Sushi Surprise

Today, May 30th, 2011, marks our five-year dating anniversary!

Nick grew up on the same golf course where the Memorial Golf Tournament takes place (hole 11, to be exact), but like he said last night, "This week no longer reminds me of golf, it reminds me of the time I found the love of my life"....awwwww, tear (sorry, kind of cheesey, but I thought it was cute!).


On Friday we went to the Dairy Queen where we literally bought ice cream every single night when we first started dating (dating causes weight gain, and this is why!).


Like we used to, we bought two medium hot fudge sundaes with the fudge sauce on the side so it wouldn't melt by the time we made it home.


And while I didn't get a ring, Nick surprised me by taking me to a new sushi place. He hates sushi, so this was pretty special.

Sushi with tempura inside is pure genius. I took one bite and felt like I was in heaven.


This sushi was wrapped with cucumber instead of nori (seaweed). Inside the sushi was white fish, salmon and tuna. The sushi was topped with calamari and a spicy mayo and served over a bed of romaine with a ginger soy sauce. Oh my gosh, I couldn't believe how tasty this was!

While at dinner I tried a Bud Light Golden Wheat beer. Nicole (Prevention RD) had talked about this beer in a previous post, and had mentioned how it tasted like Blue Moon. She was right! This beer is not only cheaper than Blue Moon, but it's also half the calories. What's not to love ?! I think I'm hooked.

Today I'm taking advantage of the sun and I'll be doing some yard work, laying out and reading a new book, and then grilling out with the family. On the menu: grass-fed burgers with avocado and Swiss on whole wheat buns, served with baked beans, quinoa salad, berries and brownies!

QUESTION: Will you be grilling out today?? If so, what will you grill?

Small Changes = Big Rewards

When I first became a dietitian I was overwhelmed by my clients who needed to make several changes to their diet. I always had a hard time focusing on just one part of their diet, as I often felt obligated to make everything better in just one visit. I assumed they would never come back after the first meeting so I figured it was best to tell them everything they needed to know, right off the bat. Of course, what I didn't realize then was that they certainly wouldn't come back if I overwhelmed them with too much information and too many goals during our first meeting!

Source: iStock Photo

I met with a client the other day who, like many people I see, had several areas of her diet that needed modified. She knew she needed to make some major changes to her diet and lifestyle, but she didn't know where to begin (and in the past, neither would I). As I looked at her diet I thought to myself; she needs more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, dairy, and less sugar, refined carbohydrates, and liquid calories.

Source: iStock Photo

Instead of telling her all this, and completely overwhelming her and making her feel stressed, I focused on one thing; Sugar. I gave her four goals, one to complete for each week before we meet again. She left with a smile on her face, and I could tell she was motivated to change.

The next week I saw her and she told me she had already completed two of her goals, and was working on goal three. Obviously it isn't always this easy, and like I said to her on that day, she will inevitably have days when she will want to revert back to her old ways, but that's normal. The bottom line is that small changes do work, and while the outward results may not be completely evident right away, inside your body will be thanking you from the moment you make that first small change.

That brings me to the next segment of this post;

Have You Ever Wondered.......?

How people will quickly give up carbohydrates and eat beef jerky and eggs all day, but when you tell them to eat a piece of fruit they turn their noses?

Source: iStockPhoto

How people will agree to give themselves shots of hormones and go on a 500-calorie diet, but if you told them to just start adding a bit more protein to their diets and be more active, they say it's too hard?!

How people will sip on liquid meal replacements all day, but if you told them to just stop eating eating dessert every single night they say it's impossible?!

Why does this happen?! It's because we all want that quick fix, instant gratification. But the bottom line is that instant gratification only leads to future heartbreak. Wouldn't you rather take it slow and be healthy for a lifetime? Wouldn't you rather make small changes that lead to a lifetime of feeling good and making healthier choices?!

Source: iStockPhoto

Tami from Nutmeg Notebook has created a "Small Change Challenge". Go ahead and check it out if you're interested in joining the challenge. The small change I am making is to not snack all day on my days off, and while at work. I know I know, I don't have a weight problem, so who cares (that's what you're thinking, right?!). The point is to prove to myself that I can practice what I preach. It's one thing to snack when you're hungry, but lately I've been snacking on a full stomach. Not good.

