Live Healthy NYC: Live Healthy NYC: Spring 2014

Live Healthy NYC: Live Healthy NYC: Spring 2014: Live Healthy NYC: Spring 2014 : What a winter we have had! Here in New York the cold weather started sometime in October (I remember because...

SAY "NO" TO HOLIDAY WEIGHT GAIN THIS SEASON!

Say NO to holiday weight gain!

It’s that time of year again.... Holiday season is in full swing! It began on Halloween: with all the candy we passed out and what we “sampled” along the way. Then we prepared for Thanksgiving: with turkey and stuffing and pumpkin pie. Did I mention the drinking that was involved too? Now, the holiday season kicks into full swing with Christmas and New Years around the corner: tis the season for parties, rich food, sweets and plenty of drinking.

You get caught up in the sparkling lights, the pretty snow, the shopping frenzy, and the fun of the holiday season. Suddenly you find that managing your weight and sticking to your exercise program easily slides down to the bottom of your priorities. After all, sampling sweet treats and browsing for the perfect gift can easily distract you from the treadmill.

Holiday noshing can be fun, but it doesn’t mean throwing away your healthy habits! How do we get through this season without gaining weight? It’s not as difficult as you might think. It just takes five simple steps that I will share with you.

#1) Exercise in the morning. Do it before the day gets away from you and your too tired or too busy to think about the weights and treadmill. Working out first thing can help ensure better behavior all day long. Get your workout done in the morning instead of being derailed by evening holiday hoopla. Researchers found that when women worked out in the a.m. they not only moved more the rest of the day, but they also responded less to pictures of tempting food compared with the days they didn't do a morning workout.

       #2) Just say “No”. I find that I can easily tell my kids that  “NO” (and I am sure for those of you who have kids you know exactly what I am talking about!), so why not tell yourself “no”. Willpower is like a muscle: Work it and you get stronger. Select healthy first! Really stick to consuming your proteins, fruits and vegetables each day-keeping nourished with healthy food helps avoid those excess sugar highs and energy lows that can make you tired and depressed. Many times we eat foods or have seconds just to please the hostess or cook. Politely say "No thank you. Everything looks delicious, but I think I’ve reached my limit".

      

#3) Don’t go without eating the day of the party. Cutting back all day so you can indulge at an event that night only sets you up for a pig-out. Why? You're freaking starving! It's easy to get out of control when you're faced with high-calorie choices. Be sure to eat your three squares and a couple of snacks. Aim for lots of fruits and veggies, whole grains, and lean protein. Be picky- peruse the buffet before you load your plate to avoid foods you don't really want.

       #4) Drink water! Did you know that we often mistake thirst for hunger? Think of your body like a plant- you need water to thrive. So, strive for drinking eight cups of h2o a day. Do your best; this is hard for everyone, so setting a lofty goal will push you to probably get in at least half. I can tell you that carrying a water bottle with you at all times can help.

#5) Proteins, fruits and veggies are the way to go! Always bring veggie trays to parties and try to fill up on veggies first at any meal. Be sure to bring the veggies you like and that you will eat. You probably won’t be the most popular guest, but who cares? You are on a mission! When January rolls around and you are looking fit and toned, it will be all worth it. And who knows, some people may actually thank you for offering the only healthy option. Also, protein is a great way to boost your metabolism with the food you eat while also making sure you feel full at the end of a meal. You can always bring a protein tray in addition to the veggie tray you’ve already prepared. Go for seafood or lean poultry first. Chilled shrimp trays are always a great place to start, and grilled skinless chicken skewers are nice as well. Adding protein puts you back on top. Vegetarian or vegan? No worries. Edamame, nuts, seeds and hummus platters are high in protein and equally delicious.

By following my tips you’ll be on your way to a ripped and healthy holiday season. Don’t beat yourself up if you fall off the wagon once or twice. Dust yourself off and get right back up. The key is to be mindful of your eating and to get your body moving every day.

Wishing you a very happy and healthy holiday season!

xo,

Rachel

Live Healthy NYC: Spring 2014

Live Healthy NYC: Spring 2014: What a winter we have had! Here in New York the cold weather started sometime in October (I remember because it was too co...

Spring 2014

What a winter we have had! Here in New York the cold weather started sometime in October (I remember because it was too cold to go waterskiing!) While I love everything about winter: snuggling by the fire, warm sweaters, hearty stews, snow days (and my kids had a lot of days off!) and holiday parties, I am ready for winter to be over! Who would have believed that in mid-April we would have had snow!!!

