We are gearing up for our FLY Olympics with all the determination and drive of a well-trained competitor. Your coach (FlyLady) will be pumping you up to compete in events you didn’t know you could do. You’re a high FLYing athlete in these FLY Olympics!

As your nutritionist, I would be remiss to not make sure your training tables were complete with gold medal foods. Notice I mention the TABLE. That’s because the backseat of the minivan doesn’t count. Drive-thru’s aren’t for gold medal athletes. Athletes need and demand more of their food.

How does this translate for us? Well, to start with we need nutrients from our food, not just volume to quell hungry tummies. The nutrient part is what is going to take us into the stratosphere of energy, health and well-being. SO many testimonials I receive are from people who tell me what they USED to feel like and what they feel like now because they are eating healthier. Your hair and skin improves, your disposition improves and even your breath is a whole lot more pleasant! LOL And not just you either…the whole family benefits.

Babystepping is how athletes get to the top of their field. Babystepping is how you can turn your drive thru dinners into a true training table for raising a healthier family.

Remember when the Summer Olympics were in Greece a few years ago? How about we stroll down Olympic Memory Lane and try a couple of Greek recipes? Here are two you’ll LOVE:

Low Carb Greek Turkey Burgers
Serves 4

1 egg, lightly beaten
1 pound ground turkey
1/3 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
1 tablespoon buttermilk
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tomato, diced
1/2 cucumber, diced
1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
Salt and pepper to taste

In a mixing bowl, mix together the egg, turkey, crumbs, buttermilk and seasoning. I use very clean hands to get it all mushed together. Form four patties, salt and pepper them to taste.

In another, smaller mixing bowl, mix together the tomato, cucumber and feta. Salt and pepper to taste and toss lightly. Refrigerate until needed.

Preheat grill. Grill turkey patties on both sides, about five minutes on each side. Turkey should be cooked through and not pink. Serve with Tomato Feta Relish on the top.

Per Serving: 286 Calories; 15g Fat; 26g Protein; 11g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 153mg Cholesterol; 412mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 3 1/2 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 1 Fat.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS: A great big green salad and bowl of baby carrots and cherry tomatoes (go easy low carbers). Non-low-carbers, throw the burger on a whole wheat bun!

VEGETARIANS: Skip the turkey burger and use a veggie burger, but make up the Tomato Feta Relish for on top.

KOSHER: Skip the cheese

GLUTEN FREE: Use GF bread to make your crumbs and make sure the Feta is GF too.

Great Greek Pasta
Serves 6

1 pound rigatoni, uncooked
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1 small red onion, chopped
3 boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 large tomato, chopped
1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons oregano

In a large pot, bring water to boil for pasta. Cook till al dente, drain and set aside.

While pasta is cooking, in a large skillet heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add garlic and onion, and saute till translucent, but not brown. Add chicken and cook until chicken is done, about 5 minutes.

Reduce heat to medium low and add tomato, feta, lemon juice and oregano. Add pasta. Stir until completely heated through, salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Per Serving: 482 Calories; 8g Fat; 39g Protein; 61g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 80mg Cholesterol; 224mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 4 Grain(Starch); 4 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 1 Fat.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS: Serve with a huge spinach salad. I make mine with baby spinach, thinly sliced red onion, a smattering of raisins, some hard boiled egg if I have it and a balsamic vinaigrette.

VEGETARIANS: Skip the chicken and add a can of drained and rinsed white beans. YUM!

KOSHER: Skip the cheese or chicken.

GLUTEN FREE: Make sure the pasta is gluten free OR you could serve this atop a bed of brown rice.

Did you know that if you eat more fruits and vegetables, you are HALF as likely to develop cancer as those who eat the least amount of these foods?

There are irrefutable facts to support this statement. It’s not just pie in the sky dreaming; it’s a true promise. Eat more fruits and vegetables, and increase the odds in your favor of living a cancer free life! Is that not incredible??

