Viva La Green Tea!

Happy Monday and thanks for stopping by...

Are you a fan of green tea? If not, perhaps you will be after you read my post for today.

10 Reasons to Drink Green Tea

1. Longevity - Green tea protects against death from all causes especially cardiovascular diseases.



2. Improved memory - Green tea can help to improve memory and learning ability due to the EGCG, a very strong antioxidant



3. Weight control - My personal favorite..Green tea has fat burning properties especially when combined with increased physical activity nd a healthy diet.



4. Lower cholesterol - Green tea reduces LDL lipid absorbtion in the digestive tract and promoting their excretion from the body



5. Controlling blood sugar - Green tea has been used traditionally to control blood sugar due to its natural caffein content



6. Anti-hypertensive effect - Another personal favorite...Green tea produces nitric oxide which dilates arteries and therby reduces blood pressure if you drink 1-2 1/2 cups per day. I'm sipping on my second cup as I write this blog post...



7. Increase in exercise endurance - Green tea increases metabolic capacity and use of fatty acid as a source of energy in sketal muscle during exercise



8. Prevents tooth decay - Yes, I said tooth decay! Green tea kills the bacteria that cause dental plaque and halitosis (otherwise known as funky breath!) and increases the acid resistance of tooth enamel.



9. Soothes Arthritis - Green tea reduce inflammation and slows cartilage breakdown.



10. Gastrointestial tract effects - Green tea activates intracellular antioxidants and reduce inflammtion associated with Crohn's disease an some IBD

Have you had your GREEN TEA today?

Here's my weight loss update
My current weight is 184 lbs. (Yay!)

Here's what's on my menu for today

Breakfast - Frosted Flakes cereal

Lunch - Turkey Sandwich

Snack - Weight Watcher's Cookies and Cream Ice Cream Bar (110 cals.)

Dinner - Baked Salmon patty, rice and green peas

Exercise - gentle stretching ( I was in a car accident on Valentine's day, so I have to avoid strenuous exercise for a while)

Peace & Blessings to you. See you next time!

February Weight Loss Update

Wow! It's been a long time since I posted on this blog! I've still been eating right and working out. Here's my weight loss update. I weighed myself today and I weighed in at 187.6. Woo hoo! I'm finally under 190!! Hallelujah!!
Here's my measurement update! One month in and the pants are starting to get baggy! Oh yeah! That's what I'm talking about!


I'm still pushing!!! And I'm looking forward to losing more pounds and inches in February.

Live Long & Live Strong....

Food Wars: Kami Vs. Butternut Squash & Cauliflower

Food War Round 1: Kami vs. The "Infamous" Cauliflower
I have never been one to eat cauliflower...EVER...for any reason...EVER. But during this adventure to get healthy and lose 40 pounds in time for my 40th birthday I've been challenged to try lots of new things...LIKE CAULIFLOWER. My husband and I are only eating vegetables, fruits and grains. I haven't eaten any chicken or seafood this year. We don't eat beef or pork as a rule, so chicken and seafood are my only options anyway. I just think it's healthier for me with my high blood pressure issues.

So with only vegetables, fruits, and grains in our diet I have to switch things up and keep myself interested. So I looked at one of my favorite cookbooks; The Hungry Girl 200 Meals 200 Calories and Under. This book is amazing. So many delicious recipes; among them Cauliflower Casserole. Hmmmmm? Should I try it? Well, I think I shall.

So we did and of course it was fabulous. In fact is was so tasty I told my sons this may be my new substitute for my beloved macaroni and cheese. Cauliflower Casserole was cheesy, warm, creamy and the breadcrumbs on the top made for a nice contrasting texture. Overall, yummy.

Here's the recipe:

1 large cauliflower chopped into large pieces
2 cups of milk
6 TBSP of butter (yes butter!)
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
1/4 cup no fat ricotta cheese
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup bread crumbs
Salt and pepper to taste

Boil the chopped cauliflower for 6 minutes. Place in casserole dish sprayed with Pam. Melt 3 TBSP of butter in a saucepan and whisk in flour and a little salt. Whisk until bubbly. Pour in milk gradually . Whisk for about 3 minutes until thick and smooth. Stir in ricotta cheese. Pour over cauliflower. Melt remaining butter in saucepan and toss breadcrumbs to coat. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over cauliflower and sauce. Top with breadcrumbs.

Bake @ 375 for 20 minutes or until brown and bubbly. Let stand for 10 minutes and Enjoy!


Food War Round 2: Kami vs. The "Elusive" Butternut Squash
I must admit I don't know much about Butternut Squash. I do remember my Cousin Mildred making one of the tastiest pies I have ever put in my mouth from them when I was a child. But I have never attempted to cook one and didn't know how. In the spirit of trying new things I looked up a recipe online. I found this Moroccan Butternut Squash recipe and it was another good one.

My only problem with the Butternut Squash was CUTTING IT!!!! It was a beast to cut. Maybe because I don't have any Ginsu knives, but I struggled to get the hull off of it. So much so that my husband and children were laughing at me. I mean, this fruit is a tough nut to crack!...Okay I know that was corny, but I'm trying to make a point here.

As I struggled to cut and cube the butternut squash I said to myself, "this better be good.....all this work I'm putting into it". And it was. My husband even asked me to buy and roast another one as soon as possible. Well, he needs to buy a set of knives for me, if he wants that to happen! Seriously! After the cutting was over, the rest was easy.

After cubing the squash I added the following Moroccan type spices:

cumin
cayenne (not too much!)
allspice
cinnamon
pepper
sweet paprika

Directions:
Toss in olive oil first, sprinkle with seasoning mix. Spray your roasting pan and roast on 450 for about 30 minutes or until very brown and tender to the touch.....Enjoy!

Here's what ate today:
Breakfast - 3/4 cup roasted butternut squash
Lunch - Vegetable lo mein (I made it myself)
Dinner - cauliflower casserole and small salad
Beverages - water, water, water...I'm about to float away!..(hehe)

Exercise - 20 minutes of Michael Jackson the Experience for wii and 20 minutes of leg and ab work with my girl Mary J. Blige....good stuff!

Thank you so much for looking at my blog. I hope you'll try one of these recipes.

Live Long and Live Strong!!!

Toning Up the Temple

Today's Fitness Tip:
Strength Training/Lifting Weights

5 Reasons to Add Strength Training to Your Workout Routine

1. Lose Fat - If your goal is lose fat and change the overall shape of your body, you will get better results if you add strength training to your workout regimen.
2. Increase Metabolism - Because muscle burns up fat you will have more sustained energy as you build up more lean muscle mass. I'm not talking about bulky muscle that most women try to avoid, but lean muscle that will make you look slim and healthy.
3. Reduce risk of energy - as you get older, you become more susceptible to breaking bones and other injuries. However, if you build up your muscles and make your body stronger you will be less likely to have broken bones and other damaging injuries.
4. Increase self confidence - Which one of us doesn't feel better if we look better? As we get fit and come into better health our confidence will be boosted.
5. Improve Coordination and Balance - as you learn to lift weights properly your balance and coordination will improve
   

The Strength Training DVD I LOVE

A few years ago I bought this DVD that I found in my favorite spot...Wally World. It was only a few bucks but boy was it effective. The only trick is you have to DO IT in order for it to work. I'm not going to lie, some times I HATE doing it, but I know it works. I can literally see my body changes as I continue to work out with the Firm ladies.

Here's what I ate today:

Breakfast - Oatmeal with apples and raisins
Lunch - Fresh Veggie Wrap (with vinegrette and salsa)
Dinner- Rawsagna!!!

Workout - 30 minutes of Total Body Toner (It's a beast!!! But worth every minute!!!)

Live Long and Live Strong!

I Lost Five Pounds!!!

Today's Healthy Eating Tip: Water...

7 Reasons to drink water

1. Avoid dehydration - If you are thirsty you're already dehydrated. Don't wait 'til you get thirsty. Drink water regularly throughout the day.
2. Healthy Skin - Many people have been said to have a healthy "glow" after drinking water. Now this doesn't happen over night, but you will notice healthier looking and feeling skin as you increase your daily water intake.
3. Better Exercise - When you drink water before during and after a workout, you are more likely to more exercises done and feel better while you're doing it
4. Control Appetite - Many times when we feel hungry we are actually thirsty and already dehydrated. So before you run for that bag of chips, drink a glass of water and see if that does the trick. Also, drinking a glass or two of water can help you eat less at each meal. You'll feel satisfied quicker.
5. Improve Digestion - If you feel bloated or constipated you probably need to add more water to your daily routine. Our digestive system requires water to work properly. Water helps to move the food and waste through our bodies more efficiently and can help you avoid that "backed up" feeling.
   
6. Cleanse the Body - 45% of all problems related to the colon can be traced back to a lack of water intake. Keep the toxins out of your body by drinking lots of water
7. Avoid excess Calories - Water contains no calories, no sodium, no harmful dies, no caffeine. In other words; it's the best thing you can drink!

So start today. Drink more water. Most people should drink about 6-8 glasses of water a day to maintain good healthy and assist in losing weight.

Start a good water drinking habit:

1. Carry a water bottle with you everywhere you go.
2. Keep track of how much water you drink each day.
3. Set a reminder on your Blackberry or iPhone
4. Begin making a conscious effort to replace 2 or more drinks a day with good 'ol H20

Now for the weight loss update! Drum roll please......

