My Favorite HEALTHY Things

     No-Calorie and Low-Calorie Condiments.  Do you remember when a diet lunch meant a bowl of iceburg lettuce drizzled with lemon juice?  Do you remember hating that as much as I did?!?  Somebody slap me! 

     We've come a long way, baby, in terms of boosting the flavor on our plates without having to add additional calories.  Here are a few of my favorites:

1.  Pompeian Red Wine Vinegar (1 tablespoon = 2 calories):  Use it to dress salads or cooked vegetables or to increase the tanginess of sauces.

2.  Kroger brand Fat Free Italian Salad Dressing (1 tablespoon = 10 calories):  This is one of my secret weapons.  Not only for salads, I use it in marinades, sauces, and to saute vegetables or meat.  No oil or butter required!

3.  Frank's RedHot Buffalo Wing Sauce (1 tablespoon = 0 calories):  This may be my new most favorite thing in the whole condiment world.  And NO calories!  If you're a wing lover, try this for your next lunch: Fill up a bowl with assorted greens, top it with diced leftover chicken, and drizzle a little of this sauce over the whole thing.  Voila -- Buffalo chicken salad! 

4.  French's Dijon Mustard (1 tablespoon = 15 calories):  Just one of the dozens of mustards available on your store's shelves, all of which add lots of flavor and hardly any calories. 

5.  Best Foods Dijonnaise (1 tablespoon = 15 calories):  A slightly creamier version of mustard without the heaviness of regular mayonnaise.  Mmmmmmmm.  Use it on sandwiches or in sauces.

6.  Morehouse Horseradish Mustard (1 tablespoon = 0 calories):  Yet another example of the variety of mustards out there.  This one has a kick!

7.  Colgin Liquid Smoke (1 tablespoon = 0 calories):  The perfect secret ingredient for BBQ sauces or meat marinades.

8.  Tiparo Fish Sauce (1 tablespoon = 20 calories):  Not for the fainthearted, this adds a strong, salty Asian flavor to sauces or marinades, but so good!

9.  Kikkoman Low Sodium Soy Sauce (1 tablespoon = 5 calories):  So much flavor for so few calories.

10. Kikkoman Ponzu Sauce (1 tablespoon = 10 calories):  A reduced-sodium soy sauce enhanced by either lemon or lime flavor, this is one of my favorites.  I pour a tablespoon into a mini ramekin and dip my daily dose of greens into it for big flavor.  And by the way, I have yet to use an entire tablespoon of it at one meal.

11. Kroger brand Worcestershire Sauce (1 tablespoon = 0 calories):  The perfect flavor punch for sauces and marinades.

12. Hoy Fone Foods Sriracha Sauce (1 tablespoon = 15 calories):  Warning -- this stuff is HOT!!!  But if it's heat you crave, you've found a friend.

13. Pam Olive Oil Spray (1 spray = 0 calories):  Now, you and I both know that there's oil in that there can, and if you were to pour the entire contents into a pan, you would indeed be looking at some calories.  Quite a few, in fact.  But half a dozen quickie sprays will cover the bottom of your saute pan or add moistness and flavor to cooked vegetables or salads.  Just don't lose your mind.

14. Heinz Dill Pickle Relish (1 tablespoon = 0 calories):  A tangy accompaniment to tuna salad, chicken salad, or deviled eggs.

15. Mezzeta Capers (1 tablespoon = 1 calorie):  For just one calorie, a few of these little beauties add terrific flavor to sauces, baked fish, or stir fries.    

16. Kraft Fat Free Mayo (1 tablespoon = 10 calories):  Okay, okay, let's just agree here and now that this stuff bears ABSOLUTELY NO resemblance in texture or taste to real mayonnaise.  Absolutely none.  I hear you, and I agree.  But if we can digest that information and learn to embrace new ways to make use of this alarming product, lunch might be a little more interesting.  For example, I use it to make homemade tartar sauce, combined with lemon juice, Dijon mustard, dill pickle relish, and a few capers (let's see, where have you heard about those products before?).  Surprisingly good, trust me on this.  And you don't have to tell me that there is a time and place for FULL FAT, NOTHING BUT CALORIES, GOOD OLD REAL MAYONNAISE.  There is nothing quite like a big, thick turkey sandwich with lettuce and tomato on achingly fresh bread loaded up with enough mayonnaise to choke a hippo.  I, for one, am not totally happy unless some of it is dripping down my arm.  But for other times and places, give my friend the fat-free version a try.

One warning: Read those labels!  I've provided the calorie counts, but a few of these products can pack a sodium punch if you go overboard.  The good news is that, with so much flavor, you never need to go overboard. 

Those are just a few of the things I keep in my refrigerator.  Do you have other favorites we might want to know about?  Leave a comment!  (Look for the instructions in red after all the articles.)

