Scrumptious Side Dishes

I'm always looking for different ways to spice up my meals, but without the added calories. Here are a few low-cal recipe ideas to add some pop to your plate. 

Parmesan Broccoli with Cherry Tomatoes

(serves 12; serving size is 1/2 cup; 25 calories per serving)

6 cups broccoli florets

16 cherry tomatoes, halved

3 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan cheese

2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

*Steam broccoli, covered, for 6 minutes or until crisp-tender

*Transfer to large bowl and add remaining ingredients; toss gently to combine. 

Confetti Slaw with Poppy-Seed Dressing

(serves 4; serving size is 2/3 cup; 40 calories per serving)

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

1 1/2 teaspoons honey

1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill

1 teaspoon poppy seeds

1 teaspoon olive oil

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 cup thinly sliced green cabbage

1 cup thinly sliced red cabbage

1/2 cup matchstick carrots

*Combine first 8 ingredients in a bowl. Add cabbage and carrots; toss to coat. 

Asian-Style Zucchini

(serves 4; 52 calories per serving) 

1 teaspoon butter

1 large zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut into 1-inch slices

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

garlic powder and ground black pepper to taste

*Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat; stir in zucchini and cook until lightly browned.

*Sprinkle with soy sauce and sesame seeds. Season with garlic powder and pepper; continue cooking until zucchini is well-coated and tender. 

Taking the Heat

Summer is just around the corner (June 21 is the official first day), and that means sun, sun and more sun – especially for us Floridians. And while too much of a good thing can be harmful, there is at least one health benefit from the sun's rays: vitamin D. 

Your body makes vitamin D when you are exposed to the ultraviolet B (UVB) rays in sunlight. Generally, stepping outside for 5 to 30 minutes (without sunscreen) twice every week should do the trick, and if you plan to stay out longer, make sure to apply some sunscreen to avoid burning. If you're fair skinned, 10 minutes in the midday sun – in shorts and a tank top – should be enough to produce around 10,000 international units of the vitamin (the recommended daily dose is around 1,000 IU each day). 

Research has shown that vitamin D deficiency can cause an increased risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and even depression. And recent research suggests that low vitamin D levels may double your risk of stroke death. On the contrary, benefits of the vitamin include maintaining calcium balance, boosting the immune system, regulating blood pressure and protecting against diseases like Alzheimer's and cancer. 

So get outside and enjoy the season, it's good for you! 

Sweet Treats

I’m a dessert person. I always need a little something after my dinner to satisfy my sweet tooth, otherwise it just doesn’t feel complete. But of course, I try to stick with low calorie options as much as possible, and I’m always looking for something new. That’s why I got very excited when my friend pointed out to me today that Skinny Cow – the brand behind those delicious, low-calorie ice cream sandwiches – has come out with a new line of ice cream cups in a variety of flavors. Choose from the following fabulous flavors: 

Chocolate Fudge Brownie – Rich chocolate ice cream with fudgey chocolate brownie bits (150 calories; 2 grams of fat) 

Dulce de Leche – Low-fat caramel ice cream with swirls of caramel (150 calories, 1 gram of fat)

Strawberry Cheesecake – Cheesecake ice cream with swirls of sweet strawberry (150 calories; 1 gram of fat) 

Caramel Cone – Low-fat ice cream with a sweet caramel swirl and chocolate-covered chunks of crunchy cone (170 calories; 3 grams of fat) 

Cookies ‘N Cream – The classic low-fat vanilla ice cream with crunchy chunks of chocolate cookie (150 calories; 2 grams of fat) 

Is it dessert time yet? 

TGIF

Another work week has gone by, which means one thing... happy hour! But depending on your drink of choice, that can add up to a lot of extra calories over the course of an evening. Just so you're prepared, I've listed the calorie counts of some popular drinks below. Enjoy!

