Day 2/32 Vacation

Great Day yesterday. Unfortunately I'm at the mercy of finding free wi-fi so posts may come up all at once even though I'm writing as I go. Had my second chicken sandwich after getting to La Guardia, meeting up with my sister, then realizing we still had a 45 minute wait for a bus, then had to switch to a shuttle. Anyways, after what felt like forever, we were finally reunited with my long time friend Kyle and his friend and we went out to lunch (of course right after I eat).

I'll have to say that it can be incredibly difficult to be at a table with other people who are eating when you decide not to. Eating for so many, myself included, is a social event and it's great to converse while enjoying great food, but tuning into those hunger cues are just as important too. I had to consciously tell myself "No, Sam. You are NOT hungry, you are full." Sounds ridiculous but by realizing I would only be eating for entertainment and acknowledging that made it easier to sit there and drink my water and I did have my sister's lettuce, tomato, and pickle from her burger, ha. Veggies are always free foods :)

This morning, Kyle and I got to go for a nice walk/run. Not sure if I mentioned it before, but I'm currently nursing a sprained ankle and was just cleared to start running again so I'm easing back into it after 3 months of just the elliptical (just not the same as outdoor running) and just finished brunch. Wasn't super hungry (see, tuning into those hunger cues again!) so I went for the yogurt with fruit and granola and unsweetened tea for a much needed caffeine fix. I may be annoying my friends/sister with my healthy options, BUT it's my body and I honestly feel so much better when I fuel my body with the good stuff. Of course, I will indulge. Hell, I'm on vacation, but it's a marathon of vacation so everything in moderation. Beach time!

Day 1/32 Vacation!

June 28, 8:30am- And so it begins…. After a super stressful morning, I made it on my flight to NYC! I had the opportunity to fly on a buddy pass, which meant I fly stand-by at a reduced ticket cost but it also kicks up the anxiety because of issues with the ticket, security being downright ridiculous, and anticipating whether or not you’ll get a seat.

Anyways, the purpose of this blog will be to show how to eat healthy and stay on track even when abroad, traveling or dining out in general. I like to believe I have a few tricks left up my sleeve that I can share ;)

So much of nutrition and eating healthy is planning. In preparation for this trip I hit the grocery store for the single-serving Greek Yogurt for breakfast at 4am this morning, a rotisserie chicken, and a mix of protein/nutrition bars (My faves are Luna and Lara bars). After serving myself my dinner portion of chicken, I took the remainder of the chicken meat, threw away the skin and fat, then grabbed a couple of sandwich thins (Orowheat 100 calorie Multi-grain), mixed in a teaspoon of reduced fat olive oil mayo (Kraft) and made not one but three sandwiches from the chicken.  Gave one to my friend who was oh-so-kind to wake up hellaciously early to drive me to the airport and am now just finishing up the first one.  

Now, I could’ve purchased a breakfast sandwich here on the plane and shelled out $5.99 for a jimmy dean sausage, egg, and cheese sandwich weighing in at 556 calories, 36.5g fat, 14.4g saturated fat, 28.6g carbs, 1.5g fiber, 24.2g protein and 1,285mg sodium vs. the one I delightfully consumed for 233 calories, 4.3g fat, 0.5g saturated fat, 22g carbs, 5g fiber, 30g protein and 806mg sodium. BIG difference. More protein and fiber and a whole lot less calories, fat, saturated fat, and sodium. Planning, people. Jump on the bandwagon and save yourself from the pounds and make your wallet happier.

In case you’re interested in my trip details…

I will officially be away from H-town for 32 days. Flying into New York, meeting up with my sister and best friend to drive up to Newport, RI to visit another dietitian BFF for the weekend, then it’s back to Manhattan till our flight departs for Europe on the 4^th of July! Layover in Rome and Munich before getting to Scotland for 9 days to reside with my super awesome family then it’s back to Munich for a week where we’ll check out Berlin, Prague, Innsbruck, Lichtenstein, and Salzburg before heading to our second resort in Hungary, where we’ll check out Vienna, Bratislava, Bratislava, Krk, Zagreb, and possibly somewhere in Slovenia. 3,205 miles and 57 hours of driving. Big trip, but I couldn’t be more excited J

Nutrition Tip of the Day

Another reason to eat your Spinach! Magnesium deficiencies cause sugar cravings, which can lead to binging on the wrong stuff. Make sure you get your daily dose of some of these Magnesium rich foods: green leafy vegetables, beans and peas, nuts and seeds, and whole, unrefined grains. 

Nutrition Tip of the Day

Bring on the Berries! blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries are all great for you inside and out. Blackberries are loaded with anthocyanins, an antioxidant linked with improved brain function. Strawberries have about 3x as much vitamin C as the other berries and have the fewest calories, however, they are also most important to buy organic because of their absorbing capabilities. 

Nutrition Tip of the Day

Hide your cravings- if you have a weakness for the stuff you know is bad for you, hide it somewhere you have to work extra hard to go get it. For example, in the back of a closet in your basement. Now that's a little extreme, but you get the picture. When it takes more energy than it's worth to get to it, you're less likely to give in and have it. Just don't forget all together that it's there otherwise you may have another problem your hand (read: pests/rodents/mold/children from next door etc.). Or remove the problem all together and give it away to someone you secretly want to get fat ;) kidding, kidding.

Nutrition Tip of the Day

Train your taste buds! Our taste buds are alterable meaning that when you make changes to your diet say by eliminating foods high in sodium/sugar/processed foods, our taste buds adapt and start to prefer healthier foods. 

Quick Salmon Salad Sandwich

After a short hiatus due to a crazy month- I'm back in the game of sharing my quick healthy meal concoctions! And in exactly one month, I will be headed on a month long vacation (I know, I live a tough life) where I will try my darndest to post about eating healthy while traveling even when you're in exotic crazy destinations.

Quick Salmon Salad Sandwich

Serves 1

1 Pepperidge Farms Whole Wheat hamburger bun (110 calories, 2g fiber)

1 package Chicken of the Sea Salmon

1 tablespoon Greek yogurt

1 teaspoon Olive Oil Mayo

½ cup spinach
3 slices diced tomato
1 tablespoon raisins
salt/pepper to taste

In a small bowl mix ingredients and serve on bun.

Nutrition Info:

231 calories, 5g fat, 0.5g saturated fat, 25g carbohydrates, 3g fiber, 6.8g sugar, 25g protein, 733mg sodium.

Dietitian Says:

If you have all the ingredients on hand, this can be thrown together and halfway gone in less than five minutes! That’s what I did today anyways. Awesome balance of carbs and protein, however, a little higher in sodium than I would like it (aim for less than 600mg per meal and less than 200mg for snacks). That can be compensated the rest of the day though. Also, packaged salmon, such as Chicken of the Sea kinds, can often be better than fresh because it is usually wild Alaskan salmon and not farm-raised Atlantic, which is poorer quality and has less omega-3s, which is the reason to eat it in the first place! Plus, packaged/canned salmon is super cheap! Enjoy! 

Note about Detox

Thought I should throw this out there-- Just because you're eliminating foods/food groups DOESN'T, I repeat DOESN'T, mean you are necessarily eliminating calories.

DETOX DOES NOT EQUAL WEIGHT LOSS

It can definitely help, and that's not to say it won't happen, however, there are plenty of foods still allowed on detox that add a lot of fat and calories to meals. Olive oil, avocados, nuts and seeds, and nut butters, while healthy and definitely good for us, should be portion controlled if weight loss is desired. If you're looking to gain weight, go to town! The foods I mentioned are undoubtedly awesome, but like I said prior to day 1, anyone can do it even if they want to maintain their weight and are looking for a way to just get healthy and challenge themselves nutritionally. Just some food for thought (ha! get it? ...Yes, I'm aware I'm a food nerd).

Vegan AND no grains AND no dairy week

Sooo honestly, you would think that cutting out basically everything would be hell and that everything around you would take on forbidden food shapes BUT actually, I've felt the best today than I think I have in awhile. Haven't felt hungry at all and stocked up on some awesome goodies today at Whole Foods for the rest of the week :) 

Todays menu consisted of:

Breakfast- Vegan Chocolate Milkshake- 2 cups ice, 1 1/2 cups (roughly) unsweetened Almond Milk (35 calories/cup), 2 tsp peanut butter, 1 tsp cocoa powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, blend. Tomorrow I'll add 1/2 a banana to it and decrease the almond milk to 1 cup. Totally in love with this shake in case you didn't notice. Super quick and easy to take on the go!

Snack- Kombucha with maybe 1 cup fruit pieces total- pear, blueberries, strawberries, etc. Today was my Kombucha refill day meaning I had to make my new batches and flavor the now-ready Kombucha, which I add fresh herbs and fruit to to flavor them. 

Lunch- Stir-fry veggies with tofu. Green beans, mushrooms, carrots, sun dried tomatoes, onion, and anything else i could find with some balsamic vinegar and a little bit o'honey. 

Snack- pear and more Kombucha (seriously, I am in no short supply of the stuff!)

Dinner- Whole Foods Hot/Cold Bar Randoms- Just checked all the labels to make sure it did not contain wheat, any kind of meat, eggs or milk and I was good to go! Ended up with a lot of Kale-Pecan salad, marinated mushroom goodness, lentil tofu stirfry, and a mixed greens salad. 

Post Work-out Snack- Leftovers from Whole Foods and you guessed it, more Kombucha. 

Tomorrow will be a tad more diversified just because now I actually have groceries so we'll see what I come up with, but fo realz, I feel awesome. You should try it! PLUS you're helping out the environment and with Earth Day being yesterday, every little bit counts :) Check out this website on Meatless Mondays for more info on how exactly you're helping the environment by cutting out meat and other animal products plus, recipes and other ways to get involved. 

Detox Chocolate Milkshake!

Day 9 and we're eliminating grains! Sorry, I suck at this constant posting thing-- not really in my nature to share what i'm doing 24/7 and traveling gets in the way sometimes. P.S. just got back in from Austin this past weekend and we managed to get 8 people (3 of which were dietitians) to the farmers' market in downtown Austin (4th and Guadalupe) before 9am. It was awesome. We then proceeded to Whole Foods where we stocked up on deliciously healthy goodies to take with us camping in San Marcos. Here we are at the farmer's market:

Anyways! I discovered this wonderful detox friendly snack and it totally is just like a Wendy's Frosty! Ah-mazing! Here it is being enjoyed on my back patio with my dietitian friend Natalie:

Sam's Chocolate Milkshake

Serves 1

1 1/2 cups ice

1 cup fat-free milk

1/3 cup Stonyfield Farms Fat Free Vanilla Yogurt

2 teaspoons peanut butter

1 teaspoon cocoa powder

1 stevia packet

cinnamon and nutmeg to taste

Use a blender on high to adequately mix and Enjoy! 

Nutrition Info: 223 calories, 6.5g fat, 0.7g saturated fat, 240mg sodium, 24.7g carbs, 1g fiber, 16.3g protein

Day 2 Detox- Better Late Than Never!

Bah! Got almost all the way done writing this post and of course, my computer shut down erasing everything! Then I didn't have internet en route from here to ATX. So here’s the abbreviated version because I just don’t have it in me to re-type everything.

Anyways- So back on Day 2 Detox I went a little health crazy… started my day with cardio pilates and props and ended it with yoga with weights. Made Brussels sprouts, kale chips and 4 huge jars of sauerkraut in the same hour too (Who does that?!). Meal Plan for the day went something like this:

Snack: Grapefruit and a few almonds before Pilates (running late so it was a grab-and-go)

Breakfast: Greek yogurt (have you noticed how much I love this stuff yet?), blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, flax seeds, raw honey. 1 cup black tea with 1 packet stevia in the raw.

Lunch: Tortilla-less Burrito- boiled chicken breast (boneless, skinless, seasoned with Tommy’s all natural seasoning), 2 tablespoons black beans, ½ cup fresh diced Roma Tomatoes, 1 tablespoon Fage Greek Yogurt (awesome replacement for sour cream), 1/3 small avocado, fresh salsa. Mixed it all up in a bowl, grabbed a spoon, then went to town!

Snack: Pear and a few honey roasted pecans

Dinner: Salmon burger with a friend of a friend’s super awesome Brussels sprouts recipe that I’m about to share.

Snack: 3 kale chips (just to try then shared them with my friends while we watched frozen planet, which is a crazy awesome show if y’all haven’t seen it) and a cup of strawberries.

Sweet & Spicy Brussels Sprouts

Serves 1

Canola Oil Cooking Spray
1 cup halved Brussels sprouts (or more depending on what serving size you’re going for- don’t have to feel guilty about eating extra veggies!)
2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon raw honey

Pre-heat oven to 425. Spray baking sheet with cooking spray and add Brussels sprouts. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Bake for 20 minutes or until slightly browned and crispy. Place Brussels sprouts in a bowl and toss with balsamic vinegar and honey till coated evenly. Enjoy!

Kale Chips

Serves as many as you’d like!

5-6 cups fresh kale, rinsed and torn into “chip” size pieces
Canola oil cooking spray
Salt/Pepper to taste  (or you can use your own seasoning- Cajun works well but trust me, a little goes a LONG way)

Preheat oven to 425. Arrange kale on baking sheet and coat LIGHTLY with canola spray. Sprinkle with salt/pepper/seasoning of your choice. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until crispy.

Dietitian Says: Great Snack and so easy to do on your own without shelling out big bucks for the pre-made kind. Add any other thinly sliced veggies for some guiltless snacks to use for hummus or yogurt based dips!

I’ll add some nutrition facts in later but as of now I’m in my favorite city in Texas, Austin for the weekend with my fellow dietitian and pal, Natalie! She’s also detoxing with me and feel free to follow her blog as well here! 

Detox Time!

The countdown is on! One month till my trip back to the ATL for my little sister's college graduation and 37 days till we leave for Hangout Fest (got the pre-festival ticket so 4 day music festival on the beach in Gulf Shores, AL). In other words, bikini time. SO a good way to jump start some weight loss and cleanse the body of outside pollutants is with a good ol' fashioned detox. No, this is not a gimmick and no, you don't have to go out and buy some fancy smancy overpriced products. Alls ya gotta do is commit to cleaning up your diet (and yourself) for 28 days and let your body reap the reward :) Created by fellow detoxer and dietitian best pal, Jess and myself- we aimed to really clean up the diet and set challenges like increasing workouts as well. Okay, so here are the rules of our detox:

Overrall: No alcohol, gum, or nail polish
Phase 1 (Days 1-4): Clean-up i.e. no processed foods, no artificial sweeteners (stevia is ok), limit caffeine
Phase 2 (Days 5-8): eliminate above foods plus meat
Phase 3 (Days 9-12): eliminate above foods plus grains
Phase 4 & 5 (Days 13-20): eliminate above foods plus dairy and eggs. Kombucha and/or probiotic-rich sauerkraut daily
Phase 6 (Days 21-23): reintroduce fish and gluten free grains
Phase 7 (Days 24+): reintroduce everything- aim to keep a clean diet

Challenges: No microwaving foods, increase workouts (yoga and light workouts during days 13-20), use loofah/exfoliate daily, use perfume on clothes but avoid directly using on skin.

P.S. drink plenty of water!!!

I'll be posting meal ideas going forward but tomorrow's meals will look something like:
Breakfast- greek yogurt, flax seeds, blueberries, blackberries, raw honey
Snack- Grapefruit plus 10-12 almonds
Lunch- Salad (mixed greens, carrot, tomato, alfalfa sprouts and anything else i can find) with tofu and honey roasted pecans with homemade balsamic vinegar dressing
Snack- pear with peanut butter
Dinner- salmon burger with sauteed veggies (most likely brussels sprouts, onion, beets)
Snack- glass of organic milk and ??? (we'll see)

Workout: 1 hr class yoga plus 20-30 mins weights.

Beet it Beer Braised Red Cabbage

On my trip to the farmers' market this past weekend I encountered the biggest beets I've ever seen! I couldn't resist. I just had to have them so here they are posted above! P.s. my hands are kinda small but seriously, that thing is a monster! and all for $4! What. a. bargain.

My saturday morning grocery trip concluded with fully stocking my fridge with fresh produce and also emptying my wallet (whoopsie!) BUT i got some great stuff I won't have to get again for awhile. Anywho- decided last night to test out a beer braised red cabbage recipe by looking over a couple then winging it myself. Here's what I did:

Beet It Beer Braised Red Cabbage
Serves 4

Ingredients:
Canola Oil Cooking Spray
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 onion, chopped
2 organic farm fresh carrots, chopped (looks like they were JUST picked from the ground)
1 beet, chopped (the smallest one pictured above- saving the big guns for later)
3 cups chopped red cabbage
4 oz tofu (optional)
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
6 oz beer (I used Budweiser because my roommate said it was okay to take his beer)

Instructions:
1. Heat skillet over medium heat. Spray pan and add garlic and onion, let cook until by itself 2-3 minutes. Add remaining ingredients to the pan.
2. Cover and let simmer 12-15 minutes or until veggies are tender.
3. Uncover and stir until half the liquid evaporates. Salt and pepper to taste and Serve 'er up!

Home-Made Kombucha!

Special thanks to my BFF, Jess, for helping me out with this one! So to explain-- Kombucha is made from a culture so there is a mother culture, which then produces offspring (I know it sounds really creepy BUT it's awesome). Therefore, Jess received her culture from a lady at the farmers' market she knows that is a pro kombucha maker, Jess's culture then produced a culture, which she then gave to me. Local cultures are probably best for your own kombucha making, however, you can google "kombucha cultures for sale", add in your city for a more specific location and have it sent to your doorstep! If you want more info on the health benefits click here for my prior post on Kombucha!

If you do decide to embark on your kombucha-making quest, Here's how you would go about it:

Ingredients:
3 quarts filtered water
1 cup sugar
5-6 tea bags (organic is best)
1 cup kombucha from previous batch (if none available, use 1/4 cup distilled vinegar)
1 kombucha culture

Instructions:
1. Fill a large pot with water over stovetop and bring to a boil.
2. Add tea bags and sugar to water and remove pot from heat.
3. Allow pot to cool to room temperature.
4. Once tea is lukewarm, pour into large glass container, such as the one pictured above (Bed, Bath & Beyond $19.99- use a coupon for $5 or 20% off!).
5. Add culture using your hands to place it into the tea (culture may sink or float- no worries either way).
6. Add 1 cup pre-made kombucha or 1/4 cup distilled vinegar.
7. Cover top of the jar with a coffee filter and secure with rubber band.
8. Let sit for one week. It should start to thicken and if you shake the jar every once in a while, the kombucha will come out more carbonated.
9. Fill up individual bottles and flavor them to your liking! I'm going to try a ginger pear and a lemon honey to start! Enjoy!

The Truth About HFCS

Anyone else seen those highly annoying commercials with the lady walking in the farm, corn stalks blowing in the breeze, as she's saying that high fructose corn syup is A-okay for her and her family (innocent children having a picnic in the background)? There are few things in life that have ruffled my feathers as much as those commercials because High Fructose Corn Syrup, aka corn sugar as you can now find it on food labels, is NOT, I repeat, NOT good for us, nor our waistline.

When we eat the right foods, our hormones function properly. Triggers are sent to the brain to signal that we've had enough to eat and we are thereby full. When we eat the wrong foods, like simple sugars in processed foods, our bodies go haywire hormonally, and that ends up in one result... a new pair of larger sized pants, my friends.

Fructose found in HFCS, a sweetener in many processed foods, isn't seen by the brain as regular food so it doesn't see HCFS as excess calories or fat. Therefore, we don't turn off the "full" signal and continue eating, which leads to excess calories and weight gain.

As Americans we consume more than 63lbs of fructose per year! that's 128,000 calories and a huge contributor to weight gain!

Stop the madness now! When looking at food labels beware of the following as ingredients, but especially as one of the first 5:
1. Simple sugars- fructose, sucrose, high fructose corn syrup, corn sugar, dextrose, maltose, sucralose, aspartame, saccharin.
2. Enriched/bleached or refined flours- these have been stripped of all nutrients and are processed just the same as sugars.

Common HFCS culprits include, but are not limited to: Fat free foods, such as salad dressings, ketchup, mustard, honey mustards, barbecue sauce, granola bars, cereal bars, cookies, chips, and other pre-packaged snack foods.

Know what doesn't have HFCS?? Fresh fruits and veggies :)

Avoid Empty Calories

Sodas, fruit juices, sports drinks, and specialty coffees and teas can be loaded with “empty calories.” Nutritionally speaking, this means that these drinks provide no real nourishment, however, calorie and carb-wise can be equal to 3+ slices of bread (1 slice of bread= 15g carbs and roughly 60-70 calories) and most of these beverages offer up about 40g carbs and crazy amounts of sugar. Personally, I’d rather eat my calories!

Tofu-rific!

Just got home from dinner with my dietitian pal, Jess, and in true dietitian fashion, we had plenty of veggies and tofu! Now, I hear what you're thinking.... tofu? eww! And for the most part, I would've agreed with you, however, it really is dependent on how you cook/prepare it as to how palatable it ends up being. I've tried this soybean-derived food in all shapes and consistencies, but for the most part, it seems that extra firm tofu seems to be best at absorbing other flavors and has an agreeable texture. Try tofu in egg scrambles, stir fry's, soups, casseroles, etc! the list goes on and on! I've had a hard time with tofu just on its own and in the block-like shape, however, if you like it, great! Kudos to you! If you haven't tried it, google a recipe and give it a go! You've got nothing to lose! In comparison to meat, it is cheaper, incredibly versatile, low in the bad saturated fats, and lower in calories, while adding a great bulk to your meal, plus you're helping out the environment because the production costs are much lower.

Super creepy facts: It takes about 16lbs of grain to make one pound of beef and livestock are responsible for 18% of the greenhouse gases that cause global warming. That's more than cars, planes, and other transport combined! Now, I realize I just posted a grass-fed beef recipe two posts ago, so let me explain. By buying locally and grass-fed, there was much less production that went into my cut of meat. Lean beef and other meats are also excellent sources of protein, iron, riboflavin, and vitamin B12 (lacking in vegetarian foods).

Tofu is an excellent source of vegetarian protein with 1/2 cup firm (or 4 oz) tofu providing 10g protein, 94 calories, 5g fat (can find low-fat versions), and is naturally, cholesterol free since it is not animal derived. Other mentionables are the calcium- 227mg or 22% of the RDA, and iron- 1.8mg (although iron found in red meat will be more bioavailable).

Get Bikini-ready Stat!

Just because I haven't posted in a few days- I'll hit ya with a double whammy of nutrition! I don't know about your city but here in Tejas, since the weather is getting nicer and bikini season is right around the corner (as in next week), let's talk weight loss!

Being fit and healthy is really a two-part effort. Gotta work-out and gotta eat right. Hitting the treadmill for an hour isn't going to do anything if you're making a pit stop at whataburger on the way home! When we eat right, we also that we find we have more energy to workout even though that sounds counter intuitive since calories are energy.

Anyways! To the drawing board-- one key concept that so many people have trouble with is that in order to lose weight, calories in < calories out. Now, there's more to it than just that. What we don't want to do is have only 1-2 meals per day because that tells our bodies that we're in somewhat of a starvation mode, holding onto fat, instead of releasing it (Think good ol' caveman days when we didn't know when our next meal was going to leap in front of us). Jumpstart your metabolism with breakfast within one hour of rise every morning, and enjoy small frequent meals throughout the day.

For you smartphone users out there- some of my favorite Apps for tracking calories/nutrition info are Lose It, Calorie Count, Restaurant Nutrition, and Eat This Not That. Even tracking for a few days can help you realize portion sizes and see where you're at. You can even scan foods you eat to make tracking super easy and add in your physical activity! Thank you, technology!

Now, I'm no personal trainer, but whatever you need to get your rear in gear should be at the forefront of your to-do list. When we see exercise as part of our day and not as an option, it helps us get into the groove. Even at home, if you can read this blog, you can look-up youtube workout videos- abs, arms, gluts, whatever you want! For me, groupons and living social deals have helped motivate me to hit the gym/studio. My exercise of choice is hot yoga, pilates and lots of running. P90x dvds also help when I'm not in the mood to leave the apartment and I'm excited to start my crossfit classes through living social too!

Grass-fed Momma's Meatloaf

Ahh, so it's been awhile since my last post. I was back in H-town for a few days before taking off to Austin for the last weekend of SXSW. I'm going to go off on a quick tangent and just say I love the city of Austin so much! Such a great foodie, hippie, anything goes kinda place. Super easy to eat healthy too even if it means only eating out of food trucks (which I did- Chicken Tikka Masala out of the Naan Stop truck- great decision). Got to see some amazing Athens, GA based bands as well! Great Success!

Back to the food- Upon returning, I realized I had frozen my local Texas grass-fed beef I got from the farmers' market so I decided to try out my oh-so-yummy Turkey Meatloaf recipe featured in my book with the beef instead. Grass-fed beef tends to be a tad more gamey than your average beef taste-wise because it is very lean and has some of those awesome Omega-3 fatty acids instead of the usual saturated fats traditional beef is laden with. The result was wonderful! Definitely a different taste, but very acceptable. I paired the already veggie-filled loaf with more veggies- sauteed brussels sprouts, butternut squash, mushrooms, and onion seasoned with garlic and vinegar. Soo good! AND the leftovers fed me for the rest of the week! Which is time saving for when you're too exhausted later in the week to prepare something, but still want something healthy.

Here's the recipe! Enjoy!

Serves 6

Ingredients:

1 lb grass-fed ground beef (local beef preferred)
1 cup oats
1 cup finely chopped onion

3 carrots, shredded
½ cup ketchup (no high fructose corn syrup preferred)
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons minced garlic
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper

Preparation:

1.     Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine all ingredients in large bowl; mix lightly but thoroughly.

2.     Bake 50-55 minutes or until meatloaf reaches an internal temperature of 170°F. Let stand 5 minutes before slicing.

Optional Sauce:

1.     Combine ½ cup grated onion, 1 cup ketchup, 4 tablespoons distilled vinegar, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, and 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce and add to meatloaf 20 minutes before done. Sauce will add 76 calories, 19g carbohydrate, and 564mg sodium per serving. 

Nutrition Information:

216 calories, 7g fat, 3g saturated fat, 1g monounsaturated fat, 1g polyunsaturated fat, 19g carbs, 3g fiber, 19g protein, 437mg sodium. 

Coconut oil is probably one of the best things on Earth

In case you're not familiar with coconut oil, it's an amazing product to not only use while cooking but well, for just about everything. Check out this article for 80 uses for this versatile wonder as well as the nutrition info behind it. One of my best pals and fellow dietitian, Jess, actually made her own toothpaste from this stuff! (Yes, that's what dietitians do in their spare time.)

Happy National Registered Dietitian Day!

My breakfast of champions on this great day in Houston, TX! Greek yogurt, fresh strawberries and blackberries, sprinkled with flax seeds and drizzled with honey! Stevia sweetened tea gave me my caffeine kick for the day too. I think if I had to pick one thing to eat for the rest of my life- this would be it.

As for the nutrition (and in case you didn't know)- Greek yogurt is much higher in protein than your average joe Yoplait. The legit Greek yogurt is going to have more than 20g protein per cup, have about 8-9g carbohydrates and if it's fat-free, less than 130 calories. Paired with fresh fruit and honey, it's the perfect combo of carbs and protein.

Back to H-town!

After a wonderful weekend with the family and a helluva long day, I'm back home in Houston. I had a 2 hour layover in San Diego where I encountered a new product! Gnu Foods Flavor and Fiber Chocolate Brown Bar in the health foods section (very excited that they even had that section in the airport). Based out of NYC, I was very pleased with the nutrition information (140 calories, 4g fat, 1g saturated fat, 30mg sodium, 30g carbohydrates, 12g fiber- 8g soluble, 4g insoluble, 9g sugar, 4g protein). Low in sodium, reasonable calories, all natural ingredients, and most of all, a great blend of both insoluble and soluble fibers! The taste was terrific as well! A+ Gnu Foods!

Headed to Cali!

When I say I travel a lot, I sure mean it. Currently, I am San Francisco bound, which was lucky in and of itself because I flew standby. Didn’t make the first flight, but made the second by the skin of my teeth. Ended up with the middle seat, however, I would’ve gladly ridden with the luggage just to get on the plane! It’s 6:45pm Houston time and I’ve now been awake almost 15 hours… yuck. For one of my jobs, I provide health coaching to employees of companies that hire my company (got that?), and can require me to be on site at hellacious hours of the morning. Sometimes it feels weird eating breakfast so early in the morning, yet in order to really jumpstart metabolism, it’s important to eat within the first hour of rise. This morning I had a perfectly ripe pear with some Greek yogurt. The health fair itself had an assortment of the usual culprits- cinnamon rolls, Danishes, scones, bagels, etc. They were tough to avoid, so I’ll admit I split a blueberry scone with another dietitian. I practiced another lesson I preach- allow yourself a slice, not the whole pie. This prevents feeling deprived and later slipping back off the wagon.

After work, it was home to grab my stuff, kill the other half of my acorn squash (leftover from the night before), pack some snacks to take with me for the plane (more greek yogurt and some almonds), and make my way to Bush Intercontinental Airport. In case y’all haven’t been fortunate enough to sample the wonder that is acorn squash, 1. You should and 2. Seriously, get to the grocery store NOW. Acorn squash packs a punch of Vitamins A, B6, C, E, potassium, and magnesium. One 4” acorn squash contains approximately 176 calories, 0.4g fat, 0g saturated fat, 45g carbohydrates, 6.5g fiber, 0g sugar 3.4g protein, and 13mg sodium. Personally, I consume about half when I prepare it. It’ll surprise you how easily this one fills ya up! This is a great veggie too if you’re short on time- I typically poke the squash with a fork all around and nuke it for about 7 minutes (Caution: it will be HOT), slice it in half, de-seed each half, add some cinnamon or nutmeg (whichever I can find first), grab a fork and go to town! Acorn squash is a great substitute for mashed potatoes in this sense, yet way more flavorful, in my opinion.

