How to Keep a Food Journal

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The number one complaint about keeping a food journal is that it is too much work for your busy schedule or that it makes you think more about food. Both of these are probably true. In the beginning, however, driving a car was a lot of effort. Eventually it became second nature and now you can probably drive while eating. By using either of these tools you can also update your food journal while in your car. (not while driving of course )

Keeping a food journal will help you improve your eating habits. No doubt about it. You can’t manage what you can’t measure. It is an old management adage that is just as meaningful to your weight control. Unless you measure something you don’t know if it is getting better or worse. If we are going to be able to help you with your weight management, we need to be able to see what you are eating and when you are eating it. SO.. we are going to do this thing, let’s make it as easy and fun as possible.

There are various apps on-line that regulate your fitness and food journal. They typically let you track what you eat with a few clicks – almost no data entry and record your workouts in minutes. Some examples are FitBit, MyNetDiary, Livestrong, MyFitnessPal, etc.

TweetWhatYouEat  is another on-line food journal – stripped down to the bare necessities.  If you use Twitter, this is incredibly easy to use.  You sign up with the service and then, using your Twitter account, send a direct message every time  you eat something.   Like this:

DM TWYE 2 eggs, spinach, olive oil

That’s it.  When you go to your TWYE diary, you will see a list of everything you entered.  The calorie counts are “crowdsourced”,  meaning that other users have given “2 eggs” a calorie count and TWYE uses that in your calculation.  If you don’t like the calorie count they used you can edit it.   TweetWhatYouEat gives you a total for the day.

You can use either of these services to send  food logs to your nutrition clinicians, or merely just for self accountability.

If you use Twitter, feel free to follow me on Twitter for our latest tips @ilanakatz.  I try to post neat stuff to share with  Twitter friends frequently.  Or of course Facebook too “Optimal Nutrition for Life – by Ilana”.

Planning Your Meals

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In my practice,  I find the biggest roadblock to weight loss success is that people do not take the time to plan their day as far as eating goes. So they either wait for meal times, or until they are hungry, and then just see what is convenient to grab.

This sets you up to  either not eat enough during the day, or gorge on whatever is available, or just get the most convenient food which is more than likely prepackaged and processed.

If you take a few moments in the day to plan a grocery list, spend an hour or two a week shopping for nutritious foods (that can be just as convenient), and having these nutritious foods available for eating smaller meals more often during the day – the huge high calorie, high fat, or prepackaged meals can be avoided.

Planning is the best tool for success in any project, and creating a healthy lifestyle and/or weight management is a project too. Planning is not a big deal – in fact, shopping regularly and having the right type of foods available means the planning is done.

Nutritiously dense and calorically low foods that are easy to have around are things like yogurts, string cheeses, whole wheat crackers, ricotta or cottage cheese, wheat tortillas and sliced turkey, carrots and other veggies, V8 fruit and vegetable juices, raw nuts, some trail mixes (not all m and m’s), meal replacement bars, fruits, hard boiled eggs (when ready to eat peel, and discard some of the yolks), hummus (to have with some of these), 100 calorie snack pack to enjoy once a day, such as pretzels, baked chips, etc.

Many of these things can be kept in a mini fridge at work if available, else have ice packs available and pack a mini cooler for a days worth of snacks, and many can be kept in a desk drawer, trunk of the car, if not necessary to refrigerate.

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MARCH NEWSLETTER – 2017

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March is National Nutrition Month. This means the American Dietetic Association focuses attention on the importance of making informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical activity habits.

Are you still keeping your January New Year resolutions? Don’t be too hard on yourself if you answered no… statistics show that unfortunately most people fail at keeping them for more than two weeks.

For National Nutrition Month perhaps set one realistic, measurable goal. For example, lose six pounds in three months. Keep it simple! Set yourself up for success!

National Nutrition Quiz

1. In addition to Walnuts, which food is  a good source of omega-3 fatty  acids?

A. Spinach             C. Flaxseed

B. Peanuts              D. Apple

2.  Which of the following has the  least amount of calories per  serving?

A. 1 med apple        C. 1 oz cheddar

B. 1 slice bread        D. 4 ripe olives

3.  Americans tend to underestimate the amount of food consumed by what %?

A. 25%              C. 50%

B 40%               D. 75%

4. Eating a colorful range of fruits and vegetables ensures a wide variety of vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals to stay fit and healthy?