Jack Frost has wreaked havoc all winter! From nipping at your nose to zapping your vitamin D, there are ways to undo the damage that winter has done. While the temperature might not feel like spring, it is here! And that means it’s time for spring cleaning! Spring cleaning isn’t just about cleaning the closets. It’s also about taking inventory, about looking at your life and considering how you might rejuvenate, replenish and reinvigorate yourself. It’s time to purge, to do a complete overhaul. It’s time to clean out and refresh your home, your routine, and maybe even your life. I encourage you to take a long hard look in the mirror. Are there changes you want to make, post-hibernation? If there are, you can make them. This is the time. It will take effort and a deliberate intention, but the time is now!

It was not uncommon for people to gain weight over the winter months. While I don’t think any of you were sitting at home eating bags of cookies and chips (you know better than that!) it might be likely that a few (or more) pounds crept on. Did you feel that it was hard to go outside and exercise because, let’s face it, it was not very nice outside. It was damn cold! Who wanted to go for a brisk walk when it was below freezing?!? And, lack of movement often comes with a sinking level of motivation until you don’t even want to venture out to the gym. Also, in many areas, fruits and veggies and other lighter healthful foods aren’t in season. It’s easy to settle into a habit of heavy winter foods.

But no surprise, there is a price to pay for becoming lax in health habits over the winter. Do you really want to go shopping for the next size up? My bet would be NO WAY!!! Bathing suit season is almost here. And yes, you do have time to SPRING INTO SHAPE!!!

Whether "activity" means getting off the couch, getting back to the gym or setting a fitness goal beyond all your past successes, here are some tips for springing into 2014. The process is the same for everyone: Set realistic goals that you can meet quickly. Build up that confidence -- it's the motivator you can't replace. Whether you are just beginning to get into shape or whether you are no stranger to exercise and have hibernated this winter, repeat after me: MOVE, MOVE, MOVE! BURN CALORIES!!!! Get out and walk, hike, run, take a class, exercise with a friend, or get yourself to the gym! I repeat: BURN CALORIES!!!

With regards to food, spring is the perfect time to restock your refrigerator with the succulent and yummy vegetables of the season. Consider juicing some of them to start the day or steaming them over brown rice for dinner at night. Forget comfort food – it’s the season for energy food. Find vegetables in the produce section that you haven’t tried before or check out any of the increasingly common spring farmers markets. In the store, make a conscious decision to food shop along the perimeter where the fresh food is abundant. Then step into the aisles to get whole grains and beans, whole grain cereal, brown rice, couscous, garbanzo beans, pearl barley, and lentils.

And, PLEASE, phase out one or more processed foods (soda, cookies, chips -- you know what they are), and replace it with a whole food. Lose the salty pita chips for whole, unsalted raw almonds. Lose the sugary desserts for fresh fruit. Even if you've purged your system of excess sugar and processed food, are you enjoying the bounty of spring produce? Now is your chance to get the best out spinach, artichokes and asparagus for greens, and strawberries and cherries for fruit. These foods are all wonderful!

Working out and eating right intersect. You have to learn to do both and do it right! Be determined. Be focused. Be goal oriented. That equals change. What’s worth the prize is always worth the fight! It has really been a long winter. Setting goals and seeing results and taking pride in your accomplishments is the perfect pick-me up for curing the winter blahs!

Feel free to contact me at Rachel@livehealthynyc.com for more information!

Live Healthy NYC: Happy Valentines Day

Live Healthy NYC: Happy Valentines Day: HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!!! If you choose wisely, chocolate can be one of those treats that can be both pleasurab...

Happy Valentines Day

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!!!

If you choose wisely, chocolate can be one of those treats that can be both pleasurable and healthy!

Since we have cocoa and its flavonoids to thank for the health benefits of chocolate, it makes sense that dark chocolate with its higher cocoa content will have more health benefits. In contrast, milk chocolate has less cocoa and therefore far fewer flavonoid-related health benefits. The addition of milk or cream to milk chocolate increases the amount of unhealthy saturated fat in the treat. Added sugar and other ingredients such as caramel, jellies or creams, which often come in those assorted chocolate boxes, further counteract any healthy qualities of the chocolate. And what about white chocolate? Without the cocoa, white chocolate has none of the beneficial flavonoids of its dark counterpart.

Cocoa powder, a byproduct of cocoa beans, has surprising health benefits. Not be confused with chocolate-powdered drink mix, cocoa powder contains no added sugar or fat. The nutritional contents of cocoa powder are getting recognition from doctors, scientists and dietitians for the cardiovascular and weight maintenance advantages they have to offer. Mostly used for baking, cocoa powder is what's left after removing cocoa butter from processing cocoa beans. One tablespoon, or 5 g of cocoa powder, contains only 20 calories. Of those 20 calories, there are 5 calories, or 0.5 g of fat. The remaining calories consist of 3 g of carbohydrates, 2 g of which are fiber. This amount makes cocoa powder a significant source of fiber.

