Chicken Southeast Asian Fruit Salad

Posted on August 8, 2013 by danayeats

Chicken Fruit SaladTo make this salad poach 1 chicken breast or buy a rotisserie chicken already cooked and chop 1 breast into bite size pieces.
Slice an orange into segments, slice a green apple into chunks, cut red or green grapes in half, and chop romaine lettuce.

To make the dressing start with serrano chilli peppers (1-2), remove the seeds and ribs of the pepper if you want to tone down the spiciness. I prefer the seeds left in it, but I usually add those to my portion so the kids portion doesn’t get spicy. Add cilantro 1-2 teaspoons and lime juice 2-4 Tb to the pepper in a bowl, add some sugar (start with a 1/2 teaspoon and taste until the sugar balances out the acid from the lime juice).

Once the dressing is ready add the chicken and fruit in a bowl and then add the dressing. If you are going to keep this salad for while, gather all of the ingredients but don’t dress until you are ready to serve it.

This makes a perfect lunch salad, that is refreshing and filling.

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Toss The White Rice

Posted on July 16, 2013 by danayeats

Do you find yourself eating white rice throughout the week, either as a side dish, with stir-fry or in your salads? If so toss it from your pantry today.

White rice has been striped of 90% of its B vitamin, 60% of its iron, and most of its fiber and essential fatty acids during the refining process.

A better substitute for white rice is brown rice. If you long ago switched to brown rice and feel tired or bored with it I recommend the following substitutes; bulgur, wheat berries, or farro. All of these are great whole grain options and you cook them the same way you would your rice.

Adding whole grain foods to your diet not only gives you the carbohydrate that your body craves in a healthy fashion but it also provides more “bulk” so you will be satisfied longer. Adding whole grains to your diet will provide as much as 8 grams of fiber and can reduce your risk for heart disease by roughly 20%. Start today and add bulgur, wheat berries or farro to your soups, salads or stir-fries to increase your whole grain intake.

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Portable and Healthy Snacks

Posted on July 12, 2013 by danayeats

Do you find that snacks are your nutritional downfall and you are reaching for chips or snacks from the office vending machine? You are not alone, if you haven’t planned out your snacks you might be like most of us that fall into the pit hole of reaching for the easy and not always healthy foods. Here are 6 easy, healthy and portable snack ideas that won’t wreak havoc on your weight goals:

  • Seasonal fruit with good quality yogurt and freshly ground flaxseed.
  • Whole-grain crackers with cheese or smoked salmon.
  • A small handful of raw or lightly roasted nuts.
  • Toasted whole wheat pita with some hummus.
  • A hardboiled egg (look for omega-3 enriched eggs for added nutritional value) sprinkle with smoked paprika.
  • Fresh vegetables with high quality yogurt – add fresh herbs to add more flavor.

With the addition of healthy snacks and correct portioned meals your blood glucose with stay stable throughout the day. With this added stability you will have the additional energy you desire and will be on the path of reaching your health and wellness goals!

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Meatless Monday

Posted on June 10, 2013 by danayeats

To all my friends that are vegetarian or like to have a vegetarian option a couple of nights a week. You have to try this recipe. Now don’t get too skeptical when I tell you it is meatless and doesn’t contain dairy. Trust me it is delicious, my husband didn’t realize it didn’t have ricotta cheese in it until I told him, and both my kids love this recipe.

Baked Ziti (or your favorite pasta) with Mushroom Sauce

2 Tb olive oil

2C chopped cremini mushrooms

1 -25 oz jar tomato sauce

1lb extra firm organic tofu, drained

1/3C chopped fresh basil

2Tb lemon juice

12oz Ziti

1/2C chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Cook Ziti to just tender about 10 min. Warm sauce with mushrooms on stove until softened, about 10 min. In a blender, combine tofu, basil, lemon juice & olive oil. Process until the consistency resembles ricotta cheese.

Spread some tomato mixture over the bottom of a 13×9 baking dish. In a large bowl combine the drained pasta, tofu mixture and remaining tomato mixture. Add in parsley and fold gently to blend. Transfer to the baking dish and spread evenly. Bake uncovered for about 15 minutes, until heated through. Add a green salad to balance out your dinner. I hope you enjoy meatless Monday with this new recipe as much as my family does.

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Arm and Leg Workout

Posted on June 7, 2013 by danayeats

Are you looking to tone up your arms legs as the weather is warming up. Here is the perfect arm and leg workout that can easily be added to your gym routine or completed at home. All you need are free weights (either 5, 7 or 10 lb depending upon your current fitness level) or a resistance band.

Complete the following routine 3 times

Start with bicep curls 12 reps

Lateral rises 12 reps

Squat with arms at a 90 degree angle and push up as you straighten your legs

Plank hold for 30 sec-1 minute

Push up with leg extension 8-12 reps

If you add this routine in to your normal workout 3-4 times a week you will see a noticeable difference in  your arms and legs.

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Quinoa = Super Food

Posted on June 6, 2013 by danayeats

Quinoa – you can use it anywhere you usually use rice but it takes half the time and is better for you which for me is a huge bonus. I personally like the red or tri-color .It is considered a super food due to the protein content, fiber, omega 3’s and not to mention vitamins and minerals. I love using it in stir frys. I also add it to my salads  to add a little more texture and taste.

Here is a super easy stir-fry recipe .

Stir-Fry:

Start quinoa on stove – I use water as my based but some people use chicken broth or stock to add more flavor – it is  up to you. It cooks for 15 min covered.

Then move onto your meat and veggies:

Flat iron steak or chicken breast slice in 1/2 “ wide strips sauté with olive oil 4-5 per side; take out of pan

Add any favorite veggies you love: I usually use carrots sliced ½’ thick, snow peas or sugar peas whole, bell pepper sliced, mushrooms sliced, cabbage sliced, & brocolli sauté /steam in same pan cover with lid for 3-5, the veggies will release their natural waters and self steam…then I usually take the lid off for the remaining 5 min or to the texture you like your veggies cooked too.

Once I assemble the quinoa & the stir-fry mixture I add a little soy sauce and either schezwan sauce or some other spicy sauce I have around – we like spicy food. Hope you enjoy this fast, delicious SUPER FOOD Stir Fry!

 

 

 

 

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Chicken Rice Noodle Salad

Posted on June 5, 2013 by danayeats

Are you looking for a quick and healthy portable lunch or fast dinner? Do you or someone in your family suffer from Celica’s disease or gluten intolerance? If so then this recipe is for you.
I love this quick and easy go to salad, and my kids think the rice noodles are hilarious (go figure a 4.5 year old and 2.5 year old they think the strangest things are funny ).
The following is for one serving:
Poach or sauté a ½ – 1 boneless skinless chicken breast, while you are preparing the chicken cook the rice noodles. I love using rice noodles since they only take a couple minutes to cook. Shred a carrot, slice ½ a bell pepper, shred about ¾ cup of green or purple (or combination of both) cabbage. Slice 1/8 or amount you like of red onion, if you enjoy peanuts you can add a small handful. Fresh mint and parsley makes this salad pop with a wonderful freshness. Lightly dress with red wine vinegar or sesame dressing.
This is a great portable lunch or a great dinner with the addition of a side green salad. You have lean protein; you will get over 100 % vitamin A & C in this salad, along with calcium, iron, and fiber. Hope you enjoy this salad as much as my family and I do.

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Fruit and Veggies

Posted on June 4, 2013 by danayeats

Have you wondered how you should eat your fruits and vegetables to get all of their health benefits? The best way to eat fruit and veggies is to eat them raw. When you eat them raw you are enjoying their natural flavors and getting all of the added benefits of their vitamins and minerals. When we cook our fruit or vegetables we lose a lot of their health benefits.
The best way to cook vegetables is to lightly steam them. Never boil or completely cover them with water. When vegetables are covered in water and cooked, all of their vitamin and mineral content leaches out into the water that we dump down the drain. So essentially, we are tossing out all of the health benefits of eating them to begin with and are left with limp vitamin less food. If you don’t already have a steamer basket, I urge you to get one today. You can easily achieve the perfect cooked vegetable with this essential item.
I also keep raw vegetables out for my kids anytime I am cooking them. Both of them seem to prefer the raw over cooked, which I believe has to do with the texture. Even when I lightly saute or steam our vegetables, they usually take on a different texture, and let’s be honest if they want raw over even lightly cooked veggies it is better for them.
Adding fruits and vegetables to your daily diet is essential, not only are they low calorie (which is perfect if you are trying to lose weight), they contain fiber and protein (vegetables contain more protein than fruit), but they contain all of the essential vitamins and minerals that our body craves and requires. Aim to get 3-4 servings of fruits and vegetables each day (a serving is a about 1/2 cup); this might seem like a lot at first but if you eat a large salad at lunch you have probably gotten 2-3 servings of vegetables, eat fruit for breakfast (1-2 servings), a piece of fruit for your afternoon snack, and then a vegetable at dinner. Add these essential vitamins and minerals today, you will notice an increase of energy, a feeling of fullness without feeling sluggish and your body will thank you.

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Brain vs. Stomach

Posted on June 3, 2013 by danayeats

After you eat a meal are you still hungry? If so, you are not alone. Many people do not initially feel satisfied with the completion of their meal. This feeling leads to many people overeating. There are many reasons for this feeling of not being satisfied.
As a society we tend to eat quickly and not chew our foods completely. Also, there is a chemical reaction that takes place in our brain to trigger fullness. This chemical reaction takes about 20-30 minutes after we have stopped eating to occur.
So today, I urge you to eat more mindfully, really chew your food and instead of reaching for an additional serving; sit, relax and wait for your food to have a chance to digest. If you are still hungry after 30 minutes, reach for a healthy bite. Veggies or fruit are great alternatives to chips or second helpings.

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Relationships = Success

Posted on May 24, 2013 by danayeats

We all get busy with our daily lives but we need to remember our support system; which usually encompasses our friends and family. So much of our overall happiness is derived from these relationships, which leads to our overall balance and health in life. It is easy to fall into the trap of not being 100% present for these relationships. We need to stop, slow down and realize what these relationships truly provide us, along with what we provide in return.

If you are trying to make healthy changes in your life but your partner doesn’t seem to understand or support your actions; I urge you to sit down and truly explain what you are trying to accomplish (renewed energy, cardiac health, more muscle tone, healthier food options, limited sugar, etc.). Remember, the path to good health is a journey and you will need support to achieve and sustain your goals.

If you have relationships that drain or stress you out, they can be harmful to your health . The constant state of stress is bad for you heart, skin, and digestion to name a few. Be active in your relationships and decide what you need, want and can give. Do not feel guilty for taking charge of what you need!

With the right support system anything is possible and hope can be restored. I recently had a client tell me that after one of our coaching sessions, she felt hopeful for the future and her health. For me, that was so moving and probably the biggest compliant I could have received from a client!

So take charge today and feel inspired and hopeful for what tomorrow can bring!

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