Eating Healthier: Taking in Your Food Surroundings and Options



Lentils and veggies as a fulfilling dinner

Working at Trader Joe's is a great education in food and for taking advantage of what is available wherever you buy your food. I used to go into Trader Joe's and buy the same things every shopping trip, only varying slightly from time to time. Now that I am at the register seeing what people buy and putting all of the products on the floor, I see how many other options there are, especially healthy options, that I never paid attention to.

It is very easy to get stuck in a food rut, which is why I am grateful that I am in an environment that allows me to learn about different options. When checking people out at the register it is interesting to notice what people buy. It is possible to shop at a store like Trader Joe's and not buy healthy food. The cookies, candy, dip and chips there may be a better option than other places due to no preservatives or additives and organic options, but it still does not make it healthy. Also, the frozen meal options are great and convenient, but all frozen dishes are high in sodium. According to LiveStrong.com (Yes, that LiveStrong. If you still don't know what I'm talking about, it is Lance Armstrong's organization) the simple reasoning for this is taste.

"Processed foods such as frozen dinners, pizza, appetizers and snacks are often high in sodium primarily because the American palate is accustomed to salty foods. Sodium-free meats and combination foods such as pizza are generally not considered tasty and the food industry responds by placing salt where it is expected. Salt is also easier to obtain and cheaper to use than higher-quality flavorings, spices and herbs. Sodium is added as a preservative in some foods."

I started to notice that customers who looked exceptionally healthy and fit were buying simple foods, such as lentils, fresh vegetables, fresh fruit, quinoa, kale, yogurt or granola. If they were buying frozen food it was frozen vegetables or fruit with nothing added to it. This is actually a good option if you are not planning on eating the fruit or veggies you buy within a day or two.

Based on this realization I decided that my shopping list needed a bit of a makeover. Now I try to buy something new and healthy each time I shop. Recently I decided to buy pre-cooked lentils. I had a few customers ask me for them so I was intrigued. I have had lentil soup before, but never just lentils prepared on their own. That night I made a dinner with them, veggies and some feta cheese. That's it. Simple, healthy, filling and something I would have not usually thought of making.

Lentils are a healthy food for many reasons. They are high in iron, which is great for a vegetarian like me. The high fiber helps stabilize blood sugar by helping with steady slow burning energy. They also are a good source of vitamin B, which helps the nervous, digestive and immune system.

 Here is the brief recipe.

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 Minutes

Ingredients:

- 1 package of pre-cooked Trader Joe's lentils
- 1 bag of Trader Joe's frozen vegetable medley
- 1 cup of Trader Joe's frozen spinach
- Crumbled Feta to taste
- Salt, pepper and crushed red pepper to taste

1. Boil enough water to emerge lentils package in pot. When water starts to boil, turn off heat and place lentils bag in water for 5 minutes. Remove lentils bag, cut open being careful of the hot steam and pour into a bowl.

2. Heat a frying pan on medium heat. Pour the contents of the frozen vegetable bag into the pan and coat with just enough olive oil to cover the veggies. Do not slather them with olive oil, they will be mushy and oily and gross. Cook until tender.

3. Combine the veggies with the lentils. Add feta cheese, salt, pepper and crushed red pepper to taste.

Freedom of Choice vs. Sugar: What is more important?

Courtesy of SugarStacks.com

I should have addressed this whole Bloomberg soda ban last week, but alas, I missed my newsworthy time frame. So now I will simply address it because it is interesting to me.

Mayor Bloomberg announced that he plans to enforce a ban on all sugary beverages over 16 ounces in restaurants, theaters and other establishments. This caused an outrage from people who think this is an infringement of their rights and freedom of choice. I feel ya people. I am a full supporter of freedom of speech. Although hateful speech is sickening, if I support freedom of speech, I have to support this right for all people even if I don't agree with them. So, in turn I have to support people's freedom of choice, even if I think it is stupid to drink a 16 oz soda or to be able to offer it in the first place.

