Boots McBlog

Over 150 years ago in “the war” (you know the one),  Sherman’s troops ransacked and pilfered the southern countryside, taking everything – even the food in the cupboard!  They left behind the field corn and field peas.  (Silly Yankees thought it was food for the livestock)  We southerners considered it a stroke of luck, and this lore lives on  so that we all must consume at least a spoonful of the “cow food” every New Year’s.

Tomorrow on New Years Day,  traditional southerners will throw on a pot of  these black eyed wonders with the Christmas ham bone, fatback (bacon), or hog jowls.  Those living  in the low country will throw in rice and call it “Hoppin John”.  The peas are usually accompanied by  some type of winter greens – usually collard, mustard, spinach or kale, rendered with some type of pork product.  Cornbread is always on the side.  The peas will be served with a tomato relish known as “chili sauce”.  The greens will get a dousing of “pepper sauce”   As my country grandmother use to say, “Lawd, have mercy!”

Now,  we know the peas are there to bring us luck in the new year,  but you may not know that the greens are there to bring prosperity.  ( I never miss these. I’ll take all the prosperity I can get – I  do love new shoes!)  Not to be overlooked,  the pork is important because it signifies moving forward.   Pigs root forward for food. They don’t backtrack.

Being a progressive southern gal,  I’m not one to spend a lot of time shelling, soaking, and cooking peas.  And I’m not about to even touch a hog jowl.  I confess I  really don’t want the stench of greens in the McCottage…. So, here’s my new-fangled menu for a lucky, prosperous, bold new 2010.

Black Eye Pea Salsa*
Grilled Pork Tenderloin w/ Major Grey’s Chutney
Mixed Greens Salad with Goat Cheese and Berries*
Jiffy Cornbread Muffins

Black Eye Pea Salsa

1 can of Black Eye Peas, drained
4 green onions, chopped
4 Roma Tomatoes, diced  ( if you are a tomato snob, this is excellent in the summer. For the rest of us,  I buy romas still on the vine in the winter to try to get the best flavor)
2 -3 Tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2-3 TBSP of fresh lime juice
1-2 TBSP of Olive oil
1 -2 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt

Mix all ingredients.  Cover and chill 1-2 hours before serving.  Serve with Tortilla chips.

Mixed Green Salad
(this is the “go-to” salad in our house. We have it about twice a week. We’ll switch to fresh fruit when berries are in season)

1 box/ bag of organic mixed salad greens
2-3 oz of goat cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup dried berries medley (cranberries, blueberries, cherries, golden raisins)
1/4 cup sugared spiced Walnuts
Newman’s Lite Balsamic Dressing, to taste

Toss all ingredients and serve immediately.

As for the for pork tenderloin,  we’ll marinate it for a few hours in a concoction of half sugar,  half chili powder before the Angler throws it on the grill.    Next up, the Jiffy cornbread.  If you don’t know my friend Jiffy,  then bless your lil heart!    You need to know him.   I follow the package directions to cook it in a skillet, so I at least it looks like my grandmothers.

There you go,  my new southern traditional New Year’s Day meal.   With a little bit of luck, prosperity,  and forward thinking,  2010 may be our best year yet.    And if I learned anything in 2009,  it is this:   whatever the good Lord brings our way,  it may not be what we want, but it will be exactly what we need.   God bless.

Cheers and Happy New Year,  Y’all!

First things first,  let me add this disclaimer:  Boot’s Camp information is based on my personal experience and professional background.  It is not endorsed or sponsored by any person, organization, or product.  Please check with your physician or registered dietitian to make sure this is the right approach for you.  In other words, don’t sue me.

Alright. Deep Breath.  Exhale.  Here we go.

In order to be able to set our health goals for 2010, means we’ll need to face the brutal facts.   We’ll ease the sting of brutality and give it a fancy lil word to make us feel smart:  anthropometry.  Anthropometry is measurement of the body.  This may be controversial to some on the “love my body in any size” campaign.   I am in no way saying that we shouldn’t love ourselves like we are.  Indeed we should.  However,  for those of us trying to reach certain health goals, we must step out of the darkness and survey our personal landscapes.   Some of us have a few more ridges and valleys than we did this time last year.  I know I do.  And these could be leading us down a dangerous path towards chronic disease.

Tools you’ll need:
a tape measure
a bathroom scale
a notebook / electronic equivalent
privacy

self portrait with tape measure...like I'm really going to show me doing the actual measurements

Using the tape measure and in privacy,  you will want to record your measurements that are most important to you.  For me, I typically measure my chest,  my natural waist, and hips.  You may choose to include upper arm measurements, thigh circumference, calf measurements.   I stick with my basic three, as this is typically how most clothing sizing charts are prepared.  There are many websites that will tell you how to properly measure each area.   ( Hint:  if skin is bulging on either side of the tape measure or you are sucking in so much air you might pass out  that is probably not the proper method.) I encourage you to measure wearing fitted clothes or in the way the stork brought you to your momma.  My philosophy is this:  pick what you are going to measure and stick with it, and measure it exactly the same way each time. If you measure in clothes, wear those same clothes every time.   Record these measurements along with the date.  You will check these weekly.    For most of us,  we lose inches quicker than pounds, which is why I far prefer these measurements. Plus when I’m shopping online for a cute frilly dress to reward myself for my efforts,  I’ll know where I fall on that particular designer’s clothing chart.

