Getting enough fiber?

All photos on this blog belong to Pat Anthony

Is it really that hard to get enough fiber in your diet? It may be if you eat junk food rather than what God intended you to eat.

Carrots, apples, beans, even some bread products you can buy right off the grocery shelf have considerable fiber. Don't like real food? Then don't read this.

The human body was designed to have a certain amount of fiber. You will notice that cereal products now brag that the ingredients include fiber. Usually the cereal fiber is accompanied by tons of sugar, artificial color that you should not eat, and additives you can't spell. Don't eat this junk-eat real food! There is plenty of it to go around.

One of the easiest ways to get enough fiber is to add two pieces of fruit or vegetables to your menu daily. Many whine about not wanting to do this, but it is so simple. An apple, a few grapes, some cucumber with your salad-these all add up to give you the fiber you need to live a healthy life!

Some adults will actually complain that if they eat correctly they will have to go to the bathroom, and they don't have time for all that. What? Would you stop changing the oil in your car and let it run inefficiently because it is not worth your time? You are as important as your car! Just do it....and quit your whining.


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Adding Protein To Your Diet

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are property of 
Pat Anthony.

Adding protein to your diet is a simple thing to do. For those of us who do not eat animal products the addition of a few nuts several times a day will do the trick.

When adding protein to our diet many of us enjoy beans as a compliment to a meal. This will surely take care of most protein needs, however-what if you do not want to eat beans with each meal?

Wheat and other grains can contain protein. Read packages so that you know what you are eating. It is true that the human body will make a certain amount of protein when fed correctly. The problem here is that most of us do not eat what we should and will pay the price at some point.

If you are a meat eater or use dairy products getting enough protein should not be an issue.

How much protein do you typically need? A person who weighs 150 pounds should get around 55 grams of proteins daily. Someone who weighs 200 pounds needs about 74 grams of protein.

One way to add protein to your day if you are not a meat eater is by using a soy based protein powder. If you can tolerate soy (and not everyone can) this can be added to beverages or recipes to increase you protein intake.

Why should you care about adding protein to your diet? If you do not get enough protein your body will begin to use YOU as the source protein. Get the picture?



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Basic bread for your healthy lifestyle.

Help yourself to better health by eating better bread! Sounds easy enough, doesn't it?

Also, saving money by making your own bread just makes sense. It is not only simple to do, you will learn ways to alter a recipe or two that may satisfy even the picky eaters.

Making bread at home is not a new idea, is it? Since the beginning of time, people have made their own food items, such as bread. You don't need a bread maker, and it will take just a few minutes.

Grandmothers all over the world would shake their heads in agreement with this statement: You should make your own bread so you know what you are eating. And, you will know what you are feeding your children!

We use a whole wheat flour that is produced from red wheat. To this we add some white flour that is not bleached. Any flour will work. We just prefer things as close to natural as we can get.

Yeast can be purchased in jars, rather than in packages. This is the type used in bread machines, and what we prefer, but you can alter the following as you see fit.

Basic recipe:
1 1/2 cups of warm water (we test it to 109 degrees, as the yeast packages suggests)
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup white flour
1 teaspoon of salt
2 teaspoons of yeast

Item you also need: A bowl for mixing. A spatula. A baking pan or loaf pan. A pan of water placed on the bottom of your oven that may help your bread have a better crust.

Put the warm water in a bowl that you will be leaving the dough in once it is made.

We use stoneware, but you can use any bowl you have.

Add the yeast and salt, stirring so that it looks mixed.

Add one cup of flour at a time, and mix quickly with a spatula.

Once all flour has been added, continue to stir until you notice the dough is leaving the side of the bowl.

Cover the bowl with a piece of plastic wrap, or a wet towel. Let it rise for an hour or more. Once it looks to be double in size, place the dough on a floured surface.

No reason to knead. Just shape to the pans you are using, and allow to sit until it appears to be close to the size of the pan or oven crock.

We bake at 350 for about 30 minutes. As all ovens vary, you will have to understand how your oven works.

This recipe is great with a few teaspoons of your favorite herbs and seasonings added to the flour before baking. We have also used this recipe for making pumpkin bread by substituting canned pumpkin for 1/3 of the water, and including 1 teaspoon of allspice with the salt.

Another family favorite is made by substituting applesauce added to the basic recipe, along with 1/4 cup of brown sugar.

You will think of a dozen ways to use this basic idea to save money, and get a quality bread for your table.

No time to wait for all of this to work? My grandmother prepared the basic recipe, put it in an oiled pan, and once it doubled in size, she baked it. I really don't see the big difference in a bread that takes longer to make. It's all good when you use quality ingredients.

Saving money by making your own bread is something you can pass along. Children love these easy projects that show off some basic skills.



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Cholesterol can be lowered with foods!

Okay, so you have read that blood pressure can be lowered by adding some foods to your menu. So, what about lowering cholesterol?

Here's the thing: You should considered taking some medication while you are lowering your cholesterol unless your physician says it is okay to wait. And this is why: You are a ticking time bomb if you have extremely high cholesterol. Changing the numbers on your cholesterol test is not something that happens overnight. However, with some serious effort, you can will see results soon.

Adding just a few raw nuts, such as almonds or walnuts, to your menu daily will make a different. I am amazed when I am told by some they do not care for nuts.

Add oatmeal daily in the form of cereal, or baked into foods. Adding blueberries or raisins to your oatmeal can help a little more.

During this time begin to eliminate the foods that are filling your arteries. Red meat should be checked off the list, and replaced by chicken and fish. Your heart will thank you for this.

Once each day eat a small salad with olive oil. If you are into salad, you may consider having just salad two nights each week to help your cholesterol numbers further. If you are not happy with salad, think variety. Add tomatoes, cucumbers, raw squash, seeds, or any raw vegetable you like. It definitely does not have to be just lettuce.

Avocado is considered a healthy fat. If you like avocado sliced, or in the form of guacamole, you are helping yourself in your quest for better health.

Think about the overall diet you have been enjoying. Consider adding beans and vegetables to make recipes that are filled with fiber. Fiber of any sort will help you lower your cholesterol, but your have to be consistent. You can't have apple crisp once a week, and think you are doing something great. Your body needs a fighting chance, so feed your cells what it needs!