Escape from Cellulite Nation

Healthy Recipes Comin' at Ya!

2010-01-29T11:43:00.000-08:00

Craving something with a little south of the border flavor?

Look no further than our gal, Steph's, healthy recipe for Black Bean Enchilada Casserole.

The first time I made this, I used ground turkey, but you can totally leave it out and it's just as tasty and even healthier!

Ingredients:

2 cans black beans (I use the low sodium ones!), drained and rinse
1 can Green Giant Chipotle corn (or mexi-corn)
2 small cans red enchilada sauce (I used medium because I like a kick of spice!)
4 whole wheat tortillas
1 cup finely shredded cheese (mexi-mix, cheddar, whatever)
garlic powder, and crushed red pepper to taste

1. Make sure you drain your beans and rinse them really well. Black beans can be very gritty if not rinsed properly!

2. In a large pot, combine black beans and corn. Season to taste with crushed red pepper and garlic powder.

3. Add 1 can of enchilada sauce. Simmer over medium heat for about 15 minutes.

4. In an 8 x 8 glass dish, place a single tortilla and top with black bean mixture. Spread a THIN layer of cheese, just enough to seal the layers together. Repeat until pan is full.

5. Pour remaining enchilada sauce on top of casserole; it should have a tortilla has a top layer. Top with remaining cheese and bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted.

This is really great as leftovers too! If you have too much mixture or enchilada sauce leftover, you can use it in a salad or a tortilla to make a burrito. ENJOY!

Thanks, Steph! Keep the recipes coming!

Up next, a little festive Italian when you're feelin' it.

My childhood friend (friends since we were 9!), Kristin, has a blog called "Food for Thought." She is an excellent writer, and she's all about healthier eating for her family of four. She had a great recipe for Stuffed Shells that I thought I would share.

1 lb. lean ground beef (I like 90-10)
1 lb. Italian-style turkey sausage
1 tsp. + Italian blend of spices
1 tsp. garlic powder
salt to taste
1 large (12 oz) package jumbo shell pasta
1 16. oz container low-fat cottage cheese
1 large package part-skim mozzarella
1 24 oz. can spaghetti sauce (I like Hunt's garlic and herb)
parmesan

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Brown both meats in a large skillet. Drain well. Add spices, garlic powder and salt to taste. In skillet, add entire carton of cottage cheese and about 3 1/2 cups cheese. (You can add more or less depending on your health and taste preferences.)
Meanwhile, boil shells according to package directions. Rinse with cold water, so shells are not apt to fall apart.Stuff each shell with enough filling to fill shell completely but so each shell is not overflowing, and place them in a 9x13 baking dish. Cover shells with pasta sauce and a light sprinkling of parmesan cheese. Bake in oven for 30-40 minutes or until heated through.

Voîla!

I served it with Italian green salad, bread and chocolate buttermilk cupcakes with light (of course) cream cheese frosting. It made a nice meal that didn't break my daily calorie budget.

If you can't tell from her blog, Kristin loves food and anything that has to do with food (and still manages to weigh 9 pounds) and we're looking forward to more great recipes!

Bon appetit!

New Addition!

2010-01-29T11:36:00.000-08:00

While in college, I met a girl named Stephanie. We would go on to bond over drinks and appetizers at a little bar on Tuesdays with a group of mutual friends while feeding quarters into the jukebox so we could listen to songs like "Crimson and Clover" and "My Girl" while discussing worldly issues. As life generally goes, you go one way, and people go their own way. Recently, though, through the marvelous technology known as "Facebook," I've managed to reconnect with Steph again. While we hit the gym a few times during college together, not much really came out of it. Five years later, here we both are THINNER and HEALTHIER.

Are you saying, "GET TO THE POINT ALREADY!"?

I'm getting there.

Steph will be helping this blog out with really awesome posts about exercising, great recipes, DVD reviews, and anything and everything inbetween that speaks "healthy living."

So, a big THANK YOU to Stephanie for her willingness to participate! I can't wait to hear about "Hot Yoga" classes!

Stay tuned!

Negative Calorie Foods

2009-07-29T18:59:00.000-07:00

Well, here's some math I can learn to love. The following foods actually burn MORE calories chewing and digesting them than they originally contained.

Veggies:

Asparagus
Beet Root
Broccoli
Cabbage
Carrot
Cauliflower
Celery
Chicory
Hot Chili
Cucumber
Garden cress
Garlic
Green Beans
Lettuce
Onion
Radish
Spinach
Turnip
Zucchini

Fruits:

Apple
Blueberries
Cantaloupe
Cranberry
Grapefruit
Honeydew
Lemon/Lime
Mango
Orange
Papaya
Peach
Pineapple
Raspberry
Strawberry
Tomato
Tangerine
Turnip
Watermelon

Happy eating!

Eureka!

2009-07-08T19:27:00.000-07:00

I think I figured it out!

If you don't eat anything the ENTIRE day, and then you consume a quarter pounder with cheese, a large fry, a crispy chicken ranch snack wrap, and a large orange Hi-C...

Wait. Nope. Sorry.

You'll still feel disgustingly fat afterward.

Tomorrow is a new day!

Work those abs!

2009-07-08T13:07:00.001-07:00

After doing 100 of these, you should be good to go on your ab workout for the day!

The all-natural route

2009-07-08T12:37:00.000-07:00

If you're looking for a more natural approach to losing weight and getting into shape, here are a few pointers, and a few things to avoid.

1.) Whole-wheat bread.

If you look at the ingredients on a loaf of bread, and you see the word "enriched", put it down. Eating bread that is made of 100% whole-wheat or stone-ground whole wheat is so much better for us because the grain has been "untouched", in a sense. When a grain is "enriched", it means they strip out the good stuff. If you need a recipe for 100% whole-wheat bread to make yourself, here you go:

100% Whole Wheat Bread

2 1/2 cups hot water
4 cups whole-wheat flour
1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup honey
1 T vinegar
2 T yeast (equal to 1 packet)

In bowl, pour water. Add flour, oil, honey, vinegar, and yeast. Mix well. Stop and add 1 cup flour at a time until dough pulls away from bowl. Knead 8-10 minutes.

2.) Diet Soda

Study links diet soda to health issues

By: Nate Jacobs

Published: Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Drinking diet sodas that contain artificial sweeteners such as Splenda or NutraSweet may actually cause weight gain, according to a recent study.

The study, which was published last month by researchers at the University of Minnesota, found that people who drank at least one can of diet soda a day were 34 percent more likely to develop metabolic syndrome than people who didn’t drink any soda at all.

Metabolic syndrome is a condition defined by an increase in waist circumference, blood pressure and levels of sugar, cholesterol and fats in the blood.

In comparison, people who drank one can of regular soda a day were only 10 percent more likely to develop metabolic syndrome.

The study tracked the health and dietary habits of over 9,000 middle-aged Americans for nine years, and excluded anyone who already had metabolic syndrome.

“It is interesting that drinking diet soda had a higher risk of developing metabolic syndrome than the regular stuff,” said Lyn Steffen, an associate professor of immunology at the University of Minnesota who conducted the study.

The study does not necessarily show that diet soda is in some way causing the development of metabolic syndrome, though.

“Right now we’re just looking at observational data. ... We can’t say that diet soda is causing anything,” Steffen said.

One explanation for the increased incidence of metabolic syndrome in people who drink diet soda is they might be compensating for other unhealthy eating habits.

“In my experience someone that is drinking diet soda is eating other unhealthy things and is overcompensating with higher calorie foods,” said Alona Zerlin, a dietician at the UCLA Center for Human Nutrition.

Another possible explanation for the study’s findings is the diet beverages are actually making people hungrier. When people drink diet soda their bodies are expecting calories, and when the calories don’t appear they are likely to eat other things, said Zhaoping Li, an associate professor of clinical medicine at UCLA.

