Wednesday, July 30, 2014

3 bad habits that could be sabotaging your health goals

We have the best of intentions but sometimes tiny, seemingly harmless behaviors get in the way of our health goals.  Being more mindful of all behaviors, thoughts, and emotions allows us to see what is really holding us back from living our best lives.

Check out these three nasty habits.... are you a culprit?


Pressing the "tap-out" button on the weekends
You then find yourself in the same place every Monday. You punish yourself for your "bad" behavior, restrict yourself all week, and then pendulum swing (oops!) to reckless abandonment by the time Friday rolls around. 

Plan of action
Press the reset button instead and start fresh at that very same meal!
S.T.O.P = Stop, Take deep breaths, Observe, Proceed with love and kindness...and break the response

Watching TV and staying up too late
The body physically repairs itself between 10pm and 2am, and then from 2am to 6am is the time for psychological repair. Here's the kicker...you have to be asleep for this repair to take place!

Plan of action
If you find yourself staying up past 10pm, slowly move up your bedtime by 15 minutes each week. One hour before bed, dim the lights, turn off the TV, read a book. No matter what, if you force yourself to wake up earlier, chances are you'll be tired and ready for bed before Chelsea Lately. Welcome to old fogie'ville!


Not cooking for yourself
Yes, there are healthy options at restaurants, but ever wonder why their steak tastes so much better than yours? The answer is lots and LOTS of butter! Vegetables are often flash-fried (undistinguishable to the naked eye) which means your Brussels sprouts are more like French fries (in a different outfit!). In the words of Kris Carr, "eating out is the same thing as outsourcing your health."

Plan of action
 Be more specific at restaurants (ask how things are cooked, politely request for substitutions). Try one new recipe of ours a week so you stay inspired in the kitchen. It's always preferred that you have your hands involved in your meals, that way you can choose high quality ingredients and control hidden ingredients.



Success Stories:

Congrats George, Meagan, and Erin!

 

 

Recipe of the Week:

Lamb Gyro Salad


 

Ingredients:

 
Lamb:
1/2 tbsp grapeseed oil
1 pound ground lamb
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 red onion, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp dry red wine

Tzatziki:
1 cup cucumber, seeded and shredded
1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk**
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp dried dill
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1/8 tsp sea salt
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper

**put the can of coconut milk in the refrigerator 24 hours prior to making the recipe

Cucumber Tomato Relish:
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 firm tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 English cucumber, seeded and diced
1/2 red onion, diced
Freshly ground black pepper

Salad:
4 cups of green or red leaf lettuce, chopped
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
 

Directions:

 
Lamb: In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the lamb, sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook until the meat gets nice and golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove the lamb and reserve. Lower the heat to medium and saute' the onions in the lamb juices until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the oregano and garlic and cook until fragrant. Add the tomato paste and cook until it caramelizes. Deglaze with the red wine and scrape any bits up that have adhered to the pan. Add the lamb back in, stir and set aside.

Tzatziki: Squeeze excess moisture out of the seeded and shredded cucumber. Open the can of coconut milk and scoop out 1/2 cup of cream that is on top. In a medium bowl, combine cucumber, coconut milk, garlic, lemon juice, dill, salt and pepper and mix thoroughly. Chill before serving.

Cucumber Tomato Relish: Toss the olive oil, vinegar, tomatoes, cucumbers and onions in a bowl and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Cover and let sit at least 1 hour to marry the flavors.

For the salad: Toss lettuce with lemon juice and olive oil. Place 1-2 cups of greens on each plate. Top with lamb. Surround with cucumber tomato relish. Dollop tzatziki on top & enjoy!
Recipe courtesy of Rancho la Puerta cookbook

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Does restaurant eating sabotage your weight loss goals?

Eating at a restaurant is about much more than just the meal.  It's a time for us to connect to the people we enjoy spending time with, a well needed break from the kitchen, and a nice change in scenery that allows us to feel energetically involved in our community.  Although these are all positive aspects of restaurant dining, it can be a struggle for those of us who also have weight loss goals.  We have very strong "stories" when it comes to eating restaurant food.  "I won't enjoy myself if I'm not eating the chips and queso. All my friends are going to be uncomfortable if I don't order a drink.  It's not worth the money if I am just going to order a salad that I could make at home"... and so on.  These "stories" prevent us from having the best of both worlds, in other words, having our cake and not eating it too (not funny?)!  Below are some tips that will allow you to take a break from the ongoing cooking/cleaning cycle, enjoy time out and be social, while maintaining success with your personal health goals.  

