Slim for Life (13 page)
Authors: Jillian Michaels
2 tablespoons paprika
1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
1 teaspoon white pepper
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon
chili powder
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon dry mustard
¼ cup fresh rosemary leaves
6–8 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
zest of one orange
zest of one lemon
2 tablespoons fresh thyme
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 pinch salt
2 dried chipotle peppers (use 3 to heat it up a little)
3 tablespoons black pepper
2 tablespoons dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried cilantro leaves
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon ground dry orange peel
MINT GUM • 1 POINT
How many times have you been cooking and sampled a bite here, licked a spoon there? (As a kid, I loved to lick the beaters when my mom baked something. As an adult, I still look forward to doing
that, but my kids won’t let me near ’em.) Those calories really add up. A simple way to avoid this excess calorie accumulation is to chew gum—preferably mint. Think about it—if you’re chewing mint gum, you’re probably not going to be as inclined to have a nibble of goat cheese from the heirloom tomato salad you’re preparing. Most gums are loaded with chemicals and crap like artificial sweeteners and colors, but there’s one brand that’s clean that I approve of completely: it’s called Spry. Give it a try when you’re getting your chef on.
I want you to try a
new recipe every month. This will help you expand your library of healthy options and keep you from getting bored with your food. Healthy recipes are easy to find.
Cooking Light, Shape,
and
Women’s Health
are great sources for healthy, low-calorie, tasty options.
FLASHING • • 2 POINTS
While I absolutely never want you to fry your food, there’s a way to cheat so you don’t break your calorie budget. When it comes to fried foods, what affects your weight isn’t the amount of oil you
cook
the food in—it’s the amount of
time
it sits in that oil. The amount of fat and calories that are absorbed in frying food is a function of time, not quantity. If you absolutely must fry something—say, for a special event—here’s how you do it: Use an oil that has a high smoke point, like avocado, safflower, or sunflower oil. Put enough oil in the pan to submerge the food. Heat the oil until it’s boiling, around 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Submerge the food for 30 to 60 seconds, remove it, and pat off the excess oil.
One caveat—when it comes to chicken or turkey, you need to precook the meat before you flash-fry it to make sure it’s cooked through and spends minimal time in the oil. Here’s how: Lay out all
the chicken chunks on a microwave-safe plate and season both sides. Place the plate in the microwave and cook on high for 1 minute and 30 seconds. Remove the plate, and turn each piece of chicken over. Microwave again on high until the chunks are just cooked through, about another 1 minute and 30 seconds to 2 minutes depending on your microwave. Let the chicken cool to room temperature. Then coat it with your topping, like egg whites and wheat flour. Finally, flash-fry the chicken or turkey for roughly 30 seconds per side.
The way you cook your food can have a dramatic impact on your physique. The goal is to use as little oil or butter as possible to save on unneeded calories. As I’ve already mentioned, avoid frying your food; the healthiest methods are baking, broiling, grilling, and steaming. When it comes to a sauté, technique is everything. A little bit of oil is healthy (try olive, grapeseed, flaxseed, or coconut), but a lot is not. If you can afford it, cook your food in titanium pots and pans. Titanium is nontoxic, unlike Teflon, and it’s nonstick, so you won’t need much oil or butter to grease it. It’s a bit pricey but well worth it if you’ve got the spare cash.
You may have seen your mom or grandma do this, or maybe you do it yourself. Chill stews and gravies, then
skim the congealed fat off the top. By doing so, you’ll save your arteries from excess saturated fats and can shave off up to 100 calories per serving.
My gosh, I’ve written a lot of innuendo into this chapter’s tip titles. At least I know I’m keeping your attention. When you make pasta, cook it
al dente. You will then digest it more slowly, which helps to control the rate at which it releases insulin into your bloodstream.
This slowed release will subsequently help stabilize blood sugar and inhibit fat storage.
BUILD A TOOLBOX • • 2 POINTS
Be proactive and prepared by stocking your kitchen with skinny tools. I’m referring to items that will help you count and save calories.
•
Keep a kitchen scale handy.
I know—weighing out your portions sounds so tedious, and it makes eating more a chore than a pleasure. But accuracy is critical for calorie counting, and you’re on a slim mission here, after all. Here’s the good news: much as with food journaling, you likely won’t need to do this for more than several weeks, as you’ll eventually learn how to accurately eyeball portion sizes. And this skill, once you learn it, will be a nifty one to have when you’re eating out.
Using a kitchen scale to measure portions will give you a far more accurate frame of reference than using your hand (your fist equals 1 cup, your thumb equals 1 oz., and so on). It’s an unreliable method. Think about it—everyone’s fist, thumb, or palm is a different size. It will give you a ballpark, but that’s it—and most people who use the hand method are eating out-of-the-ballpark portions. Once you see what 5 ounces really looks like, because you’ve truly measured it, you’ll be able to judge far more accurately in the future when you don’t have it handy.
•
Get yourself a pack of measuring cups.
Don’t just pour cereal out of a box and hope you measured the serving size accurately. Measure out how much you’re going to eat, for the
same reason you should use a kitchen scale—so you can truly control how much you’re eating.
•
Get an oil mister.
In case you weren’t able to get those titanium pans I just talked about in “Dry off,” an oil mister will allow you to grease your pan with as few calories as possible.
•
Buy a steamer.
Steaming is a great method for slim food preparation. Worried about flavor? Don’t be—there are plenty of herbs and spices that you can use to perk up your food and satisfy your taste buds. That leads me to my next suggestion.
•
Scoop up an herb mill.
This little bad boy will help you shred fresh herbs to season your food. You can just use dried herbs, but fresh have more phytonutrients and less salt.
