Weight Loss Tips

This is my favorite tip that helps you slow down your eating. We all can finish dinner in 5 minutes flat when we are starving after a long day, but it takes at least 20 minutes for our body to register that we are full, so we tend to over eat. Chopsticks are a great way to help you slow down and enjoy your meal. I mean have you ever tired to pick up rice with chop sticks or lettuce? I definitely recommend trying this tip!

Switch your fork to your less dominate hand. Not only is it more difficult to pick up the food and cut the food but it forces you to slow down your consumption.

SWITCH ALL YOUR DINNER PLATES TO SALAD PLATES! This tip is a great way to "fill" up your plate and eat the proper portion size. Dinner plates are extremely larger and we tend to feel unsatisfied when the plate is not filled. Using salad plates tricks your eye into thinking you are eating more.

This is a great tip if you love sweets. Eat all your desserts, cake, ice cream, pie etc in a nice glass (champagne flute, martini glass or white wine glass). Your serving size is automatically smaller but you feel like you are indulging because of the presentation. This is also a great idea for your next dinner party.

The Best of Clean Eating

I am excited to announce that Clean Eating Magazine has just launched a cookbook and it has hit the shelves. I just picked up a copy and am so excited to start cooking. The photos make your mouth water. This is such an easy way to start incorporating healthy meals into your daily life without sacrificing taste.

Madonna to open 'Hard Candy' health club chain

Madonna to open 'Hard Candy' health club chain - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

I hope she opens some in the US soon!! I can only imagine how spectacular these gyms will be, not to mention extremely motivating.

Creamy Cauliflower Soup

There's nothing better than a bowl of warm soup on a cool fall day. This recipe is so simple I had to share!

Serves 4

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a medium pot combine 2 1/2 cups of low sodium chicken broth and florets from 1 head of cauliflower, season with kosher salt and ground pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce and simmer. Cover and cook until cauliflower is very tender, about 20 minutes. Working in batches puree cauliflower until smooth (thin it with broth if necessary).
2. Meanwhile on a small baking sheet toss 8 small cauliflower leaves or 2 large leaves coarsely chopped with 1/4 tsp of extra virgin olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Roast until brown and tender, about 10 minutes. Serve as a garnish on soup.

Per serving: 80 calories, 1g unsaturated fat, 12g carbs, 8g protein, 5g fiber.
Whole Living November 2010

Halloween Weight Loss Strategies

Halloween is a holiday associated with CANDY, CANDY, and more CANDY! But there are some simple tips that can help navigate us through this holiday and see weight loss results at the scale.

This is my go to trick when it comes to buying Halloween candy for neighborhood trick or treaters. Buy a candy that you dislike, one that won't tempt you every time you walk by.

Instead of staying home handing out candy, take your children out trick or treating and get in exercise during this holiday, walking house to house. If you don't have children walk around and enjoy all the costumes and decorations in your neighborhood. Don't forget to leave a bowl of candy on your porch for those kids that visit your home while your gone.

While I was a kid our favorite house to visit on Halloween was the one that gave out small toys instead of candy. This year Silly Bandz are all the rage, so this is a great substitution for candy and will make your house a sure favorite.

Lollipops are a great candy to pass out as they take a long time to eat and are usually low in calories. So if you do munch on one or two, it won't derail your diet. Tootsie Pops are a great choice and are only 60 calories per lollipop.

Happy Halloween!!

New Find!

My husband and I walked to Starbucks last night for some warm drinks on a cool fall night. As many of you may know I am a tea lover!!! I love a good cup of Lipton but Peppermint Tea is one of my favorites.

I decided to step out of my comfort zone and try Vanilla Rooibos. This tea a lush and indulgent blend of rooibos, Tahitian vanilla, sweet cinnamon, apples and peaches. Sounds like some combination but I was intrigued. And the verdict was...... I LOVE IT! Its slightly on the sweet side so the perfect dessert.

A Hearty & Healthy Breakfast

There will always be an ongoing debate about which is healthier- Oatmeal or Steel Cut Oats, but if you have never tried Steel Cut Oats I definitely recommended it. Such a great new breakfast for the cold Fall/Winter mornings.

Steel Cut Oats are whole grain groates (inner portion of the oat kernel) which have been cut into two or three pieces by steel rather than being rolled. They have a slightly nuttier taste and have a chewy texture. This allows you to take your time enjoying each bite.

Steel Cut Oats are essential grains which are full of nutritional value, rich in B-vitamins, calcium, protein and fiber, while low in sodium and saturated fat. They have a lower gylcemic index than instant oatmeal, causing a lesser spike in insulin levels when consumed. So over all a great start to any morning!

