Food Journaling

Okay, let me speak honestly. In the past, whenever I heard someone say that writing down the food you are consuming each day is critical to maintaining a healthy weight, I used to roll my eyes. Of course, now that I am getting older (shhhh!) I realize the importance of food journaling. If my weight begins to fluctuate, it is always because I am underestimating my food consumption. When I write down what foods I am eating, I am accountable to that piece of paper...the diary does not lie! :) Not sure how many calories you should be consuming to lose or maintain your weight? This handy little calorie calculator will help you determine your personal requirements:

http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm

Ratatouille from the Grill

With summer right around the corner, I wanted to share with you one of my FAVORITE dishes! Ratatouille from the Grill. Darren and I probably make this once a week, it’s so good! You can change up the vegetables too. We’ve added asparagus to it and it’s so Delicious!! This dish is also perfect if you have company coming over because it’s served at room temperature, so you can get all the grilling done ahead of time! This recipe is from William Sonoma, Complete grilling book.

Ratatouille from the Grill
1 large eggplant
Salt for sprinkling, plus 1 tsp. salt
1 large yellow onion
2 zucchini or yellow crookneck squashes
2 red or green bell peppers
8-10 large fresh mushrooms
¾ extra virgin olive oil
1 large tomato, peeled, seeded, and chopped
3 tablespoons whit wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic minced
½ tsp freshly ground pepper
½ cup chopped frosh basil

Prepare Grill
~Trim the eggplant & then cut crosswise into slices about ½ inch thick. Place in a colander & salt liberally to draw out the moisture. Let stand for 30 minutes.
~Rinse the eggplant slices and pat them dry with paper towels. Set aside.
~Prepare the remaining vegetables as follows: Cut the onion into slices ½ inch thick. Half the squashes lengthwise. Cut the bell peppers into rings 1 inch thick, removing the seeds and ribs. Trim the stem ends of the mushrooms.
~Arrange the vegetable on the grill, turning two or three times and brushing them with ½ cup od the olive oil, until tender crisp when pierced, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the grill and let cool. Cut into bite size pieces.
~Meanwhile, in a large serving bowl, stir or whisk together the remaining ¼ cup olive oil, the tomato, vinegar, garlic, the 1 teaspoon salt, the pepper, and the basil. Add the vegetables to the tomato mixture and toss gently to combine. Serve at room temperature.
SERVES 6

I serve this along with brown rice. It is the perfect summer dish, so light and healthy!

Enjoy!!!

Snack Attack

The Mind Body Connection

Marni is our special guest on our March 28, 2011 blogradio show, "The Mind-Body Connection." You connect with Marni on Twitter @Marni_MPG or by heading to www.mindworksperformancegroup.com

Marni Bell

Values kindness and tolerance. She is a passionate student of the lessons that life has to offer. She is also a student of Western Michigan University and is currently progressing in her major of Psychology. Her goal is to successfully achieve a PhD in Behavioral Analysis. MLB has been employed in the field of Speech-Language Pathology for twelve years as a Speech Pathology Assistant. She has studied the art of energy healing and is a certified Level III Reiki Master. Through the enriching experiences of therapy, as well as a quest for personal growth, she has developed a special interest in the profound ability of the human brain to overcome adversity and illness. She is determined to deliver this message with the tools for success, to help enrich the current and future lives of the youth.

Marni is a mother of two sons, Kurtis and Kyle, and a mother-in-law to Bethany Bell. Her son Kurtis is 22 and pursuing his engineering degree at Grand Valley State University. Kyle is 17 and a junior in High School. Kyle wishes to attend medical school following high school graduation. Marni considers her sons to be her master teachers.

Portion Control!

So often, we hear health advisors telling us to watch our portions. But, how do we do that? It is critical to understand what an appropriate portion size of food is to maintain a healthy weight and lifestyle. So here is a simple way to remember your portion sizes, by using your hand as a guideline:

Palm=Proteins
-Protein portions should be the size of your palm. Protein can be found in animal products, like fish, meats, and cottage cheese. Some veggies with protein include beans, tofu, and wheat glutens.

Thumb=Fats
-Fats are important, but also very dense, so match portions to the size of your thumb. Good fat sources are avocados, olive oil, nuts, and seeds.

Fist=Fruits, Grains, etc.
-Your bread, fruit, cereal, rice, and grain portions should be about the same size of your closed fist. (Whole grains are always the best choice).

Hand=Veggies
-Open your hand and spread your fingers as wide as you can. That is a good vegetable portion. Raw vegetables are loaded with fiber and nutrients, and contain very few calories.

Funny Clips From our Radio Show

Healthy Snacks for Traveling

Our next blog radio show, to be aired on Monday, February 28, is dedicated to the topic of how to make healthy choices while traveling. Here is a list of some healthy snack options to take with you on the road:

String cheese
Almonds
Flavored water
Apples
100 Calorie snack packs
Shakeology
Protein Bars: Larabar or P90X bars are my personal favorites
Whole grain crackers
Lowfat popcorn
Mini cereal boxes of cheerios or a high-fiber cereal
Laughing cow cheese

**Tip** You can always put together snack combos at home, and place into snack baggies. This is a great way to portion control your servings.

Enjoy! Do you have any healthy snack ideas that are portable for work or travel? Please share!

Alison