Lift Weight to Lose Weight

     There is no deep, dark secret to losing weight.  It is simply a matter of burning more calories than you take in.  You can cut back on those incoming calories by eliminating certain foods or by reducing portion sizes.  Burning excess calories and body fat is accomplished through cardiovascular exercise in the form of walking, running, hiking, biking, swimming, or any one of a dozen other activities that elevate your heart rate for a sustained period of time.

     But here's the problem: If you reduce your portion sizes and run three miles every day, you will lose weight, but some of it will be in the form of muscle unless you do something to protect that valuable tissue.  Enter weight lifting!  It accomplishes what diet and aerobic exercise alone cannot.  Specifically, lifting weights adds density and definition to your muscles, which, in turn, can help to change the overall shape of your body.  But that's not the only good news.  Increasing muscle is also one of the most effective ways of boosting your metabolism.  That's because muscle tissue burns calories 24 hours a day, which means that EVEN WHILE YOU'RE SLEEPING, your muscles are helping you burn fat.

    Men have been weight training for literally centuries, but there is still a myth among some women that a dumbbell that weighs more than a Kleenex will add unwanted bulk and size, particularly to problem areas such as thighs and behinds.  Ladies, your handbags weigh more than that!  And the truth is, in fact, just the opposite.  We women simply don't produce sufficient amounts of the necessary hormones (namely, testosterone) to gain that kind of muscle.  In fact, resistance exercises, performed in conjunction with proper diet and adequate fat-burning cardiovascular exercise, can actually make us SMALLER.  Here's why:  Pound for pound, fat takes up 3-5 times more space than muscle.  It spreads out into shapeless, uneven layers, while denser, more compact muscle adds tone and definition.  Plus, muscle tissue burns calories 24 hours a day while fat tissue just sits there, hoping you'll do the same.  And let's not waste time worrying about looking like the professional female bodybuilders we've seen in magazines.  Weight lifting is their job; they work harder at it than you or I could possibly imagine.  Trust me, the rest of us are not going to look like that by accident.

     So there is no deep, dark secret to losing weight, but there is a secret weapon at your disposal -- weight lifting.  Add it to your reducing diet and cardiovascular program, and watch your body take shape!

Care to share your experience with weight lifting?  Leave a comment!  (Look for the instructions in red after all the articles.) 

One Good Choice at a Time

We've been hearing some of the same healthy eating suggestions over and over again for so long that they've become hard to ignore.  After all, if that many doctors and nutrition experts can agree on ANYTHING, maybe there's something to it, right?  Here they are:

1.  Eat 7-9 servings of fruits and vegetables a day.  Packed with antioxidants, they can help reduce your risk of heart disease, diabetes, and some cancers.  But which ones are best?  Basically, you can walk into the produce section of your favorite grocery store, close your eyes, and pick one.  Powerhouses: Blueberries, kale, spinach, and garlic.

2.  Eat fatty fish 2-3 times a week.  Rich in omega-3 fatty acids, they may help prevent heart disease, arthritis, Alzheimer's disease, and brain dysfunction.  Best sources: Salmon, sardines, mackerel, and herring.

3. Restrict grilled meat to 1-2 times a week.  Recent evidence links beef, pork, veal, and lamb to increased risk of cancer of the colon, pancreas, breast, prostate, and kidney, due to carcinogens that form during grilling.  Alternative cooking methods: Baking, braising, roasting, and microwaving.

4.  Eat 25 grams of fiber a day.  Fiber lowers cholesterol and blood pressure, reduces the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer, and helps control weight.  Best sources: Fiber One, All Bran, oat bran cereals, beans, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.

5.  Use olive oil; avoid trans fats.  Olive oil is the choice of people who live the longest and have the least heart disease, cancer, and other chronic diseases.  The trans fats found in baked goods and margarines clog arteries more than saturated animal fats do.

6.  Eat "good" carbs.  Refined carbs such as white bread and sugar cause rapid spikes in blood sugar and can double your risk of heart attack, diabetes, certain cancers, and weight gain.  Choose unrefined carbohydrates instead.  Best sources: Legumes, whole grains, high-fiber breads and cereals, fruits, and vegetables.

7.  Drink tea. Real tea (not herbal) may help protect you from heart disease, cancer, osteoporosis, infection, age-related mental decline, dental cavities, and weight gain.  Best source: Brewed green tea.

8.  Eat nuts. Just 3/4 ounce of almonds, walnuts, pecans, or pistachios daily slashes your risk of heart disease, diabetes, and Parkinson's disease.

9.  Reduce portion sizes. Gigantic portions are a major cause of weight gain and obesity.  If it isn't on your plate, you won't miss it.

10. Take a daily multivitamin with minerals. It can help make up for subtle deficiencies that cause you to be more prone to infections, bone fractures, and chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease and cancer.

All pretty manageable, don't you think?  Try adding one new habit each week, and imagine how much better you'll be eating in just a couple of months.  And between those healthy meals, don't forget your daily dose of Vitamin Exercise!

Care to share a comment?  Look for the instructions in red after all the articles.