Livin' Lean Topic Tuesday: Show a Sister Some Love

I believe that every woman wants to feel beautiful. I believe every woman has the right to feel this way and CAN feel this way. But I also know first-hand the power of words and the influence they can have on self-esteem and self-worth.

I have a little story to share...

Just this weekend, my friend told me that while shopping at Talbot's, she witnessed a horrific scene. A beautiful woman in her early 50's stepped out of the dressing room; confident and glowing. Her husband (who I will mention was no George Clooney), gave her a look in disgust. You could almost see her confidence crumble around her as she said, "I know. You don't want me to buy this until I lose more weight." He insensitively responds, "Yah. Much more weight." Oh, boy! This had my friend fired up!!

My friend wanted to run to her and tell her just how amazing she looked. It killed her to see that this man, who is her husband and should be making her feel like the most beautiful woman in the world, had just crushed her spirit! My friend regrets not saying something to her, but feared what would come out in the direction of the husband. She had some words for him too!

The reason for this story is inspire you to show a sister some love! We work hard to keep healthy, stay fit and feel great about ourselves. There is no need to have people like this guy bringing that down. Give out compliments and positive words to women in your life. You never know where they are inside. They could have just had a band shopping trip with their clueless husband.

A little something I was inspired to write...

If you have ever battled with self-image, I hear ya.



If your weight has ever been a struggle, I've been there too.


If you have ever stacked yourself up against another women and could see only your flaws, join the club.


If at times you have relied on the approval of others to determine your self worth, I can relate to this too.


If the words of another have ever made you feel anything less than beautiful, you are not alone.


We are not alone in all this.
These thoughts & feelings DO creep into our head.
But thanks to the positive, supportive words of a sister
We can fill it up with confidence & beauty instead.

Stick together and support each other...like sisters.

Have a fabulous Tuesday! You are beautiful.

Livin' Lean Topic Tuesday: Adapting Eating Habits

This year I am beginning my 8th year as an elementary physical education teacher. I can't believe it has been that long already. Crazy. Anyway, each year presents a new schedule with different break times and allotments for lunch. There is usually a nice 30 minute window in the morning for a little snack and at least 40 minutes for a decent lunch. My last class ends a little before 3, so this allows for a small mid-afternoon snack session. As you can see, my work schedule has allowed time for me to eat every 3-4 hours; keeping my energy steady and my tummy happy. Since we aren't allowed to eat around children (especially anything containing nuts due to allergies), up until now, eating properly has been super easy.

THE CHANGE
This year...things are going to be tricky. No nice morning breaks. I'm lucky if I can run to the bathroom between classes! It is one class after the next from 8:30 to 12:00. Starting at 12:00, I have 25 minutes to throw down some lunch and then it's "go time" again until 2:25. So does this mean that my healthy habit of regular eating is going to go out the window? No, no, no! I am going to have to adapt.

SHAKE IT UP
I am going to be a shake lover this year. I haven't gone on the shopping trip yet, but my plan is to find a shake that can substitute as my "snack" in the morning. I may not be able to eat my usual trial mix, fruit or protein bar, but I can have a plastic bottle with a delish and nutritious shake in it! I want something that offers a good amount of protein (10 grams), a moderate amount of carbohydrates (18-25g) and is low in fat (less than 5 grams). The protein will keep me full and satisfied, while the carbohydrates will give me just the right amount of energy to get me through to lunch. That takes care of morning snack, but what about lunch?

LUNCH IS READY TO GO!
The key is going to be preparation. Instead of mixing my chicken or tuna salad at work, I am going to have to pre-mix. The key is to have my meals ready to go. No assembly required! Even better...no heating up required. I want to still keep my lunches fresh and avoid falling into the microwaveable cuisine trap. I am going to get in the habit of packing my lunch the night before. Less time assembling at school will give me more time to eat. I'm not a fan of inhaling my food.

HYDRATION
As always, there is going to be a constant intake of water. Water helps keep you full and functioning. It also aids in preventing fatigue and headaches. My job is fun, but let's face it, a gym full of 50 loud children running around and making noise all day long can sometimes be a bit much. Can you see where the fatigue and headaches may come into play? I'm just gettin' real here.

CHANGE THE PLAN, STICK TO THE GOAL
Overall, this change in my professional life has caused me to adapt my eating habits. Life can throw curve balls. We just have to step back, readjust and come back to the plate with a plan on how to handle it. No curve ball is going to send me out of the game! Eating well is an important part of my life; our lives. Adapt. Make it work. Stick to the goal.

Have a healthy and happy Tuesday!

Paula Deen's Lean: 4 Cheese Souffle

I'm a food-competition-television-show-lovin'-geek. I know. You're surprised, right? My most recent addiction has been Master Chef. I am just blown away by the talent from these home cooks! They know how to cook everything. They may be home cooks now, but I'm a little suspicious. There may have been some professional training earlier in life. Still, these cooks are crazy-good!

Anyway, one of the challenges or "pressure tests" was to make a perfect souffle. Chef Ramsey built this up to be one of the most difficult items for a chef to master. Naturally I was intrigued and felt the need to accept the challenge as well. I went straight to my girl Paula for a recipe to work from and an hour later...I had a pretty nice lookin' cheesy souffle. Wanna give it a try? You can do it! Show Chef Ramsey that you are a Master Chef too. Here's my very simple recipe adapted from Paula Deen's 4 Cheese Souffle.

FOUR CHEESE SOUFFLE
Makes 4

INGREDIENTS

1 onion, diced

1 tablespoon EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL

1 tablespoon "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter"

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons WHOLE-WHEAT flour

1 cup  FAT FREE half-and-half

1 cup 2% Four Cheese Mexican Blend

Salt and pepper

5 eggs whites

1 cup ORIGINAL EGG BEATERS

Fat Free cooking spray


DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Saute onion in olive oil and ICBINB until translucent.

Whisk in all-purpose and whole wheat flours to form a roux. Gradually whisk in the FAT FREE half-and-half until thickened. Add cheeses and season.

Remove from heat and beat in Egg Beaters. Allow to cool.

While Egg Beaters are cooling, beat whites to stiff peak. Gently fold in whites to cheese mixture.

Add mixture evenly to 4 sprayed (with FAT FREE cooking spray) oven-safe ramekins and bake for 35 to 40 minutes.

Serve immediately.

RESULTS

Rudy admitted to not expecting them to taste that great...but he was wrong! There is a lot of flavor in these souffles. They looked great coming out of the oven, but they did fall down a little during the photo shoot. Maybe that is what Chef Ramsey was talkin' about. Keeping the souffle from falling may be the challenge....or maybe it's just me.

 I am thinking it has something to do with using "low-fat" substitutes. If any of you know anything about the science of the souffle, PLEASE SHARE! Still, they tasted really good and saved on fat and calories. This qualifies as a success in The Cookin' Lean Kitchen.

NUTRITION FACTS (per serving/ 1 souffle):

BEFORE: 451 calories;  34.27 g fat; 12.25 g carbohydrate;  23.33 g protein;  .45 g fiber

AFTER: 294.5 calories;  14.4 g fat;  19.09 g carbohydrate;  21.94 g protein;  .7 g fiber

SAVES: 156.5 calories & 19.88 g fat 

ADDS: .25 g fiber

*PRINT~FRIENDLY*