First Word

  Yes! We all know hamburgers are famously fattening, but this isn't your Big Mac version. It's easy to make, and prepared only with fresh meat, spices and grilled in olive oil. Remember, we don't do vegetable oils.  So, you're likely thinking, "But Michelle beef has more calories than chicken or turkey." That said, it's true. In our Challenge we go for strictly nutritional value, and most importantly we don't deprive ourselves, which is the key to overall success. Anytime we deprive ourselves of something we enjoy eating, we set ourselves up for failure. So, whatever your favorite dish, we simply teach you how to modify it for greater nutritional value.   Hamburgers are classic and easy to make. You can have your meal done and plated in less than 30 minutes. So, when you're either in a hurry or don't feel like cooking too long, this meal will suit you.   INGREDIENTS 1 lb Grass-Fed Ground Beef Herb and Garlic Seasoning Olive Oil Hamburger Buns ...

  As we continue on our nutritional challenge, I want to address why it's so important not only to overall health, but also to weight loss to avoid processed foods that contain preservatives. As noted, we're not orienting this cookbook toward weight loss per se; however, weight loss does happen as a side effect. You may wonder why (other than the obvious nutritional advantages) to avoid processed foods if you do want to lose weight.  Studies have shown that preservatives can cause hormonal problems and disrupt the process that communicates to our brains that we're full. When the signal that says we're full gets disrupted, we are more likely to eat too much -- and hence, gain weight. Thus, I have said the benefit of the our Challenge to eat only fresh foods that don't contain preservatives is weight loss. And I will continue to emphasize, weight loss will not be fast or like some fly-by-night fad diet. It will occur over time and commitment to our program. I don'...

  Illustrator Interview Michelle Gamble   Q. What drew you to illustrate Ant Trails and Butterfly Dreams – A Story About Happiness ?   A. The author Selwa Berbawy Hamati had published three other books with my company, 3L Publishing (www.3LPublishing.com). I painted on the side, and I rarely shared about my paintings. We were talking one day, and she mentioned her desire to write this children’s book based on her new book Real Resilience – Once Upon a Pandemic . I showed her some paintings, but cautioned I don’t like to paint cartoons. She loved my work and soon hired me to illustrate her children’s book. I was happy that she liked fine art and wouldn’t push to create cartoon-like characters, but more fun and beautiful paintings. In fact, she loved the cover so much she bought the original. Q. How did you decide on the style of the paintings? A. I wanted the illustrations to create a fun, bright, happy world to convey the theme of the book,...

  Who doesn't like fried chicken? This recipe ends up tasting like fried chicken -- only it's healthier and it's pork. I added the English peas and jasmine rice on the side, because I found fresh peas! It's a challenge to find fresh peas vs. frozen (and God forbid you ever eat canned peas ... can we say YUCK). I never even knew I liked peas until I got a taste of fresh ones. I remember as a kid, Mom used to insist we eat our vegetables -- and canned peas were the worst. I used to swallow them whole with a big gulp of milk. So... today, like all processed anything, I never eat out of a can.  Okay, so let's discuss this flavorful dish. It's super easy to make, and once more only takes about 30 minutes. The side salad is optional since you're getting your vegetables in the rice. Now I thoroughly enjoyed the salad, and you can make whatever kind of salad you enjoy; so, we're not going to focus on the salad.   INGREDIENTS - PORK CHOP (Dinner for Two) 2 Thick-...

  Rating: ***** I love Tom Hanks so anything he appears in I know is going to be good. In fact, I can't really think of one bad movie he's been in... oh wait, I take that back, The Money Pit . He's a fantastic actor, period.  News of the World is so touching! You know one of those movies where you're talking to the movie screen? Well, this one qualifies. The story is about a lonely Captain Kidd who goes from town to town reading the newspapers to patrons as entertainment five years after the Civil War has ended. On his way to the next town, he finds a destroyed wagon with a young girl hiding in it. She's a lost "wild child" whom he tries to help. We soon discover that the German immigrant's name is Johanna, according to her papers, and that the feds were trying to take her "home" to her surviving relatives who live near San Antonio, Texas. Her parents, German settlers, were killed and she was adopted by the Kiowa Indians. She doesn't spe...

