We’ve all been there. Home from work, tired, hungry and nothing to eat. Why not turn that frown upside down and enter the house to the inviting scent of a warm, low-cal, meal-compliments of your slow cooker. Not only is slow cooking a safe, more energy efficient alternative to other cooking methods, but it can serve as the perfect opportunity to put those frozen veggies, meat and/or beans to good use. Insta-meal!
Check out this low fat, high fiber, vegetarian recipe!
It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Coincidentally, it also national “eating season”. Whether you have lost a significant amount of weight leading up to the holiday months, or simply want to avoid a tighter waist band from now until the new year, there are some simple tips you can try to get you through the holiday festivities unscathed.
1. Continue to track your calorie intake. Controlled holiday goodies can fit into most calorie levels but they need to be accounted for. Think about what you really want to spend your calories on each day (drinks, snacks, desserts, main course).
2. Maintain your fitness level. You can burn up to 210 calories an hour while doing your holiday shopping! If time is tight, try scheduling in 3, 10 minute blocks of activity. Try decreasing the amount of time you are sedentary. Start a new family tradition and encourage the family to bundle up and take a brisk walk after Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner.
3. Survive the buffet and then move away! Limit yourself to one small plate and do a lap around the table before you make any impulse selections. Your best bet: shrimp cocktail, raw veggies, fruit and a handful of seasonal nuts. If something doesn’t taste good, don’t finish it. Move to another room when you are done eating. Focus on socializing rather than eating. Out of sight, out of mind.
4. Easy on the alcohol. Alcohol offers empty calories, can act as an appetite stimulant and can lead to a loss of control when food is so easily accessible. Bad news! Women should have no more than one serving a day and men should have no more than two servings each day. Your best bet: 4 oz of wine, light beer or club soda with 1.5 oz of spirits.
5. Avoid the guilt and anxiety. Offer to bring a dish to share using lighter ingredients. Be sure to leave the party empty handed.
6. Don’t party on an empty stomach. People who skip meals are more likely to binge later on in the day. Eat as you usually would throughout the day and you will most likely be able to stay in control at your event.
For more nutrition tips and services to get you through the holiday season visit RDMealPlan.com.
It is recommended that we get busy for about 30 minutes each day to maintain or improve overall health. Even more is required if weight loss is desired! With today’s go-go-go mentality it can be overwhelming to get in just the minimum. Lucky for those of us with a busy schedule, it has been shown that even 10 minute bouts of physical activity can be beneficial in helping us live a healthier lifestyle. Do what you can, and you will be more likely to stick to it! Looking for clever ways to sneak physical activity in your day, even between an intense round of bingo on Cheekybingo.com? Check out the following tips.
When you wake up: Try 5 to 10 minutes of jumping jacks. A 150-pound woman can burn 90 calories in one 10-minute session.
When you grab the morning paper: Take a brisk, 5 minute power walk up the street in one direction and back in the other.
When you need to “go”: If your home has more than one level, use the bathroom on the floor above or below you to incorporate stair-climbing into your day.
When you are at the office: Take a few flights of stairs, walk to get lunch, or stroll around the building or parking lot.
When you are cooking dinner: Do standing push-ups while you wait for a pot to boil. Stand about an arm’s length from the kitchen counter, and push your arms against the counter.
After dinner: Take this time to catch up with your children or significant other while taking a brisk evening walk.
While you are watching TV: Keep light weight dumbbells handy for a few reps or get in some lunges/squats.
When you go to bed: Spend 5-10 minutes in bed doing a few stretches that will help you sleep and unwind from the day. The basics (legs, arms, chest and back) will stretch most of your body and will improve your flexibility within the first week.
Other Tips to Get You Moving
Enjoy a new book on audio and listen while you walk. You’ll walk farther to hear more of the story, and you’ll look forward to tomorrow’s walk.
Explore trails or streets in a new neighborhood. A change in scenery helps keep your routine fresh.
Rather than meeting a friend for dinner or coffee, ask them to join you for a game of tennis, in-door rock-climbing or bowling.
