Two Healthy Dinners That Also Double As Breakfast

The number one question I hear in the gym every week is…what do I eat for breakfast?! With sugary cereals, yogurt and pastries as the most common breakfast foods out there, it can seem daunting to switch to proteins and vegetables for the first meal of the day. But the fact remains: if you want to be healthy, you have to make your breakfast look like dinner. If you read my previous blog you know that a breakfast full of sugar slows down your metabolism, reduces your energy and actually leads to over-eating at lunch and dinner! Conversely, if you eat a breakfast that is full of healthy proteins, fats and vegetables, you speed up your metabolism and actually eat less as the day progresses. So here you have it, two of my favorite gluten-free, dairy-free and vitamin-packed dinners that taste amazing for breakfast the next morning.

Healthy Chicken Salad Lettuce Cups

Ingredients:

Butter Lettuce
2 Organic Chicken Breasts
3-4 Stalks of Celery, Chopped
3-4 Carrots, Chopped
3 Tablespoons of Dill
I Cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon of Mustard
Champagne or Red Wine Vinegar to Taste
1 Organic Egg Yolk
Sea Salt and Pepper to Taste
Garlic (optional)

Fully cook and shred or dice the chicken breasts into bite size pieces. In a bowl, combine the chicken with all of the vegetables and dill and set aside. In another bowl, combine one egg yolk with the mustard, salt, pepper and a splash of vinegar. Slowly whisk in the cup of olive oil, making sure to add the oil in slowly. Adjust seasonings accordingly (adding garlic or vinegars to your taste). Once your healthy “mayo” is complete, pour it over the chicken and vegetables and toss gently. Simply scoop a cup of the chicken salad into your butter lettuce cups for a complete and healthy meal. For extra crunch, try adding chopped almonds on top of each lettuce cup.

Basque Style Baked Eggs

Ingredients:

2 White Onions
1 Red Pepper
1 Green Pepper
1 Yellow Pepper
4 Tomatoes
2 Garlic Cloves
4 Ounces of Organic Ham (Use more if you are a protein type)
Basil
8 Eggs
Sea Salt
Hot Paprika

Peel the onions and peppers (removing the seeds) and cut them into slivers. Then chop the tomatoes (also removing the seeds) and garlic cloves. Put the onions and peppers in a pot (with a little olive oil) on medium heat and let them sweat for about five minutes, keeping the lid on tight. Then add the garlic and tomatoes and cook the vegetables together gently until almost all of their liquid has evaporated. While they are cooking, cut the ham into small pieces and chop the leaves from a small bunch of basil. As soon as the vegetables are cooked (and the liquid has evaporated) add the ham and basil into the mixture and stir well. Spread the vegetables into a 1 ½ inch deep, oven-safe dish and make eight small holes in the mixture so that you can fill each one with an egg. Once the eggs are in place, bake at roughly 400 degrees. When the whites of the eggs are set, remove from the oven and let cool before serving.

The Top 4 Worst Breakfast Foods

Most people are indoctrinated in the idea that breakfast food has to be doughnuts, bagels, waffles and juice. These foods are quick, easy and most importantly, sound “normal” as a morning meal. But think back to your last breakfast of cereal and orange juice. Did you feel a little shaky? Need a second cup of coffee? Become ravenous again only 1-2 hours later? It’s a proven fact that a breakfast full of organic proteins and vegetables leads to fat loss, sustained energy and decreased sugar cravings. It might take a little longer to prepare the foods suggested in this blog, but good things are worth the wait. So here you have it, the four worst breakfast foods for your health AND a few great options for fat loss and improved vitality.

Egg Whites – Many people ask for egg whites in an attempt to “cut out the bad fat” from their breakfast. However, studies show that there is no correlation between eating whole eggs and weight gain, heart disease or high cholesterol levels. Because the yolk of the egg contains a tremendous amount of vital nutrients (such as protein, inflammation fighting essential fatty acids, vitamins A and D and calcium) when you opt for just egg whites, you’re left with mostly water and a slight amount of protein. So if you’re serious about getting the most bang for your buck out of the foods you choose, go with the whole egg. In addition to being one of the most complete proteins available, the whole egg is so healthy that some say it’s better to eat an egg than it is to take a multi vitamin!

Skim Milk – In an attempt to “cut out fat” to lose fat, many people choose skim milk over whole milk when it comes to their breakfast cappuccino or bowl of cereal. But remember: healthy dietary fat will not make you fat! Just like stripping the yolk from the egg removes the majority of its nutrients, stripping the fat from dairy products leaves you with what is essentially sugar water. And we all know that eating sugar leads to rapid weight gain! In fact, in 2005, researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health studied the weight and milk consumption of roughly 13,000 kids ages 9 to 14 from across the country. And what did they find? Contrary to what most health magazines would like you to believe, "skim and 1% milk were associated with weight gain, but dairy fat was not." So if you’re going to have dairy in your diet, make it organic and go for the real thing! Did you know they even add powdered, processed milk to skim milk (even the organic brands) to make it look white? The real version just keeps sounding more appealing…

