1.            Eat breakfast – even if just a very small amount of food, within 2 hours of waking up.

2.            Eat food along with that morning coffee. Coffee alone is not a balanced breakfast.

3.            Take your “energy medicine” (food) in moderate doses every 3 to 4 hours throughout the day.

4.            Make meals balanced: Half the plate as vegetables, ¼ as lean protein and ¼ as whole grains.

5.            Stay well hydrated. Drink 4 to 8 ounces of water every time you eat.

6.            Pack a healthy lunch.

7.            Eat an afternoon snack to prevent overdoing it at dinner.

8.            Practice stopping when full, not stuffed.

9.            Eat more fruits and vegetables overall. Include in all meals and all snacks.

10.            Add more fibre to your life. Read labels and choose foods with the most fibre.

11.            Enjoy a maximum of 1 drink/day (women) and 2 drinks/day (men) or less.

12.            Watch salt intake. 77% of the excess we eat is from processed food, not the shaker.

13.            Buy groceries regularly. A good supply at home means better meals and snacks.

14.            Do an extra produce pickup at least once/week over and above your big shopping day.

15.            Don’t write off restaurant meals. See point 4 and make this work even when dining out.

16.            Limit or totally avoid soda pop and juice.

17.            Be mindful of liquid calories overall – including cream and sugar added to tea or coffee.

18.            Follow the 80-20 rule making healthy choices at least 80% of the time but leaving room for occasional treats.

19.            Get good paring knives, a cutting board and supplies to make healthy food prep easier.

20.            Monitor your total sugar intake and work on reducing it.

You CAN make 2012 your healthiest year ever! I wish you a fantastic year ahead.

Patricia

• Mandarin oranges – loaded with flu-fighting vitamin C and hydrating juiciness.
• Pomegranates – like ruby red jewels, these in-season nutrient-rich seeds add tang and star quality to everything from salads and roasts to desserts and drinks.
• Cranberries – Mother Nature’s medicine. Enjoy light cranberry sauce as a garnish or alcohol-free cranberry spritzers.
• Walnuts – full of healthy fats. Toast and shell whole walnuts to slow you down and keep portions wiser.
• Pecans – right up there with walnuts. Toast and enjoy in salads or crumbled on roasted vegetables.
• Turkey – lean, top quality protein. Dark meat is slightly higher in fat than white but a better source of iron. Enjoy both.
• Dark chocolate – Keep portions to an ounce or two and benefit from the antioxidant nutrients without overdoing the saturated fat.
• Cinnamon – Enjoy this spice on lattes, hot chocolate, roasted pears or warm applesauce.

Like all year, plan to take a moderate approach with the rich treats, but why not make this holiday season the one you focus on what you should eat, as opposed to what you shouldn’t? With this as a goal, there will be less deprivation, less desire to overdo it, far more nourishment and just as much fun.

My best wishes to you and yours for a wonderful holiday season!

Patricia

The best snacks provide quality carbohydrate calories for energy accompanied with protein for staying power. Here are ten great picks. Please take a minute to let me know your go-to snack choices.

1. Yogurt. While a single food, it provides a great mix of carbohydrate and protein.
2. Fruit with yogurt. Instead of a large fruit, eat half with yogurt as dip.
3. A few whole grain crackers with cheese. Throw in a few grapes for a nice touch.
4. Celery sticks with cheese. A childhood classic that still tastes great.
5. Peanut butter – served on 1 slice of fibre-rich bread, with a few whole grain crackers or as dip for crisp apple wedges.
6. Smoothies that combine protein and carbohydrate. Try Peanut Butter Banana OR Strawberry Orange with yogurt or soft tofu as protein. Freeze extra smoothies in ice pop molds to enjoy later.
7. Leftover pizza. A healthy pizza mixes protein (lean meat and cheese) with carbs (vegetables and preferably whole grain crust).
8. Half a sandwich. Turkey, cheese and avocado, peanut butter banana, or egg salad on grainy bread.
9. Nuts and seeds (protein) combined with a few raw veggies or a little fruit (carbs). I like toasted almonds with orange slices and a little dark chocolate.
10. Hummus as dip for raw vegetable sticks or fibre-rich crackers.

Any of these snacks make a great pre-workout choice if eaten about 45-minutes in advance. With all snacks drink a glass of water. Not only does this help digestion and transportation of the nutrients you just ate, it helps meet the daily water quota.

Until next time, happy snacking!

