There are some things you should know… this being a nutrition blog and all!  I don’t really believe in low-fat or fat-free baking.  If I’m going to eat or bake, it’s got to be the real deal!  I did go through phases where I would try to cut out the fat from recipes.  After many attempts, I quickly learned that I did not like the taste of low-fat or fat-free baked goods.

Baking is one of my favorite things to do.  If I could do it all day I would!  On this blog you will see me debut many different recipes, a lot of them will be of baked sweets.  While I don’t believe in cutting out ingredients, you will often see me substitute ingredients.  For example, I always bake with whole wheat pastry flour.  For me, it produces the same results as all purpose flour.  You may see me use regular flour in items such as pie crust… but that’s it.  Another thing you will see me do is “Veganize” a recipe.  In my experience, I have often found that a veganized baked good tastes even better than the regular version… especially in cakes and muffins.  I don’t worry about cutting out the fat or sugar, but I will try to use natural ingredients as often as I can (depending on my budget).

You may be wondering if I’m vegetarian or vegan… the answer is no, I’m not a vegan, and this website is not about vegan food, but I am completely open to experiencing all types of food.  85% of my diet is vegetarian… it’s just the way my body naturally eats.  So, that being said… stay tuned for my debut recipe creation coming soon!!

Good Morning!  What a weekend!!  This was my first time away from my 5 month old daughter  It was tough… but was all for good reason!  My dear friend Natalie married the love of her life Jason.  It was such a beautiful ceremony!  I felt so honored to be a bridesmaid and be a part of such a special occasion.  What I wasn’t use to was the heat!  Atlantic Beach broke records as the hottest weekend in decades!  I’ve been talking about how much I love running in the DC fall weather… running in the Florida heat was rough… but I managed to get a in a decent run.  On Saturday, most of the day was spent with the bride.

Here’s the view from her room

Here’s the beautiful bride waiting to get her make-up done

We had some delish snacks in the bridal room!

The Bride Multitasking

Beautiful Flowers!!!!

The Happy Couple!

The Menu

I love that the Bride and Groom showed their support for a good cause!

Delicious Red Velvet Cake!!!

Here I am with Lauren, another bridesmaid

Everything about the wedding was perfect… from the food to the reception!  

I was happy to be reunited with my little munchkin

I hope everyone had a great weekend!  If you have Columbus Day as a holiday enjoy the last day of you 3 day weekend!

Hi Everyone!!!
Been busy all day and now tending to a crying baby… Hope to have a post up to recap the Florida Wedding Rehearsal! Stay Tuned!!

 My food last night was eaten in that order!  Cupcake first… then pizza!

Good Morning!!

Last night was so much fun!  My husband (Tim) had a great Birthday!  Here’s the Birthday Boy!

 You know your life has shifted when you throw a party and there’s pizza, beer, wine, and baby bottles in the picture!  Ha!

Cupcakes were courtesy of Georgetown Cupcakes!  I love how they deliver them right to your door!

 The pink disk on top is red velvet fondant that say “Happy Birthday” on it.

 I like to buy wines with fun labels!! 

We had pizza too, which was unpictured… my camera ran out of baterries   I was so busy enternaining I only managed to eat one slice of supreme pizza, I also had a large glass of wine.

 The party wrapped up at a decent time.  I was able to get to bed by 10:30. 

I was up at 6am for a quick run.  I came home to find this cutie pie in the living room

 After a quick shower Tim handed me a cup of coffee…

 Love Folger’s Coffee!

I was starving and craving eggs.  I decided on a breakfast taco which consisted of 3 scrambled egg white, one tortilla (all we had was white), and a slice of chedder cheese.

I’m no sure how long this breakfast will hold me over….

Today is a work day for me.  After work I have planning and packing to do for our Florida wedding.  On the agenda…

• Pick of mother-in-law from airport (she’s our babysitter for weekend)
• Pedicure (I desperately need one)
• Pick up bridesmaid dress from the tailor
• Pick up vegan snacks for the brides emergency kit (she’s vegan)
• Pack, then wake up on Friday for an early flight out…

Phew…

On another note… I found this article on MSN yesterday “Menu calorie counts can alter food choices.”  This article talks about the recent law that food chains must post their calories on the menu and how it’s starting to alter our food choices.  I love the idea of this because it’s educating the public… but at the same time, I feel we should be able to eat the foods we love.  If we really want a muffin but don’t get it because it has 579 calories, that may leave some people unsatisfied and may even lead to over eating other foods to satisfy that craving.  If it were me, I would order the muffin and just not eat all of it.  Here’s the link for the article

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33194730/ns/health-diet_and_nutrition/from/ET

What would you do?  Do you like the idea of calorie posting? Or, would you rather not know?

Have a great day!!!  See ya later!

Goooood Morning!!!!

Sorry for the late post, it’s been a busy morning. 

We found out last night that my hubby had to go into work today, so I was up at 5am to get a quick run in.  I was amazed how many runners were out at 5:30am… guess it’s marathon season!  When i got back he was ready to leave for work, so I had to feed Marin and get her all packed up for daycare.  I got to work and realized I had 3 back to back meetings.  I did manage to get a quick breakfast in.  All of this went into bowl.

• 1 1/2 cups puffins
• soymilk
• banana
• and an unpictured coffee 
• Below is what I packed quickly for lunch (chobani, naturespath granola, and a honey crip apple)

Tonight, I will be induldging.  I like to plan my day out as much as I can when these occasions occur.  I use to not plan at all and just go with the flow (eat whatever I liked), but I soon realized that I didn’t feel all that great.  My body felt heavy, sluggish, and bloated.  So now, I plan.  One thing I do agree with Bethenny Frankel’s book “Naturally Thin” is her quote “Your diet is your bank account.”  This is so true and I try to use this everyday!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So what do you do when you have an evening you know you’ll be “indulging” in?  I’d love to hear your thoughts!

See you tonight after the party!

Hello Bloggies!

The rest of the afternoon was spent planning my husband’s (Tim) birthday!  I think I have a pretty good plan!  You’ll see tomorrow!

I’ve been trying to make the effort to use a lot of our pantry items that have been sitting there.  We have food that we have purchased, and never eat.  Tim had chicken marinating, so I grabbed some bread crumbs, broccoli, and a box of potatoes.

Warning!!!!

This dinner did NOT turn out good…. do NOT attempt!!

Here’s what I started with

Yes, that’s Betty Crocker boxed scalloped potatoes.

In an effort to add some fiber to the dish, I decided to add broccoli and make it casserole style.  The end result was not good, appearance and taste

I lightly coated the chicken in bread crumbs, here was the end result

I ended up adding a side salad to add to the meal.  My body is physically satisfied, but my mind isn’t.  Lesson learned!

Off to watch the Biggest Loser!

night

HELLOOOOO!

I had success at Anthropologie!!!  I had two gift cards and a shirt I got for a gift to exchange.  I was able to get a sweater wrap and a tunic top!!  Anthropologie is my favorite store… just wish it wasn’t so expensive!

My meager breakfast did not hold be over well!  By 11:30 I was ravenous!  My husband happens to be off all week.  He was waiting for me to get home so he can run his errands.  I took the baby and whipped up a quick lunch.

• Morning Star Spicy Black Bean Burger
• Hummus
• Slice of American Cheese
• Mixed Greens
• All smashed inside an Arnold Sandwich Thin w/ Texas Pete!
• On the side was a sliced MacIntosh Apple

Sliced Apples

I swear there's a black bean burger in there!

For the rest of the afternoon I have research to do for an article.  I have so many magazines to go through!  I always find myself with an extreme amount of health &  fitness magazines.  

What’s your favorite magazine to read?

That I was married to Kenny Chesny!  I was on tour with him and helping organize and autograph session… when I heard a very loud AHHHH GOOOO  come from the baby monitor!  Needless to say I woke up a little confused… but then a huge smile came across my face!  How can I not smile when I wake up to this every morning!

Once Marin was fed, I set off for my morning run.  Have I mentioned how much I LOVE running in this weather!  My pace is much faster with the cool air! 

After my run, I quickly showered and pondered over breakfast ideas.  For some reason I have no appetite this morning… I think it because of the large chocolate chip cookie I consumed after dinner  I am a true intuitive eater… If I’m not hungry, I won’t really eat until I feel hungry.  Knowing that I have a busy morning, I thought it would be best to have something in my tummy.  I decided on whole wheat toast w/ honey & banana.

• 1 slice Nature’s Pride whole wheat bread
• 1 heaping spoonful Trader Joe’s PB
• Drizzle of Harris Teeter Honey 
• 1 perfectly ripe banana
• Good Old Folger’s Coffee (I’m old school like that)

W/ Hazelnut Creamer

Perfectly ripe banana

On the agenda today:

• Get ready for Florida Trip this weekend
• Use two gift certificates from Anthropologie!!!!!
• Blog Work
• Work on freelance article
• Plan for my hubby’s b-day!

Have a great day!!!

Hello!!!  How was your day?  Mine actually went okay…  For those of you that don’t know, After I had my baby I decided to go back to work part-time.  Before Marin was born I worked full-time as Director of Clinical Nutrition at a Hospital in Washington, DC, ran my own private practice in the evenings, and worked as a freelance nutrition writer for two local newspapers.  I knew sacrifices would have to be made after I had my daughter.  My husband works very long hours and often works on the weekends.  My family is in Texas, his is in New York… something had give.  I decided to temporarily give up my private practice.  If my husband (Tim) was working (which is often) then who would watch Marin?  Fortunately for me, the hospital was willing to let me work part-time.  So, that’s where I’m at now.  I work at the hospital part-time and write free-lance on the other days (more on that in a later post).  Today Tim had the day off, and I was off to work.  With the weather cooling off, something comforting sounded good for dinner.  

This morning before I left for work I decided to use our slow cooker for dinner. So Chili it was!  It’s a pretty easy recipe I adapted a few years ago.  Here’s what was included.

• 1 onion chopped
• 1 bell pepper chopped
• 1 clove of garlic, crushed
• olive oil
• 1 lb extra lean ground beef
• 1 large can kidney beans (rinsed and drained)
• 1 large can diced tomatoes w/ green chili (undrained)
• 1 12oz can or bottle light beer
• 1 can low sodium beef broth
• 1 tsp oregano
• 3 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 tablespoon cumin

Drizzle pan with olive oil, saute onion, pepper, & garlic until tender.  Add ground beef.  Add diced tomatoes to mixture.  Transfer mixture to slow cooker.  Add kidney beans, beer, broth, and all spices.  Cook on medium all day.

Final Result!

Sorry for the blurry pic… 

The end result came out great!  I’ve always cooked chili in a dutch oven… this way is great!  

Alright… gotta wrap some items of the for evening.

Night!

Good Morning!!!!!  

After a very tiring weekend, I was up at the crack of dawn to get a morning run in.  My hubby doesn’t have to work today, so I like to take advantage and workout when I can.  I LOVE running in Fall weather!!!  I can’t even describe in words how much I love it!  The cool crisp air, no humidity, and running with the sunrise just makes my day!  One thing I have NEVER been able to run without is MUSIC!!  I envy those runners who can run for miles with  nothing else but their own thoughts.  To make my runs fun, I constantly change my playlist.  Here’s what I ran to this morning.

Sirens - Angels & Airwaves

Is There a Ghost  - Band of Horses

Ain’t No Reason  - Brett Dennen

Let the Drummer Kick - Citizen Cope

Shiver - Coldplay

Crush - Dave Matthews Band

Babylon  - David Gray

Cath.. - Death Cab for Cutie

The Sound Of Settling - Death Cab For Cutie

Dawn of the Dead - Does It Offend You, Yeah?

