Why can’t I sleep in?? [...]]]> Isn’t there just something about a rainy Saturday morning that makes you want to lounge around in bed all day?  As I began to stir this morning, I listened to the delicate rain drops, did a little stretch, and noticed that my alarm clock only read 7:01 AM!! AHHH!

Why can’t I sleep in?? I feel cursed. I did FORCE myself to continue sleeping in one of those “conscious but unconscious” states, but it never lasts long. I always feel resentment when I glance over at Brandon who is still sleeping so peacefully. My anger builds because I just don’t understand why I can’t sleep more too!

Trying to lay in bed longer starts to work, but it seems that just as I begin to fall back in to another REM cycle, my tummy starts requesting breakfast. Go figure. As a male, Brandon says I should just ignore it and roll over. OH, come on… that starving feeling is hardly something I, as a female, can ignore. Please tell me my fellow females can relate!??

After much tossing and turning, I finally caved and poured myself a bowl of Cascadian Farms Cinnamon Raisin Granola. I start to get excited as I get closer to taking the first bite. With a satisfied smirk, I conclude that breakfast is WAY better than getting a few extra Zzzzz and get over my resentment. MMMmmmmMMMMmm.

This particular granola has only 3 grams of fiber per serving, and that’s NOT how you pick a healthy cereal!! BUT, it was on sale for $2.99 as opposed to Kashi Mountain Medley, which was $5.29 a box. I need to be a savvy shopper just as much as I need to be healthy.

So on to the point of this post. As I was fixing my cereal this morning, I decided I should point out that I always measure my portions. This is one of my best tips for how to lose weight or just maintain your weight.

As most of you have learned from my old blog, I quit my usual exercise routine due to some back problems. I think it’s been about 5 weeks now. While exercise is one of the best ways to keep your weight in check, when it is taken out of the equation, you have to be slightly more conscious of eating sensibly. Hence, I have been making an extra effort to keep portions in check. One of the things I have never stopped doing is utilizing my trusty measuring cups! With all the different sizes for cups, bowls, plates, etc…it can be very challenging to “eyeball” portions, even for those in the nutritional field. With that said, I will be the first to admit that I need my measuring cups to help me eat the right portion per the nutrition facts panel. I’m not very good at “eye balling.”

How do you keep your portions in check?????

   I decided to create a post about choosing a healthy cereal because it is something that seems to stump a lot of shoppers. Since cereal is typically a daily staple, it can play a crucial role in boosting your diet with lots of nutrition to start your day or do just the opposite and [...]]]>  

   I decided to create a post about choosing a healthy cereal because it is something that seems to stump a lot of shoppers. Since cereal is typically a daily staple, it can play a crucial role in boosting your diet with lots of nutrition to start your day or do just the opposite and add lots of unwanted fat and sugar. With all the thousands of cereals to choose from…how to possibly narrow it down? Here’s my shopper’s guide:

1. Don’t fall for gimmicks
    Just because a health claim is made on the front of the box, does not necessarily mean you should fall for it. If you are drawn to a cereal because of recent health claims, dig a little further before you make a purchase. For instance, if the claim says “made with whole grains,” does that mean that whole grain falls somewhere amongst the masses of other ingredients OR is it the first ingredient? Ingredients are listed in order (highest amount to lowest amount), the closer whole grain is to the first ingredient, the more whole grains make up the bulk of the cereal. The same goes for SUGAR!

2. Fiber
    If  the cereal has less than 5 grams of fiber, nix it. By now, we all seem to know how important fiber is to our daily diet for health prevention.  Starting your day with 5 plus grams of fiber is going to bring you that much closer to meeting the recommended 25-45 grams per day! Another benefit is that it will also  keep you fuller for longer!!

3. Sugar
    A good rule of thumb when it comes to sugar is looking for a 4:1 ratio of carbohydrates to sugars. Typically, sugars content should not exceed 25% of the total calories, per the U.S Government’s Dietary Reference Intake recommendations. So for instance, if a cereal contains 28 grams of carbohydrates and 7 grams of sugar, the carbohydrate to sugar ratio is 4:1 and an adequate amount per serving. If you want to calculate the percentage of calories from sugar in a cereal:
1. Multiply the grams of sugar per serving by 4 because there are 4 calories in each gram of sugar.
2. Divide this number (calories from sugar) by the total number of calories per serving.
3. Multiply this number by 100 to get the percentage of calories from sugar.
Some healthy cereals go a little bit over the “25% calories from sugar” guideline, especially if natural sugars come from ingredients like dried fruits.  So if the percentage of calories from sugar is still at or below 30%, the first ingredient is a whole grain, there are 5 grams of fiber per serving, and the cereal tastes good, it may still be a good choice overall.
4. Ingredients:
    WHOLE GRAIN WHOLE GRAIN WHOLE GRAIN!! Make sure that “WHOLE” oat, wheat, grain, etc is listed as the first ingredient in your cereals! Breakfast is the perfect time of day to squeeze in a serving of whole grains! Make the most out of your breakfast cereal!

5. High Fructose Corn Syrup
   This is an ingredient of controversy. I personally try to stay away from any and all forms of it. I encourage you to do some research and form your own opinion .  Just try not to base your opinion on the Corn Refiners Association commercials. I do not keep products with it in my cupboards and any cereal that contains it does not go in my cart!
A small article about High Fructose Corn Syrup from the Mayo Clinic.

A few suggested cereals:

Quaker Oatmeal Squares :
Brandon LOVES these, as do I!! We buy in bulk when it is on sale! 19% sugars, 5 grams fiber, WHOLE oat flour is the first ingredient!

Quaker High Fiber Oatmeal :
17% sugar, tastes better than the lower sugar variety, has more fiber for satiety then the lower sugar OR weight control varieties

Shredded Wheat

Raisin Bran :
40% calories from sugar but most of the sugar is natural from the raisins

Most Kashi Brands: Heart to Heart, Shredded Wheat, GoLean Crunch

Plain Old Fashioned Oats:
Dressed up with ingredients at home!! I love Oatmeal for Breakfast!

Plain/Multigrain Cheerios:
Most of the other varieties are higher in sugar

Kashi GoodFriends Cinna-Raisin:
30% calories from sugars but again, contains raisins and 8 grams of fiber per serving

Don’t see your favorite cereal? Let me know what it is and I would be happy to help you evaluate if you’re making a good selection!!