Protein Waffle from Chris Powell

ABCnews.go.com: Chris Powell’s Protein Waffle

Originally published on abcnews.go.com.

From the kitchen of Chris Powell

Servings:2

Cook Time:1-30 min

Powell likes to top this with fresh berries, and if he’s feeling extra indulgent, some agave syrup. 

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup cottage cheese
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/3 cup oatmeal
• 1 teaspoon baking powder

Cooking Directions

Put oatmeal and baking powder in food processor or blender and process until powdered.
In a food processor blend cottage cheese, eggs, water, vanilla, and olive oil until smooth.
Mix the dry and the wet ingredients to form a batter.
As the mixture stands it will thicken and it may be necessary to add more water, (a tablespoon at a time), to a get smooth, not lumpy, consistency.
Cook in a waffle iron according to the iron’s specifications. Powell’s waffles take about 4 minutes each.

Nutritional Data: 313 Calories, 18g Protein, 29g Carbs, 4g Fiber, 2.5g Sugar, 13.4g Fat


This recipe was styled by chef Karen Pickus for “Good Morning America.”
Recipe courtesy Chris Powell.

Just One Thing from Rick Hanson

What would bear lots of fruit? The Practice  Water your fruit tree.

Why? My wife and kids tease me that the title of this practice is corny - and it is. Still, I like it. If you don't nourish the things that nourish you, they wither away like a plant in dry stony ground. I'm writing this on New Year's Eve. Looking to the year ahead for you - a year that can begin whenever you want - what's one key thing that will bear lots of fruit for you if you take care of it? There is usually one thing - or two or three - that you know in your heart is a key factor in your well-being, functioning, and how you treat others. It's often a seemingly small thing in the rush and complexity of a typical day. It could be getting that 15 minute break each day with a cup of tea and no interruptions . . . or writing in your journal . . . or feeling grateful for three blessings in your life before falling asleep . . . or asking your partner questions about his or her day and really listening . . . or taking your vitamins or eating protein with every meal . . . or getting home in time for dinner with the kids unless you're traveling . . . or getting up an hour earlier each day to start writing that book. It could be finally now making that shift for which your heart has been longing. For me, one thing that pops off the page is going to bed early enough to get enough sleep plus be able to get up in time to meditate. Doing this sets up my whole day and makes it better. As you know, most New Year's resolutions are worse than useless: they don't lead to real change and we feel bad about not sticking to them. But if you think of this as feeding yourself, being good to yourself, giving yourself a big wonderful gift each day, nourishing something that will pay off big for you . . . well, it sure is a lot easier to keep treating yourself well in this way. How? What's on your own short list of the things that would make a big difference for you? Perhaps you, too, would benefit from getting to bed earlier. Or from listening to someone for five minutes or more each day with no expectations. Or from regular exercise, meditation, or prayer. Or from dropping one bad habit, or from picking up that guitar again. Perhaps making art would make a big difference for you, or staying calm with the kids, or finally beginning to spend a few hours each week on starting your new business. Take a moment to imagine the rewards to you and others if you did this one good thing for yourself tomorrow. How would you feel at the end of the day? What would be the benefits? And then imagine those benefits coming to you and others the day after tomorrow . . . and the days and weeks and months after that. Of course, all you can do is tend to the causes; you can't control the results. You can water a fruit tree but you can't make it give you an apple. But no matter what happens, you know you have tried your best. Keep coming back to the feeling of nurturing yourself. It's OK to take care of yourself in this way. Try to feel the warmth for yourself, the strength to gently guide your future self - the one who will be doing this one good thing tomorrow, and the days after that - to keep watering this particular fruit tree. And know that you can water more than one tree. But it helps to zero in on just one or a few things to focus on for a year. And then a year from now, looking back to this day, you'll likely be enjoying a beautiful sweet rich harvest!  This comes from Rick Hanson, Ph.D., neuropsychologist, New York Times best-selling author, Advisory Board member of the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley, and invited lecturer at Oxford, Stanford, and Harvard universities. See Rick's workshops and lectures

Cranberry Walnut Quinoa Salad

Serves 6 as a starter or side dish or 4 as a main course

½ cup white quinoa

½ cup black quinoa (any type of quinoa works)

2 cups vegetable or chicken stock

½ teaspoon salt or to taste

¾ cup dried cranberries

¼ cup minced Italian parsley

1 cup frozen Edamame

¼ cup chopped walnuts(toasted and crushed into pieces the size of cranberries)

¼ cup sliced green onion

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

1 ½ tablespoons olive oil

1-2 cloves of garlic (to taste) minced

Freshly ground pepper

1. Rinse the quinoa in several changes of water. Combine the 2 cups vegetable or chicken stock and ½ teaspoon salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to simmer, cover, and continue cooking until all water is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat, uncover, and allow cooling for 15 minutes.

