Winter Stew

I've been off work for almost 2 weeks now, and dammit it feels good...

Earlier this week I made a bomb-ass stew that filled me up and left me feeling satisfied. What more could you want on a Monday night? Football you say... Yup that was on too. I got this recipe from "Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook" by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero. Funny thing is... I purchase this book about two years ago whilst on my quest to becoming a well rounded, single, independent woman, and I hadn't pick it up since. Hmmm I wonder what that says about me?

Anyway, on to the "Cholent" stew:

2 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion chopped
3 cloves of garlic
1/2 teaspoon tarragon ( I got mine at Yes! Organic $2 per OZ)
1 teaspoon Caraway seeds (Yes! Organic again 3.99)
1 teaspoon of salt
Several pinches of freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup of red wine, water or veggie broth ( I used mushroom broth)
2 bay leaves
1/2 cup of french lentils ( I used regular lentils)
1 cup peeled sliced carrots ( about 1/2 inch thick)
4 medium sized potatoes peeled and cut into 3/4 inch chunks
1 (15 ounce) can of tomato sauce
3 cups of water
1 cup TVP chunks ( I used the chick'n cutlet kind, but the stre really doesn't need it)
1 cup of frozen Lima or green peas ( I used the greed peas,I don't mess with the limas)
1 (15 ounce) Can of kidney beans, drained and rinsed


Preheat a large soup pot over medium heat. Saute the onions in the oil until translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic, Tarragon, caraway seeds, salt and pepper. Saute until the garlic is fragrant, about a minute more.

Deglaze the pot ( pour the liquid over the herbs and spices) with the red wine or whatever you chose. Add the bay leaves, lentil, carrots, potatoes, tomato sauce, water, and TVP chunks. Mix together. Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes, until the potatoes and carrots are tender.

Add the lima (or green peas) and kidney and cook until heated through.

Then ... Eat up. The soup is really good and even better the next day.

Muffin Love.

If you want to show someone
you care
Bake them a batch of muffins.

Because really,
Who needs words,
when you've got action...
and baking Soda...
and flour.

Let's not forget the butter,
a dash of salt to
keep it interesting
and some sugar to keep it sweet.

Who needs words
when you have cinnamon and
nutmeg?

And grated Zuchinni
to keep it moist
and added walnuts
for a little crunch?

Who needs words when you've
spent a little time
and added a lot of heat?

I mean
really....
At the end of the day
Who needs words?

Ask for an Avocado!!!!

When is an avocado not simply an avocado? An avocado is more than an avocado when there is a mission behind the avocado. When there is a desire to meet a need that exists within your own community. This may sound melodramatic, but this is the premise behind , “Ask for an Avocado”. “Ask for an Avocado” is the campaign launched by Lawrence Abbott to help bring fresh fruits and vegetables to neighborhoods that would not normally have these goods readily available to them.

Now, as you may know, I’m always willing to jump a soap box for some cause, but this is not just any cause. Having healthy food accessible is something that I take very seriously. Unfortunately, for many Americans across the country black, white, yellow, red, brown, poor and middle class, having fresh fruits and vegetables is more a privilege than a right. Yes, to be overly simplistic, these products tend to be more expensive, take more time to prepare, and perish a lot quicker than packaged food, so the consumer may choose not to purchase them. My issue, and Lawerence’s issue, is that in many neighborhoods, these foods are simply not there, and the people are not given the right to make the decision for themselves.

If there is no grocery store with a fresh foods section in the area (sometimes there isn’t), their only choice is what the local corner store decides it will carry. This choice is often the goods with the longest shelf life; chips, sodas, and canned produce often filled to the brim with sugar or salt. For the store-owners, this may be an economically sound decision, but this decision is made at a high cost to the people. Ironically, the patrons of the stores are the people who are already at high risk for diabetes, hypertension, and other cardiovascular diseases. A nail in the coffin? Not, if you help do something about it.

In following the “Ask for an Avocado” protocol, just go to your local corner store or bodega and ask for an avocado. If they have one: purchase it and then go to askforanavacado.com to check out some cool things to do with your green gold. If they don’t: Simply walk out. Don’t engage in conversation with the clerk; just leave (still visit askforanavocado.com). If enough people do this, the store clerks will take notice, and begin to supply the fruit. And from there… who knows – maybe fresh produce available in every neighborhood.

So this Thanksgiving, go to your local or not so local corner store and “Ask for an Avocado”. This will ensure that a cornucopia of food will be available for your neighbors and neighbors’ neighbors to enjoy in the future.


Happy Thanksgiving,


Stephanie


Remember, change happens one day at a time, one action at a time, one avocado at a time, so when you get a chance go by askforanavocado.com.

Yes, Black Farmers do exist.....

