Sautéed Chicken with Blueberry Pomegranate Sauce

My family and I spent a lot of time outdoors yesterday, getting the yard ready for the big Easter egg hunt. This brought me by our garden many times. It’s hard not to get excited, knowing that soon we will eat our own home grown fruit and vegetables. It’s always nice to know exactly where your produce comes from and that it is chemical free J The thing that got my culinary juices flowing yesterday was the sight of my blueberry bushes. It looks like a bumper crop this year! In the “blueberry spirit”, I thought I’d pass along a clean and easy way to make chicken, with a blueberry and pomegranate sauce. I love mixing the sweetness of the blueberry with the tart of the pomegranate and I think you will too. Enjoy!!!

Sautéed Chicken with Blueberry Pomegranate Sauce

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

2 medium sized shallots, chopped

1 tsp chopped rosemary (preferably fresh)

1 cup fresh blueberries, or frozen thawed

3/4 cup 100% Pomegranate juice

Pinch of fine sea salt

Pinch of ground white pepper

2 tbsp olive oil

First: Heat oil in skillet on medium heat and season chicken with salt and pepper (both sides). Place chicken in skillet, cover, and cook thoroughly on both sides (chicken should be solid white, no pink, w/clear juice in middle when done). Remove cooked chicken from skillet and put aside on a plate.

Second: To same skillet, cook shallots until tender and beginning to brown. Add rosemary and sauté together for one minute, stirring often as not to burn. Add blueberries and pomegranate juice, stirring often and gently scraping bottom of pan for browned pieces left from chicken, etc. Cook until sauce is nice and thin, about 3 minutes.

Third: Arrange chicken on a plate. Pour sauce and fruit over chicken and serve.

I’m not perfect…I’m just trying to figure out this whole health thing, just like you. Thanks for letting me share my experiences with you J   

Please consult your doctor before beginning or changing your diet and exercise regimen.

The Best Place to Work out This Week!

       Ah, spring is here in New England! Most of us in the area are enamored with every little sign of warmer, sunnier, weather coming… and Lord knows we deserve it. Although we did not experience banner snowfalls this year, we certainly had our share of troubles. This past October (not even winter yet) many in New England were left cold and in the dark, some for over a week. After that, I think we wanted to skip winter all together… I did! But with spring comes a fresh start, a new beginning. Unless you suffer from seasonal allergies, you probably feel hope as the seemingly dead trees begin to resurrect from their winter slumber. I love when I notice for the first time every spring crocus and tulips peeking through the soil. Ah… life is returning all around us!

       During this time of fresh starts and new beginnings, how can we not feel encouraged that we can meet our goals? Perhaps New Year’s resolutions should be made on the first day of spring. Who the heck feels like kicking ourselves into gear in the middle of the cold, grey winter? Spring seems like a much better time to commit ourselves to our health. Was your resolution back in January to get healthy? Feel the new beginnings in the air, grab a hold of it, and make spring work for you.

       What better way to start anew in our commitment to health than by burning calories shedding the winter from our lives? You can make it a family affair as we did this morning. Each with a rake in hand, my family raked for well over an hour, clearing the remaining fall leaves, sticks, and acorns from our lawn. Did you know that you can burn approximately 292 calories an hour raking? Raking is also an awesome upper body workout…waking those muscles up that maybe you haven’t used in a few months. We did it as a family, and if you are a parent you know that can be a great bonding experience. Here are some other things that need to be done to get spring ready… trimming trees, 306 cal/ hour, tilling a garden bed, 408 cal/ hour, spreading mulch 499 cal/ hour, weeding 306 cal/ hour, spring cleaning 144 cal/hour, and if you do a “squat” every time you pick up a stick you could burn up to 420 cal/hour!!!!

       This week the weather in New England will be near or above sixty degrees every day. With this mostly sunny forecast, perhaps the best place to work out this week… is in your own yard. Happy spring!!!

I’m not perfect…I’m just trying to figure out this whole health thing, just like you. Thanks for letting me share my experiences with you J   

Please consult your doctor before beginning or changing your diet and exercise regimen.

Sources:

www.caloriecount.about.com

www.livestrong.com

Coconut Oil- Good For You, or Not?

       So, everywhere you turn these days, the health gurus are telling us to eat coconut oil. I was recently gifted a bottle of organic expeller pressed virgin coconut oil. When I cracked the lid open, the smell immediately transported me to a tropical island, from which I did not want to return. I couldn’t wait to figure out a way to incorporate this stuff into my cooking! The first thing I did with it was put a teaspoon of this “vacation on a spoon” in my coffee. Oh yummy! I have to admit it was one of the best things I had tasted in a while! Then I did what I always advocate you should do BEFORE you eat something, read the label. I admit I was surprised to see that of the 14g of fat per tablespoon (which is one serving), 12g were from saturated fat. There was only 1 g of monounsaturated fat and no polyunsaturated fat (“good” fats). Everything I knew about fat to date sent off an alarm in my head. I had always heard saturated fat was bad. So what made this stuff so desirable? I decided to look into it further.

