Apples & Cinnamon "Oatmeal"

By Coach Maria - Salus Nutritionist & Food Expert

Sometimes....only oatmeal will do.  But if you're gluten-free and do not have a bag of certified gluten free oats, this is a close second.

Nutrient-rich ingredients, a satisfying and delicious dish that can also be served as a sweet treat.  Easy and portable!

I like to make enough for the week to have on hand for quick breakfasts or after-dinner dessert.

Ingredients

serves 4

1 can of coconut milk (full fat)*

1/2 c cauliflower rice

1/2 c unsweetened shredded coconut

2 c apple (your choice), grated

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Optional add-ins: raw honey, pure maple syrup, chopped dates or figs, maple flavored almond butter. chopped nuts or seeds, raisins

Mix all ingredients in saucepan and simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Serve warm, but can also be eaten cold.

Add optional add-ins if desired.

Nutritional Information Per Serving:

Protein:       3g

Carbs:        13g

Fat:            18g

Sugar:          4g

Nutritional info are estimates and will vary

9 Foods Fit People Love

Do you ever wonder which foods really fit people eat?  While nutrition varies from person-to-person, I’ve found these 9 foods to be consistent finds in their meal plans.

Almonds: Good fats, lots of fiber, and plenty of antioxidants.  Also a great snack if you want to lower your cholesterol.

Eggs: Rich in protein and vitamin B12.  Not to mention the things you can do with eggs are never ending.  An over-easy egg is yummy on just about any hearty dish.

Fish: Again, a wonderful protein dish.  Low in fat and contains important minerals like zinc, selenium, and iron. Not to mention fish contains omega-3 "AKA" magic for your nails, skin, and hair.

Cottage cheese: Low in calories and carbohydrates, high in protein.  One serving of cottage cheese contains about 9% of your recommended calcium intake.

Oatmeal: A perfect breakfast dish.  7g of protein per cup and loaded with fiber.

Hummus:  I love a good snack that actually fills me up. Add some hummus to your mid-day vegetable snack and it will hold you off until dinner.  It’s also full of fiber and good fats.

Avocados:  REALLY GOOD FAT.  People are afraid of avocados because they hear “loaded with good fat” and get scared.  Avocados are packed with potassium, fiber, vitamins C, B6, & K.  Don’t be afraid.

Air-popped popcorn: Super yummy snack for those individuals who enjoy something on the salty side.  Skip the pre-buttered microwave popcorn and go for something that skips the unhealthy oils.  Sprinkle a little salt and wallah!

Dark chocolate: Full of antioxidants, minerals, & vitamins.  Lowers blood pressure, reduces risk of stroke and type-2 diabetes.  Yes, chocolate really does this.  However, BE WARNED. You need at least 70% cocoa in order to receive the benefits.

Try adding these to your next grocery list.  I hope this helps! 

Emotional Looking Glass

Researchers are studying the human body’s physiological reactions to emotions. This study created a map that tells which part of the body is affected by different emotions.

Over 700 people from Finland, Taiwan, and Sweden participated in the study that asked subjects to look at words, facial expressions, videos, and stories that were meant to emote a specific feeling. The subjects reported where they felt differences by coloring different silhouettes showing an increase or decrease in sensation in various parts of their body.

Data from the responses showed a range of physical emotional effects and created a map of how emotion is felt in different parts of the body. Physical emotions were found to be universal across cultures and language.

The mapping exercise produced what you might expect: an angry hot-head... a depressed figurine that was literally blue (meaning they felt little sensation in their limbs). Basically these results show the impact our mental states can have on the body.

This study adds to the collection of proof and data that shows your mental state has an affect on your physical health. Have you ever noticed how sick/tired you feel after a stressful week? Or how energized you become when things are going your way? It’s not coincidence. So if you didn’t think learning how to cope with stress and anger was important before, I hope this plants a seed. It’s not only important- it’s critical to your health and wellbeing.

*This post is a brief overview of a study conducted by the National Academy of Sciences (pnas.org) You can review the entire study HERE. 

Reaching Your Goal Physique With Honesty

By Coach Maria - Salus Nutritionist & Food Expert

Let's be honest.  No matter your size or weight, your age or stature; everyone wants the best physique they can get.  Right?

Some are closer to that goal than others, but we all have a goal that involves looking better physically.

