Sunday, April 26, 2015

The Vanishing Cutie

I had a funny moment last week at work.  It was the late afternoon and I was holding down the office on my own, working away, when the clock struck “snack time!”  I had a Cutie clementine with me today…fresh, juicy, and sweet!  I turned away from my work to peel and eat my fruit, but then I heard that ding of an incoming email and decided I needed to see the new message in my inbox right then.  Shortly after, I turned to grab the second half of my clementine…"where is it?!"  The second half was gone!  Surely it had rolled off my desk because I know I didn’t already eat it!  I literally looked on the floor.  But, it was too late.  I had broken my own rule!  I had mindlessly scarfed down the second half of my Cutie, literally not even realizing it while reading an email, thus not tasting or enjoying the lovely refreshing snack I had planned.  So disappointed.


It takes practice to allow the 5 minutes it may take to eat a small snack, but it is definitely worth it. 

A mindfully enjoyed afternoon snack time can serve to:
1.  Provide you fuel to get you to dinner without becoming ravenous
2.  Provide you the energy your brain needs to work at its best for the remainder of the work day
3.  Provide you with a mini brain break, refreshing your work upon your return
4.  Provide you with a mini brain break for stress relief
5.  Provide a daily recommended fruit, veggie, or dairy serving

Don’t be like me that day and be utterly confused and astonished that you really did already eat your entire snack.  Instead, take actions to enjoy your snack mindfully.

1.  Close your computer and/or clear the immediate area of work
2.  Take a breath, releasing any tension as you exhale
3.  Clear you mind of work for the moment – it will still be there in 5 minutes
4.  Pay attention to the texture, color, and aroma of your snack
5.  Take one bite at a time, chewing and swallowing each before taking the next
6.  When finished, take one more deep breath, reflect on how enjoyable it was
7.  Return to work fed and refreshed

All you have to do is try this once to notice that enjoying an afternoon snack does become an entirely different experience when you are mindful.

Life is too short to let every little moment slip by without noticing it, without appreciating it, without being thankful for it.  Every moment can hold a joy, hold a gift, and hold something to be thankful for, even the seemingly mundane things.  Sometimes we just don’t take the time to notice them.  I challenge you to be more mindful of the little moments in your day – afternoon snack and all – and be thankful.

Sunday, April 19, 2015

Quinoa Recipe!

Quinoa is a great ‘grain’ to give a try if you’re not in love with brown rice or just want to switch things up.  Quinoa is actually a seed, but is included in the grain group because we cook it and eat it like a grain.  This seed is a powerhouse of nutrition and gives you a good dose of quality protein, dietary fiber, and higher amounts of iron, zinc, and magnesium than found in many other grains.  Quinoa also offers healthy fat content, antioxidants, and other vitamins and minerals.

You can use quinoa in soups, salads, pilafs, and more, enjoy it hot or cold, and make it for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.  It is versatile and tasty, with a slightly nutty taste.

We are trying our hand at pre-making new tasty lunches for the week (to mix it up from our normal chicken or peanut butter and jelly sandwiches).  A great side benefit to pre-planning a slightly more complex lunch is that I get extra delicious veggies at lunchtime and really a greater variety of food and nutrients overall.

So our first week was an absolute success with the Spicy Quinoa Chicken.   This recipe is adapted slightly from Kevin Curry’s (of FitMenCook.com) “Spicy Chicken Fried Quinoa with Garden Salad” recipe we found in Train magazine.




The nutrition of our version (with cooked and diced chicken breast instead of ground chicken, water instead of chicken broth to make the quinoa, and Frank’s Red Hot instead of Sriracha) turned out about as follows:

1 ½ cup serving (this was a hungry man’s serving = my husband)
Calories 440; Protein 49g; Fat 11g (Sat fat 2g); Fiber 4g; Sodium 563mg

1 cup serving (suggested)
Calories 294; Protein 33g; Fat 8g (Sat fat 2g); Fiber 3g; Sodium 375mg

We did combine this with a spinach salad topped with chopped cucumber, tomato, and kiwi (not included in nutrition).

