Shane Diet & Fitness Resorts Blog

Weight Loss Breakfasts

Posted on November 7, 2011 by Lyndsey Lovinger

We’ve heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but it is important to make sure that the first meal of the day sticks to your healthy diet plan for weight loss. There is no need to over-indulge and eat too many calories in one sitting, so it’s best to keep your breakfasts homemade rather than driving through a fast-food restaurant. A recent online article from Prevention highlights the worst fast-food breakfasts, with their healthy alternatives. Don’t subject yourself to extra calories and potential weight gain! Stick to a low-calorie meal to lose weight.

Starbucks Zucchini-Walnut Muffin

Muffins may be delicious, but they can definitely pack on the calories and leave your stomach grumbling. Although the Starbucks muffin seems to be made with healthy ingredients like zucchini and walnuts, it still has close to 500 calories and 28 g of fat.

Try Instead: Zucchini-Raisin Muffin

These delicious muffins are half the calories and nearly a third of the fat as the Starbucks alternative. Be sure to load up your bread batter with lots of zucchini shreds and add raisins for sweetness.

Zucchini-Raisin Muffin

Ingredients (makes 12 servings)

2 large eggs

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup honey

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/4 cup toasted wheat germ

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup shredded zucchini

1/2 cup raisins

Preheat the oven to 350°F, and butter a 12-cup muffin pan.
In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil, honey, and vanilla.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, wheat germ, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Make a well in the center, add the egg mixture, and stir just until combined. Fold in the zucchini and raisins.
Pour the batter into the muffin cups. Bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Remove from the muffin tin and cool on a rack.

Nutrition Facts per serving: 198.9 cal, 10.4 g fat, 1 g sat. fat, 184.2 mg sodium, 25.4 g carbs, 15.6 g sugar, 2.1 g dietary fiber, 3.5 g protein

Sonic Sausage, Egg, and Cheese Breakfast Toaster

A classic sausage, egg, and cheese seems harmless enough- filling and protein-packed. However, the Sonic version has over 620 calories, 42 g of fat, and 1,400 mg of sodium. That’s the sodium equivalent of eating an entire bag of salty potato chips before lunch!

Try Instead: Open-Faced Broiled Egg, Spinach, and Tomato Sandwich

Swap out the sausage for tomato and add spinach to get a serving of veggies first thing in the morning. This alternative has nearly a third of the calories of the Sonic sandwich, a quarter of the fat, and over 1,000 mg less sodium.

Ingredients (makes one serving)

1/2 whole wheat english muffin

1/4 cup fresh spinach, cooked and squeezed dry (about 4 ounces)

1 slice tomato

1 hard-boiled egg, sliced widthwise

1 tablespoon omega-3-enriched mayonnaise

salt-free seasoning blend (such as mrs. dash)

1. Set the muffin half on a toaster oven pan or double sheet of foil. Top with the spinach and tomato. Lay on the egg slices in an overlapping spiral. Dollop on the mayonnaise and swirl slightly to partially cover the egg slices. Sprinkle on seasoning to taste.

2. Place under the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes, watching carefully, until the mayonnaise is lightly browned.

Nutrition Facts per serving: 213.3 cal, 11.4 g fat, 1.8 g sat fat, 389.6 mg sodium, 18.8 g carbs, 3.9 g sugar, 4.2 g dietary fiber, 11.2 g protein

McDonald’s Big Breakfast with Hot Cakes

The immediate red flag in this menu item is the word “big.” You don’t need to eat a tremendous breakfast off of a fast-food menu. This breakfast includes scrambled eggs, sausage, a buttermilk biscuit, hash browns, and two hot cakes. That is a lot of food! You can see why this one dish has over half your day’s calories and over 55 g of fat, plus a whopping 2,150 mg of sodium.

Try Instead: Pancakes with Berries and Cinnamon

Try these light and fluffy low-calorie pancakes as an alternative. The trick is baking them in the oven. Top them with berries and cinnamon and you’ve got a delicious and nutritious breakfast for the whole family to enjoy.

Pancakes with Berries and Cinnamon

Ingredients (makes 4 servings)

4 large eggs

1/2 cup 2% milk

1/3 cup oat flour

pinch of salt

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3 tablespoons raspberry or blueberry fruit spread, warmed

In a blender, combine the eggs, milk, flour, and salt. Process until smooth, about 15 seconds. Remove to a medium bowl, cover, and let rest for 45 to 60 minutes at room temperature. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375°F.
Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter in a 9″ oven-safe skillet over medium heat and cook until frothy. Pour in the egg-flour mixture. Place in the oven and bake until puffy and set, 14 to 16 minutes.
Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the cinnamon. Spread the fruit over the pancake, and dot with the remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Using a spatula, fold the pancake in half (or roll it up) and slide it onto a platter. Slice into 4 pieces.

