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Week 6: Surviving the Party

5/22/2017

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With Memorial Day right around the corner and the start of many summer BBQs, it’s time to start thinking about simple superswap sides to accompany the delicious burgers we'll be grilling on the barbie along with some weight loss tips to follow.
 
Social eating, especially during the summer does not have to be an open invitation to return to unhealthy eating habits. Every event may seem like an excuse to splurge, but the consequence just might be the worst kind of post-party affliction: a food hangover. The best cure for a food hangover is to prevent the over indulgence in the first place. Have treats and enjoy yourself, and find that happy place of moderation.
 
 
Here are a few tips on how to take with you to your next party or cookout:
​

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1. Use a small plate​ 
What if I told you that your plate has more control over your food than you do? Many studies by Dr. Wansink from Cornell University have shown that people are relying on environmental cues to signal fullness instead of listening to their bodies. For example, many people use visual cues from an empty plate to signify satiety. If given a larger plate, most people subconsciously put about 30% more on their plate. Depending on the food, this can be a 150 calories difference per serving. Over the course of the year, 150 calories more per day is a 15-pound weight gain all else equal.  And this is just one meal a day using a larger plate. Using a small plate reduces your calories without making your feel like you are depriving yourself.
​
The How TO:
• Completely fill a small plate (8­-10")
• Enjoy your meal!
• Do not go back for seconds


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​2. Healthy Start & Wait
Filling up your first plate with fruit and veggies first does two things (1) it makes you feel healthy and carries the healthy eating momentum and (2) it fills you up so that you aren’t starving and can then make healthier choices when looking down the buffet. The second part is to wait. It takes time for your brain to tell your stomach that you ate.
​
The How TO:
• When you first arrive at a party, locate the fruits and vegetables
• Fill one small plate (8­-10”) and enjoy as you are socializing 
• Wait 30 minutes before you select any other food choices
• Follow the Rule of 3’s below 



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3. Rule of 3’s
The more food choices you are given, the more you tend to eat. This has been shown in many experiments and you can see this with direct observation. And just think of all the people at the last buffet you went to. Everyone wants to try a little bit of everything. Those little bites add up! By purposefully giving yourself fewer options, you will naturally eat less. And because you get to pick those options, you don’t feel deprived!
 
The How TO:
  • Thoughtfully evaluate the delicious food options and select your 3 choices (can be a dessert, a main dish or a side dish – fruit and non-starchy veggies are freebies)
  • Fill one small plate with your favorite 3 foods and enjoy!
  • Still hungry? Head back for some more vegetables and fruit
 

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4. Get Moving!
If you know you are going to a party and are going to be eating more, make sure you get some exercise in. Exercising not only burns calories, but it increases your metabolism so you burn more fat even when sedentary. Exercise can also be a great way to skip the distraction to eat and nibble before dinner is ready if you go for a pre-dinner walk with a friend.
 
The How TO:
  • Plan exercise on the day of the event 
  • Walk a track or neighborhood 
  • Take a walk between dinner and dessert 
  • Start your day with yoga
  • Sign up for an exercise class or race

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5. Alcohol Matching 
Alcoholic beverages are very calorically dense and can raise your blood sugar quite fast, leading quickly to weight gain. By alcohol matching, you can pace yourself and save a couple hundred to thousand calories while still feeling part of the party! Also by drinking more water, you ensure that you stay well hydrated (especially if out in the sun). Dehydration can also mimic hunger so make sure you water up – more on this another week.
 

The How TO:
• For every drink you have, match it with a water/seltzer before you other another drink
• Set a drink limit prior to each party/social gathering 
 

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6. Party’s Over & so is the Eating!
One day of overeating isn’t the cause of your weight gain. Instead, it is the day in and day out choice to overeat or to eat foods that aren’t healthy. Instead of eating party leftovers for the next week until the next party, pack up doggy bags for all your guests and return to your regular eating patter the next day. 
 
The How TO:
• Eating "poorly" one day is not the reason you gain weight after a holiday or social gathering
• It is important to return to you usual healthy routine at your next meal 

Bonus: If you are hosting the party, here are some ideas of ways to make the BBQ more healthy!
 
Typical burger sides: chips, fries, creamy coleslaw salad, pasta salad, buttery corn on the cob, etc. 
 
We. can. do. better.
 
I've got a roundup of the BEST burger sides for your Memorial Day Cookout. The Superswap goal is to make veggies half of most meals. These sides are an easy & tasty way to meet your veggie quota...
​
8 simple superswap sides for your next burger:

​1. Kale Chips
This is where healthy + fun meet. These chips are not only crunchy and salty, but provide skin-glowing vitamin A & energy-enhancing iron. Click >>>HERE <<< for the recipe. 
 
2. Veggie Dippers
AKA: The superswap name for cut-up veggies. Try cut up raw zucchini, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, snap peas, summer squash, broccoli, carrots, peppers, cauliflower, or blanched asparagus. Pair with your favorite CRAP-free salad dressing like this cashew ranch dressing.
 
3. Jicama Triangles w/chili powder & lime 
Jicama (pronounced: hick-a-ma) is a root veggie that is 90% water, which means it’s low cal & filling. It’s a fun cracker stand-in. Light, crisp & delicious. Love! 
 
How to: Peel 1 jicama and trim it to the shape of a square block. Using a mandoline, cut the jicama into 1/8-inch slices and cut each diagonally into triangles. In a large bowl, toss jicama with sea salt & lime. Place on a platter and top with chili powder.
 
4. Zucchini Wedges
How to: Preheat the broiler. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. In a small bowl, stir together 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, 1 tsp italian herb seasoning, sea salt, and pepper. In a large bowl, toss 2 zucchinis, quartered lengthwise, with 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil and place on the baking sheet. Sprinkle with the cheese mixture and broil for about 8 minutes, until tender & golden.
 
5. Crunchy Cabbage Salad
This salad drops calorie-laden mayo for vinegar. 
Research suggests this superfood condiment keeps food in your stomach longer, so you'll naturally feel more satisfied. Using vinegar can help you cut 200 calories per day without thinking about it. Aim for 1 to 2 Tbs daily. Click >>>HERE<<< for the recipe.
 
6. Green Bean & Carrot Fries 
These veggie fries have 5x fewer calories than regular fries (70 calories per cup vs 350 calories per cup). Click >>>HERE <<< for the recipe.
 
7. Grilled Vegetable Salad
Click >>>HERE<<< for the recipe.
 
8. Grilled Romaine Wedge Salad
Click >>>HERE<<< for the recipe.
 ​
Still looking for more memorial day recipes? Look no further! I have your whole menu planned out ;)
  • 28 Healthiest “Bad” Foods: “Burgers,” “Fried Chicken,” “Fries” and “Pizza”!
  • Memorial Day Recipe Guide
 
Homework: 
  • Use 2-3 of the social eating strategies at your next party
  • Make at least one healthy swap or recipe for memorial day
 
Have a happy Memorial Day everyone!!
 
​
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Week 5: Sleep: is lack of sleep stunting your weight loss

5/15/2017

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Is Your Lack of Sleep Stunting your weight loss?

​Cognitive impairment after just 18 hours without sleep is similar to that of someone with a blood alcohol content of 0.05%, 0.10% after 24 hours (legally drunk). 71,000 non-fatal car accidents per year caused by tired drivers. The Guinness book of World Records no longer keeps a record for sleep deprivation because it is considered too dangerous. In the US, $63 BILLION is lost in productivity loses every year due to sleep deprivation! In fact, there is an organizational lost to insufficient sleep.
 
AND sleep deprivation may be the reason you’re not losing weight! (click HERE for more reasons why we need sleep)
 
There's lots of evidence that getting too little sleep is associated with overeating and an increased body weight. The question is, why? Part of the answer seems to be that skimping on sleep can disrupt our circadian rhythms. Lack of sleep can also alter hunger and satiety hormones.
 
Now, a new study finds evidence that sleep deprivation (getting less than 5 hours of sleep per night) produces higher peaks of a lipid in our bloodstream known as an endocannabinoid (very similar cannabis!) that may make eating more pleasurable. So basically, our bodies produce compounds that act on the same area of the brain as marijuana (marijuana munchies anyone?).  It turned out that when participants were sleep deprived, they ate about 400 more calories from snacks (that’s almost a pound a week worth of extra calories)! There have been other studies that have shown that weight loss is MUCH harder in dieters who are sleep deprived. This means that you may still not lose weight even if you are doing “everything right” in terms of restricting calories, diet and exercise.
 
