Diet Change

The past couple of days I tried drastically increasing my vegetable and fruit consumption as most people do when they start dieting after the holidays. You read how they are low in calories, will fill up your tummy and are oh, so good for you. When it comes to dieting and health, veggies and fruits are your friend, so it was only logical to stock up and chow down on these. Too bad they don't come with a list of side effects, for instance:

You will be hungry again in about a hour. Regardless of the amount I eat, I am hungry again in about one hour, leaving me no option, but to reach for more to eat. I spend all day eating, which is hard when I'm actually trying to do work. The fruits and vegetables just go right through me, which brings me to my next point.

You will go to the bathroom more. Packed with natural fiber, these delectable delicacies will get your indoor plumbing running smoothly. This is Nature's detox routine. I'm certain that is how they make you lose weight, you poop it out! Plus all the running between the bathroom and my desk has to count as some form of exercise.

GAS! GAS! GAS! With all that extra work your stomach is doing, you're bound to get some nasty byproducts. The natural sudden urge to fart will increase. BACK BLAST AREA CLEAR! With the constant running to the bathroom, the gas stench leaves a trail back to me desk, so I can find my way back.

Between me constantly gnawing on something, running to the bathroom, and cutting loose the gas build up, my coworkers are hoping this is only a phase. Fortunately, once my body adjusts to the increase in fiber, my bathroom issues should tame. As for the hunger issue, combining vegetables with a protein, fat or complex carbohydrate should give it some staying power. For instance, combining fruit with a little bit of non-fat or low fat yogurt would take longer to digest. I'll have to play around with some combinations.

Frugal Living Diet

After doing some research on various diets out there, I decided to come up with my own. I am going to use real food - no fake diet crap!, plus it is going to focus on health and be budget friendly. The main reason why I want to lose weight, is to be healthier. By being healthier I hope to reduce the need for expensive medical bills. I'll be posting on how well I am doing on it. Here are the ground rules!

Water, water every where!
Drink plenty of water. Water helps our body metabolize our food, as well as assist our kidneys and liver flush out toxins. Additionally, we sometimes mistake thirst for hunger. By drinking cold water, our body burns calories trying to heat it up. Try to drink eight 8fl oz glasses a day. Tap water is free! You can drink coffee as well, but limit it to no more than two cups. You may drink tea as well since it is full of antioxidants. Make your own tea instead of buying instant ice tea, since tea bags are cheaper and you control what goes into your tea. Word of caution with the coffee and tea, they are not as healthy if you use creamer, sugar, or sweetener in it.

No soda!
That goes for diet soda as well. It is so full of chemicals that come with side effects. Don't believe me? Read Prevention's "7 Side Effects of Drinking Diet Soda." Getting rid of soda will be a saving on your wallet.

No processed food! No white flour!
Prepackaged, processed foods are typically calorie dense with little fiber, which gives you a large amount of calories without leaving you feeling full long. Plus, your body typically breaks down processed foods quickly spiking your blood sugar count. It's all fine and dandy, until it your blood sugar crashes leaving you reaching for more processed garbage. Maintaining a steady blood sugar level helps stabilize your hunger.

No sugar
I'm talking about the white stuff. Americans eat far too much sugar, which is nothing more than empty calories. This rule goes for high fructose corn syrup and artificial sweeteners as well.

More fruits and vegetables

Full of fiber, antioxidants, minerals and vitamins, as well as low in calories, every diet should incorporate more fruits and vegetables. It also helps combat inflammation in your circulatory system. Strive for a wide variety and up to 13 servings. Remember, a serving is 1/2 cup of fruits or vegetable, 1 cup for big leafy veggies, 1/4 cup of dried fruits. Your two main meals should only be fruits and vegetables. Focus on buying in season fresh fruits and vegetables. Also, frozen veggies are another cheap source. Limit your intake of canned sources, since they are typically higher in sodium. If you have a sweet tooth, use fruit as an alternative to dessert, after all it is Nature's candy. For the argument about whether white potatoes should be vegetable or carbohydrates, it is a vegetable. While it should not be your only source of vegetable, it is still a vegetable and counts as a serving.

Beans, beans, the magical...
Beans are really good for you and are thought of by some as a power food. They're great for your heart, full of fiber and help control your hunger. Plus a bag of dried beans is cheap!

Nuts!
Full of antioxidants and healthy fats, these are considered another type of power food. Don't eat too much though, these healthy guys are also dense in calories. Limit yourself to a couple of handfuls throughout the day to ward off hunger. Buying the type you have to crack open yourself is cheaper.

Limit meat
Americans eat WAY too much protein, which is horrible for your kidneys. "The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey found that the average American male consumes 102 grams of protein per day, while the average female eats about 70 grams. That's almost twice the daily recommended intake established by the Food and Nutrition Board." Most protein is obtained from meat, which is traditionally high in saturated fat as well. While it is okay to have some saturated fat in your diet, it needs to be limited. Select fish (high in omega-3 fatty acids), and trimmed cuts of meat. Try to limit your monthly intake of red meat and processed meat (i.e. bacon, lunch meat) to no more than 2 servings. Meat is an expensive part of the grocery bill. By reducing the amount of meat you eat, you'll automatically get savings.

Limit fat
You still must incorporate fat into your diet, because your body needs it to properly function; however, this must be in limited quantities. Fat is a calorie dense source of energy. One gram of fat is nine calories, while one gram of carbohydrates or protein is four calories. Opt for healthy sources like olive oil. Stay away from hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oil, since these are sources of trans fat (a type of bad fat your body does not need).

Limit alcohol
A glass or two of wine is fine, but more than that and you're just adding empty calories to your diet.

Low-fat, no fat dairy
Aim for only 2 servings of low-fat or no fat dairy products. I'm trying to limit my protein intake from animal sources, because I am trying to shift my diet to more plant base for health reasons.

Limit wheat
I'm a carbaholic and will gladly eat a diet of nothing but bread. I already have the rule of not processed food and no white flour. Whole grains such as bulgar, and brown rice are good for you, but whole wheat products don't compare. Granted whole wheat flour is better than white flour, but it is still too processed to keep blood sugar stable.

Get moving!
Exercise is a great mood booster, gets the blood pumping, builds muscle (which burns more calories!), and naturally raises your good cholesterol. Our bodies were made for motion, not a sedentary lifestyle. Try to workout 3-5 times a week for 30 minutes. Also try to be more active, by doing little things like taking the stairs instead of the escalator, carry basket instead of pushing a grocery cart.

As a general rule, you only need 10 calories to maintain one pound of your body weight. So if you're 200 lbs, you need 2,000 calories a day to maintain your current weight. I am 165 lbs right now and would like to weigh 145 lbs, meaning my calorie intake needs to change from 1,650 to 1,400. To help my body to adjust, I am making an intermediate goal of 150 lbs, meaning 1,500 calories, so my body adjusts easier to the calorie decrease.

New Year's Resolution

Happy New Year! An old year passes and a new one is here giving us a clean start.

This new year I would like to be skinner. About 20 pounds should do it, not that I'm picky. But I would also like to be healthier, and stay on a budget. Oh, being skinner with those two additional items might be a bit harder. Well, I'm going to give it a go.  The past couple of weeks I've been reading health books I checked out at the library, researching the best ways to be healthy and lose weight. I will post some reviews on the library books I have been reading. Maybe you'll find a good read?

While I haven't quite decided on how I'm going to achieve my budget friendly healthier weight-loss, I know some ways I am not going about it are:

Crash Diets

I could easily go on those crash diets that severally restrict your caloric intake to 1000 or below. It would definitely help with shedding the pounds, and when you're eating less, the grocery bill would correspond by being lower. My health would take a hit, plus I would be very, very hungry. I don't like being hungry. I get cranky, very cranky,  and others will pay. Additionally, with crash diets, you are often missing key minerals, vitamins and protein your body needs to properly function, so it breaks your muscles to fuel itself. The drastic reduction in calories also sends your body into starvation mode, making it hold onto the fat reserves. Ultimately, these don't work and they end up making you frustrated.

Meal Replacement
The meal replacement option often contains more minerals, vitamins and protein than the crash diet, so it is certainly a healthier option compared to crash diets. However, meal replacements are often costly, and lack in the taste department. Yuck! I still have to buy real food for the rest of the family, so the grocery bill would not be lower. There is no budget savers in this area.

No Diet Pills, Supplements, Herbs, or Detox

Majority of the popular diets that require you to purchase expensive items while going on their calorie reduced diet are only taking you as a sucker. Most of the supplements and herbs are not covered by the Food Drug Administration, and may contain more than you bargain for. Since one of my goals is to also be healthier, I am going to skip this route. Let's face it people, health and weight loss are not in a magical pill.

Weight Watchers

Admittedly, I have been on Weight Watchers before and successfully lost weight on their program. It promotes a balanced healthy approach by teaching you how to eat real food. I like that. Unfortunately, the fees add up when you look at the registration fee, weekly fee or monthly pass (depending at what route you take). You have to pay the fees regardless if you show up to the weekly meeting or not. This program is not helpful on my wallet, plus I do not have a meeting group conveniently near by. Granted you can pay for the strictly online option, which is cheaper than the meeting package, but I don't feel like I really get my money's worth. To me, the main reason why Weight Watchers is so successful, is the meetings.

Here's to a New Year! While I am not sure what I am going to do achieve my goals for this year, I know what I am not going to do, which is a starting point. Throughout the year I will post about my progress and failures in hopes others can learn along the journey.

Cut the cord

It is hard to believe, but this month marks one year of living without cable. As somebody who grew up as an avid television viewer, it is hard to believe that I managed to survive. Like many people watching their expenses increase while the paycheck remain stagnant, I was looking for ways to cut back on living expenses. One of the largest bills we had was from the blasted cable company. It angered me, because we always complained there was nothing good on, we hear various reports about how watching too much T.V. is not good for you, and it provided very little for amount it cost. Yet, we kept it month after month. When we moved, the cable bill did not come with us. We cut the cable! It wasn't easy at first as we transitioned to finding other forms of entertainment to fill the void but here are some things that we did.

Library Patron. We visit our local public library to not only checkout books, but videos, video games, and other multi-media as well. Our library rotates their videos and games with other libraries in the region, so the selection is never stale. We get to borrow from their selection for free. Yes, FREE! Of course, you have to watch out for late fees from some libraries, but it is still significantly cheaper than cable, and it is something you can easily avoid.

Games. We play games together. Okay, we're not gathered around a board game having family game night. It is primarily video games. My kids are using their brains trying to solve the puzzle and challenges presented by the game, which is a step up from just staring at the T.V. Plus, I don't have a reoccurring bill for the gaming console. With the ability to checkout games from the library, you can easily refresh your entertainment selection.

Internet. Some households consider the Internet as a luxury, while they still keep the cable bill. If I had to choose Internet or cable, I would keep the Internet. The Internet can help with homework, provide entertainment, help me stay in touch (hello Skype! and Facebook), help me with finding new recipes and provide a wealth of knowledge. Cable? Not so much. We kept the Internet to stream videos, allow me to complete online classes, read news, and to video chat with family members in different timezones. Fox, ABC and CBS let us stream our favorite T.V. programs with minimal commercials. We also watch a good bit of sporting events online as well. We just hook up our laptop to the T.V. using a HDMI cable.

Netflix or Amazon Prime. We subscribed to Netflix and are thinking about switching to Amazon Prime. Either way, they both provide us a vast entertainment selection. We dropped Netflix for a few months, since we were not watching it very much; however, we decided to pick them back up. Guess what? There was no hook-up or cancellation fee.  We could stop and start services when we wanted to, plus the monthly rate is still cheaper than a cable bill.

