Sweet Treat

We all have a sweet tooth....so have your sweet and eat it too!  But you don't have to cheat to give in to that sweet craving.  Here are 3 great sweet treats that I like to make that won't cut into your daily caloric intake and have some great benefits like protein and fiber to boot!

Peanut Butter/Banana Cakes
Ingredients:
2 Lundberg Brown Rice Cakes, Unsalted (find @ whole foods, king soopers)
1 TBS peanut butter (spread between both cakes)
1/2 banana sliced (Put slices distributed evenly on both cakes)

Nutrition Information for 2 cakes:

Calories	299
Fat	8.3g
Protein	6.6g
Carbohydrates	48g
Fiber	7g
Sodium	1mg

• This is a great post workout snack with good complex carbohydrates, a little protein and good fats

Greek Yogurt Parfait
1 Cup Plain Greek Yogurt (Fage brand and Oikos brand both make individual 1 cup sizes)
1 packet Stevia
1/4 cup blueberries
1 crushed Lundberg brown rice cake, unsalted
* Scoop contents of yogurt into bowl and add stevia, mix well.  Top with crushed rice cake and blueberries!

Calories	180
Fat	0.1g
Protein	16.2g
Carbohydrates	28.1g
Fiber	3g
Sodium	67mg

• Great low calorie/low fat snack that packs a lot of protein in a small serving!

Berries n' Cream
1 cup mixed berries (raspberries, blueberries, black berries, strawberries - any combo)

1 cup Silk Plain Almond Milk

1 packet Stevia

*  Serve berries in a bowl and top with almond milk.  Sprinkle Stevia on top

Calories	122
Fat	3.2g
Protein	1.9g
Carbohydrates	23.3g
Fiber	5g
Sodium	5mg

• Almond milk is so thick and creamy it feels like a big cheat but at only 60 calories per cup and a serving of good fats, it's definitely not! 

Post Surgery Nutrition

Sorry about my recent hiatus!  I had a little surgery (which is why I am blogging about this very subject) and have been working on my recovery :-)

Many of my friends and colleagues have had to go in at some point for major and minor surgeries that prohibit them from taking part in normal activity for a while.  One concern they always have is weight gain post surgery due to lack of activity.  But this was not a concern for me and I will tell you why.

Workouts are not the only calorie burner - your food intake is of utmost importance (I always say it's 80% of the battle.)  As I have discussed before, weight loss or gain is simply calories in vs. calories out.  To lose, you must burn more than you take in.  Knowing I was going into surgery and would have decreased activity for a few days, I simply adjusted my diet.  I burn, on average, between 2800-3000 calories daily with my workouts and eat around 1600-1700 calories.  My resting metabolic rate is much lower - near 1900 (without workouts) so knowing this, I simply cut my calories back to make up for this.  I knew I would spend most of my days doing just that - resting- so I cut my calories back to 1200 daily for the first week after surgery.  If I am resting at 1900 calories a day being burned and intaking only 1200, then I will still be in a 700 calorie deficit each day.  Keep in mind you never want to drop below 1,000 calories (I tell my clients 1100) in order to keep your metabolism functioning at it's max capacity.  Below 1,000 will put your body in starvation mode thus causing it to hold on to fat stores.

With only 1200 calories, I still made sure to eat every 3 hours and consume 5 meals a day to keep my metabolism burning at it's highest speed.  It is also of utmost importance post-surgery (and all the time) to consume clean, wholesome foods such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables and lean proteins to help your body heal faster.  Pain medications and IV fluids can cause intestinal problems and constipation post-surgery and high fiber foods such as whole grains, fruits and veggies, will help to combat this.  Consuming processed, sodium laden and sugary foods will only make this worse and lengthen your recovery time.

It's a good idea to prep and pack all of your post-surgery meals ahead of time to ensure you have the proper nutrition and to make it easy on you and your care taker.  I made sure to pack and load up my fridge with all of my pre-portioned meals to make it easier for everyone.  Most of the time when we are not feeling well, we reach for comfort foods - but try to stick with wholesome comfort foods (oatmeal, chicken and brown rice meals, etc) that will fuel your body with good nutrients.

If you want to know a guestimation of your resting metabolic rate (the calories your body burns on a typical day excluding exercise) check out http://my.apexfitness.com/vip/content/fitness_calculators.php and click on 'resting metabolic rate'

Here's to a healthy recovery! :-)

Crunchy Baked Chicken

Oh yes - the Southerner in me had to re-invent some sort of crunchy chicken...this one is baked, low fat, high protein and packs a good crunch - mmmmm!!

Ingredients:
4-5 (4oz) chicken breasts
5 egg whites
2 tablespoons brown mustard
1/3 cup skim milk
1.5 cups crushed corn flakes (try to get organic brands - they don't add high fructose corn syrup!)
Salt and pepper to taste

Place corn flakes in a large plastic bag, seal and pound with fist until crushed.  Place crushed corn flakes in a bowl and add salt and pepper

In a separate bowl, add egg whites, milk and brown mustard.  Take chicken breasts and soak in egg mixture, turning over and over until coated.  Then dip in cornflake mixture.

Place chicken breasts on a sprayed cookie sheet and place in 375 degree oven for 40-45 minutes.

Nutrition Info Per Serving (One chicken breast):

Calories	198
Fat	2 grams
Carbohydrates	11 grams
Protein	32 grams

Pairs perfectly with a side of mashed sweet potatoes (the only thing the sweet potatoes need is a pinch of cinnamon and cloves to make them taste amazing!) and some yummy steamed veggies on the side!

Enjoy!

It's Work

Yup...it sure is.  Losing weight is work - it isn't always fun, glamorous, wonderful and feel good but damnit if it doesn't feel SO good to get to your goals!  And it's not just about aesthetics - it's about overall health and fitness. 

Weight loss, muscle gain, toning - it all takes work....and not just in the gym (as many people fail to realize) but also in the kitchen, at the restaurant, at the office party, at the baby shower - anywhere there is food.  And not just here either - at the computer logging your food or on that food log sheet your trainer so lovingly asks you to bring in each week.  It's all WORK. 

But isn't everything in life?  Aren't relationships work?  Isn't cooking work?  Taking your kids to school, doing the laundry....the list goes on and on.  But you still complete your tasks because there is an end goal.  To have a clean house, a happy marriage, a nice meal for dinner.  And there is an end goal to fitness and nutrition to: to be in shape, to lose weight, to gain muscle, to ward off diseases, to stay mobile, etc.

Everyone always tells me how much work it is to plan meals, go to the grocery store so often, pack and prepare and most of all....log food.  But it really isn't - not if you make it part of your daily life just like showering or brushing your teeth.  Every week I cook food for the week; every day I pack my food for the next day; every night I log my food I ate throughout the day.  Yes it takes some time and effort but how else would I ever reach my goals if I did not?  How else would your house ever be clean if you didn't take the time to clean it?

I challenge you to make these things part of your daily life this year in 2011 - make nutrition an everyday item from planning to packing and prepping and yes....logging.  You WILL reach your goal.... and your body, mind and spirit will take notice ....and also your Doctor, people on the street, your girlfriend, husband.......

;-)  Happy New Year 2011 - LET'S GET TO WORK!

AMAZING (and super easy) Broccoli/Cauliflower Soup

Things you will need:  Magic Bullet (if you don't have one, invest in one...they are amazing for pureed soups, perfectly blended protein shakes, fresh homemade salsa, chopping veggies and more!), food processor or fine-blade blender.

Ingredients:
1 and 1/2 cups fresh broccoli and cauliflower (I buy the organic bags in the produce isle at King Soopers - the broccoli and cauliflower are both in the same bag)
1/2 cup fat free, low sodium chicken broth
1/3 cup milk
1 garlic clove
Spices to taste (I add pepper, a pinch of sea salt and 1/2 a teaspoon of smoked paprika - mmmm!)

-  Steam broccoli and cauliflower in microwave for 1 1/2-2 minutes.  Add to processor with garlic clove, spices and chicken broth.  Puree until vegetables are smooth.  Add milk and pulse to mix
-  Serve warm with smoked paprika sprinkled over top for added color (and awesome taste!)

Nutritional Info (Makes 2 small bowls....great to serve as an appetizer or as your veggie with a meal!)

Calories	79
Fat	1 g
Carbs	12g
Protein	8g
Fiber	4g

Throw it Out!

I'm going to keep this short and to the point.

Thanksgiving is long gone, and now the Holiday Season is behind us (and don't say 'but what about New Years?')  Time to CLEAN OUT THOSE KITCHENS!

I've been hearing this one a lot lately "Well I am just going to finish up what I have in the kitchen because I don't want it to go to waste.' .......Sound familiar?

Here is an idea:  How about you give the Holiday food away to co-workers or that poor college kid you know or (gasp!) THROW IT OUT!  Ask yourself, wouldn't you rather waste food than waste your hard work and efforts?  What do I mean?  You go to the gym and slave away, you try to eat well and you push yourself toward your goal....so why waste that precious time? 

I don't know about you...but I'd rather waste food :-)

Turkey Meatloaf Muffins - MMMMMM

Can't take credit for this one- fitness model Jamie Eason came up with this one and it is soooo good!  I just made some for my meal plan for the week!  These are great to have as meals or have on hand for snacks for on go as they supply you with non-synthetic protein from real animal proteins.  Best of all - they are SUPER easy!!

2 lbs ground turkey
3 egg whites
1 cup quick oats
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp thyme
2 tsp yellow mustard
2 tsp black pepper
2 tsp chipotle pepper spice
2 garlic cloves
pre-chopped onion and peppers (found in the produce section of most grocery stores or just buy an onion and pepper and slice.  I also add chopped celery)

Preheat Oven 375

Put all spices in bowl and mix.  Then add turkey and egg whites and mix thouroughly.  Make racquetball size portions and place in sprayed muffin tin (makes about 15) and bake for 40 minutes

Nutrition Information:
(Serving Size=1 muffin)

Calories	81
Fat	1g
Carbs	6g
Sodium	54mg
Protein	12g

These are great as your protein source with lunches - just add in 1/2 cup of brown rice and a cup of green veggies and you have a delicious, healthy, whole grain, high protein, low fat lunch!  I also like to have mine on top of some fresh spinach and roma tomatoes and drizzle some balsamic vinegar over top for a yummy dinner!