One Mean Green Smoothie
In: Dieting|Health|Healthy Eating|Nutrition|Recipes|Uncategorized|Weight Loss
16 May 2012
Smoothies are a fast and easy way to get in a healthy breakfast. I found this recipe from Jackie Warner, a tour-de-force in the fitness and health industry. Here’s my spin on this rockin’ shake.
Mean Green Smoothie
Add to your blender:
2 handfuls of raw, organic baby spinach
5 strawberries
¼ cup of uncooked oatmeal (I used Quaker Oats)
1 tsp. of freshly ground raw almond butter
¼ cup of unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 scoop of Whey Cool Vanilla Protein Powder
Give it a whirl and enjoy! By the way, this may be green, but it tastes nothing like spinach. It has a smooth sweet taste, and is a great way to get in a serving of veggies first thing in the morning. Think lean and eat green!
Let me know how you like it.
Moms Teach More Than You Know
In: Dieting|Health|Healthy Eating|Maintaining Weight Through the Holidays|Nutrition|Weight Loss
9 May 2012
As mothers we teach our children many things; how to behave, to work hard, to be kind, and to respect themselves and others. These may be overt lessons, but we also teach them so many things that we are not even aware of. For instance, our children learn how to eat from us. I am not talking about using a fork and a napkin, but subtle things like making good choices, portion control and whether food is to be enjoyed or considered a source of great anxiety.
Many people are still battling with food issues that were learned early on in life. For instance, if your Mom always greeted you at the door with milk and cookies after school, you will still look to cookies as a reward at the end of the day. If you were fed dessert every night, your dinner may still feel incomplete without it. Anyone who has battled weight knows these are the hardest habits to break, because deep down we are still children wanting to be comforted.
If you were never served realistic portions, then you may only stop eating when you are beyond full, instead of perfectly satiated. If eating after dinner or in front of the television was standard fare, you are probably still continuing with these destructive habits.Learning to eat is a skill that must be taught like any other.
Of course times have changed, and our food has changed as well. We no longer sit for Sunday dinners, and the few farms that used to surround us are far and few between. However, like all things, there has been a shift in the tide as collectively we realize eating well is no longer as easy as it used to be, but we still want what is best for our family.
Since children are natural mimics, it is hard to teach good eating habits if you were never taught them yourself. Trace the origins of some of your worst eating habits, understand where they came from, and regroup. It is never too late to be a positive role model. And if you were fortunate enough, as I was, to have grown-up with the benefit of delicious home-cooked meals and a sound appreciation for fresh, healthy foods, then thank your Mom for teaching you well.
So this Mother’s Day, have a succulent meal with your family; eat slowly, enjoy, connect. Remember, your children are always watching.
Are there any childhood habits that you still carry with you today?
Oh Coffee, I Hardly Knew Ye
In: Dieting|Health|Healthy Eating|Motivation|Nutrition|Uncategorized|Weight Loss
2 May 2012
I did the unthinkable this week. I gave up coffee. For those who know me, coffee is my nemesis. I gave it up not for health reasons, because coffee, in moderation, is not bad for you. I gave it up because it had a hold on me. It was a daily obsession. I was giving too much power to the cup. So, aside from the three days of a pounding headache, I am now fine. But what I really learned through the haze is how we plan our days, activities, and thoughts around the foods and drinks we love.
From the beginning, I had to rethink my daily activities. At 3:00, when I would crave that instant pick-up; during the long spaces throughout the day, when a treat seemed reasonable; weekends as a daily caffeine fest; even writing this blog, unthinkable without my favorite cup of Joe. The link between food and activity is so strong.
When you are trying to lose weight, usually it is the unhealthy snacks or the nighttime noshing that are working against your goals. These habits are hard to break, not just because we love the comfort foods, but because we have made them a part of our daily lives. So when we look to cut these foods out, we have to consider the activities they are attached to. If eating and watching television go hand-in-hand, you will have to create a whole new ritual. If leaving your desk at 4:00 to visit the vending machine is part of your day, you may have to rethink this routine.
