Thursday Thoughts: Blogging Break and Why You Should Read Packaged Food Ingredients

Do you remember how you viewed food before becoming foodie or just increasing your knowledge of the food world? I remember how I only cared if it looked, sounded, or tasted good; nutrition info and ingredients were of concern.



Yep, I used to crave these and would usually stuff them with fries too.

 



It's crazy how far I've come since then.  Now I will maybe go out to eat about once a month, I think way too much of what I will have for each meal so that the macro nutrients balance out, and I read every single ingredient on every single package I pick up. It doesn't matter if I read the exact same package the week before, I still read it again.  Borderline insane? Maybe, maybe not; the food industry makes such quick choices to help their bottom line that you never know when ingredients will change.



Now I crave this, amongst many other whole foods and clean, lean protein!



Quick example: The Good Health Peanut Butter Pretzels used to have whole wheat as the first ingredient, but now it's this:

Enriched, Unbleached Wheat Flower [contains the following vitamins & minerals: Niacin (A B-Complex Vitamin), Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate (B1), Riboflavin (B2), Folic Acid], Peanut Butter (contains Peanuts, Cane Sugar, Salt), Stone Ground Whole Wheat, Salt, Baking Soda

But beware! Amazon still lists the ingredients as Whole Wheat, and Peanut Butter.

And what's up with companies like Jimmy Dean Sausage and Kellogg's trying to put up a healthy facade on their not-so-healthy products? Like Pop-Tarts are really a nutritious breakfast! Stop the advertising like these are acceptable breakfast (or any other time) foods!

No one needs a frosted rectangle jammed with crap like:

ENRICHED FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMIN MONONITRATE [VITAMIN B1], RIBOFLAVIN [VITAMIN B2], FOLIC ACID), CORN SYRUP, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, DEXTROSE, SOYBEAN AND PALM OIL (WITH TBHQ FOR FRESHNESS), SUGAR, CONTAINS TWO PERCENT OR LESS OF CRACKER MEAL, WHEAT STARCH, SALT, DRIED STRAWBERRIES, DRIED PEARS, DRIED APPLES, CORNSTARCH, LEAVENING (BAKING SODA, SODIUM ACID PYROPHOSPHATE, MONOCALCIUM PHOSPHATE), CITRIC ACID, CORN CEREAL, GELATIN, PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED SOYBEAN OIL†, CARAMEL COLOR, MODIFIED CORN STARCH, SOY LECITHIN, XANTHAN GUM, MODIFIED WHEAT STARCH, TRICALCIUM PHOSPHATE, COLOR ADDED, TURMERIC COLOR, VITAMIN A PALMITATE, RED #40, NIACINAMIDE, REDUCED IRON, PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE (VITAMIN B6), YELLOW #6, RIBOFLAVIN (VITAMIN B2), THIAMIN HYDROCHLORIDE (VITAMIN B1), FOLIC ACID, BLUE #1.†LESS THAN 0.5g TRANS FAT PER SERVING

That's for the popular strawberry flavor, right from their site.



Keep him and his friends out of your home!!



The Frosted Mini-Wheats might be better (read "easier"), but a bowl of creamy oats with mashed banana and peanut butter sounds and is so much better! Plus, what's with the little mascots riding around on the kids and acting like they help in school? Nonsense, I say!

And the Jimmy Dean Delights commercials just aggravate me to no end. You know the one where the guy dressed as a sun (who does that?) feeds a woman's wholesome breakfast to birds and gives her a Jimmy Dean Delights breakfast bowl or sandwich? Yeah, good job, commercial, way to make healthy eating look boring and bland....only feeding the negative way America views food.  The stupid commercial only talks about calories, not ingredients or nutrients.  Hmm, why not? Something missing in Jimmy Dean "Un"Delights?

