Choice Protein - Cinnamon Oatmeal

Our friends at Choice Nutrition Systems give us a great recipe to try with their Choice Blend Cinnimon Bun flavored protein!

A lot of healthy eaters make Oatmeal a staple of their diet regimen.  For me personally, I love oatmeal but find it filling, especially when I have to supplement it with eggs or egg whites in order to get the protein I need at each meal.  Here is an easy solution that won’t make you feel like you are eating the entire farm every breakfast.

Make your oatmeal as directed by the oatmeal manufacturer.  We will borrow Quaker Old Fashioned Oats recipe here as an example.

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½ Cup Dry Quaker Old Fashioned Oats

(We prefer the old fashioned whole rolled oats versus the over processed instant.  Whole oats give you more usable energy and cause a higher thermic effect for the food to burn more effective calories)

1 and ¼ Cup Water or we prefer Almond Milk (Vanilla or Regular, but always unsweetened)

1 ½ Scoops of Choice Blend Cinnamon Bun Protein Powder

Dash of salt (optional)

Bring the milk or water to a boil (or microwave till hot).  In a separate pan, mix the dry oats with the protein powder. 

Stir the dry mixture into the hot liquid until it is the consistency you like.  Usually takes at least 4-5 minutes on the heat to cook the oats or approximately 2 minutes in the microwave.  Let stand and cool a bit before eating and add additional milk or water after if you are wanting a little less thickness.

Enjoy!

Here is the nutrient profile of your Choice Cinnamon Oatmeal (made with water):

380 Calories; 32grams Carbohydrates; 5grams of Fat (Zero Saturated); 45grams of Protein; 70mg Sodium

This is a perfect macro-nutrient ratio to start your day!

Stop by today and try a sample of their awesome Cinnamon Bun flavor or ANY of the awesome protein flavors they have!

Til - Next time!

Mikie

Have a Happy Paleo Christmas Dinner

With next the big feast of Christmas Dinner right around the corner we teamed up with our friends from Champion Naturals to bring you a few ways to keep your Christmas dinner healthy with these Paleo twist!

The Paleolithic diet (abbreviated “Paleo” for short) is a relatively simple concept. Proponents of this diet maintain that human physiology hasn't changed much since the days of our early ancestors, right before the dawn of the agrarian age.

 The idea is that eating the foods that we were able to hunt, gather or otherwise scrounge during our days as hunter-gatherers will help us avoid many of the diseases and other downsides to our modern age of largess, plenty and over-indulgence. While the science upon which the evolutionary assumptions used to develop the Paleo diet are contentious and somewhat flawed, the general idea is pretty sound.

Paleo Diet Main Ideas:

• Avoid processed meats and (where possible), consume only grass-fed or truly wild game
• Choose roots, seeds, nuts, fruits and vegetables over processed grains, legumes or potatoes
• Avoid dairy products and processed oils

That’s because (especially in the west) our diets are packed with unhealthy fats, processed meats, and hormone-fed livestock, pesticides and genetically altered grains – not all of which can be benign. So in addition to getting a healthy bout of winter exercise with your Thanksgiving dinner, try the following suggestions to serve a more healthy meal!

Turkey instead of Ham

In this case, the traditional dish has it right. With very few exceptions, ham (though delicious) is packed with extra salts and preservatives. It’s also way less healthy than a nice, roasted turkey – and that’s roasted, not fried. Nice try.

Note: while there are overlaps with “raw” food diets and Paleo, most proponents of Paleo eating are okay with cooking your food. To take full advantage of this, surround your turkey with diced vegetables; the more the merrier!

Stuffing the Paleo Way

Stuffing is traditionally made with bread. Bread is traditionally made with flour, and flour is traditionally made from grains. This makes it a no-no when it comes to Paleo. But what’s Christmas without stuffing?

Probably possible, but we wouldn’t recommend it. Here’s a recipe from www.agirlworthsaving.net on how to make a cornbread stuffing … without the bread (hint – use coconut flour instead of regular flour).

Alternatively, skip the stuffing and go straight for the Sweet potatoes.

Sweet Potatoes However You Like Them

Some people might stop right here and wonder whether or not Sweet potatoes are on the Paleo menu. Personally, we think they should be – as they’re most definitely a root. In fact, if you really wanted to get down to brass tacks, all potatoes are Paleo in that they’re also roots. However, the cultivation of white potatoes as well as the difference in nutritional value (and a few other issues) makes them imperfect when it comes to the Paleo diet.

