21 Day Fix Pumpkin Cheesecake

One of my favorite things about this time of year is pumpkin cheesecake!!  I do not however love the calories and ingredients.  Here is a cleaned up, 21 day fix approved version:

21 Day Fix Pumpkin Cheesecake:

Ingredients:

2 cups cottage cheese (2%)
1/2 cup nonfat greek yogurt
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
2 eggs
3 Tbsp. almond flour
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. stevia
1 Tbsp. maple syrup
Zest of orange (or lemon)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Spray 7-8" pie pan with coconut oil spray.
2. In a blender, blend cottage cheese until smooth. Once smooth add the remaining ingredients and blend all together until smooth.
3. Put ingredients in pie pan. You can make a swirl with the cinnamon in the pie if desired.
4. Bake for 30-35 minutes until the edges are pulling away from the pan.
5. Refrigerate for a couple of hours or overnight.
6. Top with your favorite toppings.

Restaurant Panic? These Tips Will Help You Stay on Plan

Healthy Restaurant Eating

Tips:

These are the tips and tricks that have helped me along the way so that I could survive and enjoy going out to a restaurant:

1. Don’t go Starving: If it can at all be avoided, do not go when you are famished. When you are extremely hungry, your stomach is growling and you feel like you are going to get sick, all bets are off and you are going to eat whatever the heck you want and have regret about it later.

2. The Bread, Chips and Biscuits are NOT your friends: Before you eat, filling up on bread is not going to help. One breadstick at the Olive Garden is 140 calories and you never eat just one. Those biscuits at Red Lobster are 160 and tons of fat. Skip them and ask the waiter not to bring them or take them away.

3. Obey the DDP: One of the greatest things I learned from is DDP. Dip Don’t Pour. Take the tines of your fork and dip them into the dressing, then your salad. You will get just enough flavor and will use less. Typically restaurants will give you a double serving of dressing. You don’t need it. Always, always ask to have dressing on the side. Never let them put it on for you. This has done WONDERS for me.  You will be shocked at how much less dressing you use.

4. Always ask the waitress: Don’t be afraid to ask how something is prepared. If they tell you it’s tossed in oil and salted ask them to grill it and don’t put any salt on it. They will do it. If you see veggies on the menu, even if it says steamed ask if they are salted. Put all your sauces on the side. If they can’t do it, I highly suggest ordering something else. Remember too much salt makes you retain water and swell and restaurants usually COAT things in sugar.

Hope these tips make eating out a little easier for you.  Cheers!

Two for Tuesday- Peanut Butter & PB2

One of my favorite go to snacks is peanut butter (natural no sugar added.) I switch back and forth between my 2 favorite brands, Adams crunchy peanut butter (and boy is it crunchy!) and PB2 powdered peanut butter.

Each has its advantages. I love Adams on a piece of toast because it is so crunchy and reminds me of a pb&j as a kid. I do not however love the calories and fat. 

For a shake or an on the go snack, I love PB2. It's easy to carry and mixes perfectly in my shakes.  Here is a quick comparison: 

2Tbsp. Adams: 

200 calories (140 from fat)

Fat 16 g

Sat Fat 2.5 g

Protein 8 g

2 Tbsp. PB2:

45 calories (13 from fat)

Fat 1.5 g

Sat Fat  0 g

Protein 5 g

As you can see PB2 is the healthier option for sure, but I still eat Adams in moderation because I love that crunchiness!

Cheers everyone!

In Honor of National Heart Disease Awareness Month - Heart Healthy Foods.

February is Heart Disease Awareness Month.  Heart Disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women.  Adding exercise to your daily routine as well as healthy eating can do wonders for reducing your risk of heart disease, not to mention reducing your waistline.

The key to reducing your risk is clean eating (eating whole, natural foods) along with eating heart healthy foods such as fish, whole grains, fruits & vegetables, an occasional glass of red wine or piece of dark chocolate (70% cocoa or more.)  Making incremental swaps in your diet could make big differences for you.  Here are a few heart healthy foods that contain Omega-3s, Carotenoids, B-complex vitamins, C&E vitamins, phytoestrogen and phytosterols (all known to protect the heart, lower blood pressure & cholesterol):

Fish high in Omega-3s:  salmon, tuna, mackerel & trout.

Healthy nuts:  almonds or walnuts.

Hummus & Veggies:  packed with vitamins & nutrients.

Spinach:  great as a substitute for lettuce.

Berries:  Such as blueberries, strawberries & raspberries are full of phytonutrients & fiber.

Red, Yellow & Orange Veggies:  Carrots, sweet potatoes, red peppers are full of vitamins & fiber.

Flax seed:  Contains omega-3 fatty acids.  Throw them in your daily shake!

These are just a few of the foods you can work into your diet to reduce your risk of heart disease.

Cheers to healthy eating!

Fish Friday - Sesame-Glazed Salmon

Salmon is one of my favorite meals to eat!  Here is a simple yet delicious meal.

Ingredients: (makes 4 servings)

Salmon:

Olive oil spray
2 (6-oz) salmon fillets
1 Tbsp. whole grain mustard
1 Tbsp. agave nectar
1/4 tsp. balsamic vinegar
1/4 tsp. dried chili flakes
1/4 tsp. toasted sesame oil
1/4 tsp. finely chopped fresh Thai basil


Green beans:

1 lb. trimmed green beans
4 tsp. fresh dill chopped
1 Tbsp. shallot minced
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. whole grain mustard
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. fresh ground pepper

Directions Salmon:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Line a tray with foil and spray with olive oil.  Put salmon skin side down on tray.
2. In a bowl, mix mustard, agave, vinegar, chili flakes, sesame oil and basil.  Pour on salmon.  Bake for 10 minutes or until salmon reaches 160 degrees internally.

Directions Green Beans:

1. In a saute pan, bring 1" of water to a boil.  Add green beans and cover. Cook until crisp (2-3 minutes.) Remove from heat and keep warm.
2. In a bowl, whisk together dill, shallots, olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, salt and pepper.  Add the green beans and toss to coat.  Cover and let stand 5 minutes.  Serve with salmon.


Calories:  599
Protein:  63g
Carbs: 27g
Fat: 27g

Two for Tuesday - Olive Oil - Like Wine There IS a Difference

I've often wondered if there really IS a difference in brands and quality of olive oil.  Virgin, extra-virgin??  What really is the difference??  According to 60 minutes, olive oil is now a 16 billion, yes billion with a B, dollar a year industry.

Unfortunately, there seems to be a large amount of fraud involved in the sale/production of olive oil due to the corruption by the Mafia.  So many oils are titled "extra virgin from Italy" when they may not be as pure as stated or may not contain any olive oil at all!  They may in fact be sunflower oil or a mixture of oils that give the appearance of olive oil.

True extra-virgin olive oil comes from the first pressing of the olive harvest and contains no additives.
I had the pleasure of visiting a gourmet olive oil & balsamic shop this weekend and was sincerely overwhelmed at the difference in taste and quality.  We had a mixologist of sorts that made us various combinations of olive oil and balsamic vinegar and the difference was absolutely amazing.  We also got to compare the gourmet oil with a store brand, Bertoli, which I have used regularly.  The difference in taste, color and consistency was very noticeable.

There were fused and infused olive oils as well as dark and light infused balsamic vinegars.  We left there with 12, yes 12 various bottles.  I cooked with mild olive oil and the difference in flavor produced was actually shocking. I cooked a simple meal of chicken and vegetables and the quality oil enhanced the flavor of the meal so much. My family noticed and commented on the improved flavor and wondered if I had changed the recipe!

So yes, there IS a difference in olive oil brands.  You must be cautious not to fall prey to fake or low quality brands though.  Inspect your label carefully.  Is the oil actually made in Italy?  Or is it just a beautiful picture of an Italian background?  If it is actually produced in Italy, where?  Go for a well known olive oil producing city such as Sicily or Puglia.

You can also purchase online from Italian producers such as Nicolo Clemenza or Iannotta Oil.

There are also various producers in California, if freshness is a factor for you.  Also look at cost.  If you are paying $7-$8 a bottle, its probably not olive oil.  I suggest visiting a gourmet store as I did this weekend when I had the pleasure of visiting Redstone.  It was not just a store, it was truly an experience.  (https://redstoneoliveoil.com)

Cheers!