Rock And Roll - Eric Hutchinson

Two Sisters - Fiction Plane

Learn to Fly  - Foo Fighters

Beautiful - G. Love

How the Day Sounds - Greg Laswell

That It Moves - Greg Laswell

Under the Influence - James Morrison

Brand New Day - Joshua Radin

Sky (feat. Ingrid Michaelson) - Joshua Radin

Undeniable - Mat Kearney

Missed the Boat - Modest Mouse

Starlight - Muse

Weightless - Nada Surf

About Mr. Brown - O.A.R.

For Us - Pete Yorn

Young Folks - Peter Bjorn and John

Do the Panic - Phantom Planet

1901 - Phoenix  

Lasso - Phoenix

Rome - Phoenix

Girlfriend - Phoenix

You Are the Best Thing - Ray LaMontagne

Trouble - Ray LaMontagne

Hold You In My Arms - Ray LaMontagne

Can’t Go Back Now - The Weepies

If you haven’t heard of these artists… check them out, it’s great running music!

Fuel after my run was a bowl of Barbara’s Puffins, Banana, & Soy Milk (my camera is down so no pics… sorry).

INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE OF THE DAY:

Live from your heart, it will never steer you wrong. 

(from the wrapper of the Dove Dark Chocolate Promise I ate after breakfast – Yes, I eat a piece of chocolate after each meal)

Have a great day!!

Hola!  This morning I woke up in the mood for a Mexican dinner.  My mother is from Mexico and enchiladas are her specialty (and my favorite!).  They were on my mind for dinner, but I decided to venture out for a healthier option.  Where I’m from in Texas “King Ranch Casserole” is pretty popular.  It’s basically an enchilada casserole.  I found the recipe and tailored it for a healthier version.  Here’s what it included:

• 1  large onion, chopped
• 1  large green bell pepper, chopped
• olive oil
• 3 cups  chopped cooked chicken ( I boiled boneless skinless chicken breasts)
• 1  (10 3/4-ounce) can red. fat, low sodium cream of chicken soup, undiluted
• 1  (10 3/4-ounce) can red. fat, low sodium cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
• 1  (10-ounce) can diced tomato and green chiles (undrained)
• 3 tablespoons  chili powder
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1/4  teaspoon  salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  garlic powder ( or crushed clove of garlic)
• 1/4  teaspoon  pepper
• 16  (6-inch) corn tortillas
• 2  cups  (8 ounces) reduced fat shredded Cheddar cheese, divided

Drizzle about 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Sauté onion and bell pepper 5 minutes or until tender (add garlic if using fresh clove). Stir in chicken and all other ingredients except for the tortillas; remove from heat.

Tear tortillas into 1-inch pieces; layer one-third of tortilla pieces in bottom of a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Top with one-third of chicken mixture and 2/3 cup cheese. Repeat layers twice.

Bake at 350° for 30 to 35 minutes.

The great thing about this dish is that you can freeze the casserole up to 1 month, if desired. Thaw in refrigerator overnight, and bake as directed.

This casserole was super easy to make.  The best part is we have plenty of leftovers for the week!  I forgot to take a picture of the end result… here’s a picture courtesy of google pictures!  

What Mexican dishes have you tailored and made healthy?

(Warning… Super Cute BABY picture below… READ ON!!!)

As many of you know, I had a baby girl in May.  She is the ultimate joy in my life!  It’s interesting how life changes and priorities change.  I’ve gotten a lot of emails on how my life has changed and how I balance raising a baby and keeping a healthy lifestyle.  I would describe myself a very structured type A personality.  Pre-Baby, I worked out 5-6 days per week.  The bulk of my workouts consisted of either a 6 mile run or a Bikram Yoga class (always first thing in the morning).  As far as my diet goes, I would focus on listening to my body and eating when I was hungry… when my body asked for food.  It’s funny how life changes… and more importantly how life changed me!  I knew having a baby would change my life, but I never knew how much my attitude towards things would change.  Now, post-baby, I workout when I can.  I have no set schedule.  I still run and attend yoga when time allows, but my workouts and days are not about me anymore.  I make it a point to take some time for myself… but if  I don’t get a workout in, I don’t stress about it.  I always keep my daughter my priority, while maintaining a healthy lifestyle.  My body has changed since having a baby, but it doesn’t bother.  I know as long as I listen to my body and stay active, it will slowly work its way back.  The big thing is, when life changes, you have to roll with the punches and make changes to adjust.  

I plan on taking a different angle with Weekly Bite.  My passion is to communicate the importance of a healthy lifestyle, to encourage readers to make the changes needed to be healthy and happy, whether it’s by posting a new recipe, writing an inspiring article, or answering your questions… my passion is to get that message across.  I send out a weekly newsletter and really only update the blog when the newsletter is sent.  I will be posting on a more regular basis, but not sending an email out each time… so please check back often!  The newsletter will still be sent out weekly!

I’ve gotten loads of emails from readers wanting to see a picture of my baby… well here she is…My beautiful baby Marin…

(quoted from the clever & witty Fat Nutritionist)

Yes, you read that correctly.  There’s a huge non-diet movement that’s been spreading like crazy… it’s almost like nobody talks about being on a diet anymore.  Non-diet books are flying off the shelves and people are embracing “normal eating”.  The big question is “What exactly is normal eating?”  There are several books that address normal eating including “Intuitive Eating” and “Naturally Thin”.  Normal eating is basically eating when you’re hungry and stopping when you’re satisfied.  Do this and you will naturally control your weight while falling into your natural healthy weight.  For a more detailed definition we can go to Registered Dietitian Ellyn Satter:

• Normal eating is going to the table hungry and eating until you are satisfied.
• Normal eating is being able to give some thought to your food selection so you get nutritious food, but not being so wary and restrictive that you miss out on enjoyable food.
• It is leaving some cookies on the plate because you know you can have some again tomorrow, or it is eating more now because they taste so wonderful.
• Normal eating is trusting your body to make up for your mistakes in eating.
• Normal eating takes up some of your time and attention, but keeps its place as only one important area of your life
• In short, normal eating is flexible. It varies in response to your hunger, your schedule, your proximity to food and your feelings.

This is a very good definition of normal eating and sounds relatively easy, but for some, it’s harder than you think.  An article in the New York Time’s Blog addressed normal eating with Ellyn Satter’s definition.  There were over 300 comments.  Everyone’s view of normal eating is different.  Someone’s view of normal eating could be eating fast food only once or twice per day.  It’s really important to clarify that it’s both quantity and quality that matters the most.  Eating healthy is very important, but how much you eat is even more important.  If you want fast food, eat fast food, just don’t order and consume the entire supersized value meal.  Normal eating as mentioned above is “going to the table hungry and eating until you are satisfied.”  This can be difficult for some, but it’s all about having the right attitude.  Food is fun, delicious, and satisfying.  Forget trying to lose weight… carry your head high and your attitude positive.  Let yourself eat what you want when you’re hungry and stop when you stomach isn’t hungry anymore.  Like Ellyn Satter says… “Normal eating takes up some of your time and attention, but keeps it’s place as only one important area of your life.

I leave you with a question… “What is your description of Normal Eating?”  Let me know… I’d love to hear!

Hi Everyone!!
This is my first official post since giving birth to my daughter… She’s eight weeks old and is the best thing that’s ever happened to me!! Although I’ve enjoyed my time off… I have missed blogging! I plan on starting up the newsletters soon, and start daily posts immediately! For those of you who are regular readers, you know that I’m a Registered Dietitian and have struggled with food issues in college. I worked hard to develop a healthy relationship with food and feel good about that! Before I had my baby I was maintaining a healthy weight without any calorie counting or obsessing. Since having a baby, I am caring extra weight and an using my own advice to SLOWLY get back to my normal weight. This process has taken longer than I thought. My plan is to truly listen to my hunger and not count ANY calories. If there is any interest seeing my progress… let me know

Please keep the nutrition questions coming! I have a Q&A coming soon!

Hi Everyone - 

In case you haven’t noticed, I’ve been MIA the past week.  

I gave birth to a healthy baby girl on Sunday May 17th!!

I will be taking a couple of weeks off to figure out this whole mom thing, then I will be back to the Weekly Bite Newsletters and Blog

Please don’t hesitate to send me any nutrition questions you have!!

Take Care!

Estela

Saturday my husband competed in his first ½ Iron Man!!  Wow!!  The only word I have to describe the environment is HARDCORE.  There were some serious athletes there!!  After talking to several competitors, I found out that a lot of them were using this as a training race for the full Iron Man.  For those that don’t know what’s involved in a ½ Iron Man, it’s a 1.2-mile swim followed by a 56-mile bike ride, and finally, a 13.1-mile run.

We had to figure out how to fuel him during his workouts.  There was a lot of Gue’s, Cliff Shot Blocks, Power Bars, Bananas, PB&J Sandwiches, Cytomax, Gatorade, and Endurolyte Tabs (sodium/potassium tablets).  Packed fuel for the race were three 1gallon jugs of water, 4 PB&J Sandwiches, 5 Bananas, 12 Gues, 5 packs shot blocks, and cytomax mix.

Fuel before the race was a big dinner, which consisted of a beef burrito, Spanish rice, and beans.  Before bed he ate a power bar, and consumed copious amounts of Gatorade the entire week leading up to the race.  Morning of the race we were up at 4:30am.  Here is his nutrition breakdown for the race.

5:00am Pre-race (before 1.2 mile swim)

•       32oz bottle Gatorade
•       16oz bottle water
•       PB&J Sandwich
•       Banana
•       2 Endurolyte tabs

After 1.2 mile swim (transition from swim to bike)

•       PB&J Sandwich
•       1 Gue
•       2 Endurolytes

During 56 mile bike ride:

•       30 minutes in – 1 Gue
•       1 hour in – Power Bar Harvest Bar, 2 Endurolyte tabs
•       1 hour 30 minutes in – 1 Gue
•       2 hours in – Pack of Cliff Shot Blocks, 2 Endurolyte tabs
•       2 hours 30 minutes in – Gue
•       3 hours in – Cliff Shot Blocks, 1 Endurolyte tab
•       Hydration: 6 bottles of water, 3 bottles of cytomax

Fuel During Bike to Run transition:

•       1 Gue
•       2 Endurolyte Tabs

Fuel During 13.1 mile run:

•       4 packs of Gue
•       8 Endurolyte tabs
•       All the water he could drink

The important this to know is that he did not introduce any food or supplement into his body that he did not train with.  PB&J sandwiches and bananas were a daily staple pre-workout.  They sat well in his stomach and gave him the energy he needed.  During his actual workouts he fueled with Gue, Shot Blocks, Cytomax, Gatorade, and Endurolyte Tabs.  Hydration is extremely important during these endurance events.  The high temperature the day of the race was 91 degrees… the temperature reached it’s highest during the bike ride and stayed there for several hours throughout the run.  The endurolyte tabs were essential to replace the sodium and potassium the body was losing through excessive sweat.

All together, we were both pleased with his nutrition during the race.  He said he wouldn’t change a thing.  Immediately after the race, he said he would do it again! Even though this is an extreme sport, he said this felt better on his body than a marathon race.

Question for Readers…

If you’re a triathlete and have competed in these races before, how do you fuel during the event?  I’m really interested to hear what others do!

Q:  Is it important to take a daily multivitamin?

A:  I view a multivitamin as a good insurance plan.  It should not replace your daily intake of fruits and veggies, but it’s a great way to ensure you’re getting all the nutrients you need.

Q:  What made you decide to become a dietitian?  I read about your struggle with food… is that why?  What’s your educational background?

A:  Ironically, my struggle with food and weight insecurities didn’t start until I was in college studying to become a dietitian.  I decided to go into nutrition because of my strong family history of cancer and diabetes.  I was diagnosed with cancer at the very young age of 9.  After a year of chemotherapy treatment, I am very happy to be in remission for 24 years now.  Growing up, I wanted to do everything I could to make sure the cancer never came back.  That’s where my love of nutrition came in.  I learned on my own that proper diet and exercise was and still is the best preventative medicine out there!  I still carry that passion today and am grateful that I get to share my knowledge each day.  As far as my educational background goes, I have a bachelor’s degree in Food & Nutrition Science from Texas A&M – Kingsville and a masters degree in Clinical Nutrition from Texas Women’s University.  I completed my dietetic internship in Houston, Texas.