The cute frilly dress by Oscar de la Renta courtesy of www.neimanmarcus.com

Next,  weigh yourself and record it in your handy dandy notebook. ( I use the Lose it! app on my iPhone)   Let the initial shock wear off.  Remind yourself, you are smart.  Weight is anthropometrics.  Remember how you learned that earlier?   It must be that your brain has gotten bigger and increased that pound number    Now that you’ve picked the date and time of your weigh-ins, keep it consistent. If you weigh Monday mornings, consistently weigh on Monday mornings. I encourage you to weigh in light clothing or in the buff post morning elimination and pre-breakfast.  There are differing schools of thought as to if one should weigh daily or weekly.   If you are prone to a little obsessive compulsiveness – weekly is probably your best bet.  And for goodness sake, don’t hop on the scale every time you walk by it.  You will surely drive yourself bonkers.

Lastly,  we’ll need to assess our individual body mass indexes,  a ratio that determines body fat percentage.   Using your height and your weight, you can plug those numbers here http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/ to see where you fall on the chart.   If your BMI is between 18.6 and 24.9 – good for you!  Your goal is to maintain your current weight.  If you fall in between 25-29.9,  you are not at risk of disease yet – unless you have a family history and will need to discuss with your physician or dietitian your options.   If you have a BMI over 30,  you are at a great risk of developing chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and some type of cancers.   A 10% weight loss will significantly improve your lab values and decrease your risk.   I typically recommend a 10% weight loss goal over six months.

Now that you know your numbers,  you can begin to formulate your goals.   How may inches do you prefer to lose?  How many pounds lost will give you a healthier BMI?

Of course,  the true measure of a person is not your waist circumference or your weight in pounds, nor is it the clothing size sewn into the back of your designer jeans.   A true measure of a person is when you wrap that tape measure around your heart.   As we complete session one of Boot’s camp let me say,  if this health quest ever begins to make you sad, anxious, or obnoxious to your family and friends – it may be a good sign that you need to step back and measure your heart.  Take a break.  Ease your troubled mind.  Say a prayer.

orange kid leather jimmy choo sandals - image per www.celeblifemag.com

And when all else fails, put on your favorite shoes,  because the best thing about shoes is …they always fit.

Cheers Y’all!

I love food. I come from a long line of food lovers. My mom could be Paula Deen’s twin sister who puts extra cheese in everything. My uncle nicknamed “Yeller Dog” is listed as “one of the original chili celebrities” on the Texas Terlinqua Chili Cook-off circuit. This past holiday, my older brother was left alone in the kitchen with some olives, cream cheese, and carrots for less than 10 minutes and suddenly a colony of penguins was upon us.  We’re foodies.

(colony of olive penquins that arrived on the table Christmas 2009, courtesy of my brother)

I, of course, am the only one deranged enough to make it a full time profession. I am a registered dietitian – which means I majored in food. I have a bachelors degree, a masters degree, and carry the credentials to counsel and treat people with nutritional concerns. I’m what my professional organization likes to call “the nutrition expert” As if that weren’t enough – I went a step further in my studies and became certified in adult, adolescent and pediatric weight management.

For eight years, I helped people achieve their nutritional goals. I helped my clients lose weight – anywhere from 10 pounds to 300 pounds. In the years I counseled clients one on one, I venture to guess that no one really cared if I helped lower their blood pressure or their blood sugars. They weren’t so concerned if there LDL was less than 180 mg/ dl or that their HDL was above 70 mg /dl. I’m sure they did appreciate as they grew leaner, their bank accounts were a little fatter because they weren’t buying as many medications. Mostly, they appreciated that the scale was a little friendlier and clothes fit better. I confess the friendlier scale and smaller clothes are quite the motivator for me personally as well – although as the “nutrition expert”, I should be above such confessions. I’m not.

(this is me in 2007 doing a story for Sync Magazine, picture is courtesy of their archives.   I can’t believe I wore such a blah outfit and carrying my silly notebook. I had no idea she was taking MY picture.  I thought we were just talking peppers. Sneaky photogs)

Interesting thing about being a dietitian is that people treat us like the clergy of food, as if we have a higher calling that makes us supernaturally prone to choose the Omega 3’s and ward off ice cream. When ministers are asked to dinner, people are on their best behavior. When a dietitian is present, the menus are guilt free. “Oh – grilled chicken, steamed carrots, and brown rice. why, gee thanks. Did you get the RD memo this is all we eat?” Or I’m laden with apologies for the decadent cake or salad dressing present. (Dietitians were sworn to a life without blue cheese. Angel Food cake is our favorite. How did you know?)