       There are very strong opinions on both sides of the argument; is coconut oil healthy for you or bad for you? It really seems to depend on who you ask. The proponents say that coconut oil has health benefits ranging from better immunity to reversing Alzheimer’s. Conversely, the FDA (Food and Drug Administration), warns on their website to “avoid oils that are higher in saturated fats (e.g., coconut, palm and palm kernel oils)”. The American Medical Association warns us to limit our intake of saturated fats because it raises bad cholesterol levels.

       As a police investigator for 16 years, I learned that a proper investigation has many necessary components and two of those are the credibility of the source (witness) and the evidence. When I set out on my investigation I started by looking at the two arguments. When I “Googled” coconut oil I found endless pages of people wanting to sell it to me and tons of pages of people claiming health benefits, including some people that appear to be doctors.  Inevitably when I scrolled to the bottom of their pages for their sources, I either found none or I found sources that looked an awful lot like the coconut oil lobby. I couldn’t find any studies documented by the Journal of American Medical Association that support the health claims made by proponents of coconut oil. I suppose if there were any, the FDA would approve the health claims. On the contrary, the FDA website document library shows that many coconut oil companies have been ordered to stop making health claims about coconut oil.

       I have also heard the argument that “the proof is in the pudding” when it comes to coconut oil, meaning that people in certain geographic regions have used the product for centuries without any adverse health effects. I have a hard time accepting this argument on face value. Could there be something else about their lifestyle that makes this possible? Is there a credible scientific study on that?

       The other argument made by coconut oil proponents is that you need saturated fat in your diet for your body to run efficiently. You do need a certain balance of all kinds of fat for your body to function properly. But according to the FDA, the suggested daily allowance of saturated fat is 10% of your total caloric intake, about 20g. What makes me nervous about coconut oil is that in just one serving (1 tbsp) you get 60% of your daily saturated fat allowance. That doesn’t leave much room for all the other foods you eat during the day. Saturated fat is also found in varying amounts in pork, beef, and chicken.

       The next argument made by coconut oil proponents is that the saturated fat in coconut oil is not the “bad” kind of saturated fat. If that is the case, I would really like them to prove it to the FDA so the FDA can let me know its ok. I love the flavor and smell of coconut oil and would love to use it. I want to see the evidence. I remember when trans fat was the new “good guy” of fats. Now we know trans fat raises bad cholesterol.

       For me, I think I will use coconut oil in my cooking very sparingly, if at all, until the FDA approves its health claims or removes its warning. Heart disease is the leading killer of men and women, so there’s no room for an “oops” here. Since there are great alternatives, like olive oil (14g total fat per tbsp, 2g sat fat, 1.5g polyunsaturated fat, 10g monounsaturated fat), I see no need to take the chance.

      The good news is that, even if you chose not to cook with coconut oil, you can still slather it on your skin and use it to remove your make-up. I’m sure it is a much healthier, and organic, way to do both versus chemicals…and it smells good too (it makes me hungry). I may even try it a moisturizer on my son’s allergy prone skin J

      Ok, that is my opinion, my lay-person's opinion. Again, I know this is a heated debate, and I am not taking the popular position, so I welcome your comments on the matter. I'm sure this will spark a conversation J  

Sources:

Food Facts, US FDA, www.fda.gov

www.dietaryfiberfood.com

www.healthyeatingpolitics.com

www.pubs.ama-assn.org

I’m not perfect…I’m just trying to figure out this whole health thing, just like you. Thanks for letting me share my experiences with you J   

Please consult your doctor before beginning or changing your diet and exercise regimen.

Fish Your Kids Will Eat :)

Fish is an awesome, good for you, food! You probably already know that according to the FDA “Fish provides protein, is low in saturated fat, and is rich in many micronutrients; it also can be a source of certain omega-3 fatty acids. As the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies of Science (IOM) noted in a recent report, "[i]n the past several years, research has implicated seafood, particularly its contribution of EPA and DHA [two omega-3 fatty acids], in various health benefits identified for the developing fetus and infants, and also for adults, including those at risk for cardiovascular disease". Sounds like something you should have in your diet, doesn’t it?!

 But how can you get your kids to eat it AND prepare it in a way that it’s still healthy? I had the same problem, for a short period of time. My kids (6 and 4) liked fish sticks well enough. Who doesn’t like something coated in bread and fried (was that actually fish?)? They would also eat haddock but only if I covered it in bread crumbs and slathered it in mayonnaise and butter. Well, I say, let’s have the best of both worlds. There is nothing really new about this recipe. My recommendations are simple substitutions for a simple recipe, emphasizing cleaner ingredients, tips, and of course moderation. After all, if it’s simple, it’s more likely we’ll do it. I don’t like complicated.

I still use breadcrumbs… but not all breadcrumbs are bad. Having said that, I have yet to find a whole wheat bread crumb at the store that does not have High Fructose Corn Syrup in it. I have found 100% whole wheat bread though that does not have HFCS in it, like Freihofers Family 100% whole wheat. Make sure you read the label on the back of your bread because not all Freihofers are created equally. Look for minimal ingredients (that you recognize and no HFCS). Toast the bread and chop it into bread crumbs in a food processor (I usually make enough breadcrumbs to last a few weeks and put it in an airtight container).

 

Make sure your fish isn’t farmed (grown in a big tank of fish in some industrial park somewhere). The levels of bacteria, and other icky things, in this fish are much higher. Look for wild caught fish. I use haddock, but really any wild caught white fish will do J I always soak my fish in milk for at least an hour before preparing it to get the “fishy” taste out and give it some lift.

Use real butter sparingly. Real butter is the actually good for you, if you use it sparingly. If you cannot go light on butter, then try an alternative like Organic Smart balance Vegan.

My kid (and health) friendly fish

Wild caught haddock (1/2 lb per person)

½ cup of 100% whole wheat bread crumbs (as made above)

½ tbsp butter

½ tbsp of dried Italian seasoningr or dill

½ half real lemon

1 tbsp of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

First: preheat oven to 400 degree F and (using a paper towel) coat a glass baking dish (9x13 or 10x15) with olive oil.

Second: in a quart sized or larger zip lock bag, combine bread crumbs and seasoning (dill OR Italian), seal and shake bag until well mixed.

Third: place fish in bag with seasoning (one fillet at a time), seal bag and shake until fish is lightly coated on all surfaces. If you soaked your fish in milk before doing this, just make sure you’ve removed the excess milk first.

Fourth: place fish fillets in a single layer on bottom of baking dish, flakey side up, and place two to three thin pats of butter on each fillet

Fifth: Bake for about 30 minutes or until fully cooked…should be a nice solid white color and flakey. Add fresh squeezed lemon to taste.

My kids love this fish so much, they usually ask for second or third helpings! I hope yours enjoy it too!

FDA warning on Methylmercury found in some fish: “ Because of the presence of methylmercury in fish, FDA and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued an advisory to consumers, "What You Need to Know About Mercury in Fish and Shellfish" (http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/admehg3.html ). The advisory, which was most recently revised in 2004, recommends that women who may become pregnant, pregnant women, nursing mothers, and young children avoid some types of fish and eat fish and shellfish that are lower in methylmercury.”

I’m not perfect…I’m just trying to figure out this whole health thing, just like you. Thanks for letting me share my experiences with you J   

Please consult your doctor before beginning or changing your diet and exercise regimen.

Thanks!!!

A week ago today, I started my health a fitness blog. Thank you everyone for your support! I have had 124 views in 6 countries!!! I have posted 9 articles (health tips, recipes, and product and book reviews) to date and am having a ton of fun. I f I can make a difference for just one person, I'll be soooo happy. I'm looking forward to continuing my quest to be healthy in an unhealthy world. THANKS AGAIN!

Target any Trouble Spot

As I promised before, I am willing to do the work so you don’t waste your time (and money) and gimmicks or bad publications. I can’t believe how much time and money I’ve spent over the years trying to figure out how to tone this muscle group or make “that thing flatter”. I bought abdominal machines that were supposed to target my abs and make my midsection look chiseled and sexy. I even tried that silly device you strap onto your body that actually uses electricity to pump up your muscles. That thing hurt like heck and I’m pretty sure I fried my insides as well!

 I haven’t found a “device” or “machine” that can take the place of a good diet, first and foremost, together with a variety of simple exercises you can do with a set of small dumbbells and things you can find around your house (like stairs). I say variety of exercises because it takes variety in your routine to keep improving. You will “plateau” if you do the same things over and over because your body gets used to it and stops adapting. Having said that, it’s pretty important to know what exercises are the most effective for targeting which muscle group.

I recommend, “The Women’s Health Big Book of Exercises”, by Adam Campbell. If you’ve been to Boot Camp (a group workout program) with me, you know that I constantly introduce new ways to work out all sorts of areas. I rely heavily on the “Big Book”, which offers a wide variety of exercises for each body part. The sections are clearly labeled by body part. For example, if you are looking for core exercises, you merely flip to the “Core” section. There, you will find 22 individual exercises that target your core, plus stretches and other tips about keeping your core fit and strong. Each of the exercises comes with complete color step-by-step illustrations that take the guesswork out of completing the moves effectively. I love that there are exercises you can do at home, on the road, or at the gym. Many of the exercises require no equipment at all. Don’t worry men… There is also “The Men’s Health Big Book of Exercises”, by the same author. I wouldn’t bother buying both because it seems to me like both books have the same basic content and exercises, just with male or female fitness models respectively.

