Beginning bloggers tend to lose the popularity contest in the nutrtion/dieting category. I suppose one would have to have advice no one else could give, show somewhat fast results, have awesome recipes, or just be a witty, inspirational character. A poor, unfortunate soul am I.
I don't have much success to report in terms of weight loss. I have been treated one too many times this week to a heavy meal, which screws me up the following week. I think from the scale that I'm just retaining a bit of water. I'll try to be REALLY good for the next few days to see if I've done real damage. This process is all about balance. You'll want to be "good" most of the time. Most of the time= maybe 80% of the time (while making sure the other 20% doesn't actually equal or outweigh the 80%). That's probably a good estimate for long-term (slow) results or weight maintenance.
In other news, I feel I've improved my endurance. I ran another mile in 11 minutes the other day. I suffered less, too. It was only the last minute and a half that were tortuous. But I felt so good about myself I went another minute! Yes, it is pathetic to most, but for me, that's wonderful. You see, I was the chubby girl who usually finished 2nd or 3rd to last in gym (I always wanted to feel like someone was behind me, so I worked a little harder.). I never ran a full mile without stopping. I was amazed and a bit jealous of the middle-school superstar runner who ran the mile in about 6 minutes. How did I know she ran it that quickly? I was a bit "sick" the day we recorded the time, so I was set to record everyone else's time. Yes, that was me. People weren't cruel though. I wasn't made fun of (except by a trio of bullies that really just made fun of everyone), or at least I didn't catch anyone.
I did understand that I was overweight, and that I probably needed to do something. The change came when my mother bought a fancy scale for herself. I just thought it was cool and weighed myself. I was rather shocked when it said I was 190. I think for my height then I would have technically been obese. My mother never put me down, but she introduced me to her weight watchers plan and got me a pedometer. I was definitely more careful. I kept a food journal. I managed to lose 20 pounds that summer, and then another 15 or so over the next few years (eating well in general and staying somewhat active, but not on weight watchers).
So here I am. I've put on some weight again, and am trying to get it off and improve my fitness. Now, I use Sparkpeople to track my nutrition and fitness. I recommend it. It can track various kinds of nutrients and shows you charts of how you ate that day (percentage carb,protein,fat; percentage each food for the day).
I don't have any budget inspiration today. Oatmeal is always a good choice. It's filling and cheap per serving (maybe 12 cents if you buy in bulk), but you really have to watch your portion size here. You could down a half-cup serving (150 calories) easily, and that's just using water. So try to have a fruit and maybe veggies to bulk up the meal, if you need volume. You can also bake your very own breakfast bar using oatmeal. Enjoy!
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Friday, March 16, 2012
A Running Success
I also just wanted to report that since I began to run three weeks ago (perhaps an inconsistent two or three times per week), I've managed to bring up the time I can run in a go from 2 minutes to about 12 minutes. I can jog a mile without stopping! I honestly don't know if I've ever been able to do that. It feels great! Next stop: two miles.
A Bad Day
We all have those days. Someone says something particularly insensitive, which hits a nerve. You don't know quite how to react, but you walk away shrugging it off. It doesn't bother you for an hour or so. Then negative thoughts slowly dominate, perhaps completely unrelated to what was said. You begin to feel depressed, even in a positive setting with a significant other. He already knows your insecurities, and you don't want to make the meeting a downer, so you keep it in. You feel like eating more. You give in to large portions of bad food. It doesn't really make you feel better, but you eat it. Your sense of fullness doesn't seem to work as it normally does. You feel bad about it later. And you just feel bad. Unworthy. Unsuccessful. Problematic.
How do you start to feel better? At least for myself, computer searching never helps, whether social or not. One thing that helps is to have a social network of friends, people that you can call and feel secure in venting. However, venting too much may drive friends (who are not as close) away. Another tip is to walk outside. Just being able to breathe fresh air feels good. Plus, you may get a small dose of endorphins to help make you feel better. Find a few inspirational quotes. Write down what you feel. Make a poem. For some people, making lists or plans seems to relax them. Take a bath or shower and take care of your body. Bring out a nice perfume or candle. More importantly, think about your good qualities- your successes, your personality, the people who love you. Tell yourself those good qualities out loud. Smile at yourself when you look in the mirror. Love yourself. Love yourself everyday.