  When I cook, I like to focus on recipes that take about 30 to 45 minutes to prepare. This recipe Rosemary Pork Chops and Baby Carrots is ideal for that goal.  This fun recipe can be prepared and cooked on one grill. The pork chops will add a little flavor to the carrots. This recipe is great on those evenings when you're not in the mood to chop up a bunch of food. The tasty butter rub takes so little effort, and all you have to do is chop fresh garlic and rosemary leaves to put in melted butter.  My carb choice for the night was fresh sourdough bread bought from the local Safeway bakery. I bought it fresh and warm right out of the oven. Sourdough bread is a great alternative to conventional bread. Its lower phytate levels make it more nutritious and easier to digest. Sourdough bread also seems less likely to spike your blood sugar levels, which makes it an option for those monitoring their blood sugar.   INGREDIENTS (Dinner for Two) 2 Thick-Cut Pork Chops 1 Bag of ...

  JoJo Rabbit Rating: ***** Since we're all staying home, entertainment has become important. I'm constantly scanning movies to find the true gems, and JoJo Rabbit was a great find. Let me preface my review by saying I really enjoy books and movies that have a heart, and this one didn't let me down. The story is consistently told in an earnest manner from the point of view of 10-year-old JoJo, a young man who has been indoctrinated as a Nazi during World War II.  The movie opens with JoJo getting mentally ready to go to an army youth camp for the weekend. JoJo's imaginary Hitler, his buddy up until the end of the film, inspires him to courage and revelry. He flies and skips and jumps down the road to go to camp. This youth camp experience turns out to be a major calamity, and this puts JoJo onto a new path. I was astonished when they gave young kids knives, and then proceeded to the pivotal scene where JoJo is supposed to "kill" a rabbit. Of course, JoJo'...

By Syndee Hendricks The prevalence of obesity in the United States through 2018 was 42.4%, according to the Center for Disease Control. That is over a 12 percent increase since 2000! I am part of that statistic, and have struggled with weight since puberty! Darn that estrogen—it giveth and it taketh away!  When Michelle and I first discussed creating a healthy recipe book, I was all over that! One of the things I enjoy doing is having a meal at a restaurant, and going home and recreating a healthier recipe for that meal to enjoy at home. One of my favorite meals is a dinner salad with lots and lots of vegetables and a fruit with a light (well, most of the time) dressing. Check out your local farmer’s markets for organic and to find the freshest ingredients. Here is the Farmer’s Salad: 2 Cups of your favorite greens: Spring Mix, Romaine, Or the lettuce bag of your choice! One fruit of your choice: Mango, Berries, Pineapple, etc. Meat (optional): chicken strips  3 or 4 ...

  It's winter time and nothing warms the tummy better than soup. I have always enjoyed nutritious soups, but per our guidelines, no canned soup or even restaurant bought. Remember, everything in the challenge is homemade goodness made from fresh foods.  Speaking of restaurants, you might ask, "Michelle, do you ever eat out? Are restaurant foods acceptable?" Like most of America, yes, I do eat out. However, with Covid-19 spreading like wildfire, I've given up eating at restaurants. To answer the second question, restaurant food is tricky. You don't know what was put in the food. Most restaurant food tends to be high in fat and sugar. When you don't quite know what has gone into a meal, it's hard to know if it's going to adversely affect your health. One of the big diseases in America is diabetes. Remember, when you don't know how much sugar or salt has gone into something, that makes it harder to monitor how much of what did you just eat?  So, let...

