I Love Beets!

I never used to eat beets. As a kid, I only tried pickled beets and that didn't do it for me. I never tried them again, until last year when my husband asked me to make beets for him. I went to the store and bought yellow beets, roasted them, and tried again. I was hooked.  I'll say it loud and proud, I LOVE BEETS!

Beets are sweet and delicious and a great add on to any salad or side dish for any meal, hot or cold. They are colorful and jazz up the presentation of any plate. However, in addition to their appeal both in taste and visually, beets have nutritional qualities that make them a wonderful addition to anyone's diet.

Why eat beets?

Aside from being delicious, recently, the chenopod family of plants, including beets, chard, spinach and quinoa, has shown an increasing number of health benefits not readily available from other food families. Beets are a unique source of phytonutrients called betalains, that have been shown to provide antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and detoxification support. The antioxidant properties may have an anticancer effect and the anti-inflammatory properties may promote cardiac health.  Beets are an excellent source of folate and a good source of potassium, dietary fiber, vitamin C, vitamin B6, and iron.  Although you can see these betalain pigments in other foods (like the stems of chard or rhubarb), the high concentration of betalains in the flesh of beets provides a great source of the compounds that promote these health benefits.

Okay, I'll go buy some beets. But what do I do with them?

Go to the store and buy fresh beets, they really are very easy to make. Beets can be purchased either with or without the greens.   I prefer buying them with the greens, because I think they are fresher, and because you can make a second side dish out of the greens. If you enjoy sautéed spinach or Swiss chard, I encourage you to try the beet greens. You can sautée them with garlic and add mushrooms or you can simply boil them for a minute or two.  They are very good.

I have only ever prepared my beets 2 ways. Usually, I stick with the simple roasted beets.

Roasted Beets
1. Cut off the top and bottom of the beet and rinse well
2. Wrap the beets individually with aluminum foil and place them in a baking dish
3. Roast at 400 for an hour
4. The skin will peel of easily after the beets are roasted.

In my research for this article, I learned that the betalains are sensitive to heat and begin to breakdown with lengthy cooking. The next time I make beets I am going to try the 15 minute steam recipe.

15 Minute Steamed Beets
1. Cut off the top and bottom of the beets, rinse well, and cut into quarters
2. Place a small amount of water at the bottom of a pan and bring to a boil
3. Steam the beets for 15 minutes
4. Allow the beets to cool and the skin will come off easily
5. Toss beets with lemon juice, olive oil, and herbs.

Beets can also be consumed raw. They can be grated directly into a salad and are a great addition to slaws. Over the summer, I made a great carrot and beet slaw. I found the following recipe on the Spartan recipe website.

Carrot and Beet Slaw
Ingredients
2 medium beets
1 large carrot
2 tbs olive oil
1 tbs red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
1. Peel beets and carrot.
2. Coarsely grate beets and carrot into bowl (i used the grating attachment on my foor processor).
3. Pour olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper onto grated beets and carrot.
4. Mix thoroughly; serve, and enjoy!

So if your only experience with beets was out of a can or a jar, I encourage you to try again. You may be surprised.

If you are a seasoned beet eater, please share your favorite beet recipes here. I'd love to expand my beet repertoire.

Step by Step- It's a Way of Life

When I started this blog 3 months ago and called it the “No More Crap Diet,” I never outlined an actual diet for you.  This is because it isn't a diet, it's a way of life.  Almost three years ago, I started to change my life.  In that time, I have tried to cut the crap out- out of my diet and out of my life.

“What diet are you on?”

I hate the word diet. Mostly because people associate it with something you do for a limited amount of time. People say “I'm on a diet” or “I'm off my diet today” or “I quit that diet a while ago,” and then they expect the benefits that were associated with those diets to continue even though they are no longer “on the diet.”

Do you continue to make money after you quit your Job? No. Then why would you continue to lose weight after you quit your diet? A diet won't work, until you change your outlook on eating.

When I use the word diet, I am referring to the way I eat, day in and day out. It didn't all happen at once, it evolved over the last three years and continues to evolve as my body’s needs change.

So how did I start? Pretty much the way most people who are starting a diet would start. I started by cutting calories and logging my food intake. It didn't take the first time, I started and stopped about 3-4 times before it became routine. In that time, I learned that I needed to eat protein and veggies and that would let me still eat enough and stay under the desired calorie count.

