Healthy Snack Recipes

Via the Post Gazette

Nachos Grande with Pickled Jalapeno Salsa

PG tested

Nachos don't come with the tag "grande" without a reason. This recipe substitutes low-fat ground turkey and black beans but still explodes with festive Mexican flavors. The pickled jalapeno salsa is terrific -- and your guests will never know they're getting their veggies. I doubled the amount of avocado.

1 large carrot, cut into 3 pieces
1/2 small head of broccoli (about 1/2 pound)
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 small hot chile pepper, such as jalapeno or serrano, cut into thirds
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound ground turkey breast
1 packet low-sodium taco seasoning without MSG
1 star anise pod
1 cup low-sodium chicken or beef broth
15-ounce can low-sodium beans, such as black or kidney
2 cups whole grain tortilla chips
1/4 cup fat-free sour cream
1 cup grated part-skim mozzarella cheese

For the salsa

1/2 cup baby spinach
1/2 ripe Haas avocado, peeled (about 1/2 cup)
1/4 cup pickled jalapeno peppers
1/4 cup cilantro, thinly sliced
1 lime, zested and juiced
1 garlic clove, peeled and cut in half
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a large, sided baking pan with a piece of aluminum foil. Set aside.

Place carrot, broccoli, garlic and chile in a food processor. Pulse 5 to 6 times, until the veggies are chopped. Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add the olive oil, chopped veggies and turkey. Cook 5 to 6 minutes, breaking up the meat with a spoon. Add the taco seasoning and star anise. Cook 4 to 5 additional minutes, continuing to break up the turkey meat. Add the broth and beans and reduce the heat to medium low. SImmer 5 to 10 minutes, until the meat is cooked through and no longer pink.

Spread the tortilla chips on the baking tray. Spoon the meat mixture over the chips and dot with sour cream. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake uncovered 10 to 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the chips start to brown around the edges.

Meanwhile, place the spinach, avocado, pickled jalapeno, cilantro, lime zest and juice, garlic and salt in a food processor. Pulse until a chunky salsa forms. Serve immediately with the nachos.

Serves 6.

-- "Secrets of a Skinny Chef" by Jennifer Iserloh (March 2010, Rodale, $19.99)

Hot "Wings" with Spicy Sauce

PG tested

One medium deep-fried Buffalo wing can have as many as 80 calories, and nobody eats just one. Plus, those are greasy. These skinless tenders are a sensible alternative. If you like your sauce "atomic" hot, add more cayenne or Tabasco.

5-ounce can reduced-sodium, fat-free beef broth
1/4 cup hot sauce, like Tabasco (I used a combination of Frank's Red Hot and Tabasco)
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium tomato paste
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper (optional)
3 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch-thick tenders
24 12-inch wooden skewers, soaked in water for at least an hour
6 celery stalks, trimmed and cut into thirds

First, prepare the dipping sauce: In a small saucepan, stir together the beef broth, hot sauce, tomato paste, butter and cayenne, if using. Bring to a slow simmer and cook 20 to 25 minutes, until the mixture reduces to about 1 cup. Meanwhile, thread the chicken onto the skewers. Heat a grill to high heat and cook the skewers 8 to 10 minutes, turning once, until the chicken is cooked through. If the weather keeps you from firing up the grill, you can broil the chicken instead; just be sure to cover the ends of the skewers with foil so they don't burn.

To serve: Drizzle the sauce over the skewers and serve extra sauce on the side with celery.

Makes 6 servings.

-- "Secrets of a Skinny Chef"

Guilt-free Artichoke and Spinach Dip

PG tested

Traditional hot artichoke dip can contain as much as a cup of mayonnaise (a whopping 1,650 calories) and a cup of parmesan cheese (almost 500 calories). This lighter cold version lets you "indulge and still feel great," writes "The Skinnygirl Dish" author Bethenny Frankel. I boosted the flavor with an additional clove of garlic and the juice of an entire lemon.

9-ounce package frozen artichokes, defrosted and drained
9-ounce package frozen spinach, defrosted and drained
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, divided
1/4 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese
1/4 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
8 ounces reduced-fat or soy cream cheese
2 tablespoons nondairy or low-fat mayonnaise
1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 dashes Tabasco sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine all of the ingredients except 2 tablespoons of the parmesan in a large bowl or food processor. Blend or pulse until mostly smooth, but leave some artichoke chunks for texture. Serve with thin slices of baguette, raw vegetables, baked tortilla chips or crackers

If you prefer a hot dip, pour the mixture into an ovenproof dish or casserole. Sprinkle with the remaining parmesan. Bake for 20 minutes, or until heated through and just starting to bubble. Let the dip sit for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Serves 6.

-- "The Skinnygirl Dish" by Bethenny Frankel (Simon and Schuster, $16)

Seven-Layer Dip

Sour cream dips are classic party fare. The calories, however, pretty quickly add up. A healthier option is a seven-layer bean dip. This recipe substitutes black bean soup for refried beans, and nonfat yogurt for sour cream. It has 236 calories per serving.

15-ounce can black bean soup, preferably Goya
2 avocados, peeled and seeded
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Salt
5 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh cilantro
1 cup nonfat plain yogurt
1/2 cup low-fat sour cream
1/2 teaspoon chile powder
1 can roasted chopped green chiles, drained
2.25-ounce can sliced black olives, drained
2 cups fresh salsa
2/3 cup shredded low-fat Mexican 4-cheese blend or Cheddar cheese
2 scallions, chopped
Low-fat baked tortilla chips
Jicama sticks, if desired

Spread the soup over the bottom of a 8-by-8-inch baking dish with a rubber spatula. In a bowl, mash the avocados with the lime juice, 1/8 teaspoon salt and 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro. Spread over the soup with a spatula.

In the same bowl, stir together the yogurt, sour cream, chile powder and a pinch of salt; spread over the avocado. Spread with the chopped chiles. Sprinkle with the olives. Spread with the salsa. Sprinkle the cheese over the top.

Preheat broiler and arrange the oven rack about 4 inches from the heat. Broil to melt the cheese, 2 to 4 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons cilantro and the scallions. Serve with baked tortilla chips and jicama sticks.

Serves 8.

-- "Cook Yourself Thin Faster" with Lauren Deen (Hyperion, $19.99)

Fudgy Brownies

PG tested

No Super Bowl party is complete without something sweet. These chocolate brownies are (almost) guilt free, with only about half the calories (110) of a regular brownie and one-third the fat. The problem will be limiting yourself to just eating one.

3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/3 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped (I used Ghiradelli)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon chocolate syrup
1 large egg, plus 1 large egg white
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Adjust oven rack to the middle position and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with a foil "sling" (two sheets laid perpendicular to one another), lightly coat the foil with vegetable oil spray and set aside.

Whisk the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt together in a medium bowl. Melt the bittersweet chocolate and butter together in a large bowl in the microwave, stirring often, 1 to 3 minutes. Let the mixture cool slightly.

Whisk the sugar, sour cream, chocolate syrup, egg, egg white and vanilla into the chocolate mixture. Fold in the flour mixture with a rubber spatula, in 3 additions, until just incorporated.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Tap the pan against the counter several times to settle the batter. Bake the brownies until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few crumbs attached, 25 to 30 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through.

Let the brownies cool completely in the pan, set on a wire rack, about 2 hours. Remove the brownies from the pan using the foil, cut into 2-inch squares and serve.

Makes 16 brownies.

-- "Light & Healthy 2010" (America's Test Kitchen, Jan. 2010, $35

How to Make 2011 Your BEST YEAR EVER!

So what are you going to do in 2011?

Have you set goals to accomplish more in 2011 than you did this past year?

Is one of those goals to lose weight, tone up and get in the best shape of your life?

You can do anything you want in your life.

It's simply a matter of having enough conviction to actually start moving in the direction you want and taking daily action towards your goals.

Motivation isn’t enough.

You need to have a "reason why" and enough emotion behind your goals to really make it work.

Frivolous goal setting is not only a waste of time, it reinforces failure.

Does this scenario ring any bells?

You make some sweeping promise to yourself such as "This year, I'm going to lose weight and get in shap", or "I'm going to drop dress sizes" or "I won't eat chocolate ever again".

Then after a few days of being strong tempation gives in and you let it slide.

You become de-motivated that you couldn't even keep one simple promise and you end up giving in. You then forget all about your initial good intentions and end upright back at square one where you started.

BUT…

What if you could actually make a promise to yourself and REALLY keep it.

What exactly would YOU change?

Just imagine how rewarding it would feel to purposefully change your life for the better.

Imagine how good it will feel when you finally lose weight and tone up, dropping a dress size or two forcing you to the store to buy a new pair of skinny jeans!

Imagine how good it would feel to be healthy and to have more energy.

What would you do?

Go on and choose something.

In fact, get out a pen and some paper, because I'm here to tell you how you can actually make and KEEP a life changing New Year's Resolution by following a few simple steps and make...

2011 your BEST YEAR EVER!

Are you ready?

I'm going to lay out just one powerful way below, so payattention.  It's a simple two step process.

BTW...I do this all the time with my goals, personally and professionally. Believe me,it works.

Step 1 - Choose a goal that's realistic and excites you!

If your goal is to become more fit and healthy, then instead of ust promising this to yourself choose a measurable objective.

This could be any number of things such as:

~ Lose ____ lbs. (insert your exact number)

~ Fit back into your favorite pair of size ____"Skinny Jeans" collecting dust in your closet.

~ Run 1 mile under 8 minutes

~ Perform 20 "regular" push-ups non-stop

~ Etc.

Step 2 - Write your goal down.

There's a saying that goes....

"Goals not written down are merely dreams".

So write down your goal(s) to take them from dreams to reality. It solidifies them in your mind on what you're trying to achieve.

Be sure to write them as statements as though they already happened. This has very strong subconscious power.

Something like:

"I workout with my personal trainer times a week, perform sprint intervals for 20 minutes on my non-workout days with my trainer and weigh ____lbs (insert goal weight here)...

"I am fit, healthy and love the way I feel".

"I love eating 3 healthy meals and 2 healthy snacks each day". 

As you noticed, it's written as though it's already happened and also includes:

~ Specifics: things that you'll do to achieve the goal.

In the above example it was "attend boot camp 3 x week and perform sprint intervals on my non-camp days".

~ Exact Numbers: "Weigh 140lbs"

~ Top Goal: "Fit, Healthy and love the way I feel"

OK, now the part that's going to engrain it into your subconscious mind.

~ Write down your statements and keep them where you will see them. Repeat your statement aloud to yourself several times a day.

First thing in the morning and right before you go to bed are the best times. It sets the tone for the day ahead and places the powerful, positive thoughts in your mind before you go to sleep each night.

Yes, the subconscious is a powerful mechanism, so don't be fooled by the simplicity of this. Just do it.

~ When reading and repeating your goal affirmation, you need to imagine yourself the way you intend to be.

Really see yourself living the way you wrote out your goal affirmation.

See yourself as your "word picture" describes.

Going to camp, exercising with your best, all out effort, with a toned, athletic physique.

Imagine how you think and the way you feel with your new body.

~ Be consistently persistent.

You've heard me say this before a million times.

You must repeat this process every day and the best way to do this is to write your statement on the back of a 3x5 or business type card.

Put it in your purse or your pocket and every time you think about it, pull it out to read it and remind yourself why you're adhering to your plan.

That's it.

Changes don't occur overnight.

BUT, in as little as 12-weeks you could have made very significant changes in your life and to
your physique.

Those 90-days are going to come around anyway, so take action and start changing your life and your body today!

I want to hear from you what your goals are for this year and how my team and I can help support you to make 2011 your BEST YEAR EVER!

So, get after it and keep me posted. You can comment below!

Your Thanksgiving Day Survival Guide

I have an important question for you!

But first, I wanted to take a moment to say, "Thank You" for being a loyal subscriber to my newsletter, blog, and for allowing me to help you with your health and fitness goals.

Thanksgiving is the time of the year to enjoy the company of family, friends, and reflect on our blessings and what we're thankful for. 

Thanksgiving also marks the beginning of the "feasting season" with holiday entertaining, parties and merry making treats.

It’s that time of the year again when most Americans are bound to gain an extra three to seven pounds (or more) between Thanksgiving and New Years.

Let’s face it…

Trying to eliminate such family traditions as turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, candied sweet potatoes and pecan pie on Thanksgiving is hardly practical.

And that’s just the beginning of weeks of traditional Holiday treats in the office, at cocktail parties and feasts shared with family and friends.

But, the fact is, the holidays give us too many opportunities to take a step away from our nutrition and weight loss goals.

So, my question for you is, do you have a game plan in place to avoid Holiday weight gain and start the New Year off healthy?

 Balance and moderation may be the last things you think about during Thanksgiving. But, the fact is, the Holiday season and entertaining gives us too many opportunities to take a step away from our nutrition and weight loss goals.

Here are a few of my most powerful strategies you can use to minimize the effects of your Thanksgiving feast on your body:

1. Don't go to the Thanksgiving dinner hungry.  You should eat breakfast and maybe a healthy snack as you normally would on any other day. Fill up on healthful complex carbohydrates like oatmeal, or whole grains for breakfast and protein to sustain you until lunch.  If you notice that you are getting hungry well before the meal is served, have a healthful snack such as an ounce of almonds, edamame, fresh fruit, or veggies. 

Do not go the dinner table ravished or you’ll end up eating too much too quickly. Starving yourself all day before the big meal will send your metabolism for a ride - a SLOW ride, making it more difficult to burn calories after the big meal.

2. Pace yourself though dinner. Once you sit down to eat, try to pace yourself by placing your fork down between bites. The slower you eat, the more aware you will become of your body's needs and the less likely you will overindulge. It takes up to 20 minutes for your stomach to send a message to your brain indicating that you are full. Eat slowly and savor every bite so that you do not miss your body’s cue that you’ve reached your limit. You'll be able to savor your food and feel satisfied with less calories. 

3. Make sure you show up to dinner hydrated. Burning calories requires an adequate amount of water. Being dehydrated slows down your body's fat burning capabilities making it harder to burn calories following your holiday meal. Be sure to drink plenty of water on the days leading up to the big dinner to keep your metabolism revved.

4. Be mindful of your portions.  Being aware of your portions will give you an advantage when it comes to maintaining your weight. Take a moment to survey the foods available before you make your choices. Serve a smaller portion of the foods you want using a smaller plate. Doing so will psychologically give you the same feeling as eating from a full size dinner plate. You'll still enjoy trying many foods without the extra calories. Don't deprive yourself of the foods you love. Doing so will only increase your cravings and you'll be more likely to indulge.

5. Have all the turkey your want, just remove the skin. Turkey breast is a great low-fat protein choice. Just make sure your turkey is baked, not deep fried and take the time to remove the skin before you eat it.  A 4 ounce serving of turkey has only 153 colories and 34 grams of quality protein and zero carbs. Try to fill up on turkey and veggies before hitting the desserts.

6. Don’t weigh yourself down with tempting leftovers.  If you are hosting the dinner this year do yourself a favor and send every guest home with a plate of leftovers.  You don’t need tons of left over ham, gravy, potatoes, and heavy macaroni and cheese calling you from the refrigerator for days to come.  Divide up left over cakes and pies and make sure you see all of it walk out the door!

7. Plan an activity following dinner that encourages your friends and family to get up and moving.  Sure, there are some people you will not be able to drag away from the football game but offer to lead anyone interested on a walk around the neighborhood or to a nearby park.  You could organize a game of touch football in the backyard, toss the frisbee or set up croquet course.  Just get moving!  You could even sign your family up for the local Turkey Trot. 

Check back here on my blog for an amazing total body boot camp workout you can do on the day after the big meal to rev your metabolism and avoid Holiday weight gain.

According to USA today, a 45-minute boot camp workout burns more calories than moderate or vigourous weight training or walking at 3.5 miles per hour for 45 minutes.

Oh, and if you do find that you overindulged on Thanksgiving, take a moment to reflect and then get over it. Don’t let a day of overindulgence sabotage your workout motivation.

We all know the holidays are hard and if you find you were not so good on Thanksgiving Day, don’t beat yourself up about it.  You will not be able to go back in time and erase your mistakes but you can make a conscious decision to make a quick recovery. 

Friday morning get moving again and make better choices.  Remember, in the long run you just need to take things one meal at a time.  Give yourself a clean slate on Friday and get back on track!

Theres still time to schedule your fitness consultation before the big January Rush!

Avoid These Toxic Protein Powders Until You Hear These Disturbing Details

Consumer Reports purchased 15 protein powders and drinks and tested multiple samples of each for arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury. Levels in several of the products could, with just three servings a day, result in daily exposure to arsenic, cadmium, or lead exceeding USP limits.

When taking into account the large serving size suggested, the number of micrograms per day for these products was comparatively high.

According to ABC 6 Action News:

"Cadmium raises special concern because it accumulates in and can damage the kidneys, the same organs that can be damaged by excessive protein consumption. And it can take 20 years for the body to eliminate even half the cadmium absorbed today."

Sources:

ABC 6 Action News June 2, 2010

Consumer Reports.org July 2010

Joe's Comments:

"The popular protien powders tested by Consumer Reports are frequently used by bodybuilders, strength training athletes and fitness enthusiasts to help promote recovery from strength training workouts. However, regular folks utilize protein powders as a means to lose weight while restricting calories."

Among the 15 protein powders tested, three of them contained worrisome levels of arsenic, cadmium and lead.

Which Protein Drinks Fared the Worst?

Three daily servings of the ready-to-drink liquid EAS Myoplex Original Rich Dark Chocolate Shake contained an average of:

• 16.9 µg (micrograms) of arsenic
• 5.1 µg of cadmium

The proposed United States Pharmacopoeia's (USP) limits for these two toxins are 15 and 5 µg respectively.

The worst of the products tested was Muscle Milk Chocolate powder, which contained all four toxic metals; three of them at the highest levels of all products tested. Three daily servings of this particular brand and flavor contained an average of:

• 5.6 µg cadmium
• 13.5 µg of lead
• 12.2 µg of arsenic
• 0.7 µg of mercury

Muscle Milk's Vanilla Crème contained slightly less lead, but still exceeded the USP lead limit of 10 µg.

A fourth product, Muscle Milk's liquid Nutritional Shake Chocolate, also tested high in arsenic, providing you with an average of 14.3 µg of arsenic per day, which is very close to the USP limit.

Clearly, getting a potentially toxic dose of heavy metals with your daily protein drink is not what you had in mind, but based on these results, that may indeed be what you're getting…

Arsenic and Cadmium

Arsenic and cadmium appear to be the most problematic here, as the levels of these two compounds in some cases exceeded maximum "safe" limits. However it's worth noting that, ideally, you don't want to ingest these toxins at ANY level, as even low-dose exposure can contribute to lingering health problems.

Various toxins can also act together synergistically, creating even more potent, damaging effects.

Exposure to low levels of arsenic can cause nausea and vomiting, decreased production of red and white blood cells, abnormal heart rhythm, damage to blood vessels, and a sensation of "pins and needles" in your hands and feet. Long-term exposure has been linked to cancer of the bladder, lungs, skin, kidney, nasal passages, liver and prostate.

Cadmium is also a known human carcinogen. It damages DNA and also disrupts a DNA repair system that helps to prevent cancer.

According to ABC News, cadmium also "raises special concern because it accumulates in and can damage the kidneys… and it can take 20 years for your body to eliminate even half the cadmium absorbed today."

It's important to realize that toxic metals such as the ones discussed here typically accumulate in your body over time where they can cause irreparable damage. Further damage can be prevented by using various detoxing methods to remove the metals, but this can be a slow, difficult process.

Prevention is clearly your best defense when it comes to protecting yourself against heavy metals and other toxins.