Patricia

To provide inspiration, let me share a few meatless meals our family enjoys:

-            Black bean, kidney bean and chickpea chili loaded with vegetables.

-            Spicy tofu vegetable stir-fry in a Szechwan sauce over brown rice or noodles.

-            Homemade veggie burgers made with mashed kidney beans, toasted sunflower seeds and seasonings held together with egg. We serve these on leafy greens accompanied with oven-baked yam fries.

-            Veggie meatballs on pasta with a zippy tomato-vegetable sauce or a savoury sweet and sour sauce with fresh pineapple chunks over rice.

-            Classic curried lentils and vegetables over warm noodles.

When going meatless still eat an adequate amount of protein. Although half your plate should always be vegetables accompany it with either ¾ of a cup of beans,  1/3 of a block of tofu, 1/3-1/2 cup of nuts or seeds to count as a full protein serving.

Consistently making at least one day a week meatless can lower risk of heart disease, diabetes, obesity and certain cancers – mainly by reducing intake of saturated fat. The US Environmental Working Group calculated that if a 4-person family opted out of red meat once a week for a year, the impact would equal not driving for almost 3 months! Variety in taste and texture along with cost-savings are added benefits of regularly going meatless.

Let me know what your meatless dinners consist of. It’s always great to hear from you.

Until next time,

Patricia

Tofu is a rich source of healthy plant isoflavones.  Isoflavones are compounds that are reputed to act like estrogen in the body. In reality, the quantity needed for a hormone-like effect is far beyond what most people, even those following a vegetarian diet, would consume. Sometimes men shy away from tofu for this reason, but they shouldn’t. Tofu’s health benefits far outweigh any risk. Tofu is an affordable, quick protein option. If you’re an experienced tofu user, I’d love to hear your tips for adding it to meals. If you’re a novice, but curious enough to try tofu, start with a little in a smoothie, a few cubes in an Asian soup or stir fry. Aim to make it a regular menu option and a way to eat a little less meat.

Until next time,

Patricia

To enjoy pasta without having to worry for a second that you haven’t eaten wisely, apply these guidelines:

1. Choose whole grain pasta and accompany with a hearty tomato-vegetable sauce. Don’t forget to add quality protein such as shellfish, chicken or lean beef, to make it a well-balanced meal.
2. Always cook pasta al dente – still firm to the bite. You can only test this by tasting. Overcooking increases the GI. A lower GI is best.
3. The more space the pasta has to cook, the better. One pound of pasta for 8-10 litres of water is considered ideal.
4. The smaller, more delicate pasta shapes work best with lighter sauces. Larger noodles pair well with heartier sauces.
5. Keep portions to a maximum of 1 cup of cooked noodles.

Are you a pasta lover? Share your passion. Let me know your favourite ways to enjoy it!

Until next time,

Patricia

1. Fruit spritzers.

Make by puréeing in-season, very ripe fruit such as blackberries, peaches or pears and add to club soda or fizzy water.

2. Chocolate milk.

Served iced cold it’s very refreshing. It’s even recommended as a post-exercise re-hydrator as it not only provides fluid but a little protein and carbohydrate along with electrolytes, minerals lost in sweat.

3. Ice cold water.

Jazz it up by serving in brightly-coloured glasses, using fun straws or adding sugar-free drink crystals. Don’t forget to garnish with a lemon, lime or orange slice.

4. Iced tea.

Make your own from real tea. Freeze some in ice cube trays and add to the glass so the tea is not diluted as the cubes melt.

5. Homemade iced coffees.

Yes, if you make your own and go easy on sugar, cream, whipping cream or other high-calorie add-ins often used by coffee shops, they don’t have to be a nutritional write-off. I make double-strength coffee and stir into cold milk for an iced latte. Ice cubes made of coffee keeps the drink from getting watered down.

Proper hydration achieves many health goals including everything from preventing overheating, headaches and fatigue to assisting in kidney function and blood pressure control. Unfortunately sugary beverages like soda pop, most fruit drinks and alcohol, popular summer drink choices, do not promote good hydration. On these remaining summer days, quench thirst with great-tasting drinks that are also great for you. Keep me posted on your favourite healthy drink choices. I always enjoy hearing from you.

Cheers!

Patricia

The ideal breakfast mixes energizing carbohydrates like whole grain breads, cereals, fruits or vegetables plus quality protein such as eggs, milk products, peanut butter or lean meats. In some parts of the world, fish with rice and vegetables is breakfast.  Nice!

