Todays tip

Enjoy a small salad before dinner to get some extra veggies and greens into your diet without a lot of extra calories. Serve your salad with a light dressing made from olive oil and vinegar, spicy salsa, or just squeeze some fresh lemon or lime juice on it. Having a salad can tame your appetite so that you don't overeat during the rest of your meal. And, stop eating when you are 80% full.

Todays tip

Did you know green tea has several antioxidants and zero calories? So brew some green tea at home and enjoy in place of coffee, soda, or higher calorie drinks.

February is American Heart Month

A healthy diet and lifestyle are the best weapons you have to fight heart disease. Many people make it harder than it is. It is important to remember that it is the overall pattern of the choices you make that counts. As you make daily food choices, read nutrition labels and base your eating pattern on these recommendations:

• Choose lean meats and poultry without skin and prepare them without added saturated and trans fat.
• Select fat-free, 1% fat, and low-fat dairy products.
• Cut back on foods containing partially hydrogenated vegetable oils to reduce trans fat in your diet.
• Cut back on foods high in dietary cholesterol. Aim to eat less than 300 mg of cholesterol each day.
• Cut back on beverages and foods with added sugars.
• Select and purchase foods lower in salt/sodium.
• If you drink alcohol, drink in moderation. That means no more than one drink per day if you're a woman and two drinks per day if you're a man.
• Keep an eye on your portion sizes.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. You can make simple changes to reduce your risk. Remember, a healthy balanced diet and exercise is key.

Health starts here...

Try this surprisingly good smoothie for an on -the-go breakfast that's packed with the nutrients of hearty greens, but tastes like a perfect blend of fruit.

1 1/2 c. unsweetened non-diary beverage, such as almond, coconut, or rice milk.
2 dried apricots or 4 pitted dates
1 banana
1 c. chopped kale leaves
1 c. spinach leaves
1/2 c. fresh or frozen berries
Combine milk, apricots, banana, kale, spinach, and berries in a blender and blend until smooth.

Nutrition info: Per serving: 160 calories (30 from fat), 3.5g total fat, 0g sat fat, 0mg cholesterol, 115mg sodium, 30g carbohydrate (4g fiber, 10g sugar), 8g protein.

Valentines Day dessert

I found this light dessert to try out on Valentines day. Thought I would share it with you all in case you are looking for something a little less fattening.

Meringue Nests with Strawberries

Fiona Haynes

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 4 hours

Total Time: 4 hours, 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 4 large egg whites, with absolutely no yolk
• 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
• 3/4 cup ultra-fine baker’s sugar (regular is fine)
• 2 cups fat-free whipped topping
• 1 cup sliced strawberries

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. In a large, clean and cool bowl, beat egg whites with an electric mixer at meidum speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar. Continue to mix until the soft-peak stage. Add sugar 1 tablespoon at a time and continue mixing, at high speed, until stiff peaks form. Drop spoonfuls of meringue on to a parchment-lined baking sheet, making six piles. Using the back of a spoon, shape the meringues into nests. Bake for 1 hour. Turn off oven and cool meringues in the oven for 2-3 hours, until dry. Cool completely.
Carefully remove meringues from parchment and spoon whipped topping into each of the 6 nests. Divide sliced strawberries among meringue nests. For an extra treat, drizzle a little fat-free chocolate syrup over the top. Serve immediately. Don't refrigerate the meringue, as it will become somewhat chewy. Any unused meringue nests can be stored in an airtight container for a day or two.
Serves 6.
Per Serving Calories 151, Calories from Fat 1, Total Fat 1g (sat 0.1g), Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 37mg, Carbohydrate 37mg, Fiber 0.6mg, Protein 2.5g

Emotional Eating

Emotional eating can be a difficult challenge when you are trying to lose weight. It's a difficult habit to break once it's a part of your life, but by understanding what causes it and finding ways to cope that don't involve food, you can overcome it. If you are interested in talking more about this and finding non food related ways to reward yourself, you can contact me at ammitchell@me.com. I can help!

Tips & Tricks for healthy eating

I thought I would mention a few things to encourage healthy eating.

Always choose whole grains whenever possible like whole wheat bread and pasta over white.
Eat vegetables in abundance and consume a variety of colors.
Fruit makes a great dessert and portable snack.
Satisfy your hunger by including a protein at each  meal. Choose lean meats. Grass fed beef is a great source of omega-3's. Hummus is also a great way to enjoy protein rich legumes.
Choose plant-based fats like olive oil, avocados, and flaxseed.
Sip water all day long to get in at least 60 oz/day. You can add lemon, lime or cucumber slices for flavor.

Superbowl

OK, I know today is the Superbowl! Notorious for pigging out on junk. This year try grilled turkey burgers, grilled chicken, or veggie burgers instead of hamburgers. Have salsa instead of a heavy cheese dip. Fresh cut veggies, pita chips and homemade hummus make healthy munchies instead of chips and dip.

Quinoa

If your looking for something other than rice or pasta as an accompaniment to your main dish try quinoa. It takes about the same time to cook and is highly nutritious. It is also great for those on a gluten free diet!
I found this recipe for a yummy Southwestern Quinoa Salad.

Cook Time 15 mins. Total time 15 mins. Yield 8 servings.

Ingredients:
1 c. uncooked quinoa
2 c. fat free vegetable or chicken broth
1 c. fresh or thawed frozen corn
1 15 oz. can of black beans
1 c. grape tomatoes, halved
1/4 c. finely chopped red onion
1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
1/4 c. chopped fresh cilantro
Juice of one large lime (about 1/4 cup).
1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp. cumin

Rinse quinoa, place in 2 qt. saucepan with broth. Bring to a boil, cover, simmer 10-15 mins until water is absorbed and quinoa is fluffy. Allow to cool. Place cooled, cooked quinoa in salad bowl with corn, beans, tomatoes, red onion, jalapeno pepper, and cilantro.
Whisk lime juice, oil, and cumin in a small bowl, drizzle over quinoa salad then toss.

1 simple exercise = numerous benefits

Is there one single exercise that can help people to simultaneously lose fat, gain muscle, lower blood pressure, increase bone health and strength, cut your risk of heart attack, and boost your mood? Yes, there is! Walking can do all of these! And it only takes 30 minutes 5 days/week. What are you waiting for....