Negative calories?

Do you know what a negative calorie food is?  According to Wikipedia "a negative calorie food is a food that is purported to require more food energy to be digested than it provides".  The brief synopsis also says there is no scientific proof, but the list consists of none other than fruits and veggies!  Shocking, right?  Sorry, that cheeseburger didn't make the list.   My idea of heaven....mac n'cheese burning more calories than the calories it actually has.  Can I get an AMEN?!

So what does this actually mean?  Eat your fruits and veggies, regardless of the scientific proof, or lack thereof.  If you watch the news, read the magazine covers or hit the gym...you get a consistant message: eating fruits and veggies is truly the best thing for you.

It's not easy being green

Last night, I made the Deceptively Delicious vegetable sloppy joe's (again) for some friends.  It was another instant hit!  I confessed to my friend's husband it was loaded with veggies. To my shock he said he really enjoyed it. He's very much a meat and potato type.   I knew it wasn't lip service because he went back for a second helping.  AND I left them with the remaining leftovers.  It gave me great pleasure to do something kind for them.  They have a 1 year old and I could tell my friends appreciate some homemade cooking, even if it is from a veggie loving savvy foodie.

After dinner we started to talk about my new adventure.  I encouraged them both to eat naturally occurring food instead of resorting to popular processed foods.  My girlfriend, who is usually very laid back, said, "I hate taking my baby to the grocery store because she pulls everything within her reach off the shelves.  I frequent the place as little as possible.  And if you're suggesting I start eating more produce, I can't.  It's too expensive and I'd have to be making trips to the store every other day in order to get fresh fruits and veggies.  I'm a full-time mom and I work from home.  It's too hard and it's too expensive.  I need cheap and easy."

I got the sense she wanted to tell me to 'shove it' because she's currently in survival mode.  What she said is valid.  I agree, produce can quickly add up and it does require frequent trips to the store.  I don't have a child, so I can only imagine how difficult it must be to raise another human being and take care of yourself.

I gently reminded her it's her health I'm advocating for.  Her pocketbook may take a more severe beating later in life when she's popping pills and frequenting doctor's offices for health related problems.  She has the power to fill herself, and her family, with savvy choices!!  It's not impossible.  It will take some tweaking of previous habits.

I suggested she buy frozen fruits and veggies.  I also said in order to make these changes it takes determination and planning ahead.  One trick (that may take some time to get used to) is to redefine what you consider as a meal.  I, for one, don't believe in eating traditional meals every time.  I eat until I'm full and if I load up on string beans and almonds for lunch, it's cool.

I gave up on processed deli meats awhile back. They're the work of the devil, in my humble opinion.  There are alternatives!  I take a whole wheat wrap, put some mayo and mustard on one side, layer it with green leafy lettuce, 3 slices of cucumber, 2 tomato slices and a slice of swiss cheese.  It's filling and scrumptious!!

My friend inspired me to continue educating myself on alternatives for busy moms.  I picked up a book, Supermarket Vegan by Donna Klein, after my nutritionist friend recommended it.  It has a TON of easy to follow recipes.

Being savvy foodies is something anyone can do.  Let's continue holding hands and support each other.

Food on the brain

I usually wake up with a bit of a song on instant replay in my head.  This morning I had this little diddy thrashing around.  I mean...of all the songs, THIS ONE?  Even I had to laugh.  After a few minutes of trying to figure out WHY this was on my brain, I came to the conclusion...I was hungry.  I mean, after all it was 5:45 am.  So I threw back my covers and got my grub on!  By the way, I'm interested to see if anyone has ever tried combining the lime and coconut?  Sounds like it might be good.

This is a great time to talk about the importance of breakfast!! My previous belief was to consume fewer calories in the am.  I knew adding breakfast to the party would help get my metabolism going.  But what I have now discovered is it's really the best time to consume your largest meal in the morning.  This way you have the rest of the day to burn off the calories!!
I'm not suggesting you just mindlessly munch, like this gal...

It's an American way of life to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner.  Dinner, for most of us, involves an appetizer, an entree and a desert.  We shovel it all in right before passing out for the day.  If we have a dinner with a huge dose of carbs, it's no surprise that we fall asleep.  Ever seen Aunt Sally after a big Thanksgiving Day dinner...she turns into sleeping beauty.  Guess what that means...all those unused calories convert into FAT!  BLECK!  

Maybe this Aunt Sally needs to lay off the vino, too!

Be savvy about your food choices.  The internet is chock full of sites dedicated to informing us of the content of our meals.  There are apps for us to download and become savvy.  I recently downloaded an app that breaks down the ugly truth of many popular restaurants.  Some are free, others are relatively cheap.  We really have NO excuse anymore...guess what, we're not eating good in the neighborhood.  Once you become a savvy foodie, you may never eat outside your house again!  Kidding!  But no seriously, check it out.