It can be extremely difficult to stay healthy on a day that is all about giving. As a society, we tend to think that giving and receiving food is a sign of comfort and joy, especially this week. Many of us may feel confident in our plans before Thanksgiving, but then we fall apart when we sit down to the big meal and try to navigate the next few days. Though gaining seems to be the usual result of Thanksgiving week, maintaining and even losing is still possible. Here are some tips to help you have a healthier Thanksgiving.  
 
Go for the good stuff. We may look forward to pies and gravy and mashed potatoes, but you will also find several healthy options as well. Turkey, sweet potatoes and vegetable will no doubt be part of your Thanksgiving table and can be enjoyed to the fullest. If you are trying to stay on plan, be aware of gravy, sauce, butter and other extra ingredients that make these foods heavy and fattening. You can always cook or bring your own healthy dishes to make sure you have options. Look for recipes featuring kale, sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts, green beans, pumpkin, cauliflower, asparagus, apples, carrots and so much more. This Kale and Butternut Squash Stuffing is a great example (and vegetarian!) of a healthier alternative to a Thanksgiving tradition:
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• 3 tablespoons of oil (divided)
• 1 small butternut squash (cubed)
• 3 small leeks (sliced)
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1 teaspoon of pepper
• 1 bunch of kale
• 1 loaf of whole-wheat bread (cubed)
• 2 egg whites
• 2 cups vegetable broth

Preheat oven to 350. Grease two small or one large casserole dish with cooking spray. In a large pot, warm 1 tbsp of oil then add squash, leeks, salt, and pepper. Cook until leeks are soft, stirring occasionally. Add kale, cover and cook for 4 to 5 minutes. Add bread and 2 more tablespoons of oil and toss. Whisk the egg whites and broth together in a separate bowl then add to pan. Toss the mixture until everything is absorbed. Add stuffing to casserole dishes and bake for 40 minutes or until lightly browned. 1/2 cup = 1 serving. You can find more recipes on our other blog post here.  

Skip the leftovers. If you are hosting Thanksgiving, give away all of your leftovers. You can even dress it up and try making these Thanksgiving Leftover Jars (picture below). They are a fun way to dish out leftovers and skip the old tupperware. Your guests will love having a Thanksgiving meal in a jar, and you won’t be tempted to extend Thanksgiving for three more days if you don’t want to. If you are attending Thanksgiving in someone else’s home, try and avoid taking any food home unless it is part of your plan for the week. If it is in your home and easily accessible you are very likely to nibble. But many of us will be taking home leftovers for our families, so be prepared to stay strong or consume responsibly.

Move around. Get your body moving any way you can even it it’s just walking around the house after dinner. It will make you feel better and help you digest. You don’t have to start a heavy exercise regime, after all you can’t out exercise bad eating habits, but even just walking around the neighborhood, mall or museum will help your body bounce back. 

Get back on track. Whether you plan to get back on your weight loss path the day after Thanksgiving or a little later, make sure you follow through. One week of eating off your plan won’t ruin all your progress, but it will take time to get back on track. Don’t dig yourself in deeper by continuing Thanksgiving-style eating until Hanukkah, Christmas and the New Year. 

What happens this week us up to you. You have options and choices to make. Make sure you make each decision for yourself and don’t let them get made for you. 

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

Innovation Weight Loss and Fitness

8031 Jericho Tpke Woodbury, NY 11797

469 7th Ave Manhattan, NY 10018

With the beginning of the holiday season just around the corner, it’s time to prepare for all the choices we will be facing. Events, family meals and parties are going to be here one after the other and it can become difficult to make smart and healthy eating choices. Certain meals are special because of the seasonal food we get to have once a year, but some just seem special because it is holiday time. How can we know when to indulge and when to say no? Here are some things to think about when you aren’t sure what to do.

1) Be a fly on the wall. One of the best ways to make a rational decision is to try and remove yourself from the situation and think the way an outside observer would. Think about what you would tell a friend or family member if they were in your shoes. If someone you knew was trying to lost weight but they kept eating Thanksgiving leftovers, what would you tell them to do? If a friend was trying to get healthy but they kept drinking and snacking too much at holiday parties, what would you suggest? Sometimes we have to really push ourselves to make the best decisions, and it helps to think outside the box.

2) Think beyond the moment. When we get a craving, we want something immediately, but then we tend to feel guilty only a few moments later. Think about the moment after and whether a treat is really worth it. Remember that decisions don’t have to be made right away. Just a moment of pause before making a decision can bring us back to reality if we are getting carried away. Indulging is part of the season – food and holidays go hand in hand – so have a plan and be prepared for all the choices you will face. 

