Healthy Snacks: Almonds

Many people have heard that snacking leads to being overweight and obese and this can be true if the snacks you are eating involve candy bars, chips and fast-food. However, adding a few healthy snacks a day can be very beneficial to your health and can even help with weight loss by subsequently eating less at meals and maintaining our insulin and metabolism throughout the day. So, I've decided to start a "Healthy Snacks" segment and my first choice is Almonds. Nuts get a bad rap because eaten in excess they can cause weight gain due to their high fat content.
However, certain nuts, such as almonds have wonderful nutritious aspects and eaten in proper portions can not only help keep us fuller longer but also add many helpful benefits. Almonds are high in protein, heart-friendly and a good diet aid. They are a great source of vitamin E, magnesium, potassium, zinc, iron, fiber, and a good source of monounsaturated fat. They also contain more calcium that any other kind of nut. Also, as many people know, almonds can help reduce the chance of getting certain cancers because they contain B-17. They also help to reduce LDL (bad cholesterol) and can help reduce the chance of getting heart disease.
The recommended portion size of an almond snack would be one handful. This is not very much so beware not to overeat them! If you want a slightly larger snack, add them to a mixed green salad or eat alongside other crudites.
Also, make sure to get unsalted or lightly salted options!

Relax, De-Stress and Meditate

I mentioned previously that one of the important factors of living a healthy life involves being stress-free. While this is not always possible with our busy, hectic, stressful daily lives, it means that we need to actively take steps to de-stress our bodies and minds. This can be done in many different ways, from taking a nap, soaking in a hot bath or sauna, getting a massage, leisurely reading or by watching your favorite tv show. Any activity that helps calm our bodies and minds from the "noise" around us well help you to relax and de-stress, which in turn will help you sleep better and wake rejuvenated.
However, sometimes more drastic means need to be taken and one way you can do that is through meditation. According to how-to-meditate.org "The purpose of meditation is to make our mind calm and peaceful. If our mind is peaceful, we will be free from worries and mental discomfort, and so we will experience true happiness; but if our mind is not peaceful, we will find it very difficult to be happy, even if we are living in the very best conditions." There are different kinds of meditations from breathing meditations to transforming meditations to meditation postures. I am only just beginning with meditation and anyone who practices yoga will see many of the same breathing and posture techniques. To learn these practices go to How-to-meditate.org. I am going to begin adding it to my weekly routine and I encourage you to too! Let me know if there is a specific technique that you find specifically helpful!

Marathon Runners

I am in awe and inspired by those that participate in marathons and half-marathons and the like. Even at my peak of running 3 miles was about my limit before I got bored or too tired. Nowadays, I pretty much stick to a jog/walk so all those completing 13.1 miles and 26.2 miles just sounds absolutely impossible! But alas, it's crazy what the body can do when we put our mind to something! I would like to especially congratulate my two marathon running friends Kelly and Leyla!

Kelly finished a half-marathon in Austin, TX in February and finished in 2 hrs and 20 minutes. This is her at mile 10 and still going strong!

Leyla just ran the Marine Corps Marathon in D.C. this last weekend and finished in 3 hrs and 40 minutes, which automatically qualified her for the Boston Marathon on April!! Training for this marathon, Leyla runs about 5-6 miles a day and 13-22 miles on the weekend!! So congrats for sticking to it and good luck in April!!!

Health.com

Whenever I need help with recipes I go to Foodnetwork.com and whenever I need help with exercises or just tips for eating healthy I go to Health.com. They have information on Health, News and Wellness for Healthy Living, Diet and Weightloss and Healthy Eating. They constantly post the newest Medical information and studies revelevant on keeping healthy. It also has tons of recipes, exercise suggestions and fun seasonal tips. I suggest adding it to your daily list of web surfing!

Here are some of today's top headlines at Health.com:

Healthy Cooking on the Cheap: Spicy Pumpkin Soup, Stuffed Sweet Potatoes, and More

Trail Running Can Up Your Calorie Burn by 10 Percent 

Tasty Snacks that are Good for your Abs

How Exercise May Boost Your Mood

 

The Miracle of Green Tea

"Better to be deprived of food for three days, than tea for one." (Ancient Chinese Proverb)

I have never been a coffee drinker (except for the super chocolate caramel iced lattes that were so popular like 7 years ago and were more sugar than anything else) and I've never really been a big soda drinker. In fact, the only real caffeine I will generally drink is tea. Most of the time I drink Green tea but I will also drink oolong, and flavored caffeine-free varieties. 

For those of you who have never heard of the miracles of Green tea, then I am telling you now, green tea is a miraculous and I encourage everyone to either swap out their coffee for a cup of tea or at least add a cup of green tea to your diet everyday. 

Why is green tea so good for you? Because it contains EGCG which is "a powerful anti-oxidant: besides inhibiting the growth of cancer cells, it kills cancer cells without harming healthy tissue. It has also been effective in lowering LDL cholesterol levels, and inhibiting the abnormal formation of blood clots." Green tea also helps to boost your metabolism and certain studies have shown that if you drink 3 cups of green tea a day it can help you lose up to 10lbs in a year alone! Also, it can help prevent tooth decay by killing the bacteria that causes dental plaque. 


Basically, whether you are a coffee drinker, soda drinker, water drinker or combination of all three, everyone can benefit from adding a cup of tea a day! Also, I didn't mention that green tea comes in a variety of flavors, such as lemon, raspberry, strawberry, peach etc. The one thing I do caution is that iced tea does not have the same benefits as steeped tea and in fact can lead to obesity due to the fact that so much sugar is generally used in creating iced-tea. Also, be cautious in adding any sugar or cream to your teas. If you need a little sweetener, stick with Splenda. 

Roasted Tomato, Onion and Goat Cheese Frittatini

Sorry for the delay in blogging, I had my first tests this week and then my mom came to visit me so its been quite a whirlwind of a week! We just started our "vegetable" class and have already been making some really fun and tasty dishes.

This one was my favorite so far and I thought i'd share. For any one who has had a frittata, which is essentially an open-faced omelet that is finished by browning in the oven, this is essentially the same thing, just miniature. These make great brunch foods, appetizers and party dishes! You can essentially put any combination of vegetables, cheeses, herbs and meats in these (although with the meats I would stick to lighter ones like bacon, sausage, ham, shredded chicken vs. beef or pork).
The key to these is getting the right texture by not cooking too long or too short and getting a nice browning color (like in the frittata). To make this a little healthier, add more veggies to cheese ratio, use lighter cheeses like feta and you can use skim milk (although it won't be quite as fluffy).

Here's the recipe:

First, quarter and toss 2 roma tomatoes in salt, pepper and olive oil. Roast them in the oven at 350F until tender, which is approximately 15 minutes.
While that is roasting, finely dice 1/4 a red onion and sweat in a saute pan until translucent but not browned. (You can achieve this by keeping it on a low heat.)
When the tomatoes are done roasting, skin them (the skin should just peel right off) and scrap out the seeds. Then chop into small pieces. Make sure you let the tomato and red onion cool before adding to the egg mixture below.

Egg mixture:
2 eggs, 1 oz milk, fresh basil leaves chopped, 1 1/2 tbsp parmesan grated, 1 oz crumbled goat cheese, and salt and pepper. Beat this mix until eggs are a little foamy.

Turn oven to 400F and spray 6 ramekins and heat in oven for 5 minutes to get nice and hot.

Mix the tomatoes and red onion with the egg mixture and taste the seasoning, since you won't have a chance to season after!

Fill the ramekins with the mixture and cook in oven for approximately 15-20 minutes. You'll know they are done when there's a nice golden brown color on top, they puff up and if you touch the top no more liquid comes out.

Flip out of the ramekins and serve with a green salad, crispy tomato skins, bacon or whatever else you desire!

Mashed Pumpkin Potatoes

With Halloween swiftly approaching, and the abundance of pumpkin patches and pumpkin festivals going on, I thought I'd try my hand at a pumpkin too. While I normally buy pumpkins for their seeds and then to carve, this year I carved the inside instead.
Scooping out the seeds first (and then baking them yum), I then scooped out the majority of the inside of the pumpkin. Trying to decide what to make with this, considering it is most commonly used for pumpkin pie and I am not very good at baking, I decided to go with something savory. I did a little research on the internet trying to find some good recipes but most of the stuff that came up was all about deserts or breads. Finally I found something I wanted, Mashed Pumpkin Potatoes.

Here's the recipe from Recipe Zaar that I based my version on.
(I only used one potato, and I used cheese instead of bacon and onions, so feel free to find your own variation).Oh, and this leaves out seasonings, but don't forget that. Nutmeg and cinnamon will go well with this savory dish and always top with salt and pepper!

 

Ingredients

• 2 cups potatoes, cut into 1 inch cubes
• 2 cups pumpkin, cut into 1 inch cubes
• 1/2 medium onion, small dice
• 2 slices Canadian bacon, small dice
• cooking spray
• 2-4 tablespoons evaporated skim milk
• 1-2 tablespoon butter (optional)

Directions

1. In a large sauce pan cover potatoes and pumpkin with water. Bring to boil and simmer until potatoes are tender, 6-10 minutes.
2. While potato/pumpkins are cooking. Sauté onions and Canadian bacon in a non-stick pan prepared with a bit of cooking spray about 3-4 minutes. Onions should should be tender and golden. If the pan gets dry while cooking, sprinkle a bit of water into the pan.
3. Drain potatoes and pumpkin and return to pan. Lower heat to the lowest flame possible. Mash by with a potato masher, mixer or immersion blender. Add milk and butter to thin a bit and make mash creamier.
4. Mix in the onions & bacon.
   

Red Pepper Coulis

Today in culinary class we made Red Pepper Coulis, which essentially is a red pepper sauce. Unlike the previous sauces i've mentioned, which are laden with fat, butter,  and cream, this sauce is very healthy and basically fat-free. The reason it is called "coulis" is because fruit or vegetable is used as the thickener, instead of roux or butter or eggs. You can make a coulis out of practically any vegetable or any fruit, but red pepper happens to make an excellent sauce. Tonight I paired it with breaded tilapia, roasted vegetables and rice.

Here's the recipe (the amounts should be tailored to how much you like each ingredient and how much you are making overall.)

First, dice 1/4 onion and 1 garlic clove and sweat in a smidge of butter or oil. Sweat means to bring out the flavors and make tender without browning. This is important to maintain color in the sauce.
Then add one diced red pepper and continue to sweat until tender.
De-glaze the pan with a few ounces of white wine and bring to a simmer so the alcohol can evaporate.
When sufficiently simmering, add a cup of chicken stock and bring back up to a simmer. It will take about 15 minutes to get all the flavors melded and the liquid to the proper consistency.
Pour mixture into a blender (make sure to let it rest for a few minutes so its not too hot) and puree until all of the chunks are out of the sauce and it is nice a smoother. If you would prefer a chunkier sauce then puree until the consistency you desire.
Make sure to finish the sauce with salt and pepper and any other seasonings to your own personal preference. I'm a huge fan of cayenne pepper and so I added that plus more garlic and a little fat free-half and half to make it even smoother.
You can use this sauce with any fish or chicken, over vegetables or even if you wish, you could turn it into a soup by adding more chicken stock after pureeing.

Sinfully Delicious Mac n Cheese

So this last week in culinary school, we've been making lots and lots of sauces, most of which are the "mother sauces" that are unseasoned and used as a base to make "small" sauces.
For the most part, these five sauces- veloute, espagnole, bechamel, hollandaise and tomato, are pretty bland, unusual consistencies and as I mentioned are unseasoned so they haven't been the biggest pleasure to work with.
However, we finally started using these base sauces to make "small" sauces and all the work finally paid off. We've made Allemande and Supreme sauce from the veloute (which I used for creamed spinach and chicken pot pie respectively.) From the espagnole, we made Chasseur and Bordelaise sauces (which I used for pork tenderloin and steak respectively.)
From the hollandaise, which is the only one seasoned and can be served as is, we made Bearnaise and Choron and used all three for asparagus and scallops.
The tomato we turned into Creole sauce and Spanish sauce, which we paired both with pasta and used the base tomato sauce for lasagna. And last but not least, we turned the Bechamel into a Mornay sauce, which is essentially code for CHEESE sauce!

This cheese sauce we then used to make Mac n Cheese and Asparagus Au Gratin. Here is the recipe for the Mac n Cheese, which is sinfully delicious, cheesy and oh so rich! First you must start off by making the Bechamel sauce, which only consists of 3 ingredients. Start off by making the white roux, which is clarified butter and flour cooked just enough to cook out the starch but still leave the mixture white. Constantly whisk while you are cooking it so it doesn't burn or color.

You'll need 1 part roux to 8 parts liquid. So for 1 quart of milk, you'll need 2 oz of clarified butter mixed with 2 oz flour. After the roux is to the correct consistency, slowly add the 1 quart of whole milk, constantly whisking as you incorporate. Do not let the sauce burn, so keep it on a low heat. Once it is lump free, let it simmer for 30 minutes at a low temperature and you will see it thicken ALOT.
To finish up the sauce, add 4 oz of grated gruyere with 2 oz parmesan (and I would add 2 oz fontina as well) with a little scalded cream and season with salt and white pepper and a pinch of nutmeg. The sauce should be thick, but still runny enough that it will coat the pasta. If it is too thick, you can add a little more cream or a little more milk.
Cook up your favorite kind of noodles, I would use elbow, rigatoni, penne or something of the sort. Put in a casserole dish and ladle the sauce over the noodles so they are fully coated. Top with a liitle more parmesan cheese, bread crumbs and a little butter (this will help brown the bread crumbs.)
Put in oven at 375 for approx 10 minutes and voila! Enjoy!
To make this even more luxurious, add pan fried pancetta and a tsp of truffle oil to cheese sauce before joining with noodles.

HEALTHY ALTERNATIVES:

So I realized that this was by no means a healthy meal and I decided to add some healthier alternatives when making this dish, but still keeping it yummy.
1. Instead of using Whole milk, use Fat Free Milk or Fat Free Half and Half. This will make the sauce a little bit thinner but it will still be smooth and creamy.
2. Use whole-wheat pasta.
3. Use less cheese and add fat free cream cheese to keep the consistency the same.
4. Add vegetables- onions and peas go well. Top with fresh tomatoes.

Impact Move- Jumping Jacks

I've decided to start highlighting specific plyometric or strength training moves that I think really carry a punch. My first and one of my absolute favorites is Jumping Jacks. They are perfect for warm-up to really get your heart pumping.
They also make a great cardio move and are perfect to incorporate in circuit-training. (See my 25-Minute Workout). On top of that, they are a wonderful strength-training exercise. They work your shoulders, back, thighs and calves. As well as your entire core.
This move is exceptionally impactful because the combination of cardio burst with strength training helps to boost your metabolism, tone muscles and essentially help burn more fat. Also, they help to improve your overall agility. And let's not forget, they are fun!
So, incorporate jumping jacks at any time during the day, whether its when you get up, as a part of your work-out routine or on a break at work, and you'll start to really start to see an impact!

Why be "healthy?"

Everyone knows that they are supposed to be "healthy," and that it is "good for them." But what exactly does this mean? What does it mean to be healthy? And why does it matter?

Healthy can be defined as "having or indicating good health in body or mind; free from infirmity or disease." How do we achieve this? "Overall health is achieved through a combination of physical, mental, emotional, and social well-being, which, together is commonly referred to as the Health Triangle."

Basically, just eating vegetables and fruit and taking your vitamins alone does not make one healthy. That is why it is most commonly referred to as "maintaining a healthy lifestyle." This includes getting daily physical activity, all the nutrients your body needs and eating a balanced diet, a good nights' sleep, living in a (fairly) stress-free environment, having meaningful social relationships, and mental and emotional outlets to both challenge your mind and express yourself.

Here are some benefits of living a healthy lifestyle:
1. Being active and maintaining an exercise regimen keeps your body stronger which lowers your risk of injuries and chronic pain as you older.  Strength training keeps our bones strong, which helps prevent osteoporosis and arthritis, while stretching keeps your body flexible and limber, preventing sprains and muscle damage.

2.  Avoid disease and illness and in turn lower your medical bills- this gets extremely important as we get older. The better you take care of your body and yourself now, the less you'll have to do when you get older. Studies show that regular exercise and a healthy diet can help reduce free radicals as well as promote the release of toxins associated with disease and infections. It also helps prevent hypertension (high blood pressure), promote healthy cholesterol levels, reduce the risk of diabetes, and keep your heart in shape.

3. Live Longer- There is a huge body of evidence suggesting that healthy living, including staying on top of health screenings and physicians visits can keep you living healthy and living longer.

4. More energy- working out and eating a balanced diet will actually give you more energy to accomplish all the things you want to get done in a day, which in turn will keep you less stressed overall and give you time to take care of your own mental and emotional health too.

5. Better mental health- exercising and being stress-free while also maintaining good social relationships helps significantly reduce the occurrence of depression and other mental illnesses.

6. Prevent obesity- by keeping in good physical shape, you can pretty much eliminate your chance of becoming obese and everyone hopefully knows that being obese is by far the worst thing you can do to your body. It increases your chances of a heart attack, stroke, chronic illness and getting many other diseases.

7. You'll look better- your clothes will fit better, you'll be able to do more and hello, doesnt everyone like feeling attractive?

8. You'll feel great- the better you feel on a daily basis the more you'll continue to live a healthy lifestyle and the healthier you'll become, thus starting a wonderful cycle to live a long, happy, illness-free , healthy life!

These are just a few of the many many reasons to be healthy, but these should definitely be enough to convince you that being healthy, while it takes a lot of work, is by far the best thing you can do for yourself. Any you will be the person who reaps all the rewards!

Boot camp... Attention!

First of all, sorry for the lack of blogging, this week in culinary school has been very hectic and since we're just learning the basics, they aren't exactly super exciting blog topics. (However, if anyone is interested in "knife cuts" and making stocks let me know.)

So, after a weekend of eating way too many yummy foods (hotdogs, chips, bagels and pad thai yum!) and workout days off, I decided I needed to get my butt kicked. Whenever I need a super workout, I will always turn to Boot Camp. Anyone who has ever attended a bootcamp or done a bootcamp video you know that while it is torture, it really does guarantee results.

Generally, "Boot camp exercise classes vary in style, depending on the teacher. But you can generally expect to meet outside, rain or shine. (Unless you're doing a video.) You'll probably spend an hour doing some form of cardiovascular exercise (running, hiking, interval training, or obstacle course challenges), along with strength elements (using dumbbells, exercise bands, or the resistance of your own body weight). You'll also work on flexibility in a stretch portion of the class, which may incorporate elements of yoga or Pilates."

Boot camp challenges your physical strength, endurance, and mental fitness. They are often based on the military style of training. Activities include jogging, sprinting, plyometrics, push-ups, pull-ups, squats, lunges, suspension training and a variety of other calisthenic exercises.
Most gyms, YMCA's, and personal trainers have their own boot camp regiments that generally start very early in the morning, but the benefit of these programs (besides the rigorous fitness regime) are the social benefits of camaraderie and team effort.

I, personally prefer working out at home and my favorite boot-camp regime comes from The FIRM bootcamp Maximum Calorie Burn. It is about an hour long and broken up into a warm-up, alternating 3 sets of plyometrics and weight training and 3 sets up high-intensity cardio, and ends with a cool down ab session. This is very intense but you feel great afterwards. Anyone who wants to kick up their work-out regimes a notch, I would suggest picking up boot-camp! Just prepare to work your butt off!

Top Foods to eat EVERYDAY

Everyone knows that they should eat "healthy" foods to be healthy and that generally means fruits and vegetables. But what else makes a healthy diet? And how do you know you are eating the right foods? If you are trying to change diets, making such a drastic change can be very hard and can ultimately lead to binging. So, I did some research to find out what are the "best foods to eat everyday."  I have taken these from different sites, some were more specific but I think having a general idea of what to incorporate in your diet was better, so i've grouped them. I would have to say I definitely incorporate many of these everyday, and i'm working on the others!

Green leafy vegetables/ Spinach: Spinach is a rich source of plant-based omega-3s and folate. It will help me reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke and osteoporosis. The goal is to eat one cup of fresh spinach or a half cup of cooked spinach a day. This isn’t as hard as it seems. You can throw a few fresh spinach leaves on top of a salad or pizza, or add it as an ingredient to your morning omelette.

I absolutely love spinach salads- goes perfectly with many of the other foods you should be eating for example: spinach with walnuts, blueberries, cherry tomatoes (a little blue cheese) and a balsamic viniagrette with garlic, olive oil, cayenne pepper and cinnamon (yes it tastes good in dressings!) Add this as a side salad or make it large for lunch.

Low fat dairy products- Yogurt and/ or cottage cheese: Yogurt boosts your immune system by providing tons of beneficial bacteria. Yogurt also helps to protect your system from cancer and cavities. Cottage cheese is one of the best protein sources you can have in your diet.
The protein in cottage cheese is casein.  Casein has the advantage of being the slowest digested protein. Digesting slowly carries advantages for all fitness goals with the exception of getting extremely fat.

I eat both yogurt and cottage cheese basically everyday. As I've established previously I am a huge DAIRY fan and while many of the dairy products I love are super high in fat, that is why they are consumed in small amounts. Low fat dairy products, such as fat free yogurt, 2% cottage cheese and skim milk are a part of my daily routine and they are so good for you. I don't eat a lot of meat, so I get protein I need and lots of calcium, which is so important, especially for women! Yogurt parfaits with berries, and oat granola is a great way to combine your everyday ingredients. To make it a little bit sweet, add a dollop of fat free whip cream on top! 

Red Tomatoes: These powerhouses are packed with lycopene which is a terrific antioxidant. The equivalent of 8 cherry red tomatoes or one glass of tomato juice a day can reduce the risk of several different cancers as well as coronary artery disease!

Who doesn't love tomatoes? if you dont, start now. They are so easy to incorporate in any kind of meal, whether in your omelette for breakfast; salad or sandwich for lunch, or in your whole-wheat pasta for dinner. No excuses on this one!

Oats: Oats, like you find in oatmeal, have soluble fiber which reduces the risk of heart disease. Soluble fiber also helps to lower cholesterol which is something I need to do. I will limit my intake to about a half a cup a day because oats are loaded with carbs which convert to sugar. Also, whole grains in generally. Something qualifies as whole grain if it says whole grain as the first ingredient- make sure to check for that!

Yes, I know this one is hard to get used to but white flour starches are just so bad for you that really changing is the only way. I'm still working on it too.... 



Apples: Apples provide a nutrient dense snack which is full of vitamins, minerals, fiber, antioxidants and water.  There are many varieties, with different flavors and best of all you can get apples year round, world wide for very cheap. They are so important for your diet and can really help with losing weight. If you don't believe me, do some research, there are tons of studies on it!

Eggs make the list because they are nutritious, versatile, economical, and a great way to fill up on quality protein. "Studies show if you eat eggs at breakfast, you may eat fewer calories during the day and lose weight without significantly affecting cholesterol levels," says Elizabeth Ward, MS, RD, author of The Pocket Idiot's Guide to the New Food Pyramids. Eggs also contain 12 vitamins and minerals, including choline, which is good for brain development and memory. Enjoy them at any meal or hard-cooked as a portable snack.

I eat an egg everyday, I can't live without them. 

Nuts esp walnuts and almonds: their protein, heart-healthy fats, high fiber, and antioxidant content earn them a place on the top 10 list. The key to enjoying nuts, experts say, is portion control.While they are so good for you, they are very high in fat (good fats) and high in calories. So use them sparingly. As I mentioned before, adding a handful to a large salad is a great way to incorporate them.

Beans esp. black beans: Beans are loaded with insoluble fiber, which helps lower cholesterol, as well as soluble fiber, which fills you up and helps rid your body of waste. They're also a good, low-fat source of protein, carbohydrates, magnesium, and potassium. Bauer favors edamame (whole soybeans) because they also contain heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Beans can easily substitute for meat or poultry as the centerpiece of a meal, says Bauer, but they also work as a side dish, or tossed into soups, stews, or egg dishes. The U.S. Dietary Guidelines recommend 3 cups weekly.

Berries esp. blueberries: pack an incredible amount of nutritional goodness into a small package. They're loaded with antioxidants, phytonutrients, low in calories, and high in water and fiber to help control blood sugar and keep you full longer. And their flavors satisfy sweets cravings for a fraction of the calories in baked goods. Blueberries lead the pack because they are among the best source of antioxidants and are widely available. Cranberries are also widely available fresh, frozen, or dried. All can add flavor and nutrition to numerous dishes, from salads and cereals to baked goods and yogurt.

Oranges. Orange juice is good. It contains antioxidants such as beta-carotene and vitamin C and flavonoids and carotenoids, which are good in preventing cancer

Extra nods:
Cinnamon: May help control blood sugar and cholesterol.
How to eat it: Sprinkle on coffee or oatmeal.

Cayenne Pepper-Also known as Red Pepper, it decreases appetite and protein and fat intake in adults

Olive Oil- It is rich in mono unsaturated oils, which have a lot of health benefits. Virgin olive oil is good to burn fat. It keeps the cholesterol levels low

Garlic- It is a natural diuretic, which contains mustard oils, which cleanse the body system. They cause Peristalsis, muscular contraction, which helps in burning fat

I put garlic and cayenne in EVERYTHING i eat and I do mean that! Can't live without them and turns out that's a good thing.

Side note: I know I didn't mention meat, but that's because as Americans we tend to overeat on meat as it is. However, just a reminder, choose lean meats like chicken more often, eat red meat sparingly and try to eat fish at least 3 times a week. The omega-3s are essential and good for your brain too! 

So, even if you can't get ALL of these in, do your best to start incorporating them into your diet. You'll feel better and be surprised at how good they really are!

Culinary Uniform

As embarrassing as this picture is, I thought I'd share what will now be my daily attire. This uniform is very important in the culinary world and not only shows your place in the hierarchy but also is very useful.

Starting from the bottom up, we must wear black, non-slip soles, with polish-able leather uppers. The non-slip is obviously so you do not slip on wet or oily spills on the floor and the polish-able leather uppers are for easy cleaning and to protect your feet from falling knives or other equipment.

Next, the checkered (uni-sex) pants are one of three kinds you can wear. Checkered black and white, striped black and white or plain black. These colors and pattens are chosen because they are much better at hiding any spills or dirt that gets on them.

This 4-way apron is an essential item and as per its name can be worn four different ways, once again so that you can hide the spills or dirt and so that it stays clean for wiping hands etc.

The chefs jacket is the most easily identifiable symbol of a culinary professional and is double breasted, so once again if you spill you can just switch the sides (by changing buttons) and you will look clean and presentable once more.

The neckerchief (which I deem the worst part of this outfit, besides the hat) is for two purposes. 1. to catch any perspiration from the head and neck and 2. the color denotes your place in the hierarchy. Green is for us students, while white is for the Chef instructors.

Lastly, the hat. This is the culinary hat, the bakers use the floppy ones. Hats used to be used to denote hierarchy as well, the taller the hat, the higher up on the ranks. However, that practice is not used at my school and thus we all wear the tall hats. They are obviously to keep hair out of food.

Notes: if you have a beard you must wear a beard guard, there is no jewelry allowed on hands or wrists (except a plain wedding-band), and you cannot wear any nail-polish or fake nails.

Oh and yes, this is an XS!!

Raw Milk Converter

My very first day of culinary school we listened to a guest speaker from Organic Pastures who produces Raw Milk and Raw milk products. It was fairly ironic because we had just learned about the dangers of purchasing unpasteurized milk or milk products in our sanitation and safety classes.
After listening to the guest speaker, I would have to say that I was not entirely convinced to switch but definitely enough to try it out for myself. The next day I went to Whole Foods Market and bought a half gallon of Raw Skim Milk from organic pastures and have been drinking a cup of it everyday. I would have to say that I am officially converting to raw milk. The taste is kind of hard to get used to, but I love it!

Here is some information about raw milk vs. pasteurized milk: 

www.organicpastures.com 
Raw Milk is alive with fully active enzymes, a broad spectrum of naturally occurring beneficial bacteria, all 22 essential amino acids, 18 good fatty acids, metabolically available vitamins, immunoglobulins, minerals, antioxidants, and CLA.

The milk is never damaged or changed by pasteurization, homogenization, or other processing. Our RawUSA-certified cows graze, on organic pasture land, and never fed GMO's of any kind. A disease free life: a life with optimal health starts with a strong immune system - and raw milk is the finest immune system support food available.

(Essentially, raw milk is just like breast milk.) 

Compare Raw Milk vs. Pasteurized Milk  

Here is a study about raw milk that has just been completed by Dr. Amanda Rose in California. 

What really convinced me to try it was finding out about the history of milk and milk pasteurization. The reasons behind pasteurization had to do with the diseases that were being passed to cows, such as typhoid from contaminated water, which was in turn contaminating the cows and the milk. Pasteurization is just boiling the milk to temperatures that are so high that it kills off any pathogens as well as most of the nutrients and vitamins that are naturally good for you. As long as the milk is handled properly (ie. at the proper temperatures) there is a very small risk of getting ill from it.

I say give it a try! You'll love it.

A couple of side notes: Raw milk and raw milk products are about doubly as expensive than pasteurized milk and milk products, and raw milk can not be legally sold in many states. You can, however, purchase it online from Organic Pastures and they will ship it to you.