Q:  I struggle with a large appetite and feeling hungry most of the day. I eat whole grains, healthy fats, adequate protein, and drink 8+ cups of water/day. I try to eat slowly with minimal distractions so I can focus on my food. I have a desk job, but typically exercise 30 minutes to one hour every day after work. Do you have any tips or suggestions so I don’t feel hungry all the time?

 A:  It’s really hard to answer this question without know what your meals consist of, or knowing what your current weight is.  The first thing that comes to mind is how much food you are eating at each meal.  Are your meals large enough?  Also, there is a difference between “appetite” and “hunger”.  It’s very important to distinguish the difference between the two. Hunger refers to a physical discomfort caused by the lack of food. One common sign is a rumbling stomach. This rumbling can be accompanied by a feeling of lightheadedness and weakness. Hunger only occurs after an extended period of time since eating. Appetite is more like a desire for food, or a craving that may be prompted by the sight or smell of food. Passing a bakery and getting the smell of freshly baked bread, or seeing the dessert-trolley in a restaurant, are typical examples. In this case, we are not really hungry, but mistake the urge or craving as hunger.  My best advice is to try to spread out your meals and decipher if it’s true hunger, or a craving that’s making you want more food.  If you need more help, just send me an email .

 Q:  I am interested in lowering my cholesterol since it is high but my HDL is very good, says my OB-GYN nurse practitioner. I also need to lose a very more lbs.  Any advice?

 A:  Congrats on having a high HDL!  That’s great!  From my experience, clients who start to lose weight will see a decrease in their total cholesterol.  In terms of eating to lose weight and lower your cholesterol, it all about making the right food choices coupled with portion control.  A diet rich in whole grains, fruits, veggies, lean protein, and healthy fats is key.  A great resource for this is my blog post on “How to Control Portions.”  This should be a good place to get started.  Minimizing your intake of refined sugar is extremely important as well.  This includes candies, cakes, cookies, donuts, etc…

 Q:  Hello there! I was just introduced to your website, and I think it’s fantastic! I take long and intense dance classes several days a week, and as a result I often wake up the next morning with incredibly sore muscles, even though I am really good about stretching,  I do have a food-related question involving sore muscles and exercise… I was told that certain foods such as bananas help relieve sore muscles when eaten before and after exercising…what are your thoughts on this, is it true?  If so, what other foods may help? Are there specific items I can include in my diet to help my body perform at its best for long workouts?

 A:  Bananas are a potassium rich food.  Symptoms of deficiency of potassium in the diet include diarrhea, vomiting, weak muscles, breathing abnormality, hypokalemia, and more.  Those who have a potassium deficiency may often have muscle cramping (like a Charlie horse).  As far as sore muscles… this can be caused by a couple of things.  You may be pushing your body differently with each dance class.  When you use new muscles, you will most likely feel sore.  One thing that can attribute to sore muscles is dehydration.  You want to make sure you keep yourself well hydrated before, during, and after your dance classes.  As far as nutrition goes, fueling properly for long workouts is extremely important!  If you don’t fuel properly, you will feel week.  Getting proper amounts of carbohydrates, protein, and fat is vital.  Potassium rich foods include the bright colors fruits and veggies, as well as dark green veggies.  Some examples are:  Apples, Apricots, Bananas, Brazil Nuts, Brown Rice, Cantaloupe, Figs, Honeydew, Kiwi, Legumes, Lima beans, Milk, Oranges, Orange Juice, Peaches, Potatoes, Prunes, Rasins, Roasted Peanuts with skin, Spinach, Squash, Vegetable Juices, Wheat Bread, White Rice, Winter Squash, Yogurt

 Q:  Hi, I have been reading your blog for a while now and really appreciate the great information. I have a question I hope you can help me with. I recently gained back the 40 lbs I lost (and kept off for 5 yrs) plus another 10. My workouts are stellar but I know I am eating too much and not always the right foods. I want to lose the weight again but am lacking the motivation to get started. I already feel defeated because it’s so overwhelming. I know the thing that will get me motivated will be results, but I have such little patience! What can I do to get some quick results that will keep me pushing towards me goal?

 A:  I wish I could give you an answer for some quick results… but when it comes to healthy weight loss, there is really no such thing.  The first thing that needs to be done is to recognize why you gained back the 40+ pounds.  Once you recognize and address that reason, it will make it easier for you to move forward.  It can be very overwhelming when it comes to losing weight, but instead of looking at total number of pounds you want to lose, break it down into small goals.  Permanent weight loss involves patience.  Lack of patience is one of the main reasons we tend to gravitate towards quick fix programs.  Do something each day that will push you towards the right direction.  If you haven’t been exercising, set a small exercise goal each day.  Set a goal to eat breakfast each day, or to not mindlessly snack between meals.  More importantly, tell yourself you are going to take it one day at a time, one meal at a time.  Little by little, the weight will come off.  If you have anymore questions, I’m happy to help!

Got a question for Weekly Bite?  Submit your question on this blog post and I’ll put in the next Q&A.

It’s so enticing… walking through the vitamin/supplement aisle of your local health food store.  There are boxes and boxes and detox quick fix promises… all promising to lose weight fast.  Even some high profile celebrities promote detox liquid diets for quick weight loss.  As a dietitian, I’m NOT a proponent of these quick fixes.  In writing this article, I wanted to provide you with the REAL info on detox diets from a professional who practices this with their clients.  For this, I turned to Naturopath Doctor Luck Bennett.  Here is what she had to say about detox diets.

Detox diets should be primarily plant-based (organically grown whenever possible), if people want to consume animal protein, it should come from free-range organically fed sources or wild-caught fish. The whole purpose of a detox is to decrease the body’s toxic burden, so we want to decrease the amount of toxins coming in to the body (i.e. organic foods, filtered water) while increasing the body’s ability to remove both the toxins it creates and the toxins we encounter as part of daily living. For many people, a detox diet is a pretty dramatic departure from their regular diet (which is part of the reason they may need to detox in the first place!), so it can feel like they’re depriving themselves. But a detox diet is NOT about calorie restriction – it is about changing where those calories come from.

There are detox diets out there that are quite extreme and do restrict calorie intake, but these are very difficult to maintain over an extended period of time and people frequently fall off the wagon, so to speak. Additionally, there are some people for whom an extreme detox diet would be contraindicated, but a more nourishing detox diet can be quite beneficial. For Lucky’s clients, her preference is for them to stay on a detox for 4-6 weeks, so a diet that can sustain them for that period of time is very important.

As far as detox supplements are concerned, most of the commercially available supplements have a fiber component that increases stool bulk and frequency and usually some herbs that support the liver’s detoxification pathways and the kidneys’ eliminative function. Lucky feels it is important for people to remember that while these herbs can be very effective, they can also interact with the metabolism of prescription and over-the-counter medications. If people have questions about whether or not the supplements are appropriate for them, they should consult with someone who has experience the herbs.

The detoxes Lucky guides her clients through always involve other components such as aerobic exercise, sweating, deep breathing exercises, and proper hydration to support all of the body’s primary pathways of eliminating toxins. The diet is the primary way we can influence the toxins coming in, but we can’t forget to address the ways the body rids itself of toxins either. Lucky believes that to effectively detox, it isn’t enough to take some pills for a week or two and expect miraculous changes.

Lucky provided me with some great information!  Detox diets don’t have to be extreme.  My interpretation of the information was that the goal is to eat “REAL” food, food that is as close to nature as possible… this CAN be a huge departure from someone’s regular diet, which can make them feel deprived.  Slowly moving your diet towards more real foods and away from processed artificial foods can be an easy naturally progression towards a healthier diet.  Like Lucky said, this is not about reducing calories, but changing the source of where calories come from.

I hope this info was helpful!  If you have any questions about detox diets, submit them in the comment section of this post and I will pass them onto Lucky.

Q:  What are your thoughts on artificial sweeteners?  Are they okay to consume when trying to lose weight?

A:  The jury is still out on artificial sweeteners.  The fact of the matter is they do save calories when trying to lose weight.  Switching from regular soda to diet will save calories.  Same thing goes for using artificial sweeteners like Splenda or Equal in place of regular sugar.  Here’s the catch… some studies are showing that products containing artificial sweeteners actually increase the cravings for sweets.  In my experience, when my clients cut back on the diet soft drinks they consume, they lose more weight.  My recommendation is to keep it to no more than one serving of artificial sweetener per day.  A serving would be one 12oz can of diet soda, or one packet of sweetener.  Eventually, it would be great to limit it to just a couple servings per week.

Q:  What do you think of the book “Intuitive Eating”?  Have you read Bethenny Frankel’s book “Naturally Skinny”?  What’s your opinion on it?

A:  I love the book “Intuitive Eating”.  I learned a lot from it and from the authors.  I love the concept of intuitive eating, but feel that it has to be catered to each person.  Identifying your hunger and developing a healthy relationship with food is the main priority.  Once that base is established, it’s much easier to look at calories and nutrition from a “healthy lifestyle” perspective.  The goal is to eat healthy, but feel good about it, and not feel like you’re depriving yourself.  I have looked at the book “Naturally Thin”.  I like Bethenny’s writing style.  What she is doing is telling her story and how she came out of the “diet mentality”.  She is a natural food’s chef… and that’s the extent of her training.  A good way to view this book is to look at the tools she used to develop a healthy relationship with food, and how she manages that on a day-to-day basis.  The reader can see if those tools work for them.  The food diary she listed is based on her body and her needs.  It’s important to keep that in mind.  Take the info in the book and tailor it for you.

Q:  I read in one of your blog posts that you’re pregnant!  Congratulations!  How did you deal with body image, weight gain part of it?  I’m so worried about that for when I get pregnant.

A:  I think every woman worries about this to an extent.  I had worked a lot on body image issues in the past, so I felt pretty good about where I was at prior to becoming pregnant.  I did have a hard time seeing my body change, but I learned to get over it.  This time in my life is not about me… it’s about my body building a healthy baby.  I had to tell myself that my body was going to do what it wants to do… I know longer had control of it.  I know it will all be worth it in the end.

Q:  What tips do you have for college students?  I’m about 15 pounds overweight and often snack during late night study sessions.

A:  It’s all about managing your schedule in college.  You’re body will typically ask for food every 4-5 hours, depending on what you previously ate.  Keep an eye on the portion sizes.   As far as snacking goes, mindless snacking will put on excess weight, especially if it’s done consistently and becomes a habit.  Keep healthy snacks close by, so when hunger strikes, there’s less temptation by the vending machine.  Take a look at your class and study schedule and try to structure your meals a little.  Getting your body into some type of routine can help.  Lastly, stay active.  Try to squeeze some exercise you enjoy on a daily basis.  This not only keeps our weight healthy, but relieves daily stress as well!

Got a question for Weekly Bite?  Submit your question on this blog post and I’ll put in the next Q&A.

For those of you who have been battling a LONG winter… the weather this weekend is suppose to be AWESOME!!  Take full advantage of it and fire up a pitcher of SKINNY MARGARITA’S and whip up a batch of this crazy good guacamole!!  This is the simplest recipe and is sure to please any crowd. 

Ingredients:

• 5 ripe avocados (they want to be soft to the touch)
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 tomato seeded and chopped (you want to remove all the insides)
• Optional – 1 small serrano chile (remove seeds and ribs) finely diced
• 1 small bunch cilantro finely chopped
• Juice of two large limes or lemons
• 1 tsp cumin (more to taste if needed)
• 1 tsp chili powder (more to taste if needed)
• 1 tsp kosher salt (more to taste if needed)

Remove the pit from the avocados.  With a spoon, spoon out the inside of the avocado into a bowl.  Roughly mash with a fork (you want to leave some avocado chunks).  Add onions, tomato, serrano chile, cilantro and lime/lemon juice.  Mix together.  Add base measurements of seasonings… judge by taste how much more you need.  ENJOY!!

