To all my dear readers:
I have been absent from posting due to a family health 'crisis' that has been very hard to cope with. I plan to start posting again sometime in Mid-July. I appreciate all the emails and well-wishes that I have received.
Wishing you all a wonderful week!
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Friday, April 22, 2011
Review: KITRICS NUTRITIONAL SCALE
Good Morning everyone, and HAPPY EARTH DAY!
Since my last post was a bit "medical", I thought I would do a review of a wonderful product I highly recommend. I love Nutritional Scales, and have tried quite a few of them. I recently tried the Kitrics Nutritional Scale
, and so far am really liking it. I deal with a lot of clients who are constantly wanting to know which products to buy, which are worth the cost, and most importantly, which will help them reach their goals.
The Kitrics Nutritional Scale is easy to use, sleek, programmable, small and looks nice on the counter. I love that it isn't bulky, and hardly takes up any room at all.
It does the following:
I love that you can use it directly out of the box. The programmable mode is easy to use once you get the hang of it. I love that you can customize your favorite foods, or meals, for an easy "one-touch" Nutritional read-out. This would be fantastic for any health-minded person; diabetic (it does exchanges and grams of sugar); athletes (protein, nutrients etc); anyone with Hypertension and Heart concerns (sodium, cholesterol, saturated fat); bakers (you can tare items); cooks (you can tare, program meals); dieters (reads out all macro nutrients, tallys your meal/daily Nutrition totals, and allows you to program meals and foods to track your Calorie needs). You enter your food code for a portion of food and it will compute the following: calories, calories from fat, carbohydrates, protein, fat, saturated fat, fiber, sugars, cholesterol, and sodium.
I do wish it had more "raw vegetable" program options. I have used other scales that had a lot more vegetables programmed in (cucumber with skin and without, etc). I also noticed that it only has buttered, microwave popcorn programmed in the miscellaneous section. I would have loved it to have the unpopped kernels programmed, as well as air-popped, non-buttered popcorn. However, with the programmable feature you can program this in quite easily. With foods such as CHIA
seeds, Peanut Flour, Greek Yogurt, and protein powders being used regularly, this is great as you can program them right into the scale. Since more us us are moving away from more conventional junk food, towards a more whole-foods, healthier options type lifestyle, I think having a customizable readout is essential. For those of us who regularly use sugar-free products, or products made with Almond/coconut flout etc, this is a great tool to have. I tried programming GG SCANDINAVIAN BRAN CRISPBREAD, and it worked really well.
The Scale comes with a Nutritional Code book, which has the codes you enter to obtain the nutritional readout for the foods you weigh. You just enter the code, and it reads out all the information automatically. The book also has additional blank pages where you can write in your programmed custom foods/meals and their corresponding codes so you don't forget!
I was impressed with how sleek the KITRICS NUTRITIONAL scale looked on the counter. Some of the Nutritional Scales I have used cost $99 or more, and I was really impressed with the price of this product. It is accurate, works well, and has more features than most scales for half the price. This really is a great product to have in the kitchen and would make a fantastic gift as well.
Since my last post was a bit "medical", I thought I would do a review of a wonderful product I highly recommend. I love Nutritional Scales, and have tried quite a few of them. I recently tried the Kitrics Nutritional Scale
, and so far am really liking it. I deal with a lot of clients who are constantly wanting to know which products to buy, which are worth the cost, and most importantly, which will help them reach their goals.
The Kitrics Nutritional Scale
is easy to use, sleek, programmable, small and looks nice on the counter. I love that it isn't bulky, and hardly takes up any room at all.It does the following:
- Computes calories, calories from fat, carbohydrates, protein, fat, saturated fat, fiber, sugars, cholesterol, and sodium
- Includes information for 1999 foods; user can easily create and store up to 99 customizable food code entries
- Weighs in grams or ounces with accuracy of +/- 1 gram; weighs up to 72 ounces (2000 grams)
- Calculate your daily nutritional intake to help you achieve your health goals.
"Precision Scale
Weigh your food in grams or ounces, with a high-precision reading of +/- 1 gram (.05 oz.). The unit features a removable, washable stainless steel platform, and can weigh up to 72 ounces (2000 grams). Calibrate for whatever container you're using and you're all set.
I love that you can use it directly out of the box. The programmable mode is easy to use once you get the hang of it. I love that you can customize your favorite foods, or meals, for an easy "one-touch" Nutritional read-out. This would be fantastic for any health-minded person; diabetic (it does exchanges and grams of sugar); athletes (protein, nutrients etc); anyone with Hypertension and Heart concerns (sodium, cholesterol, saturated fat); bakers (you can tare items); cooks (you can tare, program meals); dieters (reads out all macro nutrients, tallys your meal/daily Nutrition totals, and allows you to program meals and foods to track your Calorie needs). You enter your food code for a portion of food and it will compute the following: calories, calories from fat, carbohydrates, protein, fat, saturated fat, fiber, sugars, cholesterol, and sodium.
