Live Healthy NYC: What's for dinner mom?!?

Live Healthy NYC: What's for dinner mom?!?: What’s for dinner mom? You can imagine that with growing teenagers I get asked this often. Whenever I can, as busy as I am, I...

What's for dinner mom?!?

What’s for dinner mom? You can imagine that with growing teenagers I get asked this often. Whenever I can, as busy as I am, I really like for my family to have a home cooked meal. While I like to support my neighborhood spots, I know that a homemade meal it is tastier and healthier than ordering in. Plus if there are any leftovers they are great for the next nite’s meal! 

While there are at least 1000 ways to cook chicken, I prefer the simplicity of this roast chicken. High in protein and low if fat, this is a great anytime meal. And easy to prepare! I like to always include a healthy carb (potato (white or sweet), quinoa, faro, brown  rice, or squash) and a vegetable (steamed or sautee spinach, asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, beans or artichoke) and always a simple mixed salad along with it (my parents use to tell me that a salad swept away everything I ate to make room for dessert!). Lucky for me I do not have picky eaters but regardless I am always conscious of having something on the plate for everyone to enjoy! 

I hope you enjoy this as much as we do!

Simple Roast Chicken:

ingredients

       6 tablespoons olive oil


       3 tablespoons lemon juice


       1 large shallot


       2 cloves garlic


       1/4 cup parsley leaves


       2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves


       3/4 teaspoon salt


       1/2 teaspoon black pepper


       1 whole chicken (about 4 lbs)


       2 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, cut into thin wedges

directions:

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees .

2. Add olive oil, lemon juice, shallot, garlic, parsley, oregano, 1/2 tsp of the salt and 1/4 tsp of the black pepper to blender; blend until combined. Liberally season chicken with half the mixture and place on a rack in a large roasting pan. Season with 1/8 tsp each of the salt and pepper. Roast at 425 degrees for 60 to 70 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees .

3. Meanwhile, toss potatoes with remaining olive oil and lemon mixture. Place on a baking sheet and roast with chicken for 40 to 45 minutes, until browned and forktender. Season with remaining 1/8 tsp each salt and pepper.

4. Slice chicken and serve with potatoes.

Live Healthy NYC: Ditch the diet soda for better health!

Live Healthy NYC: Ditch the diet soda for better health!: How much diet soda do you drink? Did you know that it can actually lead to increased belly fat in men and women...

Ditch the diet soda for better health!

How much diet soda do you drink? Did you know that it can actually lead to increased belly fat in men and women. It is the sodas' acidity from the phosphoric acid used in both regular and diet soda that lend a tangy flavor and act as a preservative. Constantly ingesting this might create an even more acidic environment in your gut than normal, which may affect biodiversity and allow some harmful strains of bacteria to thrive.

Artificial sweeteners also may play a big role in the increase in belly fat.  Artificial sweeteners may cause changes to gut bacteria, leading to the overgrowth of strains that are more efficient at getting every last calorie out of the food you eat. Second, artificial sweeteners may mess with our ability to metabolize glucose, which can lead to insulin resistance, which in turn increases hunger. And third, there's some speculation that they mess with us neurologically, interfering with our body's signals to quit eating. Given these reasons I suggest that you ditch the habit altogether. If you still crave that refreshing fizz, try transitioning to something like seltzer and flavor it yourself with fruit (lemon, lime, berries). 

What do you think now? Are you going to ditch the diet soda for better health?  

Live Healthy NYC: Teaching kids to eat healthy foods

Live Healthy NYC: Teaching kids to eat healthy foods: Healthy eating amongst kids in a learned behavior. They are not intuitive. So what your children learn to ea...

Teaching kids to eat healthy foods

Healthy eating amongst kids in a learned behavior. They are not intuitive. So what your children learn to eat at home early in life sticks with them well into adulthood.

Sixteen years ago, when my son was born, I have to admit that I was not a fan of meal time. As an infant he was always hungry and the breast or bottle didn’t seem to satisfy his hunger. The next stage was baby food. I remember the challenge as the smell and texture from the jars led him to turn away. I found that smoothies were an easy way for him to ingest vitamins and minerals but I feared that the liquid diet wasn’t the best choice I was making. As he became a toddler, he never sat still at the table and was more interested in eating on the go. I remember making a joke that he was a “real New Yorker”, always eating on the run as he multi-tasked. I have to admit that I loved getting together for play dates around meal time as he copied what his playmates ate. Whew, that seemed to make my life a bit easier. But in my own food kitchen the battle was waged and I wanted to throw my hands up in aggravation!

