Lynbrook | New Hyde Park | NY

weight loss

Recipe of the Week: Spicy Watermelon & Feta Salad

A great summertime snack- so easy to prepare and the sweet and spicy mixture is just right!

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

  • 6 cups cubed watermelon
  • 1 cup red onion, julienne cut
  • Juice of 2 limes
  • Pinch of cayenne pepper
  • Pinch of sea salt
  • 1 cup crumbled reduced fat feta cheese
  • 2 tbsp chopped fresh mint leaves

Directions:

Combine watermelon, red onion, lime juice, cayenne, sea salt, and mint. Mix until well combined, then gently toss in the feta cheese. Serve!

Nutrition:
Calories: 109
Fat: 3g
Carbohydrates: 18g
Protein: 6g

 

Original recipe from sarahfit.com!

Electrolyte Replenishment and Exercise

Moderate to high intensity exercises, as well as, exercising in the heat causes the body’s temperature to rise. This increase in temperature can cause you to sweat, which is one of our body’s natural functions that helps with thermoregulation (maintaining body temperature). The bodily fluids that make up sweat are mostly water and electrolytes.  Electrolytes are ions found in the body, including sodium and potassium, which help to trigger events such as muscle actions. Therefore, when we sweat, we can lose a significant concentration of electrolytes, hindering our body’s ability to control our internal temperature, perform movements, and other important functions such as our respiratory rate and neurological function.

By consuming electrolyte beverages or gels at appropriate times relative to our bout of exercise, we can help prevent excessive loss of these electrolytes through sweating, ultimately aiding our performance and preventing fatigue or injury. There is a wide variety of electrolyte replenishing drinks, including Gatorade and Powerade, which can be consumed during and after exercise in order to help maintain proper electrolyte concentration.  However, take note that some of these drinks contain a high amount of sugar which can actually be counteractive towards our metabolism. A simple solution is mixing these drinks with water; another is adding electrolyte powders such as Hammer Fizz, Nuun, or Nathan Catalyst into a bottle of water.

The body is able to replace, at best, about one-third of what it loses during exercise. This is true for fluids, calories, and electrolytes. If you try to replace all the fluids at once, you may put your body in a state of dilutional hyponatremia (overly diluted blood sodium levels) or water intoxication. If you attempt to replace all the fuel you’ve expend, your stomach could back up in total rebellion and refueling will come to a halt. Likewise, trying to replace in equal amounts all of the electrolytes you lose, a number of hormonal triggers may create all sorts of problems such as gastric distress, edema, muscle spasms, and cramping (Eichner).

Based up on the research in this field, it is best to not chug whichever electrolyte replacement drink you consume. Consuming smaller amounts, such as 6-8 fl oz at the beginning of exercise as well as 6-8 fl oz at the end (for a 30 minute exercise) should be more effective and less stressing on the body than chugging the drink at once.

 

By Anthony Locast

Eichner, E.R. “Genetic and Other Determinants of Sweat Sodium.” Current Sports Medicine Reports 7.4 Supp 1(2008): 236-S40.

Recipe of the Week: Mediterranean Farro Salad

YIELD: 6-8 servings
TOTAL TIME: 25 min
PREP TIME: 10 min
COOK TIME: 15 min

INGREDIENTS:
Salad Ingredients:

  • 3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
  • 1 cup uncooked farro, rinsed and drained
  • 1 large cucumber, seeded and finely-diced
  • 2/3 cup finely-diced roasted red peppers
  • 1/2 cup finely-diced tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
  • half of a small red onion, finely diced (about 2/3 cup)
  • 1/4 cup finely-chopped fresh parsley

Greek Vinaigrette Ingredients:

  • 3 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 Tablespoon freshly-squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
  • pinch of garlic powder
  • pinch of salt
  • pinch of black pepper

DIRECTIONS:
TO MAKE THE SALAD:

  1. Stir together stock and farro in a medium saucepan, and cook according to package instructions until al dente.  Remove from heat, and drain off any extra stock once the farro is cooked.  Let farro cool for at least 10 minutes.
  2. Transfer farro to a large mixing bowl, and add in remaining ingredients, including the vinaigrette.  Toss until combined.
  3. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.

