Staying on Track for the Holiday Weekend !

Staying on Track for the Holiday Weekend

So today starts the Memorial Holiday Weekend!!  I am excited to go to the lake with my family to wrap up another great summer, however I know that this brings many temptations towards some bad choices, I don’t want to fall back into my bad habits. I work too hard during the week to undo the progress that I have made.  Who wants to constantly take 2 steps forward and one step back? NOT ME, not anymore!!  I don’t have time to try out-exercise a bad diet. So what will I do?? Here are some tips to stay the course!!

1.    KEEP MOVING – The weekends are a time to RELAX – NOT NECESSARILY, keep those exercise dates that you made with yourself not just during the week but carry them through to the weekend. I don’t always stick to my specific plan but I love to use the opportunity to take in the outdoors going on long walks/runs with my pooch and my nieces when they join me. This will help you stay motivated and on track. It will also keep your metabolism in check and working up to par thru the holiday festivities. I try to get it done first thing in the morning so the rest of the day is free’d up to spend hanging out with the family.

 2.    PLAN AHEAD : It is easy to pack for convenience (chips and packaged foods), but take a few extra minutes to make it fresh !! I’ve made my list and pre prepped some foods. I have a bunch of fruits and vegetables to cut up to take out on the boat and have for snacks.  I know that I am going to want a sweet treat so I have made some CLEAN brownies to take so that I don’t snack on something that I shouldn't.  The better you plan your meals and snacks, the more successful you will be to stay the course.  

3.    MODERATION: I know that self-control can be hard when you are surrounded by mouthwatering delicious looking foods. Think about Portion Control! The AMOUNT is actually MORE IMPORTANT than what you actually CHOOSE so if you must indulge in less than nutritious food sources, enjoy reasonable amounts and avoid going back for seconds. OR Try the three bite rule: take 3 bites of whatever it is you're eating, and then wait 5 minutes. If you still want more, have three more bites. If you are just eating for the sake of eating, then the 5 minutes might be all you need to break that cycle.

4.    STAY FOCUSED. Remember all the reasons that brought you to the decision to start eating right and working hard to achieve your goals. Is the plate of nachos or the cookies that are out worth taking that step backwards?  In some cases, your answer might be yes. But don't let it become a habit, or rework will become a habit too... and you will find yourself stuck in a vicious cycle of  2 steps forward and 1 step back? Be mindful of your choices, it is OK to splurge every now and again, but stay true to your goals.

      5.    GET SOME ZZZZZZZ’s . I tend to stay up way too late on the weekends, and this can lead to some negative impacts. Unfortunately, much like alcohol lowers your inhibitions when it comes to late night snacking and making poor food choices, lack of sleep can do the same! When you're overtired or sleep deprived, your body isn't producing enough of the hunger-blocking hormone, leptin to counteract the hunger hormone, ghrelin. This means that you're more likely to confuse your lack of sleep for hunger and then reach for a bag of Doritos. For the love of god, get some rest!

      6.    HYDRATE /Especially WITH COCKTAILS: Drinking alcohol is definitely a social thing that we all love to do on the weekends!  Unfortunately, it is not easy on the waistline!  Alcohol is full of empty calories and sugar.  It will sabotage your weight loss in no time at all!  When you drink you are also more likely to over eat because your guard is down and you’re not thinking clearly!  So if you must have a drink then I tell you that you MUST have 1 glass of water for every alcoholic drink!  That way you will at least stay well hydrated!!

Whatever your plans may be this weekend, remember this. This is a lifestyle, not a diet. Choose healthy, use portion control, and keep your eye on the prize and you can't go wrong. 

Avocado & Cucumber Chicken Salad

Avocado  & Cucumber Chicken Salad

I am a fan of a great tasty chicken salad, however when my cholesterol was rising I really tried to stay away from dairy as much as I could. I was looking for some new ideas on how to still make this taste great ! Whaaalllaa ! I came across Avocados.. Where have they been all my life, I just realized about a year ago that I Love these puppies.. I could eat them every day !! BONUS is that they are sooo good for you !! 

So here is my version of Chicken Salad. I use left over chicken breast and make enough for a few days. I swap out mayo and add avocado then I throw in the cucumber so that I sneak in a serving of veggies !! Mix it all up together and it is DELICIOUS !! 

Makes 2 Servings

INGREDIENTS:

2 - Cooked Chicken Breast
1 - Avocado
1 - Cucumber 
1 - Whole Wheat wrap (per serving)
1- Lemon

**Onion or Celery can be added as optional as well 

SEASONING - these can be added based on your liking

• Pinch of Sea Salt
• Pepper
• Garlic Powder
• A bit of Guacamole seasoning (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS:

• Dice up your chicken into small chunks
• Dice up the cucumber
• Mash up the Avocado
• Mix together
• Add the seasonings and squeeze in the juice of one lemon.
• Add half the mixture to a whole what pita or tortilla. 

Save the rest of the mixture for tomorrow ! 

Fruity Shakeology

Raspberry Lemonade Shakeolgy


1 Scoop of Vanilla Shakeology
8 oz water
1/4 cup almond milk
1/4 cup raspberries
2 tsp lemon instant pudding powder
Add ice and blend

Zucchini Lasagna

Clean Eating Zucchini Lasagna 

I love, love, love Pasta !! Clean eating opened my eyes to so many different options for cooking. I had never thought of replacing the noodles with zucchini, I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about this one but my philosophy is that I will give it a try at least one time. The first time I made this for dinner, my family actually opted out of eating it.. I was totally IMPRESSED by how good it was. The family had if for leftovers the next day and gave it a thumbs up and said to definitely make it again. Win win for all !! 

Ingredients:

• 1 onion finely chopped
• 1 lb of lean ground turkey
• Sea Salt and Black Pepper to taste
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 3 or 4 small zucchini sliced lengthwise
• 24 oz of low fat or 1% cottage cheese (I use the costco cottage cheese)
• 1 jar of no sugar added spaghetti sauce
• Non fat or low fat mozzarella cheese

Directions:

• Preheat Oven to 350 degrees
• Combine onion, ground turkey, salt, pepper, garlic powder in a skillet and brown turkey until no longer pink.
• Layer Zucchini in the bottom of your pan, then spread a layer of cottage cheese, follow that with a layer of ground turkey mixture, spread a layer of sauce on top.
• Repeat this over again.  Then layer one final row of zucchini on top and cover with sauce and a little sprinkle of mozzarella cheese

• Cover with foil and bake in the oven for approximately 1 hour.
• Remove the foil and continue to bake for 10 more minutes then remove from oven and let stand for 10 minutes.

Yes it will be a little bit runny due to the water in the zucchini, sauce and the cottage cheese.  I used a slotted spoon to scoop out the lasagna which allows the liquids to stay in the dish. 

Source: Melanie Mitro

Chicken Fingers

Healthy Chicken Fingers !! Kid approved ! 

I'm always looking for new recipes for my family. Kids especially !! They can be such picky eaters sometimes. I love when I find a classic like chicken fingers that with some simple modifications can be made much healthier !! The best part is that every time I make these, there are no complaints ! They gobble them up !! 

Ingredients:

• 2 packages Chicken Tenders ( approx 18 pieces)
• Ezekiel Bread - 6 slices
• 1/2 c Parmesan cheese
• Garlic powder
• Onion Powder
• Italian Seasoning
• Egg whites

Directions:

Toast whole grain bread, break up into pieces and put in the food processor.  Add 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, onion powder, and any other spices that you like.   Process until fine.

Cut up chicken breast into strips.  Beat 4 egg whites, dip chicken in egg and then bread mixture.  

Bake on 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until cooked through.  

Options to Serve with : 

Home made fries I cut up potatoes (sweet potato for me) length wise into steak fry strips.  Then, put in a large ziplok bag.  Add Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Season Salt.  Shake with bag closed then lay on a baking sheet and cook until crispy or for 25 minutes.

