The Non Superfood, Superfood!

I've never understood the term "Superfood", isn't all nutritious food technically considered a superfood? Is it really fair to deem certain foods Superfoods, while leaving some out? In my opinion I think Superfood is an incorrect term that I refuse to use but Superfood aside, if there was a food that I would say had super powers I would say it was the Bean.

I know what you're thinking, how could such a tiny little thing have so many health benefits? But my dear they do!

- Beans are great for heart health

-They contain valuable plant protein

-They're great sources of soluble fiber( which helps keep you full longer, along with lowering your cholesterol levels at the same time)

-They're very low in fat

-Low in calories high in weight loss!

These are just a couple of benefits of beans, along with being delicious. Also beans are so versatile, you can make something simple like a bean dip with black beans, a vegetarian bean tostada or hummus with chickpeas or even my crunchy roasted lentils, they're fantastic in a pinch and are easy to prepare. Also if you're a fan of peanut butter and peanuts, you're in luck because unlike their tricky name contends peanuts aren't nuts but actually heart healthy, cholesterol lowering legumes aka beans!  Whoddathunk? So continue in your peanut eating glory because not only do peanuts have protein like most beans they also have good fat (unsaturated) that your body runs on!

So folks, the lesson here is in order to maintain heart health, lower cholesterol and if you're interested in weight loss it's really important to vary your diet and include meals that contain beans, they can go in almost anything! If you're preparing beans at home from scratch here's a great easy recipe, easy as 1-2-3- beans.  If you're using canned beans be sure to rinse them before use to get rid of that high sodium water and it also "de-gases" them so to speak for proper digestion and no upset stomach. So Next time you're contemplating what to make for dinner, stray away from meat for a night and prepare some heart healthy beans.

Cheers to Health and Moderation!

Trish

Moderation Tips

Losing weight has to be one of the hardest, most confusing processes ever! I can tell you from experience that I felt like there were so many different influences that it was difficult to decide which diet I'd choose. It wasn't until I stopped the dieting that i successfully lost weight and kept it off even years after. What were some of the changes I started making? I developed a plan for myself and within the plan were rewards, it was something I was able to stick to and maintain. Here are some tips  I've assembled that helped me lose weight and keep it off. Enjoy!

1. Make a plan that works for you personally and stick to it.

 Whether it's having a cheat day every week, going to the gym 3 times a week, walking 10 min every day, drinking 3 bottles of water daily. Just don't overdo it! Slow and Steady wins.

2. Cook meals at home with basic ingredients. 

There's nothing you can't re-create at home, google is your friend! Want tacos? or pasta? so many healthy recipes out there to cook at home that taste just as good as your local taqueria or italian restaurant!

3. Always eat fruits and veggies at every meal.

Let me emphasize, ALWAYS eat fruits and veggies. Fresh fruit and veggies are great, they keep you full, they're full of nutrients and will help bulk up any meal! I really enjoy going to the farmers market every week to pick up fresh fruits and vegetables, it makes it  really easy to get creative and add spinach to meatloaf or broccoli to a baked potato with cheese. Stick to things you like, don't force yourself to eat a vegetable you won't like or eat. 

3. 86 Soda and Juice 

The sugar in soft drinks and juice can creep up on you and be an influx of wasted calories. I know soda can be hard to cut so I'd suggest cutting back slowly and incorporating more water as opposed to stopping cold turkey. I had a game where I'd have a water goal for example drinking 3 bottles of water, daily so it was harder to drink soda when I put this game into effect.

4. Bring water with you everywhere. 

 I always carry water with me, it keeps me hydrated, gives me energy and also keeps me away from impulsively drinking a soda or junk food. I use water as a device to think before I eat. Take a couple sips of water before you make any impulsive food decisions (snickers at the gas station, extra donut at work) and then decide if you really want it.

5. Don't fear anything. 

 Your body is a fully functioning machine that doesn't fear anything so why should you? Carbs are your friend, so is fat and so is protein, a fully balanced meal contains all three of these components. (and fruits and veggies ALWAYS) 

Be Aware

You're out with friends mindlessly walking around downtown and your friend decides to grab a cupcake from the bakery at the corner of the street. Make a connection with your thoughts, do you really want a cupcake or are you being impulsive? Have a couple sips of water, are you really hungry or is it an impulse? If your answer is yes you really want a cupcake, have it, enjoy it, be aware and keep with your plan!

