Just a note to all my adoring (?) fans. ;)

Hi there my few followers. 

I have been very busy, and will continue to be very busy, with this catering job I have going on until Monday night. But I promise that when Monday rolls around you may be bombarded with pictures and lots of talk about it. :) 

The menu is fun, and I am making labels for the event with description and allergy tags for everything, and then even got all the stuff to serve and set up.  Did my last trip to the store today (I hope) and will be elbow deep in prep tomorrow. (and tonight)  I still have to work all day Sunday at my paying job, then when I get home I am building all the wraps, toasting them and cutting them in half, then setting them up on their trays while the meatball rolls are baking in the oven.  Then come Monday morning I will just need to reheat meatball rolls and bake the pigs in a blankets.  I am very excited. I love to cook for people and these guys seem really excited as well and that makes if more fun for me.

I am taking pictures as I go and will be putting them all together in fun posts when I get the chance. 

Love to you all!! 

Jaelanne

p.s. I am totally treating myself to a pedicure when this is all over. ;)  

Holy Chia!

 Have you ever tried something that just made you say "wow"?

At work we are now carrying a drink called Mamma Chia. This stuff is pretty cool.  if you look in the picture you can see the seeds in the drink. they are almost like the tapioca bubbles you get in places like fruitealicious and bubbles tea, but they are just chia seeds that have been absorbing the liquid that the sit in. Arcee (my 3 year old) had a reaction that cracked me up. Her eyes got wide and she rolled them around in her mouth and I was ready for whatever she spit out. But she LOVED it. In fact we damn near fought over the thing. It was fun to drink. So I got to thinking..... (because that is what I do best..)  I wanted to know more about chia seeds. I have never eaten them before, and knew that they grew those cool little chia pet things that I have had as a kid. (Im sure most of us have had one before, right?)

 

So, I went into research mode. First I started with what I was drinking. The blurb on the bottle did not give me much to go on. All it said was healthy for your soul and the environment and good for energy, vitality and strength.  But why?  and How??   

The nutrition label had a bunch of holes too. (but in a good way)  Organic ingredients. (not as important to me as all natural, but to be organic you have to be all natural, so that makes me happy.) Kind of high in calories for a drink for me since I have been trying not to drink my calories, but it is low in fat, and has zero cholesterol, and basically no sodium, a good amount of carbs, and 4g of protein.  Not bad. 95 mg of calcium, and 2500mg of Omega 3 too!  

At this point I am beyond curious, I am in full on go mode.  So when I got home I started looking up information about chia seeds.  I started with my trusty book. And I found...nothing. What?  Nothing?  My book has never let me down before?!?  

This Has gone to a whole new level.........

next is the trusty (?) internet.  

I found this: www.getchia.com/nutritional  I think a website that is named "Get Chia" can be trusted to have accurate information on chia seeds.  ;)

If you have some time check that site out, because I am only going to share the tip of the iceburg of benefits and knowledge about chia seeds. :) 

(copied from the website in their words and then my comments added. I take no credit for all this knowledge, just the putting it all together and explaining some of it.)

Nutritional Content
Nutritional Facts
Serving size: 20g (About 2 tbs):

Calories (Kcal) = 66
Protein (g) = 4.14
Total Fat (g) = 6.56
Saturated Fat (g) = 0.64
Trans Fat (g) = 0
Monounsaturated Fat (g) = 0.44
Polyunsaturated Fat (g) = 5.44
Omega-3 (ALA) (g) = 4.2
Omega-6 (Linoleic Acid) (g) = 1.24
Cholesterol (mg) = 0
Carbohydrates (g) = 7.5
Total Dietary Fibre (g) = 8.25
Soluble (g) = 1.07
Insoluble (g) = 7.18
Sodium (mg) = 0.42
Potassium (mg) = 140
Calcium (mg) = 142.8
Iron (mg) = 3.28
Phosphorus (mg) = 213.4
Magnesium (mg) = 78

Characteristics:

Light nutty taste, odorless, easy to add to recipes.

Chia seeds are an excellent source of fiber:

Thanks to its water retention capacity (WRC), its cationic exchange capacity (CEC), its organic molecule absorption capacity (OMAC), and its water absorption capacity (WAC), the fiber in Chia seeds has the ideal characteristics for the food industry, compared to other fiber sources such as flax seeds, vanilla sheath waste, and wheat bran.

