Healthy Tuna Salad

Healthy Tuna Salad

There are a lot of healthy aspects to eating tuna and when you combine it with some super high tech foods it becomes jet fuel. Here’s a recipe I’ve been experimenting with for several years and each time it gets better and better.

Tuna salad has been part of American Culture for some time, probably since we’ve been able to can food. I don’t know the history behind tuna salad but because so many recipes have potatoes it’s a easy assumption tuna salad was big during the war when food was rationed and hard to come by. OK enough history and what could have been.

I’ll start the Healthy Tuna Salad recipe off with a list of the core ingredients and then list other super foods to add and to enhance flavor & taste. You’ll also notice the amount of ingredients are fairly vague simply because of personal tastes, seasonal changes and ingredients you may or may not have. Please feel free to experiment and let everyone know below about your variations or different ingredients.

Healthy Tuna Salad:

Core Ingredients:

  1. Tuna: 1 can
  2. Fresh Parsley: finely chopped about a 1-to-1 ratio to tuna
  3. Red Onion: Small amount, finely chopped
  4. Celery: A couple of sticks finely chopped and the wide-white ends can be used as scoops.
  5. Quinoa: about 1/2 the amount of tuna or parsley
  6. Virgin Olive oil: just enough to help stop oxidation
  7. Lemon: about 1/2 to 1/4 of a lemon, squeezed
  8. Sea Salt, Pepper, herbs

OK so far this may sound a little bland but it will surprise you. I’ll start off with a container of the core ingredients that is large enough for 2 large meals or 3 small ones and as I take meals out of the container I’ll add more healthy ingredients that will compliment the core. If you have any suggestions please list them below.

Other additions:

Pouched egg on Healthy Tuna Salad

Pouched egg on Tuna Salad


I don’t use much olive oil so a great way to add more healthy fat is to add a 1/2 an avocado. This adds a smooth texture and of course it’s own delicious flavor. This isn’t added to the core because it oxidizes so fast and should be eaten in one seating. If you want to use it again at another meal add extra lemon juice, but don’t wait more that a day to finish it off.

Hard boiled eggs add more protein and lots of vitamins and minerals. And for breakfast a pouched egg on top.

Finely cut carrots add a nice color contrast.

For a Mediterranean flare add olives and artichokes This adds a whole new dimension to flavor with a healthy aspect as well. I haven’t added dried tomato’s yet, but it’s on my to-try list.

Extra herbs include garlic, cilantro, dill weed, and check you herb stock.

Some Substitutes:

In the picture above I’ve used wild caught Salmon in place of tuna. Salmon adds it’s own unique flavor and healthy benefits.

Instead of parsley, lightly steamed kale or spinach adds a healthy dynamic that only greens can offer.

Let me hear about your unique style of Healthy Tuna Salad.

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Oatmeal for Breakfast

Oatmeal

This is a quick and easy dish that will last with you all morning and has plenty of healthy benefits. Oatmeal has plenty of soluble and non-soluble fiber that helps to flush out the bad

Ingredients
  • Steel Cut Oats About a 1/3 of a cup
    • And about 3 or 4 times as much water. The steel cut oats take a little longer to cook but it makes up for it in flavors and textures.
  • Fresh fruit I'm using blueberries and strawberries but any will do.
    • Also try bananas, raisins or cranberries.
  • Cinnamon: Adds lots of flavor and is good for your liver and controlling blood sugar.
  • Real Maple Syrup is an excellent source of manganese and a good source of zinc.
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Healthy Breakfast Choices

My favorite Breakfast: Oatmeal, and I don’t mean oatmeal out of a package or cardboard box. The taste of fresh organic oatmeal is so much better than anything prepackaged and it is simple to prepare. Can you boil water?

Some Oatmeal ideas

  1. My #1 choice: raisins and apples sliced up into small bite size chunks.
  2. Bananas and peanut butter. The heat really brings out the flavors
  3. Pouched egg, protein
  4. Mixed fruit, right now blueberrys are in season
  5. Be creative, it’s hard to create bad oatmeal

Some other addition for oatmeal: Wheat bran, butter or coconut butter, flax-seed meal, and for sweetners, I like maple syrup or honey (lots of trace minerals). What’s your favorite way to make Breakfast?

