September is National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month
by Pamela | September 2nd, 2010 at 10:38 am
Growing up, I was the fat kid. I was the book worm who would rather go to the library than go play outside.
I remember very clearly in elementary school there was myself and one other fat girl in my grade. She was a bit bigger than me but intelligent and kind. We were often picked last for teams in P.E. and were the last two to finish doing the mile run. (Or for us it really should have been called the mile walk).
It was miserable being that girl.
What worries me today, in most grades and schools, there is not just “that girl”. Or two. Or even three. Now it may be a quarter or a third of the class that falls into that obese category. A child born after 2000 has a 1 in 3 chance of developing type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease. In the United States 23 million children and teenagers between the ages of 2 and 19 are obese or overweight.
Those are pretty scary statistics.
So what can we do? Just like any problem, we have to start with baby steps. I want you to check out this web site:
http://www.healthierkidsbrighterfutures.org/about/
September is National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month and the web site above is filled with information, links and tips on how you can help turn the tide on this epidemic. It will take each one of us taking action to make a difference.
So here are a few tips I have based on what I know as a trainer and as a former obese child.
- Kick the soda habit. I, unfortunately, lived on the stuff growing up. It’s what my whole family drank so I really didn’t know any better. Kick it for your health and for your child’s.
- Keep kid friendly snacks in the house. Have fruit, nuts, low fat cheese, low fat yogurt, nut butters, whole grain breads and pre cut veggies at the ready. I would always reach for what was easy in my house. That was normally Little Debbie cakes, cheese (not low fat) and crackers, chips or white bread with fatty lunch meat. Limit these things in your house.
- Don’t let your child set the menu or meal times. Know what your child likes but also set boundaries for their unhealthy favorites. Make healthier versions of their favorite fast food treats like chicken fingers or pizza.
- Be active together. Have a Wii sports tournament for the whole family or get everyone out for a hike or bike ride.
- Don’t make it about losing weight. Make it about being healthy. Encourage healthy eating and physical activity. Be a good example of both.
Okay healthy parents, what other tips can you share to help combat this issue one family at a time?
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Easy Recipes with Greek Yogurt
by Pamela | August 9th, 2010 at 1:23 pm
Perhaps you have noticed all the new varieties of yogurt hitting the grocery stores, particularly the Greek variety.
image by Wolfgang StaudtGreek yogurt, which is made in a very similar process to traditional American yogurt except straining to create a more creamy consistency, is all the rage right now. I personally love it. Typically it has less sugar and more protein than traditional yogurt. It can be a great substitute for sour cream or a handy ingredient for recipes.
But, just like my previous post on ingredient labels said, you have to read the label. For some reason, not all varieties have the higher protein content (around 15 g per servings) and lower sugar. I was surprised myself when I went to pick up another variety (the stores had a shortage of my favorite Dannon for awhile) and found only 6g of protein per serving in brand Y and some extra ingredients that didn’t make since for plain yogurt. I have no idea why the differences, but it reinforced my long standing belief in always reading the label. Look for a quality brand that has basic ingredients and higher protein content if you decide to give it a try.
I will also say it does taste different than traditional yogurt. It’s somewhere between plain traditional yogurt and sour cream. I usually like mine with something naturally sweet, like fruit, to cut some of the tangy taste.
Here are a couple of easy treats that you can make with Greek yogurt. If you are craving something sweet and creamy reach for one of these instead of ice cream.
Frozen Berry Yogurt
- 1 serving plain non fat Greek yogurt ( I like Dannon)
- ¼ cup frozen blueberries
- ½ frozen banana
- Sprinkle of stevia
- Place berries and banana in a bowl and let set 5-10 minutes to partially thaw.
- Add yogurt, sprinkle with stevia and stir until well combined.
- Eat immediately. Makes 1 serving.
