Shake It Like A Salt Shaker...Orrr Not

Salt jazzes up most meals and we have a natural craving for salt. Also, it causes us to bloat, have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure, and an array of other health problems. However, on the flip side, sodium is essential for fluid balance, muscle strength, and nerve function. The US guidelines call for 2,300 mg per day, which is about 1 teaspoon of table salt. Wow. That is not a lot!

Sodium is hidden in some obvious and not obvious places.

• Frozen Dinners
• Cereals (Puffed Rice and Puffed Wheat are sodium free. Try mixing 1/2 puffed rice or puffed wheat with 1/2 your favorite cereal)
• Canned Vegetables (Rinse vegetables well or look for "low sodium" or "no salt added" varieties. Frozen vegetables are the best option.)
• Packaged Deli Meats (Read labels)
• Soups (Look for "low sodium" or "no salt added")
• Marinades (Read labels or make your own. Check the internet for recipes)
• Spaghetti Sauce (Choose low sodium options or make your own)
• Nuts (Try unsalted or dry roasted)
• Potato Chips & Pretzels (Sorry, you're out of luck here)
• Condiments (Good news for Ketchup lovers...there's a low sodium variety!)

Here's a few ways to lower your sodium intake.

-Think about the sources of salt in your diet, such as restaurant meals, salt-based condiments, and convenience foods. Some of these are really loaded with unnecessary salt.

-Read the labels when shopping. Look for lower sodium in cereals, crackers, pasta sauces, canned vegetables, or any foods with low-salt options.

-If you think your meals are high in sodium, balance them by adding high-potassium foods, such as fresh fruits and vegetables.

-If you need to salt while cooking, add the salt at the end; you will need to add much less. The longer the food cooks, the more the salty flavor is muted and at the end, the final taste is on the top layer.

And I leave you with this...They are shakin it like a salt shaker and makin me wonder, "HOW DO THEY DO THAT?!"

Cheers for BEER!

Beer. It's an American past time and my boyfriend's best friend. It can knock the sting off of a hard day and make anybody pretty. Let's face it, the social benefits are through the roof, but when consumed moderately, so are the nutritional benefits.

Since beer is made of natural ingredients, I always tell people that drinking a beer is better than drinking a soda that is loaded down with artificial flavors and carcinogens.

Not only is beer fat free, but it has vitamin B, calcium, potassium, silicon, zinc, sodium, magnesium, niacin, selenium and phosphorous. It's loaded! The antioxidants and vitamins in beer can help rebuild muscle and reduce the risk of heart disease. Also, it has one of the highest energy contents of any food and drink, which doesn't mean you should have six beers -- one gives you energy and six makes you a sloth.

Calorie wise, light beer is best. However, dark beer is best for all of the health benefits. Dark beers also contain more iron, which is an essential mineral for all parts of the body. Iron helps carry oxygen from our lungs to other parts of the body. Another healthy choice is microbrews. Microbrews, since produced in smaller batches, contain more hops. Hops contain polyphenols that help lower cholesterol, fight cancer, and kill viruses. Therefore, tell your doctor you'll just drink a beer instead of filling your prescription! I kid.

Drink in moderation. Easier said than done, I know. Beer can also cause significant long-term health problems to your kidneys, liver, and heart...not to mention your waistline and dignity.

Cheers!

White Chicken Chili

One of the things I've been excited about during this move is having people to cook for now. For my first homecooked meal, I cooked White Chicken Chili. It's a keeper! I can't wait to make it during the cold winter months.




White Chicken Chili
Adapted from my nutritious dish

1 lb frozen skinless, boneless chicken breast
1 medium onion, diced
2 cans Great Northern Beans
1 can organic chicken broth
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (7oz) can green chilies
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp ground red pepper
1 cup full fat sour cream
1/2 cup organic whipping cream

Place chicken breasts in the bottom of your slow cooker.

Add the onion, beans, garlic, chilies, chicken broth, and all of the spices. Stir to mix well.
Cook on low for 7 hours or high for 3-4 hours.
Remove the chicken the last 30 minutes of cooking to shred and then put it back in the soup. Stir in the sour cream and whipping cream until smooth. Continue to cook for the remaining 30 minutes.
Enjoy!

Back to Tennessee

In August of 2008, I made the move from Nashville to Kentucky. It wasn't a big move, as I felt like I had done my time in Nashville and wasn't leaving much behind. I was somewhat tired of the city and while my best friend and family were still there, I was ready to move on. Now, it's time to make another move. I've felt ready to move for awhile, but now that it's here I'm thinking of all of the things I'm leaving behind--a great work environment, my favorite restaurants, a beautiful and fun city, Rupp Arena, and probably some of the best girlfriends I could ever ask for. I love this city, I love the people I work with, and I love my friends. I've grown closer with this group of girls than I could have ever imagined. We've stuck together for a lot of ups and downs in each other's lives and I sure hope that will continue no matter how many miles separate us. I will certainly miss what has come to be a tradition of weekly dinners or Orange Leaf trips with conversations that could last forever. We've shared lots of tears (mostly mine) and a lot of laughs....a lot! Girls, I love you and I've had a blast with you all the past 3 years.

Here's my past 3 years in Kentucky summed up in 31 pictures...from most recent to August 2008.

