JELL-O to the sweet tooth rescue

I know it sounds funny, but I had a delicious run-in with JELL-O this weekend. I am usually a chocolate person, so JELL-O pudding has always been my go to during a choco-attack, but this weekend all I had in the fridge sweet enough to curb my craving was my husband's JELL-O. Last week he went shopping when he was hungry...hence, he picked up anything and everything, including 3 packs of, yup, JELL-O. I laughed at first, but then this weekend I needed something sweet, dug my spoon into the jiggly container and my eyes sort of opened really wide as I let out a, "yum"....

It got me thinking. Maybe I have been missing something all along. I went to the JELL-O site this morning and there are some really fun recipes. We can't avoid sweet cravings. They will inevitably pop up here and there. The more you try to avoid it, the worse it usually gets. JELL-O turns out to be a pretty good stand-in when you really, really need a sweet, but don't want to overindulge. One single serving of JELL-O is only 10 calories a piece!

There are tons of flavors of JELL-O products. Check out the flavor finder:
http://brands.kraftfoods.com/jello/products/flavor-finder/

If you want to serve some fun drinks and low-calorie desserts to the adult crowd at your holiday or New Year's party, check out the JELL-O lounge. Some of these recipes look really delicious and again, they are perfect for those looking to satisfy the sweet tooth while watching their waistlines. Enjoy!!
http://brands.kraftfoods.com/jello/explore/lounge/

7-Day Goal: Did I get enough activity today? If not, make sure to get extra steps in throughout the rest of the day. Walk down to your co-worker instead of emailing, take the stairs or park further away. It is all about the little things!
~K

Fishy skin solutions

A lot of female clients seem to think adding fats to their diet is a definite "no-no". Let's break down fats a little bit here.

Too much fat, particularly saturated or trans fats found in fried foods, butter, cookies, cakes and donuts for example, in the diet isn't good. Fats also pack more of a calorie punch per serving (9 calories per gram vs. carb or proteins 4 calories per gram).

While low-fat diets can be beneficial for many clinical reasons like protecting your body against diseases like cancer or heart disease, a diet completely devoid of fat however, can actually backfire on you. While the strongest level of research indicates that omega-3's are most effective at treating high blood pressure, high triglycerides and secondary heart disease, listen up ladies, they may also be effective at helping you keep your hair, skin and nails in tip top shape too.

One type of fat that is particularly important to the health of the inner workings of your body and it's outside appearance are essential fatty acids (EFA's) which include polyunsaturated fats such as linoleic acid (omega-6's) and alpha linolenic acid (omega-3's). The reason we call these fats "essential fatty acids" is because the only way our body can get these fats is through the diet, the body cannot make these fats on their own. Some studies link the use of omega-3's with decreased inflammation. Dermatitis (inflammation of the skin) and eczema may be compounded by a deficiency in these healthy fats.

While these benefits still need more backing from further research, there are plenty of other good reasons to boost your omega-3 intake. Here is a link to the Mayo Clinic overview that I think you will find helpful: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/fish-oil/NS_patient-fishoil

Try incorporating these foods into your daily diet for a boost of these healthy fats:
-seeds
-nuts
-vegetable oils (sunflower)
-walnuts (keep this portion to 1 oz)
-avocados
-flaxseed
-green leafy veggies

Two other important omega-3 fats are EPA and DHA. These are primarily found in fish, especially salmon, herring, sardines, tuna and trout. Go for wild vs. farmed fish because they have a higher level of these beneficial fats due to their natural intake in the wild.

Many people take omega-3 fatty acids as a supplement to their diet. If you are interested in doing this, make sure you discuss this with your MD first to make sure their are not drug nutrient interactions or other reasons why omega-3's are not a good fit for you. If you get the ok from your doc, my personal favorite o-3 supplement is Omega Brite. Although you take 3 pills per day with meals, I find that this is the first o-3 supplement that doesn't have the nasty side effects I have experienced with other lower quality ones (e.g. "fish burps").

7-Day Goals: How can you add a little bit of healthy fat into your day today?

~K

Stress and Vitamins

Holiday's, while exciting and fun, can also be stressful! Getting a tree, hanging the lights, facing the crowds, can all lead to feelings of being overwhelmed. Stress can lead to symptoms like tension headaches, backaches and even gastrointestinal side effects. We don't often think about the effect that stress has on our ability to digest and use the vitamins and minerals we are taking through diet and supplements.

Some studies show that the digestion, absorption, and utilization of nutrients during stress may be impaired. The digestive process may become less efficient, causing nutrients to be lost before they can be absorbed. Most research has been done on patients undergoing high levels of stress from say a surgical procedure, but more and more research is coming out on those who are under every day stresses as well.

For those under psychological, environmental, or emotional stress, calories, protein, zinc, vitamin C, calcium, phosphorus, vitamin A, thiamine, riboflavin, and niacin should be of concern. (1)

There are many nutrients involved in keeping our engines running during times of stress:

• energy-producing B vitamins—thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, and biotin
• vitamins A
• vitamin C
• minerals iron, magnesium, zinc, copper, and chromium.

No need to panic!! In most well-nourished individuals, little stresses may not drastically effect nutrient absorption. But those who may be dealing with chronic stress, however may be another story. In this day an age, many of us also find that daily stress leads us to make poor diet and exercise choices, which may also compound the problem of poor nutrient levels during stress.

The best way to get your nutrients is through a healthy diet full of fruits, veggies, whole grains and lean proteins, but what I suggest for all individuals is to augment their diet with a standard multivitamin. You don't have to spend lots of money on supplements. Even store name brands have been found to be just as potent as vitamins that boast additional attributes like "energy booster", "weight loss booster", "memory booster"....the list goes on! A standard multi will do the trick! I take a Flintstone Vitamin~!

In addition to a multi, I would also suggest that anyone living in the Northeast consider taking an additional Vitamin D supplement after discussing it with their MD. During the winter our ability to absorb Vitamin D from the sun is drastically reduced and the majority of us are walking around Vitamin D deficient. Supplements of ~800-1,000 IU is what I would recommend.

Calcium supplements are also important if you are not currently meeting your goals (1,000-1,200 mg/day) through food sources alone (~3 dairy servings per day). One of my favorite calcium supplements is Adora milk chocolate calcium! They taste AWESOME! They are like a treat after my meal and they provide 500 mg's of calcium and 100 IU of D. I get mine at Shaws, but check out www.adoracalcium.com for more information.

7-Day Goal: Feeling stressed out? Look at your schedule for today and tomorrow. Is there any time in the day where you could carve out some relaxation time? How about 5 minutes alone to simply take 5 deep breathes?!! Yup, that'll be a good start!! Over the next few days, before the major holiday rush sets in, take a few minutes to sit back, breathe deeply and relax.

~K
1. Askew EW. Environmental and physical stress and nutrient requirements. Am J Clin Nutr. 1995;61(Suppl):631S-637S.

Getting Support for Change

Making the decision to make healthier choices is simple...following through with the plan is where it gets tough! We know from various weight control studies, including the one that I have worked on for the past 3 years, that support is associated with long-term success at weight control. Don't go it alone!

Even before you set out on your path towards healthier living, take some time up front to think about the type of support you will need along the way.

• Individual support: Work as part of a team with a registered dietitian, like myself! Under my guidance YOU develop your own personalized action plan. When you are responsible for setting your own goals, you are more likely to follow through with the plan! I am there to help you strengthen your skills in overcoming your barriers to healthy living, provide you with expert feedback, ideas and sound nutrition information, listen to your struggles and most importantly, help you relish in your small successes!
• Group support: The feedback you receive from peers who are working towards similar goals is priceless. Leading group nutrition and wellness cl assess is by far one of my most favorite aspects of my job. Whether it is a one hour session or a multi class session (~4-6 weeks), I enjoy seeing people leave the room with a renewed spirit and sense that nutrition can in fact be simple! Gather your friends, colleagues, employees, neighbors, fellow parishioners...you name it...and get the support you need through a RD led group meeting.
• Family and Friends: Look for someone you feel comfortable talking about your weight or healthy living barriers with. Make sure you support person will hold you accountable for your actions WITHOUT judging you or making you feel guilty if you slip off track. Have an open discussion with them about your expectations for them as your support person. Make it fun too by planning milestone meetings where you meet just to have a celebration coffee, hike or trip to the mall.

The more support the better, so why not try all three. Find what works best for you!

For more information you can visit http://www.7daynutrition.com/ and chat with me about some of the services I offer. I cover Boston, North Attleboro and it's surrounding towns. If you don't live there you can always check out the ADA at http://www.eatright.org/ to get the names of other RD's practicing around the country.

