Proper portion sizes can make a huge impact on your wasitline

Portion sizes over the last 20 years have continuously gotten bigger. The average bagel today has 200 more calories than the average bagel 20 years ago! Reducing your portion size is an effective way to help you control weight without sacrificing fun or flavor when eating.

There are many tactics you can use to control your portion size. Try using a smaller plate or buying single serving packages of food. If a food item you like only comes in large bags, portion it out into smaller bags immediately so it is ready for you to eat. Make sure to read nutrition labels, as many packaged foods come disguised as 2 or more portions.

Restaurants provide a challenge when trying to keep to portion sizes small. Try ordering an appetizer for your main course and splitting a salad with a friend. If you do order a large entrée ask for a to-go container and put half of your meal in it right away.

Try to avoid situations that make it easy to over-eat such as buffets, standing by the snack table at parties, or eating in front of the television. Also, make sure you are well hydrated, because it is easy to mistake thirst for hunger. Lastly, wait 20 minutes after you eat to decide if you need seconds because our body needs time to process the food we’ve eaten before we feel full.

Hydrate hydrate hydrate!

Drinking water is so important. Most do not realize how dehydrated they are and to make the message sink in for you all I am going to tell you a little secret--drinking enough water will likely help you lose some weight!

First you have to figure out how much water you need. A quick and dirty way to figure it out is take your weight in pounds and divide it by two--that number in ounces should be how much water you need a day. For example a 150 pound person should drink 75 oz water daily. This is not exact or perfect for everyone but it gives you a ballpark figure to get you started.

Once you have your number start drinking an additional 8 oz glass of water every other day. So lets just say you have been drinking around 32oz water daily but you need to get up to 75. Start drinking 40 oz. for 2 days then 48oz for 2 days and so on until you get to your goal or "breakthrough" point. You will know when you are at your breakthrough point by the sudden reduction in signs of fluid retention, a sudden loss of body weight and a normal thirst.

Some tips to increase your water intake:
1. Fill a 64 oz water bottle with water and finish it by the end of the day. Do not refill the bottle until you have finished it so you can keep track of how much you are drinking

2. Leave a post it note to yourself on your desk, your computer, on the refridgerator, or in your car to remind you to drink more

3. Keep water bottles at your desk or in your car so you always have water availble. Use reusable bottles to stay green.

4. Tell your friends and family you are trying to drink more so they can remind you and hold you accountable

5. Add lemon, lime, orange or cucumber slices for a little flavor

Happy drinking!

Lettuce make you healthier!

Did you know that Americans eat 30 pounds of lettuce per person each year? Lettuce is the 2nd most popular fresh vegetable in the United States, and California is the largest producer of lettuce in the country. What a great food lettuce is!

In just 2 cups of lettuce, which is only 10 calories, you can get 100% of your daily needs for vitamin A and vitamin K. It is also an excellent source of vitamin C and manganese. Choose dark lettuce leaves when you can, as these have more nutrients than the lighter ones.

To keep lettuce fresh store it in the refrigerator wrapped in a slightly damp paper towel in a plastic bag with holes in it. With proper storage your lettuce should stay fresh and ready to eat for an entire week. When you are ready to eat the lettuce rinse it in cold water and gently pat dry with a paper towel.

There are many ways to eat lettuce. Throw it on a sandwich, a burger, or a wrap. Add carrots or bell peppers and toss it with a low-fat dressing to make a delicious salad. Mix it in pasta or soup for added flavor and color. Stuff it with rice or other grains to make a healthy snack. However you choose to eat your lettuce, try to incorporate as many colors as you can into your meal because that will make sure you are getting a lot of different nutrients.

Posting provided by Rachael Beckert, trusted dietitic intern at UCSF Medical Center

The BEST exercises you can do!

There are two lower body exercise I do with my clients almost every workout--the squat and the lunge. They are basic, classic and get the job done! So many variations and modifications can be done to both--they each can provide a whole body workout and can get your heart rate up. The best part about these exercises is they never get easy. You can always increase the level of difficulty so the benefits continue.

Here are some tips on each...

The Squat:
Form and alignment: Stand with feet shoulder-width apart. Keep your weight in your heels, arch your lower back slightly, and keep your abs tightened while you bend your knees as though you are going to sit in a chair. Lower your body until your thighs are parallel with the ground and it feels as if you almost may fall backward. Keeping the weight in your heels, push yourself up slowly and squeeze your glutes until you're back where you started. To keep your knees safe, be sure not to allow your knees to extend over your toes. Do this exercise 2 or 3 times per week, 2-3 sets of 12 to 16 reps.

Modify: to increase difficulty stand on an unstable surface such as a Bosu or add dumbbells to make it an upper body workout as well. You can also turn your feet out or alter your stance to work different muscles in your legs.

The Lunge:
Form and alignment: Starting position is standing with both feet together. Take a step forward (or backwards) one foot in front of the other about 3-4 feet apart. Slowly lower your body into a lunge position, keeping the front knee at a 90 degree angle. If your front knee goes beyond your ankle, adjust your stance so the knee always stays just above the ankle. Keep the weight in the heel on the front foot and on the toes of the back foot. Push back up to starting position. Remember to never lock your knees at the top and never let your knee bend past your toes. Keep your shoulders just above your hips and abs tight.

