EASY BREAKFAST SOLUTIONS

SCRAMBLED EGG WRAP

2 scrambled eggs, cooked with olive oil
spinach
fresh basil
1-2 whole wheat/whole grain tortillas or wraps
(remember grain serving should equal 150 calories or less)


COTTAGE CHEESE AND BLACK BERRIES

1/2 of a whole wheat/whole grain bagel, toasted
3/4 cup of low-fat or fat free cottage cheese
cinnamon to taste
1/2 cup blackberries


RICOTTA AND STRAWBERRY

1/2 of a whole wheat/whole grain roll
(remember grain serving should equal 150 calories or less)
1/2 cup part-skim or nonfat Ricotta cheese
1/2 cup fresh strawberries


POACHED SALMON AND ASPARAGUS

1/2 of a whole wheat/whole grain baguette
2-3 ounces of poached salmon
steamed asparagus
1 ounce low-fat Mozzarella cheese


BLACK BEAN WRAP

1-2 whole wheat/whole grain tortillas or wraps
(remember grain serving should equal 150 calories or less)
3/4 cup of low-fat or fat free cottage cheese
1/4-1/2 of a small avocado
jalapenos
fresh cilantro


ROASTED TOMATOES AND MOZZARELLA

1/2 of a whole wheat/whole grain bagel, toasted
roasted tomatoes
1-2 ounces of fresh Mozzarella cheese
baby arugula


EGG AND ROASTED RED PEPPER

1 slice whole wheat/whole grain bread
1 sunny-side-up egg
sauteed spinach
roasted red bell papers
olive oil

HEALTHY SANDWICH OPTIONS

Turkey and Veggie
One slice of whole wheat/whole grain bread
2 ounces sliced turkey(Boars Head)
1/4 cup of hummus
Green bell peppers
Red peppers
Red onion
Bean sprouts
1-2 Tbsp Parmesan cheese




Roasted Beets and Humus
One slice of whole wheat/whole grain bread
1/4 cups hummus(roasted red pepper)
1/2 cup Roasted Beets
baby arugula
1 Tbsp of fat-free Feta cheese


Artichoke and White Bean
One slice of toasted whole wheat/whole grain bread
Marinated artichoke hearts
Mashed white beans
Sauteed spinach



Tuna and Quinoa Wrap
One low carb, whole wheat/whole grain tortilla
1/4 cup quinoa(cooked, per package directions)
1/4 cup of hummus(spinach artichoke or your favorite)or
Yogurt-herb spread(see below)
2-3 ounces of tuna
lemon zest



Tuna and Hard Boiled Eggs
One slice of toasted whole wheat/whole grain bread
2 ounces of tuna
One hard boiled egg, sliced
2-3 black olives, sliced
Red onion
Lettuce


Nut Butter and Apple
One slice of toasted whole wheat/whole grain bread
1 Tbsp of nut butter(nut and salt)--almond or peanut
1/2 of a small apple, sliced



Lentils With Mint
1 Whole wheat/whole grain pita bread
1/4 cup lentils
4-6 Cherry tomatoes
Fresh mint
1 tsp olive oil


Yogurt-Herb Spread
1/2 cup Greek, plain yogurt
1 Tbsp of fresh mint, chopped
1 Tbsp of fresh parsley
1 clove of minced garlic

Mix in a bowl and season with sea salt and ground black pepper

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS PART THREE

1.  Q:  What are medical foods?

        

      A:  Medical foods are formulated with macro- and micronutrients that are recognized by scientific principles to support the dietary management of a disease or condition, and are to be administered under the supervision of a physician or licensed healthcare practitioner. Medical foods contain nutrients in therapeutic amounts that typically cannot be acquired through a typical diet.  Metagenics is one of the few professional nutraceutical companies that formulates, manufactures, and tests medical foods.

 

 

2.   Q:  Why can't I get everything I need from my diet? Why do I need to take a nutritional supplement?

 

 

      A:  The human body has often been compared to an extremely complex and wonderfully efficient machine. To function normally, it is extremely dependent upon a large variety of raw materials such as protein, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and so forth. If any of these critical substances are lacking in sufficient quantities, the efficiency of the "machine" suffers. Food is always the preferred source of vitamins and minerals. Many nutritional researchers point to the rising problems of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and other diseases of modern society as evidence of the deteriorating quality of the diet most people consume.

