Now that the fat-and-sugar cravings of the holidays have set in, you may want to reboot your eating habits as a way to re-energize yourself in the new year.
Experts advise tuning into how food is going to make you feel when you eat it, rather than simply trying to lose weight.
"It's really important to figure out why you want to be healthier," said wellness coach Annette Shafer of Live Well Napa Valley. "Put a vision statement together: 'So what if I eat healthier, what is that going to do for me?'"
One of the big benefits, Shafer said, is that nutritious foods can provide more consistent energy throughout the day.
"A lot of people have that dip in the afternoon," she said. "It has to do with eating a good breakfast and having your snacks for the day, and then you're not going to be starving by dinner."
But don't expect your habits, or your palate, to change overnight.
"You take baby steps at the beginning of the year," she said. "And pretty soon, you'll find yourself on a whole different path."
Nutrition coach Lia Huber of Nourish Network in Healdsburg suggests giving yourself the entire year to make the shift, whether it's cutting out processed foods or losing 5 pounds.
"It does take time, and there's no silver bullet," Huber said. "Take a deep breath and say, 'All right, I'm going to give myself some time to make the change.'"
Huber hated vegetables well into her 30s. But when her health started to suffer, the former food writer started talking to experts and writing articles about how to eat right.
"It came down to eating lots of vegetables, whole grains, healthy fats and smartly sourced proteins," she said. "Now I know how to eat and why, and that's a really important piece as well ... that makes food an ally."
Like Shafer, Huber advises people to look at the big picture and create a holistic vision of what they want food to do for their lives.
"It's not about the 5 pounds or getting your blood pressure down," Huber said. "It's about feeling energized and calm and peaceful when cooking, and throughout the day."
At Nourish Network, Huber has developed a "Nourish Evolution" plan that helps people get through ups and downs of eating guilt and deprivation as well as the peaks and valleys of resetting their habits.
Both coaches urge clients not to go cold turkey on the things they absolutely love to eat.
"It takes about six weeks to get your palate retrained," Huber said. "Then you notice that the carrot is really sweet ... and you notice all these things that you don't when your palate is bombarded with fat and sugar."
Shafer suggests clients incorporate the things they love, but in a balanced way.
"If you love that cookie, eat it, but don't eat 10 of them," she said. "Then the next day, have a salad. Everything is 80-20. Eighty percent of the time, you do the right thing, and 20 percent, take a little break and don't feel guilty about it."
To help yourself stay on track, Shafer suggests setting up all your menus a week ahead, then going shopping.
For breakfast and snacks, she advises eating some carbohydrates to fuel your body and a little bit of protein to keep you going. "I like to have an omelette, or cereal with quinoa and steel-cut oats with some dried blueberries," she said. "Snacking is the same. If you're going to have dried cherries, add some almonds."
Prev Huber advises sticking to two or three healthy breakfasts, so that you don't get bored.
"Sauteed kale is really a good breakfast, with a little bit of toast and a fried egg," she said. "Or oatmeal, with blueberries and a drizzle of honey."
For winter lunches, Shafer suggests eating some soup and a salad made of quinoa or farro, with a poached egg or some nuts and herbs to make it interesting.
"A green salad is boring," she said. "But you can add mint, and throw in a few walnuts so you feel satisfied."
Huber likes to cook strategically for dinner, making extras so she can throw together a quick lunch from the leftover components.
"Dinner is to cook," she said, "and lunch is to reheat and assemble."
Huber said there are little things you can do to make dinners easier, like zipping the kale leaves off the stems ahead of time.
"I love kale in so very many ways," she said. "One of my favorite ways is to braise it, and then serve it on an open-face sandwich with a crumbled feta spread. ... Kale is so meaty. You don't need a whole lot."
---
The following two recipes are from Annette Shafer (<a href="http://wellcoaches.com/annette.shafer" target="_blank">wellcoaches.com/annette.shafer</a>), who also has a juice company (nourishnapavalley.com).
"This is super easy," she said. "You can prepare it the night before for a quick and nutritious breakfast the next morning."
<strong>Quinoa and Steel Cut Oat Porridge</strong>
<em> Makes 6 to 8 servings</em>
4 cups water
1/2 cup quinoa (pre-rinsed if you prefer)
1/2 cup steel-cut oats
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup dried blueberries (high in antioxidants)
1/4 cup dried goji berries
-#8212; Cinnamon, to taste
-#8212; Agave syrup (optional)
Place water, oats, quinoa and dried fruit in a medium saucepan. Cover pot and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and allow the pan to stay on the stove, covered, overnight. In the morning, enjoy the porridge at room temperature or slightly warmed. Add cinnamon and agave to taste.
The turmeric in this smoothie is an anti-inflammatory, and the cayenne keeps your metabolism rolling.
