Gluten Free is NOT a diet if you do not have a gluten allergy

Ok let me just set the record straight ...I have heard over and over again 'I am on the gluten free diet.' - well why?  Do you have Celiac disease - a condition that damages the lining of the small intestine and prevents it from absorbing parts of food that are important for staying healthy due to a reaction to eating gluten, which is found in wheat, barley, rye?  'Well no'.  Do you have gluten intolerance - just like lactose intolerance but with symptoms similar to that of celiac disease without having the actual disease - vomiting, bloating, gas, diarrhea and in some cases, anaphylactic shock?  'Well no!'  Well then why are you eating a gluten free diet?  Because it is NOT a diet.

This is the most important thing to understand about 'gluten-free' THERE IS NO BENEFIT TO EATING GLUTEN FREE UNLESS YOU HAVE A GLUTEN ALLERGY OR INTOLERANCE. 

Gluten is a protein composite that appears in foods processed from wheat and related species, including barley and rye.  It gives elasticity to dough, helping it rise and keep its shape, and often giving the final product a chewy texture.  Gluten is a stabilizing agent in foods like ketchup, ice cream, marinades and salad dressings. 

Because of celiac disease (which I have) and gluten intolerance, people have to give up wheat products: whole wheat bread, whole wheat pita, whole wheat tortillas, whole wheat pasta - all whole grains that are part of a healthy, low fat and low calorie lifestyle.  Whole grains are essential for anyone trying to shed pounds and stay energized through workouts due to their slow burn digestion in your body.  Cutting these out of the diet is extremely difficult....but not impossible.  But it is pointless for someone without an allergy to cut them out of their diet.

Many people think that 'gluten free' equals 'carb free' which is not the case.  And furthermore - one should NEVER cut carbs out of their diet as your body can go into ketosis putting strain on the liver and ...when you start eating carbohydrates again - you will put weight back on. 

There are scads of gluten free products out there - gluten free cereal, pasta, pizza, crackers, cookies, cakes...but they all still have to have some form of carbohydrate in them so alternatives are used.  The alternatives include tapioca flour, rice flour (both white and brown), coconut flour, corn  - to name a few.  Many of these forms of carbohydrates are higher in calories and fat content than wheat products.  Just pick up a gluten free pizza crust at the store and look at the label -it contains double the amount of calories and fat than a whole wheat crust. 

Many of my clients who have celiac or gluten intolerance ask me if it is ok to eat gluten free cookies, pizza, crackers, pretzels and snack foods.  Well NO if you are trying to lose weight, put on lean muscle and get healthy.  These are STILL junk foods - they just have a different source of carbohydrate in them and still contain sugar and even MORE fat than usual!  Gluten free does not equal healthy.

Those living with celiac and gluten intolerance can still live a healthy lifestyle, shed weight, put on muscle, compete in fitness shows, run marathons...etc.  The right  foods must be selected though.  Complex carbohydrates must come from whole grain sources such as brown rice, brown rice flour, brown rice pasta, quinoa, gluten-free oats, sweet potato's, etc.  Protein sources should be purchased raw as many pre-cooked meats and pre-marinated meats contain gluten (and too much sodium at that).  Lots of fruits and veggies and minimal if not any processed foods at all.  This is the same diet I would put a regular client on who wanted to lose weight however the whole grain sources would include wheat products.

So if you think going gluten free is the newest diet craze, and that because Oprah went gluten free as part of a cleanse recently means you should also go gluten free...please save yourself the trouble and the day to day hardship those of us with gluten allergies must deal with when we cannot have healthy, low cal, energy sustaining whole wheat products.  Keep eating your wheaties :-)

In health,
Nutritionista

Healthy Orange Chicken

I was inspired this past weekend while visiting my parents....they LOVE orange chicken from The Cheesecake Factory.  In their defense, they like to split the entree and have it as their cheat meal...perfectly ok for a once in a blue moon occurrence.  But at 1800 calories, over 50 grams of fat and triple your daily sodium needs - this dish is a big no no for a regular meal. 

So, of course, I had to research and create my own version.  And let me just say - there was not once ounce of food left on anyones plate!  With less than 400 calories per serving, less than 4g of fat and almost 2,500mg less sodium - it's ok to clean your plate with this meal!!

