Sweet, Sweet Potatoes

I just LOVE sweet potatoes! They have made it to my food cravings list. Last night I went to my best friend’s house and her mom had made sweet potatoes just how I like them.

Sweet Potatoes with Rosemary

• 4 large sweet potatoes
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh or dried rosemary
• 1 tsp of salt

Instructions:
Cut sweet potatoes into cubes of 1 ½ inches. In roasting pan, combine sweet potatoes, garlic, rosemary, oil, and salt. Toss to blend well. Let it sit for 5 minutes. Roast at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 40 minutes, turning sweet potatoes occasionally. Roast until they have a nice golden brown and even burnt coat. Enjoy!

Trying to Lose Weight?

Make sure you’re not only eating right but exercising as well! 60 minutes of brisk walking a day is a great start to help you get on the right track to becoming fit and healthy. If you can walk to work or school, do so. A brisk 30 minute walk to work and one back home is all you need to help you shed some pounds.

Blogging Class Response - The End

The end is near. According to CBC pop culture specialist Jian Ghomeshi, says the end of traditional media is here. The end of radio, TV and print are discussed in his documentary The End. Ghomeshi explores the way new technologies are starting to replace old ones. Although the radio is still here, still alive and pretty strong, it's similar technologies like it that are threatening the death of traditional radio. Satellite and digital radio, for example, are coming in and have a higher audience. There are no commercials to listen to, so anything you want goes. Also, the invention of MP3s and MP3 automobile hookups is threatening radio. We can download the songs we like and don't have to wait through commercials and listen to songs that we don't really care about. TV although you may not know it, is also being threatened by new media. The internet has become a popular place to watch shows that you've missed or just want to watch before everyone else. The internet with sites like Youtube and Surf the Channel, have made it hard for TV companies to compete with the on demand request of consumers today. Everything is high speed and instant. Companies have now started to use the internet to their advantage. They are posting shows online, so they can attract consumers to their website and make them aware of their company. Everything now a days is going online, even news papers. One of the oldest newspaper companies in the USA, has gone completely online this year. There is no need for print, if we can get it all on the internet, and it's up to date. We live in a society where speed is a necessity. We must be up to date and we must know everything. The end is near for traditional media, only time will tell when new technologies will be recognized as traditional.

A Hearty Breakfast

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day – and no I’m not saying that because we were taught as little kids to think that, it’s true! A good hearty breakfast will get you through the day. For a good healthy hearty breakfast have an omelette.

Veggie omelette:

• Your choice of vegetables
• 3 egg whites
• 1 full egg
• 1 slice of whole grain toast
• Assorted fruit
• 1 glass of milk

This breakfast is easy to make, and is full of protein, calcium, and vitamins. It will keep you full and you can always pre-make it the night before. Cut up vegetables and fruit, so you’re ready in the morning. You can also pre-make the omelette the night before and just heat it up in the morning!

Packing Snacking

Pack snacks for your day. Along with your lunches throw in a couple of healthy snacks you can nibble on. You should be eating 6 times a day. Slice up some cucumbers, or celery, bring an apple, or a few grapes. Even nuts and granola bars, or cereal is good. The more times you eat throughout the day, the less you feel hungry and will get a craving for unhealthy food. You can pre-pack your snacks in containers or Ziploc bags, and label them for the entire week. It saves you time and money!

**Tip: Don’t eat while you’re watching TV, you don’t realize how much food you’re really eating. If you do plan on eating while watching TV or at the computer, snack on healthy options.**

Thinking Ahead

To ensure you are eating a healthy meal, pack your lunch for the next day. You know what is going into your food. Pack leftovers from the night before, or make a simple sandwich with a side of salad. Pack a bottle of water and some fruit or veggies and you’re set! It’s easy, quick, simple, and also very cost efficient.

Caffeinated vs. Decaffeinated

This past summer I read a news story on caffeinated coffee vs. decaffeinated coffee. The truth is, is that decaffeinated coffee still has caffeine in it - not as much, but it still has a small dosage. I also read that decaffeinated coffee is worse for you than caffeinated. This is because of the chemicals they use to “decaffeinate” the coffee. So, if you are thinking about getting a large decaffeinated coffee, why not just get a small caffeinated, or even better a tea!

Goodbye Smelly Garlic

Tired of smelly garlic hands? Tried washing and washing and washing the smell away? Well look no further for a simple solution!

I noticed after cooking with garlic, it takes forever to get rid of the smell from your hands. I was thinking of solutions to get rid of the smell.

• Solution #1: Don’t cook with garlic! – But then I thought to myself, what’s cooking without garlic? (So scratch that idea)
• Solution # 2: Use gloves – but that’s not always practical, and how about if I don’t have them on hand?
• Solution #3: Use garlic powder or pre-chopped/packaged garlic – two good solutions, but sometimes fresh garlic is just the touch a certain dish needs.

So ... how do you get the freshness of garlic, without getting smelly hands? Easy.

Some stores sell soap shaped stainless steel bars that you rub your hands together with. Or you can use a stainless steel spoon or other utensil. If you don’t have anything stainless steel on hand, rubbing your hands with a little salt or baking soda should do the trick!

