This Mama Cooks! On a Diet

The Skinny On Losing Weight without Being Hungry and Pomegranate Salad

I’ve been reading The Skinny: On Losing Weight without Being Hungry-the Ultimate Guide to Weight Loss Success by Louis J. Aronne M.D. with Alisa Bowman.

I was interested to learn more about why Dr. Aronne feels some people, like me, never feel satisfied and overeat because they’re constantly hungry. It’s all about brain chemistry and not willpower, he says.

He shows you how to retrain your body and mind to eat for fullness with filling foods (similar to Weight Watchers Momentum plan) and feels you should eat veggies first, lean protein second, and carbs last. It sounds a little bit like the South Beach Diet, too, but there is some good food for thought like:

• sweet zero calorie drinks like diet soda actually make us hungry because they stimulate your appetite
• vinegar decreases appetite so make sure you have an oil and vinegar dressing on your salad
• a lack of sleep can make you fat
• daily moderate exercise is great – you don’t have to work out strenuously to see weight loss results
• don’t exercise on an empty stomach or you’ll be ravenous afterwards

The Skinny: On Losing Weight without Being Hungry is a book I recommend checking out especially if you’re doing Weight Watchers and South Beach. What Dr. Aronne recommends fits well with those plans and it’s reassuring to know the science behind why it’s so hard to lose weight.

The Pasta Queen on eating healthy on a budget

Today I’m honored to have Jennette Fulda of the Pasta Queen doing a guest post today. Jennette was my roommate at BlogHer 2008 - she’s a terrific person to room with since she goes to bed early like me. (We may look like fabulously hip bloggers, but inside we’re rather tired, achy ladies. Sigh.)

We were both at the Quaker Oats Blogger Event, and Jennette won their oatmeal recipe challenge with her Oatmeal Expresso recipe. (She never did make it to the Lafayette Oatmeal Festival though, LOL.)

Along with reading her blog, you need to check out her book Half-Assed: A Weight-Loss Memoir or her Half-Assed website. Did I mention she lost half her body weight?

Eating Healthy on a Budget
by Jennette Fulda

When I started the process to lose over half my weight, I was still recovering from a mountain of credit card debt spent on college expenses, 12 cavities, and a new transmission. Yet, I didn't let my tight budget stop me from pursuing a healthier lifestyle, though I did dedicate a few more dollars towards dental floss.

Now that our economy has entered a recession, some experts hypothesize that we may pack on recession pounds as people turn to cheaper, processed foods high in empty carbohydrates. There is no doubt people are looking for ways to make their money go farther, but that doesn't mean they can only eat off the dollar menu. Here are some tips on how to live healthy without living in a cardboard box.

How yoga keeps me balanced: a guest post by Linda C. Wisniewski

As part of her WOW! Women on Writing Blog Tour, book author, Linda C. Wisniewski has written a guest post on yoga and meditation for This Mama Cooks! Linda writes for the Bucks County Herald and teaches memoir classes for Bucks County Community College. She is regional representative of the International Women's Writing Guild and a board member of the Story Circle Network. Linda is a contributing editor for the Story Circle Journal and is co-editor of Story Circle Book Reviews, as well.

Her book is Off Kilter: A Woman's Journey to Peace with Scoliosis, Her Mother, and Her Polish Heritage. Born to a cruel father and a long-suffering mother in the insulated Polish Catholic community of upstate New York, Linda learned martyrdom as a way of life. Off Kilter shows her learning to stretch her Self as well as her spine as she comes to terms with her mentally deteriorating, widowed mother, her culture and her physical deformity.

I’m honored to have been chosen to spotlight her work on my blog, and know you’ll be delighted, too.

5 ways to get out of your diet or workout rut

Life has its ups and downs, and so does my weight it seems. I’m back on the heavy side again, even though I’ve been working out regularly when I haven’t been traveling. I’ve decided I’m in a diet and exercise rut and need to change it up to get back to where I want to be with my weight, eating habit and fitness routine.

Here are five things you can get out of your diet or workout rut:

1. Start a different exercise routine. Last year I was working out at the rec center down the street from my daughter’s preschool. Over the summer, I only used the exercise bike and some free weights. I’m not challenged anymore.

To change it up I started working out to Jillian Michaels - 30 Day Shred. The real title of this exercise video should be “Jillian Michaels comes to your house to kick your ass.” Besides that it’s challenging, I like it because it only takes 20 minutes a day (thank goodness!) and Jillian has you use big and small muscles at the same time for maximum calorie burn. You can view a video clip of the 30 Day Shred at Amazon.com.

2. Eat something different. Are you one of those people who eat the same thing for breakfast every day? Trying new foods that fit your diet or weight loss plan can help you get out of a weight plateau.

