Hello dear readers!
Thanksgiving is right around the corner. Here are some quick and easy ideas to keep the pounds OFF this holiday season! More to come as Christmas nears...
Quick Ingrediant Subs to Make!
1. Baked Goods
Oils and butter in these recipes can be substituted with apple sauce, prune puree, or bananas.
2. Chocolate
Use fewer chocolate chips than a recipe calls for or substitute with cocoa powder.
3. Whole Milk, Whipping Cream
Lower fat milk or imitation whipped cream will reduce your calories greatly
4. Butter
Use healthier fats like light cooking spray, canola oil, whipped butter, olive oil, peanut oil, or a trans-fat-free margarine.
5. Salad Dressing
Salads may seem super healthy, but just a tablespoon of some salad dressings can set you back 100 calories. Instead use reduced-calorie salad dressing, lemon juice, reduced-fat cottage cheese, or herb-flavored or wine vinegar.
6. Cheese
Instead of the usual cheese, try reduced fat cheese. I bet neither you nor your family will be able to tell the difference.
7. Sour Cream, Mayonnaise
Use a plain fat free Greek yogurt--it has the same texture and similar flavor to both sour cream and mayonnaise.
8. Gravy
Put your gravy into the refrigerator before serving. Once it gets cold the fat will collect at the top, skim it off, defrost, and serve.
Dinner!
9. What to Serve
Serve low calorie foods like Canadian bacon, roast beef, raw vegetables, light cheese, dip made with fat free yogurt, and/or homemade salsa.
10. Lean Your Meats
Make your meats lean by removing the skin and fat before eating.
11. A Full Plate
Fill up half of your plate with non-starchy vegetables like salad, green beans, spinach, or broccoli.
12. Portion Control
If you have trouble with portion control, drink two large glasses of water right before you start your meal and continue to take sips between bites.
Dessert, yum!
13. Low-Calorie Sweets
Make a lower-calorie dessert like Angel food cake topped with light whip cream and fruit.
14. Fruits
Poached or baked fruits with a light whipped topping also make great desserts.
15. Cakes and Pies
Gingerbread is a lower calorie alternative to the usual cakes and pies.
After the Meal...
16. Walk it Off
Make activity a habit after your meals--whether it be a walk or an interactive game, get the whole family involved so that you can all burn a few extra calories and lead a longer, healthier life together.
Stay tuned.
Samantha
Showing posts with label food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label food. Show all posts
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Friday, July 13, 2012
Health Tip: Trade Up
Hello dear readers!
I've recently been introduced to NuVal. NuVal is a scoring system that ranks a food 1-100 based on a summary of it's nutritional label. Most people can't really read nutritional labels well...they don't know what a "good" amount of sodium is, what the vitmain percentages mean, and so on. So NuVal has craftily created a system that is simple and easy. Now, I can buy the highest NuVal ranking bread with ease, and determine that Nutrigrain Bars and Special K Cereal are not very nutritionally sound. Either is the Kashi GoLean Cereal all the "health enthusiasts" buy.
It's all about choice. Think of each foods decision you make as one small battle. This is the way I picture it...
I've recently been introduced to NuVal. NuVal is a scoring system that ranks a food 1-100 based on a summary of it's nutritional label. Most people can't really read nutritional labels well...they don't know what a "good" amount of sodium is, what the vitmain percentages mean, and so on. So NuVal has craftily created a system that is simple and easy. Now, I can buy the highest NuVal ranking bread with ease, and determine that Nutrigrain Bars and Special K Cereal are not very nutritionally sound. Either is the Kashi GoLean Cereal all the "health enthusiasts" buy.
It's all about choice. Think of each foods decision you make as one small battle. This is the way I picture it...
Check out this bloggers comment:
NuVal (the group that scores the nutritional value of foods from 1 to 100, with 100 being top nutrition) gives Kraft macaroni and cheese a 5.
That’s food for thought: a 5. Even Famous Amos Chocolate Chip Cookies score a 10. And it doesn’t matter whether the macaroni and cheese comes from Kraft or Annie’s. They’re both nutritional losers: Annie's mac also scores a 5.