7-Day Goal: Take the leap! Find your support today.

~K

Turkey Day Action Plan

Thanksgiving is a day of feasting with friends and family! It also kicks off the fun, yet stressful holiday season with a bang.

In speaking with clients, holiday weight gain seems be on the forefront of their mind, but as I said in a recent post, holiday weight gain is less of an issue than most expect and it isn't the only aspect of our health that we should be focusing on. Getting caught up on the number on the scale can prevent people from looking at the behaviors that may be keeping them from reaching their peak health, not necessarily just their "weight goal".

Looking at the actions that lead us to feel sluggish, stressed, susceptible to cravings, hungry or overfull can help us zone in on what simple changes we need to make in order to be at our best.

Thanksgiving is a great day to put a healthy living action plan in motion! Think about the actions or behaviors that you will engage yourself in on a typical Thanksgiving day.

• Think back to last year. What did your day consist of? Where could you have made subtle changes to make the day healthier?
• Now think about tomorrow and develop your "action plan". Think about the roadblocks that you faced last year that may come up again (i.e. no time for exercise because you were up late the night before or picking while cooking or getting caught up in the meal and overeating). How can you avoid or make changes to your behaviors this year to make it a healthier day?
• Pick one or two goals from the categories below that you will aim to achieve:

1. How I eat: Example: "Today I will make sure to fill half my plate with veggies" or "Today I will choose white meat vs. dark meat". Simple changes are still successes!
2. How much I eat: Example: "Today I will pick one dessert and enjoy each bite" or "Today I will cut my portions in half".
3. How I move: Example: "Today I will take a walk after dinner instead of sitting to watch the football game" or "Today I will wake up 30 minutes early to do morning yoga and start my day off right".
4. How I live: Example: "Today I will be sure to take deep breathes when I feel stressed" or "Today I will end my day with a 10 minute meditation".

7-Day Goal: Your T-Day action plan seems like the most appropriate goal this week!!

Have a great Thanksgiving! ~K

Two Days Till T-Day!

Thanksgiving is a yearly reminder to slow down, give thanks and enjoy our family, friends and food. Why not think about a few ways that you can harness these positive feelings into a few good deeds, for yourself and most importantly for others around you.

Do something for yourself:
Ready, set, go! Make it a healthy Thanksgiving this year by starting the day out with a Turkey Trot!
Go to this site below and on the right hand side of the page you can put your zip code in to find a Turkey Trot close to you!
http://www.active.com/running/turkeytrot.htm

Even if you are not a runner, make sure to plan for a walk, bike, hike or trip to the gym pre-feast! Believe me, you will thank me for this.
Do something for others:
I recently saw this article on MSN about what food banks need on their shelves right now. Food bank donations have been dwindling. Use this list as a guideline for what items most food banks are in desperate need of.

Here are the top foods needed by food banks this year:

• Proteins. Canned meats such as tuna, chicken or fish are high in protein and low in saturated fat. Peanut butter is rich in protein and high in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated oils, the "good fats." These are among the most expensive foods -- too expensive for food banks to buy large quantities.
• Soups and stews. They are filling, particularly the "chunky" soups, and contain liquid for hydration. In addition, soups can be filled with protein and vegetables.
  Rice and pasta. "They're really staples," Nowak says.
• In addition, grain-based foods, such as pasta, are a good source of fiber and complex carbohydrates. Cereal, including oatmeal. Breakfast cereals can be an additional source of protein, and most cereals today include a variety of vitamins and minerals.
• Canned vegetables, including tomatoes and tomato sauce. Studies indicate that canned vegetables have about the same nutritional value as fresh vegetables.
• Canned or dried beans and peas. A staple of diets as early as 6700 B.C., beans are a low-fat source of protein and fiber.
• Canned fruits. Only a small amount of vitamin C is lost in the canning process, making these a healthy choice.
• Fruit juice (canned, plastic or boxed). Make sure it's 100% juice.
• Prepared box mixes such as macaroni and cheese or Hamburger Helper.
• Shelf-stable milk. This includes dehydrated milk, canned evaporated milk and instant breakfasts.

7-Day Goal: What about my healthy body (i.e. ability to get my heels down in the downward facing dog, or ability to hit the 5 mile mark, ability to breathe in and out everyday!) am I most thankful for today? So many of us think about the things we would want to change about ourselves or our bodies. Today let's be thankful instead!

~K ......p.s. Tomorrow I am going to post some ideas for mapping out a healthy T-Day feast from start to finish!! It includes pie ;o)

Pears For Fall

This Thanksgiving try bringing a dessert to the table that is different, flavorful and full of nutrients! Pears are a sweet, juicy fruit once called "the gift of the gods". They are perfect for fall desserts.

Nutrient Content:
Pears are a good source of fiber (4 grams/pear), vitamin C (6.64 mg or 11% of DV), Copper (9%).

Common Varieties:
In the US the most common varieties are Bosc, Anjou and Comice pears.

Storage:
When you buy them they should be firm, but not too hard. They are unripe at this point. Bring them home and let them ripen at room temperature for a few days. If you want to slow this process down, simply leave them at room temperature in a paper bag. When they ripen they will be at their peak of juiciness, but most importantly, they will have their highest antioxidant level at this point as well! Perfect for warding of cancer and boosting your immunity.

Here are a few recipes from Eating Well for baked pears. Why not have your dessert and feel good about it too!!

ROASTED PEARS:
Roasted pears are a simple dessert on their own, or top with lightly sweetened mascarpone for a more decadent treat.
Makes 4 servings
ACTIVE TIME: 10 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 35 minutes
EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy
2-3 pears (about 1 pound)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons sugar

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. 2. Peel, core and cut pears into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Toss the pear slices with lemon juice in a large bowl; add sugar and toss once again. Transfer to a baking pan large enough to hold the slices in a single layer. Roast, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching, until the pears are tender and golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 84 calories; 1 g fat (0 g sat, 0 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 22 g carbohydrate; 1 g protein; 3 g fiber; 0 mg sodium; 5 mg potassium.1 1/2 Carbohydrate Servings

POACHED PEARS:
1. 4 Bosc pears
2. 2 cups fruit juice (use a cranberry-based juice for the added flavor)
3. 3/4 cup sugar
4. dash of lemon juice
Simmer fruit juice, sugar and lemon juice in a heavy saucepan. Peel and core the pears and cut into slices. Place sliced pears into the poaching liquid. Simmer uncovered over low heat for 20 minutes or until pears are tender. You can cool this in the refrigerator and serve cold, or serve warm with a sprinkle of cinnamon or scoop of vanilla frozen yogurt.

7-Day Goal: How can I satisfy my sweet tooth today without feeling like I overdid it? Maybe try a fruit dessert or break off a small piece of dark chocolate. Both will leave you satisfied and provide antioxidants!!
~K

Where's the beef?

During these tough economic times, people are trying to save money on groceries and therefore cutting back on their meat consumption. A new PARADE poll revealed that 80% of shoppers surveyed have changed their habits in an effort to save money. Results indicate that 35% are preparing more meals from scratch, and 28% are buying more products in bulk.

Fifty-nine of those surveyed are cutting back in the meat department as well, by opting for chicken or bulk meat instead of beef or more expensive cuts of meats.

This trend has a silver lining to it! Consumption of red meat should be limited to no more than 2 times per week and I don't mean two 16-oz porter house size servings, I am talking about the recommended 3-4 oz serving that fits in the palm of your hand! Turning to leaner choices for the remaining weekdays is the way to go. Here are a few tips and a few recipe ideas from Good Housekeeping that make use of beans, a nice high fiber, lower calorie protein source.

• Go meatless at least once a week. Replacing meat with beans as your primary source of protein in a meal is an excellent way to cut down on fat and get extra fiber in your diet. If using beans is something new for you, just try to replace 1/2 to 3/4 in a recipe to start.
• If you decide to go with canned beans make sure to rinse them first to cut back on the excess sodium.
• Veggie burgers are a delicious alternative as well and children will really go for these if dressed up with cheese, lettuce and tomato!
• Replace ground beef with ground turkey. Turkey meat is wonderful at absorbing flavors so your family will never know that their favorite beef tacos are suddenly turkey tacos instead. This goes for chili as well....plus if you cut back on the even the turkey meat in your chili and add more beans as recommended in my first tip here, voila, two birds with on stone (no pun intended).