I’ve been exploring polymeal cooking based on the book Healthiest Meals on Earth: The Surprising, Unbiased Truth About What Meals to Eat and Why. (You can read my two posts on it at More polymeal cooking: antelope tenderloin with blackberry sage sauce and Healthy holiday polymeal cooking with the Healthiest Meals on Earth.) Even if you’re on a strict weight loss diet, you can use some of the recommended foods like fresh vegetables, garlic, fish, nuts and even an occasional nibble of chocolate or glass of wine in your food plan.

Try looking a old things in a new way, too. Maybe you want to get out your old cookbooks and modify some recipes. One book that I’m going to do this with is Margarita Mama: Mocktails for Moms-to-Be. No I'm not pregnant! However, the book is full of non-alcoholic mocktails that you can modify to make even healthier and lower in calories. Here's a sample:

Basil Pomegranate Lemonade
Pomegranates contain high concentrations of polyphenols, which are antioxidants and have been shown to inhibit the development of certain cancers.

Ingredients:

• 6 to 8 basil leaves
• 2 oz. of pomegranate juice
• 4 oz. lemonade (substitute a sugar free lemonade or make your own with stevia and fresh lemon juice)
• 2 oz. lemon-lime soda (substitute a sugar free soda or use a lemon-lime flavored seltzer water)

Directions:

1. Mix basil and pomegranate juice in the bottom of a tall glass.
2. Fill the glass with ice.
3. Add the lemonade and the soda/seltzer and stir.

Win a free ebook from EcoBrain

I’m holding a giveaway on my blog My Readable Feast to win a free ebook from EcoBrain! Radical Simplicity: Small Footprints on a Finite Earth by Jim Merkel. This book will appeal to those interested in the frugal, simplicity or green sustainable lifestyles.

You should also check out EcoBrain, an online ebookstore. They have great cookbooks and books on health like including:

• Living Gluten-Free For Dummies
• Cooking with Winter Squash and Pumpkins
• The 4-Week Ultimate Body Detox Plan: A Program for Greater Energy, Health, and Vitality.

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I'll be having lunch with Chef Rocco at BlogHer

A bunch of food bloggers and I are having lunch today with Chef Rocco DiSpirito at the BlogHer conference in San Francisco. He’ll be demonstrating how to use the new Bertolli Premium Pasta Sauce in a pouch to put a little sizzle back into date night at home. The new sauce from Bertolli makes it easier for the home chef to reconnect with loved ones, because the sauces offer convenience without sacrificing quality.

Date night at home? With two obnoxious kids who are wrecking my home when they’re not sleeping (yes, I’m having One of those Summers) that’s impossible. Still, I wonder how Bertolli’s sauce compares to a similar product Ragu recently released. I reviewed Ragu’s pouch sauce at My Readable Feast – see Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (and a little Ragu) and thought it was mighty tasty. I also liked that it was sweetened with carrot juice instead of sugar or corn syrup.

Rocco will also share one of his recipes and demonstrate how 90 seconds is all it takes to get a restaurant quality pasta sauce. (Can you say, “Microwave?”) After the short demo, Rocco hang out for questions, pictures, and conversation. Yay, picture taking ops! I’m so there with my Sony Cybershot DSCW170.

In the meantime, I leave you with some food, er, posts for thought:

• Life Lessons from the Weight Room - If you can relate to lifting weights or any other form of exercise/athleticism and know you've learned a thing or two about life from it, Melanie would love for you to weigh in on this.
• Blogging the Hard Truth: Stephanie Quilao Interview by Cranky Fitness. Stephanie of Back in Skinny Jeans discusses her bulimia and the pros and cons of blogging your weight loss.
• 5 Ways to Keep Fit on the Road – Oh fuggettaboutit, I’m on vacation. But I will be visiting the hotel’s gym to work out before my massage, la de da.
• Reading burns calories - Moose: A Memoir of Fat Camp - An interview of author Stephanie Klein by Jeanette Fulda of Half of Me. Jeanette is also the author of Half-Assed: A Weight-Loss Memoir and my roommate at BlogHer. Stephanie blogs at Greek Tragedy and will be one of the keynote speakers at BlogHer.

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Take a hot bath and lose weight

Last summer I read The UltraSimple Diet: Kick-Start Your Metabolism and Safely Lose Up to 10 Pounds in 7 Days by Mark Hyman, MD. One of his "secrets" for weight loss was stress reduction. This included meditation, reflection, and taking a hot bath each night to "detox" and relax.

Dr. Hyman believes that by taking a 20-minute hot bath before bed - and adding Epsom salts, baking soda and lavender oil to the water - you will lower stress hormone levels. He claims that by lowering your stress hormones, you can detox your body, boost your metabolism, and potentially lose weight. Wow, all this just from taking a hot bath! (You can read more about The UltraSimple Diet and Dr. Hyman at AOL Coaches.)

