We’re only one month into the new year and have already had a “holiday” featuring a large spread of less-than healthy foods.  Yes, I’m talking about Super Bowl.

Whether you dove into a plate of nachos at a bar, ate one too many burgers at a party, or spent the day repeatedly reaching into a bag of chips in your recliner, odds are you’re ready to eat a little “cleaner” this next week.  Rather than opting for something extreme like a diet or cleanse, I recommend following some basic tips that will get you back on track and help you stay there.    Here’s how:

1. Cut back on sweets, processed snacks, and meat.  These items are for the occasional indulgence, not everyday.  If you wanted to get serious, you could give these foods up for a week or so, to allow your body to readjust to a new healthy routine, and to reduce cravings.
2. Eliminate alcohol for awhile, or reduce to 1-2 drinks per weekend, and no alcohol during the week.
3. Drink enough water.  It’s easy to mistake thirst for hunger, so when you find yourself hungry or craving a snack, have a glass of water first.  If you’re really hungry, you’ll still be hungry after the water, but at least you’ll know for sure.  Water before a meal might also help you eat less at the meal (some research has shown this).
4. Eat more fruits and vegetables. This does not mean add lettuce to your cheeseburger, but rather replace some of what you’re eating now with vegetables.  If you normally have meat, mashed potatoes, and a vegetable for dinner, replace the potatoes with another lower calorie vegetable and choose a leaner meat.
5. Don’t drink your calories. Stick to water and other calorie-free beverages like sparkling water, herbal tea, iced tea, and the occasional diet soda if you’re craving a treat.
6. Avoid doing anything extreme. Like I mentioned above, avoid cleanses, “detoxes,” or any diet that requires  you give up foods you love.  These types of plans don’t last, so whatever bad habits you eliminate will soon reappear.  Instead, make a commitment to reduce your consumption of unhealthy foods.
7. Look for pleasure.  Vegetable-based dishes can be just as delicious as more high-calorie food, if you venture outside the traditional steamed veggies and boring salads.  Get creative (and use the ideas on Eating Made Easy!) so that you look forward to healthy meals instead of dreading them.

Have a great, healthy, nacho-free week!

By the way, how cool are these dips??  My friend Jen makes them every year for Super Bowl — I love the creativity and who doesn’t love seven-layer dip?!

Thanks, Jen, for the inspiration!

Don’t forget to vote for my Peanut Butter Pancakes with Chocolate Yogurt Cream!  Vote here and be entered to win a $100 prize pack from Stonyfield and Peanut Butter & Co. – plus receive a $1 off coupon from both companies!

When I tell people I’m a nutritionist, they often say things like “Oh God. I swear I don’t normally eat like this!” or “My friend told me that [insert false statement here] — is that true?”

Others sometimes rattle off various diet-related tidbits that they’ve heard or believe which have no scientific backing and/or make no sense.  I certainly don’t blame people for being confused — nutrition can be complicated and research is always evolving.  Plus, there’s so much information out there that it’s hard to know what’s true and what’s not.  But I have to giggle at times, because some diet myths are so wrong, they’re funny.  Here are a few recent gems:

1.  Sugar is the #1 enemy of the bowel movement.  (Doesn’t get any better than this).

2.  Protein is the healthiest thing you can eat because it has no calories.  (Truth: Protein is one of the four nutrients that provides us with calories a.k.a energy – the others are carbohydrate, fat, and alcohol.  Thus this statement makes no sense).

3.  Beets make you fat because of all the sugar.  (Truth: Beets are a vegetable, and believe me – vegetables are not what’s making you fat).

4.  You should only eat raw almond butter.  Regular almond butter isn’t even good for you.  (Truth: not sure why it matters whether a nut is raw or toasted when you spread it on your toast).

5.  It’s best to sweeten everything with agave, honey, and maple syrup.  Sugar is toxic. (Truth: All sweeteners are empty calories and should be eaten in moderation).

6.  We should all be on the Paleo Diet.  (Truth: There’s a reason cavemen died before age 30.  Another truth: some aspects of this diet are good – like it emphasizes whole foods not processed and refined ones – but it’s not practical or healthy to cut out entire food groups like this diet recommends).

