Vegetarian Thanksgiving November 17, 2010

Just because you are vegetarian doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy Thanksgiving like the rest of the family. There are plenty of vegetarian options you can take – for instance, substituting turkey for Tofurky is one great option and there’s plenty to go around the table. One Tofurky costs about $10 at Trader Joe’s and feeds up to 6 people. Also try adding extra vegetables to the stuffing rather than meat, and you’ve got a great healthy, meat-free Thanksgiving.

This stuffing recipe is great to have with Tofurky, and other vegetarian casseroles.

Vegetarian Stuffing

• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 3 stalks of celery, finely chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
• 1 (4.5) can of mushrooms, drained
• 1 clove of garlic, crushed
• 1 can (10.5) of condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 1 and 1/2 cup corn flake crumbles
• salt and pepper to taste (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and lightly grease the bottom of a casserole dish

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, and then saute the onions, celery, bell pepper, mushrooms and garlic until tender. Season with salt and pepper and add in the flakes and soup. Transfer to the prepared casserole dish.

Bake for 30 minutes in the pre-heated oven until golden brown.
Now enjoy your vegetarian stuffing and not even miss a beat of Thanksgiving dinner.

Sleep: the essence of tomorrow March 15, 2010

Even animals need sleep (My boyfriend and I found our cat sleeping in the bed).

It’s final—we are not getting enough sleep. Between running to school, work, fitting in exercise, household chores, putting the kids to bed or walking the dog, sleep seems to be put on the back-burner. Not having the right amount of sleep not only wears you down, but it can affect your performance at work, relationship with friends and family, concentration and health.

After speaking to some college students at the University of Cincinnati, I found that a majority of those I interviewed only get on average, 4-6 hours of sleep a night…if they’re lucky that is.  Some people like UC student Laura Schiele have a rough time getting sleep in because of her busy life-style. “On average, I get about 5 hours of sleep a night,” she said, “I work and go to school full-time so that cuts sleep out a lot.” Other students like UC Student Desire Bennett say she gets “about 5-6 hours of sleep each night. Mostly because I am up late doing homework and I usually get up early to go to work,” she said.  This seems to be the case for many people, including myself.

Insomnia is another problem for many people. Some people just can’t sleep because they’re stressed, busy or they are not following good sleep guidelines. Sleep guidelines? Wait, what sleep guidelines? There are some factors that increase the risks of sleep insomnia: Starring at a computer late at night, watching TV, exercising and completing household chores one hour or less before bed are all some factors that can lead to insomnia. So the guidelines are…don’t do these things before sinking into your bed at night. UC student Sara Robinson usually gets 4-6 hours of sleep a week! “I’ve always been an insomniac and college doesn’t help,” Robinson said, “Usually I start homework after work/class (I get home pretty late) and by the time I’m done it’s like 2 am or 3 am. Then I get up around 8.” UC Student Anna Staursky also feels she may have a mild case of insomnia. She only gets about 3-5 hours of sleep a night, “or sometimes I don’t sleep at all” she said.

Lack of sleep can lead to weight gain. There are studies that have proved this statement. There was a recent study posted on sleepfoundation.org website just last week: Lack of sleep can increase belly fat. How? Staying up late and/or not having enough sleep each night releases an evil chemical in your body: the hormone that makes your body want food. While the hungry-hippo-hormone is released, the hormone that suppresses your hunger goes away. Inconvenient, isn’t it?  So sleep deprivation can easily lead to weight gain. I asked some UC students if they feel more or less hungry when they are hittin’ the books late at night. 8 out of 11 said they tend to snack more often at night and some of them say they more often choose to snack on comfort foods such as chocolate, chips and pretzels. “When I did not watch what I was eating,” said Schiele, “I would munch on chips, sunflower seeds, and finger foods. But now I know how to control that!” UC student Stephanie Fuhr said, “The later it gets, the more I find myself snacking. If I’m up late I usually want something crunchy like pop corn or pretzels.” Megan Groves, a soon-to-be UC graduate said, “I definitely tend to snack on junk food if I’m burning the midnight oil late into the morning,” she said, “Mostly my overeating/junk food habits seem to stem from my tendency to comfort eat when stressed, and the fact that I don’t have as much time to spend cooking healthy meals while in school.”

So, what can we do to prevent lack of sleep? It may be easier said than done, but it CAN be done. Not everyone is a college student with crazy school and work schedules, but you still have just as many challenges to overcome. So here’s how to get your recommended 7-8 hours of sleep a night:

What’s For Dinner? March 3, 2010

So I asked some of you to dig up your old family recipes you had piled beneath last month’s mail.  At the end of each recipe, I threw in a couple recommendations to make them a little healthier. I look forward to trying each and every one of your recipes, and sharing some of my own. Enjoy!

Creamy Cool Mexican Salad with Great Northern Beans from: Lori Bornstein

Lori said, “Sounds healthy to me!!!”

• 1 48-ounce jar Randall Great Northern Beans, drained and rinsed
• 8 ounces plain low-fat yogurt
• 1 cup cholesterol free, reduced calorie mayonnaise
• 1 1/4 ounce (1 package) taco seasoning mix
• 8 ounces shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 bunch green onions (with some tops), sliced on diagonal
• 2 cans (2 1/4 ounces each) sliced ripe olives, well-drained
• 4 ounces (1 can) diced green chilies, well drained

Rinse beans with cold water, drain well.
In small bowl, combine yogurt, mayonnaise, and taco seasoning; mix well. Set aside.
In large bowl, combine beans, cheese, green onions, olives, and chilies. Add dressing; mix well.
Serve on shredded lettuce topped with tomato wedges.
Make 6 to 8 servings.

This sounds delicious! This would be great with some organic tortilla chips from Trader Joes. I got a one pound bag for under $3. Make sure you use light salad dressing too! A light-chipotle vinaigrette would work great I think.

How to Not Over-eat February 22, 2010

It’s easy to reach for a second helping and it’s hard NOT to reach for a second helping. This is where I think many of us get into trouble with over-eating. When your first plate of fettuccine alfredo tasted so good, how can you not get a second helping?

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Number One: One way to avoid the deadly pitfall of over-eating is to substitute your alfredo with something that is good for you; like a green vegetable. If you are still hungry after your first plate, fill up your second plate with fresh vegetables such as broccoli, asparagus, edamame, green beans, or spinach. The fiber and goodness in the veggies will fulfill your needs, and ta-dah! You just consumed fewer calories. Make your pasta dish even more delicious by mixing in the vegetables with your first helping. This will fill you up so you don’t even have to worry about coming up for seconds.

Number Two: It is ok to eat your favorite comfort food every now and then.  If your comfort food are chocolate chip cookies, I believe you should have a cookie. Just a few, not the whole bag. It will satisfy your cravings so you don’t go crazy and indulge in bad foods later on that day, or worse, at the end of the week! (I say it’s worse at the end of the week because if your holding back your food craving all week and go crazy on Friday, I promise you will not wake up feeling well on Saturday. Trust me).  You can always make your comfort food healthier too. If you are a fettuccine lover, substitute your pasta with whole-wheat pasta, add some broccoli, and top it with light fettuccine alfredo sauce. (Yes, they make this stuff–it’s  lower in calories and fat. I buy it at Kroger). I heard that substituting apple sauce for oil in your bakery goods is great too.

Number three: Another way to avoid over-eating is to eat at the dinner table. When you are sitting in front of the computer or television while eating your meal, you tend to eat more than your body asked for. Why? When your concentrating on what is on TV or who is on Facebook, you can easily forget how much food is going in your stomach. If you socialize at the dinner table, you actually enjoy your food and  are more likely to eat less because you are concentrating on what is on your plate. It takes your mind about 20 seconds to send the “I’m full” signal to your stomach. If you eat slower, then you will realize you are full. Eating too fast does not give your brain enough to time to tell you stomach it’s had enough. By that time, it is too late.

I believe that moderation is key. Yes I know that phrase is cliché, but it’s true. Eating in moderation is healthy and teaches your body self-control. Once you can control what is going in your stomach, it will become easier and easier. Don’t fill up your stomach every time you eat; stop when you are content. Your stomach shrinks when you are not constantly filling it up to where you are uncomfortable. Give your body what it needs, not more, not less.

Veggie Chili February 6, 2010

A vegetarian diet is healthy; some people think it is not because vegetarians do not intake the correct amount of protein.  You just need to go about it the RIGHT way. I became a vegetarian about 2 years ago, and it’s one of the best decisions I made. I feel healthier and more energetic. A vegetarian diet is good for you because many vegetarian foods are lower in calories, trans fats, saturated fats, cholesterol, and can give you more sustainable energy (from nuts, seeds, whole grains). The American Heart Association explains more on vegetarianism. http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4777.