Three-Bean Tuna Salad
From Good Housekeepingtriple-tested at the Good Housekeeping Research Institute
This no-cook salad serves up heart-healthy omega-3 fats (the tuna) and nearly three-quarters of a day's worth of cholesterol-lowering fiber (the beans).
INGREDIENTS
1/2 lemon
1 tablespoon(s) extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 stalk(s) celery, thinly sliced
1 green onions, thinly sliced
1/8 teaspoon(s) salt
1/8 teaspoon(s) coarsely ground black pepper
1 1/2 can(s) (15- to 19-ounce) assorted low-sodium beans such as white kidney beans (canellini), garbanzo beans, and pink beans, rinsed and drained
1 can(s) (6-ounce) chunk light tuna in water, drained and coarsely flaked
2 large Boston lettuce leaves or 1-2 cups of your regular salad greens
DIRECTIONS
From lemon, grate 1 teaspoon peel and squeeze 2 tablespoons juice.
In large bowl, stir together lemon peel and juice, oil, celery, green onions, salt, and pepper. Stir in beans until coated, then gently stir in tuna.
Serve bean mixture over lettuce

Black Bean Quesadillas
From RedbookThis recipe has been tested by Redbook
Our Black Bean Quesadillas are easy to prepare and popular with kids and adults alike. Serve this Tex-mex dish with fresh salsa, guacamole and sour cream.
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup(s)
Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 cup(s)
crumbled goat cheese (or substitute another 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese)
1/2 cup(s)
canned black beans, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoon(s)
red bell pepper, finely diced
1 small
green onion, thinly sliced
4
(6 to 8 inches each) flour tortillas
DIRECTIONS
Combine cheeses in medium bowl. Combine beans, bell pepper and green onion in another medium bowl. Lay 2 tortillas on a work surface, sprinkle with half of cheese mixture. Cover with bean mixture and remaining cheese. Top with remaining 2 tortillas, pressing firmly.
Heat a medium skillet over medium heat 2 minutes. Add one quesadilla and cook, turning once until golden and cheese has melted, 4 to 6 minutes. Repeat with remaining quesadilla. Cut each quesadilla into 6 wedges.

7-Day Goal: Look forward to the next so many days and plan a meatless dish or look at one of your meat meals and see if there is a way to substitute a leaner choice such as turkey, chicken or fish.

~K

Physiological Hunger vs. Actual Hunger

We are heading into the season where everywhere you turn you are bombarded with goodies, treats, sweets and in general a lot of food!! It is such a hectic time of year that we can start to go on autopilot and lose our focus on maintaining our healthy food habits. To keep yourself focused try taking this little quiz to assess whether or not you can determine the difference between your head hunger and your actual physical hunger.

Cravings vs. Hunger Quiz
Circle T for True or F for False for each question below.

T F 1. Even after a large meal, I still want dessert.

T F 2. I often have a gnawing feeling in my stomach.

T F 3. When someone mentions a food I love, I feel like eating.

T F 4. I feel light-headed after not eating for hours.

T F 5. When I drive by a restaurant, donut or ice cream shop, I want to eat.

T F 6. There is a time everyday when I feel hungry.

Circling “T” for statements 1, 3, and 5 usually indicate a psychological craving for food. If you answered “T” for situation 2 and 4, this indicates physical hunger. Situation 6 can be either.

Kelly Brownell, The LEARN Manual, 2000


This week and throughout the holiday season try to key into your "head hunger" vs "actual hunger". During those moments when you feel like you may just be eating on autopilot, just take a moment to slow down, gauge your hunger using the scale below and decide if it is your head talking or if you are in fact truly hungry.

9-Starving, cranky, irritable
8-Very hungry
7-Hungry-ready to eat (this is where you should be about 4 hours after a meal)
6-Beginning to feel hunger
5-Neither hungry or full
4-Comfortably full (this is what you are looking for after a meal)
3-Very full
2-Uncomfortably full (can you say Thanksgiving!)
1-Stuffed, feeling sick

Your goal is to eat to a 4 and let yourself get to a 7 about 3-4 hours later. If you go over you may notice you get over hungry and overeat.

7-Day Goal: Check in on your hunger levels this week pre and post meals. Notice any patterns?

~K

Warming Drinks Beware

Brrrr!!! It is cold out today....not as bad as I know it will get, but it is still starting to get a little chilly out there!! The weather is just about at the point where many of us will start to indulge in our favorite warm, cozy, flavorful drinks. Don't be fooled by some of these delicious concoctions as they may in fact be the hidden source of calories and fat keeping you from reaching your goals. Try to use skills like moderation and mindfulness when you are around these drinks. Make drinking them an occasion or a rare special treat.

Here are a few that top the list:
-Egg Nog
-Apple Cider
-Pumpkin, cinnamon, eggnog and other flavored lattes
-Hot Chocolate made with milk
-Hot Toddy's (made with tea, honey, brandy) Irish Coffees or Mulled Wine

Here is how some of them breakdown in terms of calories and fat:
Hot chocolate
-Cocoa packet made at home with water ~113 calories, 1.1 grams of fat, 21 grams of sugar
-No Sugar Added Cocoa packet with water ~57 calories, 0.5 grams of fat, 5.6 grams of sugar
-Starbucks Hot Chocolate, whole milk, no whipped cream, short (8oz) ~172 calories, 6.8 g fat
-Starbucks Hot Chocolate, 2%, no whipped cream, short (8oz) ~156 calories, 4.4 g fat
-Starbucks Hot Chocolate, non-fat, no whip, short (8 oz) ~123 calories, 1.2 g fat

Egg Nog
-Regular full fat- 340 calories (8 0z) and 19 grams of fat (11.3 are saturated fats)
-Light - 280 calories (8 oz) and 8 grams of fat

Apple Cider-8 oz, 116 calories 27 g of sugar

Hot Alcohol drinks
-The calories of these depends on how much alcohol is added and what proof as well. The higher the proof the higher the calories (i.e. 80 proof is 64 calories/oz and 100 proof is 82 calories/oz). Most drinks add about 1.5 oz of alcohol per drink. The Hot Toddy contains honey and that can be a variable ingredient as well that adds calories.

Toppings
-Whipped cream @ Starbucks-80 calories, 7.9 grams of fat
-Mini Marshmallows-10 mini-22 calories

A few solutions for keeping the calories in check when indulging in winter warming drinks are:
-Make ingredient substitutions. Get your drinks made with low or non fat dairy to save sometimes hundreds of calories.
-Keep your portions in check.
-Limit toppings.
-Try alternatives like flavored teas or add spices, cinnamon sticks or peppermint sticks.

7-Day Goal: Try a few new teas this week and stock up on a few boxes in the house to have at your fingerips on a cold day. If you are currently drinking a daily large drink, think about whether or not you could switch it up and get a small instead.

~K

Holiday Weight Gain

Hello,
I haven't posted in a bit!! Sorry about that. I went to Italy and Greece and when I came back I was overloaded with work. Now I am getting back on track. Just in time for the holiday season.

So how many pounds does one generally gain during the holiday season?
A) 3
B) 1
C) 10

The answer may surprise you. A study published in the Journal of the ADA (American Dietetic Association) in 2000 states that the average weight gain during the holiday season (time between Thanksgiving and New Years) is only about one pound. Many people would guess between five and ten pounds.

Some people might view that as a free pass to indulge at the all you can eat holiday buffet, but it is important to remember that even small gains each year add up over time. Among the entire population, weight gain during the 6-week holiday season explained 51% of annual weight gain. These results suggest that holiday weight gain may be an important contributor to the rising prevalence of obesity, even though absolute values for weight gain in this study were less than anticipated.

Here are some strategies for avoiding holiday weight gain:
-Don't save up calories on the day of an event. This strategy might make sense in your mind at first, but ultimately you will end up overindulging once you get to the party. Stick to your normal eating schedule, eating every 3-4 hours and try to have a snack that is high in protein and fiber before you go to the party. An example might be a handful of mixed nuts and fruit or a piece of whole grain bread with peanut butter and fruit on the side.

-Step away from the buffet. If you are standing next to the food you will be more likely to pick at the food, even when you are no longer hungry. Take your plate and move to another area of the room. Take your focus off of food by engaging in conversation with friends and family.

-Map out your holiday events on a calendar at the start of the season or take it week by week. Some people feel that this helps them keep their holiday event schedule in perspective. It helps to see that although the season lasts for weeks, the number of days that you can stay on track with your healthy eating plan still outnumber the days when you may be more apt to overindulge. Every Sunday look ahead at what holiday functions you might have that week. To stay on track, map out things like when you will exercise during the week, when you will need to pack a high fiber/high protein snack for "pre-event" munching or when you need to go grocery shopping to fill your house with healthy options. The more you plan and focus on making healthy decisions on non-event days, the better you will feel.

