Hello Gorgeous! Top Foods for Beautiful Skin!

Keep your friends guessing at how you stay so gorgeous by feeding your skin from the inside out with these top beauty-enhancing foods.

1. Strawberries

Strawberries are high in Vitamin C – a potent antioxidant and natural wrinkle fighter. Vitamin C protects your cells from free radical damage and is an important component in collagen – the molecule that makes our skin firmer, smoother, and younger looking.

One cup of strawberries is only about 45 calories but provides more than 100% of your daily value of vitamin C.

Other Vitamin C stars: Citrus fruits (such as oranges, grapefruit, lemons), kiwi, papaya, mango, red peppers, tomatoes, and surprisingly broccoli.

2. Salmon

Salmon is a great source of the healthy fats Omega-3 fatty acids. These fatty acids can’t be made by the body and must be taken in from food. Omega-3 fats help keep you keep you looking great as their anti-inflammatory properties fight wrinkling of the skin, help protect against sun damage, and support cell membranes to keep water and nutrients in.

Other Omega-3 stars: Other oily fish (such as tuna, sardines, and mackerel), flaxseeds, walnuts, canola oil, omega-3 enriched eggs, and soybeans.

3. Pumpkin

Pumpkin is high in the antioxidant beta carotene which is converted to vitamin A in the body. Vitamin A is important for healthy skin as it aids cell growth and helps to prevent premature aging from cell damage by neutralizing free radicals in the skin.

Other beta carotene powerhouses: Carrots, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, kale, and spinach.

4. Almonds

Almonds are a great source of the powerful antioxidant Vitamin E – another skin-saving vitamin that protects your cells against free radicals and sun damage.

Other Vitamin E sources: Wheat germ, sunflower seeds, and vegetables oils, such as sunflower and safflower.

5. Green Tea

Green tea is another superfood that helps fight fine lines and wrinkles as well as prevents skin cancer. The secret of green tea lies in the fact it is rich in polyphenols, especially epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). Polyphenols are substances found in many plants and gives some flowers, fruits, and vegetables their color but also have powerful antioxidant activity. Recent studies have shown that adding a generous squeeze of vitamin C packed citrus, such as lemon, to green tea helps to increase the absorption of these antioxidants in the body.

Become a Grocery Guru: Rate Your Receipt

Want a quick and easy way to see if you're making healthy choices at the grocery store? Rate your receipt. Here's a great tip from Prevention Magazine. Save your receipt from the grocery store. Get 3 highlighter pens - a blue, yellow, and pink one. Sit down with your receipt and mark it up as follows:

• Blue: For every fresh food you purchase (or frozen without extra sauces), such as fruits, veggies, fish, unsalted nuts and seeds, and lean meats (chic, turkey), use the blue highlighter.

• Yellow: Use the yellow highlighter to mark all those not-so-healthful packaged foods, such as cookies, crackers, chips, soda, etc...

• Pink: Use pink to highlight those better-for-you in-between foods: wholesome but packaged products such as Greek-style yogurt, brown rice, or whole grain crackers, bread or cereal.

Ideally at least 75% of your foods should be blue or pink. If not, take a look and see what you can change on your next visit so you have healthier choices available.

Is Brown Fat the Secret to Being Lean?

Oh brown fat - we hardly know you. We're all too familiar with white fat - the unwanted party guest that keeps showing up uninvited on our hips, thighs, stomach, arms, and butt. But brown fat is different. Though they share the same last name, brown fat is white fat's much cooler cousin. Instead of storing excess calories from food as "love handles" or the dreaded "muffin top," brown fat helps to burn incoming calories. How is this possible? Brown fat has a much different job than white fat.

The purpose of brown fat is to help regulate body temperature. Brown fat are specialized cells packed with mitochondria - the powerhouse of the cells. Instead of producing a high energy compound called ATP (adenosine triphosphate) to help keep us moving and shaking, brown fat cells instead burn through fuel (calories) to produce heat to help keep us warm. Brown fat is prevalent in infants and hibernating animals, which both need it to help stay warm in cold temperatures. It was previously thought that brown fat stores shrink as we age since we become more efficient at regulating our body temperature. However, recent studies indicate that adults actually retain a significant portion of brown fat in the neck area. (Sorry - there goes your excuse to act as immature as a baby or take the winter off to hibernate like a bear in your hopes of boosting your brown fat stores.)

