In today's society there are many different diet plans available and lots of opinions on what is healthy and what is not. I will give my opinion (I do have lots of them), but I am not here to advocate for one or the other. I am here to say, figure out what works for you.
There are some things that just about everybody agrees on. First, everybody should be eating more vegetables. I know that some people are picky and will say that they don't like vegetables, but I say you can always find a way to increase your intake. My husband is particular about his vegetables. He will only eat raw veggies with ranch dressing (with one exception). Now, I grimace a little about the ranch dressing, but at least he will eat the veggies. His exception is Brussels sprouts. We like them sauteed with onion, bacon, and butter. The other thing that I have done is to put some boiled veggies in the blender and use the resulting mush in the place of tomato sauce in things like chili. There is some debate about the nutritional value of boiled veggies, but if you are using the water that you boiled them in you should be getting what you need.
Second, reduce your intake of refined sugar. I have never heard anybody say that white table sugar is perfectly healthy for you and you can include it in you health plan. Some plans, like "The Paleo Solution" by Robb Wolf, allow natural sweeteners like honey, agave, etc. Some plans will tell you that the artificial sweeteners are okay. The point is that nobody has anything good to say about straight up sugar.
Third, drink more water. I have trouble with this one. I prefer tea (I drink it straight unsweetened) and orange juice. I have noticed however that if I do drink more water I tend to do better, even on the days that I have cheated on my diet.
So, beyond these three things, how do you know whose advice to take? I know people who will only do the three things listed above and have great success. I will just say, you people frustrate me. I wish that was all that I had to do. I have found, however, that grain is not my friend. I personally try to follow The Paleo Solution, with some modifications. For instance, the strict plan doesn't allow dairy, but I still eat cheese and drink milk. I am obese, with a pre-diabetic condition and major pain issues. The elimination of grain and processed food from my diet lessened the pain, severely inhibited the amount of sugar and carbohydrates I was eating, and actually helped me lose weight. This particular plan was recommended to me by a doctor who follows it himself. I highly suggest that you check it out.
This is the really the only plan that I actually have any sort of knowledge about. There is another popular book out there called "The Skinny Rules" by Bob Harper. I have some family members who are having some success with this. The thing is, that I don't believe that there is one thing out there that works for everybody. God made us all unique. It might take some trial and error, but figuring out what works for your health needs is step one to living life to its fullest.
P.S. The recipes that I post will be geared toward The Paleo Diet, but hopefully will work on any diet plan with very little adjustment.
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
Monday, February 10, 2014
Invest in Your Health
So this is the part where I tell you that you really do have to spend money to be healthy. Admit it, you knew it was too good to be true. Well, hang in there with me. Hopefully, by the end of this post you will see that you really can be healthy while not spending a lot. You will also see, however, that there are some things that I really think are worth the money and have made the journey a little easier.
First of all, your health is important. Isn't it worth your full attention and effort? I have heard it said that in order to see what a person's priorities are, just look at what they spend money on. So I say, surely there are things that you might be able to tighten up on or do without in order to have more money to spend being healthy.
Okay, enough of the lecture. Now to the fun stuff.
1. A stand mixer.
Last November my husband got a bonus and worked some overtime and bought me a KitchenAid Stand Mixer for Christmas. It has been a great help to me in my efforts to change my eating habits. I have a recipe for stuff called "cloud bread". It calls for whipping egg whites until they are stiff. It helped me get over my craving for real bread and I probably would never have tried it if I didn't have my stand mixer.
2. Alternative flours.
In my local grocery store they have almost an entire aisle of alternative flours. They come in 1 pound bags, and there is everything from tapioca starch to potato flour, almond flour to flax seed meal. If you are comparing price per pound they really are very expensive. However, most of the recipes I am using only call for a tablespoon or two. So, I started with the flax seed meal. It was in the $3-$4 range and was an ingredient in the cloud bread. When I was looking at dessert recipes I bought almond flour at about $10 which makes a really good pie crust (as long as you are not baking to long or too high a temp). When I was thinking about Thanksgiving and wanting to have gravy, I bought the tapioca starch. None of these are things that I use a lot of, so the price is not out of reach of the budget that I have to work with.
3. Individualized containers
One of my things is that whatever I do has to be convenient. I don't do anything if it doesn't make my life easier. I found a bowl made by Ziploc that holds just under 2 cups. Whenever I make a recipe that I can make lots of at a time, I split it into the bowls and freeze them. Then when I am leaving for work, I just grab a bowl from the freezer and go. These bowls come 5 to a pack, so whenever I went to Wal-Mart I picked up another pack until I had about 40. They don't stand up to freezer, microwave, dishwasher use forever so they have to be replaced after a while, but they have made it lots easier to stick to an eating plan.
4. Deep Freezer.
This was a big investment, but I was really glad I did it. I have made two or three big pots of stew and chili in one day. The freezer attached to my refrigerator wouldn't hold even the bowls from one pot. So I was able to stock up for almost a month and I would not have been able to do it if I didn't have the deep freeze. Now it did take a little creativity to come up with this. I ended up splitting the cost of the freezer with my neighbor. We live in an apartment and share common patio space so it works for us.
This is my list. It doesn't necessarily have to be your list. I do think that you have to evaluate what is important to you. If your health is really important, you find a way to make the necessary changes.
First of all, your health is important. Isn't it worth your full attention and effort? I have heard it said that in order to see what a person's priorities are, just look at what they spend money on. So I say, surely there are things that you might be able to tighten up on or do without in order to have more money to spend being healthy.
Okay, enough of the lecture. Now to the fun stuff.
1. A stand mixer.
Last November my husband got a bonus and worked some overtime and bought me a KitchenAid Stand Mixer for Christmas. It has been a great help to me in my efforts to change my eating habits. I have a recipe for stuff called "cloud bread". It calls for whipping egg whites until they are stiff. It helped me get over my craving for real bread and I probably would never have tried it if I didn't have my stand mixer.
2. Alternative flours.
In my local grocery store they have almost an entire aisle of alternative flours. They come in 1 pound bags, and there is everything from tapioca starch to potato flour, almond flour to flax seed meal. If you are comparing price per pound they really are very expensive. However, most of the recipes I am using only call for a tablespoon or two. So, I started with the flax seed meal. It was in the $3-$4 range and was an ingredient in the cloud bread. When I was looking at dessert recipes I bought almond flour at about $10 which makes a really good pie crust (as long as you are not baking to long or too high a temp). When I was thinking about Thanksgiving and wanting to have gravy, I bought the tapioca starch. None of these are things that I use a lot of, so the price is not out of reach of the budget that I have to work with.
3. Individualized containers
One of my things is that whatever I do has to be convenient. I don't do anything if it doesn't make my life easier. I found a bowl made by Ziploc that holds just under 2 cups. Whenever I make a recipe that I can make lots of at a time, I split it into the bowls and freeze them. Then when I am leaving for work, I just grab a bowl from the freezer and go. These bowls come 5 to a pack, so whenever I went to Wal-Mart I picked up another pack until I had about 40. They don't stand up to freezer, microwave, dishwasher use forever so they have to be replaced after a while, but they have made it lots easier to stick to an eating plan.
4. Deep Freezer.
This was a big investment, but I was really glad I did it. I have made two or three big pots of stew and chili in one day. The freezer attached to my refrigerator wouldn't hold even the bowls from one pot. So I was able to stock up for almost a month and I would not have been able to do it if I didn't have the deep freeze. Now it did take a little creativity to come up with this. I ended up splitting the cost of the freezer with my neighbor. We live in an apartment and share common patio space so it works for us.
This is my list. It doesn't necessarily have to be your list. I do think that you have to evaluate what is important to you. If your health is really important, you find a way to make the necessary changes.
