March 2012: To Your Health

In this issue:

• Shape Up Your Plate with These 7 Foods
• Recipe of the Month: Homemade Spicy Kale Chips
• During National Nutrition Month, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Offers Practical Ways to Enjoy Food While Eating Less
• Hamentaschen…A Sweet Treat for Purim
• Quote of the Month

A Note from Bonnie

Dear Subscriber,

March is National Nutrition Month! This month, discover how to ENJOY food while eating less. “Get your Plate in Shape” with kale, bison, quinoa, pomegranates, figs, Bok Choy and chili peppers.  A recipe for kale is included in this month’s newsletter for added inspiration.

The Jewish holidays of Purim and Passover are right around the corner. Get ready for Purim with my mouth watering recipe for Hamentaschen with Apricot Filling. I know what you may be thinking but yes, you can treat yourself to a little dessert!

Prepping for Passover is not an easy task.  Relax, BRG Dietetics and Nutrition, P.C. will help you prepare!  Check out my cookbook Passover the Healthy Way for a healthy twist on your favorite traditional holiday recipes. Lots of great things are happening at our Facebook page, Passover the Healthy Way Cookbook, including FREE gifts, downloads, 30 tips in 30 days, PROMOTIONS and more!

Give me a call at 516-486-4569, or send me an email (bonnie@brghealth.com) if you have any questions.

—Bonnie

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Shape Up Your Plate with These 7 Foods

March is National Nutrition Month and the theme this year is “Get Your Plate in Shape”. Below you will find 7 foods to take you out of your food comfort zone and into shaping up your plate!

1. Kale – Kale is a nutrition powerhouse when it comes to getting your plate in shape and reducing your risk of bladder, breast, colon, ovarian, and prostate cancer! Researchers identified over 45 different flavonoids in kale that act as antioxidants and provide anti-inflammatory benefits. A few easy suggestions on adding kale to your menu: try adding a cup to your next smoothie, mixing in with your traditional salad greens, or sautéing with your favorite vegetables. Need to lower your cholesterol? Try steaming kale and serving with lemon juice.
2. Bison (aka Buffalo)– Bison is the new red meat alternative. Low in calories, cholesterol, and fat, high in protein and iron – and taste great! What more could you ask for! The American Diabetes Association, the American Heart Association, and The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics all endorse buffalo meat as a part of a healthy, low fat, low cholesterol diet. Next time you are looking to add a little protein power to your plate, try some buffalo!
3. Quinoa – This tiny seed makes a complete protein and is an excellent vegetarian alternative to animal protein, for it is high in the amino acid lysine, which is essential for tissue growth and repair. Besides being high in protein, complex carbohydrates, and fiber, quinoa also provides an excellent source of phosphorus, manganese, magnesium, folate, and iron. Quinoa is easy to prepare and can serve as a great substitute to white rice, couscous, or pasta.
4. Pomegranates – A real “Super Food”! Pomegranates are high in vitamin C and potassium as well as three different types of polyphenols, a very potent antioxidant. The three polyphenols are: tannins, anthocyanins, and ellagic acid – all play a powerful role in preventing cancer and heart disease. 1/2 cup of pomegranate seeds will provide about 70 calories and 3.5 grams of fiber.
5. Figs – Figs could also be called nature’s portable power bar. Approximately 4 medium figs will pack in 38 grams of energy producing carbohydrates with 6 grams of fiber, 345 mg of potassium, as well as magnesium, calcium, and antioxidants. All essential nutrients for a healthy body. Next time you are looking for a pre-workout snack, try grabbing a few fresh figs for an instant energy boost.
6. Bok Choy – Bok Choy can be a weight loss plans’ best friend. With only 2 calories per cup, this vegetable can add bulk to your plate and help fill you up, helping you control portion size. Not only is Bok Choy low in calories but it is high in many essential phyto-nutrients, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Some of the nutrition components found in Bok Choy help protect against breast, colon, and prostate cancers as well as help decrease “bad cholesterol”.
7. Chili Peppers – Red chili peppers help to “spice” up your body’s chemistry and have been shown to reduce cholesterol, triglyceride levels, and platelet aggregation. Red chili peppers are also linked with a slight increase in metabolic rate to digest the food, meaning that spicy pepper can help you burn more calories! Go ahead and spice up your next meal by adding in some fresh red chili peppers.

 

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Recipe of the Month: Homemade Spicy Kale Chips

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

1 bunch kale

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp cayenne pepper

Cracked black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. Using a kitchen shears, remove the leaves from the stems and break into bite size pieces.  Wash and thoroughly dry kale.
3. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt, cayenne pepper, and black pepper.
4. Bake for about 10 – 15 minutes or until the edges are brown.

Per Serving: 

58 Calories

2.8 g Fat

7.6 g Carbohydrates

1.5 g Fiber

2.5 g Protein

 

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During National Nutrition Month, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Offers Practical Ways to Enjoy Food While Eating Less

Reproduced with permission of The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. www.eatright.org

Food is meant to be enjoyed, but eating less is the key to weight management and disease prevention, according to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. During National Nutrition Month®, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (formerly the American Dietetic Association) encourages everyone to “Get Your Plate in Shape.”

“One way to accomplish this is by eating the foods you enjoy while being mindful of portion sizes and total calories,” says registered dietitian and Academy Spokesperson Marjorie Nolan.

“Eating should be pleasurable, but it is important to be aware of how much food we eat every day. A key step to maintaining a healthy lifestyle is putting less food on your plate,” Nolan says.

