Post on 06-Aug-2020
Gold Standard of Thin Janice Rowland & Kathleen Rowland
Copyright 2012 Petals in the Gazebo Press, Kathleen Rowland
Cover Art Copyright 2012 Mariya Krusheva
Original copyright 2009 Sugar and Spice Press
Second edition format 2012 Lori Soard, Promo Divas
Dedication
To all those born without a skinny gene—we’ll help you fake one.
Dear Reader,
You have two kinds of beauty. There’s the kind you wear on the outside. You’re so much
prettier than you think. There’s the kind on the inside, your unique blend of strengths, passions,
kindness, and talents that make you who you are. Abounding health is something else, and as you
move more and become thin on the Gold Standard Plan, you’ll have that too.
Can a woman be too rich or too thin? You can afford nuggets for your inner self, ways to
make your world golden, and secrets in our Little Gold Suitcase. We’ve included over a hundred
delicious recipes from high energy nutrients and explain eating for radiant health. Aided by nutritional
gems, a body is wealthy. Exercise brings a sparkling spirit.
For your ongoing support, you are cordially invited to the Petals in the Gazebo blog at
http://www.kathleenrowland.wordpress.com where we take care of ourselves. Stop by this breezy
place for more weight-reducing tips, new ways to boost spirits, and a fresh batch of healthy recipes.
While digging up some fun, we continue to unearth ideas for self-care. Please feel free to post.
Warmest regards,
Kathleen and Janice
Trademark Acknowledgements
The authors acknowledge the trademarked status and trademark owners of the following
wordmarks, used for comparative purposes in this work:
eDiets
Jenny Craig Mayo
Clinic Prevention
Magazine Weight
Watchers Wikipedia
You are invited!
For your ongoing support, please visit “Petals in the Gazebo” located at
http://kathleenrowland.wordpress.com where women on the Gold Standard of Thin journey
gather. Stop by and find more weight-reducing tips, new ways to boost physical activity, and a
fresh batch of healthy recipes. Here, we unearth ideas for self-care and dig up some fun. Post a
comment if you feel like it. Show off your haute couture and your own practice of the Seven
Secrets. In any case, your presence is appreciated at this whimsical, breezy dwelling.
CONTENTS IN BRIEF
PREFACE Introduction....................................................................................
CHAPTER ONE Secrets in our Little Gold Suitcase...............................................1
CHAPTER TWO Eating for Radiant Health............................................................8
CHAPTER THREE Nutritional Gems for a Wealthy Body........................................14
CHAPTER FOUR Recipes from High-Energy Nutrients.........................................19
CHAPTER FIVE Exercise for a Body with Sparkling Spirit................................121
CHAPTER SIX Nuggets for Your Inner Self .....................................................131
CHAPTER SEVEN Making your World Golden .....................................................145
INDEX FOR RECIPES .............................................................................................................150
BIBLIOGRAPHY ......................................................................................................................156
PREFACE
Dear Readers,
We are co-authors of different ages. One of us, Janice Cristina, an energetic college campus-
walker, has constraints with time but is creative with food purchases. The other, Kathleen, is a
kitchen-puttering traditionalist with a slower metabolism. Maybe your food-gathering lifestyle
fits somewhere in between. While writing this guide, we streamlined our contrasting ideas into
universal truths. We whittled our bodies (like science experiments) and triumphed over mindless
munching and emotional cravings; we kept our minds focused on the positives of life and off the
culinary except when we were preparing meals and eating. Secrets are meant to be shared, and
we’ve packed seven in a little gold suitcase. Having a healthy, lean body has more to do with
lifestyle than genetics.
The Gold Standard of Thin is exactly that. This guide for optimal health is based on the gold
standard of nutrition. Your well-being is protected against many diseases that have their roots in
body fat and lack of exercise. There are differences between our eating plan and others on the
market. We will show you how to prepare delicious food from recipes, not just list healthy foods.
Using our seven secrets, you will lose more weight than you ever imagined. The contents
within the little gold suitcase are yours to take on your daily travels. With a food plan as solid as
a gold bar, you’ll eat for radiance. Recipes for lavish food are simple to prepare and sprinkled
with the latest nutritional research. Aren’t we apt to stick with something when we know it’s
beneficial? The exercise chapter will inspire you to get moving in new ways. You need to stay
hydrated with water and also foods that contain water such as melons, greens, and many other
natural foods. We will convince you to treasure your sleep because your nervous system and
your GI tract depend on it. If you are like most of us when overweight, you need to stop dieting
and start living; the last two chapters are dedicated to your inner spirit—nuggets for taking care
of yourself and making your world golden. Stressful events trigger hormone fluctuations that
divert blood to our extremities, raise blood pressure, and cause our digestive system to slow. We
have ways to help you avoid overeating when undergoing emotional stress. There’s a whole
world out there besides the contents of the fridge, and being interested in life keeps us motivated
to look and feel our best. You’re worth it, and our “inner script” is something else that keeps us
on an optimum track.
Staying on a plan (for specific food quality/quantity and at least 30 minutes of body
movement) is easier when we set some sort of challenge or deadline or competition. Pick a date
on the calendar—your birthday, a holiday, a family get-together, or fun run—and write down a
target weight. If you have made progress, reward yourself with an outfit that fits your smaller
self. How about buying a novel by one of your favorite authors, enjoying a long soak in the bath,
or going to the movies with a small bag of 94% fat-free popcorn tucked into your handbag to go
with a can of low-calorie soda?
Before we begin, I’d like to add a bit of wisdom from an expert on the dangers of fasting.
Unless medically advised prior to surgery, fasting is not beneficial for the body. Popular detox
diets promise to flush poisons from your body, purge pounds of excess fat, clear your
complexion and bolster your immune system. There is no scientific evidence that extreme
regimens such as the Master Cleanse or Fruit Flush, do anything more than lead to unpleasant,
unhealthy side effects. Marcia Herrin, Ed.D., M.P.H., R.D., co-director of the eating-disorders
program at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire, says, “We imagine that fasting is
good for our bodies, that it’s cleansing up and giving our bodies a rest, but it actually does none
of those things.” In fact, fasting interferes with your body’s normal processes. “Your blood
sugar, metabolism and energy level go down. What usually goes up is your interest in food,” Dr.
Herrin explains. “Fasting sets you up for overeating.” It also leads to anorexia. Anorexia is an
eating disorder where people starve themselves. Anorexia usually begins in young people around
the onset of puberty. Individuals suffering from anorexia have extreme weight loss and usually
reach a weight 15% below their healthy weight. People suffering from anorexia are too skinny to
look attractive but are convinced that they are overweight. Anorexics obtain weight loss in many
ways. Some of the common techniques used are excessive exercise, intake of laxatives and, of
course, not eating. An anorexic’s intense fear of becoming fat drives her (or him) to develop
strange eating habits such as refusing to eat in front of other people. Sometimes these individuals
prepare big meals for others while refusing to eat any of the food themselves.
One of the finest pieces of writing on anorexia comes from a textbook, Make Health Happen
by Erik Peper, Katherine H. Gibney, and Catherine F. Holt. Director of Holistic Studies at San
Francisco State University, Erik Peper is an international authority on biofeedback and self-
regulation. Author Katherine Gibney is a biofeedback therapist. With a Master’s in Public
Health, author-therapist Catherine Holt teaches stress management. In their book, these authors
cite an example of a woman in her late twenties suffering from binge eating with frequent
purging since the age of fifteen. She gained greater insight, awareness, and control through a
self-healing process. After great effort, she recognized a relationship between food and comfort,
and food and control in her personal eating habits. She came to understand that during her
childhood, her mother controlled the type and quantity of food she ate. Suddenly, when she was
ten and her mother was at work, she was able to make her own snacks. There were various junk
foods in the house that her mother had previously allowed her only rarely, as special rewards. As
soon as the girl treated herself, a link between food and loneliness was made. After seeking
professional help, her strategy during her four week recovery-treatment plan was to reduce or
eliminate consumption of food when alone, avoid eating during an emotional upset, keep a food
diary, eliminate sweet and fatty junk and replace it with fruits and vegetables. She reduced her
binge eating through these steps and also with this imagery: 1). Inspection of the problem: my
stomach is a greedy, black, needy blob in my abdomen, controlling my mind and body with evil
wishes. 2). Self-healing process: I imagine getting a shower of liquid hugs, joy, smiles, and
oranges. The black blob rinses out of my system and drains into the ground. 3). Being whole and
healthy: a reasonable, caring, nurturing stomach keeps me strong and healthy.
What should a normal person do after overeating? Let go of the guilt. Do not fast. Do not
skip the next meal. If you feel full, just eat lightly. Try making a healthy salad with field greens,
carrots, raisins, and canned tuna with a drizzle of raspberry vinaigrette.
How many pounds do you want to fall off of your otherwise cute self? If you are a young
adult, you’ll lose three to four pounds a week on the Gold Standard Plan. If you are over fifty,
you’ll lose one or two pounds a week. Stay on the plan as long as necessary. You will have all
the nutrients your body needs.
Even though you’ll have a calorie budget, you should dress up and go out to eat. Live life! If
you spend up a storm, don’t starve later. Just get back on track. With practice, you’ll learn to
save some pennies for eating out. Or, package up half and bring it home. It’s a stimulus package
to cut calories when eating out and serves as a money-saving shortcut for the next day’s lunch.
Fat-blasting is a huge industry fraught with fads, “miracle herbs,” and empty promises of
losing ten pounds or more a week. In my recent and successful attempt, the most I lost was three
pounds a week on 1000 calories a day. Weekly weight loss variation has to do with water
retention, even with consistency in exercise and diet. Here is a new way to maximize fat loss that
has to do with fast and slow walking. Vigorous walking is when conversation is possible but
very breathy. It has been proven that toggling between slow walk days and speedy walk days has
a magical effect to further your weight loss while keeping energy high. This plan strikes such a
nice balance between ease and effort that you probably won’t even notice the vigorous part.
According to University of Virginia’s Arthur Weltman, Ph.D., “higher-intensity exercise triggers
the release of the human growth hormone, HGH. In turn, HGH triggers a significant increase in
fat metabolism.” HGH levels rise by as much as 80% during vigorous exercise, and they stay
elevated for hours after we have stopped exercising. Weltman explains that after exercise, our
bodies are so revved up that it takes time (as much as 24 hours) for our internal systems to cool
down. Metabolism remains higher with the toggling style of walking. Canadian experts have
proved that exercise activates anti-hunger hormones; we eat less without realizing it! Leisurely
walks burn about 300 calories per hour. Fast walking burns 300 calories in a half hour.
Here is how Weltman organizes walks and rest days: Day 1– 45 to 60 minutes of moderate
walking. Day 2– Take a short, very brisk walk. You will barely be able to keep up a
conversation. Beginners should aim for 20 to 30 minutes. Day 3– rest. Day 4– take a 45 to 60-
minute moderately paced walk. Day 5– Take a very brisk 20 to 30-minute walk. Day 6– rest.
Day 7– Take a very brisk 20 to 30-minute walk. Grab your walking shoes. Go for it, and you’ll
soon fit into those skinny jeans. You will also protect yourself for The Big C.
It is an alarming statistic that the average American has a 40 percent chance of developing
cancer over a lifetime. Is cancer caused by bad genes? Does random bad luck play a part when
renegade cells mutate and replicate? Today’s research tells us that how active we are and how we
eat makes a difference at our cellular level. The good news is that 80 percent of all cancers are
related to lifestyle—poor diet, inactivity, and smoking. Yes, there is hope! We have some
control. The American Institute for Cancer Research and the World Cancer Research Fund have
developed a list of ways to lower risk:
Be as lean as possible. The ideal adult body mass index is between 21 and 23.
Lead a physically active life. Aim for at least a 30-minute brisk walk per day.
Eat mostly foods of plant origin, emphasizing non-starchy vegetables and fruits,
legumes, and grains.
Meet nutritional needs primarily through natural foods rather than relying on vitamin
and mineral supplements.
Limit alcoholic drinks.
Limit energy-dense foods—the empty carbs and sugary drinks.
Limit red meat to less than 500 grams, or 18 ounces per week, and avoid processed
meat.
Besides getting mammograms, there is a lot we can do. We need to take care of ourselves!
Fat cells contain “enzyme machinery” that leads to the production of hormones like estrogen.
This plays an important role in reproductive cancers according to David Schottenfeld, M.D., who
is on the advisory board for the Prevent Cancer Foundation. Fat cells in an expanded waistline
can cause a state of chronic inflammation, leading to the promotion of tumor growth. Insulin
levels are also an obesity-related cause of cancer. As people get rounder, the cancer rate rises.
Excess body fat has been linked to breast cancer for years and is also linked to cancers of the
esophagus, pancreas, colon-rectum, endometrium (the lining of the uterus) and kidneys. With
food, we need to eat the rainbow. The brightest colored fruits and vegetables contain cancer-
protective nutrients.
CHAPTER ONE
Secrets in our Little Gold Suitcase
Secret Number One: For optimum fat melting, use this formula to calculate your daily
calories. The way to lose weight is taking in fewer calories than you burn, right? Actually, that’s
only correct up to a point. A landmark study at Georgia State University found that people who
took in significantly fewer calories than they burned were actually fatter than people whose
calorie intake and output were more balanced. The study found that the most weight loss
occurred when the difference between calories consumed and calories burned was in the narrow
range between 300 and 500 calories.
This is what we found amazing: per day, for optimum weight loss, consume 300 to 500
calories less than your body requires. This has to do with how human metabolism works in
regards to “feast and famine.” Our bodies are designed to burn fat in times of plenty. If our body
feels it is in a famine state, our energy will slow down, and our body will hold onto fat. To lose
weight, we absolutely cannot dip below a thousand calories per day. Because I’m past middle
age, I can’t lose two pounds a week if I consume more than a thousand calories. Janice, on the
other hand, loses readily at 1500.
To customize your total daily calories, use the classic formula for weight loss. By the way,
even TV’s The Biggest Losers use this tried-and-true method. Here’s how it works: take your
present weight and multiply it times seven. For example, a woman weighs 145 pounds; 145 x 7 =
1015. A food plan of 1000 calories a day guarantees a 2-pound per week weight loss for this
person weighing 145 pounds. As this woman loses weight, she will adjust her daily total calories
downward. Or, she can feel content with a one-pound-a-week loss. The bottom line is, even if
you are desperate to lose weight fast, do not dip below a thousand calories. You need good
nutrition to maintain health and rebuild normal cells.
Have you dreamed lately about being thin? Wishful thinking can lead us to dreaming pounds
gone! Secret Number Two: Pretend to weigh twenty pounds less. Can you visualize yourself
eating smaller quantities? You would do this naturally if you weighed twenty pounds less. The
mind is a powerful tool. Picture your thin self again and enjoy how swanky you feel with a small
waist. This is a way to strengthen your resolve. You will achieve your dream and feel your best
in the process. Visualization is a mind shaper. Spending just five minutes a day picturing success
is all it takes to make it happen. Consistency makes the positive images a permanent part of our
mindsets.
If we don’t plan, we plan to fail. Secret Number Three: Plan your food for the day, and then
keep yourself honest with a journal. Although information about food plans appears in later
chapters, know that you need a food plan every day. I use a small notebook, and Janice has a
section in a binder. It doesn’t matter when you write your plan. Whenever it’s convenient, jot
down your plan in the morning, the night before, or plan out a week’s worth. If you stick closely
to it, all you have to do is make checkmarks. In addition to food eaten, record where you
consumed the meal, how you feel emotionally, and how hungry when you started and how
satisfied you are after eating. The order doesn’t matter. You’ll probably develop your own
method and enjoy keeping a record to remember your journey.
Most weight-loss experts agree that a daily food journal is valuable. If we goof up, we know
why. Practicing a new behavior is a process before it becomes a habit. Your eating plan, in the
range of 1000 to 1500 calories a day depending on your formula, is broken up into four meals for
1
optimum metabolism, or three meals with two snacks or half-meals. After eating, take a few
minutes to log information. It keeps us accountable. Research from The Biggest Loser Ranch
backs this up. People who keep a food journal lose twice as much as people who don’t,
nutritionist Cheryl Forberg, R.D. tells us. We agree but feel it’s important to add more: the time
of day, where you ate, and your feelings at the time. Emotions are very important. Bottling up
your thoughts, worries and frustrations about problem people or being fat won’t help you to stay
motivated. Think of your journal as a trusted friend as you pour out your feelings. Always guard
your tender heart. All you want to do is identify the obstacle or vulnerability you consistently
face that stymies your weight loss. None of us are perfect, and every one has regrets. Know what
they are but let them go. Delving into painful old history doesn’t resolve the issue because most
problems will forever remain open-ended. When we identify hot button triggers that cause
overeating, we can do something other than eating at that time. In this way, we will have won.
Hunger that’s emotional will pass. When we feel upset, this is the perfect time to engage in an
exercise DVD or your favorite cardio exercise.
Even if you’re not upset, log your hunger level and mood. When you take time to give
attention to yourself, you might be surprised to find out things you didn’t know about yourself.
There are minor stressors in our daily lives. Sometimes little hassles build on themselves and add
up to a huge stress load. Stressors are both positive and negative. We respond to stress both
physically and emotionally. We feel and do things, sometimes by overeating. This is more
damaging than we realize at the time. Behaviors are learned over time and then become habitual.
If the habits are not helpful, they can be unlearned. A journal helps us develop awareness and
build motivation for change. Keeping one gives us insight into ways to resolve chronic,
predictable stressors. We become stronger and more aware of how negative and critical our
thoughts and self-talk are!
In addition to how you feel, you will log the tangibles—food, water, and exercise. Each and
every day, log every morsel of food, water, (64-plus ounces) and exercises. The food plans in the
next chapter will ensure replacement of empty carbohydrates with whole grains, fruits and
vegetables. There is nothing wrong with purchasing ready-made food. Almost every day while
away at college, Janice stops at a Subway for their 280-calorie 6-inch turkey sub on 9-grain
honey oat bread. It’s fully loaded with yellow mustard, lettuce, tomato, cucumber, onions, black
olives, bell peppers, and tons of pepperoncini. She gives away the BBQ Baked Lays that go with
the meal but enjoys a tall unsweetened iced tea.
Here is an example from small-boned 5′2″ Janice. Because of her younger age and higher
metabolism, her calorie allotment is 1200, and she adds another 250 calories when she goes to
the gym. She happened to be home on this day but was taking a summer school class.
Saturday, June 13th
Time/Food Calories/Where Eaten/Who Feelings/Hunger
10 am/Fr Toast,
1/2 banana, plum
300/kitchen counter/alone happy, was hungry, feel
full
2 pm/1/2 ww pita,
salad, beef, cheese
300/family room/alone nervous about hist test
6 pm/chicken, gr beans, salad w feta
300/d.r. table/family full, concerned about later
10 pm/yogurt and 300/Pinkberry/friends glad it was healthy
2
toppings
Water X X X X X X X Non-calorie beverages X X
Exercise: Yoga, some stretching for 30 minutes
Janice’s journal entry reflects a successful day of consuming 1200 calories, but she did not
make it to the gym because of a test. Instead she did a yoga routine at home. She wasn’t severely
stressed. High stress indicators are muscle tension, shallow breathing, tight stomach, and racing
heart. In her case, it was good that she acknowledged stress over the test. On the average, she
works out four days a week and does mild yoga in between. At the time we are writing this book,
she wants to lose another five pounds before going away for the fall semester. She thinks her
cheeks look like a chipmunk’s and wants to look her best on her student ID. On the subject of
stress, she is a transfer student and doesn’t think she will rush a sorority. She goes back and forth
about this. Rush week takes place during the second week of school, and she thinks the tension
level would make studying nearly impossible. Overall, this method of food logging is valuable
for looking back and understanding when and why a binge took place. This is how we overcome
them.
Below is a day from Kathleen’s food journal:
Saturday, June 13th
Time/Food Calories/Where Eaten/Who Feelings/Hunger
8 am/latte, oatmeal,
fat-free milk,
blueberries
250/kitchen counter/alone happy, not hungry
12 noon/2 bowls
soup, ½ sandwich
250/kitchen/alone anxiety due to mailing a
birthday box to
granddaughter. It’s hard
to know what to send, not
sure she will like it. I
stopped fretting when
dropping the box at the
post office and brought
my attention to
gardening. Bought a
couple of petunia six-
packs for window boxes.
1 pm go swimming, love me-
time
4 pm/shake
sugar free choc
pudding with fat-free
milk, ice in blender
200 tastes great
6 pm/ beef kabobs with bell peppers,
brown rice with
scallions, salad
250 happy, full
3
8 pm/whole-wheat
toast with sugar-free
jelly
50 good with hot tea, feel
content
Keep a bottle of water on my bedside table at night.
Water: X X X X X X X Non-calorie beverages X X
Exercise: lap swimming, 40 minutes
Secret Number Four: Choose an exercise routine, and get moving for thirty minutes every
single day. Maybe you enjoy self-paced activities like Janice, who likes the fitness center, a brisk
walk, or yoga. Maybe you have a love for a certain sport such as cycling or swimming. Exercise
DVDs serve us well with convenience. Remember, the time it takes for forming a habit is 21
days. A month will make any habit stick. Find some way to move around for a half hour every
day for a month, and you’ve got yourself a comfortable routine. You will look forward to it and
won’t feel content if you don’t get it in. The emotional benefits of exercise are astounding.
To some people, swimming laps sounds boring. Not for me! I’ve turned this time into
something special. While I swim, I have grateful thoughts. I cherish the connections I have with
family and friends. Sometimes, to stay out of trouble, I remind myself to stay out of their
business. I consider this to be an attractive quality, and I don’t feel I need to know their inner
thoughts. If someone wants to discuss a problem, I listen but don’t give advice. That’s too tall an
order and makes me prone to frustration. I encourage others to solve their own problems since
this empowers them. Telling friends I will pray for them is a special kind of encouragement that
brings up their morale. Aerobic exercise frees our minds, and because we’re releasing stress, can
channel our behavior in positive ways.
A friend in our neighborhood has lost twenty pounds in two months. Becky Jones wanted to
try our work-in-progress at the time, and we gave her an early version food plan. Combined with
the Gold Standard Plan of lean protein, fruit, vegetables, and whole grains, she took our advice to
walk thirty minutes a day. Becky started putting one foot in front of the other every evening and
managed to lose two to three pounds every week. She works as a vocational nurse at an assisted
living center on weekdays, but on the weekend, Becky walks in the morning. After two months
of walking and dieting, 35-year-old Becky looks terrific. She has added 1-pound hand weights
with brisk walking. Her use of hand weights builds muscle, and muscle increases metabolism.
This is a moderate exercise.
An Arizona State University study proved that power walkers only burn slightly more
calories than those walking about 3 to 4 miles per hour. Since Becky doesn’t want to lose any
more weight, she’s added 500 calories to her previous plan of 1200. She’s testing it out to see if
1700 calories works for maintenance and says she will continue her walks.
Walking gives Becky appetite control. Because exercise stimulates the brain’s appetite
control mechanism, she experiences a natural drop in hunger. She says she’s eating more fruit
and vegetables than in the past. The Harvard Nurses’ Health Study found that walking every day
for 30 minutes reduces risk of heart disease by 30% and reduces risk of Type 2 diabetes by 50%.
Forty-five minutes of walking 5 times a week reduces the risk of catching a cold by 50%. An
hour of walking every day reduces the risk of breast cancer by 20%.
You’ll read more about exercise in Chapter Four. With exercise we can eat a little more but
not a lot more. We need to stay close to our optimum calorie range. You’ve probably read the
same research studies we have: the wrong carbohydrates and stress are a combination that
increases abdominal fat. Exercise reduces stress. Take optimum advantage by exercising during
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the time of the day you like to munch. The time I can “go downhill” is at three in the afternoon,
and that’s when I head to the pool.
It is frustrating to struggle with weight loss without success. If we want to get down to the
size we were in high school or on our wedding day, that may have been when we stopped
growing. We should give ourselves a break. Anyway, experts say we can weigh more than our
ideal weight and still be healthy (not to mention happy). According to WebMD, a woman is
considered overweight when her waist measures over 35 inches. A waistline should measure no
more than 40 inches for a man. (When I weighed 140 pounds, my waistline was 36 inches.) If we
really are overweight, which I was, losing just 10% of our body weight is associated with a
myriad of health benefits, including lowering blood pressure, blood cholesterol, and blood sugar,
and reducing your risk for heart disease. Not only that, experts say, but this kind of weight loss is
easier to attain and maintain, setting you up for success in the long run. Our weight has a “set
point.” Just as our body temperature is programmed to stay around 98.6 degrees, our body
weight is naturally regulated to stay within a range of 10 to 20% of The Ideal, according to
Thomas Wadden, Ph.D., director of the Center for Weight and Eating Disorders at the University
of Pennsylvania Medical School.
A complex set of hormones, chemicals, and hunger signals help your body naturally maintain
your weight within this range, agrees American Dietetic Association spokeswoman Dawn
Jackson Blatner, R.D. It is not just a matter of genetics, though. Our eating and exercise habits
can also help to determine our set point. Isn’t it wonderful that we have control over it?
“Overeating swamps the internal regulatory system, and, as a result, the set point increases—
which is much easier to do than it is to lower it,” says Wadden. The body adjusts to the higher
weight and “resets” the set point to defend the new weight.
It is difficult, but not impossible, to set your range lower. “With changes in healthy eating
and exercise behavior, you can lower your set point,” says Blatner.
Money can’t buy attractive bodies. Exercise can! It buys youth by toning our muscles.
Secret Number Five: Keep to a rigid schedule for eating and drinking water. Rigidity is
essential for creating new habits. Carve breakfast time in stone and wait four hours until lunch
and subsequent meals. Rigorous, yes, but you will feel less hunger. This is the magic behind
keeping to a schedule. After three days, your brain and body will be in sync. Your body will
adapt to the times you have set for eating. Remember to drink water, which guards against water
retention and constipation.
These are my meal times: 250-calorie breakfast at 8 am, 250-calorie lunch at noon, 125-
calorie snack at 4 pm, 250-calorie dinner at 6 pm, and a 125-calorie bedtime snack at 9 pm. I
usually swim for forty minutes at 3 pm because I tend to want to munch at that time. Or, I swim
just before lunch. Low-calorie soup with a half-sandwich is 250 calories. If I’m still hungry, I
have an apple. It takes a month to make a habit stick.
This fifth secret, the link of rigidity to success, might be the most golden of all. Let me share
an experience. In years past while attending Weight Watchers meetings, our leader told us that it
didn’t matter when we consumed our points for the day. She was correct in a basic sense; staying
under the daily point allotment meant that we would lose weight. Research has proven that it
doesn’t matter when you eat the daily allotment. However, when eating on a rigid schedule of
mini-meals, our metabolism is higher and we are less hungry. When we eat is rigid, but what we
choose to eat has wide variety. Don’t allow yourself to get stuck in a rut with the same breakfast,
lunch, snack, and dinner. As you discover new (simple to prepare) combinations of foods in
5
Chapter Four, you will become a culinary connoisseur. Leftovers make scrumptious brown bag
lunches. Soon your friends and family will want to share in your skills.
Secret Number Six: Get enough shuteye. Skimping on sleep triggers a 16% plunge in the
appetite suppressing hormone leptin and a 15% rise in the appetite stimulating hormone ghrelin,
according to reports from the Public Library Science Journal. If we are tired, our body thinks we
need to eat foods that give us energy.
Visualize yourself again at the weight you want to be. Knowing how nice you will look gives
you the motivation to achieve it. Do this every day when you wake up and when you are
exercising. If you are a swimmer, visualize your thin self as you kick and stretch with overhand
strokes. You are long and slender. What happens when you come home starving? You’ve
planned a snack. Drink a bottle of water, heat up lots of light soup and follow it with an apple.
That’s about 125 calories.
Secret Number Seven: Embrace the mind-body-spirit connection that underlies self-
confidence. We like being around confident people and enjoy being in our own skin when we’re
on a positive journey. Beauty is way deeper than skin-deep. How we look on the outside usually
comes from the inside. Confidence comes from a combination of: eating nutritious food, looking
forward to projects, taking responsibility for self-care, and exercising. Aerobic exercise translates
into immediate happiness from spurts of endorphins. Toned muscles are attractive. If we take
good care of one part, say exercise, we take good care of the other parts. We are more active, and
our outer selves reflect this. In the workplace, people of healthy weight exude more power and
confidence than overweight individuals, whose ideas are often marginalized.
With our program, you will lose the weight you want and also facilitate self-discovery and
confidence. We do not need perfect bodies in order to feel good about ourselves. To live life to
the fullest, we do want to be healthy and strong. In order to succeed at anything, we set a goal
and then break things into steps. With a plan, we are fearless. If we fail to plan, we plan to fail.
Not that the scale defines us, but it’s entirely possible to lose bothersome fat.
Our lives are full of challenges. Our program, A Gold Standard of Thin, offers ways to
master stress, set goals, and practice ways to increase confidence and well-being. Becoming
engrossed in a project with other people gets us “outside of ourselves” while we make a
connection. We make a new connection to ourselves at the same time.
In the words of John Donne, “No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the
continent, a part of the main.” How we care for ourselves affects our structure, and in turn we
influence the structure of others. As we make healthy choices, for both the body and the mind,
we become models for others.
It doesn’t really matter where we start on our road to becoming healthier. In this book, we are
starting with a healthy diet. And, as a step that is enjoyable, we will move toward losing weight.