 
So now that we know that sleep is SUPER IMPORTANT, let’s look at some of the things that inhibit our sleep. This biggest culprit is blue light.
 
Blue light is produced by our electronics (TV, iphone, ipad, etc) and it suppresses melatonin production – a hormone that regulates our circadian rhythms. Instead of calming ourselves before bed, watching TV or scrolling on our iPhones before bed actually wakes us up, making it harder to fall asleep and makes our sleep less restful. SO try turning those off at least an hour before bedtime. Instead, take a bath, read a book, or talk to a significant other or friend – we need a wind-down time as much as our kids do! 
 
Nighttime Light: It’s not only blue light, but any nighttime light expose affects our sleep. It doesn’t take prolonged or intense exposure to nighttime light in order to cause problems. Research shows even dim light can interfere with circadian function and sleep, triggering increased risks for disease. The light of a table lamp is bright enough to have a significant impact. For all you doctors and medical experts out there here are 5 Serious Medical Condition liked to Nighttime Light Exposure: obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, breast cancer, cardiovascular disease. 
 
Alcohol, Caffeine, Spicy Food, and Chocolate, can keep you up at night. Try eating them earlier in the day. Limit caffeinated beverages to 1-2 cups per day and stop drinking them after noon. Similarly, for a restful sleep, any alcohol should be consumed 3 hours before bed.
 
 
There are steps you can take to minimize the negative effects of nighttime light exposure.
 
Avoid unnecessary and excessive exposure to evening light. This doesn’t mean you need to succumb to complete darkness at sundown. But become aware of your nighttime environment and look for ways to reduce the amount of artificial light. Taking steps to reduce and eliminate nighttime exposure to artificial light is an important step in protecting health in our modern, lights-always-on age. Some ideas: Close your curtains to block the streetlight that shines in your window and use the dimmer switches to lower levels of light throughout the house after dinner.
 
Block bright and blue light on screens. Increasingly, digital devices are equipped with blue-light blocking filters and timers to reduce brightness at night. There are also several apps available that perform these functions (f.lux is a good one). In addition, you can attach blue-light blocking filters directly to screens themselves, or use blue-light blocking glasses.
 
Power down. I recommend a Power Down Hour before bedtime. Spend the 60 minutes before your head hits the pillow away from television, phone, and other screens and electronics. Ideas: read, journal, take a bath, or talk to someone.
 
Get Better Bulbs. A Power Down Hour doesn’t mean you have to sit in the dark.  There are now commercially available light products that will filter out the “blue spectrum” of light, which causes most of the problem, while still providing enough light for reading or other activities.
 
Sleep in the dark—and avoid middle-of-the-night light exposure. Take steps to ensure that you’re sleeping in the dark, including using timers on bedroom lights and devices, and covering windows to block outside light. Even a fleeting burst of exposure to light during the night can throw your circadian rhythms off track. Install dim, or specialty nightlights in bathrooms or hallways to avoid having to turn on other lights.
 
Get plenty of light exposure throughout the day. Light exposure during the day boosts attention and alertness, improves mood and cognitive function, strengthens circadian rhythms and can help you sleep better at night. Light can provide terrific benefits to health, when used in the right ways. Light therapy is used to treat a range of conditions, from sleep problems and jet lag to depression and dementia. 
 
 
Homework:  Aim for at least 8 hours of sleep per night this week

 
More Helpful Information: 

  • Sleep friendly foods
  • Good Sleep tracker
  • Apps for improving sleep
  • Tips for getting back to sleep when you have things on your mind
  • ​Best teas for sleep
 
For more information on sleep, check out the Sleep Doctor: https://www.thesleepdoctor.com
Other resources to help you lose weight while sleeping: Sleepy Bliss and Tuck Sleep

 
 
Checkout the below handout and infographic for other tips on improving your sleep!
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How To Lose Weight While Sleeping [Infographic]

Source: SleepyBliss.com.

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Week 4: Bridging Your Will Power Gap

5/7/2017

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It’s week 4, we are ¼ of the way done with the challenge! I think at this point we all need some motivation to get swimsuit ready! Luckily, today’s discussion is all about your willpower – or rather your lack of willpower – and how to bridge your willpower gap! But first our weekly stats
 
Total Progress:
Team 1: down 4.5lbs/1.95%
Team 2: down 4.6lbs/1.28%
Team 3: down 4.4 lbs/ 3.54%
Team 4: down 9 lbs/ 3.07%
 
Team 3 and 4 are really taking this seriously! Time for teams 1 and 2 to step up their game!
​

The average person makes over 200 decisions about food each and every day! Eating right, prepping meals, avoiding all the bad (but tasty) stuff you know you shouldn’t eat, and oh yeah, staying committed to a healthy diet can be difficult—duh. Even the non-food related decisions add to decision fatigue, making it difficult to eat the healthy choice. Planning your meals ahead of time or establishing a prep day can mean the difference between good intentions and behavior change. You need to bridge that willpower gap!

BUT, most of us don’t have the time or the energy to make a healthy home cooked meal after a long day at work. Instead, use your high-willpower moments to power your low-willpower moments.This helps you stay on track and overcome diet-wrecking temptations. Enter Prep day! Take a minute or two to plan healthy meals before your stomach makes the decision for you. 
 
A prep-day can look differently for different people. 
  • It can be as simple as writing down your meals for the week. Having a clear idea of what you will eat makes you less likely to stop for fast-food on the way home.
  • Prepping (clean, cut, chop) veggies for salads or easy snacks.
  • Stocking healthy snacks. 
  • Making large meals and pre-portioning for later. Don’t want to eat the same meal over and over again? No problem, make two or three big meals and alternate. Freeze whatever you won’t use for a later easy meal.
 
By having a Prep day you can have dinner on the table in a flash all week long. Prep day takes the guesswork out of what’s for dinner/lunch/breakfast and allows you to make healthy choices at each meal.
More reasons for and benefits of prepping your meals ahead of time:
  • Can help save money
  • Can ultimately save time
  • Can help with weight control, as you decide the ingredients and portions served
  • Can contribute to an overall more nutritionally balanced diet
  • Can reduce stress as you avoid last minute decisions about what to eat, or rushed preparation
Preparation doesn’t have to just be about food, you can also prepare for success in other areas of wellness. For example…
  • Pack your gym bag the night before and schedule your workouts on your calendar like you would a meeting.
  • Take a different way home from work to avoid the temptation to stop at all the fast-food places you pass on the way home.
  • Stocking your car and office with healthy snacks.
  • Plan your social outings or even your meetings around being active (walking meeting anyone?).
 
Anything you do to make the healthy choice the easy choice will help you succeed. Research shows that if you surround yourself with junk food, you are more likely to eat that junk food. So hide or get rid of candy jars and replace with healthier alternatives like nuts or fruit (halos make a delicious and fun desk treat). Put the healthier foods at eye level in your refrigerator and move the less healthy food out of sight.
 
Lastly, I want you to depend on friend-power instead of willpower. Willpower will ultimately fail, science shows it. Share your number within your groups and text each other whenever you feel tempted by unhealthy foods or wanting to skip your exercise routine. Accountability can go a long way with getting you back on track when you have decision fatigue – or perhaps just plain physical fatigue. Another idea: make a list of 10 things you are thankful for next time you are struggling to stick to plan. This little exercise of gratitude encourages you to think positively about what is going right instead of what you don’t have and can really boost  your willpower. (This is especially powerful for stress eaters).
 ​

Homework:

  • Incorporate a prep-day this week!
  • Text someone on your team this week when you feel like giving-in or giving-up
  • Make a gratitude list and read it every time you’re struggling

Here’s a list of some kitchen prep-day essentials that make prepping food a lot easier.
 
Here’s how to keep your greens from going bad in your fridge: Food Hacks: A 10-Second Tip to Keep Your Greens From Wilting
 
Here are more how-to’s on incorporating a prep-day and proper food storage
​

Prep-Day: Steps to Success
1.   Choose a consistent day to be your Prep day
2.   Choose meal/recipes for the week
3.   Create a shopping list
4.   Grocery shop
5.  Don’t put the groceries away... start prepping food
6.    Prep
  • Clean/Cut/Chop vegetables
  • Clean/Cut fruits
  • Cook/bake/grill meats/fish/poultry ahead
  • Prepare whole grains ahead
  • Make soups and casseroles
  • Prepare anything you can ahead of time
7. Portion out meals/snacks into reusable containers and bags
8.    Enjoy a week of stress-free healthy meals! 