TO MAKE THE GREEK VINAIGRETTE:

  1. Whisk all ingredients together until combined.  Use immediately.

 

Original recipe from GimmeSomeOven.com can be found here!

Recipe of the Week: Grilled Spiced Cauliflower

Yields: 4 Side servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

For the Spice Mixture:

  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoons ground turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the Cauliflower:

  • 1 head of cauliflower, trimmed of green leaves and cut into 3/4-inch slices (see note above)
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems

Grill heat: medium-high

Directions:

  1. For the Spice Mixture: In a small bowl, mix together all of the ingredients.
  2. For the Cauliflower: Brush cauliflower all over with oil and season liberally with spice mixture.
  3. Light one chimney full of charcoal. When all the charcoal is lit and covered with gray ash, pour out and arrange the coals on one side of the charcoal grate. Set cooking grate in place, cover grill and allow to preheat for 5 minutes. Clean and oil the grilling grate. Place cauliflower on hot side of grill and cook, turning, until it is charred in spots on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Move cauliflower to cool side of the grill, cover, and continue to cook until tender throughout, 10-15 minutes longer.
  4. Transfer cauliflower to a plate, sprinkle with cilantro, and serve.

 

Original recipe from seriouseats.com can be found here!

The Lowdown on Your Sugar High

Carbohydrates are naturally found in many foods including fruits, vegetables, grains, and many dairy products. Carbohydrates encompass many types of sugars, starches, and fiber. Let’s focus on sugar, which has a pretty bad reputation especially for those individuals trying to lose weight.

RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance) for men is 36 grams or 150 calories. For women the RDA is 25 grams or 100 calories (4 calories per 1 gram of sugar). To give you an idea of how this fits into your daily caloric intake, here are some commonly eaten sweet treats:

  • 1 cup of strawberries = 7 grams
  • 1 DD Munchkin = 3 grams
  • 12 oz. Mountain Dew = 46 grams
  • 1 Panera cinnamon roll = 35 grams
  • 1 cup vanilla Greek yogurt = 7 grams
  • 1 banana = 17 grams

Over consumption, not just of sugar but total calories, can lead to weight gain when not combined with regular exercise or physical activity. Diets high in sugar are linked to a higher risk of developing Type 2 diabetes especially in conjunction with obesity.

An individual with Type 2 diabetes has an increased resistance to insulin or their body is not producing adequate amounts of insulin. The pancreas produces this hormone (insulin) which regulates the body’s glucose levels. Insulin is released as a result of increased blood glucose levels and help the body metabolize it.

Swapping sugary snacks for those without added sugar or a sugar-free option is a simple way to start. Not only will this reduce your daily sugar intake, but may help with weight loss because of a decrease in the total calories being consumed.

Sugar can be classified into two categories: natural and added. Natural sugars are those that are found naturally in foods such as fruits or milk. Consuming these foods have additional nutritional benefits including fiber, antioxidants, and calcium.

Added sugars are those which have been added to the ingredients of foods and beverages. This includes white sugar, brown sugar, honey, syrup, and any caloric sweeteners (think adding sugar to coffee). Most added sugars in the American diet come from sodas, candy, cookies, cakes, etc. One can of soda can have over 40 grams of sugar- that’s way more than the RDA in just a single drink serving. Note that not all ingredient lists will list “sugar” and it can be found under other names when reading a label. These are some common names for added sugars:

  • Corn sweetener
  • Corn syrup
  • Fruit juice concentrates
  • High-fructose corn syrup
  • Invert sugar
  • Malt sugar
  • Molasses
  • Sugar molecules ending in “ose” (dextrose, fructose, glucose, lactose, maltose, sucrose)

If you are interested in learning more about the sugar in your diet, start looking at labels and tracking your food. Apps such as My Fitness Pal and FitBit are useful tools for monitoring your sugar intake. The best recommendation? Moderation! If you would like more information on sugar, it can be found here!

