Category: Energy

Detox Day 7: Superfoods for Superyou!

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Can you believe it’s the last day? What a super journey this has been! Now that you’re accustomed to inhaling so many of nature’s powerfoods (berries, quinoa, broccoli, kale, spinach, beans, lentils…), I thought this would be a good opportunity to introduce a few of the not-so-common ones so you can consider taking your newly found health one step further. What you’re already eating/not eating is HUGE, and these extras might just help you be even MORE superpowered!

Blue Green Algae: Superstar immune-booster. Basically flavorless and comes in powders, flakes, or frozen. Can be tossed into smoothies without changing the flavor. The TJ’s Very Green Dietary Supplement contains spirulina, a popular blue green algae. But, lots of folks swear by E3 Live.

Chia Seeds: Loaded with antioxidants, essential fatty acids (more than salmon), protein, and fiber, these little guys help keep you energized and help reduce unhealthy cravings. They are easy to digest and don’t need to be ground like flax seeds. Add them to breakfast cereals, muffins, cookies, smoothies, pancakes, anything really!

Maca Root Powder: Helps to balance hormones and battle stress by strengthening the adrenal gland. Has proven helpful in treating fertility, poor libido, and menopause. Can be added to oatmeal, smoothies, or rice dishes.

Raw Cacao: Helps elevate mind and mood, and is skyhigh in antioxidants. It contains theobromine which promotes alertness without the side-effects of caffeine. Add it to smoothies, or use it in baking or for puddings. Find it at your local health food store or check it out online as seen here.

Congrats on all you’ve learned, changed, and become this week. Cheers to energizing food and living life to its fullest! I’d love to hear how you benefited from these 7 days–please share! XOXO

Detox Day 6: Time to Start Thinking About Day 8

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Mmm! A half-plate of veggies

Happy Day 6! What’s the latest? Still feeling good? Sleeping well and feeling energized? Now is a perfect time to start thinking about what happens the day after tomorrow. Will you go back to your pre-Detox eating? A modified version? Take today and tomorrow and make a plan for what you’d like to do long-term. Here are some popular, healthy, and realistic post-Detox modifications to consider:

1. Go back to drinking the morning cup of coffee you missed, but with vanilla almond milk instead of cream and sugar. Try this creamy, dairy-free concoction. Or, enjoy green, white, or black tea as your morning caffeinated beverage.

2. Continue eating the level of fruits and veggies with a giant heaping of cooked veggies at either lunch or dinner, and a giant serving of raw veggies at the other meal. Shoot for HALF your plate being veggies (either raw or cooked) at mealtime.

3. Continue with shakes or smoothies in the morning, but add a protein powder such as this hemp seed one from Trader Joe’s. High in protein, fiber, and essential amino acids, and makes your morning drink more filling.

4. Add a more substantial morning meal such as gluten-free oatmeal (Trader Joe’s has amazing gluten-free oats that seem exactly like traditional rolled oats) with a handful of dried cranberries for sweetness, raw cashews, cinnamon, and cooled down with a dash of unsweetened non-dairy milk. Or heat up a cup of cooked quinoa from the previous night’s dinner with dried fruit, nuts, cinnamon, and non-dairy milk.

5. Enjoy a raw food bar in the afternoon to satisfy your sweet tooth–they’re easy to keep on hand, easily survive life in the bottom of bags, and can be stepped on without changing shape. Examples: Larabar, Pure Energy, and KIND. These can all be found in any old grocery store, TJ’s, or Whole Foods.

6. Continue with the Detox as your constant (developing your own menus using the guidelines), and veer from the Detox for special weekend days, when you go out to eat (trying your best to keep with the guidelines, but allowing yourself those treats you may have been missing), have potlucks, or attend parties.

7. Do the Detox 1-2 days per week or 7 days a month, and a modified version on the other days.

What else will you do to carry on the healthy changes you made once the Detox is done? Hopefully you’ll all continue drinking all those energizing fluids!

Enjoy this day and the new, healthy you! XOXO

Detox Day 3: Fluids and Raw Foods IN, 10 Times More Pee OUT

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Gavins Point Dam Release, Photo by: Omaha USACE

Pee Angels!

I’ve seen you in my crystal ball, and you are doing some SERIOUS peeing! Do you love it or hate it? Well, it’s good. REALLY good. Here’s why: You’ve been dehydrated. When that happens, your body holds back water like a Dam. It thinks you’re in a drought situation, so it clings onto as many ounces as it can as a means of survival. This translates into a slower metabolism (body panic mode), inefficient kidneys, bloating, water retention, and a really bad holistic poker hand.