How does a population not only grow, but thrive? It has control over its food supply and the education of its children. Since this is a venue for the former rather than the latter (although equally important), I will focus there.

For years USDA has discriminated against Black farmers. This discrimination has crushed these farmers economically, so much so that most people don't even associate farming with Black folks. Anyway, it looks like the Senate has approved a 1.2 billion dollars settlement for African American farmers and 3.4 billion to Native American land owners. Not exactly 40 acres and a mule.... but a step in the right direction.

Read about it here:

http://www.blackamericaweb.com/?q=articles/news/moving_america_news/23668

Peace~

Book Review... Food Rules by Michael Pollan

Let me begin this post by saying that the DC Public Library is one of the greatest resources that this city has to offer (any city really). This week while taking one of my many trips to the Palisades Library, I picked up Michael Pollan's Food Rules. It's 112 pages, half of which are pictures. It took me about 2 hours to read it at most, and is chock full of practical information on how to eat. What I really like about Michael Pollen, is that his approach to eating is very practical. You don't have to go out and buy any new gadgets or deny yourself food. His philosophy is this simple:


Eat food. Not too much. Mostly Plants.

The book is divided into 3 sections. The first helps you to distinguish between "real food" and "food-like substances". Section 2 goes into the types of food to eat, including meat. Lastly, Section 3 talks about how you should eat and gives you practical strategies to help prevent over eating.

All in all, I really enjoyed Food Rules. I've passed it on to my co-workers and they've liked it also. Food Rules is very simple, practical, and doesn't leave you feeling guilty. I closed the book feeling empowered, knowing that I have all of the tools that I needed to make better food choices, thus improving my health. So, I'll leave you by saying: Go to your local library/ bookstore, read it and then share it. The last two steps are the most important because sharing is caring and knowledge is power. Let's uplift our families and communities...


If you have time on this beautiful Saturday afternoon, and you'd like to read up on Michael Pollan's mantra for eating, check out this article he wrote a few years ago.

Michael Pollen 2007 New York Times article

Let me know what you think.

Soul searching during the Departmental meeting....

Today, while completely spaced out in the OT meeting, I began to once again contemplate my life's purpose. No, in fact, there was no better time to do this..... After the 20th minute rolled around of a discussion that should have lasted no longer than 2, I knew it was every woman for herself. Before I checked out, I casually glanced around the room and noticed that couple of my co-workers were shooting incredulous looks across the room at each other, one was scribbling disgruntled notes to her neighbor, and the other half had already ventured to where I was about to go.... Lala Land. After confirming that my mental capabilities would not be missed, I put my body into auto-pilot, and then cashed in my ticket.

During take off, I had to ask myself, "Is this it? Really?!?!" After tossing this question back and forth in my head a few times, I had to accept that for right now, it is. Again I looked around the room, nodding and making eye contact with my supervisor when appropriate ( They were still on the same subject, and where was Stephanie.... light years away lol). Although the meetings can be long, I have to say, I enjoy being an Occupational Therapist, and I love my job. I work with an amazing group of women, and my students aren't too shabby either :-).

But once my mind kicked into hyper-drive, what I wanted to do with my talents became clearer and clearer. I must have mentally whizzed past the Moon or flown through the Milky Way, because all I could think about was food. This is a food blog isn't it HAHA?
I read somewhere that to find your purpose in life, you should consider the things that you would do for free.

For me, that all revolves around food, health, and nutrition. Whether it's blogging, baking vegan muffins for the Back to school BBQ at church, or going to the grocery store with my friend Stacie so that she and her hubby to be, Dylan, can start making healthier food choices.... I do it because it like to, not because I'm paid to do it.

With this revelation, I knew that I could return back to Earth, and rejoin the last 15 minutes of the meeting. To my surprise (or not) I didn't miss a thing....

Cancer looooves High Fructose Corn Syrup

What's addictive, linked to obesity, found in most processed food, AND subsidized by your tax dollars? Yup, high fructose corn syrup. I don't want to sound preachy but this stuff is dangerous. If there is one thing that you can change that would make a huge difference it would be to '86 the HFCS. I guarantee that you will feel a difference in your energy levels and a decrease in your weight. Check out the above link and then do a little research. I'll help by posting some good info as I come across it. LA -Thanks for the link. *Sharing is Caring*



http://wn.com/CNN__Rick%27s_List__High_Fructose_Corn_Syrup_Speeds_Up_Cancer_Growth

Friends and Food

Nothing says I love you like the combination of homemade food with life long friends. Over the past week, and across state lines I've cooked, baked, ate, drank along side the best of my friends. So I figured that I would give a shout out to those who made this past week ( My last week before school starts) memorable.

Monday's shout out: Mom, Michael, Faith ..... and Michael's homemade carrot cake! Happy Birthday Mom.

