I have come up with a couple of dishes that are making it easier to "Crack" down again and thought I would share:
Salad: Our go-to dinner on this program is a big yummy salad, but I was getting kind of bored with the same old, same old (even though I am a person who can eat the same thing for every meal 5 days a week usually and be ok). I needed to shake up our usual nighttime salad to get myself not to want to go out to eat every night (see prior post about how I have been reminded that eating out a lot is really hard on the scale). The other night, DB had some friends over to play music with him in his studio and so I was on my own for dinner. I went to make my usual salad and saw that the mushrooms we had were a teeny bit old...so I took them, chopped up some red onion and put them in to saute. While they cooked, I made the usual rest of the salad (some yummy lettuce, cucumbers and celery) and added some vinaigrette (full fat, no carb, red wine/oil vinaigrette from Trader Joes). When the onions and mushrooms were hot and soft, I put them on top of the salad and topped it all off with some blue cheese crumbles. The cheese melts into the hot veggies...delish! I like a sharp cheese to get more bang for my calories. This salad is a quick and easy variation on another one we like to make for special occasions and it is very very satisfying to the tummy and the taste buds. :-)
Cinnamon and cottage cheese "dessert": This morning I read in Prevention magazine about how cinnamon can really help your body process glucose (great for us on low-carb, watching to keep from developing diabetes programs). I use cinnamon in my coffee every morning. DB and I were talking about how to get this into our diet more and I thought of adding it to cottage cheese...so we tried it (we use full fat cottage cheese)! Yum yum yum. Very cheesecake/desserty tasting. I will do this when I need something sweet. Very low-carb. I would add about 1/2 teaspoon to 1/2 cup of cottage cheese and maybe toss in some stevia if it's not sweet enough for you without.
I happily got on the scale this morning and it's down lower than it has been in a month. THAT is what eating at home for two days can do for me. Of course, we're going out tonight, but the end of the "up" is in sight. I've been maintaining at about 5 lbs over my lowest weight pretty much the whole ski season...sometimes the scale would show me up to 12 lbs over the lowest (ok, that was just one day, but it was a SUCKY day). I'm ready to get down to my lowest...and 10 lbs more...before our anniversary trip in July (or sooner). :-)
9 comments:
I have heard doc oz talk about cinnamon too. But I am not sure he explained WHY. Good to know.
like you, I had not figured out how to get cinnamon IN.
I eat my cottage cheese with walnuts every day - will try to add cinnamon and see what I think.
I am not sure it will be a winner for me.
I think I tried it with oatmeal one other time - will try again.
And I wonder if we should eat cinnamon WITH the meals where we are eating our carbs (even though our carbs are not like general populations carbs) - ?
Here's the whole blurb on cinnamon from Prevention:
"Cinnamon stabilizes blood sugar levels (daily does 1 teaspoon): People who added cinnamon -- one-half to a heaping teaspoon -- to a sweet dish experienced a slower rise in blood sugar than those who didn't consume any, found a series of studies in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The spice enhances insulin sensitivity, so it allows you to use more of the glucose in your blood, keeping blood sugar levels stable says the studies' researcher and fellow in cardiology [in Sweden]. Adding cinnamon to a carb-heavy or starchy dish may also help stabilize blood sugar after you eat, she adds. Keeping levels stable minimizes sugar highs and lows, and for those with diabetes, it could mean needing less insulin. Serving tip: Sprinkle on cake [CAKE?!], cereal or a latte. Work into starchy meals like rice or grain dishes by grinding together with cumin, coriander and caraway and adding chopped nuts and fruit for a Mediterranean flavor..."
When I used to eat oatmeal (I don't really like it so it's one of the things I removed from my diet on a "it's carby and I don't like it, why eat it?" theory), I used to eat cinnamon on it. I love cinnamon. And I loved it in the cottage cheese. DB, not so much... ;-)
AHA!
very interesting - I put a note up so I could find it again on mine too.
and I am pleased to report that I ate 1/2 t in my oatmeal with NO problem.
still can't do it in cottage cheese - just icky to me.
if you think of anything else I can add it too - please let me know.
I do like the idea of adding it to carb-y things. and most days - oatmeal is as (straight) carby as I get.
The one "real" carby thing I eat regularly (like most every day for breakfast) is low sodium Ezekiel toast -- I'm thinking a sprinkle of cinnamon on that on top of butter sounds yummy.
I'm also thinking about sauteing veggies in the spice combo they suggested. That could be good on top of salad. :-)
I think cinnamon on bread (with NO sugar added, because it is cinnamon and sugar that people used to add) sounds very good. And yes, I think the spice mixture is worth checking out for salad - it might be one of those combinations where you have to develop a taste for it.
Dr. Phil had a blurb in hiw weight loss book and I used to sprinkle it in plain yogurt-before the greek craze started.
I'm thinking quinoa with it and cumin would be a good side dish
I sprinkle some in my green tea.
Helen hope your legs are feeling better!
Great idea, Sharla! I drink green tea every day and can sprinkle in there.
I love the cumin, coriander, cinnamon combo...very Middle Eastern tasting. For proportions, just use to taste. Cumin is my ALL TIME fave spice...I would put a LOT of that in. :-)
What a great idea, I love cottage cheese and anything that can mimic dessert is nice to know about. Day one for me is tomorrow (monday) and I am stocked on all the good stuff. You and I have about the same goal for pounds to take off. I am following a plan and seeing what happens! Glad you are doing something too. It's fun actually..
New cinnamon idea that I tried last night: sprinkle cinnamon and chile powder on tri-tip, roast uncovered at 425 for about 40 mins (depending on size of meat) then let rest loosely covered for 15 minutes (interior temp should be 145 for medium rare). YUMMY (if I do say so myself). :-)
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