Once Upon a Thigh: August 2006

Table of Contents

Notes from the Editor

I hope you are having a great summer. After the last group of family left, I told my husband that I felt like we were a BED and BREAKFAST. I do love the summer and visiting with family and friends.

Congratulations to Andrea Winn for being one of the WINNERS of 10% weight loss. She has lost 34 lbs. WAY to GO. I know there are others of you out there, but you have to REMIND me who you are. Then we can schedule a face design makeover or wardrobe consultation.

This Wednesday, August 2nd at 7pm we will be meeting at the office for our Insulin Resistance meeting. We will obviously be discussing Insulin Resistance and a new drug you may have heard about, BYETTA.

Abdominal Pain or Cramps?

Bloating, abdominal pain, and/or diarrhea may be related to what you are drinking. A can of soda or lemonade that has fructose in it may be the culprit, especially on an empty stomach.

Tai Chi

This is an obvious, deliberate, fluid move working on balance, body alignment, and concentration. Improved cardiovascular function, lower blood pressure, and improvements in energy, stamina, and healing have been the result of multiple studies of this exercise. It is much like Yoga. Studies have found that if you do Tai Chi 3 times a week for 15 weeks, your immune system increases and physical limitations decreased also.

For more information, go to realage.com.

Helpful Hints

  • Gas: may be the result of lactose intolerance. Rather than give up dairy, look for lactaid drops for milk and pills to take prior to eating dairy. I have some samples of pills in the office. If you drink carbonated beverages, the undigested gas bubbles may be the cause. YOU already know the gas producing vegetables: onions, garlic, beans, broccoli and cauliflower.

    Other artificial sweeteners, sorbitol, mannitol and sucralose may be problems. The artificial fat, Olestra can have the same affect.
  • Fiber: Raw fruits, raw vegetables, seeds, and nuts (insoluble fiber) act as a stimulant to the digestive system and can cause a narrowing to become blocked. On the other hand, soluble fiber, such as pasta, rice, baked potatoes, and oatmeal can be soothing in that it helps bind loose stools.
  • Red Meat: This is hard to digest, but a good source of B12. White meat and fish can be more comfortably digested and are great sources of protein.
Bigger Table Ware Helps Widen Waistlines

I was intrigued with this title. Researchers at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY involved 85 food and nutrition experts invited to an ice cream social. Each guest randomly received either 17 ounce or 34 ounce bowls and either 2 ounce or 3 ounce serving scoops. The participants scooped out the ice cream themselves. They found that just doubling the size of someone's bowl increased how much people took by 31%. Giving people a larger scoop increased the about by 14.5%. Remember that these are food and nutrition experts. The variety of food, music, temperature, and whether people are dining with a faster or slower eater influences food consumption as well as the size of tableware.

Trouble With Weight Loss

Remember as you are nearing your weight loss goal, you will need to adjust your calories down. Because you now weigh less than you did before, you need less calories to maintain and lose.

A PORTION is how much food you choose to eat. A SERVING SIZE is a standard amount set by the USDA and other for recipes, cookbooks, or diet plans. Check the Nutrition Facts label for how much a serving size is.

Take seconds of vegetables or salads instead of higher fat or higher calories part of a meal such as meats or desserts.

Weight Control Information Network: http://www.win.niddk.nih.gov

Sniffing Fragrances

New evidence suggests your nose may help in treatment of a variety of maladies.

Reduce Anxiety
  • Roman Chamomile
  • Lavender
  • Orange Blossom
Reduce Agitation
  • Lavender
  • Lemon Balm
Brighten Mood
  • Almond Extract
  • Lavender
  • Orange Blossom
  • Vanilla
Feel Revived
  • Rosemary
Weight Loss
  • Synthetic Green Apple
  • Peppermint
  • Banana
Sexual Arousal
  • Doughnuts (this is the fragrance only)
  • Pumpkin pie (fragrance only)


Memory

Most of us multitask. That is good, but does result in less available memory later on. "If you're learning things under distraction, what you're going to end up learning is going to be different, and in particular, is going to be a lot less flexible. That means the memory will be more tied to the specific circumstances of when you learned it and less prone to recall when those circumstances change.

"Declarative memory, for instance, is the ability to recall lived experience, such as what you had for breakfast. It is more flexible. Procedural memories are more about learning how to do things, such as playing tennis or solving math problems.. . .and are more difficult to bring up once the setting changes. When we learn to do things while we're multi-tasking, we're changing how our brain learns and the kind of knowledge we end up with. It's not necessarily a good change. Our knowledge becomes less flexible, or tied to that particular situation." Just thought you might like to know.

Supper Suggestions

Each meal serves one unless otherwise specified. Average 400 calories per serving.
  • Beef and Rice: Prepare 1/3 c cooked brown rice. In nonstick skillet over medium heat cook nearly halfway through 3 ounces crumbled raw 93% lean ground beef. In a bowl, combine 1/2 cup canned sliced mushrooms (rinse and drain), 1/2 c raw or frozen chopped onions, 1 1/2 c low fat/low sodium cream of mushroom soup, and 1 tsp minced garlic. Pour over ground beef and cook, covered until beef is cooked thoroughly. Serve over brown rice. Have 1 1/2 c raspberries for dessert.
  • Hamburger with Vegetables: Serve a 3 ounce cooked hamburger on a wheat roll loaded with spinach leaves, sliced tomato, sliced onion. Top with 2-3 tbs ketchup. Served with 1 c cooked green beans topped with 1 tsp chopped almonds.
  • Barbecue Beef and Pasta: In a nonstick skillet over med hi heat, cook 2 tbs chopped white onion in 1 tsp olive oil. Cook for 1 min. then reduce heat to medium. Add 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce, cover, and cook for 5 minutes. Add 4 ounces 92% lean ground beef and cook for 1 minute. Add 1 tbs barbecue sauce and 1/2 can (15 oz) crushed tomatoes and continue to simmer until beef is thoroughly cooked. Serve over 1c cooked pasta, any variety.
  • Chicken and Baked Beans: Dark meat lovers: thigh no skin. White meat lovers: 1 3-ounce skinless breast (size of deck of cards). To save time, go with rotisserie chicken from supermarket. Add 3/4 c canned baked beans, heated and 1 heaping c steamed matchstick cut or baby carrots.
  • Chicken Quesadilla: Preheat oven to 400 F. Place 1/2 whole wheat tortilla on cookie sheet. Spray tortilla for 2-3 seconds with cooking spray. Top with 1 chopped paste (Roma style) tomato, 1/4 c raw or frozen chopped onion, 3 ounces (1/2 c) chicken breast strips, 1/4 c shredded reduced fat cheese, 1 tbs sliced black olives, 1 tsp minced garlic. Cover with other half of tortilla. Spray 2-3 seconds with cooking spray. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Top with 2-3 tbs salsa.
ENJOY. Carol

Don't forget toTell a Friend about this newsletter!