eating healthy

Holiday Stress 101: Stock Up on Superfoods

December 5, 2018 by Suzanne Costa Leave a Comment

It’s the holiday season and for many people that also means it’s the stressful season. Instead of sweating every little thing this year, try fighting off your holiday stress with these amazing, stress-fighting superfoods.

Avocado – they give you a burst of vitamin B, which will help to keep you alert and awake, while reducing anxiety.
Bananas – help to keep you energized and reduce your blood pressure.
Brown rice – complex carbohydrates (like those in rice) help to raise your body’s serotonin levels, without the carb crash that is typically associated with eating carbohydrates.
Dark chocolate – also increases the levels of serotonin in the body, giving you those feelings of joy and happiness.
Fish – the omega-3 fatty acids in fish help to lower adrenaline levels in the body, which can result in a calming effect in your mind and body.

Avoid Packing on the Pounds while on Vacation

September 11, 2018 by Suzanne Costa Leave a Comment

Sure everyone loves vacation, but no one loves coming back from vacation and stepping on the scale. Instead follow these steps to avoid putting on those extra pounds.

Book a hotel or condo with a kitchen, a mini-kitchen, or at least a small refrigerator. If you have a kitchen in your place you will be prone to eat a few meals in your place, which will be healthier than consistently eating out during your entire vacation. You can always choose to eat your breakfast and lunch in your room, then have your dinner out so that you can still enjoy some delicious vacation food.
Do some research about the restaurants and food options in the area where you are vacationing. If you know what restaurants and resorts offer healthier choices than others, then you can plan your meals out and not just choose the closest (and sometimes unhealthier) place when it is time to eat.
Pack some resistance bands in your suitcase for some easy exercises on the go. You can easily find some great resistance band workouts online and do them in the privacy of your room.
Change up your playlist. If you are working out while on vacation, choose an entirely different playlist or a different audio book to switch things up while you are away from your normal routine. This way you can still relax like you are on vacation, but still get in your workout… even if the only different thing is what’s coming through your headphones.
Don’t forget your sneakers… and you can do so by wearing them when you travel. Most people who don’t exercise on vacation say it’s because they forgot to pack their tennis shoes. If you are wearing your tennis shoes when you leave your house then you can’t use that as an excuse.
Work out first thing in the morning. One reason is that if you get up early and workout the rest of the day you are free to do whatever you please. Another reason is that you won’t affect anyone else’s schedule that may be on vacation with you if you get up first thing and get your daily workout in. You don’t have to try and fit in a full workout. Even 20 minutes of jogging, walking or doing yoga is better than doing nothing.

Food Hacks to Help with Pesky Issues

July 21, 2018 by Suzanne Costa Leave a Comment

No one ever wants to admit that their breath may not be the best smelling or that they are an insomniac… but they are both issues that many people have to deal with, among other pesky health problems.

Fortunately, there are some easy “food hacks” that will tackle bad breath and much more!

Food is your “best weapon” when it comes to helping your body deal with some of these not-so-pleasant situations.

Here are some foods that can help:

Have bad breath? Try eating some yogurt. According to experts, eating unsweetened yogurt can reduce the level of odor-causing hydrogen sulfide bacteria in your mouth. Good bacteria found in yogurt, like streptococcus thermophilus and lactobacillus bulgaricus, overpowered the hydrogen sulfide and helped lower levels by more than half – helping to eliminate the smelly mouth odor.

Can’t sleep? Try some kiwi.

Because of the high levels of antioxidants and serotonin in kiwi, many people with sleep disorders have found that eating kiwi one hour before bed will help with their insomnia. People with sleep disorders have increased levels of oxidative stress and low levels of serotonin can cause insomnia. Eating kiwi counteracts this process and can help people catch their ZZZZ’s.

Have a hard workout? Eat some ginger.

If you hit the gym pretty hard and are dealing with the after effects of a tough session, munch on some ginger. Eating just 2 grams of raw or heated ginger per day can reduce post-workout muscle soreness by 25 percent. Ginger contains anti-inflammatory compounds and oils called gingerols that contain painkilling and sedative effects in tests conducted.

Have acne? Indulge in some salmon.

Salmon is rich in omega-3 fatty acids which decreases inflammation. Studies show that inflammation is one of the underlying causes of acne and pimples.

