Salmon stir fry that is good for your skin!

I am going to be on ABC’s View from the Bay to discuss “Nutrition from the Inside Out--Eating well for your Skin”. For the show I came up with this simple stir fry recipe that is jam packed with foods that will make your skin glow!

Salmon is an excellent source of omega 3 fatty acids that can decrease inflammation, redness and irritation. Carrots have Vitamin A which is good for clearing up breakouts and acts as an antioxidant, bell peppers have Vitamin C, another antioxidant and can assist in collagen production and spinach is a great source of folate which can help repair DNA production allowing cells to renew.

Here you go!

Take two, 4oz wild salmon steaks and sprinkle over 1 tsp of garlic powder, 1 tsp of onion powder, 1 tsp lemon pepper, 1 tsp of oregano. Then spray olive oil lightly over the fish and place in broiler. Broil for 6 minutes on each side.

With a sauté pan, heat 1 tsp of olive oil. First add 1 cup of chopped carrots with 1/3 cup of balsamic vinegar. When carrots start to soften add 1 cup of bell peppers. When both are cooked to taste add 2 cups of fresh spinach for only a short. Let the steam from the pan cook the spinach and remove pan from the heat quickly to prevent the spinach from wilting.

Cut fish into smaller pieces, add to vegetables and enjoy!

Learn how to lose weight the “write way”…get back OnTrack with your nutrition

One of the largest and longest-running weight loss trials ever conducted proves it: food tracking works. The trial, known as the Weight Loss Maintenance trial, compared different approaches to maintaining weight loss over a period of 30 months, and found that subjects who kept a daily food diary lost twice as much weight as those who didn't.

If you want to reap the benefits of a food diary get back OnTrack and join my new nutrition program. You will be able to add your meals and snacks automatically, and the food tracker will keep track of it all for you. In addition, you will have unlimited access to group meetings where you can learn about how to change your behaviors.

Not computer savvy? Simply buy a small blank book to keep track of what you eat every day and join the group meetings.

After a few weeks of tracking what and when you eat and how you feel when you do so, you will notice patterns emerge. That is why tracking is so important. You increase your awareness, which is the first step toward change.

You may notice that your hunger level is exceedingly high at dinnertime and that you have gone 6-8 hours without eating. During groups I discuss the importance of eating every three to four hours and how to make it work with your lifestyle.

After tracking regularly your records may reveal that you do not eat enough protein, vegetables or fruits. Let me support you to learn how to eat balanced meals regularly so you stay satiated and lower your internal stress levels.

For more information about OnTrack or nutrition programs here at The Club contact Jae at 515-1333 or jaeberman@gmail.com

I am going to be on TV! Check it out!

On May 5th and May 12th I am going to be on ABC's View From the Bay. On the 5th they are doing a series on "What is in your gym bag?" and on the 12th I will be on talking about healthy snacks on the go. Come and check it out. ABC at 3.30pm.

Thanks for your support!

What should I drink when working out?

Sports drinks are often advertised to improve athletic performance and prevent dehydration, but is this really true? Sports drinks such as Gatorade usually contain carbohydrates in the form of sugar, electrolytes, and flavor additives. While sports drinks may be beneficial for restoring lost nutrients and water after a long workout, there is limited evidence saying that consuming sports drinks during a workout enhances performance for a non competitive athlete.

If you are a regulary exerciser and not an athlete or training at an athlete's level, water is usually the optimum fluid before, during, and after short exercise periods (approximately 1 hour). A general rule of thumb is to drink 16 oz of water 2 hours before a workout, and then sip water throughout the duration of your exercises. It is important to note that you won’t feel thirsty until you have lost approximately 2% of your body weight—a significant amount that can really hurt performance.

For longer exercise periods, sports drinks containing 6-10% carbohydrates may be useful. People tend to drink more sports drink than water due to the added colors and flavors, so hydration status may be better maintained. Most sports drinks contain enough sugar that they can be diluted with 50% water.

After you finish exercising weigh yourself and drink 2-3 cups of water for every pound lost. It is also important to pay attention to your urine color; small amounts of dark urine indicate you are dehydrated.

Get your Vitamin D!

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that is found in foods and also made in your skin. It has been shown that getting enough vitamin D can reduce your risk of developing osteoporosis or osteomalacia. This is because vitamin D is involved in promoting calcium absorption in the gut and in regulating calcium and phosphate concentrations in your blood.

Surprisingly, vitamin D is naturally found in very few foods. Most Americans get the majority of their vitamin D in foods that have had this nutrient added to them, such as in milk, orange juice, or cereal. Fish and fish oil are the best sources of naturally occurring vitamin D.

The human body can also make vitamin D using sunlight and a special form of cholesterol. You only need 15 minutes of sunlight on your hands a few times a week to make enough vitamin D for your whole body! It is very important to still wear sunscreen and stay out of the sun as much as possible because the UV radiation from the sun can cause cancer.

Vitamin D is also sold in supplemental form, often times paired with calcium. It is important to talk to your doctor before beginning any supplements, as there is a risk for adverse interactions with other medications you are taking or risk of toxicity.

The most important meal of the day

Breakfast always wins the trophy as the most important meal of the day but there is another time of day that is a contender for first place. I tell my clients that the afternoon snack is the most important time to eat because it prevents you from overeating at dinner. Most people eat at noon and dont eat again until 8pm for dinner time. If people do eat around 3pm or 4pm it is usually a cookie or another dose of coffe which isnt exactly a good source of fuel. Ideally, have some protein and carbs in the mid afternoon. You will notice straight away how much better you feel. Your energy will increase and you will not feel the need to overeat every night.

Some ideas for you:

• Cottage Cheese and fruit
• Plain yogurt and fruit
• Half a turkey sandwich on whole grain bread
• 5-8 almonds, 1 apple and some string cheese

Embrace your mid afternoon snack!

Happy New Year! Resolutions for 2009

I wanted to give some advice on how to make new years resolutions that were within reach. So often we set unrealistic goals that are not possible to attain and we are left feeling discouraged and unhappy. The ideal situation would be to set a realistic goal that you KNOW you can achieve and continue making healthy changes to create a long term healthy behaviors rather than a continue yo-yo dieting and struggling.

I was watching to Today show this morning as I had my cereal and coffee and there was great segment discussing this topic. Thought I would share....

http://madelynfernstrom.ivillage.com/health/2008/12/new_years_diet_resolutions.html?par=today,df

Wishing you a happy new year filled with good food, good health and happiness.
Make this your best year yet!!!