Tag / Nutrition

Hi all! You may recall that I’ve posted a few times about our nation’s childhood obesity epidemic, and how important it is to help youth learn and adopt healthy eating habits. Last week, at the Fuel Up to Play 60 Student Ambassador Summit, I had the opportunity to take action and speak to students and teachers from all over the country who are working to make their schools even healthier places to learn.

Fuel Up to Play 60 is an in-school nutrition and physical activity program lead by the National Dairy Council (NDC) and NFL, in collaboration with USDA. It encourages kids to consume healthy foods, like low-fat and fat-free dairy, fruits, veggies and whole grains. In that spirit, I was invited to the Summit to prepare a healthy snack option that would be easy for kids and schools to incorporate into their daily routines. I decided to share a recipe for my favorite healthy snack, fruit and nut granola with low-fat yogurt. The students helped me mix together the oats, nuts, seeds and dried fruit, then we all tasted our handiwork on top of yogurt parfaits!

I was so inspired by the many students and teachers committed to adding fresh, healthy options to their schools’ cafeteria menus, making breakfast a priority and incorporating movement and exercise into their daily routines. I was thrilled to have the opportunity to share my passion for tasty, nutritious foods with the younger generation. Their ground-level efforts are the driving force toward ending the obesity epidemic for good!
 

Check out the Fuel Up to Play 60 Facebook page for a copy of my granola and yogurt recipe, and for more photos from the Student Ambassador Summit!

Hi Everyone.  It’s day two here at the AHIP Institute Conference in San Francisco.  “I’m in the kitchen”…well… really in the booth… partnering with Alere Health,  to cook up several healthy recipes that taste good and that are good for you – with a bit more emphasis on diabetes management. Diabetes is a serious health issue all across this country. An important key to healthier living, and diabetes management starts in the kitchen by making smart decisions about what you eat.

It’s important to eat in moderation, stick to regular mealtimes, and eat a variety of fruits, vegetables, protein and whole grains. Below are five quick tips to help get you on your way to optimal health:

1. Take stock of your kitchen. First and foremost, get rid of all unhealthy foods in your kitchen. Stock your kitchen so you can see what is available to cook a delicious meal. By having your choices more visible, you can better plan your healthy meals for the day or grab a nutritious snack on the go. Finally, be sure to stock up on the nutritious foods you love. For instance, if you love raw vegetables, have a bowl cleaned and cut up in the fridge so you can easily access it when you are hungry.
2. Choose your sweets wisely. Sweets can be the hardest to give up, but who said you have to totally give up the foods you love completely—just make smart choices. For instance, instead of having a whole dessert split a sweet treat with a friend. By eating your dessert slowly and savoring every bite you will appreciate those sugary splurges even more. Think about making healthy substitutions by switching out soda for sparkling water or choosing to top a bowl full of fresh fruit with low-fat ice cream instead of the other way around.
3. Select carbs high in fiber. You don’t have to avoid carbohydrates, just think about how you plan your meals with the right carbs. Prepare your favorite sandwiches with whole-grain bread instead of white bread, use steel-cut oats at breakfast instead of processed cereals or instant oatmeal, keep whole wheat pasta in your pantry instead of regular pasta, and brown rice instead of white rice.
4. Choose fats carefully. Although some fats are healthy, they are all high in calories so it’s important to choose carefully. Instead of snacking on cheese, chips or crackers, a great option is to enjoy a handful of nuts or seeds.  You’d be surprised how satisfying this snack can be, especially if you chew them slowly and enjoy the natural flavor whether you’re munching on a few at home or taking them with you if you’re in the car on a long commute. Be careful not to overindulge though, nuts, while they’re good for you, are high in calories and add up fast.
5. Make the choice to stay healthy. To stay healthy and to lessen your risk of diabetes in the future, healthy cooking and eating is all about modification –  not deprivation. It starts with coming up with a healthy, delicious eating plan that is high in nutrients, low in fat, and moderate in calories. Don’t be afraid to break out of your routine, get creative and try new things! If you’re here at AHIP today, stop by the Alere Health booth #401 and I’ll share some great, new nutritious recipes with you to try at home.  Be sure to check out my recipes, posted on Alere’s Facebook page — www.facebook.com/alerehealth.

