Win this Semester

As the new semester starts, (my last undergraduate semester. eek!) I think it’s important to look forward to success. Sunday’s post on the internet application, Mindbloom, addressed this through goal setting. I found this article in a spring issue of Newsweek and thought it was extremely applicable to many aspects of life. While this is a bit unrelated to food and vegetables, it is applicable in that winning relates to all sorts of goals and forms of success.

The article is called Why Winners Win: the new science of triumph in sports, business, and life.

The article begins by highlighting Andre Agassi’s trek to becoming a winner. In 1994 Agassi was on a losing streak, and decided to confer with a tennis coach, Brad Gilbert about why this was. Gilbert scolded Agassi for trying to “play with perfection”. He said, “With your talent, if you’re fifty percent game-wise, but ninety-five perfect head-wise you’re going to win. But if you’re ninety-five percent game-wish and fifty-percent head-wise, you’re going to lose, lose, lose.”

Timothy Gallwey, author of several books on the mental aspect of sports, highlights winners as the elite who can overcome common mental blocks. He writes, “There are more players that have the talent to be the best in the world than there are winners [...]Winners get in their own way less. They interfere with the raw expression of alent less. And to do that, first they win the war against fear, against doubt, against insecurity -- which are no minor victories”

As a Pittsburgher, the phrase “best in the world” makes me think about Sidney Crosby. He clearly has the talent to be the best in the world, but there is more to Sid that makes him stand out as a winner. The Penguins are a team full of All Stars, but Sidney’s attitude has been mentioned on several occasions to be inspiring to other members of the team. While he may be one of the youngest players on the team, there is a reason he is the captain of the team, and it is certainly about more than just his skill. Speaking of Sidney Crosby, he's been skating in practice recently -- hoping for a come back from his injuries!

However, not all of us are playing competitive professional sports, and it is important to note that winning is not limited to sports. As scientists seek to define what makes a winner, they first have to explore what winning really means. One definition they have established is “dominance”. Newsweek reports, “Twenty-five years ago, scientists proved the hormone’s role in wining streaks: a win gives you a jolt of T, which gives you an edge in your next competition, which gives you more T, and so on, in a virtuous sex-hormone feedback loop.”

In terms of weight loss, meeting milestones of losing 5 or10 pounds can often feel like a victory. In essence, you have succeeded in taking control of your body, and achieving what you set out to do. Recent studies have shown that this is the key to weight loss - early dramatic results. Looser clothes, symbolizing the feeling of success, and praise from friends can be such a positive feeling, that it encourages you to continue with what you’ve been doing and keep the weight off. Not unlike the hormonal reaction mentioned above.

So whether you’re trying to lose weight, run more miles, or succeed in school like me and my friends this semester, remember 95% of it is mental, and acknowledging the small victories can lead to a reinforced cycle of winning.

Meatless Monday!

This next recipe I made on Christmas for my family. It is a baked dish of sauteed onions,  baked tomatoes, yellow squash, and red potatoes.

I really enjoyed the way the flavors complemented each other, particularly the baked tomatoes. It was a great holiday dish, when everyone is looking for something lighter than all the heavy food they’ve been eating - or in the case of my sisters and I, trying to save some room for my mom’s pumpkin pie.

This weekend I made the dish for my roommate and I, and served with with brown rice on the side. It was also great to keep as left overs and warm up for meal or snack the next day (it even works well in a fritatta).

This recipe was in the summer issue of Whole Living Magazine, but as I said, I made it on Christmas and loved it. (I normally try to eat foods that are more in season, but this is an exception.)

Here's a picture of mine from the weekend

Baked Tomatoes, Squash, and Potatoes (serves 8)

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 small tomatoes, sliced 1/4-inch thick
1 medium yellow summer squash, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 medium Yukon gold potato,sliced 1/4 inch thick (I used a few small red potatoes)
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 Tbsp thyme leaves
2 Tbsp freshly grated Parmesan

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Heat oil over medium and cook onion until tender and lightly golden, 6 to 8 minutes.
Arrange the onion on the bottom of a 9-by-13 inch baking dish. Overlap tomato, squash and potato on top of the onion. Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with thyme and parmesan, and drizzle with more oil
Bake covered for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until golden, 30 minutes more.

Have your best year yet: Set goals and stick to them with Mindbloom

I love little tech gadgets and games so here’s one that is perfect for starting the new year and for me, the new semester.

This new application is called Mindbloom

This app works for personal growth in three way:

• Decide what’s important
• Discover your motivation
• Take meaningful action

When you first start you can choose which aspects of life you want to focus on. For example there is: My health, my relationships, my finances, my creativity, my career, my lifestyle, and my spirituality

The tree grows with help from the sun and the rain. The sun is your inspiration and motivation - the why. The rain is the actions you do towards your goals - the how. The healthy tree produces seeds that you can use to buy bonus features etc..

The idea is that seeing your inspiration every day, your mind will work with you to work to  achieve your goal. This is a common tool used by personal development coaches.

