Two Weeks Green Equals 2 Pounds Lost

veggiesRecently we took a 2 week trip to Canada with a friend. We got to stay in a lake cottage that is owned by his family. We were rather "green" in our lifestyle - minimal use of a car, boats to paddle or sail, no internet, compost the trash, no washer dryer, no going out to eat, etc. And this had us eating very healthfully and also very active.  Active meaning busy all day with chores, swimming, kayaking, canoeing and some running, but not near the training load we would usually do since we are triathletes. We didn't mention it but I think we expected to gain some weight without our bikes.We did not have a washer or dryer. And while I am not actually saying one should give up a washer and dryer, this was more work to hand wash things and put them on and off the clothes line which was on a hill.We had to make one big grocery shopping spree  and plan all of the meals before going to the little island - you simply cannot shop every day or go out to eat. We also made a few farmer's market stops on the way and I enthusiastically bought a lot of produce.  So, the good news is that I prepared almost all of our meals for 2 weeks (we did eat at a friend's house once.) Everything was cooked from scratch:

  • Oatmeal, fruit and fat-free yogurt for breakfast
  • Fruit for snacks
  • Lunch was whole wheat soy nut butter sandwiches and fruit (my son has a peanut allergy) or leftover dinner items or salads - all low in fat
  • Dinner was rice or potatoes, lots of veggies, salad and fish or something vegetarian - all low in fat;  dessert was fruit although one night I did make cookies

It is amazing how healthy you can eat when you have all of the right ingredients on hand, you are not eating convenience foods and you cannot go out to eat. I guess it does help that I love to cook but I made really basic stuff. (I will post more recipes and photos in the days to come and you can  see the Ontario dessert here.)Another thing we did that was green was to compost all of our food scraps - there is no trash pickup on the island. It means a daily trip to the compost bin - we did have a lot of waste from the produce.  And we did not have internet service unless we took a boat somewhere far away so we managed to fill our days with active types of things - climbing stairs, watering plants, paddling a kayak or canoe, chasing the dogs, bathing the dogs, cleaning up after the dogs, cooking, swimming, taking the scope outside to see planets, cleaning, etc. All this added up to a couple of pounds lost each upon our return. Even our big dog lost weight from running around and swimming and chasing squirrels all day :-)For more cooking tips and our products, see our Food and Cooking web pagecanoe

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Judy Doherty, MPS, PCII

Judy’s passion for cooking began with helping her grandmother make raisin oatmeal for breakfast. From there, she earned her first food service job at 15, was accepted to the world-famous Culinary Institute of America at 18 (where she graduated second in her class), and went on to the Fachschule Richemont in Switzerland, where she focused on pastry arts and baking. After a decade in food service for Hyatt Hotels, Judy launched Food and Health Communications to focus on flavor and health. She graduated with Summa Cum Laude distinction from Johnson and Wales University with a BS in Culinary Arts, holds a master’s degree in Food Business from the Culinary Institute of America, two art certificates from UC Berkeley Extension, and runs a food photography & motion studio where her love is creating fun recipes and content.

Judy received The Culinary Institute of America’s Pro Chef II certification, the American Culinary Federation Bronze Medal, Gold Medal, and ACF Chef of the Year. Her enthusiasm for eating nutritiously and deliciously leads her to constantly innovate and use the latest nutritional science and Dietary Guidelines to guide her creativity, from putting new twists on fajitas to adapting Italian brownies to include ingredients like toasted nuts and cooked honey. Judy’s publishing company, Food and Health Communications, is dedicated to her vision that everyone can make food that tastes as good as it is for you.

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Delicious Fruit Dessert - Ontario Market