Make a list of all the activities you tie to your favorite foods. If cutting certain foods out will leave a void, or make the activity less enjoyable, find something non-food related to take its place. (Many a nighttime eating has been solved by the simple act of knitting). Changing the activity just a bit, or the time of day, can help to break you of a food habit. Consider walking on the treadmill while watching television, instead of eating. At work when the 4:00 craving strikes, seek out a few co-workers to chat with briefly, or take a brisk walk around the office.
Also, think about how eating certain foods are serving you. If your goal is to lose weight and be fit and healthy, are the afternoon cookies really helping you? What would be a better option for the life you envision for yourself?
These days I am working towards less stress in my life, and so I have to look at not only my lifestyle, but even at the foods I eat, to see if these are contributing in any way. In the process, I realized caffeine added to my stress, instead of taking it away.
So now I find myself sipping tea instead of gulping coffee. I have not shunned coffee forever. I will continue to enjoy it at gatherings and with friends, because what is life without these small pleasures? However, now I can choose or not choose to have a coffee. The choice is mine. Coffee no longer has its way with me.
I’m Deprived (I Think)
In: Dieting|Health|Healthy Eating|Motivation|Nutrition|Recipes|Uncategorized|Weight Loss
25 Apr 2012
When we think of diets, we automatically think of deprivation. I don’t believe in diets, and I don’t ever tell people they can’t have their favorite foods; I tell them they just can’t have them all the time. And even though I believe in adding, instead of taking away, the pervasive feelings of deprivation still remain for some people.
If you are programmed to feel that any changes to your present diet will be uncomfortable for you, then they will be. Not all change is bad. In fact, it can be exactly what you need to turn your life around.
It is true that we connect our emotions to food. This is why when certain foods are taken away we are left feeling empty, both physically and emotionally. So the key is not to leave a void, but to add so many healthy alternatives that the old choices get crowded out, and eventually left behind.
Also, think about what it means to you to be “deprived”. Since we inexorably link diet and deprivation together, we may feel we are lacking even when we are not. Thinking you are deprived, and actually being deprived, is two different things. So take the time to write your food choices down for one day. Look to see if you are eating enough. Sometimes just by looking at the whole picture, and realizing that you are eating plenty of food, is enough to help you let go of the feeling of lack.
Eating should be a pleasurable and enjoyable experience. It should fill you with energy and make you feel alive. If the foods you are presently hanging on to are not filling this requirement, then you really are deprived.
Overnight Oatmeal
In: Dieting|Health|Healthy Eating|Motivation|Nutrition|Recipes|Special|Uncategorized|Weight Loss
11 Apr 2012
via pepperlynn.com
OMG! Talk about flipping breakfast upside down! This is so amazing I don’t even know what to say, except this is my new favorite breakfast. It’s a completely different way to think about oats. It is fast, filling and delicious. What more could you ask for?
The Pumpkin Peanut Butter below is my favorite because it has more protein, but you can experiment with all different toppings. As always, don’t overdo the sweetener. I suggest mixing all ingredients together and then splitting the oatmeal into two different containers. Leave enough room to mix in your toppings.
Because this is such a great portable treat, I can see me and my oatmeal really going to town! Watch out!
Click here for the Overnight Oats Recipe:
Here’s my twist on the Pumpkin Peanut Butter Topping:
½ cup Pumpkin Puree
2 TBS Natural Almond Butter
2 TBS Raw, Organic Honey
½ tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
I substituted 2/3 cups of vanilla almond milk in place of the milk in the original recipe*
Makes 2 servings
Let me know what you think. Do you love this as much as I do?
About Lighten Up!
Lighten Up! is a nutritional program that offers a unique approach to weight loss. Based on the premise that diets don't work, Lighten Up! takes the emphasis off of food and concentrates instead on behaviors. By assessing an individual's lifestyle, beliefs and eating habits, a customized nutrition plan is created that can be comfortably adopted for life. The result is better overall health, increased energy levels and natural weight loss. This means no more constraints or deprivation, just a new way of understanding and enjoying food - and life!
Mindbodywhole, LLC, 203-450-1064
Lighten Up with These 7 Tips
