Everyday Power Eating

Everyday Power Eating

By: Lynn Grieger

We all think so much about what we eat, but do you ever wonder about when to eat? For example, is it good to eat before exercise? Right after? To have an early dinner or eat right before bed?

It turns out that when you eat can have a great effect on whether and how your body can use the food effectively. So, when planning meals, use these simple guidelines.

The Basics

First keep in mind the very basics: Foods are composed of protein, carbohydrates and fat, the three energy nutrients. Each plays a specific role in the functioning of our body.

• Carbohydrates provide quick energy but are not stored well in the body.
  Examples are breads, cereals, pasta, rice, bagels, crackers, fruit, fruit juice, vegetables and legumes.
• Protein is used primarily for building muscle and other body parts.
  Examples include chicken, beef, pork, legumes, soy products, nuts, seeds and eggs.
• Fat is a long-term storage form of energy.
  Fats are found in butter, meats, margarine, mayonnaise, fried foods and some salad dressings.

In addition to those main elements, foods also contain vitamins, minerals and other essential nutrients that keep us healthy, full of energy and focused on the task

• Breakfast: Choose carbohydrates and protein to jump-start your day and feed your brain. Good choices include:
• whole-grain cereal, low-fat milk and fresh fruit
• a sandwich, fruit and glass of milk
• for speed, go for a blender smoothie made of yogurt and fruit
• if lunch isn't for hours, try a larger breakfast (add toast with peanut butter to the cereal and fruit) or try a hot cooked cereal that packs staying-power
• Lunch should include a good protein source to help keep your body functioning throughout the afternoon. Avoid the tendency to overeat or to eat high-fat foods, which cause fatigue. Good choices include:
• vegetable salad with kidney and garbanzo beans and a whole-grain roll
• a sandwich on whole-grain bread with raw veggies on the side
• hearty soup (full of veggies, rice or pasta, and legumes or chicken), whole-grain crackers and a piece of fruit
• pasta salad with veggies and legumes with a fruit salad

• Your evening meal should be the smallest of the day, unless you're working the 3-11 shift! Think small portions of great-tasting food, and use the time to catch up with the rest of the family instead of consuming too-large portions and more calories than necessary. If you haven't had at least five servings of fruit or vegetables by dinnertime, load up on these healthful foods and decrease portions of meat, chicken, or other protein.
• Before a workout choose foods high in carbs for energy and low in fat for quick digestion. Instead of a sugar-laden energy or cereal bar, try these:
• fresh fruit and yogurt
• sandwich with a low-fat filling such as turkey (easy on the mayo)
• low-fat string cheese and a glass of juice
• After a workout, especially if you're trying to maintain or lose weight, avoid the urge to eat anything. Instead, drink lots of water and train your body to wait for the next meal.
• Before bed, avoid high-sugar foods or anything containing fat. Instead, focus on relaxing carbohydrates such as:
• a glass of skim milk and 2-3 crackers
• low-fat yogurt
• fruit salad

Remember, old folks are worth a fortune, with silver in their hair, gold in their teeth, stones in their kidneys, lead in their feet and gas in their stomachs. I have become a little older since I saw you last and a few changes have come into my life since then.

Frankly, I have become quite a frivolous old gal. I am seeing five gentleman every day. As soon as I wake up, Will Power helps me get out of bed. Then I go see John. Then Charlie Horse comes along, and when he is here he takes a lot of my time and attention. When he leaves, Arthur Ritis shows up and stays the rest of they day. He doesn't like to stay in one place very long, so he takes me from joint to joint. After such a busy day I'm really tired and glad to go to bed with Ben Gay. What a life!

P.S. The preacher came to call the other day. He said at my age, I should be thinking about the here-after. I told him, "Oh I do all the time. No matter where I am, in the parlor, upstairs, in the kitchen or down in the basement."
I ask myself..... "What am I here after?"

Healthy Chicken Zoopa recipe

Healthy Chicken Zoopa

Ingredients:

1. 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2. 2 cloves garlic, minced
3. 2 cups chopped onion
4. 1 red bell pepper, chopped
5. 1 green bell pepper, chopped
6. 2 cups chopped celery
7. 1 cup julienned carrots
8. 1 cup minced leek (optional)
9. 4 cups chicken stock
10. salt and pepper to taste
11. 1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
12. 1/4 teaspoon soy sauce (optional)
13. 6 ounces spinach, rinsed
14. 1/2 cup egg noodles
15. 1/2 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into bite size pieces

Nutrition Info

Per Serving

• Calories: 197 kcal
• Carbohydrates: 20 g
• Dietary Fiber: 5 g
• Fat: 7 g
• Protein: 14 g
• Sugars: 8 g

About: Nutrition Info

Powered by: ESHA Nutrient Database

2. Cooking Directions

1. Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add garlic, onion, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, celery, carrot and leek. Saute until onions are translucent and balance of veggies has been tossed through with hot oil. Add stock and season with salt and pepper to taste. If using hot pepper sauce and soy sauce, add now. Bring soup to a simmer and allow to simmer over low heat for about 40 minutes.
2. Add spinach and cover pot. (Note: Volume of spinach will appear to be too great for the pot; don't worry, just put it in - within a few minutes it will be reduced to size). Stir soup; add noodles. Stir again and add chicken strips. Make sure soup is still simmering. Exactly 5 minutes later, you will have a terrific hot soup. Serve hot!

Yield: 5 servings

Health Benefits of Water

        HEALTH BENEFITS OF WATER

             How 8 Glasses A Day Keeps Fat Away

Incredible as it may seem, water is quite possibly the single

most important catalyst in losing weight and keeping it off.

Although most of us take for granted, water may be the only 

true "magic potion" for permanent weight loss.

Water supresses the appetite naturally and helps the body

metabolize stored fat.  Studies have shown that a decrease in

water intake will cause fat deposits to increase, while an

increase in water intake can actually reduce fat deposits.

Here's why:  The kidneys can't function properly without enough

water.  When they don't work to capacity, some of their load is

dumped onto the liver. One of the liver's primary functions is

to metabolize stored fat into usable energy for the body.  But

if the liver has to do some of the kidney's work it can't

operate at full throttle.  As a result, it metabolizes less fat

more fat remains stored in the body and weight loss stops.

Drinking enough water is the best treatment for fluid retention.

When the body gets less water,it perceives this as a threat to

survival and begins to hold on to every drop.  Water is stored

in extracellular spaces (outside the cell).  This shows up as

swollen feet, legs and hands.

Diuretics offer a temporary solution at best.  They force out

stored water along with some essential nutrients.  Again, the

body perceives a treat and will replace the lost water at the

first opportunity.  Thus, the condition quickly returns.

The best way to overcome the problem of water retention is to

give your body what it needs -- plenty of water.  Only then will

stored water be released.

If you have a constant problem with water retention, excess salt

may be to blame.  Your body will tolerate sodium only in a

certain concentration.  The more salt you eat the more water

your system retains to dilute it.

But getting rid of unneeded salt is easy -- just drink more

water.  As it's forced through the kidneys it takes away excess

sodium.

The overweight person needs more water than a thin one.  Larger

people have larger metabolic loads.  Since we know that water is

the key to fat metabolism, it follows that the over weight

person needs more water.

Water helps to maintain proper muscle tone by giving muscles

their natural ability to contract and by preventing dehydration.

It also helps to prevent the sagging skin that usually follows

weigh loss -- shrinking cells are buoyed by water which plumps

the skin and leaves it clear, healthy and resilient.

Water helps rid the body of waste.  During weight loss, the body

has a lot more waste to get rid of -- all that metabolized fat

must be shed.  Again, adequate water helps flush out the waste.

Water can help relieve constipation.  When the body gets too

little water, it siphons what it needs from internal sources.

The colon is one primary source.  Result?  Constipation.  But

when a person drinks enough water, normal bowel function usually

returns.

So far, we've discovered some remarkable truths about water and

weight loss:

   * The body will not function properly without enough

     water and can't metabolize stored fat efficiently.

   * Retained water shows up as excess weight.

   * To get rid of excess water you must drink more water.

   * Drinking water is essential to weight loss.

How much water is enough?  On the average, a person should drink

8-ounce glasses every day.  That's about 2 quarts.  However, the

overweight person needs one additional glass for every 25 pounds

of excess weight.  The amount you drink also should be increased

if you exercise briskly or if the weather is hot and dry.

Water should preferably be cold.  It's absorbed into the system

more quickly than warm water.  And some evidence suggests that

drinking cold water can actually help burn calories.  To

utilize water most efficiently during weight loss, follow this

schedule:

   Morning: 1 quart consumed over a 30-minute period.

   Noon: 1 quart consumed over a 30-minute period.

   Evening: 1 quart consumed between five and six o'clock.

When the body gets the water it needs to function optimally,

it's fluids are perfectly balanced.  When this happens, you have

reached the "breakthrough point."  What does this mean?

   * Endocrine-gland function improves.

   * Fluid retention is alleviated as stored water is lost.

   * More fat is used as fuel because the liver is free to

     metabolize stored fat.

   * Natural thirst returns.

   * There is a loss of hunger almost over night.

If you stop drinking enough water, your body fluids will be

thrown out of balance again, and you may experience fluid

Cocoa-Nut Bananas

Makes 4 servings
Active Time :10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Easy Preparation!

4 tsp. cocoa powder
4 tsp. coconut
2 small bananas, sliced on the bias

Place the cocoa and coconut on separate plates. Roll each banana slice in the cocoa and shake off the excess. Then dip in the coconut.

Nutrition Information:
Per Serving
80 calories
1 g fat
0 mg cholesterol
19 g carbohydrates
1 g protein
2 g fiber
5 mg sodium
274 mg potassium

What to eat after you workout

What to eat after you workout

There's a common misconception that you shouldn't eat after you work out, but did you know that if you don't eat within 35-45 minutes after working out that your body will actually eat away at your muscles?! Yeah. So make sure that within that time frame after your work out that you eat a combination of a carbohydrate and a protein. This could be an apple with peanut butter, or with 6 almonds (yes 6 :)