Creative Salad Additions

Happy New Year!  As the new year rolls in, you and I will probably make an effort to eat healthier.  Salads are a part of this.  My struggle with salads are that I get really bored.  I love a good salad from Panera Bread but this is not cost-effective or something I can realistically fit into a 3-4 day week plan.  This week while I was at the grocery store, I noticed the above in the freezer section.  Four varieties to make your own salad at home.  All you need to do is add your lettuce (spinach of course).  Genius!  All you need to do is throw the pack in the microwave for 2 minutes and 30 seconds, add your lettuce, and salad dressing pouch.  Let me give you the nutritional breakdown on the Bistro Chicken Salad:

• Only 240 calories
• 2 grams of fiber.  Once you add your spinach you can amp this up to about 5 grams/salad
• Only 430 mg sodium
• Low fat-8 grams (including the dressing)
• full vegetable serving
• 15 grams of protein

My focus this year is to eat more fruits and veggies and give my Sensibalance Wellness Community tips and recipes in how to do this.  Stay tuned to our blog for future recipes and food product reviews!

Happy and Healthy New Year!

Melanie Rubery MS RD LD CLT

If you are looking for a comprehensive food tracking program, check out Sensibalance!  Try it FREE for the first 30 days.  Log your food and exercise activities, monitor your food quality such as fruit, veggie, and dairy intake, plus get specific information such as the sodium, cholesterol, fiber, saturated fat, and etc with the foods you are eating.  CLICK HERE for more information!

A New Year! A Healthier You!

Here we go!  It's another year and many will be making their resolutions.  You may hear or plan yourself to lose weight, start exercising, etc.  These are not bad resolutions, but I think many get lost in what it means to truly be healthy.  I want to challenge you to not focus so much on what the scale says or the number of pounds you want to lose.  Choose to make the effort to eat healthfully and incorporate an activity schedule.  Focus on small realistic goals.  Let me give you some specific examples:

• What's the quality of your calories?  One may say, "I'm eating only 1200 calories on my plan." My first question is-What are you eating?  For example, I can eat a donut for breakfast, hamburger with fries (small serving of course), chicken nuggets for dinner, and say a little debbie for a snack and stay within 1200 calories.  However full of fat, sat fat, carbs, no fruit and veggies, etc.-NOT HEALTHY!  Remember that good food (fruits and vegetables) have disease preventive benefits.  This year I challenge you to focus on the quality of your food and not just your calories or points!
• Food Journaling-I'm a firm believer in moderation.  Moderation however is defined differently by each individual.  To get a better perspective on where you need to go, you need to know where you have been.  Food journaling allows you to see how many calories you've been consuming.  It can also serve as an accountability system to help you stay in check.  If you have hypertension you need to monitor your sodium intake, if you have diabetes you need to monitor your carb intake, or if you have high cholesterol you need to monitor your sat fat intake. Look for food journaling systems that gives you this information.  
• Be well-rounded in your quest for health-This means not focusing on just your exercise or food intake.  I firmly believe you need both!  I may not be able to reach "that" number on the scale, but if I can last through a spinning session, I feel good!  For you, it may be to walk 3 miles, or swim X number of laps.  Personalize it for you.  The most important thing is to incorporate both.
• Be moderate and make it a family affair-Many of us start programs that isolate us from the rest of the family.  We may be able to do it for a little bit, then we fall off the plan because it's too restrictive.  The demands of our family (children) catch up with us.  As you start the above, include it into your spouse's and kids eating/activity routine as well.  For example, one thing I plan to do this year is consistently eat more fruits and veggies.  I plan to create and look for recipes my hubby and kids will enjoy as well.  I plan to start running and get my kids signed up to do local 1 mile fun runs.  Again, decide what works for your family.  Studies show time and time that our children develop their activity and eating habits from their parents or those they are with a majority of the time.  

I hope 2013 is a great year for you!  As we start the New Year, let me provide you with a yummy detox fruit smoothie.  Full of fruit fiber, and antioxidants.

Blueberry Detox Smoothie

Ingredients

• ½ cup frozen blueberries
• ¼ cup unsweetened cranberry juice
• 1 banana

Blend in mixer until combined!  Enjoy!

If you would like more information about our Sensibalance Wellness Program, CLICK HERE!  Our program is a great tool to journal food and keep up with nutrition specifics such as sat fat, fiber, sodium, etc. 30 Day FREE Trial available now!

Healthy and Happy New Year!

Melanie Rubery MS RD LD CLT

CEO, Healthy Life and Nutrition, LLC

205-492-0404

healthylifeandnutrition.com

Christmas Traditions

Don't you love Christmas! The one thing I enjoy most are the annual traditions we continue in our household.  One thing we do is make Hunter's Stew on Christmas Eve.  It's easy, nutritious, and allows me to spend time with the family instead of cooking all day.  This year, I would like to share this great recipe.  Combine all ingredients in a crock-pot.  Cook for low for 6-8 hours.  Merry Christmas!

Rubery Hunter's Stew

• 2 pounds boneless venison or beef chuck roast, cut in 1-inch cubes
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 4-1/4 cups water, divided
• 1/2 cup tomato juice
• 2 medium onions, cut in wedges
• 2 celery ribs, sliced
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 to 3 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 6 medium carrots, quartered
• 1 large rutabaga, peeled and cubed
• 6 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch

Yummy Cranberry and Banana Smoothie

It can be difficult to eat during the busy holiday season.  Remember that if you skip meals you are more likely to overeat.  Aim for 3 meals and 2-3 snacks/day.  One of the easiest things you can do is quickly blend a smoothie.  I use a magic bullet for all my smoothies because you can take the cup with you in which you have just blended.  

Cranberries are very popular this time of year.  Loaded with vitamin C, the combination with a banana make it quite delicious.

• 1/2 cup
  frozen organic cranberries
• 1 cup
  vanilla rice milk or hemp milk
• 1 tablespoon
  raw agave nectar, to taste
• 2 tablespoons
  vanilla rice protein powder, to taste
• 1/4 cup
  crushed ice (if you like super cold)
• 1 small
  ripe banana, peeled, sliced (frozen bananas rock)
  
  
  
  
• Blend and enjoy!
  
  
  Servings:2
  
  
  If you would like more information on the Sensibalance Wellness Program, CLICK HERE!