Oatmeal – Or really any type of granola, cereal or grain. There’s no better way to get the dreaded pooch belly than starting off your day with a big bowl of oatmeal, granola or any of the other breakfasts that come in a box. To your body, grains are just sugar. So whether you’re eating cereal or granola or a slice of bread, your body’s hormonal response is the same: you’re eating sugar! Because these foods leave you full but not nutritionally satisfied, you’ll often find that you are hungry again only 1-2 hours after breakfast. So while most people would consider yogurt and granola a “light” breakfast, you’ll actually eat more after that type of meal than you would after a meal containing healthy fat, vegetables and animal protein. So instead of loading up on dessert in disguise at breakfast time, make your morning meal look like dinner and you’ll be on the road to weight loss and improved mental acuity.

Orange Juice – To your body, orange juice is just sugar. Many people ask me if having a fruit juice (even freshly squeezed) is a good way to load up on nutrients at breakfast time. And I always say the same thing: Don’t drink your calories! If you want the nutrients from an orange, eat an orange. Because digestion starts during the chewing process, when you drink (instead of eat) your foods, the sugar content is more quickly transported to your blood, causing an insulin roller coaster than can lead to increased body fat. Instead, start your day with a large glass of high quality water and save room for the good stuff…food! Which brings me to:

Some Healthy Breakfast Options:

Smoked salmon, sauteed spinach and a side of blueberries
Organic chicken sausage and a side of zucchini sauteed in coconut oil
Organic eggs with a side of avocado

And if you don’t have time to cook….

On The Go Breakfast Options:

Hard-boiled eggs (easy to make the night before)
Organic beef jerky with a side of walnuts
Leftovers! Meat balls, turkey burgers or any protein leftover from the night before is a great quick and easy breakfast.

From Flabs to Abs in 5 Simple Steps

The elusive washboard stomach. Everyone wants it but almost no one has it. In a world where 50% of the people in a gym are performing some type of crunch or other ab exercise at any given moment, why is a strong, toned stomach so hard to achieve? The answer is pretty simple: There is no such thing as spot reduction in exercise. If you are making certain foundational mistakes in your nutrition and exercise programs, your body won’t shed the fat necessary to reveal the toned, tight stomach muscles you’re after (regardless of how many crunches you do). So here you have it, my five easy tips for transforming your flabs to abs this winter:

1. Use Big Bang Exercises: If you want a flat stomach, focus on big, high energy movements such as squats, dead lifts, cable pulls and various Swiss ball exercises instead of smaller, isolated movements. Because these big bang exercises recruit multiple muscle groups at once, they burn significantly more calories than a standing bicep curl or any exercise that requires you to sit on a machine. Although it might not look like it to an outsider, that single arm overhead split squat you're doing is actually an ab exercise.

2. Blast The Abs Hard At The End: Make sure you end (not begin) your workout with isolated ab exercises. Why? For starters, the abdominals are very important stabilizers in the body. If you exhaust them at the beginning of a workout, your chance of injury (specifically to your lower back) increases drastically. So, once you reach the END of your workout, blast your abs hard. The reason is simple: Because the rectus abdominis muscle (the one that creates the six pack effect) is composed predominately of fast twitch muscle fibers, it responds to high intensity (aka load) and high speed movements. In other words, doing 100 bodyweight crunches is a complete waste of time when it comes to creating a strong, lean mid-section. Instead, try a Swiss ball crunch (roughly 12 reps) with a weight on your chest, kneeling cable wood chops or a cable rope crunch if you want to effectively condition and tone your abs.

3. Detox The Right Way: You must eat organic food if you want to see a flat, toned stomach. Because toxins are stored in fat, to the degree that you eat non- organic, chemically treated, antibiotic and hormone fed foods, your body fat will increase. Toxins are transported to your liver when you bring in more toxic chemicals from your environment than your body can handle. As a protective mechanism, the body then stores the toxins in body fat to keep it away from your vital organs. In this way, if you are poisoning your liver, regardless of how hard you train, you will have a very challenging time reducing the body fat around your mid-section.

4. Stay Hydrated: Your body depends on water for almost every chemical reaction it undergoes. When you don’t drink enough, your body starts to store water in your tissue, making you look puffy and heavier than you actually are. So in order to avoid excess bloating, drink ½ your body weight in ounces of clean water daily. Tea, juice, coffee and other non-water drinks do not count! They actually dehydrate you or act as food in the body.

5. Cut Out The Grains: Your abs are what you eat. If you’ve been training hard but still have a layer of mush over your abs, there’s a very good chance that the problem lies in your diet. The easiest way to turn your flabs to abs is to cut out grains. Remember: the human digestive machinery was not designed to process grains. As a result, wheat, oats and even quinoa have all been proven to irritate the gut wall, causing inflammation (aka the dreaded pooch belly). So if you’re serious about leaning out your stomach, replace the grains at each meal with dark, leafy vegetables (which pack way more nutrients and health benefits per calorie).

