Addition to first post......................

I missed something when I restarted my blog a couple of days ago and that is my trips to Burger King.  I like to go to Burger King and buy $1 Cheese Burgers.  I usually buy them two at a time, three or four days a week.  They make a great quick snack.  They play heck with the carbs (30ea) and calorie (300ea) count for the day.  Not a good thing to do and then eat regular meals the rest of the day.

I did step on the scale today and found I lost two pounds.  I will take that.  My goal is two to three pounds a week.  I have also keep my carbs to around 100 for three days this week.  That is great to be under my Dr.s low goal of 120.  Hopefully going to keep this up.  Until the next time.............

Update

After two days I can say I have kept my carbs down.  Yesterday my carb count was about 100 and today it was 115.  It makes me excited to keep them under the low end of what my Dr. gave me as a low end.  It shows me I can do it.  I have also kept my food journal for two days.  My sugar consumption for two days is almost zero and I did not go to Walmart and check for candy that has been marked down after Easter.  I need to push a little more on my steps to get them going where they need to be and I am meeting a good friend at the pool tomorrow.  Looking forward to that because I enjoy swimming.

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2017 All Over Again...................................

I guess this post could probably be labeled "same old story and why should this time be any different"?

Before I get into this post I need to post a couple of things.  First, I have been wanting to get back to my blog for quite some time and it is time to get off my butt and do it.  Second, I know I need to be watching what I eat but I will still be posting to my regular recipe page as well as my healthy recipe page.

Now to get into my post, which will possibly be a long one.

A few months ago I had another visit with my Dr. about the same old stuff.  He is concerned about my weight as always.  After some discussion we have come to an agreement that I have a food addiction.  I know I am addicted to carbs and sugar.  I know that there are studies both pro and con on whether sugar is addictive or not.  But for me, once I have some sugar, ie. a candy bar or jelly beans, etc, I have a hard time staying away from it.  As many who know me, know I have candy stashed every where, in my vehicles, by my computers, in my closet, in my cupboards etc.  When it goes on sale after Valentines Day, Easter, Halloween or Christmas I can't pass up the deals.  My grand kids even know I always have the sweet stuff around and they always ask for some because my daughter won't keep it around their house.  I have even had chocolate so long it has turned white but I eat it anyway.  Is that sad or what.  But I did make a small step today.  I pulled one of the storage containers down and cleaned it out and actually threw some of the candy out.

Another thing my Dr. is after me about is swimming.  He wants me to swim because it is a good form of exercise and not so hard on my joints because I am a very big boy.  I am paying membership to a gym with a pool and they love me because I don't use it.  I keep telling my wife I am going to but I don't.  In a couple of months I will be able to get my membership for free because of Silver Sneakers as part of my Medicare rider.  Vickie says she wont care then if I go or not.  I was talking with a friend of mine that says he needs to go and I said "I need to go and you know I need to go and you need to go and I now you need to go, so no more B.S. I will pick up up Monday morning but he has Dr.'s appt so I said I will be there Tuesday no excuses.  It will be for the best for both of us.

My Dr.  also wants me to keep a food diary.  I start off great but seem to lose the desire to track my carbs.  My Dr. says to track my carbs and not to worry about the calories.  He wants my carbs around 130 to 150 a day.  With the way I love bread and bread products it is hard to keep the carbs down because everything has carbs and when I get hungry my go to snack is toast with peanut butter and jam with a glass of milk.  That snack alone contains 60+ carbs and that is not a good choice at 10:00 at night when my carbs are usually above 150 by that point anyway.  So when I do things like that, I quit my journal because I don't want to write it down and I know if I am not getting results and my Dr. looks at my food journal and these type of things aren't recorded he is going to know I haven't been totally honest.

The other thing I need to work on is my steps.  I am not averaging very my 2500-3000 a day.  I end up using my cane a lot and that does not make me very happy.  That also means I am spending a lot of time not moving and consequently my weight shows it.  My goal is by the end of May to be at 10,000 a day.  That means I have to add about 160 steps a day to my average to make it.  I used to walk that without any problem.

Now for what I am doing that is different this time.  I am in an Addiction Class for my Food Addiction.  I am realizing this is going to take a lot of hard work to over come this addiction just as it would a drug or alcohol addiction.  There are several things I am doing in conjunction with the class. First, I got a mentor.  I have some one I report on a regular basis that is keeping an eye on me and not only gives positive reinforcement but is also not afraid to get after me when I need it.  I appreciate him and all he does for me.  Second, I am back on my blog.  I enjoy posting to the different pages on my blog.  Third, I am working on increasing my steps.  I hope to reach my goal early.  My mentor walks over 15,000 several days a week.  When Vickie and I went to dinner with him and his wife last Friday he was averaging almost 12,000 a day.  My ultimate goal is over 15,000 a day.  Fourth, tomorrow, my food journal comes back into play and this time for real,  This time everything passes my lips will be recorded daily.  My goal is 130-150 carbs daily.  Just what the Dr. ordered.  I am also headed for the pool this week.   Once I get there I enjoy it and it is great exercise for me.

I need to do these things this time.  My son-in-law lost his father recently to a heart attack and my grand kids are worried that they are going to lose me.  My lung function runs about 48% most of the time but it has been know to dip down to around 40%.  My pulmonologist says my lung function will never be 100% because of my allergy induced asthma but if I would lose some weight I could get get into the 60% range and that would be a great improvement.  And who knows, I may even live a little longer.  I have an appt. with my primary care Dr on the 7th of May and my pulmonologist on the 13th of June and I want to be headed in a positive direction finally for both appointments.

I owe a big thanks to my mentor Dave for his support and being there for me.  I also want my wife and family to know how much I love them and appreciate the support of me, no matter how many times I try this.   Until next time..........................................

Dr.'s Orders

Recently I received a call from my Dr.  He had been looking over some old notes and came across notes from a talk we had on my last visit with him.  Mind you it has been some time since I saw him last.

I knew this wasn't going to be good for me when he said I am a walking time bomb and he had a few questions for me.

His questions were as follows:

1.  Was I keeping my food journal?  Answer: No.  He again challenged me to get it out and use it.            He even suggested maybe I should use my phone and take pictures of what I ate every day for a          week and then review it.  Not sure I want to do that but I told him I would start my journal.

2.  Am I walking 10,000 steps a day?   Answer: No.  He challenged me to add 1,000 steps a day every     week until I reached a minimum of 10,000 or more.

3.  Am I keeping my carbs to between 160-180 daily?  Answer: No.  He told me using my food                journal should get me doing that.

4.  How many times am I swimming?  Answer: Not as much as I should be.  He told me to get my            butt in the pool at least 4 times a week and 5 or 6 would be better.

5.  Am I cooking healthy and posting the recipes to my blog?  Answer: No.  Do we see a pattern here?      Again, he challenged me to get back at it.

6.  Am I writing on my blog to become accountable to any one that follows me to be doing these              things?  Again I had to say no.  So now we begin again.

Then he added a couple of new things. Since I don't spend a lot of time outside he wants me to take Vitamin D every day and he wants my water consumption to be at least 150 ounces a day and no eating after 7 pm.

I told him these things are doable but I will also add recipes to my regular blog and I will still go out to dinner on occasion.  He said that was okay just watch my portions and maybe consider taking half my meal home.  He also told me to cut down my sugar intake.  Boy is he cracking down.  I laughed at the last suggestion because I do have a sweet tooth.  He said we have had this talk a number of times and since I know what I should be doing we shouldn't have to have this talk again.  I told him I know he is tired of wasting his time with me on this subject and he answer was I don't care how often we talk about it because he has to be there anyway but I need to quit wasting my money on co-pays and then not doing what he tells me to do.

I guess I better pull up my big boy pants and do it.  It seems my wife, daughter, grand kids and friends want me to hang around a little longer.  Watch this blog for updates

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DO YOU EVER GET HEADACHES?

When dealing with an aching head, it's become so easy to pop some pills. If you're trying to steer clear of pain relievers, some of the best help can come from the produce aisle.

Potato: After a night out, you may think that a plate of greasy fries is the way to go; forget the French fries and go for a baked potato instead. Foods high in potassium have proven to help alleviate bad headaches, and a baked potato with its skin offers up to a whopping 600 mg.

Bananas: The dynamic duo of potassium and magnesium come to the rescue in one tasty piece of fruit. Magnesium's calming effects are a huge help when trying to alleviate an achy head.

Watermelon: A lot of the time when dealing with a headache, chances are you may be dehydrated. A water-rich fruit like watermelon can give you a huge boost and also serves as a solid source of potassium and magnesium!

Pineapple: Fresh pineapple can also help soothe your headache woes. The natural enzyme bromelain has been linked for centuries as a form of natural pain relief. It also boasts anti-inflammatory properties that can help get your head right as well.

Cucumber: In the same vein as watermelon, cucumber can help cut dehydration out of the picture. Composed of 95 percent water, the highly hydrating cucumber is a perfect option for a fresh, headache-fighting snack.

50 Best Snacks Under 50 Calories

By Keri M. Gans, R.D.

1. 1⁄2 medium apple, baked, topped with 1 Tbsp low fat yogurt sprinkled with cinnamon (45 calories)
2. 1⁄2 small banana, frozen (45 calories)
3. 4 oz unsweetened applesauce sprinkled with cinnamon (49 calories)
4. 1 miniature box of raisins (45 calories)
5. 2 sugar-free ice pops (30 calories)
6. 1 sugar-free fudge ice pop (35 calories)
7. 12 cherries (48 calories)
8. 1 individual serving sugar-free gelatin with 3 Tbsp light whipped topping (40 calories)
9. 1⁄2 cup strawberries with 21⁄2 Tbsp nonfat yogurt (47 calories)
10. 14 seedless red grapes, frozen (48 calories)
Indulge a salt craving
11. 11⁄2 cups salted air-popped popcorn (46 calories)
12. 1⁄4 cup shelled edamame with sea salt (37 calories)
13. 8 oz miso soup (36 calories)
14. 1 pretzel rod (37 calories)
15. 1⁄4 small bag of Glenny's lightly salted soy crisps (35 calories)
16. 1 medium sliced cucumber mixed with 1⁄4 cup sliced onion, 1⁄2 cup chopped celery, 4 Tbsp vinegar and salt to taste (45 calories)
17. 6 oz eight-vegetable juice (39 calories)
18. 1 kosher dill pickle (10 calories)
Crunch and munch
19. 1⁄2 cup jicama with 4 oz salsa (49.5 calories)
20. 11⁄2 cups sugar snap peas (40 calories)
21. Small celery stalk smeared with 1⁄2 Tbsp natural peanut butter (49 calories)
22. 1⁄2 small apple with 1 tsp soy butter (46 calories)
23. 1 brown rice cake with 1 Tbsp sugar-free jam (44 calories)
Smooth and creamy
24. 1 Laughing Cow Light Garlic & Herb wedge spread on cucumber slices (35 calories)
25. 1 tsp almond butter (34 calories)
26. 1⁄2 cup fat-free Greek yogurt with 1 tsp sugar-free strawberry jam (43 calories)
27. 1 oz avocado (about 1⁄8 of an avocado) squirted with lime (45 calories)
28. 8 grape tomatoes dipped in 1 Tbsp light cream cheese (46 calories)
Cheesy whizzes
29. 6 pieces of endive filled with 1⁄2 oz reduced-fat feta cheese (49 calories)
30. 1 slice fat-free American cheese (30 calories)
31. 1 large tomato, sliced, topped with 1 Tbsp Parmesan, broiled (44 calories)
32. 1 oz fat-free cottage cheese on 1 slice caraway Finn Crisp Crispbread (38 calories)
33. 1 oz fat-free mozzarella dipped in 1 tsp marinara sauce (46 calories)
Power up on protein
34. Turkey roll ups: 2 slices white meat turkey rolled in 2 lettuce leaves (46 calories)
35. 1 oz smoked salmon (about 1 slice) on 2 Wheat Thins crackers (Multi-Grain) (48 calories)
36. 1 tofu dog with 1 Tbsp sauerkraut (48 calories)
37. 1⁄2 cup plain fat-free yogurt sprinkled with 1 tsp sunflower seeds (49.6 calories)
38. 1.3 oz water-packed tuna with 1 tsp Dijon mustard (48 calories)
39. 2 large hard-cooked egg whites with 1 cup sliced cucumber (48 calories)
40. 1 slice Wasa Fiber Crispbread with 2 tsp hummus (45 calories)
41. 1 medium water-packed sardine with slice of red onion (35 calories)
Solid standbys
42. 1⁄2 cup melon with 2 Tbsp 1% cottage cheese (47 calories)
43. 1⁄2 small grapefruit (32 calories)
44. 1⁄3 cup blueberries with 1 Tbsp light sour cream (47 calories)
45. 1⁄2 cup carrots with 1 Tbsp light ranch dressing (45 calories)
Thirst quenchers
46. 1⁄2 cup nonfat milk with 1 Tbsp Walden Farms calorie-free chocolate syrup (40 calories)
47. 1 packet of sugar-free hot chocolate made with 1⁄4 cup skim milk and 3⁄4 cup hot water (47 calories)
48. 3⁄4 cup almond milk (45 calories)
49. 3⁄4 cup seltzer with 1⁄4 cup cranberry juice and a lime wedge (33 cal.)
50. Homemade iced green tea

CUCUMBER TIPS & TRICKS

heart emoticon CUCUMBER TIPS & TRICKS heart emoticon

1. Cucumbers contain most of the vitamins you need every day, just one cucumber contains Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, Folic Acid, Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium and Zinc.

2.For a pick me up in the afternoon... Put down the caffeinated soda and pick up a cucumber. Cucumbers are a good source of B Vitamins and Carbohydrates that can provide that quick pick-me-up that can last for hours. Slice some and put in your water bottle.

3. If you rub a cucumber slice along your bathroom mirror, it will eliminate the fog and provide a soothing, spa-like fragrance.

4. Place a few slices of cucumber in a small pie tin and your garden will be free of pests all season long. The chemicals in the cucumber react with the aluminum to give off a scent undetectable to humans but drive garden pests crazy and make them flee the area.

5. Looking for a fast and easy way to remove cellulite before going out or to the pool? Try rubbing a slice or two of cucumbers along your problem area for a few minutes, the phytochemical in the cucumber cause the collagen in your skin to tighten, firming up the outer layer and reducing the visibility of cellulite. Works great on wrinkles too!!!

6. Want to avoid a hangover or terrible headache? Eat a few cucumber slices before going to bed and wake up refreshed and headache free.
Cucumbers contain enough sugar, B vitamins and electrolytes to replenish essential nutrients the body lost, keeping everything in equilibrium, avoiding both a hangover and headache!

7. Looking to fight off that afternoon or evening snacking binge? Cucumbers have been used for centuries by European trappers, traders and explorers for quick meals to thwart off starvation.

8. Have an important meeting or job interview and you realize that you don’t have enough time to polish your shoes? Rub a freshly cut cucumber over the shoe, its chemicals will provide a quick and durable shine that not only looks great but also repels water.

9. Out of WD 40 and need to fix a squeaky hinge? Take a cucumber slice and rub it along the problematic hinge, and voila, the squeak is gone!

