Going Out to Eat Can Be Healthy

Though it may seem like a difficult feat, you can still maintain your diet while enjoying a meal out with friends and family. Since restaurants, especially fast food chains, tend to serve meals with more fat, salt and sugar than a meal prepared at home, it is important to understand what foods to avoid and which ones to select from a menu.In general, steer clear of these foods while dining out:

• Condiments such as salad dressings, cheese sauces, tartar sauce and gravy

• Butter and cheese• Fried foods such as chicken or

french fries• Beverages such as regular soda,

whole milk and alcoholic drinksOne of the most important proactive approaches to healthy eating while you are out to eat is to watch your portion sizes. Restaurant portions are typically double what you would normally eat at home. Either request a smaller portion of the desired meal or ask the wait staff to

wrap up half the meal right away and take it home to eat the next day.

Incorporate Yoga into Your Exercise Plan

Yoga is an ancient Sanskrit word meaning “to join” or “to unite” in practice. Yoga will help you become more aware of your body’s patterns of movement, posture and alignment, thereby increasing your flexibility and fitness level. Not only that, but yoga is also often used as a stress management and relaxation technique.The practice of yoga involves performing a variety of poses, called asanas, along with breathing exercises and meditation to cleanse and unify your body, mind and spirit. These combined actions increase blood circulation, which can stimulate the body to “flush out” toxins. Regular practice of the stretches, twists, bends and inversions have many physical and mental health benefits.

Know Your NumbersKnowing your blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar and body mass index (BMI) are vital in determining whether you are at risk for developing major illnesses such as heart disease or diabetes. Total cholesterol: 200 or less.

There are two kinds of cholesterol: low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high- density lipoprotein (HDL). LDL is considered to be “bad” cholesterol, while HDL is your “good” cholesterol. Your HDL level should be above 60 and your LDL should be below 130.

Blood pressure: 120/80 or less. The higher number— systolic pressure—indicates when the heart beats, and the lower number—diastolic pressure—is when the heart is at rest.

Blood sugar: 100 or less (using a fasting plasma glucose (FPG) test). If your glucose levels are consistently too high

(hyperglycemia) or too low (hypoglycemia), you can develop diabetes.

BMI: between 18.5 and 24.9. BMI is regarded as the most useful tool to determine and classify obesity. It measures body fat according to height and weight and correlates with a person’s risk of disease and death.

MARCH 5-MARCH 11

5

6 TIP OF THE WEEK

Stay hydrated. Sadly, most people don’t drink enough water, and it’s so simple to keep a water bottle onhand or eat more foods that

7 contain a lot of water. Drinking lotsof water helps flush out fat and toxins from your body.

8GOALS OR TO-DO LIST

9

10

11

MARCH 12-MARCH 18

12

13 TIP OF THE WEEK

Most importantly, don’t get discouraged. Everyone has their off-days, and just because you have one bad day doesn’t mean that you

14 have to give up or overcompensateby starving yourself the next day or pushing yourself too hard in the gym.

15GOALS OR TO-DO LIST

16

17

18

MARCH 19-MARCH 25

19

20 TIP OF THE WEEK

Treat yourself! A pizza or a cupcake every now and then isn’t going to totally derail your diet and exercise routine, it just has to be done in

21 moderation. Consider adding a“treat meal” to your eating planonce a week where you indulge your cravings to help you stay on track.

22GOALS OR TO-DO LIST

23

24

25

MARCH 26-APRIL 126

27 TIP OF THE WEEK

Celebrate small wins! Choose a way to celebrate that doesn’t involve food. Buy a new workout outfit or pair of running shoes. Go

28 to a spa for the day or get apedicure. Or share your success with friends.

29GOALS OR TO-DO LIST

30

31

1

RECIPES OF THE MONTH

Ingredients

Breakfast Burrito Ingredie

nts

Pasta Primavera

1 ⅓ cups canned vegetarian refried beans

4 corn tortillas 2 Tbsp. red onion (chopped) ½ cup tomatoes (chopped) ½ cup low-sodium salsa 4 Tbsp. nonfat plain yogurt 2 Tbsp. cilantro (chopped)

Directions1. Mix beans with onion and tomatoes.2. Microwave tortillas between two

sheets of slightly damp white paper towels on high for 15 seconds.

3. Divide bean mixture between the tortillas.

4. Fold each tortilla to enclose filling.5. Place on microwave-safe dish and

spoon salsa over each burrito. Microwave on high for 15 seconds.

6. Serve topped with yogurt and cilantro.

Serving Size—1 burrito. Each serving provides 155 calories, 2 g total fat, 0 g saturated fat, 7 g protein, 287 mg sodium, 18 g carbohydrates, 5 g dietary fiber and 4 g total sugars.

1 Tbsp. vegetable oil 1 onion (chopped) 2 cloves garlic (chopped) ½ cup water ½ can low-sodium carrots (drained) ½ can low-sodium corn (drained) ½ can low-sodium green beans

(drained) 2 Tbsp. dried oregano 4 cups cooked macaroni 2 cans low-sodium tomatoes

Directions1. In a large skillet over medium

heat, cook onion and garlic in oil until soft.

2. Add water, carrots, corn, green beans, oregano and tomatoes. Cook for five minutes or until hot.

3. Pour vegetables over cooked macaroni.

Serving Size—1 cup pasta. Each serving provides 320 calories, 7 g total fat, 2 g saturated fat, 18 g protein, 460 mg sodium, 46 g carbohydrates, 6 g dietary fiber and 7 g total sugars.

Source: USDA