Ingredients:
2 Whole oranges (juiced...I just squeeze them into the mixing bowl)
1/8 cup cider vinegar
1 TBS reduced sodium soy sauce (also comes in gluten free low sodium found at Whole Foods)
1/2 TBS Stevia (2 packets)
1 tsp corn starch
4 chicken breasts, sliced
1 garlic clove chopped
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
2-3 chopped bell peppers (I like to use red, orange and yellow for color and a bit of sweetness)
1 TBS sesame seeds

Directions:
Bake the chicken in a 375 degree oven for 35-40 minutes (I like to use just a few drops of soy sauce on each piece for added moisture).  Once cooled, chop into small cubes or strips.

While chicken is baking, combine orange juice, vinegar, soy sauce, stevia and cornstarch in bowl until smooth.  In a separate bowl, combine garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes.
Spray a large pan with Pam Olive Oil cooking spray and add peppers and peas.  Cook until peppers soften (3-4 minutes).  Add dry mixture of garlic, ginger and pepper flakes and cook 1 minute longer.

Once chicken is cooked, add to pepper mixture in pan and pour juice mixture overtop, then add sesame seeds.  Cook on high heat 2-3 minutes.

Serve overtop brown rice (1/2 cup servings) or 2 ounces brown rice noodles or whole wheat noodles

Nutrition Info Per Serving (Makes 4 Servings)
1 Serving with 1/2 cup cooked brown rice

Calories	329.6
Fat	3.8g
Protein	32.6g
Carbs	40.6g
Sodium	233mg

Low Fat and Sugar Free Homemade Granola - Mmmmmm!

I am a sucker for anything with crunch - mix that with the cold, creaminess of Unsweetened Almond Milk and I am in HEAVEN!  Which is why I don't buy cold cereals...they were and always will be a trigger for me for overeating and portion control. 

But that doesn't mean I cant enjoy my crunch!  My all time favorite was always granola.  But so many granola's are choc full of calories, fat and lots of SUGAR...mostly from the dried fruits and added sweetness that is not needed in this awesome healthy breakfast or snack.

I found a way to combat my portion control, do away with the sugar, and still get my crunch - homemade granola!  It's simple, delicious and takes 15 minutes total!  And the best part- NO SATURATED FATS OR SUGAR - it's all healthy fats that your body needs.  99% of women do not get enough healthy fats in their diet.  I tell all my clients to follow the 'Rule of 3' - put 3 healthy fats in your diet a day from sources like olive oil, flax, salmon, avocado, all natural nut butters, raw almonds - but use correct portions:
Olive Oil: 1 tsp
Avocado: 1/4 of avocado
Salmon: 3-4ounces
Flax Seed: 1 tsp
Almonds: 1 ounce (about 20 nuts)
Almond Butter: 1 TBS

Adding healthy fats to your diet will actually help to combat tummy fat and help you get lean!

Back to granola: I make an individual serving in the evening and store it in an air-tight container for the next morning.  This way, I can't eat 2 servings...I only have one!  If you want to make more than 1 serving, just multiply the recipe :-)

Ingredients:
1/2 Cup Whole Rolled Oats
2 tsp sliced raw almonds
1 tsp flax seed
Cinnamon, nutmeg and clove spice to taste
1 egg white

Combine all ingredients in a bowl until moist.  Spray a 9x9 baking dish with cooking spray and spread the oat mixture onto the bottom of the pan.  Place in a 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes and checking to make sure mixture does not burn. 

Remove from the oven and let cool!

1 serving of dry granola:

Calories	239.6
Fat	8.9g
Protein	11.7g
Carbs	30.8g

Try it with 1 cup of Silk Unsweetened Almond milk, 1/2 cup raspberries, stevia to taste and a side of 4 egg whites with 1 c. spinach and 1 TBS of salsa and you have an AMAZING high protein/complex carb combo breakfast for less than 380 calories!

Happy Eating!

You can't eat healthy when you eat out? Sure you can!

A client and friend of mine recently told me she didn't want to accompany her husband to his favorite restaurant, Outback, because she 'couldn't eat anything healthy there'.  To which I challenged her because I eat healthy there....and for that fact everywhere anytime I venture out for a meal.

