Book Review: Eat Clean, Lose Weight & Love Every Bite

Meh.

Ok the details:

The book is a collaboration with Wendy Bazilian(DrPH, RD) and Prevention magazine.

$31.95 is pretty steep for a book, in my opinion. It’s a hard cover book, there are photos of the recipes, but only in a center segment, not with the recipes.

The first 95 pages are devoted to the plan outline, a pretty extensive shopping list, before and after bio stories, “good versus bad” foods, and the usual.

They push organic, grass fed, free range, etc -which is not unusual.

Unlike a lot of “clean eating” plans, this one does include beans and whole grains, nuts, milks and cheeses.

There are about 180 recipes according to the cover (I didn’t count) but none of them are “ooh I’ve never seen that before” types.

Overall, I feel like I paid $32 (about the cost of 2 grass fed sirloin steaks, organic fresh green beans and organic zucchini with grass fed butter) to learn that you should eat: grass fed steaks, organic veggies and grass fed butter.

Is it anything eye-opening: no.

Are the recipe unique: no.

Would I recommend it: nope. You can find all this info for free by searching pinterest and google blogs for “clean eating”.

Blueberry Scone-iscuits (kind of a scone, kind of a biscuit texture)

Scones are pretty much impossible on Weight Watchers due to the amount of butter needed to get the right texture.

This is my version that’s denser and not as “tender”, more like a biscuit. I’m sure there’s a technical baking term for it, but I have no idea what it is lol.

Makes 8 servings @ 4 Weight Watchers Freestyle points per serving or 6 servings @ 5 Weight Watchers Freestyle points each

• 2 cups all purpose flour + 1 T for dusting hands
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• ¹⁄₂ tsp baking soda

• 6 packet(s) Splenda Naturals Sugar & Stevia sweetener blend, or 4 tablespoons sweetener of your choice
• 1 ¹⁄₂ cup(s)Plain fat free Greek yogurt
• 1 cup (s) unsweetened frozen blueberries, thawed and patted dry or fresh, washed and patted dry
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice, Optional juice plus zest of 1 lemon

• 16spray(s)I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter! Original spray, 2 sprays per piece

• 2 tsp sugar, for sprinkling on top, optional
• 1 Tbsp butter, melted

• Preheat oven/toaster oven to 375f.
• Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
• Sift dry ingredients except the sugar; mix yogurt, vanilla, and lemon juice and zest if using.
• Toss the 1T flour with the blueberries.
• Gently combine the wet and dry ingredients and blueberries, kneading as lightly as possible to pat it into about an 8″ circle on the prepared pan.
• Using a sharp long knife, or pizza mezzalune, cut the dough into 8 equal “pie” pieces and move them slightly apart so they can spread a little when baking.
• Bake for 15 minutes, then spritz with the butter spray(or brush with melted butter) and sprinkle with the sugar and bake an additional 3-5 minutes.

Notes

You can substitute low-sugar craisins and orange juice/zest in this for a cranberry orange variation.

The Butter spray adds no points, the butter is 5 points for 1 tablespoon, so zero per serving. Use either option.

 

Willpower -versus- Pill-Power

I know, even though I need to lose weight, my appetite is relatively controlled with simple willpower. Many times, I just get busy doing something and forget that I was hungry.

But, it’s not that way for everyone.

Since the fen-phen side effects became a public issue in the 1990’s, there was a very dry spell for weight loss drugs. And rightly so. “Dying to be thin” should only be a saying, not a reality.

In 1997 the FDA approved Orlistat for prescription use, then in 2007 it approved a lower dosage version for OTC use.

Alli became a best seller, but the side effects (and the commercials!) were pretty bad. Does anyone really want to have the potential for explosive diarrhea? The horror stories on the internet about the whens and wheres were pretty detailed!

More are available through prescription now:

Orlistat (Xenical), lorcaserin (Belviq), phentermine-topiramate (Qsymia), naltrexone-bupropion (Contrave) and liraglutide (Saxenda) are approved for long-term use.

