UnDiet...Week 39

Kiwis growing in the warm Vancouver sun...

Hello UnDieters!


I hope you enjoyed this gorgeous autumn weekend. It really couldn't have been more beautiful. I spent these sunny days taking full advantage of the season: we wandered through a corn maze, visited the UBC apple festival (and saw these kiwis growing at the botanical garden!) and picked up our CSA share of local wheat from Urban Grains. And I bought an apple tree. Which I intend to grow on my patio. Wish me luck folks - I hope to have some 0 mile apples next fall!


As the days turn colder, we start looking for heartier food and sometimes it is easy to forget a bit about fruits and vegetables in favour of grains and proteins. So this week, we are going to measure up! You all know that I am not a big fan of counting calories but a few simple metrics can help us all eat a bit healthier. So this week, your number is 50. Each time to sit down to a meal or snack, ensure that 50 percent of the food you are eating is a fruit, a vegetable or both! 


Basing all of your meals on produce is an easy way to keep calories down without skimping on the actual volume of food you are eating (and therefore not feeling satisfied). You all already know how energizing fruits and veggies are so I won't spend volumes expounding upon the virtues of fresh produce. Even if won't touch another salad until April, be sure to get those veggies in. Cool weather fruits and vegetables lend themselves beautifully to cooking: think stewed greens with cannellini beans; roast squash or red peppers over pasta; baked apple crumbles and poached pears. 


Enjoy the harvest,
Desiree

The UnDiet...Week One

Apples from my grandparent's trees

Good Morning and welcome to the UnDiet. 




No pills, powders or complex philosophies. Just one year, 52 simple changes and one healthier, more vibrant (and maybe tinier) you. 




This week's goal is "An apple a day". It really can keep the doctor away. So go buy 7 of your favourite apples and eat one every single day. That's it. I told you it would be easy.




Why apples? They are inexpensive, a local food for many of us and far overlooked in the nutrition department. A good source of fibre with plenty of antioxidants, they are an easy and delicious way to boost your defenses. You may eat the apple anyway you want as long as you consume the whole thing, so no peeling or just eating half. It would probably be better if you didn't bake it into a cake...but you're the boss.


If you like apples, keep eating one apple every day this month or even this year. Display your weekly apple supply in a nice fruit bowl on your counter as a reminder of your commitment to your health. Like all of the goals, the idea is to build goal upon goal so by December 31st you will have completely remade your diet one day at a time.


Learn more about BC apples at http://www.bctree.com/health/nutrition/apple-nutrition 


Now go back to sleep....Happy New Year!
Desiree

Eat...figs

Immortalized in the Bible, the Qur'an and Greek and Indian Mythology, figs have long been a luscious staple in the Mediterranean diet (and immortalized in North America by the Fig Newton Cookie) but many of us are not familiar with the fresh fruit. 

Dried figs are widely available but bear little in common to the experience of eating a fig right off the tree. Sweet and creamy with crunchy seeds, figs have a delicate flavour and texture that lends itself well to a variety of recipes. While most figs are grown in the Mediterranean region or even California, the fig tree can even thrive right here in Vancouver. These gorgeous specimens came from a friend's East Vancouver fig tree and I was able to feast on them 24 hours after they came off the tree. I have also spotted fig trees on jaunts around the city so keep your eyes peeled!

Interesting fact: what we call the fruit of the fig tree is actually the receptacle of a flower. The flower grows inside the "fruit" and is pollinated not by bees but wasps! Wasps enter and exit the fruit by the pore in the bottom of the fruit.

Figs, whether dried or fresh, are incredibly nutritious: four fresh figs contain 150 calories and make the perfect summer dessert. Rich in potassium (464 mg) and magnesium (34 mg) for your heart and bone building phosphorus (28 mg) and calcium (70 mg), figs are more than just a sweet treat! Figs are also rich in detoxifying fibre, with 6 grams per 4 fruits, which is one quarter of a woman's daily needs (25 g per day) or almost one sixth of a man's daily requirement (38 g per day).