Chia seeds as a protein source of high biological value:

Chia seeds contain 20% protein with all essential amino acids, which makes it a vegetal protein alternative with high nutritional, economic and versatile value.

**This is a big deal to me!  As someone that studies allergy and specialty diets it is great to find a non food source of a complete protein amino bond!  (that is not soy)   So far I thought quinoa was alone in that universe. :D

Chia Seed Benefits for Your Health

Chia is an evidence-based registered variety of Salvia hispanica L. and is nutritionally superior to flax and soy. Chia is the richest non-marine whole food source of Omega-3 and dietary fiber currently known to man.  Listed below are a few of the health benefits of chia seed.

**Again, that is huge!  the Largest non marine source of natural omega 3!  So for those that do not like fish or pill supplements, lets get you some chia seeds!  And without the marine source you can eliminate the risk of mercury.  I am currently excited about this. ;)

Assists Joint Function & Mobility:

With six times more calcium than milk, and with greater amounts of high-quality protein than the one found in soy, Chia also helps strengthen muscles and bones.

**A great idea for those of you that are sensitive to milk or dairy that need to get enough calcium in your diet!  

Improves Digestion & Natural Detoxification:

Chia can absorb a whopping 12+ times its weight in water – flax seed only absorbs 6-8 times its weight. Chia´s insoluble fiber reduces digestive transit time and removes toxins as it passes through the digestive tract.

**toxin build up in the intestines is a big factor in weight gain and water retention. So to be able to flush out the excess build up AND the toxins is very helpful to anyone. ;)

Supports Healthy Weight Loss:

Chia´s high fiber content and its ability to reduce blood sugar levels after meals inhibits the appetite, thus making it the perfect food for healthy, effective weight loss. Thanks to its neutral flavor and color, Chia integrates seamlessly into any healthy recipe.

** PLEASE be careful about what that says. It reduces the blood sugar. It does not regulate it or help you digest it. This could be a problem for those that are diabetic and have to regulate their blood sugar with insulin or those that are hypoglycemic. This could make your blood sugar drop too low too fast if you are not aware of this aspect of chia seeds.  (I am hypoglycemic and was wondering why I craved ice cream like crazy and got a headache about 30 - 40 minutes after I drank this. I did not realize why until I read this. Glad I know now.) 

Well, if you want a fun way to try chia seeds, then stop by your local Lifetime Cafe and pick one up!  And if it is a sunday and you are at the Lifetime Athletic location on Mockingbird and 75, then say HI to me when I sell it to you!  

Happy Eating, and HOLY CHIA!  ;) 

Female Turtle Brownies

I was making some brownies for an event I am catering on Labor Day and I love to make Turtle brownies, and love how they turn out, so away I started. Then I realized that I need to stay away from nuts for this event, so I just left the pecans out. (which is a bummer, because I like how they look with the half pecan on the top of each square. maybe I will do one that way and take a picture so you can see them.)

So what is a turtle with no nuts??  A female of course.  ;)

So they are officially Female Turtle brownies. (Because "Caramel Brownies" have been done before.)

 Here are the  caramel brownies from the oven. (missing the two little taster pieces, of course)

Then I made up some Caramel Frosting and frosted them. (I left a couple plain because Trey likes them better without the icing)

 

Turtle Brownies. Normally my turtle brownies will have pecan pieces in them, but these were just decorated this way to give you an idea of how they look in the end.  These are some of my best selling brownies. :)

Female Turtle Brownies =  Turtle brownies with no nuts.  (I crack myself up....)  ;)

 

I did a very good job and only ate a couple of these worth of pieces.  :D

So, to make up for it, I made myself a nice healthy lunch. Vegetarian even. A salad of spinach and salad mix with mushrooms, tomatoes, cucumbers, cottage cheese and just a little drizzle of my homemade honey mustard dressing. 

Then I reheated some left over minestrone.  yummy.  With a couple glasses of water and a blog later, I should be ready to tackle the rest of the cookies for the day.  :) 

Something for you to drool over.....;)

Have a good afternoon. 

If I have time I will upload pictures of the cookies I made. But I may just wait and show off all the platters when they are set up.  ;)

Chocolate and Wine.

For all the ladies out there.....

