Smart Snacking is Key to Maintaining Healthy Weight
Are you determined that 2010 is your year to achieve and maintain a healthy weight? If so, the best choice you can make is to become a ‘smart snacker’! Eating three small snacks (about 150 calories each) a day will help keep you feeling full and prevent the feeling that you are depriving yourself of the energy you need to operate at your best. Here are some easy snack ideas to make healthy snacking part of your everyday routine: 6 oz low fat yogurt sprinkled with 1 tablespoon of almonds Whole grain pita triangles with 2...
read moreWin Big with 30 Minute Meals
Cooking doesn’t have to be an all day process; it can be something that you do in thirty minutes or less when you get home from work. Choose things that are precut, premixed, or frozen for your convenience. Be sure to check the food label of the premixed or frozen items to ensure that extra salt and fat has not been added in the form of sauces or seasoning. There are many side dishes and frozen vegetables that can be prepared within minutes to go with a nice piece of grilled lean meat. Frozen spinach and mixed vegetables are very...
read morePack a Healthy Lunch (For Your Child or Yourself!)
Packing your own lunch is a cost-effective way to make a step toward a healthier lifestyle. It can be a great way to incorporate more fruits and veggies in your kids’ lunches, and control calories in your own. Avoiding processed foods in the cafeteria or vending machine helps you avoid excess fat and sodium, which can lead to bloating and that ‘sluggish’ feeling later in the day. The lunch you pack should incorporate as many as the food groups as possible, which can be made easier by mixing several food groups into one item. For example,...
read moreFall Produce is Nutrient-Rich
Fall Produce is Nutrient-Rich Fall produce like pumpkins, acorn squash and sweet potatoes are super rich in beta-carotene. Your body converts beta-carotene into Vitamin A which has antioxidant properties that neutralize free radicals in the body that cause tissue and cellular damage. Vitamin A is important for maintaining a healthy immune system. It’s November – and Thanksgiving is just around the corner! Here is a delicious nutrient-rich treat to serve to your guests – and only about 250 calories per serving! Pumpkin...
read moreKONO 101.1 Public Affairs Interview
I had the privilege of being invited to the KONO 101.1 Public Affairs show this past Sunday, October 30 by host Steven Sellers. We talked about tips for healthy eating during the holiday, especially for those of you living in the San Antonio area. You can go to the KONO 101.1 Public Affairs page or you can listen to it here: Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your...
read moreEat All Day and Never Get Fat!
Have you heard that eating 5 to 6 times a day will help keep you fit and trim? It’s true! Nutrition experts agree, keeping your body nourished by eating every three hours, will help stave off hunger and keep your metabolism burning strong. The trick is to not over eat. Think of a hunger scale ranging from 1 to 10 – with 1 being famished and 10 being overstuffed –like Thanksgiving full! The goal is to stay around a 5 on the hunger scale. When it is time to eat you are at a 4 and when it is time to stop you are at a 6. This is...
read moreGet rid of my belly
Q. I am 49 years old and I work out 6 days a week; 4 days of intense boot camp style workouts with strength training and 2 days of cardio. I am so frustrated that after all of this work I am still unable to get rid of my belly fat. Am I eating the wrong things? HELP! A. Hormonal and metabolic changes that occur with aging may contribute to the increase in abdominal fat that generally occurs during middle age. Getting regular, moderate-intensity cardiovascular (aerobic) exercise at least 45 minutes, 5-7 days a week is vital in reducing...
read moreTop 5 Things Families Should Know About Getting a Healthy Dinner on the Table . . . FAST!
1. Be cheap Eating healthy can be more expensive, but it doesn’t have to be. Use canned beans, brown rice, cheaper cuts of meat you can leave in the crockpot, etc. In today’s economy, it is important that we know how to feed our family on a dime. One of my favorites is a recipe from my cookbook entitled “Pork Chalupas”. You simply add an inexpensive cut of pork trimmed of all visible fat, dried beans, canned tomatoes with green chilies and you come home to an amazing dinner that can be served over rice. Take time to learn...
read moreButter or Margarine
Q. I am trying to make healthier food choices like eating more whole grain, high fiber and low fat foods. However, I am stumped by the question of which is better for you: butter or margarine? A. Margarine is composed of hydrogenated polyunsaturated oils – usually corn and/or soybean oil, water, salt, food coloring, artificial butter flavoring, and a plethora of preservatives. Butter, on the other hand, has 1-2 ingredients – milk fat and sometimes salt. Butter has created fear in some consumers for being a saturated fat (saturated...
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