Lucky for me, I didn’t stay in this stage of frustration for too long! I started reading books and talking to experts (my mom, my pediatrician and other moms) and I quickly made a radical changes.

I will gladly share with you my simple findings and I hope that this helps you or other parents you know.

Did you know that current research suggests that by age two children will have developed food preferences that will be with them for their entire lives? To a large extent, these food preferences are shaped and molded by their mothers. If a mother dislikes a vegetable and therefore doesn't serve it to her children, they will not learn to like it or eat it. So, right from the beginning, put aside your differences and expose your children to everything! 

Let’s start with the first meal of the day: BREAKFAST. I believe that it is the most important meal of the day. It gets your child off on the right foot. If they don’t eat in the morning they’ll be tired and unable to concentrate in school before lunch. It’s essential that children jumpstart their metabolism in the morning so their bodies don’t enter starvation mode, which might later cause them to experience difficulty maintaining a healthy body weight. However, some children need to practice eating breakfast. I recommend starting small and working to a bigger meal if you’re having trouble getting your child to eat breakfast. Serve real food. Making a pot of oatmeal is every bit as easy as pouring a bowl of cold cereal. It takes no more than five minutes to cook a bowl of oatmeal, and your children will benefit from this breakfast all day long. Children simply perform better after eating oatmeal than just about any other breakfast you could serve. The glucose contained in the oatmeal has been found to boost memory and attention. Other beneficial breakfasts include whole-grain breads, eggs, apples, oranges, grapefruit berries, grapes, yogurt, milk, and bran cereal.

Trust your child. If she says she is not hungry, respect her wishes. If she is hungry, she will ask for food. Let them ASK for food. Do not force your child to eat and as hard as it may be don’t yell at your child to eat their meal. This will not be productive. If you find yourself with a picky eater, institute the one bite rule. In this way, kids have to try foods that many times they only think they don't like. There have been studies that conclude that it takes seven attempts with a new food for a child to like it and accept it. Do not get into the habit of making separate food for the kids. Ever find yourself making one meal for the adults in the house and another for the kids — or even one for each kid? Children take their time warming up to new things and if you keep giving them the old standbys they’re not going to branch out and explore new foods. Be patient. It is counterproductive, and it puts tremendous strain on you to cook double or triple meals everyday. Make only one meal that the whole family partakes from. Make the same dinner for everyone in the family while making sure to put some foods on the plate that your children like — then add something new. If they don’t touch it, don’t worry about it, and definitely don’t make an argument out of it.Try again the next week and again the following week. Eventually they’ll surprise you by at least tasting that new food.

Strive to add berries and greens to as many food choices as possible. Berries contain many beneficial antioxidants. Greens must be eaten often and are very important part of everyone's healthy diet. Fruits and salads are served with every meal at my table and should be at yours too! If there is any left over it’s a great snack for another time!

Another great way to teach kids healthy eating is to involve them in cooking and kitchen preparation. Encourage them to help you. This will empower them and make them feel like they have some control in what they want to eat. Even though it will create more mess, it will encourage them and teach lifelong kitchen skills. Young children can help make salads and can help create soups. Let them help you decide what healthy dish to prepare. Look through cookbooks, family recipes or online cooking websites and allow them to help you shop in the grocery store or famers market.

Pack healthy lunches and snacks and try to make them interesting. Dried fruits and nuts and seeds are great for lunches, as well as yogurt and cubes of cheese with different chopped vegetables. I remember that someone once told me to use a cookie cutter to make fun shapes out of sandwiches. I tried this, never coming out as pretty as the pictures in the glossy magazines but nevertheless allowed my kids to be creative in the kitchen and in their own food prep!

