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November 14, 2010
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Healthy Thoughts/Healthy Actions Weight Watchers Newsletter #78 |
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Hi Everyone!
Since this is the newsletter prior to Thanksgiving I began thinking about those words...thanks...giving. Thanks for all I have been given...thanks will be given to others. Thanks! Then I recalled a friend I had an interesting conversation with awhile back about being grateful/thankful. His take on this concept was that you had to be religious or spiritual to feel gratefulness or thankfulness. This intrigued me. His thought was that you were offering up this gratefulness TO someone, and that someone must be someone higher than ourselves. I countered that one could simply feel oh-so-lucky to have all that we have: our health, our relative fortunes compared to most of the world, the glorious place we live, the love we have in our lives, the food on our plates. I am so so thankful for all I have and more, and do not feel the need to offer these feelings TO anyone other than the universe itself. I felt a bit sad for him that he could not seem to accept this philosophy. Then a week later he called me. He had been riding his bike down a no shoulder, dangerous road and when he got home he had to drive that road back to town. On his drive he saw that a bicycler had been hit and was being taken by ambulance from the very spot he had been twenty minutes prior. He was calling to tell me he was filled with a sense of thankfulness it had not been him! He got it right then and there. It wasn't about God, or religion at all. It was about owning what the world brings us and really savoring it.
I am hoping you all do not have to see an injured bicycler on a road you just successfully conquered to find the grateful place in your hearts. I am hoping that this holiday as you sit down with friends and family that you all do take a moment to go around the table and say out loud what you are thankful for. And I am hoping that each day, when you wake, you find something which makes you say to whomever is listening...thank you!! |
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MEETING TOPICS:
WEEKS OF
November 14 & November 21, 2010
The week of November 14 we will discuss how to
MANAGE STRESS!
I know none of you feel any stress this time of year, right? Ha! Most of us are stress eaters, so in this meeting we will explore the triggers which set us off, the choices we make when that happens and alternatives which work!
And the week of November 21st we will talk about LEARNING FROM EXPERIENCE
I am hoping the little boy above will make us laugh, because he represents an attitude we hold sometimes and are not even aware of it. Learning can not only be fun, it can be life-changing, profound, and the best gift we can give ourselves. What have you learned since joining Weight Watchers...about the foods you eat, the way you handle emotions, the attitude you have? What would you like to share with others? Please come to the meetings and let's all learn from each other's experiences! |
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RECIPES FOR THIS ISSUE
Since Thanksgiving is right around the corner I thought it would be wise to make this section full of ideas for creating a to-die-for Thanksgiving dinner, and not only make it healthy and low in points, but also so yummy that even the harshest "diet" crtiic will have no clue. Think its impossible...check it out!
THE TURKEY
Want to knock the socks off your in-laws? Smoke the turkey! It is so flavorful, and no real basting required, so all that butter is eliminated! Remember butter is 1 pt per teaspoon!!
Here's how to do it...
CRANBERRY SAUCE
So oftentimes we simply resort to opening a can and slicing out that generic cranberry "sauce". How about this year making this easiest of recipes from scratch. You won't regret it!
1 bag fresh (or frozen) cranberries
1 cup water
1/2 - 3/4 cup Xylitol (see my website product page for more information) You could also sweeten with Stevia to taste instead.
1 can crushed pineapple in its own juice
2 Tbl grated orange peel
Put all ingredients in pot. Bring to a boil and cook until cranberries mash up beneath your spoon. Crush some and leave some whole.
 MASHED POTATOES
This seems to be the make-or-break recipes for a lot of Weight Watchers. Butter, milk, and the potatoes themselves are pretty point laden. But this is so easy to make without butter, and believe it or not, no one notices!! I swear it!
Roast and chop many cloves of garlic
Boil up peeled and chopped Yukon Gold potatoes (this is important...use Yukons only. They are the most flavorful moistest potatoes you can find). Drain well.
Mix in chicken or vegetable broth: enough to thoroughly moisten the potatoes and make them mash-able. Add low fat milk, almond milk or (my favorite) low fat buttermilk to create a creaminess, but use sparingly. Add salt. pepper, the roasted garlic and whatever other spices you'd like.
STUFFING
Another dish that seems to test the mettle of members, the elimination of the majority of the butter is the secret. With broth and enough flavorful herbs, lots of chopped apple, mushrooms and onions, no one will notice if you use a 1/8th stick of butter rather than a full one...I promise!
 SWEET POTATOES
I know many of us are used to that over-the-top sweet potato, marhmallow, brown sugar concoction that has been on holiday tables since I was a kid. Well I started a new tradition with my family. I roast chunks of sweet potatoes in ther skin and I also make a small pan of roasted mini marshmallows. I put the marshmallows, a bowl of brown sugar and the potatoes together on the table, along with salt. pepper and butter, and let family members prepare their potato the way they'd like!
