First order foods and Casual Kitchen

I would love to introduce you to a great blogger about cheap, healthy, and easy food

Casual Kitchen

Cook More. Think More. Spend Less.

What is a first order food? Second? or even third?  How do eating these food affects our health and budget.

Daniel Koontz from casual kitchen clearly expresses the affects of back to basics and processed food. Great read for anyone!

http://casualkitchen.blogspot.com/2008/08/stacked-costs-and-second-order-foods.html

Some more of my favorite things: Strawberries

This is one of the best and worst reason about living in Israel is strawberries. Best: the strawberries are amazing. Worst: strawberries have a short season running from only January to April.

While there are more than 600 varieties of strawberries, I think that we can only get a few varieties.   No worries though because they are simply delicious. Whether sliced up into yogurt or oatmeal or just enjoyed by themselves. And for once I don’t have to worry about eating these delectable delights. Strawberries, like other berries, are a rich source of phenols, making them a heart-protective, anti-cancer fruit, and anti-inflammatory fruit, all rolled into one. But it gets better, Strawberries are an excellent source of vitamin C , manganese, dietary fiber, potassium, folate,  and  the B vitamins. It seems they are chock full of everything but calories.

Just don’t forget, do not remove their caps and stems until after you have gently washed the berries under cold running water and patted them dry. This will prevent them from absorbing excess water, which can degrade strawberries’ texture and flavor. Since they are very perishable, strawberries should not be washed until right before eating or using in a recipe.

Obesigens? Is that why I’m fat

See and I thought it was because I love junk food and don’t exercise enough. But after reading this article which presents a compelling argument that the traditional eat less/move more  theory does always play out when chemical are in play. Although I don’t like hearing these types of studies because I think they release blame from people’s actions. On the other hand, we all have to be aware of the dangerous implications of the food we are eating.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35315651/ns/health-diet_and_nutrition//

How to deal with Shabbos: healthier eating starts now

Shabbos, it happens every week. When dieting, most people I know chose to ignore the day. I have been one of those people most of my life. Shabbos was always, a free for all, eat drink as much as you want. Limiting would detract from the Shabbos experience. I agreed with that for many years. But when I began to be more serious about weight loss, I knew I had to start adjusting my behaviors.

However, I didn’t want to DIET on Shabbos. Shabbos in its most basic sense is a day of rest. But its more than that it is a day we elevate beyond the physical realm and attain a surreal sense of peace, contentment and joy. And I don’t know of any more meaningful medium for experiencing that except food.

There has to be more, because if over eating makes me unhealthy than it cant make me truly happy, peaceful or content. So I started thinking to myself how can I limit out limiting.

I went back to my primary principles of dieting which are positive. If I eat all the food I need to eat I won’t have room for bad things.

Here are the strategies I starting employing that really helped:

1. Add more veggies as a fillers to meals: Unlike week day meals Shabbos meals are different in that they have choices. I often have two or more choices or proteins, and carbs. By adding more veggie options I have more of an opportunity to fill up on vegges.
2. Start with a clear broth soup: fills you up and just plain delicious.
3. Eat whole grains:  As much as this hurts sometimes I have cut back on my potato intake and looks toward, buckwheat, brown rice and other options that are simply healthier.
4. Take a walk: I have tried to get out more on Shabbos, sitting around is not healthy for me or my kids
5. Make only one dessert: if I only have one I am more conscience of how far it goes over the weekend
6. Cut the excess: Most meals start with what my husband and I call the never ending salad course. We get straight to the point and eat the food we want (usually the chicken), instead of sitting around eating mindlessly.
7. Watch how many portions: I don’t pull out a measuring cup like the rest of the week, but I watch how many times I fill my plate.

I don’t think people should get obsessed with dieting to never have a day off. But I think more people are not having that problem, rather they like myself take too many days off. I have been trying to refocus my Shabbos, and remember that it is a spiritual event and maybe edge away from all of the physical manifestations. So that I may enjoy 120 years of Shabbosim.

Day 3: Feelings, Breakthroughs and Realizations.

First things first, thank you. Because you’re there, reading my posts – I’m even more encouraged to follow through. You really make a difference.

Today I’m going to focus a bit different. We all know the deal now – water, exercise, water, eat, stretch, water, snack, stretch, water, eat, water…So today – let’s talk about feelings, breakthroughs and realizations.

