If at first you don’t succeed, try again!

Admittedly, we all fall short when it pertains to accomplishing goals we have established for ourselves. There are those of us who have the drive and the motivation to stick it out no matter what, but the truth is, a good percentage of us will begin, stop and then start again. There is absolutely nothing wrong with falling of the weight loss, healthy eating or healthy lifestyle wagon. It happens, the gift and lesson learned from starting over is knowing you have the courage and the will to begin again.

There are many factors in our daily lives that will continuously contribute to us neglecting our goals for short or long periods of times. Recognizing that you fell short and making the decision to start again, could prove to be the best success story, involving your continuous effort to improve your health and daily life.

My message to you is to continue starting new. If you find that you are not as focused, that you lost 20 pounds a few months ago but have gained back 15, use these simple tips to START AGAIN.

1. Focus briefly on where you were, and what caused you to fall short of keeping the weight off.

2. Recognize factors that contribute to you losing focus, it could be stress, boredom with the way you were eating or you simply just needed a break from your daily disciplined eating regiments. Understanding why you lost focus will assist you in staying the course longer the second of third time around.

3. Establish a new goal for yourself now that you are aware of where you went wrong.

4. Counting calories can be tedious and discouraging, instead eat healthy fresh foods, eat smaller portions, replace juices and sodas with water and include healthy snacks along with daily meals.

5. Find a workout partner or someone who is willing to help you stay focused, whether it’s a nutritionist, a health coach, a friend or co-worker having someone to offer encouragement or insight will keep you motivated.

6. Find simple, healthy and easy recipes that fit your busy schedule. Whole grain cereal with fruits in the morning, salads with protein for lunch, bake fish and vegetables for dinner. Learn how to eat healthy without it being burdensome or feeling too much like work.

7. Lastly, stay positive, be patient and don’t get discouraged. Losing a small amount of weight continuously over a longer period of time proves to be more affective than losing 20 pounds in 3 weeks.

Let us start again!

Weight Loss Tips from Whole Body Nutrition!

The first step to successful weight loss is to be mentally ready. Losing weight is as mental as it is physical and knowing that you are ready to start the process is the first step.

Once you are ready to begin follow these simple steps to find success:

1. Eat consistently. It’s ideal to eat 3 meals a day but better to eat 6 small meals instead. A consistent eating schedule will prevent hunger and overeating. Eating regular meals will also prevent sluggish metabolism.

2. Drink more water. By now this is very cliché but we all know water is a vital component in our diets. It prevents dehydration which can lead to other problems, but it also keeps our bodies and skin healthy. Water with meals instead of juice or soda will help you cut back on total calorie intake.

 

3. Eat more fresh fruits and vegetables daily. They are low in calories, and loaded with important nutrients and antioxidants.

4. Avoid processed foods as often as possible. Process foods are higher in fats, sugars and sodium than freshly prepared foods are. Limiting process foods requires limiting canned foods, frozen meals, boxed or pre-prepared foods and even fast foods.

5. Exercise.  Exercising should be just as consistent as eating regular meals. Engaging in an activity that increases your heart rate 30 minutes a day 3-5 days a week will begin the process of weight loss.

Finally maintain a positive attitude and outlook, and view everyday as an opportunity to start new.

Wheat Berries

Just found out I like this food. Had it for the first time in a salad and it was delicious!

What are Wheat Berries?

Wheat berries are essentially unprocessed wheat kernels without the hull.  Pasta, flour and breads are all products of processed wheat berries. 

Wheat Berries are categorized as white or red, soft or hard. Either of the white or red variety can be found in soft or hard. The hard wheat berry has more gluten and takes longer to prepare than the soft kind.

Wheat berries can be cooked like rice eaten as a side dish or added to soups and salads for a nutty, flavorful whole grain dish. 1 cup of wheat berries yields about 300 calories and it’s loaded with fiber, protein and iron. Remember for any starch such as rice, flour, oats 1/2 cup cooked is considered 1 serving.

Wheat berries can also be soaked in water and sprouted this too can be added to salads. The sprouts are supposed to be a good source of the antioxidant vitamin E.

Where to get Wheat Berries

Wheat Berries can be found at natural food markets, health food stores or in the natural foods section at your local grocery store.

NOTE: white wheat berries are not refined; it’s the natural lightness of the grain that lends to its name.

For recipe ideas visit the foodnetwork.com, eatingwell.com, cooks.com or just Google search wheat berry recipes.

Curry Tofu with Pumpkin or Butternut Squash

I love tofu. A lot of people find it tasteless and not very appetizing at all. The trick with tofu is seasoning because it takes on whatever flavor you add to it. My curry tofu is simple and delicious. You can use extra firm tofu or firm. If you want a different texture for your tofu freeze it the night before and watch what happens.

Curry tofu and pumpkin recipe:

1 pack of extra firm tofu drained and cut into cubes

1 cup pumpkin or butternut squash cut into smaller cubes

1 tbsp curry powder

1 dry bay leaf

2 clove garlic crushed and chopped

1/2 of a small onion chopped

1 sprig of thyme optional

1/2 tsp white pepper

Salt to taste

Heat olive oil in a nonstick frying pan. Add bay leaf, thyme, garlic, onions and curry to heated oil. Sauté ingredients for 3-5minutes then add squash. Sauté squash for another 5 minutes then add tofu. Stir gently to prevent tofu from falling apart (if tofu was frozen the night before it will not crumble easily). Add 1/2 cup water cover and let simmer until squash is cooked.

This can be eaten with 1/2 cup brown rice and greens such as kale, or spinach.

Quick, Easy and Healthy Breakfast.

Recommending how to eat healthy is one thing, being able to prepare healthier foods is another. Some of the barriers to healthy eating are food preparation. To overcome this I almost always recommend following healthy recipes that can be found on line or purchasing a cook book that offer step by step directions on preparation of healthy foods. Find new ways to prepare foods you are currently eating that will make them healthy or healthier. Easy ways to enhance any food is to add fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, replace salt and sugar with a healthier ingredient such as herbs, spices, honey or 100% maple or rice syrup.

Avoid deep frying, sauté, bake or grill your food. Plan, Plan, Plan and Prepare.

Here are a few quick healthy recipe ideas for breakfast

Egg Frittata

2 eggs (whole or whites) beaten

1/4 cup chopped broccoli

1/4 cup chopped mushrooms

1 teaspoon chopped onions

1 small plum tomato cut into 4 pieces

2 teaspoon olive oil

Pinch of salt and pepper for taste

Heat olive oil in frying pan. Add onions, broccoli, mushrooms and sauté on high for about 2 minutes then add tomatoes and beaten eggs and reduce heat cook until egg is no longer wet or runny. Frittata can be finished on stove-top or in oven at 350 degrees.

Frittata can be eaten as is or with whole grain toast, whole grain or blueberry waffles. You can add about an ounce of cheese to the recipe if you like. There are many variations to this recipe including adding potatoes or using spinach or asparagus instead.

Oats

1/2 cup regular oats

1 teaspoon raisin

1 teaspoon dried cranberries

2 teaspoon brown sugar or maple syrup (more might be needed if you like your oatmeal sweet) the recommendation is less sugar.

Cook oats in about a cup of water until done. 1/2 cup raw oats yields about 1 cup cooked (equivalent to 2 servings of starch based on the Food Guide Pyramid).  Sweeten with sugar or maple syrup. Serve with raisins and dried cranberries.

If you like your oatmeal creamy like I do use 2% milk or soy milk in place of water. For different flavor you can sprinkle cooked oats with brown sugar and cinnamon or add fresh blueberries or other sliced fruits on top.

Banana Pancakes

1 cup complete pancake mix

1 banana

Water for mix

This recipe is pretty easy mix pancake batter, add sliced or crush banana. Pancakes can be made on stove-top in a non-stick frying pan or on a pancake griddle. Non-stick spray such as Pam can be use in place of butter or oil.

Pancakes are great with fruits and you don't always have to put the fruits in the pancake. You can top plain pancakes with heated fruits soaked in maple syrup.

 Yogurt and Fruit Parfait

1 6-8oz plain or strawberry yogurt

1/4 cup granola

1/2 cup sliced strawberries (use 1/4 cup if they are frozen)

1/4 cup blueberries

In a cup or bowl add yogurt. Top with granola then fruits and enjoy

Breakfast does not have to be typical breakfast foods. Left over from previous night's dinner can be a great way to start your day. I have enjoyed spaghetti sprinkled with shredded cheddar cheese and heated in the morning. Left over soups are also great substitutes for the typical breakfast foods.

If you have left over chicken from the night before, sauté a few pieces of onions, tomatoes and some vegetables and wrap in a whole grain tortilla wrap for a quick, easy, and healthy breakfast.

Boiled eggs with wheat thins or wheat crackers, sliced cheddar cheese and a half of an apple is not only healthy its filling.

Sardines with sliced jalapenos are a favorite of mines. I often pair it with water crackers and sliced avocados for a protein filled breakfast in the morning.

Eating should be fun and not a chore. Step outside the box and begin experimenting with different foods, and different food combinations. You just might create your family's next favorite recipe.