As a nutritionist my job is to educate people about healthy eating and preparing individualized diet plant that will fit anyone’s lifestyle, will be pleasant enough for the client to be able to stick with it and most important, it will produce effects. Not everyone however needs personalized diet straight form the dietitian’s office. Some of you simply ask me how to eat healthier and what’s the best way to lose weight. So here is few steps that will show you how to make small changes in the diet that will benefit the health and hopefully help get rid of a few pounds here and there.

1. Always Eat Breakfast (even on the go).

I don’t think I need to add that you should always eat breakfast. People who consume breakfast are usually thinner than people who skip breakfast and it is so because of two reasons.

First reason is that people who skip breakfast usually make up for it later during the day and overall tend to consume more calories than people who eat breakfast.

Second reason is that by skipping breakfast your metabolism slows down by shifting into starvation mode, so whatever you’ll eat later during the day will more likely end up being stores as fat. Breakfast within an hour of waking up not only gives you energy but also speeds up your metabolism.

If you never have time to eat breakfast grab some healthy granola bar and eat in your car. It’s still much better than eating nothing.

 2. Fruit, Protein and Grains for Breakfast.

It is very important to properly fuel your body in the morning.

• · Carbohydrates from whole grains such as multigrain, wchole grain cereals and breads (or oatmeal) will give you and your brain energy for the next few hours so you can be more efficient at work.
• · Protein will speed up your metabolism (so called Thermic Effect of Protein) because it takes much more energy to digest protein than digest fats or carbs. It will also keep you fuller for longer by slowing down digestion process.
• · Adding some fruit to your breakfast such as small apple, nectarine, orange or even freshly squeezed orange juice will not only add essencial vitamins and minerals but also enzymes that will aid digestion, antioxidants that will strenghthen our immune system and slow down the oxidation (aging) process of our body and if eaten whole, fiber that will prevent constipation.

Really all it takes to improve your health is having a nutritious breakfast each morning composed of grains (cereal, oatmeal, whole wheat bread), protein (milk, yogurt, eggs) and a handful of fruits. Not so bad right?

 3. Replace one unheatlhy side with a vegetable side.

It is very easy to improve your diet by simply substituting one unhealthy side dish for a healthy and wholesome one every time you eat out. I’m not saying to give up fries and never ever eat them again but try to add some healthier side dishes to your meals. Some fabulous and widely available healthy side dishes include side salads, rice and beans, yellow rice w/ vegetables, sweet potato, green beans, baked potato (without butter and cheese, some sour cream is ok), steamed vegetables, corn on the cob (without butter), squash, baked beans, sauteed greens, small cup of soup and roasted homestyle fries.

Watch out for:

• Coleslaw and potato salad because they are drowned in fatty myonnaise;
• Mashed potatoes because restaurants make them with with tons of butter and heavy cream;
• Loaded baked potato because of butter, bacon and cheese;
• Mac & cheese since because it can be extremely high in calories (read butter, cream and cheese);
• Broccoli with cheese or any other buttery sauces (Hollandaise, bechamel);
• Fries and other fried foods such as tater tots, hash browns, fried plantains, fried yuca and fried onion rings
• Potatoes au gratin because just like mac & cheese they are loaded with butter, cream and cheese.

4.  Avoid soda and sweet juices

If you’re trying to eat healthy I’m sure you already know that soda is bad for you. One 12 oz can of Coke has 10 teaspoons of sugar. You would never put 10 teaspoons of sugar to your tea or coffee so why should you drink sugary soda? If you must drink some try diet soda but be aware that artificial sweeteners are not healthy (they are linked to cancer). In the end you are not only trying to lose some weight but also become a healthier person. Moreover research shows that people who drink diet soda usually are not thinner at all than people who drink regular soda.

