Slow Roasted Pork Ribs

The other night I slow cooked some pork ribs in my roasting pan for the first time. I got the roasting pan from my sister for Christmas so there are things that I normally cook in my oven that I have gotten the chance to play with in my roaster.  

I kept it pretty simple and just used some honey smoked BBQ sauce and just a bit of Worcestershire sauce to thin out the BBQ sauce enough to get a good coat on the rib.
I put it in my roaster at 200 and let it go, I think it took about 3-4 hours, I do not remember exactly, but just let it go until it starts to fall apart. :)

 I pan roasted some potatoes with the skin on to retain the nutrients there and just sprinkled some olive oil, sea salt, and pepper. 











For the veggies I steamed some zucchini and carrots.
Since the carrots are bigger and tougher then the zucchini they were still a little crunchy, but in our house we prefer it that way. :)  If you want soft carrots, then you will need to start the carrots steaming and when they are about 70% to where you want them, then add in the zucchini. :)

It turned out really good and we ate all of it. My dogs were very happy they got some bones too. :)  We had some homemade bread with it as well.   

It was great to have on a rainy day because it made the house smell good and my kitchen warm.  

HAPPY COOKING! And eating. :)

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H2O "Challenge Accepted!"

Every cell in the human body is full of water. 
The ability of water to dissolve so many substances allows your cells to use the valuable nutrients, minerals, and chemicals in everyday processes. 
The average adults body weight is generally 50 to 60 percents water, enough to fill 40 to 50 quarts if bottled.
Even though many people think that fat has a lot of water in it, it is the muscles that have more water then the fat, so a lean person will actually have more water in their body then an obese one, and would therefore not need to worry as much about their water needs. Men tend to have proportionally more water in their body then women. For example: in a 150lb man, water accounts for about 90lbs and fat for about 30lbs, with protein, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals making up the balance.  
Where is the water in our bodies? 
Blood is 92% water, muscle and brain tissues about 75% and bone 22%. 

Dehydration is when your body water drops below 2% of its normal volume. (That is not very much)

Almost all body cells need and depend on water to perform their functions. Water is the medium for many metabolic activities, and also participates in some metabolic reactions. Water carries nutrients to the cells and waste away. Since 90% of blood is water, water maintains blood volume in your body, and also maintains normal temperatures. 

For example: When you exercise your muscles work extremely hard and creates energy and heat. Your body needs to get rid of the heat, so your blood circulates to the muscles, picks up the heat, and circulates to your skin where sweating takes place and you lose some of the water and heat. The result is that you cool down internally. Without enough water, this could nor work efficiently or properly. 
Water also aids in cushioning of the joints and internal organs, keeping eyes, lungs, and air passages moist.

Women who are adequately hydrated consume about 91 ounces of water a day from foods and beverages.
Men consume 125 ounces from all sources.
 
Typically about 80% of total water intake comes from beverages, the remaining 20% from your food. Your body has the ability to extract water from anything that you consume. Although some studies have shown that coffee, tea, and mainly carbonated beverages can cause toxins to transfer with your water. So the thought that it dehydrates you is not quite correct, but that it can deteriorate the quality of the water that your muscles and body absorbs.

Nearly all foods have water . Milk has about 87% water, Eggs about 75% water, meat can be anywhere from 40 - 70% water, breads around 35% water.

I found this great little calculator that you enter in your weight and activity and it tells you how much water you need.  I suggest taking that number and finding 80% and trying to drink that much water a day. :) That way you are leaving the other 20% up to your food. :)  If you want to aim for drinking all of it in water, then by all means. :)
Water consumption calculator!


 So, now that you know all the good information, let us think about the practicality of it, for me personally, I allow myself one non water drink a day, either coffee for breakfast or milk, then sometimes a glass of wine or whatnot for dinner. I personally stopped drinking sodas over a year ago and only waver once or twice a year. I found it very hard to give up but now I dont miss them at all. I notice when I do not get enough water, I feel lethargic and cranky. I have grown to have little taste for much else.  Except my coffee, I love my coffee. :)  
It is a challenge to try cut out the other drinks that are bad for you, but I promise it is one of those challenges that is only in the habit. Once you go for a time without drinking them, you wonder how you drank so many sodas, or poweraids, or whatever. :)

THIS is the challenge I give to ALL my readers: 

GO 5 DAYS 

drinking nothing but water save one drink a day. 

SO you can have your coffee, your tea, or your diet coke, or even your protein shake, or spark once a day but to fill the rest of your days with just pure water. 

Then leave me comments either here on the blog or my facebook page and let me know how you did. Did you succeed in all 5 days? How do you feel?  :)  

Take note to how often you will have to pee, this is the sign that all the other things you have been drinking have not been flushing out all the toxins that are in your body like pure water.  This also works best when you drink the necessary amount of water.  DO NOT JUST NOT DRINK ANYTHING!! :)

HAPPY DRINKING! (your water of course)

Have a great week! 

If you start your challenge today then you will be done Sunday. :)

Breakfast of CHAMPIONS!

I LOVE Breakfast! It is my favorite meal of the day. I love waffles, and pancakes and all sort of breakfast breads there are, and even as a culinary nutritionist I would never allow or condone cutting them out entirely, for it would make such a sad morning meal indeed.  :)

BUT, on the flip side, it should be kept in a balance, for with balance we can enjoy all sides of our food without feeling cheated or withdrawn.  





So, with that in mind, let us look into some of my favorite healthy breakfasts. :)

A good healthy breakfast has two requirements: PROTEIN, and FIBER. 
Protein can be found in eggs, ham, bacon, sausage, avocados, etc
Fiber can be found in oatmeal, cream of wheat, hearty breads, spinach, asparagus, etc.

The key to a good breakfast is to balance your companions. Every food has a perfect pair.  For example, vitamin C is better absorbed into your body if paired with calcium rich foods. Healthy fats paired with high sugared foods can help regulate the blood sugars.  As well, there is a balance between saturated fat, cholesterol, and fiber.  Saturated fat is a fat that acts as a gateway for cholesterol to enter into your blood stream, and fiber is how it is cleaned out of your blood stream. (Soluble fiber)  
SO, lets think about this in a much less technical termed way.   Saturated fat is any fat that comes from something with a face. For example, animal meat, and dairy products. Cholesterol is also found in these same sources. If paired with good fiber, then you can control how much of that cholesterol stays in your blood stream. Also not adding any extra saturated fats helps too, so light or no butter, light or not cheese, etc. 
Now, to the fiber. I have found that most people hear the word Fiber, and they get this look on there face that clearly reads "I'm not eating cardboard."  Not sure where that started, but fiber is in almost every fruit and vegetable! Apples are very high in fiber both soluble and insoluble fiber but not something that most people think of when I tell them that we need to get more fiber in their diets. :)  I love to pair with some tomatoes, spinach, onions, mushrooms, peppers, etc. They are all good forms of soluble fiber that pair very well with meats and cheeses. 

So, now some great Ideas!!
Shown above is:  Spinach, yellow bell peppers, and onions sauteed together with some olive oil, then put on plate, use the same pan to scramble one egg. (or two if you wish) then I put the tomato slices on top and an avocado. This one I mixed up some guacamole because the avocado was a bit ripe and I am not one to waste food. :)


Other breakfast ideas:   
Remember, you can use the same few ingredients in a bunch of different ways so not to get too bored with it. That is what leads to failed "diets:


Sourdough toast with omelet and a slice of herb brie





 



Omelet with cheese served with peanut butter and strawberry whole wheat crackers. (not really shown in that picture)

 Homemade honey white bread with eggs, ham, sausage, cheese and tomatoes. Not really high in fiber or vegetables, but this is normally what I eat when I need to go to the store. :)

 

spinach, peppers, onion, mushrooms with scrambled eggs with tomatoes, avocados, and ham and cheese. 

Now, before you think I am some crazy person that can eat this healthy every morning, just keep in mind that I do NOT eat this every morning. I allow myself 1 or 2 breakfasts a week where I just eat the happy comfort foods of breakfast. Normally a Sunday morning when I cook for the family. :)  

Balance in everything! :)  

HAPPY EATING!

And GOOD MORNINGS TO YOU ALL!

Done sweating? Time to EAT!

The other night I did some dead lifting for the first time ever and I walked away crazy hungry. It made me think. I have done many different kinds of workouts from the Zumba to the Yoga and the circuit classes, but this was a different type of workout and therefore needed a different consideration for eating. So I did what I do best. I researched!  :)  

So, first there is the science. :)
The combination of insulin and carbohydrates increase glycogen storage in the muscle which improves intensity and quality of subsequent training sessions. After exercise, however, the limited availability of amino acids and energy will limit protein synthesis. Therefore you need to get your protein in after a workout. This, it seems, everyone knows.  The question I have been asked the most, though, is how much protein?  It has been shown in studies that 20grams of Protein is needed for an optimal response. But as I tell my clients, anything is better then nothing. 
The amino acid Glutamine is also important as it helps the catabolic effects of cortisol. Glutamine is a potent stimulator of protein synthesis by increasing the pool of amino acids and encouraging hydration of the muscle cells.  It is good to get 2 to 4 grams of glutamine after a workout as well. 

Good sources of protein would be lean meats and nuts, low fat dairy products, and beans. (just remember that beans alone are not a complete protein)  Cow's milk proteins consist of 6 percent to 9 percent glutamine. Glutamine can also be found in bone meats, beans, spinach and parsley.  The glutamine amino acid found in meats and eggs are much easier to digest and break down then vegetarian glutamine sources. Although they are just as good for you, you would just need to eat more of it to get the effect. My favorite source of glutamine is spinach. :)

Glutamine helps hydration by pulling moisture into your muscles. This WILL dehydrate your internal organs if you do not hydrate well after your workout and if you are eating protein afterwards due to the glutamine in it.  So the next rule that everyone knows is to hydrate, but again, how much??  
You should be drinking a minimum of 50% of your body weight in ounces of water a day. Seriously. 95% of the population is walking around dehydrated.  If you are healing from a workout that was muscularly straining then you should look to get closer to 60% for the day.  Keep in mind that when you drink other things this does not count towards this amount and can sometimes hinder it. Diuretic drinks like tea and coffee can cause you to need more water. And sodas can cause your water to become toxic.  (I will make a note to devote a whole blog to hydration.) :)

Proper nutrition and hydration regularly spaced in balanced meals that deliver both high quality protein and carbohydrates and are packed with vitamins and minerals is the goal for every meal of every day. It is the meals in between the workouts that are just as important as the one meal after.

4 hours after your workout your protein synthesis increases by 50%
by 24hrs after your workout it increases to 109%.
It can take 36-48 hours for your protein synthesis returns to baseline. 
Under Nutrition will limit this process!!  
If the amino acids, vitamins, minerals, and hydration are not there then the building stops. Resulting in wasted training potential. 

I have had many clients ask me how much protein per day they should have, so I will include that as well.


Weightlifters/body builders/athletes = 1g protein per 1lb body weight






 

Swimmers/Cyclist/Runners, etc = .75g per 1 lb body weight








If you are over weight and wanting to lose fat and get healthier then you should calculate this based on your goal weight. 
If your goal weight is more then 50 lbs less then you are now then do it in stages of 50lbs or less at a time or you will be malnourished.

So, let me break this down into a way that non professionals can be comfortable with. :)

If you only eat properly right after a workout then you are wasting the chance of your body having an after burn effect that can last up to 2 days later!
If you can continue proper nutrition and hydration in between your workouts then you can increase your results and potential!  

So when your personal trainers and buddies are done kicking butt with you, then its time to see me. ;)   

 It is my job and pleasure to help you figure out how to love your food and change your life so that you are eating to better nourish yourself and obtain your goals.  (with as little powdered and pill supplements as possible)

HAPPY EATING!

We are all united in the same goal: to become stronger, healthier, and wiser. :)

For good sources of vitamins and minerals in your food, you can refer to my other post

 big list of Vitamins and Mineral Rich foods!

