Comfort Food

Trying to eat healthy does not mean you need to leave comfort food behind you.  You can find healthier versions of your favorite meals.  The eggplant parmigiana recipe of several weeks ago is a great example of one. 

There’s nothing more comforting than chicken soup, and it tends to be very healthy in all its forms.  A real staple of mine is chicken and dumplings, and it’s a pretty easy but very tasty recipe.

Chicken and Dumplings

4-6 cube(s) chicken bouillon cube 

1 large onion, chopped

3 large carrots, chopped

3 large stalks celery, chopped

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 Tbsp baking powder

1 tsp table salt

1/8 tsp McCormick Ground black pepper

1 tsp poultry seasoning

4 Tbsp Canola Oil

1 cup fat-free skim milk

1 1/4 pounds Chicken breast, skinless, boneless, raw

Instructions 

Place chicken, bouillon, onion, celery, carrots and salt and pepper (for seasoning - to taste) in a large pot and add enough water to cover. Cook to boil and simmer for 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked. Remove chicken and when cool, shred.

Mix together flour, baking powder, salt, pepper and poultry seasoning. Add the oil and milk, blend lightly. Drop by spoonfuls into the simmering broth. Cover and steam 15 - 20 minutes. Add the chicken to the soup and serve when warmed.

The version above is 8 points per serving based on 6 servings.  The poultry seasoning in the dumplings is one of the secrets to the success of this recipe, so don’t skip that!  I do sometimes mix dark and white chicken meat in this soup.  To my surprise, it also freezes very well.

This meal is a real favorite among my friends, and I’ve given the recipe out to lots of folks.  I’ve had the joy of some of them cooking it for me – proving they really do like it a lot.  Carol Elise Hayes likes to use roasted chicken instead of boiled meat, and that does really change the flavor of the soup.  You may want to give it a try.

What are your favorite comfort foods?  Have you figured out ways to give them a healthy spin?

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Everything I Learned About Managing Stress, I Learned From My Dog

By Amy E. Nichols

Stress is a strange thing. Each creature on this planet has a reaction to stressful situations. Most of these are life and death, survival of the fittest type stuff. All animals have adrenaline reactions. What makes humans so different when it comes to stress?

Stress is the common denominator in many health issues. High blood pressure, metabolic syndrome, even obesity can all be caused by stress and our management of it. It ages you as well. It robs us of our sleep. It can lead to an increased risk of heart attacks. It’s not good.

It’s not all bad either. Studies have shown that some stress is actually good for you. An example of a good stressful situation is the nervousness you feel before a performance, or presentation. Good stress can challenge us to do better, to take chances. Bad stress or chronic stress is the stuff that we need to be concerned about. The constant compounding of stressful situations repeatedly day in and day out with no relief makes humans different from the rest of the animal world.

Take the humble dog. We have a mutt that is one-half Australian Shepherd, half Labrador and 100% lazy. She gets all hyped up when someone comes into the yard. She barks, she growls, but as soon as she realizes that it's okay, she’s back to being a slug at the top of the stairs. The stress of someone coming into the yard is all forgotten.

Not so with us humans. We regurgitate a situation repeatedly, reliving our reaction. We repeat it all again, reliving the feeling, embracing the anger and driving our cortisol levels through the roof. For what?

It has taken me over a year to learn one key lesson on stress management. The only thing in any situation I control is my reaction to it. I can relive it repeatedly and whip myself up into a stressed-out frenzy or I can be like the dog. Bark loudly then forget it. I choose the dog.

What stresses me out the most is not having control of a situation. I am a peon at work, near the bottom of the pole in a place where gravity is proven to work as the stuff rolls down the hill. Sound familiar?

A study was done in England and determined that those at the top of the food chain or high up on the management chain experienced much less stress than those at the bottom of the food chain. I’m at the bottom as many of us are.

