Recipe of the Month: Easy Mexican Veggie Frittata (August 2008)

Frittatas are one of my favorite weeknight meals because they are so easy to make, they don’t produce many dishes, and they are a great way to use leftovers.  I made this frittata last night with some leftover beans and the vegetables that I had available.  I encourage you to use this recipe as a base, and experiment with different herbs or vegetables.

Ingredients

• Egg, 8 large
• Beans, 1 cup (kidney, black, or pinto all work well)
• Onion, 1 cup, chopped
• Garlic, 3 cloves, diced
• Broccoli, fresh, 1 cup, chopped (bite-size)
• Sweet Corn, Fresh, .5 cup (removed from cob, frozen works fine)
• Cheddar Cheese, 3/4 cup, shredded
• Cilantro, diced (to taste)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Heat a large cast-iron skillet and spray with Pam. Saute onions and garlic until they begin to carmelize. Add broccoli and corn.
3. While the veggies are cooking, scramble eggs in a bowl.  Add eggs and cilantro to the veggies in the skillet, and remove from heat.  Spread the egg mixture throughout the vegetables in the skillet so that they are fully integrated.
4. Bake skillet until egg is cooked through (10-15 minutes). 
5. Sprinkle fritatta with cheese and set stand for 10 minutes.  Serve (with salsa!).

Nutritional Info (Amount Per Serving)
Number of Servings: 6

• Calories: 253.6
• Total Fat: 15.0 g
• Cholesterol: 301.2 mg
• Sodium: 467.8 mg
• Total Carbs: 14.1 g
• Dietary Fiber: 4.0 g
• Protein: 15.9 g

Secrets to Exercise Success

If someone had told me a year ago that today I would be jogging on my lunch breaks and forty pounds lighter, I never would have believed it. I’ve been overweight and sedentary since I was nine years-old, but back in February I had a sudden change of heart. It was a combination of events that led to the change – one of the biggest was that a student who I coached on nutrition & fitness successfully lost over 50 pounds. When I saw her, I suddenly realized that the nutrition health advice I was giving really would work, and that I (ridiculously) wasn’t taking my own good advice!

Many people who are overweight have heard how important exercise is to successful weight loss, but it simply goes in one ear and out the other. Exercise is simply too difficult, so why bother? For some reason we’re willing to starve ourselves on absurd diets, but we’re unwilling to put on jogging shoes or enroll in a dance class.

Maybe you don’t have time, or you’re afraid of looking silly, or you simply believe that exercise won’t produce results; whatever your excuse is, it’s time to get over it! You can always make time for your health. No one cares what you look like when you’re sweaty. And most importantly, it will work. I promise!

Nari’s Secrets to Exercise Success: 

1. You need to make a real commitment. Fitness is a lifestyle – it is something that you maintain daily. You don’t have to go to the gym seven days a week, but you should strive to be active in some way everyday. I strive to do 20-40 minutes of strenuous aerobic activity 4-5 times per week, and then at least some strength training on the other days. If those numbers overwhelm you, keep in mind you can do less – what’s most important is that you incorporate some activity every day
2. Start with a low-impact exercise. If you rarely exercise or are very overweight, don’t start with running or lifting weights. You may believe that getting fit requires running, but the truth is that starting with a high-impact activity when you’ve never been active before is incredibly hard on your knees, and quickly end your fitness efforts. Instead, try an elliptical machine for an impact-free jog, gentle yoga, or simply walk instead. Your joints won’t suffer, and you won’t exhaust yourself as easily. I only started running a few weeks ago – and I’ll admit that I love it – but that’s only because I sweat-it-out on the elliptical for four months first.
3. Set goals, and always push yourself a little. Even if you can only fit-in a few minutes for exercise, you can always push yourself a little. Set small goals for yourself each time you exercise, so that you always have something to work towards. Then, increase the incline, do 3 more minutes than yesterday, or sprint to the finish! You should never exhaust yourself, but if you don’t challenge yourself you won’t improve.

 

note: photo courtosy of svanes‘ flickr photostream.

Recipe of the Month: Chunky Vegetable Chipotle Chili (July 2008)

Incredibly delicious and satisfying vegetable chili. Even the biggest meat-lover or vegetable-hater will love this dish!

40 Minutes to Prepare and Cook. Vegan/Vegetarian.

Ingredients

• 2 tbs olive oil
• 1 medium zucchini
• 8-oz white mushrooms
• 1 bell pepper
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 red onion
• 2-3 carrots
• 2 28-oz cans of diced stewed tomatoes (low-sodium if available)
• Half can chipotle peppers in adobo (to taste, remove seeds for less heat)
• 3 tbs ground cumin
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• 2 tbs garlic powder
• 1 15-oz can black beans (drained and rinsed)
• 1 15-oz can kidney beans (drained and rinsed

Directions

1. Dice all vegetables.
2. Heat oil in large pot.
3. Add vegetables to pan & cook until they begin to soften.
4. Add spices and tomatoes. Cook until all vegetables are tender.
5. Add beans and heat through.
6. Serve with low-fat cheese, green onions, and fresh bread.

Nutritional Info
Number of Servings: 8
Amount Per Serving
* Calories: 161.8
* Total Fat: 4.4 g
* Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
* Sodium: 477.9 mg
* Total Carbs: 27.3 g
* Dietary Fiber: 7.3 g
* Protein: 6.5 g

What to Ask Before a One-Night Stand

A “friend” of mine once admitted to me that weren’t sure what information they needed to gather from a new sexual partner (such as one that may be found prior to a one night stand) in order to know that they were safe from STDs.  Upon their request, I created the “Foreplay Card” – a small reference card with questions for you and your partner to ask one another before sex.  The Foreplay Card will help you start a conversation about your partner’s sexual history and safe sex, so print your own copy and stash it with your condoms or in your nightstand!

The Foreplay Card

The New Youthful Face of Diabetes

Unfortunately, there is a startling new face of type 2 diabetes: young people.  While most children and young adults with diabetes have type 1, soaring obesity rates are   making type 2 diabetes, a  disease that used to be seen primarily in adults over age 45, more common among young people, particularly in American Indians, African Americans, and Hispanic/Latinos.According to data reported in 2006 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one in 523 people younger than age 20 has diabetes¹!  The CDC    explains that obesity, physical inactivity, and prenatal exposure to diabetes have become widespread, and may contribute to the increased development of type 2 diabetes during  childhood and adolescence. 

What is Diabetes?   Diabetes is a disease that  affects the body’s ability to produce or respond to insulin, a hormone that allows blood glucose (blood sugar) to enter the cells of the body and be used for energy.  It results in too much glucose in the blood, a condition that slowly damages your eyes, heart, kidneys, nerves, legs, and feet.  Diabetes is the fifth-deadliest disease in the United States, and it has no cure. 

Are You at Risk for Diabetes?

• ð Are you overweight?
• ð Do you get little or no exercise?
• ð Do you have high blood pressure (130/80 or higher)?
• ð Do you have a brother or sister with diabetes?
• ð Do you have a parent with diabetes?
• ð Are you a woman who had diabetes when you were pregnant OR have you had a baby who weighed more than 9 pounds at birth?
• ð Are you African     American, Native   American, Hispanic, or Asian American/Pacific Islander?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, ask your  medical provider if you need a diabetes test. 

Although most people with diabetes do not notice any signs, here are some possible Warning Signs:

• ð Going to the bathroom a lot
• ð Feeling hungry or thirsty all the time
• ð Blurred vision
• ð Lose weight without  trying
• ð Cuts/bruises that are slow to heal
• ð Feeling tired all the time
• ð Tingling/numbness in the hands or feet

1.  National Institute of Health News.  “Diabetes Rates Are Increasing Among Youth.”  November 13th, 2007.  <http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/nov2007/niddk-13.htm&gt;.  

Beverage Nutriton: How to Survive in Latte-Land

Welcome to Part Two of my investigation into Nutrition Action’s rhetorical question, “Pour Better or Pour Worse?”  When we last met, I discussed some of the merits of different forms of caffeine delivery (short of intravenously . . .), and today I’ll put a dent into the milk, cream, dairy powder, sugar, etc. that are added to coffee and tea drinks to make them more appealing to sugar-shocked Americans.  Let’s dive right in, and hopefully we’ll be able to get back out from under all of the saturated fat!

 

 

It is not too difficult to make healthy choices at your local coffee house, provided that you know what to look for.  Before we get to the basic guidelines like avoiding whole milk and extra syrup flavors, here are some cold, hard facts about those creamy liquid delights (consider this a scare tactic):

·        A Venti (24 oz.) Vanilla Bean Frappuccino® Blended Crème has as many calories as a Big Mac, almost as many grams of fat as a medium order of McDonald’s French Fries, and over five times as much sugar as a glazed donut from Dunkin Donuts.

·        A Venti (24 oz.) Java Chip Frappuccino® has 650 calories and nearly an entire day’s worth of saturated fat.  It’s like a cup of coffee, plus 11 creamers and 29 packets of sugar.

·        Adding a flavored syrup and whole milk to a Grande (16 oz.) adds 170 calories!

 

Everything is fine in moderation, but if your wouldn’t choose to eat at McDonald’s four times a week, why would you choose a Java Chip Frappuccino four times a week?  I can’t stress this enough, it is fine to enjoy a specialty coffee drink once in a while, just remember these tips to keep your coffee break from turning into a Big Mac break:

·        Substitute whole milk with non-fat milk or soy milk to save 50-100 calories and 4-5 grams of saturated fat.

·        Skip the whipped cream.  It adds about 120 calories and 7 grams of saturated fat to your drink!

·        Use no-cal, sugar free syrups over others which add about 70 calories to your drink.

 

Here’s what Nutrition Action has to say about Starbucks Frappuccinos®:

“The original Coffee Frappuccino Blended Coffee—which comes from a mix (mostly sugar, coffee, and milk) blended with ice and sans whipped cream—has only 260 calories and 2 grams of saturated fat in a grande.  Not too shabby.

. . . Shabby are all the other flavors which deliver 420 to 550 calories and about 10 grams of sat fat.”

Their experts recommend choosing a Frappuccino® Light instead of a Java Chip, but as a Frappuccino® lover myself I think that’s bad advice because Starbuck’s light version tastes horrible.  When I’m in the mood for a blended coffee, I go down to my local independent coffee house (where they make blended drinks with actual ingredients, rather than powder) and ask them to substitute the whole milk for non-fat or soy.  Some places use a dairy-based smoothie powder – to make their drinks creamy – which you can ask the barista to leave out in order to cut out sugar, carbs, and sometimes fat.  If I’m looking for a flavor punch, I bring my own banana or orange juice and ask the barista to blend that in too.  Orange zest is my favorite addition, but I know that’s a bit too much to ask of you at 8 o’clock in the morning..

 

 

Furthermore, if you’re looking for something cold and icy, try one of Jamba Juice’s new all-fruit smoothies, or make your own with fresh produce.  Although fruit smoothies pack a lot of calories and sugar, they don’t fill you with empty calories from milk and refined sugar.  Instead, they provide nutrients that we should be getting from eating a balanced diet and natural fructose sugar that sticks with you for several hours (no sugar-high here!).  Thanks to decades of fad-diets, American common-sense now tells us that a non-fat sugar-free latte is healthier than a bowl of fruit (who the hell decided that fruit was bad for you?!), but the food pyramid still tells us to eat a variety of fruits and vegetables.  Can you imagine what the population might look like today if we all understood that we need to eat a diverse mix of unrefined produce and grains, rather than heavily-processed Weight Watchers products?

Beverage Nutrition: Pour Better or Pour Worse?

The Nutrition Action Healthletter asked this important, albeit trite question in its June 2006 letter, and I have to say that I’ve been obsessed with it ever since. With Americans mindlessly drinking 21% of their daily calories (thanks to our capitalist friends at Coca Cola and Starbucks), one can’t help but be obsessed with the liquid Big Macs that tempt us 24/7, from the moment that saturated-fat-filled latte energizes our system to the 2am crash-out after a long night of Beer Pong.  Aside from what our mothers told us – to drink eight glasses of water a day and that drinking milk helps build strong bones – we have very little information about what we should drink, and even less about how to navigate through our many drink options.  Personally, I would be perfectly happy to leave behind the enormous world of beverages and settle for good-old H2O and a daily cup of coffee, but our choices just aren’t that simple anymore.  With that in mind, the information and advice that follows is an attempt to make sense of all of the options, in hopes of carving out some semblance of a healthy relationship to beverages.

Let us begin with caffeine, the only stimulant that it’s cool to be addicted to.  In the following days I’ll also touch on specialty coffee drinks (in other words, lattes, Java Chip Frappuccinos, etc.), but since caffeine spans beyond just coffee, it will be more simple to address caffeine’s merits alone.

Tea vs. Coffee: Let the battle begin!  When I order a straight-up triple espresso from my local barista, nine times out the person behind me says “you’re going to be up all night!”  Thanks, it’s 9 am and I don’t think these 230 mg. of caffeine are going to keep me up as long as your Venti drip coffee would (which packs around 415 mg.).  I say this not only to expose my own biases (something no “real expert” would do!), but also to point out the importance of serving size.  

• Espresso has garnered a bad caffeine rap.  In reality, because espresso is brewed so quickly, less caffeine (and more flavor!) is brewed into the cup.  As long as espresso drinkers restrict their intake to two or three shots per day, their caffeine intake will remain lower than that of a person who has 1-2 cups of drip coffee every day.  Espresso only becomes a poor drink choice when it comes with lots of whole milk and whipped cream.
• While a 16 oz. Rockstar is loaded with caffeine, just two cups of coffee (or a Starbucks Grande) far exceeds its energy drink opponents in caffeine content.
• A cup of black tea with made with two tea bags rivals drip coffee in caffeine content.
• If you’re looking for an energy jolt, restrict your caffeine intake to 300-400 mg per day.  
• For more information about how your favorite caffeinated-beverages stack up, check out Energy Fiend.

With that said, I would like to add one more disclaimer: the caffeine found in coffee, tea, chocolate, etc. have slightly different chemical compounds, and therefore impact people in different ways.  This is why some people can tolerate large amounts of a particular tea or coffee, but are sensitive to others.  This means that as well as serving size, it’s important for you to know what kinds of caffeine impact you negatively so that you can avoid them.  As well, energy drink manufacturers throw in other ingredients that work like or with caffeine.  Public Health “experts” and statisticians haven’t done much research on these ingredients (which is why they are still unregulated in energy drinks), but preliminary info indicates that they might have an impact on how our bodies process these super-caffeine sodas.

Next on “Pour Better or Pour Worse” . . . How to Survive in Latte-Land!

Originally posted on Jun 25, 2007