A pound or two a week is an easily attainable goal. Finding a way to exercise is important to
mental health. As we began to move about more, we feel less deprived of food quantity. We
automatically eat less. An appropriate weight is neither anorexic nor obese. We want to be
comfortable about our weight and self-image.
We know this to be true: a woman with daily headaches and work overload will stop calling
friends and socializing. She will overeat. And yet, when she begins a self-healing process, she
will smile more, see friends more often, and some of those headaches might even disappear.
Healing takes on a life of its own. For many of us, a connection with nature restores the mind,
body, and spirit. Doing something positive for our planet (planting a tree, picking up trash, or
recycling) has a beneficial effect. Breathing pure mountain air makes us less inclined to eat junk
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food. As a beginning point, we become aware of our healthy behaviors and environment.
Moving through this guide, you will find ways to bring balance to your life. According to holistic
health experts, Catherine Holt, Katherine Gibney and Erik Peper, their list of factors that
promote health begins with a healthy diet. They recommend sitting down to eat with no
concurrent activities such as driving, working, and watching T.V.
Regular exercise, regular relaxation, adequate sleep, and safe habits are ways to nurture
ourselves. Holistic experts advise daily resolution of anger, resentments, and fears. This means
“no unfinished business.” Regular conversations about domestic issues with those we live with
are valuable; they allow us to express our feelings. We feel best when we have purpose in our
lives. Problems really can be opportunities for growth. We draw strength from spiritual beliefs. If
we can perceive humor in challenging moments, this helps us accept difficult situations. We need
a social support system and at least one friend to confide in. We need to be good listeners when
others need us. Give and receive hugs! The sources of the adages below are unknown:
One—I started out with nothing, and I still have most of it.
Two—I finally got my head together, but my body is falling apart.
Three—Funny, I don’t remember becoming absentminded.
Four—It is easier getting older than wiser.
Five—I wish the buck stopped here because I could use a few.
Six—Kids in the backseat cause accidents.
Seven—Accidents in the backseat cause kids.
Eight—It’s hard to make a comeback when you haven’t been anywhere.
Nine—The world beats a path to your door when you’re in the bathroom.
Ten—It’s not hard to meet expenses; they’re everywhere.
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CHAPTER TWO
Eating for Radiant Health
“You are what you eat.” Our research on nutrition backs up that wise maxim. In Chapter
Three, we’ll share more about supercharging our bodies with nutritional gems. Here, we’ll focus
on how to best utilize the Gold Standard Plan of eating smart, boosting fiber, and skipping salt
and replacing it with salt-free Mrs. Dash Seasonings. Let’s get down to the basics of meal
planning.
First and foremost, for a meal to fit into your busy schedule, it can’t be too fussy to prepare.
Secondly, the food must be delicious, and lastly, it must be filling. To lose weight, you must hold
to portion control, but you need a feeling of satiety for ongoing success. Fifteen minutes past the
last rich bite, you need to feel fully privileged. This feeling of well-being will get you through
the next four hours until you’ll eat again. You will achieve golden results of lost pounds. You’ll
like the way you look, and others will be impressed, but don’t stop until you have reached your
dream goal. Since you live in your body and know your bone structure, you are the best person to
gage your optimum weight. Getting there takes time. It also takes desire; steady, ongoing desire
can only come from you. You have probably heard the following joke that points to that truth:
Question: “How many psychiatrists does it take to change a light bulb?”
Answer: “One, but only if the light bulb wants to change.”
There is something magical about new beginnings, isn’t there? Does the cynic in you say,
“Sure, but magic fades when reality sets in”? Life is messy, and we’re not perfect either. When
we slip off the plan, we acknowledge it and find our way back. Of course, we have to want to
resume where we left off. Making ourselves a top priority gives us confidence.
Even when we know the benefits of making changes, we hesitate to start, pause in the
middle, or stop altogether. Resistance to change is human nature. Change requires more energy
than stasis. We fear the unknown and we also fear failure. We also worry that our friends and
family won’t love us as much if we change. Resistance to change always coexists with a desire to
change. There is a battle going on inside our heads. We need to acknowledge and accept our
fears. Comfort the part of you that is fearful. Be the adult (who knows what’s best) and comfort
the child in you. We never entirely grow up!
When I (Kathleen) was thirty pounds overweight with a fatty tire around my middle, I
imagined a childlike image of myself feeling unloved, insecure, and eating to fill a void inside.
Then I imagined myself whole, healed, with a more mature attitude and the belief that I could
change something that bothered me. This optimism filled me with emotional energy, knowing I
could live without that expanded waistline. I found an old photo of myself in my late twenties
when I was a beanpole. Although I’m not that age anymore, I was able to imagine myself thin on
my weight-loss journey. When practicing imagery, Janice likes to draw and uses both positive
and negative imagery.
One photo shows her rear-end when she was her heaviest, and she drew a triangle with a
black marker. Another, taken recently, shows off a weight loss of twenty pounds. She drew an
hourglass over her body and wrote, “No longer a pear.”
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The more senses we bring to bear, the more fruitful our visualizations become. Self-healing
through imagery brings behavioral change. But the desire to make a change comes from belief
that a change would be better for us. This gives us a sense of excitement.
On a serious note, you may have heard of heart specialist Dr. David Ornish and his clinical
studies that back up ways to reverse heart disease. Dr. Ornish makes a point about eating a high-
fiber, low-fat diet of vegetables, fruit, and whole grains. These foods benefit the body and,
because of filling fiber, help his patients lose weight. (Dr. Ornish also recommends physical and
aerobic conditioning through light, low-impact exercise, including yoga. He encourages patients
to use relaxation techniques to cope with and reduce stress. For his heart patients, he advises
limiting full-fat dairy and meat products.) Our inner organs reflect what we eat. There are many
benefits of eating healthy foods.
Most people think that eating healthy foods will help them lose weight, become leaner, lose
body fat, and give them more energy. Yes, these things are all true. What most people do not
realize is that there is a link between good nutrition and avoiding illness. Lennart Nilsson writes
about the immune system in his book, The Body Victorious.
The benefits of eating healthy go far beyond getting a six-pack of abs! Food provides fuel for
our immune system, our disease fighting mechanism. When our immune system is strong, there
is less chance of becoming ill. It will work to combat any virus or bacteria. Without good
nutrition, our physical appearance suffers along with our immune system. Our body becomes
weaker and can't function the way that it should. We become more prone to illness.
Janice dreads going to a certain bakery called Sprinkles in Laguna Beach. It’s a high-end
trendy spot, very popular with friends. When she walks through the door, she whiffs the bakery
scent and pretty décor. While her friends order one cupcake and can barely finish it, she inhales
two and brings some home. Later, she expresses her goof-up like this: “To get back on the eating
plan, I have an extended pity party. Eating two or three more makes me feel warm and fuzzy.
Soon the ‘joie de vivre’ sugar high makes me feel woozy. I drink a bottle of water. The next
morning, I’m back on track.”
Food goes with gatherings of people, and Kathleen’s downfall has been holiday meals. “At Thanksgiving, it’s the stuffing and mashed potatoes rather than the pies. Another pitfall is when
a friend or family member bakes something; I feel entirely obligated to eat it. Once Aunt Evelyn
baked a chocolate cake, and when I declined a piece, she was mad at me.”
Kathleen’s hundred-and-ten-pound friend, Mary Alice Tallmadge, doesn’t eat large portions
of sweets but enjoys making them for block parties. Is that fair when she can put a lid on it? Of
course it is, and knowing this cured me from thinking I was obligated to eat something off limits
for me. When put on the spot, Mary Alice also taught me how to fake-eat various items by
moving them around a plate.
We will help you do this with both magic and reality. The magic is that you will lose weight.
Genuine success is magical in itself. Our Gold Standard food plan is designed for ease in a busy,
real world for women of all ages. We’ve assembled useful information to make a thousand
calories a day filling. For breakfast, lunch, and snacks, there are choices. Variety is the spice of
life, and dinner will be special.
“I like having basic staples on hand,” Kathleen says. ”Like all homo sapiens, I need to feel
secure about having a stash of food that will be made into breakfast, lunch, snacks, and dinner.”
All four meals in our plan are 250 calories with filling fiber. You might decide to break the
snack meal in half, having a mini-meal in the afternoon and another before bedtime. An
afternoon mini-snack might be a sliced plum mixed into ½ cup cottage cheese and sprinkled with
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cinnamon. A 125-calorie bedtime snack could consist of a half portion of whole grain cereal with
fat-free milk. It will fit in a regular coffee cup.
Breakfast, lunch, a snack, and dinner are designed so that you won’t get overly hungry before
the next meal. Keep the truth in mind that eating small meals throughout the day speeds your
metabolism. This method also satisfies cravings because we can think about what we’re going to
eat at the next meal. Since we chose it, we will value it. It’s perfectly okay to save some items
from one meal to use at another, particularly if you are saving up for a special dinner.
If you are a college student like Janice, your breakfast might consist of a granola bar, banana
and bottle of water as you walk to class. Or, you might start each day with one of the breakfast
ideas below. If you are extremely hungry in mid-afternoon, soup will fill you up.
Some low-sodium soups bowled us over: Amy’s (230-calorie serving) Indian Dal Curried
Lentil, Campbell’s (80calories a cup) V8 Garden Broccoli, Progresso 40% less sodium (one
serving is 110 calories—have two) Beef and Vegetable, and Campbell’s (120 calories per
package—have two) Select Harvest Light Vegetable and Pasta. Keep in mind that after eating,
our bodies need about twenty minutes to realize we aren’t starving anymore. Be patient while
drinking another bottle of water!
Do you remember Secret Number Five—a rigid schedule? If you eat in regular intervals, you
will not starve. Our mind and body become conditioned to a set amount at a set time. This is one
of the reasons maintenance is easy after losing weight. After awhile, we don’t want more. Your
friends and family might even accuse you of having skinny genes. After all, you will be wearing
skinny jeans.
“Starving always leads to a binge,” warns Janice, who used to attempt to lose weight this
way. It didn’t work for her. “This doesn’t happen now. I can get a little hungry and then realize
I’m going to eat something filling very soon.”
Some health experts recommend taking an A-to-Zinc vitamin. Others, such as those from Prevention Magazine, don’t think a multivitamin’s necessary when eating for good health. Still, a
vitamin every few days can’t hurt. If you are under forty, don’t worry about taking glucosamine
chondroitin tablets for healthy joint function. If you are allergic to shellfish, avoid glucosamine
chondroitin completely because the principal ingredient, crospovidone, comes from shellfish.
We need a small amount of monounsaturated fat for optimum health. Within the world of
nutrition, this was pop-nutritional news in 1999. We Americans are known for our overreactions,
and immediately, Science Daily published the Peanut Butter Diet. True, there was a healthy idea
behind it. MUFAs, or monounsaturated (healthy) fats are found in foods such as peanuts, olive
and other vegetable oils, nuts and seeds, olives, and dark chocolate. That year, research from the
American Heart Association stated that low-fat diets, the craze at the time, didn’t contain enough
healthy fats. Then came the newer craze, The Peanut Butter Diet, but it was short lived. Some
were allergic to it. Others didn’t find it appealing enough to eat every day. Most people gained
weight on the Peanut Butter Diet.
Nevertheless, MUFAs are a required nutrient of our “seed-gathering” homo sapiens species.
We get them when we eat a wide range of fruits and vegetables. Some foods have a high
concentration of them, which means they are also high in calories. A 6-ounce avocado contains
about 325 calories with 31 grams of monounsaturated fat. A few avocado slices or 1/8 cup of
unsalted (without the shell, because shells are hard to digest) pumpkin seeds (also known as
pepitas) or sunflower seeds is all your body needs. If you sauté vegetables in a teaspoon of olive
oil, you’re covered. Or put a tablespoon of Italian balsamic dressing on your salad. In other
words, we need MUFAs, but like meat, we don’t need much. Just be aware that calories in nuts
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run high; a quarter-cup contains 180 calories for pumpkin or sunflower seeds. Instead of
overdoing it, put a couple of tablespoons on cereal or a salad.
Below, we’ve put together menu suggestions for breakfast, lunch, the snack, and dinner
designed for a daily total of 1,000 calories. Perhaps, after you multiply your weight by 7 and
determine your optimum daily total, you will add calories to your plan. Drink water and calorie-
free beverages at any time. Add extras such as spices, vinegar, and artificial sweetener. Do you
enjoy coffee in the morning? For about 50 calories, try making your own skinny latte with
coffee, ¼ cup fat-free milk, a packet of sweetener, and then squirt with low-cal Reddi-wip.
If you want to lose weight quickly but stay full while you get slimmer, research from
nutritionist Rachel Beller, R.D. suggests eating a breakfast that contains protein and at least 8
grams of fiber per serving. In spite of their big advertising campaign, one particular “Special”
cereal does not fit the bill, as it contains no whole grains, added sugar, and only tiny dried pieces
of strawberries or other red berries or, in the newer version, blueberries infused within. Why not
eat some real fruit and get some real fiber? Fiber is bulky and keeps you full longer. What’s
more, research has found that high-fiber meals trigger the release of cholecystokinin, one
hormone responsible for sending the full signal to the brain. We believe fiber is the key to losing
weight. You need fiber-rich grains as well as fruit and veggies. If you don’t like oatmeal, Beller
suggests Fiber One or Nature’s Path Organic SmartBran. Add a fruit to breakfast too.
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Rachel Beller’s breakfast ideas with fiber content and calories: Fiber-rich banana whole-
wheat pancakes, 14 grams of fiber, 200 calories
Oatmeal with wheat germ and bananas, 12.5 grams fiber, 230 calories
Fat-free Greek style yogurt (creamier and has more protein than regular) with
raspberries, blueberries, and topped with high-fiber low calorie cereal
Whole-wheat French toast with fruit, 230 calories, 13 grams fiber
More breakfast suggestions from us, but remember to add a fresh fruit with each:
Egg and low-calorie cheese on a whole-wheat tortilla, 18 grams fiber, 216 calories
Make oatmeal interesting with ¼ cup raisins, blueberries, or diced apple, ¼ tsp
cinnamon, and ½ cup fat-free milk.
If you like omelets, try this: 1 egg and 1 egg white with 1 oz. low-fat cheese, ½
cup chopped veggies, and 1 T. fat-free skim milk. Slice a small tomato on top.
For peanut butter lovers: 2 tablespoons natural peanut butter on celery, 1 cup fat-
free milk.
If you love sausage: a poached egg, 2 oz. turkey sausage patty, and 1 cup light
yogurt.
If you like soy, here’s a super shake: 1/3 cup soft tofu, ¾ cup fresh fruit, 1 tsp.
each of wheat bran and flaxseed, 1/3 cup soymilk, and 1/3 cup orange juice.
One cup plain low-fat yogurt and 1 cup diced fresh fruit, topped with ½ cup bran
flake cereal.
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Lunch ideas—serve each with one slice 45-calorie wheat bread or equivalent
One-half cup tuna, slices of bell pepper and onion, 1 T. light vinaigrette or light
mayo, 2 cups broccoli
3 oz. grilled chicken breast, 2 cups mixed salad, 2 T. light dressing
3 oz. extra-lean hamburger, 2 cups cooked asparagus or broccoli, 1 T. light
vinaigrette
2 oz. lean deli meat, 1 oz. low-fat cheese, 1 tsp. lite mayo, lettuce and tomato,
open-faced on bread (above), and one cup of soup (90 calories or less), 1 kiwi
fruit
Snacks to enjoy with a cup of green tea or zero-calorie beverage
100-calorie pack of almonds and 10 baby carrots or small apple
Soup (250 calories worth)
½ cup low-fat cottage cheese with ½ cup grapes
1 cup light yogurt with a small pear
1 oz. low-fat cheese (string cheese works here) and a small orange
1 sugar-free pudding snack cup and ½ cup strawberries
1 hardboiled egg and three apricots
Two dinner examples below illustrate portion size
4 oz. grilled fish, 1 cup asparagus, lemon, small baked potato, ¼ fat-free sour
cream, chives
3 oz. turkey breast, ¾ cup black beans, avocado, lettuce, salsa, scallions, whole-
wheat tortilla
Either can be served with a tossed green salad with a couple of olives, or avocado slices, or
1/8 cup seeds or nuts. Or, dress the salad with an olive oil concoction to get your requirement for
monounsaturated fat.
You will find a multitude of dinner ideas in Chapter Four. Feel free to come up with your
own combinations. Be rigid about eating something every four hours. If you wish, divide the
snack meal into two mini-snacks.
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CHAPTER THREE
Nutritional Gems for a Wealthy Body
School districts everywhere stress healthy eating. Kindergarteners play a game called “Eating
the Rainbow” where they match fruit and vegetables to the color wheel, and the lesson ends on a
sweet note with classroom mothers distributing cut-up fruit. Elementary, middle, and high-school
teachers teach direct lessons on beneficial eating strategies. Along with nutritional knowledge,
kids are encouraged to get moving. Professors of college-level nutrition require research papers
on heart-healthy topics such as reducing bad cholesterol and increasing good cholesterol through
exercise and smart eating. Because of discussions centering on food pyramids, the younger
generation is savvy about false advertising. They recognize gimmicks such as mini packages of
(fiber-less, white flour, sugary) Oreo cookies and salty crackers.
You’ve probably noticed the variety of food pyramids out there. You can be a vegetarian or
eat across the board; both diets can contain all the essential nutrients for the human body.
Pyramids have changed over the years because of lifestyle changes. In generations past when
men and women engaged in agrarian labor, their activity required them to eat more
carbohydrates. It was still true that whole grains (not processed white flour) contained vitamins,
iron, and minerals.
Whole grains protect our health. Making the switch (from white-flour products, hominy,
refined rice and pasta) is good for everyone. Vegetables, such as carrots, potato skins,
cauliflower, asparagus, dark leafy lettuce, celery, peppers, and broccoli, are so good for us that
two and a half cups per day are recommended. Fruit is a separate, equally necessary group, and
the one and a half cups per day requirement includes an array, for example grapes, bananas,
mangoes, strawberries, oranges, blueberries, pears, and pineapple. Two servings from the dairy
group (low-fat milk, yogurt, and cheese) provide calcium for healthy bones, teeth, and growth as
well as protein.
The protein group comes with a recommendation for five ounces per day for cell growth and
repair and includes beans, fish, and lean meat. Typically, essential amino acids are supplied by
meat and dairy products, but if those are not consumed, care must be applied to ensure an
adequate supply. Essential amino acids can be supplied by a combination of whole-cereal grains
(wheat, corn, rice, etc.) and legumes (beans, soya, peanuts, etc.). A number of popular ethnic
foods involve this nutritious combination: Mexican corn and beans, Japanese rice and soybeans,
and Cajun red beans and rice.
The Mayo Clinic food pyramid contains a new feature—a circle with “walking feet” at the
center. We need to engage in physical activity every day. Across the bottom of the pyramid,
fruits and vegetables are the two largest food groups. Seen for the first time in a pyramid, the
Mayo Clinic combines the dairy and the (meat and beans) protein group into one.
Humans do not have all the enzymes required for the biosynthesis of all of the required
amino acids. Failure to obtain enough of even one of the ten essential amino acids has serious
health implications and can result in degradation of the body's proteins. Muscle and other protein
structures will be dismantled to obtain the one amino acid that is needed.
In another food pyramid, one used in the California public school system, the fat section is
very small and is called oil. This serves as a reminder that monounsaturated fats or MUFAs
should be included but used sparingly because of high calorie content. As you know from the
previous chapter, some foods are naturally high in oils, like nuts, olives, some fish, and
14
avocados. Other foods contain a moderate amount, and this is why a tablespoon is enough to help
the body absorb vitamins A, D, E, K, and beta-carotene.
“Good” oils are fats that are liquid at room temperature, like the vegetable oils commonly
used in cooking. Oils can come from plants (olive oil, corn oil, soybean oil, and sunflower oil)
and fish. Most oils are high in monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fats. These fats raise levels of
(good) HDL cholesterol while not raising levels of (bad) LDL cholesterol, the kind that can lead
to heart problems. “Bad” solid fats such as butter, shortening, and margarine contain more
saturated fats or trans fats, which can raise LDL cholesterol levels in the blood and increase a
person's risk for heart disease.
A single kernel of whole grain is made of various parts. Bran, the outer shell, protects seed
fiber and contains B vitamins. The endosperm provides energy from carbohydrates and protein.
The germ, nourishment for the seed if it grows, contains antioxidants, vitamin E and the B
vitamins.
In contrast, refined grains contain only the endosperm. Whole grains can be sprouted.
Common whole grains are rolled oats, hulled (but not pearled) barley, popcorn, brown and wild
rice, and whole wheat flour. Whole-grain consumption increases heart protection, cutting heart
disease by 21%. One study found opting for whole grains triggered a 38% drop in C-reactive
protein, a substance strongly linked to diabetes. Australian researchers found that people with
moderate acne who switched from refined to whole grains saw a 50% improvement in their
condition.
Ancient grains are the latest trend. In with the old! Check for varieties cropping up in your
supermarket. Kamut is higher in protein than wheat and can be used in breads or muffins. Packed
with calcium and iron, quinoa (grain-like but officially a seed) can be substituted for rice in
recipes. Quinoa’s light, crunchy texture makes it ideal for cold salads. Because quinoa is really a
seed, not a carbohydrate, it’s no wonder that it’s the rage among celebrities. Millet, a good
source of vitamins B and E, can be used in casseroles and veggie burgers. Filled with fiber and
zinc, spelt is making a comeback in North America, even though it has been popular through the
centuries in many European countries because of its nutty flavor. Spelt is a non-hybrid distant
relative to present day wheat. Spelt has high water solubility, so nutrients are easily absorbed by
the body, making it easy to digest. It is high in protein (significantly higher than wheat), B-
complex vitamins, and both simple and complex carbohydrates. These complex carbohydrates
are an important factor in blood clotting and stimulating the body's immune system. Besides
containing superb fiber, spelt’s nutritional benefits lower the risk of cardiovascular (heart)
disease and type II diabetes and decrease occurrences of migraine headaches. We’ll start seeing
more spelt in cereals soon, because this old grain is getting a new image. Savvy people want to
get the most out of their calories.
Recently, there’s been a bit of clamor over the thyroid nutrient. Iodine is disappearing from
the food supply, triggering a wave of tiredness and brain fog. Women’s iodine intake is a
staggering 50% percent lower than it was just three decades ago. Modern farming practices have
led to a depletion of iodine in soil which used to end up in produce, meat, and dairy. Jacob
Teitelbaum, M.D. explains: “When deficits occur, symptoms such as tiredness, brain fog,
constipation and weight gain are common. In the 1920s the government advised iodizing salt, but
a recent University of Texas study showed that 52% of the salt with the iodized label fell short of
FDA requirements. It’s smart to take a multivitamin containing 150 mcg (FDA recommendation)
of the iodine nutrient, but Dr. Teitelbaum reasons that “increased exposure to environmental
toxins and chemicals in common foods can interfere with the body’s uptake and use of iodine.”
15
Here are more of Dr. T’s suggestions: 1). Avoid bread (which was once a surefire source of
iodine) that contains potassium bromate. In the 1970s food manufacturers replaced iodine-based
ingredients with potassium bromate, a texture-enhancing additive that turns into bromine during
baking. “Bromine’s chemical structure is similar to that of iodine. When cells need to pick up
iodine, they can mistakenly pick up bromine instead.” Dr. T. advises us to scan the ingredients
on bread for potassium bromide, bromate, or bromated flour. Also scrutinize citrus-flavored
beverages that harbor bromine or vegetable oil, abbreviated BVO. 2). Enjoy cruciferous
vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage) raw or steamed but not fully cooked. If cooked,
certain compounds turn to goitrogens, which block the production of thyroid peroxidase, the
enzyme responsible for iodine uptake in the thyroid gland. 3). It’s good news, says Dr. T, that
ocean water is rich in iodine and becomes concentrated in fish and seaweed. Eat three servings of
iodine-rich fish a week, choosing from Dr. T’s list of cod, haddock, mackerel, and sardines.
Sea salt contains iodine; if you are watching your sodium intake, sprinkle a dash of naturally
salty powdered seaweed from Sea Seasonings Triple Blend Flakes, available at health food
stores.
Thinking about how natural foods pack valuable nutrition, Janice has written up some
reminders. For instance, she keeps plums in her college refrigerator. Plums come in a variety of
colors from bluish to reddish purple. Besides the fact that a cold plum keeps us cool on a hot day,
scientists have discovered amazing ingredients. Boost your health with this summer season super
food. Plums make you bikini-confident. Just one plum a day is enough to shrink spider veins
and flush fat, making us look good. Studies show plums’ vitamin K boosts production of
thrombin, a clotting agent that helps bruises and varicose veins shrink and fade. And because
plums are acidic and high in vitamin C, they can speed up digestion before fat and toxins are
even absorbed, leading to a slimmer you.
Janice slices avocado on tossed salads. Avocados, she learned when taking Nutrition 101,
slash anxiety. When you’re frazzled, an avocado can calm you down fast. It’s loaded with
relaxing magnesium and potassium, which both ease anxiety. And its pantothenic acid, a B
vitamin, revs stress-reducing hormones and even lowers your risk of depression. The high fat
content in the avocado lowers cortisol, a hormone that stores abdominal fat. It will help shrink
your belly!
Carrots help you breathe better. Lung function peaks in your twenties and declines from
there, making it harder to take in deep, oxygen-boosting breaths. According to French research,
munching on carrots shaves two years off your lungs even for smokers. Credit goes to
carotenoids, antioxidants that protect lungs from both environmental irritants and age-related
damage. Carrots also protect against lung cancer; Harvard Medical School researchers found that
alpha carotene, the pigment that makes them orange, lowers your risk by 63%.
Cherries ease pain. Cherries relieve pain and inflammation ten times better than aspirin, say
researchers at Michigan State University. The active ingredients, antioxidants called
anthocyanins which also give them their red color, block specific enzymes from transmitting
pain signals to the brain. This effect works best with fresh, tart cherries.
Blueberries burn fat and have also been found to boost memory, reduce the risk of
Alzheimer’s and even cure urinary tract infections. Scientists at Brooke Army Medical Center in
Texas have learned a half-cup of blueberries can fend off food cravings (not the good kind) for
four hours, helping you effortlessly shed 5% of your body weight in just six months. Blueberries
contain chemicals that stabilize blood sugar, making you less hungry. And blueberry’s plant
compounds help burn foods as fuel rather than store them as you-know-what.
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Watermelon lulls you to sleep. Late summer sunsets combined with heat make summer the
biggest time for insomnia, but watermelon will come to the rescue. Australian researchers have
found that a cup of watermelon two hours before bedtime helped subjects fall asleep twice as fast
as those who didn’t consume watermelon. Watermelon contains chemicals that speed up the
production of tryptophan and serotonin, two compounds that induce sleep in the brain. Scientists
at the National Institute of Health have found that eating a few slices can even prevent nighttime
awakenings and extend the deepest stage of sleep by 27%.
Melons are Mother Nature’s original multivitamin. Whether you’re buying orange, green, or
red, all types are chock-full of nutrients. Take watermelon. It’s a bountiful source of vitamins A
and C, as well as potassium. Cantaloupe (45 calories per cup) is packed with C plus beta-
carotene–the same stuff that gives carrots their bright orange color and makes them so good for
your eyes. As for honeydew, it has a heaping supply of folate, a mineral that’s essential for good
reproductive health (both his and hers). Other fruits and vegetables contain a lot of water and
pack high nutritional value. These “wet,” filling foods help us lose weight. Broccoli, cabbage,
grapefruit, lettuce, radishes, and spinach are 90% water.
Do you enjoy coleslaw? Cabbage is near the top of the National Cancer Institute’s list of
cancer-fighting food because of its natural detoxifying agents. In lab studies, the compounds in
cabbage actually prevented precancerous cells from growing and multiplying. Studies show that
the vegetable lowers blood levels of cancerous-causing synthetic hormones in as little as five
days. One cup of coleslaw (or a wedge of cabbage served another way) slashes your risk of
stomach cancer by 52% and breast cancer by more than 60%.
Want a list of eDiet’s top ten power foods? Here they are, according to nutritional
researchers in alphabetical order: apples, asparagus, beans, broccoli, carrots, fish, nuts, oranges,
and tea.
Is our refrigerator at the center of our home? Contents of a Fit Fridge are low in calories and
high in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Fresh fruits and veggies are a delicious way to get
our RDAs. Shoot for 5 to 9 servings per day. Unlike refined “white” carbs, whole-grain bread,
pasta, and cereals provide essential vitamins, minerals, and fiber. You can get your protein from
fish, poultry, lean meats, eggs, and dairy products. There are other options out there for
vegetarians and vegans—cube some tofu, put it in a veggie stir fry, and serve it over brown rice
for a complete protein duo. Your car runs better on the right fuel, and so do we. With the right
foods in the fridge, we have a lessened tendency to reach for a bag of chips and can of sugary
soda. In our house, those items aren’t here. Neither are the quick food fixes that come pre-
packaged and laden with salt, sugar, saturated fat and chemicals we can’t even pronounce. In life
(as in sports), the best defense is a good offense.
Try making grocery lists by typing them into the computer, using time-saving headings such
as produce, frozen foods, canned goods, breads and cereals. When you’re ready to go shopping,
hit the print button, and off you go with your list. At the store, read labels. Some peanut butters
contain partially hydrogenated oils and diglycerides. Look for brands that say natural and contain
only peanuts and (a little) salt. For other canned, bottled and packaged foods, if you don’t
recognize an ingredient or know where it comes from, don’t buy it. Think of unknown
ingredients as foreign objects your parents warned you not to swallow.
