Have A Happy, Healthy Easter!!

Oh Mr. Bunny, are those eggs dyed with all sorts of chemicals? That's what I thought!!

It’s probably only fair if I am going to do a blog about being healthy for Passover, that I also do one about Easter. Being a Jew, my family never really celebrated Easter, but we did love the candy. I can remember begging my mom to buy those chocolate Cadbury eggs with the gooey white filling and Peeps…ahhh, who can forget Peeps! Those fluffy, marshmallow-y clouds of chemically dyed nothingness that pack a hefty sugar punch in every bite. And let’s not forget Jelly Bellys…or even worse…the huge chocolate Easter bunny in the middle of it all.

Ahhh, the Easter bunny. Filling wicker baskets with candy, our teeth with cavities and our stomachs with congestion and love handles! It's no surprise that you and/or your kids love those sugary goodies and most of you probably won’t make it through the grocery store aisles this week without grabbing at least one bag of pastel colored processed junk (sorry, that’s what it is!). For those of you who are trying to maintain a relatively junk food free household during this Easter season as we slowly head into spring and then summer (bikinis and swim trunks, remember??), I have some suggestions that may help you survive all the Easter candies and keep you from feeling cheated and deprived…all while still being able to pull up the zipper on your favorite skinny jeans.

Homemade Goodness Swapped Out For Chemical-Laden Not-So-Goodness

You can even make rice Krispy Peeps!! Hey at least rice Krispys are sort of food...sort of...:/

How many of those ingredients on the back of the Peeps package can you pronounce? Did you know that Peeps contain more carbohydrates than a slice of white bread? They're made primarily of sugar and pack 28 grams of carbs in four bunnies. (One slice of white Wonder bread has 13 grams of carbohydrates.) I know for some it’s a stretch, but you can actually make your own Peeps via this online recipe! and then you would have a similar treat minus all the artificial flavors, colors and chemicals. If this is too much work for you, maybe making your own brownies, rice Krispy treats, or banana bread would work. Anything where YOU can decide what ingredients to use is a better option.

Dark Chocolate Easter Bunny instead of Milk Chocolate

Even though one is slightly nutritionally superior to the other they still love each other

As embarrassing as this may sound (and being Jewish, but candy is candy!!), my mom loves Easter candy…and she STILL sends it to me and my siblings at the holidays. At least she knows with me being a nutritionist, she won’t get yelled at quite as severely if she sends me a dark chocolate bunny instead of milk chocolate one. Just as a little dark versus milk chocolate comparison, milk chocolate packs more sugar and less of the original cocoa bean. Dark chocolate varieties often have less sugar and added fat and more cocoa solids. More cocoa means more flavonoids and higher nutritional value.

Organic Versions of Regular Candies

Nowadays there are so many stores that sell organic, naturally flavored candies. Maybe you are used to your convenience store jellybeans, or that one brand “xyz” you grew up on, but if you are trying to be a little more health conscious and perhaps ease up on the candies with the partially hydrogenated oils that raise bad cholesterol, you might want to consider some of these. One I can recommend is Trader Joe’s Gourmet Jelly Beans. These are naturally colored with vegetable and fruit sources. I have always had a long standing relationship with Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups (hydrogenation city!), but when I discovered Justin’s Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups, which use no hydrogenated oils or trans-fat, I had to make the switch. All natural peanut butter and dark chocolate…delicious and nutritious? Sold! Oh one more…Green and Black also sells organic milk and dark chocolate eggs. These might be a little more pricey than your Cadbury’s, but they won’t sell you short on taste or quality.

Do something fun and active on Easter!!

Ok, so you may not make a paper plate bunny, but it's an option!!

Since I have never really celebrated Easter, I can only go off of what I have heard, which is that many an Easter celebration is laden with eating, sitting, and more eating and sitting. Easter brunches, Easter television shows…yea, how about something active? The weather is getting warmer and there would be nothing like an old fashioned Easter Egg Hunt. Or an Easter Day Hike! Or you could make it a silly, scavenger type hunt around your apartment complex. Everyone could paint silly pictures of Easter bunnies. Or if you have a backyard, come up with a cool gardening project everyone can participate in.

Enjoy Your Easter Holiday!!

What Foods And Habits Can You PASS-OVER At This Year's Seder?

Passover is in some ways like Thanksgiving…lots of time with family and friends…and lots of eating. This eating typically involves LOTS of heavy, fatty foods. I can recall the Passovers of my youth—tons of matzo, matzo ball soup, meat dishes, kugels with cream cheese and egg type fillings…and let’s not forget the greasy hockey puck style macaroons…chocolate, coconut…yea, by the time you are done eating a feast like that, it is pretty hard not to feel ummm…congested…for days. And let’s face it, no one really likes that feeling. This nutritionist right here has a few tips for those of you who want to enjoy some Passover fare, but would really be okay with PASSING-OVER some of it, or at least making the whole affair a little more…digestible…and healthy.

