Mom's last words inspire 85-pound loss

 

 

By Jacque Wilson, CNN updated 7:04 AM EDT, Fri April 12, 2013

CNN) -- "Hey, Precious."

Cherie Hart Steffen turned toward her professor in the hall of their community college.

"What?" she asked, sure she had misheard.

"Precious -- you know, from the movie," he repeated.

The students around them started laughing. Steffen could only stare in disbelief. He had just compared her to Gabourey Sidibe's obese character in the 2009 film.

"It was like ... someone hit me with a frying pan on my head," she remembers.

Her mind flashed back to just six months before, when she had gotten a life-changing call. It was June 2009. Her mother -- her best friend in the world -- was dying. Steffen drove all night in hopes of seeing her one last time.

Sticking to weight loss goals

LaVerne Hart managed to give her youngest daughter just two pieces of advice before succumbing to the cancer that had spread throughout her body.

"Save money. Lose weight," Steffen recites, her mother's words forever etched into her brain.

Steffen hadn't listened immediately. A herniated disk in her lower back had prevented her from working out; grief had made her turn to comfort food. In the months since her mother's death she had gained 30 to 40 pounds. But that moment with her professor was the last straw.

"This is it," she thought, as the crowd around her dissipated. "Let's do this."

A model's daughter

Steffen's older sisters were naturally thin. They took after their mother, who had been a model. Steffen did not. She grew up "husky" and steadily gained weight throughout her teenage years.

She and her mother fought constantly over her size. Hart would push her daughter to lose weight, but continued to buy junk food for the whole family.

"Bless her heart, she didn't know how to really deal with it," Steffen remembers. "I'm eating what everyone else is eating. ... None of her other children looked like me."

In desperation, Steffen tried everything from crash diets to extreme exercise to battle the bulge. At one point, she was eating fewer than 500 calories a day. She would lose weight for a short time and then put it right back on when real life won out.

Shopping was miserable. "They don't really make large clothing that's attractive," she says. "Everything just looks like a tarp." She longingly watched as her friends tried on cute clothes and went on dates. Her first kiss was postponed until college.

Eventually she carried 230 pounds on her 5-foot-3-inch frame.

Slow and steady

The humiliating "Precious" incident took place in January 2010. That night, Steffen got on her treadmill at home and walked for 10 minutes. It was rough, but she promised herself she'd do it again the next day. She was going to take the weight off no matter how long it took.

Every day she walked just a little bit longer, a little bit farther. By year's end, she had lost 30 pounds and worked her way up to a jog. She still hadn't exercised outside her house, fearing embarrassment.

She would be graduating soon with a degree in criminal justice, and thought she might make a good police officer. She started training for the fitness test, but a stress fracture in her tibia prevented her from attending tryouts at the academy.

Depression crept in. Steffen thought about what she really wanted to do. She realized she was happy with her new health routine. Could she work in the fitness industry? She did some research and came across the National Academy of Sports Medicine's certified personal training program.

What to look for in a personal trainer:
1) Evaluate their education. Research their certification and make sure it's from a reputable source like NASM.
2) Make sure their advanced specialization, like nutrition or bodybuilding, fits your goal.
3) Interact with them -- a personality match will help with motivation.

Personal training is a booming job field, says academy spokesman David Van Daff.

"Everyone is aware there's an (obesity) crisis, an epidemic," he says. "People are trying a variety of different methods to improve their fitness levels, but they're not achieving success independently. They're recognizing they need a coach, a motivator, who will hold them accountable."

Personal trainers provide clients with programs to achieve their goals, Van Daff says, whether that's weight loss, muscle building or overall fitness. The National Academy of Sports Medicine certification teaches everything from basic anatomy to kinesiology to motivational techniques.

Van Daff loves to see people who have lost a significant amount of weight become trainers.

"It's helpful for somebody in this industry if they can relate to their clients from a personal perspective," he says. "If you have a personal trainer who knows what it's like to be 20 or 30 pounds overweight ... it helps in gaining (the client's) confidence."

Steffen passed her certification exam on her way to losing another 30 to 40 pounds. She designated 2012 as the year of running: She ran her first 5K in May and her first half marathon later that year. Toward the end of the year, she finally joined a gym and began to lift weights.

"(I thought) I look good in my clothes, but do I look good naked?" she says with a laugh.

Now she hits the gym five to six days a week to weight train and run. She also has cleaned up her eating habits.

