5 Tips to Trim the Waist for Summer!

As a dietitian, approximately 60% of my patients walk through my door with a goal to lose weight. Weight loss can help control diseases such as Type 2 diabetes, elevated cholesterol (hyperlipidemia), high blood pressure (hypertension), and many other ailments. I consistently hear the same story--"I tried this diet and it worked, but now I am sick of it and cannot look at that food again." OR I am asked, "Is there a meal plan that I can follow to lose weight?" I understand their frustrations and sometimes desperation. Losing weight is not always easy! The science of nutrition and food have long been a passion of mine. I strive to stay current and up on research. With that said, I will answer some burning questions I am often asked:

• Do fad diets work? Yes, they can. The question becomes for how long. Many popular, what I call "Cookie Cutter" diets, can work. They are often restrictive, provide little variety, and lack the research supporting long-term results.
• Do diet pills work? This depends and can be dangerous. Supplement laws are very flimsy and claims can be made without legitimate research as evidence. You are safer seeking out the advice of a dietitian or physician prior to beginning a diet pill program. If you have a specific diet pill in mind please ask me about it first!
• What's your approach to weight loss? My approach is a non-diet approach. Yes, I look at what you are currently eating and how improvements can be made, but I also evaluate your relationship with food and behaviors toward food. My most successful patients are those who modify their behaviors and create a healthier relationship with food.

Here are 5 of my favorite tips to trim your waist

1. Keep a journal. In your journal write down what you ate, time, location, with whom, and how you felt while eating (sad, happy, rushed, stressed, guilty, etc.)
2. Write down realistic goals. Make your goals quantitative. This means put numbers to them. For example, At least 5 days per week I will eat 4 cups of colorful vegetables. If your goals are flimsy and broad you won't have anything concrete to focus on.
3. Increase your vegetable intake. Generally, Americans eat very little vegetables (1-2 servings per day). A serving is 1 cup raw and 1/2 cup cooked, and your goal should be closer to 5 servings per day. Vegetables add fiber, nutrients, and are low in calories (unless they are adulterated!)
4. Eliminate liquid calories. Liquids go down easily, and so can hundreds of calories with them. Cut out or cut back on sodas, juices, and even the waters that only have 10-25 calories per serving.
5. Be aware! Look at labels, read the calories and look at the portion sizes. You might be surprised! Don't assume all products are the same or are the same serving size. You must be your own advocate, and if you have challenges with accountability seek out a dietitian for assistance.

A couple of my favorite quotes:

If it walks like a cookie, tastes like a cookie, it probably is a cookie--no matter how many vitamins and minerals they add to the cookie!

Trail mix should be eaten---on a TRAIL!

Sports drinks should be savored--during a sporting event (no, not for the spectators)!

Roasted or Grilled Potatoes---Fabulous!

Planning to grill tonight? Add grilled potatoes to your dinner menu. Or perhaps the spring storms are keeping you inside. Toss cut up potatoes into your oven for a great dinner addition. From russett to fingerling to yukon gold or new potatoes you have a variety of flavors and textures to work with. Russetts are the classics for baked potatoes, fingerlings are adorable and perfect to slice lengthwise and nibble on, and yukon golds are creamy enough on their own that you need very little butter to make these a mashed hit. Potatoes are so tremendously versatile and combine well with so many of my favorite herbs or spices. Here are some quick ideas to create a pair with your next menu:
1. Chop up rosemary and garlic and toss with your favorite roaster. Bake at 400*F for 20-30 minutes until crisp and golden
2. Par boil for 5 minutes and skewer. Baste with olive oil, garlic, and lemon zest. Throw on the grill and enjoy!
3. Roast with sage and bacon for a more decadent touch.
4. Thinly slice and make your on potato chips--bake at 450*F for 10-15 minutes or until crispy. Season with malt vinegar and sea salt
5. Go Mexican! Toss grilled or roasted potatoes with cilantro, cumin, and olive oil.
Tonight, I made sauteéd cod with lemon sauce, blanched asparagus, and roasted potatoes that I finished with lemon zest and parsley. You can really cut back your use of salt when you pair citrus juice or zest with a dish--try it! Stop passing the potatoes by! They are high in Vitamin C and when you eat the peel you keep the fiber. Everything in moderation which makes fingerling and new potatoes a great addition to your next meal! There's the dinner bell!

