2 Servings
Ingredients
1/2 lb fresh tilapia fillet cut about 1/2 inch thick
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 T mirin
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 t finely grated fresh ginger
1/2 t dark sesame oil
1/2 C red lentils
1 C low-salt chicken broth
2 C packed, sliced kale
1 T water
1 t sesame seeds, optional
Prepare charcoal or gas grill.
Place fish on a shallow plate.
Combine soy sauce, mirin, garlic, ginger, and sesame oil in bowl. Mix well.
Pour mixture over fish, turning to coat.
Let stand 10 minutes to 1 hour.
Meanwhile, combine lentils and broth in a large, deep skillet. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add kale to lentils. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes or until lentils and kale are tender, stirring once.
Grill fish over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes (reserve marinade).
Transfer marinade to small saucepan and add 1 T of water. Bring to a boil and boil gently for 30 seconds.
Spoon lentil mixture on serving plates. Top with fish. Sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired and drizzle with boiled marinade.
Nutritional information per serving
Calories: 174
Fat: 3.2
Cholesterol: 65.8 milligrams
Fiber: .2 grams
Carbohydrates: 6.9 grams
Protein: 35 grams
Sodium: 582 milligrams
Potassium: 314
Friday, December 22, 2006
Lunch recipe: Ginger, Carrot, and Orange Soup
Ingredients:
cooking oil spray
1/4 c thinly sliced yellow onion
1/2 rib celery (1/2 cup), thinly sliced
1/4 lb carrots, very thinly sliced
1 1/2 C low salt vegetable broth
3/4 t finely grated ginger
1/4 C orange juice
1/4 t salt
1 t extra-virgin olive oil
Directions:
Heat a large saucepan or Dutch oven, coated with cooking oil spray, over medium heat.
Add onion and celery. Cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add carrots; continue to cook for 5 minutes.
Add broth and ginger. Bring to a boil.
Add orange juice and salt, reduce heat. Cover and simmer until vegetables are very tender (about 20 minutes.)
Transfer mixture (in batches if necessary) to a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth.
Ladle into bowls. Reheat if necessary. Drizzle oil over soup. Serve.
2 servings
Nutritional information per serving
Calories: 83
Fat:2.5 grams
Cholesterol: .8 milligrams
Fiber: 3.5 grams
Carbohydrates: 14.9 grams
Protein: 5.2 grams
Sodium: 568 milligrams
Potassium: 573 milligrams
From You: An Owner's Manual
cooking oil spray
1/4 c thinly sliced yellow onion
1/2 rib celery (1/2 cup), thinly sliced
1/4 lb carrots, very thinly sliced
1 1/2 C low salt vegetable broth
3/4 t finely grated ginger
1/4 C orange juice
1/4 t salt
1 t extra-virgin olive oil
Directions:
Heat a large saucepan or Dutch oven, coated with cooking oil spray, over medium heat.
Add onion and celery. Cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add carrots; continue to cook for 5 minutes.
Add broth and ginger. Bring to a boil.
Add orange juice and salt, reduce heat. Cover and simmer until vegetables are very tender (about 20 minutes.)
Transfer mixture (in batches if necessary) to a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth.
Ladle into bowls. Reheat if necessary. Drizzle oil over soup. Serve.
2 servings
Nutritional information per serving
Calories: 83
Fat:2.5 grams
Cholesterol: .8 milligrams
Fiber: 3.5 grams
Carbohydrates: 14.9 grams
Protein: 5.2 grams
Sodium: 568 milligrams
Potassium: 573 milligrams
From You: An Owner's Manual
Thursday, December 21, 2006
Lunch Recipe: Edamame with Asian Salad
Serves 2
Ingredients:
1 C frozen shelled edamame
1 C chopped lettuce
1 C shredded cabbage
1 T sesame seeds
1 large carrot, shredded
2 scallions, chopped
Dressing:
1/2 C rice vinegar
1/4 t sesame oil
1 t ponzu sauce
1 T canola oil
1 t grated fresh ginger
1/2 t sugar
Directions:
Boil edamame until tender and salt to taste.