Figs are also a source of iron, containing just over 1 mg of iron per 6 fruits which make them a great addition to a prenatal diet.

Fresh figs are extremely delicate and should be handled with care and eaten at once! Try them on their own or use this simple recipe. This is a great appetizer to make for company when the thought of turning on the oven seems insane in the summer heat....

Recipe: Figs with Chevre

Wash, carefully peel and quarter 6 fresh ripe figs. Top with 1 tsp goat chevre (I love Saltspring Island or Happy Days). Slice prosciutto or Serrano ham into 1 inch long ribbons and wrap fig with one piece. Arrange on tray and drizzle with pre-made balsamic reduction.

In good health,

Desiree

Eat...super snacks!

We are a continent of snackers...the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published a study this month which reveals that the time between eating occasions has decreased an average of one hour since 1977 and - surprise surprise! - our average caloric intake has increased by almost 450 calories over the same time period. This study also states that caloric intake from beverages has increased by 45.5% to 422 calories! Time to put the breaks on people!

My European friends remark that "Americans are always eating" and its true! We seem to be lost without food or a drink in our hands. However, I don't want to vilify snacks in and of themselves. We all have different eating personalities: some of us feel great on three "squares" a day and others prefer to nibble all day and hate a full stomach. What is really important that no matter how we prefer to eat, we eat enough...but not too much! The worst case scenario is when that constant nibbling turns from nibbles into feasts.

For many of us, snacks are a vital part of the day and they can do a lot to boost your overall health. Snacks can ensure we feel energized when meals are more than 4 hours apart; snacks can also give us more opportunities to get our fruits and veggies in but we need to define what makes a good snack.

More often than not, we reach for "snack foods" at snack time: granola bars, chips, pretzels, candy and chocolate....not the nutrient dense and nourishing foods we should be reaching for. And wasting calories on drinks? Be it a Frappucino, sugary "vitamin" waters or pop...caloric beverages are usually a nutritional zero and set you up for weight gain in a big way. Calories from drinks don't register with our brain the way calories from foods do, so we typically end up eating more at the next meal than we would have if we had had a food based snack.

So what should we snack on? Real food, please!

Here are 15 super snacks that feature fruits, veggies, lean protein and massive nutritional value.

1. 1 apple, quartered, with 2 slices of lean turkey breast
2. 1 pkg of instant unsweetened oatmeal topped with a banana and a bit of honey
3. 1/2 cup of low fat cottage cheese mixed with 1/2 cup frozen cherries and 1 tsp of hemp seed
4. 1 ounce of mozzarella (or a string cheese) with 1/2 cup of cherry tomatoes
5. 2 Ryvita crackers spread with 1 tbsp almond butter
6. 1 apple, sliced, dipped in 1 tbsp natural peanut butter
7. 2 tbsp dried cranberries, 1 tbsp raw almonds & 1 tbsp raw pumpkin seeds
8. 1 cup skim milk warmed with 1 tbsp cocoa & 1/2 tbsp sugar or honey
9. 1 mini can of seasoned tuna with 2 Ryvita crackers
10. 1 cup plain nonfat yogurt with 1/2 cup thawed blueberries & 1/3 cup All Bran or Smart Bran
11. 1/2 or 1 Larabar
12. 1/2 cup baby carrots or sliced celery with 1/4 cup hummus
13. 1 slice sprouted grain bread spread with 1 tbsp part skim ricotta and 1 tbsp honey
14. 1/2 tomato & 1/4 cucumber, chopped, with 1 tbsp feta & 1 tbsp dressing
15. 1/2 cup home roasted chick peas

Happy Nutrition Month everyone,
Desiree

(PS..The picture is me in front of a big spread (not fully visible...yes, there was more food!) at my grandmother's house 3 years ago. Frequently heard: "Eat, eat...you are so skinny!" Gotta love a Portuguese grandmother!)