It also allows for journaling about achieved goals that you can share with friends on facebook and on mindbloom.

Here is a video if you want to learn more:

It seems a little far fetched to me to “grow your tree of life”, but it really does have a lot of good values and with an iPhone app and link to social media, it is trendy, easy to use, and has been rated as one of the top five goal tracking services.

The most important parts that I found in my research are:

• Goal Setting
• Focus on a few things, now. As we learned in the post about willpower - we have a limited amount of willpower and it is important to pick what is really important so as not to overwhelm yourself or deplete the willpower
• Use a social network for support and motivation



Want to try it? It’s free and you can access it on your computer or smart phone

www.mindbloom.com

Let History Repeat Itself? Eating like the paleolithic

Gary Taubes addresses the conventional Food Pyramid/My Plate and suggests that there is an “Alternative Hypothesis.” This government supported hypothesis suggests that most of our diet should come from carbohydrates and as little fat as possible, but it has never been tested in a clinical trial.

If you look back in history, generally people were more fit and less focused on fas diets. Why is that? There are a few time periods to look back to.



1825: Animal Diets and Body Fat


There is a lot that can be learned from farming and animals. Taubes point out that in the 1825 book, The Physiology of Taste, the point is made that to fatten up an animal you give it grain. In addition to this, carnivorous animals, while often very lazy for most of the day, never get fat. Why do humans assume we are exempt to this rule?


1920s: The Diet of Inuits

The Inuits are unable to access fruits, vegetables, and grains, yet are some of the most fit people on earth. Some Inuits can run some 25 miles at a time in heavy clothes. While this could be an long term adaptive quality, the anthropologist studying the group picked up on the diet and reported experiences the health benefits after just the first year.

1940-1950s: Modern Scientific Research

During this time period the two leading causes of obesity were refinement of carbs and sugars, and a hormonal enzymatic disorder. Through further research it became known that this hormone was insulin. These two causes are in fact intertwined as we secrete insulin as the response to carbohydrates.

So why are sugars and refined carbohydrates bad for you?

Foods in their native state are hard to break down in the body. This leads to slow entry in to the bloodstream and a slower response. However the refined carbs are designed to be digested far more easily, and as a result you have an extreme hormonal reaction. This hormonal reaction is the secretion of insulin. Insulin is secreted as a means of storing the excess “feul” or carbohydrates that your body does not need and it stores it as fat.


What does this mean?
In terms of a new fad diet: THE PALEO DIET is the winner of the day. It can be summarized in this pyramid I found from this blog,

But as I said when I started this blog, I am not interested in fad diets. They work nicely for the short term, but often they are unsustainable. To me they feel like you are cutting out too many foods and are ultimately focusing on what you can’t eat. I think this diet is interesting and rooted in fact, and it also reinforces the diet I have been encouraging in several other posts:

• Eat lots of protein
• Eat lots of fiber to stay full on a low cal diet -- this means a diet consisting of mostly vegetables
• Avoid fake foods - eat only whole wheat/whole grain carbs and avoid excess sugars
• All fat is not bad - there are good fats and bad fats (which I will address in a future post) so stay away from saturated or trans fats, but mono-unsaturated fats (such as those found in avocados) are ok.

Interested in trying a recipe from this new diet? Here are two recipes from the leading book

Shrimp-Stuffed Avocados
Serves 4

Ingredients:
4 large avocados, peeled and halfved seeds removed
1 1/2 c small salad shrimp, cooked and washed
1 T lemon juice
1 T onion powder
1 tsp black pepper
1 T paprike

Set avocados on serving plte with cut side facing up. Combine shrimp, lemon juice, onion powder, and pepper in a medium-size mixing bowl. Spoon shrimp mixture onto each avocado, covering generously. Sprinkle top of each stuffed avocado with paprika before serving


Spicy Stuffed Squash (which I will be making tomorrow -- get excited CB!)

Ingredients:
2 medium acorn squash
1/2 water
2 medium carrots, cooked and chopped
2 small turnips, cooked and chopped
1 T olive ol
1/2 tsp gound cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 c peeled, coarsley chopped apple

Cut squash in half, and remove seeds nad string. Place squash, cut side down, in a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Add water and cover with foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and turn squash so that cut side is facing up. Cover with foil, and bake for 20-30 minutes more until tender. Scoop the pulp out of each squash half, keeping shells intact. Place pulp in blender, and add carrots nad turnips. Blend until smooth. Stir in oil, cinnamon, and nutmeg, blending well. Fold in apple and spoon into squash shells. Return to baking dish, and bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until heated through. Serves four.

For more information on the Paleo Diet and more recipes like these check out the book : The Paleo Diet by Loren Cordain.

A big thank you to my brother in law for sending me the article on Gary Taubes

Feature of the Week: Mrs. Shoener

Hayley's Mom is a chef so we decided to ask her some questions for this week's feature of the week!

When did you start to cook?

