Here is an old article I wrote on my open and honest feelings when it comes to this, most superfluous holiday:
Battle of the sexes
Is Valentine’s Day tougher for men or women? This is where I stand:
Many people have negative opinions about Valentine’s Day, often complaining about the nature of the holiday itself. If you’re in a healthy and loving relationship, every day should be what Valentine’s Day pretends to be,” There shouldn’t be a holiday that dictates when you have to tell your partner that you love them; you just should
And yet, Feb. 14 remains as it has always been. Every year, when Valentine’s Day rolls around, the world becomes painted in shades of red, pink and white, and on every TV channel, billboard and radio station, there are ads for jewelry stores, florists, greeting cards and chocolate retailers. What do these ads have in common? They are reminders, both subtle and blatant, of what men need to be doing for their special someones on this particular day. Yes, most of the time, these ads are strictly designed for men.
The staple of Valentine’s Day is, by nature, designed to be gifts from men to their girlfriends, wives and other special women in their lives. While there are always exceptions to every trend, teddy bears, flowers and chocolates are gifts that are generally designed for women. You never see a billboard reminding women to get their husbands the latest Madden or hear an advertisement from Hooters explaining how much their husbands and boyfriends would appreciate a dinner there. The most women are required to do, it seems, is purchase lingerie as a prize to their significant others, should they meet the expectations set upon them on this holiday.
On Valentine’s Day, the expectations on men far outweigh the ones on women. Traditionally, men are supposed to spend every moment of the day doing special, romantic things for their wives or girlfriends, surprising them with expensive and classy gifts. What are the expectations on women? Besides reciprocating the purchase of some romantic gesture, like a watch or a symbolic necklace, the woman is practically free of requirements for this occasion. The man is expected to lavish her with gifts, pay for the meals and events, and arrange spectacular surprises at every turn, while the woman merely sits back and gives her husband or boyfriend a token of her affection at some point.
So many girlfriends and wives make their husbands work so hard just to meet a certain standard of gifts and romantic gestures on this one day, and the consequences of not exceeding their expectations are often severe. People have actually gotten divorced because their boyfriend or husband forgot to buy them a gift, card or flowers. It’s stupid and unfair.
Why do men submit themselves to this quasi-slavery? Often, they are focused on the pot of gold at the end of their rainbow of hard work, in the form of romantic attention from their spouse or girlfriend, as they likely have picked up some wearable Valentine’s Day gifts for them.
That sounds nice, but when you really think about it, it only further subdues men on this day.
Men practically have to jump through hoops of fire to win a prize they usually get by default every other day of the year. Women seem to have all the control. If they’re satisfied with the man’s performance, the man gets a treat. If not, he gets to sleep on the couch. This kind of behavior practically equates men to dogs.
The worst that women have to complain about is how horrible their boyfriends and husbands performed on Valentine’s Day, while men have the burdens of gift costs, event planning and the pressure to please their significant others.
This holiday may have been about mutual expression of love at one point, but now it is simply an exercise in how much greater one woman’s boyfriend or husband is than the next.
Just once, I would like to see a man get pampered on Valentine’s Day. I’d love to see him get surprised with the new issue of Maxim at breakfast. I’d love to see his girlfriend plan an entire afternoon of sports-watching and Halo playing followed by dinner at his favorite barbecue pit or pool hall.
If nothing else, should a man perform exceptionally well on this holiday, they should be given their own special day where their wives and girlfriends have to worry and stress over showing their affection and appreciation in different but equal ways.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Re-fueling
I've been feeling alot better lately now that I've changed up my diet a little. I have much more energy in dance class, despite the sore tailbone I'll be nursin for the next month or so... I really think this surge of energy comes from the foods I'm eating, and, even more so, the absence of certain foods I've cut out.
