The Food Snob: Making a Baby Carriage

The Food Snob: Making a Baby Carriage: "Ever wanted to randomly create a Baby Carriage out of a Watermelon??? Wellll Just in case you were curious, here are some steps!: Always..."

Making a Baby Carriage

Ever wanted to randomly create a Baby Carriage out of a Watermelon??? Wellll Just in case you were curious, here are some steps!:

Always wash your fruit. Watermelon carries germs and dirt on it's skin so if you cut into it without washing, you are transmitting that dirt and germ via the knife into the melon..same with all tough flesh fruit (Cantaloupes, Honeydews, Oranges...)

Cut a thiiiin slice off the bottom so it can sit flat. Usually the Melon will have a natural flat point (from growing on the ground)



 

A little past the half way point on the melon, draw a line over across the melon (leaving space at the bottom, and connect the line across)



Carefully carve along the outside of the drawn line.



This is what you end up with

If you have a melon baller you can scoop out little balls and add to a bowl of mixed fruit. The mixed fruit will be placed in the watermelon once everything is done.



Carve out the rest of the meat. The rest can be used for soup, smoothie or a nice libation :)



Carved out Melon



Here I am carving out little ridges with a small knife. Be gentle.



End Result

Remember this piece? We are going to cut out that odd shape.



The Wheels are Naval Oranges put in place with toothpicks.

I added some cherries to the wheel. Some people use kiwi fruit.

Tah Dah! Congratualations!

Finale of Eating Healthy Series: Salt and Peppa

This one is real short..Just some tidbits on Salt and Pepper

Salt is used to:

• Preserve Foods
• Make Ice cream
• Aid in Fermenting Yeast
• Melt Ice (ahh hmmm Atlanta..)
• Enhance the flavor of foods- (Even on a low sodium diet- a DASH of Salt brings of the flavor of what you are cooking)
• Balances Bitterness and Acidity

(hit me up if you are interested in the different types of salt and what is used for what)

Pepper:

• Can boost your immune system!
• Peppercorns are red as they mature. When left in the Sun they turn black (ah ha!)
• White pepper is just black pepper with the husk removed..
• Vital to good digestion of fatty foods
• Black peppercorns contain the most essential oils so it has the most Powerful punch!

The Food Snob: Double Whammy! Grains and Being Fiberific (Eating ...

The Food Snob: Double Whammy! Grains and Being Fiberific (Eating ...: "Holier Than Thou Whole Grains: Whole Grains are the entire edible portion of the grain. Refining grains removes the bran (outer shell)..."

Double Whammy! Grains and Being Fiberific (Eating Healthy 4&5)

Holier Than Thou Whole Grains:

• Whole Grains are the entire edible portion of the grain. 
• Refining grains removes the bran (outer shell) and the germ (embryo). When we lose the bran and germ we lose Fiber, Antioxidants and Vitamins. :( :(
•  examples of refined grains: Cornmeal and White Flour
• Make sure that when you buy multigrain that it is not made with refined flour. The First Ingredient on the label should be Whole Wheat Flour or Whole Grain Flour

W(holy) Examples:
Oatmeal (not instant)
Popcorn
Whole Wheat Bread or Pasta
Wild Rice
Barley
Brown Rice
Buckwheat
Bulgur (Cracked Wheat)
Millet

Being FIBERIFIC!!

• Fiber makes you feel fuller longer!
• Lowers LDL (Bad) Cholesterol from the body
• Promotes Regularity (eh hmm)
• Prevents Gastrointestinal Issues (eh eh eh hmm)
• Slows down the Absorption of glucose into the blood stream

Where do I This Amazing Fiber???
-Fruits                       -Vegetables                     -Legumes (peas and beans beans the musical fruit)      

The Food Snob: Are You Fatty?? (Healthy Eating Part Tres)

The Food Snob: Are You Fatty?? (Healthy Eating Part Tres): "What do Fats do?? They Moderate the speed of absorption of High GI foods. Fats are stored in the body for energy, but is not produced by th..."

Are You Fatty?? (Healthy Eating Part Tres)

What do Fats do??

They Moderate the speed of absorption of High GI foods.

Fats are stored in the body for energy, but is not produced by the body

Fats contain Fatty Acids that aid in growth and development, especially with children.

FAT MAKES THINGS TASTE GOOD..YUMM

BUT EVERYTHING in MOD-ER-A-TION!!!!

