Hey guys!!!!

Guess what! I miss you all, but that wasn't my news. Zumba is starting at my studio Mondays - Fridays at 7:00. I've got two great teachers who are tons of fun. I'm really excited!!!

Follow Up Class

We had a great follow up meeting on April 6th.  There were only 3 of us there and we missed the rest of you.  We talked about a lot of things but the focus was lapse vs. relapse.  Think about it.  A lapse is a temporary setback, but a relapse is permanently returning to old habits.  So don't get discourage if you have the occasional lapse.  If there is a pattern of lapses, plan for them.  Decide now how you will handle them.  For me, I plan to focus on my food tracking.  That always helps me stay focused on healthy eating.  See you all next month.  First Tuesday in May at 7:30, same place.  We miss you teacher.

exercise dvds and videos

Out of the 10 videos/dvds I checked out from Orem Library, here are the 2 I could recommend:

1. Island Girl (Dance Fitness Workout)

2. Miss Christy's Dancin' Jazz (Hot Moves for Cool Kids)

It was great to be with all of you!

This is a big deal!

One of my biggest issues is the food we feed kids in the school system. Jaime Oliver is totally one of my heroes and he's launching a campaign to change school food lunch. If you want to sign a petition to help bring this about go to the following link: http://www.jamieoliver.com/campaigns/jamies-food-revolution/petition

Need More Greens?

Check out greensmoothiegirl.com. Scroll down the main page to "View My Videos" and click on that.  It will take you to a video of making green smoothies. Sandy said they were good.  Just take the spine out of the kale to remove some of the bitterness.  Give it a try.  I am!

Grains!

This is all from the book The Dietitian's Guide to Polycystic Ovary Syndrome by Angela Grassi. The Publisher is Luca Publishing and the copyright is 2007.

She's got a pretty good section on herbs and supplements in her book as well but here's what she says about some of the different grains:

Amaranth. It's seeds have more protein, iron, potassium, phosphorus, calcium and magnesium than any other grain. It also has more of the amino acids lysine, methionine, and cysteine, which tend to be limited in other grains. The seeds can be used in bread recipes or popped like popcorn and eaten as a snack. If ground into flour, amaranth can be used if mixed with other flours in baking.

Bulgar. It's considered a pseudograin that begins as a whole wheat kernel but is boiled, dried, and cracked into small pieces. It's easy to prepare as it does not need to be washed before cooking and does not require stirring. It can be used in meatloafs, soups, stews, casseroles, and baked goods.

Flaxseed provides protein, vitamins, minerals, soluble and insoluble fiber, phytoestrogens, and is an excellent source of essential fatty acids. Flaxseeds are best digested when ground (use a coffee grinder) and should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge. Flaxseed can be used alone or as flour and are used in breads, muffins, crackers, and cereals. Milled flaxseed can be substituted for shortening or other oils and eggs. For every egg being replaced, mix 1T milled flaxseed with 3T water.

Kamut contains 8 amino acids, making it one of the grains with the highest protein content. It is also rich in Vitamin E and B-vitamins.

Millet. There are over 6,000 varieties of millet. It contains high amounts of protein, B-vitamins, vitamin E, calcium, iron, and phosphorus and 50% of the oil it contains is polyunsaturated. It can be used instead of rice in a pilaf or in stuffing or porridge.

Quinoa provides all essential amino acids making it a complete protein food and has approximately twice as much protein as regular cereal grains. It's rich in B-vitamins, vitamin A, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, fiber, calcium, and is relatively high in unsaturated fats. Quinoa is technically a fruit and not a grain. It's a fun alternative to couscous or rice. It's good in pilafs, risottos, stews, salads, or even desserts. Rinse before cooking to remove the bitter waxy coating. Cook it for breakfast with berries, nuts or cinnamon.

Spelt is rich in B-vitamins and contains 8 essential amino acids. It can be slow cooked and used in soups and stews like barley and can easily be substituted in recipes calling for rice. It can also be used in cookies, quick breads, and muffins.

Any of these grains would be a great alternative to oatmeal or mush for breakfast. The extra protein in amaranth, quinoa, flaxseed, kamut, etc gives the food staying power and will last you a little bit longer during the day. Don't forget we need 25 grams of fiber each day.

No Choc Chip Cookie for me.

I just have to share. I was so excited. The other day my daughter made chocolate chip cookies and I didn't want one!  I don't think there has ever been a time in my life that I didn't want a CC cookie.  I chose apple and almonds instead because that is what sounded good!  Go figure.  Thanks everyone in class for your support, especially you teacher!