Conveniently Healthy

I received a Kroger challenge to test out the taste and convince of Kroger brand products specifically their summer goods like chips and soda.

Everyone knows that convenience foods are not health foods so I took the challenge but wanted to see how well I could do this being health conscious.

I received vouchers for hamburgers, buns, chips, and soda, and off I went.

We started out with slider burgers on 100% whole wheat buns.  What is a slider you ask?  Its a mini hamburger.  Which is perfect, perfect I tell you.  For two reasons, one is keeps our portions in control.  It allows us to enjoy it with out overkill.  Two, it's also a convenient size for kids.  You don't have to give them a half a burger that will fall apart, or a hot dog full of composite pieces.
I topped it with fresh cilantro and lettuce from my garden and had a deliciously portioned burger.

Next we found whole grain chips, which are nothing special as to health but if my kids are going to eat chips I'd rather they be whole grain. (or those Green Giant chips still take all!)

For the soda, well I was not going to let me or my kids have that, so we bought Kroger Fruit Punch instead.  Wow was that a mistake.  I did a major no, no and didn't read the label.  It had a whopping 47 grams of sugar.  Lemonade didn't seem much better either.  Next time we do a picnic or have a special occasion drink I'll just get them juice in a can or something.

I also added watermelon and grapes to our meal.

Everything was well priced and tasted very good. My family all left the table happy and satisfied.
 I was surprised to find out that they had Turkey burgers too, for a low fat option. So I hope this helps you find quick yet more healthier options for your picnic and outing this summer. 

Is Greek Yogurt Better than Regular?

I started training a new client this last month, and as we were discussing her diet greek yogurt and traditional yogurt came up.

First off let me warn you about traditional yogurt.  It deviously houses around 26g of sugar per serving!!!   Yikes.  At 24g of sugar you can eat a full sized Twix bar.   Yes, that's right traditional yogurt has the same amount of sugar as candy bars do.  Don't do it.  Bad, bad, bad! 

Opt for the plain versions.  Which honestly don't taste good unless you mix it with things.  Such as frozen berries, granola and a pinch of honey.

Now going greek.  What is it exactly?  Greek yogurt has been strained longer, making it thicker, reducing some sugar, and thus resulting in more protein per serving.

So good right?  Well not so fast.  We have the same problems with greek as we do traditional...fat and sugars.  Both vary by brand.  Some brands had 29g of sugar and 8g of fat.  If your watching your waistline these would not be the things to eat.


If weight maintenance or loss is a goal for you then go greek plain non-fat. 

Why plain?  If it's flavored that's where all the extra sugars come in.  The only way to reduce the harmful junk is to take out those flavoring syrups.

The greek's thicker creamer texture is great for making creamsicles, dressings, substitutions for sour cream, mayonnaise and more.  It is a great option but only if  you stay informed.  Make sure you compare labels before putting it in your shopping cart.

I ended up with Stonyfield Organic Greek plain yogurt after comparing what was at my local supermarket.
130 cal, 9g of sugar, 0g fat, 23g protein-love that large protein amount.

 

Image courtesy of Master isolated images, Grant Cochrane and Aduldej/
FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Why a Juicer Can be Bad for Your Health

Lots of my friends, knowing I'm into health, told me about their juicers they've recently bought.
I became envious, hearing of their tales of giving their children carrot juice for breakfast, or just blending veggies together for a great health drink.

I was at my neighbor's garage sale when low and behold there new in box was a juicer!  I "stewed" for a short while and then grabbed faster than you can say zucchini. Took it home and started juicing.

I put in in all the half eaten fruit and veggies from my kids lunch and made them drink it.  They enjoyed it, and the machine worked really fast and great no problems.

I'm sad to say I didn't notice the problem before I bought the machine.  I actually had to use it and see for myself what it really does before it clicked.

When you put food into the juicer it puts the juice into a small pitcher and then puts everything else into a large container.  What this everything else?  It's fiber, carotenoids, flavonoids, macro and micronutrients and more.  What it does is take a whole food-which is as healthy as food can be, and pulls lots of the good stuff out till were left with only the juice.  These machines are so good they make all juice pulp free.

When we pick and choose what part of the food we eat that is when we start to have problems.

Problems like celiacs, diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and about 100 other diseases that can be prevented.

Left in the container I had food that I would have normally eaten.  Even when I make my green smoothies I keep the ingredients whole and just blend them up.

Sure you can get smart with your left over ingredients, like putting them in soups or salads.  But your still missing great health benefits if you don't use those leftovers at the same meal.  All the components need to be in place at digestion of that food.  Not a day or even a meal later.  All nutriants are codependent on each other meaning that nutritional ­benefits of each part are reinforced by the other parts.


My recommendation is to eat whole foods as much as possible and use juice only for special occasions.  If you want to drink it, use a blender so all pieces are still intact.


p.s. The only ingredients I found that did not work well in the blender is carrots or large amounts of kale.

