Healthy Quote of the Week:
Time And health are two precious assets that we don’t recognize and appreciate until they have been depleted ~ Denis Waitley
Healthy Tips for the Week:
Tips to Avoid OVER EATTING!
Healthy eating tips # 1. Identify high-risk situations.
Few people overeat in every situation, so determine the circumstances that are likely to trigger a binge. Once you’ve identified which situations are most likely to spark emotional overeating, come up with a game plan for each one. For example, if eating at relatives’ always involves plentiful gooey desserts, plan to make or buy a low-fat dessert, and bring it with you for everyone to share. If you can’t go to the movies without snacking on something, sneak in your own bag of air-popped popcorn or some low-cal candy.
Healthy eating tips # 2. Keep a record of what you put in your mouth in a food diary.
In a study at the Center for Behavioral Medicine in Chicago, researchers asked 38 people who were trying to lose weight to keep a food diary; doing so not only helped them control their weight during high-risk holidays, but even helped them peel off unwanted pounds. Keep it simple—it doesn’t have to include total calories or fat grams—but don’t forget to jot down snacks or drinks, which can add up. You need to maintain a record at least 75 percent of the time for a food diary to be effective.
Healthy eating tips # 3. Explore food-free ways to socialize.
In social situations, everybody eats more if they see everybody else doing so. If this sounds familiar, get in the habit of bonding with friends over activities that don’t center around food: a walk at the park, an afternoon at a paint-your-own-pottery shop, a long bike ride or hike, or trying a new class at the gym.
Healthy eating tips # 4. Dine smart and use portion control.
Research—and common sense—tells us we eat much more when we dine out. Do damage control at restaurants by speed-reading the menu: Skip past “appetizers” and head straight for “salads” for a safe starter, and look for any mention of plate-sharing charges, a sure sign that the restaurant’s meals are enormous and that you and your dining companion may want to split one. (Note some restaurants will honor requests for half-size portion control, or if it’s a low-key establishment, ask the waiter to serve just half and box the rest for you to take home.) Once you pick a healthy option from the menu, order before anyone else at the table. That way, you make the commitment and you won’t be persuaded by other people’s orders.
Healthy eating tips # 5. Eat thin before fat, choosing low calorie foods – or at least lower – first.
People tend to overeat the more-delicious, more-palatable foods, which have a higher fat content. The solution: Fill up on low calorie foods first—fruits, vegetables and grains—and you’ll be less likely to overindulge in the high-calorie stuff.
Healthy eating tips # 6. Keep temptation out of your path.
Get rid of junk food and replace it with better choices—rice cakes or pretzels for your pantry; low-fat frozen yogurt, pre-made fruit salad and baby carrots for your fridge; and reduced-fat popcorn or dried fruit for your desk drawer. It’s going to be easier for you to avoid overeating if you control your external environment.
Healthy Recipe of the Week:
Ingredients
- 4 whole baby or 1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 8 fresh basil leaves
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- Yellow cornmeal, for dusting
- 1 pound Easy Whole-Wheat Pizza Dough (recipe follows), or other prepared dough
- 4 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
- 1 medium yellow bell pepper, diced
- 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Preparation
- Preheat grill to medium-high. (For charcoal grilling or an oven variation, see below.)
- Grill zucchini until marked and softened, about 4 minutes. Thinly slice. Reduce heat to low.
- Process tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, oregano, salt and pepper in a food processor until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.
- Sprinkle cornmeal onto a pizza peel or large baking sheet. Roll out the dough (see Tip) and transfer it to the prepared peel or baking sheet, making sure the underside of the dough is completely coated with cornmeal.
- Slide the crust onto the grill rack; close the lid. Cook until lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Using a large spatula, flip the crust. Spread the tomato mixture on the crust, leaving a 1-inch border. Quickly top with mozzarella, bell pepper and the zucchini. Sprinkle on Parmesan.
- Close the lid again and grill until the cheese has melted and the bottom of the crust has browned, about 8 minutes.
Nutrition
Per serving: 375 calories; 9 g fat (5 g sat, 1 g mono); 26 mg cholesterol; 58 g carbohydrates; 17 g protein; 8 g fiber; 531 mg sodium; 566 mg potassium.
Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (80% daily value), Folate (46% dv), Calcium (32% dv), Iron & Vitamin A (20% dv).