Health for life

As the holidays descend upon us like so many hungry vultures (What? Am I the only person who feels completely blindsided?), many of us will find ourselves entertaining, either hosting parties, large dinners, or maybe even housing guests overnight(s).

From Flickrs jpovey

In the past, I’ve always looked forward with excitement to any opportunity to entertain. Due to work and distance, the mister and I rarely see some of our friends. Of course, due to work we end up running around like headless chickens, and it turns out that headless chickens do not do housework. Then, as the date looms, I begin to freak out because the house isn’t clean, food isn’t waiting in the rigerator, and I’ve realized I have multiple work or other engagements around the time of said event.

Basically, I imagine myself as a lovely hostess with trays of hors d’ouevres, flowers in the guest room, and a nicely decorated home; in reality, I shove everything under the bed, buy the $2 manager’s special florals at Kroger, and end up making the reshments after the guests have arrived.

Luckily, I’ve found some ways to allay my freakout, and I would like to share them with you.

CARE AND FEEDING OF HOUSEGUESTS

1) Chill out. Unless your guest is a complete neatnick and you know it, don’t worry so much about the state of your house. Wouldn’t you rather be somewhere that is comfortable than in a room that looks like a museum? If you’d rather be in a museum, don’t come to my house. If you’re worrying about the state of the house and running around the entire time, you won’t be spending time with your guest and said guest may feel uncomfortable.

2) Nice amenities aren’t expensive. Want a guest to feel welcome? Leave an extra blanket, pillow, towels, a notepad, a pen, a decanter of water, and a (working) flashlight near the bed. This way, everything the guest might need is close by, and should the guest need to wander around, the flashlight can help with navigating an unfamiliar house at night, saving shins, toes, and your sleep. Don’t have a decanter? Save a juice jar, clean it, fill it with water, and invert a glass on top. Viola voila!

If your guest is couchsurfing, try to give him or her some privacy. A folding screen is great if you have one around, and the above items could be left on an endtable close by.

From Flickrs Rick

3) Keep food easy and accessible. Guests breakfasting at varied times? Have some oatmeal in a slowcooker with a topping buffet. Leave bowls of fruit on the table. Apples and oranges are cheap and crowd-pleasing, and crackers are also marked down this time of year. Leave plates, glasses, and utensils out so your guest doesn’t have to rummage.

4) Plan escape time. If you live alone and haven’t hosted before, having a houseguest could be a weird experience after a couple days. Alternately, if your houseguest lives alone, it can be stressful for him to be surrounded by people all the time. You don’t have to hover (unless your houseguest is young enough to require babysitting). Go run an errand if you need to get away, or go take a nap. It’s okay!

5) Know your guest’s expectations. Does the guest just want to spend time with you? Are there other folks in town she wants to see? Does she want to hit the museum? Ask in advance to make the visit work.

THROWING A PARTY THAT FEELS LIKE ONE WITH MINIMAL MONEY AND STRESS

1) Eat your leftovers and stockpiles in the weeks leading up to the event. This strategy serves several purposes. First, you’re going to be prepping and cooking food for an event; the last thing you will feel like doing is cooking dinner for yourself during this time. Also, eating up your fridge and freezer stockpiles makes room for the food you cook in advance. Lastly, this frees up space for the glorious leftovers you are sure to have, as well as the booze you or your guests may be chilling. And while you’re at it, wipe down the fridge shelves and door pockets. You’ll be so happy every time you see it, and you won’t shriek when one of your guests opens it to slip in a bottle of bubbly.

2) Resist last-minute additions. If you have already planned, shopped, and begun prep, do NOT drop everything to make that gorgeous appetizer you saw on The Kitchn. Cool your jets. You have enough food and you are trying to be superhost. No one will give you a cape. I promise; I have tried.

3) Have a timed list. Kris has already taught us the importance of the timetable for knocking out a holiday dinner. It’s applicable for parties too, and you should include all the tasks necessary (cleaning, dishwashing, etc.). Also, make sure you work in a good 45 minutes of chill time for yourself before guests arrive so that you can be relaxed and ready to enjoy yourself.

4) Ask two people to bring ice and have a place to put it. Unless you have an industrial icemaker, you need this whether you think so or not. You will run out of ice. It is a fact of entertaining. Also, by asking two people, if one forgets -- you still have ice! Win!

