The Diet Duchess

Meal Prep Mastery: 5 Easy Steps to Plan Healthier Meals

Imagine, it’s the middle of the work week and you are completely spent after a long and tiring day at work. All you want to do is relax at home but you still have a laundry list of things to do including picking up your kids and figuring out what to do for dinner. You want to have something healthy, but you can’t bring yourself to cook a homemade meal after the day you’ve had. So, because of the convenience and your physical exhaustion, you decide to hit up the drive through of a fast food restaurant……..does any of this sound familiar? We’ve all been there at some point. Let’s be real, it’s hard to work a full day and then still have the energy to come home and put together a healthy dinner. So more often than not, convenience wins out.

One of the best ways to eat healthy and save money and time throughout the week is with meal prepping. Meal planning and prep involves preparing food up to 3-4 days in advance. The beauty of this strategy is that when you come home exhausted from work, you already have a healthy dinner that’s either fully or almost completely prepared. On average it is almost 5 times more expensive to order delivery from a restaurant than it is to cook at home.

Another benefit of cooking at home is you can control how much salt, sugar, and fat is being added to your food, which is something we have little control over when eating out. This is especially helpful for pre-existing medical conditions like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes.

To help get you started, here are five easy tips to help you become a master of meal prep.

1. Choose recipes or meals that you want to have throughout the week

You can further save money and stay within your budget by trying to plan meals or recipes around ingredients you already have at home. Start with simple dishes that are easy to cook to further simplify the process. For recipe ideas you can check out some of the recipes on The Diet Duchess Pinterest page.

2. Create a grocery list

Make a list of the grocery items you need for your chosen dishes and recipes. Having focus and a grocery list can help you choose healthier options when going to the grocery store, will limit impulse buys, and can help keep you in budget financially.

3. Pick a day to prepare meals

Ideally you want to choose a day that you don’t have to work and can dedicate some time in the kitchen preparing and cooking your food for the week.

4. Multi-task with meal prep

Cooking multiple dishes at a time on your meal prep day can help reduce the overall amount of time you need to spend cooking. For example- something can be cooking in the crock pot, while another dish bakes in the oven, and you assemble and pack salads or cold lunches for the week. The more prep you accomplish on your meal prep day, the less work you will need to do throughout the week.

5. Wash, cut, and prepare fruits and vegetables

Have fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables ready to enjoy as a snack or add to one of your meals for a boost of vitamins, minerals, and fiber. To save further time, you can even buy produce that is already washed, cut, and ready to cook or eat. Line containers with paper towels to absorb moisture and help prevent fresh fruits and veggies from spoiling sooner.

Another option that you have at your disposal is to use one of The Diet Duchess 7 day meal plans that are officially being launched today. They can be found in the Products section of the website. Meal plans are $29.99 and can simplify your meal prep even further by already having healthy meals and recipes selected for you. The meal plans have different calorie levels so that you can choose the calorie level best fit for you for either weight loss or healthy weight maintenance. The meal plans are also suitable for people with diabetes.

To determine what calorie level is best for you, visit the following calorie calculator from the American Council of Exercise. It will take into account your age, gender, height, weight, and physical activity level. The calculator will estimate how many calories you need daily to maintain your weight. If your goal is to lose weight, you can either:

Option 1: subtract 500 calories from this daily amount (this will allow you to achieve 1 pound of weight loss per week)

Option 2: subtract 1000 calories from this daily amount (this will allow you to achieve 2 pounds of weight loss per week)

Healthy, natural weight loss is right around 1-2 pounds a week so I would not suggest subtracting more calories than suggested above. Eating too little calories can also be an inhibitor to weight loss.

I hope you enjoy The Diet Duchess 7 day meal plans and that they get you one step closer to Royally Rocking Your Diet. If you have any questions about them or have questions about what calorie level to choose, feel free to shoot me an email in the Contact section of the website.

Royally Yours,

The Diet Duchess

Homemade Healthy Granola

It’s been a few weeks since I shared a recipe and thought it was time to give you guys a new healthy and tasty recipe to try. Granola is a great option for breakfast or a healthy snack. The only problem is most granola you buy at the grocery store has A LOT of ADDED SUGAR!! That kind of defeats the point of a healthy breakfast. So, with this homemade recipe you can cut down on the total sugar while still enjoying whole grains and healthy fats.

