Halloween Treats and Staying Fit

With tomorrow being Halloween, many of us are going to be exposed to a large amount of sweet treats. Those mini candy bars are just too easy to eat one after the other! But it doesn't have to be a weight-gaining, full of regret experience. Here are some tips to help you choose a treat that won't cost you extra hours on a treadmill.

• Avoid purchasing your favorite candy to hand out. You may end up eating a large quantity yourself!
• Avoid the treat bowl at work. Co-workers will bring in excess candy because they don't want it in their homes. Avoid the urge to grab a snack every time you pass by the bowl.
• Have your favorite fruit available to help satiate your sweet tooth instead of being tempted to grab the candy.
• Move the candy dish somewhere you can't see it all day. Out of sight, out of mind.
• Count the wrappers of the candy you have eaten. It's easy to keep eating those miniature treats so stop after each one and count the wrappers. This will let you know when you've had too much.
• Make sure you are eating three meals a day with healthy snacks in between. Keeping your hunger under control will help you avoid the urge to grab unhealthy candy snacks.

Better candy alternatives (Just remember to eat them in moderation!):

• Hershey's kisses at only 22 calories each.
• Tootsie roll midgees at only 10 calories each.
• Dum Dum lollipops last a long time and are only 20 calories each.
• Starbursts are only 20 calories each.
• Jelly Belly jelly beans contain about 100 calories in 25 jelly beans.
• Smarties are only 25 calories per pack.
• 3 Musketeers minis at only 24 calories each.
• Plain dark chocolate is a better alternative to milk or white chocolate in that the extra cocoa has a blood pressure lowering effect. 

Remember that moderation is the key!! Starving ourselves of foods we truly love leads us to overeat them when they are presented to us. So do yourself a favor and have a small amount of these "forbidden" foods. It will help satisfy your craving for something sweet and lower your risk of overindulging later.

Recipe of the Day:

Berry Parfait

Ingredients:

• 32 oz Dannon Light & Fit vanilla yogurt
• Special K Granola or Kashi Berry Crumble Granola Cereal
• 1 pint of raspberries, blackberries and blueberries

Instructions:

 In a medium-sized clear bowl, layer the ingredients in the following order: Granola, yogurt and berries (alternating between the three types), repeating until the bowl is filled.

Nutrients per serving (Makes 8 servings):

 Calories: 180, Total Fats: 5 g, Saturated Fat: 0.5 g, Trans Fat: 0 g, Cholesterol: 0 mg, Sodium: 105 mg, Total Carbohydrates: 30 g, Dietary Fiber: 6 g, Sugars: 13 g, Protein: 7 g, Iron: 1 mg 

Feel the Burn!

Those of you who enjoy spicy foods are going to love this. Spicy foods can actually boost your metabolism by raising your heart rate and making you sweat. So feel free to pile on the hot sauce! But only if you can stand the heat!

Now here's a workout guaranteed to make you feel the burn.  The lady in this video is very flexible, but don't be discouraged by that. Try raising your leg only to 90 degrees at the top of the move and you will still get a great workout. If you are unable to lift one leg off the ground, simply perform the shoulder bridge and raise and lower your hips. Once your hamstrings are strong enough, you will be able to lift one leg at a time for the full exercise. Remember to pay close attention to your form and work at your own pace according to your fitness level.

This video demonstrates a great hamstring exercise using a stability ball. This is more intense than doing the same workout on the floor.


Recipe of the Day:

Mexican Stir-Fry

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 16 oz lean turkey breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 can (7 oz) sweet green chilies, drained
• 1 medium red bell pepper, chopped 
• 1 tsp minced jalapeño pepper, optional
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce, low-sodium
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 cups cooked brown rice, optional

1. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil, add the turkey and sauté until cooked through, approximately 7 minutes; remove turkey from the pan and set aside.
2. Return pan to the heat and add garlic, onion, sweet chilies, red bell pepper, jalapeño, tomato sauce and chili powder. Cook until onion softens, approx 5 minutes.
3. Add the cilantro and return the cooked turkey to the pan; simmer 2 to 3 minutes until heated through. Serve immediately over brown rice or leafy greens. 

Nutrients per serving (without rice or leafy greens):

Calories: 200, Total Fats: 4 g, Saturated Fat: 1 g, Trans Fat: 0 g, Cholesterol: 67 mg, Sodium: 278 mg, Total Carbohydrates: 11 g, Dietary Fiber: 3 g, Sugars: 1 g, Protein: 28 g, Iron: 3 mg

Breakfast is Essential

Some people think that weight loss/management means skipping meals, and breakfast seems to be the easiest one to skip. However, eating a healthy breakfast is essential to keeping your metabolism running and giving your body the fuel it needs to make it through the beginning of your day. Think about it: your body goes into "resting mode" after dinner has been used up and you've gone to sleep. The best way to wake it up and get your body burning calories again is to consume a healthy breakfast.

No time in the morning to make breakfast? Consider preparing a bowl of cereal (minus the milk of course) before bedtime and leaving it out to make it quicker. No time to slice bananas? Just eat it whole! Grab a yogurt, bagel and a glass of juice. Breakfast doesn't have to be complicated, but it does have to be healthy. Avoid the urge to grab a greasy sausage biscuit from a fast food place.

Recommended foods:

• Cereal: Whole grain cereals especially those with nuts, granola, raisins or other fruit. For hot cereals consider oatmeal. It's loaded with nutrients, lowers your cholesterol and comes in convenient little packets to make breakfast easier.
• Toast: Use whole wheat breads that are less processed. You should be able to see some grains in your bread. Load it up with peanut butter, jam or honey instead of butter.
• Milk: Switch to a 2% lowfat or a skim non-fat milk. You get the same nutritional value with much less fat. 
• Yogurt: Calcium, protein and fruit all in one little cup. What could be easier?

Of course there are tons of other great things to eat for breakfast. Those are just a few recommendations to help get you started. Remember starvation diets never work! Your body needs a minimum of 1,200 calories per day to function normally and consuming less will throw your body into a fat storing, muscle wasting starvation mode. Also, starvation leads to binge eating which in turn leads to weight gain.

Recipe of the day:

Carrot Raisin Muffins


1 cup whole-wheat flour
1 cup white flour
3/4 cup sugar (or sugar substitute such as splenda - be sure to read the package to know the equivalent amount to use)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3 eggs (or egg substitute equivalent or use 6 egg whites for less fat)
1/2 cup buttermilk (or 1/2 cup milk mixed with 1/2 teaspoon vinegar and let stand 5 minutes then add to mix)
1/3 cup canola oil ( or use 1/3 cup applesauce to reduce fat)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups finely shredded carrot
1 medium apple, peeled and shredded
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped nuts (pecans are my favorite)

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Prepare muffin pan with 12 muffin papers or cooking spray.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine flours, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and baking soda.
3. In a separate bowl, combine eggs, buttermilk, oil and vanilla then the carrots, apple, raisins and nuts. Add these to the flour mixture and stir until blended.
4. Spoon the batter into the muffin cups and bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Makes 12 yummy muffins!
Approx 230 calories per muffin (less if you used sugar substitute), 37 g carbohydrates, 5 g protein, 7 g fat (less if you used applesauce and egg whites)