I don't eat out often - for the simple fact that restaurants add a LOT of junk into food that doesn't need to be there:  butter, sugar, heavy cream, lard and sodium to name a few.  Most think they are eating 'healthy' by choosing chicken dishes and the like but more often than not, you aren't.

A fellow trainer said many of his clients say the same, 'but I can't eat healthy there so I just ordered something bad.'  Well never again.  You MUST become an educated consumer if you have a fitness goal you are trying to reach.  If you turn a blind eye to food labels and restaurant food - you will never get there.

I try to only eat out once every few weeks but when the occasion arises, I always check the restaurants website before going.  This is imperative if you want to make good choices.  Almost all restaurants have websites and nutrition information...and what you will find will shock you!  Grilled chicken sandwiches at Chili's for 1300 calories?  88 grams of fat in chicken fajitas at Applebee's?  Yessir!

So here is my biggest tip:  When eating out - DON'T ORDER OFF THE MENU!  What?  Yup....Order a dish and alter it.  For example: Outback.  Order the Atlantic Salmon dish - dry - no butter or oil just the salmon grilled.  Order steamed veggies (which they offer as a side dish) and a baked sweet potato dry and viola!  You have turned a 760 calorie and 51 gram of fat dish into a 415 calorie and 22 grams of fat (with no trans fat and only 2.5g of saturated). 

It's all in how and what you order.  With all the food allergies and intolerance out there these days, most chef's and cooks are accustomed to making changes.  You should never feel bad for making changes.  You are the consumer.

I am known to make up my own salads when nothing on the menu will suffice.  For example - recently at a sports bar, everything was calorie ladden and choc full of fat.  So I ordered grilled chicken on salad greens with tomatoes and a side of broccoli and side of salsa.  Combine it all and you have a nice, filling, healthy salad.

Your friends want to go out for Hibachi?  Perfect!  But you don't have to take part in the buttery fried rice with fried eggs and oil to boot - order steamed brown rice instead (they all offer it) and ask the Hibachi chef to please not add extra oil and sugary teryaki sauces to your meat and veggies. 

It's simple really - just order foods that you would cook at home for your healthy lifestyle.

Do I ever cheat?  Sure - but when I think about consuming 88 grams of fat (3 days worth), 1300 calories (almost a days worth) and quadruple the amount of FDA recommended sodium a day in ONE meal...it's just not worth it to me.  So I make different choices and still feel that satisfaction of eating something off my meal plan. 

Food for thought.

Happy Eating!

The BEST salad EVER

Salad: It can be both your best and worst enemy when striving towards good nutrition as a lifestyle.  So many people believe they are doing good by ordering the salad selection rather than a sandwich or other entree when in fact, the opposite is true in many restaurants.

Take for example the Bistro Chicken Salad at Einstein Brothers....a salad I used to frequent in my not-so healthy days....but I believed it was healthy.  Thus my lesson to everyone in becoming an informed consumer...don't just 'think' its healthy because it's choc full of greens, read and research.  My beloved Bistro salad from days past packs a whopping 940 calories and 71 grams of FAT!  71 grams!  Yikes!!  Then there is the Grilled Shrimp and Spinach Salad at Applebees - sounds harmless right?  WRONG: 1,050 calories!!  In a salad!  You are much better off making a salad at home and you can add a lot more fresh ingredients to your salad at home.

I have tons of great salad recipes - some I will save for later :-)  But today I am posting the mother of all salads that is so flavorful, nutrient rich and colorful it will make you crave it all day long!  The crunch is out of this world!  I created it as part of my raw foods cleanse, however, I will continue eating it and add proteins in once my cleanse is over.  I will include protein in this recipe:

Ingredients:
1.5 cups of Spring Mix or Romaine mix
5 cherry tomatoes chopped
1/4 cup chopped zucchini

1/4 cup red bell pepper chopped
1/4 cup banana pepper chopped
1 individual cup Dole No Sugar Added Mandarin Oranges in own juices
1/4 of an avocado chopped
1/2 cup fresh sugar snap peas
4 ounces rotisserie chicken
Italian Seasoning
Apple Cider Vinegar

Directions:  Place all ingredients in a medium size bowl and sprinkle with Italian Seasoning.  For Dressing, pour the juice from the mandarin orange cup into container and top with 1-2 TBS of apple cider vinegar.  Pour mixture over salad - ENJOY!