In this recipe you can customize your own homemade granola by picking your favorite nuts, grains, and dried fruit. The prep time should only take around 5-7 minutes, plus 30 minutes of baking, so it’s a pretty simple and easy recipe to execute.

Build Your Own Healthy Granola:

Dry Ingredients:

4 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1 tablespoon of your favorite spiceEx- cinnamon, pumpkin spice, or cloves
1 cup raw nuts/seeds Ex-chopped walnuts, pecans, almonds, sunflower seeds, or pumpkin seeds
1 cup of coconut or more oats, quinoa, or nuts
1/2 cup chopped dried fruit Ex- cranberries, raisins, apricots, apple, or pineapple (*Dried fruit usually tends to have a lot of added sugar. To cut down on sugar look for a reduced sugar option of your dried fruit, or look for dried fruit with no added sugar.*)
1 pinch of salt

Wet Ingredients:

¼ cup of oil Ex-olive oil or canola oil
1 ½ teaspoons of vanilla extract
¼ cup of honey or 100% pure maple syrup

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
Mix wet ingredients with dry ingredients
Spread ingredients onto a baking dish/baking sheet that is lined with parchment paper
Bake for 30 minutes until golden brown

Granola dry ingredients - Edited — Dry granola ingredients

Pan of granola - Edited — Granola ready for the oven

If you have diabetes, you can always use less honey or dried fruit for better blood sugar control and be sure to include some protein with your breakfast (for example eggs, peanut butter, or cottage cheese). Also, keep in mind that with granola you don’t need as large of a portion as your typical cereal. A single serving of granola is only ¼ Cup. This serving should be appropriate for a snack. For breakfast, ½ Cup, should be reasonable for most people, but this of course will depend on your individual daily calorie needs.

If you would like to recreate the granola I made that’s pictured in the post, you can find my chosen ingredients below (the combination came out delicious):

4 C old fashioned oats
1 Tbsp of cinnamon
1 C raw chopped almonds
½ C quinoa + ½ C unsweetened coconut flakes ( I added the coconut halfway through the baking process so that it wouldn’t brown too much)
½ C reduced sugar dried cranberries and dried apricots with no added sugar
1 pinch of salt
¼ C of canola oil
1 ½ tsp of vanilla extract
¼ C honey

You can try enjoying your granola solo, with milk, over plain unsweetened yogurt, or cottage cheese. I hope you find this week’s recipe as tasty as I did. Be sure to store your granola in an air tight container (I like to use a Mason jar) and it should last 1-2 weeks.

Like and comment below, letting me know how your granola came out. Also be sure to stay tuned for next week’s post that will feature the official launch of The Diet Duchess 7 day meal plans that will be available for sale in the Products section of the website.

Royally Yours,

The Diet Duchess

Weight Worry: Who’s Really Benefiting from Regular Weigh-ins?

Let’s face it, one of the most notoriously dreaded parts of tracking weight loss progress for many people is stepping onto the scale. It’s a truth tell all moment where you get to see if all your hard work to lose weight is starting to pay off. I’ve had so many clients report in my office that they’re weighing themselves daily or even multiple times a day in the hope that they will see their weight moving in the downward progression. The real question though is, how often should we be weighing ourselves?

Don’t panic if you step on the scale twice in one day and notice the numbers don’t match

The first most important truth to realize is that our weight changes throughout the day. We do not weigh the same in the morning as we do later on in the day. There are many things that affect the number on the scale as the day progresses such as the foods we eat and our hydration status (for example, how much water or fluids we are drinking and whether or not we have recently gone to the bathroom or lost fluids through sweat). So don’t panic if you step on the scale twice in one day and notice the numbers don’t match.