Kraft Whole Grain Macaroni and Cheese gets an 18. Then again, Annie's Home Grown Bite Size Whole Wheat Bunnies Baked Snack Crackers does better. It gets a 27.
Crazy right?! Definitely so. Lets let the pictures do the talking now...Remember, the ranking is 1-100...100 being the "best for you."
- Skippy Natural Super Chunky Peanut Butter: 20
- Teddie All-Natural Super Chunky Peanut Butter: 38
- Jif Creamy Peanut Butter: 20
- Larabar Apple Pie (NuVal score: 57)
- Larbar Cherry Pie (NuVal score: 40)
- Larabar Cashew Cookie (NuVal score: 32)
- Clif Bar Carrot Cake (NuVal score: 26)
- CLIF Mojo Mountain Mix Bar (NuVal score: 24)
- KIND Fruit & Nut Almond & Apricot Bar (NuVal score: 23)
- KIND Fruit & Nut Almond & Coconut Bar (NuVal score: 23)
- Larabar Tropical Fruit Tart (NuVal score: 23)
So here are just a few examples of ways you can trade up! I also suggest using applesauce or flaxseed instead of oils, fruit instead of fruit snacks (fruit snacks get a ONE on the NuVal scoring system), and replacing butter and cream-based dressings!
Happy choosing!
Stay tuned.
Monday, July 9, 2012
Weekly Health Challenge: Serve with a Side of Self-Control
Hello dear readers!
Again, I apologize for my severe lacking-ness of blog postings. However, I'm trying my best. I also now have to write this blog for part of an independent study class, so postings will come more frequently! Hopefully. That's always the hope. Speaking of hope, I hope you all had a wonderful Fourth of July and remembered some of my very valuable health tips on that day! ; )
I know I have new readers now, so for those of you who are new - I'll quick introduce myself again. My name is Samantha, I work in endocrinology/diabetes/nutrition research at the Mayo Clinic. This blog is not endorsed by the Mayo Clinic in any way - but I just post about what I learn, read, discover, ect. I've taken numerous nutrition classes, health classes, read scientific journals regularly, do research on obesity, and more. So I take what I learn - and translate it into fun, readable material. My passion is health and wellness. If you have questions please post in the Q&A section - I plan to answer those on a weekly basis. I'll be posting a new recipe, oddball workout, and more today so look for those! Please feel free to email me if you have private questions or would like me to perform a diet analysis on what you are eating! Enjoy!
On to today's quick posting!
Self-Control, Please!
To put it really simply, our culture has a self-control issue. A big one. Self-control is probably one of the largest factors in controlling weight issues. The idea that we just have to have it or we deserve it or we can't survive without it leads to over eating.
Challenge: Every time you eat this week, whether it be a meal or a snack, exercise a small amount of conscious self-control.
How to do it: At every meal, either skip out on taking something, or leave something behind on the plate. Some of the things I've done include: asking for no bun with my hamburger at restaurants, skip out on a second helping of mashed potatoes on holidays, having a water before pop rule (must consume a gallon of water in a day before I can have a can of soda - when I used to drink soda), not using salt on my veggies, having the waitress box up 1/2 of the pasta dish before I get it, passing up croutons on my salad, exchanging ranch dressing for vinaigrette, using less condiments on my foods, passing up white breads whenever possible, and the list goes on.....
Write it on your hand every morning if you have to. Write it on a post-it note at your desk, at the fridge, on your bathroom mirror. Whatever it takes. Make it your mantra this week: Self-Control, Self-Control, Self-Control!
Choose happiness, choose self-control. The more that you make small self-control decisions, the more "power" you will gain over your body. That sounds odd, and slightly creepy but its true. Start making small decisions and eventually you'll be able to say no to those Special-K bars all together (still working on this one...these are my personal weakness).
But start little. When you are training for a marathon, you don't run 26 miles on day one. You start with one, or even half of a mile, and build your way up. Same with this. Start little, build up. But know that the goal is attainable, and is not out of reach.
