The Acai Story

The Acai Story
By Jim Swank

Acai is a palm tree that grows in the North of Brazil and is known by the people as "içá-çai", which means "fruit that cries". Acai Berries grow on an Amazon Palm Tree and have been prized for hundreds of years by the indigenous people of Brazil for their ability to provide a sense of strength, energy, and a high nutritional content. Acai is the only super berry on the market that has everything that you need, naturally from only the berry itself. Acai is considered one of the richest nutritive fruits from the Amazon or the world for that fact. Acai (ah-sigh-ee) is an all-natural energy fruit from Amazon palm berries.

Acai
Acai Medio is normally used in Brazil because it is cheaper and easier to process than the acai especial. Acai (pronounced ah-sigh-EE) is the fruit of a palm tree that grows in the Amazon rain forests of Brazil. It is Not a Magic Bullet, but It May be Close. While there certainly is no single food that can be considered a magic bullet, Acai must be ranked high among the most powerful and beneficial natural sources of vital minerals, anti-oxidants and nutrients that support a healthy body and lifestyle. It also provides a nearly perfect profile of amino acids plus it contains important vitamins and trace minerals too. Acai also contains two good fatty acids, Omega 6 (Linolenic acid) and Omega 9 (Oleic acid) each of which plays a large role in maintenance of your cardio vascular system. Acai is Loaded with Vitamins and Minerals, Fiber and Proteins Each capsule is a rich source of important nutrients for optimum health and vitality.

Health
We also think that any juice made from a blend of healthy fruits is much better than the soda and sugar filled juices most of the population is drinking now. Health Link Directory Research on Acai has shown that these Anti-Oxidants are known to fight and regulate cholesterol levels in the body. Dietary fiber, which is excellent for digestive tract health. As featured on Oprah, "the benefits from eating healthy are endless. Acai Berries can help a promote a healthier cardio vascular system and digestive tract, because of its synergy of monounsaturated (these are the healthily) fats, dietary fiber and phytosterols. I , of course believe that Acai has tremendous health benefits, but a number of Monavie reps have crossed the line and sold some very sick people a false set of promises. Distributors of Monavie have made unsupported health claims for Mona Vie on various websites. Please consult with a health care professional before starting any supplementation program.

Products
While the Acai berry is clearly a very healthy addition to any diet, many Acai products remain vague in their use of the acai berry. There are many Acai products on the market, but most use confusing proprietary formulas. Acai was recognized for its functional properties for use in food and nutrasutical products. Other companies add a trace amount of Acai to their products just so they can say they have Acai. The products promise the consumer everything, from extra energy to anti-aging benefits.

Energy
The reason that Acai is so great is that it's bursting with antioxidants that protect your health and give you energy. It is usually mixed with energy drinks, ice cream, and even energy bars. Meanwhile, Coca-Cola has entered into a distribution agreement with Los Angeles-based Bossa Nova brand acai juices, and Anheuser-Busch adds the fruit to its new energy drink, 180 Blue.

Brazil
In 2004, NBC Today's Matt Lauer hosted an Amazon Rainforest road show from Brazil, reporting that locals now call the legendary Acai Berry the "Viagra of the Amazon. Brazilian athletes, on the other hand, consider Acai as an important staple in their diets. Natives living in the Amazon river region in Northern Brazil, have had as part of their diet the Acai berry for hundreds of years for it's nutritional value. The popularity of the Acai berry is starting to spread from Brazil to the rest of the Americas. It usually grows in the wild Amazonian jungles in Brazil, where it is harvested by natives who have been reaping its health benefits for generations now. The Brazilian natives believe the Acai berry to have amazing healing and nutritional properties.

Super
Perricone named the Acai berry as the #1 Superfood on the Oprah Winfrey show. Acai is the only super berry on the market that has everything that you need, naturally from only the berry itself. " In fact, just about every brightly colored fruit and vegetable fits the category of a superfood, as do nuts, beans, seeds and aromatic and brightly colored herbs and spices. The beneficial properties of each one of these superfoods could fill an entire book.

Acai is considered one of the richest nutritive fruits from the Amazon or the world for that fact. Acai is Not a Magic Bullet, but It May be Close While there certainly is no single food that can be considered a magic bullet, Acai must be ranked high among the most powerful and beneficial natural sources of vital minerals, anti-oxidants and nutrients that support a healthy body and lifestyle. Acai is the only super berry on the market that has everything that you need, naturally from only the berry itself.

This article was written by Jim Swank. For more information on health and nutrition go here: http://www.healthandbizguru.com/
Jim Swank has been in the health care field for a number of years. His particular area of expertise is Health - Nutrition and how it helps learning disabilities.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jim_Swank http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Acai-Story&id=629925

This Diet Has It's Just Desserts

One pilot, one sky diver, and one hobbyist who builds RC helicopters... what's up with this?

Best I can tell boys will be boys, whether they are ten or sixty! These boys (I mean men!) all have a wanderlust for aviation and are looking for their dream match.

Should I risk my life with the pilot who wants to whisk me off to North Carolina or the sky diver who has offered to take me on a tandem dive?

Being on this diet has it's just desserts! Invitations like this don't come along every day! But when they do.... life sure gets tasty!

Real or Imitation... The Choice Is Yours

I love the story about the pearl necklace where the little girl's father has asked his daughter to give him her imitation pearls. But she is reluctant to do so, eventually she does and when she releases her grasp on the inferior and mediocre, she is free to accept the rare and beautiful real pearls.

Oh, how many times we clutch so hard to the inferior things of this world when God has something far greater for us. But the problem is that we can only clutch so much at a time.
And if our hand is filled up with inferiority, there is no room to clutch onto the superior.

Do we hang on to our weight, our old habits and our brokenness when we could simply let go and let GOD give us something much better... a new life in him!

Kathi Goes Digital!

Happy Day! I am finally getting to where I can download my own photos onto the computer.

Once I get the hang of working between the two operating systems on my computer to download the digital pics, I'll be able to share pictures with you!

Yippity Do Da!Yippity Day! My oh my what a wonderful day!

I took this picture last month after a jaunt to the Growers Market. I think this was before I roasted the vegetables.

Just playing with the camera at this point! Hope to bring you some cool photos in the months to come and who knows... maybe I'll share some cooking videos, too!

Elegant Bites For A Fabulous Healthy Body

Winner’s Weightloss Cooking Class
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Noon & 5:30PM

Tallahassee, Florida

Elegant Bites For A Fabulous Healthy Body
By Kathi Dameron


1. I’m Losing My Marbles! So far I’ve lost 75 of them!

2. How To Create A Beautiful Skewered Cocktail… Fragrant Shrimp Skewered Appetizer Cocktails with Far Eastern Spices

3. How To Add A Dash of Style and Pizzazz to A Savory Baked Appetizer … Spinach Artichoke Triangles with Fiesta Confetti Bites

4. Toss the Shrimp and Fresh Grapefruit In A Wild Greens Salad and Living Vegetable Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette

5. Strawberry Kiwi Frozen Slushes will be served

These measurements are estimates, please adjust to suit your own preferences.

Fragrant Shrimp Marinade

1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 ½ teaspoons fresh cracked mixed blend gourmet pepper
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ package orange Winner’s Weightloss Supplement / water
½ teaspoon cardamom
½ teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons canola oil
Apple cider vinegar (optional)

Mix together and use as a marinade for shrimp, seafood, fish, etc.


Spinach Artichoke Triangles

1 - 14 oz. can artichoke hearts, drained
½ cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ cup water mixed with
¼ package Winners Weightloss chicken soup supplement
1 egg
2 egg whites
¼ bread crumbs
black pepper to taste
½ teaspoon dried oregano
dash of cayenne pepper
½ cup shredded spinach
½ cup grated zucchini
¾ cup shredded reduced fat Monterey Jack cheese
¼ cup shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese
fat free sour cream or yogurt
confetti chopped veggies

Chop artichoke hearts in food processor. Set aside.
Mix together water and chicken soup supplement.
Saute onions and garlic in water blend until tender.
In small bowl mix together egg and egg yolks until frothy.
Mix in remaining ingredients then transfer to a 9x9x2 baking pan that has been pre-sprayed with no-stick cooking spray.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Spread with garlic and herb fat free sour cream or yogurt (optional) and garnish with confetti chopped veggies, then cut and triangles and serve.

For my online friends, I'll try to get some pictures posted after the class. Maybe I'll even post a video after future classes. Thanks for reading my blog :) Love and Kisses! Kathi

Create A Stress Plan

To all my Dear Dieting Compatriots,

Do you have a Stress Plan to guide you when times of stress in your life threaten to wreck havoc on your diet?

Not until I sat down to write this post a few minutes ago did I realize the importance for creating a stress plan or plans to carry me through times of personal crises.

The bottom-line reality is that food has always been my comforter through the storms of life.

How unhealthy and dysfunctional is that?

A couple years before embarking on my Winner's Weightloss program, it occurred to me, perhaps by a ray of divine insight that when I felt inner turmoil, I would turn to sugar.
A friend who is a psychologist had told me that my behavior was a classic example of self-medicating oneself. In fact, he had done his dissertation on the very subject.

Interesting.

I called good ole' mom.

"Did you use to give me sugary treats when I was upset?" I asked.

"We always had cookies for you children to calm you when you were upset," she responded.

Bingo! I had found the root of my eating disorder! Momma's good intentions had created a pattern that I would battle my entire life.