Not all scales are created

Another important truth to realize is that not all scales are created equal. You can weigh something completely different at the doctor’s office than you do at home. Your best bet is to track your progress on the same scale for better accuracy. Additionally you want to avoid weighing yourself on carpet because it can give you an incorrect reading. Always make sure your scale is on a flat hard surface and that your weight is evenly distributed. My general rule of thumb and recommendation is to check your weight once a week. Aim to check your weight the same day of the week, at the same time (in the morning when you first wake up after using the bathroom is best), and try to wear the same clothing (if any at all). Following these guidelines can help give you a more accurate picture of what your weight is and which way it is trending.

Now you may be thinking, let’s just avoid the scale completely. I never want to weigh myself again! Before you make that decision, it’s important to know what some of the research says. A study done by the Journal of Nutrition and Dietetics in 2012 found that people who lost weight were more likely to keep it off if they weighed themselves regularly. In addition the National Weight Loss Registry found that 75 percent of people who lost weight and successfully kept it off were weighing themselves at least once a week. Using the scale as a tool for weight loss and weight management therefore has the ability to help keep you on track.

Say goodbye to scale anxiety

There may be a group of us though that have had some negative experiences with stepping on the scale and may actually have serious anxiety at the thought of even doing it. If you fall into this category, and the number on the scale has the ability to drastically change your mood or the way you feel about yourself, then consistent weigh-ins may not be your friend and can potentially cause more harm than good. I myself fell into this category and gave up routine weight checks years ago. Instead I keep my focus on staying active, eating right, and the way I feel. It’s important to remember that the number on the scale is just that, a number. Nothing more, nothing less. It doesn’t define who you are.

Alternatives to stepping on the scale

If you decide that routine trips to the scale aren’t for you but you want other methods to track your progress, I have a couple of suggestions for you:

Measure your weight loss in inchesUse a measuring tape to track the inches you lose (for example measure your waistline, chest, hips, thighs, and arms and re-measure every three to four weeks to track your progress )
Track your body fat percentageUse a handheld body fat analyzer to observe the trend of your weight loss and fitness level through your body fat percentage. Many body fat analyzers can be bought online for under forty dollars.
Monitor your weight loss by clothing sizeSize unfortunately is not standardized, so I would recommend picking one brand of clothing that you already wear and celebrate when you achieve the victory of making it down to a smaller size.

I hope this week’s post answered some of your questions on weigh ins and weight loss, and how often (if at all for some of us) we should be stepping up onto that scale. I encourage you to consider yourself and whether or not a weekly weigh-in or one of the alternatives I suggested will be the most productive tool for you in your weight loss and weight management journey. Make the decision and start implementing whatever is going to work best for you.

Until next week,

The Diet Duchess

Workout wisdom: A dietitian’s guide to healthy eating after workouts

Have you ever wondered what the best thing to eat or drink after a workout is? Have you ever thought ok, now that I’ve spent time at the gym I can go eat some junk food? Maybe you want to choose the right foods for yourself after your workout but just aren’t sure what to eat. Well, today I am going to give you the inside scoop on the three most important things your body needs after a workout.

The foods we eat and drink play an important role in giving our body the energy we need before a workout as well as the nutrition needed for recovery afterwards. Whether you train rigorously as an athlete, or do the occasional workout, this article will give you some helpful tips on what to choose for your post workout nutrition.

The first thing you want to make sure you do is replace fluids lost during exercise…..in other words hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Water is always a great option for staying hydrated and replacing the fluids you lose during a workout through sweat.

Replace Fluids Lost

When you are doing a light or moderate exercise session, water alone can meet you re-hydration needs. The average person does not need more than this. Sports drinks such as Gatorade that have carbohydrates and electrolytes (sodium and potassium) are only indicated for athletes doing vigorous and sustained physical activities lasting 90 minutes or more.

If you are exercising for general health and/or to lose weight or you are exercising for an hour or less sports drinks are not an appropriate option for you. In addition they are not a good choice as a day to day beverage because they provide an unneeded amount of sugar and sodium.

Consume Carbohydrates and Quality Protein

Glycogen is the energy stored in your muscles to help fuel your workouts. When you exercise, these stores are used and eventually depleted. Carbohydrates are therefore needed after a workout to help replenish the glycogen that was used. Some examples of carbohydrates include fruit, grains such as bread, rice, cereal, pasta, and milk.