If we continue to be honest with ourselves, we should ask ourselves: "Have I taken the right steps - in earnest - to achieve that goal?"

If not, here are a few tips that might help you get on the right track.

• Take a Nutrition Inventory

I begin with this topic, because nutrition is the most important piece of this puzzle - without making this a priority, you will more than likely be fighting a frustrating uphill battle. 
If you have been eating/drinking the same way for years and are still not closer to that goal physique, something is not working!  It's time to either change your nutrition plan or make some adjustments.  Here's where you can be honest with yourself.  How many of those changes are you already aware of, but keep clinging to the excuses for no-change?  Sometimes, it's as simple as paying attention to the mindless eating (i.e., eating when you're not actually hungry, or sitting in front of the computer screen or TV bored) or realizing that you might be taking in too many liquid calories (i.e., high calorie fluffy coffee drinks, your nightly alcoholic beverage).  Other times, it might require a total overhaul of your daily eating habits (i.e., is most of what you eat prepared by you or are most of your meals prepared and consumed from a source other than your kitchen?).  If the bulk of your nutrition comes from mostly processed foods, you can bet your goals will be stalled at some point.

• Working Hard or Hardly Working

It's true that moving a little bit is better than not moving at all.  Giving some effort is better than no effort at all.  When it comes to creating a physique that will make you happy and content, however, let's be honest again - it's going to take more than a little movement and a little effort.
Your workouts - no matter what your choice of exercise is - should take effort and be demanding (and we all have different levels of exertion - you know when you've given it all you have).
We're talking quality over quantity here.  Taking a walk with a friend for exercise?  You both should be walking with enough effort that having a conversation is not easy and perhaps not even required!  Working out in front of a television for distraction?  Turn the TV off and give an all out effort that makes TV viewing impossible.  Going out to jog/bike/swim a certain distance?  Break up or shorten that distance doing fast and hard sprint/interval sets instead that require an exerted effort 1 or 2 notches above what you are used to.  Increase the intensity in some capacity into your regular routine, lower the amount of time in a rest cycle, and don't forget to change your routine to force your body to adapt to that change.

• Map Out a Plan

Getting specific results, requires specific goals, which requires specific plans.  Taking a random approach to achieving your goals will produce will not always work.
Is your goal to get stronger?  Put all your effort when working out and address the entire body throughout the week - don't skip workouts on a particular day that might target your weaknesses.  Be consistent and keep variety in your routine.
Is your goal to lose body fat?  The answer is not to eat low-fat foods, but rather eliminating foods that you already know are contributing to the problem - processed foods, fast foods, sugar, that consistent glass of wine, beer or hard liquor, frequent desserts, muffins, cookies....I could go on, but you know what I'm talking about here.
Decide on your goal and make a plan.

Cures For Your Headache

Are you someone who immediately goes to the bottle of ibuprofen when experiencing a headache? Most of us are - but you may want to rethink your auto-pilot toward the bottle of pills.

If you suffer from headaches your body is telling you something. Covering the pain with medication is a cover up but not a treatment.  While some pain medication is completely necessary at times, there are nicer ways to fight a headache for your body.

The most common causes of headaches are:

• Dehydration
• Lack of sleep
• Too much alcohol
• Hunger
• STRESS

Listen to your body’s cues the next time you get a headache. Is it telling you that you need to hydrate, cut back on the booze, or relax a little? It’s trial and error at first but well worth the tests if you find the root.

Good luck, and may your headaches be gone!

Easy Homemade Ketchup

By Coach Maria - Salus Nutritionist & Food Expert

If you are on the clean-eating bandwagon, you know that some times, finding decent condiments is difficult.

You might find yourself making good choices with your meals, only to derail those efforts by over doing the condiments - sometimes, we know no limits when dipping foods into commercially prepared sauces, dressings and relishes.

One of those condiments, is ketchup.  What should be a benign combination of ingredients, can actually be just the opposite.

Most store-bought ketchup brands contain practically denatured tomatoes that have been severely over cooked, water and a huge amount of sugar in the form of genetically modified corn syrup also known as high fructose corn syrup.



Another unnecessary and, often times, sneaky ingredient is natural flavors or flavoring.  As innocent as that description sounds, natural flavors are simply flavor-enhancing chemicals; the most common being MSG.