Kids don’t need frozen chicken nuggets, french fries, macaroni and cheese, and pizza to keep them happy. Highly processed foods like these are loaded with chemicals, synthetic fats, additives, artificial sweeteners, and food colorings. And even a three-year-old can grasp why sodas aren’t good for you and why we don’t eat foods with lots of fat every day at every meal. Teach children to avoid junk food by your own good example. People who are addicted to junk food will lead miserable lives filled with disease. Impart an enthusiasm for real foods to your children. Do everything you can to eliminate food additives from your children's diet. It has been proven that artificial colors and flavors negatively affect children's behavior. Sodium benzoate, a commonly used preservative, has been found to increase hyperactivity in small children. This behavior includes inattention, impulsivity, and over activity. The reality is that you can't keep heavily processed foods out of their diets forever, but the longer you limit exposure while instilling healthy eating habits, the more likely your children will be to make better choices when left to their own devices.

Lastly, I believe in making mealtime special. First and foremost, sit down and enjoy your food. Take time to savor flavors. Children should never eat while walking around. I believe that it is important for the family that everyone sit down to eat and talk together. Make a ritual out of dinner and give everyone a special task — maybe even let each child have one night a week to plan and help make dinner. Have the kids set the table. Cloth napkins and real glasses set a more formal tone and are better for the environment. Candles aren’t just for adult dining — they can set a calming tone for the meal and will show kids that mealtime is special.

Live Healthy NYC: The best thing since sliced bread!!!

Live Healthy NYC: The best thing since sliced bread!!!: I have a confession to make… As a child and throughout most of my teens, I ate white bread. In particular, it ...

The best thing since sliced bread!!!

I have a confession to make…

As a child and throughout most of my teens, I ate white bread. In particular, it was the brand “Wonder”. Wonder bread was one of the first sold pre-sliced breads, being marketed like this nationwide in the 1930’s and leading to the popular phrase "the greatest thing since sliced bread". It wasn’t until the 1940’s that the company started adding vitamins and minerals to enrich the white bread and to combat certain diseases. In the 1950’s and 60’s breads were advertised to help individuals build strong bodies. In the late 80’s, low calorie versions of the bread were introduced. And as late as the year 2006, Wonder was one of the first bread brands to introduce whole grain white breads that appealed to consumers who loved the taste of white bread, but who were looking for more nutrition. These breads were made with an albino wheat variety that doesn't have the more pronounced taste of whole red-wheat flour.

Why am I telling you this? And in particular about Wonder bread, owned by The Hostess Company (no, I don’t own the stock). I think it’s because as a kid this particular brand of white bread sandwich was a part of my daily life. And, then as an adult, it became taboo to eat bread, either as a sandwich or at the dinner table. And as a mother, I made my kids french toast, grilled (or baked) cheese sandwiches and turkey, ham or tuna wraps were a staple for lunch boxes. There was so much conflicting information that I  became confused by the messages that I was hearing.

And, believe it or not, I actually love bread. There is nothing better (well almost!) to me than the smell of piping hot bread fresh out of an oven. 

Ok, so let me share some facts on bread alone. Let’s start with “white bread”. For years, white bread was the common choice for families around the world. However, as more and more research has been done on the nutrition of white bread, questions have begun to be raised. One of the most important nutritional issues when it comes to white bread is the carbohydrate content. Like most types of other bread, white bread is composed almost entirely from simple carbohydrates. Simple carbohydrates have been found to be linked to increases in obesity and diabetes, and can even lead to the development of cardiovascular disease.

Now, what about “brown bread”?  They can be made with molasses or other things can give bread a brown color. The word "whole" should always appear before the name of the grain, such as whole wheat, whole oats, or whole rye. And it should be the first thing on the ingredient list. Don't be misled by labels that say "multi-grain," "stone-ground," "100% wheat," "cracked wheat," or "seven-grain." These usually aren't whole grain.

What about “enriched bread”? Is that good for you? Parents often ask if they can give their kids “enriched bread”. The word "enriched' appears on white bread and other bread products made from refined grains. Refining helps make bread light and airy and gives it a longer shelf life. But it also strips away fiber, iron, and many B vitamins. "Enriched" just means that B vitamins and iron are added back after refining. But fiber may not be added back to "enriched" breads. Fiber is found in bread made with whole grains. Fiber from whole grains helps reduce cholesterol and may lower the risk of heart disease. Nutrients in whole grains help your body form red blood cells and keep your immune system healthy.

Sometimes I will have a client ask: What's the difference between “whole wheat” and "white whole wheat” bread? "White" whole wheat bread -- which might sound odd -- is made with flour from white wheat, not the red wheat most bread is made from. The bran of white wheat is lighter and has a milder flavor, which might make this bread taste better to some people. Experts consider white wheat and red wheat to be the same nutritionally.

