Kamie's Tip of the Week:

My mom said something interesting the other day that I thought I would share with you.  We were talking about oatmeal. I told her that, though oatmeal is very healthy for you, once you add all the brown sugar to make it taste good, it's just as sugary as those high sugar cereals you're trying to avoid. She told me that I had a problem: I was looking at food as something to enjoy, rather than as something to fuel my body.

There is wisdom in this. Food actually IS something to fuel your body. That's why we have to eat, to give our body the energy and nutrients it needs to run properly. But food is SO YUMMY! Right? Most of us can afford to add a little sugar to our oatmeal to make it a bit more tasty. But for those of you who have health problems because of your weight/diet, or are in serious danger if they don't change something, or are just getting a bit up there in age, this is a tip for you: FUEL YOUR BODY! Feed it what it needs, NOT what you most enjoy. Trust me, there's a lot more to enjoy in life than food, and living longer is always worth a little discomfort in your diet.

-Kamie

How Can I Resist the Temptation to Eat too Many Goodies This Season?

From October 31 to January 1 is the season of yummy treats and goodies! It is also the season of losing complete control over your diet. But don't lose hope, you can stay healthy even in the time of the year. Here are a couple of tips:

1. Practice Your Self-Control: Let yourself have a little bit everyday (within the means of your discretionary calories). You will drive yourself crazy if your try to avoid eating any sweets, especially since they are likely to be all around you. Instead, tell yourself how much you can eat without overdoing it, and don't allow yourself to deviate from that amount.
2. Enjoy Each Bite: If there are a bunch of yummy treats in front of you and you want to try them all, don't have a serving of each. Instead, savor a bite or two of each, all while staying within your discretionary calorie limit (about 200 calories for most people).
3. Spread it Out: Have a bite in the morning, a bite in the afternoon, and a bite at night. This will keep you satisfied all day without eating too much.
4. Try Some Healthy Treats: Pumpkin Bread, Berry Cobblers, Fruit Cakes, etc. all have nutritional value in addition to their great taste. These are the goodies you can be proud of yourself for preferring.

Here's a recipe for a deliciously healthy treat that is perfect in the Fall!!!

Peach Cobbler:

Filling: 5 cups Fresh or Canned Sliced Peaches (save about half of the juice if canned)
          1/2 cup peach juice or water
          1/3 - 2/3 cup sugar
          1 Tbsp (add more if necessary) cornstarch
Topping: 1/4 cup butter melted
               2 cups granola (or oats)
               4 Tbsp flour

Directions: Heat filling on the stove until thickened and bubbly. Pour into cake pan. Mix topping ingredients and crumble on top of the filling. Bake 10-15 min at 375. Delish!!!!!

             -Kamie