Diet DIY

You don’t need to be a chef to whip up easy meals like veggie stir fry in minutes. In fact, there are so many simple recipes you can innovate from core concepts and make them your own with your choice of ingredients and favorite spices. Make them once or many times, for one meal or pack them to go for work lunches or fun picnic fare.

Olympic Proportions

Skating legend Michelle Kwan @michellewkwan shared her favorite Bean Salad recipe on instagram recently:

I love a bean salad … it’s an easy meal that you can have you’re on the go … I also love throwing in the random vegetable that’s alone in the fridge. And it’s perfect when you have some extra quinoa or even bow tie pasta leftover.

Michelle’s Recipe

Many ways to vary this recipe, so can use this as a gentle guide.

Salad Ingredients:

• 1 16oz can black beans
• 1 16oz can chick peas
• 1 avocado
• 1/2 - 1 red onion
• 1 green pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped parsley
• 1 cup cooked quinoa

Instructions:

Mix ingredients into a bowl. Add italian dressing or seasoning of your choice, such as her own balsamaic vinaigrette

Balsamic Vinaigrette (optional)

• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly crushed black pepper finely ground
• 1 large garlic clove minced
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup chopped parsley
• 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Yield: 1 salad
Tags: Vegan, Vegetarian friendly

Nutrition:

calories, grams fat

Comments

3468 Likes

Visitor comment: That sounds very good and healthy! Quinoa sounds good but I think I’d also enjoy it with brown basmati rice. Thank you for sharing!

More Weight Loss Ideas

More recipe ideas from this blog.

Visit Dr Aron Medical Weight Loss Center at WeightLossNYC.com and see how her medical weight loss program can work for you.

Fat that does a body good

Believe it or not, fat is a healthy part of your diet. The trick? Choosing the right kind, which helps you stay full, prevent overeating and keep the weight off.

When checking the nutrition facts on your food, scan for “monounsaturated fat” and “polyunsaturated fat”—these are the good fats.

Stay away from saturated and trans fats, which cause weight gain, and can elevate your cholesterol and put you at risk for disease. (Saturated fats should be less than 10% of your calories.)

Add these foods to your diet for a healthy and delicious way to lose weight

1. Olive oil—Not only a healthy source of monounsaturated fat, olive oil lowers bad LDL cholesterol and raises good HDL cholesterol.

   Try it: on salads and as a butter substitute

2. Nuts—packed with protein, unsaturated fats and omega-3s, nuts are a perfect satisfying snack. All you need is a small serving each day of walnuts, pecans, peanuts, macadamia nuts, hazelnuts, cashews or almonds (the size of a shot glass).

   Try it: mixed in with salads and steamed veggies

3. Avocado—Avocados are high in heart healthy unsaturated fat, helping you feel satisfied. They may also help lower your LDL cholesterol by as much as 17 percent when consumed daily.

   Try it: on sandwiches and spread over toast

Do You Need to Lose Weight?

Get weight loss tips and a medically proven diet plan from Dr. Oksana Aron — Bariatric physician who can help you lose weight without surgery or fad diets. Call today at 718-491-5525 for your initial consultation or book online at WeightLossNYC.com

Butternut Squash Healthy meals are easy

Filling up on veggies is a top rule for anyone wanting to eat healthier, yet that doesn't have to sound boring. Check your favorite produce store for winter squashes, including the amusing shaped butternut squash. Like its cousin the sweet potato, it's often overlooked as a starch, yet the orange interior reflects it is rich in beta carotene, which converts to vitamin A in your body.

One cup of Butternut Squash (cubed and cooked) yields 127% of the US RDA for Vitamin A, with 80 calories, 4g sugar, 21g of carbs. Far more favorable than mashed potatoes with (or without) gravy! Factor in the 7g of fiber and you're on your way to RDA daily mark of 25-30g fiber per day.

Beta carotene, as one of the team members of antioxidants, on its own offers many nutritional benefits. Butternut Squash also has ample potassium (more than the benchmark banana) plus 30% of your daily RDA of Calcium. Other minerals at hand include Iron and Niacin, along with Vitamin E.

Winter Wondering

Other winter squashes you can try - (measuring nutrients to the one cubed cooked cup)

• Acorn Squash has more fiber and potassium, though less vitamin A than Butternut. 9 grams fiber per cubed cooked cup, potassium (896 mg).
  
• Pumpkin Squash has both alpha and beta carotene. Alpha carotene also converts vitamin A in the body; Pumpkin Squash has twice as much of alpha than Butternut.
  