Like most things in boxes, it has a list of crap:

INGREDIENTS: PRECOOKED SCRAMBLED EGG WHITES, COLOR ADDED (EGG WHITES, MODIFIED CORN STARCH, NONFAT DRY MILK, WHEY PROTEIN ISOLATE, SOYBEAN OIL, CARRAGEENAN, SALT, NATURAL EGG FLAVOR, GUAR GUM, XANTHAN GUM, ANNATTO [COLOR]), DICED POTATOES (POTATOES, PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED VEGETABLE OIL [SOYBEAN AND/OR COTTONSEED OILS], AND/OR VEGETABLE OIL [CANOLA, SOYBEAN AND/OR SUNFLOWER OILS], MALTODEXTRIN, SALT, DEXTROSE, TETRASODIUM PYROPHOSPHATE AND DISODIUM DIHYDROGEN PYROPHOSPHATE [TO MAINTAIN NATURAL COLOR]), COOKED TURKEY SAUSAGE CRUMBLES CARAMEL COLOR ADDED, BHT AND CITRIC ACID ADDED TO HELP PROTECT FLAVOR (TURKEY THIGH MEAT, SEASONING [SALT, DEXTROSE, SUGAR, SPICES, BHT, CITRIC ACID], CARAMEL COLOR), REDUCED FAT SHREDDED MILD CHEDDAR CHEESE (PASTEURIZED PART-SKIM MILK, CHEESE CULTURE, SALT, ENZYMES, ANNATTO COLOR, VITAMIN A), WATER.

Man, I've been ranting a lot lately, but I want so bad to better inform the world on how to view real, whole food as good and normal.  Going out to be fed from a drive-thru or sit down place is not normal and should be a treat!



My idea of a healthy and tasty breakfast. Look at those Brussels!



So, be careful out there (the grocery store), it's a crazy place with false promises printed all over packages.  Here's a great article on the confusion of healthy eating that I think really makes a good point on why so many just don't even try.  Although they should!

About the "Blogging Break" part of the title; I am going to ease off my posting for a while to see if it helps reduce stress.  Yes, I actually stress about getting pictures and writing posts on my blog. Obviously, a full time job, exercise, and food prep already takes a lot of my time and I need time with Kelley too.  My marriage is most important, afterall!

I love talking with all of you about our passion for food and fitness, and I will still be around.  I may only have 2 or 3 posts a week, and maybe less pictures.  This is my true passion, but the job pays the bills, so you know how that goes.  Maybe one day I'll find my foodie calling, but until then, I need steady income...to buy the good food!!

Chocolate Microwave Layer Cake. Proof that healthy is neither dull, tasteless, or time consuming.

I know I don't have a huge following, but to those that read my blog, what would you like to see in my few short posts?  What topics have you enjoyed in the past?

I know a few other bloggers are taking a break for blogging as school starts up and life interferes. If you're taking a break, how are you handling not posting?  Does it feel like you are cheating?

Have a great day and thanks for reading, I appreciate everyone who comments!

A Healthy Boost with White Bean Bell Pepper Puree

Did you know meatless meals are gaining ground in popularity and meat and poultry consumption is expected to drop 12 percent this year? To some, this is no surprise as the price of meat is only going up, and when you’ll only consume humanely raised meat (like Kelley and me), things get expensive fast!

Source - http://www.formerfatguyblog.com/2008/05/17/black-bean-recipes.html

Pound for pound, beans actually offer just as much if not more protein than beef; and at a fraction of the cost! Many people fear they won’t get enough protein unless they eat meat, but this is not true. Check out this link from the Vegetarian Resource Group providing a sample menu for the day with the total amount of protein consumed.

Luckily, vegetables and legumes have plenty to offer in the way of nutrition and flavor. Don’t get me wrong, I love meat, poultry, and fish, but most of the meals I consume are meatless.

If you feel like you “can’t” go without meat, I’m willing to bet you haven’t had a vegetable dish that ranks high on the flavor scale. As always, the key to consistency with anything is that YOU have to like whatever it is you’re doing; or eating in this case. This holds true for anything from exercise to the food you eat.

The colors make this dish stand out already!

Red, White, and Green.....Italian colors for an Italian (kinda) meal!

Now it's orange, but still really good!  I added some arugula to mine

I made an incredibly creamy and tasty slow-cooker white bean, bell pepper and mixed veggie puree this weekend that will please the vegetarians and carnivores in your life.

