14 January, 2013

Healthy Vegetable Soup #Paleo #Diabetes #vegetarian #South Beach

Big batch of healthy vegetable soup!
One thing I have always loved is soups.  I have started making them in the crockpot and pretty much throwing in all the veggies I have and letting it be different every time. I eat it before dinner so that I get vegetables and it fills me up so I don't eat as much for dinner.  

I made a big batch of this the other day and then froze individual portions to have at a later time. I also sprinkle some parmesan cheese on top before I eat it.

I always put two things in for the base. One large can organic diced tomatoes,and one box Trader Joe's Organic Hearty Vegetable broth.

This is what I put in the soup this time.  Trader Joes sliced crimini mushrooms, a whole bag, two organic golden beets peeled and sliced, one organic sweet potato sliced, one sweet mayan onion sliced, one large organic broccoli crown broken up,  three organic carrots peeled and chopped, & three stalks celery chopped, some organic green beans cut in half, a couple of yellow summer squash and at the very end, a half a bag of organic spinach.  I like big chunks of vegetables in my soup so I do a rough large chop. I try to buy everything organic.  I season with S&P, lots of grated fresh garlic, Louisiana Hot sauce and  SPIKE .

This was the finished product in the crockpot! It's really good! Use your imagination. Cook on low in the crockpot 8 hours or 4 hours on high, depending on how crunchy you like your vegetables.

What's for Paleo breakfast, Part Two!

These are another variation on eggs in muffin tins.

This time I used one of my new favourite things, chicken apple breakfast sausages by Aidell, sliced them up and put a couple slices in the bottom of each of the sprayed muffin tins. For the 6 muffins, I cut up 3 green scallions, and divided those between the 6 muffins.  I then took 3 eggs and about 3/4 cup of egg whites, beat those with some S&P, put in a handful of shredded cheese and poured in some Louisiana Hot Sauce, to taste.


You can also make these by dicing up a bunch of veggies like peppers, green onion, broccoli,mushrooms, artichokes diced up & use canadian bacon or ham all diced and added into the sprayed muffin tin, then just beat the eggs that you have added the shredded cheese & S&P, i also add hot sauce, pour OVER the veggies & meat, and bake at 375 for about 20-25 minutes.   

11 January, 2013

12 Unexpected Reasons to Drink More Water this New Yea


10 Unexpected Reasons to Drink More Water

I drink a ton of water. I gave up all soda, diet soda, artificial 
sweeteners four years ago. I only drink water, bubble water, tea, & coffee. I liked these posts I found at Greatist and wanted to share because I think it's so important.

If you don’t already have a sweet water bottle that you love, it might be time to invest. We’ve found some convincing reasons for you to knock back more H2O.

Water’s the most popular beverage in the U.S., according to data from the Beverage Marketing Corporation. This is an encouraging stat, because as recently as 2016, carbonated soft drinks took the top spot.

Sugary drinks are a huge health hazard, upping the risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and other health problems.Trusted Source

Choosing water over soda, juices, and other sugar-laden “soft drinks” can reduce your risk. Plus, it has a bunch of benefits for your body — even some you might not expect. Take a look.

1. Keeping in balance

Water makes up about 60 percent of your body. Drinking enough H2O maintains your body’s fluid balance, which helps with nutrient transportation, temperature regulation, digestion, and more.

2. Munch control

Drinking water could also help with weight loss. Studies have found a connection between water consumption and losing a few pounds.

Trusted Source
The secret reason? Water simply helps people feel full and, as a result, consume fewer calories.Trusted Source

3. Muscle fuel

Sweating at the gym causes your muscles to lose water. And when your muscles don’t have enough water, they get tired. For extra energy or to push through that final set of squats, try simply refilling your water bottle and taking a few slugs. 

4. Kidney helper

Your kidneys process about 150 quarts of blood daily, sifting out waste and transporting urine to your bladder. But they need the right amount of water to clear out the stuff your body doesn’t need. Let’s drink to that!

5. Productivity boost

A glass of water may be just what you need to really focus at work. Research has shown that even mild dehydration can have negative effects on attention and memory.Trusted Source

Plus, the more you drink, the more often you’ll need to take bathroom breaks. Those quick walks to the loo will help you stay alert, too.

6. Fatigue buster 

Move over, coffee — water can also help fight fatigue. One of the most common symptoms of dehydration is tiredness. Just another reason to go for the big gulp! (Not the 7-11 kind.)

7. Hangover helper

If booze has gotten the best of you, help a hangover with a glass of water to hydrate your body and stop that pounding headache.

8. Keep things flowing 

Nobody wants to deal with digestion issues. Research has shown that dehydration contributes to constipation in some people, so drinking more water may help make things, ahem, move smoothly.

Trusted Source

9. Sickness fighter

Water may help with decongestion when you’re feeling under the weather. But drinking fluids hasn’t been scientifically proven to beatcolds, so don’t swap this for a trip to the doctor or other cold remedies.

10. Brain washer 

A 2013 study found a link between students bringing water into an exam room and better grades, suggesting H2O promotes clearer thinking.

Trusted Source

While it’s unclear whether drinking the water really had anything to do with getting a better score, it doesn’t hurt to try it out!  

Bottoms up: Your action plan 

The amount of water we need is up for debate, but the Institute of Medicine recommends 9 to 13 cups per day for adults. Your needs vary depending on your activity level, your age, and how much water you consume in coffee, tea, or water-rich veggies and fruit. 

Here’s how to keep yourself hydrated: Drink a glass of water as soon as you wake up and a glass 30 minutes before eating any big meal. This will help control your appetite, too, if that’s something you’re looking for.

Get in the habit of keeping a water bottle on hand at all times. If the taste begins to bore you, try adding a squeeze of citrus or infusing water with other flavors.

Before you know it, all the benefits of water will be right at your fingertips… and in your body.

by Laura Schwecherl ·  Updated on August 21, 2019 · Health
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Photo by Marissa Angell
12 Unexpected Reasons to Drink More Water this New Year
With the holidays finally behind us and healthy habits on our minds, many are trading pitchers of beerfor glasses of water. Whether it’s a New Year’s resolution to drink more H2O or you’re still fending off that January 1st hangover, we’ve uncovered some convincing reasons to knock back more water in the New Year.

Water It Down — The Need-to-Know

Water is the second most popular beverage in the U.S. after soft drinks. This is a scary stat, since sugary soda is a huge health hazard, upping the risk of obesity, stroke, and other heart problems[1][2][3]. However, these dangers can be avoided if people choose to drink water, which doesn’t have negative side effects. So help put the sugary stuff to the side and it make water the number one drink of choice. Plus, the benefits really are endless. (Just take a look!)
  • Fluid balance. Roughly 60 percent of the body is made of water. Drinking enough H2O maintains the body’s fluid balance, which helps transport nutrients in the body, regulate body temperature, digest food, and more.
  • Calorie control. Forget other diet tricks — drinking water could also help with weight loss. Numerous studies have found a connection between water consumption and losing a few pounds[4][5]. The secret reason? Water simply helps people feel full, and as a result consume fewer calories.
  • Muscle fuel. Sweating at the gym causes muscles to lose water. And when the muscles don’t have enough water, they get tired[6]. So for extra energy, try drinking water to push through that final set of squats.
  • Clearer skin. Certain toxins in the body can cause the skin to inflame, which results in clogged pores and acne[7]. While science saying water makes the skin wrinkle free is contradictory, water doesflush out these toxins and can reduce the risk of pimples.
  • Kidney function. Our kidneys process 200 quarts of blood daily, sifting out waste and transporting urine to the bladder. Yet, kidneys need  enough fluids to clear away what we don’t need in the body. Let’s drink to that!
  • Productivity boost. In order to really focus, a glass of water could help people concentrate and stayrefreshed and alert.
  • Fatigue buster. Move over coffee — water can help fight those tired eyes too[8]. One of the most common symptoms of dehydration is tiredness. Just another reason to go for the big gulp! (Not the 7-11 kind.)
  • Hangover help. If booze has got the best of you, help a hangover with a glass of water to hydrate the body and stop that pounding headache.
  • Pain prevention. A little water can really go a long way. Aching joints and muscle cramps and strains can all occur if the body is dehydrated[9].
  • Keep things flowing. Nobody wants to deal with digestion issues. Luckily, drinking enough wateradds fluids to the colon which helps make things, ahem, move smoothly.
  • Sickness fighter. Water may help with decongestion and dehydration, helping the body bounce back when feeling under the weather. Just beware — drinking fluids hasn’t been scientifically proven tobeat colds in one swoop, so don’t swap this for a trip to the doctor or other cold remedies.
  • Brain boost. study in London found a link between students bringing water into an exam room and better grades, suggesting H2O promotes clearer thinking. While it’s unclear if drinking the water had anything to do with a better score, it doesn’t hurt to try it out! 

Bottoms Up — Your Action Plan

The amount of water people need per day is up for debate, but studies suggest adults need nine to 16 cups of H2O. However, this number varies depending on activity level, age, and how much water people are consuming in coffee, tea, or water-rich veggies and fruit.
Here’s how to keep yourself hydrated: Begin by drinking a glass of water as soon as you wake up, and 30 minutes before eating any big meal. (This will help control appetite, too.) Get in the habit of keeping a water bottle on hand at all times. And if the taste beings to bore, spice up the taste buds with a squeeze of citrus to the glass! Before you know it, all the benefits of water will be right at your fingertips…. and in your body.

10 January, 2013

What IS for breakfast? Paleo conundrum!

Breakfast - it can get boring, but you can make a lot of variations of this dish.  This is what I had this morning.

Baked eggs & turkey bacon in a muffin cup 

Pre-heat oven to 375
I sprayed the muffin cups with non-stick spray and lined them with one piece of turkey bacon.  You could also use real bacon or canadian bacon or even some ham. I wanted to use up my turkey bacon, because I do eat real bacon.

I took 2 eggs, 1/2 cup egg whites, a handful of shredded cheese, Mt. Olive sliced jalapeno peppers, S & P.  Whipped that all together and divided amongst the four muffin cups. 

Sorry this is a bad photo, the muffin tin is one of those flexible ones, and it's red! you can take the extra ones out and put in a plastic bag to eat the next day or freeze them if you make a big recipe. Let hem cool for 20 minutes before you put them in the fridge (they will keep for a week) or freezer.

**You can also make these by dicing up a bunch of veggies like peppers, green onion, broccoli,mushrooms, & use canadian bacon or ham all diced and added into the sprayed muffin tin, then just beat the eggs that you have added the shredded cheese & S&P, i also add hot sauce, pour OVER the veggies & meat, and bake at 375 for about 20-25 minutes.   

08 January, 2013

From Clinton Kelly on The Chew, Pork Chops and Apple Compote from his Grandma!

PALEO Pork chop and Apple Compote a la Clinton Kelly on THE CHEW
I adapted The Chew's Clinton Kelly's recipe for his Grandma Annette's Pork Chops and apple compote, for last night's dinner.  Mostly because I didn't have the cabbage at home, I had everything else, and I was hungry.  For the entire post, including the braised cabbage, which would have been wonderful, go to this link:  Clinton Kelly's Grandma Annette's Pork Chops.


For Christmas, I received a great present all the way from FLORIDA, of a Lodge cast iron skillet, allowing me for the first time ever, to be able to start a dish on the stove and then finish it off in the oven, which is what I did. However . . .  I have to keep reminding myself that the handle is H O T!!! and to use an oven mitt!

Just as an aside, I do use a lot of Dean & Deluca spices, because I think they are the best, but for sure the cinnamon is the most fragrant, sweetest cinnamon powder you will ever find, in my opinion.  I also added a few raisins to this. Trader Joe's has a Jumbo Raisin Medley that doesn't have any added sugar & they are really kind of tangy sweet different tasting, so I threw a handful in while it was on the stove and I did add a little more water while it was cooking.  I put the recipe as THE CHEW had it, but I seldom stick to a recipe. 

ingredients:

  • For the Pork Chops:
  • thick cut pork chop 
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • salt and black pepper to taste

  • For the Apple Compote:
  • 3 granny smith apples (peeled and large diced)
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 teaspoon Dean and Deluca cinnamon
  • 1 lemon (juiced)
  • salt to taste

  •   

03 January, 2013

What to have for lunch ... Paleo + diabetes

My biggest conundrum is what to eat for breakfast, lunch and snacks in order to keep my blood sugar from not dropping too low during the day with my meds. 

Once I make a big dinner, I have that left over for other meals, but I need to have more things prepared that I can grab and throw together when I'm starving. Which I am a lot of the time.

Today, I was in a lot of knee pain and not moving too quickly after running some errands, it was later in the day, so I had to find something quick . . .  with protein and veggies. 


I still had some of my veggie soup left that I made.  I hadn't blogged the making of the soup, since it was the first week of, during detox from grains, sugar, processed foods & bad crap.

This is what I did for the soup though, and you can use any vegetables you have in your house. . 


i put some olive oil in a big pot on the stove. 


Then I cut up veggies that i had in the house, all pretty chunky

fresh green beans
golden beets, peeled and sliced
Crimini mushrooms sliced
red onion sliced
yellow summer squash
broccoli flowerets
and sautéed them for maybe 5 minutes or so

i would have added a can of organic diced tomatoes, but all i had was a small can of tomatoe sauce and one box of Trader Joe's vegetable broth so I added that then let it simmer covered until it was done.


S&P, fresh grated garlic and a ton of SPIKE which is a seasoning.


For lunch, I had one leftover turkey meatball from the other day, so I chopped that up and put it into the soup and heated it up on the stove.  Voila!  Hearty, healthy, Paleo lunch.




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