8 Foods to Keep on Your Grocery List

What should always be in your cart at the supermarket.

Jennifer McDaniel, MS, RD, LD

Has the doom and gloom on the news affected your purchasing habits? This Nutrition Connection Newsletter covers 8 foods that pack a big nutritional punch with little damage to your wallet. Putting our health on the back burner to save money now, could end up costing us more money spent on our health down the road. Sometimes we just need a reminder, of how common, affordable foods can be incorporated into meals.

Adding new spices or pairing foods with different ingredients can turn ordinary, healthy foods into inviting meals that cost much less than eating out or purchasing pre-packaged meals.

1. Brown Rice

Serving Size: ¼ cup dry rice Cost: 10 cents (A 2 pound bag on sale costs about $1.99 and contains 20 servings.

Nutrition for ¼ cup rice: 170 calories, 2 grams of fiber, 4 grams of protein

Ideas for Serving: Healthy Fried Rice – Stir-fry a mixture of vegetables (peas, carrots, onion & mushroom), mix in cooked brown rice, add 1 egg and mix together until egg is cooked.

2. Oats (Old Fashioned or Quick)

Serving Size: ½ cup dry Cost: 19 cents (A 18-ounce container of oats costs around $2.29 on sale and contains 13 servings.

Nutrition for ½ cup oats: 140 calories, 4 grams of fiber, and 5 grams of protein

Ideas for Serving: Breakfast Oats: Add 1 tsp of cinnamon, 2 Tbsp of raisins, ¼ tsp vanilla, and 1-2 Tbsp low-fat milk, Creamy and Delish!

3. Frozen Vegetables

Serving Size: 1 cup Cost: ~25 cents depending on the vegetable & brand

Nutrition for 1 cup of vegetables: On average 1 cup contains about 80 calories, 6 grams of fiber, and 4 grams of protein.

Ideas for Serving: Vegetables Ole: Sauté vegetables like zucchini or squash with vegetable or chicken broth, add 1 Tbsp of cumin powder, salt/pepper and a dash of fat-free half and half for a flavorful side dish. Top with fresh cilantro for great color and additional flavor.

4. Baked Potato

Serving Size: 1 medium or large potato Cost: ~23 cents per potato, when you buy a 5 pound bag for ~2.39 with 11-13 potatoes

Nutrition for a medium potato: 170 calories, 3 grams of fiber, 5 grams of protein

Ideas for Serving: Top with the vegetables mentioned above or frozen broccoli that comes with low-fat cheese sauce (Green Giant). Add lean protein like turkey or chicken breast and you have just prepared an easy meal with 4 food groups! Salsa is another fat-free, vegetable-filled topping for baked potatoes.

5. Canned Refried Beans

Serving Size: ½ cup (1 can contains 3.5 servings) Cost: ~36 cents per 15 oz can for $1.25 on sale

Nutrition per ½ cup: 100-120 calories (fat-free or vegetarian), 7 grams of fiber, 7 grams of fiber.

Ideas for Serving: Mix 1 small 4 oz can of green peppers, cumin, garlic salt, and pepper to canned beans. Sandwich beans and low-fat cheese between two corn tortillas and microwave. Top with salsa, and enjoy your quick Mexican meal.

6. Canned Light Tuna in Water

Serving Size: A 6 oz can contains about 2 servings Cost: ~62 cents per serving with a 6 oz can priced at $1.25

Nutrition per Serving: About 500 mg of omega-3 fatty acids (0.5grams), 70 calories, and 13 grams of protein.

Ideas for Serving: Instead of the traditional tuna fish salad, substitute half of the mayonnaise for fat-free plain yogurt (increases calcium) and add either fresh grapes, or dried cranberries, and chopped celery and nuts (increase fruit intake and fiber).

7. Canned or Jarred Marinara Sauce

Serving Size: ½ cup Cost: About 30 cents, you can find a 28 ounce can of Tuscano Marinara sauce at Trader Joe's for $1.79.

Nutrition per Serving: ½ a cup of TJ's Marinara is 80 calories, 3 grams of fiber, and 20% DV for vitamin C, and 10% DV for vitamin A.

Ideas for Serving: Top English muffins with marinara sauce, vegetables and mozzarella cheese for easy mini pizzas.

8. Frozen Edamame (Soybeans)

Serving Size: ½ cup shelled edamame Cost: 56 cents, you can buy a 16 oz bag of edamame in pods for $1.69 at Trader Joes' and similar grocers.

Nutrition per Serving: 120 calories, 10 grams of protein, 5 grams of fiber.

Ideas for Serving: Warm in the microwave and enjoy by themselves for the perfect well-rounded snack!

9. Quick Edamame and Orange Rice

Serve this with steamed broccoli and a simple slaw dressed in a bottled Asian-flavored dressing.

Yield

4 servings (serving size: 1 3/4 cups)

Ingredients

3 cups uncooked quick-cooking brown rice

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 1/2 cups thin diagonally sliced celery

1 cup sliced green onions

1 cup (2 x 1/2-inch) julienne-cut red bell pepper

1 cup frozen shelled edamame (green soybeans), thawed

1/2 cup dry-roasted cashews

1/4 cup low-sodium teriyaki sauce

1 teaspoon dark sesame oil

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 small oranges, peeled and sectioned

Preparation

Cook rice according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Set aside, and keep warm.

Heat canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add celery, onions, and bell pepper; sauté 1 minute. Stir in cooked rice, edamame, and remaining ingredients. Serve immediately.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 476 (29% from fat), Fat: 15.6g (sat 2.2g, mono 7.6g, poly 2.2g), Protein: 14.7g

Carbohydrate: 75.9g, Fiber: 10.4g, Cholesterol: 0.0mg, Iron: 3.7mg, Sodium: 556mg, Calcium: 119mg

If you follow these guidelines your everyday foods will be much improved! 

Posted via email from WellCare

How Barack Obama Is Endangering Our National Sovereignty

JOHN BOLTON

• Overview

American sovereignty is today more challenged than ever before, not from enemies that threaten us militarily but from “friends” who urge that we share or reduce our sovereignty for larger global objectives.  How Barack Obama is Endangering our National Sovereignty reveals what sovereignty means to Americans, not as an abstraction but a vibrant component of self government, what the threats are to that sovereignty from “global governance,” and how President Barack Obama looks at these issues.  Former Ambassador to the U.N. John R. Bolton looks at specific threats to U.S. sovereignty and recommends what Americans can do to defend their sovereignty and resist encroachments from the wide array of challenges we face, internationally and in our own domestic politics.

ENCOUNTER BROADSIDES: a new series of critical pamphlets from Encounter Books. Uniting an 18th-century sense of political urgency and rhetorical wit (think The Federalist Papers, Common Sense) with 21st-century technology and channels of distribution, Encounter Broadsides offer indispensable ammunition for intelligent debate on the critical issues of our time. Written with passion by some of our most authoritative authors, Encounter Broadsides make the case for liberty and the institutions of democratic capitalism at a time when they are under siege from the resurgence of collectivist sentiment. Read them in a sitting and come away knowing the best we can hope for and the worst we must fear.

Posted via email from Anointed One

Never Enough

paperback 
280 pages 
ISBN: 1-59403-376-5

$$23.95

 List price

Buy from Amazon.com:

Buy from Barnes and Noble:

America’s Limitless Welfare State

WILLIAM VOEGELI

• Overview
• Reviews

Since the beginning of the New Deal, American liberals have insisted that the government must do more – much more – to help the poor, to increase economic security, to promote social justice and solidarity, to reduce inequality and mitigate the harshness of capitalism.  Nonetheless, liberals have never answered, or even acknowledged, the corresponding question: What would be the size and nature of a welfare state that was not contemptibly austere, that did not urgently need new programs, bigger budgets and a broader mandate?  Even though the federal government’s outlays on all the programs in its “Human Resources” category have, after adjusting for inflation and population growth, doubled every 18 years since 1940, liberal rhetoric is always addressed to a nation trapped in “Groundhog Day,” where every year is 1932, and where none of the existing welfare state programs that spend tens of billions of dollars matter, or even exist.