3) Don’t be too hard on yourself. The holidays are a special and emotional time. It can be joyous but also stressful. Party planning, traveling, hosting, cooking and spending time with family and loved ones can be the best and also hardest parts of the holidays and can drive us to emotional and over eating. It can be a constant cycle of stress and weight gain that feeds itself. Do the best you can and don’t let your worries and emotions get the best of you. 

We can choose what we eat and we can also choose what we decide is important. Food is a central part of the holidays, but it shouldn’t hold all of our focus. Just like Halloween, some seasonal foods are just every day foods dressed up to look special. Decide what is right for you and enjoy the time you spend with those you love.

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

Innovation Weight Loss and Fitness

8031 Jericho Tpke Woodbury, NY 11797

469 7th Ave Manhattan, NY 10018

Eating clean is one of the basic principles of weight loss. It is commonly known that even if you work out you can’t eat whatever you want if you want to lose. It is also known that even if you eat 500 calories a day of bad foods and lose weight, it’s not healthy. Eating clean is the healthiest and most affective way to lose weight, but why? How is it different from diets and programs that have specific guidelines and rules? 

When a weight loss or healthy eating plan focuses on one thing – no carbs, low calorie, raw foods, specific eating schedules, high protein, no sugar, low fat, etc.- it may improve part of your life and help you get healthy short term, but it won’t leave a lasting impression. How long are we really expected to eat processed microwave meals or deprive ourselves of entire food groups Eating clean is the best option because you are eating the healthiest versions and portions of every day food. You can cook at home, eat at a restaurant and enjoy dinner with family and friends without going off of your plan. Fad diets aren’t sustainable or realistic, but clean eating is a lifestyle that can last for years.

One of the best parts about clean eating is that when you eat clean and whole foods it not only makes you look better, but it also makes you feel better. When you eat frozen microwave dinners, even if they are light and low calorie, they are still processed and contain ingredients that don’t always make you feel fit. When you omit a food group from your life you are left feeling exhausted and deprived. Eating clean will nourish your body in a way that makes you healthy from the inside out by providing you with a variety of fresh foods rich in essential nutrients. These nutrients are so important to your body and overall health. They keep your digestive system regular, help you avoid and relieve certain diseases, and make you stronger both mentally and physically. Eating clean changes your overall well being from overweight and sluggish to feeling lighter, fitter and healthier. When it comes to weight loss, eating whole fresh foods can be a big help because they also keep you feeling full and satisfied longer to help keep you from snacking. And when you feel fit and healthy, you are more likely to keep it up and take care of yourself in other ways. Maybe you try exercise or mediation, or try something new and enriching like learning a new and creative skill or hobby. Not to mention when you are doing the right thing by your body, you want to be out and be social instead of hiding in your house in your sweat pants. 

Weight loss is important to all of us. It makes us look better and feel better about ourselves physically, but it also makes us feel better mentally – healthier and more happy and confident. When you make healthy changes you also change your habits and behavior into healthy acts of living. This is not only wonderful for you but also for those that are learning around you. There is no magic formula or secret overnight fix. It is a lifelong journey that should be a positive experience. Clean eating is best for your mind and body. Helping you lose and maintain a healthy weight is just the beginning.

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

Innovation Weight Loss and Fitness

8031 Jericho Tpke Woodbury, NY 11797

469 7th Ave Manhattan, NY 10018

THANKSGIVING IS AROUND THE CORNER and CHRISTMAS AND HOLIDAY VACATIONS ARE ONLY 10 WEEKS AWAY. Time really does fly whether you are having fun or not. While the time is flying you are either gaining, losing or maintaining. Keep it simple. We CAN’T eat whatever we want whenever we want, so focus on enjoying and indulging only on the holidays, vacations and special events. After all, that’s what makes them special. It’s in-between these amazing times of our life that we focus on eating clean, losing weight and staying healthy. Think of it like a photo album. The pictures in the album often show you snap shot to snap shot of the happy times in your life. It doesn’t have pictures of the in-between challenges and obstacles that every one goes through to get to the next happy snap shot.  