“With artificial sweeteners we are tasting the sweet flavor but are not receiving the calories that are supposed to come along with it. ... Pretty soon you’ll end up with chips or other foods to compensate,” Li said.

Another recent study, which was conducted by researchers at Purdue University and published last week, seems to support this theory.

In their study, they found rats that were fed yogurt with an artificial sweetener called saccharin actually gained more weight than rats that were fed naturally sweetened yogurt. The study also found the reason the rats eating the artificially sweetened yogurt were gaining weight was because they were eating more.

Kristine Westly, a fifth-year business student, describes herself as an avid diet soda drinker and admits to having about two or three cans of diet soda everyday.

She almost always drinks her diet soda with a meal, she said.

“I don’t like drinking it alone; it tastes like something, but you’re not getting any nutrition from it. You end up feeling like you should have eaten something but you didn’t.”

The Calorie Control Council rejected the implications of the Purdue study’s findings, according to a recent press release by the non-profit organization, which represents over 60 manufacturers in the low-calorie and low-fat beverage industry.

The organization’s press release stated low-calorie beverages can be a useful tool in controlling weight gain and cited a recent review of scientific studies on the subject that had similar conclusions.

Westly said she thinks that though she should probably drink water or other beverages instead of soda, having a calorie-free option for people who love soda is nice.

Yet whether or not drinking diet soda is actually a healthier choice than regular soda remains somewhat of an open-ended question for researchers.

“There isn’t enough research to really say what’s going on with diet soda,” Zerlin said. “But if you’re drinking diet soda consistently everyday, there might be some implications of that.”

My doctor, who used to be into the homeopathic side of things, told me he'd rather see me drink regular soda than diet soda. He explained that drinking diet soda can actually cause you to become diabetic, and you will almost always gain weight. This really hit home with me, even though I don't drink soda anymore. When I was in college, I went on a Diet Sunkist kick, and I blew up to 190 pounds. While regular soda doesn't have anything really GOOD in it, I think I could agree with Doc on his views of diet soda.

3.) Apple Cider Vinegar

by: Cathy Wong

Not only does it wash your windows and make for a tasty salad dressing, but this little gem does the following:

Diabetes
Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of apple cider vinegar’s possible health benefits is its effect on blood glucose levels. Several small studies suggest that vinegar (both apple cider vinegar and other types) may help to lower glucose levels.

