Mindful Eats

What is ultra-processed food and why is it bad for you?

Lamb duo, potato, pepper ragout

I know once people get connected to real food, they never change back. ~Alice Waters

MindfulEaters, I hope you're having a great summer and enjoying the season's food offerings! As you know, we at MindfulEats hate processed foods. Now there's another reason - a recent study by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) shows that ultra-processed foods make you fat!

So, what is super-processed food vs processed food vs minimally processed food vs real food? It gets confusing! Basically, anything that is not in its original format is processed -- a potato chip is a processed potato, frozen pizza is no where near what it's natural components were, and even brown rice is minimally processed (because it is dried). But wait, brown rice is good for you, right? You're right, brown rice IS good for you! White rice is more processed than brown rice so it's not as good for you (it's rice with the hull and bran removed - the stuff with the vitamins and minerals in it). Fresh broccoli that came from the produce section is real, unprocessed food. Frozen broccoli is minimally processed because it's been frozen, but it's still good for you. Here is the deal: eat real or minimally processed foods! To try to standardize definitions, MindfulEats is going to use the NOVA classification which the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations is using.

• Real food is unprocessed or minimally processed (Group 1 Foods). These foods are the ones you recognize - edible portions of plants and animals. When these foods are processed, it is to extend the life of the food or to remove inedible parts by freezing, drying, pasteurizing, etc.  They don't have multiple ingredients - they might not even come with an ingredients list or a nutritional panel. You can often recognize these foods since they are in their original form and include things like vegetables, grains, fruit, meat, seafood, nuts, eggs, herbs, milk. You should eat and cook mainly from this category. Is yogurt a Group 1 food? Trick question - plain yogurt is a minimally processed food because it's fermented milk, but when you add processed fruit it becomes an ultra-processed food.
• Processed food (Group 3 Foods). This is when real food has been altered a bit with sugar, salt, or oil to make it last longer or add flavor. Tofu, simple unpackaged bread, cheese, canned tuna, cured meat, beer and wine fall in this category. These foods tend to be convenient and have just a few ingredients on their lists. You can use these foods to build your meals (everything in moderation, please), but the more real food you eat, the better!
• Ultra-processed food (Group 4 Foods). These are where most of our calories tend to come from; they are the industrial formulations with five or more ingredients. They have been through multiple processes with added ingredients to taste delicious and make us want more. Examples of ultra-processed foods are soda, diet soda, chips, ice cream, sweetened flavored yogurt, sweetened breakfast cereals, packaged soups, fries, energy bars, and distilled alcohol like vodka, rum and gin. Remember, an organic ultra-processed food is still bad because it's ultra-processed!

Ultra-processed food is so convenient and so tasty, is it really necessary to give it up? Yes! It is tasty because food science has manipulated it and added things to it to make your brain want more. It is basically frankenfood. The NIH study showed that people on an ultra-processed diet gained 2 lbs per week on average, while those on a real food diet lost 2 lbs a week on average. In addition to weight gain, ultra-processed foods are also linked to higher cancer risk. We know you are here because you want to be healthier, so cut back on the ultra-processed food you are eating!

What to do - Eat more fresh unprocessed food

1. Create a food plan (your Mindful Battle Plan) for the week. Figure out your meals so you can take a list with you to the grocery store and spend less time making more satisfying meals!
2. Prepare most of your meals at home. The faster the better - and if you cook in large batches, you can take in lunch or have leftovers later in the week.
3. Figure out which ultra-processed foods are your weakness, and don't buy them! Do not let them in your house!! Here are some popular culprits: chips, diet soda, frozen pizza, candy, pre-packaged cakes, certain breads (do for the whole grain breads).
4. Snack well. Create a fruit bowl and keep it filled. This will be your go-to for snacks. Make a Mindful Mix for your other snack needs.

Want to know more?

• It's Not Just Salt, Sugar, Fat: Study Finds Ultra-Processed Foods Drive Weight Gain, NPR, 5/16/19
• What is ultra-processed food and how can you eat less of it?, Heart & Stroke
• 6 'Ultra-Processed' Foods to Throw Out Right Now, Health.com, 2/13/19
• What are ultra-processed foods, and are you eating too many of them?, Mother Nature Network, 5/17/19
• Share
• Ultra-Processed Diets Cause Excess Calorie Intake and Weight Gain: An Inpatient Randomized Controlled Trial of Ad Libitum Food Intake, Cell Metabolism, 5/16/19
• Standardizing food classification with NOVA, World Public Health Nutrition Association, 2016
• Consumption of ultra-processed foods and cancer risk: results from NutriNet-Santé prospective cohort, BMJ, 2/14/18

 

What I ate today: vegetable hash with 2 eggs, 16 oz coffee, peach, 1 cup strawberries, 2 cups blueberries, 1 cup cheddar Hippeas, udon noodles + 1 slice pumpkin tempura + 1/2 slice sweet potato tempura, glass noodles + tofu + spinach + shiitake mushrooms, 1 tablespoon homemade green tea ice cream, 10 oz hot chocolate, 50 oz. water

Exercise: 1 hours of kickboxing, 30 min. upper body weight lifting

How to prepare an avocado and an easy avocado toast recipe

Have you noticed that avocados are having a moment? They have become instagram stars in countless photos of avocado toast, and they even made an appearance in trade talks with Mexico. Most avocados in the US come from Mexico, but Hawaii started shipping avocados to the mainland this year. These little fruits are nutritional powerhouses - they are packed with potassium, fiber and heart-healthy monounsaturated fatty acids that can improve cholesterol and triglyceride levels. So how you choose, prepare and eat more avocados? 

Avocado 101

1. Eat only ripe avocados. Unripe avocados are not tasty. Selecting an avocado can be the toughest part. They should be dark green-black, bumpy and yield to gentle pressure. More on choosing your avocado here.
2. Wash your avocado before you slice it. Pathogens can be transferred from the peel to the edible flesh. Who knew? Apparently the FDA and Newsweek.
3. Slice it. Prepping an avocado is fast, easy and clean (see video below)
4. Eat your avocado. This is what you've been waiting for. Add it to your meal, in a sandwich, on in the easy avocado toast recipe below. Or just enjoy the slices - either plain or with a sprinkle of salt or soy sauce.

Avocado toast recipe

Avocado toast is beloved by millennials. For good reason - they are simple to make at home. We top this flexible recipe with a soft cooked egg because it's delicious - the yolk runs into the avocado and toast, but you can make it without the egg. We chose to use avocado slices instead of creating a mash because it is simpler and requires less equipment.

Serves 2

 

Ingredients

• 1 medium avocado
• 2 slices of bread (we use Ezekial 4:9)
• 2 eggs
• optional: chia seeds or flax seeds 
• optional: goat cheese or cream cheese

Steps

1. Slice up your avocado into thin slices (see video below)
2. Toast your bread
3. Fry your eggs in a pan the way you like them - sunny side up, over easy, soft fried.
4. Assemble your toast. Spread cream cheese on the toast (f you are using it), then put the avocado slices over the toast in a thin layer, sprinkle some chia seeds, flax seeds or hemp hearts over the avocado and top with the egg. Top with crumbled goat cheese if you are using it.

 

Preparing your avocado

You chose the perfect avocado, now it's time to slice it up! It's so easy - below is a video on how to do it.

Optimize Your Miraval Spa Vacation to Make New Year Resolutions

Labyrinth at Miraval Tucson

 

Cheers to a New Year and another chance to get it right. ~Oprah Winfrey

Happy 2019! I love the new year since it's a great time to make resolutions and set goals. I know it's officially the end of January, but I'll take any excuse for a new year - the Lunar New Year, Yom Kippur, birthdays, mid-year check-ins. This year I spent the first week of the year at a spa ~ Miraval ~ which turned out to be a mindful place to help set intentions for the year. Miraval was lovely, but setting some time aside for introspection, whether at home or at a spa, is a useful beginning of the year exercise. This post is in three parts: 1) about setting resolutions, 2) optimizing your time at a spa and 3) a review on Miraval.

Setting Resolutions

1. Get inspired for your resolutions! Reflect on what made you happy during the last year, the three things you would have changed, and take a look at last year's resolutions. You can find inspiration by doing these exercises in this post on successes and this post on failures.
2. Make the resolutions. Here's the step-by-step guide.