EASY, FAST, PREP-DAY Recipes:

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Fall-Off-The-Bone Whole Chicken
I love cooking a whole chicken as it’s super easy with very little prep and I have meals for the whole week! I buy the largest whole chicken I can find (2 whole chicken at BJs for $17! – cook one or both of them at the same time).
 
Here is an easy brine recipe and it tastes just as good as the ones with sugar, but this one is sugar-free! All you need is salt and water: This will literally make your chicken fall off the bone (no more dry chicken!).  I double the recipe for 1 whole chicken or 3x if you do two chickens.
 
Keep chicken in brine overnight in the fridge, then drain and stick in a slow cooker or pressure cooker. I add 1 lemon juice and zest, 2-3 cloves crushed garlic, fresh rosemary and/or Italian seasoning. (Be creative and use any seasoning you like. Fresh ginger is also good). Cook on low for 8 hours while you go to work!
 
Come home to a delicious dinner (just make sure you sauté up some veggies)! Eat chicken and keep bones and broth for Dinner #2. Add water and any vegetables (carrots, mushrooms, celery) to bones and broth and keep in cooker overnight on low (can even cook 24plus hours while at work). Add any leafy veggies to soup and/or cooked chicken before serving.
 ​

5 Clean Eating Chicken Sheet Pan Dinners You Can Prep In Minutes! These recipes take 5 minutes to prep and you can stick them in your freezer all ready to go for whenever you need an easy meal.

Want to incorporate a prep-day, but have different meals each day? Here are some recipes that can be easily interchanged to create new ones:
  • Antioxidant-Rich Wild Rice Lentil Burgers + 5 Ways To Eat Them
  • Cauliflower Couscous + 5 Ways To Serve It
  • Roasted Carrots + Cauliflower With Lime Sambal + 5 Ways To Serve It​
 
Still need more ideas? Here are 30 days of mouth-watering recipes already planned by a dietitian

Also some easy lunch ideas
 
More Slow Cooker recipes than you can possibly make:
  • 31 Easy Paleo Slow Cooker Recipes
  • 28 Paleo Slow Cooker Meals You'll Want to Eat Every Night​
 
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Week 3: Becoming a Sugar Detective

5/2/2017

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My apologies for the late post. I hope you are doing well on your weight loss/health goals this week! Today's topic is a sensitive topic. I find that giving up sugar can be very tricky for so many people. But, doing a sugar detox can SIGNIFICANTLY reduce cravings, improve health, and aid in weight loss - so don't tune me out quite yet ;)
​

Becoming a Sugar detective

​An average American eats 23.5 teaspoons of sugar per day (358 calories). The average female is eating on average 37 teaspoon of sugar per day. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Americans eat about 64 pounds of sugar per year. 64 pounds! That’s the weight of an average 9-year old boy! BTW in case you were wondering, the recommendation is no more than 6 teaspoons (25g) per day!

​Where is all this sugar coming from you might ask.
 
Sugar comes from many forms and found in many sources, including dried fruit, snacks, desserts, and beverages. But it is also in a lot of things we don’t realize that really add up! Some examples include: condiments, salad dressings, cereals, breads, peanut butter, and even some frozen vegetables! Sugar is literally everywhere! One trick of the food industry is to add sugar, fat, and salt to food to make it more palatable and addictive. 

It is important to look for hidden sugar because it influences our food cravings and, when we eat more than 6 teaspoons of sugar, it makes it extremely hard to get all the nutrients, vitamins, and minerals that our body needs without going over the amount of food our bodies need to maintain a healthy weight. There is even less room for sugar for someone trying to lose weight on a calorie restricted diet. (This is why I recommend a good multivitamin for anyone trying to lose weight, also because of vitamin depleted soil).

Another reason to avoid added sugar is the gradual (or not so gradual) desensitization of sweetness.
When we add sugar to food (either by the manufacturer or in our kitchens), the food becomes unnaturally sweet and naturally sweet foods (like fruit) no longer tastes sweet. Sugar (along with salt, and fat, but to a lesser degree) increases dopamine, which excites the brain. When you eat foods with sugar (or even worse with sugar in combination with fat and salt) regularly, your brain lights up and stays that way giving you constant food cravings. These foods stimulate the brain similarly to the stimulation your brain receives from drugs or alcohol. Break this cycle of cravings by detecting hidden sugar and eating whole foods without excessive amounts of sugar, salt, and unhealthy fats. Watch this to find out what sugar goes to your body:  https://youtu.be/R46MnUbL6Z8
​
Which food item has the most sugar?
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Answer: The oatmeal! Poptarts: 16g sugar/4 teaspoons; 19g sugar/4.75 teaspoons; flavored instant oatmeal: 28g sugar/7 teaspoons
Some more common foods:
  • 12oz coke = 33g sugar (8.25 teaspoons)
  • 8oz cup orange juice = 23g sugar (5.75 teaspoons), 34.5g sugar in 12 oz (8.5 teaspoons = the same amount of sugar as coke!)
  • Total raisin brand has 17g sugar (4.25 teaspoon)
  • Stonyfield drinkable yogurt 40g sugar (10 teaspoons)
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Some more common foods:
  • 12oz coke = 33g sugar (8.25 teaspoons)
  • 8oz cup orange juice = 23g sugar (5.75 teaspoons), 34.5g sugar in 12 oz (8.5 teaspoons = the same amount of sugar as coke!)
  • Total raisin brand has 17g sugar (4.25 teaspoon)
  • Stonyfield drinkable yogurt 40g sugar (10 teaspoons)

But you might be thinking orange juice is better than coke, and you would be right because of the vitamins, but the sugar in juice still behaves like the sugar in the soda. It’s always better to eat the whole fruit instead of the fruit juice. The fruit is packaged in fiber, which slows down the sugar release. When you drink juice (such as orange juice), you’re taking about 4 oranges and removing all the fiber to get one cup.

​SO where is all this sugar hiding?
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Replacements:
PictureReplacements: do not eat the pop-tarts, substitute Greek unflavored plain yogurt and add your own fruit instead of flavored yogurt, substitute old fashion oats or steel cut oats for instant oatmeal.

​


​A bit on sugar substitutes...
 Diet products (i.e. diet soda, sugar substitutes) can still make people gain weight! This is because they cause people to consume more food because they cause cravings, just like sugar does. One way diet products cause weight gain in through upsetting your microflora (the good bacteria) in your gut. New research is showing how your microflora influences your cravings.

The scoop on different sweeteners:
  • Agave – Once thought to be a healthy alternative due to having a low glycemic index (not raising blood sugar as much), but it is up to 85% fructose, which in nutritionally insignificant and quickly turns to fat in the liver and leads to insulin resistance.  Not a good option.
  • Honey – is half fructose and half glucose (similar to sugar), but is sweeter than sugar so you can often use less in recipes. Raw honey, which is pure, unpasteurized, and unprocessed has enzymes, vitamins and phytonutrients and has antibacterial properties.
  • Sugar (granulated white sugar, brown sugar, raw cane sugar that’s also called turbinado sugar) – Sugar is sucrose, which is combined glucose and fructose in equal amounts. There are really no nutritional differences between brown and white sugar.  Brown sugar is colored with dark sugar syrups, which was originally removed to make white sugar.  Raw sugar is extracted and not refined, which is of small nutritional benefit, and, because it has more molasses than white sugar, you may use less of it.
  • Coconut Sugar – Made from the sap of a coconut tree, is also sucrose, but also has some nutrients, including magnesium, potassium, and a prebiotic fiber called inulin. It is not as heavily processed as table sugar and has a lower glycemic load (not raising your blood sugar as much).  Good substitute in baking.
  • Stevia –  is a natural sweetener that comes from a plant and has up to 150 times the sweetness of sugar. Stevia is without calories, heat-stable, pH-stable, and has negligible effects on blood glucose. It is a good option for those trying to wean off of other sugars. As far as I know, there hasn’t been any studies showing negative effect on the gut microbiota as with artificial sweeteners.
​

Finding the Hidden Sugar

​Rule:
  • g protein + g fiber > g sugar
  • 3g fiber minimum for grain products
 
1. Locate the grams of sugar, protein, and fiber on the food label. Be sure to check the serving size.
 
2. Make sure there are at least 3 grams of fiber
 
3. Add the grams of protein and fiber:
4 g protein + 2 g fiber = 6 g ​
 4. Compare the grams of protein and fiber to the total grams of sugar

6 g protein & fiber < 12 g sugar

​5.
 If the grams of protein + fiber total is greater than total grams of sugar the product is a good choice; if it is less than, it is not the best choice. For the example above, this isn’t the best choice. Try finding something that has at least 3 grams of fiber and has less sugar.
PictureNature Valley: 2+4<12. Not the best choice because there is more sugar than protein and fiber.
 