I know I am constantly beating the fruit and vegetable drum to y’all. I can’t help it when I read as much as I do. The amazing thing to me is that bazillions of dollars are spent on researching chronic diseases and for all the pills and treatments out there, nothing is as effective as being preventative by doing a simple thing like eating more fruits and vegetables. Wouldn’t it be incredible if we were to actually take seriously what we KNOW to be true and actually EAT the amount of produce we should each and every day? How do you suppose we could affect change in those statistics?

Here’s some scary stuff to ponder:

*More than 125 million people have some sort of chronic illness.

*About half of chronically ill Americans are under the age of 45 and 15% of that number are CHILDREN with chronic conditions!

*It is estimated that 300,000 to 800,000 preventable deaths per year in the United States are nutrition related. Did you see that?? NUTRITION RELATED DEATH! That means the junk you eat can literally kill you!

It’s time for a revolution, people! Are you ready for it?

It’s time to go GREEN. Green as in boosting your green eating power to get the nutrition our bodies need. Let me ask you something. If there is a direct correlation between good health and doing this ONE thing—eating plenty of fruits and veggies each day, why WOULDN’T we all eagerly be doing this?

I am going to challenge each and everyone of you to do what you can to get more green, more yellow, more orange and more red in your meals, each and everyday. Eat by color—green for beans, broccoli, spinach, kiwis and lettuces. Yellow for squash and bananas, orange for oranges and sweet potatoes and red for apples and peppers. Yes we can do this!

And the best way is making veggie soups, lots of them. Here’s a wicked good green soup that is double the green to make you healthy and lean! Enjoy:

Cream of Green Soup
Makes about 8 cups

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1 (10-oz.) bag frozen chopped broccoli
1 (10-oz.) bag frozen spinach
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups lowfat milk
1 teaspoon thyme
Salt and pepper to taste

In a soup pot, heat olive oil over medium high heat and cook onion. When onion is translucent, add garlic and broccoli and chicken broth. Cook till broccoli is tender, about 3 minutes or so. Now add the spinach, thyme, salt and peppering to taste. Cook till all is tender and good, about 5 more minutes.

You can blend this soup (that’s what I do) and serve hot with a 1/2 tablespoon lowfat cheddar cheese on top. It’s really good!

Nutritional Information (per serving): 123 Calories; 6g Fat; 8g Protein; 11g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 5mg Cholesterol; 473mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 0 Grain (Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 1/2 Non-Fat Milk; 1 Fat.

Today’s focus is on KIWI.

That fuzzy little brown fruit from Down Under is also called a Chinese Gooseberry. Packed with fiber, vitamin C and potassium, this wonderful fruit is available year ‘round.

Here’s today’s TRICK:

To ripen a kiwi, leave it out (away from sunlight) on the counter and allow it ripen by itself. If you need it riper faster, put it in a brown paper bag with a banana.

Here’s a TIP:

If you’re looking for a good natural tenderizer for a tough cut of beef, use kiwi! The enzymes in kiwi that cause it to not be a good addin for gelatin desserts make it a natural as a meat tenderizer. Add some garlic, ginger and soy sauce and you’ve got an instant marinade!

And your RECIPE (from Body Clutter Menu-Mailer)

Breakfast Fruit Salad
Serves 2-4

Mix together:  1 sliced apple, 1 sliced pear, 1 peeled and sliced kiwi, 1 cup halved grapes, 1 cup sliced strawberries, 1/4 cup raw cashews.  Sprinkle with juice of 1/2 a lemon.

According to the USDA, the average American family of four is spending $80 a month more on groceries than they did a mere 3 years ago. For a lot of families, the upturn in grocery spending does not reflect an upturn on family income. Clearly something has got to give!

We’ve all noticed how much food has gone up—I can’t think of one thing that hasn’t. And while I cannot control food prices, I can control my own budget and as it becomes necessary, cut back to keep my food expenses in line. Here are 10 ways to cut back without sacrificing nutrition:

1. Eat vegetarian one night a week (rice and beans is a favorite with my kids).

2. Eat breakfast for dinner one night a week (pancakes and eggs are way cheap). Light candles and serve juice in wine glasses for fun.