Toss edamame with chopped lettuce, cabbage, scallions.
Combine salad dressing ingredients together in bowl and mix well.
Add dressing to greens and toss.
Sprinkle salad with sesame seeds.
Serve.
Nutritional information per serving.
Calories: 275
Fat: 16.7 grams
Cholesterol:0
Fiber: 7.3 grams
Carbohydrates: 22.7
Protein: 14 grams
sodium: 24 milligrams
Potassium: 807 milligrams
Ingredients:
1 C frozen shelled edamame
1 C chopped lettuce
1 C shredded cabbage
1 T sesame seeds
1 large carrot, shredded
2 scallions, chopped
Dressing:
1/2 C rice vinegar
1/4 t sesame oil
1 t ponzu sauce
1 T canola oil
1 t grated fresh ginger
1/2 t sugar
Directions:
Boil edamame until tender and salt to taste.
Toss edamame with chopped lettuce, cabbage, scallions.
Combine salad dressing ingredients together in bowl and mix well.
Add dressing to greens and toss.
Sprinkle salad with sesame seeds.
Serve.
Nutritional information per serving.
Calories: 275
Fat: 16.7 grams
Cholesterol:0
Fiber: 7.3 grams
Carbohydrates: 22.7
Protein: 14 grams
sodium: 24 milligrams
Potassium: 807 milligrams
Breakfast recipe: Shiitake Mushroom & Asparagus Frittata with Smoked Salmon
Ingredients:
Cooking oil spray or olive oil in a mister
3 oz shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded, caps washed and sliced
3 oz asparagus spears, trimmed and cut into 1 in. pieces
2 large egg whites
1/2 large egg
1 1/2 tablespoons fat-free soy milk or skim cow's milk
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon chopped fresh dill
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper or white pepper
2 oz smoked salmon, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon reduced-fat sour cream
Heat an ovenproof, slope-sided skillet coated with cooking oil spray over medium heat.
Add mushrooms and asparagus and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Preheat broiler.
In a medium bowl, beat together egg whites, egg, milk, 1 tablespoon dill, salt and pepper.
Stir in smoked salmon.
Pour mixture into skillet over vegetables and mix well.
Cook without stirring until eggs are set on the bottom (about 4 minutes. Center will be wet)
Transfer to broiler and broil 2-5 inches from heat for 1-2 minutes until eggs are just barely set.
Cut into wedges, sprinkle with remaining dill, and serve with sour cream.
2 Servings.
Nutritional Information per Serving
Calories: 108
Fat:3.9 grams
Cholesterol: 63 milligrams
Fiber:1.3 grams
Carbohydrates: 5 grams
Protein: 13.7 grams
Sodium: 805 milligrams
Potassium: 439 milligrams
Cooking oil spray or olive oil in a mister
3 oz shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded, caps washed and sliced
3 oz asparagus spears, trimmed and cut into 1 in. pieces
2 large egg whites
1/2 large egg
1 1/2 tablespoons fat-free soy milk or skim cow's milk
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon chopped fresh dill
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper or white pepper
2 oz smoked salmon, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon reduced-fat sour cream
Heat an ovenproof, slope-sided skillet coated with cooking oil spray over medium heat.
Add mushrooms and asparagus and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Preheat broiler.
In a medium bowl, beat together egg whites, egg, milk, 1 tablespoon dill, salt and pepper.
Stir in smoked salmon.
Pour mixture into skillet over vegetables and mix well.
Cook without stirring until eggs are set on the bottom (about 4 minutes. Center will be wet)
Transfer to broiler and broil 2-5 inches from heat for 1-2 minutes until eggs are just barely set.
Cut into wedges, sprinkle with remaining dill, and serve with sour cream.