5) You don’t have to be matchy-matchy. I have tons of mismatched glassware that I use for entertaining, and I picked up 18 white appetizer plates for 29 cents a pop at the grocery store last year after the holidays. I’ve used them for a baby shower, two spa parties, and a dessert buffet. Unlike the fine china, no one has to feel bad if one crashes to the floor. Look for deals like this, or thrift some cups and plates; just clean them well. Try to stick with one color to unify the look, or pick schemes that work with pieces you already have. You’ll come out close to the price of disposables and have something you can use again and again. Or, if space is a problem, donate them back.

6) Start early with cleaning and decorating. You can also get your servingware out and ready to go days in advance. It’s one less thing on the list and will help you feel collected and ahead of the game.

7) Decorate frugally and sparsely.

From Flickrs Elin B

Tealights are the best cheap decor. You can get a bag of 100 for under $5. Put them in colored glasses, ashtrays, in jellyjars on platters -- anywhere they won’t start a fire or damage what they sit on. Dim the lights, and let them flicker for ambience. Just don’t forget the matches.

Ribbon is multipurpose and thus handy for more than decor. Craft stores often have $0.99 spools of ribbon. Tie it to chandeliers and let long strands flutter. Put bows around vases and candleholders, and tie some ribbon around a mason jar to make a nice holder for a tealight..

Flowers are a nice touch, but not necessary. Shop for flowers late the night before if you’re not looking for something particular. Lots of grocery stores mark down gorgeous flowers to move them on out, and you can get great deals. Buy several bouquets and make groupings throughout the house if they are cheap enough. No vases? Pitchers, mason jars, and glass juice bottles can make great vases, or you can float the blooms in bowls of water.

Tablecloth, shmablecloth. Use an old (clean!) sheet or two to drape the table. For an upscale look, if you have some old pillowcases in a matching or complimentary color, rip the seams down the long sides and unfold them. Lay them crossways on the table for runners that double as placemats.

8) Don’t forget the music. ‘Nuff said.

9) Dress up the outside entryway with a ribbon or something to indicate to people who have never been that they are at the right place.

10. Enjoy your guests. Don’t constantly run back and forth to the kitchen or fuss too much with things. A party isn’t just for your guests; it’s for you, too.

~~~

If you enjoyed this piece, you might also quite like:

• Cheap Healthy Party Food
• Potluck Tips to Save You Time and Moolah
• Recession Chic, Party Planning, and Me

According to research from Purdue University and University of Kentucky, mice that were given a diet which included watermelon juice received considerable benefits when compared to the control group.

The experts suggest, in the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, that citrulline, a compound found in watermelon, was responsible for the mices lower cholesterol, weight, and arterial plaque.

This study coincides with prior research, also by the University of Kentucky, which found that watermelon consumption caused a reduction in atherosclerosis in animals.

Since other research has demonstrated that consuming this type of fruit can lower blood pressure, explained Shubin Saha, co-author and a Purdue Extension vegetable specialist, they were interested to examine what it could do in this research.

"We didnt see a lowering of blood pressure, but these other changes are promising," Shubin Saha added.

The scientists divided mice into two groups for their investigation, both were given diets high in saturated fat and cholesterol. One group drank water that consisted of 2% watermelon juice, while the other mice drank the exact amount of water mixed with a solution that matched the carbohydrate content of the fruit juice.

Results showed that nearly 50% less LDL cholesterol, or the "bad" cholesterol, was found in the animals who drank the watermelon juice, who also gained 30% less weight than the control group.

A 50% decrease in plaque in the arteries, as well as high citrulline levels, were found in the experimental group.

"We know that watermelon is good for health because it contains citrulline," revealed Sibu Saha, a professor of surgery at the University of Kentucky. "We dont know yet at what molecular level its working, and thats the next step."

The team hopes to discover a secondary market for watermelons in nutraceuticals, which are food or food components that provide health and medical benefits, such as preventing and treating certain diseases.

Approximately 20% of watermelon crop goes to waste each year, according to Shubin Saha. It may be because buyers think the fruit does not look appealing or because some farmers do not think it is worth spending that much money on harvesting it, as prices drop during the peak of watermelon season.

Shubin Saha explained:

"We could use the wasted melons that cant go to market for extracting beneficial compounds. Growers are putting energy into these crops, so if we can do something to help them market their additional product, that would be a benefit to the industry and consumers."

Hi,

First the good news: I hit 303.25 two days ago as a result of the fasting twice a week. I was really surprised when I saw that number before my very eyes.

I still fluctuate up and down, but today is the beginning of my first fast day for this week so I am just finishing up my first meal of the day and will fast after that. I had just skipped eating earlier today without considering that this is the preparatory fast day. I usually try to eat two meals on this day, but, the day is half over and I cant go back. Dont think I need to really.

I decided to eat a large bowl of steamed Italian green beans, broccoli, and peas plus a pork rib for the protein before I begin the fast. That is out of the way, now, so the next time I eat will be tomorrow at 4:30.

Second the bad news: Ive been dealing with my left knee again. It went out a week ago last Thursday and was very excruciating. I figured I would treat it as I always do which is to wear my knee brace until I can again walk normally. It is Sunday and I am, day by day, seeing some improvement but it still feels "stiffish" right now and I have some small achy pains from time to time depending on the position I put it in.

I went to see Dr. Andy, my chiropractor on Friday and he aligned both the knee and my foot and I did see some improvement the next day. It seems to be improving each day. Ill go to see him again on Tuesday.

The thing I am worried about is collecting all the cookies for the bake sale that I am spear heading for Trinity Childrens center this week. The community sale is being held at the Gwinnett Braves stadium on Saturday and I hope my knee is well enough to allow me to work the booth.

It is the loading and unloading of the cookies when they reach my house that I am kind of worried about. Im thinking of asking my friend John if he will help me with that, but he is often incapacitated and unable to do those kinds of things. The cookies should not be heavy it is just that there will be so many of them. Our goal is 100 dozen and we have about eight people baking them. Im supposed to be making cookies, too.

I am simply putting my trust in the Lord. He will help me to accomplish all that I must do and heal my knee in the process, too.

Now about the fasting....

I feel that Ive done it enough times now that I kind of like the way I feel when Im fasting. I know Ive mentioned that before but it needs to be said again: fasting is really quite easy. As Ive been doing it Ive begun to notice some things that I would never have noticed without having fasted on a schedule.

For one, I think it must actually be more "normal" than I used to think. Having grown up in the US and been fed at least three meals a day for my entire life, fasting used to seem like a dangerous thing. I associated fasting with emaciation, starvation, eating disorders, sickness and disease. It just never seemed possible that there might be a healthy side to it and it might actually be a healthy thing for the overfed to do. Even though I knew Jesus fasted, many of the saints fasted, and it is a natural part of the Old Testament, too, it just seemed beyond extreme to my mind.

You know that idea that when you buy a yellow car, suddenly you see all the other yellow cars on the road? Well fasting seems to be like that for me. Now that I am fasting from time to time, I notice when someone or something points to the fact that our ancestors may have fasted as a matter of course, that I had not realized.

Granted, many of them are just "hints" but they are beginning to be seen by me. Like the idea of having a cup of some hot liquid for breakfast, be it coffee, tea, or broth. That is what I do when Im fasting, I drink lots of water and tea. I never had a liquid meal before I started fasting. Every meal had solid food. And that was part of the problem that I could not see.

Ive even blogged recently about not being able to tell the difference between hunger and thirst. I really do see now that drinking water is a valid response to the feeling of hunger. If you cannot tell the difference then they are the same feeling, arent they? I spent most of my life eating when I may have been thirsty. Ive struggled with keeping my body hydrated for as long as I remember, too. Obesity and dehydration were my two companions, but now that Im fasting, I can see the real value in drinking water and my mind now accepts the concept that I might be thirsty when I get "that" feeling.

It seemed odd to me that when I fasted I also eliminated more water than usual -- like my kidneys were functioning better. When I first noticed it, it was a puzzle to my puny brain. I was surprised that I started peeing more often when I fasted. So much more that it was noticeable to me. But really, if you are drinking more you will be eliminating more, too. Ding. Ding. It all began to make sense. My body was no longer dehydrated because I was not responding to the "feeling" that I call "hunger" with food but with water or tea. My body liked the change. So the solution to the obesity is also the solution to the dehydration. Eat less. Drink more.

I dont resent having been fed, that is not the point. I am relieved that it is OK to not eat some times!! In fact, it is a good idea, for me to drink water and skip the food from time to time. It just seems so natural and so obvious. I wonder why I never saw it before. Dont know why. Just glad I stumbled upon that one. LOL

So this means my inner core ideas about food and eating were based on belief and not fact. My body never did seem to match my beliefs about food. It has been a struggle all my life. The fasting seems to be the best solution to my particular dilemma. It reduces my calorie intake without me having to fight and to measure and to control every morsel that goes into my mouth -- which I was never good at, anyway. It also increases my water intake and helps to make my kidneys function better. So amazing to kill those two birds with that one stone.

I wish I had something more profound to say but that is about it. The fasting is working. The fasting is easy. The fasting makes me feel good and my body function better. Praise the Lord!!

Be back soon,

Marcia

Hello from Canada! Bonjour du Canada! My good pal KC and I are wringing out the last bit of the summer travel season with a road trip along the Bay of Fundy to Prince Edward Island.

Almost as much fun as being here (whales! porpoises! seals!), was plotting our course and picking fun things to do with her 6-year-old daughter (whales! porpoises! seals!). My additional task was ensuring there were places for me to eat along the way, here in the land of abundant seafood/fruits de mer.

Vegetarian/vegan travel can be challenging, but it doesn’t have to be. In my 19 years of vegetarianism, I’ve never gone hungry from lack of choices. There are a few things I do when I’m traveling to unknown locales, but starve is never one of them.

For this trip, and this post, I called on my own Veg Posse (VP) and Friends of the VP to bring you the best vegetarian/vegan travel tips they and the Web have to offer.

Meet the VP:
LEIGH: me, writer/tea-drinker, lacto-ovo vegetarian
DH: roommate/pal, actor/orator, lacto-ovo vegetarian
BA (in absentia): pal, rock star/bon vivant, vegan
LB: pal, rabble rouser/animal advocate, 98% vegan
HC: friend of the VP, giver of good email, vegan

1) Do Your Research
When traveling to an unfamiliar destination, make a plan. Both LB and HC agreed that researching restaurants online is the best way to find veg-friendly places to chow down. Sure, you can get French fries/pommes frites/chips and salad just about anywhere. But sometimes you want a healthier/less boring option.

HC wisely recommends calling ahead whenever venturing out to a new vegetarian restaurant. “One thing I have learnt is that vegan restaurants close down so frequently that information can be out of date. The number of times I have trekked through a town to find that the restaurant is no longer there...rather depressing.”

Get out your guidebooks, interweb resources, and maps, and plot a course for the nearest veg-friendly restaurant. Here are the most highly recommended sites for searching veg-friendly travel.

VEG-SPECIFIC:
Happy Cow.net: Hands-down the most popular and comprehensive vegetarian directory on the Web. You can search restaurants by country, region/state/province, and city. You can define results by veg-only and vegetarian-friendly, user ratings, and/or veg type: vegan, vegetarian, and veg-friendly. Plus, Happy Cow provides other resources, such as travel and health articles, as well as forums for members to share information. I used Happy Cow to find a great vegetarian restaurant in Moncton, New Brunswick that not only pleased my palate, but a picky 6-year-old’s.

VegGuide: A community-maintained veg restaurant and market guide. It allows you to search for restaurants, groceries, and markets all over the world by country, region, and city; describes each entry by “How Vegetarian?”; and allows for user ratings.