Nutrition Facts per serving: 222.7 cal, 14.9 g fat, 7.5 g sat fat, 120 mg sodium, 14.7 g carbs, 7.8 g sugar, .8 g dietary fiber, 8.4 g protein

Cinnabon Regular Caramel Pecanbon

If you’ve ever been to a shopping mall, you probably know how amazing Cinnabon can smell. Try to resist that urge to eat one of their treats, as one caramel-pecan bun comes in at almost 1,100 calories. It’s also loaded with more fat than nine chocolate chip cookies.

Try Instead: Maple-Pecan Cinnamon Roll

This homemade version still has the delicious gooey characteristics, with nearly a third of the calories and a quarter of the fat. You can even pop it in the microwave for that “just baked” taste and scent.

Maple-Pecan Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients (makes 12 servings)

1 cup whole milk

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1 tablespoon active dry yeast

2 large eggs

1/4 cup fat-free plain greek yogurt

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

4 cups white whole wheat flour

2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup raisins

3 tablespoons trans-free margarine

3/4 cup maple syrup

1 1/2 cups pecans, coarsely chopped

Warm the milk in the microwave until the temperature reaches 100° to 110°F, 30 to 40 seconds. Stir in the brown sugar and yeast and let the mixture sit for 10 minutes, or until bubbles form. Combine the eggs, yogurt, and vanilla extract in a separate bowl.
Combine the flour, 1 tablespoon of the cinnamon, and the salt in a large bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook. Slowly add the milk and yogurt mixtures while the mixer is running on low. Knead for 8 minutes, adding the raisins after about 5 minutes. Coat the bowl and dough with cooking spray. Cover and keep in a warm place until the dough is doubled in bulk (about 1 hour).
Meanwhile, mix the margarine and 1/4 cup of the maple syrup in a small bowl and set aside. Combine 1 cup of the pecans, 1/4 cup of the syrup, and the remaining 1 tablespoon cinnamon in another small bowl and set aside. Coat a 13″ x 9″ baking dish with cooking spray and pour the remaining 1/4 cup syrup over the bottom. Cover with the remaining 1/2 cup pecans. Set aside.
Punch down the dough and transfer to a lightly floured work surface. Roll the dough into a rectangle about 1/2″ thick. Spread the margarine mixture over the dough, leaving a 1″ border around the edges. Slowly pour the pecan-syrup mixture into the center and spread over the margarine mixture.
Starting on a long side, carefully roll the dough into a log shape. Slice into 12 equal pieces. Arrange the pieces cut side up in the baking dish. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 45 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake the rolls uncovered for 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool slightly and serve warm.

Nutrition Facts per serving: 421.7 cal, 14.8 g fat, 2.5 g sat fat, 156.5 mg sodium, 64.7 g carbs, 26.9 sugar, 7.8 g dietary fiber, 9.1 g protein

Hardee’s Double-Loaded Omelet Biscuit

This omelet packs 800 calories and comes with three types of breakfast meat – bacon, sausage, and ham – all on top of a buttery biscuit.

Try Instead: Hearty Egg Sandwich

This sandwich alternative still fills you up but swaps out the fatty breakfast meats for avocado and tomato slices. This version has less than 400 calories and cuts down on fat and calories with reduced-fat Cheddar.

Hearty Egg Sandwich

Ingredients (makes 1 serving)

1 whole egg

1 egg white

1 toasted whole wheat English muffin

1/4 C mashed Hass avocado

1 slice reduced-fat cheddar cheese

2 tomato slices

Scramble 1 whole egg with 1 egg white in a skillet coated with cooking spray. Place on toasted whole wheat English muffin spread with 1/4 c mashed Hass avocado, and top with 1 slice reduced-fat Cheddar cheese and tomato slices.

Nutrition Facts per serving: 367.5 cal, 16.8 g fat, 4.2 g sat fat, 723.6 mg sodium, 34 g carbs, 7.2 g sugar, 8.6 g dietary fiber, 24 g protein

Dunkin’ Donuts Chocolate-Coconut Cake Donut

You probably already know that a doughnut isn’t a very safe food for your healthy diet. This particular doughnut accounts for over a quarter of your day’s calories and has nearly as much sugar as a whole chocolate bar.

Try Instead: Strawberry-Banana-Topped French Toast

You can still satisfy your sweet tooth without going overboard on calories. This rich meal is less than half the calories of just one doughnut.

Strawberry-Banana-Topped French Toast

Ingredients (makes 1 serving)

1 egg

1/4 cup fat-free milk

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 slice (1 ounce) whole grain bread

1 teaspoon trans-fat free spread

1/4 cup sliced strawberries

1/4 cup sliced banana

In a shallow bowl, beat the egg with the milk and cinnamon. Dip both sides of the bread in the milk mixture.
Melt the spread in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Place the bread in the pan. Cook for about 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until golden and cooked through. Cut in half diagonally. Place half on a plate. Top with half of the strawberries and bananas. Cover with the other toast half and the remaining strawberries and bananas.

