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Nothing is better on a cold day than hot soup!  Especially hot soup with a kick!

My family knows that Tortilla Soup will be on the menu during the winter months, they will come home to this spicy soup served with their choice of toppings, including sour cream, tortilla strips, and Monterey Jack and Cheddar Cheeses– they will also find it in their thermos for lunch.  There’s nothing better than a thermos of hot soup to make an ordinary school day a little tastier!

The key to the bursting flavor of this soup is fresh ingredients.  Begin by pulsing fresh cilantro, onion, garlic, green chiles or jalapenos in the food processor to make a pungent paste.

Once all of the ingredients are finely chopped and are uniform in size, add to a 6-quart stock pot, add chicken stock and crushed tomatoes, and begin to cook on medium heat.

 

Next, add the cumin, salt, and pepper, corn, and black beans. Cook over medium heat for 30-45 minutes to allow the flavors to come together.  

Serve with the toppings mentioned above, sour cream, tortilla strips, shredded cheese, scallions, and avocado.  If you are looking for something a little heartier, you can add chicken or finish the soup with ½ cup heavy cream for the final 3 -5 minutes. Either way, this is a tasty way to add some spice to your week! Enjoy!

Laura’s Favorite Tortilla Soup

(Makes 14- 1 cup servings)

1 large bunch of cilantro washed (squeeze out extra moisture in cheesecloth if you don’t have time to dry)

1 medium onion

3-4 cloves of garlic

1 jalapeno pepper or 1/3 c. of mild diced chiles

Salt and pepper to taste

2 cups of chicken broth

6 cups of crushed tomatoes

2 ½ tsp of ground cumin

2-15oz. cans of organic corn

2- 15oz.  cans of organic black beans

 

1. Pulse cilantro, onion, garlic, and peppers together in a food processor
2. Add paste to 6-quart stock pot, then stir in chicken broth and tomatoes.
3. Cook over medium heat for 15 minutes; add corn and beans, cumin, salt, and pepper, and cook an additional 30-40 minutes.

Nutritional information for 1 cup serving

109 calories; 4.8 g protein; 20.6 g carbohydrate; 2.2 g fat; 5.6 g fiber

 

Out of 41 eating plans, the Mediterranean diet ranks the “best overall diet” for 2019 by US News and World Report. This eating plan also ranked high in other categories of diets; best for Diabetes, easiest to follow, and best for healthy eating.

The word diet itself can come across as restrictive.  Focusing on only the constraints rarely contributes to a plan’s success.  Clients can tend to focus on foods that they need to avoid and immediately label them as “bad.” Imagine the message we are sending our body when we eat the so-called bad foods not included in our “diet.”

Instead, I think of it as the Mediterranean Lifestyle plan which is an all-encompassing approach to not only what foods we choose to eat but with whom we eat, and when we eat.  The cultures from this region embrace mindful eating principles, and mealtimes focus on spending time with others.

Key Features of the Plan

• The focus is on plant-based foods including vegetables, whole grains, beans and nuts versus protein from animal sources.
• Olive oil is the fat of choice and used in most preparations.
• Fish and shellfish dishes are prepared simply and consumed more often than red meat. Egg and dairy consumption is more frequent but eaten in small quantities.
• Refined sugar and white flour consumption are considerably less than found in Western diets if consumed at all.

 

 Nutrition professionals like the diet, because of its efficacy in the management and prevention of heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. Followers of the plan love the fresh variety.  Thinking of the Mediterranean eating plan conjures up images of an abundance of colorful foods varying in texture and flavor.  Sun-kissed fruits and vegetables, fresh fish from the sea dressed with local olive oil, and prepared simply!  Take cues from this regional eating pattern and make it your own and you’ll stay on the Path to Wellness.  Want to makeover your current eating patterns but aren’t sure how–choose Nutrition for Life!  Call or email today to schedule an appointment!

Do you keep hearing about all of the benefits of beets?  Rich in antioxidants, fiber, Vitamin C, Magnesium, Folate, and nitrates; beets are a superfood, and can add color and texture appeal to almost any meal!  Do you want to add them to your meals but still find yourself walking past the beets in the grocery store, because they appear too bulky with the root and leaves?   The beauty of beet is that the root and the leaves can be simply prepared and enjoyed in a variety of ways.

 

Roasted Beets

3-4 Large Beets

1/2 tsp. Kosher Salt

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees (convection works best).

