Posted by Dom on February 28th, 2007 — Posted in Tips
By Yuliana Hendarto.
I was just watching Tyra Banks Show this evening and she had the (ex – I think) wife and daughter of Mike Tyson as her guests! The topic was about how the mother was ashamed of her daugther’s weight and as a result, she stopped her daughter from eating various things, as well as making bad remarks about the daughter’s weight.
Well ok the daughter is rather heavy, but guess what, her mum’s comments are not helping!
In fact, if anything, those years of frustrations and embarassment caused by the mum’s remarks probably contributed to her weight gain.
Isn’t it just amazing how a parent can be so unsopportive and destructive to his/her own child? Maybe the intention wasn’t bad. She saw the child has a tendency to gain weight easily and so wanted to keep her healthy. But rather than making fun of her, why not inspire her to change her eating habits instead?
It’s the push vs pull factor.
And a play between positive and negative emotions.
The same thing goes with people who put themselves on strict diets and absolutely deny themselves certain foods. I think that’s just absurd.
With all due respect, I totally admire people with such strong willpower. However, they should also keep in mind that we want a healthy lifestyle so that we can enjoy life! Not to torture ourselves with a constant diet of celery sticks and what-nots.
And the result of that? Cravings.
It’s psychological. The more we think of NOT eating certain things, the more we think of eating them! This continues until it comes to a point where your mind just can’t take it anymore and you have a ‘relapse’.
And then all hell break loose.
In healthy eating, I’d rather not restrict myself to certain foods. In fact, I eat whatever I feel like, whenever I have the desire to eat it. However, bear in mind the quantities! Eat just enough to make yourself feel quite happy and satisfied, but not overly full. Also, don’t ever feel any regret afterwards – it doesn’t help!
So the number 1 rule to healthy eating is:
Have a positive attitude, and have the right reasons for dieting! Your diet isn’t there to stop you from living your life, it’s there to allow you to enjoy your life to the fullest!
So live it!
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Posted by Dom on February 26th, 2007 — Posted in Misc
Guest blogger Yuliana Hendarto takes a look at one of our personal favourite foods:
Chocolate. This must be one of the most delicious, lovely, fun and famous food on earth! Not only does chocolate tastes great, it has lots of nutritional and health benefits too! Lucky you.But before all of you rush out to the nearest convenience store and grab your chocolates, let’s take a look at these first:
Longevity
A Harvard medical studies consisting of 800 male graduates found that chocoholics have longer life span. This is probably due to high polyphenol level in chocolates, which is claimed to protect you again heart disease.However, many of the so-called chocolate bars today are so rich in sugar, milk and fat content that it’s just too unhealthy for large consumptions! So opt for good quality chocolates or dark chocolates. Avoid the ones with nuts for lower calorie, fat and cholesterol content and NEVER ever consider mars or snickers bars as chocolates. They’re candy bars. Period.
Acne
The popular belief says that chocolate causes acne. However, be rest assured that there is NO effect of eating chocolates whatsoever on your skin. In fact, haven’t you heard of chocolate spa treatments? From body wrap, scrubs, bath, hydroteraphy to massages, it’s said to be good for the skin and muscles.
Chocoholism
Apparently the word does not just signify someone who loves chocolate. Chocolate does have some addictive substances! These include sugar (didn’t think sugar is addictive huh?), theobromine, anandamide (an endogenous cannabinoid), tyroptophan, phenylethylamine, caffeine.
Phew. What a mouthful!
No worries. Simply put, theobromine causes the mood-elevating effect while tyroptophan plays a role in our nervous system to help regulate our mood. On the other hand, anandamide is internally and naturally produced by our body and has short-lasting effect. Altogether, the amount of these chemical substances found in chocolates is pretty minute such that the effect on us is rather negligible, aside from the happy feelings. However, take note that theobromine (and hence chocolates) can be fatal for our pets!
Here is a list of some fun facts about chocolates:
- The Mayans started drinking hot chocolate as far back as 2,600 years ago!! That is also the earliest record of Cacao use.
- Chocolate’s basic ingredients are the cocoa solids, cocoa fat and sugar.
