Going Greek

Does the onset of warm weather have you feeling like him as you think about the crazy diet you need to go on to get beach body ready?! While I'm no miracle worker, I can let you in on a treat that might beat the beach body blues. Hold onto your love handles, because we're going Greek! I would like to introduce a tangy twist to add to your table in the form of Greek yogurt.
   LET'S SEE HOW GREEK YOGURT WEIGHS IN:
Ht: 3"
Wt: 6 0z
Birthday: Who's counting?!
Hometown: Crete Island, Greece
Personal Stats: Compared to traditional yogurt, Greek yogurt is thicker & creamier, higher in protein, & lower in sodium & carbohydrates (fruit versions may provide excess sugar).  The lower carbohydrate content makes it a good choice for those with diabetes.  The dark side?  Greek yogurt goes through the straining process 3 times instead of just 2 (the magic number for regular yogurt) which makes it contain slightly less calcium.  Greek yogurt contains a bit more calories so make sure you choose the non-fat versions to keep your calories & fat intake in check.  Basically, it all boils down to your personal preference as Greek & American yogurts are similar.  Who doesn't love to mix it up a little bit?!

Digestion Suggestions: 

1.  Make sure you stir it up well - it will make for a smoother mouth experience.

2.  Purchase non-fat plain versions & add your faves:  fresh/frozen fruit, nuts, honey, cinnamon, sugar (try to keep it @ 1 teaspoon), etc.

MY PERSONAL 'GO TO'

6 0z non-fat plain Greek yogurt

7 medium strawberries - cut up

1/4 cup blueberries

1/2 tablespoon of chopped pecans

1 tablespoon of dark chocolate chips

Drizzle of honey

Mix & indulge.

Nutrition breakdown: ~300 calories, ~18g protein, & ~6g fiber.  That is one meal that will keep you feeling full, but not weighed down!  Move over Rachel Ray, there's a new chef in town!!

* Calories, protein, & fiber are subject to vary

Brassica Oleracea: A Disregarded Dominant?

      Where do we begin?
Flashback 200 years and you will be able to see broccoli’s start in the United States. Thank goodness she decided her new stomping grounds were going to be in the U.S. because quite frankly she is quite the catch! I confess, I was never a broccoli lover growing up & would basically force myself to add a stalk or two to a salad, but how times have changed. Broccoli has finally got the attention she deserves as a powerhouse vegetable & I'm almost positive she is tickled pink to make it on my personal favorite veggie list. With summer coming up & Memorial Day just around the corner, broccoli's manager has been working over-time booking all the appearances for the coming season's veggie trays.  Lucky for you reader's, the lovely Ms. Broccoli has agreed to set some time aside for an interview.  Sporting a vibrant green ensemble, the star of this blog was sipping on water as she raved about the excellent 50 degree weather in which she thrives. Not wanting to waste her time, we dove right in:

Palate cross-training (PCT): You have been a staple on veggie trays across the nation for years. Tell us what makes you so special, & how you keep that youthful appearance?!
Broccoli: Well, I think people were initially intrigued by my appearance. My woody stem seemed rough & edgy while my flowery top seemed feminine and flirty. I think I've ensured my spot in the veggie tray world by "blending in" so to say.  My subtle flavor mixed well with the big wigs in the dressing department. I don't mind if they over-power my flavor as we work well together & lean on each other for success. I believe I have to thank vitamin C & vitamin A (beta-carotene) since they are the ones who are responsible for helping me look so good.
PCT: Being a member of the cabbage family automatically put pressure on you to
provide phytochemicals to help eliminate carcinogens. Please enlighten us on what we need to do to reap these benefits?
Broccoli: According to Baylor College of Medicine, research is suggesting you consume 2 servings of cruciferous (this includes myself, bok Choy, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, kale, etc.) vegetables a day to cut your risk of certain types of cancers. Getting your daily requirement really isn't that hard.  You just have to pick the right foods to eat while I do all the work!
PCT: What other nutritional benefits can we obtain from you?
Broccoli: Not only do I contain vitamin C , beta-carotene, & potassium, I will also provide you with folic acid, fiber, & calcium! I’ve been so blessed to contain all these wonderful components that you humans would be irrational not to take advantage of me!!
PCT: Wait!? You contain calcium!? I thought that only came from dairy!
Broccoli: A cup of broccoli actually contains the same amount of calcium as a cup of milk! If you happen to be one of those people who decided dairy is 'not so much' your thing, I am another way to show your bones some love!!
PCT: Interesting! Who knew I was in the presence of greatness?!  With genes like that you must hang around some pretty stellar friends. If we run into you out on the town who can we most likely see you hanging around?
Broccoli:  I have been known to have a wide circle of friends, but my BFF’s would have to be Ranch & Thousand Island. I will say a lot of times you may find me smothered with melted cheese. One of my new favorite people to hang out with would have to be hummus!
PCT: I know we are almost out of time, but I do have one last question. How can we make sure we are getting the “cream of the crop” so to speak?!
Broccoli: You want to make sure you choose me when I am dark green or purplish in color. Make sure my stalk is firm and not light in color. For the best quality make sure you refrigerate me in your crisper and use within 3-5 days.
PCT: Thanks so much for your time! It was a pleasure to join your world for a bit.
Broccoli: No problem! Thank you so much for letting me share!!

