Everyone knows that yogurt is good for you. Many people know one or two facts about yogurt. Not many people, however, know how to get plain yogurt and make delicious snacks or even meals out of it. Even more people don't know all the benefits of yogurt (especially plain) otherwise they'd start learning how to make things.
Did you know that yogurt can help prevent or even cure yeast infections? Yogurt even helps with some stomach issues because it has bacteria that kills the bad bacterias in your body. Yogurt will also help you lose weight much quicker. A study done recently has shown that men who ate yogurt 3 times a day while on a diet lost 61% of their body fat.
Not all yogurts are created equal though. Many yogurts add sugar and fruit flavorings to make their yogurts sweeter. Plain Greek yogurt is the best kind of yogurt to buy. It's thicker than American yogurt, so it has more of the benefits. With Greek yogurt, you can even buy the 2% instead of fat free because the type of fat the yogurt has is healthy for you.
It's actually really simple to make things with the plain yogurt at home. Many baking recipes call for yogurt. I've even had a recipe that called for yogurt to marinate the meat in (but it was a Greek styled recipe, so it makes sense). The best thing to do is buy lots of frozen fruits (no added sugars) and stock up your freezer. This way, whenever you have a sweet craving, it's an easy fix.
Parfaits are by far the easiest. The most common recipe calls for plain yogurt, strawberries, blueberries, granola, and a small amount of sugar. Cut up the strawberries and coat them slightly with sugar, put it in the fridge for about 15 minutes. The sugar will draw out the natural juices in the strawberry. Then just start layering the yogurt, fruits, and granola in a bowl to your liking. It's a great breakfast, snack, or even dessert.
Smoothies are also really easy. You can find hundreds of recipes online. The basic theory is that once you add ice cream, it's no longer a smoothie. If you make a yogurt based smoothie and blend it until it doubles in size, it's extremely beneficial. It fills your stomach up fuller and longer, keeping you from munching on other things. If you use fresh fruits and as little natural sweeteners as possible, it will have only the healthy sugars for you. Another great thing you can do is buy a popsicle mold and make popsicles off of those smoothies for desserts or to have on a really hot day (great now that it's been a very hot summer here). Once you start playing around with making a smoothie, you can even learn how to make your own recipes.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
The Truth About HFCS
Has anyone else noticed that there have been a lot of commercials from the Corn Refiners Association promoting high fructose corn syrup? There are many facts said in the commercial that are true, but they are ignoring a major fact in the commercial.
Sugar, if anyone has done research recently or remembers from any nutrition or science classes, is half fructose and half glucose. All sweeteners (including honey) are very similiar. For all sugars and sweeteners, one ounce contains about 5 calories. Here's why some things (like diet sodas) still retain the sweet taste without all the calories: Every sweetener has a different extent as to how sweet it is. Diet soda has calories by the way, they just have so few calories that they are not required by law to tell you how many they have.
People are advertising corn syrup as "natural," but if you pay any attention to the food world "natural" has no real meaning with the FDA. Albeit, high fructose corn syrup is not as dangerous as other sweeteners, it's not exactly natural.
The website the commercial tells you about even tells you many of the items that corn syrup is used in. I also watched a tv show that shows a scientist/food person who talks about how it's easy to find the right product to fit something. High fructose corn syrup adds the sweetness, helps things last longer, and adds a certain color to foods that people often enjoy.
But does anyone remember that pyramid that had all the food groups from school? It used to have breads on the bottom, topped with fruits and veggies, then meats and dairy, and topped with sugars and oils. Now, the basis of this triangle was to show how much food we really need (more grains less meats and cheeses). Does anyone remember the words they used for sugars and oils? It used to break my heart as a child, so I definitely remember it: "Sparse."
So, if we are to treat high fructose corn syrup like we do sugar: We would really need to read all the ingredients on our foods to see if it contains this or any other sweetener; if it does, we should avoid it. We should also avoid it in drinks (this takes away my beloved soda). We should just start assuming that it's in all foods we are going to buy and start cooking more at home to make it honestly "sparse."
