What Your Body Needs

Have you ever come home after burning HUNDREDS of CALORIES at ZUMBA and felt FAMISHED! You are so hungry that you reach for whatever is convenient (chips, cookies, fast food... etc.)? But it doesn't seem to be satisfying... so you keep eating, and eating???

It's logical to think that after working-out so hard you should feed your body. And it's very true that you need to give your body what it needs to keep up your energy. But chances are good that what you're reaching for is NOT what your body really needs.

WHAT BODIES NEED

So, what does your body need? I'd bet you money that you are probably NOT really hungry at all... you are THIRSTY!!!

SO MANY of us (me included) mistake hunger for thirst. That is why we all wander around our kitchens "munching" and "grazing" on anything we can get our hands on (which ends up being a lot of food, probably junk food) but we still don't really feel full.

Did you know that women need at least 9 cups of water/fluid per day and that men need at least 13 cups of water per day? AND after exercising for an hour (Hooray for ZUMBA) you need to ADD about 2 MORE CUPS of water each day to compensate for all that sweaty, calorie-burning fun!

So what this means is.....

LADIES = drink 11 cups (yes, eleven) of water/fluid EACH DAY!
MEN = Drink 15 cups of water/fluid EACH DAY!


WHAT CAN I DO TO STOP FEELING SO HUNGRY?

- Eat 3 solid meals a day (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
- Eat 1 or 2 healthy snacks between EACH meal (pick your favorites! fruits, veggies, yogurt, banana bread (Camille's recipe), mozzarella cheese stick, wheat toast, almonds... etc)
- And Drink BEFORE You Eat!

* * * Drink 3 BIG GULPS of WATER 
before you eat ANYTHING! * * *

Yes, that means that even if you are just reaching for a snack, drink at least 3 big gulps of water before you eat it.... easy enough, right?


MY PREDICTION

Happy Body: After drinking more water throughout the day your body will feel much "happier" and not nearly as hungry. You will now be eating smaller portions (and will sometimes even be completely satisfied with just the water). For my fluids I try to drink as much water as possible (instead of sugary drinks), but milk, juice, and other low-calorie fluids definitely count too.

Weight Loss: If you are burning about 500-800 calories each ZUMBA class, and you drink 11 cups of water each day. I can GUARANTEE you that you will NOT FEEL AS HUNGRY! You will train your body to recognize and appreciate all that water and you will no longer mistake hunger for thirst. So, you will eat less calories while you are burning more calories and that means (drum roll please) LOSING WEIGHT! If you are not looking to loose weight (congratulations!) you need to STILL be sure and drink 11 cups of water/fluid and be sure that you are eating healthy foods to keep your body fueled and strong.

More Energy: When your body has sufficient water/fluid it functions better. Did you know that WATER is your body's principal chemical component and makes up about 60 PERCENT of your body weight? WOW! No wonder we need so much fluid! Studies have shown that the body will have MORE energy if it is kept hydrated. Then, if you choose, you can use that energy to PUMP IT UP in ZUMBA and burn even MORE calories! Nice! (AND you will probably be getting a better night's sleep too!)


HOW TO DO IT - SCHEDULE

But HOW do I fit in all that FLUID! I have NEVER drank that much before!








This is what I do each day:

1 cup = Eat a bowl of cereal/oatmeal with a TON of milk (I am constantly refilling my bowl up with more milk until the cereal is gone... I love it that way! I really probably drink 2 cups of milk in the morning, but I'll keep it at 1 cup, just to be conservative)

3 cups = Go to ZUMBA. I bring a full water bottle and drink as much as feels good during class (I usually drink at least 1/2 of my 24oz water bottle (about 1.5 cups). Then drink the rest on the car ride home, (another 1.5 cups) which counts as my drink before my snack.

3 cups = Get home, eat a snack, and drink another glass of water (1 cup) (I am THIRSTY again after completely cooling down after ZUMBA). Prepare lunch. Eat lunch with my kiddos with a big, tall glass of delicious water (about 2 cups). Remember: drink at least 1 cup BEFORE you eat anything so you can see how hungry you REALLY are.

2 cups = Early afternoon - drink another glass of water (1 cup) and eat another snack. Late afternoon - drink another glass of water (1 cup) and eat ANOTHER snack (we eat dinner pretty late and the kids and I definitely need another snack to hold us over until then).