Steffen eats six small meals a day that almost always include protein, whether it's chicken, tuna, Greek yogurt or fish. She has a gallon of water on her desk at work. ("I'm constantly going to the bathroom," she says.) She's given up French fries and French bread, possibly her two biggest diet downfalls, although she gives herself permission to splurge during one meal a week.

All her hard work has paid off. Steffen has lost 85 pounds and inspires others on her blog, CherieRunsThis.com.

Moving on

About a year ago, Steffen ran into her old college professor, the one who had called her "Precious." She hadn't seen him since her graduation.

Like a scene from a movie, Steffen dropped an orange and it rolled across the floor. Her professor picked it up as a million sentences ran through her head.

"I had dreamed of this moment," she says. "I thought I was going to walk into his office and be like, 'Look at me now.'"

Instead she simply said, "Thank you."

"If he hadn't said that, none of this would have happened," she explains. "He still has no clue."

For now, Steffen is working as a leasing consultant at an apartment complex. But she's studying to be a fitness nutrition specialist with the National Academy of Sports Medicine and hopes to eventually get enough clients to be a personal trainer full time.

She also has her eye on a few bikini competitions, perhaps as a nod to her mother's modeling career. She imagines Hart would flip out if she saw her daughter now, and would immediately want to go shopping.

"She would love that I listened to her and took her advice," Steffen says. "She would be really proud of me because I did it the right way."

Follower Sunday: Thank You Readership! Weight Management Expert and Dietitian helps others Wait no-longer; Healthy Recipe given from heart for Cerebral Palsy

By Anthony Sepe

Each Sunday, I thank my readership for their loyalty and dedication to my blog, by providing a healthy recipe.  For those that know, this is a healthy repeat, but for those that are unaware and are new to the blog, this is my way of “giving back.”  It is also a way to “Pay it Forward.”  Each Sunday, not only will you have a healthy recipe, but you will have an expert in the field of dietetics, food and nutrition, provide the healthy recipe to you.  It is my pleasure to introduce to you this week, my colleague, Shauna Del Prete, RD, CDN and her recipe:  “Turkey Chili.”

Shauna Del Prete, RD, CDN

Shauna Del Prete is a registered dietitian and certified dietitian-nutritionist in the state of New York. She received an undergraduate degree in Psychology from the University of Miami and went on to receive a B.S. in Nutrition at C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University. After completing her dietetic internship at C.W. Post in 2009, Shauna began working with individuals preparing for weight loss surgery at NY Weight Management Programs where she is currently employed.

Shauna believes that every person can live and eat healthy. Her passion is coaching individuals to make small changes to achieve their health goals. Her mission is to provide realistic nutrition advice to people of all ages and backgrounds. In addition to providing traditional weight loss counseling for clients, Shauna provides counseling on disease management, sports nutrition, general wellness, and a variety of other topics.

 

Recipe developed and reprinted with permission of Shauna Del Prete, RD, CDN.

 

Turkey Chili

Ingredients:

1. 3 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2. 1-1 ½ lbs. 93% lean ground turkey
3. 1 Tbsp. each dried: coriander, cumin, oregano, chili pepper flakes, chili powder, and ground pepper
4. 3 Tbsp. Tomato Paste
5. 1 small chopped jalapeño pepper or 1-7 oz. can of chopped green chili pepper
6. 1 medium chopped onion
7. 1 green bell pepper chopped
8. 1 red bell pepper chopped
9. 4 garlic cloves
10. 2 cans kidney beans (rinsed and drained two times)
11. ¾ c low sodium turkey stock
12. 35 oz. canned stewed crushed tomatoes

Garnish:

• Low fat sour cream or 0% plain Greek yogurt
• 1 small red onion chopped
• Shredded Mexican cheese mix
• Chopped scallion

Directions:

1. Pour 1 ½ tbsp. EVOO in large stock pot over medium heat.
2. Add turkey, tomato paste, and all dried spices.
3. Cook until browned. In the meantime, heat remaining oil in pan and cook onions, pepper and garlic on medium until onions translucent.
4. Add cooked vegetables to stock pot and combine remaining ingredients. Let simmer for 1 hour uncovered.
5. Garnish with sour cream (I use 0% plain Greek yogurt but it may curdle in hot chili), chopped scallion, cheese, and chopped onions.

 

Try Shauna’s Chili and let us know how you liked it, by posting your comment back here on this post.