Nutrition Facts per serving: 254.2 cal, 9.7 g fat, 2.8 g sat fat, 267.9 mg sodium, 29.5 g carbs, 11.9 g sugar, 4.5 g dietary fiber, 13.5 g protein

Posted in Healthy Eating, Recipes, Wellness | Tagged healthy diet, lose weight, low-calorie, weight gain, weight loss | Leave a comment

Pumpkins for Weight Loss

Posted on November 3, 2011 by Julie Harrington

Halloween is over now, but it is still pumpkin season! Pumpkins are full of vitamin A and fiber, and naturally a low calorie food and can promote weight loss.

Conveniently pumpkin comes prepared in a can already pureed. Incorporate pumpkin puree into your diet all year round to help move toward your weight loss goals. One serving of pumpkin puree is 40 calories, 0.5 g of fat, and 5 g of fiber. Make sure the label says 100% pure pumpkin rather than pumpkin pie mix which has added sugars.

Pumpkin puree works especially well in substituting ingredients in baking. Try substituting pumpkin puree for oil when baking to lower the fat content for your healthy diet. Here’s a delicious pumpkin muffin recipe to try:

Pumpkin Yogurt Muffins

1 egg
2 egg whites
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups low fat vanilla Stonyfield Farm Yogurt
1 16oz can pumpkin puree (Libby’s is my favorite!)
4 teaspoons cinnamon
4 teaspoons nutmeg
3 cups whole-wheat flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking soda
1/2 tablespoon baking powder

Preheat oven to 400°F.
Beat eggs until foamy, add sugar, yogurt, pumpkin, cinnamon, and nutmeg and mix well.
In a separate bowl sift together flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder.
Add dry ingredients slowly to the yogurt mixture and mix until moist.
Line two muffin tins with muffin liners or grease the pans.
Evenly fill each of the muffin tins.
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown on the top.

Nutrition Facts

Calories: 100
Total Fat: 0.7 g
Total Carbohydrates: 19.6 g
Dietary Fiber: 1.3 g
Protein: 3.5 g

Posted in Healthy Eating, Healthy Lifestyles, Recipes | Tagged healthy diet, low calorie food, weight loss, weight loss goals | Leave a comment

Got Milk? Healthy Diet Tips

Posted on October 28, 2011 by Julie Harrington

As a child, weren’t you always told to drink your milk to build strong bones? Milk has a rich source of calcium and phosphorus. Milk also provides a source of protein as well as vitamins A, B, and D, which help proper growth and development for your weight loss diet.

Years ago, there was just whole milk. Now, when you go to the grocery store, there is a wide variety of milk and milk alternatives available for your healthy lifestyle. All milk alternatives are fortified to contain approximately the same amount of calcium and vitamin D as cow’s milk.

So which one do you choose for your healthy diet?

Here’s the skinny:

Nutrition Facts:	Skim Milk (1 cup)	Soy Milk (1 cup)	Almond Milk (1 cup)	Rice Milk (1 cup)	Coconut Milk (1 cup)
Calories	90	90	40	120	80
Total Fat	0 g	3.5 g	3.5 g	2.5 g	5 g
Total Carbohydrates	13 g	8 g	2 g	23 g	7 g
Dietary Fiber	0 g	1 g	1 g	0 g	0 g
Sugars	12 g	6 g	0 g	10 g	6 g
Protein	8 g	6 g	1 g	1 g	1 g

Skim milk:

Skim milk is whole milk from dairy cows that has most or all of its fat removed. When the fat is removed, what is left is the protein-rich milk. If you are transitioning from whole milk to skim milk the taste may seem to be very different. Whole milk is much creamier because of the fat content. If you want to slowly transition to skim milk try starting with reduced-fat milk first, then to skim milk.

Soy Milk:

Soymilk is made from pressed soybeans. Sugar or sweetener is then added to the flavored varieties. It is the most popular choice among individuals who are lactose-intolerant and who are vegetarian or vegan.

Original soymilk is the closest alternative to skim milk. It has a naturally low level of saturated fat because it is a plant-based protein. It provides a significant amount of protein. Make sure the check the label for “whole soy bean” and avoid brands that list “isolated soy protein”.

Almond Milk:

To make almond milk, almonds are finely ground with water and sometimes sugar (for the sweetened varieties). Almond milk is mostly water by weight causing it to have a thinner consistency. It has a mild nutty flavor. Almond milk is a choice or people who are lactose-intolerant and who are vegetarian or vegan.

The downside to almond milk is that it only contains 1 gram of protein with is significantly less than cow’s milk or soymilk.

Rice Milk:

Rice milk is a mixture of partially milled rice and water. Rice milk is a choice for individuals with allergies to other types of milk. It is another option for people who are lactose-intolerant and vegetarian or vegan.

Along with almond milk it is low in protein and only contains 1 gram per serving. Rice milk can taste a little watery or chalky.

Coconut Milk:

Coconut milk is another alternative for people with dairy allergies, vegetarian, or vegan. It is higher in fat, but these fats are medium chain fatty acids, which are good fats.

It doesn’t taste like traditional milk. It does have a distinct sweet flavor. Coconut milk is an okay substitute while baking, but not the best choice for cooking, unless the recipe requires a sweet flavor.

Posted in Healthy Eating, Healthy Lifestyles, Wellness | Tagged healthy diet, healthy lifestyle, weight loss diet | Leave a comment

Healthy Lifestyle: Trick or Treat

Posted on October 24, 2011 by Julie Harrington

It is almost Halloween. The “trick” is to not overdo it with the “treats” during this holiday. To stay on track with your healthy lifestyle and weight loss goals learn how to still enjoy the treats with healthy moderation. Here are some tips to stay on track:

Shop last minute. Put off buying Halloween candy until the night before or day of Halloween. Then you will be less tempted to dig into the treats earlier. Also, buy candy that you don’t like, so you are less likely to indulge – in between trick-or-treaters and with leftovers.
Out of sight out of mind. Don’t leave a bowl of candy out on your desk at work or your counter in the kitchen. Other colleagues may not be as health conscious, and it’s easy to just pop a little candy in your mouth every time you walk by their stash. Try chewing a piece of gum to avoid the temptation. If you decide to have a piece of candy, that’s okay. A trick to monitor your treats so you don’t over indulge is to keep your empty wrappers. If you keep your empty wrappers it will remind you of how many you ate and motivate you to stop at one or two.
Keep eating healthy. Make an extra effort to stick to your well-balanced diet. Your healthy diet will keep you satisfied rather than raiding the candy bowl.
Exercise. A great time to get in some extra walking exercise is Halloween night by taking kids trick-or-treating.
Don’t stress. Halloween is one single day of the year. Enjoy a treat. Keep up with your healthy lifestyle and enjoy treats in moderation.

Here is a nutritional breakdown of your favorite Halloween candy:

1 fun size	Calories	Fat	Sugar
Snickers	72	3.7	7
Reese’s	80	4.5	7
Almond Joy	91	5.1	9.2
Milky Way	76	2.9	10.9
Butterfinger	100	4	10
M&M’s	90	4	11.5
Peanut M&M’s	93	4.7	9.1
Nestle Crunch	51.3	2.7	5.6
Peppermint Pattie	47	1	8.6
Kit Kat	73	3.7	6.7
Dots	70	0	11
Skittles	80	.8	15
Jellybeans	35	0	7
3 Musketeers	63.3	2	10
Milky Way Dark	81	3	11
Hershey’s Bar	66.7	4	7.7
Take 5	105	5.5	9
100 Grand	95	4	11
Nerds	50	0	12
Whoppers	100	4	13
Mike & Ike	50	0	9
SweeTarts	Continue reading →

Posted in Healthy Eating, Healthy Lifestyles, Wellness | Leave a comment

Fitness Tips: Stay Injury Free by Avoiding these Strength Training Habits

Posted on October 13, 2011 by Aaron Feldman

Walk into a gym and 50 percent of the people in there are doing something destructive to their joints at any given time. No one ever realizes when they are exercising incorrectly because they’ve been doing it that way so long that the movement just feels right to them. I have picked some of the most common things I see done in the gym that are bad for your body. All of these problems can be corrected with a little mental focus and developing an objective eye. Pay close attention to your exercise movements and try to catch yourself doing some of these the next time you work out. It’s best to get out of these bad habits sooner rather than later.

When pulling a bar or weight to chin level, always do it in front of the head, not behind.

Behind the Neck Exercises
The two exercises that people will do behind the head are shoulder presses and lat pulldowns. The shoulder press is the exercise that involves a participant pushing a weight up overhead. The lat pulldown is the opposite motion that has a participant pulling a bar or cable down from overhead. Lowering the weight or bar in both of these exercises can either be done to the front of the shoulders or behind the neck. Behind the neck movements place the arms into an unnatural position. The shoulder is already an unstable joint and when it is raised over head, many muscles are at work trying to stabilize it. When adding in the extra weight and movement involved in a behind the neck exercise, a large amount of pressure is placed upon the rotator cuff muscles as well as an excessive stretch on the pectoral (chest) muscles. The neck is also under pressure from leaning forward too far. If either of these exercises is done long enough, you are more than likely to see an injury. When lowering anything to chin level in an exercise, lower the weights or bar in front of the head, not behind.

Lifting with the Neck During Abdominal Crunches
The majority of beginning exercisers make this mistake. If you are feeling neck pain while doing crunches, then you are guilty of this. It usually happens when your hands are pulling up on the back of your head or your neck is being used more than it should be during crunches or situps. The excessive strain of the neck from doing abdominal exercises the wrong way can make the neck muscles stiff, leaving them prone to injury during exercise or even later in the day. To fix the problem of lifting with your neck, find a focal point to look at to minimize head movement while doing abdominal exercises. Focus on lifting the shoulders and upper back off the ground instead of leading with the head. Try crossing the arms in front of your chest and feel your stomach periodically to make sure it is contracting as you lift yourself up.

Fitness Fix: Don't Let Your Knees Go Forward When Squatting

To avoid injury when squatting, make sure your knees don't go in front of your toes. It should be a motion similar to sitting in a chair.

