We like to drive home certain points, so here is an important tip for those of you who want to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight — you must eat breakfast.  Including protein in your meals can help keep you satisfied longer and can also help you lose weight.  Eggs are a great way to add protein to to your meals, especially breakfast.  You may have heard that eggs are unhealthy and so you limit or only eat the whites.  Recent studies show that whole eggs can be part of a healthy diet and that they are not as lethal as once thought.  A new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition lends further support to not banishing eggs altogether.  The study looked at the diets and health records of over 21,000 men from the Physicians’ Health Study.  They found that there was not any increase in risk of heart attack, stroke or dying from any cause in men who ate up to six eggs a week.  However, this may not hold true for those with diabetes.  So, if you are diabetes free and eat a healthy and balanced diet - an egg can help you start your day off right.  In addition to great protein found in the whites about 3.6 g, the yolk also has protein about 2.5 g as well as essential fats and nutrients important for health. The yolk is a nutrition powerhouse — so including a few each week is okay.  The concern is the amount of cholesterol - a large egg contains about 215 mg and the AHA recommends limiting to 300 mg a day.  however, there is little evidence that consuming eggs as part of a balanced diet will increase your risk of cardiovascular disease.  To play it safe - keep it to no more than one yolk a day with as many whites as you want. Here are some ideas.

- sunny side up egg on whole wheat toast, piece of fruit and glass of skim milk

- one egg and two egg whites or egg beaters with lowfat cheese, salsa and glass of orange juice

- one egg and two egg whites scrambled with last night’s leftovers - great with black beans and shredded chicken and baked tortilla chips and orange juice

- Corn tortilla chip frittata - from previous post in Jan 2009

Baked corn tortilla frittatas (recipe below), two slices whole wheat toast (with 1/2 Tbsp unsaturated fat spread like Country Crock Omega-3), a banana and glass of skim milk -

Calories 463

Carbs 78 g (67%)

Protein 24 g (20%)

Fat 7.5 g (14.5%)

Fiber 38% of your daily needs

So, this is a higher protein meal at 20% protein with good carbs (energy to get your brain and body going), low amount of fat and an excellent amount of fiber - a healthful breakfast for anyone in your family.

Egg-Beater corn tortilla frittata recipe

1 serving

1/4 cup egg beaters

2 tbsp skim milk

1 handful shredded carrots (feel free to add other veggies)

1 handful crushed baked corn tortilla chips

Onion and garlic powder optional

Combine all ingredients and pour into greased (use spray canola or olive oil) muffin pan holes fill half way and bake at 425 for 10-15 minutes until fluffy.  Make several a few days ahead of time and pop in microwave for a quick meal.

Tags: baby fat diet, breakfast, eggs, healthy eating, lose weight, protein

My kids love ice pops in the summer but the sugar-laden, artificially colored/flavored ones offer no nutrition.  Instead of the prepackaged ones, I often freeze orange juice or grape juice in ice pop containers because it’s so simple and they’re a hit - and I feel better serving them 100% juice pops rather than colored, sugar water.  But now that blueberries and strawberries are in season, I’m going to try using the whole fruit to make ice pops. Here’s a recipe I found on Food Network for blueberry and strawberry ice pops that looks super easy. These ice pops are chock full of fiber and antioxidants.  I’ll have the kids help make them too, which offers a good opportunity to talk about these healthy fruits. At 6 and 3, they are way into foods that will “make them grow big and strong.”  I’ll let you know how it goes. 

