Five Elements and Cycles

The Five Elements and their cycles of balance and imbalance are the basis for much of Chinese culture. These elements were used for describing interactions and relationships between phenomena:

METAL (Jin)
Yin or Zang (Solid) Organ: Lungs
Yang or Fu (Hollow) Organ: Large Intestine

WOOD (Mu)
Yin or Zang (Solid) Organ: Liver
Yang or Fu (Hollow) Organ: Gall Bladder

WATER (Shui)
Yin or Zang (Solid) Organ: Kidneys
Yang or Fu (Hollow) Organ: Urinary Bladder

FIRE (Huo)
Yin or Zang (Solid) Organ: Heart and Pericardium
Yang or Fu (Hollow) Organ: Small Intestine and Triple Heater

EARTH (Tu)
Yin or Zang (Solid) Organ: Spleen
Yang or Fu (Hollow) Organ: Stomache

These five phases describe both a creation (sheng) cycle and an destruction (ke) cycle of interactions between the phases. These cycles are sometimes called "mutual production" and "mutual conquest". These are the cycles of balance.

In the generating or creation cycle:

METAL collects WATER
WATER nourishes WOOD
WOOD feeds FIRE
FIRE makes EARTH
EARTH creates METAL

In the controlling or destructive cycle:

METAL splits WOOD
WOOD breaks EARTH
EARTH absorbs WATER
WATER douses FIRE
FIRE melts METAL

If any of the elements are over abundant they can disrupt the balance. Fire can create Earth, but too much Fire will melt the Earth. Water can control Fire, but too much Fire will evaporate Water. These are the cycles of imbalance, the overacting (cheng) cycle and the insulting (wu) cycle.

In the overacting cycle which follows the creation cycle:

Too much METAL overacts WATER
Too much WATER overacts WOOD
Too much WOOD overacts FIRE
Too much FIRE overacts EARTH
Too much EARTH overacts METAL

In the insulting cycle which is the reverse destructive cycle:

Too much METAL insults FIRE
Too much WOOD insults METAL
Too much EARTH insults WOOD
Too much WATER insults EARTH
Too much FIRE insults WATER

from http://www.northernshaolinacademy.com/new/NsaQigongMeditationFiveElements.asp

Karate Breathing Meditation

This simple Karate meditation is fast, but powerful. It combines breathing, which has been shown to have significant effects on the mind, the body and one’s moods, with simple meditation, to help you become more physically relaxed and mentally centered. Whether you use it to prepare for physical battle or just a taxing day at the office, this quick exercise is a proven tool to help you feel relaxed, alert, and more ready for anything.

1. Sit in a comfortable position. While most martial artists use the ‘seiza’ (“say zah”) position, with legs beneath the buttocks with knees directly in front, many people find this position to be uncomfortable. If this is the case, you may also sit cross-legged ('anza') or in another position that’s more comfortable for you. 
2. Close your eyes, but keep your back straight, shoulders relaxed, head up, your eyes (behind your lids) focused ahead.  
3. Take a deep, cleansing breath, expanding your belly and keeping your shoulders relaxed, and hold it in for the count of six. Exhale, and repeat twice more. Then breathe normally, and focus your attention on your breathing. As you breathe, inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth, still expanding your belly rathern than moving your shoulders up and down.  
4. If your thoughts drift toward the stresses of the day ahead or of the day behind you, gently refocus on your breathing and remain in the present moment. Feel the air move in, and feel the air move out. That’s it. 
5. Continue this for as little or as long as you like, and you should notice that your body is more relaxed and your mind is more centered. Enjoy the rest of your day!

Tips:

1. As you breathe, let your abdomen expand and contract, rather than moving your shoulders up and down. This deeper breathing is more natural and similar to how babies breathe. It gives you increased lung capacity, whereas the ‘shallow breathing’ adults usually utilize doesn’t allow as much oxygenation of the blood. 
2. Don't breathe too quickly or too slowly; just breathe at a natural rate, but more deeply. 
3. If you find your thoughts drifting a lot at first, don't worry that you're doing it 'wrong'. Noticing that you've drifted and refocusing to your breathing is part of the practice, and something you're doing 'right'! 