For the SKINNY MARGARITA’S check out the recipe on Weekly Bite’s HAPPY HOUR page and just multiply the recipe.

Why not kick the weekend off with a little champagne!  This cocktail is to die for!!   I can’t take credit for the creation of this… this recipe actually  originated from my super cool neighbor!  This RASPBERRY CHAMPAGNE COCKTAIL is so simple and easy to make!  Cheers!

Recipe:  Pour about 1.5 ounces of chambord liqueur into the bottom of a champagne glass, drop a couple of fresh raspberries into the glass, top off glass with ice cold champagne.  ENJOY!!!

Eating healthy doesn’t have to be expensive.  Just because we’re on a budget doesn’t mean we have to buy the cheapest bag of potato chips.  Here are some budget friendly foods that can keep you on the healthy track without breaking the bank:

1. OATS:  You can’t beat good old fashioned oats!  Purchase the most reasonably priced brand at your local grocery store.  One serving of oats (1/2 cup) provides a healthy dose of fiber and when eaten daily, has been shown to reduce cholesterol.  
2. EGGS:  Never leave the grocery store without a carton of eggs in your basket!  Eggs are loaded with satisfying protein to keep you full during the day.  Eggs can be eaten at any meal.  You can scramble them, poach them, make egg salad, or my favorite, make an omelet with what every veggies you have in your fridge.
3. LEGUMES (BEANS):  I often refer to beans as the perfect food.  Beans not only provide a healthy dose of carbs, but are loaded with fiber and protein!  Carbs, Fiber, and Protein are the main components of a healthy meal.  The most economical way to purchase beans are in bulk.  Cook a large batch over the weekend that way you have a quick and easy “go to” food during the week!  Beans can be thrown into a salad, mashed in a sandwich, or, if you’re creative, you can create your own bean hummus and use it to dip veggies in!
4. FROZEN FRUITS & VEGGIES:  Frozen fruits and veggies are just as nutritious are fresh!  Frozen fruits and veggies are processed at peak ripeness, blanched (which causes minimal loss of soluble vitamins, then flash-frozen, all within hours of being picked.  Frozen fruit can be added to muffins and/or pancake mix; use in smoothies; blend and heat for a topping for pancakes, waffles, yogurt, or oatmeal.  Frozen veggies can be added to soups, stews, eggs dishes (omelets or mixed with scrambled eggs), stir fries, and used as side dishes.
5. WHOLE GRAIN PASTA:  Whole grain pasta contains more fiber than regular pasta.  This can be purchased in bulk as well!  A great way to incorporate whole grain pasta into a meal is to boil the pasta and drain.  Add any sort of legume (chickpeas are a great choice), and add a frozen veggie such as broccoli, or a bag of mixed veggies to the meal.  Season with  a little olive oil, salt & pepper.  

I want to start off by saying that not all dietitians are perfect eaters.  I’m not a perfect eater.  I’m human, with normal cravings and needs.  I’ve gotten a lot of questions on what I do to stay healthy and how I eat.  There is no simple answer to those questions.  How I eat to stay healthy is something I’ve learned over time.  A lot of what I’ve learned is through the countless mistakes I’ve made.  When I was thinking of a way to put how I eat into words, I knew the best way to describe it was to let you know how I got to the healthy place I am now.  I could easily list what I eat on a daily basis, but without you knowing how I got there seemed pointless.

Before I get started, I have to let you know that I’m 7 ½ months pregnant.  So everything I reference in this post is based on pre-pregnancy.  Eating while pregnant is a whole other topic.  I had to get to know my body all over again. I had to learn how to deal with morning sickness, massive cravings, and the hardest of all… accepting the physical changes my body was going through.  So, everything I talk about is pre-pregnancy.

About Me

I’m a petite 5′2″ female and have dealt with weight insecurities most of my life.  I’ve always been an avid exerciser… often exercising too much.  The funny part is during that time in my life, I was at my heaviest.  The more I exercised, the heavier I was.  And what I mean by too much exercising, I mean exercising for 2+ hours… and not because I was training for a race or event.  The more I exercised, the hungrier I got.  The hungrier I got, the more I (over)ate.  The more I ate, the more I weighed.  The more I weighed, the more insecure I became.  The messed up part is that all of this was happening while I was studying to be a dietitian.  I viewed exercise as a form of weight control, and viewed eating as a something that could only be done once calories were counted and portions were weighed.  I was straight-up un-healthy!!  My relationship with exercise, food, and my weight were way off.   

How I came out of it

I knew what I was doing was unhealthy.  I thought to myself “how can I be a dietitian and tell people how to be healthy when I was struggling with it myself?”  Without getting too detailed, I did have sort of a moment and I new a change had to be made.  I had to help myself before I could help others.  This process took a lot of time.  When all this was happening, I was living in San Diego, CA.  I contacted one of the author’s of Intuitive Eating (just 2hrs away from me) and began to slowly come out the “funk”.  As a Dietitian, I am well aware of calories, portions, and everything else regarding food.  What I had to do was develop more of a healthy relationship with food, and look at calories in a non-judgmental way.  This process took time… a lot of time.  I worked really hard to eat when I was hungry.  The difference was I knew what a proper portion size was for me.  I stopped eating “diet” foods and moved to “real” food. 

All of the mistakes I made I viewed as a learning experience.  I know what happens to my body when I consistently eat when I’m hungry, and I know what happens when I consistently eat when I’m not hungry.  The reason I know this is because I’ve seen the results.  I’ve gained weight when I mindlessly snack.  I’ve lost weight when I cut out the mindless eating.  Another big difference is my exercise routine.  I view exercise in a totally different way then before.  I run and practice yoga (bikram is my favorite).  I’m healthier physically and mentally now more than ever. 

Why am I Sharing This??

The reason why I’m sharing this personal info is to help people.  Dietitians are not perfect… I know I’m not!!  Dietitians are a wealth of nutrition knowledge and our job is to give accurate nutrition info based on sound science.  There are tons of RD’s who have never had any food issues and some who have.  I can only speak for myself.  As far as the way I eat now.  I never look at calories on a day to day basis.  I based when I eat on hunger and sometimes convenience.  When I do eat, it’s kind of impossible to ignore the calories… it’s my job to know the calories of things.  I look at calories differently now.  I don’t obsess over them or crunch my daily numbers.  Sometimes I may eat a meal that has 300 calories, and then eat 1 or 2 cookies because I want them and I’m still hungry.  As long as I’m listening to my body I am happy.  It’s when I get out of touch with my body that I know something is wrong.  Like I said… this took a lot of time for me to figure this all out.

I truly hope this post has helped!  If you’re interested in see what a typical day looks like for me, let me know… I’m happy to share!

It’s that time of the year again!  This past weekend officially kicked off the start of our local farmer’s market!  I am very fortunate to only live a few blocks away from our farmer’s market.  I took full advantage of the gorgeous weather this weekend and walked on over. 

There are countless reasons for why we should buy from farmer’s markets.  The food we buy is healthier and tastier.  The money we spend supports local farmers and agriculture, and we can talk directly to the person who grew the food.  Farmer’s market produce looks homegrown because it is!  Sizes and shapes will vary because they aren’t standardized for sale to the supermarkets.  Here is what a farmer can tell you about their product:

• They know what varieties they planted.
• They know how the produce was fertilized and culitvated.
• They know what problems were encountered growing the produce.
• They know when they were harvested.

Benefits of Buying from a Farmer

The benefits of buying straight from farmers are huge!  The farmers can pick their fruits and vegetables when they are at their peak.  With store bought produce, as your food travels it can lose freshness because foods that have to spend a week on a truck are picked well before they ripen, leaving you with a less nutrient dense and less nutritious food to eat.  Some of the best tasting fruits can really only be founds at farmer’s markets or roadside stands.  You can tell the time of year by which fruits were available.  Buying from a farmer can helps us link produce with seasons.

If you don’t have an area farmers’ markets,try a CSA. CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture and it’s a system by which you become a member of a farm by paying a seasonal membership fee, and, in exchange, you share in the farm’s harvests. By joining CSA you can get locally grown, usually organic produce for typically lower costs than you’d find in your grocery store.  Visit www.localharvest.org to find farmers’ markets and CSA’s by zip code.

With swimsuit season just around the corner the emails have been pouring in for quick ways to lose weight and get in shape.  I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but if you’re looking for a quick fix… you’re not going to find it here.  Permanent weight loss takes time and patience.  There is however, some fine-tuning you can do to tighten up your diet, eliminate excess eating, and be well on your way to a healthy weight.

Tune into REAL Hunger

You should be feeling hungry each time you eat.  If you’re a regular reader of the blog, I know I may sound like a broken record, but when you consistently eat when you’re not hungry, you will gain weight.  Tuning into your true hunger is key.  Using the hunger scale is a great guide to help you identify your true hunger.

The Hunger scale ranges from 0-10.  Zero is extreme hunger… you feel so hungry you might pass out.  The opposite end of the scale is 10.  I call this the Thanksgiving Dinner Syndrome.  You ate some much food you feel physically ill.  Right smack in the middle of the scale is “5″.  This is a neutral feeling.  You’re not hungry or full.  You basically have no desire to eat. When you’re at a five, you should feel hungry in about 2-3 hours.  The key time you should be eating is between a 3 and 4 on the scale.  This is what I call a comfortable hunger.  You feel the grumbling in your stomach and slight hunger pangs.  At this level of hunger you can consciously make a healthy decision on what to eat without letting the hunger control you.  Anything lower than a “3″ and the hunger will control you.  From a “2″ down, you are so physically hungry that it doesn’t matter what you eat, how much you eat, or where you eat.  At this extreme level of hunger it’s common to overeat.  It’s very important to not let yourself get overly hungry. 

Eat Only Until Satisfied

Never eat until you’re full, stuffed, or sick.  Only eat until you’re satisfied.  This means eating until you’ve reached a “7″ on the hunger scale.  This is where portion control comes in.  Only YOU know when you feel satisfied.  You also know how you feel when you ate too much.  A meal that satisfies one person may not satisfy you.  The amount of food you need to satisfy yourself is sort of a trial and error deal.  You need to take your time when you eat.  If halfway through your meal you feel satisfied, then stop eating.

Rules to Get You Started

•       Eat three meals per day and one or two snacks only.  No snacking between meals unless you’re truly hungry.  If you feel hungry between meals, this is a sign you didn’t eat enough at your last meal. 
•       Space your meals 4 hours apart, no longer than 5 hours between meals.
•       Plan your snack when you know you will be going longer than 5 hours until your next meal.
•       Cut off eating after dinner.  This is a way to eliminate mindless snacking or boredom eating.  If you feel a little hungry before you go to bed, chug some water.  You could easily be thirsty rather than hungry. If you’re feeling a little hungry, think back to the time you had dinner.  If you had a light dinner at 5:30pm and you’re hungry at 9pm, you may need a little something to keep you from feeling overly hungry when you sleep… Make sure this is true hunger and not boredom eating… use the hunger scale to gage you’re hunger level.  You want to look for a grumble in your stomach.
•       Avoid “clean the plate syndrome”!  Make it a rule to always leave some food on your plate.  When you eat out at a restaurant, only eat half of what’s served… doggie bag the rest.
•       Exercise!!!!  Do whatever kind of exercise you enjoy!!  Get outside and move your body.  If you’re new to exercise, start out with 30 minutes per day.

Finding time to eat “healthy” can be a challenge when we’re juggling work, exercise, and home schedules.  It’s easy to rely on fast food, but a little planning can get you and your family on the right track to healthy eating.  Here are some tips to fuel your busy day:

Plan! Plan! Plan!