How do you start to feel better? At least for myself, computer searching never helps, whether social or not. One thing that helps is to have a social network of friends, people that you can call and feel secure in venting. However, venting too much may drive friends (who are not as close) away. Another tip is to walk outside. Just being able to breathe fresh air feels good. Plus, you may get a small dose of endorphins to help make you feel better. Find a few inspirational quotes. Write down what you feel. Make a poem. For some people, making lists or plans seems to relax them. Take a bath or shower and take care of your body. Bring out a nice perfume or candle. More importantly, think about your good qualities- your successes, your personality, the people who love you. Tell yourself those good qualities out loud. Smile at yourself when you look in the mirror. Love yourself. Love yourself everyday.
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Desensitivity and Eggplant
You know when you've fully taken to a kind of food when you really don't care if it's sub-par. It goes for pizza and tacos. So it should go for fruits and vegetables, but it often doesn't. But are we to blame? Perhaps that artichoke just doesn't taste right, or those grapes are a little mushy. The key is to love the food first by getting the good-quality stuff first, and preparing it well. It may mean pairing it with food you already love. My mom used to make delicious broccoli topped with cheese. I also remember her getting very skimpy on the cheese later on. Now, I just cook broccoli with a little salt and pepper, and it tastes fine to me, whether I get a good piece of broccoli or not. I had created a food desensitivity. So, try buying decent quality fruits or vegetables that you are a little more sensisitive to, and prepare it in ways that you think you might like. Remember, just because you didn't like the eggplant at the restaurant doesn't necessarily mean you don't like eggplant. You probably didn't like the way it was prepared. So peel the bitter skin and cook it with chickpeas and tomato sauce, or roast it and mash the inside with tahini or peanut butter and garlic. Look at ethnic recipes. Keep trying to like a food. And when you do like it, try to create a desensitivity (But don't eat too much and get sick of it!). It's part of a lifestyle change. The difference between the baby food diet and this desensitizing is that the developed eating habits and preferences often stay with you until the end. Baby food should be for when you are a toothless baby or a very old person (You can put it into spaghetti sauce for more concentrated nutrients. This is a good idea. Just don't live off it.).
Roasted Eggplant/Babaganoush:
Preheat oven to 500 F. Let the eggplant roast for about 40 minutes (don't pierce or poke it because you want the eggplant "oil" to stay inside), until you can pierce the skin easily with a knife. Clumsily get the eggplant into a bowl or plate. Cut off the head and take the skin off. Crush two or three cloves of garlic and mash it into the eggplant. Mash in more than one tablespoon of tahini or whatever nut butter you'd like. Tahini is classic, but you could probably get creative or cheap and use peanut butter. Keep mashing. Shake in cumin for a extra roasted flavor, as well as a little salt and pepper. Mash until it really looks like a consistent mush. Ah, eggplant. You can use it as a dip, or a kind of "gravy". I like to eat it with anything and by itself.
Calories: about 275 or 300 for an entire eggplant and two tablespoons of tahini
Cost: well, about 1.75 for an eggplant and the tahini varies, but was free for me as it was a gift (let us say it was about 30 cents for the two tablespoons). So maybe $2 for the whole thing. It should keep well for about five days in the refridgerator, though it is usually gone by day one (the taste improves even more after a day or two).
Okay, there's another eggplant dish, "Egyptian" style, that I don't know how to cook properly, so I will do some research and experimenting for another post, another day.
Roasted Eggplant/Babaganoush:
Preheat oven to 500 F. Let the eggplant roast for about 40 minutes (don't pierce or poke it because you want the eggplant "oil" to stay inside), until you can pierce the skin easily with a knife. Clumsily get the eggplant into a bowl or plate. Cut off the head and take the skin off. Crush two or three cloves of garlic and mash it into the eggplant. Mash in more than one tablespoon of tahini or whatever nut butter you'd like. Tahini is classic, but you could probably get creative or cheap and use peanut butter. Keep mashing. Shake in cumin for a extra roasted flavor, as well as a little salt and pepper. Mash until it really looks like a consistent mush. Ah, eggplant. You can use it as a dip, or a kind of "gravy". I like to eat it with anything and by itself.
