Staying on Track During Cookout Season!

PUBLISHED FOR CAREPILOT.COM BLOG (AUGUST 2013)

Greetings from day 10 at my family’s home in Plymouth, MA! While I love visiting my favorite little speck on the map more than anything, the trip really tests my willpower and inevitably expands my waistline in the most undesirable ways.

Each morning, I wake up to chocolate chip pancakes, eggs benedict, bacon and cheese danishes I grew up begging for. Lunch and dinners are heavy meals of lasagnas, meatloaves and steaks, followed by an irresistible homemade dessert. I am sure you all can sympathize in one-way or another. It is August, and cookouts, family reunions and weddings are rampant.

Here are some tips to stay sane and only gain a pound or two when you are up against visiting family, a wedding weekend, a long vacation, or just wrapped up in the enjoyment of cookout season.

1. Wake up with good intentions. Start your morning routine with a cup of coffee or tea and assess your will power. Don’t focus on guilt trips from the feast you enjoyed the night before. But rather, reflect on the enjoyable, but heavy, meal and make a conscious effort to be mindful of what you will consume today.

The Best Healthy Apple Crisp!

(PUBLISHED ON CAREPILOT.COM, NOVEMBER 2013)

The age old saying "An Apple A Day Keeps the Doctor Away" holds quite a bit of truth.  Not only are apples rich with antioxidants, they also provide an impressive amount of fiber.  This perfect handheld snack carries Vitamin C, b complex vitamins that keep the nervous system functioning properly, and phytonutrients to help protect the body from the effects of free radicals.  As if that wasn't enough, apples are also rich in calcium, potassium and phosphorus! 

Healthy Sweet Potato Crunch Casserole

It's winter, and while I do live in sunny California, I still like to indulge in comfort food as if I was snowed in somewhere on the East Coast.

The downside to the winter heat is that I can't hide my extra 'comfort food pounds' under a bulky sweater quite the way I used to in Boston.  Hell, just last week I was sipping fruity cocktails in a rooftop pool.  A bathing suit in January is NOT synonymous with baked lasagna.

Prosciutto Wrapped, Goat Cheese Stuffed, Chicken (Low Carb)

This recipe is quite simple, but seems rather fancy -- and, more importantly tastes delicious.  Everyone loves chicken, and there are so many possibilities for substitutions (scroll down to the bottom for some ideas!).  This is the perfect meal if you're cooking for one or a dinner party of 10!

Banana Egg White Pancakes!

On my relentless quest to maintain the thigh gap, my diet generally consists of egg whites, fruit, vegetables, chicken, fish, nuts and seeds. 

I had been curious to try banana and egg white pancakes for some time -- but I knew what would happen.  I would make them, then cover them in syrup.  At 28 grams of sugar per serving, even the grade A Vermont maple syrup won't be worth the guilt I'll feel.  And really, who has one serving of syrup? And is it even legal to have pancakes without butter? 

Healthy Chicken Broccoli Ziti

Here's my simple, and healthy, CHICKEN BROCCOLI ZITI recipe!  This is the perfect accompaniment to any hearty main course, like a honey baked ham!

1. Chop 1 onion and 4 garlic cloves finely - brown in skillet on Medium heat in 4 tsp olive oil 

2. Add 2 pounds of boneless skinless chicken breast (fat removed) and cook until center is no longer pink. Remove from pan (but keep oil and garlic simmering) and cut into pieces.

3. cook 1 box of whole wheat spirals and set aside in casserole dish (toss lightly with olive oil to keep moist).

Healthy Chicken Piccata

Chicken is a staple for dieters looking to trim down and tone up.  But there is only so many nights we can grill chicken and serve it with steamed vegetables before we turn to pizza and pasta out of boredom.

So this week I took one of my favorite chicken dishes, chicken piccata and tweeked it into the most healthy version I could. 

Chicken piccata is simple. A lemon and caper sauce over pan fried chicken.  And what better way to jazz up chicken then with lemon.   Lemons aid in keeping your immune system in top shape, help cleanse the liver, and are packed with vitamin C, citric acid and magnesium!

Diet Tip - The Skinny Cook

I love to cook - and not always just healthy dishes.  At the holidays I make full fat feasts with decadent desserts.  And when I'm cooking for friends or family that aren't particularly health conscious, I'll load up on the cheese and bread crumbs.

The problem with this isn't that I indulge every once and awhile -- it's that I overeat while I'm cooking - tasting and sampling making sure everything is perfect.

My quick fix is to keep a packet of gum in the kitchen, and utilize it as necessary (like when the brownies are all poured -- but there's a LOT of left over batter).

My better fix is to unwind with a glass of sweet white wine while you bake or an interesting red while you cook.  This will leave you still feeling somewhat satisfied, and keep you from continuously nibbling, tasting, and snacking before dinner.  Plus it sets the mood for a perfectly relaxing evening!