More lifestyle tips and a scrumptious recipe for poached halibut

Whew! The Christmas holiday is over and I'm facing the new year just like everyone else. We're also facing the dreaded tradition of making New Year's resolutions. Bah! Humbug! I believe that if you don't make resolutions, you can't beat yourself up for breaking them. That doesn't mean I don't want to become a better person, or healthier, or skinnier. I just don't want to stress over it or feel deprived. I guess I want things to be easy, but there are things that get in the way.

Here's a little story that illustrates the point I'm making. A few years ago, my husband and I went to California where we both grew up. We both love the mountains, but we love the beach and ocean, too. So, while we were driving along the coastal highway, we saw a sandy road leading to the ocean and took it. We could see the ocean in the distance, but the road wound among sand dunes for a while before getting there. One branch of the road that we took had deep ruts that slowed us down and at one point was blocked so we had to take a different way before we eventually came to the beach that we wanted to get to. I remember seeing the ocean in the distance and wishing we could get to it, but there were these roadblocks in the way.

The road to better health is often strewn with roadblocks that discourage us from traveling on it. Here are a couple of tips to keep you on the road:

Tip #3: To help you avoid sabotaging yourself, first thing in the morning fix yourself a plateful of peeled orange slices, apple slices dipped in lemon juice, cut up celery, baby carrots, strawberries, sliced cabbage, and anything else that is raw vegetable that you even mildly like to eat. Keep the plate on the counter or at your desk where it is easily accessible. The idea is that if you graze on healthful, raw fruits and vegetables, you won't be as easily tempted to go after the bad stuff. You also won't feel ravenously hungry later in the afternoon when those hunger pains are likely to sabotage your good intentions. Feeling full and complete for most of the day can make sticking to the best kinds of foods easier.

Tip #4: Hide the foods that are bad for you so you actually have to go hunting for them. Out of sight, out of mind actually works, especially if you have the veggie and fruit plate out in the open where you can satiate yourself on lower calorie, more healthful foods.

Tips #5: Drink lots and lots of water for two or three reasons: (1) Water satisfies cravings that mimic hunger and a desire for food; (2) If you drink a lot of water, your body will eliminate it more often so it flushes excess fluids, pollutants, salt, and even some fats that you take into your body, which keeps your liver and kidneys healthier and your ankles from swelling; (3) Sufficient water in your body hydrates your skin and keeps it supple so you're less likely to look like a starved turkey as you lose weight.

Here is one of my favorite recipes that is good for an HCG diet, regular eating, and is gluten free as well:

Poached Orange Ginger Halibut

Ingredients:

1-2 pieces of halibut, skin removed (frozen is fine)
1 orange
1/2 lemon
1" piece of raw ginger, peeled and chopped
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
Onion powder to taste
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Place halibut in small frying pan that has a lid.
Squeeze the orange and lemon over the halibut.
Sprinkle the ginger, garlic, onion powder, salt and pepper over the halibut.
Put the lid on the pan and simmer the halibut until it cooks just until it flakes in the center. You may want to turn it over halfway through the cooking process.
Serve and eat immediately.

The poached halibut is especially good with a green salad.

New topics for discussion

This past year I've been trying to lose weight after having my blood pressure skyrocket to 245/140. Oh, and trying new meds. I lost 45 lbs. and the new meds are working, but oh, the agony and deprivation of the weight loss process. Being gluten intolerant doesn't help, either. I used HCG, which actually made my efforts work. But since weight loss and exercise and food are such a big part of who I am now, I thought I would share some things, such as diet and exercise tips and recipes that taste good and are gluten free. The first tip is using seasonings, herbs, and spices. I found some that really taste good and are good for blood pressure, too.

Tip #1 At least one raw fruit (preferably apples, oranges, and berries; no bananas or mangoes)and one raw vegetable (no peas or corn) at a meal.

Tip #2 Limit meat, but don't avoid it

Here's a weird but tasty recipe using cinnamon and yellow curry powder and ultra lean beef (hopefully grass fed, free range if you can get it).

Ingredients:

4 oz. thinly sliced sirloin or other lean beef
2 tsp. yellow curry powder
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped fine
1-2 tsp. onion powder
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup of diced tomatoes, raw, salted and peppered to taste

1. Put the beef slices in a plastic bag with the curry, cinnamon, garlic, onion, salt, and pepper. Shake until the beef is well coated.
2. Pour spices and beef into a small frying pan with a lid. Spread out the beef so none of the slices are touching.
2. With the lid on the frying pan, cook on medium heat until one side of the beef is browned. Turn the slices over. Brown the other side, but not too long or the beef will be tough.
3. Immediately put on a plate. Cover beef slices with diced tomatoes. Eat immediately. Enjoy.

Note: This dish is especially good with fresh orange slices and a green salad.
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