They all have good and bad effects, and individually we have to decide what’s best for us.

Contrave is being heavily marketed on television, especially  during the peak “womens” times: soap operas and talk shows. There are no men in the commercials, which kind of leads one to believe that ONLY women have weight issues. But that’s a topic for another day.

“The most common side effects of CONTRAVE include nausea, constipation, headache, vomiting, dizziness, trouble sleeping, dry mouth, and diarrhea.”

Well, that would cause me to lose weight. Kind of reminds me of the time I had bad oysters…

What bothers me is this: “CONTRAVE is believed to work on two important areas of the brain—your hunger center and your reward system—to reduce hunger and help control cravings”

and this: “The exact neurochemical effects of CONTRAVE leading to weight loss are not fully understood.”

I’m sure this is really a disclaimer on many prescription drugs, but that also tells me that these manufacturers may not have all the data for long term effects (back to fen-phen again).

The decision is intensely personal. “You do you”. But be fully aware and read all the data before hopping on the pill-power band wagon.

Obviously, if one thing worked for every person, the diet industry wouldn’t be a $60 billion dollar a year business(US news Jan 2013 data).

It’s never as simple as “I have no willpower”. Health, age, physical abilities, metabolism, stress, medical conditions.. so many things can prevent us from losing weight on our own.

Weight Watchers Freestyle Low-Carb: Thursday’s Meal Plan

I thought I’d share more of my hybrid WW/LC meal days, and how easy it is to incorporate the 2 plans.

Breakfast:

• coffee with 2T half and half and 1/2 of a premier protein chocolate shake (I won’t do that again, I have gotten used to unsweetened coffee and it was just weird lol, though I do like that combo blended with ice as a frosty coffee drink)
• 1 hard boiled egg with 1 teaspoon Dukes real mayonnaise

Lunch:

• 5oz sirloin steak seared and topped with 1T butter
• 2 poached eggs w/sriracha
• 1 roma tomato, sliced w/salt and pepper

Supper:

• stir fry of chicken breast(8oz), green onions, soy sauce, fish sauce, sweetener, hot pepper flakes, ginger and garlic (2tsp olive oil) over riced cauliflower steamed w/low-sodium soy sauce and pepper

Snacks (if needed) :

• 2 hard boiled eggs with 2tsp mayonnaise
• sugar free jell-o gelatin
• dill pickles

This comes out to just 18 weight watchers freestyle points (I may have some wine with the rest! I could add another  tablespoon of olive oil or butter with the leftover points to get my fats up though.)

1186 calories; 25g carbs; 6g fiber; 19g net carbs; 109g proetin and 75g fat

While keto is probably out of the question, low-carb is do-able.

 

Then -V- Now: Eating Habits

My husband and I have  a son who is 27.

My nephew is 23.

The difference between my son and nephew’s eating habits is astonishing, and they’re nearly the same age.

Son: I’m a little hungry, but I can wait an hour for dinner.

Nephew: I’m a little hungry, FEED ME NOW BEFORE I STARVE TO DEATH IN THE NEXT 30 SECONDS!

Kind of funny, but I do think it lends a lot to what we’re taught as children about food and our relationship with it.

Like any relationship, it can be healthy or UNhealthy.

Growing up in a 1-horse-town and out in the country even from the town, we didn’t have many fast food options growing up. No restaurants that weren’t at least a 30 minute drive away.

We went to the grocery store once a week, and the the mall (that was an hour away) once a month. We usually had a “sit down” meal at the mall and that was a big deal back then 😀

Those sit down meals were also nothing like today. Portions were smaller, foods were “cleaner”, restaurants did not tolerate kids running around, screaming and generally annoying the entire room, there were no tablets or smart phones: you enjoyed the food and your dining companions.

We ate scheduled meals, and we sat together at the table.

Desserts were once a week, on Sunday.

Snacks were rare and usually a fruit (we had a grapefruit orchard) or small pastry if my Great Grandmother had baked, or a Mexican pandulce – neither of which were sweet by todays pastry standards.