Thank you for reading and visiting today,

Anthony

Twinkie diet helps nutrition professor lose 27 lbs; however, I would NOT be so Proud of this!

 

Twinkie diet helps nutrition professor lose 27 pounds

By Madison Park, CNN

November 8, 2010 -- Updated 1340 GMT (2140 HKT)

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Nutrition professor's "convenience store diet" helped him shed 27 pounds
• Haub limited himself to 1,800 calories and two-thirds come from junk food
• Haub said it's too early to draw any conclusions about diet

(CNN) -- Twinkies. Nutty bars. Powdered donuts.

For 10 weeks, Mark Haub, a professor of human nutrition at Kansas State University, ate one of these sugary cakelets every three hours, instead of meals. To add variety in his steady stream of Hostess and Little Debbie snacks, Haub munched on Doritos chips, sugary cereals and Oreos, too.

His premise: That in weight loss, pure calorie counting is what matters most -- not the nutritional value of the food.

The premise held up: On his "convenience store diet," he shed 27 pounds in two months.

For a class project, Haub limited himself to less than 1,800 calories a day. A man of Haub's pre-dieting size usually consumes about 2,600 calories daily. So he followed a basic principle of weight loss: He consumed significantly fewer calories than he burned.

His body mass index went from 28.8, considered overweight, to 24.9, which is normal. He now weighs 174 pounds.

But you might expect other indicators of health would have suffered. Not so.

Haub's "bad" cholesterol, or LDL, dropped 20 percent and his "good" cholesterol, or HDL, increased by 20 percent. He reduced the level of triglycerides, which are a form of fat, by 39 percent.

"That's where the head scratching comes," Haub said. "What does that mean? Does that mean I'm healthier? Or does it mean how we define health from a biology standpoint, that we're missing something?"

Haub's sample day

Espresso, Double: 6 calories; 0 grams of fat
Hostess Twinkies Golden Sponge Cake: 150 calories; 5 grams of fat
Centrum Advanced Formula From A To Zinc: 0 calories; 0 grams of fat
Little Debbie Star Crunch: 150 calories; 6 grams of fat
Hostess Twinkies Golden Sponge Cake: 150 calories; 5 grams of fat
Diet Mountain Dew: 0 calories; 0 grams of fat
Doritos Cool Ranch: 75 calories; 4 grams of fat
Kellogg's Corn Pops: 220 calories; 0 grams of fat
whole milk: 150 calories; 8 grams of fat
baby carrots: 18 calories; 0 grams of fat
Duncan Hines Family Style Brownie Chewy Fudge: 270 calories; 14 grams of fat
Little Debbie Zebra Cake: 160 calories; 8 grams of fat
Muscle Milk Protein Shake: 240 calories; 9 grams of fat
Totals: 1,589 calories and 59 grams of fat

Despite his temporary success, Haub does not recommend replicating his snack-centric diet.

"I'm not geared to say this is a good thing to do," he said. "I'm stuck in the middle. I guess that's the frustrating part. I can't give a concrete answer. There's not enough information to do that."

Two-thirds of his total intake came from junk food. He also took a multivitamin pill and drank a protein shake daily. And he ate vegetables, typically a can of green beans or three to four celery stalks.

Families who live in food deserts have limited access to fresh fruits and vegetables, so they often rely on the kind of food Haub was eating.

"These foods are consumed by lots of people," he said. "It may be an issue of portion size and moderation rather than total removal. I just think it's unrealistic to expect people to totally drop these foods for vegetables and fruits. It may be healthy, but not realistic."

Haub's body fat dropped from 33.4 to 24.9 percent. This posed the question: What matters more for weight loss, the quantity or quality of calories?

His success is probably a result of caloric reduction, said Dawn Jackson Blatner, a dietitian based in Atlanta, Georgia.

"It's a great reminder for weight loss that calories count," she said. "Is that the bottom line to being healthy? That's another story."

Blatner, a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association, said she's not surprised to hear Haub's health markers improved even when he loaded up on processed snack cakes.

Being overweight is the central problem that leads to complications like high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol, she said.

How well are you managing your diabetes?

"When you lose weight, regardless of how you're doing it -- even if it's with packaged foods, generally you will see these markers improve when weight loss has improved," she said.

Before jumping on the Ding Dong bandwagon, Blatner warned of health concerns.

"There are things we can't measure," said Blatner, questioning how the lack of fruits and vegetables could affect long-term health. "How much does that affect the risk for cancer? We can't measure how diet changes affect our health."