I started to cut some things out of my daily diet. I stopped grabbing a bagel when I didn't bring lunch. I stopped snacking on the cookies and cake that my coworkers were bringing in even though it looked delicious.  I stopped grabbing a handful of pasta that I just made for the kids for dinner. I started teaching myself to have self-control and, in the process, I cut a lot of crap!

I also had to start doing certain things.  I started cooking more instead of take out during the week.  I made sure that I always had healthy snacks. There was always a bag of carrots and a bag of almonds available both at work and at home. I bought plenty of fresh fruit and veggies or at least had bags of frozen broccoli in my freezer just in case.   I found the best place around work to get a customized chopped salad so I had a back up plan if I didn't prepare my own lunch.

As my routine changed, my body’s nutritional needs changed as well. When I started running and lifting weights, I had to increase the number of calories that I was eating. I started reading about nutrition and macronutrients and the body’s need for different fuel sources at different times (this is a topic for a different blog post).  While I previously had cut almost all carbs (except those from fruit and veggies) out of my diet, I have recently started to bring the carbs back into my diet. Oatmeal, sweet potatoes and Ezekiel bread are now staples in my meal planning.

“But it's so overwhelming…”

If you feel like it is so overwhelming, then don't change everything at once. Remember you are making a long term change for the better, so make sure you set yourself up for success.

Here are a handful of changes that I have made over the last three years.

• No more pasta

(This started as "pasta is not the main course, maybe a little on the side", and then "no pasta"- going cold turkey would be too difficult)

• Switched coffee with whole milk and sugar to coffee with only skim milk or almond milk

(This took 2 years to change)

• Drink at least 2 liters of water per day

(This was my 2015 New Year's resolution - read about it here)

• No more diet soda

(The most recent change as of February 2015- so far so good!)

All of my changes have been gradual, every couple of months I cut something bad out or start doing something good.

So start small and change one or two things over time. It may take longer but it will last longer too.

What changes have you made and what is your next step?

Never Give Up – a lesson to be learned from the Super Bowl

If you know me at all, you know I hate football. My allegiance to the New York Giants was forced upon me by marriage, but truly the only reason I care who wins is it will put my husband in either a good or bad mood. That and the color of the team uniforms are the deciding factors in which team I root for, if you can even get me to sit and watch the game in the first place. But, year after year, I participate in the American tradition of attending a Super Bowl party and watching the game, even though, really, I'm more concerned with the commercials, the halftime show, and what boxes I have in the pool at work.

This year was no different. I decided that I wanted the Seattle Seahawks to win for three reasons:
1. That's what my husband and kids wanted
2. My kids were wearing Seattle Jerseys
3. Seattle has really nice uniforms

As I half-heartedly watched the game, I was very happy to see that Seattle was in the lead. But we all know that that is not how it ended.

Many people have different opinions of the outcome of this game, but my point of view is kind of unbiased, as I didn't really care who won. I have asked many people what they think the take home message was from this game, and I have listened to their different opinions, but here is what I think.

I think the message is NEVER GIVE UP.  The New England Patriots went into halftime down 10 points. They went into the fourth quarter down 10 points.  I'm pretty sure that wasn't the game plan going into the biggest game of the year. But they didn't give up.

What's the analogy here?

Lots of people try to get healthier by eating better or beginning to exercise. Sometimes people start too quickly and take too much on at once. Maybe you tried and failed already. I say, NEVER GIVE UP.

Did you make a New Years resolution this year? Have you already forgotten about it? That's okay. It doesn't have to be the new year for you to decide to change your life for the better. Start small, pick one thing that you want to change, and don't be afraid to pick something that you have tried to do before, but weren't successful at.

In January of 2015, I posted a blog that outlined three strategies to help you achieve your goals (Making Your Resolutions a Reality). If you didn't already read it, check it out. If you did, have you been successful? In that same blog post, I mentioned that I have tried to get myself to drink more water time and time again.  I failed numerous times.

But I didn't give up.

This year, my New Year’s resolution was to drink at least two liters of water a day. I am happy to say that it is now mid-February, and so far I have been successful. There may have been one or two days that I may have fallen short a tad, but for the most part, I have been drinking about three liters of water each day. I have noticed a difference in how I feel. I have not had any headaches (most of my headaches are hunger or dehydration induced). I'm glad I didn't give up.

When I discussed the idea of this blog post with my husband, I asked him what he thought a lesson learned from the Super Bowl was.  He did not say “Never Give Up.” He wasn't looking at the game from the New England Patriot point of view and I know (at least where I come from) that many people agree with him. But put yourself in the Patriot’s shoes for a minute. It would have been really easy to give up in the second half. It would have been even easier to give up in the fourth quarter when you are down by 10 points. But they didn't, and because they didn't, they won the game.

Your game isn't over yet either, don't give up, you can still win.

Pick a Pair of Pants and Scale Back the Scale- A 30 day No Scale Challenge

All women have it.  You know what I'm talking about. That pair of pants in your closet that you love. You may not fit into them right now, but you refuse to get rid of them because you love them and you are hoping that one day you may fit into them again.

At the beginning of my weight loss/ fitness journey (2 years ago), the clothes in my closet ranged over 4 sizes. I had one of these favorite pairs of pants in the two smallest sizes, and while I got rid of everything else in those sizes, I never got rid of those two pairs of pants. Fitting into these pants again was not an unattainable goal. It could happen and I really wanted it.

Periodically, I tried the pants on. I remember the day that I fit back into the larger of the two pairs of pants. I was so excited and motivated to continue my journey. Every time I wore them it reminded me how much my hard work and dedication to eating clean had paid off. Soon enough Those pants started getting too big on me and the smaller pants began to fit. Overtime, those became to big for me as well.

During all of this I developed a bad habit, I weighed myself daily and I was frustrated when the number on the scale wasn't going down.  Why did this frustrate me when my clothes where falling off me? It was clear every time I got dressed that I was losing inches. I’m now two sizes smaller than the smallest size I had left in my closet, having gone down a total of 5 sizes. The fascinating part is that while I dropped the last two sizes, I didn't drop any more weight.

So what is this post all about? Well, I'm trying to cure my bad habit. Logically, I know that the number on the scale is just that, a number. I also know that as I train hard at the gym and continue to eat right, I am building lean muscle mass that may cause my body weight to increase while helping me burn fat.

But… I just can't get over that number on the scale.

So I'm getting rid of it.

I will weigh myself on February 1, and then for the entire month of February, I am getting rid of the scale in my house. I will give it to my husband and tell him to find some place to hid it from me and not give it back until March 1. This may sound like an easy thing to do, but when you have been weighing yourself two times a day for over two years, it's not so easy.

That doesn't mean that I'm finished with clean eating and tough workouts.  If anything, I will probably want to eat cleaner and work harder at the gym since I won't have a scale to weigh myself. The thought of doing this scares me, but part healthy living does not only include improving physical health by training and eating well. It also includes my improving my mental health. Weighing myself multiple times a day is not a healthy thing to do.

So instead, I will rely on my pants. I will just make sure that the pants I fit into now still fit me. There are two pairs that I will use as my measure. One is great pair of skinny jeans that always make my behind look great and the other are the pants of a great suit I just bought this summer that I think are just a tad too tight around my hips. I picked these because I love them both and I'll know just by putting them on if I have gotten bigger, smaller or stayed the same size regardless of what the scale may say.

Who else has an obsession with the scale? And who else wants to join me in February for the 30-day No Scale Challenge?

Great, so now it's your turn. Go into your closet and pick out a pair of pants. If you are happy with where you are now, pick your favorite pair of jeans. If you are working to lose some inches, then pick a pair one size down from where you are now.

What did you pick? What do they look like? Why did you pick those?

I'm interested in hearing what you picked and why. Please comment below and let me know. If you would rather do that privately, then send me a private message.

I'll be posting here throughout the month about how my clothes fit, how I feel, and how I am performing at the gym, so comment on this post if you want to follow my progress.

It will be interesting to see what happens at the end of this month with no scale.

Make Your Resolutions a Reality

Have you ever kept one of your New Year’s resolutions? I don't think I ever have. It has gotten to the point that we either make resolutions that we know we will break or just don’t bother making them at all. I don't know which one is worse.

For most of my adult life I have made the same New Year’s resolution. Each year I vow to drink more water. It usually lasts about 10 days and then it's forgotten for the rest of the year. You see, the problem is not setting the goal, the problem is being disciplined enough to achieve the goal.

I recently read an article in TIME magazine called “How to Motivate Yourself: 3 Easy Steps Backed by Science” by Eric Baker. This article outlines the following 3 strategies to help you achieve your goals after you set them.

1. Get Positive

Studies show that happy people are more successful, but in turn, being successful in reaching your goals will make you happier. It's a big cycle and a win-win situation. More importantly, having a positive attitude as you approach your goals is essential. If you don't believe that you will be successful then you most definitely won't be. Staying positive is hard to do, especially if you have tried to accomplish a goal and failed before.