Another hour till I land in my favorite US city for some quality time with my family J Movie time.  

References: http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/list

Eating on the Job

One of the biggest excuses I hear from clients is that they just didn't have time to eat healthy and had no other possible choice but to hit up the drive-thru window.  I hear ya folks! So much of eating healthy IS being prepared and having the right foods on hand BUT you also don't have to order the Big Mac with Fries either.

Ever since the documentary Super Size Me came out, I'll have to hand it to the Golden Arches for vastly improving their menu. For the most part the Grilled Chicken Salad with a vinaigrette based dressing is going to be the best choice at any fast food spot. Second would be some form of grilled chicken strips (watch the dipping sauces), followed by the grilled chicken sandwich on a wheat bun sans the mayo. Where's the beef you say? Aside from being astronomically high in saturated and trans fats, most beef and fried foods are laden with MSG, or monosodium glutamate, a flavor enhancer that has also been linked to adverse side effects.

My philosophy is to take preemptive action and avoid foods/food products that are lacking long term scientific evidence and could be potentially cancer causing. In other words- it ain't worth the risk! Sodium nitrates are another one of those controversial food additives that may lead to heart disease.

As for the I-can't-even-use-the-bathroom-nevermind-go-eat excuse while at work, I have just the solution! Make like a school-child and pack your very own lunch box! Hell, you can even store snacks at your desk! My snacks of choice are Fage 0% Greek yogurt, Laughing Cow cheese wedges, fruit (of course), 100 calorie packs of unsalted almonds or other nut mixes, Luna bars, Lara bars (watch the calories/fat), and Frigo Heads String Cheese. Rule #76- No excuses, eat like a champion.

ATL Airport is a Dietitian's Nightmare

So I crashed at my dear friend Courtney’s house in Atlanta last night in order to be dropped off at Marta this morning and make my way to the all-too-familiar Hartsfield Jackson International Airport. (I swear I know this airport better than the employees.) Airports have become synonymous with my life currently. Since November, I don’t think I’ve gone longer than 3 weeks without boarding a different plane- Atlanta, Atlanta again for X-mas, LA, NYC, Atlanta for a third time with no close end in sight! I have to say, I’m definitely not complaining. Right now I couldn’t be happier with all my travel plans, except for the fact that my diet has inevitably suffered. 

The pressure to indulge in what I call “vacation no-nos” lurks around ever corner. My parents, for example, fell victim to those girlscouts temptresses in disguise (those boxes glared at me every time I entered the kitchen). Chick-fil-a’s occupying every exit also pose a problem. Not to jump on my soapbox or anything, BUT there is a severe lack of sweet tea outside of what I consider the Deep South (Texas doesn’t count) so “because I only get it when I’m home,” I tell myself it’s ok. But really, IT’S NOT OK! Unfortunately, it’s what has led to my 3lb weight gain in 6 days :( A slippery slope that most people find themselves on. Before 3lbs turns into 10, it’s time to get back into the drivers seat. See? Dietitians don’t always have the perfect diet. (This is the part where you guys sympathize with me as readers.)

So as I said I’m at the airport, scouring poor choice after poor choice. To my amazement, there was even an Oscar Mayer restaurant option. Good grief. Ended up at Atlanta Bread Company assuming they would have some kind of fruit cup or non-fat yogurt... wishful thinking on my part. Ended up with an egg and cheese sandwich. I looked up the nutrition after (usually always check before but time was of the essence) to discover my breakfast had 440 calories, 17g fat, 6g saturated fat, 52g carbohydrates, 2g fiber, 20g protein and 790mg sodium. 

I’ll explain how I arrived at my decision: The fewest calorie option would’ve been the bagel with fat free cream cheese, however, that meal would’ve been entirely composed of carbohydrates. By adding some protein and fat (with the egg and cheese), I was able to avoid a high blood sugar spike and I was able to go the remaining 4 hours till I arrived back at my place and safely in healthy food zone. Typically when we eat foods comprised of high amounts of carbohydrates (and processed, white bread ones), we tend to become hungrier sooner.

To compensate for my not-so-ideal meal, I had a nice spinach salad when I got back to my place and took my little dog, Georgia, for a much needed run. I love vacations (I mean who doesn’t?), but there’s definitely something to be said about being home and getting back to your routine. AND sleeping in your own bed J