I was eating healthier, but I wasn't healthy. I was eating too much.
--Professor Mark Haub

 

The ultimate Twinkie diet

RELATED TOPICS

• Healthy Eating
• Hostess Twinkies
• Kansas State University
• Weight Loss
• Diet and Nutrition

On August 25, Haub, 41, started his cake diet focusing on portion control.

"I'm eating to the point of need and pushing the plate or wrapper away," he said.

He intended the trial to last a month as a teaching tool for his class. As he lost weight, Haub continued the diet until he reached a normal body mass index.

Before his Twinkie diet, he tried to eat a healthy diet that included whole grains, dietary fiber, berries and bananas, vegetables and occasional treats like pizza.

"There seems to be a disconnect between eating healthy and being healthy," Haub said. "It may not be the same. I was eating healthier, but I wasn't healthy. I was eating too much."

He maintained the same level of moderate physical activity as before going on the diet. (Haub does not have any ties to the snack cake companies.)

To avoid setting a bad example for his kids, Haub ate vegetables in front of his family. Away from the dinner table, he usually unwrapped his meals.

Study: U.S. obesity rate will hit 42 percent

Haub monitored his body composition, blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose, and updated his progress on his Facebook page, Professor Haub's diet experiment.

To curb calories, he avoided meat, whole grains and fruits. Once he started adding meat into the diet four weeks ago, his cholesterol level increased.

Haub plans to add about 300 calories to his daily intake now that he's done with the diet. But he's not ditching snack cakes altogether. Despite his weight loss, Haub feels ambivalence.

"I wish I could say the outcomes are unhealthy. I wish I could say it's healthy. I'm not confident enough in doing that. That frustrates a lot of people. One side says it's irresponsible. It is unhealthy, but the data doesn't say that."

What say you about this?

Follower Sunday: Thank You Readership! Pineapple Pork Sauté Recipe

Each Sunday, I thank my readership for their loyalty and dedication to my blog, by providing a healthy recipe.  To those that know, this is a healthy repeat, but for those that are unaware and are new to the blog, this is my way of “giving back.”  It is also a way to “Pay it Forward.”  Each Sunday, you have a healthy recipe to prepare for yourself or for your loved ones.  Today is a feast of tastes from  Make it in Minutes, featuring Winning Points Weight Watcher’s easy recipes.

 

There is an array of tasty low-fat bottled sauces now available in most supermarkets (often in the Asian section.)  In this particular recipe, you can substitute a teriyaki sauce for the sweet and sour variety, however, I'd suggest that you omit the salt, if you do.

INGREDIENTS:

1. 1 Cup quick cooking brown rice
2. 3/4 pound pork tenderloin thinly sliced against the grain
3. 3/4 tsp. salt
4. 1/2 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
5. 1 tsp. olive oil
6. 3 scallions sliced on the diagonal, into 2” pieces
7. 1 small apple peeled, cored and chopped
8. 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
9. 1 garlic clove, chopped
10. 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
11. 1 8oz. can of pineapple chunks in juice, drained
12. 1/2 cup Chinese-style sweet and sour sauce

PREPARATION:

• Cook the rice according to package directions
• Sprinkle the pork with the salt and pepper.  Spray a large nonstick skillet with nonstick spray and set over medium –high heat.  Arrange the pork in the skillet in a single layer cooking in batches, in necessary.  Sauté until browned and cooked through.  1-2 minutes on each side.  Transfer the pork to a plate.
• Add the oil to the skillet.  Stir in the scallions, apple, bell pepper, garlic, and crushed red pepper.  Sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the pineapple, sauce, and reserved  pork; bring to a boil.  Serve with rice.

S u g g e s t i o n:

Serve with steamed greens, such as spinach and drained, mandarin orange slices.

Nutrition Information per Serving:

Calories 407; Total fat 6g; Sat fat 1g; Cholesterol 67mg; Sodium 784mg;Total Carbohydrate 58g; Protein 31g; POINTS: 8

Source: Make it in Minutes Copyright 2001 Weight Watchers

Wanna Be: 1,000 lb. Woman

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Cider Chicken with Apples & Thyme

 

I absolutely love Granny Smith Apples, which I had 2 today.  This particular recipe calls for Golden Delicious, but Granny Smith Apples would work well in this recipe, too.   This is yummy.  Enjoy and thank you for reading.