Chocolate Banana Yogurt
- 1 serving plain non fat Greek yogurt
- 1 tbsp natural peanut butter
- 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ banana (frozen or fresh)
- Sprinkle of stevia
- Place all ingredients in a bowl, blend and serve. Makes 1 serving.
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5 Things to Look for On Food Labels
by Pamela | July 29th, 2010 at 10:48 am
image by dok1In your quest to be a healthy and fit you need to be a vigilant food detective. It’s not easy deciphering food labels. Without sounding too much like a conspiracy theorist, I think they do it on purpose.
I think the marketing people believe if they highlight the words “natural”, “light” or “reduced” on the label we, the consumer, won’t look any further than that. We will simply trust that the product is good for us, load up our carts and go on our merry way.
The problem is a lot of people do just that. This is where they get into trouble. You have to read the label and try to get the real story of what’s going on and into the food you’re buying. Here is my top 5 list of things to look for on food labels.
- Serving size
When you pick up what appears to be a single serve product, validate that before buying and eating. See if the Nutrition Facts actually state that the package contains one serving. More often than not what appears to be a single serving package of chips or beverage has at least two servings. Double the calories without really even noticing. - Trans Fat
The label may say trans fat free, but to get the real story you need to read the ingredient list. If anywhere in the ingredient list you see a hydrogenated oil or partially hydrogenated oil, then the product contains trans fats. The catch is if there is less than .5 grams per serving they can legally claim it is trans fat free. - Sodium
Check the Nutrition Facts for the amount of sodium per serving. The latest guidelines suggest somewhere between 1500 and 2300 mg of sodium per day. Pick up one of those “healthy” frozen entrees and you could easily be getting 1/3 of your recommend daily sodium intake from one place. - High Fructose Corn Syrup
This one seems to have a lot of controversy surrounding it these days. I say error on the side of caution and steer clear. The problem is it is in all sorts of unexpected places. For example, ketchup, canned beans, lite yogurt and pancake syrup. This is one you can’t assume isn’t there just because the product isn’t a sweet treat. - Fiber and whole grains
These are things you want! Often we see wheat and assume fiber and whole grains are there. It’s critical to check two things: the actual grams of fiber per serving and where the whole grains are listed on the ingredient list. I’ve seen whole wheat breads with less than one gram of fiber per slice, I say shoot for 3 per slice. Make sure the whole grain ingredient is within the first 5 on the ingredient list, not somewhere near end.
Remember to look for these 5 things on your next shopping trip. I would love to hear any additional tips you have for navigating the mysteries of food labels.
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Cucumber Hummus Sandwich with Coconut Sweet Corn Recipe
by Pamela | July 22nd, 2010 at 10:24 am
This time of year there is absolutely no excuse not to eat healthy. The bounty of local produce provides a huge opportunity to eat clean and flavorful at the same time.
Right now, at least in my part of the country, the farmer’s markets are loaded with a huge variety and supply of wonderful food. Each item is bursting with flavor and ready to provide a fresh fantastic meal.
Normally I only post one a recipe a month, but because of the enormous amount of inspiration available I decided to change up my schedule. I don’t want you to miss out on an opportunity to enjoy some fresh vegetables at the peak of their season.
These two recipes use not only fresh vegetables from the farmer’s market, but homemade bread and hummus. These two items are easy to make and add to the freshness of the meal.
Cucumber Hummus Sandwiches
- 2 servings of Artisan Buttermilk Bread (4 slices per serving for the book Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day
)
- 4 tbsp hummus (I like Holy Moly Hummus from the book How It All Vegan
)
- 8 slices of cucumber
- 2 servings roasted red peppers
- 4 slices of red onion
For each sandwich: spread 1 tbsp of hummus each on two slices of bread. Layer each slice with 2 cucumber slices, roasted red pepper and a slice of onion. Top with the remaining bread slices. Makes 2 sandwiches
Coconut Sweet Corn
image by IPBrian- 2 ears fresh sweet corn
- ½ tbsp coconut oil
- Preheat broiler on low.