-Don't deprive yourself. This is another one of those strategies that may backfire on you. Instead, break down the holiday meals or options at the buffet into food categories like appetizers, main dishes and sweets. Then decide from what group you will pick a higher calorie option from. If you look down the line and see your favorite appetizer and dessert, make a decision to either partake in only one or have a tiny portion of both. Then focus on filling the rest of your plate with lower-calorie, high fiber foods like fruits, veggies, whole grains and lean proteins.

-Offer to bring foods to the party that you know you will enjoy without breaking the calorie or fat budget.

-Allow 20-30 minutes to let your fullness settle in before you consider going back for seconds. If you decide that you are in fact still hungry, cut the portions of your seconds in half.

I will continue to post during the holidays to help you maintain your healthy living plan between now and the new year!!

7-Day Goal: Today might be a good day to take out that calendar and fill in a couple of holiday events you already know will come up. Start now to look at what days you may be able to fit in some extra exercise. Also today ask yourself in what ways you may be able to take the focus off of food during the holidays? Could you have the office group focus on a low-fat recipe exchange instead of a cookie exchange this year for example or find new fruity dessert recipes to serve at your holiday party?

Let's have a healthy, fun holiday season!

It's good to be back!!
~Kristina


(resource: J Consult Clin Psychol. 2008 Jun;76(3):442-8. Links Holiday weight management by successful weight losers and normal weight individuals.Phelan S, Wing RR, Raynor HA, Dibello J, Nedeau K, Peng W.Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Brown Medical School, Providence, RI 02903, USA. sphelan@lifespan.org)

No rules eating

This interesting 20/20 link came across the ADA (American Dietetic Association) wire today. It just reinforces the fact that extremes in eating or eating fads, can be really dangerous, even if they are masked as being healthy strategies.

The goal with living a healthier life is to find a balance. If eating or the concept of "eating healthy" becomes more of a chore than it is enjoyable, it is time to reevaluate your goals. I found the article and it's videos to be of interest because I get so many questions about "what is the perfect diet?". The answer is "there is no perfect diet and in fact that isn't what one should strive for either".

Finding balance is key and people should be encouraged to learn strategies for adding healthier foods into their life, but not feel pressured to eat "perfectly". Today take the time to add something healthy into your day, but make sure you do it for in a positive way. Take the stairs, eat a piece of fruit, eat 1/2 of the Milky Way rather than the whole thing! Small, subtle changes in your diet that allow you to still be you and still feel positive about the foods on your plate will ultimately help you be healthier all around. If you are feeling overwhelmed by all of the fad diet strategies out there, take the pressure of of yourself to consume only foods that you think fit "perfectly" into a "perfect diet", by knowing that the old strategies, while less "sexy" still hold true: eat everything in moderation, even chocolate!!
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Stossel/story?id=5735592&page=1

Protein for B'fast

A recent study out of Purdue University confirmed what we know, eating more protein at your meal leaves you more satisfied, but went further to develop an association with the timing of eating protein by comparing breakfast, lunch and dinner events. They found that the feeling of fullness was greatest and most sustained throughout the day when the additional protein, from high-quality protein foods was eaten at breakfast.

Most of us eat in a pattern that essentially end-loads our calorie intake. We want to try to change that pattern and begin to front-load our calorie intake at the start of the day. Here is a visual example of what I mean. Imagine a triangle sitting on it's base (the widest part). It has a skinny tip and gets wider as you move along to the base. Most people eat in a pattern that matches that image-less in the morning, noon and more calories as they go throughout their day into the night. Imagine flipping that triangle so it is sitting on it's sip with it's base in the air. Now an eating pattern that matches that image would have you front-loading your calories or taking in more throughout the morning hours and dwindling it down as you go into the evening. This type of eating pattern also mirrors how you body naturally runs it's "engine"--revvs in the morning, burns throughout the day and slows into the evening.

If you notice that you are always searching for a snack mid-morning or even an hour right after you eat breakfast, take a peak at what you are eating. If you aren't eating enough, work on boosting your breakfast. If you are eating enough, but only eating all carbohydrates (i.e. a big bowl of rice chex or a big bagel) get more balance by adding protein and fruits.

Here are a few protein ideas:
-Canadian bacon (this is more like a slice of ham, not bacon)
-1 oz of low-fat cheese
-1 tbsp of peanut butter
-eggs (hard boiled are easy to make on Sunday night for the week)
-1 oz of nuts
-1 slice of deli meat rolled with one slice of low-fat cheese
-whey protein added to fruit smoothie
-Greek yogurt

7-Day Goals: Think about your typical breakfast. Think about how soon after breakfast you feel hungry again. Take out a piece of paper and draw a triangle. Write down your meals in the empty triangle. Does your pattern look like it is more of a front-loaded pattern (more food in the morning/lunch hours, dwindling at night) or an end-loaded pattern (few calories in the morning and more throughout the evening). What changes can you commit to making to shake up your meal pattern?
~K

Getting a Jump on Kitchen Prep

Monday was a perfect day to get my hands dirty in the kitchen. One of my favorite concepts to use is creating pre-prep "meal kits" used by Food Network's Robin Miller. She has a book called "Quick Fixes with Robin Miller" and a show as well.
She suggests prepping for the weekly meals on the weekend and I have to tell you this method truly works. She has a few other strategies besides pre-prepping that work as well, such as "meal morphing". This is where you take the leftover ingredients and ingredients within the same family of flavors and make multiple meals out of them throughout the week. This is all done with minimal time and minimal effort. The bulk of your time spent in the kitchen comes on the weekend. Some might say, "well, that is still a busy time for me". Try to look at it from a different angle. If you want to be your best self, you need to carve out time and put the effort in.
Here are some of the steps you can use to follow this type of a "quick fix" flow in your kitchen:

1. Make a list: Don't leave home without it! This sounds like a boring message, "don't forget your list"...however, it really makes a difference in the types and amounts of foods you bring home. Without a list you are more apt to make spontaneous decisions that are often times higher in calories, fat and more expensive. You most likely will end up with more food waste as well because the foods in the cart were not properly organized into well planned meals. Approach the list from two angles: a. What meal kits can I make today to immediately freeze for use on a busy night? b. What staples do I need for the meals I will prepare this week? (For meal kits for example I knew I was going to make a marinade with flank steak and freeze. I looked at the necessary ingredients for the marinade and bought the steak).
2. Unpack with purpose: When you unpack your groceries put the foods that you can easily separate into 1 serving snack packs to the side before you pack them away. I do this with blueberries and baby carrots. I wash and put them into little on-the-go bags right away before I get lazy and forget they are even in there! Each night, I grab that snack baggie and put it in my lunch bag for the next day. Works like a charm!
3. Meal Kits: My first kit was for chicken sausage in a delicious sauce, the second was flank steak in homemade marinade and the third was for oat encrusted chicken fingers. I tackled them one by one. After each was prepared, I poured the ingredients into individual freezer bag. I dated each bag, listed the contents, put what page I could find the recipe on in the book and lastly put what additional ingredients I would need to have on hand to complete the meal. Many of these kits will require me to simply cook pasta, cook the meat and voila.
4. Weekly Meal Prep: Cutting and chopping can be a chore, but why not do it once a week versus 5 or 6 times a week instead? Just get er done! Then when I am ready to have a salad or cook a stir fry I simply grab the chopped ingredients and start cooking.
5. Rotisserie chicken: Again,one of my favorite items. Before putting it in the fridge I cut off most of the meat and made a chicken salad with celery and cranberries. Prep it right in the bowl you will store it in the fridge in and you save a wash. Then you simply scoop out for sandwiches and salads all week.

7-Day Goals: Look at your week. What day can you carve out some time for pre-prep?

~K

Energy Crisis

Seasonal Drops:

Do you ever notice your energy slipping away as the cool winds start to blow in? Summer tends to boost our energy because the days stay lighter later and we tend to be energized by the sun and beautiful weather. As Fall nears, I start to think about my energy levels and how each year they slowly decline until I find myself in the depths of Winter struggling to keep my eyes open on the train ride home. Here are a few tips:

• Get your ZZZ's. When you lack sleep you energy level obviously takes a nose dive. They have connected lack of sleep with increased weight gain as well. Getting enough ZZZ's can help to keep your energy level consistent. Try for 7-8 hours per night. Also, try to keep your routine fairly consistent during the weekend as well. If you bounce around between 8 hours during the week and only 5 hours on the weekend, your body is likely to have more trouble getting into a sleep routine. You will deplete the energy that you gain from the week and find it hard to "catch up".


• Take your vitamin. Although, I never recommend that people fall back on their multivitamin in lieu of an adequate diet, they can certainly help to fill in the gaps of a diet missing a few essentials like B's for example. You don't necessarily have to go spending tons of money on fancy vitamins. Consumer labs had issued a report that showed that generic brands were just as potent as more expensive brands. I even like Flintstones myself.


• Drink plenty of fluids. Water too boring for you? Throw some lemon or lime slice in. You can also dilute 100% fruit juices down so that you avoid the calories and sugar, but get the flavor. You can also make your very own Juice Cubes to pop right into your water bottle for a dash of flavor!This works particularly well for kids because you can get cute ice cube trays and give them 1 or who cute shapes in their water glass.


• Strike up a comfort food Balance your plate. Don't fall prey to hunkering down and only eating "comfort foods" during the Fall and Winter. Balance your plate and your weekly meals between typical high calorie, higher fat comfort foods such as chili and cream based soups, macaroni n' cheese, and heavier meat based dishes with healthier comfort foods such as minestrone soup or vegetable based soups, veggie filled casseroles, warm fruit desserts and tarts and vegetable and fruit breads.
• Move! This sometimes gets more difficult to do as the weather cools down. It can be hard to leave the warmth of your cozy apartment or house to get to the gym or yoga studio, but exercise is just what the doctor ordered for lagging energy. Mark your calendar with the days you will make it to the gym that week. After each workout write down a few words about how the workout made you feel. Whenever you feel like backing out of a workout look at that calendar on the fridge and read the motivating words you wrote to yourself. Also, keep your workout clothes right in your car and drive straight to the gym. It is much harder to come home and leave than it is to just get yourself there.

Daily Drops:

It is natural for energy levels to wax and wane throughout the day, but 3-5 pm is an actual documented energy lag time for our natural body clock. Fight the clock with a few important steps.

• Drink water. Avoid the caffeine trap here. The caffeine will give you a quick boost, but may actually make your lethargy worse in the long run. Water will sufficiently hydrate you without the calories and caffeine to boot.


• Get up! Move around your office, take a walk down the hall or walk up and down a few flights of stairs. It gets the blood moving and rejuvenates you to continue on with your day.


• Close your eyes and do 8 solid deep breathes. Breathing helps to boost our oxygen uptake within our cells. Your spirit will feel rejuvenated and you will also feel a nice stress relief as well.
• Eat a piece of fruit. You get the added benefit of the natural sugar boost, but you also get additional fiber and vitamins that you wouldn't get from a Milky Way.

7-Day Nutrition Goals: Note when you start to feel an energy drop throughout the day. Take one action step today or this weekend to stay energized!

Stoking the Metabolic Fire

Have you ever connected the frequency of your meals to your hunger levels? Most of us, if we looked back would see that when we went too long without eating, we inevitably ate more than we wanted to. A recent study conducted by the USDA outlined the 3 main factors that keep people from staying on track with their structured, healthy eating plan.
1. Long gaps between meals
2. Eating away from home more often
3. Working longer hours (stress)

The researches also pointed to a new trend in "hunger management" vs. "dieting". Industry is taking note of this shift and starting to formulate new products that increase our feelings and delay our onset of hunger. You can do this already by eating more fiber and water (i.e. the volumetrics strategies we talked about earlier).

This study was able to tease out how many extra calories were consumed in relation to how many additional hours the eaters went between eating occasions. If one was to go 5 hours instead of 4 hours between meals they would take in an additional 52 calories. If one was to go 6 hours instead of 4 hours, they would take in an additional 91 calories. Not only would the person consume more calories, but the quality of the foods taken in would decline as well.

So how long should you go between eating occasions? Our general guidelines are to encourage people to consume food every 3-4 hours in order to stoke the metabolic fire or keep the "engine running". When you go too long between meals your body starts to slow it's engine down and works to conserve energy, not burn it. You want to be just the opposite, a burning machine!
By the time you realize you are hungry, symptoms like headaches, stomach growling, fatigue have already manifested. You want to stay one step ahead of your hunger and become a "hunger management" expert.

• Set your outlook calendar or watch to chime when 3-4 hours has gone by.
• Plan to have a set schedule that connects with things you do daily. Before the shower, eat breakfast. After the daily meeting, eat lunch. After picking up the kids from school, have a snack.
• Set your snacks out on the kitchen table or your work desk. If they are tucked away, you lose out on the reminder to eat them.
• Use "hunger management" strategies we have talked about in the past--add volume to your food choices: fiber, water content add volume (choose grapes over raisins for example, or whole grains vs. processed grains).

7-Day Goals: Don't know how long you go between meals? Keep a little journal of the times you eat for 3 days (2 weekday and 1 weekend). Notice any trends?

FYI: Link to snack pack article

Here is a link to an article on snack packs that just came through the wire today. I had posted about this last week.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26396295/

Make time for you!

A friend who has recently transformed her life through diet, exercise and increased mindfulness, recently told me a little story that gave me quite a chuckle at first, but then got my little wheels turning. She was standing with her neighbor when another neighbor walked by on her daily, fast paced power walk. After the woman walked by, my friend's neighbor said "I see her walking all the time. She must have some sort of condition that her doctor told her to walk for"......my friend and I thought "yeah, like the condition of LIVING"....or "being healthy".
The comment made me think how adults often need a major life altering or life threatening issue to force them into taking better care of themselves. Children adapt easily to new situations and games and "exercise" just for fun. Adults, on the other hand, frequently udder the words "I hate exercise".
What if you saw it as a way to manage your condition of "living" instead though?
Ever think about how much time in your day or week that you carve out to take care of yourself or put yourself first? Many of us have a huge priority list and we fall somewhere down near the end. We forget that the best way to be our best selves and tackle our long to-do list is to start by putting ourselves first! Putting ourselves low on our priority list is very common, so do not feel bad if you are nodding your head right now!
Now if putting yourself "first" feels too selfish, how about just thinking about treating yourself as good as how you treat those around you! Sounds like a no brainer, right?
Sit down and design a "dream priority list" for your "friend" who has come to you for advice. Create 3 columns.
In the first column, ask her some questions and jot down some of the areas that the friend needs to improve or already feels good about. Here are a few examples:
-Sleep-How many hours does she get? Do you think she needs more?
-Exercise-Does she do this at all? Is she getting bored with her routine? Does she lose motivation have way through? Does she have a buddy?
-Eating-Does she feel like she eats a balanced diet? What would she like to eat more of or less of? What types of foods does she think that she would like to learn more about? What areas of her diet does she feel good about?
-Stress and happiness-Does she feel burdened in any one area of her life (home, work, school)? Does she have anyone that she can talk to? Does she take time out for herself to do "fun activities"? Does she treat herself to 'me time'?
-Negative talk-Is she too hard on herself? What things does she come down on herself about that aren't warranted?
-Miscellaneous category: work, school, beauty
Voila! A list of areas that your friend "in a dream world" would work on and perfect or already feels good about....but this is a dream list like I said because it is the list that works flawlessly only on the moon! Here in the real world your "friend" has kids, work, school, friends that tend to get in the way of all of the "me time".
Here is where column 2 comes into play. In the second column, next to each priority area, write down the barriers that may be keeping her from attending to the priority.
In the 3rd column, brainstorm ways that she can circumvent the barriers and find deeper happiness, even if it is just some of the time.
Take for example:
-column 1-Feels like exercise isn't worth it if it isn't daily, so currently not exercising, but wants to try for 30 minutes every day after work".
-column 2-Barrier: Two days a week (Thurs and Tues), the kids need to be picked up from school after work and brought to soccer.
-column 3-Compromise: M, W, F drive straight from work to gym for exercise. Tuesday and Thursday forgo gym, but walk around the park while kids play.
Ahhh, compromise!!

Sometimes just sitting down and raising the bar for yourself gives you just the boost you needed! Remember, treat yourself today like you would treat your very best friend!
7-Day Goals: Got 5 minutes today? Would you carve out time for someone you cared about today to help her prioritize her time to lead a happier life? How about yourself!!

Navigating the Eating Maze at a Wedding/Event

Weddings and events are special days full of fun, laughter, sometimes tears and lots of delicious food! It can be really tricky to navigate for those that are trying to stick to a healthy eating plan. I have a little road map for you that may help. Here are some ideas and strategies that I have used at some events this summer.....I say "some events" because inevitably sometimes I fell prey to my sweet tooth or worse, my puffed pastry tooth, but overall looking back, I feel these strategies made sense and kept me on track.

Passed Appetizers:
If you are anything like me, you really love bite size passed horde avers with little names like "mini phyllo triangles filled with fig and marscapone cheese" or "baby bella stuffed mushrooms" or even worse, "pint size piggies in a blanket"...ooohh. It can be difficult to just take 1 and then even more tricky to say no when they make their way around a second and third time. Remember though, this is just the first course of the night, take it slow!