Do this exercise 1 or 2 times per week, 2-3 sets of 12 to 16 reps.

Modify: There are hundreds of ways to modify a lunge. You can do static lunges or you could do walking lunges across the room. Add weight to increase difficulty or to add an upper body exercise. In addition you could put on foot on an unstable surface or add a twist in the upper body to use more balance and core work.


The best thing about squats and lunges is they can be done ANYWHERE. Bedrooms, living rooms, hotel rooms....anywhere! You do not need to rely on fancy equipment. There is no excuse to not start incorporating these into your workouts right away! If you do them directly, you will feel sore after the first day...enjoy!

Magnesium...the wonder mineral

Who knew? No one talks about magnesium but it is an essential mineral and is recognized for many health benefits.

Magnesium plays a key role in calcium utilization so while calcium gets all the marketing buzz, your calicum is not very effective if it is not being taken with magnesium. Research shows that for every 100 milligram increase in magnesium intake, type 2 diabetes risk decreases by 15 percent. In additon, those who suffer from consitpation or gastrointestinal distress may find that an increase in magnesium may calm some symptoms and help with regular bowel movements.

In addition to helping manage blood sugars, magnesium can assist in controlling blood pressure, maintaining strong and healthy bones and improving cardiovascular health. It is important to note that magnesium may be excreted if taking certain diuretic drugs to lower blood pressure, estrogen or birth control pills.

The RDA for magnesium needed is 310 milligrams for women and 400 milligrams for men, but most of us do not meet our needs through our food.

Foods that provide over 100 milligrams of magnesium per serving include:

• Halibut

• Cooked spinach

• Roasted pumpkin seeds

• Black beans

• High fiber bran cereals, like All Bran

Tip from the RD: If you are taking a calcium supplement, take a Cal-Mag rather than just a calcium supplement. This will make your pill much more effective and allow to utlize the much needed calcium and magnesium

Yummy Recipe

This is a favorite recipe of Mat Schuster, Chef at The San Francisco Bay Club. It is easy to make, great for you and delicious.


White Tea Poached Salmon
Serves 4
4 bags of white tea (standard size)
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons water, divided
4 garlic cloves, crushed
4 (1/2-inch-thick) slices fresh ginger root
4 thin slices lemon
2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
1 tablespoon mirin
1 stalk lemon grass
1 carrot, julienne
2 baby bok choy, leaves separated
1 teaspoon arrowroot powder or cornstarch
1 tablespoon canola oil
4 salmon fillets (6 ounces each), without skin
sea salt, to taste
ground pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil for drizzling
1/4 cup chopped scallions

Place tea bags in a teapot or glass container. Bring 2 cups water to a boil. Remove from heat and let cool for 2 or 3 minutes. Pour hot water over tea bags and steep tea for 3 minutes. Remove tea bags from water. Add garlic, ginger, lemon grass, lemon, soy and mirin to tea and set aside. In a small bowl, dissolve arrowroot or cornstarch in 2 tablespoons water. Set aside.

In a large skillet, heat canola oil over medium heat. Add salmon to pan and sear for 2 minutes, until browned. Add tea mixture to skillet. Bring to a boil. Add carrot and bok choy. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer gently for 8 to 10 minutes, until center of salmon is opaque and just flakes easily.

Remove salmon to a plate, season lightly with salt and pepper and tent with foil to keep warm. Add dissolved arrowroot to poaching liquid and bring to a boil, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Strain liquid into a small bowl. Drizzle strained liquid and sesame oil over salmon and garnish with scallions.

This recipe also provides 2600mg of omega 3 fatty acids per serving!

A healthy persepctive on a new year

It is the time of year for New Years resolutions. Everyone has one…even if you cannot say it out loud. Surveys unanimously agree that the #1 New Years resolution is to lose weight. In theory, it is a great goal. Unfortunately, stating that you want to lose weight will not change the number on the scale. People often make resolutions that are so unrealistic that they feel extreme disappointment when they cannot meet their goal. What a horrible feeling to experience year after year!! Instead of setting yourself for failure, what if you created a plan for success?
When it comes to weight loss, there are a lot of myths and misinformation out there. Think of this New Year as a great time to start fresh with a new outlook on health. Set a goal that is within reach…what a wonderful feeling it would be to succeed!!!!

The following provides some information to motivate you to get yourself on a successful and healthy path.

• Decreasing your daily caloric intake by 100 calories a day (one less cookie then usual) can result in a 10-pound weight loss in the coming year. 10-pounds!
• All foods can fit when you're trying to lose weight. For certain high-calorie foods, it's simply a matter of how much and how often you include them. Depriving yourself of your favorite foods is usually short lived. Finding moderation is key for success.
• Weight loss also doesn't have to involve severe hunger and cruel, small portions. It's not the volume of food that matters, it's the total calories consumed at the end of the day.
  Multiple studies have shown that even small amounts of weight loss (a 10% weight loss) can improve things such as cholesterol level, blood pressure and blood sugar control.
• It is so easy to want to believe there is a quick fix. Always question the source and keep in mind that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
• Changing your perspective on weight loss will allow you to create realistic goals. Getting healthy this New Year can be an enjoyable experience. Promise!