March 2011 Tips and Recipe

March to the Beat of Your Own Drum

To celebrate the month of March, I've dedicated this month's ezine to an old cliché – March to the beat of your own drum. Often when first starting out on an exercise routine and weight loss program, we ask our friends, family and co-workers for advise. What to eat, when to workout and for how long, etc. This is a great way to get started and get motivated. But now's the time to personalize your plan to fit your wants and needs.

Weight Loss Tip

Find Your Beat with Power Foods

It's time to change up the menu a bit and add some power foods to really fuel your body. Power foods are packed with all kinds of nutrients and healthy vitamins. They make us feel more energized and keep you feeling full longer. There are power foods in just about every category, so you can easily add one or two (or three or four) to your daily menu.

Try some of these power foods.

Fish

If you have had about all the canned tuna you can stand, try changing it up with some fresh fish. There are lots of types of fish that fall into the “power foods” category. You can try freshwater fish like trout, catfish or pike. Some great tasting saltwater fish include Yellowfin Tuna, Cod, Mackerel and Halibut.

Other Proteins

If you are looking to really change the beat of your drum, try some gaming meat instead of the typical steak, chicken and pork. Foods like Bison, Antelope and even Armadillo are all on Weight Watchers power foods list. Okay, maybe Armadillo is taking too big of a leap (at least for me), but a good buffalo burger can easily be added to your weekly menu.

Veggies

Change up the veggies you serve on the side to add new flavors and nutrients. Try some Artichoke Hearts, Brussels Sprouts, Okra, Alfalfa Sprouts and more. There are so many different veggies to choose from you will never get bored with the same old thing.

Fruits

Add some new berries to your yogurt or cereal like mulberries, gooseberries or boysenberries. Perhaps some kiwi, papaya or even dates and plums will add a new flavor to your menu plans.

These are just a small handful of power foods you can add to your weekly meals to find your own beat and rhythm for losing weight.

Move to a New Rhythm

Have you been doing the same exercise routine day in and day out? Perhaps your schedule is set in stone and never varies. If this sounds like you, and you are not seeing as much progress as when you first started, then it's time for a change.

Our bodies begin to adjust for the “routine” and therefore the results are not as effective over time. So mix it up, crank up the music, and change it around. Change the time of day you workout, the types of routines you are doing and even schedule a day off during the week. Not only will you be working new muscles, you will make working out more fun.

You can even change your pace by simply making a new exercise music list. Grab some of your old favorite CD's and load them up on your MP3 player and think back to the good old days while you are sweating off the calories and fat.

This month I'm including two recipes utilizing the Power Foods fruit and veggies. These are both zero points plus recipes so you can add these to any meal without going over your daily allowance.

Easy Baked Apples

What You Need:

• 6 small apples
• 2 cups sugar free diet soda (any flavor)

How to Make It:

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. Cut apples in half and remove the core.
3. Arrange the apples in a baking dish placing the cut side down.
4. Pour the diet drink over the apples.
5. Bake until tender (about 1 hour).

Use your favorite flavor diet soda to make this unique to you.

Number of Servings: 6

Nutrition Information Per Serving

Calories 55; Fat 0(g); Fiber 2.5(g); Protein 0(g); Carbs 15(g); sodium 6(mg)

Original WW Points 1

Points Plus 0

Grilled Zucchini and Tomato Salad

Get your grill dusted off for this zero points recipe.

What You Need:

• 2 medium zucchinis
• 2 tomatoes
• Cooking spray
• Kosher salt, black pepper (to taste)

How to Make It:

1. Heat the grill on high.
2. Trim off the ends of the zucchini.
3. Using a potato peeler, slice the zucchini lengthwise into thin slices.
4. Lightly coat zucchini with cooking spray.
5. Salt and pepper to taste.
6. Grill the slices of zucchini on one side until wilted (about 1 to 2 minutes)
7. Remove and place on a plate to cool.
8. Cut tomatoes into large chunks and salt and pepper to taste.
9. Arrange on plate add a sprig of fresh parsley (optional) and serve.

Number of Servings: 6

Sorry I don't have nutrition information for this but it's all veggies so is zero points on either Weight Watchers system you are following.

Exercise 4 Weight Loss 2 Achieve Fitness and Health

Best wishes from your diet buddy