HAPPY EASTER

Warm Easter Wishes from our Kerisma family to yours…
We hope you have a wonderful Easter, filled with happiness, peace and love!

FRESH SALADS - HCG APPROVED

Strawberry Spinach Salad PHASE 1 - Weight Loss Phase

Serves 1

4 oz. chicken cooked and sliced into strips
1 bunch spinach, rinsed
5 strawberries
2 tablespoons vinegar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Salt & pepper, to taste

What to Do:

1.    Place spinach and 3 sliced strawberries on a plate.

2.    Blend the remaining 2 strawberries, vinegar, lemon juice, stevia and salt & pepper.

3.    Pour dressing over the salad and with sliced chicken.

1 protein serving, 1 vegetable serving, 1 fruit serving

Mediterranean Cucumber Salad

PHASE 2 - Stabilization Phase

Serves 4

What You’ll Need:

2 large cucumbers

1 small red onion

1 large tomato

Mrs. Dash's Lemon Herb Peppercorn Marinade

Dash of salt

What to Do:

1. Slice cucumbers and red onion, and dice the tomato.
2. Add ingredients into a large salad bowl and dress with Mrs. Dash's Lemon Herb Peppercorn Marinade (to taste). No Mrs. Dash's? Add a squeeze of lemon juice and sprinkle some pepper on top.
3. Mix until evenly distributed and serve!

 

HOW TO CUT SUGAR AT EVERY MEAL

Have you taken the no added sugar challenge? As Spring approaches, more and more people are trying to go without added sugar in preparation for bikini season!  Americans are the world’s largest consumer of added sweeteners. 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates around 77 pounds of sweeteners are consumed each year, of this, 90% is refined cane and beet sugar, and high fructose corn syrup. All told, we’re averaging 363 calories of added sweeteners a day. Adding that many empty calories to a day’s worth of meals could send you over the calorie-limit cliff. To cut down, look for ways to nix added sugar at every meal. Taking a one-meal-at-a-time approach will help you recognize just how much sugar you can cut from your diet. 

Breakfast – Bust the Bowl

Granola, Yogurt, and Fruit Juice

Some call it the most important meal of the day, but whether you skip it or eat up, there are some sugar surprises awaiting you at the breakfast table. Granola still has a health halo, but many granolas have over 12 grams of added sweeteners. Check the label on some and you’ll see brown sugar AND honey in the ingredients. Aren’t raisins sweet enough? If you have fruit & yogurt parfait, you’ll notice the yogurt is usually full of added sugar. The granola on top adds more sugar insult, to the existing sugar injury. Most fruit-flavored yogurts pour a little more sugar on top as well. And come on fruit juice. An 8 oz. serving of orange juice has over 20 grams of naturally occurring sugar, but there are some fruit juices made from concentrate that have the nerve to add more sugar. I know that juice blend of orange, pineapple, and mango looks good, but why would three of the sweetest fruits in nature, need help from refined sugars? If you must have that sugary boost of fruit juice in the morning, go with a single source of 100% fruit. If you’d rather add fiber, just keep it whole and grab a piece of produce. Wash it down with good ole water and your thirst will stay quenched longer. Another drink to watch out for is added sugar in your coffee. Even if you don’t pick up the sugar packet, flavored creams could add a significant amount of sugar, so go black or limit yourself to one or two packets.

Lunch – Deny the Drink

Sugar-Sweetened Beverages, Bread, and Salad Dressing

It’s official. New Yorkers can drink to their hearts content. A judge struck down Mayor Michael Bloomburg’s initiative to limit the size of sugar-sweetened beverages in the Big Apple. For the foreseeable future, soda will reign in Americans big cups. Yes, it is still the most heavily consumed sugar-sweetened beverage in America according to a recent report in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. So, if you get past breakfast without a Big Gulp, skip it for lunch as well. And about sandwiches, they really are a meal on their own. The meat, the veggies, and some healthy fat are plenty. Add two pieces of bread to that, many of which have added sugar, and you don’t need anything to accompany it, especially more carbs, such as chips, fries, or pretzels. Instead make quick fun of vegetables, as you may have missed those in your breakfast. Crunchy and tangy, dill pickle slices, pickled beets, or another piece of fruit should get you where you’re trying to go. If you’re more salad than sandwich, check yourself on the salad dressing. 2 oz. is the correct serving size, but even that can add sugar to your plate. You may have been told to skip the creamy sauces to skip the fat, but vinaigrettes are palatable largely because of added sugar. Check the bottle. Some of the fruity vinaigrettes get a little flavor help from added sugar. And don’t think you’re getting by with coleslaw, it too has added sugar.

Dinner – Slash the Sauce

Marinades, Soy Sauce, and Boxed Side Dishes

I know you don’t eat Hamburger Helper anymore. It may have been the added sugar that kept you eating before you gave it up though. Other boxed side dishes, such as flavored mashed potatoes, rice, and other grains can add tons of sugar. Who knew risotto needed so much? Many processed sauces such as ketchup, barbecue sauce, and teriyaki sauce are full of sugar, and you’re probably thinking, duh… everyone knows that. But what about marinated meats? That zesty chicken in the meat aisle most likely has added sugar in it. I know it’s easy to just grab the ready-for-the-grill meat they sell, but ask what’s in the marinade. Chances are fruit juice and sugar may have been added. And even if you keep your meat sugar-free, you’ll probably add a little sauce on top. Pasta sauce, peanut sauce, and even some salsas have added sugar. Thinking you can go for soy sauce instead? Check the label, many are not sugar-free.