2. In a medium bowl, combine the cooked quinoa, dried cranberries, parsley, Edamame, walnuts, and green onions until well mixed.

3. In a small bowl, whisk the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and garlic until well blended. Pour over the quinoa mixture. Toss until well blended.

4. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before

serving.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 234, Fat: 8g, Saturated fat 1g, Carbohydrate 36g, Protein 5g, Cholesterol 0 mg, Fiber 3 g.

How to Eat Well and Feel Well for the Holidays -Tips from Dr. Mark Hyman

With all the parties and family gatherings, it's inevitable that temptations will arise this time of year. Your best bet to overcome them is to prepare yourself for these bumps in the road. Here are 10 tips to help you avoid the holiday pitfalls:

1. Begin your day as any other day on the plan; do not skip meals to save calories or carbohydrates.


2. Eat a protein-packed snack an hour before your holiday meal.


3. Don't think of the holidays as an excuse to gorge on unhealthy food. Plan in advance to make sure there are options available that you can enjoy.


4. Scan the spread before putting anything on your plate. Choose wisely!


5. Set an intention for how you would like to feel after the meal and hold yourself accountable by sharing with a close friend or family member. Or write it in your journal.
 

6. Start the meal with a soup, fresh vegetables, or a salad, and avoid any refined flour pastries or sweet appetizers to prevent the cycle of craving.
 

7. Drink two glasses of water with lemon before the meal.
 

8. Plan an activity to look forward to after the meal -- a group walk, visiting with other friends or family, a group game, or playing with younger family members. Or try offering to clean up and help your host!
 

9. Eat Mindfully:
   
   • Take five deep breaths before your meal.
   • Sit next to someone you genuinely find interesting and engage in pleasant conversation.
   • Appreciate the colors and smells of your food.• Chew thoroughly and slowly.
   • Put your fork down between bites.
   • Breathe in through your nose while you eat.
   • Express gratitude with others before the meal. Later that evening, write about your gratitude in your journal.
   • Halfway through the meal, put fork down and pause. Take three deep breaths and assess your hunger on a scale of 1-10. Ask yourself how much more you need to eat in order to walk away feeling energized and comfortable. Hint: Usually, this is around "6" or "7."
   • Close your meal by saying something out loud about how delicious it was and how satisfied you are. Hearing yourself say this can help signal to you and others that you are finished.
   • Have a trusted friend or family help hold you accountable to your goals.
   • Begin and end the day by spending some time alone with your thoughts. Journaling is a great activity to help ground your intentions for the day. Use your journal to set goals, express your thoughts and feelings about how the day went, and track what you ate, how much you exercised and how your body felt.


10. Most importantly, take time to enjoy healthy, wholesome meals with your friends and family and remember that you can heal your body and mind with each forkful of delicious food you enjoy.

 

 I came across this great article today in the Huffington Post.    It is so very true, as many of you know, that weight loss and healthy living starts to happen mostly in our thoughts and mind.  Have Fun!


You Won't Lose Any Weight Unless You Makeover Your Mind First

What the Heck Am I Supposed to Do With a Foam Roller

Myofascial Release with a foam roller is an amazing way to smooth and lengthen your muscles, and it breaks up adhesions and scar tissue. Another benefit is that it helps your muscles relax by activating the sensory receptors connecting your muscle fibers to your tendons. The net effect is better blood circulation, which in turn speeds workout recovery and boosts performance.Yes, foam rolling can be painful, but you need only 5 to 10 minutes to reap the benefit. Just as important as how you roll is when you roll: After a workout is best, followed by a static stretch of the muscle.. This helps your muscles return to the proper length and recover even faster because it can prevent the buildup of scar tissue.

Here is a foam rolling video to get you started.  Foam rollers can be purchased at Target, Universal Athletics and sometimes they can be found at TJ Maxx.  Have Fun!!

Slim Down by Slowing Your Eating Speed

By Madeline Vann, MPH

Medically reviewed by Pat F. Bass III, MD, MPH

Do the words “inhale,” “scarf,” and “wolf” describe the way you eat, even when you are making healthy changes? And are you wondering why you’re not losing weight? It might be because of how quickly you are eating. Dieters often ask whether their eating speed can affect their weight loss. The answer, says nutritionist Molly Gee, RD, MEd, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, is yes.
 
Your Eating Speed: Too Fast Means You Overeat
“Olympic speed eaters will usually eat until they feel full,” says Gee, who isn’t talking about culinary athletes, but rather, with humor, the average Joe and Jane who shovel in their food every night.
“It takes approximately 15 to 20 minutes for the signal of [fullness] to reach the brain,” explains Gee. “This is where portion control goes out the window.”
In other words, it takes some time for your stomach to talk to your brain, and speed eaters are taking in too much too fast before the message can be received. Eating more slowly could give that all-important message the time to register before you undermine your best calorie-counting intentions with an extra scoop of mac ’n’ cheese.
Your basic goal: “Try not to be the first person finished at the table,” advises Gee.
 
