Green Salad With Strawberry Balsamic Vinaigrette

1. Keep it small. Portion sizes at fast food counters and restaurants are usually bigger than what you would normally eat at home. Share a large meal with a friend, or ask to take leftovers home.
2. Pick nutrition over value. Special super-sized meal combinations might seem like a good deal, but they’re often packed with “extras” – extra fat, calories, sugar and/or sodium – that we don’t need.
3. Preparation is key. Order foods that have been steamed, baked, broiled, grilled, stir-fried or roasted. The hidden fat and calories add up quickly when food is fried, deep-fried, breaded or served with rich sauces and gravies.
4. Watch the amount of sodium that you eat by choosing fewer foods that have been smoked or made with soy sauce or teriyaki sauce. Look for “light” versions of these sauces or ask for them to be served on the side.
5. Go full steam ahead with vegetables. You can’t go wrong ordering an extra side salad or dish of vegetables. Substitute your fries with vegetables. Hold the mayo and go easy on the amount of salad dressing, oil, butter or margarine that you add.
6. Look for ways to boost your fibre intake . Many restaurants now offer whole wheat or whole grain buns, tortilla wraps, pasta or pizza crust upon request.
7. Drink water, low-fat milk or 100% fruit juice instead of soda pop. If you drink alcohol, limit it to one or two drinks for the day.,
8. Remember that healthy eating is about balance and enjoying your food. If you happened to overindulge at a meal, then plan on choosing some healthier choices over the next few days.
9. Ask for the nutrition information of menu choices or surf the restaurant’s website ahead of time to look for healthier options. The Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association lists the names and websites of restaurants that participate in a voluntary nutrition information program that provides detailed nutrition information about menu items.
10. Find and dine at a certified Eat Smart! restaurant across Ontario Eat Smart! Ontario’s Healthy Restaurant and Cafeteria programs are “award of excellence” programs that offer recognition to restaurants and cafeterias that meet exceptional standards in safe food handling and healthy food choices. All Eat Smart! restaurants offer a variety of healthier food choices such as vegetables and fruit, lower fat options, and substitutions. Visit www.eatsmart.web.ca for more information about this program. Look for the Eat Smart symbol at your favourite places to eat out.

Information from the Eat Right Ontario website

]]> http://aprilsinspirations.com/2008/06/01/10-tips-for-eating-out/feed/ 1 http://aprilsinspirations.com/2008/05/25/bunny-spread/ http://aprilsinspirations.com/2008/05/25/bunny-spread/#comments Sun, 25 May 2008 22:48:46 +0000 aprillaw http://aprillaw.wordpress.com/?p=116 Bunny Spread

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup shredded carrots (store-bought is fine)
• 1 celery rib, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons salad olives with pimiento, finely chopped
• 2 scallions, green and white parts finely chopped
• 8 ounces low-fat or regular cream cheese, softened at room temperature

Yields: 4 servings

Preparation

In a bowl, combine all of the ingredients and mix thoroughly.

Here is a quick, simple way to get the family eating some veggies, use this on toast, bagels, crackers, basically anything you like

Information retrieved from the Rachael Ray website

Booty Camp is a huge success! Thousands and thousands of viewers joined in for this 10-week program with a goal of losing 20 to 30 pounds. It’s not too late to get started on Dr. Phil’s plan and to get in shape by summer. Here are some quick tips that can change your life forever.

1. What’s our get-real weight? Set a realistic goal for what you’d like to weigh by June. This is a short-term goal. You should also set an ultimate goal weight. Weigh yourself today to determine your start weight. Take a measurement of your midsection as well, one inch above your navel area. Record this measurement. These are your “beginning numbers.”

2. Immediately schedule in three full-body strength training workouts and four cardio workouts for each week. Make a full commitment to these workouts. Do not miss or cancel them; if you absolutely must miss one, make it up immediately. Exercise is vital in both your short and long term weight loss efforts. If you are currently exercising, step it up to the next level.

