Carrot Cashew Spread

Carrot Cashew Spread

Serves 8

Nutrition

Ingredients

3 carrots, chopped
1 cup raw cashew pieces, divided
15 dried apricots, quartered (about 1/2 cup)
32 365 Everyday Value Woven Wheats Whole Wheat Crackers (from 1 box)
Directions

Put carrots into a small pot and cover by 2 inches with water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until tender, about 10 minutes. Add 3/4 cup cashews and apricots, cover and continue to simmer until carrots are very soft, 5 to 7 minutes more; reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water, and then drain well. Transfer carrot mixture and reserved water to a food processor and purée until smooth. Chill for at least one hour, and then spread onto crackers, garnish with remaining cashews and serve.



Per serving (about 2oz/68g-wt.): 200 calories (70 from fat), 8g total fat, 1.5g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 105mg sodium, 28g total carbohydrate (3g dietary fiber, 2g sugar), 6g protein

Things I have learned since surgery

This journey has been a journey of epic portions for me. Here are things I have learned.

I am my only competition

Just remember the treadmill is my friend, the treadmill is my friend

My trainer is not trying to kill, even though it feels like it sometimes

“It’s not what you look like that matters.” And for the “it’s what you see

Only you know your own reality

What i think of myself is more important then what others think of me

Every day is a new start, make the most of it

Every opportunity involves risk, so take a chance

I also realized that this surgery came in the right time in my life. That I have grown so much. I am no longer the person I was when I left New England, it took leaving the toxic place I was in physically and emotionally and to journey from that dark place that had caused me so much pain, to the place I am today has not been without it's highs and lows. There were days I wanted to shut the door and never leave my house again, then there were days that took my breathe away with amazing events. I am lucky that I have shared this ongoing journey with the most wonderful man in the world and all the incredible family and friends both past and present.

Weightism

We all agree that there is a lot of discrimination against the people who are overweight / obese. Most prejudice against the obese people are related to the way modern day media projects people who are fat and some bias may also happen due to the socio-cultural factors. Today we live in a beauty-obsessed society which seems to give privilege who are slim and/or muscular. Judging people by appearance, body shape or size is unfortunately the way this society seems to work.

You can see discrimination against overweight people (weightism) at job, educational institutes, social places and sometimes even one's own family members. I am for advocating that there is nothing wrong in being obese, yes there is but we are not created equal. Variation in height, weight and physical appearance is very natural. The problem of obesity is not always related to just over-eating, it could be a medical condition or personal problems in one's life too. Most people who are overweight usually go through a self motivated weight loss or a professional weight loss program, but it is not always successful. Losing weight initially and then gaining again is very common. May be some people just have the tendency of gaining fat on their body. Discrimination, bigotry or unfair and cruel treatment is not the answer. Obese people face an un-equal treatment in various stages of their lives.

People who are fat are often refused jobs which require physical work or facing the customers. How many time have you seen a receptionist in a private office who is not skinny. Even the insurance industry often imposes higher medical and life insurance on overweight people. Often overweight people are not able to use narrow doors, stairs or smaller seats, bathrooms and equipment. Few decades earlier, people use to get their clothes custom made by a tailor, today most garments are available in standard sizes and people who are overweight have a very tough time to find things that match their needs. Often doctors advice their patients to lose weight instead of treating the real problem.

People who are fat are often categorized as lazy, selfish, stupid or ugly. This is absolutely ridiculous and society should stop treating individuals on the basis of their weight. If the weight of employee hinders their ability to do the job then the manager should actually discuss with the employee and genuinely explain the problem instead of making a self-opinion. Often the stressful nature of job or a job that requires lot of sitting will contribute to employees excessive weight.

Modern day society does not require people to do much of physical activity anyway. We have cars, elevators and most office jobs require us to just sit and sit. Cheapest foods like fast food burgers, Chinese and Mexican food are loaded with fat. Being fat is not a disease but it does lead to other problems like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes and often diseases.

There is also a wide opinion that fat people require a lot of public health care. It is not true, individuals who are old actually require maximum health care. People who are engaged in heavy physical activities (moving heavy boxes, construction workers etc ..) and athletes (like skiing, horse riding, boxing, etc..) are more likely to use medical system than most obese people, but society almost overlooks them. Our society spends more money (per person) on prison inmates and their health than on obese people.

Society should work as a family and remove poor nutrition and encourage physical activity right from school level to the college. Fight against weightism is required from ground up and not just focusing on handful of individuals. Media's focus on thin people is excessive. Recently France have to ban 'over skinny models' as they were encouraging young girls to under eat and eventually leading to eating disorders. Video games and computer activity should also be limited. Many bigger companies now a days offer discount gym/health center membership, many companies even have a some excersise equipment within their office building. It is impossible to have a society where everyone is thin, people should learn to live along overweight individuals more nicely than they do now.



Make every bite count

Tandori chicken

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups plain 2% reduced-fat Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons grated onion
1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
3 garlic cloves, minced
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/2 teaspoon salt
Cooking spray
Preparation
1. Combine first 8 ingredients in a heavy-duty zip-top plastic bag. Add chicken to bag; seal. Marinate in refrigerator 2 hours, turning occasionally.

2. Place a small roasting pan in oven. Preheat broiler to high. Remove chicken from bag; discard marinade. Sprinkle both sides of chicken evenly with salt. Place chicken on preheated pan coated with cooking spray. Broil in lower third of oven for 15 minutes or until done, turning after 7 minutes.

Nutritional Information
Calories:
152
Fat:
2.2g (sat 0.6g,mono 0.6g,poly 0.5g)
Protein:
30.4g
Carbohydrate:
0.7g
Fiber:
0.1g
Cholesterol:
74mg
Iron:
1mg
Sodium:
381mg
Calcium:
24mg



Make every bite count

Is Gastric Bypass Surgery for You?

Is Gastric Bypass Surgery for You?

Although gastric bypass surgery effectively confers weight loss to most people, it is a drastic means of weight loss. It is not a magic solution or a quick fix of obesity. You have to follow strict dietary guidelines and a regular exercise program for about 1-2 years after the surgery to lose noticeable amount of weight. More importantly, surgery has several risks and complications. It is right for only those individuals in whom obesity is posing a serious threat to general health and the overall benefits of the surgery offset its risks. Thus, before going for a surgery, decide circumspectly the profile of an ideal candidate of gastric bypass surgery and check all the questions for self-assessment.

Suitable Profile to Consider Gastric Bypass Surgery

Gastric bypass may be right for you if you meet the criteria listed below:
If your body mass index (BMI) exceeds 40, that is, about 100 pounds of surplus weight for men and about 80 pounds of surplus weight for women, you are morbidly obese and thus a candidate for gastric surgery.

Your BMI is between 35 and 40 and you are afflicted with life-threatening heart problems, diabetes or severe sleep apnea.

You have a history of repeated unsuccessful weight loss tries with dieting, exercise and other conventional weight loss methods (many surgeons may want you to produce proof of your ineffective attempts to lose weight before the surgery).

Obesity is hindering with your normal activities such as walking, employment or household activities.

You do not have any obvious hormonal or medical cause for your obesity. To rule out this possibility, you maybe asked to undergo examination of your hormonal and heart systems.

You have a clear-cut knowledge of the risks and complications of the surgery and practical expectations of weight you can lose after the surgery.

You are motivated and prepared to accept the complications of surgery.

You are prepared to make remarkable lifelong changes in lifestyle including a drastic change eating habits and hindrance with the social features of eating and regular exercises after the surgery.

You are not afflicted with any psychotic illness such as untreated schizophrenia; psychiatric conditions like borderline personality disorder or severe depression; nor should you be active on substance abuse.


Questions for Self-Assessment
The following questions may help you decide if gastric bypass surgery is right for you:
Have you tried non-surgical weight loss methods such as calorie-controlled diet plans, food journals, nutritional counseling, exercise or weight reducing medicines and have been unsuccessful with them?

Are you afflicted with obesity associated severe illnesses that are posing a serious threat to your survival?

Are you aware of the surgical method and its risks and complications?

Are you firm on losing weight?

Are you aware and willing to live with changed lifestyle after the surgery?

Are you ready for lifetime medical follow-up?

Are you aware that gastric surgery is not always successful in losing weight?

Six months after surgery

Now that the six months mark has been passed, I have thought about what had changed in my life beside my weight loss. I have found that I am so more active then before, I actually fit into booths at restaurants and seats in a movie theater. I find I like meal times more as conversation goes on. Looking back it has not an easy road, but well worth it.

There are times when I wonder the surgery was worth it. Was I so shallow that my worth was tied in my outward appearance? It was hard to admit that it was a small part in my decision to go through with it. The bigger part was my health and wanting to grow with my husband. So far, the surgery was well worth it.

Not only does your outward appearance change, but your view on life and your attitudes change also. I find that I have more confidence at work and in life in general. I can't wait to go to Savannah this year, I will be do so much more, see so much more and be so more active. I know I will have to get some new warm weather clothes, which actually I am going to enjoy shopping for.

In hindsight, life is only getting better in the last six months and I know that trend will continue

Stress and weight gain

There are many different factors that contribute to weight gain. Diet, lifestyle and exercise – or lack thereof – are all the building blocks for gaining weight. Appropriately, these are three of the most important aspects for losing weight as well. But even if you watch your diet closely and spend more time in the gym than you do at home, there’s still one important factor that can derail any weight loss attempt: stress.

Stress can creep into your life and disrupt your lifestyle before you know it’s there. So many things in today’s life cause stress in one form or another. Work, family, social situations, even just watching the nightly news on television can be stressful. This is a major problem for people looking to lose weight. This is because stress will often lead to binge eating or emotional eating. When you’re stressed out, it’s easy to reach for that cheeseburger or bottle of beer. Sure, it’ll make you feel better right now, but overall it’s downright unhealthy. And it sure won’t help your weight loss either.

There is a hope, however, as there are many different things you can do to help manage stress in your life. You can’t always control the outside forces that put stress on your life – but you can do a better job of managing it when it rears its ugly head. Here are five simple and effective ways to manage your stress. Try one of these, next time you want to reach for that tub of ice cream after a tough day in the office.

Grab a friend – literally.

Recent studies have found that simply holding another person's hand can have a calming effect on the body, and has been shown to help decrease stress levels in both people. While maybe not the best tactic for everyone, if you have a close friend or loved one around, reach out and grab them - literally.
Go for a walk
Just a 10-minute break can do wonders for the mind and the body, and allow you to refresh and recharge. Not only will it clear your head, but walking is very relaxing. After all, everyone needs a break, right? Next time you’re overwhelmed, go outside, leave the office or just go somewhere you have some room and take a walk.

Put things in perspective

This one is simple - don't make a mountain out of a molehill. Put whatever you're dealing with in perspective, and you'll be amazed at how quickly it starts to shrink. Chances are it's not the end of the world.

Realize you're not perfect

One of the causes of stress in students is a drive for perfection. Instead of focusing on what you haven't been able to do, think about everything you've accomplished and realize that no one is perfect. Also, don't be afraid to ask for help - there are many different support networks available for a reason.

Develop and utilize your support network

Sometimes the last thing we want to do is probably the first thing we need to do. One of the most important factors that can help weight loss is developing a network of friends and family you can lean on throughout the process. Take advantage of having the support available, especially when you're stressed out. And don't be afraid to grow your network - there are always people out there willing to help out a fellow workout warrior.