Ingredients: 
1.5 lbs chicken breast, cooked and diced
3 eggs
2 cups water
1 cup raw quinoa (rinse before cooking)
1 cup frozen edamame beans
1 cup chopped carrots
½ cup chopped red oinion
1 Tbsp minced garlic (or garlic paste)
vegetable oil spray

Sauce:
2 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce
1.5 Tbsp Franks red hot sauce
1 Tbsp ginger paste
1 Tbsp low sodium teriyaki sauce (optional)

Instructions:
1.     Cook quinoa according to instructions and allow to cool to room temperature
2.     While quinoa is cooking/cooling, dice and cook (or cook then dice chicken breast) – in medium-high heat skillet or baked in oven at 375 degrees until internal temperature reaches about 165 degrees.
3.     Mix sauce ingredients together and set aside.
4.     Spray a non-stick skillet on medium heat with cooking spray, add garlic, carrots, and onions, cooking until onions become clear.
5.     Increase the temperature of the skillet to medium-high and add chicken and cooled quinoa.
6.     Pour in the sauce and stir quickly
7.     Add eggs stirring and chopping with a spoon until well incorporated
8.     Reduce heat to medium and add edamame beans, stirring until thawed.

Pack into containers for the week or enjoy as dinner tonight!  This dish is just spicy enough and packs a great flavor.  Not to mention it is quite satisfying.

So much color and nutrition!  Try something new this week, even if it is just adding a different veggie to lunch or a new grain at dinner.  It’s hard to bust out of your routine sometimes, but once you do, what you discover and make can be marvelous.  You may find yourself wanting to explore some more.


Enjoy!

Sunday, April 12, 2015

You Want It, So You...


You want to make the team, so you work hard, practice hard, and put precious time into making yourself the best you can…welcome to the team.  You want to get into a good school, so you work hard, study hard, and put precious time into preparing for tests and applications…welcome to a good school.  You want to learn a new skill to further your career and impact more lives, so you work hard, study hard, practice hard, and put precious time into learning a new skill…congratulations, welcome to the next step in your career!  You want to become a more fit you, so you work out hard, push hard, and put precious time into exercising…welcome to a more fit you.
You want to support your fitness with healthy foods, you want to lose weight or manage a healthy weight, you want to control your fat and sugar intake and get all the nutrients you need every day, so you…[                                                                           ].  How do you fill in the blank?
I am so often faced with the task of providing a miracle food plan that fits taste preferences, fulfills daily nutrient needs and supports weight goals, but that takes ZERO time and ZERO effort.  I am sorry to say, but that miracle does not exist.  Not many things in life take zero time and zero effort to accomplish, and good nutrition and a healthy weight are no different. 
Sometimes in conversations about meal and snack ideas when I have already taken taste preference and convenience into account, my ideas still get shot down because, well, “that takes too much time.”  A peanut butter and jelly sandwich takes maybe 1 minute to put together.  Time yourself.  Unless you only eat pre-packaged, pre-prepared meals (which you still have to wait like 2-5 minutes to microwave) you are going to have to put two or three pieces together to create a meal.
Changing your mindset is the first step to changing your intake.  You can plan and eat simple healthy meals and you can squeeze in the time to put a few things in a lunchbox, it’s just not part of your current routine.  Planning your food intake does take some time, but with practice it becomes easier and is eventually simply a part of your normal routine.
Start with one meal – breakfast, lunch, or dinner.  Don’t overwhelm yourself by overhauling your entire intake and pre-planning 21 meals worth of food on day one.  For instance if you currently skip, eat a fast food biscuit, or scarf down a Pop-tart or other pastry in the car for breakfast, choose breakfast.
Step 1. Decide you are willing to make a change to this one meal.
·        “I would really like to avoid my mid-morning hunger and get more nutrition out of my meal.  I am willing to change my routine to make this happen.”
Step 2. Determine what foods you enjoy at breakfast.
·        “I’m not a fan of eggs or oatmeal.  I do like cinnamon toast.  I do like yogurt (only flavored).  I do like blueberries.”
Step 3. Make sure these foods are already in your pantry or on your shopping list.
·        “Whole grain bread and cinnamon, check!  Adding yogurt and fresh/frozen blueberries to my list.”
Step 4. Pre-prep if needed (wash or cut fruit, etc.) and plan in at least 15 minutes to eat at home.
·        “No pre-prep necessary for my new breakfast.  I’ll wake up 10 minutes early and shave 5 minutes off my shower/getting ready time.”
Step 5. Eat your new delicious and healthy breakfast day 1.
·        Toast bread while scooping 1 cup of lower sugar flavored yogurt into a bowl and pouring ½ cup of blueberries on top.  Smear trans-fat free spread onto toast, sprinkle with cinnamon and breakfast is complete (literally like 3 minutes).
·        Enjoy!
Repeat steps 4 and 5 the rest of the week.
Willingness to make a change in your current routine to make room for better nutrition is step one.  Having the right food on hand is step 2.  After that it’s just execution.
Healthy does not have to be complicated, but you do need to offer yourself the chance to prove that healthy can fit into your day.  Are you willing to give your nutrition a little of your hard work, your planning, and some precious time? 
It’s worth it and it only gets easier the more you do it.