The best way to be optimistic about your progress is to celebrate your progress along the way. To do this, you need to first set measurable goals so that you can monitor your progress. Celebrate every pound shed, inch lost, or weight lifted.

However, you are human, and sometimes you may stray from your goals. Don’t let a few days of slip ups cause you to forget your long-term goals. This is the biggest problem with New Year’s resolutions. Its very easy to forget the resolution if you mess up a few times. Don't drop the resolution if you have strayed. Start each day with a clean slate. Don't let what happened yesterday distract you from continuing to pursue your goals today.

Every step in the right direction is important and as you celebrate your progress, it will  be easier for you to retain a positive outlook.

2. Get Rewarded

When I really want my children to do something, I bribe them. It's probably not the best parenting strategy, but it works. Isn't that what “allowance” is all about? Do your chores and I'll give you $5. It's simple positive reinforcement.

If you are doing something for yourself, why not bribe yourself. Give yourself a reward for doing things that will help you achieve your goals.

I had a friend who used to put a dollar in a jar every time she went to the gym and when she reached $100 she would reward herself by booking a massage. She didn't really miss the dollar 4-5 times a week, but she appreciated the massage every few months.

The TIME article (mentioned above) suggests giving a friend $100 when you set the goal and instructing him to return the money when the goal is accomplished.  The idea is that you will work hard to get that money back. Either way, work out some reward system for yourself so you have something to look forward to as you accomplish your goals.

3. Get peer pressure

If you surround yourself with people who are doing what you want to be doing, it's much easier to get things done.

For example, losing weight is much easier to do if the people you associate with work out and eat healthy. When I decided to change the way I ate, I was lucky that my husband was supportive. He didn't mind the dinners with grilled chicken and vegetables instead of fried chicken and pasta. You see, he wanted to lose weight too but wasn't ready to take on the burden of preparing healthy meals. Since I was already preparing healthy meals, it was much easier for him to sacrifice the unhealthy foods. When I started going to the gym, he started working out too. The end result was both of us became healthier and achieved our weight loss goals.

I have similar relationships with supportive friends at the gym. We talk to each other by phone, text, and Facebook to find out what time we will go work out. Training together helps us all stay positive and holds us accountable for missed training sessions.

So what can you do to ensure that you are getting positive peer pressure? Find a friend who has similar goals.

Do you want to go to the gym more? Find a friend who does too and use peer pressure to motivate each other. Text or call that person every day and ask them if they went to the gym that day or how their workout went. Even better, try to join the same gym and work out together.

Find a friend at work who also wants to lose weight. Plan out your lunch menus together. Maybe switch off days preparing that lunch so that it’s a little easier for both of you. Exchange healthy recipes. Go food shopping together after work. Organize a "Biggest Loser" weight loss competition in your office. Have everyone put in $5 as a prize for the winner.

Sometimes peer pressure can be a good thing too.


This is where you come in…

Now that we have reviewed some strategies for success, are you ready to take on the challenge of your resolution? I know I am.  I am going to revisit my goal of drinking more water. I hope to drink at least 2 liters of water each day. I know it's good for my skin and digestion and that it will keep me from drinking other high calorie drinks or drinks with artificial sweeteners.

In addition to the strategies outlined here, I've learned a few things about discipline in the last few years. I'm hoping this time I'll be successful. I'll stay positive and construct a reward system for myself, but I need you to provide the peer pressure. I am making this goal public because I am welcoming your peer pressure. Please feel free to ask me about my progress.

Would anyone like to join me?

Fitting in Your Fitness During the Holidays

Every Saturday morning I wake up early and I go to the gym at 8 AM. People always ask why I chose to do this on a day that I could sleep in a little and be a little lazy. There are a few reasons why I do this. It's nice to get an hour to myself before the hustle and bustle of the weekend activities begin. Also, I know that it will put me in a great mood and mindset for the rest of the day. So when I'm offered a piece of cake at a birthday party later that day, I remember the hard work I put in at the gym and usually decline.

Why not take this philosophy and apply it to the holiday season as well.  You know you have holiday parties and family gatherings to attend.  You know that not all the food at these gatherings will be the best options for you (check out my holiday eating guide for tips on eating right through the holiday season).

How can you make sure you are in the right frame of mind to face the challenges ahead? It's simple. Wake up early, enjoy a good workout, and set yourself up for success.

If you can go to the gym, great.  If not, try to get a good workout in at home. If you are traveling and don't have access to any equipment, try the workout below. Whenever I need to work out and don't have access to any equipment, I do a circuit. This workout consists of 4 rounds of 4 timed exercises. You can vary the exercises based on your ability and what equipment to which you may have access. (Links to instructional videos for all these exercises are available at the bottom of this post.)

First make sure to get in a good warm up:
1. 3 sets of 10 jumping jacks and 10 seal jacks
2. 3 sets of 10 glute bridges
3. 3 sets of 5 fire hydrants on each leg

Circuit:
 Perform each exercise for 20 seconds, completing as many reps as possible being mindful of your form, then rest for 20 seconds between exercises. After completing all four exercises, rest for 1-2 minutes between rounds. Complete 4 rounds. You can download a free interval timer app for your phone or iPad.

1. Push ups
If you can't do regular push ups, do them on an incline. You can start by using a kitchen counter.  If that is too easy, then use a sturdy chair pushed up against a wall. The lower the incline the harder it will be. In time you should be able to lower the incline.
2. Squats
Regular body weight squats are good. If you want to challenge yourself more you can add a weight if you have one.
3. Sit ups
Here you can substitute any abdominal exercise (bicycle crunches, sit ups, thigh slide sit ups, toe touches), or vary the exercise with each round.
4. Mountain climbers

Another variation would include alternating between sprinting and walking instead of the body weight exercises listed above. Sprint for 20 seconds and then walk for 20 seconds. Do this 8 times, rest for 1-2 minutes, and then repeat 3-4 times.

Instructional videos clips:

Warm up exercises:
Jumping jacks
Seal jacks
Glute bridges 
Fire hydrants

Circuit exercise:
Push ups modifications
Squat 
Knee grab sit ups
Thigh slide sit ups
Mountain climbers 

Why “weight”? - Strategies for eating right during the holiday season

The holiday season is upon us and you may be thinking, “There is no point in starting my diet now.  I'll just enjoy the holiday season and join a gym and start my diet in the New Year.”  So you will go to your holiday parties and family gatherings and eat everything in sight and after the holidays you will have that much more weight to lose. I say why wait? Start today.

Here are some strategies for eating right during the holiday season.

1. Eat well during the day
If you are going to a holiday party in the late afternoon or evening, it is tempting to not eat during the day in order to “save up” you calories for the party. This is NOT a great idea. This usually backfires, as you will be so hungry when you get to the party that you will eat more than you usually would. So make sure to eat during that day, focus on high protein low calorie foods like grilled chicken and roasted vegetables.

2. Eat before you go
One way to curb your appetite is to eat a small meal about 45 minutes before you go to your holiday party. By the time you get there you will start to feel full and that will help you not overeat.

3. Have a plan
It's the holiday season. There is going to be dessert. Not only that, you may have looked forward to one of Aunt Susan's special Christmas desserts all year. Have a plan for dessert. Decide to eat just one dessert and have a piece about half the size you may usually have. This way you will have a small reward to look forward to.

4. Host the party
This is the best way to control your diet during the holiday season.  If you host the event you are in control of what food is served. This will allow you to make sure that there is always a healthy option available. That doesn't mean that you shouldn't serve some of the family favorites that may be outside of your dietary limits. At least this way you will know it's there and be mentally prepared to substitute a healthier dish instead.

5. Bring a healthy option
You can't host every party, and you may not want to either.  If you are going to someone else’s house for a holiday meal make sure you bring a healthy option. This way you will know that there is at least one thing that you will be able to eat.

6. Don't drink your calories
Alcoholic and fruity drinks have a ton of useless calories.  Don't get me wrong, I enjoy a cocktail or two as well, but try to limit it to one or two drinks and remember to drink plenty of water as well. Also remember that if you will be attending multiple events during the holidays, those drinks will add up!

7. Get a good workout in
Don't skip the gym. Or if you have to skip the gym, don't skip at least a smaller workout at home. Wake up and get a good workout in. That will put you in a good mindset when you get to your holiday party. If you workout and eat well during the day, you are more likely to eat right at the party as well.

Whether you are hosting or attending a holiday party, try at least one of these this holiday season.

In general, try to
skip the dips,
spice it up instead of fatten it up,
eat main dishes instead of apps and side dishes,
and know your portion sizes.

If you start today, you will be well on your way by the time the New Year starts.