Enjoy This Healthy Halloween Treat!

When it comes to Halloween, I am such a kid at heart!!! I may be 28, but I still get such a rush during the month of October - from decorating my house with goofy Halloween flare, picking out a costume for my little pug…oh and one for me too… and last but not least, indulging in one of my all time favorite foods – PUMPKIN!
Although pumpkin pie may be the first food that comes to mind, there are so many delicious and nutritious recipes you can make with pumpkin, and did you know pumpkin is a healthy food! Pumpkin itself is low in calories and fat, filled with great antioxidants like beta-carotene, and even contains a lot of other important nutrients such as iron, zinc, and fiber. Pumpkin seeds are really healthy too - high in essential amino acids and zinc.
For a guilt-free Halloween treat, try this yummy pumpkin pudding recipe below that is so easy you’ll be hooked this fall season for sure and perhaps year round!

Ingredients:
1 15-16 ounce canned pumpkin
2 cups of plain soy milk
1 box of instant (no cook) vanilla or french vanilla pudding, serving size 6
1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
¼ teaspoon of nutmeg
¼ teaspoon of ginger

Preparation:
In a medium bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, spices and half of the milk. While whisking, add the pudding mix and the rest of the milk. Whisk well to fully combine. The pudding will begin to thicken a little over time. Add more milk or spices for the consistency and flavor if you desire. This recipe makes 8 ½ cup servings.

Enjoy and Happy Halloween!

Food Journal to Get and Keep Your Eating on Track

Food journaling is a great tool to help you get and keep your eating on a healthy, supportive track. Keeping a food journal can help you discover your eating patterns, increase self-awareness and understanding of your choices, all which can lead to you treating yourself and your body better.
Too often we overeat or make less supportive choices simply because we are focusing on other things…other than what we are eating. Maybe we are in a rush, have the TV on, or are just mindlessly munching on the bread basket at dinner…well just because it is there…
We also eat for emotional reasons at times - out of happiness, sadness, boredom, anger, loneliness, frustration etc... Who at one time or another hasn’t grabbed for their favorite “comfort food” at the end of a rough day or gone out for dessert to celebrate a special occasion etc... If we only ate because we were truly hungry, very few of us would have weight concerns.
Keeping a food journal with an accurate track of when, where, how much, and how you felt when you did eat encourages you to focus and think about what you are doing and why. And, the more mindful you are, the better you are likely to eat and treat your body.
For emotional eating, a food journal helps you examine the connection between what you eat and how you feel. You can use a food journal to look at the circumstances and feelings that trigger you to overeat. Once you are able to identify the causes you can begin doing something different to deal with them. For instance, going for a walk, calling a friend, or reading a magazine are healthy coping tools to replace the temporary substitute of food.
A food journal also helps you make sure you are eating a well-balanced diet, raising awareness of which foods you need to add or reduce in your diet, as well as drawing your attention to how certain foods make you feel physically. For instance, I discovered that every time I drank soda, my stomach felt bloated and uncomfortable, so I have replaced it with water, tea or coffee and have not looked back since because these choices do not make my body feel icky.
Keeping a food journal can also help you learn to eat proper portion sizes. For instance, your morning cereal habit could actually be sabotaging your diet if your daily serving size (filling your favorite bowl to the top) is really 2 or 3 times the amount of the serving size found on the nutritional label. Once you become aware of how much you are really serving yourself, you can begin modifying where there needs to be change.
Last but not least, keeping a food journal reinforces your desire and commitment to achieve and maintain a healthy weight, body, and lifestyle that you deserve.

Stop and appreciate all your body does for you

We are all guilty of being too harsh and critical of our bodies at times - myself included. And, it is during these times when we are so caught up in being hard on ourselves that we somehow forget what a blessing and amazing gift the human body is.
When you think about it, our bodies really are such miracles at work every moment of the day - allowing us to breathe, walk, jog, jump, run, taste, see, hear, feel and experience love, joy, happiness, laughter, affection etc…
One way I find helpful to snap myself out of these moments of self criticism and doubt is by taking a step back to appreciate all of the gifts my body allows me to experience every day.
For instance, this morning my strong body carried me through a rigorous, rewarding workout and then allowed me the pleasure of sharing breakfast with my husband – to be able to laugh with him and enjoy his presence while sipping a delicious cup of hot coffee – this moment is priceless.
And, your body like mine allows you to experience so many small and great pleasures all of the time. So, when you find yourself being cruel and unappreciative towards your body – give yourself and your body a break.
Stop worrying and obsessing about all of the things your body “isn’t” and start remembering all the greatness that your body is and all of the miracles it performs each and every day.

Snack Smart to Fuel You and Your Day!

A good friend of mine recently came to me for some advice on whether she should incorporate snacks into her day to keep her energy level up, and to combat feeling weak and lethargic from waiting too long to eat in between meals. She also wanted to know some suggestions for healthy snacks. As I shared with my friend and emphasize with clients: healthy snacking is super important and there are lots of supportive choices to keep your energy level high that are quick and easy!

Eating snacks between meals keeps our blood sugar steady throughout the day, our energy level up, and helps us from overindulging later because we’re so hungry that when we finally do sit down to eat our eyes are bigger than the table – which can lead to not only overeating but eating unsupportive foods too!

While I am a firm believer in snacks, I am not just promoting snacking on anything that crosses your path… We need to be mindful of what we snack on as well as how much. The portion size we choose and the ingredients are important to assure we are giving our body the right kind of fuel to keep energy up while not adding excessive calories to our diet which can hurt our waistline.

