Nutrition: Vitamins I recommend: My order on LivingFuel.com

I just placed this order on LivingFuel.com for :

Living Fuel - Super Greens
Omega 3 & E1
TheraSweet

I have been taking the Super Greens for the last 3 months and I feel really good. I also eat a very clean diet and exercise, but I have been restricting calories for the past two months, which can sometimes take quiet a toll on your immune system and your energy levels. Happy to say I haven't gotten sick at all and I really do feel good. Everyone needs to be taking a really good multi-vitamin, and I highly recommend this one. My friend Leslie recommended them to me and I take a 1/2 scoop every morning as soon as I wake up. The Omega's I haven't tried yet, or the TheraSweet, so stay tuned.
I also find that some of the multi-level marketing products, like Mona Vie, are beneficial as well; but I personally don't buy into those types of products.

Nutrition: Easy protein and Veggie Curry dish

I just came home from 5 days in NYC, and didn't have much in the fridge to eat. So I grabbed:
2 can's of tuna in water
1 package of Mediterranean style frozen mixed veggies
1/4 cup red curry sauce (from Trader Joe's) mixed with 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
I placed all of the ingredients in a skillet and cooked until the sauce thickened. Absolutely delicious!

Nutrition: Protein Pancakes with cottage cheese

Protein Pancakes with cottage cheese: EVERYONE, even my "non-fitness" friends love these pancakes!

• 1/2 cup egg whites
• 1/2 cup oats
• 1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese
• 1/8 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup frozen, warmed berries with their juices as a topping or sugar free syrup
• Splenda to taste
  

Blend first four ingredients until smooth (I use the magic bullet; if you use a blender be sure to put the wet ingredients in first)
Pour onto heated griddle or non-stick pan (check to see if its hot enough with a splash of water-if it sizzles, its hot enough)
When pancake bubbles, flip and cook the other side
I like to top mine with frozen, organic strawberries-warmed and sliced and poured over the top with their juices. You can use Splenda to taste.

Good vs Bad Food

Click on the title read a really good article written by John Berardi, PhD, CSCS

Nutrition: Protein Pancakes with Whey Protein Powder

I just had these this morning; this recipe makes about 3 pancakes:
Approximate Nutrients:
40 grams protein (from the eggs, powder, pancake mix, and soy milk)
29 grams starch (pancake mix)
7 grams of carbs from the protein powder; 7 grams carbs from the applesauce
425 Calories

• 1/3 cup of Arrowhead Mills Organic Buckwheat Pancake and Waffle mix
• 1 scoop of Lean Dessert Protein powder in Fresh Cinnamon Roll (or flavor of your choice)
• 1/4 teaspoon of baking powder1/2 cup egg whites
• 1/4 cup organic, unsweetened applesauce
• 1/3 cup organic, unsweetened soy milk
• stir all dry ingredients together, then add wet ingredients; stir just until smooth
• fry on a pancake griddle or in a frying pan
• top with sugar free syrup or strawberries

Nutrition: My favorite Salad

Being on a restricted calorie diet and training hard for competition makes me a very hungry girl. Since salad greens, peppers, onions, and tomatoes are all free foods, I use a TON of them in my salads. It's very filling and I don't get hungry for at least 2 hours after I eat it! Here is my favorite salad recipe: (All ingredients from Costco)

• three full handfuls of organic salad greens (from Costco, of course)
• two handfuls of chopped green, yellow, red, and orange peppers
• chopped, cooked green beans
• chopped broccoli and/or dry broccoli slaw
• diced tomatoes, De-seeded
• 1/2 of a small avocado, chopped
• 4-6 ounces of your favorite protein source- chicken, ground turkey, 5 chopped egg whites, or tuna
  
• I top it all with a 50/50 mix of lemon juice and Galeo's low-fat miso or Galeo's Caesar dressing-1/4 cup of each.

This is a HUGE salad. If you don't quite have the same appetite as me, reduce it to half, and it will still be really big! I usually make about 5 salads at the same time, so I always have ready in the fridge. I eat at least one of these a day. You can substitute the avocado for olive oil, and mix with vinegar for dressing. Limit the olive oil to one tablespoon.

