Learning to Make Greens More Delicious

I hear you read that topic and go "Yea, right"! Can greens actually be delicious without bathing them in blue cheese? Recently, I have been exploring a lot more with vegetables, and I have come to the conclusion that you can make greens delicious. 

You Can't Out Exercise a Bad Diet? :(

Excerpt from article by Jodi on ChickSwagger

“I just ran for 3 miles, now I can have anything I want to eat!”

Hmm, I think we have all felt at one point that we “deserved” a treat because we workout. But…you can’t out-exercise a bad diet.

Leafy Green Vegetables Leading Source of Food Poisoning

A new study from the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that leafy greens, such as lettuce and spinach, are the leading source of food poisoning in the United States.

About 48 million Americans become sick from food poisoning each year, sending 128,000 to the hospital and causing about 3,000 deaths. Of the 48 million cases, about 20% were linked to leafy greens.  

By now you probably know that I am one of the biggest fans of spinach. Don't get me wrong, kale and collard greens and all the others are great, but I jut love spinach. So this news could be pretty worrying if you are like me and try to get most of your daily vegetable sources from greens.

However, it is important to note that the biggest killer among food-poisoning incidents was not leafy greens, but poultry. Between 1998 and 2008, 277 people died from eating tainted poultry, compared to 236 vegetable-related deaths. 

While that's not a considerable difference, at least it shows that there are multiple kinds of food that cause food poisoning in about the same amount as leafy greens.

So why am I telling you this? To get you off greens? Hell no. Greens contain a ton of fiber, vitamins, and minerals and incorporating them in your diet is one of the nest ways to stay healthy. But for those of us that drink a lot of green shakes, or make salads from pre-packaged greens, it is important to be vigilant and still thoroughly wash your greens before you eat them. I know, I know, what's the point of buying it packaged then, right?

Leafy vegetables are pretty difficult to thoroughly wash because they have all these tiny crevices and corners in the veins of the leaves. I know a lot of people (a.k.a West Africans) who chop the greens before they wash them, and then use some salt and really scrub. 

I mean like really really scrub. 

While that is probably a great way to get the greens clean, it may also cause you to lose a lot of the nutrients with the intense scrubbing action. And then you'd see like a whole bunch of leaves reduced to just pulp :( I would rather suggest thoroughly rinsing them whole with vinegar or salt before you chop them up (if you are chopping them up). This way, you get quantity and a good quality rinse :)

Oh, and while you are at it, thoroughly wash your meat and poultry too. Bacteria lurks in and around our food so it is essential to be very careful.

Cheers Eights & Weights!

Photo credit: Foxnews.com

Aren't all Juices Healthy?

Some juices should be called cocktails, not juices, because I think they serve to confuse the consumers more than help them. I understand that it is cheaper for manufacturers to produce these 'cocktails' since most of the ingredients are non-perishable synthetic chemicals that don't require effort to keep fresh, and thus can be sold for cheaper. However, the word 'juice' makes people believe they are in some form healthier.

Let's face it: not drinking soda does not mean a person is healthy. In fact, some juices are just as bad as soda, containing just as much sugar and not enough actual fruit. See below for an example of the ingredients in a product that is identified as a juice:

Yikes! All I see is various kinds of synthetic sugar, and then some small references to fruit somewhere in the center. If we're going by the rule that manufacturers identify the ingredients in order of quantity with the largest first, then this poses a major problem. You're basically drinking sugar drinking this juice. Now, if you didn't pay attention to the actual contents or the calorie information, and simply thought "Oh, great! Juice.", then you see how this could lead to some unfortunate decisions.

Okay, but if you shouldn't drink all juices, what should you do? First of all, pay attention to the nutrition content. If one glass contains upwards of 100 calories, ask yourself if it is worth giving up that many calories in your day for a drink. 

Second, do all of the calories come from its sugar content? Look at the ingredients. If it's stuff you don't know (What is Carnauba wax?), maybe think twice. Look out for the "100% pure" on the back with the list of ingredients, not on the front with the name.

Now, wouldn't that feel better? 100% fruit and vegetables sounds good to me. I would rather go for tomato juice and other vegetables than fruit because it contains less sugar and helps me stay fuller.

Thirdly, consider this: Can you make it at home? I know things that are properly packaged always seem prettier and juicier, but in reality, the juices we make at home are fresher, more natural, and contain more nutrients than the ones we buy at the store. Plus, you have the free reign to mix and match fruits and veggies as you'd like. The juice below contains spinach and carrots.

If you must buy juice though, some of the best options are 100% cranberry juice (known to prevent urinary tract infections), pomegranate juice (contains tons of antioxidants), and vegetable juices (low in sugar and calories). If you're not hell-bent on juices, another option to try is flavored water. It usally contains 0 calories and it tastes better than water.

Cheers Eights & Weights!

Photo credit: kitchensimplicity.com

Dressing Up Your Greens

Mama said eat your greens. And while mama is not always right (but don't tell her that), she is today. The only problem is that as humans we are conditioned to hate vegetables. So how do you get over that battle between what is right for you and what tastes good? Here are a few tips:

Wander outside your comfort zone: So every time you think of greens you conjure up images of your grandma force-feeding you collard greens? That doesn't mean collard greens are the only good form of veggies. Most large grocery stores and markets have a vegetable section. You can go there, walk around, and see what you find. They have everything from spinach to green peppers to asparagus. Even if you are currently eating greens you like, it is easy to get bored. Try something new!

Sweeten your greens: If what concerns you is the bitterness (I do come from a country where there is a leaf called bitter leaf), then you can add in some sweetness without spiking up the calorie content considerably. Pears, peaches, and bananas are a great additive for the sweet tooth king or queen. Other sweeter vegetables like carrots, tomatoes, and peppers can also be really tasty options to cover up the bitterness.

Spice things up: Okay, so maybe you don't have a sweet tooth, but you like your food spicy? The great thing about spices is that they usually don't contain very many calories. You can try putting in a tea spoon of olive oil to your greens with some hot peppers, basil, garlic, or onions. If you properly spice up your veggies, you may forget that you are actually eating veggies. Just remember not to overcook them and lose all the nutrients. You could also grill your vegetables. If you haven't tried that, that can be so much yummier than boiling them because they get that smoky taste.

Deceive your taste buds: Okay, so you've tried all that and still can't over the green hump. How about putting some veggies in your regular food to deceive your taste buds? For example, if you like burritos, replace the beans in your burrito with peppers and other vegetables so you get the nutrients in and you drive the calories down. Plus, you still have your meat :) Or if you like pasta, fill your sauce with carrots, peas, and even some chopped spinach. You still get that awesome tomato taste and you get the benefits of having the veggies as well.

How do you dress up your veggies?

Cheers Eights & Weights!

Photo credit: hearthealthyonline.com

Tips to Stay Fuller Longer

Food is one of or biggest issues. It's difficult to understand what to eat, when to eat, and how much to eat. The good thing is Eights & Weights is here to make the process less complicated :)

If you didn't know, there are foods out there that help you feel like you're full for a longer time. It is less about the nutrients and more about the feeling sometimes because we may have our 3 regular meals, and still feel like we need to eat even when we're really not that hungry.

So what are some of the foods you can eat or things you can do to fight that deceptive need to eat?

Chew sugar-free gum: Yes, I said that will a straight face. Chewing gum actually reduces the need to chew since you have something flavorful in your mouth. If you really are starving, that's a different issue, but if you just felt like you needed to eat, then the gum should help your brain have time to process that you really aren't hungry. Just make sure it's sugarless so you're not defeating the purpose :)

Eat your complex carbs: There is a reason we keeping forcing whole grain down your throat. Not only is it healthier, it keeps you fuller longer because it doesn't just ease through your digestive system. However, complex carbs are not only found in whole grains; you can also eat foods like sweet potatoes and vegetables to stay full. Complex carbs also tend to contain more fiber, which keeps you fuller longer and contains fewer calories than simple carbs.

Fruit it, don't juice it: When you eat an apple, do you notice you are fuller than when you buy a cup of apple juice? But somehow, the cup of apple juice seems to contain more calories because they say it is more concentrated. Hmmm... Here's what I say: Eat the apple rather than drink the juice. And if you must, blend the juice yourself. Because it comes out thicker, more satisfying, and more natural than buying it from a store. And guess what? You stay fuller longer.

Control the smells around you: When you're out, you can't really control other people, but when you're home, this is a great trick. Rather than have citrus, coffee, cupcake, or other 'foody' scents at home, stick to flowery or other non-food scents. The smell of food triggers your appetite.

Add lots of protein to your diet: You probably already know this by now: protein contains fewer calories than carbs and reduces the feeling of hunger later on. But it's not just any protein you should be targeting. Things like almonds and beans are your best bets. However, be conscious about how many almonds you eat because nuts do have a high fat content, and so eating too much could defeat the purpose.

Watch what you drink: Soda has so much sugar in it that it flows through your system pretty quickly, and then comes the slump. With the slump usually comes the desire to eat. Drinking lots of water, tea, and even dark cocoa help maintain that slow-releasing energy to keep you feeling full and refreshed.

Cheers Eights & Weights!

Photo credit: Womenshealthmag.com

Can you Make Vegetables Unhealthy?

People always say to me "But I eat my greens and I'm not losing weight!". But the way we eat our vegetables has just as much to do with the fact that we eat vegetables. In fact, when a lot of our mothers said eat your greens, they weren't necessarily eating them the right way either.

Deep fry errthang?

(That was my attempt at a southern slur) So if you've ever been to a street fair where they served fried Oreos and fried butter (I prefer not to think about it), you know that you can technically cover anything in batter and fry it. Indians can also testify that because a cauliflower is supposed to be good for you, a lot of people think if you fry it and make it into a fritter, it is still good for you. No no no. Fried foods are full of oil and whatever processed batter you used as a coating, which can add hundreds of calories to a simple piece of broccoli. Plus, you kill the great nutrients that the vegetable initially had. Vegetables are best uncooked or as close to uncooked as possible.

Butter is healthy, right?

Uhhhhhhh... I think you know the answer to this one. If deep frying is bad, butter is probably not the best additive for your veggies as well. This means you might have to find a new way to cook those Brussels sprouts if you are trying to stay healthy. Although Paula Dean begs to differ, there are other ways to make your veggies tasty without adding tons of calories from butter.

Where are the greens? 

So you started with green beans, added some ham to "give it some flavor", added some potatoes and curry to give it color, and before you know what, the veggies are overcooked and lost in the whole dish. Try to make your vegetable a side dish on its own, or make it the center of the meal. Hiding it or pushing it to the background usually leads to overcooking, less veggies, and more everything else.

Can I dunk it in cheese?

Ever bought one of those party trays for a football game at your friend's house in an attempt to be the healthy one? And then you opened the pack and realized that the blue cheese dip that came with it was just screaming your name? Or have you ever bought a salad, thought you were being so good, and then when they asked what dressing you wanted, you picked the creamiest thing on the menu? Yes, that's how they get us :( Kudos for trying to eat your veggies raw, but sometimes, the dressing we choose could nullify our efforts. Skip the cheese and go for the vinaigrette or just a dash - and I do mean a dash - of olive oil.

Oh, that's not a veggie?

No, corn is not a veggie. Neither are potatoes nor plantains. Some things are usually served as side dishes and we begin to assume they fall into the vegetable food group, but they don't. Look for leafy foods, sprouts, flowers, peppers, that sort of thing. And when in doubt, Google is your friend :)

Cheers Eights & Weights!

Photo credit: Thekitchn.com