Most mornings I just don't have enough time (or coffee) to figure out what to eat for a healthy breakfast. So I love ideas that allow me to be lazy and lay in bed a little longer, yet still eat healthy. Here are my 3 favorites.
#1: Trader Joe's Chocolate Whey Protein shake. I mix 2 scoops of the protein to a small glass of milk. It tastes very good. It does not have any artificial sweetener, but does have 9 grams of sugar. I will also have a piece of whole wheat toast to start the day with a complex carb. I've lost a few pounds since I am not hungry after I drink a shake, and there are not that many calories per serving (about 200).
The consensus seems to be that it is better to buy the whey protein rather than the soy protein. I have not tried the hemp protein, only because it is more expensive. Apparently there are many reasons soy is not preferred; but the biggest for me is that whey tastes better.
Unfortunately I could not find an exact substitute protein at GNC for when I can't get to Trader Joe's. GNC sells the Pro Performance, a product recommended by my friend's doctor after gastric bypass surgery. I like the Pro Perf. unflavored whey protein, but not as much as TJ chocolate. The unflavored Pro Perf. has no sugar and no artificial sweetener, so I add it to fruit smoothies and oatmeal. There is no taste, but it does make your food really thick. If you have a hard time adjusting to the texture, try it at least two more times and you will find you get used to it quickly.
#2: Speaking of smoothies. Just pick up the cheapest large non-flavored yogurt container (best price is at the super Wal-Mart for $1.79) and add frozen strawberries and frozen blueberries in a blender.
The strawberries should be organic, since of all the different fruits, they have the most pesticides. One study showed 36 different pesticides! But I couldn't tell if it was an organic farm that sponsored the study. You just can't win, I know. That means back to Trader Joe's, since they have the best price on organic frozen strawberries.
#3: For oatmeal, try the Trader Joe Instant Organic Blueberry Oatmeal. Just add water and microwave for one minute. Then add the unflavored protein. This is yummy and fast. If you can't get to a TJ, make a huge pot of oatmeal from scratch and just microwave a bowl the next few mornings. Don't add dried fruit though. Too many carbs. Throw in frozen blueberries instead.
My goal for the past year is to increase the amount of protein per meal. I want to eat 25 g of protein per meal. Then I am too full to snack on the dreaded addictive simple carbs.
These are just a few ideas to eating healthy and keeping the weight down. Check back since I will be adding more tips soon. I especially welcome any ideas that you are willing to share.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Warts -- Duct Tape vs. Dermatologist
When my daughter, Anne, was 10 years old she developed a large wart on her left hand. After trying Compound W for a few months, the wart not only would not shrink, it spread and she then had three warts between both hands, so off we went to the dermatologist.
Makes sense, right?
Wrong. Every visit to this doctor's office made her wart situation worse. First they tried freezing them with liquid nitrogen. Nothing happened so they tried a second time. Again the warts did not shrink. They then used an acid to burn the warts. This procedure was performed two different times, and both times resulted in large, yellow blisters, as intended. But unfortunately new warts grew around the outer circles of the larger blisters. Finally, after many months and painful visits to the dermatologist, and the warts growing and spreading during this time, the doctor suggested surgery to remove the warts, which would leave scars all over her hands.
We high-tailed it out of there.
I can't find the picture of her hands after the treatments at the doctor's (dang) but it is unbelievable. The back of her left hand was almost entirely full of huge warts, and two fingers on the other hand were covered with warts.
At this point my mother suggested duct tape, and we thought "why not"? We bought regular, then clear, then finally opaque duct tape at Menards (which blended in with the skin color better). It was a huge effort that took about four months. Although Anne had about 15 warts, some as big as inch in diameter, they all cleared without leaving any scars or marks.
The secret? The tape has to stay on ALL the time in order to "suffocate" the warts. My husband and I constantly cut circles of the tape slightly larger than each wart. The tape would fall off or get wet, and we just cut new sections. Some people suggest only 6 days but that is not long enough. We did not use an emery board on the warts. We just kept the tape on until they disappeared, for weeks. Anne wasn't thrilled with the tape at first, but when she could actually see the warts getting smaller and flatter after just the first week or so, she was just as determined as we were.
While this treatment is not easy to do and requires determination, it is free, painless, effective, and better than any other alternative we tried. Thanks, Mom!
What is disheartening is that the next time I went to the dermatologist (for another reason), I explained to him how the duct tape eliminated her warts, thinking he would be interested in order to help other patients. He dismissed my comments, vaguely saying that the warts probably cleared on their own. Huh? Fortunately his nurse was excited and planned to pass this information along.
Yes, we finally switched to a new doctor.
Makes sense, right?
Wrong. Every visit to this doctor's office made her wart situation worse. First they tried freezing them with liquid nitrogen. Nothing happened so they tried a second time. Again the warts did not shrink. They then used an acid to burn the warts. This procedure was performed two different times, and both times resulted in large, yellow blisters, as intended. But unfortunately new warts grew around the outer circles of the larger blisters. Finally, after many months and painful visits to the dermatologist, and the warts growing and spreading during this time, the doctor suggested surgery to remove the warts, which would leave scars all over her hands.
We high-tailed it out of there.
I can't find the picture of her hands after the treatments at the doctor's (dang) but it is unbelievable. The back of her left hand was almost entirely full of huge warts, and two fingers on the other hand were covered with warts.
At this point my mother suggested duct tape, and we thought "why not"? We bought regular, then clear, then finally opaque duct tape at Menards (which blended in with the skin color better). It was a huge effort that took about four months. Although Anne had about 15 warts, some as big as inch in diameter, they all cleared without leaving any scars or marks.
The secret? The tape has to stay on ALL the time in order to "suffocate" the warts. My husband and I constantly cut circles of the tape slightly larger than each wart. The tape would fall off or get wet, and we just cut new sections. Some people suggest only 6 days but that is not long enough. We did not use an emery board on the warts. We just kept the tape on until they disappeared, for weeks. Anne wasn't thrilled with the tape at first, but when she could actually see the warts getting smaller and flatter after just the first week or so, she was just as determined as we were.
While this treatment is not easy to do and requires determination, it is free, painless, effective, and better than any other alternative we tried. Thanks, Mom!
What is disheartening is that the next time I went to the dermatologist (for another reason), I explained to him how the duct tape eliminated her warts, thinking he would be interested in order to help other patients. He dismissed my comments, vaguely saying that the warts probably cleared on their own. Huh? Fortunately his nurse was excited and planned to pass this information along.
Yes, we finally switched to a new doctor.
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