1. Remove leaves from the Beetroot, set aside.
2. Peel beets and slice into 1/4″ slices, put in a medium-sized bowl.
3. Add olive oil and Kosher salt and toss together.
4. Arrange on a sheet pan in one layer-don’t overlap.
5. Roast for approximately 11-15 minutes until tender and slightly brown.

Boiled Beets

3-4 Large Beets

2 quarts of cold water

1. Remove stems from the Beetroot, set aside, wash any dirt off of the beetroot.
2. Put Beetroots in a 4-6 quart saucepan.  Cover with cold water.
3. Cook uncovered until fork-tender, add water as needed.
4. Rinse with cool water.

TIP:   Always use cold water with Root vegetables and potatoes

Enjoy as a side dish or add to an arugula salad with pine nuts, feta cheese, and toss with balsamic vinaigrette.

Beet Greens

Always be sure to gently wash the beet greens as you would with other leafy greens and allow to air-dry.   After washing, there are a variety of ways to use the beet greens as well, they can be added to the arugula salad above or any salad to add color and texture. They can be gently sauteed and tossed with fresh-squeezed lemon juice and olive oil for a delicious side dish. Their mild flavor allows them to be added to your favorite smoothie or substituted in almost any recipe containing spinach, kale, mustard or collard greens.

Beets are a colorful addition to your plate and a good source of fiber, antioxidants, and vitamins including folate to help you stay on the path to wellness!

 

 

 

 

While we still have some holiday celebrations ahead of us, the New Year is also around the corner whether you are ready or not.  Some studies say that the average person gains twelve pounds between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day.  No wonder the top two resolutions in 2017 and 2018 were to begin a fitness regimen and second; to eat better.  Both of these goals ranked higher than saving money! So eating healthier, being physically fit and saving money would make for a banner year!  It’s within your reach to achieve all three. By setting aside a few minutes at the beginning of each week to plan a menu, make a shopping list, and scheduling workouts, so they become as routine as brushing your teeth will get you back on the path to wellness.

Establish a Goal

Those who have lost weight and kept it off for five years or more view their plan as a lifestyle and not as a quick fix.  It is their new norm. They exercise regularly and stay accountable with weekly or regular weigh-ins to avoid backsliding.  Reflect on the positive from last year, were you able to decrease your sugar intake or increase your water intake?  Maybe this year commit to eating more vegetables, consuming less processed foods or logging 10,000 steps every day.

Make a Plan

Whatever you decide to improve, make it your new norm and establish a plan.  Take for example the goal of eating more vegetables. When you are planning your weekly meals, be sure to insert two servings of vegetables at each meal and make sure all of these vegetables make it to the shopping list. Then review to ensure that the list contains approximately  8-10 vegetables.  Without planning, they never will make it into your refrigerator so you can prepare them!

Evaluate

As quick as January came, it will be over, and Spring will be around the corner! It’s a good idea to check your progress a little before Valentine’s Day, that’s roughly 5-6 weeks into the year.  Have you increased your vegetable intake? If yes, that’s fantastic, keep up the great work!  If not, what were the obstacles that kept you from doing so? Maybe you made your meal plan for the week and put them on the shopping list, but couldn’t find the time to prepare them.  Modify the plan to including washing the vegetables the night before, or making a large salad at the beginning of the week.  In other words, we must continue to Plan, and Evaluate the Plan to see if it is working, if not modify the Plan or establish a new one and Evaluate again.

This process is ongoing; we can use this method with all of the goals we listed above and others that you may have in mind.  Set aside the time now to make your plan for the New Year and you’ll be on the path to wellness!

 

 

 

 

 

The Prevalence of obesity for adults at 39.6% is at an alarming level, although just as alarming is the prevalence of obesity for children.  Children between the ages of 2-19 have an obesity rate of  18.5%.(CDC & NHANES 2015-16).  Overweight classification for children and adolescents is defined as having a BMI percentile range of 85th to <95 percentile.  A BMI percentile greater than or equal to 95th percentile is defined as having obesity.

Presenting the BMI percentiles to parents and caregivers at yearly well-child visits or school check-ups can initiate changes in behavior. The method of obtaining the BMI percentile for children differs from that of adults.  After you obtain the BMI as you would for adults, it is then graphed using the child’s age and gender  (or by using a percentile calculator).  The percentiles are population-based using national survey data collected from 1963-65 to 1988-94 (CDC).  Meaning if an 8-year-old boy had a 95th BMI percentile, his BMI is greater than the BMI of 95% of other 8-year-old boys from the reference population.

Staying active and eating healthy is the best way to prevent obesity and overweight for children.  Let’s Go by Maine Health and it’s message: 5-2-1-0 is being used nationally as a means of obesity prevention among children and adolescents because it is simple to remember and effective.

“5” Eat Five or More Servings of Fruits and Vegetables

A serving of vegetables for children is about the size of the palm of their hand.  Substitute fresh cut raw vegetables in place of chips and crackers and pair with low-fat dressings, hummus or peanut butter. Keep fruits and vegetables washed and portioned and easily accessible for kids, choose a variety of colors, textures, and flavors.   Don’t give up on any food with just one try—-kids can take up to ten tries before they decide that they like a food!

“2” Hours or Less of Recreational Screen Time

Increased screen time is linked to more snacking, lower reading scores, and attention problems (healthy365). Children under the age of 2 should have no screen time.  Keep computers and TVs out of children’s bedrooms.  For children ages 2-5, one hour of screen time is the guideline, after age 5, no more than 2 hours per day.

“1” hour or more of Physical Activity

One hour of play can promote well being, enhance confidence and promote physical and cognitive development.  Choose from a variety of activities, both structured and unstructured play to prevent boredom and exercise various muscle groups.

“0” Sugary or Sugar Added Beverages

Eliminate or limit beverages like soda and replace with low-fat milk, water, and even seltzer.  Limit fruit juice and choose fresh fruit instead.  Add cucumbers, lemon or lime slices to flavor water, have children select the fruit or vegetable and experiment with different flavors.

5-2-1-0 is a great message for children and their caregivers that is easy to incorporate into their daily routine.  Encourage kids to assess their 5-2-1-0 goals during family mealtime to see if they fell short in any part of the message. Have children come up with their own ideas to reach those goals before the day is over and take part in managing their health and staying on the path to wellness!

 

 

Tracking your steps, calories, fluid intake on a fitness app can help you reach your health and wellness goals.  Apps can help you keep track of your caloric intake and provide you with an analysis of nutrients. They can also enable you to record your fluid intake and number of steps taken.  Some can provide your BMI, and waist to hip ratio which can be indicators of risk for chronic diseases.

Apps to Consider

Some of the more popular apps like Lose It! and myfitnesspal require you to enter data, like height, weight, age, and activity level and then provide you with a caloric level to reach your goal. The app will prompt you to enter your foods eaten for each meal and snack. There are even some apps like Better Body Image that show you based on data (not Photoshop) how you will really look with weight loss.  This visualization can be a powerful motivational tool that can help you keep your goal in sight. Most apps have advanced settings that allow you to set other goals, such as the number of glasses of water consumed or grams of fiber.  

Reaching Your Goals

Calories consumed

Entering your food is very simple, there is a large database of common foods to choose from.  For example; if you want to enter mushrooms into the app; in addition to the many types of mushrooms; you will have a choice of whole, sliced, cooked, raw, canned in juice etc and quantities of cups, tablespoons, each, or ounces.  Also, most apps have built-in scanners to read bar codes found on food packaging that enters the nutritional data directly into the app when scanned. The large database of brand name foods and eating establishments provide the user with all of the nutritional information at their fingertips. Having this data readily available encourages you to make informed decisions about food choices.

Calories expended

Once you have entered your height, weight, and age, the calories expended per exercise should be pretty accurate. There is a large database of common exercises and also activities that may not be considered typical exercise for everyone. House cleaning and gardening fall into this category. However, these activities have the potential to expend significant amounts of calories.  Why wouldn’t you include them in your energy expenditure for the day?

Accountability

After entering your food and exercise for the day, the app will display the number of calories allotted for the day minus the number of calories consumed. It will make adjustments for exercise and provide you with your net calories consumed.  In addition to net calories, the app provides you with the grams and percentages of fat, carbohydrate, and protein. Apps can be programmed to remind you to enter your meals or record your weight. Given continued use, they can provide you with a projected date that you should reach your goal!

The right app can be your virtual accountability partner! Wellness apps can provide valuable insight into your current habits and patterns. This increased awareness will help you stay on the track to wellness!