Bob's Healthy Book Review

If you have been to Hilton Head Health in the last few years, and sat in on my Portion Control class, you might remember that I often referred to a book entitled Mindless Eating. This book is incredibly relevant for those focused on weight loss, healthy living and developing a healthy diet plan. Brian Wansink, Ph.D. and the Cornell University Food and Brand Lab Director, wrote this must-read book based on hundreds of studies and experiments he conducted looking at what factors influence what and how much we eat. His research clearly shows how our environment strongly and unconsciously impacts our eating behavior. As a result of your visit to H3, I hope many of you have taken steps to create an environment that helps manage your portions more effectively, such as: getting smaller plates and glasses, keeping 'less healthy' treats out of sight and more healthy foods around.

Since then Wansink, dubbed the “Sherlock Holmes of food”, has continued his research and just released his new book entitled, Slim By Design. Wansink suggests that the most effective way to manage weight and maintain weight loss long-term isn’t to tell people what they should or shouldn’t do but to help them set up their living environment in a way that will help them lose weight naturally.  He not only shares new and surprising research, (who would guess that the color of the plate you use could influence how much you serve yourself by almost 20%) but provides specific recommendations as to how you can use that information in the areas where most of our food decisions are made: the home, restaurants, grocery stores, your work place, even your kids' schools.

I am looking forward to incorporating this new information into the Portion Control class here at H3, but why wait until you come back to get the benefit? Pick up the book and get started creating the environment that will help you become Slim By Design! Do you have a favorite weight loss or wellness related book?

H3 "No Fat" Pumpkin Spice Latte

In celebration of falls favorite drink and International Coffee Day, the H3 Healthy Kitchen whipped up this H3 "No Fat" Pumpkin Spice Latte, as a special, healthy drink recipe. Everything seems to be pumpkin spiced in the fall. It's the ever popular, perfect beverage for the crisp fall season! However, typical pumpkin spice latte's are filled with unnecessary sugars and have little to do with real pumpkin. So in the season of pumpkin spice and indulgence, enjoy this warm, flavorful latte as a treat without the unwanted sacrifice of your healthy diet!



Ingredients:

¾ cup Skim Milk

2 tsp Agave Nectar

2 Tbsp Pumpkin Puree (unsweetened)

½ tsp Vanilla extract

¼ tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice

¾ cup Coffee

Method

• In a small saucepot, heat while whisking all ingredients together except coffee.


• When desired temperature is reached- pour into a blender and blend until smooth and frothy.


• In each glass measure 2 ounces of coffee then add 3 ounces of milk mixture.


• Stir and enjoy!

Nutrition:

Serves: 3

Serving Size: 5 ounces

Calories: 40

Fat: 0 grams

We hope you enjoy this healthy twist on pumpkin spice! As coffee is filled with antioxidants, and can be a great healthy beverage when not filled with sugar, we encourage you to treat yourself to this recipe! Happy Fall!

5th Annual Devin's Dash Memorial 5K

Despite the inclement weather, this year's Devin's Dash was a success! With the help of our sponsors, volunteers and race participants we raised almost $6000 for Happiness is Camping. Amazing! The overall race winner and first male was H3’s own Experience Planner Alex Santa, and the first female race was winner Kim Stanziola. The after party included fresh H3 smoothies and healthy snacks compliments of the H3 Culinary Team, great music, a raffle drawing for the amazing prizes donated by our sponsors, and of course, post-race stretching to prevent any injuries. The official Devin’s Dash Page is here http://www.h3daily.com/devinsdash/ to see the prizes, more race results and sponsors. If you missed this year's Devin's Dash Memorial 5K Run/Walk held at Hilton Head Health, here's a quick photo recap.

Devin's Dash is one of our favorite races and events on Hilton Head Island, and we're so proud to host it! We thank all of those who participated, and hope that we see you all again next year!

H3 Potato Latkes

As the holiday season approaches, the H3 Healthy Kitchen is committed to making new recipes that allow you to eat your favorite holiday foods while still following a healthy lifestyle. The holidays are easily one of the hardest times of the year to stay healthy, but we believe in you! With a little help from some healthy holiday recipes and commitment, you can stay on track!

