Meatless Monday/Unhealthy Eating

One Step At a Time....

You Can Go Meatless One Day For All Three Meals

Unhealthy Eating Practices in Women Over 50

Eating disorders, a condition typically associated with young women, may be more prevalent among older women, according to research from the University of North Carolina. Researchers evaluated 1,800 U.S. women who took part in the Gender and Body Image Study. Among the female subjects over the age of 50, about 27 percent were obese, 29 percent were overweight, 42 percent were normal weight, and 2 percent were underweight. The study found that about 4 percent of the women binge eat, about 8 percent purge, and 70 percent diet to lose weight. In addition, 36 percent spent at least half of their time in the last five years dieting, 41 percent check their body size daily, and 40 percent weigh themselves at least twice a week. Strikingly, 62 percent said body weight negatively impacts their life, 79 percent report it affects their self-image, and 64 percent think about their weight daily. 

Are You An Apple Or A Pear?

Apples have:

More weight above the waist

A waist circumference of more than 35 inches

A waist circumference to hip circumference ratio greater than 0.8

Apples are more likely to have or develop certain conditions, including:  

Diabetes

High Blood Pressure

High Triglycerides- a type of fat in the blood

Heart Disease

Sleep Apnea

To help treat or lower their risk of developing these conditions, apples should:

Eat foods with a low glycemic index- these foods will not cause spikes in blood sugar and insulin. 

For example: choose rye or pumpernickel bread over white or whole wheat. Other low glycemic index 

foods: beans, most vegetables, brown rice, apples and pears. 

Keep blood sugar levels regulated throughout the day, by making sure each meal and snack you eat is a combination of protein, healthy fat and carbs. 

For example: spread some almond butter on apple slices. Also, check out this month's recipe below!

Pears have:

More weight below the waist

A waist circumference to hip circumference ratio of 0.8 or less

An increased body fat percentage: for women >31%, for men >25%

 An increased BMI (body mass index)- greater than 24.9 

Pears are at increased risk for certain conditions, including:

Elevated LDL (bad) cholesterol

Gastrointestinal distress

Food sensitivities and allergies 

To help treat or lower their risk of developing these conditions, pears should:

Follow a food plan that focuses on plant-based protein, vegetables and fruits, whole grains and healthy fats.

Consider eliminating foods additives and certain foods that may be causing a reaction. These foods include but are not limited to: gluten-containing grains, dairy, eggs, beef, pork, shellfish, peanuts and refined sugars. 

Healthy Meatless Recipe: 

Maple Pecan Sweet Potato Burgers

(adapted from Nikki Haney )

Creativity meets compassion. This award-winning veggie burger scored Nikki Haney, culinary hero and blogger at The Tolerant Vegan, top honors (and $2000!) in the North Carolina Sweet Potato Commission’s “No More ‘Mallows Recipe Contest.”  Her one-of-a-kind recipe WOWed the judges who voted it #1 in originality, flavor, and texture.

Ingredients:

2 cups peeled, cooked, and mashed sweet potatoes*

1/4 cup uncooked quinoa

3/4 cup water

2 tablespoons vegan butter

2 tablespoons maple syrup

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 cup dry roasted pecans, chopped**

1 cup chopped kale

1/2 teaspoon sea salt (plus a sprinkle for the onion topping)

1 Vidalia onion, roughly chopped

sprinkle of fresh ground black pepper

4 buns of your choice.

*Microwave or bake sweet potatoes until soft, then remove skin and mash with a fork.

**If pecans aren’t already roasted, roast them by spreading them on a baking sheet and baking for 5 minutes at 350°F .

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°F .

Bring water and quinoa to a boil in a small saucepan. Reduce heat to simmer and cover the saucepan, allowing the quinoa to cook for 8-10 minutes. Check the quinoa every couple of minutes since stove temperatures vary. It’s done when the water is almost gone and the quinoa appears to be nearly transparent.

Remove the quinoa from the stove and allow to sit covered for 5 minutes.

In a separate saucepan, mix 1 tablespoon melted vegan butter with 1 tablespoon maple syrup and the cayenne pepper. Mix into mashed sweet potatoes.

Then add and stir in the cooked quinoa, pecans, kale and sea salt.

Form the mixture into four patties and place on a baking sheet.

Bake for 45 minutes, turning once at the halfway point.

