4 Diet Killers

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4 Diet Killers

While there are many things that can wreck clean eating these four tend to wreck it without you realizing it.

Agave Nectar – Even though it is a “natural” sweetner agave nectar has been shown to derange liver function and promote obesity. The main reason is because it contains the highest amount of fructose. Even more than high fructose corn syrup.

Gluten Free Snacks – Today it is common to walk down any grocery store aisle and find gluten-free Oreo’s, gluten-free Pop Tarts, you name it. Just because a snack food is gluten-free doesn’t mean it is healthy.

Fat-Free – When fat is removed from a product taste is usually removed. So in order to make up for taste something else has to be added typically sugar, salt, flour, food thickeners, and other food additives. All fat is not bad and the body actually needs fat to function properly. Naturally occurring fat is what you want to eat, the man-made franken-fats are what you want to avoid.

Stevia – Many of the sweetners on the market that contain Stevia, claim that it is natural. But, in order for it to be made into a sugar it has to be processed and have other things added, like sugar alcohols. There is also evidence that artificial sweetners, which includes stevia products, contribute to obesity.

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Recipe of the Week – Grilled Zucchini and Cauliflower Skewers with Feta

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These delicious skewers make for a healthy side to accompany any meal. Give them a try!

INGREDIENTS

  • 4 large zucchini and summer squash
  • 1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
  • 8 skewers, soaked in water for 20 minutes
  • Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
  • kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 c. crumbled feta
  • 8 skewers, soaked in water for 20 minutes

DIRECTIONS

  • Preheat grill to medium-high. Shave zucchini and yellow squash into long strips using a Y peeler or mandolin. Skewer zucchini, yellow squash, and cauliflower. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
  • Grill, turning occasionally, until vegetables are tender and slightly charred, 10 to 12 minutes.
  • Crumble with feta.

Recipe Resource: http://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/recipes/a43682/zucchini-cauliflower-skewers-feta-recipe/

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Recipe of the Week – Blueberry Espresso Brownies

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Give these delicious paleo friendly brownies a try.

Ingredients

  • 1 Cup Coconut Cream Concentrate MELTED (and a bit leftover for drizzling)
  • 3 Eggs
  • 1/2 Cup Raw Organic Honey
  • 1/4 Cup Organic Cocoa Powder
  • 1 Tbsp Cinnamon
  • 1 Tbsp Ground Coffee
  • 2 Tsp Vanilla Extract
  • 1/2 Tsp Baking Soda
  • 1/4 Tsp Sea Salt
  • 1 Cup Blueberries

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 325 Degrees F
  • Place coconut cream concentrate (coconut butter), eggs, honey, cocoa powder, cinnamon, coffee, vanilla, baking soda, and sea salt together in a mixing bowl
  • Use your hand mixer or stand mixer to mix all your ingredients until well blended
  • Once ready, fold in your blueberries by hand so you don’t crush them all
  • Pour your batter into a greased 9×13 baking dish (grease with coconut oil) or into greased individual mini muffin pans like I did
  • Place in the oven and bake for approximately 30 minutes. At about 25 minutes, do the toothpick test and judge how much longer you need
  • Remove from oven, let cool
  • Once cool, use some melted Coconut Cream Concentrate and drizzle all over your brownies
  • Cut and Enjoy

Recipe Source: http://civilizedcavemancooking.com/recipes/desserts/blueberry-espresso-brownies/

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5 Things To Look For When Buying Food

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We had a great turn out this past Saturday for our Nutrition Seminar, taught by PNF Nutrition Coach Courtney Kirkwood. In case you missed it here are five take-aways from her presentation on things to look for when shopping for food.

  • When buying meat look for Certified USDA Organic. Certified USDA Organic is the cleanest meat on the market with no pesticides or hormones having been used, the animals are treated the most humanely, and it is the most environmentally friendly way of producing meat. Also, in the U.S. it is illegal to used hormones in pork. So pork that is marked hormone free is just a marketing ploy to get you to spend a little more money for the same product.
  • Artificial sweetners are masked under many different names. Check your labels for the following: Acesulfame Potassium, Aspartame, Neotame, Saccharin, Sucralose, Stevia, and Rebaudioside are just a few. Do your research on the ingredients in your food.
  • Prepare as much of you food at home as possible. This not only ensures that you eat less hidden calories, but it also helps you control what you are eating and what is in your food.
  • Watch for added sugars they are in just about everything that is packaged.
  • Don’t fall for Stevia’s “natural” claim. There is something like 42 or 43 molecules that make up the Stevia sweetners we buy in the store, of those only one molecule is natural the rest are all made in a lab or through processing. Stevia, also under the name Truvia and Stevia in the Raw, is just the latest hot sugar substitute and is really no better for you than Sweet N’ Low, Equal, or Splenda. When using sugar it is always better to use a true natural sweetner like plain sugar or honey. These are less processed and our bodies know how how to handle to them.

Eating clean can be very difficult, as there are many hidden ingredients in our food these days. The best rule of thumb is to look for items with the least amount of ingredients, look up the big “science class” words, and cook most of your meals at home.

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Recipe of the Week – Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies

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Recipe of the Week – Almond Flour Chocoloate Chip Pumpkin Cookies

Indulge guilt free with these delicious Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup blanched almond flour
  • 1 tablespoon coconut flour
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tbsp coconut oil (or grass-fed butter)
  • 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
  • 3 tablespoons raw honey or maple syrup
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/8 tsp fine sea salt
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice, more to taste
  • 1/4 cup or more chocolate chips
  • Optional: 1/4 to 1/3 cup chopped walnuts
  • Optional: Additional pumpkin pie spice sprinkled over cookies (I recommend!)

