Healthfulness and New Bloggers

I have decided to revitalize my eating habits. It is a new goal of mine (and my husband's) and we are doing great so far. I got a lot of really useful ideas from a book I've been reading and it's actually been a lot easier than I thought to incorporate really healthful and yummy items into our diet. Here are some ideas . . . .

One of the new things I'm doing is eating a spinach salad for dinner at least once a week. Not just any spinach salad, we're talking a Seinfeld-style "big salad" dinner. And I love it. I get to put all sorts of yummy toppings on and it makes me soooo happy.

Some of the toppings I have tried: crispy onion strings (sold by croutons), boiled egg, red onion, bell peppers, tomatoes, avocado, mozzarella, diced chicken strips, grated carrot, artichoke, ... and the list goes on. I also found a new love: Thai peanut dressing. I think it's Lighthouse brand. And it is incredible. I was worried that I would get sick of these salads, but that definitely hasn't happened yet. The toppings give it enough variety (and I love the toppings enough by themselves) that I don't feel like I'm eating the same thing every week. Furthermore, I have noticed a HUGE change in the way I feel. Obviously, this is not solely attributable to the spinach salads, but I know it's part of it.

I also started buying better eggs (with omega-3) from vegetarian-fed free range chickens. I never thought it would really matter, but these eggs taste way better. I kid you not.

Oh, another awesome tip: homemade granola with dried fruit and flaxseed. It is another dream come true. I eat it with yogurt almost every day. SO good. And SO healthy. I will post that recipe, I promise.

According to one source, these are the top 10 brain foods:

#1: Legumes (beans, peas, lentils)

I am going to try to work these into my meals-- beans are definitely easy to throw into a lot of things. I am also looking into new recipes with legumes. Haven't experimented a lot with legumes, but they are good enough for you that I really want to.

#2: Eggs

DHA-fortified in particular, which come from providers that feed their hens DHA-producing microalgae. Look for packages that say DHA-fortified or Omega-3. Did you know that you should consume 220 mg of DHA a day? The typical American diet for US women is about 50 mg. One DHA-fortified egg can give you 300 mg of DHA, and one 4 oz. fillet of steamed or poached wild Alaskan salmon contains 830 mg of DHA. If you decide to go with these eggs, make sure you check the info on the package to see how much Omega-3 they are really offering.

#3: Nuts/seeds

Good options: almonds, walnuts, sunflower kernels, pumpkin seeds, flaxseed.

#4: Olive oil. Use this. For almost everything. If you must fry, use canola.

#5: Alaskan wild salmon (see above)

Look for labels that indicate Pacific-caught. You can even use the canned wild Alaskan salmon in certain recipes-- which is nice since fresh and frozen can get pricey. Basically, wild salmon is a lot healthier than farm-raised. Farm-raised contains lower levels of omega-3 and higher levels of PCBs, dioxins, methyl-mercury, and pesticides. The vast majority of "Pacific salmon" is wild caught, that's why I say look for that on the label.

#6: Yogurt and kefir

Look for the "Live Active Cultures" seal on yogurt. I discovered the generic brands don't always have this, so I finally made a commitment to Yoplait. I always liked it better, but I'd feel more frugal if I bought the cheaper stuff. Well, no more.

Kefir is a yogurt-like drink made from sheep, goat, cow, and soy milk, with a mildly sweet and tart taste.

Why look for the seal? Well, probiotics are live organisms. When taken in adequate amounts, they confer a health benefit to the host. Not all yogurt and kefir contain probiotics; in fact, many brands have dead or unreliable contents. The seal requires that the product contain at least 108 viable lactic acid bacteria per gram for refrigerated products. Yogurt is also an excellent source of high-quality protein. One 6 oz container of low-fat yogurt provides 7 grams of protein with only one gram of saturated fat (or less if you get non-fat).

#7: Whole grains

This is probably common knowledge, but check your grain items to see if whole-grain is the first listed ingredient. Companies are getting pretty tricky with their labels and often make things look like whole-grain when they're not.

#8: Leafy greens

Hence, the spinach salads. Mmmm. But other good options are kale, collards, and broccoli.

#9: Dark purple fruits

Suggested: prunes, raisins, and blueberries. I discovered that I quite like prunes. Who knew?

#10: Orange and red fruits and vegetables

Like . . . oranges, red bell peppers, tomatoes. Very, very good choices. I am actually trying to eat one of the 3 options each day.

Now . . . that said:

I have also decided to revamp this blog. I learned a great lesson from it: if you start a collaborative blog, make sure you get people who are willing to collaborate. Or it will fizzle. Thus, three (and possibly four) new cooks are going to join the ranks of Whatcha Got Cookin'? and begin wow-ing us all with their culinary expertise. (Teah, I hope this will renew your interest in the blog, too. You were pretty much the only one posting with me before. I think with others who plan to post regularly, both of us will get back into it. :) ) So, yay for a cooking blog!!

The others can write a little post to introduce themselves and their cooking styles if they want . . . or they can just start right in on posting recipes. I am so excited and I hope that we can share some awesomeness with each other.

Bon appetit!