Live Healthy NYC: End the Year with a Pop

Live Healthy NYC: End the Year with a Pop: Have you heard about the "champagne diet"? The premise is simple- eat high quality, nutrient-dense tasty foods. Don't deprive yourself of c...

End the Year with a Pop

Have you heard about the "champagne diet"? The premise is simple- eat high quality, nutrient-dense tasty foods.  Don't deprive yourself of champagne and dark chocolate! If you eat foods that are good for you and you feel good about what you are putting into your body, there is no guilt.  

Don't go for the chocolate chip pancakes or fried eggs with sausage and toast for breakfast or the greasy cheese burger and fries for lunch. Instead, have an egg white and veggie omelet or oatmeal and berries for breakfast and a healthy green salad with chicken and grilled salmon with sauteed greens for dinner. Then you can feel good about the glass of champagne that you have with dinner.

I am not proposing downing a bottle of champagne by yourself in one evening or even increasing your alcohol consumption in order to loose weight. But, I am saying everything in moderation. A glass of bubbly has only 91 calories per glass! And allowing yourself the occasional indulgences as you attempt to loose weight is a good thing. 

Celebrate yourself and your family and friends. Bring in the new year with a toast for a healthy new year! And a healthy new you!

For more information contact me at Rachel@livehealthynyc.com

Live Healthy NYC: Yummy Holiday Cookies- A Sweet Treat!

Live Healthy NYC: Yummy Holiday Cookies- A Sweet Treat!: Want a great sweet this holiday season? My friend, Emily, who is very health conscious and a fabolous artist (check out her art and website ...

Yummy Holiday Cookies- A Sweet Treat!

Want a great sweet this holiday season? My friend, Emily, who is very health conscious and a fabolous artist (check out her art and website at www.emk-art.com) made these biscotti and they didn't last long in my house! Make them for yourself, your family and your friends! It's easy!!!!
Ingredients : 
3/4 cup whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour(or you can use all whole wheat flour)
1 tsp baking powder
1/3 c sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 c chopped almonds
1/4 c dried cranberries
1/4 c dark choc(optional)
2 large eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract

Directions :
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper
2. Mix together flours, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Mix in the nuts and fruit.
3. Whisk together eggs and the extracts. Add to flour mixture, stir until combined. 
4. With floured hands, shape dough into a loaf about 1 inch thick, 4 inches wide. Transfer to the baking sheet. 
5. Bake until risen and firm, about 25 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees. 
6. Let the loaf cool about 10 minutes on a cutting board, then cut diagonally into 1/2" slices.
7. Arrange slices cut-side down and bake 10 minutes, then turn the slices over and bake until dried, about 10 more minutes.
8. Let cool on wire rack.

Live Healthy NYC: Eat Healthy, Exercise More and Have Better Sex

Live Healthy NYC: Eat Healthy, Exercise More and Have Better Sex: Have you found that it is especially hard during the holiday season to eat healthy? Holiday parties are overflowing with food and ...

Eat Healthy, Exercise More and Have Better Sex

Have you found that it is especially hard during the holiday season to eat healthy? Holiday parties are overflowing with food and drink. And, have you found it to be difficult to find time to exercise during your busy schedule. Where does 24 hours go? There never seems to be enough time in the day!

As the New Year approaches, the resolve to get healthier is at its peak! It is not an unfamiliar resolution!

So, before 2011 comes to an end and 2012 begins, why not start on your 2012 goals today! If you can find at least 15 minutes of exercise a day, you are off to a better start.

But wait, what about the 30 minutes of intense exercise that was once recommended by doctors to improve your health? Well, as it turns out, experts now agree that you don’t have to work out 30 minutes a day/5days a week. You can significantly upgrade your health by working out for less time.

But, the key is, you have to work out! If you are doing it right, it actually takes less time to achieve cardiovascular benefits. Any vigorous exercise, whether walking, biking, or running increases your blood flow.