White Bean Bell Pepper Puree

-1 cup dried white kidney beans, soaked (use this method for soaking)
-1 small avocado, ripe
-2 red bell peppers, seeded, cored, and chopped
-4 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped
-10oz bag of frozen chopped onion and celery mix (you can use half an onion and 2 stalks of celery too)
-16oz bag of frozen broccoli and cauliflower
-1 ½ cups chicken or vegetable broth
-I just eyeballed the following dried herbs and spices: cumin, turmeric, paprika, chili powder, pepper, cayenne, basil, oregano, and thyme

Add all ingredients to your slow-cooker and mix to combine. Turn cooker on to high and cook for 4 hours or low and cook for 6 – 8 hours. Once everything is cooked, use an immersion blender to puree everything right in the pot; I added 2 tablespoons of non-fat dry milk powder to help thicken everything, but it’s not necessary; plain yogurt works well too. If you don’t have an immersion blender, scoop the mix into a blender (filling only half-way) and blend in batches until everything is creamy. Serve right away in a big bowl with ground pepper, cayenne, and parsley as a garnish. This should be enough for 3 or 4 servings; make extra and freeze for a quick meal next week!

 I love slow-cooker cooking; it requires little prep time but offers loads of flavor. If you don’t like or have any of the listed ingredients, you can simply sub whatever you have on hand and it will still turn out great! These white kidney beans (a.k.a cannellini beans), as with most beans, are low in fat, high in fiber and protein, and offer generous amounts of minerals and B vitamins.

The weather is warming up around here and I hope it stays that way. I am not a fan of cold at all; unless it’s in Colorado and you’re surrounded by awesome landscapes. In Texas, you just get cold and wind which suck together. Ha ha, that sounds funny; maybe I should say cold and wind “blow” together. Sorry, lost my train of thought.

Are you excited about the weather warming up, or do you prefer the cold?

Thoughts for Thursday: Sugar Consumption > Obesity?

How conscious are you of the sugar content in your food? Are you aware of the growing epidemic of diabetes in children and adults? Many of us are quick to point a finger at obesity (myself include), but a new paper from researchers at the University of California, San Francisco have labeled sugar consumption as the culprit. This is an interesting article to read, and I thank Heather, a friend of ours, who shared an article on this topic with me yesterday.

The Fooducate Blog posted on this article today and helped summarize the main points. Here is the body of their post:

"Our daily sugar consumption today stands at 22 teaspoons. At 4 grams per teaspoon, 4 calories per gram, that works out to 352 calories! The most shocking fact is that just 30 years ago the average consumption was only a third of what it is today.

Instead of silly educational campaigns that are no match for corporate advertising budgets, the scientists suggest a set of drastic measures, mimicking the regulatory governance of alcohol and tobacco. 

- Heavy taxation on sugary foods and beverages
- Removing sugar from the FDA’s “generally regarded as safe” (GRAS) list of ingredients
- Removing all sugary foods and drink from schools and nearby
- Prohibiting the advertising of sugary foods and drinks to kids and teens
- Banning the sale of sugary drinks to children"

Basically, the researches who published the paper say the government needs to step in to “help” consumers. While I don’t agree with the amounts of sugar in packaged foods, consumers can and should still make their own choices. Playing the ignorance card is just ridiculous in today’s world; you hear about obesity, diabetes, and unhealthy food consumption everywhere. Although taxing sugary food and drink may keep some consumers from buying the products, this is still not a good fix to me.

Education and awareness are the best options without controlling too much of our “freedom” in America. I understand this is an uphill battle and many parents are reluctant to learn anything on food and nutrition to teach their children. Thus, it’s a continuing cycle as these kids are raised without considering what is going on inside their bodies from the food they eat.

The majority of us complains about government intervention, but then look to them to solve many of our ongoing problems through regulation. There are more levels to how the government works than I can comment on, but I am sure their views on food and nutrition are skewed with the big money business that produce packaged foods. I say stick to educating yourselves, family, and friends; if others don’t catch on, then their loss. It’s harsh, but Darwin’s “Survival of the Fittest” comes to mind here.

I found this video ad against childhood obesity that aired in Australia and wanted to share it here.



I hate to see that children, whose capacity to learn most of life’s lessons from their parents, are unable seek knowledge on something they don’t know to look for. I agree with proper nutrition education and the ban on junk food in schools, but as I said before, the big money companies will fight against this.

A great start would be to eliminate nationwide sales of things like Girl Scout Cookies (hydrogenated fats included!); instead, have the Girl Scouts help support locally farmed food or minimally processed whole grain products. I’ll have a giant smile on my face when I actually want to stop and look at what foods the little scouts have to offer as I am walking into a store.