Types of Fat:

Unsaturated fats- Come from Plant sources

           Liquid at room temperature

Saturated Fats- Come from Animal sources

           Solid at room temperature

Healthier Fat Options

1. Use Olive Oil (Check out Mediterranean Diets) or Flavorless oils such as Grape Seed Oil (has a high smoke point FYI), Canola Oils. Sometimes I do half oil half butter depending on the recipe..
2. Use store bought salad dressings in moderation. Fat-Free dressing often replaces the fat with sugar or refined carbs and can leave you hungry.... Try making you own or just use oil and vinegar (see below for a couple Salad dressing recipes)
3. Processed meats can host bad fats and carbs. Nothing wrong with Chicken breast, but it can be pricey. Try using Chicken thighs but trimming the fat off before cooking.
4. Choose low-fat dairy. Because dairy is an Animal by-product it contains Saturated Fats. Limit that intake when possible.
5. Eat Fatty Fish!: Salmon, Tuna, Sardines contains high levels of Omega-3 Fatty Acids (which can improve cholesterol)  
6. EAT Avocados- they contain good and heart healthy fats (Thanks MH) 
   
7. Cook at Home (OR HIRE ME!). Fried foods in restaurants tend to have hig levels of Trans Fats.

                (Trans fats (or Trans Fatty Acids) are created in and industrial process that adds hydrogen to liquid vegetable oils to make them more solid. Another name for trans fats is "partially hydrogenated oils." So keep an eye out when reading package labels!)

BEST Ways to cook to minimize the added fat:

• Roasting
• Grilling
• Baking
• Poaching
• Steaming

Honey Mustard Dressing
1/2C Mustard
1/2C Honey
Mix

Basic Vinaigrette
1/2c Vinegar (Apple Cider, Balsamic, Raspberry, etc)
1C  Oil (Olive, Grapeseed, Canola)
1 shallot, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
2TBSP Dijon Mustard or Honey

Combine Vinegar, Shallot, garlic, Mustard and/or Honey. Blend in Oil slowly (Easier: Process in blender)

The Food Snob: Healthy Habits Part Deux

The Food Snob: Healthy Habits Part Deux: "I recently had the opportunity to speak at Cooperative Chiropractic (1651 Powder Springs Rd, Suite 3 Marietta, GA, 770-422-5052). They host..."

Healthy Habits Part Deux

I recently had the opportunity to speak at Cooperative Chiropractic (1651 Powder Springs Rd, Suite 3 Marietta, GA, 770-422-5052). They host a Biggest Loser Competition every year and I spoke to the contestants about Healthy eating habits. I would like to share that presentation with you all in a Six part series!
Enjoy!
(Please keep in mind I am not a Doctor nor a Nutritionist. Information is through research)

What is the Glycemic Index???

It is a numerical value that ranks carbohydrates on a scale of 0 to 100. It measures how much a carbohydrate raises the blood sugar level after eating.

·        

• Carbohydrates provide energy-especially for the brain and nervous system-because they are quick and easy to metabolize.

·   

•   BAD: Foods with a High GI digest and absorb rapidly and give us a short lived boost of energy followed by a crash or a need for another boost. 
•    Also affects the way our bodies produce insulin. The body eventually will not be able to keep up with the rapid production and this leads to Diabetes. Also, when the insulin cannot keep up, glucose ends up being stored as fat!

•  GOOD: Low GI foods digest and absorb gradually and thus produce gradual rises in blood sugar and insulin. 
• Our appetites are controlled and it delays hunger.  

•  How do we know which are refined carbs?

1.  Refined carbs are usually pale or white (think of white bread) 
2.    Read the packages! Want to shoot for items not made with "Refined Flour"

It's important to note that some fruits and vegetables are classified with High Glycemic Index numbers. But this is based on how much you eat in one sit in. Watermelon has a GI number of  over 70, but this may only be an issue if you eat an entire watermelon at one time...

Food Glycemic Index Level:

Under 55	55-70	Over 70
Lentils Apples All Bran Cereal Tomato Juice Spaghetti Oranges 100% Stone Ground Wheat Bread Sweet Potato Canned Baked Beans Sourdough Rye Bread	Brown Rice Oatmeal Cookies Moroccan Couscous Cheese Pizza Sweet Corn Sweet Pea Soup Raisins* Grape Nuts Cereal Cranberry Juice Cocktail Whole Wheat Bread Peaches (canned)	Toaster Pastry Skittles White Wonder Bread, enriched Watermelon* Cheerios White Rice, par-cooked French Fries Russet Potatoes, baked (no fat) Jelly Beans Pretzels French Baguette

*Based on serving sizes.

Healthier Alternatives

Instead of This:	Try this:
Cold Cereal Orange Juice White Bread White Rice Potatoes French Fries Soda Cake	Oatmeal (not instant) Orange Stone Ground Whole Wheat Bread Lentils or Barley Beans Veggies and Dip Sparkling Water Fresh Fruit

Sources: WebMD, MayoClinic, Glycemic Index Cookbook