I had my first session today with my Nutritionist. Not as scary as the Financial Planner, but close. It included getting on a scale that measures your bone density, body mass index, water percentage, weight and a few other metrics that are probably equally as embarrassing, if I knew what they meant. I came out on the high end of the BMI, but the good news is my bones weigh a lot. I laughed out loud at this assessment remembering when I was growing up and my mother would refer to people as "big boned". Funny thing is I don't think I've always been "big boned" because up until about 10 years ago I was a very petite person. Maybe your bones put on weight when you eat a lot of cheese?? Speaking of cheese, it also included an interview where I had to describe what I eat in an average day. Long story short, I have to give up the cheese, at least for a while.
First off the Nutritionist, who is in my age range, looked like a teenager. She has perfect skin, perfect body, no wrinkles and shiny, healthy hair. That made an impression right off the bat because obviously she is doing something right! A few minutes into the conversation and I knew it was worth every penny (a total of $15 because it's included in my Boot Camp program). I came in right after finishing a work out and I had my 8-oz water bottle in hand, half empty. The first thing she said to me is "how old are you, 5? you need a real water bottle." I love people who tell it like it is because I don't always "get" subtitles.
I have been raving about my smoothies for breakfast. Sorry for leading you all astray, but those aren't good for you. Not for breakfast anyway. The combination of juice and fruit gives you a rise in your glucose that can make you crash and burn by 2:00p.m. That could explain the overwhelming desire to take a nap around that time every day! She explained that I should think of my body as a chemistry project - food is the fuel that gets your body from one point to the other. When you change your eating habits or patterns on a random or constant basis you get the "machine" that is your body all confused. "She's giving me sugar, I guess that means I have to burn energy". "No more meat, that means she wants me to S L O W down". Needless to say, I have failed (again) at Chemistry.
One of the biggest WOWs I got out of my first session was this: If you think about the grocery store by things that can spoil and things that can't, it's a good guide for what you should eat. You want to eat things that can spoil because they digest faster and easier in your body. If it was meant to last forever on the shelf, it will probably last forever on your thighs. So stay on the perimeter and avoid the isles. Fresh fruits and vegetables, fresh meats and seafood, dairy and whole grains. The other thing I learned is that quinoa is the new power food. This simple grain has twice the protein and fiber of other grains and it tastes great! I've heard this before, but she reiterated the need for 5 to 6 small meals a day rather than 2 large ones. Here are some other tips that I'll pass on to you (to help make up for the fact that I ruined your metabolism with my Smoothie suggestions in earlier posts).
Guideline for Healthy Eating
First off the Nutritionist, who is in my age range, looked like a teenager. She has perfect skin, perfect body, no wrinkles and shiny, healthy hair. That made an impression right off the bat because obviously she is doing something right! A few minutes into the conversation and I knew it was worth every penny (a total of $15 because it's included in my Boot Camp program). I came in right after finishing a work out and I had my 8-oz water bottle in hand, half empty. The first thing she said to me is "how old are you, 5? you need a real water bottle." I love people who tell it like it is because I don't always "get" subtitles.
I have been raving about my smoothies for breakfast. Sorry for leading you all astray, but those aren't good for you. Not for breakfast anyway. The combination of juice and fruit gives you a rise in your glucose that can make you crash and burn by 2:00p.m. That could explain the overwhelming desire to take a nap around that time every day! She explained that I should think of my body as a chemistry project - food is the fuel that gets your body from one point to the other. When you change your eating habits or patterns on a random or constant basis you get the "machine" that is your body all confused. "She's giving me sugar, I guess that means I have to burn energy". "No more meat, that means she wants me to S L O W down". Needless to say, I have failed (again) at Chemistry.
One of the biggest WOWs I got out of my first session was this: If you think about the grocery store by things that can spoil and things that can't, it's a good guide for what you should eat. You want to eat things that can spoil because they digest faster and easier in your body. If it was meant to last forever on the shelf, it will probably last forever on your thighs. So stay on the perimeter and avoid the isles. Fresh fruits and vegetables, fresh meats and seafood, dairy and whole grains. The other thing I learned is that quinoa is the new power food. This simple grain has twice the protein and fiber of other grains and it tastes great! I've heard this before, but she reiterated the need for 5 to 6 small meals a day rather than 2 large ones. Here are some other tips that I'll pass on to you (to help make up for the fact that I ruined your metabolism with my Smoothie suggestions in earlier posts).
Guideline for Healthy Eating
- Eat 5 to 6 small meals a day
- Eat every 2 - 3 hours (this I can do!)
- Combine lean protein and complex carbs at every meal
- Never skip a meal, especially breakfast
- Avoid all over-processed, refined foods
- Avoid saturated fats and trans fats-fried foods
- Avoid sugar loaded colas and juices (sorry!)
- Eat fresh fruits and vegetables for fiber, vitamins and enzymes
- Stick to proper portion control and portion sizes
Here's a grocery list that we came up with for me, based on my likes and dislikes and weight-loss needs. You can build your own based on the above guidelines.
Debbie's Grocery List
Oatmeal
Egg Whites
Whole grain bread
Split Chicken Breasts (she recommended I put chicken back into my diet so that I'll get full and avoid night cravings)
Fish
Bananas, oranges and grapefruit
Almonds
Fat-free milk (she advised me to drop from 2% to skim)
Greek yogurt
Truvia (an all natural sugar substitute that tastes better than Stevia)
Sweet potatoes (another new power food)
Brown Rice
Quinoa,
Red Pepper
Spinach
Broccoli
Asparagus
Soybeans
Whole wheat pasta
Kidney beans
Olive oil
Cooking Spray
For the next few weeks, I'll concentrate on recipes that use these core ingredients starting with the amazing quinoa recipe that follows. Enjoy!
Roasted Vegetable Quinoa
1 cup of uncooked quinoa
2 cups of water
1/2 medium sweet potato cut into bite-sized pieces
1/2 medium red pepper, chopped
1/2 pound of fresh asparagus cut into one-inch pieces
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 tablespoon of fresh cilantro
Pepper and Mrs Dash's seasoning to taste
Cook the quinoa according to package instructions. It turns translucent when done (I just think that's cool)
Meanwhile put 1/2 of the olive oil in the bottom of a small baking pan
Chop the vegetables and put them on top of the olive oil
Sprinkle with the seasoning and cilantro and top with the remaining olive oil
Bake on 400 degrees for about 30 minutes
Combine with the cooked quinoa
Roasted Chicken Breasts
1 split chicken breast, bone in, skin removed
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 tablespoon of oregano
Pepper and salt to taste
Spray baking dish with cooking spray
wash and remove skin from the chicken breast and put in baking dish
Sprinkle with seasoning and olive oil
Cover with Reynolds Wrap and bake on 400 degrees for about 35 minutes. Remove Reynolds Wrap and bake for 15 more minutes.
For one serving I had about 1 cup of the quinoa with about 3 ounces of the chicken breast. I'll find out if this is okay in next week's session when we go over my food diary!
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