Plan the course of your day:

• Do not skip breakfast — enjoy fruit, a whole grain and some protein (i.e., low-fat yogurt, skim milk or an egg) 
• Fill up on veggies at snacks and lunch.  Bring baby carrots,  edamame and cut up peppers for snacks and have a protein-packed salad at lunch.
• Eat often, but not much.  It’ s ok to eat every 2  -3 hours as long as you’ve got a calorie plan (100 – 150 calorie snacks) and meals range from 300, 400,  500 calories for breakfast, lunch, dinner, respectively. 
• Sip green tea throughout the day  – it’s great to assuaging your appetite and getting in the health-promoting polyphenols, too.
• Design your life around activity — schedule in regular walks, visits to the gym and/or exercise videos…it will do wonders for your metabolism  and mood.

All of this adds up to total wellness.  So, with the fal season returning – you’ll fit nicely into last year’s clothes without a problem!

What’s your secret to keeping the pounds at bay when the world is in vacation mode?  I’d love to know…

So for summer waistline survival without denial, keep these tips in mind:

1) Always bring fruits and/or veggies to social gatherings – this way you know they’ll be there.  Put your fruit salad, crudite or roasted veggies on your plate before anything else.  Keep the “color your plate” mantra in your head whenever your are eating.   If your plate is too pale, it’s probably not that heart-healthy.  

2) Keep the week sacred.  Be mindful during the week, but allow some extras on weekends.  Even if you are on vacation – designated special days for indulgences and the rest of the time eat small meals and snacks on your regular schedule (every 3 – 4 hours).

3)  Go meatless at least one to two days a week.  I love the concept of “Meatless Mondays”- where you swap meat proteins for plant-based proteins at least one day of the week.  So add in tofu,  soybeans (edamame), nuts and quinoa into your meals that day and your won’t even miss the animal foods.  You will not only be getting more plant-nutrients, but a lot more fiber,  too!

4) Swap the salt for spices and herbs — too much salt in our diets can lead to high blood pressure, weight gain and dehydration.  Since the typical person (without high blood pressure) only needs about a teaspoon of salt (about 2,300 mg) everyday for the normal exchange of fluid inside and outside the cells, nerve impulses and blood pressure levels,  the key to flavor and excitement to meals is using herbs and spices.  Transform your dishes with cinnamon, basil, turmeric, curry, cumin and coriander for flavors that pop and also add health benefits to your plate.  Studies have shown that actual herbs and spices fend off inflammation,  keep the arterties clear and even keep  blood sugar from soaring too high.  

5) Keep hydrated…it’s so tempting to want to drink fruity cocktails and sugary soft drinks to quench your thirst, but steer clear as they only rob your body of fluids.  So stick with plain water (with bubbles is fine) with a twist of lemon or lime and/or unsweetened ice tea or coffee.  Although, caffeine is a diuretic, there is still fluid in coffee and tea -  so they count to keep your cells happy and healthy, too.

So, you can survive the summer in a healthy way!  Keep writing down what you’re eating,  drinking and doing.  I’d love to know your favorite summer survival secrets, too…

Here’s a quick meal that I whip up in the heat:  In a salad bowl throw in some greens – whichever you prefer, chop up come marinated artichokes, cherry tomatoes, a clove of garlic, a couple of basil leaves and toss into the bowl.  Add a pinch of salt and pepper – no dressing required because the artichoke marinade coats the whole vegetable mixture.  It’s tasty with chopped tofu or a hard-boiled egg,  pulled chicken breast or a liberal spoonful of black, kidney or soy beans.   Enjoy!

What types of quick, easy and cold foods do you enjoy in the heat?  I’d love to know…

Why are flaxseeds a  good-for-you food?

2 tablespoons a day provides an abundant amount of alpha-linoleic acid (ALA), an omega-3 fat – which research has shown that can be good for fending off inflammation, high cholesterol and dementia. 

4 grams of fiber per serving, mainly soluble fiber – which helps keep cholesterol levels in check and can aid in weight management by making you feel full faster and longer.

High amount of lignans, plant-based properties in flaxseeds, which become beneficial metabolites in the body.  A study last year in the British Journal of Nutrition found that women with high lignan intake (from flaxseed) has less body fat (lower BMIs) and better insulin sensivity - or better blood sugar control.  Dietary lignans have been linked to decreased breast cancer, prostate cancer and hair loss.      

 So enjoy ground flaxseed in over your cereal, yogurt, soups, pasta,  and salads.  It’s a tasty way to EVOLVE your eating today!

What’s your favorite flaxseed concoction?  Do tell….

Although I am always trying to teach my kids about food and how t0 make the basics, it’s nice to have my time  in the culinary abode.   I have what I call ”Rendevouz Recipes”, which I turn to again and again – they soothe, calm and focus me until my next solo adventure in the kitchen.  

Siesta Salad (a naptime favorite!)

1 1/2 cups mixed greens or arugula

1/2 cup cherry tomatoes

1/2 cup chopped marinated artichokes

1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil (from my backyard)

1 tablespoon slivered almonds

1/3 avocado, diced

Dressing  ( I love honey mustard, but make whatever you like!)

3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1 tbsp dijon mustard

1 tsp honey

1 clove garlic, minced

Pinch of salt and pepper  

Toss together all salad ingredients.  Make the dressing in a glass jar and shake or whisk in glass or stainless steel bowl. Drizzle over the salad and enjoy! 

