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Tag: weight loss

2011 Health Cleanse – Recipes

Ok so I’m into week one of my “cleanse”.  I’m loosely using this term to describe what is really my “month of mindful eating”.  First my disclaimer, as a massage therapist and personal trainer I am in no position to diagnose or treat your particular health condition, please see your medical professional for that.

I do like to cook and share new recipes so I will be listing my favorites here for you to try.  I will be offering the highlights (and low lights) of my month long plan for improved eating.  My goal is to give my body a break from my holiday over indulgences and shape it up for my trip to Maui in February.

Step One: The Plan

I have decided to avoid coffee and alcohol for the next few weeks.  Ditching coffee was surprisingly easy for me.  Over the past two weeks I did a step down program – going from coffee to decaf to black tea – and now my morning beverage of choice is sliced ginger, lemon and a spoon of honey in hot water.  I even met a friend for lunch at my favorite coffee shop this week and I wasn’t tempted by the smell of coffee or the pastry case.  I will admit that I did fudge and have some wine this weekend.  Ok now back on the horse.

I am eliminating any white sugars and anything that comes in a box (processed foods).  I am shopping the perimeter of the grocery store – veggies, fruit, meat, cheese, and the bulk bins –  and preparing most of my meals at home.  While this sounds like a lot of work if you plan ahead it actually saves time (and $) and you have the benefit of knowing exactly what you are eating.

Sunday I do meal planning and cooking.  I like to have some staples on hand for the rest of the week.  I cook a big batch of brown rice and freeze it in 1-2 cup servings for example.  I will bake a few sweet potatoes (or yams), chop them and add them to breakfast cereal, salads, soups…(see my hot breakfast cereal below).  Steamed chicken is a quick and easy lean protein and good to add to salads, soups, etc…

I like to keep healthy snacks on hand, especially crunchy sweet things.  I stash baby carrots, snap peas, cut up celery and apples on the top shelf right in the front of the fridge for a quick snack.

Ok so I’ll stop here and tell you my menu for today:

Breakfast: I try to drink 32 oz of water first thing in the morning.  I sip on it as I am getting ready.  Then I make a fruit smoothie or hot breakfast cereal (oatmeal, cracked wheat) loaded with apples, raisins and nuts.     

Fruit Smoothie – 1 cup kefir or yogurt, 1/2 cup rice milk or water, 1-2 cups frozen fruit (today I used peaches, mango, blueberries, and cherries), 1 small beet or carrot – boiled and chopped, 1 spoon of honey.  Blend all ingredients and drink up!  Here is a yummy recipe that incorporates dates and my beloved coconut oil (more on that later).

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Hot cereal – Cracked wheat (I like Bob’s Red Mill) cooked with half a sweet potato and half an apple, salt, cinnamon, a tiny hit of cayenne, a tablespoon of coconut oil, and a squeeze of honey or agave.

Lunch: I tend to eat small meals throughout the day and I usually eat every 3-4 hours.

Steamed chicken with cabbage salad – I subbed chicken for the shrimp in this recipe.  This chicken recipe is really easy, you just steam the bird for 20 minutes,then turn it off and let it sit (with the lid on) for 20 minutes.

Snack:

Sliced zucchini and baby carrots with hummus. Hummus – super easy.  Here’s a good basic recipe.

Dinner:

Chickpea and spinach curry with rice. I found all the ingredients for this at my QFC but you may find more traditional curry sauce at an Asian market like Fubonn or Uwajimaya.

You may notice I am not including servings, calories, portions etc… My goal is to eat when my tank starts to feel empty and stop when I’m about 3/4 full.  I’m shooting for mostly fruits and veggies, some protein and dairy for this week.  Here are a few of the resources I am using for recipes and nutrition information:

Eat Fat to Lose Fat This book has loads of good recipes!  The basic theory is that we eat too much sugar and not enough fat (you heard me).  The authors suggest drinking a tablespoon of coconut oil in hot water in the morning – I have been adding it to my breakfast cereal – and having a small amount of fat with each meal.  Coconut oil is a medium chain triglyceride so it “acts like” butter or shortening in that it is hard at room temperature, but your body eliminates it so quickly it does not hang around and get turned into cholesterol.  Interesting read.

The Body Ecology This is about how our bodies absorb food.  They are big fans of kefir and other fermented foods and say we should eat a little bit of funky food (kombucha, yogurt, beet kvass) at each meal.  I’ve just started this one so I’ll keep you posted on what I learn.  I did try soaking my oatmeal overnight in kefir as they recommended and it seemed to stick to my ribs a little longer than usual.

Try some of these recipes and let me know what you think!

2011 Health Cleanse

Happy New Year!  Did you make any resolutions this year?

