Yes, a GREEN Smoothie

Yes, it's green!  Green smoothies consist of 3 basic ingredients: greens, fruit and water. Have fun experimenting with a wide range of varieties of both the greens and the fruit in order to reap the most benefit. You may be surprised to find that the simple combination of greens and fruit is quite delicious. 
Servings: 1 

Here's what you need...

• 1 bunch (2 cups) red dandelion greens (feel free to use spinach or any other dark greens)
• 1 cup strawberries
• 1 banana
• 1-2 cups filtered water

1. In a high speed blender mix the ingredients until smooth.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 199 calories, 1g fat, 47g carbohydrate, 10g fiber, and 6g protein. 

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How to get your beach body back in 12 weeks

There's a good chance that you'll find yourself in a bathing suit within a few weeks. 

If you are like most people then that realization will 1) bring a grimace to your face and 2) will motivate you to lose some weight.

Before baring it all, I'm here to warn you of the 5 myths that most people fall for. Don't waste your time on these:

Myth #1: Starve the pounds away. 

Attempting to lose weight by starving yourself is not only ineffective, it's also dangerous.  Your body is complex and by starving it, you'll disrupt your metabolism and slow your results.

Tip:  Eat small, healthy meals throughout the day.

Myth #2: Take diet pills to boost your effort.

Don't fall for it. The 'magic pill' has yet to be discovered (it has been discovered - exercise. It's just not in pill form…). Diet pills are more likely to damage your health and burn your pocketbook than to slim you down.

Tip:  Burn calories with exercise.

Myth #3: Do extra crunches to flatten your abs.

Excessive crunches aren't the answer for tight abs. You'll have to focus on burning off the layer of fat that is covering up your abs.

Tip:  Focus on fat burning.

Myth #4: Eat packaged diet foods for speedy results.

It is amazing to see the kinds of foods that are packaged as 'diet' or 'weight loss' aids. More often than not these products are packed with refined sugar and other artificial ingredients that your body doesn't need.

Tip: Stick with nutritious whole foods.

Myth #5: Avoid all carbohydrates in order to slim down.

Carbohydrates have been given a bad rap, which is unfortunate because you can (and should) eat carbs while losing weight.

Tip:  Stick with whole grains, oatmeal and brown rice while avoiding processed and refined flours and sugars.

20-minute Chicken Veggie Bowl

This recipe serves up a refreshing new twist on chicken. Delicious veggies and chunks of tender chicken are coated in a savory sauce, and served over wild rice. It works great as a weekday meal, since it only takes about 20 minutes to make. 

Servings: 6

Here's what you need...

• 2 cups wild rice, cooked
• 1 Tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 sweet potato, halved and thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 cup mushroom, sliced
• 1 Tablespoon ginger root, minced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tablespoons mirin (rice cooking wine)
• 2 Tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 Tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon corn starch
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 2 cups green beans, chopped
• 4 cups chicken breast, cooked and cubed

1. In a large saucepan place the sesame oil over medium heat. Add the sweet potato, onion, mushroom, ginger and garlic. Sauté for 5 minutes.
2. In a small bowl combine the mirin, soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, cornstarch and red pepper. Set aside.
3. Add the green beans and chicken into the pan and continue to cook for 2 minutes. Pour the soy sauce mixture in and mix until fully incorporated. Cook for another 3 minutes.
4. Serve over wild rice.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 299 calories, 8g fat, 23g carbohydrate, 2g fiber, and 33g protein.

Women, wine and weight loss....What?

Dr. Lu Wang and researchers of Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston now say light to moderate drinking may keep women from gaining excess weight over time.  This study followed healthy, normal weight women, according to the body mass index (BMI), over a 12.9 year period.  Average weight gain was about 8 pounds, for those who didn't drink, compared with about 3.5 pounds, for moderate drinkers.

But hold your glasses women of Denver!  The study did not say that the alcohol helped these women lose weight.  It still holds true that alcohol reduces the rate at which you burn fat.  

Researchers from the University of California, Berkeley say just two mixed drinks (or two glasses of wine or two bottles of beer) puts the brakes on fat burning by 73 percent. That's because your liver converts the alcohol into acetate.  Your body burns whatever you feed it. Consequently, when acetate levels rise, your body simply burns more acetate, and less fat.

Dr. Wang's study attributes the findings to healthy lifestyles, smaller portions and eating less carbs, which would compensate for the added calories of the alcohol. 

It's important to note that the average serving size for wine is about 5 ounces.  Many restaurants serve up much more than that.  Not to mention, some of us have a very generous pour in the comforts of our own home. 

So if your goal is to shrink the waistline, don't get excited and toast the town over this new study unless you've achieved a new weight loss goal. Despite their findings, Dr. Lu Wang says "This is not a recommendation for drinking alcohol as a weight control measure."

Therefore, if you're going to drink, do so in moderation.  Above all, if you do not drink, do not start, just because of this study. 

Open-Faced Salmon Sandwich

Open-faced sandwiches are great for cutting out extra calories while trying to lose weight. This recipe calls for sprouted grain bread, which is flourless bread that is densely packed with nutrients. Store your sprouted grain bread in the freezer, since it is made without preservatives or chemicals to promote shelf life. 
Yield: 2 servings

Here's what you need:

• 1 sprouted grain bun
• 2 Tablespoons hummus
• 1/2 cup arugula
• Half of an avocado, peeled, pitted and sliced
• 6 oz smoked salmon
• 2 thin slices of onion
• 4 slices of heirloom tomato
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. Spread each piece of the bun with 1 Tablespoon of hummus. Top each with half the arugula, avocado, salmon, onions, and tomato.
2. Season with freshly ground sea salt and pepper.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 267 calories, 9g fat, 25g carbohydrate, 6g fiber, and 22g protein.