PMS Comfort Foods

Many of my lady clients ask, “What can I do about PMS?” Meaning, “What can I eat to shut the PMS monster up without gaining weight?”

During that hormonal time, every woman needs a little comfort food. Chocolate seems to be at the top of the list for most, while some prefer salty, crunchy foods.

Here are some PMS comfort foods that will help you through those dark days – all for under 200 calories:

· 25 calories – Hot cocoa or mocha. Make a packet of diet hot cocoa mix. If you like, mix it with your favorite coffee. Add a little sinful pleasure with a cloud of fat free Reddi Wip (5 calories per 2 Tbs.).
· 20 calories – Cocoa egg fluffs. Beat six egg whites until stiff peaks form, then add one scoop vanilla whey protein powder, 1/4 cup Nestle cocoa, and six packets of Splenda. Spoon into 12 nonstick muffin cups and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.
· 65 calories – Chocolate pudding. Make sugar free, fat free pudding mix with nonfat milk. Chill then top with fat free Reddi Wip.
· 60 calories – Hershey’s chocolate sticks. Packaged in great little sticks for portion control. They come in several flavors.
· 100 calories – 100 calorie snack packs. Just about every snack comes in convenient little 100 calorie packs (Oreos, mini Doritos, Twinkie bites, etc.).
· 100 calories – Popcorn. Microwave 100 calories-per-bag popcorn that is salty, crunchy and low in fat, but high in fiber.
· 155 calories – Banana split. Slice a ripe banana and top with 2 Tbs. light chocolate syrup (Hershey’s light 50 calories per 2 Tbs.) and fat free Reddi Wip topping. (Bananas can help you relax and improve your mood!)
· 155 calories – Cocoa banana shake. In blender, combine 1 cup nonfat milk, 1/2 frozen banana, 1 Tbs. Nestle cocoa, 1 packet Splenda and blend until smooth.
· 160 calories – PB rice cake. Toast a rice cake and layer with 1 Tbs. peanut butter. Drizzle with light chocolate syrup.
· 190 calories – Sweet and salty. Mix 3 cups popped Smart Pop popcorn and 1 cup Cocoa Puffs dry cereal for a filling, crunchy snack.

Remember that these snacks are treats. You still need to eat a healthy, balanced diet that is within your calorie range.

Happy PMS-ing.

Be Confident, Be Hot?

I saw a news interview where two beautiful young women (amply displaying their cleavage) talked about their book. One theme they hit on was having confidence. They claimed that women need to have confidence no matter what their size. I was thinking, “Yeah, anybody with your body would feel that way.”

They said that the trait men are most attracted to in a woman is confidence. I would have yelled at the TV, but I was running on the treadmill at the gym. So I refrained.

I’ve been both fat (and invisible), and slender and attractive. There’s a vast difference in the way people see you and treat you.

It doesn’t matter how great you are at your job, what a great cook you are, how kind and generous you are, etc. Being confident does not make you “hot” and it does not make men (or others) blind to your weight.

And I would argue that it is impossible to be completely confident when you are overweight. No matter how great you are in every other area, you still have to look in the mirror and see the one area you are failing in. The one area you want to change, but feel powerless to do so.

Everyone is a beautiful, valuable being. NO matter their size. But the cold hard sorry truth is that most people see the packaging first, not the contents inside.

I wonder how confident those ladies would feel if they gained 50 pounds.

Caught by Heart Disease

Last night we attended the viewing of a dear family friend. Only in his late fifties and seemingly of good health, it was a shock to all when he had a heart attack. After two weeks in a coma, he passed away, leaving behind his wife, children, and grandchildren.

In the days following Christmas, he was having a lot of heartburn. He chalked it up to all the rich foods and desserts he’d been eating. He started having pain in his shoulder too, but didn’t realize it was connected to his heart. If only he would have recognized the signs.

The leading cause of death for both men and women in the U.S. is heart disease.

Don’t shrug it off and think it could never happen to you. Stay current with your physicals and blood work. Know your blood pressure and blood cholesterol. Know your risks (take a risk assessment).

I lost my dad, too. He had untreated high blood pressure and died from stroke. It could have been prevented.

Don’t be caught by heart disease. Do something about it.

Out of Sight

Okay, I have a confession. I ate a toasted rice cake with Smucker’s natural peanut butter. Sure, it was a healthy choice, but it was outside of my eating plan for the day. It was an impulse consumption, which in my books is not good nor acceptable.

The temptation started while I was putting groceries away. I opened the cupboard to place the new jar of peanut butter on the shelf and right there sat the package of rice cakes. The two images blended before my eyes. In that instant I could taste it. And I wanted it. I fought with that stupid temptation for probably 45 minutes before caving.

That’s why it’s so very important to get temptation foods out of your environment – and out of sight. Even if it’s healthy food (but it’s food you love) keep it stored away out of sight. If I hadn’t seen the rice cakes and the peanut butter, it never would have entered my mind.

You know the old saying, "Out of sight, out of mind.” It’s especially true with food. What do you need to get out of sight?

Farther Than We Think

I started training a new group of clients this week. They’ve just embarked on a journey to lose weight and get into better health.

It was back to the basics as I taught them how to squat and lunge correctly. Their faces grimaced with simple ab crunches. They sweated and struggled, but they made it through a grueling hour. One lady said, “My legs feel weak and wobbly. Is that normal?”

I assured her it was.

I remember when I was overweight and had my first strength training session. When I left the studio, I had to hold onto the railing as I went down the steps because my legs were buckling beneath me. It took four days for the soreness to subside so I could go up the stairs or sit on the toilet without pain.

Yesterday I found some old hand weights in my closet. It was a strangely poignant feeling to see the two-pound dumbbells lying in the dust on the floor. It was a memory of how I was when I started, but a reminder of how strong I’ve become.

We all have to start out…where we are. With patience and perseverance we can progress forward. Dare I say, we can get even farther than we think we can?

Healthy Pizza

You don’t have to give up all your favorite foods to watch your waistline. Many foods can be made over into delicious, healthy alternatives.

A slice of cheese pizza from a restaurant can have 230 calories, 9 grams of fat, and 520 mg of sodium. By making your own, you cut down on the fat, calories and salt, turning it into a nutritious meal.

Here’s my favorite whole wheat pizza:

Whole Wheat Pizza

SAUCE:
1 quart tomato juice
1 Tbs. Splenda
2 tsp. oregano
2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. black pepper
4 Tbs. cornstarch (dissolve in cold water before adding)

Combine and simmer until thick (about 20 minutes).

DOUGH:
Combine and let set 5 minutes:
3 cups warm water
1 1/2 Tbs. yeast
1 Tbs. sugar

Combine:
3 cups all purpose flour
6 cups whole wheat flour
2 tsp. salt
4 1/2 Tbs. olive oil
Warm water

Combine wet and dry ingredients. Knead for several minutes. Add up to 1/2 cup extra water. Cover and let stand for 20 minutes to rise. Divide dough into five balls. Roll each ball out on floured surface until dough is thin and round to fit a pizza pan. Put in pan (sprayed with cooking spray) and top with 3/4 cup sauce and a thin layer of reduced-fat cheese.

Cover (plastic wrap and foil) to freeze extras. You can use aluminum pans for freezing then transfer to pizza pan for baking. Add toppings before baking (grilled chicken, green pepper, onion, lean hamburger, turkey ham, pineapples). Bake at 425 degrees for 18-20 minutes.