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Food

Transitioning From Outdoor Fit to Indoor Fit

With the cooler weather coming soon, it is time for Ohio residents to start planning their transition from outdoor fitness activities to indoor. Northeast Ohio has a wealth of bike trails, hiking, beaches, swimming, outdoor sports and other ways to stay outside (for free) in the Summer.  But once it dips below 50 degrees, those outdoor activities seem a bit less appealing and eventually only are options for hard core outdoorsy people.

So what are some of your options this Winter to stay in shape?

Join  a Gym.  This is obvious, but one nice thing that has changed in the last few years is you can join gyms month to month and only use them in the Winter months.

Buy limited fitness equipment to stay fit at home.  A tread mill and some kettle bells might be all you need to stay beach body ready in your home.  Look for used kettle bells to save some money.

Join Indoor Sports.  We recently covered options of Indoor Tennis and Indoor Soccer.  Basketball would be another obvious one.  Maybe you can even find adult dodge ball.  There are plenty of indoor sporting opportunities for kids and adults.

Do Winter sports.  Cross country and downhill skiing are great workouts.  Snow shoe hiking?  Sure.  You can also simply hike snow trails with some extra preparation.

Watch what you eat.  There is the issue of paying close attention to your Winter diet.  Do not start eating more at night because you are spending more time in front of the television.  Do not cut back on fresh fruits and vegetables just because they cost a little bit more.  Do not stop grilling healthy lean meats just because you have to push some snow off the grill cover first.

With some advanced planning and careful attention being paid to how your habits change, you can stay fit and firm no matter how long the ground is covered in permafrost.

 

Kitchen Gadgets and Food Facts

Is cooking a dying art? Home cooking in American households might be a thing of the past. The obsession we have with cooking shows stops right then and there in front of the TV. We like watching fancy meals being prepared by chefs in a cooking show, but would rather just be spectators than participants. An article( www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3639863/ ) published in the United States National Library of Medicine analyzes the trend in the United States home preparation and consumption from 1965-1966 and then again from 2007-2008.

The conclusion is simple: Regardless of your socioeconomic status, Americans are spending less time than before cooking. Home prepared meals are a rarity, and the average household in the United States spends over $3,000 dollars eating out. (http://www.businessinsider.com/americans-spending-food-bls-2017-2), that’s almost half the budget they have for food for a year.

According to research done by Marketing Charts(http://www.marketingcharts.com/television-13719) 8 in 10 US adults watch a cooking show, and 36% of those adults have purchased a kitchen gadget as a result of viewing the show. Why? To store the gadget, forget they own it and rebuy it again when they watch the rerun of the show.

But seriously, It is true that cooking is not for everyone, it is also true that a huge majority of women work outside the home. The time they want to spend at the kitchen is minimum, and the research has shown it. Home cooked meals are a thing of the past.  But, if your health and the health of your children is in jeopardy, most Americans would probably try to get back to the kitchen.  

Before you make a decision about cooking or not, here is a statistic for you.According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (cdc.gov), More than one-third (36.5%) of U.S. adults have obesity. And 1 in 6 children are obese in the United States. The various diseases link to obesity are many and scary. Cooking your meals at home and making sure you use the best possible ingredients- and we do not mean expensive ingredients-can give your family a life full of health benefits.

If you are decided and want to tackle the dying art of cooking, where do you start? First, you need to have essential kitchen gadgets to help you navigate the journey of cooking. Most of us, whether we cook or not, have them. Here is a list:

  1. A cutting board  
  2. Knives
  3. Spoons, spatulas, whisks, potato masher and measuring cups
  4. Pots and pans of various sizes
  5. Blender
  6. Pressure cooker
  7. Slow cooker
  8. Baking dishes
  9. Can opener
  10. Wine opener to celebrate your first home cooked meal.

Personally, I love the pressure cooker and a garlic masher, but some of the things here are essentially in every kitchen, and you do not need a garlic masher if you are just starting. Cooking a meal can be a family affair. Children DO LOVE to cook and help prepare meals. Make it fun and eventually a home prepared meal will become easy for you, and will become a necessity for your family.

5 Reasons To Cook More At Home

I get a little concerned when I hear that Americans do not cook. I get it if you both have professional jobs working 50+ hours a week and long commutes. I also get it if you live alone and it is easier and sometimes cheaper to go out to eat.  But if you have two or more people and you are not making a bunch of money working crazy hours, going out to eat should be more of a treat and not a twice a day occurrence.

From what is reported in the media, it seems like many people did not learn cooking growing up and decide this means it is too late to learn.  In fact, it is just a matter of building up your comfort level with different ways to cook and different ingredients.  You can do trial and error, starting with easier stuff and building up your competence over time.  You can watch cooking channels and try things you see.  You can take cooking classes.  You could offer to buy ingredients and cook with a friend who is a better cook than you but let them know you want to cook with them and learn.

Here are five very good reasons to cook at home – even if it is going to take you a while to get good at it.

  1. Healthier Food – The top reason is that you know what is going in your food and you can make it healthier.  The reality is that it might not taste as good as that unhealthy stuff, but it can be very good and be much better for you.  For example, I make Chipotle burritos at home and they are not as good because I put less of the cheese and no sour cream.  I just can’t bring myself to glob on huge portions like they do in the restaurant (even though it is delicious.)
  2. Less Fried Foods – You can also cut back on fried foods when you eat at home.  It is easy to order a side of fries but a pain in the but to heat up the fryer and fry things just for an unhealthy side.
  3. Show Off a Skill – As good cooks get more rare, it is even more impressive when you meet one.  The only way you become a good cook is by cooking regularly and experimenting with new recipes.  Once you get there you can amaze your friends and family, impress a date and act like a snob know it all in restaurants.  So much fun.
  4. Save Money – Sometimes you might spend MORE on a meal than you would have getting the same thing in a restaurant.  But what you might not factor in is that you have a lot more food than you would have by going out.  So you may get 3 meals for roughly the same spend.  Alcohol is one big bonus when it comes to saving money as you buy your bottle of wine or case of beer for what two glasses would have cost in that dinner out.
  5. Get Sick Less – I am not anti-restaurant, but we do notice we get sick more when we eat out more.  When you have a restaurant kitchen full of people cooking and prepping your food, it only takes one person with a cold to get the whole family sick.  Restaurants do not want employees to come sick, but since the employees most likely do not get sick pay, they need to work when they are feeling under the weather.  This results in people working while sick more then you would like to think.

I am not suggesting not eating out anymore.  Far from it.  But also you do not want to get into the habit of eating out all the time and eating prepackaged stuff at home that you only need to microwave.  It is so much healthier, cheaper and more rewarding to learn how to cook nice meals.  Start slow and build up your skills until you are an Iron Chef of your home.

How To Prepare Your Garden In The Fall for Next Spring

As the summer months wean, and the fall and winter months approach, it is time for the gardener to prepare for next year’s bountiful and colorful vegetable and flower gardens. While the temperatures are still mild, there are different chores every gardener must do to prepare themselves for next year’s spring gardening.  From cleaning, storing, and oiling tools to getting ready the soil, many gardeners view the fall as a preparation time for their spring gardening. Here are 8 gardening tips to follow to have a beautiful garden without the backbreaking chores that come in the spring.

  1. Clean the leaves, dead branches, or plants from your garden.  Gardening during the springtime will be less time-consuming and strenuous if you get rid of unwanted plants in the fall.
  2. Trim the bushes and small trees.
  3. Plant bulbs during October for a colorful spring garden. From daffodils, tulips, and crocuses, to Asiatic Lily Blacklist and Dutch Iris Sapphire Beauty, your garden will surely be a beauty to see.  Check the planting periods recommended for the bulbs you buy or want to plant.
  4. Do you want lush grass on your lawn next spring? You need to fertilize and aerate your lawn in the fall, and plant grass seed to obtain great results. Buying a lawn aerator to accomplish this task should not be too expensive, or difficult to accomplish.
  5. Getting your flower pots ready for next spring means you need to clean them and stored them for the winter. The terra cotta pots might break if you leave out in cold climates. For that reason, it is better to store them in your shed in crates or stack them carefully on a shelf.
  6. Bring delicate plants inside to keep them from dying during the winter months. Your lemon tree needs to be inside before the first frost to survive. Any other delicate plants need to have a cool temperature to make it through the winter months.
  7. Store your garden tools in the shed.  Make sure they do not get wet and are safe from the elements.  Your garden hose needs to be stored away as well. Empty your lawnmower from gasoline. You need fresh gasoline next spring for it to start without trouble.
  8. Stored your patio furniture or cover them till spring. A heavy-duty polyester covering can protect your garden furniture from the elements and keep them ready for spring.

Protecting your garden furniture, plants, garden tools, and plants from the winter will make the time you spend gardening more enjoyable in the spring.  If you clean your flower beds, leaves, brush, or dead plants from the garden, you will have more time planning the vegetable garden or design the flower garden you always wanted. Because gardening can be a wonderful hobby and an enjoyable activity, preparation is key to having a wonderful time gardening during the spring.  Fertilizing your front and back yard during the fall might not seem important, but it is if you want to have a beautiful lush lawn during the year. Your local nursery is always a good source of advice if you have a specific question about a plant, tree, or fertilizer.  Moreover, a visit to your local nursery might inspire you to try a new plant or shrub.

5 Non-Traditional Forms of Travel

The traditional trip can be fun but can also feel a little bit stale if you have been there, done that.  While people are all aware of the traditional “vacation” of one or two weeks, I wanted to come up with some alternatives to travel for you to consider.  Not all of these will work for most people, as they depend on your current life situation as well as your tolerance for adventure.

  1. Work Abroad – It will take months to arrange, but there are many countries that bring in native English speakers to teach English.  This is often just a matter of having a degree in anything and being a native speaker.  Living a summer or years in another country teaching is very rewarding if you get with a good school and a nice location.
  2. Study Abroad – Don’t want to teach?  Get taught.  Take an educational trip.  These are sometimes lead or might be just taking classes in a university in another country.
  3. Extended Business Trip – This one is not as involved, but it is a must if you can swing it.  If you have a business trip, negotiate a swap and take your family or friends along for free.  When I was touring the country as a national speaker, I would frequently trade extra nights in the hotel in exchange for airfare.  Then we would drive and get a paid vacation for the cost of gas and food.  Had a lot of nice 3-4 day trips like this.
  4. Coach Surfing – If you are young and hungry to hit the road, coach surfing can be fun.  You talk to your friends and line up places to stay and then travel from place to place staying with friends of friends.  You meet a lot of great people.  Just be careful to not end up with anyone who is not highly recommended by people you trust.
  5. Airbnb – You can save a lot staying at Airbnb locations and I have heard of one writer living in Airbnb locations.  He stays until he gets tired of the location and then moves to a new location.  Not quite vagabonding but close.

Any of these options can lead to some nice experiences without doing the traditional vacation.

Exploring Local Unknowns

Are you resisting living in a bubble or happily basking in a homogeneous vat of comfort?

News isn’t the only place people are selectively choosing only what they want and not a broader experience.  It is also how people live their life in their local neighborhoods.

People who want to live a GR8TR life actively seek out fresh, broad experiences.  You do not have to travel to other cultures to try new things most of the time.  If you are even in a mid-sized city, you can find many multi-cultural experiences close to home.  Here are some ideas for exploring other cultures while not travelling to other countries.

  • Restaurants – This is the obvious one. Do not got to the big chain restaurants and expect an authentic experience.  Instead, seek out locally owned, authentic restaurants where the immigrant families probably make up most of the employees.  And do not just go Chinese or Mexican.  Ethiopian, Greek, Nepali, Indian, Japanese, Lebanese and Russian restaurants can all provide unique experiences.
  • Teach ESL – If you want to make a lot of friends from other places, consider volunteering for ESL, which stands for English as a Second Language. Sometimes you may need to be certified, but if you volunteer at a library you may just oversee conversational practice classes.  When I have done this in the past, I have had people bring food and become good friends.  Even though their English language skills may be limited, they are going to get you outside of your comfort zone and get you to learn more about people from all over the world.
  • Go to Festivals – Keep and eye out for those festivals different cultures have. They are celebrating their heritage and when you go you will get to taste the food, hear the music and meet some of the people.  A great way to dive into another culture.
  • Visit Neighborhoods – Many cities have areas where a certain ethnic group will live in and open businesses in. Going to these places can be a lot of fun.  The grocery store will have different foods, the restaurants and bars will be mostly local people and the whole feel can seem like you are in another city or country.  Go once and if you enjoy it, become a regular.  Learn to cook some dishes on YouTube and go to the grocery store regularly for your exotic ingredients.  Talk to people there and find out some other things to try.

This is good for you to appreciate other cultures and get out of your bubble – and it is even more important for young kids.  Kids growing up with an appreciation for other cultures and many different foods starts with exposure at a young age.  This all takes effort, and it is far easier to stay in your own community.  But you will be a more interesting, more whole person when you have a broader human experience.

Buffalo Cauliflower with Instapot Airfryer

There was a groan when I told the family I was making cauliflower for lunch. At the end of lunch, they were mad I did not make two heads of cauliflower instead of one. This Buffalo Cauliflower recipe is done in an air fryer and is very healthy and does not taste like you are eating cauliflower at all.

These buffalo caulifower nuggest were crisp, healthy and delicious. And so fast and easy to make.

Print Recipe

Air-Fried Buffalo Cauliflower

This healthy, fried Buffalo Cauliflower recipe is so good, you might want to make two batches.
Prep Time5 mins
Cook Time20 mins
Total Time25 mins
Course: Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine: American
Keyword: buffalo, spicy, vegetarian
Servings: 4 People
Calories: 55kcal
Cost: $4

Equipment

  • Instapot
  • Instapot Air Frier Lid

Ingredients

  • 1 Head Cauliflower Medium
  • 1/2 tsp Course Salt
  • 2 tbsp Mayonnaise
  • 1/2 tsp Paprika
  • 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
  • 1/2 tsp Onion Powder
  • 1 tbsp Sriracha Sauce
  • 1 tsp Dijon Mustard
  • 1/2 tsp Ground Black Pepper
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp Breadcrumbs
  • Side of Ranch Dressing

Instructions

  • Peel leaves and core Cauliflower. Wash well.
  • Pull florets into about one inch pieces. If some are big, cut them in half.
  • Put into large plastic container with tight lid. Place all other ingredients in container with Cauliflower and shake to evenly coat all pieces. Do not overshake as pieces may break and become too small.
  • Add to Instapost Airfrier Basket and use air fryer setting for 20 minutes. At 10 minutes, use tongs to rotate and move them around. Be careful, it is hot.
  • After 20 minutes, they should be lightly browned on the outside. Serve with ranch dressing on side.

Notes

A nice thing about the air fryer is that it does not need to preheat.  It will be hot within a minute or so.

Don’t have an instapot air fryer? You can bake them in the over at 400 degrees for 10 minutes, stir and bake for another 10 minutes as well. The down side is they may stick to the pan more and you will need to preheat the oven, so it will take longer.

If you have an instapot and do not have the air fryer lid yet, I got it yesterday and in less than 24 hours made homemade sweet potato frenchfries and then for lunch the next day just made up this recipe for cauliflower buffalo nuggest. It is so easy and convenient. We almost never deep fry things because of the health aspect, but now we can make many more dishes.

Of course, the ranch to dip them in is totally optional. We used an off the shelf ranch dressing, but you can get fancy and make your own as well.

Some ideas for substitutions are more olive oil to exclude mayonnaise. Cayenne Pepper in place of sriracha sauce and if you only have Galic Salt, use it but exclude the other salt recommendation.

Your bread crumbs can be plain or seasoned, but if they are seasoned be sure to cut back on salt additions as well. Since several of these ingredients have salt, like sriracha, mustard, and seasoned bread crumbs, you may want to leave the additional salt out until after cooking and you taste it.

One thing that pleasantly surprised me also about this dish is that the cleanup was so easy. The instapot air fryer has a basket inside the usual instapot pot, which got some crumbs in it. However, it was a very quick clean and did not produce the waste and mess that I expected. I think that is partially because the mayonnaise binds well to the cauliflower and holds the spices to it, keeping the bites intact and helping them turn out perfectly.

Your family is going to love this Buffalo Cauliflower nugget recipe and you are going to have to start buying more heads of cauliflower because suddenly a fairly bland vegetable is going to go from a fake rice substitute to a fried buffalo chicken wing substitute.

Healthy Pancake Syrup

I stumbled onto this healthy pancake syrup recipe by accident. We make a healthy version of pancakes for my daughter, who goes to college and does not get lunch until 2 PM and she needs to minimize hunger throughout the morning. I know protein would be better, but she is also mostly vegetarian so loading up on chicken is not an option.

We have had syrup in the house ever since the kids were little, but we use it so infrequently that I did not worry about it. It was more a treat and definitely not a common thing anyone ate.

So with her increase in eating banana oatmeal pancakes, I went looking for a healthier syrup to accompany them. What I found is that there are “light” syrups and more natural syrups, but really nothing that would come close to being a healthy option.

Just by accident, I found a very simple way to make something she enjoys, is much more healthy and she actually likes BETTER than store-bought syrup. Now you can modify this as you see fit, such as Stevia instead of sugar if you prefer. But my philosophy about “healthy eating” is that if I am cooking at home and I know the bad ingredients are moderate, and not loaded on to make something taste great in a restaurant, I win. Even if it is not a kale salad.

The most important issue when making a variation of this healthy pancake syrup recipe is to watch it closely. It will burn very quickly because you only use a small amount of water to start to break down the berries and then the thicker, more syrupy berry compote will burn in seconds if you do not turn off the heat.

A small squirt of ReadyWhip is also a nice addition to the berry syrup and only adds 15 calories per serving, so while not “healthy” it is certainly better than fake maple syrup bought at the grocery store. And my kids would take the berry option every time over store-bought syrup.

Print Recipe

Healthy Pancake Syrup

Making pancakes less bad for you starts with a healthy pancake syrup recipe that is easy and tastes great.
Prep Time2 mins
Cook Time5 mins
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Keyword: syrup
Servings: 2 people
Cost: $1

Equipment

  • small pan

Ingredients

  • 10 berries Raspberry, Blackberry or Large Blueberries Fresh Washed, Or Frozen
  • 1 tbsp Sugar
  • 1/4 cup Water

Instructions

  • Begin heating water on stovetop in shallow pan
  • Add berries to water, bring to simmering boil
  • Watch closely, turning berries regularly
  • As berries soften, smash with fork lightly to form a sauce
  • Sprinkle sugar on sauce
  • As soon as berries are fully incorporated into the sauce, turn heat off
  • Dribble over pancakes when ready

Notes

The most important part of this is that the sauce burns easily.  It is very fast to prepare and you need to keep a close eye on it.

Some other questions people have:

Can I use Strawberries? – I like to add slices of fresh strawberries to the top as well, but I usually cook blueberries, blackberries or raspberries for the sauce.

Can I use frozen fruit? – When fresh fruit is in season, it is usually cheaper and better to use than frozen. However, out of season, it is good to use frozen fruit to make your healthy pancake syrup. Frozen fruit may have more liquid as it defrosts and often you can simply warm it up in the microwave and smash it with no water added. That is harder to do with fresh berries because they burst and make a mess.

What Happens When You Stop Drinking Alcohol?

This is NOT an article about not drinking for two years, or about substance abuse.  I am writing this based on personal experience of developing a bad habit of drinking too frequently in the afternoons and evenings, even though it did not appear to have a negative impact because I was not getting drunk.

There is a large group of people out where who are casual drinkers, who probably drink more frequently than they intended.  I, for one, thought a glass or two of wine daily was good for me, years ago when I started the habit.  Of course, that usually turned into 3-5 glasses in an evening.

Over the last year, I have stopped entirely for a few weeks and then gone back to drinking again, several times.  This has given me a real insight into the positive outcomes of cutting way back on alcohol. I have good data because I wear a fitness tracker and pay attention to the data.  I also run a business and am acutely aware of productivity. Not just butt in seat time, but actually getting shit done.

One important point about this is that one day, either drinking or stopping drinking, is just a blip with little effect.  What I mean by that is the positive effects I list below get stronger the longer you do not drink, and if one day you have a couple of drinks, but do not “start back up” drinking regularly, you are not going to lose all the progress you make.  This article is about changing your trend of drinking from regularly to rarely, and these effects will show themselves over time. 

Productivity

When drinking regularly, I would never work at night unless there was a client emergency. In fact, sometimes I would have a drink at 3 or 4 and really not do much but read the news in the afternoon. One I stopped drinking for more than a week, I actually got rather bored in the afternoons and became much more productive.  When working on projects I enjoyed, I would even work late into the evening because I liked the work, I was focused, and I was making money.  This added thousands of dollars to my revenue per month and I became better at getting things done and learning new things.

Weight Loss

As someone who is not in their 20’s anymore, losing weight and keeping weight off is more difficult.  I would say I eat extremely healthy compared to average, but alcohol leads to eating more other carbs, and that leads to steady weight gain and difficulty losing it again.  The best example is recently I went on a slow-carb diet where I cut out obvious carbs.  I know I can lose weight very steadily on this diet, as I have done it before.  In the first couple of days, not drinking, I lost nearly 6lb.  Then a negative experience with someone gave me an excuse to have a drink, which led to 4 days of drinking wine again steadily.  Even though the diet remained perfect, I gained 2lb during that time.  The only difference was the wine, and it was not excessive.  Three days of cutting out the wine resulted in another 5lb of weight loss.  Especially if you are a little older, you simply cannot lose weight while drinking alcohol.

Better Sleep

This should come as no surprise to anyone, but on average, you sleep better when you are not drinking regularly.  There are other factors like exercise, but alcohol does affect sleep, and sleep is critical to your health and wellbeing.  What I found is that actually, drinking can help you fall asleep faster in the evening, but the issue is that you get a lower quality of sleep and for me, I frequently woke up at 3 AM not feeling great, and at that point, I would have trouble going back to sleep.  This often resulted in only 5 hours of sleep or less overall.  Not drinking would result in about 6.5 hours of sleep or better. This is tracked in the smart device I wear and is based on data, not my personal opinion.

Exercise

For years, I rarely miss a day of getting a good 4-mile walk in, at a minimum.  While not intense, I prefer the low impact regularity of it, and I play tennis and am active in other things as well.  While drinking I did do all these things.  But by not drinking I did them better.  It basically came down to feeling better and simply skipping fewer days, because I didn’t have the excuse of feeling sore or crappy.  The net might only be 10% more exercise when not drinking, but 10% more exercise over a year adds up to a lot more fitness activity.

Savings

People that go out and drink spend a lot per month.  Over time, I really started just drinking to relax at home, which resulted in my only spending $200 to $300 a month on alcohol.  While not outrageous, that is over $3,000 a year which could have been invested, used to fix up something in the house, or reduce high-interest debt.  It is not a game-changer, but should not be ignored either.  Once I stopped spending money on alcohol, I felt a little freer to splurge on things for myself and my family, because I knew I was saving all that money.

Heart Rate

One interesting data point to keep an eye on when you drink is your resting heart rate.  This was the most obvious change that occurred right away.  The resting heart rate reduction and increase would happen the very next day when I would start drinking or stop drinking.  Typically, I was in the Good range anyway because I exercise and eat well.  However, there was a range from 65 to 80 and the single thing that made the biggest impact was alcohol.  Drinking would result in a cumulative 2 point a day increase of about 10 total points if I drink 5 days straight.  Not drinking would result in a loss of 1 – 2 points per day.  High 70’s when I drink, mid 60’s when I do not.  Why is this important?  Less stress on your heart, and it is probably one of the reasons you also sleep better.  I am no doctor, but this is an obvious data point that you can see very easily.

Gain Time

When you start drinking in the afternoon, you tend to relax and chill.  Occasionally this is great.  But if you are doing this multiple times per week, you are probably feeling like you cannot get stuff done.  The reality is the afternoons seem boring when you stop drinking, at first, because you are still alert and have energy.  Over time you will start getting more done at this time and it will seem like your day has many more hours to achieve your goals and get tasks done.

Better Habits

Making positive changes is difficult no matter what.  When you are drinking alcohol regularly, you are less likely to make a positive change or develop new good habits. The fact is, in the evenings your willpower will go down due to drinking.  When your willpower goes down, you start making excuses in your head to do something you are trying not to do (eat sweets) or not do something you are trying to do (go to the gym). If you want to develop good habits, try doing them one at a time and start with reducing your drinking to special occasions or one specific day a week, at most.  Then when you add more habits you want to develop, you won’t let alcohol sabotage the effort.

Tips to Reduce Drinking

  1. Substitute Other Liquids – I find I am accustomed to having a beverage and sipping it.  When I keep a glass of water, unsweetened decaf iced tea, or decaf hot tea with me in the evenings it really reduces my urge to drink alcohol.
  2. Don’t Keep It In The House – This way when you have a bad day, and really want a drink, you have to go out and buy it.  This won’t stop you all the time, but sometimes it will.
  3. Change Habits with Friends – One friend of mine always wanted to go out for drinks.  I started to offer to meet him for breakfast instead, and while we are still friends, we see each other a lot less because he was more interested in a drinking buddy and not as interested in getting together often.
  4. Avoid Labels – Whether you are an Alcoholic, a Social Drinker, an Abuser of Alcohol, a Weekend Binge Drinker, or you just drink to relax is not really the point.  The point is you have to be clear you would like to make a change and stick to a reduction or elimination of alcohol.
  5. Track progress – I found an app called LESS – Alcohol Tracker that is very light, no groups, and does not sell anything.  It just tracks your days without drinking to encourage you to keep streaks up.
  6. Don’t let a drink trick you – When you have one drink, realize your mind will start saying “You already had one, might as well have another…” and the same might go from one day to the next, with reasoning like “You already messed up the week, might as well enjoy it and drink again today.” Or you might even just hear that little voice in your head “…it’s Thursday night…it’s Friday… it’s Saturday … I just mowed the lawn and it is so hot… “ Practice shutting down those excuses your head makes because it is trying to trick you into having “one more drink.”
  7. Seek Treatment – if you are struggling to make a change that sticks, seek treatment.  It is a struggle for many people, and some need more help than others.  The change is worth it.

I hope this article is useful to you.  Please remember I am neither a doctor, psychologist, addiction specialist, or any form of a health expert.  These are just my personal observations over time.  I will still have a drink occasionally, but the more I reflect on what drinking does to me, the less I feel inclined to easily go back to drinking most days of the week.  You are really gaining more time in your day, and more years to live.  You cannot buy more life with money, but you can through your actions.

Bun Substitutes for Sandwiches

For many people, eating bread is not an option. For people who suffer from Celiac disease, eating barley, wheat or rye is out of the question.  For many of us, bread is an easy way to have a sandwich at lunch or dinner with a cup of soup, and call it a day.

Bread has been a staple in many cultures for thousands of years.  From the Greeks, Europeans, and Egyptians, the consumption of bread has been a tasty way to enjoy a meal, and feel satisfied.  Breads from different parts of the world have been adopted by different cultures because of the deliciousness and joy they bring to the table.

So, do you know how many types of bread there are? According to many sites, there are more than 20 types of bread, and the choice of your preferred one is a very personal matter. There are Baguettes, bagels, Naan, Brioche, Ciabatta, wheat, rye, pita, multigrain, etc, etc, etc. There is at least one that is sure to be a favorite in your life.

Unfortunately, for many of us, bread should be avoided most of the time.  Weight loss is not easy, and consuming bread is not going to help anyone achieve their goals.  Breads, pasta, cereals, or starchy vegetables are delicious and filling.  But, they won’t

If you want to enjoy a sandwich without having bread, here are 5 great options for you:

  1. Plantain – Use a plantain that is not ripe all the way.  Cut the ends, and through the middle to make it the size you want it. Bake it or fry it to flatten, and to achieve the desired consistency for a sandwich.
  2. Nori – They are the perfect substitute for bread. You can moist the middle to fold, once or twice, and achieve the desired shape for a sandwich.  You can use the nori sheet to have a carb-free burrito as well.  It holds perfectly, and it can hold all the yummy ingredients of a sandwich or vegetarian burrito.
  3. Sweet Potatoes-This is another perfect option to substitute the bread in a sandwich, and a tasty option as well.  Cutting the sweet potato lengthwise will give you the desired size to make a beautiful sandwich.  You can put them in the microwave to cook for a few minutes, take them out and bake them for a few more minutes to make them hardy enough for whatever items you want to put in a sandwich.  You can add salt, and honey to make the sweet potato sweet when you put them in the oven.  You can choose to have the skin on or off depending on the family’s preference.
  4. Romaine Lettuce Leaves-They are another perfect substitute to make a beautiful sandwich without having the bread.  They are the easiest to work with, and you only need to wash them thoroughly before you can use them.  You can salt them lightly to give them a bit of taste, but it is not necessary.
  5. Napa-Napa is another great substitute for bread.  The boat shape and size of the Napa leaves are a great way to fill them with meat, rice, or fish, or use them as a  bread substitute. Their crunchiness makes them an ideal substitute, and as with the romaine lettuce leaves you need to do very little with them.  Wash them, dry them and salt them lightly before you use them.  It takes less than 5 minutes to prepare a sandwich using Napa leaves.

Substituting bread in people’s lives is not easy. In the beginning, it might seem strange and a bit messy, but periodically, you will come to enjoy the “bread” you are using.  For weight loss, and to offer a different take on sandwiches, these options are a  great start.

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