10. Stressed out and don’t have time for massage, facial or visit to the spa? Cut up an entire cucumber and place it in a boiling pot of water, the chemicals and nutrients from the cucumber will react with the boiling water and released in the steam, creating a soothing, relaxing aroma that has been shown to reduce stress in new mothers and college students during final exams.

11. Just finish a business lunch and realize you don’t have gum or mints? Take a slice of cucumber and press it to the roof of your mouth with your tongue for 30 seconds to eliminate bad breath, the photochemical will kill the bacteria in your mouth responsible for causing bad breath.

12. Looking for a ‘green’ way to clean your faucets, sinks or stainless steel? Take a slice of cucumber and rub it on the surface you want to clean, not only will it remove years of tarnish and bring back the shine, but it won’t leave streaks and won’t harm you fingers or fingernails while you clean.

13. Make a mistake using a pen? Take the outside of the cucumber and slowly use it to erase the pen writing, also works great on crayons and markers that the kids have used to decorate the walls!

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REAL FOOD TIPS: 8 WAYS TO AVOID PROCESSED FOOD

1. Read the ingredients label before buying anything. For years, if I even looked at food labels, I was reviewing items such as fat grams, calorie count and sugar content. While this may be important to some, the best indicator of how highly processed a food is can actually be found in the list of ingredients. If what you are buying contains more than 5 ingredients and includes a lot of unfamiliar, unpronounceable items you should reconsider before buying.
2. Increase your consumption of whole foods, especially vegetables and fruits. I am sure you’ve heard similar advice a thousand times, and I hate to tell you it is true. This will help to displace the processed foods in your diet, and will actually make your food selections in general very simple. No more counting calories, fat grams, or carbs when your only concern is selecting whole foods that are, as more the product of nature than “the product of industry.”*
3. Buy your bread from a local bakery. I actually used to eat white bread, but what I bought for my husband from the grocery store was what I thought was whole-wheat bread. When we finally checked the ingredients and found 40 different items on the list, including white flour and sugar, we decided it was time for a change. Why would there be so many on the list if it only takes a handful of ingredients (like whole-wheat flour, water, yeast, and salt) to make bread?
4. In addition to your bread choice, when selecting foods like pastas, cereals, rice, and crackers always go for the whole-grain option. And don’t just believe the health claims on the outside of the box.  Read the ingredient label to make sure the product is truly made with only 100% whole grains – not a combination of whole grains and refined grains which is unfortunately how a lot of so-called “whole grain” products are made. The white flour or other refined grain alternative is simply high in calories and low in nutrition, which reminds me a little too much of sugar.–
5. Avoid store-bought products containing high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) and those “that have some form of sugar (or sweetener) listed among the top three ingredients.”* Despite the mixed research on if HFCS is really worse for you than good ol’ white sugar, it just happens to be “a reliable marker for a food product that has been highly processed”.–
6. Don’t order off the kids’ menu. The next time your family is out to dinner avoid the kids’ menu. Those selections are most often things like pre-made chicken nuggets, deep-fried French fries, pasta made with white flour, and so on. Instead try assembling some sort of side item plate with a baked potato and whatever vegetables your kid will eat and/or try sharing some of your meal.–
7. Visit your local farmers’ market the next time you need to restock your fridge. Not only will you find “food that is in season, which is usually when it is most nutritious”*, but you will also find a selection of pesticide-free produce and properly fed meat products. It is also better for our environment to purchase locally grown products as opposed to supermarket produce, which on average travels 1500 miles from the farm to your plate.–
8. Lastly, “eat all the junk food you want as long as you cook it yourself.”* If you had to peel, chop and deep fry potatoes every time you wanted French fries then you might not eat them very often. Only eating “junk food” such as cakes, sweets, and fried foods as often as you are willing to make them yourself will automatically reduce your consumption.

Veggies

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Good Idea

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Food for Thought

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Avacados