Allowing the Knees to go Forward During the Squat Exercise
I see exercisers that have been working out for years still doing this one. When doing a squat the wrong way, the knees will move forward excessively towards the bottom of the motion. This will leave the knees far in front of the toes which should not happen. When done right, the motion should be the same as going from a seated to standing position. This means that as you lower your body, the hips are pushed back allowing the knees to stay fairly stationary behind the feet. However, when knees lead the way into leaning forward, there is a large amount of pressure on the knee joint. It may take time to catch up to you but most people will feel this pain immediately while doing squats. If this pain goes ignored long enough, it can turn into a serious injury. The bottom line is that when doing a squat, push the hips back nice and far. Stand in front of a chair or by a wall if you need something to hold onto for balance. It may be more comfortable for some to spread the feet out. Have someone watch your knees while you squat to tell you if they are going in front of your feet.

Rounding of the Back
Moms always tell their kids to sit up straight, not to slouch. The same holds true in exercise. Slouching in general is a bad habit. Slouching when handling weights, however, is just plain dangerous. If you’re rounding your back forward, the lower spine and surrounding muscles are under a lot of pressure. Some cues to get out of this habit are keeping your chest up, shoulders back and chin from being buried into the chest. This applies for exercises who are pressing, rowing, squatting, or even running.

Moving the Head Around while Exercising
Another common cause of injury during exercise is unnecessary movement, especially of the head. When using weights or your body as resistance, keep your head still. It is very easy to strain the neck with a quick movement, especially during exercise. Going back to my recommendation for abdominal crunches, find a focal point during exercises and continue to look at it. This goes for runners too. I know it’s hard to stay still on the elliptical or treadmill, but all it takes is one movement while your head is turned to take a spill.

Avoid injury at the gym by adjusting the equipment for yourself. For example, on a chest press machine, the handles should be level with your chest.

Not Adjusting the User Settings on a Piece of Equipment
Since everyone in the world is not the same height, weight or body type, exercise equipment comes with multiple adjustments. These include adjustments of a seat, adjustment of the handles or an adjustable foot step. These adjustments are there for a reason. Use them to set the machine at a level appropriate for your height and body type. Most gyms have a staff member that can help you find the appropriate setting if needed. If a seat is too low or too high, your body is not going through the motion intended for the designated machine. Depending on the setting, you may be putting yourself at risk for injury. For example, with a chest press machine, the handles should be level with your chest. If the handles are level with the navel, then the seat is too high.

Posted in Fitness, Healthy Lifestyles, Wellness | Tagged exercise, fitness, fitness retreat, strength training, workout | Leave a comment

Switching Up Your Grains For Weight Loss

Posted on October 11, 2011 by Julie Harrington

A healthy diet consists of 50-65% of grains. At least half of those grains should be whole grains. Switching to just whole grains may seem intimidating at first. To gradually get used to the flavorful taste of whole grains, start out by mixing what you normally like with whole grains. For example, mix 3/4 of a serving of regular pasta and 1/4 of a serving of whole wheat pasta. Then gradually mix 1/2 of a serving of regular pasta with 1/2 of a serving of whole wheat pasta. Soon enough you will be at a whole serving of whole grains!

What exactly is a whole grain? A whole grain consists of the bran, germ, and endosperm.

The bran, or the outer shell is high in fiber. The germ is a polyunsaturated fat, in simple terms a healthy fat, and also full of vitamins. The Endosperm is the starchy component. White grains are processed and the germ and the bran are stripped away which also strips away the good nutrients from the bran and germ.

Many people automatically think of whole grains as whole wheat flour, whole wheat pasta, and brown rice. There are so many more whole grains out there to try like amaranth, barley, couscous, kamut, millet, oats, quinoa, rice, rye, spelt, teff, wheat, and wheat berries. Try incorporating more types of grain into your weight loss diet for a healthy lifestyle.

A type of couscous, Israeli couscous, which is sometimes called pearl couscous, are small, round, pasta-like granules made from semolina and wheat flour.

Other grains are typically dried and packaged and then rehydrated when cooked. Israeli couscous is toasted instead. It gives a distinct nutty flavor and a sturdier composition which makes is such a versatile grain that can stand up to any type of sauce, soup, or salad.

Israeli couscous has great nutritional benefits. A 1/2 cup of cooked Israeli couscous is 88 kcal, 3g protein, 18g carbohydrates, 0.1g fat, and 2g fiber.

Israeli Couscous Salad with Shrimp

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:
1 cup low-sodium chicken stock
1/2 cup Israeli couscous
5 tablespoons of olive oil
6 ounces of shrimp, grilled
3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, diced
1 cucumber, seeded and diced
2 lemons, juice
A large bunch of cilantro, roughly chopped
Salt and freshly grounded pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Bring the chicken stock to a boil. Pour over the couscous in a bowl and leave to sit or 10 minutes.

2. Place 5 shrimp on a skewer. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with minced garlic. Grill over high heat until fully cooked.