Nutrition: French toast recipe

Take two pieces of Ezekiel bread, soak them in 1 cup of egg whites, 2 packets of splenda, a drop of vanilla extract and lots of cinnamon. Put all ingredients in a non-stick pan with some cooking spray and cook until one side is done, then flip and cook though. Top with spray butter, cinnamon, and one packet of splenda. (or sugar free syrup)

Nutrition: High Protein night-time snack

This is a simple snack to make as you after dinner, pre-bedtime snack; It's sweet, low in carbs and high in protein.
1 cup of low fat organic cottage cheese
1 packet of splenda or 2 packets of Z-sweet
ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon of roasted flaxseeds or 1/4 cup chopped walnuts, almonds or pecans
(be sure to put whole flaxseeds, not ground- the purpose is for the crunch!)

place cottage cheese on a small desert plate
sprinkle splenda, cinnamon and flaxseeds or nuts on top

Cottage cheese contains Casein protein, which is a slower digesting protein; mixed with the fat from the nuts or seeds, it will take longer to digest and your body will utilize the protein for rebuilding through the night.

Nutrition: Turkey Burgers

I like to purchase the turkey burgers from Costco; they are the leanest that I have seen (only 5 grams of fat). You can find them in the freezer section.
I cook them all at once in a large tin pan from Costco, of course. You can cook them from frozen or thaw them, and season them with dry spices. Cook them for 30 minutes at 400 degrees; they do not need to be covered. Take them out of the oven and out of the pan to cool- that way they don't sit in the grease. Slice them when they are cooled and portion them out into 4 oz servings in snack bags. These are a great protein snack to eat with raw carrots or apple slices in the car.

Nutrition: Yummy, freezable Organic Chicken Breast Recipe

What you will need: (you can purchase all items at Costco or Trader Joes)

1 package organic, boneless skinless chicken breast
Marinade: I like to use jalepeno mustard and rosemary; you can use any low sugar marinade that you like, and you can water it down with organic chicken broth.



PREPARATION AND COOKING:
Filet the chicken breasts
Cover and Marinate4 to 5 hours or overnight.
Cook, covered in 350 degree oven for 40 minutes.
Put serving sizes of chicken in Ziploc Freezer bags and store in freezer and fridge.
I like to make mini frozen meals with the chicken; take 1/2 cup cooked brown rice or whole wheat pasta and steamed veggies of your choices, place sliced chicken on top with 1/4 cup of the cooking sauce, and freeze. When you are ready to eat cook on medium power for approx. 4 minutes. This is great when I come home from work starving and wanting a comforting meal in a few minutes. You can also skip the starch and make it low carb with just the meat and veggies and sauce. Yum Yum!

Liz's Top Food Picks

Proteins:
Chicken
Fish
Lean ground chicken, turkey, and beef
Lean cuts of meat (filet and flank steak)
Eggs and egg whites
High quality whey protein powder
Scallops, shrimp, Tilapia, all fish
Turkey
Veggie Cheese
Plain, Greek style yogurt
Low-fat cottage cheese
Starches
plain, old fashioned oats
buckwheat pancake and waffle mix (arrowhead mills-organic preferably)
brown rice
brown rice pasta
100% whole wheat bread
couscous
Kashi Go Lean cereal: 2/3 cup
oat bran
Potato: 4 oz
Sweet Potato:4 oz
whole wheat spaghetti: 2/3 cup
whole wheat pita bread: 3oz
whole grain bagel: 1/2 large or 1 small
shredded wheat
Fats:
All natural organic peanut butter
nuts
olive oil, other oils
avocado
salmon
All fruits and veggies (frozen or fresh):
Berries
Bananas
apples
oranges
kiwis
papaya
honeydew
grapes
pineapple
brocolli
carrots
green beans
cucumbers
asparagus
romaine lettuce
spinach
squash
tomatoes

Condiments:
Organic Ketchup or Trader Joe's Ketchup (has 2 grams sugar per serving)
Mustard, yellow or hot and spicy, or jalepeno, some sweet are okay if low in sugar
Trader Giotto's Organic Marinara Sauce (regular or Tomato Basil) or any that have 3 grams of sugar or less per serving and 3 grams of fat or less
Trader Joe's Thai Red Curry Sauce
Trader Joe's Lemon Picatta Simmer Sauce or Marsala Sauce
Vinegar
Galeo's Miso Dressing
Lemon's (I use these to water down the Curry Sauce and Salad Dressing)
Cottage cheese blended with skim milk or soy milk and a packet of Ranch Dressing mix
spray butter
olive oil cooking spray
sugar free jello






There is no bad fruit or vegetable.
Avoid all processed food, including deli lunch meat. Condiments are fine.
Try to buy organic as often as possible. Please see my post about that.
Take the time to pepare your meals and carry a cooler everywhere you go. Yes, I am serious.
The most important thing I can tell you is to eat an adequate amount every three to four hours. Do not go hungry- it will inevitably lead to bad food choices, and/or overeating. Most people can only process less than 500 calories at a time; anything extra will be stored as FAT. So watch your portion sizes- read the labels!