Today's Tip: Fat Trap #2...

FAT TRAP #2: Remove the Chicken Skin

You hear it almost daily...eat skinless chicken!  Yes, this is true.  Each piece of skin contains 69 calories and 6 grams of fat, so it makes sense to buy skinless chicken, or at least to separate it from the breast before popping it in the oven, right?

Well, let’s talk about that for a minute. The skin locks in moisture, so when you cook it with skin on you get a tender, more flavorful chicken.  So what to do??

The Fix

Just because you cook it with the skin on, you don't have to eat it!  So...try cooking your chicken with the skin on, and just remove it right before serving.  It will be more flavorful, and won't need as much calorie-rich sauce, salad dressing or other topping.  The exception: if you’re making soup or a casserole, the fat from the skin will drain into the dish, so peel it off beforehand.

Source: Amy Myrdal Miller, R.D., director of culinary nutrition at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in Saint Helena, CA.

 

Today's Tip: Does Your Diet Have Any Fat Traps?

There is a LOT of information out there about what you should and shouldn't include in your diet.  Much of that information is great and you can use it as you make food choices for you and your family.  However, I have identified four "fat traps" that I wanted to explore further over the next few days to help you in your fitness journey.

FAT TRAP #1: Picking poultry instead of beef

One of my pet peeves!!  True, turkey breast is about as lean as it gets…BUT ground turkey often contains dark meat and skin, which edges up the calorie count.  A 4-oz serving of ground turkey packs 204 calories and 14 grams of fat, while the same amount of lean ground beef contains just 155 calories and 6 grams of fat - and beef contains more iron and potassium than ground turkey.

The Fix

Whether you are buying beef or turkey, look for labels that say the meat is at least 90% lean.  Another lean tip?  After you cook ground beef (no matter what percent lean), be sure to rinse it after cooking.  Draining it on a paper towel-lined plate is a good plan, but even better is to give it a quick rinse. Pour the cooked meat into a strainer and after it drains into a bowl (because you don’t want to put all that grease down your drain), rinse it with hot water.  These steps will remove more than half the fat. 

For beef patties, use 96% lean ground beef and season well with your favorite spices.  You can also mix some natural BBQ sauce into your ground beef mixture to give it a little more moisture.  And don’t smash the patties on the grill with your spatula!  Just let them cook.

Today's Tip: Sugar

Couple of questions to ponder...

Why is it that 1/3 of adults worldwide have high blood pressure, when in 1900 only 5% had high blood pressure?

Why did 153 millions people have diabetes in 1980, and now we're up to 347 million?

Why are more Americans obese?

SUGAR, it is believed by experts, is not only one one of the culprits...but the major culprit.

Richard Johnson, a nephrologist (a medical doctor who specializes in kidney care and treating diseases of the kidneys) at the University of Colorado Denver agrees with the American Heart Association that sugar provides calories with no nutritional benefit.  But he takes it a step farther: Excessive sugar isn't just empty calories; it's toxic. Endocrinologist Robert Lustig of the University of California agrees, "Sugar is a poison by itself when consumed at high doses."

This sums it up: Americans are fat because they eat too much and exercise to olittle.  But they eat too much and exercise too little because they're addicted to sugar, which not only makes them fatter but, after the initial sugar rush, also saps their energy, beaching them on the couch.  Johnson says, "The reason you are watching TV is not because TV is so good but because you have no energy to exercise, because you're eating too much sugar!"

I do think people would be amazed at how well their bodies can and would function on less sugar.  The challenge is, it is extrememly difficult to avoid sugar, which is one reason for the spike in consumption.  Many manufacturers have removed the fat from products but then add sugar to make them taste good...such as fat-free baked goods which often conain large quantities of sugar.  I talked to a former client today who said she cut out almost all sugar and after a day or two hasn't really missed it.  The biggest benefit?  If she doesn't have pancakes for breakfast, she's not craving sugar the rest of the day like she usually does when she has pancakes for breakfast!  And losing 5 pounds over 2 weeks was another bonus.

What to do?  Read your labels.  Cook with less sugar.  And don't just replace sugar with a sugar substitute such as Splenda - that's just putting artificial junk in your body.  Some good rules of thumb:
- Use less of the real thing
- Use natural honey - a little!
- Use Truvia® or other stevia-based product

Most importantly?  Teach your kids the power of good decisions.  In the late 1800s cereal was packaged as a whole-grain health food...but began to evolve in the 1920s into sugar-coated flakes, pops, and puffs. Kids are in love with the sweet poison that is endangering their lives...teach them the power of healthy eating!