• Take a peak at what is being passed and choose your favorite 2. Then enjoy those two like they are the last puffed pastries on the planet. After enjoying them, make your way over to the veggies or fruits to fill up on volume without breaking the bank. This strategy leaves you feeling satisfied.

Buffets:
Ever gotten to the end of the buffet and realized that your favorite food is at the very end and now there is no more room on your plate? What happens next is you find yourself plotting how you can make your way up to the buffet for a second trip. I am convinced they know this and this is why all the best things are at the end of the buffet.

• Take a trip around the buffet before you grab your plate. Plan it out.
• Pile your plate with veggies first (remember volume), then protein (satisfying), then starch. Imagine your plate as a divided picnic plate. The biggest section is full of veggies, the next biggest is protein, smallest is carbs.
• If you must go back for seconds practice this strategy, fill your seconds plate with 80% of the plate still clearly visible.

Plated Meals: Chicken or beef? This is usually the scope of the decision making when it comes to plated meals at these events. Generally the plate is filled as described above ~veggie, protein, carb.

• Don't fall prey to "no crumb left behind" thinking! It is okay to leave a little behind. Envision your plate as four quadrants. Leave one quadrant behind.
• Eat slowly. It takes 20 minutes for your stomach to clue your mind in that you should stop eating before you need to loosen the belt or god forbid, loosen and unbutton. Anyways, slow down. Enjoy the music, conversations, people watching. Whatever you need to do slow down.

Desserts: My favorite part of the night. I was at a wedding last weekend and everyone was saying how full they were. Then the cake came out and everyone said "oh no, I don't think I have room". One of my husband's cousins wife said, "it's okay, it's a different compartment"...I loved that! There is always, always, always room for a little dessert in your life. Notice, "little", because yes, portion control is the key!

• Four bite rule! I love this and it works. Imagine back to a time when you were last eating a decadent dessert. Imagine the first bite...you savor it and enjoy all of the flavors. Bites 2,3 and 4 are pretty good too. Do you notice anything though after those bites? Yup, it is true. Your taste buds get a little bit less interested in the flavors with each consecutive bite. After about 4, the flavors fizzle a little and you are simply on auto-pilot eating. Try enjoying, savoring and being mindful for those first 4 bites, then pushing away or sharing with a friend. Again, it is all about preventing feelings of deprivation, which often lead people to over consume in the long run. Enjoy yourself, just be more mindful to consume in moderation.

Exercise minutes: Going to a function later in the day? Start the day off right with exercise or make a plan the next day to build some minutes into your day. Build you goal to get 30 minutes of exercise (can be accumulated) per day or 175 minutes or more per week. Some people have pedometers and count steps. Aim for 10,000 steps per day.

7-Day Goals: Focus on being mindful today. Think about those first four bites. Enjoy the flavors of your foods.
~K

Figs-Food of Olympians

Figs aren't just in cookies, I mean fruited cakes these days. Figs are my new favorite food! I was at a wedding this weekend that served fig with mascarpone cheese, wrapped in a phyllo dough and I nearly ate the whole tray. I literally almost borrowed a trick out of the old lady handbook when I nearly wrapped a few in a napkin and put them in my purse. They were so delicious.
Figs were first brought to the United States by the Spanish in 1759. They were planted in San Diego Mission. Figs history began way before that point however and in fact are the most mentioned fruit in the Bible. Fig trees were held sacred in all countries in Southwest Asia, Egypt, Greece and Italy. Michael Phelps dines on plates full of waffles, sausages, and omelettes and maybe even figs, which were once used as Olympic fuel over in Greece. The winners of the first Olympics were even presented with laurels of figs as the first "medals".

There are hundreds of varieties of figs. California is home to about a half dozen of these varieties.

• Black Mission: blackish-purple skin and pink colored flesh


• Kadota: green skin and purplish flesh


• Calimyrna: greenish-yellow skin and amber flesh


• Brown Turkey: purple skin and red flesh


• Adriatic: the variety most often used to make fig bars, which has a light green skin and pink-tan flesh
  

Figs have the highest fiber content when compared to other fruits. One serving (1/4 c) or 4-5 Mission Figs contains 20% of your total recommended fiber intake for the day (~140 calories). One small serving of 1 1/2 dried figs is equivalent to 1 fruit serving. They are also known for their high potassium content, an important mineral in maintaining blood pressure control.

There are so many ways to use figs as well! One of my favorite things to do is to use a fig spread on top of goat cheese and tiny toasts. Here is the link to my favorite fig spread, Dalmatia fig spread: http://www.dalmatiaimports.com/Default.aspx?tabid=30

You can also dip dried figs into chocolate or yogurt (vanilla and lemon are two good choices). One idea that I just found was to chop and combine with olive oil, rosemary, basil and garlic, then spread on a focaccia bread and bake....yum!
I found these great ideas on the California Fig site:
http://www.recipe-serve.com/californiafigs/recipes/index.html

Figs are extremely perishable and should be eaten within 2-3 days of purchasing. They should be kept in the fridge and they should have a sweet, fragrant scent, not sour. They should be slightly soft to the touch, but not mushy. If you have a bag of dried figs, make sure to keep them tightly sealed to prevent insects from being attracted to their sweet scent and to prevent them from getting to tough and hard.

7-Day Goals: Ask yourself if your palate has gone bland. Do you find yourself eating the same 3 fruits? Venture out today.

Snack Packs

I recently saw an interesting advertisement in a magazine I was thumbing through. At first I thought it was an article about healthy eating. It showed a family and they were unloading their groceries and it described how busy their lives were. I noticed the "article" kept coming back to how they were so glad to be healthy and include chips in their diet. I thought it was a little strange until I realized it was a clever advertisement by a chip company promoting their new chip-snack-packs. The message encouraging eating chips was so hidden within the dialogue about how healthy this family was that it completely caught me off guard.

Essentially chip companies have found a creative way to anchor themselves within the typical American diet simply by repackaging their high calorie, high fat snack option into little baggies. Most people know that chips wouldn't be the healthiest snack in the bunch, but this advertisement went ahead and put chips on the list with apples, bananas and oranges. How confusing for most, right?

Not so fast. While it is an extremely clever way for makers of higher calorie, higher fat snack items to sustain themselves amongst the ranks of most utilized snack options, it isn't the answer to healthy snacking.
I see snacking as a tiered system, similar to the Stop Light Diet concept. Red-stop, rarely consume these foods, Yellow-better, but still limit frequency and amount, Green-go full speed ahead. Many packaged snacks actually fall into the red and yellow categories. In fact looking at some of the labels you will see that although they contain 100 calories in each baggie, they also bring with it 3-5 grams of fat, most of which comes from artery clogging saturated fat. Also, the list of ingredients go on and on and include things that are unrecognizable and even difficult to pronounce. Most seem to be glorified candy, repackaged for "healthy snacking".

The only pros that I can see with these 100 calorie snack packs is that they are pre-portioned, so as long as you do not go back for 2 or 3, you don't have to guess how many calories have been deducted from your daily calorie bank. They also may help people avoid feelings of restriction by enabling them to splurge on something that they normally wouldn't be able to control the portion of, like cookies. When you restrict yourself or your children, there tends to be a backlash effect that leads to eventually over consuming the restricted foods. Children of parents who are never allowed to partake in "kid foods" are actually more like to crave and overeat the restricted foods when they are on their own away from parental influence. The snack packs at least serve as a teachable moment for children because they show what a proper portion looks like.

My suggestions would be to use these processed snack packs infrequently. Situations that call for the use of these snack packs may be:

• They are the best choice in the bunch at the time! This might be if you are on a road trip for example and did not pack snacks ahead of time. You find a convenience store and you have the option of the big bag of chips or the 100-calorie-snack-pack...grab the snack pack!
• You are craving a cookie, ASAP-You think you can't control having a whole bag of regular size cookies in the house because you will undoubtedly eat way more than 100 calories worth...again, grab the snack pack!
• You have a child-I suggest that you create a snack box with your child to eliminate the ever frequent question of "what can I have for a snack now....how about now.....what now?". If you have the snack box for the week that they fill on Sunday night, you can make sure that they put in mostly fruits and homemade snack packs (examples below), but you can throw a few "treats" in there that are still within calorie limits. This means the child will not feel restricted and will also learn about moderation.
• Add fruit or veggie slices. Every time you eat one, pair it with a fruit or veggie. At least then you get some added fiber and nutrients and you get on serving closer to your 5-9/day!

Make your own snack packs with foods that pack more of a nutritional punch. While this takes a little bit more effort, it is truly worth it. Here are some combinations that are equal to about 100 calories. (100 calories isn't a magic number, it is just easy to remember by the way).