The transition from Halloween to the beginning of November is the start of the major holiday season. Though Thanksgiving is still a few weeks away, we are now going to be surrounded by Thanksgiving paraphernalia as well as Christmas and Hanukkah decorations, clothes, treats and specialty items. Some of us may want to get caught up in the festive feelings, while some of us are more interested in saving the celebrating for the actual holiday. Now is the time to pick a side. It will be hard for some of us, but we can’t get ahead of ourselves just yet. Holidays can be stressful enough without the added pressure of weight gain if you start giving in to baked goods, candied apples and heavy fall foods now. It is definitely easier said than done, but taking things slow and steady is the best plan right now. This time of year is exciting for so many reasons – family comes together for good food, traditions and celebrations. It is a special time that can catch us with our guard down. Focus on the time you spend with your loved ones instead of the treats and indulgences. The year will be over before you know it so decide now and commit to having the healthiest holiday season possible. 

This past weekend was also important for another reason – Daylight Saving Time ended. Though it doesn’t seem like a big deal – if anything we got one more hour of sleep! – but it signals another change in our daily lives. The one hour difference means that the sun will set earlier when the days are already getting shorter. This one hour difference doesn’t take long to adjust to, but it represents something that few of us look forward to – dark, cold winter months. Motivation can plummet and once we are wrapped in layers of sweaters and coats we don’t care much about our weight loss and how we look. Some people even experience seasonal depression, or SAD (seasonal affective depression), which can come and go during the fall and winter. Whether you experience SAD or not, we all know how this time of year can make us feel – low energy, moody, unmotivated. When we get in a funk like this, it can be hard to get back on the horse and give ourselves a fresh start. Though we can’t stop the changing of the seasons, we can prepare ourselves. Find something to keep you motivated such as an event, trip or holiday you are looking forward to. Though you may not be able to show off your body the way you would in the summer, people will still notice the change and you will feel so much better sitting down to Thanksgiving dinner knowing you are in a good place and comfortable. It can even be something as simple as fitting in to an old pair of jeans you have’t worn in years. A little bit of positivity can go a long way. 

This is also a great time of year because of all the opportunities to try new things. The weather is still perfect for getting outside – fall is a great time for running and marathons – and soon it will be perfect weather for winter activities like cross country skiing, snow shoeing, ice skating and so much more. If you would rather exercise indoors, get prepared with the proper gear, equipment and accessories. Even just adding beginner yoga or meditation will keep you feeling fit and healthy in the long winter months. This is also a great time to try new recipes and delicious fall foods like butternut squash, chili, sweet potatoes, pears, and tons of vegetables that are rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Try making a hearty vegetable soup or tasty side dish. Anything you do to spice up your routine can help you stay motivated and committed.  

The year will be over before you know it so decide now and commit to having the healthiest holiday season possible.

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

Innovation Weight Loss and Fitness

8031 Jericho Tpke Woodbury, NY 11797

469 7th Ave Manhattan, NY 10018

Good news and bad news: Halloween is this Saturday! This can be a good thing because that means if it’s your cheat day then you can really enjoy it with your friends and family, and even be able to indulge in some sweets and still get back on plan. The bad news is, Halloween day can easily turn in to Halloween Weekend with candy and sweets lingering in your home long after the celebration is over. 

It’s hard not to be tempted when you are surrounded by candy. Even if you don’t like sweets, it feels like temptation is all around. Don’t throw away all your hard work and give in to something you can have any day. Remember, Halloween candy is everyday candy in little costumes. So that cute little chocolate bar that has a ghost on it is really just a a regular chocolate bar you can buy everyday at the local grocery store.    

Halloween is a fun and festive holiday but it is one day. One day that you can enjoy to the fullest and then get right back on your healthy path. The important thing that all of us should focus on is staying clean and healthy up until Halloween. Many of us are probably buying candy and snacks in preparation for parties and trick or treaters, but you shouldn’t start snacking and nibbling ahead of time. Keep it clean, like any other week, and you will make things so much easier when the festivities end. A helpful hint is to buy the candy you DON’T like this way you are not tempted.  

If Saturday is your cheat day, enjoy! Remember not to eat everything just because you can. It’s important to eat the treats that you love, not just everything in sight. Mindless eating can become a problem if you let yourself thoughtlessly eat candy after candy. Make it mean something – it’s a treat after a week of eating clean, not just an excuse to eat an entire bag of candy.  