Try this potato latke recipe! These latkes are so easy to make in advance and reheat/recrisp in the oven, and that means that they can be an especially schedule-forgiving addition to your holiday table.



Ingredients: 

1 Large Russet potato, with skin

3 Tbsp Egg substitute

3 Tbsp All purpose flour

¼ cup Yellow onion

¼ tsp Kosher salt

½ Tbsp Garlic Powder

1 tsp Thyme, fresh

¼ tsp Black pepper, ground

12 servings Applesauce

Method:

• Preheat oven to 375° F.


• In a medium bowl, combine: egg substitute, flour, salt, pepper, garlic powder and thyme. Set this mixture aside.


• Grate the potatoes and onions, be sure to strain the excess water. Add the strained potatoes and onions to the egg mixture bowl and combine.


• Take 2 tablespoons of potato mixture and form 15 cakes.


• Heat oil in a pan on medium/medium high heat.


• Sear cakes in pan for 2 minutes on each side then transfer to a baking dish.


• Transfer baking dish to preheated oven and cook for 10 minutes or until latkes are heated through.


• Serve with applesauce.

Nutrition:

Servings: 12

Serving Size: 1 Latke

Calories: 50 kcal

Fat: 0.5 gram

We hope that you enjoy this healthy holiday recipe! Enjoy the holiday season!

How to do the Perfect Plank

At Hilton Head Health, we love to incorporate planks into the workout routines and fitness classes for our Guests. The plank has become one of the most popular exercises improving multiple elements of physical fitness and your general well-being with different variations that can be done pretty much anywhere. It's a great exercise that you can easily fit into any workout routine!

5 of the many benefits of planks are:

-           Develop core muscles (including back, abs, hips and glutes)

-           Improve Core strength and stability

-           Encourage good posture

-           Help prevent back injuries

-           Build upper body strength

How to Do a Basic Elbow Plank:

1.       Get face down on the floor resting on your forearms and knees.

2.       Push off the floor, raising up off your knees onto your toes and resting mainly on your elbows.

3.       Contract your abs to keep yourself up and prevent your booty from sticking up.

4.       Keep your back flat — don't drop it or you'll be defeating the purpose. Picture your body as a long straight board, or plank.

5.       Hold as long as you can. Aim for 20-30 seconds in the beginning and work your way up to one minute, as you get stronger.

I’m Tired of Fitness Models Trying to Motivate Me!

I’ve made peace with the ubiquitous, stork-like representations of women that seemingly glow with flawlessness. Despite attempts for normalcy like the Dove Real Beauty Campaign, I still don’t see images in magazines or on billboards that look remotely like me. Somehow, I’ve acquired a discreet acceptance with this strange injustice. I know my acquiescence may sound like giving up or turning a blind eye, but really, it’s more about where I want to focus my energy. Instead of fighting an obstinate fashion community, I’d rather help women tap into gratitude for their unique, loyal body.

Recently however, my truce with the media has been threatened. It’s difficult enough being inundated with images of unblemished waifs, but now a new unsavory trend has emerged. Glistening fitness models with full chests and six-packs are being used to sell the idea of wellness and health, and serve as fitness motivation.

The unfairness of this practice gets my dander up for a myriad of reasons. Instead of motivating women to workout, images of fitness perfection can leave women feeling that their present workout regimen is inadequate. Comparing yourself to others is an unfortunate reflex. It’s like scratching a bug bite. We try not to do it but we just can’t help ourselves. Unfortunately, this seemingly innocuous habit can put our much cherished motivation in peril. When engaging in comparisons, it’s usually our exercise efforts that take the hardest blow. Images like the one above feel like the first punch.

For most, becoming as fit as the models portrayed in these pithy little fitness motivation photos is just as unobtainable as having the 5’11”, 117-pound perfect body of a supermodel. Yet, their message implies that with enough willpower and determination you can achieve it. They want me to believe that they represent the image of fitness and that my power-walk just isn’t going to cut it.

To all of my Hilton Head Health buddies, help me fight back! Let’s show the world what real bodies look like getting fit. Not the before and after, just the “I’m exercising now and feel good doing it” photo. Whether it be a picture of you at H3 during one of our programs, excursions and activities, or just getting fit at home, we'd love for you to share! Add your motivational one-liner if you want. Share this blog and post your photo in the comments. Let’s show the world what real fitness and motivation looks like! Be your own fitness motivation model!