They take 20-30 minutes to cook but definitely worth it. I make a 1 cup (dry) batch and then divide it in 4 servings and refrigerate until needed. I just add a little water and pop it in the microwave to reheat. It tastes great! You can also look for Quick Steel Cut Oats- I think Trader Joe's sells some, these only take 8 minutes to cook as they are pre-steamed.

Water Bottle + Storage

Every time I go to the gym I have both hands full... cell phone, keys, water bottle, towel etc. Now there is a solution to solve this double handed problem. Sport + Store is an all metal Eco friendly water bottle with a screw off storage compartment.

Southwestern Pizza

Yum!!! Its like nachos on a pizza crust and its healthy... you can't get better than that! I just made this dish on Monday night and it was a huge success in our house.

Makes: 3 Servings
Prep Time: 8 Minutes
Cook Time: 10 Minutes

Ingredients
Nonstick cooking spray
1 12 inch 100% whole-wheat pizza crust
1 cup of prepared tomato salsa
1 1/4 cups of reduced fat 2% mozzarella cheese
1 1/3 cups canned black beans, drained and rinsed
1 small sweet red pepper, seeded and thinly sliced (about 2/3 cup)
2 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced
1/4 cup cilantro leaves for garnish (optional)

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. Place crust on sheet and top with salsa, 1 cup of mozzarella, beans, sliced red pepper and scallions.
2. Top pizza with remaining 1/4 cup of cheese
3. Place pizza in the oven and bake 8 to 10 minutes or until cheese is melted. Remove from oven and garnish with cilantro if desired. Cut into 6 slices and serve.

** I added cumin to spice up this dish. It was a great touch.

Nutrition per serving (2 slices) 488 calories, 28g protein, 72g carbohydrate, 12g fat, 16g fiber

Fitness Magazine October 2010

Asparagus with Poached Eggs and Parmesan

Need a simple but impressive meal for your overnight guests? Well this recipe will be a huge hit and only takes minutes to prepare. I found this recipe back in April 2009 while reading Health magazine but never had an occasion to try it out. Well I couldn't wait any longer to taste this dish and finally decided to make this recipe for dinner tonight (who doesn't love breakfast for dinner?!) and it was delicious. I was slightly intimidated at first with the timing of all the pots but it turned out to be super easy.

Ingredients
Prep: 15 mins, Cook: 10 mins, Makes 4 servings

• 8 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon of salt, divided
• 2 bunches of asparagus, trimmed (about 40)
• 1 tablespoon extra- virgin olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped parsley
• Fresh ground pepper to taste
• 4 tablespoons coarsely grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided

Directions

1. Break the eggs into 8 individual containers (teacups, prep bowls or paper plates). Fill a large low sided pan with water, add vinegar and 1/2 teaspoon of salt and bring to a boil over med- high heat
2. Meanwhile bring a separate pot of water to a boil in a medium saucepan over med-high heat. Add asparagus spears and cook 3-4 minutes or until crisp-tender. Remove asparagus with tongs and set aside.
3. Dry the medium saucepan. Add olive oil and heat over medium heat. Add garlic and saute 1 minute. Turn off heat ; add butter and swirl pan. Add lemon juice, parsley, remaining salt and pepper; swirl pan again to combine. Add asparagus and 2 tablespoons of Parmesan; then toss with lemon butter to coat.
4. Slowly pour each egg into the boiling poaching water; cook 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and remove pan from the burner. Divide asparagus among the 4 plates (bring plates close to pan with poached eggs, and place a folded clean kitchen town next to plates)
5. Remove the eggs from the water with a slotted spoon, 1 at a time, blotting bottom of the spoon on towel to absorb excess moisture. Place 2 eggs on each mound of asparagus. Pour any remaining sauce over each service and sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons of Parmesan. Serve immediately. (serving size 10 asparagus and 2 eggs)

Calories 256, Fat 18g, Protein 18g, Carbohydrate 8g, Fiber 3g, Sodium 518mg, Calcium 147mg

**To bulk up this recipe for only 100 additional calories, I placed the eggs on an English muffin (1 egg per half) and poured the remaining sauce over the eggs while stacking the asparagus on the side of the plate.

Clean & Satisfying Breakfast

I try to eat clean as much as possible by consuming foods in or as close to their natural state as possible. There are so many processed foods out there with ingredients that I can't even pronounce so I try to stick to colorful fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains and water as much as possible. Just the other day I sweetened my non fat Greek yogurt with 1/2 Tablespoon of Agave Nectar and added 1 Tablespoon of finely diced walnuts on top and it was GREAT! The nectar reduced the tartness of the yogurt and the walnuts added the perfect crunch. Add a piece of fruit and with all the protein from the yogurt and nuts this breakfast will keep you satisfied until lunch.