After a time of aggravation with Momma, it was time to let her off the hook, forgive her for the damage she had unknowingly created. After all she was only trying to be the best mother she knew how to be. Unfortunately, she had no clue that sugar was a terrible stress solution.

With stress of varying degrees an inevitable part of the human condition, a dieter would be wise to create their own personal stress plan, maybe even a plan a, a plan b, and a plan c!

The challenge before us is to create OUR STRESS PLANS! I'm going to start formulating mine and I encourage you to do the same. I invite you to share your strategies, what works for you and what doesn't. If you have a blog or website that you author, or a favorite site of encouragement that you visit that deals with diet-related issues, please share a link with us!

I want to hear from you! To comfort and nurturing! Kathi

You've Been Flamingoed!

Jaunty bright pink plastic flamingos decorated the front yard.

Lordy, Lordy!

Look whose Forty!

Gabriela knew she was in for a fun birthday, but she had no idea that her husband had booked a surprise trip to the fabulous Flamingo Las Vegas where she was about to meet the surprise of her life!

Don't miss Gabriela's and Marco's hilarious romp!

Yellow-Tailed Snapper With Fiery Mango-Habanero Salsa

"After the race, let's stop at the fish market." I said as I laced up my Air Jordan running shoes.

"Fish, tonight? Fish is always a great Friday night dinner entree. What do you have in mind?"

"I was hoping to find a yellow-tailed snapper that we could grill and top with a fiery mango and habanero salsa. Maybe we can stop by the farmers market and pick up some nice wild greens, too."

A Master's Cheesecake

"Every spring, champions of the game of golf gather at the Augusta National Golf Club to compete in the first of America's major tournaments, the Masters." Second Round Tea Time At The Masters by The Junior League of Augusta, Georgia.

Attending the Masters is exciting, whether or not you are a player. But by all means ladies and gentlemen, dress the part. For the latest fashions in golf apparel ladies check out the women's golf pro shop online. While you are at it, don't miss the divine recipes in the cookbook. One of my favorite recipes is Marie Neel's Kahlua Cheesecake on page 299.

I know it is not a diet recipe, but with some slight variations it can be transformed into a low-fat wonder!

Keep your eye out... in future postings I'll be sharing some of the yummy Winner's Weightloss cheesecake recipes on this blog.

Only Two Things: Results and Excuses

A sudden silence fell across the table, then after a brief pause the conversation continued.

"So what did you tell him?"

"I told him that his calls were harassment and that if they didn't cease, I would report him."

"Obviously, he didn't take you serious. He has called all week. "

"That is the way a commercial collection agency works. Their objective is to collect their client's money. Fortunately, there are laws to protect people from threatening phone calls."

"Good! Because this stress is wrecking havoc on my diet."

"Don't let the stress be your excuse. There are only two things in life: results and excuses!"

Mango Madness

Down here in Florida where the mangos grow... the inspirations for good heart-healthy cookery are a-plenty.

While mangos don't actually grow in my backyard, they grow in abundance further south.

During mango season, you'll find the fruit of these juicy treasures showing up in everything from tropical salsas and frozen cocktails during happy hour to playing the staring role for delicious grand finales at the dessert hour.

Yes, they are delicious when used in synergy with other ingredients... they are equally delightful to eat the just picked fruit from a tree and let the nectar trickle down your chin!

Photo Credit: Ajay Singh & SXC

Beauty and Health The Scandinavian Way

"The Scandinavian female is in tune with nature. She thinks French perfume is divine, but give her one that wafts of pine needles and she'll drench herself with it. A magnum of champagne has its allure-but so does a pitcher of fresh milk. Stepping out of bed onto a fur rug is groovy, but so is wading at the edge of the sea." ~ Gale Knutson

Sitting on my desk is my cherished copy circa 1969 of this fabulous book on Beauty and Health the Scandinavian Way. Scandinavia... known for Finnish women with pink and white complexions, snow-capped mountains, and modern desks.

Photo Credit: Ajay Singh & SXC

Feather-Light Angel Food

Looking for a light dessert to take to a party?

Store-bought or home-made Angel Food cake is feather light and fat free. Just top with some fat free cool whip and a medley of fresh berries. Yum!

Whip it up in your indoor or outdoor kitchen.

Photo Credit: Ajay Singh & SXC

Stop Fretting Over What Others Think!

While dining at a quaint and obscure little restaurant off the beaten path, I overheard the following conversation.

"Set yourself apart from the rest. Don't be afraid to make the changes that will propel your life to where you want to go."

"You speak wise words. But I worry too much what others think."

"You must stop fretting over what other people will think. Follow the light within. Get help for your addiction. For as long as your addiction has its ugly claws in you, you will fail to achieve your greatest potential. "

"Then you think I should go into the drug rehab program?"

"Absolutely! I want to see you launch into the stratosphere!"

As I heard the conversation that played out at the nearby table, I considered my own addiction to sugar and carbs and realized that no matter what our addictions might happen to be, ultimately these addictions shackle us to a bondage of inferiority and keep us from realizing our fullest potential.

The Secret To Today's Lunch

The heady perfume of fresh marjoram perfumed the house as the chicken and summer vegetables roasted in the oven.

My mouth watered in anticipation of lunch, a lunch that would help the scale inch down.

The secret to today's lunch is the chicken noodle soup supplement that gently baths the chicken and chunky vegetables and infuses flavor without the addition of fat. The marjoram adds just the right fragrance to this savory treat.

A Sweet Diversion

Born out of a rainforest of rare flowers with rich and luxurious notes....

Ah, what is it about chocolate that casts such a spell upon me? One thing I love about the Winner's Weightloss program is my weekly indulgence in a specially formulated chocolate mint confection.

A sweet diversion along the bumpy road of life.

Exclamation Point Living

"Exclamation Point Living" is a term that defines a great approach to every day living.

Why not live a life of excitement and passion for the things that sing out in your soul? Why purr when you long to roar?

I think feeling good about ourselves is linked to how we feel about our bodies. A subject that can often be shrouded in mystery that most certainly deserves a true excavation to unearth the whys of how one has come to let their body keep them from achieving their biggest dreams and desires for their lives.

Let's get proactive! Whether it is signing up for a monitored weight loss program like the Winner's Weightloss program that I'm on or doing weight watchers or simply investing in some effective diet pills.

Whatever manner you choose to lose weight and reclaim a healthy and attractive body, Exclamation Point Living is sure to come more naturally!

Nothing Fits!

Losing weight opens up all sorts of new fashion options. The time has come for me to clean out my dresser drawers and closets. Nothing fits!

The saying "I havn't a thing to wear," certainly applies to my life right now!

Even my panties are huge. Now I wouldn't ordinarily talk about lingerie, except for some inexplicable reason I received a blog assignment for the keywords crotchless panty.

Oh dear!

I debated long and hard whether or not to reject the assignment and send it back. But then I thought we all have different motivations for losing weight and who knows maybe being able to look hot in one's undergarments is just the incentive a reader might need to stay motivated to lose weight in this Sex and The City era.

Delicious Ingredients

On a few occasions, following a story and certain recipe in my newspaper column, I have discovered that the article has caused a run on a featured ingredient at the grocery store. Lesson learned... I always stock up on that special ingredient that I am writing about before the article comes out!

"I don't understand why the shelf is empty. Figs must be very popular right now," the grocer said to me as he scratched his head.

I shrugged my shoulders and smiled graciously. One for Kathi... I thought. Could my food column actually sway buying decisions? Who would think that from the isolated keyboard where I sit and hunt and peck with my two fingertips, that stories would emerge and end up influencing what someone might eat for dinner or serve for a special celebration.

Well I need to jaunt on over to Lake Ella right now and see what delicious seasonal produce our local growers have brought to town for the weekly Wednesday Growers Market, featuring treasures from mother nature. Check back and see what I discovered.

Omelette Party

Lori from the Tallahassee Winner's Weightloss recently shared this novel idea with me for making ziplock omelets.

I can't wait to try it out. Supposedly it works great whether you are prepping for one or an entire family.

The idea inspired me to think this recipe could be a great launching pad for an Omelette Party.

In my catering days, we would occasionally cater fancy high-end brunches complete with omelette stations, but my goodness that takes alot of work and labor, which is lovely if the client has the budget to meet the cost.

As a savvy entertainer, I look for ways to create the wow without breaking the bank.

Maybe an Omelette Party could be just the solution for a great late morning soiree. If you want to add some drama- why not cook those ziplock bags in big bubbling pots of boiling H2O over an outdoor fire. Of course for simplicity the kitchen range is ideal.

1. Write names on quart size ziplock bags.

2. Put out a variety of chopped and prepped ingredients such as cheeses, ham, onion, vegetables, spinach, artichokes, green pepper, hash browns, salsa etc.

3. Crack 2 eggs into each ziplock bag and shake to combine.

4. Have guests add prepared ingredients to their bags and shake. Make sure to get all the air out of the bags and zip them up.

5. Place the bags into roiling, boiling for exactly 13 minutes.

Find Out The Secrets To How Kathi Lost 75 Pounds

Local food writer and culinary artist, Kathi Dameron will be doing 2 thirty minute low-fat food demonstrations/ cooking classes on Thursday, August 30 at Winner's Weightloss on Capital Circle in Tallahassee.

Call Ruth at (850) 671-3200 for details, directions and to reserve a spot. Space is limited.