The refined carbs I was stuffing myself with on a daily basis via pizza, dough knots, pretzels, white rice and hoagie rolls, was giving me spikes of energy right away, and then leaving me with a burnt out fuse for the rest of the night. Not good for dance class. I barely made it through half of a zumba class after work last week.
I've given up cheese. I've given up dairy in general, actually. It really wasn't something I would eat very often, but it's made its way back into my diet lately, and I've been noticing negative effects in my dance classes and my workouts. I've been feeling much better since I've stopped eating cheese and other dairy products, having much more energy and a general lack of achy insides. Last night, I had a small cone of ice cream in an attempt to finish the last of the dairy products in the house, and what do you know? I went to bed with a tummy ache. Go figure.
The question is: Will I eat wedding cake? We'll see...
For dancers, avid gym-junkies, and athletes, I really do recommend dropping the white refined carbs and really limiting dairy products. These things spike you up and weigh you down, respectively, and you just might see a good difference in your performance, especially if you avoid these foods on days that you work out, dance or play.
What are the foods I HAVE been eating? Here is a list of foods that both my taste buds AND my body seem to love:
-Brown or brown and wild rice
-Fiber gourmet or whole wheat pastas
-Amy's frozen meals (Yum!)
-LUNA BARS
-Fruits
-Fresh veggies (It's no secret, I love carrots!)
-Sweet potatoes (with just cinnamon on top, baked...so good and low cal!)
-Stuffed peppers with brown rice, tomatoes, broccoli, spinach and boca burger. Yummy :)
What are the foods that fuel you? Maybe you can add a few more ideas to my list of pre-dance favorites!
The refined carbs I was stuffing myself with on a daily basis via pizza, dough knots, pretzels, white rice and hoagie rolls, was giving me spikes of energy right away, and then leaving me with a burnt out fuse for the rest of the night. Not good for dance class. I barely made it through half of a zumba class after work last week.
I've given up cheese. I've given up dairy in general, actually. It really wasn't something I would eat very often, but it's made its way back into my diet lately, and I've been noticing negative effects in my dance classes and my workouts. I've been feeling much better since I've stopped eating cheese and other dairy products, having much more energy and a general lack of achy insides. Last night, I had a small cone of ice cream in an attempt to finish the last of the dairy products in the house, and what do you know? I went to bed with a tummy ache. Go figure.
The question is: Will I eat wedding cake? We'll see...
For dancers, avid gym-junkies, and athletes, I really do recommend dropping the white refined carbs and really limiting dairy products. These things spike you up and weigh you down, respectively, and you just might see a good difference in your performance, especially if you avoid these foods on days that you work out, dance or play.
What are the foods I HAVE been eating? Here is a list of foods that both my taste buds AND my body seem to love:
-Brown or brown and wild rice
-Fiber gourmet or whole wheat pastas
-Amy's frozen meals (Yum!)
-LUNA BARS
-Fruits
-Fresh veggies (It's no secret, I love carrots!)
-Sweet potatoes (with just cinnamon on top, baked...so good and low cal!)
-Stuffed peppers with brown rice, tomatoes, broccoli, spinach and boca burger. Yummy :)
What are the foods that fuel you? Maybe you can add a few more ideas to my list of pre-dance favorites!
Monday, February 7, 2011
A new dawn, a new day
A new life...and I'm feelin' good.
That's pretty much how it feels every time we lose a pound, run a previously unattainable distance, or reach any goal in fitness. It feels like a new dawn has arrived, birds singing and everything.
I hope to feel this way soon for reaching my latest goals, but for now, I am enjoying the spirit of change. I am changing my lifestyle and my diet back to what it was when I was at my healthiest. After all, as a dancer my body is my INSTRUMENT and it has to come first and foremost in my life. I must treat it well.
Not just dancers, though. Everyone should put their bodies first. You only get one body and any amount of damage or mistreatment can be devastating to long term health and even make life inside that body a little shorter.
