Still Tasty: The Ultimate Shelf Life Guide

Here is another fun website for everyone to checkout. Have you ever wondered how long your favorite foods and beverages will stay safe and tasty?? This website has thousands of foods in their database to help you save money, eat better and help the environment! Check it out: http://www.stilltasty.com/

Metabolism Hacks: Tap Into Your Calorie Burning Power

Great article from WebMd...worth the read and it answers all those questions regarding metabolism and calorie consumption. Check it out:

http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/metabolism-hacks?ecd=wnl_din_092809

Gluten-Free Dining Out

An updated gluten-free restaurant list for Austin:

1. The Steeping Room (GF Sandwiches + Dessert)
2. Brick Oven on 35th (GF Pizza + Dessert)
3. Wildwood Art Cafe (All Gluten Free)
4. The Grove Wine Bar (GF Pizzas + Pastas)
5. Craig O's Pizza & Pastaria (Pizza)
6. Mother's Cafe & Garden (GF menu)
7. Shady Grove Cafe (GF menu)
8. Maudie's (GF menu)
9. East Side Cafe (GF menu)
10. Guero's Taco Bar (GF menu)
11. North By Northwest (GF menu)
12. Hyde Park Bar & Grill (GF menu)
13. Mirabelle Restaurant (GF menu)
14. Z'Tejas (GF menu)
15. Fire Bowl Cafe (GF menu)
16. Jade Leaves Tea House (GF menu)
17. Dominican Joe Coffee Shop (GF Cookies)
18. Rolling in Thyme and Dough (GF Muffins, Bread on Tuesdays until they last)
19. Zen (GF menu)
20. The Clay Pit (GF menu)
21. Carraba's Italian Grill (GF menu)
22. Waterloo Ice House (Ask for ingredients binder)
23. Case de Luz (Gluten Free-Macrobiotic)
24. Outback Steakhouse (GF menu)
25. PF Changs (GF menu)
26. Pei Wei (GF menu)
27. Maria Maria (GF menu)
28. Vivo (GF menu)
29. Corazon (GF menu)
30. Pluckers (All sauce GF - GF menu)
31. Sago (GF menu)
32. Cafe Josie (GF menu)
33. Portabla (GF menu)
34. Hyde Park Bar & Grill (GF menu)
35. Southside Flying Pizza (GF Crust)
36. Peoples Rx (GF Sandwiches)
37. Wild Wood Art Café (GF)
38. Cups & Cones (GF cones)
39. Thom's Market (GF treats)
40. Hai Ky
41. Ruta Maya International Headquarters
42. Mr Natural
43. Cookie Lounge (GF Cookie)
44. Kerbey Lane Café (GF pancakes)
45. Titaya's Thai Cuisine
46. Taste of Ethiopia
47. TerraBurger
48. Trio & Four Seasons
49. FINO (GF Menu)
50. Taco Deli (GF)
51. Fogo de Chao

It's On Like Donkey Kong!

I know this has NOTHING to do with healthy living...but GO COLTS!!!!! Come on Peyton...show Arizona who's boss!!!

Sunday Bake-Day

I was in a baking mood today so I made gluten-free chocolate chip cookies using my favorite baking mix: Pamela's (http://www.pamelasproducts.com/) Keith and I use this mix to make pancakes, waffles, muffins, cookies, etc...it is a very versatile mix and it tastes AWESOME!

PAMELA'S CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 egg, large
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups Pamela's Mix
1 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used 1 cup of mini chips)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream butter and sugars, add egg and vanilla, the beat together. Add Pamela's mix, chocolate chips, and nuts (if using) and mix thoroughly. Place scoops of dough (1 TBSP scoop) on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Flatten with a spatula. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until edges begin to brown. Let cookies cool slightly and then EAT!!!

Saturday Bliss!

So today was the PERFECT running day! I got up and ran at about 7:30am and it was nice and cool with a slight breeze. Welcome Fall...I've been waiting for you!! :)

I wanted to let all you runners and walkers know that RunTex's website is AWESOME and they have a lot of great tips and tools for runners, including pace calculators. So, anytime I want to know my exact pace I go to that website and plug in the information to see...today was a good day: 10 miles at 8:20 pace. Not too shabby!! Anyway, here's the link: http://www.runtex.com/tools.asp

HAPPY FOOTBALL SATURDAY!

Fast Food Rules

You can still make healthy food choices even when fast food is your only option. Here are 3 tips to help make it easier to eat on the run:

Healthier Fast-Food Rule No. 1: Be Cautious About Condiments
Half the fat grams in Arby's Southwest Chicken Wrap and their Ultimate BLT Wrap come from the ranch sauce or mayonnaise. Believe it! Some fast food condiments add a lot of fat and calories -- like mayonnaise- and oil-based sauces. Others are lower in calories and have no fat, though they will add some sodium. Use a little catsup, mustard, marinara, or BBQ sauce instead of creamy sauces and spreads. Half a packet of BBQ sauce or honey-mustard sauce from most fast-food chains, for example, will add about 23 calories, no fat grams, and about 80 milligrams of sodium.

Healthier Fast-Food Rule No. 2: Watch Out for Side Dishes
Anything on the side that's fried is suspect, like French fries and onion rings. If you need something to keep your entree company, look for fresh fruit cups or side salads (and use half a packet of the reduced-calorie dressing). The other option is to bring your own fruits and vegetables from home. Don't laugh -- I've done this plenty of times!

Healthier Fast-Food Rule No. 3: Look Out for Liquid Calories
The last thing you need when eating at a fast-food chain is to drink something that gives you calories without nutrients, like soda, sweetened tea, lemonade, and fruit drinks. It's even worse if your drink is also loaded with fat -- like shakes. Choose either a no-calorie beverage (like water, unsweetened tea, or diet soda) or one that contributes some nutrients along with its calories (like low-fat milk or 100% orange juice).

Everything You Wanted to Know about VINO!!

I will be the first to admit that I know next to nothing about wine. Although Lindsay, my vino expert, is trying her hardest to expose me to the exciting world of wine. I am definitely taking an interest and hope to start learning more about it with her help. I found this GREAT article about wine in my this month's Women's Health magazine and I wanted to share! Enjoy!!

THE ULTIMATE WINE LIST
by Loren Chidoni

Treat Wine Like A Condiment
If the wine you've chosen has lemony undertones, like a pinot grigio or a sauvignon blanc, drink it with something you would squeeze lemon on, like fish. If butter would enhance the flavor of your dish, choose a buttery chardonnay.

Mix Sweet and Spicy
When you're in the mood for savory takeout (think Thai or Indian), pair it with a semi-sweet, fruity wine, such as a Riesling, to allow the flavor to calm your palate.

Bring A Neutral Bottle
If you don't know what your host is serving or if you are in charge of ordering wine for the table at a restaurant, choose a pinot nior. It isn't too heavy or too light, and it pairs well with many different foods, including fish like salmon or tuna and lighter meats like veal or chicken.

Serve at the Perfect Temperature
People almost always drink whites too cold and reds too warm. Chill reds in the freezer for 10 minutes before pouring (it should be between 55 and 58 degrees Fahrenheit). Take whites out of the refrigerator 10 minutes before you serve them (the ideal temperature is between 40 and 45 degrees).

Let It Breathe
Serving wine immediately after you've popped the cork may make the flavor fall flat. Pour a glass and the bottle and the glass sit for at least 15 minutes before serving. This gives oxygen a chance to mix with the wine, which will enhance the flavor.

Sniff It Out
Being handed a glass of wine that's been filled to the brim may seem like a stroke of luck, but it actually causes you to miss out on some of the flavor. As a rule, a glass shouldn't be filled more than halfway - you need the extra space for swirling which releases the scent of the wine. After swirling take a whiff (studies show that 80% of what we taste is relayed to our brains via our nostrils). You can taste flavors like sweet or sour on your tongue, but it's harder to taste a wine's undertones, such as blueberries or peaches, if you can't smell them.

If You Wouldn't Drink It, Don't Cook With It
This doesn't mean you need to spend $30 on a bottle the next time you're whipping up shrimp scampi, but you should avoid "cooking wine" in grocery stores because it's typically loaded with preservatives, food coloring, and other poor ingredients. Cook with the wine you plan to serve. It's interesting for people to taste a wine in their glass and also see how it tastes in their food. But, don't make a sauce from an already opened bottle that's been stashed in your fridge for a few weeks - old wine will add a bitter flavor to your meal.

Make It Last
At most, an open bottle of white or red will last about three days if you keep it in the fridge. Oxygen is wine's biggest enemy, and investing in a vacuum seal (a tool that sucks air out through a rubber stopper) will make your wine last a few extra days.

Look Toward The Future

Wine on tap may be the next big innovation. Stored in kegs, vino lasts longer, saving restaurants the expense of having to toss half-full opened bottles. Tap wine works much like draft beer: Gas pushes the wine out of the cask; this prevents oxygen from getting inside the keg and oxidizing the booze. The technology is already being used in some California restaurants and it becoming more popular elsewhere across the country.

Don't Be A Chicken!

This is the easiest recipe in the entire world that I am not sure it is even considered a real recipe! haha! But it is a great way to make chicken in a hurry. Albeit it isn't one of my healthiest recipes (GASP) but Keith loves it! The butter crisps the chicken up and makes the skin taste really good! Everything in moderation...so go ahead...and use the real stuff!

BAKED CHICKEN

4 chicken breasts, with bone and skin
1/4 cup butter, melted
1-2 teaspoons Season-All salt (I used McCormick's)

Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray a shallow baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

Rinse chicken breast under cool running water. Pat chicken dry with paper towels.

Place chicken in dish. Brush the melted butter over the chicken, using all the butter. Sprinkle with seasoned salt.

Bake for 50-60 minutes or until cooked through. DON'T OVER COOK!!

Serves: 4
351 Calories; 24.9g Fat (11.1g saturated fat); 123mg Cholesterol; 173mg Sodium; 0g Carbohydrates; 0g Fiber; 0g Sugar; 30.4g Protein

My Funny Socks

Okay so many of you have asked me about the "weird looking socks" you see me wearing while running on the treadmill. Those knee-high tube socks are my compression socks. They are snug-fitting, over-the-calf socks aimed at improving oxygen delivery to muscles, speeding lactic acid removal and stabilizing the lower leg for greater muscle efficiency.

Compression socks and wraps have been widely accepted in clinical and post-surgical settings for the treatment of edema, lymph edema, phlebitis, varicose veins, spider veins and deep vein thrombosis. Most theories about how the socks can improve running performance focus on the physiological and biomechanical support of the lower extremities.The primary rationale behind wearing compression socks in a race is that they may enhance venous return to the heart through a more efficient calf muscle pump, leading to increased endurance capacity. And there is the notion that because muscles are kept more compact, balance and proprioception are improved and muscle fatigue is minimized. They also aide in faster lactate recovery rates after exercise when wearing the compression socks, suggesting that compression socks might speed recovery after a strenuous workout or a race.

So...still think I am weird?? HAHA!

HAPPY MONDAY!

I LIKE IT RAW!

I "heart" Ahi Tuna! Seriously, when Keith and I were on our honeymoon in Hawaii, I had Ahi Tuna EVERY SINGLE NIGHT (for 10 straight nights). I am a little obsessed! haha! Nothing will ever be as good as the fresh from boat Ahi I had in Hawaii but this marinade aint too shabby since jetting to Maui on a Saturday night doesn't seem to be an option! haha! Enjoy!

AHI TUNA MARINADE

1 1/2 cups teriyaki sauce
1 lb sushi grade Ahi tuna steak
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 cloves of garlic, minced

Combine 1 cup of Teriyaki Sauce with 3 minced garlic cloves to create marinade.

Reserve 1/2 cup of Teriyaki sauce and 1 garlic clove. Refrigerate.

Place tuna in a shallow dish and poor marinade over fish. Marinade for 2-3 hours in the refrigerator. Throw out marinade.

Saute remaining minced garlic clove until tender in 1 TBSP of olive oil. Remove from pan.

Sear tuna on in same frying pan for 1-2 minutes per side. While tuna is cooking place "reserved" sauteed garlic & teriyaki sauce over tuna.

Remove from heat and serve with Teriyaki & Garlic on top.

Look at the Numbers!

47% of Americans overestimate how many calories they should eat daily!! And when 53% of Americans are trying to lose weight, and 25% of Americans are trying to maintain their current weight, this could be a problem!

Here is a general rule for people trying to safely lose weight (at about a pound a week):

• YOUR WEIGHT * 11 = The number of calories per day you should be able to eat and still safely lose about a pound per week.

What Americans are doing to lose weight:

• Changing how much they eat.....71%


• Exercising.....................................62%


• Changing how often they eat.....44%


• Counting Calories........................19%

FITNESS SWAPS

SWAP OUT: Sports Gel FOR Raisins!

Studies show that participants performed equally as well whether they ate raisins or a sports gel before exercise. Both contain quickly digestible carbs, enabling the body to save its muscle fuel for later in the workout. Have a quarter of a cup of raisins up to 45 minutes

before a workout.

SWAP OUT: Ibuprofen FOR Cherry Juice!

People who drank cherry juice before an endurance race felt significantly less pain than a placebo group did. Cherries are rich in anthocyanins, compounds that reduce inflammation.

SWAP OUT Sports Drinks FOR Whole Wheat Cereal with Milk!

Researchers found that two servings of Wheaties with milk replenished the fuel stores in athletes' muscles as well as carbohydrate-based sports drink did. And the milk provides a bonus: amino acids that help repair muscles' fibers.

PLASTIC BY THE NUMBERS

Have you ever wondered what the numbers on the bottom of plastic containers mean? There can be lots of confusion over whether or not they are safe and if they can be recycled.

Plastic #1: Polyethylene Terephthalate (PETE): Many soda bottles, water bottles, vinegar bottles, and medicine containers. This plastic is considered generally safe. However, it is known to have a porous service that allows bacteria and flavor to accumulate, so it best not to keep reusing these bottles as make shift containers. These are the easiest plastics to recycle.

Plastic #2: High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE): Many milk and water jugs; containers for laundry and dish detergents, fabric softeners, bleach, shampoos, conditioners and motor oil. This plastic is considered safe and has a low level of leaching. These can be recycled into more bottles or bags.

Plastic #3: Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC): Many meat wraps, cooking oils bottles, baby bottle nipples, shrink wrap, and coffee containers. PVC is a tough plastic but is considered safe to cook food near it. These are difficult to recycle and are rarely accepted by recycling programs.

Plastic #4: Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE): Many wrapping films, grocery bags, and sandwich bags. This plastic is considered safe. These can be recycled into more of the same products.

Plastic #5: Polypropylene (PP): Tupperware and many other food storage containers, syrup bottles, ketchup bottles, yogurt and margarine tubs, diapers, and medicine bottles. This plastic is considered safe. These can be recycled into fibers.

Plastic #6: Polystyrene (PS): Some takeout containers, Styrofoam cups and containers, disposable cutlery and cups, baking shells, meat trays, and packing peanuts. Evidence is increasingly suggesting that this type of plastic leaches potentially toxic chemicals, especially when heated. Recyclers don't want it because it is bulky and lightweight.

Plastic #7: Other (mostly polycarbonate or mixtures of other plastics). Food can liners, Nalgene-type water bottles, disposable cutlery, and sippy cups. You should use #7 plastic at your own risk since you don't know what is in it. Recyclers won't take it.

MY TIP: DITCH THE PLASTIC AND STICK TO GLASS!

Fun Website

Here is a fun website: http://www.twofoods.com to play with. It is a food nutrition comparison website and it lets you type in any two foods and then have a nutritional comparison done. Check it out...

Peanut Butter and Jelly Goodness

These muffins are SO good...perfect for kids AND adults! No oil, no butter and no sugar and still amazing!!! Gotta love that. As you can see from the picture...Keith snatched one before I could even take the photo...haha!

PEANUT BUTTER & JELLY MUFFINS

2 cups whole wheat flour (or can use gluten-free flour)

2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

3/4 cup apple juice concentrate

1/2 cup natural peanut butter

1/4 cup 2% milk

1/3 cup applesauce

1/3 cup of your favorite jelly, jam or fruit preserves

1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Combine the eggs, apple juice concentrate, peanut butter, milk, and applesauce. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.

2. Coat 12 muffin cups with nonstick spray or use muffin liners.

3. Spoon half the batter into the cups. Spoon about 1 1/4 teaspoons jelly into center of each; top with remaining batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted into muffin comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to wire rack to cool completely.

Serves 12

205 Calories; 6.8g Fat (1.5g saturated fat); 35mg Cholesterol; 213mg Sodium; 31.8g Carbohydrates; 3.3g Fiber; 12.5g Sugar; 6.8g Protein

Big Food vs. Big Insurance

I am attaching a link to a New York Times Article, by Michael Pollan, written on September 9, 2009. This is AWESOME! My friend Jann Alexander sent this to me and it is definitely worth reading. Go check it out. It is called Big Food vs. Big Insurance and it talks about how the current way of American eating has become the elephant in the room with the debate over health care.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/10/opinion/10pollan.html

Healthy Mexican Food!!

Okay...here is another recipe favorite in my house. If you like Mexican food, here is guilt-free version of enchilada casserole that everyone (including those picky kiddos) will totally love!

TURKEY ENCHILADA CASSEROLE

1 lb lean ground turkey or extra lean ground beef (I used lean ground turkey)
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 (15 oz) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (16 oz) jar salsa
1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
1 (14.5 oz) can Mexican-style tomatoes
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
12 (6 inch) corn tortillas (I only used 10)
2 cups shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese, divided

In a large saucepan coated with nonstick cooking spray, cook the turkey (or beef), green pepper, onion, and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink.

Stir in the beans, salsa, tomato sauce, stewed tomatoes, onion powder, garlic powder, and cumin. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.

Spread 1 cup meat sauce into a 13x9 inch baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray. Top with six tortillas, covering the sauce. Spread half of the remaining meat sauce onto tortillas; sprinkle with 1 cup cheese. Layer with remaining tortillas and meat sauce.

Cover and bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake 5-10 minutes longer or until bubbly and cheese is melted.

Serves: 6**
426 CALORIES; 8.7g FAT (2.1g saturated fat); 59mg CHOLESTEROL; 1242mg SODIUM; 62.7g CARBOHYDRATES; 15.1g FIBER; 7.5g SUGAR; 28.3g PROTEIN

**Nutritional content is calculated using lean ground turkey and 12 corn tortillas**

Is it really THAT good?

Today I am making one of Keith's all-time favorite recipes. He requests this A LOT! It is Chicken Adobo. He used to work for a Filipino company and all the ladies were always making authentic dishes...one being chicken adobo. So he wanted me to try to re-create it. Wow...now that was some pressure. So here it is...chicken adobo and it is HEALTHY and SIMPLE! My 2 favorite adjectives when it comes to cooking! Enjoy!!

CROCKPOT CHICKEN ADOBO

1 onion, sliced
8 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 cup soy sauce (I used a low-sodium wheat-free tamari)
1/2 cup vinegar (I used rice vinegar)
1 cup chicken broth (I used low-sodium)
1/4 tsp. black pepper
2-3 bay leaves
3 lbs.. chicken (I actually used a mixture of thighs and breasts...6 small thighs and 2 breasts)

Place chicken in crockpot, then onions, then rest of ingredients. Don't stir. Cook on low 6 to 8 hours. Remove bay leaves before serving. Serve over rice (I used brown rice) and don't forget to pour the liquid over the rice!

Serves: 6**
139 CALORIES; 3.8g FAT (1.1g saturated fat); 77.2mg CHOLESTEROL; 1438.5mg SODIUM; 6.1g CARBOHYDRATES; 0.7g FIBER; 1.7g SUGAR; 20.1g PROTEIN

**The nutritional information does not include the rice and it is for the recipe as written. The sodium is really high so that is why I used low sodium ingredients.

My Top 10 Motivational Quotes

1. You Become What You Believe
2. Running Never Takes More Than It Gives Back. Believe in the Run!
3. Because I am Loving Every Horrible Wonderful Minute of This!
4. One Day I will NOT be able to do this, today is NOT that day!
5. Never Look Back!
6. The Finish Line Won’t Get CLOSER; You’ll Just Get There Faster.
7. Don’t You Quit On Me!
8. Completely Gassed and Completely Stoked Are The Same Thing!
9. Be the Star of Your Show!
10. Follow Your Heart

WHAT IS GLUTEN???

WHAT IS GLUTEN SENSITIVITY?
I am sure recently, you have heard people saying they eat a gluten-free diet. Which then begs the question, WHAT IS GLUTEN? Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley and rye and is used in virtually all boxed, packaged and canned processed foods to create textures that are more desirable to our taste buds. Gluten is responsible for the elasticity in dough and the structure in baked bread. Not all foods in the grain family, however, contain gluten. Examples of grains that do not have gluten are wild rice, corn, buckwheat, millet, amaranth, quinoa, teff, oats, soybeans and sunflower seeds.

