Here's a quick and easy desert idea!!
Yogurt Sundae
3/4 cups Plain yogurt (sweetened with Splenda, Stevia or Agave)
2 Tbsp of Pomegranate juice
2 sliced strawberries
2 Tbsp crushed pecans
Place yogurt in the freezer to chill for 15 minutes, remove and add toppings
Enjoy!
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Burn Those Calories!
Spring is here!! With Spring comes lovely weather, perfect for outdoor activities. Not too hot, and not too cold! The other day, I dusted off my bike and took a ride around the neighborhood. It was a great way to enjoy the day and free my mind while burning calories! Bike riding is a great way to increase your heart rate, and burn calories! This is a great alternative to running which can be hard on your joints. Bike riding is no impact and puts no stress on your joints. So Start or end your day with a bike ride! Bring along your kids or significant other!!! Enjoy the onset of Spring while you get fit!!
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Delicious Chili Recipe
This is one of my favorite recipes, It's quick, easy and delicious!! Enjoy!
To cut back on gas caused by beans, rinse beans well in strainer before adding to your chili. This helps to rid the beans the gas causing enzyme that coats them.
Ingredients
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 jalepeno pepper, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
3 cloves minced garlic, or 1.5 tsp of minced ready to use garlic
1.5 to 2 lbs fresh ground turkey (If you like your chili meaty, add 2lbs of turkey)
1 tbsp ground cumin
3 tbsp chili powder
1 can 15 oz kidney beans
1 can 15 oz black beans
1 can (28oz) tomato sauce
3 cans 15oz diced tomatoes with liquid
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp low sodium soy sauce or tamari
Chunky Version Preparation
In a soup pot, heat olive oil and saute the onion, jalepeno, garlic and pepper for 10 minutes over medium heat. Add the turkey and saute for another 5 minutes. Add the cumin and chili powder and cook for 5 more minutes.
Add the beans, diced tomatoes and their liquid, and the balsamic vinegar and soy sauce/tamari. Cook, covered for 15 minutes.
Smooth Version Preparation
In a soup pot add turkey meat, begin to brown over medium heat.
In a blender add balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, chopped onion, garlic, jalepeno, and red pepper. Blend to pureed texture. When Meat is browned add chili powder and cumin. Add olive oil, pureed vegetables, beans, and diced tomatoes. Stir, cook covered for 15 minutes.
Serve with Shredded parmesan and or mozzerella cheese. No more than 1 tbsp of each cheese per serving.
To cut back on gas caused by beans, rinse beans well in strainer before adding to your chili. This helps to rid the beans the gas causing enzyme that coats them.
Ingredients
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 jalepeno pepper, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
3 cloves minced garlic, or 1.5 tsp of minced ready to use garlic
1.5 to 2 lbs fresh ground turkey (If you like your chili meaty, add 2lbs of turkey)
1 tbsp ground cumin
3 tbsp chili powder
1 can 15 oz kidney beans
1 can 15 oz black beans
1 can (28oz) tomato sauce
3 cans 15oz diced tomatoes with liquid
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp low sodium soy sauce or tamari
Chunky Version Preparation
In a soup pot, heat olive oil and saute the onion, jalepeno, garlic and pepper for 10 minutes over medium heat. Add the turkey and saute for another 5 minutes. Add the cumin and chili powder and cook for 5 more minutes.
Add the beans, diced tomatoes and their liquid, and the balsamic vinegar and soy sauce/tamari. Cook, covered for 15 minutes.
Smooth Version Preparation
In a soup pot add turkey meat, begin to brown over medium heat.
In a blender add balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, chopped onion, garlic, jalepeno, and red pepper. Blend to pureed texture. When Meat is browned add chili powder and cumin. Add olive oil, pureed vegetables, beans, and diced tomatoes. Stir, cook covered for 15 minutes.
Serve with Shredded parmesan and or mozzerella cheese. No more than 1 tbsp of each cheese per serving.
Breakfast Menus!
The following are suggestions of well rounded breakfast menus. You can mix and match to your liking, the main thing is to have a breakfast that inclueds the three key components. Protein, Low Glycemic carbohydrate, and high quality essential fatty acid. I discuss these components in greater detail in another post. Hope you enjoy these menus!
