EIGHT SIMPLE WAYS TO EAT HEALTHY WHILE DINING OUT

 PREPARE AHEAD

Avoid making poor decisions by planning your meal. Many of the tips on this list can also be done if you plan and know what you’re walking into by checking the menu, finding the healthiest choices with protein and vegetables, and researching the nutritional information.

If you know what to ask in advance, it will make it much easier to ask your server the right questions. With the server standing by your table, waiting for your order, it can be easy to panic and make a poor choice without much information, so try to have as much knowledge of the menu and restaurant as you can. Look for the healthiest options on the menu that are high in protein and nutrients but low in simple carbs, sugar, and sodium.

Also, prepare by not going starving. By this, I mean don’t restrict yourself of food all day because eating out while “starving” and ravenous will be a significant trigger to order more food, unhealthy food, and heavy food. Try having a small snack or protein shake about an hour before you go or eat lighter meals consistently throughout the day. 

 BE AWARE OF “THOSE WORDS”

A few words on every menu will be a giveaway for what to avoid and what to enjoy. 

Most likely, you’ll want to avoid (or modify) meals that have the words “pan-friend,” “crispy,” “dipped,” “scalloped,” “breaded,” “Cream,” “alfredo,” “fried,” “smothered,” and “rich and creamy.” 

Also, meals including the words “grilled,” “broiled,” or “steamed” will most often be your healthier options. These are cooked with less oils and (most likely) less sodium. You will also want to look for dishes made with whole grains such as quinoa, brown rice, barley, or oats.

PROTEIN

I am a huge fan of protein, specifically clean animal protein sources, because these are the most effective way to eliminate cravings and lose weight. Eating meat will help you feel full and satisfied without filling up on empty carbs, like pasta or bread rolls.

If you’re ordering animal protein, try to choose the leaner cuts of meat, such as flank steak, tenderloin, and sirloin. However, chicken and fish are going to be your best and safest options for protein when eating out (both of which are low-fat but high-protein). 

My favorite way to order fish and chicken is grilled, but you can also enjoy them steamed, blackened, baked, broiled, or sautéed. 

 CHOOSE WATER

Try to always order water rather than other drinks! Water is crucial for a healthy lifestyle, and drinking water throughout your meal will help slow you down from eating your food too fast. 

If plain water is too boring for you, ask for some lemons or lime wedges. You also can bring your own bcaa’s!

If you’re going to order a beverage in addition to your water, make sure it’s not a sugary drink filled with empty calories and processed flavors. Avoid all sodas, margaritas, piña coladas, and other exotic mixed drinks. Instead, try getting a glass of red white, a light beer, or a simple martini. But, always make sure to drink one glass of water for every alcoholic beverage. This will help prevent hangovers and dehydration. 

 SLOW DOWN AND HALF IT UP

Splitting your meal in half is a great idea for eating out because it really does work! When you order, ask for half the meal to be boxed up. Or, ask for a to-go box so you can put half the meal away before you start eating.

Many restaurants, especially in the US, will serve two or three times what you need for a typical meal. There is nothing worse then that stuffed feeling after a large meal! Splitting it in half will give you a satiated, not stuffed feeling!

One way to save money and weight gain and avoid overeating is to go slowly. It can take your brain about 20 minutes to get an “I’m full” message from your stomach. By eating quickly, you’re not giving your brain time to decide you’re full and shouldn’t eat anymore. This is a great time to focus on your company and the conversation while taking time to taste and savor your meal as a bonus.

SAUCE AND SODIUM 

Don’t underestimate the difference sauce can make on your meal. Yes, it adds incredible flavor, but it can also add unnecessary fat, sodium, and calories.  

Look for “light” sauces or dressings and be sure to choose fewer foods with sodium-high sauces such as soy sauce or teriyaki sauce. Ask to get the sauce, condiments, and dressings on the side so you can choose how much you truly need. I like to lightly dip my fork in the dressing before taking a big bite of salad. I’ll use way less dressing this way (compared to just dumping it all on) and still fully enjoy all the flavors.

 ASK ABOUT OIL AND PREPARATION 

Wherever you eat, oils are overused and are often overlooked while trying to make healthier choices. Many restaurants will automatically cook food in not so great quality oils or extra butter to make the food taste better. 

Instead, ask for things to be grilled or steamed without oil. Or, ask the chef to use olive oil or fresh lemon as the dressing. And stay away from canola and vegetable oils. In my opinion, it’s better to cook something in a touch of real butter than fake oils.

Remember, you have the right to know what you’re eating! So, feel free to ask lots of questions about the oils the kitchen uses while cooking and preparing the food.  

 DON’T BE AFRAID TO ASK 

The most important thing to remember when dining out is that you are allowed to ask! Whatever the question is, you are paying for the meal, so it is your right to ask the question or ask for what you want. Knowing how your food is prepared, what sauces are used, etc. can be the difference of hundreds of calories and tons of unnecessary fat and sodium. 

This is the food you’re putting in your body, so don’t be afraid to ask questions or make changes! I know I don’t want to feel like the difficult one, but it’s your responsibility to know what you’re eating, and the more you ask, the easier it will be, the less you will start to care if  you are difficult. Who knows, you may even inspire someone else to consider what ingredients they are adding to foods.

Some changes you may want to make are how the food is prepared (grilled, rather than fried), what oil is used (olive oil rather than canola oil), and what the side is (salad, or steamed veggies not fries!) You can also ask for no bread if you’re getting a sandwich and double the vegetables. Most restaurants will give you a garnish of vegetables, so ask them to double the serving (the odds are, you won’t be charged for this, but you can ask to be sure) so your body is getting more nutrients and you feel satisfied with your portions. Also, be sure to request that your veggies aren’t cooked in lots of butter or canola oil. 

Many places will have the option of ordering “off-menu” as well. You can ask what vegetarian or vegan dishes are available or if the chef can prepare grilled chicken and steamed veggies, even if it’s not on the menu. 

The bottom line is, you can still eat healthy and clean when dining out!

You don’t need to hide from eating out or grabbing a meal at your favorite restaurant with your friends, I promise. With a few questions, savvy substitutes, and preparations, you can fully enjoy the meal and trust you’re still sticking to your lifestyle eating journey! 

Allow yourself to have a good time eating out with your friends or family! Enjoy the food you’re eating with the knowledge that your body will thank you for the nutrients and likely less stomach aches. Your body is your own, and you have permission to feed it the best food possible. 

5 SIMPLE WAYS TO BOOST YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM

The immune system of our body works as a protective shield against the viruses and bacteria that cause fever, colds, flu, and defends us against chronic diseases. But our immune system tends to slow down as we age. Therefore, to maintain a healthy immune system, we need to keep our body healthier and stronger so that it is always ready to fight off any infections. While strengthening your immunity is easier said than done, several dietary and lifestyle changes may improve the functioning immune system and help it to fight harmful disease-causing organisms.

Here are some simple tips to keep your immune system strong naturally —

Maintain A Healthy Diet

Following a balanced diet is the greatest way to get all the essential micronutrients, vitamins and minerals our body needs to function properly. The most crucial vitamins are Vitamin C, Vitamin B-12, Vitamin A, Vitamin D, Magnesium, Calcium, Iron, Potassium, and , Omega-3. People sometimes take supplements to fulfill their neutritional needs but it is wise to get the nutrients from healthy sources keep your immune system strong. Here’s a list of healthy foods that you should include more in your diet —

§  Whole and enriched grains and cereals

§  Lean meat and poultry

§  Fresh leafy green vegetables

§  Organic butter, ghee, and cheese

§  Eggs

§  Milk and yogurt

§  Fatty fish, shellfish, and seafood

§  Nuts and seeds

§  Iodized salt

§  Chickpeas and soy products

§  Citrus fruit

Try to fill your plate with these foods and try to limit processed food and added sugars as much as possible.

Stay Active And maintain A Healthy Weight

It’s no secret that staying active with exercises and other physical activities is the key to a healthy life. Exercise boosts your overall blood circulation making it easier for antibodies and white blood cells to travel easily and quickly throughout the body. Also, It helps reduce the stress hormone and thus Lowers your risks of getting sick. So, try to design an exercise schedule and stick to it for the long term.

Get Enough Sleep

Sometimes you just need to stay relaxed and do nothing to allow your body to rest and reboot the system. According to studies, people who don't get an adequate amount of sleep, are more prone to getting sick. So, it is important that you get minimum 7 hours of sleep to strengthen your immune system so that it can fight off infection and illness.

Keep Stress Under Control

We experience stress at every phase of our life. As it has become a part and parcel of our life, we often overlook how negative stress is affecting our physical and mental health. When we are stressed, our body produces a certain stress hormone called cortisol which can be harmful to immune functions. So try to minimize stress by engaging in some relaxation practices like meditation or breathing exercise.

Drink Plenty Of Water

Keeping yourself hydrated and well-nourished is vital for healthy living. Drinking water in various forms has endless benefits to your immune system as well. Liquids work as a media to carry oxygen in your body cells, which supports optimal functioning of the systems.  In addition water, fruit juice, vegetable smoothies, and detox drinks help flush out toxins from our body and boost our immunity.

Follow these 5 simple tips and continue regular health checkups, your immune system will be as at in good form even in your 70’s.

