10 Tips for Enjoying Halloween Candy Without Guilt or Consequences
- At November 01, 2017
- By Katherine
- In News, Recipes
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Now that you have all that Halloween candy, what is a healthy way to handle it, especially for your children? You don’t need to think of candy as “bad.” Studies over the years have found there is no association between candy eating and poor health or weight gain. But eating candy in moderation helps.
There are a few simple strategies designed by behavioral scientists and nutritionists to help your children (or you) enjoy candy without guilt or even weight gain. Remember:
1. Moderation is more realistic than complete elimination,
2. Eat about 10% of your daily calorie needs as candy and you can still maintain a healthy body and weight (most women consume about 1800 calories/day, so their candy allottment might be 180 calories daily. For men, perhaps about 220 calories),
3. When candy is in the house, it’s fair game for everyone. Denying access to candy your child knows is in the house (and they always know!) is counterproductive and can eventually lead to bingeing when it becomes available,
4. Remove the emphasis on restriction. If you don’t want someone in your house eating candy, don’t have it in the house. This changes the emphasis from what you “can’t” have, to what you “can” have,
5. Structure your family’s eating. Eat regularly scheduled meals at predictable times through the day,
6. Provide reasonable guildelines for eating the candy that is in the house, and practice what you preach,
7. If you’d like your child to eat candy moderately, limit how often it is brought into the home and serve small portions, or use pre-packaged candy in small amounts,
8. Serve all food positively. Fruits, vegetables and other wholesome foods should be presented just as positively as candy,
9. Don’t use candy as a reward of any kind,
10. Above all else, provide a consistently positive atmosphere in which all food is eaten. There is no “good” or “bad” food. All food fits, but you may need to define the balance, amounts, and timing that candy or any food is eaten in the household.
Nora Pouillon’s Classic Ratatouille
- At October 22, 2017
- By Katherine
- In News, Recipes
- 0
Vegetables for Nora’s Ratatouille were all Found at Twin Springs Fruit Farm Stand from Ortanna, PA (90 Miles from DC)
Nora Pouillon’s Ratatouille
Adapted from
“Cooking with Nora”
And Excerpted from “Diet Simple”
Ratatouille is an authentic aromatic Provençal ragout of onions, eggplants, peppers, zucchini, and tomatoes, stewed slowly in olive oil and flavored with garlic and fresh herbs. At the Dupont Circle Fresh Farm Market, I recently found every vegetable and herb needed for this amazingly tasty and versatile dish – all from Twin Springs Fruit Farm in Ortanna, Pennsylvania. The farmers travel 90 miles to provide us city folks with the freshest, juiciest, most delicate fruits and vegetables to be had – not to mention the extraordinary nutrition they provide!
Cutting up the vegetables is time consuming and that is why I like to make double or more than the amount I need and use the leftovers …
• at room temperature the next day with grilled chicken or fish.
• mixed with eggs and cheese for a Quiche Provencal.
• heated up and stirred with beaten eggs, spiced with chilis and served with sliced ham, Prosciutto, or cooked lean sausage as Piperade or Basque dish.
• reheated and used as sauce for freshly cooked pasta, garnished with feta or goat cheese, with the addition of pitted black olives if desired.
• As Minestrone, heated with vegetable or chicken stock, adding a can of drained cannellini beans and maybe a spoon of pesto on top.
The trick of a good ratatouille is not to overcook the vegetables. They have to be added one after the other, depending on the amount of time they need to cook to be just tender. Of course, Nora recommends all the vegetables be organic.
6 – 8 servings
1/2 cup olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 Tablespoons garlic, minced
1-2 eggplants (2 lbs) cut into 1-inch cubes
2 peppers, red, green or yellow, cut into 1-inch squares
2 zucchini (1.5 lbs) cut into 1-inch cubes
1.5 lbs tomatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Tablespoon thyme, minced
1/2 Tablespoon rosemary, minced
2 Tablespoon parsley or basil, minced
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet until hot.
Add the onions and stew for 10 minutes until soft. Add the garlic, then the eggplants and peppers, cover and cook slowly for 20 minutes.
Add the zucchini, cook for 5 minutes, then lastly add the tomatoes and cook for an additional 5 minutes or less.
Season with salt and pepper and the minced herbs.
Calories 220 Percent of Daily Value
Calories from Fat 150
Total Fat 16g 25%
Saturated Fat 2g 11%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 15mg 1%
Total Carbohydrate 18g 6%
Dietary Fiber 6g 22%
Soluble Fiber 1.13 g
Omega 3 Fatty Acids 0.14 g
Sugars 10g
Protein 3g
Vitamin A 60%
Vitamin C 160%
Calcium 4%
Iron 8%
Yoga for Low Back Pain
- At September 28, 2017
- By Katherine
- In Articles, News
- 0
Katherine in Peaceful Warrior II Position
“At least 80% of adults experience low back pain at some point in their lifetime… In a large survey, more than a quarter of adults experienced low back pain in the past 3 months,” according to the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS).
