EASY HEALTHY SWAPS FOR YOUR SUPERBOWL PARTY

If you want all the fun, but none of the added pounds, over SuperBowl weekend then read on.

There are so many healthier options out there for the same dishes!  You can easily reduce lots of unnecessary calories, bad fats and sodium. So whether you choose to buy or make your own dishes here are some suggestions:-

SWAPS TO SHOP FOR:

-CHIPS & DIPS – go for baked Tostitos and salsa. Try www.waldenfarms.com dips – can get them online or in grocery stores (Giant/Harris Teeter). Or make your own – see below

-BEER – choose light beers ie Sam Adams Light instead of stout

-PIZZA - choose thin crust with chicken & veggies. Can always add more healthy toppings. Or make your own – see below for recipe.

-WINGS – bake them instead of frying (use Waldens Farms BBQ/Honey sauce). Bake your own brushed with olive oil & herbs.

 

MAKE YOUR OWN CHIPS & DIPS:

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/46156217/ns/today-food/

MAKE YOUR OWN PIZZA:

Here is a recipe for healthy pizza crust that can be topped with any of your favorite pizza toppings (don’t hold back on the toppings!)

Ingredients:

·   4 eggs

·   1/3 cup (38 grams)  coconut flour (sifted to remove any lumps)

·   1/3 cup (47 grams) flaxseed meal (I bought whole flaxseeds and put them through the food processor)

·   1/2 cup (4 oz)  coconut milk (you can also use whole organic milk)

·   Garlic powder, Dried Basil, Dried Oregano to taste

 

Directions:

·         Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

·         Mix all ingredients (except for the spices) until you have created a pancake-like batter.

·         Add in the spices to your taste.  If you are a garlic lover, add more garlic.  If you’re an oregano lover go crazy with the oregano.

·         Place parchment paper onto a cookie sheet and pour your batter into a round or rectangle shape on the parchment paper (shape is dependent on how you would like to make your pizza).

·         Bake on 1 side for 10 minutes.  At the 10 min. mark, flip over the crust and bake for another 10 minutes (Using the parchment paper makes flipping it over and handling it much, much easier).

·         Now you are ready to add the toppings of your choice.  I.e., tomato sauce, spinach and cooked chicken or tomato sauce, cooked ground beef and raw cheese.

·         Place under the broiler for 60 seconds (especially if you want to melt the cheese).

(Ref:- Isabel De Los Rios)

YUMMY CUPCAKES:

• 1 cup protein powder
• ½ cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1 tsp baking powder

DIRECTIONS: Bake at 350 degrees for 15 min - makes 6 cupcakes. Add toppings/not.  Enjoy!!

OR USE THESE HEALTHY INGREDIENT SWAPS WHEREVER YOU CAN

—  Egg beaters

—  Vanilla extract, nutmeg/cinnamon

—  Jello sugar free vanilla/choc pudding

—  Stevia or agave nectar

—  Whey protein powder – choc/vanilla

—  Unsweetened almond milk(vanilla/chocolate)

—  Evaporated Milk

—  Low fat Greek yogurt

For other ‘At Home Simple, Healthy Holiday Food Swaps’ – see blog post below.

**Plse share your own tips and ideas in comments below so we can all eat more and really enjoy it knowing that we’re not packing on the pounds!**

ENJOY SUPERBOWL SUNDAY!

At Home Simple, Healthy Holiday Food Swaps

Simple switches can yield big results when it comes to reducing calories & eating healthier. Please feel free to add your tips & tricks! 

• Think herbs & spices(cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, extracts) to add flavor in all dishes
• Use olive oil & herbs instead of butter, cream or cheese
• Use low fat/dairy free cream cheese/ low fat Greek yogurt instead of cream
• Use agave nectar/honey/Stevia instead of white sugar
• Season with fresh lemon juice or fresh herbs.
• If you have whey protein powders – replace flour with this in recipes
• Make green bean casserole with low-fat or dairy-free sour cream;
• Replace sausage, white bread and butter in stuffing with nuts, whole grains and broth or water (if you can't give up the sausage, opt for the turkey or chicken version).
• Buy French baguettes (made without fat or sugar) for stuffing; serve instead of high-cal rolls.
• For snacking - choose nuts over pretzels - sprinkle them with salt-free lemon pepper or cinnamon.
• Use chestnuts in stuffing – much lower in fat
• Cook the stuffing outside the bird to lower fat content. Add chopped spinach & spices such as fennel or sage instead of meat.
• Purée potato-&-vegetable mixtures to use instead of cream sauces.
• In fruit pies, use half the amount of sugar the recipe calls for, or substitute with stevia/honey/agave
• Use whole-wheat pastry flour – more fiber & less chemicals
• In cheesecake, substitute part-skim ricotta cheese for cream cheese = more protein & less fat
• In brownies, cookies, & fruit breads, use pureed pumpkin instead of oil.
• Use cauliflower/squash instead of potatoes, or sweet potatoes with cinnamon & spices, over white ones with butter & cream
• Roast turkey on a rack so that the fat will drain off.
• To bring out their natural sweetness without the added sugar, roast, don't boil, sweet potatoes.
• Lighten your string bean casserole by skipping the cream soup – sauté with onions instead
• If making your own cranberry sauce using Stevia instead of sugar cuts cals in half. Or choose apple sauce.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving everyone!!

How to Eat, Drink & Still Shrink Over the Holidays!

Tis the season to Party! Eat! Drink! Do it all without putting on weight. It can be done! Learn how to maximize the ‘eat and drink’, and minimize the bulge!

It is all too easy: - party after party, temptation after temptation, and it’s not just a couple of parties. From Halloween candy to New Year’s Eve is nine weeks of celebration…and, therefore, potential over-indulgence! And as we know, those few tasty moments on the lips - turned multiple – won’t compensate for starring in the mirror on Jan 1^st and wondering why your jeans don’t fit anymore. Don’t let your mind go on vacation too! Take control now, before the holiday takes hold. Put some of these things in place & you'll wake up on New Year's Day wearing the same size, or even one size smaller.

DECIDE BEFORE YOU DIVE IN….how important is it to you not to put on weight over the holidays? Have a goal – i.e. what you’re going to wear to a particular party or NYE / an event. What/who do you want to look good for? Remember this – write it down – stick up a picture – anything that’ll be a useful jolt to resisting!

BUDDY UP. Try to find a friend or relative to exercise/party with/ to watch over each other against over indulging.

CREATE A CONTEST – with a friend/relative or group. I.e., whoever puts on most weight – pays for a salon/spa treatment for the other/24 pack of beer etc

JOURNAL IT – just for the holidays.  Track your food, alcohol and exercise. It’ll help show you how much and how frequently you’re indulging, and therefore help put you back in control–

DO NOT SKIP MEALS/’SAVE’ UP!  Your metabolism will slow down, so you want burn more calories – less in fact. When you do eat, you are far more likely to overeat, as your blood sugar will be low, and reach for more carb-laden foods because of this.

KNOW YOUR PORTIONS and try to stick to them. Know that you can easily add on one pound in a week by consuming just 500 extra calaries a day.

BUILD A MEAL! Focus on the protein and build your meal around that – i.e. veggies/salad, and small amount of grains/potato/bread.

AVOID PASTRY & FRIED FOODS. Eat what’s in them but leave the outside. I know it’s not easy (yes, fat tastes good!), but remember ‘Nothing tastes as good as thin feels!’

WATCH THE DRESSINGS AND SAUCES.  These could be more calorific than your meal itself!  

SHARE, OR SERVE YOURSELF ONLY HALF A PLATE. Then you enjoy the habit of being able to go back for seconds

DRINK UP!  Sparkling water/iced water. It’ll help fill you up and ensure you are well hydrated, and not eating thinking you are hungry

BE AWARE & MINDFUL. With so many distractions it’s all too easy to miss our getting full cues…and then ‘oops… you’ve over eaten …again!’

10 MINUTE RULE – wait before indulging in seconds & desserts, or another alcoholic beverage. It really does work – try it and see. There’ll be plenty to distract you for 10mins – enjoy that, instead of focusing on your taste buds! Often some gum/purse spray Listerine will work to get you over that ‘temptation hump!’

CHEERS! – WITHOUT SUGAR HYPNOSIS. When it comes to drinking – it’s all about what and how much, so choose wisely.  There is no way for your body to tell you when you’ve maxed out on liquid calories!

-Alcohol.  Remember it has calories! Avoid the fruity, sugary mixers – choose on the rocks, club soda, or diet soda (if you must)

-Beware those café holiday drinks – they are packed with sugar and calories. Stick to the basics or share one as  a one-off ‘treat’

- Skip the eggnog – it can be up to 450 calories a glass. Or find a ‘lite’ version

SIMPLE SWITCHES IN THE KITCHEN can yield big results when it comes to reducing calories. Same dishes - just as tasty (if not more so!) with alternative healthier ingredients

-          Piling up leftover desserts/holiday "goodies" in plain sight can prompt you to eat twice as much, twice as fast. Instead, keep alternate goodies, such as almonds, hummus, cinnamon-spice tea, grapes, Greek yogurt (0%), within easy reach.

HAVE SOME SIMPLE RULES FOR YOURSELF

-          Promise to put it on a plate

-          Be the last person to start

-          Eat & chew slow– put fork down in between (novel idea hey!)

-          Choose smaller/dessert plates at a buffet

-          Don’t pile it up – there’ll be plenty more available

-          Focus on enjoying the people!

SLEEP.  Probably the first thing to slip hey? When you sleep, hormones are released that control your appetite and the types of food you crave, as well as your ‘full’ cues. Lack in this and those ‘unhealthy holiday foods’ will be even harder to resist!

EXERCISE/JUST MOVE!  Wherever you are there’s always something you can do – but one thing is clear:-just do it! It will help with digestion, burn calories, make you feel better, sleep better. Add an extra 10 to 15 minutes to your workouts, run, walk, climb stairs, Jumping jacks/press-ups/abs, sledding, clear snow or leaves. Take gear with you - i.e. resistance bands, pump up an exercise ball)

CHECK IN WITH YOURSELF. Weigh yourself once a week

IT’S YOUR BODY! Learn ‘nice’ ways to say to friends and family who try and push more your way.

Overall, practice moderation, not deprivation: as our grandmother’s used to say “A little of what you fancy does you good!”.  So …eat, drink and be merry…mindfully. On New Year s Day – you’ll be thankful you did.

Happy Holidays everyone from Naked Health!

September is ‘National Cholesterol Education Month’

High cholesterol is a major risk factor for heart disease, the leading cause of death in the United States. High blood cholesterol affects over 102 mil Americans over 20yrs old (CDC). It can be prevented by healthy eating & exercise.

What is Cholesterol?
Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance found in your body and many foods. Your body needs cholesterol to function normally and makes all that you need. Too much cholesterol can build up in your arteries. After a while, these deposits narrow your arteries, putting you at risk for heart disease and stroke. Cholesterol in foods mainly comes from animals.

Types
• LDL ("bad") cholesterol - low density lipoprotein
• HDL ("good") cholesterol - high density lipoprotein

Lipoproteins are combinations of lipids (fats) and proteins. They are the form in which lipids are transported in the blood.

LDL ("bad") cholesterol - LDL is the major carrier of cholesterol in the blood. LDL cholesterol is called "bad" cholesterol, because elevated LDL cholesterol is associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease. LDL lipoprotein deposits cholesterol on the artery walls, causing the formation of a hard, thick substance called cholesterol plaque. Over time, cholesterol plaque causes thickening of the artery walls and narrowing of the arteries (coronary heart disease). Coronary heart disease is the most common cause of death in the United States, accounting for about 600,000 deaths annually. Narrowing of the arteries can also lead to brain damage from stroke. In addition to smoking and blood pressure, blood cholesterol is a major controllable risk factor for coronary heart disease.

Your blood cholesterol level is affected not only by what you eat but also by how quickly your body makes LDL ("bad") cholesterol and disposes of it. In fact, your body makes all the cholesterol it needs, and it is not necessary to take in any additional cholesterol from the foods you eat.

HDL ("good") cholesterol - HDL transports cholesterol from the tissues of the body to the liver so it can be gotten rid of in the bile. HDL cholesterol is therefore considered the "good" cholesterol. The higher the HDL cholesterol level, the lower the risk of coronary artery disease.

Determining factors
Many factors help determine whether your LDL-cholesterol level is high or low. The following factors are the most important:

Heredity. Your genes influence how high your LDL ("bad") cholesterol is by affecting how fast LDL is made and removed from the blood. One specific form of inherited high cholesterol that affects 1 in 500 people is familial hypercholesterolemia, which often leads to early heart disease. But even if you do not have a specific genetic form of high cholesterol, genes play a role in influencing your LDL-cholesterol level.

What you eat. Two main nutrients in the foods you eat make your LDL ("bad") cholesterol level go up: saturated fat, a type of fat found mostly in foods that come from animals; and cholesterol, which comes only from animal products. Saturated fat raises your LDL-cholesterol level more than anything else in the diet. Eating too much saturated fat and cholesterol is the main reason for high levels of cholesterol and a high rate of heart attacks in the United States. Reducing the amount of saturated fat and cholesterol you eat is a very important step in reducing your blood cholesterol levels. For more, please visit the Nutrition Center.

Weight. Excess weight tends to increase your LDL ("bad") cholesterol level. If you are overweight and have a high LDL-cholesterol level, losing weight may help you lower it. Weight loss also helps to lower triglycerides and raise HDL ("good") cholesterol levels.

Physical activity/exercise. Regular physical activity may lower LDL ("bad") cholesterol and raise HDL ("good") cholesterol levels.

Age and sex. Before the age of menopause, women usually have total cholesterol levels that are lower than those of men the same age. As women and men get older, their blood cholesterol levels rise until about 60 to 65 years of age. After the age of about 50, women often have higher total cholesterol levels than men of the same age.

Alcohol. Alcohol intake increases HDL ("good") cholesterol but does not lower LDL ("bad") cholesterol. Doctors don't know for certain whether alcohol also reduces the risk of heart disease. Drinking too much alcohol can damage the liver and heart muscle, lead to high blood pressure, and raise triglycerides. Because of the risks, alcoholic beverages should not be used as a way to prevent heart disease.

Stress. Stress over the long term has been shown in several studies to raise blood cholesterol levels. One way that stress may do this is by affecting your habits. For example, when some people are under stress, they console themselves by eating fatty foods. The saturated fat and cholesterol in these foods contribute to higher levels of blood cholesterol

How often should you have your cholesterol checked?
The National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) recommends that adults aged 20 years or older have their cholesterol checked every 5 years.

Additional resources
• http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/Cholesterol/CholestrolATH_UCM_001089_SubHomePage.jsp
• http://hp2010.nhlbihin.net/cholmonth/
• http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=14638

An invitation from Naked Health...

Fish or meat for your health?

A study evaluated the health and eating habits of close to 15,000 people age 65 and older from countries around the world, including Peru, China, India, Venezuela, Cuba, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic. And the people who ate fish often -- nearly every day -- were about 20 percent less likely to be diagnosed with dementia compared with the folks who never ate fish. Also, eating one to two 6-ounce servings of omega-3-rich fish each week reduces your risk of dying from heart disease by 36 percent; may protect against Alzheimer's disease; and your all-cause mortality rate drops by 17 percent. Researchers suspect that the inflammation-fighting omega-3 fatty acids in fish produce the benefit.
If you don't care much about your brain: meat. In the study, the more meat people ate (think beef, chicken, and pork) the higher their risk of dementia.

Concerned about mercury in your fish?
Unfortunately, most fish contain some mercury, thanks to industrial processing. But the less time fish spend simply living in a mercury-laden environment or eating other fish containing mercury, the lower the contamination levels will be. So for low-mercury fish, we're talking small fish that don't eat many other fish (or fish meal) and don't have a long life span. Here are five good choices:
1. Salmon (wild): 1 gram of omega-3 fatty acids per 2 ounces of fish;* 0.014 parts per million mercury concentration
2. Herring: 1 gram of omega-3 fatty acids per 1 ounce of fish;* 0.044 parts per million mercury concentration
3. Sardines: 1 gram of omega-3 fatty acids per 2-3 ounces of fish;* 0.016 parts per million mercury concentration
4. Trout (freshwater): 1 gram of omega-3 fatty acids per 3-4 ounces of fish;* 0.072 parts per million mercury concentration
5. Pollock: 1 gram of omega-3 fatty acids per 6.5 ounces of fish;* 0.041 parts per million mercury concentration
*Oil content varies widely, depending on species, season, environment, diet, and packing and cooking methods.

Here's the list of fish to avoid:
• King mackerel: 0.73 parts per million mercury concentration
• Shark: 0.99 parts per million mercury concentration
• Swordfish: 0.98 parts per million mercury concentration
• Tilefish (Gulf of Mexico): 1.45 parts per million mercury concentration
So where does the tuna fall? Pretty close to the middle of the road, actually, with mercury concentration ranging from 0.12 to 0.69 parts per million, depending on what kind of tuna you eat. And you'll need to eat anywhere from 3.5-12 ounces to get 1 gram of omega-3 fatty acids, depending on how you take your tuna: Fresh tuna has the most and canned chunk light tuna has the least. But chunk light tuna also has the least mercury.

A fish-oil supplement is a surefire way to get the omega-3 fatty acids you want and need. But talk to your doctor first. Fish-oil supplements, or too much, are dangerous for certain people.

Ref:- Dietary fish and meat intake and dementia in Latin America, China, and India: a 10/66 Dementia Research Group population-based study. Albanese, E., American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2009 Aug;90(2):392-400.
Fish intake, contaminants, and human health: evaluating the risks and the benefits. Mozaffarian, D., Rimm, E. B., Journal of the American Medical Association 2006 Oct 18;296(15):1885-1899.
Fish consumption, fish oil, omega-3 fatty acids, and cardiovascular disease. Kris-Etherton, P. M., Harris, W. S., Appel, L. J., American Heart Association. Nutrition Committee. Circulation 2002 Nov 19;106(21):2747-2757.

Wanna curb late night snacking?

So there I am at night in-front if my computer. I’m tired, but want to carry on and get more stuff done. The more tired I get my body wants energy to keep it awake; it’s then that those cravings creep in…hmmm for something salty! So in efforts to be ‘good’ I go for a bag of 100 cal popcorn. Bad habit I’ve gotten into. Why bad? Because it’s late at night – I’m not hungry - I only want it because I’m tired. And because it’s becoming a little too regular, and this is pure carbs. Carbs are your body’s quick source of energy;- so if all I’m doing is going to sleep then my body won’t have chance to burn them off and so will store that excess energy supply …as fat! Remember that snacks can add up, and its only takes 500 cals of unused cals a day to add on 1lb/week. This can easily add up to 4/5lbs in a month and so on.
It’s that mindless eating, the strong late night cravings, when our discipline is low. It’s all OK if you know how much your body needs. It’s knowing that difference – knowing your body. For me…I either need to stop or find a better alternative.
How do I break that habit? Either decide to just go to bed. Or by having some basic knowledge about carbs/fat/cals etc and knowing that this late night snack is – carb-wise - more than my entire breakfast, or equivalent to a healthy lunch/dinner for me. THIS is the wake-up call I need to stop.
In addition, often such late night eating can lead to bloating/gas during the night. Also, it can mean we’re not hungry for breakfast and that may lead some of us to skip that meal…BAD IDEA!!
So if you have to give into that craving – try small portions of exactly what you crave. Or try healthier options such as peanut butter and apple slices, veggies & hummus dip, low fat cheese slices, cup of broth…or maybe a cup of iced water – as hunger often hides thirst. Even a diet soda can give your taste buds that flavor they’re seeking.
Try and switch your brain onto something else..what you're working on, a TV programme, what your plans are tomorrow or at the weekend. often just waiting 10mins can lessen the urge.

What food cravings do you give into late at night? And have you found ways to make them healthier or stop?