3.5 cooked chicken, shredded into bite-sized pieces
3-4 cloves minced garlic
1 t cumin
1/2 t onion powder
1/2 t chili powder
1/2 t cayenne (use less if you don't want it as spicy)
diced tomato
2-3 c homemade chicken broth
1/4 c fresh chopped cilantro (optional)
Preheat pot over medium-high heat.
Add garlic, and cook for 3-5 minutes. (Heat until you see little bubbles around the garlic.)
Use a bit of your broth to keep garlic from sticking to the pot, if necessary.
Add tomatoes, chicken broth, and onion powder, cumin, chili powder, cayenne.
Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to a simmer, and add chicken.
Simmer for 20 minutes.
Stir in cilantro, and simmer for 5 minutes more.
Friday, February 12, 2010
Learning the difference between hunger and cravings.
When It’s Hunger
Hunger is the feeling you get when you experience a normal and gradual drop in blood sugar about four or five hours after a meal. It's your body's way of telling you that eating is overdue. Hunger signals can come from your stomach (in the form of growls, pangs, or a hollow feeling), as well as from your brain (which may include feeling headachy or fatigued).
Make sure that you are adequately satisfying your hunger with the right foods, such as lean protein and plenty of vegetables at every meal. Another way to ward off hunger is to enjoy a mid-morning and mid-afternoon snack. Strategic snacking is especially important when you’re following a healthy eating plan. Studies show that it takes relatively few calories to prevent cravings but many more to satisfy them once they occur. The right combinaton of protein and carbs in your meals and snacks, should help keep your hunger at bay. We encourage you to eat 3 meals and snack before you get hungry. Some snack ideas include turkey roll-ups, reduced-fat cheese, celery sticks with hummus, or fresh fruit .
When It’s a Craving
Cravings, on the other hand, happen within a couple of hours of your last meal. Ironically, eating some foods can make you hungry! Cravings can be caused by exaggerated spikes and dips in blood sugar that occur after you eat highly processed carbohydrates like white bread or cake or other highly refined baked goods, or white rice or white pasta. These foods are digested so quickly that they cause an almost immediate rise in blood sugar followed by a rapid dip soon after. It's this drop in blood-sugar levels that causes a craving. Moreover, the sight and smell of food can produce cravings as well. "Three-Bite Rule" Simply take three bites of something you’re craving that you normally wouldn’t allow yourself to indulge in, such as a decadent dessert, for example, and then put it aside for a few minutes. Most likely you won’t come back to it. You’ll soon discover that just a few bites can be very satisfying.
Hunger is the feeling you get when you experience a normal and gradual drop in blood sugar about four or five hours after a meal. It's your body's way of telling you that eating is overdue. Hunger signals can come from your stomach (in the form of growls, pangs, or a hollow feeling), as well as from your brain (which may include feeling headachy or fatigued).
Make sure that you are adequately satisfying your hunger with the right foods, such as lean protein and plenty of vegetables at every meal. Another way to ward off hunger is to enjoy a mid-morning and mid-afternoon snack. Strategic snacking is especially important when you’re following a healthy eating plan. Studies show that it takes relatively few calories to prevent cravings but many more to satisfy them once they occur. The right combinaton of protein and carbs in your meals and snacks, should help keep your hunger at bay. We encourage you to eat 3 meals and snack before you get hungry. Some snack ideas include turkey roll-ups, reduced-fat cheese, celery sticks with hummus, or fresh fruit .
When It’s a Craving
Cravings, on the other hand, happen within a couple of hours of your last meal. Ironically, eating some foods can make you hungry! Cravings can be caused by exaggerated spikes and dips in blood sugar that occur after you eat highly processed carbohydrates like white bread or cake or other highly refined baked goods, or white rice or white pasta. These foods are digested so quickly that they cause an almost immediate rise in blood sugar followed by a rapid dip soon after. It's this drop in blood-sugar levels that causes a craving. Moreover, the sight and smell of food can produce cravings as well. "Three-Bite Rule" Simply take three bites of something you’re craving that you normally wouldn’t allow yourself to indulge in, such as a decadent dessert, for example, and then put it aside for a few minutes. Most likely you won’t come back to it. You’ll soon discover that just a few bites can be very satisfying.
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