2007-02-05

Paris is pictured here munching on a bowl of cereal. I think this was a surprisingly wise choice for Paris, because cereal is filled with so many great nutrients and vitamins. I’m not sure what kind of cereal it is, but looks to be corn flakes. CLICK HERE to see the Kellogg’s Corn Flake nutritional facts for yourself and you’ll be shocked at how healthy cereal really is. Add sliced bananas or strawberries and milk for a nutrition filled breakfast.

2007-02-02

With Super bowl Sunday just two days away I decided to compile a list of healthy super bowl snack ideas…

Mini Quakes Rice Cakes
Jello Topped with Cool Whip
Wheat Crackers With Hummus Spread
Ants on a log (Celery Stalks filled with Peanut butter and topped with raisins)
Mini Sandwiches on multi grain bread
Baked Corn/tortilla chips with salsa
Fresh veggies with low fat dip
Whole Wheat pretzels
Grapes and other fresh fruit

2007-01-31

“I eat really healthy, I love Japanese food, lots of fish, any sort of fish, any sort of vegetable, lots of fruit, that kind of thing,”

“I think there’s a big difference between someone having an eating disorder and someone who is controlled about what they eat. There’s a big difference, and every now and then of course I go out and eat what I like. But I do try to be quite disciplined in the way that I eat.”

“I know quite a few models and they actually eat, they’re just naturally thin girls. And just because you’re thin it doesn’t mean you have an eating disorder.”

2007-01-29

The key to any diet is to eat lots and lots of fruits and veggies. They provide many nutrients and vitamins while filling you up fast. The problem is that so many of our produce favorites are sprayed with chemicals and waxes, along with the inevitable germs. Rinsing your fruits and veggies with water alone may not be the best solution and washing with soaps may effect the taste or could be unhealthy to ingest. Recently while shopping at my local Price Chopper I came across this amazing spray called veggie wash. The wash is made of all natural ingredients and smells of citrus. All you have to do is spray your produce, rub for 20-30 seconds, and rinse thoroughly. The wash has even been laboratory tested and proven to remove unwanted residues (wax, soil, and agricultural chemicals), making it significantly better than rinsing with water alone. There is also a soaker option that is very similar but made for those fruits like grapes that may not be so easily washed one by one.  Enjoy!

To buy or learn more about VEGGIE WASH PRODUCTS Click HERE

OK! magazine did a front cover story about how Jessica Simpson supposedly lost weight for her new man John Mayer.  Personally I never thought she was over weight. I know for a fact that at Jessica’s heaviest weight ever, most men still found her to be the hottest girl on the planet. I can actually recall hanging out with some of my boyfriend’s friends and seeing her a little thicker on the TV, when one of them said “she is the sexiest girl”.  Lets face it, MEN LOVE CURVES!

Here is what OK! claims to be Jessica’s meal plan…

and it seems to be very healthy!

SOURCE

Jessica Simpson’s Hot New Diet

by Sarah Dussault,

Last week, I wrote about Jessica Simpson’s new diet, or newest gig should I say as the spokeswoman for the 5-factor diet. I tried to get a copy before hand, but was unsuccessful. Now that I have the actual article sitting next to me, I’ll give you the real deal.

website 5factordiet.com looks more like an ad campaign than any I regularly visit. It’s traffic has obviously skyrocketed since the magazine came out nationwide on Friday. So what is all the fuss about you ask? Celebrity trainer Harley Pasternak is responsible for the 5-Factor Diet and Fitness Plan. It consists of five small meals six days a week (plus one diet-free cheat day) and five weekly workouts.

Simpson is on the 1,300 calorie a day diet plan and has her meals delivered to her door step via the book’s website. My intern told me that you can only have your meals delivered if you live in California (which makes me think this diet is very small and new and nervous).

Here’s a sample of her diet plan:
Breakfast: Egg-white burrito, strawberry shortcake power smoothie, Ezekial toast.
Morning Snack: Fuji apple wedges with chocoalate peanut butter dip.
Lunch: Open-face BBQ bison burger, sweet potato fries and chipotle ketchup.
Afternoon Snack: Hot dog skewers wih roasted cherry tomatoes, jalapeno mustard sauce.
Dinner: Cuban-style shreded beef, cumin-dusted brown rice, char grilled corn.