I try not to think about the damage that I've done with my body with ASPARTAME. For at least a year, I drank pretty much nothing but diet coke everyday, at least 2 liters per day while I was at work. It was tasty and satisfying at the time, but I hate to think about the fact that I caused myself migraines, digestive problems and possibly cancer in the future all to save a few calories on something I shouldn't be drinking anyway (sodas).
There is NOTHING in soda that we should be putting into our bodies. It is full of liquid chemicals and artificial ingredients and tons of sugar/syrups. Nothing else. No nutrients, no vitamins. Just sugar and chemicals. PLEASE stop drinking this!
Diet soda is even worse, by the way, because in addition to chemicals and syrups, it contains artificial sweeteners that are made with alcohols, dangerous acids and even arsenic! I know it's hard; it is hard for me to give it up. But PLEASE stop drinking sodas, especially diet sodas!
And for me, right now, that's just the tip of the iceberg. I've given up sodas, but I've also given up other foods that are doing nothing for me but adding some jiggle factor. I don't like jiggle factor...at all.
Foods that will be eliminated from my diet whenever I can help it:
-Sodas/Diet sodas
-Anything that contains artificial sweeteners
-White flour breads and pastas**
-Processed foods
-Anything with more than 7g of sugar per human sized serving (the amount I will eat, not the serving size listed on the box)
**White flour breads and pastas have been my bane these past two months. I have been eating way too many pizza crusts, cheeseless personal pizzas and calzones, pastas, white breads and plain garlic knots, and as a result I have ZERO energy and extra pounds.
I don't like that at all
So I'm redoing my diet right. I'm stripping the walls and repainting my diet with a fresh healthy new rubric that will give me more energy and keep my muscles from flabbing out.
I'm going to Whole Foods and Native Sun today. Upon return (after ballet) I will write a list of great foods that are full of nutrients and will keep us full of fiber and flavor at every meal. Do you know of any good foods/brands? Share please!!
That's pretty much how it feels every time we lose a pound, run a previously unattainable distance, or reach any goal in fitness. It feels like a new dawn has arrived, birds singing and everything.
I hope to feel this way soon for reaching my latest goals, but for now, I am enjoying the spirit of change. I am changing my lifestyle and my diet back to what it was when I was at my healthiest. After all, as a dancer my body is my INSTRUMENT and it has to come first and foremost in my life. I must treat it well.
Not just dancers, though. Everyone should put their bodies first. You only get one body and any amount of damage or mistreatment can be devastating to long term health and even make life inside that body a little shorter.
I try not to think about the damage that I've done with my body with ASPARTAME. For at least a year, I drank pretty much nothing but diet coke everyday, at least 2 liters per day while I was at work. It was tasty and satisfying at the time, but I hate to think about the fact that I caused myself migraines, digestive problems and possibly cancer in the future all to save a few calories on something I shouldn't be drinking anyway (sodas).
There is NOTHING in soda that we should be putting into our bodies. It is full of liquid chemicals and artificial ingredients and tons of sugar/syrups. Nothing else. No nutrients, no vitamins. Just sugar and chemicals. PLEASE stop drinking this!
Diet soda is even worse, by the way, because in addition to chemicals and syrups, it contains artificial sweeteners that are made with alcohols, dangerous acids and even arsenic! I know it's hard; it is hard for me to give it up. But PLEASE stop drinking sodas, especially diet sodas!
And for me, right now, that's just the tip of the iceberg. I've given up sodas, but I've also given up other foods that are doing nothing for me but adding some jiggle factor. I don't like jiggle factor...at all.
Foods that will be eliminated from my diet whenever I can help it:
-Sodas/Diet sodas
-Anything that contains artificial sweeteners
-White flour breads and pastas**
-Processed foods
-Anything with more than 7g of sugar per human sized serving (the amount I will eat, not the serving size listed on the box)
**White flour breads and pastas have been my bane these past two months. I have been eating way too many pizza crusts, cheeseless personal pizzas and calzones, pastas, white breads and plain garlic knots, and as a result I have ZERO energy and extra pounds.
I don't like that at all
So I'm redoing my diet right. I'm stripping the walls and repainting my diet with a fresh healthy new rubric that will give me more energy and keep my muscles from flabbing out.
I'm going to Whole Foods and Native Sun today. Upon return (after ballet) I will write a list of great foods that are full of nutrients and will keep us full of fiber and flavor at every meal. Do you know of any good foods/brands? Share please!!
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Have your cake
And eat it! Because, what is the point of having cake if you can't shovel it into your mouth with a fork like a little kid at a birthday party?
On the other hand, cake isn't always in everyone's diet. It's certainly not in mine, but I have such a weakness for sweets. This morning, I am having dutch apple pie for breakfast. Gasp! It sounds so bad for me, right? Not this pie. Each of the 50 pies I have in my freezer are 140 calorie mini pies that are filling, nutritious and DELICIOUS!
Now, anyone who knows me, knows that I don't share my pies. But what I will share are my little secrets on how to get the most delicious desserts for 200 calories or less:
-http://www.lighttouchfood.com/store/
This site is where I order my pies from. They offer a wide variety of desserts and sweet treats like muffins, cheesecakes, cookies and brownies that are all sweetened with fructose and have less than 200 calories each. It seems expensive, but if you buy in bulk it saves a ton. I buy my pies in cases of 48, at just under $2 per pie. If you think about it, that's pretty cheap for a dessert these days, especially one that's good for you.
-P.F. Changs Mini desserts
They have 6 varieties of mini desserts that are sinfully delicious, but heavenly to your figure. I'm addicted to these, I swear! These include
Mini Carrot Cake
Mini Red Velvet Cake
Mini Great Wall (chocolate layer cake)
Mini Apple Pie
Mini Tiramisu
Mini Lemon Dream
(Tiramisu and Great wall are my favorites and they're only 100 calories each!)
-Homemade bananas foster
Oven baked bananas coated in cinnamon topped with a drizzle of chocolate syrup and some whipped cream. No sugar except in the syrup and whipped cream, and try to use low cal/low fat varieties of each to save even more calories for yourself.
Um, Can I have some now?
-Simply Delicious Cakes
This one is for my Jacksonville people, but there may be a similar bakery in other cities that offers a cake like this. Its a layer cake made only with Splenda instead of sugar, from the layers of moist cake to the mousse frosting. It is one of the best cakes I've ever tasted, and everyone who tasted some of the 6" cake I bought a few weeks ago never guessed (and still don't believe me) that its both sugar free and low calorie. Now I'm not an advocate for Splenda, but out of all of the artificial sweeteners, it is probably the least harmful option. Its okay every once in a while, and this cake is definitely worth it at 200 calories per slice (a good sized slice too!). It can be ordered in a variety of flavors and sizes so go see Theresa and pick one up today! (www.simplydeliciouscakes.com)
Tonight I had a PF Changs mini tiramisu for dessert. So good, I'm still thinking about it. :) I'm saving the mini great wall in my fridge for tomorrow unless I decide it's a pie kind of day!
Do you have any low calorie desserts you'd like to share? Please do! I'm always up to try new things that won't break my diet!
On the other hand, cake isn't always in everyone's diet. It's certainly not in mine, but I have such a weakness for sweets. This morning, I am having dutch apple pie for breakfast. Gasp! It sounds so bad for me, right? Not this pie. Each of the 50 pies I have in my freezer are 140 calorie mini pies that are filling, nutritious and DELICIOUS!
Now, anyone who knows me, knows that I don't share my pies. But what I will share are my little secrets on how to get the most delicious desserts for 200 calories or less:
-http://www.lighttouchfood.com/store/
This site is where I order my pies from. They offer a wide variety of desserts and sweet treats like muffins, cheesecakes, cookies and brownies that are all sweetened with fructose and have less than 200 calories each. It seems expensive, but if you buy in bulk it saves a ton. I buy my pies in cases of 48, at just under $2 per pie. If you think about it, that's pretty cheap for a dessert these days, especially one that's good for you.