Optimize Your Spa Time

Sometimes setting aside time to focus and pamper yourself is what you need for inspiration. This can be anything from setting aside a day for yourself at home to vacationing at a destination spa. Whichever way you do it, make sure you research and plan your time to get what you want out of it.

1. Set your intention. What do you want out of your spa time? Do you want to focus on your body by working out and eating healthy? Do you want to clear your head and regroup from a loss? Do you want to recharge from an exhausting time through pampering and a spiritual focus? Do you want to balance mind, body and spirit and make your resolutions? Set your intention so you feel accomplished and satisfied when you finish your spa time.
2. With your intention in mind, research your spa. If you are having a staycation, figure out which facilities you want to visit. If you are going to a destination, look through the spa's offerings so you know what is available. Then research the facilities through Trip Advisor and Yelp. Do an internet search. Read as many reviews as possible to help figure out what your "can't miss" treatments or classes are. Talk to the people that work there for their recommendations and to learn more about the things in which you are interested. Figure out your food strategy - if it's all you can eat, be mindful of what your eating principles are (limit the number of courses, entrees, calories, desserts).
3. Create a schedule for your day(s). Your research has given you an idea of what your can't miss items are. Book them so you won't miss them. Then fill in the rest of your time with your intention in mind. For example, maybe you know you need a deep tissue massage and a cooking class. Make sure you have them booked, then add the other great things around them - the yoga class, beehive trip, or whatever else supports your intention.
4. Enjoy your time at the spa and relax! If you've over scheduled yourself and miss things, it's okay. If you have free time, let yourself be spontaneous to try something new or spend the time reflecting. You've set yourself up for success with your timing, but snafus happen and it's okay.

Miraval Review

Healthiest Holiday Ever - Holiday Workout Challenge

I personally think if something's not a challenge, there's no point doing it because you're not going to learn much. ~Tom Holland

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! As usual, I ate a lot, so this year, I am going to take a contrarian approach to the holidays. Usually, I gain the most weight of the year during the end of the year holidays. But this year, I am going to get ahead of New Year's resolutions and take my workout up a notch so I can greet the new year in better shape. Crazy, I know. Who's in?? Let's take the next four weeks to really focus on exercise and get into the best shape possible.

Let's commit to at least four days a week of cardio and strength. Since I've been using the Peloton bike for the past year, I'm going to do two programs - the 4 week Tabata Challenge and the 4 week Total Body Strength. You don't need to spin, just commit to a cardio challenge and some lifting. I'll spell out a program below. In addition I am going to practice yoga regularly since stretching is really important as you increase your workout and as you get older. (If you're on Peloton, you can find me as MindfulEats)

I got my partner to agree to a wellness kick for the next few weeks, so in addition to the programs, I am re-joining a gym and I've been testing Welleco's elixirs, which I will review after some more time on it. In the meantime, let's have the healthiest holiday season ever, and maybe even LOSE a few pounds (crazy)!

What to do - Healthiest Holiday Challenge

1. Commit to exercising 4 times a week for the next 4 weeks. I'm choosing Peloton's Tabata and strength-training programs. These programs start off easy so if you haven't been exercising, it's a good way to start. If you are in great shape, just kick it up a notch. Tabata is interval training where your intervals are twice as long as your rest periods, so you can sprint for 30 seconds, rest 15 seconds, and repeat for the duration. You can choose anything -- perhaps running or swimming and strength training. If you want 10 minute exercises, you can sign up and use the ones on the Peloton app, or Google for some workouts. Just commit to it! Here is the program:
   • Week 1: 15 minutes of interval training + 10 min of core strength, 20 min low impact cardio + 10 min arms, 30 min cardio + 10 min glutes and legs, 45 min intervals + 10 min chest and back, extra day of 10 min full body strength exercise
   • Week 2: 15 minutes of interval training + 10 min of core strength, 20 min low impact cardio + 10 min arms, 20-30 min cardio + 10 min glutes and legs, 45 min intervals + 10 min chest and back, 10 min full body strength
   • Week 3: 30 minutes of interval training + 10 min of core strength, 20 min cardio + 10 min arms, 30 min interval training + 10 min glutes and legs, 45 min intervals + 10 min chest and back, 10 min full body strength
   • Week 4: 20 minutes of interval training + 10 min of core strength, 20 min low impact cardio + 10 min arms, 45 min intervals + 10 min glutes and legs, 45 min intervals + 10 min chest and back, 10 min full body strength
2. Work in at least one rest day after your toughest workout.
3. Enjoy, and let's check back in in four weeks!

 

 

What I ate: 16 oz Welleco Super Elixir, 1 boiled egg, 2 oranges, 3 cups of popcorn, brown rice + steamed broccoli and tofu, 2 pieces of beef jerky, 5 squares dark chocolate, 16 oz café latte, 40 oz water, 12 oz hot chocolate

Exercise: 15 minute spinning, 10 min ars, 10 min yoga

Cross-training Your Way to More Fun and Better Health

Just try new things. Don't be afraid. Step out of your comfort zones and soar, all right? ~Michelle Obama

Maybe you've just started to exercise, or maybe you are well into your fitness groove and have your routine down. Either way, you will probably benefit from adding ANOTHER form of exercise -  cross-training! I did the same exercise routine for decades -- running + yoga + weights. The cardio, strength and stretching worked well for me. I also had different kinds of running workouts - speed, tempo and distance. The routine counted as cross-training as there was variety and it included cardio, flexibility and strength. Over the years I switched in some Pilates and flirted with  spinning since many of my friends loved it, but the two or three times I tried spinning I HATED it.

Then I started my own business, and due to time constraints I no longer trained with a team, and the running dwindled down to a jog. I missed the variety of high-intensity workouts, and though I could do it on my own, I didn't. 

During one of my trips last year, the hotel I was staying at had a Peloton bike. I looked at it for a few days, thinking about how much I hated spinning. Then for some reason I decided to try it, and I LOVED it. I liked how they told you exactly what cadence and resistance to pedal at, and I also liked the instructors. I missed team running and a coach, which is what Peloton provides for spinning. Besides having a coach, there's a bit of a virtual team. I now own a Peloton, and I have used it regularly once to twice a week over the last year. It's not my main source of exercising but it's great cross-training - it improved my running, and it's a fun change of pace. I hadn't realized how much I missed interval training! It is also incredibly convenient for when you are running late/short on time and would like to squeeze in a fast sweat session.

Coaches and fitness experts extol cross-training for:

• Improving your fitness. By cross-training with a different sport you will work different muscle groups and add additional types of training (interval, stretching, etc)
• Faster muscle recovery. Using different muscles means you let other muscles rest. You'll recover faster and be able to train harder (if you want)
• Enhance motivation/avoid burnout. Get out of your rut! Learning a new type of movement/sport will fire different neurons and keep your workout fresh.
• It improves your cognitive performance. A study published May 2018 in Journal of Neurology and Clinical Practice found that two hours of exercise a week delivers lots of brain benefits, including global cognition, processing speed and attention span and executive function (a set of mental skills that helps you get things done). You know what will help you get there? Cross-training!

What to do - Cross Train

1. First, find some regular exercise you can commit to. Make it a habit that you can do several times a week.
2. Make a list of all the sports and exercises that look interesting to you. Want to try barre, Orange Theory, cross-fit, hiking or krav maga? Throw them all on the list. 
3. Try something on your list at least once a month. Do a little research to figure out where you can try it most conveniently. Hire a trainer or take a new class - you will often pick up something different.
4. Say YES when you see a free trial or someone asks you if you want to work out with them. Who knows what you might learn?
5. Like one of the activities? Schedule it for next week.
6. If you love one of the activities, make it a regular part of your week. 1-2 times per week.

Want to read more?

• 5 Benefits of Cross Training
• Pure Wow, Exercise for a Smarter Brain
• The Benefits of Cross-Training

 

What I ate: 12 oz green juice, 16 oz matcha latte, 6 spanakopita, cheese popcorn, 1/2 cup beef jerky, raw celery + raw carrots + tzatziki, 6 Bibigo dumplings, salad, 7 pierogis, 14 oz hot chocolate, 2 peanut butter Reeses cups, 16 oz water

Exercise: 10 min yoga

The Benefits of Garlic - Why Garlic is Good For You

Too lazy to peel fresh? You don't deserve to eat garlic. ~Anthony Bourdain

The English royal family used to find garlic terribly foreign -- the Queen still hates it. I, on the other hand, love it and I loaded up our weeknight pasta dinner with extra garlic last night. My husband commented on its extra oomph. "It's good for you," I said. He questioned my statement, and though I know garlic is good for you, I didn't know why. So I decided to look into it.