6. Make a snack time.

In between meals is that area for snacks, snacks help to not overeat at meals and also keep my metabolism moving in terms of giving me more energy to burn more calories. In a less serious way snack's also help me make friends, offering a hungry coworker some nuts or cheese and crackers is a great way to bond.  Some of my favorite snacks are ; nuts, cheese and whole wheat crackers, dark chocolate and dried fruit, popcorn, hummus and carrots .  Choose a snack that you like and works for you, just try to avoid non-nutritious snacks (chips, candy bars etc) save those for your splurge!

7.  Take a break.

Give yourself a pat on the back, you deserve it. Are you craving a burger with cheese and bacon and a side of fries? Have one, not everyday but have a treat. For me it's having a weekly splurge of a meal that I know isn't so healthy but it's worth it and I deserve it. My splurge also helps me stay with my plan, and it's fun to try to plan what my next splurge will be (I love food) . Being bad isn't always so bad and remember food is supposed to be enjoyable so you shouldn't live in a dietary dungeon, that just ain't right! 

Cheers to Health and Moderation!

Trish

Diets and my refusal of them

Diet, How many of you guys can think of a specific diet off the top of your head?  We’re all pretty familiar with some sort of diet, but is diet necessarily the way to go for weight loss? yes and no. Diet comes from the old latin word “Dieta”  meaning daily allowance, unfortunately many diet’s are far from that, with extreme calorie cutting, avoiding specific nutrients altogether, which can then contribute to health problems (sleep loss, irritability, digestive issues and headaches). We all have different dietary patterns, but overall moderation is the best for optimal health and long term weight loss.

Diets are one of the biggest money making industries out there, unfortunate for consumers studies have shown that diets work for weight loss but not long term weight loss, meaning the pounds probably won’t stay off. One of the main reasons is commitment, we’re unable to commit to a restrictive diet for the rest of our lives. What happens when you go out to dinner or to a party or on vacation? The foods on your restrictive diet may not be available to you, which can make it difficult not to pile your plate up with junk. This is where moderation steps in and allows you to enjoy a meal that isn’t within guidelines. Moderation also teaches you how to make healthy choices on the occasion that you might not be in your home kitchen and have to compromise. 

When considering moderation it’s important to remember the three main nutrients; Protein, Fat and Carbs. Protein helps your muscles and bones , Fat cushions your organs, provides energy and is also the way your body absorbs fat soluble vitamins, Carbohydrates are important because they supply energy to the cells in your blood, brain and nervous system, they also provide energy that your muscles use during high intensity exercise, ever heard an athlete use the term carbo-load before a sporting event?  These three nutrients work in harmony together to keep you feeling full longer, provide you with energy and an overall good mood. As you see leaving any of these three nutrients out of the equation can be consequential to your health and body function. 

Moderation, a term meaning having limits but not extremes. The idea of moderation is not to go over your daily caloric limit, eat balanced meals with protein, fat and carbs, fruits and veggies and be mindful when you’re eating. Being mindful can mean a couple different things from savoring flavor, texture, smell and taking your time eating.It's important to be mindful when you're eating, food provides fuel and enjoyment and should not be a chore. Mindfulness can also mean being aware when you’re eating something that’s a treat and not just doing it out of stress. Will you really enjoy that snicker's bar because you've had a bad day or would you rather have it on a day you can fully enjoy it at 100%?  Another important key to moderation is keeping meals balanced with fruits and veggies as well as your three main nutrients, this will help keep you full and satisfied. 

Eating in moderation has many benefits which include; better mood,  good health, lots of energy, long term weight loss and also peace of mind. Peace of mind when you’re in the store walking away from a cookie because you know you’d rather have it another day instead of being impulsive right now. Moderation is also being at a party and not saying no to dessert or wine because you know that one meal won’t break you just as one healthy meal won’t make you. So like Goldlocks said “not too little, not too much, just right".

Roastin, Toastin, Delicious Lentils (and i ain't boastin)Recipe

When I was growing up, beans were a pretty regular staple at every meal. Yes my family favored the not so healthy refried pinto beans, but they were delicious and I really think I owe my grandma the credit to loving beans so much! I never realized until I became interested in the nutrition field that beans were such great nutrient dense foods full of protein and fiber that provide you with so much energy along with many other health benefits (Beans:The Undervalued superfood) and also a great alternative to meat for those nights when you want to go vegetarian (try it sometimes).

