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Healthy Eating

  • Chipotle Mahi Mahi

    Chipotle Mahi Mahi with Mukimame

    I love it when the Rock Star chefs for me. He's much better than I am.
    He made this recipe up on the fly and it was spectacular.
    Prep time was about 15 minutes with the chopping.


    Ingredients:
    green onions
    2 chopped home grown tomatoes
    olive oil
    2 small onions (sliced)
    juice from two limes
    1 bag of frozen Mukimame
    red pepper flakes
    chipoltle pepper spice
    2 mahi mahi steaks


    Put Olive oil in frying pan over low heat. Add onions and tomatoes.
    Next add Mahi Mahi steaks in and season with lime, red pepper and spices.
    Steam the Mukimame in the microwave (don't steam it in the bag though)
    then add it to the pan and cover. We season to taste so we probably use more pepper than most people. This dish is fast, yummy and completely modifiable!

    Great protein, Omega's and flavor


  • Dr. Oz's Sugar Wake up call

    Dr. Oz Wake up call

    How sugar/carbs effect your body!
    If you don't think Diabetes effects you? Watch this video!

    Bright side: Most diabetes is preventable!!!

  • Caramel Apple Pie Baked Oatmeal


    Caramel Apple Pie Baked Oatmeal

    Makes 1 serving

    Ingredients:

    1/2 cup dry oats
    1 cup water
    2 T liquid egg whites
    sugar substitute to taste
    dash Cinnamon
    1-2 sugar-free Caramel Torani syrup
    2 T unsweetened organic applesauce
    1/3 sliced apple
    1 T raisins
    1/8 t baking powder

    Directions:

    Mix the above and pour into an oven proof dish. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

    Nutrition:

    Calories 250
    Calories from Fat 27.0
    Total Fat 3g
    Saturated Fat 0.5g
    Cholesterol 0mg
    Sodium 59.61mg
    Total Carbohydrate 48.74g
    Dietary Fiber 6.84g
    Sugars 19.66g
    Protein 8.75g


    Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/recipes/caramel-apple-pie-baked-oatmeal/#ixzz0rgc67jvT

    Note: I made this without the Torini syrup and used a packet of Truvia.  I also
    added ground flax.
  • Dierbergs Haul

    ezekiel cereal
    Dierbergs Haul

    Yesterday, we were in the county and stopped at Dierbergs for a few items and I almost fell over. Dierbergs has a very large 'organic' health food section that made me think I was in a Whole Foods. Not only did it contain bulk supplies of staples like Quinoa it had a freezer section. Now I know, that not every item in the 'health food' section is a proper choice for clean eating, but it was exciting to find more than one option for the items I already use.

    I have never seen the Ezekiel 4:9 cereals.
    Dierbergs carried all 4 varieties.
    I'm pretty much a Grape Nuts eater, so this opens some new possibilites. For you lable junkies, check out the ingredients and nutritional breakdown by clicking here.
    Sugars= 0g, Fiber 6 g Protein=8gm



    I also found several varietes of Ezekiel and Genesis bread and muffins!




    Steaz is a product I'm not familiar with, but I found this flavor, Black Cherry Sparkling Green Tea is sweetened with Stevia.

    Zevia is a brand of diet soda that is sweetened with Stevia.
    They are actually good. We bought the Ginger / Root beer.
    Granted, these are items are treats and not on my daily menu.
    It's nice to have choices.

    zevia soda

    It's likely that Whole Foods carries many of these items, but our closest
    WF is a bit of a trek.
    Thanks to Dierbergs STL for making these items accessable.

  • Best Eat Clean Bread Choices

    Fiber-iffic bread choices for fat loss
    PS. I'm in the FREEZER section!

     

    Navigating your way through the grocery store is tricky when you are trying to 'eat clean'. Deciding what to buy can be tricky, especially when product labels are deceiving.