KISS -- Keep It Simple Stupid

The information that is available for nutrition is overwhelming. It causes us to overthink and that is something that I do in too many other areas of life to have do it when I eat. Little changes lead to big results and getting results isn't as difficult as most people make it.

• You’ll get results when you fill half your plate at each meal with more colorful veggies.
• You’ll get results when you replace liquid candy (errr, soft drinks) with water.
• You’ll get results when you start to move more.
• You’ll get results when you replace typical snacks (pretzels, chips, etc) with a piece of fruit.
• You’ll get results when you eat foods with less ingredients on the label (aim for less than 5 per food).
• You’ll get results when you start planning ahead and stop flying by the seat of your pants.
• You’ll get results when you start to sleep more consistently and regularly
• You’ll get results when you stop thinking and start following the tips and strategies above.

(source)

Milk? Which Kind?

Photo Credit: T-shirt Guru
There are many kinds of milks lining the dairy section of your supermarket. It's confusing and frustrating to know which is the best choice. I looked around, read a few things, and here's what I came up with.

When choosing dairy milk, organic is the best choice. Here's why. Hormone free cows produce, on average, 14 gallons of milk per day. However, those cows that are pumped with hormones produce up to 100 gallons per day. Since it's not natural for cows to produce so much milk, many of them get bacterial infections in their udders and require antibiotics for treatment. As if that wasn't enough, cows that are NOT grass fed are fed corn. Cows cannot digest corn, so it destroys the lining of their stomachs requiring more antibiotics. These hormones and antibiotics go straight to our milk and into our bodies. Cows should be grass fed. Organic milk should be from grass fed cows.

Soy milk has become popular thanks to a lot of press and a lot of lactose intolerant people. There are both pros and cons of using soy. There is conflicting information whether it is good or bad for you. It has been linked to negative effects to the thyroid and has been related to breast and ovarian cancer. What hasn't? If soy is your preference, choose organic and speak with your doctor to make sure you do not have a condition that soy will negatively affect.

Almond milk and all of it's delicious flavors (Dark Chocolate) is not a bad route to go. However, choose organic because almonds that are genetically modified require high quantities of pesticides.

Rice milk when compared with the others, doesn't contain much nutritional value for the amount of calories it has. I will admit that I've never tried it, but it doesn't appeal to me.

Coconut milk may take the cake. Coconut is antiviral and antimicrobial, which help to strengthen the immune system. Coconut milk also contains medium chain fatty acids, which the body turns into energy. Coconuts are not genetically modified, so there's no worry there. As far as nutritional benefits are concerned, coconut milk may be the route to take.

If not consuming dairy, make sure that you are meeting the recommend values for calcium (1000 mg for 18-50 yrs old, 1200 mg for 50+). If you aren't, consider taking a calcium supplement. However, I'd rather eat my calcium. Strive to have a diet rich in broccoli, kale, collard greens, spinach, beans, almonds, and oranges. All of these foods are calcium rich!

Skin: Your Biggest Organ

Wrinkles or "lines of wisdom and late nights," as I like to call them, have started showing up on my body. While I'd like to ignore it and keep swimming in the Fountain of Youth, wrinkles come with age and I'm the big 2-5 with a quarter of a century worth of late nights studying, fun nights with my friend Bud Light, and hot days in the sun. Unfortunately, all of those are showing up on my once youthful, glowing face. Boys you are not exempt from wrinkles and us girls admire a nice, smooth face! Keep reading!

It's often forgotten as an organ and as we age, well, it's inevitable that us women pay more and more attention to it. Skin protects our bodies, helps keep our body temperature just right, and allows us to have a sense of touch. However, sometimes we overlook that eating right and exercise isn't only good for keeping weight off, it's great for our skin too.

In my search to better my skin, I've come up with a few ways we can ease the aging process of our skin.

1) Wash everyday before bed. I wash twice. Once to wash away the day and one to cleanse. I use Neutrogena Naturals and I'm in love with this product.

2) Exfoliate at least once a week. Not just face, your whole body has dry skin cells. I've used St.Ives Apricot Scrub since I got my first pimple.

3) Apply moisturizer after washing. Use at least 2 peanuts worth. Also, try using a Retnoid cream. I seriously have been swearing by Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion since I was probably 13. They even have a gel for oily skin.

4) Eat your vitamins. Don't just take a multivitamin. Eat foods that are rich in antioxidants, vitamin C, and low fat. Basically, eat your veggies and fruits. Stay way from sugary and bad fat foods.

5) Exercise! Sweating flushes our body of toxins and helps get your blood flowing. Make sure to wash your face after! Aim for 30 minutes a day of good, sweaty physical activity.

6) Eat foods with selenium. Selenium helps sun damaged skin and reverses the signs of again. Good sources are poultry, crab, fish, and wheat.

7) Avoid too much caffeine and alcohol. These things dehydrate your skin! Just think how thirsty you are after a night out. Let's be real, most of us need coffee in the morning and we all like to unwind with a few drinks. Just take it in moderation and make sure to use extra moisturizer and drink plenty of water after a night of drinking.

8) SLEEP! On my list, this is the most important. Your body has to recharge and if it doesn't, it will show up on your face. Swollen, puffy eyes and big ol bags under your peepers. Aim for 7-8 hours a night. If you aren't able to get that much shut eye, keep a Garnier Anti-Puff Eye Roller handy and once again, moisturize.