If Saturday is not your cheat day, then make you own little trick or treat bag and save it for your cheat day.  Have a plan to stay clean for the day. This is more important than usual because you will be surrounded by reasons to cheat. Be sure to follow your plan and try and eat like you normally do. If you are attending a party, eat something healthy ahead of time if you don’t think there will be anything for you there. You can also make healthy treats, like these:

Banana Ghosts

Pumpkin Dippers (carrots and greens with tooth picks in a bed of hummus)

Mini Pumpkins

Cheese Stick Zombie Fingers (use peppers as finger nails)

Dyed Hard Boiled Eggs (Boil eggs as usual and let them cool for 30 minutes. Gently crack the shells but don’t break them off. Put the eggs in a Ziploc and cover in food dye. Let the dye soak in for 30 minutes then rinse the eggs and remove the shells.)

Vegetable Tray

Another helpful tip is to stay active. Trick or Treating is fun and it’s also a great opportunity to walk your neighborhood, be social and watch the kids.  Safety is always first priority. Make sure you check their trick or treat candy.  Keep the kids safe while crossing the roads and always best to be in by dark.  

Once the holiday is over, it’s time to get back on track. You can keep the memories and pictures, but the candy has to go. If it is in your home, it will make it that much harder for you to stay clean. Beware of bite sized candy! It can be great when you want to have a taste of something over the weekend, but it can fool you if you keep it around. One little bite sized piece of candy may not seem like a big deal but every bite counts. If you keep some candy for your family and kids, let them pick the treats they love the most that they can have in moderation for the next few days then get rid of the excess. There are a number of great ways to get rid of unwanted Halloween candy: Organizations like Operation Gratitude will use the candy in care packages to soldiers overseas. Many dentists will “buy back” the candy and use it in care packages as well. If you have young kids who have a hard time giving up their candy, some parents use a trick called the Switch Witch. It’s like the Tooth Fairy, but with this trick they leave candy and in exchange they get a small present. You can also tuck the candy away and after a few days you will probably find that out of sight is out of mind. 

Have a Happy and Safe Halloween! 

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

Innovation Weight Loss and Fitness

8031 Jericho Tpke Woodbury, NY 11797

469 7th Ave Manhattan, NY 10018

Losing weight doesn’t just happen during the day. What we do at night and while we sleep can affect us just as much as what we do during the daytime hours. It’s true that we burn calories while we sleep, but that doesn’t mean that we can do whatever we want during the day and evening. Here are somethings to consider tonight to have a healthy tomorrow. 

1. PLAN: Have a plan for what you will eat tomorrow. We’ve heard this all before, but it really is a huge help. This can mean prepping your entire day or just having something ready to go. As the week goes on we can get lazy or lose energy and the temptation to pick can overwhelm us. Sometimes other unscheduled events can come up and before we know it, we’re eating whatever is easy and nearby. Make sure you always have a plan B. If your original day goes haywire then being prepared with portioned snacks in the right place (fridge, purse, backpack, car, briefcase, etc.) or a pre-made meal at home or at work that is ready to eat can make a huge difference by taking out the stress of choosing what to eat. Some like to cook a meal or multiple meals ahead of time, some do their grocery shopping on the same day every week, and others have their go-to places that they like to eat at, or take out or order in from. Find what works for you and stick to it. Having a plan B can save you from a weight gaining day. 

2. EXERCISE: If you plan to exercise tomorrow, have your clothes and equipment ready. This is especially important now that the mornings are getting colder, making it harder to even get out of our nice warm beds. Make it as easy as possible for you to get up and get your day started, even as the mornings get darker and colder. Less daylight can also make us feel like the day is over at 6pm, but that doesn’t mean we should throw in the towel when there is still plenty of time to make progress. If you like to exercise in the morning or at night, stick with your routine. Don’t let any excuse get in your way. 

3. AFTER SCHOOL activities: If you are busy with after school activities and running around with the kids use it to your advantage. One of my clients told me she brings only water with her and is surprised at how she really doesn’t need to eat snacks when she is running around. If the snacks are available she may eat them. But when she doesn’t have them she drinks water and goes home and has dinner. Often resulting in one or no snacks for the day. So if you feel you can go with one or no snacks at the after school actives give it a try. Bring water and remember you may feel a little hungry but that’s a good sign that you are losing.   Remember you control your food. The food doesn’t control you. 

4.  SLEEP! It’s not only important for your overall healthy, but for your weight loss as well. Having a good night’s sleep will ensure that you have a clear head and plenty of energy to do your best. When we are tired, we look to caffeine and sugar to give us a boost. It can also cause us to crave comfort foods to make us feel better. Being sleepy will mean that it will be harder to resist these foods and drinks, so make sure you get some rest! It can also mean that you are too tired to workout if exercise is part of your day – yet another reason to get a good night’s sleep as often as possible. 

