Posted by RenaissanceTrophyWife on February 26, 2009
Since we’re past the holiday season and coming up on spring, it’s common for people to try and “get back on track” by treating their bodies better– eating right, hydrating, and exercising. But let’s come clean; a lot of these plans involve crash dieting or denial of certain foods, which results in falling off the wagon time and time again.
There’s no simple, easy path to getting healthy– you have to commit to certain lifestyle modifications, rather than trying to do it all at once. Education is also an important factor in being good to your body. If you don’t know what you’re putting in it, and blindly follow the recommendations of a proscribed plan, how do you continue to make positive change when you become solely responsible for your health? Start by reading labels at the grocery store, buying some organic foods, and learning about the origin of various things at the grocery store.
Go slow, and make incremental changes. Total deprivation is usually not the answer. Life is for enjoying, after all! For most people without serious health conditions, it’s ok to have “bad” foods once in a while. So splurge on that eggs benedict, but the rest of the week, get your fruits and vegetables in. I like tricking myself– eating a burger and fries feels like a guilty pleasure, but the homemade version comes with some hidden health benefits.
Here’s one of my favorite healthy breakfasts that feels like an indulgence.
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Posted in Apple a Day, Domestic Diva | Tagged: breakfast, cooking, dairy, food, fruit, healthy, vitamins, yogurt | 5 Comments »
Posted by RenaissanceTrophyWife on February 25, 2009
Developing healthy lifestyle habits is one of the best ways to maintain good health as you age. Although it may be difficult to stop smoking or commit to an exercise regimen, investing your time and effort early on can save thousands of dollars in insurance costs and hospital bills later in life. More importantly, staying in good health will impact your quality of life, which is priceless.
A 2002 study published by Health Affairs concluded that 40% of premature deaths (before age 75) among Americans are related to detrimental lifestyle practices such as smoking tobacco, lack of exercise, poor nutrition, and obesity. In comparison, genetics accounted for 30%, socioeconomic inequities 15%, poor medical access 10% and environmental hazards 5%.
It’s no surprise, then, to find that insurance companies may charge patients with several risk factors up to $5,000-$10,000 more per year than patients who have none or few risk factors. That’s a pretty tangible savings– not to mention the avoidance of possible hospitalizations, which may cost in the tens of thousands of dollars.
Read on for the savings related to various risk factors…
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Posted in Apple a Day, Trust fund, baby! | Tagged: exercise, finance, food, health, insurance, investment, medicine, money, saving, smoking | Leave a Comment »
Posted by RenaissanceTrophyWife on February 24, 2009
The WSJ crowd is not your typical bargain-hunting set, but the paper’s article on $10-$20 wines may be signaling a sea change. Go here to check out some RTW value picks that taste a lot pricier than their tag would suggest.
Image courtesy of Ilan Brat / The Wall Street Journal
Posted in Domestic Diva, Trust fund, baby! | Tagged: bargain, drink, food, sale, shopping, value, wine, wsj | Leave a Comment »
Posted by RenaissanceTrophyWife on February 23, 2009
This week (2/22-3/1) is America Saves Week, coordinated by the America Saves campaign and by the American Savings Education Council, who are working with a large coalition to promote the savings message and foster better savings behavior.
My next few posts will focus on saving on the BIG things that can make an appreciable difference in lifestyle. I consider myself fairly frugal with everyday purchases like clothes or groceries, but this is about “shopping” on a much larger scale, resulting in savings of thousands of dollars.
The topic for today: education.
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Posted in Career Chick, Trust fund, baby! | Tagged: career, children, earning, education, family, finance, investing, investments, marriage, relationships, spending, spouse | 3 Comments »
Posted by RenaissanceTrophyWife on February 20, 2009
What do you do to eat healthy when you’re pressed for time?
Me? I’m guilty of getting into food ruts– cooking and eating the same go-to items for days or weeks on end. It used to be baby carrots and hummus, then wilted spinach with salsa, then veggie burgers, and now I’m on to steamed or sauteed veggies, particularly broccoli and carrots. While it may sound really boring (and believe me, it can be!), I try to make veggies the base of my meals, and change up the dishes to keep myself entertained.
Basically, I make a huge batch of veggies over the weekend, then use smaller portions daily in just about anything. While eating like this doesn’t require any cooking skills, it does make it easier for me to eat healthy, especially when I’m too tired to make more than a half-hearted effort. Fast food just makes me feel icky when I’m already exhausted. At least I’m getting my folate and Vitamin A this way! Plus, eating fiber-rich foods helps me feel full faster, and allows me to eat smaller portions of meat and carbs at each sitting.
What I’ve been doing with my veggies:
- Stir-fry with additional veggies, tofu/chicken, and teriyaki sauce
- Add to salads, sandwiches, and wraps
- Chop finely, add sundried tomatoes, and use as omelette filling
- Snack on them, plain or dipped in hummus
- Add corn or black beans (or both!) in an oven-proof bowl, cover with a thin layer of mashed potatoes and a sprinkle of parmesan, and brown in the oven for a quasi-shepherd’s pie
- Toss with diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and a small serving of whole wheat pasta for a mini veggie casserole; adding a wedge of laughing cow cheese (35 calories for the light version) into the sauce makes the entire thing so creamy!
- Add to soups/stews (use your judgment on this one; some may need to be added when the dish is already cooked so you don’t end up with veggie mush)
Last week’s batch of fajita veggies (sauteed onions and bell peppers) worked quite well in almost all these forms… What do you do to eat healthy when you’re pressed for time?
City Girl posted a quick and easy chicken and black bean recipe the other day, for when you haven’t gone shopping and need to whip something up.
Deb at Smitten Kitchen whips up chicken tacos in 10 minutes.
Heidi at 101 Cookbooks has a great recipe for miso soup, one of my favorite comfort foods.
Posted in Apple a Day, Domestic Diva | Tagged: cooking, diet, food, health, healthy, nutrition, vegetables, weight | 3 Comments »