Childhood Obesity 101: Monitoring Your Child’s Diet

May 4, 2018 by Suzanne Costa Leave a Comment

Childhood obesity is constantly on the rise, so as parents we need to be sure that we are always monitoring our children’s fat intake. In order to help your child maintain a healthy lifestyle, be sure to establish good eating habits like the following:

Children with a family history of cholesterol and heart disease should drink 2 percent milk.
After their 2^nd birthday, all kids should drink 1 percent milk.
Serve your child lean meats and fish.
Limit your child’s cheese intake.
Limit fruit juice intake to 4 to 6 ounces per day.
Offer low-fat snacks like yogurt, pretzels or fresh fruit.
Prepare foods using low-fat methods like broiling, steaming or roasting.

Food for Thought: Stop the Snacking

March 28, 2018 by Suzanne Costa Leave a Comment

Having a hard time dieting and resisting the urge to “snack” on everything you see? Most people struggle with this aspect of dieting the most, because in every social situation there seems to be food – in excess- and it’s usually unhealthy.

So if you are looking for a way to stop the snacking, perhaps you just need to do something to keep your mind off the fact that you are hungry.

Here are some tried and true suggestions of things that you can do to avoid eating between meals or ways to avoid grazing throughout the day.

When you get the urge to “snack” try these ideas instead…

Clean out the junk drawer.
Paint your nails.
Play a game on your phone.
Pin 10 things on Pinterest… or more!
Doodle.
Do one thing on your “To Do” list.
Work on a craft project.
Read a book or a magazine.
Do one of your Pinterest pins.
Write in a journal or on a blog.
Color in a coloring book.
Write a “To Do” List.
Catch up on emails.
Watch a movie.
Do a puzzle.
Do 50 jumping jacks.
Drink a full glass of water.
Brush your teeth.
Take a nap.
Organize/edit photos.
Clean out your closet.
Walk to the park.
Suck on a peppermint candy.
Read a food journal.
Do 25 crunches.
Create a mood diary.
Learn 10 Yoga moves.
Pin a new workout routine.
Work on a menu plan.
Chew some gum.
Drink a cup of tea.
Walk around the block.
Clean the toilets.
Write out 50 blessings.

Spotlight on: Carrots

March 6, 2018 by Suzanne Costa Leave a Comment

The beta-carotene in carrots is an antioxidant combating the free radicals that contribute to conditions like cancer, heart disease, and a few other conditions.
Cooking carrots actually raises the nutritional benefits of this great vegetable. By cooking them you free the beta-carotene from the fiber, thereby allowing your body to better absorb the beta-carotene.
If you eat just a half cup of carrots each day you will get more than the recommended dosage of beta-carotene in your diet.

Recipe: Creamy Carrot with Curry Soup

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 ½ pounds peeled carrots, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 large onion, diced
1 tablespoon butter
1 pinch salt
3 large garlic cloves, thickly sliced
2 tablespoons curry powder
3 cups chicken broth
1 ½ cups half-and-half (or whole milk)
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Garnish: Chopped pistachios

Heat oil in sauté pan until shimmering. Add carrots, then onion, sauté until golden brown (about 7 minutes). Reduce heat and add butter, sugar, and garlic; continue cooking about 10 minutes longer. Add curry and sauté a minute longer. Add broth and simmer. Reduce heat and simmer until carrots are soft, about 10 minutes. Using a blender, puree in a blender for about a minute. Return to pot and add enough half and half so the mixture is soup-like, yet thick enough to float the pistachio garnish. Add salt and pepper as needed.

Recipe: Banana Zucchini Carrot Bread

2 cups flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 extra large egg
1 cup sugar
3 medium bananas
1 cup chopped zucchini
½ cup grated carrots
1/3 cup butter
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 dash salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter and pour into large bowl. Add bananas and mash. Add grated zucchini and shredded carrots. Mix well. Add sugar, vanilla and beaten egg. Sprinkle in baking soda and salt, and mix. Add flour and mix well. Pour in 4×8 loaf pan to two large muffin pans. (Yields one loaf or 12 large muffins.) Bake loaf for 60 to 75 minutes. Bake muffins for approximately 20 to 30 minutes. Let cool and serve.