Why eating fewer calories does not cause you to lose weight

 I hear from so many people who want to lose weight fast!  Looking for the quick pill or overnight magic or perfect diet! So you may are tempted to make drastic changes in your diet by dramatically reducing the number of calories you consume. But what you may not know is that eating too few calories can actually backfire and sabotage your weight-loss efforts and even cause you to gain weight….yep, I said it……GAIN!!

CALORIES ARE IMPORTANT

The most effective way to lose weight is to consume fewer calories than you burn, thus creating a calorie deficit. But if your calorie intake dips too low, your body could go into “starvation” (insert my client’s eye rolling here) mode. "Your body will start to store fat because it thinks it is not going to get anything, so it needs to conserve it for back up.

When your body goes into starvation mode, your metabolism slows almost to a halt, burning calories as slowly as possible to conserve its energy stores. This is why people who cut their calories too much may reach a plateau and stop losing weight.

Eating too few calories can be the start of a vicious cycle that causes your body distress. When you cut your calories so low that your metabolism slows and you stop losing weight, you then think, well screw it, nothing is working so I will just eat what I want because I will never lose weight anyways and then you many even gain more weight.

It is so hard on your body to continually cut calories.

In addition to hindering your weight-loss, eating too few calories can also harm your health. When your body goes into starvation mode, you are increase the risk for the following:

·       Abnormally low blood pressure and slow heart rate

·       Heart rhythm abnormalities

·       Electrolyte imbalances, especially potassium deficiency

·       Hair loss

·       Brittle fingernails

·       Loss of menstrual periods in women

·       Soft hair growth over entire body

·       Dizziness

·       Trouble concentrating

·       Fatigue

·       Anemia

·       Swelling in your joints

·       Brittle bones

·       Depression

Calories are your friend

Remember that calories are not your enemy. They are a fuel for your body to facilitate not only normal every day activity, but also, those killer workouts that you put it through. Your body needs a certain amount of calories just to sustain proper function. This is why fad diets that force you to cut out too many calories leave you feeling lethargic, shaky, and ready to give up.

In my site, I have healthy, nutritious recipes for just that, fueling your body! Give your body the balance it needs to be strong, healthy and life lasting!

Good Post-Workout Meal

I feel I get asked this question more so than any other…what is  a good post-workout meal? 

Many people are not sure whether or not to eat before, after…if you don’t know, you have come to the right place. 

Post-workout meal should be about restoring what your body lost during intense exercise.  Good post-workout meals also provide all the nutrients your body needs in order to replenish its fuel source so it can start working on repairing all those muscles and grow them even stronger.  Ideally, your post-workout meal should be the right balance between protein, carbohydrates, and fat.

So let’s break it down into those macros when looking at good post-workout nutrition and take a look into what each one means to a great post-workout meal.

Good Post-Workout Meal: Protein, Carbs, and Fat

As I said, when it comes to post-workout meals, what to eat for recovery, or however you want to look at it, it needs to be centered around the balance of the three macros, Proteins, carbs and fats.

Let’s look at protein first.  Protein is the most common macro, yielding 4 calories per gram.  But why is it good for your body?  Well, protein is an important player when it comes to repairing the muscle you broke down during exercise, the  amino acids contained within the protein, help to repair the cells that are broke down through exercise…..  which results in  lean- muscle mass that we all want to get when we start working out.  It should make up for around 50% of your post-workout meal.

Carbohydrates also play a significant role in your post workout meal. They also yield 4 calories per gram. When you exercise, your body uses your stored glycogen as energy.  Eating adequate amounts of carbohydrates after exercise helps restore your glycogen, thus giving you fuel for the remainder of your day.  Consuming both carbohydrates and protein together maximizes protein and glycogen synthesis, helping you recover faster and stronger.  Carbohydrates should make up for around 40% of your post-workout meal. 

As for fats, fats are the macro that tends to get a bad rap because they yield 9 calories per gram.  When eaten in moderation, healthy fats can promote muscle growth after a workout.  Regarding the bad reputation, it was believed for a while that eating fats after a workout slowed down the absorption of your post-workout meal due to being eaten with carbs and could possibly reduce its benefits, but this is simply not true as it only account for 10% of your post workout meal. 

Good Post-Workout Meal: What To Eat and When

Now that we’ve touched on post-workout nutrition, what to eat after a workout, lets chat about when to eat it.  Timing your pre and post-workout nutrition is so important for the benefit of those gains.  

When it comes to timing, it is important to consume both protein and carbs within 45 min,  As we mentioned earlier, after exercise, your body is looking for ways to restore its depleted glycogen and protein stores.  That’s why consuming carbohydrates and protein sooner than later after a workout is essential to utilize glycogen synthesis.

Waiting for more than two hours to eat after exercise can lead to 50% lower glycogen synthesis rates.  

