“Chicken of the Sea”, is still a good choice!

“Chicken of the Sea”, is still a good choice!

Hello everyone and thanks for visiting my web site.

Since I was a very young teenager, I ate Tuna like crazy! My cousin, Timmy Ann, and I would eat it on Melba toast. We also ate crappy stuff, but the Tuna and Melba toast was our “go to treat. “

I still love to eat Tuna of any type: Canned, Albacore or white Tuna, Yellowfin, or Ahi Tuna, Bluefin, the largest of all Tuna, and the Bonito, which is the smallest and is used with Yellowfin for canned Tuna.

Back in those days, it was packed in olive oil. Now, you can mostly find it packed in water. I think this started in the phase of eliminating Fat in the diet! It has no taste.

One of my favorite brand of canned Tuna is Genova Solid White Tuna in Olive Oil. There are many other branes on the market now, but this brand is affordable and you can purchase it at most high end grocery stores.

Tuna in olive oil is high in omega 6 fatty acids. Not as healthy as omega 3 fatty acids. The specialty stores canned Tuna have a higher level of Omega 3 and are a better choice. You can look for then on line or at your favorite specialty store such as Whole Foods.

Tuna has many nutritional benefits. It contains selenium, which supports the thyroid and metabolism and helps to boost your immune system. It is heart healthy, and has an anti-inflammatory effect. 4 oz. of tuna contain 34 g of protein, and 645 mg of potassium, 72.6 mg magnesium, and B-3 Niacin.

Recipe: Open Face Tuna Sandwich

I drain some of the oil out of the can, then squeeze 1 half of fresh lemon juice on the tuna. I add 1/2 teaspoon of mayonnaise, Heinz brown mustard to taste, salt, pepper, and capers then spread on a toasted piece of Ezekiel Bread. You can also add dill gherkin pickles, butter lettuce, and or tomato to this “open-face sammy.” It makes such a delicious lunch!

Recipe: My Tuna sauce over whole grain pasta:

You start with a skillet, on medium heat.

1- Add 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 medium onion chopped, salt and pepper to taste, cook until soft.

2- Then add 2 medium cloves of garlic. Lower the heat just a bit as to not burn the garlic.

3- Add 1/2 chopped red, orange or yellow pepper. Cook until soft.

4-Add one jar of Green Mountain Salsa, Mild or your favorite Mariano to finish this dish. (keep the sugar low, check the ingredients, no more than 2 grams per serving)

5-Cook the whole grain pasta to just slightly al dente, according to the package directions.

6-Serve sauce over the pasta, no need for cheese!

Recipe: Peas and Tuna

This is a very simple recipe. Really good nutritionally and so easy!

In a sauté pan, add 1 Tablespoon of good Spanish Olive Oil.

1-Chop 1 medium yellow onion, cook until translucent. Add salt and pepper to your liking.

2-Add 1 can of your favorite tuna in oil.

3-Add 1 small bag of frozen baby peas.

4-Stir until combined and add more salt and pepper to taste.

Serve over Quinoa or if you like Cauliflower Rice. You can add extra veggies if you like, such as peppers, not GREEN, but all of the other colors. Keep them light and colorful!

…..remember to make a memory every day, and don’t apologize for who you are….Rebecca

Grass-fed Beef…why you should eat it.

My father raised black angus beef. As a child growing up, there was never a day that we, our family, every went without beef. We always had steaks on the grill, that was the year that squeeze butter came out!!! He dumped it on those steaks. They were delicious. We also ate lots of hamburgers and roast beef. As I got older, I realized that i could not digest the beef as well as when I was younger. So I stopped eating beef, and replaced it with chicken and fish. My body responded to this with some weight loss.

I don’t really miss eating beef, but last year I had my regular doctors visit, and found out that I was low in Iron. So my PCP asked me if I ate Grass fed Beef. I replied, ‘no”. She said that I should think about eating a portion of it every other week. Here are the reasons why:

1- One reason is that it is a good source of Heme Iron. This is a source of Iron that is more easily absorbed into the body.

2- Taking vitamin C with and or eating food with Iron help Iron to be absorbed.

3- It enhances oxygen and distributes it properly throughout the system.

4- It also keeps our immune system healthy.

5- And it gives us energy!

You should by and season a Cast Iron skillet. The flavor profile of grass fed beef is delicious. Believe it or not, this is a great way to incorporate iron into the food that your are cooking, but don’t use it all of the time, be careful, it could result in Iron toxicity.

Other sources of Iron are: Spinach, Turmeric, (delicious spice), Swiss Chard, Basil, Kale, Shrimp, Broccoli, Shiitake Mushrooms. and Cinnamon.

When buying Grass fed Beef, always check the sell by date. Also check the source of where the meat was processed. This important because Grass fed Beef only lasts for one about 2-3 days, steaks last a little longer before cooking. Don’t select Grass fed Beef that is brown. It should be bright red, brown or yellow looking beef has been exposed to oxygen and is spoiled or has yellow colored fat added. Select Organic Grass fed Beef whenever possible. I now eat a small portion once a month! My Iron levels are normal now, and I supplement through the other sources, (mentioned above) for a good balance of my iron intake.

….remember to make a memory every day, and don’t apologize for who you are…..Rebecca

Wellness, what does it really mean…

Wellness, is a noun, and means: The state of being in good health. There are 7 dimensions of Wellness.

Physical-be active. Walking is one of the best exercises that you can do. Its a good cardio exercise. Also weight bearing exercises helps us to build good bones and muscle. Grab your dog or husband or your best friend and get outside.

Emotional-meditation is very helpful when dealing with emotions. I wrote a blog last week about “just sleep on it”! Try not to react to your emotions to quickly. Adrenaline is a hormone that kicks in when we become emotional. It makes us feel like we want to flee or fight. Stay calm and breathe. Or even sleep on it. You will make a better decision on the outcome.

Intellectual-our mental capacity. Try learning new things keeps our brain young and working. Challenge your brain by taking up a new sport, crossword puzzles, or reading a book.

Social-keep yourself surrounded by good people and family. Having a best friend to do and share things with is very important. Everyone needs to feel needed and loved. Laugh and love!

Spiritual-believe in something. whatever religion that you practice, or even if you don’t practice a faith, just believe in something bigger than yourself. But also believe in yourself.

Environmental-water pollution, air pollutants, and natural resource depletion. These are some of the major environmental issues that we are faced with every day. Have a good filtration system for your water in your home, protect your eyes and lungs with a mask and glasses.

Occupational-this can be very challenging. Handling workplace stress, and co worker relationships are tough. Exercise, meditating, and breathing, helps calm nerves and feelings of hopelessness.

Wellness is most important as we age. Balance, endurance, muscle strength, and flexibility start to become challenging. So go do something different than your regular workouts. Yoga is great for all of these challenges. Stretching, also try to put your pants on standing on one foot!

Get out there and do something challenging and new!!!!!

“,.,..,make a memory everyday, and don’t apologize for who you are!”

Rebecca