Ditch the Bottled Water and Make Your Own!

I frequently ponder the attraction to flavored bottled "waters." Is it the label, the flavor, the price, or the container that makes so many people want to drink flavored "waters?" It certainly should not be the health factor! Let me give you 5 reasons you should NOT drink bottled flavored "water:"

1. Natural flavors don't mean that it's flavored with fruit or real fruit juices---so think about what those "natural" flavors are referring to.

2. Adding to the landfills--how many plastic water bottles per year do you contribute to your local landfill? Plastic bottles take 450-1000 years to biodegrade!!!

3. Artificial sweeteners keep those calories at Zero--I am not 100% against artificial sweeteners, but I do believe in moderation and with artificial sweeteners being added to everything from yogurts to waters I wonder how easy it is to keep those levels in moderation!

4. They cost $$--why spend $1.19 on bottled water (or more) when you can create your own for pennies?

5. If your goal is to lose weight it's important to reduce your addiction to sweets, and a sweetened beverage still provides your taste buds with the "satisfaction" of something sweet.

Break the habit!

So, you might be wondering what are better alternatives to your flavored beverages. Here are some fabulous ways to impart flavor without the chemicals and plastic:

1. Ginger water (my favorite)--Whether you have an upset stomach or just like a bit of spice try slicing 5-6 rounds of ginger and add to your own water bottles.

2. Cucumber water--clean and refreshing and a great way to sip your way into summer.

3. Citrus water--some of the top flavors of water are citrus flavors. Add your own slices of fresh lemon, lime, or orange to water instead.

4. Watermelon water (2 ways)--blend watermelon and freeze in ice cube trays and to water or thinly slice the rind (yes, the rind) and add to your water.

5. Grape water--slice grapes in half and freeze. They are fabulous to snack on or add to your water.

6. Mint water--add 2 sprigs of mint to water.

7. Berry water--blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries all shine in your favorite pint of water.

Cut calories, save money, decrease waste, and eliminate artificial sweeteners all by creating your own flavored waters! Ahhhh...refreshing!

Chicago Tribune Talks About Edible Nutrition Blog!

Check out what the Chicago Tribune is saying about my Food Blog:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/food/chi-0422-health-blogsapr22,0,2889564.story

Thanks for reading! Keep the suggestions coming!

Wendy Jo

Spring is in the Air & in my Garden!

For the past two weeks I have been traveling, and haven't had a chance to sit down and post a blog. My apologies! But, after some requests I feel it's time to share some spring ideas to help your mouth ready for the succulent treats of spring!

Spring Salad--Inspired by a Cooking Light recipe in April 2009
Ingredients:
5 radishes, thinly sliced
2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
3 carrots, use a vegetable peel to make long slices
4 cups lettuce--your choice! Arugula & Mizuna worked fabulously in this recipe
4 green onions, thinly sliced
2 Tb. mint, chopped*
2 Tb. parsley, chopped*
1 lemon, zested and juiced
2 Tb. olive oil
1/2 ts. kosher or sea salt
5-6 grinds on a pepper mill
4 oz goat cheese, crumbled

Directions:
In a large bowl toss all vegetables together. Top with herbs, then lemon zest and juice, and finish with olive oil. Toss again. Sprinkle with S&P and crumble goat cheese over top. Serve!
*Note, any fresh herbs can work--this is just some of what I grow; thus, it's what I used! Cilantro, basil, thyme, or dill could all work in this!

Along side of this fabulous salad I served Grilled Chicken with Mango Salsa! YUM!
Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts, skinless & boneless
3 limes, juiced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 ts. salt
3 Tb. olive oil
Directions:
Marinate chicken breasts in above mixture for at least 30 minutes, and no more than 4 hours. Grill on medium-high heat for 8-10 minutes on each side. Cook until internal temperature reaches 165*F on a meat thermometer.

Mango Salsa
Ingredients:
1 mango, cut into small cubes
1/4 red onion, minced
1 tomato, seeded and diced
1 avocado, cubed
1/2 jalapeno (or more who like heat), minced
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1/2 lime, juiced
Salt to taste
Directions:
Mix & immediately serve over chicken breasts!