Hobbies. Without the usual past time of flipping through the channels and staring brain dead at the idiot box, we had to find other things to preoccupy our time. My husband and I got into cooking more and trying different recipes, with delicious results I may add. I crochet providing me more scarves, hats, and blankets. They make great gifts as well. My boys love to create intricate Lego vehicles. My husband loves to go running. Find something you are passionate about, or something that relaxes you. With a hobby  you will have something to show for your time, whether it good meals, better health, new doilies or a new Lego Starship. Cable cannot provide this.

Benefits.

More free time. Without television competing for my children's attention and distracting them, my kids have time to do their homework and other **gasp** educational pursuits. My oldest son read more this past year than he did in the previous two years. Before we got rid of cable, he would read because it was assigned reading. Now, he reads for pleasure. He is really into the "Diary of Wimpy Kid" and "Captain Underpants" series. For me, I have free time to work on my degree (college classes are online), write, blog (just not too much on this site), and spend time with my family.

Less advertisement and commercials. Since going cable free, my children see less commercials. It's great because I hear less whining from my kids about how they want the latest and greatest toy they had no idea they needed until the commercial came on.

Learning. The extra reading I've done taught me a great deal, such as how to live healthier, cook, crochet, sew and a new language. As I mentioned earlier, I am pursuing my college degree, so there is a good bit learning there. My oldest son started creating his own comic book, so he is learning on how to develop a story and write dialogue.

Lighter Chocolate Chip Muffin

In my quest to healthier cooking, I found Cooking Light. Admittedly, I use them a lot. I was really happy when they came out with Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffins. Finally, I could have a chocolate treat without all the guilt. Well...to be honest, they were okay. If you read the reviews, many people recommended adding more chocolate or some other alteration.

Fat is a flavor vehicle. The problem with going low-fat in any recipe is you're messing with the vehicle that delivers and develops the flavor. Also, fat provides forgiveness in baking by keeping things moist, even if you leave it in the oven just a little beyond the finish stage. When you remove some of the fat, you need to compensate for flavor some where else.

After reading a few books on baking (I have more time to read since we no longer have cable, which I guess is a different frugal post all together), I learned that the secret to enhancing the flavor of chocolate is a cup of java. Vanilla helps too, but the original recipe already includes that. Thinking I could do better, I tinkered with the recipe to provide my version of a healthier chocolate chocolate chip muffin, and I think I succeeded. My family really likes these muffins over the original recipe, despite the fact I reduced the sugar and increased the fiber. Healthy can be tasty!

Note: My recipe calls for dark brown sugar. You can use light brown sugar, but dark brown sugar adds a bit more flavor. Remember, since we reduce the fat, we need to compensate for flavor in other places. Rolled oats increases the fiber without adding to the calorie count or deminishing the flavor.

Lighter Chocolate Chip Muffins
Serving size: 1 muffins. Yields: 12 muffins.

Ingredients
1 cup flour
1 cup rolled oats
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce
1 tbsp red wine
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup coffee
2 eggs
 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Directions: Set eggs out to warm up to room temp. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly coat the muffin tin with cooking oil. Set aside.

In a medium size bowl, mix the rolled oats and coffee together, then set aside.

In a medium size bowl, mix the flour, baking powder and baking soda together. Add chocolate chips, except for 2 tablespoons of chips (this will be used for the topping later). Mix well and then set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, brown sugar, apple sauce, red wine, and vanilla extract. Make sure to break down any brown sugar lumps. Add the eggs, and whisk the liquid mix for  2-3 minutes. Add the rolled oats and coffee mixture. Stir until well mixed.

Add the dry ingredients. Stir to incorporate the dry ingredients, but care should be taken to not over mix. Do not stir more than 15 times.