Eating Out Tips:

Order off the menu
You don't need to follow all of the rules. If you're having trouble finding something on the menu that fits your program, then simply ask for a piece of grilled protein and a side of veggies and call it a night!

Tell them you are on a cleanse
This is Austin...everyone's cleansing...all the time. Chances are your server is on a cleanse as well and can help you choose the best option the restaurant has to offer.

Look at the menu beforehand
Make a decision...and stick to it! "Out" yourself to your friends so that you can't change your mind :)

Share your dish
Boom! You just cut your caloric intake in half. Another option is to have your server box up half of the order before they bring it to the table.

Order an appetizer as your meal
Or ask for the lunch portion. Smaller portion means fewer calories!

Don't go hungry
We've all made this mistake before and then proceeded to eat the entire contents of the bread basket plus an app and then an entire entree'. Have a handful of nuts on your way to the restaurant and skip the meal(s) before your meal.

Don't order dessert
Dessert is a meal you order after you've eaten an entire meal (think about it)! If you really want something sweet, skip the entree' and have dessert as the main course. It's not ideal to consume sugar at night right before bed, but sometimes it just feels right.


To drive this point home, this week is Restaurant Week at Nutritional Wisdom! Follow us on Facebook and Instagram to see the healthy restaurant meals that I am eating and stay tuned for my free treat! Here are a few of our favorite meals so far this week.

  
(Carrot Gazpacho and Raw Carrot & Kale Salad from 2nd Bar on Congress)


  
(Tarzan salad with and without a fried egg from Bouldin Creek Cafe...a salad so nice we ordered it twice!)


  
(Casa de Luz - their entire menu is vegan, organic, and gluten free!)



(The Beets salad from Hillside Farmacy)



Success Stories:

Congrats Kristi and Karey!

 

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Sometimes you feel like a nut...

Learning the Basics:

Soaking Nuts for Improved Digestion
I know what you are thinking, "Oh jeez, I have soak my nuts now?!  What's next, massaging my kale salad before I eat it?!" 

The short answer is no, you don't have to do anything you don't want to (except flossing, you should do that whether you want to or not). That being said, you are reading this email because you are a wisdom seeker (boo-yah!) and you are always on the hunt for new information on how to increase your health and vitality and feel all around a-maz-ing. Although soaking your nuts sounds like a pain in the arse, it actually takes a full 15 seconds to prep. Below is some information on the how's and why's. 

PS - massaging your raw kale before you eat it breaks down the outer plant wall and makes the nutrition more bio-available to the body, plus it's easier to chew (see how I did that?  Turn a joke into another awesome fun fact?!  I'm goooood) 




WHY:
Nuts and seeds contain enzyme inhibitors that protect them until they have finished growing. They also contain phytic acid, which inhibits the absorption of certain minerals. Soaking nuts and seeds releases these inhibitors and reduces phytic acid, increasing the amount of vitamins and minerals your body can absorb (this is called bioavailability).

HOW:
Gather your raw, organic nuts and seeds and rinse them in purified water. Place them in a glass or stainless steel bowl and cover with twice as much water (1 cup of nuts to 2 cups of water and so on). Cover the bowl with a cloth towel and let sit at room temperature overnight. Soaking time varies with the nut (the more dense the nut, the longer the soaking time). Drain and rinse well and store in a glass container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Enjoy raw as a snack or in a salad, or check out this recipe for Creamy Basil Chicken Alfredo!

Sprouting nuts follows a similar process, requiring several days of soaking but yielding more nutrition, and we especially love it when Whole Foods does the heavy labor for us! You can find sprouted nuts in the bulk section of your local WF.