I started cooking when I graduated from college.  My grandmothers were awesome Southern cooks. Unfortunately, I wasn't interested in learning to cook until I lived alone and was starving!  Hunger was the great motivator.

What is your favorite thing about cooking?

I love the creativity involved in meal preparation.  There are so many new foods to try and the combinations are endless.  Also, I love feeding people and teaching others how to cook.

Do you have any formal training in cooking or are you self taught?

I am mostly self taught. However, my job with Crate Cooking School has given me the opportunity to work with some of the most amazing chefs from all over the country.

When you do cooking lessons what is your #1 tip for students?

Mastering the techniques of cooking not only instills confidence, but allows the cook to make dishes without a recipe.  That kind of freedom allows for more creativity.  For example, you are then able to buy fresh ingredients from the farmer's market without worrying about not having a recipe in hand.

When you cater what do you think about when putting the menu together?

First of all, I find out which foods are allergens.  It is also important to find out which flavors and foods the client does not like.  Does the client have dietary concerns such as a special diet?  I then think about current trends in food and try to keep the dishes new, interesting, and compatible with each other.  The food needs to look beautiful and taste great.

Since we've been talking about the parents influence on children's eating habits on the blog, what eating habits and or foods did you want to impress upon your kids?

Since fruits and vegetable should be 50% of our diet, I try to keep fresh, seasonal foods available.

What is your favorite vegetable and how do you like it prepared?

I have so many favorites!  Right now, I'm cooking different kinds of squash.  Delicata is amazing when sliced and roasted on the grill. Butternut squash pairs well with many other vegetables, such as fennel, potatoes, and kale.  Uchiki Kuri is so sweet it doesn't need any seasoning.  Experiment with new squashes from your local coop or market!

You Can Do It - The Truth About Willpower

Ever think you don’t have the will power to diet? The easy solution: Just start.

It has been proven that will power is a cummulative effort. If you say no to sweets once, you are much likely to say no the next time the choice arises. In the same way, if you let yourself think it’s no big deal if you have that banana bread at starbucks one morning (490 calories by the way), you are more likely to decide to have that banana bread the next time you go to starbucks too.

I have found this to be true, and it is actually part of why I went vegetarian. When I was trying to lose weight over the summer, I noticed that once I got in the habit of eating mostly vegetables and beans I actually started to crave that type of food all the time. However, once I went home for Thanksgiving break and my dad stocked the house with all of my favorite foods (at this point former favorite foods) I got back in to eating those. I mean he REALLY stocked the house with beer, barbeque chips, cookies etc. To me all of these foods together so if we eat barbeque chips at home, order chicken wings for an appetizer at dinner (like my dad and I love to do), I am definitely going to order a beer or two with dinner. But if I’m not in the habit of wanting those foods, I am much more content drinking water and and eating a vegetable based diet.

In the January Issue of Health Magazine in a section titles, “7 things to do starting today”, they write:

LEARN TO LOVE THE FOODS THAT LOVE YOU BACK. A diet of berries and elk or tofu and sea vegetables might seem utterly foreign -- but taste buds can be retrained. “Americans love fat, salt, and sugar because that’s what we’re used to,” Dr. Katz says. “But studies show that if you eat more wholesome foods, you can learn to prefe them.” An easy way to start: Search for stealth sugar, which Dr. Katz says is found in many pacaged foods. “Once you get rid of that hidden sugar, you’ll start to prefer less-sweet foods,” he notes.


One thing all dieticians say to avoid: the guilt and self frustration. If you slip up on your diet it’s ok. My roommate loves to bake and so sometimes I feel like my will power to resist sweets is verry low, but don’t be so hard on yourself.

I recently read an article in Whole Living magazine called, “More (Will) Power to You”. It was a great article because it points out something that none of us give ourselves credit for. Here is an excerpt:

“We’re used to thinking of willpower in terms of our failures only,” says Kelly McGonigal, a psychologist at Stanford University and author of the new book The Willpower Instinct: How Self Control Works, Why It Matters, and What You Can Do to Get More of It. But we’re all exercising our determination all the time, when we don’t blow up at an employee who has made a clueles mistake, for instance, or when we pass up a cocktail and assume the responsibility of being the designated driver.
There’s more good news: Our ability to access willpower is very much within our control. It’s also in our self interest. [...] It’s looking out for our long-term goals -- and it’s managing stress by averting problems.”

Another interesting fact pointed out in this article is that we have a limited supply of willpower and it literally draws on our glucose supply. Tips to enhance willpower?
“EAT RIGHT. Because glucose is directly connected to self-control and our bodies break foods down into glucose, it makes sense that a stead diet could support willpower. [...] Food choices are important. Sugary snacks, for instance will provide a fast fix, but they’ll leave a person hungry soon afterward.”

