Is chocolate good for you?  It is true, chocolate has potential health benefits.  It contains flavonoids and magnesium which have potential blood pressure lowering effects.  Flavonoids are mostly found in plants and in humans have antioxidant properties.  Antioxidants in simple terms run around your body finding "chipped" cells and fix them which decrease your risk of heart disease, cancer, etc, etc.

Now not all chocolate is created equal.  Dark chocolate gets such a better reputation with the health conscious because it contains twice the amount of flavonoids as milk chocolate.  Also, the extra milk in milk chocolate decreases the absorption of the flavonoids.  If you are eating chocolate for the most health benefit, choose at least 70% dark chocolate and make sure it contains only one type of fat - cocoa butter.  Often palm oil, coconut oil, and milk fat may be added but are not as neutral for your cholesterol as cocoa butter. 

HOWEVER, even with the most optimal chocolate, remember portion is everything.  Chocolate is high in fat, cholesterol, sugar, and calories.  It can easily lead to weight gain.  A one ounce portion will cost around 150 calories of your total daily calories.  And remember, chocolate can be a migraine trigger for many people who suffer from migraines.  It can also be an IBS trigger.  If you experience discomfort after consuming chocolate, you may need to avoid it all together.  So PLAN, PORTION, and ENJOY! 

Happy Valentines Day! 

With all the fantastic recipes scattered throughout the internet right now, I want to take this week to introduce you to some of my personal favorite food blogs.  Not every recipe is a healthy recipe, but browsing these websites can be a fantastic way to brain storm meal ideas to keep you from eating out and get you excited about cooking.  You can also use your nutrition knowledge to modify recipes and make them more nutritious!

I picked out a few fun recipes for you:

Red-wine vinegar
2 medium to large red beets (about 1 pound)
1 2-inch piece black licorice
4 tablespoons fruit vinegar (try raspberry)
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon wasabi paste
1/4 cup walnut oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1 orange, divided into segments and cut into bite-size pieces
1 avocado, medium dice
2 tablespoons chopped basil

Boil a pot of water. Add a splash of red-wine vinegar and the beets. Boil covered for 20 to 30 minutes, or until you can stick them with a fork and it comes out clean.

Meanwhile, put the licorice in the freezer to let it get rock hard.

When the beets are cooked, peel and chop them (while still warm) into bite-size pieces.

Whisk together the fruit vinegar, mustard, wasabi, and walnut oil. Toss beets in the mixture and season with salt and pepper. Fold in the orange, avocado, and basil.

Remove the licorice from the freezer and shave atop the salad as you would Parmesan cheese.

Serves six.

CALORIES PER SERVING: 169
CARBS: 15 G
FIBER: 4 G
PROTEIN: 2 G
FAT: 13 G

Nutrition Balance:
Dairy - NONE (drink a glass of skim milk with this dinner for total balance)
Vegetable/Fruits - beets, oranges
Whole grain/Fiber - beets
Protein - salmon
Healthy Fats - salmon, avacado

Only babies are supposed to have chunky fat rolls on their arms and legs!  That is not normal for adults.  Why do so many adults have rolls on their arms and legs and have abdomens that protrude further than pregnant bellies?  Recently, I have been noticing the prevalence of obesity among the adults around me in normal life and the lack of vegetables they eat at lunch.

Obesity in the world today cannot be blamed or fixed with one change, it is a multifactorial and now a generational problem.  Children learn by what they see.

  I had a client previously who knew she was not eating in a way that would be a good example for her daughter, so she never ate in front of her daughter and waited until her daughter went to sleep to eat her dinner.  That little girl was not able to learn from her family how to eat healthy. 

The USDA released new guidelines on Wednesday which doubles the fruits and vegetables in school lunches and limits calories.  Although this is a wonderful improvement for America's children, I am a huge believer in the value of family.  After working with overweight children and having the ability to control school lunches, I realized that what happens at home will always continue to have a much greater impact on eating habits than school parameters.  This USDA change comes at a huge cost (3.2 Billion over 5 years). 