Remember that the body is a system of systems. You can’t simply train one part of your body and expect it to look and function in a healthy way if you aren’t a healthy person! Stick to the foundational principles (eat only organic, drink enough water) and train the abs intelligently if you really want those washboard abs.

Three Easy Recipes to Get More (and different!) Veggies in Your Life

Your parents were right: you need to eat more vegetables. These proven disease fighters are packed with essential phytonutrients and antioxidants that will help improve the way you look, feel and function. Not only do they give you natural energy, vegetables also reduce your sugar cravings, help you lose weight, strengthen your bones, improve your eyesight, reduce your chances of heart disease and cancer and even add a healthy glow to your skin, hair and nails.

I know what you’re thinking. Wow, vegetables sound so great! How can I convince myself (and my family) to eat more of them? First start by trying out some new veggies. Because nutrient variety is the spice of a healthy life, challenge yourself to buy 5 different vegetables the next time you go to the grocery store or farmers’ market. Then try a new recipe (like the ones below) to heighten their natural flavors.

Stir-Fried Bok Choy with Garlic*: Did you know that bok choy is one of the most nutrient dense foods you can eat? It’s a great source of antioxidants and is extremely high in Vitamin C, making it an instant immune-booster.

Ingredients: 1 Bunch of Bok Choy, 3 Cloves of Garlic, Sea Salt, Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Directions: Separate and clean the bok choy and cut it into 2 inch sections. Finely mince the garlic. In a wok or frying pan, sauté the garlic in olive oil over medium heat. Once the garlic has softened, add the bok choy and toss until it is crisp-tender (about 1-2 minutes). Season with sea salt and pepper to taste.

Sautéed Swiss Chard with Lemon and Hot Pepper*: One of the world’s healthiest vegetables, Swiss chard has recently been proven to help regulate blood sugar and promote detoxification within the body.

Ingredients: Swiss Chard, 1 Lemon, Red Pepper Flakes, Sea Salt, Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Directions: Stem the chard, wash and drain the leaves and cut them into a rough chiffonade. Sauté them in olive oil for about five minutes, until the leaves are wilted and tender. Remove the cover and cook away the excess moisture. Season the chard at the last minute with a pinch of red pepper flakes, salt, pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice to taste.


Sautéed Broccoli and Anchovies*: This recipe is especially great for any of you who are looking to get a little extra anti-inflammatory omega-3 into your diet.

Ingredients: Olive oil, 1 Yellow Onion, 1 Clove of Garlic, 2 Olive Oil-Packed Anchovy Fillets (chopped and mashed), Broccoli, Sea Salt, Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Directions: In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and anchovies and cook, stirring often, until the onion is soft and lightly browned. Add the broccoli and toss well to mix with the onion and oil. Cover and cook until the broccoli is tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

*Recipes taken from Alice Waters' Chez Panisse Vegetables and The San Francisco Ferry Plaza Farmers' Market Cookbook.

Holistic Fitness Featured in Woman's Day

How much cardio is really good for you? Check out my thoughts on the best way to burn body fat in Woman's Day.

http://www.womansday.com/Articles/Health-Fitness/9-Habits-That-Can-Do-More-Harm-Than-Good.html

Thomas Keller Goes Gluten-Free

Check out this article on the popularity of gluten-free requests turning even Thomas Keller into a gluten-free aficionado. Also, who knew that Tartine Bakery's leading lady was gluten intolerant? Check out the second link for her gluten-free pancake recipe.

If you're going to treat yourself, you might as well put a gluten-free Michelin star (or two) on it!

http://www.tastingtable.com/entry_detail/national/5242

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111904875404576531013046555754.html

Add This to Your Food to Burn More Fat

Cinnamon!

Studies show that cinnamon speeds up your metabolism and helps to lower your overall body fat. It’s pretty simple: if you eat too much sugar (even in the form of grains) your body will store it as fat. Cinnamon has been proven to slow down the rate at which your stomach empties after you eat, lessening the impact of the meal on your system and helping to regulate your blood sugar levels.

Because of this, cinnamon is very useful for people with type 2 diabetes. In a study published in the December 2003 issue of Diabetes Care, in humans with type 2 diabetes, consuming as little as 1 gram of cinnamon per day was found to reduce not only blood sugar but the levels of total cholesterol and triglycerides as well.

Additionally, cinnamon is highly anti-microbial and has been proven to stop the growth of bacteria and fungus (such as candida) in the gut. Why is this important? Because your health starts in your stomach! 70% of your immune system is in your gut so a healthier gut literally leads to a healthier you. Because candida thrives off of sugar, managing a candida overgrowth helps reduce sugar cravings, strengthens the immune system and decreases overall stress levels within the body. As we all know, less sugar and less stress equals less pounds on the scale.

So if you’re looking for an extra fat burning boost, add a little cinnamon into your diet. But, as we (hopefully) all realize, putting some cinnamon on a doughnut doesn’t make it a healthy snack. If you’re serious about managing your blood sugar levels and leaning down, weight train three times per week, make breakfast your biggest meal and eat real food when you’re hungry.