Nutritional Info:

Calories	334
Fat	10.9g (All mono and poly - no saturated)
Carbs	32g
Protein	28g
Fiber	11g

Salmon Stir Fry

Mmmmmm this is another new favorite (aren't they all?) :-)

This was a meal that was sort of thrown together tonight.  I had just finished baking up a tray of lemon pepper salmon fillets for my dinners the next few nights and opened the fridge to see what kind of veggies I had to throw a quick dinner together: fresh red bell pepper, fresh sugar snap peas and frozen edamame....that sounds perfect!

Ingredients:
1 salmon fillet (baked in 375 degree oven for 20 minutes with fresh lemon juice and lemon pepper seasoning)
1 whole red bell pepper chopped
1 cup fresh Sugar Snap Peas
1/2 cup frozen edamame beans, steamed in the micro
1 TBS low sodium soy sauce (I use Gluten free, low sodium)

Directions:
Spray large pan with olive oil cooking spray.  Add chopped red bell pepper and whole sugar snap peas and saute until the peppers start to become softer and both vegetables start to brown.  Toss in steamed edamame beans and saute another 2 minutes.  Cut salmon into small cubes and add into mix - cooking about 2 minutes longer.  Pour soy sauce over mixture and stir fry for about a minute.  Pour everything together on plate or bowl - YUM!

I have an affinity for any dish with a crunch and this one packs quite the crunch ...not to mention the flavor mingling of all the fresh veggies and salmon is out of this world!  This will become a regular dinner around here :-)

Enjoy!

Deprived? No

I get a lot of questions from new people I meet as well as my fitness and nutrition clients about feeling deprived in my nutrition plan:

'Don't you just want to go tear up some Mexican food?'  'How do you handle the Holidays?' 'Doesn't it take away from your quality of life packing and prepping all the time?'

Absolutely not.

My health is my greatest wealth.  My body is my own and it's my responsibility to keep it healthy.  To me, life is better when I feel my best.  And I feel my best when I am eating wholesome, clean, healthy foods and exercising everyday.  It's a way of life - not a diet.

I preach day in and day out to my clients to ALWAYS allow a cheat meal once a week.  But just one meal - not an entire day.  This gives you something to look forward to and helps keep you on track with your nutrition plan.  I have a hard time even eating a cheat meal anymore because my digestive system is so used to eating clean that when I fill it with saturated fats, sodium and sugar - I get physically ill.  Your body should be fed clean most of the time - it is designed that way.  Who wants to fill themselves all the time with chemicals, bad fats and sugars that turn to fat stores and sodium that makes your body retain water?  Not me - I opt for feeling good inside and out. 

So what about the prepping and packing?  Doesn't that take too much time?  Nope.  Does showering or brushing your teeth take too much time to do so you just skip it?  Didn't think so.  Same thing with prepping and packing your food - it is a daily routine and habit that becomes part of your life just like brushing your teeth.  I cook on Sundays for the week while doing other house chores and store my cooked food in the fridge in ready to go containers.  Each night I make whatever I need fresh for the next day and it's done.  10 minutes out of my day.  10 minutes is a pretty small sacrifice for a fitness goal or a lifestyle change - wouldn't you agree? 

Someone said to me last week 'life is about enjoying and living freely and not worrying about all of those things like calories and fats and weight loss or muscle gain' - Sure.  It is about enjoying.  But how long can you enjoy your life if you don't feed your body with good things?  Not too long - heart conditions, diabetes and many other diseases can rear their ugly heads simply from the foods and beverages we consume.  Life is about living - and running outside with a mountain view on a clear sunny day, and being able to play with your kids for hours on end in the park, and being able to climb a 14er, dance with your wife on a night out, play sand volleyball at wash park - it's all about living...but you have to fuel your body with the right things in order to enjoy it. 

'Eat to Live, Not Live to Eat'

As Always - Happy and Healthy Eating!