I want to share with you what I eat when I travel and I have to tell you it's crazy. So here's how I roll on days when I'm traveling. You can apply these tips to help you stay on track when you're on-the-go.
Yours in Health,
Danette
P.S. Share this with your friends who travel often and please leave me a comment below. I read them ALL!
St. Patrick's Day calls for green everything and just like any Mom, I like to make a fun treat for my girls on such occasions.
These pancakes get their green the all natural way.
Here's how I do it without the green dye. Brace yourself. I replace the dye with fresh spinach. Seems like a the best swap ever, right?
Don't like spinach? Don't worry, this recipe masks the spinach flavor nicely.
1. Run the ingredients in your blender or food processor (if needed, add a bit more oatmeal until you get a batter consistency).
2. Cook in a coconut oiled skillet.
3. For even more fun, top them with coconut whipped cream.
Don't let all this fun fool you, these are some seriously good grown-up pancakes! Top them with some plain Greek yogurt and fruit (kiwi if you're going all green) for a tasty, filling breakfast.
Yours in Health,
Danette
P.S. Please share this recipe and let me hear from you in the comments below. Do you love making and eating seasonal treats?
Tart And Sweet Lemon Ricotta Pancakes
It’s no secret: the gluten-free diet is taking over.
It seems like everyone is jumping on the gluten free diet plan lately. Should you join them?
There is a lot of confusion surrounding gluten-free dieting these days.
Many people believe they have a serious gluten intolerance (also known as being celiac) so they must avoid gluten at all costs.
This may be a stretch as most people are not actually celiac.
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But… there are still many benefits to be had by ditching foods containing gluten.
What are these benefits? What happens when you say good-bye to gluten?
That’s right – avoiding gluten might just bring a better mood. Gluten causes many people to feel foggy minded and potentially experience higher levels of anxiety and depression. Upon giving it up, these symptoms should lessen.
A better mood might help you stay more positive about your weight loss goals and nutrition plan.
Gluten, and all the carbs that typically come with it can cause many people to retain extra water. This means you’ll be looking a little more bloated and ‘puffy’ than normal.
Cut out gluten and you’ll see less water retention, slimming you down almost instantly.
When you avoid foods with gluten, it means you’ll also be avoiding many of the highly processed, flour-based foods that can wreak havoc on blood glucose levels.
It’s this fluctuation in blood glucose that often leads to fat gain, so it’s not abnormal to see those cutting gluten experience an immediate boost to their weight loss results.
Without gluten, they maintain stabilized blood sugar, giving them more control over their food choices and their hunger.
Your insulin sensitivity levels will also increase when you banish gluten from your day. One study noted that when subjects gave up gluten for a six month time frame, their overall insulin sensitivity was enhanced.
Then, when they introduced gluten again after the test period was over, their insulin sensitivity decreased again.
As insulin sensitivity does play a key role in how lean you are able to get – and stay – with your nutrition plan, this shouldn’t be overlooked.
Now that you can see the many benefits to limit how much gluten you consume, it’s time to take action and start removing it from your meals.
Sadly, many people fail miserably at doing so. The reason?
Gluten sneaks in. It’s in places you’d least expect it.
Some of the sneaky gluten culprits include:
Always be on the lookout. Start reading labels so that you know exactly what you’re taking in.
Need some smart alternatives to gluten-rich foods?
Try substituting
These will help get your carbohydrate needs met without gluten.
Yours in Health,
Danette
P.S. Please share this info. and leave me a comment below. Are you on a gluten free diet now?
Losing weight and getting in shape is hard work. That’s not news.
There are plenty of people who say that dieting is as simple as putting down the fork. Those people are wrong.
If you’re aware of the food that you eat and put effort into exercising, then you’re on the right path.
But if that’s all you’re doing…there’s a good chance you’ll find that it just isn’t enough to do the trick.
Too many diet and work out programs end up just another failure.
There’s one reason why: People put all their efforts on their body and not enough on their brains.
You need to change the way you think. Not just about food and exercise, but also about how you feel about breaking old habits.
Want proof?
In a study published in the journal Psychological Science, researchers told a hotel cleaning crew that the work they were doing was really good exercise. There was another group of cleaners who were not given that advice.
At the end of the study, the group that thought they were doing something good for themselves ended up losing weight.
They also ended up with lower blood pressure and decreased their BMI.
It’s the power of positive thinking.
When your brain is saying that you’re doing something good for yourself, your body responds.
