Life in a 16 ounce Solo Cup

I've been doing some research lately on the fast food industry in America.  I have been especially interested in their marketing practices, food supply chain, and food preparations.  Frequently when I am discussing food lifestyle with a client I will hear such things as "We were in a rush so we stopped for McDonalds".  I admit, I used to do the same thing.  I don't think I know anyone who hasn't.  Then I started thinking, other than the fact that it is right there in front of you and your kitchen isn't, why is it so easy to stop for McDonalds?  Or any fast food chain for that matter.  The answer is because fast food companies make it easy...too easy for you to just say no.  At that moment you are thinking about your hunger, or your kids hunger, but not your health.  If we can just flip this around to have the thinking process be first about what is good for our bodies to eat and second how to consume that food when we are in a rush and hungry, then we will be on the right track to a positive food lifestyle.  Fast food companies have been so successful in their marketing practices by studying our lifestyles.  They know that we are in the car and in a rush.  They create their food to be consumed in a car...with one hand....and fit perfectly in a cup holder.  Go into any car and count the cupholders.  My Suburban has 8.  So, who says only fast food can go in a cupholder?  I buy nuts in the shape of a cup that fit nicely in there.  I would never eat canned soup but I have seen these plastic soup cans in the shape of a cup as well. 

These past few weeks have been particulary busy in my house.  I have been creative in the kitchen and have figured out how to conquer hunger in the car without making a bad food choice.  I call it "Life in a 16 ounce Solo cup" because right now most of my life is spent driving my kids around in the car.  These cups are for more than your summer cocktails.  They can hold an entire meal with a little thought.  Every week I grill up a big batch of marinated boneless chicken breasts.  They stay in the fridge and are re-invented on almost a daily basis to everything from chicken sandwiches for the kids, to a hearty helping of protein on a salad.  I also have an assortment of fresh veggies always on hand, sometimes grilled, sometimes raw like snap peas and green or yellow beans.  I combine these and throw in a little chopped fresh herbs that I have on hand...basil, parsley...and drizzle with salad dressing ( a viniagrette, of course, that I make myself and have on hand...which is better for you and less expensive than store bought).  I also add any nuts I have...my favorite is cashews.  Finally, fill up a 16 ounce solo cup with this delicous mixture and off you go.  Make sure you have a stash of plastic forks in the glove compartment.  And when the weather turns colder and you don't feel like grilling, all of this can be roasted in the oven. 

Yummy, satisfying, and good for you.  Here's the thing.....eat like this and you FEEL GOOD!  The key here is having this stuff all on hand.  I get it.  You're not running around trying to grill up chicken breasts before you go out.  Neither am I.  Always having this kind of food on hand means never rushing around trying to create it.  It also means that I eat like this on a regular basis.  There are so many variations possible with having these "pieces of the meal puzzle" on hand.  All of these things are great in a salad, in a wrap, on a skewer, warmed with melted cheese on a hollowed out sub roll for the kids, or a topping for homemade pizza; the possibilities are many.  

When you start filling your food lifestyle with this type of food it displaces the bad choices.  Eat more like this and soon you will find that you lost your taste for the "fast food".  Trust me you will.  I did.  The thought of going through a McDonalds drive thru and buying their food for my kids gives me a feeling of disgust, a failure of some sort, that I would be knowingly giving my kids something that is bad for them and I can do better than that.  I just can't bring myself to do it.  Especially when I have the means to make a better choice.  Scooping fresh food from my kitchen into a solo cup is much quicker than sitting in the drive thru line...and having to go back because they gave the wrong items anyway! 

I'm happy to share my recipes with you for vinaigrettes, marinades, and my favorite combinations any time!

Got Fit Small Group Training starts Sept 2

Janine Wilkins

                                                Certified Personal Trainer CPT, AFAA
                                                               jcolewilkins@aol.com
                                                                508-733-7555 (cell)

                                                                        Got Fit?