My whole meal was Spring Salad, Chicken breasts with Mango Salsa, Black Beans, & Brown Rice. The above serves 4 and took about an hour to pull together! Enjoy!
Oh, and my camera broke; thus, I will post pics when I can!

A Texas-Inspired Meal with Some Flair! Venison, too!

Brace yourself...One of my all time favorite meals is chicken fried steak, greens, & beer bread! Of course all of the added fat, grease, and gristle does not make it a favorite of my stomach or heart! So, how can I make it healthier and still tasty?

Looking through my CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) box I saw Swiss Chard and decided that it would be a perfect stand in for my greens. Next, I pulled out Venison Round Steaks (Thank you Steve & Robyn!!!), panko bread crumbs, and beef base (the makings of beef broth). Lastly, I pulled out some fresh herbs and a bottle of beer to whip up some of my favorite bread! Hands down this was 5-stars! My husband placed it up there with his top 5 dishes! I hope you give it a try! And yes, the Chicken Fried Steak was crunchy and delicious!

First things first--get the bread started!

Beer Bread

Ingredients:

3 cups flour, all purpose

1 Tb. baking powder

3 Tb. sugar

1 ts. salt

1/4 cup fresh herbs (I used dill tonight)

1 bottle of beer

1/4 cup butter, melted

Directions:

Heat oven to 375*F. Spray a bread pan with cooking spray. In a bowl whisk together dry ingredients. Add beer & butter and stir just until combined--don't overmix quick breads! Pour into bread pan and bake for 35-45 minutes.

A Spin on Chicken Fried Steak

Ingredients:

2 thin round steaks, venison or beef

1/4 cup whole wheat flour--you can use white, too

1/2 cup panko bread crumbs, this makes it so don't substitute

1 Tb. olive oil

Directions:

Place flour on one plate and panko crumbs on another. Heat olive oil in a heavy skillet (I prefer cast iron). Dip steaks into flour, and then place on panko plate and press into meat. Place meat into hot skillet and cook for 5 minutes on each side. Place meat onto a serving platter. Don't season with S&P, because the gravy takes over for it!

Peppercorn Brown Gravy

In meat skillet add 1 tablespoon of butter and 2 tablespoons of white flour. Whisk until light brown color. Pour 2 cups of beef broth into pan and stir until thickened. Add 1 ts of cracked pepper and stir. Serve over meat!

Now for the greens...

Sauteéd Swiss Chard

Ingredients:

1 Tb. olive oil

1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 bunch of swiss chard, washed

1/2 lemon, zested and juiced

salt to taste

Directions:

In a skillet, sauté onion and garlic for 3 minutes over medium high heat. Meanwhile prepare swiss chard. Chop stalks and set aside. Chop leaves and set aside. Add stalks to onion mixture and sauté for 4 minutes. Add leaves and cover for 3 minutes, stir, and repeat. Once the mixture begins to wilt add lemon zest and juice. Season with salt and serve!

A Leftover-Inspired Frittata

There is something so simple about frittatas and filling! I had a little more ground beef that I needed to use before my 3-day window for food safety was up; thus, I had to get creative again. So, spinning off my idea from the other night I decided to do an Italian rendition with my beef mixture. Most of all, I hope my ideas allow you to be more creative with your next batch of leftovers!

Empanada filling--take two!

Frittata Italiano

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups ground beef, cooked

1/2 pkg of mushrooms, sliced

1/4 cup red bell pepper, minced

1 Tb. olive oil

6 eggs, or 1 1/2 cup egg substitute

3 oz goat cheese

Bruschetta Mixture (see recipe below)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350*F. In a heavy skillet heat olive oil and add bell peppers and mushrooms. Sauté for 4 minutes. Add ground beef and heat for 2 minutes. Whisk eggs and pour over eggs. Top with crumbled goat cheese. Allow to cook over medium heat for 3 minutes and then finish in oven for 5-10 minutes or until middle is set. Serve with Bruschetta:

2 Tomatoes, chopped

1 cup Parsley, chopped

1/4 Red onion, chopped

2 cloves Garlic, minced

1/2 Lemon, juiced

Salt to taste

Mix & Serve!