Never Enough explores the roots and consequences of liberals’ aphasia about the welfare state’s ultimate size.  It assesses what liberalism’s lack of a limiting principle says about the long-running argument between liberals and conservatives, and about the policy choices confronting America in a new century.  Never Enough argues that the failure to speak clearly and candidly about the welfare state’s limits has grave policy consequences.  It concludes that the worst result, however, is the way it has jeopardized the experiment in self-government by encouraging Americans to regard their government as a vehicle for exploiting their fellow-citizens, rather than as a compact for respecting one another’s rights and safeguarding future generations’ opportunitie

Posted via email from Global Politics

Occasional Solitude Can Redefine Your Life

It’s no secret that we are bombarded everyday with countless messages. In America alone, advertising is a $412 billion/year industry that is constantly telling us what to watch, where to go, and what to purchase. Their messages fill our televisions, radios, computers, newspapers, magazines, and morning commutes. Industry gladly spends this money because they know that over time, they will shape our minds, hearts, and spending habits. Add all of the political pundits and experts filling our airwaves telling us how we should think… and it becomes increasingly clear that we are bombarded nearly every moment of our lives with messages that others want us to hear and believe.

All of these messages inevitably begin to shape our lives. Our heart and mind is indeed influenced by the messages that enter through our eyes and ears. And our life is slowly whittled away and re-formed by the loudest voices that get through (it’s no reason they are shouting so loud for our attention).

Whether you are pursuing a “less is more” lifestyle or just trying to find more health and fulfillment in your life, you will find countless benefits from embracing a discipline of solitude.

Posted via email from Kleerstreem's Posterous

Solitude: Where Your Life is Waiting | Becoming Minimalist

Solitude: Where Your Life is Waiting | Becoming Minimalist

Foursquare Marketing Guide

Foursquare Marketing Guide

Gilleys Dallas Update

You received this email because you were signed up for the newsletter for Gilley's Dallas some time ago. 

We stopped sending the newsletter about a year ago and we apologize for the long break in communication, but we're back now with a lot of good news.

www.GilleysMusic.com

• In case you didn't know: Gilley's Dallas is a 7 venue complex, with 4 music venues, 3 special event rooms and a restaurant.
• We produce hundreds of live music events each year, of all types and genres. We book the best in country, rock, emo, indie, hip-hop and pop music, and we've got great shows EVERY week.
• We're going to be sending an email to this list EVERY week, updating you with our best new events, special deals and opportunities.
• We promise NEVER to share your information, and you can UNSUBSCRIBE at any time. In fact, if you don't want to hear more about our concerts and events, CLICK UNSUBSCRIBE AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS EMAIL RIGHT NOW.
• If you want to try out our new email newsletter, you can still unsubscribe at any time. Every email has an unsubscribe link. We'll be happy to take you off our list any time you want, so please don't report us for spam. We don't mean to offend.

We look forward to seeing you at The Loft, Palladium, or the NEW Gilley's Saloon very soon!
Management

Posted via email from Music Business Information

KEY factors when trying to determine if you have a counterfeit Money

All US Federal Reserve Notes must have:

 

Ø       

Small red and blue fibers embedded in the paper (randomly placed in the note) / no light source needed to see them

Ø       Watermark (image of the person embedded into the paper) must match the portrait on the center of the note / right side of note / light source needed to see it

Ø       Security thread (image embedded into the paper) must match the denomination of the note / left side of the note / light source needed to see it

 

** Raised ink on the collar of the person indicated on the note – feels like small fish scales **

** Notes that are “bleached” or “washed” will still be alerted as genuine when using a counterfeit pen (the pen only checks the paper) / look for the security features noted above

 

Images from above:

 

 

 

Red & Blue Fibers……….

 

 

Watermark of Benjamin Franklin……..

 

 

Security Thread reacts to UV light

Posted via email from Kleerstreem's Posterous

15 Things Every PC User Should Know

Whether you're a grizzled tech veteran or an uninitiated newbie, here are 15 essential facts and tricks that you ought to know.

Patrick Miller

Monday, August 16, 2010 07:00 PM PDT

Think you know tech? If you don't have a handle on every single one of these 15 tech facts, habits, and efficiency tricks, you're not living up to your potential.

1. Don't double-click everything. Windows 101: Double-clicking is how you open items in Windows. It's not how you open links in your Web browser, click buttons in dialog boxes, or do pretty much anything else--and if you reflexively double-click, you might accidentally zip right past something important or submit a form twice. If you don't need this reminder yourself, chances are you know someone who does.

2. Use slashes and backslashes in the appropriate situations. Let's get it straight: / is a slash (or forward slash, if you must), and \ is a backslash. Backslashes are conventionally used for Windows file paths (C:\Program Files\Whatever), while slashes are used for Internet addresses (http://www.pcworld.com/howto.html).

3. Record the exact error message. When your PC crashes, it'll usually try to tell you why it is doing so--albeit with a string of numbers and letters that you won't understand. Write the message down in its entirety (or take a screenshot, if possible) so you can later plug it into Google or give it to your tech support agent. If your PC didn't provide an error message, go to Action Center (in the Control Panel) and see if it shows up under 'View archived messages' or 'View problems to report'.

4. Bring deleted files back from the dead. When you delete a file from your PC or memory card, you're not wiping it off the actual hard drive. Instead, you're simply removing the index information that tells your PC where the file is, at which point the PC is free to treat the part of your disk that contain that file as empty space that it can write something else to. If you've accidentally deleted something, undelete utilities such as Recuva can help you find those files again as long as you haven't already written over that file with something new.

Don't leave your personal data on your old PC's hard drive. Nuke it completely with Darik's Boot and Nuke.

5. Wipe your hard drive before getting rid of it. Because your PC doesn't immediately get rid of the files you delete, you can't just reformat your hard drive before recycling or selling your old computer--because someone might be able to use an undelete app to recover your sensitive data. We have all kinds of tips forcompletely erasing an old drive, but the short version is: grab Darik's Boot and Nuke.

Want a totally worthless toolbar added to your browser? No? Then uncheck the box for that option before you install updates.

6. Uncheck the boxes before you install. Lots of helpful apps out there give you the option of installing search toolbars and other add-ons--and some of them are so pushy about being helpful that their installers are configured to install the uninvited extras unless you check a box saying you don't want them. Not only is each add-on another thing that your PC needs to load, but you have no idea what kind of data it could be sending out. They come bundled with the app because they make money for the app developer, not because they're particularly useful. So take a close look at what you're installing before you click Install--and in return, the installer won't change your search engine or install apps you don't need.

7. Beware of viruses living in Office docs. Experienced Microsoft Office users can take advantage of its built-in Visual Basic for Applications support to automate complex tasks with macros. However, malicious coders can use those same tools to design viruses that may interfere with your work and that of your colleagues. By default, Office is set to disable all macros and notify you when a doc you're reading contains them (to toggle this setting, in Word, select Word Options, Trust Center, Trust Center Settings, Macro Settings), so you should already be safe on this score.

Don't spend a bunch of money on dubious disk-cleaning software. Windows' built-in Disk Cleanup utility has all the cleaning power most users need.

8. Be skeptical of "cleaning" apps. Apps that make vague claims about improving your PC's performance and clearing out its clutter (Registry cleaners, I'm looking at you) will generally do more harm than good (if they do anything at all). To clean up your system, simply run Disk Cleanup (to reach it, select Start Menu, All programs, Accessories, System Tools); it comes with every Windows installation and it won't mess up your PC.

9. Uninstall your old apps. If you regularly download and install new apps from the Internet, you should get in the habit of pruning your collection every now and then. To do so, open the Programs and Features control panel, scroll through the list, and click Uninstall to ditch items you no longer want. You may need to take a trip into your C:/Program Files/ folder to hunt down a few additional unused apps. The less stuff you have on your PC, the less things are to go wrong.

10. Don't let a spilled drink ruin your laptop. If you keep your cool when a spill occurs, you may be able to prevent your data from disappearing and your motherboard from frying. Instead of panicking, quickly but methodically unplug the power cord and yank out the battery--don't wait for Windows to power off. Next, detach anything connected to the PC (network cables, USB devices) and pull out any readily removable components such as an optical drive. Tilt the laptop to try to drain the liquid in the direction that it spilled onto your PC, but be careful--you don't want to tilt the laptop in a direction that would allow the liquid to seep even deeper in. If you see liquid on the surface of the laptop, dab it off with a towel. At this point, unless you're comfortable disassembling your PC and cleaning it with electronics cleaner, you'll probably want to take it to a tech.

11. Turn down UAC. Both Windows 7 and Windows Vista include a security function called User Account Control, which dims the screen and flashes a dialog box whenever you install an app or change your system settings. Though this arrangement can be useful for catching sneaky apps that are trying to install or change things without your knowledge, it can also be annoying. If you use Vista, grab TweakUAC to make it less annoying without turning it off. If you use Windows 7, the default settings aren't too bad, but I recommend that you go into the User Accounts control panel, click User Account Control settings, and change the setting to the third notch down, so UAC will still warn you but it won't dim the screen.

12. Don't work in your admin account. Many PC users are accustomed to doing their everyday work while logged in to their PC's administrator account--especially in Windows XP. Doing so can save you the hassle of having to log in and out when you want to install apps or make changes, but it also leaves you much more vulnerable to viruses and malware--so don't do it.

The Control Panel is far easier to navigate when you can see all the icons at a glance.

13. Keep your Control Panel in Icon View. The Control Panel's Categories view can be useful if you're intimidated by the many different options available, but it can also make finding what you're looking for more difficult (especially if you're following detailed instructions that refer to the control panels by name). Click Classic view on the left (in Vista) or choose Large Icons from the View by dropdown menu in the upper right (in Windows 7), and you'll have ready access to all of the control panels.

Limit the clutter in your system tray by paring down the list of icons that occupy it.

14. Clear your system tray. Apps often park themselves in the system tray (the row of icons on the right side of your taskbar) and stay open without your realizing it. Take the time to clear it out occasionally. Open the Notification Area Icons control panel, and check the box on the bottom that says Always show all icons and notifications on the taskbar to get a sense of how cluttered your system tray is; then right-click each one you don't need and choose Close. Your RAM will thank you.

15. Manage your power settings. If you're using a laptop, you'll want to know how to change your power settings so your PC doesn't waste battery when you need to conserve it, doesn't slow down when you need to go fast, and doesn't go to sleep at an inopportune moment. Open the Power Options control panel, and choose from among several presets containing different configurations for when you're plugged in and when you're mobile--or feel free to create your own. To access the advanced settings, click Change plan settings, Change advanced settings; there you'll find detailed options related to your battery, Wi-Fi radio, graphics card, and more.

Posted via email from Kleerstreem's Posterous

Salty Deception: What Your Salt Cravings Really Mean

---By BodyEcology.com

New Salt Study Proves to be Misleading

“Experts” say that 90% of Americans are eating way too much salt, which puts them at serious risk for heart disease and stroke. Scary statistic, don’t you think? Well, what we believe to be even more frightening is that you actually may need more salt than you consume daily. More of the right kind of salt, that is. 
 
Making sure that you consume adequate amounts of mineral-rich sea salt is crucial to your wellbeing.

Processed Foods are Laden with the Wrong Salt

As we all know too well, the foods in our American diet are heavy processed. The “salt” used in these foods is not actually salt at all. It’s really refined sodium, with added bicarbonates, chemicals, sugars and preservatives. The refining process strips the essential minerals (60 trace minerals) from the salt. Many of the preservatives in table salt (or iodized salt) are not required to be listed on the container and include ferrocyanide, magnesium carbonate, and aluminum hydroxide. High levels of aluminum are believed to be a major factor in the prevalence of Alzheimer's in the U.S.
 
The bottom line, if you are eating the standard American diet, then you are getting too much sodium, and you are getting it in a form that destroys your health.
 
The good news is that food companies have agreed to lower this unnatural sodium in many of their products. Though this will take time, it is a necessary step.
 
In this age of increased heart disease and hypertension, we absolutely agree that you must eliminate refined salt but, if you truly want to improve your health – you must understand the importance of real sea salt in your diet.

Get The Good Salt

High quality sea salt is rich in minerals that (when used properly) nourish your thyroid and adrenal glands, keep your blood alkaline and even increase the healing powers of other foods.  In fact, sea salt is the most alkalizing food on the spectrum of acid/alkaline.  Good sea salt is not simply a condiment, but an essential part of a healthy diet. 
 
The Body Ecology system of Health and Healing uses sea salts medicinally to help restore balance in your body.

