We are waaaay up north in Minnesota, about 15 minutes from the Canadian border, spending time with Tom's family. We're all here, his parents, Cathy and Warren, his brother and sister-in-law, Bob and Michelle, Tom, myself and our boys Jacob and Brodrick. And the DOGS, all five of them. I will be back on Tuesday with more Healthy Living How To, in the meantime, I wish you and yours a very Happy & Healthy New Year!

Bacon makes everything better and a hot salad dressing made with bacon is no exception. Hot Bacon Dressing is a German classic, featured in just about every church cookbook from the 70's. While your grandmother's version probably calls for unhealthy vegetable oil, sugar and cornstarch, with a few substitutions, you have a healthy dressing. Slightly sweet and sour, this healthy salad dressing is far better than any commercially bottled dressing. It is made with healthy stable saturated fats, onions and bacon, lots of bacon. I know your mouth is watering so let's get to the recipe, Healthy Hot Bacon Dressing.

Absolutely nothing. Uh huh. Candy, huh, yeah. What is it good for. Absolutely nothing. Say it again, y'all. (sung to the tune of "War" by Edwin Starr) This is about the only thing candy is good for, building gingerbread houses. Last year, my family started a new Christmas Day tradition, a friendly gingerbread house decorating contest. We pair up in teams, pick a house and let the creativity flow. Once the houses are complete we take a vote and pick a winner. Care to guess which house won this year?

On a more serious note, if you gave into all of the holiday temptations and are suffering a sugar hangover this week today is the day to get back on track. Get back to your healthy eating, challenge yourself to a few days of protein, fats and vegetables. Exercise. Drink water. Sit in the sauna and detox. If there are any sugar-filled leftovers in the house, get rid of them. Be prepared for the sugar cravings to tempt you, but don't give in. YOU CAN DO IT! 

If you need to bring in the reinforcements read these 59 reasons How Sugar Ruins Your Health!

It's the morning after Christmas, enjoying a cup of coffee as well as the silence. Ahhhhh, the silence, there is something to be said for sitting quietly and just being. The early morning hours are usually my favorite time of the day, it's my time of reflection, journalling and prayer. On the days when I start my day differently, I always feel it. This time is my time, it's where I find my joy, peace, hope and strength. 

Being truly healthy is the balance of our physical, mental and spiritual health. As a society we tend to emphasize physical health by focusing our energy on eating right and exercising but neglect the other parts of our being. This lack of balance shows up as marked differences between success in one are of our life and feelings of inadequacy and dissatisfaction in another area.

In my own journey to better health, I have found tremendous emotional and spiritual healing in the practice of silence, just being. This purposeful activity is my time to:

As 2011 comes to a close and we anticipate a new year, I suggest making a new commitment to yourself. Instead of starting a new diet or making a resolution to lose weight, how about a resolution to be healthy, healthy in mind, body and spirit.  

I realize today is Thursday and Christmas is just a few days away, however, if you are looking for a last minute gift idea for your steak and burger loving friend or family member, I've got one. Check out this stainless steel Calphalon Grill. We recently purchased one, and although at first I was a little skeptical, it has quickly become one of my favorite kitchen appliances, along with my Vitamix and Fagor Pressure Cooker.

As the temps fall and the snow accumulates in Minnesota it's inevitable, the outdoor grill goes into hibernation. While making steaks and burgers on the stove in a cast iron pan is an option, personally I dislike the cleanup involved. An even bigger issue for this family of four, is the limitation on how much you can cook at a time. What can I say, we are meat eaters around here.

After reading online reviews and doing some shopping around, we settled on the Calphalon Grill. The best part, we had a coupon for Bed, Bath & Beyond for 20% off, which made the price a little more appealing. If you visit their website and sign up for e-mails you can get a coupon as well. They will then start sending you a coupon on a monthly basis, which we usually use to buy Keurig K-Cups.

Using the grill takes a little practice, however, I quickly perfected my technique at making excellent burgers and steaks on it. You won't get the smoky grill taste, but you can still get a nice crust on the outside with a juicy pink center. While a thick steak, like the pork shoulder steaks shown above, take more time, you can grill up six burgers in about four minutes.