Do you ever wonder what Europeans think about us in health terms? According to a study by
Dutch and British scientists, who compared Americans and Europeans, we (Americans) are not
considered lazy. In fact, we are admired for how we work out. But Europeans think we eat too
17
much. Unless we can push ourselves away from the table, losing weight is nearly impossible
even with exercise.
Biochemist Paul A. Stitt writes that Americans eat more hydrogenated fat, polyunsaturated
fat, and butter fat than any other group on the planet. While consuming more sugar and artificial
sweeteners, Americans also experience more episodes of acute hunger; many Americans eat
eleven times a day. Therefore, they grab something sweet to give them instant energy. Stitt’s
studies revealed that Americans also consume less fiber and less omega-3, an essential fatty acid,
than any other nation. And Americans do less physical work per day. We ride more and walk
less than other people. “Could it be this combination that is fattening up Americans?” he asks.
Scientists have recently discovered that fat consumed by most people is deposited on their
bodies without being metabolized. If one’s favorite fat is from dairy products, one’s body is
loaded with butter fat. If it’s beef fat, one’s body is loaded with tallow. If it’s margarine or
shortening (same thing), one’s body is loaded down with hydrogenated fats. The main problem
with these fats, Paul Stitt believes, is that the human body has almost lost its ability to burn them.
Unless one is starving and nearly all glycogen (stored carbohydrate) is burned up, the human
body won’t burn these types of fat. Most Americans don’t like feeling starved for hours while
their body is burning stored saturated fat. Therefore, they grab something sweet to give them
instant energy. In America, nearly all sweet foods are fabricated with high levels of saturated
fats. With a little rise in energy, people repeat this cycle of eating sweets when hungry. Fat is
deposited on hips and waists at a hefty rate.
This doesn’t apply to you! You’re getting your body back. Should you want a sleek black
dress, you will wear one well. Not only will you turn heads, you’ll feel attractive; choosing the
right foods starts us on a sensuous path. There’s a lighthearted sensation that takes place in our
brains when we’re in tune with what we want.
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CHAPTER FOUR
Recipes from High-Energy Nutrients
Having a goal to eat healthfully and lose weight is all well and good. But unless it’s
personalized, even the best dietary plan is destined to fail. Don’t expect too much of yourself.
You will lose weight if you control calories. To keep it real, take a look at your life and figure
out what will and won’t work for you. Are you too busy to cook dinner on week nights? Set
aside a few hours each weekend to shop and prepare meals that you can enjoy throughout the
week. If you cook a turkey breast, you can slice, package, and use it many ways. Whip up a few
of your favorite healthful recipes on weekends and freeze them to enjoy during your busy
workweek. Spend a lot of time on the road? Devise calorie-saving strategies that are simple and
flexible, such as going online before leaving home to case out the healthy restaurant scene at
your destination. For salads, ask to have dressing served on the side. Ask that the restaurant not
serve you bread. If you have a mini-fridge, you can save half of your dinner for lunch the next
day.
Sometimes when people are trying hard to lose weight, they get stuck on rerun meals. We
wouldn’t want to watch the same TV episode week after week. Yet when people embark on a
weight-loss journey, many end up eating the same “safe” low-calorie foods such as yogurt for
breakfast, a salad for lunch, and grilled chicken breast and vegetables for dinner every night. Not
only do carbon-copy meals lead to food cravings, bingeing, and weight gain, but too little variety
can deprive you of valuable phytochemicals and nutrients. Over time, the boredom of few foods
is not satisfying. There is one exception, and that is breakfast. We need to be able to put together
a balanced, hassle-free meal with our eyes closed. Still, without a lot of thought, we can mix and
match a few high-fiber cereals with more fruit variety and a dollop of yogurt. But definitely
change what you eat at lunch and dinner. Consider changing where you eat as well. If the
weather is nice, eating outside is enjoyable.
Can we have a little heart-to-heart before you peruse the recipes? We may be at the top of the
mammal chain, but know that our human species “worries” about famine. That’s right! We need
assurance that food is available for consumption every four hours. This puts our thinking minds
at ease. Lower animals scavenge all day and never worry.
Because the average family size is four, typical cookbook recipes serve four. In this chapter,
serving sizes vary. Divide foods into portions before serving, and remember this includes sauces
and accompaniments. Someone in your family (a non-dieter perhaps) might want two servings.
As portion reminders, one-serving recipes are mixed into this chapter. This is a brilliant strategy
used by eDiets, an online dieting group. To make a single rice serving, drop two tablespoons of
dry rice into boiling water. Do not despair—it will expand!
Buy lean meat and poultry, and then trim any visible fat. If you like the flavor of poultry
cooked with skin on, remove it before eating. Following USDA guidelines for cooking meats and
poultry at safe temperatures will prevent foodborne illnesses. The minimum 145 degrees F. will
give you a medium-cooked steak. All fresh fruits, vegetables, and greens in recipes should be
rinsed before using.
A secret of every successful weight-loss program is low-calorie soup, and you will find two
classics (from both Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig) in the vegetarian section. When eating
fewer calories, all of us have moments of genuine hunger. Overcome nagging hunger and
distress by making a filling soup. After making a pot, divide and freeze in generous serving
19
containers. Soup makes a perfect snack. Second to soup, my tofu stirfry is a good way to head
off an eating binge.
A number of years ago, I belonged to Weight Watchers, where I witnessed a woman lose 135
pounds. She became a walker and walked for an hour every day. She made a huge salad every
day in a large mixing bowl, and this eating strategy worked for her. Her points, if you are
familiar with the Weight Watcher point scheme, were about 32. WW has a complicated but
effective point method. Points take fiber, fat and calories into account. This is intelligent
reasoning, but members are told not to go under 18 points. On Weight Watchers I lost weight but
could not get down to my target weight. The minimum 18 points was too much food for my body
type. Although not exact, 18 points is about 1500 calories. At a hair over 5’4” and small boned,
the Weight Watcher minimum was too ample for me. I couldn’t break through 135 and grew
frustrated.
That is why I recommend another formula, one that fits every individual. Multiply your
present weight by seven. In my case, because 7 x 135 = 945, it was no wonder I couldn’t get
under 135 pounds! My daughter Janice is a half-inch over 5’2” and small boned; although she
has stopped growing, she is young and has a faster metabolism. At 1000 calories per day, the
Gold Standard Food plan contains all necessary nutrients. The fiber and watery foods make us
feel full.
Let’s say a woman weighing 185 pounds is about to begin the Gold Standard Plan.
Calculating her daily calories, 185 x 7 = 1295, she will add an ounce to every protein and whole-
grain portion. Instead of a 45-calorie per slice bread, she might have an 80 calorie slice. When
she weighs herself a couple of weeks later, she will weigh less. As her weight decreases, daily
calories will need to be adjusted.
Some recipes are fit for a dinner party. Fear not if you are forced to have one. The food you
will serve will be healthy. Gage your portion, bag leftovers into single or more servings, and
relegate them to the freezer. When thawed, use them as a second go-round. For example, present
them as lettuce wraps.
Make dinner look and feel complete. Suppose you are making crispy baked fish with a slice
of lime, a recipe you will find below in the fish and shellfish section. Serve it with a 5-inch
baked sweet potato with a sprinkle of cinnamon and spray of butter, French green beans with a
tablespoon of almond slivers, and a wedge of melon. An attractively arranged plate has a
slimming effect on us. To some extent, we feast with our eyes.
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Appetizers
If you are asked to bring an appetizer to a neighborhood or family holiday dinner, here is a
low-calorie nutritional recipe for a dozen devils. Two pieces are a filling 75 calories. The
traditional recipe calls for oysters or dates wrapped with heavy fat bacon, but this one calls for
lower-calorie prunes.
Devils on Horseback
Ingredients:
12 pitted prunes
2 T. chopped pimiento-stuffed green olives
6 slices turkey bacon
Spray a boiler rack with nonstick spray and preheat the broiler. Cut a slit
lengthwise in each prune. Spoon 1/2 teaspoon of chopped olives into each cavity.
Wrap the prunes in the bacon and secure with wooden toothpicks. Arrange the
prunes on the broiler rack and broil 2 to 3 minutes on each side; they look
attractive served in a pan.
Don’t get your panties in a tangle when shopping for prunes; many brands are now labeled
“dried plums,” but this is the same thing as prunes.
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Deviled Eggs
Ingredients:
8 jumbo hard-cooked eggs, peeled and cut lengthwise.
1/3 cup low-fat or fat-free mayonnaise
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
Dash of salt and pepper
Combine yokes, mayo, and mustard. Use a pastry bag or spoon the mixture into
the egg whites. A shake of paprika makes them pretty. For a Mediterranean
flavor, add chopped olives and remove salt from your recipe. Or, mash half an
avocado for extra creamy eggs. But basic deviled eggs are a nice appetizer.
22
Breakfast
The Skinny Latte
Ingredients:
Coffee
Fat-free milk
Sweetener packets
Low-sugar fat-free Reddi-wip
Combine coffee with milk and a sweetener packet, and give it a squirt of Reddi-
wip. You might try a sprinkle of unsweetened powdered cocoa or pumpkin pie
spice, containing cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger.
In the past decade, coffee has benefited from one of history’s most impressive pimpings.
Long a bitter staple of cheap diners, it’s been goosed up the chic ladder with freshly ground
beans and fancy flavors. I’ve made our kitchen into a coffee shop with coffee shop photos and a
sign, “Chocolate Francaise.”
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Banana Peanut Butter Roll—1 serving
1 medium banana
1 1/2 T. wheat germ
1 tsp. honey
1/4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
3/4 oz. barley nugget cereal or Kashi GoLean
1 1/2 T. reduced-fat peanut butter
Mix cereal, wheat germ, and pumpkin pie spice in a shallow dish. Smear peanut
butter and honey on banana. Roll banana in the cereal mix to coat. Eat
immediately.
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Eggs on Toast with Grapefruit—1 serving
Two hard-cooked eggs, remove one yoke
Rye or whole-wheat toast
A whole grapefruit, cut in half and sectioned
Halt headaches with eggs! Reaching for an on-the-go breakfast like a doughnut or pastry
could set you up for a headache. The refined carbs and sugar in these foods make your blood
sugar surge, then crash, notes Deborah Wiancek, N.D. of the Riverwalk Natural Health Clinic
and Pharmacy in Colorado. A crash may trigger painful spasms in blood vessels in the head.
Eggs and other lean proteins are digested more slowly, which helps keep your blood sugar steady
until lunch. If you are rushed in the morning, hard-boil a few eggs the night before. With two
hardboiled eggs, remove one and a half yolks, mash them, give them a squirt with butter spray,
and then spread them on a slice of whole grain and seed bread. This is a wonderful taste combo
with grapefruit. Share the half if you like, but grapefruit is low in calories.
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French toast served with fresh fruit—1 serving
Two slices whole-wheat bread
1 egg white
1/8 cup fat-free milk
1 tsp. each cinnamon and vanilla
Butter spray
½ cup fruit for the topping—raspberries, orange slices, or cherries
Mix ingredients, dip bread, and cook in a saucepan or griddle. Have you seen the
butter spray made with soy? If you have (low-sugar, fat-free) Reddi-wip on hand,
give it a squirt.
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Oatmeal—1 serving
½ cup old-fashioned oatmeal
Dash of cinnamon
Fruit
½ cup fat-free milk or yogurt
Sweetener packet
Chop up the fruit, shake on some cinnamon, and add dry oatmeal to a Pyrex
measuring cup or other microwavable container. After microwaving, top with a
dollop of yogurt and sweetener.
Remember the woman who lost 135 pounds? She told me oatmeal kept her full for four
hours.
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Beef Entrées
Beef Kabobs—4 servings
Ingredients:
1.5 pounds of lean New York strip steak
Butter spray for the grill or pan
1 lime
2 colorful bell peppers
Scallions
1 cup dry brown or wild rice
Start the water boiling for the rice, following package directions. On a plastic or
glass cutting board, cut up the steak and vegetables and then squirt the lime over
them. Cook the steak on the grill—the George Forman Grill squeezes out excess
fat. Remove meat to a clean plate and then cook the peppers and scallions on the
grill. Prior to serving, place meat and vegetables on skewers. Serve kabobs on top
of rice with a garden salad. Gold Standard portions are a deck of cards for the
meat and ½ cup rice. Vegetables and salad are unlimited.
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Cilantro-Lime Steak Fajitas—4 servings
Ingredients:
1 lb. of flank steak or lean skirt steak
4 medium-size whole-wheat tortillas
1 avocado in slices for garnish
½ cup low-fat shredded cheese
1 large yellow onion, peeled and sliced
2 bell peppers, sliced lengthwise
Fat-free sour cream
Ingredients for the marinade:
Juice of 1 lime
1 T. olive oil
1 clove peeled and minced garlic
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 fresh, chopped Jalapeño pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro.
Mix all marinade ingredients. Set the steak in the marinade and let it sit at least an
hour. Heat to high a large griddle or use the George Foreman. Add olive oil to the
pan, wiping excess with a paper towel. Add the steak, frying on each side for
three minutes for medium rare. Remove from pan and let sit for five minutes.
Reduce the pan heat to medium high. Add the onions and bell peppers. Cook
while stirring frequently until onions are slightly translucent. Slice the meat
against the grain into thin slices.
Serve immediately with low-fat shredded cheddar, salsa, shredded lettuce, fat-free
sour cream, and slices of avocado on tortillas, warmed in the microwave by
covering them with a paper towel and zapping them for fifteen seconds. One
serving of grilled cilantro-lime steak fajitas is 250 calories when made with
reduced-fat ingredients.
29
Ground Beef Meatloaf—4 servings
A comfort food found at trendy health spas, meatloaf with mashed potatoes isn’t something
you’d expect to see on a spa menu, but you can get thin and eat rich with 90% lean ground beef.
For the potatoes, 6 (very small) Yukon Gold are cooked per serving. Add parsley, salt and
pepper, and give it a squirt of butter spray. Steamed broccoli-cauliflower-carrots are the side dish
with a tossed salad.
Ingredients:
1 lb. lean ground chuck
1 cup beef broth
Dash of salt (1/4 tsp.) and pepper (1/4 tsp.)
1/4 tsp. sage
1/4 tsp. dried mustard
1/4 cup each: finely diced carrots, red pepper, celery, and onion
1 large egg
1 cup cooked brown lentils
2 cups packed spinach leaves, steamed, drained and chopped
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat oil in a pan over medium heat and add all the
vegetables except spinach along with the salt and pepper. In a large bowl, break
up beef well with a fork and then stir everything in. Mix again. Coat a loaf pan
with cooking spray. Place potatoes on a pan to oven-bake, removing them when
soft. Six oz. of meatloaf with 1/3 cup potatoes contains 260 calories.
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Beef Rib Roast with Shallots and Herbs—8 to 10 servings
Is company coming? Relax and impress them with a rib roast with lemony garlic broccoli.
Before the roast is done, start making the broccoli dish.
Ingredients:
7 – 8 lb. bone-in beef rib roast
2 T. dry Montreal steak seasoning
2 T. dried herbes de Provence or other blend such as fines herbes or bouquet garni
1 T. oil
1 large finely chopped shallot
1/2 cup red wine or beef broth
1 jar low-calorie beef gravy
Chopped fresh parsley
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place roast fat side up in a shallow roasting pan.
Combine seasonings and herbs and sprinkle onto fat side of roast. Roast until
meat thermometer in the thickest part away from bone reads 145 degrees, or about
2 hours. Let stand 15 minutes before carving. If you add pan drippings to a jar of
low-calorie beef gravy, it will have that made-from-scratch taste.
Ingredients for Lemony Garlic Broccoli with Hollandaise:
1 lemon
1 1/2 lbs. broccoli florets
2 T. olive oil, 1 tsp. minced garlic
1 0.9 oz. package hollandaise sauce mix
1 cup fat-free milk
Butter spray (just a little burst)
Dash of salt (1/4 tsp.) and pepper (1/4 tsp.)
Cut the lemon in half, saving half for slices. With the other half, grate 2 tsp. zest
and squeeze 2 T. juice. Reserve separately. In a microwave-safe bowl, combine
broccoli, oil, garlic, and 1 tsp. water. Cover and microwave on high 5 – 7 minutes
or until broccoli is tender. Meanwhile, prepare hollandaise sauce according to
package directions with milk and butter spray. Stir in reserved lemon zest. Drain
broccoli, transfer to serving bowl, toss with salt, pepper, and reserved lemon
juice. Serve broccoli topped with sauce. Garnish with lemon slices.
31
Hamburger Surprise—4 servings
Ingredients:
Cooking spray
1 pound extra-lean ground sirloin
½ tsp. salt, ¼ tsp. black pepper
4 1-inch cubes Gorgonzola or any blue cheese—look for lower-calorie types
1 cup fat-free plain yogurt
¼ cup shredded cucumber
2 tsp. chopped fresh dill
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. garlic powder
4 small whole-wheat rolls
Spray a large grill pan with cooking spray; set over medium heat. In a large bowl,
combine sirloin, salt, and pepper. Shape mixture into 4 equal balls. Press a cube of
Gorgonzola into the center of each, covering cheese completely with meat. Shape
balls into patties, each about 1 inch thick. Place burgers on hot pan and cook for 5
to 6 minutes per side until cooked through (less for medium-rare meat).
Meanwhile, mix next 5 ingredients in a small bowl to make yogurt sauce. Place
burgers on rolls and top each with 2 T. yogurt sauce. Serve remaining sauce on
the side.
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Italian Spaghetti Sauce with Ground Beef
—24 half-cup servings
Purchased jars of spaghetti sauce contain oil, homogenized into sauce, and these calories can
be replaced with lean ground beef if you make your own. Mama Mia, it’s good! This low-sodium
recipe makes 24 servings so that you can freeze sauce in containers. Serve over whole-wheat
pasta with Parmesan cheese, and a tossed salad with slices of fresh fruit on top.
Ingredients:
2 lbs. extra lean ground beef
3 medium chopped onions
1 green bell pepper
3 finely chopped cloves garlic
29 ounces of canned diced tomatoes, not drained
29 ounces tomato sauce
12 ounces tomato paste
2 T. dried or fresh basil leaves
1 T. oregano leaves
1 T. artificial sweetener
1 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
Cook ground beef in a 12-inch skillet and drain off all the fat by rinsing it in a
colander with hot water from the tap. Return meat to your skillet. Over medium
heat, add onions, bell pepper and garlic. Cook and stir, marrying flavors for about
ten minutes, and then transfer to 5-quart Crock-Pot slow cooker. Stir in remaining
ingredients. Cover and cook on low heat setting for up to 8 or 9 hours or until
vegetables are tender.
Serve over ½ cup cooked whole-wheat pasta, topped with parmesan cheese. If
you don’t care for whole wheat, spinach pasta is the next best thing; one ounce is
100 calories. To bring your total calories to 250, add a tossed salad with a topping
of sliced fruit.
33
Steak and Potato Combo—1 serving
Ingredients:
4 oz. lean sirloin steak, 1 ¼ inches thick, trimmed of all fat
Cherry tomatoes
4 small red potatoes
If you’re craving steak and potatoes, this meal will satisfy you. Grill on the
George Foreman if you have one. Using nonstick cooking spray on a pan, cook
potatoes and halved tomatoes until browned. Serve with a wedge of lettuce with
fat-free ranch dressing.
34
Stuffed Peppers with Parmesan—1 serving
Ingredients:
4 oz. lean, ground round beef
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 T. olive oil
1/3 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 T. cooked brown rice
1 red or green bell pepper
4 tomato slices
1 T. fresh grated Parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Heat the olive oil in a nonstick skillet to medium-
high heat and brown the meat with mushrooms and onions. Mix in Worcestershire
sauce and seasonings; stir in cooked rice to mix thoroughly. Rinse peppers, cut in
half and scoop out seeds. Place them, cut side up, in a shallow baking pan with a
small amount of water. Stuff pepper halves with equal amounts of meat mixture
and top with tomato slices and cheese. Bake for about 20-25 minutes and serve
hot.
35
Veal Cutlet Parmesan—4 servings
Ingredients:
4 veal cutlets
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper
1 package of fresh mushrooms
1/2 lb. fat-free or low-fat (sliced) mozzarella
1 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
1 egg white
1/2 lb. canned tomato sauce
1/4 tsp. dried basil leaves
Cooking spray
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Beat egg white and dip cutlets to cover; roll in
bread crumbs. Use salt and pepper if you wish, but it tastes fine without it. Spray
a baking pan and arrange cutlets, pour tomato sauce over them, and top with
mozzarella slices and basil. Bake for twenty-five minutes. Serve with melon on
lettuce leaves or something similar.
36
Chicken Entrées
Apple Curry Chicken with Brown Rice—1 serving
Ingredients:
1/4 tsp. curry powder
1/2 small apple
1/4 cup apple juice
3 1/2 oz. boneless chicken breast
1 green onion
2 oz. fresh mushrooms
1/2 T. fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup fat-free plain yogurt
2 T. brown rice
Wipe mushrooms with a damp paper towel and slice thin. Rinse and pat dry
chicken breast. Cut into cubes on a separate cutting board. Peel, core and dice
apple. Chop green onion. Spray a nonstick skillet lightly with cooking spray and
sauté chicken until no longer pink, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the apple, onion,
mushrooms, lemon juice, curry powder and apple juice and bring to a boil. Lower
heat; simmer for about 8 minutes. Stir in yogurt and gently heat through, about 2-
3 minutes. Place rice in a small pot with tight-fitting lid and cover with about 2
1/2 times the amount of water. For example, if you are doubling this recipe with 4
tablespoons of rice, use 10 tablespoons of water or about 3/4 cup water. Bring to a
boil, uncovered, on high heat; reduce heat to low, cover tightly and cook for about
40-45 minutes, or until water is absorbed and rice is tender. Ladle chicken
mixture over rice and serve with a green salad, light dressing, and 1/2 cup sliced
fresh strawberries.
37
Basic Chicken Soup—4 servings
Ingredients:
1 lb. chicken breast with bone, skin removed
2 cans of chicken broth
2 cups of water
½ cup each: celery, onion, carrots, chopped parsley
Salt and pepper to taste or use Mrs. Dash original seasoning
1 cup dry noodles, any whole-wheat variety
Place a chicken breast with bone on in a pot of water after removing skin. If using
a Crock-Pot, you may add liquids and vegetables with the chicken without the risk
that vegetables will be overcooked. Otherwise, after chicken is well cooked and
tender, add vegetables to the simmering pot during the last thirty minutes. Ten
minutes before serving, in another pot, prepare noodles and strain off. I serve
some noodles in the soup, but if there are leftovers, I store the noodles separately
to avoid sogginess. Chicken is a folk remedy for colds that works, but it’s also
just plain good. With soup, you need crunch. Homemade chicken soup is good
with 4 reduced fat Triscuits, a tossed salad and whatever fruit is in season.
38
Buffalo Chicken Strips—2 servings
Ingredients:
8 oz. skinless, boneless chicken breast
1/2 cup egg whites or egg alternative
1 cup original Fiber One Cereal
Mrs. Dash or your own mix of salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder
1 tsp. paprika
1 cup Red Hot Sauce
Butter-flavored cooking spray
4 T. brown rice
Green beans, unlimited
Preheat oven to 400 degrees, and spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Wash
and cut chicken breasts into strips that are approximately 1 1/2 inches wide. Set
aside. In a food processor, combine cereal and dry seasonings. Pulverize to a fine
powder or breadcrumb-like consistency. Pour mixture into a shallow bowl or onto
a small plate. Set aside. In a small saucepan, melt butter and then add the hot
sauce. Mix well and warm until heated, but not bubbling or boiling. Pour into a
small, shallow bowl, and set aside.
In a small bowl, mix egg whites or egg alternative. Coat each chicken strip with
egg and dip in cereal mix until each strip is fully breaded. Lay strip on baking
sheet. Repeat until all pieces of chicken are breaded and on the baking sheet. Pour
3/4 of the hot sauce over the chicken pieces, making sure to coat well. Bake
chicken at 400 degrees until breading becomes crispy and chicken is cooked
through, approximately 15-20 minutes. Prepare rice and green beans. Serve
chicken strips with remaining hot sauce mixture for dipping. Enjoy with rice,
unlimited cooked green beans, and a tossed salad.
39
Chicken with Rosemary—4 servings
Ingredients:
2 boneless chicken breasts
2 cloves garlic, chopped, or go easy on it
2 T. dried rosemary
1 T. lemon juice
Salt and pepper or Mrs. Dash seasonings
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cover the chicken breasts with garlic if you like it.
My husband doesn’t go for garlic, and I use very little. Sprinkle with rosemary,
lemon juice, and seasonings. Place in a 9×13 baking dish and bake in the
preheated oven for 25 minutes or until done and juices run clear. Baking time will
depend on the thickness of your chicken breasts. This low-calorie chicken recipe
with rosemary goes well with a tossed salad with fat-free croutons, light balsamic
dressing, and fresh asparagus.
40
Cheatin’ Chicken
—4 servings, made easy with one package of Burrito Grande
Ingredients:
Cedarlane Burrito Grande with chili Verde Sauce
(freezer section of a supermarket)
1 and 1/2 lb. chicken breasts
2 ears fresh corn or a small can
¾ cup dry brown rice
Incidentally, a single Cedarlane package is designed to serve two people at 230
calories per serving. With the other three ingredients of chicken, corn, and rice,
the Burrito Grande package is used as the topping.
Cook chicken breasts in the oven or however you want to cook them. Boil fiber-
rich brown rice, and separately, boil two ears of corn or open a small can.
Combine the chicken, brown rice, and heated corn in a serving dish. Zap the
package according to directions, open the tortillas and spread evenly over the
mixture. Our Gold Standard portion is 3/4 cup. Serve with unlimited salad and a
piece of fruit.
41
Chicken Cacciatore—6 servings
Ingredients:
3 whole chicken breasts, skinned & halved
Dash of salt and pepper
1 T. dry onion flakes
1 green pepper, finely chopped
1 minced clove garlic
1 15-oz. can mashed tomatoes
1 4-oz. can sliced mushrooms, drained
2 tsp. tomato paste
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp. thyme
2 T. finely chopped pimiento
Brown rice or whole-wheat pasta for six
Rinse chicken pieces and pat dry. Combine all ingredients except rice or pasta in a
pot and cook at a low temperature for an hour. Divided into six portions, one
serving is 120 calories. Serve with any green vegetable, ½ cup cooked brown rice
or whole-wheat pasta and a green salad.
42
Chicken and Spinach Quesadillas—4 servings
Grilled chicken and spinach quesadillas are man and kid-friendly but perfect for figure-
watchers when prepared with low-calorie methods. Hands-on preparation time is 15 minutes,
while cooking takes 5 minutes, no longer than a grilled cheese sandwich. Calories are lower
when we use chicken breasts instead of a whole rotisserie chicken.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds cooked, shredded chicken
3 ounces or 4 cups of baby spinach
1 cup grated low-fat Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese
4 large whole-wheat tortillas
1 ripe avocado, sliced
1/2 cup store-bought fresh salsa
1/4 cup fat-free sour cream
Heat a pan on the stove (or grill) to medium. In a large bowl, combine
cooked/shredded chicken, spinach, and cheese. Divide evenly and place the
mixture on one half of each tortilla. Fold the other half over to cover. Grill the
quesadillas until the cheese has melted. Tortillas are crisp at 3 to 4 minutes on
each side. Serve with the avocado, salsa, fat-free sour cream, a piece of fruit and
green salad.
43
Chicken Stir-Fry a la Philippines
A friend on the next street, Mayumi, whose Filipino name means “pretty one,” is a nurse.
Okay, I know you’re curious. She’s around forty-years-old, about 5′3″ and weighs around 105
pounds. She and her husband have school-age twin boys. Her life is fast paced. I met up with her
at the grocery store yesterday, and Mayumi was gathering ingredients to make Chicken Stir-Fry.
Her Americanized version is fast to prepare, cooks in fifteen minutes, and contains under 300
calories per serving.
Mayumi’s ingredients:
1 can mandarin oranges
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into half-inch strips
1 T. sesame oil
Fresh bunch of broccoli florets
1/2 cup stir-fry sauce
1/2 tsp. grated orange zest
2 thinly sliced scallions
Mayumi will also make rice, having switched from traditional white to
brown. Drain oranges, reserving 1/3 cup light syrup. In a large nonstick
skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken and stir-fry until
browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in broccoli, stir-fry sauce, reserved syrup
and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, simmering
until flavors have blended, maybe 10 minutes. Stir in oranges and zest.
Sprinkle with scallions. Serve with rice if desired.
44
“Fried” Chicken—serves 8
Are you longing for crunchy fried chicken? Try baked instead. It will taste even better.
Frying adds fat to food, which adds calories.
Ingredients:
8 pieces of chicken (thighs, legs, wings but low-calorie breasts for us)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
salt and pepper or Mrs. Dash seasonings
4 cups cornflakes
2/3 cup buttermilk
2 T. Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 1/2 tsp. paprika
3/4 tsp. ground sage
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Place a rack in a roasting pan or on a baking
sheet. Rinse the chicken in cold water; pat dry. In a wide bowl or on a plate,
season the flour with salt and pepper. Dredge each chicken piece through the flour
so it's fully coated, tap against the bowl to shake off excess flour and set aside.
Discard the flour.
