by kelsey | Nov 13, 2014 | Cooking Tips, Diabetes, Diet, Food, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
The Holidays are almost here! Many of you are working very hard to get ready for your family and friend holiday functions….which usually involves alot of baking and cooking! The following are a few ways to lighten your recipes so you can still enjoy…just without all of the extra calories, fat, and sugar.
Butter, shortening, margarine, or solid fat: Use 1/4 less liquid oil or solid fat called for in the recipe–so if the recipe calls for 1 cup, you could use 3/4 c. If the recipe uses shortening, use 3 Tbsp oil. Use equal amounts of oil for melted shortening, margarine, or butter. You can also replace 1 c of fat with 1/2 c. prune puree or 1 c of fat with 1 c unsweetened applesauce. Oil in place of a solid fat is also a healthier substitution. If you use any of these, you will want to monitor your baking time as it may need to be reduced by 25%.
Whole milk, half and half, or evaporated milk: Use skim milk, 1% milk, evaporated skim milk, fat free half and half, or plain soy milk with calcium
Cream Cheese: use nonfat or reduced fat.
Sour cream or mayo: use nonfat or reduced fat…or use nonfat Greek yogurt and get a little extra protein and calcium.
Cream or whipping cream: use evaporated skim milk or non fat whipped topping or cream.
Eggs: use 2 whites in place of 1 egg or 1/4 egg substitute.
Sugar: Reduce sugar by 1/4 to 1/3- if recipe calls for 1 c, use 2/3 c. You can also use sugar substitutes such as Splenda and use the equivalent chart on the back of the bag. Baking time may be shorter, so be sure to watch it closely!
If you choose not to lighten your recipes, practicing portion control is another great tool to use. Allow yourself to enjoy your favorite holiday treats, but in moderation and be sure to get your exercise in!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Nov 12, 2014 | Cooking Tips, Diet, Food, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
As Thanksgiving approaches, you may be thinking about your grocery list and all the goodies you will be making. County Fair Foods has a great recipe that is healthy and tasty! The recipe has some great substitutions for lightening the sugar, fat, and calories. Give it a try and enjoy!
Healthy Pumpkin Pie 15 oz can pumpkin
8 oz skim or low fat soy milk
3 egg whites
2/3 reduced fat graham cracker crust (take off the sides of the crust and discard)
¾ c Splenda
Pumpkin pie spice
2 egg whites for the crust
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Mix pumpkin, milk, and egg whites until smooth. Gradually stir in Splenda ¼ c at a time. Add the pumpkin pie spice, taste and add more if needed. Pour into crust and spread evenly. Bake for 15 min then reduce the temp to 350 degrees and bake for another 45 min. Let cool and serve your favorite way. To make the crust less soggy beat the egg whites and brush over the crust and bake for about 5 min. at 350 degrees.
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Nov 6, 2014 | Diabetes, Diet, Food, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
There’s a lot of buzz about carbohydrates….are they good? Are they bad? How much should you have? , etc etc etc. In celebration of National Diabetes Month, I thought it would be appropriate to discuss carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are the main (and best) source of energy for your brain and central nervous system. Carbohydrates are essential for energy; however they raise your blood sugar levels higher and faster than any other kind of food. Carbohydrates are essential for your body to be able to sustain energy, so just like a car needs the right type of fuel (gas) to run, you need the right kind of fuel (food) to function and be healthy. To sustain energy, your body needs adequate carbohydrates: 50% of your total calories should come from carbohydrates. Cutting out all carbs can be very detrimental to our body, especially our brain, central nervous system, liver, kidneys, and heart. Because they are an excellent source of energy, but they do raise blood sugars, it’s important to recognize the types of carbohydrates and how to count them in efforts of controlling your blood sugars while still maintaining good health and adequate energy..
Carbohydrates are found in the following:
Starches: found in grains, some vegetables, and beans.
- Grains: bread, pasta, cereal, tortillas, rice
- Starchy Vegetables: potatoes, peas, corn, yams, squash
- Beans: kidney beans, pinto beans, black beans, garbanzo beans, and lentils
- **The best and recommended sources of starches are whole grains…choose them over the white, refined grains!