• Our diets have changed. As a society, our dietary habits have changed over the past couple of generations. A healthy diet consists of plenty of fresh (or fresh frozen) fruits and vegetables, lean meats and dairy, and whole grains—all at appropriate portions to match activity levels. The reality is that few of us meet that goal.
• We eat out more.Recent studies indicate that the majority of meals in the U.S. are eaten in restaurants—where food tends to be high in fat and sugar—rather than at home.
• We eat more processed foods. Convenience foods now make up a much higher percentage of the average diet than they did in the past. In some people well over 60% of their food is from so called "empty" calorie foods (candy, sweets, chips, or other highly processed foods that contain very little real nutritional value other than calories). The more highly processed a food is, the more likely it is to have a low nutritional value.
• We have more stress.Today's fast-paced and busy life often means more stress. The greater the external stressors, the higher the nutritional demands on the body. Eating a poor quality diet robs you of the nutritional factors necessary to help you stay healthy—especially in the face of stress.
• We don't know how to buy "healthy" foods. Many people are simply unaware of how to shop for healthy foods. Convenience and taste become the major criteria for food selection, while nutritional value may be given little attention, if any at all.

While a nutritional supplement may provide value in maintaining health, we should never think that taking a supplement (such as a multivitamin/mineral) replaces a good diet. In other words, the first and most important step is to improve the quality of the diet, and then take a supplement as a nutritional insurance policy. Depending on your unique needs, Dr. Johnson may also recommend targeted nutrients that are difficult to obtain through dietary measures—no matter how good your diet may be(Vitamin D, COQ10).
If you have questions about your diet, it's important that you discuss them with Dr. Johnson or Heather, at your next visit.


3.  Q:   What is the "glycemic index"? How is it different from the "glycemic load"?

     A:  The glycemic index (GI) is a ranking of foods on a scale from 0 to 100 according to the extent to which they raise blood sugar levels after eating. Glucose is given a relative number of 100 to provide a baseline to which all others can be compared. For example, an apple has a GI of 38 which is less than half that of glucose, but higher than soybeans (which have a GI of 18). Foods with a GI of 55 or less are considered to be low—glycemic—index foods. The GI considers the quality of a carbohydrate. The glycemic load (GL) carries that a step further and considers the quantity of carbohydrate—namely its fiber content and/or portion size. Fiber is a "good" component of carbohydrates (as opposed to sugar). The higher fiber content a food has, the lower its GL. Carrots are a high GI food. But when served as a handful of raw carrots, it has a low GL. Carrot juice, which has a lower fiber content, has a high GL. Likewise, 3/4 cup of watermelon (also a high GI food) has a low GL, while half a watermelon has a high GL. Research suggests that glycemic load is an important consideration in the treatment and prevention of chronic diseases.
Most complex meals (protein, carbohydrates, and fats) have a moderate GL because proteins and healthy fats (which have a low GI) help balance out carbohydrates that may have a higher GI. Its important to include whole fruits and vegetables in your regular eating pattern to help achieve a balanced, low-GL diet. Research suggests that glycemic load is an important consideration in the treatment and prevention of chronic diseases.

4.  Q:   In order to stay healthy, what is a good basic supplement program?

      A:  Each person is unique, and has unique nutritional needs. A prudent course of action to stay healthy would begin with eating a healthy diet. This means avoiding highly processed foods (candies, snack foods, convenience foods) or foods high in refined sugar or flour, as these tend to have low levels of important vitamins and minerals. A high quality multiple vitamin/mineral supplement is helpful to "fill in the gaps" in the diet. While other nutrients also may be helpful, it is important to remember your individuality and discuss the specific additional nutrients you might need with a nutritionally oriented health care practitioner.

 

5.  Q:  What do vitamins do in the body?

 

      A: In order to accomplish all of the thousands of day-to-day functions of your body, the food you eat every day must be converted into energy and raw materials (building blocks for muscles, bones, ligaments enzymes, hormones, and so on). To do all this, vitamins are required. Since humans lack the ability to manufacture these critical nutrients in our bodies, we have to get them in our diet.

Generally, vitamins perform 3 major functions:

• They are "cofactors" and catalysts for enzymes, which means they are required for the enzymes to do their jobs. The B-complex vitamins B1 and B2, for example are required for every function in the body that requires production of energy-which means every function!
• They act as antioxidants, which means they prevent highly reactive molecules called free radicals from damaging delicate cell membrane structure. Vitamins C and E are powerful antioxidants, protecting cell membranes from free radicals.
• They act as "pre-hormones." For example, vitamin D functions as a hormone to facilitate calcium uptake and utilization.

