Train With Nellie

A Week's Worth of Protein

Interested in saving time while you're planning your upcoming week's meals?   It's all in the prep!

Although I do admit to ending up at Whole Foods more than once per week, I do my main shop on Mondays and, even though I roughly buy the same things (more or less), the meals I create are always diverse.

For example, I'll usually buy chicken breast (skin-on, bone-in), steak (filet mignon, flank, tri tip), fresh fish for that day (salmon, ahi, sea bass).  Always a ton of a variety of fruits and veg as well.

When I get home, I'll decide which I am having over the next two -three days and put the rest of the meat or poultry in the freezer.   Then I'll marinate what I want to marinate and keep the cycle of taking something out of the freezer in time to let it defrost in the fridge and let a marinate soak in for a day or two.

You can stay ahead of the game this way and avoid having to go to the grocery shoppe every day.  I'd also suggest you buy a little extra of whatever you're going to be cooking as leftovers make a terrific lunch for you, your kids and your spouse!

Supplementing...with Vegetables!

I must thank one of my clients for giving me this topic!  She mentioned that, in a pinch, she & her husband will stop off at a local teriyaki joint, pick up some chicken skewers to go, and then supplement them at home with a bowl of steamed veggies!  How perfect is that?

Granted, not all teriyaki shops are sure to provide healthy versions of teriyaki, but you get the idea.  What a great way to turn a situation that could've been a nutritional disaster (i.e. going home, starving, to a cupboard full of processed foodstuffs and filling up on crackers!) into a healthy, balanced meal, without having to do ALL of the work!

Here are some similar suggestions that you might want to incorporate, in order to save time on that odd day that you've not prepared a totally balanced dinner:

-Do you pass by a Rotisserie Shop on the way home?  Order a whole chicken to go, and, once home, serve it with a fresh green salad and a generous helping of steamed broccoli, providing a balanced meal for the whole family.

-Perhaps your PM drive takes you past a sushi joint... grab an order of sashimi (I LOVE salmon, tuna & toro, personally), an order of seaweed salad, and serve it at home along side of a dish of freshly julienned, steamed zucchini and carrots.

-Heading past a Mexican place?  Order some chicken fajitas and present them to your family atop a bed of kale & spinach, garnished with some freshly sliced avocado and a squeeze of lime.

Be creative.   The idea is to keep your choices healthy and, by adding your own veggies to what would've been a plain, fast food-ish meal, you'll create the perfect balance!

Eating on the run, literally...

Have you been enjoying running (or another type of exercise) but feel unsure as to what to eat, and when, with regard to your workout?

While 'sports' nutrition products abound, some of which are far better than others, you can easily make a pre or post workout meal out of real food!

Some of my personal favorites include:

-baked yam with hard boiled egg whites and a touch of salt & dab of olive oil

-banana spread with a bit of raw almond butter

-organic baby food (yes, baby food) banana with egg white protein powder

-natural applesauce, also with protein powder

All are super easy to digest and give a nice balance of fat, protein and carbohydrate.   Play around with these ideas and find your favorite!

Don't forget your water, either- stay hydrated before, during and after every workout!

I can't afford to eat a healthy diet...

I stopped into my local vitamin shop the other day, and the flax seed, lecithin granules and egg white protein powder prompted a comment from the cashier.  "What do you do with all that?", he asked.   We fell into a conversation about diet and nutrition and so on.   He mentioned that he'd been having a hard time losing twenty pounds and when I asked him to describe his nutritional regime, he said that he eats lots of frozen, pre-made meals.  And we're not talking about the better-quality, healthy food store type meals that do tend to be more on the nutritious side.  No.  This poor guy's eating the type you get in the regular grocery store, laden with sodium, hydrogenated oils and God knows what else!

I tried to conceal my true feelings about eating those things (I was so surprised to hear that from someone working in a health food shop!) and asked why he chose to eat that way.  Simple.  It's cheap.   He said he didn't have the budget to shop at any of the upscale health food stores, so instead, he spends $3 -4 per meal stocking up on frozen, pre-made, things-that-used-to-be-food foods!

Now, I realize that most people probably don't have the finances to go to a mega health food shop and spend without consequence.  However, speaking from personal experience, I can say that eating healthy on a budget is not only possible, but quite easy.   

Even as a broke college student, I still kept on top of eating my veg, fruit, protein and so on.  It all comes back to the same thing- one needs to decide what the priority is and budget accordingly.   I've always felt that nutrition is simply not the area to scrimp and pinch on.

Of course, it gets even more challenging if we're talking about a family on a tight budget versus a single college student (the latter of which could possibly just cut down on buying clothing, for example), but it's still doable.

