diet

Holy Protein! Fast, Easy and Low Calorie?!

February 12, 2017

How do you get creative with breakfast while making sure it’s high protein and low calorie? Oh, and you’re tired of eggs? Short on time too? Not a problem!

All you need are three ingredients! And a spoon of course 🙂

High Protein Yogurt!

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup of light vanilla Greek yogurt (you can use plain for less calories, but its a little more tart)
1 scoop of chocolate whey protein isolate
1 Tbsp of PB2 (or you can use regular peanut butter for extra fat calories)

DIRECTIONS:

Scoop 1/2 cup yogurt into a bowl.
Sprinkle about 1/2 of your whey protein scoop into your yogurt. Mix until smooth. Add next 1/2 and mix until smooth.
Once smooth, mix PB2 in yogurt until smooth.

NUTRITION FACTS:

Total Calories: 187.5
Total Protein: 34.5 g
Total Carbohydrates: 9 g
Total Fat: 0.75 g

Now that is a lean breakfast! It’s very light while you’re eating it, but after about 5 minutes, you feel FULL. That is all 34.5 g of protein sticking to those ribs!

If you’re lifting, this is a great way to get extra protein in for muscle building without having to drink it all the time. Anyone who uses protein supplements will tell you, I AM OVER DRINKING PROTEIN. Also note- the photo includes steel cut oats sprinkled on top for a little crunch and extra carb.

You can also freeze this mixture to make a frozen yogurt!

I hope this recipe has been helpful. Feel free to post questions in the comment section or share using the social media icons below!

Finally, a Book by a Dietitian About Weight Loss Surgery!

September 18, 2016

I am so excited to announce that I have written a book and it is now available on Amazon for purchase! I did want to explain why I wrote this book and what better place to do that than right here.

I recently left the world of bariatric nutrition counseling to pursue a different career path within the world of dietetics. Over the years working with weight loss surgery patients, I was always asked where an informational book about bariatric nutrition could be found. That was a great question. I couldn’t really find one that I highly recommended. Throughout the years I was asked by many of my patients why I had not written a book. I could think of a million reasons… It takes a lot of time… and how in the world do I compile all the knowledge I’ve soaked up over the years? During the last several months I was working with these patients, the request continued to grow. It seemed like I was being asked almost weekly to compile my knowledge. So that’s when I began.

Once I started, it seemed like my life consisted of work, home, and typing away. Here are some thoughts I had while writing.

How in the world will I organize all this knowledge??
I’ve really seen thousands of patients over the years…
Gosh my patients have been motivational!
Is that the correct usage of a semi-colon?
I really can’t let this knowledge go to waste.
Will people actually read this?
Oh my goodness… It’s really finished!

That’s it! I had completed my first draft. I located some amazing editors (AKA: my brother and husband) who read it immediately. They spent so much time going over every chapter with me and I could not have done it without them. By the time the editing was complete, the excitement began. It was becoming real. After all of the long hours writing, designing, and editing, it was now ready for publishing.

What I hope for this book is to help people. The questions I received over and over are finally answered. They are answered in a way that can help people feel more comfortable living this new lifestyle. It is a big change for most people and no one should feel alone and confused. So if you know anyone that is considering weight loss surgery, tell them about this book. They will find out what to expect, learn what questions to ask, and discover how to insure long-term success. This is important information to know in order to win with weight loss surgery!

*My book is available to purchase on the side bar of my home page. Kindle app is available for download on Apple products.

All the rage- Halo Top!

August 5, 2016

There are times when I have eaten healthy consistently and the mood for a cheat strikes me. If you are normally a healthy eater, a cheat can carry some guilt. I know it does for me. Recently, I have discovered an option that encourages a little less guilt, but doesn’t sacrifice any taste! Sounds unreal, right?!

I kept hearing this name… Halo Top. I would hear about it at the gym, see it on Instagram, but what is this Halo Top product?

Halo Top is a light ice cream! It allows a cheat to be much less of a blow to your healthy diet. Let’s look into a comparison!

It is quite amazing that it really doesn’t taste bad when you see the lack of sugar and fat. So of course the wheels start spinning… How do I jazz this up and continue to keep the calories low? Add PB2!

PB2 is a great product that gives you a peanut butter taste, but is only 45 calories for 2 Tbsp VS. 210 calories for 2 Tbsp of real peanut butter.

Here is my recipe!