3. The same way you set up a no-fail environment when it comes to food, you need to make exercise accessible. As a result, you will exercise longer, harder and with much more consistency. You can purchase equipment that can be used at home, while traveling or in the office. This includes tubing, free weights, stability ball, bench, medicine balls, a multi-station gym or any combination of these for your resistance full-body strength training. You can purchase a treadmill, elliptical, recumbent or upright bike or any cardio machine of choice. You may choose to walk or hike outside. This may be a great time to begin an exercise class such as kickboxing, Tai Chi, Yoga, low-impact aerobics or a dance class. Try a sport that you enjoy such as tennis, basketball, raquetball, handball or martial arts. Shoot hoops with your kids. Keep on moving! As I’ve said before, we are genetically predispositioned for movement. You’ll see a huge difference once you prioritize exercise into your life on a permanent basis.

4. Pick up a copy of The Ultimate Weight Solution Food Guide. Immediately begin the 14-Day The Rapid Start Plan. This will successfully kick start your weight loss efforts in a big way. Follow the guidelines, menu plans and principles in this book and you will be successful. Keep in mind both your short-term and long-term goals. Stay on track not just for now, but for always.

5. Stock your environment with only High-Response Cost, High-Yield Foods. Say goodbye to food that does not service your weight loss efforts.

6. Encourage a friend, family member or spouse to be an exercise partner and join you in your weight loss efforts — but they must be absolutely committed to success. Sharing your journey to optimal health, fitness and weight loss success can help you reach your goals. Still, on any given day, regardless of your partner’s commitment or mood, you must stay totally focused and in the game.

7. As Dr. Phil says, you must put this entire effort on project status. Prioritize your weight loss efforts. Be disciplined and refer Dr. Phil’s Seven Keys as often as you need to. Visualize and realize your success in this effort.

8. Take this day by day. Days turn into weeks, weeks turn into months and months turn into years. The time will go by anyway. Make the best of it. Again, and I cannot stress this enough: This is not a diet. This is a lifestyle change. Diets clearly do not work. In fact, if you look at the statistics, you could say that diets are actually fattening! Be proud that you have taken this on and be absolutely confident that you will continue to achieve your goals. Live a happy, robust life.

Best of luck in the very best of health.

By Robert Reames, CSCS, *D, RTS1, CPT

Information retrieved from the Dr.Phil website

Generally, what’s harmful to your heart also is harmful to your brain. Make no mistake about it — while fried potato skins are busting your buttons, there’s also a portion that gets shuttled up through your arteries to your gray matter.

Saturated fats, for example, clog arteries that lead to your brain, putting you at risk of stroke, while omega-3 fatty acids — the good fats found in fish — are helpful for your brain because they help keep your arteries clear. They also alter your neurotransmitters and reduce depression.

These are the best foods to keep your brain and RealAge young:

information retrieved from  YOU: The Owner’s Manual, by RealAge experts Michael F. Roizen, MD, and Mehmet C. Oz, MD

• Berries, any berries. Eat them one by one instead of M&Ms when the pressure’s on. For those tough times when tension tightens your jaw, try rolling a frozen berry around in your mouth. And then another, and another. Since the carbs in berries turn to sugar very slowly, you won’t have a blood-sugar crash. The bonus: They’re a good source of vitamin C, which helps fight a jump in cortisol, a stress hormone.

• Guacamole. If you’re craving something creamy, look no further. Avocados are loaded with B vitamins, which stress quickly depletes and which your body needs in order to maintain nerves and brain cells. Plus, their creaminess comes from healthy fat. Scoop up the stuff with whole-grain baked chips — crunching keeps you from gritting your teeth.

• Mixed nuts. Just an ounce will do. Walnuts help replace those stress-depleted B vitamins, Brazil nuts give you a whopping amount of zinc (which is also drained by high anxiety), and almonds boost your E, which helps fight cellular damage linked to chronic stress. Buy nuts in the shell and think of it as multitasking: With every squeeze of the nutcracker, you’re releasing a little tension.

• Oranges. People who take 1,000 milligrams of C before giving a speech have lower levels of cortisol and lower blood pressures than those who don’t. So lean back, take a deep breath, and concentrate on peeling a large orange. The 5-minute mindfulness break will ease your mind, and you’ll get a bunch of C as well.