Nolan offers simple and practical ways to eat fewer calories while savoring and enjoying your food:

Be mindful of your daily calorie needs. Find your personal daily calorie quota using the Dietary Guidelines’ icon, MyPlate. When planning your meals and snacks throughout the day, keep your calorie needs in mind. “A simple way to do this is to think about the portions on your plate,” Nolan says. “Divide your plate in four sections with one each for whole grains, lean proteins, vegetables and fruits, and a side of dairy, such as a cup of low-fat milk or yogurt or an ounce of cheese.”

Avoid oversized portions by using smaller plates, bowls and glasses. “The standard 10-inch plate may be too large for you. Switch to 8-inch or appetizer-sized plates and you will automatically portion and eat less without feeling deprived,” says Nolan. Pile your plate with nutrient-dense, lower-calorie foods like vegetables, fruits, whole grains and lean protein foods like beans, seafood, lean meat and poultry.

Get into the kitchen and stay in charge of what you’re eating. Cooking more often at home not only allows you to balance what’s on your plate, but also enables you to choose healthier fats, less sodium and increase the fiber in your diet while balancing the amount of calories you eat. “Then, when you eat out, you’ll be more apt to recognize healthy portion sizes based on your experiences at home. Take the tactic of choosing lower calorie menu options when dining out by focusing on vegetables, fruits and whole grains,” Nolan says.

Watch out for liquid calories. The calories in fruit juices and drinks with added sugar, sports drinks, sugar-laden coffee beverages and soft drinks can add up fast. Also, think before you drink alcoholic beverages as they have calories too. Remember to drink alcohol sensibly by capping it with one drink a day for women or two drinks a day for men. (A standard drink is 5 ounces of wine, 12 ounces of beer or 1.5 ounces of distilled spirits.)

Log in. “Food logging can be a great tool for keeping track of the foods you eat and ensuring you stay in your calorie limit,” Nolan says. “By having awareness of everything you eat and drink, you’ll be more apt to stick within your healthy calorie range. Write down what you’re eating throughout the day so that it’s not such a big task to tackle at one time in the day, or use the USDA’s Super Tracker which helps plan, analyze and track your diet and physical activity. You’ll likely eat less and savor your food more.”

As part of this public education campaign, the Academy’s National Nutrition Month website www.eatright.org/nnm includes helpful tips, fun games, promotional tools and nutrition education resources, all designed to spread the message of good nutrition around the “Get Your Plate in Shape” theme.

 

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Hamentaschen…A Sweet Treat for Purim

Purim is here!  The kids are getting excited to dress up in costume…King Ahasuerus, Esther, Mordecai, Haman, Barbie, a doctor, a cheerleader or baseball player.  We read the story of Purim in Megillat Esther and celebrate with good food and wine.  We send out gifts of food and/or drink (shalach manos) and we give charity.  It is a tradition to bake or eat hamentaschen which are triangular shaped cookies filled with fruit.  These Hamentaschen respresent Haman’s three-cornered hat.

Typically, hamentaschen are filled with calories and fat.  And, a common cry I hear from my clients is “I can’t stop at one, so I can’t have any.”  I encourage everyone to stop denying yourself.  Simply modify your recipe so it is lower in fat, and don’t label food as good or bad.  Once you take the “conditions” off food, you will see that you can enjoy your favorite treats in a controlled fashion.

Try my recipe for Apricot-Filled Hamentaschen and experience a joyful Purim!

Hamentaschen with Apricot Filling

Serves: 32

Ingredients:

2 ½ cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

½ cup lowfat margarine

2 tbsp. brown sugar

2 tbsp honey

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 cup all fruit apricot jam

Instructions:

1. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, cream together margarine, brown sugar, and honey until light and fluffy.  Beat in eggs and vanilla.  Add dry ingredients and mix until dough is well combined and forms a ball.  Flatten ball into a disc, wrap well, and refrigerate for several hours, or until dough is firm (dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.)
3. Preheat oven to 350° F.  Remove dough from refrigerator and roll out on lightly floured surface to 1/8-inch thickness. Using a cookie cutter or thin-edged glass, cut out 2 ½ to 3-inch rounds of dough.  Gather scraps, press together, and roll out again to cut more rounds (you should have about 32).
4. Place 1 teaspoon filling in the center of each round.  Fold up edges by thirds, leaving an opening in the center, and firmly pinch edges together where they meet, so the finished shape is triangular.
5. Place hamantaschen about 1 inch apart on lightly sprayed cookie sheets, and bake until lightly browned, about 20 minutes.

Serving size: 1 Hamantaschen

Per serving:

70 calories

2 grams fat

12 grams carbohydrate

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Practice Happenings:

Passover the Healthy Way Cookbook….great promotions, FREE gifts, giveaways and promo codes available on Facebook at www.facebook.com/passoverthehealthywaycookbook

30 Tips in 30 Days: The countdown to Passover has begun! Starting March 9, 2012, a new tip will be posted on our Facebook page to help make your Passover the best one yet. 30 Tips in 30 Days…cooking tips, money saving tips, crafts for the kids and more. Receive a FREE downloadable Passover Activity Book when you purchase your copy of Passover the Healthy Way! LIKE us today at www.facebook.com/passoverthehealthywaycookbook so you don’t miss out on these great promotions just in time for Passover! Not a Facebook user? No worries. Visit www.passoverthehealthyway.comto receive the same promotions! Passover the Healthy Way’s popularity is burning up! Receive a FREE POT HOLDER by being one of the first 100 people to purchase the cookbook online atwww.passoverthehealthyway.com. Simply write Newsletter Fan in the comment section of the order form and you will receive your gift with your order (while supplies last).

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Quote of the Month:

 “The best six doctors anywhere

And no one can deny it

Are sunshine, water, rest, and air

Exercise and diet.

These six will gladly you attend

If only you are willing

Your mind they’ll ease

Your will they’ll mend

And charge you not a shilling.”

~Nursery rhyme quoted by Wayne Fields, What the River Knows, 1990

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