Calories: about 275 or 300 for an entire eggplant and two tablespoons of tahini
Cost: well, about 1.75 for an eggplant and the tahini varies, but was free for me as it was a gift (let us say it was about 30 cents for the two tablespoons). So maybe $2 for the whole thing. It should keep well for about five days in the refridgerator, though it is usually gone by day one (the taste improves even more after a day or two).
Okay, there's another eggplant dish, "Egyptian" style, that I don't know how to cook properly, so I will do some research and experimenting for another post, another day.
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Pesto Grilled Cheese- Gooey Goodness
I got tired of rice and beans the other night. Though it's a great and cheap meal, and I usually have no problem eating it nearly every night, it's nice to change it up a little bit. I splurged a bit and got pesto the other night. I made a nice little grilled cheese with a small bed of lettuce on the side. I used cheap whole-wheat bread, spread a little bit of pesto on one side, followed by thin slices of tomato, sauteed mushrooms, shredded mozzarella cheese, and a few leaves from the side salad. Then, I heated a pan up with a little spritz of Pam, and made a grilled cheese. Gooey, pesto-ey heaven.
Calories: ~325
Cost: less than $1.50, including the salad (It's a small splurge. Take out the mushrooms for an easier and cheaper sandwich. Or you can have a classic grilled cheese. A classic grilled cheese with 2 slices of bread and one serving of cheese is $0.40)
I'm dividing the price of the food by the amount used. I understand this can be questionable, as food does go bad, and you throw out some. I generally manage to use all of my food before they go bad, with the exception of carrots. For some reason, I can't get rid of them fast enough. But, they are about 75 cents a bag, so that isn't a disaster. I recommend that for perishable food, you limit what you get based on the meals you tend to eat. For some, that means a meal plan where you can effectively use everything in your refridgerator before it goes bad. I don't use meal plans, but I highly recommend them. They make each week much less stressful. When you budget for the meal plans, don't forget to make a little room for slippage. There will be times when someone gets something from a snack or drink machine, or purchase a treat, or go out to eat because something went wrong with the food that you had planned to eat (at work, school, etc). If possible, make room in your budget for those times.
Calories: ~325
Cost: less than $1.50, including the salad (It's a small splurge. Take out the mushrooms for an easier and cheaper sandwich. Or you can have a classic grilled cheese. A classic grilled cheese with 2 slices of bread and one serving of cheese is $0.40)
I'm dividing the price of the food by the amount used. I understand this can be questionable, as food does go bad, and you throw out some. I generally manage to use all of my food before they go bad, with the exception of carrots. For some reason, I can't get rid of them fast enough. But, they are about 75 cents a bag, so that isn't a disaster. I recommend that for perishable food, you limit what you get based on the meals you tend to eat. For some, that means a meal plan where you can effectively use everything in your refridgerator before it goes bad. I don't use meal plans, but I highly recommend them. They make each week much less stressful. When you budget for the meal plans, don't forget to make a little room for slippage. There will be times when someone gets something from a snack or drink machine, or purchase a treat, or go out to eat because something went wrong with the food that you had planned to eat (at work, school, etc). If possible, make room in your budget for those times.
Monday, March 12, 2012
Curry!
In many countries, curried dishes are a poor man's meal. Restaurants in the US charge plenty for it, though. I adore curry powder, and will put some in rice, on fish, on shrimp, on vegetables, and chicken! Cooked, of course. You need a bit to make it noticeable. I wanted to recommend going to ethnic markets with bulk spices. I've managed to find a store with plenty of bulk spices and coffee and olives and cheeses and yadda-yadda-yadda. The point is, in a normal grocery store, it can be $4 for a pathetic 3 ounce container of curry. At this ethnic market, it was about $1.25 for 4 ounces! Granted, they only gave me paper bags to carry it in, so I had to make a run into the dollar store to get some spice containers. For the foods I like to eat, I only get cumin, curry powder, black pepper, and salt. If I feel more creative, I'll get cinnamon and bay leaves. These will run you maybe $10, but they'll last a long time.