 

By Louise Mills-Strasser

Recipe of the Week: Black Bean Spinach Quesadilla

Serves: 4
Serving Size: 1 Quesadilla

Ingredients

  • 1/2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 8 ounces (240 grams) cremini mushrooms, rinsed, stems trimmed, and sliced
  • 1/4 teaspoon chili powder, or to taste
  • 4 cups (6 ounces or 135 grams) loosely packed baby spinach
  • 1 cup (160 grams) canned black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh or jarred jalapeño chiles, optional
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
  • 4 whole wheat tortillas (approx. 9-10? in diameter) or smaller corn tortillas
  • 1 cup (120 grams) shredded reduced-fat Monterey Jack cheese
  • Fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish 

Directions

  1. In a large nonstick skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook for 20 seconds, then add the mushrooms and chili powder and saute, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, or until mushrooms are light golden and most of the juices have evaporated. Add spinach and stir until wilted, then add the black beans and jalapeños (if desired) and stir well until combined. Season with salt and pepper, transfer to bowl, and set aside. Wipe skillet with paper towel and set aside.
  2. Lay the tortillas on a flat surface. Sprinkle one half of each round with an equal amount of cheese, then divide the mushroom filling equally over the cheese. Fold each tortilla in half.
  3. Reheat the skillet over medium heat. Place one of the quesadillas in the skillet (add a second one if it fits) and cook for about 3 minutes on each side, or until the cheese melts and the inside is warm. Continue to cook the remaining quesadillas. Serve promptly.

Nutrition Information

Per serving: Calories: 370; Total Fat: 12g; Carbohydrate: 44g; Dietary Fiber: 8g; Sugar: 1g; Protein: 20g

 

Original recipe from My Fitness Pal can be found here!

An Introduction to Nutritional Supplements

The human body requires a certain amount of fuel to carry out day to day activities and what we eat provides the fuel needed to power our bodies. This is not only for the activities we perform or the exercise we do, what is happening on a cellular level within our bodies. Often times our diets are not enough to keep up with the nutritional demands of our bodies. In these cases, individuals may benefit from nutritional supplementation.

What are supplements and what is nutritional supplementation?

Nutritional supplements are products that are added to a regular diet in order to meet an individual’s dietary requirements. These requirements are based on age, gender, level of physical activity, etc. And because these factors are different for each person, supplementation can be implemented in a variety of different ways in order to provide the necessary macronutrients (carbohydratess, proteins, and fats), fiber, vitamins, minerals, etc.

Micronutrients

A lot of these supplements are found in pill and powder form. Multivitamis, fish oil pills, soluble fiber mixes (i.e. Benefiber). A multitude of other micronutrients-filled pills/powders are also available to supplement any dietary deficiencies. These supplements, although very important, work on smaller scale in order to improve bodily functions such as joint health, heart health, digestion, skin/hair care, vision, among other things.

Macronutrients

Throughout a normal day our bodies rely on carbohydrates, fats, and proteins as our energy and rebuilding sources. Adding exercise further depletes these macronutrients, so it is important to try replace what we have used with the meals we eat. For those who do not receive enough from their regular nutrition, energy bars, protein bars, or protein powders are good forms of macronutrient supplementation. This ensures your body has enough of the macronutrients needed to both perform it’s regular functions and build/repair tissue post-exercise.

 With regards to exercise:

  • Energy bars, before or after exercise, provide a great source of carbohydrates to either fuel a workout or replace what is lost after one.
  • Protein bar/ powders are usually taken after a workout in order to aid in muscle building and recovery.
  • *When trying to lose weight,* it is important to maintain protein intake while decreasing total caloric intake. Supplementing with shakes and bars is one way to get the necessary amount of protein without also increasing fat/carbohydrate intake.

 

By David McCalla

Recipe of the Week: Grilled Scallops with Honeydew-Avocado Salsa

Time: 30 minute
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

  • finely grated lime zest
  • 2 tbsp. fresh lime juice
  • 1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1½ lb. honeydew melon
  • 1 Hass avocado
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 lb. large sea scallops

Directions:

  1. Light a grill. In a large bowl, combine the lime zest and juice with the 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the diced honeydew melon and avocado. Season the salsa with salt and black pepper.
  2. Drizzle the scallops with olive oil and season with salt and black pepper. Grill over moderately high heat, turning once, until nicely charred and just cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer the scallops to plates, spoon the salsa alongside, and serve

 

Original recipe was found on delish.com here!