    We know we need fiber in our diet but what are the best sources?

    starLet's start with a quick overview of why fiber is important. star

    "Fiber helps to keep our bowel movements regular and ward off certain diseases. Carcinogens in our intestines bind to it and move through our colon more quickly than they otherwise would, reducing our risk for colon cancer. Fiber also helps transport cholesterol out of our body, reducing our risk for heart disease.

    Fiber makes us feel full sooner and stays in our stomach longer than other substances we eat, slowing down our rate of digestion and keeping us feeling full longer. Due to its greater fiber content, a single serving of whole grain bread can be more filling than two servings of white bread. Fiber also moves fat through our digestive system faster so that less of it is absorbed."**



    Bear in mind that labels reading "whole grain" are made with the COMPLETE grain kernal. Don't be mislead by lables that read "100 % Wheat" or Multi-grain, or "wheat colored" products. Most wheat bread is white bread with caramel coloring added to give it more of a 'natural' look.

    What kind of bread is a good choice?
    The company Food For Life brings some of the best fiber products to comsumers. The Ezekiel 4:9 breads are a perfect choice for clean eating.

    From the Food for life website:

    What Is The Difference Between Enriched White Breads And Sprouted Food For Life Breads?

    “Enriched” Breads are made from the endosperm of the wheat kernel (the inside portion), which contains few vitamins and minerals (most carbohydrates). The milling of grain into white flour requires the removal of the bran and the germ. During this process, important natural fiber and bran are lost (including 21 vitamins and minerals). 5 vitamins and minerals (thiamine, riboflavin, niacin and folic acid) are added back into the flour and are thus, called “enriched”. By contrast, Food For Life sprouted breads are made from freshly sprouted grains which contain all of the fiber, bran, vitamins and minerals of the original grain plus an average of approximately 100% increase in those vitamins and minerals.


    I love the Ezekiel 4:9 English muffins. The Rockstar and I often split an Ezekiel Mc Muffin for breakfast. It's very filling and having the protein (egg)and fiber together keeps me going.

    I struck gold at Dierbergs markets in St. Louis.
    They seem to stock more Ezekiel products than my local city grocers.
    Remember, the Ezekiel breads are in the freezer section. If your
    market doesn't carry it, let them know you want it!

    If you are looking for Food for life products in your area,
    check out the store locator on their website.

    **thanks to Calories per hour's fiber tutorial



  • Yummy fresh salsa

    salsa

    Hunter's Garden Salsa

    The deliciousness above was made by our 12 year old son, Hunter. He's a huge fan of home made salsa and this is his own recipe.
    He made this bowl all by himself and it was awesome.

    The ingredients are:
    Tomatoes (we used three giant Organic ones)
    2 Jalapeno peppers
    1 bunch of Cilantro
    1 Chopped Vidalia Onion
    Juice of 1 large lime


    I bought Snyders Eat Smart Natural Tortillia chips with Sea salt,Quinoa, Sesame and Chia Seeds. We served this for our Memorial Day BBQ with our family.

    Fresh salsa tastes sooo much better than salsa from a jar!


    Hunter's salsa
    The man loves his salsa!

    Posted Jun 02 2010, 01:45 PM by admin with 1 comment(s)
    Filed under: ,
  • Say no to dairy-part 2

    Ok.. so you've watched Dr. Mark Hyman talk about the dangers of dairy but you still want to know more. In part two of this series, we'll discuss a few key points and how to make living without dairy part of your lifestyle.

    The ongoing Dairy Disaster:
    According to Harvey and Marilyn Diamond, acclaimed authors of best selling Fit for Life ll ,
    DAIRY PRODUCTS ARE DISEASE PRODUCING. They are harmful, and cause suffering.
    Dieticians, nutritionists and physicians alike will tell you to drink milk even though diary products have been linked to a host of problems including.**

    Acne,anemia,anxeity,ADD,Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder,Fibromyalgia,headaches,heartburn,indigestion,Ibs,joint pain,Osteoporsis,allergies,earinfection,colic,*** cancer,prostate cancer,Chron's, Ovarian Cancer***


    Consumers do not spend our free time flipping through medical journal so it makes sense that the medical community would want to go to bat for us. I was at my annual check up and a young resident came in to ask me questions about my health. I told him I was trying to give up dairy and he asked me how I could get my calcium if I didn't drink milk. You can Google 'non-dairy' forms of calcium and get a list of plant- based foods that contain calcium. If I know that.. why didn't he? Medical school....????

