How to Trick Your Family into Eating Spaghetti Squash

I love checking out the recipes on Sandy’s Kitchen.  Sandy lost a bunch of weight on the Medifast plan, and since she loves to cook, Sandy blogs on her Medifast friendly recipes.

Sandy is the proud new mama of a darling baby boy.  And like most mommies, she now gets to lose that added baby weight.  I’ve noticed she is firing up her kitchen kettle and getting creative again!

Everyone who has ever been on a strict diet knows how boring meals can be.  This is especially so when the weight loss plan you are on, or your doctor’s orders, gives you vastly different food choices.

We often perceive these choices as “There’s nothing to eat”.  After all, I certainly will not eat Tofu and I have never been a veggie fan apart from the high carb ones (carrots, peas, potatoes & corn).

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Discover the Secret to Lose Weight With Greek Yogurt

oikos greek yogurt

 

Everybody is talking about Greek Yogurt these days.

Over on Pinterest, there are a bunch of Pins showing how to use Greek Yogurt in usually fattening recipes to bring down the calories.

So, what is this big secret behind losing weight with Greek yogurt?

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Afraid to Give Up Comfort Foods? Relax!

Everyone has heard of comfort foods…those are usually the ones that do us harm like French bread with tons of butter (one of mine).

Is Your Stress Causing You to Eat the Wrong Foods?
Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Remember…when we get those urges, it is an emotional response and the cause is usually some sort of stressor.

Here are some healthy options that help to naturally reduce stress to try when you feel the need for some of your old Comfort Foods coming on.

  1. Swiss Chard  lots of Magnesium, considered an anti-stress mineral.
  2. Cauliflower  high in fiber to promote healthy digestion & elimation.
  3. Spinach  Vitamins A, C, K, folate & Minerals Manganese & Iron.
  4. Pumpkin Seeds  Zinc
  5. Broccoli  Vitamin C and antioxidants
  6. Tuna  Protein and omega-3, a natural anti-inflammatory.
  7. Asparagus  antioxidants & tryptophan (an amino acid used to make serotonin, which helps sleep & healthy mood).
  8. Nutritional Yeast  B vitamins, 15 minerals, boosts metabolism, stabilizes blood sugar and weight loss.
  9. Bell Peppers  High in Vitamin C & dietary fiber.
  10. Parsley  Flavonoids (antioxidant), Vitamins A & C.
  11. Strawberries  Phytonutrients (antioxidants that control inflammation).
  12. Wild Caught Salmon  High in Omega-3.
  13. Coconut Water  High in Potassium & Magnesium.
  14. Sardines Omega-3 & protein
  15. Tulsi Tea/Holy Basil  decreases stress hormones & corticosteroids.
  16. Walnuts High in Omega-3, B Vitamins, magnesium.
  17. Turkey  l-tryptophan, precursor to serotonin.
  18. Beef  Omega-3 & Zinc.
  19. Eggs  high in vitamins, minerals & good fats that help release endorphins.
  20. Cottage Cheese  high in Calcium, protein, & amino acid tryptophan.
  21. Chicken  Protein & amino acids.
  22. Shiitake Mushrooms  Vitamin C.
  23. Carrots  High in Beta-Carotene (antioxidant that supports the immune system).
  24. Green Tea  chlorophyll, anti-inflammatory flavonoids & magnesium.
  25. Kale Vitamin C, Manganese & l-tryptophan.
  26. Blueberries  Anthocyanins (plant nutrients) protect against some chronic stress related diseases.
  27. Sweet Potatoes  Beta-carotene, dietary fiber & potassium.
  28. Extra Virgin Olive Oil  Polyphenols (anti-inflammatory)
  29. Turmeric Curcumin (suppresses inflammation & supports liver health).
  30. Celery  Phthalides (relaxes muscles in the arteries to reduce blood pressure).

Everybody says Stress Kills.

It leads to risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer, digestive problems like ulcers, obesity and many others.

Doctors are always telling us to get healthy, eat right and exercise.

Everyone knows developing healthy eating habits is important.  Unfortunately, most people are not very likely to start eating many of the foods on this list.

We can do a few things.

We can get mentally tough and make up our minds to start eating at least some of these foods.

Check out my blog posts under the recipes section for ideas to incorporate some of these foods.  Hate cauliflower?  Try this Cauliflower Pizza crust recipe I found at Sandy’s Kitchen.

If getting mentally tough is a longer process for you, or just too darned tough, you might want to take a look at Greens, a blend of 38 herbs and nutrient-rich “superfoods” equivalent to 8+ servings of fruits and vegetables.

Greens is a pleasant tasting, orange-flavored powder. Simply add to 8 oz of water or juice.

Live Strong, Live Healthy!

