February 3, 2009 at 8:06 pm / Filed under Recipes
i know it sounds like alot of sugar but trust me this makes them taste soooo much better. besides, having one piece for dessert after a full day of eating healthy won’t break the bank (or eat one after your workout!). just be sure not to overdo it - freeze the leftovers to make sure you are not tempted. these freeze well and will thaw out nicely in your refridgerator when you’re ready for another one.
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup low fat soy milk
¼ cup canola oil
¾ cup applesauce (no sugar added)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract*
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 350º.
In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Pour in the soy milk, canola oil, applesauce and vanilla; mix until well blended. Spread evenly in a 9×13 inch baking pan that has been sprayed with pam.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until the top is no longer shiny. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before cutting into 16 squares.
Nutritional Information
Per serving(16 Servings): 200 calories, 4g fat, 39g carbohydrate, 3g fiber, 3g protein
Regular Brownie has 460 calories and 22g fat (5g saturated)
*to change the flavor of these brownies, simply substitute other flavored extracts like peppermint or add 2 tsp of cayenne pepper for a different twist
February 3, 2009 at 7:17 pm / Filed under Recipes
curious about the name? well if you read the ingredients below, you will notice that they are the same ones used in the lentil taco recipe, which is how i came up with this recipe. the idea is to make the tacos for dinner and then use the leftovers to assemble the enchiladas. pack it for work the next day and heat it in the microwave for lunchtime. talk about multitasking…
1 cup cooked lentils (from lentil tacos recipe)
½ cup salsa
4 corn tortillas*
1 cup shredded lettuce or spinach
½ cup chopped fresh tomato
4 tbsp shredded reduced-fat cheese
Optional: chopped black olives, corn kernels
Preparation
For this recipe you will need 2 glass storage containers (such as pyrex) that can be put in the microwave (do not use plastic). Each one should hold about 2 cups.
Put a thin layer of the salsa on the bottom of each container. Place a corn tortilla over the salsa – you can put them in one piece or cut them into wedge shapes to make them fit in one layer. Add a layer of ¼ cup cooked lentils; follow with a layer of ¼ cup of the spinach and some of the chopped tomato. Add another layer of tortilla, follow with ¼ cup lentils, ¼ cup spinach and tomatoes. Top with the remaining salsa and cheese and any other toppings you’d like. Microwave each container (separately) on high for 2-3 minutes or until the cheese melts. Let it sit for a few minutes and enjoy.
Nutritional Information
Per serving (2 servings): 265 calories, 3.5g fat (<1g saturated), 41g carbohydrate, 17g protein
Regular Beef & Cheese Enchilada has 320 calories and 20g fat (9g saturated)
*be careful when buying the tortillas as some of them are loaded with fat and preservatives. Be sure that no oil is in the ingredients. Whole Foods has a nice selection in the freezer aisle.
February 3, 2009 at 7:13 pm / Filed under Recipes
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
½ cup water
1 lb. dried lentils, rinsed
1-2 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
4 cups vegetable broth
1 cup salsa
12 corn tortillas*
1 1/2 cups shredded lettuce
1 cup chopped fresh tomato
1 1/2 cups shredded reduced-fat cheese
6 tablespoons fat free greek yogurt or nonfat sour cream
Preparation
Preheat oven to 375º.
In a large nonstick skillet, sauté the onion and garlic in the water until tender. Add the lentils, chili powder, cumin and oregano; cook and stir for 1 minute. Add broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes or until the lentils are tender (add water if they start to dry out too quickly). Uncover; cook for 6-8 minutes or until mixture is thickened. Mash lentils slightly.
While the lentils cook, prepare the taco shells by placing the corn tortillas on a nonstick cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.
Stir in salsa in the mashed lentils if desired. Prepare the shells by spooning about 1/4 cup lentil mixture into each taco shell. Top with lettuce, tomato, cheese and sour cream or any topping of your liking.
Nutritional Information
Per serving(1 taco): 150 calories, 2.5g fat (0g saturated), 21g carbohydrate, 10.5g protein
Regular Ground Beef Taco has 220 calories and 14g fat (5g saturated)
*be careful when buying the tortillas as some of them are loaded with fat and preservatives. Be sure that no oil is in the ingredients. Whole Foods has a nice selection in the freezer aisle.
January 14, 2009 at 11:11 pm / Filed under Recipes
if you are tired of the store-bought protein bars, this is the perfect recipe for you. not only are the ingredients healthy but you will not find any food colorings, preservatives, or anything artificial. these are great after a workout, for breakfast, or any time you need a quick snack.
makes 20 servings
Ingredients:
2 cups rolled oatmeal, not instant
1 cup protein powder (whey, soy, or rice)
½ cup whole wheat flour
½ cup oat bran
½ cup wheat germ
½ cup ground flax seed or flax meal
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
½ tsp each nutmeg, cloves, allspice
½ cup sucanat (found in whole foods) or honey
2 cups fat free greek yogurt (such as Fage) or
1 cup unsweetened apple sauce (no added ingredients, just apples)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (80% or darker)
Instructions:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Place the oatmeal through the sucanat ingredients into a large bowl.
Combine the yogurt, apple sauce, and vanilla into another bowl and stir until combined.
Add the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix together. I use my hands because the dough is tough to mix with a spoon. Place the mixture into a non-stick 9×13 baking pan and bake for 15 minutes – make sure to flatten dough out to make the top smooth. Remove from the oven and let cool for about 15 minutes. Cut into approximately 20 bars and place them on a non-stick cookie sheet. Place in the oven and bake for an additional 15 minutes. Enjoy!
Nutritional info per serving: 180 calories, 26g carbohydrates, 5g fat, 8g protein
December 5, 2008 at 1:01 am / Filed under Nutrition
If you caught Oprah last week than you may have heard of the secret of the blue zones. National Geographic’s freelance writer Dan Buettner recently wrote a book on this topic and he was on her show to explain this phenomenon. The blue zones are areas around the world where the average life expectancy is greater than other places. In fact, it is common for people in these areas to live an active life beyond the age of 100. He went to four of these locations and interviewed some of the people that live there to see what they do differently.
The biggest thing they had in common is that they all live active lifestyles, including a 103 year old woman who still lifts weights and a 94 year old heart surgeon! Another thing they all did was eat a plant based diet, rich in legumes. You heard that right, vegetables - my favorite! The only blue zone in the United States, located in Loma Linda, CA, the majority of the residents are vegan (meaning no animal products in their diet, not even milk or eggs). Shocking, you say? Not really, the more research that is done, the more we hear about eating a meat-free diet and all of its many benefits…including living past 100!
December 5, 2008 at 12:36 am / Filed under Fitness, Lifestyle, Uncategorized
Before you skip this posting, you may want to see this statistic I recently came across. People aged 50 and over will have a 55% chance of getting osteoporosis. That means that either you or your partner will get it, statistically speaking of course. I don’t know about you but I am completely shocked at how common this is. And hey, 50 is an age all of us would like to reach (unless you are already there, in which case this article is even more important for you). Even if you are under 50, beware because it can strike at any age.
So what can we do about this so that we don’t become another statistic? Lift weights, of course! It is scientifically known that weight bearing and muscle strengthening exercise strengthens bones and lack of exercise causes them to become weak and brittle, resulting in bone fractures. Keep in mind that a hip fracture may not seem like the end of the world but approximately 1 of every 4 will die in the year following their fracture (over age 50). Another interesting statistic is that a person loses a year of bone mass in only 1 week of bed confinement! The good news is that bones regenerate just about as quickly.
So if you needed one more reason to hit the gym or your favorite personal training studio, here it is - you can prevent osteoporosis from happening to you.
November 17, 2008 at 11:56 pm / Filed under Fitness
with the holidays quickly approaching, chances are that most of you will take a break from your regular workouts to squeeze in extra shopping, socializing, etc. but before you do that, you may want to think twice. it turns out that if you take a break, it will take you much more effort to return to where you were. the latest study in Medicine and Science Sports and Exercise suggests that those who stop exercising for an extended period of time have a much harder time losing the weight they gained during their break. so basically, you don’t resume where you left off. in fact, it will be much harder to reach your goal the second time around! as some of you already know, getting there the first time was hard enough - imagine having to do even more. hardly worth the break if you ask me.
so what should you do if you find you have less time these upcoming weeks to get your usual workout in? first of all, never take a complete break. you are much better off cutting back a bit until you can resume your normal routine. even if it’s just once a week, that’s much better than nothing at all. the consequences of your break increases the more you cut back and the longer you take off from exercise.
if the reason for your break is boredom, than find other ways to break a sweat. just don’t give up entirely. exercise is key in helping you reach your goals, there simply is no way around it. finding what works for you is important in order to avoid these breaks in the first place. so no matter what’s going on in your busy life, never quit (not even for a little while!).