People who are sensitive to gluten have an autoimmune reaction to it. In other words, instead of the body digesting gluten like it should, it sees gluten as an enemy and tries to fight it off. Gluten sensitivity is NOT an allergy but an intolerance, therefore it is not possible to outgrow it or take medicine to remedy it. The only solution to gluten sensitivity is to remove gluten from your diet. Gluten intolerance is the main culprit of celiac disease (pronounced seel-ee-ac.) Celiac disease is an autoimmune reaction in which the body reacts so strongly to gluten that it whittles away and flattens out the delicate lining of the small intestine, causing chronic mal-absorption of nutrients. According to The Gluten Connection by Shari Lieberman, “almost 29% (3 out of 10 people) in the United States are gluten sensitive, and approximately 81% of Americans have a genetic disposition toward gluten sensitivity.” However, you can also have a low level of gluten intolerance with symptoms so mild that you don’t even pay attention to them anymore. It gets to the point where feeling less than 100% is so normal that you don’t know you can even feel better. When symptoms are present, though, the following are some more common indicators:

· Abdominal pain
· Bloating
· Diarrhea and/or constipation
· Fatigue
· Depression
· Frequent canker sores
· Dental enamel defects (vertical or horizontal grooves in teeth)
· Iron-deficiency anemia
· Low blood cholesterol
· Low blood levels of zinc, vitamin D and vitamin K

HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?
So, if gluten is so bad for us why then is it virtually everywhere? Most people think it is natural to eat grains, but really it’s not. Grains in their natural state are tough and pretty much indigestible. About 10,000 to 15,000 years ago, our ancestors in the Middle East learned that grains needed to be processed in various ways to become edible. (For example, ground up with stone grinders, made into flour and then cooked.) Eventually our ancestors began to plant and reap grains. This development is known as the Agricultural Revolution, and it dramatically changed the course of history. Such a strong departure from our original diet has set us up for many health problems.

After the Agricultural Revolution the next major shift in our diet came during the Industrial Revolution in the late 1800’s when the steel-roller mill was developed. This invention made the refining process of whole wheat grain and sugarcane a fast and inexpensive process. As a result, white flour and sugar became affordable and easily available. Refined wheat flour, also known as white flour, is stripped of nutrients and fiber and is usually very high in carbohydrates. Examples of refined grains in today’s diet would be pastas, rolls, breads, muffins, cookies, cakes, breakfast cereals, bagels, pretzels, tortillas and pizza dough. Need I go on? Consequently, refined grains are difficult to avoid without consciously working at it.

In the middle of the twentieth century (1940’s-1960’s) the Fast Food Movement took over society making food that was convenient and easily transportable. Fast food restaurants like McDonald’s Taco Bell, Dunkin’ Donuts and Domino’s Pizza began popping up all over the country and supermarkets introduced lines of convenience foods with high shelf lives that made up most of the items on the inner aisles. Grains even found their way into the meat industry. Prior to World War II 90 percent of cattle was grass fed, not grain fed. In the 1970’s, due to an American grain surplus and the discovery that grains fatten cattle faster, feedlots became commonplace throughout the US farm belt and grain-fed livestock became the norm not only in the beef industry but in the production of virtually every other kind of meat. In the 1980’s the fat-free movement became the latest rage. People responded by loading up on fat-free, usually sugar rich, refined-grain products, such as crackers, fat-free cookies and rice cakes. Today we’re not so quite fat phobic as we were in the 80’s but we are consuming more high-fat, grain based combinations (pizza, nachos, quesadillas, pastas, etc…). These combinations is what has lead our American population to be estimated as Sixty-one percent overweight with heart disease, Type 2 diabetes and cancer on the rise.

HELP ME!
· Reduce or avoid grains and eat more non-starchy vegetables in their place
· Avoid sugar, fructose, high-fructose corn syrup and other concentrated sweeteners
· Enrich your diet with protein
· Increase your intake of omega-3 fats and eliminate the bad omega-6-rich vegetable oils and trans-fats
· Emphasize mono-saturated fats, such as olive oil, avocadoes and nuts
· Opt for foods in as natural and fresh state as possible

As gluten sensitivities become more common in the United States many resources are now available to make living a gluten free lifestyle even easier. Many grocery stores are starting to carry lines of gluten free products and baking supplies. There are also many restaurants that now have gluten free menus. To find restaurants that are gluten free in any area you are traveling go to http://www.glutenfreerestaurants.com and you can type in any zip code to find the closest gluten free menus.

Going gluten-free is not a diet but a lifestyle change. It requires new shopping habits, new cooking habits and new eating habits. And remember special treats are okay just don’t overdo it. Substituting processed gluten free “junk” foods is not the answer either. Take this time to explore the world of fresh fruits, vegetables and lean meats and start on the road to a healthier you!