Almonds: my weekend weapon

Happy Saturday!
If your willpower is wonky on the weekends, try my simple eat clean weekend tip: stash an Altoids tin full of almonds in your purse. The protein, fiber, and healthy fats content in a one ounce serving (about 23 almonds) will help ward off the urge to overeat those tempting weekend treats. (I’m looking at you macaroons!)
BONUS HEALTH BENEFIT: Research from the American Heart Association suggest that eating this amount of almonds every day for 30 days may help lower bad cholesterol (LDL) by about 4%.

How to eat to get fit

Recall those government food pyramid handouts you got in grade school? My mom had one posted on our fridge growing up. Having this quick reference looking back at me each time I went to the fridge made it easier for me to make healthier foods choices. Awhile back, we ran a story about food pyramids for women looking to build strength and muscle mass, and because of my love for visual reminders (thanks ma!), I have one of the images from that story tacked on my wall for reference. Thought I'd share it with you!

Calories for muscle

I’m freaking out! I have just one more month left to lean up for the company fitness challenge and my muscle development is less than impressive. My body fat is in check now but it’s crunch time for building a bit more mass. The clock’s ticking! So I sent off a frantic email to one of our fabulous nutrition writers, Tiffani Bachus (Pictured on right). Not only does she have a bomb body, Tiffani carries some serious fitness cred: she's a registered dietitian, a fitness competitor, and a mother of three to boot. Thought I’d share our conversation with you.

ME: Tiff, is there a simple formula I can use to calculate how many calories I need to build muscle?

TB: Hi Helen, I'm out and about today - no computer, so I'll type some info on my iPhone. Here are my general guidelines for women:

• For weight loss: 11 calories per pound of body weight
• For weight maintenance: 15 calories per pound
• For weight gain: a range of 17-20 calories per pound

I don't believe there is scientific evidence except SCAN recommends for building muscle – adding 200-500 calories extra. I always recommend the lower end (17 calories or an extra 200) for the first few weeks. This can be a challenge for some people because it really matters where those extra 200 calories are coming from.

ME: An extra meal? Yay! But I’m guessing it has to be clean, right? What do you suggest?

TB: Clean, of course! An extra 200 "clean" calories could be a turkey wrap (2 oz turkey, 1/8 avocado slice, one tomato slice, wrapped in a small whole wheat tortilla). That translates to approximately 14 grams of lean protein, 5 grams of healthy fat and 20 grams of carbohydrates. Oh and don't forget to about those pre and post workout meals. Eat approximately 10-20 grams of protein with a carbohydrate (10-15 grams is sufficient) 15-20 minutes before your strength training workout. Followed with a post-exercise snack 30 min to 1 hour after your workout.

ME: Thanks Tiff, super useful.

TB: I'm glad I can help you out! You got this win!! :) p.s. I’ve been boxing lately and it’s been doing wonder for my abs. I’m attaching a pic for you. [see above] I can’t wait to see your ripped abs!

Note to self: eat more (and take up boxing).

Pop a multi, eat the burger – right?

If you’re among the one-half of the adult population in North American that take dietary supplements every day, listen up.

An interesting study was just published in the journal Psychological Science that exposes an all-too-common relationship between multivitamin use and eating behavior. A Taiwanese scientist wanted to test if frequent use of dietary supplements had any influence on food decision-making after observing a colleague justify eating an unhealthy meal simply because he had taken a multivitamin earlier in the day.

Here’s what happened in his study:

Participants were divided into two groups. Group A was told to take a multivitamin and Group B was assigned a placebo. But what Group A didn’t know was that they were actually also consuming placebo pills. This duped group expressed less desire to exercise and more desire to overeat, citing that they felt okay with their decision because they had taken a multivitamin earlier.

We are constantly being told that dietary supplements are meant to complement a balanced diet, not make up for it. But what this study reveals is that people who pop supplements regularly may carry around a false sense of health protection that tends to lead them to make poor food choices.

It’s that “I can wolf down this Big Mac because I took my multi” mentality. I know a handful of people who operate this way, and admittedly, I too have been guilty of using multivitamins as a pig-out pass in the past.

Is this way of rationalizing unhealthy decisions more common than not?

Chime in!

Muffins for Memory and Muscle

I love experimenting with new recipes that use protein powder. And I have spent many Sunday evenings perfecting these suckers here.

These muffins deliver everything that I think any fitness-loving gal wants: muscle-building power, just enough sweetness, and a brain boost to boot. They’re perfect as pre-workout snacks. Give them a try and let me know what you think! Better yet, share your favorite clean muffin, cookie, or cake recipe with me – I’m on a baking roll right now.