I remember reading an article about a pair of lovely twins that were celebrating their 100+ birthday, and one of the things they attributed their longevity to was a tablespoon of raw garlic every morning. Maybe they were on to something. Garlic has been touted as medicinal since ancient times in multiple cultures, and people ascribe properties as mixed as cold-busting, anti-cancer, blood cholesterol lowering, heart-disease helping, immune strengthening and vampire-nixing to the little bulb. The latest science finds the strongest benefit to be with heart disease.  

The health benefits from garlic seems to come from its natural sulfur compounds (which you can also infamously smell), the most famous of which is allicin. Some studies suggest that garlic helps relax blood vessels and increase blood flow. It can also reduce cholesterol and blood pressure (not as much as cholesterol or blood pressure pills) and blood glucose levels.

There are compounds in garlic that are good for you, and though there is strong evidence eating it is beneficial, it doesn't mean you need to run out and take garlic supplements. Go the mindful route - everything in moderation. Discuss your usage with your doctor if you want to use it therapeutically -- too much may interfere with some heart medications or anticoagulants.

What to do - Eat More Garlic

1. Use the freshest garlic you can. Store it in a cool, dark place. If it has scapes growing out of it, you can still use it but that means its gotten pretty old.
2. Chop or crush it. Garlic is not that difficult to prepare. If you smash a clove with the side of your knife, the skin will come off easily. If you have a lot of garlic to prep (for example you are a prep chef at a restaurant or food kitchen), a silicone roller might be helpful (the green thing in the photo above). Garlic presses are not necessary.
3. Throw an extra clove in your recipe - pasta, sauté, stir-fry, marinade, etc.

Want to learn more?

• Consumer Reports, The Health Benefits of Garlic 

 

What I ate: 14 oz green juice, 1/4 pita bread, 1/2 c ratatouille, 2/3 c saffron rice, 3 Mary's crackers and cheese, 3 Whisps, 10 peach tea, 1 c pistacios, 1 orange, 1.5 c pad vegan thai, 2 vegan spring rolls, 1 almond Roca, 12 oz hot chocolate, 40 oz water

Exercise: None

Restarting Healthy Eating During the Summer

 

Summer snack bounty from Costco

Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can. ~Arthur Ashe

MindfulEater, have you ever fallen off the wagon, indulged in too much rich processed food and gained some weight? You're not alone! It happens to all of us at some point. The fastest way to fit back into your waistband is by watching your diet. It''s time to start/restart some mindful eating habits, and there's no time like now. Fortunately, it's summer so that makes eating unprocessed food easier.

What to do - Tips for Mindful Summer Eating:

1. Eat more vegetables. It's August so you now have your widest choice of vegetables for the year. They also happen to be at their cheapest and most delicious. Fill up your cart with zucchini, greens, eggplant and corn. A simple grill or sauté will suffice. You can also eat a lot of vegetables raw (even fresh picked corn). Make zoodles (zucchini noodles) to replace noodles or rice. Zoodles can be eaten raw, boiled or sauteed.
2. Load up your fruit bowl and refrigerator. Just like vegetables, fruit is in its prime! Eat as many luscious peaches, nectarines, berries, cherries, (whatever looks good), as you want! Eat watermelon or a big stone fruit (or two) before meals to fill you up. Snack on fruit only. Berries for dessert will satisfy your sweet tooth and make you more svelte than that bowl of ice cream!
3. Don't cook more than one item per meal. It's hot so you don't want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen anyway!  (By the way, this rule counts even if you didn't cook the item - like a loaf of bread) If you want to make a burger or egg and use it to top your salad, that's perfect. Or boil some pasta to throw in with tomatoes and basil. Maybe some brown rice to mix with zoodles, spinach and sesame salad dressing. Make a juicy sandwich with avocados, tomato and hummus. By limiting your cooking to one item, you will be forced to eat more fresh plants, which will help you get on track. Cook large portions and use it throughout the week to save time!