I see soda as evil. I consider myself lucky that my parents did not raise me on soda, as a lot of kids are. The only time I do indulge is when I have a sore throat or upset stomach and only then do I crave ginger ale. The recommended daily dose of sugar is no more than 40 grams. According to Sugarstacks.com, in a 12 oz Coca Cola, there is 39 grams of sugar, so a 16 oz soda is well over the suggested amount. Not to mention there is added sugar in a lot of food that you might not even realize, such as cereal. In a regular 7-11 Big Gulp (28 oz), there is approximately 91 grams of sugar. Apparently there is also a super big gulp and an extreme big gulp. Seriously? This research made my stomach hurt and my heart feel bad for society. Sugar is high in calories but not filling which is why it contributes so much to weight gain.

There are additional reasons why sugar is bad for your health which are explained nicely on the Nutrition Diva's Web site. The stop five reasons it is bad for you are:

1. Sugar suppresses the immune system
2. Sugar promotes inflammation
3. Sugar suppresses the release of human growth hormone
4. Sugar promotes glycation
5. Sugar raises insulin levels

Admittedly it is hard for me to imagine ever drinking that much soda. I live for water. As humans, we all do, but I actually love it. I have one of those fancy pitchers that hold fruit in the middle to give it flavor, courtesy of my brother and his wife because they got too many for their wedding shower! However, things like that make me happy. Not soda.

I understand both sides of the argument regarding Bloomberg's policy. It may seem like it is constricting on freedoms, but the guy means well. He is watching out for the health of his people and I respect that. I understand that if people really want 16 oz of soda or more they will just buy two sodas, but that is also more money out of their pocket, so hopefully they draw the line when they start to see their bank account slim down, and in turn they will see their waste slim down as well.

The soda issue hurts me most when it comes to kids. There was a pre-teen boy who would come into one of my restaurants with his mom every week. Every week he would gulp down no less then 6 sodas. He was an obese child and my heart ached for him and my anger mounted toward his mother for letting him continue to order another soda. There were times when I would ignore them so I did not feel obligated to bring another soda and contribute to this kid's health decline.

In conclusion, Bloomberg might be pissing some people off, but his heart is in the right place. I know when I have a family all soda will be outlawed in my house. This policy doesn't directly effect my life routine, but to all those who are feeling the pain from this, please take this opportunity to consider cutting back on the added sugar from soda. I promise after a week you will feel better.

Creating the Perfect Bite: Lemon-Blueberry Yogurt Muffins

A few weeks ago my boyfriend told me that he was having a breakfast food party at worked and asked me to make some muffins. I send him to work with a packed lunch (because I am a dork and need to know that he is eating and eating healthy) and sometimes that includes muffins that I make. His co-worker had tried one and liked it and had actually suggested to him that I make the breakfast muffins. So, I got really excited and motivated and went a little crazy with them, but they were awesome, so that is all that matters.

I decided to adapt a lemon-blueberry yogurt loaf recipe that I found on pinterest from the blog Sweet Pea's Kitchen. I made muffins because at a work party it is more convenient to just grab something and go. I even went out and bought a muffin carrier. I told you I went a little crazy!

The recipe called for confectioners sugar and when I was first thinking about making them, I did not have any so I googeled confectioners sugar substitutions and wound up finding out how to make it, which is really easy! Powered sugar is ground up granulated sugar and cornstarch, which works as an anti-caking agent. I used 1 tsp of cornstarch (which I did have on hand) for every cup of sugar. I mixed them together and ground them in my food processor on high until I had the consistency of powered sugar. It worked and was really fun and interesting to do.

I have never worked so hard to create a baked good. This recipe took almost two bags of lemons, which I hand squeezed for all the lemon juice needed. These are not a vegan treat, but there is no milk in them, which is my biggest concern. I love food, a lot. But it is not every bite that makes you instantly relax and be thankful for what you are consuming. That actually happened for me when I had my first bite of this muffin. Maybe it was because I worked so hard on them, or maybe they were just great. I hope both. Here is the recipe from Sweet Pea's Kitchen. Give them a try.

