Natural Health

Let’s make ramen healthier…

On a college student’s budget? Did your parents pack you nothing but noodles? Let’s spice up that boring package of dried noodles. There are many ways you can dress your soup. But here is the one I made today.

1 package of ramen

1 cup shredded green cabbage

2 cloves garlic

1 stalk of green onion, chopped

1 tsp of chopped ginger

1/2 tsp of hot sauce (optional, but oh so good)

Boil 2-3 cups of water, add in cabbage, garlic, ginger. Let boil for 3 minutes. Add in ramen noodles and let boil for another 3 minutes. I usually add in only half of the seasoning packet. Stir. Now you can add in the hot sauce if you want. Now, you can add the green onion. Take off the burner and serve! 

So delicious and nutritious. I didn’t have any, but usually I put chopped up carrots into the soup the same time I add the cabbage. 

Dear Blog,

Wouldn’t it be SO amazing if we could in reality have...

Skip out on this produce due to the high amount of pesticides.

Dirty Dozen 2011

1. Apples
2. Celery
3. Strawberries
4. Peaches
5. Spinach
6. Nectarines (imported)
7. Grapes (imported)
8. Sweet bell peppers
9. Potatoes
10. Blueberries (domestic)
11. Lettuce
12. Kale/collard greens

Exchange them for these.

Clean Fifteen 2011

1. Onions
2. Sweet corn
3. Pineapples
4. Avocado
5. Asparagus
6. Sweet peas
7. Mangoes
8. Eggplants
9. Cantaloupe (domestic)
10. Kiwi
11. Cabbage
12. Watermelon
13. Sweet potatoes
14. Grapefruit
15. Mushrooms

What To Eat To Lose Weight Fast...But Safe!:

http://wee.fm/5pcp Cool post - What To Eat To Lose Weight Fast…But Safe!

In the June issue of Allure (sorry male readership), this was a headline tucked in next to January Jones, seated with a bunch of other predictable women’s magazine headlines. Obviously women’s health and beauty mags have the insipid habit of recycling the same bullshit with a new annoyingly sensationalist title slapped on it. I almost skipped it entirely, expecting annoying tips like, “Take a bit of cake and then pretend to sneeze and spit it in a napkin. Then do 5 jumping jacks just to be sure you don’t gain weight from any of the crumbs!”

Joking aside, and being at a loss for content ideas (which is NEVER funny to a blogger), I read the article. 

It didn’t totally suck….or it didn’t suck totally. While it still maintained some of the hyper obsession with being a bony sack of a human, it discussed how thin women are the ones who make healthy eating a routine, something that belongs to them, instead of being on a diet. ”The word diet connotes a limited-time affair, but thin women have made eating well a routine: It’s simply something they do day in and day out.” 

Of course, I would have probably used different verbage (e.g. “healthy” instead of “skinny chicks), the number of annoying and/or borderline disordered-eating tips were minimal. 

“The word diet connotes a limited-time affair, but thin women have made eating well a routine: It’s simply something they do day in and day out.” Well duh. The idea that there isn’t some “loss” period and then “maintenance” period is solid: it has to be the eating/exercising changes you make and live with that cause the weight loss and land you at the right weight for you that make having a “maintenance” mode irrelevant. You’re already there. Tracey Jackson (who wrote Confessions of a Shopaholic) was quoted on this: “Once I stopped going on diets, I not only lost 20 lbs, but I kept it off.” 

OK, so what are some of the tips?

• Thin women cook (yep. easier to control ingredients and working for your meal mans you appreciate it more, honestly.)
• Portioning some of whatever you cook for lunch the next day in tupperware right away (keeps you from eating seconds but also makes sure you have a healthy lunch the next day).
• Indulge within reason: You’re never going to have a period in your life when you’re not going to want the occasional cookie or bowl of pasta…you better build that in as part of your routine or you’re destined to fail or yo-yo. 
• Be prepared: this is more or less challenging depending on where and in what environment you work. When I was working in a midtown manhattan high rise, it would have been possible for me to get basically any type of food in 10 minutes or less. But I tried to keep better snacks around for when I got hungry to keep from deciding a 2:30pm cupcakes was a good idea. Turns out, carrots or almonds work just fine…

Probably the most important piece of advice, though, is that you should avoid eating processed foods and sugar substitutes as much as possible. 