Crush the cornflakes by placing them in a big zip-lock plastic bag, carefully
pressing the bag to push out the air. Seal up the bag with as little air inside as
possible and “run over” the flakes with a rolling pin. Open the bag and pour the
crushed flakes into a wide bowl or onto a plate.
In a large bowl, mix the buttermilk, mustard, cayenne pepper, paprika and sage.
Give each floured chicken piece a buttermilk soaking and then roll in the
cornflake crumbs.
Arrange the chicken pieces on the rack and place in the hot oven. Cook for 15 to
20 minutes, lower the heat to 375 degrees and cook for another 25 to 30 minutes,
until cooked through and crispy. The juices should run clear when the meat is
pierced with a knife.
45
Indian Style Chicken Breasts—4 servings
McCormick makes Garam Masala, an Indian seasoning combination. This recpie’s portions
are company-sized. The Gold Standard portion is 3 ounces of cooked chicken.
Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts
1 T. oil
1 onion cut in strips
2 chopped tomatoes
1 carrot cut in julienne strips
½ tsp. garlic salt
2 tsp. McCormick Garam Masala
Sprigs of cilantro as a garnish
Brown rice
Remove excess fat from chicken; rinse and pat dry. Heat oil in a large nonstick
skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté chicken, skin-side-down, 5 to 6 minutes or
until lightly browned. Turn chicken; add onion. Cook and stir onions 3 to 4
minutes longer. Add tomatoes and the remaining ingredients, pushing all
vegetables down into the cooking liquid. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a
simmer. Place into a Crock-Pot at a low temperature if you have one. Prepare
brown rice. Allow yourself a half cup of rice and four ounces of chicken with
sauce.
46
Tortilla Soup—4 servings
A 140-calorie bowl of tortilla soup takes the edge off hunger and tastes great with a
tossed salad.
Ingredients:
1 lb. boneless chicken breast
4 cups tomatoes with green chilies and juice
1 cup chopped onion
Garlic according to your taste
1 T. cilantro
4 cups fat-free low-sodium chicken broth.
To make chicken look more appetizing, I grill mine on my George Foreman grill.
Place everything in a pot to simmer or use the Crock-Pot. Top each bowl with
avocado slices, fat-free sour cream, and a sprinkle of low-fat cheddar. Put a little
crunch on the salad with a few crushed tortilla chips.
47
White Bean and Chicken Chili—6 servings
White bean and chicken chili is delicious with a handful of blue chips and tossed salad.
Ingredients:
1 lb. chicken, cooked and cubed making about 3 cups
1 T. olive oil
2 scallions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 4-oz can diced jalapeno peppers or less
1 4-oz can chopped mild green chili peppers
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. ground cayenne pepper
2 14.5-oz. cans chicken broth
3 regular-sized cans white beans
1 cup shredded low-fat Monterey Jack cheese
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Slowly cook and stir the
onion until tender. Mix in the garlic, jalapeno, green chile peppers, cumin,
oregano and cayenne. Continue to cook and stir the mixture until tender, about 3
minutes. Mix in the chicken broth, chicken and white beans. Simmer 15 minutes,
stirring occasionally. Remove the mixture from heat. Slowly stir in the cheese
until melted. Serve warm.
48
Wily Chayote-Chicken Salad—6 servings
Wily Chayote Salad is served with grilled chicken. The Chayote was domesticated in Mexico
by the Aztecs. It looks like a pear, but its texture is between a cucumber and zucchini. It can act
like an apple with sugar and cinnamon. The salad dressing I use for this is Brianna’s Special
Request Santa Fe Blend dressing, 25 calories for 2 tablespoons.
Ingredients:
3 chayotes, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 small can garbanzo beans, rinsed, drained
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup salad dressing
1 T. snipped fresh basil
1/4 cup pitted ripe olives
6 lettuce leaves
2 tomatoes, chopped
Thinly sliced red onion
In a saucepan cook chayotes, covered in a small amount of boiling water, for 5
minutes. Rinse with cold water. Transfer to bowl, add garbanzo beans. Coat with
salad dressing and marinate in the refrigerator for 3 to 24 hours. Stir occasionally.
To serve, stir in olives and place on lettuce leaves. Top with tomatoes and onion.
Each side-dish serving is 170 calories.
49
Fish and Shellfish Entrées
Just a reminder, fish oil is essential for heart functioning, and it’s also a weapon against
Alzheimer’s. It’s good news that we are living longer, but bad news that the longer we live, the
better our odds of developing late-onset Alzheimer’s disease. Many Alzheimer’s researchers
have long touted fish oil, by pill or diet, as an accessible and inexpensive “weapon” that may
delay or prevent this debilitating disease. Now, UCLA scientists have confirmed that fish oil is a
deterrent against Alzheimer’s, and they have identified the reasons why.
Reporting in the current issue of the Journal of Neuroscience, now online, Greg Cole,
professor of medicine and neurology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and
associate director of UCLA’s Alzheimer Disease Research Center, and his colleagues report that
the omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) found in fish oil increases the production of
LR11, a protein found at reduced levels in Alzheimer’s patients and known to destroy the protein
that forms the “plaques” associated with the disease.
Caribbean-Style Baked Fillet—1 serving
Ingredients:
4 oz. fish fillet of your choice
1 tsp. fresh lime juice
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/3 T. low-sodium tomato paste
1/4 tsp. coconut extract
1/4 cup water
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/2 T. olive oil
2 T. brown rice
Preheat oven or toaster oven to 350 degrees F. Rinse and pat dry fish. Spray a
shallow baking dish with cooking spray and place fish in baking dish. Combine
remaining ingredients in a small bowl, mixing well so that tomato paste dissolves
completely. Pour mixture over fish and bake for about 15-18 minutes, uncovered,
until fish flakes easily. Serve with rice, a large green salad, and melon.
50
Coconut Lime Fillets—1 servings
High heat roasting keeps this coconut-infused red snapper moist and flavorful. Dijon mustard
and lime juice combine to make a piquant sauce. Coconut milk contains magnesium but has high
calorie content. Use sparingly because 1 cup contains 450 calories.
Ingredients:
1 egg white
1/4 cup coconut milk
3/4 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut, grated
1 tsp. grated lime peel
4 red snapper fillets
1/4 cup reduced-calorie mayonnaise, 2 tsp. Dijon mustard, and 2 T. lime juice
Preheat oven to 450°F. Lightly grease a baking sheet. Combine egg white and
coconut milk in a shallow dish. Combine bread crumbs, coconut and lime peel in
another shallow dish. Dip fillets in egg mixture, and then dredge in coconut
mixture. Arrange fillets on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes or until
fish flakes easily with a fork. Meanwhile, whisk mayonnaise, mustard and lime
juice in a small bowl. Serve alongside fish. Add a green salad and tropical fruit.
Cut-up fruit as a salad topping looks appetizing.
51
Crab Cakes with Orange-Dill Sauce—4 servings, 2 crab cakes per serving
This meal is worth the fuss. If you prefer cod cakes, you can replace the crab in this recipe.
Begin preparation for fish cakes the night before and then refrigerate. The cold will firm up the
cakes so that they will not break up when fried.
Ingredients:
1 pound cooked fresh or frozen 1/4 cup fat-free mayonnaise
(thawed in fridge) crabmeat 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
Butter spray 1 tsp. lemon juice
1/4 cup finely chopped celery Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup minced green onions 1 large egg white, beaten
1 T. minced fresh chives
1 jalapeno pepper, cored,
seeded, and minced
If you are using fresh, rather than frozen, crab, remove any shell from crab. In a
medium bowl, toss together all ingredients until moistened, but do not over mix.
Divide crab mixture into eight portions and shape each into a flat, round cake
about 3 inches across and 1-1/2 inches high. Place onto a baking sheet lined with
either parchment or wax paper; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerator at least 3
hours or overnight.
Prepare Orange-Dill Sauce at least an hour before frying crab cakes.
Ingredients for Orange-Dill Sauce:
2 T. fat-free mayonnaise 1 T. orange juice
1 tsp. grated orange zest 1 tsp. minced dill weed
In a medium bowl, combine mayonnaise, orange zest, orange juice, and dill weed.
Cover and refrigerate. When you are ready to cook the crab (or cod) cakes, spray
a large nonstick frying pan and warm over medium heat. Separately from the
crab, place vegetables (celery, onions, chives, and chili pepper) in the pan and
sauté 2 minutes or until vegetables are limp. Remove vegetables from heat and
place in a large bowl. Add crabmeat, mayonnaise, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper,
and lemon juice. Gently mix together. In a large nonstick frying pan over medium
heat, heat butter spray until hot but not smoking. If needed, use more butter spray.
Gently lay crab cakes onto bottom of the pan; slowly fry crab cakes
approximately 4 minutes per side or until crisp and golden brown, turning once
only with a spatula. If the crab cakes are browning too quickly, reduce heat.
Remove from heat, transfer onto a serving platter, and serve hot with Orange-Dill
Sauce.
52
Crispy Baked Fish—1 serving
Ingredients:
4 oz. tilapia fillet, Swai, or any white fish
1/4 cup fat-free milk
1 tsp. low-sodium parmesan cheese
2 T. low-sodium breadcrumbs
1/4 tsp. paprika
Make a dry mixture with cheese, breadcrumbs, and paprika. Dip fish in milk and
then coat with mixture before baking at 400 degrees uncovered for 15 to 20
minutes. Use lime slices as a garnish. The low-calorie potato salad (in the salad
section below) is a nice accompaniment.
53
Fish Ball Soup—4 servings
South American flavored and prepared with scallops, this soup is elegant and delicious, but if
you prefer yours a little spicier, use a 14.5-ounce can of diced tomatoes with jalapenos. Per
serving, 1.5 cups soup with 4 soup balls is 340 calories. The Gold Standard portion is 1 cup or
226 calories with 3 fish balls; give another family member a little more!
Ingredients:
2 tsp. olive oil
1 large chopped onion
1 poblano pepper, seeded and chopped
(wear gloves to prevent irritation)
1 to 3 (your choice) garlic cloves, minced
4 8-oz. bottles clam juice or 4 cups
reduced-sodium vegetable broth
1 14.5-oz. can unsalted stewed tomatoes
1/3 cup long-grain white rice
1 pound sea scallops, patted dry
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 large lightly beaten egg white
1/4 tsp. ground anise or fennel seeds
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
1 tsp. grated orange zest
Heat oil in a nonstick Dutch oven over medium-high heat, and then add onion,
pepper, and garlic. Cook while stirring frequently until lightly browned, about 7
minutes. Transfer half of the mixture to a food processor or blender. Set aside.
Add clam juice, tomatoes, and rice to the Dutch oven. Bring to a boil. Reduce the
heat and simmer, covered, until the rice is under tender. During these 20 minutes,
add the scallops, flour, egg, and anise to the reserved onion mixture in the food
processor and pulse just until chunky-smooth. Refrigerate, and then check the rice
in the Dutch oven for doneness.
Drop the scallop mixture by the tablespoon into the simmering broth, making a
total of 16 balls. The fish balls will be soft. Return the broth to a simmer and
cook, covered, stirring gently once or twice, until the fish balls are firm and
cooked through, about ten minutes. Gently stir in the cilantro and orange zest.
Serve at once with a handful of blue corn tortilla chips and a garden salad.
54
Halibut Fillets—4 servings
Ingredients:
4 4-oz. Halibut fillets (or any other firm fish)
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1 T. dried onion
1 16-oz. can diced tomatoes (with the liquid)
1 T. parsley or basil
Place fish in shallow dish. Combine remaining ingredients; pour on top of fish.
Bake uncovered at 400° F. for 15-20 minutes. Each attractive serving is just 150
calories. Have you ever observed people putting ketchup on fish? Many like the
taste of tomatoes with fish, and this recipe creates that flavor combination.
Serve with a green salad topped with fresh fruit and toast. When choosing your
whole-grain bread, go for a low sugar variety, staying away from bread loaded
with molasses and containing over a hundred calories a slice.
55
Salmon Burgers—4 servings
Have you discovered the Salmon Burger? Hands-on time to prepare the burgers is five
minutes before cooking them for ten minutes. I use the George Foreman grill.
Ingredients:
1 and 1/4 pounds skinless salmon fillet, cut into 1-inch pieces
4 scallions, thinly sliced
Salt and pepper or Mrs. Dash’s seasonings
You can either mix with a fork or pulse the salmon and scallions in a food
processor about three times. Your mixture will be somewhat chunky. Shake on a
little seasoning. Your salmon burger can GO NAKED. Who needs the bun when
you slather it with inspired low-calorie condiments? Others at the table can have a
bun, but you’re a golden girl. Grill until opaque throughout.
Salmon Burgers are tasty with these combinations: 1) Sliced avocado, cilantro,
and lime juice, 2) Hoisin and scallions, 3) Pickles, or 4) Chimichuri sauce. When
Janice looks at bread, she says, “Thin thighs are more important.” Let your
husband and skinny kids have a bun, but serve yourself a burger on field greens,
slices of cucumber, beefsteak tomato and sweet purple onion.
56
Salmon with Yogurt Dill Sauce—4 servings
This delicious salmon is served with Yogurt-Dill Sauce, brown rice (1/2 cup serving), and
two cups of mixed baby spinach salad with two tablespoons light dressing. Yogurt is a top source
of calcium that builds strong bones and muscles. Yogurt also binds to fat so that you don’t
absorb as many fat calories. You know about yogurt’s good bacteria; it boosts protection against
indigestion, infections, and even some cancers.
Ingredients:
1 lemon
1/2 cup fat-free yogurt
1 T. fresh dill
Salt and pepper
1 lb. skinless salmon fillet
Canola oil spray
If you don’t have dill, you can substitute tarragon or parsley. Grate 1/4 t. zest
from the lemon. Cut lemon in half, juice one half to get 2 teaspoon fresh juice,
and set the other half aside. Combine zest, juice, yogurt, fresh dill, and 1/4
teaspoon salt in a small bowl. Squeeze the reserved lemon half over the salmon
and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Spray a nonstick
skillet with canola oil (butter-flavored) spray and set over medium-high heat. Add
the salmon and cook until just opaque in the center, about 4 minutes on each side.
If you happened to buy salmon steaks, that is fine also, but remove the skin before
eating. Serve with the sauce. One serving salmon with 2 tablespoons sauce is 150
calories. Add ½ cup brown or wild rice and a green salad with fruit to your plate.
57
Tuna and Rice Pasta Primavera—1 serving
Home alone? You can get amazingly creative with a can of tuna.
Ingredients:
1 oz. whole-grain pasta in any shape
1/2 cup frozen peas and carrots
5 cherry tomatoes
3 oz. light tuna, water-packed,
low-sodium is good if you can find it
2 T. olive oil and vinegar dressing, light variety
1 T. fresh grated Parmesan cheese
Cook pasta per package directions and during the last 2-3 minutes of cooking, add
the frozen peas and carrots; drain pasta with peas and carrots and set aside. Rinse
tomatoes and cut in half. Drain and flake tuna; combine with pasta and vegetables
and toss with dressing until well mixed. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve.
The cheaper tuna, not the chunk white, comes from smaller tuna and has very
little mercury if any. It took me awhile to realize why. White tuna comes from the
longer-living big tuna, and over the years, the fish has absorbed more mercury.
After putting your (more pink than white) tuna with the other ingredients, the taste
is just as good, with just as much omega-3 but negligible mercury. Sometimes it’s
possible to eat healthier and save money.
58
Ham and Pork Entrées
Fiesta Pork Chops with Strawberry Salsa—4 servings
A meal for company, serve this other white meat with homemade strawberry salsa, flecked
with zesty pesto and bits of fragrant basil. When buying strawberries, look for bright green caps
and firm, vivid red berries on the small to medium side. One serving with the strawberry salsa is
436 calories, which means a golden girl will eat half. It will be enough with a gorgeous tossed
salad. It’s perfectly good manners to slice what you want to eat with the serving knife and leave
the rest.
Ingredients:
4 boneless pork loin chops, 3/4 inches thick, about a pound and a half
Salt and pepper
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
Butter spray
1 cup coarsely chopped strawberries
1 scallion, sliced
3 T. prepared pesto
2 T. chopped fresh basil
1 T. white balsamic vinegar
Combine and sprinkle half of the salt, sugar, pepper, and thyme over both sides of
pork. In a large nonstick butter-sprayed skillet, cook chops over medium heat,
turning once, about 6 minutes on each side. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine
the rest of the seasonings with the strawberries, scallion, pesto, basil, and vinegar.
Toss until mixed. Serve pork chops topped with the fresh salsa, accompanied by a
green salad.
59
Glazed Ham with Sugar Snap Peas, Carrots, and Leeks—8 servings
For an elegant dinner for eight, glaze a precooked and sliced, low-sodium baked ham.
There’s nothing like the aroma of a cooking ham.
Ingredients:
8-10 pound ham
Whole cloves
½ cup Madeira or any type of cooking wine
2 T. Dijon mustard
1 12-oz. jar sugar-free apricot-pineapple jam
With a sharp knife, trim the ham’s outer skin starting at the wide end and within 3
inches from the shank end of the ham, exposing the fat underneath. Score fat in a
diamond pattern and stud each diamond with a clove. Put ham on a rack in a
shallow roasting pan and cover with aluminum foil. Bake in a preheated 325-
degree oven, 18 to 25 minutes per pound. This will heat your precooked ham all
the way through. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix wine, mustard and jam.
Uncover ham and baste every 15 minutes with jam mixture during the last 40
minutes of baking.
The sugar snap peas, carrots, and frizzled leeks side dish looks like you’ve fussed. Low-
calorie orange marmalade adds a touch of sweetness without calories.
Ingredients:
1 T. olive oil
1 leek, chopped, white and light green parts only
6 carrots, peeled and cut diagonally
1 pound fresh sugar snap peas, about 5 cups
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
Mrs. Dash seasoning
3 T. sugar-free orange marmalade
To prepare fresh snow peas, rinse and snap off or cut the ends. Heat oil in a
nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and then add half of the leek, cooking and
stirring occasionally until crisp, about 2 minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove to
paper towel to drain. Repeat with remaining leek and reserve. In the same skillet
over medium heat, cook carrots until soft, about 6 minutes. Add snap peas, thyme,
and other seasonings, stirring for 8 minutes or until tender. Stir in marmalade.
Serve ham slices topped with frizzled leeks.
For our portion, we think in terms of a deck of cards. A tossed salad is an elegant addition,
and for company, set out butter and rolls. No one notices that we aren’t consuming bread and
butter.
60
Pork and Broccoli Stir-Fry—4 servings
Per serving, Pork Stir-Fry with Broccoli is 250 calories when you ladle it onto 1/2 cup brown
rice.
Ingredients:
3 cups broccoli, chopped into 1-inch pieces
3/4 cup fat-free low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup chopped scallion
2 T. minced garlic (if desired)
2 T. minced ginger
2 tsp. sesame or olive oil
1 cup (or less, depending on your love for onions) chopped yellow onion
1 lb. boneless pork tenderloin, cut into long strips
1 T. reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 T. sesame seeds
Steam broccoli for about 2 minutes or until bright green. Rinse with cold water to
stop cooking and drain again. Combine broth, scallions, garlic and ginger in a
blender and pulse until finely chopped. Heat 1 tsp. oil in a wok or skillet and sauté
onion. Transfer to a bowl and cover to retain heat. Add remaining oil and stir-fry
pork and soy sauce, and when meat is browned, add the yellow onion, cooking
until soft. Add the scallion mixture, cooking for another minute. Bring to a boil
and add broccoli, stirring just long enough to heat through. Add onion back to the
pan. Divide onto plates and top with sesame seeds. Serve brown rice in a separate
bowl so that everyone can measure their own portion.
61
Pork and Pineapple Kabobs—1 serving
Serve with brown rice (or try quinoa) and a mixed green salad.
Ingredients:
3 oz. lean pork
1/2 small onion
1 small can pineapple chunks
Green or yellow peppers, sliced
1/2 clove garlic
1/2 T. white wine
1/2 tsp. fresh thyme
1/3 T. olive oil
Rinse and trim pork of all visible fat; cut into 1-inch cubes. Cut onion into
wedges, pepper into 1-inch squares, and mince garlic. In a deep dish, combine oil,
wine or white vinegar if you prefer, garlic and thyme. Add pork, pepper and onion
to dish, toss to coat, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30
minutes. Alternately thread pork cubes, pepper and onion onto two skewers. Grill
or broil; turn after 4-6 minutes, and continue for another 5-8 minutes, until
completely done.
62
Pork with Couscous, Cashews, and Kiwi on Green Salad—1 serving
Couscous is milled from millet. In North Africa, a special steamer is used for its preparation,
but you don’t need one to make this dish.
Ingredients for the pork with peppers:
3 oz. lean pork
1 green bell pepper
1 tsp. lite soy sauce
1/2 clove garlic
1 small onion
1 tsp. sesame oil
Use separate cutting boards for meat and vegetables. Slice pork into inch-wide
strips; set aside. Peel onion and core bell pepper; slice into ½ inch strips. Mince
garlic and set aside. Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat; sauté garlic
for 1-2 minutes until golden. Add pork and stir-fry for about 4-5 minutes, until
cooked; remove from skillet and set aside and keep warm. Add vegetables to
skillet and stir-fry about 4-5 minutes, until softened. Return pork to vegetables in
skillet with soy sauce and stir-fry about 2 more minutes.
Ingredients for couscous and cashews:
1/3 cup vegetable broth
2 1/2 T. dry couscous
3 whole medium cashews
Heat broth to boiling; add couscous, stir and then let rest for about 5-6 minutes
until liquid is absorbed. Coarsely crush cashews and stir into couscous. Serve with
pork and peppers on top and a green salad with a sliced kiwi.
63
Pork Tenderloin prepared with Apple Cider—6 servings
This recipe is low in sodium as well as low calorie. Apple cider is unfiltered juice from
apples. In the United States, cider is referred to as “sweet” (unfermented and alcohol-free) or
“hard” (fermented and containing alcohol). In this recipe, the sweet flavor of the apple cider and
chopped apples are the perfect complement for pork tenderloin.
Ingredients:
16 oz. pork tenderloin, cut into 6 pieces
1 1/2 T. curry powder
1 T. virgin olive oil
2 medium yellow onions, chopped
2 cups apple cider, divided
1 tart apple, peeled, seeded and chopped into chunks
1 T. cornstarch
Season the pork tenderloin with curry powder and let stand for 15 minutes. In a
large, heavy skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the tenderloin
and cook, turning once, until browned on both sides, about 5 to 10 minutes.
Remove the meat from the skillet and set aside. Add the onions to skillet and
sauté until soft and golden. Add 1 1/2 cups of the apple cider. Reduce the heat and
simmer until the liquid is reduced to half the volume. Add the chopped apple,
cornstarch and the remaining 1/2 cup apple cider. Stir and simmer while the sauce
thickens, about 2 minutes. Return the tenderloin to the skillet and simmer for the
final 5 minutes.
Add a green vegetable and salad, remembering that the golden girl’s meat portion
is a deck of cards.
64
Salads and Side Dishes
Apple Carrot Salad with Cheddar Cheese and Walnuts
At 80 calories with 1 gram of fat and 3 grams of fiber, this recipe serves 8, should you use it
as a dinner accompaniment. Or, make it as a dinner for four and serve with a whole-grain roll.
This salad packs high nutrition and protein. Whenever nuts or any legumes are combined with
dairy or whole grains, amino acids are complete. Because of the fiber, salads are “filler-uppers.”
This recipe is a complete protein dinner when doubled.
Ingredients:
4 large carrots, shredded
1 medium apple, chopped
1/3 cup raisins
1/4 cup plain fat-free yogurt
1/4 cup fat-free mayonnaise
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
2 tsp. lemon juice
1/8 tsp. pepper
Sweetener packet
1/3 cup shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese
¼ cup walnuts
In a bowl, combine the carrots, apple, and raisins. In a small bowl, combine
yogurt, fat-free or low-fat mayo, mustard, lemon juice, pepper and sweetener.
Pour over mixture and toss to coat. Stir in cheese and walnuts.
65
Arugula, Pear, and Toasted Hazelnut Salad—2 servings
This recipe for two, at 183 calories per serving, is a filling dinner with soup.
Ingredients:
2 oz. hazelnuts
8 oz. prewashed baby arugula
1 T. olive oil
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 ripe pears
Wash pears and cut them into ½-inch spears. Brown hazelnuts over medium heat
in a saucepan with oil. The skin will begin to crack. Chop and set aside. Squeeze
lemon over aragula leaves, toss, and arrange with pears on top. Sprinkle with
hazelnuts.
66
Asian Salad with Peanut Noodles—4 servings
This salad is made with low-calorie peanut butter. To make the traditional recipe lighter, I
use more cucumber and chopped cabbage than noodles.
Ingredients:
4 ounces uncooked soba or udon noodles
1 chopped cucumber
½ cup chopped cabbage
1 can reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 T. reduced-fat peanut butter
1 T. soy sauce
½ tsp. hot pepper sauce
1 each sweet red pepper and green pepper, sliced
1 tsp. minced ginger root
1/2 minced garlic clove
Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain, transfer to a large bowl and
cover with foil to keep warm. In a medium bowl, whisk together chicken broth,
peanut butter, soy sauce and hot pepper sauce; set aside. Heat a large, nonstick
skillet coated with olive oil cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add peppers,
ginger and garlic and sauté for 2 minutes. Add chicken broth mixture and cook to
heat through, about 2 minutes. Transfer mixture to noodles and toss to combine.
Serve on lettuce leaves. This salad makes a slice of turkey breast elegant.
67
Avocado and Blueberry Fruit Salad—6 servings
Avocados contain vitamin E, a skin-smoothing nutrient often found in moisturizers. Plus,
they’re packed with glutathione, an antioxidant that some believe prevents aging. Well, I won’t
take it that far, but I did read a study that found that avocado oil improves collagen’s elasticity,
and the American Medical Association says it reduces skin’s roughness, cracking and irritation.
It is true that good nutrition reduces fine lines.
Ingredients:
1 large avocado, peeled, seeded and cut in slices
Fresh blueberries, rinsed and picked over
Apple
Mango
Green onion, chopped
Walnut pieces
Baby greens
Salad dressing of your choice; light raspberry vinaigrette is good
Toss salad greens in large bowl and distribute evenly on each of six salad plates.
Place chopped avocado, blueberries, apple, and mango in medium bowl and toss
with 4 tablespoons tangy dressing; set aside. Sprinkle with chopped chives. If you
want to toast walnuts, place nut pieces in dry skillet over medium-high heat and
stir occasionally for about seven minutes, or until pieces are lightly browned
lightly. Remove from heat. Let nuts cool slightly before using to garnish salad.
Place an equal portion of dressed fruit/avocado mixture on top of each serving of
greens.
68
Blueberry and Tortellini Salad—6 servings
Ingredients:
1 9-oz package of the lighter variety of cheese tortellini
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 cup sliced fresh strawberries
1 11-oz can mandarin orange segments, drained
3/4 cup green grapes
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup bottled poppy seed dressing such as Annie’s
Cook pasta according to directions on package; drain. In a large bowl, add pasta
and salad ingredients. Pour dressing over salad and toss lightly; refrigerate until
ready to serve.
69
Beef Salad Southwestern—1 serving
Make this complete salad meal look extra appetizing with a handful of baked tortilla chips
and 1/4 cup fresh raspberries.
Ingredients:
1/4 cup canned kidney beans, rinsed and drained
3 oz. sliced deli roast beef
Sliced yellow and red pepper strips
2 cups mixed salad greens
1/4 cup avocado, chopped or mashed
2 T. salad dressing, low-fat or fat-free and low-sodium
1 T. low-sodium salsa
Cut roast beef into thin strips; set aside. Rinse and dry salad greens. Place in a
salad bowl with chopped avocado. Combine beans and roast beef with vegetables
in salad bowl; pour dressing and salsa on top and toss well. Serve.
70
Chopped Salad—4 servings
Ingredients:
2 6-oz packages of precooked chicken
¼ cup chopped celery
1 tomato, chopped
1 avocado, diced
2 strips of crisp bacon, crumbled
1 apple, diced
2 oz low-fat blue cheese
Romaine lettuce
4 T. light vinaigrette
Blend chopped romaine lettuce, grilled chicken, tomato, avocado, corn, crisp
bacon, low-fat blue cheese, apple, and light vinaigrette. This is nice with a low-
calorie cream soup.
71
Classic Caesar Salad served with Mozzarella Croutons—4 servings
This delicious salad was invented in 1924 by Mexican Chef Caesar Cardina and became
popular in Hollywood and then moved on to become an international classic. Here’s how I make
my 145-calorie version without raw eggs!
Ingredients:
1 8-oz package frozen breaded mozzarella sticks
1 tsp. grated lemon zest
1/3 bottle light creamy Caesar salad dressing
8 oz. romaine lettuce, chopped, about 7 cups
1/3 cup thinly sliced red onion
1/3 cup pitted Kalamata olives
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
Prepare mozzarella sticks according to package directions. Cut each stick into
crouton-sized pieces. Just before serving, in a large bowl, stir zest into dressing
until combined. Add lettuce, olives, and onion; toss well to coat in dressing.
Served salads topped with mozzarella pieces. Sprinkle with Parmesan and garnish
with lemon slices.
72
Cottage Cheese Salad
Control blood sugar with cottage cheese! Every cup contains more than 2,800 mg. of an
amino acid called leucine. According to a University of Illinois study, boosting your intake helps
reduce blood sugar levels, a key step in dodging diabetes, in as little as 48 hours. Researchers say
leucine targets muscle cells, helping them soak up and quickly use excess blood sugar. Other
great sources of leucine are red meat, chicken, fish, eggs, nuts and seeds. Getting more leucine
also revs up energy levels 50%, Harvard research suggests.