How about mothers and fathers join and compliment these changes!  Double your fruit and vegetable intake at lunch and dinner and let's see what impact that has on American children.  Hopefully it will cut back on adults whose arms are chunky like a baby. 

Mini Skillet Meatloaves Recipe courtesy Food Network Magazine

Prep Time:20 minInactive Prep Time:-- Cook Time:20 min Level:Easy Serves:4 servings Ingredients

• 1/3 cup breadcrumbs
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 large egg
• 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 small onion, finely minced
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 2 cloves garlic, grated or finely minced
• 1 1/2 pounds meatloaf mix (ground beef, pork and/or veal)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1 to 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Directions Mix the breadcrumbs, milk, parsley, egg, Worcestershire sauce, onion, chili powder and garlic in a large bowl. Add the meat, season with salt and pepper and mix with your hands until combined. Shape into six 3-to-4-inch oval loaves.

Heat the vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add the loaves and brown about 3 minutes per side.

Whisk the ketchup, sugar and vinegar in a bowl and brush a few tablespoonfuls over the meat. Add 1/2 cup water to the skillet, cover and simmer over low heat until cooked through, about 15 minutes.

Transfer the loaves to a plate. Add the remaining ketchup mixture to the skillet and cook over high heat, stirring, until thick, 3 to 5 minutes. Serve 4 meatloaves with the hot glaze, reserving 2 for quesadillas.

Try making Meatloaf Quesadillas with the leftovers

Per serving: Calories 380; Fat 24 g (Saturated 8 g); Cholesterol 111 mg; Sodium 800 mg; Carbohydrate 16 g; Fiber 1 g; Protein 23 g

Photograph by Antonis Achilleos

• YIELD: 5 servings (serving size: 1/2 cup)
• COURSE: Side Dishes/Vegetables

Ingredients

• 1 whole garlic head
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pound peeled Yukon Gold or red potatoes, quartered
• 3 cups water
• 1/2 cup 1% low-fat milk
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Preparation Preheat oven to 375°.

Remove white papery skin from garlic head (do not peel or separate cloves). Rub oil over garlic head; wrap in foil. Bake at 375° for 1 hour; cool 10 minutes. Separate cloves; squeeze to extract garlic pulp. Set aside. Discard skins.

Place potatoes in a saucepan, and cover with water. Bring to a boil; cook 15 minutes or until very tender. Drain. Heat milk in pan over medium heat until hot (do not boil). Add potatoes, salt, and pepper, and beat at medium speed of a mixer until potato mixture is smooth. Add garlic pulp, and stir well.

Variations:

Mashed Potatoes With Sage: Omit garlic; add 2 tablespoons minced fresh sage to milk, salt, and pepper.

Chive-and-Goat Cheese Potatoes: Omit garlic; add 3 tablespoons minced chives and 1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled goat cheese to milk, salt, and pepper.

Nutritional Information Amount per serving

• Calories: 105
• Calories from fat: 27%
• Fat: 3.1g
• Saturated fat: 0.5g
• Monounsaturated fat: 2.1g
• Polyunsaturated fat: 0.3g
• Protein: 3.9g
• Carbohydrate: 16.6g
• Fiber: 1.8g
• Cholesterol: 1mg
• Iron: 3.2mg
• Sodium: 140mg
• Calcium: 79mg

Nutrition Guidelines for Healthy Living Cooking Light OCTOBER 1997

• YIELD: Makes 8 servings
• PREP TIME:25 Minutes
• SOAK:1 Hour
• CHILL:30 Minutes
• COURSE: Side Dishes/Vegetables

Ingredients

• 12-inch-long wooden skewers
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 1/4 cup honey
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 16 cups assorted cut vegetables

Preparation 1. Soak skewers in water 1 hour.

2. Whisk together wine and next 6 ingredients until well blended; reserve 1/4 cup. Combine remaining white wine mixture and vegetables in a large bowl. Cover and chill at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours. Remove vegetables from marinade, discarding marinade.

