Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone ~
Hope you all enjoyed some of your favorite comfort foods balanced with healthier options!
I just wanted my followers to know I've moved my site to www.paulaandersonfood.com.
I would love your feedback as I offer helpful information/reflections for your food journey!
Paula
Sunday, November 30, 2014
Saturday, October 25, 2014
Lots of Mileage from Flavored Olive Oils/Balsamic Vinegars!
There's a new olive oil bar here in town, and I've just discovered the simplicity of leaning on the flavors and nutritional benefits of various flavored olive oils and balsamic vinegars.
You can cook up some pasta (not the enriched flour variety), mix it with flaked, cooked salmon and some fresh spinach, and some pine nuts, and then drizzle a lemon flavored olive oil and a black currant balsamic vinegar over it, a bit of fresh basil and some feta cheese.
Simple and delicious.
In the old days, I'd fry up some hamburger and diced onions in the grease from the hamburger, and then add tomato sauce for a topping over a pile of spaghetti. Needless to say, that kind of cuisine sat on top of your stomach for a long time before it every digested, leaching fat into your digestive system and on to your arteries. Nothing light about it!
Opting instead for the healthier fats delivered by olive oil, it's not only simpler, it's a much better contribution to the health of your arteries.
The olive oil/ balsamic vinegar combo is a great choice for anointing any mix of salad greens. For a quick, nutritious meal, just make sure you add lots of whole vegetables to it!
You can cook up some pasta (not the enriched flour variety), mix it with flaked, cooked salmon and some fresh spinach, and some pine nuts, and then drizzle a lemon flavored olive oil and a black currant balsamic vinegar over it, a bit of fresh basil and some feta cheese.
Simple and delicious.
In the old days, I'd fry up some hamburger and diced onions in the grease from the hamburger, and then add tomato sauce for a topping over a pile of spaghetti. Needless to say, that kind of cuisine sat on top of your stomach for a long time before it every digested, leaching fat into your digestive system and on to your arteries. Nothing light about it!
Opting instead for the healthier fats delivered by olive oil, it's not only simpler, it's a much better contribution to the health of your arteries.
The olive oil/ balsamic vinegar combo is a great choice for anointing any mix of salad greens. For a quick, nutritious meal, just make sure you add lots of whole vegetables to it!
Sunday, October 5, 2014
There's Wisdom In Cleansing
As we prepare a for winter, there is some wisdom in doing a cleanse this time of year, even if it's just for a day or two.
The main reason is our bodies build up a level of toxicity as a result of the amount of processed stuff that we eat, and that results in a sludge that builds up in the liver. One of the best ways to slough that off is to eat unprocessed, whole foods ~ such as nuts, vegetables, fruits and herbs.
It kick starts the process of detoxifying the liver, and that in turn jump starts a sluggish metabolism so that a big plus right off the bat is weight loss. When toxins are removed, you're down the road in preventing chronic disease and optimizing your immune system.
You'll notice increased energy and a greater ability to concentrate. By planning what you are going to eat, most likely you'll also save money (since on the average we waste 40 percent of the food we buy!)
Ah... but cutting out our comfort calories can cause some trepidation, yes?
That's because for many of us, snacking on crackers, candy, chips, and other types of processed foods is a habit, pure and simple.
It often accompanies periods of boredom or stress, such as you might experience given dearth of menu of viewing options on TV.
Maybe its just having something to chew, never mind whether or not we're hungry.
When you eat anything, "Am I really hungry?" should be the first question.
There are a variety of cleansing diets out there that are very simple and easy to follow. It's a way to "change things up a bit" in your life, because a side benefit can be new insights on where you're headed.
Try it for a day or two, keep a journal, and then see what you notice.
Sunday, September 28, 2014
Need a Break from Lettuce?
For the novice stepping into a healthier eating pattern, eagerly embracing green salads as a main player can eventually get old.
Smoothies incorporating all that wonderful green stuff can be a great, easy choice for variety, but it's important to remember that the leafy greens don't always have to be present.
I was excited to sample the Greek salad over at Pantuso's Restiorante, a local spot, last week. It was a luscious combination of chunks of fresh cucumbers, tomatoes, and red onions, sprinkled with feta cheese with kalamatra olives. Probably some sea salt was added to draw out the juices. It was absolutely scrumptious.
That combo could easily be made ahead and stored in the fridge to either eat by itself, orbe added to some cold penne pasta and some spinach leaves for an evening entrée.
It's my belief that the healthiest offerings are a matter of simply combining good foods. No need to master sauces; just come to know and love fresh herbs.
Despite rising food prices, with a little planning, healthy eating is more affordable than you may think!
Smoothies incorporating all that wonderful green stuff can be a great, easy choice for variety, but it's important to remember that the leafy greens don't always have to be present.
I was excited to sample the Greek salad over at Pantuso's Restiorante, a local spot, last week. It was a luscious combination of chunks of fresh cucumbers, tomatoes, and red onions, sprinkled with feta cheese with kalamatra olives. Probably some sea salt was added to draw out the juices. It was absolutely scrumptious.
That combo could easily be made ahead and stored in the fridge to either eat by itself, orbe added to some cold penne pasta and some spinach leaves for an evening entrée.
It's my belief that the healthiest offerings are a matter of simply combining good foods. No need to master sauces; just come to know and love fresh herbs.
Despite rising food prices, with a little planning, healthy eating is more affordable than you may think!
Sunday, September 21, 2014
Grains, Beans & Veggies
If you want to stretch your food dollar, stay away from packaged stuff!
If you have a market where you can get whole foods, you're fortunate. If not, it's still economical even if you have to buy brand bags of beans and grain.
Cooking up a batch of quinoa, barley or wheatberries is a good start for healthy meals for the week, to which you can add a medley of roasted or sautéed vegetables like onions, carrots and zucchini, for example, and maybe a few black beans or kidney beans, topped with some chopped cilantro or basil.
Cumin and turmeric can really bump up the nutrition quotient!
For a side dish, tear up some romaine lettuce and sprinkle on some home-made vinegar & oil dressing with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese, and you're set.
Instead of a grain, you can use pasta, along with some diced tomatoes for a variation on the first dish.
Preparing food that way costs very little per serving if you're "mixing and matching." The key is to make sure your vegetables out-number the other foods on your plate.
Grains and pastas are generally higher in carbs, and the key is to strike a balance by incorporating vegetables, which contribute lots of fiber.
Add a bag of apples to your pantry, and you've got a good start to saving money while you eat well!
If you have a market where you can get whole foods, you're fortunate. If not, it's still economical even if you have to buy brand bags of beans and grain.
Cooking up a batch of quinoa, barley or wheatberries is a good start for healthy meals for the week, to which you can add a medley of roasted or sautéed vegetables like onions, carrots and zucchini, for example, and maybe a few black beans or kidney beans, topped with some chopped cilantro or basil.
Cumin and turmeric can really bump up the nutrition quotient!
For a side dish, tear up some romaine lettuce and sprinkle on some home-made vinegar & oil dressing with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese, and you're set.
Instead of a grain, you can use pasta, along with some diced tomatoes for a variation on the first dish.
Preparing food that way costs very little per serving if you're "mixing and matching." The key is to make sure your vegetables out-number the other foods on your plate.
Grains and pastas are generally higher in carbs, and the key is to strike a balance by incorporating vegetables, which contribute lots of fiber.
Add a bag of apples to your pantry, and you've got a good start to saving money while you eat well!
Saturday, September 13, 2014
Food Can Be a Big Player in Surviving Cancer
Last weekend I had the opportunity to talk to a group of 15 cancer survivors at day-long retreat at the mountain home of a local oncologist.
He requested presentations on food and exercise as key factors in improving survival rates, even higher than chemo or radiation. While the traditional treatments are useful in eradicating cancer cells after diagnosis, they really aren't so successful at keeping cancer in remission ~ not like diet and exercise.
Rather than provide a long lists of foods and recipes to this group, I mainly focused on drinking lots of pure water throughout the day, and eating an apple ~ every day.
The apple has a long list of nutrients going for it, with lots of benefits for the body ~ not the least of which are improved regularity, reduced food cravings, lower cholesterol, healthier bones, to name a few.
So if that's the case for apples, why not for every other fruit or vegetable? After all, collectively they represent more than 25,000 important nutrients that play an important role in reducing inflammation in the body.
That's really the bottom line, you know.