Keep a pair of sneakers nearby at all times so you’re always ready for activity. Stow a pair in your car or your desk at work as well as at home.
I was mindlessly listening to my favorite radio show this morning as I multi-tasked a million other “to-do’s” while preparing for the day. My ears perked when they introduced their next guest, a fitness instructor from a very well know cycle studio in New York City. Did I give it away? At some point during the interview, the convo took a turn into the area of nutrition. Huge shocker (said in a sarcastic tone). It also shouldn’t shock me anymore that a non-credentialed, nutrition wanna-be would try to advise the public with health and nutrition recommendations. Yet, I was left unnerved all morning with a particular statement she made regarding B12 and supplementation. Her reasoning’s were not only presented incorrectly, but her suggestions lacked any evidence-based support.
I get questions daily from my clients and patients as to whether or not I think they need a B12 shot or supplement to “help boost their energy”. With the help of a full nutrition assessment I can usually determine if their B12 levels are low, or, if they are at risk for becoming deficient, and therefore, require supplementation. For the most part, if you are young (under 65 years old), eat animal products, and have a full functioning stomach and GI tract, you are probably good on the B12 front.
People forget that natural is not synonymous with safe and tend to not think twice about taking random supplements. Taking mega-doses of some vitamins and supplements can lead you to reach toxic levels, or can cause interactions with other medications. The ideal and most efficient way to obtain essential nutrients is through food sources.
For more guidance on how you can improve your health and energy through a proper diet you can check out my services on RDMealPlan.com.
Looking for an easy way to cut back calories and shed some weight? Try making the following swaps in your kitchen.
Instead of ….. Try…… The savings………
| 1 cup cream to thicken soup | Evaporated skim milk or pureed vegetables | 750 calories |
| Basting or coating a pan with oil | Fruit juice, broth, wine or Misto spray bottle |
495 calories |
| ½ cup sour cream | Equal amount non-fat Greek yogurt and a squeeze of lemon juice | 185 calories |
| 1 pound 85% lean ground meat | 99% lean ground turkey, 96% lean ground beef, turkey sausage, tofu or soy crumbles |
490 calories |
| ¼ cup mayonnaise | Equal amounts of low fat plain yogurt | 195 calories |
| ½ cup breadcrumbs | Pulse whole grain bread or rolled oats in a food processor | 140 calories |
| White rice | Brown rice, Bulgur, Quinoa, Couscous (keep the portion in check at 1/3-1/2 cup) | The calories may be the same but you are gaining the fiber filling benefits of whole grains. |
| 1 cup pasta | Spaghetti squash, shaved zucchini ribbons, whole-grain pasta | 125 calories |
Almond milk has recently swayed into mainstream popularity and is now one trendy food item. It is no surprise that I have been receiving tons of questions from patients and clients about incorporating almond milk into their diet. So what is almond milk? Apparently, when almonds and water are ground together it forms a milky substance that can fill in for traditional animal milk. So what will you be gaining if you swap almond milk for the “real stuff”. The answer is more like what will you be losing. Almond milk contains no cholesterol, or saturated fat, and and an 8 oz glass of unsweetened almond milk contains only 45 calories! Compare that to the 150 calories in the same 8oz serving of whole milk…the switch is a no brain-er. Almond milk is often fortified with many of the vitamins and minerals that we find in animal milk, so it still serves as an excellent calcium source for vegans or those with lactose intolerance. If you are looking for ways to slowly incorporate almond milk into your diet, try blending it in with frozen fruit as a smoothie, use it to replace cow’s milk in recipes, or as an alternative to creamer in coffee. Not a fan at first? No worries. The shelf life is much longer than regular milk so you can ease your way in.
If you are looking for ways to incorporate new foods or wellness into your diet, visit RDMealPlan.com
In honor of Cinco de Mayo, I would like to share the following Mexican inspired dish. It’s spicy, fun and low-carb…..so feel free to pair it with a guilt-free skinny margarita.
Chipotle Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Per serving (serves 4-5): 400 Calories; Total Fat; 18 g; Sat Fat 2.5 g; Protein 32 g; Carbs 27 g; Fiber 3 g; Cholesterol 80 mg; Sodium 460 mg.
In a large non-stick pan, saute the chicken in the oil until browned on both sides, about three minutes per side. The chicken will not be fully cooked, so remove it to a dedicated cutting board. Add the garlic and chipotle to the pan and saute for 30 seconds, then stir in the orange juice and salt. Simmer until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes.
Cut the chicken across the width into 1/2″ slices and return them to the pan. Toss to coat with the sauce and cook through, 2-3 minutes.
Stack the lettuce leaves on a plate. Serve the chicken, scallions, and chips in bowls. To assemble, spoon a small amount of the chicken, scallions, and chips into a leaf of the lettuce wrap.
Enjoy!
Like most individuals, your freezer may act solely as a storage unit for a box of baking soda and an old bottle of vodka. Most of my clients overlook the concept of utilizing the old” ice box “as a way to conveniently store healthy food for months at a time. Almost any food can be frozen while preserving the taste and nutritional value. Avoid the guilty feeling of throwing away the limp, untouched broccoli floret and be sure to stock up on the items below to aid in healthy eating and save money.
1) Frozen Vegetables. Veggies are full of fiber, water, vitamins and minerals. They fill you up for very few calories. As represented by the My Plate Symbol from the USDA, it is recommended that we make up half of our meals with fruits and vegetables. It is probably not a shock that most Americans, with their growing waist lines, typically fall well below that recommendation. Keep your favorite bagged veggies on hand to ensure a serving will accompany your dinner in just seconds.
2) Frozen Fruit. I recommend that people incorporate two fruit servings into their diet each day and make up the remaining “fruit and veggie” quota with vegetable options. Fruits are a great source of fiber and can even provide cancer fighting antioxidants. Frozen fruit may offer a larger variety in various seasons. Frozen Fruit is a great addition to non-fat Greek yogurt or homemade smoothies.
3) Fish. Frozen fish can taste just as fresh as the “catch of the day”. I encourage clients to eat fish twice each week for a lean protein option or as a way to get in some essential fatty acids. .
4) “Frozen Meals”. Designate a day during the week to do a little cooking and prep work. Pre- portion and freeze some lentil soup or turkey chili and defrost when time is tight, but eating healthy is a must.
5) Low Fat Ice Cream or Frozen Yogurt. This frozen treat offers a variety of minerals essential for bone and cardiovascular health and may help in keeping cravings at bay. Of course size does matter, so limit servings to ½ cup.
Remember safety first. Never defrost food at room temperature. There are three safe ways to defrost food: in the refrigerator, in cold water, and in the microwave using the defrost setting.
Enjoying the free advice? Visit RDMealPlan.com for personalized nutrition and weight loss services.
There has been a great deal of buzz in the health and nutrition world about a new study from the Harvard School of Public Health linking red meat consumption to an increased risk in cardiovascular and cancer death. If that wasn’t scary enough, the specifics of the study were astonishing, stating that daily consumption of processed red meat-the equivalent to one hot dog or 3 ounces of sausage-increases these mortality risks by 20%.
In the press release noted that “replacing one serving of total red meat with one serving of a healthy protein source was associated with a lower mortality risk: 7% for fish, 14% for poultry, 19% for nuts, 10% for legumes, 10% for low-fat dairy products, and 14% for whole grains. The researchers estimated that 9.3% of deaths in men and 7.6% in women could have been prevented at the end of the follow-up if all the participants had consumed less than 0.5 servings per day of red meat”
Although the take-home message of this study is to stop eating so much darn red meat, it should also shed some light on the health benefits of incorporating more fish and plant-based protein servings into ones diet. Overall, this study definitely supports the theory that one small life-style change can make a huge difference in health! Since there is no time like the present, start the change today and make this Monday dinner meatless. Need some ideas to get you started: