We are eating primarily vegetarian at our house this summer. Last year I bought a new grill and I definitely want to put it to good use, even if meat isn’t on the menu. My strategy is fire it up and fill it. I love having leftovers.

clockwise from upper left
portebello mushrooms; red potatoes, polenta, corn on the cob,veggie burgers, onions.

Here was my strategy. I prepared the vegetables and fired up the grill and threw on the small red potatoes cut in half. I basted them with olive oil and sprinkled them with chipolte pepper. Closed the lid and let the grill get to about 400 and let the poatoes cook for about 10 minutes.

Next? My favorite summer vegetable:  Corn on the cob. Basted with olive oil and sprinkled with sea salt and fresh ground pepper.

Then I add sliced store bought polenta. Again basted with oil. This I sprinkled with “tandoori seasoning”. An Indian seasoning that I buy this at the local international food store.

Next I added the veggie burgers and portobello mushrooms, basted with a combination soy sauce and Worcheshire sauce and a touch of sesame oil.

I then shuffled the potatoes up to the warming shelf to make room for the onions.

This supplied the two of us with at least five meals — including some amazing portobello sandwiches garnished with sundried tomato spread; Veggie burgers reheated and made into “patty melts” and polenta served with a dollop of bean dip on top.

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By Lori McKee, Guest Editor

When my cousin, who I call The Californian Dietitian (her real name is Jennifer Hudgens), mentioned on Facebook that she was enjoying a raw apple pie, I got intrigued about the raw diet and had to ask her some questions.

What’s a raw diet? A raw diet is one that is vegan/plant based diet/lifestyle where the foods are unprocessed and uncooked (when I say uncooked, the cooking temperature would not exceed 118 degrees)  Many people use food dehydrators, where foods can be prepared not exceeding this temperature.

What raw foods do you recommend (beyond obviously the delicious raw fruits and veggies which we’re all trying to eat more of)? I like raw apple pie and many raw desserts (they all are awesome!) for that matter.  I like them because they are naturally sweet without having to add sugar.  Some recipes call for agave nectar (a natural sweetener  which has been popular in Mexico for many years and has recently gained much attention here in the States due to its low glycemic index). Raw smoothies are also quite tasty.  I think raw foods are an acquired taste.  Some recipes are better then others.  I am still experimenting.

What are the reasons for eating raw foods? It just adds an interesting twist to eating.  I think it’s a good way to get more fruit and veg in your diet.  The nutritional advantages are:  high antioxidant properties, high vitamin mineral content since the foods are not “cooked”.  One exception is tomatoes (there may be others).  Cooking tomatoes increases the lycopene (powerful anti-oxidant) levels.  So tomato soups and sauces with tomatoes are quite healthy, if you are careful about the sodium content.  Raw foods are also high in fiber which makes them desirable for Americans because many of us lack fiber in our diets.  Raw foods contain heart-healthy fats such as mono- and polyunsaturated fats.  These fats come from the nuts, seeds and avocados which are common in the raw diet since the diet itself is vegan.  Note: some raw dieters will eat sushi/raw fish.  Enzymes, an important element of digestion, are not destroyed in raw foods.

Any precautions? Since the diet is vegan, there are really no precautions.  As I mentioned earlier, some do eat sushi.  So not to worry about other raw meats.  Some may have experienced bloating/gas from increased fiber.  I would say just consume more fluids/water.

Anything else we need to know? Not everyone who eats and enjoys raw foods, eats just raw food.  There are those who consume 100% raw, but that’s a small percentage.  I would call those the ‘die hards’! I was surprised that those who eat 100% raw do not take supplements.  I have spoken to those who have been 100% raw for over 20 years!  They denied taking supplements.  My theory is that since they consume such a large volume of raw food, they are probably getting all the vitamins and minerals they need.  They really do eat a lot!  And they actually look healthy. Some vegans do have that stereotype of looking ’sickly’, mainly because they are not balancing their diet correctly.

Where can we get more information? There are books available.  I don’t own my own yet.  I have just browsed the internet.  I’ve heard that Ani’s Raw Food Kitchen (http://www.aniphyo.com/) is good.  She offers easy-to-follow recipes for people with a busy lifestyle.

What are your qualifications, Jennifer? I am still experimenting and learning too.  I have a BS in Dietetics with a minor in Food Science.  I guess I know a little about food.

Here’s a link to a video of Ani Phyo preparing her raw apple pie recipe:   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3L4BDd4BrE

Lori McKee is a legal secretary in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

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One of the most difficult areas to deal with tempting food is at work. Here are a few strategies that you might want to employ.

NOTE:  Most likely you are going to be resistant to these ideas … perhaps because you don’t want to call attention to your diet.

I get it. But,I also get that you spend eight plus hours a day there and “willpower” probably hasn’t worked consistently. Am I right?

Be open minded as you read through the possibilities.

1. Clear the decks. No food needs to be within read or within your line of sight.
2. Limit and define — as in: “food only goes in the the breakroom” or  “birthdays are celebrated once a month.”
3. If “potlucks” are the order of the day — set a someone-has-to-bring-something-remotely-healthful rule. You may have to be that someone, but it is even better if it is co-opted into the routine.
4. Make a no-vending machine rule for yourself.
5. Ask. That’s right, speak up and ask if fruit salad can be included along with the morning pickup of donuts. Ask — if a sandwich/ salad box lunch can be provided instead of pizza.
6. Make an I-only-eat-my-own-food rule. This is the most effective strategy … it takes all the drama and temptation out of the ballgame. It forces you to plan and prepare; to anticipate your food needs; and to take complete responsibility for your choices. Do it for a week and observe the results. You’ll be glad you did.

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If you are following a weight loss plan and things are going really well, you may be tempted to commit to following those diet rules even during your vacation.

No!

Be practical! When reality peeks in, calorie counting will goes out the window. Then you’ll go “off the diet” and on the “anything goes” plan. Better to be realistic to begin with and make a plan that embraces vacation mentality – including: relaxing, enjoying the locale, and having a break from your regular routine.

How can you do that and yet not gain weight or slip back into unhealthy habits? By not insisting on following your regular diet rules and instead picking and choosing from these nine guidelines for a reasonably indulgent vacation diet...

(Read the article)

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At the local farmer’s market there is a kettle corn vendor popping and sugaring the kernels right there on the spot. One Reasonable Dieter told me she had a small bag, and it was worth every calorie. Really? I asked. How many calories was it?

Of course she had no idea. Which may not be a problem, if it is one-time thing… but if you convince yourself it is worth the calories and start having it every week, then you really ought to know the calorie count.

So here’s the scoop:

One cup of kettle corn = 100 calories.

Just for comparison purposes… a mini-bag of microwave popcorn is a five-cup serving, and a regular bag is usually about 12 cups.

Now is it worth it?

If you need to find out the calories for something and don’t journal on-line using a calorie-counting software…the easiest way is to just “Google” it.   In this case “kettle corn calories” got me the info I needed. Then I Googled “popcorn how many cups in bag” and came up with that information as well as a great article about popcorn and calories and how to make healthful choices.

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My husband has a challenge when buying me gifts: Because I’m afraid I’ll misplace it, I don’t wear expensive jewelry. Because I think money should be spent on things less transient, I don’t appreciate cut flowers. Chocolate, always an easy answer for some, is out of the question, unless … perhaps … well … maybe today … it is the perfect gift for me.

Renee was telling me about how her husband often liked to order appetizers when they were at a restaurant. “He asks so sweetly if I would like to order an appetizer. I feel like he is really doing it to be nice, and he gets kind of a sad look on his face if I say no. So the other day, I told him, ‘you can order what ever you want. Maybe I’ll have a little bit of it.’ He ordered these nachos that were just brimming with fat calories. I did have a few, and it wasn’t so bad – because I just ate less of my dinner. But I’d rather they hadn’t been on the table at all.”

Our relationships with other people with regard to food can be complicated, to say the least. Read more to find out solutions to this issue.

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I can’t believe how long it took me to learn this little tip and how much I use it now that I know it. So, I wanted to pass it on to you.

In most Windows programs or any program that operates on a PC you can reverse the last action you took by touching the “ctrl” and “z” keys at the same time.

Then you can repeat your last action by using the ctrl” and “y” key at the same time.

Magic.

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(from MayoClinic.com)

Dieting alone (without exercise) can help you lose weight. Cutting 250 calories from your daily diet can help you lose about half a pound a week: 3,500 calories equals one pound of fat. Add a 30-minute brisk walk four days a week, however, and you can double your rate of weight loss.

The goal of exercise for weight loss is to burn more calories, but exercise offers many other benefits as well. How many calories you burn depends on the frequency, duration and intensity of your activities. One of the best ways to lose body fat is through steady aerobic exercise — such as walking — for more than 30 minutes most days of the week.

Though regularly scheduled aerobic exercise may be best for losing fat, any extra movement can help you burn calories. Perhaps lifestyle activities will be easier to fit into your day. Think about ways you can increase your physical activity throughout the course of your day. For example, make several trips up and down stairs instead of using the elevator, or park at the far end of the lot and walk to the door.

(Sandra’s advice) Wear a pedometer and keep trying to beat your own average steps per day.

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You’ve heard it before… now hear it again!

oatmeal for breakfast =

30% less calories at lunch

According to Redbook (Nov. 2007) oatmeal for breakfast may help you shed weight. They say that in one study, participants who had oatmeal for breakfast ate 30% fewer calories at lunch compared to those who had cornflakes.

Oats are complex carbs, so they digest slowly and keep blood sugar steady, which fends off hunger and may help control type 2 diabetes. Oatmeal also acts like a sponge during digestion by soaking up excess cholesterol for faster excretion, which can lower risk of heart disease, says Dee Sandquist, R.D. an American Dietetic Association spokesperson.

Read more about my mindful eating experience with oatmeal.

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