Lynbrook | New Hyde Park | NY

success

Recipe of the Week: Red Lentil Butternut Squash Soup

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Makes: 4+ servings

 Ingredients:

  • 1 cup red lentils (raw, uncooked)
  • 1 yellow onion, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, diced
  • 2 cups butternut squash, cubed
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 4 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 tsp coriander
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Directions:

  1. In a large pot over medium heat, add olive oil, onions, and garlic. Sauté for 2-3 minutes.
  2. Add all remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook for 20 minutes.
  3. Once done cooking, allow soup to cool. Carefully pour all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. *Do not blend hot soup!

 

Original recipe from TIU can be found here! 

Recipe of the Week: Turkey Pumpkin Meatballs

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes

Servings: 6

Ingredients
Meatballs:

  • 1.25 lbs ground turkey
  • 1/2 cup organic pumpkin puree
  • 1/4 cup blanched almond flour
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 1/8 tsp black pepper
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tbsp fresh thyme minced
  • 1 tbsp fresh sage minced
  • 1 tbsp fresh rosemary minced

Sauce:

  • 2 Tbsp organic coconut oil or ghee
  • 15 oz can tomato sauce
  • 1 1/4 cups organic pumpkin puree or remaining amount from a 15 oz can
  • 1/2 cup full fat coconut milk see note**
  • 1/2 cup chicken bone broth or homemade bone broth
  • 1 small Onion chopped
  • 3 cloves Garlic minced
  • 2 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice optional
  • 1/2 tsp dried sage
  • 1/2 tsp dried crushed rosemary
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • Crushed red pepper optional, for spice
  • Chopped parsley for garnish

Instructions
To make meatballs:

  1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Mix all meatball ingredients in a large bowl with your hands until well combined. Form mixture into 18 balls
  3. Bake meatballs (makes 18) on baking sheet at 425 for 15-18 minutes or until no longer pink on the inside, turning once midway.
  4. Transfer to pot with the sauce (instructions below), allow to simmer in sauce on low heat for about 5 minutes

To Make Sauce:

  1. Meanwhile, melt the coconut oil or ghee in a large saucepan or stock pot over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent and fragrant, then add the garlic and continue to cook for 2 minutes or until soft and fragrant.
  2. Lower the heat, then add the tomato sauce, pumpkin, broth, coconut milk, Italian seasoning, pumpkin pie spice, dried sage, dried rosemary and stir to combine well. Season with salt, black pepper or crushed red pepper, if desired. Stir to combine flavors, then cover and allow to simmer for 5 minutes prior to adding the meatballs.  After adding meatballs, continue to simmer on low heat about 5 minutes prior to serving.
  3. Serve over your favorite veggie noodles- I love sweet potato noodles with these!

 

Recipe Notes

**Blend your coconut milk to a smooth consistency before adding. If you prefer a slightly thinner sauce, use 1/4 cup coconut milk and 3/4 cup broth instead of 1/2 and 1/2.

Nutrition

Calories: 275kcal, Fat: 13g, Carbs: 13g, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 6g, Protein: 27g

 

Original recipe from Paleo Running Momma can be found here! 

Can You Out-work a Bad Diet?

The golden rule of weight loss is, “If you burn more calories than you take in, your weight will decrease”. It has been engrained in human lifestyles dating to thousands of years ago. Our ancestors led active hunting and gathering lifestyles in order to survive. They would gain weight when food was abundant; and during dry seasons or harsh winters, their caloric intake would severely decrease, to no choice of their own.  Now, progress this conversation to present day. You can hear the “gym bro” logic resonating off the walls of the locker rooms, “Look at the cavemen! They ate a TON! If you just workout a lot, you can eat whatever you want! It works for me!” Not quite the case, Chad.

Let’s break it down… According to Chad, he eats whatever he wants and just works out to keep his body in tip top condition. How’s the math add up? To start: Let’s say Chad is a 21 year old male, weighing about 180 lbs and standing about 6 feet tall. His parents are of average height and weight for their age group. Chad’s young metabolism keeps him burning approximately 2200 calories a day, or 15,400 calories a week. He hits the gym with his bros for an hour a day, four to 5 days a week for some moderate intensity weight training, in hopes that developing his body will help him to finally score a date with the cutie in his algebra class. This is a healthy move for Chad, giving him an additional 260 calories burned each day, or an additional 1300 per week. Back to the golden rule: If Chad wants to keep his impressive physique, he will have to consume right around 16,700 calories per week! Seems like a lot, doesn’t it?

Not until we take a look at Chad’s diet. Since moving out of his parent’s house, he’s had to do a lot of cooking for himself. The term “cooking” is unheard of in Chad’s vocabulary so he eats whatever is available, often going to the same takeout places and pubs for his meals. During the week, he does okay. He makes somewhat healthy decisions, consuming about 2,400 calories per day, or about 12,000 for the work week. Not that much over what he is burning during that given time. Enter: Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Chad meets up with his bros for some casual beers after a big week at work, bringing his total to 12,900. He grabs a late night pizza afterwards, Bumping his consumed calories to 14,900. After a big breakfast consisting of 800 calories Saturday morning, he hears that the cutie from algebra is going to his local pub. After repeating something similar to Friday’s debacle, he is now at 17,800 calories for the week, or well over what he would need to maintain his current weight. After several months of this, he goes back to visit his parents, who can’t help but notice that Chad has put on some weight. He couldn’t out work his poor choices after all.

Put simply, a slip up every once in a while is okay for someone’s fitness journey. Its what makes us human and keeps us sane during an often difficult time. But regular overeating is difficult to overcome, based on the sheer time involved in negating it. A 300 calorie donut equals out to a 2.5 mile run. So, what’s easier to do? Not eat that break room donut every day, or stomp on the sneakers and head out for an additional 20-30 minute run every day? There is no right answer to the question, but it should resonate that exercising self-control in the kitchen will require less exercising in the gym.

 

By Matt Rhodes, M.S.

Recipe of the Week: Savory Beet Soup

Yield: 8 servings
Serving Size: about 3/4 cup

Ingredients:

  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
  • 2 cups water
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 medium beets, peeled and halved
  • 1 medium potato, peeled and halved crosswise
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 8 teaspoons reduced-fat sour cream

Directions:

  1. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté 3 minutes or until tender. Add broth and next 6 ingredients (through bay leaf). Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, 20 minutes or until beets and potato are tender. Discard bay leaf.
  2. Place one-third broth mixture in blender or food processor; process until smooth. Place puréed mixture in a large bowl. Repeat procedure twice with remaining broth mixture. Return pureed mixture to pan. Warm soup over low heat for 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Remove from heat, and stir in lemon juice.
  3. Combine 1/2 cup soup and the sour cream, stirring with a whisk. Divide soup evenly among each of 8 bowls. Top each serving with 1 tablespoon sour cream mixture; swirl sour cream mixture using the tip of a knife.

Nutrition:
Calories per serving: 74
Fat: 1.3g
Protein: 3.3g
Carbohydrate: 12.3g

 

Original recipe from Health.com can be found here!

Weight Loss Benefits

Many people across the world struggle with controlling their weight. In America, more than 1/3 of America’s adult population is obese. People who are severely overweight have an unfortunately high risk of developing other health complications; heart disease, diabetes, and joint injuries, along with several others. Losing weight can have several benefits to improving one’s health- and a little bit can go a long way. Studies have shown that losing just 5-10% of your body weight can lead to a noticeable improvement in ones’ health. Positive changes in your diet and an increase in exercise can get you started on your weight loss journey. Here are a few of the many benefits you may see when losing weight:

Losing weight can…

  • Lower your blood pressure and improve “good” cholesterol levels (HDL), both contributing to a decrease risk of heart disease.
  • Improve blood glucose levels and decrease your risk of getting diabetes
    • If you already have diabetes, losing weight can decrease your reliance on medications
  • Decrease your risk of developing certain cancers
  • Decrease your risk of having a stroke
  • Decrease your risk of inflammation caused by chemicals released from fat cells
  • Decrease stress on joints, leading to a reduction in joint deterioration
    • If you already have damage within the joint (osteoarthritis), losing weight can improve your symptoms and slow the progress of joint deterioration
  • Improve mobility
  • Improve quality of sleep
  • Improve mood and quality of life

 

By David McCalla

 

Eating to Lose Weight

On most people’s journeys to losing weight, we often head straight to the gym with good intentions. Sometimes, after continuously going to the gym however, we do not see the results we were hoping for. Why is that? Well, a common mistake of beginners is to neglect diet. Today we are going to discuss some techniques to make sure we are eating and losing weight.

First things first, it is important to know and understand your Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR). Your RMR is a measure of many calories you burn per day if you were to do absolutely nothing. Obviously, there are no days where you do nothing at all but this measure is a great tool for determining how many calories can be consumed a day. Using RMR, we are given a range will ensure that we are burning more calories than we consume. If you wanted to know your RMR or more information about it, talk to any of the physiologists!

Now that we know how many calories we can consume a day, what exactly are we supposed to be eating? When choosing what to eat it is important to keep a few things in mind. The quality of the food, the type of food and the amount of food.

  • Quality – Quality is probably the hardest aspect of changing diet. When trying to increase the quality of foods, choosing fresh foods is always a great idea and cooking your own meals can go a long way. If that isn’t possible, make a habit of reading nutrition labels. Try to avoid foods with a lot of processing and ingredients that you have never heard of before. What even is Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA)?
  • Type – I’m sure you’ve heard of low-carb diets and while those diets are okay. It is best to keep a good balance of carbs, proteins and fats (yes, fats). Everything in moderation will go a long way when trying to lose weight.
  • Amount – This point seems pretty self-explanatory but it cannot be stressed enough how important it is to ONLY consume the amount you need and not the amount you want. Utilize your RMR and ensure we are burning more than consuming.

Weight training and a solid diet are two key ways to keep your weight loss on track. Try not to neglect one or the other. Keeping a journal and writing everything you eat will help keep you on track. Also, the RMR is a great tool to get you started or progress further in your journey, so be sure to talk to any of the physiologists about anything regarding diet or RMR.

 

By Julian C. Lee

Recipe of the Week: Butternut Squash Turkey Chili

Makes: 4 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

  • ½ yellow onion, diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, diced
  • 1 jalapeño, diced
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 1 lb. ground turkey
  • 1 15oz. can black beans, rinsed & drained
  • 1 cup vegetable broth
  • 2 cups butternut squash, cubed
  • 1 14.5oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes
  • 1 green bell pepper, diced
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 1 Tbsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • cilantro garnish (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

  1. In a large pot over medium heat, add olive oil, yellow onion, garlic, and jalapeño. Sauté for 3-5 minutes.
  2. Add turkey and break up into pieces inside the pot. Cook until all sides are browned, about 15 minutes.
  3. Add the beans, tomatoes, squash and seasonings. Slowly stir in the vegetable broth.
  4. Raise to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Cook for 30 minutes. Optional to top with cilantro when serving.

 

 

 

The “Best” Workout for Weight Loss

Many people are constantly searching for the most effective workouts to lose weight as quickly as possible.  Unfortunately, this “magic” workout does not exist—different methods work for different people.  However, there are certain parameters that one must focus on in order to achieve a successful weight-loss program. Although it is not considered part of the “workout” section of a weight-loss program, if your diet is not in check you will most likely not lose weight.  Ask your physiologist for any recommendations they have to help kick start your journey to a lighter, healthier body.

Your first and most important priority with any weight-loss workout is cardio—increasing the number of times your heart beats per minute (through physical activity) for a prolonged period of time is essential to increasing your caloric deficit.  Caloric deficit refers to a higher amount of calories being burned from the body versus the amount of calories being taken in through eating and drinking.  That deficit is what causes our body to recruit calories from fat stores within us as metabolic fuel for normal bodily functioning and activity.  Therefore, doing cardio or moderate-intensity physical activity most days of the week will benefit you by helping create a larger caloric deficit.  According to numerous studies, including a 12-month study by Chambliss et al, exercise duration (at least 150 minutes per week) was more important than vigorous versus moderate intensity exercise to achieve weight-loss goals (1).

On average, a moderate intensity cardio workout of 30 minutes at a heart rate zone between 50-80% of a person’s heart rate reserve (HRR) can burn anywhere between 200-300 calories depending on intensity.  Other factors that determine the rate of calories burned include age and mass.  However, not only should a person attempting to lose weight perform moderate cardio or physical activity on most days of the week, they should also train one or more times at a higher intensity in order to improve their metabolic functioning. Some research experiments, including one by Yoshioka et al. explain that high intensity versus moderate intensity exercise yields significant benefits on post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) as well as on fat oxidation (3).  What this means is that high intensity training causes a person’s body to burn calories at a faster rate after exercise as well as specifically burn fat more effectively.  Both of which have positive benefits in relation to weight-loss.

Another overlooked but important component of any “great” weight-loss workout includes resistance/strength training.  Building strength in the muscles that we use to perform our cardio exercises benefits us by improving our tolerance for work intensity and improving muscle endurance to last longer with our workouts. According to one study, 45 minutes of strength training created a greater EPOC and fat oxidation during the 2 hours after the exercise session (2).  This means that for two hours post-strength training, one can increase his or her metabolism and rate at which fat is burned.

In conclusion, there is no “perfect” workout for weight-loss.  Involving moderate and vigorous cardiovascular training sessions, day-to-day physical activity, and strength training combined with a proper diet are the keys to making your weight-loss program an effective one.

 

By Anthony Locast

 

Sources

  1. Chambliss, Heather O. “Exercise duration and intensity in a weight-loss program.” Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine15.2 (2005): 113-115.
  2. Da Mota, Gustavo Ribeiro, et al. “Strength training and weight loss.” Journal of the Health Sciences Institute28.4 (2010): 337-340.
  3. Yoshioka, M., et al. “Impact of high-intensity exercise on energy expenditure, lipid oxidation and body fatness.” International Journal of obesity25.3 (2001): 332.