We have all been there....those days that we all hate.  We feel like eating everything in sight and crave chocolate and all those bad things for us. We bloat up and feel like crap.  It is so hard to keep to a weight loss plan or exercise when we feel like this. I went looking to see if there was any studies on the caloric difference in a woman's body during menstruation and found an article on the Livestrong.com site that I use to track my food and exercise. I wanted to share that with all of you. :)

*Food Intake

In the days before your period, it is likely that you are consuming extra calories. According to Weight Watchers, you intake an average of 100 to 200 calories more than usual before your period; however, the body compensates for these added calories by increasing your metabolic rate. Your metabolism increases about 5 to 10 percent in the days before menstruation.

  

*Calories During Menstruation

Physiologically there is no need for extra calories during your period; however, the food choices you make may be able to reduce the severity of the symptoms associated with menstruation. For example, FamilyDoctor.org recommends increasing your consumption of whole grain carbohydrates, fiber and protein while cutting back on sugar and fat. Reducing your intake of caffeine can reduce your mood swings and even reduce breast soreness. Eating smaller more frequent meals can also help reduce your symptoms.

(All I could think right here, was "great, just go ahead and list EVERYTHING I craved and ate today as the "Don't eat" list. I had coffee with my muffins, yes chocolate chip muffins to be exact, for breakfast, but was good and had a cobb salad for lunch and a tilapia salad for dinner. Then proceeded to have some milk and chocolate while doing this blog.  Go Me.  Tomorrow I will be wiser.)

*Bloating

Bloating is a common complaint for menstruating women. During your period, your body retains water, which leads to temporary weight gain. Limiting the amount of salt in your diet during the days before your period and during your period can help reduce the amount of water your body retains. Try to avoid adding salt to your food or eating extra salty processed foods. In general, you should try to limit your salt intake to between 1,500 and 2,300 mg per day.

*Food Cravings and Weight Control

Though it may seem like your body is telling you to eat more during your period, you can try to fight these cravings by choosing your food wisely. Certain foods can help keep you fuller for a longer period of time. High fiber foods absorb water as they pass through your digestive system, which can help fill you up for a longer period of time. Many high fiber foods also tend to be low-energy dense, which means you can eat a high volume without consuming a large amount of calories.

I love this suggestion to limit your salt and up your fiber. It is such good advice on a normal day, but can make such a big difference in water retention. So tomorrow I will have oatmeal for breakfast (oooooo, with some fresh peaches I have in my fridge too) and I will try not to have any coffee. (even though I just bought me more fat free coffee mate creamers that I love so much.) I will drink more water and try to stay away from salty things. I cant say the same for the sweet stuff because in between loads of laundry I will be making cookies and brownies for the dessert tray of the catering job I have for Labor Day. (wish me luck)  ;)

To counteract that, I should plan TWO workouts tomorrow. It looks like my schedule has the 10am fat burn fusion class that I love to do and then I can hit the gym again at 5:15 for the Fitness Pilates class after I walk to pick up the girls from school and help them with their homework.  That should erase the guilt of testing out cookies. ;)

Hope everyone has a great night!!  

Happy Menstruating to all you women out there! And remember to not let it get you down and ruin your plans for healthy living.    

 ***Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/441187-do-i-need-more-calories-during-my-period/#ixzz24tuPRgKk

Good morning!!

My whole life I have hated mornings.  I value my sleep and didn't like getting up early for anything.  But now I seem to enjoy them. It took a sunrise yoga class and walking my kids to school but I may have found my love for mornings. 
One of my other favorite things about mornings is breakfast food!!   Leave me a comment with your favorite breakfast food or recipe idea.  ;)
Have a great day!

Here Fishy, fishy, fishy.......

Today we went to P.F.Changs, and they have added some sushi to their menu. I got the Ahi Tuna crisps. They were delicious!  With some raw sushi grade tuna and avocados, they really hit the spot.  :)

  

I was planning on making a great post all about the pros and cons of cholesterol.......But I had a great lunch, and now I have fish on the mind. So, if you all don't mind, I am going to put off the cholesterol talk, and instead talk about fish! :)

(Get ready to take some notes!! Or just bookmark this blog post and that will save you a bunch of writing that I have already done.)  ;)

ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS.......

There are two essential fatty acids that the body cannot make on its own that it needs to function at optimum levels: Linoleic Acid (Omega 6) and Alpha-Linolenic Acid (ALA or Omega 3).  They are called such because the double bond in the fatty acid is on the 3 and 6 carbons in the chain. 