• Asparagus. Each tender stalk is a source of folic acid, a natural mood lightener. Dip the spears in fat-free yogurt or sour cream for a hit of calcium with each bite.

• Chai tea. A warm drink is a supersoother, and curling up with a cup of aromatic decaf chai tea (Tazo makes ready-to-brew bags) can make the whole evil day go away.

• Dark chocolate. Okay, there’s nothing in it that relieves stress, but when only chocolate will do, reach for the dark, sultry kind that’s at least 70% cocoa. You figure if the antioxidant flavonoids in it are potent enough to fight cancer and heart disease, they’ve got to be able to temper tension’s effects.

Information retrieved from Dr.Oz’s real age website

Apples

Apples are an excellent source of pectin, a soluble fiber that can lower blood cholesterol and glucose levels. Fresh apples are also good sources of the vitamin C – an antioxidant that protects your body’s cells from damage. Vitamin C also helps form the connective tissue collagen, keeps your capillaries and blood vessels healthy, and aids in the absorption of iron and folate.

Almonds

These tear-shaped nuts are packed with nutrients – fiber, riboflavin, magnesium, iron and calcium. In fact, almonds have more calcium than any other nut – 70 milligrams (mg) in 23 almonds. And one serving of almonds provides half of your body’s Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) of vitamin E.

Like all nuts, almonds provide one of the best plant sources of protein. And they’re good for your heart. Most of the fat in almonds is monounsaturated fat – a healthier type of fat that may help lower blood cholesterol levels.

Blueberries

Blueberries are a rich source of plant compounds (phytonutrients). As with cranberries, phytonutrients in blueberries may help prevent urinary tract infections. Blueberries may also improve short-term memory and promote healthy aging.

Blueberries are also a low-calorie source of fiber and vitamin C – 1 cup of fresh blueberries has 83 calories, 3.5 grams of fiber and 14 mg of vitamin C.

Broccoli

Besides being a good source of calcium, potassium, folate and fiber, broccoli contains phytonutrients – a group of compounds that may help prevent chronic diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes and some cancers. Broccoli is also a good source of vitamins A and C – antioxidants that protect your body’s cells from damage.

Red beans

Red beans – including small red beans and dark red kidney beans – are good sources of iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, copper and thiamin. They’re also an excellent low-fat, low-calorie source of protein and dietary fiber. Red beans also contain phytonutrients that may help prevent chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease and cancer.

Salmon

Salmon is an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids – a type of fat that makes your blood less likely to form clots that may cause heart attacks. Omega-3s may also protect against irregular heartbeats that may cause sudden cardiac death, decrease triglyceride levels, decrease the growth of artery-clogging plaques, lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of stroke.

In addition to being an excellent source of omega-3s, salmon is low in saturated fat and cholesterol and is a good source of protein.

Spinach

Spinach is high in vitamins A and C and folate. It’s also a good source of riboflavin, vitamin B-6, calcium, iron and magnesium. The plant compounds in spinach may boost your immune system and may help keep your hair and skin healthy.

Sweet potatoes

The deep orange-yellow color of sweet potatoes tells you that they’re high in the antioxidant beta carotene. Food sources of beta carotene, which are converted to vitamin A in your body, may help slow the aging process and reduce the risk of some cancers. Sweet potatoes are also good sources of fiber, vitamins B-6, C and E, folate and potassium. And like all vegetables, they’re fat-free and relatively low in calories – one small sweet potato has just 54 calories.

Vegetable juice

Vegetable juice has most of the vitamins, minerals and other nutrients found in the original vegetables and is an easy way to include vegetables in your diet. Tomato juice and vegetable juices, which include tomatoes, are good sources of lycopene, an antioxidant which may reduce the risk of heart attack, prostate cancer and possibly other types of cancer. Some vegetable and tomato juices are very high in sodium, so be sure to select the low-sodium varieties.

Wheat germ

At the center of a grain of wheat is the wheat germ – the part of the seed that’s responsible for the development and growth of the new plant sprout. Though only a small part of the wheat seed, the germ is a highly concentrated source of nutrients, including niacin, thiamin, riboflavin, vitamin E, folate, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, iron and zinc. The germ also contains protein, fiber and some fat.

Information from the Mayo Clinic