The only option is to give up soda and sweet juices all the way and if you are one of those people that drink soda all the time, it will most likely be the hardest step. Pure water is best but if you just can’t force yourself to drink water try some of these ideas:

• · Sparkling flavored water such as La Croix, Perrier, St. Pellegrino. You can also add a little bit of regular juice to plain sparkling water to flavor it yourself and save some calories from the juice.
• · Unsweetened iced-tea. You can sweeten it yourself by adding few drops of liquid Stevia extract, a natural zero calorie sweetener that is about 300 times sweeter than sugar and unlike artificial sweeteners is safe for you. You can find it in any grocery store in the sweeteners section. The cost seems high (about $10 per 2 oz bottle) but it contains about 450 servings so overall it is a preddy good deal.
• · Flavor plain water with a squeeze of lemon juice and optionally few drops of stevia.
• · If you need to drink some juice, try Trop50 juices from Tropicana brand which have half the sugar and calories of the regular juices (50 kcal and 10 g sugar per 8 fl oz).
• · Try to give a shot to low sodium tomato or vegetable jucies. Who knows maybe you’ll like them ( I do )

 5. Use Healthy Fats

One of the most important and probably the easiest rules to follow is tu use healthy monounsaturated fats such as olive oil and polyunsaturated fats such as walnut, safflower and sunflower oil in place of saturated and trans fats such as butter, shortening and margarine.

6. Trick your sweet tooth.

If your biggest issue is a sweet tooth you don’t have to completely ditch sweets. Just be smart about them. If you have to eat something sweet after dinner try something small such as lolipop. Unlike candy bar it takes quite a while to suck on lolipop so there’s a chance that you’ll get your dose of sugar and be completely satisfied with just one lolipop. You can also portion your sweets into zip lock bags and eat only one portion. Doesn’t work for everyone but it’s worth trying.

These are few very easy changes that you can try to improve your diet. You definitely won’t feel deprived of your favorite foods yet it is a good way to introduce slightly healthier habits to your menu. These are very general rules but they work and can be easily implemented in anyone’s lifestyle.

Chia Seed

If you’re even slightly interested in food, you probably heard about Chia seeds. Lately there’s been quite a big hype about chia seeds among natural food fans. People like to add them to smoothies, oatmeal, baking products and yogurt. Chia resembles flax seed and is often used in place of flax seed. I decided to do my own research to find out which one is better. I do use them on a daily basis but chia is much more expensive than flax seed. Hence my question, is it worth buying chia seed when you can get much cheaper ground flax seed???

As you can see their nutritional content is quite similar. Flax seed wins in Omega-3 content and n-3:n-6 ratio. Proper diet should contain anywhere from 1:1 to 4:1 of n-3:n-6. Sadly typical American diet provides about 1:20 of n-3:n-6. So we eat 20 times more Omega-6 fatty acids than Omega-3 fatty acids. They both also contain a lot of fiber, some protein and some essential minerals.

Both Chia and Flax seed contain a type of Omega-3 fatty acid called ALA (alpha-linolenic acid) which in our body becomes converted to EPA and DHA. EPA and DHA make up our brain and nerves and they are very important for healthy functioning of  our whole nervous system, mental health and heart health. They lower cholesterol, prevent cardiovascular diseases, dementia, Alzheimer’s and even development of cancer. Consuming flax or chia seeds is an easy way to add those acids to our diet.

Research

Looking at the nutritional content it seems like Flax seed is a winner but nutritional content is not everything. The important factor is how much of ALA becomes converted in our body to EPA and DHA. A food can contain tons of ALA but if it is not converted in our body to an active form, it’s pretty much useless.

One study measured the fat and nutritional content of eggs laid by the hens fed with Chia seeds or Flax seeds. What turned out is that eggs laid by the hens fed with Chia seeds had significantly greater (65% more) content of Omega-3 fatty acids than eggs laid by the hens fed with flax seed.

Researchers suggest that same thing might be happening in our bodies and much more of ALA coming from Chia seeds may be converted to EPA and DHA as compared to flax seed.

The choice obviously is yours, both seeds have tremendous health benefits. Flax is much cheaper but you need to eat much more of it to get the same benefits as from chia seeds so the price should not be an issue.

After doing my research I decided to be using both. I usually add 1 tablespoon of chia to my everyday oatmeal and use ground flaxseed for baking purposes. Just remember if you’ll be using flax seed either grind it by yourself in a blender or buy already ground version. Whole seed of flax is covered with fibers that are indigestible for humans so we cannot get any health benefits from whole flax seed.