-P.F. Changs Mini desserts
They have 6 varieties of mini desserts that are sinfully delicious, but heavenly to your figure. I'm addicted to these, I swear! These include
Mini Carrot Cake
Mini Red Velvet Cake
Mini Great Wall (chocolate layer cake)
Mini Apple Pie
Mini Tiramisu
Mini Lemon Dream
(Tiramisu and Great wall are my favorites and they're only 100 calories each!)
-Homemade bananas foster
Oven baked bananas coated in cinnamon topped with a drizzle of chocolate syrup and some whipped cream. No sugar except in the syrup and whipped cream, and try to use low cal/low fat varieties of each to save even more calories for yourself.
Um, Can I have some now?
-Simply Delicious Cakes
This one is for my Jacksonville people, but there may be a similar bakery in other cities that offers a cake like this. Its a layer cake made only with Splenda instead of sugar, from the layers of moist cake to the mousse frosting. It is one of the best cakes I've ever tasted, and everyone who tasted some of the 6" cake I bought a few weeks ago never guessed (and still don't believe me) that its both sugar free and low calorie. Now I'm not an advocate for Splenda, but out of all of the artificial sweeteners, it is probably the least harmful option. Its okay every once in a while, and this cake is definitely worth it at 200 calories per slice (a good sized slice too!). It can be ordered in a variety of flavors and sizes so go see Theresa and pick one up today! (www.simplydeliciouscakes.com)
Tonight I had a PF Changs mini tiramisu for dessert. So good, I'm still thinking about it. :) I'm saving the mini great wall in my fridge for tomorrow unless I decide it's a pie kind of day!
Do you have any low calorie desserts you'd like to share? Please do! I'm always up to try new things that won't break my diet!
Monday, January 31, 2011
Letting go or gearing up
Everyone has an off season, not just dancers, performers, and athletes. During this season, which I find myself currently in, one has to be incredibly self-motivated and self-disciplined in order to stay in shape.
I won't lie, this is REALLY HARD.
I do my hour a day in the morning so that regardless of what happens during the day I at least know I had an hour of cardio. But If I'm going to be open and honest, which I strive to be with you, my readers, I'll have to admit I haven't stretched in days, I haven't been to dance class in a week, and I barely had enough energy to finish my hour. And I feel lousy about it.
Its not that I don't have a thousand excuses, good ones, like school, work, and planning a wedding! But that doesn't change the fact that my first priority is as a dancer. I should be stretching every day, going to classes as often as I can, and hitting the Gym for more that an hour so I can get back to weight training like I know I should.
Its not just us dancers, performers, and athletes. Everyone gets busy, and everyone has times when fitness just can't come first.
I stress the importance of getting in your minimum. I've talked about this before. For everyone, a minimum amount of exercise is going to vary. For me, its an hour of cardio, for others its twenty minutes of a yoga dvd, for you it might be taking stairs to get to your office. Whatever you've set as your minimum, just make sure you get that everyday and you'll at least maintain some level of fitness.
If you find yourself, like me, in a rut where you're stuck on your minimum, here are some ways you can add to it, even on the busiest day of your life:
- go five more minutes. If you're about done, and you know you've hit your minimum mark, just push through for five more minutes. In five minutes, you can burn 50 calories on the elliptical, stretch your entire lower body, or tone one more muscle group. Trust me, it will be an amazing five minutes.
- work out at your desk and/or your work station. Find a minute here, five minutes there, whatever you can get. Do calf raises at a counter, upper torso twists in a desk chair or a couple laps around he office suite/school/building instead of or on a "smoke break." Trust me it adds up.
