Soup Season

My CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) Farm Share has begun to reflect the fast approaching Fall Season with such deliciousness as butternut squash, locally grown apples, bright orange, sweet carrots and other late summer produce.

In addition - this year, we've grown our own butternuts - so lets just say, I have a "boatload" of them, so it's obviously the time for that first "bucket" of soup!

It's a good batch too, so I thought I'd share ...
Oh, and, by-the-way, it's made entirely of POWER FOOD INGREDIENTS!

BUTTERNUT, CARROT AND APPLE SOUP

Makes 10 servings
3 PointsPlus Values per Serving.

1 TBSP olive oil
1 C chopped vidalia onions
2 C peeled and sliced carrots
1 C sliced celery sticks
4 cups peeled and cubed butternut squash, seeds removed
2 medium sweet apples peeled, cored and cubed
6 C low sodium chicken broth
8 oz (2 steaks) original style lean ham steaks, diced into small dice
2 or 3 small dried bay leaves
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp ground Garam Marsala (a very tasty spice mixture in the Indian tradition, you can leave it out or substitute cinnamon, ginger, cumin or even a 1/4 tsp of all-spice).

To make the soup, saute the onions, carrots and celery for approximately 5 minutes in the olive oil until they're soft, but not colored.  Add the squash and apple and continue sauteing, stirring with a spatula, for about another 2 or 3 minutes until you start to see the squash getting soft.  Add the rest of the ingredients, place a lid over the pot and bring to a boil.  Once boiling, skim any scum that rises to the surface with a spoon and turn the heat down to medium low.  Allow to quietly simmer for about an hour and a half.  At the end, you will want to use a potato masher to mash the veggies a bit.  If you really prefer a silky smooth soup, use your blender, but I love it to have some "bits" remain after cooking.  Remove the bay leaves before serving.

Taste for seasoning, I think it needs salt, but I deliberately didn't add any during cooking and enjoy with a delicious glass of Reisling!  (A great fall white wine to accompany slightly sweet food).

Honey, I shrunk the plate!

"Skip the plate - place the food right on the table".

I posted this picture on Facebook this week because my mind couldn't get around the fact that, with all we know about health and diet et al, any restaurant could justify serving this as a single serving for a meal!  Yes really, one meal, one serving!  This is not about slamming any one establishment or food style or even a regional food tradition, but, in my humble opinion, food should (at the very least) fit on a, as in ON ONE, plate - with vegetables!

Something is very askew if we don't question this kind of gluttony.  There is so much wrong with this picture on so many levels :-
1.  Our bodies are just not equipped to tackle this much food.
2.  I know it was a joke growing up, but there really are starving children in Africa.  It saddens me that the worlds food is not distributed more evenly - we truly live in the "have" society of today when so many are on the polar opposite side and ... "have not".
3.  Sustainable resource concerns; rearing livestock is one of the most significant contributors to today's most serious environmental problems including water and land degradation and greenhouse gas production.
4.  Examples to our next generation.  As portion sizes grow (and they have done so in a major way in the last 30 or so years) the next generation gets a wildly distorted message about "what's normal".

The Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave... America has always been on the forefront of innovation, science and development of the new and exciting.  And yet here we stand on the front lines of obesity and gluttony.  The growth of food portions makes my head spin...  Do we really want our kids and grandkids to think that the enormous portions of highly processed food, served in today's establishments and homes, is the "norm"?

Pictures say more than words....

On the good side - and balance is important:  We have also seen a surge in availability of many more varieties and hybrids of wonderful, tasty and sustainable produce.  That, coupled with a plethora of locally produced crops available on every main street, means that great and healthy eating is within our reach every day.  Don't neglect your farmers markets - they're still going strong this summer.  Lets grow those portions instead!

Next week in the Meeting Room - come and brainstorm with us about "Sensible Shopping" and "Supermarket Strategies".  See you then ...

SEVEN Ways to Make a Recovery! It is All About the Details!

D evelop

the "spaces" and "routines" part of the program to make them fit in your life. 
** Look at all the environments where you make health, wellness and fitness decisions in your life and TAKE CHARGE of those spaces.  Don't let other people's perception of how you should be managing your space, derail you.
** Check your current routines and figure out NEW GO TO techniques for giving yourself a helping hand.  Follow a couple of the WW 16 "prescribed" routines, detailed on the eTools landing page and become intimately familiar with them.

E nlighten

"Play on Words" or real advice?  

Get educated about food and nutrition.  Know the differences between "eating for health" and "eating for health and weight management".   

Whenever available, enlighten your choices.  Lower your fat, simple carbs and sodium intake.

Weigh and measure your portions - lighten up on the size you serve yourself.

T racking

Find a way to TRACK.  Do something to keep a record of your consumption and exercise plus any other aspects of the program that you'd find helpful.  It DOESN'T have to be PERFECT!

Journals are the most useful tool to refer back to when things aren't going the way you'd like them to.  It is a mechanism to allow for "course correction".  Without the written data - there is nothing to analyze.

A bout Me

1.  Meetings
2.  Time for Exercise
3.  Food Shopping
4.  Planning Time
5.  Easy, Quick and Healthy Meals

Say no more ... right?   Next week's meeting will focus on this.  You should be there!

I mprove Your Attitude

I don't mean to imply that your attitude stinks - not at all!  I'm simply suggesting that we need to remind ourselves, from time to time, to stay positive and not fall into the "blame" thing or give ourselves a bat to beat ourselves up with when life takes a wrong turn!

Eat well and ENJOY the benefits!

L uxury Goods

My best friend says "if you are going to eat chocolate or cake, make it the very best that money can buy"!  

Buy with care and cherish the experience.  Luxury goods taste so much better, they really satisfy and, due to their luxury status, are often more expensive.  Ergo instant satisfaction and portion control!  

S et a Goal

Make it small and achievable ~~~ BUT you MUST set a next goal!  

Whether it's a behavioral one or a number one, there is no other motivator than realizing your ambitions.  

You ought to be setting multiple goals along the way, they should be meaningful to you, they should be a good fit with your life and they should challenge you to get there but not be such a long reach that it takes too long to cross the finish line.

Power to the People!

Do you recognize "chooseMyPlate.gov"?  

It was launched in June of 2011, so Happy Birthday to this ICON!  

It is part of a larger communication initiative, managed by the USDA, and emphasizes the food groups that help us to make better food choices.  Based on the icon, here are MY OWN 5 tips for weight loss and healthier eating

1.  INCLUDE AT LEAST 3 OF THE GROUPS AT EVERY MEAL -

For instance,
breakfast: grains, dairy and fruit OR protein, vegetables and dairy
(shredded wheat, skim milk and blueberries) or (omelet with spinach and cheese).
lunch: vegetables, protein and fruit OR grains, proteins and dairy (salad with beans and chickpeas and a banana) or (sandwich with turkey breast and low fat Swiss plus a yogurt).
dinner:  protein, grains and vegetables OR vegetables, grains and fruit (baked cod with whole grain couscous and asparagus) or (stir fried vegetables over brown rice and fresh pineapple)

2.  VARIETY IS THE KEY TO A HAPPY TUMMY -

Most of the foods that are included in these food groups are Weight Watchers "Power Foods" and I've heard more than once from my amazing members that these foods are not that appealing!  I hear you, so to keep your meals exciting, I suggest you add lots of choices to widen your eating experiences.  Try something new often.  Have you tried Quinoa, what about Jicama or Mustard Greens?

3.  BRING YOUR OWN LUNCH -

Bringing your own lunch, especially to work, but also for folks who are likely to find themselves in the mall or at your kids sport events at mealtimes could make the difference between sticking with your healthy choices or blowing it!

Make it exciting with colorful and flavorful choices.  We eat with our eyes first and then our taste buds.  If you get into the habit of making this a routine, you will find that you have a much easier time losing weight and keeping it off - that I can guarantee!

4.  EAT FISH -

Do you include fish in your diet?  It's easier to cook than you think and is quick to prepare, so it gives you a quick and easy option for suppers!  Try and buy your fish fresh (not frozen), make sure it's firm to the touch, if you see the eyes they should be bright (not cloudy) and there should be minimal fishy smell.  

Many fish can be grilled on your BBQ, think firmer fish, such as sword, tuna, mahi mahi, shrimp and salmon.  

White flakier fish are very easy to bake in the oven in an ovenproof dish - spray the dish with cooking spray and place the fish into the dish (don't crowd the dish), add a few aromatics, such as onions or leeks, garlic, sliced tomato, your favorite herbs and lemon or lime or orange slices.  Add a little liquid (few Tbsp, not a lot) such as water, broth, wine or milk and bake in the oven until the flakes fall apart.  You can cook your veggies in the same dish, if you'd like - add spinach, summer squash, sliced peppers and tomato quarters.   YUM!

5.  KEEP YOUR FOODS LEAN!

Lots of extra Points Plus Values come from hidden fats and oils.  You'll be amazed how many PPV you can save by changing to reduced fat cheeses (2% milk fat or less) and other foodstuffs, such as factory produced sauces and dressings.  If you're looking for PPV savings, it's so worth it to change those items in your shopping cart.  

Take a look at the Nutrition Label and look at the total fat (I have a personal benchmark of less that 4g), the amount of the calories that come from fat (if that data is on the label); you'll want that number to be as low as possible and then finally, take a look and see if there is any trans fat in the food - if there is, you may want to reject that item and choose something else!

I would be remiss if I only focused on food and did not mention "lifestyle" since I am suggesting changes to make for a Healthier Life!

I can see your face fall as I say that... please keep your mind open for a few minutes - I'm not going to tell you to exercise like a fiend, lose the alcohol and cut out your ice-cream, but here are ...

...3 easy changes you can make today:

(a) MOVE:  Be proactive about increasing your walking during your every day, normal routine.  I know you've heard it before, but make an effort to park further away, print to the printer further from your desk or use the bathroom 2 floors away!

(b) CUT OUT "guilt" and "regret" plus other negative self talk - it is very destructive!  If you slip-up or are unduly influenced by others around you, make an extra effort to put it in context, forgive yourself and get right back on the wagon!  I cannot stress strongly enough the value of being kind to yourself.  Think of what you might say to your best friend in such a situation.

(c) SLEEP:  Go to bed 15 minutes earlier, turn off the TV and shut down the laptop and turn off the light.  As you get used to the 15 minutes earlier, you can try to pull back another 15 minutes until you achieve a bed-time that gives you a good 7 hours a night!  Here is an article from the Harvard School of Public Health.  It is worth reading.

As we move into the SUMMER - at long last, right, please don't ignore your health goals.  Keep on moving forward with your good efforts and keep on coming to your meeting. 

AND...