(True or False)

5.  Vegan diets are appropriate for  Children.

(True or False)

 Answers to Quiz:

1. C  – Flaxseeds (also known as linseed) are rich in heart healthy Omega-3 Fatty Acids

2. D  – 4 ripe Californian olives contain 24 cals per serving and 2.5 g of healthy mono-

unsaturated fat. (apple = 80 cals, 1 oz cheddar = 80  cals , 1 slice bread = ~ 80 cals)

3. C  –  Many people have no idea what constitutes a standard serving size. The result is

decreased attention to hunger cues, and inability to regulate appropriate intake.

4. T – Researchers have begun to uncover the value of pigment- related phyto (plant)

nutrients. A recent study showed that “blue/purple” such as blueberries, eggplant, fresh

plums, and purple cabbage within a lowfat diet aided in memory function, healthy

aging, healthy urinary tract, and  helped lower risk of cancer.

5. F –  General vegetarian diets that include lacto (milk) and ovo (egg) sources can

accommodate the needs of growing children, however, strict vegans should consult a

medical professional or RD to ensure they are getting enough calories and nutrients

such as Vitamin B12, zinc, iron, and calcium needed for growth and development.

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  Did you know – there is a day dedicated to the harvesting of pecans.

Pecan Day (March 25)

Pecans are source of protein, potassium, zinc, vitamin E, magnesium, carbohydrates, and folic acid. They contain mainly polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fat — the type considered “heart healthy.” A handful of nuts a day, such as pecans, can help you stay on a diet by contributing to satiety. This means they will help you feel full longer.

PECAN MERINGUES

Notes on working with egg whites.

Before you start, remove eggs from refrigerator and let them come to room temperature. (A couple of hours will do, or if you are rushed for time, immerse them in warm water for 10 minutes.) Make sure that all bowls, hands, and utensils that might touch the eggs are clean and free from oils. To separate the whites:  crack them in half and gently move the yolk from one egg shell half to another, allowing the egg white to drip down into a clean container.

 INGREDIENTS

 1 cup whole pecans

3 egg whites

Pinch salt

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vinegar

METHOD

1 Preheat oven to 300°F.

2 Place pecans in zipper baggie and beat them with a wooden spoon to break into small pieces. Set aside.

3 Put egg whites into a standup mixer bowl. Add salt. Start the mixer speed on low, gradually increasing the speed until soft peaks start to become visible and the egg white bubbles are very small and uniform, about 2 to 3 minutes.

4 Increase the speed to medium-high, and slowly add the sugar to the egg whites. Continue to whip the eggs and sugar for a few minutes. Then add the vinegar to the bowl. Increase speed to high and whip the egg whites until they fluff up and become glossy, and stiff peaks form when the whisk is lifted, 4-5 minutes.

5 Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the pecan pieces. Drop by teaspoons onto a cookie sheets that have been lined with wax paper.

6 Put the cookies sheet in the 300°F oven, close the door and turn the oven OFF. Leave them in the oven overnight. In the morning they should be ready – crisp on the outside, light and airy on the inside. If they are a little marshmallowy or chewy on the inside in the morning, just let them dry out for a few more hours.

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FITNESS –

Turning what we eat into optimal fuel

Great Cardio workouts

Interval training is associated with fat burning is because the higher the intensity the more likely the physiological response is to overcome lipogenesis sensitivity (in layman’s terms, fat storage mode). To keep it simple, the mechanism is related to how the different hormones bind to either alpha or beta receptors. Before going into a physiology dissertation, in its simplicity, high intensity can overcome problems associated with alpha-receptor dominance in stubborn body fat. Well, why not keep the intensity high all the time, you may ask. The answer is that while high intensity can break down fatty acids in the cell, it does not burn fatty acids as a fuel, so that’s where the intervals become important. Switching between high and low creates that magic bullet.

 Elliptical, treadmill and stationary bike rotation  – 1 hour and 15 minute work out       (starts with treadmill, then elliptical, and ends with bike)

 Repeat this rotation twice:

Treadmill:  10 straight minutes.

Form: long stides and squeeze glutes at end of each stride.