My best morning tea, today
Green tea with squeezes from a lemon and some honey. This is easy & fast to make, but there are plenty of benefits. Green tea has plenty of great qualities including properties that help with weight loss. Lemons have plenty of health rich nutrients including cancer fighting carotenoids and flavonoids. Lemons will also help the stomach to shrink so you will eat less during the day.  Raw honey also has lots of healthy properties.

This green tea recipe is a great way to start the day. I usually wait about 20+ minutes before eating breakfast.

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Rules for Losing Weight

We all know there are certain things to do and not do that will help us lose weight. Sometimes we make exceptions and sometimes we just forget to be healthy. I am setting up these rules more as a guide-line than laws to stay healthy. Most of these are reminders.

  1. Exercise Everyday Try to get the heart rate above 135 for at least 5 minutes twice a day.
  2. Don’t over eat Take time between each bite to breath or take a sip of water.
  3. Protein with each meal Have a least a little protein, and it can be a non meat.
  4. 5 servings of fruit or veggies a day.
  5. Don’t eat after 7 pm
  6. Use dinner to set up a night time fasting 3 or 4 times a week. Go to bed a little hungry.  And wake up to tea with lemon and later a healthy breakfast with lots of protein.
  7. Stay away from starch and sugar.
  8. Carry some healthy food around so if there is a temptation you´re covered.
  9. Set up long term goals and make them happen.

OK so these rules are not so hard. And should be easy to follow.

Do you have a rule that helps you lose weight? Please share it.

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Weight Chart & May Goals

Weight:
Currently I weight in at 240 and my goal for mid May is 235.

Weight loss chart

Waste: 45 inches: All Right! I’ve gained a couple of inches .

Heart Rate: Maximum heart bet this month is 147 beats per minute on a 20 minute lunch walk. Maybe my most important measurement now registering around 80 beats per miminute, very high.

SWOT

Strength The spring has started and even with the high pollen count, I'm getting out for short walks and will increase it to about everyday and longer walks or hikes on the weekends.

Weakness
Watching my urges and binges and figuring ways to curb them antioxidants.

Opportunities
This a good time to start some new fun things outdoors, I haven’t been out dancing and this maybe a fun way to get a good sweat going. The weather is great for walking outside.

Threats
1. OK the smog season is over and it was not that bad however I do have some congestion, and yes I am seeing a Doctor. 2. A big threat is getting lazy and not having a positive outlook, so I’ll keep a list of long term goals and accomplishments in front of me.

Goals

  • I've cut out most foods with hydrogenated oils especially protein bars and know will increase the amount of foods with fiber and cut out starches like wheat.
  • Just ordered a ab straps for my chin-up bar so twice a day I'll be giving both of them a work out.
  • Creating some hight tech jet fuel recipes that I'll be sharing in the near future.
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Stop the Stress Eating Cycle

by M.J. Murphy

Everyone knows that stress can lead us right to the comfort food, and that comfort food often takes the form of carbohydrates and fats. Sweets, snacks, beer, wine, bread, potatoes…pick your favorite.

Confort Food

Confort Food

What you may not know is how stress actually leads to this weight gain.

Under stress such as tension, anger, fear or worry, the body produces hormones including adrenaline and cortisol. Why? When our ancestors were under stress, they needed these chemicals to help them be alert and focused, to increase the heart rate and get muscles tense and ready for fight or flight.

Since most of us have mental and emotional tension in sedentary jobs, these hormones really cause us problems because we can’t run away from our desks or pop the boss in the nose.

When our ancestors ran away or fought, they needed to refuel and these stress hormones also signaled their bodies to eat. So, these same hormones tell us to eat, even if we haven’t had any physical activity.

We may find ourselves in a vicious cycle of stress, followed by elevated cortisol, followed by chips and cola, or some other combination of carbs and fats.

The best answer to correct this eating pattern is a combination of stress management techniques, exercise, and healthy eating patterns. It also helps to know what your triggers are – not everyone defines stress the same way.

Stress management techniques
Find a few that you like and will use. 3 easy ones to incorporate into your lifestyle are deep breathing, positive thinking and substituting TV with another activity.