3. When the couscous has absorbed the chicken broth, add the olive oil and lemon juice. and break up any lumps that may have formed with a fork. This will give a lighter texture to the salad.

4. Peel the cucumber and cut lengthwise. Scrape out the seeds and dice. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half. Add the cucumbers and tomatoes to the couscous.

5. Stir in the chopped cilantro and season with salt and pepper. Add more lemon juice as needed.

6. Let the couscous salad marinate together for at least 20 minutes for flavors to enhance.

7. Serve with grilled shrimp.

Nutrition Facts:
Calories: 279 kcal
Total Fat: 17.5 g
Total Carbohydrate: 19.9 g
Dietary fiber: 2 g
Protein: 11 g

Posted in Healthy Eating, Healthy Lifestyles, Recipes | Tagged healthy diet, healthy lifestyle, weight loss diet | Leave a comment

Healthy Eating: A Lesson on Legumes

Posted on October 6, 2011 by Julie Harrington

Garbanzo beans, also commonly known as chickpeas, are a versatile and tasty legume. They have a nutlike taste and buttery texture. They can be tossed in salads, roasted, mashed, stirred into soups, and even incorporated into desserts! They are also a healthy food, perfect to incorporate into any weight loss diet for your healthy lifestyle.

Garbanzo beans or chickpeas are a healthy and delicious addition to your diet.

Originated in the Middle East, whose food cultures heavily rely upon this high protein legume. They are typically categorized in the Mediterranean flavor profile.

Make garbanzo beans a staple in your pantry. Not only are they taste, they are quick and convenient and pack in a lot of nutritional value.

Protein

Garbanzo beans are a good vegetarian source of protein. When paired with whole grains, it makes it a complete protein which is comparable to meat, without the added saturated fat or cholesterol found in meat protein sources. One cup of garbanzo beans has about 27% of the daily protein requirements.

Fiber

Legumes are rich in fiber, Garbanzo beans contain both soluble and insoluble fiber. Soluble fiber works in the digestive tract and helps lower cholesterol where as insoluble fiber helps prevent constipation and other digestive disorders. By having each type of fiber, it keeps the body healthy and working properly. Garbanzo beans contain 12.5 grams of fiber per cup. That’s 50% of the Daily Value!

Iron

Garbanzo beans are a great source of iron. Iron is important for energy production. High sources of iron can be found in red meat. For vegetarians, garbanzo beans are a great way to fit in more iron. Deficiencies of iron can result in fatigue.

How to select and store:

In the grocery store, garbanzo beans can be purchased either dried or canned.

Dried garbanzo beans can be found in bags or in bulk bins. Make sure there is no moisture and that they are whole and not cracked.

When purchasing canned garbanzo beans, look for the ones that have no extra salt added. Rinse under water before using. Extra beans, store in a sealed plastic container in the fridge.

Enjoy these three fun new ways to cook with garbanzo beans!

Use chickpeas to make homemade hummus for a nutritious snack.

Lemon Garlic Hummus

Makes 24 servings

Ingredients:

2 cups can chickpeas, skins peeled off*
3/4 cup olive oil
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons minced garlic
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Open and drain the chickpeas. Remove the outside skin of the chickpeas.*

Put the chickpeas in the food processor and pulse about 5 times.

Add the lemon juice and minced garlic. As the chickpeas are processing stream in the olive oil slowly.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with sliced vegetables to dip.

Nutrition and Cooking tips:

Chickpeas are also called garbanzo beans.

The skins are edible and are usually left on when cooking with chickpeas, but can be removed when making hummus to make a creamier consistency.

Nutrition Facts:

Calories: 85
Total Fat: 7.0 g
Total Carbohydrates: 4.9 g
Dietary Fiber: 0.9 g
Protein: 1.0 g

Satisfy your sweet tooth with a tasty dessert made from healthy chickpeas.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Dessert Hummus

Makes 18 servings

Ingredients:

2 cups can chickpeas, skins peeled off*
1/4 cup natural peanut butter
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup mini dark chocolate chips*

Directions:

Open and drain the chickpeas. Remove the outside skin of the chickpeas.*

Put the chickpeas in the food processor and pulse about 5 times.

Add the peanut butter, maple syrup, vanilla extract. Pulse until creamy.

Fold in the chocolate chips. Serve with slices of apples.

Nutrition and Cooking tips:

Chickpeas are also called garbanzo beans.

The skins are edible and are usually left on when cooking with chickpeas, but can be removed when making hummus to make a creamier consistency.

Dark chocolate chips are a better choice than milk chocolate because it has less sugar and more antioxidants.

Nutrition Facts:

Calories: 77
Total Fat: 2.8 g
Total Carbohydrates: 11.1 g
Dietary Fiber: 1.5 g
Protein: 2.4 g

Spice up your chickpeas by roasting them in the oven.

Crispy Roasted Chickpeas

Makes 15 servings

Ingredients:

One 15-ounce can garbanzo beans
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
Pinch, Salt
Spice blend of your choice (Examples: creole or cajun seasonings)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400F.