This makes the move into the bedroom - as exercise increases blood flow and oxygen to your muscles, your mind and body feel more aroused! And the effects of your workout can last up to 30 minutes. So, grab your partner after your work out and have fun!

What better way to bring in the New Year!

Live Healthy NYC: Got the Sugar Blues?

Live Healthy NYC: Got the Sugar Blues?: Are you really addicted to sugar? Do you fiend for candy and other sugary substances? Did you know that sugar influences the same “feel-good...

Got the Sugar Blues?

Are you really addicted to sugar? Do you fiend for candy and other sugary substances? Did you know that sugar influences the same “feel-good” brain chemicals – including serotonin and dopamine as illicit drugs do? However, researchers aren’t quite ready to lump sugar in with heroin.

But, whether you call it an addiction, an eating disorder or simply a bad habit, there are signs of an unhealthy use of sugary foods. For example, if you miss your regular cookie fix, you can get low blood sugar symptoms. In lab studies, rats that binged on sugar had brain changes that mimicked those of drug withdrawal. When you eat a piece of cake (or candy bar, syrup, soda or table sugar) the sugar (a simple carb) is quickly converted to glucose in your bloodstream. All simple carbs are absorbed quickly and your blood sugar level rises and spikes. Your pancreas then releases the hormone insulin to move glucose out of your bloodstream and into your cells for energy. As a result, your blood sugar levels usually drop dramatically. So, that candy or cake fix sets you up for more bad eating! The high spike followed by the sharp low drop makes you feeling hungry again! Also, low blood sugar leaves you feeling shaky, dizzy, and searching for more sweets to regain that sugar high!

Starchy foods that are complex carbs (bagels, chips, pretzels, french-fries, white rice, white potatoes) can trigger the same surge and crash cycle of blood sugar seen with sugary foods.

If you try to change your diet dramatically, cutting sugar out cold turkey, it is not sustainable. Ultimately, you will go back to your old habits. If you wean yourself gradually, you can train your taste buds to enjoy foods that aren’t as sweet.

You don’t have to give up sweets, just get them from other healthy sources. Fresh fruit, low-fat milk, and yogurt can all satisfy the taste for sweet and they are packed with protein and calcium. It is interesting that simple carbs are also found in fruit, veggies, and dairy products. However, the fiber and protein slow down absorption and provide wholesome nutrients. 

Additionally, eat more protein. This is an easy way to curb the craving for sugar. High-protein foods digest more slowly, keeping you feeling full longer. Protein doesn’t make your blood sugar spike (choose lean chicken, turkey, quinoa, low-fat yogurt, eggs, nuts or beans). Also, fill up on high fiber foods as they give you more energy and don’t raise your blood sugar so there isn’t a hunger crash after.

Exercise doesn’t cure “sugar addiction” but it could change the way you eat in general. Did you know that people who get into an exercise routine start to feel better about themselves and are more likely to try another healthy behavior, like eating less sugar.

The truth about sugar and the substitutes- the little yellow or blue packets really leave you wanting more sweets. So stop reaching for it! Also, “natural” sugars, such as honey, brown sugar and evaporated cane juice are not really any better than white table sugar. Sugar is sugar. And it causes blood sugar to rise. And, while these natural sugars are unrefined and slightly higher in nutrients, if you eat too much, it will surely go to your hips! You should be eating no more than six teaspoons (100 calories) daily for women and about 9 teaspoons (150 calories) for men. Most Americans eat 19 teaspoons or more of added sugar! What are some of the “names” of sugar- agave nectar, brown rice syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, dextrose, evaporated cane juice, glucose, lactose, malt syrup, molasses, and sucrose. Be careful of the hidden sugar in bbq sauce, ketchup, spaghetti sauce, and salad dressing. Get in the habit of reading labels and you will be able to filter out high-sugar foods before they get into the shopping cart! 

Make small changes by adding more fruits, vegetables, drinking more water, and using fewer processed foods.