Onion Topping: In a skillet over medium heat, melt remaining 1 tablespoon of vegan butter. Add chopped onion. Sprinkle with sea salt and fresh ground black pepper. Cook for 12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low and pour in the remaining 1 tablespoon of maple syrup. Stir continuously for 3 more minutes. Remove from heat and spoon over the burgers once they have finished baking.

Enjoy and Bon Appetit! 

Healthy Weekly Motivator: Meat Me Halfway

The average American's diet contains too many solid fats, saturated fats and bad cholesterols, which are all found in animal products. Experts therefore recommend limiting total meat intake to two, 3 ounce servings a day or less (3 ounces is about the size and width of a deck of cards, or the palm of your hand).

Aim to eat less meat this week. Have a Meatless Monday, skip sausage and bacon at breakfast, or cut your lunch and dinner portions in half. Remember that you can easily stay full (and cut fat and calories) by filling the space on your plate with fruits, vegetables, beans and whole grains.

Have a great week everyone and remember a better tomorrow starts with what you eat today! Do you have a favorite meatless recipe you would like to share with us? Send it my way!

Wishing you health and wellness from the inside out,

Lisa

LQ WELLNESS

Professional Wellness Coach

973-383-0955

lisaquinnwc@embarqmail.com

Interested in Shaklee? Take a look at products available here!
Make sure to follow me on Twitter @lq_wellness

"One should eat to live, not live to eat."   ~ Moliere ~

Are you struggling with excess weight that won't come off no matter what you try?

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Do you know what you should be doing to feel and look better but would like someone to support you and hold you accountable for making those changes?

I'm here to help! Working together with you, I will create a personalized program that will help you feel your best and reach your health goals.  I'll support you every step of the way to help you achieve lasting changes that will make you healthier and happier. 

Take the first step and schedule a complimentary ½ hour health breakthrough session to find out how an integrative approach to health can help you.

WELLNESS THOUGHTS

Be an Angel & Give the Best Mother's Day Gift...


                           Good Health


Each month is a new opportunity to connect with my Members and social network and share information about healthy living. But where do I find the content that will spark their interest? Beginning in May, each month Shaklee will have a theme around important health and nutrition topics, together with scientific information to back them up, and a focus on products that support those themes.

Shaklee is dedicating the month of May and Women’s Health Month to you and all the women in your life. Mother’s Day is just around the corner, and Women’s Health week is May 13-19, so this month is a perfect time to talk to the women who are important to you about taking steps to improve their physical and mental health and lower their risks of certain diseases.

The top health concerns for women are overall health and wellness, bone health, immune health, breast health, heart health and physical energy. To address those concerns, you can offer the women in your life Vitalizer™ Women - smart supplementation formulated with key nutrients to support today’s busy, active woman, in one convenient daily serving. Vitalizer contains 80 bio-optimized nutrients – vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, phytonutrients, Omega 3 fish oil and probiotics - every vitamin and mineral your body needs to support optimal health.


And, for women over 50, there’s Vitalizer Gold, which delivers all the benefits of Vitalizer Women with even more benefits for healthy aging, including 30 mg. of CoQ10, a nutrient which is vital for energy production in the heart and promoting healthy arteries.

In addition to Vitalizer, you will also see OsteoMatrix® and OmegaGuard® featured throughout May in Shaklee's spotlight on women’s health. And remember, not only are Vitalizer and OmegaGuard important products for women’s health, but they also feature an additional 10% discount on AutoShip!

Vitalizer: Daily strips contain the following tablets: 2 Vita-Lea, 2 Carto-E-Omega, 1 B+ C Complex and 1 Optiflora Probiotic. Amazingly only 6 tablets in a convenient Vita-Strip provide all the following benefits:

• Economical, easy, convenient & only need to be taken once a day.
• Guaranteed delivery of 80 essential vitamins, minerals, & other nutrients ( pretty much every one that's required ).
• Delivers not just essential vitamins & minerals but also antioxidants, healthy gut microflora, Omega essential fats & much more, all at optimal levels.
• Is pure, potent, balanced, safe,& provides the best nature has to offer.
• Is as biologically beneficial to the body as possible through the use of S.M.A.R.T. technology ( the best nutrient delivery your cells could ask for ).
• Provides an excellent FOUNDATION program but additional support may be required to address individual challenges/situations or to achieve optimal health.