There's my rant for the day. I'll have another soon. Sorry if I repeated this information, but it's been a while since I've been on here.
Sugar, if anyone has done research recently or remembers from any nutrition or science classes, is half fructose and half glucose. All sweeteners (including honey) are very similiar. For all sugars and sweeteners, one ounce contains about 5 calories. Here's why some things (like diet sodas) still retain the sweet taste without all the calories: Every sweetener has a different extent as to how sweet it is. Diet soda has calories by the way, they just have so few calories that they are not required by law to tell you how many they have.
People are advertising corn syrup as "natural," but if you pay any attention to the food world "natural" has no real meaning with the FDA. Albeit, high fructose corn syrup is not as dangerous as other sweeteners, it's not exactly natural.
The website the commercial tells you about even tells you many of the items that corn syrup is used in. I also watched a tv show that shows a scientist/food person who talks about how it's easy to find the right product to fit something. High fructose corn syrup adds the sweetness, helps things last longer, and adds a certain color to foods that people often enjoy.
But does anyone remember that pyramid that had all the food groups from school? It used to have breads on the bottom, topped with fruits and veggies, then meats and dairy, and topped with sugars and oils. Now, the basis of this triangle was to show how much food we really need (more grains less meats and cheeses). Does anyone remember the words they used for sugars and oils? It used to break my heart as a child, so I definitely remember it: "Sparse."
So, if we are to treat high fructose corn syrup like we do sugar: We would really need to read all the ingredients on our foods to see if it contains this or any other sweetener; if it does, we should avoid it. We should also avoid it in drinks (this takes away my beloved soda). We should just start assuming that it's in all foods we are going to buy and start cooking more at home to make it honestly "sparse."
There's my rant for the day. I'll have another soon. Sorry if I repeated this information, but it's been a while since I've been on here.
Monday, June 7, 2010
Raw Milk
Okay, as part of my dream, research is very important. Because of some friends, I started my research on raw milk. I do know that in a few states, raw milk is illegal, though I'm not sure to what extent. My homestate of Alaska has a law that makes selling raw milk for human consumption illegal, though they make exceptions for people who own dairy producing animals, live on a farm, have a cow share, or are selling raw milk for animal consumption.
Raw milk is basically milk that has not been pasteurized, frozen, homogenized, or altered in any other way. Most of the articles that I read also include that the cows are fed organic grass only. These writers go on to say that if the cows are fed anything that they naturally would not eat on their own (such as corn) than it makes the milk extremely dangerous. It was already proven on a documentary, which was not promoting raw milk by the way, that corn ruins cows stomachs.
The FDA website says that raw milk is extremely unhealthy. There are 800 cases where people had gotten sick from drinking raw milk since the year since 1998. I have my own issues with the FDA.
I am still on the fence as to whether or not I would drink raw milk or give it to my family. I think if I were to ever buy a cow, which is a possibility, I would get a small machine to quickly pasteurize or homogenize the milk I take home. I would definitely let the cow graze and feed it grass or similar feed in the winter. I would let others who wanted milk to decide if they wanted it raw or not.
Raw milk is basically milk that has not been pasteurized, frozen, homogenized, or altered in any other way. Most of the articles that I read also include that the cows are fed organic grass only. These writers go on to say that if the cows are fed anything that they naturally would not eat on their own (such as corn) than it makes the milk extremely dangerous. It was already proven on a documentary, which was not promoting raw milk by the way, that corn ruins cows stomachs.
The FDA website says that raw milk is extremely unhealthy. There are 800 cases where people had gotten sick from drinking raw milk since the year since 1998. I have my own issues with the FDA.
I am still on the fence as to whether or not I would drink raw milk or give it to my family. I think if I were to ever buy a cow, which is a possibility, I would get a small machine to quickly pasteurize or homogenize the milk I take home. I would definitely let the cow graze and feed it grass or similar feed in the winter. I would let others who wanted milk to decide if they wanted it raw or not.
Friday, June 4, 2010
Government and Food
I think something happens to every woman who becomes a mother, whether she gives birth or adopts. She changes her way of life. It could happen quickly or it could be a process. She gives up a bad habit or she starts eating healthier or she establishes a routine. The point is she does something to make life better for her child and that change includes everyone in the household.
For me, the process is mostly slow. I slowly learn about how to do things better for my child. I slowly learn about how to keep the house clean as my child gets faster. I slowly learn about how to show my child discipline. I slowly learn about teaching my child repercussions (whether it is a time out, a spanking, or a simple taking away something he likes).
I have one passion though, and that is food. I don't love food like many people. I enjoy eating and it's something I do often whenever I am hanging out with people. When people come over, I cook something or make sure we have tons of snacks and drinks available. When I go to someones house, I bring something. When we are having a special family time, I make something. When we are out all day, we enjoy eating together at a restaurant.
My passion for food goes in a different direction. I used to be a "box" girl. Meaning if I was going to cook food for the family, it was basically going to be me reheating the food. I'd make all sorts of Tuna Helpers or frozen lasagnas or fish sticks.
I never learned to cook and honestly did not want to learn. Now, my passion is trying to eat healthier. I am not one of those people who has decided to cook everything from scratch or buys everything organically. I can't afford it. I am married to the military. Soon, I will be married to a college student. I think that soon, I will be buying organic foods though.
There is nothing wrong with the foods that I had mentioned before, so long as you are reading the labels and doing everything in moderation. There is nothing wrong with taking your child to McDonald's so long as it is in moderation. I am just learning to cook from scratch. I am learning to integrate more veggies in our diet. I am picking the healthier options from restaurants. I am reading the labels before buying the "boxed" meals.
However, I just watched a documentary called "Food, Inc." that really opened my eyes. It opened my eyes the same way that "Eat This, Not That" had when I read it. The world today is really not what I thought it was. Now, it's pretty gross and after you watch it, you'll want to start your own farm. I still kind of do, except I'm really not good with animals and I won't eat anything that I once saw alive.
Was was most interesting in this movie wasn't how the animals were treated. I was prepared for that watching "Animal Cops" on the Animal Planet. It wasn't how the employees of the large corporations were treated; though I am slightly shocked that a government agency would make a deal with a corporation like that (I'm also not sure how true that allegation was, but I'm sure someone is looking into it now).
The most shocking thing that I had heard on the movie was the veggie libel laws. Thirteen state governments have decided that the people have no freedom of speech when it comes to their own food. I understand companies suing people for slander, but the governments seem to be stepping in too far. As a citizen of the United States of America, I should be able to say that I don't like McDonald's chicken BLT. It's a statement and my personal opinion. My husband loves them, so he'll buy them and recommend them. I would recommend something else like chicken nuggets or the Big N Tasty.
Now, McDonald's has the right to sue me for that statement. It would seem ridiculous though. It would make them seem like a petty seven year old complaining about how a friend didn't like their dress. They won't lose any money. In fact, they might make a better BLT and make more money or ignore me and continue to make money.
Here's where it started (at least, according to my research): E. coli had gotten into some meat and Oprah made a comment on her show. She was sued. I think she won. But her statement supposedly made bad press for the company and made them lose money. Here's is how it makes sense in my mind. Yes, some people probably stopped shopping there for a while after Oprah said something. But on the other hand, others probably stopped eating there after it was on the news (before it reached Oprah by the way). Those companies should have known the bad press was going to happen and should have started preparing for it the moment they realized E. coli was in the meat. Things happen and both people and companies are responsible for righting their wrongs.
Anther shocker: cloning animals. I knew it was possible, but I didn't know why anyone would want to do it beyond being able to say that they could. I imagine that cloning an animal is more expensive then letting two animals do what comes naturally to them. I could be wrong. If I am, let me know. But the most shocking thing is that they are selling cloned animal meat and not labeling it. Let me repeat that for those who are still getting over the shock: the FDA has decided that it was NOT necessary to label the meat that came from cloned animals.