A Safer, Healthier Alternative

Fortunately, preventing exposure to toxins like arsenic, cadmium and lead is possible by making sure you're eating as much organic foods as possible, and that includes your protein drinks.

As stated in ABC News' article, cadmium in particular is also prevalent in plants foods such as potatoes, rice, and leafy greens. However, this problem is mainly due to the fact that conventionally-farmed produce is frequently grown using fertilizers that contain cadmium, which is then absorbed by the plant through the soil. Organic farms do not use these types of toxic fertilizers, which prevent the soil and crop from being contaminated in the first place.

So keep in mind, protein drinks can be quite beneficial, whether you're working out and want to increase muscle or using them to supplement an otherwise healthy diet, but quality is everything, and drinking something that's contaminated with heavy metals won't do you any good.*

Buyer beware.

Making sure that the product you buy fulfills the healthy criteria mentioned in this article will ensure that you're getting the safest, healthiest protein supplement possible.

Joe's Recommendations:

Nutrilite Whey Protein

"I have found Nutrilite whey protein powder to be the best tasting, highest qualilty protein supplement available. In fact, it is the only whey protein powder I recommend to my clients to help them get the results they deserve."

Product Advantage
NUTRILITE Whey Protein Powder is ideal for weightlifters, endurance athletes, and people of all fitness levels who want to build muscle, because it is a fast-digesting protein that the body uses quickly to build and repair muscle.

This protein powder has delicious chocolate flavor and contains the exclusive NUTRILITE C-Lenium Blend, which provides antioxidant protection from harmful free radicals generated by intense exercise.
Same great formula as the XS Power Nutrition Whey Protein Powder – new, convenient packaging with pre-measured, 25g servings.

 

NUTRILITE Brand Position on Banned Substances

NUTRILITE products are formulated not to contain any ingredients banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), the official agency to monitor banned substances.

*NUTRILITE recommends that athletes with specific concerns seek approval from a health-care professional before taking supplements.
*Based on the 2010 World Anti-Doping Agency Prohibited List.

Click here to order

Should You Detox?

A Body Cleanse That Isn't Crazy

Why detox diets can do more harm than good. Here, we offer a sane strategy

How's this for insane? One in 20 women would rather give up a limb than be obese, according to a study in the journal Obesity.

So it's pretty much a no-brainer that hordes of rational women desperately want to believe in the power of a detox diet. "These diets are so popular right now, mostly because people think they're a quick fix for shedding pounds," says Jennifer Ventrelle, R.D., a nutrition counselor at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.

As nice as it is to think you can simply flush fat away by drinking so much liquid you spend half your day in the bathroom, the reality is that some of these diets are not just literally hard to swallow, but they may also be bad to swallow.

Recipe for Danger?
The concept of fasting—drastically reducing caloric intake or following a liquid diet—isn't new. The modern-day detox has existed since at least the 1930s, with the first grapefruit diet fad.

Today, most commercial detox diets tout an unhealthy formula of minimal calories and nutrients along with some key—usually foul-tasting—ingredient that has supposed fat-melting power, like cayenne pepper or vinegar. But no science backs the idea that following a specific diet for a week or eating only one food will get rid of "toxins." Your body has the power to do that all on its own: That's why you have a liver, kidneys, and a digestive system.

What's worse, "most of the so-called ‘detox' supplements and diets on the market aren't regulated by the FDA and are potentially harmful, especially if they're very low-calorie or contain diuretics that flush your body of potassium and other crucial nutrients," Ventrelle says.

And with these very real risks come minimal rewards. Much of what you're losing on this kind of extreme diet is water weight, which lasts only until you refill on fluids. If you see a more permanent drop on the scale, chances are it's muscle, not fat, that's missing. Without adequate protein (and a liquid diet doesn't offer much), your body takes it from its most available source: your own muscle tissue.

Not good! Muscle is your built-in calorie furnace, torching those muffin-top makers even when you're not moving. And the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn, which is why dramatically slashing calories can actually slow your metabolism in just a few days. "Your body thinks you're starving and panics," explains Marc Hellerstein, M.D., Ph.D., professor of human nutrition at the University of California at Berkeley. "Your metabolism slows way down to preserve your muscle and basic bodily functions." So when you go back to eating normally, you gain weight faster and from fewer calories.

Detoxes Debunked
There's no question that detox diets drastically slash your calorie consumption. But research has found that after just a few days of skimping on calories (even a very petite woman needs at least 1,200), your body stops producing a crucial growth hormone called IGF1, and reduces thyroid and other hormones as well as insulin levels. Over time, all of this can lead to problems such as bone loss and menstrual disruptions.

Even fasting every other day, which a 2009 study in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found may benefit obese men and women, hasn't shown promise for those who are looking to lose only a few pounds.

And then there's the quality-of-life issue. "When you eat that little, your sex drive disappears, you feel tired all the time, and you're always hungry," Hellerstein says. And what good is a hot body if you can't summon the energy to use it?

A Healthier Head Start
That's not to say every cleanse is bad. Done in a healthy (read: sane) way, detoxing "can feel like an intervention, a fresh beginning," Hellerstein says. "Most people eat way more food than necessary, which taxes the liver and kidneys," says Ronald Stram, M.D., director of the Center for Integrative Health and Healing in New York. Not only does a healthy detox give your digestive system a break, but by eliminating added sugar, saturated fats, and alcohol, it also rids your diet of things that can exacerbate health issues, Ventrelle says. "Plus," she notes, "you'll likely cut calories in the process."

A good plan provides enough calories and nutrients to sustain you (the average woman needs 1,200 to 1,800 calories) and includes fiber and lean protein. With that in mind, Ventrelle created a 1,400-calorie plan (below) exclusively for Women's Health. (Note: Calories given are for a 5'3" to 5'5", 115- to 125-pound woman. You may need to adjust for your own height, weight, age, and activity level.) Following it for at least three days will kick-start weight loss, but it's safe to use as long as you'd like.

Because you'll eat often—at least every four hours—and drink as much water and decaffeinated tea as you want, you'll beat bloat while keeping your blood sugar steady and your energy high. This means you'll be able to cut back without feeling cranky, exhausted, or hungry. And—we pinky swear—you won't have to gulp down a single glass of cayenne-spiked liquid.

The Plan

Breakfast
• 8 oz water with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice
• Scrambled egg whites with chopped fresh herbs (such as basil or oregano), topped with a dollop of salsa, and 1 slice whole-wheat toast, dry
or 1 cup cooked oats or cooked oatmeal topped with ½ cup berries or 2 Tbsp nuts
• 8 oz decaffeinated green or herbal tea

Snack:
• Sliced apple with 1 Tbsp natural peanut butter
or 1/3 cup natural trail mix


Lunch
• 1 cup fresh spinach or lightly sautéed spinach or kale, squeezed with fresh lemon or orange juice
or 1 cup asparagus with 1 tsp olive oil, garlic, and lemon juice
• 4 oz grilled, baked, or broiled salmon, chicken, or pork tenderloin, seasoned with spices such as lemon pepper
• 1/2 cup edamame beans, steamed
• 8 oz water or decaffeinated green or herbal tea
• 8 pecan halves

Snack:
• 1/2 sweet potato or one citrus fruit (orange or grapefruit)
• 4 oz low-fat yogurt


Dinner
• Large spinach or romaine salad with vegetables. Dress with 1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil mixed with lemon juice or vinegar (any variety)
• ½ cup to 1 cup asparagus or artichoke hearts, steamed
• 4 oz lean chicken with spices, baked or grilled
• ½ cup brown rice, barley, bulgur, or quinoa
• 8 oz water or decaffeinated green or herbal tea

Snack:
• ¾ cup to 1 cup blueberries
or ½ cup pomegranate seeds
• 4 oz nonfat Greek yogurt
or low-fat organic yogurt or low-fat cottage cheese

Courtesy Womens Health Magazine

Contact us today to schedule your no obligation fitness and nutrition consultation at 719-229-2639 and discover how to lose stubborn body fat in record time.