…to admit that writing for this blog is self-motivating. I’ve always been one to practice what I preach, so a few weeks ago I made the personal decision to give vegetarianism a try. I’m a lacto-ovo vegetarian, and can I share with you, it is a lot easier than I thought it would be!
I’m all about the well-stocked pantry, and one of the things I’ve discovered is “dry curd” cottage cheese, aka ‘farmer’s cheese’. At only 70 calories and almost no fat (per 1/2 cup), but with nearly 20 grams of protein, I have found my new favorite “super food“.
A little research showed me that the reason why the curds are “dry” is that no additional cream is added after fermentation. This also reduces the lactose, for those who are sensitive, and its crumbly texture is perfect for tossing with pasta (whole grain of course!); or, do like I did, and sprinkle over fresh baby spinach with chopped walnuts, extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Yum!
My pants are already loosening up at the waist, my digestion has improved, and the recipe possibilities are endless. Check back often for more great pantry tips and recipe ideas.
Now we have another reason to collectively adore Valerie Bertinelli. As revealed on “Oprah,” February 25th, 2008, Valerie has put out a book, detailing her life as well as her weight loss struggles. “Losing It: And How I Got My Life Back One Pound at a Time” is available for purchase, and is already getting rave reviews on Amazon.
Immensely likable, it was curious how she found love with a hard-edged rocker like Eddie Van Halen. Like her marriage, much about her personal life has remained a mystery, until now. Having lost more than 30 pounds with Jenny, and in a timeline that is realistic (you can read all about it on her blog), she does good friend, Kirstie Alley, proud with strong testimonial and certifiable results.
Valerie, you Rock!
You can read the full review of Valerie Bertinelli’s new book here at Diets In Review.
Most of you already know that I used to work with and for Jenny Craig, on and off for a total of about three years. As a former client, I also subscribe to their emails, and found out today that they are in the process of completely re-vamping and updating their website.
This made me laugh, as when I worked for them in 1994 as a Center Director, I recommended to my management that they consider building a website; at that time a brand new avenue for weight loss information. They laughed in my face, and told me that it would never work for the “personal” approach to weight loss that Jenny Craig was famous for!
Flash forward 14 years, and not only is the website going strong, by the looks of it the free “sneak peek” I saw today, they are taking many of the tools that one usually only sees in the center, and putting those same tools on the web.
Seems to me it is just a matter of time before the new parent company of Jenny, Nestle Switzerland, does away with the one-on-one consultations conducted in their costly individual operational centers, and joins the rest of the diet industry on-line.
You heard it here first!
Jared Fogel, the “Subway Guy”, is on a nationwide tour promoting 10 years of maintaining his nearly 245 pound weight loss on what is now known as The Subway Diet. Amazing. He’s currently on a nationwide tour supported by a national campaign from Subway to celebrate and promote the achievement. You can sign his pants as a testament to your own commitment to follow a healthy diet and enjoy other interactive activities on the Subway site.
I’m really proud of him, and equally proud that Subway is beginning to take a serious stand in promoting healthy dining options. The new kid’s meal is terrific: Mini sub, raisins, yogurt, and low-fat milk. Subway is a healthier option than the USDA-subsidized school lunch your child eats everyday, and that was before the beef recall.
Diets In Review congrats Jared on such a monumental achievement in health and weight loss- and wish you luck in your continued efforts and success.
Being married to a Chef, I thought I knew a thing or two about cooking. Boy was I wrong!
To provide a bit of background, I was making risotto for the boys, and discovered I was out of butter. Just as a professional chef would, I usually add a tablespoon of butter at the finish to add a creamy sheen to the risotto, and bind the grains together. Without the butter, I thought to myself, this risotto is going to be inedible. My boys won’t eat it. My husband will laugh at me, etc.
Expectantly, I looked once more into the fridge, hoping a forlorn stick of butter would magically appear. Instead, what caught my eye was a container of low-fat yogurt, that I had purchased because I wanted to make yogurt cheese. For a moment, I wondered, could this work? Desperately, I added two large tablespoons of yogurt to the risotto, and stirred it in. I could not believe my eyes as the yogurt had exactly the same effect as butter, without the fat and cholesterol. I was thrilled, and hoped you would find this discovery equally wonderful.
For other great ways to use low fat yogurt, check out this awesome recipe for seafood salad dressing. With springtime fast approaching, this creamy dressing tossed with seafood, cucumber and celery is a great dinner idea for those lighter meals that we crave in warmer weather.
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