Healthy Holiday Food Guide: 10 Ingredient Substitutions

Holidays can be terrible for your waistline and thighs. We overeat on those goodies and subsequently, end up packing on the pounds. It happens. What if you were to substitute healthy ingredients for the bad ones to make your recipes more guilt-free? Check out these 10 Ingredient Substitutions to improve your holiday eating.

1. Olive Oil for Butter: The benefits: OO has good benefits — has good fats and no cholesterol. Make sure you put in the correct amount when you’re baking… you may have to google it

2. Herbs, Spices & Citrus for Salt: decreased salt = lower risk for heart disease and stroke… put down the salt shaker and pick up garlic, lemon juice and spices!

3. Soda Water for Juice & Tonic: soda water contains much less calories (great especially since you’re consuming much more calories throughout the holidays)

4. Whole Wheat for White Flower: I’m sure by now you’ve all heard that white flour is terrible for you. There are absolutely no benefits. White flour spikes your blood sugar, causing you to crash shortly after. Discovery Fit & Health Recommends: If you’re a baker, try replacing half of the all-purpose flour required in a recipe with whole wheat flour. Switching out just one cup (237 grams) of white or wheat equals a boost of fiber, vitamin B-6, folic acid, magnesium, potassium, and zinc

5. Lean Ground Turkey for Ground Beef: my mom has been doing this for years. I always hear that red meat should be avoided (OH BUT I LOVE MY RED MEAT)! When you choose ground turkey, make sure it’s lean or extra lean.

6. Egg Whites for Eggs: Eggs unfortunately contain cholesterol. Since during the holidays, you’re more likely to consume large amounts of cholesterol in other things, substitute a few eggs for egg whites and help keep your heart healthier.

7. Coconut Milk, Yogurt & Tofu for Cream:

Discovery Fit & Health Recommends: Take a page out of the vegan cookbook and try coconut milk in desserts that call for heavy cream, like chocolate mousse. Swap out light cream for soy creamer. Soft tofu mixed with soy milk can be blended into sauces, as can yogurt. All are less fatty than cream, and tofu has the added benefit of a little extra protein.

8. Brown Rice for White Rice: Anything white typically doesn’t have any nutritional value. By switching to brown rice, you’re subsequently consuming more vitamins and minerals.

9. Greek Yogurt for Sour Cream: Although it’s quite tasty, it has lots of saturated fats in it. Saturated fats are not heart friendly. Greek yogurt (specifically plain yogurt, not something like key lime), tastes pretty much identical to sour cream and is a much healthier substitute. Discovery Fit & Health says that it also:  it has a ton of protein, along with potassium, zinc, calciumand vitamins

10. Vanilla, Nutmeg and Cinammon for Sugar:

Words from Discovery Fit & Health: The American Heart Association’s recommended limit for added sugars is 6 teaspoons (29.6 milliliters) a day for women, 9 (44 milliliters) for men. Sugar is linked to both obesity and diabetes, and those who are already carrying a few extra pounds or a diabetes diagnosis know what too much sweetness can do to the body.
An added bonus for cinnamon? It rev’s up the metabolism! Woot woot!

Sources:
http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/NutritionCenter/HealthyDietGoals/Sugars-and-Carbohydrates_UCM_303296_Article.jsp
http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/best-foods-you-are-not-eating?page=2
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=128
http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/dairy-and-egg-products/51/2
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/cholesterol/HQ00608
https://www.drgourmet.com/askdrgourmet/turkeyvbeef.shtml#.UqXze9F3u70
http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/youre-cooking-healthfully-in-the-new-year
http://www.oprah.com/health/The-Best-Drinks-for-Dieters-Low-Calorie-Cocktails/
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn18835-theres-no-doubt-about-the-health-dangers-of-salt.html

Check out the website for more information:
http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/food-nutrition/healthy-eating/healthy-holiday-food-guide-ingredient-substitutions1.htm

Setting Goals for the New Year

When setting goals for the New Year or for New Years Resolutions, it’s very crucial to success to set goals in the right way. Often times people set unrealistic goals for the new year and end up being extremely disappointed and discouraged. For example, people say, “I’d like to lose 15 pounds in two weeks”. Doing something like this is extremely difficult and nearly impossible, leaving you feel defeated and burying your face in a tub of ice cream. I DO NOT want this to happen to you. I want you to set easily attainable goals so that you will increase your confidence and self-efficacy. Together, we can do this. If you need any  help with setting goals, feel free to email me or even comment on here.