A well rounded fitness program incorporates strength, cardio, and flexibility training, along with a healthy diet. Join me for an 8-week total body conditioning program that will develop your strength, cardio-respiratory system, and flexibility. We also have group discussions about nutrition that allow us to share ideas and learn from each other. You’ll learn what to eat and not to eat for breakfast, fast lunch ideas on the run, and how to prep delicious, healthy dinners for the family on those busy nights, and more.
In this program we are not lifting weight to grow big muscles, we are training movements through a workout focusing on endurance and Functional Fitness; exercises that help you move easier through your everyday life. These workouts incorporate resistance training, core conditioning, cardio, circuit training, flexibility, agility and balance work and are designed to burn more calories both during the workout and for sometime after. Individual fitness levels are irrelevant. Anything and everything can be modified to effectively challenge you at your own level. The camaraderie and non-competitive, and, yes, fun atmosphere will keep you inspired! The small group concept affords you an opportunity to work closely with a Personal Trainer at group pricing.

Well conditioned muscles help protect against injuries. They aid in shock absorption, protecting joints. By losing fat and gaining muscle, you will burn more calories, even at rest. Learn useful exercises that you can do at home to keep your body healthy and strong in a fun environment with your peers. You may even be ready for that road race you said you always wanted to do. Embrace a healthy lifestyle….You’ll feel better, have more energy, and be happy that you took some time for yourself.

DATES: Tuesdays and Thursdays Sept 2 through Oct 21

TIME: 9:30-10:30

PLACE: Pond St Fields, Norfolk, weather permitting. Inside at St Jude’s if cold/raining

WHAT YOU NEED: 5 and 8 lb dumbbells, a resistance band, and a mat

COST: $120 for once a week/$225 for twice a week.

To secure your spot, email me at jcolewilkins@aol.com

Eat Real Food

If you're still eating processed food, this may be what you need to hear to stop.....Purdue recalled over 90,000 pounds of chicken nuggets this week as they discovered pieces of blue plastic in them!  My advice is what author Micheal Pollan advocates....Eat Real Food.  Not too much.  Mostly plants.  You won't find pieces of plastic in a real fresh chicken from the meat section of the grocery store.  And you definetly won't find it in the fresh produce section either. 
Chicken nuggets are nothing more than corn wrapped up in more corn.  The "chicken" in the nuggets was fed massive amounts of government subsidized corn.  The batter is made from corn flour.  Corn starch holds it together and the whole thing is fried in corn oil and can be conveniently consumed with one hand in a car.  Of the 38 ingredients that it takes to make a nugget, about 13 of them come from corn (1).  And if all this corn talk doesn't make you sick, how about the fact that 6 Chicken McNuggets have almost twice the fat as a regular hamburger.  Convenience now at the cost of health issues later?  I choose to eat real food and to educate my children about healthy eating.  Understand what you eat and appreciate that you are what you eat and what you eat eats, too!
(1) Pollan, Michael.  The Omnivore's Dilemma (New York: Penguin Group, 2009)

My Review of lucy Perfect Core Pant

Originally submitted at lucy

Meet your dream pant! Featuring xBAR technology (eXtreme Body Reforming & Alignment) and the ultra-compress...

lucy Perfect Core Pant

Great Pant!

By Trainer from Norfolk, Ma on 4/22/2010

 

5out of 5

Pros: Comfortable, Slimming, Higher waist, Moisture wicking

Best Uses: Weight Loss, Heart Rate Training, Performance Training, Low Impact Exercise, Strength Training, General Fitness

Describe Yourself: Avid Athlete

I am a Personal Trainer and I wear these pants all the time. I reccommend them to all my clients. They are also great for hot power yoga. The moisture wicking is fabulous. The x-bar technology is amazing...you can really feel it. I also like that they come up slightly higher on the waist so there are no gaps between your shirt and pants.

(legalese)

How Obama Sold the Farm - Food - The Atlantic

How Obama Sold the Farm - Food - The Atlantic

Get Cooking!

Back to my new favorite cookbook.....




I've told so many people about the Eggless Caesar Salad from "Eat Fresh Food..Awesome Recipes For Teen Chefs". We make it at least twice every week. Many people have asked for the recipe. So here it is:






Dressing:

1/2 cup olive oil
1 garlic clove minced
2 Tblsp fresh lemon juice (yes, fresh, no plastic lemons allowed)
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp Thai fish sauce (I omit this. It is used here in place of anchovies)


Salad:

2 large romaine hearts
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
2 lg green apples, cut into 1/2 inch dice
1/2 cup chopped pecans, lightly toasted


Directions:

1) In a medium bowl, whisk together the ingredients for the dressing. Set aside.