- You're going to love this one. Finish your workout in bed. Whether this means doing some situps or controlled leg raises in your pj's as you wind down for sleep or getting romantic with your husband or wife before you call it a night, these last minute calories burned are going to make a difference.
Today, I'm determined to stretch when I get off this elliptical, run through the set, work on choreography for my class tomorrow, and take a ballet class. I'm fortunate to have a day off from work today, and I hope that I can get all of this accomplished in between homework and errands.
What do you want to accomplish today?
I won't lie, this is REALLY HARD.
I do my hour a day in the morning so that regardless of what happens during the day I at least know I had an hour of cardio. But If I'm going to be open and honest, which I strive to be with you, my readers, I'll have to admit I haven't stretched in days, I haven't been to dance class in a week, and I barely had enough energy to finish my hour. And I feel lousy about it.
Its not that I don't have a thousand excuses, good ones, like school, work, and planning a wedding! But that doesn't change the fact that my first priority is as a dancer. I should be stretching every day, going to classes as often as I can, and hitting the Gym for more that an hour so I can get back to weight training like I know I should.
Its not just us dancers, performers, and athletes. Everyone gets busy, and everyone has times when fitness just can't come first.
I stress the importance of getting in your minimum. I've talked about this before. For everyone, a minimum amount of exercise is going to vary. For me, its an hour of cardio, for others its twenty minutes of a yoga dvd, for you it might be taking stairs to get to your office. Whatever you've set as your minimum, just make sure you get that everyday and you'll at least maintain some level of fitness.
If you find yourself, like me, in a rut where you're stuck on your minimum, here are some ways you can add to it, even on the busiest day of your life:
- go five more minutes. If you're about done, and you know you've hit your minimum mark, just push through for five more minutes. In five minutes, you can burn 50 calories on the elliptical, stretch your entire lower body, or tone one more muscle group. Trust me, it will be an amazing five minutes.
- work out at your desk and/or your work station. Find a minute here, five minutes there, whatever you can get. Do calf raises at a counter, upper torso twists in a desk chair or a couple laps around he office suite/school/building instead of or on a "smoke break." Trust me it adds up.
- You're going to love this one. Finish your workout in bed. Whether this means doing some situps or controlled leg raises in your pj's as you wind down for sleep or getting romantic with your husband or wife before you call it a night, these last minute calories burned are going to make a difference.
Today, I'm determined to stretch when I get off this elliptical, run through the set, work on choreography for my class tomorrow, and take a ballet class. I'm fortunate to have a day off from work today, and I hope that I can get all of this accomplished in between homework and errands.
What do you want to accomplish today?
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Impulses and aspirations
So my mom called yesterday, and told me to write about something in my blog that she saw in the grocery store. A couple in front of her on line at the checkout was buying two packs of fresh, healthy sushi and two bottles of juice. Good on you, guys. HOWEVER, before they got to the cashier, though I'm not sure whether it was planned or spontaneous, they each grab a Little Debbie cake off the rack next to the cash register, completing their meals.
Part of me wants to chastise them for succumbing to those devious checkout temptations, but the other part of me is really okay with this. There has to be a balance. I'm not saying Little Debbie is healthy for you, and on some level, they did "ruin" their healthy lunch with America's favorite snack cake. But if you're going to balance an oatmeal cream pie with an eel and avacado roll and some Odwalla juice, I'd say that's a pretty good lunch.
What we do need to watch out for are all of life's little temptations, like the the grocery store check out line. Just because it's there doesn't mean we have to take it. Just because it's a buffet doesn't mean we have to eat till it hurts. And most importantly, just because it's fat-free or sugar-free doesn't mean we should the whole thing in one sitting. I guarantee you its not calorie free.