Note to my readers: These all sound hearty and definetly MORE than 1,300 calories BUT remember, these portions are probably 1/3 or what you are imagining when you see the pictures accompanied by US Weekly’s desciption making it out to be like Jessica eats a ton and still loses weight. Lets be real here.

On May 18th, Simpson said at a party in Cannes, France that she was back on an “extreme diet and workout.” ’nuff said. She reportedly is doing alot of cardio and circuit training (motivated by the recent breakup of course with John Mayer).

So how much does it cost? The delivery service will set you back $99 to $115 per day! The book however does include 5 weeks’ worth of recipes. Every morning Simpson wakes up to a delivery of 5 meals for the day, consisting of 5 key elements: Protein, low-glycemic carbs, healthy fats, fiber and a sugar free beverage. Pasternak says he doesn’t count calories but gives the ball park range of 1300.

Lastly, the book calls for only 25 minutes of cardio on most days of the week for the general population. This of course is a slower way to lose weight and could not possibly result in a 20 pound weight loss in two months which is what the magazine is trying to tell us so we go out an buy this book. Of course inside the article, US admits Jessica puts in 45 (reportedly but I still think that’s low balling the real amount of time this girls puts in at the gym).

Lastly, this diet is not new and has been around for quite some time and has been written about in many gossip magazines. Why the rage now?

2007-01-08

When you’re craving sweets but trying to stay slim, try this recipe!

2006-12-14

I found this article about 12 foods to buy organic and thought it would be really helpful!

Beef, Pork and Poultry

• The EPA reports that meat is contaminated with higher levels of pesticides than any plant food.
• Many chemical pesticides are fat-soluble and accumulate in the fatty tissue of animals.
• Animal feed that contains animal products compounds the accumulation, which is directly passed to the human consumer.
• Antibiotics, drugs, and hormones are a standard in animal husbandry, all of which accumulate and are passed on to consumers as well.
• Ocean fish carry a higher risk for heavy metals than pesticides, though many freshwater fish are exposed to high levels of pesticides from contaminated water.

Milk, Cheese and Butter

For reasons similar to those for meat, the fat in dairy products poses a high risk for contamination by pesticides.
• Animals concentrate pesticides and chemicals in their milk and meat.
• Growth hormones and antibiotics are also serious concerns and are invariably found in commercial milk, cheese, and butter.

Strawberries, Raspberries and Cherries

Strawberries are the crop that is most heavily dosed with pesticides in America.
• On average, 300 pounds of pesticides are applied to every acre of strawberries (compared to an average of 25 pounds per acre for other foods).
• Thirty-six different pesticides are commonly used on strawberries, and 90% of strawberries tested register pesticide contamination above safe levels.
• Raspberries trump strawberries with the application of 39 chemicals: 58% of the raspberries tested registered positive for contamination.
• Cherries are almost as dodgy with 25 pesticides and 91% contamination.

Apples and Pears

• With 36 different chemicals detected in FDA testing, half of which are neurotoxins (meaning they cause brain damage), apples are almost as contaminated as strawberries.
• Ninety-one percent of apples tested positive for pesticide residue.
• Peeling nonorganic apples reduces but does not eliminate the danger of ingesting these chemicals.
• Pears rank hazardously near apples with 35 pesticides and 94% contamination.

Tomatoes

• It’s standard practice for more than 30 pesticides to be sprayed on conventionally grown tomatoes.
• The thin skin does not stop chemicals from infiltrating the whole tomato, so peeling won’t help you here.

Potatoes

• Potatoes are one of the most popular vegetables, but they also rank among the most contaminated with pesticides and fungicides.
• Twenty-nine pesticides are commonly used, and 79% of potatoes tested exceed safe levels of multiple pesticides.