When you first cut out sugar, you will go through a sort of withdrawal. You may feel tired, edgy, or listless. This feeling will be short-lived.

For more information and tips on how to tame those sugar cravings, contact me at Rachel@livehealthynyc.com

Live Healthy NYC: Can you have your cake (or pie) and eat it too?

Live Healthy NYC: Can you have your cake (or pie) and eat it too?: Food Calories Amount Activity 6 oz. mulled wine 156 Swimming laps doing the crawl str...

Can you have your cake (or pie) and eat it too?

Food	Calories Amount	Activity
6 oz. mulled wine	156	Swimming laps doing the crawl stroke for 16 minutes will burn 158 calories*
4 oz. white turkey meat	153	22 minutes of a friendly game of touch football burns 158 calories
4 oz. dark turkey meat	183	Sneak away for a 20-minute run and burn 189 calories
One cup mashed potatoes	237	Burn 243 calories by walking briskly for one hour
1/4 cup gravy	105	26 minutes of heavy cleaning burns 105 calories. Here's a 40-minute treadmill workout to burn off the mashed potatoes with gravy combo.
1/2 cup sweet potatoes with marshmallows	294	Doing 66 minutes of fast-paced yoga burns 296 calories
One cup stuffing	202	A 23-minute bike ride at a moderate pace will burn 207 calories
1 slice of apple pie	411	Hiking for an hour and four minutes will burn off 413 dessert calories
1 slice of pumpkin pie	316	Turn on some tunes and have a dance party in your living room for just over an hour and burn 317 calories
1 slice of pecan pie	503	If there's snow on the ground where you live, you'll burn 504 calories snowshoeing for an hour and 10 minutes

These are ways to burn the calories that you eat over the Thanksgiving holiday meal! Enjoy the time spent with family and friends, and yes, you can have your cake (or pie!) and eat it too!!!

Live Healthy NYC: Healthy Eating Tips for Thanksgiving

Live Healthy NYC: Healthy Eating Tips for Thanksgiving: The holidays can be a real challenge for those who are watching their waistline! For many people, Thanksgiving is about being with...

Healthy Eating Tips for Thanksgiving

The holidays can be a real challenge for those who are watching their waistline!

For many people, Thanksgiving is about being with friends and family, excitement and commotion, and a big meal followed by the “I am so full, I can’t believe how much I ate!” then, followed by “I’m going on a diet tomorrow!”

If the scale reads higher on Friday morning, take it with a grain of salt! The excess calories that we consume are the equivalent of less than a pound of stored fat. Most of the weight gain is temporary. In fact, the average weight gain throughout the holiday season is one pound! A big holiday dinner isn’t going to make you fat, any more than a day or two eating the “cabbage soup diet” is going to make you thin.

Getting back to your normal eating and exercise patterns will probably bring your weight back to normal! Focus on healthy eating most days and enjoy your holiday!

In the meantime, here are a few tips for getting through this holiday:

#1) Whether you are going out to someone’s home or making the meal yourself, eat breakfast and lunch. The worst thing you can do is go to the Thanksgiving meal hungry! When we are hungry, we often eat faster and more of it. When you eat throughout the day, you will avoid overeating at the meal.

#2) Thanksgiving dinner is NOT an all-you-can-eat buffet. Fill your plate with plenty of veggies and some turkey (no skin) and a little starch. Eat slowly and enjoy the company!

#3) Go for smaller portions (this way you can sample what you want). Moderation is key!

#4) Make a choice to limit high fat items. Some of the traditional meals are made with lots of heavy cream, butter, and cheese. Mashed potatoes and candied yams, and casseroles are high ticket foods that if you can limit to smaller amount, you will have room for dessert at the end!

#5) Make a dish and bring with you to the gathering. There are so many new and healthy recipes that can take the place of the traditional fatty foods. Whether you want to use healthier ingredients (egg whites to replace the whole egg, low fat milk and cheese, brown sugar or agave instead of white sugar), or want to cook vegan or vegetarian for your guests - if the dish is tasty, everyone will want to sample!

#6) Drink plenty of water!

#7) Take a walk after the meal. A 10-20 minute walk around the neighborhood keeps your metabolism working and aids in the digestion!

#8) Enjoy! Remember this is a holiday for giving thanks for what we all have, and to celebrate family and friends and togetherness. Sometimes, with all the “hubbub” that the holidays bring, we loose sight of the real importance of being with others. So, enjoy!

Live Healthy NYC: Some Healthy Tips!

Live Healthy NYC: Some Healthy Tips!: #1) Eat healthy fats- your cells burn more fat when they are fueled with essential fatty acids rich in omega-3's. These include cold-water ...

Some Healthy Tips!

#1) Eat healthy fats- your cells burn more fat when they are fueled with essential fatty acids rich in omega-3's. These include cold-water fish (salmon), flaxseeds, pumpkin seeds, nuts, avocados.

#2) Compounds in whey protein (the clear liquid found on the top of freshly opened yogurt) may  reduce some of the symptoms present in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). While yogurt is an excellent source of whey protein, it can also be found in ricotta cheese!

#3) Want your kids to eat their veggies?!? Does your child balk at the stalks of broccoli, beans, zucchini and squash? Are the only tomatoes they will eat in the form of ketchup w/ fries? Well then, hide them! It is perfectly ok to conceal them in the foods you make! You can purée the veggies and add them to pasta sauce, muffins (carrot/zucchini bead), hearty casseroles, and sweet salads.

#4) Loose weight for good! The problem isn't always the ability to loose weight, it's keeping it off that's tricky! Weight loss maintenance is the challenge. The secret to the success is high-protein, lo glycemic foods (think berries). People who eat higher amounts of protein and lower sugar and processed carbs have greater success.

#5)Want whiter brighter teeth without making a trip to the dentist? Eat lettuce, spinach or broccoli before consuming teeth staining foods such as coffee, soy sauce and red wine. The leafy greens contain mineral compounds that form an invisible coating over your teeth. This protects from heavy pigments that may cause discoloration.

#6) Feeling sluggish? Want to lift your mood? Crank up the music!!! Studies show that listening to tunes for an hour a day can lift your mood. And while your listening to your tunes, go for a walk, run, or lift some weights.

For more info on how to live healthy contact me at rachel@livehealthynyc.com

Live Healthy NYC: Avoiding Halloween Nightmares for You and Your Kid...

Live Healthy NYC: Avoiding Halloween Nightmares for You and Your Kid...: Halloween can be a scary time for us-not because of the ghosts and goblins, but because of the reeses candy, snickers, twix b...

Avoiding Halloween Nightmares for You and Your Kids:

Halloween can be a scary time for us-not because of the ghosts and goblins, but because of the reeses candy, snickers, twix bars, and the assortment of candy and treats that are around. 

Halloween means candy and that usually means a tendency to overindulge. In order to avoid indulging, I am offering a few healthy tips for you:

#1) Don’t buy your favorite candy- buy the least interesting candy or better yet, if your kids are small enough to not have an opinion, buy yo-yo’s, stickers, or other cool treats!

#2) If #1 doesn’t work, limit yourself- yes, you may feel that you really want that piece of candy, that you’ve “earned” it, and you may even think that the one little bite size piece of candy isn’t going to do harm, and the honest truth is, it probably won’t- but keep sticking your hand in the bowl, and before you know it, you will have eaten more than you intended! And that’s not good! Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s parties are around the corner and you will want to save your calories so that you can look great in that little black dress! So, pick one or two bite size pieces to eat and that’s it! 

I am including a short list of candy that will reduce your chance of getting spooked by the scale:

·      3 mini York Peppermint Patties (150 calories, 3g fat)

·      6 Dum-Dums pops (150 calories, 0g fat)

·      5 snack size Twizzlers Strawberry Twists (150 calories, 1g fat)

·      3 mini Twix (150 calories, 8g fat)

·      3 treat size boxes of Nerds (150 calories, 0g fat)

·      7 Hershey’s Kisses (156 calories, 9g fat)

·      2 fun size packs of milk chocolate m&m’s (147 calories, 7g fat)

·      6 mini 3Musketeers (146 calories, 4g fat)

·      6 rolls of Smarties (150 calories, 0g fat)

#3) Purge it- If it was a light year for trick or treaters stopping by, and you have leftover candy, get rid of it! We give it to my husband’s office, the doorman, or kids shelters.

#4) Trade it- Depending on how much loot my kids collect, I will give them money ($.25 for each piece of candy they “sell” me). This is great because the kids can use the extra money for something at the toy store that they’ve had their eye on. With the candy that you know have bought from your kids, get rid of it ASAP so you won't be tempted! 

#5) Halloween IS NOT a free pass to eat the reeses, peppermint patties, twix, etc all day/night long. You can rationalize all you want (dark chocolate is an antioxidant, peanut butter cups are trans-fat free, twizzlers are low-fat), but the truth is, the calories will add up! So, be wise and enjoy them in moderation.

So, now that you know what to do for yourself, how do you keep your kids healthy? Many people believe that “healthy Halloween” is a classic oxymoron. While you don’t want to be seen as a “Halloween Scrooge”  you do want them to be healthy. Here are a few ways to help your kids have a healthier Halloween:

#1) Feed your children a healthy meal before they go out trick or treating. This will help them filling up on too much candy because they are hungry.

#2) Instead of candy, try handing out treats, like small toys, stickers.

#3)Don’t let your kids overindulge in the candy that they collect. Offer buy-backs (see #4 above). Also, allow them to eat a piece of candy only after they’ve had a healthy snack.

#4) Forbidding the candy will certainly backfire on you. Allow them to eat some, and explain the importance of healthy choices of snacks and teach them moderation!

Have a happy and healthy Halloween!

Live Healthy NYC: Food Day

Live Healthy NYC: Food Day: Food Day is just around the corner on Monday October 24 th and it seems that the whole country is excited. Just take one glance at th...

Food Day

Food Day is just around the corner on Monday October 24^th and it seems that the whole country is excited. Just take one glance at the Food Day website and you will see hundreds of events scheduled to take place from Washington to Maine. Just as Michael Jacobson had hoped when he founded Food Day last year, people are joining together to push for and celebrate healthy, affordable food that’s produced in a sustainable and humane way. Even Slow Foods is participating by encouraging people to take part in their second $5 dollar challenge on October 24^th.

One event that is particularly exciting is Cook-in’ for a Cause, which is being hosted by IIN grad Nancy Rossi and her brother Mike Ames. Nancy and Mike are working on a new film called Now We’re Cooking!, a documentary that will inspire and connect people to cook their meals at home with healthy, whole foods.  For more information on the film and how you can become a part of their initiative, visit the Now We’re Cooking! – The Movie Facebook Page.

This year on Food Day, participate in Cook-in’ for a Cause, a virtual dinner that encourages everyone to host a healthy, homemade dinner for their family or friends.  To participate in Cook-in’ for a cause, all you have to do is follow at least one of Food Day’s guidelines: 

Food Day Principles

1.            Reduce diet-related disease by promoting safe, healthy foods

2.            Support sustainable farms & limit subsidies to big agribusiness

3.            Expand access to food and alleviate hunger

4.            Protect the environment & animals by reforming factory farms

5.            Promote health by curbing junk-food marketing to kids

6.            Support fair conditions for food and farm workers

Make sure you share your photos from your meal on Cook-in’ for a Causes’ Facebook page so everyone can see the delicious dishes that you come up with! 

What do you have planned for Food Day? For some great ideas, contact me at rachel@livehealthy.com