Just a few tips of thing I have read and learned

[April B.]

Just a few tips of thing I have read and learned.

Skipping meals and cutting calories will not improve your body; it will hinder your fat burning.

According to the American Heart Assoc. ‘Women should eat at least 1,200 calories per day, men should eat at least 1,500.'

For a safe weight loss you should not loss no more then 1-2 pounds per week.

Keep a food diary.
I have found that writing down what I eat is, one of the best ways to head off poor food choices and useless calories.

I have found this be true and helpful.
As you eat, put down your utensil or piece of food between bites. This simple pause will keep you from inhaling what's on your plate, and give you time to get in touch with how full or hungry you really are.

I try to drink a glass of water before lunch and dinner, as well as throughout the meal.
Not only does this ensure that you get the water you need, it also takes the edge off those hunger urges.

I have found that taking one small step a day to improve my diet and workout habits, has been beneficial on how quickly I am reaching my goal.

Exercise for at least 10 minutes.
But listen to your body, If at any point you feel exhausted, give yourself permission to stop.


Less strenuous activities, when performed for longer periods of time, are just as beneficial as vigorous activities.

Exercise is an important part of any weight-loss program, just get yourself moving.
Example: listen to some music and dance a little while you are cleaning house or doing dishes.

I have read and learned that the more you sit, the more you need to move. Movement pumps oxygen throughout the bloodstream so it can nourish the joints and surrounding soft tissues.

A basic guideline is to exercise at a level that allows you to talk and sweat at the same time. If you can't talk, you're exercising too hard and should slow down.


Set your mind on a attainable goal, for example I will only eat Potato Chips one day a week or I will only have 1 cup of coffee today instead of the whole of pot.
Tell yourself you can do it.
Be sure to praise yourself when you make progress.

If you slip up or hit a plateau, as you invariably will, don't beat yourself up.
Remember, if you truly want to accomplish a goal, whether it's losing five pounds or 50, you can do it.

I like to Imagine myself without those extra pounds, with a tighter tummy and more muscle tone in all the places I want it most.
I post positive reminders such as "You can do it!" or "You deserve to feel good!"

I have read and found to be true.
Don't eat right before bedtime.
When you are in a truly deep and restful sleep, your body functions slow down, which means you won't burn fuel as efficiently. Allow three hours between your last meal and the time you go to bed.

Learn how to relax. Since stress causes many people to overeat, it's important to ease your anxieties when you're trying to lose weight.
I for example, I like to take a long bubble bath, read a good book or take a slow walk.
Think positive thoughts.

Be good to yourself and be safe about it.
If you're starting a new diet or a workout regimen, check with your doctor.

[April B.]

Heart Healthy Cooking Tips

Meats:

Trim the visible fat from meat and remove all the skin from
poultry.

When roasting meats, use a rack so that the meat does not sit in the drippings while cooking.

Low temperature roasting (325 - 350 F) is recommended in order to cook more fat out of the meat.

Instead of basting with pan drippings, keep meat moist by pouring wine, fruit juice, tomato juice or broth over the meat.

When using the meat drippings, remember to remove the fat first. Try a gravy separater.

Broil rather than pan-frying meats like hamburger.

Avoid breading meats, so the fat from the meat does not get trapped in-the bread crumbs.

When making gravy, use a flour and water or cornstarch and water for thickening rather than roux (flour and butter mixture)

Try ground turkey in recipes instead of ground beef.

Invest in Teflon or Silverstone coated pans to eliminate the need for butter and/or oil to prevent sticking.

Refrigerate stews and chili to solidify the fat for easy removal.
This method also increases flavor by blending the herbs and spices.


Vegetables:

Make vegetables more tempting by adding herbs and spices instead of using butter.

Some examples may be:

- Rosemary with peas, cauliflower and squash
- Dill with green beans and carrots
- Marjoram with brussel sprouts, carrots and spinach

Check your favorite cookbook for more suggestions!

Soups:

Defat soup stock and use additional herbs and spice to yield a flavorful soup.

Use skim milk or evaporated skim milk instead of whale milk or cream called for in many creamy soups.

Use Casserole Sauce Mix instead of condensed soup mixes in your favorite recipes.