Be Calm & Rest Easy With Shaklee's Gentle Sleep

                            Complex (GSC)


Daytime anxiety and insomnia are on the rise... GSC is a healthy way to help!


We all know how important quality sleep is to our health, but most of us tend to get less of it as we grow older. Stress, lifestyle issues and the hormonal fluxes of menopause can all disrupt our sleep quality and quantity, and the effects may be more far reaching than just leaving us feeling tired. With gentle Sleep Complex you'll find your way to calmer days & restful sleep. Try GSC for relief of colic, menstrual cramps, migraine headaches, anxiety & emotional stress... even rheumatic pain. It has been used in Europe for these purposes for over 1,000 years! Shaklee's unique combination of Valerian, Passion Flower and Chamomile Flower are extracted under carefully controlled conditions to retain the contents that are naturally effective. Helps to produce a calm state of relaxation and some are now suggesting it for A.D.H.D. and A.D.D. Give it a try during the Month of May and save $1.00. If you order directly from the product website the office will send you a refund.



New research has explored the relationship between sleep and weight, and there's compelling evidence that people who don't consistently get seven to eight hours a night may be at a higher risk for weight gain. A review of the literature that focused on sleep and weight studies found a relationship between short sleep duration and increased weight over time. The relationship was strongest for children, an interesting finding in light of the childhood obesity problem in the US. The Nurses Health Study found that women who slept less than five hours a night gained more weight over a 16-year period than women who slept seven hours, and these findings weren't affected by adjustments for physical activity or dietary consumption. Although the increase was considered modest (1.14 kilogram), it's still a significant finding.

An interesting study on obesity and factors that affect weight loss followed 472 obese adults in a six-month intensive weight loss program. Part of the study tracked sleep amounts as well as stress levels (measured using a stress scale). The results of the study showed that those who had longer sleep times and lower stress levels at the beginning of the study had higher success in weight loss. People who reported sleeping between six to seven and seven to eight hours at the beginning had a greater chance of losing 4.5 kg more than the participants who slept 6 hours or less, and surprisingly, 8 hours or more.

The big question is, what causes the increase in fat gain in short sleepers? There are several theories that suggest sleep is important for normal hormonal function, and there may be a disruption in hormones that control appetite or metabolism in people who are chronically sleep deprived. There may be an association between sleep deprivation and increases in ghrelin (a hormone that increases appetite and affects fat and energy storage) that result in weight gain over time. In addition, people who are sleep deprived may misread fatigue signals as hunger or just lose their ability to control caloric intake when tired, but either way, sleep appears to affect how our bodies take in and store calories.

The key point is that sleep may be as important as diet and exercise in a weight loss program, and improving your quality and quantity of sleep could make a difference.

There are few things as gratifying as a good night’s sleep. Waking refreshed and ready for the world is a great feeling and a great way to stay healthy. Getting enough sleep is imperative to your healthy lifestyle. In fact, chronic sleep deprivation has some very serious health consequences, including: 

• An increased chance of heart disease
• More severe symptoms for those with diabetes
• Difficulty losing weight
• A compromised immune system 

If you have trouble sleeping, watching TV, eating a big meal late in the evening or taking your worries to bed may be the source of your sleep strife. Here are some easy ways to prepare your body for a good night’s rest:

• Set a bedtime, to get your body “used to” falling asleep at a certain time.
• Avoid alcohol, caffeine and heavy, spicy or sugary foods 4-6 hours before going to bed to help your body get to sleep and stay asleep.
• Exercise regularly, but not within 2 hours of your bedtime.
• Create a sleep environment that is quiet and dark, has comfortable bedding, is a good temperature for sleeping and establish a “sleep only” rule in bed so that your body associates the bed with sleep.
• Develop a pre-sleep ritual that includes relaxing activities (reading, turning off all electronics, taking a bath, deep breathing) and leaving your daily worries behind you.
  
  
  How many hours of sleep do you get each night? Do you have any tricks to get more sleep? Email me or comment at the end of this post!
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Have a wonderful, relaxing weekend! Happy Mother's day to all and enjoy your special day!
  
  
  
  
  Wishing you health and wellness from the inside out,
  Lisa
  Professional Wellness Coach
  LQ WELLNESS
  p: 973-383-0955
  e: lisaquinnwc@embarqmail.com
  product website: healthnetwk.myshaklee.com