What are your thoughts on sugar consumption? If you haven’t already, is there anything you plan on changing to help better your health? Please post to comments and let me know your thoughts.

Healthy Product Review: Rice Select Jasmati Rice

Did you know rice is the most commonly consumed grain in the world? It should come as no surprise since it is widely available, affordable, and nutritious.

There’s a long list of health benefits provided by this amazing grain such as:

- Great Energy Source: Rich in carbohydrates, it acts as fuel for the body and aids in normal functioning of the brain.

- Rich in Vitamins: Rice is an excellent source of vitamins and minerals like niacin, vitamin D, calcium, fibre, iron, thiamine and riboflavin.

- Resistant Starch: Rice abounds in resistant starch, which reaches the bowel in undigested form. It aids the growth of useful bacteria for normal bowel movements.

- Dysentery: The husk part of rice is considered as an effective medicine to treat dysentery. A three month old rice plant’s husks is said to contain diuretic properties. Chinese people believe that rice considerably increases appetite, cures stomach ailments and indigestion problems.

- Skin Care: Medical experts say that powdered rice can be applied to cure some forms of skin ailments. In Indian subcontinent, rice water is duly prescribed by ayurvedic practitioners as an effective ointment to cool off inflamed skin surfaces.

Obviously, with its popularity and long list of nutritional benefits, I jumped at the chance to sample Jasmati rice from RiceSelect. Jasmati can be found in white, brown, or light brown varieties; I was sent a large container of white rice to cook and sample as I pleased. It didn’t take me long to decide how I would use most of the sample…..rice pudding! Something about the cool, creamy pudding that’s easy on the stomach and tasty at the same time ranks it as one of my top 5 favorite treats. It also helps that RiceSelect is local company here in Texas which automatically gains my full support.

Although I would always choose brown rice when given a choice, white rice works really well for rice pudding. Being the health-obsessed person I am, I had to try making this in my own healthy way without the heavy dairy products and cups of sugar. Here is what I came up with…..

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups nonfat milk

1/2 cup RiceSelect Jasmati rice , uncooked

1 15oz can light coconut milk

1 cinnamon stick, about 3 inches long

1 ½ teaspoon liquid Stevia

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

ground cinnamon

unsweetened shredded coconut flakes

Directions:

In a large, heavy bottomed saucepan, stir together the 2 1/2 cups milk and the rice. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring often. Reduce heat to medium high and boil for 5-6 minutes or until the mixture begins to thicken, stirring often to keep anything from sticking to the bottom. Stir in the can of coconut milk, the cinnamon stick, and stevia. Increase the heat to high and bring back to a boil, stirring often. Reduce heat to medium high and boil for 4-5 minutes or until you have a creamy and soupy consistency. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla and let the mixture stand for 30 minutes to thicken. Serves 6 generous helpings.

I enjoy most treats with a cup and spoon.

Before serving, remove the cinnamon stick. To enjoy immediately, put rice in a serving dish, sprinkle with cinnamon to taste and enjoy. If you’re like me and want cold pudding, transfer your creation to an airtight container, lay a sheet of plastic wrap on the top, and chill for several hours. The plastic will prevent skin from forming and keep your dish looking great.

I am very happy with the outcome of this pudding, and think it is proof to have a healthy, guilt-free treat to be enjoyed everyday! I suggest you pickup some RiceSelect rice (any type is great) and start cooking today.  Try this recipe with Texmati® Brown Rice for an extra health punch that is sure to please any crowd.

Do you like rice dishes as something sweet, savory, or both? What will you make with this versatile product when you get it?

Thursday Thoughts: Mindful Eating

How often do you think about food? I (obviously) think about food a lot; this blog is pretty good proof of that! One thing that bothers me is how some people view food. I know the whole “to each his own” saying, and realize others’ views should not bother/affect me, but they do. I want to be able to help spread the message to be more mindful of the food we eat.

Everything from the ground it is grown in or lives on into our home should be considered when choosing food. Too many people will just pick up and eat what is served without really knowing what all is in meal or how it was prepared. I’m not saying to take things to the extreme, but just having a general understanding of food sources and the ingredients in common meals can go a long way. These same people focus more on the apps their phone has and the specs on the latest digital equipment, for example, well before considering the nutritional quality of the food in front of them.