Waking Up – I went to bed later than I wanted. And when the alarm rang, I hit the snooze again and again and – NO. If I didn’t get up now, I wouldn’t have time to walk – and I had to walk. So grumpy, tired mommy yells at the boy to get out of bed and get dressed. “I’m leaving and I want you dressed and ready for breakfast when I get home.” This sweet little voice called,”Why can’t I walk with you?” Indeed, why not? So, I calmed down and waited for him to get dressed. He ran the first ten minutes, we walked and talked the final ten, and then we enjoyed breakfast together. He said he was going to go to bed really early so we could walk longer tomorrow and suggested that I should do the same.

And what a wake-up call for me. First breakfast, now exercise. I was really sending the wrong message. I hope it’s not too late to change that – for both of us.

Forgiveness – Mistakes happen – don’t let them bring you down.
I didn’t walk last night. I failed. Normally, that would have been enough to stop me. But this morning, I did it anyways. I decided early on, if I made a mistake, to forgive myself and keep on keepin’ on. The results? Haven’t gorged on chocolate and haven’t given up on my walks. Good enough for me.

PAIN – If I hurt, don’t hurt myself even more. I was so into working through the pain – (I blame the Olympics and their no pain, no gain attitude). Reality check, I am extremely out of shape and overweight. My poor bones and joints can’t take the strain. So, last night, no walk. And this morning? My hip feels fine. My knees are a bit sore – but no biggy. At this place, at this time, the evening walk is too much for me. I’ll try again in a week.

Satisfaction – Face it – we all want instant satisfaction and gratification. That’s part of my weight problem. So I have to find the right foods to fill the hollow pit. I’ll have to play a bit to find the perfect combo of healthy, filling food that works for my, Until then – just deal. I’m hungry, not starving. After all, I’m going to eat something in less than 3 hours. I can wait that long. Then, when I make this work – I’ll experience satisfaction on a whole new level.

Willpower – I don’t think I have a lot of this, but I think we all have enough to get us through the little battles. Like this one. Day 2 commute home – and I am HUNGRY. It wasn’t a very satisfying day. And what’s that in my pocket, forgotten and forlorn? Half a bag of chocolate. Creamy, melt in your mouth chocolate. I didn’t eat it!!! (and the crowd goes wild!) Yes, I had enough willpower, but not enough. My willpower needs friends. Like Dena, like you.

Note:Vacation for the next 2 days. And I’ve decided. Don’t restrict too much – but don’t go overboard. Let’s see if I can find the middle.

Are you ready for my second day? Am I?

by shadow woman

I was up a couple times during the night. All that water has to go somewhere.  And, I don’t know If you can relate, but even if he’s a good boy during the day, I HATE going to the bathroom after my husband in the middle of the night.

I wanted to go shopping and get the things I needed – vitamins, yogurt, fruit, etc. I wanted the walker cleared and ready for some heavy duty walking. I wanted to do so much, but didn’t. Stupid! not being prepared for this undertaking has almost sabotaged me from the get-go. But, if I would have said –“Wait, I need to get this and do that” first, I never would have started. Still, I wish I was more prepared.

Wake up. water and walk – This is so hard to do and I so wanted to blow it off the walk. Again, having a buddy worked. I guess I am very susceptible to the guilt factor.

Work Day: So far, so good. But today, lunch wasn’t as satisfying. I don’t think I am getting enough cals at snack time and lunch. But I MUST not ‘make them up’ at night. I don’t feel as draggy as I usual do at this time of day, still doesn’t mean I would turn down a rest cot and a blankie.

My knees aren’t so bad half way through the day, but my hip is another story. But no matter what, I will continue to walk twice a day. It may hurt like hell, but the rest of my body must appreciate it! I’m hoping it will pass. I can’t let it stop me from getting healthy, that is for sure and positive.

And I can’t emphasize the importance of being prepared. I am so hungry now, but all I have to eat is a tomato, a cucumber and some cream cheese. YUMMY – not. They ran out of cottage cheese. AND – my favorite cookies are out today, calling my name. Keep repeating ‘What would I tell Dena?”

It’s 5:30 and I am hungry. I really need to eat more satisfying snacks and lunches. Dena suggested I add a soup to lunch. We’ll try that tomorrow. Or, maybe have it as the afternoon snack. I so want to go and munch on the cookies and wafers they have available here, but no.

Big revelation – Not only is my buddy helping, writing about it reinforces compliance. I guess that’s my personality though, and it’s better to work with it than against it.

Tomorrow – better planning, better food.

Note to self: I just realized something. I am going on a mini-vacation Wednesday and Thursday. I don’t want to lose momentum, but I don’t want to restrict myself too much either. Nothing like getting some alone time with the old man only to have it spoiled by salad and celery sticks. I’ll have to think on this one.

Evening Walk – I just couldn’t do it. All my determination. All my commitment. I physically couldn’t. My knees were ok, I could deal. But my right hip was Agony or some close relative. Thank goodness my husband was able to pick me up tonight. I don’t want to walk anymore. But that’s the problem, isn’t it? It’s a viscous cycle and I must break out.

Dinner – Shwarma in a pita, not a healthy choice day. But we were running late, and dinner wasn’t started, and we needed to do shopping so I could have food tomorrow, and, and, and… I think you know the story. I thought I blew it completely, but to my pleasant surprise, the calorie count on a Shwarma is between 400 – 500 calories without hummus or techina. Since I didn’t either, I was probably OK. But the white flour – not good.

Snack – ¼ cup of trail mix – nuts, raisins, dried apple and banana. Wow. That was way too much. I hope my low count for the day compensates. But I didn’t feel hungry, which would be a deal breaker for me. Also must give myself a pat. I didn’t go back for another ¼ cup.

Bedtime – Blew it again. I watched Olympic Pairs Figure Skating. I don’t live in the same time zone and we taped it for the evening. I hope I wake up on time.

All in all, today was harder than yesterday. Hungrier more often and my physical shape slowed me down. On the up side, I have the food I need to snack properly (no vitamins yet – bad girl) so tomorrow already promises to be better.

Day 2 of the Perfect week

ralphbijker

Today was hard, real hard. After ever meal and snack I was still hungry and to top it off my kids was home sick from school so I couldn’t go out for short walk. I chose to do movements (as recommended by prevention magazine) in my office but it just wasn’t the same.

However, I did get up on time and get outside. It is so pleasant to walk and I really challenged myself by walking up a really big hill in my Yishuv. Despite my hunger all day, I didn’t lack any energy.

My morning was also thrown off by having no food in my house. I had to go to the store, and there I succumbed to eating a burekas. It wasn’t a great choice but I tried to make up for it but being extra good the rest of the day.

Push come to shove I wouldn’t call this a perfect day, but I did fulfill all of the requirements.  So just like a drunken hairdresser, you just have to keep going.

Food:

• Cheese burakas
• Apple and cheese stick
• Cabbage salad and sardines on toast
• Banana with peanut butter
• Split pea soup and a slice of whole wheat bread

Exercise

• Morning walk 35 minutes
• Office movements

The Perfect Week of Perfect Eating

Hi I am Dena’s friend who has gone along  with her perfect madness and will be posting for the next week. As some of the material is sensitive, I would prefer to just be named as shadow woman

I’m what you might call obese. And not overly energetic. I used to be skinny – Maybe not the twig of today’s standards, but I was comfortable in my body and I liked how I looked. Over the last 15 years, I‘ve become twice the woman I used to be. It needs to change. I want to see my kid grow up. I want to hold my grandkids. I don’t want to be housebound because my bones no longer support me and my heart barely stands the strain of going to the bathroom. And you know what – my husband may think I’m sexy and desirable – but I just don’t. I want to feel beautiful again. I have to do something. NOW.

And that’s where energetic, excitable friends come in (ie. Dena). I have one who’s got me hyped to do this ‘perfect eating week’. She found this article in Prevention’s online mag and – I think I can do it. I know me, I need scheduling, but not too much. I have to feel satisfied and see results right away or I won’t stick. That’s what this is. An hour-by-hour eating regimen designed to help the pounds come off and the energy stay up. So, we’re trying it together. And this is my story.

Day 1:

I was supposed to go to bed by 10:30 so I could be out by 11. Blew that. I got up only 15 minutes late. I will say even though I’m tired, but I don’t have that dragging, burning behind the eyes feeling. I forced myself outside for a walk. We have a walker, but it’s more of a clothes rack now. Changing that tonight, because I have to exercise again.

6:15-6:30 – Wake up time – ok. So I don’t jump out of bed. It took all my willpower and the knowledge I was doing this with a friend to get my tired bones out of bed. Yep, the buddy system works – if only for the guilt.

6:35 – Water and Lemon – this is supposed to rehydrate and the lemon helps rebalance your digestive tract. Since this is about eating right – rebalancing the digestive tract sounds like a good thing –even if I don’t understand it so much.

6:45 – Walk – Ugh. I want to use the walker – but it was folded up and being used as a coat rack. So instead, It’s get dressed and outside for a twenty minute walk. Honestly – I felt good when I finished, but the whole 20 minutes I had a list running in my head of things I wasn’t taking care of at home. Maybe that list is just another way of self-sabotage? Too early in the morning to think about it. Just walk.