In addition to carbohydrates, you also want to consume a quality protein source to help repair and build muscle tissue after your workouts. Examples of a quality protein include meat, fish, dairy, eggs, and soy. For adults, 10 to 35% of your daily calories should be made up of protein. After a workout, protein needs can be met by using the equation of 0.3 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight.

0.3 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight = your post workout protein needs

*Athletes and people at extreme ends of the weight spectrum may not fit this equation*

For example, if you weigh 150 pounds, divide your weight in pounds by 2.2 to convert it into kilograms (150 lbs divided by 2.2 = 68.2 kilograms). Then multiply your weight in kilograms by 0.3 grams of protein to get the total grams of protein you need for your post workout recovery meal (68.2 kg x 0.3 grams of protein = 20 grams of protein).

Most people are able to get their protein needs from diet alone, but protein powders can be a good alternative when you aren’t able to prepare a balanced meal or snack after your workout.

To help get you started, here are some ideas on what to eat after a workout.

Post workout nutrition examples:

Plain yogurt or low fat cottage cheese with berries
1 cup of chocolate milk
A turkey or tuna sandwich wrap made with a whole wheat tortilla, cucumber, spinach, and tomato
A smoothie recovery shake made with low fat milk and frozen berries
Black bean, tofu, and vegetable chili with a slice of cornbread
Stir fry chicken with mixed vegetables and brown rice

Vegetarian Chili and Cornbread — ***Vegetarian Chili with Cornbread***

Timing Is Key

Try to get your post recovery nutrition, whether it is a meal or snack within 2 hours of your workout. If your goal is to build muscle and increase lean muscle mass, aim to have your post workout meal as soon as possible due to current studies suggesting protein consumption for the purpose of increasing muscle mass is greatest immediately after your workout. Keep in mind that higher intake of protein after workouts, for example, greater than 40 grams of dietary protein have not yet been shown to increase muscle protein synthesis.

The next time you workout, remember the three most important things you need afterwards: fluids (water), carbohydrates, and protein. Over the next week, I challenge you to try at least one of my post workout nutrition meals or snacks. Comment below and let me know which ones work best for you.

Until next week.

Royally Yours,

The Diet Duchess

Weight Loss in 2019…..Resolutions for the New Year

The year is coming to a close, and 2019 is just around the corner…..which means New Year’s resolutions aren’t far off. You may have already thought of the list of things that you want to work on in the new year, or maybe you haven’t given it any thought yet.

What I like about creating resolutions is the fact that you are working to better yourself, whether it’s with healthier eating, time management, traveling, weight loss, or anything else in between. Two of the most common New Year’s resolutions are to lose weight and exercise more. If you have one of these goals for the new year, one of the best ways to be successful with them is to make sure you’re making SMART goals. SMART goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-bound. For example, your SMART goal for the new year could be:

Within six months I will be consistently exercising at least three times a week for 30-45 minutes.

This goal meets all five criterion and is a lot more specific than if you just said your goal in the new year was to exercise more. Being SMART with your goals will help you to be more successful at reaching them. Below I’ve shared with you some dietitian approved tips to be successful with your exercise and weight loss goals in the new year.

Ways to be successful with exercise:

Start small and gradually increase your workout routine. Even 10-15 minute increments of exercise add up and make a difference.
Find something that you love to do. It can be kickboxing, swimming, Zumba, yoga or anything really……. the key is finding something you enjoy. Try a new class or activity if you don’t know what you like. The fact is, if you like your workouts you are more likely to stick with them long-term.
Use the buddy system. Whether you have plans to meet up with a friend to work out, or incorporate physical activity as a part of your family’s lifestyle, there is strength in numbers and accountability in working out with others.
Include both cardio and weight training (for example weight lifting or exercises that use your body weight such as push ups, lunges, and squats) in your workout routine. Both types of exercise are important and offer your body different benefits.