Therefore, this Valentine’s Day, do your (or your Valentine’s) heart a favor and look for a good quality, dark chocolate (over 60% cocoa) and savor it slowly, 1-2 oz at a time.
And for a balanced, chocolatey start to the morning, check out this Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate Smoothie:

3/4 cup nonfat milk
1 medium banana
1 tablespoon peanut butter
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 tablespoon ground flax
1 scoop (24 g) whey protein powder (optional)

Live Healthy NYC: SIZE MATTERS!

Live Healthy NYC: SIZE MATTERS!: SIZE DOES MATTER! Whoever told you that it didn’t, was lying! I am talking about your portion size ! I know...

SIZE MATTERS!

SIZE DOES MATTER!

Whoever told you that it didn’t, was lying!

I am talking about your portion size! I know that talking about how to “right-size” your meals is not as “sexy” as this guy in the picture. How sexy do you feel with that extra 5-10lbs that you have added to your hips by eating too much?

“Portion distortion” is one of the prime causes of America’s obesity epidemic. Yet most of us don’t realize that we overeat or that when it comes to reining in calories, serving size is crucial.

Here are some tips: 

 

Use a salad plate or small bowl for your meals. Less real estate means automatic portion control. But, if you insist on a big plate or bowl, overload with veggies or salad or steaming broth-based soup. The water-rich, low-fat foods are so low in calories that a big portion isn’t a problem. But, gotta tell you, a smaller plate or bowl is truly the way to go!

Remember the “clean plate club”? Well, quit that club! Surveys reveal that one in four Americans eat everything they’ve been served no matter how big the portions are. Eat a healthy portion then stop. Better to waste a little food (and save it for tomorrow). However, if you are out at a restaurant and afraid that you won’t have enough restraint, try sharing! Or you can ask the server to wrap up half before they serve it to you. You can also order an appetizer for your main course.

Never eat out of the bag or the box or carton. Grabbing a handful can be tempting and can fool you into thinking that you didn’t eat it. Put the portion on the plate right away and put the package away and sit down and enjoy.

Read the labels. Many packaged foods and drinks look like one serving. But they are actually meant to serve two or more. Read the number of servings and be sure to eat just one serving.

Round out your meal with raw fruits and vegetables. As you transition to a more “modest portion," you may find yourself craving more food with your meal. Well I have the answer: a piece of fruit or veggies will do the trick. There is no easier way to add to your plate than with a side of fruit (think sliced apples, watermelon, an orange) or a side of veggies (think slice tomatoes, steam spinach or crunchy carrots).

Ok, now that we have some guidelines about what to put on your plate and how much, let me show you some real examples of what you might be eating and how much you REALLY should be eating. 

A bagel: I would bet that you would never start your day, or much less at any point in the day, by eating 6 or 7 slices of white bread. Well, that’s the calorie equivalent of a bagel. And, that’s before anything is put on it! Eating a whole bagel means you’ve already put away almost all of your six recommended daily servings of grains! I don’t know about you, but I think that’s INSANE!!! However, many brands offer bagel thins. That’s a better choice!

Alcohol: Mixed drinks frequently contain 42% more alcohol than a standard one-shot drink. It’s not the alcohol that will do you in, it’s the sugary, high-calorie mixer that will lead to weight gain. So switch to light beer, wine, or liquor on the rocks (with a splash of club soda).

Chicken breasts: We tend to think of chicken breasts as the ultimate “diet” food. However, have you noticed that many are now bigger than they use to be? Look for labels that say “thin-cut” or “thin-sliced”. A portion should be 4oz (uncooked) and 3oz (cooked). Imagine the inside of the palm of your hand. You could also say that it is about the size of a deck of cards. That’s a healthy plan (and you can think the same size portion for meat and fish).

White rice: How many of you eat the rice from the Chinese or Japanese restaurant? Do you think that because it’s “steamed” that it’s healthy? Well, think again! Your side of steamed rice will contain as many as 400-500 empty calories. Switch to brown rice! It contains fiber which is great for you! Use a measuring cup (or eyeball half the size of a tennis ball).

Chips: Do you snack on chips? Studies have shown that potato chips (one of the most popular snacks) may contribute to long-term weight gain more than any other food or drink. So if you must have chips, opt for “popped” as opposed to fried to get more food for fewer calories. Honestly though, I’d prefer to snack on fruit or raw veggies that won’t add pounds, for that same crisp snack.

Smoothies: Even the smallest size of a smoothie is often double the amount of a healthy serving. Pass up the juice bar and make your own smoothie at home. You will use fresh ingredients and you will be able to contain the portion.

THINK SIZE, THINK PORTION CONTROL, THINK HEALTHY!