Tuesday: Sherrie, Veronica, Tamarah (We missed you girl), Camille, Nicole, Chey, 3 bottles of wine, eggplant parm, white bean soup, salad with a simple vinaigrette, and my luscious muffins (that deserves a snicker lol). Although I only see these women a few times a year, it's nice to know that we ALWAYS pick up where we left off. Boy oh boy the conversation around the table... It was loud, passionate, hilarious, and laced with the love that only comes from yeeeeeaars of friendship. I'm surprised that no one called CCPD on us.

Wednesday: I spent mostly reading about food, and working on my own business plan - but Michael did score a free sandwich, and graciously gave it to yours truly ( he spoils me:-) )

Friday: I hung out with Manny at The Uptown Juice bar - This really great vegetarian cafe on 125th street. Most of my time was spent rolling my eyes at Manny and Manny nagging me about something as I try to eat my food. You'd think that after being friends for this long, he'd realize I'm never going to change lol. Thank God for Erin.

Saturday: Dun, dun, dun...Maybe it was the stress of hours and hours of searching for THE wedding dress, or perhaps it was the reunion of Danielle, Faith and I. Whatever it was... MOM's Organic Market in Bowie will not soon forget the Saturday that we descended. Chocolate chip cookies, Brownies, Onion chips, Pirates Booty (shiver me timbers haha), chocolate oat balls, chocolate bars - all in less than 10 minutes. Once we got to the car it was pure carnage a la the velosoraptors in Jurassic Park. Quote of the moment: "It's okay because it's all organic" Haha tell that to the new dimple in my ass. Did I mention that we had Chipotle a few hours earlier ????

Sunday: Danielle hooked Faith and I up with breakfast before we left... Now THAT's a good friend/woman/sister :-)


Here are a few of the recipes from the Tuesday night.

Easy Vinaigrette for salad

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/vinaigrette-for-green-salad-recipe/index.html


Not the exact recipe for Eggplant Parm - but close enough. Just substitute Marinara for the spaghetti sauce, and slip some fresh spinach leaves between the layers.

http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1950,154180-254194,00.html

White Bean Soup:

http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/12/18/recipe-of-the-day-luccan-farro-soup/


Happy cooking!!!!

More C please :-) .........

Fun Fact Wednesday: Vitamin C is Amazing! It has been shown to improve the look and feel of your skin, is associated with lower stroke risk helps out with the common cold, may help people whose immune systems are weakened by stress, improve macular degeneration, reduce inflammation, reduce the risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease. Sign me up!!!!! Unfortunately, according to research, Most people don't get enough vitamin C, but especially smokers and Black men.

In order to help you keep up with the C's :-P Web MD, listed the following foods as having the most Vitamin C: citrus fruits, green peppers, strawberries, tomatoes, broccoli, white potatoes, and sweet potatoes. Other good sources include dark leafy greens, cantaloupe, papaya, mango, watermelon, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage, red peppers, raspberries, blueberries, winter squash, and pineapples.

This morning I made cranberry relish to go on LA's turkey sandwich , and my Tofurky sandwich . It was very easy, and high in Vitamin C. YAYYYY!!!!! Here's the recipe:

http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1955,143162-225201,00.html


* Addendum* Because I couldn't find fresh cranberries I chose canned cranberries. After I made the cranberry relish, I read the ingredients list. On the back, I found my archenemies: HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP AHHHHHHHHH!!!! This goes without saying, I canned the leftovers. Please stay tuned for my rant on why I personally 86'ed high fructose corn syrup.


On another note: If you don't have time to spend in the kitchen buy a bottle of Zamu. It contains Pinapple, Mango and the Camu, Camu berry - nature's most concentrated source of vitamin C. I personally drink it every morning, and I love it. You can buy it from my Amazon website: http://sking.amazonherb.net/Zamu_Zamu.aspx

'Til next time,...

I almost forgot!

WiiFit weight: 176.6
Goal weight: 175.7

UUUUGgggghhhhh....

Wii fit weight 180.6. What happened ?1?! Fourth of July, not working out.... NO pity party here though :-) I tried on the dress that LA got me and I looked smoking hot. I'm off to move my body and try to get below 180. Wish me luck.

Monday blues.....

It's funny, because with self awareness comes with the power to watch your emotions, turn them over and really consider the root. Once a month, it's usually the kind of sadness that really can't be healed by food, although I try time and time again. Today was no different lol.

Hmmm lets see 1 mini snickers, 1 mini twix, 2 fulls sized doughnuts, grits, tomato soup - all before 1 pm. Yet surprisingly, or not so surprisingly, I still felt like crap. What would have really helped would have been being laid out on my couch covered with a blanket, a hug, a hot cup of tea, a nap, a massage without feeling the pressure to talk. But because I was at work, I reached for the most accessible form of comfort - food.

