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April 18, 2010
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Healthy Thoughts/Healthy Actions
Weight Watchers Newsletter #63
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Hi Everyone,
 Is it just me, or does it seem like this was the easiest winter ever? Now with spring exploding before our eyes, it occurs to me that this winter we had more rain than we've had in years, yet no power outages, long freezing spells, or big flooding. In fact, it seems almost all the extremely heavy rain happened at night, when we were safely tucked in our warm beds. And now...wow! The blossoms on my apple trees seem triple what they are most years. The streams on my walks gush almost violently, they are so full. Birds are everywhere: colorful and noisy, they welcome spring and the promise it brings. What about you? Has spring found its way into your heart and your step? Are you moving more, and beginning to move out of the heavy winter soups and stews zone, and into the salads and lighter choices mode? And what about springing back into the meeting room? We miss your smiling faces and warm support.
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MEETING TOPICS:
WEEKS OF
April 18 & April 25
 The week of April 18th the topic is
Success Even on the Weekends!
I know many of you have talked about how you can be the perfect Weight Watcher all week long and then...the weekend derails you. Let's explore different ideas of staying on course even when everything seems to call you off the wagon.
Developing Healthy Habits
is the topic for the week of April 25th.
Did you used to go to the drive through at a burger place to get your dinner or lunch? What do you do now? Did you used to buy a bag of chips to eat on the way home from the grocery store? What do you do now? What are the new habits we are developing that are not only helping us lose weight, but are behaviors we can keep alive of a lifetime if we choose? Let's explore what we are learning and what we need to do to make this a lifelong pattern. |
RECIPES FOR THIS ISSUE
When Rhea, in the G&G Market meeting, told us about this recipe last week for a crockpot lasagne that tastes like the real thing, the entire room went oooooo!! So here is the recipe. I did the math and if you sub ground turkey or chicken for the beef it comes out a point less per serving.
For more great recipes check out the recipe page on my website: HEALTHY THOUGHTS/HEALTHY ACTIONS RECIPES
LASAGNE STEW INGREDIENTS:
1 lb uncooked lean ground beef (with 7% fat)
1 small onion, chopped
3 medium garlic cloves, minced
28 oz canned crushed tomatoes
15 oz canned tomato sauce
1 tsp table salt
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1 1/2 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded, divided
6 dry lasagna noodles, no-cook
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, strong-flavored like Romano or Parmigiano Reggiano
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef, onion and garlic; cook, stirring frequently, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon as it cooks, about 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, salt, oregano, basil and red pepper flakes; simmer 5 minutes to allow flavors to blend.
- Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, stir together ricotta cheese and 1 cup of mozzarella cheese.
- Spoon 1/3 of beef mixture into a 5-quart slow cooker. Break 3 lasagna sheets in half and arrange over beef mixture; top with half of ricotta mixture. Repeat with another layer and finish with remaining 1/3 of beef mixture.
- Cover slow cooker and cook on low setting for 4 to 6 hours. Remove cover; turn off heat and season to taste, if desired.
- In a small bowl, combine remaining 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese; sprinkle over beef mixture. Cover and set aside until cheese melts and lasagna firms up, about 10 minutes. Yields 1/6th of dish per serving.
To boost your vegetable intake, add chopped zucchini, mushrooms and red pepper in tomato sauce to the meat mixture.
6 servings: 8pts each (make with ground turkey for 7pts per serving).
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PRODUCTS!!
The product meetings this past week were wonderful, so thanks to all of you who brought items in to share, or talked about their favorites. If you shared I would so appreciate it if you can email me the information about the product, as sadly I have forgotten much of your great ideas. So send them in so I can add them to the product list on the website.
Here are just a few:
TRADER JOES STRIKES AGAIN
TJ's Chicken Shu Mai
These little Chinese dumplings are yummy and 6 of them with sauce is 3 points. 3 servings per box.
At 7 pts for the whole box (2 servings), this is a great, easy frozen dish for those of you needing a healthy alternative to cooking.
For a more extensive list of products please visit my website:
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EAT THIS NOT THAT
I am continuing this column of healthier, low point alternatives to various types of foods we snack on, cook with, etc.
SALAD DRESSINGS: I generally do not actually use salad dressing, but rather I prefer to simply have:
Seasoned Rice Vinegar or Balsalmic Vinegar
or I mix Braggs Amino Liquid w/ balsalmic
but members have frequently recommended
Walden Farms http://www.waldenfarms.com/products/dressings.html
Newmans Own Spray Salad Dressings
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LET'S GET WALKING!!!
Okay, who will be doing the Human Race with me this year? It is May 8th, and you are done by late morning, so are free for most of the day. It is an easy jaunt around Spring Lake And your money ($25) can go to any charity you designate, which is cool, so there is no fund-raising required. The website is below.
If you are planning to join me please send a reply to the email. You'll have a great time and get some good exercise...think of all the activity points you'll get!
CLICK HERE: I WANT TO DO THE HUMAN RACE WITH JANET AND OTHER WW MEMBERS!!
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CHECK OUT MY WEBSITE AND BEYOND!
If you have not visited my website find out why it is a truly helpful addition to your Weight Watchers efforts.
My Products Page features dozens of low-point food suggestions from Trader Joes and lots of other markets.
The Recipe Page has been updated but I have kept some classics, including the to-die-for oatmeal pancakes I talk about all the time.
The Healthy Tips page has lots of great ideas which we talk about in the meetings, but you might need to have at your fingertips when you are not in the meeting room.
And The Blogwagon is the beginning of my blogging which has now gone off my website and onto a legitimate blog site: THE BLOGWAGON
And last, but not least, if you are coming to the meetings and finding yourself not actually taking the action you want to be taking to lose your weight, or maybe you cannot even seem to get motivated to come back to the meetings, maybe there is something deeper going on. I am a Certified Lifecoach, specializing in weight managment. I do free sample sessions and would love to talk to you about this or any other dream you have which is unfullfilled. | |
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