2) Wash romaine and cut into 3/4 inch pieces. Dry well with paper towels and put in a large bowl. Add 1/2 cup of the cheese and pour in the dressing. Toss gently to coat leaves and add 1/4 cup of the remaining cheese. Toss again. Divide among 6 plates. Sprinkle with a little of the remaining cheese. Garnish each portion with diced apples and toasted pecans.




Now for my modifications. If you are familiar with my cooking, you know I modify almost everything. I use a little more lemon juice than what is called for as it is sometimes to "oily". I just eyeball the grated cheese and apples and put in what we like at our house. Oddly enough, there is no salt and pepper in this recipe. We don't even miss it. I keep a container full of dressing in the fridge along with toasted pecans and any leftover apple. That way, all the ingredients are right there ready to go when you are in a hurry, which in my family, is every day. Also, for a heartier version, I add some boneless chicken breast. I grill some at the beginning of every week and keep it in ready to go in the fridge. Throw it in the salad and you have a satisfying "entree salad". My favorite marinades for boneless chicken breast are a mixture of any fresh herbs you have on hand ( I like rosemary, thyme, salt, pepper, and olive oil; or Ken's light Italian). I either grill it outside or on the George Forman if it is bad weather.



Now for a little bit more info about this cookbook.


"Renowned chef Rozanne Gold has assembled her very own all star team of talented sous-chefs--ages 9 to 19-- who love to cook and who helped create some of the most delicous, healthful, and fresh recipes you could ever want to make. Known as the "diva of simplicity," Rozanne brings her delicous food to teens who want to cook better, eat better, and share their edible rewards with family and friends. Editor's Review





"our Mantra is to make it fresh"


F... farmer friendly


R...ripe-ready


E...easy-exciting


S... Suatainable


H... Honest-healthy





For so many of us who like to switch it up and try something other than the usual, you won't be dissapointed with this book. It may take you out of your comfort zone, but it is good for you and very tasty! Try it, you and your family will like it!

Whole Foods Doesn't Have To Be Whole Paycheck

Last week I had the pleasure of taking a tour of the Whole Foods store in Bellingham with some clients. What I learned is that there are many reasons to shop here and it doesn't need to be thought of as "Whole Paycheck". If you know how to shop here, there are great products, reasons to shop, and people to get to know. I'll share some here:

* They accept any and all returns. Not happy with a purchase? Even if you don't like the taste...return it for a full refund.
* Ask for a taste. They will open up just about anything for you to taste before you buy.
*There are printable on line coupons.
*In their e-newsletter (found on their website, or a hard copy in the store) you can find meal plans complete with recipes and product info, and sales.
*In the newsletter they teach you how to cook many things...for example the delicous grain quinoa.
* They have a value brand called 365 that is an everyday value program...a great way to save.
* You can get a discount if you buy larger quantities....just ask....I believe it is an extra 15% off of 3lbs or more of meat....even off the sale price.
*Employees are constantly educated through local seminars by nutritionists, doctors, etc.
* Many of their foods have an ANDI score ( Aggregate Nutrient Density Index), helping you to choose nutrient dense foods.
*Some sale prices from last week:
Striped Bass 10.99/ reg. 15.99
85% lean ground beef 2.99/reg 4.49
Organic cameo apples .99/lb reg 1.99/lb
cod frozen fillet 4.99/lb reg 7.99/lb
organic lettuce 2 for $3 reg 2.49 ea
smoked salmon 9.99 reg 14.99
olive mix 7.99 reg 9.99
spinach ravioli salad from prepared foods 6.99/lb reg 11.99/lb
grilled chicken drumsticks 2.29/lb vs 3.99/lb
boneless skinless chicken thighs 2.99/lb reg 4.59/lb
cedars hummus 2.69 reg 3.69
muir glen diced tomatoes 2 for $4 reg 2.99 ea

I encourage you to visit Whole Foods. Go armed with their flyer and shop from there. You may even learn something while there.