Deep breathing is good for you. If you like, say a lovely mantra to yourself as you inhale and exhale, or you could just say peace as you inhale and serenity as you exhale. Simply counting 1-2-1-2 as you breathe will also work.

When do we breathe slowly and deeply? When we are asleep, calm, and relaxed. Deep breathing is a great way to signal the body to relax. Do it several times a day, even when you are not experiencing stress.

Thinking positive thoughts or focusing on a beautiful place that you enjoy are fine ways to de-stress. Anxious thoughts will produce stress in the body, positive thoughts encourage us to relax.

As you increase awareness of where your thoughts are going moment to moment, gently bring them back to the present, to anything positive you can find to focus on, be grateful for, appreciate.

Watch less TV. When people say they watch TV to relax, they often actually are using it to detach and distract themselves. Especially avoid late evening news – the stories make many people more anxious right before they go to bed. Instead, do some stretching, yoga, meditation, or journal writing.

Exercise
Exercise helps you lower your stress and control weight at the same time by burning calories. Find something you like to do that makes sense in your busy life and just do it!

If you are absolutely too busy or just don’t like going to the gym, don’t choose that.

If you like walking, give yourself a push to do that 3-4 times per week or every day if you can. If you enjoy walking with company, get a buddy, but go alone if you have to. Just get up and move – use your imagination! Turn on some music and dance in your living room. Walk around while you talk on the phone. Park the car at the end of the parking lot. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Be creative!

Healthy Eating for Stress
Avoid processed foods such as refined flours, sugars and fats. These foods give us quick, feel-good energy and let us down with a sluggish feeling.

The swings in blood sugar can lead to more stress in the form of anxiety, irritability, headaches, and loss of focus. These foods also increase the release of insulin, another hormone related to weight gain and appetite.

To make matters worse, cortisol and insulin together create cravings for carbohydrates and fat, another element of that vicious stress eating cycle.

When eating a meal, be mindful of the tastes, aromas, and textures of your food. Remember to breathe. Eat slowly and enjoy the food. Stop eating a few minutes before you feel full.

Stay hydrated. Sometimes people mistake thirst for hunger. You will be less apt to overeat or reach for snacks if you drink water throughout the day.

If you have danger foods, don’t keep them in your house. If you are tempted to eat a whole bag of potato chips or cookies after a bad day at the office, don’t ever buy them and bring them home. However, don’t banish them from you life, either. Just buy small packages occasionally in the vending machine or deli so you can control the portions.

Don’t deprive yourself of food. You may feel more stress if you are hungry, and hunger and stress together may even lead to binge eating.

Some people find that they have an easier time staying trim by eating small amounts every 4-5 hours. Your blood sugar levels will stay more even and your energy will be steadier.

Don’t forget to have fun! Find things to look forward to each day or each week. We often eat when we are in the duldroms, feeling dull and bored and therefore feeling like we want a treat. Fill your life with positive thoughts, good relationships and meaningful activity you’ll be less apt to fill your tummy with food.

M.J. Murphy is a licensed therapist practicing in Atlanta, Georgia. She works primarily with people who have problems with depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, grief and abuse histories. She also works with stress management, time and organization skills, and career counseling. You can visit her website at www.murphycounseling.com .

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The Phelps Diet

I wonder if the restaurant gives Michael a discount??

OK so this is not a diet, but if you were Michael Phelps and needed to produce that kind of energy day in and day out you would have a different diet too.

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Healthy Omelettes

Omelettes are an easy way to add veggies to your morning breakfast. This is great way to be creative with your veggies there's lots of different veggies to include, different ways to prepare and cheeses to include for different tastes and textures for your mouth to enjoy.

Some good choices
  • Onions
  • Spinach
  • Mushrooms
  • Yellow Squash
  • Zucchini
  • Tomatoes
  • Broccoli
  • I'm not sure there's a bad veggie for an omelette. It's up to your creativity.
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Body Typing with Hormones

by Dr. Thomas Tumbarello

In our practice one of the first criteria we use is to actually size up a person by their physical makeup. Now this may sound strange at first, but in good doctoring, the powers of observation can help you solve many
a mystery for your patient.

