Tag Archives: nutrition

Go Green for St. Patty’s Day!

Green Veggies are in!

Broccoli is a cruciferous (Brassica family) vegetable and has anti-cancer properties.  Nutrient-wise it has lots of vitamin C, carotenoids, vitamin K, folic acid and calcium. Steam until it is bright green and just tender. Add a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese and a spritz of fresh lemon juice. Broccoli is also delicious with the herb tarragon.

Green Beans contain carotenoid phytonutrients such as beta-carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin (these phytonutrients protect the eyes) which provide anti-inflammatory properties. They are a concentrated source of vitamin K and also vitamins A and C. Steam green beans for 5 minutes and dress them with a healthy Mediterranean dressing such as 3 T. olive oil, 2 tsp. lemon juice, 2 medium gloves of garlic (minced) and ground pepper.

Green Cabbage. This is a popular cruciferous vegetable (Brassica family) and ranges in color from light to dark green. You can select the best tasting cabbage by choosing heads that have a vibrant, bright color and are firm, heavy and dense. Cabbage is an excellent source of vitamin K & C, folic acid, manganese and vitamin B6 (pyridoxine). Cutting cabbage thin (1/4 inch) slices and cooking it al dente for only 5 minutes is my secret for preventing the formation of smelly compounds often associated with cooking cabbage. Enjoy this holiday with some corned beef! The larger leaves can also be filled inside with herbs, cheese or even meat or rice, roll them up firmly and steamed.

Zucchini (green). This is one of my favorite vegetables. It is an excellent source of vitamins C, A & K, manganese, magnesium, potassium and folic acid. It can be sautéed for 3 minutes and served with a Mediterranean dressing or make a Cool Zucchini Salad by grating 2 medium zucchinis, 2 medium carrots and tossing this with 1 tsp. each chopped fresh mint and oregano. Then add pepper to taste and 3 T. extra virgin olive oil. For a creamy dressing add 1 cup of plain low fat yogurt. Yum!

Tsfl Romanesca BroccoliFlower

Time for a Seasonal Re-Boot

Spring FlowersIf you are like me you love the longer lighter evenings that “daylight savings time” brings to the northeast and with it comes the promise of warmer days ahead.  Just as new life begins with the budding of trees and flowers we look forward to new activities to refresh our outlook and stay energized.  Here are a few “seasonal reboot” ideas for you!

Eat lighter! Winter recipes include hot soups and stews but for Spring & Summer think salads. Asparagus is a great Spring veggie that offers plenty of vitamin K, C, A, folate and potassium.  There are over 300 varieties of asparagus but only 20 are edible. White asparagus are kept covered and out of sunlight while they grow which prevents the formation of chlorophyll. White is more tender than the green and purple varieties. Purple asparagus has additional health promoting benefits of anthcyanins that give it its purple color! Some people enjoy purple asparagus raw since it is so tender. I love to grill or broil asparagus and provided a homemade dressing recipe below to use on grilled asparagus.

Spring Clean!  Out with the old and in with the new! This includes your kitchen as well.  Check out your baking pans and get rid of all your scratched pans. Invest in some new spatulas, colorful placemats and some unique spices, herbs and teas!  This time of year I enjoy the perennial herbs sprouting in my garden such as oregano, lavender, spearmint and lemon balm.  The latter make great teas!

Exercise outside!  Change your work-out routine to include outside activities.  My personal trainer loves to take us outside.  I have a 25 mile bike event in June (yes, 25 miles in one day) so I am enjoying outside cycling to augment by inside training.

Explore a nearby “new” place!  The best way to spend a Saturday is to enjoy an outside Farmers Market. This way you can buy fresh local veggies, fruits and even bread and animal products- cheese. Below is my favorite Mediterranean dressing recipe to use on your fresh grilled veggies! I hope you enjoy our seasonal reboot!

Mediterranean Dressing– 3 Tbps. extra virgin olive oil, 2 medium gloves garlic (chopped or pressed), 2 tsp. lemon juice and sea salt and pepper to taste! Research shows that carotenoids found in foods are best absorbed when consumed in oils!

 

 

Make Change this Year!

What Can You Change this Year!

Change brings growth. Yes, I agree, there is nothing like an old friend, old time movie or laughs about yesterday but change produces growth and keeps us alive!  So often we are stuck in our ways because we feel we cannot change (are afraid to change) or we don’t want to change. Change feels uncomfortable and creates stress.

When I work with a client about behavior change we acknowledge how hard it is to change and that it takes time, energy and planning. Habits form and the repetition feels comfortable so why change? Many of us become resistant to change and fight it at all costs. Actually, change can be liberating and produce new growth in your life.

Here are some tips on creating healthy change.

Select an area to change in your life – for example- Bring a healthy lunch to work 4 days a week. This is your overall goal and stating your goal can help you to CLARIFY what you want.

Once the goal is stated (and written down) focus on the goal and set up an action plan. The action steps alone will help you to FOCUS. The action steps for this goal include healthy grocery shopping a few times a week, planning your lunches and actually making them everyday to bring to work. Yes, you can see the planning and time involved.