Make sure your goals follow the S.M.A.R.T. guidelines:

S – Specific — don’t say “to lose weight”… instead say “to lose 5 pounds” and don’t say “to be active”… instead say “I want to go to on a walk every night after dinner with my wife”

M – Measurable — can you measure it… to say my goal is to lose weight, that’s not enough. You need to put some sort of number to it. How do you know you’re losing weight? How do you know how much you have to lose? So say, to lose 5 pounds in two weeks. By having the number “5 pounds”, you can keep track of your goals and see if you’re on track to reach your goal or not.

A – Actionable — based on things a client will do — I will lose 5 pounds by exercising at least 30 minutes per day

R – Relevant — Must be important and meaningful to the client. Getting to success is motivating in itself — make sure you are doing things that are working towards your goal and not doing things like eating at McDonalds… how can you reach your goal if you are busy eating at McDonalds?

T – Timed — Put a date on it! — To just say you’re doing to lose 5 pounds by working on 30 minutes every day isn’t enough… set a date of when you want to reach this goal by. Again, make sure this is realistic. Unless you have liposuction, no one can really lose 30 pounds in one week. It’s quite difficult to do. The ideal amount of weight loss per week is 1-2 lbs/week. Keep this is in mind.

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask away. Remember, this type of goal setting can be applied to any type of goal. I used the weight loss example because it is often on people’s New Years Resolutions. Make this year the best year to be healthy, fit and active. You can do it!

Food Fridays

So I decided to create something called “Food Fridays” where I guarantee post a delicious recipe every Friday. Most weekends people eat out, but to stay on track for your health and weight loss goals, it’s usually better to eat at home. Restaurant foods contain tons of excess sugars, salts, and fats — even more so that we realize. I know everyone is different on their food preferences, but I will do my best to choose foods that are enjoyable by most. If you try a great and healthy recipe, feel free to send me an email and I will post it up on the blog. Email me at wellness@cardinalcouriers.com

This coming Food Friday: Quesadilla Casserole from Clean Eating!

 

 

 

10 Fat Burning Foods

Looking to burn some calories before the end of the year? Check out these 10 Fat Burning Foods from elle.com

1. Kale –

2. Broccoli Rabe – tells your fat cells to burn fat

3. Avocados – increases fat burning and tells the fat factory to stop storing the blasted fat. Added bonus: boosts metabolism!

4. Brazil Nuts – boosts metabolism

5. Chia Seeds – suppress appetite and increase metabolism

6. Wild salmon – improves insulin sensitivity and reduces the fat form the waistline

7. Oysters – low in calories and decreases appetite

8. Coconut Oil – rich in medium-chained-triglycerides (MCTs), which your body preferentially uses for energy… less likely it’ll be stored for energy

9. Cinnamon – communicates with the fat storing hormone and tells it to bugger off – need at least a quarter teaspoon

10. Coffee – stimulates adrenaline which tells us to burn fat… have it black because milk decreases the fat burning effects

For some great ways to incorporate these foods into your diet, check out the link here: http://www.elle.com/beauty/health-fitness/fat-burning-foods?click=next#slide-1

Southwestern Cheddar Steak Fries from Clean Eating

Your mouth will water as soon as you see this delicious recipe. Oh my goodness it looks delicious. Apart from being delicious, want to know another amazing benefit? This recipe only takes 8 minutes to make! I found this recipe on Clean Eating and it was posted by Nancy S. Hughes. Enjoy!!

Serves: 4
Hands-on time: 8 minutes
Total time: 27 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

 

Photo by: Edward Pond

• 1 lb red or Yukon gold potatoes, scrubbed and cut lengthwise into 3/4-inch wedges
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1 oz finely shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/3 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
• 2 tbsp finely chopped cilantro

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a large baking sheet with foil. Place potatoes on baking sheet, drizzle evenly with oil and toss to coat lightly. In a small bowl, combine paprika, cumin and garlic powder. Sprinkle paprika mixture evenly over both sides of potatoes, then arrange potatoes in a single layer. Bake in center of oven for 10 minutes, then flip and stir, and bake for 7 minutes or until lightly golden and tender when pierced with a fork.
2. Remove from oven. Sprinkle with salt, cheese and pepper. Bake for 2 minutes more or until cheese has melted slightly. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve immediately for peak flavor.

Nutrients per serving (2/3 cup serving cheddar steak fries): Calories: 154, Total Fat: 5 g, Sat. Fat: 1.5 g, Carbs: 22 g, Fiber: 2 g, Sugars: 0.5 g, Protein: 5 g, Sodium: 187 mg, Cholesterol: 5 mg

*****

Nutritional Bonus: Oranges may get all of the glory, but our southwestern fries also offer an excellent supply of vitamin C – nearly 70% of your daily need. If you’re slacking on your intake of the immunity-booting vitamin now that cold and flu season is long gone, here’s something to ponder: You need vitamin C for the growth and repair of all bodily tissues. Plus, your body doesn’t make or store the nutrient.

*****

TIP:
Red and Yukon gold potatoes generally weigh 2 to 6 ounces each. When shopping, select taters that weigh about 6 ounces in order to achieve these long spear-like wedges (ideal for holding a substantial helping of our bright toppings!).

http://www.cleaneatingmag.com/uncategorized/southwestern-cheddar-steak-fries/

Top 3 Ways to Boost Your Metabolism

I am a huge fan of the Tone It Up girls, Karena and Katrina. I love their Nutrition plan, their exercises and how motivating they are. They offer a great method of social support through a Tone It Up Community where you can post what you’ve eaten for the day, what exercises you have completed, questions you have and even just to say “AHH! I’M LACKING MOTIVATION!!!”

Katrina posted an awesome video on the TIU website about 3 ways to boost your metabolism. I strongly encourage you check out their webpage. They are extremely motivating and quite knowledgeable. Here are the main points from the video. If you check out the video, let me know what you think!

Top 3 Ways to Boost your Metabolism:

1. HYDRATION!!!

– If you are chronically dehydrated, you can gain up to 10 pounds in 1 year
– If you are not properly hydrated, your body cannot function
– K&K recommendation: drink at least half your body weight in ounces of water  (ex. if you weigh 150 lbs, drink 75 oz of water) and for every 30 minutes of activity you do, drink an extra 8 oz of water
– Interesting fact from K&K: You can gain this 10 pounds even if you are eating a good diet and exercising. This may be the key to helping you lose those stubborn last few pounds!

2. High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)

– Increases your metabolism for the rest of the day. Why? Because of EPOC (Exercise Post Oxygen Consumption)
– What is EPOC? Since your body temperature is higher, it has to work hard to get back to a normal state and uses nutrients (Side note: I did a HIIT workout on Sunday and I was extremely red faced for at least 30 minutes after the workout… oh baby!)
– Turns us into a fat burning machine

3. Lean Clean and Green Foods

– Nutrient dense foods your bodies love: eat a certain parts of the day
– Lean meats, clean foods (process free) and green (tons of veggies, fruits – antioxidants etc)
– When you have protein- thermic effect on your body… you burn calories while you eat protein

Check out Karena & Katrina’s website: www.toneitup.com I love love love these girls! Such inspirations for me!

http://toneitup.com/2013/11/new-video-top-3-ways-to-boost-your-metabolism/

 

Control your Cravings with this Smoothie!

How many times do you have a huge craving and just hope that it goes away so you don’t have to consume excess calories? This smoothie will do just the trick! It’s a magic mixture of fat, fibre and protein found on Mind, Body, Green. This holiday season we’re going to be consuming loads of sugar which will guarantee have an impact on our cravings. Here’s the recipe:

Ingredients
•1 cup frozen blueberries
•1/2 cup fresh spinach
•2 cups coconut water
•1 tbsp chia seeds
•1 tbsp bee pollen
•1 tbsp hemp protein powder
•1 tbsp cacao
•handful of ice

Directions

Blend all ingredients in a high-speed blender.

Photo from Mind, Body, Green

Yummy Healthier Pizzas

As soon as I saw these recipes, my mouth started to salivate. It’s funny because I hated pizza until I was in grade 8 and now the instant I see pizza (mind you, I like the healthier pizzas with chicken, goat cheese and spinach), I crave it. Here are some great alternatives to pizza recipes I found on Lauren Conrad’s website. The first pizza was made by her and the second was made by Eat, Drink, Smile.

Here’s Lauren’s recipe/comments:

Whenever I get an insatiable pizza craving (and I’m trying to be good), I come up with alternative ways I can enjoy that cheesy, saucy taste sans carbs…

A few weeks ago, I attempted a carb-less version (see Exhibit A) that I kind of made up. Basically, I threw together all the veggies I could find (zucchini, broccoli, tomato, onion, mushrooms) and steamed them. Once they were tender, I mixed them with chunky tomato sauce and poured the hodgepodge of vegetables it into a baking dish. Finally, I layered sliced mozzarella cheese over the top and baked it in the oven at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes (until the cheese melted). To be honest, it was pretty darn good. And it totally hit the spot! After the success of this experiment I did as any good blogger would do and took to the Internet in search of a truly carb-less pizza recipe to share with all of you. And let me tell you, I found a goldmine!

Exhibit A:

 

It may sound so wrong, but it’s just so right: Cauliflower Crust Pizza. I found the recipe on Eat, Drink, Smile and am really excited to try it. The entire crust is only 434 calories, which is just insane. Usually a single slice of pizza will cost you 400 calories alone. With this cauliflower version, one serving is just 109 calories. Crazy… Anyway, I have posted the recipe for you below. I’d love to hear what you think about it after giving it a try…

Cauliflower Crust Pizza Recipe courtesy of Eat, Drink, Smile.

 

Serves 2
Ingredients

• 1 cup cooked, riced cauliflower
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon crushed garlic
• ½ teaspoon garlic salt
• olive oil (optional)
• pizza sauce, shredded cheese and choice of your toppings*

Instructions
To “rice” the Cauliflower: Take 1 large head of fresh cauliflower, remove stems and leaves, and chop the florets into chunks. Add to food processor and pulse until it looks like grain. Do not over-do pulse or you will puree it. (If you don’t have a food processor, you can grate the whole head with a cheese grater). Place the riced cauliflower into a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 8 minutes. There is no need to add water, as the natural moisture in the cauliflower is enough to cook itself. One large head should produce approximately 3 cups of riced cauliflower. The remainder can be used to make additional pizza crusts immediately, or can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week.
To Make the Pizza Crust:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together 1 cup cauliflower, egg and mozzarella. Add oregano, crushed garlic and garlic salt, stir. Transfer to the cookie sheet, and using your hands, pat out into a 9″ round. Optional: Brush olive oil over top of mixture to help with browning.
3. Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes.
4. Remove from oven.
5. To the crust, add sauce, toppings and cheese. Place under a broiler at high heat just until cheese is melted (approximately 3-4 minutes).

*Note: Toppings need to be precooked since you are only broiling for a few minutes.
For more tips on making this recipe, check out Eat, Drink, Smile.

The Awesomeness of Grapefruit

I have to admit, I have never been a fan of grapefruit, and I still am not 100% in love with the aftertaste, but I have been having grapefruits more regularly now. Why? There are so many benefits! Here are the benefits of grapefruit based on Tone It Up’s website:

• Curbs your appetite, creating a full feeling in your tummy!
• Stimulates the liver to activate fat burning enzymes, that break down fatty acids in the body.
• Contains a flavonoid called naringin that helps with your insulin levels. It’s the reason for the bitter taste, but we add a littte stevia. Grapefruit is amazing as a weight loss food because it’s low glycemic Index, meaning it won’t spike your blood sugar levels. Naringin also helps with insulin sensitivity. The hormone insulin is released when your blood sugar spikes, causing you to crash, store the calories as fat and be hungrier sooner. Grapefruit actually lowers insulin levels which helps to keep your blood sugar levels steady so the calories are used as energy instead.
• Naringin also promotes lean muscle growth in an anabolic state (after those workouts when your body is repairing!)
• Contains cancer-fighting compounds like liminoids and lycopene
• Packed with over 200mg of vitamin C & has other vitamins such as A, B complex (for hair skin & nails), E & K.
• Contains calcium, folic acid (eat up prenatal mamas!), phosphorus & potassium
• Has an alkaline reaction after digestion ~ helping you stay balanced!
• Contains bioflavonoids that have been found to lower excess estrogen levels and helps to stop breast cancer from spreading.
• Curbs that sweet tooth!
• Assists in digestion
• Helps with detoxing the liver.. after a fun night out with the girls!

Mini Chicken Pot Pies

Since it’s getting colder outside, a great way to warm your belly and your heart is by having a warm, healthy recipe for breakfast, lunch or dinner :). Check out Lauren Conrad’s Recipe on Mini Chicken Pot Pies that have found to be a hit!

Ingredients:

• muffin pan
• 2 rolls of whole wheat refrigerated biscuit dough
• 1 cup diced russet potatoes
• 1 cup diced carrots
• 1 cup peas
• 1 cup diced green beans
• 1 cup diced onion
• 1 cup roasted chicken, shredded
• 2 eggs
• salt and pepper for taste
• 5 cups chicken broth (to make these heartier, use cream of chicken soup)

Instructions: 1. Preheat the over to 425 degrees. Then, in a large bowl, mix together your diced vegetables, chicken broth, eggs, and shredded chicken. (For the chicken, I just bought a whole roasted chicken from the market, pulled the meat off the bone, and shredded it.)

2. Take your whole-wheat dough and, using your fingers, divide it into the muffin holes, forming a mini crust in each.

3. Fill each muffin hole with your pot pie mixture. I filled mine up pretty full (but not so they overflowed) because I wanted more filling than dough in my pot pies.

4. Sprinkle a touch of salt and pepper on top of each pot pie.

5.    Bake for 25-30 minutes until each one is golden brown.

For what the recipe looks like step by step, check it out here: http://laurenconrad.com/blog/post/recipe-healthy-mini-chicken-vegetable-pot-pies-lauren-conrad-november-2013