- Shuck corn and rinse to remove all strands of silk.
- Brush coconut oil on corn, dividing the oil between the 2 ears.
- Cover a jelly roll pan with aluminum foil and spray lightly with olive oil
- Place corn on pan and into oven, about 4 inches away from heat.
- Cook 3-4 minutes or until corn starts to lightly brown.
- Remove from oven and serve immediately. Makes 2 servings.
Together these two recipes provide a quick and easy summer supper full of flavor and nutrition.
So tell me, what’s your favorite fresh summer meal?
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Pick It or Kick It Review
by Pamela | July 15th, 2010 at 10:44 am
Sometimes I have to remind myself that I have been on this journey for a long time. Over a decade, actually. I had to do that a lot as I read Oxygen's Pick it Kick It
I was so excited to read this book because I am a huge Oxygen Magazine fan and have been for a long time. I think of all the women’s fitness magazines they are by far the best. The workouts are balanced, yet challenging. Clean eating is the name of the game when it comes to their recipes and nutrition advice. Not a lot of fluff (like how to shave your legs or flattering makeup for the gym) just quality fitness information and motivation.
So I expected a lot from this book. Unfortunately, I didn’t get the kind of clean eating twist to Eat This Not That
If I were just starting on my journey, maybe a few months in, this would be a good resource. While similar to Eat This Not That, there are some key differences. First, it is all inclusive. Not just fast food or the grocery store, but all options one might face in a day. The chapters are divided into meals (with one each for breakfast, lunch and dinner), snacks, eating out, stocking your pantry and “good for you” foods. Each chapter provides great substitutions that someone new to health and fitness could make that would help them keep moving in the right direction while adjusting to their new lifestyle. A few examples:
- Tuna roll instead of crunchy shrimp roll to save 50 calories and over 400 mg of sodium.
- Thin crust cheese pizza instead of stuffed crust pepperoni pizza to save 188 calories a slice.
- Taco Bell Ranchero Chicken Soft Taco instead of Taco Bell Grilled Stuffed Burrito with Chicken which will save you 470 calories.
These are great ideas for someone learning how to manage portions and make better choices. The Pantry section is also very helpful for anyone trying to clean out the junk and start fresh with clean eating staples. Also interspersed throughout the book are wonderful motivational stories from real people. Real women who have lost some pretty substantial amounts of weight, the right way, kept it off and reclaimed their lives.
When I look at this book through my current day perspective, over 11 years on this journey, I become disappointed. First, there are some things in this book that just don’t compute when compared with the Oxygen message. For example, when did Taco Bell anything become a pick it choice? Or Hamburger Helper, as suggested in the Dinner chapter, for that matter? When you look at those wonderful motivational stories, none of those ladies list anything like fast food or boxed meals as their pick it suggestions. I expected clean solutions and substitutes for what ails the common American diet.
Second, as a long time reader of Oxygen I was disappointed by the recycled content. Some of the motivational stories I have already read in the magazine. The pantry section is also from an issue of the magazine. The recipe section says “Exclusive Pick It Recipes”. However, I have made 3 of the recipes myself previously after seeing them in Oxygen. A couple of others I recognize, but have never personally tried. I love recipes, but this book gave me nothing new or exciting.
So I will give this book two ratings. The first would be as a person just starting my transformation, perhaps having never heard of the concept of clean eating or never having picked up Oxygen Magazine. From that perspective, I would give this book a 7.5 for helping the reader make better choices and providing some very inspiring stories. The second is from my perspective today, as a veteran traveler on this journey of health and fitness. I would give it a 2.5. A couple of interesting tips and maybe a recipe or two but nothing new or noteworthy.
If you’ve picked up this book already I would love to hear what you have to think. Leave me a comment to share or let me know if you found this review helpful.
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Thai Chai Protein Shake Recipe
by Pamela | July 8th, 2010 at 10:38 am
I’ve had more than one person tell me that tea must be the secret to my success. Since I eat all the time it must be the cups and cups of tea I drink each day that keep me fit. I laugh and tell them, no it’s my workouts, what I eat and how much I eat that are what keeps me healthy and fit.
image by *saxon*I do love tea. Tea has a long list of health benefits including:
- Lowers the risk of certain cancers due to the high antioxidant content
- Increases metabolic rate
- Boosts the immune system
- Lowers stress hormones
- Inhibits the growth of bacteria that cause bad breath
- Lowers the chance of stroke
I could go on and on. New potential benefits are found every day. Tea also tastes good. On a cold day nothing is better than a hot cup of tea. Sitting back at night with a good book and cup of tea is a perfect way to end the day. On a hot day, nothing is more refreshing than iced jasmine green tea.
Green tea, by the way, is my normal morning tea. Jasmine pearls most of the time. However, lately I have been drinking some amazing tea a friend of mine, Jeremy, gave me to try. It’s a black tea called Thai Chai (or Chai Thai, we aren’t sure) and it is a perfect morning beverage.
Traditionally when you order a chai tea at a coffee house, it is blended with milk, sugar and spices. While you get the health benefits you can also get a potential calorie bomb. Instead of giving up milky chai, I thought, why not turn it into something healthy.
That’s how this month’s recipe was born.
image by visualpanicThai Chai Protein Shake
- 1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder (I like Designer Whey Vanilla Praline)
- 6 oz brewed black chai tea
- ½ cup vanilla almond milk
- 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
- A dash of nutmeg
- Ice cubes (to your liking, I normally use 2-3)
Place all ingredients in blender and combine until smooth.
Creamy, tasty and healthy. This could also be a good pre workout shake as well due to the caffeine in the tea, a little energy kick for your workout. Give it a try and let me know what you think.
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Designer Whey Protein Review
by Pamela | July 1st, 2010 at 10:37 am
Protein is an often discussed topic. You find a multitude of recommendations for protein intake. Most of them are accurate in some form or fashion, depending on the individual and their goals. When I start working with a client, I do stress eating more protein because more than not often they aren’t eating enough. I also stress a post workout whey protein shake.
image by realSMILEYWhy the recommendation to have a post workout protein shake? There have been many studies over the years that have found numerous benefits to using whey protein, in addition to resistance training, to help preserve and increase lean muscle mass. The theory behind having it within a 30-45 minute window after working out is that your body is most ready for it then. It is ready to start the repair process and needs a boost of nutrients to help, as well as rebuild depleted glycogen stores. A shake, as opposed to solid food, is more quickly digested and therefore more accessible to your muscles. Having a shake made with whey protein and some sort of simple carbohydrate is a perfect solution to replenishing your body and assisting with the recovery process.
While I use several kinds of protein shakes, the one I have used the longest and the one I consider my standby is Designer Whey. Mostly because it tastes good. There are lots of whey protein shakes out there and, frankly, a lot of them don’t taste good. They either don’t mix well and taste chalky or they are bland and boring. Designer Whey is neither, blending easily in a shaker bottle with water, almond milk or juice. My absolute favorite flavor is Vanilla Praline. It makes a very simple tasty shake on its own, but also tastes great to make a tropical shake (with bananas, pineapple and blueberries) or as in ingredient to a multitude of recipes (including my favorite Vanilla Coconut Protein Pancakes). At 100 calories and 18 grams of protein per scoop, you can’t go wrong. Also, since it blends so easily in just a shaker bottle, you can take it with you to the gym to drink immediately after your workout, during that 30-45 minute window, instead of waiting to get home and mix it up in a blender. Just add water and accompany with a piece of fruit.