Curried Vegetables Recipe
One Red Potato cubed
One Zucchini cut into half moons (or whatever medium-small shape strikes your fancy)
Another optional veggie, maybe zucchini's yellow squash counterpart, or cauliflower
Half can of chickpeas
One Onion chopped
3 Garlic Cloves chopped
chopped or grated Ginger (optional)
Curry powder 2 or 3 tbsp
Salt, Pepper
Chicken stock or bouillon (optional)
water (depends on the room taken up in the pot)
half-can tomato sauce (small)
oil for cooking 1 tbsp
Heat oil in medium/large saucepan/pot. Making sure it is hot (just starts to sizzle), turn the heat down to medium and put the onions in for a few minutes. While you wait, try to bring a small saucepan of water up to a boil. Be sure to put in the chicken stock, curry powder, salt, and pepper into the small saucepan. In the large saucepan, put in the garlic and ginger and let it cook for 30 seconds. Put in the vegetables and tomato sauce and let it sweat for a minute or two. If you feel that the food is starting to stick at the bottom of the pan from lack of oil, go ahead and put the boiling water in. Make sure the water just covers the veggies. Stir it and cover for 30 minutes at medium heat. Taste to see if it is ready. Let it cook more if you feel it needs it. If you can eat it like it is, enjoy! Warning: curry powder may temporary turn your pots or sink yellow.
I apologize for the lack of detail and specification on amounts. I don't have measuring cups or spoons, and prefer to just throw in what seems good at a time that seems right, with some standard guidelines.
So, calories for the entire dish: 750. This is enough for more than one serving, so share with a significant other, friends, or family.
Price: ~$2.30 (without optional extra veggie)
Additional suggestion: Add rice or a hard-boiled egg if you'd like. As always, be aware of calorie intake.
Curried Vegetables Recipe
One Red Potato cubed
One Zucchini cut into half moons (or whatever medium-small shape strikes your fancy)
Another optional veggie, maybe zucchini's yellow squash counterpart, or cauliflower
Half can of chickpeas
One Onion chopped
3 Garlic Cloves chopped
chopped or grated Ginger (optional)
Curry powder 2 or 3 tbsp
Salt, Pepper
Chicken stock or bouillon (optional)
water (depends on the room taken up in the pot)
half-can tomato sauce (small)
oil for cooking 1 tbsp
Heat oil in medium/large saucepan/pot. Making sure it is hot (just starts to sizzle), turn the heat down to medium and put the onions in for a few minutes. While you wait, try to bring a small saucepan of water up to a boil. Be sure to put in the chicken stock, curry powder, salt, and pepper into the small saucepan. In the large saucepan, put in the garlic and ginger and let it cook for 30 seconds. Put in the vegetables and tomato sauce and let it sweat for a minute or two. If you feel that the food is starting to stick at the bottom of the pan from lack of oil, go ahead and put the boiling water in. Make sure the water just covers the veggies. Stir it and cover for 30 minutes at medium heat. Taste to see if it is ready. Let it cook more if you feel it needs it. If you can eat it like it is, enjoy! Warning: curry powder may temporary turn your pots or sink yellow.
I apologize for the lack of detail and specification on amounts. I don't have measuring cups or spoons, and prefer to just throw in what seems good at a time that seems right, with some standard guidelines.
So, calories for the entire dish: 750. This is enough for more than one serving, so share with a significant other, friends, or family.
Price: ~$2.30 (without optional extra veggie)
Additional suggestion: Add rice or a hard-boiled egg if you'd like. As always, be aware of calorie intake.
