Foodalicious Friday

Fall is my favorite season... The plethora of apples has a lot to do with it, too!

TGIF! How have your first few weeks of September been? It’s already Fall here in Michigan with morning temps in the 40s and 50s. Quite the fast transition, if you ask me (and everyone else I know!). But it’s a perfect time of year to start focusing more on what you’re eating because summer BBQs are over, there isn’t another holiday for 5ish weeks, and Fall means lots of apples 🙂 That’s my favorite part, really.

One thing my friends and clients ask me a lot about it diet. I hate that word, so I like to call it my nutrition plan. I say the same thing: My goal is to eat as many whole, raw foods as possible. When I read an article about healthy eating in the June 2011 Women’s Health magazine, I had to smile—it reflected everything I’ve been trying to work on when it comes to eating, including my whole, raw food kick. It’s not about cutting things out of your diet completely, but making a priority of adding certain foods into your diet. (Only #2 do I have a bit of an issue with—dairy and me don’t mix well!) Here’s the quick break-down of the article titles “Eat More, Lose More”:

1. Eat it if it grows on a tree, or a bush, stalk or vine. Eat fruits and veggies in every meal and most snacks, and eat them first.
2. Eat protein with every meal and snack. Aim to eat between 0.54 and 1.0 g of protein per pound of body weight. Try eating more dairy.
3. Eat before and after exercise. Have a carb-and-protein snack 30 min. prior to exercise and a protein-rich meal after.
4. Become a salad savant. Consume as many leafy greens as you can.
5. Never, ever, have the world’s worst breakfast… which is no breakfast at all. Shoot to eat 30-35% of your daily calories early.

Another article I read that has to deal with foods to add to your diet is from a fitness mogul—Cathe Friedrich. It’s a great list… Here’s the short version, but to read more about WHY each of these foods is beneficial, read the article.

1. Berries
2. Pinto Beans
3. Carrots
4. Low-fat yogurt
5. Bananas

A second question I get a lot is “Does cutting a little bit out every day really work?” Yes. Yes. YES. An extra 100 calories a day can add up to 10 lbs. of extra weight a year. Whoa. My short answers are simple: cut back on dressings, sauces, and condiments; drink more water and tea and have gum handy; eat a piece of fruit or a serving of veggies before you binge on something less healthy; and eat slower. I could go on (and will if you want me to—just ask!), but here are a few ideas I found in the June 2011 article in Fitness magazine called “Easy Ways to Save Calories”:

• Order eggs and ask from them to be cooked dry. This means cooked without oil or butter. (Save up to 250 cal.)
• Make your own parfait instead of buying one. (Save up to 150 cal.)
• Have a Tbsp. of peanuts and Tbsp. of chocolate chips instead of a pack of Peanut M&Ms. (Save around 125 cal.)
• Order a cup of egg drop soup instead of a cup of wonton soup. (Save up to 100 cal.)
• Make cauliflower and cheese instead of mac and cheese. (Save almost 200 cal. a cup!)
• Thicken soups with a cup of pureed white beans, not cream. (Save more than 500 cal. a cup!)

 

What small food modifications have generated big results for you?