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Friday, September 30, 2011

A Handful of Nuts...

Nuts make a great convenient snack and there are so many different types to choose from. They are loaded with healthy fats and are a good source of protein. When choosing nuts aim for "raw," if not get "dry-roasted." If you need added flavor get "lightly salted", but make sure to check ingredients and avoid "monosodium glutamate." The major downfall with nuts is that 1 serving is an ounce (which is a single handful) for about 190 calories. Therefore when eating nuts try to limit your portion size to 1-2 handfuls. This can be easier if you portion out your nuts right when you get them in 1/4 cup servings.
Here are the number of nuts it takes to equal about 190 calories:
Almonds- 24
Brazil nuts-7
Cashews- 19
Hazelnuts-22
Macadamia nuts-11
Peanuts-31
Pecans halves- 20
Pistachios- 54
Walnuts- 7
Life is nutty, enjoy!

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Sunday, September 25, 2011

The trouble with "moderation"

The new term nutrition professionals have been making apart of advising clients is "moderation." I have been guilty of this myself. Yes, when "moderation" is really moderate, it can be a great thing when making not-so fantastic food choices every now and again. The problem is what does "moderation" really mean? Well the term is so vague and moderate to one person is something completely different to someone else. According to the "rule of moderation" someone can have junk food all day as long as it is all in moderate amounts. If you are aiming to get or stay healthy, re-evaluating the meaning of "moderation" may be key.

What to do?
First of all, you do not need to GIVE UP your favorite food vice, but you may need to cut back. If it is a splurge you have once or twice a year at a holiday, go ahead and enjoy. However, if you know you are making poor food choices everyday or at every meal, it might be time to make some changes. You may however feel that you DESERVE to treat yourself and you don't want to DEPRIVE yourself from these foods. In reality do you really DESERVE to harm your body with foods that don't work with it? The only thing you may be DEPRIVING yourself from is reaching your health goals. There are so many healthy AND delicious food choices out there so go and enjoy! And remember, when you do choose less than great food choices, do so in "MODERATION" wink wink.

Friday, September 23, 2011

Top 5 myths about eating vegetarian

There are a lot of myths out there about food in general, here are 5 about going veg...
1) You won't get enough protein in
False- First of all, the standard protein recommendation is 0.8 grams of protein for every kilogram of body weight. This is EASILY achieved with a vegetarian diet.
Here are some examples of grams of protein in the following: 
1 tofurky sausage- 29
3 tbsp. nutritional yeast- 16
3 oz. tofu- 10
1 cup cooked pasta- 8
1 cup soy milk- 7
2 tbsp. peanut butter- 7
1/2 cup kidney beans- 7
24 almonds- 6

Second of all, when was the last time you heard of a vegetarian being hospitalized for protein malnutrition??? To be honest, there are a lot more omnivores with nutrient "deficiencies" such vitamins, potassium and lack of healthy fats such monounsaturated fats. Many people are eating too much of non-nutrition dense foods that the body has to work very hard to process these foods and does not get the full benefit of healthy foods even when they are eaten.

It is important when ingesting a non-animal protein source that it is complete protein. For example: nuts with grains, beans with rice, pasta with lentils or tofu (soy). Remember, protein does not need to be overloaded and it should only account for less than 20% of total caloric intake for the day. Don't get me wrong, protein is important, but too much will lead to issues with the kidneys and liver (for omnivores and vegetarians alike).

2) There are not enough vegetarian food choices
False- This one is completely bogus! There are soooooo many food choices. There are a lot of fake meat substitutes if you are trying to transition to a more vegetarian way of life. After this transition there are so many foods to choose from such as tempeh, tofu, lentils, beans, nuts, seeds, grains, oh ya and did I forget to mention all the FRUITS AND VEGGIES there are! Find TONS of great recipes at vegweb.

3) Vegetarian eating is healthy eating
False- Pop tarts, cheetos and oreos are all vegetarian; most potato chips are vegan. It is important to REPLACE healthy foods in the place of meat, not just REMOVE meat from the diet and add junk.

4) It is too expensive 
False- Tofu is about $2.00- $3.00 per lb. and a can of beans is about $ 1.00. Also for every highly processed item is that is left out of the grocery cart, a produce item can be purchased. To be honest, going vegetarian should actually SAVE you money. 

5) You have to eat vegetarian all the time to reap the benefits.
False- Though there is much scientific proven evidence showing the vast benefits of vegetarian eating on body weight, blood pressure, cholesterol and overall health; it does NOT have to be the all or nothing approach. If you choose to only do 1-2 meals a day vegetarian, that is great too. For starters try meatless 1 day of the week, check Meatless Mondays for more info. 

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Teeccino!!!

Looking for a better alternative to regular acidic coffee that leads to a crash? Try teeccino! This herbal coffee made with chicory is caffeine free and has so much flavor that no sugar is needed to enjoy this yummy beverage! They are available in several different natural flavors. Interested in trying a taste? Ask me for your sample.

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Tea Time

Trying to save calories, but not get into the "diet soda slum," which can actually cause you to eat MORE calories? Water too boring? Drink herbal tea!!! There are so many different flavors to enjoy, so experiment and decide which one is your favorite (mine is Celestial Tension Tamer). No, it is not as sweet as soda, juice or sweetened tea, but with time your pallet will change and you can enjoy the tea without sweetener. Bonus: many of these herbs have natural healing properties.

Make Herbal Iced Tea:
  • Boil 4 cups of water.
  • Add 8 tea bags to large serving pitcher
  • Stir in water and steep tea bags for 6-8 minutes
  • Remove tea bags and add sweetener-OPTIONAL (I prefer it without any)
  • Add 4 cups of cold water and stir
  • Keep in the fridge for a refreshing treat!

Saturday, September 3, 2011

Ingredient Info

I am always mentioning how important it is to read ingredients of food you eat. Here is a great resource to find out more information about additives to see if they are safe or should be avoided.

Friday, September 2, 2011

Break the Fast

There are a lot of nutrition myths out there, but the importance of eating breakfast in the morning is NOT one of them.

Breakfast is essentially breaking the fast since dinner the night before, get it: break-fast. A lot of people get worried that if they eat breakfast in the morning they are more hungry during the day....PERFECT! This is the metabolism actually working. If you go for a while without eating the body inherently thinks it is preparing for starvation mode and slows down the amount of calories it is burning (halting weight loss). If the last time you eat before bed is 8:00 pm, wake up at 7:00am and get ready for work, head to work for 9:00am, and then decide to eat some lunch around 12:00pm- that is 16 hours without eating!

What to do?
Well for starters EAT BREAKFAST. If you aren't a big breakfast eater that's okay just start small. Breakfast does not have to be (and shouldn't be) a big 5 course meal. Breakfast does not need to be "breakfast foods." If you are new to eating breakfast it might take some time to adjust and you may need to start small with something like a yogurt or piece of toast.

One example of a great breakfast is a grain, a protein and a fruit; here are some examples:
  • Smoothie with strawberries, soy milk and wheat germ.
  • Toast with natural peanut butter and banana slices.
  • Yogurt with granola and blueberries.
  • Oatmeal with soy milk and raisins.
  • Clif bar with an apple.