Hello from the 2011 AHIP Institute Conference in San Francisco! I am excited to partner with Alere Health for the third time as their booth ambassador. I am cooking up smart meals and delicious snacks focused on helping people achieve their optimal health, something that both Alere and I passionately support.

A major component of living a healthy lifestyle begins in the kitchen. Having prepared food and snacks available to you at a moment’s notice will always help you eat wisely. Planning goes hand-in-hand with healthy eating and one of the easiest ways to do that is to have a plan for your kitchen! Here are three ideas to get your started:

1. Don’t plan your meal around protein. In the past, meals were planned around what protein you wanted to serve and then from there you would add the starch, vegetable, etc. Today, to achieve a healthier balance on your plate, meat should be considered more of a side dish and plan the main entree around the grains, fruits or vegetables that will be prepared.
2. Color, texture and temperature are your friends. Plan a meal that is rich in taste and delightful to the palette. Your meals should be full of color, the recipes should vary in temperature, and include textures from smooth to crunchy.
3. Keep your pantry stocked. Create a list of food and cooking staples that you use regularly. These staples can include your favorite spices and herbs, baking supplies such as flour and sugar substitutes, whole wheat pasta, brown rice, low-sodium canned goods, condiments and more.  One of the key benefits of having a pantry list is that you can buy the staples on sale and save money for you and your family.

To see my pantry list, download a copy from Alere’s Facebook site, or visit me this week at the AHIP Institute Conference at the Alere Health booth #401, where I will provide take-home pantry lists with samples from my delicious recipes.

Greetings from the World Health Congress! This is my second day here partnering with Alere, the lead sponsor this year.  We both believe that the key to smart food choices starts with a healthy balance of nutritional foods that allow for some less nutritional foods in moderation. I personally have temptations and unhealthy foods that call my name from time to time, but in order to avoid the feelings of deprivation that can lead to weight gain you must indulge.

Indulge you say? Yes, indulge! Everyone needs to treat themselves from time to time for following a healthy and balanced lifestyle, but be sure to treat yourself in moderation. Know when enough is enough.

Here are some quick tips to help you eat the things you love without overindulging.

1. Pay attention to your body and stop when you have had enough. I love food and I love to eat, and being a Chef I am constantly around food. So, if I don’t pay attention to portion sizes and my body’s cues, I’ll keep eating and eating until the food is gone. Eating slowly helps me pace myself and allows my brain to catch up.  Matthew is constantly alerting me when I eat too fast.
2. Eat only when you’re hungry. This can be difficult for most people. One great way to tell if you are really hungry or just being impulsive is to ask yourself if the plate was full of broccoli would you still eat it? If you wouldn’t then don’t reach for the treats that are tempting you.
3. Give in to your cravings from time to time. If you have a sweet tooth then go ahead and eat a cookie. But only have one instead of two or three . . . or the whole plate. Easier said than done – I know. Eating in moderation requires training on your part. If you are able to train yourself to give into cravings without binging then you will be able to enjoy the not-so-good foods from time to time.
4. Use your salad plates. Studies have shown that using smaller plates at meal time will help you eat less.  Small plates are fashionable at the restaurants, why not at your home?  Another easy trick is to keep the serving dishes in the kitchen while you eat in the dining room – this forces you to get up and walk to the kitchen if you want more.

Everything in moderation leads to a happier, healthier life, as demonstrated in my approach to cooking natural and organic infused meals with Southern and French-inspired flair. Beyond what you put in your mouth, regular exercise every day will help you add balance to your life. It’s a natural progression to watch what you eat if you have a consistent exercise regime.

Those who have a balance of diet and exercise will ultimately reach total health and wellness faster than those who don’t. To hear more about balancing diet and exercise, and to pick up some yummy recipes to incorporate into your everyday routine, visit me at the World Health Care Conference through April 6^th, where I will be hootie-hooing at the Alere booth #203. Hope to see you here!