2 cups = Eat a healthy dinner as a family with a big tall glass of water/milk/juice (about 2 cups).

                                TOTAL = 11 cups!

TIPS and TRICKS



- Keep a full water bottle in your car at all times. Let it become part of the permanent car decor. Drink from it as you drive around throughout the day.
- Bring another water bottle to ZUMBA and be sure to fill it up before class and take plenty of "water breaks" and sneak in a gulp or two between songs.
- Keep a tall glass out on your kitchen counter and use that same glass all day. This is what I do and it's a simple reminder to drink before I eat (and less dishes to wash too).




DON'T GIVE UP!

If drinking water is hard for you because you don't like the "taste" of water, or you are too accustomed to your soda, coffee, or just are not used to drinking much of any fluid... that is OKAY!

Build up to the 11 cups. Just start keeping track of what you usually drink in a day and start drinking a more and more each week until you reach 11 cups.






Check out this great article where I got my facts!
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/water/NU00283

 YOU CAN DO IT!                                                     Let me know how it goes!

On-the-Go SNACKS

When I run out the door in the morning I know that if I don't have SNACKS with me I'll come home a few hours later SO HUNGRY!

I won't want to take the time to think of something "healthy" and will end up eating a bunch of  "junk" that really isn't very filling... and then I will feel bad and frustrated, so I'll eat more cookies since "I already screwed things up".... and the vicious circle goes on-and-on!

Here is my simple solution. I now have a TON of my favorite SNACKS on hand all the time and regularly bring them in the car with me and eat them while I'm driving!

Here are my favorite on-the-go snacks:

- Almonds

- Bananas

- Apples

- Sugar Snap Peas

-  Baby Carrots

I seriously eat at LEAST every 2 hours (probably more often than that!). I have little kids and they are always hungry too, so I have learned to be like a little squirrel and have food stashed everywhere! 

When I am running out the door it is very common to see me with a baby on my hip, gym bag over my shoulder, and a whole bunch of bananas in my hand!

My kids love to eat the little "school boy" sized apples, or sugar snap peas straight from the bag. We all take a handful and pass them around!

I also have a WATER BOTTLE with me at all times. I always keep a full one in my car, and the kids have their sippy cups with water, so we can eat our "snacks" and drink PLENTY of water while we are running errands. Kids (and Mommies) who have full tummies are happier!


Happy Snacking!

Is This How YOUR Plate looks?

Here is the new recommended guidelines for food portions. I LOVE this new "look" and think that it is very simple to understand and it makes it easy for me to see how well I am doing with my "plate" each day.

Is this how YOUR plate looks at meal time?

Try and keep this in mind at each meal.

I usually eat all my fruit in the morning and at "snack time" and most all of my vegetables at dinner time, so it's easy to switch things up that way... just try to fill up your "plate" with these amounts (Grains and Vegetables, then Fruits and Protein, then Dairy) per day.

When I grocery shop I always make sure to get a lot of "finger foods" that are easy to snack on throughout the day to get the right portions of fruits and vegetables.

Here are some of my favorites:

- Baby Carrots
- Sugar Snap Peas
- Cucumbers (pealed and cut and dipped in Fat Free Catalina Dressing)
- Green Bell Pepper (cut and dip in dressing - my 5 year old loves them plain!)
- Cucumber with peanut butter (vegetable and protein)

- Apple slices with cheese (fruit and protein)
- Bananas
- Oranges, Clementines, Tangelos
- Berries - strawberries, Blueberries, Raspberries, Blackberries...

These are just a few ideas... there are SO many options. So don't forget to stop in the produce section!

Fast-Easy-Veggies

I know that preparing vegetables can take FOREVER (peal, cut, steam in a pot, check to make sure the aren't too crunchy, hope they aren't too mushy, drain...)! Sometimes it does not even seem worth the effort!

Here is my time-saving trick to add delicious tender-crisp vegetables to your meal in just a few minutes! Did you know that you should eat about 2 1/2 cups of Vegetables PER DAY?

YOU CAN DO IT! Try this out!

GLAD SimplyCooking - Microwave Steaming Bags.
You can find these in any grocery store and it saves a lot of time and hassle!

So, cut up those baby carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, squash, asparagus....etc. throw them in the bag (no need to add water) microwave for a couple of minutes and VOILA! Perfectly crisp and delicious topping to any pasta dish, or side to any dinner.