I always love to hear what you have to say.  What are your trigger foods?  Have you incorporated any of the above foods into your diet to help reduce your stress related food cravings?

Remember!…Sharing is Caring!…Please Like, Tweet & Share this post so others can benefit, too!

Believe In Your Success, I Do!
Karen
Skype me! karen.j.miller
Tel: 1.541.484.5455  PST

{Article Source: iVillage Stress No More! Try These 30 Calming Foods}

Eating Ice Cream Can Make You Skinny

I scream, You scream, We all scream for Ice Cream!

Here comes summer!

Maybe you haven’t quite reached your weight goal you set on New Years Day.

Or maybe you just want to keep that weight you’ve lost from ever finding you again.

Wherever you’re at with your weight loss journey, everybody knows how challenging the summer months can be.

We love to wear shorts and swimsuits and most of us would rather not show off the jiggle.

All the fruits, sweet teas and ice cream we love are in abundant supply right now! With these yummy favorites, it is very easy to lose track of how many carbs and calories we are eating with the kids home, camping trips and family BBQs.

How To Eat Your Ice Cream and Still Lose Weight!

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How to survive Pizza Night!

Cauliflower Pizza Crust with Red Sauce & veggies

I love pizza! If you love pizza as much as I do, and you are working on losing weight, I bet pizza night is a huge struggle for you to stay on track!

My pizza night is Friday!

The work week and school week is over and I can relax my schedule for a few days! The best way for me to relax is to let someone else do the cooking and to use paper plates!

When I was a little girl, Dad would take us to Ye Olde Pizza Joint in Hayward, California every Friday night after he got off work. He always worked long hours & this was his little weekly celebration.

The Pizza Joint looked like an old time pub with warm wood paneling, plank tables & benches, a pipe organ and a huge projector screen where old cartoons, Oliver & Hardy, or the Three Stooges played.

It was loud and smelled so good! I enjoyed my pop with a cherry on top while dad had a beer waiting for our pizza. On the way home, it was my job to hold the hot pizza in my lap. It sat on a cardboard square wrapped in aluminum foil. I loved to watch the steam escape through the holes they made in the top of the foil with a fork.

That was the best pizza ever! Can you tell it’s one of my comfort foods?

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What Is VitaMark SuperSoy?

What is VitaMark SuperSoy and What on Earth Do I Do With It?

VitaMark SuperSoy Ground Beef, Beef Strips, Chicken Strips

Everybody’s talking about the heart health benefits of eating soy products.

If a soy meat alternative is something you’ve been wanting to try, but don’t know quite what to do with it, take a look at VitaMark’s SuperSoy family of products.

I wasn’t too sure about it when I ordered my first bag.  I’m a devout carnivore and was not too certain I would like the taste of soy.

Since I was well on my way to meeting my health goal of losing 100+ pounds and getting off of my diabetes and high blood pressure medications, I’ve given it an honest effort and a lot of cooking experimentation.  Here’s what I found out.

The VitaMark SuperSoy products are made with soy flour and a trace amount of corn.  All three varieties, Beef Strips, Chicken Strips and Ground Beef, come in one pound packages at $7.25 each.

The SuperSoy products are fully dehydrated, so the one pound package is a non reconstituted form.

When reconstituted, the one pound package yields about 3.92 pounds of product.  This works out to about $1.85 per pound.  Compare this price to the cost per pound of lean ground beef, lean breast meat (turkey, chicken), or prepackaged soy meat alternatives at the grocery store.

Per Serving Facts

One serving dehydrated is 5/8 cup or 49 gm.  Reconstituted weight is approximately 7 ounces.
When reconstituted with water, a serving contains

  • 140 calories,
  • 1.5 gm fat,
  • 0 gm Cholesterol,
  • 5 mg Sodium,
  • 1212 mg Potassium,
  • 15 mg carbohydrates (this includes 9 gm dietary fiber, making 6 gm net carbs!),
  • 25 gm Protein,
  • 122 mg Isoflavones,
  • 25% DRA Iron,
  • 16% DRA Calcium

Reconstituting Tips

You can reconstitute with plain water or broth.

When using broth you have to be a Nutrition Label Facts Detective!  Broth, like most soups, is very high in sodium.  I like Swanson’s brand of low sodium broths.  I also found an Organic low sodium Chicken broth, Pacific Foods, that has only 80 mg sodium per 1 cup serving.

Reconstitute 1 part liquid to 1 part SuperSoy.  For one serving, I use about 1/2 cup broth for 1/2 cup SuperSoy.

It is very important to make sure you start with boiling hot liquid for the SuperSoy product to reconstitute properly.  I heat the liquid in a microwave for 2 minutes, add the SuperSoy, mix, cover with a lid or plate, let stand for 5 minutes.

OK, Now I Have This Reconstituted, How Do I Cook It And Like It?

