Do you ever wish you had a time machine? You could just have a peek at what you will look like in 10, 20 years? Well you do. Kinda. Your parents! You have their DNA. Have you heard the phrase "It runs in the family"? For example if one of your parents has Type 2 diabetes you can voluntarily start cutting sugar out of your diet and regularly exercise or wait until your obese and giving yourself insulin shots. More importantly if you have children think about what good habits you can instill in them. Make lifestyle choices that will have a positive effect for your grand kids. So take a look at your family tree and see what you can head off for yourself. If you're adopted you can still make a guess based on your body shape. Where you carry your fat: upper body (apple shape) will tell if your at risk for heart disease.
Monday, September 7, 2009
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Healthy Home
What does eating healthy have to do with a Happy Habitat? When you are taking care of yourself you are better able to serve those that you love. You have a better attitude when you are taking time to put good things in your body. You will have more energy to get things done. Hopefully when you start taking charge of your health by removing CRAP out of your diet you will move it out of your life.
One thing that helped me with the food/mind connection is alcohol. You take a food (wheat) process it. (beer) put it in your body and it alters you mentally. It effects your attention, reactions, physical reactions. It's the same thing with the absence of food. If you skip a meal your blood sugar drops and it effects your attention span, energy level, mood. My point is you can't seperate what you eat and how you feel.
One thing that helped me with the food/mind connection is alcohol. You take a food (wheat) process it. (beer) put it in your body and it alters you mentally. It effects your attention, reactions, physical reactions. It's the same thing with the absence of food. If you skip a meal your blood sugar drops and it effects your attention span, energy level, mood. My point is you can't seperate what you eat and how you feel.
Remember this acronym - CRAP
C ommercially
R efined
A nd
P rocessed
Commercialized food, bright colors, pretty packaging, minimal nutritional value.
Refined sugars, flour, most nutritional value removed
Processed chemicals, additives, preservtives.
R efined
A nd
P rocessed
Commercialized food, bright colors, pretty packaging, minimal nutritional value.
Refined sugars, flour, most nutritional value removed
Processed chemicals, additives, preservtives.
High Fructose Corn Syrup
The makers of High Fructose Corn Syrup have recently produced a series of commercials defending their "natural" product. This widely used sweetener is being linked with obesity and is used by manufacturers simply because it's cheap.
Here is a little information they didn't give in their commercial. Let's say you made some iced tea at home with table sugar. What happens next is your body will convert the sugar to glucose, which will cause the pancreas to release insulin. The insulin enables the sugar in the blood to be taken to cells where it is used for energy. This is accompanied by an increase in the production of leptin, a hormone that helps regulate appetite and fat storage. Another reaction to glucose(table sugar) is the reduction of ghrelin a hormone that signals hunger.
Now if you would have had a drink made with HFCS none of these actions would have taken place. Instead fructose is removed and metabolized by the liver and does not cause the release of insulin. The fructose converts to fat. The body doesn't release the hormones leptin and glucose to signal your body that you are full. In the book "Master Your Metabolism" Jillian Michaels wrote about a study done at the University of Pennsylvania that found that women who ate fructose instead of glucose had higher ghrelin levels for up to 24 hours. So you will continue to eat more calories 24 hours later than if you had just table sugar.
Moderation is key. Too much sugar is not good period. My nutritionist suggests a max of 2 tablespoons a day added to your drinks. One thing that I have noticed is that when I cleaned up my diet my craving for sugar has decreased.
Here is a little information they didn't give in their commercial. Let's say you made some iced tea at home with table sugar. What happens next is your body will convert the sugar to glucose, which will cause the pancreas to release insulin. The insulin enables the sugar in the blood to be taken to cells where it is used for energy. This is accompanied by an increase in the production of leptin, a hormone that helps regulate appetite and fat storage. Another reaction to glucose(table sugar) is the reduction of ghrelin a hormone that signals hunger.
Now if you would have had a drink made with HFCS none of these actions would have taken place. Instead fructose is removed and metabolized by the liver and does not cause the release of insulin. The fructose converts to fat. The body doesn't release the hormones leptin and glucose to signal your body that you are full. In the book "Master Your Metabolism" Jillian Michaels wrote about a study done at the University of Pennsylvania that found that women who ate fructose instead of glucose had higher ghrelin levels for up to 24 hours. So you will continue to eat more calories 24 hours later than if you had just table sugar.
Moderation is key. Too much sugar is not good period. My nutritionist suggests a max of 2 tablespoons a day added to your drinks. One thing that I have noticed is that when I cleaned up my diet my craving for sugar has decreased.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Dessert - My Brownie Berry Truffle
My Brownie Berry Truffle
Strawberries
blueberries
brownies
whip cream
BROWNIES
1 stick of butter
1 cup flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
8 oz semisweet chocolate chopped
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 large eggs
preheat oven to 350 degrees
melt butter and chocolate in the microwave safe bowl. Stirring every 30 sec until melted. Add sugar mix, egg mix, flour and cocoa powder, salt.
Pour in 9" square baking pan bake 50 to 60 min.
While brownies are baking, slice 1 quart of strawberries and rinse 1 quart blueberries ,
Mix whipping cream , 2 tsp sugar, 1 tsp vanilla with hand mixer 2-3 minutes. Put in refrigerator until ready to layer.
To make truffle:
Layer
1/2 cooled brownies
1/2 strawberries
1/2 blueberries
1/2 whip cream
repeat layers
Serve or refrigerate.
Enjoy!
Strawberries
blueberries
brownies
whip cream
BROWNIES
1 stick of butter
1 cup flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
8 oz semisweet chocolate chopped
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 large eggs
preheat oven to 350 degrees
melt butter and chocolate in the microwave safe bowl. Stirring every 30 sec until melted. Add sugar mix, egg mix, flour and cocoa powder, salt.
Pour in 9" square baking pan bake 50 to 60 min.
While brownies are baking, slice 1 quart of strawberries and rinse 1 quart blueberries ,
Mix whipping cream , 2 tsp sugar, 1 tsp vanilla with hand mixer 2-3 minutes. Put in refrigerator until ready to layer.
To make truffle:
Layer
1/2 cooled brownies
1/2 strawberries
1/2 blueberries
1/2 whip cream
repeat layers
Serve or refrigerate.
Enjoy!
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