Nothing against anyone like this, it seems to be the norm since most regard me as the weird one for wanting to know more about food before eating it. I’d like to propose a challenge to anyone willing to accept; be more mindful and aware of your meals for a week. Instead of finding the quickest thing available before calling into your next meeting, then scarfing it down in 5 minutes, try planning your meals ahead of time. If you can’t prepare and bring your own food to work, know what’s around and pick it up on the way in if you think you won’t have time. Basically, even though most people say they don’t have the time, there is usually a way to make time.

This might seem a little corny, but here are 6 tips from another blog that will help you be more mindful of each meal or snack you consume:

1. Count Your Blessings

Honor your food and express your gratitude. Do you feel fortunate to be able to afford the food you eat? Is your food nutritious? Does it look pretty on your plate? Tell it!

I admit to complimenting my food. I say, “Wow! You look delicious!” I say, “Thank you so much for being here with me.” I say, “I am so grateful for all of the people who made it possible for my food to be here with me.”

2. Be Aware of Your Senses

Eating is more pleasurable when it is a multi-sensory experience.

Use your eyes and notice what is on your plate. Smell the aroma. Chew slowly so you can appreciate the flavors and experience the textures.

3. Appreciate All Food Equally

Don’t treat everyday food as boring and unimportant. Give it the same gratitude, interest and excitement that you offer a favorite meal. It’s natural to ooh and ahh over a favorite birthday dinner. But what about the chicken or salad you eat frequently? Take the time to notice and be thankful.

Arrange it on your plate so that it looks nice. If you have good dishes, don’t just use then for special occasions. Everybody and everything likes to be the recipient of good vibes and positive attention. Appreciated food is more likely to deliver all of its nutrients—partly because you aren’t gulping it down.

4. Feel Your Feelings

Don’t require your food to be a workhorse for your emotions. It wasn’t designed for that job. Feelings are part of the human experience. Don’t be frightened of feeling bored, lonely or sad.

Sit with your feelings rather than fleeing from them. Determine whether you are hungry or bored. This small amount of attention and awareness helps prevent mindless eating.

5. Take the Stress Out of Eating

Be present when you’re eating, and be mindful of the way you talk about food when you’re not. Remember: complaining about bad eating habits doesn’t actually do anything to change them!

When you habitually talk about your discontent, you create an ongoing poor relationship with food. If you were to constantly speak about your boyfriend or wife in this way, you would cause plenty of problems in your relationship.

Instead of dwelling on your problems with food, say something nice about it. For example, focus on the way food fuels your body and allows you to do the things you want to do.

6. Love Your Food

Don’t buy into the idea that if you enjoy food too much, you’ll never stop eating it. Take a chance and see what happens when you love your food. Doesn’t it make sense that just as in any relationship when love and appreciation are expressed a greater sense of well-being follows?

When food is your friend, you can’t help but feel happier. And that is a state of mind that we could all benefit from seeing more of in the world.

Just be sure to regard your food as different fuel grades. This is a great analogy that's used often. Whole foods like broccoli, carrots, whole grains, beans, etc. are the higher octane fuels (think dragster fuel) that provide quality energy to your body. These things have more than just premium energy (calories); they are packed full of vitamins, minerals, and other essential nutrients. On the other end, packaged and processed foods such as crème filled pastries, flavored drinks, fried potato chips, etc. have plenty of calories that don’t do a lot for the body. Sure, I agree these things taste good, but consistently eating these things will drag you down in the long run.

So, next time you are served a meal or go to pick something up, ask how it was prepared or check the ingredients. Try to not worry about how you might look when asking; it’s your health, after all. This is by no means an attack on anyone, just something I notice a lot since it’s always on my mind. For whatever reason, I care about my food and want to inform others on making better choices for themselves. The feeling after changing my diet years ago is amazing!

How will you be more mindful of your meals? Do you feel there’s room for food on your list of priorities?

Resolutions are for Anytime of the Year!!

New Year’s resolutions have become a major business for many fitness centers and “health” food producers and you can see/hear this advertised for the first 2 months of the year. I do not like setting resolutions; they usually involve too extreme of a change for individuals to stick with them. Plus, why does it have to be a new year? If you feel you need a change for health, do it ASAP…don’t wait!!