• Babybell cheese (light) + fruit
• 17 pretzels
• 2 tsp of nutella or peanut butter + rice cake or fruit slices or graham cracker sheet
• pudding
• 3/4 cup Honey Nut Cheerios
• Oatmeal packet (~160 cals)
• 4 oz cottage cheese (skim) + jam or simply a 4 oz 2% cottage cheese
• 1 slice deli meat + fruit or veggie slices
• 1 hardboiled egg + fruit or veggie slices
• 10 Kashi TLC cracker
• 8 wheat thins
• 1/2 cup Kashi Crunch
• Popcorn-100 calorie mini bag
• 1 frozen waffle with a little pb or jam
• applesauce
• 2 tbsp hummus + veggies, tortilla chips

7-Day Goals: Ready for the weekend? Here it is again. Think back on last weekend. Was it a blowout or did you make some positive strides in your healthy eating plan? If not, try again this week. Don't give up!

~K

Spice up Boring Salads

Summer is the season of salads. Salads are considered a high volume food because they provide a lot of nutrients without a lot of calories. Barbara Rolls, PhD, has published many journal articles and books related to the study of hunger and obesity. Her book Volumetric Eating Plan focuses on tips and techniques for feeling fuller on fewer calories. Eating salads before a meal is one such way to do this. In 2004 she published a study that showed that women who had eaten a low-energy dense salad (high volume of food, but low in calories) ate 7-12% fewer calories at the meal that followed. Not all salads are created equal however. They also tested high-energy-dense salads that had a higher calorie/fat dressing, more of the dressing and more cheese. Women who ate those salads increased their intake by 8-17%! Using smart strategies when making salads is therefore highly important if you are watching your waistline.



With all that said, I can still hear a few of you out there saying "salads get boring". I hear ya! Spicing up a salad can be a simple as adding one or two new ingredients each week or adding a little bit more texture here and there. Here are a few things to think about when looking to make a low-energy-dense salad that isn't boring!



-Start with a base of a few different lettuce varieties. There is crisp head lettuce like iceberg or bibb that provides a little crunch. Then you have your romaine, deep green leaves full of nutrients like vitamin A, K and C. Don't forget to add a little red leaf lettuce in there because, the more color the better. Remember that different colors bring different phyotonutrients to your plate.

-Add tons of veggies! Top your base of lettuce with as many different color veggies as you can. Get tired of the same combo each week? Mix it up. Sometimes put on red tomatoes for your red, other days put on red peppers or instead of white onion, add zip with red onion.

-Let there be fruit. If you haven't started yet, today is the day to try adding fruit to your salad bowl. There are no real rules for what works and what doesn't. Try fresh or even canned if you don't have any fresh on hand. I personally like strawberries, blueberries, mandarin oranges, pear and apple the best, but you can get creative and add fruits like kiwi, cantaloupe, grapes, whatever your heart desires. Just go for color and flavor and you can't go wrong. If you decide to add dried fruits like cranberries, raisins or apricots, make sure to keep your portions in check. Those are a food that fall into the high-energy-dense category (water has been extracted so you get to eat less of them than the original version)

-Limit high calorie extras-You don't have to avoid these add on's because they are part of the way to jazz up a salad and prevent boredom, but do try to limit them because they are just the type of ingredients that lead to 700-900 calorie salads!

• Dried fruits
• Feta cheese-1 oz = 75 calories, 6 grams of fat
• Olives - 5 olives (kalamata pitted-my fav) 45 calories, 4.5 grams of fat
• blue cheese-1 oz = 100 calories, 8.2 grams of fat
• Walnut pieces- 1 oz = 190, 18 grams of fat
• Sunflower seeds - 2 tbsp = 103 calories, 9 grams fat
• Croutons - 130 calories, 5 grams of fat

Here is a link to Whole Foods which has some great salad ideas:

http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/list_salad.html

7-Day Goals: Try measuring out a few of your salad ingredients. A dash of walnuts here may have turned into way more than 1 oz worth or your little bit of blue cheese may have morphed into a much bigger calorie punch than you intended. Get creative with your salad today!

~K

Using Your Garden

Our garden is flourishing! Our tomatoes are just starting to ripen on the vine which gets our creative cooking juices going. Gardening can be fulfilling for so many reasons and it can also help save some money on vegetables from the store. A new article this week by the AP highlights the hidden dangers that may sneak up on the novice gardener. It stemmed from a mix up by a celebrity chef who mistakenly recommended a toxic herb that had a similar name as a non-toxic herb. Not his finest recipe! The beauty of herbs is that many do in fact have medicinal qualities. Likewise, they may also contain toxic substances as well, especially if eaten in large quantities or if combined with certain medications. Here are a few examples they cited:

• Garden Pea is non-toxic, but the sweet pea planted for it's beautiful scent is toxic if consumed.


• Potatoes have toxic glycoalkalaoids throughout their stems and in the tuber itself. Ever leave a potato on the windowsill in the sun for a while? You will notice that it turns green. This is a concentration of those toxins and a warning that they potato is no longer edible. Fried green potatoes should not be on the menu. Throw away a potato if it is green.


• Leaves of the tomato plan, avocado, horse radish and rhubarb are toxic, so do not attempt to get creative with these greens.


• Nutmeg in large quantities can lead to nausea, vomiting and even hallucinations according to this article. I now understand where my banana bread went horribly wrong one year.

So if you are thinking of producing your own vegetable garden, do it, but make sure you know what you are planting and how to use them. This link has a lot of different useful tips: http://www.gardenguides.com/

Below are some pictures of the foods from our garden that we recently used in a Friday night Italian feast! In white are the foods that came right from the garden.

Appetizers: Jalapenos, cheddar (50% light Cabot-my favorite), cucumbers and dill, tomatoes and basil drizzled with olive oil.

Main Course: Chicken Parmesan with homemade tomato sauce, oregano, basil, parsley. Dipping sauce of olive oil, garlic, garden spices.

Handy tip: Here is a link to a neat article in fine cooking for Cutting a Chiffonade of Basil. You will look like a pro and it saves time. http://www.taunton.com/finecooking/articles/cutting-chiffonade-basil.aspx

They also have a great link to facts about growing basil. Basil is one of my favorite herbs. It adds so much flavor to so many meals. http://www.taunton.com/finegardening/dtSearch/searchResultsPlantGuide.aspx?searchfor=basil&channel=plantguide&page=1

Cutting calories in the dish below: we used low-fat cheese and portion control on this meal! Our plates were filled with 3 oz of chicken (looks like the palm of your hand or a deck of cards) and 1/2 cup-1 cup pasta. The rest of our plates were filled with veggies in the form of a salad.

7-Day Goals: Try to find a way to use fresh vegetables this week. If you do not have your own garden, try to find a farmstand or simply get them from your local grocer. Use your imagination and try to find a creative way to fill 1/2 your plate with veggies.

~K

Perfect Portions

Nutrition experts often have varied opinions on which "diet" is best. One thing that we can all agree on however, is that which ever "diet", whether it be high protein/low-carb, Mediterranean, vegetarian, western or prudent, portions matter.

Over the years our portions have been distorted. Today portions are bigger than ever which has a direct correlation with widening waistlines. A few examples are listed below. Take a guess and then scroll down to the end of today's message and see if you are an ace at deciphering proper portions:

• Bagel-20 years ago the average bagel was 3 inches in diameter and 140 calories. Today the average bagel is _________ and ________calories.
• Spaghetti and meatballs-20 yrs ago it was 1 cup spaghetti and 3 small meatballs for 500 calories. Today it is _______and_______calories.
• Muffins-20 years ago the average muffin was 1.5 oz and 210 calories. Today the average muffin is _______and________calories.
• Caesar Salads-20 years ago it was 1 1/2 cups and 390 calories. Today the average Caesar salad is ________and_________calories.

Check out the National Heart Lung and Blood Institutes "Portion Distortion" quizzes for more examples.

So how can you guesstimate proper portions? You can use your hands as a visual aid or visualize common objects.

• 1.5 oz of cheese = 4 stacked dice
• 1 slice of bread = cassette tape
• 3 oz of meat = deck of cards or the palm of your hand
• 1 cup pasta = a baseball or your fist
• 1 pancake = a DVD
• 1/4 cup of raisins = size of a hard boiled egg
• 1 medium fruit = size of your fist
• 2 tbsp peanut butter = ping pong ball size

A few of my new favorite gadgets to help with portions are the Fit n' Fresh containers found at http://www.fit-fresh.com/. You can get them at Target. They have little removable ice packs and the little plastic containers have measurements on the side so that you can keep your snacks in proper portions during your preparation and packing. They fit together neatly so you can just pack it up and go. I have the salad container and the breakfast container.

