Click
the links below and you'll bounce right there . . .
Don't miss a trick!
"Week to week, you never know
what you'll find here! So "click on by"
each time you log onto the
Level 10 Fitness
home page
to see what's new!
Click
the links below and you'll bounce right there . . .
"Bob's Butter"
Indispensable
Kitchen Products For Maintaining Healthy Eating Habits
How
FAT are the dressings you're putting on your lean salad?
A
low-fat alternative to the FAT-LADEN "bloomed onion" (or named
otherwise)
A link in progress . . .
"How to go through your refrigerator and
pantry to get rid of the foods that are
sabotaging your fat loss program!"
"A kind of secret but well-known anyway
very low fat, almost guilt-free butter"!
There's nothing like the taste of butter, but wow, just a few pats, and what a big helping of fat calories you'll take in! Hey, we're tryin' to get ahead here! And the alternatives like fake fats (Olestra) or margarine . . . no way! That's a no-win trade off and a set up for other problems!
OK,
before I give you my recipe, remember one of the fundamental rules for eating
right . . .
BUY, PREPARE, and STORE (thank you Tupperware) your food in advance, so when the
craving hits, you don't lose out to a negative convenience of going for the bad
stuff!
OK, after that qualifying introduction, here it is:
INGREDIENTS:
Just 2: Butter Buds and 99% fat-free chicken broth. How simple
is that? You can get both at just about any grocery store.
PREPARATION:
Easy. Just mix together in a bowl and whisk or blend to the consistency of
a heavy cream.
It won't require much broth, so pour it slowly onto the Butter Buds while you
stir.
(While you're at it, since you won't
need the entire can of chicken broth, why don't you pour the rest into a pot,
add some vegetables, spices, onion, and garlic, and make some really good
water-rich, soluble fiber loaded, healthy vegetable soup? Those of you who know me will
recall my reminders for you to get your water from water-rich foods and soups in
addition to clean water. Sorry, I guess I got off on a tangent. What
the heck, try the soup anyway! Bet you'll like it! OK, I'm back on
track.)
STORAGE:
Store in the refrigerator as you would butter. This will thicken
somewhat. The container I use for serving and storing is a pint size Tupperware container with a pouring
spout. It's tight enough that I can shake up the mixture before each use.
USE:
Slowly drizzle (is that the right word?) a small amount over your baked potato or whatever
you're having. You don't need to use much so go slowly and taste.
Remember, it's
already very salty so you won't need your salt shaker either. You may even
want to dilute with some water. Or for those of you keeping sodium low,
substitute water for the chicken stock.
ENJOY:
You now have another good tip in your arsenal against fat! They all add up
to success.
Over a period of time, it's the accumulation of practices that help you to
"live lean" without the unpleasant cravings that typical dieters live
with. By the way, can you imagine living life as an eternal
"dieter" and constantly fighting your cravings because you didn't know
any other way to avoid being fatter? Food is good for you and is meant to
be pleasurable!
And for you Level 10 Fitness clients . . . in addition to knowing the "Bob's Butter" technique, aren't you glad that you know how to make the other simple, pleasurable adjustments in "your world" so that you can enjoy the lean and fit lifestyle!!!
Indispensable
Kitchen Products
For Maintaining Healthy Eating Habits
Let's face it . . . lack of having the right food on hand when you're hungry is one of the biggest downfalls of maintaining the best dietary habits! A little planning can give you a tremendous advantage toward achieving your goals. Accordingly, here is a list of my favorite kitchen items:
1.
Pressure cooker
For fast cooking and flavor
enhancement, this is amazing. It makes the creamiest brown rice in about
20 minutes, and soups and stews are a breeze. The pressure blends the
spices and other ingredients into the food. And as far as cooking beans,
it's really neat -- without pre-soaking, you can cook dry beans in about 30-40
minutes.
2.
Large deep baking pan
This is the best for making 8-10
chicken breasts at once. I set my oven at about 450 and bake the chicken
for about 40-45 minutes. When finished, set the pan on the stovetop to
cool. Be sure that you prop up one side and stack the breasts on the high
side, so that the fat drains to the bottom.
3.
George Foreman Grill, or one similar
This is another low-fat method to
grill all kinds of vegetables and meats.
4.
Stainless steel steamer
A quick way to steam fresh or frozen
vegetable. There are two kinds: one is a double boiler set with a
top strainer pot; the
other is a simple $2
expandable tray that fits just about any pot.
5.
Stainless or glass teapot
My favorite drink to have on hand is
refrigerated green tea. Here's how I make a gallon at a time: Open a bottle of distilled water and
pour about 10 ounces into the teapot. Boil the water, brew the tea, and
strain the concentrated tea back into the gallon. It couldn't get any
easier. And by the way, don't use aluminum cookware because your body will
absorb the toxicity of the metal.
6.
Tupperware or similar
This is a big one! In order to
keep the good foods on hand, you will prepare a lot of foods in advance.
For example, I make a pound bag of brown rice at once. This will store for
a long time in the refrigerator. Similarly when I bake my eight or ten
chicken breasts, I will store about four but they won't store about 4 or 5 in
the fridge, put the others in a separate container, and store in the
freezer. When the refrigerator inventory gets low, just transfer the
frozen breasts back to the fridge so that you'll have some on hand. Oh,
and for those of you who need to eat away from home, don't forget to pre-package
your own healthy homemade versions of "Lean Cuisine" type
lunches. Make a bunch at once so that you can just grab one an go!
7.
Juicer
The body is made up of living enzymes
and humans are meant to ingest living enzymes in the food we eat. Think
about it; the only time we have "live" food is when we eat fresh
fruits or vegetables. You can eat these right off the tree or out of the
ground. Anything cooked, frozen, or canned is not a "live"
food. And when you have a concentrated vegetable juice made from fresh raw
vegetables, you are getting a large serving of living enzymes. ON an empty
stomach, you digest these quickly and may even get a surge of energy!
Juices are delicious. The vegetable juices are the most nutritious and
loaded with phytochemicals. Fruits are naturally high in fruit sugar, and
are best eaten whole as the whole fruit for balance. But you can
mix. For example, one of my favorite drinks is apple-carrot-ginger.
Experiment. The general rule of thumb is that you mix no more than three
items together. If you plan to shop for a juicer, buy a good one that is
durable, easy to use, and easy to clean. I have a Champion brand that I
paid $200 for about ten years ago. That may sound like a lot when you can
buy a cheap one for $49, but my Champion is very easy to use, relatively quiet,
and will last for a long time.
How FAT are the dressings you're putting on your lean salad?
Check
out the numbers on some popular bottled dressings. Your choice of
commercial dressings could be sabotaging your healthy salad. Appearing
after this list of popular salad dressings and some better choices*, you'll find
some healthy alternatives that you can make at home. All nutrition
information is based on per 2 tablespoons.
(* as with anything
labeled "fat-free" watch for added sugars, i.e.:
corn syrup, sugar, and anything ending in "-ose")
~
Wishbone Blue Cheese: 170 calories, 17g fat
~ Seven Seas Chunky Blue Cheese: 90 calories 7g fat
Better commercial alternative: Wishbone
Free Chunky Blue Cheese (35 calories, 0g fat)
~ Newman’s Own Caesar: 150 calories, 16g fat
~ Seven Seas Creamy Caesar: 140 calories, 15g fat
Better commercial alternative: Cardini’s
Low-Fat Caesar (45 calories, 1.5g fat)
~ Kraft Honey Dijon: 150 calories, 15g fat
~ Marzetti Honey Dijon: 140 calories, 12g fat
Better commercial alternative: Hidden
Valley Free Honey Dijon (35 calories, 0g fat)
~ Cardini’s Balsamic Vinaigrette: 150 calories, 16g fat
~ Marzetti Balsamic Vinaigrette: 100 calories, 9g fat
Better commercial alternative: Marzetti
Light Balsamic Vinaigrette (50 calories, 4g fat)
Some
ideas for healthy alternatives
Instead of store-bought dressing, whip up a tasty salad topper in your own
kitchen in practically no time. You'll enjoy less fat and fewer calories
Here are a few blends to satisfy every taste bud.
Creamy
and Dreamy
Caesar Dressing: Whisk
together 3 minced garlic cloves, 3/4 cup fat-free mayonnaise, 2 Tbsp. grated
Parmesan cheese, 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice, 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce and 1
tsp. Dijon mustard.
(Makes 4 servings. Nutritional values per serving: 50 calories, 3g fat)
Blue
Cheese: Combine 1/2 cup low-fat cottage
cheese, 3 Tbsp. fat-free milk, 1 Tbsp. white wine vinegar, 4 Tbsp. crumbled blue
cheese and 1/8 tsp. black pepper in a blender; puree until smooth.
(Makes 4 servings. Nutritional values per serving: 60 calories, 3g fat)
Tangy
'n' Terrific
Honey Dijon: Mix
together 1/2 cup fat-free mayonnaise, 1/4 cup Dijon mustard, 1/4 cup honey and 2
Tbsp. lemon juice.
(Makes 4 servings. Nutritional values per serving: 110 calories, 2g fat)
Very
Vinaigrette
Orange Vinaigrette: Mix
together 1/4 cup orange juice, 2 Tbsp. white wine vinegar, 2 Tbsp. chopped
onions, 1 Tbsp. olive oil and a dash black pepper.
(Makes 4 servings. Nutritional values per serving: 40 calories, 4g fat)
Zesty
Balsamic Vinaigrette: Mix together 2 Tbsp.
extra virgin olive oil, 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar, 1 tsp. mustard, 1 tsp. grated
Parmesan cheese and a dash black pepper.
(Makes 4 servings. Nutritional values per serving: 80 calories, 7g fat)
ody is mad
A low-fat alternative to the FAT-LADEN "bloomed onion" (or named otherwise)
If you opt for a cup-size serving of the fried onion (a.k.a. Blooming Onion), a popular starter at many of the nation’s steakhouses, you could be getting almost 5 more grams of fat and 100 extra calories than you would from a 6.25-ounce sirloin. Add 2 tablespoons of the dipping sauce and you’re talking 710 calories and 54 grams of fat.
At Chili’s, one Awesome Blossom order has 2,404 calories and 122 grams of fat... without the sauce. To drive the pound-adding point home: that’s the fat and calorie equivalent of FOUR Big Macs! The sauce adds a bit more than an order of large fries.
But the health benefits of the raw onion are so impressive, some experts recommend eating them every day. A group of substances in onions known as thiosulfinates has been show to reduce “platelet aggregation,” or the clotting of blood platelets. This clotting can lead to heart attack or strokes.
Additionally, some members of the onion family have been identified as antibacterial and antifungal, thus helping to prevent numerous infections. Yellow and red onions, specifically, contain quercetin (the same antioxidant found in red wine), which has been credited with reducing the risk of heart disease and certain types of cancer.
And of course, the array of onions, from sweet ones (such as Vidalia, Walla Walla and Oso Sweet) to the more pungent varieties (like Spanish, red and globe) can add a perfect punch to your meals. Alone, a half-cup of chopped onions has just 30 calories and zero fat, so they’re a great way to lend serious flavor when you’re trying to lose weight.
Crispy
Baked Onion
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 large onion, cut into 1/4" slices
3 egg whites, lightly beaten
3/4 cup Italian-style bread crumbs
1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray a nonstick baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. On a sheet of wax paper, combine flour, salt and pepper.
2. Separate the onion slices in rings, one ring inside another. Dredge the rings in the flour mixture, dip in the egg whites, then coat with bread crumbs. Arrange on the baking sheet and bake on the top rack until browned, 15-20 minutes, turning once.
Makes 4 servings. Nutritional values per serving: 170 calories, 2g fat, 32g carbohydrate, 8g protein, 660mg sodium, and 2g fiber.
Here's
to your (lean and
fit) health!
~~ more to come ~~
Go
to top of page
Click here to return to the Level 10 Fitness home page
