Healthy Eating
Green Tea Protein Shake
1 large cup green tea (steeped from 2 bags)
2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce (or ½ apple)
1 tbsp ground flaxseed
2-3 scoops whey protein powder
Pinch cinnamon
¼ avocado
½ banana
Ice cubes
Place all ingredients into a blender and blend thoroughly.
HEALTHY TIPS
- Omega-3 essential fatty acids, found in flaxseed, help minimize potential muscle soreness brought on by post-workout inflammation.
- Catechins in green tea have been shown to dilate your arterial lining just 15 minutes after drinking. Improved vascular function allows your body to better reload your muscle cells with the fuel it needs immediately for muscle-building energy.
- Whey for muscles – For optimum results, drink half of this shake before your workout and save the other half for afterward.
Green Beans with Lemon and Garlic
1 lb frozen French-cut green beans
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic
Juice of half a lemon
Sea salt to taste
Steam beans until tender. Set aside. Heat oil in a pan and sauté garlic for 5 minutes.
Remove pan from heat.
Add lemon juice to pan and stir. Pour garlic-lemon sauce over beans. Toss. (The fiber and health fats will satisfy your hunger on very few calories.)
Nutrients per serving: Calories – 40; Total Fats – 2g; Saturated Fat – 0g; Trans Fat – 0g; Cholesterol – 0mg; Sodium – 10mg; Total Carbohydrates – 4g; Dietary Fiber – 2g; Sugars – 2g; Protein – 1g; Iron – 0mg.
HEALTHY TIPS
- The fiber and healthy fats will satisfy your hunger on very few calories
Beet & Spinach Salad
2 cups fresh baby spinach
1 cup sliced canned beets, drained and rinsed
1 medium apple, chopped
7 walnut halves, chopped
3 tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice
1 tbsp honey
Fresh ground pepper to taste
1 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
In a medium bowl, combine spinach, beets, apple and walnuts. In a small bowl, whisk together orange juice, honey and pepper to taste. Toss dressing with the salad and add feta cheese.
Nutrients per serving: Calories – 205; Total Fats – 8g; Saturated Fat – 3g; Trans Fat – 0g; Cholesterol – 12 mg; Sodium 0 347 mg; Total Carbohydrates – 32g; Dietary Fiber – 5g; Sugars – 25g; Protein – 5 g; Iron – 3mg.
HEALTHY TIPS
- A serving of spinach has seven times more energy-boosting nitrates than broccoli
- Beets can help you with your cardio efforts and boost heart health
- Walnuts are a rich source of healthy fats that fight inflammation
- Feta Cheese provides metabolism-boosting calcium
More healthy eating tips
At Beyond Fitness we are all about lifestyle change. So for us to say you have to eat a certain way may come as a shock to the system. Change happens when you want to change for reasons that are important to you!
I want to encourage you to be a ‘label reader’. Look at calories per serving size, the number of calories from fat per serving, sodium and fiber content, and grams of protein, etc. It isn’t rocket science, and I have been offering nutritional guidelines to student athletes and clients for many years.
It’s a basic principle of understanding that “Food is fuel”. But our home environment, our schedules, and our friends, often encourage us to either under-fuel or over-fuel the machine. The journey to healthy eating is a process.
You are not going to change a lifetime of eating habits overnight, and it is unrealistic to think that drastic change will result in lifelong change – unless it is life threatening! But, if you have seen ‘Supersize Me’, you know that it is life threatening. Don’t panic! We are here to help…
So rather than give you a whole bunch of suggestions and recipes, let’s just start with taking what you already have in your kitchen, and offer healthier choices. The recipes and guidelines will come too!
So how do you feel?
A great way to measure what goes into your body and the effect it has on your health, is to take note of how you feel after eating a meal or a snack. Waiting just 20 minutes after a meal, gives you ample opportunity to take note of any allergic reactions or side effects that are often present when we eat foods that are not healthy and/or don’t agree with our system. Sometimes we are experiencing unhealthy reactions and we chalk it up to being stressed. Or, we don’t even notice the reaction because our bodies have become use to the symptoms. Turkey is just one of the alternatives to beef or pork, and is considered healthy. But turkey contains an amino acid called tryptophan, and its sedative properties can make you feel tired, sluggish, or just plain sleepy. Tryptophan helps the body produce the B-vitamin niacin, which, the body in turn produces serotonin, a remarkable chemical that acts as a calming agent in the brain and plays a key role in sleep. So, the next time you have turkey for lunch or dinner and find yourself longing for a nap, it may not be that you had such a hectic day at the office… it just might be the tryptophan.
A few other tips to keep in mind:
Try cutting back on sodas and juices that have loads of sugar or artificial coloring and sweeteners.
- Drink rice, soy or milk if you can’t digest milk products (no bloating).
- Use Bragg’s Liquid Amino’s for seasoning (low sodium) .
- Eat whole grains (or sprouted grains) instead of processed flour.
- If you have peanut allergies, substitute soy or seed butters (i.e. sunflower), as well as almond butter.
General Nutritional Suggestions
- Drink ½ – 1 gallon of water each day
- Eat 4-6 small meals throughout the day to boost metabolism and energy
- Get enough sleep
Food Plan Suggestions
Protein sources
- 3-5 oz chicken breast, turkey, tuna, fish, shrimp, tofu, egg whites, grilled, baked or sautéed in 1 teaspoon olive oil. Have protein at every meal. Don’t forget the quality protein you’ll get from brown rice, soy beans and soy products.
Flavorings
- Onion, garlic, lemon juice, 2 tablespoons salsa, 1 tablespoon low-fat dressing, mustard (no ketchup), ½ cup spaghetti sauce, salt-free spice mixes, cinnamon, vanilla extract
Other suggestions
- Whole Grain or Sprouted Grain bread or Old Fashioned Oats, sweet potatoes, brown rice, whole wheat pastas or Quinoa are good sources of complex carbohydrates
- Beans will add to protein intake (Avoid Baked Beans)
- Have more berries and northern fruits than citrus fruits instead of juice.
- Consume dark green vegetables in abundance, use colorful veggies for accent.
Snack Suggestions
- ½ cup Fat free ricotta cheese with ½ cup berries, honey and cinnamon
- 1 cinnamon rice cake with 1 tablespoon Almond Butter
- 2 Kavli with Almond Butter and apple slices
- 2 tablespoons of hummus with celery or broccoli
- ½ turkey or chicken sandwich with hummus or mashed sweet potato (1 slice whole grain bread and fresh poultry – not deli)
- Unsweetened apple sauce with chopped nuts, cinnamon n a slice of sprouted grain toast
- 8 oz. cup of lite chocolate soy milk
- Protein smoothie with ½ cup fruit and ½ cup soy or skimmed milk