If you just CAN’T give up the meats, that is ok. Stick with skin-less chicken (grilled, not fried), fish, and lean meats, but don’t forget your fruits and veggies! Speaking of veggies, I have a delicious Vegetarian Chili recipe for you! If you’re not into meat-less options, I promise you will forget this chili is meat-less. I joined two different recipes (meatlessmondays.com, allrecipes.com)  and then added a few things myself. I make it about once a week, and even my meat-loving household enjoys it:)

Ingredients:

• 2 cans crushed tomatoes
• 2-3 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 2 tsp. oregano
• salt and pepper (optional; use sea salt)
• 1/2-1 tsp creole seasoning (depends how spicy you like it!)
• 1 can red kidney beans
• 1 can garbanzo beans
• 1 can black beans
• 1 can whole corn
• 1 sweet onion
• 2-4 sticks of celery
• 1 green pepper
• 1 pack meatless-ground (Kroger, Trader Joe’s, Whole foods)
• vegetable stock
• 2-3 garlic cloves
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  

1.) Saute onions, celery, and green pepper in a skillet with a little extra virgin olive oil. Saute until golden brown.

2.) While your veggies are cookin’ in the skillet, rinse beans and corn in a strainer then dump into a 5 quart pot.

3.) Add the rest of your ingredients (including celery, onions, and pepper) into the pot; Mix in vegetable stock last. Pour it in slowly. (If you want thicker chili, add less stock. For thinner chili, add the whole can, why not).

4.) Mix your chili well, then cook it on the stove top on MEDIUM heat for 1 hour-1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.

5.) Finally, eat and enjoy:) It serves 8-10 people. It’s great with low-fat cheese and lite sour cream! If you like it spicy, hot sauce  works out great.

This is a low-fat, high fiber, high protein meal. With the meatless ground, it tastes just like meat! You won’t even know the difference. When I make a pot of this recipe, it lasts my household all week. It’s a cheap meal too! I usually find the cans of beans and corn for 70 cents or less at Kroger, and the meatless ground is less than $3 at Trader Joes. If you have any questions, feel free to ask! Now eat up and enjoy!

Diet Foods Bad? January 22, 2010

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So you decide you want to start eating good. You go to the grocery store begin buying low-fat goods. Low fat crackers for your low-fat Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom soup, wheat bread, and low-fat yogurt. What you don’t realize is, these are ALL bad diet choices.

Products such as regular saltine crackers, are naturally low in fat anyway. They are not the best for you because it contains  unbleached white flour, but buying low-fat or fat-free saltine crackers are not going to help… at all. When a product like this (naturally low in fat) has a twin that is lower in fat, that means other bad ingredients are added to it, making this low-fat cracker taste better;  ingredients such as more salt, sugar, and carbohydrates. All those things are bad for your health. Instead of eating regular crackers, go for the whole wheat crackers laying right next to the Saltines screaming “pick me! pick me!” They are also naturally low in fat, but minus the additives, high sodium, and sugar. Plus whole grain=good carbs giving you good energy. Which brings me to my next point.

You’re picking out some wheat bread. STOP! Wheat bread is another bad choice because it’s made with refined wheat products which really isn’t much better for you than white bread. You want to look for whole grain/whole wheat breads; they’re  loaded with fiber (about  3 grams per slice) which keeps you fuller longer, so you don’t indulge later. But be careful,  you still need to pay attention to the ingredients. Some manufacturers sneak the enemy into those whole grain products: high fructose corn syrup. We’re gonna just call it the enemy. The enemy is hidden in many products like sodas, fruit drinks, granola bars, and breads. It is a hidden sugar that may lead to obesity if you eat enough of it. Sugar is just as bad for you as fat is! So if you see the enemy in your whole wheat bread ingredients, your bread is corrupted;  switch it out for bread without the enemy. Whew!

   So many low-fat items are packed with extra sugars, carbs, preservatives, and salt.  When you go to buy low-fat foods, make sure it is low in everything else too. When you buy yogurt, buy the low-fat plain yogurt. Other yogurt with fruit-at-the-bottom, or original flavored yogurt have extra sugar. To spice up you plain-old-healthy-low-fat-yogurt, add some honey in it and fresh strawberries! Honey is a good sugar because its natural. (I even put honey in my coffee and oatmeal!) Another enemy to look out for is partially hydrogenated oils which is a hidden trans fat also found in many low-fat items. Trans fat raises the level of bad cholesterol which can lead to heart disease.

Stick with natural, organic products and avoid processed and starchy ones. If you can’t understand the ingredients in your bread, don’t buy it.