What You Need:

• A quiet place
• A few minutes
• A willing mind

from http://stress.about.com/od/tensiontamers/ht/howtokaratebr.htm

Top 10 causes of stress and how to beat them

Stress is usually caused by too much pressure being put on us by others — or in some cases by ourselves — and if it’s left unchecked, stress can lead to an inability to function effectively, meaning a person will no longer be able to cope with the pressures placed upon them.


Cause of stress: Not having enough time
Frequently you can be running around all day trying to balance all your tasks at work and at home, yet still not manage to tick everything off your list. Sometimes this can be due to the demands that are placed upon you being unrealistic, but often it simply comes down to poor time management and not setting your priorities.

Solution: Learn to manage your time more effectively
It may sound obvious, but better time management really can reduce your stress. Many of us waste a lot of time doing unimportant tasks — so make sure you always prioritise your day and do the important jobs first. Also, do the jobs that you don’t want to do before moving onto the more pleasant tasks, as just thinking about unpleasant jobs can cause stress.


Cause of stress: Unhealthy lifestyle
While some people might adopt an unhealthy lifestyle due to lack of time — for example by turning to fast food because they haven’t time to eat properly — others may have an unhealthy lifestyle because they are already stressed — for example by turning to smoking as coping mechanisms. Whatever the reason, an unhealthy lifestyle can reduce your ability to cope with stress, and in some circumstances it may actually increase your stress levels.

Solution: Adopt a healthier lifestyle!
Having a healthy diet, doing regular exercise, and getting enough sleep means that your body will be able to cope with the stress that is thrown your way. Exercise in particular can be great for stress relief — especially if it involves taking your stress out on a ball or other inanimate object! Also, by knowing you’re leading a healthy lifestyle, you’ll be in a more positive frame of mind and will be better able to cope.


Cause of stress: Taking on too much
You may have a tendency to take on too much both at work and in your home life, perhaps because you don’t want to let people down. If you do this, however, it will frequently lead to you stressing about having too much to do and not managing to achieve everything you have taken on. Trying to take too much on will also mean you won’t be able to give what you do your best.

Solution: Know your limitations and don’t take on too much
It’s better to be honest and tell people what your true limitations are. This way, you can avoid getting unnecessarily stressed by not taking more on than you can comfortably handle at any given time. It’s better to be slightly cautious rather than end up doing more than you should be doing — and remember: it’s not a sign of weakness to ask for a helping hand, so seek help if you need it.


Cause of stress: Conflicts in the workplace or at home
If relationships are strained at home or in the workplace, then it’s more than likely that you’ll be stressed about them. Conflicts might occur due to disagreements about how things should be done — and so you might feel that you have to stand your ground to make progress — but ultimately a lot of hot air will only contribute to your stress levels.

Solution: Avoid unnecessary conflicts
While arguments may not wholly be avoidable, it makes sense to steer clear of or prevent conflicts whenever possible. There’s no need to be argumentative or confrontational; simply try to arrive at a solution that both parties are reasonably happy with. Always remember that frank discussion is better than bitter dispute.


Cause of stress: Inability to accept things as they are
Some people don’t have the ability to accept things as they are or realise that certain situations are out of their control. If you try to change something that you really can’t change, then you’ll just be creating unnecessary stress that you can do without. Plus, all that time spent stressing about it means you’ll be unable to concentrate on the other things that you could be doing — which may make you even more stressed!

Solution: Accept the things you can’t change
Changing a difficult situation is not always possible, and if that’s the case then it is best to accept and come to terms with the fact that you can’t do anything. It may help to talk a situation over with somebody else, as they may be able to help you see it in a more positive light or from a different and less stressful perspective. Talking over things can help to prevent your perception of a situation from getting out of proportion.


