The Big BLOB Weight Loss Blog

Oh my, oh my, oh my!

Heaven in a dish.

Cinco de Mango Salsa (recipe courtesy the National Mango Board)

Serving Size: 6 to 8

Prep Time:
15 minutes

Ingredients:

3 large ripe mangos, peeled, pitted, and diced
1 medium jalapeno pepper, stemmed, seeded, and minced
2/3 cups diced red bell pepper
1/3 cup diced red onion
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions:
Stir together all ingredients in a medium bowl.

I tried this mango recipe (courtesy the National Mango Board) last weekend. Delicious!!

Grilled Chicken with Mango Ginger Chutney

Serving Size: 6 to 8 servings

Prep Time:
20 Minutes

Cook Time:
About 40 Minutes

Ingredients:

No ingredients
Instructions:
Rinse chicken and pat dry. Pierce surface of meat with a fork and place in a resealable plastic bag with pureed mango, balsamic vinegar, oil, salt and pepper. Seal bag and marinate in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight. Combine all chutney ingredients in a medium saucepan and stir well. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. Uncover and simmer over low heat for a few minutes more to cook off excess liquid; let cool. (May be made up to 2 weeks ahead. Store tightly covered in the refrigerator.) When ready to serve, remove chicken from marinade and grill over medium coals for about 5 to 7 minutes on each side minutes, or until cooked through. Serve with Mango Chutney.

Serving Tips:
Marinate time: several hours or overnight

Yesterday I talked about how using a pedometer can be very motivating.

Here are some programs I found that can be used with your pedometer.

Pedometer Plus Audio CD (Intermediate Level)

Pedometer Walking: Stepping Your Way to Health, Weight Loss, and Fitness

Manpo-Kei: The Art and Science of Step Counting : How to Be Naturally Active and Lose Weight!

Even though I try other kinds of exercise and fitness programs, I always come back to walking.

Here’s why:
*it is easy
*it is cheap
*I can do it alone
*I can do it with other people
*if I want there are clubs, excursions, and groups to join
*it takes less than a minute to get ready to go (shoes, jacket when necessary)
*I can do it on the spur of a moment

One of the “tools” I have invested in, is a pedometer. Though not necessary, I find that aiming at 10,000 steps a day is very motivating. Steps a day allows me to be slow when I’m feeling lazy, or be fast when I am energized and pumped up. By measuring steps instead of time, I don’t feel guilty about being slow, when I feel like being slow. I don’t hesitate to stop and sit on a bench to watch the world go by, or to take my coffee thermos with me. The goal is the steps, not the time.

Here are a few different types of pedometers from Amazon.
AS SEEN ON TV Acumen JogMate Plus JOGGER WALKER Pedometer NEW!

Omron HJ-112 Digital Premium Pedometer

512MB Waterproof MP3/PEDOMETER

When I was in Mexico I lost a big chunk of weight and reduced my bulk by two clothing sizes. It didn’t seem like I did any dieting or exercising at all … and I was totally surprized when I came home and weighed myself.

My diet consisted of all teh great fresh veggies and fruits in the local markets. There was a surprizing LACK of sweet things which helped me easily maintain a very healthy eating plan.

My exercise plan was even easier. I didn’t have a vehicle, so I took the local bus (an adventure in itself) or I walked. In the area of Mexico I was staying in, the only paved street was the main roadway through town. All other streets were either dirt roads or cobblestone streets.

Even before I left for Mexico, I had heard about a study that indicated that walking on cobblestones could reduce your blood pressure.

A surprising reduction in blood pressure has been achieved in 16 weeks in a group of normally physically inactive elderly men and women who had regular sessions of walking on mats that replicated smooth, rounded cobblestones, Oregon researchers report in the August issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

Personally, I think that the lowering of blood pressure is because when you are walking on cobblestones you have to concentrate on what you are doing in the moment. No time to be stressing about other stuff because the moment your attention wanders you could find yourself flat on your face or bum.

All it took to lose the weight and firm up the tush was walking around town for an hour or so a day. Some routes had slight inclines that definitely got my heart pumping.

My challenge after coming home to Vancouver has been in maintaining the healthy eating plan … and the walking plan. It has not been the same walking on all the great sidewalks and paven roadways, which is too bad! I am managing to keep the weight off, but have stalled in the “continuing to loose” quest.

So imagine my surprize when I found an Amazon product that is supposed to stimulate the effect of walking on cobblestone streets.

Cobblestone Mat

I LOVE mangos. Mangos are one of my favorite fruits. Mexican Mangos are being sold across North America right now … so do take advantage of the season.

Here are two VERY SIMPLE ways I prepare mangos.

Mangos in Lime Juice.

How easy can you get. Peel and slice or dice your mangos. Add the juice of one or two limes and let sit for an hour or so. IF you want, add a tsp of sugar, honey or some artificial sweetner.

A variation to the above is to add is a 1/2 cup of plain yoghurt.

Mangos with Rose Syrup

This takes a tiny bit longer than the mangos and lime because you need to prepare a syrup.

1/2 cup Rose Water (available from middle eastern or East Indian food stores)
1/2 cup sugar (honey) or Splenda
bring just to a boil … then cool.

Pour over fresh mango slices.
Add a few mint leaves or rose petals for color and presentation.

Melanie

PS. I serve this as a “light” desert when I have guests. They invariably RAVE about both versions!

I am a big fan of Bob Greene … for those of you who don’t know who Bob Greene is … his BIG claim to fame is as Oprah’s trainer. He has written several books … and has an online support program. [see more info on Bob Green’s Best Life Diet Program ]

This morning I was poking around the internet and found this great interview Green did with a CNN reporter. It was from a few years back, but is interesting because it gives some great information about how he got started with Oprah and some of his background as a trainer and fitness/diet consultant.

CNN’s Interview: Summer Shape-Up: Interview With Personal Trainer Bob Greene

Have a great day!
Melanie

PS … check out Bob Green’s Online Weight Loss Program