Crazy, Stupid Diets and The One Thing That Makes Them Work

After reading about how a woman dined only on Starbucks fare and lost 80 pounds, I laughed, but it also makes me mad.  Why do I let these things get to me?  I know better, but some people seem so blind. Danni from Healthy Kitschy Kitchen agrees and she just posted a similar rant about this. In fact, we seem to share a lot of similar views. Check out her blog for some healthy tips, great rants, and delicious recipes.

Notice the word on the bottom. Do you want your day's worth of meals from this?

This will be short because time is limited, as I've said just about every time I've posted lately. Sorry for being a broken record, but I felt the need for this post.

There have been and still are so many meal-based fad diets like.....

The Subway Diet - We all know Jared and his giant pants he holds up.

Jared and his pants. (source)

A Very, Very, Stupid McDonald's Diet - Ever see Super Size Me? Nuff said. I can't stand to just pass by the place.

There are tons of crazy and stupid (hence this post's title) meal-based diets out there; here's a comprehensive list I found on Diets In Review if you care to see more of these aggravating diets.

I figure most of you reading are fellow foodie bloggers and can laugh at how absurd these things are, but sadly others actually get sucked into to the weight-loss claims and feel the need to try themselves. If you are one of the "others", let me save you some time and frustration....DON'T DO IT!

The basic reason a non-nutritive diet of nothing but McDonald's or Starbucks can let you lose wait is basic calorie math; if calories in < calories out = weight loss.  Here's a handy chart if it helps....

The Cause, Effect & Result of Your Daily Calorie Intake

The Cause	The Effect	The Result
Calories In Beats Calories Out	Caloric Surplus	Muscle gain, fat gain, or both.
Calories Out Beats Calories In	Caloric Deficit	Fat loss, muscle loss, or both.
Calories In = Calories Out	Maintenance	Everything remains the same.

source

Yes, it gets more complicated than this when you take into account the thermic effect of food, but that's another post for another day. For the most part, if you take in less calories than you use, you will lose weight.

If you really want that, just eat a pint of Ben and Jerry's Chunky Monkey (~1200 calories) spaced out in 3 or 4 sessions each day and you will lose weight.  I'm assuming most of us burn at least 1200 calories just living.

Here's your breakfast, lunch, and dinner in one!

But please...don't do that either! Instead, avoid what the media says and do actual research on food; it is your health after-all.  Or, choose real, whole food not found in packages and you'll be on your way to a healthy way to change your body.  As a big bonus, when you consume whole foods like fresh fruits and veggies, lean protein, and healthy fats, you rarely need to count calories.  These foods will naturally fill you up with their healthful fiber which helps keep you from overeating.

Now, some of us have other issues like intolerances and allergies (including me), and that part is just trail and error...and help from the doctor.  Either way, a whole food diet will always beat meal-based diets where certain food groups are cut out b/c they are "bad" or you are limited to one place for all of your meals.  In other words.... whole food diet > meal-based/fad diet.

Tell me, what are your thoughts on these crazy diets?  Are you one of the "crazies" who fall into the media trap and try for yourself?  I admit I'm guilty of this in the past.

On a separate topic, I just got this Soyajoy G3 soy/nut/seed milk maker and am really excited to share my new creations with you.  I just made quinoa milk for my first run and it's still cooling now, so I'll update you once I try it.

Also, only one day left to enter my Navitas Naturals Giveaway; don't miss out!

Have a wonderful day; it's almost the weekend!

Having a "Cuppa Joe" in Breck

I love coffee. Kelley loves coffee too.  We love seeking out unique, local coffee shops to enjoy a good cup of brew wherever we travel.  We've been to several around Breckenridge, CO and they are all pretty good places for coffee and lunch fare.  Today we found an awesome and lively shop that's been open since August of 2011 called "Cuppa Joe".

We were kindly welcomed upon entering Cuppa Joe and quickly attended to.  I questioned about different coffee options, but ended up ordering what I always get at unique shops; an Americano with 3 or 4 shots of espresso and nothing else.  Johanna (the Barista/Owner) offered to throw in the 4th shot for no charge since she makes the shots in doubles anyway.  Fine with me, I will never pass down more jolts of caffeine; it doesn't really affect me too much anyway.

Kelley Ordered her go-to drink when travelling, a dry Cappuccino with skim milk.  We tried each others drinks and decided they were the best we've ever tried.  I would happily start (and end) my day with this drink!  We talked with the Johanna a little and she would happily answer any questions and never seemed annoyed.  I'm used to people getting annoyed with my inquiries, so this is a big thing. 

The menu options all look very healthy and customer recommendations can be found on the Facebook page here. 

Kelley's cappuccino on the left and my Americano on the right.  They were too good to take pictures when first served.

The owner assured me they get their food in fresh and prepare everything to order.  So, for any special requests made by people like myself, rest assured they will add, remove, or substitute ingredients as you desire.  The sweet potato and black bean burrito sounded like something I'd readily order, and she said they can serve it in a bowl if requested. 

Our table inside the cozy shop.  The couch behind me looked really comfy.

I can tell the locals are quickly catching on to the place since the owner seemed to know most people by name as they entered. With great, healthy food prepared to order at competitive prices, there's no reason not to make Cuppa Joe a frequent meeting place. I suggest you make this local and inviting cafe a priority if you are ever visiting or live nearby.

Kelley and I visited Cuppa Joe before leaving for Texas right when they opened at 6 a.m.; I enjoyed another 4 shot espresso Americano and Kelley requested another cappuccino.  We both expected the shop to be closed since a giant snow storm had come through and was still going strong as we left, but we recieved another warm welcome from Johanna and she had already served a couple customers.  It's great to see an owner with so much passion to make sure the business is open as stated and that customers will visit regardless of the weather outside.
Check out Cuppa Joe's Facebook page and follow them on Twitter to help support this great business.

Coffee: Explained / Peanut Flour Power

Do you get all excited about going to the local coffee shop (or Starbucks) only to become confused on what to get once you’re there? I have found myself imagining all the ways to savor the awesomeness of java only to get “what’s currently on brew” in the end. I typically do this because the different names/styles can be overwhelming, plus I just like the black stuff without added calories i.e. cream, syrup, sugar, etc.
Foodista.com posted an easy to read graph which provides the different names of each coffee drink and their components. I found it helpful and would like to share with those who read my blog. Hope this helps you as much as it did for me.

Being the picky person I am, my go-to drink when ordering at a coffee shop is still just whatever’s on brew; usually a light or medium roast. Can you guess what I get when not ordering the ordinary? I opt for the Americano with 3 shots of espresso when I feel like splurging. This way there’s still no added cream or sugar, but when a great espresso is used, nothing else is needed. An Americano is a great option for those trying to reduce their calorie intake but still want something to “treat” themselves. As usual, a little sprinkle or drop of stevia goes a long way to help sweeten coffee or tea without adding empty cals.
You might recall the peanut flour post I wrote 2 Friday’s ago. I tried some of the suggestions listed and they were all a great success. Kelley has even started to add a few spoonfuls of the flour to her smoothies. Time to start ordering more!!
Adding peanut flour to smoothies is a quick and simple way to get the peanut nutrition without the peanut fat (which isn’t all that bad either). A little more labor intensive is using it in soups and pureeing, then the next step is baking. I just created the following sweet potato and cannellini bean soup for the week and suggest you try it too!

Sweet Potato Cannellini Peanut Soup
Ingredients – Serves 4


- 2 Medium Jersey Sweet Potatoes, scrubbed, and cut into chunks
- 1 Cup Dried Cannellini Beans (soaked overnight); about the equivalent of 1 ½ (15oz) cans
- 2 tsp Fresh Ginger, chopped
- 4 to 5 Cloves Garlic, chopped
- 1/2 Onion or 8oz Frozen Onion, chopped
- 16oz Frozen/Fresh Broccoli, Spinach, or any other green veggie on hand
- 8oz Frozen/Fresh Cauliflower
- 1 (15oz) Can No Salt-Added Tomatoes, diced
- 1/4 Cup Peanut Flour
- 1 Tblsp each of Cumin Powder, Dried Cilantro, Dried Parsley, Ground Fennel Seed, Chinese 5 Spice Powder
- 1 tsp each of Cayenne Powder (I use more), Paprika, and Chili Powder
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Directions


Please note that I never really measure the herbs and spices I add, so these measurements are just a good guess. I enjoy just going with my gut feeling on how much to add; sometimes it works out……..sometimes not….sorry Kelley. I used a slow-cooker, so the method is pretty simple. Don’t worry too much on cutting to the right size since everything will be pureed. Add all ingredients except peanut flour to slow-cooker and cook on low for 6 hours. Once ready, add peanut flour and blend with an immersion blender or in a standing blender until smooth.

This soup can be served warm or cold. It’s great with a side of crusty bread or crackers along with fresh chives and a dollop of yogurt on top. Yum, I know I will make this again! Maybe even more peanut flour next time??
Here is what I created for the protein-filled baked treats......

Cocoa Peanut Protein Treats
Ingredients


- 1 Cup Peanut Flour
- 1/2 Cup Stevia sweetened Whey Protein Powder
- 1/2 Cup Whole Grain Spelt, Wheat, or Rice Flour
- 1/2 Cup Whole Rolled Oats
- 1/4 + 1 Tblsp Cocoa Powder
- 1 Whole Egg and 4 Egg Whites
- 1/2 Cup Canned Pumpkin Puree
- 1/4 Cup Applesauce or Plain Yogurt
- 1 tsp liquid Stevia or 1/4 Cup of the granulated Stevia
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp Salt, Baking Powder, and Baking Soda
Directions


- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
- Mix wet ingredients in large bowl and whisk until combined
- Mix dry ingredients in another bowl
- Stir dry ingredients into large bowl until well combined; don’t mix anymore than you have to
- Pour batter into 8 x 11 baking pan; whatever you have could work too, try it flat on a cookie sheet if needed
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until a fork comes out dry when stuck in the middle
- Remove and let cool on a rack for 10 minutes, then cut to desired shape and enjoy!

It’s not very sweet since I don’t add sugar, but this is good to me. If you want something sweeter, reduce the amount of pumpkin or applesauce and add 1/4 to 1/2 Cup of honey or agave.

If you haven’t already, buy some peanut flour for yourself and start adding to whatever you can think of. This versatile ingredient is a healthy addition to sweet and savory recipes. Maybe I’ll mix it with chilled coffee and ice for the next smoothie concoction. We can add it to the info-graph above and call it Café Cacahuète (French for Peanut).

Enjoy the day and good eats to everyone!