Picture
FiberOne: 5+6>7. Good choice because there is more protein and fiber than sugar.

​The No Added Sugar Challenge: The idea here is to help break the sugar "addiction" that prevents us from reaching lifestyle and weight loss goals. While you are not going to stop eating desserts or added sugar permanently, the purpose of this challenge is to increase your awareness of how much sugar is present in your routine and how it makes you feel. I recommend doing the challenge for 2 weeks in order to see a noticeable change in your taste pallet and to speed up weight loss. At the end of the 2 weeks, you may decide to continue it or start carefully adding in sweeter foods.
 
Here are the rules:
  1. No desserts of any kind
  2. No drinks with added sugar such as soda, juice, sweetened ice-tea
  3. No sugar substitutes, such as Splenda, Stevia, Equal. They do not have calories, but they do cause the same food cravings that sugar does.
  4. No refined carbs (White bread, white potatoes, white pasta, white rice, etc)
  5. Read the label of every food package, the food must pass the no added sugar rule or have 2 g sugar or less per serving.
  6. No sweet condiments (ketchup, store bought salad dressing, etc)
  7. No alcohol
  8. Avoid restaurant food, limit yourself to 1 time eating out this week
  9. If it occurs in nature, it is ok. Enjoy any fruits, vegetables, sweet potatoes, brown rice, etc.
  10. Dairy contains some natural sugar. Plain, unflavored milk is fine if you choose to consume dairy. Unsweetened and yogurt with 10g sugar per serving is fine. Whole milk or yogurt is also fine, more filling, and may actually promote weight loss over fat free. I like the brand Siggi’s. 

​

Homework:

  • Try the no added sugar challenge this week
  • Keep on food logging and working on your proportions
  • Focus on eating super foods and do your super swaps!


Recipe

PAN-SEARED SALMON OVER TRI-COLORED SALAD WITH DIJON DRESSING
Yield 2 servings | Active Time 30 minutes | Total Time 30 minutes
Salad
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped shallots
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 small head radicchio, thinly sliced, about 2 cups
  • 1 Belgian endive, thinly sliced, about 1 cup
  • 3 cups baby arugula
Salmon
  • 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 6-ounce wild salmon fillets, such as King or Sockeye

  • 1/8 teaspoon sea salt

  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Combine the lemon juice, shallots, mustard, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Slowly whisk in the oil until well combined and set aside.
In a separate bowl, combine the radicchio, endive, and arugula; set aside.
Heat the oil in a small nonstick skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle salmon with salt and pepper and place in skillet, flesh side down; cook, until fish flakes easily with a fork, 4-5 minutes per side. Remove from skillet.
Toss the dressing with the lettuces and place on the two plates; top each with a salmon filet.

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Week 2: Making swaps & Eating those Superfoods

4/24/2017

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​We are on to week #2! I hope no one is disappointed about their weight loss this week! At my work everyone did a great job!  Some people lose between 1-2 pounds, with one person losing 8.6 pounds! No one gained more than a pound or so, which is great given the big holiday! Maintaining your weight during a holiday is really a big accomplishment. ​
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Bring on the Super swaps!

I swapped C.R.A.P. for superfoods and you can too! Eating better means eating more superfoods – they give you the wholesome nutrition for a slimmer, healthier, more energized body. I’ve also learned that the most successful long-term changes happen when you enjoy what you’re doing. (Stop the diet mentality!)  
 
Last week, we talked about the C.R.A.P. that is in our diet and things to look for. We also talked about the right proportions for blood sugar and craving control (30/30/40 rule). Today I’m going to talk about simple and nutritious swaps you can make to satisfy your cravings and still eat what you what to eat, but in a healthier way. (It’s all about choosing the SANE foods over the INSANE foods per last week’s discussion). Another way of looking at this is choosing nutrient dense foods over calorie dense/nutrient poor foods.
 
Superfoods are foods (mostly plants) that deliver the maximum dose of antioxidants, vitamins, healthy fats, minerals, and other good stuff your body needs to thrive. When you do a “superswap” you add something better and drop something of lower quality. And by quality, I’m not just talking about price or brand names or organic (organic cookies, cakes, and candy is still cookies, cakes, and candy!). I mean things that benefit your body and mind. (It may mean you chose organic, grass-fed meat over conventional meat because it’s higher in omega 3’s, which decrease inflammation, or it may mean substituting wheat pasta for spaghetti squash). The goal is to think healthier and make healthier choices.
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Here are a few health superswaps to get you started:
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Note: Just because a food is a superfood doesn’t mean you can eat all you want. For example, nuts are a very healthy food with healthy fats, fiber, and protein, BUT they still have calories. Nuts are calorically dense so should not be eaten mindlessly without portioning. Even though a calorie is not a calorie, calories still matter (or rather net calories matter, which are the calories not used in digesting the food). 100 calories of nuts would look very small compared to 100 calories of kale or fruit. But what makes nuts so good is that even a small amount helps sate hunger. Try to stick to 1-2 small handfuls per day. Peanuts and pistachios with the shell can be self-limiting and helpful for weight loss. With that said, many nutrient dense foods have little to no calories, such as non-starchy vegetables. Feel free to eat as much as you want of these. A good strategy for second helpings would be to limit to only the veggies.
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This outside the box: Are you craving pizza and only “real” pizza will satisfy your craving? Sometimes we have a craving and despite our best efforts to substitute, we can’t shake it. Sometimes these cravings even cause us to “go off diet” or give up on the “diet” all together. Here is a way to have your cake and eat it too – or rather have your craving and stay on plan. Make a green base and put whatever you are craving on top of that green base.
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  1. Green base: a bed of lettuce, spinach, arugula, kale, mixed greens (etc…) 3 cups.
  2. Your craving on top: Chop or toss what you're craving on top – but not too much.
  • BBQ meats or fish: Combine sweet BBQ and bitter greens
  • Fried chicken: Chop chicken into bite-sized pieces and toss with the greens
  • Chinese takeout: Dump half of your usual entrée onto the greens
  • Pizza: Cut pizza into squares and use as croutons
  • Pasta dishes: Put hot noodles on greens to wilt them perfectly
  • Tacos: Taco salad anyone? 
  • Steak and potatoes: Toss greens with any dinner classic

Homework:

  • Think about how you might make your food more nutritious. Make at least one healthy swap per day.
  • Continue tracking your food and watching your proportions.
  • Start watching your cravings and triggers – more on this to come next week when we talk about hidden sugar!
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Recipes:

“Spaghetti” and Meatballs with Tomato Sauce

Serves 4. Prep time: 15 minutes. Cook time: 30 minutes.
  • 2 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 large spaghetti squash, halved lengthwise and seeded
  • 1 pound grass-fed ground beef
  • 1 small yellow onion, minced
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • ½ cup fresh parsley leaves, roughly chopped
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tsp fennel seed, coarsely ground in a spice grinder (or blender/nutribullet if in a pinch)
  • 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
  • 1 ½ tbsp. chia seeds, ground in a spice grinder (or blender/nutribullet if in a pinch)
  • 2 tbsp. unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 1 (28 ounce) can fire-roasted whole tomatoes, roughly chopped
 
  1. Preheat over to 350F
  2. Drizzle 1 tbsp. of olive oil onto a baking sheet. Place the squash halves cut side down on the baking sheet and bake until the squash is tender, about 25 minutes.
  3. While the squash bakes, in a bowl, combine the beef, onion, garlic powder, parsley, salt, black pepper, fennel seeds, pepper flakes, and chia seeds. Mix until thoroughly combined. Using your hands, form the mixture into 12 evenly sized meatballs and set aside. 
  4. When the squash is done, remove the baking sheet from the oven, carefully flip over the squash halves, and let stand until cool enough to handle.
  5. Using a spoon and/or fork, scrape the squash flesh from the skin, separating it into spaghetti-like strands, and transfer it to a saucepan. Add the butter and toss until the squash is well coated. Cover to keep warm on low heat until ready to serve. 
  6. In a skillet, warm the remaining 1 tbsp. olive oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add the sliced garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes with their juice, cover, and cook for 5 minutes. Add the meatballs, re-cover and continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the meatballs are firm, about 20 minutes.
  7. Divide the spaghetti squash among 4 plates. Top each portion with meatballs and several spoonfuls of sauce and serve.

