Archive for the ‘Health In A Hurry’ Category
Wednesday, January 25th, 2012
In all honesty, I hate this topic. Out of everything I do to maintain my weight, this is what gives me the most trouble: It’s portion control.
I’ve always been a big eater. Even as a kid, I remember adults commenting on my “healthy appetite.” Of course, this was a nice way of telling my parents: “Quit letting your kid eat off of everyone’s plates.”
Because of my great love of eating, I’ve always had to make exercise my main priority. Otherwise, I’d have a serious weight issue. But now, as I get busier and travel more often for work, I find that my workouts are becoming less consistent. I might work out five times one week, and then only hit the trail twice the following week.
I’ve realized that if I cut back on my portions just a little, I can maintain my weight (and sleep better) even if I can’t get my exercise in every day. I don’t even have to cut back much: Just eating 100 fewer calories each day is one pound of fat not gained by the end of the month.
Although I really dislike measuring and weighing out my food, I’ve noticed that it does help to keep my portions under control. So, I’ve had to get a little creative and enlist the help of a few handy tools. One thing that has really worked well for me is the Portion Plate. I keep it on my counter and I use it during dinner at least once a week. It serves as a good reminder of the amount of food I should be eating each day.
Click here for portion control products.
Tags: burn calories, calories, creative, day, deborah enos, eating, enlist food, exercise, handy tools, healthy appetite, lose weight, love of eating, measure up, metabolism, portion control, portion plate, sleep better, weight gain, weight loss
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Friday, January 13th, 2012
10 Minute Dinner
1 package (roll) of Isernio’s chicken sausage
1-2 heads of washed & chopped broccoli
4 cups of cooked brown rice (I cook up a big pot over the weekend & store it in the fridge for easy use during the busy work week)
1 Tbs. of olive oil
1 cup of Easy Asian Style Sauce (see recipe below)
Directions:
Heat up the oil in a 12 inch pan. Add the sausage to the pan and cook for about 6-8 minutes. Add in the broccoli and cook until slightly soft, about 2 minutes. Cover the cooked rice with the chicken and veggie mixture. Drizzle with the sauce and dig in!
Easy Asian Style Sauce
1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
3 cloves minced garlic
2 tablespoons minced or grated fresh ginger root
2 teaspoons sesame oil (you can use olive oil if you don’t have sesame)
½ tsp. red pepper flakes (optional, but I like how it makes the sauce “pop”)
Directions
1. Whisk together the soy sauce, vinegar, honey, garlic, ginger and sesame oil in a bowl.
Drizzle or pour over rice, chicken and veggies.
Since you made dinner so quickly, now you get to kick back and ENJOY!
Tags: 10 minute recipe, broccoli, brown rice, Isernia sausage, Isernio sausuage, newday recipe, recipe, soy sauce
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Wednesday, January 11th, 2012
It starts the night before…
I lay out my exercise clothes. I find it helps to setup the intention to exercise before my head even hits the pillow. It’s most helpful during those dark and rainy days when I’d much rather stay cozy in my warm bed. Knowing my exercise gear is ready to go gives me one less excuse not to get up and get moving. Even if it’s only a few-minute stretch and a set of lunges down the hallway, I do it.
I drink 8 ounces of water in the am. I usually wake up feeling a bit parched, so I always have a nice big glass of water before I reach for the coffee. Coffee tends to “kill” my appetite for plain old water, and I know I can’t go without hydrating myself. If I skip my morning glass of water, I end up feeling shaky and unfocused with the beginnings of a headache. Water is a simple way to boost my energy (and my health) first thing in the morning and throughout the day.
I eat at least 100 calories within the first 30 minutes of my day. Well, in all honesty, I’m still working on this one. During the week, I have a good routine: I wake up, grab my water, take a 100-calorie shot of peanut (or almond) butter and start my workout. On the weekends, it’s a bit of a different story. I sleep later and move slower. By the time I realize I haven’t eaten my 100 calories, I’ve already been up for two hours. This year, my goal is to eat 100 calories within 30 minutes of waking up – seven days per week.
Doing these three things every day really helps me be at my best, but now that I’m thinking about it, there is one more part of my routine that I wouldn’t think of skipping.
My health-boosting bonus tip
As much as I dislike doing it, I get up twenty minutes earlier than I “need to.” I spend that time being grateful for the beautiful day I am about to have, petting my dog, praying, and setting my intention for the day. After years of “being in a hurry” in the morning, I’ve found that a little wiggle room makes for a more peaceful day – and a less stressed me.
Tags: 100 calories, 30 minutes, 7 days a week, 8 ounces of water, beautiful day, boost energy, coffee, exercise, glass of water, goal, good routine, grateful, hydrating, hydration, lunges, meditate, peanut butter, pet dog, pray, rise early, stretch, to do's, workout, year
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Wednesday, January 4th, 2012
Force yourself to eat breakfast.
I hate to use the “F” word, but here it goes: Force yourself to eat at least 100 calories within 30 minutes of getting out of bed. Here’s why: If you eat within 30 minutes of getting up, you will burn an extra 150 calories a day. Do the math; that’s about 54,000 additional calories you can burn in 2012. There are usually two reasons why my clients aren’t hungry in the morning. They either eat too much for dinner the night before, or they have just settled into the bad habit of skipping breakfast.
Fiber is a fat buster!
On those days when I don’t eat well (low-fiber lunch or no afternoon snack), I have a tablespoon of flaxseed as soon as I get home. Because flaxseed is high in fiber, it acts as a natural appetite suppressant. Just that one tablespoon of flaxseed and a glass of water really help take the “edge” off of my appetite.
If my method doesn’t sound attractive to you (yes, I know I’m a little nutty when it comes to food), try adding some peanut butter to an apple slice, and then add a dash of flaxseed.
Although flaxseed is great for curbing hunger, it does act as a mild laxative; so please don’t take too much. Potty problems are never fun!
Start off with less than a teaspoon, and then work up to a tablespoon or two per day.
Don’t eat after 6 p.m.
Oprah made this concept famous when she told her studio audience that she never eats after six in an effort to keep the pounds off. This is an excellent strategy, as long as you are in bed by 9 p.m. Each meal will keep you full for about three to four hours. So if you’re done eating at six, you shouldn’t have to worry about feeling hungry until 9 p.m. or later. The problem is, in the real world, not everyone is in bed by 9 p.m.
If you’re a night owl, just be sure to finish your last meal about three hours before your bedtime. If you go to bed at 11 p.m., don’t have dinner past 8 p.m. If you have an after-dinner sweet tooth, make sure to “save” about 100 calories for a snack.
My favorite after-dinner snack is a cup of low-cal hot chocolate. Since it takes about 30 minutes for me to drink, the craving is long gone by the time I’m finished.
Tags: burn calories, curbing hunger, deborah enos, eat after 6pm, eat breakfast, fat burning, Fiber, flaxseed, greek yogurt, healthy breakfast to lose weight, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high energy foods, hummus, immune boosting foods, lose weight, low fiber, metabolism, natural appetite supressenat, skinny hot chocolate recipe, stress, weight loss
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Wednesday, December 28th, 2011
At the end of the year, I reflect on the most common questions I get asked during lectures. I actually do keep track and I find the questions fascinating. Curious as to what they are? Here you go…
Am I drinking enough water?
The standard advice: eight – eight ounce glasses per day (the equivalent of ½ gallon) and common sense. If you’re very active or feel thirsty, drink more. Look in the toilet: the clearer your urine (less yellow) the better your hydration. If you take vitamins, remember, timing will affect that yellow color.
How often should I poop?
There’s one we can all relate to. Dr Oz says you should be pooping at least every other day (ideally once a day). If you’re not going that often, eat more fiber. On average we’re only eating about 15 grams per day. Women should be consuming 25 grams and men 38 grams.
Up your fiber intake with these delicious foods:
- One cup of raspberries contains eight grams of fiber. They’re the #1 high-fiber fruit.
- One pear (with skin) has 5.5 grams.
- One artichoke contains over 10 grams. It’s the #1 high-fiber veggie.
How can I lose 2 to 3 pounds in a week?
Cut back on your evening meal. The biggest problem I see with all of these advertised weight loss programs is that they like you to eat lightly during the day and then have a “sensible” dinner. I don’t know about you, but if I’m hungry, all thoughts about a sensible dinner fly out the window.