Flax seed

References

A. Antruejo, J.O. Azcona, P.T. Garcia, C. Gallinger, M. Rosmini, R. Ayerza, W. Coates & C.D. Perez
(2011): Omega-3 enriched egg production: the effect of α -linolenic ω -3 fatty acid sources on laying hen performance
and yolk lipid content and fatty acid composition, British Poultry Science, 52:6, 750-760

One of the best things about summer is the abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables. During summer months I usually try to eat more of those and I rarely eat hot food. Generally I eat a lot of salads, fresh fruits, sandwiches and wraps. And don’t forget frozen yogurt and popsicles of course. We also tend to eat more grilled and barbecue foods. I created this low calorie menu based on most popular summer foods with a lot stuff that summer has to offer. I also strongly believe in rewarding yourself with treats, that’s why everyday includes some kind of summer treat like a smoothie, frozen yogurt etc. Life would be too harsh if we weren’t allowed to indulge ourselves a bit.

Remember to always drink a lot of water and instead of drinking soda, drink sparkling water with lemon or unsweetened iced-tea.

To prepare salads use only low calorie dressings with no more than 60 kcal per serving (usually 1 Tbsp) or if you make your own dressing try to don’t add more than ½ Tbsp of oil (60 kcal) per portion.

 For frying and sautéing use Pam or other low calorie spray.

Mango and Pineapple Smoothie:

½ cup frozen mango

½ cup frozen pineapple

3 oz Greek vanilla yogurt

Add everything to a blender and process until smooth. Add some cold water if necessary.

Pulled pork is one of my all time favorite foods. Whenever I visit any bbq joint, with no hesitation I order pulled pork. The problem with pulled pork however is that it’s quite high in fat and calories. Once a while it’s ok if I eat a meal like this but even though it is to die for, I would feel bad eating fatty pulled pork on a regular basis. Fortunately I don’t have to feel bad eating my homemade pulled pork. I used trimmed pork loin roast instead of pork shoulder which is a traditional cut used for pulled pork. Fye 3 oz of pork loin have about 180 kcal and 12 g of fat while 3 oz of pork shoulder have about 230 kcal and 18 g of fat. Perhaps it doesn’t seem like a lot but every gram of fat matters when being on a diet or simply like me, trying to eat healthy.

Also a bonus for those of you who do not own a slow cooker (I do not have one). Rice cooker works just fine, just make sure when buying pork that it’s not too large and it will fit inside the cooker. I own a 6 cup rice cooker and 3-3.5 pound pork loin was just about the right size.

(makes 9-10 portions; portion size: 5 oz)

3-3.5 pound boneless pork loin roast

1 cup chicken or vegetable broth + more to add by the end of cooking

1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoons liquid smoke

1 tablespoon paprika

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 tablespoon granulated garlic

1/2 tablespoon salt

1/2 roughly chopped onion

• Trim off any excess fat from the pork loin. Rub it all over with paprika, smoke paprika, cayenne pepper, salt and garlic.
• Place in the rice cooker and add broth to cover about 3/4th of the pork.
• Add chopped onions, worcestershire sauce and liquid smoke.
• Cover with lid, turn on the heat and let simmer about 4-5 hours or until easily breaks with fork.
• After about 3rd hour keep checking the liquid, if it evaporates keep adding more broth.
• If you have a meat thermometer check the temperature of the pork, it should be about 195 degrees F. That;s when it starts falling apart.
• Shred with 2 forks and top with your favorite bbq sauce.

Not long time ago I had a questionable pleasure of takin a bite of Mcdonalds chicken nuggets. Oh boy, were they nasty. They were crunchy on the outside but on the inside they tasted like a cardboard mixed with an oil frying oil. It was just one bite and probably my last. I read somewhere that Mcdonalds chicken nuggets are made almost all of corn and some other fillings. Chicken itself constitutes merely a tiny percent of a nugget.

You can always buy frozen chicken nuggets but making your own is pretty easy and you know exactly what goes inside. This recipe is perfect for the kids because nuggets prepared by this method are incredibly soft and tender. I ended up having exactly 24 nuggets and I simply placed most of the cooked nuggets into the ziplock bag and froze for later use.

1.5 pound cooked chicken breats

2 eggs

10-12 saltine crackers

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

Few tablespoons of oil

Salt

• Start with boiling chicken breast in a salted water for 20-25 min.
• Meanwhile place saltine crackers to a food processor and process until finely ground. Mix in a bowl with breadcrumbs.
• When chicken is done remove, let it cool down a bit and place in a food processor.