Dandelion Pumpkin Seed Pesto

Tastes great on Spaghetti squash). Makes about 1 cup​
  • 3/4 cup unsalted hulled (green) pumpkin seeds
  • 3 garlic gloves, minced
  • 1 bunch dandelion greens (about 2 cups, loosely packed)
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • Black pepper, to tasted
 
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Pour the pumpkin seeds onto a shallow-rimmed baking sheet and roast until just fragrant, about 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
  2. Pulse the garlic and pumpkin seeds together in the bowl of a food processor until very finely chopped.
  3. Add dandelion greens, and lemon juice and process continuously until combined. Stop the processor every now and again to scrape down the sides of the bowl. The pesto will be very thick and difficult to process after awhile — that's ok.
  4. With the blade running, slowly pour in the olive oil and process until the pesto is smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.
 
Note: I often sub other greens for the dandelion greens for different types of pesto (i.e. basil and sage) May use half basil and half spinach to stretch the basil if you don’t have enough. I have also substituted any type of roasted squash seeds for the pumpkin seeds. Have fun with it! I’ve never made a bad pesto.  ​​

Cauliflower fried rice

For all you Chinese food fans out there, try this recipe instead of fried rice: http://www.shape.com/healthy-eating/healthy-recipes/cauliflower-fried-rice-bowl-will-make-you-forget-about-takeout

 
Wishing you all a great week! xox
 
Cassandra
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Spring Slim Down 16 Weeks Challenge

4/17/2017

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I was recently asked to lead a 16 week weight loss program for the hospital employees at my work. I quickly became really excited and started planning out my curriculum, committing to writing about topics in nutrition, stress management, physical activity, sleep, and healthy lifestyle changes as it relates to weight loss over the next 16 weeks. Because I am so excited about these topics, I want to make these tips available to my blog readers! I hope you decide to join us on these next 16 weeks.
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Week 1: Introduction to a Real Food Diet

I hate the word diet…. Diets don’t work. They denote deprivation, hunger, restriction, inflexibility, mood swings, etc. To top it all off, 95% of people fail on diets and regain all their weight or more. That’s why I want you to forget about your diet mentality while doing this weight loss challenge. I get it, you want to lose weight, you want to win the jackpot, but the most important thing for me is that you be healthier, have more energy, a better mood, and fewer cravings. And believe me, the weight loss will come too! But I’m hoping to equip you with tools to develop a lifestyle around food and to help you be in that 5% that loses weight and doesn’t regain it back, while focusing on all those other benefits I mentioned.
 
The national weight control registry is a group of people who have lost 30 lbs and kept it off for a year or more. In fact, I encourage you to sign up for this registry once you have lost your weight. Registry members have lost an average of 66 lbs and kept it off for 5.5 years.
Secrets to their success include:
  1. Eating breakfast every day
  2. Weigh themselves at least once a week
  3. Watch less than 10 hours of TV per week
  4. Exercise, on average, about 1 hour per day (more on this later why exercise might not be helpful; decreasing sedentary time (i.e. increasing physical activity) does help)
  5. They often record what they eat
  6. They approach weight loss as a gradual process

Food proportions and combinations: Know your SANE score, get the C.R.A.P. out of your diet, and the 30/30/40 rule

The first thing you need to do is to take the CRAP out of your diet. Taking these ingredients/foods out of your diet will put you on the path to clean eating and boost your metabolism.
C = Chemicals you don’t use in your own kitchen. Words like: azodicarbonamide, carrageenan, potassium bromate, soy isolate, brominated vegetable oil, and partially-hydrogenated vegetable oil.
R = Refined sugar and flour. Look for words like refined flour, enriched wheat, high-fructose corn syrup, sugar, and anything ending in –ose (sucrose, maltose, dextrose….etc)
A = Artificial sweeteners, flavors, colors. Words like caramel coloring, saccharin, aspartame, acesulfame-potassium, dyes, diacetyl, and just plain “artificial flavoring.”
P = Preservatives. Words like: sodium nitrate/nitrite, BHA, TBHQ, BHT, heptyl paraben, and propyl gallate.
A calorie is not a calorie is not a calorie. Suffice it to say that 100 calories of sweet potato will behave quite differently in your body than 100 calories of candy, even though they are both carbs. One cup of sweet potatoes contains 38433 IU of vitamin A (769% of the daily value), 39.2 mg of vitamin C (65% of the daily value) and is a very good source of the mineral manganese, while also being a fantastic source of fiber. Fiber is the main component in foods that makes you feel full and helps regulate your blood sugar. The sweet potato takes more mechanical energy to chew and to process than the readily available sugar from the candy. Thus, you burn more calories from eating the sweet potato. So I want to implore you to think of food as information for your body and not just food or calories. With every bite, you can either do harm or good for your body. Think of every food having a SANE score.
S = Satiety: How quickly the calories fill you up and how long they keep you full. Typically, foods with higher water content, higher fiber content, and higher protein content are the most satisfying and filling.
A = Aggression: How likely the calories are to be stored as body fat. (Simple carbs > complex carbs > fat > protein). 
N = Nutrition: How many nutrients – vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids, essential amino acids – the calories provide. Which foods have the highest nutrient density per calorie? Think non-starchy vegetables, nuts, seeds, fish, and sustainably raised meat.
E = Efficiency: How many of the calories can be stored as body fat. I.e. When you eat 100 calories of almonds, only a percentage of that is consumed because it takes calories to breakdown and use the calories in the almonds compared to the candy. Thus, the net calories in the almonds are less than 100 calories. ​
Need more proof that a calorie is not a calorie?
·         Research at Cornell University split people into groups, each eating 1,800 calories a day. The group who ate the higher-quality calories lost 86.5% more body fat than the “typical” dieters – even though they ate the same calories.
·         A similar study at the U.S. Naval Hospital revealed that simply by altering the quality of food consumed (NOT the number of calories), test subjects lost twice as much body fat in just 10 days.
The secret to losing weight is NOT to eat LESS food, but rather to eat MORE higher-quality (SANE) food. You should not be hungry! SANE cheat sheet! 
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​Food Combinations and hunger and weight loss:

Every time you eat carbs, your body releases insulin. Insulin acts to store sugar as fat in your body's cells. Insulin also inhibits fat breakdown, making it harder to lose weight. I will often recommend that people check their blood sugar before and 2 hours after a meal to monitor their blood sugar and make sure it’s within range (even non-diabetics).
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What happens when you eat a lot of carbs: (A reader’s digest article where I discuss the subject can be found here)

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You get wide fluctuations in your blood sugar: Sugar isn't the only thing that will spike your blood sugar - refined carbohydrates, a fancy word to denote carbs that don't have much fiber, and starches break down very quickly to sugar in the body and can cause highs in your blood sugar. Now just like Newton's law of what comes up must go down, your body secretes insulin in response to all the sugar, leading to blood sugar lows. Avoid: candy, sweets, soda, juice, and sweetened breakfast cereals. Limit: White bread, bagels, pasta, white rice, and alcohol. When in doubt, look for foods that have at least 3 grams of fiber and that their grams of sugar are less than their grams of fiber plus grams of protein.  
 
You're irritably moody - When your blood sugar falls, you might feel a "crash" - tired, irritable and shaky. The more carbs you eat, the more variations in your blood sugar and your mood. Do your family a favor and add some peanut butter or cheese to your carbs.
 
You're a sugar addict - Sugar, Salt, and Fat increase dopamine which excites the brain. Sugar is the biggest culprit of this. When you eat foods with sugar or refined carbs, your brain lights up and stays that way giving you constant food cravings. This is very similar to the excitement the brain receives from drugs and alcohol. The solution? Eat whole foods found in nature without excess amounts of sugar.
 
You're always hungry:
Did you know that you can actually become hungrier after you eat refined carbs? Your body's response to low blood sugar is hunger. So if you eat more carbs, chances are you will have a lot more fluctuations in your blood sugar and feel even hungrier after your blood sugar crashes in less than an hour. If you ignore the hunger and don't eat, your blood sugar remains low until your next meal. At this time, your body produces ghrelin, a hormone that increases appetite, leading you to overeat at your next meal.
 
You can't seem to lose weight despite restricting your calories - Every time you eat carbs, your body releases insulin. Insulin acts to store sugar as fat in your body's cells. Insulin also inhibits fat breakdown, making it harder to lose weight. 
 
You gain weight at the sight of carbs - For the reasons mentioned above, if you eat too many carbs and are not restricting your calories, eating too many carbs can lead to weight gain.
 