 BAKING THOUGHTS...
I realized in recent years that for me baking, whether it was the regular recipe or a lower points version, represented the same problem: tempting homemade baked goods. It doesn't matter if the muffins are 3 points or 6 points each, I will eat too many. My solution? Avoid baking UNLESS I am making something specifically for an event where lots of people will eat it (and ideally have someone in the kitchen with me while I bake...I need a chaperone!). And I often bake full fat/sugar versions these days because if I bake lower point goods I tell myself I can have more, which is a danger. This is me, however...use your judgment. This is the time of year we find ourselves baking up a storm. Do you really need to do as much of it? Does it derail your self-control?
If you are going to bake this season here are some lower point baking hints:
1) Use unsweetened applesauce instead of oil.
2) Use part egg white/egg beaters instead of all the eggs called for in the recipe.
3) Consider using an alternative sweetener for SOME (not all) of the sugar, such as Xylitol or Stevia.
4) Use mini chocolate chips, finely chopped nuts, so as to spread the flavor around, rather than having to use more of the big ones.
FOR LOTS MORE RECIPES GO TO MY WEBSITE RECIPE PAGE! |
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PRODUCT SUGGESTION
HIMALAYAN PINK SALT
A member metioned this salt she found at Trader Joes, which she felt was more flavorful and therefore you use less. I do find the easy grinder makes me just do a grind or two and it seems to do the trick. I like the ease of usage, and I have to admit cooking with pink salt makes me feel special somehow. And at a $1.99 it seems a luxury item at a bargain basement price.
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THE NEW PROGRAM!!!
I know that those of you who have been Weight Watchers members over the years have come to assume each year we will offer up something new, so you are not surprised when we announce the latest plan. Well, to me this is as revolutionary a change as the point system itself, or as the concept of Core foods. It is based on the most up to date information on the way our bodies lose weight, and I am thrilled with it!
I hope you will all plan to make it to a meeting the week of November 28th when we unveil it. Here is a wonderful teaser to get you intrigued...
click here |
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THANK GOODNESS FOR DUCT TAPE!!
David in Marin sent this almost unbelieveable story...
During a private "fly-in" fishing excursion in the Alaskan wilderness, the chartered pilot and fishermen left a cooler and bait in the plane. And a bear smelled it. This is what he did to the plane.
The pilot used his radio and had another pilot bring him 2 new tires, 3 cases of duct tape, and a supply of sheet plastic.. He patched the plane together, and FLEW IT HOME !
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NATURAL SWEETENERS
A member in my Petaluma group who is a scientist for the State of California has been doing research on sweeteners. Although there is a lot of information here I encourage all of you who are using alternatives to sugar to read about these 3 sweeteners: Stevia, Erithritol and Xylitol.
It's difficult to distinquish between what constitutes a natural vs. an artificial sweetener because even the so-called "natural" sweeteners, examples of which include Stevia (rebaudiana) and Erythritol, are processed and refined. Stevia is an herb in the sunflower family, and erythritol is a sugar alcohol found in some fruits. Stevia leaves have been used for centuries by native peoples in parts of South America.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which regulates the safety of artificial sweeteners, considers the stevia extract, rebaudioside A, and erythritol to be Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS). Although these two sweeteners are often marketed as separate products (e.g., Z-Sweet and Zero are comprised of erythritol, and Stevia comes in several forms: whole-leaf Stevia and stevia extracts), they also occur together in some sweetener products (e.g., Truvia and Pure Via).
Stevia itself is made up of a number of compounds, the two most important of which are stevioside and rebaudioside A. Stevia can have a rather bitter aftertaste. The only pure Stevia product I know of (aside from just using the leaf itself - whole or dried) is SweetLeaf. The Stevia that is found in Truvia and PureVia, for example, is the extract rebaudioside A (to isolate rebaudioside A, stevia plants are dried and subjected to an extraction process).
So - are these two sugar substitutes safe? It appears that used in moderation, they are relatively safe. They have the advantage in that, unlike sugar, they don't (greatly) affect blood sugar, don't cause tooth decay, and are almost non-caloric. According to the National Cancer Institute and other health agencies, there is currently no clear evidence that any of these sweeteners cause cancer or other serious health problems. There is some concern that Stevia may have adverse effects on the male reproductive system when consumed in large doses. These findings are based on studies in rats that were fed high doses; it is not known whether or not the same effects would occur in humans. There is also some indication that large amounts of Stevia can interfere with the absorption of carbohydrates (in animals) and may disrupt the conversion of food into energy within cells. More studies are being conducted to elucidate the safety of Stevia. Stevia has been widely used in many parts of the world (especially South American and Japan) for a long time. Some people have reported some gastric side effects (bloating, gas) following the use of erythritol, and there may be a few cases where its use has produced an allergic response, including itching and hives. These outcomes are rare, and have generally resulted only when consumed in large quantities.
