Grains are important in the diet!!

Breakfast eaters fare better in the area of health then the breakfast skipper.

They first of all take in more nutrients and less useless calories over the course of the day. Breakfast boosts intake of important nutrients that your body requires to work correctly if you stick to the whole grains.

They also improve heart health. Research indicates that people who eat breakfast have better cholesterol levels and it also improves blood pressure.

Eating breakfast helps us weigh less. People who eat breakfast weigh on average 30 pounds less than the average breakfast skipper.

Breakfast eaters have better work attendance, concentration and perhaps better cognitive skills than those whose run off forget breakfast.

Whole grains beat refines grains nutritionally, no doubt. In general, fact that whole grains haven't had their bran and germ removed by milling means that they have more nutrients that the consumption of whole grains can decrease the risk of heart disease and diabetes, protects against stroke and some types of cancer, and help battle weight gain. In fact, the health benefits of eating whole grains are so apparent that the government finally has set recommendations but they are a little slow in the reaction to obesity and diabetes. If they would do their job and remove "bleached" white flour from the food base we all would be healthier.

Whole grain food has more texture, and flavor than the white powder that just messes up or digestive system.

Mini Meals

As I research more for Bizzy Lizzy Bakery, I find more and more research on the change from 3 meals a day to 5 mini-meals. I designed the Bizzy Lizzy Products around this theory. They are not low in calories but they are packed with nutrition.

Redbook recently stated that we should each 2 MINI MEALS of about 300 calories. Our cookies and muffins don't quite make the 300 mark but they are close and I always think you should have a health drink with them or just a glass of water - new research says you should not drink overly cold water it is better for your metabolism.

The first meal should be 3 hours after breakfast and the second 3 hours after that. This will keep your blood sugars steady and your metabolism fired up. These two times of the day are when we have a tendency of putting stupid things in our mouths.

Take control of your health through your food!

Parents need to rely on the experts but they are experts in their own child life. If you feel that you are not getting to the bottom of a health concern with your health professional make a change.

So often we feel obligated, we made the decision to see on particular physician but it does not have to be a life long decision.

Food is something you can control and many doctors believe medicine is the key to improving health. But yet good food vs bad food may be a very important component. I was speaking to a woman at the University of Michigan yesterday and she got it. She is looking at her families health through her pantry. She said, "When I decided to take control of our lives, I had to throw out half the pantry." It was a real eye opener for her. She knows her kids are influenced by the world and at school where she does not have complete control but she is arming her kids with good info and skills that will help them make great decisions. HURRAH TO HER and ALL THE REST OF US THAT GET IT!!!

Today's Earth's effect our FOOD!

Food today is so different from the food our ancestors ate. The ground our ancestors used was rich and pure. The food that grew on this land was rich in minerals because of the rich top soil however that same land today is depleted of it's nutrients. The agricultural industry has tried to compensate by adding to our seeds and ground but we still do have the nutrient rich food of the past. The FDA changes it's standard of what we should eat but do they really know. What factors effect our food: growing conditions (weather), ground nutrients, seeds, fertilizers or lack of, and pesticides? However the FDA does not have anyway to take these factors into consideration.

The vitamin industry has been blossoming for just this reason. They have convinced all of us that we need to supplement, supplement and supplement some more. But are the vitamins and minerals we are popping making us healthier or not? That is up for debate. Some vitamin brands are good, others are useless and some great. How do you tell? I was once told if you put a vitamin in the oven at 300 degrees for 20 minutes a vitamin that is full of fillers with start bubbling black stuff (I was told that it is filler). What I have found is that it is really hard to tell good from bad and price point does matter but is not a only factor consider.

OOPS- i just ran out of time

This has been a very intersting month for me and going flourless. First of all I have to say it is difficult task. As a person who spends half my life on the road eating out is a challenge that makes me really think about the food on the market. "FLOUR" is the root of almost every food that covers the shelves in quick stops, fast food would not exist without it, grocery stores fill about a 1/3 of their space with something that contains it. I thought I would actually count at some point but time is not always my friend.

To actually eat this way I can say made me feel much better. My stomach did not make funny noises, I did not feel sluggish - I actually can say I felt amazing and it was not from eating ALL good food. I found my self stopping at a quick stop and picking up a bag of potato chips and a water because it was the only thing in the store that qualified under my eating conditions. To be honest I thought I would loose a lot of weight. I did loose weight but not to the degree I thought I would. I think it was from the bad choices I made with my new found challenge. I found myself overeating when I had an opportunity to eat something tasty and it was flourless.

I guess what I am trying to convey is that flourless is an amazing way to eat but it also takes more planning and a lot more thought. I know that having Bizzy Lizzy Bakery items available to me at all times made the task at least doable.

Half Way Point

This is not that hard at all. Supper last night was delicious, Elk Steak coated lightly in corn meal and corn starch and fried. I was craving something a little crispy and this fit the bill. We served it with snap peas and baked potatoes and finished the supper off with Fresh Michigan Strawberries and Calder Ice Cream - YUMMAY (new word I made up and it drives my son crazy so it makes it even more fun to say). Erik is still feeling it is very challenging on the road. I have to agree. When I was out on Saturday, I was making a stop at Sparrow Hospital and I made a salad on the salad bar and topped it with Chicken Salad it was delicious.

I notice we eat more salads because we think of it quickly. We are big summer salad eaters anyway. I have to say though I hate making salads but the beautiful Michigan Greens keep calling my name. I even got fresh Michigan Tomato's on Saturday at the Novi Farmers Market they grow them in green houses in Romeo. Hoop Houses are become the future in garden farming in Michigan. The big produce producers are really getting into it to extend their growing season.

The challenge

As I have said I am not really feeling the challenge of eating flourless because I almost always do anyway. However, my husband is really struggling. He feels that there is just so much limit to what he can eat. I guess if you think about it you are right. Flour is everywhere and takes up a very large percentage of the traditional grocery store. From of course the bread and bakery items and as you travel through the aisles it is coating the pepitas seeds. In the cooler section with pastries and cookies as well as in the meat, where many items are coated in the bi-product to increase the weight of the item as well allow for a crispy texture.

I would be curious to know how many items actually contain flour. It is in pasta, cereals, bakery items from cake mixes to coatings for meat. How do people with celiac's disease do it? I am choosing not to eat, I don't have to avoid it.