaf. Place the loaves in two greased 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch bread pans. Cover the pans with lightly greased plastic wrap and allow the loaves to rise till they've crowned about 1 inch over the rim of the pan, about 1 hour.

Bake the loaves in a preheated 360°F oven for 33 minutes.* Remove them from the oven when they're golden brown, and the interior registers 190°F on an instant-read thermometer. Yield: 2 sandwich loaves.

*If your oven can't be set at 360°F, set it at 350°F and bake the bread for 35 to 40 minutes.

(Unfortunately, this is from a handwritten recipe and I do not have any calorie or point information, but considering that it has both oatmeal and whole wheat flour it should be pretty high in fiber. I would guess about 2 points per slice, which is average for whole wheat bread)

Saturday, March 8, 2008

Always a bridesmaid....


My good friend is finally tying the knot and I'm going to be a bridesmaid! She found herself a nice guy online a few months ago and they are getting married in two months. It all happened so fast.

I get to wear a shiny satin halter bridesmaid dress, which makes me a bit, uh, nervous. I'm used to hiding under big sweaters and stuff. Yeah, I know I lost thirty pounds... but still. I'm a bit modest and don't dress up much. Actually, I rarely even wear anything low cut or sleeveless. Surprisingly, the way this dress is cut, it covers a multitude of sins. (I hope!)

Anyway, I'm getting back with the program and I don't have a lot of time to dilly dally. I am going back to journaling everything I eat and continuing to exercise on my gazelle everyday. I am having some big issues with the 18 point allowance I have to stick with in order to lose. After tracking for the last two weeks, I find my intake is closer to 22-24 points a day. That is fine for maintaining, but I hope to get down a few more pounds and lose a bit of this tummy. To help me along, my daughter shared with me this 7-word quote:

Eat food
Not too much
Mostly plants


... and she brought me up some green tea and 1/2 an orange after dinner. She has really been into the Asian thing lately and is learning to cook. In many of the nicer Chinese restaurants you will be given oranges in lieu of fortune cookies.