How can I stop the little voice inside my head from saying:
“I am depriving myself” and turn it to “I am building a better, stronger, healthier body”?
Studies show that it can lower your blood pressure and decrease your stress. It’s also a great way to shut out negative messages and focus on the positive.
By signing your brain up for your body-improvement mission, you give yourself a much greater chance of achieving your goals. You also can gain understanding of why your diets haven’t worked in the past.
1. Make a list of the reasons that you want to make a change.
You know that you’re hoping for far more than wanting to fit into a dress for your high school reunion.
2. Write down all the benefits you’re looking for and then read your list every single day.
Read it when you wake up in the morning and when you get into bed at night.
3. Take the time to eat consciously. You can use the same trick when you exercise too!
Instead of mindlessly consuming what's on your plate or drudging through the workouts, stop and think about what you’re doing for your body and be grateful.
4. Train yourself to think of your healthy food and exercise as a gift that you’re giving yourself instead of as a deprivation or punishment.
Your brain is more powerful organ than any other part of your body in helping you to exercise more and make smarter food choices.
Yours in Health,
Danette
P.S. I hope you will share this with your friends and I love reading your comments below.
If you're anything like me you love the crunch of a good bowl of cereal. It's great for a quick breakfast and I love enjoying it as an easy snack too.
I's tough to find a healthy boxed cereal. They are almost non-existent. So…I make my own!
Here's all you need to make it for yourself:
1 Tbsp. Raw coconut flakes
1 Tbsp. Chia seeds
1/4 Cup Granola
Handful of berries
Splash of Almond milk
Yours in Health,
Danette
P.S. I hope you will share this with your cereal loving friends and I love reading your comments below.
Is soy bad for you? I get this question a lot.
If you've been following me for a while, you know that I don't eat soy or soy products.
It isn't the health food it is touted to be!
Soy, is a member of the legume family and present in foods across the US. It's a common ingredient in infant formulas and many other processed foods.
A 2011 statistic states that the soy market amounts to 5.2 billion in the U.S. The energy bars and soy milk make the two largest categories!
Why I won't touch tofu?
Research on the health benefits of soy foods has produced more questions than answers. In the last decade, soy is one of the most common food allergens among young children.
Isoflavones are naturally found in soy and show estrogen-like activity. To date, studies on the effect of soy isoflavone consumption have reported mixed results.
Researchers agree on the complication in soy research. The reason, these studies differ in the isoflavone intake among those considered as regular soy consumers.
1. Phytoestrogens: Phytoestrogens in soy are found to demonstrate estrogen-like activity.
Studies show that this alters body's innate hormone balance and damages the reproductive system.
Studies on mice show that genistein, an isoflavone compound disrupts fertility in rodents. The study showed that genistein regulated hormones. It also affected estrogen receptors and the development of the reproductive system.
2. Goitrogenic: “Goitrogen” is any substance that can cause enlargement of the thyroid gland.
Studies show that soy isoflavone compounds interfere with iodine absorption and disrupt thyroid function. A disrupted thyroid leads to weight problems.
3. Phytates: Phytates are present in all grains, nuts and seeds.
They are enzyme inhibitors that block nutrient absorption in the digestive tract.
Soaking grains and seeds rids the phytates. But it is impossible to use the same method with soy as they are so high in phytates.
Only fermentation can get rid of the phytates.
4. Trypsin inhibitors: Soy is full of trypsin inhibitor.
Trypsin is an enzyme you need to digest protein. When this enzyme is inhibited it can cause stomach cramps, bleeding and diarrhea.
Furthermore, 90% of the soy in the US market are genetically modified.
They're also sprayed with pesticides. The soy is treated in aluminum tanks and are acid washed to make processed soy.
If you are into clean eating, these are good enough reasons to keep away from soy.
Bottom line: Soy wreaks havoc on hormonal balance.
Here are some tips for finding ‘hidden soy' ingredients on labels.
What to look for in your food label?
Foods with soy must be labeled and declared that it ”contains soy” under FDA labeling laws. Yet, there are many products that are not covered by FDA allergen labeling laws and so sneak into your food.
The following ingredients found on a label show the presence of soy protein.
Besides these products may contain soy
Soy can be disruptive!
Soy can cause an increase in body weight, damage skin, lead to allergies and a host of many medical issues.
The best way to cut soy from your diet is to avoid all processed foods. Be sure to read the food labels before you buy sauces, soups or dips. This should be easy if you are into clean eating.
Yours in Health,
Danette
P.S. I hope you will share this info. with your friends and I welcome your comments below.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.