Here's how:

-Use the grocery store flyers that are mailed each week to see which fruits, veg and meats are on sale that week and stock up.  You can always buy extra fruit and freeze it to use in smoothies, for example. You can also freeze meat, fish and poultry for use the following week or so.  Since the sale items change, this tip will help you to keep your fruit and veg choices varied.

-If buying organic is just too pricey, don't let that be a reason to entirely skip buying produce.  Non-organic, conventional (but at least fresh) produce is still favorable to canned or ultra-processed food.

- Buy in bulk when appropriate.  Choosing your raw walnuts from the bin, for example, saves as you don't pay for packaging and so on.

-Use your leftovers.  Perhaps you'll prepare a roast chicken with veg for your family for dinner one night.   Turn what's left into a chicken stew for the next day's lunch.  Send the kids (and  yourself and spouse!) to school/work with the last night's dinner for lunch.  *Bringing lunch from home saves a TON of money!*

-Try making things at home instead of buying 'kits'.  For example, rather than paying $5 for a bag of spinach with a packet of dressing, a packet of dried cranberries and a packet of dressing inside, buy those items separately and save again.

-Grow your own fruits and veg.  While I realize this may sound like a stretch as many (or most, perhaps) don't have time to garden, but if it's remotely possible, here's yet another way to save.  Get the kids involved, too!  Seeing the fruits (excuse the pun) of their labor grown may encourage them to eat more produce as well.   Even if there's no space for a garden, perhaps a small window box where you can grow fresh herbs and spices in order to jazz up your  meals would be an option.

Happy, healthy eating!

"Who has the time to prepare healthy food?"

Today as I chatted with a woman who'd asked me for some advice on how to keep from getting too hungry during her workday, it dawned on me how few people acknowledge how much of a priority nutrition really is.

After explaining to her my philosophy on going to the grocery store twice per week and then spending a single hour grilling chicken, baking yams, steaming veggies, washing fruit (all easy tasks that don't require a culinary degree and serve to keep you stocked on healthy choices for two - three days to follow), she rolled her eyes and told me she already had a full time job!

Yes, you do need to allocate time to go to the store, prepare food and put it in containers in order to bring them to work the next day.  How much time?  As I wrote above, you can easily do it in an hour or less, twice per week (the twice-weekly approach is only to ensure that your food is not sitting too long getting old!).

Where do you find the time if you're a mom, a busy exec, a student with two jobs?  You just find it.  Make it a priority and do it!  It needs to be a priority, and not just if you are someone who is trying to lose a few pounds.  

A sound nutritional plan, combined with a regular exercise regime is the foundation of a healthy lifestyle; everything else follows.  Whatever it is that you do, if you're healthy and fit, you can perform every task, both mental and physical, better, if you've supplied your body with the nutrients it needs.  You're simply NOT going to do that by starving all morning because you 'didn't have time for breakfast', getting your sugar fix mid morning with a mocha and a white bagel, crashing and then doing the same thing mid afternoon and then finally getting home late and stuffing yourself with whatever junk you find at home!

MAKE it a priority- it will become a habit; you WILL feel better and have more energy- and that's a promise!

Strange Diets!

One of my clients asked me what I thought of the Lemon Juice Diet.  "What's that?", I asked her.  She explained that it was a diet she'd read about which suggested that people trying to lose weight eat nothing and drink a concoction of water, lemon juice, cayenne pepper and molasses.   Right.  That sounds like a really sound way to eat (or not!).  No protein, no fat and a tiny bit of carbohydrate from molasses.

Although strange trends abound, I suggest always using common sense to determine whether a trendy diet is a good idea or not.  Also, consider who or what your source is!  If it's the busybody from the office who tries to convince everyone to only eat protein and nothing else, or the weekly tabloid magazine you read on the plane, perhaps you might take what you've gleaned from them with a grain of salt!   

Unfortunately, many times the information that is presented seems to come from a reputable source, but in actuality, it may not!

These days, we all have to do our own research and investigate matters to determine what diets are a healthy approach to permanent weight loss and lifestyle change, versus which are nothing more than a fad, or even worse, some strange trend that may not only not help you lose weight, but could even put you in harm's way!

Here are a few tips to help you decide whether a diet you encounter is a good idea or not:

-Does it suggest eliminating an entire macro-nutrient?  For example, does it suggest anything like:  "NO fat" or "NO Carbohydrate"?  If so- keep on looking!

-Does it promote anything that just doesn't sound right?  Refer back to the lemon juice diet example!

-Does it sound too good to be true?   Perhaps you've seen an ad for a pill that claims you needn't diet nor exercise, but the pounds will just melt off, regardless of what you eat, if you take some special supplement;   DON'T do it- who knows what's in the pills and whether you could be putting your health in jeopardy!

-Does it sound like something you can follow long-term; i.e. for the rest of  your life?  If not, chances are it would be a quick-fix diet designed to drop pounds fast, only to leave you in a position where  you're ready to binge-eat your way back to, or above, the overweight place at which you started!

Remember- you need to eat food, real food, and you need to move.  Take small steps that you can slowly make into a formula for an individualized approach that works for you!   Be patient and keep in mind that you didn't gain the extra weight overnight, nor should you expect to lose it that quickly either!

Keep healthy and keep reading!

"My diet's been great and then I went out to dinner..."

You've been doing great on your diet- learning what a portion size looks like, making sure to balance your healthy proteins with good sources of fat and whole, unprocessed carbohydrates and then...you go out to dinner. You panic. The waiter brings the bread basket and you find it hard to resist the temptation of the freshly baked (white) dinner rolls. Then your friends, without asking you first, order a round of (sugary) cocktails and a plate of (triple fried) nachos. Alternatively, perhaps you went to a more upscale joint, and your significant other is clearly disappointed that you won't partake in the baked brie en croute as a starter and urges you to at least share the creme brule to finish. Or maybe you're ordering take away solo and simply aren't comfortable distinguishing what is a healthy choice and what is not!

What to do?

There are a few issues. One- how to respond to social pressures to eat and drink things you might not have opted for independently. Two- how to choose (or modify) healthy menu options.

Regarding the first scenario, the bottom line is that you've got to be confident in your choice to continue your healthy eating, whether in a restaurant or at home. Own it! You've opted to become a healthier and more fit person, and if your friends are giving you a hard time about it, I'd wonder whether perhaps they're a bit envious of your dedication and wish they'd have stuck to their nutrition goals as well as you had!

Now, how to pick what to eat?? A few things to remember:
-You may want to order a starter or two instead of a main course if the restaurant is known for large serving sizes. Alternatively, when your plate arrives, cut your meal in two and ask to have the rest wrapped to bring home.
-Choose items with names like 'broiled, steamed, grilled' instead of fried.
-Stick with chicken breast, wild fish, lean beef such as filet mignon over fattier cuts like marbled steaks and ribs.
-Opt away from items with cream sauces.
-Ask for your salad with oil and vinegar on the side and leave off the cheese and croutons. Perhaps request avocado in their place.
-Keep hydrated. Have water, but don't feel like you have to stick with plain water if you want something a bit different. Order a Pelligrino with lime or a hot, herbal tea.
-Don't be timid about asking your server if the chef minds modifications. Yes, I am 100% that customer who nearly always orders similarly to Meg Ryan's character in "When Harry Met Sally" (OK, I'm not THAT bad : ). If you're pleasant about it, I don't see why there would be an objection.
-Keeping along the same train of thought, if you don't see any veg on the menu, ask to see if the chef has any in the kitchen he can steam and serve along side your entree. I'm thrilled when I ask and often find that there is an option of steamed broccoli or kale. (Not kidding, I genuinely get very happy about this!)
-Don't avoid eating all day with the intention of 'saving all your calories for dinner'. You're setting yourself up for an over indulgence which will likely not end well.
-Ration your meal. Decide in advance where you might want to have something special and stick with it. In other words, don't have the bread before dinner AND the huge pasta dish AND four glasses of wine AND the chocolate torte. Do you see the trend? All are processed carbohydrates. Choose one that you'll have and that, along with your salad with balsamic vinegar, your grilled chicken with steamed veg and your post-dinner decaf espresso will balance out nicely.

Remember, eating a healthy diet needs to be something you're going to do for the rest of your life so you need to be comfortable eating in, or out!

Go book your table!

"Is there a place in a healthy diet for 'sugar-free' products?"

You may've decided that you want to stick with your plan to lose some pounds, and as a result, you've chosen to go with one of the many 'diet' foods out there on the market. You may've noticed that coincidentally, when you added any one of the fake sugars to your diet, that you started to feel 'off'. While this doesn't happen to everyone who eats these engineered products, don't be surprised if your digestion is simply not as normal as it used to be before you added these things in!

To put it simply, some of the fake sugars are just not recognized or digested by the human GI tract. So, as a result, they can literally sit there and fester in the intestine, causing bloating, gas, pain and digestive disturbance, to name just a few possible side effects! Add to that the fact that some of the fake sugars have been shown to increase rates of certain cancers and cause headaches, and you've got a really appealing ingredient in your 'food'!

