Tag Archives: vegetables

to supplement or not to supplement…

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People often ask me why supplementation is important and if you eat a healthy, well balanced diet, is it even necessary? The simple answer is YES, supplementation is very important. Why, you ask?

1. Only 2% of Americans get the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables.

2. 38% decline of nutrient content of garden crops during the past 50 years.

3. 90% of Americans are lacking key nutrients in their diets.

4. Hectic work and family schedules make it tough to eat right.

5. Stress, aging, and, pregnancy increase your bodies need for nutrients.

6. Extremely difficult to get all the nutrients you need in the right amounts.

7. Proper nutrition and a healthy lifestyle can prevent 60 – 90% of disease.

While taking your vitamins is very important it is also important to make sure that you are taking a high quality brand that actually works. Don’t waste your money on a cheap tub of synthetic vitamins from costco. Invest in a good brand that provides clinical studies and avoid brands with artificial sweeteners, flavors, or preservatives. Look for a company that focuses on safety and purity!

Scientific studies recommend the following on  a daily basis: Multi vitamin, vitamin C, calcium, antioxidants, fish oil, vitamin D, Vitamin E, probiotics, B vitamins, and Lutein and Lycopene.

Exhausted just looking at this list?

Well it is your lucky day you can get all of these nutrients in ONE convenient daily strip:

Contact me to find out more info on a free membership and a 15% discount on your daily dose of vitamins!

Do you get in your 5-9 servings of fruits and veggies a day?

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There is nothing like attending an inspiring event where you learn a lot and take away a plan of action for yourself too. This past weekend I attended a seminar through Shaklee that was focused around women’s health and I came out wondering if I get the recommended 5 – 9 servings of fruits and vegetables in everyday. You might think that as a holistic nutrition counselor all I eat is Kale, but that is not exactly the case. Even  nutrition counselors need a kick in the butt once in a while. Leaving the event I decided that I was going to challenge myself to get something green in at every single meal from here on out. So far, so good! Breakfast seems to be the most difficult, but even on Sunday when I was craving something brunchy and not my usual green smoothie I made it work with a Kale omelette using one egg, Kale, red onion, eggplant and fresh mozzarella cheese. Greens are not only full of essential vitamins and minerals, but they are also full of fiber that will fill you up and make you less likely to eat junk.  Loading up on greens is a great way to stay healthy and also drops some lbs. Double Bonus! Do you get in your 6 – 9 servings of vegetables a  day?

Yorganics – new organic lunch spot in Tribeca!

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One of my regular routines is a morning spin class at Soul-Cycle in Tribeca followed by a quick and healthy lunch in the area. I always seem to end up at whole foods for lunch due to lack of other options. Lucky for me Yorganics has answered my prayers for more healthy options in the area and has opened on Greenwich street between Warren and Murray. I finally got the chance to give this 100% organic place a try yesterday and I was not disappointed. I decided to go with the bliss bowl which gives you a bunch of different options to choose from. First you have your base which is a choice of: rice, noodles, or salad. Then you get a choice of different veggie options and different protein options and finally you choose your sauce. I went for soba noodles, spinach, broccoli, jalapeno peppers, mushrooms, and spicy chicken with the spicy chili sauce…yum! So keep in mind that I am pregnant and really into STRONG flavors, but the spicy chicken and spicy sauce really hit the spot. The chili suace was so good that I was convinced there had to be something really bad for you in it so I decided to give them a call and get to the bottom of things. The sauce contains a little bit of honey, a little bit of red agave, white rice vinegar and chili powder. This definitely gets my vote of approval for a healthy sauce and I think I am going to experiment with making my own. My only complaint about Yorganics is that they don’t have any seating. As someone who works form a mobile office I am always looking for a good place to sit and eat  in-between appointments, but lucky for me it was a beautiful day yesterday so I took my delicious organic meal to the park. If you are in the area and looking for a quick organic lunch then this is your spot! It is also a great option for offices in the area who are looking for healthy spots to pick-up or order in from.

Kale Chips

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I’ve heard that a sandwich and a bag of chips go together as well as Bert and Ernie or Batman and Robin. One of the first questions EVERYONE asks me is “What can I eat instead of potato chips?” It would seem that by telling people to lose the  chips from their daily lunch I am going against a deep seeded American tradition. So, in the spirit of keeping the American culture alive I have an alternative for you and it comes in the form of Kale. Kale is a leafy green vegetable, one of the healthiest foods on the planet, and happens to make delicious chips when baked. Kale is high in calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, phosphorous, Zinc, Vitamins A, C, E, and K. It also contains fiber, folic acid, chlorophyll, and many other phytochemicals and micro-nutrients. Can you say multivitamin? Making kale chips is a great way to get more Kale into your everyday diet and a great substitute for those unhealthy potato chips that we love to pair with a sandwich for lunch.

Recipe for Kale Chips:

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 10 minutes

Serves 10 or more

Ingredients:

1 -2 bunches of kale ( Make sure Kale is not wet.)

olive oil

salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees

2.  Remove kale from stalk, leaving the greens in large pieces.

3.  Place a little olive oil in a bowl, dip your fingers and rub a very light coat of oil over kale. Add salt and pepper to taste or any other spices you might enjoy.

4.    Put kale on a baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes or until it starts to turn a bit brown. Keep an eye on it as it can burn quickly.

5.      Turn Kale over and bake with the other side up. Remove and ENJOY!

The Holiday Party Survival Guide

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Photo by Phoebe Vickers

It might have been tough but YOU did it! You survived the eating frenzy that is thanksgiving. If you are a busy New Yorker like myself than that is most likely one obstacle down with 20 more to go. At this point you are probably trying to settle back into your regular routine; eating well and of course working out. Between holiday parties, family gatherings, and celebrations with friends this can seem like somewhat of a daunting task. Trust me, I know first hand just how difficult staying on track during this time of year can be. That is why I am sharing some tips that have helped me, and of course many other New Yorkers, not only avoid weight gain during the month of December, but also lose weight. Yes, that’s right,  I said it: LOSE WEIGHT IN THE MONTH OF DECEMBER.

1. Don’t treat food like your childhood allowance. This is the number one mistake made by people who are trying to lose weight. They save up for one big binge at a holiday party, or Christmas dinner by living on carrots and celery sticks for the weeks leading up to it.  The best gift you can give to yourself is eating a healthy balanced diet consisting of vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and good fats on a daily basis. You won’t feel deprived and will be less likely to binge.

2. Fill up half your plate with Veggies. There is always a salad and veggie option at holiday events. Load up half your plate with greens and you are less likely to overeat.

3. Focus on what you CAN eat and NOT what you CAN’T. It’s the age old tale of wanting what you can’t have. Don’t tell yourself you can’t have something, because trust me you will want it even more. And if you are lucky enough to get through that night without having it, you will most likely have it at your next party as a reward for being so “good” at your previous party. Focus on the things that you can have, there are always healthy options to choose from! Most importantly, allow yourself a few bites of something “bad” at every party you go to.

4. Jump, jump, and shake your booty! Staying active during the busy month of December can seem nearly impossible. Make time to get a work out in. If you work late than get your butt up in the morning. If you get to work early, than bring your gym clothes with you to work and do not got home, pass go, or collect $200 until you have hit the gym. If you get to work early and you work late, than give yourself an hour in the middle of the day to get to the gym or at least take a walk.  And don’t forget to dance! Whats the point of going to all those parties if all you plan to do is eat? Get up, socialize, and most importantly shake that booty. Don’t wait until January 1st to get moving.

NO more excuses! Cooking is easy! Soba Noodles and Mixed Veggies in a peanut sauce!

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“I am too tired to cook when I get home”, “cooking is so difficult and I have no time”, ” who has the time to go grocery shopping?”, “I am too broke to afford organic food”.

Are you someone who makes one or many of the above excuses on a daily, weekly, or even monthly basis? I am here to put these excuses to rest TODAY. Lets say in an ideal world you could have your groceries delivered to your door and you could make a delicious, well-balanced, organic meal for 4 for $8.67, would that solve all of your problems? Would you still make excuses? Well, I am here to tell you that it is your lucky day, it is an ideal world, and I have the answers.

How does soba noodles, with stir-fried mixed vegetables, and a peanut sauce sound for dinner? You might be able to pick up the phone and order sesame noodles from the local Chinese food restaurant and call it a day, but I challenge you to do something healthier and even easier. You guessed it, make it yourself:

Soba Noodles and stir fried veggies in a peanut sauce

Serves 4 and takes 10 minutes.

Ingredients:

1 Box Soba Noodles

1 bag organic frozen mixed vegetables

1/2 cup organic peanut butter

1/4 cup tamari sauce or soy sauce

1/3 cup warm water

1 medium garlic clove

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon sriracha sauce ( Hot pepper oil, or hot sauce of any kind will do)

1 tablespoon agave nectar

1 teaspoon ginger

Directions: Boil Water. Once water is boiling add soba noodles and cook according to directions on the box. It should take from 6 – 8 minutes. Steam Frozen veggies. In a bowl mix together the rest of the ingredients. When the noodles are done cooking run them under cold water for 1 – 2 minutes and add them to the peanut sauce along with the steamed vegetables.

Ok, easy enough right? Everyone knows how to boil water, steam vegetables, and mix together some ingredients to make a sauce. So now I bet you are wondering how you will get these ingredients into your home and how this only costs $8.67.  So I am assuming that you already have a few things hanging out in your fridge: Tamari sauce or soy sauce, Sriracha sauce (hot sauce of any kind), garlic, ginger, agave nectar, and red pepper flakes. If you don’t already have these things in your home then you should get them. They are excellent and healthy ways to flavor your food and will last you months. You will need to buy Mixed organic  frozen veggies, Creamy organic peanut butter, and soba noodles. No time to go shopping? Log onto Freshdirect and have them deliver directly to your door. The cost of these three items on the Fresh Direct website is:

$2.89 = mixed organic veggies

$2.19 = soba noodles

$3.59 peanut butter

Total = $8.67

If you live alone you now have leftovers for 3 more meals. Still have any excuses?

Most and Least Contaminated Produce and Purume Restaurant – NYC

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I recently wrote a post about the importance of Organics and how it is important to eat chemical free food as often as possible. Don’t worry I don’t plan on repeating myself, I will spare both of us the boredom. Instead I am going to help you shop organic and smart all at the same time. The most common excuse I hear for not eating organic is that it is too expensive. How can you shop smart, but at the same time shop organic? Below is a produce cheat sheet for you to bring with you to the grocery store:

12 Most Contaminated

Peaches

Apples

Sweet Bell Peppers

Celery

Nectarines

Strawberries

Cherries

Pears

Grapes (imported)

Spinach

Lettuce

Potatoes

12 Least Contaminated

Broccoli

Cabbage

Bananas

Kiwi

Sweet Peas ( Frozen)

Asparagus

Mango

Onions

Pineapples

Sweet Corn (Frozen)

Avocado

Next time you go shopping stick to this list and you should be able to save a little cash and still keep your body chemical-free. Another good rule, (which doesn’t work all of the time), is to buy organic when you are buying produce that does not have an outer layer on it that needs to be peeled off. (Example: Onion)


Not in the mood to cook? One of the things I love about living in NYC is that we have tons of organic restaurants to choose from. I’m not saying we have one  on every corner, but we have a lot in comparison to the rest of the country. I recently went to Purume which is located on 13th street between 5th and University. Like most organic and vegetarian restaurants in the city, Purume’s menu is Asian inspired. One of the things that I loved about GustOrganics was that it is organic American cuisine, which is not something we see as often. I went with a friend and we shared the vegetable dumplings and spring-rolls and I got mixed vegetables in a curry sauce. While I give this place a thumbs up for being fresh and organic, it’s not great in comparison to other similar restaurants. I have had the inspired vegetable curry from Souen and it is about one thousand times better than the one served at Purume. When I go to new restaurants I always like to ask about the items on the menu that I am not familiar with. There were quite a few of these at Purume, but unfortunately the waiter was not able to tell us what they were; this was pretty disappointing.  I would definitely go back to Purume in the spirit of supporting organic, fresh food, but it is certainly not one of the best organic restaurants I have ever been to.

GustOrganics and the importance of organics!

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I have been receiving a lot of questions lately on the importance of eating organic. It seems like many people view it as a hippy-dippy sort of movement that really shouldn’t mean anything to you unless you are sporting dread-locks and wearing Birkenstocks. The truth is that it is one of the most important factors in fending off disease as well as… LOSING WEIGHT! Now do I have your attention?

Organic foods are free of GMOs, antibiotics, herbicides, pesticides, growth hormones, fertilizers and synthetic chemicals. This should be enough reason to try to keep organic foods on your plate and chemicals off it, but if isn’t then LISTEN UP:

Our bodies are not designed to process all of the extra chemicals and hormones on our food these days. Once you switch to a mostly organic diet your hormones will balance out and you will be able to metabolize your food more efficiently. When your metabolism works more efficiently then you metabolize your food faster and naturally start to drop pounds.

There are many restaurants in NYC that claim to be organic, but Gusto on 14th street and 6th avenue claims to be the ONLY 100% certified organic restaurant in all of the nation. Could it be true? I usually ask the waitress when eating at healthy restaurants if everything on the menu is organic, if the beef is grass fed, and if the poultry is free range and they generally say that they use fresh, local, and organic ingredients whenever possible. So, maybe it is true that Gusto is the only 100% certified organic restaurant in all of the nation, but I am not sure I buy it. Either way, does it really matter? GustOraganics is serving fresh, organic, and local food 100% of the time and that is something rare and amazing. I had lunch at this restaurant with my mom yesterday and we thoroughly enjoyed the entire experience. The restaurant is cool and unique, especially for 14th street, and the menu boasts tons of interesting options: From salads, soups, sandwiches, and pizza to unique juices and stews. I decided to go with the Santa Fe sandwich on whole wheat with a side of avocado and mixed greens. I have never been in a restaurant that serves green monsters so I decided it was necessary to try one of their “green juices”, so I ordered “Rose’s Organic Garden” which included: Kale, swiss chard, spinach, broccoli, celery, green apples, peeled lemon and ginger. Serious nutrition blast! I left this restaurant feeling extremely healthy, but most importantly I was full and satisfied!

Colicchio and Sons

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I am not going to lie and act like I don’t love reality TV, as trashy as it gets, I watch it and I am usually entertained.   I can’t say I don’t truly love watching a bunch of Guidos make fools of themselves at the Jersey Shore, Hugh Hefner’s ex girlfriend complain about how fat she is post baby,  and of course a normal 22-year-old girl turn herself into a tranny mess after ten plastic surgeries in one day. As much as I love all reality TV, Top Chef, on Bravo is a breath of fresh air in between all the trashy reality madness.

My husband and I celebrated our one year anniversary this past weekend and decided to have dinner at Top Chef judge, Tom Colicchio’s new restaurant:  Colicchio and Sons. Colicchio closed Craft Steak  and opened Colicchio and Sons in the same location in January. The new restaurant is modeled after the “Tom: Tuesday dinner concept”, something that was offered at Craft Steak on Tuesday nights. The Tuesday dinner concept used fresh, local, and high quality ingredients to make up the menu for that evening. I am never sure what to expect when going to a big celebrity chefs restaurant because I always fear it will be overrated, but I was optimistic based on the concept behind the restaurant; I am always excited to try anything local and fresh. I ordered  an asparagus appetizer that had just been added to the menu because asparagus just came into season and it was delicious. I can honestly say I have never tasted asparagus cooked so perfectly.

For my entree I ordered the ROASTED SIRLOIN WITH PIPÉRADE & ROASTED RAMPS. I barely ever order steak, I am not a huge red meat-eater, but for some reason it was calling my name on that menu. I strongly believe that when you are having a craving  your body is trying to tell you something, and you should follow your instincts. It also didn’t hurt that I knew  I was ordering high quality grass-fed beef. Unfortunately it is pretty unusual to both be served grass-fed beef at a restaurant and for the waitress to know that the beef being served is grass-fed. As far as steaks go, this steak was excellent.

We were so full and satisfied we decided to skip dessert and call it a night. We really enjoyed our dinner at Colicchio and Sons and I hope to be able to visit them again very soon. If you are into good food, local food, and good quality food I would definitely recommend Colicchio and Sons.

Us on our one year anniversary

How to use leftover vegetables

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My husband hosted a birthday bbq for me this past weekend and we made a ton of delicious food. We basically had no leftovers by the end, SHOCKINGLY the only thing that was  left over was tons and tons of grilled veggies: Broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, peppers, onions, and mushrooms, oh my!

I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised that people preferred hamburgers and hot dogs over grilled veggies, but we completely over did it.  All week we have been eating these veggies as a side dish to our lunches and dinners and I am so damn sick of grilled vegetables! So the question this morning was: what can I do with leftover vegetables that is new and interesting. For lunch I made a veggie stir fry with Soba noodles and it was really delicious and filling.

Soba noodles are a great alternative to whole wheat or regular pasta. 100% buckwheat noodles are gluten-free and great for anyone with a gluten intolerance. You can find buckwheat noodles in whole foods, just about any health food store, or stores that sell Asian products. My noodle stir fry turned out delicious, but we still have tons of vegetables left over. Any other ideas? What would you make with leftover grilled vegetables?