SavvyHealthGirl's Blog

Wishing everyone a wonderful, happy and healthy Thanksgiving. While we should be thankful and grateful every day, I really love taking time one day out of the year to spend time with family and friends, and sharing with them why we are grateful to have them in our lives. So on this day, take time to tell your loved ones at least one thing, one reason why you are thankful for them, Trust me, this will make their day and make them smile.

To help you get through this year’s Thanksgiving, enjoy the 2010 Dos and Don’ts for Thanksgiving. 

Live Life, Live Healthy!

That’s right ladies (and a few gents who skim my blog) WE are at the halfway mark til Summer! It’s March and that means we have three months until June — the start of hot weather, shorts, and cute summer dresses. So I am sure you have all been sticking to your workout regimen since the beginning of the year, right? I hear some mumbling and a few excuses. Okay I have to admit, I too slacked off, but only a little. We are all entitled to a tiny bit of slacking, but never lose sight of your goal. Keep your mind focused on being healthy, eating healthy and thinking in healthy ways. Remember, envision the body you want and the way you want to feel; and you are halfway there.  

So, for the last 10 days I ate hotel and conference food, ugh! Which by the way, can be very heavy and rich. I am not used to eating such hearty food for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I usually eat about 5-6 meals a day with lunch and dinner being moderately heavier than my snacks. I can’t eat a heavy lunch because I WILL fall asleep at my desk. I also travel a lot, so I have to be cautious about what I am eating at all of these different conferences and meetings. So let me just give a couple of tips for those who are traveling for work or attending a lot of Spring conferences:

• Apt for the lighter meals. If you have to eat in the hotel restaurant go for the Chicken Cobb Salad (every hotel has one) with the salad dressing on the side, grilled salmon or another high protein and veggie dish.
• Skip the dessert, bread and starch during the luncheons and dinners. Every conference has at least one of these special meal sessions. It is always either chicken or salmon with a creamy sauce and probably risotto, pasta or rice. I say eat only the meat, fish or poultry and the vegetables.  You will not feel as stuffed.
• Say no-way to continental breakfast! Yes I know the budget is tight and it’s better to just eat the complimentary breakfast. But you are doing your body a disservice by consuming the high in sugar yogurts and pastries. Get up a little earlier, go for a walk or ride on the stationary bike in the hotel fitness center, and then hit the breakfast buffet for some protein and fiber. You will feel more energized and less hungry throughout the day.
• Bring your own snacks for those in-between meal times and session breaks. Kashi bars, yogurt covered raisins and trail mix are much better than the hotel gift shop selection of candy bars and chips.

Here is a treat from my friend and my first guest blogger Pastry Girl. I am sure you will enjoy this recipe.

Season’s eating from Pastry Girl of Pastry Girl Confections!

When you think of the holidays what comes to mind? The snow? Time with family and friends? The gifts? The food? For me it has always been the food. I remember being a little girl and waking up very early on Christmas day, running down the stairs and seeing what Santa left me. I did not look at the stockings full of treats, the presents under the tree or the tons of unwrapped presents on the couch (Santa always left unwrapped presents-usually the big items, i.e the bike, the kitchen set and the Barbie dream house and travel van). But what I loved most were all of the sweets on the table, which always had a beautiful, holiday tablecloth (not sure where Santa got that this). There was more fruit than a fruit market — apples, oranges, grapes, tangerines, bananas and clementine’s. Next to the fruit were nuts, peanuts, walnuts, pecans, and some type of nut that I still don’t know the name. But the best goodies on the table were the chocolates, there were M&M’s, holiday wrapped KISSES, Snickers, Hershey Bars and some type of cookie and/or brownie.

Every holiday should hold a special memory and some good food. Here is a ”HEALTHY” Brownie recipe that everyone, even those family members and friends who are diabetic, can eat.

Espresso Brownies

This recipe is reprinted with permission from Meals on the Move: Rush Hour Recipes by by Holly Clegg, a Trim & Terrific (TM) cookbook.

These rich chocolate brownies are one of my very favorites. Serve with raspberries of strawberries for a true delight.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup margarine
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg white
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tablespoon instant espresso coffee
1/3 C cocoa
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Makes 25 Brownies
Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 9x9x2-inch pan with nonstick cooking spray.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the margarine, sugar, egg, egg white and vanilla until light and fluffy. Combine flour, cocoa, espresso powder and baking powder. Gradually add the dry ingredients to egg mixture, mixing well. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Per Brownie:
103 Cal; 5 g Fat (1 g Sat Fat); 14 g Carb; 9 mg Cholesterol; 64 mg Sodium; 1 g Fiber

Exchanges:
1 Other Carb; 1 Fat

Keep a look out for yummier but a little more fattening recipes from Pastry Girl of Pastry Girl Confections. Happy Holidays – Christmas, Hanukah, and Kwanzaa!

So it’s the day before Thanksgiving and my plan was to go and workout at 6:00 a.m. but that didn’t exactly go as planned. As a matter of fact I never made it to the gym. But as a replacement I did walk up all of the escalator stairs when I got off the train this morning. In 3″ heels! Hey, that has to count for something. I am trying to get in some extra activity today, as Turkey Day quickly approaches. I am also trying to keep in perspective what I will eat tomorrow. If you are really trying to be healthy, have you ever really thought how hard that it is to do, the day before a feast? To consciously remind yourself not to overindulge on the yummy food that is going to be placed in front of you? The candied yams/sweet potatoes, collard greens, pecan pie, sweet potato pie, macaroni and cheese (my ultimate favorite) and oh we must not forget Grandma’s homemade rolls dripping with butter!! Oh now you all know that is so hard to do!! But we know it can be done. Right? I can’t hear you! That’s better. So what do we do? How do we resist the temptation of overindulging and still enjoy? Well, I am not a physician nor a nutritionist, but my expertise is in health. I would like to share my personal tips for Turkey Day or any feast. Don’t worry I am going to keep it real!

· Eat breakfast and make sure it has a good amount of protein. This is good for everyone, but especially if you have an early meal time. This will help you curb the desire to eat more than you should because you haven’t starved yourself. So often, we think we have to save up for the big feast and won’t eat anything all day. So not a good idea. All it’s doing is keeping you hungry, low on energy and cranky because you didn’t eat. Who is going to want to sit next to you during dinner?

· Have a couple of small meals/snacks if you are having a late afternoon meal. Again, it will prevent you from going crazy when the mashed potatoes and gravy hit the table. An apple with peanut butter or even a sandwich with some of that freshly carved turkey will keep you satiated until dinner time. That is, if you are allowed to have some of the turkey.

· Attempt to burn some extra calories while waiting for the feast. Go for a walk with a loved one and catch up since they may only be in town for a few days. This a great time for fellowship and to be active as a family.

· Ready to eat? Start slowly and take small portions of food. Remember the saying ” Your eyes are bigger than your stomach?” Keep that in mind. There is nothing wrong with tasting everything, just keep it in moderation. Use a small plate if it will help you from piling food on. You will be surprised how content you will feel and how great it will be not to have that overstuffed feeling. You know kind of like a stuffed turkey! Then you won’t feel so guilty about having that slice of sweet potato pie!

- If all else fails and you get caught up in the wonderful display and aroma of all of the food and lose your mind. Not to worry, there is only one thing to do, put your fork down and . . . STEP AWAY FROM THE TABLE!!! Breathe, rub your ears and say Woosahh! Then try making your plate again with about 3 scoops less of the mac and cheese.

The bottom line is, it’s okay to indulge a little, just don’t over do it. Thanksgiving is about fellowship, gratitude and sharing. And there is something about food, really good food and preparing food that brings all of these together. So enjoy the day in a healthy way!