Healthy Living: Healthy Eating. New Year's Resolutions- Shrimps to The Rescue

In the haze after the holidays I resolved to really, I mean really, (just like I said last year) lose weight.  After all, it's best for healthy living and general heart health.  It sounds good to say it, and it's easy to think about doing it, until you actually have to do it.  But the day of reckoning finally comes; you've run out of excuses and there are no more get-out-of-jail cards to play.

So, my day of reckoning came today and I have actually started my diet, looking for things I can eat that are healthy and even taste good.  Now I love burgers and have run the gamut from bison burgers to turkey and chicken burgers to the dreadful veggie (read cardboard) burgers.  Most of them are fine, but the eternal search goes on for that elusive best-of-class burger you didn't know about....and I found it!

There on the shelf coyly waving at me was a box of shrimp burgers.  Could it be true, a burger that had eluded me in my lifelong quest for burger wonderfulness?  I held my breath as I read the vital statistics....incredibly, it ticked all the right boxes....97% fat free, 180 calories, O% trans fats, and 0% saturated fats.  Burger nirvana!  But did it taste like real food?

With great suspicion I heated up my pan, added some olive oil and slowly and carefully sauted 2 shrimp burgers for 3 to 4 minutes on each side.  Then it was the moment of truth....would it actually taste good, opening up new burger vistas for the burger maven in me?  Yes, the taste was really good and tasted like I thought a shrimp burger ought to taste.  My search was successful.

You can find shrimp burger nirvana for yourself.  Look for frozen shrimp burgers (CBS Foods, Inc.) at your favorite grocery store.  You can prepare them to go with vegetables or, better yet, prepare them as true burgers.  Here's a tip for a great burger.  Cook the burger and put it between a toasted low calorie (lite, multi-grain) English muffin.  You can dress it with lettuce and tomato and finish it off with fat-free tartar sauce.  Mmmm good.  I think I'll go and make one right now.

I'll continue the search for more great burger ideas to help in the search for healthy living and healthy eating.  Who'd a thought that shrimps would come to the rescue?  Stay hungry for healthy food my friends.

Healthy Living: Healthy Eating, Leftovers Nation

So, Christmas has come and gone and soon the New Year will be upon us and more excuses to party and eat like it's 1999 (actually, I don't remember eating that well in 1999).  That this time of the year is a challenge to healthy eating is an understatement that will surprise no one.  We've all been there; the refrigerator loaded with Christmas dinner leftovers while we plan for the next holiday's reveling.  Here are my 10 tips for managing leftovers during the holidays:

1. Don't throw away the gravy;  reconstitute it so that you can drown the dried-out beef or turkey with it, so it's edible.  
2. Do re-heat the potatoes in any form, mashed, scalloped, diced, etc., the Irish knew about potatoes and valued their staying power (a secret- mix a little low fat Boursin cheese spread in your mashed potatoes- makes you look like a gourmet chef).
3. The All-American green bean mushroom soup with fried casserole.  If you have it leftover, you have to re-heat it and eat it.....after all the Campbells brought it over on the Mayflower. 
4. The Jesus Christmas birthday cake.  We'd love to keep eating it all year, but....as responsible in our healthy living and healthy eating, we have to finish the leftovers and wait until next year for more.  
5. Fruitcake, Ok, you got it as a gift and it's still not opened.  While there are rumors that it is edible, it's also a notorious building material with longevity so maybe you can pool fruitcakes with your neighbors to build a community building.
6. Egg nog:  I know I extolled the goodness of egg nog in my Christmas post, but the truth is I only have one small sip or two each year.  There are stories of past by-pass patients that take only one glass and are rushed straight to the ER.  Hmmm.  
7. I grew up in a tradition that stated that any opened bottle of spirits on New Year's Eve had to be finished;  It doesn't.  
8. Once the holidays are finally over, look carefully.  That Elf-on-the-Shelf may be Elf-Underfoot.  
9. Consolidate your garbage and trash for your pick-up guy. After he sees the mountains you have for him, he may only come back again if you organize it for him......or not. 
10. Make sure children don't become leftovers. When you're vacuuming and cleaning up look for small children in the nooks and crannies.  They have a way of getting lost in the post-holiday clean-up fervor.  