Let me know how you savor your quiet kitchen moments…I’d love your secrets.

Let’s face it food takes us to a different place, at least temporarily.  That’s not always a bad thing — as rekindling that feeling of grandma’s brownies or mom’s apple pie or family meals is perfectly life enhancing.  It’s when, we eat often without intention or purpose that weight and health can spiral out of control. 

Here are some simple switches you can flip to create a more mindful, well-lit eating path for life.

• Allow eating to hold special, sacred moments in your day — carve out time when you eat only (and don’t do other things like watch TV or work on your computer or talk on the phone).
• Sit down and savor.  Use your eating time as a break from standing, walking and running to/from places.  Create a kitchen nook, a work place table or window side seat for a nutritious respite in your day.
• Choose what you eat like you choose other important things in your life.  Think about your most prizes possessions, i.e., your car, home, clothes, shoes, or spouse.  What you eat reflects your personality,style and health intentions -  so choose your food with respect and love for yourself.
• Break bread together.  Share your favorite food with family, friends and your community.  Research has shown that when people cook, eat and enjoy food together they live happier, healthier and longer lives.   

So whenever you want to eat in the dark, at least light a candle — it will spark some good eating intention.

• Experiment with your tastebuds by eating only fresh, whole foods (nothing processed) for a full week.  What will happen?  Your need for salt, sugar and high fat foods will decrease — you’re mind and body will actually want go0d-for-you foods.
• Cook  at home more and you won’t be swayed by fast food promises.  Take the time to prepare veggies (frozen are fine!), bake some chicken, fish or tofu and simmer some grains on the stovetop.  In minutes you’ll have a meal – chock full of real food.  
• Bring fruits and vegetables as snacks – not only does this encourage real food eating, but saves on packaging waste!
• Drink water, water and more water - from the tap is fine.  Don’t drink your  calories by relying on sports drinks, sugary soda and juice drinks.  Green tea is a also a great source water and all of its plant-based nutrients are good for your skin, bones and overall health.  

So, go for REAL FOOD  first!

With basil, what comes to  mind?  Pesto. 

I love it’s dramatic entry on the tongue and rich, decadent mouthfeel.  Pesto adds a festive, fun flair to everything from pasta to bruschetta to tofu.  I couldn’t wait to make it – however, much to my dismay my walnut stash was low and there were no pinenuts available within a two-mile radius.   

Feeling life Lynn Rosetto Kasper from The Splendid Table, I took a chance on whatever was in my pantry.  I pulled pistachios out and that was it – my answer.  Painstakingly my 4- year old son and I shelled 1/3 cup of pistachios and blended them with copius amounts of basil leaves, olive oil, garlic and grated parmesan cheese.  Upon the pre-salt taste test, it tasted fabulous!  My son, even, kid-approved it by licking the spatula as he cleaned out the food processor.   We drizzled the pistachio pesto creation over the chicken and off it went into the oven.  

Just like our original tasting, the pistachio concoction tasted delicious topping the hearty chicken breasts .  Nuts never disappoint  and tonight they certainly didn’t…

What was your last creative culinary endeavor? I’d love to know…

 We happened upon MacLeod Winery on a cool, rainy day. The mountains were covered with low-lying clouds and the air was crisp, but we ventured a mile up the country road to a local winery. We reached the main grounds to find a farmhouse where there was a group already on a tour.  We were invited to walk the grounds and check  out the sites (and what beautiful terrain it was!).  The rows and rows of gnarly grape vines saluted us as we trekked in the muddy, rocky soil to discover what lay ahead over each small hill.  When we were greeted by Mr. (George) MacLeod himself, we immediately listened to his tales of vineyard ownership.  At 89 year old, his recollection of the early years (30 years) tending to this vines was crystal clear.  You could feel the passion in his soul from his words…we all want to look back (and forward) in our lives with the same vim and vigor.

We wrapped up the visit with a private wine tasting with Mr. MacLeod, complete with succulent  grilled oysters, which his son was grilling on their bbq in the rain, and artisan-style bread.   The bottom line is good food and great wine truly bring people together.

If  you  get a chance, try MacLeod Family Vineyard’s Sauvignon Blanc (2008).  Let me know what you think, afterall, I met the inspiration behind those grapes!

Salud!

1) Listen to your stomach: growls and rumbles typically signify hunger and denotes an efficient metabolic process.  If you never feel physical hungry (between meals and snacks), then there’s a good chance that your metabolism is moving slowly. 

2) Eat when you are hungry – even if it’s a 150 calorie snack like a handful of nuts or a low-fat yogurt with 1/2 c. berries or a string cheese with one or two whole grain crackers.  This will enlighten your body to your new eating pattern and get you humming along on predictable eating road, which is essential for keeping your metabolic rate up.

3) Food fuels movement,  so keep your body moving whether it is a formal exercise regimen or taking the stairs, walking from the parking lot, house cleaning or running around the park with your kids.  The more you move, the more energy you can put into your body.  Let’s face it, we all slow down in the winter months when it’s hard to escape the house, but now that the warmer weather is near - it getting to be close to all of the outdoor festivities.     

How are you making friends with your metbolism today?  I’d love to know.

-VSR