Well, at least I walked this morning.... Since I'm in dire danger of gnoshing hardcore once I get home, I'm going to treat myself to one of the options above.

_______________________________

2hours, a nap, and and an order of fries later:


WiiFit weight : Shit..... 178.4

Goal weight: 171

Okay people, I'm off to redeem myself.... Elliptical style. Take that Snickers!!!!!

GOAL!!!!!!!!!

My goal to lose 8 pounds was achieved in 1 week.

Goal wight 176

current weight: 175.5

New Goal: To weigh and maintain 171 lbs by July 23, 2010.

My sister likes my blog.......

Finally Saturday. 14 women working in one house. 11 energetic, complaining 5, 6, and 7 year olds, 5 am mornings, a dysfunctional Macbook and 8 new brackets cemented onto my teeth. Oh and did I forget to mention that I was also PMSing?

This week has been busy, but all my weeks are busy. This week was hectic, it began at a fervent pace and ended watching drag queens perform ballads on Friday night. My brakes were not fully engaged until sometime early this afternoon as I watched King of Queens while laying in bed. Wheeeew! One would think that because my week was so busy that my plans of world domination, oops I meant weight loss, would have been squelched, but nay.... :-)

I have lost 8 pounds in the past six days. Several factors helped me out along the way:

1. I exercised 5 out of the six days since I started this challenge,
2. Boredom after work, I barely saw or spoke to any of my friends
3. Work stress - I hit the elliptical HARD this week
4. Eating a vegetarian diet heavy on the fruits and veggies
5. Getting Braces again (My teeth hurt so bad I've pretty much stuck to a liquid diet)
6. My dad, boyfriend and several other friends have started to hit the gym hard.
7. And most important I set a realistic and attainable goal.



Setting a goal of losing just 8 pounds in 5 weeks pounds (a little over a pound and a half per week), exercising only 20 minutes a day ensured I wasn't stressed about losing a crazy amount of weight so that made it easier. I also didn't beat my self up to hard if I messed up, *flashback to the french fries with hot sauce and ranch drizzled on top yum!*, I just did my thing in the gym the next day. I'm super proud of myself.

Anyway, here is a list of some healthy food that I ate this week

- ALOT of H2O
- "Zamu" when I woke up for that early morning boost (check out www.sking.amazonherb.net)
- Almond milk mixed with blackstap mollasses to keep my minerals up
- Fruit: Bananas, mangos, apples, red grapes
- Black beans
- Guacamole
- Salsa ( I made a dip and then burritos with all of the above)
- $ 2.99 pre-package salads at Safeway for lunch - all under 300 calories
- Peanut butter sandwiches
- Soup - Blackbean, butternut squash, and tomato
- "Recovazon" when I went to bed so that I wouldn't be too sore after working out (www.sking.amazonherb.net)
_______________________________________________________________________________________

Current Weight: 176.1
Goal 176. (I'm going to set a new goal once I lose that last .1)
The Wii say that I will be out of the dreaded pink over weight range once I'm below 169 lbs
_______________________________________________________________________________________

Shout out to Danielle for saying that she likes my blog, I really didn't think anyone read it. And a shout out to LA for hooking up my Wifi - I'm writing this in bed :-)

Healthy Eating everyone!

YYYYAAAAAWWWWWNNNN!!!!! 1st day of summer camp.

That had to have been one of the best naps that I've logged in recent weeks. I got home around 4:06 and passed out until about 6:06, by 6:25 I had finished dinner lol. Today was the first day of summer camp and the last day for me to turn in all of my benefits documents into my job - all in all very busy with a lot going on.

I learned 2 things today. #1: Working with little kids is suuuuper challenging #2: If I don't have a healthy snack sitting around, I'm liable to eat just about anything. I can't do anything about the first except make the best of the next 4 weeks and 4 days, but I can DEF do something about the accessibility of the healthy snacks. Here's what I ate today:

1 packet of instant oatmeal - just mediocre, but I had to eat something

1 stale piece of Melba toast that I swiped from cabinets between groups - I was hungry and desperate - that instant oatmeal held me for like 20 minutes.

1 light and fit yogurt. What ever sweetener they put in the yogurt gave me a headache and made my stomach feel funny. The same thing happened this weekend- yet again, I was hungry and desperate :-/

11:30 - Lunch Walnut, cranberry, chicken salad from Safeway. I gave Leshia the chick, but had the rest over field greens. Pretty delish.

6:20 - 6:25 Pesto over 1 cup of whole wheat linguine. Very yummy - here's the recipe. http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Easy-Pesto/Detail.aspx But 10 minutes later I'm plotting on 1/2 of a PB and J.