The other thing that's bugging me today is kind of related to temptation in that I am being swayed into a particular direction or another. I am a girl who has many goals, and I usually keep them in a hierarchy so I remember what's most important to me at any given time. Today, I came to realize that I'm missing one of the most essential aspirations a person can have: happiness. I get so caught up with everything that I want to do, like be a successful, healthy dance, finish school, and get my novel published, that I forget that being happy takes more than "do."
I'm not going to get into this right now, but I am going to tell you that whatever your goals are here, be it weight loss, toning, general health, etc, just make sure that these goals and what it takes to get there make you happy.
That's all for today. If I can get my head out my book tomorrow, I will have much more to say.
Part of me wants to chastise them for succumbing to those devious checkout temptations, but the other part of me is really okay with this. There has to be a balance. I'm not saying Little Debbie is healthy for you, and on some level, they did "ruin" their healthy lunch with America's favorite snack cake. But if you're going to balance an oatmeal cream pie with an eel and avacado roll and some Odwalla juice, I'd say that's a pretty good lunch.
What we do need to watch out for are all of life's little temptations, like the the grocery store check out line. Just because it's there doesn't mean we have to take it. Just because it's a buffet doesn't mean we have to eat till it hurts. And most importantly, just because it's fat-free or sugar-free doesn't mean we should the whole thing in one sitting. I guarantee you its not calorie free.
The other thing that's bugging me today is kind of related to temptation in that I am being swayed into a particular direction or another. I am a girl who has many goals, and I usually keep them in a hierarchy so I remember what's most important to me at any given time. Today, I came to realize that I'm missing one of the most essential aspirations a person can have: happiness. I get so caught up with everything that I want to do, like be a successful, healthy dance, finish school, and get my novel published, that I forget that being happy takes more than "do."
I'm not going to get into this right now, but I am going to tell you that whatever your goals are here, be it weight loss, toning, general health, etc, just make sure that these goals and what it takes to get there make you happy.
That's all for today. If I can get my head out my book tomorrow, I will have much more to say.
Friday, January 21, 2011
What you eat
Is truly what you are. Right now, I feel sluggish and tired and I'm constantly hungry. Well, this is because I'm not eating enough protein and filling myself with white flour pizza with only a sprinkle of fresh mozzarella cheese and marinara. This is tasty, fresh, and somewhat healthy...but all it is is simply carbs. That's not the makings of a good diet, especially for someone who works out as much as I do.
So I'm going to use this blog to post some of the foods I am going to fill my diet with instead of pizza so that you can find some good-for-you, filling, and nutritious foods to cook and buy for yourself as well. My main goals are to increase my protein to help me have more energy for all of the dancing and working out I do, and to eat foods that have higher fiber content and less white flours so that I feel fuller throughout the day and don't graze at the pizza place, lol. Here are some ideas for myself and for you, since I'm sure I'm not the only one falling victim to the all white bread diet:
-FiberGourmet tomato bisque pasta with feta cheese
The company, FiberGourmet makes high fiber wheat pastas that taste just like the regular stuff but have over 14g of fiber per serving. This pasta makes me feel full and it's tasty, especially when I top it with my favorite sauce/topping combo. Instead of traditional marinara or tomato or Alfredo sauce, I love to top my pasta with Tomato Bisque soup. It has all of the Italian flavor of a tomato cream sauce but it is much healthier than a creamy sauce but offers more cheesy flavor and spices than straight up marinara. Then I top it with a small sprinkle of low fat feta cheese and let it melt on top. Yum!
-Teriyaki Tofu (or chicken) bake. Fill a square baking pan or casserole dish with a small layer of a mix of soy and teriyaki sauces. Then lay long cuts of tofu or pre-baked chicken cutlets in the pan so that they are half submerged in the sauces. Let the sauces bake into the tofu or meat at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. Serve either in lettuce cups, on brown rice, or with stir fried or steamed broccoli, sugar snap peas and carrots. Good stuff!
