Cooking Up Health With PCOS

Good Carbs

noreply@blogger.com (Sophia Englar) — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 01:04:00 +0000

I am learning not to fear healthy carbs! The foods shown in the photo above will not make you fat. Sure they have some carbs in them but the are also full of healthy vitamins and fiber. Those shown had just been brought in from my back garden. I sliced them up and added them to my salad for lunch. They were organic and delicious! If you do not have your own garden you can often find at this time of year locally grown veggies at your grocery store.

I'm Back!

noreply@blogger.com (Sophia Englar) — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 14:07:00 +0000

My friends I am back. I had a hysteroscopy a few weeks ago and went through a time of discouragement. My doctor did not find a forbid in my uterus which was good news but he wants me to start taking birth control, Metformin and Phentermine! Since my partial molar pregnancy this past winter I have not had a regular period. He feels the birth control would help with this. I told him that my PCOS was treated with birth control when I was 18 and in four months I gained 50 pounds! This is why he suggested Phentermine, so I would not be afraid of gaining weight but would be sure to lose ten pounds! I am so tempted to take the weight loss pill but I can not do that to my body. I know I can maintain my weight with healthy living. And I believe I can restore a regular cycle with healthy living as well. So I am back to share with you my journey to fertility. :)

The past few weeks I have been playing around with different diet plans. As you can see from old posts I experimented with raw food for a week and after that a higher protein diet. As much as the high protein healthy fats diet makes sense I see more weight lose with a lower protein diet. Right now I am eating mostly raw veggies and fruit with olive oil for my healthy fat and a little cooked animal protein. I am holding around 140 to 145 with this way of eating and maintaining sufficient energy. As much as I would love to get down to 130, right now I would like even more to get pregnant and losing vanity pounds wont help with that. I plan to maintain and support ovulation with my diet exercise.

Rosedale Diet Day 1

noreply@blogger.com (Sophia Englar) — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 01:12:00 +0000

I was very hungry today probably because of the carbs I treated myself to on my birthday yesterday. However my dinner time I all I wanted was a celery stick with some almond butter. I believe all the healthy fats I consumed during the day satisfied my hunger well.

B: Two eggs and one oz of walnuts

L: A big salad with peppers, mushrooms, snow pea pods, pecans, and avocado with olive oil dressing.

Two slices of turkey meat.

S: 3 oz of smoked salmon

Almond butter on a celery stick

D: Almond butter on a celery stick.

Fat: 113 grams Carbs: 45 grams Protein: 62 grams Calories: 1386

Just as with the raw food diet I am eating too many nuts again. I want to keep them down to no more than 3 oz a day. Also it feels a little scary that I ate113 grams of fat today! If I keep the nuts down that should help keep the fat and calories down. I know Rosedale says there is no need to count calories or fat but I believe I still will. For someone who was eating lots of junk and than goes on this diet, sure they are going to lose weight. But I was already eating low calorie so adding lots of fat to my diet I feel could reslut in weight gain.

Back to Blogging

noreply@blogger.com (Sophia Englar) — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 21:32:00 +0000

I am home from the hospital. Just had a look inside my uterus. Before today I and my family were at the beach for a few days. But now I am ready to get back to my blog and working on my health, keeping up the good fight with PCOS.

I did finish my week of raw food. It was a nice treat to eat more fruit. However at the end of the week my cravings were up and I had not lost any weight. I did a lot of reading online, prose and cones of the raw food diet. I walked away from this experiment with resolved to add more raw food to my diet. However in order to consume adequate protein I will be eating a small amount of organic poultry and fish. I will keep fruit to a minimum since it seemed to increase my cravings. But I will still eat a little fruit during the week for the nutrients they contain.

This week I will be giving The Rosedale diet a try. The theory behind this diet is controlling the hormone Leptin. Leptin is a hormone made by body fat that controls hunger levels and fat storage or release. For the first three weeks one consumes only: fibrous veggies, nuts, fish, organic poultry, avocado and olive oil. No grains, fruit, dairy, starchy veggies or meats high in saturated fat are aloud. Often when one follows a low carbohydrate diet they are encouraged to supplement those calories with protein. Dr. Rosedale says no. Excess protein is turned into glucose. Also excess protein can be toxic to ones system. So where do the majority of ones calories come from? "Healthy fats" as Rosedale calls them. The fats from fish, nuts and olive oil. There is no calorie or carb counting on this diet. Dr. Rosedale does ask that one keeps their protein below 75 to 60 grams a day. This diet sounds very close to how I eat already. I am exited to give his theory a try this week. He has a stage one and two. In the first three weeks one is supposed to be changing their body from sugar burning to fat burning. This helps in regulating the correct Leptin levels. I am not sure what I think of the Science behind this diet. A diet where one can never again eat sweet potatoes or pumpkin or more than I tiny bit of fruit seems over restrictive. These foods have an abundance of healthy nutrients. I feel that a moderate version of this diet idea would be a good one that I could stay with for the long term. It makes more sense to me than the Atkins diet where one consumes unrestricted protein and fat and very little fiber or even veggies especially in the beginning.

Day 3 with raw food

noreply@blogger.com (Sophia Englar) — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 10:02:00 +0000

Yesterday was another successful raw day. I managed to eat less nuts. I made up for it by eating more fruit. I am nervous about eating too much fruit because of the sugar. This is why I don't think the "raw" food diet would work well for me. I either eat high sugar from more fruit or high fat from more nuts.

My digestion has been a little shaky. My body is trying to proses all this raw food and finding it a challenge. Yesterday I felt my stomach rumbling throughout the day. I have not had horrible cramps so I am not too concerned. It is good for my stomach to learn to digest more raw food.

I did look into protein yesterday. The raw food camp waved off any concern with protein levels being insufficient on a raw diet. They claim that when meat is cooked it destroys half the protein content so we are all eating less protein than we think anyway. I looked further into "raw food myths" and founds some great sights put up by ex %100 percent raw foodists. They went into detail about their experiences doing this diet long term. It seems a short term raw food diet has many health benefits. Long term it is too restrictive for health maintenance.

This weekend I am going to the beach with my husband and son so I will end my raw experiment tomorrow.

Strawberries, fresh, 8 medium (1-1/4" dia)	29	7	0	1
Banana, fresh, 1 medium (7" to 7-7/8" long)	109	28	1	1
Kiwi Fruit, 1 fruit without skin, medium	46	11	0	1
Spinach, fresh, 1 cup	7	1	0	1
Almond Breeze Almond Milk, Unsweetened Vanilla, 4 oz	20	1	2	1


Carrots, raw, 1 medium	25	6	0	1
Celery, raw, 1 stalk, medium (7-1/2" - 8" long)	6	1	0	0
Mushrooms, fresh, 1 cup, pieces or slices	15	2	0	2
Red Ripe Tomatoes, 1 Italian tomato	13	3	0	1
Strawberries, fresh, 4 medium (1-1/4" dia)	14	3	0	0
Sweet Cherries, 1 cup, with pits, yields	74	19	0	1
Olive Oil, 1 tbsp	119	0	14	0
Coconut, raw, 1 piece (2" x 2" x 1/2")	159	7	15	1
Peppers, sweet, red, fresh, 0.5 medium (approx 2-3/4" long, 2-1/2" dia)	16	4	0	1

Walnuts, 1 oz (14 halves)	189	4	19	4
Iceberg Lettuce (salad), 1 cup, shredded or chopped	8	2	0	0
Sesame Seeds, 2 tbsp	103	4	9	3

DIN

			CALORIES	CARBS	FAT	PROTEIN
			1,034	124	61	19

How I am feeling so far.

noreply@blogger.com (Sophia Englar) — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 11:03:00 +0000

I have been on a raw food diet four days. How am I feeling? Not great so far. I have been tired and extra sleepy. I was at the tail end of a cold when I started eating raw so it hard to tell weather my symptoms are stemming from that or my diet.

This morning when I got up from bed I felt dizzy and lightheaded. Am I detoxing? It can't be I'm not getting enough calories. I have been eating more than I normally do.

Even with this overall tired feeling I did have the energy to run well yesterday.

I am interested to see how I feel in a few days.

noreply@blogger.com (Sophia Englar) — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 00:30:00 +0000

My energy levels seemed more steady throughout the day today. I had cravings for more almonds

after I ate lunch. Held off for a while but ended up going back to the nut jar. :) I ate too many nuts again today. I think my body is craving something more calorie dense than the raw fruits and veggies I have been eating. Nuts give me a stomach ache so I need to try harder to keep them down to only a oz or two a day. I poured the rest of the almond jar out for the squirrels to eat! hehe I kept the walnuts and will try to have about an oz or two a day for the omega 3 oils. (Almonds do not have omega 3 oil)

Now that my cold is finally better I went for a run this evening.( 2.5 miles in 27 minutes.) I'm happy with that for now.

I need to do more research on how many grams a day of protein is recommended. Eating raw I have not been able to get my protein above 25 grams a day.The raw food diet may work better for me long term if I substitute eggs, organic poultry and wild fish for protein.

Breakfast

Kiwi Fruit, 1 fruit without skin, medium	46	11	0	1
Raspberries, 0.5 cup	30	7	0	1
Strawberries, fresh, 6 small (1" dia)	13	3	0	0
Kale, 1 cup, chopped	36	7	1	2
Almond Breeze Almond Milk, Unsweetened Vanilla, 4 oz	20	1	2	1

Lunch

Strawberries, fresh, 3 medium (1-1/4" dia)	11	3	0	0
Apples, fresh, 0.5 medium (2-3/4" dia) (approx 3 per lb)	41	11	0	0
Raspberries, 0.25 cup	15	4	0	0
Red Ripe Tomatoes, 2 Italian tomato	26	6	0	1
Carrots, raw, 1 medium	25	6	0	1
Celery, raw, 1 stalk, medium (7-1/2" - 8" long)	6	1	0	0
Mushrooms, fresh, 1 cup, pieces or slices	15	2	0	2
Romaine Lettuce (salad), 4 cup, shredded	31	5	0	4
Zucchini, 1 cup, sliced	29	7	0	1
Green Peppers (bell peppers), 0.5 cup, strips	19	5	0	1
Avocados, California (Haas), 1 fruit without skin and seeds	289	15	27	3
Olive Oil, 1 tbsp	119	0	14	0
Walnuts, 1 oz (14 halves)	189	4	19	4

DINNER

Walnuts, 1 oz (14 halves)

189

Day 1 of raw food challenge

noreply@blogger.com (Sophia Englar) — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 00:36:00 +0000

Today's raw food diet started off well. I did not crave anything cooked and the raw fruit and veggies were delicious. I find I crave almonds throughout the day. It is hard for me to eat only one oz as recommended. They are high in fat and calories so I need to be careful with them.

The first half of the day I felt wonderful but around three in the afternoon I suddenly felt very sleepy. It just hit me like I needed to go to sleep now. I have felt tired the rest of the day. I am getting over a cold so I don't know if my body is still fighting it off. Maybe I am starting to detox already? We will see what happens tomorrow.

I have been using SparkPeople to recored my daily food intake. It was easier to cut and paste what I ate today rather than type it all out again.

I kept carbs just under 100. Fat is a little high but I have to get my calories from somewhere and I if I am keeping my carbs under 100 it has to come from fat because it is not coming from protein on a raw food diet.

Apples, fresh, 0.5 medium (2-3/4" dia) (approx 3 per lb)	41	11	0
Carrots, raw, 2 medium	50	12	1
Grapefruit, 1 fruit (3-3/4" dia)	74	18	1
Strawberries, fresh, 6 medium (1-1/4" dia)	22	5	0
Celery, raw, 1 stalk, medium (7-1/2" - 8" long)	6	1	0
Strawberries, fresh, 3 small (1" dia)	6	1	0

BREAKFAST TOTALS:

199

Romaine Lettuce (salad), 4 cup, shredded	31	5	0	4
Cabbage, fresh, 0.5 cup, chopped	11	2	0	1
Zucchini, 1 cup, sliced	29	7	0	1
Celery, raw, 1 stalk, medium (7-1/2" - 8" long)	6	1	0	0
Olive Oil, 1 tbsp	119	0	14	0
Strawberries, fresh, 4 medium (1-1/4" dia)	14	3	0	0
Oranges, 1 small (2-3/8" dia)	45	11	0	1
Almonds, 1 oz (24 whole kernels)	164	6	14	6
Walnuts, 1 oz (14 halves)	189	4	19	4

LUNCH TOTALS:

609

Walnuts, 1 oz (14 halves)