INGREDIENTS:

1. 4 – 5 oz. boneless skinless chicken breasts
2. 1/2 tsp salt
3. 1/2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
4. 2 tsp olive oil
5. 1 Cup frozen pearl onions, thawed
6. 4 strips of turkey bacon, sliced
7. 1 Golden Delicious or Granny Smith Apple (unpeeled), cored and cut into chunks
8. 1 Tbsp. of freshly chopped Thyme or 1 tsp. dried Thyme
9. 1 Cup of apple cider
10. 1/4 cup of low-sodium chicken broth
11. Thyme Sprigs for garnish

PREPARATION:

• Sprinkle the chicken breasts with salt and pepper
• Heat the oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the chicken and sauté until golden and tender; about 4 minutes on each side.  Transfer the chicken to a plate.
• Add the onions and bacon to the skillet.  Cook, shaking the pan occasionally, until the onions are softened and browned; approximately 8 minutes.  Add the apple and thyme; cook until the apple is tender and golden- about 5 minutes.  Stir in the cider and broth.  Raise the heat to high and cook until the sauce boils and thickens slightly- about 5 minutes.  Return the chicken to the skillet and heat through.  Arrange the chicken on a platter, spoon the sauce on top, and garnish with the thyme sprigs.

Nutritional Information per serving:

270 calories; 7g total fat; 1 g saturated fat; 92 mg cholesterol; 617 mg sodium; 16g total carbohydrate; 2g dietary fiber; 35g protein.  Weight Watcher Points: 6 Serves: 4    Source:  Weight Watchers Make it In Minutes

Follower Sunday: “Thank You Readership!” Guest-Chef, Registered Dietitian and Mother has Heart of Gold for Others: Wins Public Service Award and Shares Pizza Surprises

Dr. Sandra Frank is a registered dietitian and licensed nutritionist with over 30 years experience. She received a Doctorate degree in Nutrition Education with a minor in Nutritional Biochemistry. Her research identified success factors related to weight maintenance and presented the findings at the ADA convention in 1986. Most recently, she was honored with the 2009 Public Service Award by the Florida Dietetic Association due to her dedication and contributions in community nutrition. Some of her activities included: writing grants for Meals-On-Wheels and the Ryan White Foundation; coordinating the Dietetic Technician Program; and appointed by the governor to sit on the Ombudsman Council. She is the author of “Menu Solutions”, a guide to designing menus and recipes for modified diets. The book is used in some universities to teach therapeutic cooking classes. Dr. Frank is the proud mother of Jake, the 1992 Broward County Theme Child for United Cerebral Palsy (UCP). Through her association with UCP, Dr. Sandra has helped make the menus for many of the group homes in South Florida. Dr. Frank works for Bon Appétit magazine and the Tribune’s Sun-Sentinel newspaper for the last 20 years. She has designed websites, an online newsletter and a wellness calendar that focuses on food, nutrition, food safety and disability rights. The following are the websites and blogs developed by Dr. Frank. One of the websites is maintained by her son Jake.

Weighing-Success. The original website which contains the links to all the other websites. In addition, there are numerous educational resources, lifestyle calculators, menu planning tools, shopping tips and a lot more. Wellness News. Current News and Resources in Nutrition, Food, Health, Weight Control, Recalls/Safety and Disability Rights. Encourages awareness and inspires ideas for Journalists, Educators, Consumers and Health Professionals. Up-dated daily. Contains the wellness calendar.  Twitter; Facebook; Blog Sandra J. Frank, Ed.D, RD, LDN   LinkedIn. E-mail. recipenews@gmail.com

Dietitians-Online. Created to promote the Registered Dietitian and provide reliable on-line food and nutrition information to the media, consumer, health professional and educator through the knowledge, dedication and talents of the Registered Dietitian. Highlights RD Blogs and videos.  Facebook Wheelchair (Ability) Connection Demonstrates the courage, strength and spirit of those we call "Special". Listen to their voices, see their faces and read their stories. Learn how the "Special", exceptional family and caregivers are handling challenges. Discover and share resources for assistance, equipment, or changes in the law. Meet the heroes.  Facebook

 

   

      Jake and his Uncle

My son Jake was born with Cerebral Palsy. He uses a power wheelchair to move around and he is able to use his right hand to eat finger foods. Finger foods are popular in our home.

Between having a mother who is a dietitian and an uncle who is a baker, Jake grew up with an interest in food and cooking. He loves mixing together different spices and foods in order to design a culinary surprise.