Now reap the benefits of the result since the payoff is huge: healthy meals for lunch 4 days a week, less money spent on buying lunches and overall improved health in the long-term.

For 2013 I challenge you to create change. Start small with something simple like a new hairdo, re-arrangement of furniture in a room at home, a new workout routine or a new venue for date night. Then move on to something bigger like changing your work routine or health habits. Embrace change since it leads to personal growth and energizes our lives!

 

 

52 Tips! Lose Weight Without Dieting!

52 Ways to Lose Weight without Ever Having to Go on a Diet…
This month I am sharing with you 26 ways you can reach your weight loss goals without ever having to go on a “diet”. Implement one new thing each week of the year, keep it simple, but take daily action steps and I know you will succeed! You will get the other 26 Ways in two weeks time so stay tuned!

1.  Eat breakfast. Studies have found that people who start their day off with a breakfast high in fiber and protein actually eat fewer calories throughout the day than their breakfast skipping counterparts. Go ahead and start your day with fuel to empower you for success!

2.  Drink half your body weight in water. For example, a 150 pound person should consume 75 ounces of water a day.

3.  Walk 10,000 steps a day. Wear a pedometer and track your progress.

4.  When you eat, leave two bites behind. This simple strategy can easily save 200 – 500 calories a day.

5.  Ask yourself “Am I hungry? Would I eat an apple?” If the answer is no, then you are not hungry and you are eating out of another emotion.

6.  Eat from the ground up, not the box down. Consume more fresh foods and limit or remove packaged and processed foods from your menu.

7.  Perk up with green tea. Replace your afternoon cup of coffee or soda with green tea. Green tea is a calorie free beverage that also has metabolism boosting and cancer fighting properties.

8.  Clean out the pantry and fridge. Remove foods that make it difficult to control portion sizes.

9.  Avoid or limit alcohol intake. Alcohol not only adds empty calories to your day, but it also decreases overall inhibitions. When inhibitions are decreased you are more likely to overeat foods high in fat and sugar.

10. Buy desserts and/or treats for your kid’s birthday party or holiday event that are not your personal favorite. It is much easier to say “no thank you” to the brownies when chocolate cupcakes are your favorite!

11. Fill (and keep refilling) the fruit bowl. Keep it in a convenient place for a quick “grab and go” snack.

12. Move the candy jar to an “out of sight, out of mind” location.

13. Keep a food journal. Record not only what you eat, but also how much you consume.

14. Snack on berries, cherries, and apple slices.

15. Workout in the morning.

16. Dine In. Restaurant meals are generally higher in calories, sodium, fat, and sugar than the home cooked counterpart.

17. Snack on raw veggies. Try dipping carrots, celery, cucumber, broccoli and red bell pepper slices in salsa!

18. Get your ZZZ’s! Aim for at least 6 – 8 hours of sleep every night. Being sleep deprived will hinder weight loss efforts.

19. Dining out? Order your entree from the appetizer menu – just make sure it is not the fried onion rings!

20. Slow down. Take time to slow down and relax the mind and body.

21. Find an exercise partner.

22. Visualize your success. Create a vision board with the goals you are striving to achieve. Put it in a place where you can look at it on a daily basis.

23. Replace one soda (or other sugar beverage) with water. Doing this once a day can save 150 calories, resulting in 15 pounds over the course of a year.

24. Bring your lunch to work.

25. Eat with sticks…chopsticks! This simple tip can help slow down your eating, helping you become more in tune with your internal hunger and fullness cues.

26. Divide your plate in half. Fill one half with veggies and then divide the other side in two…fill with a lean protein and high fiber carbohydrate source.

7 Nutrition Principles for Olympic Performance

The Summer Olympic games are being held for only two weeks but athletes spend years training for and mastering their sport. Becoming an Olympic athlete not only takes a lot of hard work, time and dedication but requires good nutrition to enhance workouts and maximize performance.  While most of us are not training to be Olympic athletes, we can learn from the nutrition practices these star athletes implement on a daily basis.  Continue reading →

Nantucket Recipe

To escape the Summer heat I went to one of my favorite places to walk on the beach – Nantucket, Mass.  There were a variety of shells, pepples and lots of sand to enjoy. After one of my power walks I enjoyed this salad to fortify myself .  One of the other things I love about Nantucket is the beautiful flowers, especially the Hydreaneas, so I included this photo!  Enjoy all your Summer adventures!

Hearty Summer Salad: Nantucket Style! Serves 4

1 head romaine lettuce, washed and chopped; 1 carrot cut in slices diagonally, 1 stalk celery sliced diagonally, 1 med. red pepper diced, 1 large tomato seeded and sliced, 1/4 cup garbanzo beans, 1 small apple cored and diced, 1/2 jicama sliced, 1 small cucumber sliced, 1/4 cup diced red onion, 1/4 cup raisins, 1/4 cup almonds or walnuts, 1/4 cup parsley chopped. Toss all together and serve with your favorite dressing.

 

 

Creating Balance

Research indicates that many of us establish new goals or resolutions for the New Year but don’t get to starting those goals until months later (March or April). Instead of New Year’s resolutions I propose we seek balance in our lives. In creating balance we focus on feeding out bodies, mind and spirit. Read more…