Stay tuned.
Again, I apologize for my severe lacking-ness of blog postings. However, I'm trying my best. I also now have to write this blog for part of an independent study class, so postings will come more frequently! Hopefully. That's always the hope. Speaking of hope, I hope you all had a wonderful Fourth of July and remembered some of my very valuable health tips on that day! ; )
I know I have new readers now, so for those of you who are new - I'll quick introduce myself again. My name is Samantha, I work in endocrinology/diabetes/nutrition research at the Mayo Clinic. This blog is not endorsed by the Mayo Clinic in any way - but I just post about what I learn, read, discover, ect. I've taken numerous nutrition classes, health classes, read scientific journals regularly, do research on obesity, and more. So I take what I learn - and translate it into fun, readable material. My passion is health and wellness. If you have questions please post in the Q&A section - I plan to answer those on a weekly basis. I'll be posting a new recipe, oddball workout, and more today so look for those! Please feel free to email me if you have private questions or would like me to perform a diet analysis on what you are eating! Enjoy!
On to today's quick posting!
Self-Control, Please!
To put it really simply, our culture has a self-control issue. A big one. Self-control is probably one of the largest factors in controlling weight issues. The idea that we just have to have it or we deserve it or we can't survive without it leads to over eating.
Challenge: Every time you eat this week, whether it be a meal or a snack, exercise a small amount of conscious self-control.
How to do it: At every meal, either skip out on taking something, or leave something behind on the plate. Some of the things I've done include: asking for no bun with my hamburger at restaurants, skip out on a second helping of mashed potatoes on holidays, having a water before pop rule (must consume a gallon of water in a day before I can have a can of soda - when I used to drink soda), not using salt on my veggies, having the waitress box up 1/2 of the pasta dish before I get it, passing up croutons on my salad, exchanging ranch dressing for vinaigrette, using less condiments on my foods, passing up white breads whenever possible, and the list goes on.....
Write it on your hand every morning if you have to. Write it on a post-it note at your desk, at the fridge, on your bathroom mirror. Whatever it takes. Make it your mantra this week: Self-Control, Self-Control, Self-Control!
Choose happiness, choose self-control. The more that you make small self-control decisions, the more "power" you will gain over your body. That sounds odd, and slightly creepy but its true. Start making small decisions and eventually you'll be able to say no to those Special-K bars all together (still working on this one...these are my personal weakness).
But start little. When you are training for a marathon, you don't run 26 miles on day one. You start with one, or even half of a mile, and build your way up. Same with this. Start little, build up. But know that the goal is attainable, and is not out of reach.
Stay tuned.
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Health Tip: Smaller Plates, NO Seconds
Hello dear readers!
I'm sorry to have left you hangin' for a few days. Accept my apology? Please? Life has just gotten a little crazy recently. Every day something drastic happens it seems.
So, I've mentioned portion distortion before and how its changed completely since the 1980's. But I wanted to give you a real life example of this.
I was eating at Famous Daves yesterday (BBQ? Uh - yum!), and this is the plate I received to eat on.
Is this not one of the biggest plates you've ever seen in your life?!!? I thought so. My fork looked TINY in comparison! Not okay. When we eat with bigger size plates, we automatically eat more - even if we get full.
Our plate fulls should be the diameter of that fork.
So here is my suggestion to you: use smaller plates and don't go back for seconds.
Seems simple, right? Not so. Its hard to find "regular" size plates today. And its hard to not go back for seconds when those mashed potatoes with gobbs of butter were "oh so good."
Self control people, self control. Cultivate this habit in your life. You'll feel stronger, happier, and you'll be healthier because of it.
Tomorrow I'm going to write more on the issue of self control, but today, time is escaping me yet again.
I just wanted to throw this picture out there so you know I'm not making this stuff up...portions, and plate sizes, are increasing at an exponential rate.
Fight the urge. Don't take seconds.
Stay tuned. Tomorrows post will be a fun one.