To the left is a diagram that lists the adequate levels of these for all ages. (This is a general amount and your doctor may recommend more or less then these amounts. Please listen to your doctors if they tell you different) 

Functions:  Fatty acids serve as part of cell membranes, play a role int he proper functioning of the immune system, vital to normal growth and development in infants and children, and the omega 3 fatty acids DHA and EPA are especially important for proper brain and eye development during pregnancy and infancy. 

Your body takes the ALA Omega 3 fatty acids and converts them into DHA and EPA fatty acids. (for you science geeks, that stands for: Docosahexaenoic acid, and Eicosapentaenoic Acid.)  The conversion of the ALA into DHA and EPA is very slow in your body, so you need to get them from a food source, and you can find these specific fatty acids in FISH!  ;)

Mainly fatty fish, the leaner white fish have very small amounts so its best to stick to the fatty fish for your DHA and EPA omega 3's  

Sources:  

Omega-6 

    Vegetable oils; such as corn, safflower, soybean, cottonseed, and sunflower oil. 

    Margarines

    Salad dressings.

(Most americans get plenty of this type of fatty acid. So focus on your Omega 3's.)

Omega-3

    canola, flaxseed, soybean, and walnut oils and ground meals.

DHA and EPA fatty acids:

Fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, sardines, halibut, trout and tuna. 

These are the richest sources of omega 3's in the diet!!

Here is a diagram of the fish that you can eat and all their numbers. It can help you choose a fish that best fits your dietary needs. :)

Now, just remember, normal cooking processes do NOT destroy Omega 3 fatty acids to any significant degree. Deep frying and high heat cooking does effect them more then others, so I would stick to baking or sauteing. (so you do not have to eat it raw like I did for lunch)   

ALL fish do have traces of mercury, so you should limit your fish to around 12 ounces of fish a week that is low in mercury, but only 6 ounces of fish that are higher, and do not eat shark or swordfish, etc on a regular basis.  (If you have questions about mercury levels in fish, just ask, and I can add that to the comments.) :)

So there is something for you to chew on.....

Happy Fishing!!  :)

Sources for information and diagrams came from: 

Nutrition for Foodservice and Culinary Professionals Seventh Edition 

by Karen Eich Drummond and Lisa M. Brefere.

First Day of School!

Today I got up early, made some coffee and walked, yes walked, my kids to school!!  It was so nice to get to chat with them on the way and watch the sun come up with them.  People that are up that early are just friendly people.  Everyone says good morning and hello.  

 My little one wanted a backpack and to get ready just like her sisters. So she had to be in the picture too. ;)

There is something so exciting about them starting school. I am excited for the walks to pick them up, and then after school snacks, and helping them with homework and getting Roxy excited about reading. :)

Hope everyone had a good morning!!  

Later I will talk about cholesterol.  (exciting huh?)

A day at work

I work on Sundays all day, and I love my job!  I get to help people get healthier all day. :)
But today I had the hardest time getting myself up and going. I felt like I left my brains at home. haahahaa
On the up side, we had a good day and things went well. I also had one hell of a good lunch. :D

 This is what I call the California Salad.  We have a sandwich that is called the California chicken. It has a whole chicken breast with roasted red peppers and Swiss cheese that is toasted to melt. then you add lettuce, tomato, and avocado. Its all on a ciabatta bun.  


 


The bread is very good but high in sugar, fat, and calories. So instead I just toasted the chicken with the peppers and swiss cheese and the cut in up and put in on a bed of lettuce with the avacado diced up.
Then I drizzled just a little of our house made ranch dressing and tossed some of our fruit and seed salad topper for some crunch.  It was very yummy!

I got to get my girls ready for their first day back at school tonight and then finally got to sit down and write in my blog.
No huge tidbit of nutritional knowledge for tonight, just sharing my good lunch.  We also go these new bars at work called Good greens. I had the chocolate coconut one and it tasted so yummy.  they greatest part is that it has a full days serving of fruits and veggies in it.  And its 100% clean!  All natural goodness.  I enjoyed that as my "just got off work" snack. :)

Well, I hope you all had a good Sunday!  

My late night sweet tooth.....

This is my biggest demon.  I have a sweet tooth from hell. It doesn't help that I'm hypoglycemic either.  Tonight I made s'mores.  Sort of.  15 grain toast with marshmallows and Hershey kisses melted with peanut butter.  I will enjoy it!  I'm hoping that the whole grains and the peanut butter instead of butter substitution will keep me from having too much guilt about it.  ;).