Diet soda is not a good look and, while I totally NEED to have peanut m&ms in my life once in a while, i feel best when I avoid processed food and sugar. So Beware of the 100-calorie pack. In a study cited in the article they noted that subjects who had raw fruit instead ate 20% fewer calories in their snacks—see, my kiwi and pineapple obsession isn’t a bad thing…even if I’m starting to turn green.

So while I wish the focus would be on how you can heave a balanced and healthy approach to food instead of “what skinny chicks are eating,” these are pretty valid points. 

What do you guys think? How effective are these ideas in helping you maintain a healthy look and outlook/image?

PS. You can follow me on twitter here.

I’ve recently, or not so recently leaned up and slimmed down to 160, from 185(it was mostly muscle), and I currently stand at 5’8”. I am in love, love, love with my current physique. I shall continue to stay clear of the gym, and stick with my 2-4 mile run 5 days a week, and what ever I rack up on the mileage via riding the fixie. Additionally I’ve decided to toss pushups and sit ups into the mix, but not as routinely. I guess, the biggest struggle is figuring out a diet that works for me, since, for whatever reason my body is never hungry, ESPECIALLY after working out. This is weird? It’s tough to remember to eat, Argh!

What To Eat To Lose Weight Fast...But Safe!:

http://wee.fm/8ja1 What To Eat To Lose Weight Fast…But Safe!

watch the movie “food matters”.  it is on netflix instant.  it will change the way you think about food, medicine and health.

What To Eat To Lose Weight Fast...But Safe!:

http://wee.fm/8ja1 Check this out from my friend Tracey’s blog

Wouldn’t it be SO amazing if we could in reality have vitamins for love, happiness, health and luck? 

Found this too CUTE!

See, I ate over 1,600 calories because I was working out a lot,...

See, I ate over 1,600 calories because I was working out a lot, if I would have stayed at 1,200 and worked out the same that would be best. Or are you supposed to eat that much more when you workout? Help!

Graduation parties yesterday.

I ate like a fat ass. Meatballs in barbecue sauce, fried chicken wings, black cherry rum, soda, pizza, little side things at another, THE WORKS.

Eh. I’m not upset with myself. I’m not going to call it binging because I eat what I want anyway. I’m not disappointed. I took two days off of working out like I always do. SO today I’m back on track. :)

my eats:

my eats:

“breakfast” (9 am): medium milk & honey latte (whole milk)

lunch (12:45 pm): blackberry oatmeal (cooked with water, 3 California dates, 4 blackberries, cinnamon, and a splash of plain unsweetened almond milk)

dinner (5 pm): half of a medium homemade whole-wheat thin crust pizza (100% whole wheat crust, pesto, low fat mozzarella, and more basil) 

dessert (5:30 pm): whole wheat no-egg yogurt chocolate chip cookies in celebration of the weekend. (Husband and I split the remaining dough- maybe 6 cookies worth between the both of us. And I had one baked cookie with plain unsweetened almond milk. That makes four cookies total.)

My exercise:

-4.8 miles walked around the lake at a decent clip. May do several sets of lunges, reverse lunges, squats, push-ups, and leg-lifts later before bed.

Analysis:

All in all a great day for eating! No binges, no crazy cravings. I can see how carby I am, though, and am working on fitting in lots more summer produce into our small grocery budget.

I have to say- I’m especially proud of my cookie intake. Normally when we bake cookies we end up demolishing the whole batch! This time, I was full from pizza and eating the dough and ended up only eating one cookie. Husband had four or five! It’s a small step- saying “just one cookie, thanks”- but a big one for me. And I don’t mind that I ate the dough- it’s tradition in this family and this particular recipe is eggless! mmm:) Half a pizza sounds like a lot, but the crust is extra thin. It makes for around two large pieces, which is perfect. I’d like to start maybe serving a salad as a first course before pizza to see if that cuts down our noshing, though. Extra veggies>extra carbs!

On the exercise front: I am loving this walk. It’s gorgeous and keeps me active. Husband and I plan on switching one of our daily walks out for a morning run together, so I’m excited about that. I’m going easy on myself when it comes to exercise because it’s something I tend to get too fanatical about sometimes. I’m taking this summer to rest and appreciate my body’s other strengths- especially through calisthenics, stretching, and yoga.

Happy weekend!

A PSA from Natalia.

To all the sad little teenagers who think at this moment that being a certain size will somehow make you happy- It won’t. Relax. Go eat a sandwich. Watch a movie. Have a soda. Trust me, once you’re out in the world, it won’t really matter if you fit into a size 2 or a size 20. Stop killing yourselves and making food the enemy. Eat healthy, exercise a bit, and whatever size you end up is the size you should be. 

Self worth and a number on a piece of material you swathe yourself in are two unrelated things.

The end. 

Food Nutrition Information

Apples Contain vitamin E, which improves endurance and stamina of muscles and nerves, and protects the respiratory system from toxins. Also a good source of vitamins A and C, biotin, folic acid and quercetin, an antioxidant that helps lower fat and cholesterol.

Beetroot Reputed to be one of the best liver cleansing vegetables, it also helps nourish the nervous system and brain with manganese, magnesium and folate.

Broccoli Is high in folate and vitamins A and C, as well as calcium and phosphorous, which help build and maintain strong bones. It also helps stimulate the liver.

Cabbage High in vitamin C and calcium. An excellent source of chlorine and sulphur, which expel waste and cleans the blood.

Carrots Packed with nutrients including vitamins A and C; believed to cleanse, nourish and stimulate the body, particularly the liver, kidneys and digestive system.

Celery A recognised diuretic and laxative, and the richest vegetable source of sodium with more than 120mg per 100 grams.

Cherries Food for the blood with iron, copper and manganese, plus vitamins A and C. They help remove toxins from the kidneys, live and digestive system.

Chickpeas A good source of fibre and calcium for healthy bones, phosphorous for healthy kidneys and nerves, and potassium, which nourishes muscles.

Cucumber Contains high levels of vitamin E, essential for healthy heart muscles, and iodine for healthy hair, skin, nails and teeth. Helps prevent water retention. Ginger Cleans, stimulates and rejuvenates the digestive system.

Grapes Contain high levels of manganese, the ‘memory mineral’ which nourishes the nervous system, helps maintain sex hormone production and assists in the formation of healthy red bloods cells. A good source of silicon, which helps circulation, prevents nervous exhaustion and is essential for healthy skin, hair and teeth.

Lemons An excellent source of phosphorous, requied for the repair and healthy functioning of the nervous system. Also a good source of sodium, which assists in proper elimination of waste and cleansing of the lymphatic systim, and helps stimulate the liver and gallbladder.

Melons High in sodium to help clense the kidneys. Also contain a host of other minerals including calcium, phosphorous, potassoim, iron and zinc, as well as vitamins A and C.

Onions A good source of silicon, which can promote better blood circulation and prevent nervous and mental fatigue. Also contain potent antiviral and antibacterial nutrients.

Oranges Loaded with vitamin C. Also contain calcium and phosphorous, which combined, help protect the body from infections and viruses.

Papaya One of the richest sources of the enzyme papain, which is essential to protein digestion. Also an excellent source of vitamins A and C.

Parsley Stimulates the kidneys to eliminate toxic waste.

Peaches A good source of vitamin A, important for healthy skin, good eyesight and protection from the effects of stress and environmental toxins. Vitamin A also protects the lung and respiratory tract from infection.

Pears Contain cleaning minerals including potassium, sodium, iron calcium, magnesium and manganese. Also contain sodium, which is required regularly for proper elimination of carbon dioxide in the lungs.

Pineapples Contain bromelain, which has anti-inflammatory properties and helps the body digest protein.

Strawberries Contain ellagic acid that may have anti-carcinogenic effects. Contain 1 and a half times as much vitamin C as most citrus fruits and are also a good source of iron.

Tomatoes Contain chlorine, an acid mineral that stimulates the liver to filter out waste products. Helps with the production of gastric juices, maintenance of correct fluid levels and reduction of excess fat.