-Caprese flatbread. I like using Flat-out Flat breads (only 90 calories each and made with whole grain). These take less than 5 minutes to prep and only 10-15 minutes to cook so its perfect for my crazy schedule. I like to top these with soy or fresh mozzarella (never the regular stuff), diced or sliced tomatoes, low fat feta and basil. Low cal, high fiber, high protein and a perfect food for a snack, a meal or a post-workout pick me up.
-Crescent Burger-Moons. Ingredients: Boca vegan burgers (or if you like real meats you can use Bubba Burgers, Turkey burgers or anything that suits your tastes), Pillsbury crescent rolls, cream cheese. Roll the dough out from the can and spread cream cheese on the inside of the crescent rolls (laid flat). Slice the burger patty into strips and roll them up inside the crescent. Bake as directed. Enjoy as part of a meal or grab a few for the road on the way to work (you, know, so you...er I mean "I" don't spend all day noshing pizza).
I honestly think eating like this is going to do wonders for my energy levels, my fitness and muscle development and my overall health. Plus it's all delicious! Tomorrow night's dinner: Caprese flatbreads as an appetizer and Tomato Bisque pasta for me and ave before we head out dancing all night. That sounds like heaven, doesn't it?
So I'm going to use this blog to post some of the foods I am going to fill my diet with instead of pizza so that you can find some good-for-you, filling, and nutritious foods to cook and buy for yourself as well. My main goals are to increase my protein to help me have more energy for all of the dancing and working out I do, and to eat foods that have higher fiber content and less white flours so that I feel fuller throughout the day and don't graze at the pizza place, lol. Here are some ideas for myself and for you, since I'm sure I'm not the only one falling victim to the all white bread diet:
-FiberGourmet tomato bisque pasta with feta cheese
The company, FiberGourmet makes high fiber wheat pastas that taste just like the regular stuff but have over 14g of fiber per serving. This pasta makes me feel full and it's tasty, especially when I top it with my favorite sauce/topping combo. Instead of traditional marinara or tomato or Alfredo sauce, I love to top my pasta with Tomato Bisque soup. It has all of the Italian flavor of a tomato cream sauce but it is much healthier than a creamy sauce but offers more cheesy flavor and spices than straight up marinara. Then I top it with a small sprinkle of low fat feta cheese and let it melt on top. Yum!
-Teriyaki Tofu (or chicken) bake. Fill a square baking pan or casserole dish with a small layer of a mix of soy and teriyaki sauces. Then lay long cuts of tofu or pre-baked chicken cutlets in the pan so that they are half submerged in the sauces. Let the sauces bake into the tofu or meat at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. Serve either in lettuce cups, on brown rice, or with stir fried or steamed broccoli, sugar snap peas and carrots. Good stuff!
-Caprese flatbread. I like using Flat-out Flat breads (only 90 calories each and made with whole grain). These take less than 5 minutes to prep and only 10-15 minutes to cook so its perfect for my crazy schedule. I like to top these with soy or fresh mozzarella (never the regular stuff), diced or sliced tomatoes, low fat feta and basil. Low cal, high fiber, high protein and a perfect food for a snack, a meal or a post-workout pick me up.
-Crescent Burger-Moons. Ingredients: Boca vegan burgers (or if you like real meats you can use Bubba Burgers, Turkey burgers or anything that suits your tastes), Pillsbury crescent rolls, cream cheese. Roll the dough out from the can and spread cream cheese on the inside of the crescent rolls (laid flat). Slice the burger patty into strips and roll them up inside the crescent. Bake as directed. Enjoy as part of a meal or grab a few for the road on the way to work (you, know, so you...er I mean "I" don't spend all day noshing pizza).
I honestly think eating like this is going to do wonders for my energy levels, my fitness and muscle development and my overall health. Plus it's all delicious! Tomorrow night's dinner: Caprese flatbreads as an appetizer and Tomato Bisque pasta for me and ave before we head out dancing all night. That sounds like heaven, doesn't it?
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