 If your goal is to “eat healthy on-the-go” planning is key!  Start by putting a grocery list together with portability in mind.  Relying too heavily on drive-thru windows or vending machines can easily derail your goals.  Keep a small cooler stocked with items like sliced fruit, low sugar yogurt, string cheeses, protein bars and nuts.  These items can serve as a healthful complement to a grilled take-out sandwich or serve as better snack options.

Plan your meals for the week

• Review weekly schedules (sporting events, meetings, personal commitments, etc…)
• Take inventory of items you have on hand (freezer, pantry, and refrigerator).
• Prepare your shopping list.

Shop only once per week.

• Purchase perishables weekly.
• Stock up on staples last will last a few weeks (pasta, rice, jarred sauces, canned items, etc…)

Eat fresh when you can!

• Fresh produce provides the most vitamins, minerals and fiber.
• Offers seasonal varieties.
• Is available pre-washed: packaged salad greens, pre-chopped vegetables, and pre-cut fruit.
• Purchase weekly

Keep frozen fruit and veggies on hand.

• Fruits and vegetables are frozen at the peak of season to preserve nutrients.
• Frozen products are easy and convenient
• Be sure to purchase frozen fruits without added sugar and vegetables without added sauces, sodium, or fat.
• An assortment of frozen vegetables and unsweetened fruits are available year-round. 

Keep portions in check!

• Portion sizes are often too large.
• Use an easy reference to estimate your own portions (check out the blog post “How to Control Portion Sizes” for portion ideas)

Cook on the weekend (or your days off) for the week ahead.

• Prepare larger meals to provide leftovers for another meal.  Cook a large batch of chicken, soup, potatoes, veggies, etc…  This will make it easy to have a quick and easy meal when you’re coming home starving and have no time to cook.
• Freeze leftovers in lunch-size portions.

Choose take-out and convenience foods with your health in mind.

• Request English muffins, dry toast or bagels for breakfast.
• Hold the mayo, butter, dressings and cheese on fast food sandwiches and baked potatoes.
• Select broiled, baked, and grilled meats, trimming visible fat/skin before eating.
• Choose steamed vegetables without sauces.

Always eating on the go?

• Tuck portable, nonperishable foods in your purse, tote, briefcase or backpack for an on-the-run meal.
• Here are some ideas: Peanut butter and crackers, granola bars, a piece of fresh fruit, trail mix, single serve packages of whole grain cereal or crackers.

Grabbing dinner at the supermarket deli?

• Select rotisserie chicken, salad-in-a-bag and freshly baked bread.
• This makes for a quick and easy nutritious meal.

When Eating Out:

• Order the regular or child-size portion instead of the mega-sized serving
• For a lighter meal, order an appetizer in place of a main course
• Make special requests!  Ask for no mayo or bacon; ask for sauces on the side.
• Think about your food choices for the entire day!  If you’re planning a special restaurant meal in the evening, have a light breakfast and lunch.
• If you choose the buffet, fill up on salads and veggies first.  Take no more than two trips and use a small plate that holds less food.

Resources: American Dietetic Association, Supermarket Saavy

Exercise is part of a healthy lifestyle.  Whether our goal is health maintenance or training for an endurance event, fueling properly is key.  It’s also important to recognize the difference between the two.  Eating to fuel a daily power walk is different than eating to fuel a long distance runner or a triathlete.  Factors to consider include the right balance of carbohydrates, protein, and fat, the right amount of vitamins and minerals, as well as the proper amount of fluids.  Here are some tips for my endurance training readers.

Carbohydrates:

• Best fuel for working muscles
• It’s important to include carbs at all meals.
• Our muscles are fueled by carbohydrates for energy, it’s important to make our carb choices count by focusing on whole grains and produce.
• A serving of fruit or veggies is about the size of a baseball.
• A serving of whole grains is about the size of our fist (1 cup). A 1-cup serving of grains averages about 175-200 calories.

Protein:

• We need protein for muscle growth and for recovery (to repair muscle damage after exercise).
• Protein is needed to make red blood cells, which moves oxygen to muscles, and white blood cells, which help fight infection.
• Our body uses protein to make hormones and enzymes, which helps regulate our metabolism.
• Our maximum protein needs are only about 1 gram per pound body weight. This can easily be met with “real” food.
• Three ounces of lean meat provides about 21 grams of protein. Three ounces is about the size of a deck of cards.
• A good rule is to eat a portion of lean protein the size of the palm of your hand (at least 3 ounces) for lunch and dinner (breakfast if possible).

Fat:

• We need fat for energy
• Fat helps our body utilize some vitamins.
• Fat helps move substances in and out of cells, and it helps keep your brain and nervous system healthy.
• Fat provides a “satisfaction” factor at each meal.
• Try to include a serving of healthy fats with your meal. A serving is a tablespoon (about the size of your thumb).
• Healthy fats include: almonds, mixed nuts, peanuts, peanut butter, ground flax meal, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, avocados, canola oil, and olive oil.

Vitamins & Minerals:

• Help unlock the energy stored in food so your body can use it as fuel.
• Our body needs calcium, magnesium, fluoride, and vitamin D to keep bones strong.
• Include a serving of veggies (1 cup) at lunch and dinner… preferably dark leafy greens.
• Include a serving of fruit (1/2 cup) at breakfast and lunch.
• Make sure your veggies are not fried or swimming in butter.
• Take a daily multivitamin. This is a great insurance plan to ensure our bodies are getting the nutrients it needs.

Fluids:

• Water is the most important nutrient. If your body weight drops just 1% from losing fluids, your performance will suffer.
• Be sure to replace the fluids you lose through sweat when you are active.
• For high intensity or endurance workouts (90 minutes or longer) it is extremely important to replace your fluids.
• Weigh yourself prior to your workout.
• Hydrate during your workout as usual.
• Weigh yourself after your workout – make note of the number of pounds lost post workout. Consume 3 cups (24 ounces) of water or sports drink for every pound of body weight that your lost while you were active.

Sports Drinks:

Sports drinks such as Gatorade and Power-Ade are really only needed when you will be working out for 90 minutes or more.  For daily exercise up to 1-hour, water is the best choice for hydration.

Always eat breakfast

Make it a point to eat a good breakfast every morning.  This is extremely important for endurance athletes.  The level of glycogen in our liver is lower in the morning.  We need to refuel our body to replace the energy it used while we slept.

Before an Endurance Workout

3-4 hours before a workout, practice, or competition, eat a carb loaded meal such as rice, pasta, yogurt, fruit smoothie, fruit, breads, rolls, etc…

For Morning Exercisers

If our workouts will be no longer than one hour, it’s not vital to eat something prior to our workout… unless you are STARVING from the night before.  If you will be going for a long run, cycling, or any other activity that will be 90 minutes or more, fueling prior to exercise is key.  Have an energy bar, granola bar, ½ bagel, large banana, etc…  Consume at least 12ounces or more prior to your workout, and make sure you hydrated properly the day before.

Question of the day:  How do you fuel your workouts?  What pre-workout meal works best for you?

Resources: American Dietetic Association, Jon Vredenburg MBA,RD, CSSD

I have gotten a lot of questions about emotional eating and ways to overcome it.  This article just touches on some of the main issues behind it.  There are references at the end that provide more details and more ways to cope.

What is Emotional Eating?

Emotional eating is eating for reasons other than the true feeling of physical hunger.  Emotional eating is feeding our feelings, not our hunger.  Reasons we may eat can include anxiety, loneliness, boredom, sadness, happiness, celebration, stress, etc… and any other reason you can think of that you eat other than hunger.  We’re basically eating to fill a void.  Emotional hunger can arrive suddenly, while physical hunger builds up and comes on gradually.  When we eat to fill a void we often reach for “comfort” foods.  For some, this may be high starch/carb laden foods.  Emotional hunger often needs to be satisfied instantly. 

The Numbing Effect

When we eat when we’re not hungry (emotional eating), it’s difficult to tell when we’ve had enough.  When we eat when we’re not hungry, we can’t tell when we’re full.  It’s almost like a numbing feeling.  It’s like the endless bag of potato chips.  We eat for emotion and don’t stop until the bag is gone, or, we don’t stop until we feel uncomfortably full.  If we still have a void, we can easily look for more food.  When we eat for true physical hunger we can tell right away when we’re full… so we stop eating. 

Emotional Eating & Weight Gain

When we consistently eat for reasons other than hunger, we will gain weight.  Majority of the time when we eat for emotion, we eat unhealthy food… so this doesn’t help the situation.  If our body is not physically hungry and we eat anyway, our body most likely did not need the calories.  Even worse is when we use food as the main reason to cope with our emotions.  I’ve said this over and over again, weight gain occurs when we CONSISTENTLY eat when we’re not hungry.  Even if we are eating healthy, if we’re over eating we will gain weight.

Coping With Our Emotions

We all have moments when we eat out of emotion… the problems occur when we use food as our main form of coping.  Learning to cope with our emotions without food is vital… especially if we have a weight problem.  This can be very hard… especially if we’ve been eating out of emotion for many years.  I have had clients who haven’t felt true physical hunger in decades.  When we stop eating for emotion, we are forced to face those emotions.  If we’re use to snacking after dinner and we stop, we need to find something else to fill that void.  The really hard part comes when we really want to eat something, but know that we are not physically hungry.  We have to deal with that feeling which at times can be tough.  The good news is the more we learn to deal with it, the easier it will become.  The goal is to consistently associate food with hunger.  The more we get use to this, the easier it is to be around food and have no desire to eat because we’re not hungry.  The ultimate goal is to consistently eat when we’re hungry.  If we have a moment when we eat out of emotion, we just accept it for what it is and move on.  Just take it one meal at a time.

This article covers a very small part of emotional eating.  If you feel you need more guidance, two great references are author Geenen Roth (her books cover emotional eating in detail as well as ways to cope), and the book Intuitive Eating (this book has one chapter on emotional eating, but the entire book is ideal for someone who consistently eats when not hungry).

If you have any questions about this article, want to know more, or have suggestions for future topics, add a comment in the comments section below.  If you know of anyone who may benefit from this article click on the “share this” icon below; from there you can post a link to this article or you can email it to a friend.

For those who are frequent readers and subscribers, you know that I send out a weekly newsletter as well as an email each time a new blog post is up.  I am considering eliminating the emails with the blog post updates and only email the weekly newsletter.  I don’t want to overwhelm readers by flooding their inbox with emails.  What are your thoughts on this?  Do you enjoy receiving the blog updates?… or are they too much?

Thanks in advance for your input

I often get asked the question “What foods I always HAVE to HAVE”.  If I was allowed only 10 items to purchase at the grocery store, regardless of the price, these are my picks.

1.     Quaker Old Fashioned Oats:  100% natural whole grain oats are great by themselves or added to many other recipes.  My favorite way to eat Quaker Oats is to take ½ cup dry oats and cook per instructions in 1-cup skim milk or light soymilk.  Once cooked, I like to swirl a tablespoon of all natural peanut butter in the bowl… YUM!

2.     Greek Yogurt:  This yogurt is packed with protein!  Something you don’t see in other yogurts.  Averaging at about 17 grams per 7 oz, this can be eaten at any meal, any time of day!  My favorite brand is FAGE 2% yogurt.  I’ve been asked why I prefer 2% to 0% fat.  This is a personal preference.  I enjoy the creamier taste of 2%, and for just 30 calories more; I think it’s worth it.  Either is perfectly acceptable.  My favorite way to eat this yogurt is to mix it with ¼ Nature’s Path Granola and ½ cup berries.

3.     Bananas:  Bananas are known for it’s impressive potassium content.  With about 4 grams of fiber per large banana, this fruit is a great addition/compliment to any meal.  My favorite way to eat bananas is either in Greek yogurt, or sliced on top a piece of toast with natural peanut butter.

4.     Nature’s Path Granola:  The reason I love this granola is for the great taste and calorie content.  A lot of granola tends to be calorically dense.  Nature’s Path Granola comes in at about 240 calories per ¾ cup.  My favorite way to eat granola is mixed with yogurt, or by itself.