Tonight's exercise - Either Yoga or 20 min on the elliptical.

Wii Weight: 182.2 (-2.2 lbs) Woohoo. Approx 6 more lbs until I hit my goal.

Starting over / Beginning again

Sounds like a melodramatic title huh? Yeah it is. But that's what I'm here to do, no matter how long it takes. Yesterday I resolved to eat better - I got the soup, fresh fruit and veggies until 8pm - when I hit the bowling alley. Uggggh french fries with ranch dressing and hot sause ( damn my stomach is growling right now) and then I washed it down with a beer.

No matter, I'll do better today. My new plan is to exercise for at least 20 minutes a day and to eat a healthy vegan/vegetarian diet each day. The latter shouldn't be a problem b/c I'm really not digging the oil situation in the gulf coast, and I'm REALLY not interested in eating gasoline filled surf and turf.

Anyway here's the plan

Exercise 20 min a day (at least)

Continue with healthy vegetarian diet

Starting for 5 weeks. 5 weeks is the duration of LSW's summer program. The goal is to have healthier skin, and body, as well as to fit into that little dress that LA got me. I'll also set a weight goal.... Hmmm lets shoot for 8 lbs.


Current weight:183.9
Goal Weight: 176.

Biker.... Who? MEEEEE?

Today was a good day. Without a doubt, I attribute most of my current joy to the endorphins pumping through my vein and the shower I took after my ride. A few weeks back, I took the plunge. No that’s not right… I’ve been tiptoeing around getting a bike for years, and I finally just did it.

Damnit, I’m proud of myself J. I was sooooo scared to get this bike. I worried about getting the wrong bike, looking like a fool, falling and getting hit while riding. All relevant and realistic fears, but I did it anyway. My commute to work has been cut from almost an hour to a half hour, and if I don’t make it to the gym-who cares. My half hour bike ride to and from work burns about 345 calories each way. Check out this website to get an approximation of how many calories you are burning during activities: http://www.healthstatus.com/cgi-bin/calc/calculator.cgi AAAANNNND I feel like I’ve joined the cool kids club.

To help balance out all that good exercise, and my budget (haha – or not), I’ve started cooking when I can. Here’s tonight’s recipe: Pasta with Tuna Sauce. It sounds gross, but it’s easy to make, and I won’t have to but a single ingredient (SCORE!!!!!)

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Pasta-With-Tuna-Sauce/Detail.aspx

I’ll let y’all know how it goes.

Peace.

Love is....

I was reading my homegirl Dionne's latest blog update (destined82-theworldthrumyeyes.blogspot.com/) and couldn't help but to think of love. That, and the fact that Valentine's day had just passed. I started this blog because I wanted to become healthier, and as a result of being healthier, the fliest me that I can be. I'm just keeping it real. You look good, you feel good.

I've struggled with my weight for most of my life, and I have come to realize that sometimes it takes a community of people to help you to reach your goals. Over the past few weeks, it had become obvious that love has nothing to do with the chocolates and roses that your given one day out of the year, but is shown on a daily basis.

It's your neighbor that never gets offened or discouraged although you have politely declined going to spin class with her for 2 months - Monique. Your sister from another mister - Dionne, who can empathize when you can barely drag your ass into bed after you finally do break down and go to said spin class with your neighbor.

It's you brother who hits up your Facebook wall to let you know that he exercised earlier that day, and is thus keeping up his end of the bargain. It's your sister who signs up for a 5K with you although neigther of you has run in longer than you would like to remember, but when you look to your right she's there, gasping for breath and weazing along side of you with an encouraging smile on her face. Love's there when you are laughing about your fat-scapades and then problem solving how you can start anew tomorrow with your Mom or talking about nutrition and supporting your new and improved "bod" with your dad.

Love is when you are having the shittiest day ever and you check out your blog and you see that you friend from middle school, Cheyenne, has posted up a few encouraging words. Or just saying that she thinks your brave for putting your weight up on the website ~Vernie. Or the fact that I have 11 people who care enough to read my blog, some from down the street ( Monet), hundreds of miles away (Shan) others from across the globe (Farai). Thanks. Love is taking your woman's all time favorite comfort foods ( fried fish and Salmon croquettes) and showing her how to cook it in a healthier, still delicious way~LA.

Lastly, love is also accepting and recognizing that you deserve all the support that you have, and that you have the power to make a positive change in your life.

Happy Valentine's Day Everyone!