For the Loaf: (Muffins in my case)

• 1 1/2 cups + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, divided
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt (I used organic low-fat vanilla yogurt)
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (approximately 2 lemons)
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen, thawed and rinsed

For the Lemon Syrup:

• 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/3 cup sugar

For the Lemon Glaze:

• 1 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
• 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease bottom and sides of one 9 x 5-inch loaf pans; dust with flour, tapping out excess.
2. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the yogurt, sugar, eggs, lemon zest, vanilla and oil. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, mix the blueberries with the remaining tablespoon of flour, and fold them very gently into the batter.
4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake 50 to 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. Let cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing loaf to a wire rack on top of a baking sheet.
5. While the loaf is cooling, make the lemon syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir together the lemon juice and sugar until the sugar is completely dissolved. Once dissolved, continue to cook for 3 more minutes. Remove from the heat; set aside.
6. Use a toothpick to poke holes in the tops and sides of the warm loaf. Brush the top and sides of the loaf with the lemon syrup. Let the syrup soak into the cake and brush again. Let the cake cool completely.
7. To make the lemon glaze, in a small bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar and 2-3 tablespoons of the lemon juice. The mixture should be thick but pourable. Add up to another tablespoon of lemon juice if the mixture is too stiff. Pour the lemon glaze over the top of each loaf and let it drip down the sides. Let the lemon glaze harden, about 15 minutes, before serving.

Homegrown Ingredients Used In Simple Recipes: Proven To Make Them 1,000 Times Better

Pizza made with garden fresh basil

Picked the basil from the back yard for our pizza enjoyment

My boyfriend and I started a small garden in early spring, which is now a very large garden. We are growing lettuce, basil, radishes, beets, onion, cucumbers, kale, chard, beans, zucchini and more. It has taken us awhile to see things start to reach full growth but it has finally started to happen! We picked and ate radishes, similar to chowing down on a carrots. That was fun, and interesting. We were just so excited to eat them, that preparing them in any fashion seemed like too much work.

The other night for dinner I made a homemade pizza, which I do quite frequently, when I can't think of anything else to make. The only thing I used from our garden was the basil, yet I was very excited to do so, since I usually buy tons of basil and then half of it goes bad.

So in honor of my homegrown ingredient, here is my simple pizza recipe.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

- Whole wheat pizza dough (mine is Trader Joe's)
- Whole wheat flour
- Olive oil
- Pizza or Marinara sauce
- Oregano
- Basil leaves
- Shredded mozzarella cheese
- One small sweet onion
- One Kumato Tomato
- Salt

1. Heat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Coat a large piece of wax paper with whole wheat flour to make it easier to roll the dough out.
3. Place dough on wax paper and roll the dough out until it is your desire shape and size. Have fun with it. Make it thick, thin, round, oval, square, it's your pizza, go crazy!
4. Slice the onion into long pieces. Place in frying pan with enough olive oil to coat the onion in order to caramelize it. Heat the onion on medium heat until it starts to turn golden. I like mine burnt, but that's just me.
5. Coat the dough with olive oil to your liking. I like to only do a thin layer, just enough so the dough is glistening and the dough with be the right amount of soft/crunchy when it is cooked.
6. Spread desired sauce over the dough. The amount you use is up to you. Sometimes I am not in the mood for a very saucy pizza, especially when I am using yummy veggies.
7. Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella over the pizza, again to your liking.
8. Slice one Kumato tomato and place generously over the pizza.
9. Sprinkle with salt.
10. Spread the caramelized onions over pizza.
11. Bake for 10 minutes or until the dough starts to rise and is golden brown.
12. Place basil leaves over the pizza to your liking. Do this after you cook it! Cooked basil is an acquired taste and it gets soggy.
13. Okay, time to eat. Yay!

Fate Forcing Change: The Upside of Being Broke and Jobless

Taking advantage of my new lifestyle and relaxing.