5.     Lite Silk Soy Milk or Skim Milk:  This provides a great combo of protein and carbohydrates… can be added to recipes, cereal, or enjoyed by itself.

6.     Whole Wheat Tortillas:  I eat these almost every day!  My guideline is that is has at least 3 grams of fiber and no more than 150 calories.  I use these for sandwich wraps and tacos.

7.     Spinach Leaves:  Spinach is loaded with calcium, folic acid, vitamin K & Iron.  Spinach is also rich in vitamin c, iron, and fiber to say the least.  In an effort to consume more veggies, I add loads of raw spinach leaves to any sandwich or wrap I make.    I also like to add spinach to soups and omelets.

8.      Morning Star Veggie Sausages & Burgers:  The taste of these products can’t be beat!  As a great source of protein, I always add these to sandwiches and wraps.  It really adds great flavor to a meal!

9.     Eggs:  My grocery cart is never without a carton of eggs.  Eggs are a great source of protein and can complete any meal.  My favorite way to eat eggs is in a whole-wheat tortilla.  I take 2 egg whites scrambled with 1 whole egg, one morning star sausage broken up in the egg.  Place inside warmed whole-wheat tortilla and sprinkle with low-fat cheese.  This meal has been eaten for breakfast, lunch, and dinner!

10. Natural Peanut Butter:  I’ve tried all different types of nut butters from almond to cashew, and many more… but for some reason; nothing tastes better than good ole PB!  I have many ways I enjoy eating peanut butter… with oatmeal, with a banana, spread on toast, with apples, mixed in with yogurt (yes you read that correctly), old fashioned PB & J sandwich, and of course, by itself with a spoon!

A revision was made to the article “How to Lose Weight – Eating to Satisfy”.  The original article referenced complex carbohydrates as food in its most natural state.  That statement was incorrect.  Complex carbohydrates includes whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and the “white stuff” (potatoes, white rice, pasta, etc…).  The focus of the article was to place emphasis on consuming “real food” versus processed foods.  

My apologies for the confusion.  Please see the revised article below.

Eating to Satisfy! – Putting a Meal Together

Eating healthy is very important, but how much we eat is even more important!  This is not a license to eat whatever we want, whenever.  You have to get to know your body.  Learn what food satisfies you the most and what doesn’t.  Like I’ve said before, 80% of what you eat should be healthy and the other 20% percent is whatever you want.

What Satisfies You?

It’s no secret that food in its natural state is better for us than processed foods… but why?  What exactly is happening in the body that makes a meal stay with us longer than a bag of potato chips?

Real Food versus Processed Food –

We all know that carbohydrates include bread, rice, cereal, pasta, fruits, veggies, and all sugar and sweet products.  Carbohydrates also come in the form of packaged and processed food.  When I talk about REAL FOOD, I’m referring to food in its most natural state (whole wheat bread vs. white bread, whole wheat pasta vs. white pasta, brown rice vs. white rice, fresh fruit vs. fruit juice, etc…)

When a carbohydrate is in it’s natural state, our body has to work physically harder to break it down.  The whole grain and fiber is in tact, which makes it harder for the body to breakdown.  The longer the body takes to break down that food… the longer that meal will stick with us and keep us satisfied for a longer period of time.  This is why emphasis is placed on consuming whole grains, fruits, and veggies.  They are higher in fiber.  The more fiber a food has, the longer that food will take to be converted to energy in the body and the longer that meal will stay with us.

With pre-processed foods, our body has to do a minimal amount of work to break it down.  It is absorbed quickly in our body, therefore, it can leave us feeling hungry and wanting more food in a shorter period of time.  The result can leave us feeling unsatisfied and wanting more food.  Great examples of processed carbs are anything that comes packaged.  A good question to ask yourself is “Did this food naturally come this way?”  We know that Oreos don’t grow on trees and Skittles don’t naturally fall from the rainbow in the sky.  They are processed and should be eaten in moderation.

The Protein & Fat Factor

So now we know the importance of eating real food versus processed food. There are other factors involved in making a meal satisfying and protein & fat play a big role.  Protein comes in the form of lean meat, chicken, fish, low-fat dairy, & some plant based foods such as beans.  Protein provides a much needed satisfaction factor to our meal.  Protein naturally takes longer for the body to breakdown; therefore, it sticks with us longer, providing more satisfaction.  What even more important to know is what protein does when eaten with a carbohydrate. 

Carbs are our body’s form of energy.  No matter what form the carb is in (natural or processed) the body breaks it down (into sugar) and utilizes it for energy.  Protein, when eaten with a carbohydrate, slows down that process, thus making that meal last longer.  Here is a good example.  If we eat an apple, our body would go through its natural process of breaking that apple down and converting in the energy for the body.  If we added a piece of cheese with that apple, our body would take even longer to break that meal down because we’ve added protein, which will slow down the conversion of the apple to energy in the body (providing more satisfaction).

The same thing goes for fat.   Fat provides more satisfaction factor because it takes much longer to be processed in the body.  When we combine a meal of whole grains, lean protein, and a small amount of healthy fat, the meal will stick with us longer and leave us feeling more satisfied.  Healthy fats to consider are plant-based oils such as olive and canola oil, nut butters, nuts, and seeds.

Where do processed foods come in?

It’s unrealistic to say we will never eat processed foods.  They are everywhere and provide a quick and easy convenience.  The goal is to not make processed foods the based of our diet.  Eighty percent of our diet should come from “REAL” food and the other 20% can be whatever we want.  This makes our diet more livable and realistic.  If we have a day where we eat more processed foods than intended, don’t beat yourself up over it.  Just take it for what it is and move on.  No need to obsess over something that’s already been done.  We always have our next meal to make up for it.

Quick Summary

Here is a quick summary of what we’ve gone over in the series and what it takes to lose weight.

1.     Get to know your hunger!  This is a very important rule.  When we consistently eat when we’re not hunger, weight gain will happen.

2.     Know your limits! – Listen to your body.  Portion control is extremely important.  Get to know your body and your limits.  Eating healthy is very important, but how much we eat is even more important.

3.     Are you really hungry, or just bored?  Consistent mindless noshing can easily pack on the pounds.  I know this is a hard one, but boredom eating is a bad habit.  Try to really focus and identify when you’re eating when hungry versus eating when bored.

4.     EAT REAL FOOD!  Food in its most natural state will provide us more satisfaction.  Try to keep your intake to 80% real food and 20% whatever you want.  This will keep us balanced, and keep out diet for “Livable”.

If you have any questions about this article, want to know more, or have suggestions for future topics, add a comment in the comments section below.  If you know of anyone who may benefit from this article click on the “share this” icon below; from there you can post a link to this article or you can email it to a friend.

The Biggest Loser has become the most popular weight loss show in history.  The physical transformations these contestants go through is mind-blowing.   I think the main reason I find it so intriguing is because it’s what I specialize in.  These contestants aren’t following a fad diet, taking diet pills, or resorting to weight loss surgery.  They are literally working their tales off! 

A lot of people ask me if I think these results are realistic.  In a real-life situation, yes and no.  It can be done, but not in the same time frame as the show.  A year-and-a-half ago, I had the pleasure of going to a presentation given by the brains behind the Biggest Loser (the dietitian and physician who see these contestants everyday).  What they admitted first off was that the reason the contestants consistently lose so much weight is because they are taken out of their environment.  All the barriers we face in real life (job, family, friends, lack of time, lack of knowledge) have been removed.  Think about how much easier it would be for us to lose weight if we had none of those challenges. On the ranch, their entire day includes meeting with the dietitian, psychologist, doctor, and of course, exercise for hours and hours.  Their “job” is basically to exercise, learn about proper nutrition, and practice it everyday.  Here is the diet they are taught to follow.

Biggest Loser Principles & Diet

•       With a regular exercise program in place, you must burn off more calories than you take in each day.
•       Recommended daily caloric intake for weight loss is “modified low carb diet” made of 45% carbohydrate calories, 30% lean protein, and 25% healthy fat.
•       45% Carbohydrates – vegetables, fruits, whole grains
•       3 servings of healthy proteins (fish, skinless chicken breast, lean ground turkey)
•       Healthy fat include an occasional spray or splash of olive oil or canola oil for salads or cooked dishes.  It also includes healthy fats from small servings of nuts and seeds.
•       There is room for one optional treat per day
•       Cereals must have at least 5 grams of fiber per serving
•       Daily calories are based on 7 calories per pound of body weight. (adjusted with significant weight loss)
•       Their diet is analyzed weekly by the dietitian.  The contestants usually adhere to the diet 70% of the time.

Common Characteristics of Contestants

The contestants had no idea of the number of calories they consumed daily.  They ate very few fruits and veggies, little whole grains, too much refined carbs (white stuff).  They did little planning of their meals, ate out a lot at restaurants or fast food.  Majority of their calories came from calorie laden beverages (juice, soda, fruit punch).  Very little exercise was reported and their health was not made a priority.

My View on the Program

I think the Biggest Loser is a fantastic program, however, I can’t help but notice the amount of weight some of these contestants put back on a year or so after the show.  The most important thing to take away from this is the importance of PERMANENT LIFESTYLE CHANGES!  I cannot stress this enough.  These contestants are placed in a controlled environment, and even at that, we can see on the show how they struggle emotionally.  Imagine how much harder it is to implement this at home?  The diet they follow places emphasis on whole grains, fruits, veggies, lean protein, and healthy fat… that is a healthy diet.  What’s even more important is the optional treat they are allowed.  It is so important to include foods we love in moderation.

How Can We Do This At Home?

The Biggest Loser diet places emphasis on all the right foods! 

•       Rather than counting calories, focus on controlling the portion sizes.       (See my article on “Eating with Your Eyes”)
•       Keep your intake 80% healthy and 20% whatever you want.
•       Listen to your hungry – Your body should be asking for food every 4-4.5 hours, try not to go longer than 5 hours without eating.  Waiting too long to eat can cause us to over eat.
•       Set a realistic exercise goal – Exercise is important for many reasons… the main one being our health!  The amount of exercise the Biggest Loser contestants do on the show is unrealistic in “real life”.  If you’re new to exercise, start out slow and increase as your endurance picks up.  If our goals are reasonable, it’s easier to keep them, rather than setting unrealistic goals and feeling overwhelmed. 

If you have any questions about this article, want to know more, or have suggestions for future topics, add a comment in the comments section below.  If you know of anyone who may benefit from this article click on the “share this” icon below; from there you can post a link to this article or you can email it to a friend.

RECALL ALERT!! – Millions of pistachios and pistachio products have been recalled due to a possible salmonella contamination.  The FDA is taking every precaution and recalling every pistachio product.  For more information CLICK HERE

Stay tuned for more recall alerts!

QUAKER GIVEAWAY!!

My friends at KEEP IT SIMPLE FOODS are giving away three  boxes of Quaker Simple Harvest Trail Mix Bars.  You have from now until Midnight EST  tomorrow to enter!  GOOD LUCK!

This is a pretty common occurrence.  We are in a committed relationship, in love, happy, and the pounds start to just pack on!  You feel comfortable with your mate, eat out more, and skip workouts.  Before you know it, an extra 15 pounds is on your once slender frame.  There are ways to deal with this, and ways to avoid it.

Do Not Match Him Bite for Bite

Why does it seem that no matter how much your spouse eats, they never seem to put on an ounce?  This may not be the case for everyone, but it’s often true!  Men have faster metabolisms than women.  They are often leaner as well.  Men tend to gravitate towards a heartier comfort type meal, while women may stick to the standard lean protein, veggie, and salad type meal (pre-relationship).  It’s so easy to indulge in a triple meat double cheese pizza with your spouse… You’re both doing it… so why not? Right!?!?  Just because he orders and consumes a 22oz porterhouse steak does not mean you should too!   I’m not saying to avoid these foods all together, by all means, you should eat foods you truly love, but know your limits.  A 5′3″ female requires much less calories than a 6′2″ male.  Keep your portions in check.  Order your pizza ½ cheese & veggie and ½ sausage.  If you want a steak, go for a leaner cut like a Filet.  Know that you’re consuming high calorie foods and keep your portions small.

