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Journey to Health has changed to Randa's Rhapsody and can be found at http://randasrhapsody.wordpress.com/.

Hope to see you there!

What's in a Number?

BMI is often used as the standard to measure people's health, especially in relation to weight.  Weight is almost an insignificant number in comparison to the emphasis placed on BMI.  Sometimes people even forget what BMI actually is:  BMI is the ratio of a person's weight to his/her height.  BMI does not specifically measure the amount fat that is on a person's body, even though I have seen it described that way in various places.

BMI was created to help the medical field get a perspective on someone's health, however, in my opinion, there is currently entirely too much emphasis placed on BMI.  After all, it's only a number.  BMI ignores several factors that are important to determining one's overall health status.  BMI in no way determines body composition (the ratio of fat to muscle), BMI doesn't take frame size into factor meaning all heights aren't created equal.  The best example of this would be the BMI of a body builder which could easily fall into the category of obese.  This would happen because the added weight of the muscle would throw off the weight to height ratio and give the false indication of obesity.

So what is my solution to this problem, you ask?  My solution is to look at the overall quality of a person's health. This includes:

• Diet--not only what the person eats but the quality of the food being consumed
• Exercise--does the person exercise on a regular basis, how is his/her cardiovascular endurance
• Waist to hip ratio--think apple versus pear shaped.  Apple shapes have been associated with adverse health problems. 
• Lab tests--what are your overall cholesterol and triglyceride levels and ratios?

When you don't consider these things you can end up with several falsehoods.  A new term that is often discussed is "skinny-fat"  meaning that someone has a normal BMI but could have elevated blood lipid levels and blood pressure, essentially because they don't take care of themselves.  Just the opposite is possible as well and I will use myself as an example.  When using BMI as a standard of my health, I am obese.  However, I do not suffer any of the diseases often associated with an elevated BMI: my blood pressure is lower than the recommended level, I have no issues with my blood levels, and I have a decent cardiovascular endurance.  I eat a wholesome diet with little to no processed foods.

Overall, my goal is to lose weight, yes, but not so that my BMI can conform but to be the healthiest me I can be.  I know that added weight can place additional strain on my joints and my heart and lungs.  However, the way the weight comes off is equally as important as actually taking it off.  Calories are the ultimate deciding factor in weight loss, but are those coming from wholesome, unprocessed foods or junk foods?  In my opinion, the argument goes back to overall health, not a number--if we put the correct things into our body we will get outstanding results.

Love Food. Hate Waste.

I recently purchased broccoli to steam for dinner, which came with a shockingly high price value.  The worst part about the per pound cost of the broccoli was that most of the broccoli was stalk and not floret.  So I had to figure something out to use the stalk for, by no means was I throwing that green away.  I searched for "broccoli stalk recipes" and found an amazing new website:  www.lovefoodhatewaste.com. You can search by ingredient to find a recipe for whatever you may have in the refrigerator that is in need of being used.

I used the following recipe for broccoli stalk soup:

• 4 potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
• 1 onion, peeled and roughly chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped into chunks
• Handful of pearl barley or red lentils
• Left over broccoli stalks, about 200g, I peeled them first using a vegetable peeler
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Put the potatoes, onion, carrots, pearl barley or lentils in a large pan and cover with water.  
2.  Bring to a boil and reduce the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes.
3. Add the broccoli stalks and continue to cook until all the vegetables are tender.
4. Take off the heat and allow to cool a little before pouring into a blender and pureeing until smooth.  Taste and season with salt and pepper.
5. Pour into warm bowls.

I made a few adjustments to the recipe, I didn't have any potatoes so I threw in a few extra handfuls of lentils.  The soup still had a delicious flavor but the extra lentils made the soup brown instead of green like it would have been with the potatoes.  The soup was delicious and even better warmed up the next day!

Did you enjoy the love food hate waste website?

A Breakfast Treat: Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal

As a child oatmeal, the healthy, cholesterol lowering food, was a frequent breakfast dish.  However, there was a glitch:  my oatmeal was generally loaded down with butter sugar to add "flavor".  I recently discovered a way to spice up my oatmeal with out sacrificing its health benefits. 

Oatmeal is a whole grain and adds fiber to your diet.  Fiber can make you feel full longer, lower cholesterol and will help keep you "regular".  If you are just beginning to add fiber to your diet, be sure to drink an increased amount of water or you may end up on the more irregular side of things.  To boost, oatmeal is light on the pocketbook.

Ingredients
2 cups water
1 medium apple (I use Granny Smith)
1/2 c. quick cooking oats
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt

Instructions
In a small saucepan heat water with a pinch of salt.  Meanwhile, slice and chop the apple.  I use an apple slicer/corer and then chop each slice into 5 or 6 pieces.  I leave the peel on the apple which adds additional fiber and the phytochemicals stored in the peel.  Add 2 tsp cinnamon and bring to boil.

Boil for 5-7 minutes, or until apples are tender.  Use a potato masher to mash the cooked apple, you will now have the consistency of a thin syrup.  Add oats and boil according to the directions on the package (3-5 minutes for me).

The finished product will seem to be soupy at first but as the oatmeal cools down, the excess water will be absorbed.  If you prefer a thicker oatmeal, try reducing the amount of water initially used.