• Add 2 eggs, season with salt and process until it starts looking like a very thick paste (not necessarily smooth).

• Form small, round and slightly flat nuggets. Dip them generously on both sides in breadcrumb mix.

• You can either fry them on both sides with a few tablespoons of oil or bake until golden brown. If you’ll decide to bake them preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Sprinkle evenly few tablespoons of oil on both sides of the nuggets and bake about 10-15 min.

Everybody has every now and then those days when he feels super heavy and bloated. I’m not an exception, I do feel like that sometimes and it’s not a big deal when I’m at home. It becomes a big deal when I’m supposed to go out. all of the sudden I have nothing to wear and the only thing I feel comfortable in, is a baggy t-shirt. If it happens to me I try to use few of the tricks that i am about to share with you. They will not cause a miracle at an instant but if you start few days before an event or at least same day, early morning, you should see effects pretty quickly. My favorite trick of all to make my stomach look flatter is tea, a lot of tea and a lot of water. It works wonders.

Eat these if you want to have a flat belly:

1. Oats

Oats do contain a lot of fiber that helps to regulate digestive system and prevents constipation so you can feel lighter. They are also easy on the stomach as opposed to some other high fiber cereals and definitely should not make you bloated. I eat a bowl of oatmeal almost every morning.

2. Lean Protein

Lean protein such as chicken breast, fish, seafood, eggs, tofu and low fat cuts of beef help you stay satisfied for longer. Adding protein to every meal is one of the best ways to keep you full for longer so you will not overindulge on not healthy snacks.

3. These vegetables

All of these vegetables have one thing in common. They help to regulate water balance and get rid of any excess water in your body. They have a lot of Potassium and have high water content so they aid your kidneys in removing any excess fluids from the body and make your stomach look flatter. Should I also mention that veggies are high in fiber that prevents constipation?

Btw I usually choose canned artichokes and add them to a salad. I think cooking and eating fresh artichoke is too much of a hassle.

4. Melons and watermelons

‘Belly flattening’ principle behind melons such as cantaloupe, honeydew and watermelon is exactly the same as behind veggies with high water content . Melons are extremely high in water and by eating them you not only fill your stomach with low calorie food but also remove any excess water from the cells, so they prevent bloating. Plus they are so sweet and tasty that they help to satisfy all of my sugar cravings.

5. Teas

All kinds of teas are great for flat belly. Green teas, black teas, herbal teas, they all have  diuretic properties and are friends during any kind of diet. Whenever I feel bloated I start drinking teas, one after another and within hours I see an improvement.

6. Vegetable juices and Smoothies

They can replace a snack during day. They are low calorie ad contain a lot of fiber to help move food down the digestive track. I usually try to avoid smoothies from smoothie shops because often they are heavily sweetened. Instead I make my own smoothies: mango with passion fluit pulp; mango with pineapple or my favorite post-workout green smoothie with banana, OJ, spinach and protein powder. I also love to sip low-sodium tomato juice and oftentimes a glass of tomato juice is my strategy for a night hunger attacks.

7. Seeds and Wheat Bran

All kinds of seeds are friends of flat belly because they contain a lot of fiber. If you want to have a flat belly, fiber is a must. adding 2-3 Tbsp per day of chia seeds, wheat germ, flaxseed or pumpkin seeds is a great way to make you ‘regular’. And although wheat bran comes from wheat and contains gluten, which may irritate some peoples digestive tract, it is a great addition to a diet for those that do not have any gluten sensitivity. Quarter of a cup (4 Tbsp) of wheat bran has only 60 kcal and 12 g of fiber which makes half of the fiber needed daily. Try adding tablespoon to oatmeal, breakfast cereals, yogurts, soups or sprinkle on a salad.

Foods to avoid:

1. Beans

Beans are great and very healthy but they can make you extremely bloated. Beans contain sugars that our body is not able to digest, so these undigested sugars travel to our colon where they become a food for bacterial flora and they produce gasses as a byproduct. So although beans are very healthy, don’t eat any if you’d rather avoid being bloated.