Want to learn how to take your wrapped gifts from blah to beautiful? Learn how to make your own Christmas bows, with wire trimmed ribbon, scissors and tape. No more buying a gift bag to hide your presents in and no more flimsy cheap bows from a bag. Don't just save your newly found bow making talent for Christmas gifts either, there are some gorgeous ribbons out there that make stunning bows for wedding gifts, birthday gifts, anniversary gifts, you get my drift. Believe me when I say, your gift will be the center of attention!

Ok my friends, I made my very first video. Don't get too excited, except for a couple of the later clips, you don't get to actually see "me", just my hands. What can I say, I made this at 8:00 am, still in my pajamas, no makeup with bedhead. You do however get to hear my Minnesota accent and my sweet little voice. This being my first video, forgive me for tripping over my tongue a few times. I did not plan anything I was going to say, but just pressed record and began. For whatever reason, my first recording stopped about a quarter of the way through, so I had to start over, this was take two. I also set the video camera up in portrait setting instead of landscape which was a mistake as it doesn't make the best visual.

Last week I did a recipe makeover for Italian Chocolate Spice Cookies. From unhealthy to healthy, they turned out beautiful, the texture was light and cakey and the flavors were deep and spicy. I got it in my head that with a little tweaking, they would taste great as a Chocolate Spice Muffin or even a Chocolate Spice Bread. I modified the recipe, using my Pumpkin Muffins as a template. I made a large single muffin using the One Minute Muffin technique, then adjusted the recipe to make a dozen muffins and finally made a mini-loaf of bread. All three turned out with the taste, texture and flavor I was hoping for and judging by the fact there isn't a crumb left, my taste-testers approved.

If you are looking for a satisfying side to your eggs and veggies in the morning, skip the bacon and make some muffins (not that there's anything wrong with bacon, mind you). Chocolate Spice Muffins or Chocolate Spice Bread is simply amazing slathered in ghee with a little salt added alongside your protein and veggies. Trust me, you will not be disappointed.

The staying power of this chocolate spice delight is from the coconut flour and flaxseed meal. In addition to being rich in fiber, both are low in digestible carbohydrates, which means they will not mess with your blood sugar like muffins made with sugar and flour. Remember, what comes up must come down, and when you eat foods made from refined sugars and flours your blood sugar rises and then falls, leaving you hungry and searching for more.

It never ceases to amaze me that a baked good without gluten, sugar or dairy and made using low carbohydrate flours could yield such amazing results. One basic recipe made three ways, a large single serving one minute muffin, a dozen muffins to share with your friends or a mini-loaf of bread for when you just want a slice. Enjoy!

I shared with you my Casein Confessions a few weeks back and how my body revolted after a recent run-in with Greek style yogurt. After a few miserable days and rationalizing that I could still have butter and perhaps goat cheese, it became very apparent, casein whether from a cow or a goat, in small or concentrated amounts, did not agree with me. I replaced my beloved heavy cream with Coconut Creamer, ditched cheese & sour cream and made my own butter. Lactose-free, casein-free, whey-free, golden, delicious, velvety smooth, spreadable butter, or what is also known as GHEE.

Ghee is sometimes referred to as clarified butter, however, they are not the same. While the process in making the two are the same, ghee is cooked a little longer giving the butterfat a deeper flavor and ensures all of the moisture and milk solids are removed. Ghee has a very long shelf life and does not require refrigeration. It solidifies at room temperature, yet remains easily spreadable. 

Start with a pound of unsalted high quality butter. Organic is good, grass fed is better. Cheap butter contains more water as well as chemicals and burns easily.

Not as a hard and fast rule, but to give you a general idea of when your ghee should be done, set your kitchen timer for 30 minutes. Plop your butter in a stainless steel pot, and over medium heat, melt the butter. While it may be tempting to turn up the heat to melt it quicker, don't give in.

Once all the butter is melted, you will notice three layers forming, a foamy layer on the top, a butterfat layer in the middle and the solids are starting to fall to the bottom of the pan.

The butter is then going to start to erupt like little volcanoes. Turn the heat down to medium-low. We don't want the butter to burn.

Once the butter is done erupting, it should be at a nice low boil. The foam temporarily dissipates, however, more is going to appear on the top of the surface. Swirl the butter around and take note of what has settled to the bottom of the pan. Those are the milk solids, we want them to "brown" but we don't want the butter to burn.

With a spoon, remove the foam. It will seem like the foam is never ending, but take heart, it does end. There might also be a few more butter eruptions, which is fine, it's the milk solids browning on the bottom of the pan. When the butter stops foaming and you have removed most of it, you now have ghee. Check the bottom of the pan as well, the milk solids should be brown.

When most of the foam has been removed and no more is forming, take the butter off the heat. It is now time to strain the butter.

Place a small mesh sieve over a heat-proof container. I like to use a pyrex measuring glass as it makes it easy to pour the ghee into the container I store it in. Line the sieve with cheesecloth, or a kithen "flour" towel, then go ahead and pour the ghee, slowly, into the sieve.

This is what the bottom of the pan should look like, the milk solids nicely browned and sticking to the pan. A soak in hot soapy water, removes this easily.

And this my friends, is what the freshly made ghee looks like. A clear pool of butterfat just waiting for your veggies to swim in. Ghee does not burn and has a high smoke point. It is spectacular in butter-based sauces, like Hollaindaise. It can also be used in baked goods where a rich buttery flavor is desired. Printable Step-by-Step Ghee Making Instructions

You know what else ghee tastes fabulous on? Italian Chocolate Spice Muffins, inspired by the cookies of the same name. Check back next week for the recipe!

Few people in the United States would argue that we aren't an overweight nation. Most are familiar with the statistics that suggest 1/3 of the population is obese and another 1/3 is at least overweight. These statistics mainly come from height and weight data, which is used to compute body mass index levels for these individuals. Body mass index (BMI) is one of the most commonly used measures for determining whether individuals are at an appropriate level of body fatness, though it does not directly measure body fat levels at all. In fact, as you’ll see, the BMI data we use likely underestimates the number of people living with unhealthy body fat levels. That’s right – our reliance on this inaccurate assessment of one’s estimated level of body fat may be making us look healthier than we actually are!

History of Body Mass Index
Body mass index (BMI) has been in use since the 1800s. It was originally put into use by a mathematician from Belgium named Adolphe Quetelet, who named his calculation the Quetelet Index of Obesity.[i] It wasn’t until the 1980 release of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans that BMI became heavily promoted in the United States. At that time, it was introduced as height and weight recommendations and was gender-specific. The ideal BMI levels kept changing for the next 20 years, making it confusing to use. In 2000, the BMI recommendations were again updated and reflect today’s non-gender-specific levels:[ii]

• 18.5-25.0 kg/m2: Healthy weight 
  
• 25.0-29.9 kg/m2: Overweight 
  
• ≥30.0 kg/m2: Obese 
  

Calculating Body Mass Index
Determining BMI is simple. BMI is equal to an individual’s weight in kilograms divided by their height in meters squared. Since most people in the United States don’t use the metric system, you can use the calculator below from the CDC to easily determine your BMI.

Adult BMI Calculator

For researchers looking at large populations of people, BMI allows for an efficient way of determining possible levels of body fatness. Unfortunately, measuring BMI does not account for the two biggest factors in whether an individual is really at risk for health problems – lean mass and body fat.

Support for Body Mass Index
As mentioned above, using BMI to make assumptions about a large population of people and their level of body fatness is efficient. The only numbers needed are height and weight. Since much of the data about our current levels of overweight and obesity are based on self-reported data, there is a possibility people will lie. However, if they did lie, most often it would be to underreport their weight, which would mean the population is more overweight than we may account for.

The majority of the population is not athletic, so they either have normal, or even below normal levels of lean body mass. A recent meta-analyses of data from more than 30,000 people showed BMI was very accurate in indicating people over the 25 kg/m2 were overweight (or overfat) and over 30 kg/m2 were obese. The athletic population often disregards BMI markers since they have more muscle, which means their weight will be higher. However, athletes are such a small percentage of the population that they do not affect the accuracy of BMI in identifying overweight and obese people when they are included amongst the general population. [iii]  

So, again, when looking at large groups of people who are a good subset of the average population, BMI is reasonably accurate in saying almost all people with a BMI greater than 25 kg/m2 carry too much body fat.

Problems with Body Mass Index
The greatest issue in the use of BMI is when it is used on an individual rather than a large population. There are three types of individuals for whom BMI is a poor indicator of physical health.

The first type of individual is an athlete. Imagine Minnesota Vikings' running back Adrian Peterson doing a phone consultation with a physician. The doctor might only have Adrian’s height and weight to look at. Peterson is 6’1” and 217 pounds, making his BMI 28.6 kg/m2, which puts him in the overweight category. Being one of the leanest, most muscular players in the National Football League, no one would tell him his body fat level is too high or that he should lose some weight (other than maybe the defense from his opposing teams). For the small percentage of the population that is athletic, BMI measures can make them appear less healthy than they actually are. However, this is such a small percentage of the population that it has little effect on national statistics.

The second type of individual makes our reliance on BMI data of greater concern. Many individuals who have a “healthy weight” BMI (<25) actually have high levels of body fat. According the article in the International Journal of Obesity,[iii] a significant percentage of the population has body fat levels that would categorize them as overweight or obese, even though their body weight seems to be normal for their height. Simply put, these people have low levels of lean body mass. They are “skinny fat” or “normal-weight obese.” They may appear thin or normal when wearing street clothes, but the percentage of their weight that comes from body fat is still very high. Often in these individuals, their arms and legs might seem normal in size, but when you squeeze their thighs, biceps and triceps, they’re very soft and squishy .

Individuals with sarcopenia (muscle loss), osteoporosis (loss of bone density), or those who are simply inactive can have very low levels of muscle tissue. With lack of use, muscle becomes fattier. These people may not get appropriate levels of healthcare as their body weight does not suggest they are at risk as much as those who have a BMI greater than 25. Based on these findings, we may still have 2/3 of the population considered “overweight” but an even greater percentage of the population considered “overfat.” In fact, those who do have higher levels of body weight might be at an advantage as they could get appropriate medical testing sooner than those who appear to be at a healthy weight.

A recent investigation in the Archives of Internal Medicine looked at the percentage of each of the three BMI categories who displayed more than one metabolic abnormality, such as elevated blood pressure, elevated triglycerides, high fasting glucose, low HDL cholesterol and high C-reactive protein. They found 49% of overweight individuals and 68% of obese individuals displayed metabolic abnormalities. Interestingly, they also found 24% of “healthy weight” individuals were metabolically abnormal![iv]

A final issue with BMI is that even when people are accurately identified as being overweight, BMI alone cannot say where the excess body fat is being stored. It is clear that carrying extra body fat around the stomach, called visceral fat, is much more a concern than anywhere else on the body. Without a more personal assessment of body composition, individuals who are at the greatest risk of health problems are not as easily identified.

Alternatives to Body Mass Index
There are a variety of other methods for determining body fat levels, including skinfold measurements, bioelectrical impedance (BIA), DEXA scans, underwater weighing and infrared scanners. Out of convenience, skinfold measurements are often the method of choice. The major importance with skinfold measures is having them done by an experienced professional, as human error is the most common cause of variability. Also, if you carry a large amount of your body fat as visceral fat, it is difficult to measure as it is found under the stomach muscles. Visceral fat, or belly fat, is the worst type of fat.

If you don’t have any of those methods readily available, the mirror can be a good judge as well. You don’t need to have a six-pack to be considered at a healthy body fat level, but you should have some visible definition throughout your body. If your stomach, thigh and shoulder muscles are invisible, it’s likely your body fat level is too high, or your lean body mass is too low to be considered healthy.

Summary
Based on what studies have shown, if you’re not an athlete or reasonably fit, and your BMI is greater than 25 kg/m2, you’re very likely overweight. However, BMI is most valuable for large groups of people, so getting your actual body fat levels measured is much better than relying on BMI alone. Also, if you’re not reasonably fit and your BMI says you’re at a healthy weight, it would be wise to get your body fat levels checked. According to research, a significant part of the population thinks they are at a healthy weight, but their unhealthy body fat levels are putting them at an increased risk of health problems.

[i] Quetelet A. A Treatise on a Man and the Development of His Faculties. 1842. Reprinted by Burt Franklin. New York. 1968

[ii] Kuczmarski RJ, Flegal KM. Criteria for definition of overweight in transition: background and recommendations for the United States. Am J Clin Nutr. 2000;72(5):1074-1081

[iii] Freedman DS, Sherry B. The Validity of BMI as an Indicator of Body Fatness and Risk Among Children. Pediatrics. 2009;124:S23-S34

[iv] Wildman RP, Muntner P, Reynolds K. The Obese Without Cardiometabolic Risk Factor Clustering and the Normal Weight With Cardiometabolic Risk Factor Clustering. Arc Int med. 2008:168(15):1617-1624

This article was written by: Tom Nikkola – Life Time Fitness, Director of Nutrition & Weight Management and edited by Vanessa Romero. 

