Tag Archive for ‘Food’ rss

Better than PB&J

September 02, 2011 9 comments

So there’s a million things I want/need to accomplish today, so I’m going to make this quick…

I never thought I’d say this, but… I love Rice Cakes. I mean, seriously.

These babies are good! Add chunky peanut butter on top and O.M.G.

So next time you’re grocery shopping and instead of doing what I always did and ignored those weird rice cakes… pick some up and try them. SO. GOOD. Ok either that or I’ve fallen off my rocker and lost my taste buds… ;) Who knows!

Anyway, just for the record Quaker didn’t send me their product to review or anything… I discovered these all by myself. :D

Question for the Day:
If you could only eat two things the rest of your LIFE… what would those two things be?

Vacation Food

August 23, 2011 3 comments

It happens… we go on vacation, with all good intentions of eating our normal healthy way and then… you see the menu, the food is beyond amazing, you don’t have things like this back home, just one more bite, I’ll just try a little, and then you’re stuffed. Repeat. Repeat.

Thankfully in Vegas I did a ton of walking, so I didn’t gain weight, but coming home I still feel blah. Ya know when you’ve had a sugar overload and your body is blah? Thats how I feel. Its like a Food Hangover. So what do you eat to recover from it? Because, you have to eat. Skipping meals is very unhealthy and I personally think it jacks with your body way more. I went to the grocery store yesterday and picked up some of these items…

  • Fresh Spinach
  • Bananas
  • Greek Yogurt
  • Whole Grain Cereal
  • Frozen Strawberries, Blueberries, Bananas, and Raspberries
  • Agave Nectar
  • Almond Milk (oh yes, there will be smoothies in my future!)
  • Avocados
  • Salsa (love adding this into my Salads)
  • Tomatos
  • Asparagus
  • White Eggs (Love egg white omelettes)
  • Just to name a few….
Of course for Hubs I picked up Fish and Chicken for his protein. While in Vegas and trying to find something healthy for breakfast I discovered this juice sold at Starbucks…
This green machine looks weird… but tastes fantastic. I had it a few times there and when I was at the grocery store I knew I wanted to pick a couple of them up. At first I was sad that the store didn’t have it… but then I looked down at the bigger sizes and BAM! there it was. YEA! See Hubs and I are wanting to start making our own green drinks, we’re in the market for a Vitamix (know of any good deals?). I was glad to add this juice to our grocery list as a way to get passed the Food Hangover.
There’s something about having fresh vegetables and fruits in your life that make you feel brand new (plus adding in some exercise is even better). I’m already feeling good again.
What do you do to get passed the post-vacation food hangover?

 

Let’s discuss Flax Meal {Guest Post}

August 09, 2011 6 comments

Hi readers! I’m Laura from Becoming the Odd Duck.

I’m a fellow Texan and a Nutrition student, studying to become a Registered Dietitian.

Let’s discuss flax meal. For those that don’t know what flax meal is – it’s just ground up flaxseeds. Flaxseeds are tiny brown or red seeds that are rich in omega 3 fatty acids, fiber, iron, zinc, vitamin E and calcium.

It’s crucial for everyone to consume omega 3 fatty acids, and for those that don’t consume fatty fish or fish oil – flaxseeds and walnuts are excellent vegetarian sources. Omega 3s play crucial and essential roles in our body and can decrease inflammation and lower your risk of heart disease. Flaxseeds have benefits besides omega 3s, such as their cholesterol and blood pressure lowering qualities. There is other research that supports added benefits to flaxseeds, including possible reduced risk of breast cancer or diabetes. Eating up to two tablespoons of flax meal a day is adequate to promote these health benefits.

I began eating flax meal several years ago to lower my blood pressure. However now I eat it because it’s rich in fiber and I love the nutty taste it adds to my food.

There is one problem with flaxseeds, though. To consume these vital nutrients of the flaxseed, you have to eat the inside of the seed. The nutrients are located inside the seed and our bodies cannot break through the exterior shell. Thus, flax meal is the preferred method of consuming flaxseeds to realize the nutrition benefits. But – be careful about buying flax meal already prepared and packaged at your store – it will be more expensive and possibly be rancid.

 

 

The omega-3 fatty acids exposed in flax meal are susceptible to oxidation at room temperatures. This oxidation makes the fats rancid (or bad) and ruins their benefits. To prevent oxidation, flax meal should be stored in a refrigerator. The protective shell of flaxseeds protects the omega 3s from rancidity at room temperature. Buying whole flax seeds from a bulk bin and then making your own flax meal is the most safe and cost effective way to add flaxseeds to your diet.

You can easily grind your own flax meal at home using whole flaxseeds. I use a coffee grinder and add my pantry-stored flaxseeds to the grinder. After grinding an adding to a reusable container, I store my homemade flax meal in my refrigerator and add it to dishes as I cook. As long as this flax meal is refrigerated, it should stay fresh for a month or two.

