By JJ VIrgin

The recent egg recall has thousands of consumers “scrambling” to check their egg cartons. Some may be so concerned about foodborne illnesses like salmonella that they’ll cross them off their shopping list permanently. However, despite the recent recall, not all of them are bad eggs.

In fact, I recommend omega-3 eggs as a healthful source of protein. Eggs also contain all nine essential amino acids, choline (a nutrient that helps regulate the brain and nervous system), and naturally occurring vitamin D. Substitutes like Egg Beaters tend not to have the same nutritional benefits, so stick to the real thing.

That is, if you don’t have food sensitivities to eggs. It’s a fairly common food sensitivity item, and symptoms can include gas, bloating, heartburn, eczema, and psoriasis. Clients can discover food sensitivities by cutting out common food sensitive items and reintroducing them individually (avoid egg substitutes as they’re sometimes made with egg whites).

Once you’ve determined that you’re not egg sensitive, you can incorporate them into your meals using some of these healthful suggestions:

• Ricotta Roll-up: Mix ricotta cheese, an organic egg, Italian seasonings, salt, and pepper. Lightly sauté eggplant or zucchini strips in olive oil, then roll-up with the ricotta mixture, top with marinara sauce, and bake at 350 degrees in a baking pan for 20 minutes.
• Veggie omelet: Three organic eggs and chopped non-starchy vegetables make a hearty and healthful breakfast.
• Egg and salsa burrito: scrambled eggs and salsa in a whole wheat tortilla makes a great breakfast for busy mornings, since it’s so portable.
• Hard-boiled eggs: Slice up a hard-boiled egg and sprinkle it atop a salad for a nice protein boost (beats candied nuts or bits of bacon!).

Have a healthful recipe that uses eggs? Share it in the comments!

Celebrity Nutrition and Fitness Expert JJ Virgin is a the author of Six Weeks to Sleeveless and Sexy and the co-star of TLC’s Freaky Eaters reality series. Visit her at http://www.jjvirgin.com to grab her free audio:  7 Steps to Break Your “Freaky” Food Habits Fast & Forever.

Guacamole Stuffed Tomatoes

12-15 small tomatoes (about 2.5 in)
1 TB olive oil
1 TB fresh lime juice or meyer lemon
3 avocados
1TB finely chopped red onion
1 clove minced garlic (or 1/2 tsp garlic powder)
1/2 tsp finely chopped fresh cilantro
1tsp minced fresh jalapeño chile
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/8 tsp ground pepper

Cut tomatoes in half, scoop out soft center –save tomato pulp in bowl. Mix olive oil & lime juice together to drizzle over tomato shells and set aside. I prefer to chop up avocados to make a chunkier dip rather than a mashed up spread. Add red onion, garlic, cilantro, jalapeno, sea salt & pepper. Fold in tomato pulp. Scoop into shells and serve — a great appetizer.

You may use cherry tomatoes to make “baby appetizers” but you half to be careful because the break up easier–but they are SUPER cute  You may play around with the spices and onions for variation.

Recipe by Nancy Newcomer
Back to the Kitchen: Healthy Living with Real Food

“Back to the Kitchen: Healthy Living with Real Food” on FB
@NancyNewcomer on Twitter

TLC Explores Food Obsession with New Series FREAKY EATERS

Premieres Sunday, September 5th at 10PM on TLC

On Sunday, September 5, TLC invites viewers to learn about the struggles of an unusual and often overlooked segment of the population – those with a bizarre compulsion towards a particular food. From an addiction to cheeseburgers to an obsession with sugar – these freaky eating habits are explored in this fascinating and eye-opening series.

Each episode tells the story of one Freaky Eater as he or she is forced to confront the painful truth behind the food obsession and come face to face with the destructive side effects. Two experts, Psychotherapist Dr. Mike Dow and Nutrition Specialist J.J. Virgin, will stage a food intervention in a bid to help this individual overcome the culinary compulsion.