So willpower may not be as elusive as we think of it as. Eating right can change your choices from a use of willpower to a habit by essentially retraining your taste buds, and can also give you more power to use willpower throughout your day. So why not? The more willpower you have at your disposal the happier you will be :)

Fight that "Winter Shelf"

Coming off of a real winter weekend, we all know what it feels like to want to stay in bed all day, but you can beat that "winter shelf" by staying active. If you are in to running or other outdoor sports such as skiing or platform tennis make sure you follow these three tips for helping your body handle the cold.

1.     Invest in proper clothing

2.     Fuel Well

3.     Prevent dehydration so you can stay warm and stay active

Invest in Proper Clothing

-       According to Platform Tennis Magazine (given to me by my mom), “If you become so cold that you start to shiver, these vigorous muscular contractions generate lots of heat- perhaps 400 calories per hour” While this doesn’t sound all bad, it really depletes your muscles of energy so you need to make sure you are not getting to this point while exercising outside. If you do get to this point, make sure you have some good recovery food for during or immediately after your exercise.

-       Dress in layers so you sweat less, sweaty clothing drains body heat. Dressing in layers allows you to stay dry and hydrated

Fuel Well

-       Your body is spending a lot of energy producing heat; so eating well provides fuel and increases your heat production so you can direct more of your energy towards your fitness.

Prevent Dehydration so You Can Stay Warm and Stay Active

-       Platform Tennis Magazine writes, “Winter athletes need to consciously consume fluids to replace the water vapor that gets exhaled via breathing. When you breath in cold dry air, your body warms and humidifies that air. As you exhale, you lose significant amounts of water. You can see this vapor (“steam”) when you break. “ You may not feel like you need to drink as much water because it is cold outside, but make sure you are drinking enough.

-       Unless you are hot, you do not want to drink icy water.

Meatless Monday!

One of the things I was most nervous about when deciding to go vegetarian was lunch time. It isn’t too hard to come up with something using vegetables, grains, and fish at dinner time, but I’m not a huge salad person and packing a lunch of roasted vegetables just didn’t seem practical, so I came to the conclusion that I was really going to miss sandwiches for when I wasn’t home to make a salad or something.

I’ve looked in to other sandwich ideas to see if I could make a good vegetarian sandwich besides just a grilled cheese. There are actually many options but here are two of my favorites!

1. Peanut butter, half an apple (thinly sliced) and a dash of cinnamon. You can make it either open faced or not,but definitely on whole wheat bread. Delicious! 

• Peanut butter has lots of protein and apples have been proven to keep you full for a long time! Although this is not enough cinnamon for this to really apply, spices such as cinnamon are said to boost your metabolism.

2. On whole wheat bread spread plain greek yogurt the way you would use mayo. Stack thinly sliced avocado, carrots, and walnuts. This sandwich is delicious and really good for you!

• Avocados are high in the GOOD kind of fat. the monounsaturated fats can lower levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol and raise the levels of HDL (good) cholesterol. They also are high in fiber and potassium! Carrots are loaded with vitamins protecting you from diseases such as heart disease and helping you have healthy skin and eyes! Walnuts, like other nuts are a great source of protein, but unlike other nuts also supply the body with an omega-3 acid which the body needs but cannot produce. Talk about a loaded sandwich!

French Women Don't Get Fat

Hayley made it safely to France and I am so jealous of all the French food she is going to be eating.

Because of this, I chose to look in to the age old question, “How do French women stay so skinny?” I have seen this question in a few of my readings recently and wanted to share some of the responses with you.

In a book by Barbara Kingsolver, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, which I will be referencing in a lot in the near future addresses this question. Here is an except of the writing:

“Here in the U.S. we seem puzzled but these people who refrain from gluttony in the presence of a glut. We’ve even named a thing we call the French Paradox: How can people have such a grand time eating cheese and fattened goose livers and still stay slim? Having logged some years in france I have some hunches: they don’t suck down giant sodas, they consume many courses in a mean but the portions of the fatty ones tend to be tiny, they smoke like chimneys (though that’s changing); and they draw out meals sociable so it’s not just about shoveling it all in. the all-you-can-eat buffet is an alien concept to the French to put it mildly. Owing to certain rules about taste and civility in their heads, their bodies seem to know when enough is enough. When asked, my French friends have confided with varying degrees of tact that the real paradox is how people manage to consume, so very much, the scary food of America.”

This month’s Health magazine, writes “An easy way to be more active: Make like a French woman and, whenever possible, walk instead of drive.”Here is an excerpt of the article:

"French Women Stay Slim with Petite Portions

    According to the best seller French Women Don’t Get Fat by Mireille Guliano, the paradox of how French women consume butter and cream without gaining can be explained in two words: portion control. They have small amouts of frensh, quality food and antioxidant-rich wine, lingering over multiple courses and savoring every bite.

    French women also tend to walk everywhere instead of attempting to get to the gym. “In France, they climb stairs. Many of the buildings are older and don’t have elevators,” says Steven Jonas, MD, professor of preventive medicine at Stony Brook University School of Medicine in New York and co-author of 30 Secrets of the World’s Healthiest Cuisines. Plus, the price of gas is a lot higher, so people are motivated to walk instead of drive. All of this adds up to French women having a low incidence of heart disease and obesity (12 percent compared to the U.S.’s 36 percent).

    I admire the French “food is the focus” idea, in theory. If only I could while away the afternoon strolling form boulangerie to fromagerie. But as a working mother of two teenagers, I scramble to pull off a 30-minute meal. And that’s OK, Dr. Jonas says: “Even if it’s quick, a homemade meal with whole ingredients is better than going to a restaurant with huge portions and empty calories.””

So if they answer is portion control- what is a good portion?

It is hard to say exactly, what the right portion size is because of different dietary needs but earlier this year the USDA came up with “my plate”. You can learn more, such as weight management and calories, healthy eating on a budget, and tips for vegetarians at the new website: www.choosemyplate.gov 

According to this NBC News article, “Gone are any references to sugars, fats or oils, and what was once a category called "meat and beans" is now simply "proteins." Next to the plate is a blue circle for dairy, which could be a glass of milk or a food such as cheese or yogurt.”

If you are interesting in learning what a good portion size is for you, look at this website!

http://www.choosemyplate.gov/supertracker-tools/daily-food-plans.html

But returning to the French Paradox... I bought Hayley the French Women Don't Get Fat cookbook and she made this recipe from it recently! Make like the french, try it out, and stay thin :)

Healthy Parents Fellowship

My friend, M, started a new internship today! She recently earned her masters degree in public health and is now using her knowledge in this new program called the Healthy Parents Fellowship.

Here is a little summary she sent to me about the program - it sounds great!

I start interning at what is
called the Healthy Parents Fellowship next Saturday. It takes place in
Washington Heights, which is upper Manhattan past Harlem, in a
neighborhood that has a very high obesity rate. Every other Saturday
our team will be educating a small group of adults about fitness,
nutrition and obesity. The idea is to educate them in a fun and
interesting way, but also sustainable. We will be doing activities
such as yoga, healthy cooking classes, and other exercise classes.
Also, each parent will design and implement a community action project
to spread healthy ideas to their families and friends. The fellowship
is a 6 month pilot program and the president of it wants to launch it
into a non-profit if all goes well!
I think it is brilliant to target the parents, who often decide what
their kids eat.

It is all funded by outside sources and we are raising money for it at
the link below:

http://rockethub.com/projects/4505-parent-leaders-battle-obesity-for-the-wi

I did some research in to the effects of parents on their kids long term eating habits. 

• One study being conducted by Lauren Branen and Janice Fletcher surveyed 546, 18-to-23 year old college students. The ideas make sense, but the conclusion was that some of the habits such as eating all the food on the plate and using food as an incentive, which are habits that can lead to obesity were learned from their parents/caregivers. Also most of their knowledge of nutrition came from what they were told by their caregiver- indicating no independent research and that the knowledge does not keep up with current information available.

• Another type of study was conducted on obese children in which the parents were the only agents of change. This was conducted by Golan, Fainaru, and Waizman in the Sackler Faculty of Medicine at Tel Aviv University.The parents were given 14 hour-long support and educational sessions on nutrition. They also conducted a control group in which they educated the children only, not the parents.The results show that the changes in weight were much greater when the parents were the agent of change. The methods of change were largely based on eating habits such as eating while standing (my mom’s favorite thing to  tell me not to do), eating while watching TV, eating between meals, and eating following stress).

The combination of methods of study reinforce each other and show that the eating habits that parents learn and teach to their children have a great affect on the development of child and on obesity ratings.

M also sent me a New York Times article which explores this issue, which can be read here. The article explains that obesity is becoming a greater issue as insurers and employers now have to pay for childhood obesity services. Another program like M’s called UnitedHealth uses 16 hour-long sessions for a child accompanied by a parent. The program has seen great success including a young boy who was 122 pounds and lost 30 of them. The problem they point out is that not many children want to participate in the  programs and there really aren’t many programs like this to begin with. But with all of this success it makes sense that new programs such as the Healthy Parents Fellowship are starting.

If you are interested in supporting the fellowship, please click on this link (also posted above).

I am looking forward to hear more as you continue with the internship, M!

The Perfect Life- Move, Eat, Learn

Hayley is going to France tomorrow to live the abroad life for four months. Experience everything Hayley! These videos are great because they really show the three best things in life. I love to read and learn (hence why I write these blogs) but the best learning experience I have had in my life was going to Australia on study abroad. I met SC, SL, and KK - some of the best friends of my life- because I was able to experience so much with them. But more than anything I tried new things and took a few.. big steps out of my comfort zone.

I wish you the best trip and learning experience ever

Feature of the Week: Molly Hargreaves

Molly Hargreaves is a personal trainer at the Edgeworth Club Fitness Center and helps many clients each week with their fitness routines. Molly loves learning about fitness and nutrition, and was friendly enough to share some of her knowledge with us. Molly also recently started a blog and you can follow it here!