<strong>Green Breakfast Smoothie</strong>
<em> Makes 1 serving</em>
1 cup coconut water
1/2 apple
-#8212; Handful of kale, stem removed
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1 scoop protein powder
-#8212; Dash of turmeric
-#8212; Dash of cayenne
Place in Vitamix and blend to desired consistency.
---
The following recipes are from Lia Huber of Nourish Network.
"Use a mixture of different varieties of kale, like red Russian, Tuscan and Portuguese, if you can get your hands on them," Huber writes. "Together, they elevate a simple side dish of greens.
<strong>Braised Kale Trio</strong>
<em> Makes 4 servings</em>
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
16 cups kale, zipped, cleaned and roughly chopped
1/4 cup vegetable broth
-#8212; Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Heat oil in a large, deep saute pan or Dutch oven over medium heat, and add garlic. Saute for 1 minute, until golden brown and fragrant. Add kale and vegetable stock to pan, season with salt and pepper, and toss well to coat. Cover pan, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook for 2-5 minutes, tossing occasionally, until kale is crisp-tender.
Remove lid and increase heat to medium-high. Continue to cook for 2-5 more minutes, until any remaining liquid has evaporated and kale is tender but still vibrant. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper.
"These tartines (open-faced sandwiches) have become a staple in our house," writes Lia Huber of Nourish Network. "They come together in about five minutes if you have some braised kale on hand, or 15 or so if you're starting from scratch."
<strong>Braised Kale and Feta Tartines</strong>
<em> Makes 4 servings</em>
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 pound kale, stems removed, cleaned and chopped
1/4 cup vegetable broth
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons feta cheese
? teaspoon dried oregano
4 slices rustic bread
Preheat broiler.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large, deep saute pan over medium heat, and add garlic. Saute for 1 minute, or until fragrant. Add kale and vegetable broth to pan, season with salt and pepper, and toss well to coat. Cover pan, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook for 8-10 minutes, tossing occasionally, until kale is crisp-tender.
While kale is cooking, mix together feta, oregano and remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a small bowl. Set aside.
Remove lid and increase heat to medium-high. Continue to cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until any remaining liquid has burned off and kale is tender but still vibrant. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Mound kale onto bread and spread cheese mixture on top. Broil for 3 minutes, until cheese is bubbly.
<em> You can reach Staff Writer Diane Peterson at 521-5287 or diane. peterson@pressdemocrat.com.</em>
Now that the fat-and-sugar cravings of the holidays have set in, you may want to reboot your eating habits as a way to re-energize yourself in the new year.
Experts advise tuning into how food is going to make you feel when you eat it, rather than simply trying to lose weight.
"It's really important to figure out why you want to be healthier," said wellness coach Annette Shafer of Live Well Napa Valley. "Put a vision statement together: 'So what if I eat healthier, what is that going to do for me?'"
One of the big benefits, Shafer said, is that nutritious foods can provide more consistent energy throughout the day.
"A lot of people have that dip in the afternoon," she said. "It has to do with eating a good breakfast and having your snacks for the day, and then you're not going to be starving by dinner."
But don't expect your habits, or your palate, to change overnight.
"You take baby steps at the beginning of the year," she said. "And pretty soon, you'll find yourself on a whole different path."
Nutrition coach Lia Huber of Nourish Network in Healdsburg suggests giving yourself the entire year to make the shift, whether it's cutting out processed foods or losing 5 pounds.
"It does take time, and there's no silver bullet," Huber said. "Take a deep breath and say, 'All right, I'm going to give myself some time to make the change.'"
Huber hated vegetables well into her 30s. But when her health started to suffer, the former food writer started talking to experts and writing articles about how to eat right.
"It came down to eating lots of vegetables, whole grains, healthy fats and smartly sourced proteins," she said. "Now I know how to eat and why, and that's a really important piece as well ... that makes food an ally."
Like Shafer, Huber advises people to look at the big picture and create a holistic vision of what they want food to do for their lives.
"It's not about the 5 pounds or getting your blood pressure down," Huber said. "It's about feeling energized and calm and peaceful when cooking, and throughout the day."
At Nourish Network, Huber has developed a "Nourish Evolution" plan that helps people get through ups and downs of eating guilt and deprivation as well as the peaks and valleys of resetting their habits.
Both coaches urge clients not to go cold turkey on the things they absolutely love to eat.
"It takes about six weeks to get your palate retrained," Huber said. "Then you notice that the carrot is really sweet ... and you notice all these things that you don't when your palate is bombarded with fat and sugar."
Shafer suggests clients incorporate the things they love, but in a balanced way.
"If you love that cookie, eat it, but don't eat 10 of them," she said. "Then the next day, have a salad. Everything is 80-20. Eighty percent of the time, you do the right thing, and 20 percent, take a little break and don't feel guilty about it."