One final note:  you hear a lot these days about avoiding high-fructose corn syrup.  True, HFCS is cheaper and usually sweeter than sugar made from cane or beets.  Is there any biological difference? Not enough to fuss about...everyone would be better off just eating less of either one.

For the full article, see National Geographic Magazine, August 2013

Today's Tip: Roadblocks: What's Holding You Back?

When you start something new - be it a new budget, a career change or working to be more organized - you will inevitably run into roadblocks that threaten to sidetrack you from your yellow brick road (pardon the saying - I'm just trying to get back into the Kansas lingo).  And no doubt, roadblocks are inevitable when you start a new exercise or fitness program - certain things arise that will seem to keep you from exercising regularly and eating right.  But note that I said "seem to"...just as there are roadblocks, there are ways to overcome each one. So whether your biggest challenge is overcoming a past injury or hitting the couch a little too often at home, try these tips to move past your roadblocks:

Identify your trouble spots. Do you have good intentions to exercise but find you’re exhausted at the end of the day? Or maybe you can’t seem to find an activity you like to do, or one that works for your body. Be specific about what your biggest challenges are—because next, you’re going to find ways to overcome them.

Remove those roadblocks. Look at each roadblock and come up with two ideas for tackling it. No time? Make a schedule for the week and I guarantee there are a few blocks of 30 minutes where you can fit in exercise.  Too tired? Make a plan to go to bed earlier and get your needed rest.  Chances are, when you exercise you will have MORE energy. If you are sitting on the couch watching tv every evening for an hour then sure you are going to be tired. Have young babies or toddlers?  Find a way to exercise with them.  Talk to your spouse or older kids and ask them to help you find a couple of 30-minute windows to exercise during the week. If this is you, then you need that 30 minutes of alone time!!  Not sure what to do?  Call a friend, get on a blog, download the Nike training app, or email me!  There are resources.

If you hit a roadblock, get back on track. Give yourself credit for trying to move more, and if you run into a roadblock on one day, simply dust yourself off and get up and go the next day! Every day is a fresh chance to do your best.  I tell my clients, "every day is a new day, every meal is a new meal" - don't let a weak moment eliminate the good you have planned.

Today's Tip: Are Your Kids Picky Eaters?

In a survey of nearly 600 moms, picky eating was the number-one obstacle to getting their kids to eat well.  The answer?  Well, it's NOT to make chicken nuggets every night.  :)

I like this quote from Janice Newell Bissex, R.D. and coauthor of No Whine With Dinner: "The key to raising adventurous eaters is letting go of preconceived notions.  You may assume your children dislike seafood, but with a few tweaks you can make it kid friendly. Try fish tacos or salmon cakes."

Our boys were great with food - they ate pretty much everything we put in front of them with little argument.  Then along came Hillary...oh what a challenge.  It took every bit of persistance and patience (well, most of the time) to get her to where she is today.  I'm still amazed to watch this former little fruitarian (she only ate fruit, applesauce, yogurt, crackers - whole grain, however! - and the occasional muffin) now sit and devour steak, roasted broccoli and sweet potato fries. We still have our ups and downs with her being picky...so the key continues to be persistance and consistency on our part.

Anyway, let's get back to some practical ideas in dealing with picky eaters.  Kids are often turned off if all the food on their plate looks foreign, so our doctor and other moms suggested we include a familiar item, like apple slices or yogurt, at each meal.  It took us months and truly a couple of years, but it really does work so most importantly, don't give up! Your little chicks might not love everything, but repeatedly presenting new and nutritious foods in a fun, playful way may tempt them to take a bite.

The other benefit of introducing new foods and teaching kids how to deal with those not-so-favorite foods is they will know how to handle themselves when they are away from home.  When dinner is served at a friends' house the goal is that they don't pinch their nose and say "ooooo yuck!  I don't like that!" (yes, one of the kids' friends did that at our house). Teaching kids to respectfully manage their food choices is as important as teaching them to like new foods!

Oh - I almost forgot.  Set a good example!!  If you aren't eating your veggies, it might be difficult to convince your kids to do so :).

Today's Tip: Keeping Herbs Fresh

Problem: Fresh herbs always go bad before I can use them.

Solution: Herbs need to breathe, so don't store them in the plastic bags from the supermarket. Instead, treat them like cut flowers: Snip off the bottoms of the steams, put the sprigs in water and refrigerate.