Inflammation comes from an acidic internal environment, as opposed to an alkaline system.
It's the common denominator for most all of those pricey conditions that deplete our health and our wallets!
Cancer cells don't do well in an alkaline setting, but they love the acidic chemistry!
So if we're eating lots of processed foods laden with sugar, fat and salt, we're feeding an acidic climate. On the other hand, if we're eating lots of high-fiber, whole foods, that internal climate can quickly become more alkaline ~ less inflamed.
Stress can kick it up,too. That's why exercise plays such an important role in making us healthier.
Eating whole foods and drinking good water sets the stage for a healthier body and a more positive outlook. It doesn't have to be a struggle. Start incorporating more of those wonderful fruit and vegetables into your diet and see for yourself!
He requested presentations on food and exercise as key factors in improving survival rates, even higher than chemo or radiation. While the traditional treatments are useful in eradicating cancer cells after diagnosis, they really aren't so successful at keeping cancer in remission ~ not like diet and exercise.
Rather than provide a long lists of foods and recipes to this group, I mainly focused on drinking lots of pure water throughout the day, and eating an apple ~ every day.
The apple has a long list of nutrients going for it, with lots of benefits for the body ~ not the least of which are improved regularity, reduced food cravings, lower cholesterol, healthier bones, to name a few.
So if that's the case for apples, why not for every other fruit or vegetable? After all, collectively they represent more than 25,000 important nutrients that play an important role in reducing inflammation in the body.
That's really the bottom line, you know.
Inflammation comes from an acidic internal environment, as opposed to an alkaline system.
It's the common denominator for most all of those pricey conditions that deplete our health and our wallets!
Cancer cells don't do well in an alkaline setting, but they love the acidic chemistry!
So if we're eating lots of processed foods laden with sugar, fat and salt, we're feeding an acidic climate. On the other hand, if we're eating lots of high-fiber, whole foods, that internal climate can quickly become more alkaline ~ less inflamed.
Stress can kick it up,too. That's why exercise plays such an important role in making us healthier.
Eating whole foods and drinking good water sets the stage for a healthier body and a more positive outlook. It doesn't have to be a struggle. Start incorporating more of those wonderful fruit and vegetables into your diet and see for yourself!
Stretching Your Food Dollar
When we're treating ourselves, we like Mexican food. But a trip to the restaurant could easily cost $50 if you're ordering beverages, too.
Last night my granddaughters visited overnight, so here's how we planned a meal for four. I purchased a large bag of torn romaine lettuce at the grocery store, and then ordered two carry-out orders of blue corn enchilada dishes (each with two enchiladas) from our favorite Mexican restaurant.
Each order came with rice and beans.
No sides or drink orders.
I brought them home, split them among the four of us, added a simple vinegar and olive oil dressing for the salad, and served water to drink.
Evenings, the cost is $10 for each order ; but during the day it's $7.50.
So about $20 for the four of us; but had we made it lunch, it would have been about $5 less; or less than $4 per person!
Tonight will be on the cheap with some sautéed mushrooms and onions, along with some spinach greens mixed with cooked fetticini noodles and fresh grated Parmesan cheese. Salad greens with oil and vinegar dressing on the side.
(To make it more nutritious, I make sure the vegetables portions are more generous than the pasta.)
Pretty fast to prepare and also inexpensive, but it tastes so good!
Last night my granddaughters visited overnight, so here's how we planned a meal for four. I purchased a large bag of torn romaine lettuce at the grocery store, and then ordered two carry-out orders of blue corn enchilada dishes (each with two enchiladas) from our favorite Mexican restaurant.
Each order came with rice and beans.
No sides or drink orders.
I brought them home, split them among the four of us, added a simple vinegar and olive oil dressing for the salad, and served water to drink.
Evenings, the cost is $10 for each order ; but during the day it's $7.50.
So about $20 for the four of us; but had we made it lunch, it would have been about $5 less; or less than $4 per person!
Tonight will be on the cheap with some sautéed mushrooms and onions, along with some spinach greens mixed with cooked fetticini noodles and fresh grated Parmesan cheese. Salad greens with oil and vinegar dressing on the side.
(To make it more nutritious, I make sure the vegetables portions are more generous than the pasta.)
Pretty fast to prepare and also inexpensive, but it tastes so good!
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