Image courtesy of John Kasawa / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Coconut Water Friend or Foe?

A few moths ago a fried of mine asked me if I drink coconut water.  I was shocked and confused by her question.  I admitted that I did not.  She told me it was very healthy and all stores now sell it in the health food section.
Recently I was reading on a health blog and again they were talking of coconut water.  They said coconut water is full of "potassium and electrolytes."  That right there flew up a red flag for me.  Potassium is an electrolyte!  This blog obviously was not as high up on the nutrition know how as I thought.

This reaffirmed my previous thinking that coconut water may indeed be a health fad.  But before I was to take stance on the matter I asked myself: What do I know about coconut water?

I lived in the country, right on the shore of Oahu for 4 years.  The locals, to tease tourist, would break open a coconut and let them drink the water.  Many times the tourists would spit it right out.  Its a different taste in its fresh and pure form.  After the laughs were over they would then tell of its "natural powers," i.e. laxative, horrifying them that their evening would not consist of dancing on the beach but sitting on the porcelain thrown.

But indeed that is more what I've been told and seen, than what I know.  Many people confuse the two and that's how fads get started or how people can say potassium and electrolytes.

What do we know:

• The coconut water is indeed packed with electrolytes so its great to replenish depleted stores. But lacks appropriate amounts protein and carbohydrates needed for recovery after vigorous exercise (meaning an hour or more).
• It's fairly high in natural sugars which is hard for many people to digest. 
• Natural diuretic (so sensitive to sugars or not you will be "releasing" more.)
• We know that packaged coconut water has added sodium in it.-watch out.
• We know that Nothing is as good for you packaged and processed over fresh. -lots of nutrients are destroyed and lots of bad added in to preserve.
• Some comes in Flavors which adds processed sugar.- not good.

So those are the facts.  My thinking is moderation in all things.  I'm not going to hype over it, nor am I going to never use it.  I'll stick to only fresh, and in small amounts as needed.  Such times when your low in electolytes like pregnacy and summer workout sessions.

What are your thoughts, and experiences with coconut water?

Super Tracker

Short and swimsuit weather is almost here!

Oh the fun of summer.

Adventure and fresh air!

If your like me you've put on some winter weight.
How to get it off?  We all know the answer.  Eat right and exercise.
If we know then why is it hard?  That's easy too.  There are hundreds of different eating lifestyles.  Paleo, vegan, veggitarian, whole foodist, low-carb.


Which works, which is safe?  Your ready for these answers if you already eat "good."  Meaning whole grains, little to no processed foods and you eat up your vegetables on a regular basis.

Most people are not there though.  And that's OK.  We are not seeking perfection just progress so to get you progressing and on your way to eating "good," I give you...

SuperTracker 

This is a tool designed by the government to help you learn to balance your daily food intake and physical activity.

It is a state-of-the-art, free, online resource designed to help individuals who want to make lifestyle changes.

This will give you a personalized plan to meet your food and beverage needs

and guide you to make better choices.

Give it a try and see how your doing on your way to health.

Green Smoothies-Beginner level recipe

Wow, there was such a response from my last Green Smoothies post!  So I'd thought I'd do a follow up post to answer all your questions.

 

Kids even not my own loved the smoothies and popsicles

Green Smoothies are great!  They can naturally lower your weight, give you better skin, and loads more energy.
Why?
Because your giving your body what it needs and wants with no junk.  That's it plain and simple.

There are different "levels" of Green Smoothies.  The first one I tried was an advanced smoothie.  It had celery, spinach, lettuce and more in it.  Celery is a strong and fairly sharp flavor, that along with multiple greens in it make it more of an acquired taste.

If you've eaten clean and healthy for years then by all means jump in and go advanced.  If your new on the health path or if your hesitant then try a beginner recipe.

Here is the recipe I give my clients when they try them for the first time:

1c. water
1 c. frozen blueberries (or fresh)
2 c. Fresh baby spinach (must be fresh and don't pack it down, keep it light and fluffy)
1 TB Honey

-Blend well and sip.

This is a delightful recipe and no one has yet guessed there is spinach in it.

The intermediate level you add in Kale, and or cucumber to various fruits such as  apples, bananas, pineapple, and pears.




Once your pallet is used to that, add in other healthy fun stuff:
flax seeds, or milled fax
chia seeds
protein powder
avocados
almonds
almond milk

Experiment, the world is yours, and you'll be healthier for it.

Green Smoothies

I've been playing around with Green Smoothies lately, and I must say I'm liking them quite a bit!
The first recipe I used was not the greatest and it made 3 servings- they forgot to mention that.  So I made the rest into popsicles and ice cubes.

This was is where my world went very very right.
I had the munchies yesterday and I didn't want to eat anything I'd regret so I pulled out a green popsicle and my kids' eyes were bulging with envy!