Once you realize how easy it is to make ketchup in your own kitchen, you'll no longer need to rely or derail your clean-eating efforts with the store-bought brands.

Because I like a more tangy ketchup over a sweeter variety, I add a minimal amount of honey.  If your taste buds lean more towards a sweeter ketchup, feel free to add a bit more honey.

Ingredients

6oz can organic tomato paste (read label - only organic tomatoes!)
2 Tblsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 Tblsp raw honey or maple syrup
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp sage
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp ground cloves (optional, but I like the flavor!)
1/2 c water

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and whisk.
Gradually whisk in enough water until you reach the desired consistency.
Keep in fridge.

Enjoy!


Nutritional Information Per Serving:
serving size:  3 Tblsp

Protein:      1g
Carbs:        8g
Fat:            0g
Sugars:      6g

Nutritional information are estimates and may vary

Tips For Work

Sometimes no matter how much you love your job it can feel like a drag.  There are moments when we lack motivation, feel uninspired and would rather lay in our PJs watching Netflix than show up for our 8-5.  Here are a few tips to help you when you just aren't feeling it.


1. Before you check email, get something done: 
Starting your day with emails will suck you dry. Try doing something you are excited about first. Or do something that is more productive than responding to someone else. Work on your PowerPoint, Excel model, or organize your to-do list- just do something that makes you feel like you are working toward a goal.

2. Make your space less boring: 
Buy a plant, place some color, have your favorite notebooks and pens around- whatever floats your boat. I have pictures of my family and dream vacations on my desk. (By the way, this is for guys too; you know what you like.) Turn your workspace into something you enjoy.

3. Take care of difficult calls or emails as quickly as possible. 
This came after number one on purpose. Once you start your day with something that energizes you, don’t procrastinate the unpleasant stuff. Procrastinating just makes it harder; getting these things done gives a big boost of relieved energy.

4. Go outside at least once a day, and if possible, take a walk.
The sunlight and activity is good for your focus, mood, and retention of information

We are lucky enough to have a job, a paying wage, co-worker friends, a way to support your life and perhaps other people’s lives. While it may not be your ideal of the ideal- you aren’t unemployed. That is something to be happy about on it’s own.

Cheers to that.

Peach Cobbler Smoothie

 

By Coach Maria - Salus Nutritionist & Food Expert

 

There are times when there is little time to throw together a meal, or your palate does not want food, or it's post workout and you know you need something for recovery and yet your stomach is not quite ready for food.

 

We've all had those times and can relate to the temporary aversion to chewing on food.

 

I don't always rely or lean on liquid nutrition as a consistent part of my intake - for people that are struggling with weight or fat loss and/or metabolic  issues, I strongly encourage choosing real food over liquid nutrition.  This will be a subject for a future blog post - stay tuned!

 

However, having an occasional smoothie with quality and nutrient rich ingredients, can be a great way to avoid missing out on a meal and getting some decent amount of nutrition.

 

Typically, most people that choose to drink a smoothie for nutritional purposes, tend to lean towards the green side of the spectrum - and that's great!

But this beautifully colored smoothie is fantastic as well!

 

In order to take advantage of the incredible peach season, without missing out on nutrients, this smoothie is a winner.

 

If you are fortunate enough to have a peach tree in your yard, this is the way to go.  If you don't have a tree or don't have neighbors that share their bounty, make sure to go to a farmer's market to get some local peaches! 

You can spend a lazy weekend afternoon peeling, slicing and freezing those incredibly sweet peaches to have on hand.

 

Yes, it's easier to just go to the grocery store and purchase frozen peaches in a bag, but I'm telling you, the flavor of this smoothie will not be the same - trust me on this one!

 

Besides, having an excuse to get out into the fresh air, walking around your local farmers market will bring a smile to your face!

 

Ingredients

1 serving as meal replacement

2 servings as snack drink

 

1 c frozen organic peach slices

1/4 of a cut apple (don't bother to peel)

1 small carrot, peeled

1 Tblsp ground flax

3 Tblsp raw pecans

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1 Tblsp lemon juice

pinch of salt

1 c coconut water or unsweetened almond/coconut milk

1 scoop of your favorite protein powder (optional, but why not?)

 

Combine all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth!

Enjoy!

 

 

Nutritional Information Per Serving:

(1 serving)

 

Protein:    4g

Carbs:    23g

Fat:         8

Sugars:  18g