(yes, I just advertised myself, but I spent a long time on that list!) :) 

Adventures in Exercising......

Last night I had the pleasure of going out to a new gym here in town and meeting some fun people!  A friend of mine invited me out to an Open house for Paramount Strength and Conditioning.
I played on some Silk Ropes and did some barbell dead lifts.
I learned so much about barbell strength and conditioning and got to watch some really cool Silk Rope demonstrations by Moxie Mischief.  It was a fun filled night, and I encourage anyone in the area to check them out! They have quite a bit of knowledge and experience at their disposal and are very attentive. :)

Before this night I cannot recall ever dead lifting before.  He started me out with a 65lb bar and worked my way up to 135lbs! I Surprised myself!  Learning that I can do something that I had never thought of before is always an experience that I hold in high regard.  

(I added this after I posted the blog when I noticed that I had forgotten to post about this.)









Follow Them on their Facebook page for future open houses and events!! A must see here is Dallas! :)

https://www.facebook.com/paramountathletics

Owned and Run By Christian and Stephanie. :)

HAPPY EXERCISING!!!

Through trial there is strength. 

Italian Chicken with Cream Rice and Green Bean Almondine

 It is amazing what you can come up with making when you are too tired to go to the store and you need to pull together whatever you have to make dinner. 
I had:
Chicken
Can of diced tomatos
Frozen green beans
Almonds
Bell peppers
Onions
Rice
Milk




 
I sliced up the bell peppers and onions and tossed them in a hot skillet and let them saute. Then I added the raw rice and pearled it. (a term used to brown raw rice in butter or oil. In this case I used olive oil)
When the rice was a light brown color and and the bell peppers and onions were soft then you add the water and bring to a simmer then cover and steam until done.










I made a tomato cream sauce while the rice was cooking. I heated some oil in a small pan and then added some flour. I mixed and browned that a little then added some milk. Bring that to a simmer stirring constantly and it will thicken. I then folded in some diced tomatoes and a little of the juice and then added sea salt and pepper to taste.

 



Add the cream sauce into the rice and add some Italian seasoning to taste.











I baked the chicken with some lemon juice, olive oil and taragon on it until cooked through.

The green beans were frozen which are good if you make sure to check the label and make sure there is no added salt. I put the green beans into the hot pan while still frozen and sprinkled the almonds on top of them. Then cover. The water from the frozen beans will steam the almonds and cook the beans.  Then just season to taste. :)

HAPPY COOKING!

Let me know if you try this out and how you like it. :)

Give us this day........

BREAD! We all love it, and it is one of the most therapeutic things for me to make. I absolutely love it! i look back on my culinary school time in baking class when we made baguettes and french bread that was had kneaded for 15 minutes and most of the students hated that day, but it lit a fire in me that I have never been able to put out. I love the joy of making bread my hand.

This is my most recent loaf, and it came out so good I had to share. (don't fear, the recipe will be included)

 

I get all the dry ingredients in a bowl and mix it up, then all the wet ingredients in my large liquid measuring cup, then I mix them together until a ball, then roll out onto floured counter and knead into a loaf.

For this one I copped up the almonds and cranberries by hand as small as I could, but I did not mind a few larger pieces because I love that in my bread. I then mixed that with the honey, then mixed the honey/nut/berry mixture into the dry ingredients and mixed until it was all coated good.  Then I added the water and folded that in until it was ball, then rolled onto the counter to knead.

Due to the fact that I still only have one lonely loaf pan, I take about a 1/3rd of the dough and put it into my small circle cake pan. This makes a boule shaped loaf. 

I set them on the top of the stove with a towel over it and then turn the oven on to 350. This helps the bread proof and rise while the oven heats up.  I will let it rise until it has doubled in size. Depending on the weather and the temp of my kitchen, etc, that can take up to a couple hours.

Then bake for about 30-40 minutes. :)  I bake it until the outside gets a nice dark golden brown color and it is firm when you press the tops. :)

This recipe has been in my family for a long time.  Feel very lucky that I love to share. ;)

Happy Baking everyone!!