Each Person’s Eating Schedule is Different

It’s pretty rare that two people are both hungry at the same time each day.  Each person’s body will most likely feel hungry at different times.  For example, let’s say we got home from work at 5:15pm starving.  We are so hungry we can’t stand it.  So, we snack our way to fullness.  By the time your spouse gets home, dinner is ready, you’re not hungry anymore, but you eat anyway.  If we consistently do this, weight gain can be the unpleasant result. 

An easy way around this is to get to know each other’s schedule.  Communicate with each other regarding what time each of you will be home and what time dinner will be.  If you’re hungry for lunch at 1pm and dinner isn’t until 7:30pm, you want to plan a moderate snack somewhere in the middle, that way you feel comfortably hungry at dinner.  The same goes for the weekends.  Communicate, come up with a plan, and go from there.

Do Not Become A Sympathetic Eater

Just because he’s eating does not mean you have to eat.  This is a hard one… I know! You’re both watching TV and all of a sudden he’s got a box of buttery crackers on his lap.  Like I mentioned before, each person’s eating schedule is different.  Just because he’s munching on Cheeze-It’s does not mean you should join in… If you’re not hungry, don’t eat.  If you’re new to this type of thinking, it may be challenging in the beginning, but it will get easier.

Know Yourself

I’ve said this in just about every article, but you have to know yourself!  Get to know your body and how it works.  You know when you are eating too much and you know when you are slacking on your workouts.  If you know you’re the type of person who needs to workout consistently to keep your weight in check, then continue to do that.  If you find yourself consistently avoiding workouts in favor of cuddle time, it is just a matter of time before the weight creeps up.

Make Yourself a Priority

It’s important to take care of yourself and make yourself the priority.  Knowing we are taking care of our body and making decisions each day towards the right direction makes us healthier, happier individuals.  When we are happy with ourselves, this is likely to make us happier in life and in our relationship.

If you have any questions about this article, want to know more, or have suggestions for future topics, add a comment in the comments section below.  If you know of anyone who may benefit from this article click on the “share this” icon below; from there you can post a link to this article or you can email it to a friend.

I am truly excited by the response of this giveaway!  To see so many readers interested in learning more about health and nutrition is awesome!!

Due to the overwhelming response and popularity of todays giveaway, I decided a couple of things…

1. To continue this giveaway once or twice per month!  So check back daily to see when the next contest is.
2. AND… to pick two winners today instead of one!!!  These winners were randomly selected. 

The Winners Are:

NICOLE – commented at 12:33pm

ANGELA – commented at 9:37am

Nicole & Angela, please email me privately at contact@weeklybite.com and we can start the process.

Remember to check back daily for another chance to win!

Weekly Bite will be giving away a FREE Initial Nutrition Consultation today. 

Who’s it for?

This is for anyone and everyone… Whether your goal is weight loss, overall wellness, medical nutrition therapy, or you would just like to consult with a dietitian.

How does the Consultation Work?

Detailed paperwork is emailed to you where you document your weight history, exercise regimen, medical history, and what your goal/expectation is for the visit.  A three-day food journal will be emailed to you as well.  This gives a good idea of what your daily eating habits are like.  A typical “face to face” consultation takes anywhere from 60-90 minutes.  This can be done over the phone, or via web email.  If done via web, a complimentary follow-up is included.  If you live in the DC Metropolitan area, you have the option of a face-to-face consultation.

To enter, comment on this post!  The winner will be selected via random generator.  The winner will be announced later today on the blog at 4pm Eastern Standard Time.

Good Luck!!

My friends at Keep It Simple Foods are giving away coupons for FREE Oikos Greek Yogurt!!  This is one of my favorite greek yogurts and is the perfect addition to any snack or meal!  These coupons are available to the first four readers who submit a comment.  Keep It Simple Foods also has some incredible recipes that are the perfect addition to any healthy lifestyle!

There are thousands and thousands of diets out there that have a “cheat day”.  We are supposed to follow rigid guidelines all week and then have that one-day where we can eat whatever we want.  What this can do is eventually lead to an all out binge day (trust me, I’ve been there).  We feel we have to eat everything we can’t have during the week on that one-day.  This leads to a mentality where we think to ourselves “tomorrow I’ll start over again”.  The problem is that this mentality can spread to days other than our “cheat day”.  If we go off our diet, it’s so easy to “just call it a cheat day”… which leads to a full on binge, which leads us back to the thinking “tomorrow I’ll start over again”.

Letting Go of the Cheat Day

Another common way of thinking is to eat healthy all week and “splurge” on the weekends.  I definitely went through a phase of thinking this way.  Don’t get me wrong… I enjoy a good splurge every now and again… it’s the quantity of the splurge that matters.  Eating healthy during the week and allowing ourselves to eat out more on the weekend is perfectly healthy, but what we need to watch is the amount of food we splurge on.  We still need to listen to our bodies, listen to our hunger, eat food we truly love, and stop eating when we’ve had enough.  Remember… it’s all about the portion sizes.   If it tastes so good you want to keep on eating, keep in mind that you can take the rest home to enjoy the next day. 

How to Splurge the Right Way

Be realistic in terms of the calorie content of your food.  I’m not going to encourage full on calorie counting, but think of calories in a very loose and realistic way. If we order a dish of fettuccine alfredo, we know that dish has upwards of 1,600 + calories.  Realistically, we do not need to be eating that much food.  Think about the bread, side salad, and wine we’ve already consumed prior to our dish arriving.  This can put us way over a 2,000-calorie dinner.  Have a game plan and assess the menu before you order.  If you really want the fettuccine, you can pass on the bread and/or wine, or, you can order it all and have a small taste of everything, but in reality, you’re not eating much food at all.  It’s the amount of food we eat that matters the most.

Never Deprive Yourself

If we let ourselves eat the foods we love whenever, we don’t need to have a designated day to enjoy them.  Eighty percent of your diet should be healthy, and 20% is whatever else you want (healthy or not).  As long as you are honoring your body, eating when you are truly physically hungry, and being mindful of your portion sizes, you can easily reach and maintain your healthy weight all while allowing yourself you daily “cheats”.

If you have any questions about this article, want to know more, or have suggestions for future topics, add a comment in the comments section below.  If you know of anyone who may benefit from this article click on the “share this” icon below; from there you can post a link to this article or you can email it to a friend.

Ever heard the saying, ”We eat with our eyes”? The more food there is to choose from, the more food we eventually eat.  An easy way to control our portions is by choosing a smaller plate.  By doing this we can trick our eyes into thinking portions are bigger than they really are! And don’t heap food on your plate… the more we put in front of us, the more we are likely to eat. For example, if we’re at a buffet or gathering with many different food choices, it can be very tempting to want them all!  Something I always like to do when faced with those situations is to scope out the food & dessert table and figure out what it is I really want.  There are times when I want everything that’s offered!  In this situation, I let myself taste everything, but in reality, I’m eating a small amount of food.  You taste everything, but basically eat nothing.  Shrink your plate, shrink your appetite, and – shrink your waistline!  Below is a great tool I like to use.  It shows people how to divide their plate and control portions.

Here is what you want to do:

• Start out by using a 9 inch plate
• Take your plate and divide it in half
• One half of your plate should be filled with non-starchy veggies
• Take the other half of your plate and divide that in half.
• A fourth of your plate is where you’ll put your protein (meat, chicken, fish, or a meat substitute like beans or veggie burger.
• The other fourth of your plate is where you put your starches such as pasta, rice, potato, bread, etc….

The question I often get is what to do when dessert is there, and your really want it…. my response is…. eat it!  This is where assessing the food spread comes in handy.  If there is pasta salad you really want, but there is pound cake your love too, you want to serve yourself a1/4 cup (eyeball it) serving of the pasta salad, and for the pound cake, serve yourself half a portion.  That way you can continue to eat what you love without overdoing the portions.  The quality of the food is very important as well as the quantity.

By Estela Schnelle MS, RD

 Identifying Natural Hunger –

Are You Really Hungry or Just Bored?

 My approach to weight control is very similar to “Intuitive Eating”.  For those who are not familiar with intuitive eating, the main basis is to “eat when you are truly physically hungry and stop when you are satisfied, eat exactly what appeals to you at that time.” While I do firmly believe this, I also feel people need to have some structure and rules that work best for their body.  In working with my clients, I have found that identifying when they are hungry is not the problem; it’s knowing when to stop eating.  Some may find it challenging knowing “how much food is enough”.  This is where the rules and portion control start to come in. 

One of the main keys to reaching a healthy weight is identifying our natural hunger.  We should be feeling hungry each time we eat.  This is why it is so important to make your own rules.  Setting a rule such as eating every 2-3 hours regardless of our hunger is not the best idea.  If your body is truly hungry that often, then that’s was works for you.  A general rule I give is to space your meal between 4-5 hours apart.  We should not go longer than 5 hours without a meal.  

What is True Hunger? 

True hunger comes when your body has burned off the calories from the last meal.  Your stomach is basically empty.  Without getting too scientific on you, this is what happens:  Your brain sends a signal to your stomach that it needs food for fuel/energy to continue functioning.  This is what cues the growling in our stomach.  Our muscles in our abdominal wall start to contract, the gastric acids start to erupt, our stomach growls, and we experience hunger pangs.  This is what true hunger is. 

 I’ve worked with clients who have never experienced true hunger, or tell me they haven’t felt hungry in years.  Here is an exercise I give them to feel what true hunger is:  For on day only, go at least 5 hours without any food or calorie containing beverages, only water.  This should be long enough to trigger hunger.  This should not be done every day, just once, so they can experience hunger. 

Are You Hungry or Bored? 

Have you ever noticed that when we’re really busy we tend to push our hunger aside to get our work done, but when we’re bored, we often imagine ourselves feeling hungry and can easily find a reason to eat?  This can be the case for many of us.  When we’re bored, we try to find something to do, and eating is at the top of our list.  As I’ve mentioned in previous articles, weight gain occurs when we consistently eat for reasons other than hunger.  Mindless eating and snacking is a quick way to pack on the extra pounds.  This is where the rules come in.  Here some basic rules to get started:

• Make it a point to eat something healthy for breakfast:  It doesn’t have to be a big huge breakfast.  Play around with different breakfast ideas.  Make sure the portion size is moderate.  If your starving 2 hours later, recognize that you need more food or fiber in your meal.
• Keep an eye on the clock:  Keep track of what time you ate your meal and know you should be eating again in 4-5 hours.
• Plan a snack:  If you know it will be longer than 5 hours until your next meal, plan to have a small snack to avoid feeling overly hungry.  Take a look at the “snack bite” page for ideas.
• Eliminate mindless noshing:  Before you dive into a back of chips, check yourself!  Ask yourself if you are truly hungry.  Think back to the last time you ate.  Always check yourself before you dive head in to a bag of empty calories.

 These are just some very basic rules.  You are the only one who truly knows what will work best for your body.  Hopefully these will guide you in the right direction.  What rules do you make for yourself?  How do you keep track of your food intake?  Stay tuned for Part 3!

By Estela Schnelle MS, RD

We are all looking for that magic solution to weight loss.  Whether we feel we have 5 or 50 pounds to lose, most of us have tried more than one “diet” with the hopes that it will be our last attempt.  I decided to start a series of articles on “How to lose Weight”… there will be several parts to this series… how many… who knows.  This can be anywhere from a 6 part series to a 12 part series.  There is so much information/education that I want to be sure all the RIGHT information is being delivered to you.

Sometimes The Harder We Try… The Harder We Fall!

