Five Tips for Fending Off Holiday Weight Gain

Get off the “I’m on a diet” mindset. Now is no time to diet—in fact, a wonderful goal for the next six weeks is to simply maintain your current body weight so that the number on the scale reads the same on New Year’s Day as it does on Thanksgiving. You can accomplish this by allowing yourself (and planning ahead for) indulging in small amounts of your favorite holiday treats. But be sure to make sensible eating choices the rest of the time.

Exercise more to offset holiday overeating. Don’t let your shopping and party commitments squeeze out your workouts. Now more than ever is when you need to up your physical activity so that you can balance out the extra holiday splurges. Make a contract with your FT consultant to get an extra weekly workout in to cover your inevitable holiday indulgences.

Follow your Nutrition Together eating guidelines: Eat breakfast, don’t skip meals, drink all your calorie-free liquid, and eat small, frequent, lighter meals at home. Carry healthy snacks like fruits and veggies and light yogurt, and never, ever arrive HUNGRY at an event where holiday treats are being served. These yummy delights are impossible to resist when one is famished. Before you go, appease your appetite with some light snacks such as whole-grain crackers and string cheese, veggies and hummus dip, or a glass of tomato juice. And don’t forget to bring your own “lighter” holiday makeover dish to the party.

Use only small plates and load up on salad first if you attend a buffet. Take small tastes of the food and eat only what you love.

Limit alcohol consumption (liquid calories). Alcohol is highly caloric, plus it can sabotage your best laid plans by affecting your judgment. After a few drinks it’s much harder to refrain from eating all those rich gooey desserts. If you do drink, stick with the lighter choices: A 4-ounce wine or champagne weighs in at just 80 calories versus a 5-ounce cocktail, a heavy 300 calories. Try alternating an alcoholic drink with a sparkling water and lime.

Recipe: HOLIDAY SERIES: LIGHTER CHEESY MASHED POTATOES

This traditional holiday favorite can wreck your lightened up holiday plate due to the huge amount of saturated fat and calories (coming from the full-fat cheese, butter and cream). Replacing the cheese with creamy “Laughing Cow®” cheese wedges and the butter with light margarine will help lighten this dish.

Food weight: 2.0

INGREDIENTS:

Yield: 12 servings (serving size: ~ 2/3 cup)

·         5 pound bag of organic russet potatoes, peeled and quartered

·         8 wedges of The Laughing Cow® Original Creamy cheese, room temperature

·         1 cup fat-free half & half

·         1 Tbsp. light margarine (tub)

·         ½ tsp garlic salt

·         ¾ tsp freshly ground black pepper

·         Chopped fresh chives (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Place potatoes into a large Dutch oven and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook for another 15 minutes or so until potatoes are tender. Drain in colander and return potatoes to Dutch oven. Cut cheese wedges into smaller pieces. Add the cheese and the rest of the ingredients (except for chives), mash with a potato masher and mix until smooth. Garnish with chives if desired.

Nutritional Information per Serving:
Food weight: 2.0, Calories: 200, Fat: 3.5 g, Cholesterol: 10 mg, Sodium: 145 mg,
Carbohydrate: 37 g, Dietary Fiber: 2 g, Protein: 6 g

November Full Body Workout

November Full Body Workout

Jump Lunges (x20)
Side Plank (30 seconds each)
Lateral Raises (x15)
Chest Press on Stability Ball with Butt Holds (x15)
Ball Hand Offs (x10)
Rows (x15)
Straight Leg Lifts (x10)
Supermans (x15)
Goblet Squat (x12)

Repeat 2-3 times!

Talking TURKEY!

Did you know that ninety-five percent of Americans surveyed by the National Turkey Federation eat turkey at Thanksgiving? Skinless, white meat turkey is a superb lean and light protein source, so here are some turkey tips:

Ø  Consider purchasing a fresh turkey from your grocery store. It’s defrosted and there is no added fat or sodium! (Fresh turkey should be firm to the touch.)

Ø  Plan on a half-pound serving per person.

Ø  Roast your turkey at a minimum oven temp of 325 ºF. A whole turkey is done when the internal temp reaches 180 ºF.

Ø  Leave the skin on while roasting, remove before serving.

Ø  For added color and nutrition in your gravy, roast with added carrots, celery, onion and garlic. (Baste turkey but try to keep the opening of the oven door to a minimum.)

Ø  Lighter gravy recipe:

§  Strain broth from roasting pan and pour into a shallow pan and freeze for a few minutes.

§  Remove fat layer (fat rises to the top and can be removed with a kitchen spoon). You can also use a gravy fat separator cup available at most cooking supply stores.

§  Bring 2 cups of strained and defatted broth to a boil. Dissolve 1 Tbsp corn starch in 2 Tbsp water and add slowly to broth. Bring back to a boil, remove from stove and serve hot.

Recipe: TURKEY SEASONING

Fresh herbs and extra virgin olive oil is all you need for a delicious turkey this Thanksgiving!

INGREDIENTS: 

• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 1 onion, peeled and quartered

DIRECTIONS: 

1. Combine parsley, thyme, rosemary, shallots and  oil in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Season the cavity with salt and pepper and place peeled onion and pre-prepared stuffing in cavity (if desired).
3. Rub herb blend over entire turkey, place turkey breast side up and roast according to directions.

November Arm Shaping Workout

November Arm Shaping Workout

Dive Bombers (x5)
Reverse Plank (30 seconds)
Curl to Press (x15)
Overhead Tricep Extension (x15)
Torso Twist (30 seconds)
Chest Press (x15)

Repeat 3 times!

Holiday Cooking Tips!

 Holiday Series: makeover tips for healthier and lighter holiday fare

Gobble, gobble, the HOLIDAYS ARE HERE! Don’t let them be a nutritional minefield. A few simple makeovers of some holiday favorites will lighten up your holiday yet still allow you to enjoy the festivities. Here are some last minute tips for helping you get through these holidays lean and fit:

Good: Sweet potatoes, white meat skinless turkey, plain green beans and carrots, cranberries.

Lighten them up: Mashed potatoes, gravy, pecan pie, pumpkin pie, creamy soups, and eggnog

Gravy:

Use a gravy strainer to strain off the grease. Add corn starch to strained and defatted broth to thicken.

Mashed potatoes:

Replace whole milk or cream with fat-free milk or fat-free half & half. Replace butter with half the amount of light margarine (trans fat free). Cut down on salt and use a dash of parmesan cheese instead (more flavor, less sodium). Use black pepper, garlic powder and dried parsley to season. Use Light Creamy Laughing Cow® cheeses in place of regular cheese.

Stuffing:

If you use a boxed or bagged stuffing mix, dilute it with 3 cups cooked brown rice, low sodium chicken broth, light margarine, and healthy fillers such as sautéed onions, mushrooms, celery, garlic, peppers, even try adding sliced apples, cranberries and walnuts!

Cranberry relish:

Mix cranberries with a small Valencia orange to add sweetness. Cut back on amount of added sugar and add a tablespoon of Grand Marnier. Add chopped walnuts.

Green bean casserole:

Omit cream soup and fried onion rings. For each pound of fresh green beans, combine the following and bake in a covered casserole dish at 350 ºF until bubbly (about 30 minutes): ½ cup fat-free half and half, 1 cup sliced carrots, 2 Tbsp minced dried onions, 2 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese.

Better yet, steam green beans and add sautéed mushrooms, shallots, balsamic vinegar, a touch of sugar and some sliced almonds and bacon bits for super tasty yet LIGHT.

Candied yams:

For each pound of yams, bake use ½ cup OJ plus cinnamon to taste and ¼ cup raisins. Add light margarine, reduced calorie maple syrup and a touch of mini marshmallows and you cut the calories in half.

Or…for the more traditional sweet potato casserole…use the “mini” marshmallows; replace butter with light tub margarine; and the brown sugar with Splenda® brown sugar blend.

Eggnog:

Purchase fat-free eggnog or make your own: 2 peeled ripe bananas, 1 cup fat-free milk or soy milk, ½ tsp ground nutmeg, 1 tsp rum extract. Puree all ingredients in blender until smooth.

Pecan pie:

Add oatmeal to the recipe, use a trans fat-free crust, substitute Splenda® brown sugar blend for brown sugar, substitute light margarine for butter, substitute Egg Beaters® for eggs. Use thawed fat-free whipped topping in place of whipped cream.

Recipe: HOLIDAY SERIES: LIGHTER, YET STILL CREAMY & CHEESY SPINACH DIP

This traditional holiday appetizer can wreck your lightened up holiday plate due to the huge amount of saturated fat and calories (coming from the full-fat cheese, mayo and sour cream). Substituting lower calorie versions and adding in artichokes and lots of spinach will help lighten this dish yet still preserve the flavor. Serve with baked tortilla chips, or whole grain pita crisps or better yet, raw veggies!

Food weight: 1.0

INGREDIENTS:

Yield: 5 ½ cups (serving size: ¼ cup)

·         ½ cup fat-free sour cream

·         ½ cup shredded parmesan cheese

·         ½ tsp black pepper

·         3 fresh garlic cloves, crushed

·         1 can (14 oz) water-packed artichoke hearts (drained and chopped)

·         8 oz. block light cream cheese

·         8 oz. block fat-free cream cheese

·         16 oz. bag frozen cut leaf spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

·         Non-stick cooking spray

·         8 oz. shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 ºF. Combine all ingredients listed above mozzarella cheese and stir until well blended. Spoon mixture into 1 ½ qt. casserole dish sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake for 40 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown.

Nutritional Information per Serving (1/4 cup):
Food weight: 1.0, Calories: 90, Fat: 4 g, Cholesterol: 10 mg, Sodium: 330 mg,
Carbohydrate: 5 g, Dietary Fiber: 1 g, Protein: 8 g

November Leg Burner Workout

November Leg Burner Workout

Ball Curls (x15)
Ice Skaters (x15 each leg)
Burpees (x10)
Quick Steps (30 seconds each leg)
Mountain Climbers (30 seconds)
Jump Lunges (x20)
Pulse Squats (30 seconds)

Repeat 3 times!!

Peter, Peter’s a Smart Pumpkin Eater

Pumpkin—don’t toss this nutrition gold mine away next time you carve your Halloween jack-o’-lantern! The deep orange color is a dead giveaway that this squash cousin is filled with beta-carotene—a powerful antioxidant pro-vitamin that prevents disease. Pumpkin is also high in fiber, potassium, and zinc, three more nutrients that Americans have a hard time getting enough of.

Recipe: HOLIDAY SERIES: LIGHT PUMPKIN PUDDING

Packed with vitamins, this seasonal treat is fabulous!

Food weight: 1.0

INGREDIENTS:

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 2/3 cup

·        1 cup canned pumpkin

·        1 package sugar-free instant vanilla pudding mix

·        1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

·        1 ¼ cups fat-free milk

DIRECTIONS:

Mix all ingredients together and place in individual bowls. Chill until set. Serve with nonfat whipped topping.

Nutritional Information per Serving:
Food weight: 1.0, Calories: 77, Fat: 0 g, Cholesterol: 2 mg, Sodium: 380 mg,
Carbohydrate: 15 g, Dietary Fiber: 2 g, Protein: 4 g

November Core Blast Workout

November Core Blast Workout
- V Crunch (x25)
- Standing Side Bends (x15 each side)
- Wide Stance Plank (30 seconds)
- Burpees (x10)
- Ball Hand Offs (x10)
- Torso Twists (x50)

No breaks in between exercises...only after each set!  Repeat 3 times!

Eat like an Ikarian

Have you heard about the island of Ikaria, off the coast of Turkey, where people forget to die? The island has earned the title of a “blue zone,” meaning an area on earth where people live the longest. As a nutritionist, my first question is, of course, what do they eat? The answer is basically locally grown beans, greens and extra virgin olive oil—washed down with lots of red wine! (They also live a very low stress, active lifestyle with a strong sense of community.) So how about trying to eat like an Ikarian for a day by eating a plant-based diet without any commercial additives—at least for a day—try it, you’ll like it!