  So, today's recipe has my "forbidden" favorite in it -- bacon. Yes, it's true I still eat bacon, and yes, I still lost weight. When you're eating for nutrition and not focused on particulars, it also helps keep you on track. Remember, we're promoting a lifestyle change that makes it easy to live with. As I continue working on this project, you're going to see how everything tastes so yummy and yet it's healthy.  I have a great grocery shopping tip. Every week make sure you purchase a variety of fresh fruits, vegetables, meat, seafood, and poultry. Also, stock your cupboards with all kinds of spices. If you're anything like me, you will want the flexibility to find a recipe and cook it on the fly. I like to be creative this way.  So today's dish is Brocolini Bacon Scramble . I love breakfast burritos, and this is a nice dinner food once you add the brocolini. The best part -- it's super easy to prepare.  Here's what you'll need for...

  Now you've committed to take the challenge. You're ready, knives and forks a-blazing. Here we go, today you're going to make Shrimp "Zing" Linguini. First, you're going to probably say, "Ah, Michelle that's (e-gads) pasta! THAT's what you're recommend to start the lifestyle change? A carb!? So, I'm always going to remind you this ISN'T a diet, it's a food choice change. Okay, so now we've got that out of the way...  I want to first reassure you from experience that this dish isn't going to cause weight gain. It's simply a healthy dish prepared with fresh foods. If you are hoping to lose weight just know you've committed to a long-term lifestyle change that weight loss (over time) will be the byproduct. BUT, the even better news: you get to eat fantastic food -- and this dish is yummy!  Part of this blog (and ultimately book) is to create a discussion around food. I'm the kind of cook who improvises on recipes ...

So what exactly is the 352 Day Challenge and what are the "guidelines"? As I said earlier, the challenge is not a weight-loss plan; it's a Lifestyle Plan . Weight loss is a result of the lifestyle change, not the goal. I lost 30 pounds eating according to nutrition and not calories. However, it took two years not just to achieve the goal, but to maintain the goal. So, the 352 Day Challenge is focused solely on nutrition, with weight-loss as a byproduct of eating great food. And the reason it's a 352 Day Challenge is because it's really meant to a "years-" long CHANGE that will be permanent to how you eat and prepare foods.  So, the guidelines work like this... 1. All your food choices must be FRESH ! So, from now on you will focus your grocery shopping ONLY on the edges of the grocery store experience where the fresh foods are sold. In fact, you will only rarely buy anything out of the middle of the grocery store (e.g., spices). 2. You MUST include in e...

Tip #1 – Always write for your AUDIENCE not for yourself . Now if you’re not seriously intending to publish your work then by all means write for yourself. However, if you want to write and publish and succeed … you have to keep your audience and who you are speaking to in the forefront of your mind. I see authors make the mistake of simply writing whatever speaks to their hearts, but may not resonate with their audience.   Tip #2 – Don’t get your knickers in a twist over the fact that the cover is the most important marketing element when it comes to your book’s success . I’ve seen so many authors shrug about the cover’s importance in sales. The typical objection, “My story is great so who cares about the cover?” EVERYONE cares about the cover. A great cover can actually create a best seller while a terrible one can kill sales. So, you absolutely must care about your cover.   Tip #3 – You MUST market and promote if you want to sell books to more than fri...

  The 352-Day Nutritional Challenge     Introduction            First, I want to say I’m not an expert when it comes to nutrition or dieting. I also want to emphasize this is NOT a diet book – although you will probably lose weight based on eating healthy every day. This book is strictly about eating good foods, period. And finally, what better way to get others to participate than by creating an interactive game and a community of support and shared interests. Accountability is a big deal when it comes to any goal or endeavor, so a game would not only make it fun, but hold players accountable.            I wanted to write this book and share how I changed my eating habits after I turned 50 only to discover my youthful metabolism started to fail me. I have been thin and a size 4 at 5’9” my entire life. Except during pregnancy, I never weighed more than 125 pounds. I alwa...