PORTION CONTROL CHEAT SHEET

GRAINS

1 cup of cereal = baseball

1 pancake = 1 CD

1/2 cup cooked rice, pasta = light bulb

1 slice of bread = cassette tape (remember this?!)

1 bagel = 6 oz can of tuna

3 cups popcorn = 3 baseballs

DAIRY & CHEESE

1 1/2 oz cheese = 3 stacked dice

1 cup yogurt = baseball

1/2 cup frozen yogurt = light bulb

1/2 cup ice cream = light bulb

FRUIT & VEGETABLES

1 med fruit =  baseball

1/2 cup grapes = about 16 grapes

1 cup strawberries = about 12 berries

1 cup of salad greens = baseball

1 cup of carrots = about 12 baby carrots

1 cup cooked veggies = baseball

1 baked potato = computer mouse

FATS & OILS

1 Tbsp butter or spread = poker chip

1 Tbsp salad dressing = poker chip

1 Tbps mayo = poker chip

1 Tbsp oil = poker chip

MEATS, FISH & NUTS

3 oz lean meat & poultry = deck of cards

3 oz grilled/ baked fish = checkbook

2 Tbps peanut butter = golf ball

2 Tbps hummus = golf ball

1/4 cup almonds = 23 almonds

1/4 cup pistachios = 24 pistachios

SWEETS & TREATS

1 piece of chocolate = dental floss package

1 brownie = dental floss pckg

1 slice of cake = deck of cards

1 cookie = about 2 poker chips

#portioncontrol #mealprep

Want to know more? Visit my FB page by clicking here

BOOST YOUR KIDS' IMMUNE SYSTEM WITH THESE ESSENTIALS...

even the kids with the most healthy diet don’t get all the nutrients they need from food. 

-VITAMIN D3

Necessary for healthy immune function. it works by activating T cells to become killer cells that attack and destroy viruses. in summer we get vitamin D from the sun, this is why we don't get sick very often. in winter the lack of sun exposure results in less vitamin D so especially if you are living in the northern areas where the sun in winter is very rare, i recommend supplementing with vitamin D. babies should be taking 1,000 IU of vitamin D, toddlers and kids through middle school 2,000 IU, adults and high school kids 5,000 IU.

-FISH OIL

omega-3 fatty acids in the form of fish oil or flax seed oil will establish healthy cell membranes that prevent inflammation. 200 mg of DHA and EPA for 22kg/ 50lbs of body weight is an appropriate dose.

-COLOSTRUM AND WHEY PROTEIN

breastfeeding is the best preventive for babies. colostrum from cow’s milk and whey protein powder will have similar effects if given as a supplement. use a high quality, cold processed whey protein powder (not whey isolate or hydrowhey that are used as supplements in an athlete's diet)

where's the vit C? not necessary. in winter there are plenty of natural foods rich in vit C that totally fulfill the body's needs. yellow bell peppers, guava, kiwi, oranges, dark leafy veggies, broccoli, cauliflower, papayas, herbs like thyme, parsley etc. the excess of this vitamin is flushed away so the supplementation is really not necessary for this vitamin.

whenever you buy supplements and vitamins, make sure that there's no added sugar. especially supplements for kids contains sugar. fructose is fine because fructose doesn't enter the bloodstream. vitamin C for example, has a similar chemical structure to sugar so if high levels of glucose are present in the blood the vitamin C will be left out of the cell and it will have no effect on the immune system. for this reason it is important that you feed your kids healthy, especially in winter time. avoid sweets and sugar in general. many parents tend to give their kids sth sweet when they are sick and don't feel like eating anything. so wrong. in this way you are just crushing the immune system, not helping it to recover.

#boostyourimmunesystem #healthykids #vitamins #vitaminC #vitaminD #winterseason

Want to know more? Visit my Fb page by clicking here

THE AUTHENTIC ITALIAN HOME-MADE TOMATO SAUCE IN 20 minutes

for 2 liters/ 68oz of tomato sauce you will need:

2 medium red onions, chopped
2.5kg/ 5.5 lbs ripe tomatoes, any kind. preferably organic. the quality of the tomatoes really makes the difference, so if you can spend a little more for organic or home-grown tomatoes, it's really worth it.
2 big handfuls of fresh basil leaves. don't use dry basil! basil is another ingredient that makes the difference in flavor. tear the leaves apart with fingers.
2 tbsp of fresh oregano. you can use it dry if you don't have fresh oregano.
1 fresh garlic clove, finely minced or chopped. can use dry powder instead.
pinch of pure stevia
olive oil (optional). make sure you always buy a certified extra virgin olive oil. this kind of oil is obtained from olives without using heat or chemicals. unfortunately, most olive oils on the market are a scam. they are practically a mixture of different processed oils and this is what makes them unhealthy. when buying the olive oil pay attention to the color which should be greenish not yellowish. the oil mustn't be clean but it should contain fruit particles that usually set on the bottom of the bottle. 

preparation:
chop the onions and saute them with garlic in a non stick pan sprayed with olive oil. after a few minutes throw in the chopped tomatoes and add the stevia. let the tomatoes cook covered with a lid for about 10 minutes. a couple of minutes before turning off the heat, add the basil and the oregano. add some salt, 2 tbsp olive oil (optional) and pour the tomatoes into the blender and let it run for 5-10 seconds on max. in this way you preserve the little chunks and seeds. here in italy, this kind of sauce is called 'passata rustica' (rustic sauce). it makes the pasta taste so much better because it sticks better to it.

enjoy with whole-grain pasta or brown rice.

pasta cooking tip: cook your pasta al dente. this means that when you bite it, you should still see the white uncooked center. it is better that you don't overcook the pasta and other starchy foods to prevent the complex carbohydrates from breaking down into sugar. the more you cook the starchy foods, the higher will be their glycemic index. that sticky thing that you get on the pasta when you drain is starch. so sugar. the more you cook your pasta, the more starch you'll get. in fact, a trick to make the sauce stick better to the pasta, is not to wash the pasta with water while draining it. but i always wash it to remove the excess starch 

#tomatosauce #starchycarbs #wholegrainpasta #pasta #spaghetti #italiancousine #yumyum

Find more healthy recipes by clicking here

HOW TO CHEAT RIGHT

we all know very well that bad feeling that we get after a cheat meal, right?! so wouldn't it be great if we could have a bad cheat meal but that supports our goals?! yeah, you know.. a cheat meal that doesn't sabotage the results. a cheat meal that gives you all the benefits that a cheat meal can give you:

-prevent catabolism (muscle breakdown) due to prolonged dieting

-boost the metabolism

-refill the glycogen stores in the muscles

-raise leptin levels

-prevent carb sensitivity

-satisfy the cravings

-...

what if i tell you that this is possible?! this kind of "good" cheat meal is called re-feed. the main difference btw the two is basically mental. you know that you are going to cheat, you know that it is good for you and most importantly you don't feel bad after it. 

cheat meals can really support your hard work if you do them right. how? simply follow these few rules:

-have a cheat meal instead of your post-workout meal.

-have it after a lifting sessions where you worked your major muscle groups (legs, back/ pecs)

-an option is to have a clean carb-up day rather than a can-eat-anything cheat meal. in this case you can consume more carbs during the day but as long as they are from clean sources (whole-grains, fruit etc)

-do it for breakfast and get a exhausting workout session that day

weight gain after a cheat meal or re-feed is normal and it should be mostly water weight that flushes away in a few days or max 1 week.

have an occasional re-feed. every 2 weeks or once a month is ok. stay on track for the rest of the time and train hard. no excuses.

personally i think that cheat meals or re-feeds are not necessary if the diet is well structured in specific phases that guarantee constant fat-loss. especially if you just started out, it is better that you stay on track and focus on your goal. however, i am very well aware of the fact that if you are not an athlete, it is usually very hard to stay motivated and don't give up. so if a re-feed can make you feel better mentally and keep you going, then go for it. unless you eat the world, one cheat meal shouldn't do any harm. i'd rather hear that you have occasional clean re-feed days than one junky cheat meal. 

#cheatmeal #refeed #results #goals #diet

Want to know more? Visit my FB page by clicking here

NOAH'S BIRTHDAY CAKE (no-bake protein cheesecake)

for the base:

1/3 cup oat flour

1/3 cup almond flour

2 Tbsp honey, organic

2 Tbsp peanut butter, natural, unsweetened

pinch of salt

mix the ingredients above and prepare the base by pressing down the 'paste' with fingers.

for the filling:

800g/ 28 oz quark or any low fat cheese

pure stevia

almond extract

vanilla extract

1/2 scoop vanilla whey protein

enough gelatin to make the cake firm

mix the above ingredients and pour onto the base. if you wish you can spread the base with some organic blueberry jam.

for the decorations i used a Car's picture made of potato starch and a low-fat, low-sugar chocolate frosting.