Inquiring Minds Want To Know:   
Name:  My name actually comes from the Italian word "brocco" meaning branch or arm.
Share a secret:  Use my name in 'Scrabble' & you will score 12 points!
How do you deal with negative press?  Not something I've had to deal with much, but President Bush certainly caused some frenzy when he publicly announced his lack of love for me.  I didn't take it personal though, because clearly he is missing out! Broccoli consumption has increased 940% over the last 25 years &amp an average American will consume 4 1/2 pounds a year.


Disclaimer:  Before you worry about my mental health, please note that I didn't actually speak with the broccoli in my refrigerator J

Sushi Soiree

Fashion trends:  know 'em, love 'em, make 'em your own.  Dining out trends: I'm sorry, do you mean to tell me there's a trendy way to eat out!?  If you haven't noticed, sushi restaurants & bars seem to be more abundant than dimples on a golf ball.  While I'm tickled to death by this fact, some of you may be hesitant in celebrating the greatness of this cuisine.  I realize I can't promise that your dinner party is going to wonder if you were born in Japan by the exquisite use of your chopsticks, but I may be able to enlighten you on a few other things.

First of all, let's squash the rumor that sushi means raw fish.  Hold on because I'm about to get technical.  The term sushi actually refers to the rice.  I know that sentence just posted quite the shock value!  Sashimi is the term for fish.  However, raw or cooked fish can be added to the rice.  They even have vegetable rolls available which in no way, shape, or form contain any raw fish.

Like people, sushi comes in various shapes & sizes...

                                    

• Pictured on your far left is nigiri.  This consists of small rice balls with some type of fish on top.  Your most common toppers are going to be eel, octopus, shrimp, or tuna.  The type of fish you have on top will change the calorie content. An average piece of nigiri will be around 50 calories.    
• The middle picture is probably the most common way of ordering sushi. This is called norimaki.  It will typically contain sushi rice, seafood of some kind, and nori (fancy word for seaweed).  The above picture contains seaweed on the outside.  If you would rather eat your algae with more discretion, you should probably order uramaki (you're seaweed will be on the inside).  The most popular uramaki are California & rainbow rolls.  Please note that we tend to add other ingredients to this type of roll (i.e. cream cheese, mango, fried crunchy goodness, carrots, mayo, etc).   
• Feeling risqué?  Order up some sashimi.  This is the least modest version of "sushi" as it is served naked - meaning, you get sliced raw fish.  Sashimi is usually served in 3 oz. portions.

A majority of people tend to think sushi automatically means low calorie since we see a small roll with fish being set before us.  To make sure we are getting the 800+ calories we feel entitled to upon eating out, we tend to order 3+ rolls with no hesitation.  Yes, sushi can be a low calorie meal, but you need to utilize your detective skills when looking at the menu.  

     LeaRning the Lingo -> Before throwing your inhibitions to the wind, make sure you scan the menu for the following words:

     - tempura * This just means battered & deep fried. Tempura can send your calorie intake into the 500+ calorie zone!

     -  crunchy * Basically means small pieces of tempura have made it inside &/or on top of your roll. 

     -  mayo/spicy mayo *  I will just remind you that mayo doesn't have a bad reputation for no reason.  Unnecessary calories will be added.

     Be savvy when it comes to sushi.  Start your meal off with edamame, hot soup, or salad (go ahead, be daring, order your dressing on the side!).  Use ginger, low sodium soy sauce, or wasabi to add some pizazz to your rolls. Wasabi is the green looking paste that can set your mouth on fire.  Before going all Evil Knievel on everyone & downing half of it in one bite, make sure your table is stashed with ample amounts of liquid.  Stealing the drinks of neighboring booths is normally frowned upon.  Don't say I didn't warn you!!

Your sushi experience would not be complete without chopsticks.  Please keep in mind that you probably won't look as cute as she does. 

For those of you who continue to have a seafood complex, have no fear as most sushi restaurants serve the traditional beef, chicken, shrimp, & teriyaki dishes you have grown to love. 

Mint Tea

Meet Allyce. We have been friends since the 7th grade! Impressive?! I think so! Allyce is quite the talented & inspirational writer. In fact, she was actually the one who introduced me to the blogging world years ago...she is like a blogger entrepreneur! You should probably go to  Living By Loving  to check it out for yourself! I swear there is a reason to my rambling! Fun fact about Allyce; she recently revealed her love for MINT ICED-TEA. Her inquiring mind was curious as to what health benefits this love of hers contained. Obviously my duty as a friend is to answer her question, as I'm sure she is having a hard time performing day to day activities without this knowledge. So for all of you mint-iced tea lovers out there, here you go!

Let's talk about the main ingredient in this drink. In case you forgot to pay your brain bill this month...I'm talking about the tea. Tea clocks in right after water when we're talking about world popularity of beverages. Chinese legend has it that tea was invented accidentally by Emperor Shen Nong. One summer day a servant was boiling water for the emperor when dried leaves from a Camellia bush fell in. The pleasing aroma became of interest & the emperor had to try it. I'm gonna bet that this was the reason for the 'Emperor's New Groove' as he was hit by the refreshing yet surprisingly delightful flavor! It's safe to say it was love at first sip, because right then & there he declared tea to give vigor to the body. Back in those days tea was a medicinal beverage only & it wasn't until later that it became normal to drink tea whenever your little ♥ desired.

There are 4 basic types of tea: black, green, oolong, & white. Black tea is like the Kim Kardashian of teas. You know the other members of the family, but Kim is still the most popular. Since I don't want to overload your brain, black is the one we're focusing on today. Black tea is typically what you are consuming when you drink a cup of hot tea, iced-tea, or sweet tea here in the good old US of A.

Black tea comes from tea leaves that were exposed to air, & then the air changes the leaves from green to black. An article on Medline Plus mentions some of the health claims associated with black tea. Let's play a version of "E! News So True/So False." Who knew you were going to have so much fun today?!
     RUMOR # 1: Black tea can heighten alertness, learning, & memory skills - this is so true. Thanks to black tea's caffeine properties.
     RUMOR # 2: Black tea can alleviate headaches - we are so not sure about this, because there is insufficient data to support or reject this claim.
      RUMOR # 3: Black tea can prevent heart disease - this is so maybe? As far as heart attacks go, some evidence supports that those who drink black tea have a lower risk. I guess we'll mark it down as possibly effective?!
     RUMOR # 4: Black tea can help prevent Parkinson's disease - this is so maybe? I don't know about you, but all these gray-area answers are getting a little bit on my nerves! Chalk another up for possibly effective.
     RUMOR # 5: Black tea can prevent cancer - this is so not all the way true. While some women who drink tea (black or green) on a regular basis have a lower risk of developing ovarian cancer, it is not likely that tea will prevent cancer.
     RUMOR # 6: Black tea drinkers can say goodbye to tooth decay - as far as preventing tooth decay is concerned, there is not enough evidence to deny or confirm this claim.
So what I'm really saying is that the ONLY thing we can for sure say about black tea is that it can heighten alertness, memory, and learning skills. Moving on...

Think of the mint in mint iced-tea as a rainbow on a dreary afternoon.  Can you say insta-smile?! Bet you didn't know mint was part of Greek mythology. I believe the story went like this: 
     Once upon a time there was a lady named Mint who had a lover named Pluto. This information becomes a bit more scandalous when we learn Pluto had a wife, Persephone. For some weird reason (that's sarcasm, in case you were confused) Persephone wasn't too fond of her husband having a girl on the side.  Taking matters into her own hands, Persephone put a spell on Mint & turned her into a lowly plant that others could walk on. Lesson learned, don't get on a girl's bad side if she has magical powers. Unable to reverse the spell, Pluto softened the blow by giving mint a sweet scent that would fragrance the air with a smell whenever someone trampled on her. Aww, how sweet & thoughtful. That Pluto, he totally out-did himself!
Oh, you probably would like to know that traditionally mint has been used to treat indigestion, promote fresh breath, & aid with mental fatigue.

I think it's safe to say that the overall outcome of consuming mint iced-tea may result in an alert, fresh breath, individual that doesn't have to worry about an upset stomach post eating. Sounds like a good deal to me!