Saturday, January 31, 2015

ALL STAR LINEUP: HOME RUN SNACKS FOR ON-THE-GO!

Strike one! Strike two!  Strike three! You know what that means; in baseball this is called an out, however in the areas of weight loss and nutrition, it’s pretty easy to accumulate three strikes when you’re on the go! From the tempting vending machines to the holiday filled candy at the drugstores, and of course how can you forget the mouth watering pastries and jolting energy drinks at your local gas stations you have strikes just waiting to happen.  Well lucky for you, I’m going to be your umpire, because I have been there and done that, and not only hate losing, but the aftermath of the results are far worst- low energy, weight-gain, hunger pains, spikes in blood sugar, zero to little nutrients, and a slower metabolism. I’m here as your health umpire to get your metabolism operating at its peak performance with my top home run packaged snacks to go!  To hit your health out of the park through a non-stop day of munching right read on…


QUEST BARS

High in protein, low in net carbs, low in sugar, contain no gluten ingredients
questnutrition.com


KIND SNACKS- BARS AND GRANOLA


Low glycemic bar, no refined sugars, and are gluten free
kindsnacks.com

LUNDBERG GLUTEN FREE RICE CAKES


Low in sugar, low sodium, gluten free, low in calories
http://www.lundberg.com


JUSTIN’S  CLASSIC ALMOND BUTTER

PACKETS- HEALTHY FAT, AND PROTEIN, LOW GLYCEMIC
http://justins.com


BLUE DIAMOND 100 CALORIE ALMOND SNACKS

http://www.bluediamond.com

STARKIST READY MADE ALBACORE TUNA SALAD PACKETS

  

90  CALORIES and 10 grams of protein
Starkist.com

 WILD PLANT WILD ALASKIAN PINK SALMON 


Salmon- Gluten and dairy free, diabetes-friendly- 12 grams of protein per 2 ounces and 65 calories
http://www.wildplanetfoods.com


VIGLANT EATS ORGANIC SUPERFOOD 



Gluten free, high in protein Oat base cereal just add water-calories-300 and 11 grams of protein
vigilant-eats.com

NON DAIRY MILKS- COCONUT, RICE, ALMOND,  & SOY

Go for the unsweetened or no sugar added versions- Full of  protein, and healthy fats to them and have a longer shelf life than milk

WHOLE FOODS ORGANIC UNSWEETENED RICE MILK


This rice milk has  6 grams of fiber, o grams of sugar. You can also go for almond milk, soy, or coconut milk which make great alternatives to dairy

EDEN FOODS ORGANIC BLACK BEANS


They have o grams of sugar, 7 grams of protein, 110 calories per serving high in fiber, dairy free, gluten free
DISCLAIMER: The nutritional and well-being information on this site is not intended to be a substitute for professional nutritional or  medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. 

For more information go to www.simplydelish4u.com

Wednesday, January 28, 2015

PRODUCE 101: SHOP THE SKINNY!

Navigating the aisles of the produce section at the grocery for some may be a colorful adventure, while for others it may be a shopping disaster! I see finding the right tomatoes, melons, and perfectly plump strawberries a lot like finding that awesome handbag or eye-catching heels! If you compare the two, shopping for produce is a lot like shopping for fashion’s hottest trends. You need to know which veggies are seasonal, the freshest, and at cost. On the other hand, in fashion all you need do is religiously watch E’s hit show The Fashion Police to know what not to wear! Well if that was truly the case fashion would be like a one way street, so it’s really knowing what’s trending and how to be a smart savvy shopper! If your up to the challenge to keep not only your wallet skinny but your body skinny on a budget too, then here are a few of my top cost saving strategies you can start to use at the produce aisle!


  • BUY LOCAL-Start  buying local produce is always cheaper

  • KNOW THY PRODUCE DEPARTMENT -The front table of the produce department usually has the best deals, and always check out the end caps on each produce aisle as they usually will have seasonal items on display.

