Fish Doesn’t Have to be Tricky August 24, 2009

Cooking fish takes some practice. That is for sure. I have been cooking up the stuff for about 3 years and I am still using trial and error. I’ve had a few successes and I’ll share one below. The key is to not give up. Keep trying new kinds of fish and methods and I promise you will find a winner. I have burned many a fish, stunk up the house, and turned someting yummy into something gross. But I just keep trucking.

This summer we have been grilling our fish (go figure). In order to grill a fish, it has to be a thick, meaty fish. We have really been enjoying Mahi Mahi. Salmon also works well. Thin fish fillets will likely fall apart on the grill.

When you grill anything the trick is (first spray the grill) to not touch your meat till it is ready to be flipped. Don’t mess with it at all. When it’s ready to be turned it should come right off the grill. If the meat sticks at all, leave it because it’s not ready. Often this means a little less cooking time on the second side.

Here’s what I did tonight for dinner:

• Preheat grill to medium high.
• Season Mahi with Crazy Salt (spice isle at the grocery store) on both sides.
• Spray grill with non-stick spray
• Lay down fish and walk away. Let cook for about 5-8 minutes with the lid on.
• Flip and cook an additional 5 minutes. Fish should be firm but give some when you press into it gently.

And that is all folks. It is really easy. I also cut up some mango wedges and grilled them. I served the fish with the mango on top. To keep with the fruit theme, I put blueberries on our green salad. It was delicious.

Keep on cooking fish! It’s healthy and tasty. Please post any other good fish ideas you have. Happy grilling!

A Little Redemption August 20, 2009

Just for the record, my trainer, Katie, kicked my booty this morning during our workout. I figure I deserved it, and now I feel a whole lot better. Sometimes you just need a good kick in the pants from intense exercise to get you back into the swing of things.

Make a healthy choice today!

Cookies are my Kryptonite August 19, 2009

I’m going to put myself out there and share my deep dark secret. I hope you can handle it. The fact is I love to bake. There, I said it. I am a dietitian who loves to make all things sweet. (God and I have had many conversations over why this truth exists.)  And if I really had to get specific, I would say that my favorite food in the whole wide world is cookies. If I could live off cookies, I would, and in heaven, I will be. =)

Well, this week seems to have been all about baked goods for me. I try to limit my baking because honestly, I eat what I make. But this week, I had offered to make something for two events and then was also blessed by friend’s World’s Best Cookies (I capitilize this because I mean it). So here it is Wednesday and I have eaten more cookies than I care to admit. I also don’t feel very good. I really want to go run a long distance (at 9pm at night) to make up for it. I know when I feel the “make up for it” mentality, I have gone a little too far. (Like I said, I am really putting myself out there.)

So why am I telling you this? I tell you this because I have a decision to make just like everyone else. What is the next healthy decision that I am going to make? I sometimes feel like poor eating choices come in about tens. One quickly leads to another and another and another. When I start eating a lot of sweets (over a few days time) it sometimes feels difficult to stop. Have you ever felt that way? It’s like it’s so hard to get into the habit of healthy choices and so easy to fall into a string of poor choices.

Now I need a plan for the rest of  my week to get myself back on track. Step 1 – throw out all remaining sweets. No wait, my hubby took care of that one already. 2 – Think through tomorrow’s decisions including a little extra cardio time, planned lunch, and smart snacks.  3 – Gear up for weekend eating by thinking through where I will be eating and how I can make calorie appropriate decisions.

The point of my confession today is that we all struggle with our food kryptonite, whatever it may be. We will always love that food too. There’s no getting around it. But we have to identify habits that allow us to have a healthier relationship with that food. Mine starts with limiting my baking. This is something I choose to do for my own well-being.

Think about your kryptonite food(s) today and start coming up with strategies to help you fit it into your life in a healthy way. It takes continual effort. I am certainly not superwoman yet.

Have a healthy day and save your calories for a really awesome cookie!

The Great World of Food and Health August 17, 2009

Warning: Today’s post is a little random and kind of deep. Enjoy, I think.

In the past 12 hours I have had some interesting thoughts float through my head. It all started last night as I read someones blog and noticed they had traveled around the world. The focus of their trip, as far as I could tell, was simply to learn how other cultures live and seek good health. This is a fascinating concept to me – that people approach health very differently in other parts of the world. I can’t help but wonder who has it right. Is it the non-animal-protein eaters? Is the whole-grain obsessed? Is it the eat-local-only people? There are so many approaches to eating and many of them are good.

As a dietitian my practice of nutrition is based on science. This is what the essence of being a RD is. I can’t just make up something  (or use one person’s story) about eating and how it effects the body and then tell everyone to do it. The scientific method is a good process that I do not resist, but it leaves me wanting more information sometimes. Science is a slow process that doesn’t always give clear answers to the original question.