I've always preferred the approach of having the 'real thing', just less often and not as much! For example, if you LOVE chocolate (as I do!), having a small, 1/2 oz peice of premium dark chocolate after dinner is much more satisfying that having a serving of some pretend, diluted, fake-sugar added dessert!

Having a 'treat' less often also makes it more enjoyable and special. From a nutritional standpoint, we do not 'need' dessert, and we should plan our diet accordingly. Again, have a small piece of the real version of whatever your 'treat' of choice may be, once in a while, and you'll be able to find room to accommodate one or two hundred extra calories in your diet over the course of a week, much more easily than trying to fit them in every day!

"Shouldn't I have an 'energy' bar and a 'power' drink when my energy levels feel low?"

It depends what you mean by energy bar and power drink! Unfortunately, those two terms bring to my mind items that are not necessarily food and are, furthermore, not such a good nutritional choice for you!

Quite often, canned drinks, packaged bars and such labeled 'energy' this or 'power' that are named so due to their inclusion of ingredients like herbal stimulants or sugar! Sure, they might give you a quick pick-me-up, but that's often nothing more than a sugar rush.

If you're starving and your blood sugar dips to lower than ideal levels, you may think, at the moment, that you 'need' sugar. In a sense, it's true- your body does need sugar to function at a very basic level, but it needs many other balanced nutrients as well to function optimally. Ingesting white, processed table sugar in addition to substances like herbal ephedra, or various versions of caffeine, stimulates a blood sugar rush indeed (not to mention heart palpitations, sweating and nervousness in some people!), but soon after a blood sugar crash is to follow.

A much better idea would be to prevent your blood sugar from dipping that low in the first place, by eating small, regular, balanced meals throughout the day. However, if you've already reached desperately low blood sugar and you're starry eyed and ready to faint- there's still hope. DON'T settle for some junk you might see at the gas-station-mart!

First, have some water. Dehydration can easily be mistaken for hunger. Then, have a wise snack: choose some sliced turkey breast, an apple and some almonds. Or how about some baby carrots and hard boiled eggs? (Incidentally, all of the previous items are such that one can prepare ahead of time and have on hand in the fridge or pantry at home, or at work! I've even seen them at convenience shoppes!)

Rule of thumb: keep it balanced- some lean protein, some healthy fat and some unprocessed carbohydrates. Stick to this and your body will appreciate it!

"I don't have time on my lunch break to get something healthy to eat..."

Many people feel they're too busy to eat well. Well- how important is it to you? If it is a top priority, you'll find a way to do it. Regardless of whether you're a working mom of three, a top executive at your company or a college student working two jobs, you can find the time.

For more than half my life, I've been using the following method which has served me quite well and has obviously become second nature: twice per week, I spend 30 minutes to one hour in the kitchen preparing simple, healthy foods. (Of course, this is assuming you go to the grocery store to shop- more on that on the next blog!) I'll space out the cooking so that on each occasion I'll make enough to last me for a few days.

Here's an example of how one such cooking-hour might pan out:

Wash yams and put them into the oven to bake in a pan of water.
In another pan, lightly oil a pan with olive oil and place some skinless, boneless chicken breasts in it, then sprinkle with salt & pepper.
(Clean your work surface and wash hands thoroughly before switching from raw poultry to veg preparation!:)
Wash some broccoli, some cauliflower, some spinach and set to steam, one at a time, until lightly cooked. Set aside to cool.
(Check chicken and yams occasionally so as not to overcook).
Wash some apples, pears, oranges, grapes and set aside.
When the yams and chicken are done, take them out of the oven to cool a bit.
Place the veg, chicken, yams & grapes in separate containers and put them in the fridge; keep apples, oranges & pears on the counter in a fruit bowl (not only do they taste good, but they look pretty as well!).

Final result: You have prepared simple, healthy food and it is ready to eat in your refrigerator. Now you can:
-plan your meals for the next few days
-pack your lunch and snack in a matter of minutes
-come home from work and throw a few things together and add whichever spices, seasonings and such that you might fancy, without adding calories and unhealthy fat, and have a meal ready to go immediately
-avoid the dreadful look in the fridge to see lots of healthy, but uncooked things, and, as a result of having had a blood sugar crash after your 4pm scone and coffee-shop 'milkshake', decide to go for the chips instead, simply because they're quick and ready

Try implementing this for a short period of time and, chances are, you'll see that you don't really need hours per day or a personal chef to create a healthy eating pattern!

ENJOY!