To keep energy levels up — and to avoid weight gain — look for foods that contain complex carbohydrates like whole-grain breads and cereals and then combine them with protein-rich snacks like peanut butter, low-fat yogurt, or cheese. Stay away from foods with lots of simple carbohydrates (sugars) like candy bars or soda which provide empty calories with a temporary boost that will ultimately lead to an energy crash.

Here are some snack suggestions that I find healthy and delicious, not too calorically dense, and serve their purpose – to provide supportive fuel for the body:

• Sliced apples or carrots with a tablespoon of natural peanut butter (natural is a better choice because it is lower in sugar and contains no hydrogenated oils - I like Smuckers and Naturally More)
• Almonds (Blue Diamond makes deliciously flavored almonds that are low in sugar- Vanilla Bean and Cinnamon Sugar are my favorites!)
• 1 package of instant oatmeal (try plain and flavoring it yourself with some fruit, honey or cinnamon)
• Low fat yogurt (try low fat or nonfat plain Greek yogurt – it’s lower in sugar and you can flavor it with honey or fruit) I also like Dannon All Natural which is higher in sugar, but sweetened with real fruit)
• Low fat cheese with some whole wheat crackers
• Nature Valley Granola Bars (I eat these occasionally because they're convenient- a little high in sugar but made with all natural ingredients and have a nice amount of protein)
• Trail Mix ( Planters makes a good packaged mix or try making your own)
• A cup of soy or skim milk, and if you're a coffee drinker...try a nonfat or soy latte for a mid-morning or afternoon energy boost

As with anything, moderation is the key to snacking smart. Those who eat regular meals and healthy snacks are less likely to overeat and gain weight than those who skip meals or go longer periods of time without eating -then to only binge on unhealthy food later. So snack smart to fuel your body and mind for a great day :-)

Refresh Your Goals This Fall!

As we enter the second week of October, there are signs all around us that fall has arrived. Depending on where you live the leaves have started changing colors, kids are settling into the new school year, the temperature has begun cooling off…even here in South Florida… well at least at night anyway:-) And for those of us observing Jewish holidays, this past week of fall marked the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah - a time of celebration, reflection, and awakening to life. As my rabbi pointed out, Rosh Hashanah is really a time to look at and reassess how you’ve been living the past year. While you may not observe Rosh Hashanah, fall can still be a great time to examine the quality of your life, and to refresh your steps towards living your best.

Why wait until January 1st rolls around again to start making supportive lifestyle changes? There really is no better time to start working on your goals and to live better than the present moment. Maybe you want to have more energy, to exercise more, to eat healthier or start practicing yoga but somewhere along the lines have gotten off track from making these changes part of your life… Whatever your goals are and whatever kind of life you want to live - you must ask yourself – what choices am I making now to help support this?

To move forward towards any goal, we must focus on the choices we make today to help get us there. Don’t worry about yesterday’s mistakes or beat yourself up for what you have or haven’t done, and worry about what you need to do tomorrow for that matter. I encourage you right now to just focus on one choice at a time, on what you can do today that will get you closer to living the life you deserve and towards meeting your goals.

Maybe you want to be more active - so start by taking an extra walk this evening. Maybe you want to eat healthier - so be a little more conscious and mindful of what you put into your mouth at dinner - try going to bed tonight a little earlier if sleep is what you are craving to lead a more energetic life. Whatever your goals are, just remember the best way to achieve them is to reclaim your power one step at a time and awaken to today!

In a world where there are so many things out of our control - like the economy, war, diseases etc...remind yourself this fall to embrace those choices that are under your jurisdiction. And, how you choose to treat your body is truly up to you. Wouldn’t you rather start feeling your best now instead of putting you and your life off until January 1st!

Dining Out and Doing it Healthy

Dining out is a pleasure that we all enjoy - whether it’s for a special occasion or just a midweek treat to break away from routine and the kitchen. While dining out is lots of fun, it can be a source of concern for those of us who are health conscious eaters and watching our waistlines.
Despite all of the dining out temptations and challenges, believe me, you can still eat out and eat healthy too! Below are some healthy eating tips that help me, my family, and clients to eat smart when dining out:

• Do start your meal with a salad - this helps control your hunger, packs in lots of healthy veggies, and assists you in feeling satisfied sooner into the meal.
• Do ask for salad dressing to be served on the side and Do use in moderation.
• Don’t be shy and Do ask your server about food preparation. Ask that food be steamed, grilled, baked, broiled or poached instead of fried or sautéed. These cooking techniques use less fat and are generally lower in calories.
• Do order water, unsweetened tea, or coffee with your meal. These contain less sugar and are lower in calories than soda or juices.
• If you do order an appetizer or dessert, do share with a friend. Half the dessert/appetizer means half the calories.
• Do choose entrees that include vegetables, such as stir fries, kebobs, or pasta with a tomato sauce.
• Do control your portions by trying one of these strategies to prevent overeating:

1. Order an appetizer or side dish instead of an entrée
2. Share a main dish with a friend
3. When your food is delivered, set aside or pack half of it to go immediately.
4. Don't join the “clean your plate club” – when you have eaten enough, leave the rest or take home a “doggy bag.” Remember it’s just food, and you can always have more later.

• Do be mindful of side dishes - order a baked potato or steamed vegetables. If these choices are not listed on the menu, do ask your server if substitutions are possible.
• Choose foods made with whole grains - like wheat bread, brown rice, and whole wheat pasta.

*Last but not least - Please Do Remember to Have Fun When You Dine Out and Don't Deprive Yourself of the Foods You Truly Love. All foods in moderation can fit into a well-balanced diet!*