Here’s the deal. I know dietitians who are completely by-the-book. They are organic, whole food, no-foods-with-a-face kind of folks. I admire that! And then there’s me. I call myself a nutrition moderate. I blame my genetics. (See above) I mean, chili, cheese, and olives – I come from staunch liberal foodies. It’s hard to shake that.

(This is sampler stitched by my great aunt Mable  in 1934 hangs in my kitchen.  She was a foodie, too)

So, over the years, I developed my own method of helping my clients and myself achieve our weight goals while still enjoying our favorite foods. It’s not a revolutionary method. The American Dietetic Association agrees, all foods can fit. Its the practice of balance. I have a more commonsensical approach to weight management and health than the all-or-nothing that seems to overtake most of us this time of year. In a word – Moderation. It’s not sexy. It’s not quick. It just works.

(the Food Guide Pyramid gives an outline to how Americans should eat)

Now here’s my BIG confession.   In 2008,  I was named the Emerging Leader in Dietetics by the Arkansas Dietetics Association.   I joke that it was a very fitting honor because later that year I emerged right out of dietetics.   I accepted a new role as Director of Marketing in a non food environment.   I left my clinic.  I left my food portion models.  I left my scales.  I left my calorie counting ways.  I forsook moderation.    And I gave myself  the past year to live life as a nutrition prodigal.   I’ve eaten what I‘ve wanted.  I may have made it to the gym 2 or 3 times a MONTH in the past year.  (Odd behavior for the girl who used to go twice a day, 5 days a week)   I’ve given no regard to portion sizes or second helpings.  And I’ve ordered tea sweetened with sugar.   REAL sugar.

A year later, like the biblical prodigal, I’m ready to repent of my nutritional wanderings and get back on the narrower path to a healthier, leaner me. ( I have a few pair of jeans that miss me. The feeling is mutual) I will still be able to enjoy my favorites. And I plan to post bi-weekly tips that I will be using personally – the same tips I used to give my clients. If you’re feeling ready for the challenge, I invite you to join me on this journey. We’ll call it Boot’s Camp. Again, it won’t be quick. It won’t be sexy. It will be practical. ( which is a word rarely used to describe anything I do)

(iPhone self portrait taken during one of my few runs in Oct 2009.  Yes,  I take random pictures)

Best thing about Boot’s Camp – I won’t make you get up at the crack of dawn; I won’t yell at you; we won’t have to see each other sweat; and I’ll still give you some delectable “normal” recipes to entertain your family and friends.   So check back often.

Now, enough sitting and typing for me today, I gotta get this Boots walking.

Cheers to a healthier 2010, y’all!

If food is a feast for the stomach and  decorations are a feast for the eyes, then music is the feast for the heart.  I love a good tune – and none more so than a Christmas melody.

Christmas music begins playing in my car and home somewhere around mid October.  As for genre – I love it all. The silly songs about Hippopotamuses to the traditional tunes crooned by Bing.  Over the years, my collection of favorite Christmas melodies has grown exponentially with the most varied artists imagined.  (Everything from county to reggae.)

As we draw nearer the celebration of the Nativity, I begin to embrace the more reverent tunes of the season.   Some of these songs are traditional.  Some are new takes on usual favorites…and  some ( as you’ll see below)  are contemporary hymns that emerge year by year and quickly become part of my tradition.  Music – especially in this season, can touch our hearts, bring us peace, bring us hope,  and bring us joy.   JOY – to the world the Lord has come.  These tunes help me prepare Him room amid the hustle and bustle.  I hope they do for you as well.

I may not have a drum I can play for him, but I do have a playlist.

Once Upon a Christmas – Kenny Rogers & Dolly Parton

Mary Sweet Mary – Plumb

Sweet Little Jesus Boy – Straight No Chaser

Holy Holy Holy – Sufjan Stevens

Rose of Bethlehem – Selah

How Many Kings – Downhere

Christmas Lullaby – Amy Grant

Agnes Dei – Michael W. Smith

Merry Christmas, Y’all!

When it comes to wedding celebrations,  this couple knows how to knock one out of the park!    Rachel and Mike were married in Mexico surrounded by friends and family.  Then, being the fun loving souls that they are, they  headed back to Little Rock to continue their wedding party.  Dickey Stephens Park  is home plate  to the Arkansas Travelers and to many of Rachel and Mike’s dates.  It was the perfect site to celebrate.

My friend, amazing photographer, and new business partner Heather Owens had given this 6 ft beauty my name.   Heather had a blast with them doing their engagement session and suggested to Rachel I might be a good fit for her party.   Of course, when I got the call,  I jumped at the chance to work with such a fun, good looking couple – especially when Rachel said  - “I’m not a bridezilla.  Come have a great time, bring a date,  eat, hang out”      I liked her style immediately.  When I got to the ball field, saw her in her gown and gold flip flops, met her spunky friends in their chartreuse strapless numbers,   I knew a good time would be had by all. Dancing lasted into the night as the University of Arkansas Razorbacks football game played on the jumbo-tron in the outfield accompanied by a concession stand, cupcakes and crakerjacks. These sport fans / lovebirds hosted a fabulous event.   It was definitely a home run in my book. 

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