6.      Q:  What do minerals do in the body?

          A:  Minerals have very many important functions.  Life could not exist without them. Iron is required for the manufacturing of the chemical hemoglobin, which carries oxygen in the blood to all the cells of the body. Calcium is necessary for strong bones, and for transmission of messages within cells and from cell to cell. Magnesium is required for production of energy from the food you eat, and a selenium-containing molecule protects the body from damage by free radicals.

 

7.     Q:  What makes amino acid chelated minerals better than other types of minerals?

 

 

        A: In order to be absorbed, minerals, whether from foods or in supplements, have to be combined with a "carrier" molecule. When this molecule is a fragment of protein (an amino acid), and the mineral amino acid compound forms a stable molecule, it is referred to as an amino acid chelate. Because the body is very efficient at absorbing amino acids, chelated minerals are more easily transported across the intestinal wall than are non-chelated minerals.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS, PART TWO

1.  Q:  Can I drink Tea?

     A:  Yes, herbal teas are great,  iced or hot.  Green and Black herbal teas are ok, even though they  contain  caffeine.


2.  Q:  Can I use sweeteners?

     A:  Truvia or other Stevia products are ok.  Stevia is a plant and is a natural sweetener.
           Avoid all other sweeteners.

3.  Q:  How much water should I drink every day?

      A:  It is recommend to drink half of your body weight, in ounces of water, daily.

A LITTLE NOTE FOR THE WEEKEND

As it gets warmer, many of us head out to particpate in fun activies:  youth sports, cycling, walking, running, hiking, etc.  Remember to pack snacks and take plenty of water, to stay hydrated. The target  amount of water consumtion is half of your body weight, in ounces of water, daily.  You may need to increase that amount with strenuous activity and long exposure to heat. 


Quick snack  ideas include:  almonds or other nut/seed, fruit, veggies and Ultra Meal bars.

SMOTHERED CHEESEBURGER

It is going to be a beautiful weekend here in Central Texas and  It feels like grilling weather.  Don't be afraid to kick back, relax and enjoy some great picnic food.

Smothered Cheeseburger

Ingredients:

1 pound 96% lean ground beef

2 Tbsp finely minced white or red onion, plus 1 cup, thinly sliced, divided

3 Tbsp Italian parsley, finely chopped

1 tsp chile powder

1/2 tsp sea salt

Fresh ground pepper to taste

2 tsp olive oil, divided

1 cup pre-sliced button mushrooms

1 small red bell pepper, cut into strips(about one cup)

4 thin slices of  reduced-fat Mozzarella  cheese

4 whole-wheat, whole-grain Sandwhich Thins(or other 100-150 calorie bun/pita/wrap)

4 romaine lettuce leaves, thick stems removed

4 tomato slices

optional:  avocado, olive oil or canola based mayo, mustard

Instructions:

One:  Place beef, minced onion, parsley, chile powder, salt and black pepper in a large bowl.  Hand mix until just combined.  Gently form beef mixture into four equal patties, about one-half to three-quarters-of-an-inch thick.   Place on a plate, cover,  and refrigerate until ready to cook.

Two:  Add one teaspoon oil to a medium nonstick skillet and set over medium heat.  When oil is hot, add mushrooms and cook until golden brown and soft ,stirring frequently, about eight minutes.  Transfer to a small bowl.  Add remaining oil to skillet and return to medium heat.  Add red pepper and cook for four minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add sliced onion and continue cooking for six more minutes or until vegetables are tender and lightly browned.  Add to bowl with mushrooms.  Season vegetables with salt and black pepper .  Cover with foil. 

Three:  When the vegetables are ready, heat grill.

Four:  Place patties on the grill and cook on low-medium heat.  Cook four to five minutes per side, or until cooked through.  Internal temperature should register 160 degrees F.  Immediately place one slice of cheese on each hot burger.  To serve, layer each bun with one lettuce leaf, one slice of tomato, one cheeseburger patty, and one-third of a cup of vegetable mixture.

Choose  sides: black or pinto beans, a side salad, fresh fruit, 1/2 of a baked red potato, green beans(or other category one veggies).