You're sluggish and drained despite getting a good night's sleep - Consuming carbs, particularly refined carbs and starches, can provide a short-term rush of energy. But once your body releases insulin to help regulate your blood-sugar levels, the swift removal of those carbs (now turned into sugar) into your muscles, liver and other organs can leave you feeling lethargic and tired. The solution? Look for carbs high in fiber and/or pair your carbs with protein or other fiber-rich foods.
 
Your cholesterol is through the roof - Carb consumption from refined carbohydrates that are high in sugar and low in fiber, is associated with lower levels of HDL ("good" cholesterol) and higher levels of LDL ("bad" cholesterol) and triglycerides, which is associated with an increased risk for heart disease. Very high carbohydrate intakes of more than 60 percent of total calories -- along with excess sugar consumption -- are associated with an increase in triglycerides, according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. A 2005 OmniHeart study by Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions compared three diets that emphasized either protein, unsaturated fat or carbohydrate and found that the protein and unsaturated fat diets were more effective in reducing the risk factors for heart disease than the high-carbohydrate diet.
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A bit about choosing carbs: Not all carbs are bad, in fact, we need carbs for energy. But most of us don't need as many as we eat and we eat the type of carbs void of the "good stuff" that keeps our blood sugar, hunger, and mood in check. This "good stuff" is fiber, protein, and healthy fats. 
 
When possible, substitute the refined carbs for healthier carbs. There are the obvious switches such as substituting white rice for brown rice and white bread for whole wheat bread. But you can also expand to include other high fiber grains such as quinoa, millet, and sorghum. This could be substituting spaghetti squash for spaghetti (42 vs 221 calories per cup), cauliflower mash for mashed potatoes (70 vs 120 calories per cup), kale chips for chips (50 vs 160 calories/cup), or collards/lettuce wrap for a tortillas (30 vs 300 calories per 2 wraps). The list is endless as pureed fruit makes (9 calories per 2 tbs) a good substitute for pancake syrup (104 calories/2 tbs) and brewed chai tea (0 calories) or turmeric golden milk (127 calories) makes a good substitute for an overly sweetened chai latte from Starbucks (240 calories). Also, be aware of your drinks! Sugar-sweetened beverages, not traditionally thought of as a carb, act like a refined carbohydrate in your body. Limit your consumption of soda, juice, flavored coffee drinks, and alcohol or substitute with fruit infused or sparkling water.  
 
If unable to sub out the refined carbs, pair them with another food that is either high in protein or healthy fats, such as nuts, seeds, avocado, lean meat or dairy. 
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Tracking

So how do we track that we are getting the right nutrient composition? My favorite app for doing this is MyFitnessPal, also Loseit! Is another great app.
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30/30/40 Rule: 30% calories from protein, 30% calories from fat, 40% calories from carbs; easy to track using MyFitnessPal app or online tool!
Hint: Focus on eating protein at every meal and snack! 

More -->Goals --> Calorie and Macronutrient Goals --> update percentages to 40% carbs, 30% protein, 30% fat 
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The Plate Method: Another way to look at the 30/30/40 rule

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This week, try to make your proportions closer to the 30/30/40. Weight loss jump-start: try substituting your starch portion for starchy vegetables (i.e. sweet potato, squash, beets, carrots, turnips).
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Recommended supplements:

  • High quality multivitamin with minerals
  • Purified fish oil – acts as an anti-inflammatory, insulin-and blood sugar – balancing, heart-disease-preventing, brain-boosting supplement. 2-4g per day
  • Vitamin D3 – Helps insulin function. 2,000-4,000 units per day (most people are deficient especially coming off of winter and being inside)
  • Probiotics –  Helps normalize your gut flora, which research is showing impacts your cravings. Find one with at least 10 to 25 billion CFU
  • PGX fiber – Slows blood sugar and insulin spikes and can also cut cravings and promote weight loss. Plus most people don’t eat enough fiber.  2.5-5g just before every meal with a large glass of water (powder or softgels)
  • Magnesium glycinate – helps to reduce anxiety, improve sleep, assist blood sugar control, stop muscle cramps, and help with constipation. 100-150mg per day
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Recipes

Some ideas for breakfasts: http://greatist.com/eat/healthy-breakfast-cup-recipes-to-fuel-your-mornings (except save the French toast one for a special treat)
 
Some lunch ideas: http://greatist.com/eat/paleo-lunch-recipes
 
Some Dinner Crockpot ideas: http://greatist.com/eat/paleo-crock-pot-recipes
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Homework

1) Log your foods using MyFitnessPal, Loseit, or on paper (make sure you update your proportions to the 30/30/40 rule)
2) Try to eliminate the CRAP from your diet
3) Think about the SANE score when choosing your foods
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Eating slower may be the secret to your weight loss

1/3/2017

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Eating slower can help you enjoy your meals more while eating less--two things that are key for sucessful weight loss. But if you're used to scarfing down food at a breakneck pace, taking it slow can be tough.
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Here are 7 great tips for eating slower and why they work:
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A new Spin on Mindful eating

1) Eat without distractions: The biggest culprit causing mindless eating is the TV. As a rule of thumb, only eat in conditions that you have a plate, table, and chair. Save books, loud music, games, or other distracting activities for times when you aren’t eating. Eating while distracted makes it difficult for you to realize when you have had enough to eat and many people eat upwards of 25% more when distracted. 

2) Eat with your non-dominant hand.  Eating with your non-dominant hand can be a fun way to slow down. This can be fun, and super healthy, activity for the whole family! 

3) Engage in conversation. Conversation is a natural way to slow down your eating. No one wants to talk with someone who has their mouth completely full. Talking forces you to take smaller bites so that you can add to the conversation and gives you time to evaluate your hunger.

4) Put your fork down before every bite. The added seconds it takes to put your fork completely down between each bite allows you to reflect on your fullness and satiety. 

5) Eat with chopsticks: Anything you can do to make eating more challenging or to limit the amount of food you can put into your mouth at one time will show down your eating. So buff up your chopstick skills while slowing down your eating at the same time. 

6) Chew: Focus on chewing every bite of food at least 15 times. Chewing is the MOST important step for healthy digestion. Chew your food until it’s “applesauce-texture” before swallowing. Aim for 15-20 chews per bite. One study showed that those who chewed more, about 15 times per bite, were more likely to have a lower weight. But the benefits don’t stop at just 15, another study showered that chewing 40 times per bite reduced food intake by 12% compared to those chewing 15 times per bite. But for most of us, chewing 15 times per bite can be challenging enough. Regardless if you chew 15 times or 40 times, eating more slowly, by increasing the number of times you chew, reduces levels of the hunger hormone ghrelin, which increases feelings of satiety while reducing your appetite. 

7) Check in with yourself after every bite: Mentally ask yourself “Am I really hungry?” after each bite and rate your hunger on a scale of 1-10 with 1 being starving and 10 being uncomfortably full. Stop eating at the bite you rate a 7 or 8.

Your turn! What are your tips for eating slower? Share them below. 
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The New Year: To Diet or not to Diet

12/27/2016

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We've all been there before... "It's the new year for a new me!" It's no surprise that the number one New Year's Resolution is to lose weight according to statistics from statisticbrain.com. What was surprising to me is that "Staying Fit and Healthy" was number 5 of this top 10 list.

But did you know that your resolution might be setting yourself up for weight-GAIN instead of weight-LOSS? For most, weight-loss is approached through going on a calorie restricted diet or through dreaded workouts or both. But let me propsose to you that this mindset sets yourself up for failure.

Having the mindset that every time you need to lose a few pounds (or a lot of pounds) means you need to hit the gym 5 days a week and eat healthy, taste-less food is setting yourself up for failure. Yo-yo dieting, which is the notion of losing and then gaining weight through irregular diets, is actually making people heavier and contributing to increased risk of diseases and stress. This is because people have an “all-or nothing” mindset. Yes, most people can go on a diet and drastically change their eating habits for a couple weeks and lose weight, but this isn’t sustainable. Overtime, they return to their old way of eating and gain their weight back. The added stress and feeling of failure coupled by metabolic changes, may even cause more weight gain than what was originally lost.   