Medicinal Uses of Sea Salt

• It nourishes your thyroid and adrenal glands; your most important organs for creating energy
• It alkalizes your blood so that diseases like candida cannot thrive
• It balances acidic foods like animal proteins, nuts and seeds, grains including buckwheat 
• It adds a contracting energy to balance out expansive foods like carbohydrates, natural sugars, oils and algae
• It helps balance and add contracting energy to vegan, vegetarian and raw vegan diets (which are expansive in nature) . 
  

Craving Salt?

There’s a genius within you that understands what foods are best for your body and even what foods combine best with each other for balance. If you’re accustomed to a diet that has “addictive substances” like sugar and caffeine then you are going to crave more sugar and caffeine. Your also much more likely to crave sugar if your diet doesn’t contain any healthy fermented foods. That’s because your inner ecology (the healthy microorganisms, bacteria and yeast that live in your gut) won’t be in balance.
 
Thankfully, when you begin to clean up your digestion, your gut feelings about what to eat become clearer. As you become healthier you can start to trust your cravings. Cravings in a healthy body…that is not addicted to sugar, caffeine, casein and gluten...will let you know when there is something missing from your diet. 
 
Salt cravings can be an important clue or sign that your thyroid and adrenal glands may be in need of minerals. If you satisfy those salt cravings with refined (mineral-depleted) table salt and processed foods, you will continue to weaken these vital organs. But, if you choose high quality sea salts instead…salts that contain an abundance of naturally balanced minerals…you will quell those cravings and help restore health to your adrenals and your thyroid.

We love the mineral-rich sea salts from Selina Naturally. They recently introduced us to the healing powers ofHawaiian sea salt, a very nourishing salt that we’ve never before had available to us. This special Hawaiian salt from deep sea water contains ionized sodium, ionized chlorine, magnesium, calcium, potassium, and selenium, plus many trace elements such as copper, iron, zinc, manganese and chromium, which are missing from common surface water.

Salt and Your Body’s Ecology

Body Ecology’s Principle of Balance teaches us that food has energetic properties that create expansive or contracting conditions in your body. Salt is very contacting in nature. When you eat a lot of salty food, you’ll immediately become too contracted. To create balance you’ll then start to crave expansive foods like carbs with sugar. Movie theatres benefit from the Principle of Balance. They sell you salty popcorn knowing that soon you’ll be running back to the concession stand for a sweet sugary soda. To learn more about expansive vs. contractive foods, read: A Review of the 7 Key Healthy Eating Principles as You Approach 2007.

Your inner genius also naturally wants to sprinkle alkalizing salt on more acidic foods like nuts and seeds, animal proteins, salmon and chicken. Your amazing body is constantly working to achieve this type of balance. 

How Much Is Really Too Much?

The Principle of Uniqueness tells us that we all have different needs for sea salt. Just as one size does not fit all of us, we don’t all need the same amount of salt each day. Some people are very sensitive to sodium, while others (especially endurance athletes) need more salt to function. In general, men need more than women, and children under the age of two need almost none.

Ladies, pay attention to your salt intake as you follow your monthly menstrual cycle. Cut way back on salt afterovulation. You don’t want to eat a lot of salty foods after you ovulate or you will become too contracted. When the time comes for the lining of your uterus to be shed you’ll find that you feel uptight and irritable. If you eat less salt and your body is in balance, your uterus will relax and the lining will be easily cleansed away. 

Also be careful of eating too much salt during the days of your period. If you eat too much salt then, it can stop the flow of blood and you will not have a complete cleansing as nature intends. After the lining is shed, you can then increase your use of sea salt a bit to bring on a smooth ovulation. Being a bit more contracted at this time helps your ovaries contract to release the egg.

Experts recommend between 1600 mg and 2400 mg of sodium per day for adults, as a general guideline (1 teaspoon of salt provides about 2000 mg of sodium). 

At Body Ecology we say to follow your own intuition and cravings as long as you use only high-quality, mineral-rich sea salt to satisfy your salt needs. Listen to your body, and you'll take in the amount you need as your body seeks balance. (It’s important to know, however, you cannot correct a mineral deficiency with sea salt. you’ll need to take extra minerals too.)

Too much of any one food can cause imbalances and then health problems. Learn and practice The Principle of Balance...one of Body Ecology’s seven Universal Principles...and you’ll soon be enjoying just the right amount of sea salt for you.

Looking for another natural way to reduce your risk of hypertension? Try fermented beets.

 

Posted via email from WellCare