Healthy Soups

We only have a few more weeks of cold weather. Which means only a few more weeks of craving warm soups and stews. Attached is a link to the FoodNetwork.com site with some great warm winter soup recipes. Enjoy!

http://www.foodnetwork.com/healthy-eating/healthy-soup-recipes/pictures/index.html

Supermarket Tour

Supermarket Tour

We will be having a Supermarket tour this Saturday, February 11, 2012 from 10-11am.

Let our Registered Dietitian teach you how to get the most out of your Grocery Shopping.

Learn how to:

Read Food Labels

Shop the perimeter of the store

Choose lean meat, fish, and poultry

Choose low fat dairy products

Choose healthy snacks

And a lot more...

Join Monika Kraus, RD for a Supermarket Tour

When: Saturday, February 11, 2010 from 10-11am
Where: Harris Teeter 120-100 St Albans Drive, Raleigh NC 27609

Please Contact Sarah Saba at 919-232-9436 to sign up.

There are only 5 slots available. Don't miss out, sign up today.

Healthy Recipe Substitutions

We all have our favorite family recipes that we love to make and eat. Then you hear the news from your physician that you need to eat healthier, lose weight, and/or cut down on fat, sugar, and salt intake. So how do you still enjoy your favorite recipes, while taking care of your health. Below are some healthy ingredient substitutions for your favorite dishes without losing the great taste you want.

These are ideas that everyone will enjoy.

Substitution List for your favorite recipes

• Instead of cream in a recipe: Use fat free half-and-half, evaporated milk
• Instead of one egg: Use 2 egg whites or 1/4 cup egg substitute
• Instead of regular mayonnaise: Use low-fat mayonnaise
• Instead of whole milk: Use 1% fat or skim milk
• Instead of sugar: Reduce the sugar in the recipe in ½, or use 1/2 sugar and 1/2 Splenda, or add cinnamon, nutmeg, or vanilla extract
• Instead of fruit canned in heavy syrup: Use canned fruit in its own juices, fresh fruit, or frozen fruit
• Instead of sour cream: Use reduced fat sour cream or low-fat plain yogurt
• Instead of cream cheese: Use reduced fat cream cheese or nonfat ricotta cheese
• Instead of vegetable oil in dessert recipes: Use less oil than what the recipe calls for, or replace half of the oil with unsweetened applesauce, or use half unsweetened applesauce and half plain low-fat yogurt
• Instead of butter, margarine, shortening or oil to prevent sticking in a pan: Use cooking spray or use a non-stick cooking pan.
• Instead of bacon: Use Canadian bacon, turkey bacon, smoked turkey or lean prosciutto (Italian ham)
• Instead of dry bread crumbs: Use Rolled oats or crushed high fiber cereal
• Instead of Pasta, enriched (white): Use whole wheat pasta
• Instead of recommended amount of cheese in a recipe: Cut the amount in half

And one final tip…When looking at a recipe, read the ingredients and think about how you can make it healthier. With a few modifications you can often find the taste that you like and still enjoy your favorite recipes.

Food Cravings

Attached is a great article from WebMD on how to control "food cravings". I hope you enjoy the article.

http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/cravings-why-they-strike-what-to-do

Please join us this Saturday at CMWL/FMAR for a nutrition class

“Eating healthy on a budget”

Date: Saturday, January 21, 2012

Time: 10:00am-11:00am

Where: Family Medical Associates of Raleigh,

3500 Bush Street, Raleigh NC

If interested in attending, please call

Sarah Saba at 919-232-9436.

Are you getting enough water

Water: Are You Getting Enough?

Most of us have heard, “Drink plenty of water everyday”. Everywhere you go you see advertisements for bottled water, water filters, and trendy water based drinks. So you may be asking why do I need water? How much? And what kind is the best? Read below to find out the answers to these questions.

Why Do You Need Water?
Water makes up approximately 60% of your total body weight and is an essential nutrient in the diet (humans need it for survival); however most Americans do not meet the recommended intake of this nutrient.


