Salad Tips
Tips to make salads tastier. Give your side salads a new twist by tossing one or more of the following items into your favorite mixed greens:
 Add celery. It's crunchy and has a lot of vitamin C.
Toss in fresh herbs. Try basil, parsley or any herb you like. They add flavor to a salad, so you can use less dressing.
Crumble in goat cheese. One ounce has 76 calories and 6 grams of fat.
Use walnut, almond or flax oil. They are rich in heart-healthy omega-3's, and a nice change from olive oil.
Add in fruit. Apples or Mangoes give salads a sweet taste with lots of fiber and vitamin C.
Add pre-cooked shrimp (frozen) for an easy way to add protein.
Add snow peas. They are legumes which are high in protein, fiber and iron.
Add sliced avocado for healthy fats.
Add red peppers. They contain 253% of recommended daily vitamin C.
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Published Articles
Diet and Exercise: Together Create a Healthy Balance
When I became a Nutritional Consultant I made a pact with my husband not to be his food police. This was more for the sanctity of our marriage than anything else. Over the years I have watched my husband’s weight yo-yo within 5-7 pounds. For my birthday this year my husband’s present to me was to finally “get in shape”. To his credit, he has lost and maintained 7 pounds, currently weighing 161, by exercising without watching his diet.
So where is the problem? The problem is my husband’s overall cholesterol and especially his LDLs have continued to increase in the last year. Our family doctor wants to prescribe medication which, in my opinion, at 32 years old is absurd. I have two months to drop my husband’s LDLs through an appropriate diet in conjunction with exercise without medication. The morale of this story is: exercise helps our overall well-being on many levels, but it is not enough to control and protect against heart disease, clogged arteries, diabetes and other conditions.
It is important to reach a healthy weight by exercising and changing eating habits, without doing anything too drastic. Neither diet nor exercise alone is sufficient to maintain a healthy cholesterol level. Genetics, trans fats (margarine, deep-fried foods), saturated fats (whole milk, red meat) and sugar are all factors affecting blood cholesterol levels.
Not all fats are bad for you. Saturated fats can be consumed on occasion but trans fats should always be avoided. Unsaturated fats, found in olive, peanut, and canola oils, as well as in most nuts and avocados, have a beneficial effect on cholesterol levels by increasing helpful HDL and reducing harmful LDL cholesterol, thereby lowering the risk of heart disease. A diet rich in whole grains, plant oils, fruits and vegetables, nuts and legumes, and lean proteins (fish poultry or eggs) is ideal. Moderate adjustments in physical activity as well as eating habits can make a big difference.
This article was published in The Egoscue Method monthly newsletter, May 2007 edition. For further information on this article or other nutrition related counseling please contact Rachel Lerner, CNC at 917-885-0052 or info@personalwebnutrition.com.
Diet and Pain
Everyone knows our diets should contain lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meats, complex carbohydrates, and low saturated fats. Fad diets, such as The Atkins Diet, South Beach Diet and the Maple Syrup Diet to name a few, have come and gone. Unfortunately, no one really hears much about the correlation between our diets and pain and inflammation in the body.
As a society, millions of adults suffer from different forms of pain. Whether a chronic pain, such as tendonitis or arthritis, or a musculoskeletal issue, certain foods can be included or excluded in our diets to help alleviate the suffering. Although taking an anti-inflammatory can be very appealing, there are many side affects associated with a reliance on this method of relief. Inflammation is the body’s natural reaction to an injury. It can also be caused by arthritis or allergies, including allergies to certain foods (gluten, dairy, eggs or wheat).
In order to help control the body’s inflammatory response it is important to eat foods rich in anti-oxidants and omega-3 fatty acids while trying to keep the body as alkaline (non-acidic) as possible. Some foods that can be helpful include: apples, avocados, berries, fish, pineapple, olive or flaxseed oil and unsalted nuts or seeds. It would also be helpful to limit the amount of sugar (corn syrup, molasses, etc.), highly processed and refined products, alcohol, caffeine and saturated fats in your diet.
This article was published in The Egoscue Method monthly newsletter, March 2007 edition. For further information on this article or other nutrition related counseling please contact Rachel Lerner, CNC at 917-885-0052 or info@personalwebnutrition.com. |