Designer Whey also makes another of my favorite products, Protein 2Go
image by realSMILEYThe great folks as Designer Whey want you to give their products a try and find out for yourself just how great they are. They have agreed to let me give away one 12.7 oz container of Vanilla protein powder, one 12.7 oz container of Chocolate protein powder and one box of Protein2Go. I need to pick 3 lucky winners for these products. This contest is only open to U.S. residents. To enter post a comment to the blog telling your favorite post workout shake recipe. Comment must be posted by 10 pm CST Wednesday July 7. Winners will be drawn at random, will receive one product each (first response gets first choice, second get next choice, etc) and notified via a post to the blog and email where available.
Can’t wait to hear all of those great recipes. Good luck!
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Triple Protein Salad Recipe
by Pamela | June 10th, 2010 at 10:53 am
Have you ever noticed when someone is dieting they try to live on salads? I see people trying to fill themselves up with nothing but lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers. Not an easy task for sure. I can only imagine that they are pretty hungry an hour later.
image by jmayer1129Or they put together a pretty good salad. Maybe some chicken for protein with nutrient dense vegetables like broccoli and spinach. Then they kill it with the giant ladle of salad dressing.
I like salads when they are done right. Lean protein, nutrition packed veggies and the perfectly put together flavor enhancing dressing. No bottled dressing for me anymore either. Salad dressings are actually really easy to make and you can make just enough to last for few days. No more getting bored with a flavor, watching it go bad or having 6 different jars of dressing open in the refrigerator.
I was so excited when I received one of my favorite magazines, Clean Eating
Okay, so back to the article. I got to it and found, indeed, some amazing dressing recipes. I would have loved to have tried some of their salad recipes but, alas, they contained meat. As you probably know by now I am a vegetarian. So I decided to take some of my favorite protein sources and throw them together to create my Triple Protein Salad (with Clean Eating Magazine’s fantastic Orange Herb Dressing).
Orange Herb Dressing
- 2 tbsp fresh orange juice
- 2 tbsp white balsamic vinegar
- 2 tbsp EVOO
- ½ tsp dried tarragon
- ¼ tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp orange zest
- Black pepper to taste
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together all ingredients.
Now you can build your salad.
- 3 cups baby spinach
- 2 oz baked Italian tofu
- 2 hard boiled eggs (whites only)
- ¼ cup chickpeas
Toss these ingredients and drizzle with 1 tbsp of Orange Herb Dressing
The three protein choices each bring a little something different to the recipes. Chickpeas not only provide protein, they are an excellent source of fibers as well. Tofu (made from soybeans) is a complete protein with an added calcium boost. Eggs have the highest biological protein value (100) of any single food protein, meaning essentially all the nitrogen that is absorbed from it can be retained. Between the 3 ingredients your protein needs are well covered.
Using spinach, instead of lettuce, gives you another nutrient boost. Spinach is a great plant source of iron. The vitamin C in the orange juice helps aid in the absorption of the iron as well. (A tip: if you take a vitamin with iron in it and get nauseous from it, try drinking it with a little OJ).
Give this one a try and tell me what you think? Any other Clean Eating Magazine
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Stuffed: An Insider’s Look at Who’s (Really) Making America Fat – Book Review
by Pamela | May 24th, 2010 at 10:27 am
I may be one of the last people in the health and fitness world who has not read The Omnivore's Dilemma
I own both of them, I just haven't made it that far through my reading list yet. My reading list is strange and varied. I tend to go by feeling rather than first bought, first read.
You would think since I own them both, though, I would have picked them up to read before I bought the book I am about to review. I guess this book just caught my eye and since (thanks to other media outlets) I have a really good idea what Michael Pollan says, I thought I would give this book a try first.
The book I am referring to is Stuffed: An Insider's Look at Who's (Really) Making America Fat and How the Food Industry Can Fix It
Getting the perspective of someone who was “part of the machine” was an interesting concept. The problem is the concept doesn’t translate well in this book. Reading this book I still felt like he had one foot in the door. His ideas came across as ones that could still work in the existing system, using the same models except in sneaky good ways. For example, he talked about supersizing only the “right” products. You could only super size diet Coke but not a regular Coke. While I see the calorie advantage, neither product has nutritional value. Why should we have supersizing at all?