Recipe as follows:

Casserole Sauce Mix

2 c instant non-fat dry milk
3/4 c cornstarch
1/4 c instant salt-free chicken bouillon
2 TB dried onion flakes
1 tsp. dried basil (optional)
1 tsp. dried thyme (optional)
1/2 tsp. pepper

Combine all ingredients.
Store in airtight container.
Makes 3 cups of concentrate, which is equivalent to nine 10 1/2 oz. cans of condensed cream soup.


;D ;D ;D

[April B.]

Baking:

Substituting reduced-calorie margarine for butter.

Omit the butter or oil in baked goods by using fruit purées like applesauce or puréed prunes.
The concentration of natural sweetness will retain water moisture during the cooking process.
Replacing some of the butter with applesauce - this technique adds moisture, not fat.
You can substitute commercially prepared pureed prune baby food of prune butter (found in jam & jelly of baking section of your supermarket for the prune puree).
Or make your own using this recipe:

Prune butter:

Combine:
1/3 c pitted prunes
1 teas sugar
2 teas light-colored corn syrup

in a food processor; 5 seconds.With processor on, slowly add 2 tablespoons water thru food chute;process untill mix is smooth, scraping sides of bowl frequently.

Replace sugar with Splenda.

Using fat-free egg substitute instead of whole eggs.

Adding cocoa powder to enrich the chocolate flavor.

Chopping the nuts into small pieces (you need less that way).

Coating the pan with cooking spray instead of butter.

;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

[April B.]

The new USDA dietary guidelines include an informative chart that makes
a few saturated-fat comparisons. Here's the rundown. And remember,
these numbers are for saturated fat, not total fat content:
- 1 oz. regular cheddar cheese: 6 grams
- 1 oz. low-fat cheddar cheese: 1.2 grams

- 3 oz. cooked ground beef, regular: 7.2 grams
- Ditto, extra-lean: 5.3 grams

- 1 cup whole milk: 5.1 grams
- 1 cup low-fat (1%) milk: 1.6 grams

- 1 medium croissant: 6.6 grams
- 1 medium bagel: 0.1 grams

- 1/2 cup regular ice cream: 4.5 grams
- 1/2 cup frozen yogurt: 2.5 grams

- 1 teaspoon butter: 2.4 grams
- 1 teaspoon soft margarine: 0.7 grams


To see for yourself, check out the guidelines at


www.usda.gov/cnpp/Pubs/DG2000/DietGuidBrochure.pdf

[April B.]

Helpful Hint - To save sugar in recipes

To save sugar in recipes for baking, etc. you can use baking soda to
neutralize the acid which means you can use HALF THE SUGAR. I am sure it
would work for the
crockpt too. For pies, cobblers, fruit cakes and fruit salads. For
instance, use ¼ to 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda in a fruit pie, only about
half the usual sugar is needed.

[April B.]

Skim the fat off the top:

Chill soups, stews and chilies, then skim any fat off the top and throw
it away.

Gravy: Hate to clean your long-spouted gravy separator? Try this: just
pour the cooled pan drippings into a gallon size food storage bag.
After the fat rises, just snip the tip off one of the bottom corners,
letting the meat juice escape, then stop the flow when it gets to the fat.
The mess gets thrown away, and the gravy is practically a diet food.
(Yeah, right!)

[April B.]

Mind Your Cooking Methods

Instead of frying in oil or butter, avoid the fat by trying steaming,
broiling, grilling, stir-frying, baking, the *Crock-pot*, roasting -
even microwaving.

Use cooking spray to coat pans. Or, instead of oil, add fat-free broth,
wine, water or fruit juice.

Marinate fish, poultry, and meat in fruit juice, wine or low-fat
sauces. Or try rubbing dried herb-and-spice mixtures - such as oregano, basil
and rosemary - onto meat for added flavor without extra POINTS.

Substituting 2 egg whites for a whole egg when making a coating stick.

[April B.]

Baking

Substituting reduced-calorie margarine for butter.

Omit the butter or oil in baked goods by using fruit purées like
applesauce or puréed prunes. The concentration of natural sweetness will
retain water moisture during the cooking process. Replacing some of the
butter with applesauce - this technique adds moisture, not fat. You can
substitute commercially prepared pureed prune baby food of prune butter
(found in jam & jelly of baking section of your supermarket for the
prune puree). Or make your own using this recipe:
prune butter

Combine:
1/3 c pitted prunes
1 teas sugar
2 teas light-colored corn syrup

in a food processor; 5 seconds.With processor on, slowly add 2
tablespoons water thru food chute;process untill mix is smooth, scraping sides
of bowl frequently.