3. Preheat grill to 350° to 400° (medium-high). Thread vegetables onto skewers, and grill according to directions in “Guidelines and Cook Times for Vegetable Kabobsâ€� below.

4. Transfer skewers to a platter. Remove vegetables from skewers, if desired. Serve with reserved 1/4 cup white wine mixture.

Guidelines and Cook Times for Vegetable Kabobs. Cut vegetables thick so they will stay on skewers as they cook. Thread one type of vegetable onto each skewer, threading so the cut sides lie flat on the cooking grate to ensure even cooking. Grill skewers, covered with grill lid, over 350° to 400° (medium-high) heat according to the times below. Your goal is to achieve tender, slightly charred vegetables.

Zucchini and squash. Prep: Cut into 3/4-inch rounds; thread onto skewers. Grill time: 7 to 10 minutes on each side or until tender.

Okra. Prep: Remove stems, and thread onto double skewers. Grill time: 6 to 8 minutes on each side or until tender.

Eggplant. Prep: Cut Japanese eggplant into 3/4-inch rounds. Cut Italian eggplant crosswise into quarters; cut into 3/4-inch slices. Thread onto skewers. Grill time: 5 to 6 minutes on each side or until tender.

Bell peppers. Prep: Cut into 1-inch-thick strips; thread skewers. Grill time: 4 to 5 minutes on each side or until tender.

Mushrooms. Prep: Trim stems, and thread onto skewers. Grill time: 3 to 5 minutes on each side or until tender.

Onions. Prep: Cut into wedges, and thread onto skewers. Grill time: 3 or 4 minutes on each side or until lightly charred.

Cherry tomatoes. Prep: Thread onto double skewers. Grill time: 1 to 3 minutes on each side or just until skins begin to split.

Southern Living MAY 2008

My simple version:  Chop vegetables, place on skewer, brush with olive oil and Italian spices and broil in oven, rotating periodically until darkened. 

Have you ever known anyone to become obese in 1 week?  I mean seriously think about it, have you known anyone to gain even a noticeable amount of weight in 1 week?  I can think of a few friends who were pregnant and sometime between their 4th and 5th month of pregnancy their bellies really started to show in what seemed like a week.  But that is pregnancy.  Never have I seen someone at church one week and then the next week saw them and said "Oh wow, they really put on quite a few pounds this week!" 

A baby boutique created this calendar for toddlers who have very little concept of time to help them understand things such as the birthday party is on Saturday. 

Sometimes I feel like I need a similar tool for adults and weight loss.  We fail to understand the time it takes to gain weight and in response incorrectly anticipate the time it takes to lose it.  The most successful, healthy people I have known to achieve their weight loss goals have done it over a long period of time, with small changes they committed to for life. 

Obesity does not happen in a week, in fact it is usually a gradual process that takes at least a few years and it is easy.  So give yourself a break and commit to a long term goal.  What you want will take time, but the results will be worth it!

Crock Pot:
2 Frozen boneless-skinless chicken breasts
1 can diced tomatoes including the juice
1 package of taco seasoning
1 can black beans
1 onion diced

Other:
Whole-wheat tortillas
Shredded low-fat cheese
Cooked brown rice (optional)
lettuce (optional)

Place frozen chicken breasts in crockpot and cover with other ingredients already mixed together.  Cook on low for 7-8 hours.  After cooking, stir with wooden spoon until all the chicken shreds (it will fall apart easily). 

Use this to make burritos.  Heat whole grain tortillas, fill with meat and bean mixture, cheese, rice and lettuce.  You can also ditch the tortilla and put the chicken and bean mixture over lettuce for a lower carbohydrate option.

Fresh, frozen, or canned Green beans (1 cup per person)

This will be 1/3 to 1/2 of your plate.  Fresh and canned, rinse them off with cool water prior to cooking.  You can place them in a steamer to cook or you can put them in a pan with 1 Tbs of olive oil and put on a lid to help cook them through 7-10 minutes. 