Is there a way to harness of the power of brown fat to become a weight loss dynamo? Researchers at the Univeristy of Gothenburg in Sweden learned in experiments that exposing people to cold temperatures increased the activity of brown fat. Scientists estimate that 50 grams of brown fat could burn 20% of an average person's daily caloric intake - or about 400 calories of a 2000 calorie diet.

Now before you head off to your doctor asking for a pill or injection of brown fat or stand out in the cold shivering, it's important to keep in mind that the body is extremely efficient. A boost in calorie burning is often accompanied by a boost in appetite.

While researchers predict that real world interventions with brown fat are at least 5-10 years away, scientists also state that these treatments would only be effective when paired with changes in nutrition and exercise. (Oh snap - we still have to make lifestyle changes.) Brown fat - I guess we're still trying to get to know you.

Here are links to a few articles discussing the metabolic power of brown fat:

http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/04/10/brown.fat.obesity/index.html

http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1890175,00.html

http://www.latimes.com/features/health/la-he-brown-fat2-2009nov02,0,3235554.story

Have a "Souper" Weekend!

Now that the weather is turning colder, there is nothing like a nice bowl of hearty, hot soup to keep you warm and toasty. The weekends are a perfect time to plan ahead and make a double size portion so you have one to enjoy and one to freeze and have later. Soups are also an easy way to add more veggies in your diet. So turn on the big game and fire up the stove as you try out these recipes.

Quick Fall Minestrone Soup

Source: Cooking Light, October 2003

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups soup and 1 tablespoon cheese)

Ingredients
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
6 cups vegetable broth
2 1/2 cups (3/4-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash
2 1/2 cups (3/4-inch) cubed peeled baking potato
1 cup (1-inch) cut green beans (about 1/4 pound)
1/2 cup diced carrot
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 cups chopped kale
1/2 cup uncooked orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
1 (16-ounce) can cannellini beans or other white beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Preparation

Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté 2 1/2 minutes or until tender. Add broth and the next 7 ingredients (broth through salt); bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 3 minutes. Add kale, orzo, and beans; cook 5 minutes or until orzo is done and vegetables are tender. Sprinkle with cheese.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 212 (21% from fat)
Fat: 5g (sat 1.6g,mono 1g,poly 1.2g)
Protein: 9.6g
Carbohydrate: 36g
Fiber: 3.9g
Cholesterol: 5mg
Iron: 1.9mg
Sodium: 961mg
Calcium: 164mg

Broccoli Cheese Chowder

Source: Eating Well, Winter 2004

6 servings, 1 cup each
Active Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 large carrot, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 large potato, peeled and diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 14-ounce cans vegetable broth, or reduced-sodium chicken broth
8 ounces broccoli crowns, cut into 1-inch pieces, stems and florets separated
1 cup shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1/8 teaspoon salt

Preparation

1. Heat oil in a Dutch oven or large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot and celery; cook, stirring often, until the onion and celery soften, 5 to 6 minutes. Add potato and garlic; cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Stir in flour, dry mustard and cayenne; cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes.
2. Add broth and broccoli stems; bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to medium. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Stir in florets; simmer, covered, until the broccoli is tender, about 10 minutes more. Transfer 2 cups of the chowder to a bowl and mash; return to the pan.
3. Stir in Cheddar and sour cream; cook over medium heat, stirring, until the cheese is melted and the chowder is heated through, about 2 minutes. Season with salt.

Make Ahead Tip: Prepare through Step 2. Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 2 months.

Nutrition

Per serving: 205 calories; 9 g fat (4 g sat, 3 g mono); 21 mg cholesterol; 23 g carbohydrates; 9 g protein; 4 g fiber; 508 mg sodium; 436 mg potassium.