    Non-dairy sources of Calcium
    Food Source:
    Green leafy vegetables such as kale, collard and turnip greens, bok choy, broccoli, tofu, beans, chick peas, sunflower and sesame seeds, brazil nuts, almonds, flax seeds, dried figs, dried fruits, blackstrap molasses.

    starWait a minute,I can't put those things on my cereal. What can I drink instead? star
    There are some great 'milk alternatives' I use Hemp milk, unsweetened soy but my favorite is Almond milk. You can cook with these also. Rice dream is another option. You can get these at most grocery stores.

     

    --------------------------

    Minerals

    Milk is NOT a reliable source for minerals. You get much higher levels of manganese, chromium, selenium, and magnesium from fruits and veggies. They are also higher in boron which helps lessen the loss of calcium through urine.*

    Non dairy sources of minerals
    Chromium
    Food Source: Whole grains, nuts, peanuts, cooked spinach, mushrooms, broccoli, apples.

    Copper
    Food Source: Seeds and nuts, whole grains, dried beans, mushrooms.

    Flouride
    Food Source: Brewed tea, apples, cooked spinach and kale.

    Iodine
    Food Source: Sea salt, Iodized salt, Iodine–rich sea vegetables, kelp.

    Iron
    Food Source: Sea vegetables, green leafy vegetables, legumes/beans, seeds and nuts, dried fruits, prune juice, watermelon, cream of wheat, spinach, whole grains, bran flakes, blackstrap molasses.

    Magnesium
    Food Source: Cooked spinach, brown rice, almonds/nuts, legumes/beans, broccoli, wheat germ/bran, whole grains, dried figs, cooked oatmeal, green leafy vegetables, bananas, peanuts.

    Manganese
    Food Source: Whole grains and cereals, brown rice, wheat germ, cooked oatmeal, almonds, nuts, seeds, legumes, black beans, cooked kale and spinach, avocados, strawberries, pineapples.

    Molybdenum
    Food Source: Beans, cereals, breads, cooked spinach, strawberries.

    Phosphorus
    Food Source: Cereal grains, bread and baked goods, pinto beans, nuts, almonds, dried beans, lentils, peas, peanuts, brown rice, avocados, spinach, vegetables, yeast.

    Potassium
    Food Source: Bananas, raisins, potatoes, baked sweet potatoes, winter squash, raw cauliflower, raw and cooked spinach, tomatoes, avocado, kiwi, dried fruits, dried apricots, melons, oranges, grapefruit, strawberries.

    Riboflavin
    Food Source: yeast, whole grains and cereals, beans, wheat germs, broccoli, mushrooms, spinach.

    Selenium
    Food Source: Whole grains, brazil nuts, kidney beans, yeast.

    Zinc
    Food Source: Whole grains and cereals, pumpkins seeds, legumes, peas, lentils, garbanzo beans, soy products, sunflower seeds, nuts, yeast, wheat germ, maple syrup, spinach, raw collard greens, corn.

    So now , how do we get "Got Broccoli" ads in magazines??? :)



    *Diet for a New America, by John Robbins
    ** Milksucks.com
    ***:"Two new studies Sour Milk's Image" pcrm.org
    Thanks to Skinny B*tch

     

     

     
  • Dairy: 6 reasons you should avoid it at all costs. Part 1.

     

    Like most of you, I grew up being told to drink milk for strong bones and teeth. As a child, we couldn't leave the table until we finished our milk. So why now is it just starting to come out that milk isn't the superfood we have been led to believe? Dr. Mark Hyman shares with us some foooood for thought on this subject.