Sugars: found naturally in foods or added to foods.
- Natural Sugars: fruits, fruit juices, dairy products, honey, and molasses.
- Added Sugars: desserts, processed foods, candy, regular soda, and fruit drinks.
- **Natural sugars are better than added sugars, but large quantities of them can still raise your blood sugars…we recommend getting at 2-3 fruits and 3 servings of veggies/day. Anytime you can limit or eliminate the added sugars, do so!
To aid in ideal blood sugar control, we recommend a moderate intake of carbohydrates which means about 45-60g/meal and 15-30g/snack with several small meals and snacks throughout the day. I visit with patients daily about finding the right balance in their intake. If you would like help managing your blood sugars, to learn more about diabetes self care, or a personalized nutrition plan, be sure to contact me for further help!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Nov 5, 2014 | Diabetes, Diet, Food, Heart Health, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
Today is a fun day for us…it’s National Eating Healthy Day! Just another reminder how making healthy choices can improve and impact your health and wellness tremendously! Whether you have heart disease or not, we all should strive to eat a heart healthy diet that keeps us healthy long term and aids in disease prevention! Eatings a colorful diet with moderate portions and engaging in regular activity are keys to success.
For a healthy heart you want to consume a diet low in sodium, low in saturated and trans fat, and cholesterol. Challenge yourself to replace these with some of the foods and food components listed below:
- Fruits and Vegetables- Many fruits and vegetables contain fiber, which helps your body take in more nutrients, can lower cholesterol levels, aid in achieving a healthy weight. Fruits and vegetables not only contain fiber, but they also contain potassium and antioxidants. Potassium can help with blood pressure by blunting the effects of sodium on blood pressure. Antioxidants may help prevent disease and keep your body working properly.. At the grocery store, be sure to choose a variety of deeply colored fruits and vegetables like carrots, apricots, broccoli, beets, berries and kidney beans to maximize your intake of vitamins and minerals.
- Whole Grains-There are many components within whole grains which provide benefits. Whole grains provide fiber, vitamins and minerals, and antioxidants. To reap the benefits, aim for at least 3 daily servings of whole grains. On the label, look for the phrase “whole grain” or “whole” before the grain’s name. Some examples include: whole grain breads, cereals and pasta, brown rice, oatmeal and popcorn.
- Heart Healthy Fats- A diet of moderate fat intake is beneficial to your health. You can enjoy the healthy benefits by choosing oils and spreads rich in unsaturated fat, such as olive, canola, safflower, sunflower, corn, or soybean oils. Salmon, sardines, herring, trout, and tuna are terrific sources of the omega-3 fatty acids, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), which are types of polyunsaturated fats that may reduce the risk of heart disease.
- Lean Meats- lean proteins such as white meat poultry, fish, pork and lean cuts of beef such as 90% or greater lean hamburger, sirloin, or round cuts are recommended. Also plant proteins such as beans and lentils offer an excellent source of protein, fiber, and other essential nutrients.
- Low Fat Dairy– skim or 1% dairy products are recommended for helping you meet your calcium and vitamin D neeeds to help keep your bones strong and healthy.
Healthy eating doesn’t have to be challenging. Start by picking a few little things to focus on improving and over time those little things will add up to big successes in the long run. Remember you are what you eat, so exchange out the junk food for healthy foods and your body will reward you!
-Kelsey
by Dan | Oct 30, 2014 | Etc.
KXLG radio station had a contest with judging here this AM, with the theme “Pretty in Pink”. We at Brown Clinic went all out for this! All of us wore our pink shirts, and decorated the clinic with Pink, and promoting awareness of Breast Cancer, and mammogram screening with our #D technology. Here are a few pictures from today! Win or lose the contest, we at Brown Clinic won regardless! We show our support for good causes, and want everyone to be aware of what Breast Cancer can do to individuals, and their families. We are all “Pretty in Pink”!
Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 2589