In a stressful situation, the only thing we can control is our reaction and how often we continue to react to the situation. Before, I would talk about it to anyone who would listen, reliving in vivid detail including all the blood pressure raising emotions. Now I’m like the dog. I may bark or growl when I don’t agree, and then it is forgotten. I take a walk. I fix a cup of tea. I call a friend and find something to laugh about. I choose to control my reaction.

It has been a subtle change. I don’t discuss work as much anymore. I find humor in situations rather than get all bent out of shape. I sleep better. I’m not in the cookie line at the coffee shop nearly as much. My average blood pressure is down. I control my reaction. I am learning to be like the dog. She has it pretty good.

Amy is an aspiring writer balancing a stressful day job with writing by night. She is currently finalizing her first novel, Unraveling a Gentleman.

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My Exercise Endeavor -- One Foot in Front of the Other

By Tawny Weber

For years, one of my exercise mainstays for first losing, then maintaining weight was my treadmill. I love to run. I love to run indoors even more because when I first started, I had an infant who slept very sporadically and poorly, so my only running time was during her naps. I’d worn through two treadmills by the time she was 6.

Then in 2006 I broke my foot. In 2006, I also sold my first book and discovered the wild world of revisions, line edits, real deadlines, promotion demands and writing under pressure. I’d like to say that if I hadn’t broken my foot, I’d have used the treadmill and exercise as a stress-release tool, but I’m not so sure that’d be the truth. We hauled the treadmill out to storage and I dabbled at a number of other exercise programs, but none seemed to give me that ‘you can do it’ motivation like running had.

So last weekend, I cajoled my ever-so-patient husband and my owes-me-for-years-of-free-babysitting brother into hauling that very heavy treadmill into the house and upstairs. I dusted it off. I spent a half hour searching for the power switch. Then... I was back in business.

After the first day and a minor shoe issue (next week’s blog) it was like coming home. I’d figured it’d take me awhile to get back up to speed –and it really will –but by day 3 I was up to a nice walk/jog interval combo and I can see that within a week or so I’ll be up to a walk/jog/run interval.

It just feels right. There’s no angsty mental whining that I ‘have to’ go force myself to workout. I just want to jump on and do it. Which is a huge relief, let me tell ya. Because I know exercise is the key to my losing this weight.

