Asian Pear and Pecan Waldorf Salad

If you are like me you love salads, but get tired of the same old boring one all of the time.  Try this fresh, healthier version of a Waldorf salad to mix up your salad routine.

Asian Pear and Pecan Waldorf Salad
Makes 4 servings
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: None

1/2 cup reduced fat mayonnaise
3 T nonfat plain Greek yogurt
3 T freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 T chopped fresh chives
1 large Asian pear, cored and cubed
2 cups chopped Romaine lettuce
5 celery stalks, chopped
1 cup seedless red grapes, halved
1 cup lightly toasted pecan halves

In a large bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, yogurt, lemon juice, mustard, salt, pepper and chives.  Add pear, lettuce, celery, grapes and pecans to bowl and toss to coat. 

Nutrition facts per serving: 301 calories, 5 g protein, 20 g carbs, 2.5 g fat, 6 g fiber

Foods That Speed Up Your Metabolism

Here are some additional foods to add in to your diet to help speed up that metabolism.  Pick a new food off the list that you haven't tried before to add in or just pick one new food a week to add in to your diet. 

Green Tea
Coffee
Turkey
Jalapenos
Soymilk
Cinnamon
Oranges
Pears
Chillies
Potatoes
Soup-broth based
Cocoa
Blueberries
Flax
Sweet Potato
Avocado
Egg Whites
Ginger
Brussel Sprouts
Olive Oil
Fish
Cottage Cheese

Metabolism Boosting Foods

Eating some of these foods throughout the day will help keep your metabolism reved up!  See how many of these you can add into your diet everyday...you may already be eating a lot of them. And there may be some that surprise you!

Almonds
Apples
Asparagus
Beans
Berries
Broccoli
Cabbage
Carrots
Celery
Cucumber
Curry
Eggs
Garlic
Grapefruit
Lemons
Limes
Oats
Oranges
Peanut Butter
Spicy Peppers
Spinach
Tomatoes
Yogurt

A great way to get a lot of these foods into your diet is in a smoothie or green drink.  Make one up for breakfast and your day and your metabolism are off to a great start.  Put yogurt, spinach, berries, almond milk and oats in a blender and blend until smooth.  You can add some ice in before you blend it up to make it a little icy.  It tastes delicious and is very good for you!

Metabolism-The Basics

What is metabolism?  It is the rate at which you burn the calories you consume. 

• Any movement you make speeds up metabolism, including fidgeting. 
• Every increase in body temperature increases your metabolism by 14%.
• Eating protein seems to do the same thing.
• When you sleep, your metabolic rate decreases by 10%.
• When you fast for more than 12 hours your metabolic rate decreases by 40%.
• Some of your metabolism is genetic.
• Adequate sleep helps regulate your metabolism.
• You can control your metabolic rate by exercising, eating steadily throughout the day and staying hydrated.

Is This Habit Making You Fat?

Studies show that whenever you eat with other people, you lose track of how much you're eating. You are likely to eat about 35% more than you would with just one other person. When you eat with four you eat about 75% more, and with seven or more you eat about 96% more than if you were eating alone.

Over a years time you can count on that adding up to about 20 pounds of weight gain a year.

Try these two ideas:

Don't give up your social life to fix this. Just be mindful and don't be the fastest eater at the table. Pace yourself with the slowest eater, and try to be the last person to start eating.

Plan other things to do with friends and family besides just eat. If your plans do involve eating, be sure to include a physical activity such as a walk afterward.

Low Cal High Flavor Protein Side Dish

Protein is essential to weight-loss, and Quinoa is a very easy way to add more into your diet.

When cooked plain according to package directions, I love it cooked and sprinkled on any salad, in soups, and just plain with rice vinegar on. I have also added it onto my bowl of granola in the morning, with my yogurt and fruit too! 

To add more flavor to the quinoa, try toasting it a few minutes in the oven as you would sesame seeds, then cook as per the package instructions, which are just like cooking rice.

 

Cilantro Lime Quinoa

Yield: Serves 4

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

This easy and 

         Cilantro Lime Quinoa goes great with any Mexican meal.

Ingredients:

2 cups vegetable broth
1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 teaspoon granulated sugar
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. In a large pot, bring the 2 cups of vegetable broth to a boil. Stir in quinoa and cook until broth is evaporated and quinoa is tender, about 20 minutes. Pour quinoa into a medium bowl and fluff with a fork.
2. Stir in garlic, lime juice, cilantro, and sugar. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve warm.

Serve with a grilled chicken breast for a complete meal.

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Are You a Low Fat Label Lover?

An incredible fact since the cut down on fat craziness began, (can you believe it has been about 30 years??!!), is that obesity has almost doubled in America.


Many factors are at play in this health crisis, but what many people don't realize is that "fat-free" doesn't mean low in calories. Many times to make up for the lack in flavor, manufacturers tend to add more sugar, flour, and thickeners to fat-free products, which boosts that calorie content. T The fats in these foods are replaced with lo-performing white carbs that digest quickly and are rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream. This causes the classic sugar high and crash followed by a hunger rebound.

Another issue with eating low fat label foods is that they are sometimes seen as "green light" foods that are not much lower in calories than their regular versions.

Best to eat small amounts of healthier foods, than choose the low fat version of "iffy" foods, which we nearly always overeat on.