To Drink Skinny, Is To Be Skinny

Now here's the million dollar question and one I get asked very often.....How can I enjoy my nights out and still manage to look great? I want to go out with my friends on Saturday night but don't want to feel bloated and horrible the next morning....what do I do and what should I drink?

So here are some tips and tools I use when I go out.  I feel that I have managed to find a happy medium between enjoying what I am drinking (I mean honestly...who wants to dilute their wine with a spritzer??????), while cutting down on the unnecessary calories, and still being able to go to yoga the next day.  But let me add a disclaimer saying that sometimes the rules get broken and I succumb to the yummy margaritas at my favorite Mexican restaurant. If this happens, just pick yourself up the next day and promise yourself it will only be vodka sodas the next time you go out!!!

1.  "The Clearer The Better" - You know the drinks you see that are all the colors of the rainbow?  Yeah..stay away from those.  Take for instance a Mai Tai - it's colorful and they always add a little umbrella to make you feel that you aren't drinking in a dive bar next to a busy freeway. Well you are and that "fun" drink is going to cost you around 500 calories (give or take 100 calories).  And one is never enough, my friends.  So you leave the bar feeling good, only to realize you aren't in Hawaii and you have just consumed around 1500 calories. UGGHHH!  Sugar is the devil when it comes to combining it with alcohol.  It speeds up the absorption of the alcohol and makes the drink so much easier going down.  Stick with clear liquor (vodka, gin, silver tequila) and add club soda or a diet soda that you enjoy.  Flavored vodkas are great with club soda and then add some fresh limes or lemons.  This will run you about 100 calories per drink.  Big difference and you will also avoid the unknown sugars in the mixers!!!!  If you are even more daring, have your liquor on the rocks.  It will take you a little longer to drink it, minimizing your calories, and your bar bill!

2.  "99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall" - Beer is made with yeast so it's kinda like drinking liquid bread.  Not to mention, beer has gluten in it (from the barley) so if you follow a gluten-free diet, stay away!  But everyone loves a beer once in awhile, so if you do, stick to the light versions of your favorite brand.  There are some new beers out there that are about 90 calories.  Those are good choices.  Try not to drink the entire 6-pack.

3.  "Wine-O" - I love wine.  Love, love, love it!!!  But drinking a bottle of Chardonnay nowadays is so not a good idea...for the mind, body or pounding headache you will have the next morning.  White and Red wine will run you about 120-150 calories for 5 ounces.  I find that most bars give you a really healthy pour so you may be consuming more calories than that.  It's also very high in sugar and goes down so easily.  Keep yourself in check and don't drink with abandon!

4.  "H2OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO" - Water is your best friend on nights out.  Drink it.  And drink a lot of it.  I know people say to have a glass of water in between each drink but honestly, who does that?  I think I tried it once and it was boring (I know, I know...I need to take my own advice and I am trying!).  But if you can do it, it will keep you hydrated and will help you maintain that low-level buzz for a longer period of time.  If you skipped it at the bar, make sure to drink plenty of water when you get home.  Alcohol relaxes your bladder, increasing the need to run to the bathroom, so you will want to replace all of the fluids that you lost.  It will also help flush out the toxins from your body, possibly decreasing that hangover the next day.

5.  "The Energizer Bunny" - Don't mix the highly caffeinated energy drinks with alcohol.  Vodka Red Bulls were so 2006.  Alcohol is a depressant, caffeine is an upper - not a good mix.  Furthermore, caffeine is a diuretic - which means it increases your need to pee.  But so does alcohol.  Now you have doubled the effects of dehydration.  No good.

6.  "Munchies" - Having the munchies after returning home from a fun night out is a given.  Just stay away from Jack in the Box, Pizza Hut, McD's, and any of the other crap that's open at 2 am.  If you gotta have fast food, try to get something healthy.  Don't overload your body with greasy, salty, fatty foods.  You are just going to feel worse in the morning.  If you want fries, get a small fry.  Just don't get the double-double and milkshake too.

Remember - alcohol is metabolized and stored the same way as fat.  Compromise with yourself.  If you know you are going out that night, have a healthy, well-balanced meal beforehand.  Lean protein, veggies, whole grains.  Drink water and drink it often (myself included).  And, of course, ALWAYS have a DD.

Cheers!