Your Eating Speed: Chew Slowly for Comfort and Control
Your eating habits and your digestion begin with good chewing habits. “Chewing your food is the first step in digestion, and skipping this step makes it harder for proper digestion,” says Gee.
Taking time to chew not only slows your eating speed, but can also help you feel better after a meal. “Many of my patients tell me how surprised they are that they have less heartburn as a result of chewing more and slowing down. They do not use antacids anymore.”
Also, chewing slowly allows you to better enjoy your food, a tasty benefit for people who are trying to appreciate the value of smaller portions.
Your Eating Speed: Fast, Slow, or Moderate?
Dinner isn’t a speed race, but you might wonder where your eating speed rates in comparison to friends and family. There are no standard measures of eating speed, and how fast or slow you eat depends a lot on what the food is, your utensils, and how much there is of it. But you know you are a slow eater if you are the last one still eating at the table. On the other hand, says Gee, “Fast eaters are the first ones finished, usually in five to six minutes.” You want to clock yourself somewhere in between, with the moderate eaters.
 
Your Eating Speed: Enjoying What You Eat
Another benefit to chewing slowly: Food tastes better.
"We see higher [taste] ratings at the slower rate," says dietitian Kathleen Melanson, RD, PhD, assistant professor of nutrition and food at the University of Rhode Island. Melanson and colleagues tested the relationship between the rate of eating and factors such as how many calories are consumed and participants’ reported levels of satisfaction. Volunteers ate certain types of meals, first slowly and then, later, fast. The study found that, calorie for calorie, you will experience greater palatability at the slower rate, explains Melanson.
She has also demonstrated that people who slowly eat low-calorie foods eat nearly half as many calories as those who quickly eat high-calorie foods. "Conventionally, slow eating has been presented as just taking more time to eat,” Melanson says, but her research shows that what really matters is how many calories you eat per minute.
 
Your Eating Speed: Tips for Slowing Down
Melanson's method combines slow eating with being aware of the taste of food and when you feel full. She recommends:

• Take small bites.
• Chew each bite 15 to 20 times.
• Savor the food as you chew.
• Swallow before taking the next bite.
• Pause between bites and take a sip of a no-calorie beverage, if you like.
• Between bites, be aware of how your hunger is being sated.

For people who have limited time to eat lunch at school or work, Melanson suggests you eat the main part of your meal slowly and keep additional food items, such as an apple, to be eaten later when you have time.
Gee recommends setting your fork or spoon down between bites. “I assign chopsticks to really difficult cases,” she adds.
By trying these methods, you may steal a little time from other activities, but you’ll also lose more weight — and that’s a good trade-off.

What the Heck are You Eating? Sugar Substitutes

Acorn squash with cranberry apple stuffing

The fall season is upon us and with the colder weather I bring out my arsenal of recipes for soups, crockpot meals and lots of squash.  Here is one of my favorites from Elanas' Pantry.  Pair this with a chicken breast and big green salad for a fulfilling dinner. 

1 acorn squash
boiling water
1 apple, peeled, cored and chopped into ¼ inch pieces
2 tablespoons dried cranberries (use low or no sugar ones)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoons oil of your choice

1. Cut squash in half and with a spoon, remove pulp and seeds
2. In a 9x13 baking dish place squash cut-side down
3. Pour ¼-inch boiling water into baking dish (or use ¼ inch room temperature apple juice for extra sweetness)
4. Place dish in oven and bake squash for 30 minutes at 350°
5. In a large bowl, combine apples, cranberries, cinnamon and oil to make stuffing
6. Remove squash from the oven after 30 minutes
7. Turn halves over and stuff center of each squash half with apple mixture
8. Return to oven and bake for 30-35 minutes (or longer) until squash and apples are tender

Serves 4

Calories Per Serving: 171

Protein Per Serving: 2g

Carbohydrates Per Serving: 34g

Fat Per Serving: 3g

Sugar Per Serving: 9g

Sodium Per Serving: 6mg

Fiber Per Serving: 7g

Shoppers with a list lose more weight.

A study recently published in Nutrition and Diabetes found people who prepare shopping lists before hitting the supermarket lost additional weight.   

The studies lead researcher, 

Dr. Nicole Au found that a predetermined grocery list committed shoppers to buy only the foods that were on that list thereby helping them avoid the temptations of unhealthy food purchases.  “We found because the planning of meals and writing of the shopping list could be carried out relatively cheaply, it was a cost-effective weightloss tool when compared to the alternative of doing nothing.  Shopping with a list means that you have engaged in some level of planning about your food choices for the time period before you next go grocery shopping – so that can be helpful in ensuring you will have available the foods that will enable you to prepare the meals you have planned, which are hopefully healthy choices.”