I do wish it had more "raw vegetable" program options. I have used other scales that had a lot more vegetables programmed in (cucumber with skin and without, etc). I also noticed that it only has buttered, microwave popcorn programmed in the miscellaneous section. I would have loved it to have the unpopped kernels programmed, as well as air-popped, non-buttered popcorn. However, with the programmable feature you can program this in quite easily. With foods such as CHIA
seeds, Peanut Flour, Greek Yogurt, and protein powders being used regularly, this is great as you can program them right into the scale. Since more us us are moving away from more conventional junk food, towards a more whole-foods, healthier options type lifestyle, I think having a customizable readout is essential. For those of us who regularly use sugar-free products, or products made with Almond/coconut flout etc, this is a great tool to have. I tried programming GG SCANDINAVIAN BRAN CRISPBREAD, and it worked really well.
The Scale comes with a Nutritional Code book, which has the codes you enter to obtain the nutritional readout for the foods you weigh. You just enter the code, and it reads out all the information automatically. The book also has additional blank pages where you can write in your programmed custom foods/meals and their corresponding codes so you don't forget!
I was impressed with how sleek the KITRICS NUTRITIONAL scale
looked on the counter. Some of the Nutritional Scales I have used cost $99 or more, and I was really impressed with the price of this product. It is accurate, works well, and has more features than most scales for half the price. This really is a great product to have in the kitchen and would make a fantastic gift as well.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Nattokinase and Serrapeptase for Thrombosis
I have had a few emails regarding Thrombosis, and have had a few clients dealing with this medical issue as well. I was asked if I could recommend any natural supplements to help with the blood clotting. I have had success with a few supplement regiments, however this has to be carefully monitored when combining with prescription blood thinners and medications such as Warfarin, Heparin and Coumadin (brand name).
I urge anyone who has questions to communicate with their doctors and make sure they don't have any contraindications! Many doctors didn't know what the following two supplements were, whereas other doctors did, and were able to incorporate them into the clients health plan.
Here are two interesting products that merit further research by someone looking for an alternative way to help with Thrombosis (If given the "okay" by your medical team!):
1. Nattokinase: Nattokinase is an isolated enzyme extracted from Natto, and has been found to have blood clot dissolving abilities and prevents the aggregation of red blood cells. It helps with healthy blood flow, cardiovascular integrity and can help maintain cardiovascular and arterial health.
2. Serrapeptase. This is made out of silk work, and works as an enzyme. I have had great success treating joint pain and inflammation with this product. It is safe, effective and has many additional benefits to its use. It has many European studies on it, and induces fibrinolytic, anti-inflammatory and anti-edemic activity. It helps some people manage pain, and can help arterial blockages. Make sure you get a quality product with at least 40000 active units.
As always, I urge you to discuss these options with your doctor. These are not to be taken without supervision when you are already on blood-thinners, as they can further thin the blood and cause internal bleeding. Both of these are natural and have been used safely for thousands of years for a variety of health benefits.
These work well for joint pain and stiffness, and are worth trying if you have no medical conditions that would be exacerbated by these. Nattokinase has been used to improve bone health, as it is full of Vitamin K2.
I urge anyone who has questions to communicate with their doctors and make sure they don't have any contraindications! Many doctors didn't know what the following two supplements were, whereas other doctors did, and were able to incorporate them into the clients health plan.
Here are two interesting products that merit further research by someone looking for an alternative way to help with Thrombosis (If given the "okay" by your medical team!):
1. Nattokinase
: Nattokinase is an isolated enzyme extracted from Natto, and has been found to have blood clot dissolving abilities and prevents the aggregation of red blood cells. It helps with healthy blood flow, cardiovascular integrity and can help maintain cardiovascular and arterial health.2. Serrapeptase
. This is made out of silk work, and works as an enzyme. I have had great success treating joint pain and inflammation with this product. It is safe, effective and has many additional benefits to its use. It has many European studies on it, and induces fibrinolytic, anti-inflammatory and anti-edemic activity. It helps some people manage pain, and can help arterial blockages. Make sure you get a quality product with at least 40000 active units.As always, I urge you to discuss these options with your doctor. These are not to be taken without supervision when you are already on blood-thinners, as they can further thin the blood and cause internal bleeding. Both of these are natural and have been used safely for thousands of years for a variety of health benefits.
These work well for joint pain and stiffness, and are worth trying if you have no medical conditions that would be exacerbated by these. Nattokinase
has been used to improve bone health, as it is full of Vitamin K2.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Greek Yogurt Cream Cheese Icing Dessert
Greek Yogurt Protein Cream Cheese Icing Dessert
I had a strong craving for something silky, dense and dessert like the other day. I had a "need to consume asap" tub of Greek Yogurt, which I decided to incorporate into my nightly dessert. The result? HEAVEN.
It tasted like Cream Cheese Frosting on Carrot cake, and the GG Scandinavian Bran Crispbread make it even more dessert like. Thick, rich and satisfying! ENJOY:
- Greek Yogurt (I used Liberte 0% m.f - review to come)
(I used Liberte 0% m.f - review to come)- GG Scandinavian Bran Crispbread (their Sprinkles would work as well- feel free to use any bran/fiber based biscuit/cookie or cereal- Graham or Arrowroot cookies would be fantastic, Protein Cakes: Anything dry.)
