This is for 1 person. Double etc for more than one.
1/2 heaping cup of oatmeal
1 cup of unsweetened soy or almond milk (regular milk if not vegan)
2 tbs raw sliced almonds or other nuts
1/2 to 1 cup berries - They can be frozen to start as they will thaw overnight.
1/8 cup dried cranberries (unsweetened if you can find them)
1/8 tsp lemon juice
Mix everything together in a container.
Leave overnight in refrigerator.
You can make it creamier by adding 2tbs of plain Greek yogurt but it removes the vegan seal then.
Eat and enjoy.
Saturday, January 25, 2014
The American Breakfast -- Start of a bad eating day or a good eating day.
I stayed at a chain motel last night that offered a buffet breakfast in the morning. Here is what was offered.
Sausage Patties
Scrambled "Eggs" that looked like they were premade
Hard Boiled Eggs - most likely packaged
Make your own waffles from a mix and using a waffle maker to cook them.
White English Muffins
White Bread Slices
Lenders Like Plain and Cinnamon Raisin Bagels
Whole Wheat Bread Slices
Yogurt (non were plain and they either had sugar or artificial sweetener)
Assorted Danishes and Pastries
OJ
AJ
Fruit Drink
Coffee
Apples
Pears
Coffee
Fruit Loops, Unidentifiable sugared Cereal, Wheaties.
Cream Cheese, Butter, Margarine, Peanut Butter, Jelly
Instant oatmeal (plain that may have had sugar, brown sugar and maple, apple cinnamon)
Most people went right to either the eggs and bacon or used the waffle maker (the kind that you flip and it makes a big waffle that you eat with "syrup"). A few people were just eating the pastries and danishes.
What you can get from this, its that most of the food consumed, was high in fat, had some sort of sugar content (even the Peanut Butter had sugar) , and was generally carbohydrate laden. The sausages should have been called "Death Pucks" due to all the fat and chemicals and nitrates in them.
Overall, if one as not careful, it would be very easy to build a filling but not very healthy breakfast. I can easily see eating many calories with lots of grams of fat and sugar based carbohydrates. Protein content was fine, but the amount of calories to get that protein was too much.
It was very hard to pick and choose your foods if you are trying to eat "healthy". I am sure even the whole wheat bread had some sweetener in it.
Changing diet habits means starting your day with a good and healthy , low fat breakfast. I try to include at least 2 fruits which is usually a banana and some sort of berry, soy milk, orange juice, and some sort of whole grain bread with either peanut butter or Marmite (a yeast extract high in vitamins but also high in sodium). I also eat unsweetened "overnight" oatmeal or high protein cereals. As much as possible, I try to keep the sugar content of the prepared foods (cereal and bread) to a minimum. My sugars come from the fruit I eat and from the OJ.
You have to ask yourself, are you better off with what I eat or with 4 slices of bacon and 2 eggs on white toast. It is not easy making the switch. Bacon and eggs are what we were mostly raised on, and removing it is not an easy proposition. It tastes good, fills a physical hunger satiation need and has fat that fills a food satiation that we were raised to enjoy. To give it up is to make a sacrifice at first.
Try to think about what is going into your mouth in the morning. Is it filled with fats, chemicals like nitrates and processed refined sugars and too many calories? All three of these taste good but they are lying to your body. You body needs protein, carbohydrates, fats and minerals. There are many lower calorie and healthier alternatives to get these essential ingredients to life. Your choice in the morning means a good breakfast for you or a bad breakfast for you. It is really your decision.
Eat to live.
Sausage Patties
Scrambled "Eggs" that looked like they were premade
Hard Boiled Eggs - most likely packaged
Make your own waffles from a mix and using a waffle maker to cook them.
White English Muffins
White Bread Slices
Lenders Like Plain and Cinnamon Raisin Bagels
Whole Wheat Bread Slices
Yogurt (non were plain and they either had sugar or artificial sweetener)
Assorted Danishes and Pastries
OJ
AJ
Fruit Drink
Coffee
Apples
Pears
Coffee
Fruit Loops, Unidentifiable sugared Cereal, Wheaties.