Tags: blueberries, ice pops, kids, recipe, strawberries, summer treat

A new study published yesterday adds support to eating whole grains - participants in the study were able to reduce their total cholesterol and bad cholesterol (LDL) by 4.5% in 3 weeks by eating whole wheat (click here for study details).  This can be explained by the fiber, nutrients and extra phytochemicals found in whole grains compared to refined grains.  By keeping the grain whole, you do not strip away or lose the nutrition naturally found in the grain.  Whole grains are also important for losing weight and maintaining a healthy weight - the fiber helps you feel satisfied longer and the nutrients help your body burn energy.  Here are some tips for adding whole grain goodness to your diet –

Get rid of all refined carbs in your pantry and replace with whole grains, i.e. whole wheat tortillas, whole wheat pasta, whole wheat bread, whole grain cereals with at least 5 g fiber, oatmeal

When cooking whole grain pasta let boil a minute or two longer and add about 1/4-1/2 cup more water when cooking brown rice

Try some new whole grains like quinoa, hulled or hulless barley

Eat wheatgerm and bran - even though these are not whole grains, they are a very nutritious part of the grain. Try adding wheatgerm to sauces, oatmeal, cereal and salads

On the label - the first ingredients should say, whole wheat, oatmeal, brown rice, etc

Tags: baby fat diet, cholesterol, healthy eating, whole wheat

I live in Texas, where a 10 ounce or larger steak a few times a week is cultural.  We love our steaks in Texas, especially grilled steaks!  You can imagine how well my advice to have a one-3 ounce serving of steak a week is accepted here.  For most of the men I know the advice goes against being a true “Texan.”  Fortunately, my husband does not define his “Texan-hood” by the food that he eats, or we would be in big trouble since I rule the kitchen in our house. Now, there has always been support for limiting the amount of red meat eaten because of the saturated fat, cholesterol as well as the possible carcinogens (cancer-causing compounds) created by cooking meat at high temperatures (like grilling).  A new study now adds even more support for the advice we give on an almost daily basis — a large-scale study by the National Cancer Institute found that people who eat the most red meat and processed meat have a higher risk of death.  (News that will most certainly disappoint many of my neighbors and clients.)  The study reported about a 30% increase in risk of death from heart disease and cancer among those that ate the equivalent of a quarter-pound hamburger a day when compared to those who ate less than 5 ounces in a week (3 ounces is considered a reasonable serving).  This could be due to carcinogens that are created during high temperature cooking and the saturated fat and cholesterol.  They also found that “white meat”, i.e. chicken, turkey and fish did not increase risk and those who ate the most had slightly lower risk of dying than those who at the least. The main message from this study is that moderation is key — people need to decrease the amount of red meat and processed meats in their diet.  Eating a serving (3 ounces up to 5 ounces if you must) of red meat once a week is reasonable and can be part of a healthy diet.  Here is some advice for decreasing the health risk associated with eating red meat -

Buy lean cuts of beef that have the words “round” or “sirloin.”

For pork buy the loin cuts.

Select the “choice” and “select” grades for less fat marbling.

Before grilling your meats marinate with  beer or wine - it may help cut down the cancer-causing compounds created during high temperature cooking.

Tags: baby fat diet, cancer, health, healthy eating, heart disease, red meat, weight loss

If you’re pregnant, working out is not only going to help you take off the weight post-pregnancy but is beneficial to the baby. A new study from Kansas City University found that moms-to-be who exercised moderately for 30 minutes at least 3 times a week had better fetal heart rate and breathing measures than those of expecting moms who did not exercise.  These benefits may make the babies better able to breath on their own once born and less likely to experience respiratory problems. There are potential cardiovascular benefits to the babies as well.  

I’m so glad to hear this news. I was an avid exerciser before, during and after each of my three pregnancies. For me, the mental benefits are one of the reasons I work up a sweat nearly every day – I just feel much calmer and more relaxed after I work out (thank you endorphins!).  I would’ve had a hard time going 9 months without exercising and luckily there weren’t any medical reasons I couldn’t continue to workout (at a somewhat slower pace).  I’m so glad to hear that it wasn’t only for my own benefit but my boys got a cardio boost as well!

So if you’re pregnant (and even if your not), as long as there are no other contraindications from your doctor, tie up your walking shoes and get going — for your baby’s sake!

PS - Getting back into your post-pregnancy clothes much quicker is an added bonus of all that sweat. And believe me, as someone who is 7 weeks post-partum, fitting into your regular jeans can’t come quick enough!

Tags: baby, benefits, exercise, fetus, Kansas City University, pregnancy, study