     

     
     
  • Yummy Low carb califlower rice



    Low Carb Califlower Rice


    This video was sent to me by one of my team members.
    I love it! What a great idea.

    Low Carb Cauliflower Rice

    I m going to show you how to make a substitute for rice using cauliflower.

    Choose a Cauliflower

    When picking out a cauliflower, look firm, tight white florets and bright green leaves. The base of the stem should look moist and even colored. 

    Store unwashed cauliflower in the refrigerator in an open or perforated plastic bag for 5 to 7 days. When cooking or serving cauliflower, peel off any of the outer leaves.

    Cut the Low Carb Cauliflower

    Next, cut the stalk from around the head of the cauliflower. If you were to boil or steam the cauliflower, cut the florets into similar sized pieces for even cooking. 

    Cauliflower is great for low carb recipes because it's low in fat and carbs and high in fiber. For this recipe, I will we be grating the cauliflower to use as a substitute for rice. So, cut the florets into large chunks that will fit in the mouth of your food processor. 

    Process fresh cauliflower until it is the size of rice, either using the plain steel blade or the shredder blade. If you don t have a food processor you could also use a hand-held grater or cut it very finely by hand.

    Cook the Low Carb Cauliflower Rice

    Place the riced cauliflower into a microwave safe covered dish. Cook in the microwave for 4-5 minutes. You don t need to add any water, just cook it as is. When it's done, you ll have a slightly firm, but tender rice alternative. Add some butter, salt and pepper and serve. 

    To learn more, visit food.about.com.

    SparkPeople.com: Get a Free Online Diet

  • BBQ Sauce-Clean eating style

    Clean BBQ Sauce

     

    In our sculpt class we were discussing clean eating and how
    most BBQ sauces have HFCS in them. BOOO.
    This is a recipe that we use. It uses molasses or dark Agave
    nectar for sweetening.

    Ingredients:

    • 2 tbsp. canola oil
    • 1 small white onion, diced small
    • 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
    • 1 can (6 oz.) tomato paste
    • 2 tsp. ground mustard
    • 1 can (28 oz.) tomato sauce
    • 1/4 cup unsulfured molasses (you can substitute this with dark agave nectar)
    • 2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
    • 3 tbsp. white vinegar
    • 1 1/2 tsp. ground pepper

    Directions:

    1. In a medium saucepan, heat canola oil over medium heat.  Add diced onion and cook until completely soft, approximately 5 minutes.  Add garlic and cook about 1 minute.
    2. Add the tomato paste and mustard.  Stirring constantly, cook until paste turns a bright red in color, approximately 5 minutes.  Add 2 cups water, tomato sauce, molasses, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, salt and pepper.  Stir until smooth.
    3. Bring mixture to a simmer, reduce heat to low, and cover partially.  Stirring occasionally, simmer for 2 hours.  You can thin the sauce down with water if it becomes too thick.  Add more vinegar, salt and/or pepper to taste (if desired).
    4. Let completely cool before using.

    Note:  Can be refrigerated up to 1 week or frozen up to 4 months.

    Source: Everyday Food

    SparkPeople.com: Get a Free Online Diet




  • Gaining control of your eating

     
    GETTING CONTROL OF YOUR FOOD INTAKE

    This is a really wonderful, candid video clip from Chalene Johnson, the creator of Turbo Jam. I think she has some great insight on taking control of our eating. This is a real struggle for many people and a day to day challenge for me as well. What is your strategy for keeping your eating in control? I've found that journaling is my least favorite way but it is very eye opening! I do my journaling on SparkPeople.

    SparkPeople.com: Get a Free Online Diet

  • The Special Dangers of Sugar to Women over 40

    THE SPECIAL DANGERS OF SUGAR TO WOMEN OVER 40

     

    This is a great video featuring best selling author, Jorge Cruise and Dr. Christiane Northrup (the leading women’s health expert and a frequent guest on Oprah).
    It speaks to issues of women over 40 and how sugar in our diets causes complications with our health and well being.

