It's the end of January, have you been sticking with your 2013 resolution or goals. Remember, goals should be SMART.
Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Relevant
Time-bound
Instead of just saying "I'm going to lose weight." or "I'm finaly going to get healthy." or "I'm going to go to the gym more." You need to pick specific ways in which you are going to achieve your desired results.
I'm going to lose weight by meeting with a nutritionist this month to help me create a meal plan I can stick with.
I'm going to to stop drinking my morning diet soda, and replace it with sparkling water.
I'm going to go to the gym Tuesday and Thursday mornings to lift weights for 45 minutes.
So what is my 2013 goal? I've been doing a lot of reading lately...hazard of the job, and the benefits of liver keep popping up. From MarksDailyApple, Nourishing Traditions, to The Gaps Diet, they all tout the benefits of liver. Therefore my 2013 goal is to eat liver (at least 1 ounce) 2x each month. So far, I've only used chicken livers since a local market carries free range livers for $2/pound. Last fall I pureed a whole pound into my chicken patties. They turned out dry since liver is very lean and too irony tasting. The beginning of January I bought another pound and just lightly fried them in coconut oil, then layered them with waxed paper in a tupperware to freeze. While I'm not a fan of the iron flavor or the crumbly texture. I figure it's good for me, so I'm going to do it. I cut a few up on a salad, and have tried them in my eggs. So far I think the eggs are the winner. I can mask the taste and texture with plenty of veggies and hot sauce.
Why liver? Liver is an edible multi-vitamin One ounce of chicken livers (2-3 livers) contains: 75% DV Vitamin A, 40% Folate, 79% B12, 18% iron, 33% Selenium.
However, when I'm out of my chicken livers I'm going to have to step up my game and buy beef. 1 ounce will give you: 146% DV Vitamin A, 18% Folate, 388% B12, 10% Iron, 204% Copper, 13% Selenium.
Vitamin A: Potent antioxidant, great for people with acne or digestive issues
Folate: Needed for cell replication and prevention of spinabifida
B12: Prevents neuropathy and depression
Iron: Carries oxygen in the blood
Selenium: Potent antioxidant that protects against cancer
Copper: Needed for Iron utilization and enzymatic reactions in the body
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Lose the Biggest Loser
I have never been a fan of The Biggest Looser. The last time I watched a full episode was my senior year of college. But the other night I caught a few heart breaking minutes of it and hated each and every one. This show creates unrealistic expectations and perpetuates the notion that to lose weight you have to kill yourself at the gym. It's just not true, and most of the past contestants have gained a large portion of their weight back. This year I challenge you to turn off the Biggest Loser and find an activity that you enjoy and use that to help you get healthy.
1. Guess what?! Without a personal trainer and 2-8 hours of extra time to spend working out every day, you're not going to lose 6-12 pounds on a continuous weekly basis. Losing this much weight isn't even healthy for you. It puts your body into shock, and just as quickly as you lost it, you're probably going to regain it. Just like most of the Biggest Loser contestants from the past. This year, instead of setting yourself up for failure, set yourself up for success. Focus on small attainable goals. If weight loss is what you want, celebrate a successful 0.5-2 pound weight loss for the week. When people lose weight slowly, their bodies have time to adjust and they will be successful at continued weight loss and weight maintenance.
2. Don't Kill Yourself! You don't have to puke, you don't have to pass out, you don't have to lie gasping on the floor with heart palpitations to know you have had a good workout. And again, you don't have to, and SHOULDN'T workout for more than 45-60 minutes per day. And you shouldn't go 110% every workout several days in a row. Why? For the best explanation head to Mark's Daily Apple to read up on chronic cardio and the dangers of burning more than 4000 kcals per week. Unless you are a professional athlete, excess exercise will eventually leave you burned out. Too high intensity of a workout day after day can lead to injuries and weight gain from high cortisol levels. Exercise and physical activity need to be something you can stick with.
3. Do Something you enjoy. If you hate going to the gym, go for a walk, bike ride, roller blade, swim. Love the gym? GET OFF THE ELLIPTICAL! Learn to lift weights with proper form. Weight lifting will help you build muscle which in turn burns more calories per pound than fat does. Thus, you lose weight more effectively; something the perpetual motion machines cannot do.
Try a new class: Yoga, Zumba, Kickboxing, Spinning, Boot Camp with your puppy, Water Aerobics. Whatever you think might be fun. If you enjoy the activity, you will be more likely to stick with it. You don't have to do it every day either. Set a goal of exercising 3-5 days per week for 30 minutes. That's it, that's attainable. Besides, even with all the exercise Jillian does, she just seems mean and unhappy. Who wants to be like that?
4. Quit finding, making, and creating excuses. It doesn't matter if you don't have access to a gym or community center. Even in the frozen north you can still bundle up and go snowshoeing, skiing, or walk at the mall. If you have kids, get them involved and go bowling or shoot hoops at their school. Have your spouse look after the kids while you workout to a DVD. Walk around the soccer fields during your kids practice. Try the free 1 week membership at the local yoga studio, you might like it. The important part is that you move your body. Maybe you won't lose weight, but you will feel better. When you exercise regularly it will help prevent heart disease, cancer, and even alzeyhemers.
1. Guess what?! Without a personal trainer and 2-8 hours of extra time to spend working out every day, you're not going to lose 6-12 pounds on a continuous weekly basis. Losing this much weight isn't even healthy for you. It puts your body into shock, and just as quickly as you lost it, you're probably going to regain it. Just like most of the Biggest Loser contestants from the past. This year, instead of setting yourself up for failure, set yourself up for success. Focus on small attainable goals. If weight loss is what you want, celebrate a successful 0.5-2 pound weight loss for the week. When people lose weight slowly, their bodies have time to adjust and they will be successful at continued weight loss and weight maintenance.
2. Don't Kill Yourself! You don't have to puke, you don't have to pass out, you don't have to lie gasping on the floor with heart palpitations to know you have had a good workout. And again, you don't have to, and SHOULDN'T workout for more than 45-60 minutes per day. And you shouldn't go 110% every workout several days in a row. Why? For the best explanation head to Mark's Daily Apple to read up on chronic cardio and the dangers of burning more than 4000 kcals per week. Unless you are a professional athlete, excess exercise will eventually leave you burned out. Too high intensity of a workout day after day can lead to injuries and weight gain from high cortisol levels. Exercise and physical activity need to be something you can stick with.
3. Do Something you enjoy. If you hate going to the gym, go for a walk, bike ride, roller blade, swim. Love the gym? GET OFF THE ELLIPTICAL! Learn to lift weights with proper form. Weight lifting will help you build muscle which in turn burns more calories per pound than fat does. Thus, you lose weight more effectively; something the perpetual motion machines cannot do.
Try a new class: Yoga, Zumba, Kickboxing, Spinning, Boot Camp with your puppy, Water Aerobics. Whatever you think might be fun. If you enjoy the activity, you will be more likely to stick with it. You don't have to do it every day either. Set a goal of exercising 3-5 days per week for 30 minutes. That's it, that's attainable. Besides, even with all the exercise Jillian does, she just seems mean and unhappy. Who wants to be like that?
4. Quit finding, making, and creating excuses. It doesn't matter if you don't have access to a gym or community center. Even in the frozen north you can still bundle up and go snowshoeing, skiing, or walk at the mall. If you have kids, get them involved and go bowling or shoot hoops at their school. Have your spouse look after the kids while you workout to a DVD. Walk around the soccer fields during your kids practice. Try the free 1 week membership at the local yoga studio, you might like it. The important part is that you move your body. Maybe you won't lose weight, but you will feel better. When you exercise regularly it will help prevent heart disease, cancer, and even alzeyhemers.
 |
| Don't have gym... Climb a Tree |
 |
| Try a new activity and discover muscles you had forgotten. |
 |
| Go Snorkeling, Learn to Swim, Take a Scuba Class |
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Holiday Party Survival
Maybe this post is late, but then again maybe I'm hitting it right in the middle. The holiday season is said to last from Halloween through New Years, but I'd bet that it really lasts until Valentines day. With all the candy, cookies, cocktails, and dinners what is a person to do when trying to stay healthy and/or lose weight this time of year. It takes more than willpower to say no to that first or second helping of pumpkin pie. Before heading off to another ugly sweater party, make sure you have prepared yourself biochemically to handle the onslaught of sugar.
1. Eat breakfast and lunch and snacks! Whatever you do don't starve yourself. Without enough fat and protein in your stomach at throughout the day, you are setting yourself up for some major blood sugar fluctuations and a lack of neurotransmitters in your brain. You will undoubtably show up at the party famished and grumpy and inhale every bowl of chex mix in sight and not stop to think when piling your plate high with mashed potatoes.
2. Bring something to share. If you know the host or have been to the party previously, bring something to share. Fresh veggies (red peppers, mini cucumber, sugar snap peas, cherry tomatoes...) and homemade ranch. Deviled eggs topped with smoked salmon or Mini Meatballs or kale chips! This is especially important for people with food sensitivities. Not every host will be gracious enough to accomodate your nutrition needs.
3. If you are going to drink...red wine is your best choice. But this doesn't make it a free for all. Alcohol decreases your metabolism by 30%, and after one or two glasses, inhibitions are lowered and that fruit cake starts to look more appetizing. To stay hydrated and give your liver the best chance possible, drink two glasses of water between each alcoholic beverage.
4. Focus on protein and non starchy vegetables, and pick one to two FAVORITE high carb items. If there is a special desert you only get once a year, you may need to pass on the Pillsbury croissant rolls. This might be easier said than done when other guests are passing processed foods past your plate, but if you've come to the party with balanced blood sugars and brain full of serotonin, you'll be better able to let them pass.
5. Think of how you will feel or how you want to feel. Do you want to leave the party feeling bloated and depressed? Probably not. Or do you want to leave the party feeling satisfied and happy with your food choices. When the store bought sugar cookies come out, remind yourself of how you want to feel and how much your health means to you. Remind yourself that the trans-fats in those cookies lead to crusty cells, heart disease, and a slow metabolism. Now how bad do you want that cookie?
 |
| the dreaded candy dish... |
2. Bring something to share. If you know the host or have been to the party previously, bring something to share. Fresh veggies (red peppers, mini cucumber, sugar snap peas, cherry tomatoes...) and homemade ranch. Deviled eggs topped with smoked salmon or Mini Meatballs or kale chips! This is especially important for people with food sensitivities. Not every host will be gracious enough to accomodate your nutrition needs.
3. If you are going to drink...red wine is your best choice. But this doesn't make it a free for all. Alcohol decreases your metabolism by 30%, and after one or two glasses, inhibitions are lowered and that fruit cake starts to look more appetizing. To stay hydrated and give your liver the best chance possible, drink two glasses of water between each alcoholic beverage.
4. Focus on protein and non starchy vegetables, and pick one to two FAVORITE high carb items. If there is a special desert you only get once a year, you may need to pass on the Pillsbury croissant rolls. This might be easier said than done when other guests are passing processed foods past your plate, but if you've come to the party with balanced blood sugars and brain full of serotonin, you'll be better able to let them pass.
5. Think of how you will feel or how you want to feel. Do you want to leave the party feeling bloated and depressed? Probably not. Or do you want to leave the party feeling satisfied and happy with your food choices. When the store bought sugar cookies come out, remind yourself of how you want to feel and how much your health means to you. Remind yourself that the trans-fats in those cookies lead to crusty cells, heart disease, and a slow metabolism. Now how bad do you want that cookie?
Saturday, December 8, 2012
Whipped Coconut Milk
So... not only are you lactose intolerant, but you are in fact 100% dairy intolerant. That stinks. I'm thankful that this is not the case for me, but for some of my friends and clients it is. While team teaching the Nutrition for Weight-loss Program with my coworker Oralee, she requested that I try and make whipped coconut milk. One of our favorite dessert or bedtime snacks that we recommend to participants is berries and cream. But not everyone can tolerate even this high fat, low protein, low lactose dairy. For them the obvious substitution is coconut milk. However, sometimes you want something a little more special than just pouring the liquid "milk" over the berries. TADA! Whipped coconut milk.
There are countless directions on the internet describing how to make it, but here I go any way.
1. Refrigerate your can of coconut milk over night or during the day.
2. Spoon of the solid portion that has condensed on the top and place it in a stand mixer or a large bowl.
3. Whip for 3-5 minutes. You may have to scrape down the sides of the bowl a couple times. While whipping add 1/4-1/2 tsp vanilla extract and 1/2 tsp honey.
4. Serve immediately or place in an airtight container and refrigerate for several days.
5. Spoon onto low carb pumpkin pie instead of cool whip, or just put a big dollop on top of some berries. I'm partial to organic black berries since a bag of the frozen ones are a whole dollar cheaper than strawberries or blueberries!
Of course now you are left with the liquid portion in the bottom of the can. I thought it would taste like the expensive coconut water sold in stores. It's actually more coconuty and creamier and much much tastier! I couldn't find any nutrition stats on this liquid portion, but go ahead and drink up as is, or add to a smoothie. If you're feeling festive warm it on the stove or pour over ice and stir in some kahlua or rum or chocolate liqueur. Mmmm....
There are countless directions on the internet describing how to make it, but here I go any way.
1. Refrigerate your can of coconut milk over night or during the day.
2. Spoon of the solid portion that has condensed on the top and place it in a stand mixer or a large bowl.
4. Serve immediately or place in an airtight container and refrigerate for several days.
5. Spoon onto low carb pumpkin pie instead of cool whip, or just put a big dollop on top of some berries. I'm partial to organic black berries since a bag of the frozen ones are a whole dollar cheaper than strawberries or blueberries!
Of course now you are left with the liquid portion in the bottom of the can. I thought it would taste like the expensive coconut water sold in stores. It's actually more coconuty and creamier and much much tastier! I couldn't find any nutrition stats on this liquid portion, but go ahead and drink up as is, or add to a smoothie. If you're feeling festive warm it on the stove or pour over ice and stir in some kahlua or rum or chocolate liqueur. Mmmm....
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
B-Sprouts!
Ryan and I love brussels sprouts. I'm not sure how this love came about, but frozen or fresh we always have some on hand. This very polarizing vegetable probably has more haters than lovers, but my theory is that people who don't like them, just haven't had them cooked properly. Sprouts don't need a lot of added seasonings, but over cooking makes them mushy and bitter. However, if they are are cooked for too short a time period, their natural sweetness won't come out. Why these little gems haven't made it as a supper food yet we may never know. A cup of B-Sprouts contains: 8g carbohydrate and 3g of fiber. But it's also packed with 195% of your DV for Vit. K and 125% of your DV for Vit. C. These sprouts also contain large quantities of anti-oxidants similar to those found in other cruciferous veggies (cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower) so they are super stars when it comes to preventing cancer. The question is...what to do with them.
1. Shred
2. Roast
3. Braise
4. Saute with Bacon
5. Eat leftovers for breakfast with chicken sausage or eggs.
If you are new to b-sprouts, skip the frozen ones for now and stick with fresh. They are much more tasty and less likely to become over cooked. If you're still putting together your Thanksgiving menu, perhaps you may want to think about serving up some brussels sprouts.
1. Shred
2. Roast
3. Braise
4. Saute with Bacon
5. Eat leftovers for breakfast with chicken sausage or eggs.
If you are new to b-sprouts, skip the frozen ones for now and stick with fresh. They are much more tasty and less likely to become over cooked. If you're still putting together your Thanksgiving menu, perhaps you may want to think about serving up some brussels sprouts.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)