7:30 – oatmeal and milk – I don’t eat breakfast. But for this to work, I must. My son was kind of shocked when I sat down with him. My goodness, what was I teaching him? Certainly not the importance of a healthy breakfast for everyone!

9:15 – water – Drink a glass of water and walk a bit to stretch the muscles. And yes – it’s keeping the mind focused.

10:00 – take a walk – had to stop my work – but the walk around the office helped stretch muscles and focus the mind

10:45 – cottage cheese and tomato. I’m usually on my 5^th cookie by now – but this snack was more filling and tastier. Also too light on the calories. I can bump it up a bit tomorrow.

11:45 – more water and a multivitamin – Oops – forgot the vitamin. Drank the water anyways.

12:45 – tired but not dragging

1:15: lunch – a salad with olive oil dressing and an egg, plus a sour dough bun. OK, OK , tomorrow , no bun.

2:10 – A glass of water and a walk around the building. Felt good to get outside. But I feel like I am wasting time at work with all this walking.

3:45 – afternoon snack – I am so unprepared for this. Must go shopping. Off to the kitchen for some more cottage cheese, this time with cucumber – I like it, but a yogurt and nuts does sound more satisfying. Feel like I’m eating all the time.

4:15 – nodding off. I guess I really need to go to sleep on time.

6-7 – my next landmark calls for exercising at this hour – but this is my commute home. I walked for 20 minutes before taking a bus the rest of the way home. My knees and hips are on fire. It’s the weight I know- so I either work through it and get better or stop and get worse. If the pain continues and is more than aspirin can handle, I will go see my doctor.-

Dinner – I had a good dinner, steak, rice, big salad and 2 slices of home-made whole-wheat bread. But this time, I drank water until I was full and didn’t go back for seconds, thirds, fourths…I was satisfied. I know it was a high on the cal count, but I want to make a living diet – the next day should be smaller as my husband – the cook – gets more into it. he wants me healthy too.

Dessert/Snack – I have sweet tooth, and there was one slice of cake left. Not a big slice, but not a sliver. I ate it. This time, I didn’t look for something else to go with it. My cal count was low in the day and high at night. But I don’t think I overdid it too much.

Bedtime – Went to bed at 10:45.

On another note, because of my excessive weight and inactivity, my knees and right hip have introduced me to the meaning of ‘dull ache’. I hope a good night’s sleep helps.

So, until tomorrow…

Day One: Sushi madness

This week I am trying to have “Perfect week” of eating, drinking and exercising.

Well Day one is finished and there were high and low points.

Miraculously I got up on time and did my walk around the yishuv. I really love walking, and so glad this plan is helping me put a priority on things that I love.

The morning was good, it was a little annoying to be constantly getting up to exercise, drink more water and the result of drinking lots of water. But it kept me full and I didn’t feel starved at all.

After walking to get my kids from gan, I had to take my  3year old to the doctor. My husband who hadn’t eaten all day decided to have falafel. I almost wanted to eat my arm off and got really cranky. But I managed to not eat the falafel, and I was proud of my little accomplishments.

However, it seems I didn’t plan this week really well.  Last night was Rosh chodesh, and my husband  and I have a tradition of always going out to eat. We chose sushi, both because I love it and Adar is the symbol of the fish. Before I went out I had bowl of soup at home, this kept me from being too hungry and over eating at the restaurant. I only ate three rolls of sushi and shared a piece of pie. I wasn’t great but tomorrow is a another day.

Daily eating:

• oatmeal, yogurt, slivered almonds,
• water and coffee
• apple and 1 slice of cheese
• vitamins
• cabbage salad with sardines on toast
• kiwi and avocado
• bowl of broth soup
• 3 rolls of sushi
• 1/2 piece of apple pie

exercise:

• 20 mintues walk in the morning
• 10 mintue walk to the store
• 15 minutes walk get my girls

The Perfect Week

Be Awesome

Lately I have been feeling like I’m slipping, both in food control and exercise, so I decided to raise the stakes. Sometimes competition with yourself gives you the edge to keep to your resolutions.  I found this really interesting article in prevention magazine about the perfect day of eating. After reading it, I got excited. It seemed to plan out a reasonable balance of food, water and exercise.  And I thought to myself, what if I did this for a whole week.  To cement this resolution, I enlisted another one of my friends to do it with me.  So for the next week I will be following this plan of action as best as possible and I will be writing every day this week.

So tune in for daily updates

And if you want to join just look over the article and if you have any trouble just comments below I will glad help.

Lets do this together!

PS. I anticipate that the food won’t be as much trouble as waking up at 6:30.