…and many more.  I will be adding to this list when I remember other goodies!

Hi ladies!  If you missed tonight’s webinar, here is the recorded version.  You should be able to live stream this from a computer, smartphone, ipad, etc.  Let me know if you have any problems and I’ll help!

As I mentioned tonight, each week there will be “homework” related to whatever subject we cover.  Since the classes are just 45 minutes once a week, the homework is crucial if you want to really make changes and see results!

Here’s the homework for this week:

1.  Keep a 3-5 day food diary, including at least one weekend day.  This means write down everything you eat (or use a smartphone app), being sure to note:

• time of day
• what you ate (be specific and include portion size, like “1 cup oatmeal made with water + 1/2 cup low-fat milk, 1 Tbsp brown sugar and 1 cup frozen blueberries”)
• whether you ate at home or elsewhere.
• You can even go so far as to say what mood you were in when you ate (like “starving!” or “bored”).

2.  Pick your “weigh-in day.”  There’s no real benefit to weighing yourself everyday, but it is good to pick a day and time to weigh yourself each week. This will help you gauge whether you’re really working toward your goals, and you’ll easily see whether the trend is going in the right direction.

3.  Write down your 2-3 biggest barriers to getting healthy.  Lack of time, too much stress, not giving your full effort, not enough support from spouse or family, not motivated, stuck in bad habits, etc.  Over the next few weeks we will work to really address your specific barriers so you can move past them toward success!

4.  Optional:  Email me your food diary, and I’ll happily review it for you and make some recommendations or give you some tips to help you reach your goals.  Similarly, you can email me your starting weight, then email me each week after you weigh-in so you have someone to be accountable to.  Both of these are totally optional, but will help you get the most out out of these 7 weeks.

Have a great week and look forward to talking with you all in the forum!

Here’s an easy “recipe” that can be made in three (and many more) delicious ways.  The options for this dish are endless — and whatever veggies you use will combine to make a healthy, satisfying, and cheap entree when you only have a few minutes to devote to meal prep.

Mexican – follow the instructions below, and if you’d like, add fresh or frozen corn kernels, sauteed peppers or onions, canned diced green chiles, chopped lettuce, and/or your favorite salsa or hot sauce.  I love topping it with the jarred corn relish from Trader Joe’s, which is pictured on this tostada.

Greek — Spread hummus or olive tapenade on a whole wheat tortilla (or pita).  Place the egg on top along with chopped tomatoes, artichoke hearts, fresh chopped parsley and/or baby spinach leaves.  Add a dollop of plain yogurt and crumbled feta cheese and serve.

Italian — Spread marinara sauce on the tortilla (or a piece of 100% whole grain bread), then top with fresh chopped basil or spinach, sauteed mushrooms or zucchini, the egg, and mozzarella or Parmesan cheese.  Drizzle with a little more marinara sauce and chopped tomatoes.

Remember, with this dish — the more veggies the better.  Veggies will add bulk to the meal without adding many calories (translation: you’ll be fuller for longer without gaining weight!).

When you see the word “organic” on a food label, do you immediately believe this food is healthy?  If so, you’re not alone.  Research has shown that consumers perceive organic products to be lower in fat and calories and higher in fiber than the equivalent conventional foods.  Unfortunately, this is a false perception!

Yes, organic products are free of some undesirable ingredients, such as pesticides, genetically-modified organisms, and artificial growth hormones.  But many of them still contain loads of sugar, fat, and empty calories that can lead to poor health and weight gain.  Which is why every kind of packaged, processed, snack or sweet food needs to be eaten in moderation, whether it’s organic or not.

So next time you’re tempted to throw a bag of organic potato chips into your cart while shopping at Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, or another natural food store considered to sell “healthier” products, keep in mind that all potato chips are potato chips, and if you eat too many you’re likely to gain weight.

*image credit for above: www.latejuly.com*

Seems like every product on supermarket shelves now claims to have added “probiotics” – but not all these foods are created equal!  Eating fermented foods, especially yogurt and kefir, is really the best way to add probiotics to your diet because these are whole foods (as opposed to snack foods or supplements) that also contain beneficial nutrients, like calcium and protein for example.  Here is a little more info, as well as my favorite probiotic-containing foods.