Water is needed for many functions in the human body including:

• Keeping your body temperature regulated through perspiration
• Cushions your organs and joints, and acts as a lubricant for your body
• Carries oxygen and nutrients to the cells in your body and removes waste from your body.
• Helps dissolve nutrients including vitamins and minerals so they can be used by your body.
• Helps to ensure regular bowel activity.
• Helps to curb your appetite.

How Much Water Do You Need?

• It is recommended to have at least 8 eight ounce glasses (2 quarts) of water a day. 
• If you are active and/or exercising, are in very warm or cold weather, at high altitudes, pregnant or breastfeeding you need even more water.

What Is Considered a Good Source of Water?

• A glass of water from the tap, bottle, or filtered is a great way to keep you hydrated. It is calorie free, refreshing, and free of charge (if you use tap water). Contrary to what many people believe, you will not gain weight from drinking water. Water will actually help you lose weight as it helps carry waste out of the body through urine, improves bowel regularity, reduces the feeling of bloating, and helps fill you up.
• If you do not like water, any other non-alcoholic and caffeine-free beverage will also help you meet your requirements. Some good sources include juice, herbal tea, low fat or skim milk, seltzer, and soup. These provide additional nutrients along with fluid, but remember, the will also provide calories and therefore portion sizes should be monitored.
• Food with high water content (lettuce, oranges, grapefruit, cucumbers, etc) will also provide plenty of water.

Tips For Increasing Water Intake

• Drink a glass of water when you wake up in the morning.
• Carry a water bottle with you throughout the day and keep refilling it. Be sure to wash out the water bottle daily to avoid bacteria buildup.
• Drink water with your meals.
• Keep a pitcher of water in the refrigerator. If you do not like plain water, add slices of oranges and lemons for a refreshing drink.
• Keep a glass of water at your desk at work.
• Keep a glass of water at your bedside at night.
• Snack on fruits and vegetables.
• If you feel hungry, try drinking a glass of water. Often we think we are hungry when we are actually slightly dehydrated and water will solve the craving.
• Limit caffeine intake, as caffeine is dehydrating and you will need additional water if you drink a lot of caffeinated beverages.
• After you start drinking more water, you will find it gets easier and it becomes a regular part of your day.

Signs Of Not Getting Enough Water (Dehydration)

• Light colored urine is usually a sign of being well hydrated. However, if your urine is dark yellow (except first thing in the morning and/or if you are taking a multivitamin), you are probably not getting enough water.
• If you feel thirsty, you are already dehydrated. Therefore drinking water is the best way to prevent this from occurring.
• Your mouth and/or skin may feel dry.
• You may feel tired.
• You may experience a headache.
• You may feel hungry.

These signs may also be a signal of other conditions; so please consult your physician if any of these symptoms are not relieved with increasing water intake and these symptoms persist for an extended period of time.



Happy New Year

Ten Ideas to Kick Off a Healthy, Happy 2012

1. Make a New Years resolution that you can keep. Vowing to yourself that you’ll eliminate all sweets and processed carbohydrates, exercise seven days a week, and only eat out once per month is unrealistic for almost everyone. If you do choose to make a health-related resolution, choose only one or two, make sure it is focused, and make it something you truly can and want to achieve. You’re far more likely to keep it if you set yourself up for success by making it realistic.

2. Drink more water. Think very carefully before you consider consuming empty calories through beverages (soda, juice, wine, beer, sports drinks, cappuccino, etc.) Is it worth it? Beverage calories can be reduced to zero if you stick to water, and you will feel good physically, too. (Plus-it’s free!) Add a squeeze of lime or lemon, or a sprig of mint to keep it interesting. (Don’t fret – coffee and tea are still ok, as long as it isn’t loaded with sugar and cream.)

3. Do one more active thing daily. If you currently don’t exercise at all, just think of taking one flight of stairs that you might usually do by elevator, or parking at the back of the lot to walk into the supermarket. If you currently exercise several days per week, consider adding 5-10 minutes onto your current routine, or add something that’s missing (cardio? Weights?) Start small, but make it consistent.

4. Add one more vegetable serving to your plate each day. (1 cup of leafy greens is a serving, ½ cup cooked or raw veggies is a serving, ½ cup pure vegetable juice is one serving). Spinach and tomatoes on your sandwich? Red peppers and mushrooms with your eggs? Carrots in your smoothie?