Creamy Basil Chicken Alfredo

Ingredients:

2 large zucchini, spiralized into noodles
2 cup cashews, soaked overnight
juice of 1 lemon
pinch of sea salt
fresh ground pepper
3 cloves garlic
10 basil leaves, finely chopped
1 cup water
1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 tbsp oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425F. Season chicken thighs with sea salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder and place them in a baking dish. Bake for 15-20 minutes until thighs are no longer pink in the middle. Meanwhile, add soaked cashews, lemon juice, sea salt, pepper, garlic, and basil to a blender or food processor with about 1/2 cup water, slowly adding more water until the desire consistency you prefer is met (more water will create a thinner sauce, less water it will be thicker). Heat oil over medium heat in a large saucepan. Add zucchini noodles and saute until softened. Remove the chicken thighs from the oven and chop into strips. Toss the noodles, chicken, and sauce, and enjoy!


Success Stories:

Congrats Kristy, Jenn, and Anni!

  

Wednesday, July 9, 2014

Having trouble staying committed?

We all want to commit to healthier habits but we don't understand why our motivation doesn't always manifest in physical form.  If you are struggling with your commitments, examine the reason WHY you wanted to commit in the first place.  Do you want to be committed to a nutrition plan because if you don't you will look horrible in a bathing suit?  Do you want to commit so that you can live your best life?  The first reason is rooted in fear, and fear will never lead you to long-lasting change.  The latter is a commitment made out of self-love, which is the only way to turn an initial commitment into permanent lifestyle change.  Remember, change happens not by force, but by love.  Discipline is the behavioral manifestation of the highest act of self-love and self-care.  Not eating the ice cream, or making that early morning exercise class is then a reflection of self love, not punishment.  Struggling with a commitment (made in your best interest) is really not reflective of the commitment itself, but of your current internal state of chaos.  Ask yourself, "am I at peace with myself or not?". Make a commitment to loving yourself first and all your other commitments will fall into place.  Repeat this mantra daily:  "Everything in my life is unfolding perfectly.  I am in the exact place I am supposed to be.  I unconditionally love and accept myself, and I forgive myself for ever thinking otherwise."



How to Choose the Best Bar
(get your minds out of the gutter, we're talking snack bars, not the place you go to for Happy Hour!)

Now that grocery stores have an entire aisle dedicated to bars, we're here to tell you how we choose our favorites!



"What's In It?"

How many ingredients are there and what is listed first?
By law, ingredients have to be listed in order of predominance. The first three ingredients are basically what the entire product is made of. The fewer ingredients, the better.

Can you picture each ingredient by itself?
We sure as heck don't know what soy lecithin looks like, do you?

Can you pronounce each ingredient? 
If you can't pronounce it, chances are your liver won't be keen on processing it!

Do the ingredients belong? 
If the bar is called "Cashew Crunch", then it better have cashews listed as one of the first ingredients, not brown rice syrup! 

Is there added sugar?
Here's a hint...syrups, cane juice, and anything ending in -ose is sugar
(and just because the sugar comes from beets or brown rice doesn't mean it's healthy!). When looking for a bar, we want to make sure that sugar is not one of the first three ingredients. We make an exception for dates because they are unprocessed (beware date sugar, which is processed).

So...what are our favorites?

Thunderbird Energetica Original & Gather Bars
We love them all but Thunderbird's new Gather Bars are knocking our socks off because they are the lowest sugar bars we have found (Superseed Spirit only has 5 grams of sugar in the entire bar). The wrappers are compostable AND they are based in Austin!

Bearded Brothers
Local to Austin and organic, these brothas are hitting the nail on the head!

Kit's Organic Bars
The big O...need we say more?

Made by Yours Truly 
See below for an easy homemade recipe

Larabar 
Normally we would recommend the Larabar, but they are owned by General Mills, who has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to veto Prop 37. Prop 37 would grant us the right to know if our food has been genetically engineered. We simply cannot recommend these bars. Sorry General Mills, we think we have a right to know when our food is being poisoned!



Recipe of the Week:

Blueberry Coconut Lemon Bars


Ingredients:

15 medjool dates
2 1/2 cup raw almonds
1 cup coconut flakes (or shredded unsweetened coconut)
1 cup dried blueberries
Zest of 3 organic lemons

Directions:
Soak the medjool dates in water for 1 hour, then remove the pits. Add to the food processor the soaked dates, almonds, coconut, blueberries, and lemon zest. Process until no large chunks remain (about 4-5 minutes). You may need to occasionally scrape down the bowl. Using your hands and/or a spatula, press the mixture into a 9×13 inch pan. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before slicing. Bars are best stored in the fridge or the freezer.

Recipe adapted from and photo courtesy of