  • CELEBRATE THE SEASON- If you’re like me I love to celebrate each season especially with  hallmark holidays! Rather than eating the heavy desserts that come with holiday time, I look for recipes that call for the seasonal fruits.   Always know what fruits and veggies  are in season because they will be cheaper than other produce.


  • DON’T BUY CUT UP PRODUCE- Although pre- cut produce is an easy short cut to saving a few minutes in preparing veggies and fruits, these items are more expensive. I’m the first to admit that I often times by cut up fruits and veggies because I’m pressed for time. However, over time you will end up saving more money if you don't.

  • BROWSE THE ADS- Check the local newspaper, stores, and online for sales, promotions, or coupons. Target your search towards ads for sales on produce in grocery stores that are in close proximity to where you live. 

  • BUY IN BULK- If produce is on sale and has a decent shelf life longer than a few days buy in bulk for the week, and this is great too for frozen fruits and vegetables.

  • STORE BRANDS – Go with store brands like frozen produce, which are much cheaper than brand names.  Also, sign up for store cards, which often offer discounts or a points program.  

  • BECOME FRIENDS WITH THE PRODUCE MANAGER- Get to know your produce manager in the store. Ask what’s new, local, and if there are any specials going on.This can help reduce cost at the register because you will know the at cost produce to buy.

  • PLAN A LIST – The only thing in life that is good to plan is finances. Shopping for healthy foods can be quite pricey, so it’s always good to have a list of produce that you need for the week to complete your food plan.  When you plan out your meals and recipes for the week you can take inventory of what you really need and are going to use versus just sitting there and it going to waste.


DISCLAIMER: The nutritional and well-being information on this site is not intended to be a substitute for professional nutritional or  medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. 


Sunday, January 18, 2015

SUGAR 101: THE BITTER SWEET TRUTH TO FALLING MADLY OUT OF LOVE

Have you ever been in a relationship that you stayed longer than the expiration date or broken up more than once with the same person to find yourself going back to them weeks later to repeat the same vicious cycle? Most of us, including myself have experienced this at one point of another.  So what does breaking up with someone that you may have been in love with or cared for at one time or another have in common with America’s most loved but most notorious culprit, Sugar?  It’s quite simple; from the moment of birth we are programmed as humans to have a love affair with sugar! Think about it, sugar is always there for you through good and bad, it creates an instant euphoria of “feel good feelings”, it’s hard to say no to, and for most it’s hard imagine life without it. Over the course of my life from a kid to my 30’s, my relationship with sugar has mimicked this exact scenario. Vivid memories of toaster strudel, and doughnuts for breakfast as kid, trick treating like a madwomen from the age of 6-14 stockpiling up on candy as if it was disappearing for good, weekly visits to the cupcake store in my twenties, and of course how could I forget my daily frozen yogurt stops over the past 15 years to places like Pinkberry and 16 Handles. So your probably thinking how does one break up a 32-year love affair with sugar and go to becoming a health connoisseur of clean eating and healthy living overnight.  The answer is exactly like why you end a relationship that is going south and not meeting both your needs and happiness.  Similarly sugar’s value in my life was no longer complimenting my overall mission of being the best version I can be!  Read on to find out ways that have helped me make the breakup with sugar for good!



REMIND YOURSELF OF SUGAR’S NEGATIVE ATTRIBUTES  
When you break up with someone, it’s important to remind yourself of the reasons why you broke up. Similarly, every time you feel yourself craving a candy bar, cupcake, or whatever choice of sugar you like to munch on remind yourself of the long term effects that sugar has on the body.  These are
  • no nutrient value
  • suppresses the immune system
  • produces high cholesterol
  • interferes with the body’s absorption of calcium and magnesium
  • causes obesity
  •  prevents bowel movement
  •  causes toxemia during pregnancy,
  • increases depression and irritability
  • brings on dementia and brain fog,
  • causes diabetes, and other chronic diseases when consumed over long periods of time