2. Processed foods and fast foods.

Any kinds of fast foods and processed foods such as chips, crackers, popcorn or salted nuts contain a lot of sodium which makes you retain water in cells. Do you remember how I said before that high potassium veggies and fruits help to get rid of excess water from your body? Well high sodium foods work in an opposite way and they cause you to retain water and make belly stick out.

3. Certain vegetables

Some vegetables and fruits can make you feel very bloated and t. If you’d rather  not be be bloated avoid veggies such as brussel sprouts, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, bell pepper, onion, mushrooms, corn, leeks and fruits such as plums, pears, apples and grapes. Every person hovewer is different and what may be hard to digest for one person, may not cause any symptoms to other person. You should see for yourself how you react to different foods.

4. Wheat products

Some people may have sensitivity to gluten, a main protein found in wheat, which may cause some digestive disturbances. If you however do not suspect any gluten sensitivity in yourself, you don’t need to worry about that point.

5. High carbohydrate meals

Eating high carbohydrate meals will make us retain more water in our cells. Carbs are stored in our body in the form of glycogen and glycogen needs H2O to be stored properly so that is the reason why you may have gained a pound or two after eating  few high carb meals.

6. sparkling sodas

Sparkling sodas contain carbon dioxide which puts pressure on our digestive tract and makes us bloated and our bellies become filled with gas.

7. High fat meals

High fat meals may be very hard to digest for our bodies and may cause distress to our digestive system so they are not recommended when you want to have a flat belly.

A while ago I showed here a recipe for a kid friendly Peanut Butter Pasta. This recipe is very similar however I upgraded it slightly by adding miso. Asian people use miso not only to prepare famous miso soup but also as a dressing, marinade and an ingredient in many sauces. Miso paste is not only very tasty but also very healthy. It is made from fermented rice or soybeans and the fermentation process is what makes it so healthy. During fermentation millions of gut friendly bacteria are able to grow inside and when we consume fermented food, those little guys travel to our intestines where they work by improving our digestion, boosting our immunity and produce some very important for our health vitamins (biotin and vit K).

That is exactly why we should consume more fermented foods and consuming miso completely raw, uncooked is even better because cooking process kills those friendly bacteria and we do not get any benefit.

Ingredients (2 servings):

2 bunches Asian wheat or Soba noodles

1 cup favorite frozen stir-fry mix vegetables

2 Tbsp miso paste (I used white miso)

1 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce

1 Tbsp peanut butter (Tahini works great too)

1/4 cup water

2 Tbsp chopped peanuts

2 sliced scallions

• Cook noodles according to a package instructions.
• During last 2 min of cooking, add frozen stir-fry vegetables, bring to a boil and blanch for 1 min.
• Drain pasta and vegetables and cool under cold running water.
• In a bowl mix together miso, soy sauce, peanut butter and water.
• Place noodles in a big bowl. Pour sauce and mix so it is distributed evenly.
• Sprinkle with chopped peanuts and scallions.
• Serve cold (great to take in a lunchbox)

Yesterday was my boyfriend’s birthday so I decided to make this fantastic, rich nutella cake. I found the recipe few months ago on the cooking godess Nigella Lawson’s page and I was just waiting for a perfect opportunity to make it. I’m guessing birthday is a quite good opportunity

They cake is very rich with a strong chocolate flavor and even though it is gluten free (flourless), it’s far from healthy. But cakes are not supposed to be healthy and once a while everyone needs to indulge a bit. I know some nutritionists are very strict about the diet but I am not. I won’t say “no” to a piece of cake on an occasion.

The cake was great and I followed Nigella’s recipe however I did some adjustments. Nigella only uses unsweetened dark chocolate and no sugar at all (except already sweet Nutella of course), but to me it was way too bitter with a pure dark chocolate (I had to add a lot of sugar) so I recommend using semi-sweet chocolate instead and don’t worry about possible bitterness.

Another thing is that I was not able to use the whole frosting, only half of it. I’m giving here amounts from Nigella’s original recipe but you’ll probably be fine if you’ll cut ingredients for the glaze in half. Also the cooking time is 40 min but it took me 50-55 min for the cake to be done so rather than sticking to exactly 40 min, check doneness by inserting a toothpick in the middle. If it comes out dry and the cake starts sticking out from the edges, it should be ready.