 

 

What I ate: 12 oz green juice, 16 oz latte, 1/2 cup cherries, summer pasta with tomatoes and basil, 1 cup strawberries, 4 oz grilled salmon, 1/2 cup mexican chicken, tomatoes and peppers, 1 cup watermelon, 3/4 cup pistachios, 1 slice sharp cheddar, 1 cup blueberries, 8 Edward Marc Coconut Almonds in Dark Chocolate, 25 oz water

Exercise: 45 minute Peloton with Denis Morton + 50 min ashtanga yoga

 

Do Vitamins and Supplements Work?

There are known knowns. These are things we know that we know. There are known unknowns. That is to say, there are things that we know we don't know. But there are also unknown unknowns. There are things we don't know we don't know. ~Donald Rumsfeld

About 71% of US adults reported taking dietary supplements. That's a lot of people spending a lot of money on vitamins and supplements! Unlike food and drugs, supplements are not regulated by any agencies, like the Food and Drug Agency (FDA) that oversees food and drugs. So do they really work?

For those of us that try to eat mindfully, we do so for several reasons, but one of the main reasons is to feel healthy and at our best. When you eat mindfully you try to eat a clean, natural, varied diet in moderate amounts. If you are healthy and eating mindfully, congratulations -- you are likely getting all the nutrients you need and don't need supplements. Not only are you naturally getting all the nutrients you need, you are also getting them at the levels and in the combinations that you need. Broccoli doesn't just have folic acid and Vitamin B, it has several nutrients balanced at the ratios nature intended.

But should you take a supplement as insurance, just in case you're missing something? Honestly, the answer to that is we (as in science) don't know. But probably not. The extra vitamins and minerals you are adding through supplements might result in mega-dosing and harm you more than they help. Some vitamins are toxic in high doses. For example, if you are already getting the Vitamin E you need through food, and you add an additional 50IU of Vitamin E (167% of your recommended daily value) through a multivitamin, you might be mega-dosing. No one knows what the result of TOO MUCH Vitamin E might be. There are studies that link high-dose Vitamin E to a higher risk of heart failure and prostate cancer. The extra vitamins and minerals also aren't balanced naturally, the way they are through food. Food is complex - eat mindfully and you will get what you need. 

However, if you have a medical condition that requires a specific supplement (like pregnancy or anemia), talk to your healthcare provider and take it! Eat a balanced diet, and take the supplements you need.

What to do - Eat Mindfully for Optimal Nutrition

1. Eat a high quality, mindful diet in moderate amounts. If you are healthy, you will get the nutrition you need, naturally.
2. Mind your doctor - get a check up. If you have any conditions, comply with the doctor's orders and take the supplements and treatments you need.
3. Relax - you're doing what you need to take care of yourself!

Want to read more?

• Older Americans are hooked on vitamins despite scarce evidence they work, Chicago Tribune, 5/29/18
• Should You Take a Vitamin? Do You Know What a Vitamin Is? New York Times, 5/26/16

 

 

What I ate: 12 oz green juice, hardboiled egg + soy sauce, 2.5 cups of spanakorizo (rice, spinach, chicken bone broth, cumin), 1/2 avocado, 1.5 cups broccoli, 1 cup cheese crackers, 2.5 cups strawberries, bananas and cherries, blueberries + chia seeds, 32 oz café latté, 25 oz water, 3 Justin's mini dark cocolate peanut butter cups, 25 oz water

Exercise: jogged 4 miles

Salmon, Soba Noodles and Arugula

Salmon, baby arugula and soba noodles

Only I can change my life. No one can do it for me. ~Carol Burnett

Summer cooking! Since I like to minimize my kitchen time during the summer, I whipped together a meal using store-bought prepared food, but you can certainly cook the salmon and the noodles. With a summer bounty of fruit, serve your favorite in-season fruit for dessert!