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always preserves."
-- 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Broccoli vs Cancer

Happy Black History Month!!!! Part of my contribution this month will be to spread the word about healthy eating. As you may know, African Americans have the highest rate of most preventable diseases, including hypertension and diabetes type II. This is pretty bad, but on a good note, many of these diseases are very preventable - including certain types of cancer. I was reading through Success magazine this month when I came across and article written by Drs. Mike Roizen and Mehmet OZ ( gotta give credit when credit is due) on foods that prevent cancer. What better way to spread Black Love than by sharing what I learned? :-)



Foods that Prevent Cancer
Walnuts, Almonds ,Pistachios, Wheat bran and most Legumes ( aka beans and peas) - contain a substance called pentakisposphate. The word alone is a mouthful, but all you need to know is that it may help prevent cancerous tumors. This is a good thing for me because I am ADDICTED to pistachios.... Pass the nuts, hold the cancer :-)


Grains such as quinoa, kasha, millet, chia and spelt: May reduce your risk of cancer of the small intestine. These grains may or may not be in your local grocery store, but you can find them at health food stores,healthier grocery stores such as WholeFoods, Yes! Organic Market, or in the healthy foods section of Giant, Safeway, Stop and Shop, or Pathmark.

Rosemary: according to the article rosemary extract helped to fight both breast cancer and leukemia cells.


Red Chili Peppers help to stop the spread of pancreatic cancer cells.


And now for the moment that you have been waiting for ..... drum roll please.......

BROCCOLI !!!!!

Drs. Rozen and Oz state that if you eat 4 handfuls of broccoli a week or any other cruciferous veggies (Kale, Collards, Cabbage, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, turnips, radishes and many, many others) you will make prostate, breast, and colon cancer less likely. Many of these will also improve memory and decrease you risk of type II diabetes.

To stop the spread of ovarian cancer, try increasing your intake of broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower. You can thank the Phenethyl isothicynate for that.

My hope is that you not only use this information for yourselves, but that you share it with other people as well. Most of us have some control over what food is being served in our households. We cook for our kids, parents, friends, boyfriends/girlfriends, husbands and wives.... so why not show them how much we love them by cooking healthy meals? Below, I have posted the links of a few recipes that include the cancer fighting foods listed above. The blog is called WatchSheEat after all lol..... Enjoy, and remember to spread the word, and spread the love.

I might try this one this week:

Whole Wheat Spaghetti with Broccoli, chickpeas and garlic mmm.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Whole-Wheat-Spaghetti-with-Broccoli-Chickpeas-and-Garlic-231366

Cajun Red Beans and Rice Salad
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Cajun-Red-Beans-and-Rice-Salad-109776


I'm not a fan of the chicken, but I know many of you are.... with this recipe, you get both the Chili and the rosemary....

Chili rubbed Chicken with rosemary
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Broiled-Chicken-with-Rosemary-and-Garlic-235464


If you want to try something, new check out these quinoa recipes:


Quinoa - Stuffed peppers
http://www.recipe.com/quinoa-stuffed-peppers/

Quinoa and Red Bean Burritos
http://www.recipe.com/quinoa-and-red-bean-burritos/

Herbed Quinoa with Shrimp and Zucchini
http://www.recipe.com/herbed-quinoa-with-shrimp-and-zucchini/

What's eating you ?

When starting my blog, I wanted it to be honest, first and foremost. Documenting both the ups and the downs of trying to be and eat healthy. Today fit into the latter category. For the majority of my day, I would have loved to do nothing more than to crawl into some deep, dark cave and reemerge a week later. My day started off pretty hectic, not unusual of Mondays but this one was bad. My phone died sometime during the night, so I didn't wake up until about 7:30, this may sound early to most, but I'm usually on my first bus by this time. I wound up not getting to my second bus stop until about 8:50. I had to be at work by 8:30 this morning, but I was still trying to look at the bright side of things, at least I didn't have a student or a meeting first period. Hungry, I run into Le Pain Quotidien on the corner of 20th street, to grab a bit to eat while I waited for the bus.

Big mistake. I reached for the carrot muffin and swallowed about 400 calories in the span of minutes. But whatever, I told myself, I had to eat.... As soon as I hit the door of the OT house ( my job), my mood plummeted. I felt like there was a rock in my chest and I felt butterflies in my stomach. My usual strategies for getting through rough days (checklists and finding joy in the small things) weren't working, and by the end of fourth period I was seriously exhausted by trying to make myself feel better. Trouble spot 2: Safeway for lunch. On my way there, I called my sister for a quick pick me up, but as soon I hung up, my mood crashed again.

I wound up leaving Safeway with a SmartOne's frozen lunch and a Jalapeno and Cheddar bagel. A container of fries and a Starbuck's hot chocolate almost made it into my basket, but luckily I was low on cash. Can you guys tell that I'm an emotional eater yet? The Salmon sandwich ( Salmon and mayo on the Jalapeno bagel, sounds yucky I know) made me feel better. But as soon as I had to get back to work, the rock returned to the center of my chest, and that jerk that sometimes resides in my head returned full force telling me that I'm not good enough for whatever reason... Add to that, the emails reminding me of all of the "urgent" things that need to be done. *Sigh* 3:30 could not come soon enough.