Instead, successful weight loss is achieved through the mindset of small, additive lifestyle changes. This is a marathon - not a sprint! You are the tortoise, not the hare to put it in popular fable terms. 
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Here are 3 weight loss tips without the "diet":

1) Don’t do anything or eat anything you don’t like! One reason why diets don’t work is that they force people to eat things they don’t like. If the kale smoothie didn’t go down so well the first time, what makes you think that the 10th day of it is going to be any different? You want your food to be enjoyable. So if they kale smoothie isn’t working out for you, try sautéed kale, kale chips, or better yet, ditch the kale and try spinach, collared greens, swiss chard, or another vegetable. Don’t be afraid to try different seasonings or ways of cooking - you’ll be sure to find something you like to eat that is healthy for you too.  Need inspiration? Subscribe to a healthy foodie blog or plan a healthy cookbook rotation with your friends. Don’t like to go to the gym or running on a treadmill? No problem. Sign up for a Zumba class or better yet, grab a friend or your kids and start a dance party!

2) Nutritious Superswaps! Make nutritious superswaps, which is substituting something of lesser nutritional value, for something of greater. Now I don’t mean substituting cookies for organic cookies, but rather every day at every meal ask yourself, “How can I make this a little bit healthier." This could be substituting spaghetti squash for spaghetti (42 vs 221 calories per cup), cauliflower mash for mashed potatoes (70 vs 120 calories per cup), kale chips for chips (50 vs 160 calories/cup), or collards/lettuce wrap for a tortillas (30 vs 300 calories per 2 wraps). The list is endless as pureed fruit makes (9 calories per 2 tbs) a good substitute for pancake syrup (104 calories/2 tbs) and brewed chai tea (0 calories) or turmeric golden milk (127 calories) makes a good substitute for an overly sweetened chai latte from Starbucks (240 calories). Not only are these swaps lower in calories, they have nutrients (vitamins and minerals) that your body needs. In addition, they may be  higher in protein or fiber that keeps you satiated for longer and improves your mood and energy - goodbye diet angst! 

3) Bridge your willpower gap. The average person makes over 200 decisions about food each and every day! Even the non-food related decisions adds to decision fatigue, making it difficult to eat the healthy choice. Planning your meals ahead of time or establishing a prep day can mean the difference between failed good intentions and lasting behavior change. 

A prep-day can look differently for different people:
  • It can be as simple as writing down your meals for the week 
  • Prepping (clean, cut, chop) veggies for salads or easy snacks
  • Stocking healthy snacks at home, in the car, or at work 
  • Making large meals and pre-portioning for later

Using your high-willpower moments to power your low-willpower moments takes the guesswork out of "What's for dinner?" and helps you stay on track. Take a minute or two each week to plan out healthy meals before your stomach makes the decision for you. Don't have time to plan? There are several food services that do the planning for you. Checkout The Dinner Daily, for as little as $4 a month, you will be sent customized recipies, shopping list, and coupons for your local grocery store based on what's on sale each week. So you end up saving money, time, and eating healthy each week - win, win, win! 

Perhaps this New Year, you will rank "Staying Healthy and Fit" higher and let weight loss be a biproduct of living your exciting, energized life! 
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Roasted Moroccan Salmon with Pomegranate Recipe

12/20/2016

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This easy, yet eye-catching and mouthwatering dinner is the perfect dish to make on a hectic mid-week night or to impress your in-laws. Salmon provides a great source of high-quality protein and omega-3 fatty acids. Choose wild caught salmon when possible to optimize the Omega-3 and vitamin D content. Incorporating fish into your diet 2-3 times per week is very healthy and could reduce your risk of stroke, depression, Alzheimer’s disease, and other chronic conditions.
Side recommendations: Serve salmon with 1/2 cup of whole grains, such as wild rice, or roasted sweet potato. Don’t forget your veggies! This Moroccan Salmon tastes great with steamed broccoli, sauteed spinach, or roasted asparagus.


Serves 4 |  Prep: 10 minutes  | Cook: 15-20 minutes
Per serving: 316 Calories, 5.1g sugar, 2.2g fiber, 26.3g protein, 720mg sodium
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Ingredients: 
  • 4 Salmon fillets
  • 2 teaspoons Moroccan seasoning mix (ras el hanout)
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt flakes
  • grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
  • 1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
Directions: 
  • Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
  • Cut out 4 rectangles of parchment paper, each large enough to comfortably wrap a salmon fillet, and 4 slightly larger rectangles of aluminum foil. Lay each rectangle of parchment paper over a rectangle of foil. Put a salmon fillet in the center or each parchment paper rectangle.
  • Sprinkle the fillets with the Moroccan seasoning, salt, lemon zest and juice, and oil, then the pomegranate seeds and cilantro.
  • Bring the long edges of the parchment paper up together, before folding them down a few times to form a crisp pleat over the top of the salmon and tucking the short edges below. Repeat with the foil underneath to form a secure package.
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  • Put the packages on a baking sheet. Roast on a high shelf for 15-20 minutes, or until the fish is cooked through and flakes easily when pressed with a knife (internal temperature of 145ºF).
  • Serve the packages for people to unwrap at the table.




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To make your own Moroccan seasoning, mix the following ingredients together and store in an air-tight container. Yields 8 tablespoons.

Ingredients: 
  • 2 teaspoons  ground nutmeg
  • 2 teaspoons  ground coriander
  • 2 teaspoons  ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons  ground ginger
  • 2 teaspoons  turmeric
  • 2 teaspoons  salt
  • 2 teaspoons  cinnamon
  • 1 1⁄2teaspoons  sugar
  • 1 1⁄2teaspoons  paprika
  • 1 1⁄2teaspoons  ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon  cayenne pepper
  • 1 teaspoon  cardamom powder
  • 1 teaspoon  ground allspice
  • 1⁄2teaspoon  ground cloves

Nutmeg is known to lower blood pressure, soothe digestive upset, arthritis, and help detoxify the body. The anti-inflammatory properties can be used to treat joint and muscle pain.

Coriander has been a favorite remedy for anxiety and insomnia. Now research has confirmed its tension-taming properties. Like cinnamon, coriander aids digestion. It has also shown promise in reducing blood sugar and cholesterol levels. It is also a chelator of heavy metals such as mercury stored in the liver. It is also effective when combating stress.

Ginger is s common ingredient in Ayurvedic and traditional Chinese medicines, ginger boasts an antioxidant power equal to vitamin C. The spice’s reported health benefits include: easing arthritis pain, improving digestion 􏰄􏰪􏰎􏰅􏰌􏰃􏰂􏰈􏰃􏰟􏰁􏰂􏰅􏰉􏰁􏰓􏰃􏰬􏰘􏰃􏰤􏰉􏰈􏰓􏰖􏰃􏰂􏰑􏰄􏰃􏰆􏰕􏰁􏰍􏰄􏰗􏰆􏰃􏰔􏰄􏰕􏰈􏰔􏰂􏰄􏰋􏰃􏰑􏰄􏰅􏰌􏰂􏰑􏰃􏰣􏰄􏰓􏰄􏰒􏰁􏰂􏰆􏰭􏰃􏰄􏰅􏰆􏰁􏰓􏰖􏰃􏰅􏰔􏰂􏰑􏰔􏰁􏰂􏰁􏰆􏰃􏰕􏰅􏰁􏰓􏰆􏰏􏰃􏰁􏰉􏰕􏰔􏰈􏰟􏰁􏰓􏰖􏰃􏰋􏰁􏰖􏰄􏰆􏰂and treating colds, coughs, and flu. In addition, research has shown that ginger is more effective at combating motion sickness than Dramamine. It is also very useful for arthritis and IBS.

Turmeric is a common ingredient in curries, turmeric is a powerful antioxidant that protects against cancer, lowers cholesterol and eases arthritic aches and pains by reducing inflammation, which is extremely helpful with arthritis and high cholesterol. It has also been shown to increase insulin sensitivity by 300 percent. More good news: Researchers at UCLA found that curcumin, a compound in turmeric, was more effective at preventing the development of brain-damaging placques seen in Alzheimer's disease than any other drug being tested. Is it coincidence that India has the lowest rate of Alzheimer's in the􏰋􏰅􏰉􏰅􏰖􏰁􏰓􏰖􏰃􏰕􏰌􏰅􏰪􏰎􏰄􏰆􏰃􏰆􏰄􏰄􏰓􏰃􏰁􏰓􏰃􏰤􏰌􏰨􏰑􏰄􏰁􏰉􏰄􏰔􏰗􏰆􏰃􏰋􏰁􏰆􏰄􏰅􏰆􏰄􏰃􏰂􏰑􏰅􏰓􏰃􏰅􏰓􏰇􏰃􏰋􏰔􏰎􏰖􏰃 􏰣􏰄􏰁􏰓􏰖􏰃􏰂􏰄􏰆􏰂􏰄􏰋􏰘􏰃􏰩􏰂􏰃􏰁􏰆􏰃􏰕􏰔􏰈􏰣􏰅􏰣􏰌􏰇􏰃􏰓􏰈􏰃􏰍􏰈􏰁􏰓􏰍􏰁􏰋􏰄􏰓􏰍􏰄􏰃􏰂􏰑􏰅􏰂􏰃􏰩􏰓􏰋􏰁􏰅􏰗􏰆􏰃􏰕􏰈􏰕􏰎􏰌􏰅􏰍􏰄􏰃􏰑􏰅􏰆􏰃􏰂􏰑􏰄􏰃􏰌􏰈􏰐􏰄􏰆􏰂􏰃􏰔􏰅􏰂􏰄􏰃􏰈􏰒􏰃􏰤􏰌􏰨􏰑􏰄􏰁􏰉􏰄􏰔􏰗􏰆􏰃􏰁􏰓􏰃􏰂􏰑􏰄􏰃 world - 􏰫 and a diet rich in turmeric? Probably not! FYI: piperine, a compound found in black pepper, is thought to increase the effects of curcumin in turmeric by 1,000 times! 