1/2 cup of Vanilla Bean Halo Top

1 Tbsp PB2

1 Tbsp chopped nuts

And this is my finished product!

What is your nutrition make up here with this cheat?

Calories: ~127.5

Protein: ~10 g

Fat: ~6.75 g (2.25 g sat.)

Carbs: ~16 g (5 g sugar)

Not too bad when comparing to real ice cream! And always looking for ways to boost that protein intake. Even in my cheats!

I hope this helps you control your cheat day a little better by keeping calories lower and protein higher in your treat!

If you have any questions or comments, let me know! Feel free to share this post by using the social media icons below! Enjoy!

Fast and Healthy Taco Salad!

April 11, 2016

Just because a meal is low calorie does not mean you can’t have flavor! In this post, I’ll show you how to get a whole lot of bang for your buck! Did I mention how fast you can whip up this meal?

Here is what you’ll need:

Lean Ground Turkey
Taco Seasoning
Lettuce, shredded
Tomatoes, diced
Fiesta Cheese Blend, shredded
Fat Free Organic Plain Greek Yogurt
Salsa

Here is how you make it!

First, we want to cook our turkey meat. Once it is brown, you can add pre-packaged taco seasoning or make your own! All you would need to mix together would be cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, and a bit of cayenne pepper. Make sure you include about 3/4 cup of water with your seasonings and let your turkey simmer with your spices.

Next, we put our lettuce, tomato, cheese, and meat in a bowl. Feel free to add more vegetables to your salad like peppers, onions, and olives! Sometimes I will even add a bit of GUACAMOLE (feel free to check out my homemade recipe). I always use plain Greek yogurt as sour cream in all of my recipes. Even my CHILI recipe!

This meal can be thrown together in 30 minutes or less! So try out my taco salad on Taco Tuesday!

Enjoy!

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Review of the Fitbit Flex Wireless Activity and Sleep Tracker

February 17, 2016

One thing I have come to love while working as a dietitian is all of the technology giving me more information about people in regards to what they eat, how they move, and how well they sleep.

A lot of times we believe we move more than we do, so these activity trackers have been great showing us the truth about our activity.

As the health care professional, I have noticed some things as this technology has grown more popular.

Accountability. It promotes more accountability for everyone. When you think you’ve been moving throughout your day and should be close to your goal of 10,000 steps, you may check your activity and only have hit 3,000 steps so far. Seeing a record of your actual movement through the day will provide valuable feedback to help achieve your activity goal.

Competition. We are very competitive by nature not only with other people, but ourselves. When we set a goal and see how close we are to it, we may work a little harder to hit it. It could trigger us to take the longer route to the restroom, park further away, or take the dog on a slightly longer walk than usual.

Earlier Bed Time. Sleep is extremely important for us to function well during the day and also improve our chances for weight loss. By monitoring sleep cycles, you may become more aware of your routines and try to improve on them. Knowing you aren’t sleeping well, you may try going to bed sooner, practice evening relaxation techniques, or take time winding down to prevent tossing and turning.

So I decided to try out the Fitbit Flex Wireless Activity + Sleep Wristband, Black for myself and see what the pros and cons were with these tracking products.

THE SET UP

While setting up a Fitbit account, I got confused between the tablet and the computer. They continued to direct me back to one another. So I ended up going to my phone and downloading the app which walked me through creating an account step by step.

Just to avoid confusion, I recommend setting up your account with the Fitbit app on your phone.

Once I got started with the app account setup, it was very easy and explained everything very simply.

THE APP

The app software is really simple. It shows a home page with your progress on the front by tracking steps, mileage, calories burned, active minutes, and also lists options to track your exercise and weight, monitor your sleep, log your food/begin a food plan, and log fluids.

THE WRIST BAND AND TRACKER

The Fitbit Flex came with two different sized bands for wrist comfort. The bands are easily adjustable. Even though the snap is a little stiff at first it will loosen up once you’ve worn it a few times. This will make it easier to put on without assistance.

It is very light weight which I love since I am constantly on the go. I wear it on the same wrist as my watch and don’t even notice it.

ACTIVITY TRACKING

The activity tracking is really neat because it tracks steps taken, mileage, as well as how many of those minutes were considered active. Another great thing about it is that I don’t have to swing my arm in order for it to catch all the steps. That is one thing I’ve always struggled with while wearing pedometers. My movements were never exaggerated enough to catch the step. With the Fitbit Flex, it does. Even grocery shopping with my hand on the cart.

However, I did have a junky cart at one point that vibrated terribly while I pushed it. This vibration continued to throw my Fitbit into sleep mode and out of sleep mode. In order to quickly put your Flex in sleep mode, three to four quick taps does the trick. So the vibrations must have been strong enough to replicate the taps.

SLEEP TRACKING

Sleep tracking is beneficial because it shows you how often you get up and how restless you are through the night. I did not realize how much I toss and turn until I tracked my sleep.

Now I make a point to read or find ways to relax before bed. This has helped improve my sleep cycle. When you sleep more at night, you tend to lose more weight. The longer we are awake, the more your adrenaline kicks in, which leads to more hunger, and ultimately more snacking.

One more cool feature regarding sleep with this device is the silent alarm. I love this because if you are hearing impaired or sleep with a cranky partner, you can wake up to start your day without a disturbance to others. All you do is set your alarm through your app, and it will vibrate your wrist when it is time to wake up.

BATTERY LIFE

Because the flex does not have a screen and only flashes when you tap it, the batter lasts quite a long time. It lasted about 5 days without having to charge it. The great thing about long battery life is that you don’t have to worry about charging it all the time. It can also be a bad thing when you don’t think about it all that often because once I went a whole 12 hours before noticing my Flex was actually dead.

CHARGING

It comes with a little USB charger that you can plug into your computer. One problem I ran into was that if my laptop was in sleep mode, it would not charge.

So what I did was use my Iphone charger. The base of the Iphone charger uses USB which allows me to plug my Fitbit charger right into the wall. If completely dead, it’ll usually charge in about two to three hours. Then I’ll be good for another 5 days.

PROS

It tracks basic movement (walking/running/hiking) in steps and mileage. If your goal is set high enough, you will have to do additional walking through your day to achieve your goal which creates exercise (or active minutes).
It helps you understand if you’re sleeping well. This could encourage some to try relaxation techniques, get to bed earlier, or maybe have a sleep study done!
The battery lasts such a long time. It is nothing like having to charge your phone nightly. We all want to avoid charging tons of devices on a daily basis.
It is very small and lightweight. I really like being able to wear it next to my watch so it is out of the way.

CONS

It is a device used for only running, walking, and hiking. Basically tracking the steps. So a lot of my exercises are not counted (weight lifting, stair climber, soccer games).
The flex is the beginner wrist band for the line of wrist trackers for Fitbit. So it only tracks activity, sleep/silent alarm, and active minutes. They have more products that offer more functions, but for their basic wrist tracking model, that’s about all it tracks.

SUMMARY

Overall, this little device has been a great addition to my daily life. I catch myself checking my progress throughout the day, which depending on how far I am from my goal, makes me push harder and stay moving.

If you are looking for a simple, easy-to-use, lower cost option for an activity tracker, the Fitbit Flex may be for you.

I hope this review has been helpful! Please feel free to share this post by using the social media icons below.

Guilt Free Snacks For a Crunch!

December 2, 2015

When people are dieting, one thing I always hear is how much they miss the crunch during meals or snacks. Sometimes there are desires for a snack with a crunchy texture, but the only way people really fulfill that is through potato chips, rice cakes, and crackers…

Firstly, make sure you are going for that snack because you are truly and physically hungry.

Secondly, ask yourself, “Is this going to nourish my body?”

So here are some of my favorite snacks that I keep around for a crunchy texture when I just can’t make it to the next meal.

APPLE AND PEANUT BUTTER

Now, I know what most of you are thinking… “Peanut butter is loaded in calories!!”

Yes. It is considered high in fat and containing some protein. Fat is not always a bad thing as you’ll read later on. This is actually what is going to keep this apple digesting more slowly in your gastrointestinal tract which means you’ll feel satisfied until that next meal.

And of course you ALWAYS want to monitor your portions size of any food healthy or not. Even peanut butter. There are great individually packaged serving sized cups of peanut butter on the shelf ready to purchase. If you feel you can’t control your portions directly from the jar, go for the cups.

SWEET PEPPERS AND HUMMUS

For some reason most people associate hummus with pita bread/chips. Yes, this combination is common in the restaurant industry because carbs are cheap! But at home, why not use the veggies?

The small sweet peppers are my favorite with hummus, but you can also use cucumbers, regular bell peppers, and carrot sticks!

ALMONDS AND WALNUTS

These nuts are the most beneficial nuts you could choose when aiming for the most heart healthy option.