Body Typing
Thyroid
Adrenal
Ovarian
Liver

Over the years various types of programs and protocols have evolved.. albeit fads ­ especially for weight loss. With time, new things are learned. In my experience, as far as weight loss is concerned, identifying the body type based on hormone predisposition is the real keeper.

The key here is the scientific fact that hormones are substances that directly control the storing and burning of fat , they are at cause of weight problems when they are not working properly.

Body Typing

This relatively new nomenclature does not have its origin in the structure of the body as had been in the past. What we are observing is a distribution of weight that arises from faults or weakness in the glandular system that lends to cellular inflammation / weight gain in the areas localized to that gland. This can be easily observed by the body types and has been categorized as such.

For real weight loss and health to resume , the weakened gland must be cleaned up and strengthened so as to signal appropriately through complex neuro and bio-chemical processes.

The 4 major body types have been described as Thyroid, Adrenal, Ovarian, Liver.

You see anybody can go on a diet, but if the sensory system – which comprises 80% of the body´s design – is not somehow re linked, the endocrine disruptors not cleared and the hormones not balanced, then
by default compensations occur and even if weight loss is accomplished, deleterious health patterns will continue and sickness occurs.

CAUSES .. of this disturbance may be varied. However suffice to say, this is a matter for a health professional trained in environmental issues with a background in functional neurology, nutrition and a system of feedback such as applied kinesiology.

Doctors of Chiropractors that use physical or mechanical manipulation along with kinesiology are usually the best resources (www.drtumbarello.com).

Observational and clinical findings have suggested that a major cause is what has become known as endocrine disruptors. Endocrine disruptors are chemical compounds that mimic our naturally produced chemicals and therefore compete with them at the receptor sites. This confuses the body’s bio chemical feedback. Much of the endocrine disruption arises from medications, environment and foods that contain hormones.

What occurs is that the normal receptor sites of the glands /target organs become clogged by imitators (foreign chemicals). The misconceptions arise in that oftentimes traditional laboratory testing cannot recognize gland dysfunction until the gland itself becomes diseased. An example would be when someone has symptoms of thyroid gland such as: hair loss, brittle nails, bowel irregularity, weight gain yet they have no obvious blood chemistry to support this.

A reason would be that the normal feedback loop is not appropriate. The feedback tells the thyroid it has does its job, but the thyroid does not sense it as such for the receptor sites are clogged by foreign substances ­ endocrine disruptors ­ and hence, feedback is not appropriate.

False Notions in weight loss

Cut you calories
This has been around for eons. There is an element in truth here, but you must be prepared to constantly battle. As you reduce calories, you begin to lose weight. The battle then becomes one of metabolism. As you reduce, your body senses this as a stress and goes into survival mode. What it does is adjust your metabolism to compensate for the lack of calories as the body begins to store foods as fat in an attempt to conserve for a future events. This conservation mode will continuously effect metabolism.

Exercise:
This notion can really hurt. Based on hormones, your body utilizes various foods at different times. Fat burning with exercise is only accomplished after the residual sugar supply has been depleted. This may occur after 20 to 30 minutes of exercise, but has to be maintained in order to even begin to burn fat. This is not practical for most.

* Consumption of sugars and carbohydrates releases insulin. As you release insulin, you increase fat. Refined carbohydrates would include: Breads, pasta, cake, rice, starches and sugars, candy.

Low Fat:
Overall Americans have reduced total fat consumption by 15%; however obesity has risen by 50% since 1960. Why? The low fat fad makes lots of money and the foods are high in carbohydrates. Carbs turn into fat as they trigger off the hormone insulin. The consumption of fat is not what´s making us fat.

Body Types

Thyroid
These are the people that are generally large in stature, football types with large ankles and big up top. Excess fat is more evenly distributed with this type and is much more observable in females than males.

Associated symptoms may include: Weight gain in the upper torso and neck, cold hands and feet at night, weakness, rosy or reddening face, dry skin, depression, high cholesterol, low or poor appetite, sleepiness, fatigue, hair loss, brittle nails, bowel timing problems.

Adrenal
With these folks, fat accumulates in the lower abdominal region. They are often characterized by thin legs and arms, but weight in the middle.