Answers to the portion distortion questions above:

• Bagel- today it is 6 inches and 350 calories
• Spaghetti and meatballs-today it is 2 cups and 3 large meatballs (that is still probably underestimating based on what some restaurants serve), but on average this brings it to 1,025 calories. That is 525 calories more than 20 years ago.
• Muffins-today 5 oz, 500 calories, an additional 310 calories.
• Caesar salads-3 cups, 790 calories, an additional 400 calories.

7-Day Goals: Take a peak at your portions? How do they rate? Is there a way that you can cut back in a few places here and there? Based on the info above you can see that it really can add up.

~K

Most Popular Lunch Item

So a few posts ago we talked about lunches. What is the most popular bagged lunch you ask? PB&J! Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches still top the charts for favorite lunch item, even into adulthood. Oh but peanut butter is so fattening you say, but I say, not so if you make sure to eat it in moderation. Everything in moderation! 1 tbsp will do.
There is still room for this food in our diet and now there are so many delectable nut butter choices, you can't help but dabble in them.

The most popular side dish in bagged lunches? Fruit

What about a combination of the two? The same old peanut butter and jelly can get really old really fast. Here are some ways to tempt your palate and boost the nutritional content of this old stand by as well:

• 100% fruit spreads-make sure that you aren't choosing a highly processed jam or jelly. Look for an option that contains 100% fruit or says "all fruit spread". Make sure you flip it over and read the ingredients however because sometimes front labeling on foods can be quite deceptive. If you look at the first few ingredients you should NOT see things like sugar, high fructose corn syrup, juice syrup. I like Polaner All Fruit myself and St. Dalfour is good as well. Others I know swear by Trader Joes.
• Vary your fruit spread flavors-I really like the Apricot flavor fruit spread from Polaner. Other flavors, beyond grape like you most likely stuck with as a kid, include orange marmalade, black cherry, peach and boysenberry. Give a few a whirl!
• Step away from the peanut-Why not try some almond butter instead? At Whole Foods you can actually use the grinder machine to pour in fresh almonds and grind them right there in the store. It doesn't get any fresher than that! No added ingredients or preservatives. It comes out delicious. Not near a whole foods? Try one of the natural nut butters like "Teddy's". These natural nut butters take a little getting used to, but they do not contain added hydrogenated oils, so they are in fact worth it.
• Fruit it up-Add some fruit right into the sandwich for an extra daily serving. Banana slices or even mashed banana work really well and you boost the potassium content of the sandwich. Apple slices or applesauce work as well. Also think outside the box by adding raisins, dried cranberries or pear slices.
• Honey-A little drizzle of honey turns the average pb&j into a delectable little treat.
• Add some fiber-sprinkle a little ground flax seed to add a little fiber, omega-3 and flavor.
• Drop the white bread-Start with a nice wheat bread or even use a pita or whole wheat wrap instead.
• Add some heat-Toasting or grilling your pb&j is also another way to enhance the flavor.
• Nutella-For the off chance that you maybe just need a little pick me up because you are feeling blue, a light spread of Nutella over your layer of pb or almond butter works wonders. I speak from experience. For those of you that do not know, Nutella is a hazelnut spread. It isn't what I would call a "health food" or something I would recommend you eat daily, but a light spread of it here and there is like a little treat!

Just a few ideas to get you started on being more creative with America's favorite sandwich.

7-Day Goals: Ask yourself "how can I reinvent some of my "favorite meals" or snacks by trying new flavors?

~K

Envirosax-Reusable Grocery Bags

I have just purchased some reusable grocery bags that I am excited about! I will report back on their quality after I get them and start using them. They are so cute though, so I figured I would pass along the link:

http://www.envirosax.com/



~K

Berry Treat

I love quick little desserts because, I admit it, I have a sweet tooth! We recently went berry picking. We were able to pick raspberries right off the vine. It was great. Upon first glance it appeared that there weren't too many left that were in good enough condition to pick and fill a whole pint with, but after a little searching we soon found a technique that left our basket overflowing with deliciousness! If you crouched down low enough, practically under the bush, you would find the berries that were easily overlooked. We filled our basket and headed back to the Big Apple barn where we also purchased blueberries that looked too perfect to pass up!

What to do with all of these berries I wondered? Then I remembered a fun little recipe I had seen on Robin Miller's show on Food Network that involved probably 10 minutes time total from start to finish....my kind of recipe! The recipe calls for wonton wrappers which you wouldn't necessarily picture as a dessert, but once baked and sprinkled with confectionery sugar, there traditional uses all but fade from your memory!

Here is the recipe:

Berry Napoleons with Sugared Wonton Wrappers 2006, Robin Miller

Ingredients:

Cooking spray

12 wonton wrappers

2 tablespoons sugar

1 cup whipped topping or whipped cream (or nondairy topping)

1 cup raspberries, blackberries or sliced strawberries, or any berry combination

1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar

Mint to garnish, if desired

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.

Arrange wonton wrappers on prepared baking sheet and spray the surface with cooking spray. Sprinkle sugar over wontons.

Bake 5 minutes, until golden brown.

Remove wontons from oven and arrange 4 on a serving platter (or individual dessert dishes). Top each wonton with 2 tablespoons whipped topping and then 2 tablespoons berries.

Top with second wonton wrapper.

Repeat layers (whipped topping, berries, wonton wrapper). S

ift confectioners' sugar over top layer. Serve immediately.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/robin-miller/berry-napoleons-with-sugared-wonton-wrappers-recipe/index.html

~Now a little about some of the ingredients.

Wonton Wrappers: You usually find these in the produce area in the grocery store (unless you are at a specialty store). Look near the fresh spices or near the lettuce heads..if all else fails ask for help! Here is an example of a brand that you may find at your local store: Nasoya, 8 wrappers = 160 calories, 0.5 grams of fat! Wowza.

Raspberries: These are a good source of vitamin C, vitamin K, magnesium, fiber and manganese.

Blueberries: These are a good source of vitamin K, vitamin C, fiber and manganese.

These are such a nice little summer treat. Next time I will take a picture, because they look so beautiful. You most likely could do a variety of modifications of this recipe. I will have to try a few and report back, but in my mind I see this also being something you could swap out puddings for the one layer of the whipped topping. I could also see making a little lemon meringue and layering that as well. Umm!

7-Day Goals:

Add sweetness to your day today using fruit! Ask yourself, "is there a way today that I could try to include fruit at all three meals today or at least at 2 meals and one snack?" Try replacing a dessert this week with fresh fruit instead.

~K

Lotsa Lemon Yogurt

If you are looking for a delicious little treat that doesn't break the calorie bank I suggest Stoneyfield Farms fat free organic yogurt in the Lotsa Lemon flavor. I love to take this yogurt, put it in a pretty container (if I am at home!) and put add a few chocolate shavings over the top. It it so delicious! Adding raspberries or blueberries on top is also a great way to simultaneously boost the flavor and nutritional content. Yogurt contains live active bacteria that keeps your gastrointestinal tract healthy. It is also a great way to get your calcium in, especially for those people who do not enjoy sitting down for a full glass of milk. Calcium recommendations for those aged 19-50 are 1000 mg/day or 3 servings per day (1 serving = 8 oz milk or 1 cup of yogurt or 1.5 oz of cheese). Choose low-fat or non-fat dairy whenever possible.



I also found this recipe on an online recipe center that I have not tried yet, but will plan to do so and report back. It is easy enough and will make fruit just a little more interesting!

Title: Lemon Yogurt Fruit Dip

Yield: 1 -3/4 Cups

Ingredients

1 8-oz container lemon yogurt

1 8-oz container sour cream

1 ts ginger

1 tb honey

1/2 ts grated fresh lemon peel

1/2 ts lemon juice

InstructionsIn small bowl, combine all ingredients; blend well. Cover; refrigerate 1 to2 hours to blend flavors. (To keep apple, pear or banana slices fromturning brown, slice these fruits last. Toss the slices with orange orgrapefruit juice or dip them in 1 quart cold water mixed with 3 tablespoonsof lemon juice). The dip can be made a day ahead of time; cover andrefrigerate it.Serve dip with assorted fresh fruit such as whole strawberries, pineapplechunks, seedless grapes, melon wedges and apple, pear or banana slices.Garnish the dip with lemon slices or curls of lemon peel.

Nutrition info: Serving size is 1 tablespoon which equals 30 calories; 2gtotal fat, saturated 1g; cholesterol 4mg; sodium 10mg; total carb 2g.Dietary exchanges: 1/2 fat

Source: Pillsbury Classic Cookbooks: _Easiest-Ever Holiday Meals_; Dec1996.