Yummy Healthy Pasta

Here’s a quick 15 minute recipe.
It’s healthy, delicious and filling!

Fresh tomato and olive pasta
Serves 2

Ingredients

• 2 large tomatoes
• Pitted kalamata olives (add as many as you like)
• Clove of garlic
• Salt
• Whole grain pasta (3/4 of box) spaghetti

Cooking the pasta

• Boil the water
• Add salt once water is boiling
• Add pasta to water
• Add more salt to pasta
• Take pasta out once ready – should take around 11-15 minutes

Cooking the Sauce

• Dice tomato into smaller pieces
• Cut up garlic into small pieces
• Add oil to a heated pan
• Add garlic
• Then add tomatoes
• Cook until tomatoes get soft
• Take off heat
• Put ingredients into blender or magic bullet until liquid
• Add slat
• Blend together
• Put back to heat
• Cut olives in half
• Add to sauce
• Heat for 5 minutes
• Add sauce to pasta and serve
• Lastly...Enjoy!

Try it out and let me know how you like it!

Simple Salad

This past weekend I went home, which means I get to eat amazing home cooked meals! My mom makes the best food ever, but now so does my brother (oddly enough). So on Monday we were having dinner, and my brother cooked it (so shocking!). It was really good, and I was surprised he could have made such a delicious meal. My favourite thing he made was this salad.

It's a simple twist on you're regular caprese salad.

Simple Salad:

• Cherry tomatoes
• Bocconcini
• Vinegar
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt
• Garlic powder
  

*You can even add some kalamata olives for some extra flavour

It's quick and easy to make, just toss everything in a bowl together and your salad is done! It's so delicious and flavourful, you'll want to eat it all the time.

Nutella

OH MY GOODNESS! I LOVE NUTELLA!

Ever since I was a little girl, I have eaten Nutella every single day (I am NOT exaggerating). I used to take my little Nutella toast sandwiches to school, and everyone always used to make fun of me, because they thought I was eating something else (I think you can figure that one out!). They didn't know what it was, but coming from an Italian family, Nutella was common, and an everyday necessity. Nutella is now becoming extremely popular. It is a good source of vitamin E, which is an anti-oxidant, and also helps prevent blood clots and blockages in coronary arteries. Research says that is has the ability to reduce the risk of chronic disease, like heart attacks and some cancers.

Having a tablespoon of Nutella a day is only 100 calories, and a great way to get some vitamin E. You can have it on anything, whole grain bread, waffles, pancakes, and even by itself. It is also a great little snack if you're having a chocolate craving!

Visit http://www.nutella.ca/ for more nutritional information and yummy, yummy, out of this world Nutella RECIPES!

Cheat Days

Cheat Days. Yup, I said it!

Personally, I have cheat days. I think everyone needs them, to keep themselves sane! I don't think I could go a day without a little bit of chocolate, or some kind of sweet. It sounds really bad, and fattening, but it isn't. You just have to watch what you eat. If you're going to have a cheat day everyday, make sure you're having a low calorie treat, and if you're having it once a week, be careful you don't over indulge yourself! I would recommend having a little sweet everyday so you can monitor it better, than a once a week indulgence.

I haven't bought them in a while, but this summer I was constantly buying fudgesicle bars. They are full of flavour (depending on the brand that you buy) and they are low in calories. They are a great treat for a rough day, and a little booster to kick a craving.

Tip:

Try to get the low calorie treats, like the 100 calorie bag of chips, or chocolate bar, or even better 70 calories fudgesicle! (SO DELICIOUS!)

HAPPY CHEATING!

Turbo Jam Update

Since I said I would be giving updates, I decided to do one now.

I have gone off track with my Turbo Jamness! This week I went back home, so I wasn't able to work out! There is a slight pause on my update, but I will sure be able to get you up to speed next week. Ugh, I hate school right now! Its so stressful and it sucks not being able to focus on yourself for even a hour.

Alcohol and the Body

Let's hope this WASN'T you last night!

So I think that this post is fitting to follow my last post about Halloween. For young adults (like myself) and even adults, Halloween is a time to drink and have fun. I went out last night, and I had a couple of drinks, just socially. I didn't get drunk or even buzzed, but I saw a lot of people who were. After studying for my Food and Nutrition class, I realized what I had done to my body, by even putting those two drinks in my system.

So, you're probably asking "why is she worried? why is she freaking out? what's the big deal?"

I'll tell you.

1. Alcohol is empty calories. Great way to gain weight!

2. Brain cells shrinks. Hello stupid!

3. Irreversible harm to vision, memory and learning ability. UMMM. UMMM. Where did I put?

4. Alcohol is absorbed by the liver. The liver can only hold so much alcohol, and only so much damage can be done until it becomes permanent.

5. Long term effects: cancer, heart disease, liver disease/failure, malnutrition and bone deterioration.

Healthy amount of alcohol depends on age and health conditions. In older people a glass or two of red wine a day is okay. It contains antioxidants and can help to reduce heart disease, but too much is not healthy and can cause heart disease.

So please be careful of the amount of alcohol you drink, it has many negative side effects, which I think weigh out the good ones (like getting a good buzz). You can always have fun sober, or if you must drink, don't drink often and don't drink in excess.