Cause of stress: Failure to take time out and relax
Being constantly on the go means that you will be in a heightened state of tension all the time and your body will never have the chance to get rid of your stress. Failing to take time out will also reduce your effectiveness in the long run.

Solution: Take time out and recharge your batteries
Taking a break may mean that you can perform much better afterwards, and as such you will easily make up the time you have used for relaxing as well as feel more refreshed. Even just ‘taking five’ can recharge your batteries and give you greater clarity of thought. Relaxation will help your body return to its normal healthy state.


Cause of stress: Non-work-related issues
Stress may be caused by a non-work-related issue such as a serious illness in the family, having to care for dependents, a bereavement, moving house, or debt problems. Often these issues are unavoidable and not something that you can readily deal with — but it’s worth trying to deal with them rather putting them off or trying to ignore them.

Solution: Take time off or change your working practices
If such issues are causing you stress and an inability to do your job, then it may be best to take time off to deal with the issues. If there’s an ongoing problem, then you could try to approach your employer to ask for more flexible working arrangements —which may allow you to cope better with those issues.


Cause of stress: Failure to see the humour in situations
Some people are often able to laugh in the face of adversity and seem to be able to brush aside problems and deal with them effectively. They essentially don’t allow themselves to become overly stressed! However, other people may not see the humour in some situations, and this may cause them to become more stressed.

Solution: Harness the power of laughter!
Adopting a humorous view towards life’s situations can take the edge off everyday stressors. Not being in ‘serious mode’ all the time can help you to have clearer thinking — and laughing has been clinically proven to lower blood pressure and reduce stress hormones. So, try to see the funny side of things!


Cause of stress: Particular situations that cause stress
Becoming stressed in some situations is sometimes unavoidable, and inevitably there are situations in which we can expect to be stressed from time to time, such as in the workplace or when you’re stuck in traffic and you need to get somewhere quickly.

Solution: Avoid situations that place you under stress
The way to avoid or minimise some of the stress you may be under is to stay away from situations that stress you out. For example, if you get stressed when you shop in the supermarket, try doing your grocery shopping online instead. If, however, a stressful situation is unavoidable — such as being in the workplace — then try to follow some of the other tips in this article, which will help to ease your stress.


Cause of stress: Major life changes
Significant changes in things that we have become accustomed to can be a real cause of stress. For example, changing your job or moving house may be among the most stressful things you will do in your lifetime — which is possibly why most of us try to do it infrequently! Also, the process leading up to the change may be stressful in itself.

Solution: Welcome change as a challenge
If you see change as a positive rather than a negative challenge, then any stress that accompanies the change will be less likely to affect you. A new job or new home, for example, should be viewed as new beginning, and should be something to look forward to rather than fear.


Preventing stress …
There are many causes of stress, as we have seen, but by following some of the realbuzz.com solutions suggested here, you should be better able to deal with stress when it arises. Alternatively, if you avoid or deal the causes of stress that we have outlined, you could even avoid stress before it occurs!

from http://www.realbuzz.com/articles/top-10-causes-of-stress-and-how-to-beat-them/#1

RECIPE - One Point Chocolate Muffins

• 3 c high fibre bran cereal (ie. All Bran, 100% Bran, Bran Buds)
• 1 box (19oz) reduced fat brownie mix (ie. Betty Crocker Reduced Fat Brownie Mix, Krusteaz Fat Free Brownie Mix)
• 2 1/2 c water
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder 

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Spray muffin tins with non-stick cooking spray or use paper liners.
2. Pour 3 c of bran cereal into large mixing bowl. Pour water into cereal and mix to dampen all the cereal.
3. Allow the cereal and water mixture to stand up to 15 minutes, until the cereal has soaked up all the water and has a mushy consistency.
4. Pour the dry brownie mix into the cereal and water mixture. Stir until well blended.
5. Fill the muffin tins about 2/3 full with the brownie mixture. Bake at 350F for about 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
6. Allow to cool for about fifteen minutes. Makes 30 one point muffins.

What is a Medicine Wheel?

