Thank God It's Thursday

If you've watched Most Elidgable Dallas, you've liked heard of the swanky bar/restaurant Sfuzzi.  With it's hip atmosphere and fun variety of alcoholic beverages, it's a popular spot to check out when you hit the town. 

True to keeping with the trends, Sfuzzi has a number of "skinny" cocktails to choose from along with a few healthier options to grab a bite while you're out.  Here are your best bests:


Skinny Sips

Any light beer or glass of wine is a safe bet, but if you want to branch out, here are a few lower calories signature cocktails to choose from:

• Skinny Mojito- Don Q Mojito rum, fresh mint, lime juice and club soda
• Skinny Margarita- Don Julio Blanco tequila, tripple sec, lime juice & agave nectar

Light Bites

• Gigi's Mediterranean Salad-
• Order without bacon, egg, and olives*
• Ask for dressing on the side*
• Salmon Ceviche-
• Add a salad
• Mama's Colombo Italian Salad w/ dressing on the side*

• Swordfish Kebab-

• Ask to sub fresh vegetables for linguine*
• Ask for the lemon butter sauce to be on the side*

*Menu ordering suggestions to make your meal a little lower in fat and calories

Wine Down Wednesday

When it comes to choosing a healthy cocktail- wine is typically a good bet.  However, in light of the Holidays, I wanted to share with you some of my favorite festive low calorie cocktails- all under 200 calories!

Skinny Peppermint Mojito

INGREDIENTS

• 1/4 teaspoon Peppermint Extract
• 1/2 cup packed mint, plus 4 sprigs for garnish
• 1/4 cupsugar
• 2 teaspoonsgrated lime zest
• 16 oz lime sparkling water
• 6 oz white rum
• Ice cubes

PREPARATION

1. In a pitcher, place lime wedges, mint leaves, sugar and zest. Mash mint, sugar and zest into limes with a muddler or wooden spoon to release juice and blend flavors. Stir in sparkling water and rum. Divide evenly among 4 glasses filled with ice. Garnish with a small candy cane.

Nutritional Information

Serving Size: 8 oz.
151 calories per serving, 0 g fat, 14 g carbs, 0 g fiber, 0 g protein

ChristmasTree Martini

Ingredients:

1 oz. Midori melon liquor
1.5 oz. lemon flavored vodka
1 oz. lemon juice

Instructions:

Shake ingredients and pour into a glass.
Garnish with a cherry.

Nutritional Information:

Calories: 198 Fat: 0 g Protein: 0 g Carbohydrates: 15 g

Slimmed Down Eggnog

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 cups 1% low-fat milk
• 1/2 cup fat-free sweetened condensed milk
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon grated whole nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
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• 2 large egg yolks
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• 1/4 cup bourbon
• 2 tablespoons brandy
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

1. 1. Combine first 5 ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly with a whisk. Place egg yolks in a medium bowl. Gradually whisk one-third of hot milk mixture into egg yolks. Add yolk mixture to remaining hot milk mixture, stirring with a whisk. Cook over medium heat 1 minute or until slightly thickened. Pour into a pitcher; stir in bourbon, brandy, and vanilla.
2. 2. Cover surface of eggnog with wax paper; refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight. Garnish with additional nutmeg, if desired.

Nutritional Information

Serving size: 1/2 cup

Calories: 147        Fat: 2.3g        Protein: 5.8g       Carbohydrate: 18.1g

Pomegranate Champagne Cocktail

Ingredients:

1 oz. PAMA Pomegranate Liqueur
3 oz. Champagne

Nutritional Information

Calories: 169        Fat: 0 g          Protein:    0 g             Carbohydrate: 3 g

Skinny White Russian

• 1.5 oz. Vodka
• 1 oz. Kahlua
• 2 oz. Almond Milk

Nutritional Information

Calories: 196                  Fat: .5 g                  
 Protein: 0 g          Carbohydrate: 15 g

Truth on Tuesday

Will eating after 9:00 pm make me fat?

Let me start by answering your question with a question: What are you eating after 9:00 pm- and more importantly, how much? If you're one of those people who tend to skip breakfast, get too busy to eat lunch, and end up famished by dinner you may want to rethink your meal patterning. 


Although research has yet to show that the time of day you eat influences the amount of weight you gain or lose, many peoples’ late-night eating patterns result in the consumption of extra calories and subsequent weight gain. Late-night snackers often eat when they do not because they are actually hungry, but out of habit, or because they are bored, tired, or stressed  (1).

In extreme cases, this can lead to Night eating syndrome (NES), which is characterized by a time-delayed pattern of eating relative to sleep, where most food is consumed in the evening and night. NES diagnosis has three main criteria: no appetite for breakfast, consumption of more than 50% of daily calories after 9:00 pm and sleep difficulties at least 3 nights a week (2).  It should also be noted that NES is typically accompanied by frequent awakenings at night, associated with abnormal circadian rhythms, and typically involves  conscious episodes of compulsive ingestion of food (3).


So, while there's not magical hour when your body decides when to stop using for food energy and instead turns everything into fat, you should aim to get majority of your calories in earlier in the day. Here are a few tips to keep your energy and blood sugar levels stable throughout the day so that you're not coming home from work tired, famished, and ready to devour your pantry. 


Start with Breakfast

• Eat something. If you're not a breakfast person, it's time you became one.  Numerous research studies have shown that people who eat breakfast tend to weigh less.  Also, if you think about it logically, you're body hasn't gotten any form of fuel since dinner the night before.  How can you expect to start your day alert and full of energy without some sort form of nutrition to kick start your morning?
• What do eat:
• Aim for a mix of carbohydrates, protein and fat.  Carbohydrates are your brain's primary source of energy, protein will add substance to your meal and a little bit of healthy fat will help round out your meal and boost the satiety factor
• Ideas:
• Oatmeal w/skim milk, blueberries, and 1 tablespoon chopped walnuts
• 1 Egg + 1 Egg white, 1 slice of wheat bread w/1 tablespoon of peanut butter
• Smoothie: 1/2 cup lowfat milk, 1/2 cup lowfat vanilla yogurt, 1 banana, 1 cup blueberries, & 1 tbsp. flaxseed oil

Don't skip Lunch

• Unfortunately when the work day gets busy lunch often gets taken out of the equation. Skipping meals is a never a good idea, especially if you are trying to lean out or lose weight.  You'll end up making up for those missed calories later in the day and likely it won't be the healthiest of options
• Skipping meals can also cause your blood sugar to dip too low, making you feel sluggish, and you may have trouble concentrating at work. 
• Goal: don't longer than 4 hours without eating.  If you have to take a late lunch, have a snack in between breakfast and lunch.  Here are some ideas:
• Light string cheese & an apple
• 1 Tablespoon of peanut butter & whole wheat crackers
• Lowfat Greek Yogurt w/fruit

Go lighter on Dinner

• Back to what I said about aiming to get more energy in at the beginning of the day- think about how much energy do you need to get through all of the meetings, emails, and other stressors at work and at home. A lot, right? Now, how much energy do you need to lay down and go to bed at night? Not as much.  So take calories for what they are- energy to get your through your hectic day.
• Sometimes it can take a while to adjust to a different meal schedule, but you'll notice that if you eat a good balanced breakfast & lunch, you will be less hungry when dinner rolls around
• Worst case scenario, if you do end up eating at 9:00 (or even 10:00 or 11:00 if that's how you roll), keep the meal light- fill half your plate with non-starchy vegetables, 1/4 of your plate with lean protein, and 1/4 of your plate with a complex carbohydrate light a sweet potato or brown rice. 

1) Wyatt HR, Grunwald GK, Mosca CL, Klem ML, Wing RR, Hill JO. Long-term weight loss and breakfast in subjects in the national weight control registry. Obesity Research . 2002;10:78-82.               

2) Colles, S., Dixon, J., & O'Brien, P. (2007). Night eating syndrome and nocturnal snacking: association with obesity, binge eating and psychological distress. International Journal of Obesity, 31(11), 1722-1730.

3) Milano, W., De Rosa, M., Milano, L. & Capasso, A. (2012). Night eating syndrome: an overview. Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmocology, 64, 2-10.

Meatless Monday

As we inch closer to Christmas,  it's likely you'll be attending a holiday party or two this week.  With so many tasty hors d'oeuvres and tempting treats, how can yourself from overindulging?

A few weeks ago I blogged about Holiday Party Survival Tips. Another great way to keep your festive affairs on the healthy side is to bring your own appetizer to share.  Below are recipes for a few meatless dips that pair perfectly with fresh cut veggies or whole wheat pita chips.  Feel free to try them all & spread some Holiday cheer by sharing them with friends & family this week!

Garlic Sun-Dried Tomato & White Bean Dip

Ingredients

• 1 whole garlic head
• 1 cup water
• 1 (3.5-ounce) pack sun-dried tomatoes, packed without oil
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 (15.8-ounce) can Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375°.
2. Remove white papery skin from garlic head (do not peel or separate the cloves). Wrap head in foil. Bake at 375° for 45 minutes; cool for 10 minutes. Separate cloves; squeeze to extract garlic pulp. Discard skins.
3. Bring 1 cup water to a boil in a saucepan. Add tomatoes; cover and remove from heat. Let stand 10 minutes. Drain tomatoes in a colander over a bowl, reserving 1/4 cup liquid.
4. Place garlic pulp, tomatoes, 1/4 cup reserved liquid, oil, and remaining ingredients in a food processor; process until smooth.

Nutritional Information

Serving size: 2 tablespoons

Calories: 43       Fat: 1.7g       Protein: 1.2g        Carbohydrate: 6.1g        Fiber: 1.6g       

Edamame Dip

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups frozen shelled edamame (green soybeans), thawed and cooked
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup chopped red onion
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce (such as Lee Kum Kee)
• 1 (16-ounce) can cannellini beans or other white beans, drained

Preparation

Place all ingredients in a food processor, and process until smooth. Serve immediately, or cover and chill.

Nutritional Information

Serving Size: 3 tablespoons

Calories: 61        Fat: 2.5g        Protein: 4g        Carbohydrate: 6.1g               Fiber: 1.2g       

Feta-Baked Hummus

• 2 (15.5-ounce) cans no-salt-added chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup tahini (sesame seed paste)
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
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• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled reduced-fat feta cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  

Preparation

1.  Place beans and garlic in a food processor; pulse 5 times or until chopped. Add 1/2 cup water and remaining ingredients; pulse until smooth, scraping down sides as needed.
2. Transfer mixture to an 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled reduced-fat feta cheese. Bake at 400° for 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Garnish with parsley sprigs. Yield: 4 cups (serving size: about 2 tablespoons).

CALORIES 44 (51% from fat); FAT 2.5g (sat 0.6g, mono 1g, poly 0.6g); PROTEIN 2g; CARB 3.8g; FIBER 0.8g; CHOL 1mg; IRON 0.3mg; SODIUM 109mg; CALC 21mg.

Fitness Friday

The weather outside is frightful, but that doesn't mean you have to miss your Friday workout!

• Who wouldn't want the long, lean sculpted legs of a Rockette dancer? These ladies train by doing lots and lots of lunges, squats and kicks in addition other strength training exercise in order to prepare for the six  shows a days they perform during the months of November through January.  This workout was designed by Melinda Farrell, assistant choreographer for the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. It combines both strength and cardio moves to get your heart rate up while you tone those gams!

Bottoms Up

WORKS: LEGSStand with feet shoulder-width apart and knees bent. Bend forward from hips and place elbows on knees with palms together (A).

Straighten legs (B), then bend knees.

Reps: 10

Curtsy Squat

WORKS: LEGS, BUTT, AND COREStand with feet hip-width apart and elbows bent, hands clasped in front of chest. Step right foot back and to the left, and squat (A). Rise up as you lift right knee to hip height in front of you, toes pointed and touching left knee, and extend arms out to sides (B). Return to starting position.
Do 12 reps; switch sides to complete set.

Élevé

WORKS: LEGSStand with heels together and toes turned out, and place hands on hips with fingers pointing toward floor. Lift your heels, rising up onto the balls of your feet [shown]. Lower to starting position. Do 8 reps, then jump feet out to shoulder width, feet parallel. Rise up onto balls of feet and lower.

 

Reps: 8 reps

Eye-High Kick

WORKS: LEGS AND COREStand with feet together, knees slightly bent, and place hands on hips with fingers pointing toward floor (A). Jump up as you kick left leg high, toes pointed (B). Return to starting position and immediately repeat on opposite side to complete 1 rep.
Reps: 8

Flex-Foot Tendue

WORKS: LEGS AND BUTTTie a resistance band just above your ankles, and stand with feet together and hands on hips, fingers pointing toward floor. Extend right leg in front of you, foot flexed (A). Then bring it to the right (B), and finally, behind you. Reverse motion to return to starting position to complete 1 rep. Do 10 reps, then switch legs to complete set.

*workout taken from Shape magazine

Thank God It's Thursday

Thank God it's Thursday and thank God my blog is back just in time to help you make healthy choices when you're out this weekend. 

In spirit of the cooler weather, heading out to a toasty place like Coals Vines can be very appealing.  Coal Vines is famous for their brick oven pizzas, but they also have a menu filled with healthy options in addition to their great happy hour specials. Here are a few things you can order that are both the delicious and nutritious:


 Start with a salad with dressing on the side:

• Romaine Hearts Salad
• Mesculine Greens

Choose an entree or split a this healthy version of a Coal Vines pizza

• Lemon Sole Piccata- Lemon white wine, capers & sauteed spinach
• Whole Wheat Pasta of the day- *order with marinara sauce & steer clear of cream sauces*
• Marinara Pizza- Goat cheese, plum tomatoes, roasted & fresh garlic
• Add any veggies you want!

Wine Pairings

• If you order the sole, go with a white wine like Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc
• If you're having pizza or pasta with marinara sauce, choose a red wine

• Nutrition Tip: If you're drinking red, choose Pinot Noir- the grape it comes from it has the highest amount of antioxidants!

Cheers to the Weekend!

Meatless Monday

One of my favorite quick and easy meatless dinners is vegetarian pizza.  Here are a few healthy tips you can apply when making pizza at home or when ordering out:

• Order thin crust and save roughly 50 calories & 3 grams of fat per slice!
• Add extra veggies to boost the nutritional value and flavor of your favorite pizzas
• Ask for half the cheese that they would normally use when ordering out

When making your own pizza in the comfort of your own kitchen, you have a lot more control and can turn this high calorie splurge into a healthy dinner staple! Here's how:

• Use a whole wheat crust
• Making pizza for one? Use a thin whole wheat flat out wrap as your crust. Cook in the oven for 7-10 minutes to make it crispy
• Swap high fat cheese for low fat versions like part-skim mozzarella
• Also try using sharper cheeses like Cheddar or Blue Cheese to top your pie.  You can get a more flavorful taste by using less of these cheeses.
• Make your own pizza sauce with tomato paste, tomatoes & fresh basil and oregano.  You'll avoid the added sugars and artificial flavors used in the premade types

 The recipes below serve one but you can apply the ingredients to a whole wheat pizza crust to create a veggie pie for your family or roommates.

Thin Crust Mediterranean Pizza

• 1 Whole Wheat Flatout Wrap
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce
• 1/4 cup feta cheese
• 1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes
• 1/2 fresh spinach

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pre-cook flat out for 6-10 min, until crispy. Top with tomato sauce, sun dried tomatoes, spinach and feta cheese, cook for an additional 3 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Nutritional Information

Amount Per Serving
Calories		287.3
Total Fat		12.4 g
	Saturated Fat	5.7 g
	Polyunsaturated Fat	0.4 g
	Monounsaturated Fat	1.8 g
Cholesterol		33.4 mg
Sodium		1,663.2 mg
Potassium		569.6 mg
Total Carbohydrate		37.6 g
	Dietary Fiber	11.0 g
	Sugars	15.1 g
Protein		18.7 g

Three Cheese Flatout

• 1 Whole Wheat Flatout Wrap
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce
• 1/8 cup part skim mozzarella cheese
• 1/8 cup low fat Monterrey jack cheese
• 2 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Pre-cook flat out for 6-10 min, until crispy. Top with tomato sauce and cheese, cook for an additional 3 minutes or instill cheese is melted.

Nutritional Information

Calories		256.0
Total Fat		10.2 g
	Saturated Fat	4.0 g
	Polyunsaturated Fat	0.2 g
	Monounsaturated Fat	1.8 g
Cholesterol		19.1 mg
Sodium		1,288.7 mg
Potassium		31.9 mg
Total Carbohydrate		29.0 g
	Dietary Fiber	9.0 g
	Sugars	10.0 g
Protein		22.0 g