It is not intended for the treatment or prevention of disease, nor as a substitute for medical treatment, nor as an alternative to medical advice. Use of recommendations in this and other articles is at the choice and risk of the reader.

One more Christmas cookie recipe to "healthify" from my friend Jennie. The first recipe, Italian Chocolate Spice Cookies, were a successful healthy makeover. Next challenge, Vanilla Biscotti Cookies. When most of us think of biscotti, we think of a hard, slightly sweet, crunchy, long cookie designed for dunking. What I learned from my Italian friend, is her family's version of biscotti is not this same Americanized treat. While this cookie is firm enough to dip in coffee, it is crumbly, not crunchy, a little more delicate. Oh, and they are also small like cookies.

Biscotti means twice baked cookie. The original recipe did not indicate these needed to be baked twice, but simply said to bake until brown, which is what I did. After reviewing other biscotti recipes, I noticed the difference. Most recipes call for the dough to be baked in logs first, then sliced and baked again. This recipe is different, you form the dough into logs, cut them into cookie size pieces and then you bake them, only once. 

When baking with nut flours you have to be careful about baking too long as they go from lightly brown to burnt very quickly. In fact the first dozen I baked for 10 minutes and decided that was a little too long. The second batch I reduced the time to 8 minutes and they turned out perfect! I substituted the white flour with an equal amount of almond flour and coconut flour. In most recipes, when using coconut flour, you need to increase the liquid. However, for this recipe I wanted a more "dry" cookie, so when dunked in coffee it absorbs, therefore I used no extra liquid.

Finally, I replaced the sugar with a combination of stevia & xylitol and subbed out the milk with almond milk. For the glaze, I whizzed in the Vitamix, granulated xylitol, erythritol & stevia to a fine powder. When working with alternative sweeteners, combining not only provides a synergistic effect, but it also gives it a "real sugar" taste.

Vanilla Biscotti Cookies

Original Recipe from Jennie
Healthified by Healthy Living How To

Printable Recipe

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 8 minutes
Makes: 2 1/2 dozen

Ingredients

Biscotti Cookies

• 1 c. Homemade Unblanched Almond Flour
  
• 1 c. Coconut Secret Raw Coconut Flour
  
• 1 tsp. NOW Guar Gum Powder
  
• 1/8 tsp. NuNaturals Pure White Stevia Extract Powder
  
• 2 Tbsp. NOW Xylitol, Non-GMO
  
• 3/4 Tbsp. Rumford Aluminum-Free, Gluten-Free, Non-GMO Baking Powder
  
• 1 pinch Celtic Sea Salt
  
• 1/4 c. + 2 Tbsp. Spectrum Naturals Organic Non-Hydrogenated Shortening
  
• 2 Large Organic Cage-Free Eggs
  
• 1 Tbsp. Vanilla Extract
  
• 1/2 c. Homemade Unsweetened Almond Milk

Directions

1. Sift together all of the dry ingredients.
2. With a pastry cutter, cut in shortening until dough is crumb-like.
3. In small bowl, mix together wet ingredients.
4. Add wet ingredients to dough and mix until well incorporated.
5. Split dough into two equal parts and then roll into a log 4 inches in length, 2 1/2 inches wide and about 1 inch tall.
6. Slice each log into 15 equal slices, each 1/4 inch.
7. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
8. Place cookie slices on parchment lined cookie sheet.
9. Bake at 425º F for 8 minutes.
10. Remove cookies from oven, completely cool on rack before glazing.

Powdered "Sugar" Glaze

• 1/4 c. NOW Xylitol, Non-GMO
  
• 1/3 c. NOW Erythritol Granular
  
• 1/4 tsp. NuNaturals Pure White Stevia Extract Powder
  
• 5 tsp. Homemade Unsweetened Almond Milk

Directions

1. In Vitamix or high-powered blender, add xylitol, erythritol & stevia and whiz until powdered.
2. Place powdered "sugar" in bowl and add milk 1 tsp. at a time.
3. Stir until thin consistency, drizzle with spoon or place in ziploc bag, make a small snip in corner and drizzle.