H3 Top 10 Must-Have Healthy Ingredients

Common scenario: A mother with a family of four has chosen 4 to 5 healthy recipes that make up a healthy meal plan for the upcoming week. She purchases everything from the grocery store, returns home and starts meal prep. By mid-week, she starts to notice certain foods are going bad; but, she has plenty of leftovers and limited time to use everything before it hits the trash can. Another trip to the grocery store is needed and it just adds another item on the “To-Do List.”

At Hilton Head Health, we value nutrition and a healthy meal plan as a the key to a healthy lifestyle.  What may be missing in one’s healthy lifestyle is practicing the concept of cross-utilization. Similar to the scenario above, one can make every intention to prepare great recipes, but it can get overwhelming at times and certain foods can be wasted. Cross-utilization is taking one ingredient and/or segment of a meal and using it in another way throughout the rest of the week. Awesome, right? The 10 ingredients below are not only healthy ingredients, but are easily used in multiple ways to be incorporated to any healthy meal plan..

5 Healthy Ingredients to Keep in your Pantry:
• Sweet Potatoes: Rich in cancer preventative carotenoids as well as dietary fiber, vitamin C and potassium. Use these within 3-5 weeks in the following ways: baked sweet potato fries, mashed sweet potatoes, roasted sweet potatoes, sweet potato soufflé with tofu, or a simple baked sweet potato with a touch of ground cinnamon and a pinch of salt.
• Oats: This whole grain can be used to make oatmeal, homemade apple and oats granola bars, pumpkin oatmeal pancakes or mixed into a healthy smoothie to help bulk it up. Oats are packed with soluble fiber (think intestinal and heart health) and beta-glucans (shown to inhibit tumor growth).
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Use this oil to sauté vegetables, sear salmon and other protein sources, incorporate into a vinaigrette dressing, roast Brussels sprouts or as a light sauce to a pasta dish. One tablespoon of EVOO is 120 calories so one can’t be too heavy handed; however, olive oil has been ingrained into the heart-healthy Mediterranean diet for years and seems to be working just fine.
• Quinoa: This whole grain is actually more like a seed. Uniquely, it is a complete protein as it contains all of the amino acids essential to get from food. There is red quinoa, black quinoa, quinoa flakes and even more varieties that one can incorporate as a breakfast cereal, pilaf with dried cranberries and toasted pecans or combined with black beans and vegetables to make a vegetarian burger.
• Spices: As most people have busy lives, cooking can sometimes go out the door. Using different seasonings and spices such as salt-free Mrs. Dash blends, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, saffron, Italian blends, cinnamon and nutmeg can transform bland but easy dishes into something special. Try roasted potatoes with garlic/onion powder, baked Italian seasoned chicken breast or turkey meatballs incorporating garlic powder, paprika and a touch of salt.

5 Healthy Ingredients to Keep in your Refrigerator:
• Eggs:  The incredible edible egg is great for omelets, frittatas, scrambles, poaching and more. As most of the protein is found in the egg white, the yolk is a source of Vitamin B12, choline, Vitamin D and more. Added bonus—eggs are quick to cook and stay fresh all week long.
• Yogurt (Regular & Greek): Greek yogurt tends to have more protein per ounce, but traditional yogurt is still a great way to consume high quality protein as well as calcium and Vitamin D. Use non-flavored yogurts for breakfast parfaits, blended and seasoned for dressings or smoothies, incorporated into traditional baked goods or as a simple snack between meals.
• Cruciferous Vegetables: Ideally, you would want to use these within 3-5 days, but make sure to stock your refrigerator with broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and cabbages. These are nutrient powerhouses as they are high in fiber, vitamin C, glucosinolates, and folate (great for our body’s cellular regularity). Prepare broccoli cabbage slaw, roasted paprika seasoned cauliflower, sautéed Brussels and onions and more.
• Spinach & Mixed Greens: Spinach is so versatile-- it cooks down for omelets, side dishes or into a stuffed chicken breast. Use this green in salads along with other mixed greens to get a variety of textures and nutrients—one can’t go wrong with something so low in calories but high in fiber, folate, carotenoids, vitamin K and more.
• Mixed Berries: These may go bad relatively fast in the refrigerator, but one can easily individually quick freeze berries and keep them around for months. Blackberries, raspberries, strawberries and blueberries are the ones most commonly seen, but try using them in different ways: spinach and berry salad, strawberry smoothie, blueberry chipotle sauce or baked berry ricotta strata.

We hope that you found this list of healthy ingredients to keep in your fridge helpful! Which of these ingredients do you use in your meal planning?

The "No Fuss" H3 Healthy Chicken Pot Pie

by Healthy Kitchen Assistant Chef Carrie Adams

In the H3 Healthy Kitchen, we realize that sometimes all you need is comfort food. However, the foods we love and the ones that bring us comfort aren't necessarily the best for us. At Hilton Head Health, we value nutrition and recognize that it's a integral part of wellness and weight loss. That's why we take the recipes that you love and turn them into healthy recipes!

With fall just around the corner, it's great to have some healthy comfort food recipes on hand. Like this "No Fuss" H3 Healthy Chicken Pot Pie Recipe, it's not only easy to make but it's a hearty and healthy recipe. Feel free to enjoy this healthy comfort food recipe or add some variety to this traditional dish by changing up the vegetables or using a different protein.



Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons Butter

1 cup Carrots, diced

½ cup Onion, diced

1 cup Celery, diced

1 teaspoon Thyme, fresh, chopped

3 cups Low-sodium chicken stock

2 cups Red bliss potato, cubed

1/3 cup Flour

1/3 cup Water

2 cups Chicken, diced

1 cup Green peas

½ teaspoon Salt

¼ teaspoon Black pepper

1/2 sheet Puff pastry dough

Method:

• Preheat oven to 400°.


• To prepare filling, melt 2 teaspoons butter in a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Add carrots, onion, celery, chicken and thyme, cook 8 minutes or until vegetables are soft.


• Add broth and potato, bring to a boil. Cover and simmer 10 minutes. Combine flour and 1/3 cup water in a small bowl and stir with a whisk until smooth. Return potato mixture to a boil. Slowly drizzle flour mixture into potato mixture, stirring constantly. Cook 1 minute or until mixture thickens.


• Add peas and 1/2 teaspoon of salt and pepper. Spoon chicken mixture into an large ramekin or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray.


• Place the dough on top of the chicken mixture, pressing the dough to the edge of dish. Cut 2 slits in top of the crust to allow steam to escape.


• Bake at 400° for 50 minutes or until golden and bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes. Then sit back and enjoy!

Nutrition:

Serves: 8

Serving Size: About 1 ½ cups

Calories: 240

Fat: 5 grams

We hope that you enjoy this Healthy Chicken Pot Pie comfort food recipe!

What's your favorite comfort food to enjoy in the fall?

Non-Traditional Strength Training

We have had some tremendous success in the world of weight loss here at Hilton Head Health and one of the many tools used in these accomplishments is non-traditional strength training equipment like what you see in the video below.  Because of the dynamic nature of this equipment the possibilities are virtually endless as far as fun, fast, and effective workout routines go.  Shannon McCain, one of the many LOSE Well weight loss program legends featured above, lost over 30 pounds and more than 15 inches off her body, while also increasing her strength endurance by 111% and her VO₂max (her body’s ability to consume oxygen) by almost 40%! Amazing results!

Plan a visit to Hilton Head Health and experience, not only the success we pride ourselves on, but the many ways we make it happen.

Read what a real H3 Guest has to say

At Hilton Head Health weight loss and wellness resort, we strive to create the perfect environment for our Guests. Whether they're goal is significant weight loss with our weight loss program or to achieve a healthy lifestyle and wellness with our wellness program, we want our Guests to achieve lasting results and enjoy their experience. Seeing as we're always looking to make our weight loss and wellness programs better, we love to read our Guests feedback and learn that they're happy with their experience at Hilton Head Health. This particular review from Hilton Head Health alum, Shaan T. made us smile!



We're so happy than Shaan enjoyed her stay and left her feedback. We would love to hear yours, as well! So tell us, how was your experience at Hilton Head Health weight loss and wellness resort?

H3 Healthy Lemon Blueberry Coffee Cake

In the H3 Healthy Kitchen, we love marrying fresh flavors and healthy ingredients to create a healthy, classic dessert recipe. By making small recipe adjustments, we make desserts much healthier but still just as delicious and flavorful. Fresh lemons and blueberries are two flavors that pair so well together. Adding these flavors to a coffee cake batter adds a new dimension and flavor profile, creating the H3 Lemon Blueberry Coffee Cake. This treat is only 150 calories per serving and it's sure to satisfy your sweet tooth. Bon appetit!



Ingredients:

3/4 cup Sugar

¼ cup Brown sugar

¼ cup Butter, softened

2 each Eggs

½ cup Egg beaters

1 cup All-purpose flour

2 cups Whole wheat flour

1 tablespoon Baking powder

½ teaspoon Baking soda

½ cup Greek yogurt, nonfat, plain

½ teaspoon Salt

1 ½ cups Blueberries, fresh

¾ cup Non-fat buttermilk

1/3 cup Lemon juice, fresh (about 3 lemons)

1 teaspoon Vanilla extract

1 teaspoon Lemon extract

Glaze:

1 tablespoon Lemon juice, fresh

1 tablespoon Skim-milk

½ cup Powdered sugar

Method:              

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.


• To prepare cake pan: lightly spray a Bundt cake pan with non-stick cooking spray.


• In a medium-sized mixing bowl combine: flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.


• Combine butter, yogurt and sugars in a medium mixing bowl and cream at medium speed until light and fluffy.


• Mix egg beaters with whole eggs then slowly add egg mixture to sugar mixture, beating after each addition.


• Combine buttermilk, lemon juice and extracts.


• Add flour mixture and buttermilk mixture alternately to sugar mixture.


• Pour batter into prepared pan.


• Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.


• Cool pan on wire rack for 10 minutes. Then remove cake from pan to continue to cool.


• To prepare glaze combine milk, lemon juice and sugar with a whisk. Pour glaze over warm cake.

Nutrition:

Serves: 20

Serving Size: 1 piece

Calories: 150

Fat: 3 grams

Protein: 4 gram

We hope you enjoy this healthy coffee cake recipe! What's your favorite healthy dessert recipe?

How To Make Your Workout Plan Fun

Here at Hilton Head Health, we offer over 50 fitness classes along with fun fitness actives and adventures to help our Guests develop an effective workout plan. We teach fitness guidelines in accordance to the American College of Sports Medicine (the golden standard for fitness guidelines). ACSM recommends that we exercise at least 30-60 minutes/day, 5 or more days/week at a moderate to vigorous intensity. "So you’re telling me that I have to block out time almost every day of my life to work out?!” Whether this is what you were thinking or not, answer these questions for yourself: What if exercise didn’t have to feel like a “work out” every single time? What if there were times when exercise could be thought of as fun or even recreational?

1. Join a community sports team: Remember when you were a little kid and you enjoyed rough housing with your friends? Maybe you played games like: hide and seek, kick the can, sharks and minnows, Red Light Green Light, Red Robin, and etc. Well, what if you could still be playful as an adult? Sometimes all it takes is something as simple as joining a community softball, flag football, tennis or soccer team in order to keep up physical activity as a regular part of our daily lives.

2. Treat Yourself to an Outdoor Excursion: Whether it be hiking, biking, kayaking, paddle-boarding or something else, outdoor adventures can be a great way to have fun while being active. We love taking our Guests on fitness adventures on Hilton Head Island! Instead of noticing the sweat on your body, notice the breeze in the fresh air. Instead of dreading the challenges of a hard workout, enjoy the sights of nature and wildlife that adventure brings to you.

3. Get an Activity Tracker: At Hilton Head Health, we promote the Garmin Vivo-fit as a great tool to keep track of your physical activity. Use it to track your calories, distance, heart rate, sleep quality and more. Create and accomplish daily goals such as getting in 10,000 or more steps a day. Having small, realistic daily goals to accomplish makes the journey to success more enjoyable. Learn more about the Vivo-fit here.

4. Attend a Group Fitness Class: Let’s face it, not too many people enjoy working out. However, everything becomes more exciting when done in a group setting. Sure, maybe you’re sweating and feeling the burn, but so is the person next to you. At the end of the day, not only did you get a great workout, you also have someone else to share the experience and laugh with.

While we recommend that you strive for 5 or more days of moderate to vigorous physical activity, we also recommend that you strive for a stress reduced lifestyle. These are just 4 of many ways you could make exercise fun. I challenge you to find ways to implement “fun exercise” into your life. How do you make your workout plan fun?

Health and Fitness Apps Worth Downloading

I don’t know about you, but I am starting to get a little overwhelmed with the amount of apps we can download for our smart phones. From games to healthy recipe apps to fitness apps, there are just so many to chose from! With that being said, there are few mentioned below that I find very helpful for those looking to better their health, wellness and fitness.

1. Figwee Portion Explorer ($1.99)
   
   
   
   • You name any food and this app will show you the realistic and ideal portion for that particular food.  For example, if you were to type in apricots you’d have the choice of various apricot items (e.g., dried, fresh, in syrup).  From there, simply click and an actual picture of the food will show up.  Talk about managing portions through actual visuals!  Amazing! Great healthy recipe app!
   
   
   
   


2. MyFitnessPal (Free)
   
   
   
   • This app has a huge database of foods as well as making it easy to log physical activity.  Keeping track of your meals, snacks, beverages and exercise can be extremely helpful for those that want extra accountability, as well as recognizing certain daily or weekly patterns. This is hands down my favorite fitness app.
   
   
   
   


3. TED (Free)
   
   
   
   • Need a motivational talk? Trying to find what to listen to on a thermal walk?  Download the TED app so you can listen to wonderful TED talks.  If you haven’t heard of a TED talk then I would highly recommend watching Hilton Head Health’s TED talk—check it out:  Hilton Head Health TED Event.
   
   
   
   


4. Paprika Recipe Manager ($4.99)
   
   
   
   • This app is great for creating weekly meal plans and managing recipes found on the internet.  Yes, it is almost too good to be true.  For example, I found a smoothie that I really wanted to try on a particular website.  I downloaded the recipe (using the app) then added it to my “Sunday- Breakfast.”  Simple to use and the added bonus is that it helps you create a grocery list! Awesome!
   
   
   
   


5. Helium Video Booth Lite (Free)
   
   
   
   • At Hilton Head Health, we stress the importance of relieving stress and a having a  mind/body connection. This app is perfect for stress relief! It will completely feed your soul with laughter. Download this app and you will understand.  Once downloaded, practice on an employee that has a good sense of humor. ;)
   
   
   
   

We hope that you enjoy these great healthy recipe apps, fitness apps and health apps! Which one of these is your favorite?

H3 Healthy Loaded Baked Potato Salad

We love to use inspiration from our own favorite recipes to create our H3 Healthy Kitchen recipes. By manipulating the ingredients and adding healthy alternatives, any recipe can become a delicious, healthy recipe. Even something seemingly unhealthy, can be made into something diet friendly! This H3 Loaded Baked Potato Salad is one of Chef Karla's is a staple for any summer cook-out. It's the perfect salad to accent any summer meal.



Ingredients:

1 pound Idaho potatoes, quartered

3 Tablespoons Turkey bacon, cooked

4 ounces Reduced-fat cheddar cheese, shredded

¼ cup Green onion, minced

1 teaspoon Salt

4 ounces H3 Sour Cream

Sour Cream:

½ cup Reduced-fat pureed cottage cheese

¼ tablespoon Lemon juice

Method:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil.


• Add potatoes, allow potatoes to cook until fork tender for about 10 minutes.


• Remove cooked potatoes from water and transfer into a large bowl. Allow the potatoes to cool in refrigerator for about 20 minutes.


• Prepare the H3 sour cream by combining cottage cheese and lemon juice into a food processor and blend until smooth.


• In a separate bowl, combine H3 sour cream, green onion, salt and cheese.


• Once the potatoes have cooled toss them in the sour cream mixture.


• Keep cold and serve!

Nutrition:

Serves: 6

Serving Size: ½ cup

Calories: 140

Fat: 5 grams