Breakfast Menu 1
Old fashioned oatmeal (not 1-minute) W/1Tbsp Ground flaxseed
1/4 cup Strawberries or blueberries or desired fruit
2 slices Turkey bacon (I prefer Oscar Meyer/Louis Rich brand)
Ice Water
Green Tea or Celestial Seasoning Roastaroma Tea
Breakfast Menu 2
2 egg omelet (w/2 Tbsp shredded parmesan cheese, onions, mushrooms, spinach or any desired veg)
1 inch slice cantaloupe
1/2 Old fashioned oatmeal
Ice Water
Green Tea or Tea of your choice
Breakfast Menu 3
1/2 Granola Cereal w/1 Tbsp flaxseed
2 Slices turkey bacon
1/4 cup berries or 1 pear
Ice Water
Green Tea or Tea of your choice
Breakfast Menu 1
Old fashioned oatmeal (not 1-minute) W/1Tbsp Ground flaxseed
1/4 cup Strawberries or blueberries or desired fruit
2 slices Turkey bacon (I prefer Oscar Meyer/Louis Rich brand)
Ice Water
Green Tea or Celestial Seasoning Roastaroma Tea
Breakfast Menu 2
2 egg omelet (w/2 Tbsp shredded parmesan cheese, onions, mushrooms, spinach or any desired veg)
1 inch slice cantaloupe
1/2 Old fashioned oatmeal
Ice Water
Green Tea or Tea of your choice
Breakfast Menu 3
1/2 Granola Cereal w/1 Tbsp flaxseed
2 Slices turkey bacon
1/4 cup berries or 1 pear
Ice Water
Green Tea or Tea of your choice
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Jump Start Your Metabolism!
Good Morning All! I wanted to start out my day by sharing a great way to jumpstart your metabolism. The key to this is always to eat regularly. Alway eat breakfast, make sure all your meals contain the 3 key components (refer to earlier article I wrote about this).
The secret ingredient is to build muscle!! The more muscle you have, the more calories your body will burn even while you sleep. Increased muscle along with a healthy eating plan is a great way to jump start your metabolism! I'll start with one well known muscle building exercise to do in the morning or whenever you get time during the day! I'll be adding muscle building exercises so continue to check in to add to your workout.
PUSH-UPS
If you need to build your upper body strength, start by doing 3 sets of 5-10 push-ups on your knees. As your strength increases add one push up to each set, so instead of doing 5 pushups per set do 6, then 7 etc. Eventually, try to move to a more advanced push-up, from your toes instead of your knees.
If you already have significant upper body strength, start from your toes. Do 3 sets of 15-20 repetitions, drop to your knees if your muscles become fatigued. Rest 30-60seconds between sets.
Push ups are a great muscle building exercise because they work, your whole upper body. You also are working your core (abdominals) because you have to stabilize and support your back, so that you are flat like a board when doing the push-ups.
The secret ingredient is to build muscle!! The more muscle you have, the more calories your body will burn even while you sleep. Increased muscle along with a healthy eating plan is a great way to jump start your metabolism! I'll start with one well known muscle building exercise to do in the morning or whenever you get time during the day! I'll be adding muscle building exercises so continue to check in to add to your workout.
PUSH-UPS
If you need to build your upper body strength, start by doing 3 sets of 5-10 push-ups on your knees. As your strength increases add one push up to each set, so instead of doing 5 pushups per set do 6, then 7 etc. Eventually, try to move to a more advanced push-up, from your toes instead of your knees.
If you already have significant upper body strength, start from your toes. Do 3 sets of 15-20 repetitions, drop to your knees if your muscles become fatigued. Rest 30-60seconds between sets.
Push ups are a great muscle building exercise because they work, your whole upper body. You also are working your core (abdominals) because you have to stabilize and support your back, so that you are flat like a board when doing the push-ups.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
3 Key Components To Each Meal & Snack: Don't Eat Another Bite Until You Read This!!
Each meal or snack that you consume should include these three components:
1) Protein (Cold-water fish, chicken, turkey, soy products, yogurt, eggs…)
2) Low-glycemic carbohydrate (bright- colored fruits/vegetables)
3) High-quality essential fatty acids (nuts, flaxseed, avocados)
When these components are combined, it helps the body to absorb and process the food more efficiently. It also keeps your blood sugar level from spiking and dropping.
Great Meal idea including 3 key components:
4-6 ounces salmon (or chicken, turkey, or any other cold water fish)seasoned with sea salt and ground black pepper, and basil
2 cups romaine lettuce (dressed with fresh or bottle lemon juice and drizzled with extra virgin olive oil)
½ cup of steamed vegetables (broccoli, spinach, asparagus)
2 inch slice honeydew melon or ¼ cup berries or 1 med apple
Great Snack idea w/3 key components:
¾ cup whole plain yogurt (sweetened with Agave Nectar, Stevia or Splenda)
3-4 almonds or 4 pecan halves
1 tbsp 100% pomegranate juice
**Keep raw nuts and packaged salmon, tuna and chicken on hand to grab when you’re in a hurry. Add an apple and you have the perfect snack to go!
Hope this helps!
1) Protein (Cold-water fish, chicken, turkey, soy products, yogurt, eggs…)
2) Low-glycemic carbohydrate (bright- colored fruits/vegetables)
3) High-quality essential fatty acids (nuts, flaxseed, avocados)
When these components are combined, it helps the body to absorb and process the food more efficiently. It also keeps your blood sugar level from spiking and dropping.
Great Meal idea including 3 key components:
4-6 ounces salmon (or chicken, turkey, or any other cold water fish)seasoned with sea salt and ground black pepper, and basil
2 cups romaine lettuce (dressed with fresh or bottle lemon juice and drizzled with extra virgin olive oil)
½ cup of steamed vegetables (broccoli, spinach, asparagus)
2 inch slice honeydew melon or ¼ cup berries or 1 med apple
Great Snack idea w/3 key components:
¾ cup whole plain yogurt (sweetened with Agave Nectar, Stevia or Splenda)
3-4 almonds or 4 pecan halves
1 tbsp 100% pomegranate juice
**Keep raw nuts and packaged salmon, tuna and chicken on hand to grab when you’re in a hurry. Add an apple and you have the perfect snack to go!
Hope this helps!
Tips For Weightloss Success!
I wanted to share some tid bits that will help you on your journey to a healthier lifestyle. Try to incorporate at least one of these into your life this week.
1) Drink 1 cup of green tea each day!
Green Tea is Great for you because it contains caffeine and theanine, (theanine counteracts the negative effects of caffeine, so those accustomed to caffeine get their fix without its negative effects). Green also tea prevents the absorption of fat, which in turn helps keep excess body fat under control.
2)Get at least 6-8 hrs of uninterrupted sleep every night.
Sleep helps keep cortisol under control,(cortisol has many negative effects on the body, look for an article on cortisol in the future).
3) Cut out coffee
Coffee contains a number of organic acids that affect blood sugar and cortisol levels. This is NOT due to caffeine, cortisol levels register the same after regular or decaf coffee is consumed. (A great substitute for coffee is Roastaroma tea, made by Celestial Seasonings. It has rich coffe like flavor.
4) Minimize Stress
I know it is hard to minimize stress in your everyday life, but do what is in your grasp to keep stress levels down. Some suggestions for stress reduction are:
*Take time for yourself, set aside 15-20min/day to meditate or pray, listen to your favorite music and lose yourself in it!
*Practice Yoga
Start by trying to incorporate one of these tips into your life, then add another, once you've mastered one! You CAN do it!!
God Bless
1) Drink 1 cup of green tea each day!
Green Tea is Great for you because it contains caffeine and theanine, (theanine counteracts the negative effects of caffeine, so those accustomed to caffeine get their fix without its negative effects). Green also tea prevents the absorption of fat, which in turn helps keep excess body fat under control.
2)Get at least 6-8 hrs of uninterrupted sleep every night.
Sleep helps keep cortisol under control,(cortisol has many negative effects on the body, look for an article on cortisol in the future).
3) Cut out coffee
Coffee contains a number of organic acids that affect blood sugar and cortisol levels. This is NOT due to caffeine, cortisol levels register the same after regular or decaf coffee is consumed. (A great substitute for coffee is Roastaroma tea, made by Celestial Seasonings. It has rich coffe like flavor.
4) Minimize Stress
I know it is hard to minimize stress in your everyday life, but do what is in your grasp to keep stress levels down. Some suggestions for stress reduction are:
*Take time for yourself, set aside 15-20min/day to meditate or pray, listen to your favorite music and lose yourself in it!
*Practice Yoga
Start by trying to incorporate one of these tips into your life, then add another, once you've mastered one! You CAN do it!!