Vegan Forum: Message boards like Vegan Forum are a great way to get the skinny on local joints from local folks. After you’ve found a place that sounds good on “paper,” search for it, or ask about it, on a forum and find out if anybody really eats there.

GENERAL:
Trip Advisor: An invaluable resource when planning any trip. You will find user ratings and reviews on hotels, restaurants, and destinations of all sorts. Since I knew seafood would be all the rage where we were going, I did a little digging on Trip Advisor and found several Lobster Suppers with vegetarian options on Prince Edward Island. After emailing the proprietors, I found the one with the best veggie deal for the price.

Lonely Planet’s Thorn Tree forums: The first (two) name(s) in travel guides for the modern adventurer. Just enter your destination and the word vegetarian or vegan in the Lonely Planet search window, and you’re almost guaranteed to find a thread loaded with information from fellow travelers.

2) Pack a Snack
A frugal traveler of any stripe packs a few snacks or meals for the road (or airport). For a veg, it’s especially helpful if you’re unsure of your options where you’re headed or along the way. BA, rock star and world traveler, always stocks my fridge with single-serve soymilk and soy yogurts when she’s passing through NYC. HC swears by raw cashews and veggie sausage sandwiches. LB packs apples, carrot sticks, and rice cakes for the road. Me? I’m a tamari almond, granola bar, and peanut butter sandwich traveler—plus single-serve almond milk for continental breakfast cereal.

3) Make a Few Concessions
As DH said so eloquently said, “sometimes you just have to give up eating healthy when you travel.” So true, DH. Fast food is inevitable at times, and a moment of calm and surrender can be worth far more than stress about finding organic, seasonal, local produce in the suburban jungle. HC and LB agree, though we all make an attempt to avoid it unless unavoidable. LB says, I just find it hard to patronize places that promote an unhealthy diet, nutritionally, ethically and environmentally, on such a large scale.” Preach it, sister/soeur.

Fast food joints are getting better about offering vegetarian fare. Salads are prevalent, though often less than appetizing; veggie burgers pop up every now and then, though vegans should ask for an ingredient list before ordering. I had a fast-food veggie burger on Tuesday when we kicked off our road trip with the kid’s choice of restaurant, and it was pretty good.

Still, there will be times when your only option is fast food French fries/pommes frites/chips. Remember when you were a kid and you begged to have only French fries/pommes frites/chips for dinner? When you’re a veg/vegan on the road—especially in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K.—that kid gets to live his/her dream.

4) Know You Will Not Starve
There will always be something for you to eat. Don’t be afraid to ask questions of your waiters and the locals. Someone will be able to guide you toward food you can eat and enjoy.

Since my international travel experience is limited to the Great White North, I put the following question to LB and HC: How do you negotiate whats available/cultural norms/etiquette? Their answers were so brilliant that I’m just going to quote them outright.

LB: “In my first serious solo trip overseas to Tanzania, I spent the first 2 weeks with a volunteer group working in a local village. The village women were responsible for preparing our meals, which we ate with our hosts. I honestly dont recall if I specified that I was vegetarian but amazing vegan options were available at every meal. Their diet in general is not very dairy-rich, probably due to limited dairy production in [that] area of Tanzania, and also, I imagine, cost. My colleagues were actually a little jealous of my diet, as the meat they were served was generally of the chewy animal sort—not very appetizing! Later, when I did a 10-day walking tour with just me and a guide, I told him I was vegetarian, and so he would buy rice and vegetables in the markets of the various towns and have our hosts for the evenings prepare them for me. I dont recall anyone thinking my diet was odd or out of place and, again, I think this is largely due to the fact that Tanzania is not a wealthy country and so meat, while available, is costly and not served at every meal.”

HC: “I find that in many countries where they have dietary restrictions for religious reasons, they find it easier to understand the concept of veganism, and its not so strange to them to hear that someone cant eat something as a result of their beliefs.”

No matter where you go, in the whole wide world, there will be something for you to eat. Except, says HC, maybe in France if you’re a vegan.

If you’d still like a little help explaining your diet, check out this article:
WikiTravel—Vegetarian and Vegan Food

There you’ll find a link to the International Vegetarian Union’s Vegetarian Phrases in World Languages page. You’ll be able to say, “I am a vegetarian. I do not eat meat, pork or chicken./Je suis un végétarienne. Je ne mange pas de viande, de porc ou de poulet,” in a bajillion/baguillion languages.

5. Relax and Enjoy
Sometimes, the best way to plan your vegetarian/vegan vacation is not to plan at all. Just get out there, meet some people, and have fun. And eat some French fries/pommes frites/chips.

All the veg-specific guides mentioned in this article, and many more, can be found at

• Circle Our Earth
• Vegetarian Guides and
• Vegetarian Resource Group—Travel

~~~

If you adored this article, vous adorerez:

• Cheap Healthy Vacation Food: 61 Tips for Travel Eats on a Budget
• Cheap Healthy Vacation Food, Part Deux: 10 More Tips for Travel Eats on a Budget
• Feeding a Group on Vacation