Last week I gave Sibila and Fox Morning News Extra a tour through Whole Foods and showed them the best and worst choices. Shopping for healthy food is easier than you think! Just stick to natural foods like fruits, veggies and nuts and you can’t go wrong.

Ok, guys. Here is my healthy grocery list that I shared today on Fox Morning News Extra. I’ve also included some sample meal and snack ideas to use once you have your groceries! Email me if you have any questions and I’d be glad to help. Be sure to join our Facebook Fan Page!

Grocery List:

Produce:

• Fresh Veggies: sweet potato/yam, spinach salad (you can also steam it or sauté in olive oil),   greens (broccoli, asparagus or brussel sprouts).
• For Salad: Try spinach, arugula or mixed greens
• small avocados
• mushrooms
• Tomatoes (any color and any size)
• Fresh Fruit: berries, bananas, apples, grapes + anything else that looks good
• Fresh Herbs: try basil, rosemary, dill

Eggs/Dairy:

• Lowfat Milk or Soymilk
• Free Range Eggs
• Greek Yogurt (try lowfat it tastes the same) or lowfat Cottage Cheese
• String cheese and mozzarella slices (or fresh) for tomato/mozzarella stack

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Ok, guys…just like every other holiday…this IS NOT an excuse to eat whatever you want! Control yourselves!! With a few simple strategies, you can still enjoy all your favorites and not return back to work next week with an extra 5lbs, muffin top or food hangover. Also, try to fit in some exercise. I always do the 10k Turkey Trot here in Houston Thanksgiving morning. A race or even just a long walk is a great way to start your Turkey Day and get your metabolism revved up.

If you are cooking yourself, it’s a lot easier to make healthier choices. Or, if you are going to a friend’s home, offer to bring a side dish that is healthy. Just try not to go crazy with portion sizes. I think when you eat at home or your family’s home, it’s easier to get away with acting like a hog. Really. It’s not so disturbing to see your family members go back for seconds or thirds but if you were at a restaurant would you really order 3 entrees?

If you are eating out, try to avoid the Buffets! Again..it’s very tempting to go back and fill your plate up over and over while not realizing you are increasing the size of your thighs with each plate-full. If you do go for the buffet, try to make your first trip all about salad, greens and fruit. Then, by the time you go back for the “good stuff” you will already be full from healthier things.

Regardless of where you are eating this Thanksgiving, try to stick with the healthier options:

The Good:

-Turkey (Quorn or Tofurkey!)
-Sweet potatoes/yams (limit butter and marshmallows)
-Butternut squash or other winter veggie – grilled, roasted or baked
-Cranberries or Cranberry Sauce (watch sugar)
-Wild Rice
-Grilled Corn
-Other greens (asparagus, spinach, etc) or Salad with limited dressing (no ranch!!)
-Fruit (See Recipe of the Month) or Pumpkin Pie for dessert

The Bad:

-Mashed potatoes (not so bad if they aren’t smothered in gravy and butter)
-Too much gravy
-Green bean casserole that’s loaded with the fried onions and cheese (try plain green beans with almonds)
-Other creamy casseroles made with too much cream or cheese
-Apple pie
-Cider (try low-sugar or plain apple juice “mulled” with spices)

The Ugly:

-Pecan Pie (avoid eye contact)
-White rolls with butter (one is ok, but who eats one?)
-Whipped cream on anything
-Stuffing (yes..it’s good but just have a bite)
-Other cakes, cookies, pies or anything you already KNOW is bad for you.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Hi guys! I hope you are all staying healthy and getting ready for the holiday season. This includes making plans on how to fit in workouts, eat healthy at family functions and make smart choices at parties. By the way…hopefully by now you have tossed all that leftover Halloween candy, right???

For tips on staying healthy this holiday season, checkout the latest issue of Tone It Up’s eMagazine and my article about stress and energy:

I took a cooking class last week taught by Cheryl Forberg (RD), the nutritionist and chef for tv’s “The Biggest Loser”. I’m a huge fan of the show and thought it would be a great opportunity to see what the contestants eat on “The Ranch” and also see what they are taught about food and how to eat healthy. During the cooking class, Cheryl gave a lot of good advice to the audience including:

1) Incorporating more fruits and veggies. She said that at the Biggest Loser ranch, the contestants are given a variety of fruits and veggies that have a lot of fiber and also water (think watermelon, apples, etc.) to fill them up FAST. One of the reasons people don’t stick to new nutrition plans is because they don’t like to feel hungry. If you fuel your body with plenty of fruits and veggies you will fill full (from fiber and the H2O) and less hungry… just like they do on the ranch! Plus, you will be loading up on lots of vitamins and antioxidants which help us to look and feel our best.

