Healthy Living

Butter vs Margarine

I remember when I was growing up, we used butter. I was too young to question it, but I’m sure we used it because it was the accepted spread for toast, frying and other cooking and baking needs.

At some point, we all switched from butter to margarine. It had no cholesterol, so it was supposed to be the healthy alternative. And now, lots of years later, I’m considering switching back to butter. Here’s why . . . Today, margarine has some saturated fat and trans fatty acids – Neither of which are good. Plus, I’m not thrilled with the way it tastes.

And I keep hearing that margarine is just one molecule away from being plastic. I always thought “close” only counts in horseshoes and grenades, so I did some research.

Snopes comment on margarine being one molecule away from plastic is . . .
“These types of statements (even if they were true) are essentially meaningless. Many disparate substances share similar chemical properties, but even the slightest variation in molecular structure can make a world of difference in the qualities of those substances.” The article goes on to say that the same statements about Velveeta Cheese and Pam are false, too. Also, Cool Whip is not close to styrofoam and Cheez Whiz is not 2 ingredients away from garbage bags.

But, I’m not convinced that butter is better because butter has saturated fat. It’s more of a natural food than margarine, but it has cholesterol.

I did a little comparison shopping . . .

Land O’Lakes butter was $3.89 a pound. The ingredients are sweet cream and salt. Then, why does it taste waxy?

The store brand was $3.39 a pound. The ingredients are cream and salt.

An interesting alternative was butter from a local farm. It was a 2 pound roll of butter for $8.49. The ingredients are sweet cream and salt. It came wrapped in waxed paper and could easily be opened in the store. That bothered me. One of the rolls looked like it had already been unwrapped. Was it sampled (yuck!) or dropped?

Even so, I’m stongly leaning toward butter. And I like the one that’s locally churned. If I can purchase one from the back of the shelf that looks untouched by human hands, I just may give it a try.

Marilyn Kvasnok

The Fountain of Youth

Aug 12th, 2008

by Marilyn.

No comments yet

How would you like to feel 25 years younger and live 25 years longer?

Doesn’t everyone dream of feeling younger and living longer? Don’t we all just want to live healthy and happy? I do.

I’ve been a caregiver for about 40 years. My first challenge was caring for my mentally handicapped daughter. She was happy in her own very limited world. In some ways, she acted like a teenager. She wanted to drive a big, blue van. She wanted a boyfriend. And she wanted to get married. Today would have been her 39th birthday. She passed away 7 years ago from undetected cancer.

I’ve also taken care of my aunt for over 20 years. She had rheumetoid arthritis that affected her whole body. And COPD that made it difficult to breathe. She never complained, but as the years went on, she could do less and less. She passed away a year ago.

And now, I’ve taken care of my mother for the last 7 years. After a series of strokes, she had brain surgery to correct the problem. The surgery left her very much like a stroke surviver. She has a very positive attitude and exercises every day to keep the mobility she has – And continues to improve.

So after all this time, I’ve learned there may be some things beyond our control. On the other hand, we can take steps to help prevent or at least delay the onset of disease. I’ve made a personal decision to take my vitamins every day. I have a protein drink and take some extra supplements. I exercise and walk more, even with my arthritis.

I tried drinking a little red wine several times a week, for the resveratrol. But, I really don’t like wine. Now, I found an anti-aging tonic. One teaspoon has the resveratrol equivalent of 100 glasses of red wine. I’ll be adding this age defying tonic to my daily routine soon. It just may be the single most important thing I do for myself. It may not be the Fountain of Youth, but it’ll be close. I’ll report on my progress here.

Marilyn Kvasnok

Inch By Inch Weight Loss

Aug 3rd, 2008

by Marilyn.

No comments yet

I have dieted my whole adult life. I’ve tried it all: Eating sensibly (HA!), fasting, giving up desserts, not eating between meals, eating only salads and vegetables, eating only protein, drinking lots of water and lots more that I can’t even remember. I thought one of the best diet plans was “eat less and do more.” Sounds like it should work. But, I think the problem with it was . . . There were no guidelines and no boundaries. How much food is less? How much exercise is more? It wasn’t easy to measure.

Eureka! I’ve finally found the answer. I’ve now lost 40 pounds and I’m keeping it off. It’s been over a year since I hit that goal. I know my eating habits have changed. Now, I’m much more aware of everything I eat.

My starter kit included a software program. I entered my stats and preferences and the program customized my plan. By following the personalized meals that were set up or designing my own menu thru the system, I lost about 2 pounds a week. Slow and steady.

The best part is that I lost fat, not muscle. With most diets, you lose muscle along with the fat. When you stop the diet, you start gaining the weight back, but it’s all fat. Diet after diet, you keep losing muscle until your metabolism is shot.

The secret with the Inch Loss Plan is Leucine. Leucine helps retain muscle as you lose weight. It’s a secret that athletes have known for years. Call me a believer. But, losing pounds isn’t the focus of the Inch Loss Plan. It’s the inches I lost! I lost 29 inches and they’re never coming back.

Marilyn Kvasnok

What’s For Dinner? Salad

Jul 31st, 2008

by Marilyn.

No comments yet

Lettuce, tomato and cucumber. That makes a salad. But, it’s pretty boring. And if it’s topped with a creamy dressing, it could be packed with empty calories.

I love salad and often make one for dinner.

Some of my favorite ingredients are . . .

Romaine hearts (more nutrition than iceberg lettuce)
Round or plum tomatoes
Cucumbers (I prefer the English or “gourmet” type)
Chicken or turkey (white meat has less fat)
Hard boiled eggs
Shredded cheddar cheese
Chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
Broccoli (sauteed in olive oil)
Asparagus (sauteed in olive oil)
Cauliflower (lightly steamed)
Snow peas (sauteed in olive oil)
Baby green peas (frozen and uncooked)
Scallions and sweet onions
Red, yellow and green peppers
Mushrooms
Black olives (sliced thin)
Water chestnuts
Parsley
Sunflower seeds (plain or quickly sauteed in olive oil)
Soy bacon bits
Olive oil (extra virgin and cold pressed)
Hidden Valley Ranch dressing (just enough to add some zip)

Almost any combination of these salad ingredients makes a healthy, nutritious dinner.

Marilyn Kvasnok

Shop Around the Food Store

Jul 27th, 2008

by Marilyn.

No comments yet

There’s a real psychology to the layout of a food store. Most of us don’t pay attention to it, but the placement of every product is carefully planned. Eye level shelves are the premium products. Lower level shelves are for the cheaper products. And the lower level shelves, especially in the cereal aisle, are eye level for kids.

I’ve never been one to breeze thru the food store grabbing things as I go. I spend a good deal of time reading labels, comparing products and determining which size is the best buy. And I use coupons when I can.

Today, I’m more apt to shop AROUND the food store and not walk up and down every aisle. The perimeter of the food store is where all the fresh food is located – The produce, meat and dairy sections. Shopping AROUND the food store keeps me away from all the boxed and canned foods. Those are the products that contain extra salt, hydrogenated oils, trans fats, sugar, chemicals, artificial colors, artificial flavors and preservatives. Sure I love potato chips, mayonnaise and brownies. But, sparingly. It’s not part of my regular diet.

Over the years I’ve made little changes that have added up to eating much more healthy and simply. I like lots of salad and vegetables. I’ve cut back on meat, especially beef and pork. And food is prepared simply – raw vegetables or lightly steamed or sauteed. I don’t add sauces and gravy to my meals. It cuts down on prep time, but most importantly, I get to really taste each food item.

Marilyn Kvasnok