When Jake was about three years old, I noticed he was working with dough during his occupational therapy. He seemed to enjoy the feel and taste.

Later that day, I bought some refrigerated dough from the bakery and Jake chose the ingredients for the topping. We made the most amazing pizzas in unusual shapes and flavors. This become a tradition we continue every Sunday evening.

Many of the ingredients have varied through the years as Jake discovered new foods, but some special ingredients stayed the same.

 

Pizza Surprises, makes 6 small pizzas, 1 pizza per person.
Ingredients.
Time with your child.
Self-esteem, discovery and accomplishment
Fun, messy and a lot of love and laughter
Plastic Gloves
13 x 9-inch Baking Pan or Pizza Screen
Dough.
1.5 to 2 pounds, Refrigerated Pizza Dough from Bakery; divided into 4, 4 ounce portions and
  2, 3 ounce portions. Keep the dough refrigerated until one hour before you are ready to use.
Once the leavening agent in the dough is activated, the dough should be used within two hours. Any unused dough left unrefrigerated for more than two hours should be discarded.
Toppings.* The list includes sauces, cheeses and toppings we have used throughout the years.
Prepare the toppings first. Use plastic gloves to avoid cross contamination. If your child is unable to wear gloves due to tightness, divide their ingredients into small cups for individual use. Here are 3 of our favorite pizzas. The amounts listed are recommended for two individual pizzas.

Barbecue Chicken Surprise Pizza,  makes 2 individual pizzas.
One pizza equals. Calories: 411; Fat: 7 g; Saturated Fat: 1 g; Cholesterol: 42 mg; Dietary Fiber: 3.2 g; Sodium: 704 mg

4-6 Tbsp Barbecue Sauce
4 ounces Chicken, cooked, diced
1/2 cup Pineapple Tidbits, own juice, drained (reserve juice to drink in beverage)
2, 4 ounce portions of refrigerated pizza dough
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray 13 x 9-inch pan with a Non-Stick Cooking Spray. Roll or pound the dough into any shape, make sure it is flat and even. Once you have the desired shape, place the pizza dough on the baking pan.
Spread one Tbsp barbecue sauce over each pizza dough, top with cooked chicken and pineapples. Add remaining barbecue sauce. Spread your toppings evenly over the surface of the pizza. Place in oven and cook for 20 minutes or until the crust has browned. Take it out of the oven and let it cool down before you serve. To prepare as a finger food, cut into one-inch shapes.

Salty Surprise Pizza,  makes 2 individual pizzas.
One pizza equals. Calories: 454; Fat: 22 g; Saturated Fat: 7 g; Cholesterol: 40 mg; Dietary Fiber: 3 g; Sodium: 1506 mg (without anchovy Sodium is 683 mg)

1 Tbsp Garlic Olive Oil
1/2 cup Spinach, fresh, chopped
2 ounce Bleu or Feta Cheese
1 Anchovy (for Jake)
2, 4 ounce portions of refrigerated pizza dough
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray 13 x 9-inch pan with a Non-Stick Cooking Spray. Roll or pound the dough into any shape, make sure it is flat and even. Once you have the desired shape, place the pizza dough on the baking pan.
Spread garlic olive oil evenly over each pizza dough, top with 1/4 cup fresh spinach, one ounce bleu or feta cheese and one anchovy. Spread your toppings evenly over the surface of the pizza. Place in oven and cook for 20 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the crust has browned. Take it out of the oven and let it cool down before you serve. To prepare as a finger food, cut into one-inch shapes.

Sweet Surprise Pizza, makes 2 individual pizzas.
One pizza equals. Calories: 423; Fat: 7 g; Saturated Fat: 3 g; Cholesterol: 10 mg; Dietary Fiber: 2.5 g; Sodium: 240 mg.

2 Tbsp Brown sugar
4 Tbsp Chocolate Syrup or Caramel Topping
1/2 cup Favorite Light Ice Cream
Whipped Cream Topping
Sprinkles
2, 3 ounce portions of refrigerated pizza dough

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray 13 x 9-inch pan with a Non-Stick Cooking Spray. Roll or pound the dough into a square shape, make sure it is flat and even. Place the pizza dough on the baking pan.

Top dough with brown sugar and chocolate syrup or caramel topping. Spread evenly over the surface of the dough. Place in oven and cook for 20 minutes or until the crust has browned. Take it out of the oven and let it cool down before you add the remaining ingredients. When you are ready to serve, add 1/4 to 1/3 cup of your favorite light ice cream. Top with whipped cream topping and sprinkles.