QUESTION: What small change will you make during the next few months? Make sure it's something that you can keep up for a lifetime!

Truvia and Red Hot

Today's post is all about my favorite combination; Truvia + Frank's Red Hot, mixed together into a beautiful sauce. It's amazing.

Ok, I'm full of it. But really, these are two products I couldn't live without. We'll start with Frank's Red Hot. Isn't it....gorgeous?!


And look, only a mere 190 mg sodium per tiny teaspoon. I suppose when I tell people I "never add salt to my food", I'm lying.


Red Hot was featured on the Food Network show Unwrapped not too long ago. The man who was interviewed actually took a drink from the bottle, just to show the viewers how much he loves Red Hot. Nick and I were both speechless. While we do love Red Hot, we're not so sure we could ever drink it straight out of the bottle, but the man proved his point...it's good stuff! Just like this lady here, we put this sh*t on everything!

Nick and I add a little Red Hot to many of our favorite dishes;

Eggs

Pizza

Stir-fry

Pasta

Oatmeal

Ok, not oatmeal. That's gross. But I'm open to trying anything :)

I was so happy to see a bottle of Red Hot right in the middle of this wonderful spread of food (below) on Easter Sunday. I mean, how can you have an egg casserole without Red Hot?!

And the cayenne pepper, which is the "key ingredient", may help speed up your metabolism, so what's not to love? Buy some. Use it. Love it. Enough said.


Next we have Truvia . I was once a Splenda girl, then I was a Purevia girl, but now I'm 100% hooked on Truvia. It's not that I don't like the others, but my taste buds really think Truvia tastes the most like....well....SUGAR! And isn't that the point?

Source: Truvia.com

Want to learn more about Truvia? Go ahead and read their FAQ page. I've heard a few people say that Truvia isn't really "natural", but you know what? That doesn't bother me. It's more "natural" than many of the other common sweeteners, and to me it tastes a million times better. If it's not truly 100% natural, oh well! In my opinion it's the better of two evils; the other being real sugar. And like I've said before, even foods or sweeteners that are 100% natural have been shown to have negative side-effects. Read my previous post about sweeteners to learn more about the research on some well-known sweeteners.

I love using Truvia in my oatmeal, my smoothies....


...and mixed into some Greek yogurt + unsweetened cocoa. Yum. Sometimes I also add a scoop of almond or walnut butter. Double yum.



QUESTION: What are two condiments and/or sweeteners you can't live without??

My Exercise "Routine"

Several weeks ago a reader asked me to explain my exercise routine and another reader asked me which of the Exercise TV videos I like to use. Today I have decided to dedicate a post to answering these questions. Because...everyone wants to workout like ME...right?! :)

Below are the pieces of equipment that I use for my workouts. I typically workout 5-6 days a week, for 55-60 minutes. During that time I always include about thirty minutes of cardio (mainly the elliptical or sometimes a run or fast walk outside) and twenty minutes of pilates, yoga, or resistance training. Like I said, I don't really have a "routine" but I tend to do some type of arm and ab exercise every time I workout.


Many people might call me "lucky" because I am very small boned and overall quite small. Like I said in this post, you could easily look at me and think I have not one ounce of fat on me. Of course where I do carry my fat is around my waist (waist to hip ratio of .81 already, at age 28, yikes). This is the one area I try to workout the most. I know I can't "spot reduce" but it's still nice to have some muscle behind my...ahem...belly fat.

My Favorite Ab Workouts

I don't know the names of any of these moves (I'm an RD, not a trainer!), but I do know they work. This one is great for your back. When you are trying to get nice abs, you can't just work the front, you have to work your back muscles as well. Start in position one (above) and then lift straight up (below). I use a fifteen-pound weight. I typically do about three sets of twenty-five reps.

This move (below) is another great move for your back. If you don't have an ab ball you can try it just by lying on the floor, but in my opinion it's not quite as effective. I typically do about three sets of thirty.