I'm sorry to have left you hangin' for a few days. Accept my apology? Please? Life has just gotten a little crazy recently. Every day something drastic happens it seems.
So, I've mentioned portion distortion before and how its changed completely since the 1980's. But I wanted to give you a real life example of this.
I was eating at Famous Daves yesterday (BBQ? Uh - yum!), and this is the plate I received to eat on.
Is this not one of the biggest plates you've ever seen in your life?!!? I thought so. My fork looked TINY in comparison! Not okay. When we eat with bigger size plates, we automatically eat more - even if we get full.
Our plate fulls should be the diameter of that fork.
So here is my suggestion to you: use smaller plates and don't go back for seconds.
Seems simple, right? Not so. Its hard to find "regular" size plates today. And its hard to not go back for seconds when those mashed potatoes with gobbs of butter were "oh so good."
Self control people, self control. Cultivate this habit in your life. You'll feel stronger, happier, and you'll be healthier because of it.
Tomorrow I'm going to write more on the issue of self control, but today, time is escaping me yet again.
I just wanted to throw this picture out there so you know I'm not making this stuff up...portions, and plate sizes, are increasing at an exponential rate.
Fight the urge. Don't take seconds.
Stay tuned. Tomorrows post will be a fun one.
Friday, June 22, 2012
Day 4: Health Tip - Eat Some Breakfast
Hello dear readers!
It is Friday - how wonderful, how spectacular, how fantastic... except for those of you who have weekend shifts of course. But still - lets delight in the fact that it is Friday, and the weekend is a breath away.
I hope you are enjoying these daily health tips. Be sure to check out the other tabs as I've recently added a recipe, a workout, videos, and photos!
Here is your Friday, day 4, week 1, health tip! Enjoy!
Eat Some Breakfast!
Countless people skip breakfast today because they are "too busy." They rush around the house in the morning, getting themselves ready, only to run out the door five minutes late, stressed out, and on an empty stomach. Then 10am roles around, and they start to have a strong urge for sweets or heavy carbs.
Eating breakfast is easier then you think it is. And way more important then you think it is.
Here are some benefits:
It is Friday - how wonderful, how spectacular, how fantastic... except for those of you who have weekend shifts of course. But still - lets delight in the fact that it is Friday, and the weekend is a breath away.
I hope you are enjoying these daily health tips. Be sure to check out the other tabs as I've recently added a recipe, a workout, videos, and photos!
Here is your Friday, day 4, week 1, health tip! Enjoy!
Eat Some Breakfast!
Countless people skip breakfast today because they are "too busy." They rush around the house in the morning, getting themselves ready, only to run out the door five minutes late, stressed out, and on an empty stomach. Then 10am roles around, and they start to have a strong urge for sweets or heavy carbs.
Eating breakfast is easier then you think it is. And way more important then you think it is.
Here are some benefits:
- Decrease in stomachaches and headaches
- Eating breakfast has been linked to individuals making healthier food choices throughout the day
- Increases feelings of "fullness"
- Linked to eating fewer calories at lunch
- Linked to healthier overall weight, body image and BMI
- Breakfast helps people feel more "motivated" and increases ambition
- Increases cognitive performance
- Increases visual perception
- Increases spatial and short term memory
- Increased body image
- Decreases overall rates of illness
- More strength and endurance to engage in physical activity
And these are just some of the benefits. This list is nowhere near extensive.
Myth: Skipping breakfast does NOT make you skinnier. If anything, it actually makes you GAIN weight.
Be smart - eat some food.
Check out a sample of my breakfast:
- 1 egg w/ cut up spinach
- 2 cups Greek non-fat yogurt
- 1 cup natural granola
- 1/2 cup fresh fruit
Key ingredient? Protein. And tons of it.
Secret? Variety.
Protein fills you up. Keeps that growlin' hunger at bay.
In that breakfast I had food from all the categories: veggies, fruit, meat/beans, grains, and dairy. Keeps me happy, and healthy.
So go ahead, eat some breakfast - it'll make you smarter, stronger, happier, healthier.
Stay tuned.
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