2) Sneak in hidden vitamins, antioxidants and omega-3′s when you can. For instance, during our cooking class, she said that she likes to include flax seeds (rich in omega-3′s) in a variety of recipes. I buy mine at Whole Foods and mix them into my yogurt or morning cereal.

4) Buy organic when you can but don’t stress if you don’t have access or can’t afford it. Cheryl stressed using organic products that don’t contain pesticides or added steroids and hormones (in meat), etc. when you can. But, she said she likes to be practical and the recipes in her book call for ingredients you should be able to buy all over the US and not just large cities or specialty stores.  Cari’s TIP: I encourage my clients to buy organic meat when they can and try to buy organic when they purchase fruits/veggies  that are known for high pesticide use such as apples, tomatoes, grapes and lettuces. Usually, the fruits and veggies that we eat the outer portion of (or skin) usually have the highest pesticides because crop growers aren’t concerned with keeping the outer appearance so nice if we are just doing to discard it. For example: avocados, bananas, etc. tend to have lower amounts of pesticides and herbicides.

5) Use good quality oils and flavor with lots of spices. This was a huge tip for me…use quality olive oils and use an oil sprayer to mist foods. A lot of times I will drizzle olive oil over veggies or foods before I bake them but sometimes it doesn’t come out right or I use too much oil. She showed us how to use an oil mister (I got one a Williams Sonoma) and fill it with olive oil. This allows you to lightly spray a small amount and get better coverage than if you were pouring it from a bottle (and less fat/calories). Also, Cheryl said that some kinds of spray oils (I’m guilty of using PAM) contain poor quality oils and they have more calories than we think. Who actually uses “1/3 second spray”???!!

These are just a few of the things discussed in the class and also in her book. Cheryl also discusses how you can stay young by preventing osteoporosis, diabetes, heart disease through diet and exercise. Also, she stresses the importance of adding weight training to your routine, which of course I agree with!! I think her book is great and I can’t wait to try more of the recipes (the “Zippy Hummus” is one of my favorites). To find out more, you can visit her website at www.CherylForberg.com.

*Be sure to check back later this week as I start blogging about Season 8 of The Biggest Loser and my take on the trainers, the workouts and what we don’t see on camera!

I watched this clip on Good Morning America this week and it was pretty shocking. It’s common sense to know that eating a large, greasy meal will tear up your insides and clog your arteries but what’s amazing is that it starts to happen immediately after you eat!

Most people don’t think about what each meal is doing to their body. Once they swallow and it’s out of sight – it’s out of mind! Next time you eat something that you know is bad for you…think about what your poor body is having to do inside of you for dammage control!

This video shows what happens to your blood and arteries when you eat bad and then what it looks like when you eat healthy.  Next time you go out to eat, look for the healthier options. Most restaurants DO have them but sometimes you have to get creative on your own (like ordering with no sauce or order smaller items a-la-carte). Don’t feel bad about being picky at restaurants – if we all start demanding healthier options, we might get them.

Alright guys…the 4th of July is not another excuse to eat whatever you want! If you do…you will end up packing on the pounds over the weekend and head back to work nice and bloated on Monday. If you are like me, this weekend will be spent with family, friends and endless amounts of food and drink. Just thinking about the next few days makes me swell up. My weekend will consists of a family fish-fry one night and then a bbq party with plenty of snacks in between. So…here is my plan of attack:

Friday Night Fish Fry:

Have a few pieces of fish (small ones) and pass on the fries and hush-puppies. My Dad’s fried catfish is the best, so I will try my hardest not to go back for seconds! I may have some cole-slaw if it isn’t soaked in mayo but cole-slaw usually has tons of sugar. Instead, I’m going to see if my parents can make a mixed green salad with some veggies or I’ll offer to bring one myself.

Saturday Morning:

“No, Dad..I don’t need bacon AND sausage”.

     +    

If your family is like mine…they  like 2 meats with EVERY meal. Kinda funny since I don’t usually eat meat. Instead, I’ll ask for a scrambled egg (with no butter), some wheat toast and fruit. I’ll leave the sausage and gravy for my dad.

Saturday During the Day:

BEER TIME! We will be out on the lake all day and I’m sure I’ll be quite thirsty. So…my better option is to wait as late in the day as possible (not only to avoid extra calories but to prevent from getting drowsy and missing the fireworks that night!). Then, I’ll alternate one alcoholic beverage with H2O. I’ve recently tried Michelob Ultra’s new raspberry/pomegranate beer and it tastes really great and only has 107 calories (95 for the plain).

Saturday Night Neighborhood BBQ:

Here is going to be the challenge. TONS of food and very little healthy options. This is where I might try to bring my healthy potato salad (see recipe of the month) or some mixed fruit or watermelon slices (yum!). TIP: I’ll probably eat a healthy snack about an hour before I go to the party (like fruit, nuts or a low-sugar granola bar). For starters…again…light beer or a glass of wine and maybe some plain cheese and crackers or chips and salsa (don’t make eye contact with the queso!).  I will avoid anything fried, bacon-wrapped or mixed with mayo (which will be a challenge). Then, for my main meal…salad, salad, fruit and more salad. I’ll scope out the green salads (without a lot of dressings), baked beans and maybe a small amount of pasta salad if it doesn’t have mayo. Then, I’ll add on from there choosing any grilled veggies (corn on the cob, mixed veggies, etc), grilled shrimp/fish and my healthy potato salad (or other healthy version). Grilled chicken, steak or even some lean brisket is also an option as long as it’s in moderation.  Get it dry and add a small amount of sauce on the side (BBQ sauce is packed with sugar, sodium and empty calories). Also, most BBQ’s have pickles, olives and other tasty condiments that you can add to your plate for variety, flavor and few calories. As for desert…I’ll try to stick to my watermelon slices and maybe a bite of a brownie.

Workout Plan:

Even though we will be away from home, I’m taking my running gear and plan to get in at least 2 runs. I like to take advantage of the hilly road outside my parents’ house and if I go early in the morning it’s not too hot. Two 30-45 min. runs will definitely help me burn off some of these calories and I won’t feel so bad about the extra beer and bite (or 3) of brownie : )

Happy 4th of July! Be safe and have a great weekend!

-Cari

More than likely you or or someone you know is making one of these mistakes:

Eating too much protein and not enough carbs?

Skipping breakfast?

Replacing too many meals with bars and shakes?

GUILTY??? Click HERE to find out why you may need to change your ways…

Can I really lose weight or improve my health?

As a personal trainer, I get asked about detoxes or cleansing diets all the time. Lately these diets have really grown in popularity thanks to many celebrities and the media. Do a quick search online or at your bookstore and you will find a variety of detoxes from fruit drinks, liquid diets, intestinal “exfoliating” diets, liver cleanses, and many more. It can be quite overwhelming but at the same time tempting to try because they promise a quick solution to loosing weight. The major theme of most detox or cleanse diets is elimination. Most require you to eliminate at least one or more of the following: gluten, alcohol, sugar, refined foods, fats, cigarettes/drugs, etc to make you feel better. Well, this is not rocket science – of course you will feel better if you eliminate these! But, you can still do this safely while incorporating a healthy diet and exercise.

What exactly is a “detox” or body “cleanse”? Well, most of them consist of eating or drinking specific foods and drinks for a specific time days while eliminating toxins (certain foods, chemicals, drinks, etc) completely from your diet. Take for example the popular Master Cleanse which has been one of Google’s most popular diet searches over the last year and was made popular by celebrities such as Beyonce and Gwyneth Paltrow. It consists of drinking a concoction of lemon juice, water, maple syrup and cayenne pepper for days and sometimes weeks with little or no food! Sound appetizing? Personally, I think it sounds horrible! Plus…there are so many things wrong with this…keep reading…

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Chances are you’ve wondered at some point if you should eat before your workout or not. This topic can be confusing because everybody is different and reacts differently to food choices. But the simple answer is, “Yes!” you should eat something before you work out to fuel your body and boost your performance, even if it’s just to get you through 20 minutes on the elliptical before you head to work.

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