How about you? Do you run or jog? Any ‘here’s how to love it even more’ tips or hints?
~~~

Progress (Trish): Would you believe a second pedometer I had refuses to work? Ugh. Granted, this one was a freebie from the bank, but still. I'd never used it before. So, I need to do some research on pedometers, find a really good quality one that has good accuracy ratings. Anyone have one that you absolutely love? I really hate not having that step number to look at. It's something I can check throughout the day to see how I'm doing. I was going to go by a sporting goods store today after I finished some interviews for a freelance story I'm working on, but they took way longer than I anticipated (though the story is interesting) and I didn't make it to the store. Maybe tomorrow I'll be able to get a new pedometer and do another healthy thing and get my flu shot.

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The Biggest Loser, Week 8

We had a change of venue this week, with all the remaining contestants going to Washington, D.C., to inspire others to think about healthier living. They met with senators, talked to strangers on the street, got as many people as they could to come to the Washington Monument to exercise with Bob and Jillian, and participated in challenges with the sights of the nation's capital in the background.

Observations from this week:

1. When I was a newspaper reporter, the thing I hated the most was called Man on the Street. I had to ask 4 random people a question of the week. I loathed it. So the challenge where they had to go up to complete strangers and try to get them to come exercise at the Washington Monument? Ugh! I thought for sure Alan was going to win with all the firefighters. Even though he didn't, it was pretty impressive showing all those fire engines rolling up to the challenge.

2. Rudy dipped down into single digits this week with 9 pounds lost, but that's still an impressive number when they didn't get to the gym as much as usual.

3. I was happy for Shay when she went under the 400-pound mark. There has been such a difference not only in her appearance but in her attitude and outlook on life. It makes me happy to watch it.

4. Rebecca was kicking it in the challenges. She was a woman on a mission in that step challenge. Poor Rudy tried, but he had a lot more weight to haul up and down on that step.

5. And yay for Amanda for having her biggest loss yet! I really think Bob is the kind of trainer she needs. It's like any other kind of coach -- some have methods that work for us, and some don't.

6. How cool was it that they got to pick veggies out of Michelle Obama's garden and make salads in the White House kitchen. I kept hoping for an Obama entrance, even though I knew the likelihood was remote. Still, it would have been really cool.

7. Tracey's actions finally came back to bite her, but here's the thing -- I'm really happy that she's been doing so well. She's come so incredibly far since that woman in the home video downing chocolate syrup right out of the bottle. It was great seeing her not only conquer a mile in D.C., but to go back and run that same mile that had sent her to the hospital in really bad shape in the the season opener was really inspiring. And she looks great.

Looks like two people will be eliminated next week. I think that will bring us down to 5 contestants.

What were your favorite moments this week? What did you find inspiring?

And who do you think will be the eventual winner of this season of The Biggest Loser?

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My New Calorie Tracker

I mentioned a few days ago that I was trying out a free trial of a computer program to track my food and exercise. I decided to buy this program from Calorie King tonight because I like how it allows me to click and drag many common foods into sections for Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner and Snacks. I can also customize foods and add them to my listings if they aren't in the system. Not only does it tell me the calorie count but also things like fat content, carbs, fiber, protein, etc. And it shows me in a chart how many units of each of these I've taken in for the day and how that compares to my limit as determined by what I input for my weight, height, rate of activity and weight goals (whether I wanted to lose or maintain). I actually shoot for fewer calories than it's telling me I can have, but not below the 1,200 limit that I've seen mentioned many places as the low end of the safety spectrum.

The program also allows me to put in what exercise I've done for the day, how many calories that has burned, and how that affects my allowable calorie intake. There's a check-in function that allows me to put in weekly weigh-ins and other info if I want. It also lets me track my fluid intake and lets me know how much more I need in the day. If it only had a place to keep track of steps, but that's okay. I'll put that in the check-in area.

After I've been using the program for awhile, there's a function that will let me see progress charts over time.

How do you all track your food intake, exercise, etc.? A computer program? Spreadsheet? Write it in a notebook?

Oh, and I killed a pedometer today. When I got home from running three hours of errands, I looked at it to see how many steps I'd tallied only to find it was dead, dead, dead. Luckily, I had another and strapped it on. I sure wish I knew what the step count was before the other one died. I feel pretty confident I went over 10,000 today. I've had more than 2,500 on the second one, and that's just been since about 3:30 this afternoon. Most of my walking was before that.

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Cooking One Day for the Month

Years ago, I read an article about cooking one day for the month.  It intrigued me, but I never did anything about it.  My usual pattern was to cook two or three dishes for the week on the weekend, and it worked even if I often got sick of what I had made by the end of the week.  Then I bought the Oct. 2007 issue of Cooking Light.  It had a fabulous marinara sauce recipe that you could use as a base in 10 different recipes.   I finally decided to give the concept of having one marathon day of cooking for the month a try.

I chose a three-day weekend for my first attempt.  I planned out the menu and grocery shopped on a Saturday and then devoted Sunday to cooking.  I made that marinara sauce and used it for a chicken, pasta and chickpea stew; a Weight Watchers (WW) lasagna, and the base of a fabulous sausage, peppers and veggies pasta sauce I made up based on one served at Filomena’s, my favorite DC Italian restaurant.  I also made a WW beef enchilada casserole and a large soup.  I divided everything into individual portions and froze them.  I kept opening my freezer to admire the beautiful sight of all those stacks of plastic containers.

My first experiment was a huge success.  It saved time, it saved money, and it saved me from food boredom.  I loved how efficient it was, and it greatly increased the variety of my weekly diet.  Everyday, I could grab something different out of the freezer to eat.  I wouldn’t get sick of it, and it decreased waste.  I wasn’t throwing out food that had gotten too old, or I could not face eating again.  To increase variety, I might make one dish on any given weekend, but I also tended to freeze some of it so I wouldn’t get bored with it.  I also did not have to spend a good portion of every weekend meal planning, grocery shopping, and cooking anymore.

Whenever my freezer emptied out after a couple of months, I’d do another session of cooking on a large scale.  I’d often start with some serious planning and play with what recipes I would use.  I might spend time cooking on one or even two days, but I’d then be set for two or even three months before I had to do this again.

It turns out that you don’t even have to spend much time pre-planning.  Three Sundays ago I woke up feeling the need for some productive distraction.  In less than a week, I was leaving for an annual conference I was putting on for work, and the work stress level was too high.  I had brought some work home, but I just couldn’t face doing it.  The night before, my 1995 Dodge Neon had broken down, and I feared it was the end of the line for that old car.  Buying a new or slightly used car was not going to be cheap, and 2009 just feels like a year that I should not spend much money for lots of reasons. 

By 1:00 p.m., I had decided I would do a marathon-cooking day as I had absolutely nothing made in my refrigerator or freezer.  I sat down, picked out 9-10 recipes to make, and made a grocery list.  I grabbed a cart and some bags and walked to my local Giant as I was without wheels.  I hauled all the groceries back and started cooking. 

By the end of Sunday night, I had made WW Bella Braised chicken with whole-wheat penne pasta, my version of a WW Kentucky Burgoo soup/stew, WW kielbasa-bean soup, quinoa beef picadillo (Mexican ground beef dish) and WW Middle Eastern lamb slow cooker soup.  Monday night after work, I made lentil stew, WW slow cooker lentil soup, WW red beans and barley and WW turkey burgers.

My total grocery bill was $122.31.  With the addition of some frozen chicken and other staples I already had, I made 67 individual meals and froze them.  I’ve been surprised by how much money this method of cooking has saved me.  As you can see from my list, I was in the mood for soups and stews and the meals are very Weight Watchers friendly. By doing this, I’ve given myself a great start on another successful two months in my journey to becoming a healthy writer.  I’ll supplement my freezer with some runs for fresh fruits, vegetables and dairy products, but I may not cook much more until 2010.  Cooking one day for the month (or quarter) is always a great gift to myself.

Have you ever cooked one day for the whole month?  Do you have any suggestions on how I can improve this process?  Do you have recipes for healthy dishes that freeze well?

 

 

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Where's the Wagon?

First, I must apologize for not putting up a healthy cooking post yesterday. I got my weeks mixed up. I probably wasn't the best person to talk about healthy cooking or eating yesterday as I've misplaced the wagon again. The hubby has been off work for the past few days and, well, I've really slacked off on keeping track of what I was eating and eaten some things I shouldn't have. Bad, bad, bad. Amazingly, when I just stepped on the scales, they didn't reflect a weight change. Total shocker! I have to think it's because I walked a couple of the days. And since it's sunny again today (though chilly), I plan to do so today as well. My step range has varied between 6,000+ yesterday to 11,000+ a couple of days ago.

Still, I want to refocus my efforts beginning today -- doubling my exercise, keeping track of those calories. After all, today is a new day and the beginning of a new month. The beginning of the two most difficult months of the year for losing weight. But there are 25 days before Thanksgiving, and I intend to take advantage of them.

So, this week's goals:

Health:

1. Lose 2 pounds. If I can lose three, I'll hit a new milestone. We'll see how it goes.

2. Keep calories to 1,200 each day.

3. Buy version of computer program to track calories that I've been using on free trial.

Writing:

4. Complete partial and two synopses for Harlequin.

5. Begin work on YA revisions for a publisher who expressed interest in my paranormal.

So, what about you all? What are your health and writing goals for the week?

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