The Truth about Healthy Cooking & Eating: No need for starvation!

Ok, so its the new year. Everybody wants to start dieting and exercising. Everybody wants to drop 10 pounds. The cliche of all cliche's.  There are hundreds of different ways to loose weight. However, why do people think they have to starve themselves in order to see a significant change? It does not take a lot--to be honest it takes very little--it just as matter of wanting it, and sticking to it. I find, that exercising, along with choosing healthy things to eat, is the easiest, most known to man way to take off the unwanted weight. Its the exercising part that gets people. Its hard to start exercising if you havent before, believe me, I went through it. In college I gained the freshman 15 fairly quickly, and before I knew it my clothes werent fitting and I didn't feel like myself. I started going to the gym everyday, and chose things like salad, steamed veggies, lean proteins, etc when it came time to eat. I lost almost 20 pounds in 3 months. I was committed to losing the weight, and I did it. I don't think people realize how much just exercising has an effect on the human body. If you want to maintain your weight, 30 minutes a day 3 days a week is all you need. If your looking to lose the weight, at least 5 times a week is reccomended. I understand people have lives, people have kids, but I still don't think its an excuse for not being able to get moving a few times a week. Do it for yourself! If you really want to lose a few pounds, its simple. But still, people sacrifice food instead of having to exercise. There is NO need to starve yourself! You can cook delicious, healthy food that you won't feel guilty about eating. Some people are picky--but thats still do-able. I personally love veggies--broccoli, green beans, brussell sprouts, cauliflower, peppers--I love them all. Sauteed in a little olive oil with garlic and sprinkled with a little parmesan or romano cheese, are absolutley delicious. Pair them with marinated grilled chicken, fish, or even a turkey burger on a 100 calorie round and you have a healthy, yummy dinner!

The point im trying to make: just because fats like oil and butter give things a lot of flavor, using less fat and more spices or seasoning can work wonders for your diet. Lets think about this: how many ground spices are there to chose from these days? Hundreds! Thousands! Things as simple as garlic powder, crushed red pepper flakes, even dried herbs can transform your food without the added fat and calories. Marinate your chicken or fish with dried herbs like thyme, rosemary, and fresh chopped garlic. add a teaspoon or two of olive oil and a little dijon mustard and you have a perfect marinade. Like your food a little spicier? Add some tabasco or franks red hot to your plate. For people who aren't a fan of veggies, I reccomend starch like a baked potato with a little bit of light butter or light sour cream. Or whole grain rice. Even a cup of whole wheat pasta is perfectly fine. Combine these foods with regular exercise...and you'll see the weight come off. I'm serious. You don't need to cut everything but dry protein and flavorless veggies out of your diet! That's just stupid.

You all probably know all of this. But some people may find it helpful. I will leave you with one of my favorite recipes to make while I'm trying to keep it healthy:

Marinated Grilled Chicken & Broccoli with a Dijon Cream Sauce (Yes, I said cream!)

Thinly sliced chicken breast
2 teaspoons lemon/pepper/garlic seasoning (any herbed seasoning is fine, I like McCormack products)
1/2 cup fat free, low sodium chicken stock
3 tablespoons light cream
juice of 1/2 a lemon
sprinkle of parmesan cheese
1 cup broccoli florets, steamed
salt & pepper
cooking spray

Directions:
Sprinkle chicken breasts with salt and pepper on both sides. Add seasoning to both sides to coat evenly. Spray a medium sized skillet with cooking spray. Cook chicken breast 3-5 minutes per side until browned and cooked through. Remove chicken and set aside.

In the same pan, add 1/2 cup of fat free lower sodium chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add 2-3 teaspoons of dijon mustard, and 3 tablespoons of cream. Whisk together and boil for a minute until sauce is thickened.

Plate chicken and steamed broccoli. Add salt and pepper, along with a sprinkle of lemon juice and parmesan cheese to broccoli. (I like to add a little crushed red pepper flakes to mine, too)
Pour sauce over chicken, and serve.

It's that simple!