Molly’s three point policy goes as follows:
Nothing in Isolation
Go Natural
Respect your body

Nothing in Isolation:

Getting in shape is 98 percent about what you do in the kitchen. Molly like to say, “You make abs in the kitchen” because it is so important to get the strength and the nutrients from your cooking - and skip the foods that will work against your workout.

However, getting in shape requires cardio, weights, and a diet.

Molly recommends doing cardio four times per week and working every muscle in your body twice a week, but don’t work the same muscles on back to back days. Lifting is so important because it forms the muscles that help you burn more calories throughout the day. Molly says, if you’re lifting weights, “your body is a calorie burning machine”. I like the sound of that!

As you can probably guess from her job title, Molly tries a lot of different ways to stay fit. Recently she has been running races, but she is actually not a huge fan of running. For Molly, the best part of running a race is the camaraderie. The people watching cheering you on and the runners encourage each other, and it just feels great to run in that kind of an atmosphere.

However, when Molly has her choice of exercises, she loves to lift weights and do yoga. She started doing yoga, and worked really hard at it for a year to a year and a half and then got a certification to teach. She’s getting another one soon, so look out for more classes by Molly!

Go Natural:

As a rule of thumb, if it fell from a tree, was picked from the ground, or had a mother it’s good to eat. Things like Splenda and Equal and other unnatural substances are just not good for your body because your body was not made to process chemicals.

A good rule to follow is staying away from things that are white. This includes white potatoes, white pastas, and white rice. Whole wheat pasta is great for you, as is brown rice, but white foods are just not natural and do not work with your body the way natural ingredients do. Also eat an unlimited amount of veggies! Don’t be afraid to put a lot of vegetables on your plate.



Of course I had to ask Molly what her favorite vegetable was and her answers reinforced her “go natural” mantra:

As far as starchy vegetables go, Molly loves to eat yams. To Molly, the best part about a yam is that it doesn’t need anything on it - no butter, no cheese, just warmed up in the microwave and eaten as is.

Molly also loves to eat steamed asparagus, cauliflower, and broccoli. Preparation tip: use spices over a syrupy sauce. It is better for you and gives a bold flavor. Molly’s favorite is garlic!

Respect your body:

Don’t smoke, drink in moderation, think about what you’re putting in to it.

Molly also recommends having a protein, a carb, and a healthy fat in every meal and eating every 2 and a half to 4 fours. Don’t eat all the time, but don’t wait more than four hours because that is when your metabolism starts to slow down.

When you are working out, you are essentially draining the nutrients from your muscles as you use them so it is important to replenish those right after. It is important to have protein as an after-workout snack, but carbs are good too.

As far as eating before a workout goes, eat two hours before so you have the energy to complete the workout. Something with carbs and a low glycemic index is great. The only time you would not eat before a workout is if you wake up and go on a run or do some form of cardio. You still want to eat within an hour of waking, but cardio in the morning on an empty stomach is a great workout.



Hopefully, you all enjoy learning about Molly’s thoughts on nutrition and fitness. Thank you so much Molly! I'll miss you this semester!

Happiness is a Warm Latte

Today is national gourmet coffee day! I personally love coffee, but I stick to regular coffee- actually iced coffee- because I prefer it and it has less calories than a latte.

According to Starbucks, their grande lattes have 190 (Caffe Latte) - 440 (Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha) calories..... Want to know what your signature drink is? Check Here!

However, if it’s latte’s that you love here are a few tips to make it a “skinny” latte.
-Skip the Whipped Cream
-Use nonfat milk
-Iced drinks have less calories



According to Health Magazine, women who drink 2-3 cups of coffee a day are 15% less likely to develop depression than those who drank one cup or less.

I try limit it to one cup per day and exercise and sleep appropriate amounts to get natural energy to make it through the day. Having more than than 4 cups of coffee (or the equivalent amount of caffeine) can reduce your insulin sensitivity and put you at a higher risk of diabetes because not enough sugar is being used for energy. So like most things in life... consume in moderation.


What should you pair with your morning coffee? I recommend Starbucks Perfect Oatmeal. It comes with brown sugar, nuts, and dried fruit, so you can add as much or as little as you choose. My friend got me hooked on it and I just introduced it to my mom, who gave it the thumbs up. Oatmeal is one of the most heart healthy foods you can eat and it has a lot of fiber to keep you full longer.

A protein full breakfast is also advised. Studies show that a high protein breakfast can help you control your hunger better throughout the day and help you lose more weight. Eggs are a good source of protein, but if you are interested in something new, try making a quinoa oatmeal!

Here is a quinoa oatmeal recipe

ENJOY!

On the go? Have a ClifBar and help your hunger and the planet

As many of you would agree with - it is sometimes hard to eat well while on the go. Today my mom and I are flying back from the West Coast to the East Coast - quite the long flight. For our flight form the East Coast to West, I bought us Clif Bar’s Mojo Trail Mix Bar.

