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JustLoseItwithBerta
Volume 1
Issue 16
04-22-2010
Dear ,
Another
week has come and gone, and I wonder what we all have to show for it? How is
everyone doing? My attention was drawn
this week to the many ways we excuse ourselves for making choices that do not
honor the truth of who we are. So, I
wonder what choices you made this week?
The news from many of my readers has me feeling thrilled that their
commitment to themselves is looking like solid weight loss. In addition, the
continuing updates from those who were inspired by my April 7th teleclass
to jump right in and get started-on a Thursday, no less, really made my
week! If you're a "Wait until Monday"
person, check out what I have to say about that particular brand of
self-sabotage in my very first blog entry on January 6th: Own Your Truth. Perhaps
you'll make the decision that this afternoon, Thursday, April 22 is the perfect
time to choose yourself. If
you missed the teleclass, you can still catch the recording at Get Started Losing Weight, NOW! I'm sorry to report that the
four-part class I offered on April 7th is filled. In fact, we began the series this past Tuesday
evening and the energy was amazing! Thanks to those who were able to register
and reserve a spot. I hope to have more
openings in future classes, so don't be too disappointed if you didn't get in
on this series. Meanwhile, please share your experiences by leaving a message on the blog, or on Facebook: Just Lose It with Berta. I love learning
about your triumphs and how you overcame obstacles during the week,
and I know from experience that all of us benefit from sharing with one
another. I am committed to supporting you on your path to improved health and
weight loss, so please, check in and let me know how you are doing it! The
topic for my blog this week is a little tricky because the last thing I want to
do is talk about something scary that could intimidate you down the road.
However, I believe it is important for you to know what obstacles are likely to
present themselves, so you will be prepared to handle them in your own
way. I don't want a shift in your
thinking near the end to bite you and leave a festering sore. Instead, I want
to remind you that I am here for each of you, and I will be happy to talk about
anything that threatens to sabotage your progress toward the new you. Follow
this link www.justloseit.com/blog to find
out what I am talking about and learn how
to come to terms with uninvited thoughts
that could begin gnawing at your peace of mind.
Tea Time with Berta: 
My
sister's friend, Stella, is trained like Pavlov's dog to react in a most
bizarre manner whenever a car is about to pull out of her driveway. "Wait," she yells to us, flailing her hands
about and running to the house. Minutes
later she emerges, arms laden with bags of snacks, "Here," she says, "take
these so you don't starve on the way." Now, it doesn't matter if the trip is
expected to last 20 minutes or four hours, the scenario is always the same.
The
last time this happened my sister was embarking on a one-hour drive. Out dashed
the frenzied Stella, rushing to the passenger side. Frantically, she began
stuffing food through the windows: nuts and chips, crackers and health bars,
apples and a nice sandwich, water to wash it down, and some lovely little
chunks of dark chocolate for "desert." My 97-pound sister's protests were met with the admonishment to keep the
food in the front seat, "just in case." In case of what? Did Stella really think that
my sister would suffer a sudden onset of interstate starvation before the
one-hour trip could be completed?
So
here is the question: are you the victim of a driveway pusher? Or, even worse,
are you "that woman" who has never turned a car away from her cooler? Do you harbor irrational fears that your
loved ones might suffer a moment of hunger on their voyage to and fro, from
your house to theirs? Or, when you pack
your car for a trip to the family reunion, do you squeeze in the children so
there's room for the chips, lest the fragile babes quietly perish from hunger
in the back seat?
Admit
it. We all know someone like this, or we are someone like this! What is it about a car ride that brings out
this kind of behavior in the best of us? Maybe there is a link to our ancestors, the nomadic peoples whose
survival depended on the seeds and nuts they carried to sustain them on their
uncertain journeys from point A to B. Maybe the urge to four-wheel dine is
imprinted on our reptilian brain; however, I'm pretty sure that in this day and
age, our bodies are tough enough to withstand a few hours of travel without
succumbing to certain death by starvation.
There
is another explanation for the Stellas of the world, who would never, by the
way, dream of eating junk food without wearing a seat belt! I believe in the existence of an undocumented
human instinct that compels us to place ourselves in the presence of "free food:" food that can be
eaten without any danger of caloric retention. "Free food" is prominent in
rituals, secular and religious. The breads and wines consumed as part of
religious rituals are "free," just as are the donuts and tuna salad sandwiches
consumed as part of the secular rituals like the road trip. Again, I am sorry to burst your bubbles,
folks, but I am here to tell you that "free food" is a myth, an urban legend!
Nothing in life is free!
All
kidding aside, please understand that every time you pack up the car with food
for your loved ones' pilgrimage back home, know for sure that you are teaching
your children to forever associate automobile travel with unhealthy overeating.
So, the next time a beloved friend or family member is venturing out of the
driveway, give them a kiss and have faith that they will survive without the
Slurpee and salami sandwich!