Now, I am not a brilliant person. I would like to think that I am, but I am too honest. I do, however, think that I am a very logical person. When I go in to buy meat, there is abundant information on the package. I know what the animal has been fed, if the bone is still in the meat, what cut of meat it is, how much it weighs, if there are any injections to help it last longer in my fridge, if the animal was raised organically, etc. But, now I am not going to be %100 percent sure if my cut of meat came from an animal that was produced naturally or in a lab?
I have no idea if the meat is bad for me or not. The FDA says that it is safe to eat as food, but they have approved things before. I would like to choose what foods to put in my child's mouth. Who are they to take that right from me? If in five years or so, everyone who has switched to the cloned meat is in the same or better health then before, I might switch over. That right is up to me as the consumer, not the producer.
Sorry that this rant is so long. I googled "Food, Inc" and found that many of the people talking about it were talking about how the animals were treated. Honestly, it's not that big of a shocker. People are always talking about going organic and their reasons for it. Animal treatment is one of the many reasons. I felt that someone had to talk about how the government is not doing things in our favor. That is what the government is supposed to be there for. I have not lost faith in our government, I am just slightly disappointed.
For me, the process is mostly slow. I slowly learn about how to do things better for my child. I slowly learn about how to keep the house clean as my child gets faster. I slowly learn about how to show my child discipline. I slowly learn about teaching my child repercussions (whether it is a time out, a spanking, or a simple taking away something he likes).
I have one passion though, and that is food. I don't love food like many people. I enjoy eating and it's something I do often whenever I am hanging out with people. When people come over, I cook something or make sure we have tons of snacks and drinks available. When I go to someones house, I bring something. When we are having a special family time, I make something. When we are out all day, we enjoy eating together at a restaurant.
My passion for food goes in a different direction. I used to be a "box" girl. Meaning if I was going to cook food for the family, it was basically going to be me reheating the food. I'd make all sorts of Tuna Helpers or frozen lasagnas or fish sticks.
I never learned to cook and honestly did not want to learn. Now, my passion is trying to eat healthier. I am not one of those people who has decided to cook everything from scratch or buys everything organically. I can't afford it. I am married to the military. Soon, I will be married to a college student. I think that soon, I will be buying organic foods though.
There is nothing wrong with the foods that I had mentioned before, so long as you are reading the labels and doing everything in moderation. There is nothing wrong with taking your child to McDonald's so long as it is in moderation. I am just learning to cook from scratch. I am learning to integrate more veggies in our diet. I am picking the healthier options from restaurants. I am reading the labels before buying the "boxed" meals.
However, I just watched a documentary called "Food, Inc." that really opened my eyes. It opened my eyes the same way that "Eat This, Not That" had when I read it. The world today is really not what I thought it was. Now, it's pretty gross and after you watch it, you'll want to start your own farm. I still kind of do, except I'm really not good with animals and I won't eat anything that I once saw alive.
Was was most interesting in this movie wasn't how the animals were treated. I was prepared for that watching "Animal Cops" on the Animal Planet. It wasn't how the employees of the large corporations were treated; though I am slightly shocked that a government agency would make a deal with a corporation like that (I'm also not sure how true that allegation was, but I'm sure someone is looking into it now).
The most shocking thing that I had heard on the movie was the veggie libel laws. Thirteen state governments have decided that the people have no freedom of speech when it comes to their own food. I understand companies suing people for slander, but the governments seem to be stepping in too far. As a citizen of the United States of America, I should be able to say that I don't like McDonald's chicken BLT. It's a statement and my personal opinion. My husband loves them, so he'll buy them and recommend them. I would recommend something else like chicken nuggets or the Big N Tasty.
Now, McDonald's has the right to sue me for that statement. It would seem ridiculous though. It would make them seem like a petty seven year old complaining about how a friend didn't like their dress. They won't lose any money. In fact, they might make a better BLT and make more money or ignore me and continue to make money.
Here's where it started (at least, according to my research): E. coli had gotten into some meat and Oprah made a comment on her show. She was sued. I think she won. But her statement supposedly made bad press for the company and made them lose money. Here's is how it makes sense in my mind. Yes, some people probably stopped shopping there for a while after Oprah said something. But on the other hand, others probably stopped eating there after it was on the news (before it reached Oprah by the way). Those companies should have known the bad press was going to happen and should have started preparing for it the moment they realized E. coli was in the meat. Things happen and both people and companies are responsible for righting their wrongs.