For example, a preliminary study by researchers at Arizona State University, published in the journal Diabetes Care, examined people with type 2 diabetes. Study participants took either two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar or water with one ounce of cheese at bedtime for two days. The researchers found taking two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar at bedtime had a favorable impact on blood glucose levels the next morning. Prior to the study, the average fasting blood glucose level was 137 mg/dL. It decreased by 2% with the cheese and by 4% with the vinegar, a statistically significant difference. In people with a fasting glucose level above 130 mg/dL prior to the study, the vinegar reduced glucose levels by as much as 6%. The study was very small and the duration was short, so more research is needed.
Dandruff--A home remedy for dandruff is to mix 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar with 1/4 cup water. The vinegar solution is thought to restore the restore the pH balance of the scalp and discourage the overgrowth of malassezia furfur, the yeast-like fungus thought to trigger dandruff. The vinegar mixture is usually poured into a spray bottle and spritzed on the hair and scalp, avoiding the eye and ear area. A towel is then wrapped around the head and left on 15 minutes to an hour. After that, the vinegar can be washed from the hair. Alternative practitioners often recommend it once to twice a week for dandruff.
High Cholesterol--A 2006 study found that rats fed acetic acid (the main ingredient in vinegar) had significantly lower total cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Large, human trials are needed to see if the same results occur in humans.
Acid Reflux--Apple cider vinegar in water is a popular home remedy for acid reflux. It's based on a theory by some alternative medicine practitioners that heartburn and reflux are actually symptoms of insufficient stomach acid caused by aging, poor diet or overusing antacids or other medications. Alternative practitioners usually rely on laboratories that conduct alternative tests to assess stomach acidity prior to any treatment. Critics say that insufficient stomach acid, or hypochlorhydria, isn’t a common condition and that it isn’t a known cause of acid reflux or heartburn. Apple cider vinegar isn’t recommended as a home remedy for acid reflux or heartburn, because it may damage the delicate lining of the digestive tract and it could possibly worsen the problem. If you have acid reflux or heartburn, see a qualified health practitioner for a proper diagnosis and treatment.
Acne--Apple cider vinegar is a home remedy for acne. A typical application is one part apple cider vinegar to three parts water and the solution is dabbed onto the pimple. Although some people swear by it, caution should be used because there have been case reports of skin damage and burns from using full-strength vinegar on the face.
Blood Pressure--Preliminary studies suggest that the acetic acid in vinegar may help to lower blood pressure. How it might work is unclear, although studies suggest that it may increase levels of nitric oxide, a compound in the body that relaxes blood vessels, or it might inhibit an enzyme called angiotensin-converting enzyme from producing angiotensin II, a hormone that causes blood vessels to constrict or narrow. Other studies have found that vinegar can lower the post-meal rise in glucose. The acetic acid in vinegar is thought to slow starch digestion and reduce the glycemic index of starchy foods. For example, a small study compared the effect of vinegar with white bread on blood glucose and insulin levels. Researchers found that those who took vinegar with white bread had lower post-meal blood glucose and insulin levels and it also appeared to increase satiety ratings.
Weight Loss
Apple cider vinegar has become popular as a “fat-burner” and as a natural appetite suppressant. In fact, there’s even an apple cider vinegar diet, which involves taking one to three teaspoons of apple cider vinegar or apple cider vinegar pills before each meal.

The earliest proponent of apple cider vinegar for weight loss was Jarvis, who wrote that people who consumed apple cider vinegar regularly would burn fat instead of store it. Although some say that the pectin, enzymes, vitamins, or potassium may help with weight loss, there is no reliable research showing that either apple cider vinegar or the combination of apple cider vinegar, kelp, vitamin B6 and lecithin can influence metabolic rate or the help us “burn fat” faster than we normally would.

One small study in 2005 found that those who ate a piece of bread with a small amount of white vinegar felt more full and satisfied than those who ate the bread alone. It’s possible that vinegar may affect satiety by lowering the glycemic index of carbohydrates eaten at a meal. More research is needed.
Alkaline Acid Balance
Some alternative practitioners suggest apple cider vinegar as part of a diet to restore alkaline acid balance. The theory behind the alkaline diet is our blood is slightly alkaline, with a normal pH level of between 7.35 and 7.45. Our diet should reflect this pH level and be slightly alkaline. All foods we eat, after being digested and metabolized, release either an acid or alkaline base (bicarbonate) into blood. The foods that people tend to overeat –- grains, meat, dairy products -- all produce acid.

Proponents of the alkaline-acid theory believe that a diet high in acid-producing foods leads to lack of energy, excessive mucous production, infections, anxiety, irritability, headache, sore throat, nasal and sinus congestion, allergic reactions and makes people prone to conditions such as arthritis and gout. Despite being an acidic solution, some proponents of apple cider vinegar believe it has an alkalinizing effect on the body, which is why one to two teaspoons of apple cider vinegar in water is recommended as a daily health tonic. Although it's a popular remedy, the effectiveness of the remedy and the theory haven't been researched.

4.) Alfalfa
In pill form (because our bodies cannot naturally break down alfalfa if we were to eat it), this plant has been known to aid in weight loss.