These sweeteners, both alone and in combination, are now found in a number of commercial products, in addition to being available to buy for one's own home use. Probably the biggest health controversy is whether/not sugar substitutes contribute to weight gain and obesity. Animal studies have indicated that artificial sweeteners can cause body weight gain. A sweet taste induces an insulin response, which causes blood sugar to be stored in tissues (and including fat). It may also stimulate people to consume more calories. Again, like any sweetener, sugar substitutes should be consumed in moderation. Processed foods, which often contain sugar substitutes, don't offer the same benefits as do whole foods, such as fruits and vegetables.
Xylitol, also sold under brand names Xylopure and Xylosweet, like Erythritol, is a sugar alcohol. Other sugar alcohols include: mannitol, sorbitol, maltitol, and lactitol. Sugar alcohols are carbohydrates that occur naturally in certain fruits and vegetables. [For commercial purposes, however, sugar alcohols are synthesized in the laboratory]. Despite their name, sugar alcohols do not contain the alcohol (ethanol) found in alcoholic beverages.
As carbohydrates, sugar alcohols contain calories. Remember - sugar-free does not necessarily mean calorie-free! However, they often contain fewer calories than sugar. One teaspoon of xylitol has 9.6 calories, compared with sugar, which has 15 calories/tsp - so xylitol has approximately two-thirds the food energy of sugar. Erythritol, by comparison, is essentially non-caloric (0.2 cal/gram). Also note that because sugar alcohols aren't as sweet tasting as sugar, more must be used to get the same sweetening effect.
Because your body does not fully absorb sugar alcohols, they do not contribute to high blood sugar levels like regular sugar. Different sugar alcohols can affect blood sugar differently. For example, the glycemic index (GI) - which ranks carbohydrates according to their effect on blood glucose levels - is 13 for xylitol; for erythritol, it is effectively zero. Regular sugar (sucrose) by comparison has a GI of 60. Foods ranked low on the GI scale release glucose slowly and steadily without a sudden spike of glucose in the blood. A spike in glucose results in a large insulin release, which is more likely to store glucose as fat rather than use it as fuel.
According to the National Cancer Institute and other health agencies, there is currently no scientific evidence that any of the sugar substitutes cause cancer or other serious health problems. Some sugar alcohols (mannitol and sorbitol especially, and xylitol) may cause a laxative effect in some people. Xylitol in particular appears to have several health benefits: at a certain dose level, it inhibits the bacteria that cause tooth decay [and Xyltiol-based products are permitted by the FDA to make the medical claim that they do not promote dental cavities]; in addition, dietary xylitol may help prevent certain types of infections. And, several studies in animals have found that xylitol improves bone density. Do not feed xylitol or xylitol-containing products to your pets! There is evidence in particular that it may be toxic to dogs. |
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A letter from a reader in the UK asks...
Do you have any notes on mastering your metabolism?
To increase your metabolism...exercise! Specifically do resistance training: i.e. working with some sort of weights. Cardio exercise (running, etc) increases metabolism short term, but for long term results increasing your lean muscle mass is the secret. We burn 85% of our calories in a resting state (!) and to do that the most efficiently we need lean muscle.
I have also learned that the exercise is very beneficial to fighting certain types of cancer. When we exercise we increase our metabolism, which then moves everything through our bodies at a faster pace. If we ingest foods with harmful chemicals or pesticides and the food sits in our systems it has a chance to infect the cells. By pushing everything through us at a faster pace we keep our cells from absorbing the poisons and becoming cancerous. How's that for some very useful information!! I would think that alone would get people moving!
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Who Knew??
Thank you to Marcia from the Palm Drive meeting who sent this very entertaining clip...
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A HOLIDAY SPECIAL FROM
HEALTHY THOUGHTS/HEALTHY ACTIONS
What is your biggest dream? Is it to lose all the weight you need to lose, find a fantastic new career, meet the man or woman of your dreams, move to a new place, make a big, meaningful change in your life? What are the "reasons" these things cannot happen? Not enough money, no time, no training, no motivation, etc etc. All of us have dreams and many of us think they can never happen. I am a certified Life Coach, specializing in the field of weight management, but I work with people in all realms, seeking change and growth in their lives. Our biggest dreams are generally the ones we decide we cannot achieve, but as a coach my job is to take you from a place of disbelief and disempowerment to being the person who goes for it 100%.
The greatest gift you could give yourself is the gift of this forward journey. I am offering a half price special through the month of December 2010, and a discounted rate for continuing sessions after that. Contact me for more information. I offer a free half hour session to see how coaching works. I work primarily by phone, or you can come to my office in Sebastopol. What have you got to lose? Email me today! |
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Thanksgiving, after all, is a word of action.
~W.J. Cameron
Lots of love and joy to all of you!
~Janet |
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