Ways to be successful with weight loss:

Focus on building a healthier lifestyle instead of trying to follow a temporary fad diet. These diets are often very restrictive and practically impossible to maintain long-term. Aim to have your weight loss be healthy and natural.
Try to include veggies and a lean protein such as eggs, tofu, chicken, fish, or turkey with most meals.
Don’t skip meals. Skipping meals can lead to overeating later in the day and can be counterproductive to weight loss.
Limit your intake of sugary drinks such as soda, juice, Gatorade, vitamin water, sweetened iced teas, etc. They are limited in nutrients and high in sugar and excess calories and can easily contribute to extra weight gain.
Allow yourself to have a treat every once in a while. It will satisfy your craving and help you keep on track with your healthy eating by not depriving you. Telling yourself you can never eat your favorite food (for example- ice cream, french fries, or pasta) anymore can be a way to set yourself up for failure.

There you have it. I hope you found my tips to get you started with your goals in the new year helpful. Like and comment below…..and if you’re feeling really bold, share what some of your resolutions for 2019 are.

Royally Yours,

The Diet Duchess

Homemade hot cocoa for Christmas

One of my favorite treats around this time of year is a warm cup of hot cocoa. With Christmas just one day away, I thought I would share this tasty homemade hot cocoa recipe with you so you can enjoy it just in time for the holidays. Whether you live somewhere cold, or are somewhere warm like sunny Southern California, this is a tasty and festive treat for all.

Now let me disclose that this homemade hot cocoa recipe is not healthy or modified in any way to be healthier. Following a healthy balanced diet means sometimes enjoying a treat every once in a while, whether that’s french fries, ice cream, or even hot chocolate. The key is eating these less healthy foods that are higher in sugar, saturated fat, and sodium less often and making sure that when you do have them, you keep your portions in check 😉

This was actually my first time making homemade hot cocoa, as I grew up on the instant packets, but like most foods and beverages, I can attest that homemade is definitely better. The recipe is super simple and only took a few minutes to make.

Creamy Hot Cocoa

Ingredients:

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup white sugar
1 pinch of salt
1/3 cup boiling water
3 1/2 cups of milk
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup half and half cream

Directions:

Add the cocoa, sugar, and pinch of salt to a saucepan.
Blend in the boiling water and bring the mixture to a boil while you stir (watch to make sure it doesn’t scorch).
Reduce heat and simmer for 2 minutes while stirring.
Add in the milk and heat until very hot but not boiling.
Remove from heat and add vanilla.
Divide the cocoa between 4 mugs and add the cream equally between them.
Top with marshmallows, whipped cream, and sprinkles as desired and enjoy.

Plain hot cocoa close up - Edited — Plain Hot Cocoa

Marshmallow hot cocoa - Edited — Hot Cocoa with Marshmallows

Whipped cream hot cocoa - Edited — Hot Cocoa with Whipped Cream

Hot cocoa aerial view - Edited — Hot Cocoa with All the Fixings

I hope you enjoy this homemade hot cocoa with your loved ones, and wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.

Royally yours,

The Diet Duchess

A Healthy Spin on the Infamous Egg McMuffin

Have you ever felt guilty after leaving the Mc Donald’s drive through? If so, then you’re not alone. We all have probably been there at some point. Mc Donald’s is quick, convenient, and practically everywhere.

A familiar quick and ready to grab breakfast choice for many Americans is the ever popular Egg McMuffin at McDonald’s. A warm toasted English muffin with a fresh egg, lean Canadian bacon, American cheese, and melted butter…….do I have your mouth watering yet? This classic and tasty breakfast option is simple to make and easy to enjoy.

McDonald’s has a reputation of being notoriously unhealthy, so this week, I’d like to give you some ideas for a healthier spin on the classic Egg McMuffin and how you can make this refreshing breakfast sandwich from home…and best of all, guilt free.

Tip #1 Switch to whole grain

A simple and easy modification that you can make is switching out the white English muffin to a whole wheat one. The whole grain version will offer you more fiber and can help you to stay full longer in between meals. The USDA My Plate model recommends that we make half of our grains whole grains as a part of a healthy diet and to help lower the risk of chronic disease.

Tip #2 Add in your favorite veggies

Veggies are an important part of a balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle. Adding a serving of veggies to most of your meals is a good way to boost your intake of vitamins and minerals, and keep your calories low. You can simply add spinach to your breakfast sandwich or sauté some of your favorite vegetables. I chose to saute mushrooms and bell peppers, but the sky’s the limit.