October 31, 2008 at 12:33 am / Filed under Lifestyle
If you are like me, you probably don’t like adding unnecessary chemicals to your body. But in the case of deodorant, I don’t think going “au naturale” is the best way to go, especially if you stand near other people. I have tried everything. From the natural deodorants from the health store, to the big mineral rock, to Julia Robert’s advise of just freshening up throughout the day. Nothing has worked (even the ones with all the chemicals have stopped working at one point or another), except for one thing - milk of magnesia! When I was told to try it by my fabulous personal trainer Luis, I thought he was crazy. But after everything else failed I decided to give it a try. Wow, it really works! I have tested it in the sweatiest situations, even a hardcore workout, and I must say that I have not had any offensive odors, not even a little. It works so well that I have not had to buy any other product since. The best part is that it is super cheap too and one bottle lasts a very long time. All you do is dip your fingers in the mixture (I put it in a smaller container to make it easier) and apply it to your pits. All you need is a thin layer. It dries quickly and doesn’t stain your clothes.
I know it sounds crazy but if you have a bottle in your medicine cabinet, give it a try. I promise you it works!
October 31, 2008 at 12:09 am / Filed under Fitness
The US Government is finally recommending that people lift weights for “extensive health benefits.” Earlier this month, the US Department of Health and Human Services released its “Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans.”
It states that regular physical activity, specifically from two and a half hours a week of moderate intensity aerobic physical activity, provides adults with substantial health benefits. It then goes on to say that “adults should incorporate muscle strengthening activities, such as weight training, push ups, sit-ups and carrying heavy loads or heavy gardening, at least two days a week.”
The listed benefits include the lowering of: coronary heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, colon and breast cancer. It can also prevent falls and even reduces depression. The more physical activity you include, the better your benefits will be. Did I also mention that you will look and feel better to?
With rising rates in all these diseases, including the doubling of type 2 diabetes in the past 10 years alone, we should strive to do whatever we can to lower are chances of these illnesses.
For more detailed information, visit their website at www.health.gov/paguidelines
September 18, 2008 at 2:50 pm / Filed under Lifestyle, Nutrition
Tap or bottled? Most of us encounter this question almost every day. Whether we are at a restaurant or at the grocery store, our options these days are endless. But is bottled water actually better than our tap water? Well, that depends on where you live. But chances are the water you have at home may be far better than the fancy bottled water you see everywhere…not to mention, cheaper!
For one thing, bottled water is far less regulated than tap water. In fact, water that is packaged and sold within the same state, which is approximately 60-70% of all water, doesn’t need to comply with any of the FDA’s rules. It is also estimated that up to 40% of bottled water is actually just tap water. There are also health concerns about the plastic bottles actually leaching chemicals into the water. By the way, these chemicals have been shown to cause cancer and interfere with our hormones (technically they’re called phthalates and are considered to be endocrine disruptors) - using reusable stainless steel bottles are a good safe alternative. Then we need to think about the environmental impact of all these bottles. Seriously, have you ever stopped to think about where they go? It’s estimated that 80% of these bottles do not get recycled and end up in landfills, or better yet on an “island” in the middle of the Pacific twice the size of Texas!! It’s crazy, but very true…google it and see! Not to mention that it takes 15 million barrels of oil per year just to supply the US with all these bottles – that’s equivalent to fueling 100,000 cars for a year. Another big factor is cost. Just think that for the price of one Evian bottle, you can have a supply of 1000 gallons of tap water all from the comfort of your own home.
So although tap water may have a few flaws, it makes much more sense to drink your tap water. By adding your own filter at home, the results are far more superior to what you would find at the grocery store or gas station. All you need to do to ensure the best quality water is to read the report your utility company sends every year to see what’s in your water. Take the time to read it and find a filter that will target your main issues. In many cases, adding a basic carbon filter (which costs around $30) will eliminate almost all of your problems. Just remember to follow the manufacturer’s instructions on when to replace them because they will release the “bad stuff” after the recommended time has expired. So stop paying extra for something you can find right at home – it just makes more sense for you, the environment, and your wallet!
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