Here is my Weight Loss soup recipe (My husband’s favorite)
Ingredients:
- 2 cans of refried beans
- 1 can of black beans, rinsed to remove excess sodium
- 1 container of salsa, 12 ounces
- Low Sodium Chicken broth, 32 ounces
- Chicken breast, chopped into 1 inch pieces
- Onion, chopped, about 1 cup
- Yellow & red bell peppers, chopped, about 1 cup
- Jalapeño peppers, finely diced (optional), 1 small pepper
- Sliced avocado
- Juice of one lime
- Chopped cilantro
- Baked Chips (Pop Chips: salt and pepper flavor work well here)
Directions:
In a medium saucepan, add 1 Tbs. of olive oil. Add the onions and peppers and sauté until soft. Transfer the cooked onions and peppers to a bowl. Add 1 Tbs. of oil to the sauce pan and cook chicken until cooked through, about 5-7 min. add the cooked onions and peppers back into the saucepan and cook on medium heat. Add the chicken broth, beans, salsa and jalapeños (the jalapeños are optional). Simmer on medium heat for 10 minutes. Add the lime juice (approximately 2 Tbs.) and stir until well mixed. If the soup is too thick add water.
Ladle into bowls and top with cilantro (I like a lot of cilantro so I use about ¼ cup per bowl) and 1 Tbs. of sliced avocado. I then crumble a handful of popchips on top to add crunch to the soup.
Be warned: My husband calls this Weight Loss Soup because it’s very filling and full of fiber. If you’re not used to eating much fiber, I would recommend only using 1 can of refried beans.
Studies have shown that hot soup (or any hot liquid) before a meal can dramatically reduce your appetite. I have discovered that if I make my meal hot liquid (soup) that I eat less and I don’t snack much after dinner.
Tags: avacado lime, beans, brown rice, calories, Deborah's kitchen, dr. oz, fat, Fiber, healthy breakfast to lose weight, healthy snacks, high cholesterol, high energy foods, lose weight, lose weight during the holidays, melatonin, metabolism, popchips, protein, weight loss
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Wednesday, December 21st, 2011
You’ve almost made it through the toughest dieting season of the year. Whether you’ve been naughty or nice up till now, it’s not time to completely give in to temptation. Regardless of what you want to hear, the eggnog and that fudge are NOT calling your name.
These three tips can help you keep your diet goals intact through January 1st:
- Eat a piece of fruit before dinner. It will help to keep you from overindulging later when temptation is great.
- Avoid carb-filled grains in foods like bread, tortillas, rice and cereal. Carbs force your body to hang on to water weight, making you feel bloated and grumpy. Don’t give Scrooge any reason to show up for the party.
- Fidget your way to fitness. Those who fidget stay in motion most of the day. It may help control your weight more than going to the gym. Think of it as all-day low- impact exercise.
If you’re like me, you’ve got an after-dinner sweet tooth. My secret, simple, easy tip…
Brush your teeth. Fresh, minty breath and clean teeth can discourage cravings. Don’t believe it? Think about some of the foods you hunger for after dinner. How does mint-flavored popcorn sound? Peppermint nachos anyone?
My “Skinny Mint” Hot Chocolate Recipe:
- 1 cup of coconut milk (I use Silk or So Delicious brand)
- 1 Tbs. unsweetened cocoa powder (I use Hershey’s or Trader Joe’s brand)
- 1 tsp of Agave sweetener
- 3-4 drops of mint extract.
In a small sauce pan, heat the coconut milk and then add in the cocoa powder. Use a whisk to blend. Add the remaining ingredients and whisk again. Taste and adjust flavor (if you like it sweeter, add more agave).
Recipe serves 1
This after dinner treat has knocked out my sugar cravings on many occasions.
When compared to “regular” mint hot chocolate mixes, this treat has 40% less sugar and about 30% fewer calories.
Tags: almonds, apple, beans, blueberries, brown rice, calories, costco wholesale, deborah enos, Deborah's kitchen, dr. oz, eggs, Fiber, flaxseed, greek yogurt, healthy breakfast to lose weight, healthy snacks, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high energy foods, lose weight, lose weight during the holidays, metabolism, sweet tooth
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In all honesty, I hate this topic. Out of everything I do to maintain my weight, this is what gives me the most trouble: It’s portion control. 