Replace sugar with Splenda.

Using fat-free egg substitute instead of whole eggs.

Adding cocoa powder to enrich the chocolate flavor.

Chopping the nuts into small pieces (you need less that way).

Coating the pan with cooking spray instead of butter.

[April B.]

Lowering Fats from Meats:

Chicken: Use the leanest cut of meat, Boneless/Skinless Chicken Breasts
(You will have to reduce cooking time of such lean cuts of chicken or
it will dry out.) While you can cook poultry, like chicken or turkey,
with the skin on, be sure to remove the skin before eating it.

Ground Beef: Don't brown in the skillet!! BOIL the beef instead. Add
fiber and skip fat by replacing half (or even a quarter!) of the ground
beef or poultry in a casserole recipe with brown rice, bulgur, or
cooked and chopped dried beans. Replace beef menus using chicken or ground
turkey instead.

Beef Roasts: Use a leaner cut or smaller portions. Add 1/4 - 1/2 cup
of non-fat broth to make up for the less fat cut.

Pork: Use the leaner cuts like the loin roast instead of the shoulder
roast. Use some broth or juice to make up for the missing fat.

Ham: Use Turkey Ham or Low fat Ham/Turkey Ham.

[April B.]

Lowering Fat from Canned Foods

Soups: Use a soup concentrate recipe and substitue the cans of "Cream
of" whatever. Try using the lower-fat varieties.

CREAM SOUP SUBSTITUTE

2 c Instant non fat dry milk
3/4 c Cornstarch
1/4 c Instant Chicken bouillon
2 ts Dried onion flakes
1 ts Basil and thyme opt
2 ts Pepper

Combine dry milk, cornstarch, bouillon, onion flakes, basil, thyme
and
pepper. To make the equivalent of one can of soup, use 1/3 cup of the
mix and 1 1/2 cup water and cook until thickened. NOTE: Beef bouillon
may be used in place of the chicken. Mushrooms may be added to the
sauce
for a mushroom soup base. Celery for celery....etc.

NOTE: if the recipe calls for undiluted cream soup, then just add less
water. You can use low sodium bouillon if you'd like.

Veggies: Dont use the canned, MAKE FRESH!! Its a lot more convenient,
but if lowering the fat is the most important thing to you, make it
fresh!! The people who can the foods cook them in oil and often add oil
for flavor. READ THE LABELS!!

Fruits: Once again, USE FRESH!! Sugar, sweeteners, oil, artificial
flavors, syrups, and more are added to most canned fruits.

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Lowering Fat with Dairy Products:

Cheeses: CUT the amount! Thats right, try using less... or none! A
little goes a long way: Use smaller amounts of cheese than the recipe
calls for. Shread it it speads further. Not every casserole needs a
thicky cheesy top.

Fat-free and reduced-fat cheeses don't melt as evenly as their full-fat
counterparts. To overcome this, grate your cheese very finely. And when
making sauces toss in a little flour or cornstarch for a smoother
consistency.

Using reduced-fat cheese and shredding it to cover more area while
using less.

Using reduced-fat Mexican Cheese instead of Monterey Jack cheese.

Milks: Use non-fat.

Sour Cream: Use non-fat variety or use low fat plain yogurt.

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Salad Dressings:

Dip your fork in the dressing instead of pouring it on your salad.
Reduces the calories indeed and still lets you taste the flavor of the
dressing.

Replace high calorie and fat dressing with low or no fat dressings and
watch the sugar content.

Try adding these to reduced fat mayo or yogurt:

Soy sauce and scallions.

Wasabi (Japanese horseradish).

Saffron and garlic.

Roasted red pepper and parsley.

Cajun spice mix and lemon juice.

Capers and horseradish.

Mustard and Worcestershire.

Basil and garlic.

Dill and tarragon (great with chicken!).

Parmesan, extra sharp cheddar, blue, or feta cheese. These cheeses are
very pungent so you need very little to spice up your food - about 1
teaspoon per 2 tablespoons of mayo or yogurt.