5. Try a new vegetable! If you’ve never had kohlrabi, broccolini, or jicama, now is the time! Google a recipe and expand your veggie horizons.

6. Include your family in your nutrition or exercise endeavors. It will make it easier to maintain your new habits, and it will be good for them as well.

7. If you are considering joining a gym, don’t do it immediately. It will cost you money just to sign up, and if you end up not liking it, not going, or it’s too crowded, and you’ll regret it and lose your money. Shop around, and ask for a free trial period of at least a week, or maybe a month. Most gyms will be more than willing to accommodate, especially at the beginning of the year when new member specials abound. Once you get a sense of the gym and see how it fits into your life, then you can join. Just don’t waste money on something that might not work in the long run. Gyms make mega-money on people who sign on but never show up.

8. Consider eliminating carbohydrates from at least one dinner per week, maybe more. That means eat one lean protein and veggies for dinner, loading up on the veggies, and avoiding potatoes, rice, and pasta as side dishes.

9. Get outside! Even if it’s chilly, bundle up and walk a block or two, breathing the fresh air and getting some winter sunshine. It’s good for your body and your mind, especially while the daylight hours are minimal.

10. Set small goals, and be proud of small successes. Any major lifestyle changes take time, and none of them happen overnight. If you want to lose 20 lbs, start with a goal of 5 lbs, and then another 5 lbs once you reach the first goal. Small successes still deserve to be celebrated, and they make the longer-term goals more attainable. If you can do the first 5, you know you can do the next.

Happy New Year, all year long!

Green Leafy Goodness

It is no secret that dark green leafy vegetables are highly nutritious and should be included in your diet several times per week. Not only are they fantastic sources of vitamins and minerals, but they also contain phytochemicals, or plant-based nutrients, that have anti-cancer properties. Furthermore, dark green leafies are very low in calories, high in fiber, and have no fat, making them ideal for weight management as well. Knowing all of these benefits, along with the goal of increasing daily non-starchy vegetable consumption, why does it seem that spinach gets most of the attention?

While spinach is a fantastic choice and can be eaten raw, wilted, sautéed, steamed, etc., there are many more options available that might seem unfamiliar and thus, are avoided. Experimenting with them, however, is easy and can be fun, as well as add more variety to your green leafy intake. You can find various options year-round at the supermarket, and seasonally at local farmers markets. Try kale, mustard greens, mesclun, turnip greens, arugula, collard greens, escarole, swiss chard, rainbow chard, watercress, or bok choy.

In general, the softer, more tender greens, such as mesclun, baby spinach, escarole, arugula, or bok choy are ideal raw in salads and/or wilted as a side dish or topping on soups or sandwiches. The bigger-leafed, heartier choices with thick stems, such as swiss chard, kale, or collards, are best when cooked, and can all be treated similarly. First rinse well and pat dry. Then remove the thick stems by running a knife along each side of the stem, saving the leafy greens. From that point, you can chop them further and add to sautéing onions with garlic and olive oil, followed by broth to steam and soften them, and whatever herbs or spices you like (try cayenne pepper, a squeeze of lemon, or paprika). You can also get creative by adding other veggies, such as cremini mushrooms or red pepper strips, to the sautéed onions and garlic before you add the kale. The idea is to tenderize the tougher greens and add flavor, but you can add anything you want to make them your own (preferably not bacon fat!).

Another fun idea is to make chips out of them (see recipe following), which allows for plenty of creativity and totally changes the way you’ll think of dark green leafies! Even kids tend to love kale chips, and you can make them as spicy or simple as you like. Consider tossing the baked chips with cayenne pepper, ginger, nutmeg, or smoked paprika to change the appeal. Simple sea salt alone, however, is quite delicious, but should be used in limited quantities to keep the sodium content low. Who would’ve thought kale could be your new favorite snack?

So open your mind to the spectrum of dark green leafy vegetables, and don’t be afraid to experiment! There are countless simple recipes online, or you can stick with the basics and just vary the greens depending on cost, availability, and seasonality. When it comes to greens, more is more!