Berry Protein Muffins
Ready in 30 minutes • Makes 12 muffins

2 cups frozen mixed berries
Wet ingredients:
2 eggs
¼ cup olive or canola oil
2/3 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup skim milk (set aside)
Dry ingredients:
1/2 cup chocolate soy protein powder
1 1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
1 cup rolled oats
¾ tsp sea salt
¾ tsp baking soda
3 tsp cinnamon
12 almonds (set aside)

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly spray a 12-pan muffin tin with oil.
2. Defrost berries in microwave. Set aside.
3. In a small mixing bowl, mix together wet ingredients thoroughly (except for milk).
4. In a large mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients (except for almonds).
5. Combine the wet ingredients into the dry mix bowl. Mix together with a wooden spoon. Stir in the thawed berries. Add milk to moisten the batter.
6. Spoon batter into muffin tins. Top each muffin with one almond. Bake for 25 minutes. Serve.

Nutrients per serving: Calories: 240, Total Fats: 7 g, Saturated Fat: 1 g, Trans Fat: 0 g, Cholesterol: 30 mg, Sodium: 340 mg, Total Carbohydrates: 32 g, Dietary Fiber: 4 g, Sugars: 12 g, Protein: 12 g, Iron: 3 mg

Fit Facts: Soy protein absorbs at a slow rate for sustained hunger control and muscle-building benefits. And recent research from Tufts University shows that the antioxidant compounds found in blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries help keep you sharp by turning on your brain’s housekeeping cells, which work to clean up toxic proteins that can mess with memory and mental function.

Celebrate the small stuff

This past Easter weekend, I conquered my fear of pushups.

And that’s no small feat for me! A month ago, I could barely muster out eight without feeling like throwing up.

It happened in my condo gym, with nobody in sight (I think every body left the city for the long weekend). I knew I wanted to work my arms but didn’t feel like hoisting the weights again. I was scratching my head for ideas when suddenly, I had a flashback: I heard the shrilling voice of my junior high school gym teacher, Mr. Howard, shout “drop and give me 20!”

Ok, Mr. Howard. I never liked you but here you go.

I grabbed a mat and flipped to the most cocky song on my iPod, and went for it.

Set #1
12 slow and steady reps
Paid close attention to my form in the mirror

Set #2
12 reps!
Form? Perfect
Took a short water break

Set #3
I wanted to challenge myself so I grabbed a stability ball and went into plank position.
Eked out 15 reps!
Muscles = Burning!

Set #4
16 reps, again on the ball. (The extra rep was for you, Howard.)
Gave myself a mental high five.

Lesson learned: Relish in the victory of every fitness milestone, no matter how small you think it is. Every small success will propel you towards your bigger goal. Now tell me about your most recent fit feat!

Eggs: Eat one every day

Want an energy upgrade? Consider switching your morning cereal to an omelet.

That’s what I’ve been doing for the past two months (because I’m loosely following the two-month abs diet plan that I mentioned in my last post, which starts your day off with 1 whole egg + 2 egg whites plus a mix of non starchy veggies), and let me tell you: I’ve got more zip than a Ziplock bag.

It must be all of those energizing vitamins (B12, folic acid, riboflavin), that high-quality protein (6 grams per egg) and those anti-inflammatory fats. Add the fiber from the veggies that I pack in (spinach, sprouts, tomatoes, chives) and you’ve got a recipe that’ll hold your hunger over until lunch.

What’s more, eggs are one of the few food sources that are replete with vitamin D, the rock star nutrient that has been shown to improve heart health, mental focus, and even your body’s ability to shed body fat and build lean muscle. There are few whole food sources of vit D and eggs are easily the cheapest and top sources of it. In fact, USDA scientists recently discovered that eggs have much more vit D than previously thought. The newly updated 2010 Dietary Guidelines note that today’s eggs have 64% more vitamin D and 14% less cholesterol than they did in 2002, thanks to improved breeding methods of hens over the decade.

(Finally, eggs have been ‘eggsonerated’ from their heart-wrecker rap!)

The consensus among nutrition experts is that active and healthy women should eat one whole egg per day; perhaps the revamped nutritional profile of eggs could change that recommendation to two a day in the future? Just a thought.

For now, if you’re not already eating a whole egg daily, get cracking.

FIT TIP: Treat your kids to a traditional egg hunt instead of giving them chocolate eggs this weekend. Then stash those colored eggs post-hunt in your fridge for quick protein snacks for the week ahead. Happy Easter!