I lost 5 pounds this week!!!! Now I know that is a lot of weight for one week, but remember, I was only eating raw veggies this week. I'm thinking about continuing the raw food for another week or maybe even two. I have been enjoying trying new recipes and the fact that the majority of the food has been fresh and not processed.

I am battling this blood pressure issue with all my might and one of the things I try to avoid is a lot of salt. I noticed this week that I was taking in very little amounts of salt. The only things that had a measurable amount of salt was the salsa I ate, the dressings, peanut butter, tomato sauce and yogurt. Everything else was virtually salt free; absolutely no sodium. This is great! I noticed that my feet did not get puffy at the end of the day; another plus!

Thanks for stopping by! Live Long and Live Strong!!!

"Raw" Lasagna...Dee-lish!

I was so "amped" today to try a new recipe I saw on a raw food website. It's called Rawsagna. This is a raw fresh food version of lasagna. As you may know, I have been eating only raw fresh veggies this week and I've been experiencing some great results. I'll post my weight loss results tomorrow. Anyway, while I'm eating only raw and fresh I didn't want to only eat salads all week. That would be extra boring and I'm not into boring. So I've tried veggie wraps, zucchini "spaghetti" (which was also delicious) and salad made from apples, carrots, raisins and celery (another tasty dish). But this rawsagna was unusual and honestly I didn't know how it would turn out.

But it was terrific!!!

Now this picture really doesn't do it justice, but I wanted to at least show you how it looks. Here's the recipe...

2 medium zucchini sliced in thin sheets
1 bag baby spinach
6 baby Portabella mushrooms
1 medium tomato diced
Tomato sauce (okay I cheated here, but give me credit for trying :)
Pepper
Sea Salt
Dash of nutmeg

After you slice all the ingredients to the desired size layer the zucchini on the bottom of a 9x9 casserole dish add the baby spinach, a dash of nutmeg, then mushrooms, the diced tomatoes, a little salt and pepper, then the tomato sauce. Repeat this process once more and Voila!...Rawsagna is served, Baby!

Listen, my 11 year old son loved it, my husband loved it...It was truly delicious. We ate the whole dish in one sitting. And I don't have to feel guilty because everything (except the sauce) was fresh. My 11 year old said "we should have this more often, even when you're not on a diet". I conquer, we should. And we will. It was just that good.

If you're feeling a little frisky you should try this one, yourself. If you like lasagna, I think you'll like this...

Here's what else I ate today.

Breakfast - Yoplait light White Chocolate Strawberry yogurt & 1/2 grapefruit
Lunch - 2 Whole Wheat Wassa Crisp slices with peanut butter (just a little)
Snack - 100 cal. South Beach Diet Fiber bar
Dinner - Rawsagna

Workout
Okay, last year I ordered the Zumba! fitness DVD set and I'm ashamed to say I had never even really opened it. Today, almost a year later I finally decided to brush the dust off of the box and try a workout. It was lots of fun and I highly recommend it. You can find it here.

I can't wait to tell you how much weight I've lost, so far. You won't believe it!!!

Live Long and Live Strong!

I Finished the Whole Workout!!!

Healthy Eating Tip for Today:
Blueberries
one cup of blueberries contains 21 gram of carbs, 4 grams of fiber and 14 milligrams of vitamin C all for just 83 calories! Blueberries are great for fighting cancers, heart disease, varicose veins and urinary tract infections. Blackberries, purple grapes, plums and raisins have similar benefits.

Try some of these fruits over your whole wheat cereal, add them to low or no fat yogurt, or toss them in a blender with low fat milk, honey and ice for a tasty smoothie. Yum!

Since I started working out to get healthy and fit in time for my big 4-0 I have been working out (almost) every day. But I was only able to do about 20 minutes of the whole workout. I added some crunches, which are absolutely necessary for me to lose this extra pooch. But I was never able to finish the whole 30 minute workout......

Until today! I finally finished the whole 30 minute workout!!! Wooo hoo! I felt like giving up a few times, but I refused. I kept thinking about getting off these blood pressure pills. I kept thinking about being fat and 40...NOT!!! I kept thinking about getting back into a size 9/10 jeans.....Yessir! hahaha and I kept pushing past my pain and fatigue. I didn't gain this extra 40 lbs overnight and I sure as heck won't lose it over night.

Here's what I ate today:
Breakfast - Lowfat Vanilla yogurt and blueberries

Lunch - 2 Whole Wheat Wassa Crisp Bread Slices with Peanut Butter

Dinner - Large Veggie Salad

Snack - 2 MORE Whole Wheat Wassa Crisp Bread Slices with Peanut Butter

Workout - Total Body Toner (with light weights 3lbs, 5lbs, 8lbs) - 30 minutes, Baby!!!


Live Long and Live Strong!!!