Avocado

Not just for guacamole anymore,” avocado adds a creamy texture and mildly nutty flavor to salads, fish dishes, and more,” says Martin Brock, executive chef at Atria in New York City. These new ways to use the fruit:





As a soup

Mix 6 tbsp. diced cucumber, 1 diced avocado, ½ cup fresh crabmeat, 3 tbsp. lowfat yogurt, 1 tbsp. each olive oil and chopped mint, and 2 tbsp. lemon juice; divide among 6 bowls. In a food processor, puree 1 cucumber, ½ honeydew melon, 1 cup lowfat yogurt, and 2 tbsp. Lemon juice. Pour on top of avocado mixture.







As a salad

Quarter 1 avocado and toss in a small bowl with 4 halved cherry tomatoes and 1 tbsp. each olive oil and freshly squeezed lemon juice. Season with salt, sugar and cayenne pepper to taste. Place 1 cup chopped romaine lettuce in a separate bowl and top with avocado-tomato mixture. Sprinkle with 2 tbsp. crumbled feta and 1 tbsp. pitted, chopped kalamata olives.





As an entrée

Dice 1 plum tomato and 1 avocado and combine in a medium bowl with 1 tbsp. diced red pepper, ½ tsp. minced jalapeño, and the kernels from roasted corn cob. Add 1 tbsp. each cilantro, olive oil, and freshly squeezed lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve on top of grilled fish, chicken, beef, or pork tenderloin.





*In ½ cup sliced avocado: 117 calories, 7 g monounsaturated fat, 5 g fiber, 198 mcg lutein

Weight Loss Q&A

The Best Way To Fight Diet Envy

Q: My sister and I are on a diet, but she’s lost more weight than I have. How can I stop feeling resentful?

A: Cut yourself some slack—you and your sibling share only about half your genes, which means your varying degrees of success may be beyond your control. “Everyone has a unique biological makeup that influences how quickly she can lose weight,” says Martin Binks, Ph.D., director of behavioral health at the Duke Diet & Fitness Center in Durham, North Carolina. So while your sister may have inherited your dad’s fast metabolism, it’s possible you got stuck with your mom’s average one—along with her sweet tooth.



     The next time the green-eyed monster rears its head, try focusing on what you can control: your own behavior. Start by telling yourself you’re happy for your sister, even if you have to fake it for a while. “The more you practice positive thinking, the weaker those negative thoughts get,” says Binks. And an optimistic outlook will not only keep sibling rivalry at bay, it will also help you stay on track; according to Binks, you’re more apt to make unhealthy choices when you feel helpless or sad.



Q: I’ve heard that eating less, not exercising more, is the only way to lose weight. True?

A: Though both can help you slim down, dietary changes do help you shed pounds faster than working out. To lose a pound, you need to create a 3,500 calorie deficit, which break down to 500 fewer calories a day for a week. “Most women find it easier to nix their midmorning bran muffin than to run four and a half miles at a 10-minute-mile pace,” says Jeannie Gazzaniga Moloo, Ph.D., R.D., a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association in Roseville, California.

     But before you throw in the (gym) towel, consider this: According to a new study in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, women who cut calories and boosted their daily activity levels shed more weight than those who only dieted or exercised. And another study published in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise found that women who stuck to a regular workout routine had the most success in keeping pounds off over a period of seven years. “Physical activity does so much more than just burn calories,” says Gazzaniga Moloo. “It also boosts your metabolism by helping you build muscles, ups your brain’s production of feel-good endorphins, and curbs stress-induced snacking.”

4 healthy foods that cost less than $1

Tryng to tighten your grocery budget? If you’re not careful, you may have to loosen your belt. ”In an effort to save money, many women trade fresh produce and lean meats for processed foods that are high in calories and fat,” says Molly Morgan, R.F., author of Choose Right Supermarket Shopping Guild. “But some of the most nutritious foods are also the cheapest.” Add these wallet- friendly picks to your shopping cart.

Sweet potatoes

60 CENTS EACH Each spud packs 4 grams of fiber and more than 25% of your daily vitamin A and C needs. “Cut one into wedges or thick slices, toss with olive oil and sea salt, and bake for 30 minutes at 425 F,” says Morgan.



Frozen spinach

45 CENTS PER ½ CUP These greens are just as flavorful and vitamin K-rich as fresh spinach. After defrosting and draining the excess water, mix into pasta dishes.

Black beans

34 CENT PER ½ CUP Ounce for ounce, these legumes have the most antioxidants of any bean. For a quick meal, sauté with onions, garlic, and tomatoes and serve over brown rice.

Eggs

16 CENTS EACH Eggs are one of the best sources of protein. Hard-boil a batch at the start of the week, says Morgan, then slice one on top of toast or add it to a salad or sandwich.

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Sweet whole-grain cereals

Even though your childhood favorite is now being made with whole-grain oats, it doesn’t give you a free pass to pour yourself a big bowl. “Many sweet cereals that contain whole oats or rice still have very little fiber and more sugar than a doughnut,” says Keri Gans, R.D., a New York City dietitian. For lasting energy, look for at least 3 grams of fiber and fewer than 10 grams of sugar. –JUNO DcMELO

Halloween Eve

It's 6pm, and I'm sitting here in my gray banshee wig and witch costume. I'm wearing outrageous eye makeup with black eyebrows, black glitter eye shadow and red lipstick. I have black spider stickers on each side of my face. I'm waiting for the little ones to start ringing the doorbell, yelling "Trick or Treat!". I already have a headache. I hate wigs. This is the last year I'll be wearing a wig. I forgot how uncomfortable they can be (although I had on a different one last week and it wasn't this bad). 

