Everyone knows that physical activity is just as important to healthy living as a good diet. The problem with physical activity, though, is that it doesn’t come with a label. It’s hard to equate a certain number of minutes of any specific activity to how many calories are burned – especially when the caloric value is based on weight.

Enter the “Calorie Burn Calculator” from HealthStatus!

The mission of HeathStatus is to enable people to quickly and easily determine and track the status of their health and health risks compared to U.S. national averages, and scientific standards – and one of the ways that they do this is by providing specific calculators to take a quick snapshot of a person’s health. For the “Calorie Burn Counter” simply enter a weight, choose an activity, and enter the total number of minutes – and the number of calories burned is automatically calculated.

You can access the “Calorie Burn Counter” calculator by using this link: Calorie Burn Counter

Happy Exercising ~

High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) – or corn syrup that has been broken down and processed to form a ratio-specific blend of fructose and glucose – has become the go-to sweetener for the United States food industry. Two of the main reasons for this are that the high fructose blend, in comparison to sucrose (or table sugar), is sweeter in taste and cheaper to produce.

In today’s grocery store you will find HFCS listed in the ingredient list for almost any processed food that you purchase – from breads and cereals to lunch meats and yogurts. The significance of this continues to be argued. Read more →

If the only way you’re able to stomach your veggies is with a tasty salad dressing, then it’s definitely a do! However, there are some things that you should remember:

Almost all salad dressings have their fair share of sodium – be mindful.

Almost all salad dressings have fat – just remember some have more unsaturated fat (think oily dressings) and some have more saturated fat (think creamy dressings).

The typical serving size is two tablespoons – ignoring the serving size just negates all the good things you are doing for your body by eating veggies in the first place.

So, two ways to make sure you’re sticking to your allotted serving size:

Put your salad in a container with the recommended serving size and toss until it’s all mixed together (and evenly coated).

Get your dressing on the side and coat your fork with it before each bite (trust me – you’d be surprised how well this one works).

One of the concepts stressed to our Optifast patients in the “Making the Transition” class is that minimizing variety is helpful when re-introducing food back into the diet.

Recently, however, it has been pointed out to me that this concept is a bit confusing – as most of the time it’s the opposite advice that one hears (such as “eat a variety of fruits and vegetables”).

So what gives??

While it is necessary to eat a variety of foods in order to get all the vitamins and minerals that a body needs to function properly, it may seem overwhelming to have to think about (or be tempted with) variety – especially if an individual hasn’t had to deal with “real” food for three months. For this reason, we encourage meal planning with only a small selection of foods at first. It may seem boring or counter-productive to limit choices when the ultimate goal is to eat a calorically appropriate daily diet that provides all necessary nutrients; but, at least initially, it may be the best approach for the transition period.

Be assured that by the time our Optifast patients reach the end of their transition period, they will have hopefully picked up many tips and tools to create and enjoy a multitude of different meal options that keep them happy and healthy…because it’s true: variety IS the spice of life!

Whether or not you identify with being a vegetarian, there is one thing that the lifestyle has going for it – BEANS!

Beans are a great source of low-fat protein (and fiber!) – and a good addition to almost any dish that you would otherwise pair with meat. Chilies, soups, salads, etc.

Here’s a website that offers tons of bean recipes to get you started: http://www.savvyvegetarian.com/vegetarian-recipes/bean-recipes.php

Happy Cooking ~

On June 2nd, the First Lady helped to unveil the federal government’s new “food icon”, MyPlate, to serve as a reminder to help consumers make healthier food choices. It’s a simple graphic representation of the 2010 Guidelines for Healthy Americans, and the replacement for the Food Guide Pyramid (the USDA’s 1992 food icon) and/or MyPyramid (the USDA’s 2005 food icon).

The Guidelines main messages include:

Balance Calories

• Enjoy your food, but eat less.
• Avoid oversized portions.

Foods to Increase

• Make half your plate fruits and vegetables.
• Switch to fat-free or low-fat (1%) milk.
• Make at least half your grains whole grains

Foods to Reduce

• Compare sodium (salt) in foods like soup, bread, and frozen meals, and choose foods with lower
  numbers.
• Drink water instead of sugary drinks.

To quote the press release, “As Americans are experiencing epidemic rates of overweight and obesity, the online resources and tools [which can be found on ChooseMyPlate.gov] can empower people to make healthier food choices for themselves, their families, and their children.” Additionally, later this year, USDA will unveil an exciting “go-to” online tool that consumers can use to personalize and manage their dietary and physical activity choices – a perfect compliment to any weight loss program!!

These are the best homemade black bean burgers that I have come across in eight years of vegetarian living – kitchen AND taste tested!!

Ingredients

• 1 small onion, cut into 6 wedges
• 3-4 medium mushrooms (button or baby portobello, stemmed and cut into large chunks)
• up to 2 cups rolled oats (ex. plain Quaker instant oatmeal)
• 1 14oz can of black beans (drained)
• 1 egg
• 1 Tbsp chili powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• water (as needed)
• Parmesan cheese (grated, as needed)
• olive oil (for cooking)

Directions

Add onion, mushrooms, and 1/2 cup of rolled oats to food processor and chop until there are no large chunks left (this may require removing the lid and stirring a few times) – it is important NOT to over-process. Add black beans and chop until MOST of the black beans are incorporated into the mixture. Add egg, chili powder, salt, and 1 Tbsp of water – blend until egg is incorporated (it’s okay if the spices are not evenly distributed). Again, DO NOT over-process. Turn mixture out into a mixing bowl and continue to stir. Add rolled oats – 1/2 cup at a time (up to an additional 1 and 1/2 cups), water (1 Tbsp at a time), and/or Parmesan cheese (1 Tbsp at a time) until the consistency is pliable and sticky, but not too moist. Place mixture in the refrigerator for 10 minutes. With WET hands shape patties (6-8 depending on size of patty) and place on a plate – use wax or parchment paper to separate patties, return plate to the refrigerator for another 15-20 minutes (time permitting) to allow the patties to set. Heat skillet at 5-6 and drizzle with olive oil. Once hot, add patties and cook until browned on one side (~5 minutes) – carefully flip and cook on the other side until the patties are firm and evenly browned. Serve as you would a “regular” burger!

YUM!

Enjoy ~