• Spaghetti Squash is yellow and can even be used as an alternative to spaghetti. Lower in calories and carbohydrates than the other squashes mentioned here, but also lower in fiber. As a pasta substitute though, you'll consumer only 42 healhty veggie calories not pasta carb 200 calories.
  

Feeling Preppy

Summing it up with preparation, all of these can simply be sliced and roasted, with familiar spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, or clove or allspice. For easier prep you can often buy these pre-cut in stores, though caution on canned variants due to added sugars. You can even puree squashes to make satisfying soups and sauces too. Some folks even suggest smoothies, accompaniments such as apple, nut butter and soy or almond milk.

Top Tomato Tips

Tomatoes are a very popular fruit, or vegetable… No matter how you slice it they are a very versatile and nutritious ingredient that can be enjoyed raw or cooked in so many ways including juice and sauces, grilled, and in salads. Also the variety of tomatoes from heath beefsteak to pop sized cherry bites give all the more encouragement to include them in your diet.

Some fun facts

1. One cup of tomatoes can provide:
   • 8 percent of your recommended daily fiber intake
   • 15 percent of your daily B6
   • 12 percent of your iron
2. Sorry oranges! One tomato can provide 28 percent of your vitamin C for the day
3. Cooking tomatoes can provide the highest levels of lycopene, a nutrient known for many essential health benefits
4. Hydration too: fresh tomato juice can provide antioxidant benefits, just caution on high sodium store bought brands. Eating raw tomatoes also can fill you up due to the high water content.

Healthy Buddies

Lentils

Adding cooked lentils to your tomato sauce can provide much needed protein (about 9 grams per half cup lentils) as well as iron. This also aids in making a heartier, more filling sauce without the negatives of other means.

Shredded Kale

Lightly cooked kale adds a big nutritional boost to any dish. Including into your tomato sauce a few minutes before serving can rock your vitamins A, C, And selenium, plus dozens more antioxidant flavonoids

What’s in your Diet?

If your are looking for healthier meal plan to help you lose weight fast without suffering, check out Dr Aron Medical Weight Loss Center at WeightLossNYC™ today.

Phone: 718-491-5525 or Web: WeightLossNYC.com

Some links to more of our tomato related blog posts

• Banish Belly Bloat
• Find your Antioxidants
• Hidden Sugar in your Diet

Source: Organic Connect

Got Avocado?

What’s in your brown bag for lunch? While packing a lunch can be difficult (a sandwich again?!), here’s one idea to switch things up a bit and lose weight: eating avocado with your lunch can aid weight loss. Here’s how:

An Avocado a Day Keeps the Hunger Away

Consuming up a half of an avocado can help you feel as much as 26% more satisfied and can even keep you from wanting to reach for an afternoon snack later on in the day, according to a study published in Nutrition Journal. Those in the study reported a:

• 40% decreased desire to eat 3 hours after lunch, and
• 28% decreased desire to eat 5 hours later

Just a little avocado a day can go a long way in eating a healthy diet without overeating.

What’s in an Avocado

A whole avocado contains 250 calories and 23 grams of fat, most of which is healthy monounsatured fat, which can reduce bad cholesterol levels. It may even be helpful in regulating blood sugar levels, which has yet to be investigated.

Any way you slice it, avocados can be healthy for you and boost your weight loss efforts. Try some in a healthy green salad or spruce up a boring sandwich with it and notice the difference.

Want to lose weight fast?

Become our next success story at WeightLossNYC™. No gimmicks or crash diets, just sound advice for healthy living. Give us a call at 718-491-5525 today.

Weight Loss Tips for Dining Out

Nationwide statistics show Americans dining out for almost 1/3 of their meals, with almost 1/2 of their food budget spent at these establishments.[1]

Given our tendency to dine out, it is worthwhile to consider ways you can manage and maintain your weight loss dieting program on the go. Some simple guidelines follow, as well as some links to some of our more popular posts past:

• Dr Aron’s Simple Diet Tips
• Slim Down with Soup
• 7 Easy Eating Tips to Slim Down
• Gain More Self Control, Not Weight
• 5 Unusual Weight Loss Tips
• Your Social Circle Can Make or Break Your Eating Habits
• Fast Weight Loss the Low Fat Way

Simple Tips for Planning Ahead

• Avoid unlimited buffets and junk food franchises. Salad bars are good if you choose the healthy staple items not the dangerous ones.
• Cater to places with extended menus to help you find healthy choices you will like. Favor seafood and salad places for healthier fare. Soups can be good, but know what you are choosing. Ask.
• Best to plan ahead to dine out instead of splurging on surprise outings. Consider reviewing online menu before going so you will know what you will have.
• Focus on eating for nutrition, not as a social activity. Make reservations to manage your cravings and limit the temptations to drink and snack while waiting. You can even have some small healthy crudite before leaving home to settle your stomach.
• Stay away from large portions and fried food places. Know what is reasonable for you to eat and enjoy with your diet.
• Consider sharing entrees with friends to manage your portions. Don’s be shy about tossing aside bread and extra carbs. Send away any extra munchies the waiter puts on your table. Only eat what you intend to eat.
• As always, start to drink water as soon as you arrive and while waiting for meal.
• Ask your server about options — extra salad instead of a heavier side dish. Bring your own dressing if you want to be sure of low calories. Add veggies to your entree to fill you up and slow you down.

Power Tips — Know your Menu Vocabulary

• Bad: Buttery, Breaded, Buttered, Fried, Pan-Fried, Creamed, Scalloped, Au Gratin.
• Better: Grilled, Baked, Steamed, Broiled, Poached, Stir-Fried, Roasted, Blackened.
• Avoid: Cream sauces, made with milk, mayonnaise, cheese or oil.
• Look for tomato based sauces instead. Order all sauces on the side and use sparingly.

Follow Your Diet Plan

As always, follow the diet guidelines presented to you by Dr. Aron. She will have told you your calorie limits and suggested foods for you to enjoy and avoid. Fill up on water, salad and vegetables first. Focus on your friends more than the food. Slow down and pace yourself so you can enjoy your meal and not be left hungry and crave more. Your body also needs time to recognize the food in your system to trigger satisfaction. It is also more than OK to leave the table a little hungry. You never need to stuff yourself, be gentle to your body.

Looking for More Motivation to Lose Weight?

Align with Dr. Aron at WeightLossNYC™ and start losing weight today. Call 718-491-5525 or visit WeightLossNYC.com

What’s the Health Risk?

Excess sugar can not only lead to weight gain, but you also have other health concerns to worry about. People who drink 1 to 2 cans of soda a day can increase their risk for Type 2 diabetes by 26%. Additionally, daily sugary drinks can also increase your risk of heart attack, death from heart attack and heart disease.

—Oksana Aron,M.D.
Bariatric Physician

The Not-So-Sweet Side of Sugar

We all know that sugar isn’t good for our health, waistline or teeth. But what we don’t know about it—including where it’s coming from—can be even more important. Additionally, many contain genetically modified sugars (GMO) and are often unlabelled as such, yielding further obscurity.

Consuming sugary drinks such as sodas and fruit drinks were once thought to be the main source of sugar in our diet, but the latest from the U.S. CDC shows that Americans are getting their sugar mainly from their food, not drinks.

Without knowing this fact, many people may be unwittingly be consuming a lot more sugar than they think and are scratching their heads as to why they can’t lose those last few pounds.

How sugar sneaks into your diet & How to prevent it.

Healthy Tip

When checking the ingredients list on food packaging, make sure that sugar or its other names (such as high-fructose corn syrup HFCS or corn syrup, etc.) isn’t one of the first few ingredients. That way you’ll know that the food isn’t mostly sugar.

Medical Weight Loss Consultation

Lose the weight to reveal a healthier body. Stay motivated and keep the weight off with a healthy weight loss plan. Call 718-491-5525 to schedule your consultation with Oksana Aron, M.D., Bariatric Physician at WeightLossNYC™.

Tips for Winter Weight Loss

While overeating and under-exercising in general is one sure-fire way to pack on the pounds, if you experience a minor slip-up, you can stay on track as long as you keep up with your exercise. Both exercise and diet are critical to your success, but it’s good to know you don't always have to be perfect.

Here are a few ideas for staying active and losing weight this winter season.

Stay Active and Smart

• Get your family on board with planning healthier menus for gatherings
• Only take a few bites of a dessert without overindulging
• Plan to take a walk outdoors right after dinner
• Create ways to burn extra calories such as walking laps around the mall while shopping sales or using the stairs several times a day
• Go ice skating or play ice hockey for outdoor exercise
• Get the blood pumping at the gym if it’s too cold outside

How to Enjoy your Holidays and Keep the Weight Off

Whether it’s Hanukkah or Halloween, Superbowl sunday or super-love Valentine’s day, temptations always exist.

