Body Beats

Got sore muscles? This could be caused by inflammation in your muscles after an intense workout. A study in the Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine found that taking 1.8 grams of fish oil may help ease this muscle pain. Just 3 ounces of salmon contains enough anti-inflammatory powers from omega 3 fatty acids (found in fish oils) to help ease post workout pain.

Need a quick and easy salmon recipe?

Sprinkle salt and pepper with the squeeze of a lemon over a 5 ounce salmon steak and toss it on the grill for 5 minutes each side. Top with a delicious mango salsa and serve with steamed broccoli and brown rice for a great post workout meal!

My favorite snack at the moment is my Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwich. It gives me energy for at least 1 1/2 hours to carry me between breakfast and lunch…usually pre-workout.

Peanut Butter & Banana Sandwich

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. of Peanut Butter & Co Smooth Operator No Stir All Natural Peanut Butter
1/2 Banana, sliced
1 Arnold Select 100 Calorie, 100% Whole Wheat Sandwich Thins Roll

Directions:
Toast the Arnold bread
Spread the tablespoon of peanut butter on both sides of the sandwich
Slice the 1/2 banana onto one side of the bread and put the two bread pieces together
Eat & enjoy!

Nutrition Information:
140 calories
8g fat (*healthy fats :)
26g carbs
6.5g protein
8.5g sugar (6grams comes from the banana)
5 fiber

I’m not a fan of almond butter and it’s hard to find natural peanut butter that tastes good. But Peanut Butter & Co.‘s Smooth Operator natural peanut butter tastes great! It contains a bit of palm oil to keep the peanut oil from separating and they’ve added cane juice to make it sweet….so it tastes more like the stuff from your child-hood but without the hydrogenated oils, sugar, or high fructose corn syrup! And the Arnold whole wheat sandwich rolls are used for everything in my house from egg white breakfast sandwiches, to chicken burgers, to this peanut butter and banana sandwich. This product is always on my grocery list.

Super Bowl Sunday is this weekend and with that, comes cheesy, greasy, fried temptations. I believe in treating yourself and including some indulgences with food, but there’s enough calories and fat displayed on most Super Bowl party tables to crash even the most deserving of diets. If you’re hosting a party this weekend, show your friends and family some healthier, leaner options instead of the resolution stomping traditional snacks.

Instead of Cheese Dip, try:
Avocado and Cherry Tomato Salsa
Toss all the below ingredients into a bowl and serve with backed tortilla chips or bake your own using whole wheat pita bread!

• 3/4 cup thawed, frozen corn
• 1/2 cup quartered grape tomatoes
• 1 medium avocado, diced
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 teaspoons lime juice
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  
  

Instead of Loaded Potato Skins, try:
Baked Sweet Potato Steak Fries
Preheat your oven to 400°. Toss the sliced sweet potatoes in the olive oil, place on a large baking pan and sprinkle with seasoning. Bake for 30 minutes or until soft on the inside and crisp around the edges.

• 4 medium sweet potatoes, washed and sliced into 1/4 inch strips
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2-2 tsp. salt-free Cajun Creole seasoning
  
  

Instead of Buffalo Hot Wings, try:
Buffalo Chicken Skewers
Combine the chicken broth and hot sauce to use as a marinade for your chicken tenders. After marinating, place the tenders on skewers. (If you’re using wooden skewers, soak the skewers in water first.) Place the chicken skewers on your grill, then coat them with more of the broth and sauce mixture when they’re done. Serve with celery sticks and low fat/low calorie blue cheese dip. Yes…blue cheese dip. After all, we saved on the fried wings and buttery sauce!

• 1 pound of chicken tenders
• 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup 99% fat-free chicken broth
• 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup hot sauce like Frank’s RedHot (use more or less depending on the size of the chicken and how saucy you like it.)

Thanksgiving is right around the corner which means time with family, time to give thanks, and time for every media outlet telling you how many calories you’ll consume and how many extra lbs you’ll put on simply by this one day’s feast. Thanksgiving gets a bad rap. Think about it. The Thanksgiving mascot and main course is one of the healthiest animal foods you can eat with only 120 calories for a 3oz portion of turkey breast w/ the fat removed. So the culprit for all the extra calories comes down to the side dishes (evil casseroles), desserts (who doesn’t love pecan pie?) and portions (does anyone really only eat one portion of anything on Thanksgiving?).

Let’s focus on my favorite side dish….stuffing. Traditional stuffings are usually made with nutrient lacking white bread, calorie rich eggs and butter, and baked inside the turkey, soaking up all the extra calories and fat. In fact, the average single serving of stuffing can contain as much as 400 calories! Fortunately all of these unhealthy ingredients can be replaced with more healthy and flavorful ingredients so you can feel less guilty about indulging in this delicious turkey day staple.

I prepared this healthier version of stuffing when I hosted Thanksgiving at my house and it did not disappoint.