Cream Cheese, Butter, Margarine, Peanut Butter, Jelly
Instant oatmeal (plain that may have had sugar, brown sugar and maple, apple cinnamon)
Most people went right to either the eggs and bacon or used the waffle maker (the kind that you flip and it makes a big waffle that you eat with "syrup"). A few people were just eating the pastries and danishes.
What you can get from this, its that most of the food consumed, was high in fat, had some sort of sugar content (even the Peanut Butter had sugar) , and was generally carbohydrate laden. The sausages should have been called "Death Pucks" due to all the fat and chemicals and nitrates in them.
Overall, if one as not careful, it would be very easy to build a filling but not very healthy breakfast. I can easily see eating many calories with lots of grams of fat and sugar based carbohydrates. Protein content was fine, but the amount of calories to get that protein was too much.
It was very hard to pick and choose your foods if you are trying to eat "healthy". I am sure even the whole wheat bread had some sweetener in it.
Changing diet habits means starting your day with a good and healthy , low fat breakfast. I try to include at least 2 fruits which is usually a banana and some sort of berry, soy milk, orange juice, and some sort of whole grain bread with either peanut butter or Marmite (a yeast extract high in vitamins but also high in sodium). I also eat unsweetened "overnight" oatmeal or high protein cereals. As much as possible, I try to keep the sugar content of the prepared foods (cereal and bread) to a minimum. My sugars come from the fruit I eat and from the OJ.
You have to ask yourself, are you better off with what I eat or with 4 slices of bacon and 2 eggs on white toast. It is not easy making the switch. Bacon and eggs are what we were mostly raised on, and removing it is not an easy proposition. It tastes good, fills a physical hunger satiation need and has fat that fills a food satiation that we were raised to enjoy. To give it up is to make a sacrifice at first.
Try to think about what is going into your mouth in the morning. Is it filled with fats, chemicals like nitrates and processed refined sugars and too many calories? All three of these taste good but they are lying to your body. You body needs protein, carbohydrates, fats and minerals. There are many lower calorie and healthier alternatives to get these essential ingredients to life. Your choice in the morning means a good breakfast for you or a bad breakfast for you. It is really your decision.
Eat to live.
Saturday, January 18, 2014
Mango Banana Smoothie..
1 Mango
1 Banana
1 tbs Soy or Greek Yogurt
1 tbs flax seeds
2 Ice cubes
Soy Milk (or regular milk) to cover
Peel, cut add to blender. Blend. Have a smoothie.
1 Banana
1 tbs Soy or Greek Yogurt
1 tbs flax seeds
2 Ice cubes
Soy Milk (or regular milk) to cover
Peel, cut add to blender. Blend. Have a smoothie.
Thursday, January 9, 2014
Core (Back and Abdomen) Exercise Series
One of the reasons I started practicing yoga was that I had potential lower back problems every time I sneezed or bent over. I was extremely tight in my hamstrings and my lower back and bending over was a challenge.
Yoga certainly does provide a flexibility in both your back (and there are many muscles there that need to be addressed) as well as your hamstrings but it also provides a focus on strengthening your core abdomen and lower back muscles. I think this core strength is as important as flexibility in reducing back injuries.
If I am doing a non-Yin practice, I incorporate a series of core focused exercises (both Yoga and non-Yoga). I really feel the effects of this (I started about a year ago) and it was a great thing to do.
Here is what I do.
30 - 40 Bicycle Crunches
2 to 2.5 minutes Forearm Plank (need a timer) - You need to build up to this.
25 Rolling Crunches (Start on back with bent legs up in the air and then bring chest and legs together) Sort of like a hanging crunch only you start with your back on the ground.
10-15 leg lifts (start from ground, slowly lift up until all the way up and then lower down.
10 breath side planks on each side (about 30 seconds)
15 Supermen on each side (alternating) . You left up one arm and the alternate leg at the same time in rapid alternating succession.
2 Locus Poses held for 10 breaths each time.
This takes about 15 minutes to complete and with stretching beforehand, about 25 minutes. A great start before a good Yoga flow.
Namaste.
 |
| 30-40 Bicycle Crunches on Each Side |
 |
| Forearm Plank |
 |
| Locus Pose |
 | ||||
| Superman |
 |
| Side Plank. Legs up makes it 2x harder |
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
Easy Pasta Broccoli & Beans Recipe
A simple and easy pasta dish that packs a ton of protein, lots of vitamins and flavor..