Did you know...
what to think the last time you came across an advertisement claiming that certain
berries on the market have amazing healing qualities, in addition to their weight loss benefits ? Let's see if these claims are legitimate. I thought I
would focus on the three berries that sound the most amazing. The Acai Berry
First of all, it is pronounced Ah-sigh-ee. The Acai berry is
off the charts in its antioxidant, or oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC)
value. A four-ounce portion of acai
berries has an ORAC value of 6576. This
is high, but the number won't mean anything to you until I compare them to some
other berries. Like most wild berries, they have an odd taste combined with a
hint of bitter chocolate (that's a plus!). You don't actually eat the berry
since it is 95% seed and the skin is used for all acai products.
Acai berries are usually consumed as a beverage. The majority of its calories come from fat,
with a four-ounce serving containing 100 calories and six grams of fat! So they are very high in anti-inflammatory
omega fatty acids (omega 9's) as well as iron, calcium, fiber, vitamin A, and
other antioxidants. Additionally, they are very low in sugar.
The acai berry is also known for its anthocyanins, a special
group of plant chemicals that are thought to have many health benefits. These
are also found in red wine, but the acai berry has 10 times more, with the
added benefit that you can drink it and still drive! The acai berry also contains phytosterols, a
plant component that is known to reduce cholesterol and help protect the immune
system from stress.
While I have not found any proof that it plays a role in
weight loss, as advertised, it is fitting that it is marketed as a weight loss
product, after all, it is very expensive to purchase in this country. These
berries come from Brazil where their juice is consumed more commonly and
popularly than milk because of the health benefits. The berry is not touted as
a weight loss aid in Brazil, I might add.
The Goji Berry
This berry is also known as the wolfberry. These berries are native to China and Tibet,
mostly. The berries are small and orange
and are filled with seeds. They taste like a cross between a cranberry and a
cherry. The goji berry can be eaten raw,
cooked, as a juice or wine, even as a tea or tincture.
The goji berry contains a wide variety of nutrients and
trace minerals, but it is not rich in any one, specifically. What it does have is an abundance of
beta-carotene and zeaxanthin. This berry
is used to treat inflammations, skin irritations, nosebleeds, and aches and
pains. It also helps with eyesight,
healthy liver function and sperm production! Goji is credited with improving
circulation and insulin sensitivity, reducing levels of blood glucose, total
cholesterol, and triglycerides.
 The Blueberry
The blueberry was known amongst Native Americans to have
magical powers; let's see why. The blueberry is native to North America as well
as eastern Asia, and it has an ORAC value of 2400 per four ounces. Blueberries
are rich in phytochemicals such as phenolic acid and anthocyanins, as well as
ellagic acid, a natural compound that has been known to inhibit tumor
growth. The blueberry has been found to
aid in memory and cognitive functions, such as balance and coordination. It is also an effective inhibitor of prostate
cancer and urinary tract infections.
The best thing about the blueberry is that it's available at
your local grocery store for a reasonable price.
Well, there you have it, the skinny(!) on three amazing berries and many,
many, reasons to eat or drink them! So
have at it!
My favorite things to eat!
Spinach with Raisins and Pine Nuts
Serves 4 to 6
Growing
up in Spain in the summers left me with some of my fondest food memories, especially my memories of pignoli nuts. When I
was young, my grandmother would give me a bucket to fill up with pine nuts. I
would climb a pine tree, open the cone and shake out the pine nuts, as well as
the snails, but that is another story! When I came to America as a young girl, I remember opening a pine cone
only to find it empty! I thought, How could this be? A country with empty pine cones? But the love of pignoli nuts is still with
me, so why don't you try them in this delicious, light and nutritious spinach
salad? Enjoy it for lunch, or as a side
at dinner. I love it as a stand-alone for dinner!
What you will need: 
¼
cup raisins
¼
cup pine nuts
3
tablespoons olive oil, plus an extra 1 to 2 teaspoons for the nuts (optional)
1
small onion, chopped
2
pounds spinach, tough stems removed and rinsed
Salt
and black pepper to taste
What you need to do:
In
a bowl, combine the raisins with hot water to cover and set aside to plump for
30 minutes.
In
a small, dry frying pan, toast the pine nuts over medium heat, shaking the pan
often, until fragrant and golden, 3 to 5 minutes. Pour onto a plate to cool. (You could also
toast in a 350'F oven for about 8 minutes or you can sauté the pine nuts in a
frying pan with 1 to 2 teaspoons olive oil over medium heat until golden and
fragrant, then transfer to the plate with a slotted spoon to cool.)
In
a large sauté pan, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until
the onion is softened and translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the spinach with
just the rinsing water clinging to its leaves and cook, turning and stirring
constantly with tongs, until wilted, 3 to 5 minutes.
Drain
the raisins and add to the pan along with the pine nuts. Stir well and season
with salt (very small amount) and pepper.
Transfer
to a serving dish and serve warm.
Bon Appetite!
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