To help yourself stay on track, Shafer suggests setting up all your menus a week ahead, then going shopping.
For breakfast and snacks, she advises eating some carbohydrates to fuel your body and a little bit of protein to keep you going. "I like to have an omelette, or cereal with quinoa and steel-cut oats with some dried blueberries," she said. "Snacking is the same. If you're going to have dried cherries, add some almonds."
Huber advises sticking to two or three healthy breakfasts, so that you don't get bored.
"Sauteed kale is really a good breakfast, with a little bit of toast and a fried egg," she said. "Or oatmeal, with blueberries and a drizzle of honey."
For winter lunches, Shafer suggests eating some soup and a salad made of quinoa or farro, with a poached egg or some nuts and herbs to make it interesting.
"A green salad is boring," she said. "But you can add mint, and throw in a few walnuts so you feel satisfied."
Huber likes to cook strategically for dinner, making extras so she can throw together a quick lunch from the leftover components.
"Dinner is to cook," she said, "and lunch is to reheat and assemble."
Huber said there are little things you can do to make dinners easier, like zipping the kale leaves off the stems ahead of time.
"I love kale in so very many ways," she said. "One of my favorite ways is to braise it, and then serve it on an open-face sandwich with a crumbled feta spread. ... Kale is so meaty. You don't need a whole lot."
---
The following two recipes are from Annette Shafer (<a href="http://wellcoaches.com/annette.shafer" target="_blank">wellcoaches.com/annette.shafer</a>), who also has a juice company (nourishnapavalley.com).
"This is super easy," she said. "You can prepare it the night before for a quick and nutritious breakfast the next morning."
<strong>Quinoa and Steel Cut Oat Porridge</strong>
<em> Makes 6 to 8 servings</em>
4 cups water
1/2 cup quinoa (pre-rinsed if you prefer)
1/2 cup steel-cut oats
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup dried blueberries (high in antioxidants)
1/4 cup dried goji berries
-#8212; Cinnamon, to taste
-#8212; Agave syrup (optional)
Place water, oats, quinoa and dried fruit in a medium saucepan. Cover pot and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and allow the pan to stay on the stove, covered, overnight. In the morning, enjoy the porridge at room temperature or slightly warmed. Add cinnamon and agave to taste.
The turmeric in this smoothie is an anti-inflammatory, and the cayenne keeps your metabolism rolling.
<strong>Green Breakfast Smoothie</strong>
<em> Makes 1 serving</em>
1 cup coconut water
1/2 apple
-#8212; Handful of kale, stem removed
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1 scoop protein powder
-#8212; Dash of turmeric
-#8212; Dash of cayenne
Place in Vitamix and blend to desired consistency.
---
The following recipes are from Lia Huber of Nourish Network.
"Use a mixture of different varieties of kale, like red Russian, Tuscan and Portuguese, if you can get your hands on them," Huber writes. "Together, they elevate a simple side dish of greens.
<strong>Braised Kale Trio</strong>
<em> Makes 4 servings</em>
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
16 cups kale, zipped, cleaned and roughly chopped
1/4 cup vegetable broth
-#8212; Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Heat oil in a large, deep saute pan or Dutch oven over medium heat, and add garlic. Saute for 1 minute, until golden brown and fragrant. Add kale and vegetable stock to pan, season with salt and pepper, and toss well to coat. Cover pan, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook for 2-5 minutes, tossing occasionally, until kale is crisp-tender.
Remove lid and increase heat to medium-high. Continue to cook for 2-5 more minutes, until any remaining liquid has evaporated and kale is tender but still vibrant. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper.
"These tartines (open-faced sandwiches) have become a staple in our house," writes Lia Huber of Nourish Network. "They come together in about five minutes if you have some braised kale on hand, or 15 or so if you're starting from scratch."
<strong>Braised Kale and Feta Tartines</strong>
<em> Makes 4 servings</em>
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 pound kale, stems removed, cleaned and chopped
1/4 cup vegetable broth
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons feta cheese
? teaspoon dried oregano
4 slices rustic bread
Preheat broiler.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large, deep saute pan over medium heat, and add garlic. Saute for 1 minute, or until fragrant. Add kale and vegetable broth to pan, season with salt and pepper, and toss well to coat. Cover pan, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook for 8-10 minutes, tossing occasionally, until kale is crisp-tender.
While kale is cooking, mix together feta, oregano and remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a small bowl. Set aside.
Remove lid and increase heat to medium-high. Continue to cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until any remaining liquid has burned off and kale is tender but still vibrant. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Mound kale onto bread and spread cheese mixture on top. Broil for 3 minutes, until cheese is bubbly.
<em> You can reach Staff Writer Diane Peterson at 521-5287 or diane. peterson@pressdemocrat.com.</em>