Although I planned on staying late to complete paper work, I couldn't stand being at my job any longer. I just wanted to throw on my sweats, and curl up under my blankets. That rock just seemed to be getting heavier and colder. The closest this that I could find to those comforting blankets was a Grande, Soy Hot Chocolate with whipped cream. I crushed that thing on the bus ride home, thinking about all the things that need to be done... I should go to the gym, I'm supposed to meet with the FaithFit ladies at 7 for dinner, but all I want to do is stay home....

Today, it became VERY obvious that my mental/emotional health is very closely linked to my successful weight loss. Guys, as I make my way up 16th street, I will attempt to psych myself up and plan on eating a salad to counteract all of the damage that I did earlier today, but I'm not making any promises. I'll keep you all posted.....

Water, Water everywhere

1/20/09

WiiFit weigh in - Day 19
Weight: 179.5
BMI: 26.58
WiiFit age: 29

Goal:
168.2 weight
BMI: 24.91
11.3 pounds left to go.


Laundry day ick... There is no chore that I hate more than doing laundry. On the plus side, I managed to log in 30 more minutes on the elliptical, 5 minutes on the stairmaster and 15 sit ups. I am going to be STACKED by the time the summer comes. The wagon I'll be draggin' in a few months won't be full of 3 weeks of dirty clothes clothes, but rather lean, mean muscle.... Watch out now haha!!!

Over the past 2ish/3 ish weeks, I have been exercising about 4 days a week, and mostly cardio because I'm trying to lose weight. I've also been cooking more at home (not the healthiest of foods, but hey, Rome wasn't built in a day) which has helped my wallet as well as contributed to my 4lb weight loss thus far. Woohoo! 11 more to go. This week I'm going to up the ante. L and I were talking about diet and nutrition a couple of days ago, and the importance of drinking water came up.

Growing up in a household where conversations on nutrition, health, diet and bodily functioning is the norm, I am fully aware of the importance of drinking water. It's good for your hair, skin, helps to keep your thoughts clear, and helps to prevent weight gain. My dad has given numerous presentations on the topic of water, and has even had a special water machine flown in from Japan that oxidizes and purifies the water for us to use ( Get in contact with my Dad if you want some information on the water system: essentialtohealth.com). But you know the saying: you can lead a horse to water... I get maybe 3 or 4 glasses in per day. Evidently, not enough.

I was browsing sites for information on how much water is recommended if you want to lose weight, and quite a few of them said that you should drink at least half of your body weight in ounces of water. I weigh about 180 pounds, so I should be drinking 90 ounces of H2O daily - that's a whoooole lot of water. Not only should I drop the weight, but my over all health and well being should improve. We shall see... My hypothesis/ hope is that I will drop another 5lbs in one week by drinking more water alone.

Check out this website for more information/ formulas to figure out your daily H2O requirements.

http://www.naturodoc.com/library/nutrition/water.htm

Til next time, happy drinking!

Eggplant Parm...

If there is one thing that I know how to make well, its eggplant parm. Eggplant Parmesan has a special place in both my heart and within my very limited culinary rolodex. My not so healthy attachment could be attributed to the fact that I grew up in the Bronx, or because of the eggplant's regal color, or the fact that its fried, then slathered in marinara and blanketed with cheese... yup that's it :-) Mmmm heartburn here I come!

Yesterday after spending some quality time on the elliptical and then running around the Washington Convention Center - for the Health and Wellness Expo. I decided that I needed some couch time. I ran past Blockbuster to pick up Julie and Julia (research for the blog), and then slowly made my way home. I was 5 minutes away, when I realized that I had eaten everything in my refrigerator two days ago. *Sigh* Luckily for me the grocery store was on my way home, and I was hungry.... at this point my plans on laying off of the fatty foods flew out the window. I needed something that would be easy and would put a smile on my face.... EGGPLANT PARM!!!!! I told Mr. A ( my boyfriend, hmmm I kinda like moniker ;-P. Sorta reminds me of Sara Jessica Parker and Mr. Big) that I would make it this week, cooking it that night would be like killing two birds with one stone.

I grab 2 eggplants, cheese, 2 jars of sauce spaghetti sauce, 2 boxes of whole wheat pasta and make a dash for the checkout line. " I see that your substituting for the meat" I look up confused at the cashier and realize that he's referring to the eggplant... "Um, yeah." Ladies, ever since I started cooking and going to the grocery store regularly, I've been hearing more and more of these random comments from the male grocers. To all my single friends, food and and the prospect of home cooked meals may be the best way to hook a man's attention - I'm just sayin'.

I get home, psyched because I got all of that stuff for about 12 bucks, and collapse for a few minutes on the couch. The few minutes turn into an hour and a half of Julie and Julia and I'm still exhausted... and hungry. I pull out all of my ingredients, when I realize that I only have about a tablespoon of oil left. "FUUUUUUDGE" -That's not exactly what I muttered, but close enough. So out I walked, grumbling to the grocery store again, threw some oil into the basket and a bottle of Merlot for good measure. I saw the cashier from a paragraph up look in my direction, and I immediately went to self checkout lol.

Home sweet home.... As soon as I stepped into the crib, I got to work. I battered and fried the eggplant, and then layered spinach, marinara, and mozzerella until I used up all of the eggplant. While I was frying up the eggplant, my friend Nobuko dropped by to talk about work, life, men and her recent trip to Buenos Aires. We polished off half a bottle of wine by the time the eggplant parm was put into the oven for the final bake off. As I set my timer for 30 minutes, I called my friend Monique to come over and Nobuko cracked open the bottle of Merlot. By the end of the night, 2 hours had passed in conversation and 3/4 of a tray of Eggplant Parmesan, and 1 1/2 bootles of wine were gone. Wine, good food and girlfriends always make for a goodnight... all there was left to do were the dishes :-)

Bread, Bread, Bread

As a have told a few of you, my goal for this year to experience and understand food a lot better. Not bad for a New Years resolution eh? Anyway I decided to begin my quest by learning how to bake one of my favorite foods.... BREAD. Being the busy, 20 something that I am, sandwiches are usually my quick fix for those mid afternoon hunger pains, which naturally makes baking bread a great choice.
Last weekend, I called my brother up for a few suggestions, and he recommended that I try King Arthur's recipe for whole wheat sandwich bread. I was a little nervous at first, because, well I've never made it before and I didn't want to get stuck with a loaf of dry wheat bread (yuck!). Guys, it was surprisingly easy, and VERRRRRY delish. The best part is that it only required 7 ingredients: Yeast, water, vegetable oil. maple syrup, whole wheat flour, non fat dry milk and salt. Compare that to Home Pride's Butter Top Honey Wheat bread ingredient list:

Enriched wheat flour (flour, barley malt, ferrous sulfate (iron), “B” vitamins (niacin, thaimine mononitrate (B1), riboflavin (B2), folic acid)), water, sweetener (high fructose corn syrup or sugar), yeast, wheat bran, whole wheat flour, wheat gluten, molasses. Contains 2% or less of: soybean oil, salt, sweet dairy whey, butter (cream, salt, enzymes), maltodextrin, honey, corn syrup, calcium sulfate, soy flour, dough conditioners (may contain: dicalcium phosphate, calcium dioxide, sodium stearoyl lactylate, ethoxylated mono and diglycerides, mono and diglycerides, and/or datem), yeast nutrients (may contain: ammonium sulfate, ammonium chloride, calcium carbonate, monocalcium phosphate, and/or ammonium phosphate), cornstarch, wheat starch, vinegar, natural flavor, beta carotene (color), enzymes, calcium propionate (to retain freshness), soy lecithin.


Kinda scary.... A little effort and you can avoid all of those nasty, and I'm sure, potentially harmful add-ons. I've posted the link for King Arthur's Classic 100% Whole Wheat Bread below. Give it a try and let me know what you think :-)

http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/classic-100-whole-wheat-bread-recipe

Happy Baking!

Watch She Eat?!?!

So for Christmas this year, my wonderful boyfriend got me a Nintendo Wii, Thank you boo. I'm not a video game person, but I too was seduced by the those commercials - who knew that you could find happiness, and fitness in a box? Thankfully, I found myself on the nice side of Santa's Christmas list and found one under my tree ( more or less). Today, I decided to give it a try, and purchased the WiiFit Plus gamepack. It comes with the balance board and the game, and after playing about an hour and a half of WiiSports, I was ready to get down to business... WiiFit style.

This thing is amazing it weighs you, tracks your progress, and has activities readily available for you to try out. Having attempted and failed at incorporating fitness and exercise into my daily life, I'm hoping that the Wii just might be a winner. To test out the program, and my resolve :-) I am going on a four week WiiFit challenge to see how much I can accomplish by my birthday.

Here's where I'm starting out today.
Weight: 183.2
BMI:27.13
Category: Overweight
WiiFit Age: 40 - I'm 25, so this is quite depressing
I did 20 minutes of training and burned 75 calories

Overall I liked the program. It tracks my progress with a calendar, and weighs me - I'm lazy so this is a Huuuge help for me. I did a few Yoga poses, a step program, and yes the hoola. Funny thing is..... I'm looking forward to tomorrows' session! Goodnight, and wish me luck.