I will admit, when I first tried SuperSoy, I was not thrilled with the taste!  But since I am committed to keeping my weight off and staying off of my medications, I determined to find out how to cook it so it was tasty.  Now I eat a SuperSoy meal at least 4 times a week.

SuperSoy products are naturally cholesterol free.  And with only 6 gms of net carbs, are a smart choice for people concerned about their blood sugar.

I post specific recipes under my Recipes Category, so you can check those out as you want to experiment more.

Here is the basic recipe I found, that even my teenagers will eat & not know they are eating soy!

1 – 2 TBL Olive Oil or Canola Oil
1/4 to 1/3 of a chopped sweet onion
1/4 tsp minced garlic
garlic salt to taste
1/2 cup low sodium broth
1/2 cup SuperSoy Chicken or Beef Strips

Reconstitute SuperSoy with broth per directions.
Heat oil in skillet or Wok
Add onion, saute until almost transparent, add garlic, saute about 1 minute.
Add SuperSoy & lightly sprinkle with salt (you can always add more after it is cooked), saute until heated through.
Enjoy!

And that’s all there is to enjoying a heart healthy SuperSoy meal!
Remember to check out more SuperSoy recipes in the Recipes Category!

I’d love to hear your recipes using SuperSoy in the comments section below!

Remember!…Sharing is Caring!…Please Like, Tweet & Share this post so others can benefit, too!

Believe In Your Success, I Do!
Karen Miller
Skype me! karen.j.miller
Tel: 1.541.484.5455  PST

How to Survive Taco Tuesday – Low Calorie Low Carb Taco Recipe

Surviving Taco Tuesday with Low Calorie Low Carb Recipe

Now hear this! I love Taco Tuesdays & I'm not giving up my Tacos!

I love tacos!

My favorite is homemade using corn tortillas filled with seasoned ground beef and cheese then frying them until lightly crispy.

 

You better bring your own, cuz I can eat an entire batch!

When I heard of Taco Tuesdays, I was thrilled! Now I could schedule one of my favorite feasts every week!

But, there was a catch!

All that taco love helped contribute to my weight problems, my diabetes, and my high blood pressure. If you’re focused on living a healthier lifestyle and changing your habits, then I’m sure you’d agree that Taco Tuesdays can derail your plans.

I don’t want to give up tacos completely and since my family still loves tacos, too, I started looking around for healthier ways to enjoy the taco taste. There are two things I have changed…the type of tortilla and the type of meat…to help me enjoy low carb, low calorie tacos!

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Crispy Zucchini Chips

Whoa!

It’s that time of the month again and I am a ravenous chip-craving, salt-licking fiend!  I literally could eat non-stop for about a week if I let go of myself and go for it.

Only women understand the challenges we face with hormones and how they influence our moods, desires and cravings.

Here is a wonderful “Chips” recipe a friend shared with me from the Sandy’s Kitchen Blog.  These are healthy, low carb chips that satisfy the need for crunch with a little salt!

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Mushroom Beef Strips low fat VitaMark SuperSoy Recipe

Through my experimenting with cooking with the VitaMark SuperSoy family of products, I made a really yummy dish this afternoon using the Beef Strips with mushrooms.

one serving VitaMark SuperSoy Beef Strips
2 TBS Canola or Olive Oil
1/4 medium sweet onion, chopped
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 clove minced garlic
1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
salt & pepper to taste

Follow package directions to reconstitute 49 gms (about 1/2 cup) of VitaMark SuperSoy Beef Strips using 1/2 cup of Swanson’s Beef Broth (100% fat free, 50% less sodium, no MSG)

In the mean time, heat oil in skillet on medium heat.  Saute onion, garlic & mushrooms until just soft.

Add reconstituted VitaMark SuperSoy Beef Strips, Worcestershire Sauce, salt & pepper.  Cook until heated through stirring frequently.  I cook the beef strips until they are browned with just a hint of crispness.

Enjoy!

Remember!…Sharing is Caring!…Please Like, Tweet & Share this post so others can benefit, too!

Believe In Your Success, I Do!
Karen Miller
Skype me! karen.j.miller
Tel: 1.541.484.5455  PST

Low Carb Sloppy Joe Recipe

Low Carb Sloppy Joes for the Dieter in the House

Here’s a longtime family favorite for dinnertime that can be jam packed with carbs, fat and loads of calories.

Try out this dieter friendly Sloppy Joe recipe that has a low carb, low fat, & low calorie portion for the dieter while the finicky family eaters get their usual version.

I am the first to admit I am not a great cook.  I also don’t measure ingredients, so you’ll have to pinch here and dash there to try this one out!  When I made this one tonight, I just used what I had in the pantry.  I know you’ve been in that dinner zone before!

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