2 Servings.
Nutritional Information per Serving
Calories: 108
Fat:3.9 grams
Cholesterol: 63 milligrams
Fiber:1.3 grams
Carbohydrates: 5 grams
Protein: 13.7 grams
Sodium: 805 milligrams
Potassium: 439 milligrams
My Philosophy: Not a New Year's Resolution, a New Life Resolution/Revolution
Part 1
Because I am slim and fit, a lot of my clients and friends ask me if I diet. I don't believe the word "diet" should be a verb (as in, "Are you dieting?"). I'm a strong believer that one's diet should be a way of life. I don't believe in good foods or bad foods (chocolate cake=bad, rice cake= good). It should be noted that I do not consider highly processed foods, most fast foods, and foods containing certain artificial ingredients (hydrogenated oils, artificial sweeteners, &c.) real food that is fit for consumption. Few things in life are black and white, so why should we expect what we eat to be so simple and binary?
My philosophy is that we should listen to what our bodies are telling us. If we are gaining weight, are becoming hypertensive, if our cholesterol levels are high, if we're always hungry/stuffed, we should take a good, unbiased look at what we eat, when we eat, why we eat, and how we eat, and we should modify those things until we are healthy. What we consume should not negatively affect us, and if it does and we do not change our eating habits, we only have ourselves to blame. We don't have to diet (ie. deprive) we need to adjust our diet (how, how much, and what we eat).
Losing Weight
To effectively lose weight, one needs to adjust their diet as well as their activity level. Doing one without the other probably won't have much of a lasting effect. Think of it as a lifestyle change that will give you a changed body, a healthier body. Our bodies are amazing things. They will do only what we ask of them. If you want the strong, lean body of an active, healthy person, you are going to have to embark on the process of becoming a strong, active, healthy person. You won't get a strong, lean body by watching 20 hours of tv a week and substituting rice cakes for potato chips. If you're willing to accept that your lifestyle as it is now is not giving you the physique you want and committed to altering your lifestyle and adopting a healthier diet and more physical activity, your body will listen. It may grumble, it may ache and complain, but it will listen.
A good friend of mine is always saying, you are the master of your own destiny. You are the master of your body as well.
Change Your Diet, Change Perspective
It's common for many people to improve the quality of their food, make healthier choices, and still find they are not losing weight. Portion size is very important. It is crucial. American meals, especially the ones served at restaurants, have lost all sense of proportion. Our dinner plates are huge. Our spoons are huge. We need to relearn what a real portion size is and accept that. As long as we believe that a steak should be 24 ounces (as opposed to 4-6 ounces), we are not going to get the bodies we want.
At home, use smaller plates and fill them mostly with brightly colored vegetables. Keep your protein portion about the size of a deck of cards and your starch about 1/2 cup (think of a baseball cut in half). Still hungry? Have some more steamed string beans, some more beets, another helping of broccoli.
When you are actively trying to change your diet, to nurture your palate to accept and enjoy healthier real flavors, and to lose weight, you may want to step away from the desserts for a while. You should probably cut out alcohol, which is high in calories. This does not mean that you will forever forgo these items, but just know that for the time being, you are taking a break and resetting your palate and your body. If you must, savor just a bite of some high quality sweet instead of having a whole dessert or candy bar.
When you achieve your goal weight, remember that you can have anything you want occasionally and in moderation.
Exercise
The healthiest way to lose weight is to adopt a healthy diet and exercise. We should all be getting 45 minutes a day of exercise. At least. Our bodies are designed to be active. Unfortunately, our jobs often require we sit still for long periods of time. This starts a vicious circle of fatigue and inflexibility. This vicious circle continues even when we first start working out. It can last a few weeks, but slowly, surely, your body will wake up and rise to the occasion. It will do what you ask of it; it will get stronger, more flexible, healthier. You will feel stronger, healthier. You'll have more energy. As you come into your body, you'll be amazed at how good it feels to be more active, to be stronger. Your body is meant to be strong and healthy and your hard work and exercise will be rewarded. Your body is a part of you. Don't neglect it.