What are probiotics?

Probiotics are live microorganisms added to food and supplements.  When you see the phrase “contains live and active cultures” on a container of yogurt, kefir, or other fermented product, you know there are probiotics – or “good bacteria” present.

Why are probiotics good?

People have been eating yogurt, kefir, and other fermented foods for hundreds of years, and many studies have shown health benefits such as improved digestion, reduced inflammation, enhanced immunity, and increased absorption of nutrients (because of improved digestion). Eating yogurt or kefir on a regular basis may lead to improved health.

Who should be eating probiotics?

Everyone, but especially people who suffer from allergies, asthma, constipation, irritable bowel syndrome, lactose intolerance, or yeast infections.  Of course it’s important to ask the advice of your doctor or dietitian before adding fermented foods to your diet if you have lactose intolerance, dairy sensitivities, or other chronic health problems.

What are the best sources of probiotics?

Fermented foods are best.  Yogurt and kefir (the plain varieties, which have no added sugar and thus no “empty calories”), as well as buttermilk, sourdough bread, sauerkraut, pickles, kim chi, sour cream, injera (the Ethiopian pancake-style bread) and kombucha (fermented tea).

Which yogurts and kefirs are best?

My favorite brand of kefir is Lifeway, because they offer a huge variety of products and their organic version is made with milk from grass-fed cows.  Their kefirs are also lower in sugar than other brands and much lower in sugar than many yogurts.  As for yogurts, I have many favorites, but am especially loyal to Stonyfield, Clover Organic (on the West coast), and Brown Cow.  My recommendation is to look for an organic yogurt or kefir that is low in sugar and comes from humanely treated cows.

What do you do with kefir?

Kefir is a fermented milk drink that tastes like yogurt, but is thinner (drinkable) and almost a little bit bubbly.  I like to drink it just on it’s own, but it’s also great poured over fruit or cereal, added to smoothies, creamy soups or mashed potatoes, or in baked goods – you can use it anywhere you’d as you would buttermilk.  If you’re new to kefir, try a flavored version (strawberry, blueberry, and peach are delicious!) as a snack or a creamy dessert!

We always hear that we should eat more leafy greens, but preparing them in the same old ways can get boring fast.  Here are some incredibly tasty ways to work more greens into your diet.  My guess is you’ll love these dishes so much, you won’t even realize you’re doing your health a favor!

1. Turn greens into pesto.  In a food processor or blender, whirl together a few big handfuls of any leafy green (really – any green you like) with some lemon juice, garlic, salt, olive oil, and nuts.  You’ve got pesto!  Spread this on sandwiches or wraps; mix it with vinegar or yogurt/mayonnaise for a salad dressing or dip; or add broth or water and use for a pasta sauce or salad dressing.

2.  Add greens to soup.  Most soups taste even better when you had a few cups of chopped greens at the end.  Spinach, kale, chard, arugula, even baby lettuces wilt nicely in just a few minutes and add great texture and flavor, as well as a nutritional boost.

3.  Add greens to pasta or grain salads.  Pasta and rice salads often have too many noodles and not enough flavor.  Next time you make one, chop a few different kinds of greens (again, any kind – but make one a flavorful herb like mint, basil, or arugula) and toss them in.  You’ll get just the added crunch and taste you need to wow your crowd.

4.  Make lasagna or enchiladas with greens.  Saute a huge amount of chopped greens with some chopped onions and garlic until they’re very cooked down.  Let cool and mix with cottage or ricotta cheese and a couple eggs and use this as lasagna filling.  The more greens you add, the healthier your lasagna will be – but you’ll still be enjoying gooey, cheesy pasta!

Don’t forget to vote for my Peanut Butter Pancakes with Chocolate Yogurt Cream!  Vote here and be entered to win a $100 prize pack from Stonyfield and Peanut Butter & Co. – plus receive a $1 off coupon from both companies!