IDENTIFY TRIGGER FOODS FOR SUGAR
When you breakup with someone you may encounter little reminders the first month that may make you think of that person.  It’s practically unavoidable to be upset but feel the emotions and then let it go. Just know that was the past, and you have the power to let go and move onto better and bigger things.  Similarly with sugar it’s  important that you let go of the idea of sugar being your comfort to soothe whatever feeling you are eating for.  Although it’s practically everywhere you go with reminders from desserts on the menu, to snacks in the grocery stores, to advertisements for candy and sweets around the holidays , the first thing to do in order to make breaking up with sugar work is take inventory of what foods you eat that are loaded  with sugar.  This comes with doing a bit of an overhaul in your meal plan.  Through my research I learned that if your experiencing severe sugar cravings it’s because your diet is not balanced on a nutrition scale. In order to minimize these sugar cravings start each meal with the right combination of protein, healthy fats, fiber, and a low glycemic carbohydrate to keep you satisfied longer.   When one isn’t eating enough healthy fats or enough calories most likely the first thing to happen is that they will crave refined sugars. Another way to satisfy a craving for those trigger foods is to concentrate on healthier recipes that don’t use processed sugars, instead use natural sugars and ones that call for the stevia sweetener. Baking options like  healthy low sugar recipes without refined sugars is an easy way to conquer the sugar battle, and with the plethora of online recipes that focus on healthy wholesome ingredients there are for sure options for every type of sugar craving!

AVOID FAT FREE AND SUGAR FREE FOODS
Just because something says it’s fat free or sugar free doesn’t mean it’s good for you. The skinny truth is it’s probably worst because it’s loaded with additives and hidden sugars which have other names besides glucose, corn sugar, fructose, ect which ultimately trigger and make sugar cravings worst than before putting you into the same vicious cycle of making you crave sugar.


 KNOW WHERE SUGAR IS HIDING
sugarnames-240x300.jpg
“Buyer Beware” not only applies to products exclusively like cars, electronics, or homes, but it also applies with food products.  It’s super important to read labels and identify where sugar is hiding.  The first step in making a clean break with sugar is becoming informed of the many names that sugar takes on, especially when reading nutrition labels.  If sugar shows up in the first five ingredients in a food label it’s best to put it back on the shelf because that means it has high amounts, and also note if a packaged ingredient has more than one type of sugar it’s best to avoid too.  Be patient because this may require a bit of a label reading in the beginning, but it’s worth the time, and effort because all that unnecessary added sugar takes a toll long term on your body.  Remember you don’t have to eliminate everything that is sweet and this applies to natural sugars found in fruits, and other healthy products like Greek yogurt, almond milk, skim milk ect.   


PLAN A “SMART” SUGAR BITE EVERY SO OFTEN
By now you may feel a bit overwhelmed of the laundry list of rules to follow in order to make a clean break from Mr. or Ms. Sugar, but I assure you it’s not anything like the movie  “Mission Impossible.” Since, I want to make the breakup with Mr. or Ms. Sugar as low key, enjoyable, and stress free as possible it’s ok every so often to have an occasional meeting.  This goes with planning smartly when, how much, and what type of sugar you are going to consume.  One way to look at is if you’re a person who is a die-hard foodie and can not bear giving up a decadent rich desserts like cheesecake, search for a healthier version that is gluten free, paleo, or even a vegan version of cheesecake.  These recipes tend to focus more on wholesome natural ingredients without the extra added sugar and additives. Second, if you do want a real version of a dessert, just make sure your going with a standard serving size and your eating it as part of your 20% cheat time.  Also, planning to eat sugar on a fuller stomach after ingesting a healthy meal of protein, fat, and carbohydrate will decrease the portion of sugar you will consume since you ate a real balanced meal before. Also, for snacks or prepackaged items that contain sugar look at labels and servings to ensure your not going over 15 grams of sugar per serving in a sitting.