 

 

If you are looking to add flax meal to your diet, but aren’t sure where to start – try these easy additions. Remember, eat up to 2 tablespoons per day:

  • Add 1 tablespoon of flax meal to yogurt and mix together. I have stopped using granola in my yogurt and now only add flax meal!
  • If you are making your own granola, add flax meal to the granola before it bakes!
  • Flax meal makes a great addition to any smoothie to increase the fiber and thickness of the smoothie.
  • Sprinkle flax meal on top of rice bowls, grains or salads as a nutty and crunchy topping.
  • Flax meal added to muffins or breads will increase the fiber content of your baked good!

 

I have been eating flax meal for so long that I love the nutty taste and crunchy texture. If you are a newbie, start small and add it to your recipes!

 

 

 

Do you like flax meal? If so, please share the ways you use it in your meals!

 

Sources:

ADA Knowledge Center: The Facts on Flax 1 & 2

Whole foods: Flaxseeds

How Much Calcium Do I Need?

July 21, 2011 10 comments

Good Morning my friends. The post below was written yesterday. Yesterday, before I got the phone call that my grandmother had passed away. She had lived a long blessed life and now is no longer in pain. She was suffering from heart failure. I have no details to share of all this that has happened, because honestly, they’re just not fun to repeat. It’s always hard to lose a loved one, no matter at any age. She will be greatly missed.

Please read the post below (its a good one) and if I sound all perky and peppy, its because well, yesterday I was until the sad news.

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So excited about ya’ll wanting to jump on the squat challenge. I decided to take it to the next level and make this a 30 day challenge…

(copy this photo & add to your blog, tell your friends you’re doing the challenge)

The Details:

For 30 days (ends August 18, 2011) everyday do 3 sets of 10 squats a day. Info here on how to do proper squats.

Want to join in? Leave a comment below telling me you’re joining in and either update on Twitter (use hashtag #SquatsChallenge) or your blog that you’re doing or have done your squats for the day!

The other day I posted this on twitter…

My lunch! I had a FlatOut Bread wrap, whole wheat (SO GOOD), with baked baked, spinach and shredded cheddar cheese.

I don’t know why, but lately I’ve been craving cheese. Just in the past couple of days. Um, weird. Maybe my body is begging for some kind of nutrients that I’ve been lacking. So I got busy, as in googled the benefits of cheese…

I found this below from WHFoods:

Health Benefits

Calcium Helps Prevent Colon Cancer, Osteoporosis, Migraine and PMS

In recent studies, calcium has been shown to:

  • Help protect colon cells from cancer-causing chemicals
  • Help prevent the bone loss that can occur as a result of menopause or certain conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis
  • Help prevent migraine headaches in those who suffer from them
  • Reduce PMS symptoms during the luteal phase (the second half) of the menstrual cycle

Calcium is best known for its role in maintaining the strength and density of bones. In a process known as bone mineralization, calcium and phosphorus join to form calcium phosphate. Calcium phosphate is a major component of the mineral complex (called hydroxyapatite) that gives structure and strength to bones. One ounce of low-fat mozzarella cheese provides 18.3% of the daily value for calcium along with 13.1% of the DV for phosphorus.(Please note that the low-fat mozzarella cited throughout this article is not the only type of low-fat cheese that we recommend. We just chose it as an example of a low-fat cheese so that we can highlight this food’s nutritional attributes.)

Calcium also plays a role in many other vital physiological activities, including blood clotting, nerve conduction, muscle contraction, regulation of enzyme activity, cell membrane function and blood pressure regulation. Because these activities are essential to life, the body utilizes complex regulatory systems to tightly control the amount of calcium in the blood, so that sufficient calcium is always available. As a result, when dietary intake of calcium is too low to maintain adequate blood levels of calcium, calcium stores are drawn out of the bones to maintain normal blood concentrations. If a person’s diet does not supply adequate calcium, this situation can result in osteoporosis after many years.

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Ok, so maybe I’m lacking calcium? So I found a list of foods that are high in calcium…

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First of all, I don’t even know what Collard Greens are? No way on the Sardines or Salmon. So thankfully I’m good with the Green Peas, Baked Beans, Oranges and Kale… and of course I love goat cheese. Then all this got me thinking, “How much Calcium do we need daily, anyway?“
I found a nifty calculator at Healthy Food Guide (and I looked up some others to double check the answer)…
According to this website and a bunch others, I should be getting roughly 1,000mg a day of Calcium. That’s something I’ve never really paid attention to before… do you?
On the website Healthy Food Guide, they had another list of foods high in calcium…
Perhaps I should pay a little more attention to ALL my nutritional needs, ya know.
In the lists above, what is what of your favorite foods?
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