Top 15 Ways to Get Unhealthy & Be in the Worst Shape of Your Life

Now that I've got your attention, you're probably thinking "Mary has lost it and gone to the dark side." Not quite. A colleague of mine sent me a link to the website Sports Fitness Solutions. (Thanks Margie!) Check out this website as it has great strength & conditioning programs for a number of sports. I found this list in their blog and thought it would be a fun change of pace to hear all the top things to do to get unhealthy and as he puts it become a "physical mess." I'm enclosing this list here, but check out their blog for more interesting articles on fitness & motivation.

Top 15 Ways to Become Unhealthy & in the Worst Shape of Your Life

1. Eat two meals a day and make sure you skip breakfast totally. If you MUST eat breakfast for whatever reason, make sure you eat a lot of high sugar and high fat foods, such as sticky buns, French Toast, and Pancakes with syrup.

2. Make sure the two meals you eat are full of mostly sugar, and processed ingredients. If you need some help with this, eat lots of high sugary carbs that are found in packages.

3. Do your best to be as inactive as possible each day. If you work at a desk job, stay there as much as possible. Get rides to and from your destination and make sure you get a parking spot as close to your door as possible.

4. Eat very late at night, and be sure to eat only fatty foods that are filled with high amounts of saturated fat, sugar, and white flour. Make sure you more than you should, especially before you go to bed.

5. Drink a lot of alcohol each night. Beer, mixed drinks, whatever, just make sure it’s more than you need. Don’t ever just have a “few”…drink to excess. Always follow your alcoholic binging with the suggestions from number 4, above.

6. Never lift weights, stretch, or in any way get your heart rate up. That means no running, walking more than necessary, and no working out at all. EVER.

7. Do not listen to your body, when your body hurts, pay no attention to the pain, just push through it, and try not to do anything to make it better. Do nothing to correct it.

8. Watch a lot of TV. In fact spend all of your spare time watching TV or surfing the net. ALWAYS have some kind of fatty, high calorie snack with you while you are watching or surfing. Some great choices are cookies, M & M’s, chips, wings, and ice cream.

9. Drink everything except water. Make sure that all of your liquid intake, other than alcohol, are liquids that are loaded with sugar. Sodas are your best choice here.

10. DO NOT eat VEGGIES or Fruit. If you must eat fruit, make sure it comes in a can and is packed in syrup. If you must eat fresh fruit, make sure to dip it in chocolate, honey or some other kind of high sugar, high fat food. If you are forced to eat veggies, spread a ton of butter or cheese over them.

11. Smoke everyday, and smoke a lot. Fill your lungs with thick smoke as much as possible. If you can do this WHILE you are drinking alcohol, even better.

12. Stay up very late eating, and watching TV; and wake up early each morning. Make sure you are always tired and never get enough sleep.

13. Eliminate all fiber from your diet. If you eat mostly fatty processed foods, you should be good here.

14. Never wash your hands throughout the day. This goes for after you go to the bathroom too.

15. No vitamin or mineral supplements whatsoever. Don’t supplement your already crappy diet with anything that might help your health.


I hope you enjoyed this light-hearted look at the habits that make us unhealthy. If a number of these ring true for you, try to work on one item at a time to turn it around. And as always, I'm here to help.

Eat to Win: Your Nutrition Game Plan for "Stop-and-Go" Team Sports

"Today's preparation determines tomorrow's achievement." ~ Unknown

What happens when you sprint repeatedly during a basketball game, soccer match, or game of ice hockey? According to a study presented by Stuart M. Phillips of McMaster University at the 2008 Sport Nutrition Conference, you turn into an "endurance athlete." In other words, by the time you complete your "nth" sprint, you're burning carbohydrates (carbs) the same way a long distance runner burns fuel.

So what does this mean in terms of practical application?

When you're sprinting all out to make a play in the game, being adequately hydrated and having fuel in the form of carbs is crucial.

That brings me to the key principles of sports nutrition or what I call the "3 Fs":

• Fuel - before, during and after exercise
• Fluid - to stay hydrated and prevent a decrease in performance (See my blog entry on Fuel Like an Olympian for more info on hydration)
• Follow-up - what you're doing every day with your nutrition to maintain your competitive advantage

So let's take these "3 Fs" and break it down to see how they apply before, during, and after exercise to "stop-and-go" team sports such as basketball, soccer, or ice hockey.