Another thing that has changed: you were in the kitchen at an early age when I was a kid, and you learned, at the least, the basics of cooking. Maybe nothing culinary grade, but you could fend for yourself if needed. This applied to boys and girls.

I am amazed at how many women and men in some groups/boards, that are in their 30s, that can’t even boil water. They depend solely on fast food and take out to live. Or, if they’re lucky, their mom or dad cooks for them. You get the picture.

IMO one of the best things we can do for ourselves is to learn to cook healthy, no matter what healthy means to you, dishes , so we can depend on ourselves instead of some faceless chef, to keep ourselves fed and (hopefully) healthy.

I read a quote that sticks with me: “Being hungry is not an emergency”.

I have been trying to improve my relationship with food for many years and, I think, I’ve accomplished a lot in that aspect.

If nothing else, my son has adopted my newer food thoughts about hunger and when/what/how much to eat. Yes, he still occasionally has ramen at 3am (smells awful and will wake you up /annoyed) but a good 80% of the time he’s switched to a healthier way to look at food as both fuel and for enjoyment.

This is an interesting article about how to improve your relationship with food. If you can adopt just 1 or 2 of these, it may help you as well:)

https://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-8258/11-steps-to-rebuild-your-relationship-with-food.html

Why Weight Watchers Freestyle Will Have To Rethink Their Plan Basics Next Year

No: this is not “breaking news” or anything, this is just my observation from reading various Weight Watchers boards and groups.

Reading Amanda’s post:

• “Hey! I’ve been on the new WW plan for a month and have gained 12 pounds! I am always under my points. What gives?”

Questions/advice:

• “That’s ok Amanda, just stick with it!”
• “What are you eating?”
• “Maybe you don’t have any weight to lose?”
• Is it that time of the month??

Amanda responds:

• I eat zero point foods except for 1 meal a day.
• I get 27 points, so my supper is a double bacon cheeseburger with fries and a drink or a 1 pound ribeye with a loaded baked potato and a diet coke. (here’s where someone chimes in with the whole “diet soda is bad for you” routine lol) Sometimes I have a piece of pie or cake to use up my rollover points.
• The rest of the day I eat: 3 dozen eggs and 10 apples, plus a banana or 2 for the potassium, oh and some broccoli and carrots if I’m hungry, maybe 3 pounds of chicken breast.
• I use my unused points on Saturday and I eat 20 pancakes covered in butter and syrup for breakfast, then a bucket of fried chicken for supper to make sure I use them all.
• I’m within my points so why am I not losing??? This plan sucks!

You get the picture.

ANY plan can be abused, and this new WW one has a lot of room to screw up, even if you’re “within the guidelines”.

I think WW’s mistake is thinking that everyone will use common sense. lol.

I predict that there will be an updated plan within the next year to limit “free” foods to 2-3 servings.

Whether there will be an update or not, reading the various WW based discussions, there NEEDS to be.

That still allows for a LOT of food that you don’t have to count, but it does put some emphasis on using common sense and portion control. Which a lot of people seem to need.

For me, this is actually a really easy plan to do and stay low carb, under 50g a day.

I use my 26 points for healthy fats and lean proteins, and the occasional low-carb bread product, and then eat non-starchy veggies to fill my meals out.

I do allow myself 1 Activia light yogurt in the evening as a sweet treat and probiotic. At 2 freestyle points, it’s worth it to me.

I do use full fat mayo, half and half, real cheese, and real butter along with some avocado (not all in the same day), so I’m keeping my calories above 1000, which is surprisingly difficult to do on this version if you don’t use some full fat products.

 

Keto Shrimp Salad

This is a seriously easy recipe that comes together in no time and costs practically nothing.

When you see “salad shrimp” on sale, grab a bunch of bags. Usually in 6oz bags and frozen, major store chains like Kroger will have them on sale for $1 a bag at times.

If not salad shrimp, then any small or extra small shrimp will work. I also make this recipe and use 6oz shrimp and 1 can of crab meat, to change up the flavors and textures.

