Avocado Milk Juice Drink

A creamy and refreshing drink.

What you will need:   
An avocado
200ml fresh milk
10ml honey
10ml lemon juice

Method
1. Rinse avocado, cut it and remove pit.
2. Use spoon to scoop out the flesh
3. Add milk and avocado pieces into juicer and blend. Ensure they are mixed well
4. Add lemon juice and honey with ice before serving

Benefits:
Avocado contains fats, potassium, vitamins and minerals. The fat in avacodo is monosaturated, therefore it does not clog our arteries. In fact, avocados prevent the hardening of our arteries and also reduces high blood pressure. Fats in avocado provide us with energy too!

Milk is also a good source of calcium that gives us strong bones and teeth. It also makes the drink more creamy.

Tips:
When choosing avocados, squeeze the avocado a little. The avocado should feel firm and not mushy soft.

Take note:
Lemon juice contains enzymes that help break down the fats in the avocado, which will make digestion of the drink easier! Lemon juice also has high vitamin C content to ensure the drink is full of nutrients!

Enjoy!

What to Choose at the Grocery Store?

Over the weekend I did a Facebook post that included a picture of items that I picked up at the grocery store. It was cool to see what my friends comments were! The posts inspired me to write these tips to help you with your next shopping trip... 1. Make a list! Without a list in the grocery store, it's nearly impossible to leave the store with everything you need. 2. Try something new! There are so many awesome food choices at the grocery store, there is no need to feel bored or tired of what you're eating. Every trip, seek out something new! A new product I tried this week is a spaghetti sauce called Dave's Gourmet! (I'll report back on how it tastes) 3. Fill up on nutrient rich foods! Start filling your basket with mostly nutrient rich foods like: fruits, vegetables, low fat milk & yogurt, lean meat/ poultry/ fish, whole grain breads, whole grain cereals. This will help you to leave the store with the base of a healthy eating plan. 4. Splurge! Pick one item as a "splurge" like cookies, chips, ice cream and have that on hand to satisfy your cravings throughout the week. Believe it or not, if you plan in a splurge most everyday you're more likely to keep your portions in check! Pick up a copy of my book, The Skinny Rules for more simple strategies for cooking, shopping, and fitness too!

What is in a dietitian's refrigerator?

Blueberries, peaches, asparagus, onions, avocado, yogurt, fat free milk, whole milk, 100 percent OJ, whole wheat bread, yogurt squeeze tubes, coconut water, minced garlic, peanut butter, almond butter, left over tuna, salsa... those are a few of the items in my refrigerator. So many times people wonder what foods I keep in the refrigerator so I thought I would share a sampling. Lucky for me I have husband and two little guys who enjoy eating healthy too! If you are trying to improve your health, take a good luck at what foods you keep on hand and try every shopping trip to 'health it up'. What do I mean by that? Swap out a less healthful item for a better choice. Every little change helps!

skinny version of mornay sauce

Tonight I made a skinny version of Mornay sauce.This tasty recipe invention is thanks to my husband! He's great at adding new flavors to old recipes. Someday maybe it will be on the menu at his restaurant? The skinny version has less cheese, less butter, than traditional Mornay sauce recipes and I made it with low fat milk. It was YUM! Here's the recipe:

Sun Dried Tomato Mornay Sauce
Ingredients:
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups fat free or low fat milk
dash of salt (optional)
1 ounce of grated Parmesan cheese
3 ounces sun dried tomatoes

Directions:
In a medium sauce pan, melt the butter. Once the butter it melted, add the flour and mix well.

Add the milk and whisk. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring frequently.

Once it comes to a boil, let it bubble one minute more, so it thickens.

Then stir in the cheese and tomatoes.

Serve over grilled chicken breasts! YUM!

Should All Athletes Eat Like Michael Phelps?

Are you enjoying watching Michael Phelps sweeping up more Olympic gold medals? I surely am! He's an amazing athlete. Although, as a Registered Dietitian, I was shocked to see what he eats! NBC even interviewed a chef/ owner from a local diner where he always hangs out. Greasy sandwiches, loads and loads of food, all totaling about 9,000+ calories per day. Pretty amazing and of course, his body definitely needs that much energy to fuel all of the exercise his 6 foot something body does everyday!

To put it in perspective, an average 160# person would have to swim about 15 hours to burn 9,000 or so calories! So in other words.... even if you're an athlete, don't start eating like Michael Phelps. In fact, I think he needs to work a Registered Dietitian :) To check out how many calories you do based on various activities, click here.

Tip of the day for athletes: refuel your muscles within 1 - 2 hours after a workout with carbs & protein. For example: a glass of chocolate milk (low fat) or a PB & J sandwich on whole grain bread and some plain old water too!

McDonalds, The Official Restaurant of the Olymics

While my husband and I were enjoying watching the Olympics, I was horrified to see the McDonald's commercial, touting... McDonald's, the official restaurant of the Olympics! Athletes were snacking on french fries! YIKES! Now, I do think there are healthy/healthier choices on the menu at McDonald's (e.g. apple slices, salads, yogurt parfaits, low fat milk) but showing athletes snacking on french fries?! Very disappointing to say the least. Next time you're at McDonald's or anyother fast food place, checkout the variety of great options they're offering and try one! Like the low fat milk with your meal.

If trends continue & 5 simple steps to reverse the trend

If trends of past 3 decades continue, every American adult could be at least mildly overweight by 2048, according to a study in the journal of Obesity. What's even more scary is that the study predicts that health care costs related to excess pounds could reach $957 billion by 2030. YIKES!
Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26058862/

Enough doom and gloom! Here are 5 simple steps to reverse the trend:
1. Have a glass of fat free or low fat milk at every meal! (just 8-ounces will do)
2. Snack on fresh produce like: apples, bananas, carrots, (my favorite) mango, or cucumbers!
3. Sip mostly water all day!
4. Have dinner together as a family, even if it's something quick like PB & J (on whole wheat bread), carrots, & fruit salad! (Don't forget step #1, see above)
5. Get MOVING! Do sit ups or leg lunges during tv commercials, go for a walk, take a bike ride... no excuses!

New Study: It's Not Too Late... Kids Bones Can Get Stronger

Only 3 out of 10 body and 1 out of 10 girls consume the amount of calcium their body needs to build strong. Good news from a new study in the August issue of the journal Bone, found that children who were not consuming enough calcium, when they started consuming calcium, they had a substantial increase in their bone mineral content (a marker for bone strength in children). That's GREAT news! This proves, that it's never too late to build bones. Parents, here's a few ideas to try: have a glass of milk with every meal! This is a simple step will ensure your child is getting their needed 3 servings per day. DRINK UP!