Sauteed Salmon, Noodles and Baby Arugula

Serves 4

 

16 oz salmon cut into 4 portions (I bought the teriyaki salmon and soba noodles at Agata & Valentina)

1 clove garlic that has been diced

 

udon or soba noodles

1 bag baby arugula or spinach

olive oil, grapeseed oil, unrefined coconut oil or sunflower oil

soy sauce

salad dressing (1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, 1/6 cup vinegar, 1/2 lemon, salt)

 

1. Heat up a couple tablespoons of the oil of your choice over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté until it becomes golden. Then add the salmon, drizzle 1/2 tablespoon of soy sauce on each piece and sauté over medium heat for 9 minutes. Check to see if it is cooked through with a fork. If it isn't, continue cooking and check in 2 minutes. Continue checking until it is cooked through. If you bought prepared salmon, cut it into portion sizes.
2. As you are cooking the salmon, begin boiling water in another pot. Follow the directions for cooking the noodles, and make about 4 oz per person.
3. Place a generous bed of baby arugula or spinach on each dinner plate.
4. Put noodles and salmon over the greens. Drizzle with teriyaki sauce or your favorite salad dressing. If you don't have a dressing, mix some olive oil, vinegar, squeeze 1/2 lemon into the mixture and season with salt and vinegar. That will be your dressing.
5. Add more arugula or spinach on top.

 

What I ate: (note: I've restricted calories since I'm on a diet) 14 oz. green juice, 1 pint of blueberries, 2 cups cherries, 1 cup strawberries, crackers and edamame hummus, 18 oz coffee, 2 cups popcorn, 2.5 oz salmon, 4 oz soba noodles + 2 cups arugula, 2 Tate's chocolate chip cookies, 1/4 cup raw mixed nuts, 40 oz water

Exercise: Jogged 4 miles

 

Exercise Tip: Practice Yoga at Home

"To enjoy the glow of good health, you must exercise." ~Gene Tunney  

I practiced yoga for years -- always in studios and gyms, always lead by instructors. Even though I often practiced ashtanga yoga, which is the exact same sequence of postures in every single class, I still had to have an instructor lead the class. I envied people that could practice by themselves at home. It meant they could do it on their own time which made it easier to have a regular practice, and it also saved money. For some reason, home practice seemed impossible to me. I could never remember the sequence and I was sure I would miss things.

Then I started my own business, and like many entrepreneurs, I found my time shrunk exponentially.My stress level grew at the same rate that my free time (and money) shrank, so I needed yoga even MORE than before. It became very difficult to get to yoga class, and when I did, I was often late so they wouldn't let me in. As the amount of time I had for yoga declined, I found myself taking the Spiritual Warrior class at Jivamukti Yoga studio. The class was only an hour, and it covered a pretty comprehensive set of poses. Again, it was the exact same sequence every time.

Jivamukti handed out the sequence on paper to students. I started to try to do it at home - all I needed was a yoga mat. That worked well, and eventually I found Yoga International, which had the class on video. Technology was what I had been looking for! Yoga International is an incredible source of classes and information. You can take several different classes and do a deep dive into postures. Besides Yoga International, you can find many online sites and classes. Do Yoga With Me is another popular site that is also free.

I can't believe it took me so long to practice at home! A class at home can be just as good as a class at a studio - the difference is like listening to recorded music or watching it live. You need both in your life! My schedule is still crazy, so I've been practicing solely at home with Yoga International for the last few months. Eventually I will get back in a studio, but I will always do yoga at home. It's time and cost effective, and while my goal was to practice yoga twice a week in the past, adding home practice makes reaching the goal infinitely easier. I may even be able to do it more than twice a week!

Before you do any yoga at home, make sure you have a solid base of practice and knowledge. You should be experienced enough that you can make your own corrections. If you are a beginner, PLEASE practice with a teacher for a few months before practicing by yourself. You don't want to injure yourself - you have to be able to get into poses safely and know if you are doing them correctly.

What to do - Practice Yoga at Home

1. Start a home practice only after you have practiced for a few months with an instructor that has corrected your poses so that you know when your postures are correct.
2. Have the right equipment at home. You need a yoga mat at the least, and if you need any other props make sure you have them available.
3. Find the right class. There are a lot of alternatives online. Yoga International or Do Yoga With Me are good places to start. Sift through the offerings and find ones that are good for you.
4. Fit your yoga class into your schedule, on your own time and enjoy!

 

 

Exercise: Ran 3.8 miles, sit ups and push ups

What I ate: udon noodles + spinach + kimchi + egg, cheese, rice crackers, 4 clementines, 3 dark chocolate squares, 2 hot chocolates, hot tea, brown rice, string beans with belacun sauce, Thai Drunk Noodles, 30 ounces of water, fish oil pill and vitamin