So what are “gluten-free breads” made with? Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye. People who are allergic to gluten should avoid breads and other foods made with those grains. Many gluten-free breads and mixes are made with white or brown rice flours and starches such as arrowroot, potato, and tapioca.

So, can eating “whole grain bread” help you manage your weight? I believe that the fiber in whole-grain breads can make you feel full longer and help you control your weight. When picking bread, look for 16 grams of whole grains in a serving. If you are buying bakery bread that doesn't have a label, pick it up to see how heavy it is. Heavier breads are usually higher in whole grains.

All in all, bread is ok! But that doesn't mean you can have as much bread as you'd like. To lose weight, you have to eat less, exercise more, and eat healthy foods.

 

Live Healthy NYC: Do it today! Don't wait til tomorrow!

Live Healthy NYC: Do it today! Don't wait til tomorrow!: A year from now… you will have wished you started today! The steps it takes to getting healthy and loosing weight do not come ea...

Live Healthy NYC: Do it today! Don't wait til tomorrow!

Live Healthy NYC: Do it today! Don't wait til tomorrow!: A year from now… you will have wished you started today! The steps it takes to getting healthy and loosing weight do not come ea...

Do it today! Don't wait til tomorrow!

A year from now… you will have wished you started today!

The steps it takes to getting healthy and loosing weight do not come easy and it does not happen overnite. There are a lot of little steps it takes. Whether it's 10 pounds or 100 pounds, starting is the hardest part. But there's no need to make drastic, life-altering changes that you're not ready for yet. It’s important to start off nice and easy. 

I have made this easy by providing you with five manageable changes that you can make each day. I promise that you won't feel overwhelmed or deprived! These changes will help get you in the healthy mind-set and on the healthy track, which will only encourage more good-for-you changes.

1.   Swap beverages for water: Here’s the thing, you don't have to give up your morning cup of coffee or green tea (I don’t!). But for the rest of the day, a bottle of water (or a reusable one) is going to be your best friend. Each time you choose water over juice, soda, sweetened iced tea, and specialty coffee drinks, you'll save at least about 100 calories. Aside from that, sipping water also helps fill your belly, prevent bloat from constipation, and keeps you hydrated. Staying hydrated will prevent that sluggish feeling that causes people to reach for candy bars or cookies. Also, many times we are actually just plain ol thirsty rather than hungry.

2.   Make a big raw salad for lunch: This is good for so many reasons. The raw veggies are low in calories, so you can eat an enormous bowl without breaking the calorie bank. They're also full of fiber, which fills you up fast and keeps you feeling satiated longer. I like to prep for the week by keeping cut up veggies and beans in separate tupperware containers. This allows me to make an easy salad and snack on healthy pre-cut veggies any time. Just be sure to be mindful of the ingredients you use; adding too much dressing, cheese, or other unhealthy items can turn a perfect salad into an unhealthy salad.

3.   Workout: Even if you are not a gym rat, a super spiner or a yogi, get in the habit of doing something physical! Go for a brisk walk, take a dance class, or join a fencing club! If you have no idea how to get started, look in at your neighborhood gym. Most gym’s offer trial memberships and I would suggest explore either one to one training or try the classes that are offered. The important thing is just to burn some calories. After some pain (from muscles that have been sleeping for a while, and don’t worry, a hot shower will ease the pain) and looking better, you'll be itching to do more.

4.   Keep cut-up fruits and veggies in the fridge: When hunger or boredom strikes and you get that feeling that you need to munch on something, instead of reaching for a bag of chips, head to the fridge and grab one of the containers you've premade that contains washed grapes, blueberries, cut-up watermelon, pineapple, strawberries, and kiwi or carrots and celery sticks, strips of bell pepper, or sliced cukes. Put the containers right at eye level so they're the first thing you see. When healthy foods are already prepared, you're more likely to choose them over other easily accessible, not-so-healthy snacks.

5.   Use smaller plates and bowls: When we prepare a plate of food, we feel the need to fill it up completely. If you start out with a smaller-sized salad plate or a kid-sized bowl, there's only so much you can pile on, so you'll end up consuming fewer calories.

Make these changes today, there is no reason to wait!