SO, by scarfing down tons of raw foods rich in H2O and drinking herbal tea and water all day long, every cell of your body celebrates. The Dam is lifted and away goes the bloating, body sadness, and the toxins that are purging themselves from your person while you detox. Guess I shoulda put toilet paper on the Detox shopping list!? You’ll also note that your pee is very light in color. Another reeeally good sign. You’re hanging on to the good nutrients and flushing your system of the bad. Hurray!

For more hydration excitement, check out one of my most popular posts from 2011: The Water Solution: Younger Skin, More Energy, and Less Flab.

Now for Day 3: If you’re following the Detox meal plans exactly, know that this morning’s Shamrock Smoothie is one of my absolute favorites. It’s green, it’s better than great, and you can freeze leftovers in popsicle molds or rinsed-out yogurt containers with popsicle sticks or chopsticks (strategically placed in the middle) for scrumptious frozen treats later on. Who said no dessert on the Detox? 🙂

You’re almost halfway there–Keep up the fabulous treatment you’re giving your precious body, and keep sharing your experiences! XOXO

Protein, not Sugar, to Cure Afternoon Slump

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Photo by: NutsInBulk

When you start dragging your heals around 3:00 in the afternoon and then literally drag your heals to the vending machine for a sugary energy boost, turns out the sweet Charleston Chew (do they make those anymore?) or the bag of jelly beans are some of the worst things you could get. The best? Planter’s Mixed Nuts, a protein-rich granola bar, or another similarly high-protein snack.

Researchers dedicated to understanding the afternoon slump and then beating it with food (slump quashers), just published their recent findings in the journal Neuron. Apparently the orexin cells in your brain–which stimulate wakefulness and tell your body to use up energy–are not only blocked by glucose (carbs/sugar), but the amino acids in protein actually block the blocking ability of the glucose. Block blockers! So, once your lunch has digested and a whole army of glucose is floating around your bloodstream, you’ll start to get sleeeeepy. But no you wont! Eat some protein sans sugar (unsweetened nuts, edamame beans, etc.) and quash that snoozy feeling. As an added bonus, grabbing protein rather than pretzels, fruit, or candy this time of day actually helps with weight control too. Read more about those details and your new friends the orexin cells here.

For avid Bitchin’ Dietitian followers, you may remember my VERY FIRST BLOG POST addressed this important topic, and it looks like I pretty much nailed it.

Mediterranean Tofu Wraps and Lazy Lentils Save Me

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First off, THANK YOU for the Skinny Dish love this week! What a joy getting all your positive feedback and watching it top Emeril, Rachael Ray, and Jamie Oliver on Amazon, even if only for a short while!

Speaking of the week, it’s been a food tsunami… food interviews, food talks, food prep, food demonstrations, food shopping, more food planning… so bad that I’m having trouble stepping into my own gourmet kitchen. So, I wanted to share 2 Skinny Dish recipes that have kept me anchored, sane, and nourished this week. Without them and buckets of green tea, I’d have laryngitis, pimples, and an exhausted tank.

Mediterranean Tofu Wrap, Skinny Dish

Mediterranean Tofu Wrap
Makes 1 wrap
Prep time 5 minutes

This fresh and quickly-prepared wrap is a dance party of healthy flavors. Enjoy this wrap as a quick meal on its own, or with a side salad. Captain Reilly likes this one squashed and heated in a skillet or Panini maker. Hot or cold, you can’t go wrong!

1 Habanero Lime Flour Tortilla or whole grain flour tortilla
1 Tbsp hummus
1 Tbsp Olive Tapenade Spread
2.3 oz (1/3 pkg) Organic Baked Tofu, Savory Flavor, other marinated tofu
Handful baby lettuce or 1 oz (1/2 pkg) Organic Microgreens
2 Tbsp Julienne Cut Sun Dried Tomatoes, or other sliced sun dried tomatoes
4 fresh basil leaves

1 With flour tortilla open on a plate, spread hummus and then olive spread evenly over tortilla.

2 Place 4 tofu strips 2 x 2, flat down, and lengthwise. Then top with baby lettuce, sun dried tomatoes, and basil.

3 Wrap the tortilla and secure with a toothpick or foil wrap.

4 Eat within a few hours so olive spread doesn’t make the tortilla soggy.

NUTRITION SNAPSHOT
Per wrap: 358 calories, 12.5 g total fat, 1.5 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 800 mg sodium, 45 g carbohydrates, 6.5 g fiber, 6 g sugar, 17.5 g protein, 41% vitamin A, 31.5% vitamin C, 6.5% calcium, 20.5% iron

Tip: Prepare several wraps ahead of time, wrapped in foil, but omitting the olive spread until ready to eat. Store them in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Lazy Lentils, Skinny Dish

Lazy Lentils
Makes 2 servings
Prep and cooking time: 6 minutes

Fortify a can of lentil soup with extra veggies, and you’ve got a nutritionist-approved value meal in less than 8 minutes! Serve this dish with a chunk of whole grain bread or a handful of multigrain crackers. Dinner’s served!