When your MIND plans for your BODY you will find great success in your weight loss, overall health and well being!

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

Innovation Weight Loss and Fitness

8031 Jericho Tpke Woodbury, NY 11797

469 7th Ave Manhattan, NY 10018

When it comes to food and drink labels and packaging, we all understand the basics pretty well – calories, fat, sodium, sugar, protein, serving sizes, etc. But do you know the difference between Unsweetened and No Sugar Added? What about Low Fat and Fat Free? And what does “Reduced” really mean? Many food labels can be misleading or confusing, so here is a breakdown of different food labels and what they really mean. 

No Sugar Added

These both means that a product contains sugar, but it is sugar that is naturally already in the food. Fruit, vegetables and dairy are some foods that naturally contain some sugar. So when you see a product that says “No Sugar Added” that means it contains ingredients that already have sugar, and that they didn’t add any more to the product. Per the FDA, “No Sugar Added” foods cannot be sweetened with sugar containing ingredients, but they can be made with artificial sweeteners and sugar alcohols. Artificial sweeteners are synthetic sugar substitutes, although they may be derived from naturally occurring substances such as herbs or even sugar itself. Sugar alcohols come from plant products – the carbohydrate in something like berries or other fruit is altered through a chemical process. Artificial sweeteners and sugar alcohols can be beneficial because they can help with weight loss, but they have been known to have negative effects when consumed in excess and have a bad reputation for being part of processed foods. 

Unsweetened 

Here is where it gets confusing. According to the FDA, foods and beverages labeled as “Unsweetened” can contain naturally occurring sugars and sugar alcohols, but they cannot contain artificial sweeteners. For example, orange juice can be labeled as “Unsweetened” but it will still contain sugar because sugar is naturally found in oranges. So, similar to “No Sugar Added” foods, they may already have sugar in them, but the difference here is that “Unsweetened” foods and beverages cannot have artificial sweeteners. 

Sugar Free

As you can probably guess, this means that there is no naturally occurring sugar in this product, but it can contain artificial sweetener. That is how products like pudding and gum can be called “Sugar Free” but still have a sweet taste. 

Fat Free

This means that a food or beverage has little to no fat in it, specifically less than 0.5 grams per serving. The terms “zero”, “without”, “no” and “skim” have also been used on labels to describe fat free foods and drinks. 

Light or Low Fat or Sodium or Cholesterol 

Anything that says it is low in fat, sodium, saturated fat and cholesterol means that it is reduced. Specifically, if it has 3 grams or less per serving of fat, 1 gram or less per serving of saturated fat, 140 mg or less per serving of sodium, and 20 mg or less or 2 g or less than saturated fat to be considered low cholesterol. It is similar for “Light” or “Lite” labels but conditions are a little more complicated for these labels, but they mean that a product contains lower fat or sodium or other component.  

Reduced Fat or Sodium or Cholesterol

Don’t be fooled by these labels. They are not the same as “Low” fat, cholesterol or sodium. Reduced means that something has been altered to take out at least 25% of the fat, cholesterol, sodium, etc. in a certain product. So, if a product contains 1,000 mg of sodium per serving, then reducing it by 25% doesn’t do much. That doesn’t mean that all “Reduced” labels should be avoided – just know what the contents really are.

Organic

Any label that reads “100% Organic” contains ingredients that are grown or produced without using chemicals, with no genetically modified organisms and have had no exposure to irradiation. No other additives are permitted. “Organic” labels are products that contain 95% or more organically produced ingredients. Any other ingredients must consist of non-agricultural substances as regulated by the USDA. Anything that says that it is “Made with Organic Ingredients” is something that is processed but made with at least 70% organic ingredients. 

Gluten Free

This means that the product does not contain any detectable gluten or oats or related products or gluten containing ingredients. Gluten is a general name for the proteins found in wheat, rye, barley, and triticale. Some people eat gluten free because they or a loved one has celiac disease, while some people choose to avoid gluten for other health reasons or weight loss reasons. 

Lean

The term refers to how much fat is in meat, poultry, seafood and game meats. “Lean” means that a product contains less than 10 g total fat, 4.5 or less saturated fat and less than 95 mg of sodium per serving and per 100 g. 

Good Source

Anything that says it is a good source of vitamins, fiber, minerals, etc. contains 10% to 19% of the Daily Value.

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

Innovation Weight Loss and Fitness

8031 Jericho Tpke Woodbury, NY 11797

469 7th Ave Manhattan, NY 10018