Min 0 – 5:       set at a pace of ~ 4.0 at 0% grade.

Min 5 – 10:    12% grade and pace at ~ 3.5, maintaining stride form

Elliptical:  16 minutes.

set program that is most like a consistent running stride.

Set level (resistance) at moderate (should be about 160 – 180 strides per min)

Cycle: 10 minutes

manual setting 3. Pedal hard (feel your hamstrings) for straight 10 minutes

After 2 rotations: THEN     Cool down on cycle for 3 minutes

 

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ONE MORE FUN RECIPE :

 Lazy Sunday Guiltless Pancakes

 On Sunday, I was just in one of those moods, its been years since I had a pancake for breakfast. I sifted through what I had available in my fridge and grocery cupboard, threw some ingredients in my blender and made some delicious, perfectly-pancaked textured, low-cal, low-fat, health-packed  pancakes. I thought this would be a great choice for the pecan addition of my newsletter, as guess what a perfect addition to these panckes would be?? Yeah – you got it – yummy, fresh pecans !!

  (makes 5 servings)

1 scoop vanilla whey protein

1 cup raw oats

6 egg whites

1 cup low fat cottage cheese

2 T silken tofu

1 T  wheat germ

Optional – ½ cup chopped pecans

Optional – TRUVIA  to taste

Blend all ingredients in a blender. Spray skillet with pam. Pour ½ cup batter in pan. When batter bubbles, flip until both sides golden brown. The recipe makes about 12 – 15 pancakes, 3 pancakes = 1 serving.

1 serving (without the pecans) = 135 cals, 20g pro, 12g carbs, 3g fiber, 200mg sodium. 

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FUEL SAFE ZONE

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protein cookies

protein-cookies

1 c (4 scoops) vanilla whey protein powder

1 c almond flour

1 c almond butter

1½ c unsweet applesauce

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

sweetener optional, and for taste: Recommend to use a stevia based one and about 1 Tbsp is perfect amount for the recipe.

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Use as a batter and shape into cookie size on a baking sheet (3″ diameter, can roll into a ball and press slightly down to flatten).

Bake at 350 for 5 – 6 minutes, right as turning dark tan color.

 

FEBRUARY 2017 NEWSLETTER

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The month of February triggers ideas of Valentine’s Day, love, and hearts. So in honor of your heart, feed your body heart healthy foods for a stronger and longer life. Heart healthy diets include a large variety of fruits and vegetables, extra fiber, omega-3 fats, low amounts of saturated and trans fat, and limited cholesterol. Read up for tips, facts, and fun!

HEART HEALTHY FEBRUARY

Red wine and other alcoholic beverages have been the subject of heart disease research. While the answers aren’t yet conclusive, it appears that moderate alcohol consumption may help reduce heart disease risk. This potential benefit is not a reason to start drinking. The research reports that moderate amounts of alcohol, one to two drinks per day, can help increase HDL cholesterol and may slow formation of LDL, the bad cholesterol. Alcohol consumption was part of a routine that included a low-fat eating plan and regular physical activity, two habits anyone can benefit from. Alcohol has its negatives too – increases the risk of cancer, and furthermore, be a spoke in the wheel to weight loss goals.

             

More and more research is looking at compounds in foods that may maximize health. Until research makes a positive conclusion, don’t deviate from the tried and consume a wide variety of natural foods meaning fruit, vegetables, whole grains, and lean sources of protein.

 

Here’s the NEWS:

A fact is a fact, and an important fact to note is that heart disease is the number one cause of death for men and women today in the United States.

Many factors play a part of heart failure, such as high blood pressure and cholesterol, lack of exercise, diabetes, alcohol abuse, and smoking.

Guess what?? These are all factors that you can help tackle in your daily agenda to strengthen your heart. By making a few adjustments, you can add years on to your life. Be conscious of the foods you choose to eat, quit smoking, and drink only 1-2 drinks per day at the most. Choose red wine instead of a beer, which will provide antioxidants to your diet.  Instead of eating fast food on lunch break, pack a healthy delicious lunch, and ride a bike around the park instead of going to the movies and eating a bucket of popcorn.

Olive Oil

When one typically thinks of “fat”, misconstrued thoughts come to mind. In fact, the body needs fat, and we all know that food tends to taste better with a little added fat. When cooking, replace your butter and margarine with Extra Virgin Olive Oil and receive not only a tasty product, but also essential fatty acids that the body needs.

Olive oil is a natural juice and can be directly consumed after being pressed from the fruit. It has a high content of monounsaturated fatty acids and antioxidative substances thought to decrease the bad cholesterol and increase the good cholesterol offering protection against heart disease.

Key Nutrients and Food Sources:

  • Omega 3 (Salmon, flaxseed, walnuts)
  • Vitamin C (Oranges, apples, etc.)
  • Fiber (whole wheat, brown rice, cereal, broccoli)
  • B Vitamins (Meats)
  • Flavonoids (antioxidants found in fruits, vegetables, and wine)

FITNESS CORNER

Studies show that by exercising for as little as 30 minutes a day, you can decrease risks of having heart problems!!

Your heart rate is the key to exercising at the right intensity (heart rate zone).

Some heart rate zones are more effective for burning fat, others for improving performance and stamina. Once you determine your fitness goals, a heart rate monitor will allow you to achieve them by helping you stay in your best heart training zone.

A general formula

for fat-burning mode:

75% – 80%  of  (220 – your age)

eg. For 33 year old:  mid of range:

220 – 33 = 187;  

75% of 187

 is  140 beats/min

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Need a Quick Snack?

Make your own TRAIL MIX, and pick your own ingredients for a healthy on-the-go snack with protein, healthy fats, antioxidants. Add:

  •  1 cup unsalted sunflower seeds 1 cup peanuts,
  •  1 cup dried fruit (cranberries, prunes, pears, etc.)
  • ½ cup raisins
  • ½ cup DARK chocolate chips.

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Heart Healthy  Delicious Recipe

It’s recommended to eat fish at least 2 times per week to lower blood pressure and triglycerides.

Salmon with Cilantro Pesto

  • 4 Salmon Filets, rinsed and patted dry
  • ¼ cup sliced almonds

Pesto:

  • 1/2 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro
  • 3 tablespoons fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth
  • 2 tablespoons sliced almonds
  • 2 tablespoons shredded or grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 teaspoon salt-free garlic-herb seasoning blend

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or lightly spray with cooking spray.   In a food processor or blender, process the pesto ingredients for 15 to 20 seconds, or until slightly chunky. Place the fillets about 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. Spread the pesto evenly over the top of the fillets. Sprinkle almonds on top.  Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.

Nutritional Content Per Serving:

206 Calories, 9.5 gm Fat, 28 gm Protein, 66 mg Cholesterol, 129 mg Sodium

 AND FOR A VALENTINE’S DESSERT ….

Decadent yet still healthy Dessert

(Chocolate Dipped Strawberries)

Ingredients

1 lb of medium-sized whole strawberries

4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate

Microwave chocolate in a glass bowl, stopping after 30 seconds, then every 10 seconds until almost melted. Stir until smooth and glossy. Wash strawberries and pat them dry (any moisture from the fruit will spoil the texture of the melted chocolate).Dip each strawberry into the melted chocolate, covering the lower half of the strawberry. Place on a baking sheet lined with wax paper. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Per Strawberry:    Calories 48,  Fat 2g,  Sat Fat  1.1g, Chol 0mg, Sodium 0mg. Carbohydrate 6.8g, Fiber 1.1g, Pro 0.5

HEALTHY VALENTINE DINNER SUGGESTION

Cook a simple but special low fat dinner for your Valentine instead of eating a high-fat, high calorie meal at an expensive restaurant. It’s well known that it’s easier to cook low fat at home than it is to eat low fat at many restaurants.

But if you’re a little nervous about making a special meal for your loved one, just remember to keep things as simple as possible. Valentine’s Day is probably not the best time to see if you can flambé bananas or try your first ever soufflé. Take advantage of the fact that many appetizers and desserts can be prepared ahead of time, so you don’t have to feel under so much pressure. If your sweetheart truly loves you, then serving his or her favorite (low fat) home-style dish by candlelight, with some mood-enhancing music in the background, may be all that’s needed for a memorable evening. (Follow the simple, healthy, delicious recipes in this addition to help complete the purrr-fectt,  heart healthy meal.

HAVE A HEART HEALTHY FEBRUARY,

ILANA