Women: Healthy is the new Skinny!

When it comes to diet and exercise, we women could seriously use some balance. On one hand, there is a morbid obesity epidemic that has spread across the nation and is showing up in kids as young as toddler-stage!  On the other hand, celebrities like Kate Moss and Kiera Knightly are gracing the covers of popular magazines with their scantily-clad, skeleton-with-a-little-skin-over-it bodies!  It`s like we are either eating like rabbits or wolfing down an entire cake.  

Think the problem just ends there?  Think again.

What about the Jillian Michaels-loving, protein shake-chugging Cross-fitters who have turned exercise into an obsession?  And on the flip side of that are those who think walking to the fridge or lifting a beer to their lips counts as exercise!

Whatever happened to moderation?  Whatever happened to the phrase "within reason"?  What I`m getting at is this: Not everyone is going to be a model, queen, or pageant winner.  Not everyone is going to be a bodybuilder, celebrity fitness guru, or world famous marathoner. 

Even the ancients knew moderation was important:

"Throw moderation to the winds, and the greatest pleasures bring the greatest pains." -Democritus

"Never go to excess, but let moderation be your guide." -Marcus Tillius Cicero

So why do we take everything to the extreme?  A lack of balance and self-control.  Thanks to the media, a new health fad appears every so often and gets blown way out of proportion.  This is typically a miracle food, wellness tip, or diet.  The public then takes this fad and runs without doing any legitimate research!

My advice? (Not that you have to take it...) Practice a little non-attachment in your life!  Don`t attach yourself to the idea of looking like Angelina Jolie.  Get the myth out of your head that all carbohydrates are bad.  Don`t jump on the latest band-wagon diet just because your friends are.  Instead, make healthy and practical changes that are realistic!  Focus on the word healthy, not skinny.  Work on becoming fit,  not necessarily jacked or ripped.  Make goals for yourself that you can first achieve and then continue to practice throughout your life!  

....My thighs are too big and I can never achieve the six-pack abs that my older sister was born with.  So what?  I`m active and within the normal body weight range for my height. I love fruits and veggies and whole grains, but once in awhile...I eat a cupcake!  My point: Change your attitude, do your best, and strive for overall balance in your daily diet and fitness routine....avoid extremism.

Tips for dietary/nutritional changes:
Rate your plate!
Portion sizes
Eating out at restaurants
Avoiding Empty Calories

Tips for staying in shape:
Increasing Activity
Anti-Couch Potato
Get up and get out

*Sources: choosemyplate.gov

The Restaurant Wrestle

Does eating out often leave you feeling guilty due to the types of foods you consume at the restaurant?  Do you dread when your hubby or friend suggests dinner at your favorite local joint?  You are not alone!  When I first began my journey towards a better lifestyle, I had the same anxieties! However, if you calm down and think things through in a logical way, you can make better choices simply by weeding through what`s on the menu and the ingredient list of each dish.  Most restaurants nowadays offer lower-fat and lower-cal options, but what if you aren`t in the mood for salmon and broccoli or soup and salad?  Try asking for these alternatives or healthier takes on your favorites...

Habachi:  Choose steamed rice or brown rice & veggies over shrimp fried rice. (Go ahead and gobble up that miso soup!)

Chicken sandwiches or burgers: Instead of the fried chicken sandwich, opt for the grilled chicken one!  If you must have fries, get the smallest size.  (Stay away from the milkshakes, please.)

Subs: Get the sandwich you want!  Just leave make sure it`s on whole wheat bread and leave off the mayo or oil and do not order extra meat and cheese!...no one needs that, okay?  

Seafood: Get the fish or seafood you want!  Just avoid any buttery dipping sauces and make sure that you order it grilled or steamed.  Limit your hush-puppy intake to 2. 

BBQ: Order extra lean brisket or smoked poultry.  If you must have that calorie-packed BBQ sauce (I HAVE to have it!), then order it on the side rather than all over the meat.  Skip the mayo-based slaw and potato salad and order a side salad instead!

Mexican: Tacos are the best!  Ask for extra lettuce and tomatoes and for the cheese to be on the side, so you can add it in moderation.  If you need extra "sauce", add salsa to everything, instead of sour cream or queso dip.  (No chimichangas or taco salads, por favor.)

Italian:  Skip the garlic bread and order whole wheat pasta always!  When you can, stick to tomato-based sauces rather than cream sauces (such as alfredo). Stay away from those dishes which pack on the cheese, like lasagna and chicken parm.  