No matter how hard we try, no matter how hard we want it… we always seem to fail.  The wrong way to approach this is by viewing it as a diet.  Permanent weight loss comes from permanent changes.  It can be hard work at times… especially if we eat for emotional reasons.  Change isn’t always easy.  It is VERY important to not view this as a diet.  I’m not going to tell you to eliminate dairy, give up carbs for two weeks, or give up your favorite foods.  What I will do is guide you in the right direction and help you set your own rules for your body, so you can live a healthy lifestyle, live your life, all while enjoying the foods you love.

DO NOT Set a Goal Weight!

Think about it… every time we decide to lose weight we set a goal.  We either set a goal of a certain “number” of pounds we want to lose, or we set of a goal of what we should weigh when the dieting is done.  This is absolutely the wrong route to take.  What we are doing is setting ourselves up for failure.  Here’s the deal… our body wants to be at a healthy weight for our body type, whatever that is.  An ideal healthy weight is different for each person.  Each body is different, each metabolism is different, each bone structure is different, and therefore, each body weight will be different.  So instead of trying to force ourselves to fit an “ideal weight” the focus should on making permanent healthy lifestyle changes.  As far your weight goes, a better goal or mentality to have is “your body will land where it wants to land.”  Start by making small changes, and your body will take care of the rest. This stops us from having an end to all the healthy changes we’ve made.  Instead of saying to yourself, “I want to weigh X number of pounds”, say to yourself “My body will land where it wants to land”.  As time goes on and we continue to change our lifestyle, our body will continue to change for the better.

Know Your Food Limits – Listen to Your Body

If we wanted, we can literally eat food all day long.  Does our body really need all that food?  Most likely NO!  One of the keys to reaching your Natural Weight is portion control.  Knowing how much food you really need and knowing your limits is very important.  Like I mentioned before, your body wants to be at a healthy weight for your body type, the problem is we stopped listening to our body.  If we only ate when we’re hungry and stop when we’re satisfied, we most likely wouldn’t have a weight problem.  The problem is we eat for so many reasons other than hunger.  Birthdays, family gatherings, social commitments, boredom, stress, loneliness… I could go on and on.  Losing weight takes more than just that.  It’s a combination of learning to identify when your hungry, eating the right food for you, and more importantly, eating the right amount of food. 

My next article will focus on how to identify your natural hunger.  Between now and then, try to identify your natural hunger.  What is your definition of hunger?  What are your views of weight loss?  I will be answering blog comments on Tuesday and Part 2 of the series will be posted on Wednesday.

If you have any questions about this article, want to know more, or have suggestions for future topics, add a comment in the comments section below.  If you know of anyone who may benefit from this article click on the “share this” icon below; from there you can post a link to this article or you can email it to a friend.

By Estela Schnelle MS, RD

www.weeklybite.com

Each week the Weekly Bite will be featuring a cocktail of the week along with some survival tips for the weekend!  This week’s cocktail is called “Orange Crush.”  This in an incredibly refreshing tasting drink!  This recipe can also be multiplied for a “party drink”.  For those who are heading to happy hour, here are some tips to enjoy the evening without widening your waistline.

1.     Always have a game plan:  Stick to healthy choices throughout the day; try to get a workout in if you can.  Find out where you’re going for the evening.  Stick with appetizers.  Limit yourself to two servings of “heavy” appetizers, than stick with a non-fried shellfish like shrimp cocktail or veggies for the evening.

2.     Alcohol equals Calories:  Make a point to limit yourself to no more than two low-cal cocktails for the evening.  Avoid any drink mixed with a sugary mix such as soda, juice, or sweet-n-sour mix.  Alternate your drinks with club soda and lime… this makes for a great “fake out” cocktail.  People think your drinking, but your not.

3.     NEVER drink on an empty stomach:  This is a recipe for disaster.  If you drink on an empty stomach, you’ll find yourself inhaling the buffet table!

4.    Surround yourself with good company:  The better the company, the more talking you do.  You find yourself having such a good time you don’t even miss all the calorie-laden foods.

Cocktail of the Week:  ORANGE CRUSH

2oz orange flavored vodka (I like grey goose)

Splash of Gran Marnier

3oz Diet Sunkist

3 oz Diet Sprite

Juice of ½ small orange

Mix ingredients together in a shaker, pour over ice, and enjoy!  If you don’t like diet soda, you can substitute any citrus flavored seltzer water.  This recipe can be multiplied and used as a “party drink”

If you have any questions about this article, want to know more, or have suggestions for future topics, add a comment in the comments section below.  If you know of anyone who may benefit from this article click on the “share this” icon below; from there you can post a link to this article or you can email it to a friend.

By Estela Schnelle MS, RD

www.weeklybite.com

Everyone has his or her own theory about this.  I’ve heard it all… “No carbs after 4pm”, “Food turns into fat after a certain hour”.  All these myths are false!  The truth is, our bodies run on a 24hr clock… not an eight or twelve-hour day.  If you are truly physically hungry, you need to eat! 

Why are these rules made?

In my article “Dieting vs. Calorie Counting” it states, “eating healthy is very important, but how much we eat is even more important”.  This is the main reason why these rules are made.  It’s called MINDLESS EATING.  For most of us, mindless eating happens in the evening, after dinner, watching TV, when we’re bored, etc…  Weight gain generally occurs when we consistently eat for reasons other than hunger (mindless eating).  Think about it… we eat dinner, we’re comfortably full, definitely not hungry anymore, but somehow, we still find a way to squeeze a cup or two of ice cream in there.  Don’t get me wrong, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with dessert, but you have to account for it.  Make it part of your meal.  Not the mindless noshing that can occur after dinner.

Make your own rules!

You should know your body better than anyone!  Make your own rules.  I’ll use myself as an example.  It took some time, but I’m happy that I’ve gotten to know my body pretty well.  I know how much food is too much for me.  I know how much I can eat at dinner and feel content and satisfied.  I know that after each meal (including breakfast) I HAVE to have a small piece of DOVE dark chocolate.  I know that if I snack too much after dinner, I will not be hungry for breakfast.  I know how I will feel the next morning when I over do it at a restaurant the night before.  I make it a general rule for myself not to snack or eat after dinner.  If I am truly physically hungry after dinner, I will have something small to satisfy the hunger, but the lesson that I take away from that is I either didn’t eat enough for dinner, or didn’t eat enough throughout the day.  With my clients, I give them the general rule to stop eating two hours before they go to bed.  That way they can feel hungry for breakfast the next morning. 

Get to know your body!  Try different things out and see what works best for you.  Don’t be afraid to make a mistake… that’s the best way to learn!    Know that following the rules you have made for your body are better than what any book can tell you!

If you have any questions about this article, want to know more, or have suggestions for future topics, add a comment in the comments section below.  If you know of anyone who may benefit from this article click on the “share this” icon below; from there you can post a link to this article or you can email it to a friend. 

By Estela Schnelle MS, RD

www.weeklybite.com

We all want to reach a healthy weight… we want to know how to reach it and how to maintain it.  The confusing part is finding the best way to do this!  For those of you who’ve read my bio, you know that there was a phase in my life where dieting was the only option.  I was constantly thinking a diet would solve my problems.  A common thought I would often have would be, “Once I reach my goal weight, my life will begin”… “I can finally have fun”.  It got to a point where no diet was working for me, I became a slave to the scale, and worst of all, it affected every other aspect of my life.  No matter how hard I tried, or how much I exercise… nothing worked. 

At what point in our life do we think we need to “go on a diet?”

It all comes down to unhappiness.  It may be that we are unhappy with our appearance, unhappy with the way our pants fit, unhappy with the person we see in the mirror, unhappy because we realize we are truly overweight, or, just unhappy with life in general.  All the while we still think the next diet will solve our problems, make us happy, and finally enjoy life. 

Does a Diet Really Work?

The answer is yes… and no.  People want to see results!  When we make the decision to lose weight, we want the weight gone yesterday!  Diets promise quick results.  Some diets often going to extreme measures such as unsupervised detoxes, cleanses, and eliminating entire food groups.  Can we see results doing this?  Absolutely!  Why do we see results? Because we are cutting back on calories and the foods we love… resulting in a nice gift we call weight gain in return!

It all comes down to basic math.  If you want to lose weight, you have to eat fewer calories than what your body needs.   There’s no miracle diet or solution.  If you’ve had success on a past diet, it’s because you were eating less calories than what your body needed, not because we ate our protein 20 minutes before we ate our starch.   Programs such as Nutri-System and Jennie Craig will definitely produce weight loss because they are reducing your calories.  Everything comes pre-portioned or frozen.  They do all the work for you.  You don’t have to count calories or measure anything out.  All you have to do is heat and eat.  This does produce great short-term results, but what we really have to ask ourselves is “how realistic is it to follow this for life?”  That’s the question you want to ask yourself every time you are tempted with a diet.  “Can I commit to this for the rest of my life?”

A Calorie is a Calorie 

No matter what ratio of carbohydrates, protein, and fat our meal comes in, a calorie is a calorie.  If we eat more than our body needs, we will gain weight, whether our meal is vegetarian, vegan, low carb, or fast food.  I’ll say it again… IF WE CONSISTANTLY EAT MORE THAN WHAT OUR BODY NEEDS, WE WILL GAIN WEIGHT.

Now don’t get me wrong here.  I would be doing my role as a Dietitian an injustice if I said the health of a meal didn’t matter.  It certainly does.  A well-rounded healthy diet is important for heart health and disease prevention.  The point I’m trying to make is that we don’t have to follow a crazy diet.  It’s all about balance and moderation. 

Eating healthy is very important, but how much we eat is even more important.  We have to find that place of balance and moderation.  For example, lets say you’ve been craving a cheeseburger and French fries all week long.  Make a plan to eat it, and enjoy it.  Here’s how you do that… You know the average cheeseburger and French fry combo has at least 1000 calories if not more.  Let’s say you’re a 5’5” active female and require around 1800 calories per day.  Eating that entire cheeseburger meal will blow your calorie budget.  The goal here is to be mindful of what you eat during the day surrounding that cheeseburger.  This doesn’t mean to starve yourself all day so you can “splurge”.  The idea is to make sure you surround that meal with other healthy meals.  Make sure to be active that day.  Eat a healthy portioned controlled breakfast.  If you know your going out for cheeseburgers at dinner, don’t eat steak & eggs or a stack of pancakes for breakfast.  Opt for a healthy cereal or an egg white breakfast taco.  The same idea goes for lunch.   Choose something healthy and portion controlled.  Make sure your comfortably hungry prior to each meal.  When the time comes to enjoy the cheeseburger meal, take your time and try to only eat half.  Think to yourself “Does my body really need to ingest 1300 calories at one meal?”  The answer is most likely “NO!”    

What’s the point of all this?

The main point I’m trying to get across is that you can enjoy the foods you love every single day, it’s all about making a plan, balancing it all out, and enjoying in moderation.  If you eat a stack of pancakes for breakfast, a plate of pasta for lunch, and 4 slices of pizza for dinner, that’s unbalanced.   Make it a plan to keep your intake 80% healthy, and 20% junk!  If you went the whole day without eating any veggies, make it a point to get some in the next day.  What’s most frustrating to me is the “diet world” puts out so much conflicting information.  This confuses the heck out of people!  Including myself!  What I hope you get from reading this article is “go back to the basics”.  It all comes down to how much we eat.  Remember… EATING HEALTHY IS VERY IMPORTANT, BUT HOW MUCH WE EAT IS EVEN MORE IMPORTANT!

If you have any questions about this article, want to know more, or have suggestions for future topics, add a comment in the comments section below.  If you know of anyone who may benefit from this article click on the “share this” icon below, there, you can post a link to this article or email it to a friend.

I’m so excited to finally have this website up and running! We are very close to getting the weekly emails up and running… so thank you for your patience. Spreading the word of health and nutrition is the main goal of Weekly Bite. This website is for you! I would love to hear your comments and suggestions!! What nutrition info do YOU want to know?! What are YOUR burning questions?! Ask away!! Start entering your questions and comments now! The Weekly Bite looks forward to hearing from you! Stay Healthy! – WB