Nutrition Balance:
Dairy - cheese
Vegetable - green beans, tomato, and onion
Whole grain/Fiber - beans and whole grain tortilla
Protein - cheese, chicken, beans

Recipes are great, but not always a well balanced meal.  I am going to take recipes I find and put together meals (maybe some healthy twists added).

MAIN DISH
Stuffed Shells (adapted from 101cookbooks.com)

Filling:
1 15-ounce container low-fat ricotta cheese
1 egg, beaten
1/4 teaspoon fine grain salt
1 cup / ~5 oz grated low-fat mozzarella
1 bunch of chives, minced
1 cup frozen spinach (thawed) *optional

25-30 jumbo dried whole grain pasta shells

Sauce:  Choose any tomato sauce (preferably made from tomatoes!)

Serves 5-7

Oil a 13 x 9-inch / 33 x 23-cm baking pan, or equivalent, and sprinkle the zest of 1/2 the lemon across it. Set aside. Get a big pot of water boiling, and preheat your oven to 350F / 180C with a rack in the middle.

To make the filling, combine the ricotta, egg, and salt in a medium bowl. Mix until combined, then stir in the mozzarella, remaining lemon zest, and 3/4 of the chives. Set aside.

Cook the shells according to package instructions in well-salted water - until al dente. If you overcook, the shells will tear as you attempt to fill them. Drain and let cool long enough to handle with your hands - see photo.

Spread 1/3 of sauce across the bottom of the prepared pan. Fill each shell with ricotta, and arrange in a single layer in the pan. Ladle the remaining sauce over the shells, cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes, uncover for the final 15 minutes or until the shells are cooked through. Sprinkle with the remaining chives and serve hot.

Prep time: 30 min - Cook time: 45 min

VEGETABLE SIDE
Zucchini Boats  (from ProudItalianCook.blogspot.com)

Cut a zucchini in slices lengthwise about 1/4 inch thick. Brush the surface with a mixture of crushed garlic, olive oil, and pepper. 
Arrange tomato slices onto the zucchini like raisins on "ants on a log," sprinkle with bread crumbs(optional).

Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes. Remove and place diced fontina or low-fat mozzarella over the entire zucchini, place them back in, but now under the broiler til golden and bubbling!

Remove and sprinkling with grated Parmesan. Perfecto!

Nutrition Balance:
Dairy - cheese
Vegetable - side dish (& spinach if you added it)
Whole grain - pasta
Protein - cheese

Have you ever heard a nest of new born birds that are hungry?  They make this high pitched chirp until their momma feeds them.  We can talk about the perfect food and what you should and should not eat all day but until you understand what to do with hunger, all these tools may be ineffective. 

First of all, you are not a starving new born bird.  You can handle a little hunger.  It is actually NORMAL to feel hunger.  Now I am not talking starvation like a child in Africa, I am just talking the sensation your body gives you when it is time to eat. 

Thin people tend to be much more in tune with this signal than people who are overweight.  Thin people know that hunger comes and goes, it can be mistaken for thirst, and it does not always have to be satisfied the second it is felt. 

You are hungry, not dying.  Make a plan, and stick to it - eat what your body needs.  Get to know your body's cues.

The other spectrum is the overweight person who is great at ignoring hunger (I DID NOT suggest to ignore it) until their body switches to starvation mode and they go on cycles of starving and purging.  These are your "I hate breakfast" people and the "I am too busy to eat lunch" people who then go home and destroy 3,000+ calories in one dinner. 

Learn your body's hunger cues and do not fear hunger.  It is normal and can be a helpful clue in learning how to feed your body best!

Now onto Christmas presents...

Santa brought me an AMAZING knife for Christmas.  It has revolutionized cooking for me.  It makes carrots feel like butter.  I had no idea a good knife could make such a difference.  Check out the how to chop video below and get cooking!