 

This recipe is made to serve one person and takes about 20 total minutes to prepare.  While it may take longer than an instant oatmeal to prepare you are avoiding many additives that can be found in the processed, instant brands.  If you prepare this oatmeal for yourself, you are using the apple as a natural sweetener, and your apple flavoring really came from a fresh, wholesome apple!

Buying Local at the Farmer's Market

I recently moved into my first apartment so with that comes grocery shopping and cooking my own food.  Though this task may be dreaded by many, it was one of the things I was looking forward to most.  Since I am now buying my own groceries, I recently made my first trip to the farmer's market and absolutely fell in love. 


I love the farmer's market because it offers seasonal, fresh fruits and veggies.  When you buy vegetables in season they not only taste the best but have the best nutritional value.  They have been grown in natural sunlight which helps the development of the phytochemicals, many of which serve as anti-oxidants and protect against cancer.  Additionally, since the products aren't traveling half way across the nation, they haven't had time for the nutrients to be degraded.   

I love the farmer's market because it offers local products.  Buying local keeps money within the region and supports the common people you are buying from.  You don't have to worry about which bosses at the top of the corporate ladder are taking in the greatest portion of the money you just spent.


I love the atmosphere at the farmer's market.  The farmer's market just exudes a feeling and sense of community.  There is just something about being able to speak directly to who is responsible for the food you are about to consume.  Seeing so many community members coming together to support one another is very inspiring as well. 

Have you visited your local farmer's market recently?

Quiona: The Other Whole Grain

When you think of grains, you probably think things like wheat, oats, barely, corn, etc.  But what about other grains--such as quinoa?

What is quiona, you ask?  Quinoa, pronounced keen-wah, is a whole grain that has a lot going for it.  For starters, quinoa is a complete protein, meaning that it has all the essential amino acid's needed by the human body and provides 6g of protein per serving.  This makes quinoa a great option for vegetarians and vegans.  Quinoa, since it is a whole grain, also adds fiber to your diet.  Fiber can help make you feel full and can also help reduce cholesterol levels.  Additionally, quinoa is gluten free; so if you suffer from Celiac's disease or prefer not to eat gluten, quinoa is a great choice!

Quinoa is versatile and can be used as a side dish or part of a main dish.  I recently made Quinoa Stuffed Green Peppers and they were delicious.  I can't post the exact recipe I used but there was a very similar one on the back of the box my quinoa came in:

1 cup Traditional Quinoa
2 cups Water
4 large or 6 medium  Green Peppers
1 medium Onion, diced
1/2 lb. fresh Mushrooms, sliced
2 Tbsp. Butter
1 - 28 oz can Tomatoes, coarsely diced (reserve juice)
2 Garlic cloves, crushed
1 - 12 oz jar Mexican Salsa
2 Tbs. Dry Sherry
10 oz Mozzarella Cheese, shredded

Pre-heat oven to 325° F. Cook traditional quinoa following basic directions (add 1 cup quinoa to 1 1/2 cups boiling water, return to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer and cook until water is absorbed, about 15 minutes). Steam 4 large or 6 medium green peppers until soft but not limp. In a large skillet, saute the onion and mushrooms in butter. Add the diced tomatoes (reserve the juice). Add the crushed garlic and Mexican salsa. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes. Add the sherry and simmer 10 more minutes. Fold in quinoa. Place peppers in baking dish and fill with quinoa mixture. This will take about half the mixture. Thin remainder with reserved juice and pour around peppers.

Here are the slight differences:  I sauteed my vegetables in olive oil, not butter; I used a can of diced tomatoes in place of the salsa and didn't add sherry.  I also added zucchini to the vegetable mixture and served topped with marinara sauce. Also, add some water to the baking dish so that the peppers don't dry out while baking.  Bake the peppers until the tops are crunchy, about 30 minutes.  

I served them with marinara sauce and they were delicious!

Stress Eating?

Recently I was thinking, why did I start a blog?  I was never good at journaling or writing anything similar on a regular basis.  Obviously, my last post was over 2 months ago.  Then, I remind myself, I started a blog to share my experiences with others.

Right now is end of the year crunch time.  And I am procrastinator.  Which probably explains me not blogging regularly.  I have a proposal due for my senior honors project in EIGHT days.  I just started.  Yet am I even working on it?  No, I am procrastinating.

Procrastination essentially leads to stress.  Stress leads me to think of Skittles and Starbursts (presently) sometimes its peanut butter or chocolate.  While in the two months I have been away I have brought my weight loss total up to 12 pounds, so even though they would taste delicious do I want to negate all that I have worked so hard to achieve? And through the thoughts of even though they may taste good, not only would they give me a belly ache, but they would sabotage my weight loss and health efforts.

What is stress eating anyway?  And why does it happen?  Well, cortisol is to blame.  Cortisol is a stress hormone that prepares our body to battle so it mobilizes energy stores.  When you have chronic stress (i.e. my current situation) cortisol doesn't dissipate so it makes your body want foods that are high in fat and sugar to keep the energy supply constantly in demand.

So the next time you are aggravated by the fact you want to stress eat, thank your ancestors and evolution.  Then blog about it.  Food urge diverted.  Success.  Back to the thesis proposal.

Randa