Spinach and Other Greens

• The FDA found spinach to be the vegetable most frequently contaminated with the most potent pesticides used on food.
• Eighty-three percent of the conventionally grown spinach tested was found to be contaminated with dangerous levels of at least some of the 36 chemical pesticides commonly used to grow it.

Coffee

• Most coffee is grown in countries where there are little to no standards regulating the use of chemicals and pesticides on food.
• The United States produces and exports millions of tons of pesticides, some of which are so dangerous that they are illegal to use on American farmland.
• Foreign countries import these chemicals to cultivate food, which is sold back to the United States.
• Coffee is an unfortunate culprit in this vicious cycle of malevolent agriculture.
• Purchasing “Fair Trade” coffee provides insurance that the premium price paid for this treasured beverage supports farms and workers with more equanimity and reward.

Peaches and Nectarines

• Forty-five different pesticides are regularly applied to succulent, delicious peaches and nectarines in conventional orchards.
• The thin skin does not protect the fruit from the dangers of these poisons.
• Ninety-seven percent of nectarines and 95% of peaches tested for pesticide residue show contamination from multiple chemicals.

Grapes

• Because grapes are a delicate fruit, they are sprayed multiple times during different stages of growth.
• The thin skin does not offer much protection from the 35 different pesticides used as a standard in conventional vineyards.
• Imported grapes are even more heavily treated than grapes grown in the United States.
• Several of the most poisonous pesticides banned in the United States are still used on grapes grown abroad.
• Eighty-six percent of grapes test positive for pesticide contamination; samples from Chile showed the highest concentration of the most poisonous chemicals.

Celery

• Conventionally grown celery is subjected to at least 29 different chemicals, which cannot be washed off because, of course, celery does not have any protective skin.
• Ninety-four percent of celery tested was found to have pesticide residues in violation of safe levels.

Red and Green Bell Peppers

• Bell peppers are one of the most heavily sprayed foods, with standard use of 39 pesticides.
• Sixty-eight percent of bell peppers tested had high levels of chemical pesticide residues.
• The thin skin of peppers does not offer much protection from spraying and is often waxed with harmful substances.

SOURCE

2006-12-09

Pomegranates are a fruit with a juicy, tangy, sweet flavor. They are plentifully nutrient in vitamin C, polyphenols, antioxidants, and flavanoids. Based on recent studies this fruit helps to protect against heart disease and cancer better than red wine, green tea, cranberry and orange juice. pomegranate juice concentrate or seeds can be found in desserts, entrées, and even alcoholic beverages. The only downside to pomegranate is that they are very hard to prepare with out staining your clothing.

Here are instructions on how to properly prepare a pomegranate:

1. Cut down the top of the pomegranate lightly slicing through the skin and the tissue into four vertical equal sections.
2. Put the pomegranate in a bowl of cool water to soak for five minutes.
3. While holding the pomegranate down in the water separate the four perforated sections.
4. Separate the seeds from the membrane while still holding under water.
5. When all seeds are separated sunken to the bottom of the bowl, skim the top and throw away the skin and membrane.
6. Drain seeds and pat dry.
7. Enjoy your pomegranate with out staining your clothing!!

Pomegranate Salad

2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
2 medium bunches arugula, rinsed well and thick stems removed
2 firm but ripe pears, halved, cored and each cut into 6 wedges
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese (optional)
1/3 cup pecans, toasted and roughly chopped (optional)
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds (from 1 medium pomegranate)
18 rinsed and dried leaves of Boston,  Bibb, or green-leaf lettuce (optional)

• Whisk together lime juice, oil and mustard in a small bowl.
• Place arugula and pears in a salad bowl. Toss with just enough dressing to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Sprinkle with feta and pecans, if using, and pomegranate seeds, and serve.
• For a festive presentation, line salad plates with lettuce leaves and mound a serving of the salad in the center of each.
• Makes 6 servings.

Nutritional information:
Per serving: calories, 92; total fat, 5 g; saturated fat, less than 1 g; carbohydrate, 14 g; protein, less than 1 g; dietary fiber, 2 g; sodium, 9 mg.

SOURCE