Our Appetite

I read this fascinating article and thought it’s a good idea to share here. I copied everything from my source because I don’t want to distort everything that was said in it.

Here is how it reads:

Appetite control is not just a matter of willpower - the hunger sensation can be triggered by physical and mental factors. To tame cravings and avoid overeating:

• Eat a balanced breakfast with protein, healthy fats and whole grains to avoid overeating later. Avoid overly sweet cereals or breakfast pastries.

• Savor your food - it takes about 20 minutes for your brain to receive the “full” signal. Enjoy each bite by using spices and other strong flavors in your cooking

• Eat smaller meals spaced throughout the day.

• Eat only when hungry – not when stressed, bored or tired. Conquer these feelings with other strategies such as taking a break or using relaxation techniques.

• Allow 20 to 30 minutes for cravings to pass. Distract yourself by keeping busy- take a walk or talk to a friend.

• Get enough sleep- hormones released during slumber control appetite.

• Ask your health care provider if medication could be causing you to over eat.

• Allow an occasional splurge – in the long run it’s unlikely to get you off the track.

• Eat filling high-fiber and water-containing foods such as fruits, vegetables, beans, whole grains and soups. Get enough lean protein too.

Plan your meals carefully and you food won’t go to “waste.”

This is a brief and very informative article. It struck me straight to the bones because I do have some eating malpractices.

Picture: Google
Reading Source: The Health Promotion and Wellness Newsletter, May 2009

Healthy Bran Muffins for Breakfast

Hubby gave me a copy of the recipe from the web but for some reasons, I was to lazy to try it. It just did not click to my cooking mood. However, I put the paper on one of my binders in anticipation of any future use.

I finally decided to make it but looking at the sugar the recipe is asking, I made a sudden change of it. Hubby does not like any artificial sweetener so I decided to use regular sugar. I also added few more healthy stuff.

Here is the list of ingredients in case you want to try:

• 1 cup Wheat Bran
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 3 tsp No Salt Baking Powder
• 1 tbsp cinnamon
  
• 4 eggs
• 8 oz Cream Cheese (softened)
• 1/2 Organic Unsweetened Soy Milk
• 1/4 cup ground flax seed
• 1/4 cup walnuts (chopped in smaller pieces)

Here is how you do it:

• Preheat oven to 350ºF
• Spray muffin pan with any baking spray.
• Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl
• Hand beat eggs in small bowl, add cream cheese and milk. Mix well.
• Mix wet and dry mixture and blend well.
• Spoon batter into muffin cups.
• Bake for 20 minutes.

This recipe yields 12 muffins.

Healthy Nutty Snacks

When I was still in the Philippines, I always had peanuts for my snacks. I love them and besides being very cheap for my pocket, they're everywhere. It's the only kind of nuts that are abundantly produced by the local farmers back there. I was just amazed to see so many types of nuts in the store here in America and all of a sudden, I started to dislike them. I have to force myself to eat them because my husband always shares the trail mix that he usually makes for himself. Sometimes I like them and sometimes I don't. But generally speaking, they are not on my list.

But here are few of the amazing facts that I read: The fats in some nuts are largely "good" fats. Nuts also provide vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that our body needs. Adding 1.5 ounces of certain nuts a day to a low-cholesterol diet may reduce the risk of heart disease.

To name a few, here is the following list you can try:

Pistachios - I have never pay attention to this small nuts. I tried it during my first year here in the US but I never realize how good these nuts are for the eyes. This will not bring back my 20/20 vision but at least my eyes get the nutrients they need.

Pistachios rank high in lutein which is considered a vision-friendly nutrient.

Walnuts - I really don't like these nuts for a snack. I don't like the fatty taste but I love to make it part of my baking ingredients.

Walnuts are rich in an omega-3 fatty acid (ALA), which can reduce inflammation that can damage arteries. ALA can also raise good cholesterol (HDL), while lowering the bad (LDL).

Almonds - I don't care too much about this nuts. These nuts are popularly mixed in chocolate candy bars which my sweet tooth always loves. I first tried almond nuts in Hershey Chocolate. It was so yummy but yet I did not develop a certain craving for these nuts.

But look what Almonds have. These nuts contain fiber (which make them filling) and vitamin E which is a very antioxidant that may play a role in reducing the risk of some diseases.

Hazelnuts - Honestly, I haven't tried these nuts yet. I really want to try this kind since it contains a lot of nutrients that are good for our body. I know that they are available in any market but I just don't want to try them.