Source: Melanie Mitro

Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

Turkey & Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

21 DF - 1 Red, 1 Yellow, 1 Green 

Cooking:

Set oven to 400 – cook covered for 30 – 35 minutes

Ingredients:

·         4 large yellow/orange or red peppers

·         1.25lb extra lean ground turkey

·         1 C diced mushrooms

·         1/4 C diced sweet onion

·         1 C chopped fresh spinach

·         2 teaspoons minced garlic

·         1 C (1 8oz can) tomato sauce

·         1 C chicken broth

·         1 C dry quinoa

·         *optional – cheese of choice. I used pepper jack on half and an Italian cheese blend on the ones for the kids.

Directions:

1.    In a small saucepan, start the quinoa and cook according to package directions (usually about 15 minutes).

2.    While the quinoa cooks, saute the vegetables in a pan with olive oil.

3.    Then after about 5 minutes or so, add the ground turkey and garlic to the vegetables. Cook over medium heat. Once the turkey is mostly cooked though, add in the tomato sauce and about half of the chicken broth. Let simmer until the turkey is fully cooked and some of the excess liquid has cooked off.

4.    Once the quinoa is done cooking, dump it into the pan with the turkey and vegetables. Stir together.

5.    While the turkey mixture simmers, prep your bell peppers. Wash the peppers, cut them in half, and remove the stem & seeds. Spray a 9×13 baking pan with cooking spray and place the cut bell peppers in the pan (open side up).  

6.    Stuff each bell pepper with the mixture. Make sure they are nice and full.

7.    Cook covered for 30 – 35 minutes.

If you’re opting for cheese, then top with just enough to cover the mixture, pour the rest of the chicken broth into the base of the pan (around the peppers, not over them)

Source: www.momendeavors.com

Cleaning your fruits and veggies and keeping them fresher longer

What's the secret to keeping your fruit fresher longer?? 

It is that time of the year, all the farmer markets and road side stands have their fresh fruit out ! Well we want it to last, How many times do you go to the fruit market and in just a few days, the fruit that you didn't get an opportunity to wash and cut up is already going bad. I found that the shelf life is really just a few days. 

I've come across a quick trick and it really makes a difference.. So what's the secret to extending the life of your berries?? Good Ol fashion White Vinegar !! 

I don't just use this on my berries, I have started to clean all my fruit with it. 

• Once you bring your fresh berries home, the key to keeping it fresh is to kill any spores on the fruit.  The pH of vinegar does that job.
• Place the berries in a large bowl and wash them in a vinegar-water bath:  1 cup of white vinegar and 3 cups of water.
• Let the berries sit in the vinegar-water bath, gently moving them to help dislodge any dirt, grime and letting the vinegar kill spores and bacteria.
• Drain the berries in a colander and then thoroughly rinse the fruit (to remove any vinegar flavor).
• Thicker skinned fruit (like strawberries or blueberries) can be dried in a salad spinner but delicate berries such as raspberries and blackberries should be dried on a towel, patting them with paper or cloth towels.
• Store the washed and dried fruit in a sealed container that has been lined with paper towels — if using an air-tight container, leave the lid slightly open to avoid natural moisture build-up.  When I handle fruit I have purchased from my grocery store, I wash the original container and then re-use it, making sure to line it with paper towels

Smooth skinned produce:

This includes produce such as tomatoes, apples and grapes. Use a 1 to 3 ratio of vinegar to water in a spray bottle or large bowl. Spray or dunk fruit into the mixture until thoroughly covered. Let sit for 30 seconds then rub mixture off under cold, running water. A scrub brush is not recommended for this type of produce because you might break the skin before they are fully clean.

Rough surface produce:

This includes produce such as berries, broccoli, cauliflower or greens. Use the same 1:3 vinegar to water mixture in a large bowl. Allow to soak for at least two minutes before rinsing thoroughly under cold, running water. You may use a scrub brush for this type of produce.

Bonus tip: Adding lemon juice to the mix can boost acidity, which may help kill more bacteria.