Find out some of the secrets as to how Kathi has lost 75 pounds!

This event is sponsored by Winner's Weightloss, Tallahassee's Number 1 Weight Loss Center for 14 years and Kathi Dameron and Associates, a Florida-based boutique consulting company that specializes in culinary collaborations.

Ah, The Joy of Locally Grown Produce

"No satisfaction is more elemental, more vital to well-being, than the pleasure we seek in what we eat." ~ Mireille Guiliano, Author of the # 1 best seller " French Women Don't Get Fat" and "French Women For All Seasons"

With this thought in mind, I begin planning out a menu that is seasonally-inspired and a celebration of the late August bounty not in the countryside of Provence, but the rural regions and urban gardens of North Florida and South Georgia.

For it is from this geographic region that the luscious, locally grown products find their way onto my menus.

This afternoon I will jaunt to the local growers market at Lake Ella for inspiration for my upcoming cooking class and for nature's treasures to sustain me.

Geting Back In The Swing of Life

Now that I've dropped 75 pounds through the Winner's Weightloss program, I'm looking forward to diving into lots of new recreational activities. Time permitting I hope to get back in the swing of things this autumn and tee off to some exciting days at the country club.

But somewhere in the craziness of the last ten years of my life, I lost track of my golf clubs. Guess I'll have to shop for some new Ping or Callaway golf clubs this fall.

Need Tickets?

"But daddy you said I could go to the concert!"

Flashing me a thunderous look, I knew I was hang gliding over a watershed and heading into the eye of a twister.

So read the words from the August 16, 2007 installment of the Entertaining with Kathi column.

Ah, concerts. Need tickets? Need schedules?Looking for the def leppard tour schedule? Find it here at Ticket Solutions!

Fire Pit Cookery

Cooking on location, whether in the backyard, the beach or some exotic location offers delicious solutions to even the strictest of dieters among us.

There is something about cooking over an open flame. That fire-grilled depth of flavor that certainly adds no calories, but evokes a character and richness near-impossible to achieve through tamer methods of cookery.

The outdoor fireplace can be used for heat and the drama of fire pit cookery.

It's the little things that can be the most frustrating. Things like missing cabinet hardware from a desk drawer. And before you know it perhaps you are wanting to sink your spoon into a pint of mint chocolate chip.

Don't do it! Take care of the little petty nuisances along the way and chances are your weightloss will progress nicely.

"Quality of life" is probably the number one reason that I embarked on this weightloss adventure.

We are not properly educated in the consequences of food in our bodies. We focus far too much on the flavor. But I think we need to understand what food does to our organs.

If we keep eating the rich, sugary, fat-laden foods that are such a part of the national diet, then we better beef up on our term life insurance!

Here it is Saturday night and I'm home finishing up writing assignments. While a low-fat dinner is roasting in the oven I'm trying to fire up my creative juices. But I'm drawing a blank for the word blinds.

My mind is in R & R mode and for the life of me, after this long and grueling week, I can not even begin to think of how to tie window blinds to a diet blog.

Then out of the inexplicable depths of the imagination it happens, a story begins to unfold.

I jump up from my cushy black leather executive swivel computer chair and leap to the darkened window, yanking the cord on the blinds, they fall with pure precision over the windows.

Accessories are a great gift for family and friends who are engaged in weight loss. My favorite accessories include animal jewelry and zebra or tiger print scarves.

No matter what your size, fashionable costume pieces are always in good taste and will be a fun part of a wardrobe through all stages of the diet.

"I am woman... hear me roar!"

Clocks, hamilton watches, the speedometer on a car are just three of the devices I have used to gauge measurement in creative ways.

Have you ever driven down the street and watched the numbers rise and fall on your dashboard and serendipitously correlated the numbers to the weight you would like to lose? I have.

I find all sorts of creative games to help me.

Going on vacation when you are on a diet can be a real challenge.

You certainly don't want to deprive yourself of the opportunity to sample the regional cuisine, but on the other hand you don't want to mess up all the hard work you've put in to drop weight.

So what do you do.

If possible get a flavor of the cuisine in advance. Surf the internet. For example if you are going to Branson Missouri, check out the eateries online that showcase their menus. Be savvy. Look for regional cuisine that is interesting but light.

Bon Voyage!

This is another post for my work as a blogger, that has nothing to do with my diet.

The assignment was listed as New York personal injury lawyer.

I scanned my brain for relevant material. A vision of an ambulance-chaser appeared.

Uggh, I thought.

I don't know diddly squat about this type of law and certainly hope that I never need to. But if you are in the great state of New York and find yourself in need of the services of this sort of attorney, then check out the link for more information.

My work as a paid blogger for various products takes me to all sorts of products that I might not have any idea about. Such was the case with this assignment for disposable medical products.

So click on the link and you are bound to learn everything you ever wanted to know about incontinence products but were afraid to ask!

This diet has taken me to a new adventure. After a few years of soloing it on weekends,with carbs for companions, I've decided to get out and date a bit.

For my fiftieth birthday I treated myself to a subscription on match. Dating at fifty is fun!

While my interest is primarily in Tallahassee, which makes more sense to me to date locally, it might be fun to find friends in out-of-town places that I might like to visit for weekend getaways. For example the Ozarks would be fun. Maybe I could find a Float Date and check out the Branson real estate.

During my days of selling advertising for regional Tallahassee publications, I had the wonderful privilege of meeting so many different business owners to chat about strategies to help spread the word about their business. Several times I talked with Clifton at Gulf Coast Metal Systems who is a metal roofing specialist for hurricane-prone Florida.

Like so many business owners, Clifton was looking for an advertising solution that wouldn't involve a throw-away publication. Advertising is too expensive to invest in print ads that only end up in a trashcan and the county landfill.

Businesses like American Steel Pan who are in the business of steel buildings are utilizing the power of the blogosphere to spread the word about their services.

Game nights are a great way to entertain family and friends. Last Saturday night I was invited to a game night at the home of two of my favorite newlyweds. Everyone brought a snack to share and the host and hostess provided some of their culinary specialties.

Among the highlights of the evening for me was winning at gin rummy 500 and being serenaded with a song of happy birthday by my friends.

Playing cards was something I hadn't done in years. Sitting around the card table with my closely vested hand of 7 stirred sweet old images of playing the same game in the U.P. with my Finnish grandparents at their summer cottage on Lake Superior.

The take away lesson for me was that I really should play cards more often... they really are fun.
When I got home I looked online at poker tables.

Fat bushels of ripe Georgia peaches sat on the rustic counter of the summer kitchen.

Over the next several days canning, pickling, and baking peaches would be the agenda. All this was in preparation for a Peachy Celebration that would coincide with a new cookbook and a television series.

One question drifted through my mind... how can I arrange home theater seating around the pool?

My vision was to set up the screening outside, sort of like the outdoor movies of long ago.

There I was ready to start another business without properly doing my market research.

It is not wise to launch off in new ventures without first doing your research. We have to guard ourselves against diving into ventures that are not founded in smart strategic planning.

For me it was a magazine. I was thinking more with my heart, than my head. The bottom line is I want to own my own magazine, but when more and more of the cards started showing up on the table, I realized that my initial decision was perhaps an ill-advised one.

In the nick of time, I was saved from signing on the dotted line.

Hopefully, my dream to create my own magazine will be realized some day.

If you get out of the routine of blogging for awhile, it can be down right difficult to get back into the groove. Sort of like dieting!

Today I hit the 71 pound mark. I'm planning to plow through the seventies in record speed. Considering it took me a couple months to get out of the 60's.

I can come up with a list of excuses as to why it took so long. But the bottom line is there are really only two things:

1. Results

and

2. Excuses

Despite whatever is going on in my life, there is no reason why I should have taken so long to move past the 60's.

So I'm going to sharpen my writing pens, don my workout clothes and get back in gear to lose the rest of this unnecessary extra weight.

I sent my friend an e-mail yesterday and I said "I feel like a basketball today. I might be down, but I'm coming right back up, ready to score a big one!"

Life is like that, isn't it?

But we needn't give the downs of our daily lives the power or permission to keep us down.

Pop right back up! Whether it is with weight loss or whatever difficult obstacles are planted along the way. You can do it. You can soar above the challenges by being in control of your own destiny. Just say "no" to accepting defeat and press on to victory!

So many of my defeats over the last several years were tied to poor financial planning. So I'm looking into resources like financial consolidation software to help me tackle my weakness.

I am planning on making some big changes to my approach with the Diet With Kathi Blog.

Some really fun adventures are on the way. Having already lost seventy pounds, I'm gearing up to lose another seventy through a variety of great hands-on activities. I'll be showcasing them here on this blog with all sorts of great resources.

I'll also be going on-location with camera and notebook in hand ready to record for all to see, compelling images, videos and stories.

Now I just need to make sure I always have a spare battery so that I don't run short and lose out on a great photo opp.

Dieting can be an extra burden if the dieter is stressed over financial issues. There is a link between financial stability and ability to maintain a healthy weight. Sometimes when finances are out of whack, weight seems to accumulate.
It did with me.

From school loan consolidation to adjustable rate mortgages.

Tonight I've been looking at some different options in notebook computers. Getting a laptop is something that I've put off for too long. I need a computer that is portable, not too heavy, but with a nice 15 inch screen. It needs to have all the bells and whistles and plenty of IBM memory.

Weight Loss Buddies Wanted!

Seeking weight loss buddies and friends who are interested in dropping weight, getting fit and becoming the very best possible version of themselves.

So far I've dropped 70 pounds, but hope to drop another 70 and be able to wear sexy single-digit designer clothes again!

Looking to put together a fun-loving group of kindred spirits who want to reach for the stars!

Contact Kathi Dameron at 850-422-3599

I've gotten where I seem to live by two week increments. Somehow I need to align my diet to this schedule.

Lately I'm drifting in a five pound range. Up and down I go.

I had hoped to be nearing the 100 pound mark, but I'm struggling just to master the 70 pound one. Why is it so hard?

Why can't I just do it? I get so frustrated with myself. There is no reason why I should be hovering! But I know there are emotional culprits at play here.

For me my weight has a lot to do with emotional eating. In some ways I am battling some of the most trying times of my life right now. Overall I'm doing pretty good- considering! Two years ago, I would have eaten myself into oblivion to escape the torment. Now when I splurge it is an extra apple or two. No ice cream or cookies for me. I'm bound and determined to lose every ounce of fat that my body does not need.

So what doees all this have to do with a truck rack? Go figure!

I am really battling a plateau right now! I can't seem to move into the 70 pound range. It is so frustrating.

Part of it is my own fault. Scratch that last sentence. ALL of it is my own fault!

I'm the one who is in control of what I eat or don't eat. I'm the one who is in charge of exercising this body.

The truth is my life is really tough right now. Tougher than I even want to discuss. But that shouldn't be my excuse. I need to stay focused on the BIG PICTURE and not turn one addiction into another! Like shopping for new clothes or cool finds ordiscount furniture and decorative treasures from the far corners of the globe .

I have to ramp up my readership. My writings are being lost among the zillions of posts in the blogosphere.

There is so much to learn and so much to do.

But I am committed to soar like an eagle and bring the best of my works into the limelight where they can be read by the masses. Then they will be beneficial to the companies I serve, companies like the awesome and incredible Ruth and Lori at Winner's Weight Loss in Tallahassee, Florida and the Internet shop and click Coaster Furniture.

A Recipe For Preserved Children

I came across this recipe on an old vintage recipe card. It always puts such a smile on my face, as it reminds me of the carefree days of childhood from a bygone era when exercise wasn't even something that we consciously thought about. Yet, our lifestyles were active and obesity uncommon. Nowadays, children seem to stay indoors far more than they did when I was a child and childhood obesity has grown to frightening statistics.

Last month when Ruth did the fat test on me, she said something interesting to me.

"You can thank your mom and dad. " Apparently she could tell by the test results that I had good genes and that when I was a child, I had built plenty of good muscle.

"These overweight kids today won't have a chance," she continued, "their poor bodies are being set up for diabetes and a whole slew of major health problems."

Yikes! It is time to turn this tide.

Preserved Children

1 large field
1/2 dozen children
2 small dogs
pinch of brook
pebbles
flowers
blue sky
sun
1 old pick up truck
new truck accessories
bathtub

Transport the children to a big open field, stir in children and dogs. Pour the brook over the pebbles, sprinkle with flowers spread over a deep blue sky and bake it in the sky. When golden brown whisk back home to cool in the bathtub. Yields many memories that will never be forgotten.

Exotic Flavored Homemade Popsicles

Summer is a great time to get in the kitchen and whip up a batch of homemade popsicles. The Winner's Weightloss fruit-flavored supplements can be used in so many different creative concoctions.

I can't wait to start playing with the different flavors.

Ah, The Wednesday Afternoon Grower's Market at Lake Ella

Tired of the same old, same old?

Today I jaunted over to the Wednesday afternoon Grower's Market at Lake Ella.

This week I was smart. I made sure to get there as close to the 3:00 opening time as possible. Believe me, it makes a difference! Last week I missed out on just about everything I had hoped to procure.

The Lake Ella Growers Market, my friends, is the place to shop for produce in Tallahassee! You simple can't get much fresher, unless you grow your produce in your own garden, spray it down with the garden hose and pop it right into your mouth right there among the blooms. Lake Ella on Wednesday afternoon is the next best thing, without all the work.

I'm growing some green beans and Japanese Eggplant in a whiskey barrell at home, but the eggplant has a long way to go before I can roast it or saute it with a bit of garlic and bunch of swiss chard.

Personal Chef Services ~ Summer 2007

Imagine having your very own personal chef cooking up all your favorite foods and arranging them in your freezer complete with directions for reheating. What could be more delicious than a well-stocked freezer of soups, sauces, entrees, breads, vegetables, appetizers and desserts?

Culinary writer, food columnist, former caterer and event designer Kathi Dameron is offering private personal chef services this summer. For more information contact Kathi directly at 850-422-3599.

The Rocky Mountain Spa Resort evoked images of the sprawling ranches of the untamed west. Fresh, delicious western cuisine was treated with a feathery touch at this exclusive spa for billionaires who had come to whittle their waistlines and cut their carbs. And even though one might feel as if they had time traveled to a by-gone time, the well-hidden network cables provided global access to the rest of the world.

"My lips are zipped!" I said as I ran my thumb and my forefinger across my mouth in a quick zipping action.

The reporter was asking privileged information that I didn't have the right to divulge. Sure, I could have said something, but too much was at stake and it wouldn't be the smart thing to do.

I eyed the water bottle filter and unzipped my lips long enough to take a big gulp of fresh water. I sort of felt like a big exotic tropical fish in a small transparent goldfish bowl.

While jaunting in the Lilliemobile to the vacation home rental
Joy asked, "Lillie would you like some java?"

"Joy that sounds wonderful.It smells divine."

"It is one of my favorites... chocolate hazelnut. Freshly roasted and brewed decaf coffee beans with a drop of pure chocolate, hazelnut and vanilla extracts. But one of my biggest secrets is in the water I use. The ultimate secret is in the purewater.

Let's Make It An Annual Tradition

"The entire weekend was a celebration of what life can be like at its very best!"

"There is much to be said for the closeness and camraderie of good friends. I'm glad we had the opportunity to all get together."

"Lets make it an annual tradition."

"Great idea! I can't wait to see you next year. You'll be as thin as a pencil!"

"From your lips to God's ears! I still have a ways to go on this diet."

"You can count on me to send you words of encouragement!"

"So lets book our Orlando vacation rental for next year!"

I've Lost About 70 Pounds So Far

I've lost about 70 pounds so far. I'd be down further but I do some of the dumbest things to sabotage my efforts.

The bottom line is I am battling a case of severe emotional eating. The odd thing is that while I'm not turning to the sweets as I once did in times of stress, I'm still engaging in a form of dysfunctional behavior.

What happens is I get so stressed over certain circumstances such as my finances, that I skip eating or drinking my water altogether. Splat goes the metabolism and the scale doesn't move.

I need to move this ole' body and gulp that water.

A friend suggested Phentermine, but I said I preferred to stick with the Winner's Weightloss Regime!

A Kayaking Vacation

One of my favorite things about losing this weight, is the increased energy I have!

Anyone up for a kayaking vacation? I will be when I drop all my excess weight.

Photo Credit: Stephen Gibson & SXC

Iced Chocolate Truffle Cappuccino

Mid-afternoon and the daily workload is heavy, with no end in sight. Feeling a dip in energy, I headed to the kitchen where I whipped up a little something to rev up my engine.

My solution is a delicious one. Imagine a creamy cup of iced chocolate truffle cappuccino.

Simply delish and so easy, too.

This version is made with freshly brewed chocolate truffle coffee, a packet of Winner's Weightloss chocolate shake supplement and a good bit of ice. Whip it all up to a thick, rich consistency and pour into a favorite cocoa mug. Dust the top with a flourish of cinnamon. Yum!

Diet? What diet? This sure doesn't taste like diet fare, but the high protein in this shake is actually helping me to shed my unwanted pounds.

Looking to lose some weight? Winner's Weightloss in Tallahassee, Florida is a great place for helping people to shed unhealthy pounds and reclaim the life they were created to live. For a complimentary consultation call Lori at 850-297-2500 or Ruth at 850-671-3200. Make sure and tell them Kathi sent you!

Photo Credit: Dragon Sasic & SXC

Meal Replacement Solutions For Healthy Eating

Where does the time fly?

My breakfast and lunch today tasted great.

Breakfast was a prune-studded breakfast cake. My breakfast cake is made with the same quick fix recipe that takes a beaten egg, a torn-up slice of 40-calorie honey wheat bread, cinnamon, equal, a sprinkle of (dry) vanilla shake mix and a small amount of fruit.

Since my fresh fruit supply is totally depleted, I thought why don't I try adding some slivers of prune, since I do have some of those little gems in the refrigerator. As I carefully sliced a couple prunes, visions of Jewish Hamantaschen danced in my head.

Hamantaschen are my most favorite cookie. Even though I was never a fan of prunes, the prune hamantaschen that I enjoyed as a child were phenomenal tasting.

I nuked the breakfast cake for a tad over 1.25 min. Inverted the small, round cake on my breakfast plate and dusted the top with a bit more cinnamon and equal.

Delish!!

Lunch was a small beef fillet with an oriental veggie blend, stir fried with some Winner's Weight Loss Beef Supplement. A liberal shake of various spices imparted a rich and amazing depth of flavor.

I love being on the Winner's Weightloss program! It is great to be able to eat real food.

Today, I heard that the Tallahassee, Florida LA Weight Loss Center is closing. So I got to thinking about a conversation that Ruth and I had the day I was teaching cooking classes at the NE Capital Circle location.