To prepare as a finger food, add a small amount of ice cream and sprinkles. Fold pizza in half. Place whipped cream topping on the side for dipping.

*Toppings we have used throughout the years. The list includes cheeses, sauces, vegetables, fruits, meats and miscellaneous foods and condiments. The combinations are endless.

Cheese
  Mozzarella
  Provolone
  Parmesan
  Romano
  Goat Cheese
  Feta
  Gorgonzola
  Bleu

Sauces
  Marinara
  Pesto
  Melted butter with garlic
  Olive oil
  Alfredo Sauce
  Barbecue Sauce
  Chocolate Sauce

Meat and Miscellaneous
  Anchovies
  Black and green olives
  Chicken, cooked, diced
  Ground beef
  Italian sausage
  Pepperoni
  Steak strips

Vegetables
  Bell peppers, all colors
  Broccoli, cooked
  Jalapenos, sliced
  Mushrooms, sliced
  Onions, white
  Spinach leaves
  Sweet Potato, mashed
  (add cinnamon, brown sugar and butter)
  Zucchini

Fruits
  Pineapple tidbits
  Fresh strawberries

• Sandra J. Frank, Ed.D, RD, LDN  
  E-mail: recipenews@gmail.com

Chewy Raisin Granola Snacks: On-the go!

Kids and grown-ups alike will love-- and crave--these chewy raisin granola snacks.  They’re so easy to make, you’ll have plenty of time to enjoy some form of exercise, too.

Raisin Energy Bars

Ingredients:

4 egg whites

1/4 cup of sugar

4 teaspoons of vegetable oil

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

3/4 tsp. vanilla extract

1-2/3 cups lain “no added fat” or low fat granola

1 cup of sun-maid raisins

3 TBSP of toasted wheat-germ

3 TBSP raw sunflower seeds

4 tsp sesame seeds

1/2 cup walnuts

Directions:

1.  Beat egg whites and sugar in large bowl with whish until smooth.

2. Beat in oil, cinnamon and vanilla extract.

3. Stir in remaining ingredients.

4. Blend well.

5. Coat generously a 13x9” baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.

6. Turn raisin mixture into pan.

7. Pat to even layer.

8. Bake at 300 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until edges are golden brown.  Cool 5 minutes in pan. Loosen edges with spatula and invert onto wire rack to cool completely.

9. Cut into 4 dozen bite-sized pieces. 

10.  Store in an airtight container or pack in small plastic bags for on-the-go snacking.  Makes 48 pieces.

• NUTRITIONAL ANALYSIS:

Calories: 40; Protein 1g; Fat 1g (Sat Fat 0g); Carbohydrate 7g;                            Dietary Fiber <1g;Cholesterol 0mg;Sodium 15mg

Weight Watcher Points: 1

Source:  Recipe adapted from Recipes for Healthier Eating

Weight-Tweeting Scale Tweets to Twitter

New Scale Blabs About Your Flab on Twitter

Buck Wolfe of Sphere wrote about the scale showing your weight on Twitter.  I don’t know about you, but I’ve always maintained that my patients/clients weight and weight history was very personal.  It took a long time for people to trust us, as Dietitians’, c’mon tweeting your weight on Twitter? Is this going just a little too far?

-- How's this for motivation: A new bathroom scale will tweet your body weight, letting Twitter users know just how fat you've gotten.

Withings

As we all get ready to kick off that increased caloric season,known as the holiday season, the Withings Wi-Fi Body Scale is now there to track our daily binges and let everyone know.

The $159 scale hit the market a few months ago with the breakthrough ability to beam your weight, body mass and percentage of body fat to your computer. This allows you to track the ballooning of your buttocks graphically -- and that might be easier for some people than, say, looking into the mirror and screaming.
A free iPhone app lets you view all the info on the go, at restaurants, bars and wherever you might indulge.

"Letting our users upload their info on Twitter was a natural extension," says company spokeswoman Jessica Darrican. "For the right person, it just makes all that information all the more real."

Of course, it's completely optional to auto-Tweet every time you step on the scale. The new feature -- introduced last week -- comes at no additional cost. But it's clearly one of those things that some people will love -- and others will find completely revolting.  "You can't ignore the social aspect of dieting, and that's why I think a lot of people will use this and benefit from it," says personal trainer Nicole Glor, who stars in her own line of exercise DVDs.