Whole Wheat Cranberry Orange Stuffing

Ingredients
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 ribs of celery, with the leafy greens, chopped
1 medium sized onion chopped
10 slices whole wheat bread, toasted and cut into cubes
2 tablespoons of chopped fresh thyme leaves, a few sprigs, stems removed
1 teaspoon dried tarragon
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup chopped fresh cranberries
1 medium sized apple chopped
2 tablespoons of orange zest (or the zest of 1 orange)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 F.

In a large skillet, heat the chicken broth over medium heat. Add the celery and onions to the skillet, season with salt and pepper and saute about 5 minutes or until tender. Remove from heat and let stand in warm pan.

In a large bowl, combine the bread cubes, thyme, tarragon, paprika, nutmeg, cranberries, orange zest and apple. Add the onion and celery mixture. Stir to mix evenly.

Lightly coat a 2 quart baking dish with cooking spray. Then pour the stuffing into the baking dish.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake 10 more minutes to get a crisp top. Serve immediately.

Nutrition Information
Serving size: 1/2 cup
147 calories
2 g fat
29 g carbohydrate
5 g protein

Here is a healthy alternative to the higher calorie commercial sports bars that can sometimes crash your diet. You can make them at home and they provide a similar ratio of carbohydrates, protein, and fat.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole-wheat flour
1/8 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 cup Grape Nuts

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400. Set aside 2 tablespoons Grape Nuts. In bowl, blend all ingredients. Roll dough into 2" by 1/2" balls. Press into rectangular bars. Coat bars with remaining Grape Nuts and place on nonstick cookie sheet. Bake 15 minutes or until slightly brown. Cool completely before eating. Store in airtight container for up to a week.

Nutritional Information:
Nutritional Analysis Per (1) Bar / Recipe Makes 18 Bars
90 calories
17g carbohydrates
2g fat
2g protein

Recipe by: Susan Kleiner , Ph.D., R.D. and author of Power Eating

Purple-skinned eggplant is full of phenols that help your body better use blood sugar. Phenols have antioxidant actions and they may also inhibit an enzyme tied to high blood pressure .
This warm, grilled summer sandwich is packed with the purple disease fighting power vegetable. Look for a medium-size, purple eggplant with firm skin and no mushy spots.

Grilled Eggplant Panini
Recipe from EatingWell Magazine

Ingredients
2 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
8 1/2-inch slices eggplant (about 1 small)
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
8 slices whole-grain country bread
8 thin slices fresh mozzarella cheese
1/3 cup sliced jarred roasted red peppers
4 thin slices red onion

Directions
1. Preheat grill to medium-high.
2. Combine mayonnaise and basil in a small bowl. Using 1 tablespoon oil, lightly brush both sides of eggplant and sprinkle each slice with garlic salt. With the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, brush one side of each slice of bread.
3. Grill the eggplant for 6 minutes, turn with a spatula, top with cheese, and continue grilling until the cheese is melted and the eggplant is tender, about 4 minutes more. Toast the bread on the grill, 1 to 2 minutes per side.
4. To assemble sandwiches: Spread basil mayonnaise on four slices of bread. Top with the cheesy eggplant, red peppers, onion and the remaining slices of bread. Cut in half and serve warm.

Nutrition Information
Makes 4 sandwiches / Nutritional Analysis Per Serving
337 calories
16 g fat
6 g saturated fat
22 mg cholesterol
36 g carbohydrate
12 g protein
7 g fiber
659 mg sodium.

I’m going to begin posting Lean Eating and Performance Eating recipes for all of you to add to your tool box. Now, there are no excuses for eating crap.

This first recipe comes from Ellie Krieger ,one of my favorite cooks who happens to be a best selling New York Times author, a nutritionist, and has a show on The Food Network called Healthy Eating with Ellie Kreiger .
Fried rice is a great comfort food, but it can be brutal to your diet. A regular order of this take out king is a whopping 1,500 calories, 10g of saturated fat, and 2,700 mg of sodium! So do yourself a favor and make your own next time.

Fried Rice with Scallions, Edamame and Tofu
2007 Ellie Krieger, All rights reserved30877,00.html _
Ingredients
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon canola oil, divided
2 large cloves garlic, minced
4 scallions, greens included, rinsed, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon minced ginger
4 cups leftover cooked brown rice
3/4 cup finely diced red pepper
3/4 cup cooked, shelled edamame
1/2 cup fresh or frozen, thawed, corn
6 ounces firm tofu, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
2 eggs, beaten
3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

Directions
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a wok or large skillet until very hot. Add the garlic, scallions and ginger and cook, stirring, until softened and aromatic, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the rice, red pepper, edamame, corn and tofu and cook, stirring, until heated through, about 5 minutes. Make a 3-inch well in the center of the rice mixture. Add 1 teaspoon of canola oil, then add the eggs and cook until nearly fully scrambled. Stir the eggs into the rice mixture, then add soy sauce and incorporate thoroughly. Serve hot.

Nutrition Information
Nutritional Analysis Per Serving
Calories 400
Total fat 12.5g
Saturated fat 2g
Sodium 465mg
Protein 16.5g
Carbohydrates 56g
Fiber 7g