189

DINNER TOTALS:

189

			CALORIES	CARBS	FAT	PROTEIN
			997	93	68	25

Small Change Challenge

noreply@blogger.com (Sophia Englar) — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 10:20:00 +0000

After looking into the truth about MSG last week it lead me toward some study on the raw food diet. I feel many of the health benefits experienced by raw foodist may not be because the food they eat is raw but because of the cooked processed food they do not eat. Take those same raw fruits and veggies and lightly steam or sauté them on your own stove and I think you will still obtain nutritional benefit. Science proves vegetables contain certain nutrients that are unlocked for absorption by our bodies when lightly cooked. That being said I do agree that we should be eating more raw food than we do and I'm interested in learning more about the raw food diet. In fact I experimented with it this weekend and felt great! I ate more carbs than normal: strawberries, apples, oranges, grapefruit, carrots! I expected a weight gain from these treats. To my surprises I lost a pound! The raw food diet is also a great way to detox for a few days. A break from animal protein gives the kidneys a chance to rest and helps level the bodies PH. This brings me to our Small Change Challenge. Eat one raw fruit and at least one or two cups of raw vegetable each day this week. That is the small change. I am going to take it a step further and try to follow the raw food diet for one week. I want to experiment with how I feel and a little detox would be nice as well. This is not going to be a small change. Even for one week it will be a huge change. I am going to post daily what I eat and how I feel. A big plus to this diet will be avoiding MSG, Aspartame, dairy, grains and saturated fat without having to think about it.
Grow fast little tomato. I need to eat you this week!

Checking the Challenge

noreply@blogger.com (Sophia Englar) — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 01:21:00 +0000

This weeks challenge of eliminating MSG from my diet went very well. I was nervous at first to give up the Hidden Valley Ranch salad dressing and Fiber One cereal I love so much. Surprisingly I did not miss them like I thought I would. Cutting out the MSG and Aspartame helped curb my hunger and cravings which was a great side effect! I was a discouraged at first when I realized how many foods contain MSG but upon closer inspection foods that are laced with MSG are not healthy for you anyway. By not eating MSG I naturally eliminate most processed foods from my diet. We aught to be eating more whole fresh foods anyway right?! :) This is a small change that I will defiantly continue and over time it certainty will make a difference.

Sweet Potato Fries

noreply@blogger.com (Sophia Englar) — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 20:42:00 +0000

The sweet potato is filled with more nutrients than the white potato and it's high fiber content has a lower glycemic load. My husband and son do not like sweet potatoes but will eat sweet potato fries. I have bought them in the frozen section of the grocery store before but decided to try and make my own. They were a big hit and so easy to make!

Ingredients:

Two or three medium sweet potatoes

olive oil

salt and pepper

any other seasoning you enjoy

Preheat oven to about 425

Peel the potatoes and cut into fries sized strips. ( Sweet potatoes are hard to cut so use a good sharp knife.)

Put the potatoes in a large bowl or a plastic bag. Drizzle with about a tablespoon of oil and sprinkle with seasoning. Mix until all the pieces are covered.

Spread one layer think on a baking sheet and cook for about 20 minutes or until the fries look well toasted.

Homemade sweet potato fries will not be very crispy but they are still delicious. :)

A Closer Look

noreply@blogger.com (Sophia Englar) — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 21:23:00 +0000

See the beautiful rolling fields on this package? The strong healthy "green" man standing tall beside the delicious looking broccoli and cheese? There are only 60 calories a serving and it is low in fat. Sounds great for someone on a diet don't you think? I thought so. But wait...now lets look at the back of the package.

What is all this? Shouldn't is say broccoli and cheddar cheese? That would be two ingredients.

Did all this stuff grow in those beautiful, green rolling fields we saw on the front of the package? I don't think so! I checked for MSG before I threw this in the trash and found hydrolyzed corn gluten,autolyzed yeast, and natural and artificial flavoring. All ingredients with MSG in them.

I think it is worth mentioning that there is partiality hydrogenated soybean oil in this as well. So much for a healthy side dish. Who cares if it is only 60 calories a serving. It is 60 calories of junk. Want broccoli? Buy it fresh or even frozen without sauce. Want cheese? Buy fresh organic cheddar and melt a little on top.

A Small Change Challenge.

noreply@blogger.com (Sophia Englar) — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 10:37:00 +0000

Every Monday I would like to suggest a Small Change Challenge. Think of what a big difference one small change a week will make in our health over time.

Last week I posted about MSG. This weekend I did more research into the dangers of this ingredient. Now more strongly than ever I believe it aught to be eliminated from our diet as much as possible.

I encourage you to do some research. Here are a couple links that quickly cover the basics of what you need to know. After taking a look at these sites I think you will be motivated to start this weeks challenge! http://www.greatestherbsonearth.com/articles/msg_obesity.htm

http://truthinlabeling.org/ http://www.msgmyth.com/

Challenge: Go through your kitchen and get rid of anything with MSG. This week we are going to eat MSG free! Be on the look out for hidden MSG. I had to go back through my kitchen and throw away a few more items after realizing that some of my so called MSG free foods still contained MSG! Even foods that claim no added MSG may have this poison lurking in the guise of these other names: Glutamate, anything "hydrolyzed"Textured protein, Yeast extract, Sodium caseinate, Carrageenan, Natural flavoring, Whey protein, Maltodextrin, Malt flavoring, Anything protein fortified, Seasonings, Anything fermented.

Once MSG's exitotoxins which stimulate hunger stop barraging our brains I hope our "diets" will be easier to follow this week.

Here are a few tips to get you on your way to MSG free eating: stay away from anything processed, packaged seasoning mixes, canned soup, fast food, food in a box such as Hamburger Helper and Rise a Roni.

Rather, eat fresh vegetables, fruit, unprocessed fresh meat, and fish. I do not mention grains, beans, soy or dairy in this list because they are high in natural free glutamate which can also not be good for some. If you don't want to go this far consume in moderation.

Overall this way of eating (regardless of MSG) is very healthy for PCOS!

Blessings.

Can't wait for my MSG free zucchini!

Homemade Sushi

noreply@blogger.com (Sophia Englar) — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 15:25:00 +0000

This was my first attempt at making Sushi. I don't have all the right tools but it was fun and turned out well I think. The white sticky rice used in Sushi is carby but if you only have a little and it is balanced with the healthy fat from the avocado and protein from the crab it should be ok.

Cook the white Sushi rice first. Here I used three cups water and one and half cups rice. It took about 25 minutes cook. While that cooled I thinly sliced some carrot, cucumber, avocado and imitation crab meat. (It is best to get your imitation crab from the health food store if you can as it will have less additives.)

I bought the Nori sheets from my local grocery store in the Asian section for about four dollars.

Spread the rice thinly on the Nori. Leave half an inch bare along the long edge.

Lay your veggies and meat along the edge as shown.

Rolling was a little tricky but not as hard as I thought it might be without the little bamboo mat thing your supposed to use.

Wet the sharpest knife you have and slice to desired thickness. I think it looks beautiful.

Packing them away for my husband to take to work for lunch. :)

Small changes make a big difference!

noreply@blogger.com (Sophia Englar) — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 10:34:00 +0000

I received a comment on my recent post about the food I got rid of due to the unhealthy ingredients. At first it was hard to throw away all that food. It felt like throwing money in the garbage! But when I thought about it and talked it over with my husband we agreed that it was not worth a few bucks to put that junk in our bodies. With PCOS we ladies are already fighting against so much to keep our bodies healthy. Every little change adds up to a big difference! As we are learning more about healthful food options and what foods are going to further our health or hinder it, I encourage you to look though your kitchen as well. Get rid of the junk! If we want to get rid of the fat on our bodies we need to get rid of the junk in our kitchens. Don't even have it in the house to tempt you. If the list of ingredients is so long the print has to be invisible just to fit it on the box throw it out! However you may have some "healthy" high carb foods in the house as well. If you are trying to eat low carb you may want to give these to a friend or family member. A few months ago I brought two big bags of "carbs" to my friend's house. They are a family that is blessed with the ability to stay thin with an 80% carb diet. They were happy to take the food! So next time you feel a craving for some "junk" and find yourself raiding the larder as they say, all you will find are healthy foods.
Plant the seed of health and it will grow.

New Salad Dressing!

noreply@blogger.com (Sophia Englar) — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 11:06:00 +0000

I was a little nervous about giving up my big salad with Ranch dressing and Parmesan cheese. I love it so much that it makes giving up more "fattening" lunch options easy. I prepared a homemade dressing with olive oil and apple cider vinegar to which I added some mustard, Italian seasoning, onion and garlic powder and a little Truvia for sweetness. I measured out about 120 calories worth for my salad and...it was fabulous. I think I enjoyed it just as much as the Ranch. I also found that I felt satisfied sooner and with less food. Makes sense since there was no MSG disabling that mechanism. heheh I was so afraid of the olive oil adding extra calories but over all I ate less calories total by the end of the day.

Shopping at BJs

noreply@blogger.com (Sophia Englar) — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 15:37:00 +0000

Here I is what I went to the store and bought today to replace what I threw out! I went to BJs with a trial membership. Although I brought home some good items as you can see, these were the only things in the store that I would ever buy. I left feeling a little depressed. One side of the store was all processed foods. The other side cleaners, chemicals and plastic products.

Giving up MSG

noreply@blogger.com (Sophia Englar) — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 12:17:00 +0000

I made a recent discover while viewing the the documentary, The Beautiful Truth about natural living and healing. After learning of the dangerous and harmful effects of MSG I scoured my refrigerator and cabinets and found to my disappointment that I have been eating MSG without knowing it every day for months. The main source, my light Hidden Vally Ranch Dressing! No wonder I like it so much. Other culprits with naturally occurring free glutamates are the Parmesan cheese I liberal sprinkle over my salad every day and my Fiber One cereal. Natural glutamates are ok in moderation. Certain foods are much higher in them than others and should be eaten in moderation. Visit http://dogtorj.com/?page_id=201 for more information on what to eat and not eat when it comes to glutamates. Fiber One cereal also has aspartame as do my sugar free jell o and gum I treat myself to each day. I thought I was eating healthy! If I inwardly scoff at those who will not give up soda and big macs than I must give up my ranch, gum, jell o and fiber cereal. I'm exited to find healthy alternatives and observe how my body responds to the elimination of these toxic ingredients.

Look what I found in my kitchen with MSG and or Aspartame!

It is all going in the trash.

A Challenge for June

noreply@blogger.com (Sophia Englar) — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 02:12:00 +0000

I used to believe that a "treat" day once a week was a nice idea. However I have found that one treat day turns into more cravings the next day and maybe a crash. Now I have two treat days to overcome. My weight loss is set back by three days at least. If I treated myself on Sunday it is Tuesday before I am back on track. Now I only have a few days left in the week to make progress. I don't want to spend the first half of the week making up for treats on Sunday. Anyone else seen this pattern when they have treat days? My challenge is to have no treat days this month. Rather than treat days I want to think of everything I eat as my treats. A big salad can be a treat. This is my new way of eating! I do not need "treat" days. I also want to be more steadfast in my food journaling. This should help hold me accountable!

Goals for my body this month are to reach 139 pounds, build more muscle and run three miles in half an hour. My food goals are to eat less than 120 grams of carbs each day, about 80 grams of lean protein, fill in the rest of my calories with healthy fats and take my vitamins every day.

This is why I am glad it is June!!

View from my kitchen window this winter.

Memorial Day the Healthy Way

noreply@blogger.com (Sophia Englar) — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 00:51:00 +0000

"Dieters" are constantly looking for excuses to go off their diet plans. I know the feeling! My number one excuse are holidays. "It is a holiday so I deserve some junk food," I tell myself. But is there ever a good reason to put junk inside our bodies? Is that what we deserve? Once those few moments of enjoyable taste and texture are swallowed we have to live with the hours of guilt and other repercussion which can take days to overcome. This is why I am trying to forget about the idea of being on a "diet" that can be broken and rather focus on a lifestyle of healthy habits. Good habits can take a while to form but once they are they can be our best friends. Let us make healthy holidays a habit!

How often do we forget the true reason for the holiday? We become easily distracted with preparing for family get togethers and what food we are going to eat. Let's put "food" on the side lines and more emphasize on the actual reason for the holiday.

Today did I prepare some healthy food for my family but we also tried to focus on the reason for Memorial Day. My husband Andrew installed a flag poll and we flew the stars and strips for the first time since we moved here two years ago this month. His mother came by and we all drove to the veterans cemetery where we paid our respects to the memory of her husband who passed five years ago one June 19th.