     

    If you do one thing for your health today, watch this video.

    So even if you aren't over 40 or even a woman.. watch this and share it with someone you care about.


    For More of Jorge Cruise visit his website

    or check out his Belly Fat Cure on Amazon




  • Protein is the new dessert

    Eat Clean Diet Recharged
    Yummy Protein shake!
     

    A while back, I was on SparkPeople.com logging my food intake and was surprised to see that my necessary protein intake was far below the recommended amount for my goals. In fact my "Pie Graph" was heavy in the carb department and slim in protein. I actually thought I was doing really well. I'm not a meat eater so I supplement with legumes and nuts. I am currently trying to build muscle so I decided to really get my protein consumption up.

    One of the most fun ways to add protein is a shake.
    My favorite protein powder is
    BSN Lean Dessert.

    LEAN DESSERT PROTEIN™ ideal for weight management and calorie-restricted/low-carb diets, producing thick, delicious shakes that will help to satiate you for hours unlike most meal replacements.

    Your body can't digest more than 25 grams of protein at a time and with 20 grams per serving, Lean Dessert fits perfectly into my meal plan.
    It has only 2-3 grams of sugar and zero aspartame!
    I enjoy a shake for my mid morning snack/meal or if I'm starving, before I go to bed.

    The thing that I really love about Lean Dessert is the flavors.


    It comes in

    Whipped Vanilla Cream
    Banana Pudding
    Chocolate Fudge Pudding
    Fresh Cinnamon Roll
    Banana Nut Bread
    Chocolate Coconut Candy

    I've tried them all and love them. I mix mine with almond milk and ice but you can add other ingredients like fruit. Someone twittered that she mixes a scoop of Chocolate Fudge Pudding with a little water and one tablespoon of organic peanut butter to make cookie dough.
    How great is that?!

    I recently tried the Chocolate Coconut Candy Bar flavor and it's really good. Even the Rockstar, who doesn't like coconut thinks it's good. The coconut flavor is not over powering. It's very creamy and if you feel festive, you can moisten the rim of your shake glass and dip it in unsweetened coconut.

    I purchase all my supplements at Vitacost.com because they are so much cheaper than other retail sources. Vitacost has so many fitness products and supplements for you, kids and even pets.
    It's my favorite e-tailer.


    The Retail price of Lean Dessert is
    $27.99 for 1.39 Pounds.

    Vitacost sells the same item for $14.99
    a savings of 46%!

    Let's save you even more money though..

    Before you go to VitaCost, sign up for a free Ebates account.
    Ebates is a site that pays you cash back on your internet purchases.
    Currently, Vitacost is giving 5 percent cash back.

    1. Click here to go to Ebates.

    2. After you sign up and are logged in, search for 'vitacost' in the search box at the top of the page.

    Ebates will give you a link to the Vitacost site and you can then shop away and get your cash back!

    Another plus is that Vitacost ships very quickly.
    I had my order in 3 days.

    Here's my favorite fitness model/guru Jennifer Nicole Lee talking about Lean Dessert and how she uses it to stay looking so great!

    Lean Dessert is also available at Amazon.com


    :)




  • The Body Beautiful Formula for Permanent Weight Loss!

    Eat Clean Diet Recharged
    Picture yourself with the last 'diet book' you'll ever need.
     

    Have you ever wondered
    "What should I eat to lose weight?"
    If you have, then you are like almost every one of my personal training clients. It's very confusing when you start an exercise/weight loss/ training program . You are working on so many different new things, you'd like the eating part to be simple, right?

    I have found that my clients do best when the eating program is not too restrictive, too tedious, too difficult, has too many calculations.. you get the idea.
    It has to be liveable!!


    Also, as a trainer, one thing I never want is to see my clients lose weight then regain it. It's important that the eating plan be based in sound nutrition as well as something fits into day to day life.
    It has to transcend the weight loss phase and become a lifestyle.