Since these glands are anti-inflammatory this can lead to: Pain, fibromyalgia, sleep issues, fatigue, sweet craving, dullness, memory loss brain fog , heavy legs, excessive worry and anxiety, swollen type moon face, hair on the face, dark circles around the eyes, joint inflammation, insomnia, and often lead to diabetes.

Ovarian
These cases are your typical saddle baggers. The weight goes to the hips, thighs and upper legs. The hormones associated with this area are responsible for the female figure, so you could see how this would cause difficulty in this region.

Other associated findings may include:
History of PMS, ovarian cysts, cyclic fatigue, brain fog, hot flashes, night sweats, excessive bleeding, cyclic constipation, vaginal dryness and weight gain that time of the month.

Liver
These are the cases with large upper bellies. Although not always the case, this is often found with chronic alcoholism.

Other additional challenges to weight loss can include: Intolerance to fatty foods, burping, stiffness in lower and upper back and between shoulder blades, craving for fried foods, pickles and other sour foods, irritable and moodiness, overheating of the body, pot belly.

Mixed Types:
It is not unusual for people to exhibit signs from one or more of these categories. In this case pinpointing the weakness or going to higher levels of glandular control will help make distinctions to the observant clinician. But for this topic following these guidelines could benefit anyone that wants to shed some pounds and regain much health.

Keep in mind you want to lose weight, but equally as important is to clear out and revitalize the glands under stress. The best way to do this is as follows:

Take spinal adjustments. Why? Because as you begin to lose weight you need to change the body´s structure and reinvent yourself. Your poise must change to re pattern with the brain. Also the feedback through the sensory system is in the spine, having it adjusted not only brings down the pain threshold and inflammation (an additional cause of hormone release), but encourages better communication in the neural hormonal network, the area that needs attention.

Physical / Visceral manipulations and organ reflex techniques will accomplish great results and eliminate the need to extensive nutrition, added visits and other measures.

Feedback kinesiology with nutritional support: At our office we use a very accurate and specialized method of analysis that will identify weakness in organs and glands as well as energy / meridian systems. This accompanies a selected set of questions that serve as a guide to help you get results as quickly a possible.

The key is to balance the communication within the nerve and energy system and between the organs and glands themselves ­ this occurs just like a computer upgrade.

After this, if need be, nutritional support / vitamin therapy for the appropriate weakened organ and gland can be accomplished and with maximal effect. I do not advise someone to take supplements without some form of professional testing ­ otherwise it is just guess work or the selling of something, it does not uncover the primary issues the real cause or it may be an unnecessary cost or potentially harmful.

A Plan:
If you are a liver or thyroid type, then the key for this diet is lots of raw vegetables. Eat only protein and healthy fats in the morning. ½ protein and ½ vegetable carbohydrates for lunch and mostly vegetables for dinner. Eliminate sugar and refined carbohydrate.

Avoid chemicals as much as possible including hormone free foods. Also if your´s is a liver situation you want to severely reduce fats and oils as this is rough for the liver.

B Plan:
With adrenal & ovarian types eliminate sugar and refined carbohydrates, eat mostly protein and healthy fats in the morning and increase saturated fats like eggs, butter, avocado´s and meats. (Make sure it is without
growth hormone added). Avoid processed foods.

Fruit should be used sparingly and eat organic hormone free. Cut down on stimulants like coffee; replace
diet sodas with drinks made with Stevia or Splenda. Spring water is real good for you.

About Dr Tumbarello: Dr Tom has been in professional practice for 25 years. Much of his time has been in research and development of safe and effective measures to enhance life. His practice ranges includes infants to the elderly as the methods used safely and quickly access the integration of brain and body through sensory upgrades. Dr Tumbarello´s approach can include: expert spinal, axial and visceral (organ/gland) manipulation, nutrition, auriculo therapy, cranial manipulation, applied kinesiology work, body restoration technique (body energetic balancing), color therapy and disc decompression to help those seeking better compatibility with the earth plane.

Learn what works for you. Contact: DR Thomas Tumbarello Cell-F Center South / The Chiropractic Group 700 Sandy Plans Road, Marietta, Ga 30066 678 355-9090 www.drtumbarello.com

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The Meatrix will Leo take the Blue pill

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