Anther shocker: cloning animals. I knew it was possible, but I didn't know why anyone would want to do it beyond being able to say that they could. I imagine that cloning an animal is more expensive then letting two animals do what comes naturally to them. I could be wrong. If I am, let me know. But the most shocking thing is that they are selling cloned animal meat and not labeling it. Let me repeat that for those who are still getting over the shock: the FDA has decided that it was NOT necessary to label the meat that came from cloned animals.
Now, I am not a brilliant person. I would like to think that I am, but I am too honest. I do, however, think that I am a very logical person. When I go in to buy meat, there is abundant information on the package. I know what the animal has been fed, if the bone is still in the meat, what cut of meat it is, how much it weighs, if there are any injections to help it last longer in my fridge, if the animal was raised organically, etc. But, now I am not going to be %100 percent sure if my cut of meat came from an animal that was produced naturally or in a lab?
I have no idea if the meat is bad for me or not. The FDA says that it is safe to eat as food, but they have approved things before. I would like to choose what foods to put in my child's mouth. Who are they to take that right from me? If in five years or so, everyone who has switched to the cloned meat is in the same or better health then before, I might switch over. That right is up to me as the consumer, not the producer.
Sorry that this rant is so long. I googled "Food, Inc" and found that many of the people talking about it were talking about how the animals were treated. Honestly, it's not that big of a shocker. People are always talking about going organic and their reasons for it. Animal treatment is one of the many reasons. I felt that someone had to talk about how the government is not doing things in our favor. That is what the government is supposed to be there for. I have not lost faith in our government, I am just slightly disappointed.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
I Have A Dream
I have a dream, finally. Most people know what they want to do with their lives sometime during high school or part of the way through college. Most of the people my age have graduated college and are getting ready to go back for their masters or whatever. I, on the other hand, didn't really have that big of a dream. I had a lot of things that I liked, but not enough to really make it happen.
Now, I still want to write, take lots of pictures, and homeschool my child. But this is a goal that I will work hard towards and will help me to direct my energies so that I don't keep starting projects and leaving them unfinished. Who am I kidding, I'll probably still do that, but I won't do it as often. My new dream, and don't laugh to hard, is to become Donald Trump of Alaska.
Here's how it works in my brain: 1) Pay off all of our debt (my husband and myself) while I am learning to keep up with my responsibilities now. 2) Save up money while buying most of our things locally grown or made. 3) Learn as much as possible about the farming, baking, and cooking going on in my town. 4) Figure out what my community needs; for example, someone who can grow a crop not yet produced locally. Then, start a small business that fills that need. 5) Repeat step 4 until I am happy with the community that I live in.
See? If I do this, I'll be like the Donald Trump of my community. I'd be even more like him if those companies that I started grew to help the whole state. I love this idea and I am extremely excited. It will take a long time, but we, my husband and myself, can make this happen.
Now, I still want to write, take lots of pictures, and homeschool my child. But this is a goal that I will work hard towards and will help me to direct my energies so that I don't keep starting projects and leaving them unfinished. Who am I kidding, I'll probably still do that, but I won't do it as often. My new dream, and don't laugh to hard, is to become Donald Trump of Alaska.
Here's how it works in my brain: 1) Pay off all of our debt (my husband and myself) while I am learning to keep up with my responsibilities now. 2) Save up money while buying most of our things locally grown or made. 3) Learn as much as possible about the farming, baking, and cooking going on in my town. 4) Figure out what my community needs; for example, someone who can grow a crop not yet produced locally. Then, start a small business that fills that need. 5) Repeat step 4 until I am happy with the community that I live in.
See? If I do this, I'll be like the Donald Trump of my community. I'd be even more like him if those companies that I started grew to help the whole state. I love this idea and I am extremely excited. It will take a long time, but we, my husband and myself, can make this happen.
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