Ingredients:
1 cup cottage cheese
Romaine lettuce
Tomato
Cucumber
Add a slice of rye toast (80 calories) to a full cup of cottage cheese (160 for fat-
free) with the negligible calories of salad vegetables for a total of 250 calories.
73
Feta, Broccolini, Radish Pasta—4 servings
Ingredients:
1/4 cup minced red onion
1 bunch broccolini (about 10 ounces), cut into 2-inch stems with florets
1 medium bunch radishes, trimmed and very thinly sliced
12 ounces whole-wheat rigatoni
Ingredients for the dressing:
1 T. sherry wine vinegar
1/2 tsp. finely grated orange zest (the outside of an orange)
Salt and pepper
3 T. olive oil
7 ounces low-fat feta cheese
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add salt. Fill a medium bowl with ice
water. Add the broccolini to the boiling water and cook until crisp-tender, about 2
to 3 minutes. Stir in the radish slices, and cook 30 seconds more. Use a slotted
spoon or strainer to scoop out the vegetables and plunge them immediately into
the ice water. Drain the vegetables, pat them very dry. Add the pasta to the same
pot of boiling water, and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, about 8 to 9
minutes. Drain and set aside. Whisk the sherry vinegar, orange zest, and salt and
pepper to taste in a large serving bowl. Gradually whisk in the oil, starting with a
few drops and then adding the rest in a steady stream, to make dressing. Toss the
rigatoni, broccolini, radish and onion with the dressing. Add the feta cheese and
toss lightly. Serve warm or at room temperature.
74
Green Beans Almondine—4 servings
Ingredients:
1 package frozen green beans
1 small package sliced almonds
Microwave or steam the beans, drain, and stir in almonds.
75
Grilled Potato Primavera Salad—4 servings
If you are barbequing outside, grill vegetables in a basket. Otherwise, roast them in the oven.
Turn every 5 – 10 minutes. Serve on lettuce leaves with a sprig of arugula.
Ingredients:
2 lbs. russet potatoes, scrubbed
1/2 lb. each yellow wax beans, green string beans, and sugar snap peas, cleaned
and trimmed
1 broccoli stalk
Large carrot cut in strips
Sliced red onion
Bunch of scallions, cleaned and trimmed
1 tsp. olive oil
1/3 cup light ranch dressing
6 red lettuce leaves
1 T. tropical fruit juice concentrate
6 sprigs arugula
Place potatoes in a large saucepan with water, cook for 15 minutes, drain, slice,
and set aside. Blanch beans, peas, broccoli, and carrot slices in boiling water.
Place in bowl of ice water, drain. To roast vegetables in the oven, preheat the
oven to 450 degrees. Toss vegetables with olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread
evenly, and cook for a half hour but turn once. The golden brown vegetables will
go with just about anything.
76
Lobster Salad with Lemon and Basil–4 servings
This lavish salad has 165 calories per serving, is low in carbohydrates, heart-healthy (1 gram
of saturated fat is considered low) and low sodium, and takes just ten minutes to prepare. If you
don’t want to cook the lobsters, most supermarkets have cooked lobster at the fish/meat counter.
Ingredients:
1/3 cup hot water
¼ cup vegetarian bouillon cube
1 clove garlic, minced
3 T. lemon juice
2 T. chopped fresh basil
1 ½ T. olive oil
Freshly ground pepper (a little goes a long way)
2 2/3 cups chopped lobster meat (four lobsters of around 1 ½ lbs. each yields this
amount)
6 cups mixed salad greens
Lemon wedges for garnish
Stir hot water and bouillon in a medium bowl until cube dissolves. Whisk in
garlic, lemon juice, basil and oil. Use pepper sparingly. Mix in lobster. Divide
salad greens among 4 large plates and spoon lobster salad on top. Serve with
lemon wedges.
77
Pink Grapefruit, Spinach, Raspberries, Red Onions,
and Walnut Salad—4 servings
Ingredients:
6 cups baby spinach leaves
1 pink grapefruit, peeled, segmented, and sliced
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup fresh raspberries
2 T. walnut pieces
Rinse, drain and dry baby spinach leaves. Arrange on 4 salad plates with
grapefruit pieces on top, followed by onion slivers and mushroom slices. Scatter
raspberries and walnut pieces on top. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of your favorite
low-fat or fat-free citrus or raspberry vinaigrette. Or make your own dressing
using 1 part good-quality olive oil to three parts orange, lemon or grapefruit juice.
Place in a small screw-top jar and shake vigorously. This salad contains 98
calories per serving.
78
Potato Salad—4 servings
This low-calorie potato salad tastes amazing. With cooked turkey bacon, it can be used as a
complete protein dinner entree, served on a bed of lettuce. If you are using it as a side dish, leave
out the turkey bacon. In either case, it’s colorful with potato skins left on.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds uncooked red potatoes
3 slices uncooked turkey bacon
1/4 cup fat-free mayonnaise
2 T. red wine vinegar
2 T. fresh chopped parsley
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup chopped scallions
Place potatoes in a large saucepan and pour in enough water to cover them; set
pan over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until
potatoes are fork-tender, about 20 to 30 minutes; drain. When potatoes are cool
enough to handle, slice each into eight pieces. Meanwhile, cook bacon in a hot
skillet or in the microwave until crisp; drain on paper towels. Break bacon into
small pieces. In a small cup, combine mayonnaise, vinegar, parsley, salt and
pepper. Transfer cut potatoes to a large bowl; add bacon and scallions. Toss with
dressing until coated.
79
Sautéed Spinach with Almonds and Grapes—4 servings
The original recipe for this elegant concoction is from top chef Joseph Jimenez of Food and
Wine magazine. Here, calories (without butter, more nuts and white wine) are trimmed down to
130 per serving.
Ingredients:
1 T. olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 T. blanched sliced almonds
1 garlic clove, minced
2 10-oz. bags triple-washed spinach leaves
1 T. water
Salt and pepper
1 cup seedless halved red grapes
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and
almonds. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened and almonds are
golden, about five minutes. Add garlic and cook another thirty seconds until
fragrant. Now, increase the heat and add spinach in batches, along with the water,
salt, and pepper, while stirring until each batch wilts. Add the grapes and cook
about two minutes until grapes are heated through. Serve at once while feeling
very hoity-toity.
80
South of the Border Vegetarian Salad—4 servings
Besides being a cinch to make, this salad turns dinner into a fiesta.
Ingredients:
1/2 lb. jicama, peeled and cut into strips
4 T. spicy low-calorie lime dressing or low-calorie ranch with added lime garnish
1 head Boston lettuce leaves, rinsed and crisped
2 oranges, peeled and cut into rounds
1 large tomato, cut into rounds
1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
Can of kidney or black beans, drained
1/2 cup almond slivers
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions (scallions)
2 T. chopped cilantro
1 avocado
Toss jicama with salad dressing in a large bowl and let it stand for 20 minutes.
Line a platter with lettuce leaves. Toss remaining ingredients except avocado with
jicama and dressing. Arrange in center of platter. Refrigerate until serving time.
Peel, pit, and cut avocado into slices. Arrange in a fan pattern on top of salad and
serve.
81
Summer Squash and Pine Nuts Side Dish—4 servings
If you add three ounces of protein to this, you can turn this side into a complete dinner
centerpiece. Or, alone, it is a filling snack.
Ingredients:
1 T. olive oil
1 lb. summer squash, or about 3 squash
1 red bell pepper
½ clove garlic
¼ tsp. crushed red pepper
Handful of chives
2-oz. or smaller package of pine nuts
Heat olive oil in a large skillet and add pine nuts and a clove of garlic, if you like
it. Dice summer squash and pepper and add to skillet, along with seasonings and
crushed red pepper. Cook until vegetables are tender. Sprinkle with chives and
serve with steak. I’m partial to the great flavor of Nevada soft shell piñon nuts.
These deliciously fresh pine nuts, also known as pignolia, add wonderful flavor.
Anyone who is allergic to nuts may also be allergic to pine nuts and should be
forewarned.
82
Stuffed Shells—1 serving
This dish is sometimes categorized as a side dish, but with complete protein from dairy and
high iron content from spinach, it can stand alone. If you are cooking for yourself and want it to
be special, make and serve shells with a tossed salad. Fill a wine glass with low-calorie
cranberry-grape juice. The red and green shells look like Christmas!
Ingredients:
2 oz. medium pasta shells
4 oz. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
3/4 cup low-fat ricotta cheese
1/4 cup low-fat shredded mozzarella cheese
2 T. reduced-fat grated parmesan cheese
2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/2 T. chopped garlic
Pinch of fresh chopped basil (if you have a plant growing for this purpose)
Small can of tomato sauce
Prepare shells according to package directions. Place in cold water to stop
cooking; drain and set aside. Mix together ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese,
spinach, seasonings and chopped garlic. Stuff mixture into the shells. Spread 1/3
of spaghetti sauce in the bottom of an oven safe pan. Place shells open side up and
close together in pan. Spread remaining sauce and canned tomatoes over top, and
sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until
cheese is bubbling. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
83
Shrimp Cocktail Salad—4 servings
This salad, dressed with a lemony cocktail sauce, is deliciously crunchy with celery and
radishes. This recipe serves 4 and contains 98 calories with 10 grams of protein and 4 grams of
fat, 1 gram saturated due to the shrimp.
Ingredients:
12 large shrimp, peeled and deveined, about 8 oz.
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. pepper
3 T. bottled cocktail sauce
1 T. lemon juice
1 T. olive oil
1/4 tsp. sugar
4 cups mixed salad greens
2 large radishes, sliced very thinly, French chef style
1 large rib of celery, sliced,
Lemon slices
In a bowl, toss shrimp with garlic powder and pepper. Coat a large nonstick skillet
with cooking spray or use a George Foreman grill. Cook shrimp until pink and
opaque, between 2 to 3 minutes. The George Foreman Grill creates grill marks,
something that looks nice. Cool shrimp slightly. Whisk together the next four
ingredients. Place greens in a serving bowl, top with paper-thin slices of radishes,
celery, and shrimp, and drizzle dressing. Garnish with lemon slices. Choose firm,
plump lemons that feel heavy; they hold the most juice.
84
Studebaker’s Quinoa—1 serving
According to legs model Reba Studebaker, actresses and models are discovering quinoa.
Pronounced “KEEN-wah,” quinoa is a nutritious seed but acts like a grain. Consider serving this
side dish with grilled chicken, a vegetable, and salad. Make your salad colorful with fruit on top.
Ingredients:
1/4 cup dry quinoa
1/4 clove garlic, minced
1 T. fresh parsley
1/3 T. olive oil
1/2 tsp. vegetable stock powder
1/2 cup water
Thoroughly rinse quinoa in mesh colander and drain. Mince garlic; rinse and chop
parsley. Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat and sauté garlic for about
30 seconds. Add quinoa and stir to coat all grains for 1-2 minutes. Add water and
vegetable stock powder and bring to a boil; lower heat to a simmer, cover and
cook for about 15 to 20 minutes, until all water is absorbed and quinoa is cooked.
Serve.
85
Sandwich Entrées
Egg Salad in a Whole Wheat Pita—1 serving
Ingredients:
2 egg whites, hard-boiled
1 T. low-fat mayonnaise
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 cup diced celery
In a saucepan with water to cover two eggs, bring to a boil and then turn down so
that shells don’t break. Eggs will be hard cooked in 15 to 18 minutes. Remove
from water with slotted spoon and set aside to cool. Rinse and finely chop celery.
After discarding yokes, chop egg whites and mix with celery, mayonnaise,
mustard and spices until well blended. If your whole wheat pita is large, serve it
in half. If small, use the whole thing.
86
Bacon Turkey Melt—1 serving
Ingredients:
2 slices turkey bacon
1/2 whole-wheat English muffin
3 oz. low-sodium turkey breast, cooked and sliced
2 tomato slices
1 oz. low-fat cheddar cheese
Butter spray
Spray a pan with butter spray, cook turkey bacon and cut each strip in half. Top
muffin half with turkey breast, tomato slices, turkey bacon and cheese. In a toaster
oven (or regular oven) at 400 degrees, bake 3 to 5 minutes until cheese melts.
Serve on half a muffin and enjoy an apple with it.
87
Fish Sandwich—1 serving
If you can’t find low-calorie tartar sauce, make your own low-calorie dill tartar sauce with
fat-free mayo, dill weed, and pickle relish. Add lettuce and tomato and serve with a slice of
lemon.
Ingredients:
4 1/2 oz. tilapia fillet, or use 1 fillet from a Gorton’s frozen 2-pack
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/3 T. fresh lemon juice
1/3 T. olive oil
1 small whole-wheat hamburger bun
If you are using Gorton’s, follow microwave directions. You can skip the
seasonings because Gorton’s fillets contain them. Otherwise, preheat grill or
broiler. Rinse and dry fish fillet. Mix seasoning, lemon juice and olive oil and
brush it on both sides of fish fillet. Grill or broil fish until it is no longer
translucent, about 3-4 minutes per side, or until nicely browned. Place fish on bun
and serve.
88
Ham Stuffed Pita
With fruit cocktail, a ½ cup of fat-free milk, 10 whole almonds, and nine baby carrots, this
makes a full meal.
Ingredients for one serving:
2 1/2 oz. low-sodium lean ham, sliced
1/2 of a 6-inch of one whole-wheat pita bread
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 T. fat-free mayonnaise
1/2 medium fresh tomato
1/2 cup mixed salad greens
Chop ham, tomato and salad greens into bite-sized pieces. Mix mustard with
mayonnaise and spread mixture inside of pita. Stuff pita with ham and vegetables.
Serve.
89
Muffaletta Family-Size Sandwich
If you are having family or friends for lunch, the muffaletta, a round loaf, can be made into a
festive party sandwich. Traditionally, the bottom layer is an olive salad. Bought in a deli, it is too
heavy for the golden girl. In any case, the olive layer tastes best when it is made the night before
so that ingredients have married and are chilled.
Ingredients for the olive salad:
1 1/2 cups green olives that contain pimientos
1/2 cup black olives, pitted
1 cup Gardiniera (from a jar with pickled cauliflower, carrots, celery, and
pepperoncini)
1 T. capers
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
1/8 cup celery, thinly sliced
1 T. Italian parsley, finely chopped
1 T. fresh or dried oregano
1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
3 T. red wine vinegar
1 T. green onions, thinly sliced
Chop the olives and combine ingredients for the olive salad. Put into a bowl or
jar, cover and save in refrigerator. In New Orleans, this is for about a week! Slice
the round loaf horizontally. It’s the olive salad that makes the Muffaletta. Look
for lighter versions of cheese and meat. The quantities depend on the size of your
round loaf.
Other ingredients in layers:
½ lb. provolone cheese, sliced
½ lb. turkey, sliced
½ lb. ham, sliced
Romaine lettuce
Sliced tomatoes
Sliced cucumbers
1/8 cup low-calorie vinaigrette
Serve your creation with melon slices while enjoying a reasonably sized slice.
90
Office Lunch Box Favorites
Packing up a lunch box isn’t just for kids. I make one for my husband, a CPA with his own
practice, everyday. After dear heart goes to the gym at 11 a.m. to beat the crowd, he appreciates
the convenience of a lunch ready in his office refrigerator, prepared by me. Whenever I
substitute teach, I bring my lunch. I’m too busy reading over the regular teacher’s lesson plans to
buy a lunch in the school cafeteria. To stay energized and healthy throughout the afternoon, I use
dietary guidelines when preparing a boxed lunch.
Other than sandwiches, here are some favorites:
Chef’s salad made with (all low-fat, reduced-salt products) 2 slices turkey, 1 slice
ham, and one slice cheese, sliced and served over mixed greens with 1/2 cup
chickpeas and mandarin oranges with a plain mini whole-grain bagel
Fruit salad with yogurt and, in a separate bag, whole-grain cereal with added (raw
unsalted) sunflower seeds
Whole-grain tortilla wrap made with lean deli roast beef and light provolone with
an apple
Cored apple stuffed with peanut butter and (crunchy) Kashi GoLean cereal with
added raisins. Cut apple into rings. Add a carton of non-fat milk and a graham cracker square.
Peanut Butter and Jelly on the Perfect “10”
The “Perfect 10″ Western Bagel contains 10 net carbs, 9 grams of which are fiber, and 18
grams of protein with a variety of grains. Toast and spread with 2 T. peanut butter and a
generous quantity of sugar-free jelly for a delectable PB&J.
Pizza with a Whole-Wheat Pita Crust—1 serving
One large whole-wheat pita makes a perfect size crust for a personal pizza. Have you noticed
that many gourmet-type pizzas are going lighter on the sauce?
Ingredients:
1/8 cup marinara or pizza sauce
2 oz. reduced fat mozzarella cheese
½ cup mushrooms, washed and sliced
Fresh basil
Crushed red pepper to taste
Place ingredients on pita. Bake at 375 degrees until crisp.
91
Pork in a Pita—1 serving
Serve grapes with this.
Ingredients:
2 ½ oz. lean, boneless pork chop
¼ cup sliced red bell pepper
2 oz. fresh mushrooms
¼ cup sliced red onion
2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
½ tsp. Italian seasoning
1/3 T. olive oil
6-inch whole-wheat pita
Heat oven to broil. Rinse pork chop and trim off all visible fat. Rinse and slice
vegetables vertically into strips; set aside. Coat a baking pan with cooking spray
and arrange pork chop and vegetables in a single layer. In a small bowl, combine
vinegar, olive oil and Italian seasoning. Coat both sides of chops and vegetables
with mixture. Broil close to the heat source for about six minutes on each side or
until pork is browned and vegetables are crisp tender. Remove from oven. Slice
the meat before stuffing the mixture into the pita pocket. Serve immediately.
92
Turkey and Swiss on Whole Wheat—serves 1
Ingredients:
2 slices bread, 50 calories or less a slice
2 slices turkey
1 slice low-fat Swiss cheese
Tomato slices
Lettuce leaves
Pile meat, cheese and vegetables between bread. This mainstay is a filling 175
calories. With an apple, you will feel full for four hours.
93
Tuna Sandwich
If you’re hungry twenty minutes after eating, you may not be getting enough protein. Enjoy
an open-faced tuna sandwich for a meal packed with protein.
Ingredients:
½ can of light chunk tuna packed in water
1 hard-cooked egg, use egg white only
3 chopped black olives
1 T. low-fat mayo
1 thin slice red onion
1 T. lemon juice
Lettuce, tomato
1 slice bread, toasted
Combine ingredients and pile on toast. Top with lettuce and tomato.
94
Turkey cutlets with mozzarella in a half pita—4 servings
Ingredients:
2 large whole-wheat pitas
1 lb. package of 4 turkey cutlets
4 oz. Mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
Parmesan cheese
Small package of mushrooms
1/8 cup fresh basil
Sprinkle cutlets with salt and pepper. Dip cutlets in beaten egg, then in seasoned
breadcrumbs. Spray a pan with nonstick spray and place breaded cutlets into hot
pan; fry for about 4 minutes on each side, or until browned.
Place cutlets in baking dish; spoon tomato sauce over and sprinkle with basil.
Place mozzarella slices and mushrooms over cutlets; bake at 350°F for 20
minutes. Divide 4 ways and place in pita halves. Serve with a green salad, apple
slices, and pumpkin or other seeds.
95
Turkey Entrées
Confetti Turkey Burger—4 servings
Per serving, this burger with 1/2 cup arugula, a slice of tomato and red onion contains 206
calories and is very low in fat and sodium. The 17 grams of carbs in the brown rice are the good
kind.
Ingredients:
3/4 lb. ground lean turkey
1 tsp. Italian herb blend
1/2 finely shredded yellow squash (zucchini)
1/2 cup cooked whole-grain rice
Butter spray
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
4 slices red onion
4 slices fresh tomato
2 cups baby arugula
Preheat grill to medium-high or use a George Foreman Grill. Combine the turkey,
spices, shredded squash and rice into patties. Spray grill. When the patties brown
on the outside, they’re done inside on the George Foreman. Serve the burgers on
lettuce with a slice of onion and tomato. I put whole-grain buns on the table for
those who want them, but I only use half a bun. Steamed broccoli with butter
spray and sprinkles of parmesan cheese completes the meal of 250 calories. It
tastes terrific and won’t come between you and your favorite jeans.
96
Grilled Turkey Breast Marinated with Sun-dried Tomatoes—4 servings
Here’s a way to enjoy turkey off-season. You have to plan ahead to make this because of the
four hours (or overnight) marinating process. Otherwise, preparation time is minimal.
Ingredients:
1 boneless turkey breast half 1 1/2 tsp. dried rosemary
with skin removed 1 tsp. fennel seeds
1/2 cup dry-packed sun-dried tomatoes 1 tsp. dried basil
1 cup boiling water Salt and pepper to taste
1 clove garlic, peeled 1/8 cup olive oil
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. dry rubbed sage
Place tomatoes in a medium bowl. Add the boiling water and let tomatoes soften
for about 30 minutes. Place in a blender or processor with the garlic, thyme,
rosemary, fennel seeds, basil, salt and pepper. Process until relatively smooth.
Slowly add the olive oil to emulsify. Place the turkey breast in a shallow dish just
large enough to hold it. Pour the tomato purée over it and turn to cover both sides.
Cover the dish and refrigerate at least 4 hours, preferably overnight. If you don’t
want to bother with buying all the ingredients for the puree, you can purchase a
jar.
There are two ways to cook this. The first is the covered grill method. If you want
to cook it in the oven, skip this paragraph and jump to the next one. Heat a
covered grill on medium-low heat. Remove turkey from dish and brush off excess
marinade. Grill turkey until done, about 40 minutes, depending on thickness. Turn
every 10 minutes and baste with the tomato purée. Let rest, covered loosely, for
15 minutes before carving and serving. Note that if your turkey breast is very
thick, you might want to pound it slightly thinner. Otherwise, increase the amount
of time needed to cook. The internal temperature of poultry should be 180° F.
However, when any cooked food rests, there is carryover cooking time, meaning
it continues to cook from its own heat to the desired doneness. Remove turkey
breast from the grill when an instant-read thermometer registers 165°. Cover it
with foil and, after the 15 minutes resting time, it will be completely cooked and
very moist.
The turkey breast can be baked in a 325 degree oven for about an hour and a half
or 20 minutes per pound. The low temperature of 325 degrees is ideal for poultry.
Slice and serve warm sun-dried tomato turkey on top of spring greens and
sprinkle with low-fat feta cheese, grapes, chopped walnuts, and vinaigrette
dressing.
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Red Chili—12 servings
The quantity for this 150-calorie-per-serving recipe is perfect for a crowd. Chili is delicious
with cornbread, and a golden girl can have 100 calories worth with a green salad.
Ingredients:
3 cups chopped yellow onion
1 1/4 lb. extra lean ground turkey or lean turkey sausage
3 cups diced tomatoes or 1 can (28-oz.) fire-roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
1 1/2 cup dry pinto beans, cooked, or 1 can (15 oz.), rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cups dry black beans, cooked, or 1 can (15 oz.), rinsed and drained
1 cup fat-free chicken broth
2 T. minced garlic
2 T. chili powder
1 T. chopped fresh or dried oregano
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground mustard
1/2 cup sliced black olives
1/2 cup chopped scallions or chopped fresh cilantro
Coat a large Dutch oven with cooking spray. Add onion and sauté over medium
heat until soft and brown. Add turkey and cook, breaking up meat with a spoon,
about 6 minutes. Add tomatoes, beans, broth, and spices (I go easier on the garlic,
often omitting it entirely because my husband doesn’t like garlic). Bring to a boil
and then reduce heat, cover, and simmer 20 minutes. Top with olives and
scallions before serving.
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Snacks
Regular snacks keep blood sugar on an even keel. Janice advises to remember your snack. “I
don’t let myself get ravenous. A snack cuts out binging.”
Crunchy Spicy Chickpeas
Are you in the mood for a crunchy snack but don’t want it to be potato chips? You can add
spices to chickpeas and roast them in the oven until they’re crunchy.
Ingredients:
1 15.5-oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 T. olive oil
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cumin
Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Toss ingredients together in a bowl. If you like your
snacks super spicy hot, add 1 tablespoon each of Cajun and chili powder. Pour
onto a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Bake until crunchy, about 45
minutes. Check frequently and mix. Eat as a snack or sprinkle on a green salad
with sliced tomatoes. This recipe makes about a cup, which contains 270 calories.
Half a cup is a satisfying snack of 140 calories, perfect with a sugar-free iced tea.
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Honey Peanutty Spread with a Granny Smith
If you love peanut butter, this spread is tastier and better for you. It’s just 60 calories for a 2
tablespoon serving, the perfect amount to spread on an apple.
Ingredients:
1 cup silken tofu, drained
1/3 cup peanut butter
4 tsp. honey
2 tsp. lime juice or orange juice
Place all the ingredients in a blender or food processor. Store spread in the
refrigerator.
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Peanut butter with Strawberries on a Cracker Snack
Ingredients:
1 T. peanut butter
1 slice Ryvita Fruit Crunch (crisp-bread)
½ T. honey
½ cup chopped strawberries
Think of this as a gourmet version of the classic PB & J. Spread 1 tablespoon of
peanut butter on a slice of Ryvita Fruit Crunch, a British Sweet crisp-bread made
with fruit, oats and honey, or use 4 Triscuits. Drizzle with 1/2 tablespoon honey
and top with sliced strawberries.
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Popcorn and Trail Mix Concoction—8 servings
Ingredients:
1 regular-size bag of 94% fat-free popcorn, popped
1 6-oz package raw trail mix
A small change can get big results! In a bowl, mix popped corn with trail mix and
measure into half-cup amounts to fill eight snack bags. The bag of popcorn (260
calories) mixed with fruit and nut trail mix (130 calories) totals 390; divided eight
ways, an individual snack bag is 48 calories. My goodness, we could have two or
three at one sitting!
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Ricotta and Lemon Peel Crème—1 serving
Ingredients:
½ cup part-skim ricotta cheese
¼ tsp. grated lemon peel
¼ tsp. vanilla extract
1 packet sugar substitute
Mix together the ricotta, lemon peel, vanilla extract, and sugar substitute. Serve
chilled.
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Root Beer Float—1 serving
Ingredients:
1 can sugar-free root beer
¼ cup fat free milk
Ice cubes
Pour the milk over ice cubes and then the root beer so that it froths just a bit. It
really does taste like a root beer float, and calories are almost negligible.
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Smoothie—1 serving
Ingredients:
½ cup fat-free yogurt
½ cup fat-free milk
4 ice cubes
½ cup fruit of any kind
1 packet sugar substitute or 1 T. honey
According to a recent study in the Journal of Periodontology, two ounces of
yogurt a day protects us from gum disease. Yogurt’s “good” bacteria helps fight
germs of the mouth.
Place ingredients in a blender and blend until frothy. Bananas, strawberries,
cranberries, peaches, orange sections, raspberries, blueberries and banana are all
highly nutritious. Keep berries in your freezer, already frozen for a chilled blend.
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Summertime Orange-Creamsicle Cooler—2 servings
Does hot weather make you want to grab a fast-and-frosty, something like a Creamsicle?
Float down memory lane with a 200-calorie shake containing enough protein for a lunch.
Ingredients:
2 cups plain fat-free yogurt which can be previously frozen
3/4 cup fat-free milk
1 T. vanilla flavoring
2 artificial sweetener packets
1/2 cup orange juice concentrate, frozen
Some like to add 2 T. ground flaxseed, wheat germ or fiber supplement, but this is
entirely optional. Put everything in a blender with a handful of ice cubes. Make it
extra pretty by giving it a squirt of fat-free Reddi-wip and garnish with orange
slices.
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Sweet Potato French Fries—2 servings
Sure, there’s nothing like French fries, particularly with a coca-cola! I dare you to try these
Baked Sweet Potato Fries at 130 calories per serving.
Ingredients:
2 sweet potatoes, peeled
2 T. olive oil
1 tsp. light brown sugar
Dash of salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Halve sweet potatoes lengthwise and cut each half
into long spears. Place on baking sheet, toss with olive oil, spread out potato
spears on one layer. Combine brown sugar with salt and pepper, and then sprinkle
over potatoes. Bake 15 minutes, turn, and bake another 5 – 10 minutes until
lightly browned. Serve hot.
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Vegetarian Dishes
Angel Hair Pasta with Peas, Zucchini and Parmesan Cheese—1 serving
Ingredients:
1/3 cup dry whole-wheat angel hair pasta
½ cup frozen peas
Butter spray
1 zucchini
½ cup cherry tomatoes
¼ cup parmesan cheese
Pinch of basil
¼ cup walnut pieces
This is one of Janice’s favorite recipes. Make the pasta according to package
directions, but two minutes before the pasta is done, add the peas. Drain. Season
zucchini with a little sea salt. Spray a skillet; add zucchini and sauté for additional
two minutes. Add cherry tomatoes and sauté until skins are slightly blistered and
the tomatoes are heated all the way through. Add basil to skillet. Add pasta and
peas to skillet and toss with cheese before serving.
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Cheesy Tomato and Broccoli Casserole—1 serving
If you like macaroni and cheese, this is a lower calorie variation.
