Posted by deborah neiman on Wed, Jul 28, 2010 @ 01:34 PM
Step Ahead's Registered Dietitian, Sari Greaves, just returned from her recent trip to the Mediterranean and wants to share delicious dietary secrets of the Greek Islands...
Opa!
http://www.self.com/fooddiet/2010/08/eat-like-a-greek-slideshow#slide=1
Posted by deborah neiman on Thu, Jul 22, 2010 @ 04:03 PM
Strawberry Shortycakes:
3/4 cup angel food cake mix
3/4 cup Cool Whip Free, thawed
3/4 cup all-fruit strawberry preserves
3/4 cup sliced fresh or frozen (thawed) strawberries
Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line a 12-cup muffin pan with baking cups (ungreased).
Place cake mix in a mixing bowl and add 1/2 cup water. Using an electric mixer, beat at low speed for 30 seconds. Increase speed to medium and mix for 1 minute. Let batter sit for 2 minutes.
Evenly distribute batter among baking cups and bake for 12-15 minutes, until tops are golden brown.
Cool cupcakes completely, then carefully peel from baking cups and plate them. Top each cupcake with 1 tablespoon of preserves, 1 tablespoon of Cool Whip and garnish with strawberries.
Makes 12 servings; 1 cupcake = 68 calories
Posted by deborah neiman on Thu, Jul 22, 2010 @ 04:01 PM
Chocolate Dream Parfaits for Two:
2 Chocolate VitaTops, thawed (Vitatops are found in the frozen dessert section of your supermarket)
2 Jell-O sugar-free chocolate-vanilla swirl pudding snacks
4 Tablespoons fat-free Reddi-Whip
Break Vitatops into small pieces and distribute between two parfait galsses. Spoon one pudding cup into each parfait glass. Mix Vitatop pieces and pudding together and finish off with Reddi-Whip!
Makes 2 servings; 1 parfait = 165 calories
Posted by deborah neiman on Thu, Jul 22, 2010 @ 03:54 PM
Finally, we have some good news on our fight against obesity. Recent studies have found that there has been a plateau in the rate of obesity. It is no longer rising and remember, just like weight loss, we need to stop gaining before we can lose! Why has this phenomena occurred – most government agencies say that people are beginning to exercise more, are choosing more healthy snacks and meals and most importantly, reading labels! We now have more information out there on the foods we choose to help us make better and healthier choices.
This is just the beginning of a wonderful trend and we have to continue to educate and get the word out – healthy food choices, increased physical activity lead to healthier and happier lives!!!
This is great news for everyone across this country, but, for those in the Northeast, it is not overshadowed by the prospect of the Jets going to the super-bowl… get ready for great tips on super bowl treats from Sari!
Posted by deborah neiman on Thu, Jul 22, 2010 @ 03:51 PM
A new study coming out of London shows that long periods of sitting are not healthy for people and leads to an increase in many different medical problems. At Step Ahead, we have been telling people this for years – the human body was not made to be sedentary – it needs to move. Most importantly, it does not matter how you move – you can walk, shop, go to the gym, play sports or keep active around your house or your office. We encourage all of our patients to MOVE as much as possible – get up from your desk when you are at work at least once every hour, try and get up from watching television during commercials and get a glass of water or do some quick “pick ups” around your house, when on long calls, stand up and pace around your room or office – either way, you are moving! Any type of movements helps stimulate your bones, keeps your circulation moving in a healthy manner, gets your muscles working and keeps you looking and feeling better!
At Step Ahead, we push for 10,000 steps a day to help promote healthy weight loss as well as weight maintenance – however, you don’t always HAVE to get to this goal, just making the effort, understanding that you need to keep your body moving as much as possible is what works. We are here to help you feel healthier and stay that way – with our multifaceted approach with our physician, registered dietitian and personal trainer – we can help make you meet your goals!
Posted by deborah neiman on Thu, Jul 22, 2010 @ 03:50 PM
Temple Beth-el in Hillsborough sponsored a health fair for the community offering many different services – blood pressure checks, blood glucose tests, dental tips and many other services. Step Ahead participated to increase awareness about the obstacles with obesity and offered educational material as well as tests for BMI and body fat percentage. The fair was a great success with many community doctors and organizations volunteering their time and services. It was a wonderful day and a great opportunity for many professionals to share their expertise with the community.
Step Ahead looks forward to more community activities and continuing to promote awareness and helpful information to encourage healthy eating as well as lifestyles.
Posted by deborah neiman on Thu, Jul 22, 2010 @ 03:47 PM
You can keep prepared chicken salad refrigerated for 3-5 days.
Go Greek Chicken Salad
Makes 2 servings; 1 serving (1 cup) = 173 calories
6 ounces of cooked skinless chicken breast, roughly chopped
1/2 cup choppped cucumber
1/3 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
1/4 cup crumbled fat-free feta cheeses
1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt (Dannon)
2 tablespoons light mayonnaise
2 tablespoons canned sliced black olives
salt,pepper to taste
1. In a medium bowl, mix yogurt and mayo.
2. Stir in remaining ingredients until coated.
Enjoy over a leafy green salad OR Scoop 1 cup chicken salad on a 100-calorie multigrain Arnold sandwich thin. (bread + chicken salad = 273 calorie meal)
Sweet ‘n Chunky Chicken Salad
Makes 2 servings; 1 serving (1 cup) = 145 calories
4 1/2 ounces of cooked skinless chicken breast, roughly chopped
1/2 cup chopped cucumber
1/3 cup seedless red grapes, halved
1/3 cup chopped apples
1/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt (Dannon)
2 tablespoons light mayonniase
1 packet of Splenda
1/4 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning
Dash salt
1. In a medium bowl, combine yogurt, mayo, Splenda, lemon-pepper seasoning, and salt, stirring until mixed well.
2. Sitr in chicken until fully coated with yogurt dressing.
3. Mix in cucumber, grape halves, and apples.
Enjoy over a leafy green salad OR scoop 1 cup chicken salad on a 100-calorie multigrain Arnold sandwich thin. (bread + chicken salad = 245 calorie meal)
Recipes adapted from Thr Hungry Girl Cookbook.
Posted by deborah neiman on Thu, Jul 22, 2010 @ 12:20 PM
Enjoy smoothies as a nutritious breakfast or as an indulgent dessert. Protein and monounsaturated fat from the peanut butter, potassium from the banana, and protein and calcium from the yogurt will give you a BIG energy boost!
Makes 2 cups
½ cup Skim Plus milk
2 tablespoons Hershey’s Lite chocolate syrup
2 tablespoons creamy Smart Balance peanut butter
1 small frozen sliced ripe banana (peel & slice bananas;freeze in zip-top bags)
1 (6-ounce) carton Dannon Light ‘n Fit vanilla nonfat yogurt
Using an immersion blender: Place ingredients in 16-ounce mixing beaker. Process ingredients with hand-held immersion blender until smooth.
Using a conventional blender:
Place ingredients in blender. Process until smooth.
Yield: 2 cups
Calories per cup: 230
How Big is Your Banana?
Banana Calorie Facts, (weight with skin):
Small 6” long (4 oz) = 90 calories
Medium 7” long (5 oz) = 105 calories
Large 8” long (7 oz) = 120 calories
Extra Large 9” long (9 oz) = 135 calories (1 cup sliced)
1 oz = 25 calories (without skin)
Posted by deborah neiman on Mon, Jul 12, 2010 @ 06:22 PM
Frozen berries are the “king” of antioxidants and provide a thick & creamy texture to this nutrient-rich smoothie. By blending fruit in their whole form, you get more fiber.
Makes 2 cups
1 cup Skim Plus milk
1 cup Dole frozen mixed berries
¼ cup low-fat Edy’s vanilla-chocolate swirl frozen yogurt
1 small ripe banana, sliced
Using an immersion blender:
Place ingredients in 16-ounce mixing beaker. Process ingredients with hand-held immersion blender until smooth.
Using a conventional blender:
Place ingredients in blender. Process until smooth.
Calories per cup: 160
* Smoothies were prepared using Cuisinart SmartStick 200-Watt Immersion Blender