With a busy schedule and a demanding family, finding the 20 minutes to do this is nearly impossible for most moms. But if I had the time I would love to try it. And no, going in our hot tub is not the same. First, it's not relaxing having the kids diving jumping and splashing around you. Then there's the neighbors' dogs' who bark at you if you dare set a foot in your backyard. No stress reduction there.

Click here to read more...

The Hot Latin Diet: Is it a Fast Track Plan to a Bombshell Body?

Dr. Manny Alvarez is a senior health correspondent for FOX News and a leading OB-GYN. His diet book, The Hot Latin Diet: The Fast Track Plan to a Bombshell Body reveals how women can stay slim and maintain sexy, natural curves by incorporating the "Seven Latin Power Foods" in their diets:

1. Tomatillos - antioxidants
2. Garbanzo beans - fiber, protein
3. Avocado - good fat that lowers cholesterol
4. Garlic - immune boosting, increased blood flow
5. Cinnamon - lowers blood sugar levels
6. Chiles - reduce inflammation and provide natural pain relief
7. Cilantro - removes toxins from the body.

Do I think that Dr. Manny is on to something magical? Not on your life. But his recipes are healthy and look delicious. In fact, it's possible that flavorful, spicy foods may leave you feeling more satisfied so you you'll eat less. They're certainly a lot tastier than living on bland, no-fat cottage cheese!

His recipes reminded me of a dish I had the other night. We hadn't visited one of our favorite Mexican restaurants in a long time, and the menu had changed for the better. Now there were several enticing healthy seafood entrees. I was excited!

I ordered a cold shrimp salad - grilled shrimp served with raw red onions, cilantro, carrots, and slices of oranges, avocados, and cumbers. The sauce was made of pico de gallo mixed with orange and lime juice. It was very spicy, delicious, and something I could easily make at home - with a little less spice. (I'm a wimp.)

You can view some The Hot Latin Diet recipes on Dr. Manny's website and on FoxNews.com.

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Just in time for Valentine's Day - The Break-Up Diet

Before you get all excited, The Break-Up Diet is a memoir not a new diet book. By Annette Fix, the senior editor of WOW! Women On Writing, the book is a true story of a 30-something single mother and aspiring writer who is working as an exotic dancer, searching for Prince Charming, and trying to find a perfect balance between her dreams and her day-to-day life as super mom.

Why Should You Read The Break-Up Diet?

The Break-Up Diet deals with an issue all overweight people have in common - emotional eating. Oprah said that when we overeat, it's like we're "eating our emotions."

What are your emotional triggers that cause you to over eat? What can you do instead of eating to make yourself feel better?

When I overeat, it's a moment to take care of myself when I'm feeling tired, stressed, or upset. I have to force myself to get my butt out of the kitchen, and find another way to take care of me, whether it's exercising or taking time to enjoy a movie or good book.

Finding Laughter in Your Weight Loss Journey

I hope The Break-Up Diet will help you find a lighter side in weight loss self-discovery. You may also want to check out Annette's website, www.thebreak-updiet.com, where you can sign up for a free companion book or print out a reading group discussion guide for your book club.

Annette also has a Break-Up Story Forum at www.mybreakupstory.com. It's a place where you can read and share your break-up and dating stories. Check it out and join in the fun! And if that isn't enough, check out Annette's Break-Up Diet blog  and her Break-Up Diet MySpace page. (Does this woman have her social media down or what?)

The power of food and the Definitive Guide to Cancer

After participating in the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life event for the last two years, I see more and more in my small community people diagnosed, dying and (thank goodness) surviving cancer. Just in my children's school community (300+ students) we've lost a kindergartner and a dad to brain cancer, and one of our moms had a double mastectomy this summer.

That being said, I hope that you'll never need this book - Alternative Medicine Magazine's Definitive Guide to Cancer: An Integrative Approach to Prevention, Treatment, and Healing.

When FSB Associates sent me this 536-page textbook, I was amazed how comprehensive this second edition was. The Definitive Guide to Cancer will help patients and their caregivers learn about causes and prevention of cancer. They'll also learn how to offset the side effects of conventional medicine and evaluate effective alternative treatments.

So why am I reviewing this book at a diet and food blog? The Definitive Guide to Cancer shows readers how to utilize natural therapies involving diet, lifestyle, and nutritional supplements by using a mind-body-spirit approach.

Before you think this is some kind of new age quackery, the Definitive Guide to Cancer includes current cancer research, expert interviews, and real-life stories from practitioners, patients, and caregivers. It is also peer reviewed by an editorial board of integrative practitioners.

(Click here to read a book excerpt about the Power of Food in the fight against cancer.) Bottom line: At mealtime, look closely at your plate. If it is primarily white or beige (sounds like my son's all pasta and clam chowder diet) you need to add some color. The more colors the better! Fruits and vegetables can add that color and a healthy dose of potent anticancer nutrients.