Kale Chips
Ingredients
1 bunch kale
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon seasoned salt


Directions
1. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a non insulated cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. With a knife or kitchen shears carefully remove the leaves from the thick stems and tear into bite size pieces. Wash and thoroughly dry kale with a salad spinner. Drizzle kale with olive oil and sprinkle with seasoning salt.
3. Bake until the edges brown but are not burnt, 10 to 15 minutes.


Nutritional Information
Amount Per Serving Calories: 58
Total Fat: 2.8g
Cholesterol: 0mg


Powered by ESHA Nutrient Database



Letting Go of Leftovers

Letting Go of Leftovers

 The holidays wouldn’t be so bad for our waistlines if it weren’t for the fact that most of us start celebrating a month ahead of time and continue to do so through New Year’s Day. There also tends to be an onslaught of cookies and baked goods from well-meaning neighbors, co-workers, and friends, not to mention the ones you make yourself for giving away or entertaining guests. At this point in December, whether you’ve indulged in moderation or completely blew your best dietary intentions, the focus needs to be on planning for the day after Christmas. In other words, you need to think now about how to stop indulging once the big day is over, since the lingering casseroles, cookies, pies, and puddings tend to be too tempting for most of us.

 If we could all keep the holidays confined to only one or two days of eating whatever we want, we probably wouldn’t spend the first few weeks of January compensating for our indulgences. So, here are some ideas for stopping the food frenzy as soon as Christmas is over, and turning that 10-pound holiday weight gain into a mere 1 or 2, easily losable pounds.


1. Plan ahead. If you’re entertaining for the holidays, buy some disposable plastic containers to pack with leftovers and send them home with your guests. Be focused on getting rid of the desserts, casseroles, breads, candies, and not-so-nutritious snacks/appetizers.


2. Conversely, if you’re going somewhere for the holidays, politely thank your host and decline any leftovers if offered. Sounds completely unfair, right? You will be happy you did so a few days later.


3. If you’ve baked dozens of cookies and a few pies as well, be sure to follow your intentions and give a majority of them away. Of course, if you have children, the idea of no cookies during the holidays makes you look like Scrooge, so do what you can to minimize their sugar intake while waiting until Christmas Eve or Christmas Day to enjoy yours.


4. If you do have leftovers, regardless of your efforts to unload them on family or friends, enjoy the most healthy ones: steamed or roasted vegetables (ideally those without excessive cheese, bread crumbs, butter, bacon, or cream-of-anything soups), turkey, ham, or whatever lean protein you might have served, and veggie-based salads, if they’re not laden with creamy dressings.


5. Worst case scenario – throw them away. While this seems wasteful and probably is, you’ll pay a greater price if your clothes are tight in January, especially knowing you could’ve prevented the weight gain with a little more discipline over the holiday. If anything, perhaps planning ahead to prevent such waste will motivate you to make healthier holiday food, and to have just enough to get you through the day.


6. Finally, if you can’t bear the thought of tossing that heirloom family dish you’ve dreamt about all year, nor can you imagine giving it away, divide it into single-serving (ie: small) portions and freeze. You can thaw one portion at a time over the next several months to enjoy in moderation. Then, not only will that special dish last longer, but it will be less likely to show up as added pounds than if you eat the whole thing before New Year’s Day.


Life is far to short to deprive yourself of any decadent luxuries during the holiday season, but you can do just that, without spending the next month or two compensating, if you plan ahead and really think about savoring the day vs. savoring the entire month. You might, in fact, enjoy it more knowing that you can indulge in moderation without feeling guilty for the whole month of January.

So have a happy, indulgent-for-one-day holiday, and a strong, healthy kick-start to 2012!

How to Survive the Holidays - Support Group

Please join the Center for Medical Weight Loss on Wednesday, December 7th at 6:00pm for a discussion on how to eat healthy and "Survive the holidays"!

This month's discussion will be led by Monika Kraus, RD.

Hope to see you all there!

There is no cost to attend and you do not have to be a weight loss patient.

Please contact Sarah Saba at 919-232-9436 or email loseweight@fmaraleigh.com to sign up.