Here is an interesting article that my mastermind friend Sandi Smith sent me this morning.  There is some interesting info on gluten but for the most part it is frustrating as the premise is going gluten free doesn’t help with weight loss.  This is true IF you start eating gluten free cookies, muffins, etc…. Of course if you are following the 28 Day Break Free plan (http://www.28daybreakfreeplan.com/) you KNOW that we have you pull out the gluten containing grains WITHOUT going and adding in gluten free JUNK FOOD.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703846604575447413874799110.html?mod=WSJ_LifeStyle_Lifestyle_6

I thought I would share with you how I managed to eat healthy on the road with a real world example. Today I am flying from San Diego to Raleigh-Durham via Houston.

I got up this morning, did my custom aminos with Emergen-C.   I went to the gym and did upper body pushing and pulling and then came home and had a PaleoMeal DF shake with coconut milk, berries and PaleoFiber.

I went to the airport and did the first leg of my trip and had a PaleoBar on the flight since the meal was a chicken enchilada.  When I got to Houston I found Mexican food in the food court and had them make me chicken fajitas on a salad with guacamole and salsa.  Now I am getting on my second leg of the flight and will end up having another Paleobar as it will be too late for dinner when I land.

Since the timing was off for meals I basically did breakfast,  a mini meal,   a late lunch/early dinner and then another mini meal snack.  Just wanted you to see ways to work it so that you aren’t stuck eating airplane food or pizza (which it appears most of my fellow travelers have opted for….)

Happy traveling!

JJ

P.S. I hope you don’t end up with the baby stereo that I had for the first leg of my trip – three babies screaming in symphony…for hours. Wow! Made me so happy to have teenagers!

By JJ Virgin

I was doing a new teleclass with my Break Free business partner, Leanne Ely, the other day and I asked her about essential kitchen equipment. She went on a rant about salad spinners and not buying that “evil bagged lettuce”.  Well I couldn’t break it to her that I was not a salad spinner owner so I rushed right out and bought one.  No more “evil bagged lettuce” for me, though I do confess to buying the boxed spinach leaves, so sue me Leanne.

So now that I have this fun new toy, I am fired up more than ever to make some fun summer salads.

Here is my latest creation:

Butter leaf lettuce (washed and spun in my new toy)

Shredded green cabbage

Diced and julienned cucumber

Peeled pink grapefruit segments (and don’t you dare buy those packaged ones, they have SUGAR)

Diced Avocado

Steamed and chilled jumbo shrimp

Sliced almonds

Julienned red pepper

An easy viniagrette – I added sesame oil and seasoned rice wine vinegar and tossed the whole thing up.  Fabulous!

By JJ Virgin

For years now, I’ve noticed that my clients get the best results when they cut carbs. Now a new study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine shows that following a low-carb lifestyle not only aids weight loss, but it improves cardiovascular risk factors like blood pressure cholesterol more than a low-fat lifestyle.

However, low carb doesn’t mean no carb.

Eating zero carbs will raise your stress hormones, so you do want to include some carbohydrates into your meals, but they should be sensible carbs rather than white, unrefined bread or pasta. Instead of regular pasta, try spaghetti squash. Instead of devouring the bread basket at your favorite restaurant, ask for a side of nonstarchy vegetables and send the bread basket away so you won’t be tempted.

I encourage people to get at least 50 grams of heart-healthy fiber per day, and the way to do that is to include at least one high-fiber, low-glycemic carb at every meal. This could be an apple, lentils, legumes, or other foods that are close to nature (hint: that box of readymade pasta or rice doesn’t count). One of my favorite simple recipes is to toss brussel sprouts and cremini mushrooms in olive oil and sea salt, then roast it in the oven. Yum!

The bottom line? Loading up on colorful, nonstarchy vegetables and reducing your carbs will help you achieve the fitness results you want and improve your overall health.