While I am not going for any grand sweeping changes, I am starting a cleanse on Monday.  Nothing crazy – organic fruits and veggies, whole grains, lean protein.  My goal is to become more mindful of what and how I eat and to get myself bikini ready for Hawaii in one month.  Talk about motivation!

If you would like to join me or just try some new healthy recipes keep your eyes peeled here over the next three weeks.

If you want to get the jump on next week try cutting back or eliminating your coffee, alcohol and white sugar over the weekend.  Start your day tomorrow with a fruit smoothie.  Here’s an easy recipe: two cups of water, 2-3 pears, chopped and seeded, a tablespoon of finely chopped fresh ginger, juice from 1/2 a lemon, 4-5 kale leaves.  Throw all the ingredients in a blender (add a tablespoon of honey if you like) and enjoy!

For more yummy smoothie ideas check out the Raw Family website.

Here is an article about detox cleanses from the Seattle Times, and here is one from Women’s Health with a sample daily menu.  Yes you will get to eat real food!

I would love to hear your feedback as far as what is working for you or what dietary changes you may be struggling with.

President Clinton’s Weight Loss

Here’s a link to a video clip of CNN’s Wolf Blitzer interviewing President Clinton about his recent weight loss due to his plant-based diet.

Clinton says:

I went on essentially a plant-based diet. I live on beans, legumes, vegetables, fruit. I drink a protein supplement every morning—no dairy—I drink almond milk mixed in with fruit and a protein powder so I get the protein for the day when I start the day up. And it changed my whole metabolism and I lost 24 pounds and I got back to basically what I weighed in high school.

He made this drastic dietary change to loose a few pounds but also to improve his cardiovascular health.  He mentions heart health pioneer  Dean Ormnish and others:

This movement has been led by a doctor named Caldwell Esselstyn at the Cleveland Clinic, Dean Ornish who you know out in California, the doctors Campbell (father and son) who wrote The China Study, and a handful of others. But we now have 25 years of evidence and I thought that, well, since I needed to lose a little weight for Chelsea’s wedding, I’ll become part of this experiment. I’ll see if I can be one of those that can have a self-clearing mechanism—we’ll see…

I consider myself an omnivore, but I do believe that reducing the amount of animal products in our diets is a big step in the right direction as far as cardiovascular health and weight loss or weight maintenance goes.  While a vegan diet may not be for everyone making small changes in one meal a day or even one meal a week can have a big impact.Continue reading

Drop Dead Diva Asks – Weight Loss, Is It Just About Willpower?

The tide may be changing in how we view weight loss and willpower.  Is it just about putting down the donuts and hitting the gym?  In a recent N.Y. Times article Tara Parker Pope looks at a new Lifetime series about an overweight, overworked attorney.

“In “Drop Dead Diva,” on Lifetime, a heavenly mix-up leaves Deb, a vapid but good-hearted size zero model, trapped in the overweight body of Jane, an intelligent, hard-working lawyer played by Brooke Elliott. (Think “Heaven Can Wait” meets “Ally McBeal” and “Legally Blonde.”)……

While Deb spent her days working out and obsessing about the size of her knees, Jane discovers that long hours at the office drain her of the desire and energy to exercise.”

Sound familiar?  While “reality” weight loss programs focus on screaming trainers and crying contestants, for most of us life is not nearly that dramatic.   The average Joe or Jane may just be hoping to squeeze in 30 minutes at the gym and fix a healthy dinner for the family, not drop 100 lbs on national television.

New research shows that metabolic differences may play a large role in why it is more difficult for some of us to lose weight and keep it off.  A chemical and hormonal imbalance in the brain may increase cravings making foods high in fat and sugar more difficult to resist.

“I have grave concerns about how many of these television shows stigmatize overweight people by making them a spectacle,” said Kelly D. Brownell, director of the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale. “They suggest that if you only try hard enough you can be thin. A far better message is that it’s hard to lose weight and that it’s not just willpower and personal responsibility, but that both biology and the environment are players.”

The show’s creator, Josh Berman, said he wanted the series to make a statement about diet, weight and beauty.  He based Jane’s character on his grandmother Deb, a short plump woman “who carried herself like a supermodel”.

What I love about this show is the more realistic view of the struggles that many of us face (and it features the always funny Margaret Cho).  If losing weight were as easy as eating a salad there would be no Carl’s Jr Double Burger (weighing in at a whopping 1520 calories, basically your entire daily allotment).  I am all for personal responsibility and the road to a healthier lifestyle must begin with our individual decision to make a permanent lifestyle change.  However I appreciate the honest look at dieting that Drop Dead Diva Depicts.  As Mr Berman says “I feel there are enough shows that make people feel bad about themselves. If you want to lose weight, fine. Just don’t hate yourself if you’re larger than average.”

Well put.

Have you struggled with weight loss?  If so let me know what obstacles you have faced and what has worked for you in the past.