And finally, once the holidays are over, the kids and grand kids are back in school, and the New Year has begun, take a moment to thank God for your blessings, as great or small as they may be.  This is still a great country to live in and a great place to pursue healthy living.
Stay well in the New Year my friends.

Healthy Living: Merry Christmas, Tips for Surviving Into the Next Year

Ho, ho, ho, and Merry Christmas to you and yours.  It's that time once again when we give presents, receive presents, look for reindeer, and are obligated to eat too much.  So when you're looking down and wondering where your feet went, it may be time to push away from the cookie jar and run for the nearest gym.

Surely, in our search for healthy living and healthy eating there are some steps we can take to minimize the expansion of our girth during the holidays without putting ourselves on bread and water.....well, maybe garlic bread.  Here are my 10 "must dos and don'ts" for the holidays which are carved in sandstone and written in vanishing ink....very permanent:

1. Don't feel you need to finish off the cookies that Santa left.
2. Stay away from reindeer food....it's got magic dust in it after all.  
3. When cooking Christmas breakfast don't cook the eggs in bacon fat...that's what the cavemen did because they didn't have Olivio.  
4. Do eat muffins....America was built on great muffins (The Pilgrims brought the first ones with them in 1620)
5. When you cook the roast beast, don't over cook it.....you can always cook it more, but you can't cook it less.  
6. Do have lots of egg nog.....that's another thing the Pilgrims brought over.....I think.  
7. Do have an ice cream cake for baby Jesus.  It's a great tradition and I know in my heart that He approves.
8. Don't worry about the dishes, the dish fairies will surely come to your house and bail you out.....hmmm, I'm still waiting.....waiting. 
9. Naps are allowed.....at any time...for any reason.  After all, the kids will eventually run themselves out and you will have regained your energy to supervise all those dish fairies.  
10. Above all, do get all the used wrappings, bows, and ribbons stashed in bags for the garbage man on pick-up day, and do make sure that there are no children in any of the bags.   

Christmas and the holidays are a great time and after a gathering of the whole family you understand why the original holiday planners decided to have them only once a year.  Eleven months from now you'll be ready to do it all over again.  

Good luck in the New Year on your quest for healthy living and healthy eating.  I'll be here cheering you on.  Meanwhile, stay healthy my friends.  

Healthy Living: Healthy Eating - Staying Fresh, It's a Stretch

During this holiday time it seems like everyone who is celebrating anything, is doing so around a tradition or culture of food.  Slice it, dice it, throw it against the wall, each tradition involves lots of holiday preparation and piles of different foods; most of which the kids are going to turn their noses up at and ask for peanut butter and jelly (thank God for PB&J).  It's a fun time for those of us that actually like to eat and many of the foods we indulge in we only get to eat at this time of the year.  So, go for it.

Problem is, after all the crowds have gathered and the foods have been cooked and enjoyed, there are always leftovers and they all need to find a place in your refrigerator or, at least, some place between 40 and 45 degrees or so (you folks in Alaska, remember the bears - they're real gourmands when it comes to leftovers).  The challenge has always been to successfully seal and preserve your leftover treats so that they can be eaten well into the next year (Xmas only, however, as we all know, there are fruitcakes that have survived well into the next century).  To the rescue...a product that I just heard about and wanted to tip you off to.

Stretch and Fresh (www.stretchandfresh.com)....rectangular pieces of silicone that stretch to fit any sizes and shapes of cups, dishes, bowls, or whatever for storing leftovers, or anything you need to keep fresh.  The company states that the product will stretch to 3 times it's normal size to fit and hold a seal for just about any shape...round, oval, rectangular, or other.  The pieces are dishwasher and microwave safe for easy use.  One thing I like about the concept is that the silicone cover can be fitted over a bowl or pot and then "burped" to get the air out....something that will certainly help your food stay fresher longer.
The product comes in three sizes and can be ordered (at the moment) on-line.  Check them out.

I'll plan a full review down the road to give you some real life experiences. Meanwhile, happy holidays and may you have success in your holiday search for healthy living and healthy eating.  Stay hungry my friends.   

Healthy Living: Obamacare, The Emperor Has No Polls

Yup, once again it's time for the Political Corner on Healthy Living.  It's tough to keep up with the wall of news and developments that come out daily on the impending collapse of Obamacare.  Yes, it's the law of the land (as Democrats love to remind us) but it's also a double-edged sword that will, IMO, come back to haunt the Dems down the road.  There are some early signs that president Obama and his minions will ultimately reap and receive their just desserts.  In this case those desserts aren't so sweet.
A series of recent Fox News Polls of registered voters taken between Dec. 14th and 16th showed that the president's popularity is hitting all time lows as the Obamacare sign-up continues and the realities of how the A.C.A is going to hit the average person's wallet become clearer. Here are the results of recent Fox News polls taken which focus on president Obama's trustworthiness and the likability of his health care law:

1. "Is president Barack Obama honest and trustworthy"?  In April of 2009 73% of respondents said yes, while that number had dropped to 45% by December of 2013.
2. "Should the implementation of the A.C.A. be delayed for a year"?  In October 57% of respondents said yes, while that number has risen to 67% in December.  
3. When asked in mid-December, "are you glad that the health care law passed"? 54% responded that they wished it hadn't passed. 

These polls show a continuing decline in the support for the president and his healthcare policy.  Add to that that he is losing the support of young people between the ages of 18 and 29, (see Pew Poll cited in an earlier post) and he has the makings of a real implosion of the A.C.A. in the first quarter of 2014.  The remaining question is; if the A.C.A. is hurting millions of middle class families with policies they don't want and at monthly payments and deductibles they can't afford, why would he insist on pushing this law forward?

One can only conclude that the A.C.A. is not, and never was about, health care.  It's about control of the American people (18% of the U.S. economy).  If Obama truly did not want to injure the American people, he would delay the program to give relief to families and allow the program to get its act together.  The fact that he is plowing ahead with no compromise tells us everything; and that everything is that he and his regime want to ultimately force us into a single payer system, from which there will be no return.

If, like me, you find this scenario chilling, call your representative and make your feelings and concerns known.  Even if you have Democrat representatives, they should know the will of the people and what repercussions going against them may have in the 2014 elections.  Make your voice heard.

Back to healthy living tips and secrets in my next post.  Meanwhile, stay engaged and informed my friends.  
 

Healthy living: CPAP, Help, I'm Shrinking!.

For any of you that have been diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea or think that you may have the condition, there is good news.  The size and weight of CPAP machines are getting smaller and lighter, allowing for a CPAP user more options for travel and use without access to the power grid.

Until recently, CPAP machines were mostly large, bulky, and loud.  You might get a good night's rest, but at the expense of quiet for you and your partner.  As well, the machines were, by and large, bulky and not easy to transport from point A to point B.  I have an older ResMed unit (which is touted as being small) but it weighs several pounds and, when packed in it's carrying case, takes up the space of a small carry-on suitcase.

Enter the realm of the ultralight CPAP machines.  In a recent post I referred to the Transcend CPAP machine (www.mytranscend.com) It's been on the market for over a year or so and has offered the option of a full CPAP machine that weighs just under one pound and can be held in the palm of your hand.  You can buy two types of battery modules for this machine; one for overnight use (8 hours) and a larger one for up to 16 hours of use (multi-night).  There is an option for a battery charger for users that are in to boating, hiking, climbing, or other activities that take them away from the power grid.