You’re welcome to do your own research regarding Sweet Potatoes and other types of potato in general. But for us, the risks outweigh the benefits. If you’re still on the fence, ask any weightlifter about sweet potatoes. They’re more than likely to tell you that they’re an excellent source of healthy carbs and many other nutrients – unlike the nearly-empty carbohydrates you’ll get from the regular old “Idaho” variety.

To stick with the general idea, though avoid things like sweet potato casserole and just bake or roast your potatoes. Roasted, mix them in with a big pan of baby carrots and diced onions. Delicious!

Green Beans, Squash & Raw Veggies

Another great form of Paleo nutrition and protein, Green Beans are especially easy to prepare if you don’t lump them into an unhealthy casserole. (Author’s note: Green Bean Casserole is delicious) Another great side to add color to your Paleo table is green and yellow squash. Just slice and cover in a microwave-safe bowl with a little black pepper on top.

As far as raw veggies go, you can always start with a bowl of salad before the main course and during the meal, put out a plate of raw, sliced tomatoes. Depending on how strict you’re being (if you’ve a large gathering, I don’t recommend forcing others to conform to your dietary quirks) you can add a little salt and pepper to your ‘maters – like my grandfather used to!

The other good news: Cranberries can be made into natural, Paleo or nearly-raw recipes, but there’s a whole lot of prep-time involved. You’re better off just opting for the “natural” cranberry sauce from your local natural foods store (and have a bowl of the can-shaped stuff ready for the kiddies).

Dessert

“Diet” and “Dessert” start with the same letter, but that’s about it. Mostly, this is because of the sugar. Some proponents of Paleo diets consider chocolate to be a Paleo-friendly food, others don’t. You can serve sliced dark chocolate, but that’s going to leave some of your guests feeling peckish.

For the truly serious and/or adventurous, offer sliced apples or pomegranates – they’re unbelievably nutritious and help with digestion as well. Or, alternatively, you can just ask other people to bring the dessert – after all, it’s not cheating if you didn’t make it yourself, right?

Have a Merry Christmas from all of us here at 4X Nutrition and Champion Naturals!

Til Next time,

Mikie

Weight Management Tips for the Holiday Feast-tivities!

Weight Management Tips for the Holiday Feast-tivities!

Alright, the holidays are quickly approaching and along with this time of year come, parties, big dinners and lots of tempting treats.  So here are a few of our favorite tips for surviving the holiday feasting season:

1. Try Using Light Alternatives:  Nowadays there are lots of good alternatives that are low-calorie, lower in carbs or lower in bad fats that taste very much like the original high-calorie version.  See if you can add a few of these items to your menu to help reduce the calorie content of some of your favorite foods like butter, whipped cream, sour cream.  In some cases you can blend things like Splenda (artificial sweetener) with real sugar to still make your baking sweet and tasty, but lighten the sugar/calorie content at the same time.
2.  Go For A Quick Walk:  On the days you are going to be feasting, take a walk in the morning and after the meal.  As you walk the increased oxygen, endorphin's and adrenaline will help digest the food and help you avoid the couch coma effect.
3. Go Outside and Play:  This one is much easier for us here in South Florida.  Many families in Florida plan beach time during the holidays, just remember to bring the Frisbee or football and make sure you get some activity involved with your beach outing.  Or take the kids to the park after a big meal, get some fresh air and have some fun!
4.  Chew Your Food Extra Well:  Your body is used to chewing a mouthful of food a specific number of times.  The more you chew, the less you are inclined to eat and your body will feel full sooner.  Plus, when you chew your food very well, it has time to interact with the digestive enzymes contained in saliva.  Once you do swallow, your body is better able to digest, process and eliminate your meal, allowing nutrients to be absorbed more efficiently.
5.  Drink Plenty of Water:  Water has no calories and helps you digest and process foods.  It will also make you feel fuller faster.  Drink a glass or two with the feast and it will interact with the fiber in your meal and make you feel full and satisfied faster.
6. Pay Attention to Your Body:  When you begin to feel uncomfortable, stop eating!  Many times the food just tastes so good that we go way beyond the point of comfort.  You feel full and sluggish and, of course, the natural progression of this leads to a couch and a long nap.  It all sounds so tempting, but remember, when you sleep, so does your metabolism. I call this the lips to hips condition. 

You can enjoy the holidays and still keep on top of your diet and at least maintain your body’s current condition and weight.  It is not as hard as it seems with these simple tips!  Our Certified Fitness Nutrition Specialists have lots of other great ideas for helping you get through the holiday season happy and healthy!

Til next time,

Mikie