The reviews are in: this bar tastes great!

Nutrition facts: 9g protein, low glycemic, 2g fiber, and my peanut butter pretzel bar had 190 calories.

I decided to try this bar because, frankly,  Clif Bars are always delicious (they also make Luna bars) and ClifBar is a great company, which has a focus on sustainability. I heard a representative from ClifBar speak at Fordham University in the fall of either 2008 (or 2007) on a series they were hosting about global warning.

One example of their commitment to the environment: all of their vehicles use biodiesel. Their employees are even rewarded for walking, biking, carpooling, and taking public transportation. If you’re wondering what biodiesel is, according to biodiesel.org “Biodiesel is the name of a clean burning alternative fuel, produced from domestic, renewable resources. Biodiesel contains no petroleum, but it can be blended at any level with petroleum diesel to create a biodiesel blend. It can be used in compression-ignition (diesel) engines with little or no modifications. Biodiesel is simple to use, biodegradable, nontoxic, and essentially free of sulfur and aromatics.” It is better for the environment because it is made from renewable resources and has lower emissions then regular fuel, and biodegrades as fast as sugar.

For each of their endeavors, Clif Bars has established a way to give back to environment to become “climate neutral”. These methods include planting trees and investing in wind energy. They have also redesigned packaging and shipping methods to use minimal resources. All of these methods have been able to offset their carbon footprint since they began in 1992! Pretty amazing for such a well known and successful company.

Want to get involved with their mission?

Visit http://www.clifbar.com/soul/get_involved/

Meatless Monday!

It’s Meatless Monday again! 

I had a great meatless lunch today at the Del Coronado resort in San Diego (where my sister is coming for her honeymoon!!) I had an asparagus and mushroom wood fired pizza with some tomato basil soup. The pizza was delicious, on a thin pita-like crust, and drizzled with a red wine vinegar. If you're creative you can definitely make this at home - here's a picture to go off of.

It may not look super delicious- but trust me it was great!

Since I’ve been traveling for the past week, I haven’t been able to make anything myself but here is a recipe my mom picked up for me at William Sonoma! It also uses kale which I’m so newly fond of. Also goat cheese has a special place in my heart because my Alpha Phi big, who could not cook but still loved to host, used to make pasta with chicken, goat cheese, and green peppers... every time. Goat cheese makes everything taste great :) Give it a try!

Vegetable Frittata with Goat Cheese

This healthful frittata, made with a combination of whole eggs and egg whites, is chock-full of fresh vegetables and enriched with two kinds of cheese.

Not a picture of this exact recipe - but similar!

prep time 40 min/ cook time 30 min

Ingredients:

6 Tbs. olive oil

4 oz. kale, stemmed and leaves thinly sliced

Kosher salt, to taste

8 oz. cremini mushrooms thinly sliced

6 oz. goat cheese

2Tbs finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

6 whole eggs plus 6 egg whites

1 Tbs. minced shallot

2 Tbs. thinly sliced sun-dried tomatoes

2 tsp. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

In the deep half of a frittata pan over medium-high heat, warm 1 Tbs of the olive oil. Add the kale and a few pinches of salt and cook, stirring occasionally until the kale is wilted, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.

In the deep pan over medium-high heat, warm 1 Tbs. of hte olive oil. Add half of the mushrooms and a few pinches of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are tender and lightly caramelized, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Repeat with 1 Tbs. of the olive oil and the remaining mushrooms

In a bow, combine 4 ox. (125g) of the goat cheese, the Parmigiano-Reggiano, whole eggs, egg whites, and a few pinches of salt. Using a stick blender, blend well.

In the deep pan over medium heat, warm 2 Tbs. of the olive oil. Add the shallot and cook, stirring constantly until fragrant, 5-10 seconds. Add the egg mixture, the kale, mushrooms, and sun-dried tomatoes. Cook using a rubber spatula to quickly and lightly stir the eggs in a small circular motion, until they are just beginning to set. 7-10 minutes.

Meanwhile in the shallow pan over medium heat, warm the remaining 1 Tbs olive oil. Place the shallow pan upside-down on top of the deep pan and flip the frittata into the shallow pan. Cook, covered until the eggs are set, 1-2 minutes.

Using a spatula, loosen the edges of the frittata and gently slide it onto a plate. Crumble the remaining goat cheese and garnish the frittata with cheese and parsley. Serve the frittata at room temperature.

Serves 6-8.

Happy Meatless Monday and Martin Luther King Jr. Day!!

Kale Salad - delicious!

The other night in San Francisco, my mom and I went to a restaurant called Campanule. I had a tomato bisque and a toasted kale salad. The salad was amazing. I had never had kale before but have always heard it is really good for you. Kale is also available as early as February and March in the farmers market if you want to eat more locally (You’ll hear my take on this in a few days when I have more time to write)

According to the New York Times, Recipes for Health, “Like its cousins, kale is packed with health-promoting sulfur compounds, and it has been found to have the greatest antioxidant capacity of all fruits and vegetables. It's an excellent source of vitamins K, A and C, as well as manganese, and a very good source of dietary fiber, calcium, iron and potassium. All of this nutritional value comes in a low-calorie package.”