After taking this for a week, I noticed that I was only eating at meal time because I didn't feel hungry at all! According to herbalist Jack Richarson, who wrote _The Little Herb Encyclopedia_, alfalfa also helps with the following:

Acidity
Allergies
Anemia (supplies Iron)
Appetite stimulant
Arthritis
Asthma
Bell's Palsy
Blood normalizer (clotting or not clotting)
Blood purifier
Bursitis
Colon Cancer prevention
Diabetes
Digestive disorders
Fatigue (mental and physical)
Gout
Hemorrhages
Lactation
Morning Sickness
Nausea
Pituitary gland (Cushing's disease)
Rheumatism
Tooth decay
Ulcers (peptic)
Normalizes weight gain/loss

My brother-in-law, who is a farmer, explains it this way: "Of course it would help you lose weight. Alfalfa is just a ton of fiber in your system. Since you feel full all the time due to the fiber, you won't eat as much." Hmmm...I think he may be onto something.

5.) Water...water...water!

Drink it. Guzzle it. Love it.

Quick Results--My FAVORITE!

2009-07-08T08:20:00.000-07:00

In need of a quick way to sculpt shoulders and arms?

Allow us to introduce: THE PLANK!

Do this every time you find yourself crawling after a little one on the floor or when you realize that you've been sitting on the couch for way too long, staring at the wall.

Quick results, my friends, quick results.

Update

2009-07-08T08:17:00.000-07:00

Update on Laura's end: Exercise is great...eating is in need of help.

Update on Delena's end: Exercise is in need of help...eating is great.

If only we could combine forces!

Beating the Munchies

2009-05-22T10:09:00.001-07:00

Whenever you feel the munchies hit, take a breath and think of an alternative!

Do 50 crunches

Chew a stick of gum

Drink a full glass of water

Go for a walk

Sit on an exercise ball

Drink a cup of peppermint tea

Veggies, veggies, veggies

100 Calorie Snacks

2009-05-22T10:07:00.000-07:00

The following are 100 calorie snacks!

1 medium apple

1/2 cup grapes and 6 almonds

1 T peanut butter and 2 medium celery stalks

4 T hummus with 1 cup sliced cucumbers

6 oz. plain low-fat yogurt with 1 tsp. honey

1 large grapefruit

1/3 cup pineapple chunks, canned in juice, with 1 T walnuts

1/2 small pear with 1 stick string cheese

1/2 cup red pepper, sliced, with 3 T guacamole

30 Minute Calorie Burners

2009-05-22T10:04:00.000-07:00

Did you know that 30 minutes of these burns this many calories?

In-line skating --460 calories
Jumping rope --290 calories
Riding a bike --290 calories
Elliptical machine --260 calories
Jogging --250 calories
Playing tennis --250 calories
Swimming --220 calories
Hiking --220 calories
Dancing --160 calories
Walking on treadmill --150 calories
Yoga DVD --90 calories

Great Sites

2009-05-22T08:51:00.000-07:00

A Calorie Counter:

http://www.acaloriecounter.com/

Healthy Snacks:

http://healthy.betterrecipes.com/healthysnackrecipes.html

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/collections/quick_healthy_snack_recipes.html

http://vegweb.com/index.php?action=recipes

Exercising:

http://www.fullfitness.net/

http://www.myfit.ca/

http://www.womenfitness.net/

Figuring Body Mass Index:

http://www.halls.md/body-mass-index/bmi.htm

Genesis

2009-05-22T08:27:00.000-07:00

My sister-in-law, Laura, lives 4 hours away. In the last couple of months, though, we've spent a lot of time together, whether it be in person or on the phone. While talking, we both expressed our interest in losing some weight and and getting back in shape. So, we decided to do it together--long-distance! We will decide on a set work-out that we both will do, and then we will both be responsible for doing the cardio on our own. We both hope to lose ten pounds, which will put us in the "healthy" zone for our height/weight ratio. When we start to feel like we need to eat an entire bag of M&M's or Cheetos, we'll be there to support each other. We also will e-mail each other dieting tips, healthy snack recipes, and exercises we find to help each other.

I decided that we should put these tips out there for any other moms looking for motivation, tips, or recipes.

So, welcome! Leave any tips, recipes, etc., in the comment box OR e-mail it to cellulitenation@gmail.com.

Here's to our escape!