The Eating Basics

Initially I was going to write about all about Choose My Plate, but then I realized there is a TON of information on the website that you should check out yourselves.  For this blog I am going to talk about what your plate should look like after you put food on it.  This is applicable for everyone (yes, kids too!) and it should be done at every meal.  Remember, you eat not for your taste buds, but for your body (sometimes the buds).  You need to fuel it to make sure you don't feel tired or sluggish - you want to optimize your metabolism right?

Well, hopefully this will help us get started.  Yes, us.  I am going to take a nutrition class in the fall, so maybe I will have more to say then, but for now I will tell you what I will be telling my clients.  Have you visited www.choosemyplate.gov?  It's kind of a big thing, and it's where anyone who is starting should go for their basic nutrition information.

There is no longer the food pyramid and if you are saying "whhhaaaaaaaat?" you may be a little behind the times.  I mean, I'm not far in front of you.  Nutrition and figuring out all this out is new territory for me, but hey, that's why I am going to school.  To help us both out.

Basically Choose My Plate shows how you should portion your foods no matter what or when you are eating.  When you look at your plate, divide it into four sections (like you would first start cutting a pizza--mmmmm pizza).  First, we'll discuss the left half.  That should be 30-35% vegetables, and 15-20% fruit.  The second half is debatable, from what I know, but it also probably depends on your body type and genetics (stupid genetics).  Anyway, the second half should be just about 25-25% for grains and proteins.  There is also a glass of dairy beside the plate for your daily dairy consumption.

Protein size choosing is hard, but here is some of what I know to maybe help you figure out what you need.  I've heard that the protein on your plate should be no bigger than the palm of your hand.  I know your body can't process more than 30 grams of protein at a time, and you should shoot for (if you work out regularly) 25g of protein per meal.  Does that help?  Probably not.  You can usually figure out via the internet how many grams of protein your food contains.

Remember to vary up your vegetables and fruits.  They all contain different minerals and vitamins that our body needs.  You should also vary up your protein sources, because with different proteins comes different additional benefits.

Anyway, you should check out the Choose My Plate because they have great tips and ideas to get you started.  They also have a nutrition tracker, and different ways to shop healthy on a low budget.  And as with many food sites, there are recipes and daily meal guides that are suggested.  If I find something really neat on the site, I might choose to write about it as a feature later.

Choose My Plate Poster and Tips  <<<<---- click here

BBQ ABC - how to not kill yourself.

Tis the season for Barbecuing meat.

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So as you may all know, it's summer, and with summer comes bbq!  Yummy, delicious, deadly barbecue.

 That's right.  Deadly.

Now that I have your attention here is what I mean.

You know that really yummy, slightly burned/smoking flavor that you get when you barbecue over woods.  Turns out that creates carcinogens, which are UBER bad for you...consumed in large amounts over time carcinogens have been known to cause those little DNA deformations that result in cancer.

So be careful this summer, and here is a copy of my BBQ tips from class.

BBQ  A-B-C’s

Use low fat meats or at least trim off all visible fat, to reduce flare-ups

Marinate meats before grilling them.  Reduces potential carcinogens by more than 90%.  Use at least one acidic component.

Precook meat in oven or microwave, then finish on the grill.

Don’t place heat source directly under the meat.  Placing coals slightly to the side means fat won’t drip on them.

Place aluminum foil or metal pan between the meat and the coals to catch the dripping fat.

If dripping fat creates a lot of smoke, remove the meat briefly.

Don’t use soft woods (pine chips) or mesquite.  They produce a very high heat.

Hard woods such as Hickory or Maple burn at lower temperatures.

Scrape off charred parts of meat.

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If you have questions, comments or concerns, FEEL FREE TO COMMENT!...please.

Thanks!

Remember, 

Keep Moving!