How cool would it be to have a place where you could swing by and pick-up a ready-to-eat meal on your way home. Not something laden with fat or calories, but a replacement meal that is light, healthy and simply delicious!

I' d love to co-ordinate or consult on a project of this type with Winner's Weightloss or even a restaurant, catering company or other facility that has a state-licensed, commercial kitchen that wants to set up an "enlightened to-go" program. No, I don't want to do the cooking, but I would love to provide recipes, ideas and public relations for such an endeavor. If you are interested, call me and let's pow-wow! Food writer and former caterer Kathi Dameron, can be reached at 850-422-3599. BTW ... If you have the time, please come by and read my latest column from Entertaining with Kathi. I would love your feedback!

Potato Saffron Frittata with Lemon-Kissed Spinach

The Food Network shared a recipe today for a Potato Saffron Omelet, as part of a Tapas collection.

I didn't take the time to read the recipe, as I knew there would be ingredients that I wouldn't be able to eat on my diet. Yet, I found the idea to be a nice launching pad for tonights dinner.

How does this sound... a Potato Saffron Frittata with Spinach? My version will be made with egg, potato, spinach, saffron and spices, prepared in an individual souffle dish. I'll serve it inverted on a bed of lemon-kissed braised spinach, to which I'll add a blast of roasted garlic. To garnish the dish, I'll do a mosaic of colorful, confetti chopped raw veggies.

Tomorrow night should be a real adventure. I'm going to a restaurant that I have wanted to go to for years, but the timing was never right. Tomorrows adventure is part of a new project I'm working on called Coastal Culinary Odyssey. Each month, I'll be visiting a different Florida Coastal restaurant and writing it up in the new Every Day Living Magazine. Very exciting! In fact in time, I would like to research the possibility of getting a grant to turn this project into a Florida tv series. I know... I have BIG IDEAS, but that is the way my mind is wired! What can I say!

Surviving The Holidays

Surviving The Holidays.... that is a loaded title for me!

Since this is a diet blog, I'll try to stay on topic and not run down any bunny trails.

I did it! I got through the Easter weekend without even craving a chocolate-covered marshmallow bunny.

This new lifestyle is becoming easier for me. Something else really amazing is happening. Years ago I received lots of compliments. But in the last fifteen years, I don't remember hearing any compliments on how I looked. But lately I've been hearing people tell me I look "beautiful."
Wow! It sounds kind of funny after so long. Funny, in a nice way.

Encouragement is such a great thing! I am so appreciative of people who take the time to encourage others along! We need to encourage one another. It takes so little, yet it gives so much. For some reason, my antennae has really been tuned in to the subject of encouragement for several years now. I've witnessed a real lack of encouragement with certain people. Best I can tell, some people simply are not wired to plant seeds of encouragement. That doesn't make them bad. They probably have lots of other gifts, instead.

If you find yourself lacking in encouragement, that is ok. You are not alone. Give yourself permission to encourage yourself! The best encouragement we might get... just might be the encouragement that flows from the inner most region of our souls.

From that interior region we can find the strength to survive anything... even dieting during the holidays!

Staying The Course

Kudos to meal replacement shakes! While I rarely go the meal replacement shake route, I am thankful for their convenience.

Right now I am sipping on a rich creamy chocolate shake and thrilled that I didn't have to interrupt my manic-like frenzy of writing this afternoon, to prepare lunch.

The diet is going GREAT! Actually it is going alot better than I would have ever expected. Even though visions of rich, decadent food flows in and out of my consciousness constantly through my passion and vocation of food writing, I am not deterred. I am staying the course without difficulty. To date I have lost about sixty pounds and feeling better than I have felt in years!

The Deep Dreams Of Our Soul: Are they Linked To Hunger

Today, I can not help to wonder how much of obesity is related to the deep unrealized dreams in our souls.

As a firm believer that every person's life and purpose was planned before the creation of the world, I wonder if when we are living outside of the bullseye of our truest authenticity, if that isn't a big piece of the puzzle as to why there is such a deep hunger.

Our authenticity is tied so profoundly to our life purpose. But if our life purpose has become scattered by the choices we make and the resulting circumstances of our reality, perhaps we lose sight of what is really important for us. Perhaps we come to believe that the big dream is not ours to have and that we have to settle for something far less than what we really want out of life.

Looking at my own life, I am mad at myself for settling for so much less than I once dreamed of.
I am mad that for twelve years I settled for a fruitless and unhappy marriage. I am mad that I am constantly doing things outside of the bullseye of what I really want.

Two years ago I identified the following goals:

1. To be a prolific best selling author, bringing the dozens of book projects inside of me to fruition.

2. To be a syndicated food and entertaining columnist.

3. To be fabulous, fit and financially secure.

4. To be living in the fullness of the best version of who I was created to be.

While by the grace of God, I have made significant progress on these goals... I recognize that I am a long way from hitting the bullseye of my target because I get caught up in things that are sort of what I want. But the reality is these "sort of things" are not what I really want-hence the reason for my anger at myself this morning.

Life is far too precious not to be going after the bullseye of our dreams. In the light of introspection, the "sort of" doesn't cut it! You either are or you are not and when you are not... there is bound to be a deep void in the garden of the soul that cries to be fed.

So we can feed it with that which it truly wants or we can attempt to stuff it with that which will never satisfy us and we will continue to be starving.

Pan Sauteed Grouper with Broccoli Pesto

For dinner tonight I'm thinking about preparing Pan Sauteed Grouper with Broccoli Pesto and A Lemon Herb Smashed Potato.

To lighten up the pesto, I'm planning to use some chicken soup supplement in place of the olive oil. I'll still use maybe 1/4 teaspoon of oil with the broccoli, herbs, garlic, lemon, etc.

For my Lemon Smashed Potato, I plan to incorporate some of the yummy lemon drink supplement, garlic and herbs into one cooked potato.

If I get a chance I'll post the results on how it tasted.

Do you want to know my secret to creating diet-friendly meals that pop with flavor?

My secret is to keep a well-stocked pantry of different Winner's Weightloss supplements that I can sprinkle into meal preparation. These supplements are a huge help in creating interesting, tasty meals that pop with great flavor.

Nothing Tastes As Good As Thin Feels

"Nothing tastes as good as thin feels!"

I have heard this saying several times over the years, but today is the first time that I have heard my own inner voice murmur those words.

While I am still a long way from being considered 'thin', I am nearing the 60 pound mark which is making me feel so much thinner than I was before embarking on this adventure.

Slipping into a pair of old khacki shorts this morning, that I have not been able to wear in at least five years and discovering that they are now two sizes too big for me, certainly made these last five months well worth everything it takes to lose over fifty pounds.

This diet really works! After being on just about every fad diet, it is so exciting to finally find the one weight loss program that can help me to lose the fat.

Kudos to Ruth and Lori at Winner's Weightloss in Tallahassee, Florida for helping me to get my life back! As far as weight loss centers go... Winner's Weightloss ROCKS!!

Luscious Lemon and Apple Breakfast Treat

Luscious Lemon and Apple Breakfast Treat is very similar to the 2 minute wonder breakfast souffle that I made for the recent cooking class at Winner's Weight Loss in Tallahassee, Florida.

My taste buds are dancing with joy after breakfasting on this luscious lemon-kissed meal. In most cases it would take an hour plus and hundreds of calories to get a treat that tasted this yummy. Yet in my kitchen, it took no more than two minutes to assemble and cook.

Luscious Lemon and Apple Breakfast Treat
From The Kitchen of Kathi Dameron

You'll need:

1 piece 40 calorie honey wheat bread, torn into small bit size pieces
1 egg, beaten
2 teaspoons Winner's Weight Loss Lemon Supplement
1 Tablespoon fresh apple, diced
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 drop pure vanilla extract
1 packet splenda, equal or stevia
Dusting of cinnamon (afterwards)

Directions:

1. Spray individual glass souffle cup with pam non-stick spray.

2. Tear bread in bite size pieces and add to souffle cup.

3. Add egg and mix well. Add all other ingredients and mix well.

4. Microwave for approximately 1 min. 25 seconds or until fluffy.

5. Invert on breakfast plate and dust with additional cinnamon.

For more recipes ... scroll through the pages of this blog.

Have a recipe? Please feel free to share it with all of us on this blog.

Happy Dieting! Looking forward to seeing "less" of you at the next cooking class.

Tell your friends to stop by too for ideas and let's see how many combined pounds we can lose in Tallahassee this year!

Look like Heaven in 2007!

Kathi Dameron's Cooking Class Menu For March 29, 2007

"Kathi, everyone wants to know what you are cooking tomorrow," Ruth said.

"Tell them it is a surprise!" I responded.

But while tomorrow's cooking class is fresh on my mind I realized I probably ought to post the menu on this blog, before my life detours in a zillion different directions.

The class is going to start out with a jolt of frozen cappuccino. What could be more refreshing on a warm Tallahassee day than a frosty, whipped blend of Frozen Cappuccino Blast?

Surprise!! We are going to add a blast of fudge-like brownie into an icy brew of java and cappuccino or chocolate supplement. Yum! Keep in mind the addition of a diced Winner's Weight Loss candy bar is not something you should do everyday... but tomorrow is not everyday. So I say let's make it special! Think Dairy Queen Blast and you have the general idea for the first food in Thursday's cooking
class line up.

From there we are going to make use of the microwave for a super simple one-bowl breakfast souffle. With one egg, one piece of forty-calorie bread, a drop of vanilla extract, a dash of supplement and a dusting of cinnamon and sweet and low I'll show you my two minute breakfast. Now of course this is just one variation. This easy treat can be made savory or sweet, depending on your taste preferences and availability of ingredients.

The third food is the lunch that I eat most days- a mixed green salad with fruit and a wildberry vinaigrette. This dressing in my opinion is far better than the Sweet and Jazzy dressing that I use to make when I owned Canopy Rose Catering. Plus it is not loaded with sugar and oil!

We'll finish up with an exotic tea-marinated chicken breast that I'll turn into a trendy chicken sate appetizer.

There you have it the Winner's Weight Loss Cooking Class menu for Thursday, March 29, 2007.

Finding Time For Creative Exercise In The Garden

Exercise doesn't have to be a ho-hum routine. I'm interested in pursuing creative exercise. You know what I mean? The kind of exercise that doesn't even feel like you are exercising.

Like yesterday for example... my exercise involved getting into the garden and doing some spring maintenance. With all the work my garden needs this season, I should be able to burn up lots of calories.

So my plan today is to take my mid-afternoon break outside scrubbing down the mailbox, bird baths, garden statuary and yard markers.

I've Lost 54 Pounds

Today I hit a new benchmark in this weight loss adventure. I've lost 54 pounds so far! As I drove home from the weight loss center, I began pondering the psychological aspects of eating.

Long before I embarked on the diet, I had been trying to unravel the mystery of how it was that food, especially sugar cravings, had become so entangled in my interior being.

As I became more aware of my patterns, I spotted triggers in my life that drove me to crave sugar.

While I don't begin to have the answers for anyone else, I understand what is making the difference for me. My secret is the transforming work of a higher power. With the hand of God, none of what I've been able to accomplish could have happened. God's orchestration is everywhere in this fabulous journey of weight loss.

Timing is everything. For some mysterious reason, after fifteen years of being obese, the timing is right for me to lose the weight. I suspect that if I had lost the weight before God had the chance to do a bunch of inner work with me, things would have been far more tangled up inside me.

I pray that my years of obesity have not caused irreversible health problems in my body. How tragic that so many of the health problems in today's world could be avoided by simply following a diet that is based on the good natural foods God gave to us.

It is often said that you don't have something because you don't ask, or that when you do, you ask with the wrong motives. How true this can be about weight loss.

For me this weight loss is not so much about looking hot, as it is about becoming the best possible version of who God created me to be. It is also about being a good steward of this one miraculous body that will travel with me during the remainder of my stay on planet earth. It is my job to do my part to take care of it and not abuse it.

Next Cooking Class

Thursday March 29, 2007 is the date for the next cooking class that I will be teaching at Winner's Weight Loss. Space is very limited, so if you are interested in attending call Ruth at 850-671-3200 and make a reservation as soon as possible. The classroom is pretty small, but the good news is I'll be teaching the same cooking segment during two different time slots that day. The first class is at 12 noon and the second class is at either at 5 or 5:30.

Naturally these classes focus on low-fat, heart-healthy cuisine that pops with flavor.

If you can't come to the class, but want the recipes send me a request at askkathidameron@aol.com

Springing With Joy

Hoorah! I've finally crossed the fifty pound mark! On my most recent weigh-in I was down 50 1/2 pounds and 54 1/2 inches.

What a great way to spring into the warm weather season. And springing is a good way to describe exactly how I am feeling these days!

Now, of course I'm still as big as a football player, but God-willing by tailgate season next fall, my weight won't be any where close to a football ball players weight any longer.

Grapefruit Sorbet

Did you know that frozen fruit tastes awesome?

This is a real fluke! Last week when everything went haywire over here, my commercial refrigerator turned into a freezer. The temperature dropped from 40 degrees down to 20 degrees below zero. Everything turned rock solid!

I really thought I would have to toss everything out.

But I discovered if I kept the grapefruit and tangerines in the freezer and nuke them as I wanted one, they tasted fine. In fact, the iced taste added an extra bit of pizzazz to the partially thawed fruit. Imagine the taste of a grapefruit sorbet without any added sugar or other other ingredients.

This former food professional is still learning kitchen secrets. Sort of like getting a Free Diet tip!

I'm Back

I'm back! Finally!

Did you miss me? I sure missed being able to post on my blogs.

I had about a week where everything simply went haywire over here! Kudos to Heath for pitching in and posting when I couldn't!

There is a story about my diet coming out in the next issue of Tallahassee Discoveries Magazine.

I'll probably go ahead and post it here, but try to pick up a copy of the magazine.

Sandy has tweaked distribution a bit. Starting with this issue, she will be direct mailing an extra 4,000 copies to certain Northeast Tallahassee neighborhoods. I hope that will give her advertisers more bang for their buck!

Ok... back to my diet. Some days my stress hopped off the charts. But the good news is I didn't turn to sugar! You know I think I'm licking this emotional eating disorder!

On my last weigh-in I was down 49 pounds!

Hopefully, my postings will get back on a consistent schedule now.

I'll be doing another cooking class in March. If you want more details call Ruth over at Winner's Weight Loss. The number is 850-671-3200

Tramadol Amount

Question: Can you take too much tramadol?

Answer: You want to be very careful how much tramadol you take. Generally it should be taken every 4 to 6 hours, too much can easily result in serious side effects. Always perform your due diligence prior to taking a new medication. Be proactive and know the facts.

Shooting Food Videos

Today, I dusted off the digital camcorder that I purchased back in 2000 for videotaping Canopy Rose catered events.

Back then, my vision had been to create entertaining videos for the old Canopy Rose website. But we were always too busy to shoot videos.

For nearly seven years, the equipment sat stowed away on a shelf in the closet. Occasionally, I'd pull it out and attempt to play videographer.

After last night's cooking class at Winner's Weight Loss in Tallahassee, Florida - I got to thinking that I should set my camera on a tripod in my culinary studio and experiment with creating some cooking episodes.

Who knows! Maybe sometime in the future I'll share a couple of them on here... after I can figure out how to use the technology to effectively express the visions that dance across my imagination.

Anyway, I wanted to share this video I just found on youtube. I liked it. I thought it was pretty good. They used the Windows Movie Maker program to make the video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOQkBP5nioY

Cooking Class Menu From February 6, 2007

Today, I had the wonderful privilege of sharing some recipes and ideas with some other members of Winner's Weight Loss.

We might be dieting, but that doesn't keep us from eating beautiful and flavorful food.

Here is the menu from tonight's cooking class:

February 6, 2007 Cooking Class Menu

at Winner's Weight Loss

Tallahassee, Florida

Hot Spiced Tea with Lemon, Orange and Pineapple

Sun Dried Tomato Terrine with Jicama

Mixed Greens with Fresh Florida Strawberries

Wild Berry Vinaigrette

Flounder en Papillot with Vegetable Medley

Pineapple Cheesecake

Would you like to join us for an upcoming cooking class? Contact Kathi Dameron at askkathidameron@aol.com

Want to learn about the Winner's Weight Loss program, call Lori at 850-297-2500

Solutions Better Than Frustration

Question: There is a problem with my power supply lines. I'm so frustrated, I could eat a pint of ice cream! I need to find a company that does power supply repair. Can you suggest or direct me to a resource?

Answer: There is a company on the Internet called acsindustrial.com that provides a solution for repairing all sorts of cable lines. Their website lists all of their different services.

Dieting Is Like A Competitive Game of Ice Hockey

Imagine a game of ice hockey. That is how I'm feeling about my diet this morning.

A competitive spirit is at work with the scale, attempting to block me from achieving another ten pound goal.

For some reason, my weight-loss always seems to hover as I near each ten pound mark.

I'll be so close to getting another ten pound certificate to post on my board and so confident that I'll achieve the goal at the next weigh-in, but then it takes up to two weeks to break it. Then once again the weight starts dropping with ease, until I hit the next 10 pound plateau.

Perhaps I need to get more proactive and engage in more of the proven strategies to outsmart the ten pound goalies.

Score Points with Super Bowl Kebabs

The Super Bowl Challenge: What can I serve to guests or bring to a party that won't defeat my diet?


One great solution: You can level the playing field and score big points by offering a heart-healthy balance. While traditional Super Bowl Cuisine has a reputation for clogging arteries, a party platter like the one being described in this blog offers a more conscientious option.


I'm thinking of something that is festive and fun, threaded on a stick or artistically arranged on a do-it-yourself platter and actually is perfect fare for Super Bowl parties.

Imagine an edible collage of fresh, colorful chunk-sized ingredients. Perhaps Florida seafood, beef tenderloin, mesquite grilled chicken strips, fresh seasonal garden fresh fruits and veggies.

Whether served hot off the grill or ice cold, Kebabs with a luscious dipping sauce are a tried and true party food.

The best part... they are super easy to prepare.

Simply pick up a package of wooden skewers at the grocery store. They are usually sold near the fresh fish case. Then indulge your friends in some of their favorite ingredients that can be threaded on a stick.

To save time just prep (and cook if necessary) the ingredients and arrange in an attractive design on a platter or greenery lined basket. Serve with sticks so everyone can create their own favorite combination.

