As part of a class assignment (and because it segues nicely from my day job), I launched a new department on this blog site where I'll post news related specifically to diabetes. Check it out here (or by clicking on the diabetes link in the left column of this site)

Despite knowing all of this, I can't stop eating Pop Tarts for breakfast.

I rationalize this poor, high-sugar, low-nutrition breakfast choice (the obsession is really only 2 weeks old, at this point) by telling myself that I'm pretty awesome to my body otherwise - I don't smoke, I workout, I take showers, I don't drink that much, and I dress it well. So what's the harm in a few happy moments with a Pop Tart in the a.m.?

I have two theories:

1) If eating the Pop Tart in the a.m. is what makes me have a better (and otherwise healthier) day, then by all means, the Pop Tart is not doing me all that much harm.
2) If I can rationalize a Pop Tart being an OK breakfast choice, then I can pretty much come up with an excuse for anything. And I hate people that come up with excuses for everything.

What should I do?

My grandpa didn't say very much, but he smiled with his eyes like you've never seen.

I can give you the 10 best tips for better sleep. Or the 25 best tips for how to eat apples. Or the 100 best tips for how to dress at work. You want tips on how to write tips? I got 'em.

Whenever I put together one of these oh-so-popular "tips" stories, I come across some real stinkers and a few good pieces of advice. I decided to round up all of the best nutrition tips I've heard, given, and read over the last year - just for you! I hope you like them!

Tip #1) Instead of thinking about the next bite you'll take, focus on the bite that is in your mouth right now. Slow down and savor it. You'll enjoy your meal more and your brain will be better able to recognize how much you've eaten.
~ from Better Homes & Gardens magazine

Tip #2) Splurge only one day a week (and really make it special - say, a pasta dish with bread AND wine AND dessert), then get back on track tomorrow.
~ from a Brooke Burke interview  

Tip #3) For the best impact on your health, digestion, and waistline, take a walk within the first 30 minutes after you eat a meal.
~ from an R.D. freelancer

Tip #4) When it comes to the produce aisle, don't think twice about splurging. Buy yummy fruits and veggies that you and your family will enjoy and don't feel bad about spending here.
~ from my sister-in-law

Tip #5) Choose red meat for special occasions only, and not very much otherwise. 
~ from a blog post

Tip #6) If you eat unhealthfully for a meal, don't beat yourself up and continue down that path. Every meal is a chance to start over with nutritious choices. 
~ from the Today Show

Tip #7) If you're facing a high-risk eating/drinking situation, such as Thanksgiving or a dinner party, wear a tight, non-elastic belt. And don't loosen it.
~ from Diabetic Living magazine

Tip #8) Fill half your plate with fruit and/or veggies, a quarter with meat, a quarter with bread or starch, and add a side of low-fat dairy.
~ from The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics

Tip #9) Whenever possible, choose thin crust, thin buns, and thin bread.
~ from Fitness magazine

Tip #10) Don't buy Oreos
~ from me

1. A stressful day
2. Craving favorite comfort food
3. Feeling lonely
4. The day after blowing your diet
5. When angry and frustrated
6. Birthday and other celebrations
7. On vacation and traveling
8. Special occasions and eating out
9. Parties
10. When you're hungry, and only high fat/sugar food is available
11. When drinking alcohol
12. Holiday meals or dining with relatives or friends who only serve high calorie/fat
foods.
13. While watching TV and at home in the evening
14. Eating oversized portions
15. Eating too fast (mindless eating)

Now, when you find yourself in an HRES, you can arm yourself with one of these coping situations. I've highlighted some of my favorite suggestions.

1. Imagine yourself healthy and the way you want to be (positive visualization)
2. Forgive yourself but take responsibility for your actions
3. Always be prepared with healthy snacks
4. Exercise – Release the "feel good" endorphins
5. Talk to your support person for encouragement
6. Leave the room, go back to work or another place away from the food
7. Read a book, listen to music, dance, do a crossword puzzle
8. Keep your hands busy, draw, carve, make jewelry, etc.
9. Drink lots of water, eat slowly, and divide your meal
10. Use something other than food as a reward system: new clothes, new video, new book, trip, perfume, spa-day, etc.
11. Bring food with you whenever you go to another person's house to eat. You will be a thoughtful guest and you know you will have something healthy to eat.
12. Adopt a dog and walk him often
13. Use meditation to help you relax and control stress
14. Celebrate in places where you know there will be healthy food choices
15. Love yourself more than the situation or the food presented

Adapted from The U 90-Day Fitness Challenge daily email written by Leah Newman

When I started LittleCalorie.com way back in 2008, I tracked my calorie intake by looking up the calorie content of foods using the CalorieKing reference books and website. Then, I would record my daily intake in a pocketsize notebook. (Check out this now-ancient form of a food diary from my archives by clicking here.)

It's crazy how calorie resources have changed since I started writing this blog. But I'm quite pleased that calorie tracking has become more efficient and attainable for everyone. In fact, I now have my husband, sister, brother-in-law, mother-in-law, and a few co-workers hooked on my fav calorie-counting app. And I believe Chris has turned a few firefighters onto it, as well. Does that mean we get more commission?

These are the best features of the MyFitnessPal smartphone app

• It has a ridiculously huge food and beverage database, including thousands of restaurant foods. It's a rare occasion when you can't find the exact food you ate or at least something quite similar that will give you a good estimate of calories (because all calorie counts are estimates anyway).
• The Droid version has a sweet barcode scanner to scan packaged foods you eat, which is great for newer foods that aren't yet in the database. Note: sorry, iphone users, last I checked the barcode scanner was not part of the iphone version of this app.
• It's simple to adjust for the portion you eat.
• You can view a recap of your day or week, including where you land on intake of important nutrients to watch.
• It also includes a "calories out" function, which essentially increases your calorie allowance based on activities you do. Note: I don't use this function, and I would suggest you don't either if weight loss is your goal and you are not running a marathon. 
• Start by creating a realistic goal for weight loss (no more than 1-2 pounds/week), and it will spit out your calorie intake goal based on how much weight you want to lose by when. Note: If you want to lose 10 pounds by next week, you are crazy. Your calorie intake goal will be too low and you will not be able to stick to your plan. Life will not be fun. You will end up yelling at your husband and then you'll go on a crazy Oreo binge. 

Have fun my fitness pals!

Dear Little Calorie,

First of all, my wife and I are big fans. 

We recently bought a meat bundle from our local grocer which included a sizable amount of cube steak.  As I basically know two things to do with cube steak (country fried steak and minute steak), we were hoping you had some additional recipes that featured this wonderful piece of beef.

We look forward to hearing from you and await your reply anxiously.

The Hoppes'

Dear Cube Steak Lovers,

Congratulations on your tasty purchase. You came to the right place. I not only have a delicious recipe for you, but it's also quite practical for these tough economic times. This healthful dinner rings in at about $1.90 per serving. You mentioned you already know how to make Country-Fried Steak, but I encourage you to try the Little Calorie version of this classic. Thanks for reading and enjoy!

Lil Cal

• Spend 10% of our weekly food dollars on locally-grown foods
• Use the Buy Fresh, Buy Local directory to locate farms, restaurants, grocers, and businesses that buy local
• Support the local economy by using our food dollars to strengthen central Iowa's food system
• Make a difference in our communities by sharing our enthusiasm for fresh, local foods
• Conserve energy and protect the environment by purchasing local foods
• Lead a healthy lifestyle by serving fresh and local foods to our families
• Enjoy the delicious flavors and diversity of fresh, local Iowa foods

No problem, right? Well, that's what we thought at pledge-taking time, anyway. Now that it's time to spend those dollars, I need to be strategic about this. So...

At the market, we loaded up on fresh produce in the form of kale, apples, peaches, mushrooms, and Swiss chard.

Upon arriving home, I looked in the directory to locate all my local farmers markets. I was pleased to see there is a local market within 5 miles of my apartment every day of the week. How lucky am I?

Then, last night Chris and I dined at a restaurant that is on the Buy Fresh, Buy Local directory for our area. Go us.

Then I decided to tackle the "Make a difference" part of my pledge. So I posted this blog post, with a very enthusiastic press of the Post button. 

And then, I noticed it was time to buy more fresh produce since Mr. Shafer and I so enthusiastically ate up all the stuff from the market. So I went to a local grocer where I know local produce is sold. I bought a beautiful pack of heirloom tomatoes. I enthusiastically transferred each beautiful tomato to a beautiful platter on our counter. And, it is with much enthusiasm that I show you this, the little treasure at the bottom of the pack. He's a very tiny, very cute, very enthusiastic little guy...

Central Iowa's tiniest heirloom tomato.

The most magnificent-looking of the leafy greens, Swiss chard also answers to being called Silverbeet and Perpetual Spinach. I prefer calling it Swiss chard, and the French in me prefers pronouncing it like shard, or what you would call a small, sharp piece of glass. However, I have recently been transitioning into the very American (and supposedly correct) pronunciation of charred, or what you would call a blackened piece of meat.

No matter what you call it or how you pronounce it, here are the Top Ten reasons you should eat it.

10) Because it really is quite stunning and available in a rainbow of reds, yellows, purples, and oranges.

9) Because it's widely available and best right now (from July to November)

8) Because 1 cooked cup of it contains 3.5 grams of fiber, which means 2 cooked cups contain 7 grams of fiber, and 3 cooked cups contain 10.5 grams of fiber. And, 1 cooked cup contains only 35 calories, which means 10% of the calories in Swiss chard come from straight-up, good-for-your-heart fiber (and the other 90% of calories are good-for-you nutrients, as well!) How do you like that math?

7) Because it's a good (non-milk) source of calcium, however, the oxalates in Swiss chard may prohibit uptake of calcium, so you shouldn't rely on it (or other greens) alone for your calcium requirements.  

6) Because it can steady your blood sugar (or allow for a slower breakdown of carbohydrate to simple sugars in your body) via an enzyme-inhibitor it contains called alpha-glucosidase.

5) Because you can use this guy's snooty accent to tell people you ate Sweess Charred.

4) Because chard contains multiple unique antioxidants that have anti-inflammatory and detoxification properties.

3) Because you can use it almost anywhere you would use spinach or other greens.

2) Because the slight bitterness in the leaves fades when cooked, leaving a more refined and delicate flavor than cooked spinach.

1) Because I used it in this amazing vegetarian main dish that was both fun to make and satisfying to eat.

I read that the detectives who interrogate suspects in jail can always get the information they need out of people who want to be liked. Those suspects end up giving away all the clues, bearing their souls because they want to be liked and don't want to disappoint other people. I realized I will be forever controlled by this thing inside that doesn't want me to let other people down, especially if those other people are my family. 

A few weekends ago we had a family reunion on my mom's side. The summer reunion has turned into our one time of year to catch up with cousins, aunts, and uncles face-to-face since the holidays prove to be far too crazy, schedule-wise. During the weekend we got to talking about life and I was able to share how I don't feel like I have enough time to do everything I want to do.

My sweetest aunt said she had noticed some changes in my life due to the lack of posts here. She commented on how I used to blog about these amazing home cooked meals (edible flowers anyone?) and that I had now resorted to microwave meals. She wasn't chastising me - it was more on the tone of "I understand you're crazy busy, and I feel sorry for you."

Ever since my aunt told me what I've already been thinking, I can't shake this "I let someone down" feeling. And I've already told you how I just can't deal with that. So I came up with a plan (which I will share in another post). And I also got cooking - (not in the microwave this time :)

Basil Gnocchi with Mushroom Ragu