- It is cacao trees and cacao pods, and becomes cocoa after the beans have been processed
- Chocolate was reserved for warriors, nobility and priests.
- The Aztec used cacao beans for their taxes: a slave cost 100 cacao beans and 12 for a courtesan’s service!!!
And to end this entry on a sweet note, here’s a fun link to a Chocolate Quiz!
Sources:
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Posted by Dom on February 24th, 2007 — Posted in Recipes
To finish off our Soup Week, guest blogger Dixie Doodle gives us one of her personal favourites:
Spinach. It’s one of my favorite vegetables. I know that its green leafy goodness has gotten a bad rap lately, with the e.coli breakout and all, but let’s forget about that and focus on its good points. Spinach is high in nutritional value. It’s a great source of Vitamins A, C and E, as well and being high in calcium, iron and folic acid. Its nutritional value is highest when it’s fresh, but most folks don’t like the taste of fresh spinach; so when cooking it, the less amount of cook time, the better.It’s a fairly versatile little veggie, having been used in many a different recipe. Quiches, soufflés, salads, sautéed and served on the side of a grilled fish fillet. Whew, I need to stop, I’m making myself hungry! Oh, can’t forget my absolute fave, hot spinach and cheese dip! Mmmm! So, what’s not to love?
At my house there are 5 adults and 2 toddlers to feed. Two of those adults are males and neither of them wants “twig and tree bark” (better known as diet or low-fat) food. Part of the reason this recipe is one of my favorites is that it is a big winner at my house and no one, but me, knows that it is a “diet” dish. I’ve made it three times since I acquired the recipe and it is always gone before everyone gets their fill, so this last time I doubled the recipe. That gave everyone enough, plus I get a bit left over for lunch the next day.
So in honor of Soup Week here at endiet.com, I give you:
Creamy Chicken & Spinach Soup
- 9oz cheese tortellini
- 14.5oz fat-free, reduced sodium chicken broth
- 1 can 98%fat-free cream of chicken soup
- 16oz chopped frozen spinach (thawed)
- 9oz cooked diced chicken breast
- 2 cups skim milk
- 1/2tsp ground thyme
- 1/4tsp black pepper
Cook tortellini according to directions on the package, using the chicken broth instead of water. Do not drain broth once tortellini is cooked. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and cook until heated through. (just a few minutes) Makes 6 servings at 1 & 1/3 cup.
P.S. The original recipe calls for only 8oz of spinach, but since I do love me some spinach, I have doubled it.
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Posted by Sylvia on February 23rd, 2007 — Posted in Recipes
Day Five
Mallorquin Vegetable Stew
- Onion, chopped
- Green peppers, chopped
- Garlic cloves, peeled and minced
- Green cabbage, chopped
- Cauliflower florets
- Tomatoes, chopped
- Thyme
- Paprika
Heat olive oil in a large pot at a low heat. Fry the onion, peppers and garlic until golden and soft, around 10 minutes. Stir in the cabbage and cauliflower and fry for a few minutes more. Increase the heat to medium hot, then add in tomatoes, thyme and paprika and stir well. Cover the vegetables with broth, cover, and simmer until the vegetables are tender but stop before they are falling apart. You can chill or freeze at this point. Bring to a simmer before serving.
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Posted by Sylvia on February 22nd, 2007 — Posted in Recipes
Day Four
Curried Chicken Soup
- 1-4 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1/2 inch ginger, cut into thick slices
- 2-3 stalks of lemon grass
- Curry powder (you can go very spicy with this if you like)
- Coconut milk
- Boneless/skinless chicken, cut into small cubes
Don’t add the following until directly before serving:
- Spinach leaves
- Spring onions, sliced
- Coriander leaves, chopped
- Lime juice
Mix the garlic, ginger, lemon grass and curry powder into the broth and bring to a boil. Allow to sit for 5-10 minutes and then strain out the solids. Bring to a boil again and add chicken, simmer until the chicken is cooked through. Mix in coconut milk to taste. You can chill or freeze it at this point. Before serving, bring to a boil and then add the greens and a touch of lime juice, serve immediately.
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