Indulge in a few too many latkes?

Swipe a couple extra frosting-and-sprinkled sugar cookies?

Drank a little more eggnog than you’d care to admit?

You can still work Off the Weight

Celebrating the holidays doesn’t have to derail your new year weight loss resolution. A recent study published in the Journal of Physiology found that if you continue to exercise daily —even in short bursts— then your few extra nibbles won’t do much harm.

In a Bath University (U.K.) week-long study of 26 healthy young men, all were asked to overeat.

Half exercised for 45 minutes daily, while the other half remained inactive

The non-exercising group ate 50% more calories, while the exercising group overate by 75%.

The results: In just one week, the non-exercising group experienced a decline in blood sugar control. The exercising group, however, exhibited stable blood sugar levels. Additionally, “the activation of genes within fat cells in the non-exercising group were also found to be negatively changed to those levels needed for a well-functioning metabolism.”

Looking to improve your health and need some guidance?

Dr. Oksana Aron of WeightLossNYC™ is here to help you reach your healthy weight loss goals. Call today at 718-491-5525 for your initial consultation. Make this year your year to shine.

Her clinic specializes in treatment of obesity or overweight persons, who have struggled to lose weight via other methods and are seeking medical help.

What’s your excuse?

Sometimes, the only person standing in the way of your own success is staring straight back at you in the mirror. How many times have you sabotaged your weight loss plans? How many times did you give up too soon?

You’re not the only one. Losing weight is just as tough mentally as it is physically. If you can get your mind in shape first, the rest of your body will follow. Do any of the following excuses sound familiar?

• I’m too tired

  Did you know that regular exercise could actually boost your energy? Perhaps you need to kick it up a notch—or get started on an exercise regime—in order to feel refreshed and start losing some weight.

• I don’t have enough time

  We always have more time than we think. How many hours a day do you spend watching silly stuff on YouTube? Reading the paper? Clicking through the channels? Swap those idle times for doing something healthy such as taking walks or learning to cook healthy food to set your weight loss goals in action.

• I don’t want to get injured

  If you start off easy and take baby steps, there won’t be any need to worry about injuring yourself from light exercise. Try working out with a friend or family member and go at your own pace. Or, work with a trainer who can customize a workout for you.

• It’ll be too expensive

  Eating healthier foods will save you money in the long run. Whole foods are cheaper than packaged, processed foods, and they'll keep you healthier, which means your health care costs will be cheaper as well. Special diet foods aren't required.

You don’t need a gym membership

If you can stay motivated and work out on your own. Walking, jogging, stair climbing, riding bikes and swimming don’t cost you a thing. You can also check out your local community center for low-cost fitness classes.

There are countless excuses that get in the way of losing weight. No matter what yours is, today could be the first day to a healthier life if you first switch to a positive attitude.

Don’t delay another day to improve your lifestyle and lose weight

WeightLossNYC will show you how to lose weight and feel great while you’re at it. Schedule your initial consultation by calling 718-491-5525 or visit our website at WeightLossNYC.com

Swap This, Lose That

Looking for an easy trick to cut calories? Substitute some of your favorite foods with something just as delicious (or even more so) that’s less fattening. You’ll find yourself satisfied—and slimmer—in no time. These are a just few examples, but don't stop there. Always be on the lookout for other ways to swap something not-so-healthy for something that’s great for you.

Bye-bye, Orange Juice ~ Hello, Real Oranges

• Eating an actual orange has 3 more grams of fiber and half the sugar of a cup of orange juice.

Adios, flour tortilla ~ Hola, corn tortilla

• Swapping a 10-inch flour tortilla for a 6-inch corn tortilla can save a lot on calories and sodium.

Say No to the Sandwich ~ Say Yes to a Wrap

• To cut calories, try a 100-calorie multigrain wrap instead of a sandwich with 2 slices of bread.

Ditch the Cinnamon Roll ~ Go for Raisin Bread instead

• A better alternative for a sweet snack, try some raisin bread with low-fat cream cheese.

Skip Mixed Nuts ~ Opt for Trail Mix

• Too large a serving of nuts can be fattening, but if you choose trail mix with the right heart-healthy ingredients, you can shave off some calories and fat.

Lose Weight Every Week

Small changes like these can help you lose weight, one pound at a time. Want to make a big change and lose even more? Please give Dr Aron Medical Weight Loss Center a call at 718-491-5525 for your first appointment.