Beginning to Run
A few weeks ago my sister ran a marathon, I believe, in under four hours. To me, that's incredible. I never run. I prefer long walks- things that are low-intensity and low-impact. I don't mind spending an extra 30 minutes. But, I don't have the time. I've let too many days slip by without any exercise. So two weeks ago, I felt inspired by my sister to start running. So, I went out and did a five minute walking warm-up, and then started to jog. Humiliating. Two minutes was all I could push myself to do. The cause: a combination of boredom and being plain ol' unfit. A marathon seems far, far out of reach. However, this week I've been able to push myself to five minutes, with the help of some music. I think there is improvement. This week I will try and maintain a consistent five minute run. The goal right now is to be able to run a 5K. Some advice I've received is to jog slowly, and to open my chest when running to allow for easier breathing. Any other advice you can give? Walking and running outside are great ways to get moving for free. You don't need a gym. But, perhaps you can keep a watch on you. You can also use walking as your method of commuting for errands, particularly if you are in a dense area, or close to your grocery store.
For breakfast: $1.28
Eggs (2 for ~40 cents)
Half a mango (60 cents)
One slice of whole wheat bread (8 cents)
1 Tbsp of PB (10 cents)
1 Tbsp Jelly (10 cents)
Lunch: $1
Whole-wheat pasta (1 serving for 20 cents)
Cheese (1/4 cup for 25 cents)
Tomato sauce (half can for 35 cents)
Leftover veggies ? (20 cents?)
Snack: $1.87
Other Mango Half (60 cents)
Yogurt (67 cents)
Milk 1 cup (~60 cents)
Dinner: $.65
Black Beans (cooked from dry using 90 minute no soak method, 2 servings)- 25 cents
Rice (one cup)- maybe 20 cents?
One egg- 20 cents
Multi-vitamin, Fish Oil, Cranberry Pill: $.30
Calories- 1480
Cost-$5.2
I know many families get by on less than this. This is not bad for my personal budget, but I will try to improve. Might anyone have suggestions?
For breakfast: $1.28
Eggs (2 for ~40 cents)
Half a mango (60 cents)
One slice of whole wheat bread (8 cents)
1 Tbsp of PB (10 cents)
1 Tbsp Jelly (10 cents)
Lunch: $1
Whole-wheat pasta (1 serving for 20 cents)
Cheese (1/4 cup for 25 cents)
Tomato sauce (half can for 35 cents)
Leftover veggies ? (20 cents?)
Snack: $1.87
Other Mango Half (60 cents)
Yogurt (67 cents)
Milk 1 cup (~60 cents)
Dinner: $.65
Black Beans (cooked from dry using 90 minute no soak method, 2 servings)- 25 cents
Rice (one cup)- maybe 20 cents?
One egg- 20 cents
Multi-vitamin, Fish Oil, Cranberry Pill: $.30
Calories- 1480
Cost-$5.2
I know many families get by on less than this. This is not bad for my personal budget, but I will try to improve. Might anyone have suggestions?
Supersize Me Debunked/Saturated Fat Myth
I've watched both Spurlock's Supersize Me and Naughton's Fat Head. Supersize me is a 30 day experiment in which Spurlock sets out to show that the nation is fat and getting fatter because of fast food restaurants like McDonald's. He eats at only McDonald's for 30 days, while limiting his exercise to that of the average American. And, when the cashier asks him if he would like to supersize, then he must supersize the meal. Overall, he depicts the average American as having no common sense or self-restraint. In the end, Spurlock gains quite a bit, he gains extra body fat, and his cholesterol shoots up (along with a lower HDL and higher LDL). He seems quite miserable and gets the message across that fast food is bad for you. Fat Head, on the other hand, tries to debunk Spurlock's documentary. Naughton lost weight, body fat, and had overall little damage to his cholesterol on his own 30 day McDonald's diet. What Naughton did differently: eliminated food that would contribute too many carbohydrates and too much sugar. No potatoes, no regular soda, limited bread. He ate meats to prove that he didn't need to get a salad at every meal. He also set himself a calorie limit of about 2000 calories, and stayed under. At the same time, he got about 30 minutes of walking in a day. He also recommends that we not eat food with soybean oil, canola or vegetable oils (trans-fats can lower HDL). After a successful month at McDonald's, he goes another month trying to disprove the idea that saturated fats are bad for you. So he cuts sugar, processed vegetable oils, and starch, expect for a bit of low-sugar fruit. He eats cheeses cooked in coconut oil, bacon, and all kinds of "no-no" foods high in saturated fat. Naughton's cholestrol dropped, and his HDL went up while his LDL went down. It's a shocker. Naughton acknowledges that an ideal diet would have plenty of vegetables and some fruits, but just wanted to prove that saturated fats are not the culprit in cholesterol and blood pressure problems. I recommend watching Fat Head, but if you're not into the debunking of Supersize Me, skip the first 40-50 minutes of the film.
