Cyd Notter

Author and Nutrition Educator, Founder of The "Plan A" Diet™

EASY Plant-Based Recipes for Busy Holiday Months

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We're officially in the toughest season for those trying to stay on-track with their diets. The period between Thanksgiving to New Year's Day is typically when we give ourselves unspoken permission to over-indulge...we might tell ourselves, "it's the holidays, after all!"

Plus, it's hard to stay diligent when you're surrounded by candies, baked goods, and high-calorie beverages.

So what can you do? Two things come to mind:

  1. You can make your "holiday game plan" now. By planning out a few targeted goals, you can still enjoy the holidays without compromising your health. Read more about it here.
  2. Don't add to your stress by planning elaborate meals during the week. Eat simply by making these quick, easy meals which are featured in The 21-Day Meal Plan.  Another way to save time in the kitchen is by batch cooking once or twice a week. Watch this video for my batch cooking suggestions.

Remember, surviving the holidays is not about deprivation!

It's about forming a strategy to eat healthy, delicious foods while avoiding the temptation of all those high-calorie, high-fat weight- and health-busters. As an extra bonus, you'll avoid the guilt AND the bloat when the holidays are over. 🙂

 

A sensible person sees trouble and hides,
but naive people keep going and pay the penalty. (Proverbs 27:12, EHV)

 

Great Christmas gift! Order a signed copy of my book 🙂 - I'll ship it free anywhere in the continental U.S.

Free Webinar: 3 Food Mistakes that Lead to Painful Joints, Extra Pounds, and Health Problems the Doctors Aren't Solving

Online Courses are Available Here

 

 

Pop Quiz #1: Which food has the most sodium?

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Pop Quiz Time

The teachers in my grade school were big fans of "pop quizzes." We never knew when we'd be asked to pull out a blank piece of paper and answer the questions being written on the board.

Most of us dreaded those pop quizzes, but in retrospect, they did keep us on our toes!

In that spirit, there's a little nutrition pop quiz just for fun. See if you know the answer 🙂

Question: Which product contains the most sodium?

a)  a serving of  beef

b)  a serving of baked all-natural chicken

c)  a large order of McDonald’s French fries

d)  a serving of salted pretzels?

(Think it over carefully as the Jeopardy music plays in your head)

 

Image by Peter Werkman on Unsplash.com

Ok, here's the answer:

The chicken.

In his book How Not to Die, Dr. Michael Greger points out that the poultry industry commonly injects chicken carcasses with salt water to artificially inflate their weight, yet the chicken can still be labeled “100 percent natural.”

Consumer Reports found that some supermarket chickens are pumped so full of salt water that they registered 840 mg of sodium per serving - that could mean more than a full day's worth of sodium in just one chicken breast.

Surprising, right?

The majority of our salt intake comes from processed food, animal products, and fast food. But a whole food, plant-based diet provides all the sodium your body needs.

Tips:

  • If you do choose to consume salt, a good rule of thumb is to salt your food at the table rather than at the stove top. Far less salt is used by flavoring the surface of your food rather than mixing/cooking it into the recipe.
  • Keeping your sodium intake below 1500 mg is ideal, according to the American Heart Association. And we get about 500 mg of naturally-occurring sodium in the plants that we eat each day. That would allow for another 1000 mg, which is about 1/2 teaspoon.
  • Lastly, make sure to read your labels! Packaged foods can be sodium bombs! Including breads, sauces, canned foods, and especially soups.

PS: Need help switching to a healthier diet? Check out my courses and optional coaching opportunities. I'd sure love to help you! 

Planning to diet this January? Do this instead.

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The Party's Over

The holidays and the leftover desserts will soon be behind us, which means that many of you will once again resolve to start a new diet on January 1.  

The top three resolutions made every year typically include losing weight, getting healthy and fit, and living life to the fullest.  Fortunately, all three of those goals can be achieved with one lifestyle change….namely, the right food choices. 

Photo by i yunmai on Unsplash

Have Past Diets Failed You?

There are hundreds of diet plans on the market today. But "buyer beware."

Typical diet plans have about a 3% success rate. That means that 97% of people following today's traditional diets (Keto, Paleo, Atkins, South Beach, and even Weight Watchers, among others) will NOT have long-term success.

Many people fall prey to these questionable diet plans in an effort to achieve quick weight loss, not realizing the health problems in store for them down the road.

The answer to permanent weight loss and improved health is simple, achievable and proven by mounds of unbiased research. It’s not a typical diet of restriction, nor is it a diet that requires super human efforts to refrain from eating. Plus, everything you need to do it is at your disposal.

Carbs are your FRIEND! (the right carbs, that is)

Let me show you the difference between healthy complex carbs, and unhealthy refined carbs.

Let me show you the LAST diet you'll ever need. A diet which isn't a DIET at all. It's a lifestyle plan that will restore your health and vitality, with weight loss being a natural byproduct.

No counting calories, no tiny portions, no counting points/carbs/anything. Eat when you're hungry!

Check out this FREE training class:  "3 Food Mistakes Which Lead to Painful Joints, Extra Pounds, and Health Problems the Doctors Aren't Solving."

Do NOT go on another diet this January. Watch the free training class, schedule a call with me if you need help, and gear up so you're ready on January 1!

 

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Order a signed copy of The “Plan A” Diet

How to make delicious Raw Apple Crumble

How to Saute, Roast, and Bake without oil

 

4 Things Necessary for a Successful, Healthy Diet

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Diets don't work long-term

That much we know for sure. Less than 3% of dieters keep the weight off long-term.

Which means 97% of people following today's typical diets will NOT keep the weight off for long.

That's because typical diets based on calorie restriction or smaller portions of the same unhealthy foods are not the answer for long-term weight loss OR improved health.

So what do we need to do?

Lifelong weight control and good health require permanent lifestyle changes, not a short-term, restrictive diet.

Maybe your weight is creeping up or you've just been diagnosed with hypertension/high cholesterol/pre-diabetes. You recognize that it's time for a course correction - and the time to make changes is now. If so, here are four factors to consider before choosing another typical "diet" plan:

Continue reading here.....

Flexible Sheet Pan Dinners

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I received an article today about one pan meals that are ready in 40 minutes. I'm interested!

I'd never heard of a Sheet Pan Dinner (or 'tray bake' according to the article). But I can certainly see the benefits!

By combining an uncooked grain, freshly cut veggies, a can of beans or peas, spices, and veggie broth/water on a baking tray, you can have a complete, nutrient-filled meal in 40 minutes. Add in your favorite sauces or dressings if desired, as well as optional nuts, seeds, or nutritional yeast.

Here's the entire article (along with recipes) on the Forks over Knives website.

I was leery that my baking tray would hold 3.5 cups of liquid, so I did a test and it surely does. I typically use a silicone baking sheet liner (or at the very least, a piece of parchment paper) when roasting or baking, but that may not be necessary with this type of dish. I plan to make the "curry and rice" recipe first, but the flexibility of Sheet Pan Dinners offers countless possibilities!

Minimal effort, minimal clean-up, flexible recipes, and foods which are packed with protein, calcium, and other vital nutrients. What's not to love?

P.S. Want to make quick, Roasted Veggie Pasta? Watch my video here on how to roast the veggies - without oil! Then serve the roasted veggies over whole grain pasta which is topped with a healthy pasta sauce (Aldi has oil-free, organic pasta sauce for under $2 a jar). Everyone loves it!

Let me know if you try the Sheet Pan Dinners (or the Roasted Veggie Pasta)!

Other helpful resources:

A free class: 3 Reasons Dieters Regain the Weight 

A free copy of The 21-Day Meal Plan

Most popular class: Inflammation & Your Diet

Dieting this January? Instead, get this course now and be ready for a permanent change.

Need a gift idea? A signed copy of The "Plan A" Diet would be a great stocking stuffer!

 

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