Life span of a Hostess Twinkie......

Q. Given all the processing involved, how long does a Twinkie last? Does it ever degrade?

A. They get hard, but they don’t spoil. I’ve got a bunch of them scattered around my office. I’ve got one from 2005 in my hand. It’s a little hard. I don’t think I’d want to eat it. It’s solid, but it hasn’t spoiled.This is taken from a really great article in the NY Times. You can find it here http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/01/20/looking-inside-the-twinkie/

Then I did a little more research on Twinkies and their beginnings and found out they were created in the 1930’s and were very popular for food to be brought into bomb shelters because Twinkies last for up to 246 years. Common sense tells me that if something lasts for 246 years it’s probably going to last longer in my body than I would like if you know what I mean.

When I was little I used to hear my grandma say, “Past the lips, straight to the hips”. Now I know what she was talking about. But seriously it’s not just about senseless empty calories; it’s about putting chemicals into our bodies that we’re not even sure what they are. You wouldn’t drink a bottle of Windex would you? Then why would you eat a Twinkie that contains one of the longest lists of “ingredients”, not to mention it contains similar ingredients that are used to make matches and that also require a chemist to construct the recipe! This seems incredibly silly to me, however I have tasted a Twinkie before and I can see the attraction flavor wise but the damage it will do later just isn’t worth it. 

I have been reading a lot of Michael Pollin lately and along these same lines he has food rules such as:

1. If it does not spoil, do not eat it. EX: Twinkies, McDonald’s Hamburger
2. If it has more than 5 ingredients or you do not recognize the ingredients, do not eat it. Now that’s not to say if you have never heard of quinoa you should steer clear, quinoa is very good for you.
3. Stay out of the middle isles of the grocery store. You don’t need all those canned and boxed up items, buy fresh produce instead.

And this is where we come in… Mel’s Meals serves healthy meals with as few ingredients in them as possible and as time goes on we try to make everything from scratch. A few examples of the things we make from scratch are Mayonnaise, applesauce, salsa, marinara sauce, and ranch dressing. In the near future we will start making our own butter and ketchup. 

Simple rules like these are helpful for me when buying groceries and I hope they help you too.

In other and more exciting news, we are about to open our 3^rd store in Round Rock hopefully by next week (health department pending). We will shoot out an email to everyone to let you all know the date of the grand opening party where there will be free Mel’s Meals and some fun times!

Don’t forget about our meal plans and please tell your friends about Mel’s Meals!

Keeping it Healthy,

Mel

A 500 yr old proverb = a successful 2012 New Years resolution?

“It is better to take many small steps in the right direction than to make a great leap forward only to stumble backward.” Old Chinese proverb.

Who say’s history is not a great teacher.  This small proverb is a needed dose of reality as we start to think about New Year's resolutions.  We all have things we want to improve, fix or just quit doing all together.   Small steps are really the best way to do it.  

"Resolutions" tend to be broken because people try to start out at the extremes, extreme fitness programs and workout goals, extreme dieting, extreme weight loss goals. These extremes take a big toll on the body and psyche.

Once falling off the wagon once or twice, things seem to spiral out of control, with the pendulum swinging to the opposite end people find themselves once again eating whatever they can grab, skipping workouts, forgetting to drink their water, etc.

This year do something different for yourself and for your health. Choose a few small steps to integrate into your daily life. As you begin to achieve small goals, you can always increase them and strive for more, but starting small and realistic will have you continuing to better your health as others are falling off their intense regimens.

Here's a list of some great small steps to start taking:

• Buy a new water bottle and try to drink more during the day - the new water bottle will get you excited!
  
• Take a family walk after dinner, have a dog? take them with you, they need to be active too.
• Make it a point to eat breakfast. Skipping breakfast can lead to low energy, less productivity, and overeating later in the day.
• Set up a realistic physical activity goal - ex: if you are not doing anything currently a 20min walk 3 x a week would be a great step. If you are looking to take it up a notch and are already active just remember to make your goal realistic and start small.
• Try a new activity you have never done before: kickboxing, tennis, zumba?
• Make dinner at home 1 more night a week than you already do.
  
• Take your lunch with you to work.
• Pack up healthy snacks for the week that you can easily take on the go or to work.
• Make sure to include a veggie with lunch and dinner.

All of these “small steps” are within your reach and you can definitely choose one or two and then get started.   As always, we would love to be part of your team to improve your health & diet "step by step".  

Due to the holidays, we have extended our 10% discount for a 21day meal plan if you start by Jan 5th. (1 day left)

To sign up, click on the link below.  You will then enter your name and contact info in the form on the that page and finally Gina (our dietitian) will contact you the same day to discuss your goals, the appropriate meal plan for you and pricing.

Sign up for a 21 Day Meal Plan & give me a 10% discount.

Holiday Recipes

Check out these websites for some healthy twists to your holiday favorites.

Delish: Healthy Holiday Recipes

Eating Well: Healthy Christmas Recipes and Menus

Food Network: Holiday Central 2011

Navigate the Holiday Season

It's holiday time, time for celebration, love and joy - not worrying if you will fit into that dress or pair of jeans for New Year's Eve!
This holiday make some simple efforts to feel better about what you eat and what you do with your time off.
Everybody deserves to have a splurge here or there, but remember that overeating on a daily basis for a week or longer can do some real damage.

Tips for eating:

• Remember to drink plenty of water - People get busy and off their usual schedule leading to very low fluid intake which can actually be mistaken as hunger.
• Try to eat balanced meals through the day. Starving yourself for a big meal tends to backfire. Nobody can control themselves around tempting, scrumptious food when they are starving.
• Put small amounts of a variety of foods on your plate. Slowly eat each thing taking the time to really taste it and enjoy it. If you try something new and don't like it; you don't have to eat the rest. If you are still hungry, return to get more but only of the 1 or 2 things you enjoyed most.
• Load up on veggies! A lot of people get so caught up in all the other food options that they forget their veggies that can help to make your plate seem more full and your stomach feel more full too so you don't overdo it on the higher calorie dishes.
  
• Is there room for dessert? Usually after the large holiday meals held in American homes people are too full for dessert, but of course they eat it anyway. If you have a favorite dessert that you want to partake in this holiday GO FOR IT! but make sure that you wait until you are hungry again before you eat it, even if that means waiting 4-5 or even 6 hours after the meal.

Along with lots of holiday food, the holidays usually involve more sitting down and relaxing than activity. Use these ideas to get active in a fun way.

Get moving:

• Get the family involved in an active game like charades or Guestures.
  
• Take a walk around the neighborhood to look at decorations and lights.
• Have the family clean up together - cleaning dishes, vacuuming, cleaning the floors, etc
• Play with the little kids or pets in the family.
• When spending long periods with relatives, have a different relative pick their favorite activity each day and have everyone participate. Great way to find some new activities that you may enjoy more than you thought.
  
• Every little move adds up more than TV/Movie watching or sleeping.

Safety first:
Buffet style eating, casseroles, and leftovers all have something in common - they tend to be a breading ground for bacteria and parasites that cause foodborne illnesses.
Make sure that you cook your foods to the proper internal temperatures.
Poultry, whole or ground = 165 degrees F
Ground meats = 155 degrees F
Pork, beef, fish (not ground) = 145 degrees F
Don't leave foods out for longer than 2 hours, and when going to enjoy them reheat them thoroughly to at least 165 degrees F for 15 seconds before eating.

Have a Happy Holiday!

Average holiday weight gain is only 1lb. What?!?!

It does not seem right but studies show "on average Americans only gain 1 extra lb. over the holidays" The study goes on to say that most adults put on an extra 2 lbs every year and that the holiday season accounts for 50% of that increase.  See the link for study & article:  NYTimes article

Ok, not so good. Dang. We were excited for a second.

Well, with that little nugget in mind, we do have a special offer for our blog subscribers incase you think you might need help for the holiday bulge. In honor of the 12th month of the year, we are offering you a special 12% discount if you sign up for the 21 day meal plan by Dec 1st. (only 24 hours to take advantage of the deal!)

Yeah, yeah we know that the holidays involve a lot of potent parties but you can balance those out by eating healthy during your regular meal times and snacking minimally. Just an idea :)

To redeem your special 12% discount, email gina@melsmealsaustin.com {mention this special offer} and she will respond immediately to get you started by Dec 1st on your custom plan.

Happy Holidays,
Mel

Food and Mood

Ever have intense food cravings or wonder why when you are sad, lonely, bored or stressed sweet and fatty foods seem to just sound better? They may even be the one way you know to temporarily pick up your spirits. You are not alone, and you are not just a person of poor will power. There is actually a chemical reason for these cravings.

Carbohydrates (sugar) cause your brain to release the hormone serotonin which makes you happy! Proteins (animal products, nuts, & legumes) cause the release of dopamine which leads to increased energy, and fats (lard, oils, butter, avocado, fatty fish, nuts) cause the release of endorphins which, most of you know, make you feel good. So it makes sense that when we are feeling down we reach for food to make us happy, give us energy, and make us feel good.

Sometimes, when you are not feeling well, a balanced meal is exactly what you need to help your mood stabilize throughout the day. The best example of this time would be when your are hungry or after intense physical activity. BUT, if you find yourself reaching for food when you do not have any physical hunger, you may want to try something besides food to increase your mood. Next time you are feeling down why not try one of these activities known to cause a release of endorphins: physical activity, relaxation/meditation, listening to music, touch/massage, aromatherapy, and laughter : )

How does your plate stack up?

Goodbye food pyramid, say hello to the new MyPlate.

The USDA, United States Department of Agriculture, has recently changed their very well known pyramid for healthy eating to a more realistic easy to understand visual of a plate. How does your plate stack up to the recommendations? The new plate method encourages balanced eating, and hopes to increase Americans' intake of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. The also have special tips for the general population, those pregnant or breastfeeding, young children, adolescents, and those looking for weight loss.

The KEY TIPS to focus on: Make at least half of your grains whole grains, Make half your plate fruits and vegetables, Switch to low fat or fat free dairy products, Choose lean or low-fat proteins like chicken breast, turkey breast, or meat that is at least 90% lean, When it comes to your spare calories eat what you enjoy but avoid the over-sized portions, Drink water instead of sugary beverages.

Check out more at www.choosemyplate.gov