For more great tasting diet ideas, don't miss Kathi Dameron's upcoming cooking class at Winner's Weight Loss in Tallahassee, Florida. Space is limited so reserve your spot today by sending an e-mail to askkathidameron@aol.com or calling Lori at 850-297-2500

Mixed Greens with Grilled Chicken and Diced Apple

From The Kitchen of Tallahassee, Florida Dieter - Kathi Dameron

This salad is so good. Most days I prepare some variation of it for lunch.

If you can get the organic baby herb salad greens in a bag- do it. The intensely flavored herbs kick up the flavors to an even greater degree of culinary intrigue.

My Recipe for Mixed Greens With Grilled Chicken & Diced Apple

1. Layer a plate or bowl with plenty of mixed greens. I usually use a combination of spring greens, fresh herbs, spinach, red and white cabbage.

2. Nuke a mesquite grilled chicken breast. ( I buy mine at Sam's Wholesale Club and in my microwave they are cooked in 2 minutes and ready to slice and dice.) Srinkle on greens.

3. Wash, slice and dice a red delicious apple. Sprinkle on greens.

4. Stir up a bit of citrus vinaigrette. My diet version is made with 1 teaspoon olive oil or canola oil, a big splash of a favorite gourmet flavored vinegar, fresh minced garlic, a big splash of fresh squeezed Florida grapefruit, orange, lemon, or lime. Sometimes I add a splash of a fruity Winner's Weight Loss supplement like Mixed Berry, and a pinch of salt-free and msg-free seasoning. I always like to dip one of the greens into the dressing to taste the flavor, and then adjust the vinaigrette if necessary. Then I drizzle it all over the greens.

This is a wonderful, feel-good lunch. The best part is you won't even feel like your dieting! This is certainly a salad you could serve to company and not feel the least bit guilty that you are serving your diet cuisine.

Of course, you don't have to use apple. I like to change my fruit from time to time. Strawberries are lovely in this recipe as is grapefruit, orange or just about any seasonal garden fresh produce.

Also, the protein doesn't have to be Grilled Chicken. Iced Shrimp, salmon or tuna would also make a fine salad that will leave your tastebuds humming with joy.

For more ideas, don't miss my upcoming cooking class at Winner's Weight Loss. Space is limited, but there are still seats available. Call Lori at 850-297-2500 or send Kathi an e-mail at askkathidameron@aol.com to make a reservation.

I'm At The Quarter Mark

Right now I'm to the quarter mark on my diet. This is very exciting.

The progress of course feels slow, yet steady.

But ah, my clothes tell a different story. Being able to slip into outfits that I had not been able to wear for several years, feels absolutely wonderful. Everything is baggy! I love it! But I don't plan on buying any clothes until every extra pound is off.

Thoughts of a November '07 wardrobe shopping excursion dance across my imagination. I have not worn a size 5 or 7 since 1989. I'm so jazzed that I'm on the road to recovery from this horrible, life-robbing disease of obesity.

So far I've lost about 40 pounds.

Listen if I can do this, anyone can do this! It is about stepping away from the denial, assuming 100% responsibility for our bodies, and desiring inner healing that is an inheritance to all who are willing to ask, believe and accept the gift.

We are only deceiving ourselves if we think we can live our best possible life wrapped in fat.

For me, in some ways I found safety by being overweight. Fat was my upside down way of protecting my heart from being shattered. But in the illuminating light of truth, that reasoning has some major black holes.

With divine guidance, I've been able to fill those black holes with God's love and therefore, food holds absolutely no claim over my heart.

But Winners Weight Loss is helping me, too. Before I started the program at Winner's, I couldn't lose the weight. I wasn't eating very much. I just was eating the wrong things. Winner's has put me on the right track where the weight is coming off in a safe way.

Weight Loss Tips From Jon M. Stout

Weight Loss Tips
By Jon Stout

Today, doctors are calling obesity our number one health concern in the United States. Today, about 30% of the adult population in this country is considered obese. In addition, 16% of children between the ages of 6 and 19 are overweight. Though it has gained a tremendous amount of attention in the past few years, the problem is still on the rise.

One of this country’s national health objectives is to reduce the incidence of obesity to less than 15% of the adult population by the year 2010. And, while there is a lot of talk about the problem, many people don’t seem to truly understand the steps they need to take to get their weight under control.

Most of us understand that in order to lose weight you need to burn more calories than you consume. However, many people attempt to reach this goal by seriously restricting their calorie intake. This type of dieting generally fails for two reasons.

First of all, when you begin to significantly reduce the number of calories you consume, your body goes into starvation mode. When in starvation mode, your body works very hard to hold onto the fat that you have, decreasing the number of calories you’re burning. This means that your body is adjusting itself to the reduced number of calories you’re consuming.

Secondly, starvation diets are not realistic. We simply cannot live on such restrictive plans for any significant length of time. So, we begin to feel deprived, and before you know it, we’ve given up on dieting.

Doctors believe that just after a starvation diet, our bodies will quickly accumulate fat when we begin to eat again, as though trying to make up for the famine it just endured. So, often, just a few weeks after ending a diet, we find that we’re fatter than before. We feel defeated and as though losing weight is simply not possible.

However, losing weight is possible if you approach the situation correctly. There are two important pieces to the weight loss puzzle. The first is adjusting your diet.

Adjusting your diet doesn’t mean eating so little that you’re hungry nearly all the time. Adjusting your diet for permanent weight loss means replacing your high fat, high calorie foods with those that are healthier and contain fewer calories. By eating the right foods, you can easily eat enough to feel satisfied, but still lose weight. Avoiding hunger will help you stick to your diet long enough to see serious results.

Take a look at the way you’re eating. Get rid of the hydrogenated fats like butter and replace them with healthy ones like olive oil. Eat mostly chicken and fish – making red meats an occasional meal rather than a regular one. Eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, and make your breads and cereals only from whole grains. Avoid processed foods. If you can make these substitutions, you should lose weight automatically.

The second part of the weight loss equation is speeding up your metabolism. You can make a significant difference in the number of calories you burn each day, making weight loss and weight maintenance far easier.

The fastest and easiest way to speed up your metabolism is to exercise. Aim for 30 minutes of exercise most days of the week. Walking is a great exercise that anyone can do. In addition, try to make your life more active in general. Take the stairs instead of the elevator and walk wherever you can.

Be sure to get in some resistance training, as well. Muscle, even when resting, burns more calories than fat, so adding some additional muscle is extremely beneficial. You don’t need to aim to be a body builder; just 20 minutes of strength training 3 times a week is enough to build some additional muscle. Strength training will also help shape your body, making your weight loss results more noticeable.

It is also beneficial to use foods to your advantage when it comes to speeding up your metabolism. For example, eat those foods that require lots of energy to digest, like raw fruits and vegetables. Many raw vegetables actually require more calories to digest than they contain!
In addition, try adding some tea to your diet. Tea has been shown to speed up the metabolism and help oxidize fat. It may also have the ability to inhibit the absorption of dietary fat into the body.

One research study, conducted at Maastricht University in The Netherlands, looked at tea’s ability to increase thermogenesis, burning fat and speeding up the metabolism. Many studies have shown that caffeine helps speed weight loss, but tea seems to have more potential than other beverages with caffeine.

Tea’s catechins, a potent form of anti-oxidant, seem to work in conjunction with the caffeine in tea to burn fat and speed up metabolism. The study in the Netherlands came to this conclusion, along with concluding that other substances often used to speed metabolism, like caffeine with ephedra, simply are not safe enough to be recommended as a weight loss supplement.

For those prone to being overweight, keeping the scale in check is a lifelong project. But, armed with the right tools, including a sensible diet, regular exercise and helpers like tea, maintaining a normal weight for the long term is entirely possible.

Jon M. Stout is the Chairman of the Golden Moon Tea Company. Golden Moon Tea carefully selects the finest rare and orthodox teas, which are processed slowly and handcrafted with extreme care. At their website, you can learn more about their current tea offerings, including their exceptional green tea, white tea, black tea, oolong tea (also known as wu-long and wu long tea) and chai. Visit goldenmoontea.com for all details concerning the Golden Moon Tea Company's fine line of teas.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jon_Stout
http://EzineArticles.com/?Weight-Loss-Tips&id=422633

Green Tea Weight-Loss Strategy

While researching weight-loss articles this afternoon, I came across an interesting article that shares insight into how green tea might be beneficial on a diet.

More Evidence That Tea Helps with Weight Loss

By Jon Stout

Every little bit of help is useful when you’re trying to lose weight or keep your weight stable as you get older. Diet and exercise are still the most important components of weight loss and maintenance, but studies are showing that tea, particularly green tea, may be able to provide some assistance in losing weight and keeping it off.

For centuries, Asians have used green tea for health. In addition to Asian cultures having a much lower incidence of serious diseases such as cancer and heart disease, they also are far less likely to be overweight.

Tea comes from the Camellia sinensis plant. While there are several different types of tea, all true tea comes from this plant. The differences occur from how the tea is processed. Green tea is not fermented during processing, but black tea, which is the most common outside Asia does go through a fermentation process.

Tea leaves naturally contain catechins, which belong to the flavan-3-ol class of flavonoids, which are anti-oxidants. EGCG is one of the catechins contained in tea, and is one of the most powerful anti-oxidants around.

Each day, as we convert food to energy, we create free radicals in our body. These free radicals can damage our cells and our DNA if we don’t combat them. It is believed that unchecked free radicals contribute to the development of many diseases, including cancer. In addition, they speed up the aging process and contribute to clogged arteries and other health problems.