Jill

Drink That Water

Water....it's a precious commodity.  And our bodies could not live without it.  I am sure you have always read or heard that you should drink 8-8 ounce glasses of water per day.  So that's 64 ounces of water which is a little less than 2 liters.  At the same time, that can seem like a very daunting amount of fluid to consume throughout the day.  I get it...you don't always want to be running to the bathroom!  This recommendation also includes other drinks and foods that you consume and don't even realize you are adding to your "water bank".  Oranges, cucumbers, and watermelon have a very high water content so eating an orange can satisfy a small portion of those 2 liters.

The Institute of Medicine recommends that men consume about 3 liters of beverages per day and women need about 2.2 liters of beverages per day.  But since everyone's needs are different, a good rule of thumb is 1/2 ounce to 1 ounce of water per pound, per day.  So for 130 lb. woman, she would need to consume about 130 ounces of water which is around 3.8 liters.  Maybe that's a little high for you so drop it down to 1/2 ounce. 

You definitely need to make sure to increase this amount if you are exercising and expending a lot of energy.  When I go to the gym, I normally drink about 32 ounces of water during my workout.  I also notice that very few people take quick "water breaks" during my exercise classes.  Maybe people think it makes them look weak - like if they don't drink water they are much stronger than everyone else.  I think its so bizarre.  You NEED to replace the water and electrolytes you have lost to help your body to continue performing optimally.  So don't be embarrassed to drink water every moment that you get!!!

To spice up the sometimes very boring taste (or lack thereof) of water, add lemon.  Or any other type of fruit that you like.  I love making Spa Water.  Just add cut cucumbers, oranges, strawberries, limes, lemons, watermelon, and/or mint.  Let the water sit for an hour or so which allows the flavors of the fruit to saturate the water and TA DA.....you have some awesome tasting water!  It's also great to put out for a party.  Buy one of those cute water dispensers from Bed Bath and Beyond, design your very own Spa water, and I promise, your guests will love it.  Besides, it cuts back on tons of half-drank water bottles and of course, lots of trash, sitting around during your party.

Cheers!

Jill

Vitamin C

I have a big presentation next week on Vitamin C in my Advanced MicroNutrient class.  I figured since I was doing so much research regarding this essential nutrient, I thought I would share some of my information!

Vitamin C is abundant in many fruits and vegetables such as oranges, strawberries, kiwi, guava, red & yellow peppers, broccoli, kale, cantaloupe, brussels sprouts, and grapefruit.  There are plenty more fruits and vegetables that contain good amounts of Vitamin C but these are excellent sources.  The average adult needs about 75-90 mg/day.  And let me tell you...that is a VERY easy amount to consume in a day.  A 1/2 cup of red peppers provides you with 142 mg of Vitamin C - that's more than the Recommended Daily Allowance.  But not to worry.  If you are consuming whole food products with high levels of Vitamin C, you won't reach toxic levels in your body due to the water-soluble characteristics of the vitamin.  That means you are more or less going to pee out the Vitamin C that you don't absorb.  Your body is an incredible regulator of such nutrients and will get rid of what it doesn't need or what it has too much of.  So if you eat 5 oranges in a day, your body is going to use and absorb the necessary amount of Vitamin C and then excrete the rest.  

It's important to know that most of Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid) in vegetables is destroyed in the cooking process.  I mentioned that Vitamin C is water-soluble therefore it is easily oxidized by heat (destroyed) and is normally extracted and then discarded after cooking.  And boiling is the worst cooking method for vegetables, especially broccoli, because we normally use a lot of water to boil and then leave the broccoli in the water for too long, ultimately eating a vegetable without the nutrients we were striving for in the first place. 

Here are some tips for preserving the Ascorbic Acid in your fruits and veggies!

• Eat raw fruits and vegetables whenever possible
• If you are going to cook your vegetables, microwave steaming in a small amount of water is your best option.  If you boil, add very little water and only keep your vegetables in there for a few minutes.
• Store fruits and veggies in an airtight container in your fridge.
• Frozen fruits and vegetables sometimes contain more nutrients than fresh produce.  They are often flash-frozen at the source of harvest, sealing in all the important nutrients which are sometime lost in the transportation process of fresh produce.

I also did a lot of research on using Vitamin C as a method to cure the common cold.  Everything that I found said it's a bunch of hogwash.  Sure, increase your fruit and vegetable consumption during the cold and flu season because Vitamin C will help boost your immunity.  But don't waste your money on Vitamin C supplements at the onset of a cold.  It has more of a placebo effect than anything.  Just consume 5-9 servings of fruits and veggies per day and drink lots of water!  :)

Now go eat some Vitamin C!!!

Jill

Snack Time!

Everyone has heard that you should eat 5 small meals a day.  And if you haven't heard it, then there you go.  Eating frequently throughout the day keeps your blood glucose levels stable, your metabolism burning, and decreases the urges to become ravenous the next time you sit down for a meal.  There have been plenty of times that I forgo my snack before dinner and end up consuming an EXCESSIVE amount of food (or become real good friends with the bread basket).  The times that I do make sure to have a snack in between lunch and dinner (closer to the time that I will be eating dinner), I make good choices and eat the right portions.  But hey...sometimes we blow it and that's OK!

The question I get a lot is "what type of snack can I have that is healthy, low in calories and of course, tasty"????  As I posted in my previous blog, you want to make sure that your snacks stay in the range of about 100-150 calories.  I would recommend that you have a snack in between breakfast and lunch, lunch and dinner, and if you eat dinner relatively early, have something an hour or so before bedtime (if you need it).

Here are some of my great snack options!

• Small piece of fresh fruit - apple, orange, pear, peach, nectarine, 1/2 grapefruit, 1/2 banana, 1/2 cup mixed berries, 1/2 papaya or mango
• Low-fat Laughing Cow Cheese Wedge (any flavor) with Savory Thin Rice Crackers (Trader Joe's)
• Hummus with veggies of your choice (baby carrots, cucumber, celery, cherry tomatoes)
• Low-fat String Cheese with Pita Crisps
• 1/2 nutrition bar - Lara bar, Kashi TLC bar, Kind bar, Luna bar, Think Thin bar
• Nuts (Unsalted, Dry Roasted) - Pistachios, Almonds, Walnuts
• Low-sugar yogurt (Greek yogurt is the best!) and 1 Tbsp Bare Naked Granola
• Dried fruit (apple, apricot)
• Whole Wheat or Honey Wheat pretzels (Paul Newman) w/ 1 Tbsp Sunflower Butter (Trader Joe's)
• Low-fat cottage cheese with baked chips 
• Light popcorn or Pirate's Booty
• Raw veggies with light ranch dressing
• Corn tortilla chips with salsa
• Small frozen yogurt (no topping!)
• 1 small box raisins
• Fruit leather (Trader Joe's)

Make sure to look at the serving sizes when putting together your snack.

If you have any great snack ideas, feel free to post them!  I always love new ideas.

Jill

Losing the lbs

Did you know that 1 pound of body fat is approximately equal to 3500 calories?  While that seems like an outrageously large number, the over-consumption of high caloric foods and large portion sizes makes it a fairly easy number to get to.  Often.  Of course take into consideration the calories you burn throughout the day, especially if you are frequently exercising.

If you are looking to lose about 1 lb per week, you would have to have a deficit (more calories burned that taken in) of about 500 calories per day.  For 2 lbs per week, it would be 1000 calories.  Losing 1-2 pounds a week is a healthy goal.

I don't believe in being so stringent about counting calories but I definitely think that being aware of the amount of calories you are consuming per day is important to losing and maintaining a healthy weight. 

Here are some tips..

• Always read the food label and understand the serving size related to the amount of calories in each serving.  A lot of bottled beverages contain 2 servings for the entire drink so make sure you are aware if the calories are accounting for the entire drink or just 1 serving.  
• Keep your snacks throughout the day to 100-150 calories each.  If you like the 100-calorie snack packs, remember to only eat 1!!!!  Recent studies have shown that people are consuming a couple of the packs, totally defeating the purpose!
• Most chain restaurants offer all of the nutrition information for their menus.  Read it and use it.  Meals you "thought" were healthy like a Cobb salad, are in fact, chock full of calories and fat.
• Don't always rely on the "burned calories" information displayed on exercise machines.  It's a very vague estimation that skews high.
• Try not to reward yourself with high caloric foods after a good workout.  Just because you did an hour of kickboxing does not mean you can get the fries at In and Out.  Have one cheat day a week and enjoy it!!!

I also want to address the dreaded SCALE.  Numbers are evil.  And they play mind-games on us.  When you start losing weight, it's always great to see the numbers go down on the scale.  But if one day the numbers are higher than they were the day before, it can be so discouraging.  I think the best measure of weight loss is how you look naked in the mirror and how your clothes are fitting.  When my favorite jeans start to get snug, I know I need to dial in my eating and exercising.  I just don't rely on the numbers.....

In health and happiness,

Jill