Archive Monthly Archives: October 2017

Spicy Citrus Shrimp

Protein and vegetables in one dish.

Shrimp and sautéed onions with citrus and spice will make this entrée a favorite; 25 grams of protein and only 400 calories.

Orange and red peppers are the perfect ingredients to prepare this delicious and colorful dish. The contrasting flavors of citrus and spicy combined with shrimp and sautéed onions will make this entrée a favorite for the whole family, even for a weeknight meal. Complement with a green salad or steamed quinoa and have a balanced meal in 30 minutes or less.

25 g protein/400-calorie meal                                           40 g protein/600-calorie meal
(Divide into 4 servings.)                                                       (Divide into 3 servings.)

3 Oranges
1 TBSP Olive oil
1 Red bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
1 1/2 lb. (675 g) Large shrimp, shelled and deveined
1/2 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Red pepper flakes
3 Green onions, chopped

Grate 1 teaspoon orange peel from one orange, then squeeze out ¼ cup orange juice and set aside. Peel remaining oranges, slice, cut slices in half and set aside. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, then add oil. When hot, add bell pepper and sauté for a few minutes until they begin to soften. Add shrimp, salt, red pepper flakes and orange juice, and continue to cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring, until shrimp is opaque and fully cooked. Remove from heat, stir in reserved orange slices, and scatter green onions on top.

Suggestion: Complete your meal with a green salad and steamed quinoa.
See Meal Builder for amounts for your Plan.

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How to Plan Quick and Healthy Meals

Save time – prep for more than one meal.

It’s easier to stick to a healthy diet when you use these tips for quick and nutritious meal planning.

It seems to me there are two extremes when it comes to meal planning. There are people who never plan; they prefer to ‘wait and see’ what they feel like eating. They’re also the ones who, understandably, don’t have much discipline when it comes to sticking to a diet plan. On the other hand, there are those whose meal planning is just a tad too routine.

When I was in high school, my best friend’s mom stuck to the same menu week after week: Monday was chicken, Tuesday was spaghetti…you get the idea. The only time I’d accept an invitation for dinner was on Sunday—or, “surprise night.” Somewhere in between these extremes, though, lies a healthy approach to meal planning that doesn’t have to be stressful or time-consuming. If your idea of meal planning means choosing between sausage or pepperoni on your pizza, listen up: here are some pointers that might help.

Quick Tips on Meal Planning

  • Keep a stash of quick, healthy recipes you can turn to. Simple and nutritious recipes are easy to find in cookbooks, magazines and on the web. When you’ve got a couple dozen to pick from, you can rotate them over a few weeks and your dinners won’t become too routine.
  • Always have healthy staples on hand. Keep veggies, fruits and seafood in the freezer, and keep your pantry stocked with staples like whole grains, canned beans, tuna and tomatoes, chicken or vegetable broth, spices and herbs. With these items on hand, you’ve got the start of a healthy soup, curry or pasta dish that you can throw together in no time.
  • Look for convenient shortcuts you can use. Frozen veggies can be substituted for fresh, and convenience items like pre-washed salad greens or pre-cut vegetables can really save you prep time. Whole cooked chickens or ready-seasoned meats from the grocery store are also great timesavers.
  • Prep once, cook twice. If a recipe calls for half of a chopped onion or bell pepper, don’t stop there—keep chopping and stash the rest for another day. As long as you’re browning ground turkey for spaghetti sauce, why not brown extra to use in tacos or stuffed peppers for tomorrow? Make extra brown rice or quinoa and freeze for another meal. The grains stay moist and reheat well in the microwave.
  • One dish meals generally combine your protein, your vegetable and your starch all in one dish. They’re healthy, they’re balanced and you’ll have a lot fewer pots and pans to wash.

If you’re organized enough to plan your meals for a few days, it does make life a lot easier. Once you’ve chosen your recipes, you can make your shopping list for the week. When you’ve got your menus down and your ingredients on hand, the meal planning battle is practically won.

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5 Ways to Ramp Up Your Excercise Routine

Train with a friend for better results.

 

Do you find yourself getting sad as the colder days and early dark nights of the fall months start to settle in? If that sounds like you, beat the post summer blues by increasing your commitment to living a more active lifestyle.

Performing structured daily exercises can help you perform at your best in both physical and non-physical tasks, because the benefits of exercising go far beyond the physical. Physical activity promotes the release of endorphins, such as dopamine and serotonin in the brain. These hormones are your body’s natural happy hormones, so their increased release can give you an emotional boost and makes you feel happier and more productive. As the summer ends and the winter approaches, it’s important to find ways to enhance you mood, and I believe there is no better answer than ramping up your physical activity routine.

Exercising regularly can greatly enhance your emotional sense of wellbeing and positively impact your overall mental health. The number of brain related benefits associated with exercising regularly are vast and include improved brain structure, improved brain function, improved cognition, enhanced memory, and an improved ability to cope with stress.

“Right now is a perfect time to get more active”

The fall months signal the upcoming stress of the holidays, and quite often the holiday season includes a lot of unhealthy eating. This increased stress, in combination with access to more unhealthy foods, can lead to weight gain and make losing weight more difficult. Finding time for activity is especially important during this time of year. Ramping up your exercise routine during periods of stress will allow you to regroup, focus on yourself and kick-start your results.

Here are five ways you can ramp up your exercise routine.

Increase your exercise time: Spend an extra few minutes at the gym to ensure you are doing a complete and challenging routine. Allowing yourself an extra 10-20 minutes for your workout will make you feel less rushed and give you the opportunity to complete a more thorough and balanced workout.  Making time to complete a session that has a suitable dynamic warm-up and a post-workout stretch is a great way to perfect your personal routine.

Train with a friend: Make your gym time a little more fun and social for a few weeks and train with a friend or join a group. It’s easier to stay motivated when you have a friend by your side to push you through.

Get outside: The temperatures at this time of year may be dropping, but if you dress appropriately you can enjoy the crisp, cool air, and a change of scenery may boost your mood.

Mix up your routine: Try a new mode of exercise to give yourself a challenge, taking a class or following an online routine is a great way to infuse some energy into your workout.

Up the intensity level: If you feel capable, push yourself a little harder in your workout, increase your weights or add a few extra reps. Trying a HIIT style session will decrease your time spent at the gym without negatively impacting your results. In fact, HIIT style training can boost your fitness level.

Make your personal mental and emotional health a priority and stay committed to living a healthy and active lifestyle regardless of the season.

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Occasional Spots? Here’s How to Banish the Blemish

October 9, 2017

Clean your makeup brushes regularly.

Have you ever woken from a fabulous night’s sleep, looked in the mirror and screamed, “YIKES! What’s happened to my skin?” Do you sometimes have little breakouts but only on one side of your face? Have you been experiencing blemishes that just don’t seem to be going away no matter what you do? I’m not talking about acne necessarily, but about the occasional breakouts that come out of nowhere and seem to linger. Let’s talk about a couple of reasons why blemishes appear and what can you do about them.

It can be difficult to determine the exact cause of your breakouts, but there are some things we need to be aware of to help banish the blemish! Here are three easy and quick fixes.

Blemish banisher: go hands free

If you’re noticing blemishes on just one side of your face, your phone could be to blame. Mobile phones are a breeding ground for germs, especially now that phones aren’t just phones anymore. We’re constantly swiping our fingers across the face of the phone looking for email, music, directions—you name it. Every time our fingers swipe across that screen we are transferring germs. In turn, every time that phone gets pressed against our cheek we’re pressing bacteria onto our skin, which could lead to breakouts.

Don’t forget, phones have germs coming from two different sources: our hands AND our mouth. And to really get my point across, germs can stay alive on our hands for up to three full hours. So, be sure to clean and sanitize your phone and your hands regularly to help banish the blemishes.

Blemish banisher: pull it back

Despite looking glamorous, long hair can sometimes help contribute to unwanted blemishes. Our hair is exposed to the same unpleasant impurities as our skin, including bacteria and germs. The difference is: we usually wash our face more often than our hair. Hair can become oily and attract dirt and dust, not to mention odors from our surroundings.

So, if your hair is constantly resting against your cheeks or back, you are may be transferring oil to your skin. And chances are that you will develop unwelcome blemishes. Try to keep your tresses off of your face and back as much as possible to minimize contact between your hair and your skin. Try rocking a ponytail—they’re always in style!

Blemish banisher: clean your makeup brushes

If you’re like me, you probably have several different cosmetic brushes and sponges that you use to apply makeup. Some of these makeup brushes come with the products themselves, and others can cost a pretty penny. But did you realize that lurking in the bristles of our brushes you will find sebum, dead skin cells and germs? YUCK!

Every time we apply makeup and the brush touches our face, we are not only applying the latest shade of blush but also a layer of bacteria that could result in a breakout. Be sure to wash your brushes on a regular basis, but don’t worry, there’s no huge need to invest in expensive brush cleansers. A mild shampoo or antibacterial hand soap will work perfectly well. Massage the soap into the bristles while running under warm water. Then rinse thoroughly until the water runs clear and allow the brushes to air dry. By stopping the transfer of bacteria from your makeup brushes to your skin, hopefully we can stop those blemishes before they start.

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Do any of these ring a bell? Are you constantly talking on the phone, sweeping your hair back from your face or are you not really sure when you last washed your makeup brushes? Try these blemish busting tips. Sure, they’re simple but sometimes we need to go back to basics.

I’ll share more beauty tips soon to help make occasional zits an even less frequent visitor, and, of course, we’ll have that talk about acne, too.

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