Yes, Beans have an infamous taboo of being the magical fruit but thats easily avoided by a pre-soak, before cooking! There really are no limits whether it's canned, dry or frozen and with so many types to choose from (lentil, kidney, chickpea, pinto,peanuts,lima, edamame, black) it's easy to get carried away so I've decided to take my favorite and run with it! The Lentil Bean, so smooth, nutty, great in soups, with curry or even in salads. Lentils are one of the easiest to prepare beans, they are legumes (ike peanuts) and and nutritional powerhouses in which one cup packs a whooping 60% of your daily fiber needs and 35% of your daily protein needs and if that's not enough for you they give you tons of energy without making your blood sugar go out of whack!

Behold the best, nutritious, crunchy (better than potato chips) snack!

Curry Roasted, Toasted Lentils

2 cups of cooked lentils (How to cook raw lentils) canned lentils work as well, just presoak before

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon curry powder

salt and pepper to taste 

1. Preheat your oven to 400*F

2. In a small bowl combine olive oil, salt+pepper and curry powder and mix

3. On a foil lined cookie sheet spread out the cooked lentils and coat in olive oil mix

4. Keep the lentils as spread out as you can and bake for 15 minutes

5. Stir and roast for 8-10 more minutes

6.Taste then add more salt+pepper or curry powder

Enjoy and don't mind me while I sit here and polish off this bag of roasted lentils!

Cheers to Health and Moderation

Trish

Groceries 101

Keeping your house stocked with groceries is key in maintaing a healthy lifestyle and because fresh real food tends to spoil quickly, as nature intended I'm always looking for ways to keep things longer. It's important to store groceries strategically in order to ensure freshness and prevent food borne illness. Also good hand washing and food preparation techniques are just as important to keep in mind. Here's a couple tips to help you with storage, placement and cleanliness in order to ensure deliciousness and to keep away food borne bacteria.

Cleanliness guidelines

1. Hand washing-before food preparation, before eating, after handling uncooked poultry, eggs, seafood and raw meat and after eating.

 Wet your hands with warm water, lather up, scrub including nails, rinse under the hottest water you can stand and dry with a clean unused towel or air dry.

2.  Wash cutting boards and utensils with hot soapy water after preparing each food item and before you move on to the next. 

3. Designate cutting boards for certain foods- meat, produce, seafood.

Refrigerator guidelines

1. Be sure your refrigerator is set at 40*F or lower in order to prevent growth of harmful bacteria

2. Clean your fridge before your grocery trip , wipe down messes and spills as soon as they happen, toss spoiled food ASAP as it will spread to other foods.

3. Store leftovers in glass containers for up to 4 days so that you see what you have and can eat.

4. Don't mix fruits and vegetables with meat, this is a surefire way for contamination. Meat and produce are not friends

5. Store dairy on the middle shelf, when stored on the door temps tend to fluctuate which can increase spoilage.

6. Store raw meat and seafood on the BOTTOM SHELF on it's own and wrap properly.

7. Sliced and washed produce spoils faster, don't wash or slice until you're ready to use it.

Food guidelines

1. Don't store onions with potatoes, apples are the best to keep potatoes from sprouting, keep in a dark cool place.

2. One rotten apple can spoil the bunch

3. Freeze and preserve fresh herbs (rosemary, thyme, sage, oregano) in olive oil, place in ice tray, pop and use.

4. Wrap the crown of bananas in plastic wrap to keep them from spoiling faster

5. Wrap cheese in cheese paper or wax paper and place in plastic baggie NOT on the door of the fridge but on the middle shelf.

6. Wrap Celery, broccoli and lettuce in foil before storing in fridge, this will ensure freshness.

7. Store unripe tomatoes w/fruit stem down in a paper bag. Store ripe tomatoes on the counter away from sunlight not touching one another. Store overly ripe tomatoes in the fridge and let them come to room temp before consuming them.