*Sources: My own restaurant-battle. 

Phyting back, one bite @ a time!: Lemon Curd

More phyting power for your body.... This recipe highlights the lemon, a popular citrus fruit that contains the same phytonutrient class that I mentioned in my two previous posts: carotenoids.  The particular type of carotenoid that they contain is beta-cryptoxanthin. Citrus fruits also contain a different variety of phytonutrients, called "flavonoids".  You may have heard this term in relation to antioxidant-rich foods. 

Easy Lemon Curd

1 c sugar

3 eggs

1 c lemon juice (Fresh is best!)

zest of 3 lemons

1 stick (1/2 c) unsalted butter, melted

Whisk sugar and eggs together until well combined.  Add juice, zest, and butter and stir.  Microwave at 1-minute intervals, stirring after each one, until mixture reaches a molasses-like consistency.  (It took me about 6!) Let cool and store in refrigerator up to 3 weeks.

Use to top yogurt, pound cake, ice cream, or cheese cake.

*Sources: webmd.com, All recipes: Lemon Curd

Phyting back, one bite @ a time!: Veggie-based pasta sauces

I have more phytonutrient recipes for you!  These are two unbelievably rich pasta sauces that use cooked vegetables as the main thick & creamy texture provider...

The first is a pumpkin-infused cream sauce to top gnocchi.  I got this idea directly from my friend Erin Webber, who combines butternut squash soup with Philadelphia brand cooking creme to make a yummy sauce for ravioli!  My own version does the same thing, but with pumpkin.  Pumpkin and butternut squash are a lot alike in terms of taste and nutrients and can be subbed for one another in most recipes.  Also, per the previous post, carotenoids are the phytonutrient that pumpkin contains:

Pumpkin Cream Gnocchi

1- 1 lb package gnocchi, cooked and drained according to the package

1 c canned pumpkin

1/2 c Philadelphia cooking creme (tomato basil flavor preferred)

1/4 c water

Freshly grated parmesan for garnish

In a small sauce pan, combine pumpkin, creme, and water over medium heat.  Cook until mixture begins to bubble, then remove and stir.  

Serve hot over cooked gnocchi and top with parmesan.  YUM.

The other recipe comes via my friend Delina who got the idea from the Dr. Oz show: Fettuccine Alfredo.  The secret sauce ingredient? CAULIFLOWER!  When I first heard this, I only thought of one thing: feet...because that`s what cauliflower smells like when it`s cooked.  However, Delina convinced me to try this and it was absolutely amazing!  One of the types of phytonutrients found in cauliflower is are indoles, particularly indole 3-carbinol.  I-3-C is thought to help activate enzymes that drive out toxins in the body. See link below for the recipe...

dave-liebermans-fettucine-alfredo

*Sources: Erinn Webber, kraftbrands.com, Delina Findley, doctoroz.com

Phyting back, one bite @ a time!: Kale Chips

Phytonutrients...Are these legitimately beneficial or just a nutrition fad?

You`ll be happy to know they are pretty darn special.  Phytonutrients are organic substances found in plant-based foods that are believed to be beneficial to the human body in a variety of ways, depending on the particular nutrient.  

Some types of phytonutrients include carotenoids (Sound familiar? Think: Vitamin A!), flavonoids, phenols, and sulfides (not sulfates). The prefix "phyto" is basically Greek for "plant". Therefore, turn to fruits and vegetables for these important dietary components!

Carotenoids are the most familiar and are found in brightly colored orange, red, and yellow veggies: carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, citrus fruits, tomatoes.  However, carotenoids also occur in dark leafy greens: kale, spinach, etc.  This class of phytonutrients helps protect the eyes from the effects of aging.  (Carotenoids are a precursor to Vit A...which we all know is the optical vitamin!)  It also is proposed that they prevent both cancer and heart disease.  

Not a fan of veggies?  Why not make them something they usually aren`t: a snack!

Disease-Phyting Kale Chips

1 head kale                                       

2 Tbsp olive oil                               

Sea salt or kosher salt

Wash and dry kale thoroughly.  Cut stems and remove ribs.  Chop into pieces the size of potato chips.

Toss with olive oil and bake at 275 degrees for 10 minutes.  Flip kale to opposite side and bake for another ten minutes.  Let cool and enjoy!

*Sources used: WebMD