©2010 JJ Virgin & Associates, Inc. Celebrity nutrition and wellness expert JJVirgin is a media personality, in-demand public speaker and best-selling author of Six Weeks to Sleeveless and Sexy, The 5-Step Plan to Sleek, Strong and Sculpted Arms.  Get her biweekly LEANzine chock full of tips to get you slim and sexy fast at http://www.jjvirgin.com.

By JJ Virgin

Lately, nutritionists and other health professionals have been buzzing about vitamin D. That’s because recent studies show a link between dementia and low levels of vitamin D. Scientists who studied more than 850 people over the age of 65 believe that vitamin D aids the formation of nervous tissue and prevents brain tissue degeneration. Study participants with a severe vitamin D deficiency were 60% more likely to have severe cognitive decline!

But if you’re lacking this vital nutrient, then the threat of dementia is not the only cause for concern. Low vitamin D may also contribute to depression, heart disease, hypertension, osteoporosis, and a slew of other ailments.

Want to ward off dementia and other diseases associated with low vitamin D? Here’s how …

Researchers have found that those who have a moderate to heavy level of physical activity have about a 40% lower risk of developing dementia, so don’t make excuses for not working out. Exercising outdoors also ups your exposure to sunlight, which helps your body produce vitamin D naturally. Twenty minutes of sunshine on your arms and legs daily should do the trick (no sunscreen).

Have your doctor check your 25 hydroxyvitamin D levels and strive for 60-80 ng/ml. Heart-healthy seafoods like salmon and mackerel are a good source of vitamin D, but you can also ensure that you get your daily D by taking a multivitamin fortified with vitamin D if you need it to optimize your vitamin D levels. In short, stay active and get your vitamin D to stay sharp!

©2010 JJ Virgin & Associates, Inc. Celebrity nutrition and wellness expert JJVirgin is a media personality, in-demand public speaker and best-selling author of Six Weeks to Sleeveless and Sexy, The 5-Step Plan to Sleek, Strong and Sculpted Arms.  Get her biweekly LEANzine chock full of tips to get you slim and sexy fast at http://www.jjvirgin.com.

By JJ Virgin

A colleague recently shared a Wall Street Journal article about grocery stores using a new nutritional-scoring system called NuVal. The system scores foods on a scale of 1 to 100 (1 being devoid of nutritional value and 100 being super-healthy). It’s based on a complex algorithm that can only be modified by a seven-member panel of food and health experts from various universities.

I’m a bit conflicted about this concept. On the one hand, it’s valuable for consumers to think about the nutritional makeup of their food and understand that it’s more complicated than simply counting calories or fat grams! (Those low-fat or low-calorie products probably have extra sugar or sodium to compensate and add flavor).

All foods are not created equal. There’s a huge range of nutritional value in every aisle of the grocery store. Consider two spaghetti sauces sitting side by side: one may have a huge amount of sodium, while the other is high in fat due to its processed cheese flavor. A third one may offer little sodium but lots of nutritious vegetables.

Still, I’m skeptical about whether a simple numeric rating gives consumers the whole picture. It certainly doesn’t give context on how food fits into a healthful eating plan. For instance, that whole grain bread may score in the sixties, but if you’re subsisting on bread products (even if they’re whole grain) at every meal and skimping on the veggies and protein, then you’re missing out on important nutrients and probably consuming too many carbs.

Rather than fixating on numbers, most consumers should simply focus on real whole foods. Skip the snack and soda aisles, the sugary cereal section, and the bakery with its fat bombs waiting to attack your mid-section. Instead, shop the perimeter of the store and fill your cart with colorful, fresh produce and lean protein. It’s much healthier and simpler than any math equation, but it works.

©2010 JJ Virgin & Associates, Inc. Celebrity nutrition and wellness expert JJVirgin is a media personality, in-demand public speaker and best-selling author of Six Weeks to Sleeveless and Sexy, The 5-Step Plan to Sleek, Strong and Sculpted Arms.  Get her biweekly LEANzine chock full of tips to get you slim and sexy fast at http://www.jjvirgin.com.