(their Sprinkles would work as well- feel free to use any bran/fiber based biscuit/cookie or cereal- Graham or Arrowroot cookies would be fantastic, Protein Cakes: Anything dry.)
and - Cinnamon
-Spoon!
Mix the yogurt with the sweetener, cinnamon, Maple extract, a few crumbled Bran Crispbreads/cookies. Add PGX Granules and SF Syrup. STIR. The consistency should be a little more runny than regular Greek Yogurt as the PGX Granules expand and absorb the moisture (add 1/2scoop or more depending on how much liquid you are adding).
Throw into fridge and wait about 5-15min (or more depending on how long you can hold out!). Keep adding Syrup, PGX etc until you reach the consistency. The longer you let it sit, the thicker and richer it will be. Add remaining crackers/cookies/protein cakes etc.
ENJOY. Top with more Cinnamon, nut butter, protein powder icing etc if you want.
Friday, March 18, 2011
Chocolate Fiber Protein Pudding revisited
Today's Protein Fiber Pudding:
35 grams
Chocolate Whey Protein Isolate
50 grams Renew Life Fibersmart
1 packet sweetener
water
Today I went for a chocolate flavor, and increased the Fibersmart. I used Allmax Isoflex Chocolate Isolate protein
(GREAT COMPANY AND PRODUCTS). Another fantastic Chocolate is Iso Sensations 93 Chocolate Fudge, Promansil by Rivalus (fantastic, and has goat easy to digest protein in it as well) and BIO X Power Whey Isolate 
(they have some of the highest quality and best tasting proteins around!).Click here for BIO X REVIEW
Click here for Ultimate Nutrition Iso Sensations 93 Chocolate Fudge Review
Again, this was a Nutritionally packed, high protein, high fiber, filling and dessert like start to my day. I highly recommend trying this (adding sugar free syrup
makes it even better).To see all the various PROTEIN FIBER PUDDING MESSES, CLICK ON RECIPE LINK AT THE TOP OF PAGE OR HERE.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Making It Work- Portable meal ideas TO GO; convenience
As many of you know, my goal for March is to get "back on track" Healthy Eating-wise. March tends to be the month people starts lagging on their "New Years' goals, succumbing to convenience, laziness, or frustration. Many of my clients are struggling with this, as the colder months lead to reaching for my comfort foods. I realized that I have been eating far too many processed foods. This has wrecked havoc on my immune system, piling in unnecessary calories that are nutritionally void, slowed my concentration and impaired my sleep; leaving me feeling constantly hungry and irritable, not to mention a definite inching up on the scale.
Early this morning I decided to change things around and swap up the foods I have been eating (far too many sweets). I am an advocate of quick, easy and convenient! I also wanted to pack some fresh veggies that I had sitting in the fridge, while maintaining a "snackish' type meal that can be easily snacked on while studying/reading/working.
-A bag of Mann's Rainbow Salad (better than their BroccoliSlaw- Rainbow Salad has added Cauliflower and a milder taste).
- A 500g bag of Radishes slices up.
-600 g of Celery sticks (unpictured)
-Baby Carrots
-Unpictured bottle of Walden Farm's BBQ sauce
sauce-Gold Seal Smoked Light Can of Tuna (easy to remove lid makes it clean and fast to get protein in).
After my morning Cardio, I decided to revisit an old favorite that I LOVED and offered so many health benefits: PROTEIN FIBER PUDDING! Click for RECIPES or search of Protein Fiber Pudding.
This is something I used to have in varying forms daily.
I decided to use an old prepackaged packet of Whey Protein Powder (Kaizen 100% Whey in Orange Creamsicle
).
(Kaizen 100% Whey in Orange Creamsicle).-55g Renew Life Fiber Smart
-Packet of Sweetener
-Water.
As you can see, I didn't even bring a bowl and used a "stolen" Tim Horton's Coffee cup. This was phenomenal, and really helped balance my blood sugar. The ground flax in the Fibersmart really give this a great nutty taste and fantastic thick texture.
Coffee cup. This was phenomenal, and really helped balance my blood sugar. The ground flax in the Fibersmart really give this a great nutty taste and fantastic thick texture. Recollecting past recipes/foods you used to enjoy on a regular basis as part of a "get healthy lifestyle" is a great way to get back on track! Not only have you already proven to yourself that you can do this (as you have in the past), but you know that you loved the way the food tasted. This gives you something to look forward to, as well as encourages you to try remaking it in new ways.
I know that I will be having a Strawberry Banana Flavored Protein Fiber Pudding tomorrow morning! This is a fantastic way to start your day: Healthy fats, protein, fiber and dessert all in one!
I recommend mixing in some Coconut Butter/Walnut Butter/Almond Butter or any Nut butter you have on hand.
/Walnut Butter/Almond Butter or any Nut butter you have on hand.I look forward to making one of my old favorites: Protein Fiber Sludge Pudding
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