I have always felt that one of my greatest roles as a dietitian is to help the public understand the scientific messages of nutrition and how to apply them to their daily lives. But what about the other nutrition concepts that have no research behind them (yet) but produce fantastic health in other cultures? I really want to learn more about how other people (non-Americans) go about health and nutrition. This is probably going to become a life-long quest. Food is such an important element to life. It brings people together and obviously promotes health. I hope I get the chance over the course of my life to learn from other cultures around their meal table.

In conclusion, I hope my thoughts haven’t left you more confused about how you should eat. On the contrary, be encouraged that there are many good approaches to eating. Remember, eating healthy is simple. You don’t need expensive food and tons of time, necessarily. Healthy eating comes in many levels and I encourage you to continue to make small changes, one at a time, toward healthier eating.  Ask yourself this today,” What does it mean to me to ‘eat healthy’ ? What am I working towards?” We all have a different answer to that question which is great. Just don’t forget the basics: produce, whole grains and fiber, reduce saturated fat, and be mindful of calories. 

And in the meantime, I think it’s ok to be influenced by others philosophy of eating. Please post some of your impressions of eating that you’ve learned from other cultures or even other people in your immediate life. I am so curious.

Have a healthy day!

The Healthiest Food EVER? August 15, 2009

I was recently asked by someone I met (who found out I was a dietitian) what the healthiest single food is. I am tickled by this question. Every food offers our bodies different nutrients and health-promoting properties. There are so many healthy foods that you just can’t pick one.

If I could read into his question a little, I would infer that maybe he was really asking, “what’s the one change that I can make in my diet that will make a difference?” Now, I do enjoy thinking of nutrition in this way. Everyone can make one little change in their eating that can make a difference on their health.

My favorite change to suggest is eating more fiber. This one change has so many positive effects on your total health.The goal is increase your intake between 30-40 grams a day. This takes some work but is totally doable. Track your intake at www.thedailyplate.com, one of my favorite online food journals.

So take a  minute to think about one little change you can make this week to your eating. Sometimes, it only takes one to make a difference in your life!

Thomas Jefferson is a Wise Man August 11, 2009

Today I just have a simple thought brought to us by Thomas Jefferson. I bought a magnet of this statement when I visited Monticello this last spring. It is brilliant and simple and something  I wished I thought about at every meal and snack. Have a healthy day!

“We seldom repent of having eaten too little.”

Jellyfish and Mindful Eating August 10, 2009

Today I was stung by a jellyfish… right on the lips! Can you believe it?! I was at the beach to swim with a friend. As I dove into a wave on my way out I felt like I had run into a pin cushion. The lifeguard asked me if I was an unlucky person. Isn’t that great.

The interesting thing about getting stung on the lips is that I quickly became very careful of what I was putting in my mouth. This is mostly due to the fact that they hurt and I don’t want any sting-ing to spread (especially inside my mouth).  The silver lining is that I am re-engaging in my eating. I am thinking about what I eat before it goes down the hatch. This is a good exercise for me and anyone. Today I’ve had to ask, “is this worth it?” and then carefully place food in my mouth. So often we just put things in our mouth without thinking about it.

I encourage you today to “connect your brain to your belly” and think about your food decisions a little harder. Ask yourself some of these questions to get to the bottom of emotional, stress and boredom eating.

- Am I really hungry right now?

- When did I last eat?

- When am I going to eat my next meal? Can I wait to eat till then?

- What is my energy level like right now?

- Did something happen in my day to upset me or put stress on me?

- If I choose a healthy food first, will that take away my hunger?

Oils and their Mumbo Jumbo August 4, 2009

I often get asked what the term  ”extra virgin” means in the olive oil world and if it’s worth the price. There are a lot of confusing phrases attached to oils and it’s important to know what they mean.

Most oils are extracted using a refining process with high temperatures. The high temps often damage the oils, making them less nutritious.  This process is also not as labor intensive, thus the price of the product is lower.

The terms “cold pressed” and “expeller-pressed” means that the source was literally pressed and squished to get the oil out and high temps were not involved.  This helps preserve the naturally-found antioxidants and nutrients.

“Extra-Virgin” describes oil that is unrefined and comes from the first pressing of olives.  “Virgin” also describes oil from the first pressing but is slightly lower in nutrients and higher in acidity.  

All oils are 100% fat which means that they contain 9 kcals per gram (as compared to carbs and protein that are 4 kcals per gram). Therefore, regardless of how healthy a fat may be (olive oil being at the top of the list), it should always be portioned sized! 1 tbsp of oil is 100-120 calories so use it with caution. When the cooks on The Food Network say “use about 2 tbsp of oil in the bottom of the pan” and then fill up the bottom completely with oil (likely 1/4 cup oil) , they are adding anywhere from 300-600 calories to the overall dish.

See the link of resource #1 for a lengthy description of the many wonderful benefits of extra virgin olive oil.

Resources

1. World’s Healthiest Foods: Olive Oil, Extra Vrigin. Available at:  http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=132

2.  A Green, K Ansel. How to Buy the Best Oils. Cooking Light. August 2009. pgs 36-40. **Great article