Being Healthier

This product was a celebrity peanut butter on the blogosphere a few months ago and I was overjoyed to see samples from Bell Plantation arrive with their powdered peanut butter product, PB2 and a sample of their chocolate PB2!

First up: Chocolate PB2

Ingredients: Roasted Peanuts, cocoa powder, sugar, and salt.

Serving Size: 2 Tablespoons (12 grams)

Servings per container: 16

Calories:  52.2

Calories from Fat  12.8

Total Fat: 1.42 g

Saturated Fat: 0.46 g

Unsaturated Fat: 0.89 g

Trans Fat: <0.01 g

Cholesterol: <0.1 mg

Sodium: 59.9 mg

Total Carbohydrate: 6.0 g

Dietary Fiber: 1.03 g

Sugars: 3.65 g

Protein:  3.85 g

Vitamin A (IU):  <1 %

Vitamin C (mg):  <0.1 %

Calcium (mg): 11.2 %

Iron (mg):  0.73 %

I had mine mixed separately and dipped my oatmeal into it. Then I drizzled it on my oatmeal.

Oh my goodness! It tastes like frosting, really, chocolate peanut butter frosting! It was so delicious that I thought I was eating the frosting off of a cupcake! Neither flavors (chocolate and peanut) overpowered the other and it was very smooth but thick.

I love the nutrition facts! I think healthy fats are wonderful, but they do add up the calories pretty easily! This would be a great dessert option for a frosting that is much healthier than the saturated fat /sugar of buttercream etc. !

PB2: Regular Peanut Butter Flavor

Ingredients: Roasted Peanuts, salt, and sugar

Serving Size: 2 tablespoons (12 grams)

Servings Per Container: 16

Amount Per 2 Tablespoon Serving (*when mixed with water):

Calories                          53.2

Calories from Fat           16.8

Total Fat:  1.87 g

     Saturated Fat:  0.34 g

     Trans Fat:  0 g

     Unsaturated Fat: 1.53 g

Cholesterol:   0 mg

Sodium:  77.6 mg

Total Carbohydrate:  3.4 g

     Dietary Fiber 0.48 g

     Sugars  1.66 g

Protein   5.65 g

Vitamin A (IU)  0%

Vitamin C (mg)  0%

Calcium (mg)  1%

Iron (mg)  2%

I enjoyed this with banana slices and with oatmeal. I think this is such a fantastic option for Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches, because those can be very high in kcal and not very voluminous. Using a lower kcal pb that is lower in sugar and saturated fat could help make a pb&j sammy a better meal constituent.

Taste: It tasted just like any creamy peanut butter. I actually like this better than most peanut butters because it didn’t have the oily mess of naturals but it wasn’t so sweet and trans fat tasting like common brands ( jiffy, skippy, etc. ).

Pros:

This peanut butter is powdered, which means much like circa The Depression, it will last for a much longer time!

It does not require refrigeration!

It boasts 5 g of protein and less than 2 g of Fat! Those healthy unsaturated fats and high protein content make this nutritionally sound!

Because you have to mix it with water, so you can actually tailor the consistency to your preference. 

Taste! Those that prefer the more creamy texture of Jiff, Skippy etc. would enjoy the taste of this creamy PB2 while reaping the healthier ingredients.

Cons:

You must mix it with water to get the correct consistency. This is usually not an issue but could be if you aren’t close to a water source!

It costs just about the same as other peanut butters ( $3 per jar) but you most likely have to order it online and pay for shipping.

It is available in many stores now as it gains popularity, however, still not in any stores near me!

Verdict:

I am going to be purchasing a 4 pack as soon as I get a little more money in my Pay Pal account!

Tuesday morning, I awoke to the sounds of pouring rain. It was quite nice and made me want to lay there for awhile. Then, I realized it had been raining all night! Not only was our roof was leaking and basement beginning to flood, but our street and yard were completely, totally, under water!

I almost freaked out but tried to keep calm, eat breakfast, gather my notes and hope to get to my exam in one piece ( with a running, non-water logged, car)

Mind:
I did collect myself and managed to be incredibly focused on my exam! I think (hope) that I did really well on this because I just felt like I knew those answers- not a "sure" but I thought through each answer and picked my answer before looking at my choices.Fingers crossed!

Body: 
Elliptical 40 minutes, Ab Work: 10 minutes

Vigorous Flow Yoga. This was my second time and it was just as challenging as the first time. It was rather rejuvenating, however, my lower back is a little sore!

Soul: 
it feels like a huge relief and confidence booster to have exam #3 go well. The Final on Friday morning seems more " attainable" now and less of a "oh goodness" worry!

Breakfast:
Oats, Fruit, PB- I stuck with what I wanted even if it was the same as yesterday!

Lunch:
Leftovers of course… fish, veggies, cous cous, steamed vegetables…

 

Dinner:

Insalata Caprese Mac & Cheese!

It was so incredibly easy to make this version "Adult" Mac& Cheese. Last week I made Annie’s as did a lovely blogger Kristen of EatingRD. She had bulked hers up with tofu and broccoli and it looked fabulous! I purchased tofu and tempeh and all the ingredients for a bulked up Italian style "Caprese" dinner. I  was already purchasing fresh mozzarella and basil for a recipe I saw in "Health" magazine with nectarines so I knew  it would be a great way to fully use all the ingredients in different recipes this week.
 

Annie’s Organic Whole Wheat Shells all "grown up" with basil (chiffonade), sliced baby roma tomatoes, fresh mozzarella chunks, bacon ( instead of Proscuitto) and tossed in some spinach (frozen, thawed with hot spaghetti water) for extra Vitamin C, Carotenoids and Folic Acid!

 
On the side I made a rather random but delicious salad of green cabbage, organic sprouts, and skillet-heated Tempeh. I added Goddess Dressing and boy, was that ever tasty!

 
That was my first time making Tempeh, so I will have to give my thoughts fully after having more in the next few days.

This morning is our last day of Summer Session Microbiology!! Jeff also leaves for a Bachelor Party today, which is exciting for him but also a little " oh my I wonder what will occur" kinda feeling for me!  I have the final tomorrow morning and the phone interview for Murphy -Goode tomorrow afternoon. Wish me luck!

How has everyone’s week been?

Grilled Cheese Apple French Toast

Here was my exact thought process for lunch on Monday:  "I really should use up this bread… I want some egg whites… What else goes with eggs? Cheese! What goes well with cheese…? Apples!! "

And now I present, Grilled Cheese Apple French Toast

Ingredients for One:
2 slices of whole wheat bread, slightly toasted
1/2 cup egg whites whisked with a splash of milk ( 1-2 Tb)
1/4 cup shredded cheddar ( I used a reduced fat type)
1/4 of apple sliced thin ( I used a Golden Delicious for a crispy sweet texture)

Directions:
Heat nonstick skillet. Mix egg whites and milk for batter. Dip toast slices in batter, lay into pan. Turn when you smell the bottom is done ( that is how I do it…). Allow to cook for 1 minute before adding cheese and apple slices. Make it into a sandwich!

I had the rest of the apple sprinkled with cinnamon on the side for lunch today!

Let me tell you, I thought this tasted awesome! Out of all the french toast creations I have done ( pumpkin french toast, monte cristo, french toast marmalade, the list goes on) I think this ranks up near the very top! However, every time I make a french toast creation, I think it seems better than the previous!

1 Sandwich provides approximately 230 kcal, 23g Protein, 10 g Fat

Dinner: Jeff made me dinner because I had so much to study, isn’t that sweet?!? He is sweet. He made an AWESOME meal as well- He put fresh organic tomatoes, fresh green beans, and sliced red potatoes into foil with seasoning, vinegar and oil and onto the grill. He also grilled chicken breasts with hot sauce.


( I didn’t quite finish all of that!!!)
It was perfect because while he cooked I managed to get through all of the material I brought home after a long day of studying on campus, the gym and class!

Body:

Strength:
Chest, Shoulders, Triceps, Abs: Walking Push Ups and Alternating Plank Raises
Abs: Plank holds ( 4 for 30 seconds each)
Triceps: Overhead pulley extensions
Triceps: Pully Presses
Chest: Incline Bench

Cardio:
Biking! 45 minutes flew by!

I am hoping to get in a yoga class tomorrow to help de-stress-ify before my final exam and interview!

Mind:
Studied… studied and then… studied! Wish Me luck on Exam #3!

Soul:

I love productivity but I felt really balanced today! I had a great workout but my day was also filled with tons of studying and even a little more wedding info details!

I love that Jeff made dinner because it really helped me get more done too!

Oh and I almost forgot again, Breakfast was my usual favorite…

Saturday, start to finish, was absolutely amazing! It started out with waking up early, coffee while looking out on the marina, and blueberry pancakes with sausage!

Blueberries!

We took off shortly after breakfast for the Ft. Fisher Ferry to Southport, NC, where we would catch another ferry to Bald Head.

I had contacted the Hospitality Event Manager for one agency on the island and she gladly sent me all the information plus she setup complimentary Ferry tickets for us (!) The new ferry station for BHI at Southport was recently moved and is still being finished but it is very impressive already! There it is as we departed for Bald Head…

We arrived to Bald Head..

We met up with the event manager for Bald Head Ltd. and she drove us all around the island via golf cart! She was so helpful, taking us to every possible ceremony site and reception site! She even hooked us up with a free pass to the Shoal’s Club (which is probably our favorite site for our wedding) so that we could come back and check it out on our own after she left!

Drumroll please……..Wedding Possibilities Here we come!
Harborside Pavillion overlooking the marina and Lighthouse, Old Baldy.

 
Underneath the tent:

Marina & Lighthouse View Ceremony Site

Lighthouse Grounds

View of the Lighthouse grounds from the Chapel Entrance
 
The Chapel ( It was surprisingly quite nice and nondenominational, however, Jeff and I are not indoor/church types)

The Shoal’s Club ( our favorite so far!)
 
That is the Presentation Deck for our ceremony, overlooking the ocean and beach.

.

This is the other view, it does have a covered area for those that would want to be out of the sun

The Shoal’s Club Dining Rooms and Outdoor Patio for the Reception
 

This space ( and the two inside dining rooms to the right) is only available one Saturday a month for weddings and October 2010 is already filled. However, we could have it there any other day of the week (… sunday )

On the left of the above photo is the Event Pavillion…here it is inside below
 

We would also have the outside space around this Event Pavillion…

Hard to imagine with umbrellas and ketchup bottles, but you can see the d
unes, palm trees and pool…

 

After we said our goodbyes and thank you’s, we had lunch at this fantastic restaurant right on the Harbor. Eb and Flow
“Island Paradise” was on special
 
Blue Curacao, Coconut Rum and Pineapple Juice  was incredibly refreshing! My lunch was exactly what I wanted as well, grilled salmon with grilled asparagus and a side salad ( it had peppers, tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, and romaine!). My fiance (!!!) had a shrimp buffalo style burger and beer.

We hit the bikes afterward and biked all the way down to South Beach area to meet up with another Event planner at the Island’s country/golf Club.

If you ever see Bald Head on theknot.com, you will see a photo of this country club! Her name was Lindsey and she actually graduated from where I am attending graduate school! What a coincidence! We did the tour of all their possible reception and ceremony sites, got more information and took more photos.
The Grill Terrace overlooks the driving range

The Main Dining Area is another option, which comes with The Ocean Terrace

Above, they were setting up the dance floor for a wedding. They actually have a better area of hardwood floors already in place in The Green Room, which is an additional fee but might be fantastic for our dancing! Below is The Ocean Terrace, this was actually the idea I fell in love with when we decided to check out BHI. I still really like the venue and the price but I did not realize it was so far back from the ocean…

It is funny because the ocean really is just about 1/4 mile straight walk down the driveway entrance so it isn’t that far!
  

After meeting with her, we were really undecided! There is a large cost difference between The Shoals and The BH Club but we think both are fantastic in different ways! We decided we wanted to think more about everything so we happily biked through all the beach houses

…and back to The Shoal’s Club to take advantage of our free pass! We checked out the dining room and patio area again, inside. Unfortunately the photos I took did not upload for some reason.

We had a drink at the bar. I had a sweet tea vodka with water and Jeff had a IPA ( again totally refreshing and delicious)

and utilized the private access to the beach! On our way I snapped this shot of the club…

I think it was very coincidental that as we stepped onto the beach, we set our stuff down right near this:

Someone had just gotten married!

We had a great time swimming in the ocean! The water was cool but perfect after a hot, sunny day of “work” and the sand was really soft as opposed to filled with crushed shells.

As we were biking all the way back to the Harbor, we found the entrance to a possible ceremony site we had seen earlier with our first event person…

This gazebo is really pretty and is “free” as far as site fees go. It has a much bigger lawn area than in this photo and a smaller lighthouse type of building on the opposite end. I thought the entrance to the little forest area was nice..
 

We continued on and waited for the ferry back to Southport, checking out the harbor entrance beach.
 
We hopped on the Ferry watching the sunset and drove back to Jeff’s dad’s house. His dad had ordered us pizza for dinner and we were so thankful because we were HUNGRY!

I had one slice of Hawaiian style with pineapple, canadian ham, bacon, roasted red peppers and jalepenos!  I had another slice of “Greek Veggie” with peppers, onions, spinach, olives and feta! Jack missed us and clearly wanted to be near any possible drop-age of pizza!

Body:
Biking All over the 14 miles of beaches on the island! Swimming in the ocean!

Mind:
We asked so many questions and received lots of information to take in for everything Bald Head has to offer!

Soul:
Completely filled! We accomplished so much fun, relaxation and exercise, delicious food and drink , and wedding planning activity all in one day!

Breakfast:
Fruit Covered Oats

Pineapple, Cantaloupe, Raspberries, a few slices of banana and a little peanut butter with a Green Smoothie on the side…

I know I know, it looks gross. I used Kale, frozen pineapple, frozen blueberries, milk and chocolate protein powder to make a mini smoothie. It was so refreshing!

Lunch:

Oikos Organic Bluberry Yogurt sprinkled with Smart Start cereal, kiwi,(the other half of ) a banana, peanut butter on my spoon in the back

and I just used frozen mixed vegetables and steamed them in the microwave for several minutes. 

Dinner:
Fish Taco and Salsa with Greens

The fish:
Wild Tilapia made in the skillet with lemon pepper seasoning and capers
The Greens: 
Kale and Spinach heated in the Micro
The Salsa:
I sliced up fresh cantaloupe, added bottled black bean and corn salsa, frozen thawed pineapple, and extra black beans with some hot sauce. It was really tasty! I know mango salsa goes well with fish so I figured the cantaloupe would be a good substitute!

 

Breakfast was super fast because I had to jet to class ( I slept in a bit)! Whole wheat toast, TJ Valencia Peanut Butter, Banana slices, an Organic Oikos Blueberry and Fruit

Leftovers (pasta) with extras (veggies) for Lunch.

I like cold pasta leftovers- always have- its like cold pizza. How do you feel about leftovers?

Dinner : Bacon Pepper Pizzatta

I really wanted to use up the eggs we have so I decided on frittata but then decided on strata of sorts for dinner. I randomly chose items to create the dish: bacon, frozen pepper and onion mix, cumin, red chile flakes, mexican cheese, black beans and a whole wheat toast crust. Seemingly, it was all going to fit into my spring form pan and I could just pop it out to serve.

I sauteed the peppers and onions with the spices,
then used the same pan to cook the bacon. Grease aroma filled the kitchen as I buttered the pan and laid four slices of whole wheat bread in the bottom.

After toasting the bread for a few minutes, I added the peppers, beans, then poured in the egg mix ( 2 eggs , 4 egg whites) topping it all with cheese and bacon. Unfortunately, the egg mix soaked through the bread and started seeping out of the pan on to the counter!

I quickly had to figure out a solution! I grabbed a pie dish and popped the spring form out on top of that. The problem seemed to be solved, so I popped the pie pan into the oven ( which didn’t fit into my toaster oven that I had preheated) for 15 minutes on 350*.

Bacon Pepper Pizzatta

I actually didn’t realize it, but some of the eggs had still dripped underneath the springform plate…
Regardless, it was delicious! The eggs leavened up, creating a crust with the bread just like pizza! The salty bacon and fluffy egg strata went very nicely with the smokey cumin!

The whole dish provided approximately 660 kcal and 52 g protein! About 20% of the calories came from fat, and you could even decrease that by using less cheese and/or removing the bacon. I can’t believe how fast and easy it was either- lay down some bread, mix up eggs, add veggies, bake! This accident turned out better than I ever imagined!

I had half with some fresh fruit that Jeff picked up for us. Organic Kiwi, Raspberries and Canteloupe!

Hello All!!
I know that I mentioned on here last week I was preparing a video application for a job. Well that job was “A Really Good Job” with Murphy-Goode Winery in Sonoma Valley California.

Please visit this site http://www.areallygoodejob.com/video-view.aspx?vid=MnkCD4ql2Ag  to vote for me!!!

I just received an email from Murphy Goode asking me to do a phone interview to help in selecting their Top 50 Candidates!!! I am overjoyed and they haven’t even selected their Top 50 yet ! I cannot wait to talk with them! I also cannot believe they actually emailed me for an interview!

I am on top of the world!

Recap for today:

Body:
Elliptical
Walking Push Ups
Planks
Yoga!! I went to a new class for me, Vigorous Flow. Let me tell you, it was vigorous!

Mind:
Exam is Done! Thank you for your good luck wishes! I think it went better than the previous exam.

Soul:
I am going to do a phone interview for a Dream Job working as  a wine coorespondent in California! How wonderful!

I also went to lunch with lovely ladies from my classes Sarah B and Sarah S ( Hi Ladies!) and Sarah S’s friend Caroline. It was FABULOUS but hot outside!

Sarah and I went shopping afterwards which was also incredibley fun!* Sarah you are awesome, Thank you for going!

Acai and Goji berries are all the rage recently and mostly in celebrity news.  Acai ( pronounced “Aye-sigh-eee” ) is now available in a variety of forms, such as dietary supplement pills, juice blends, and more at plenty of stores for the average consumer!  The Acai berry is so popular nutritionally speaking because it is a powerhouse of antioxidants.

Antioxidants are fighters of free radicals ( better known to me as “reactive oxygen species”). You see, oxygen is good and bad. If you have ever cut open an apple or left an avacado out for more than 2 minutes, you will see the effect of oxygen when it reacts with the enzymes in the food. Browning! Think of this browning reaction when oxygen, in its “superbad” form, reacts with cells inside your body. Cells browning, eww! Alright, your cells may not really turn brown, however, oxygen can react with all the important constituents of cells like membranes, nucleic acid, and proteins to cause changes or damage to said tissues. This damage may be minor or it may cause such mutations that lead to cells uncontrollable division aka CANCER! Other diseases thought to be due to oxidative damage: Heart Disease, Parkinson’s Disease, Alzhemiers…..

Antioxidants prevent or rather neutralize the free radicals (these damaging oxygen species) before they can cause damage, essentially, preventing things such as cancer from forming.

Simple terms: Consume Fruits and Vegetables with High Antioxidants Liberally!

Now I divert back to the Acai.  First its blueberries, then its pomegranates, then Goji Berries and now Acai!
 Why Acai?

The antioxidant hype over this berry from the Amazon is involved with its ORAC ratings from its freeze-dried fruit form. You may not have heard of ORAC which stands for the Oxygen Radical Absorbence Capacity. You can think of it as a measure for the antioxidant power in whatever item is being measured.

The ADA has lists of ORAC’s for many foods, afterall antioxidants are in a ton of foods: potatoes, juice, apples, curry powder, spices, tomatoes, tortillas, cereals, rice bran, nuts… the list goes on. You can access that list here: http://www.ars.usda.gov/SP2UserFiles/Place/12354500/Data/ORAC/ORAC07.pdf .

If you do check out that list, notice that almost all of the foods on it are “fresh” , mostly “produce” or typically considered “healthy”, desirable foods. We want to consume foods with high ORAC scores because they will protect our cells, thus reduce our risk of disease!

The USDA recommends 5-9 servings of Fruits and Vegetables daily. I’m sure we all have heard this, however, they also recommend ORAC intake between 3,000 and 5,000 units. The average american consuming 5 servings a day will only take in on average around 1750 ORAC units.

ORAC Average Values for Common Foods ( per serving size):

• Acai Juice, 8 fl oz. – 1770
• Pomegranate Juice, 8 fl oz. – 2,900
• Apples ( Raw Fuji)- 2,589
• Blueberries- 6,500
• Cabernet Sauvignon, 5 ounce- 5,000
• Baking Chocolate- 49,000
• Acai Freeze Dried-170,000
• Cinnamon, 287,000
• Cloves-314,00
  (values obtained by oracvalues.com, other values vary based on serving size and type of fruit such as freeze dried, or 16 fl oz vs. 8 etc)

All the hype seems to be more nonsense to me! You can see above, the Acai freeze-dried only, has well over the ORAC as other foods. That is a supefood! However, you can also see that you could easily get your 3,000-5,000 recommend ORAC units worth of antioxidants from eating an apple with cinnamon!! Most people fall short of their ORAC units because they pick lower antioxidant containing produce OR just do not consume enough in general! That is an easy dietary fix that can drastically reduce your risk of disease!

The fame that lends itself to the Acai Craze, is that only stars like Oprah can obtain it due to the insane expensiveness and complications obtaining it vs. say a bottle of cinnamon!  The true Acai berries themselves can only be obtained through special order from a company based in the amazon called “Sambazon” which freeze dries it and you have to go to a specific location to pick it up! The freeze-dried goodies must be quickly refrozen to prevent rancidity as high antioxidants usually coincides with quick perishing! 

Acai Palms of the Amazon:

So other companies found ways to extract acai berries and/or their beneficial properties to create varieties such as dietary supplement pills or juices that contain some form of acai and are available in grocery stores and supplement stores here in the U.S. Unfortunately, these products such as the first juice listed, don’t really compare to the ORAC units in the outrageously expensive freeze-dried form. If you can afford these look-alikes,  go ahead because you will be getting some ORAC units but honestly, it seems more of a waste of money than anything!  Consumers should be aware they can behealthier by obtaining their ORAC units through plenty of other foods that are less expensive and just as tasty!!