You Bar

With the busy lifestyles many of us lead, snacks, if not meals, are often on the go. Thus, bars are handy, portable nutrition and can give us the energy we need to get us to the next meal. All bars are not created equal though. Many bars require a chemistry degree to decipher the ingredients. A quick tip on how to interpret the ingredient list - simply count the ingredients! If you can simply use your fingers and don't have to resort to the toes for the counting, then you're on the right track. Next, make sure there is enough fiber, protein, and not too much sugar. Feeling overwhelmed? Instead of perusing the "bar" aisle, build your own!

You Bar allows you to design your own bar. This is great if you are:

1. A picky eater
2. Allergic or have an intolerance to ingredients found in most bars (soy, dairy, nuts, or gluten)
3. Health conscious and prefer quality ingredients and a balanced snack instead of overly-processed bars and chemically engineered foods
4. Adventurous and want to explore new flavors (blueberries, ginger, hemp seeds, wa?)
5. Interested in the opinion of a dietitian - these are good bars!

I built a few bars for examples - try these flavors!

Heart Healthy Bar - With omega-3's, antioxidants, and fiber to help lower cholesterol

• Almond butter & dates, oat bran, goji berri, All-One vitamin blend, flaxseed, whey protein

Allergy-Free Bar - No soy, nuts, dairy or gluten, plus added ginger to aid with digestion

• Organic dates, sunflower seed butter, organic sesame seeds, organic rice protein, crunchy rice cereal, All-One vitamin infusion

Trail Mix Bar - An easy way to practice portion control and still enjoy trail mix

• Cashew Butter, organic dates, whey protein, sunflower seeds, organic raisins, chocolate chips, All-One vitamin infusion

You also can make your own shake, trail mix, cookie, or cereal. Besides the fun of hand-picking your own ingredients, you also get to name your bar. Each little label comes personalized. You can also pick from tried and true varieties that other customers have created. The other convenience You Bar offers is a nutrition calculator that is automatically updated as you add ingredients. Try it, you'll like it (even Mikey did)!

Bet Your Broccoli

By Melissa Bosslet, RD, LN, CPT

Recent research published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry suggests munching on raw broccoli is more nutritious then eating it cooked. Broccoli has been touted as a "superfood" because it is packed with vitamin C, A, K, as well as folate and B vitamins and even some calcium and iron. It also contains sulforaphane, which according to research done at our very own Johns Hopkins can prevent cancer by stimulating the body's detoxifying enzymes. The process of cooking the broccoli locks the activity of the sulforaphane. If you prefer it cooked, leave as much crunch as possible. Either way, enjoying broccoli can help prevent colon, gallbladder, prostate, and ovarian cancer, so it's worth eating cooked or raw!

Here are some quick ideas to include more broccoli into your diet:

• Healthy sauté broccoli and onion, then add to your favorite breakfast omelet and serve with grilled tomatoes.
• Enjoy a bowl of tomato soup along with a salad including broccoli florets for lunch.
• Add lightly steamed broccoli florets to the tomato-paste toppings on your favorite pizza.
• Healthy sauté broccoli florets along with other favorite vegetables, such as onions and mushrooms, add to pasta sauce and use to top whole wheat pasta or brown rice.
• For a quick snack, serve raw broccoli florets along with the carrot and celery sticks, hummus or yogurt dip and crackers.

Going Gluten Free?

If yesterday's post sounded close to home, it may be a good idea to consult with the Registered Dietitian's at EB Nutrition to discuss a gluten sensitivity. Trying a gluten free diet can be difficult if you are not sure which foods to avoid and where to look for gluten. There are traces of gluten in most foods, even if the food does not contain any wheat, rye, or barley. Oats, for example, are often processed in the same plants as the above grains, thus causing inflammation after ingestion. Gluten can be found in trace amounts in anything from postage stamp paste to chocolate chips.

Although the incidence of gluten intolerance and Celiac's has not increased, the number of people being diagnosed has risen. Thus, the number of gluten-free products and wonderful gluen substitutes and recipes have multiplied. Try these bars for some home-made goodness and a gluten free snack: http://www.elanaspantry.com/snacks/power-bars/. Yum!

Party Proof Your Diet

by Melissa Bosslet, RD, LN

MSNBC offers advise on which foods to pick at the holiday dinner table. For example, they suggest opting for the mashed potatoes over the stuffing and picking ham over a turkey drumstick. The article is very helpful if these specific foods are at your holiday party, but if they aren't, how do we keep on track with our nutrition plan?

Refer to our December newsletter for more details, but these 3 tips are the essential to stay at the top of your game.

1. Get plenty of sleep- The number 1 problem we see when clients are not losing weight is lack of sleep. The body responds to inadequate sleep by producing cortisol, a stress hormone that leads to weight gain around the middle region.

2. Avoid backloading- Eat a consistent amount of calories throughout the day. If you wait until dinner and especially holiday meals to fill up, energy levels will suffer throughout the day. Your metabolism responds better to small meals spread out throughout the day. Keep healthy snacks convenient so while you are out and about, your blood sugars remain stable. Also, do not go to the party starving. It is more difficult to control choices when your body is deprived.

3. Get moving!- At EB, we say that, "Eating right is just the beginning." Part of what we mean by that is you can only stay so healthy by picking the right foods. You need to stay active during the holidays to burn calories, keep your metabolism functioning, keep muscle tone, and to stay energized. Next time you are feeling sluggish, head to the gym. I guarantee you will feel more energized afterwards.

Keep in mind that these concepts work all year round - not just with the holidays. Enjoy the holidays, but also keep in mind they do come once a year. You probably will survive without having two helpings of your Grandma's famous pie!

Here is a good recipe to bring to a party. Pile your plate with veggies, take about 2 tablespoons of dip, and step away from the appetizer table!


Sesame, Spinach, & Artichoke Dip
Makes 1 3/4 cups

1 bunch of fresh spinach
1 14.75-oz. (396 g) jar or can water-packed artichoke hearts, drained
2 sprigs fresh mint, leaves only
1/4 C. (60 ml) tahini, (sesame seed paste)
Juice of 1/2 lime 1/2 t. ground cumin
3/4 t. salt
1 T. nutritional yeast (optional)
1 t. toasted sesame seeds
Dash or two of paprika

1. Remove stems from spinach, wash thoroughly, and spin dry in a salad spinner. Put spinach leaves into the food processor with the steel blade, and pulse chop until finely chopped.
2. Add artichoke hearts, mint leaves, tahini, lime juice, cumin, salt, and nutritional yeast, and process to an almost smooth puree.
3. Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and a dash of paprika.