I read about one woman who takes a large milkshake glass, one that has high sides and holds about 13-14oz of water. She uses this to hold various bunches of herbs, like a crazy flower arrangement. She removes the elastic bands that hold the stalks together when you purchase them and puts the stalks straight into tap water.  Basil, thyme, tarragon, oregano, rosemary, cilantro - whatever you have. Then she takes a small plastic bag – the kind from the store that you put your your fruit or veggies in, or a freezer bag works well also – and place it over the top of the herbs. Then she secures the bag around the glass with one of those elastic bands she removed from the herb stalks.

This creates a miniature terrarium where the herbs give off moisture, which trickles back into the water that they then feed off. By storing herbs in this simple plastic-covered glass, you can easily keep your herbs for two or even three weeks. Be sure to change the water in the glass every couple of days or so.

Today's Tip: Don't Skip Breakfast!

Yes, it's been a few days since I've blogged - it was vacation time!  But now I'm back and so read on and get ready to prep some great breakfast options for next week.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again…don’t skip breakfast!  It truly is the best way to start the day (along with a good workout J).  Eating a morning meal has even been shown to help you lose weight.  However, I have one caution for you: many people take this concept to the extreme and consume too much food at breakfast – and then eat the same amount of lunch and dinner!  So be smart with your breakfast choices – poor ones can set you up for a day of unhealthy eating.

So…opt for a mix of protein, carbs and healthy fat, and set a goal of 200-300 calories.  Is your excuse that you aren’t sure what to fix?  Well read on and choose from these options.

1)      Oatmeal: Whole grain oats topped with almonds and fresh blueberries…or if you aren’t a nut fan and still need some protein, pair your oats with a scrambled mix of one egg and one egg white.  Or, sprinkle a tablespoon or two of vanilla protein powder into your oats before cooking.

2)      Lemon-Raspberry Fruit Salad: Combine ¼ cup part-skim ricotta and 1 teaspoon raspberry jam.  Mix together 1 cup fresh raspberries, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, 1 teaspoon lemon zest and 2 teaspoons honey. Top ricotta mixture with raspberry mixture and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons toasted sliced almonds. Not a ricotta fan?  Use plain Greek yogurt instead.

3)      Baked Eggs with Herbs: Preheat oven to 350˚. Coat a 6-oz ramekin with nonstick cooking spray.  Crack 2 eggs (or one egg and two egg whites) into ramekin and top with 2 tablespoons low-fat milk, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil and a pinch of salt and pepper.  Bake about 15 minutes until eggs are set.  Serve with 1 cup fresh berries or melon and 1 slice toasted whole grain bread topped with 1 teaspoon butter or low sugar jam. Don’t like chives or basil?  Well just leave them off J.

4)      Banana-Nut Protein Pancakes: In a blender, combine 1 small banana, ¼ cup rolled oats, 2 tablespoons low-fat cottage cheese, 2 egg whites and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract; blend until smooth.  Stir in two teaspoons chopped walnuts, if desired. Heat large skillet and coat with cooking spray. Pour batter into skillet to make two 4-inch pancakes; cook 3 min. per side. Drizzle with 2 teaspoons maple syrup.  Don’t care for bananas?  Use blueberries instead.

5)      Mushroom & Asparagus Quiche: Preheat oven to 350˚. Whisk together 3 eggs & 2 egg whites; mix in ½ cup chopped asparagus, ½ cup chopped mushrooms, & ¼ cup shredded lowfat swiss cheese.  Pour mixture into 6 greased muffin cups.  Bake 20-25 minutes, until eggs are set.  Serve 3 mini quiches with 1 slice toasted whole-grain bread and an orange.  Save the other 3 for another breakfast or snack. Note: Prepare the night before & reheat for a quick breakfast.

6)      Breakfast Peach Cobbler: Chop 1 peach into ¾-inch pieces; mix with 1 tablespoon whole-wheat flour & ½ teaspoon cinnamon. Microwave 2-3 minutes and stir.  Add 1 crunchy granola bar, such as Oats ‘n Honey (around 90 calories), broken into pieces – microwave 1 minute. Top with ½ cup plain low-fat Greek yogurt and 2 teaspoons honey, or use ½ cup low-fat vanilla Greek yogurt.

No time for these recipes?  Then head to Wal-Mart and pick up a single-serve blender, such as the Oster Blend&Go MyBlend Blender.  Make your protein shake the night before by combining ½ cup vanilla yogurt & ½ cup unsweetened almond milk in the single-serve 20oz sports bottle and put it in the fridge.  In the morning add ¼ cup each frozen blueberries and pineapple & ice, blend and take it to go.  Add water if needed for consistency; add a ½-1 scoop of vanilla protein powder for added protein.   Rinse the container and fill with water to stay hydrated all day J.