moved....

New blog site :)
http://nutshellnutrition.wordpress.com/

Workout of the Week

So I can't guarantee a new workout every single week, but I'm sure many of you have made recent goals to get to the gym more! And one of the most common excuses I've heard for not getting to the gym is "I don't have time." Well, here is a workout that will get your heart rate up (aka burn a ton of calories!) and you can squeeze a great cardio and strength training session into 30 minutes (or longer if you feel like it).



Supersets are my go-to workout - I always want to get the best workout possible in the shortest amount of time. A superset is simply combining two exercises back to back with little rest in between. You can combine any two exercises you want, it depends on how you plan your workouts. For example, I do legs all in one day so one of my supersets is:

Reverse lunge with lift (step back into a lunge, push back up to standing but before putting your back leg down, perform a glute lift with a straight leg behind you; repeat).This exercise works all the major muscles in your lower body.

Single leg touchdown (Weights are optional for this one. I also keep my base leg straight and keep my bent leg foot closer to my foot on the floor.) Works the hamstrings and calves.

Other supersets ::
Bicep curls & tricep extension (working antagonistic muscles)
Chest flyes & push ups (double whammy for the chest muscles!)
Alternating lunges & lat pull down (called peripheral heart action when shunting blood from one end of the body to the other)

Get the idea? By not resting in between every single set ( like you see many folks at the gym doing), you save a TON of time and burn a ton more calories! Supersets are like a cardiovascular workout and strength training in one.

A dietitian's breakfast

For some of you, your New Year's Resolution may have been to eat breakfast every day. Why do dietitians encourage eating breakfast? Numerous studies of folks who have lost weight and KEPT IT OFF reported that these people always ate breakfast. It literally "breaks the fast" that our body is in overnight and wakes up the metabolism to get it pumping. (Another key to success for weight maintenance from these studies was to keep a food journal - see previous post). Don't have time breakfast? Yes you do. Wake up 5-10 minutes earlier or get all the ingredients ready the night before (as I do). So here is a super easy recipe for one of my favorite breakfast meals. I'm one of those people that never gets full, but this recipe will actually keep me full for three hours until it's time for my snack. If it's a bit too heavy for you, decrease to 1/3 cup oats and 2 egg whites.

Oatmeal Almond Butter Pancakes

Ingredients::

1/2 cup dry old fashioned rolled oats

1T almond butter

1T milled flaxseed (good source of fiber, ALA omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants)

1t cinnamon

3 egg whites

1/2 banana

1t honey

Directions::  

Mix first five ingredients in a small bowel. Pour all ingredients into a small skillet, cook a few minutes on each side until browned.   Top with half a banana sliced and a small drizzle of honey.

The facts // 375 calories, 13gm total fat, 1gm saturated fat, 4gm polyunsaturated fat, 7gm monounsaturated fat, 198mg sodium, 384mg potassium, 46gm carbs, 10gm fiber, 14gm sugar, 22gm protein, 22% DV of iron 

[have a small glass of OJ with this meal improve the absorption of iron - vitamin C]

Goals for January...aka New Years Resolutions

While I don't necessarily believe in 'New Year's Resolutions'.... I know for a fact that in order to make lifestyle changes you need to set goals - both short term and long term - and make a plan to achieve them. You can write down goals all day long but if you don't come up with a realistic way to get there... well, you'll probably never get there. I set goals a few times per year, but the beginning of a new year is always a good reminder to focus on how you plan to improve your life! So, my goals for January 2011:

     one.  Set boundaries -- aka I need to learn to say no. I love to help others and try to please everyone, but the stress levels are just becoming too much - and stress is just as bad for you, if not worse, than eating poorly and not exercising. So I will make sure to get two days off from work-related projects EVERY week. My trusty old day planner will be my key to success here!

     two.  Exercise at least three times per week -- Yes, it's even hard for a dietitian to get to the gym! When I was personal training during college, my clients used to tell me they were too tired after work to workout and I would give them a hard time... well I believe them now! It takes A LOT of dedication to hit the weights when you're exhausted, but setting a goal that directly motivates you to do always helps (see goal #3). My plan for this one will be to re-attempt the 5am workouts. My problem is I already wake up at 5:30 everyday so I can get to work early, leave early. So I'm going to have to reorganize my schedule and get home a little later in the evening.

     three.  Get printed -- Well, at least take the step I need to do so; and for this one, let's just say I'm not talking about for my writing (although that wouldn't be a bad thing at all!). For this one, goal number two will be key. I also need to keep a food diary (which is a HUGE component of weight loss and maintenance) at least two days per week. Food diaries help keep me accountable for what is actually going into my mouth! 

And here's a few long term goals:

• Be more positive
• Make a budget and stick to it
• Pick a wedding venue!!!! (okay, definitely a short term goal... but it's coming along slowly)
• Clean out my closet and de-clutter the entire apartment
• Find a new workout that I truly enjoy. I used to run, but I'm feeling the need to mix things up. Boxing anyone??
•  Do yoga once a week - I must work on my stress levels!

Keep a journal with your goals in it, read it regularly and re-evaluate and add new goals occasionally.

Trying a New Veggie - Collard Greens

So one of my New Year's Resolutions is to try a new vegetable at least every month. Tonight, soup is on the menu so I have a great soup recipe from the Clean Eating Cookbook that calls for collard greens. As a dietitian, I hate to admit that I couldn't even find this leafy green in the grocery store - I had to ask! To save you the effort, I'll include a picture to help with identification. Not only is this recipe healthy and delicious, it's easy and budget-friendly! This recipe also happens to provide 30% of your daily fiber intake, is a good source of iron and can easily be gluten-free.

Nutrition Breakdown // Collard greens :: This leafy green veggie is a great source of vitamin K, vitamin A, vitamin C, manganese, folate, calcium, and fiber. Collard greens contain many other vitamins and minerals and also alpha-linolenic acid, a type of omega-3 fatty acid.

Black-Eyed Pea Stew

Servings: 4 // Time: 35 minutes

 

Ingredients:

4 cups low sodium vegetable or chicken broth (gluten-free if need be)

8oz collard greens, chopped (about 8 cups)

1 can no-salt-added diced tomatoes
2 cups red potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1 (15.5oz) can black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained (to wash off the salt - or buy frozen like I did)

Ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

Bring broth and water to a boil in a large saucepan over high-heat. Add collard greens, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

Add tomatoes and potatoes and return to a simmer. Cover and cook until potatoes are tender, 10-12 minutes. Stir in peas and simmer until heated through, about 2 minutes. Season with pepper to taste.

Nutrition Information (per serving): 180 calories, 1g total fat, 0g saturated fat, 37g carbohydrates; 8g fiber, 5g sugar, 10g protein, 150mg sodium**, 0mg cholesterol

**This was the sodium content with the particular ingredients that I used. The nutrition information provided with the actual recipe had a higher amount of sodium actually - just shows you can always modify any recipe to be healthier!