The focus of this blog has always been to learn how to balance the things you enjoy (and those you may not) and live a happy life. I tend to focus a lot on food because for me, that is what makes me happy, and I believe that it is at the center of many other people's lives. However, I was in a personal slump due to my work situation, making it hard to be motivated or inspired by much. I have been waitressing for about 5 years, due to not having an exact professional goal and unforeseen circumstances. Waitressing is not all bad. I made good money in a short period of time, I met a lot of great people and I learned a lot about food and business. However, at the end of the day, it simply did not make me happy anymore. I tried to be positive and I tried to look for other jobs, but I worked 6 days a week, some doubles and all nights, making it hard to get anything accomplished or see anyone.

I started to get irritable and depressed. I never saw my friends or family. I could never make plans and I tried to stay away from buying tickets for events since getting off of work was simply a miracle. Waitressing is a hard job and a respectable profession, but I became almost embarrassed to tell people what I did. When I was in Florida, people would ask what I do and it killed me to answer. My boyfriend caught on and like the gentleman he is, started jumping in to talk about his job at the IRS, which is way more interesting anyway. Bottom line, I knew I needed to make a change. But change is scary. So I stalled. I thought about going back to school, but the amount of student loan debt I carry around with me already is stifling. I applied to different kinds of jobs in different places but nothing seemed to work out. Then fate decided for me that my waitressing career had reached a close. Thanks fate!

Returning from my vacation, where I had spent too much money on amazing food and drinks and massages and more, I found that one of the places I worked at was bought out and the other was severely damaged by a flood, which caused it to close almost 2 months ago. I had to find a job. Quick. I knew that this was my chance to stop waitressing, so I took it.

I went on an interview for an organic bread company in New York City. I loved the company and the product. The interview felt more like a friendly conversation than anything else. I wanted the job. I got a second interview! Things looked good. Until I stopped and really thought about what my life would become. It would mean being up at 4:30 a.m. to be on a train at 6 a.m. to make it to work by 8 a.m., only to work an eight hour day and then rush to make the train so I could be home by 6 p.m. and be in bed by 10 p.m. to only get about 6 hours of sleep. I have no intention or desire of moving to the city and all of the commuting and time gone would not make my social life any better. Not to mention the strain it would put on my relationship. I actually took the time to consider what would make me happy and before they could give me an answer about the job I wrote them and graciously declined the position.
Instead I am now a full-time employee at Trader Joe's. They are a company that I whole-heartedly support and have since I was a kid shopping with my mom. Everyone there is nice, I get to work with food all day and the schedule is flexible. Oh, not to mention the fact that I get health insurance. I have been working there for about three weeks now and I can honestly say that I am happy. I do not mind going to work and work does not have to be my life now. I was able to spend a great few days in the city with my best friends and see my brother and his wife this past weekend when they came to visit. Those things probably would not have happened in my previous work situation.



I am now.

What I have learned is that even if it is scary, change can make you a million times happier. Also, the options that seem great in the beginning might not actually make you happy in the long run. You need to continuously have an internal dialogue with yourself and your desires. I am happy to end one sub plot of my life and move onto the next.

Love is Part of a Balanced Equation

Courtesy of sfist.com

I love love. I always have. I am one of the biggest hopeless romantics, even when I thought I was crushed and jaded and would never love again, I still loved love. In my opinion it is one of the most important factors of our lives, whether it is family, friend or intimate love. It is essential in keeping us balanced and has the most influence to make us completely the opposite. I think everyone is entitled to whatever kind of love they choose as long as at the end of the day, they are happy. Which is why I have always supported gay marriage. For me personally, I can not remember a day in my life where I thought otherwise. Everyone is entitled to their own beliefs and opinions and I am not the kind of person to drill my own into other people. One of the great things about America is that we can all have different ideals, but there are some things that I believe so deeply in, that it is hard for me to imagine someone else feeling differently.

Yesterday President Obama made a historic announcement by stating his support for gay marriage. I can not claim to be a heavily political person. I watch the news from time to time, I get updates on my phone from Newsday and News 12 and I get a large amount of my contemporary issues knowledge from John Stewart and Stephen Colbert. I have never had a huge problem with Obama, yet I do not know enough to back him blindly. I did vote for him in 2008. He seems like a cool guy, someone you could hang out with. Maybe even start a band with him and Bill Clinton, since apparently Obama can sing. What really moved me and surprised me is that during an election year Obama chose to voice his opinion on a very split issue and stand by it. Just the night before I told my boyfriend Obama couldn't make a stance on the issue, even though Biden was hinting his support, because it would ruin his campaign. He proved me wrong and for that simple fact alone I am proud to have him as my president right now.

I had to touch on this issue because human rights and civil liberties are a very important factor in what contributes to an American's inner balance and I know I am guilty of taking advantage of them. I admit that I day dream about my wedding day and marriage a lot. I'm a girl, sue me. But I also know that these dreams are possible, and legally acknowledged. I have seen the downside of marriage (See: my parents tragic divorce) but in a world where we have fortunately progressed over the years and have made slaves free and have given women the right to vote, how on earth are the ones still being persecuted, the gays? The first historical mention of same sex marriage occurred during the Roman Empire. How is it possible that we as a people have become more closed minded?

Love me or hate me for these views, but I live in a world with rose colored glasses where I want everyone to be happy and everyone to be loved. So, Obama, I salute you, not even necessarily as my president, but simply as a person.

Rainy Day Slimmed-Down Grilled Cheese

Rainy Day Satisfaction

We have been getting some much needed rain recently. I am the minority who loves rainy overcast days because it gives me an excuse to do as little as possible and not feel very guilty about it. I also love the way rain smells. It gives me a sense of balance when nature is washed clean. Okay, enough hippy talk for now. Onto the goodies...

On rainy days I also love to eat and eat and...eat. And the chances that I make it to the gym are cut in half since I think I hear the rain telling me I look good in sweat pants and an over sized shirt, eating crap. One of the warm, comforting meals that I crave is tomato soup and grilled cheese. I managed to bypass the soup since I have not tried to make my own soup yet and the sodium in the cans makes me bloat for two days (Side note: Please, please do yourself a favor and look at the sodium counts on both canned and frozen foods before you buy and ingest them. I know they are convenient, but I swear you will feel 15 pounds lighter if you go for fresh versions, where you control the amount of salt that is included). I could not resist the grilled cheese, however. I always associate grilled cheese with the tag of "extremely unhealthy," but I realized something recently. I pack myself sandwiches or wraps almost every day and the only difference between those and the grilled cheese version is that it is warmed and the cheese is melted. The trick is to limit the butter and cheese, and not have more than one. I know, I know, those are all the good things. I promise you, this creation will leave you satisfied.

The Weather channel says that it should start to get nice out tomorrow, so either eat this is the warm sunshine or save it for a rainy day.

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

- Whole Wheat or Gluten Free Bread
- 1 Roma tomato, sliced
- Yellow Onion, sliced
- 1/4 Avocado, sliced
- Earth Balance Spread
- 2 slices Organic Cheddar Cheese
- Salt

1. Grab two slices of whole wheat or gluten free bread (white flour is simply no good for you) and spread the Earth Balance evenly on one side of each piece. Earth Balance is dairy and gluten free but I swear it tastes as decadent as butter. Put the bread aside.
2. Slice the tomato, onion and avocado.
3. Warm the frying pan on medium heat while you prepare the rest of the sandwich.
4. Place a piece of cheese on each piece of bread and load the sandwich up with the tomato, onion and avocado. Season with salt to taste, since avocados and tomatoes really burst with a little bit of sodium.
5. Place sandwich in pan and warm each side evenly. Cut in half and serve!

All of this should not take more than 10 minutes, of course unless you burn it, which I have done a few times with grilled cheese. This is a filling meal with a lot of different tastes that does not overload you with fat from butter and cheese. As always, let me know how it goes if you try it!