Just recently, a new ultralight CPAP machine was released to the market; the Z1 (www.smallcpap.com).  It too is small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, and weighs in at only 10 ounces.  There is an option for a battery charger which fits together with the base CPAP in a modular arrangement.  I haven't had the opportunity to try the Z1 out yet, but will plan to cover that review in a future post.

Either of these two machines offer the convenience of light weight and extreme portability, but that comes at a price.  The machines' base prices start between $500 and $600 dollars and, with options, can top $1,000.  Yet, that price brings you the comfort of a great night's sleep equal to what you enjoy at home in your own bed.  For those of us who tend to travel a lot, that's a price worth paying.  One tip: if you keep your lightweight CPAP battery charged up, you're ready for a quick trip at the drop of a hat.

Watch for future CPAP machines to get even smaller and lighter while incorporating more options for less money.  I'll be the first in line for one of those.  Now, if only they could develop a mask that is so lightweight and soft that you aren't aware you're wearing a CPAP mask!  Sign me up for that one.

If you have any questions on or experiences with CPAP machines or masks,  let me know.  Meanwhile, breath safely my friends on your way to healthy living and healthy sleeping.

Healthy Living: Politics- Obamacare, A National "Selfie"

The nation watched as president Obama traveled to South Africa to attend the memorial service for Nelson Mandela.  Less attention or mention was placed on the fact that three former presidents (G.W.Bush, Clinton, and Carter) also attended.  During the ceremony, in a lighter moment, Obama was caught leaning into a group "selfie" with the P.M.s of Great Britain and Denmark.  Mrs. Obama did not look amused.

I have no problem with Obama sharing a lighter moment with two of his European counterparts, however, the scene did spark a thought in my mind about the greater Obamacare mess that president Obama looked relieved to be away from during his impromptu selfie.  The relaxed grin on his face as he leaned into the group shot suddenly, for me, became a metaphor for his position on Obamacare.  It's all about his prized national program and his legacy...at all costs...regardless of who is impacted along the way- the perfect national selfie.

There is no question that some percentage of the population will get healthcare (up to 30 million) who never had it before.  But more than 100 million other Americans will be impacted to make this national rework of healthcare a reality., and that number may turn out to be low.  Families that liked their healthcare are being forced to lose it for government imposed policies that contain coverage they don't want or need.  What kind of president would impose a healthcare program that injures the many for the benefit of the few?- a national selfie president.  In the end, it is about him, not about us.

It is interesting that, as this national healthcare mess rolls out, the president is losing one of his core constituencies that supported him during the 2008 and 2012 elections.  Young people between the ages of 18 and 25 are turning on the president and his signature legislation.  Why? They have the most to lose in the future, and they finally have awakened to the fact that Obama's study in selfie legacy is at their expense.  As I posted earlier, a recent poll found that 52% of voters in this age group wanted to recall the president...and we were losing hope for the Melennial Generation.  Even they appear to be saying that enough is enough with Obamacare,

Just today it was released that approximately 365,000 people signed up for Obamacare in the months of October and November- not enrolled or paid up- just signed up.  The administration needs 3.3 million people enrolled by the end of December and 7 million enrolled by the end of March 2014.  They are a long way from those numbers.  If Obamacare proves out to be the rolling disaster it is showing itself to be, the question is whether the president will, at some point soon, step in and make modifications to the law (legally or illegally, as he has done in the past) to give the nation relief from this flawed legislation.

IMO, don't look for any relief soon.  This is more about president Obama's personal healthcare agenda and his legacy than what is good for the nation at large.  If you don't believe it, look at his actions-they speak louder than his words.  It appears that even young people are now starting to see this president for what he ultimately is, the national selfie president.  And they don't like it.

More on healthy living in my next post.  Meanwhile, stay healthy my friends.