Tip #3 Switch out the American cheese

Processed cheese such as American cheese has twice the amount of sodium as natural cheese, and generally contains additional additives and preservatives. Processed cheese also is usually only made up of around 50 percent real cheese. For a healthier choice than American singles, go with a regular cheese (for example regular low fat cheddar) for a more natural option.

Ok, it’s official, now that you have my 3 tips to making a healthier egg McMuffin, you are ready to start enjoying “Mc Donald’s” right from your house. Give it a try and let me know how it goes by commenting on the post below.

Royally yours,

The Diet Duchess

All Hail Kale: 4 Ways This Popular Super Food Can Benefit Your Health

Kale has been a popular topic over the past few years, and for good reason. This leafy green vegetable is jam packed with nutrients and has a handful of health benefits.

Unfortunately kale is not always an instant palate pleaser to everyone. You may have tried it before and felt like Loretta Devine on the Carmichael Show who described kale in the following words, “it’s nasty, that tastes like Christmas tree”. Not to worry. In addition to reviewing some of the great health benefits of kale in this week’s post, I’ll also provide some suggestions on different ways you can include kale in your diet in a tasty way.

First let’s run through some of the health benefits of kale so that you will have some motivation to try it (or for some of you, try it again).

Improved Eyesight

Kale contains the following nutrients lutein and zeaxanthin which can protect your eyes from sunlight damage and can lower the risk of macular degeneration and cataracts. Kale is also rich in vitamins A, K, C, and the mineral manganese.

Weight Management

One cup of raw kale contains just 8 calories. This nutrient rich low calorie vegetable can be helpful with weight management and glycemic control. Kale is also a good source of fiber which can aid your body in digestion and give you more satiety with your meals.

Protection Against Disease

Antioxidants

Kale is also rich in antioxidants. Antioxidants work to protect our bodies by fighting free radicals that are known to damage cells and cause diseases such as cancer. Carotenoids, vitamin A, and vitamin C are the main antioxidants found in kale that are fighting to protect your body.

Anti-inflammatory

In addition to functioning as antioxidants, some of these valuable vitamins and nutrients found in kale also offer an anti-inflammatory effect (vitamin C and polyphenols), defending the body against inflammation. Anti-inflammatory foods may be beneficial in the management of diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis.

Tasty Ways to Enjoy Kale

There are many different ways you can enjoy this nutritious vegetable. Here are some examples to help get you started.

Sauteed

Saute kale in a little olive oil with garlic, salt, and pepper to taste

Mixed in a salad

Eating raw kale will not be appealing to everyone. I therefore suggest using baby kale or lacinato kale due to the softer leaves and milder taste. Additionally, you can try mixing the kale with other greens and lettuce that you are more accustomed to such as spinach or butter lettuce (Do Not eat romaine lettuce right now because of the recall for E.coli) . Due to the bitter flavor of kale, you may also find it helpful to add something sweet to your salad to balance the flavor such as carrots, fresh strawberries, or dried fruit.

Cooked in a soup or casserole

Often times non starchy vegetables are limited or completely missing in many soup and casserole dishes. This is a great way to add this healthful green to your favorite dish.

Blended in a smoothie

Try adding a few leaves of kale into your favorite fruit smoothie. The natural sweetness of the fruit will help even your kids forget that there is a vegetable in their drink.

Kale Smoothie — Fruit smoothie with kale

Baked as kale chips

Toss 1 bunch of chopped kale leaves with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and salt to taste, bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10-15 minutes until the edges of the kale leaves are browned.

There are so many different ways to try and enjoy kale. I hope this week’s post has given you a deeper look into the nutritional value of kale, but more importantly has given you some practical ways to experience the benefits to your health first hand.

Royally yours,

The Diet Duchess

Cyber Monday: 5 handy health and fitness gifts to give this holiday

Have you ever felt overwhelmed at the very thought of all the holiday shopping you still have left to do? I know I have.The holidays are filled with fun, joy, and laughter, but also a lot of the time, STRESS!! To help simplify your shopping list this year, and to help save time and money from mailing your Christmas presents at the post office, here are five great health and fitness inspired gifts to get for your loved ones……or even add to your own Christmas wish list.