You can also use this nice little bag to steam up potatoes! Throw in your favorite seasoning and have delicious potatoes that are ready to eat!










10 bags come in a box. If you are cooking up fish or shrimp (which I never have, but you can) you should only use the bag once and then throw it away. If I am using it for vegetables I hand wash it and use it more than once (although the box states that they are 1 time use...).

Quick Meal Idea:

Grilled Chicken Breasts (I throw the frozen chicken in my George Foreman Grill and cook until done)
Side of Steamed Carrots
Side of Steamed Broccoli
Side of Steamed and seasoned Potatoes

Sprinkle a bit of salt on the vegetables, dip the chicken in Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ Sauce (or any sauce, this is just my favorite).... quick, easy, healthy, tasty. Yum.

Baked French Fries

Easy and Healthy way to eat all of the French Fries you want! I love making these to go with grilled chicken or steak. Perfect for a BBQ or anytime you're in the mood!

Baked French Fries

5-6 medium sized potatoes (any variety), cut into thick Frech fries (I like them even a bit thicker than the ones in the picture). Toss cut potatoes in a zip-lock bag with some seasoning (I like to use Season-All, or Italian Dressing mix, or just simply table salt,).

Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with non-stick spray. Lay cut potatoes out in a single layer.


Bake at 400 degrees on the lowest rack of oven for 25-35 minutes until cooked through and golden.

Yumm....

Low Fat Italian Chicken

This is one of my FAVORITE meals... and it is SO EASY, low fat, healthy, and DELICIOUS!

This recipe makes enough for my husband and I and our 3 children, with left-overs for another full dinner or a few lunches.

Low Fat Italian Chicken

• 2-4 chicken breasts, boneless skinless
• 2 cans - 98% fat free Cream of Chicken Soup
• 1 small container (16oz) - Low Fat Cottage Cheese
• 1 dry packet - Italian Dressing (This is found at the grocery store next to the salad dressings. Do NOT follow directions to create a dressing, simply use it dry as a seasoning.)

Steamed Vegetables:
1 head - Broccoli, cut to bit-sized pieces (or 1 bag (12oz) of broccoli florets)
4 loose carrots, cut into nice "buttons" (or about 20 baby carrots, cut)

Serve over:
Rice = 3-4 cups
Pasta = 1 box/bag
Egg Noodles = 1 bag

Cooking Options:
MORNING - Prepare in the morning in a Crock Pot = Place FROZEN chicken breasts along with soup, cottage cheese, and dressing mix in a Crock Pot and cook on Low all day (or at least 6 hours). Shred chicken and serve over rice or noodles with steamed vegetables on top.

AFTERNOON - Prepare in the afternoon in a Crock Pot = Place THAWED chicken breasts along with soup, cottage cheese, and dressing mix in a Crock Pot and cook on High at least 4 hours. Shred chicken and serve over rice or noodles with steamed vegetables on top.

EVENING - Prepare in the evening on Stove Top = Use a frying/sauce pan with LID. Cut THAWED chicken into small cubes, cover with lid, and cook on medium/high heat until mostly cooked through. Add soup, cottage cheese, and dressing mix. Continue to cook over medium heat until chicken is cooked all the way through and other ingredients are hot. Shred chicken and serve over rice or noodles with steamed vegetables on top.

Enjoy!

Banana Bread

Do you know what my FAVORITE snack is? BANANA BREAD!

It's healthy, filling, moist and delicious!


Camille's Banana Bread

Cream:
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter

Mix:
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
4 over-ripe, mashed bananas

Mix in cup and let sit for 2 min (or can substitute 3 Tbs buttermilk):
3 Tbs milk
1 tsp vinegar/lemon juice

Mix:
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp salt

Bake @ 350 degrees for about 45 minutes - 70 minutes (depending on what size of pans you use. I ust 4 mini-loaves for 45min) or until a toothpick inserted at the center comes out clean.

IMPORTANT: My "secret" to amazing banana bread (and cake or muffins) is that RIGHT after you take it out of the oven wrap it tightly in tin foil and put in your fridge and let it completely cool for a few hours. This will keep all the moisture IN the bread instead of letting it escape out! This will give you thick and moist DELICIOUSNESS!

If kept in the fridge (which is how it tastes best and will keep for longer) you can make a whole batch and snack on it throughout the week!