Low Carb/High Protein Snacks (in between your daily three meals)

Posted on July 14, 2013 by therapysoup

You should be eating breakfast, lunch, dinner–all low carb/high protein. However, you are supposed to eat every 3-4 hours, so you need a snack before lunch, before dinner and after dinner…..6 protein meals in all for the day. What could you have as a protein snack?

15 Protein Snack ideas:

1. Skim or low-fat cheese sticks or mini Baby Bells. No carbs and about 80 calories in one.

2. Hard-boiled egg. No carbs and about 70 calories in one.

3. Turkey slices. 4 ounces. About 2-4g carbs and about 140 calories.

4. A quarter cup of nuts. About 4-9g carbs. About 180-200 calories. (25 pistachios is about 100 calories)

5. Cottage Cheese with Nuts or Flaxseed. Cottage cheese is packed with energy-boosting lean protein. Sprinkle two tablespoons of ground flaxseed or one tablespoon of nuts on a half cup of fat-free or 1 percent reduced-fat cottage cheese for a nutritious, filling snack. 4-7g of carbs. 130-140 calories.

6. Two tablespoons of peanut butter or almond butter (on celery or on a spoon). About 6g of carbs, 150 calories.

7. A cup of Edamame. About 12g of carbs. About 15o calories.

8. Veggies with Guacamole or Hummus
Guacamole and hummus (made from nutrient-rich, high-fiber chickpeas) both make great snacking dips. Try a quarter cup of either with sliced vegetables for your next mid-afternoon pick-me-up. 13g of carbs, 120-150 calories.

9. Sunflower seeds, half a cup of shelled ones— is a good snack-sized portion. 4g of carbs, 120 calories.

10. Sliced cucumbers, baby carrots, or pepper strips and pair with a half cup of nonfat or low-fat cottage cheese. 10g of carbs (the veggies mostly) and 110 calories.

11. Sliced small apple and topping it with a level tablespoon of natural peanut butter. 22g of carbs (the peanut butter is 3g per tablespoon..it is the apple that carries the carbs here. 166 calories.

12. Six-ounce container of calcium-rich non-fat plain or artificially sweetened yogurt with two tablespoons of ground flaxseed . For added variety, swap the flaxseed for 1 tablespoon chopped almonds, pecans, or walnuts. Greek Yogurt (depending on the brand, has less carbs–like Dannon Lite and Fit GREEK. 150 calories, 20 g carbohydrates. And most PLAIN Greek Yogurts are very low in carbs.

13. Sugar-free ice popsicles. 4g of carbs, 15 calories.

14. Sugar-free baked items. Examples: http://www.joybauer.com/healthy-recipes/chocolate-angel-food-cake.aspx, http://www.joybauer.com/healthy-recipes/sour-cream-coffee-cake-with-cinnamon-and-walnuts.aspx and http://www.joybauer.com/healthy-recipes/chocolatehazelnut-biscotti.aspx and my recipe https://skinny-rules.com/2013/05/28/you-can-have-your-cake-and-eat-it-too/

15. Smart Carb frozen dessert (ice cream)

Enjoy A Delish Low-Carb Fourth of July

Posted on July 4, 2013 by therapysoup

So, you want holiday fun for the Fourth of July, but you are afraid you will gain weight? You can enjoy your food and it will be great, just make some alterations!

Here are 3 great ideas for Independence Day Skinny Food!

1. Barbeque any low-fat meat, even beef. Go ahead, have a hot dog. However, if you want to not gain weight, keep it to a minimum. Only one meat item, or half of two. You can put a little BBQ sauce on it, a little ketchup, but those items have sugar/carbs, so watch the amount. Mustard is better. Do not wrap it in a bun, wrap it protein style in a lettuce wrap or just eat it plain, with a knife and fork. You will not be hungry, because you are a smart eater and will fill up with veggies and salad. You can even put a burger on a salad…I have done that. It is delish!

2. Veggies and salad. Grill the veggies for flavor. Wrap them In tinfoil, spray with olive oil and put them on the grill for a few minutes. They get toasted and tasty. Eat maximum a couple of cups of lettuce and some veggies in it. No croutons, no bread.

3. Dessert! Don’t eat cake or cookies. Have berries in whipped cream and low-carb Greek yogurt. Delish. Or if you must, low carb ice cream like Smart Carb.

Motivation

Please remember that you want to be thin and if you decide to cheat, then it will set back your goal. There are ways to enjoy your food that is skinny-good-for-you food and you can still enjoy yourself. This isn’t a diet, it is a lifestyle. Learn to compromise and toss away your past poor preconceived notions and patterns about food and holiday food, which only led to you getting fat in the first place.

If you want a cocktail, stick to one only, with vodka and tonic. Those drinks are the lowest in carbs, but remember that alcohol takes a lot out of your body. Your body is so busy metabolizing the liquor, it does not burn your fat. So, essentially, if you drink and eat the wrong things, not only will you not lose weight or maintain weight, but you are more likely to gain weight. And why? For Independence Day? It isn’t supposed to be about food. It is supposed to be about getting together with friends and family and celebrating your freedom. Are you really enjoying freedom trapped in a body that you are unhappy being in? I can tell you that the best feeling of freedom was when I hit my weight goal. It was awesome. You can do it too.

Sometimes You Will Miss Wheat, So Alternatives!

Posted on June 22, 2013 by therapysoup

I am off wheat products because of how badly the product is grown now and how it makes me gain weight and get a big belly (read the Wheatbelly by Dr. William Davis http://www.amazon.com/dp/1609611543.

But, I feel that I can have it once in awhile, but it has to be a low-carb version.

Here is a list of 10 food ideas that you can have once in awhile and know that you won’t be hurting your low-carb diet.

1. PANCAKES! You can go to Lindora.com and buy their mix, which is about 13g of carbs for a small stack and they taste great. Make sure you get lite syrup that has few carbs per tablespoon. Remember that Pancake Syrup is about 53 g of carbs per 4 tablespoons. I can get a quarter of a cup for 10g of carbs in my syrup. (See picture)

Also, there are mixes at Netrition.com:

http://www6.netrition.com/lc_foods_pancake_mix.html and http://www6.netrition.com/tova_carbquik_page.html (which can be used for waffles and pizza too)

I haven’t bought it yet, but if it is as good as their syrup, I am going to like it.

2. FlatOut Bread, with less than 10g net carbs per piece. Make wraps or pizza.

3. Western Bagel Perfect 10 Bagel (10g net carbs per bagel vs. over 35g for most bagels):

4. Netrition and other online sites have breads and pita breads that are low carb. Look at Netrition.com for choices. Also, there are some low-carb and diabetic sugar free places in different cities and states. Look them up online.

5. Almond Flour substitution in cakes like the one I blogged about. YUMMY.

6. Soy pasta noodles by Shirtaki. I have had them and they smell when you open, but after you microwave, DELISH!

But, Netrition.com and Lindora.com also sell low-carb pasta noodles for sphaghetti, lasagna, etc.

7. LOW carb protein bars. This one and Power Crunch are my favorites, although my sister in law likes the lower carb Kind bars.

8. There are lower carb small flat breads in the market for sandwiches, but watch the carb count on those. Remember, you want between 50 and 100g of carbs a day and no more, to lose weight. The closer to 50, the faster the weight falls off. However, the low-carb tortillas that I have bought at Costco and Trader Joes make a nice enchillada with turkey, cheese, tomatoes and sauce.

9. Cauliflower-based pizza crust pizza. So good, you won’t miss the wheat crust. SO low carb. I can eat the whole 9 inch pizza for about 10-15g of carbs vs. 30g per slice of a normal pizza.

10. My zucchini instead of pasta noodles lasagna. Delicious. However, if you really want to get LOW CARB pasta, you can get it online at places like Netrition.com or a low carb shop. If you eat the regular noodles, it is fattening! Too many carbs!

Healthy Weight Loss and Lifestyle Challenge

Posted on June 19, 2013 by therapysoup

Saw a healthy 3 week challenge online today and thought I would share it. It actually incorporates all that I do talk about on Skinny-Rules. It is low carb. Remember though, to eat your veggies, salads, proteins, fruits, nuts. Wheat bread, only once or twice a week at one slice each time.

The purpose of this challenge is supposed to help you learn a healthier lifestyle and get a jumpstart to weight loss. The creator of this challenge also suggests cutting out potatoes. (I do! Even sweet potatoes)

There are TWO exceptions to this challenge–
1. NO CHOCOLATE— you can make your OWN chocolates with cacao powder and stevia (or Truvia baking blend)– I am mainly wanting to break the cycle with store-bought, processed chocolate. If you make your OWN desserts from scratch, it is healthier. Dark cacao powder is actually proven to have some extra health benefits as well.

(I still have my chocolate or peanut butter Crunch Bars and I still like my Nature Valley Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate Protein bars (dark chocolate is good for you, right?)

2. NO CHIPS— This means NO POTATO CHIPS. (That is a no duh! No potatoes)

(And I still am going to have my diet soda here and there. Sorry, gotta have something!)

3. Also, NO ALCOHOL– if you are trying to lose weight. The body will not break down fat when it is busy breaking down alcohol.

Here is the challenge:

So, you think you are up for it?

The Big Con: The Big Food Companies Duped You To Have A Weight Issue!

Posted on June 13, 2013 by therapysoup

Today, I was writing to a chat room about being addicted to sugar and how it is like being addicted to crack and some people got really defensive. But, seriously, it isn’t all our faults. We have been manipulated by food companies. Certain foods are engineered by their companies to make us eat more of them. They are designed to taste good and give us pleasure. The combination of sugar, salt and fat is done to maximize the impact that the foods have on our taste receptors and pathways to the brain.

There are many ways to make foods taste good and give us pleasure.

One of the best ways is to use a combination of sugar, salt and fat to maximize the impact these foods have on our taste receptors and reward pathways in the brain. And when you add artificial flavors and textures, the foods are hard to resist.

The food industry has learned through research what the public wants. It is their job to sell products and make money. They reward the pathways to our brain and they make us ADDICTED to these foods.

So, this is how you get repeat customers, but it destroys the health of those who eat these foods. So, you get addicted, you have the ability to an abundance of these foods and therefore, there is a huge obesity and diabetes epidemic happening. It is the reason people become addicted to these foods and literally can not stop eating even though they know the foods are causing them severe harm.

Here is a link to the story in NPR about it and the book that exposes the secrets.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2013/02/26/172969363/how-the-food-industry-manipulates-taste-buds-with-salt-sugar-fat

Do you like the fact that you were and are being manipulated for profit? Think about reading this book and work on your food issues as an addiction. It might make more sense this way for you when you change the way you eat.

Follow Up On The Low-Carb FlatOut Bread

Posted on June 11, 2013 by therapysoup

The Flatout bread was excellent. If you want to make it or learn more about the ingredients, look at my blog yesterday.

Here are the pictures I took. I make a mighty good pizza.

Low-Carb Pizza Bases for Wraps and Pizzas! Whoo Hoo!

Posted on June 10, 2013 by therapysoup

My sister-in-law found another interesting item to try. It is Flatbread that is low carb and can be used for wraps and to make an individual pizza. So, I am now attempting to make a margarita pizza with one. They are called, Flatout, but I bought the LIGHT Flatout, which has less carbs. No sugar.

http://www.flatoutbread.com/products/flatout-wraps/flatout-light/light-italian-herb/

My whole crust has 9g of protein (really decent), high fiber at 9g and the carbs is 16g. But, net carbs is 16g carbs -9g fiber=7g of carbs!! I put a little sauce on, which is probably about 5g of carbs and there are no carbs in my mozarella cheese and hardly any in my tomatoes. Lets just say I am probably going to have a pizza that is tasty and is about 13g of net carbs at the most. What an awesome dinner and treat! I am trying to stay away from wheat, but if I do have it, it has to be once in awhile and I prefer it be either very low carb like this, or gluten-free.

You can get sugar-free pizza sauce at Netrition.com, if you need it.

So easy to make a pizza. DIRECTIONS

Set the oven at 350. Spray a cookie sheet, place the Flatout on the sheet, bake one side for one minute and then flip and bake the other side for one minute.

Put on your pizza sauce, cheese, tomatoes, basil or or whatever toppings you want on it. Bake it for 4-7 minutes or 30 seconds longer for crisp. Bam! Done.

Dinner or lunch is served. Easy and light! Perfect for a diet or your new way of LOW-CARB life like mine.

Here is a picture of someone else’s wrap and pizza. I will include my pictures later on. I think mine looks better! 🙂

Keep skinny!

What Would A Nutritionist NOT Eat?

Posted on June 7, 2013 by therapysoup

My information came from Shape Magazine.

http://www.shape.com/healthy-eating/diet-tips/7-foods-nutritionist-would-never-eat?utm_source=Taboola&utm_medium=cpc

Nutritionists would not eat:

1. Rice Cakes

Why? They are bad for weight loss with a glycemic index of 91 out of 100, the carb count is too high (I stay away from rice, not to mention that they have high arsenic levels in them) and the sugar high and low is really terrible For your diet and your mood.

2. Fat-free Salad Dressing

Don’t fear fat. It is the sugar and carbs to look out for in your food choices. Fat-free has to add sugar or corn syrup for flavor, so you were better off with the fat. Just watch out for the carb count and serving size.

3. Shark

High mercury levels salmon has the lowest mercury and in the meantime has Omega 3. That is good.

4. Refined and Re-fortified Grains

“Unfortunately this rules out a majority of the carbohydrates found on supermarket shelves. Refined and re-fortified grains are grain-based foods like certain breakfast cereals, pastas, and rice products that have been refined such that the naturally occurring fiber, vitamins, and minerals have been removed. Companies then replace the fiber and synthetic versions of the vitamins and minerals that were initially removed. Sometimes (and this is really sneaky) they put everything back in naturally occurring ratios so that they can still claim the food contains ‘whole grains’. My suggestion: Just eat the real unfortified stuff in the first place.”

5. Sugar-Sweetened Beverages

They have empty calories and carbs, they fatten you and you don’t get a full feeling from them. Also, simple sugars lowers your good cholesterol and increases your triglyceride levels (two risk factors for heart disease). Drinking sugary beverages also promotes disturbances in your body’s inflammatory balance, making it harder to recover from exercise and increasing your risk of numerous chronic illnesses. Instead opt for water or a calorie-free infused drink.

6. Grits

Another hyper-refined carbohydrate, grits are the small leftover pieces from corn processing. they lack significant amounts of vitamins or minerals. They contain a minute amount of fiber and no essential fats. Their flavor is lacking and thus butter or heavy cream is used to make them palatable, bringing together the artery clogging and waistline expanding simple carbohydrates and saturated fat.

Honey, You Might Be Killing the Kids!

Posted on June 4, 2013 by therapysoup

I know someone who came to my office this weekend with his son. This man wants to lose weight and he wants his children to lose weight too. He says he is watching what they eat, and they were late to my office that morning and came in with “breakfast drinks.” What were they drinking that was “good” for them, as he put it?

Nestle Strawberry flavored milk (30g of sugar) and Naked Juice (38g of carbs). There are approximately 4g of sugar per sugar cube. So, I pulled out my sugar cube box and I showed him 7.5 sugar cubes and asked him if he would give them to his son. Of course, he declined, but I told him he was with the chocolate milk–as that is how many sugar cubes are in his drink. And there were about 9 in Dad’s drink.

But, milk and juice is healthy!? Not so much. A balanced amount of milk as a protein, each day, is good for you. However, flavored milk AKA SUGAR milk is not good for you. And, the juice is overkill. FRUIT is good, the pulp and the fiber is needed and NOT in that juice. So, in his juice is 1/2 a banana, 1/3 of a mango and 21/2 apples. If you had to eat that many pieces of fruit in one sitting, you could not really do it. So, EAT fruit, don’t drink it. It is less fiber and too much sugar. Plus, both the milk and the juice were in huge containers and they were both trying to drink the whole thing. They should have just had a little bit of it.

So, what should dad have fed himself and his kid for breakfast? Sure, they were in a hurry that day and they wanted something easy and quick. So, what could Dad have done instead?

Parents need to educate themselves. No wonder there is a problem with a large amount of childhood obesity, and more adults are obese now than ever in the history of the United States. So, here are some ideas!

Quick Low-Sugar Breakfast Ideas:

1. Hard-boiled eggs (pre-made) or just scramble some eggs–quickly.
2. Microwaveable STEEL cut oatmeal (there is some at Trader Joes and at Costco) and put some blueberries in it.
3. A low-carb protein bar.
4. Low-fat string cheese or mini baby bells.
5. Worse case scenario–fast food place, just order scrambled eggs and bacon.
6. Turkey or chicken slices with low-fat cheese or microwaveable turkey bacon or sausage
7. A low-carb protein drink.
8. Put ONE piece of fruit in a blender with some ice and some veggies (there are recipes online) and make a small smoothie.
9. A glass of low-fat milk, low-carb Greek yogurt.
10. Low-carb pancake mix and syrup.

(yes, some of that is processed meat, and nothing is perfect, but it won’t add to your waistline like sugar drinks will.)

Low-Carb Noodles or Pasta

Posted on May 31, 2013 by therapysoup

Sometimes I just want something different. Sometimes I just miss pasta. Sometimes I just want something that feels like comfort.

I have written about this before, but I want to remind people that you can have pasta noodles with a little bit of sauce, just make sure they are the tofu kind and not the wheat-based kind. Only 3g of carbs per serving. Not available at every store. But, you can look online to locate them. They are also on Amazon.com.

http://www.shiratakinoodles.net/

They are good. They smell funny until cooked and then they are awesome.

Try them. Inexpensive too!

I think I am going to have some right now.

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