Loaded Potatoes

I saw an add for loaded potatoes and my mouth started drooling!
There has got to be a healither way to makes these guys right?

I went to the kitchen to find out.  Succeed I did.  The whole family gave it 5 stars.   Here is my recipe for a better loaded potato:

5 potatos washed
1/2 c. plain non-fat Greek yogurt
1/4 c. Habinaro cheese
4 TB reduced sodium real bacon bits
seasoning of choice to taste (I used Ranch flavored popcorn seasoning, or use Mrs Dash no salt seasonings)

Cut potatoes in half and cook in microwave for 6 minutes.  Let cool enough to scoop out most of the potato from the skin and place in a mixing bowl.  Combine all ingredients and mix well.   Fill potato skins with mixture.  *optional- lightly sprinkle more cheese on top.
Place on lined cookie sheet and put in the oven on Broil untill the tops of the potato goldens.
Cool slightly and enjoy!

By substituting the sour cream for Greek yogurt we've reduced fat, calories and added a complete source of protein.  We've keep our cheese in proportion but still enough to taste.  Which is why I used Habinaro cheese, it gives more flavor so you can get away with using less.  And the reduced sodium bacon bits helps keep our salt in check.  So you can enjoy a little better some comfort food.

p.s. We're still heading to www.efficientbody.com just having some glitches thanks for your patience.

Healthy in Heels?

I love heels.

They are so fun, and feminine!  I like to be ruff and tough but I like to be a lady too.

High Heels can be damaging.  We've all heard it.  When we feel pain good is usually not being done.  But damage is.  Will that stop you from wearing heels even if a Dr says so?

I like to say yes but really, no.  I'm still gonna wear heels.

So When I was sent a pair of Dr. Scholl’s^® For Her High Heels Insoles I was excited.  Will they help keep the pain away and thus possibly reduce damage?

I wanted to wear them for awhile before I gave you my diagnosis.  But I do love them.  I will admit they took a couple of trial and error to get them in the right spot-very important.  But then the magic began, I had less pain in my feet.
So If you want to keep your cute heels on a little longer before you get sore feet.  Give these High Heel Insoles a try.  Also see if there are any coupons on-line for your purchase too.

Also as a money saver If you load a special coupon on your Kroger card you can get double fuel points on  Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Simply download the fuel savings digital coupon to your Plus Card, then shop at your neighborhood Kroger store to start earning.   This is a summer only promotion through July 31.  So do your grocery shopping on the weekend and get more bang for your buck.  I've made this picture a link to your coupon for your ease.
Have a healthy and happy week.

I did receive a $5 dollar coupon as incentive to sign up for 2x fuel points.  I received this campaign for being a Bzzagent through BzzAgent.com

How to keep the weight at bay when you're...

Pregnant!

What's a girl to do then when she's

• sick
• vomiting
• nauseated
• temperamental in all things?

It can be really ruff I know.
Really, I know because I'm there.  I'm 11 weeks along and feel worse by the day.
I thought I'd share with you what does help to make me feel better and some tips for keeping your weight in check.

First is to exercise! So many people have asked me if I still do with being pregnant and all.  The answer is a big Yes.  You have to keep your health up, and it's not just your health is your baby's too.  Plus, while exercising I always feel great.  After and before are a different story.  But during-great.  I feel bad before and sometimes during my warm up and I just have to push through and I never regret it.

The only thing to be mindful of is your internal body temperature you don't want your body to overheat that can be dangerous for the baby so if exercising outside wear the right clothes too keep you cool.  Also hydrate extra when you're done.

If your not up for exercising or you've already done it for the day just get your body moving.  Take a walk, weed the garden etc.  If I'm really bad I'll lay down for 15minutes and then I make myself get up and move.  It works, or at least until I stop moving again.

Next is Food!  My normal foods and snack make me vomit.  I don't like things that are potent.  I like plain and mild foods.    Also an empty stomach can make you sick so eat half the portions you normally would, and save the rest for two hours later.
Protein, protein, protein-these are the building blocks of life.  You need a complete protein and quality carb at every meal.  This will keep you and baby healthy and lessen your nausea.   Every time I skip my protein I regret it.  I get really sick

My friend is pregnant too, she is about a month ahead of me.  She was extremely sick.  After making a change to her diet by eating protein and some small carbs at night she started having better mornings.

Yikes, that's a lot of info.  I hope not too much,  I'll share more with you at another time.  Keep up with your health journey no matter where you are.

"Image courtesy of sattva and adamr/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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. 

From the Trenches

I write about what is healthy and what is not, what is good for you and what will bring you down.  I've been educated and I write about health because I know how it feels to have health problems.

So the last couple months have been really ruff on me, and even more so lately.  I have hypothyroidism.  Which in short means that my metabolism does not work like it should.  So I eat and my body can't use the energies, nutirants, etc.  So if you don't use it you...store it.  And the major set back is not having energy.  Two weeks ago I was crying because I was so so so incredibly tired.

It stinks, but that's my cards, and as long as I keep tabs on my condition I can live with it.

So I wanted you to know that my life/body is not perfect either.  I have issues, but I don't let them be excuses. I make them reasons.

Because I have this I exercise to keep my weight in check.  Because I have this I eat healthy so I can keep my skin, hair, nails as good as I can get them.  So I can have energy to at least smile at my kids.

So what ever you may have or what ever condition your body is in just know that I'm in the trenches with you.  And it's a battle that we can't give up on.  Because if we do then things will only get worse.  Only through nutrition and exercise can we have a greater quality of life.  So stick with it, push through it.  I'm with ya. You wont' regret it.

Image courtesy of graur codrin/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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