And of course let's not forget the actual abs. This move (below) is incredibly effective. Put the ab ball between your feet, or if you're a beginner (like Nick) put the ball between your shins. Then lift it up to your hands and grab the ball and swing it back behind your head. Then bring the ball back forward, and lift your legs up to grab it, and get back to the starting position. This one is painful, and very effective. I like to do fifteen reps of these, for a total of about two to three sets.

The two parts of my body I love are my legs and arms. I can build muscle in those two areas fairly easily. Like most people I often wish I could gain muscle and definition in my abs as easily as I can my arms, but I'm not holding my breath. Even though it's pretty easy for me to tone my legs and arms, I still need to keep up with my arm workouts or they'll just look like...twigs.

My Favorite Arm Workouts

I love this one (below). I usually don't start off with this interesting squat that Nick is demonstrating, but it's close enough. Normally my legs only slightly bent.

Then with all the power I have I lift up the fifteen-pound weight until it reaches the height of my chest.

And sometimes I'll bring it all the way up above my head. I typically do about fifteen reps, and three sets of this move.

This move is another favorite (below). I actually know what this move is called; tricep curl! I like to do about twenty reps, three sets on both arms. I typically follow this move with the same number of reps and sets of bicep curls.

I like to keep my legs nice and toned so I can feel confident in dresses, skirts, and (maybe) a bathing suit. Most importantly, however, I like to keep my legs toned and in shape because they do so many things! Let's be honest, our legs are an integral source of power, which allows us to do just about everything we do each day. If my legs start to lose muscle as I age, my whole balance will be off and everything will just start to fail, slowly but surely. I'll admit, I love leg workouts!

My Favorite Leg Workouts

I'm a huge fan of angle weights. I like to do leg lifts wearing my two-pound ankle weights. I lay down on the mat, do fifteen reps lifting my leg up, fifteen reps moving my leg to the front or back, then fifteen reps making circles with my leg. I do this sequence twice on both legs.

Nothing beats a good lunge. I do lunges (30 steps total, 3 reps) with a fifteen-pound weight, or a ten-pound weight.

Favorite Exercise TV Workouts

Here are some of my favorite Exercise TV workouts, in no particular order. Keep in mind I've never liked Jillian Michaels because I can't stand it when she gives nutrition advice. However, as a trainer, she's pretty awesome.

• All 10-minute videos

• Best of Jillian (I love these exercises, I'm always sore the next day!)
  

• Last Change Workout (25 minutes, I think...)

• 30-Day Shred

• Yoga Sculpt (31 minutes)

• Pilates Abs (12 minutes)

• CRUNCH gym videos (a new favorite!)

And what do I eat after my workouts? Something that is fairly high in protein. Check out this post for some recommendations.

QUESTION: What's your favorite exercise move?

Make My Own Yogurt? Not So Much

I won a yogurt maker about a year ago on a blog giveaway. It wasn't until just the other day that I finally tried to use it. I had thrown away the directions (oops!) but found them online, thankfully. The directions were fairly straight forward, but I was annoyed to find out I had to purchase dried starter cultures separately. Sorry, but no thanks. They did provide the option of using store-bought yogurt for a starter culture, even though it was pretty clear they did not recommend this. Despite the company's recommendations, I used store-bought yogurt as my starter culture....




I used unsweetened almond milk but right before I turned on the yogurt maker I started thinking..."what are the cultures going to use as food? There is no added sugar or lactose in this milk...."

I ignored my thoughts and pushed "start". Within one hour there was proof of heat and condensation on the lid.

12 hours later I opened the lid, very excited to try my yogurt.

Don't be fooled. This spoonful may look appetizing, but it tasted like curdled milk (which, it was!).


My yogurt making experiment was a failure. As you can see the only "yogurt" was at the top of the glass jars. The rest was just all the water from my almond milk. Gross.

Well, at least my refrigerator is at the proper temperature....

I scrapped out all the yogurt and it made a total of about 6 ounces. I saved it for about 3 days, thinking maybe I would eat it in a smoothie, but that never happened. I went back to read the directions and realized almond milk was indeed listed as an option, but not unsweetened almond milk. I should have listened to...myself.

I think I spend enough time in the kitchen making things from scratch; ice cream, popsicles, granola, granola bars...you get the idea. I really never had the desire to make my own yogurt, therefore I'm sticking to my favorite store-bought brand.