Keto Shrimp Salad (serves 2)

• 2 med stalks Celery, chopped small
• 1 Green Onion, sliced thin
• 1 tsp Lemon juice (or more to taste)
• 1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt, Old Bay seasoning, Cajun seasoning -whatever you like
• 12 oz small or salad shrimp: cooked, peeled, rinsed and drained
• 3 tbsp mayonnaise
• 1 oz dill pickle chopped small (you can use dill relish)
• 1 drops Stevia Glycerite or 1 teaspoon equivalent of your sweetener of choice

Mix the mayonnaise, lemon juice, seasoning and sweetener well, then add everything else and stir to coat.

Refrigerate 15-30 minutes for the flavors to blend.

You can add a little hot sauce, Dijon or spicy brown mustard, even chopped hard boiled eggs. I like a  combination of Tabasco and dijon mustard added to this.

Serve over lettuce or in a wrap.

Nutrition Facts
Servings 2.0
Amount Per Serving
calories 331
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 20 g	31 %
Saturated Fat 2 g	11 %
Monounsaturated Fat 4 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 11 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 345 mg	115 %
Sodium 1449 mg	60 %
Potassium 232 mg	7 %
Total Carbohydrate 5 g	2 %
Dietary Fiber 1 g	5 %
Sugars 1 g
Protein 37 g	74 %
Vitamin A	11 %
Vitamin C	50 %
Calcium	11 %
Iron	32 %

Eggs, Glorious Eggs

Very nearly the perfect food for low-carb, the lowly and often maligned egg can be a wonderful addition to your meal plan that’s healthy, nutritious and budget friendly.

From a simple scramble, to a sophisticated omelette, the versatile wonder food can be dressed up or dressed down to your own tastes.

Simple Egg Salad for 1:

• 2 hard boiled eggs, chopped
• 1 rib celery, chopped
• 1 green onion, chopped
• 1 small dill pickle, chopped
• 1 Tablespoon mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard
• Mix well, add salt and pepper to taste

No Fuss Veggies and Eggs in a Pan (1 large serving)

• 2 large eggs, beaten together with a little salt and pepper
• diced or sliced (small) vegetables such as: zucchini, tomato, onion, jalapeno, spinach, artichokes, whatever you like or need to use from your fridge!
• diced ham, leftover steak, sausage whatever you might want
• 1 teaspoon each butter and olive oil
• cheese, if desired

Heat the oil in a small skillet and saute the veggies until they are cooked however you like them. If you’re using a protein that’s cooked, add it now to heat through then: Pour the eggs over them, rotating the pan to make sure and cover the entire pan bottom. Cover and let cook on medium heat for 1 minute until the eggs are cooked through, then turn off the heat and add cheese, if using. Cover again until cheese melts.

Egg and Cabbage Carbonara-ish (1-2 servings)

• 1-2 slices bacon, cut into small pieces
• 2 cups shredded cabbage
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced
• 2 large eggs, beaten with 1 tablespoon heavy cream
• additional 1-2T half and half
• 1 Tablespoon shredded Parmesan or the green can is FINE
• 1 sun dried tomato half, sliced very thin (optional)
• salt and pepper to taste

Saute the bacon until it is cooked through and slightly crispy. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and add the olive oil and cabbage to the bacon drippings.

Cook, stirring often, for 3-4 minutes until the cabbage wilts, then add the garlic and sun dried tomato.

Cook for another minute and add the beaten eggs and stir until the eggs cook. Add the remaining half and half, reserved bacon and the Parmesan cheese, stir to mix in and serve hot.

Creamed Eggs (1 serving)

• 2 hard boiled eggs, sliced or chopped
• 1 slice cooked and crumbled bacon
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon butter
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 tsp dried parsely (optional)
• pinch of paprika (optional)
• tabasco hot sauce

Heat the butter in a skillet and add everything except the cream, stir until hot then add the cream and just bring to a simmer. Add salt and pepper and tabasco sauce if you want. Server this as-is or over a low-carb bread option.

Of course you have a lot of options with hard boiled eggs:

• top with a little pesto;
• sriracha;
• pepperoni slices and 1/2 teaspoon marinara sauce(try this using either quartered pepperoni slices or the little mini ones!)
• salsa;
• a thin slice of avocado and 1/2tsp sour cream;
• crumbled bacon;
• pimento cheese(read labels, some brands have a lot of sugar and other garbage);
• spinach that has been cooked, squeezed dry and mixed with cream cheese;
• slice them and add to cooked green beans and saute with a little butter;
• use a little truffle salt, the flavor it brings out it amazing.

And an over easy or sunny-side-up egg are fantastic on a steak or burger patty as well.

So the next time you’re thinking “ugh! eggs!” think outside the box… err carton 🙂

Product Recommendation: Cut-da-Carb Flatbread and Honorable Mentions of Other Brands of Low-Carb Wraps/Tortillas/Pitas

UPDATE: I can not recommend the Cut-da-Carb Flatbread if you plan to freeze them. Even freezing them flat, with parchment paper between each bread sheet, they crumble and break upon thawing. 

 

Most of these are not gluten free products, sadly, but I do recommend them if a little gluten is not a problem for you.

I’ve found, for me, 1-2 servings of these a week are not a problem for my health or weight loss. If I have more than that, I can definitely tell with my fingers and ankles swelling, mild headaches and even stuffy sinuses.

I do NOT have Celiac, but I am sensitive to too much gluten, so “you do you” as the saying goes 🙂

If you’ve ever had the Lavash from Joseph’s Middle Eastern Bakery (available at walmart and Netriton.com), this is similar but even thinner.

The Cut Da Carb The Thinnest Flatbread Ever is super, paper thin, yet hearty and holds up well as a tortilla substitute, makes good baked (or microwaved) crackers, even as a dessert wrap(brush lightly with melted butter and sprinkle with sweetener and cinnamon, fill with equal parts cream cheese and sour cream beaten with a little sweetener, vanilla and berries to taste; cut the flatbread into 1/4’s, fill and roll).

I do not recommend this one for pizza, it doesn’t hold up well to heavy toppings. For Pizza, Joseph’s Lavash, Pita or Tortillas are much sturdier.

A bigger and higher fiber tortilla/wrap is Ole Extreme Wellness which you can find at walmart (by the case online at walmart.com). These are packed with a whopping 11g of fiber, making it a good choice.

I have tried many of the gluten free products, including trying to make my own. I just don’t get the right texture to call them a success.

Many gluten free products are extremely high in carbs as well.

If carbs are not a concern, I can recommend the Flatout Gluten Free Flatbread . The taste is really good, and the texture is a little bit spongy but, once baked, it firms up nicely.

 

Happy New Year!

Well another year has passed. I hope you all had some good memories from it.

Here on the Texas coast we had Hurricane Harvey and all the ensuing chaos it brought, rain early in the year, drought (amazing right? A few weeks after Harvey and we were back in drought!). A rollercoaster to be sure.

I don’t make resolutions per se. I do hope I can be a better person this year than I was last year.

I used to resolve to control my snark, and experience taught me that won’t work lol.

My “good” from 2017: my husband and I celebrated our 30th anniversary; we’re all in relatively good health; we paid off our mortgage!; I found out I have a gluten sensitivity and that is a good thing, because THAT I can control; my grandmother celebrated her 91st birthday, she’s suffering from dementia, but 75% of the time she’s all there and fine.

I count that all as a win for 2017:)

New Years Day we always have a traditional meal of:

Pork of some kind (sausage, chops, roast, whatever); cabbage or sauerkraut; and black eyed peas.

This seems to be predominantly a Southern thing, and it varies from state to state.

I will make pork chops, probably pan fried with a mushroom cream sauce; cabbage shredded and fried in bacon fat and blackeyed peas simmered with onions. Technically the peas aren’t keto friendly, but for traditions sake I’ll have a tablespoon or two.

Wishing you all a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous 2018!