Math
While I don't believe we should be wed to the scale, there are some important numbers to consider. 3500 is the number of calories in a pound. If over the span of a month, you consume 7000 extra calories, you will gain two pounds of fat. Likewise, if over the span of a week, if you decrease your calorie consumption by 200 calories a day (that's about equal to a slice of cheese and a can of soda) while increasing your energy expenditure (exercise) by about 300 calories every day, you can expect to lose a pound.
What about all those diets you read about that tell you to cut out carbs and you'll lose 10 pounds in a week.... well, most of that is water. It is safe and reasonable for most people to lose between 1-2 lbs a week. Unless you have an excessive amount of weight to lose, dropping more than 1-2 lbs a week usually indicates you are dehydrated (a side effect of ketosis, the state your body goes into when it's deprived of carbohydrates).
Going back to what I wrote earlier about being wed to the scale... you should use how you look, how you feel, how your clothes fit, as better indicators of your progress. Muscle weighs more than fat. How much more? A pound of fat is about the size of a large grapefruit. A pound of muscle is about the size of a small orange or tangerine. So if you are losing fat and gaining muscle, the numbers on the scale might not be moving very much. If the jeans you banished to the back of your closet or some other "thin clothes" are telling you you lost weight but your scale is telling you otherwise, rest assured that you may not have lost "weight" but you certainly lost fat.
Because I am slim and fit, a lot of my clients and friends ask me if I diet. I don't believe the word "diet" should be a verb (as in, "Are you dieting?"). I'm a strong believer that one's diet should be a way of life. I don't believe in good foods or bad foods (chocolate cake=bad, rice cake= good). It should be noted that I do not consider highly processed foods, most fast foods, and foods containing certain artificial ingredients (hydrogenated oils, artificial sweeteners, &c.) real food that is fit for consumption. Few things in life are black and white, so why should we expect what we eat to be so simple and binary?
My philosophy is that we should listen to what our bodies are telling us. If we are gaining weight, are becoming hypertensive, if our cholesterol levels are high, if we're always hungry/stuffed, we should take a good, unbiased look at what we eat, when we eat, why we eat, and how we eat, and we should modify those things until we are healthy. What we consume should not negatively affect us, and if it does and we do not change our eating habits, we only have ourselves to blame. We don't have to diet (ie. deprive) we need to adjust our diet (how, how much, and what we eat).
Losing Weight
To effectively lose weight, one needs to adjust their diet as well as their activity level. Doing one without the other probably won't have much of a lasting effect. Think of it as a lifestyle change that will give you a changed body, a healthier body. Our bodies are amazing things. They will do only what we ask of them. If you want the strong, lean body of an active, healthy person, you are going to have to embark on the process of becoming a strong, active, healthy person. You won't get a strong, lean body by watching 20 hours of tv a week and substituting rice cakes for potato chips. If you're willing to accept that your lifestyle as it is now is not giving you the physique you want and committed to altering your lifestyle and adopting a healthier diet and more physical activity, your body will listen. It may grumble, it may ache and complain, but it will listen.
A good friend of mine is always saying, you are the master of your own destiny. You are the master of your body as well.
Change Your Diet, Change Perspective
It's common for many people to improve the quality of their food, make healthier choices, and still find they are not losing weight. Portion size is very important. It is crucial. American meals, especially the ones served at restaurants, have lost all sense of proportion. Our dinner plates are huge. Our spoons are huge. We need to relearn what a real portion size is and accept that. As long as we believe that a steak should be 24 ounces (as opposed to 4-6 ounces), we are not going to get the bodies we want.
At home, use smaller plates and fill them mostly with brightly colored vegetables. Keep your protein portion about the size of a deck of cards and your starch about 1/2 cup (think of a baseball cut in half). Still hungry? Have some more steamed string beans, some more beets, another helping of broccoli.
When you are actively trying to change your diet, to nurture your palate to accept and enjoy healthier real flavors, and to lose weight, you may want to step away from the desserts for a while. You should probably cut out alcohol, which is high in calories. This does not mean that you will forever forgo these items, but just know that for the time being, you are taking a break and resetting your palate and your body. If you must, savor just a bite of some high quality sweet instead of having a whole dessert or candy bar.
When you achieve your goal weight, remember that you can have anything you want occasionally and in moderation.
Exercise
The healthiest way to lose weight is to adopt a healthy diet and exercise. We should all be getting 45 minutes a day of exercise. At least. Our bodies are designed to be active. Unfortunately, our jobs often require we sit still for long periods of time. This starts a vicious circle of fatigue and inflexibility. This vicious circle continues even when we first start working out. It can last a few weeks, but slowly, surely, your body will wake up and rise to the occasion. It will do what you ask of it; it will get stronger, more flexible, healthier. You will feel stronger, healthier. You'll have more energy. As you come into your body, you'll be amazed at how good it feels to be more active, to be stronger. Your body is meant to be strong and healthy and your hard work and exercise will be rewarded. Your body is a part of you. Don't neglect it.
Math
While I don't believe we should be wed to the scale, there are some important numbers to consider. 3500 is the number of calories in a pound. If over the span of a month, you consume 7000 extra calories, you will gain two pounds of fat. Likewise, if over the span of a week, if you decrease your calorie consumption by 200 calories a day (that's about equal to a slice of cheese and a can of soda) while increasing your energy expenditure (exercise) by about 300 calories every day, you can expect to lose a pound.
What about all those diets you read about that tell you to cut out carbs and you'll lose 10 pounds in a week.... well, most of that is water. It is safe and reasonable for most people to lose between 1-2 lbs a week. Unless you have an excessive amount of weight to lose, dropping more than 1-2 lbs a week usually indicates you are dehydrated (a side effect of ketosis, the state your body goes into when it's deprived of carbohydrates).
Going back to what I wrote earlier about being wed to the scale... you should use how you look, how you feel, how your clothes fit, as better indicators of your progress. Muscle weighs more than fat. How much more? A pound of fat is about the size of a large grapefruit. A pound of muscle is about the size of a small orange or tangerine. So if you are losing fat and gaining muscle, the numbers on the scale might not be moving very much. If the jeans you banished to the back of your closet or some other "thin clothes" are telling you you lost weight but your scale is telling you otherwise, rest assured that you may not have lost "weight" but you certainly lost fat.
Friday, December 15, 2006
Avoiding Gestational Diabetes
Women who exercise regularly before conceiving are less likely to develop diabetes during pregnancy, according to a Harvard study. Brisk walking before pregnancy reduced the risk of gestational diabetes by 24% compared to walking at an easy pace. In contrast, women who watched at least20 hours of TV each week and did not exercise before pregnancy were 2 times as likely as exercisers to develop gestational diabetes. While lifelong physical activity clearly matters, previous studies show that women can also reduce the risk of diabetes by exercising during pregnancy. -Archives of Internal Medicine
Maternal Fitness: Spotlight Obesity
Obesity Damages
Women who are obese during pregnancy have more complications and their babies tend to have more medical problems at birth according to a new report. Excess weight increases the risk of hypertension, gestational diabetes and bloodclots, and babes of obese mothers are more likely to have neural-tube defects and spend more time in the neonatal intensive care unit. To avoid gaining more weight than necessary it is critical to exercise regularly and eat nutritiously. -Wiley Institute for Fit Pregnancy
Women who are obese during pregnancy have more complications and their babies tend to have more medical problems at birth according to a new report. Excess weight increases the risk of hypertension, gestational diabetes and bloodclots, and babes of obese mothers are more likely to have neural-tube defects and spend more time in the neonatal intensive care unit. To avoid gaining more weight than necessary it is critical to exercise regularly and eat nutritiously. -Wiley Institute for Fit Pregnancy
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