•
Get glass storage containers.
This is so you don’t store or reheat your food in plastic. Chemicals in plastic can leach into the food and disrupt your hormone balance and metabolism. While certain plastics are safer than others, why take the chance? Just use
glass containers for your food. (A plastic top is okay, as long as it doesn’t touch the food.)
•
Get yourself a muffin tin.
No, it’s not so you can eat muffins. Muffin tins are great for making small portions of your more fattening foods like quiches, plus they’re great for portioning out side dishes. We use them regularly in our home to store healthy fruit and veggie purées for the kids as well as ourselves. You can always freeze any extra for grab-and-go meals or snacks.
Always make sure to keep healthy essentials handy and stocked in your pantry and refrigerator. This way you can whip up something healthy at a whim, or grab it and go, if need be. Here are some good options to stock up on.
snack-pack-size dry roasted almonds
oatmeal
quinoa (high in protein, cooks quickly)
100 percent whole-grain bread
whole-grain crackers
whole-grain pasta
balsamic vinegar
organic mustard
extra-virgin olive oil or coconut butter
salsa
low-sodium broth
low-sodium line-caught tuna or salmon packed in water (canned or in a pouch)
baked tortilla chips
popchips, a 100-calorie snack bag (my personal favorite)
almond butter
canned beans: black, garbanzo, adzuki
brown rice
low-sodium tomatoes (canned)
herbs and spices (such as salt-free lemon pepper, Italian seasoning, dry mustard, chili pepper, cinnamon)
Horizon organic low-fat cheese sticks
small, organic, low-fat Greek yogurts
seasonal fruit
hummus
carrot sticks
turkey slices
head of organic lettuce
berries (frozen, or fresh if in season)
hard-boiled eggs (Boil a dozen eggs and keep them in the fridge; they’ll last for up to a week after cooking if you keep the shells on. Use them to make egg salad, or to add protein to a salad or another dish. Or grab one, peel, and go, for a great, quick protein pick-me-up.)
CALORIE CRUSHERS
I get it, you’re busy. Your schedule gets packed with work and family obligations, and the gym is always the first thing to get cut from your day. I do this myself. You get overwhelmed, and in the short term it seems like the most expendable item on that crazy-long to-do list. After all, you have to make money and take care of your loved ones, right? Yes, you do, but that doesn’t mean it’s okay to stop taking care of you, too. You must make time for yourself and your health.
One way I manage to do it is by fitting my fitness in
at home. That saves me the drive time to and from the gym, which can be anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes. Plus, at home there’s no check-in, stuffing clothes in a locker, waiting for a class, or waiting for equipment to become available.
Sometimes we aren’t able to leave the house because we’re watching kids or tending to other obligations, but a killer home workout is within your reach. Try these following action plans, which are designed to remove all conceivable reasons or excuses for letting anything keep you from your workout.
…Into your DVD player! Fitness DVDs are a great, affordable way to get your burn on with a fitness professional in the privacy of your own home. Most require minimal equipment, and the exercises can be done in a supersmall space if need be. Invest about fifty bucks (the cost of a personal trainer for a one-hour session) and buy ten used DVDs for your fitness library. The variety will keep you from getting bored and will help you get your daily moves in and on.
BE NEAT AT HOME
What You Need to Know About Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis, or NEAT
The calorie burn that comes with everyday activities and nonformal exercise habits was first identified by
James Levine, M.D., a prominent researcher at the Mayo Clinic. His research has shown that adding more NEAT to your day can help you burn extra calories. Check out my tip “
Fidget
”. Dr. Levine’s work suggests that fidgeting is a “NEAT” means to supercharge your slim!
• The next time you mop or vacuum, crank the music and get your heart rate up by dancing.
• Trade your power mower for a push version.
• Instead of using a leaf-blower, sweep the drive or rake the leaves.
• Wash windows by hand.
• Wash your car yourself instead of taking it to the car wash.
• Garden your heart out—pull weeds, trim trees, and plant seasonal flowers and veggies.
• Play fetch with your pooch.
• Balance challenge: When you’re prepping food, cooking, folding laundry, or even brushing your teeth, stand on one foot for a minute, then switch to the other foot and repeat.
No, don’t sit in it—that’s gotten us into enough trouble. Use it as a fitness tool.
It’s one of many fitness tools that we have within reach without even realizing it.
Here are a few workout items that are likely to be available in or around your home and neighborhood:
•
Stairs.
Most homes and apartment buildings have stairs. I use them a lot when I can’t get out of the house. Simply climb up and down the stairs—even if it’s only for 20 minutes. It’s nearly as good as the expensive step machine at the gym.
•
Tables or chairs.
You can do step-ups on a stable coffee table or sturdy kitchen chair. You can use them for bench-dips to work your triceps. You can put your heels on top of them, lie back, and do pelvic thrusts. You can even use a chair as a weight if necessary. Try raising it for shoulder presses, chest presses, or biceps curls.
•
Paper plates or hand towels.
These products are great for doing slide work on a wooden or cement floor. They’ll create a slippery surface where you can do ab work, leg work, and chest work. There are some great exercise examples on YouTube. Just search for “towel workout” for instructions. Just be careful because of the slipperiness.
Make your own home gym. Although this might seem daunting, time consuming, and expensive, it doesn’t have to be any of these things. If you think you don’t have the room, you’d be surprised by how little space you actually need. If you aren’t able to designate a room to be your home gym, simply create an 8-by-8-foot space to work in (move your coffee table out of the way if you have to) and bring in some simple, very minimal pieces of equipment.
Here’s what you’ll need: