Keeping a Food Diary: Day 3

I finally decided to do something about my nutrition. Reading labels and choosing proper foods has become increasingly difficult for me. Getting the proper about of protein by the end of the day was the biggest puzzle. I searched online for the best food diary and MyFoodDiary was far and away the best one.

I was surprised when I went to download it to see I already had it. I honestly don't remember paying and downloading it but I guess I did so all I had to do was put the app back on my iPhone. I had to do the normal things like get a user name and password, etc. Then I had to put in personal information like weight (ugh), desired weight, height, age, and I don't remember what else. So I did it. Then it told me how many calories I was to consume daily.

Well. I love it. I am supposed to get down to my desired weight in 4 months losing 1 pound a week. But that's not the best part. It turned out to be pretty easy to identify the foods I am eating. There is a barcode scanner for purchased foods. So easy. Then you just have to put in the amount ie: 1 cup, 1 slice, 1 tablespoon, etc. For whole foods like apples, oranges, bananas, avocados. etc. there is a food search. Also very easy. It remembers things you have already scanned too.

The best part is it tracks the nutritional values of the foods consumed. 

I had a smoothie this morning. Here's what I put in my blender: 1 cup unsweetened soy milk, 1 cup greek yogurt, 3/4 cup frozen organic blueberries, one slice canned pineapple in juice with no added sugar, and 1 tablespoon flaxseed meal. Here is the nutritional values for this delicious drink:

Now isn't this wonderful? I have already changed one bad habit. Yesterday I put half and half in my coffee and it was graded a D food. Soy milk is an A graded food so I put two tablespoons in each cup and avoided the bad fat. I hope to get my cholesterol down too thru diet. I'm not even putting an emphasis on losing weight either. I am also trying to increase my bone density without drugs. If the astronauts can increase theirs in 6 weeks after returning to earth, I should be able to increase mine in 9 months when I am due for another bone scan. Fingers crossed.

So far, I have been doing this on my iPhone exclusively but there is also an online website. Learn all about it here. I don't know if there is a charge for online use as with the iPhone app. Wish me luck!!!

My First Cold in Years and Years

I've been so proud of myself for longer than I can remember, keeping the cold germs from penetrating my good health. All that went out the window on Sunday night when I started going hoarse and felt a tightening in my chest. The sore throat part started on Tuesday. It's sort of a backward cold and I am treating it with the Neti pot, various gargles wuth salt, Bragg's Cider Vinegar, and anything else I can think of, all to no avail. This was the best image I could find on Google to illustrate my condition. I even broke down and bought Nyquil yesterday and it wasn't all that effective but I do feel rested this morning. I am hoping for a whole day without having to leave the house on this rainy day. Cross your fingers for me. Not complaining, just explaining. I know it's been at least 6 years since my last cold, maybe longer. Darn!

20 Homemade Popsicle Recipes

Lonny Magazine has a great link to an article with 20 very interesting and unusual recipes for healthy homemade ice pops.

This one from Jessica Alba has bananas, pineapple chunks and fresh spinach with no added sugar. Get this recipe and 19 more here. I think popsicles are the perfect summertime snack, don't you?

Foot Massage Points, Illustrated

via

I thought this vintage reflexology illustration was very interesting. I just finished massaging the toes related to my eyes on both of my feet. My hearing is fine so I skipped those toes. I'm not sure what organs are related to the big toes. Later I'm going to the the inner edge of both feet to help my spine and lower back. 

Life Changing $1.00 Purchase

Yep. I have one of these things you see advertised on TV. I've always been curious about whether or not they work and as luck would have it, I found a Stonewave Microwave Cooker unopened in the original box at the church rummage sale for one dollar. I pounced on it and have used it numerous times every day for the past two weeks. The hardest thing for me to do in the winter is to eat green vegetables. This little nuclear cooling tower is perfect for frozen broccoli florets. Arrange as many as you can get in the container and still be able to get the top on snugly. Pop in the microwave for four minutes and they are perfect. Piping hot and not mushy. Dessert? How about a baked apple? Core one and cut it in pieces. Four minutes and it's the best dessert ever. No need to add sugar but some cinnamon is nice. I had broccoli tonight and then I heated up a bowl of chili. Onions are fabulous too. I cooked my chopped onions for the chili in this little thingie with some of my liquid aminios. Delicious. It's super easy to clean too. I have had string beans and peas and spinach, but broccoli is my favorite. I buy it in a big bag with loose pieces that have been flash frozen. The big bags from Costco are Organic. I really have eaten a nice helping of green veggies every day and I couldn't be happier. I want to try fresh cauliflower next. via

I searched all over and Bed and Bath has these cookers for $4.99 each. I'm going to buy two three more so I can keep things hot while something else is cooking. My local store has them in stock and I have a 20% off coupon. The size is perfect for portion control too. If I had heated up the whole pot of chili I might have gone back for seconds. You can top whatever you're cooking with grated cheese, put the top back on, and it melts with no additional microwaving. I think every household should have a set of these. You're welcome. xo

Our Poor, Sick Planet

Someone came up with a great idea to illustrate the condition of our poor earth using a globe and some of the things we humans use to treat ourselves when we are sick. More and more experts are warning that pretty soon, we will be at the point of no return. 

I'm not trying to be negative but thought I should post this poignant image as a reminder that Mother Earth is hurting and cannot heal herself without our help. via

Apple Cake Recipe Revised - So Good

I wasn't ready to give up on that low sugar German Apple Cake I posted several days ago. My first one was too dry but this one was perfect. I mixed it in my Cuisinart with the metal blade and it was less messy than bowl and beater method for such scant ingredients. I decided to make oat flour first by whizzing one cup of old fashioned oats in my food processor first and reserving them in a bowl. Then I followed the old recipe...Cream 3 Tablespoons Butter (last time I used coconut oil) with 1/4 cup of sugar and a pinch of salt. I used salted butter. Add one egg and continue mixing. Combine one cup flour with one teaspoon baking powder (my oats did not make quite one cup so I was forced to add some white flour -- darn). Next time I will grind more oats. Add dry ingredients to the sugar mixture with enough milk to make a stiff batter. I just dumped some soy milk from the carton and made a thinner mixture than last time that was pourable into a 9" round cake pan that was pre-buttered. Top with apples. This time I had to use 1-3/4 apples. I had a tiny bit of cinnamon sugar left over from the last time and I sprinkled it on top. I forgot to add the pats of butter on top but that was a good mistake because added butter was not needed. Bake at 350° for one hour. It was perfect and delicious. Will make this again and again. Not too sweet and very healthy. It had a cake texture instead of a shortbread texture like my first attempt. Try it, you will like it too. 

If you eat 1/2 of this cake, it will contain the same amount of sugar as one container of blueberry greek yogurt which has 20 grams of sugar or 5 teaspoons. I measured the number of teaspoons in 1/4 cup of sugar and it's 10. I think it's super healthy made with the oat flour and I'm very excited that I can eat this and not feel too much guilt. It would have been gluten free if I hadn't added the small amount of white flour. I used Pink Lady apples that are one of my favorite varieties. Don't have any apples on hand? Try peaches, plums, nectarines, blueberries, or even bananas. I hope I have the will will power to save a big wedge for tomorrow's breakfast. I'm posting this early in case you want to bake one for your Sunday supper dessert. xo

I just found a great article about oat flour and how to use it in baking written by the Self-Reliant Sisters. It's very informative and timely -- read it here.

1965 German Apple Cake Recipe

I picked up a vintage spiral cookbook from 1965 today and this recipe was marked with a paper clip. I was impressed by the tiny amount of sugar called for and will definitely make this German Apple Cake. When in the world have you seen a recipe that calls for only 1/4 cup of sugar? Of course there is a little more, because you have to sprinkle cinnamon-sugar on top.

I will use coconut oil as the shortening and real butter to dot on top. This recipe will probably take at least 4 apples. I have Pink Lady on hand now and they are nice and sweet. I will probably cut my apples into 16ths -- not sure about that part yet. I will add the apples one at a time in case it takes fewer than my guesstimate. I will grease the pan with butter too. Yum!
I made this. See photos and my revised recipe here.

Summer Rolls with Sunflower Seed Pate

These rolls are part sushi, part taco, and part spring roll, but all in all they are 100% delish! It's a good idea to have a big batch of the sunflower pate on hand so that you can whip out a roll whenever the urge hits.

Dinner - Summer Rolls with Curried Pate

Recipe: (makes 8)

3/4 Cup Sunflower Seeds, soaked overnight and drained

1 tsp. Apple Cider Vinegar
1 tsp. Liquid Sweetener (I would omit this)
1 tsp. Curry Powder
1 tsp. Turmeric
1 Clove Garlic
1/4 tsp. Sea Salt
A Pinch of Chili Powder

8 or so Chard Leaves (I will use Romaine Leaves)

1/2 Mango, cut into match sticks
1/2 Bell Pepper, cut into match sticks
1 Beet, grated
1 Carrot, cut into match sticks
1 Avocado, sliced
Handful of Sprouts (I used sunflower)

Procedure:

1. Begin the right before by soaking the sunflower seeds. The next day drain them and puree along with the spices, garlic, and sweetener until the mixture resembles pate.

2. Arrange a small log of pate on each chard leave and top with assorted veggies. Roll up like a burrito. 

Image Source and Recipe

Best Eye Liner

His name is Sherlock. Mother Nature gave him the most wonderful eye liner, didn't she? We had a storm late yesterday that cooled things off nicely. I had the windows open last night and threw a light blanket on top of my bed spread because Miss Tabitha decided to sleep with me. She woke me up early and wanted to go outside and I went right back to sleep, thankfully. Webster has decided to punish me by spending most of his time upstairs. He has a nice bed in front of an eyebrow window in the attic and I guess that's his preferred substitute for his spot on the old sofa. I'm still babying him to help him get over his hurt leg before it gets to be chronic. We've had three good days in a row and I'm very pleased. I think he views his two dog beds in the living room as "sick" beds. Let's hope he doesn't need them again anytime soon. xo

Webster is Back to Normal Today.

I'm happy to report that today he's back to being his old self. Here is with his paw wrist on an ice bag and keeping it there. He's such a good patient. When he goes down, he goes down hard and then all of a sudden he's perfect again. He never lost his appetite over the past couple of days and he drank plenty of water so I wasn't too worried. We've been down this path many times. I think I'm going to have to start walking him on a leash so he doesn't over exert himself chasing rabbits and such. He is finally able to get comfortable and walk around without a limp. He has a lot of sleep to catch up on now that he can get comfortable on his beds. 

We had the most beautiful weather today with low humidity and a nice breeze with no need for air conditioning. I'm looking forward to getting a good night's sleep without having to get up and check on the wonder dog. I'm way behind on my tv shows too. I hope I can stay awake to watch at least a couple of programs before dreamland calls me. xo

Butter + Unrefined Carbs = Perfect Together

image source and another great article about good fats HERE (the article also contains a link to the recent article about good fats in the Wall Street Journal).

I watched a video on NBC related to the EAT BUTTER cover on Time Magazine. The doctor said to put butter on unrefined carbohydrates and you'll be fine. The danger of butter she said was putting it on unrefined carbohydrates like white bread. She said eating butter and other saturated fats like coconuts and coconut oil, butter, marbled meat, and chicken skin (yuk) will actually raise the good HDL (Good) Cholesterol but the opposite happens when those fats are combined with refined carbs. Then the LDL (bad) Cholesterol goes up.

If you put butter on a baked potato, this is a good thing.
If you put butter on a biscuit, that is a bad thing.

I was very happy to find T H E  L I S T below. Now I know the butter I love to put on my morning oatmeal is a good thing. Popcorn too. I am so happy!!! There's nothing better than a baked potato with butter either.

*************************
Un-refined Carbohydrates

Fresh veggies
Fresh fruits
Sweet potatoes/yams/potatoes
Beans and legumes
Whole grains
Oatmeal
Buckwheat
Amaranth
Quinoa
Brown or wild rice
Basmati rice
Popcorn
Raw milk and yogurt (unsweetened)
**********************************

Refined (Processed) Carbohydrates

White sugar
Foods containing corn syrup, HFCS
Sodas
Sugary drinks
(this includes sweetened fruit juice and tea)
Alcohol (beer and wine)

Canned fruits / veggies containing added sugar

Sweetened applesauce

White flour and anything made with white flour; bread, muffins, bagels, cakes, cookies, pasta, biscuits, donuts, etc.

Cereals
Fries/chips
Potato chips/pretzels
Pizza
Desserts
White rice
Boxed puddings
Candy/toffee/sweets

Store bought cooked meats/cold cuts (when they have added sugars and additives)

Sausages/hot dog frankfurters (when they contain carb fillers, additives, or sugar)

Jams/jelly
Jell-O

Time Magazine Cover: Eat Butter

Wow. I can't wait to read this article. Scientists labeled fat the enemy. Why they were wrong.

This is a screen shot I took with my iPhone on Instagram from Time Magazine's feed. Don't you love one of the 561 comments? REJOICE. 

Tucking in now. Good night. xo

Scallion Pancakes from Trader Joe's

These are really and truly the best things I have ever tasted. There are 4 in a package for $3.99(?). The scallion pancakes are flash frozen so they don't stick together. I cook them one at a time in a small iron skillet with a very small amount of Avocado Oil in the bottom of the pan. I buy the organic oil at Costco because it is safe at high heat temperatures up to 500°. I don't make a dipping sauce, but I spread a little Bragg's Liquid Aminos on top. It is a natural soy sauce alternative with no wheat. I use it as an all purpose seasoning on almost everything and it really pumps up the flavor. It has 16 amino acids too. I wish I had the spray bottle, beause that would be perfect. Okay now, getting back to the pancakes. I keep flipping them until they are nice and crispy and when they are ready I fold two of those select-a-size paper towels in half and sandwich my pancake inside and put something heavy on top to squeeze out the excess oil.

I recently went to an Asian Fusion Restaurant in town with a friend and we ordered a variety of delicious items to share. When she invited me, she mentioned scallion pancakes and I was anxious to try them. WELL, was I ever disappointed. At $5.00 each, they didn't even come close to Trader Joe's. They aren't paying me to advertise them either. 

I found a recipe for making them at home on Pinterest that I want to try very soon. I will use the vegetables listed on the Trader Joe's wrapper instead of the ones listed in this recipe.

Have a great weekend. I hope I didn't bore you this morning. xo

Life Changing Bread with Changes

UPDATE: My nut and seed bread is out of the oven and has cooled. I was curious to see how much it weighed and it was a hefty 2 pounds. 

My second batch of Life Changing Bread is in the oven. The photo above is uncooked.

Here is the recipe again with my own changes.

The Life-Changing Loaf of Bread

Makes 1 loaf
Ingredients:
1 cup sunflower seeds / 135g
1/2 cup flax seeds / 90g

1/2 cup hazelnuts or almonds / 65g -- I used hazelnuts in my first batch and almonds in the second.

1-1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats / 145g
2 Tbsp. chia seeds

4 Tbsp. psyllium seed husks (3 Tbsp. if using psyllium husk powder)

1 tsp. fine grain sea salt (add 1/2 tsp. if using coarse salt)
1 Tbsp. maple syrup (for sugar-free diets, use a pinch of stevia)

3 Tbsp. melted coconut oil or ghee (I used coconut oil and melted it slowly in the microwave ten seconds at a time in a glass container...the extra I poured back into the jar.)

1-1/2 cups water / 350ml

Directions:

1. In a mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients, stirring well. Whisk maple syrup, oil and water together in a measuring cup. Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix very well until everything is completely soaked and dough becomes very thick (if the dough is too thick to stir, add one or two teaspoons of water until the dough is manageable). I didn't need to add any extra water. Line a metal loaf pan with parchment paper and spoon the "dough" packing it down gradually with the back of a metal spatula. Smooth out the top with the back of a spoon or spatula and make sure it's packed down solid. Let sit out on the counter for at least 2 hours, or all day or overnight. I put my loaf pan in a bread wrapper and left it out all night. To ensure the dough is ready, it should retain its shape even when you pull the sides of the parchment away from it it. I didn't have to do that....mine was packed down rock solid. This loaf is very heavy.

2. Preheat oven to 350°F / 175°C.

3. Place loaf pan in the oven on the middle rack, and bake for 20 minutes. Remove bread from loaf pan, place it upside down directly on the rack and bake for another 30-40 minutes. Bread is done when it sounds hollow when tapped. Let cool completely before slicing (difficult, but important).

4. Store bread in a tightly sealed container for up to five days. Freezes well too – slice before freezing for quick and easy toast!

My first loaf lasted for 9 days. I stored it in the refrigerator in a used bread wrapper. I cut my slices very thinly using a serrated bread knife. I "toasted" my slices in a panini press. You can also "toast it" on top of the stove in a cast iron frying pan.

After the first 20 minutes of baking, I do the second step this way so there won't be seeds falling to the bottom of my oven. I invert the loaf onto a cooling rack and put it in on a pan instead of putting the loaf directly on my oven rack. 

It is really quite magical in that it has kept me from getting hungry at all. I am normally a "grazer" who opens the refrigerator every time I pass by to see what I can munch on. That bad habit has stopped completely since I ate my first two slices a week ago on Thursday. I have oatmeal and a piece of fruit every morning for breakfast. Two slices of Life Changing Bread with my homemade hummus and avocado for lunch, and a normal healthy dinner. I made Brunswick Stew yesterday and that's what I'll be having tonight and every other night until it's gone. I know you aren't supposed to eat the same thing every day but I always do when I make a big batch of something. Here's to being healthy inside and out, one day at a time. Enjoy your Sunday. xo

Addicted to this Organic Lemon Juice

Okay, you asked for more of my healthy habit tips. Last year around Thanksgiving I happened upon a bottle of this organic lemon juice from Italy in a big glass bottle. I can't tell you how many lemons I end up throwing away because they have dried out in the fridge. Sometimes you just need a little juice and you end up wasting a whole one. Solution found. I got mine at a small green grocer and when I went back last week for another bottle they didn't have it. I almost hyperventilated and my search began. The internet said Costco had it but they did not and neither did Trader Joe's. I finally found it at Bed and Bath of all places in their International Foods section. 

Here is the link with all the good information about this juice. Click on the "Where to Buy" tab at the top. I had to increase my store finder search to 25 miles and my store ended up being only 6 or 7 miles away. It's available online too. There is an expiration date on the cap. The bottle I just bought has a date of July 7, 2014. With summer on the way, I'm sure I will use it up by then with lemonade and popsicles on my recipe list. For now, I use it in my tea and in my hummus. I also add it to my drinking water. The flavor is more like Meyer Lemons and is very delicious. I love that it's organic with no preservatives and the glass bottle is a huge plus. Have fun finding it. Maybe you can go in with a friend should you have to use the on-line ordering system. It retails for under $8.00 per bottle and has about 40 hand-picked lemons in every bottle.  Try it and let me know how you like it. xo

My Healthy Lunch

All I had for breakfast was oatmeal and an orange. And two cups of coffee with soy milk but I don't consider that breakfast. Coffee first thing when I wake up is as necessary for me as oxygen. I really wasn't even hungry for lunch but ate anyway. Two slices of Life Changing Bread toasted in the Panini Press. I spread my homemade hummus first and topped that with avocado mashed with lemon juice. It was so good and satisfying. My last batch of hummus was a hit so I made another batch with the ingredients I always have on hand. Costco has the most wonderful BIG jars of organic oven dried tomatoes packed in organic olive oil. They are super delicious and I use them in salads in the winter, as a pizza topping, or in anything that needs a taste boost. I buzzed a can of garbanzo beans with a generous helping of those tomatoes and lemon juice and kept tasting until it was just right. I could eat it with a spoon. YUM. I still have enough of the bread to last me for at least two more days. I'm going to make another batch tomorrow and let it sit overnight and bake it on Friday. It really seems to agree with me and keeps me from getting hungry so I'm going to continue eating it as long as the magic is working.

There were two women on (click to watch) CBS This Morning from The Well and Good Website. I'll be checking it out quite often because the interview was quite interesting. They are like the Angie's list for products and classes and fads that pertain to health and wellness. Looks as if I jumped on the bandwagon just in time, doesn't it?

My Healthy Breakfast

Breakfast fixing before assembly this morning. Life Changing Bread, 1/2 an avocado mashed with some organic lemon juice (Italian Volcano), and a 10 minute boiled brown egg. 

I toasted two slices of my bird bread in the panini press, spread on the avocado and topped with egg slices. Finished with coarse sea salt and ground black pepper, it was delicious. There really is some kind of magic in this bread. It's so satisfying and I can honestly say it keeps me from getting hungry. So the name is perfect!

Bird Bread -- Continued

Here it is upside down after the second baking.

Back upstairs in my kitchen cooling.

First slice with homemade hummus. I like it. I just made up the hummus. I dumped a can of drained and rinsed chickpeas in my food processor along with a couple spoonfuls of organic oven dried tomatoes in olive oil from Costco and a generous amount of lemon juice and whizzed it all together. It was delicious.

Recipe: Life-Changing Bread

I mixed up my first batch of Life Changing Bread last night and left it covered on my kitchen counter overnight. I didn't want to go to bed with the scent of baking bread in the house. The directions said I could do that. I just learned about this viral recipe on Instagram and couldn't wait to try it. It actually looks like a suet cake for the birds since it's all seeds and nuts and no flour. You are supposed to mix it in the same pan you will be baking it in but it calls for one of those silicone loaf pans and I don't have one. And I never will. I am very skeptical about such things and that goes for Silpat too. I'm so old fashioned. Anyway, let's get back to this bird bread. I think I'm going to bake it downstairs where I have an electric oven in my mom's old kitchen. The oven in my kitchen is gas and the heat is very uneven. I'll give you a full report later.  Recipe below from My New Roots. I found the odd ingredient that replaces flour at Whole Foods. Cost $6.99 and a box has enough for 14 loaves. That comes out to 50 cents per loaf. Not bad. I used hazelnuts and chopped them coarsely first. I didn't want my bread falling apart trying to slice through a whole nut. Next loaf, I'll use slivered almonds.

The Life-Changing Loaf of Bread
Makes 1 loaf
Ingredients:
1 cup / 135g sunflower seeds
½ cup / 90g flax seeds
½ cup / 65g hazelnuts or almonds
1 ½ cups / 145g rolled oats
2 Tbsp. chia seeds
4 Tbsp. psyllium seed husks (3 Tbsp. if using psyllium husk powder)
1 tsp. fine grain sea salt (add ½ tsp. if using coarse salt)
1 Tbsp. maple syrup (for sugar-free diets, use a pinch of stevia)
3 Tbsp. melted coconut oil or ghee
1 ½ cups / 350ml water

Directions:
1. In a flexible, silicone loaf pan combine all dry ingredients, stirring well. Whisk maple syrup, oil and water together in a measuring cup. Add this to the dry ingredients and mix very well until everything is completely soaked and dough becomes very thick (if the dough is too thick to stir, add one or two teaspoons of water until the dough is manageable). Smooth out the top with the back of a spoon. Let sit out on the counter for at least 2 hours, or all day or overnight. To ensure the dough is ready, it should retain its shape even when you pull the sides of the loaf pan away from it it.
2. Preheat oven to 350°F / 175°C.
3. Place loaf pan in the oven on the middle rack, and bake for 20 minutes. Remove bread from loaf pan, place it upside down directly on the rack and bake for another 30-40 minutes. Bread is done when it sounds hollow when tapped. Let cool completely before slicing (difficult, but important).
4. Store bread in a tightly sealed container for up to five days. Freezes well too – slice before freezing for quick and easy toast!