Hazelnuts provide folate, potassium, calcium and magnesium. Intake of these nutrients may be an effective prevention against, cancer, depression and hypertension.

Pecans - These nuts are just too fatty for me and I don't really eat them raw. However, I love these in green salads and pastries.

Pecan nuts supply phytosterols. This type of plant chemicals help lower cholesterol level in our body.

There are still several nuts that I have not listed here. I am sure that they all have good things to offer our body.

Reading Source: Top Health, May 2009
Pictures: from Google

Rice Cake (Biko)

I had a terrible cravings for Biko the other week. In my desperate thought, I was able to come up with an idea how to make my rice cake different from the recipe that I have in my compilations of recipes. I don't want it to be too sweet so I figured a way to make it still "biko" but not really too matamis.

It was so yummy that it disappeared quick and especially when I shared it with my friends. They all like it.

Here is the list of my ingredients, just in case you want to try it:

• 1 cup brown sugar
• 6 cups of coconut milk
• 2 cups uncooked malagkit ( sweet rice)
• 1 cup macapuno (in bottle)
• 1 tsp anise

Here is how to do it:

• Dissolve sugar in 6 cups of coconut milk over medium heat. Bring it to a boil for 30 minutes.
• Add uncooked malagkit and anise.
• Simmer and stir constantly until all liquid disappeared.
• Cover for 15 minutes, occasionally stirring.
• Put in a baking pan, pack and top it with macapuno.
• Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until top turns brown on a 350º.
• Serve hot or cold with your favorite hot drinks.

So Yummy!

Get the Most From Your Veggies

With our busy life these days, sometimes we just go to the market to buy ready-to-cook vegetables. It helps when you don't have to spend time in cutting all those veggies because it usually takes time when you want to do it the traditional way.

However, if we really want to get the most amount of benefit from our food, buying fresh ones are far better than the ready packs from the frozen or refrigerated section of the store. Although the sources try their best to lock in the food nutrients when they pack and seal those pre-cut veggies but there is nothing more nutritious than the fresh ones.

These are just few examples: fresh green beans are crisp and the pods snap easily. Fresh carrots are sweet and firm. A good squash when pinched feels a little sticky. Fresh tomatoes have smooth skin and free from black spots. These are just a few noticeable facts and if we try to buy vegetables in season will be better. You are spending less for the great benefit you are getting out of what you are buying.

But here is more: Wash vegetables before paring and cutting into small pieces, not after, to preserve the nutrients. Cook at once. Cover the pan so as to retain the natural color, flavor and texture of the vegetables. (Nutrients are likely to escape in the air with pan uncovered.) Cook vegetables until just tender and stir only when necessary.

Moreover, use water in which vegetables have been cooked for soups and sauces, whenever possible. That you don't have to buy vegetable stock from the store when you need it.

Reading Source: Cookbook Recipes and Nutrition Tips
Picture: from Google

Macaroni Chicken Salad

I was trying hard to think what side dish to make to go with the main dish that hubby made last Easter. I wanted to have something Filipino on the table to match the Portuguese food without contradicting each other. So I decided to make Macaroni Chicken Salad. Besides, I had been craving for this dish for quiet a time now.

This was the first time I made the dish since I got here in the US of A. Though I used to make it back in the Philippines still I was not too sure if this would come out good and acceptable as a side dish. But it did. I bragged to hubby that I used to make the best salad for family gatherings and fiestas back home. My difficulty was how to blend the taste of my salad with what my guests normally expect in a macaroni the western way. It's still a Filipino dish the way I made it but with a touch of the west. I could have made it richer and creamer but I shunned from doing so.

Here's the list of my ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups Dreamfields elbow macaroni
• 2 skinless and boneless chicken breast cooked and shredded
• 2 cups Saffola Mayonnaise
• 1 cup Mt. Olive Sweet Relish
• 1 can (8 oz.) Dole Pineapple Crushed (drained)
  
• 1 1/2 cup Kraft Crumbled Cheese
  
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• dash of salt

Here is how I did it:

• Put 6 cups of water in a pan, add a dash of salt and olive oil and bring it to a boil.
• Cook macaroni on the boiling water and follow cooking directions. Then set aside.
• On the other hand, cook chicken breast in water then shred it to pieces.
• In a large bowl, put the macaroni along with the remaining ingredients together.
• Add the shredded chicken.
  
• Mix well and refrigerate before serving. This is better when it is cold.