He also has an entire chapter devoted to his concept of “Stealth Health”. “Stealth Health” is taking something like a fast food burger and changing the recipe to make it better for you without telling you. While I don’t entirely disagree with the concept, I would like to give most people more credit than that. I think most of us want to eat things that are healthy and good for us. If it costs the same, tastes good and is better why should that be a secret? He thinks it would drive people away. Perhaps, but again I like to think better of people.
While he does share some interesting facts, all in all this wasn’t one of my favorite reads. It may be partly due to the fact that many chapters read like case studies for business or marketing classes. Or perhaps it was because I finished it and felt like he was still laying most of the blame on the consumer. The food industry produces what it does because we, the consumer, demand it he argues. I do believe and understand supply and demand; I just don’t think it’s really that simple.
I think there are lots of ways (a few the books points out) that the deck is stacked against us. Like government subsidies for things like corn (for High Fructose Corn Syrup) but disallow growing healthier crops. Or the outdated school lunch guidelines that count french fries as vegetables. Yes we make our own choices, but we have to choose from the options laid out before us. In some cases, that is a no win situation.
On a scale of 1-10, I would rate this book a 4. Some bits of interesting information and a couple of good ideas, but somewhat dry and business school oriented. I have a vacation coming up soon and I think In Defense of Food will make excellent plane reading.
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How To Cook Beans in a Crock Pot
by Pamela | May 20th, 2010 at 10:25 am
Since I am a vegetarian you might suspect that I eat a lot of beans. I do. I really like beans. They are versatile, full of protein and fiber and inexpensive. I can use them for chili, tacos, in pasta dishes, with quinoa, or “meatballs”. They are by all accounts an extremely versatile food.
image by Kris HaamerI used to rely on canned beans. I am a busy lady and canned beans provided me with a nice measure of ease and convenience. Then my war on sodium happened and I realized that canned beans were a huge contributor to going over my daily sodium intake goal. (The guideline I use is 2300 mg.)
My husband had been trying to convince me for months to start making beans from dried. Who has time for that, I would say? He said he would do it as long as I gave him enough notice. While I appreciated his offer of help, I knew that his was a system that would not work well in the future.
Then another alternative appeared. Cooking beans, one pound at a time, in the crock pot and freezing them. Genius!
At the time, I didn’t own a crock pot. So the first step was getting one. We purchased a Crockpot
Then I purchased the dried beans. One pound each of kidney beans, black beans and chickpeas. One pound of dried beans can typically be purchased for about the same price as one can. One can is typically about 1 and a half cup of beans. A pound of dried beans will yield about 4 to 5 cups cooked beans. Talk about getting more bang for your buck.
I found the instructions on how to cook the beans on the web site for Iowa State University from their Food Science and Nutrition Dept. Here is the process for the “tootless” crock pot beans:
image by 46137- In a large pot, heat 10 cups of water to boiling.
- Add cleaned dry bean, boil 2-3 minutes (blanch).
- Remove from heat, cover and let stand 4-16 hours (soak).
- Drain, discard soak water, rinse beans with fresh, cold water.
- Pour beans into crock pot, cover with fresh water and cook on low setting for 8-12 hours.
And that is it! So easy. I made all 3 types of beans I purchased and I have to say the chickpeas turned out the best. I think I let the kidney and black beans cook too long. They aren’t has hardy as the chickpeas so I would recommend staying closer to that 8 hour cook time. Post cooking I simply let cool, put in freezer bags and stored in the freezer. Now when I need beans I just defrost what I need.
I love it! I always have beans on hand, I saved money and it helps keep my sodium consumption under control. Give it a try and tell me what you think! If you need a good recipe try my Black Bean Quinoa Salad.
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