 

Instructions:

  • Preheat oven to 350°F.
  • In a mixing bowl sift together almond flour, coconut flour, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt.
  • Add in pumpkin puree, egg, honey, oil, and vanilla. Mix to combine. Fold in chocolate chips.
  • Drop tablespoons of dough on a lined baking sheet (I cover mine with my slip at or parchment paper), and lightly flatten.
  • Bake for about 15 minutes, or until cooked through to your desired amount.
  • Let cool and serve.

 

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Recipe of the Week – Tasty Healthier Peanut Butter Cups

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This weeks recipe of the week comes from PNF Member Angie DeMaster. Thanks for sharing this great recipe for Peanut Butter Cups.

Give these a try for a healthier peanut butter and chocolate fix.

For the chocolate:

  • 1 cup dark chocolate, chopped (Endangered Species, 72%)
  • 1/4 cup coconut oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the peanut butter:

  • 1/2 cup all natural peanut butter
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil

Muffin tin and muffin tin liners, needed

Preparation:

  • Line a muffin tin with muffin liners
  • In a bowl or measuring cup, add the dark chocolate and 1/4 cup coconut oil
  • Microwave for 30-second intervals until melted, stirring each time
  • Add vanilla extract
  • Pour half of the chocolate mixture into the liners – just enough to cover the bottom of the liner. Save the other half for the top layer.
  • Freeze for 15 minutes
  • In a bowl or measuring cup, add the peanut butter, honey, and 2 tablespoons of coconut oil.
  • Microwave 15 seconds or until slightly melted and easy to pour
  • Pour evenly into the muffin tin
  • Freeze for 5 minutes
  • Pour the remaining mixture on top of peanut butter layer
  • Freeze until firm, about 1 hour
  • Store in fridge or freezer until ready to serve.

Enjoy!

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Never Diet Again

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Recipe of the Week – Mason Jar Chicken Burrito

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Skip Chipotle and give this Chicken Burrito recipe a try for a healthier version.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1
tablespoon lime juice (from ½ lime)
  • 2
tablespoons olive oil
  • ¼
teaspoon cumin
  • ¼
teaspoon chili powder
  • ¼
teaspoon honey
  • ⅛
teaspoon salt
  • ¼ 
cup diced red bell pepper
  • ¼
cup fresh or frozen corn, thawed
  • ¼
cup black beans
  • ½
cup cooked brown rice
  • ½
cup cooked, shredded chicken (such as rotisserie chicken)
  • 1
cup chopped romaine lettuce
  • 2
tablespoons shredded Mexican blend cheese
  • ¼
avocado, chopped into small cubes
  • ¼
cup crumbled tortilla chips

 

DIRECTIONS

Combine the lime juice, olive oil, cumin, chili powder, honey, and salt in the bottom of 1 quart wide-mouth mason jar. Stir with a fork to combine.

Add the bell pepper and tomatoes. Top with the corn, black beans, brown rice, and chicken. Add the romaine, pressing to pack it down, then top with the cheese, avocado, and cilantro. When ready to eat, pour salad into a bowl and top with crumbled tortilla chips.

Enjoy!

 

Recipe Source: http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/mason-jar-chicken-burrito-bowl

 

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Gluten-Free Doesn’t Mean Healthy

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A gluten-free diet is not a weight loss plan.

While some individuals have a gluten allergy and must avoid gluten from their diet, which typically results in weight loss. For those who don’t have this allergy this isn’t necessary for weight loss and can even be misleading as to making food choices.

A quick walk through any grocery store will turn up gluten-free cookies, muffins, pancakes, pasta, bread, and yes-even beer. Just because these items are gluten-free doesn’t make them any better for you than non gluten-free counterparts.

When it comes to weight loss it is better to focus on eating unprocessed foods and not focusing on eliminating one thing.

Breads and pastas are always good to reduce or remove because they are highly processed, which is why the removal tends to lead to weight loss. Not the gluten.

Meats, vegetables, and fruits tend to keep you feeling fuller longer than processed carbs and don’t make you crave more. This results in eating less total calories, which leads to weight loss and leaning out.

Just because a food is gluten-free doesn’t make it healthy and eating a gluten-free diet doesn’t guarantee weight loss.

Weight loss and body fat reduction are the result of the quality of foods choices made, not the diet followed.

 

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Recipe of the Week – Caprese Salad in a Jar

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Prep one of these the night before and have an easy ready to eat salad tomorrow for lunch. Add some of left-over grilled chicken from last nights dinner and you a full meal.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups of arugula
  • 1/2 cup green basil (leaves only)
  • 1/2 cup purple basil (leaves only)
  • 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  • mini bocconcini

For the dressing:

  • 2 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1/2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • a drop of honey
  • Maldon salt
  • cracked black pepper

Directions:

One ingredient at a time, layer first the arugula then the 2 basils, tomatoes, and bocconcini in 4 jars. Set open jars in the fridge to chill. Next, whisk all ingredients of the dressing together. When you’re ready to serve the salads, take the jars out of the fridge, drizzle the dressing on top of the salads, close the lids, and shake it up to mix everything together.

Recipe Source: http://chubbyvegetarian.blogspot.com/2011/06/caprese-salad-in-jar.html?m=1

 

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