The USDA released new guidelines today to provide school lunches for students across the country.  The changes were made as part of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act signed into last year, and overall, they do look like a decent improvement.  Check out this before and after lunch menu to get a better idea of what the changes might really mean, and read a little more about the changes here.

*image credit for above: Chicago Magazine, April 2011*

Paula Deen – the self-proclaimed Queen of Butter and Cream Cheese – recently revealed she has Type 2 diabetes.  When I heard the news, I was hardly surprised.  She’s an overweight, inactive adult who eats a high-calorie low-nutrient diet (assuming she eats her own food) — all factors that put her at high risk of health problems.  What did surprise me – and really got me fuming – was that she 1) was diagnosed with diabetes three years ago, and is just now announcing it and 2) is partnering with a drug company on her new “Diabetes in a New Light” campaign.

Seriously?!  Gross.

Despite our culinary and nutritional differences, I have always loved Paula Deen.  She’s an authentic, endearing, and seemingly nurturing woman who looks like she’d be the perfect grandma.  But right now, I’m disappointed.  Such a high profile, loved woman could have been a terrific figurehead for making lifestyle changes to combat disease.  I would never suggest that she give up butter or start making only salads on her show.  Instead, here’s what I think she should have done:

1.  Admit she had adult-onset diabetes earlier.  It’s her personal life, and she can theoretically keep whatever she wants private.  But to hide her condition for three years while she continued to get richer and more famous by encouraging her viewers to eat eat rich, fatty food is just wrong.

2.  Partner with Fruits & Veggies More Matters, or another poorly funded non-profit agency that is tirelessly trying to get Americans to incorporate more fruits and vegetables into their diets – not a drug company.  Paula Deen is already rich, and she doesn’t need a lucrative deal with Novo Nordisk to make ends meet, so here she had a unique opportunity to be a much-needed figurehead for a food group that could actually improve our health if it had any marketing money behind it.  What a wasted opportunity.

To her credit, Paula gives a couple of lifestyle tips in her personal statement (e.g. reducing intake of sweet tea – a useful tip) and has some “lightened” recipes on her website now (but who wants to eat lasagna with fat-free cheese and reduced-carb noodles?  Not me.), but in many ways it seems like she’s missing the point: Type 2 Diabetes is a lifestyle-related disease.  If you replace some of what you’re eating with vegetables and fruits, get a little more active, and thus drop some excess pounds, you can manage or even reverse your disease.  You can still enjoy food, and you’ll likely have more energy to enjoy the other parts of your life.  And you won’t need drugs.

I wish Paula Deen would have seized this opportunity to invite Americans to join her in changing their lifestyle habits to achieve better health.

*Image credit: pauladeen.com*

Tomatoes and bell peppers are summer veggies, but this soup offers a great way to enjoy them during winter — you only need canned tomatoes and jarred red peppers.  Plus, the soup is simple and quick to prepare, so you’ll have a hot flavorful meal on the table in less than 30 minutes!

Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup

1 medium onion, chopped

2 Chipotle peppers canned in adobo sauce, finely chopped

1/2 cup white or red wine

Two 12-oz jars roasted red peppers, drained well and chopped

1 28-oz can diced fire roasted tomatoes

1 14-oz can diced tomatoes of any kind

1-2 cups water

1/2 cup heavy cream (I never use cream, but it’s worth it here!)

Salt to taste

Instructions:

Heat a heavy bottomed pot (like a Dutch oven) over medium heat.  Add a generous drizzle of olive oil (1-2 Tbsp) and the onions and saute for 5-7 minutes or until onions are soft and translucent.  Sprinkle with a little salt (1/4 tsp) then stir in the wine and Chipotle peppers.  Let the wine evaporate (2-3 minutes) then add the roasted red peppers, canned tomatoes, and water and let simmer for 15 minutes.  Remove the pot from the heat and blend using an immersion blender (aka hand blender) until the soup is a smooth consistency.  Stir in the cream and serve with a dollop of yogurt on top, if desired.  FYI: this soup is spicy!  If you prefer mild tastes, add only one Chipotle pepper.

Perfect with a warm piece of cornbread!