I've never dressed up for the kids before. I don't know why I decided to do so this year. It seemed like a good idea at the time. We have a lot of kids on my street and they all know me. The last few years I made the decision that I was sick and tired of handing out candy that I couldn't eat and it wasn't good for the kids anyway. So we'd turn off all the lights and head out to a scary movie at the theater. Talk about being a Halloween Scrooge.

For some reason I had a change of heart this year. I dressed up for work last week so I had a costume (actually, I bought two - a witch and vampire). Tonight I'm the witch because I can't talk very well with the vampire teeth. Of course, now I'm thinking maybe this was a stupid idea. The wig is bugging me and the makeup is itchy.

I just answered the door to the third set of kids. They seem to be getting a kick out of me being dressed up as a witch. I love the wide eyes of the little ones. Maybe they think this is what I always look like.

My husband is still mowing the lawn (at 6pm...???). The motion detector gigantic brown recluse spider hanging over the front door is continually yelling, screaming, howling. I need to turn off his sound until the mowing stops. I'm just too tired.

Strangely the candy isn't bothering me and it's all my favorite stuff, Twix, Mounds, Kit Kats, M&Ms (no problem with the Reese cups since I have a peanut allergy). They're nice sized bars that are about two or three bites, at about 80 calories each. I really have no interest.

The caramel cake I had Thursday night has pretty much done me in on sweets for probably a long time. I can still taste the intense sweetness of the brown sugar in the frosting, the slight grittiness against my teeth. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I really didn't like it that much. I never want to have it again. It wasn't that it was a bad tasting cake, it just wasn't all that great. The same with the Häagen-Dazs ice cream. Maybe it's because I'm associating these foods with a sleepless night, filled with tossing and turning and a bad bout of night sweats. I really don't want a repeat of that night. I accept that I failed and I may fail again, but the sickening sweet taste is still too familiar. Perhaps I'm not as addicted to sugar as I once thought.

I'm 100% back on track this weekend and actually tracking my food online and drinking tons of water. Three hours of exercise between yesterday and today.

I even tried out a couple cardio machines I've never used before. I tried the recumbent bike because Bally's had a thing on their Bally TV about it, that it looks like the Lazy Boy of workout machines but you could get a really good workout on it. I hated it. After thirty minutes on the crossramp I tried the recumbent for twenty minutes. It was pure misery. I like the upright stationary bike or the spin cycle or a real bike, but that recumbent is really uncomfortable, my back is still hurting.

Then I tried the old rowing machine. It looks like an antique torture contraption, and I never see anyone using it. It has a steel chain with a bar attached to it. There are slabs of wood with straps on them that you hook your feet into and grab the bar and pull back. It's not fancy at all, but boy was it difficult. My heart rate zoomed up to 135 in about a minute (remember, I'm old and my resting HR is 49...so 135 is high for me). I did it for ten minutes and thought I was going to die. I burned 80 calories in that ten minutes according to my Polar heart rate monitor (that thinks I weigh 152 pounds because I never changed it because you know I'm going to lose that 25 pounds I gained :).

Okay, I'm ready for Halloween to be over. It's only 7:45 p.m. and the kids keep coming. About forty kids so far, and most of them I didn't know (and some were kind of old for Trick or Treating).

I'm feeling nauseous from the wig. I'm just about ready to pull it off and let my  natural hair be my witch hair. My husband is having no part of handing out the candy which really isn't like him at all. Usually when we did do the candy thing in the past he was always the one to hand it out. Not sure what's up with him this year.

Damn...the doorbell again.

BLT Burger

Tip: But 96 percent lean ground beef rather than 93 percent, which packs as much as twice the fat.



Ingredients:

• 4 strips extralean turkey bacon, halved


• 1 lb 96 percent lean ground beef


• 4 whole grain or whole wheat hamburger buns, split


• 1 cup chopped fresh spinach leaves


• 4 large or 8-12 small thin tomato slices


• 4 tbsp low-fat mayonnaise

Preparation:

• Preheat grill to high.


• Place medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add bacon. Cook 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until crisp.


• Remove from pan and cover to keep warm.


• Divide beef into 4 equal portions and shape into balls, packing them tightly. Press each into a patty that is about ½ “ larger than diameter of buns.


• Grill burgers about 2 minutes per side for medium-rare, or until desired doneness (don’t smash burgers with spatula). Place bun halves, cut sides down, on upper grill rack or away from direct flame until toasted, about 20 seconds.


• Place each toasted bun bottom on plate, Top with spinach, tomato, patties, then 2 pieces of bacon each. Spread 1 tbsp of the mayonnaise evenly on each bun top, flip atop patties, and serve.

Make 4 Servings:



Weight Loss Recipes Amount per Serving: 295 Calories, 29 g Protein, 25 g carbohydrates, 4 g Fiber, 9 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 70 mg cholesterol, 547 mg sodium

Sweet Grilled Cheese

Tip: Always use low-fat cheese when cooking. You’ll lower the fat and save a lot of calories.



Ingredients:

• 2 slices low-fat provolone or Swiss cheese


• 2 slices Ezekiel 4:9 Cinnamon Raisin Bread

Preparation:

• Coat nonstick sauté pan with oil cooking spray and set over medium heat.


• Place cheese between slices of bread and set sandwich on pan. Cook, pressing down gently with spatula once or twice, until bottom side is golden.


• Flip sandwich and repeat. Serve immediately.

Make 2 Servings:



Weight Loss Recipes Amount per Serving ( ½ sandwich): 120 Calories, 8 g Protein, 20 g carbohydrates, 2 g Dietary Fiber, 2 g fat, < 1 g saturated fat, 5 mg cholesterol, 270 mg sodium

Tacking as I go

Still tracking my foods, still doing the do... will write later about my CRIMINALLY INSANE leaflet campaign that makes me think I deserve to wear Underoooooo's