To get the biggest bang for your nutritional buck from these 5 typical morning foods:

1. Cereal:  Go with fibre-rich oats, barley or other whole grain. Think “282”. Check the label for less than 2 g fat, less than 8 g sugar and more than 2 g fibre/serving. Balance it by adding fresh fruit, nuts and milk. Or serve in a dessert dish, smaller than a cereal bowl. This leaves room for fruit and yogurt or an egg on the side.
2. Smoothies: Superbly portable. Don’t just mix fruit and juice. Include protein. Yogurt, soft tofu, peanut butter, milk, soy beverages or protein powders work well. Peanut butter, milk and frozen bananas OR orange juice, yogurt and frozen berries make yummy smoothies. What are your favourite combos? Freeze extras as frozen breakfast treats kids love!
3. Juice: Ideally boost fibre and choose whole fruit instead. If going liquid, ensure its 100% real, no added sugars.
4. Eggs: There’s nothing wrong with an egg a day. Just fine-tune the context. One or two eggs scrambled with vegetables served on whole grain toast, great. Two or more eggs fried in butter with bacon, hash browns and white bread isn’t as healthy. To boil an egg: Cover with water, simmer for 10-12 minutes, immerse in cold water. Tap to crack and let sit. This allows steam to escape making it easier to peel!
5. Muffins: Homemade oatmeal or bran with fruit and nuts are ideal. If grabbing on the go, stick to the size of a tennis ball (save the rest for a snack later). Round it out with 2 more food groups. Perhaps a latte and a banana?

75% of us love coffee in the morning. No prob if we keep it to less than 4 cups a day and don’t consider coffee a complete meal in itself!

Until next time, enjoy breakfast!

Patricia

1. Suggestive Snacking. This is the scenario when you don’t feel hungry at all but someone offers you a high fat, sugary or salty snack like donuts at the office or chips that you notice while buying healthier groceries. Instead of simply eating because it’s there, assess whether you’re truly hungry. Then, if you are truly hungry, fill the void with something nutritious.
2. Substitute Snacking. Snacking on the wrong foods in place of what you actually need. If it’s the middle of the afternoon for example and you’re hungry, make your first strategy to grab something that will satisfy and nourish. Yogurt, veggies and dip, whole grain crackers with cheese or nuts for example instead of foods that take the edge off but won’t last like chips or candy.
3. A.D. Snacking. This is a term I’ve coined for “After Dark” or “After Dinner” snacking. Potentially the most dangerous category, AD snackers often over do it on salty, crunchy, low nutrient snacks or sweet treats. The good news is that this is rarely due to low willpower. More often it’s from a lack of an evenly dispersed food intake throughout the day that includes a well-balanced breakfast and good hydration. (It can also be from having too many tempting treats on hand.) Work on establishing healthy daytime eating habits rather than simply trying not to eat in the evening. A healthier evening snack is not going to break your diet.

Do you ever get into a snack conundrum? Let me know. I’ll do my best to help you out of it.

Until next time, practice safe snacks.

Patricia

I’m a huge advocate of keeping our diet as natural as possible. In most cases, the less processing a food has undergone the better. That said it’s helpful to understand the definition of additives because in some cases, they make the food safer. According to Health Canada, additives include any chemical added to food during preparation or storage. They either become a part of the food or affect its characteristics for the purpose of achieving a particular technical effect. Not considered additives by Health Canada are food ingredients such as salt, sugar or starch, vitamins, minerals, amino acids, spices, seasonings and flavouring preparations, agricultural chemicals, veterinary drugs and food packaging materials.

Generally speaking, the shorter ingredient list on a food label, the better. Limit exposure to additives you’ve noticed sensitivity to. For some people sulphites aren’t well-tolerated and can aggravate allergic or asthma symptoms. Sulphites naturally occur in food and the human body. They are also used as an additive with roles such as maintaining food colour, enhancing shelf life, reducing bacterial growth or bleaching food starches (e.g. potato). Common sulphite- containing foods include wine, beer, canned fruits and vegetables, cereals, dried fruit, frozen potato products, candy and other foods. Read food labels carefully as sulphites can also go by the names potassium bisulphite, sodium bisulphite, sulfur dioxide, sulphiting agents or sulphurous acid.

Ultimately, I’m a much bigger fan of additives with food safety roles than those used purely to bleach, colour or polish the food for nicer eye appeal. What are your thoughts on food additives? I always appreciate hearing from you.

Until next time,

Patricia