God Bless
My Purpose For This Blog
Hello everyone! I made the decision to start this blog to help those of you trying to live a healthier lifestyle. I know I will be able to help you achieve this goal through my knowledge and experience. I have been involved in health and fitness for several years and have had the pleasure of watching and helping others lose weight and eliminate health problems such as hypertension (high blood pressure), and high cholesterol. I want to create a place where you can access new information daily that will guide you towards your health, and weightloss goals. I will post workout plans, recipes, full meal plans, healthy food choices success stories and much more. Email me and tell me about your progress and your goals. I will try to include posts that tailor to your specific needs. A support system is key to successful weightloss, I want to be that for you! Good luck and God Bless you on your journey to Weight Loss Done Right! Tell your friends and family about this site, lets get healthy together!! Ready, Set GO!!!
Salmon Cakes
Here is a delicious recipe that includes salmon, which is rich in omega 3 fatty-acids (great for your heart)! If you like spicy food, you'll love the bite this recipe has. If you don't like it spicy, omit the jalepeno pepper. If you try this recipe, let me know how you like it (you can post below). Enjoy!
Ingredients:
14oz can of salmon (wild alaskan caught preferable)
1 egg white
1 fresh jalepeno
1 tbsp low sodium soy sauce or tamari
1/2 onion (white or yellow) or 3 green onions
1 tbsp fresh chopped ginger root
1 tbsp olive oil
Preparation:
Chop jalpeno, ginger root and onion put in blender
add egg white, soy sauce or tamari to blender
blend until well mixed and pureed (if you prefer vegetable chunks, do not blend, finely chop ingredients and add to salmon mixture)
Drain salmon and put in medium size mixing bowl
Pour pureed vegetable mixture over salmon and mix
create 4-6 one inch thick patties
heat olive oil over medium in skillet
add patties to skillet, flipping after 3-4 minutes or until golden brown on each side
serve hot
Total prep and cook time 30 min
Ingredients:
14oz can of salmon (wild alaskan caught preferable)
1 egg white
1 fresh jalepeno
1 tbsp low sodium soy sauce or tamari
1/2 onion (white or yellow) or 3 green onions
1 tbsp fresh chopped ginger root
1 tbsp olive oil
Preparation:
Chop jalpeno, ginger root and onion put in blender
add egg white, soy sauce or tamari to blender
blend until well mixed and pureed (if you prefer vegetable chunks, do not blend, finely chop ingredients and add to salmon mixture)
Drain salmon and put in medium size mixing bowl
Pour pureed vegetable mixture over salmon and mix
create 4-6 one inch thick patties
heat olive oil over medium in skillet
add patties to skillet, flipping after 3-4 minutes or until golden brown on each side
serve hot
Total prep and cook time 30 min
Monday, March 19, 2007
How to Lose Weight & Keep it Off!
Whether it is 5lbs or 150lbs, losing weight takes determination and a change in lifestyle. We all know that eating too much will cause you to gain weight, but what about eating too little? The common mistake made by most people when trying to lose weight is deprivation. Depriving your body, by eating too little food will NOT result in maintained weight loss. In the beginning, your body will respond to this method, and you will lose weight. Here’s the catch, the weight you lose will be extremely hard to keep off, and you will not look as good as someone who lost the same amount of weight the right way, because you will be losing muscle and water weight, not fat. So what is the “right way” to lose weight and keep it off?
The “right way” consists of a long term lifestyle change that includes a healthy, well rounded diet and increased body movement. To lose weight and keep it off, you have to set realistic goals that can be incorporated into your life for the long term. Your plan should be tailored specifically to fit you. How do you do this?
Step one: review your daily eating habits, write down what you consume on an average day. Look over this, and circle all the things that are high in fat and sugar: Gourmet coffee, fast food, cookies, muffins, doughnuts, chips, pop/soda, pizza etc. These are the foods that you should work towards eliminating.
Once you’ve evaluated your current eating habits, you will begin to see what changes need to be made.
Step two: Do not drink your calories!! This is one of the easiest ways to begin to see weight loss results. One 16 oz bottle of Coke is 200 calories, these are all empty calories. If you drink more than one bottle a day, your body is consuming 400 or more calories from liquid alone. If you replaced that with ice cold water with lemon, you will already be decreasing your caloric intake by 400 calories, without changing the amount of food you consume.
Step three: Plan ahead
Plan 2-3 different easy breakfast, lunch, snack and dinner menus that can be made in bulk at the beginning of the week, or quickly made the night before. Ex: A pot of chili, Whole grain pasta w/marinara sauce, turkey burgers, oatmeal, granola cereal, fruit, yogurt, turkey bacon, sandwich on whole grain bread. These are just a few great breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack ideas that can be pre prepared, or made quickly at night or in the morning.
I don’t believe in eating bland, to lose weight. If you love foods like hamburgers, pizza, cookies and muffins, find healthy alternatives for these foods. There are quick and easy muffin recipes that use oat and barley flour (these flours can be found in the organic section of most grocery stores) that are low in calories and sugar. Make a juicy turkey burger instead of a hamburger, and make a homemade pizza with veggies and turkey pepperoni instead of ordering the grease filled pizza chain pizzas. Eat breakfast, lunch and dinner with one or two healthy snacks throughout the day. Drink plenty of water, and pay attention to portions (meat and pasta servings should be about the size of your closed fist).
Step 4: Increase your movement. If you already exercise and are in a rut, change it up. If you jog, implement sprint intervals to rev up your calorie burn. You can ad sprint intervals to any cardio workout, the elliptical, the exercise bike etc. To do this work at a moderate pace for 2 minutes and then increase to a highly intense level for one minute, do this every 2 minutes for your complete cardio session.
If you do not exercise, begin to incorporate more activity into your life. You could walk during your lunch break, go for a bike ride on weekends, or go to the mall and walk at a slightly faster pace then usual while you shop. While watching TV, stretch, during commercial breaks do jumping jacks,squats, or sit-ups. It doesn’t matter what you do, just increase your physical movement daily.
If you follow these four steps you will be well on your way to a slimmer healthier you! If you feel overwhelmed, start with one step and slowly work your way through all the steps. The key is to change the way you think about losing weight. Permanent weight loss is not about deprivation, but healthy lifestyle changes.
The “right way” consists of a long term lifestyle change that includes a healthy, well rounded diet and increased body movement. To lose weight and keep it off, you have to set realistic goals that can be incorporated into your life for the long term. Your plan should be tailored specifically to fit you. How do you do this?
Step one: review your daily eating habits, write down what you consume on an average day. Look over this, and circle all the things that are high in fat and sugar: Gourmet coffee, fast food, cookies, muffins, doughnuts, chips, pop/soda, pizza etc. These are the foods that you should work towards eliminating.
Once you’ve evaluated your current eating habits, you will begin to see what changes need to be made.
Step two: Do not drink your calories!! This is one of the easiest ways to begin to see weight loss results. One 16 oz bottle of Coke is 200 calories, these are all empty calories. If you drink more than one bottle a day, your body is consuming 400 or more calories from liquid alone. If you replaced that with ice cold water with lemon, you will already be decreasing your caloric intake by 400 calories, without changing the amount of food you consume.
Step three: Plan ahead
Plan 2-3 different easy breakfast, lunch, snack and dinner menus that can be made in bulk at the beginning of the week, or quickly made the night before. Ex: A pot of chili, Whole grain pasta w/marinara sauce, turkey burgers, oatmeal, granola cereal, fruit, yogurt, turkey bacon, sandwich on whole grain bread. These are just a few great breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack ideas that can be pre prepared, or made quickly at night or in the morning.
I don’t believe in eating bland, to lose weight. If you love foods like hamburgers, pizza, cookies and muffins, find healthy alternatives for these foods. There are quick and easy muffin recipes that use oat and barley flour (these flours can be found in the organic section of most grocery stores) that are low in calories and sugar. Make a juicy turkey burger instead of a hamburger, and make a homemade pizza with veggies and turkey pepperoni instead of ordering the grease filled pizza chain pizzas. Eat breakfast, lunch and dinner with one or two healthy snacks throughout the day. Drink plenty of water, and pay attention to portions (meat and pasta servings should be about the size of your closed fist).
Step 4: Increase your movement. If you already exercise and are in a rut, change it up. If you jog, implement sprint intervals to rev up your calorie burn. You can ad sprint intervals to any cardio workout, the elliptical, the exercise bike etc. To do this work at a moderate pace for 2 minutes and then increase to a highly intense level for one minute, do this every 2 minutes for your complete cardio session.
If you do not exercise, begin to incorporate more activity into your life. You could walk during your lunch break, go for a bike ride on weekends, or go to the mall and walk at a slightly faster pace then usual while you shop. While watching TV, stretch, during commercial breaks do jumping jacks,squats, or sit-ups. It doesn’t matter what you do, just increase your physical movement daily.
If you follow these four steps you will be well on your way to a slimmer healthier you! If you feel overwhelmed, start with one step and slowly work your way through all the steps. The key is to change the way you think about losing weight. Permanent weight loss is not about deprivation, but healthy lifestyle changes.
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