I don’t get any sort of kickback for making recommendations. I make recommendations because I want to make it easy for you. I want you to succeed. I set out blogging because I learned to be skeptical of people selling healthy eating plans, ideas, or equipment (electronic insides frier!). I wanted to give you the option of hearing from someone who isn’t out to convince you their way is the best just because their way makes them money. I’m just telling you what works for me… and I hope it works for you too. 

I’m not perfect…I’m just trying to figure out this whole health thing, just like you. Thanks for letting me share my experiences with you J   

Please consult your doctor before beginning or changing your diet and exercise regimen.

You can do it…I BELIEVE IN YOU !!!

Summer is just around the corner. Actually, the way the weather has been in New England, where I am, summer could be here tomorrow! Of course it could snow next week too... lol! Most of us, me included, have winter weight we want to drop. If you haven’t started getting yourself ready, it is not too late to start. Did you start and have a setback, no worries. Just start again. That’s the beauty of life… there is always a chance to start again. Are you discouraged about starting to lose weight because you figure you have too far to go to be “beach ready” in time? I guarantee, even if you do not reach your goal weight or size, by just losing 15, 10, or even 5 pounds, you will feel better about yourself J Envision yourself the way you want to be this summer. If you are happy the way you are, I am really happy for you. If you envision yourself healthier or leaner…now is the time to start eating clean and getting your exercise. I’m with you because I am determined to wear a bikini this year (and I haven’t done that since my honeymoon 9 years ago)…so I’ve got my work cut out for me  J. I know you can do it…I BELIEVE IN YOU. I believe in you because if someone who likes food and drink as much as I can do it (my friends and family can attest to this)…you can do it too J

I’m not perfect…I’m just trying to figure out this whole health thing just like you. Thanks for letting me share my experiences with you J   

Please consult your doctor before beginning or changing your diet and exercise regimen.

My "Off to a Good Start" Shake

I cannot stress enough the importance of what you put in your body and when. Like your car, your body needs the best fuel and maintenance to run its best. Before you drive your car on a long trip, I am sure you make sure your fluids are topped off and the tank is full. Your body should start the day the very same way… full of fuel and hydrated, rearing to go  J. Here is how I start my day, nearly every day…with a shake. Shakes are easy, and if you are short on time, portable (just throw it in a spill proof container). Drinking your nutrients, as opposed to chewing on them, gets the nutrients into your system quicker, since digestion is so much easier. Here is why I use the ingredients I do:

 Banana has taken the place of the apple as the “once a day” necessity to “keeping the doctor away”. Bananas are low in cholesterol, fat and saturated fat. Most importantly, however, bananas are a great source of potassium and low in sodium. According to the FDA, diets containing foods that are good sources of potassium and low in sodium may reduce the risk of high blood pressure and stroke.

Mango This food is very low in Saturated Fat, Cholesterol and Sodium. It is also a good source of Dietary Fiber and Vitamin B6, and a very good source of Vitamin A and Vitamin C.

Pomegranate- high in antioxidants and the Journal of Inflammation recently released a study claiming its benefits as an anti-inflammatory. Some claim it helps in muscle recovery, though I have yet to find a credible study one way or the other. Either way, it is healthy and delish!

Soy Milk- The FDA has approved a heart healthy claim on soy products, and I avoid casein, especially without a gall bladder, since it can be hard to digest. As I’ve often heard, “Cow milk is for cows!”. I don’t cut out cow milk all together by try to limit it when I can.

Whey Protein Powder- I talk about the importance of combining a protein, carb, and fat in each meal…. And breakfast is the most important time. Protein is vital for about every bodily function. Also, if you lead an active lifestyle, you need a little more protein than a sedentary person. Whey protein is excellent for energizing muscles before a workout and for repairing muscles post workout.

So here it is:

My "Off to a Good Start" Shake

½ cup light organic soy milk

½ cup 100% pomegranate juice

½ banana

¼ cup frozen mango chunks

1 scoop organic whey isolate powder

Blend until smooth and enjoy

Calories: 297.50, Total Fat: 3g, Sat Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 20mg, Sodium: 43mg, Potassium: 522mg, Sugar 28g, protein: 29g, carbs: 36g, dietary fiber: 4.5g

I’m not perfect…I’m just trying to figure out this whole health thing just like you. Thanks for letting me share my experiences with you J   

Please consult your doctor before beginning or changing your diet and exercise regimen.