"I'm in my ninth month of pregnancy, and I find that I turn to my Face book updates for inspiration to stay in shape. I like to know that people around me are pulling for me."

Others feel that you have to look within yourself for real change -- and you won't find that self-reflection on any social media site.
"You can broadcast what your scale is telling you all over the world, but it is not going to get into the root causes of why you overeat," says Debbie Mandel, author of "Addicted to Stress."
"All it might do is create even more anxiety, and anxiety is a leading cause of weight gain."

Weight-tweeting scales might now be a reality. Our only comfort, at least for now, is that we won't wake up the morning after Thanksgiving to find our dangerously overstretched jeans complaining on Face book.

How do you feel about this new kind of scale and a weight-tweeting scale at that?

President Obama accepts Nobel Challenge—and so can you!

The Nobel Committee members made no bones about it:  Helping President Obama achieve ambitious peacemaking goals was their goal in awarding the prize Friday.  Now let’s take a look at our challenge:

Consuming fewer calories than we burn, will result in weight loss, but better yet—cutting back on calories and exercising more, would be awesome for us.

• One pound of body fat= 3500 calories

Remember though, the causes of obesity are more complex than just energy imbalance.  Our families have lots to do with this; undoubtedly, genetics plays a role in this too.  Our surroundings play a part, as well, but one-step-at a-time will meet our challenges for healthy weight loss. 

Resources for Success:

• To keep track of your success, you might want to read about the National Weight Loss Registry  and visit Registered Dietitians, as Nutrition Experts.
• NewU - “Your Weight, Your Health, Your Choice," which is an online weight loss support group where members join to receive support, expert feedback from Lisa and Ursula, both registered dietitians, and have the opportunity to share their struggles and successes.  NewU encourages lifestyle change and health living through realistic weight loss strategies without dieting.

Here is a healthy recipe to help with the challenges of weight loss:

Lemon Caper Chicken with Sweet Potato Puree

Chicken Ingredients:

1. 2 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
2. Juice of 1 lemon
3. 1 T olive oil
4. 2 shallots, minced
5. 1 T capers, drained
6. 1 t Dijon mustard

Sweet Potato Ingredients

2 sweet potatoes, microwave or baked

2 T orange juice

14 cup golden raisins

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Salt and freshly ground black pepper(optional)

Method:

To make the chicken preheat broiler. Place chicken in a shallow roasting pan.  Combine remaining chicken ingredients and pour over chicken.  Broil 6 inches from heat source 12 to 15 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.  To prepare the potatoes, scoop hot sweet potato pulp into bow.  Add remaining sweet potato ingredients except salt and pepper/ mix well.  Season to taste with salt and pepper , if desired. Serve with chicken.

Recipe Source: Dr. Oz and Dr. Roizen. You: on a diet.

FDA reports liver failure with Orlistat

 

At least 32 reports revealed liver problems with the FDA approved non-prescription weight loss aid, Orlistat, over-the-counter weight loss product known as, Alli.

Orlistat is marketed as:

• Alli can help you change the way you eat, so you can lose weight and earn to keep it off
• Alli can make a healthy start this summer with recipes provided
• Alli and a link to their website at myalli.com
• Alli can help you lose more weight than dieting alone

Rely on yourself and if necessary, a good registered dietitian, but please, try not to access weight loss aids for weight loss.

Source:

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/booster_shots/2009/08/fda-studying-reports-of-liver-failure-with-weight-loss-drug-orlistat.html

Health Spending Related to Obesity Doubles in Decade

By Anthony Sepe

http://www.medicalnutritiontherapyservices.com

http://fromadietitiansperspective.blogspot.com

 

Lauran Neergaard of the Associated Press revealed that obesity’s not just dangerous, it’s expensive.

New research shows medical spending averages $1,400 more a year for an obese person than for someone who’s normal weight.  Two-thirds of Americans are either overweight or obese, and this average American Today is 23 pounds overweight, said Dr. Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Obesity, and with it diabetes, are  major health problems that certainly appear to be getting worse in this country, and they ‘re getting worse rapidly.  It seems that this is a societal problem—not an individual problem, any longer; however, as individuals, it is my opinion, we must take responsibility for ourselves because we make the decision what to consume on a daily basis. Ask yourself the next time you take a bite of something:  Do I want this?, or do I want something that might be even healthier for me.  Either way—you are the captain of your ship!