TRY GOING FOR FRUIT,PEANUT BUTTER, ALMOND BUTTER OR CHOCOLATE COCONUT/ALMOND MILK
I find that fruit, almond, peanut butter, and chocolate coconut or almond milk help diminish my sugar cravings.  Whether you mix fruit with almond butter or peanut butter in a smoothie, or drink a chocolate flavored type of milk like coconut milk or almond milk these foods help satisfy a sweet tooth, not to mention provide great nutrition


CREATE NEW HABITS THAT TAKE AWAY SUGAR CRAVINGS
The aftermath of any breakup is a sense of emptiness, so when one breaks up with sugar there is also a sense of emptiness.  Create new habits that feed your soul and replace the emptiness from the breakup.  Take up a new activity, join the gym, read a book, write a blog, volunteer, or see a movie.  Find activities that are going to keep you interested, excited, and build inner strength.



RECIPE #1 

FUDGE BROWNIE BITES FROM SKINNYMS.COM

http://skinnyms.com/fudge-brownie-bites/

Yields: Servings 10 | Serving Size: 1 Piece | Calories: 124 | Previous Points: 3 | Points Plus: 4 | Total Fat: 7 g | Saturated Fat: 0 g | Trans Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: mg | Sodium: mg | Carbohydrates: 16 g | Protein: 3 g
Read more at http://skinnyms.com/fudge-brownie-

RECIPE #2

3 INGREDIENT CHOCOLATE CHIP MACRAROONS FROM SKINNYMS.COM



http://skinnyms.com/three-ingredient-chocolate-chip-macaroons/

Yields: 8 servings | Serving Size: 2 macaroons | Calories: 174 | Previous Points: 4 | Points Plus: 5 | Total Fat: 11 g | Saturated Fat: 9 g | Trans Fat: 0 g | Cholesterol: 0 mg | Sodium: 6 mg | Carbohydrates: 20 g | Dietary Fiber: 3 g | Sugars: 14 g | Protein: 2 g


DISCLAIMER: The nutritional and well-being information on this site is not intended to be a substitute for professional nutritional or  medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. 

For more information go to www.simplydelish4u.com

Wednesday, January 7, 2015

VEGETABLE TALES: ONCE UPON A STALK

Guess what your favorite childhood bedtime story and vegetable have in common? Both tell a tale, the vegetable a tale of origin, and the childhood bedtime story a tale of a fable-story that teaches a lesson. Although the correlation between them may seem strong, past memories of eating greens as a young toddler did not compare to my pure nighttime excitement of reading Little Red Riding Hood! What if eating those hard to swallow greens like Asparagus became a highlight of your week! It’s quite possible and it all begins with an amazing story to transform your mindset into making it seem delish! Once Upon a Stalk there was an Asparagus that was known in ancient times for it's special health benefits and medicinal qualities. These days it’s found everywhere from the produce aisles in the supermarket to restaurants and bodegas. Get ready to discover the powerful benefits of how this veggie can change the end of your story….




SHIELDS R US

Asparagus can be one of the strongest shields you can use in guarding your health from the onset of cancer, disease, and low immunity. Asparagus is very high in vitamin A, folic acid and dietary fiber which all contribute to fighting cancer. Being that it is high folic acid content it helps reduce blood homocysteine levels which supposedly reduce the risk of heart disease. Asparagus also contains high levels of potassium, which may help control blood pressure, and is rich in rutin and iron, which boost the body’s immune system. Asparagus is one of the richest sources of rutin, a natural substance found in plants that together with vitamin C can help to energize and protect the body from infections. Asparagus is also a source of iron, which boosts the immune system and prevents anemia. It’s also rich in glutathione, a detoxifying compound that can help destroy carcinogens. As a result of this, asparagus may help fight or protect against certain cancers, including bone, breast, lung, larynx and colon cancer. 