Before Exercise

• Stay hydrated by drinking 2-3 cups of water or a sports drink 2-3 hours before practice or competition.
• Drink another cup (or about 8 gulps) during warm-up.
• Eat a high carb meal with some protein and a little bit of fat 2-4 hours before exercise so you're not going into exercise with the feeling of a heavy stomach. An example meal might be a grilled chicken breast (protein), large baked potato topped with broccoli (carb) and drizzled with olive oil (healthy fat), and fruit or low-fat frozen yogurt for dessert (carb).
• Top off your fuel stores 30-60 minutes before game time with another high carb snack such as a sports drink, sports or granola bar, crackers, bread or roll, fresh fruit or fruit juice, or cereal. Just keep in mind that you need to choose what works for you. While one player may be able to eat something solid, another player may only be able to tolerate liquids this close to the game.

During Exercise

• To stay in your "hydration zone," aim to drink at least 2-3 cups of water or a sports drink each hour.
• Taking in easily digestible carbs (about 30-60 grams per hour) during this time will also help delay fatigue. Examples include 3 cups of a sports drink, 2 sport gels or a sports bar. Again, choose what you enjoy and what your system tolerates. Practicing with difference choices during your training will help you figure out what works best for you.
• Aim to take in a liquid or solid high carb snack between periods or at halftime.
• It's also important to consume sports drinks or other products with sodium when exercising for more than 1 hour, especially when it is hot and humid.

After Exercise: Rehydrate, Refuel, and Recover

• Drink 2-3 cups of a sports drink or water for every pound you lost.
• Continue drinking until your urine looks like light lemonade instead of dark apple juice.
• Eat as soon as possible (ideally within 15-30 minutes). Aim for a high carb snack with a little protein such as chocolate milk and pretzels, cheese and crackers, sports bars, trail mix, cereal and milk, or a turkey sandwich. Eat and repeat every hour until your next meal.

Daily Follow-up: Set a Solid Foundation

• Stay hydrated by drinking fluids throughout the day. Get in the habit of drinking water as soon as you wake up in the morning.
• Keep your energy levels up by eating meals and snacks consistently throughout the day. Ideally you should be eating every 3-4 hours.
• Get a balance of nutrients. Focus on lean proteins (ex. chic, turkey, fish, beans, tofu), whole grain carbs (ex. Whole grain bread, pasta, cereal, brown rice), healthy fats (ex. olive oil, nuts & seeds, avocado), and fruits and veggies.

As addressed in the video from my post yesterday, the margin of victory gets smaller and smaller as you reach an elite level. Nutrition is a crucial tool that can help you compete at your best so you can make the winning shot.

Motivation Monday - Let's Turn Up the Heat!

I'm feeling like a Monday, but someday I'll be Saturday night.
-Bon Jovi

It's Monday afternoon, and you're back to the grind. You're sitting at your desk, maybe tied to your computer, as the afternoon slump hits. You want to put your head down and close your eyes - just for a minute. You start to contemplate getting a caffeine or sugar hit to get you through the rest of your day. You may be thinking about skipping your workout tonight. You're tired, it's chilly outside, and with the time change, it will be dark by 5:00 pm. You go to work in the dark and come home in the dark. You suddenly realize you have become the equivalent of a human mushroom, never seeing the sun. Your family room couch is calling your name and telling you: "You work too hard. Come home, relax and eat something tasty."

In the words of Cher in the movie Moonstruck: "Snap out of it."

Every day we have many choices to make - whether we exercise or not, what we decide to eat, and how we take care of ourselves. So here is a short motivational video titled "212 The Extra Degree" to help keep you going, serving as a reminder that it's your life and you are responsible for the results.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDgKdjf7M4I

Are you feeling pumped up now? Are you ready to attack your workout? Are you ready to release the hard core beast from within? Monday afternoon has got nothing on you.

Ah - now don't you feel better? Let me know what you think.