    This is it!!!

    I recommend The Eat-Clean Diet Recharged: Lasting Fat Loss That's Better than Ever to my clients and to anyone who will listen. Clean eating IS the way to get the body you want, not only aesthetically speaking but also for health.

    What is Clean eating?
    Author, Tosca Reno defines clean eating as eating six small meals of good food.

    Yes.. six small meals.not just snacks or tidbits. Eating clean means you are fueling your body every 3-4 hours with healthy, non- processed food. You already know how I feel about processed foods!!!

    Let's think about how Sumo Wrestlers become so big. They starve themselves all day then gorge with huge meals before going to bed. Not eating all day slows the metabolism down so your huge meals are stored as fat!

    When you feed/fuel your body with healthy food, it boosts your metabolism so you are an efficient fat-burning machine.

    The clean eating formula is borrowed from the Physique Industry where it's practiced by 1000's of followers.

    The Body Beautiful Formula is as follows.
    10 % training + 10 %genetics +
    80 Pecent nutrition!

    You really are what you eat!

    I'm a huge fan of clean eating and on this blog you'll see that using tools like Michi's ladder and the Eat Clean diet are my favorites because they work.

    In Tosca Reno's book, you'll not only get all the menus, you'll get the shopping lists you need as well as recipes.
    It's very easy to read and understand. It is full of big, beautiful pictures and motivating success stories.

    One of my clients used the "Cooler plan 1" and lost 10 pounds in his first week.

    One thing you may not be used to is not being hungry.
    Eating clean keeps your insulin levels steady so you aren't overwhelmed by hunger. Nice!!

    If you are really ready for permanent weight loss and want the step by step program I and many trainers use for our clients, get this book!

    You can pick it up at Target or Amazon.com.
    At Amazon.com you can preview it.

    Let me know how you are doing with your clean eating!!



  • Starbucks VIA and Shakeology Recipe

    Starbucks Via and Shakeology
    Shakeology and Starbucks VIA

    Today, Rob and I headed into Starbucks for our post BootCamp class coffee and were given a sample of VIA Ready Brew coffee.

    This is not your grandparents instant coffee:

    I had heard that Starbucks was going to market instant coffee and I was sure I was going to have to pass on that. My only reference for instant is the Taster's Choice decaf my gram made in the microwave. I don't have a clue how she drank that for 35 years. I couldn't get it to go down.
    It was little freeze dried crystals that disolved into mud and it was DECAF!
    Good grief.. where do I begin????


    Starbucks VIA
    comes in little travel packets that are
    easy to mix with hot water. The powder is not chunky and it mixes
    very easily. It is not sweetened, just 100% Arabica Coffee.

    This will come in so handy when we visit my parents in South East Missouri.

    I love ya mom and dad, but how does your town not have a Starbucks???

    How does it taste?


    It tastes just like.. STARBUCKS! Smooth, delicious and it looks and smells like fresh brewed! Rob and I sampled the Italian Roast but it also comes in Columbian.

    The paring of the Gods:
    We bought a box of VIA Italian Roast and I set out to create my own
    VIA Mocha using Shakeology and coffee. Ahhh.. two of my favorite things.

    I mixed a packet of VIA and a half a cup of room temperature water in the blender. You can't add VIA to COLD liquids because it could get lumpy.
    Always just disolve it in a little tempid liquid before you make your icy drink.

    Next I added almond milk and a scoop of Chocolate
    Shakeology. I also added Flax meal but that's my flax obsession taking over...

    Don't forget the ice. I blended it up and it was AWESOME!

    Next time I will use only half a packet of VIA because I want a
    more Mocha flavor and I think too much competes with the Chocolate.

    Is it wrong that I wanted a big whip cream mountain on top of it???


    You can get Starbucks VIA at your local Starbucks or go to Starbucks.com for more info. This week you can take the VIA challenge and get a free cup of Coffee!

    Get your Shakeology here!!!


    What is your favorite Shakeology Recipe????

     
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