Take away ideas: make good and logical choices most of the time; don't overeat; don't overdose on carbohydrates and sugar (fruits and vegetables won't have too much, but avoid too many potatoes); stay away from processed oil or products made with soybean oil as a primary ingredient; don't shy away from saturated fat (but be conscious of calorie intake); and finally, while you CAN remain healthy on a McDonald's diet, avoid fast food.
Take away ideas: make good and logical choices most of the time; don't overeat; don't overdose on carbohydrates and sugar (fruits and vegetables won't have too much, but avoid too many potatoes); stay away from processed oil or products made with soybean oil as a primary ingredient; don't shy away from saturated fat (but be conscious of calorie intake); and finally, while you CAN remain healthy on a McDonald's diet, avoid fast food.
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Day Two: Beans and Rice, Exercise
You've heard of Jack and the magic beanstalk. Well, eating beans won't make a plant grow out of your stomach, but it has a treasure chest of protein, fiber, complex carbohydrates and nutrients. And all for relatively few calories. A diet that's rich in fiber can reduce your risk of developing diabetes and heart disease (by lowering LDL cholestrol levels). Apparently, pairing beans with rice or corn makes it a complete protein. They also have folic acid, copper, iron, and magnesium. People who eat more beans are said to have smaller waist sizes and a 22% lower risk of obesity. Beans can also be loaded with antioxidants, particularly the darker colored ones: red, kidney, black (they beat out blueberries!). So, how about cost? A can of beans in Manhattan is about $1.20, with about 3.5 half-cup servings. This isn't bad, though we worry about sodium and preservatives. People usually shy away from dry, bagged beans, as they seem to take forever to cook. However, they can be much better for you, and cost $1 for a pound, which yields perhaps 6 cups, or 12 servings. That should yield less than 10 cents a serving. So, I would like to offer a 90-minute, no-soak recipe that I tried after coming across a website explaining how to do this.
Preheat your oven to 250 F. Take a certain amount of beans and put it in a decently large pot (beans expand a lot, so make sure you have at the very least 3 times the height left in your pot). Add salt and seasonings, onions, garlic, whatever floats your boat. However, don't add anything too acidic (this will harden your beans, so wait to add lime or tomatoes until either you recook it or toward the end). Cover it with water by a little less than 1.5 inches above the beans. Cover the pot with a tight fitting lid. Put it on the stovetop and bring it to a boil. Then, stick it in the oven without taking the lid off. Leave it for 75 minutes. It was suggested that we make sure that there was enough water 45 minutes through, but more water or longer cooking times were needed very rarely. You could probably just leave it and be fine. Test the beans, and see if it needs to cook a tiny bit longer (depending on whether you like particularly soft beans). You don't get much more gas from eating the beans like this. Also, this should work for most beans (except lentils and other faster cooking beans). Put the rest in the refridgerator or freezer to munch on during the week.
Also, you can get bulk bags of rice for a pretty cheap price. I recommend brown rice as the healthier and more filling option, but white rice can do if the price makes enough difference. Brown rice can cost 15 cents or less per half-cup serving. White rice costs less, but is much less filling. Go for the brown rice, and your body will thank you.
Exercise
The cheapest form of exercise is your own body. Make an effort to move more. Walk for 30 minutes a day, anytime (perhaps while the beans are in the oven). Try splitting it up into 10 minute segments. Challenge yourself by walking quickly, by jogging, by lunging, by going up hills. Make sure you are challenging yourself. Otherwise there are plenty of websites that show at-home floor exercises you can do. You don't need to go to the gym. What you need is consistency. You need to make sure you get exercise every day. (Don't feel like a failure though, if you miss a day. The point is to keep it up for the rest of your life, not two months.) If you must be at home to take care of someone, and cannot take them with you, try jumping jacks, boxing, classic push-ups and sit-ups, burpees, but make sure to do it continuously. Or vigorously clean the house for 30 minutes. Don't fall into the habit of working hard for 20 seconds, and then resting for 3 minutes. Again, just make sure you are being challenged, and that you challenge yourself all throughout the 30 minutes. Get encouragement from your family and friends. Put up quotes that inspire you to get it done. Exercise is a big part of a healthy lifestyle and losing weight.
Preheat your oven to 250 F. Take a certain amount of beans and put it in a decently large pot (beans expand a lot, so make sure you have at the very least 3 times the height left in your pot). Add salt and seasonings, onions, garlic, whatever floats your boat. However, don't add anything too acidic (this will harden your beans, so wait to add lime or tomatoes until either you recook it or toward the end). Cover it with water by a little less than 1.5 inches above the beans. Cover the pot with a tight fitting lid. Put it on the stovetop and bring it to a boil. Then, stick it in the oven without taking the lid off. Leave it for 75 minutes. It was suggested that we make sure that there was enough water 45 minutes through, but more water or longer cooking times were needed very rarely. You could probably just leave it and be fine. Test the beans, and see if it needs to cook a tiny bit longer (depending on whether you like particularly soft beans). You don't get much more gas from eating the beans like this. Also, this should work for most beans (except lentils and other faster cooking beans). Put the rest in the refridgerator or freezer to munch on during the week.
Also, you can get bulk bags of rice for a pretty cheap price. I recommend brown rice as the healthier and more filling option, but white rice can do if the price makes enough difference. Brown rice can cost 15 cents or less per half-cup serving. White rice costs less, but is much less filling. Go for the brown rice, and your body will thank you.
Exercise
The cheapest form of exercise is your own body. Make an effort to move more. Walk for 30 minutes a day, anytime (perhaps while the beans are in the oven). Try splitting it up into 10 minute segments. Challenge yourself by walking quickly, by jogging, by lunging, by going up hills. Make sure you are challenging yourself. Otherwise there are plenty of websites that show at-home floor exercises you can do. You don't need to go to the gym. What you need is consistency. You need to make sure you get exercise every day. (Don't feel like a failure though, if you miss a day. The point is to keep it up for the rest of your life, not two months.) If you must be at home to take care of someone, and cannot take them with you, try jumping jacks, boxing, classic push-ups and sit-ups, burpees, but make sure to do it continuously. Or vigorously clean the house for 30 minutes. Don't fall into the habit of working hard for 20 seconds, and then resting for 3 minutes. Again, just make sure you are being challenged, and that you challenge yourself all throughout the 30 minutes. Get encouragement from your family and friends. Put up quotes that inspire you to get it done. Exercise is a big part of a healthy lifestyle and losing weight.
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Day One: A Few Basics
Eliminate Drink Purchases. Bring your own water.
Some of the more obvious money sinks include drinks. In restaurants, in the market, we seem to pay way too much for what is mostly water. I recommend you get a durable water bottle, and if you need a filter, either get a filtered water pitcher/water bottle (like Brita). In the long run, you save hundreds per year, considering you should be drinking between 6 and 8 glasses a day. Use the extra you save for buying milk once a week. By eliminating the calories from sugary juices and sodas (even diet sodas have been reported to be bad for you) from being an everyday occurance, you'll do your body a world of good. Sample numbers: one gallon of bottled water around these parts runs about $1.79, soda cans are about $.75, and juices can be $2-5. Over the course of a year, drinking bottled water might run you about $600 (assuming you only buy the gallon water). A soda a day would be about $275. A bottle of juice a week would be anywhere from $100-250 a year. Stick to the tap. Invest $15 in a filter, if you'd like. Invest another $10 in a bottle with a filter in it to take anywhere with you. Trust me. After drinking only cold water for a while, it's really all I like. Juice is like a candy drink, for special occassions.