As you can see above, the main reasons nuts keep us satisfied is because of their fat content. When eating something high in fat, you want to make sure that fat is going to benefit you (mono-, poly-) and not work against you (sat-).

Saturated Fat:

Increases your risk of cardiovascular disease
Increases your bad cholesterol (LDL) levels
Mostly come from animal sources (beef, dairy)

Monounsaturated Fat:

Decreases risk of cardiovascular disease
Reduces your bad cholesterol (LDL) levels
Mostly come from plant sources (nuts, olive oil)

Polyunsaturated Fat:

Decreases risk of cardiovascular disease
Improves overall cholesterol levels
Mostly comes from plant sources (nuts, olive oil)

One way I way I use almonds and walnuts in my regular snacks is by making a trail mix.

Check out my TRAIL MIX RECIPE HERE to also learn more about the health benefits of nuts!

CELERY

Celery is an amazing food that is so low calorie. A lot of people believe celery is an empty food without a lot of nutrition, but that is not entirely true!

Celery is only about 10 calories for 1 large stalk. It provides roughage for your colon as well as Vitamin C, A, and Folate!

Paired with peanut butter, cheese, or hummus, celery can make a great snack to keep blood sugars stable as well as ward off hunger until meal time.

I hope this has helped you find a way to add crunch back to those snacks! These are some of my favorites that I keep on hand and hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

Please feel free to share by using the social media icons below!

Using Adult Coloring Books as the Ultimate Snack Distraction!

November 24, 2015

In case you haven’t heard, adult coloring books are all the rage now-a-days! It is very exciting and we’ll go into why!

I was walking through a bookstore this weekend and immediately entering, I noticed the center display. Of course I had to check it out to see if I could find anything up my alley… and of course I did!

I chose a coloring book on Mandalas called Mandala Meditation Coloring Book (Serene Coloring) used for Buddhist meditation and spiritual healing.

Coloring books are being used for all types of reasons and I wanted to discuss some of the great benefits of using these books.

DIETING DISTRACTION

They are an excellent distraction if you are trying to stay on track with a diet! Especially as we approach the holidays.

Lots of times we are triggered to snack when we aren’t even hungry. Snacking has really become a type of hobby or something to do while watching TV… But next time stop. Before grabbing that quick chip and dip, think for a second… “Am I really hungry? Am I bored?” And if you’re not truly physically hungry, put that food down! Grab that nearby coloring book and get to work. Before you know it, 15 minutes has gone by and you are fully engaged in something other than food.

Current Score: You- 1, Junk Food-0

STRESS RELIEF

As adults, all we do is stress… “Did I pay that bill? Do we have anything for dinner this week? When is my son’s soccer game? Did I remember to fill up my car with gas?”

Sometimes we need to do something simple and mindless, just for fun, to remember life doesn’t always have to be stressful. And what better way to do that than coloring.

It can bring you back to when you were 10 years old, had no worries of GPA, bills, purchasing homes, or going to work on Monday. Only innocent times thinking about what you wanted for Christmas and playing with friends on the playground. A perfect memory to relive when feeling overwhelmed by life’s curve balls.

FAMILY TIME

This is something you can do with your entire family no matter what age. With technology now, kids hardly talk to one another let alone put the Ipad down long enough to tell you how their day went. We use technology all too much to distract kids today. What ever happened to promoting creativity? Hanging up the little one’s artwork?

So why not grab a coloring book and color together as a family. Help each other. Talk about your day. Turn off the gadgets and enjoy each other.

I must say, I’ve truly enjoy going back in time and coloring again. I would highly recommend it for anyone of any age. It’s very exciting to see something so simple become such a hot trend right now. Especially since it has nothing to do with electronics and has everything to do with creativity, stress relief, and family!

Have Pasta in a Healthy Way!

September 22, 2015

Pasta is usually a cheap meal that everyone loves! It’s fast and easy, but oh so loaded in calories… So how do you have a pasta dish and keep it healthy??

Here is how the dietitian does it!

All you need is spaghetti squash, lean meat, sauce and lots of yummy veggies!

INGREDIENTS:

3 peppers (yellow, orange, red), chopped
1 pound of lean hot/spicy sausage (turkey/beef/chicken)
Vodka sauce
1 spaghetti squash

DIRECTIONS:

First you want to slice your spaghetti squash in half, clean out the middle and microwave it for 10-12 minutes. Check out how I do it HERE!

Once you get your squash in the microwave, begin browning your meat. As your meat is browning, add all of your chopped vegetables to your skillet.

Once you’ve sautéed your veggies with your meat a bit, you’ll want to add your vodka sauce and let it simmer until your spaghetti squash is done.

When removing your spaghetti squash from the gourd, be very careful! It should be very hot. Grab a fork and begin scraping out the inside.

Once all squash is removed, scoop out your meat/veggie sauce and voila!

You’ve got yourself a fast, easy, and of course yummy meal!

The meat sauce is always the best part because you can add all types of chopped veggies to it! This time I just grabbed some peppers on sale… But you can chop zucchini, any peppers, onions, or even add broccoli!

To find out more about how great spaghetti squash is for you, click HERE!

Enjoy!

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What’s the Deal With Spaghetti Squash?

September 17, 2015

One question I get often is “what’s the deal with spaghetti squash?” Is it good or bad? And is it REALLY better than pasta??

So here is what I know about spaghetti squash as well as my opinion on the matter!

Spaghetti squash is technically a fruit (we use as a winter vegetable) and is used in place of pasta often due to its stringy consistency. It can be baked, boiled, steamed or my favorite, microwaved (just because its quicker).

So for the first question:

IS IT GOOD OR BAD?

I think it is a great food to choose when finding a pasta replacement. Here is a side by side of the nutrition analysis for spaghetti squash vs. plain cooked pasta.

As you can see above with my analysis from the USDA Food Database, spaghetti squash is a way to get more food for less calories and carbohydrates.

Pasta is very starchy and high calorie. It tends to spike blood glucose levels in diabetics and increase weight in the average American. A serving of pasta is usually around 1/2 cup cooked. It is rare that only a 1/2 cup of pasta is used during an entire meal. Usually when pasta is cooked, it is used as a filler being the largest portion on the plate.

Spaghetti squash however is very low calorie, contains lots of vitamins and minerals, as well as fiber! It should prevent the roller coaster blood sugar spikes especially when prepared with a protein.

So to answer the last question:

IS IT REALLY BETTER THAN PASTA?

My opinion is yes!

It is low calorie, all natural, loaded in nutrients and is so easy to make!

So here is a quick tutorial on how to make your spaghetti squash fast!

First slice it in half and remove the inside pulp/seeds with a spoon.

Then you’ll want to put the halves on a plate and cover with plastic wrap. Put them in the microwave for about 10-12 minutes depending on the size of your squash.

Once your time is up, touch your squash with a utensil to see if it is soft. Don’t use your fingers because it should be VERY hot. If it is, you’re ready for the next step!

Begin scraping the insides of the squash with a fork to remove your spaghetti squash. This helps keep the squash stringy. And once you’re done scraping, you are ready to serve!

Spaghetti squash is a great way to still have that “pasta feel” in a healthier way.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this post and learned something new! Please feel free to share this post using the social media icons below!

Tailgating Vegetarian Tri-Bean Salad!

September 3, 2015

It’s about that time! Time for football! Which usually means… fried chicken wings, pizza, beer, high calorie dips, etc… Just because it’s football season doesn’t mean you have to blow your diet! Or stop eating healthy for that matter. Here is one of my favorite party foods! My vegetarian tri-bean salad!

INGREDIENTS:

4-6 Roma tomatoes
1 green bell pepper, seeded
1 poblano pepper, seeded
1 banana pepper, seeded
1 jalapeno pepper
3/4 cup cilantro, chopped
2 cans of tri-bean mix (pintos, black beans, red kidney beans)
1 lime
1/2 cup green onions, chopped

DIRECTIONS:

Chop tomatoes, peppers, cilantro and onions. I left my jalapeno seeds in my jalapeno for an extra little kick.

Also this Vidalia Chop Wizard is one of my favorite kitchen gadgets! It chops so evenly and makes chopping go by so much quicker. I always use this when fresh produce needs to be diced!

I have an amazing contraption that chops for me so all pieces are the same size. Once you’ve done all of your chopping, place your mixture into a bowl and set aside.

Open both cans of beans and strain out the juice and rinse under water.

Once you’ve added your beans to the mix, stir with a spoon and squeeze plenty of lime juice over you salad.

And viola! You’re ready to be the health nut tailgating!

This is a low calorie, high protein, high fiber way to snack at a football party.

If you’d like to share this tailgating tri-bean salad, please use the social media icons below!

Enjoy!!