Cinnamon is one of the most versatile spices, cinnamon can be used to flavor everything from cookies to soups. Using cinnamon in cooking is a wise choice because cinnamon has plenty to offer. Not only does it ease common tummy troubles such as gas and bloating, but in a recent clinical trial, cinnamon significantly lowered fasting blood glucose, triglycerides, and cholesterol levels in diabetics. Worried about E.coli? New research shows that cinnamon can wipe out bacteria. When a teaspoon of cinnamon was added to highly contaminated apple juice, the E. coli was reduced by 99.5 percent after three day.

Cayenne is a popular spice in chili and it’s beneficial properties comes from its 􏰮􏰑􏰄􏰃􏰕􏰄􏰕􏰕􏰄􏰔􏰃􏰆􏰕􏰁􏰍􏰄􏰃􏰂􏰑􏰅􏰂􏰃􏰕􏰎􏰂􏰆􏰃􏰂􏰑􏰄􏰃􏰆􏰁􏰓􏰖􏰃􏰁􏰓􏰃􏰍􏰑􏰁􏰌􏰁􏰃􏰅􏰓􏰋􏰃􏰈􏰂􏰑􏰄􏰔􏰃􏰋􏰁􏰆􏰑􏰄􏰆􏰏􏰃􏰍􏰅􏰇􏰄􏰓􏰓􏰄􏰗􏰆􏰃􏰍􏰌􏰅􏰁􏰉􏰃􏰂􏰈􏰃􏰒􏰅􏰉􏰄􏰃􏰍􏰈􏰉􏰄􏰆􏰃􏰒􏰔􏰈compound capsaicin, a popular ingredient in pain-relieving creams. Cayenne may also have additional health benefits. One study found that a diet rich in cayenne spiced chili protected against the formation of 􏰯􏰞􏰯􏰃􏰰􏰙􏰣􏰅􏰋􏰝􏰱􏰃􏰍􏰑􏰈􏰌􏰄􏰆􏰂􏰄􏰔􏰈􏰌􏰏􏰃􏰐􏰑􏰁􏰌􏰄􏰃􏰅􏰓􏰈􏰂􏰑􏰄􏰔􏰃􏰋􏰄􏰉􏰈􏰓􏰆􏰂􏰔􏰅􏰂􏰄􏰋􏰃􏰂􏰑􏰅􏰂􏰃􏰍􏰑􏰁􏰌􏰁􏰃􏰑􏰄􏰌􏰕􏰄􏰋􏰃􏰊􏰄􏰄􏰕􏰃􏰁􏰓􏰆􏰎􏰌􏰁􏰓􏰃􏰌􏰄􏰟􏰄􏰌􏰆􏰃􏰌􏰈􏰐􏰃􏰅􏰒􏰂􏰄􏰔􏰃􏰉􏰄􏰅􏰌􏰆􏰘LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and another study showed that chili helped keep insulin levels low after meals.

Cloves contain a significant amount of eugenol, which is found to be effective in blocking the inflammation associated with osteoporosis, arthritis and IBS. Cloves are also a significant source of manganese, dietary fiber, vitamin C, calcium, magnesium, and omega-3 fatty acids.
Source: My Foundation Diet by Kathie Madonna Swift

Did you make this recipe? Leave a comment below and let me know how it turned out!
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Fresh or Frozen

12/14/2016

1 Comment

 
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While people may think lesser of frozen fruits and vegetables, they can be a great option and alternative to keep in stock in your freezer especially when time is tight or when there's nothing left in the refrigerator.  In fact, frozen may even be healthier during certain months!
 
First, a bit about frozen....
Frozen fruits and vegetables are frozen right at their nutritional peak, so they can actually be a healthier option when the fruit or vegetable is out of season as they have a higher vitamin content.

Frozen vegetables are first blanched (scalding vegetables in boiling water or steam for a short time), which stops their enzymes from degrading the vegetables that would normally cause loss of flavor, color, and texture over time. Blanching cleanses the surface of dirt, brightens the color, and helps retard the loss of vitamins. These vegetables are then frozen, further slowing down these produce-degrading enzymes.

Nutrient Quality of Frozen: Although some of the water-soluble vitamins, such as vitamin C and the B vitamins, found in all fruits and vegetables are lost in the freezing process. This amount is often much less than that lost from fresh fruit and vegetable transportation and storage. Furthermore, frozen vegetables take less time to cook, which decreases the vitamin losses from cooking.

Note: over many months, nutrients in frozen vegetables do inevitably degrade. For best nutritional quality, still eat frozen produce a couple weeks after purchase for optimal nutrition quality.
 

A bit about fresh... 
When fresh fruit or vegetables are out of season, they need to be imported from other states or even other countries. In order for them to be ripe by the time they get to you, they are often picked in their pre-ripe form before the nutrients have time to develop fully. They further lose some of their nutrients during their long travel to your grocery store.
 
Nutrient Quality of Fresh: Any fruit or vegetable that is allowed to sit (either during travel to the supermarket, on the store shelves, or in your refrigerator) will lose nutrients and vitamins and will most likely be inferior to their frozen counterparts in terms of nutrient quality and quantity. This is why buying local produce is so great! But buying local isn’t always possible for most produce that is out of season.
 

Enter frozen fruits and veggies!
For those situations, its best to buy frozen. Plus frozen are often a lot cheaper, which is a plus! Similarly, the process of freezing the vegetables softens the starch and, thereby, decreasing the time it takes to cook them and making them a quicker option. The only ingredient in your frozen produce should be the fruit or veggie itself - beware of added salt or sugar on the nutrition label!

Fruits and Vegetables can be cheaper frozen:*
Broccoli $0.09 / oz vs $0.29 / oz fresh
Raspberries $0.29/oz vs $0.50/oz fresh
Blueberries $0.28/oz vs $0.50/oz fresh
Peppers $0.09/oz vs $0.12/oz fresh
Brussels sprouts $0.09/oz vs $0.25/oz fresh
Green beans $0.06/oz vs $0.22/oz fresh
Strawberries $0.20/oz vs $0.25/oz fresh
Spinach $0.11/oz vs $0.25/oz fresh
Peas $0.09/oz vs $0.56/oz fresh
Kale $0.09/oz vs $0.19/oz fresh

Especially if you want vegetables already cut, frozen veggies in their pre-cut form are almost always cheaper than their fresh pre-cut competitors.

*Prices taken from PeaPod in November (Prices of fresh vary by month depending on what's in season - so make sure to check the price regularly).​
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Always check the nutrition label to make sure that there aren't any added ingredients, such as salt, sugar, or sauces. This one has added salt, so choose another item or brand. (Disclaimer: I don't promote one brand of frozen vegetables over another)
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This package of frozen green beans doesn't have any unwanted ingredients. Notice that this item doesn't advertise "50% less sodium", but has less sodium than the previous item! (Disclaimer: I don't promote one brand of frozen vegetables over another)
Having frozen fruit or veggies on hand (even if you don’t eat them on a regular basis) may save you when your fresh supply is eaten and your alternative is going out to eat or a veggie-less dinner.  Always keep in mind that eating any type of vegetable or fruit - either fresh, frozen, or even canned (look for BPA free) - is very healthy and important for a healthy diet. Better to eat a fruit or vegetable of lesser nutritional value than not at all.

 
Bottom line: Unless the fruit or vegetable is in season and you are eating it within a day or two of it being picked, frozen produce will have a higher nutrient and vitamin content and be kinder to your wallet.
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