Week 5

Spring is here, and thank goodness we are well on our way to our summertime bodies! Ryan and I are so close to our goals that we can almost taste it, we are definitly in the home stretch :)
 This week has flown by, but I did have some time to play around with lean and green recipies, and have a few that im excited to try in the upcoming week. My favortie this week was turkey burgers, and squash fries.

Turkey Burgers and squash fries
You will need
Cubed butternut squash (costco, in the veg section)
extra virgin olive oil (evoo)
iceburg lettuce
tomato (or whatever veg you like on your burgers)
1 lb (14oz) 99% lean ground turkey.
Mrs. dash seasoning

For the squash
Preheat oven to 425
In a ziplock bag measure out 3 teaspoons evoo and Mrs. dash seasoning to taste
Measure out 2 cups of the cubed squash into the ziploc bag
Seal the bag and shake around so that the squash is covered in the evoo mix
Pour onto a cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes, turning fries over 1/2 way thru.
Fries are done when the edges start to brown. (I like mine a little bit crispy so I cooked them a little bit longer)

For the burgers, we use 1 lb of 99% lean ground turkey.  This will make about four 3.5 oz burgers.  Cook either in a frying pan with a small amount of water, or you can broil depending on your preference.  Season with Mrs. Dash and pepper to taste.  Wrap in iceberg lettuce, and add a touch of dijon mustard for flavor if you like.  Makes 2 lean and green meals!

Very filling, and tasty. Ryan says he would choose these fries over real french fries now!

Meal replacement of the week is....
Chocolate chip cookie dough pudding!
I bought some sugar free cookie dough flavored syrup from Cash and Carry its super delish! Just add it to chocolate pudding, and enjoy! YUM!



Instead of a kid friendly recipe this week, I decided to post a little info on drinking water, and how it relates to weight loss.

What’s the best way to feel fuller, wash away toxins from your body, and increase your energy?  Have a nice glass of water. Better yet, for Optimal Health, try having half your body weight in ounces or more each day.

Drinking plenty of water is a basic Habit of Health. The body loses water not only through perspiration and urine, but also from breathing.

 According to Dr. A’s Habits of Health, water makes up between 55 and 60 percent of your body weight, and you can’t make it yourself; you have to drink it in. Every function of your body needs water to work. Water is what moves nutrients, hormones, antibodies, and oxygen through your bloodstream and lymphatic system.

You may not know it, but by the time you’re actually feeling thirsty, your body is getting seriously low on water. If you only drink when you’re thirsty, you don’t have enough water in your system to keep functioning at your peak. Keep it up, and you may find yourself getting headaches, or feeling more distracted or fatigued than usual.

And it’s no wonder: When you don’t drink enough water, your kidneys can’t adequately filter and eliminate toxins and byproducts of metabolism. As Dr. A puts it, your body is forced to recycle dirty water, diminishing the efficiency of every metabolic function.

Keep bottles of water with you when you’re exercising, and sip continually throughout your workout. If you’re exercising strenuously in a very hot environment, try water enhanced with electrolytes to replenish potassium and other minerals that you’re losing through heavy perspiration.

Water is essential for those working toward a healthy weight. A recent study showed that drinking two 8-oz glasses of cold water could increase a person’s metabolic rate by 30 percent for 90 minutes. In addition, often when we think we’re hungry, we’re actually thirsty, and a glass of water will take the edge off our appetite. A nice big water bottle filled and refilled throughout the day-can help keep your body (and your healthy eating plan) in top form.

Here are a few facts I found:

• Cravings are really a sign that your body is thirsty. So when you feel a craving coming along, reach for your water.  It’s the cheapest, safest appetite suppressant there is.
• Your initial weight loss is largely due to loss of water and that is why you need to drink a sufficient amount of water in order to avoid dehydration.
• When your body starts burning calories, it needs an adequate supply of water in order to function efficiently; dehydration slows down the fat-burning process.
• Dehydration causes a reduction in blood volume and this causes a reduction in the supply of oxygen to your muscles which can make you feel tired.
• Burning calories creates toxins in our bodies (think of the exhaust coming out of your car).  Water plays a vital role in flushing these toxins out of your body.
• Drinking water before and with a meal makes you feel fuller and will make you eat less.   However,  drinking water alone may not have this effect. In order to feel satiated, our bodies need protein, sufficient calories and nutrients. (All of which can be found in each of the Medifast Meal Replacements and in your Lean and Green Meal)

I can't say it enough times.. Drink water! And when you think you have had enough, drink more!

We have just 3 months until summer is here! Are you ready to get healthy and lose those extra pounds before swim suit season is here?? Email me, I would love to help!

Enjoy your week :)