Have you made any resolutions for the new year? I promise, despite what I just said, I won’t judge. I’m even a little guilty in that I decided I want to work to get stronger this year, but that was decided before 2012 rolled around. Actually, this was right have the Las Vegas Marathon as I have been left feeling weak from just running.

Anyway, how are your resolutions (if any) coming along? I know it’s later than usual to speak on resolutions as most of the buzz if fading now, but I found a link with a great Top 10 New Year’s Resolutions I want to share.

Here is the top 10 list; this is great advice that we can all use to improve our health and overall life.

1. Avoid processed food - We talk about it constantly. The more processed food you consume, the more you’re asking your body to deal with foreign ingredients. Those ingredients, like MSG or sodium benzoate are things your body doesn’t need and may react to badly.

2. Commit to cooking at home more often - If you’re going to avoid processed foods, you’ll need to commit to preparing meals at home. Don’t forget that should include breakfast and lunch, as well as dinner. Many times, we can look at breakfast and lunch as “quick meals” that require convenient products that won’t disturb our set schedules.

3. Read the ingredient list on every product you purchase at the grocery store - There are some products, like canned beans or pickles for instance, that we can’t assume only contain the things we’d expect to find in them. Sadly that assumption isn’t always the case and the only way we can ensure avoiding those ingredients we really don’t want in our diets is to make a consistent habit of reading those lists.

4. Read the nutrition label, too - The basic nutrition information is important. We all need to understand how much fat, salt, sugar, and cholesterol exist in the serving size of any product we consume. We also need to understand what our daily intake of those things should be. So find out what’s right for your body and eat accordingly.

5. Eat your vegetables - and if you already eat them, eat more of them! Experiment with veggies you’ve never tried before. Try to make sure eating the same vegetables over and over doesn’t bore you – it’s easy to get into a veggie rut … especially if you have kids that will only eat two or three.

6. Eliminate something you already know isn’t healthy - Try to give up something for the New Year that you already know isn’t healthy for your body. Maybe you drink too much diet cola. Maybe your favorite cereal is really a sugar rush. Pick just one thing in your diet today that you know shouldn’t be there and commit to eliminating it in 2012.

7. Try to fit organic foods into your budget - Certified Organic Food is one of the best ways to know you’re avoiding things you want to keep out of your diet. While it can be pricey, there are food products you may be able to replace with organic versions that won’t destroy your budget.

8. Be careful of product names - It’s so easy for any of us to be fooled. “Natural”, “whole grain”, “smart” are just a few of the words on packaging that can have any of us reaching for them without realizing that for food it’s really not all in the name.

9. Question convenience - As we go forward into 2012, we’re all pressed for time. Life does seem to move faster now than it did before. Food marketing relies heavily on the concept of making our lives easier. Instant oatmeal, frozen scrambled eggs and bacon, rice and flavorings in a box with dehydrated vegetables. Do we really need to save time this much? The answer is different for everyone. Make sure you ask the question of yourself in the new year.

10. Remember you won’t be deprived - If you follow any of these tips, remind yourself that there’s a big world of food out there. As you remove the things you don’t want in your diet, you’ll most certainly find things to replace them with that are better for you and your family that you’ll actually enjoy even more than what you dismissed for its lack of health value.

To make these changes where you will be consistent, don’t try to take on too many at once. Maybe choose one or two of these ten and see how it goes. This doesn’t have to be for a resolution either, anytime of the year is a good time to start. Instead of a new year, make it “Starting next week I’ll…” if you need a starting point.

Number three and four on the list, read ingredients and labels on every product you buy is something I do repeatedly for every trip to the store. Although this means I usually shop alone (I don’t blame you, Kelley), it’s very good to know what you are actually eating. I cannot stand not knowing the ingredients that make up a product before consuming it. This ties into other items on the list; most manufactures care more on how their product tastes than its actual nutrition.


From this list, what, if anything, will you try to take on? Maybe you do all of these things…which one do you feel is most important?  Although food plays a major role in health, keeping active is also strongly encouraged.  Just aim to do anything that elevates your heart rate for 20 to 30 minutes a day if nothing else.  It doesn't have to be something you don't like; try walking, cleaning house, riding bike, playing with your kids outside, jump rope, use a push mower, anything!

Take the weekend to decide and hopefully you will find this useful to help you, your friends, and family to take on a healthier lifestyle while still enjoying real, tasty food.