2. Drain the can of garbanzo beans in a strainer and rinse with water for a few seconds to clean off the beans. Shake and tap the strainer to rid of excess water. Lay paper towel on a baking sheet, and spread the beans over. Use another paper towel to gently press and absorb the water on the beans. Roll the beans around with the paper towel to also remove the thin skin from any of the beans. Discard the skins and the paper towels.

3. Drizzle the olive oil over the beans and use your hands or a spatula to toss around and coat. Roast for 30-40 minutes until the beans are a deep golden brown and crunchy. Make sure that the beans do not burn.

4. Season with salt and spice blend.

Nutrition Facts:

Calories: 115
Total Fat: 3.1 g
Total Carbohydrates: 17.2 g
Dietary Fiber: 4.9 g
Protein: 5.5 g

Posted in Healthy Eating, Recipes, Wellness | Tagged healthy lifestyle, weight loss diet | Leave a comment

Apple Season!

Posted on October 4, 2011 by Julie Harrington

It’s my favorite season of the year. Fall. I love the leaves falling, the cool crisp air, and the fun activity of apple picking. Apples are at their peak in the fall. The season of apples run from late August through November. This is when they will taste the best and local Farmer’s markets will be overflowing with their supply.

When Buying:

Look for firm, heavy apples that are bright colored and crisp.

Avoid apples that are bruised and have damaged skin.

How to Store:

Store in a cool dry place.

For longer freshness, store in a crisper drawer (or a plastic bag) in the refrigerator.

Apples can be stored up to a month in the fridge.

* Quick tip: Remove apples that are over-ripe because they will cause others to ripen more quickly.

Best Ways to Use:

There are many apple varieties and all have different properties. Some are firmer, sweeter, crunchier, etc. For baking, chef’s use firmer and tart apples to hold their structure in the baking process and to contrast well with sugar.

Best for baking:

Spy gold, Spartan, Pink Lady, Northern Spy, Mutsu, Jonathan, Jonagold, Honeygold, Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, Gold Delicious, Gala, Fuji, Empire, Cortland, Baldwin, Braeburn, Rome Beauty, Pippin, Winesap, Gravenstein

Best for Applesauce:

Spartan, Pink Lady, Northern Spy, Mutsu, McIntosh, Jonathan, Jonagold, Honeygold, Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, Golden Delicious, Fuji, Cortland, Braeburn, Rome Beauty, Pippin, Winesap, Gravenstein

Best for Pies:

Spy Gold, Spartan, Pink Lady, Northern Spy, Mutsu, Jonathan, Jonagold, Honeygold, Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, Golden Delicious, Gala, Fuji, Empire, Cortland, Braeburn, Rome Beauty, Pippin, Winesap, Gravenstein

Best Eaten Fresh:

Spy Gold, Spartan, Red Delicious, Pink Lady, Mutsu, McIntosh, Jonathan, Jonagold, Honeygold, Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, Golden Delicious, Gala, Fuji, Empire, Cortland, Braeburn, Pippin, Winesap, Gravenstein

Best for Drying:

Spartan, Jonathan, Honeygold, Honeycrisp, Gala, Empire

Posted in Healthy Eating, Wellness | Leave a comment

Healthy Lifestyle: Building a Better Breakfast

Posted on September 30, 2011 by Julie Harrington

How many times have you heard that “breakfast is the most important meal of the day?” All meals are important but breakfast literally means breaking a fast from the night of sleeping. Eating a healthy breakfast can jump start your metabolism and help you power through a busy morning of work, school, errands, or fun with friends. It can also be helpful in your weight loss efforts, as a nutritious breakfast is an essential part of a healthy lifestyle.

For a nutritious breafast, have a bowl of cereal with fruit and skim milk.

Skipping breakfast is more likely to cause a weight gain and make weight control more difficult. If your body is still in a fasting mode, your body, mind, and metabolism do not get enough energy. Not eating in the morning may lead to low blood sugar, which makes you feel like you have less energy.

Eating a well balance breakfast can help you lose weight. Eating a well balanced breakfast is like filling up a tank of a car – breakfast is the fuel for your body.

A simple way to make a well balanced breakfast is to put a few food groups into a meal. Many people do not have time to prepare and enjoy a filling, well balanced breakfast of eggs, toast, and turkey bacon each morning.

A lot of times we need something quick and simple in the morning. Don’t just munch on dry cereal. A step to improve a breakfast cereal is to add a cup of skim milk. To make it even better, have whole grain cereal, skim milk, and a banana. Whole grain cereal has more fiber to keep you fuller longer; the milk provides protein, and the banana has fiber and potassium

A simple breakfast like a bowl of cereal will power you through the morning. Other quick and simple, well balanced breakfasts include:

- Whole wheat toast with peanut butter and fruit

- Whole wheat english muffin with hummus, tomato, and hard boiled eggs

Try a homemade yogurt parfait with lots of fruit for a healthy breakfast or snack option.