8. Keep fresh ginger in the freezer, it's easily grated while frozen peel and all.

9. Put mushrooms in a paper bag in the fridge or a cool dry place

10.  Cut away damaged/ bruised areas from produce, rinse under cold running water, dry with paper towel or clean cloth towel. Pre-Washed produce is ok to use without rinsing

11. DO NOT wash poultry, raw meat, eggs. This is how countertops and sinks are contaminated with bacteria.

I hope this helps while you're in the kitchen cooking up a wonderful meal and if you're not, get to it! =)


Cheers to Health and Moderation!

Trish

Braving the Holidays or How to eat normally

With the holidays quickly approaching I know everyone's getting nervous thinking about all  goodies that are always so tempting during these special times. We all know that staying healthy is something you must take on for the rest of your life versus dieting which can be easier short term but harder long term on your health and on your mind.I recently read an inspiring quote that i'd like to share, this quote reflects what normal eating is and should be.  It's something important to remember before you start worrying about what you'll be eating during the holidays

"Normal eating is going to the table hungry and eating until you are satisfied. It is being able to choose food you like and eat it and truly get enough of it—not just stop eating because you think you should. Normal eating is being able to give some thought to your food selection so you get nutritious food, but not being so wary and restrictive that you miss out on enjoyable food. Normal eating is giving yourself permission to eat sometimes because you are happy, sad or bored, or just because it feels good. Normal eating is mostly three meals a day, or four or five, or it can be choosing to munch along the way. It is leaving some cookies on the plate because you know you can have some again tomorrow, or it is eating more now because they taste so wonderful. Normal eating is overeating at times, feeling stuffed and uncomfortable. And it can be undereating at times and wishing you had more. Normal eating is trusting your body to make up for your mistakes in eating. Normal eating takes up some of your time and attention, but keeps its place as only one important area of your life.

In short, normal eating is flexible. It varies in response to your hunger, your schedule, your proximity to food and your feelings."

Being at a healthy and good weight is composed of so many factors, far too many to be ruined by one or two or even a few holiday meals. Health is all about lifestyle and if you don't want to be feel bad during thanksgiving this year then be sure you get in a good serving of veggies or fruit in your meal(keep your plate colorful) but don't hold back when it comes to everything else, food shouldn't be guilt ridden it should be full of love,flavors, memories and happiness. So please do yourself the favor and indulge in food with your loved ones  this holiday season and if you still have a hard time doing it remember all the time, preparation and love that goes into holiday meals and realize that a healthy lifestyle isn't about eating perfectly all the time. Be mindful, relax and enjoy yourself!

Cheers to Health and Moderation
Trish

Snacks are for Everyone!

Let me make a confession to you , I always have food on me at all times, for a couple reasons; one being that snacking gives me energy for long and stressful days, another reason is snacks have always helped me make friends, and lastly i never like to go too long without eating some sort of energy boosting balanced food to keep my metabolism going steady. I even have food in my car in case some situation comes up that i'm stranded somewhere starving and cranky so that my famished alter ego doesn't come out to scare everyone!

I notice my energy levels starting to drop 2-3 hours after a meal, so that's usually how I gauge when it's time to eat a whole some healthy snack and there's so many great convenient options that you can keep with you if you just plan a little bit ahead.  Keep some plastic baggies or even reusable plastic containers  handy and you're set, I really like the small ziploc baggies to store snacks in they're great to keep everything portioned so you don't over do it! Here I have included a table and your job is to mix and match as creatively as you can.  As i always mention it's important to keep it balanced snacks included! PFC is great to remember; Protein, Fat, Carbs and fresh fruit and veggies are always great to include in any of those 3 categories where you can! I hope this list gives you some great ideas to make snacks for adults and kids alike. Keep on Snacking, I won't judge!

Protein	Fat	Carbs
Yogurt	Cheese	Corn tortillas
Eggs (hard boiled)	Avocado	Whole wheat crackers (triscuit is great!)
Nut butters	Eggs	Whole wheat bread
Beef/turkey jerky	Tuna/tuna salad	Whole wheat flat bread
Dry edamame	Walnuts	Quinoa
Seeds (particularly pumpkin)	Olives	Bananas
Hummus	Guacamole	Whole grain cereal (4g+ of fiber)
Chocolate milk		Fruit
Nuts		Potato's (sweet & baking)
Sliced turkey (whole, not deli variety, less sodium)		Corn
Roasted lentils (super easy to make!)		Brown rice crackers
Bean dip

Cheers to Health and Moderation!

Trish