The Fitbit Alta HR

This activity tracker can monitor your heart rate and measure how many calories you burn each day. Use the different zones (fat burn, cardio, and peak) to match your workout intensity with your fitness and weight loss goals. Track your daily steps and minutes of physical activity. Use this tracker to help you stay motivated in your fitness.

2. Wii fit game with balance board

The Wii fit game (Wii console sold separately) is a great and fun way to get your kids active at home under the guise of playing a video game. It’s a clever way to make fitness more fun for your kids using a medium they already enjoy. A sedentary lifestyle has been one of the big contributors to the obesity epidemic for both adults and children. Get your whole family active this holiday season with the Wii fit.

3. Stainless steel insulated water bottle

I love stainless steel insulated water bottles because they do such a fabulous job of keeping your water cool and refreshing. If you or your loved one have been trying to drink more water or know that you need to, this is a great gift idea. Regardless of the beverage you’ll be putting in the water bottle, it has the capability of keeping cold beverages cold for 24 hours and hot beverages hot for 12 hours. Trust me, after using one of these, you will never want to go back to a regular water bottle.

4. Instant pot and cookbook

This newly popular device actually features 7 kitchen appliances in 1 including: pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker, yogurt maker and warmer, saute, and steamer. This is a great way to cook healthy at home meals 70 percent faster to help simplify your already busy lifestyle. You can even cook some dishes by simply adding ingredients to the pot and pushing the appropriate feature (for example- soup, rice, meat/stew, and poultry to name a few). Use the cookbook to try fast, easy, and healthy recipes at home.

5. Air Fryer

The air fryer is a kitchen appliance that fries food with 75 percent less fat than a deep fryer. Fried foods should be eaten less often due to the higher calorie and saturated fat content, however it’s possible to enjoy fried foods every once in a while and still maintain a healthy lifestyle. Use the air fryer to enjoy warm and crispy french fries straight from your home without the worry of getting off track with your weight loss goals.

I hope this week’s post will make your holiday shopping a little easier and healthier. If you enjoyed this week’s post, please comment and like below.

Until next week,

The Diet Duchess

*This week’s post includes affiliate links*

Welcome Blog Post

I remember how it was for me before I got my nutrition degree, there were so many different sources of diet information, it was difficult to decipher what was valid and who to trust. There are constantly new fad diets and different weight loss products hitting the market promising miraculous weight loss and health benefits, but it can be extremely difficult knowing what’s true and where to invest your money.

When I was still doing my general education courses in college, I tried the maple syrup diet master cleanse where you literally have no food to eat and only drink this concoction of maple syrup, lemon juice, cayenne pepper, and water. Isn’t it amazing the crazy things we will do in the name of weight loss? Suffice it to say, I wasn’t able to do this for a very long period of time despite my best efforts and it definitely didn’t help me to eat any healthier. If anything I think it was harmful to my relationship with food (along with other dieting approaches) with the yo-yoing back and forth between restriction and indulgence.

As you can see from my personal story, I have been just where you are, desperate to try any diet or miracle supplement that will help you to lose weight. Don’t beat yourself up. Some of the promises and results of the many different fad diets and weight loss products can be enticing. The US weight loss market is a 66 billion dollar industry, and I personally have invested money into different products over the years, but with no long term success or practical understanding of how to eat healthy.

Various research articles have shown that one of the common trends of fad dieting is the weight regain afterwards. Fad diets are usually too good to be true. Think of it this way, if the new diet you’re planning on trying is offering a quick fix or is cutting out major food groups, it’s not likely going to be something that you can maintain long term. Your success therefore, will be short lived.

If you are ready to let go of temporary solutions to your lifelong goal of healthy eating and weight management, then follow my blog, The Diet Duchess, each week for a new nutrition topic to help you better understand how to gradually modify your eating behaviors and build your way towards a healthier lifestyle. I am excited to share my passion and professional expertise with you to help you achieve your diet and weight loss goals. Stay tuned as we begin our journey together to “royally rock your diet”.

Estrella, MS, Registered Dietitian

“The Diet Duchess”

Continue reading “Welcome Blog Post”