At least I know it's the good stuff, with live and active cultures, and a nutrition profile that's hard to beat!

Source: iStockPhoto

Want to try making your own yogurt at home? I found this recipe on AllRecipes.com. It sounded simple enough, but I'll leave it up to you to make it. Yogurt making is not for me!

QUESTION: Have you ever attempted to make yogurt? Have you ever been successful?

Our Sugar-Filled World; Protein Bars and Meal Replacements

Check out my first You Tube video!!

I'm posting this one as a test, really. I'd love for you to tell me what you think, and if you had any troubles viewing the video. I plan on making a series of these so I need to get the kinks out now.

If you didn't read my post from yesterday about fish and flax oil supplements, please do!

Have a great Tuesday everyone :)

Companies Make Money Off Of This?!

Are you taking a fish oil or flaxseed supplement, which also contains high amounts of omega-6 fatty acids (>600-700 mg)???!!

STOP!

Source: iStockPhoto

Lately I've noticed that more and more companies are highlighting the importance of the omega-6 fatty acids (in the form of linoleic acid) in their fish oil and/or flaxseed oil supplements. To me, this is a major problem. I've been trying to explain this to friends and family for a while now, but a recent article in Today's Dietitian Magazine confirmed that I am correct in telling people to steer clear of these types of supplements.

According to the article (page 48), humans evolved on a diet with an omega-6 to omega-3 ratio of 1:1, but now it is closer to 16:1. The reason why we are consuming so much more omega-6 is that it is found in so many of America's favorite foods:

Sources of Omega-6

Vegetable oils

Poultry

Nuts

Seeds

Just that first source alone; vegetable oil, is enough proof that Americans are getting plenty of omega-6 fatty acids. Check out the foods in your cabinet right now and you will see that most of them contain at least one type of vegetable oil. And then we have sources of omega-3 fatty acids;

Sources of Omega-3

Walnuts (vegan source)

Flaxseed (vegan source)

Algae (vegan source)

Soy (vegan source)

Fish

Fish oil supplements

Grassfed beef

Milk from grassfed cow

Fortified eggs

These foods are not in every person's diet, that's for sure. And something you may not know is that most of the foods listed above also contains omega-6 fatty acids, and in some cases they contain more omega-6 than omega-3 (flaxseed, walnuts, soy)!

If you are not a vegetarian or vegan you are less likely to have problems getting enough omega-3 (but trust me, I know plenty of animal eaters who still do not get enough). Many vegans and vegetarians (but certainly not all!) have trouble getting enough omega-3 and reducing their ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids. This is especially true when they buy flaxseed or other omega-3 supplements, which also contain high amounts of omega-6 (>600-700mg). Companies like to capitalize on the fact that omega-6 is essential and we can only get it via food and/or supplements. But now you know, you do not need it in your supplements! That is, unless you don't eat any oils, poultry, or snack foods....

Source: iStockPhoto

But I highly doubt that is the case.

Did you know that an abundance of omega-6 in one's diet (especially a vegan or vegetarian) can decrease the already low conversion of ALA to DHA and EPA? So I'm still pondering the idea of omega-6 being added to omega-3 supplements, especially ones meant for vegans. Now that you know it's a waste of money, do yourself a favor and do not buy these. Look for omega-3 supplements that are strictly omega-3, unless of course you aren't getting enough oils and other sources of fat in your diet, which may warrant these types of supplements (for example, if you're on a very low calorie or low fat diet).

Bottom Line

Omega-6 is a natural fat found in many of these products, but some companies provide more of these fats than others. Buy fish oil supplements, or flaxseed supplements, that do not contain more than ~600-700 mg omega-6, which is the lowest I found, and look for at least 1000 mg total EPA/DHA, per serving (or just look for the lowest ratio of the two fats possible). And of course, continue to focus on omega-3 when you eat foods throughout the day.


Question: Have you ever purchased a flaxseed oil or fish oil supplement, which contained high amounts of omega-6? What are your thoughts on this issue??

Shrimp. It's What's For Dinner!

Shrimp is one of those foods that I love, but never buy. Why? I don't know. I thought about this question the other day before I left work. Instead of passively thinking about why the heck I never cook with shrimp, I bought some! While I was debating (out loud...) which shrimp to buy, a customer in line gave me a suggestion. He said to buy the fresh, uncooked, wild-caught shrimp with the shell still on. He told me shrimp should always be cooked with the shell because they hold onto flavors better that way. He then suggested making an orange and butter sauce in which to saute them. I thought that sounded simple enough....

Orange Shrimp

Ingredients

1/2 pound fresh, wild-caught shrimp, with the shell
2 T Smart Balance butter/margarine sticks
1 orange
Salt and pepper to taste

(sorry the font is so huge, I don't understand Blogger sometimes...)

Directions

1) Add the butter to the pan and turn the heat on medium
2) Add the zest and juice of one orange
3) Wait until the sauce gets slightly thick (shouldn't take too long since it's not a whole lot of sauce!)
4) Add the shrimp

5) Get the shrimp nice and coated in the sauce

6) Cook until shrimp is slightly opaque (about 5-6 minutes)

7) Serve over sauteed veggies and brown rice (or however you would like!)

Obviously you don't want to eat the shell, so be sure to shell the shrimp after they are cooked, or before you eat them. And of course, make sure you don't cook your broccoli until it's really pale green and soft. Nick likes it that way, I don't argue.

I served mine over spaghetti squash and stewed tomatoes. NOT a good idea. The orange flavor didn't go well with the tomatoes, what was I thinking?! Nick, however, loved his (with the rice and broccoli).

Question: Do you like shrimp?! Read about the multitude of shrimp benefits on WHFoods.com!

Any fun plans for the weekend? I work tomorrow, then have Sunday off :) I'm going to start taping a series of video blogs all about "Why Americans Can't Maintain a Healthy Weight". Stay tuned!

Foods I'm Lovin' Lately

While doing a demo in the demo kitchen the other day, I noticed that one of the chefs was making whipped cream.....with vanilla bean paste! She poured two containers of heavy whipping cream into a Kitchen Aid mixer and started whipping the cream until "stiff peaks" formed. Next she poured some vanilla bean paste into the whipped cream and incorporated the paste into the whipping cream for about 30 seconds.

VOILA!
Delicious

I've been lovin' it with canned pumpkin (my last can!) and butternut squash.




I've been loving it with orange juice popsicles and 2% plain Greek yogurt.



And of course I loved it many times with homemade ice cream, but I don't have pictures to share. When my whipped cream was gone I thought about making more, but then I quickly decided it was slightly dangerous to have a constant supply of a treat that sounds so healthy (sugar-free!) but is secretly not (lots of saturated fat...).

So now I'm lovin' plain 2% Greek yogurt + butternut squash + walnut butter....


Smoothies with frozen blueberries (~3/4 cup) unsweetened almond milk (enough to cover the blueberries), and 2% Greek yogurt....without whipped cream. Oh well! It's still fantastic.


I'm lovin' making popsicles. I haven't done anything really creative yet, but the other day I added yogurt to the popsicles. They were pretty delicious! If you don't have a popsicle maker, just use an ice cube tray and make mini popsicles. They taste just as good.


And to move away from the sweet foods, I'm LOVIN' eggs lately!! Nick is lovin' the fact that I'm lovin' eggs because he's finding that my love for eggs means we eat them more often for dinner. So easy! Most of the time I do one egg, lots of egg whites, and of course tons of veggies on the side or mixed into the egg creation. Or we'll do dipping eggs....


Many people still think eggs are really unhealthy, but I beg to differ. Check out my post about the benefits of eggs if you need some convincing. Clearly you should watch how many you eat per week (I say no more than five, depending on your health status) but give up on the idea that eggs are bad for you. They are a cheap and delicious protein choice.

Oh yeah, I'm also lovin' Cabot 75% Reduced Fat Cheese. And unfortunately, now that Nick has tasted it, he's lovin' it too. Darn it! I wish it wasn't so expensive.

QUESTION: What are you LOVIN' LATELY?! Something else I'm lovin' is broccoli sauteed with EVOO and rice vinegar. Is that random or what?!