Ingredients:
2 oz. whole-wheat pasta
1 1/4 cups frozen broccoli
¼ clove garlic
1 medium fresh tomato
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. dried or fresh parsley
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 1/2 oz. low-fat shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 small onion
1 tsp. olive oil
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare pasta according to box instructions, drain
and set aside. Coat a small to medium ovenproof casserole with cooking spray
and set aside. In a bowl, microwave frozen broccoli for 2-3 minutes; stir and cook
for one minute more. Let stand one minute and drain. Mince garlic and dice
tomatoes and onion.
Heat oil in a medium-sized nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and sauté
onion for about 2-3 minutes; then add garlic and sauté for about 1 more minute.
Lower temperature to medium; add tomatoes, oregano, parsley and black pepper.
Continue cooking, stirring occasionally for about 5-7 minutes. Add cooked pasta
and broccoli to skillet and stir to heat through, 1-2 minutes.
Place mixture in casserole dish, sprinkle with cheese and bake for 8-10 minutes
and serve. A green salad with 2/3 cup fresh diced pineapple is a refreshing
accompaniment.
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Eggplant and Pasta—1 serving
In addition to a host of vitamins and minerals, eggplant also contains important
phytonutrients, many of which have antioxidant activity. Phytonutrients contained in eggplant
include phenolic compounds, such as caffeic and chlorogenic acid, and flavonoids, such as
nasunin, found in the eggplant’s skin. Scientists call this a brain food. Nasunin is a potent
antioxidant and free radical scavenger that has been shown to protect cell membranes from
damage.
Ingredients:
1 green onion
1/4 clove garlic
1 eggplant
1 Italian plum tomato
1 tsp. olive oil
1 T. fresh parsley
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 oz. low-fat mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 oz whole-wheat dry pasta
Prepare pasta according to box instructions; drain and set aside. Rinse and chop
green onion and tomato; mince garlic and set aside. Peel and cut eggplant into
bite-sized pieces. Heat oil over medium heat in a nonstick pan and sauté garlic for
about 1 minute, then add eggplant and tomatoes; lower heat to medium low and
continue cooking for about 8-10 minutes more, until eggplant is soft. Add parsley,
black pepper and onion with cooked pasta to pan and heat thoroughly, about 1-2
minutes. Top with shredded cheese and serve.
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Mediterranean Bulgur-Lentil Stew—1 serving
Bulgur is man’s oldest use of wheat. Its high fiber gives it a high satiety value with low
calories, and it can be used in place of rice in any recipe. Lentils are another early crop,
domesticated since Neolithic times. Colors have a wide range within this 26% protein bean.
Ingredients:
1/2 green bell pepper
1/3 small onion
1 T. fresh parsley
1 1/4 cups water
4 T. lentils, dried red or green
2 T. uncooked bulgur wheat
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/2 T. olive oil
Rinse and chop bell pepper, onion and parsley; set aside. In a medium saucepan,
bring water and lentils to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for about 15-20 minutes,
covered. Stir in bulgur wheat and black pepper; continue to simmer, uncovered,
until lentils are tender and water is absorbed, about 15 minutes. In a nonstick
skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat and sauté onion and bell pepper until soft,
about 4-5 minutes. Stir onion and pepper into lentil-bulgur mixture, sprinkle with
fresh parsley and serve.
Serve this stew with a mixed green salad, dressed with low-calorie dressing,
cherry tomatoes and grapes.
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Omelet of Slimming Victors
Egg whites, full of protein, are the central ingredient in this omelet title holder. Cheese is a
dangerously high-calorie component of most omelets, but this one uses a low-calorie wedge of
Laughing Cow. Here is a recipe for a very filling 226-calorie omelet:
Ingredients:
Olive oil cooking spray
4 T. chopped broccoli
2 T. chopped yellow onion
2 T. finely grated yam (it’s orange like cheese, ha ha)
4 large egg whites
1 large egg
1/2 tsp. Mrs. Dash
1 oz light Laughing Cow cheese (1 wedge)
2 T. fat-free refried beans.
Bean sprouts
Coat a nonstick saute pan with cooking spray. Place over medium-high heat and
add broccoli, onion, and carrot. Saute until vegetables are tender. Beat egg whites
and the egg with a whisk until foamy. Add Mrs. Dash. Pour eggs over vegetables,
cover and cook until eggs are set. Crumble cheese over omelet and then sprinkle
refried beans on top. Turn and fold omelet, cooking 2 minutes longer. Stuff with
bean sprouts.
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Spinach and Tofu Pasta—1 serving
Tofu contains protein and is a low-calorie filler-upper. This Italian-style recipe does not
contain traditional sauce. If you can’t eat pasta without it, use low-sodium tomato sauce with
Italian seasonings and a bit of garlic because it isn’t homogenized with oil. Or, slice a fresh
tomato and put it on top.
Ingredients:
5 ounces of firm tofu
1/2 cup frozen spinach
1 tsp. olive oil
Italian seasonings
2 oz. whole-wheat pasta
Cook pasta according to box directions. Microwave spinach and drain. Heat oil in
a non-stick pan, adding tofu and cooking until golden brown. Add spinach and
seasonings, stirring for about five minutes. Serve over pasta. This recipe is
courtesy of Reba Studebaker, legs model.
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Spinach Frittata à la Greco—4 servings
Ingredients:
2/3 cup liquid egg substitute
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
2 cups fresh spinach
1/2 T. olive oil
4 tomato slices
3 oz. low-fat feta cheese, crumbled
Preheat broiler. In a small bowl, whisk liquid eggs with garlic powder and
oregano and set aside. Heat an ovenproof skillet with the oil over medium heat
and sauté spinach for 1 to 2 minutes until spinach wilts. Add egg mixture to
skillet, top with tomato slices and feta cheese. Cook on low-medium heat until
eggs are almost set, about 3 to 4 minutes. Place skillet in broiler, about 5-6 inches
from the heat, for about 1-2 minutes until top is set and cheese begins to brown.
Serve immediately.
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Southwestern Frittata—4 servings
The spicy Southwestern flavors make this a huge hit with men when they’re watching a
football game. Per serving, calories total 220.
Ingredients:
4 large eggs and 1 egg white
1/4 jalapeno pepper
1/2 medium fresh tomato
1 green onion
1 cup low-fat, low-sodium shredded cheddar cheese
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl, beat eggs and egg whites lightly.
Chop jalapeño pepper, tomato and green onion; set aside. In nonstick skillet
coated lightly with cooking spray, sauté onions, tomato and jalapeno pepper for 2-
3 minutes, add eggs and bake about five minutes until set. Remove from oven and
turn on the broiler. Sprinkle with shredded cheese and put under the broiler for a
couple of minutes until slightly browned. Cut into eight wedges. Two wedges
make one low-calorie serving.
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Tofu Stir-Fry—4 servings
Tofu is more appetizing if browned beforehand in sesame oil. Isn’t it horrifying that some
restaurants deep fry it?
Ingredients:
1 lb. cubed tofu
2 tsp. sesame oil
1/4 lb. mushrooms, chopped
2 T. lite soy sauce
1/4 cup vegetable stock
2 T. fresh ginger, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 lb. carrots, sliced
1 lb. snow peas, thawed if frozen
1/2 box of frozen, soy beans, also known as edamame, thawed
¼ head cabbage, diced
1 bunch scallions, cut into 1-inch pieces
Brown the tofu in a sesame-oiled nonstick wok or skillet and set aside. Combine
vegetables in a bowl and marinate 30 minutes. Add another teaspoon of sesame
oil to wok over medium high heat. Stir-fry for 3-4 minutes. Add remaining
ingredients and stir-fry 3-4 minutes or until carrots are tender. This meal contains
227 calories per serving with 9 grams of fiber.
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Verona Vegetable Bean Soup—6 servings
Soup is a mainstay crutch for when the body needs to eat something. Similar to Jenny Craig’s
Tuscan Soup, our version is also 80 calories per bowl and absolutely delicious. Because the
smaller dried beans (like navy, pink, red, and black beans, as well as lentils) are easier on the
digestive system than larger varieties, we have replaced the white beans. Now, don’t get snarky
about the missing pasta. There are other high-calorie varieties of this soup. You want to be
skinny!
Ingredients:
1 yellow onion
1 tsp. olive oil
4 zucchini, chopped
1 can black beans
1 cup eggplant, chopped
1 yellow squash, chopped
2 medium-sized carrots
1 cup water or low-sodium vegetable broth
1 14.5-oz. can diced tomatoes with chili
1 14.5-oz. can no-salt whole tomatoes, undrained and chopped
2 4-oz jars sliced mushrooms, drained
1 clove minced garlic
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
Dash of pepper
In a large pot, add enough olive oil to cover the bottom. Sautè onion until tender.
Add other ingredients with enough water to cover. Simmer uncovered on low heat
for about 45 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Add some hot water while
it cooks if becoming too dense. Add the parsley and simmer for another 10
minutes. Taste the soup and add salt if needed. Add the basil and remove from
heat. Shake on some parmesan cheese. Enjoy a couple of bowls!
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Vichyssoise—8 servings
Vichyssoise is the classic French cold potato soup. Made ahead and refrigerated for up to two
days, it’s an elegant accompaniment to a green salad with chicken on top.
Ingredients:
1 T. olive oil
1 bunch leeks
4 cups chicken (or vegetable) broth
2 large potatoes, sliced
2 cups fat-free or reduced-fat ricotta cheese
1 cup fat-free milk
Chopped chives, green onions, watercress or parsley for garnish
Heat oil in a nonstick Dutch oven over medium heat. Add leeks and cook, stirring
occasionally, until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Add broth and potatoes and
cook until tender. Pour into a food processor and give it a whir with ricotta.
Transfer and chill. Stir in milk before serving and add a garnish.
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Woodbridge Spa Soup—A Pot
Surprising as it is, this soup has zero Weight Watcher Points. Similar to Weight Watchers’
basic soup, our recipe allows a hungry person to eat a lot. The Woodbridge Spa Soup has less
cabbage, and we’ve added spinach.
Ingredients:
2 cups finely sliced cabbage
2 cups spinach
3 cups chopped celery
3 cups green beans
5 cups V-8 juice
5 cups water
5 beef bouillon cubes
2 T. chopped red onion
2 T. lemon juice
Combine all ingredients in a large kettle or crock-pot and cook until vegetables
are tender but not overcooked.
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Zesty Vegetarian Wrap—2 servings
Ingredients:
2 T. fat-free mayonnaise
1 tsp. lime juice
2 to 4 drops Louisiana-style hot sauce
2 8-inch spinach tortillas or other tortillas
2 or more large lettuce leaves
1/2 medium green pepper, julienned
2 slices pepper Jack cheese
In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, lime juice and hot sauce. Spread over
tortillas. Top with lettuce, green pepper and cheese; roll up tightly. One serving is
200 calories. Enjoy with fruit.
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CHAPTER FIVE
Exercise for a Body with Sparkling Spirit
For optimal health, both aerobic exercise and strength training are recommended by
the medical profession. Aerobic exercise is any form of exercise that will stress your
cardiovascular system and raise your heart rate. Common aerobic exercises include jogging,
running, cycling, swimming or an aerobics class that keeps you moving. Strength training
workouts can include free weights, Pilates, yoga, or weight machines at a fitness center. These
“core” exercises build muscle by resistance either through self-resistance or the resistance of an
actual weight. Both aerobic and strength training have benefits. Aerobic exercises help you
increase your lung capacity and strengthen your heart. Strength training helps build up your
muscles, which will increase your metabolism and burn fat faster. When you include both types
of exercises as part of your weekly workout routine, your body will be stronger, healthier and
more toned.
Exercise routinely and daily. Even if you can only exercise for a few minutes each day, you
will see more benefit from working out 20 minutes, five days per week rather than two hours on
one day. By alternating aerobic exercise and strength training, you'll work your body in different
ways, develop a more balanced, flexible physique, and give your muscles a chance to recover
from the strength training.
If you have a serious medical condition that you feel might prohibit you from beginning a
new exercise routine, please speak with your doctor or health care provider first. Always use
good judgment. If an exercise feels too stressful on your body, slow down, step back, shorten the
time or skip that particular exercise. Anytime you feel lightheaded or dizzy, stop your activity
and sit down. Drink plenty of water to stay well hydrated so you can avoid muscle cramps and
fatigue. The small, frequent and nutritious meal plan (see Chapter Three) is highly
recommended. Wear comfortable clothing that won't restrict your movement and be sure
footwear is supportive. If you are moving so quickly that you cannot carry on a normal
conversation, you are pushing yourself too hard and should slow down. Using your food journal,
log your exercise for the day so that you can chart your progress.
* * * *
What’s the skinny on working out—does it make us hungrier? The answer is no,
according to a recent study at the University of Chile. People who had exercised three times a
week for 90 days had twice the levels of an appetite-suppressing protein in their blood than non-
exercisers. Most people ate less by about 300 calories on days they exercised.
But other people tended to eat after a workout. This group believed they deserved a reward
for a job well done or believed their bodies had to refuel.
According to Henry Anhault, D.O., a spokesman for the Endocrine Society, “Unless you did
a long and super intense session or started on an empty stomach, you don’t need to eat afterward.
Drink water,” says Dr. Anhault. In spite of these findings, we recommend planning your snack
meal afterward. Or exercise and afterward, eat a meal. Who knows, we might fall into this group.
* * * *
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Dust off that treadmill! An estimated 55 million Americans have unused exercise
equipment (such as treadmills, stationary bikes, and elliptical trainers) in their basements and
attics. If you’re one of them, consider setting yours up near the television and hopping on during
a favorite show. Just 20 minutes of moderate exercise daily is enough to cut your cancer risk by
18% by keeping your levels of estrogen (a powerful trigger of many female cancers) low and
steady all month long.
My friend Reba Studebaker, a legs model, has developed a balanced exercise routine: a 30-
minute jog on Monday, an hour of Pilates with focus on core muscles on Tuesday that includes
warm-up and cool-down time, 30 minutes of cycling on Wednesday, free weights and power-
bands to strengthen arms and legs on Thursday. On weekends and other times, she uses her
stationary bike, which sits in front of her flat screen.
* * * *
Core strengthening—what’s it all about? There is buzz these days about strengthening
your core, and many new products available online claim to work wonders in no time. It’s nice to
think there’s a gadget for tightening abs. Or that you can achieve the same effect with simple
crunches at the gym or at home. Too bad it’s not that simple. Your core is your body’s power
zone, where all your movements begin. This area provides the foundation for other movements.
Core strengthening is a critical part of your workout.
What is it exactly? The core is one of the more misunderstood muscle groups in your body,
but it’s one of the most important. Abdominals are only part of the core story. While abs are
included, there are actually 28 other muscles that make up the core. These can be broken down
into three sections: abdominals, the muscular structure of the hips and the structure of the spine.
Wrap-around muscles, on your sides and back, are located deep within the torso and help
stabilize the spine by creating a layered effect with abdominals for increased stability. All
combined, core muscles provide a solid foundation for your arms and legs, affecting your
balance and the amount of force your body can produce. For example, according to the Hughston
Sports Medicine Foundation, 60% of the power produced by a baseball pitcher during a pitch
comes from the core. When working the core, focus on quality rather than quantity of movement.
The idea is to use many muscles in a synchronized movement. Examples of exercises include the
bridge, the plant, or traditional sit-ups, up and down and side to side. Pilates, yoga, and other
exercise classes are terrific for keeping your core in shape. The benefits of a strong core are more
protection and stability for your back and spine, better coordination and posture, and less back
pain.
* * * *
Since people live longer nowadays, it’s even more important to age gracefully. Happy
people do it best with the benefits of exercise, from lower blood pressure to improved mood.
These benefits are just too great to pass up. So most people who want to remain active eventually
learn to accommodate their aging bodies by changing sports or exercise routines. There are,
however, a few rules of thumb to keep in mind. Recent studies have taught exercise physiologists
a lot about what combinations of physical activities work best at different ages. But the same
physiologists also warn that you shouldn’t get so hung up on the new advice that you abandon
your old routines. “Anything is better than nothing,” says Wendy Kohrt, a professor of medicine
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at the Center on Aging at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center. “Whatever you
will do to remain physically active is what I suggest you do.” To keep exercise interesting, mix it
up. Consider hiking on the weekend.
* * * *
A report from the journal, Psychological Science, tells us how we can reboot our brains
in minutes with a walk in a park! When two groups of volunteers were asked to stroll, one
through city streets and the other through a park, the park walkers scored higher on attention and
recall tests afterward. Nature scenes are restful, which rejuvenates the brain. The overstimulation
of city scenes tires us out, the researchers explain.
Taking a dog for a walk is an instant happiness booster. Research shows that just looking at a
photo of a dog alters brain chemistry, flooding us with feel-good neurotransmitters. A furry
friend is loyal and loving. It’s no surprise that spending a little walk-time with one releases
oxytocin, the bonding hormone that helps us get along with others. And it gets us moving.
* * * *
If you are a runner or walker, it would be tedious to count steps unless you let a
pedometer do it for you. Stanford University researchers found that hooking on a pedometer
helped people walk an extra mile a day. No wonder most of them lost three pounds in 18 weeks
without changing their food plans. Being able to see your step progress on the pedometer and
reaching daily goals is extremely motivating, according to lead study author Dena Bravada, M.D.
Pedometer wearers saw their systolic blood pressure (the top number) drop nearly four points,
enough to significantly reduce their risk of stroke and heart attack.
* * * *
The number one exercise to get flat abs is the bicycle maneuver. It’s even more effective
than sit-ups. Lie on a mat with your lower back in a comfortable position. Bring your knees up to
about a 45-degree angle, and then move slowly through a bicycle pedaling motion, alternately
bringing your left elbow to your right knee, and then your right elbow to your left knee. Do not
pull on your head and neck during this exercise. I use a pillow under my head and don’t lift up.
This is considered an advanced exercise, and the lower your legs are to the ground, the tougher
the exercise is. The bicycle maneuver should be modified (one leg on the ground at a time)
considerably for anyone who has suffered spinal injury, herniated disks, abdominal hernias, or is
in mid to late pregnancy. Attaining a flat and tight abdominal area does depend on the amount of
body fat we have. After we lose the inches, anyone (yes, anyone!) can enjoy having flat abs.
* * * *
The abdominal vacuum is the best exercise for the tummy bulge according to experts.
This exercise works our transversus abdominis, the muscle that holds tummies tight. Basically,
it’s a thin sheet of muscle running along the sides of the abs and joining connective tissue,
serving as the body’s natural corset. Every time we suck in our stomachs, we’re using our
transversus. Interestingly enough, the transversus is actually the only muscle that allows us to
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“suck in” our stomachs. You can exercise this muscle while driving in your car. You can “suck it
in and then let go” to the beat of music!
* * * *
Baby your muscles by S-T-R-E-T-C-H-I-N-G. Particularly when stressed, you tense
muscles in your shoulders, neck and jaw. In turn, this can produce pain and a stiff nick. Need a
simple antidote? Everyone knows the gentle stretches below. But if you are sitting at your desk
at work, try this: Bend your neck and roll it toward one shoulder, then down so your chin is on
your chest and toward the other shoulder. When you’re done, reverse direction.
Surfers (always fanatics about sunscreen) begin with stretches. Then it’s off to the beach
to surf the gnarly waves. A surfer’s fitness routine is tailored to promote surfing and catching
waves. Typically, a surfer does not lift weights. Heavy lifting required for such an endeavor does
not dovetail with the ideal surfing exercise routines. A body builder would end up being too stiff.
Surfers strive for a mix of strength training, cardio, leapfrogging across the floor, and jumping
squats. Cardio is necessary to develop the stamina needed for those days when long stretches of
paddling are necessary. Running outside is fine, or use a treadmill when you’re at the gym or at
home. It's a good idea to set a slight incline on the treadmill to more closely simulate “street
conditions.” A minimum of 1.5 miles is sufficient for most of us, and that can also be mixed with
the arm-bike machine for an upper-body cardio workout. Stretching afterwards is also very
important. Flexibility helps avoid injuries while surfing.
* * * *
Sailing translates to thigh strength from constant squatting. Consider taking sailing lessons
if you live near a lake or bay. My husband and I sail from Newport Harbor to the ocean. There’s
so much to see with seals, birds, and fish moving about. We sail a motorless sailboat and hoist
the sails ourselves.
* * * *
Do you like to rollerblade or ice skate? Perhaps you’re near a shopping mall with an ice
rink or can enjoy skating on a frozen pond. In Los Angeles, a new ice rink recently opened where
ice glistens under the palm trees. Whether skating on wheels or blades, enthusiasts enjoy the
feeling of flying and enjoy cardiovascular benefits. Calories burned per hour are 350. Without a
change in daily calorie intake, an everyday skater would lose a pound a week. If cutting back
calories by following the Gold Standard of Thin plan, a woman who skates every day would lose
2 to 3 pounds a week. Weight loss can be shocking. The movement of sliding side to side, the
entire body and all muscles being used at once, and the kicking of each leg have become daily
and weekend outings for groups of fitness buffs.
* * * *
Gardening is genuine exercise that burns a minimum of 250 calories per hour. Not only
is it fun and satisfying because of the improvements we’re making, it gets us outside. We forget
how hard our bodies are working while we prune, dig things up, haul, and transplant. It’s a
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satisfying activity, but warming up and stretching helps us prevent contortions of movement.
Contortions happen when we lift and twist in the same movement. By preventing contortions, we
can avoid injuries such as back strain and knee pain. Some easy stretching will go a long way
toward lessening both of these. Before going out, stretch your back by lying on the floor, pulling
your knees into your chest and wrapping your arms around them. Hold that position for a minute,
relax and repeat two more times. Stretch your shoulders by holding a towel over your head.
Bring the towel behind your head with one hand and lower the other hand to below shoulder
height. Hold and gently pull on the towel. Switch sides and repeat. Legs will benefit from a
runners stretch such as bracing yourself on a countertop while you stretch first one leg behind
you and then the other.
Once you’re in the garden, pace yourself. Do the hard stuff first, before you’re tired out and
more likely to overexert. Squat when weeding, but if that position strains your knee joints, use a
kneepad. Kneel on both knees at the same time to avoid the temptation to twist or strain. When
lifting, bend from the knees, not the waist, and try to keep your back straight. Use your thigh
muscles to do the lifting. Move your feet closer to the object you are lifting and take a wide
stance to balance yourself. Keep the object close to you as you lift it.
Use tools with comfortable handles. Wrap the grip with an old piece of hose or coat with
rubber paint for gripping comfort. Remember to change hands from time to time. When using
long-handled tools, stand straight and keep your knees relaxed. If you need to twist or pivot, step
into the twist to ease tension on the back. Get out that wheelbarrow, garden cart, or wagon and
use it.
Recently I learned the term “Green Thumb Guerrilla.” Maybe you fit into this category. The
term evokes a gritty, iconic image with fighters in balaclavas, moving in shadows, poised to
pinch their grenades. Except that these bombs are filled with seeds. I enjoy sneaking over the
fence to tend to my secret garden on the gentle hill between our backyard and a busy six-lane
thoroughfare. Part of my motivation for making this public land area thicker with shrubs, trees,
and ground cover is reducing noise and exhaust pollution from all the traffic. Here’s the strategy:
Find an unused plot of city landscape, a strip of public dirt next to a busy road or weedy
intersection. Drop some seed bombs. Make it into an unofficial garden. Last year two new
guerrilla gardening troupes sprung up, and they have successfully cultivated gardens in
Hollywood and Silver Lake, turning dry dirt beds into lush oases full of flowers, shrubs and
bushes. They work undercover with nicknames such as Daisy La Plante, Roly Poly, Warthog and
Manure. Local residents have met their efforts with enthusiasm and donations, and these
guerrillas have the support of City Councilman Tom LaBonge. At one of their “digs,” the
councilman brought ice cream for everyone.
* * * *
Get gorgeous the fun way! Go for a brisk walk outdoors, enjoy a swim, take a bike ride, or
if it’s raining, play Nintendo Wii. Do any activity that gets your heart pumping. The extra blood
flow will give your face a rosy glow. That is key, say researchers from the University of St.
Andrews, Scotland. Their study reveals that people perceive those with rosy complexions to be
instantly more attractive.
Gentle exercise is as waist whittling as doing sit-ups and crunches! Researchers have found
that workouts that claim to target belly fat don’t trim that area any faster than walking at a
moderate pace. In a study by Dr. Tongjian, walkers’ tummy fat cells had shrunk by 18% after
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twenty weeks of regular workouts. What’s better than walking and talking? Choose the exercise
you enjoy.
There’s nothing like exercise to raise our metabolism; metabolism is defined as the rate at
which our body burns calories. The faster we burn calories, the better we can manage our weight.
We need to get moving. Exercising for more than thirty minutes elevates our metabolic rate
during exercise and for up to several hours afterwards. Exercise also builds muscle, which helps
us burn even more calories.
* * * *
Aerobic exercise also makes us endorphin-happy. Runners get a high, but so do lap
swimmers. Once upon a time in the 1980s, marathon running was the rage. Are you old enough
to remember the runner’s motto, “Just do it?”
Muscle burning is one thing, but joint pain is another. These days, no one believes in the
“no pain, no gain” theory. Many baby-boomers with bad knees are now lap swimmers.
Swimming is non-impact on joints, burns off more calories than running, and works all the major
muscle groups. Swimming doesn’t put any undue strain on your muscles and joints, making it
possible for just about anyone. Of course you have to enjoy it. Swimming has been shown to
reduce blood pressure, and the flow of oxygen through your body causes your body to relax. It’s
beneficial to add a core workout in addition to lap swimming.
* * * *
Every day, millions of men and women spend quality time with their best friend, their
exercise DVD. Isn’t that great? We’re in front of the TV, but we’re not sitting on the couch. My
favorite fitness idols are Denise Austin and Kathy Smith. I wish Jane Fonda would come out
with a new one—I bought her very first workout video in 1982!
* * * *
Janice goes to the gym to cycle and use a variety of weight machines, but she also enjoys
yoga. She shares the reasons why she “gave into yoga” while away at college last year:
Do you feel resistant when you try something new? With yoga, I wanted to reap the reward
of peacefulness instantly. I had heard and read about the calm people feel with the yoga practice.
Yoga sounded like a perfect solution for my stressful college life. I’ve had problems sleeping
soundly at night with a roommate on a reverse schedule. This semester I’m taking more courses,
and sometimes I have multiple tests on the same day. I was on a spiritual search when I signed
up for a yoga class at Sierra College, and then learned what I needed to do while practicing yoga
in order to achieve a calmer state of mind.
To get a runner’s high, I had to run—that wasn’t going to happen during yoga practice. Yet
as part of meditation, I could ask the universe, my inner guru, questions. Usually I would just
think about things myself, but this was similar to asking God. It worked for me because I was
relinquishing control. I was putting the universe in charge of what I got out of yoga, and this
submission turned out to be a valuable step toward peacefulness. I allowed myself to have a
blank mind.
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After that, I was able to enjoy practicing a beginner’s version of yoga. When I attempted to
breathe correctly, I thought only about the pose and the breathing that went with it. I didn’t think
about my external problems. That seemed to be the secret to finding calm. I shifted worrisome
thoughts away. I didn’t reflect on assignment deadlines, tests, or whether I’d be able to sleep that
night with my wakeful roommate rustling papers, tapping on her computer, and talking on the
phone. I let the practice of yoga take over my mind and body.
After I stopped struggling for that reward of peacefulness, it actually came. We can’t clutch
calm. It shows up entirely on its own. I have read about Patanjali in the Yoga Sutra. It describes
the observance of Ishvara pranidhana, which is about surrender and moving toward an inner state
of oneness. Many consider this to be a yoga path goal. It sounds rather mystical, but I have found
it useful. I tell myself I am here. This merges my mind into the now, and it brings me to oneness
and a kind of peace. With friendships and other social interactions, I can’t control what other
people think or do. Surrendering is a valuable tactic! I can let it all go.
I also practice yoga for flexibility. To prevent injury in any sport, stretching regularly is part
of a general fitness regime. The same is true for yoga. Stretching is important. Yoga stretches
both muscles and joints. Increased flexibility is one of the benefits of a consistent yoga practice.
Yogic stretching is a huge part of the exercise. In fact, I believe it is the center of it, and
balance follows.
Yoga helps to prevent muscle soreness and promotes faster recovery between whatever
training sessions you give it. Stretching loosens tight muscles, which tend to trap lactic acid, the
waste product that accumulates in the muscle cells after hard training sessions in the more
traditional sports. Lactic acid contributes to muscular fatigue. When we stretch, lactic acid in
muscle cells goes back into the bloodstream. In this way, muscular contraction and cramping are
lessened.
Increasing flexibility is very important. Yoga has positions that act upon the whole body,
including our joints. Flexibility takes time. The golden rule is to modify a position that doesn’t
feel comfortable.
When I first started to learn yoga, my body was quite rigid. Now after practicing for a few
months, I am experiencing more flexibility. I’m convinced that correct yoga stretching develops
the entire body even when I don’t think I am working on specific parts.
Yoga has been in existence a very long time and has been perfected as a practice. Teachers
are trained in the discipline. When the entire body is trained together, it develops a sense of
harmony and balance. When opposing muscle groups are trained together, flexibility will come
faster because opposing muscle groups will work together.
Here are some yoga-based stretches that I use to loosen my shoulders, stretch my spine, and
help me relax.
The One Leg Stand
Balancing takes concentration when standing on one leg. I focus on standing tall
and straight.
I bend my right knee and place my foot as high as possible on the inside of my
left thigh with my toes pointing down.
I extend my arms at shoulder level with palms facing downwards and stretch into
my fingertips. I keep my left leg straight and strong with toes spread.
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I keep my spine straight and shoulders relaxed, bring my palms together in front
of me in a praying position with elbows at 45 degrees.
I take a few deep breaths, then repeat on the other side. If I wobble too much, I
stand near a wall for better balance.
The Whole Body Stretch
I lie on the floor with my knees bent. My back is flat with my tailbone tucked in.
I stretch my arms behind me to lengthen my upper back, stretching as hard as I
can without arching, and straighten my legs. I hold for as long as I can, breathing
normally.
Shoulder Stretches
I tie a scarf around my elbows and when pulling against it, my elbows are as wide
apart as my shoulders.
Putting my arms above my head, my palms face each other, and I keep elbows
straight.
I push out towards the scarf and can feel the stretch in my shoulders.
For a second stretch, I link fingers and turn palms outwards and push hands in
front of me. I bring arms up to shoulder level, elbows straight.
I breathe out deeply and stretch arms up above my head. Stretch wrists, open
palms. Then I repeat with the opposite thumb on top of my linked fingers.
Hip Stretch
I lie on the floor with knees bent. Putting the soles of my feet together, I let my
knees fall outward. Both knees should be the same distance from the floor.
In the beginning, my knees didn’t fall outwards easily, and I did this stretch with
my feet raised on cushions.
This is a nice stretch to do for a few minutes every day.
Almost any exercise we do is beneficial if our bodies are in good condition for the
amount of time we spend on it. I feel that practicing yoga is leading me toward long-term
health and well-being because of the stretching. This helps make the body more alkaline. The
acid/alkaline ratio is crucial to good health. Our bodies are supposed to be 80 percent alkaline
and 20 percent acid. Over-acidity can be harmful for bones and tissues because it leads to
fatigue, dulled mental states, headaches, depression and arthritis. Refined carbohydrates,
animal proteins, coffee and alcohol, as well as stress and pollution, are acid forming.
Stress affects even our blood. In chemical terms, pH means the “potential of hydrogen.” pH
refers to the acid/alkaline balance of the body. A pH scale of 1 is very acidic, 14 is very alkaline,
and 7 is neutral. Most of our body fluids run at a slightly alkaline state with the exception of
stomach fluids. Our blood has a pH value of 7.35 to 7.45; outside of this range, death usually
follows.
Most things that go between our lips these days are acidic. Stressful lifestyles are acid-
producing, and almost all forms of toxicity we expose our bodies to are acidic. Our body has to
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work hard to give us balanced blood. Our kidneys filter blood per minute, and if clogged with
acid wastes, we might get kidney stones and inflammatory conditions of the bladder. Most of our
blood passes through the liver, which filters toxic waste and acids from the bloodstream. The
liver is then forced to unburden itself of excess acid wastes and deposits them in joints. This
causes arthritis and other problems. Another way the body alkalizes the blood is through
respiration by the lungs. Oxygen supports an alkaline environment in the blood and tissues. This
is why yoga breathing exercises are beneficial.
Oxygen not only gives more energy but helps to detoxify and alkalize the body. Deep
diaphragmatic breathing performed during yoga removes acid wastes. Much of the time, our
breath is shallow and quick. This causes hyperventilation. The quality of the air we breathe is not
the only aspect that matters when it comes to health. Breathing exercises and becoming aware of
our breathing habits can improve our health, making our bodies more alkaline. Yoga does this
for us because we pay attention to our breathing. When our bodies are relaxed, our breathing
massages internal organs such as the heart and decompresses the spine. It oxygenates every cell
and relaxes the mind.
* * * *
Horseback riding involves a taut body, and this makes your horse's job easier. A “sack of
potatoes” rider weighs more to a horse. A rider who is fit and toned has better posture. For the
rider, muscle imbalances and general lack of fitness can make riding less enjoyable and may lead
to saddle soreness. Not being able to use certain muscles properly will make cuing and
controlling your horse more difficult. If you only have time for occasional riding, staying fit can
help you avoid the weekend warrior syndrome—aches and pains from using muscles not
accustomed to the job you suddenly ask them to do. Take horseback riding lessons to learn how
to post. Remember to start slow when beginning any exercise, including riding, and if you've had
any injuries or health issues, talk to your doctor first.
Our daughter Marla enjoyed horses for the sport of jumping. Since we couldn’t afford a horse
in that expensive category, we leased one while she was in her horse jumping phase. On the
other side of the spectrum, Janice enjoyed grooming horses more than riding. Out at the stables,
she was forever helping someone give their horse a bath or brushing them and braiding manes
and tails. Finally we bought a handsome but throwaway ex-race horse. She named him Brooklyn.
After all the grooming, her thoroughbred became very gentle, content to be dressed up in
blankets. Janice enjoyed cleaning his stall more than riding.
* * * *
Do you like to dance? A lover of all things Hawaii, both daughters have an interest in hula, a
Polynesian dance form accompanied by mele, vocal chants or songs. The hula dance dramatizes
the mele. Like everything, it has evolved to include Western-influenced musical instruments
such as the guitar and double bass. Hula dancing today still follows ancient stylistic protocols. In
this complex art form, there are many hand motions used to signify aspects of nature, such as
coconut tree motions. Serious hula is a religious performance, and this is why dancers have an
austere look as a reverence for their spiritual roots. Chants tell the stories of creation, mythology,
royalty, and significant events. Although hula movements are gentle, learning hula dancing
provides cardiovascular benefits and helps tone hips and abdominals. There are community
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classes, dance studios and fitness centers that teach hula dancing for fitness. Or, consider buying
an instructional DVD.
* * * *
Does your house need cleaning? You can turn this chore into a day of movement. After
shopping for necessary cleaning supplies and writing up your to-do list, determine the time to be
spent on each task. This will keep you from feeling overwhelmed. Set a timer and take breaks.
Here’s my routine—I begin by removing clutter in each room, dust with furniture polish, clean
glass and mirrors, wash every surface in the kitchen, clean bathrooms with rubber gloves and
lastly, vacuum using “the claw,” which is a little vacuum of its own at the end of the rod. Ah, the
joy of a clean house! As I go from room to room, I open windows. We need to breathe clean air.
Indoor air can be 2 to 5 times more polluted than outdoor air. According to Tom Kelly, director
of the indoor environments division at the Environmental Protection Agency, “Air gets trapped
and doesn’t circulate like it does outside.” Kelly suggests regularly opening doors and windows.
If that’s not possible because the outdoors is too hot or too cold, it’s good to replace air filters.
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CHAPTER SIX
Nuggets for Your Inner Self
Why is it that as soon as we share our desire to lose weight, there’s a cluster of loved
ones (family or friends) who want to sabotage our efforts? A toxic environment has a way of
throwing us off course. These saboteurs buy us desserts. “Come on, honey, one little piece.”
They want us to skip exercise. “But, you’re cuddly this way.” Mostly they just want everything
(including us) to stay the same. As we become thinner and more attractive, change is hard on
people around us.
Does someone fear for your health? “What's the matter—you are wasting away. Are you sure
you aren't losing too much too fast?” Is someone acting insulted? “You don't like my pot roast all
of a sudden? You're too good for my cheesecake?” Is the saboteur mixing up food with love?
“You don't come to the ice cream shop with me anymore—you don't love me anymore.” Does
someone make you feel like an outsider? This is common among co-workers. “You can't eat
Mexican because of your DIET, so we will see you after we go out.” Of course you can eat
Mexican. You can order something low in calories. Is food being left around such as the big
candy dish on the receptionist's desk? “Here, one doughnut left, want it?” Does someone point
out the leftovers from the office party, or does your spouse leave half the chips for you? “I know
you love these.” Is someone creating special (fattening) food just for you? Are there new holiday
rules such as, “It’s your birthday, and you have to have a piece of cake.” Sharing doom is
particularly discouraging: “I am so proud of you for trying this, even though you know that 95%
of people fail to keep the weight off.” Or, “It's not my business, but don't runners get a lot of
injuries?” Someone might do a bit of amateur psychoanalysis by saying, “You know, you’re not
as funny as you used to be, before you lost weight.”
Sometimes a person will successfully lose weight, and then the saboteur will try their best to
get the weight back on. A husband might buy his formerly heavy wife something in her old size
with a box of candy. The wife will need to see this as a control issue; it’s obvious that the
husband worries that his attractively slim wife will stray. Sometimes the daughter’s mother
wants her to accept her larger size because it is like the mother’s. Co-workers by their nature are
competitive. Thin, fit people look and act successful, and they attract notice for a promotion.
We have a couple of ideas to smooth things along. Explain that getting healthy is a priority
now and forever. Invite a potential saboteur to work out with you. Cook a delicious dinner and
invite him or her over. Thank him afterward for supporting you. If a relative just won’t leave you
alone unless you taste sometime, go ahead and have a bite. This is excellent practice for portion
control. Be firm. Share a low-calorie recipe that can replace pie, chips, or ice cream. Encourage
others to get healthy with you. When they see your enthusiasm, they will. Don’t be afraid to toot
your horn every time you lose five pounds.
What about our own feelings that sabotage our efforts? Each example below includes a
proactive action we can take. This is a brief list of nine negative feelings, ending with leashing
them for motivation.
When we’re lonely, food can feel like a friend, a companion, or even a lover.
Eating helps pass the time, but it never provides what another person can. Instead
of eating away loneliness, we need to connect with new people, make new friends, or reach out in a new way.
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When we’re defeated and feel hopeless, we can’t be bothered to take the time
and effort to eat right. Instead of eating when feeling despondent, we need
reminders. We need to do something life-affirming. This can be anything from
helping someone in need to seeing a beautiful piece of art.
Fear triggers many food cravings. This uncomfortable feeling leaves us with a
sense of powerlessness. Instead of eating, we can give ourselves a reality check.
Worries can become tools to help us get plans in place. We can prepare for our
future and take care of ourselves.
If feeling disappointed, food can feel like a great consolation prize when life
isn’t giving us our fair share. Instead of eating, we can use disappointment to get
clear about what we really want in life. What steps do we need to take to get
there?
Frustration drives us to binge. When we can’t figure out how to do something,
food can feel like a solution to the intense agitation we’re experiencing. Instead of
eating, we can take a breath, or a walk, or just sleep on it. We often find answers
in dreams or when we relax. A solution comes along effortlessly after we
surrender to the struggle.
Anger can feel overwhelming and scary. Food can feel like the perfect way to
stuff fierceness inside. Instead of eating, we can find another outlet for our anger.
When the sparks die down, there is important information behind the rage we feel.
Self-doubt is a negative inner voice that can give way to overeating. Eating
actually distances us from our inner being. We need to be gentle with ourselves.
Don’t we deserve the tenderness, love, and care that we show others?
Happiness makes us excited. It’s not just negative feelings that can make us eat.
It can be positive ones, too. Eating when we’re happy can be a way to deflect the
good things going on in our lives. Instead of eating, we can take in the joyful
experiences. We own them, should cherish them, and be grateful for them.
Anxiety is probably the one emotion responsible for most eating disorders.
The jittery, jumpy feeling of anxiety makes us physically uncomfortable. This
discomfort can make food seem like a simple solution to settle our belly full of
butterflies. Instead of eating, we can look for real ways to soothe, comfort, and
calm ourselves. Anxiety is an unavoidable part of life, but we have many options
for how to deal with it.
When we’re depressed, we might not be able to muster up the effort to nurture
ourselves with good food and exercise. Simply getting out of bed can be an effort.
Instead of eating, we can take one loving action. This could be prayer, getting
support, or sitting in the sunshine. Overeating reinforces our depression.
When we stop feeding feelings, our feelings can provide us with essential
information that guides us. We can use strong emotions to propel us forward instead of getting stuck in emotional eating.
* * * *
If we eat something that doesn’t agree with us, we could be allergic to it. A food allergy
is an immune system response when the body believes that food is harmful. Eight foods that
account for 90% of food allergy reactions are milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts such as walnuts and
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cashews, shellfish, soy, and wheat. We can prove this by using an Elimination Diet followed by
that suspected food. In an Elimination Diet, any food that is suspected of causing an allergy or
intolerance is eliminated for a period of four days to three weeks, until symptoms are gone.
Depending on the severity and type of symptoms, an Elimination Diet may range from
moderately to severely restrictive in the amount of foods allowed.
To create an Elimination Diet, eat only hypoallergenic foods. These are under the radar for
allergies and include lamb, pears, apples, rice, most vegetables, most beans and legumes (except
peanuts!) and the “non-gluten” grains (for example, millet, quinoa, and amaranth). Whole wheat
is a gluten grain, and some individuals are allergic. Once the body has adjusted to the absence of
suspected foods, these foods are systematically added back into the diet, and any resulting
symptoms are noted. In other words, your allergy will rise up and make you suffer from allergy-
related reactions such as an upset stomach, itchy skin, irritable bowel syndrome, migraine, and
asthma. Some individuals manage adverse food reactions with a Rotation Diet where a problem
food is eaten in small quantities once every four days.
* * * *
Laughter, the rip-roaring kind, has a restorative quality. Humor heals us even when we
face tough health issues and hard financial times. Of course not everything is nose-snorting
funny. When issues can’t be taken lightly, we can do something. Volunteer work and acts of
kindness heal the heart of both the giver and receiver. We need to figure out ways to take care of
our spirit. Below are some solutions for various predicaments, ways to just enjoy life, and
motivational tips to keep you on track.
Summer is the season of celebrations, whether it’s someone’s birthday or relatives are
visiting. Top party planners tell us that what makes a party great isn’t expensive food. Rather,
it’s delicious and familiar favorites. In our family, it’s barbequed ribs and min-burgers hot off the
grill, scalloped potatoes, sweet corn, a tossed salad, coleslaw (can’t beat KFC’s) and a signature
drink. Mine is non-alcoholic, made from sugar-free 7-up, low-calorie cranberry juice and topped
with sherbet. We don’t need to eat what isn’t on our plan. If kids are in attendance at your family
picnic, many regional parks have trains. Get on board with them.
* * * *
Enjoyable chitchat makes us feel good, but stimulating two-way conversation also uses
analytical skills, according to Sprouts Farmer’s Market writer Chris O’Brien who reports on
research led by Oscar Ybarra, PhD. “Sometimes people think socializing is a waste of time or
they have more important things to do, but socializing can keep you sharper mentally.” From a
brain health perspective, a ten-minute daily conversation has about the same positive effect on
the brain as doing a crossword. Ybarra’s study suggests that the complex interactions during a
conversation—listening, understanding, inferring, staying on topic, and adapting to new points of
view—provide a mini-workout for the brain and keep it fit. As the research indicate, the
incidence of Alzheimer’s was lower in people characterized as actively social but higher in those
who reported feeling lonely. If you’re at work, wonder over to the water cooler and talk!
* * * *
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There is peace of mind that comes from living within our means. Thinking about the
adage, “Keeping up with the Jones,” is a particularly bad idea during tough economic times. A
couple of years ago, one of our neighbors had an extension (a magnificent state-of-the-art
kitchen with a fireplace) built. But last year the husband lost his job, and their house (with the
two mortgages) went into foreclosure. My husband reminded me yesterday that he and I won’t
be buying new cars for awhile with college expenses for our two youngest that will continue for
at least five years. Quite frankly, that reminds me of another point about my CPA husband, who
is an exceptional listener. Loving people are more precious than any amount of money.
* * * *
Divorce-proof your marriage or partner-relationship with compliments. After marriage
researcher John Gottman Ph.D. interviewed 3,000 couples, he discovered that spouses who
average five compliments to every one complaint they make toward each other are almost
guaranteed never to divorce. Why? Acknowledging the positive brings on positive feelings in the
person giving the compliments and makes the recipient more willing to take those actions again.
This strengthens the relationship. Be sure to personalize your compliments. Instead of saying,
“That’s a nice shirt, love the crazy print,” you might say, “You look handsome in that unique
shirt.”
* * * *
Are you surrounded by snow or rain? Would you like to send your energy skyrocketing?
Try a couple of these things. 1).Wake up muscles with a 20-second squeeze. Interlace your
fingers and push your palms together so that they touch. Alternate squeezing each hand with the
other 10 times to awaken your muscles and get energy flowing through your body. 2). Unplug
yourself! Every time your cell rings, it causes a surge in the stress hormone adrenaline. Over
time, this is exhausting. Turn it off for a couple of hours and reclaim your get-up-and-go. 3).
Refuel with this breathing trick. Inhale through your nose and hold it for 5 seconds. Exhale
through your mouth for 8 counts. These deep breaths will increase oxygen flowing through your
body and boost your stamina. 4). Sip water with a half lemon squeezed into it, and this drink will
get rid of toxins. People in India have been using this trick for centuries to keep their pep going
all day long. 5). Shorten your to-do list to stay sharp. Facing a long list is discouraging and
triggers stress. Trim down the list to no more than five things. As you cross them off, your sense
of accomplishment will send your energy soaring. Snow or rain, so what—we can still feel great!
* * * *
The secret to longevity has been revealed, and it also makes us popular wherever we
are. New research from the National Institute of Health found that women with relaxed
temperaments have a 15% greater chance of outliving their more dramatic counterparts. The
reason: whenever you get upset, your body pumps out stress hormones. In the long run, these
chemicals can set you up for heart disease, depression, and other illnesses. So the next time
you’re ready to fly off the handle, slowly count to five (or ten!) before you respond.
* * * *
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Will you have to face a difficult relative soon? Many maxims about relatives point to being
stuck with them! Because they are within our social network, they’re stuck with us, too. We can
turn peculiar relatives (who bring out the worst in us) into “social capital” by being a good
listener. Our health and theirs might depend on it. Listening is a way to diminish stressors. When
faced with the person-of-difficulty, at least we can reduce the toll that stress takes on our body
and recharge our energy reservoirs by learning more about ourselves and why we are reacting
negatively. We can anticipate how the relative’s behavior shifts our mood from happy to
anxious, irritable, slightly depressed, and quick to react in a negative way. We want to stick to
our principles and behave appropriately, rising above the negative consequences of this toxic
relationship.
When I am going to be around a relative who rubs me the wrong way, I make sure I get lots
of sleep and exercise vigorously prior to a visit. After I’ve done that, I become an attentive
listener. My goal is to get along, and this seems to work most of the time. Of course sometimes
we are caught by surprise.
This happened recently when a certain food-police relative who lives in Northern California
stopped down for a visit. The first thing he did (his usual form) was look into our refrigerator and
was horrified to find boxes of frozen pizza. First, let me tell you, Vincent (an alias) has
transformed himself from fat to thin before becoming Chief Foodcop. True, he takes pride in
how he eats. But this subject is the center of too many conversations about how he has made and
sustained life changes. It’s better not to talk about one’s accomplishments unless someone asks.
Although Vince with his food obsessions tends to bore most people, he makes it worse because
he’s snooty. My husband thought it was entirely obnoxious when Vince droned on and on about
the “true waste of calories in pizza.” (Our twenty-something daughters have friends over, and not
everyone is dieting, particularly guys.) Although I said it with a smile and in a gentle voice, I
told him he was being condescending and no one should tell others what to eat or not eat. My
husband told Vince that he looked hungry and asked if he wanted some! Anyway, I just wanted
to say that when dieting, we don’t have to mention it.
We don’t want others to feel sensitive about what they’re eating. I like having fruit on the
counter for us to munch on, but for those who want it, there’s plenty of frozen pizza and lasagna
in the freezer. We reacted as tactfully as possible to Vince’s “orthorexia,” which is an extreme
fixation with healthy eating. Yes indeed, Vince will tell you it’s suicidal to eat French fries. I’m
glad we expressed ourselves because after that, Vince’s more nurturing side took over.
* * * *
When we dress up, we radiate self-confidence. A study in the Home Economics Journal
reveals that wearing your dressier outfits for everyday activities makes people see you as
friendlier and more approachable. When we wear dressy outfits, it tells others that we’re
confident, positive, and energetic—and people are naturally drawn to folks with these qualities
like a magnet, confirms Tonya Reiman, author of The Power of Body Language. Research shows
that women who wear makeup to work are promoted 30% more often than those who don’t, earn
20% more money and are treated better by bosses and co-workers. The reason has to do with
giving the impression that you care about your job and how you are perceived. Management
makes an interesting assumption: if you pay attention to detail on yourself, you pay attention to
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other things as well. When you look good, you feel more confident, and that makes you a better
employee.
* * * *
Getting along with ourselves does not work if we put ourselves last. Is there something in
your life that could use an overhaul? If you want it, convince yourself you are up to the task.
Writing down goals makes us more likely to achieve them. A good therapist listens to problems
but also helps a patient (whose life is falling apart) by putting pieces back together. We can’t feel
attractive if we are out of shape and overweight. A long work day makes us tired enough to go
for fast food when it would be better to microwave a frozen dinner and make a salad to go with
it. Change is actually scary. Identify your goals and approach them in baby steps. You can apply
some of what you have learned here to other parts of your life. You are keeping a food journal.
You are exercising, even if it’s just fifteen minutes. If you want a raise at work, take on more
responsibility; and say something like this to your boss: “That aspect (whatever it is) of the
project is important (because…). I’d like to handle it.” Little accomplishments put us in control.
If you’re in a dead-end relationship, write a letter to your significant other but don’t mail it.
Journaling is a way to learn about yourself. You might write, “I deserve a person (man, woman)
who cares as much about me as I do about him.” Maybe the other person doesn’t express
affection as openly as you do. Women tend to be more outgoing, while men tend to hold their
feelings inside.. By keeping a journal, you might recognize his love expressed through kind
actions but not words. Did he see you in a rush and offer to go to the store? At the end of the
marketing list, scribble 'I love you,' 'You're great,' 'I'm glad you're mine,' 'You're sexy,' or 'You
make me happy.' Of course, you will know your relationship is over if one of you is cheating or
you are fighting all the time instead of working on issues. If you are the only one seeking
professional counseling, then you’ve had enough! Journaling can also be used to support your
personal goals such as budgeting. If you’re trying to save money, you need to write down
absolutely everything you spend, and then analyze it. Practice positive thinking. Replace a
negative thought with a thought that supports your goal. Think of something to do that is fun
every day. Be kind to yourself and allow for some failures.
* * * *
If you’re sitting in your cubicle with the blahs, look at a photo of your pet.
Or, because pet calendars are humorous, sweet, and gentle, buy one. Holistic teacher Cathy
Holt, author of The Circle of Healing, writes about the sacred garden of nature, where animals
and plants offer healing messages and relax us. Holt reminds us to flow with the circle of life and
tap into the power of nature to lighten us up.
* * * *
Take a vacation—you’ll live longer! Whether you visit far-off lands or opt for a
“staycation” by taking day trips close to home, taking time off isn’t just for fun. Recent research
shows it is a key to living longer. An analysis of the 20-year Framingham Heart Study reveals
that women who skip vacations are nearly eight times more likely to develop heart disease.
Vacations distract you from day-to-day worries, lowering too-high levels of heart-ravaging stress
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hormones. Vacationing heightens optimism. You take positive feelings home. And married
couples who take a break from the everyday to enjoy new and stimulating activities together
have happier relationships.
In addition, upbeat workers are twice as likely to keep their jobs in this economy as negative
ones. “Management needs positive people who help boost morale,” says career coach Dale
Winston. If you don’t feel like smiling at work, start hanging around with positive workers. They
are not the complainers. Not only is optimism contagious, but your boss will associate you with
the happy group.
* * * *
Are you in the mood for chocolate, the mood elevator? Sorbee Chocolate Syrup is fat free,
sweetened with Splenda and makes a terrific milkshake with fat-free milk and ice.
* * * *
Are you feeling as if you might slip off your eating plan? Janice shares her motivating tips
for staying on track: When I’m stressed, I’m bummed and know there is danger for a pig-out.
This is official stress! I want to eat, eat, and eat something sweet and fat. How good is (a whole
lot of) bread, rolled up with butter and sugar, really? It isn’t! Overeating doesn’t help my self-
confidence. Now I can head it off with less damage—a bowl of ½ cup of sugary cereal and fat-
free milk. Fruity Pebbles is one of my favorite alternatives, but I don’t indulge unless I’m headed
for a major pig-out.
After we came up with a thousand-calorie healthy regime, I began to trust the process. When
my pants became loose, I let out a scream of jubilation that could be heard across the hall in the
dorm at college. I began to trust in the plan even more. I believe myself, too, that I’m able to
stick with the plan most of the time. My style is constant upkeep—eating healthy and working
out at the gym with time on the treadmill. Or, I find friends and go running. If no one wants to
go, I am my own leader and run or rollerblade on my own.
* * * *
Healthy does not look thick, Janice believes. When overweight, our bodies tend to be
apples or pears. I am a pear, and fat settles in the hip and upper thigh area. My mom is an apple
and can look straight up and down when overweight. Whatever our type, being twenty pounds
overweight is not pretty, but neither is being anorexic-thin. All of us know what our healthiest
weight is. Our bones and body type determine this for us.
It’s entirely possible to plan ahead with eating out with friends and stay on my thousand
calories by budgeting and being smart about ordering. I’m not deluded. With all the delicious
food available, planning is essential. My advice is to persevere, and you’ll find your secret
doorway. Mine is The Big Salad—field greens, low-fat protein. At any given restaurant, there are
a variety of salads on the menu. For instance, at Rubio’s I order a chopped salad with chicken
and tell them to hold the sour cream, the chips, and put the shredded cheese and (their lowest-
calorie) dressing on the side. My salad always goes naked without the chips and bread.
Sometimes when I’m out with friends, I order a cup of “clear” soup. Another thing, I never order
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first. Keeping a low profile, I don’t want to rain on big appetite parades. Believe me when I say I
love what I have ordered.
* * * *
Sometimes when I (Kathleen) think about the word control, it has a negative
connotation; controlling and control freak come to mind. I admit, though, that I try to achieve
organization in areas of time management and home neatness. I appreciate an organized drawer
and a neat closet, not to mention treasured me-time when I swim laps. These areas of control (my
schedule, eating plan, our home environment) help me cope when something negative happens,
and there’s a loss of control. When that happens, I think of the worry as a leaf on a stream,
floating past me. If I can’t do anything about it, I acknowledge the worry-leaf and let it float by. I
can’t control everything. In life, we just don’t know what might happen next. Sometimes we
have to let the leaves float by.
* * * *
Here is a strategy to sidestep a bout of stress eating. Isn’t it too bad the wrong kind of food
is comforting and calming? Soon after we’ve indulged, the fear of ballooning and associated
negativity set in. This starts another vicious cycle of overeating. Just remember, emotional eating
is a tough challenge for everyone who doesn’t have a skinny gene. That’s most of us! The good
news is that emotional eating is not prompted by real hunger. Drink water while getting out your
food journal and a pen. Write down what’s bothering you, and go on for pages if necessary. If
you have written out your daily food plan, you can usually head off a binge.
Let’s suppose, on the night before, you have written down when and what you will eat. There
isn’t a category called mindless munching, and this is how a binge often starts. We have found
that when we eat preplanned portions at certain times only, those are the only times when we’re
hungry after our bodies have adjusted, typically at the three week mark. Keeping to your rigid
plan does work, and you might try an additional method using Joseph Alban methodology for
acupressure: press the crease of your wrist directly below the pinkie finger, an acupressure point
known as Shen Men or spirit gate, for the count of three. While acupressure positively affects
involuntary brain functions related to stress such as heart rate, it also aids cognitive abilities such
as resolve and resilience.
* * * *
Are you feeling lonely? Call a friend, and if the friend isn’t there, just leave a message. That
in itself makes us feel good. Are you bored? Get outside and take a walk. Unless you live in
certain areas of the country where people believe only crazy people smile, smile and say hello to
strangers! In Irvine, California where we live, strangers greet each other when they pass on the
sidewalk. It’s uplifting in a simple way.
* * * *
It turns out that walking is better than any Rx for blasting fat. Research (new, from the
University of Michigan) tells us the value of a daily stroll to blast fat while making us healthier,
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happier, and more relaxed than any prescription medicine. Here are more benefits that walking
delivers: 40% sounder sleep, 65% more energy, 71% less anxiety, 88% better moods, 90%
improved confidence, 166% increased libido, 200% sharper thinking. Even small movements
signal muscles to burn fat from visceral fat cells. Unhealthy adipose tissue is lodged deep in the
abdominal region, and James A. Levine, M.D. Ph.D, tells us that walkers burn three times more
belly fat than non-walkers. Moderately paced walking keeps our appetite in check.
* * * *
Go easy on yourself. If you’ve taken up a new sport, you don’t have to excel at it. Your goal
is to get rid of some stress and have a little fun. Even with a simple sport such as running,
worrying about slowness is flawed logic. Perfectionism gets in the way of the benefits—how
good you feel while running, and your love of running just for the sake of running. With any
sport, the humbling truth of the matter is that there will always be someone else who is better at
it.
* * * *
Heighten optimism by simply picking an object to reflect on. Think about the materials it’s
made of, the people who assembled it, and ships or trucks that delivered it to the salesperson who
sold it to you. This Japanese approach, called Naikan, highlights the concept of people working
together and inspires gratitude. We can’t live our lives without problems and aggravation, but a
good measure of spirituality gives meaning to our lives and helps us focus on ways to keep deep,
quality relationships going. This makes us feel more content.
* * * *
Does your head hurt? Before you pop a painkiller, try sitting up straight, advises
neurologist Amarish Dave, D.O. As many as 20% of chronic headaches are due to shoulder or
neck tension. “Pressure on the top vertebrae in the neck causes pain and spasms that trigger
headaches,” explains Dr. Dave. Realign yourself with a stretch. Stand up straight, and then move
your chin back as you squeeze your shoulder blades together. Hold for three seconds, release.
Take 10-minute breaks. In one study, office workers (or anyone who sits at a computer) who did
stretches like the one described or who spent their breaks (two daily) in a comfortable chair with
a heating pad on each shoulder suffered 40% fewer headaches than usual. Dr. Dave also reminds
us to practice good posture and advises women not to carry huge, heavy bags. It is best to lighten
your load or at least shift your bag between shoulders. Lastly, sipping soothing black tea helps
lower levels of stress hormones that lead to pain.
Tips for perfect posture:
Shoulders level and in line with your ears.
Head straight, not tilted.
Chin parallel to the floor.
Arms the same distance from each side.
Hands in line with your hips.
Hips level, not sloped to one side.
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Knees and ankles straight.
* * * *
When times are tough, households merge. L.A. Times writer Anna Gorman interviewed
Orange County clinical psychologist Patricia Yglesias for her article on extended families
sharing quarters when adults lose their jobs and move in with their parents. Things get too close
for comfort, and Yglesias suggests these strategies:
Set a budget for the household and decide how the responsibilities and bills will
be divided.
Discuss expectations beforehand and continue communicating if issues arise.
Be aware of the different family roles and try not to revert to old patterns or
reignite old tensions.
Be respectful of relatives’ space and privacy, creating necessary time apart with
free or inexpensive excursions outside the home.
If this happened to us (yes, we are grandparents), I would spend time (lots of it with my
laptop) outside or at the library. If necessary, I would seek professional help.
If you’re taking a beach vacation, pack some beach reads. Reading some pages from a
good book shields our nervous system from decompression jitters (the kind we get when our
minds are still at work). Becoming lost in characters’ lives eliminates thoughts of our own
problems. Light fiction keeps our minds from running on obsessive thoughts. Fix up a comfy
lounger under the shade of a beach umbrella, have a jug of iced cold tea handy, enjoy the sound
of the surf, and immerse yourself in a good tale.
* * * *
Eric Schlosser, author of Fast Food Nation, proved the relationship between a nation's
fast food consumption and its rate of obesity. Schlosser contends that “it seems wherever
America's fast food chains go, waistlines inevitably start expanding.” Schlosser argues that the
United States has the highest obesity rate of any industrialized nation. More than half of all
American adults and about one-quarter of all American children are now classified as obese or
overweight. Those proportions are believed to have increased dramatically during the last few
decades, along with the consumption of fast food, so that the rate of obesity among U.S. children
is now twice as high as in the late 1970s.
An obese person is someone with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or higher. Today about 44
million American adults are considered obese, with an additional 6 million so-called super-
obese—i.e., they weigh about a hundred pounds more than they should. Schlosser comments that
“No other nation in history has gotten so fat so fast.” In simple terms, Schlosser argues, when
people eat more and move less, they get fat. In the U.S., people have become increasingly
sedentary and consume more restaurant meals, including fast food. As people eat more food
outside the home, they consume more calories, less fiber and more fat.
* * * *
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Good stress is hopeful. Bad stress is fearful, and Janice says, ”Nothing good ever happens
in The Valley of Woe. I’ve done my time there, but now I know how to climb out. When I have
too much to do, I make a list. I forgive myself if I can’t get it all done perfectly, but eating two
pints of ice cream doesn’t make the stress go away.” Now she piles fat-free cottage cheese in a
bowl, dices an apple, and gives it a shot of cinnamon. “Not bad!”
Martin Seligman, Ph.D., has spent three decades researching the topic of positive
psychology. In one of his many books, Learned Optimism, Dr. Seligman encourages people to
focus on strengths rather than weaknesses. By learning a solution and practicing it, we become
more optimistic rather than feeling helpless and overwhelmed. The process gives us confidence.
* * * *
Are you going to a funeral? My family is quirky and emotional. To cut down on stress when
my dad passed away, I wrote up some funeral etiquette:
You don’t have to wear all black. It’s okay that my coat is camel because in
Southern California, I don’t have use for many overcoats. My makeup will be
light in order to avoid the Gothic look.
At the mercifully short hour-and-a-half visitation prior to the service at the
church, I will share cute stories near Dad’s ashes, contained in a mahogany box. I
know he can’t hear us if we talk about him in a silly way.
Many will say, “Your dad has gone to a better place,” and offer religious tips
about getting through this. I will not share my relief that Dad died after suffering
acute renal and heart failure rather than the less truthful “he died after a brief
illness” in his obituary. I will thank them for coming.
Remember to use the bathroom before going to the church and burial service,
which will be long. Later, when we aren’t there, Dad’s ashes will be buried
alongside Mom’s under the Celtic Cross monument. In the near future, one of my
brothers will take some ashes to Scotland to disperse. I have plans to disperse
ashes when sailing out of Newport Harbor. Other siblings might keep theirs.
When one particular relative (we all have them, don’t we?) complains (the
reading choices, the music, long winded minister), tell the relative to take arguments and fist fights to the parking lot.
At my mother’s funeral, a lovely parishioner brought balloons and candy to the
church dinner. (The dinner reception is typical in the Midwest). If this happens to
you, thank the individual with the same thank-you notes you use for flowers or
donations.
The church dinner is catered, but many parishioners will bring casseroles and Jell-
O molds of every description, since Iowa is the Jell-O capital of the world. There
will be Ritz cracker trays and triangular pimiento cheese sandwiches. No one will
bring a salad or steamed vegetables. Just pick.
Have fun! You may not see these people again.
* * * *
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No matter how busy you are or how long your to-do list, new research shows that you can
still keep yourself in tip-top shape. These self-caring boosters will fit into a busy woman’s
hectic schedule:
Ease tense muscles in your aching back by turning on the radio during your
commute. Sitting behind the wheel for long periods aggravates the lower back,
and stress from heavy traffic gives us more back pain than heavy lifting.. Stress
hormones trigger inflammation and tension in back muscles explains author
Shawn Talbott PhD of her book, The Cortisol Connection. Listening to favorite
music relaxes muscles, distracting us from discomfort.
Avoid cancer with vitamins—A Vanderbilt study shows that a multivitamin must
contain calcium, magnesium, zinc and iodine in a balanced blend. Not only do
these minerals cure tiredness, they control more than 300 enzyme systems to help
cells divide normally without cancer-causing mutations.
Banish fatigue by s-t-r-e-t-c-h-i-n-g. According to Cornell University researchers,
stretching for two minutes three times daily raises your intake of energizing
oxygen by 30%. This boosts alertness and productivity by 60%. Do gentle head
rolls, shoulder shrugs, arm and leg stretches. You can sit in your chair, roll down
and touch your toes. Breathe deeply.
Top your vegetables with just a dab of butter or olive oil. Oil doubles your
absorption of thousands of youthifying antioxidants, as researchers at
Connecticut’s Manchester Memorial Hospital report. Fat binds to plant
compounds and help them slip through the digestive tract easily. You don’t want
to consume a lot of fat, but just a dollop of plant-based oil stabilizes blood sugar.
Cure insomnia by pulling a few plugs. I’m referring to high-tech gadgets like cell
phones and laptops that make noise. Anyway, these gadgets bring work home and make us feel tense. Isn’t silence a whole lot better?
* * * *
Do you ever wish your family would pitch in with the laundry, yard work, or dishes?
How about convincing your co-workers to do their part on projects? Honey attracts bees, and
using the honeybee mentality, here’s a way to delegate your workload. Praise excites the same
areas of the brain that get stimulated when we win the lottery. The more times those areas are
activated, the more people want to experience that good feeling. MRI scans show that people
want to offer a helping hand if you praise them for work they’re already completed. Try “Hey,
good job on the XYZ project” or “Honey, you picked up your room and threw in a load. Good
job!”
This strategy works the other way, too. Psychiatrist George Vaillant (author of Aging Well)
suggests that happiness (and successful aging) is derived by giving to others joyously whenever
one is able; receiving from others, gratefully, whenever one needs it; and being capable of
personal development in between. Dr. Valliant believes that the paradox of life is that old age
can be disturbingly wonderful! “Gratitude is almost always more fun than spite or regret.”
* * * *
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Will someone take your picture soon? Getting along with ourselves means putting one foot
forward and looking our best. A modeling position, known as ‘contrapposto,’ makes us look ten
pounds thinner. This pose is favored by fashion models. Go ahead and try it. A slight twist and
asymmetry it causes in our pelvis, torso, and shoulders makes us appear more graceful as well as
thinner. Another trick is to wear short sleeves. Exposing part of an arm shaves off about four
inches from our midsections.
* * * *
The secret for getting what we want for ourselves is ages old and is based on quantum
physics’ Law of Attraction. When we put Secret Number Two from the Little Gold Suitcase to
work for us, it means that our thoughts emit magnetic vibrations, and these vibrations have the
power to attract anything in the universe with similar vibrations. Have you ever thought of
calling someone, and an instant later, that person phoned you? The Law of Attraction is not a
coincidence. You might know positive thinkers. They get what they want by attracting people,
resources, ideas, and whatever they want in their lives. For instance, say we want to be lean and
healthy. We can let ourselves be drawn to strong green tea that gives us energy to be more active.
We can eat a little protein that curbs our runaway appetite for junk because what we want for
ourselves is more important. Send out a vibration to your thin, healthy self, and trick your brain
into feeling that way already. Visualize yourself the way you want to be. Are your steps more
bouncy? Trust your instincts when you feel like stretching. Stretch and feel how slender you will
be. Affirm that you can be a certain size and dance around the house. Visualize yourself as
happy, fit, and already thin, and you will be!
Martin Rossman, M.D., offers directions for practicing imagery in his book, Guided Imagery
for Self Healing.
Find a quiet place free from distractions. Lie on the floor or recline in a chair.
Loosen any tight clothing and remove glasses or contacts. Rest your hands in your
lap or on the arms of the chair.
Take a few slow, even breaths. If you have not already, spend a few minutes
practicing diaphragmatic breathing.
When you are feeling relaxed, gently close your eyes. Picture yourself lying on a
beautiful secluded beach with soft white sand around you, crystal-clear water, and
gentle waves lapping at the shore. Picture a cloudless sky above and palm trees
swaying in the breeze behind you.
Breathe in and smell the scent of the ocean and tropical flowers. Notice the
sounds of the waves gently rolling onto shore and the birds in the trees behind
you. Feel the warm sand underneath you and the warm sun on your skin. Notice
the taste of a refreshing tropical drink as you bring it to your mouth.
Stay in this scene for as long as you like. Notice how relaxed and calm you feel.
Enjoy the feeling of relaxation as it spreads throughout your entire body, from
your head to your toes. Notice how far away you feel from anxiety and stress.
When you are ready, slowly count backward from ten. Open your eyes, feeling
relaxed but alert.
* * * *
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Can we mix religions and ideologies? Of course, we can. I know a nun who practices Zen. I
like knowing who I am in my own culture but enjoy the wisdom and beauty of meditation
practice. Zen offers gentle anecdotes and practical exercises as a means of learning the skill of
mindfulness—being awake and fully aware. From washing the dishes to listening to a message
from a difficult relative (ha, ha) to peeling an orange, every moment holds within it an
opportunity to work toward self understanding and peacefulness. I don’t expect complete
understanding and total peacefulness, since I am only human. You can try this at home—sit on a
cushion in a half lotus with three points of bodily contact with the floor. Keep your back straight.
This is important because the neck and head should be aligned with the spinal column. They
should be straight but not stiff and wooden. Keep your eyes focused about a yard in front of you.
It’s fine to smile a little. Now begin to follow your breath and relax your muscles. Concentrate
on staying aligned and following your breath. Let everything go. Let that little difficulty go. You
are not in charge of it. As a half smile appears, you are letting go of worrisome facial tension. Be
like a water plant that flows with the current.
Chinese philosophers know how to relieve stress. For more than 2,000 years, Asian
philosophers and many others have been following something called the Tao, pronounced
“dow,” which means path. Tao is a set of techniques that Chinese believe helps them become in
sync with the world and their surroundings in order to ease stress and promote harmony and
happiness. Researchers believe they are right. Here are a few simple tricks to make you feel
relaxed:
Listen to your gut. Taoism teaches the principle of wu wei, which means effortless
effort. Do what feels right and natural.
Go with the flow. “When water meets an obstacle, it doesn’t give up or stop. It
flows around, seeps underneath or runs over to get to the other side.”
Remember that tomorrow is another day. Taoists don’t beat themselves up over
mistakes; life is a steady movement.
Play more. Taoism encourages yu, or free and easy wandering. Play with your pet.
Do something fun. Take a walk. Call a friend.
Smell the roses and coffee. A Taoist motto goes: Talking about a path is not
walking it. Focus on your senses. Be in the moment.
Connect with nature. There’s a reason Asian homes are built around a garden.
Being near nature calms us, increases optimism, aids problem solving and even
eases pain. In the Chinese Garden, the solidity of stone (yang) is balanced by the
softness of water (yin). When opposites, yin and yang, are in balance, there is
rejuvenating energy.
* * * *
Write a letter to a soldier. Log on to OperationMilitarySupport.com for the name of a
soldier who doesn’t receive regular mail. Even a short note of thanks for serving our country or
holiday-themed card will add cheer to his or her day. In Kenneth Pelletier’s book, Sound Mind,
Sound Body, he stresses how altruistic work is closely related to the ability to overcome life-
threatening crisis and disease. Caring about others gives us a positive orientation and sense of
belonging in our world.
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CHAPTER SEVEN
Making Your World Golden
When our hands are busy, making small improvements to our surroundings, we find
joy in where we are. There are so many good things besides food—laughs, hugs, blue skies,
great friends and an affectionate family. Sometimes we come up with ways to improve our
surroundings. Little projects are fun and keep us from eating. Janice painted her bedroom here at
home this summer. Wanting her walls more colorful than college dorm blah-beige, she chose
saltwater taffy colors—pink, green, and yellow. She spent the first day drawing lines and
masking-taping. Painting took several more days, and she was so engrossed and constantly
moving that she lost four pounds that week.
* * * *
Want to tone down your appetite? Studies confirm that the color blue is a natural appetite
suppressant because our human brains are programmed to subconsciously associate the color
blue with spoiled food. Serve food on plates of any hue of blue. If you are trying to cut back
portions, install a blue light in your fridge to make between-meal raids less appealing. Come to
think of it, blueberries are really purple.
* * * *
Use a salad plate instead of a dinner plate. Our portions will look more bountiful. Dinner
plates are 50% bigger than salad plates. The bigger the plate, the more we pile on. Yet studies
reveal that as long as our plate looks full, we feel satisfied. Switching from a 12-inch to an 8-inch
plate is effortless, and you will feel content eating less.
* * * *
Maybe it’s the fact we have so many pets that drove me to window box gardening. Dogs,
cats, and nibbling bunnies can’t get at the plants. Geraniums and ivy are favorites for semi-shade
window boxes.
Or, try an herb garden. Be sure to include parsley. Its menthol oils affect our body’s internal
temperature gauge, cooling us down from the inside. According to researcher Jonny Bowden,
Ph.D., CNS, age-proofing parsley packs one of the most nutritious punches around. More than a
pretty garnish, it is loaded with flavonoids that protect against cell damage and even neutralize
carcinogens such as smoke from cigarettes and a charcoal grill. It’s filled with vitamin C, beta
carotene and even folic acid, and it boosts blood circulation. Parley is one of the best breath
fresheners around; pop a spring in your mouth. Oregano is a great choice also; half a teaspoon
has as many antioxidants as three cups of spinach.
* * * *
If the weather’s warm where you are, it might be butterfly season. For an emotional lift,
invite butterflies to your backyard, balcony, or patio. You can attract these beautiful creatures to
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your garden with the right flowers. Just a few nectar-producing plants, such as lavender, daisies,
asters, or hyssop, will do the trick. Whether you plant them yourself or pick up potted versions at
the garden center, place them in an open area that provides some shelter. A hedge or fence will
do to protect the butterflies from rain and wind. I set out a shallow dish of water with some
pebbles in it so butterflies can rest and take a drink.
* * * *
Making flower pens is easy. My pens tend to match the seasons because of silk flower
availability at craft stores. Make flower selections. Buy electrical tape, craft glue, and green
florist tape. At home, cut off flower tops, leaving a leaf and part of the stem. Tape the flower to
the top of a ballpoint pen with black electrical tape and then wrap it in spirals with green floral
tape, gluing it with “disappearing” craft glue. The pens look cute grouped into a flowerpot, or
give them away individually. People like them because they are easy to find on a desk.
* * * *
Fresh flowers are a mood brightener. This uplift is instantaneous when we step into a
florist shop. At home, make an inexpensive arrangement with a bouquet bought at the farmer’s
market or grocery store. Posies of smaller flowers tend to look best in shorter, stouter vases,
whereas longer flowers tend to look more elegant in taller vases. However, you can always cut
your flowers to the required length to fit the shape of your vase before you start arranging them.
Place flowers in your chosen vase and place the larger, more dominant flowers in first so as to
create the focus. Try placing these flowers at different angles to make the most of their
individual shapes and to give the arrangement a balanced feel. You should then add the smaller
flowers and finally the foliage to fill any gaps and accentuate the mix of colors.
* * * *
Feathered friends will flock to your backyard after you make a quirky birdbath from
an assortment of garden-variety flowerpots. The top that holds water is a 14″ pot saucer. The
other pots are 8″, 9″, and 10″. Paint the outsides of pots in wicker white, and then add color.
Plaid, stripes or wiggly lines look fanciful. Or use foam stamps for motifs such as flowers, birds,
butterflies, and ladybugs. Finish by painting with an outdoor matte sealer to finish your shabby
chic birdbath.
* * * *
Almost any plant can be trimmed into a topiary. Using a pair of hedge clippers, it’s easy
to shape herbs, shrubs, and even small trees into desired shapes. Recently I clipped off all lower
branches of a row of six-foot whispering willow trees and shaped upper branches into
harmonious ball-shaped structures. Formal garden design gives us a sense of peace and comfort.
It’s tidy. My willow tree row is planted in the ground, but most topiaries are in urns or pots.
Some topiary candidates are upright rosemary, verbena, fuchsia, a small rose bush, small leaved
tree, boxwood, and juniper.
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* * * *
If you’re concerned that your age makes you less attractive, here’s an interesting
update: researchers found that when women were shown a series of images, the older women
were far less likely to recall the negative pictures than younger women. The reason is that with
age, the brain’s emotional amygdala is increasingly modulated by the rational dorsolateral frontal
cortex, blunting negative input. This information comes from Roberto Cabeza, Ph.D., professor
of psychology and neuroscience at Duke University. If blondes have more fun, gray-haired
women have even more! Is your hair turning gray? In order to avoid the nasty line where natural
hair grows out, many women are choosing not to color their hair.
* * * *
Taking care of Mother Earth makes us feel good. Worldwide, humans have played a
negative role in the environment when our activities release huge amounts of heat-retaining
“greenhouse” gases. Whenever we visit our parks, we try to reduce our impact in these ways:
Pack it in, pack it out. Dispose of trash, looking out for recycling receptacles. Carpool. Gather
family and friends and visit parks together. Reuse. When going on a picnic, instead of paper
plates, we use reusable plates and plastic ware. The water required to wash dishes is minimal
compared to the waste created by disposables. Check your tires. Adequate tire pressure reduces
emissions. Walk on the wild side. Instead of driving through the entire park, we park and explore
on bicycle or foot, getting the benefits of fresh air and exercise. Camp smart. We camp in a tent
or cabin instead of an RV, saving money and fuel, as well as significantly reducing carbon
emissions.
* * * *
Plant cultivation is pleasurable, whether inside or out. The long blooming time of orchids
adds to the joy of growing them. Or plant a tiny Japanese maple in a pot and grow it as a bonsai.
Grown outside, lavender, once it’s established, is a low-maintenance and drought-tolerant
plant. It’s a Mediterranean herb that thrives in hot, sunny locations with well-drained, alkaline
soil. There are many different varieties. To dry a fragrant bunch, tie it upside down until
moisture has evaporated. Enjoy the fragrance all year round.
My next-door neighbor, Kendra, grows lavender. Her mother grows it on a bigger scale at a
lavender farm in Oregon. At the moment, I’m imagining the wonderful scents of a field on a
foggy morning. Lavender is a natural stress and cold cure. Anxiety wreaks havoc on our immune
system by lowering levels of the white blood cells that fend off invading cold, flu and other
viruses. Luckily, the fix is as easy as taking a whiff of lavender. In a new study, two key types of
illness-fighting white blood cells returned to near normal levels in stressed animals who inhaled
R-linalool, the natural compound that gives lavender its sweet aroma, reports the Journal of
Agriculture and Food Chemistry. This same effect holds true for humans. Turns out, R-linalool
balances an overwhelmed mind and body by calming more than 100 genes that have gone into
stress-related overdrive! Other plants that contain R-linalool are jasmine, laurel, sweet basil, and
lemon balm.
* * * *
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Visit an art museum. One of my favorite haunts is the Bergamot Station in Santa Monica,
once a station for the Red Car trolley line. This industrial space is now home to the Santa Monica
Museum of Art, plus two dozen art galleries, a cafe, a bookstore, and offices.
* * * *
Bunnies make interesting pets. We have two, both “fixed.” Some live happily as house
bunnies or on a porch, but we live in California and keep our bunnies outside. In the morning we
move Dee and Irv from their hutches to a pen in the yard, arrange boxes that have cut-outs for
tunneling, and put out food and water. When they’re in their big pen, they sniff around. After
they feel safe and relaxed in their environment, they run. This is entirely for their amusement.
They leap, twist around, land, and take off again. They are little chariots of fire and enjoy each
other’s companionship. Sometimes our daughters put a harness and leash on Dee and take her for
a walk in the park. For some reason, Irv doesn’t care for the harness.
* * * *
When the weather gets warm and sunny, we spruce up our outdoor spaces. They belong
to us, and we spend time there. Whether it’s a balcony or backyard patio, a new piece of outdoor
furniture adds cheer. Buy or sew covers for rattan chair cushions. A wooden picnic table or
bench might need painting or refinishing.
* * * *
There are three tricks to make a home feel larger. When small rooms look more spacious,
you increase the value of your home.
Going monochromatic with neutrals (beige, ivory, or light green) is great for
enlarging space. Upholstered furniture in a light tone blends nicely with light-
toned walls. Lighter tones reflect light while dark colors absorb it. The result is a
peaceful airiness.
Enlarge a cramped bedroom with a mirror on one wall and a small lamp placed
opposite. Light will bounce off the mirror, making the room feel larger.
The reflection of a plant also does wonders by extending depth.
* * * *
A front door expresses the heart and soul of the home. A screen door gives a casual look.
Change things around a bit with baskets, twig furniture, and welcoming potted plants.
* * * *
Feel cheery in giant polka dots. Thanks to designers, oversized dots are this season’s hottest
pattern. Use them to give your spring and summer wardrobe a splash of graphic color. Buy a
polka dot sheet and make into a tablecloth for the backyard picnic table. Consider covering your
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food journal with polka-dotted fabric. Do any of you remember the cartoon character, Polka
Dottie?
* * * *
Set out a pretty bowl of fruit. A research breakthrough for healthy eating and weight loss
came from a Penn State study. Two weight-loss groups ate the same calories, but one group
(called the Water Group) lost five more pounds than the other group and said they felt more
comfortably full. Average weight loss per week was three pounds. The water group ate foods
rich in water and shrunk their waistlines by two inches in six months. Melissa Hershberg,
M.D., analyzed results from the study. Water rich foods tend to be high in volume, low in
calories, and are consumed in higher volume. The Water Group ate 25% more food by volume.
Fruit is 80% water. In another study, subjects who ate three pieces of fruit a day lost 33% more
weight than those getting the same calories but no fruit. An added bonus is that fluid dilutes the
building blocks of sugar and reduces the need for the blood-sugar hormone insulin. Insulin
encourages fat storage in general and belly fat storage in particular, explained Dr Hershberg.
Currently in the U.S., about one if four people are obese and half are overweight. Obesity is
implicated in serious health problems, including type-2 diabetes, cancer, and heart disease.
There’s no mystery about excess body fat; we pack on pounds because our caloric intake exceeds
our caloric needs.
Tuck the Seven Secrets into your little gold suitcase and bring them wherever you go.
Secret Number One: For optimum fat melting, use your personalized formula to
calculate your daily calories; seven times your present weight is your daily
calories.
Secret Number Two: Pretend to weigh twenty pounds less. Visualize yourself as
a smaller person eating smaller quantities.
Secret Number Three: Plan your food for the day, and then keep yourself honest
with a journal. Include how hungry you are, where you’re eating and when, and
how you’re feeling.
Secret Number Four: Choose an exercise routine, and get moving for thirty
minutes every single day.
Secret Number Five: Keep to a rigid schedule for eating and drinking water
because rigidity is essential for creating new habits.
Secret Number Six: Get enough shuteye. If we’re tired, our bodies hold onto fat.
Secret Number Seven: Embrace the mind-body-spirit connection that underlies
self-confidence. When we’re doing what we need to do for ourselves, we enjoy
being in our own skin. The Gold Standard of Thin takes you on a positive
journey.
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Index for Recipes
Appetizers
Devils on Horseback 21
Deviled Eggs 22
Breakfast
The Skinny Latte 23
Banana Peanut Butter Roll 24
Eggs on Toast with Grapefruit 25
French Toast Served with Fresh Fruit 26
Oatmeal 27
Beef Entrées
Beef Kabobs 28
Cilantro-Lime Steak Fajitas
29
Ground Beef Meatloaf
30
Beef Rib Roast with Shallots and Herbs
31
Hamburger Surprise
32
Italian Spaghetti Sauce with Ground Beef
33
Steak and Potato Combo
34
Stuffed Peppers with Parmesan
35
Veal Cutlet Parmesan
35
150
Chicken Entrées
Apple Curry Chicken with Brown Rice 37
Basic Chicken Soup 38
Buffalo Chicken Strips 39
Chicken with Rosemary 40
Cheatin’ Chicken—Made Easy 41
Chicken Cacciatore 42
Chicken and Spinach Quesadillas 43
Chicken Stir-Fry à la Philippines 44
“Fried” Chicken 45
Indian Style Chicken Breasts 46
Tortilla Soup 47
White Bean and Chicken Chili 48
Wily Chayote-Chicken Salad 49
Fish and Shellfish Entrées
Caribbean Style Baked Fillet 50
Coconut Lime Fillets
51
Crab Cakes with Orange-Dill Sauce
52
Crispy Baked Fish
53
Fish Ball Soup
54
Halibut Fillets
55
Salmon Burgers
56
Salmon with Yogurt Dill Sauce
57
151
Tuna and Rice Pasta Primavera 58
Ham and Pork Entrées
Fiesta Pork Chops with Strawberry Salsa 59
Glazed Ham with Peas, Carrots, and Leeks
60
Pork and Broccoli Stir-Fry
61
Pork and Pineapple Kabobs
62
Pork with Couscous, Cashews and Kiwi
63
Pork Tenderloin Prepared with Apple Cider
64
Salads and Side Dishes
Apple Carrot Salad with Cheddar and Walnuts 65
Arugula, Pear, and Toasted Hazelnut Salad
66
Asian Salad with Peanut Noodles
67
Avocado and Blueberry Fruit Salad
68
Blueberry and Tortellini Salad
69
Beef Salad Southwestern
70
Chopped Salad
71
Classic Caesar Salad with Mozzarella Croutons
72
Cottage Cheese Salad
73
Feta, Broccolini, Radish Pasta
74
Green Beans Almondine
75
Grilled Potato Primavera Salad
76
Lobster Salad
77
Pink Grapefruit, Raspberries, and Walnuts
78
152
Potato Salad 79
Sautéed Spinach with Almonds and Grapes
80
South of the Border Salad
81
Summer Squash and Pine Nuts Side Dish
82
Stuffed Shells
83
Shrimp Cocktail Salad
84
Studebaker’s Quinoa
85
Sandwich Entrées
Egg Salad in a Whole-Wheat Pita 86
Bacon Turkey Melt 87
Fish Sandwich 88
Ham Stuffed Pita 89
Muffaletta Family Size Sandwich 90
Office Lunch Box Favorites 91
Peanut Butter and Jelly on the Perfect “10” 91
Pizza with a Whole-Wheat Pita Crust 91
Pork in a Pita 92
Turkey and Swiss on Whole Wheat 93
Tuna Sandwich 94
Turkey Cutlets with Mozzarella in a Pita 95
Turkey Entrées
The Confetti Turkey Burger 96
Grilled Turkey Breast with Sun-Dried Tomatoes 97
153
Red Chili 98
Snacks
Crunchy Spicy Chickpeas 99
Honey Peanutty Spread with a Granny Smith 100
Peanut Butter with Strawberries on a Cracker 101
Popcorn and Trail Mix Concoction 102
Ricotta and Lemon Peel Creme 103
Root Bear Float 104
Smoothies 105
Summertime Orange-Creamsicle Cooler 106
Sweet Potato French Fries 107
Vegetarian Dishes
Angel Hair Pasta with Peas 108
Cheesy Tomato and Broccoli Casserole
109
Eggplant and Pasta Revel
110
Mediterranean Lentil and Bulgur Stew
111
Omelet of Slimming Victors
112
Spinach and Tofu Pasta
113
Spinach Frittata a la Greco
114
Southwest Frittata
115
Tofu Stir-Fry
116
Verona Vegetable Bean Soup
117
Vichyssoise
118
154
Woodbridge Spa Soup 119
Zesty Vegetarian Wrap 120
155
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