The salad had toasted kale, romaine, red onion, gorgonzola, and a balsamic vinagrette.

Here is an easy way to make toasted kale from wholefoodsmarket.com:

You'll be surprised how easy and tasty this kale preparation is. Andrea from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, sent us this recipe with a note: "It's the only recipe I've found where the kale is not masked by other flavors or cooking methods, and it's crunchy. That makes it fun to eat, plus it's delicious." We are in complete agreement; this recipe quickly became a test kitchen favorite.

Ingredients

2 bunches kale 
2 tablespoons olive oil 
2 to 3 large cloves garlic, minced 
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

Method

Preheat oven to 375°F. Rinse kale and pat dry thoroughly. Remove and discard thick ribs and roughly chop leaves. Pat leaves dry again. Toss with olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Spread on a large rimmed baking sheet. Kale does not need to be in a single layer, as it will shrink in volume as it cooks. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring every five minutes or so, until leaves are tender, crisp on edges and slightly browned. Sprinkle with sesame seeds before serving.

Nutrition

Per serving: 100 calories (80 from fat), 9g total fat, 1.5g saturated fat, 3g protein, 5g total carbohydrate (2g dietary fiber, 0g sugar), 0mg cholesterol, 160mg sodium

Enjoy!!

(also note pictures to come on Tuesday when I get back to the East Coast)

Chef of the Week: Don Reinhardt

Chef of the Week: Don Reinhardt Jr.

Today begins our weekly edition of chef of the week! My goal is to share the stories and experiences of a different food-related personality with you each week. This week the Chef of the Week is Don Reinhardt Jr. (although he’s never been a chef).

Don has been the proprietor of the Sewickley Cafe in Sewickley, PA for the past 15 years. The Cafe features casual gourmet dining in the heart of the town of Sewickley.

As a child, Don’s father owned a restaurant in Kentucky, where they lived. In college Don worked as a server in a restaurant, and after college he worked as a wine buyer. Despite his degrees in biology, chemistry, and education, Don’s true passions lay in restaurants.

In Kentucky, Don owned a restaurant for five years, then moved to New York City where he worked for Romano’s Macaroni Grill. He then moved to Pittsburgh where he opened the Sewickley Cafe.

As far as the differences in the regions go, Don told me that the coasts, both east and west, are the trendiest. Pittsburgh is about 8 years behind (it used to be 10 - we’re getting trendier!) and Kentucky is about 12. By this he means that when he left New York the newest techniques he was using there, were not well received in Pittsburgh until about eight years later.

For example, Don had a great duck salad with roasted potatoes when he was in France, but he tried to serve it in the Sewickley Cafe the way the French prepare it, which is chopped and tossed together, and it was not well received. He said part of this preference is based on taste, but a large part is also based on presentation. When the same duck salad was served with the duck presented on top of the salad, the reviews were generally more positive.

Speaking of Don’s travels abroad, I asked him what his favorite vegetable and preparation of that vegetable is, and he said asparagus prepared the way he had it outside of Florence, Italy. He prefers crunchy asparagus so his favorite preparation involved drizzling the asparagus with oil and salt and put it in the oven until it’s crispy - sounds delicious!

If you decide to dine at the Sewickley Cafe, I highly recommend the soups. My personal favorite is the tomato dill soup, which they have year round. However, be sure to ask about their featured soup because it changes all the time. It is always a creative combination, but always delicious. I asked Don who came up with the soups and he said they all do. Don said they actually call many of their soups, “refrigerator soups” where they simply open the refrigerator and see what they have. The soups are normally tailored to the season. In the summer they create light and cool soups, but in the winter most customers prefer a thick, hearty, hot soup which they create by focusing on vegetables and meat and using a heavier stock such as beef stock or red stock.

If soup is not calling to you, here are some recommendations from the proprietor himself:

First and foremost Don says, “We make the best chicken parm.” Besides that he recommends the crabcakes, truffle fries, steak sandwich, raspberry walnut chicken salad, and finally the chicken caesar salad. Don tells me, “I have the best chicken caesar salad out there.” And based on the menu item, “Sid’s Chicken Caesar Wrap,” I think #87 Sidney Crosby would agree.

I asked Don to share a recipe with the readers of the TrendyVeggie, and he graciously gave us the recipe for his Vegetarian Mediterranean Wrap.

Ingredients:

Sundried tomato wrap

A bit of hummus

Spring Mix

Kalamata olives

Feta Cheese of cheese of choice, feta works best for a Mediterranean wrap (can also use tofu as an alternative)

Red onion

Balsamic vinegar dressing - mix of balsamic, olive oil, and Dijon

Mix all the ingredients together, wrap it up in the sundried tomato wrap, and you’re all set!

Thank you Don!