For 2 People, adding more pasta, garlic and broccoli makes it a family veggie treat..
1/2 (half) pound of regular, whole wheat, gluten free pasta
1 can of White Northern or Cannelloni beans (or equivalent dried, soaked and cooked)
4 cloves garlic
Crushed Red Pepper to Taste
Olive Oil
8 good olives (if you use Lindsay olives, I will go after your family)
3 cups broccoli
1/2 tsp oregano
1/4 cup white wine
1/4 cup pasta water
1 cup packed spinach
1 large tomato
Salt to taste
Start Pasta water boiling. This is great with whole wheat spaghetti
Prep
Drain and rinse beans - rinsing canned beans cuts down on gas..
Cut up tomato into 16 pieces
Peel and mince garlic
Cut up broccoli into bite sized pieces
Cut up olives into your desired size.
Cooking
Saute Garlic in olive oil. Use enough to coat the pan.
When garlic is brown add in tomatoes, oregano, red pepper and salt and cook for 3 minutes
Add in Broccoli and cook two minutes
Add in water cook until broccoli is bright green (but not soft!)
Add in olives, wine and cook for three more miniutes
Turn off gas
Mix in spinach and wait one minute.
Mix into the Pasta.
Serve with Romano or Parmesan cheese if you so desire.
For 2 People, adding more pasta, garlic and broccoli makes it a family veggie treat..
1/2 (half) pound of regular, whole wheat, gluten free pasta
1 can of White Northern or Cannelloni beans (or equivalent dried, soaked and cooked)
4 cloves garlic
Crushed Red Pepper to Taste
Olive Oil
8 good olives (if you use Lindsay olives, I will go after your family)
3 cups broccoli
1/2 tsp oregano
1/4 cup white wine
1/4 cup pasta water
1 cup packed spinach
1 large tomato
Salt to taste
Start Pasta water boiling. This is great with whole wheat spaghetti
Prep
Drain and rinse beans - rinsing canned beans cuts down on gas..
Cut up tomato into 16 pieces
Peel and mince garlic
Cut up broccoli into bite sized pieces
Cut up olives into your desired size.
Cooking
Saute Garlic in olive oil. Use enough to coat the pan.
When garlic is brown add in tomatoes, oregano, red pepper and salt and cook for 3 minutes
Add in Broccoli and cook two minutes
Add in water cook until broccoli is bright green (but not soft!)
Add in olives, wine and cook for three more miniutes
Turn off gas
Mix in spinach and wait one minute.
Mix into the Pasta.
Serve with Romano or Parmesan cheese if you so desire.
Monday, January 6, 2014
Zucchini Ratatouille Recipe with Tofu
Great tasting, protein filled, low calorie. It has a nice slightly liquid consistency that goes great on top of grains.
Tofu can be replaced by something else if you need to have a dead animal in your food.
Serves 2 Adults, 2 Kids.
2 Medium Onions
4 Medium tomatoes
2 Zucchinis
6 Cloves Garlic
Crushed Red Pepper to Taste
Salt to Taste
1/4 cup red wine
Olive Oil
8 Oz. Tofu
Slice all veggies.
Use normal saute pan to cook in.
Cook garlic in olive oil until slightly brown
Add onions and cook until slightly translucent
Add in tomatoes , salt and crushed red pepper and cook for 5 minutes
Add in Zucchini, cook until almost soft
Add in Red wine and tofu and cook 3 more minutes
Serve with Quinoa, Rice, Cous Cous etc.
Tofu can be replaced by something else if you need to have a dead animal in your food.
Serves 2 Adults, 2 Kids.
2 Medium Onions
4 Medium tomatoes
2 Zucchinis
6 Cloves Garlic
Crushed Red Pepper to Taste
Salt to Taste
1/4 cup red wine
Olive Oil
8 Oz. Tofu
Slice all veggies.
Use normal saute pan to cook in.
Cook garlic in olive oil until slightly brown
Add onions and cook until slightly translucent
Add in tomatoes , salt and crushed red pepper and cook for 5 minutes
Add in Zucchini, cook until almost soft
Add in Red wine and tofu and cook 3 more minutes
Serve with Quinoa, Rice, Cous Cous etc.
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