Review your eating habits to start the new year - TEAM Resources

“Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.” – Maria Robison

I am trying to remember the above quotation as I venture into the new year. Similar to other years, I am thinking of 2008 as a time for a bright start, filled with beginnings, harmony and good health.

As part of my beginnings, I took the time to read a book called, You: Staying Young by Dr. Mehmet Oz and Dr. Michael Roizen. The doctors explain how we humans can extend our warranty and live healthy, productive lives. They remind us that if the body is not working properly, it stores blubber. Losing weight is not about dieting at all; it is about changing the way you eat and learning what your body needs. Here are some highlights:

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Take stock of the pantry

The first ingredient to avoid is hydrogenated oil, which often masquerades as partially

hydrogenated oil. Roizen said we should also reduce sugar and high fructose corn syrup from our diet. Try to avoid enriched foods, and instead eat whole pasta, breads and brown rice.

A healthy kitchen with nutritious choices means you must take time and read the ingredients on the label. Roizen advised buying food containing less than four grams of saturated fat and less than four grams of sugar per serving.

Snack foods to keep on hand are apples,

carrots and nuts. And remember that hunger can sometimes be confused with thirst. Keep fresh water convenient at all times.

* Start off right

Start off right

Studies show that people who take time for breakfast are thinner.

Steel-cut oatmeal, whole grain cereals and egg-white omelets are smart choices. If time is limited, try a fruit smoothie to take with you. Add ice, water or juice to fresh or frozen fruit and enjoy. Try adding yogurt, flax oil, psyillium seed husks and protein powder to make the meal nutritious and full of fibre.

Fruit smoothie

1/4 cup frozen strawberries 60 mL

1 large ripe banana (or other

fruit of your choice)

2 tablespoons orange juice 25 mL

concentrate

1 teaspoon psyillium seed 5 mL

husks

2 tablespoons protein powder 25 mL

2 cups water 500 mL

Peel banana; break into chunks. Put all ingredients in a blender. Add water and ice, as well as powder, oil and husks. Cover and blend.

Note: Psyillium seed husks and protein powder are available at some grocery stores and health food stores across Canada.

Get moving.

People should walk for at least 30 minutes each day. This lays the foundation for all other exercise. Strive to walk 10,000 steps a day.

The book answered a question that many a reader put to us: Are sugar substitutes a healthy alternative?

While substitutes like aspartame, saccharin and Splenda have not been proven dangerous, Oz said they also haven’t been proven to promote weight loss. He also encourages people to drink 100 percent fruit juice, straight or diluted with water. Despite their high calories, these juices have valuable nutrients.

Mediterranean chicken

As always, I recommend adding a green salad to complete the menu.

4 small boneless, skinless 1 lb./500 g

chicken breasts

1 small onion, chopped

1 teaspoon dried oregano 5 mL

leaves

1 can (19 oz.) Italian-style 540 mL

diced tomatoes, drained

1/4 cup sun dried tomato and 60 mL

oregano dressing

2 teaspoons minced garlic 10 mL

1/4 cup sliced and pitted black 60 mL

olives (optional)

3 cups hot cooked brown rice 750 mL

Heat a large, nonstick skillet sprayed with cooking spray on medium heat. Add chicken and onions; sprinkle with oregano. Cook chicken for three minutes on each side or until chicken is lightly browned on both sides and onions are crisp-tender. Add tomatoes, dressing and garlic and stir gently. Continue to cook four to six minutes or until chicken is cooked through, turning chicken after three minutes. Stir in olives. Spoon rice onto serving platter; top with the chicken and sauce.

Cranberry apple crisp

Using up groceries after the holidays is a hassle. In my fridge I spotted a bag of softened apples and some stray cranberries that had not been used in sauce. I tried this new recipe that takes a traditional apple crisp to a new level with the tart cranberries.

4 large apples

1 cup fresh or frozen 250 mL

cranberries

2 tablespoons brown sugar 25 mL

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 5 mL

divided

1/2 cup brown sugar 125 mL

1/2 cup rolled oats 125 mL

1/2 cup flour 125 mL

1/2 cup butter 125 mL

Preheat oven to 325 F (160 C). Peel, core

and slice apples. Toss with cranberries, two tablespoons (25 mL) brown sugar and half a teaspoon (2 mL) of the cinnamon in an eight inch (20 cm) square baking dish.

In a mixing bowl, combine until crumbly the other half teaspoon (2 mL) of cinnamon and the brown sugar, rolled oats, flour and butter. Place over the cran-apple mixture.

Bake for 45 minutes. Serve warm with ice cream, if desired.

The secret to supper

With today’s busy lifestyles, many families find little time to sit down at the family dinner table for a meal, much less prepare it themselves. Eating out, grabbing fast food or making last minute trips to the grocery store often become options for many families. Not only is this expensive but it seldom promotes healthy eating habits or proper nutrition.

Three busy moms came up with a solution to the dinner dilemma. Joanne Smith is a registered dietitian, Lorelei Thomas has her masters in education and Deanna Siemens has a nursing degree.

With 11 children between them and a full schedule of activities, their lifestyles allow little time to prepare meals.

Their solution? For 10 years they have been getting together and preparing enough meals in one day to eliminate their supper stress for the next three to four months. Their cookbook The Big Cook was released in April 2006 and became a national bestseller in only a few months. It won a major Canadian award from Kraft Canada and the Dietitians of Canada.

You can prepare 200 meals in just one day using The Big Cook. Have fun with friends and fill your freezer with delicious, nutritious main course meals. Learn more at www.thebigcook.com. Try this sample recipe.

Barbecue beef

This meal can be prepared in a slow cooker or oven. The sauce is outstanding and is good served over rice or mashed potatoes. This recipe makes enough for four meals, and each meal is four to six servings.

8 pounds beef stew meat 3.6 kg

4 cups ketchup 1 L

1 cup water 250 mL

4 packets (3 tablespoons) 45 mL

onion soup mix

1 cup brown sugar 250 mL

2 tablespoons prepared 25 mL

mustard

1 cup vinegar 250 mL

8 cups diced celery 2 L

Divide stew meat equally among four large zippable bags or containers. Combine remaining ingredients and stir until thoroughly mixed. Distribute evenly among the bags and freeze.

When you are ready to use the meal, thaw one bag in the refrigerator. After removing the contents from the bag, cook four to five hours on high or six to eight hours on low in a slow cooker or 11/2 hours at 350 F (180 C) in the oven.

Credit problems

The festivities are over and the credit card statements are arriving. Many Canadians find themselves dealing with overspending from the holidays. Recognize the danger signals.

You have a debt problem, or are going to have one, if:

You continually go over your spending limit or you use your credit cards as a necessity rather than a convenience.
You can only make the minimum payment each month.
You are borrowing from one credit card to pay for another.
You use a credit card to buy necessities.

Possible solutions

Find out exactly how much debt you have and what interest rates you are paying.

Track where your money is going. Every day, you may be needlessly spending money on little things that you could be using to pay down your debt. Use these ideas to find extra cash.