A laugh before we get serious....

Beet roots and greens are loaded with healthy nutrients.  To prepare greens, steam and flavor them as you would any greens such as turnip or collard greens.  For the beet root, I recommend grating them raw onto salads, or, wrapping in foil and roasting in a 400' oven for about an hour, until a knife slides in easily.  There are many ways to enjoy beets hot or cold. The beet root is a good source of manganese, folic acid, potassium, phosporous, magnesium, iron and Vitamin B6.  Betacyanin is what gives beet roots their rich purple-crimson color and studies show this has cancer-fighting qualtities.  Raw or cooked, beet roots are a great source of fiber.

Here's one of those foods that seems like a 'treat', is convenient and tasty, and ALSO nutritious! Nuts, which contain unsaturated fatty acids and other nutrients, when eaten as part of a heart-healthy diet can lower the LDL ('bad' cholesterol) which can help prevent heart disease. Also, eating nuts reduces your risk of developing blood clots and can improve the health of the lining of your arteries.  The Omega-3 fatty acids found in nuts seem to help  your heart by preventing dangerous rhythms that can lead to heart attacks, according to sources at the Mayo Clinic.  Omega-3 fatty acids are also found in many kinds of fish, but nuts are one of the best plant-based sources of omega-3 fatty acids.  Other nutritive value in nuts are Vitamin E, plant sterols, L-arginine, and fiber.  

While I do eat nuts every day as part of my healthy snack between meals, we have to be aware they have quite a few calories and watch the serving size, and of course never buy 'salted' or 'lightly salted' nuts.  Emerald's Cocoa Roast or Cinnamon Almonds are super, and really take the edge off feeling hungry or low on energy.   Walnuts, almonds, macadamia, cashews, hazelnuts and pecans appear to be the healthiest choices.  And while peanuts are not really a nut, they are good as long as they are dry roasted. Fresh ground almond butter or peanut butter with no sugar or salt added is an excellent choice (to spread on apple slices, for example) and are available at various stores including Fresh Market, Whole Foods and Publix.

During an extended period of time focused on weight loss, there will be weeks when there are more pounds lost than expected, sometimes less than expected and sometimes there are 'plateaus' where the scale just seems stuck for a while.

In Monday's Kaizen Healthy Lifestyle class we discussed how to deal with plateaus so they aren't too discouraging nor lengthy.  Again, keeping a food log is one of the best tools anyone has used which helps us not only be more mindful during the day but can provide important clues when weight loss plateaus and we aren't sure why. Class members shared that looking at the food log helped them break a plateau period by making them more conscious of portion sizes, how much water they were drinking, how frequently they were eating out at restaurants, and how much fiber they ate each day.

In addition to a high-fiber diet reducing your risk of diabetes, digestive disorders, hemorrhoids, certain cancers and heart disease, getting plenty of fiber assists with weight loss and weight maintenance.  The USFDA recommends including 20-30 grams of fiber each day.  Eating fiber adds no calories yet helps to keep you feeling full and satisfied.  When class members paid attention to getting enough fiber they found they were eating more desirable foods like fruits, vegetables and whole grains, and feeling satisfied. They decreased overeating and junk food snacking.

Monday's Kaizen Healthy Lifestyle class involved everyone in reviewing common food choices and identifying at least one nutritionally superior alternate.  The alternate had to be similar and tasty...no sense pretending you would just as soon eat cottage cheese as vanilla ice cream.  Many pairs were discussed - one item to Choose, one item to Lose.  For example, when looking at sugar content, their is no contest between orange Crystal Lite (choose) and carton orange juice (lose).  Significantly lower in sugar and calories are Emerald's Cocoa Roasted Almonds vs. peanut M & Ms.   Lose a lot of saturated fat by choosing olive oil over butter. Lose a ton of sodium by choosing low-sodium chicken broth over bouillion cubes.  Add fiber and a healthier carb by choosing rolled oats instead of bread crumbs in your recipes calling for filler.   You may have seen the book series 'Eat This - Not That', which is the same concept.  The problem with those books is they are NOT presenting a truly healthy choice with each 'Eat This' recommendation. They are simply saying one of the pair is better than the other... but it is often the lesser of two evils.  The Kaizen Healthy Lifestlye class is much more discerning.  Handouts from the 'Choose It-Lose It' class will be free to visitors at the upcoming Love Your Life Health Expo March 26 at Kaizen Total Wellness center in Lakewood Ranch.