If there is any day of the year that I get a craving for candy, Halloween is it! And while one piece certainly won’t derail your results, bingeing all day on Halloween treats will. Just a few pieces of candy can leave you tired, cranky, bloated and craving more sugar. Worst, the effects of an all-out binge fest can last for a few days. So here are a few tips to stay on track tonight and for the next few days until the Halloween treats are gone.

Lead Nutrition Coach and Head Chef

We all know that fruit and veggies are a vital part of a balanced diet.  In fact, eating plenty of colorful produce while stabilizing your blood sugar can help you to prevent disease, improve your digestion, reverse the signs of aging and even reach your weight loss goals.   Think of fruit and vegetables as edible powerhouses, jam- packed with essential vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber.      So what’s preventing so many of us from getting enough?  As Head Chef and Lead Nutrition Coach of Venice Nutrition, I believe that fruit and veggies have a bad "rep".  After all, it’s tough to get inspired over boring carrot sticks or a plain old apple.  Luckily, we’ve created countless delicious recipes full of vibrant produce in our Recipe Collection.  No matter your age or health, now is the time to stock up on fruits and veggies in a creative way so you’ll actually enjoy eating them.  Here is a menu of my favorite produce inspired recipes from our collection (for the full recipes and many more, check out your Recipe Tab in your online program today)

Fruit & Veggie Filled Breakfast and Snack Recipes:

Greek Yogurt Parfait- A sweet and creamy blend of high protein Greek yogurt, fresh antioxidant packed berries and nuts

Cottage Cheese Bowl- An unexpectedly delicious combo of fresh apples, peanut butter, cinnamon and vanilla sweetened cottage cheese

Western Omelet- A hearty omelet of chopped tomato, onion, bell pepper, lean ham and melted cheddar

Banana Pineapple Smoothie- A tropical smoothie blended with fresh pineapple, banana, milk and protein powder

Fruit and Veggie Filled Lunch, Dinners and Sides:

Boca Burgers with Roasted Veggies and Garlic Herb Sauce-  A classic soy burger  with roasted red peppers, sweet onions, tomato, arugula and melted cheese  topped with a homemade garlic and herb sauce

Zesty Shrimp Salad- A delicious blend of diced mango, red onion, corn, greens and grilled shrimp with a citrus honey lime dressing

Turkey Veggie Meat Sauce – A hearty meat sauce made of lean ground turkey, portabella mushrooms, spinach and yellow bell peppers

Pork Tenderloin with Butternut Squash and Apples- Lean pork tenderloin smothered in fruit juice and pungent garlic then roasted with hearty butternut squash and sweet apples

Vegetable Salsa-  A zesty salsa of corn, black beans, tomatoes, onion, cucumber, perfect for topping your favorite protein

Sweet Potato Soup- A thick and creamy soup of sweet potatoes, apples and carrots simmered to perfection

Fruit Filled Desserts:

Sweet Stuffed Apples –   A delectable dessert of warm, juicy apples baked with a walnut, oat, sugar and butter stuffing

Strawberry Frozen Yogurt- A cold, creamy frozen yogurt full of strawberries and good-for-you protein

As you can see, incorporating more fruit and veggies into your daily diet can be easy, delicious and anything but boring.    And remember, we are always updating our collection of recipes and we invite you to check your Recipe Tab often!

My best,

Valerie Cogswell
Lead Nutrition Coach and Head Chef

By now you know how much we love summer.  There’s nothing quite like cooking out with family and friends, taking your workout outdoors and showing off those hard earned muscles under the summer sun.   Unfortunately, it’s also our least favorite time of year to spend in a sweltering kitchen!    Don’t want to slave over the oven? No problem, fall back on these quick and tasty meal ideas instead…..

Low fat cottage cheese- with real berries, pineapple or any fruit (without added sugar) is quick and light enough for a summer snack, breakfast or lunch.

Greek Yogurt Parfait - Still haven’t tried this one?   Check it out under your recipe tab.  We promise, you won’t be disappointed!  Bonus:  Double up the recipe to have plenty on hand for the week.
 
Lean turkey roll up on a low carbohydrate, whole wheat wrap- Go ahead and load it up with anything you’ve got in the fridge- tomatoes, lettuce, hummus, onions, olives, roasted red peppers,  salad fixings, etc.  Add some sliced avocado for delicious, heart healthy fat.

Salad topped with tuna, cottage cheese, turkey or pre-cooked chicken.  The summer is the perfect time to get creative with your salads.  Layer your favorite greens with veggies, chopped or dried fruit, toasted nuts, light dressing and some protein and you’ve got a colorful meal in minutes.

A Protein and Fruit Smoothie is an ideal way to cool down this summer and get a big dose of calcium, fiber, and powerful antioxidants.  Even better, having a smoothie a day can help ward off cravings for other  high calorie summer time treats like ice cream.    Blend low fat milk or soymilk (try Lactaid if your lactose intolerant) with fruit (bananas and berries for example), some “good” fat like peanut butter, nuts, or ground flax seed, with your favorite protein powder (whey or soy) and ice until smooth.  Our favorite combo:  banana, strawberries, natural peanut butter, vanilla protein powder, 1% low fat milk and ice all swirled together in a blender….delicious!

Want more ideas?  Check out your Recipe Tab!  Each recipe in our collection is specifically designed to be balanced, delicious, FAST and EASY!  And the majority of recipes can be made in bulk and even frozen for meals later on (which fits in nicely with your busy summer).    How about Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad or BBQ Shrimp Kebobs?  Sure, some of these recipes will require cooking but if you take the time to cook in bulk once or twice this week, you can make enough food to last you for days.  Give it a shot and your summer might just get a whole lot easier! 

Enjoy your summer.  And feel free to drop us a line about your FAST and favorite summer time meals….we’d love to hear from you!

Our best,

The Venice Nutrition Team

If you’re stabilizing you’re blood sugar, then you know how important it is to get complete protein every three to four hours.  One of the ways to help make that more convenient is to use deli meat as your source of protein for one of your daily meals.   Here is what to look for to make sure you and you’re family are eating the healthiest deli meat possible:

1. Choose whole, oven-roasted then sliced deli meat in place of pre-packaged, processed, formed or section meats. 
2. Stick to lean turkey breast, chicken breast, and roast beef.  Avoid beerwurst, bologna, pepper loaf, olive oil, capocolla, corned beef, liverwurst, pastrami, proscuitto, salami and pepperoni.
3. Aim for low sodium products
4. Avoid any products with fillers, gluten, artificial colors and trans fats

Info from boarshead.com

If you’ve got picky eaters who don’t like the taste or texture of traditional whole wheat bread, the new white “whole wheat” breads may be a great solution.  After all, what’s better than bread that looks and tastes like the traditional white bread variety but has the nutrition of whole wheat?

Unlike regular white bread, white “whole wheat” bread contains all of the whole grain and has the same fiber and nutrients as regular wheat bread.  The difference is, it is made of a certain variety of wheat that is paler in color and has a milder flavor, and there for well tolerated by white bread lovers!

When shopping for bread, aim for a product with at least two grams of fiber, and preferably three per slice.   Take a moment to read the ingredient list as well.  The most nutritious products will list “whole” (whole grain or whole wheat) as the first ingredient.

Eat well.

The Venice Nutrition Team

*info derived from www.mayoclinic.com

Chances are if you’ve sat in front of your television lately, you’ve watched more than a few commercials promoting the health benefits of vegetable juice.  After all, we know we need veggies and isn’t it easier to gulp them down in 30 seconds then actually peel, chop, cook and prep them?  As a Nutrition Coach and health nut who enjoys anything convenient that helps me to live a better lifestyle, I decided to do a little research.

According to V8, the most well known vegetable juice company, 7 out of 10 adults don’t get their daily recommended amount of vegetable servings.  In order to help address this concern, V8 has a new mission; to create a diverse line of products to make it easier for adults to reach their recommended 2-3 cups of veggies per day.  The result?  In addition to their line of 100% vegetable juices, V8 has also introduced a new line of vegetable and fruit juice combinations that are more sweet than savory. 

According to experts, 100% vegetable juice can help you to increase your daily servings of veggies.  Vegetable juice is also an excellent source of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.  The only drawback?  Vegetable juice can also be high in sodium (a concern for those with high blood pressure) and lacks the amount of fiber found in whole vegetables in their natural state.  It’s important to note, however, that V8 does make a low sodium version of their famous vegetable juice.

So what’s the bottom line?  In my opinion, I believe that the occasional glass of vegetable juice is a great way to load up on your vegetable intake, but should never completely replace whole vegetables in your diet.   In addition to being lower in sodium and higher in fiber, whole, natural vegetables are also digested more slowly in your body compared to a liquid.  This helps to keep your blood sugar more stable, allowing you to reach your goals faster.    So enjoy the occasional glass of vegetable juice but keep your fresh veggies as the front runner!

Eat well.

My best,

Valerie Cogswell
Head Chef and Lead Venice Nutrition Coach

*information derived from www.v8.com and www.mayoclinic.com

Did you know that beef is the #1 protein source of Vitamin B12 and Zinc?  Although beef is sometimes unfairly thought of as unhealthy, the truth is, beef is one of the most nutrient rich foods available.  The key is choosing the leanest cuts of beef to gain the extraordinary health benefits while avoiding any unnecessary fat.  Below are the best of the best to choose from.

Extra Lean Beef (3.5 ounce portion containing less than 5 grams of fat, 2 grams of saturated fat, 95 milligrams of cholesterol)

Eye of Round Roast
Top Round Steak
Mock Tender Steak
Bottom Round Roast
Top Sirloin Steak

Lean beef  (3.5 ounce portion containing less than 10 grams of fat, 4.5 grams of saturated fat, 95 milligrams of cholesterol)

Round steak
95% lean ground beef
Chuck shoulder roast
Arm pot roast
Shoulder steak
Strip steak
Tenderloin steak
T-bone steak

While shopping for beef, pay careful attention to the cut.  “Prime” is typically higher in fat while “Choice” or “Select” are leaner.  And of course, beef should be eaten in moderation.   For most healthy individuals, it’s fine to eat beef a couple of times a week.

Our best,

The Venice Nutrition Team

*research found on ask.com  © 1998-2009 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER).

According to the FDA, healthy adults should aim for less than 2400 mg of sodium per day.  It’s very clear that the majority of us get way more than we need.  In fact, 2400 mg of sodium per day is equal to only one teaspoon of salt!

Why do we need salt?  Sodium is critical for maintaining the correct fluid and electrolyte balance within our bodies as well as helping muscles and nerves to work correctly.  The challenge is, in today’s day of overly processed and packaged foods, we are getting too much of it altogether, and this may lead to high blood pressure and excess fluid retention.

So what’s the solution?   How can you ensure that you are not exceeding your daily limit of sodium?  The first step is reading food labels thoroughly and taking the time to tally up a day or two’s worth of sodium intake.   This should give you a good benchmark of how much salt you are consuming on a regular basis.  If you find you are taking in too much sodium, it’s time to cut back on processed and packaged foods.  Even seemingly healthy items can be loaded in sodium. 

In fact, the following list is made of high sodium foods that just may surprise you:   packaged or canned soups, frozen dinners, deli meat, canned meats and fish, canned vegetables and beans, entrees with seasoning mixes (like mac n’ cheese or chili), Chinese or Asian food prepared with soy sauce, marinades, marinara sauces, dressings, teriyaki sauce, steak sauce, bbq sauce, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, relish, cold cereals, hot cereals, snack foods like chips, pretzels, crackers, seasoning salts, garlic salt and other spice combinations.

The best way to lower sodium intake is to reduce the amount of processed food items in your diet and work towards choosing more natural, less processed food items.   Natural, unprocessed food like fresh chicken, eggs, meat, low fat dairy, fruit, vegetables, brown rice,  sweet potatoes, olive oil, avocado and unsalted nuts are naturally low in sodium (not to mention very healthy!).  For a complete list of low sodium, unprocessed food items, see the Highest Quality of Foods in your Quality of Food Chart, located in your online manual in your Help/Support Tab.

It also helps to reduce the amount of condiments like ketchup, mustard and other sauces throughout the day, as well as skip the salt shaker altogether.   With a little awareness, along with some smart food choices, you can easily lower your sodium intake for a healthier you.
Live well.

My best,

Valerie Cogswell

Head Chef and Lead Nutrition Coach

*high sodium food list fro pamf.org

Though it’s true that nuts are a natural source of protein from plants, you may be surprised to learn that they are not your best protein option.  Why?  Because in order to stabilize your blood sugar, it’s critical to include a complete protein from an animal source such as dairy products, chicken, fish, eggs, beef, lamb, and turkey.  Soy products are also considered complete proteins.  What makes a protein “complete”?  Complete proteins like the ones listed above contain all of the essential amino acids that the body cannot create on its own.  Because the body cannot synthesize these amino acids, it’s essential to include a complete protein (that contains these amino acids) in every meal.

Incomplete protein sources like nuts, seeds, beans and grains are foods that contain protein yet lack the essential amino acids or do not contain enough of them.

Because amino acids are the building blocks of protein and are responsible for building and maintaining the tissues of the body as well as promote the breakdown of fat, complete sources of protein are superior to incomplete proteins like nuts.

So should nuts be included in a healthy, balanced diet?  Of course!  Nuts are an excellent source of antioxidants, fiber and omega 3 fats (also known as “heart healthy fats”) and most definitely should be included as a regular part of your diet, as long as you are not allergic to them.  The best way to incorporate nuts is to consider them the fat in your meal.  Simply add a carbohydrate along with a complete source of protein in the correct amounts according to your nutritional parameters, and you’ve got a perfectly balanced meal.

Eat well!

Our best,

The Venice Nutrition team