Secrets to Not Gaining Weight This Holiday Season

The time of year that we all love and we all hate has arrived. From October until January we have so many great reasons to eat so many great foods that we almost always end up packing on holiday pounds. Then we work like crazy from January to April in hopes of losing those added pounds before swimsuit season arrives. It is a vicious cycle that needs to be broken.

Believe it or not there are secrets to not gaining weight this holiday season and they do not include missing out on the goodies. You can eat what you want and still not gain weight if you follow some of these tips.

i) Do not eat food just because it is on your plate. If you are at a party and you put something on your plate and then discover that it really is not as good as it looked, then do not eat it.

ii) The drinks you are having may be full of calories you are unaware of. Be careful with all of those drinks that have dollops of whipped topping, or that include caramel in them. Drinks can contribute to our holiday weight gain more than the food we eat. Beverages containing alcohol can be loaded with calories. Try sipping a glass of white wine instead of having the mixed drink and you will cut your caloric intake down by at least one half.

iii) Do not stand near the buffet table to talk. After you have gotten the food you want then leave the area where the food is. Most people will continue to pick at food and sample treats if they are standing close to the table. Get away from the temptation.

iv) Engage in conversations, dance, and be more physically active when you are at parties. The more you move around the more calories you are burning. This will even count for the amount of time you are moving your jaw so keep talking.

v) Take the stairs instead of the elevator when you are shopping. The exercise will do you good.

vi) Do not try to park in the closest space to the door. Save that space for the elderly and you can burn more calories.

vii) Drink plenty of water and get plenty of sleep. It has been proven that people who are under stress from dehydration and the lack of sleep will eat more food to try to comfort their bodies.

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Posted in: Gaining,Holiday,Season,Secrets,Weight

2011 Early Pecan Season Results

With drought conditions spreading across much of the fertile pecan growing regions in the United States, it is looking like it will be a tough year for pecan farmers as well as pecan enthusiasts. With the holiday season quickly approaching (where pecan demand is highest), as well as increased demand from Asia (specifically China), a perfect storm is brewing for this year's pecan crop.

Pecan prices are expected to be 20% higher this year, as compared to last year, because of lower supply and higher demand. Some in the industry are nervous that pecan prices may approach a level that is 55% higher than they were just three years ago.

With countless mainstream groceries store chains, pastry producers, food distributors, baked goods companies and the average consumer all clamoring for their "fair share of the pie" it comes as no surprise that there may be some hurt feelings this year when harvest numbers are turned in.

With the United States accounting for more than 75% of the world's pecan harvest, a down crop will have a trickle-down effect across the world. Many of the top producing pecan states, including Georgia, Arizona, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas are buried in the South experiencing extreme drought.

Healthy amounts of water produce healthy pecan crops, in healthy amounts. While the pecan harvest process has been in full swing, in most places since the early Fall, early results are suggesting that total production will be well off from the past few years. Many pecan farmers are reporting the only word thus far that can be used to describe the overall harvest yield is "terrible".

Pecans are like other crops as they are made up of approximately 80% water. When water doesn't exist, pecans don't exist. This year will surely go down as one of the slowest years for pecan production, and quite likely one of the years where high prices are the only thing that is remembered.

Not all pecan farms are suffering: those that have invested in their own irrigation systems are reporting healthy harvest numbers and prices that are in line with previous years. These farms require a great deal of capital investment to ensure that they can support the irrigation needs of the pecan trees, as the nut itself is made of more than 80 water. This makes the balancing act of producing enough pecans, while keeping cost down, even more difficult.

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Posted in: Early,Pecan,Results,Season

How to Season and Marinate Meat

In today's society, people lead busy lives. Between school, work, family, and fun time, it seems like we barely have time to cook. It is a fact that fast food is convenient, and eating this type of food once in a while may be OK. But you can't maintain a good health by living purely on fast food. However, who has the time to spend all day in the kitchen, cooking? If you face such a dilemma, I may have some time-saving tips for you.

You can enjoy a homemade meal every day of the week, if you plan ahead of time. To do this, select food items that have relatively short cooking times, and cook a large quantity, so you can have leftovers for the next day. A very helpful tip is to season and marinate meat, poultry, and fish ahead of time. This works if you buy in bulk at wholesale stores, or if you make weekly trips to the supermarket. Personally, I buy meat, poultry, and fish in bulk, about once a month.

When you return from the wholesale store, instead of packing the meats in the freezer, you should season them right away, and parcel them into smaller servings. Place the servings in resealable zipper storage bags, and then put them in the freezer. During the busy weekday, you should remove a bag of marinated meat from the freezer, and place it in an empty sink, at room temperature. By the time you return home, the meat should be ready to cook.

When you season and marinate meat ahead of time, you allow the seasonings to penetrate the meat, creating a flavorful cooked meat, without relying on massive amounts of salt. I suggest experimenting with seasoning herbs to find a taste you like. Below, I provide a quick guide to season and marinate meat. In this example, I am using chicken cutlet. This recipe can be used with all meats, poultry, and fish. I choose chicken cutlet because it has a relatively short cooking time.

How to Season and Marinate Meat - Chicken Cutlet

Ingredients

4 chicken cutlets about 8oz
2 scallion stalks chopped
½ cup of cilantro chopped
½ teaspoon of rosemary (fresh or dries)
1 teaspoon of garlic (fresh or powder)
1 teaspoon of salt free seasoning blend
1 teaspoon of oregano (fresh or dried)
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of black pepper
1 lime
2 tablespoons of Teriyaki

How to Season and Marinate Meat

Instructions

Place the chicken in a bowl and rinse thoroughly with water, and drain. Cut the lime in half, and squeeze it all over the chicken. Lightly rinse the chicken. You can skip this step if you desire a citrus taste. Then add all the aforementioned ingredients in the bowl with the chicken and mix well.

The chicken can be left over night in the fridge and cooked the next day. Alternatively, cut it into smaller pieces and place the pieces into resealable zipper storage bags. Put the bags in the freezer until ready to use.

Good luck!

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Posted in: Marinate,Season