- Yogurt Parfait: Plain Greek yogurt, fresh berries, and almonds

- Whole grain granola bar (Larabar, Luna, etc) with an apple

- Whole grain waffles with blueberries and skim milk

- Healthy trail mix (nuts and dried fruits) with a cup of skim milk

- Fruit smoothie

- Cottage cheese with pineapple and slivered almonds

- Mini whole wheat bagel with almond butter and apple slices

- Whole grain muffin with fruit and a cup of skim milk

- Fruit salad with a cheese stick and whole wheat crackers

- Oatmeal prepared with skim milk and fruit and nuts

Posted in Healthy Eating, Healthy Lifestyles, Wellness | Tagged healthy lifestyle, weight loss effort | Leave a comment

Fitness & Weight Loss Tips: Staying Fit on the Road

Posted on September 28, 2011 by Aaron Feldman

Whether traveling for work, school or pleasure, it is very easy to ditch healthy lifestyle habits when on the road. It is acceptable to take a break from exercise and diet every once in a while, however, regular gaps in exercise and nutrition can catch up to you. Being away from home is not a valid excuse to ditch the routine. In this article I will share some tips to continue your healthy lifestyle, even on the road.

To maintain your healthy lifestyle fitness routine, book a hotel that has a gym.

Book a hotel with a gym – This one may be obvious to some, but a hotel with a gym is not always easy to find. If you know that you have to travel somewhere, get online and do a little research. There are numerous hotel-booking websites that tell you about the amenities that a hotel offers. The best bet is to get onto a hotel’s website and check out the property features. If you can’t find a hotel with a gym, call the hotel and ask if there are any fitness centers nearby. Many fitness centers will offer a day pass for out of town visitors or potential members checking out the facility.

Bring exercise bands - Exercise bands are an excellent way to exercise while on the road. I stayed in shape during a 14 week backpacking trip by using exercise bands alone. These can be purchased at any sporting goods store or online for $10 to $20. They come in a variety of resistance levels for beginner and intermediate exercisers. These lightweight and portable pieces of exercise equipment can be taken anywhere and used anytime.

To stay on track with your fitness routine, plan out exercises for your trip that require minimal equipment.

Bring a list of exercises and a plan for each day you are away - If you have a trainer, ask them to list out things you can do while you are away. If you exercise on your own, make a list of things you can do with minimal equipment and plan out your routine. Activities on the list can include exercises such as pushups, outside nature walks or swimming laps in a hotel pool.

Plan 3-5 short workouts that you can fit in between various appointments or activities - One of the conflicts of traveling for work is that there is not much time to exercise. Plan ten minute workouts that you can do periodically throughout the day. While doing this will not have the same effect as a normal workout, it will still have benefits and keep you active. A good example is taking the half hour that you have between meetings and squeezing in a ten minute calisthenics routine followed by a quick shower. Ten minutes can also be spent jogging or walking.

Have workout clothes handy – When packing your clothes, pack at least one set of workout clothes. When down time does arise, you won’t be able to say that you didn’t bring workout clothes.

While on the road, research nearby restaurants that offer healthy meal options.

Research healthy eating places in proximity of the hotel while you are there or ask for healthy eating options off the menu – While researching gym options and hotel amenities, be sure to look at food menus. Most hotels with a dining area have healthy eating options. If not available, look into nearby restaurants or grocery stores. If you can’t find a place that serves healthy food, go shopping for some. If that is not an option, try to bring a couple healthy snacks from home. You may not be able to follow a perfectly healthy diet while you are away, but that is no reason to overindulge on the junk food.

If no gym is available, find a good place around the hotel to exercise – There may be an empty field nearby in which you can do total body exercises or some good trails for walking and running. It is always rejuvenating to find a nice scenic area to do exercises like yoga and pilates. If there is a beach nearby, that is a perfect place for cardiovascular exercise as well. One of my favorite things about traveling is being able to explore the area by going out for a nice jog or bike ride.

If a pool is too small for lap swimming, try water running – If you are not familiar with water running, there are many videos online demonstrating it. Water running is just as it sounds- the art of running in the water. This can be done in two ways; in a pool where you are touching the ground or in deeper water. In shallow water, you can run stationary or run from one side of the pool to another. In deeper water, you will be doing more of a water treading motion, but it is still the same concept.

When leaving home, do not let something like a business trip or a lengthy vacation be a reason for you to regress on healthy living. A break is okay every now and then, but don’t let workout skipping become a habit.

Posted in Fitness, Healthy Lifestyles, Wellness | Tagged fitness tips, healthy diet, healthy lifestyle, weight loss | Leave a comment

Weight Loss Breakfasts

Pumpkins for Weight Loss

Got Milk? Healthy Diet Tips

Healthy Lifestyle: Trick or Treat

Fitness Tips: Stay Injury Free by Avoiding these Strength Training Habits

Switching Up Your Grains For Weight Loss

Healthy Eating: A Lesson on Legumes

Apple Season!

Healthy Lifestyle: Building a Better Breakfast

Fitness & Weight Loss Tips: Staying Fit on the Road

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