So I gave them one and figured they would say it's gross and put it down.
Nope, they gobbled up that spinach, celery, lettuce, apple, pear popsicle like it was nothin'
Amazing!
To amaze you further after breakfast the next day they asked for more.  Shocked and awe.  So I made more which I will give them after their naps.

The secret with new food always seems to be presentation.  I had it and didn't offer it to them, they got to "want it" first.  Another thing to try is maybe bust these out on St. Pateriks Day.

We will now made these magic popsicles daily and they can have them morning, noon or night.
Win-win right?

DIY Baby Food

We all know preservatives are really really bad for you.

Have you thought about what you giving your babies?  Commercial baby food has to be processed and preserved.  That precious little thing is so fresh and young, and what do we do? Shove preservatives in their mouth- usually unintentionally, we just don't think about those things.

Not only that but the mark up on baby food?! Ridiculous!!!

It's not hard or really time consuming to DIY, not to mention so cheap. All you need is a blender (or even better a magic bullet or equivalent) and your baby can have fresh nutritious food in flash.

It only takes about 2-3 minutes.  Fill the bullet with a bit of water and add veggies.  Steam them in the microwave and blend. -That easy.

Or you can make a big batch and fill ice cube trays.  When frozen dump 'em out into a zip-lock bag.  Label the bag. -Repeat with more fruit and veggies.

Parents has created this easy guide to help along the way if you need it.  If you have a baby check it out.

May your baby be healthy too!

Protein Bread

Remember our talk on protein? The importance of complete proteins in you diet?

Well here is a video recipe for Maple Apple bread.  This recipe used brown rice and garbanzo bean flour (milled by my Nutramill) which together creates a complete source of protein.

You can use other flours too, but to get the complete protein you need to combine flours.
It's easy, take a look...

Getting your Omega 3's

Omega Fatty Acids are an essential part of the diet.  But most people don't consume food that are high in the omegas. Of the Omegas, 3's, are the most neglected.  That's why most health enthusiast supplement this vital oil.

To help you in your quest for health I bring you a recipe I make often for my family to make sure they are growing up getting more of the essential stuff.
These are popsicles we have dubbed "Healthy Pops"

 Take 3/4 cups of 100% Orange Juice and mix it with 3 TB fish oil blend aka omega 3's. (I use doTERRA IQ Mega found here)  Then add 1 TB of Grenadine (or to taste).  Mix well.

 Pour into popsicle molds or ice cube trays and freeze.

Viola!  Your on you way to a healthy and happy day.

Grains, Grains, Gains

I now have my grain mill, the Nutramill, and love it!
Life is so much more healthy now.  I can cut out so much crud just by making everything from scratch.
Not only is junk reduced but vitamin and nutrient content goes up with out all the scientific additives in commercial flours.
Here is a short video showing you how easy it is.

These are some of the flours I've made.

Beans

Brown Rice

Corn

Later this month I'll show you bread, cookies, and calzones.

Hydrate your day

The British have a substantially lower obese population.  We could monologue for quite some time as to why that is, but lets not.  Instead let look at one example of good health habits they poses: Tea Time.

The concepts of small meals often accompanied with a focus on drinks or as I like to look at it hydration.   

The small meals  keep your blood sugar from dropping, and the hydration keeps the metabolism, the organs everything functioning well. We've all heard of it, and even discussed snacks and water here at the EfficientBody Diary.

But, let me ask you.  Do you do it?  Why and why not?

Not fun? Not a habit?  Let's make it both.

For today we will focus on hydration. Tea, coffee and other drinks can disguise sugars, fats and other junk.  So lets stick with water and add some pizazz.

Cucumber Basil.

This sounds weird but really is refreshing.  1 cup of water with 3 thinly sliced cucumbers and one fresh basil leaf. (still is wonderful without Basil)

Mango Raspberry

I don't need to explain this one-yum!  1 cup water with 2 TB. mango nectar and 2 TB. frozen raspberries.

Cinnamon Basil

This one I like warn for those cold days.  1 cup water with 1 basil leaf, 1 cinnamon stick, microwave for 1-2 minutes. (You can also use 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon, but the spice will float around)

Remember is flavored water not a shake or smoothie so the taste is more mild but still pleasurable.
Bring some of these ingreadiants to work and have enjoyable sips all day long.
At home? Fill up a water bottle and tote it around where ever you go.

With this being fun and enjoyable your more likely to sick with it and thus creating a habit.
Play around with your favorite ingredients.

Nutrimill

So I decided on the Nutrimill, because I'd take bulky over something that I could easily damage.  I'm not a very delicate person.  Quite clumsy in all aspects.  This one seemed more durable and me-proof.
Another reason I chose it is because it produces a finer flour that the Wonder Mill and that is very important in making a good all-purpose flour.
I'll test it out when it comes and let you know how it rides.

 And here is your workout I promised.  It's a New Year's theme.  We do 10 different exercises back to back in a countdown fashion.  Repeat this 3 times through.  This is the first routine that will be part of your 2 month plan.  More details to come.  For now gives this a go. Be fit, and have fun!

 

p.s.  To make things easier for you Pin the top picture to your health and fitness board so you can quickly find this routine whenever you want to do it.

Grain Mill

Happy New Year's Eve! 
To kick off the new year I have a great workout for you (coming Thursday).  You'll love it.  It's gonna tone your butt, abs, and legs.

For now I wanted to continue about whole grains.  The best and most nutritious way to eat grains is to mill them yourself.  This method is also the cheapest. (yea!)  And don't be alarmed it's not hard to do.  My 4-year-old could do it.

These seem to be the top two on the market right now:

The Wonder Mill

And the Nutrimill.

The Wonder is known for its LG motor, small design, and ease of use
 The Nurtimill brags very fine flours, ultra quiet, and large capacity of 22 cups of flour.

But deepening my research on the two and which one I should get I discovered many things:

1. Both are quiet (for a mill) only 1-2 debacle difference between the two.
2. The small design of the Wonder Mill is only a few inches shorter (2.5") than the Nurtimill, but the Nutrimill has lots more depth due to it's large capacity.
3. Watching the Wonder Mill in action I concluded that it's not that easy to use.  The demonstrators had to put substantial effort into connecting and disconnecting the parts together. Then one lady was knocking her mill over because it was so light weight.
4. The Wonder Mill can only be used in the following order: Turn on, mill completely, then turn off.  If you turn off the mill during the process it will break, and won't be covered under warranty.  I didn't think that would be a bid deal but a lots of people said that if the hose wasn't connected properly then flour would spill every where and they'd panic and turn off the mill thus breaking it.
5. The Wonder Mill is faster on the "fine" grain setting, but the Nutrimill was finer on the "fine" setting.
6. Nurtimill brags a low temperature process, as to not kill as much nutrients as others, but the Wonder Mill kept up with this and actually beat it by a small amount in an at home test.
7. Nirtimill seemed to produced a bit more mess than the Wonder Mill.
8. The Wondermill comes with a lid so you can store your flour in the container it was milled in.*note: fresh flour has to be refrigerated or frozen.  Fresh flour will otherwise go rancid. So only mill what you'll use in a few days or freeze the rest.

Both seem to be good mills.  I don't think I could go bad either way, it just comes down to preferance and what works for you.

Summery

Wonder Mill:
Pros: quiet, compact, low heat, fine mill. Cons: Complicated design.
Nutrimill:
Pros: quiet, low heat, simple design, very fine mill, large capacity. Cons: bulky, slightly messy.

Next time I'll let you know what mill I chose.
May you have a healthy New Year!

 

A New Year, a New You

Operation Catwoman is long over and I had plans for a new and grand operation but alas my plans have been set back.  Which is quite timely because the New Year is upon us.  90% of Americans seem to all have the same resolution: Be healtiher.

So let's do it!  Operation New You is here.  The second thing I always tell people when starting our is: exercise and start eating whole grains.  What's so bad about the "white stuff"?  Let me tell you:

Flours, pastas, baked goods etc. that use refined flours are deficient in MANY essential vitamins and minerals.  Sure when their done with the refining process the toss in a few select vitamins but that's no where near what it should be and it's usually a scientific derivative.  This leads to diseases such as celiacs (gluten intolerance), diabetes and others.

So WHY?  Why did all food companies decide to cross over to the dark side?  Well, it was unintentional.   Scientist found that by removing parts of the grain such as the Germ and the Bran from wheat that it could be preserved longer.  So they did it, and loved it.  Less spoilage meant more profits and less stress when things were shipped.  What they didn't know then is that they would be causing lots of grief for the next generations.

Now that this is known there has been a major push to whole grains.  About two-three years ago General Mills cereals started labeling their boxes "made with whole grains."  Lots of people flocked to Lucky Charms, and Frosted Flakes because of it.  Well people got smarter.  Yes it had whole grains in it, but not much!  As health advocates lectured on this deception. General Mills finally stepped it up and they now read "whole grain first ingredient." Which is a lot better.  I'll save wither they're good for you or not for another day.

These refined grains are known as "empty calories."  Think of it this way a tablespoon of sugar has the same number of calories as an orange.  But what's the difference?  For one the orange has natural sugars in it and two, it's filled with valuable nutrients.  So empty calories is just putting calories into your body with nothing else going for ya.

This is a brief summery of the importance of whole grains. (not to mention the anti-parasitic and caner properties)
So try to make the switch, do it gradually so you can get accustom to the new taste and texture. Try mixed blends of white and wheat first.  We'll talk more about this.