Ok so now we know why…..what about “what do I eat”….  I went ahead and broke it down into category’s according to each macro:

Great Post-Workout Foods For Protein:

1.  Protein powder, such as APN Protein Powder or Vegan

2.  Eggs 

3.  Tuna 

4.  Greek yogurt (low fat)

5.  Chicken Breast (grilled)

6.  Tempeh 

7.  Tofu

Great Post-Workout Foods For Carbohydrates:

1.  Brown rice

2.  Dave’s Killer Bread

3.  Quinoa 

4.  Sweet Potatoes 

5.  Leafy greens

6.  Oatmeal 

7.  Fresh berries 

8.  Whole-grain pasta 

9.  Cream of rice

Great Post-Workout Foods For Healthy Fats:

1.  Avocado

2.  Nuts (almonds, peanuts, cashews)

3.  All-natural nut butter (peanut, almond, sunflower)

4.  Chia Seeds

5.  Flax Seeds

6.  Olive oil

Put it all together with these great post-workout meal ideas:

1.  Vegan or Apn Smoothie with ½ cup berries and chia seeds

2.  Oatmeal, with egg whites and almond butter

3.  Low fat Greek yogurt with fresh berries and almonds

4.  Brown rice cakes with peanut butter and fresh berries

5.  Grilled chicken with veggies (roasted or fresh) with avocado

6.  Egg omelet with Dave’s Killer bread, veggies, and avocado

Post-Workout Meals recap

You’ve got the knowledge, you’ve got the facts, so when it comes to a great post-workout meal, the rest is up to you.  Always keep in mind that just as proper pre-workout nutrition is essential, so is your post-workout food.  Your pre-workout fuels you up and gives you what you need to perform at your best.  With your post-workout meal, you’re refueling and supplying your body with the nutrients it needs to build that lean body you long for. 

As with most things, post-workout meals simply require a little pre-planning. Remember, failing to prep means your prep to fail…...

Xo

Lisa 

EATING HEALTHY DOES NOT HAVE TO BE EXPENSIVE

So – have you noticed that when you’re trying to eat healthily, your grocery bill just keeps getting higher and higher?

But trust me, you shouldn’t have to choose between eating healthy and your mortgage. I’ve got a few tips that will help you stick to a nutritious grocery list, even while on a budget. 

CHECK OUT ALL YOUR OPTIONS

Okay, so obviously when you think healthy groceries, you think Whole Foods (or whole paycheck), right? And yes, while Whole Foods has some great options, it’ is incredibly easy to spend a lot on just a small amount of food. I personally love Whole Foods, but it can be a bit expensive!  So, when I know I’m going to be shopping to fill the fridge or when I’m just trying to keep my grocery bill a little lower, I like to check out several stores. 

Start by checking out some other grocery stores in your area. I’m going to let you in on a little secret that is quite the hidden gem… Walmart! Seriously. If you know what you’re looking for, you can usually find it there. Plus, their prices are basically unbeatable, as they have brand name and less expensive generic! 

WHEN TO BUY ORGANIC

If you’re shopping at grocery stores that aren’t traditionally known as being “healthy,” the trick is to shop smart. That means buying organic when you need to, but also knowing when you can skip it altogether to save yourself a few extra dollars.

The general rule is: if it’s something you’re going to peel (like a banana or an avocado), you don’t need to buy organic because the pesticides are all stuck on the peel, anyway. And if you want a little more guidance, here’s what I do….

·       Buy fruits and veggies that are in season, they will be less expensive. 

·       Always buy organic dairy products, believe me…. It’s worth it. 

·       Definitely non-gmo meats, ideally organic too!

·       Apples, berries, celery, grapes, cucumber, any other juicy fruit – go organic.

bulk shop!

Bulk buys are LIFE. It’s kind of crazy how much money you can save by buying in bulk, especially for stuff that can get really pricey like meat, nut butters and protein powders. Whole Foods has a bulk section. So does Sprouts.

BUY FROZEN

Did you know that when you freeze fruits and veggies, you hardly lose any of their nutritional value? And frozen is usually much cheaper, especially when you’re buying something that’s out of season. 

Plus, because it can just chill in your freezer, that means you don’t have to worry about that “it has prettier hair than me” thing.  Frozen is great because it helps you avoid that nasty moldy stuff,  which is basically just throwing money away, plus it’s usually cheaper in the first place. I love using frozen fruit in my smoothies, too, because then you don’t even need to add ice! 

GO WITH A LIST.

We all have those impulse purchases and boy, do they add up! Reality check, most of them probably aren’t helping you with your goals. Unless you’re impulse buying kale which, like, good for you if you are! But I’m always tempted by that bar of dark chocolate hanging out by the register. Having a list — and sticking to it — saves me from bad food choices and it helps me save a ton of money.  AND DON’T GO HUNGRY!  No list and hungry is the deadliest combination