 LOVE EUPHORIA

Forget Ginseng, this superfood has aphrodisiac claims to rev up lust in both men and women. Histamine production is supposedly triggered by folic acid and lack of histamines has been connected to an inability to reach orgasm in both men and women. Asparagus is high in folates so may boost abilities in this department. Besides steaming the asparagus, it won’t be the only steam you will be letting off especially when it comes to love!


BEAUTY-LICIOUS

Is it possible to eat your way to beauty? The answer is yes! Consuming regular amounts of asparagus will do benefits to your skin, nails, and hair due to the levels of vitamin C and E present in this superfood.

FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH

 Asparagus equals Benjamin Button?  Who would actually think the key to reversing aging and the fountain of youth would be in a bunch of stalks!  Ranked among the top vegetables that slow down aging due to its ability to neutralize cell-damaging free radicals. Packed full of antioxidants of lutein, zea-xanthin, carotenes, and crypto-xanthins. Working together these flavonoid compounds help remove harmful oxidant free radicals from the body to protect it from possible cancer, neuro-degenerative diseases, and viral infections. Like all leafy greens, asparagus delivers high levels of folate, which work with vitamin B12 that is found in fish, poultry, meat and dairy to help prevent cognitive decline and impairment of the brain.

  • Their total antioxidant strength, measured in terms of oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC value), is 2150 µmol TE/100 g.


LEAN GREEN MACHINE

Are you ready to be lean and mean ?   Asparagus is nature’s lean green machine to help you accomplish this very feat. This is a low calorie, low sodium, no cholesterol, and low fat snack full of fiber and protein. 5 spears equal 20 calories and no fat.


STOMACH THIS!

Ironically, Asparagus may not initially be tasty, but it's a key food known to help ease and stabilize digestion due to the high amount of fiber that it contains. Both fiber and protein enable food to move easily through the gut and provide relief from discomfort during digestion. According to The Ohio State University, asparagus contains inulin, a unique dietary fiber associated with improved digestion. The special feature of Inulin is that it’s a prebiotic, which does not get broken down and digested until it reaches the large intestine. There it nurtures bacteria known to improve nutrient absorption, decrease allergies, and reduce the risk of colon cancer. 

ALL IN ONE VITAMIN STALK

Forget your daily multivitamin and reach for the all in one vitamin stalk!  This miracle stalk can do so much good for your body.  Asparagus contains vitamin A for better vision, anti-inflammatory compounds which protect you from heart disease and diabetes 2, Vitamin K which is great for healthy blood clotting and strengthening bones, and has potassium for smooth kidney functioning which acts as natural diuretic and rids the body of excess salt and fluid providing solutions to those who suffer with edema and high blood pressure. The natural diuretic effect also helps flush out toxins in the kidneys and prevent kidney stones



* Please note it is possible to have an asparagus allergy. Please keep in mind if you are allergic to other members of the lily family, such as onions, garlic, and chives, you are more likely to be allergic to asparagus. Symptoms include a runny nose, hives, trouble breathing, and puffiness or swelling around the mouth and lips. Also, be advised that National Institutes of Health recommends that people who suffer from uric acid kidney stones not eat aspargus. 



RECOMMENDED RECIPE 
SHAVED ASPARAGUS AND WHITE BEAN SALAD 
FROM CLEANEATINGMAG.COM



http://www.cleaneatingmag.com/recipes/20-minutes-or-less/shaved-asparagus-white-bean-salad/




Nutrients per 3/4-cup serving: Calories: 171, Total Fat: 8 g, Sat. Fat: 2 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2 g,Polyunsaturated Fat: 3 g, Carbs: 17 g, Fiber: 6 g, Protein: 9 g, Sugars: 3 g, Sodium: 137 mg, Cholesterol: 6 mg

DISCLAIMER: The nutritional and well-being information on this site is not intended to be a substitute for professional nutritional or  medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. 


For more information go to www.simplydelish4u.com