Good night! 

GOT CARBS?

Found this on Pinterest and thought it was great!  It is a very good and simple to understand breakdown of good and bad carbs and which to eat more of and less of.  Carbs are not your enemy, in fact, they are NECESSARY. You cannot function without them. They are your energy and your bodies basic fuel. So, start thinking about the top 10 carbs you eat, then see which catagory they fall into and give yourself a little test on "how good are my carbs".  If you want to share your results, I would love to see them!

Something for you to chew on!

Have an Energetic day!

Second breakfast.

This is my second breakfast.  Made in part by Tak and Roxy. (My 8 and 6 year old daughters). The girls wanted waffles. So I had one waffle with peanut butter and raw honey (instead of syrup) and some peaches and strawberries. Also had half a cup of fat free milk.  Just enough to sip at with breakfast. I only allow non water drinks for breakfast and try to be very minimal about it.  Then for the rest of the day its water.  And lots of it!  :)
Tak and Roxy also designed my plate for the picture. 

 






If you are tracking your calories try to aim for 50% breakfast, 30% lunch, and 20% dinner. 
(this is if you are only eating three meals a day. If you are on an eating plan that has you eating 5 or 6 times a day, or every 2 to 3 hours, then let me know and I can give you a percentage for those meal types.  I always suggest snacks throughout the day and will have a post just on healthy snacks later.)


(This is a screen shot of my livestrong app on my phone that I track my calories with. This is right after I tracked both breakfasts. I'm at 55%.)


 And don't forget a healthy dose of exercise everyday.  
Today's exercise for me is Zumba! Can't wait.  :). 

 So There is something for you to chew on!

Have a good workout today and let me know what you did!  :) 

Eat Breakfast like a KING! (or Queen)

Many different sources tell you that to have a healthy metabolism and help your body lose excess weight you need to keep this in mind:   

Eat breakfast like a KING (or Queen), eat lunch like a PRINCE(ss), and eat dinner like a Pauper.  

The reason for this is to get your body burning first thing in the morning and to sustain your energy for the day and then to taper off so that it will burn your excess fat for continued energy and needs through out the day and into the night. It is a very common mistake in dieting that you eat a very meager breakfast because you are motivated and being "good" on your diet, then maybe lunch is "good" too. Then around dinner time you are super hungry and craving sugar because your bodys blood sugar is low and it needs the energy. What happens next is that you lose your control and you snack and splurge on treats. Guilt hits next and then next day you do it all over again.  Well, STOP that!!  :)   I am here to tell you that you can eat breakfast like a QUEEN!  Get as many food groups in as you can in breakfast, with some good grains for the carbs and energy for the day, filling protein to get your metabolism burning for the day, and healthy fruit and veggies to fuel your immune system and bodies function.  

This is what I had for breakfast this morning. It is lacking in veggies because I eat crazy veggies throughout the day. (as you will see) ;)

 I had a 15 grain whole wheat piece of toast with a honey ham slice, cheddar cheese with an over easy egg and a slice of tomato.  Add the coffee and I am a happy girl. 
(This is still a small breakfast, but I eat twice, once when I get up, then once when I feed my kids breakfast. I will upload my second breakfast with description later.)

The importance of the over easy egg is not just a personal preference. There is natural vitamin D in egg yolk. The ONLY food source of vitamin D. But the kicker is that the vitamin D is destroyed by heat. (Ironic isn't it? Since the only other natural source of vitamin D is sun light.)
So poached eggs easy or over easy eggs allows you to retain about 90% of the natural vitamin D.  You also retain the cholesterol, but don't let that freak you out. (I will go into cholesterol in another post and tell you all the facts and myths about that. :)  For now just know that it is not the enemy you once thought.) 

Well, that is my tidbit of info for the morning, or as my mom used to say "something to chew on"  and since that pun works very well for a food and nutrition post, it may be my sign off for now. :)

So there is something to chew on.  

Have a great morning and don't forget to
 EAT BREAKFAST LIKE A KING! (or Queen)

Welcome

Hi there.  After much convincing by others I have started this blog.  I will be posting about food, nutrition, exercise, cooking for allergies, good places to eat and shop, and just overall healthy stuff.  Hope you enjoy it!   If you have any requests just let me know.  ;)