Monday, February 3, 2014
Recipe - Chili From Scratch
Let me first start by saying that the recipes I will post are not intended to fit any particular diet plan. They are intended to give people a starting point to making better choices that will fit into whatever life they live.
This is actually at two part recipe.
Part 1: Taco Seasoning
Mix together equal parts of the following:
Chili Powder
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder
Cumin
You can add to taste: (it might take some experimenting to find out exactly what you like)
Black Pepper
Red Pepper
Salt
This is important because it allows you to control what is actually going into your dish, rather than relying on a seasoning packet which is very high in sodium, not to mention other preservatives that I just don't want to eat anymore.
I usually buy these seasonings in the same brand in the same size if I can. Then when I get home I just dump them all into a plastic baggie, seal and shake. I also usually leave the "add to taste" items until I am actually making my dish. You can always add more, but you can't take it back out.
Part 2: Chili
1 pound ground beef
12 oz can of tomato paste (Great Value brand has nothing in it except tomatoes)
12 oz water (using the tomato paste can to measure)
2 tbsp Taco Seasoning
2 tbsp extra Chili Powder
Optional:
Onions
Bell Peppers
Green Chilies
Brown ground beef and optional ingredients (using some extra taco seasoning if desired). Drain and set aside. Over medium heat mix tomato paste and water until thoroughly combined. Add beef back in. Add seasonings. Simmer until completely warmed through stirring consistently. The tomato paste will thicken and burn if not watched carefully.
Notes:
This is a base recipe. It is to the consistency and flavor that I like. You can adjust the liquid and seasonings to suit your preferences. I have also substituted vegetables for the meat. In that regard I have used carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, zucchini, yellow squash, and whatever else I might have had on hand. I have also combined the meat and vegetables for more of a stew than chili. If you are using vegetables, just use the water you boil the veggies in and don't add extra when you add the tomato paste.
This is a great recipe for quick and easy on a busy night. It also multiplies for freezing really well. I have used a really big stock pot. Then I split it into individual containers and freeze them for "grab and go" lunches.
If you have any thoughts or questions, I would love to have your input!!
This is actually at two part recipe.
Part 1: Taco Seasoning
Mix together equal parts of the following:
Chili Powder
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder
Cumin
You can add to taste: (it might take some experimenting to find out exactly what you like)
Black Pepper
Red Pepper
Salt
This is important because it allows you to control what is actually going into your dish, rather than relying on a seasoning packet which is very high in sodium, not to mention other preservatives that I just don't want to eat anymore.
I usually buy these seasonings in the same brand in the same size if I can. Then when I get home I just dump them all into a plastic baggie, seal and shake. I also usually leave the "add to taste" items until I am actually making my dish. You can always add more, but you can't take it back out.
Part 2: Chili
1 pound ground beef
12 oz can of tomato paste (Great Value brand has nothing in it except tomatoes)
12 oz water (using the tomato paste can to measure)
2 tbsp Taco Seasoning
2 tbsp extra Chili Powder
Optional:
Onions
Bell Peppers
Green Chilies
Brown ground beef and optional ingredients (using some extra taco seasoning if desired). Drain and set aside. Over medium heat mix tomato paste and water until thoroughly combined. Add beef back in. Add seasonings. Simmer until completely warmed through stirring consistently. The tomato paste will thicken and burn if not watched carefully.
Notes:
This is a base recipe. It is to the consistency and flavor that I like. You can adjust the liquid and seasonings to suit your preferences. I have also substituted vegetables for the meat. In that regard I have used carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, zucchini, yellow squash, and whatever else I might have had on hand. I have also combined the meat and vegetables for more of a stew than chili. If you are using vegetables, just use the water you boil the veggies in and don't add extra when you add the tomato paste.
This is a great recipe for quick and easy on a busy night. It also multiplies for freezing really well. I have used a really big stock pot. Then I split it into individual containers and freeze them for "grab and go" lunches.
If you have any thoughts or questions, I would love to have your input!!
Friday, January 24, 2014
Learning to Read
If you are like me, and just beginning your journey, you might be overwhelmed by all the information available from multiple sources. If that is the case, you might also be unsure of where to start. You might be tempted to try to implement everything you learn all at once. While this method does work for some people, there are those of us who just can't handle that kind of change. I found myself forgetting some things that I had learned and then beating myself up because I missed something. I would then dump the whole process, practice my unhealthy habits for a while, and then try to start over. I was incredibly frustrated that I could not stick to a diet, and that nothing I did seemed to work for me. So, after some major frustration and meditation, I finally came up with some beginning steps that should help anybody who will go on this journey. In the coming weeks we will take some things step by step. Here, then, is step one.
It seems like such an easy thing, but it still hangs me up sometimes. Who wants to spend hours in the grocery store reading everything you pick up? OK, so I didn't start out reading everything. I split things into chunks. The goal is to educate yourself on what you are actually eating. I started with one product. I read every can of tomato sauce I could find. I learned that one brand contained only tomatoes and salt. I figured that was a good start since the others contained sugar, corn syrup, and other chemicals. Then a few weeks later a conversation with my sister led me to look for a product that only contained tomatoes. What I found was only tomato paste, not tomato sauce. So I experimented and found that equal parts tomato paste and water comes out the same consistency as tomato sauce. Now, every time I go to the store I read something new. Since I have been doing this for several months I have pretty much figured out what I can and can't buy according to my plan.
In addition to reading the labels, you should know what you are looking at.
READ LABELS ON EVERYTHING YOU BUY
It seems like such an easy thing, but it still hangs me up sometimes. Who wants to spend hours in the grocery store reading everything you pick up? OK, so I didn't start out reading everything. I split things into chunks. The goal is to educate yourself on what you are actually eating. I started with one product. I read every can of tomato sauce I could find. I learned that one brand contained only tomatoes and salt. I figured that was a good start since the others contained sugar, corn syrup, and other chemicals. Then a few weeks later a conversation with my sister led me to look for a product that only contained tomatoes. What I found was only tomato paste, not tomato sauce. So I experimented and found that equal parts tomato paste and water comes out the same consistency as tomato sauce. Now, every time I go to the store I read something new. Since I have been doing this for several months I have pretty much figured out what I can and can't buy according to my plan.
In addition to reading the labels, you should know what you are looking at.
This is a picture of the label on a can of cream of mushroom soup. The third ingredient is Modified Food Starch. I have no idea what that is or where it comes from. Also, there are some other things on the list that I do know about, but are not allowed on the plan that I am on. So I choose not to eat this anymore.
Sometimes this means that I have whole dinners that I don't eat anymore. I was using this soup for something that my husband calls "Green Chili Soup". I always ate the filling wrapped in a tortilla, since I don't eat wheat or corn anymore tortillas are out, so this dinner is out anyway. Sometimes it means I have learned to make something from scratch that I normally would buy. I have learned how to make chili, and this allows me to put what I want in it and leave out what I don't want. I have also been doing chicken stock from scratch. It is good for so many things and I can do big batches of it and split it up.
The end goal for me is to eat things as close to the way God made them as possible. So when I find something that I don't know what the ingredients are I find a way to either eliminate it or replace it. If you are just starting out though, you may not want to try to replace everything at once. The first step is to begin to educate yourself and learn to read those labels.
Thursday, January 16, 2014
Hello!!
Welcome to the first post of "Healthy On A Budget"! I am so glad that you decided to come check this out. I hope that this blog is both relevant and helpful, so if you have any thoughts or comments please let me know.
To begin with I will briefly outline what I hope to share with you in this blog. It seems to me that people struggle with where to begin when they are trying to make changes and be healthier. The last thing you need is some random blogger trying to further confuse you and overwhelm you with information you don't know what to do with. I have waded through my fare share of blogs and books thinking, "What does this have to do with me?" or "How am I supposed to accomplish this?". With that in mind I have decided to break this down into four main categories. Each week I hope to provide information on a different category, touching on each one about once a month.
1. Understanding what you are eating and why. These will mostly be thoughts on nutrition. There will be some direction on what to look for on food labels and how to tell what is good, bad, or in between. As I learn more about nutrition and how it affects us, I will share more.
2. How to implement this information. This will mostly be recipes and tips on how you can save money on food that is good for you.
3. Alternatives methods of implementation. One of the things I have discovered on my own journey is the joy of gardening. If you are interested in growing you own food (and thereby saving yourself even more money) this is where I will share the things that I have learned. This is probably by far still my biggest challenge. There is so much I still don't understand about how to have a great garden, but I will share what I find as I go.
4. Miscellaneous. Because the point of this is how to be healthy with a limited budget I thought it might be helpful to throw in some other things that might help save money. I have learned how to make my own laundry soap. It might not be for everybody, but it has saved me some money which I turned around and spent on food items that I might not have been able to afford otherwise.
Now if you are thinking, "Who is this woman, and what does she know?". I will tell you. Nothing. Or at least almost nothing. I began my health and wellness journey in earnest a little over a year ago. It was hard. My husband and I don't make much money and I had to figure out what I could buy and not buy. I have learned a lot about what works for me, and I have had lots of help from people smarter than me. Also, part of my own process led me to return to school to work towards becoming a Registered Dietician. So everything I know right now, I have pretty much learned from experience. I am currently taking my first nutrition based class, "Vitamins, Herbs, and Supplements". As I learn I hope to share what I am learning with you.
Now, hopefully, you have an idea of what kind of road we are on. I hope you stay on this road with me and discover how you can be healthier, even if you are on a budget.
To begin with I will briefly outline what I hope to share with you in this blog. It seems to me that people struggle with where to begin when they are trying to make changes and be healthier. The last thing you need is some random blogger trying to further confuse you and overwhelm you with information you don't know what to do with. I have waded through my fare share of blogs and books thinking, "What does this have to do with me?" or "How am I supposed to accomplish this?". With that in mind I have decided to break this down into four main categories. Each week I hope to provide information on a different category, touching on each one about once a month.
1. Understanding what you are eating and why. These will mostly be thoughts on nutrition. There will be some direction on what to look for on food labels and how to tell what is good, bad, or in between. As I learn more about nutrition and how it affects us, I will share more.
2. How to implement this information. This will mostly be recipes and tips on how you can save money on food that is good for you.
3. Alternatives methods of implementation. One of the things I have discovered on my own journey is the joy of gardening. If you are interested in growing you own food (and thereby saving yourself even more money) this is where I will share the things that I have learned. This is probably by far still my biggest challenge. There is so much I still don't understand about how to have a great garden, but I will share what I find as I go.
4. Miscellaneous. Because the point of this is how to be healthy with a limited budget I thought it might be helpful to throw in some other things that might help save money. I have learned how to make my own laundry soap. It might not be for everybody, but it has saved me some money which I turned around and spent on food items that I might not have been able to afford otherwise.
Now if you are thinking, "Who is this woman, and what does she know?". I will tell you. Nothing. Or at least almost nothing. I began my health and wellness journey in earnest a little over a year ago. It was hard. My husband and I don't make much money and I had to figure out what I could buy and not buy. I have learned a lot about what works for me, and I have had lots of help from people smarter than me. Also, part of my own process led me to return to school to work towards becoming a Registered Dietician. So everything I know right now, I have pretty much learned from experience. I am currently taking my first nutrition based class, "Vitamins, Herbs, and Supplements". As I learn I hope to share what I am learning with you.
Now, hopefully, you have an idea of what kind of road we are on. I hope you stay on this road with me and discover how you can be healthier, even if you are on a budget.
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