“Recent studies in people with chronic low back pain suggest that a carefully adapted set of yoga poses may help reduce pain and improve function (the ability to walk and move). Studies also suggest that practicing yoga (as well as other forms of regular exercise) might have other health benefits such as reducing heart rate and blood pressure, and may also help relieve anxiety and depression,” according to a NCCIH article.
Yoga, meaning “unity” in Sanskrit, “unites a mind and body practice,” according to a National Institutes of Health National Center for Complementary and Integrated Health (NCCIH)
Yoga is believed to have originated in the 5th or 6th centuries BCE in India. But it didn’t become popular in the west until the 20th Century. Just twenty years ago, if you practiced yoga, you may have been skeptically regarded as a “hippie” or “a little too new age.” But today, there seems to be a yoga studio on every corner. In fact, it’s become so mainstream, that my physical therapist recommended yoga to me for healing from my particular knee and back surgeries of last year (I’ve been a practicioner for at least ten years), though I adapt poses to my individual needs, per her instructions (and which you should do per your doctor’s instructions).
I recommend yoga or any other mindfulness meditation practices for my clients when changing their lifestyle habits. It is a simple yet powerful tool that can help you transform your health and your life. The mindfulness you can experience with yoga (or other forms of meditation) can help you become more focused and clear, for concentration to be more sustained. It can help you handle emotional situations more effectively by improving decision making and reducing impulsivity, as I relate in my article, “Mindfulness in Eating and Living,” and I describe in my book, “Diet Simple.”
A Natural Remedy for Coughing
- At September 26, 2017
- By Katherine
- In News, Recipes
- 0
The Natural Healer (Photo by the National Honey Board)
I don’t know about you, but I’ve noticed a lot of sniffles and coughing going on this season (and unfortunately, that includes me!). Whether it’s from an allergy, a cold, an upper respiratory tract infection, post nasal drip, or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), there’s an age-old remedy for coughing that has been recently proven by science to be effective. The ingredient is easily available, and is often a staple in your own kitchen.
What is it? Honey. “An 8,000 year old cave painting in Spain depicts honey harvesting, and we know it’s been used for food, medicine, and more by cultures all over the world since,” according to Ullman’s Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry.
“Coughing is a protective reflex action triggered by irritation or obstruction of the airwaves,” according to this study in Pediatric Reports. “There is a high prevalance in children and it impacts a child’s ability to sleep, play and eat. It is the largest single cause of primary care doctor visits.”
Honey was found to be more effective than dextromethorphan, found in common over-the-counter cough medicines, according to this study reported in Archives of Pediatric Adolescent Medicine. In fact, these results found the medicine was no better than the placebo.
In another study, coughing was reduced and sleep was improved in 2-year-olds with upper respiratory tract infections when they were given 2 teaspoons of honey before bedtime. In the study, honey was as effective as dextromethorphan, according to the Mayo Clinic.
A similar conclusion was found in a review of studies published in Cochrane Database Systematic Reviews, when children aged 1 to 18 were tested.
The World Health Organization identifies honey as a potential treatment for cough.
Honey is an especially good potential remedy for children, as it could be a natural way to avoid overuse of drugs like antibiotics (but check with your doctor first!).
Honey Cough Syrup
1-1/2 Tablespoons Zest of 2 Lemons
1/4 Cup Peeled, Sliced Ginger or 1/2 teaspoon of Ground Ginger
1 Cup Water
1 Cup Honey
1/2 Cup Lemon Juice
In a small saucepan combine lemon zest, sliced ginger ad 1 cup of water. Bring mixture to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Then strain into a heat-proof measuring cup. Rinse the saucep and and pour in 1 cup of honey. On low heat, warm the honey but don’t allow it to boil. Add the strained lemon ginger water and the lemon juice. Stir the mixture until it combines to form a thick syrup. Pour into a clean jar with a lid. This can be refrigerated for up to 2 months.
* Recipe by the National Honey Board
The Perfect Labor Day Recipe: Katherine’s Salsa Fresca with Watermelon
- At September 01, 2017
- By Katherine
- In News, Recipes
- 0
Katherine’s Spicy Salsa Fresca with Watermelon from “Diet Simple Farm to Table Recipes: 50 New Reasons to Cook in Seasons!”
Katherine’s Spicy Fresh Salsa with Watermelon
www.KatherineTallmadge.com
excerpted from “Diet Simple Farm to Table Recipes: 50 New Reasons to Cook in Season!” ($4.95)
Nothing could be a more perfect Labor Day recipe. Featuring the best fruit of the season! It contains all the flavors: sweet, savory, spicy, and salty. I usually use vine-ripe tomatoes for my fresh salsa, excerpted from my book, Diet Simple. But watermelon is a surprising and exotically delicious substitute for all the tomatoes, or just half of them – as in this version. Serve this salsa with grilled salmon, chicken or beef… even tortilla chips… whatever you may traditionally use salsa with.
22 servings
Ingredients:
1 lb vine-ripe, fresh tomatoes, coarsely chopped (start with about 1-1/2 lbs)
1 lb chopped watermelon, seeds removed
1 large candy onion, peeled and chopped (about ½ pound)
3 – 4 jalapeno peppers (1 – 2 ounces), to taste
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
½ tsp salt, or to taste
freshly ground pepper, to taste
3 – 4 Tbsp fresh lime juice (1 – 2 limes), optional, or vinegar if you wish for the salsa to last longer in your refrigerator
Add the onion to the tomatoes and watermelon. Finely chop 2 of the jalapeno peppers to start with. Taste. If you desire more heat, add 1 – 2 more jalapenos. Mix in the cilantro. Add the salt and pepper, depending on your taste. Mix in the lime juice, if you wish.
True Food: A Truly Delicious Experience for Healthy Foodies
- At August 22, 2017
- By Katherine
- In Articles, News
- 0
I encourage my clients to explore new and delicous ways of enjoying food. In fact, in my weight loss or lifestyle transformation programs, all favorite food is included. Why? Because “taste” will always be the primary reason we humans are willing to eat something. Good tasting food kept us alive during evolution. Anything that tasted bad might have killed us! We still have that instinct today.
So, if a “diet” or “healthy” dish you’re eating isn’t delicious, or it’s something with which you’re getting bored, you won’t stick with your healthy lifestyle. Eating food that you love is the only sustainable way to live.
This brings me to my client, Noah Arber’s, story, as she told it to me …
“Katherine! I had an incredible dining experience at True Food Kitchen in downtown Bethesda, Maryland – and many other locations – that I think your other clients might want to know about. I believe this restaurant is unique, from the food they serve, to the modern and trendy decor. They not only serve delicious and appealing food, but every item on their menu is made using colorful, fresh, and healthy ingredients. It was so enjoyable, I went back the next day. Not only was there a delicious variety to choose from, but I felt good after my meal, knowing I had put fresh, non-fatty or processed ingredients into my body. Even after trying their fruity sangria and their flourless chocolate cake, I was still down half a pound the next morning!
The first time there, my friend and I started our meal with the “Torched Avocado,” with cucumber noodles, mushrooms, snap peas, radishes, sesame, and turmeric ponzu. Next was the “Shiitake Lettuce Cups,” with tofu, jicama, sambal, thai basil, and cachew. These dishes were beautifully presented and bursting with flavors I had never tasted before – not to mention I was eating fresh, healthy ingredients.
For our entrees, we enjoyed “The Ancient Grains Bowl” with miso glazed sweet potato, turmeric, charred onion, snow peas, grilled portobello, avocado and hemp seeds. The following day, we tried the “Spaghetti Squash Casserole,” with caramerlized onion and fresh mozzarella, and the “T.L.T. Sandwich,” on multigrain toast with smoked tempeh, butter lettuce, tomato, avocado, and vegan mayonnaise. Our side was “Roasted Sweet Potato and Kale Salad.”
Needless to say, I enjoyed all the foods I tried. They were some of the most delectable dishes I’ve experienced in the D.C. food scene. I ordered their True Food cookbook, so I can make the recipes at home. I would definitely recommend you tell your friends, family, and especially your clients about it. It was truly a healthy, and most importantly, a deliciously indulgent experience. Who says you can’t eat healthfully and enjoy yourself too?”
Sweet Summertime Melon Chunks with Crumbled Feta and Fresh Mint
Sweet Summertime Melon Chunks with Crumbled Feta and Fresh Mint (from “Diet Simple Farm to Table Recipes”)
Excerpted from “Diet Simple Farm to Table Recipes: 50 New Reasons to Cook in Season!“
It’s melon season and a vast number of varieties are now available, and will be for quite a while. These days melons come in an amazing array of colors, shapes, textures, and flavors. Use a combination of any melons for this very simple, yet elegant recipe. This is an unusual combination of flavors and textures, and a delight on the palate. Use any kind of melon that happens to be in season.
Serves 8
2 pounds melon chunks (about 1 small cantaloupe or seedless watermelon)
½ pound Feta Cheese or other similar cheese
8 small mint leaves, Chiffonade (Basil will also work)
Combine ingredients in a large bowl and serve!
Robert Arnold Bringing Recipe to Christ Church St. Michaels “Green” Potluck Dinner
I’m In Tomato Heaven Recipe! Greek Salad with Heirloom Tomatoes
Cherry Tomatoes From the Farmers Market of All Shapes, Sizes, Colors, Textures and Flavors!
I’m in tomato heaven! Tomatoes are my favorite vegetable (maybe because they’re actually a fruit!). It all started with my Grandmother. She would plant dozens – or it seemed like dozens to a child – of tomato plants every year in her huge vegetable garden. We’d pick them ripe from the vine, and eat them while still warm from the summer sun. I’ll never forget how soft, juicy, and red throughout they were. I feel so lucky that today, we have our Farmers Markets growing these kinds of spectacular specimens… of all shapes, sizes, colors, textures, and flavors!
Heirloom tomatoes are old varieties of tomatoes which have been passed down through generations. They are tastier, but more delicate, because they’re bred to be picked and eaten right away – they’re not bred to travel (as many of the tomatoes in the grocery store may be). Heirloom varieties have natural resistance to pests, disease and are better able to tolerate local conditions without too much extra energy, pesticides or water. Locally, organically produced food saves water, energy and encourages a region’s unique varieties of fruits and vegetables.
Greek Salad with Heirloom Tomatoes
excerpted from “Diet Simple Farm to Table Recipes: 50 New Reasons to Cook in Season!” by ME (only $4.95)
Serves 8
Ingredients:
Vinaigrette:
2 Tablespoons Freshly Harvested Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice (1 Lemon)
1 Tablespoon Chopped Fresh Oregano or Basil (or 1 tsp dried)
1 Clove Garlic, Minced (optional)
Salt and Pepper to Taste (Salt is not necessary with the cheese and olives)
Vegetables:
2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded and sliced into a half-moon shape
1 onion, peeled and chopped coarsely
1 medium yellow, purple or green bell pepper, cored, seeded, chopped into large bite-size pieces
1 cup pitted Kalamata or other Greek Olives
4 Heirloom Tomatoes, quartered, and cut into large, bite-size pieces (or any vine-ripe tomatoes)
4 ounces Feta or Goat Cheese, broken into small bits
Instructions:
Combine the vinaigrette ingredients in a large salad bowl and whisk until blended. Add the cucumbers, onion, pepper, and olives and toss into vinaigrette. Let sit for twenty minutes to marinate. Add the heirloom tomatoes and cheese when ready to serve.
Tomatoes are one of the “superfoods.” Men who consumed 10 or more servings of tomato products a week had a 35% decrease in risk of prostate cancer relative to those who consumed 1.5 servings or fewer per week. This is largely attributed to “lycopene” in the tomatoes, which is also in other red fruits such as watermelon, pink grapefruit and guava. Men with lycopene levels in the top 20% had a 46% decrease in risk of heart attack compared to those in the bottom 20%. Lycopene is a potent scavenger of gene-damaging free radicals. But don’t expect to get it from a supplement. You must eat the tomato as you need the whole food to receive the benefits! But because lycopene is fat-soluble, you must eat the tomato with an oil of some kind for it to be available to your body.
Lycopene (Red fruits such as tomatoes, watermelon, guava): Many studies have shown that lycopene-rich foods reduce the risk of prostate cancer, but the mechanism behind that reduction was not well understood until now. A recent study found that lycopene has a substantial protective effect against prostate cancer by interfering with the genes that would allow the prostate cancer cells to grow and survive. The American Institute for Cancer Research recommends that men take advantage of lycopene’s cancer-preventing effects and fill their diets with foods such as tomatoes, watermelon and guava.
Summer Peach and Fresh Kale Salad with Toasted Almonds and a Balsamic Vinaigrette
- At July 19, 2017
- By Katherine
- In News, Recipes
- 0
One reason I look forward to peach season is being able to make this recipe. This year, the peaches are abundant, sweet, juicy, and dense. Take advantage and find ways to include them in your recipes and meals, even if it’s just biting into a whole one and letting the juice roll down your arms. This salad is always a hit, perhaps because we’re naturally drawn to its variety of flavors, textures, colors, and shapes. Variety is the most significant reason we choose something to eat!
Salad With Summer Peaches, Fresh Kale, Toasted Almonds and a Balsamic Vinaigrette
Read More»Katherine’s Mantra for Transforming Your Life: Never Give In!