Ingredients:

Cake:

6 large eggs, separated

Pinch of salt

1/2 cup softened, unsalted butter

1 x 13 oz Nutella jar

1/2 cup ground hazelnuts

4 oz melted semi-sweet chocolate

9 inch round cake tin

Topping:

4 oz semi-sweet chocolate

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup hazelnuts

• Start with separating the eggs. Beat the softened butter with the egg yolks, nutella and cooled melted chocolate.
• Mix in ground hazelnuts.
• In a separate clean bowl, beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff.
• Gently beat in (in parts) the egg whites into the chocolate mixture.
• Pour into buttered 9 inch round cake tin and bake 40-50 min in the oven preheated to 350 degrees F. Check doneness with a toothpick inserted in the middle. Dry toothpick means the cake is ready.
• Gently remove from the tin and let it cool. The top of the cake will fall a little bit.
• Now prepare the topping. Roast whole hazelnuts on a dry skillet. Make sure not to burn them. Wrap hot hazelnuts in a clean kitchen cloth and rub them vigorously to peel the skin.
• Now heat heavy cream in a pot and melt chocolate in it.
• When both cake and glaze have cooled a bit, pour glaze all over the top of the cake. Decorate with cooled, roasted hazelnuts.

Happy 4th of July!!! What are your plans for today? I am going to have some barbeque with my boyfriend’s and his family. Can’t wait, I haven’t been to a bbq party in a while.

This recipe has nothing to do with 4th of July, unless of course you’re going to throw some chicken on the grill and will have a lot of chicken leftovers. In case you do have some leftover chicken and no idea what to do with it, I may suggest, stuff baked potatoes with it. I adore sweet potatoes and that is what I used but russet potatoes might work as well in this recipe. Also it doesn’t really matter what kind of bbq sauce will you use. As long as you the flavor, it should work.

I love this recipe because it only uses 4 ingredients and is much healthier that pulled chicken sandwiches. Sweet potato is a real nutrient factory. One large sweet potato has only 160 kcal, 6 g of fiber, tons of vit A and good amounts of other nutrients, especially potassium. I try to eat sweet potato at least one day a week and just discovered a great way to eat it.

Ingredients:

(makes 4 sweet potato halves)

2 large sweet potatoes

2 cups shredded leftover chicken

Few Tbs favorite barbeque sauce

4 oz cheddar cheese

• Prick sweet potatoes few times with a fork. Bake 1-1.15 hour in the oven preheated to 400 degrees F.
• Let it cool slightly and cut lengthwise in half.
• Remove the middle portion of the sweet potato leaving about 1/2 inch width inside.
• Mix shredded cooked chicken with bbq sauce and place about half a cup in each potato half.
• Top with each half with 1 oz cheddar cheese and bake additional 15 min until the cheese is melted.

Today I am the happiest girl in the world. After being away for a long time in Georgia, working towards my B.S. in Nutrition, I am finally done with school (at least temporarily) and am back to Miami. That also means that once again I have access to my boyfriend’s awesome camera, Canon Rebel T1i. What a difference a good camera makes. Incredible. I was so excited taking pictures of my meal today. No more lousy camera that takes poor pictures. So expect my return to regular blogging and regular posting of recipes.

My today’s dish is Ina Garten’s (Barefoot Contessa) invention. I used the ingredients from her show but modified the amount used according to my needs and used different cooking methods. Ina grilled her salmon steaks, I baked them in the oven since that is my preferred way of making salmon. Also I preferred to use marinade as a glaze, so I did not remove excess before baking. I must say however that the flavors were outstanding and it might become one of my favorite salmon recipes. And just look at those deep golden-brown colors. Perfection.

Ingredients:  Serves 2

2 x 5-6 oz salmon filets

1 Tbsp Dijon mustard

1/4 tsp minced garlic

2 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce

2 Tbsp olive oil

• Mix all of the marinade ingredients until emulsified.
• Spray baking dish with a cooking oil.
• Place salmon filets in a baking dish skin side down. Pour marinade and spread evenly on a top of the filets. Let stand 10-15 min.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Do not remove the marinade. Put baking dish with a salmon as it is into a hot oven. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes.