Ideal Nutrition

Posted on May 23, 2013 by danayeats

Hopefully, now with better sleep and exercise you are feeling more balanced and more energetic. Now let’s tackle your nutrition. Do you eat out a lot for lunch or dinner. Try bringing your lunch and eating dinner in at least half the week. Not only will you be saving yourself $40-$100 a week, (depending if you eat both meals out regularly), but you will be able to make healthier choices.You will also be eating normal proportion sizes and you will know exactly what is in your food; such as substituting olive oil (healthy fat – cold pressed extra virgin olive oil) for butter. Try to include fresh raw veggies and fruits with each meal or snack.

This can easily be achieved by having fruit for breakfast or  a smoothie (fruit is very easy for our bodies to digest and convert to immediate energy – you start the day with your body packed with many powerful vitamins and minerals), prepare a large salad for lunch or at lease opt for the side salad and for dinner include seasonal veggies or a salad. The extra vitamins and minerals that you will be consuming will provide your body energy, stimulate healthy cell growth and the increased fiber will promote intestinal health.

Overemphasizing a particular food , such as protein, carbohydrate, fruit or vegetables is a mistake. Ideal nutrition is possible only when adequate quantities and due proportions of all food’s are present in the diet. This will lead to a balanced diet. Don’t mistake this for needing each category in every meal but in  your overall diet. I do believe in and promote whole food eating over processed foods. So anywhere, you can add or substitute a whole food (fruits, veggies, whole grains, lean protein..etc) for a traditional processed food (processed grains, pre-made/high sodium foods..etc) the better off you will be.

This week’s challenge: Start your day with fruit, bring your lunch to work and make dinner at your house; include raw veggies with both lunch and dinner and eat fruit for your snack.

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Exercise

Posted on May 22, 2013 by danayeats

We all know we need to exercise, a body in motion is a healthy body, but if you are like most people you can find many excuses not to exercise. So today throw those excuses out the window. For the rest of the week those excuses don’t exist and you are going to get your body moving!

We all need to aim for 3-5 workouts a week, that last 30-45 mins (once you get over 30 mins you are typically burning fat – depending upon your intensity). Not only does exercise help reduce stress, it provides excess oxygen to our cells that promote increased energy and cell regeneration.

Our cardio workouts promote a healthy heart and increased lung capacity. Pilates and yoga lengthen and strengthen our muscles, ligaments, tendons and promotes body balance (since I have always been a bit on the clumsy side, I can use all the body balance I can muster). Strength and resistance training promotes muscle strength, muscle mass (an increase in muscle mass will promote continued fat burning even after your workout has ended) and helps build up our bone density. Women especially need to add a resistance or strength training portion to their workout to promote healthy bone density.

So get outside for a run or walk today and get your vitamin D while exercising. If you are just starting a workout routine don’t over do it, but start slow. Remember, we want sustainable changes so it doesn’t do your body any good if you go to hard, to fast and get injured. Start 3-5 workouts this week that last 30-45 min. If you have been working out regularly, increase your intensity or add one of the above elements (cardio, balance or strength) to your routine if you are currently missing one. Schedule your workouts on your calendar, this will help combat the typical excuses that we all come up with. Start moving today!

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Sleep Patterns

Posted on May 21, 2013 by danayeats

Sleep-

We all know that we need it, but how much do we need and what are some tips to achieving a restful night of sleep. Most sleep studies state that the normal adult requires anywhere from 6-8 hours of sleep per night. If you are currently getting less than that try the following tips that will help prepare your body for a restful night of sleep.

  • Limit or avoid all caffeine after lunch
  • Do not eat anything within 2-3 hours of going to bed (foods that contain sugar will stimulate your brain while you are trying to fall asleep, or a large meal before bed can cause indigestion.)
  • Avoid stimulating TV programs or books that increase your adrenaline (I like you enjoy a great murder mystery or a fast paced show, but try to limit those right before bed)
  • Limit alcohol intake as it dehydrates your body
  • Do breathing exercises where you focus on your breath (try counting on each exhalation – when you get to 5 start back at 1)
  • Do  stretches  and meditate to slow down your brain and ease into a state of relaxation

A good night of sleep not only recharges your body, it gets you prepared to face the next day. We cannot be at our best or optimum health if we are tired and sluggish. Regular sleep helps to reduce our daily stress and anxiety; and keeps our energy levels balanced.  So tonight turn off the TV early, do some simple stretches and deep breathing where you are focused on your breath and aim for 6-8 hours of peaceful/restful sleep. Keep this up for the rest of the week and I know you will see a change in your sleep patterns.

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Synergistic Relationships – Living and Food

Posted on May 20, 2013 by danayeats

We need to realize that a synergistic relationship exists between our foods and our overall living and quality of life. We do not live by food alone. We breath, drink, work, play, sleep, rest, think, reproduce, misbehave..etc..We are not what we eat but a sum total of all of the effects of living. Exercise improves our assimilative powers. Rest and sleep keep our fatigue at bay. Sunshine helps us assimilate our foods and allows our bodies to convert pro-vitamins into vitamins (hello Vitamin D). A fast can help restore our nutrition.

We need to keep the total picture in mind when we are reaching for ideal health and balance within our lives. If you have been following my blog, you already know that I strive for overall balance in my own life. I also strive to help my clients achieve an overall life,nutrition and health balance. Stay tuned for daily challenges throughout the week, that are simple changes that can help restore and maintain your overall balance. They will address sleep, exercise, nutrition and relationships. I hope you enjoy the upcoming challenge!

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Chicken for 2

Posted on May 17, 2013 by danayeats

Here is a great chicken recipe if you are looking for a nice variation to the plain old chicken.

Saute chicken breast (cook 2 min per side on med-high heat and then cover and cook an additional 5 min per side or until cooked all the way through).

Saute 1/2 small red onion once they start to carmelize add 1/2 a container of sliced portobello mushrooms

Plate up your chicken, add a drizzle of BBQ sauce on top, add 1/2 the mushroom and onion mixture. Add a couple chunks of raw red bell pepper for crunch along with a couple of slices of avocado for an addition of creamy texture.

This dinner has vitamins, minerals, lean protein and is quite delicious. Add a green salad to balance out this dinner.

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Oranges- How to eat them

Posted on May 16, 2013 by danayeats

If you are like most people you may experience a ” rotten” stomach or a sour stomach after you eat oranges. Chances are you can eat oranges and have a wonderful experience, you just have to know how to eat them.

Now you are probably thinking, that seems like a silly question and that you just eat oranges. Well for most people, if they eat oranges with a meal (which most of us do) their stomach will get upset. They might not even associate it with the oranges themselves. See oranges digest quickly and easily in our stomachs; which make them a great food to eat. They provide immediate energy to our bodies and are easily eliminated as well.

They provide so many vital minerals and vitamins to our bodies that they should be a staple in everyone’s diet while they are in season. One regular sized orange provides over 100% of our daily vitamin C requirements, it also provides calcium, vitamin A  and fiber. It is a wonderful snack choice, since they are very portable and easy eat.

So what is the best way to eat oranges, so you don’t experience the “rotten” stomach feeling. Eat oranges on their own or about 15-20 minutes before your meal. Since they are best to eat on their own make an orange your morning or afternoon snack when you are craving something sweet. You will be amazed at the difference your body feels when you eat oranges on their own. So go ahead and enjoy this wonderful, sweet and nutritious powerhouse snack today.

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Taco Salad

Posted on May 15, 2013 by danayeats

This is absolutely one of my favorite go to quick and easy mid-week meals that keeps everyone asking for more in my house. This can also be easily converted to a smaller quantity or is great as leftovers.

1 lb ground turkey, beef or chicken

1 package taco seasoning – low sodium or make your own

2 can black beans rinsed

1 can pinto beans rinsed

tortillas

Diced avocado & cherry tomatoes as toppings

Adult version: add chopped romaine lettuce in the bottom of your bowl and tortilla bowl and add salsa on top.

Brown your meat, (if using beef make sure you drain the excess fat) add the seasonings and simmer for about 5 minutes. Add your beans and simmer until warm.  As your meat is browning, make your taco shells. I love my tortilla shell molds (they are very inexpensive) but if you don’t have those you can use another bowl or tin foil to shape your tortillas into a bowl. I usually bake mine at 350 for 10-15 minutes. These can be made ahead of time and stored. Start to finish you are really talking 10 to 15 minutes – which is perfect for a mid-week meal.

Try this dinner tonight, it packed full of lean protein (especially the ground turkey or chicken version and the beans), black beans also contain flavonoid anti-oxidants that work together with vitamins to help the body avoid oxygen-related damage; along with omega 3 fatty acids. This salad also contains Vitamin C, A, iron and fiber. Add this meal this week and I promise you will stick with it for the taste and nutritional content it provides.

taco salad

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Motivation Journal

Posted on May 14, 2013 by danayeats

A motivation journal, in a very simple tool that helps keep you on track. When I task my clients with this, sometimes they are a little skeptical at first but the feedback I receive after a week or so is always positive. You can make it as complex or as simple as you want but there a few basics that are required.

The most basic version is keeping track of your energy and moods while you eat and drink, and about an hour or so after you eat and drink. In the fast paced environment that we all live in, it is very easy to forget to take stock in how we are feeling and how our foods and drink choices either eliminate our energy or provide us energy. Each person is different, which is why it is so important to get in touch with what foods work for you and which ones don’t. It can be as simple as noting what you eat and drink and stating high, medium or low energy and happy, even or low mood.

The path of good health can be challenging and we can easily get side tracked if we are only keeping our eye on the scale. This journal will help keep track of your other victories that I feel are substantial, but can easily be overlooked and forgotten.  Remember, the path of healthy living is much more than a specific weight goal. It encompasses:our energy, our life balance, our happiness with ourselves and others, relaxation, and just plain enjoyment of life.

This journal will become a great resource and insight into yourself that will help keep you on track with your overall goals. I understand the frustration associated with not losing weight when you want to but this journal will help keep the other victories in your sight (increased energy level due to “fill in the blank” meal, better hydration so you can exercise longer due to increase water consumption, etc). So start learning and begin listening to your body and what it needs, this will offer you so much comfort over the long-term.

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Being Thankful

Posted on May 13, 2013 by danayeats

On this Mother’s Day, I am feeling very thankful! I have an amazing family and a truly blessed life. If we each stop to think about what we are thankful for each day, I believe it helps lead us, to live a healthier and more balanced life. As we all continue with the “balance” struggles and normal stresses of life, we can easily reach for the unhealthy vices that call to each of us. But when we stop and realize , even in all in all the craziness that we call life, we have so much to be thankful for (family, children, happiness, love, friends, profession, hobbies that bring us passion and join..etc..) it helps find and maintain our motivation that sometimes waivers when choosing healthy choices. We each have to find that individual motivation to keep on the path of healthy living. It could simply be: wanting to complete your mile run a little bit faster than last time, finding and sticking with healthy food choices because you are starting to realize how foods affect your moods and energy, it could be for yourself and  your long-term health, it could be for your children so you can try to keep up with their insatiable amount of energy they all seem to possess, or it could be to fit into that pair of skinny jeans that we all own.

So today, on the day after Mother’s Day regardless if you are a mother or not, take 5 minutes for yourself and truly look inside your heart to what your motivation is. Once you realize what that is, write it down. Put it in your Iphone notes, your journal, your notebook where ever you will see it frequently. Each day look at what your motivation is, and I promise you will be more conscience of your food choices, your exercise routine and your moods when you become an active participant in your health and stay focused on your individual motivation.

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Asian Chicken Wrap

Posted on May 10, 2013 by danayeats

Need another easy lunch idea that is portable and packed full of vitamins and minerals?

Try my Asian Chicken Wrap:

Grill or saute up a chicken breast 5-7 min per side or until cooked all the way through

Thinly slice, horizontally against the grain

Slice red bell pepper and red cabbage ( can also add snow or sugar peas, spinach, fresh ginger as variations)

Layer in a tortilla and either pack a couple teaspoons of your favorite asian dressing or lightly drizzle on top.  This wrap is packed full of lean protein, beta-carotene, fiber, vitamin A, C and K and the following minerals: calcium, potassium and manganese to name a few. So roll it all up and enjoy.

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