Snack – Rip the Wrap

Sports and Energy Drinks, Protein Bars, and Dried Fruit

Last but certainly not least, sugar in snacks is a big problem. While Americans soda intake has gone down, our energy and sports drink consumption has gone up. Some purported hydrating drinks mix artificial sweeteners with high fructose corn syrup and sugar for an added-sugar cocktail that you’d do better avoiding. Energy drinks are no different. There’s lots of sugar in protein bars as well. Some have more sugar than a candy bar. And that’s in addition to the dried fruit added to it to make it appear healthy. Speaking of dried fruit, it seems healthy enough, but way too many have been sweetened. Why pineapple needs a sugar-coating, I’ll never know, but many dried pineapple strips have added sugar. Banana chips aren’t usually floated in fruit juice, but cranberries, coconut, and even dried apricots may have added sugar. Because they are fruit, it’s harder to figure out which dried fruits have added sugars because nutrition labels do not differentiate between added sugar and naturally occurring sugar. Instead, check the ingredients list. It will tell you if sugar has been added.

SIMPLE COOKING TIPS TO CUT FAT & CALORIES

If you want to cut fat and cut calories from your diet, your best bet is to cook at home. By preparing your own foods, you control the type of ingredients in your food and the portion sizes of each meal. But even home-cooked meals can be fattening if you're not careful. Use these healthy cooking tips to prepare meals that will help you keep your weight loss plan on track.

Three Cooking Tips to Cut Fat and Calories

Stock your kitchen with good cooking tools.

 Non-stick pans.  One of the best weight-loss tips is to prepare recipes with non-stick pans. Much of the fat used in the preparation of meals serves to prevent sticking during the cooking process. By using non-stick pans, you can add a small amount of olive oil or other healthy fat to complement the taste of your food, but you will cut out unnecessary fat.

Non-stick saute pans, grilling pans and saucepans also make the cleanup process faster and easier. If you can save time in the kitchen, you're going to be more likely to continue the habit of healthy cooking at home.

Kitchen scale. A digital kitchen scale is a great way to measure portion sizes and ingredients. During the cooking process, you can cut calories and fat by using exact portions of each ingredient. Measuring with cups and spoons leaves room for error. A digital scale, however, will help you to measure your items with precision.
 
An inexpensive kitchen scale will also help you determine portion sizes after the meal is prepared. Food-tracking systems provide the exact amount of food you've eaten. With a kitchen scale, getting the right measurement is simple and easy. 

Cut calories with basic substitutions.

Applesauce. Baking your own cookies and treats is generally healthier than purchasing pre-packaged varieties in the store. Many store-bought baked goods contain trans fats that add calories and contribute to high cholesterol and heart disease. But even the home-baked varieties can be full of fat. For healthier cooking, try substituting applesauce for oil or butter. 

Swapping applesauce for oil will cut fat and cut calories, but it can also change the texture of your finished product. The substitution generally works best in muffins, bars or cake recipes. Some cookie recipes may also work, but they may require some experimentation. To begin, swap equal amount of applesauce for oil. Make adjustments as needed. Look for low-sugar varieties of applesauce for best results. 
 
Chicken stock. In savory recipes, chicken stock is a great substitute for oil, cream or butter. Stock helps keep foods moist and prevents food from sticking. For example, when preparing sauteed vegetables, a restaurant chef might add olive oil or butter to the pan to add flavor and aid in the cooking process. But by using chicken stock instead, you cut fat and cut calories.

You'll also find that chicken stock will help give your starches a creamy texture. For instance, hold the cream and butter when preparing mashed potatoes and add low-salt chicken broth instead. Whip the potatoes and add salt to taste. Making hummus? A healthy cooking tip is to skip the tahini, which is loaded with calories. Instead, add a small amount of olive oil and chicken stock to get a creamy spreadable consistency.

White beans. One of my favorite weight-loss tips is to use white beans. Creamy soup recipes often call for cream or whole milk to achieve the thick texture that diners enjoy. But pureed white beans can do the same thing without adding significant calories or fat.

The next time you prepare your favorite cream soup, such as squash, carrot or potato, prepare the recipe as indicated in the original recipe. At the end of the cooking process, when the cream is added, take one can of white beans and puree the beans using a food processor or blender. Add small amounts of the puree to your soup until it meets the consistency you desire. This healthy-cooking tip will help cut fat and calories while adding healthy protein to your soup.

Cook in bulk but control portion sizes.

·         Cooking in bulk saves time. You can complete a week's worth of cooking in the same time it takes to prepare a day's worth of meals. But often, storing the food in large containers can lead to overeating. If you're starving at mealtime and need to scoop a serving of soup out of a large pot, it's easy to take too much.

·          

Avoid that scenario altogether by dividing the large recipe into single servings when you finish cooking it. Then, assemble the items into complete, low-calorie meals. For example, cook a pot of healthy, creamy soup, along with a batch of sautéed vegetables and a low-fat baked treat. Divide each recipe so that a single serving of each is neatly packaged and stored together in your refrigerator. At mealtime, take only the packages you need. It's easy, convenient and quick.

It may seem like a lot of work to practice healthy cooking at home. But these weight loss tips will help you cut fat and calories from each of your meals. As you get used to these tips for cooking, you'll learn to save time, you'll feel better about the food you eat and you'll find greater success cutting calories and maintaining your weight loss.