Posted by Brian on March 19, 2010

A medicine wheel is a sacred hoop that within holds all medicine and meaning, It was given to the masses as a means of meditation and sacred healing. There are many different stories and lore centered around this wheel due to the many tribes and other groups that use it.

However, i use it as a way to go within. A means of transportation from this vibration to any of the many other ones. As my medicine wheel represents and holds the colors of all people, white, red, yellow and black it also holds their magical presences of fire, water, air and earth. The center however goes into to two directions of up and down-or the underworld and upperworld or heaven.

As this was a gift from God or creator to so many people it holds the great power of all things, by its magical and spiritual presence it also holds their medicines of earth medicine, spiritual communication, counseling and meditation all of which should be combined together to make ones self whole. This and much more is what the medicine wheel was given to the people for. As it is a gift from the creator nothing negative can surpass its great powers.

It is said that the western bounderies-the blackness is where great warriors go to live eternal(die). But, as I have said this is even good magic for death is not the end it is only the beginning. People of great stature in the past have stopped being in the now, but yet their deeds and words live on-this isnt death this is life, for the words and deeds live even stronger than when they were of the living. This is also told through the medicine wheel for the sun or yellow which rises in the east also dies in the west-only to be reborn another day.

The story of creation and life is told in the medicine wheel as well as one follows the wheel clockwise from its uppermost corner. Look and See the infancy of life that lies in the whiteness of the north only to be followed by the yellowness of ageless learning, followed by the wisdom of the red road and the redness of elder knowledge and unconditional love, followed by the blackness of the west and the end of ones life cycle. All this is shown through the medicine wheel. As I said to me the wheel is the story and creation of all things and how all things work together as one. This is the medicine wheel-OHO

from http://intuitiveguru.wordpress.com/

Why Plants Are (Usually) Better Than Drugs

by Dr. Andrew Weil

I have always been fascinated by the difference between plants and the drugs that are isolated from them. This goes back to my student days at Harvard in the 1960s, where I received my undergraduate degree in botany, and then went on to medical school. It's rare -- too rare, I have to say -- for botanists to become doctors. The experience gave me a unique perspective on health and medicine.
For four decades, I've been skeptical of a prevailing belief in Western medicine: when a plant shows bioactivity in humans, we must attribute that effect to a single, predominant compound in the plant. We label that the "active principle," isolate it, synthesize it, and make a pharmaceutical out of it. Then, typically, we forget about the plant. We don't study any of the other compounds in it or their complex interactions.

This belief persists for two reasons. First, it makes research much easier. Single compounds can be manufactured in pure, standardized dosages, which simplifies clinical trials. (However, technology has largely solved this problem. Modern growing and processing methods make it possible to produce standardized, complex, whole-plant-based medicines. Clinical trials of these compounds have become quite sophisticated, especially in Europe.)

Second, and this is clearly the major reason, it makes drugs far more profitable for drug companies. Isolating and synthesizing a single molecule allows a drug company to patent that molecule. Making slight chemical modifications allows further patent potential. Such exclusivity can be worth billions, whereas a whole plant offers little opportunity for profit.

Expensive as it is to the consumer, this faith in "single-agent" drugs would be acceptable if they actually yielded better results. But the fact is, the natural, whole plant often has both benefits and safety that put the isolated compounds to shame.

Medicinal plants contain a wide array of chemical compounds. At first, this looks like chaos, but more investigation reveals a distinct order. Natural selection pressures push a plant to "try out" variations on molecules to enhance the plant's odds of surviving stressful environments. So, often, one molecule is present in the greatest amount and has the most dramatic effect in a human body -- but along with it are variations of that molecule in the same plant.

For example, for several years, I did ethnobotanical study in South America, researching native uses for coca leaf, which most of us know only as the source of the isolated, problematic, addictive drug cocaine. For Andean Indians, whole coca leaf is the number one medicinal plant. They use it to treat gastrointestinal disturbances; specifically, for both diarrhea and constipation. From the perspective of Western pharmacology, this makes no sense. Cocaine stimulates the gut, it increases bowel activity, so obviously it would be a good treatment for constipation, but what could it do for diarrhea except make it worse?

However, if you look carefully at the coca leaf's molecular array, you find 14 bioactive alkaloids, with cocaine in the greatest amount. While cocaine acts as a gut stimulant, other coca alkaloids can have precisely the opposite action, they inhibit gut activity.

This means that when you take the whole mixture into the body, the potential is there for the action to go in either direction. What decides it? The state of the body, which is a function of which receptors in the gut's tissues are available for binding. During my time in Andean Indian communities, I collected many reports about whole coca's paradoxical, normalizing effect on bowel function, and experienced it firsthand, as well.

Herbs like coca that can "tone" the body and bring it back to homeostasis are known as adaptogens, a term coined by Soviet physician and scientist Nikolai Lazarev in 1947. Examples include schisandra, reishi mushroom, eleutherococcus and ginseng. Asian ginseng, for example, has an array of active constituents known as ginsenosides. One of them, Rg1, can stimulate the nervous system, while another, Rb1, has been found to calm it. But even this is an oversimplification. Other constituent cofactors apparently increase the adaptogenic properties of ginseng, making the therapeutic whole more than the sum of its parts. Ultimately, this non-specific response boosts resistance to stress -- whether the stress is physical exertion, infection, or some other problem.

So using whole-plant remedies is a fundamentally different -- and, I would argue, often better -- way to treat illness. In Western medicine, we typically give the body no choice. We use single compounds that, essentially, shove physiology in one direction.

Let me be clear -- sometimes, that is very appropriate and valuable, if the body is dramatically out of balance and must get back on track very quickly. For example, during a case of anaphylactic shock, there is no time for the body's receptors to select specific effects, so a drug such as pure epinephrine can be lifesaving.

But in many cases, particularly with the chronic, degenerative diseases of modern civilization, there is time to allow the body to participate, to choose just what it needs. As it slowly heals, it can develop a new balance; a dynamic equilibrium that helps it cope with stress in the future.

Human beings and plants have co-evolved for millions of years, so it makes perfect sense that our complex bodies would be adapted to absorb needed, beneficial compounds from complex plants and ignore the rest. This is an established fact in nutrition, but the West's sharp distinction between food and medicine somehow blinds us to these properties when it comes to botanicals. The most successful medical philosophies make no such division -- Okinawans, the world's longest-lived people, believe that the food they eat is "nuchi gusui" which roughly translates as "medicine for life."

So I will continue in my lifelong skepticism, and persist in my belief that plants are (usually) better than pharmaceutical drugs.

from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/

Dietary Dos and Don'ts

Earlier this year, Michael Pollan posted a request for reader’s rules about eating. Within days, he had received more than 2,500 responses. Here are some of Pollan’s 20 favorites:

1. Don’t eat egg salad from a vending machine.
2. Don’t eat anything that took more energy to ship than to grow.
3. If you are not hungry enough to eat an apple, then you’re not hungry.
4. Eat foods in inverse proportion to how much its lobby spends to push it.
5. Avoid snack foods with the “oh” sound in their names: Doritos, Cheetos, Tostitos, Ho Hos, etc.
6. No second helpings, no matter how scrumptious.
7. It’s better to pay the grocer than the doctor.
8. You may not leave the table until you finish your fruit.
9. You don’t get fat on food you pray over. (Meals prepared at home, served at the table and given thanks for are more appreciated and more healthful than food eaten on the run.)
10. Breakfast you should eat alone. Lunch you should share with a friend. Dinner, give to your enemy.
11. Never eat something that is pretending to be something else (artificial sweeteners, margarine, etc.)
12. Don’t yuck someone’s yum. There is someone out there who likes deep-fried sheep eyeballs and, well, more power to them.
13. Make and take your own lunch to work.
14. Eat until you are seven-tenths full and save the other three-tenths for hunger.
15. I am living in Japan and following these simple rules in preparing each meal: GO HO – incorporate five different cooking methods, GO SHIKI – incorporate five colors, GO MI – incorporate five flavors.
16. One of my top rules for eating comes from economics. The law of diminishing marginal utility reminds me that each additional bite is generally less satisfying than the previous bite. This helps me slow down, savor the first bites, stop eating sooner.
17. Don’t eat anything you aren’t willing to kill yourself.
18. When drinking tea, just drink tea. I find this Zen teaching useful, given my inclination toward information absorption in the morning, when I’m also trying to eat breakfast, get the dog out, start the fire and organize my day.
19. When you’re eating, don’t talk about other past meals, whether better or worse. Focus on what’s in front of you.
20. After spending some time working with people with eating disorders, I came up with this rule: Don’t create arbitrary rules for eating if their only purpose is to help you feel in control.

From http://www.mercola.com/

Granola Bars - Yum!

These granola bars are 1 point/exchange each...

Eat Local!

Thirsty?

Here are some ideas for low calorie/no calorie beverages:

• Water - try putting a bit of lemon or lime juice in for a change 
• Tea - Serve hot or cold over ice. Caffeinated or decaffeinated. Different varieties come from the same plant (Camellia sinensis) but vary in the fermentation process and include black, green, white, and oolong. Herbal tea isn't really a tea as it comes from different plant sources but still tasty all the same! I don't use any dairy/whitener but sometimes "sweeten" my tea with E.D. Smith Syrup or Erythritol.
• Coffee - Serve hot or cold over ice. Caffeinated or decaffeinated. Try new flavours like Irish Cream, Chocolate, Hazlenut, or French Vanilla. Again I don't use dairy or whitener but there are sugar free coffee syrups available - caramel, chocolate, vanilla, irish cream and more! 
• Diet Pop/Soda - most of they are sweetened with aspartame except for the ones below...
• Zevia - Dr. Zevia, Cola, Gingerale, Orange, Black Cherry, Twist, Ginger Root Beer (sweetened with stevia + erythritol)
• Diet Crush Orange, Diet Crush Grape, Diet Cream Soda, Nestea Zero, PC Free & Clear (sweetened with sucralose)
• Nestea - Field Berry, Summer Peach, Citrus Tea, Lemon Green Tea, Pink Ribbon Lemonade, White Cran-Raspberry, Pomegranate Blueberry, Apple Gogi, Pear Mangosteen
• Crystal Light - Dark Cherry Pomegranate, Lemonade, Original Iced Tea, Raspberry Ice, Strawberry Orange Banana, Lemon Lime, Tangerine Grapefruit, Pink Lemonade
• Jello - Yes, sometimes I'll make up a package of sugar free jello and pour some into a cup and drink it!
• Club Soda with Juice - Use a bit of lemon, lime, or grapefruit juice to flavour the soda. Orange juice would be okay as well but it has a few more calories. Try this with diet Sprite, diet 7-Up or diet Gingerale as well...
• Hippy Gingerale - Cut up a ginger root into a 4 cup measuring cup and pour boiling water over it. Let it cool then add a bit to a glass of club soda (I usually put in a bit of E.D. Smith syrup and some lime juice to spice it up a bit!) Originally from http://berrybluetoes.blogspot.com/2009/06/raw-gingerale.html

RECIPE - One Point Hearty Chili

2/3 cup (½ package) of seasoned ground tofu (or you could use 6 ounces of lean ground turkey)

1/2 medium onion, diced
1 (28-oz) can diced tomatoes
1 medium zucchini, diced
1 medium yellow squash, diced
1 cup black beans
1 (15-oz) can vegetable broth
2 celery stalks, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp liquid smoke
Salt to taste

Pop everything in a slow cooker and cook it on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours. 1 cup is equal to 1 point/exchange (approx 60 calories)

BMI (Body Mass Index)

For adults, a healthy BMI is between 18.5 and 24.9. A person with a BMI over 24.9 is considered overweight, and a person with a BMI under 18.5 is considered underweight.



What to do...

It is also important to understand what happens when you skip a meal or go on a crash diet. When you skip a meal your metabolism slows to conserve your energy. And when you lose weight too quickly for a few days, your body thinks it is threatened with starvation and goes into survival mode. It fights to conserve your fat stores, and any weight loss comes mostly from water and muscle.

Regulating your blood sugar level is the most effective way to maintain your fat-burning capacity. Never skip a meal, especially breakfast, and eat healthy snacks between meals. Eating frequently prevents hunger pangs and the binges that follow, provides consistent energy, and may be the single most effective way to maintain metabolism efficiency.

When you will be away from home or work, plan your snacks and take them along so that you will be able to eat regularly and won't be tempted by junk food. This may be good advice for people who stay at home, too.

But remember that it was probably snacking between meals that caused you to become overweight in the first place. It will be very important that any snacks are healthy; that they are pre-portioned so you won't be tempted to overeat; and that meal sizes are reduced to compensate for the additional calories the snacks provide.

High fiber snacks and meals also help to regulate your blood sugar level. The fiber slows down glucose absorption and your rate of digestion, keeping your blood sugar level more consistent and warding off feelings of hunger. This makes eating apples and oranges a better choice than drinking (pulp free) apple and orange juice.

From http://www.caloriesperhour.com/

Watch Out!

• Simple Carbohydrates: Because of their small molecular size, simple carbohydrates can be metabolized quickly and are therefore most likely to cause an insulin surge.
  Simple carbohydrates include the various forms of sugar, such as sucrose (table sugar), fructose (fruit sugar), lactose (dairy sugar), and glucose (blood sugar). Watch for the "-ose" ending.
• Hidden Sugar in Processed Foods: Watch for "hidden" sugar in processed foods like bread, ketchup, salad dressing, canned fruit, applesauce, peanut butter, and soups.
• Sugar in Beverages: Be aware of the amount of sugar in beverages, especially coffee and soda pop. It can add up quickly, and most such drinks aren't filling.
• Fat-Free Products: Sugar is often used to replace the flavor that is lost when the fat is removed. And as if that's not bad enough, without any fat to slow it down the sugar is absorbed into your blood faster.
• Cereal Box Claims of Less Sugar: Many newer cereals do contain less sugar, but the calories, carbohydrates, fat, fiber and other nutrients are almost identical to the full-sugar cereals. The manufacturers have simply replaced sugar with other refined, simple carbohydrates.
• No Sugar Added: It doesn't mean that the product doesn't naturally contain a lot of sugar. 100% fruit products often contain concentrated fruit juice, still another form of fructose or sugar.
• Table sugar (sucrose) is often said to provide "empty calories" because it has no nutritional value other than providing fuel for energy. Honey and other more natural sugars, on the other hand, are often considered to be healthier because of the trace vitamins and minerals they provide. Still, for weight loss purposes, all of these sweeteners can simply be treated as sugar.

From http://www.caloriesperhour.com/

Ice Cream - Yum!

The Yogurt Plus (only the Madagascar Vanilla) is 1 point/exchange per 1/2 cup (more bang for your buck!) and the Skinny Cow Sandwiches are 2 points/exchanges each but well worth it!

Chapman's Yogurt Plus
Madagascar Vanilla Bean





   

Nestle Skinny Cow Sandwiches
Chocolate, Vanilla, Cookies & Cream

The Truth About Diet and Weight Loss

I agree that your health should be based on lifestyle and not something that's temporary (ie. a diet). When you make healthy changes, make sure you can you can stick with them for the rest of your life in order to be successful...

RECIPE - Quick Cauliflower Soup or Quick Broccoli Soup

Hands-on time: 15 minutes
Time-to-table: 25 minutes

4 cups vegetable broth
1 large onion, chopped (about 2 cups)
2 dried bay leaves
1 head cauliflower OR 1 pound of broccoli crowns and stems, chopped into small pieces (or frozen cauliflower or broccoli)
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat a large pot on medium high. "Saute" onion and bay leaves in a small amount of additional vegetable broth. Cook until onions begin to soften and turn gold, stirring often. Add more broth if necessary to keep the onion from sticking to the pot.

Add cauliflower or broccoli, adding more broth if necessary. Let cook, turning occasionally for 1 - 2 minutes. Stir in broth and bring to a boil. Lower heat and cover and cook for 5 – 10 minutes or until the vegetables are fully cooked. Remove the bay leaves.

Transfer a third of the hot mixture to a food processor or blender. Puree until smooth while continuing to cook the rest. Repeat with another third, then the final third.

Try using different spices with this recipe - I find that curry works well with the cauliflower version!

Makes 4 servings.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE Per Serving 86 Cal; 0g Tot Fat; 13g Carb; 4g Fiber; 390mg Sodium; 0mg Cholesterol, Weight Watchers 1 point

Friendly Veggies!

FRIENDLY VEGGIES

eat as many of these as you like - they shouldn't affect your points, exchanges, calorie intake, blood sugar, etc.

Arugula * Asparagus * Beans (Green + Waxed) * Bell Peppers (1 pepper) * Bok Choy * Broccoli * Broccoli Raab * Brussels Sprouts * Cabbage * Carrots * Cauliflower * Celeriac * Celery * Chard * Chayote * Cucumber * Daikon * Eggplant * Endive * Fennel * Hearts of Palm * Jicama * Kale * Leeks (1) * Kohlrabi * Lettuce * Mushrooms * Okra * Onion * Pumpkin * Pumpkin Puree (1 cup) * Radicchio * Radishes * Rhubarb * Rutabagas * Spinach * Summer Squash * Tomatillo * Tomatoes * Turnips * Zucchini * Winter Squash (except butternut)

CAREFUL VEGGIES

based on a 1/2 cup serving, these are 1 point/exchange (approximately 60 calories) and will affect your blood sugar slightly

Artichokes (1 cup) * Beans (Kidney, Lima, Cannellini) * Corn * Parsnips * Peas (green) * Potatoes (I've been told that the smaller potatoes are better because your getting more of the skins and more of the fibre) * Snow Peas (1 cup) * Sugar Snap Peas (1 cup) * Winter Squash (butternut squash - 1 cup)

DANGER VEGGIES

based on a 1/2 cup serving, these are 2 points/exchanges (approximately 120 calories) and will affect your blood sugar more

Beans (Black, Edamame, Garbanzo, Navy, Pinto, White) * Sweet Potatoes * Yams

I make soups with vegetable broth and the friendly veggies and season it with spices (like curry spice (not sauce) or tamari + gluten free schezuan sauce) and it doesn't affect my blood sugars. Sometimes I puree it and sometimes I don't. Another way I do soups is to use miso paste (4 tsp is one point/exchange) as a base and throw in green onions, garlic, mushrooms, grated carrot, seaweed - whatever you feel like!

Salads with the friendly veggies are good too and I just use lemon juice or different vinegars for seasoning or sometimes I even throw in some herbs!

Stir fries with friendly veggies are also good - just use vegetable broth instead of oil to "fry". One more trick - using nori seaweed (1/2 a square sheet) and making cones with sauteed friendly veggies and different spices!

Be careful with sauces - they have all kinds of hidden calories/points/exchanges. The dry spices are a better way to go or things like vinegars, soya sauce, tamari, or gluten free schezuan.

Hungry?

Are you hungry but have used up all your exchanges, points, calories etc. for the day or need to stagger more "freebies" throughout the day? Here are some ideas on how to fill up or extend your meals without adding calories...

• Beverages - you might just be thirsty! Fill up on low calorie/no calorie beverages (see "Thirsty?" blog)
• Friendly Veggies (see "Friendly Veggies" blog) 
• Sugar Free Gelatin (pre-made Snack Packs or make your own Jell-o)
• Miracle Noodles (no calorie noodles that are made from yam fibre - only available on-line)
• Seaweed (wraps or salad or ??? - will post recipes later...)
• Picked veggies (make sure they're sugar free - ie. dill pickles)