- At July 10, 2017
- By Katherine
- In Articles, News
- 0
Katherine Tallmadge Feeling Good: Tree Pose July 9, 2017… Ommmmmmm
Thank you for writing me with your well wishes over the past few weeks. Your responses to my articles documenting my recent personal challenges have been heart-warming. I’ve especially enjoyed hearing your stories – many of you my clients – of how the skills I’m sharing in these pages are ones that have helped you maintain your healthy and happy lives. During my (25+ year) career, I’ve felt privileged to hear about your own life challenges through which you are working.
People look at my life and think it’s easy for me, and sometimes even tell me I couldn’t possibly relate to them or help them. I’m writing my story to disabuse you of that notion. Though, my clients very quickly perceive how similar my life has been to theirs, and understand why I’m so empathetic with their concerns.
“I’m no sacrosanct preacher looking down at a congregation of sinners. I’ve been there … And I know what it takes to come back from those depths of despair – and to stay on top!” I said in my book, Diet Simple. And I’d like to demonstrate how you can do the same, like my clients have, through the many years I’ve served them, and continue to do so.
I’ve been documenting my life’s recent transformation because I believe the steps I’m taking are relevant to anyone who wants to change their lives for the better. Everyone goes through hard times, and one of the most difficult, yet important skills for maintaining a healthy and happy lifestyle, is recovering from set backs.
One of my mantras through the years that I borrowed from Winston Churchill has been, “If you’re going through Hell, keep going … Never give in, never give in, never, never, never!” It is not always easy, including for me. That’s because we’re human and imperfect. But I firmly believe that we must live by this philosophy when it comes to doing good in the world or for ourselves.
In fact, studies of successful weight loss maintainers found that one of the differences between people who lose weight and keep it off versus those who relapse and gain their weight back is recovering from slips, instead of allowing them to snowball; seeing “mistakes” as normal, being kind to oneself, and getting over them.
My best case study demonstrating how powerful your response to slips can be is of Melissa, who spent many years struggling with her health and her weight. Today, Melissa is 50 pounds lighter than when we first started working together, maybe 15 years ago, and she’s kept it off for the past five years. But her journey was not an easy one. Melissa has insulin-dependent diabetes and was sent to me by her doctor to lose weight and improve her health. She desperately wanted to lose weight. She was 5’5″ tall, and slowly gained weight through her adult life until she weighed 200 pounds. She and her doctor wanted her to weigh under 150.
Like many people in Wahington, DC, Melissa is a highly educated, hard-working professional. She successfully directs a non-profit organization helping abused children. You could say Melissa – and her husband, John – are “workaholics.” They live for their work.
For at least ten years, Melissa would successfully change her habits and lose weight. Sometimes 20, sometimes 30 pounds. She’d feel happy, healthy, on top of the world; she loved the way she looked. But inevitably, when she’d go through difficult times – perhaps a holiday, a stressful family event, or a challenging work situation – she would slip up. And of course, you’re thinking, that’s normal, right? Well, Melissa didn’t feel that way. Any deviation from what she thought she should be doing made her feel so terrible that she’d fall into a depression. She was a perfectionist; and hard on herself. She started cancelling appointments, and wouldn’t return my calls. She disappeared. I lost contact with her. She gave up, felt ashamed. I felt terrible.
But amazingly she’d come back within a year or two – or three, though unfortunately having gained some, if not all, of her weight back. I was always happy to see her and pleased she was trying again. After about three failed attempts, we had (another) serious heart-to-heart about her perfectionism. We discussed her “disappearances,” which always led to weight re-gain. We discovered they were related to a slip she was ashamed of, or a time her work load or family life got too busy. She promised to never lose contact again. She agreed that no matter how hard things got that we would work through it together, no matter what.
Many times during our sessions (often by phone because she was so busy), Melissa would feel down and want to give up. But she promised to get in touch the next day(s) and to keep our appointment the following week, even if she felt she didn’t do well. This time we worked together, she kept her promises. Over time, she got used to “slipping up” now and then; she started regarding her slips as normal… okay… to be expected… and sometimes even planned as “splurges” or “taking a break.” Melissa had to learn how to get through the tough times, to put up with being too busy or stressed, feeling unsuccessful, or not getting results. And eventually, she’d always bounce back.
I enjoy staying in contact with Melissa. She sends me photos of herself at a gala, or in a new fabulous outfit, so I can see she’s having fun and staying fit. I like to keep up with how she and John are doing, and appreciate her staying in touch.
You could say I have a rewarding job. I would agree with you! Now, if I could only be perfect… Hmmmm