Red Bull and vodka: 177 (9.3 ounces) 

Captain Morgan and Coke: 123 (1.25-ounce shot of rum and 4 ounces regular coke)

Captain Morgan and Diet Coke (my personal fave): 75 calories (1.25-ounce shot of rum and 4 ounces Diet Coke) 

Bud Light: 110 (12 ounces) 

Michelob Ultra: 95 (12 ounces) 

Miller Lite: 96 (12 ounces) 

Gin and tonic: 143 (6 ounces) 

Cranberry and vodka: 133 (1-ounce shot of vodka, 4 ounces cranberry juice) 

Cosmo: 143 (6 ounces) 

Mojito: 172 (7 ounces) 

White wine: 77 (4 ounces)

Red wine: 85 (4 ounces) 

Daily Dish

I am a creature of habit in all aspects – especially the way I eat. I tend to eat the same exact thing every day for weeks at a time (except on weekends), and honestly never get tired of it. It's just easier to plan my meals and cook when I know exactly what I'm going to eat, when, how much, etc. 

But that got me thinking about an earlier post, where I stressed the importance of varying your workouts to avoid hitting plateaus, and realized that maybe my routine eating habits could be doing more harm than good. 

So I decided to do a little research, and here is what I found. 

Apparently it won't hurt you to eat the same thing every day, as long as you're making healthy choices. (Daily trips to Burger King don't count.) However, it's important to vary your diet as much as you can to make sure you're covering all your nutritional bases and taking in all the vitamins and minerals as you can. So maybe instead of your mid-morning apple, you can swap that out for an orange or pear or banana (you get the idea). 

One thing to note, however, is that it may be possible to develop intolerances to certain foods that you eat often. Unfortunately, food intolerances are highly individual and mysterious, and can be triggered by anything from emotional stress to environmental toxins, so it's very hard to predict. 

I figure that as long as I incorporate all the major food groups (fruits, veggies, whole grains, protein, heart-healthy fats, etc.) in my daily diet, I can just keep doing what I'm doing. 

Is Kosher Better For You?

As a Jew, I have a special place in my heart for all things kosher (especially anything found in a kosher deli). And apparently I'm not the only one. Much like my previous post that highlighted the fact that many non-Celiac Disease sufferers are opting for gluten-free products in their diet, I've also noticed a trend in the popularity of kosher products, even for those who have no religious connection. 

The idea is that kosher products are in some way healthier or more environmentally friendly. In fact, a recent study found that the top reasons consumers chose kosher products were "food quality," "general healthfulness" and "food safety." ("I follow kosher religious rules" came in sixth.) But this is not entirely true. 

While there are very strict guidelines that must be followed in order to declare something kosher, the rules do not specify how to raise the animals or what to feed them. So if you think you're eating an animal that was reared on organic grasses, you are probably mistaken. 

According to kosher "law," the animals must be killed by hand with a sharp knife drawn across the neck. From there, the lungs are carefully inspected and the meat is de-veined, soaked in cold water and salted before being rinsed. This salting and rinsing process can reduce the presence of certain microbes, such as salmonella. And the de-veining may help as blood can be a breeding ground for bacteria. But kosher meat processing has additional contamination risks as well – such as the use of extra-strong plucking machines (because steam or hot water cannot be applied to get rid of stray feathers until after the meat has been salted), which can tear the skin of a carcass and open up sites for infection. 

The bottom line is, while it may be more expensive, there's no real evidence that kosher meat is cleaner or healthier than non-kosher. 

Happy Birthday, Birth Control Pill! (Ironic, Isn't It?)

In honor of the 50th anniversary of the birth control pill (on May 9, 1960, an advisory committee to the FDA recommended approval of the birth control pill, and it was approved 45 days later), I thought it was appropriate to clear up a few myths surrounding it. 

Myth 1: The Pill Makes You Fat.

While some women seem to gain weight on the pill, it isn't quite so black and white. Estrogen in the pill can make some women feel bloated, but this typically goes away. And water retention is also a common side effect, but that can often be reduced by switching to a lower dose pill. Studies have actually shown that women often start the pill during a time in their life when they typically gain weight anyway, giving the pill a bad rap. 

Myth 2: Long-Term Pill Use Can Affect Fertility.

Although some women may face a delay in becoming pregnant after stopping the pill, this is most likely due to the fact that they had irregular periods before starting it in the first place. In fact, fertility can return almost immediately after stopping the pill, and often times women may become extra fertile soon after going off the pill. 

Myth 3: It's Good to Take a Break from the Pill if You've Taken it for a Long Time.

There's no medical reason to back this up; however, doctors do advise reviewing contraceptive needs after 15 years of being on the pill or at age 35.