Cyd Notter

Author and Nutrition Educator, Founder of The "Plan A" Diet™

Chinese or Mexican?

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We tried a few new recipes recently, and here are the keepers!

Vegan Orange Chicken

This recipe from Brand New Vegan.com is very tasty.  The 'chicken' is actually battered and baked cauliflower bites, and the thick orange sauce is easy to prepare.  I found it to be just a tad bit time consuming, since there are several separate components (making batter and baking cauliflower, sautéing vegetables, making rice and preparing the orange sauce).  Still, I will definitely make this again; unsalted peanuts and/or water chestnuts would make a nice addition.  Note that the recipe is served over rice (although 'rice' does not appear on the ingredient list).

 

Mexican Style Bean and Rice Casserole

This casserole is delicious as is, but can also be used as a burrito filling (and topped with salsa, lettuce, guac or whatever you prefer).  The  only things I did differently are as follows:  I used a 9x13 casserole (the mixture wouldn't fit an 8x8 pan, as called for);  and I did not use the 'no-cheese sauce' recipe linked to the recipe.  I used an alternate cheese sauce because I had all the ingredients on hand.  Whichever cheese sauce you use, be sure it makes enough for the casserole (which is 2.5 cups).  Also, there are comments on this recipe to cut the zucchini smaller than suggested.

 

You can also find 'cheese' sauces here (both are tried and true, we enjoy them both):

Easy Vegan Mexican Cheese Sauce

Fat-free Vegan Cheese Sauce

PS - I'd be interested to know if you give these recipes a try!

Visit our website to learn more about the 'Plan A' Diet™ 

“Healthier” Butter?

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Label Reading Quiz for the Day:

Question:  How can 'Light Butter" be advertised as 50% less fat than butter and STILL be 100% fat?

Answer:  When the manufacturer has partially replaced butterfat with oils, additives and preservatives.

But make no mistake.....this product is still 100% pure FAT.  Manufacturers use marketing practices such as this to make a product appear "healthy", and the unsuspecting public usually buys into it.

How can you tell how much FAT is in a product?  Here's the key:

Compare the CALORIES against the CALORIES FROM FAT.  In the example of the "light butter", you'll see that 1 Tablespoon has 50 calories.  The Calories from Fat are also 50.  That means that that all calories are fat calories - in other words, the percentage of calories that are from 'fat' equals 100%.  This product is 100% fat.

If the calories were 50 and the calories from fat were 10, the product would then be 20% fat (10 divided by 50 = 20%).   Or, you can quickly figure out that 10% of the calories (50) would be 5;  therefore, 20% of the calories would be 10.  It may seem complicated but it's easy to figure out once you do it a few times.

Why is it important to know how much FAT is in a product?  As Dr. McDougall says, "the fat you eat is the fat you wear".  It doesn't matter the source of the fat.....fat is fat.

Immediately after consuming one high-fat meal, your triglyceride levels (a measurement of fat in the bloodstream) are rising. Cholesterol levels are increasing and contributing to plaque formation, and clotting factors in the blood have been activated.

Two hours later, your triglycerides have increased by 60 percent, and your blood flow has decreased by half.  Three hours later, the lining of your arteries has lost elasticity - impeding blood flow - and blood vessel function has become abnormal.  Four hours later your blood has gotten thicker, flowing even slower than it was 2 hours ago.  Five hours later, your triglyceride levels have now increased by 150 percent.  Six hours later, the anti-inflammatory effect of “good” cholesterol has been significantly compromised.

Consuming high-fat and saturated fat foods over days, weeks, months and years promotes the continuous buildup of plaque in the arteries and reduces blood flow even further.  The decreased blood flow leads to decreased oxygen supply (which can lead to a heart attack), and also increases the risk of developing fatty liver disease, type 2 diabetes, inflammation, certain cancers, and a long list of other diet related diseases.

Fat intake should ideally be around 10% of daily calories.  Plants have all the fat we need, and there's no need to seek out oils (which are very health damaging) or products with added oils.  And of course, all animal sources of fat should be avoided (including fatty fish, fatty chicken, and even "light butter").

Review the "Plan A" diet food pyramid on our website for an overview of the healthiest foods.

Planning to Diet this January?

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The holidays and the leftover desserts will soon be behind us, which means that many Americans will once again be resolve to make some changes beginning January 1.  A perusal of several statistical websites reveals that the consistently top three resolutions include losing weight, getting fit and healthy, and living life to the fullest.  Fortunately, all three of those goals can be achieved with one lifestyle change….namely, diet.

Sadly, the success rates of typical diets are dismal.   Diets which require us to count calories, carbs, or points, or weigh things or decrease portion sizes can leave us feeling hungry and frustrated – making them unsustainable for the majority of people.  Those types of diets are temporary fixes that don't last.  Losing weight and regaining health does not mean counting or weighing smaller portions of the same unhealthy foods.

The answer to weight maintenance and health is simple, achievable and proven by mounds of unbiased research.  It’s not a typical diet of restriction, nor is it a diet that requires super human efforts to refrain from eating. It isn’t a short-term fast or cleanse and there aren’t any magical supplements or powders you’ll need to purchase.  Nor is it a diet book with various phases of eating patterns to be implemented until you reach a maintenance level.   It does not rely on calorie counting or willpower.

The answer to weight maintenance and health is simple, achievable and proven by mounds of unbiased research.

Read the answer here.

Happy New Year to you and yours!

And may your 2017 be blessed with good health as you take steps to make it happen.

Making Only One Change?

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askDear Coach, I need to eat better but I’m unsure how to begin and I get overwhelmed thinking about it. If I were to make only one change for now, what would you say is the best change to make?  V.M.

Dear V.M., That’s a great question! When it comes to healthy eating, some people dive in with both feet while others prefer to test the waters.  The amount of benefits you reap are dependent on the amount of changes you’re willing to make, especially if you’re suffering from any degenerative disease you wish to relieve or reverse.  Having said that, all change is a step in the right direction, so making one change for now is a good start.

Not knowing what you currently consume each day makes it difficult to give you a specific answer.  However, through my years of nutritional training I can tell you what many doctors would recommend, and why.

Read the answer here.

Other wise advice for the holiday season (especially when life gets too crazy):

ignorejunkfood

 

May you and yours be filled with joy this season as you contemplate the wonderful gift of Jesus.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Quick, easy and delicious soup!

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Did you have a nice Thanksgiving?  We enjoyed a quiet dinner with a family member and counted the many ways we're grateful to God for what he has done, and what he continues to do.

As of today, the leftovers have pretty much run out.  Back to the stove we go.  But if you're not quite in the mood to spend a lot of time cooking just yet, here's an easy recipe that I tried today for the first time.  It's quick, too, since it's made in an instant pot or pressure cooker (I used a pressure cooker).  It comes together fast, since it contains frozen vegetables, canned tomatoes and canned beans (I buy organic canned beans and veggies at Walmart for about .92 cents a can; you may even find them cheaper elsewhere).

Here's the recipe (from the Fat Free Vegan website).

Instant Pot Veg Soup
                        Instant Pot Veg Soup

 

I could not find the frozen vegetables suggested on the recipe, so I just chose other frozen vegetable blends.  The only thing I would do differently is use "heartier" frozen veggie blends because of the mushiness factor when cooked.  Potatoes, yams, green beans and the like tend to not get as mushy.  The veggie blends listed on the recipe will probably work much better than the ones I chose.  You can also use fresh veggies if you prefer.

I also did not have hot sauce, but I used a Thai chili paste and that worked well.  You can tweak this recipe however you like.  It's pretty much anything goes.

This soup is packed with calcium, vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants, and protein.  The veggies and beans have ample protein on their own, but by adding quinoa, you're getting an extra protein punch.   Quinoa is one of the highest protein grains and contains all 9 essential amino acids.  A great addition to almost any soup!

Perhaps add a salad and some whole grain rolls, and you are all set!

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