2 (14.5-oz) cans Organic Lentil Vegetable Soup
2 cups Organic Foursome frozen vegetables, or other mixed vegetables
2 servings multigrain bread or crackers of choice (optional)

1 In a medium-sized soup pot over medium-high heat, heat soup contents and veggies, covered, until veggies are tender, about 5 minutes.

2 That’s it!

NUTRITION SNAPSHOT
Per serving: 334 calories, 7 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 1130 mg sodium, 54.5 g carbohydrates, 14.5 g fiber, 4.5 g sugar, 15 g protein, 119.5% vitamin A, 39% vitamin C, 11% calcium, 33% iron

Recipes reprinted w/ permission from Cooking with Trader Joe’s Cookbook – Skinny Dish!, by Jennifer K. Reilly, RD,
(c) 2011, Brown Bag Publishers http://www.cookTJ.com

What are YOUR nutzoid week food go-to’s?

Top 10 Reasons to Eat Avocados

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Photo Credit: Cyclonebill

What is it about the “alligator pear” that makes them so totally luscious, versatile, and hard to pass-up? Here’s a top 10 compiled by you, me, and some professional avocadists:

10. They’re the perfect baby food. Who doesn’t like baby food?
9.   They put the smooth in a green smoothie.
8.   They’re loaded with vitamin E, knocking out free radicals which can otherwise damage cells and DNA, and lead to wrinkles and cancer.
7.   Despite their high fat content (11 grams per half an avocado), they help to control weight and appetite because the fat is super digestible.
6.   Their color is pretty. Pretty foods make YOU pretty.
5.   They’re a yin food. Yin foods are cooling, calming, and nourishing.
4.   Guacamole, namely the kind that turns my husband into a cute version of profesh chef Bobby Flay. It uses onion, tomato, lime, and salt. And speaking of, about 53 million pounds of guacamole are eaten on both Super Bowl Sunday and Cinco de Mayo. That’s enough guac to fill a football field 5 feet deep from end zone to end zone.
3.   They’re a fantastic sandwich “moist-maker.”
2.   They’re heart-healthy, rich in cholesterol-lowering fats, potassium (60% more than bananas), B-vitamins, and essential fatty acids.
1.   They’re considered the world’s healthiest food, rich in 20 vitamins and minerals and all the essential amino acids. If you were stranded on a deserted, avocado-rich island, you would thrive until your rescue.

Other reasons to love avocado?

The Fatten-Up-My-Jake Shake

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The Fatten-Up-My-Jake Shake

Many of the discussions on this site are about eating tons of plant matter so you can strut a hot, steamy bod in spandex without ever having to diet, and finding ways to make and crave nutrient-rich veggies like a wild tiger. And while those are the interests of most readers, there are a few who are trying to put weight on, definitely not take weight off, and others trying to input enough calorie-rich plant foods to meet marathon and triathlon training needs. This post is for that group.

The youngest resident Chez Bitchin’ (Jake) is 20 months old and loves fruits and veggies SO MUCH that he eats them first at meals, quickly declares “ah da” (all done), and is ready to run off and play. At his last check-up, the pediatrician (a no-doubt bitchin’ pediatrician!) expressed concern that he had only gained 1.5 lbs in 6 months and had dropped from the 50th to the 15th percentile for weight. His height and head were above average, he just wasn’t getting fat enough fast enough. It’s a dietitian’s dream and nightmare all rolled into one! He’s eating more fruits and veggies than the average American and is developing an awesome palate, but is too thin.

Side Note: My other 2 kids also love fruits and veggies, but they inhale their whole grains and proteins like nobody’s business, and have always been way above the growth curve. Up until now, it was no surprise that my kids were superhero health hounds. I was a perfect dietitian mom! But shoot. Wake-up-call with kid #3.

SO, inspired by Kathy Patalsky’s Easy Energy Almond Shake, I created a new Jake staple called The Fatten-Up-My-Jake Shake. Not only is it a great way to get some high-qual protein and nutrients into your veggie- and fruit-enthusiast kid, but it’s a stellar pre- and post-workout shake, and a great way to start anyone’s day. And the extra bonus? While it’s working to beef up my little toddler monster, it’s not so high-calorie that it’s anything beyond a nutritious drink for a weight-loss hungry soul (Read: It won’t fatten you up if you’re not trying to fatten up). Just work it in with all those lip-smacking veggies, and it won’t do what you don’t want it to do.

Jake enjoying his shake

The Fatten-Up-My-Jake Shake
Serves 3

2 cups vanilla soymilk (or other non-dairy milk + 1/2 tsp vanilla)
2 frozen very ripe bananas, sliced prior to freezing, or carefully after freezing
3 Tbsp almond butter (I like the creamy w/ sea salt variety)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp almond extract (which we just learned is made from fruit pits)
6 ice cubes

Blend ingredients until smooth. Drink and conquer!

Nutrition Info Per Serving (about 1 cup): 242 calories, 12 g fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 66 mg sodium, 28.5 g carbohydrates, 3 g fiber, 14.5 g sugar, 7 g protein, 8% calcium, 12% vitamin C, 25% calcium, 9% iron.

As you can see, Jake’s pretty thrilled with the shake, so I’ll let you know what happens at his next weigh-in.

Other ideas for getting healthy, calorie-dense foods (beyond avocados and peanut butter spoons…)?

Consuming Hemp Protein Immediately after Workout Helps Build Muscle

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Photo by: Bitchin' Dietitian

According to 2 new studies in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, consuming 25 grams of protein immediately following a workout greatly improves the body’s ability to build muscle. The studies noted that muscle-building is mainly due to the amino acid leucine, which is especially high in Hemp Seed Protein. Where to get the stuff? Not the local frat house, just head to Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods. I happen to LOVE the Trader Joe’s Vanilla Hemp Protein Powder. Not only does it have 18 g protein per 1/2 cup scoop, but it’s also high in fiber and the essential heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Can’t get those extra beauties in whey or even soy protein powders!

 

The Water Solution: Younger Skin, More Energy, and Less Flab

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Photo credit: Greg Riegler Photography

Most people (90% of the US population) are dehydrated. While you might not be exhibiting serious signs like vomiting at random and walking around as grog central, your body is still not operating at optimal capacity, your energy level is much lousier than it could be, and you’re storing fat and making wrinkles at mach speed. Health Unicorns, let’s get this under control. No more excuses. Here’s why you need water, how much, and tricks for getting it:

WHY WATER

  • Your skin needs constant hydration. Raisins are dehydrated grapes. Do you like the way raisins look?
  • Discourage chunkiness. Without enough H2O, your kidneys stink at their crucial jobs and your liver picks up the slack… and your liver can no longer do it’s main job of breaking down fat, which encourages fat storage and cellulite on your rumpus.
  • Better sleep, faster metabolism, more energy. Your body is more at peace when it gets enough agua. Without it, you’re restless, slowed down, and strung out. And people notice.
  • Detoxification Nation. Toxins (anything from pollutants, food additives, and heavy metals) can’t white water raft the river out if there’s no river.

CALCULATING HOW MUCH YOU NEED

  • Method 1: Half your body weight in ounces. If you weigh 162 lbs, you need 81 oz of water per day (~2.5 liters).
  • Method 2: The Replacement Method. You lose 1.5 liters in urine, and 1 liter through breathing, sweating, and BMs each day. Your super healthy diet is ~20% water, so get at least 2 liters per day.
  • Method 3: The Man/Woman Approach. Men: 3 liters per day. Women: 2 liters per day (pregnant or breastfeeding women: 3 liters per day).

HOW TO DO IT

  • Drink 8 oz at the start of each meal or snack. Make sure it’s filtered.
  • Get the coolest looking refillable bottle at the most posh store. Keep it at your desk and refill it every time you come back from the loo.
  • Drink water while you’re waiting for your coffee to brew, pasta water to boil, and child to stop asking for a second dessert.
  • Seltzer it or add cucumber slices, or lemon, lime, or orange wedges for a new spin. Add a dash of cayenne pepper to increase it’s detoxifying power.
  • Herbal teas count, and some give you better digestion (ginger, peppermint), better sleep (chamomile), and whiter teeth (I’m sure there’s one).
  • Avoid diet sodas and artificial sweeteners to meet fluid needs. They leave your body wondering why it didn’t get any sugar out of the sweet-tasting beverage, causing you to eventually crave and scavenge for sugary treats.
  • Caffeinated beverages actually aren’t “negative fluid” if you’re a regular user. You get 80-90% of that fluid. But nothing is as good as straight-up filtered H2O. Did you read recently about how too much caffeine can make you hear voices, specifically Bing Crosby singing White Christmas?
  • Take more showers and get it through osmosis. Ha! Don’t you wish?!
  • If none of these tricks work, just bite the bullet and chug. You might like how you feel after a few days!
Other secrets to staying hydrated? And did you know hot water weighs less than cold?

Raw vs. Cooked: Which is Better?

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With raw diets and juicing being all the life-extending rage, what’s the real scoop with raw vs. cooked foods? Check out my recent post on Crazy Sexy Life for all the answers!