Soy Honey Salmon

Ingredients:  

• 1 lb of Fresh Salmon 
• 1/4 cup of Reduced-sodium soy sauce 
• 1 Tbl Ginger
• 1 Tbl Honey 
• 1 Tbl lemon juice 
• 1-4 garlic cloves, chopped    

Directions: 

• Take the bones out of the salmon and rinse the fillets with cool water.  Dry them with a paper towel and set aside in a pan.  Whisk together the soy sauce, honey, lemon juice, and garlic in a small bowl until the honey is almost dissolved.  Pour the mixture over the salmon and refrigerate for a few hours.  
• Remove the salmon from the marinade and transfer it to heavy duty aluminum foil.  Top the salmon with the garlic from the marinade and fold it up in the foil.  
• Grill the salmon (~6-8 minutes) and serve immediately.    

Surprising Foods

Surprising Foods Packed Full of Fat 

Fettuccine Alfredo = 34 grams of Fat

Big Mac = 29 grams of Fat

Classic Caesar Salad = 36 grams of Fat

Tuna Sandwich = 41 grams of fat 

White Pizza = 22 grams of Fat

Saturated fats have shown to increase “bad” cholesterol, also know as LDL.  Food sources include animal products- steak, cheese, and cream.  Some of these foods are shown above: alfredo sauce, pizza slice, a cheeseburger, and salad dressing.  In order to limit saturated fats: select lean meats and trim off the fat, and choose non-fat and low-fat dairy options.  Also, substitute unsaturated or “good” fat options; for example, replace butter for olive oil.  Another dangerous fat is trans fats and this has shown to raise “bad” cholesterol (LDL) and reduce “good” cholesterol (HDL).  These fats are coded as "partially-hydrogenated vegetable oils" on food labels and are found in almost all processed foods - such as baked goods and fast food.  Both trans and saturated fats increase the risk for heart disease and increase cholesterol in the body even more than foods that are high in cholesterol. 

According to the American Heart Association, healthy people should consume less than 300 mg/day of cholesterol and others at risk for heart disease less than 200 mg/day.  One egg contains about 186 mg of cholesterol and only 1.6 g of saturated fat and one egg a day is "ok" for healthy adults.  However, recent studies have shown the direct association that saturated fats have on cholesterol levels.   The following are surprising foods that increase cholesterol…

·      Pizza: Usually, one slice of pizza has 10 grams of fat and 4.4 grams of saturated fats.  If you want a slice then stick to one and top it with filling vegetables.

·      Whole-fat dairy products: Dairy foods are loaded with saturated fats.  Switch to low-fat milk, cheeses, and yogurt.  

·      Ground turkey: It may say 85% lean ground turkey on the package, but it still has 12.5 grams of fat.  Be aware of food labels and make sure to select lean meat options.    

·      Mashed potatoes: Delicious... but they are loaded with saturated fat with cream, cheese, and butter.  Order a plain potato and top it with salsa, broccoli, lean chicken, and low-fat sour cream and shredded cheese.      

·      Plant Oil: Coconut, coconut oil, palm oil, and coconut butter contain lots of saturated fat.  Pina coladas have about 600 calories and 20 grams of saturated fat in about 12 ounces.  They may seem refreshing but limit your intake!  Switch to other cool summer time drinks such as: refreshing and calorie-free water or wine (5 oz. white wine = 123 calories).        

·      Popcorn: Cinema’s medium sized popcorn has about 60 grams of saturated fat and 1,200 calories.  Skip the buttery topping and select the small sized popcorn.    

Spinach, Red Peper, & Sausage Tortellini

Ingredients:

• 1/2 onion (thinly sliced) 
• 2 cloves of garlic minced 
• 1 package Italian Turkey or Chicken Sausage (sliced) 
• 1 red pepper (thinly sliced) 
• 1 container of Buitoni light Alfredo sauce (small size) 
• 1 can diced tomatoes 
• 1 bag baby spinach 
• 1 package Buitoni whole wheat cheese tortellini 
• Parmesan cheese 
• salt & pepper 

Brown onion, garlic, red pepper, and sausage.  Drain if necessary.  Cook tortellini according to package directions.  Add sauce, tomatoes, and spinach to meat mixture.  Lastly- carefully fold in tortellini and top with Parmesan cheese and salt and pepper to taste.   

Skin Cancer & Summer Safety

Skin Cancer & Summer Safety 

Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States.  Two most common types of skin cancer: is  Basal cell (small, round cells that form the outer surface of the skin) and Squamous cell (flat cells that form the surface of the skin).  Here is a simple tool that I learned from Medical Center of Plano in order to check your skin:      


A-B-C-D-E SKIN EXAMINATION

• Asymmetrical: irregular shapes
• Borders: irregular, notched or scalloped borders
• Color: many colors or an uneven distribution of color
• Diameter: larger than ¼ inch or about the size of a pencil eraser
• Evolving Over Time: changes over time in size, color, or shape

TIPS to PREVENT SKIN CANCER

• Avoid the sun between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m when the sun rays are the strongest

• Wear sunscreen year-round. Choose a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15.  

• Wear protective clothing 

• Avoid tanning beds and tan-accelerating agents

• Be aware of sun-sensitizing medications

• Check your skin regularly and report changes to your doctor

• Have regular skin exams 

WHY WATER?! 

• Flushes out the toxins

• Carries nutrients to cells

• Provides a moist environment for tissues 

• Vital for every organ 

• Drink 8-10 glasses of water/day  

• If you find yourself “feeling” thirsty . . . you waited too long to drink! 

HOW MUCH food is TOO much

WHAT should I eat?  WHAT is healthy?!  WHAT is unhealthy?!

These commonly asked questions are important but sometimes the weight gain and elevated blood values do not deal with WHAT but HOW MUCH.  Yes, HOW MUCH food you are eating.  Believe it or not..the Texas-sized dinner plates and HUGE soda cups from the gas station are not the answer.  The mentality of "less is more" is actually true!
     
It is important to determine the difference between a portion size and the recommended serving size.  A portion is the amount of one food item consumed during a meal or a snack.  An example of this would be sitting down at dinner and filling your entire plate with pasta... The amount of pasta you consume in that sitting is a portion; this portion is bigger than the recommended serving size.  The excess carbohydrate consumed will spike glucose levels in the blood (blood sugar) and will be converted into fat for storage.  Even though, pasta is a healthy food option, eating too much of it can alter blood values and promote weight gain.

Unfortunately, the food industry has made it difficult for us to read a label and measure out portions.  If you do not have measuring cups available... then use these simple techniques.  Use your hands to determine a recommended serving size or these familiar objects!
TIP OF THUMB = 1 TEASPOON

FROM THE 1st KNUCKLE TO THE TIP = 1 TB

CUPPED HAND = ½ CUP FIST = 1 CUP
 
PALM OF HAND: MEAT PORTION 3-4 OZ