Anti-oxidants are powerful at combating free radicals and are linked with preventing cancer, as well as with decreasing your risk of stroke and heart disease. and with lowering your cholesterol. For this reason, drinking green tea is a simple and effective way to slow down the aging process and prevent disease. But, in addition to being a way to protect your health, drinking tea seems to also be a way to help keep you slim.

There has been a fairly significant amount of research on tea and its ability to help control your waistline. Tea seems to work on two levels. The first is that it appears to speed up the metabolism, so you use more calories each day. However, it also seems to inhibit fat absorption, so that less of the fat in your diet becomes fat on your body.

Tea has two ingredients that seem to help it work its magic. The first is caffeine, which is known to help speed up the metabolism. However, tea seems to work better than other caffeinated beverages because of those powerful anti-oxidants we were talking about earlier. The anti-oxidants, also known as catechins, are the key to helping inhibit the absorption of fat and keep the metabolism moving for hours. One research study that evaluated the benefits of tea on weight loss was conducted by the Osaka University of Foreign Studies. This study was conducted on just under 200 healthy men and women between the ages of 20 and 65. The subjects were divided into three groups; the control group, low dose group and high dose group.
The study lasted for 12 weeks. During the study period, the control group was fed 3 bottles of placebo drink. The low dose group consumed 2 bottles of a drink containing tea catechins and one bottle of placebo drink and the high dose group consumed 3 bottles of the tea catechin drink.
At the end of the twelve week study, those subjects in the low dose and high dose group showed a significant decrease in body fat compared with the control group. Both body weight and BMI were reduced in these two groups. In addition, abdominal fat was significantly reduced.
This reduction in body fat around the abdominal area is significant. Fat around the midsection is the fat that is most dangerous to our health. Abdominal fat is the type that is most likely to be an indicator of heart disease. Reducing your waist size, and the fat around your midsection is the most important weight to lose in order to protect your health.

Another interesting result of this study was that the subjects who had slightly elevated cholesterol levels also experienced a reduction in LDL cholesterol. LDL cholesterol is the “bad cholesterol”. When too much of this type of cholesterol circulates in the blood, it oxidizes into plaque that clogs the arteries. This causes the arteries to narrow, increasing your risk of heart attack and stroke.

When you combine this information with other studies that have shown a positive relationship between the amount of tea consumed in a day and the amount of overall body fat, it certainly suggests that drinking tea can be an effective way to lose weight and keep it off.

We all know that it’s critical to eat well and get regular exercise in order to maintain our health and keep our weight in check. However, understanding how simple things like drinking tea can provide assistance can make this challenge a little easier and faster.

Jon M. Stout is the Chairman of the Golden Moon Tea Company. Golden Moon Tea carefully selects the finest rare and orthodox teas, which are processed slowly and handcrafted with extreme care. At their website, you can learn more about their current tea offerings, including their exceptional green tea, white tea, black tea, oolong tea (also known as wu-long and wu long tea) and chai.

Visit goldenmoontea.com for all details concerning the Golden Moon Tea Company's fine line of teas.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jon_Stouthttp://EzineArticles.com/?More-Evidence-That-Tea-Helps-with-Weight-Loss&id=422636

Can You Help With Kathi's Pizza Challenge?

Considering that I was born and bred in the Chicago area, where great tasting pizza is as much a part of the culinary landscape; as Lake Michigan is of the geographic landscape...living a lifestyle deprived of pizza grows old.

What is a dieting pizza lover to do?

This pizza lover is experimenting with different options for edible plates that don't bankrupt the days food budget in calories or carbs.

The toppings are the least of my problems. My imagination is blooming with a veritable garden of topping ideas.

My challenge is the crust. How can I create a crust that fits the bread criteria on the Winner's Weight Loss Diet?

My first attempt was with a fat-free whole-wheat flour tortilla. But even in the heart-healthy reduced version, the tortilla was still almost triple the calories of the 40 calorie bread.

I would love to hear from you with your ideas for great-tasting home-made pizza crusts that are low-fat, low-salt and low-carbohydrate.

In the meantime, I'm going on assignment to research this subject on the Internet.
If I come up with some great-sounding solutions, I'll be sure to post them on this blog.

Do you have a weight-loss challenge that you need help with? Post it here or drop Kathi an e-mail at askkathidameron@aol.com

A Night In Casablanca

This week I'm dreaming up some ideas for experimenting with some good old vintage cuisine with perhaps some exotic twists.

Think Casabanca, Humphrey Bogart and the flavors of Morocco.

The menu I'm imagining goes like this: A Tangerine and Sparkling Water Cocktail with Fresh Raspberries, a Kasbah-Inspired Salad, Slow-Roasted Meat and Vegetable Kebabs, A Bit of Couscous and a Cup of Rich and Fragrant Moroccan Spiced Tea.

Perhaps I'll check with the library and see if they have the Casabanca video or soundtrack to check out.

Wouldn't this be a fun party theme? Add some Seafood Marseillaise to the menu and encourage your friends to come dressed circa Casablanca!

For an outrageous idea, why not stage this soiree on a weekend getaway at an Orlando Holiday Villa.

Greek-Style Fish

Splashes of white wine and fresh squeezed lime...

Whispers of chopped herbs, slivers of finely cut onion and the essence of flattened minced garlic ....

An unmistakable fine drizzle of olive oil...

A sprinkle of sea salt and some favorite spices...

The flounder filet and a hot oven.

That is basically how I created a flounder entree tonight that tasted simply superb.

My objective was to create a lighter version of the wonderful Greek-style fish, like the popular dish served at restaurants like Captain Anderson's at Panama City Beach, Florida.

Looking for a diet program where good taste won't have to be sacrificed?

Winner's Weight Loss, located in Tallahassee, Florida offers a doctor-designed and approved diet program that lets you eat simply delicious food while learning strategies for life.

For more information on the fabulous Winner's Weight Loss Program call Lori at 850-297-2500.

Want to learn some new ideas for creative cookery with nutritional supplements?
Make sure and sign up with Lori for Kathi Dameron's upcoming cooking class. The class will be on February 6, 2007.

The February class is free, but seats are limited. Reserve your space today!

Have a question? I'll do my best to answer it. Send it to askkathidameron@aol.com

What's For Dinner?

Ah, there is nothing like stirring up some intoxicating aromas in the kitchen to whet the taste buds.

Tonight I walked into the kitchen with one big question hanging over me.

"What am I going to fix for dinner?"

After a quick survey of the refrigerator and pantry, I opted for a Greek-Style Florida Fish, Basmati Rice and Steamed Trees.

If dinner tastes as good as it smells, my taste buds will be dancing a waltz tonight.

Diet fare does not need to be blah! At least that's what I keep telling myself. I am out to prove that healthy eating can indeed be delicious.

Are you looking for ideas for dinner ... sign up for my cooking class.

For more information call Lori at Winner's Weight Loss in Tallahassee, Florida at 850-297-2500 or send Kathi an e-mail at askkathidameron@aol.com

French Onion Soup

With the weather growing cooler by the day, hearty and home-made soups are perfect fare.

French Onion Soup, a traditional favorite of mine is on the menu tonight at my house for dinner.


My challenge tonight will be to take the traditional recipe and tweak it to work with my diet.

For rich beef broth, I will be substituting one of the great tasting beef soup supplements from Winner's Weight Loss.

If I have time, I'll share my recipe after dinner.

I've Lost 36 Pounds!

Yippy!! This morning I weighed in at Winner's Weight Loss and discovered that so far I have lost 36 pounds!

Why, I'm starting to feel like a new person. Still have a long way to go, but that doesn't bother me since I'm learning how to eat for the rest of my life.

I've decided that successful weight loss is really about readiness, getting the internal stuff right and having the support of a proven program.

For a few weeks, I didn't have all the vitamins. The lesson to me was that the vitamins are critical for optimized energy, metabolism and weight-loss. Now that I'm back on all the recommended vitamins, not only has my energy soared, but my clothes are looser and the scale is reflecting the progress.

Nutritional support seems to be a biggee in successful weight reduction.

If you are looking for help with a weight-loss adventure in 2007, my friends at Winner's Weight Loss in Tallahassee, Florida would love to help you, too.

I've been on just about every diet around and spent years on the diet merry-go-round but I feel confident that through the help and support of the doctor-approved diet at Winner's Weight Loss I will be able to finally lose all of the weight that my body no long needs.

DNA vs. Self-Control

Lately I've been doing some writing assignments on the subject of DNA Testing.

My research has taken me to the public library and hop-scotching across the Internet to learn a bit about this field.

In the books that I have checked out from the main branch of the Tallahassee Library, I'm discovering fascinating information about the role my DNA has played in my love of sweets and carbs. I suppose I come by my sweet tooth naturally, but I can't blame it all on the DNA, since in all reality we are the ones who hold the ultimate control over what we put in our mouths.

In the fight over DNA vs. Self-Control, I'm going to cheer for good self-control in 2007.

You're Invited To A Free Cooking Class ~ Tuesday February 6, 2007

From the Desk of Tallahassee, Florida Dieter ~ Kathi Dameron

Mark your calendar and reserve your spot if you would like to come to my cooking class.

This class is free, but space is very limited!

Date: Tuesday, February 6, 2007

RSVP: To Lori at 297-2500 or to Kathi at AskKathiDameron@aol.com

Location: Winner's Weight Loss on North Monroe

More details coming soon!