Natlifestyle.com

The idea of completely changing the way you eat overnight and depriving yourself of all things sweet, savory, cheesy (and I mean that in the literal sense), and alcoholic is not realistic, and it’s no fun whatsoever. It’s all about moderation, and cleaning up your diet rather than cutting out completely. And cutting out a few calories here and there adds up over time. Here are a few easy ideas that helped me reach my goals (and drop pounds).

1. Swap bad carbs (like white bread/pasta) for good carbs (whole wheat/whole grain bread/pasta).

2. Pick a healthy program. I think the G.I. Diet is fantastic and healthy (based on low glycemic index foods): http://www.gidiet.com/

3. Eat 5-6 small healthy meals rather than 3 large mediocre ones. This type of eating ensures that you’re not starving, so you won’t overeat, and if you’re following the GI diet, you fill up on healthy foods that fuel your body and keep you full.

4. Use your creativity to come up with lower-fat renditions of your favorites. Bethany Frankel has great ideas for ’skinny’ chocolate chips, mojitos, pasta and meatballs, and the list goes on here: http://slideshows.health.com/slide_shows/10464/slides/11958

5. Make a couple of compromises, with yourself. An In-N-Out cheeseburger once in a while is not so bad, just skip the fries. If you’re eating a rich dinner, just have a few bites of dessert or skip it altogether.

7. Try to cut back on the drinking…or make swaps. If you’re a 4 glasses of wine kinda person, try and dial it back down to 3. If you love rum and cokes, switch to diet coke. My favorite cocktail is a Stoli O and club soda…but I mostly avoid the hard liquor and stick with 2 or so glasses of wine. Get creative with low-cal versions of drinks (check out my “Skinny margarita” post).

8. Diet and working out go hand in hand. I didn’t see results until I was consistent with both. Find a couple of classes you like, buy cute workout clothes, splurge on a trainer (gyms have good deals nowadays), make a commitment with a buddy…all those things help motivate.

9. Reward yourself regularly – that’s a must! A nice glass of wine, a shopping trip, a pedicure…all of those things will do the trick.

Breakfast Burritos are a staple here in Southern California. I always make  them, but they’re the no-cheese-way-too-healthy kind. Tamra Davis strikes a better balance between taste and healthiness in her version…so I’m going to try her recipe. As I’ve mentioned before, I think Tamra Davis’ cooking show on YouTube is awesome…she weaves a recipe into a story. Check it out and you’ll see what I mean. She’s a Director, mom and wife of one of the Beastie Boys…she’s also a talented chef.

Health magazine published this article on how certain foods help you get rid of fat.

For example: artichoke hearts (canned) + white beans + olive oil is loaded with fiber, resistant starch and monounsaturated fatty acids, all of which are good for you and help you blast fat. Blend the 3 together and you’ve got a healthy dip.

Check out the rest of the pairings here: http://slideshows.health.com/slide_shows/10499/slides/12337

When I first started working-out with a trainer, he had me get on the treadmill at a speed of “3,” and an incline of “15.” I said, “You’re kidding, right? This is so slow!” Then after about 15 seconds I stopped talking and realized that I was already out of breath. It’s a great low-impact workout that still gets your heart-rate up very high, burns a good amount of calories (15 minutes yesterday burned roughly 160 calories) and is great for toning your butt and legs.

The best way to relieve stress (aside from a glass or two of wine)? The dog park. I love it. It’s the place where there’s not a care in the world except for digging, sniffing, roaming, playing and…well, you get the idea. I totally zone out and stop thinking of stressful things, and instead focus on the best thing: my dog.

I found a great dog park guide: www.dogparkusa.com/ click on your state and you and your pup will be good to go.

I made this last night — it was great! I forgot how good chili is. Recipe yields 6 servings and ingredients were all very reasonable to buy. I try to buy most (if not all) of the main ingredients organic. Btw, 1 serving has only 180 calories and 4.9 grams of fat (serving size 1 1/3 cups chili and 1 tablespoon sour cream) – great if you’re trying to cut calories.

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 cup onion, chopped
• 1 green pepper, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 3/4 cup water
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can organic vegetable broth
• 1 can no-salt-added diced tomatos, undrained
• 1 tablespoon yellow cornmeal
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 6 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream

*note: for all canned ingredients, I look for low to no sodium varieties

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper and garlic to pan; saute 3 minutes. Stir in 3/4 cp water and next 9 ingredients (through diced tomatoes); bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 8 minutes. Stir in cornmeal; cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in cilantro. Serve with sour cream.

My local Whole Foods has a case devoted to these Kombucha drinks. I’ve tried them a few times before. I wouldn’t say it’s the most delicious thing in the world, but it certainly doesn’t taste bad (convincing, huh?) Anyway, I wanted to find out more about Kombucha.

According to the makers of the Kombucha drinks found at Whole Foods,  it is “a living culture of beneficial microorganisms. Our Kombucha is delicately culture – some liken it to fermentation – for 30 days. During this period, essential nutrients form like active enzymes, viable probiotics, amino acids, antioxidents and polyphenals. All of these combine to create an elixir that immediately works with the body to restore balance and vitality.”

Sounds like a science experiment, but I’m going to get a few bottles on my way home from work. I’ve been fighting a cold – perhaps these will help ‘restore balance’ to my body? By the way, you can get these all over the US (not just LA).

http://www.synergydrinks.com/

I love LA fruit stands. These guys take a bunch of fruit and veggies, and mix them with chili powder, salt and lime juice. It’s delicious (and it’s around $3 for a small (even though the small is like a large) and $5 for a large (which is a lot of fruit).

They mix mango, coconut, watermelon, cantelope, honeydew, pineapple, jicama and cucumbers. To make your own batch, pick one – or a few – or all, and drizzle with the juice of 2 small limes, sprinkle on chili pepper as desired. I personally avoid the salt. I love spicy foods, so this is perfect for me.

Really delicious and satisfies a savory/sweet craving…and I’ve only seen this in  el lay.

I love coffee and drink a lot of it. I hear mixed things about it though – some people say it’s great for you, others say not so much. I just read this article in Self Magazine that cites research about how antioxidant-rich coffee is a Superdrink – it can ”fight disease, fuel a tough workout, increase brainpower and even keep you feeling young.” Anything that justifies my habit is good by me.

http://www.self.com/fooddiet/2009/08/coffee

I reached that point where I could no longer deal with the current state of my closet. There was so much stuff that was just hanging there! I gathered everything into shopping bags and took them to Crossroads Trading Co. and then Wastland - two chic thrift stores that buy, trade and sell clothes. I made $95, how cool is that? They evaluate and price the clothes right there and give you a ‘cut’ of the total that they sell your clothes for, which is around 30%. The rest of my stuff will be donated to Out Of The Closet – where proceeds go to the AIDS Healthcare Foundation.

 While Crossroads Trading Co. hasn’t reached the E. Coast yet, there’s a ton of locations along the West Coast and also in Chicago. Check out their site:

http://www.crossroadstrading.com/cm/Home.html

Check out Out of The Closet:

http://www.outofthecloset.org/