Losing Weight=Calorie Deficit
After the years of the fad diets, we've learned that in terms of short-term weight gain/loss, it doesn't really matter if you consume 3000 calories of fat, carbs, or protein. You've still consumed 3000 calories. If you've only burned 2000 calories, you've overconsumed 1000 calories. This 1000 calories is approximately .28 pounds (simply 1000/3500). So, this is the base of all diets. The key is to balance your diet well. Protein and fat will help satiety, but shouldn't make up too much of the diet. Carbohydrates are an extremely important supply of energy, and usually high in foods with fiber, which also staves off hunger and cravings. We'll explore good ratios later on.
Multivitamin
If you are restricting calories, and the kind of food you eat through budgeting, you'll be depriving yourself of vitamins and nutrients. To support your body's needs during weight loss, get a multivitamin and take one everyday. The cost of a single multivitamin can run from a few cents to $.20. It's a good investment. I prefer to spend a little extra on a better tasting, chewable one. I look forward to taking it everyday. I used to get bulk, generic multivitamins, but rarely took them, as I hated swallowing huge, disgusting pills. Flintstone's Children's Multivitamin took care of that for me.
Some of the more obvious money sinks include drinks. In restaurants, in the market, we seem to pay way too much for what is mostly water. I recommend you get a durable water bottle, and if you need a filter, either get a filtered water pitcher/water bottle (like Brita). In the long run, you save hundreds per year, considering you should be drinking between 6 and 8 glasses a day. Use the extra you save for buying milk once a week. By eliminating the calories from sugary juices and sodas (even diet sodas have been reported to be bad for you) from being an everyday occurance, you'll do your body a world of good. Sample numbers: one gallon of bottled water around these parts runs about $1.79, soda cans are about $.75, and juices can be $2-5. Over the course of a year, drinking bottled water might run you about $600 (assuming you only buy the gallon water). A soda a day would be about $275. A bottle of juice a week would be anywhere from $100-250 a year. Stick to the tap. Invest $15 in a filter, if you'd like. Invest another $10 in a bottle with a filter in it to take anywhere with you. Trust me. After drinking only cold water for a while, it's really all I like. Juice is like a candy drink, for special occassions.
Losing Weight=Calorie Deficit
After the years of the fad diets, we've learned that in terms of short-term weight gain/loss, it doesn't really matter if you consume 3000 calories of fat, carbs, or protein. You've still consumed 3000 calories. If you've only burned 2000 calories, you've overconsumed 1000 calories. This 1000 calories is approximately .28 pounds (simply 1000/3500). So, this is the base of all diets. The key is to balance your diet well. Protein and fat will help satiety, but shouldn't make up too much of the diet. Carbohydrates are an extremely important supply of energy, and usually high in foods with fiber, which also staves off hunger and cravings. We'll explore good ratios later on.
Multivitamin
If you are restricting calories, and the kind of food you eat through budgeting, you'll be depriving yourself of vitamins and nutrients. To support your body's needs during weight loss, get a multivitamin and take one everyday. The cost of a single multivitamin can run from a few cents to $.20. It's a good investment. I prefer to spend a little extra on a better tasting, chewable one. I look forward to taking it everyday. I used to get bulk, generic multivitamins, but rarely took them, as I hated swallowing huge, disgusting pills. Flintstone's Children's Multivitamin took care of that for me.
Monday, March 5, 2012
HealthyQueen Launches
Welcome to the launching of HealthyQueen! Here I will offer you tips and guidance on how to lose weight and change your life, while maintaining a healthy sized wallet. I will do the work in compiling the latest research in nutrition, diet, and exercise to give you the best edge in starting AND maintaining a new, healthy lifestyle. All, of course, on a budget. That's the challenge, no? Stay tuned.
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