#birthdaycake #healthydessert #proteinsnack

Hungry for more? Visit my FB page by clicking here

LATE-NIGHT CHEESECAKE

for the base:

mix together

1/3 cup oat flour

1/2 cup almond flour

2 tbsp honey

2 Tbsp peanut butter, natural, sugar-free

for the filling:

800g/ 28 ozat quark cheese or any low fat cheese

4 egg whites, raw

pure stevia

vanilla flavoring

lemon juice (optional)

pour the filling over the base and bake at 170°C/ 340°F for about 40 min. make sure you don't overbake it. when the center is pretty firm, remove the cheesecake from the oven and let it cool.

serve sprinkled with unsweetened cacao and stevia or cinnamon and stevia.

the recipe makes 8 servings. macros per serving:

174 kcal/ 8.8 carb/ 7.7 fat/ 17.9 protein

#healthysnack #latenightsnack #mealprep #sweettooth #dessert #proteinsnack

Hungry for more? Visit my FB page by clicking here

HOW TO BEAT YOUR CRAVINGS

cravings are usually a sign of some kind of deficiency. they are nothing unusual if you are on a diet and it can be because some foods are off-limits, but most of the time cravings root in nutrient deficiencies or blood sugar imbalances. women, for example, crave sweet foods and chocolate before their period. this kind of craving is a clear sign of magnesium deficiency and can be beaten by increasing magnesium intake. 

here are a few tips for beating all kinds of cravings:

-make sure you consume enough of good fats and that they are balanced. don't limit yourself to nuts, but make sure you also consume enough fatty fish, avocados, oils. supplementing with omega-3 fatty acids is always a good idea. most of the times when we crave sth sweet, our body actually needs good fats.

-don't stick to the same meal plan but vary your food. yes, sure, it's much easier to prep meals when you keep eating the very same thing every day, but by limiting your food choice, you also limit the type of nutrients. 

-avoid processed foods which have no nutrients and are usually loaded with chemicals and sugar that after an insulin spike sneds you into hypoglycemia. and that's where the cravings start. eat fresh and natural.

-keep telling yourself that there are no foods that are off-limits. you just have to wait for the right time to consume them.

-make sure you consume enough calories for your daily activities. remember, if you want to lose fat, a small deficit is enough. the lower you go with the calories, the hungrier you'll feel and the more you'll crave foods that you probably didn't even use to eat before. 

-drink plenty of water. carb cravings are usually a sign of dehydration. carbs bring water to the cells and if these feel dehydrated, you'll start to crave carbohydrates.

-eat 5-7 small well-balanced meals a day

-find sth/ sb that keeps you motivated. stay focused on your goals and remember why you started.

there's a difference between real hunger and a craving. if you don't feel like eating fruits or veggies, then you are not hungry. most people confuse cravings and hunger. if you want to eat a particular food, don't just go and grab it, but rather plan ahead when you can insert that into your meal plan. for example - want to have pizza? plan a dinner with your friends and family and make sure you get good workout before you head to the restaurant. want to have chips? cut out carbs and fats from a meal and have your chips with lean protein.

if you have a well-balanced diet and your body doesn't feel deprived, cravings shouldn't be a problem. there's no food that is off-limit. but it's good to know that the consumption of certain foods must be limited to preserve your health and prevent illness. 

#cravings #nutrientdeficiency #chcoloate #sweets #mealprep #goodfats

Want to discover more? Visit my FB page by clicking here

COCONUT PANCAKE

50g quarks cheese

2 egg whites, raw

15g coconut flour

1/2 scoop whey isolate, chocolate/ vanilla/ unflavored/...

1 Tbsp cacao, unsweetened (optional)

20g oat flour

1/2 cup zucchini squash, raw (can sub with pumpkin chunks)

vanilla extract

pure stevia

pinch of salt

pinch of baking soda

blend everything together and bake over low heat. serve sprinkled with unsweetened cacao or cinnamon and stevia.

makes 1 serving: 295 kcals/ 20.8g crabs/ 12g fats/ 27.8g protein

#proteinpancake #healthysnack #mealprep #coconut #sweettooth #nomnom

Hungry for more? Visit my Fb page by clicking here

BARBELL vs DUMBBELL BENCH PRESS

first of all, you should always have a spotter when benching. the spotter helps you with the first and last rep and it's always safer to have someone who can give you a hand in case you need it. plus, some motivation won't harm anyone, right?!

benching with a barbell is ideal because you can go heavy and improve each workout by adding a small amount of weight (4-5%). progressing with dumbbells is more difficult because they usually go up by 5lbs which is a lot if you think that you add that weight per arm. but on the other hand, dumbbells give you the possibility to follow a range of motion that best suits your anatomy. with a barbell you are forced to keep the hands firm and in line so when you lower the weight, you can't really go in hyperextension and when you rise it you can't contract the chest very well. 

so what's the best thing to do?

i recommend you go for a couple of weeks with barbell and then switch to dumbbell. if you are doing the regular bench with a barbell, then hit the incline with dumbbells and vice versa. 

and remember, the bars goes always under the pecs, not over the upper chest muscles. in this way you prevent shoulder injury.

#benchpress #barbell #dummbbell #training #exercise #spotter #benching

Want to know more? Visit my FB page by clicking here