Andrew hanging our flag.

Veterans Cemetery.

For holidays such as Memorial Day and the 4th of July we think grill. Juicy steaks and burgers. Bags of chips and ice cold sodas. Let's not even mention the desserts! This year I did not miss these foods. I am learning to enjoy and anticipate healthier options just as much.

Zucchini Turkey Burgers

The zucchini in my Zucchini Turkey Burgers add juicy tenderness to what could otherwise be a rubbery burger because of the lean meat.

Ingredients:

Medium size pack of lean turkey meat

Three medium to small zucchini

I encourage everyone to be creative in their seasoning.

Experiment with different combonations to see what you enjoy. Here is what I used today:

Onion powered

Garlic powder

Basil leaves

Paprika

Dill weed

Fennel Seeds

Italian Seasoning

Grate your zucchini and mix in all your seasoning.

I mixed my turkey meat in with my hands. My son was standing near me in the kitchen on a chair watching mama cook. He said," no, no mama. Messy hand. Wawa." He then turned on the sink and told me wash my hands. :)

Form into patties of whatever size you like. These taste great from the grill, baked in the oven or pan fried.

If you are a BBQ sauce lover try this lower sugar and pretty potent concoction.

Worcestershire sauce

Liquid smoke

mustard( any sort)

A1 sauce

ketchup

vinegar(any sort)

I mixed about one tbsp of each ingredient and put in an empty spice jar.

For dessert I made whole wheat banana bread muffins. These were supposed to be for my husband and son but of course I ended up eating one! Therefor I am not including the recipe. Although a healthy option if you are going to "cheat" muffins are not part of a healthy lifestyle for controlling PCOS symptoms so make at your own risk! hahah

Go ahead. Look at my messy kitchen! Don't worry it is clean now. hehe

Happy Memorial Day!

Zucchini and mushroom scrambled eggs

noreply@blogger.com (Sophia Englar) — Sat, 29 May 2010 15:36:00 +0000

Ingredients:

One small zuchini

three eggs

one cup chopped mushrooms

Grate the zuchini and chop the mushrooms

Mix together with a little seasoning of your choice

Lightly sauté the zucchini and mushrooms until soft and set aside.

Beat your eggs with a little seasoning. I like some salt, pepper, onion and garlic powder and a dash of Italian seasoning.

Add the eggs to the zucchini and mushroom.

Scramble until the egg is well cooked. It may seem a little moist because of the water in the zucchini cooking out.

This is what I ate for breakfast and it was delicious.

Look at the difference in my face!

noreply@blogger.com (Sophia Englar) — Sat, 29 May 2010 11:45:00 +0000

2006

2009

Mexican Stuffed Peppers

noreply@blogger.com (Sophia Englar) — Fri, 28 May 2010 19:13:00 +0000

Mexican Stuffed Peppers The way I make them are low in saturated fat, and carb and high in fiber and healthy protein.

Ingredients:

1 lb lean ground turkey meat

ten minute brown rice

( follow directions for 4 servings of rice)

Three large bell peppers

one packet taco seasoning

Mexican seasoned shredded cheese

your favorite salsa

Cut the tops off your peppers and clean out the seeds. Set your oven at about 400 degrease and precook your peppers until they are a little bit soft. About 15 minutes. Set aside for stuffing soon.

Get your rice started on the stove or microwave so that it is ready to add to the turkey.

Brown the meat over medium heat and follow the directions on the seasoning packet. ( You can always season with your own mix of herbs and spices if you like.)

Add the cooked rice to the meat and mix together well.

Stuff the meat and rice into your bell peppers and top with a sprinkle of cheese.

These only need to bake long enough to finish cooking the peppers and melt the cheese. About another 15 minutes at the most.

Here are the completed stuffed peppers! They are not the most beautiful food in the world presentation wise but when my husband had one for dinner he said it one the best meals he ever had. He does not usually say that so they must be good!

Enjoy!!

Here I am now at about 145.

noreply@blogger.com (Sophia Englar) — Fri, 28 May 2010 16:38:00 +0000

Here I am four years ago at around 170.

noreply@blogger.com (Sophia Englar) — Fri, 28 May 2010 16:03:00 +0000