VP Health & Fitness

Archive for the ‘Recipes’

7/29/2008 - morning window shopping and migas

July 29, 2008 By: Vilma Perez Category: Daily Journal, Pictures, Recipes 3 Comments →

I figured I’d catch up on my blogging since my car is in the shop right now and I have no way of transporting myself to the gym unless I want to walk 5 miles!!! No thank you, i’ll pass… I will just have to schedule some time tonight to go.

So, I took an early morning walk this morning right after I dropped off the Cobalt for service at 7 am. I had to go to Office Depot to pick up a label maker so I can work on #17 of my 101 in 1001 project ( I will have a post and pictures about this when I get it done). I live about 1 mile away from one of our shopping centers here in El Paso (Bassett Place) and Office Depot is right next to it, so I figured that I would get a little morning workout in and kill two birds with one stone.

BTW, I do not think I have mentioned this to my online friends but I am no longer working at my job. There comes a time when you just have to let things go and this job was doing more harm than good on so many levels, so I am HAPPY to say that I am moving on and up… (more on this later). Don’t get me wrong… I learned many many things while I was there and met some pretty incredible people but I firmly believe that there is a purpose for everything that we go through and and time for everything… and well, it was time to move on. The reason I mention this is because if I were working, I would not be typing up this blog right now! You know, in case you were wondering were the HECK I get the time to all these things! :D

Ok… back to my eventlful morning!

What I didn’t remember is that Bassett Place opens their doors to walkers and people that want to exercise and walk at 7 am in the morning! So, I got my morning walk in which included free music, refrigirated air, and window shopping! And on top of that I was fully expecting to dish out $30 on a cool label maker and what do you know…. it was on SALE for $9.99!!!! My day is just getting better!!!!!! I even took a couple of pictures to share with you all….

Well, I get home at about 8:15 am and by now I am STARVING so I decide to whip up some migas. For those of you that don’t know what migas are, Wikipedia explains it very very well! I first got exposed to this delicious dish about 10 years ago down in McAllen, Texas when I was visiting a friend and his family. THANK YOU Mrs. Murillo… this is my favorite breakfast dish by far!!!!

So, here is my version of this delicious dish:

1 portion of turkey sausage

1 serving of mixed bell peppers

1 TBSP of fine chopped red onion

1 white corn tortilla

4 egg whites

1 egg

Cilantro Salsa

Cook and mix together and VAUALAH!!!!!! 400 calories of healthy yummyness to start my day!

So, there you go!

Peace,

~ Vilma

Healthy Protein Shake Recipes

January 02, 2008 By: Vilma Perez Category: Recipes No Comments →

Protein Shakes always get me out of bind when i’m running late or need a quick & simple meal.

I’ve even started my own Recipe Book with a couple of my own recipes that I would like to share with you. My favorite one right now is my Strawberry Kiwi Smoothie:

Ingredients

Strawberries, frozen, unsweetened, 1 cup, unthawed
Syntrax Nectar Stawberry Kiwi Protein Powder, 26 gram(s)
EAS Vanilla Protein, 17.5 gram(s)
1 cup of cold water
Splenda to taste

Nutritional Info
Calories: 212.2
Total Fat: 1.4 g
Total Carbs: 15.1 g
Protein: 37.1 g

See Full Nutritional Information

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For more healthy protein shake recipes check out the following resources:

Vilma’s Protein Shake recipe Box

BodyBuilding.com’s Protein Shake List

Recipes for Protein Shakes & Snacks from Critical Bench

Fit Food: The Protein Recipe Page

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Enjoy!

Recipe Find - Healthy Holiday Cookies

December 12, 2007 By: Vilma Perez Category: Nutrition, Recipes No Comments →

One of my favorite Christmas Traditions is to bake lots and lots of my famous chocolate chip cookies. I think I’ve baked about 150 little ones so far & I have about 500 more to go!

My ultimate goal would be to make a healthier version of them with more protein & less sugar without compromising the taste or texture of it. So far I have it down to 143 cals per cookie witch is not THAT bad compared to the evil Albertson cookies that I indulged on a couple of months ago!

So… until I get my cookie’s “healthy stamp of approval ” by my tastebuds, you should checkout Sparkpeople’s Food Feature for this month on healthy holiday cookies.

There are 12 recipes in all that you can enjoy without the guilt.

Spark People 12 Days of Holiday Cookies

~ Vilma

What Does 200 Calories Look Like?

August 29, 2007 By: Vilma Perez Category: Nutrition, Recipes No Comments →

Every wondered what 200 Calorie portions look like? Wisegeek lists over 70 food items (in order of weight) along with an appropriate photo of each. Topping the list is celery - where it takes a massive 1.4 kilograms to provide 200 calories of food energy.

Another good place to check is the Calorie King Portion Watch tool.

What Do 300 Calorie Meals Look Like?

April 27, 2007 By: Vilma Perez Category: Nutrition, Recipes No Comments →

Courtesy of: The Diet Blog

Here is a selection of meals that are in the 300-400 Calorie range. The visual representation gives an idea of portion size.

Breakfast - 290 Calories
1 whole wheat English muffin
2 pats low fat butter
1 hard boiled egg
1/2 cup of fruit
8 oz fruit juice
8 oz water

Cereal - 300 Calories
2 cups of cereal
8 oz 2% milk
1 banana
1 coffee or tea

Baked potato - 305 Calories
1 medium baked potato
2 tablespoons sour cream
2 tablespoons salsa
1 cup sliced melon
12 oz water

Oatmeal - 325 Calories
1 cup oatmeal with raisins
1 cup of fruit
1 cup coffee or tea
1 banana

Soup - 350 Calories
1 bowl of soup
1 small tossed salad
2 tablespoons reduced fat oil and vinegar dressing
12 oz water
4 saltine crackers

Chicken - 345 Calories
6 oz of chicken
1 cup of green beans
2 pats of low-fat butter
1 small tossed salad
2 tablespoons reduced fat oil and vinegar dressing
12 oz water

Chicken Salad - 350 Calories
1 large tossed salad
2 tablespoons reduced fat oil and vinegar dressing
6 oz sliced chicken
1 cup of low fat wheat thin crackers
12 oz water

Scrambled eggs - 360 Calories
2 scrambled eggs
2 strips of turkey bacon
1 piece whole wheat toast
1 pat of low fat butter
1 coffee or tea
8 oz water

Fish - 365 Calories
6 oz broiled white fish
1 cup of mashed potatoes
1 pat of butter
1/2 cup of peas
8 oz diet iced tea

Chicken and Rice - 395 Calories
6 oz cooked chicken
2 tablespoons of barbecue sauce
1 cup of mixed vegetables
1/2 cup of brown rice
1 small tossed salad
2 tablespoons reduced fat oil and vinegar dressing
12 oz water

Photos courtesy of Dr. Stephen Butler and Leslie Stefanowicz, NP

Top 10 foods for a good night’s sleep!

April 27, 2007 By: Vilma Perez Category: Health, Nutrition, Recipes No Comments →

I’m definitely going to implement this!

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Realage.com

Top 10 Foods for a Good Night’s Sleep

The secret to getting a solid 7 to 8 hours? About 90 minutes before you want to nod off, head for the kitchen and make yourself a sleepy-time snack. Keep it light (around 200 calories), so you don’t overload your digestive system. And include one or two foods from the list below. All help to relax tense muscles, quiet buzzing minds, and/or get calming, sleep-inducing hormones — serotonin and melatonin — flowing. Yawning yet?

1.	Bananas — They’re practically a sleeping pill in a peel. In addition to a bit of soothing melatonin and serotonin, bananas contain magnesium, a muscle relaxant.
2.	Chamomile tea — Chamomile is a staple of bedtime tea blends because of its mild sedating effect, which makes it the perfect natural antidote for restless minds and bodies.
3.	Warm milk — It’s not a myth. Milk has some tryptophan, an amino acid that has a sedative-like effect, and calcium, which helps the brain use tryptophan. Plus, there’s the psychological throwback to infancy, when a warm bottle meant “relax, everything’s fine.”
4.	Honey — Drizzle a little in your warm milk or herb tea. Lots of sugar is stimulating, but a little glucose tells your brain to turn off orexin, a recently discovered neurotransmitter that’s linked to alertness.
5.	Potatoes — A small baked spud won’t overwhelm your gastrointestinal tract as it clears away acids that can interfere with yawn-inducing tryptophan. To up the soothing effect, mash the potato with warm milk.
6.	Oatmeal — Oats are a rich source of sleep-inviting melatonin, and a small bowl of warm cereal with a splash of maple syrup is cozy — and if you’ve got the munchies, it’s filling, too.
7.	Almonds — A handful of these heart-healthy nuts can send you snoozing because they contain both tryptophan and a nice dose of muscle-relaxing magnesium.
8.	Flaxseeds — When life goes awry, and feeling down is keeping you up, try sprinkling 2 tablespoons of these healthy little seeds on your bedtime oatmeal. They’re rich in omega-3 fatty acids, a natural mood lifter.
9.	Whole-wheat bread — A slice of toast with your tea and honey will release insulin, which helps tryptophan get to your brain, where it’s converted to serotonin and quietly murmurs “time to sleep.”
10.	Turkey — It’s the best-known source of tryptophan, credited with all those Thanksgiving naps. But that’s actually modern folklore. Tryptophan works when your stomach’s basically empty rather than overstuffed and when there are some carbs around rather than tons of protein. But put a lean slice or two on some whole-wheat bread midevening and you’ve got one of the best sleep-inducers in your kitchen.

What if none of these foods helps? Check out your sleep habits with this quick RealAge assessment to find out what’s keeping you up at night.

Lullaby Muffins

Between the bananas, the whole wheat, and the light touch of sweetness, these muffins are practically an edible lullaby.2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 large, very ripe bananas
1/3 cup applesauce
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup milk or soymilk Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, combine the flour (make sure it’s whole-wheat pastry flour or you’ll produce golf balls, not muffins), salt, and baking powder. In a blender, puree the bananas; add the applesauce, honey, and milk. Blend well. Pour the banana mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until just moistened. Line muffin tins with paper muffin cups and pour in batter. Bake 30 minutes or until tops are lightly brown and slightly springy. Makes 12 low-fat muffins.

Nutrition Facts
Per serving: 119 calories; 1g fat; 2.5g protein; 27g carbohydrate; 10g sugar; 133mg sodium; 3g fiber; 35mg magnesium

Medical Disclaimer: All information in this article is of a general nature and is furnished for your knowledge and understanding only. This information is not to be taken as medical or other health advice pertaining to specific health and medical conditions.