1.    Matzo—so if you head through the grocery aisles nowadays during Passover season, you will notice a major Matzo revolution. By that I mean whole-wheat, high fiber, spelt, organic, even gluten free! I realize sometimes these do not taste the same as the traditional matzo, but with a little hummus, peanut butter, or whatever you put on them, is it going to make THAT much difference to you? Perhaps make half your intake a healthier matzo, and the other half the regular if you are that skeptical about it.

I can tell you that I have seen some of the high fiber brands with over 6 grams of dietary fiber per matzo. Trust me, you will definitely digest that one. Be careful of matzos that say “thin” or “light” as part of their marketing ploy, because they can be skimping on other areas, like fiber, which if you are looking for a healthier matzo, is something you want.

Ahhhh, the old school favorite!

The new school, highly improved ingredients!!

2     Macaroons—ahh yes, the Passover desserts. A love/hate relationship for me. Macaroons taste good and I am a big fan of the chocolate chip ones. They are small, and if you could really eat just one, that would be great. But chances are when that box (or two) gets opened, you will be eating more than one, and those little guys pack a heavy calorie punch with little to no fiber and lots of saturated fat! Just two of these little guys are 4 grams of saturated fat!! That is a lot for those tiny cookies. I suggest maybe swapping one for the fruit bowl, which will make you more full and keep you regular, or perhaps you could try a brand like Cocoroons, which for one macaroon still has 4 grams of saturated fat, but the ingredients are mostly raw and natural with unrefined sugars and flours. They have so many flavors, it is worth a shot to try them.

3.     Quinoa—I think for some variety, perhaps some quinoa based dishes would work as an alternative to all things matzo? Just a thought. As a reminder, quinoa is gluten free, high in protein and fiber and it is allowed during the Passover season. Just make sure it has the kosher for Passover certification.

4.     Incorporating Fruits and Veggies—this goes without saying in the nutrition world. I think eliminating some of the cookies and candies for strawberries and pineapples would be a smart idea, as would adding some veggie dishes into the mix. Remember, it’s all about balance.

5.     Using Egg Whites--use egg substitutes or egg whites (replace one egg with two egg whites) to offer a healthier option that is much lower in fat and cholesterol. For baked recipes replace one egg with ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce. Using egg whites can also work well in kugels, but not quite so amazing for matzo balls. Eggs in general are beneficial as a whole, just make sure you are not getting too much, because they can sneak their way into many dishes.

6.     Using Unsaturated Oils for Cooking/Baking--if you choose oil in your recipe make sure you are choosing unsaturated oil such as olive or canola oil. Use kosher for Passover vegetable cooking spray or vegetable broth in a non-stick pan when sautéing instead of extra fat (oil, butter, or margarine) to help cut back on fat intake.

This jar used to scare the #$%&* out of me

When people actually take the time to cook/prep gefilte fish, I have learned to like it.

7.     The Scoop on Gefilte Fish—I grew up scared of this stuff, floating around in a jar all scary and gelatinous looking. But as I have gotten older, I have found that a few of my friends who host Shabbat or other holiday dinners make their own and it can be quite tasty. This fish is most popular around Passover, but for some reason, not many people take advantage of it throughout the year, even though it's low in calories and fat, and high in protein. On average, gefilte fish is only around 45 to 50 calories per piece, and each packs the same amount of protein as one ounce of chicken. It also comes in jars marked "low sodium" that contain about 60 milligrams less sodium than regular types (270-330 milligrams). Gefilte fish makes a great lunch or light dinner option. However, when it's served as an appetizer to a multi-course seder, including mountains of sliced brisket and turkey, swap it with a salad or sautéed veggies instead of adding even more protein via this fish dish. 

8.     VERY IMPORTANT…Eating before Seder—it is a really smart idea to eat a small snack or meal before the Seder. Usually the actual meal part doesn’t come into a good hour or two into the Seder, and there is nothing worse than being starving and munching mindlessly on tons of Matzo before the actual dinner is served.

Of course, you can choose to ignore all of this and take this celebration as a time to splurge mindlessly, or you can splurge knowing you will spend extra time in the gym or eat more salads when it is all over. Completely up to you, I just wanted to spread some healthy cheer…Happy Passover to all who celebrate!

Why You've Hit A Weight-Loss Plateau...And What You Can Do About it!

I’m pretty sure we’ve all been there.

You’ve been losing weight steadily for a good amount of time, feeling good and confident, and suddenly you go weeks/days at a time without losing one pound. You feel frustrated and like a failure. What’ve I been doing wrong? Do I need to eat less?

What Caused the Plateau

You’re not eating enough. I’m sure you’ve heard before that your body goes into starvation mode when you eat less than 1200 calories, but you’ve probably ignored this and decided to try it out anyways. Bad idea. When you eat less than 1200 calories (approx.), your body lowers its metabolic rate, and stores any fat that you eat, rather than burning most of it (which it does when you’re eating enough). Your body needs energy, so it wants to hold on to everything you eat! This is why you stay the same weight. Yes, you’re eating less; however, whatever you’re eating is going straight to fat storage, AND your metabolism is slower, so you burn less.

Because you’ve lost weight, your body now requires less calories than before. When you started, you found how many calories it takes to lose a certain amount of weight each week, and you’ve stuck to that plan. However, if you’ve lost a good amount of weight, namely 10 pounds or more, your body doesn’t need that same caloric intake anymore. You know your weight factors in to your required caloric intake, so when you lose weight, you need less food! 

You’re not sleeping enough. Lack of sleep raises cortisol levels. High cortisol levels cause the body to store fat around the midsection. Also, with lack of sleep, the body is unable to maintain a beneficial level of serotonin. Low levels of serotonin cause sugar cravings, binges, and carbohydrate cravings.

Loss of muscle mass. If you’re not paying attention to strengthening your muscles, you could be losing muscle mass at the same time as losing fat mass. Muscle mass burns five times more calories then fat mass, so it’s obviously essential in weight loss. If you’re not maintaining your strength and increasing it, you could have lost muscle mass and now aren’t able to burn as many calories.

How To Move Past the Plateau

Make sure you’re getting enough calories. In order to lose weight, you need to eat a little less then what you normally would eat. To figure this out, go to a site that configures this amount for you, based on your body and how many pounds you’d like to lose a week. Many people like myfitnesspal.com. It lets you track your food and exercise, and keeps you around your goal caloric intake.

Get an adequate amount of sleep. Usually, this means 7-8 hours per night. It may be hard to make this change, but it’s very important. Read before you go to bed, lay in bed early, anything that may lead to sleeping earlier. Some may be very busy, but make sure that you’re getting the max amount of sleep you can with your schedule.

Continue to strength train. And, if you’ve been continuing your same routine, turn it up a notch and make sure to increase resistance as you get stronger. Keep your muscle building in tact! As you get smaller and lose weight, make sure to check and see how many calories you need. It may be different from when you started, and you need to keep up with the changes.

Track everything you eat and every time you exercise. Use a fitness-tracking site to help you track everything. You may be eating little things that you think don’t matter, but actually do contribute to your daily intake.

Keep up with your body! Your body is an amazing ‘machine’, and can get accustomed to things fast. Give it enough sleep and calories so it has an endless supply of energy, keep working yourself harder as your routine gets easier, and treat your body well! 

Crock-Pot Craziness--Blueberry Chia Quinoa

Happy Super Bowl Sunday Facebook! Instead of telling you what to eat and what not to eat at your parties later, which I am sure you have heard enough of, I am going to share a delicious little breakfast (or anytime snack!) recipe I came across the other day. I was inspired by a friends posting on different crock-pot recipes.

For those of you who do not own a crock pot, I highly recommend investing in one. You can get them for very reasonable prices at Target or Costco. They can make a fairly large amount of food if you are preparing something for a party or just for yourself to eat for the week. I usually prefer to use mine for savory dishes like soups and stews, so when I saw this recipe I thought it would be fun to try something a little different.

Behold...Blueberry Chia Quinoa. Maybe it sounds a little odd to some of you folks who either don't eat breakfast or have no idea what chia seeds or quinoa are, but basically this is a cool little spin-off on your basic boring oatmeal. This recipe calls for quinoa, chia seeds, fresh or frozen blueberries, coconut or almond milk, water, honey and one vanilla bean, split down the middle to soak in the mixture. So you take all these ingredients, put them in a crock pot for 6-8 hours and you have this delicious, healthy, tasty meal.

So, in a nutshell, use 2 cups of water, 2 cups of coconut or almond milk (I used coconut, because I prefer its flavor and nutritional value to almond milk). Then pour 1 cup of quinoa (I prefer Trader Joe's White Organic quinoa for this particular recipe), 4 tablespoons of chia seeds and 1/4th cup of organic honey into the pot. Then take your vanilla bean and split it down the middle and try to scrape the insides out into the pot...this can be a bit tricky, but this was my first time making a recipe that called for the REAL vanilla bean, so I was excited to try it! Then you put the casing of the vanilla bean in the mix as well and let it sit in the crock pot until the quinoa is cooked.

I actually halved the recipe, so I only left mine in the slow cooker for 3 hours. It is a great thing to make when you have a little extra time one evening or are working at home. But the cool thing about a slow cooker/crock pot is you can set the timer and when the allotted time you want to cook something for is up,  it will automatically go to the "keep warm" setting and you can wake up or come home to a warm meal as well.

Defining Fitness-An Opinion Based Blog on The L.A Fitness Expo

Everyone who knows me knows how much I love to exercise, so when the Los Angeles Fitness Expo was slated to be in town this past weekend, it was no surprise that I was going to buy myself a ticket to go. I had never been to this event before, so I was not really sure what to expect. I knew there would be a lot of the latest supplements, some body builders, some new exercise classes and competitions. I envisioned there would be some booths with the latest in nutrition and trendy food items as well. Since we all know food and exercise go hand in hand, right?

What I did not expect, and forgive me to those I might offend, was pretty much walking onto the set of the West Coast Jersey Shore when I stepped into that Fitness Expo auditorium. I saw fit people, but not just fit people. Huge, vascular men, looking more bulky than fit, and most of them looked pissed off. The women, many similarly bulky, most of who were covered in that orange spray tan lotion. Listen, I like a good tan like the next person, but unless you are competing, the lotion looks a little tacky to hang out in at an expo. Just saying. Many of the women also looked like they were not happy. I wonder why…were they hungry? Perhaps those liquid egg white shakes being passed out at one of the front booths weren’t quite cutting it for calorie content.

Ok, this is a bit of an exaggeration, but is this fitness?

I wandered around the 300+ booths to find that around 85% of them were toting the latest and greatest in protein supplements, protein bars, protein cookies, liquid egg whites, low carb breads, and only around 15% have natural food products or real food based vitamins, or anything I would really want to consume. Okay, this is great. I respect the bodybuilding world, and have friends who are in it. I also recognize that this expo is put on by bodybuilding.com, But here is my question. Is this what is considered fitness? Do you have to ingest a bunch of gimmicky protein based food items and extra supplements to have a fit body?  

After reading through the manual of the different events for the day, I was excited to find that in one of the areas, a natural foods chef from the Discovery Channel was going to do a cooking demo on healthy seasonal food. Yay! I quickly took a seat and was pleased by a 45 minute cooking demonstration using real food and quality ingredients-olive oil, lemons, apples, fennel, walnuts, even REAL Parmesan Reggiano was added to the chef’s fresh seasonal salad recipe. Before he finished, the chef, who’s name is Nathan Lyon, said something that stuck with me, and I have heard other people in my field say it before. “Real food is our greatest medicine, and the less processed we eat, the better we will feel.”

Chef Nathan looks pretty happy and healthy to me, minus extra protein supplements.

As I was sitting there listening to those words, I wished his microphone was loud enough for the ENTIRE auditorium to hear. I know in my past, when I worked nights and did not have time to cook or just didn’t feel like it, I would buy boxes of protein bars and shake mixes in bulk and eat them fairly often. For me, the un-natural stuff did not feel good in my body. I could feel those bars sitting in my stomach like a brick, waiting to dissolve. The shakes were okay, but usually drinking them, I would be hungry again in about an hour, or they just didn’t taste good and I wasn’t satisfied the way I would be with REAL FOOD. I know I am not the only one. A friend of mine, who is a personal trainer, used to complain to me about having stomach pains regularly, being constipated, etc…when we evaluated his diet, it turned out he was eating protein bars in bulk…and when he eliminated them from his diet, after a few weeks, he was not having stomach pains and constipation. Hmmmm…interesting. 

Listen, I get it. For some people, the supplements work great. I am not trying to completely tear down the supplement world, I am not against all of it. I just don't think it DEFINES FITNESS. Bodybuilding is a lifestyle and I know people who live it and love it. Maybe there was a point in my life where drinking shakes and eating bars worked for me. But now, after 5+ years of nutrition education, when I think of fitness, this is not what I think of. Knowing what I know, I think of fit people, maybe a little smaller than what I saw at this expo, maybe not so orange. Perhaps tanned from the sun, or even a little tanning bed glow, but not orange lotion. Maybe not 3 percent body fat, but lean and HAPPY. People cooking and eating real food. That is what I equate fitness with now. 

Another thing that bothered me with this expo was that, due to obvious lack of real food in the actual expo, people went to the cafeteria to eat for real meals. It was quite ironic for me to go in there to get some food with my girlfriend and find some of the biggest bodybuilders of the day sitting down to meals of a slice of pizza, a bag of Doritos AND a bacon cheeseburger. Yes, this actually happened right across from where my girlfriend and I were sitting. Ok, I get the cheat meal thing, but really? Like that? At a fitness expo?

I did see a few booths where whole grains that are fairly unknown to most of the public, like freekeh, were being cooked, and nutrition bars that were high in fibers and nut/dried fruit based were being handed out, but there were 300 exhibitors and maybe 30 of them were booths with real food products. I realize this is not the Natural Foods Expo, but I hate to think that people are going to eternally associate all things fitness solely with being a jacked body builder on protein supplements. There are definitely other ways you can be fit without being a part of that scene.