Spoon mixture into the muffin tin. Place on the oven middle rack and bake for 10-12 minutes. The muffins are done when you stick a tooth-pick down the middle and it comes out clean. Do not leave the muffins in too long, since they're more susceptible to drying out due to the decrease in fat. During the last minute add the remaining 2 tablespoons of chocolate chips to the tops.

Once done, let cool for 5-10 minutes before eating.

Nutrition Information for one muffin:
Calories: 177 (tastier & shaved 12 calories off the original)
Fat Total: 8.5 g
Saturated: 2.5 g
Cholesterol: 31 mg
Sodium 164 mg
Carbohydrate: 30 g
Fiber: 3 g (increased the fiber)
Sugar: 11 g
Protein: 3.5 g

Pie Crust Cookies

I have a slight problem. I made pie crust following the recipe below, which made a fabulous pie crust, if I do say so myself, for my pumpkin pie.

 

2 1/2 cup white flour

1 cup cold butter (cut up)

2 tbsp cold water

 

Instructions: In medium size bowl, add flour and butter. Cut butter into the flour until it is a crumbly mixture. Sprinkle water over mixture and create a ball out of it. When a well you have a well formed ball of dough, place in fridge for 15-30 minutes to make the dough easier to work with.

You may be asking yourself, um...so what's the problem? Well the recipe is great if your pie required two pie crusts (upper and bottom), but a traditional pumpkin pie only needs one. This left me with a whole lot of left over pie crust. It seemed like a shame to throw it away since I'm a firm believer in "waste not, want not."

What to do?

Make pie crust cookies. Stay with me. What are the basic ingredients in short bread cookies? Flour and butter. The left over pie dough already has butter and flour, so I just had to add the remaining cookie ingredients.

1/2 pie pie dough from above recipe
1/2 cup white sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract (I really like vanilla!)
1/4 cup coconut flakes
1/4 cup walnuts

Directions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a small food processor or grinder, pulse the coconut flakes and walnuts to create a powder like substance. Add the coconut/walnut powder, vanilla extract, and sugar to the left over pie dough. Knead these ingredients together for about 5 minutes. Create small balls out of the dough (about 1 1/2 in diameter), place them on a lightly greased cookie sheet, and press down the ball to flatten it some. Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes, until the edges are golden brown.

Makes approximately  1 1/2 dozen.

Beauty on the Cheap

Hair Care: Use warm oil to provide deep condition to your long hair or moisturize your damaged hair. This is cheap substitute for the V05 hair oil. Pour 1-2 tablespoons of cooking oil in a small container. Submerge the container in warm to hot water to gently warm the oil. After a couple of minutes, spread the oil through the ends of your hair. Let sit in your hair for 3-5 minutes, then wash your hair with your normal shampoo. Its amazing how shiny and smooth your hair looks and feels afterwards.

Highlights: Hydrogen Peroxide provides a cheap hair lightener. The basic brown bottle from the drug store won't change your dark brown hair to blond, but it will certainly lighten it. Spray a small amount through your hair, brush, and let your hair dry. When I started, I had dark brown hair. After about 2-3 days my hair was a light reddish, brown. It was enough of a difference that my male boss noticed.

I also used the hydrogen peroxide to lighten the hair on my upper lip, otherwise known as my woman'stache. Every morning, I dip a Q-tip into the hydrogen peroxide and cover the hair. It doesn't irritate my skin like the over the counter hair bleach, but still accomplishes the job. Not bad from a small brown bottle that comes in under $1.

Water-proof eye make-up remover: A tablespoon of simple cooking oil mixed with a drop of shampoo does the trick to gentle remove even the most stubborn of water-proof mascara.

Skin Care:
At Petit Elefant, she provides a tutorial to make your own pore strip, which is a cheap alternative to the name brand pore strips you get at the drug store.

In an earlier post, I provided a couple of recipes to make homemade facial and sugar scrubs, which I happen use quite frequently.