3. Eat greens and beans one night a week (I use frozen collards, turnip greens etc. on sale to keep the cost down). Give your big guys Tabasco sauce to bump it up!

4. Eat homemade soup one night a week (try the one below!).

5. Cook with your crockpot one night a week (utilizing inexpensive cuts of meat and poultry).

6. Only buy meat and produce on sale and/or marked down.

7. Eat from your freezer one night a week (you’d be surprised at how many meals are in there just waiting to be thrown together!).

8. Buy dried beans and make your own instead of buying canned (instructions on how to cook them are right on the bag).

9. Make your own chicken broth from your leftover roast chicken (throw the carcass, an onion, carrots and celery into a pot, cover with water, simmer for an hour or so).

10. Pack PB & J’s, some carrot sticks and waters for dinner the night you’re all running all over the place (nixing the drive thru). No one will die from not having a “proper meal”.

This is all easy stuff and doesn’t require a lot of thought. Eating vegetarian for example, could be combined with eating greens and beans for dinner or eating soup, or breakfast for dinner. The point is the thought process of cutting back, making do and using up what you have. You can live on less than you think, that includes food.

Try some of these suggestions. Go shopping in your freezer and fridge before you even begin to plan your menu this week. Likewise, check out that pantry for anything that might turn into dinner this week.

Keeping clutter at bay requires cutting back on unnecessary purchases. This includes food!

Crock Bean Soup with Kale
Serves 6

3 tablespoons olive oil
3 medium onions, chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped
3 cloves garlic, pressed
1 bunch kale, trimmed and sliced (or use 2 cups frozen greens)
1 pound cannellini beans, soaked overnight (you can also use white beans)
4 cups low sodium chicken broth (make your own or buy canned)
1/4 cup tomato sauce
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper, to taste

In a skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onions, carrot and garlic. Cook until onions are translucent. Add kale and cook till wilted, about 3 minutes. In a crock pot, place soaked, drained beans; add crushed red pepper flakes and the contents of the skillet; cover with broth (add a little water if necessary, but crockpot should be 3/4 full).

Cook on high for 8 hours, or until beans are tender. Once beans are tender, add the tomato sauce and salt and pepper to taste.

Per Serving: 349 Calories; 8g Fat; 19g Protein; 54g Carbohydrate; 13g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 85mg Sodium. Exchanges: 3 Grain (Starch); 1 Lean Meat; 1 1/2 Vegetable; 1 1/2 Fat.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS: Some whole grain rolls and a big salad.

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I need at least one time a year when I can pontificate about the benefits of water for your health. I mentioned it last week, but this week I’m going to give it you with both hoses–you really need this stuff!

It may be the best weight loss tool you have in your arsenal. Besides naturally suppressing the appetite like I mentioned last time, it helps the body actually metabolize STORED fat! Decreasing water intake may cause fat deposits to increase and stepped up water drinking can help shrink them. Why? Kidney function! Not enough water means the kidneys dump some of their work load on to your poor liver. In return, that puts the liver into overtime working on other things besides one of his main functions: metabolizing stored fat. But if the kidneys are slacking and the liver is working two shifts, something’s gotta go and guess what it is? Yep, metabolizing fat.

And if you’re overweight, that means your metabolic capacity is greater which in turn means, you need to drink more water. A good rule of thumb for anyone is eight 8-ounce glasses per day. But for every 25 pounds of excess weight, you need another glass. If it is hot outside, you’ll need even more.

But what if you’re not thirsty? Most of us don’t understand that we’re under hydrated until we reach the point of true hydration and suddenly natural thirst returns. The body becomes balanced, endocrine function is improved and no more fluid retention–all for just drinking the water your body needs!

I can’t exactly give you a good recipe for water here, so here’s a great recipe that’s healthy and balanced–just what the nutritionist ordered!

Artichokes Stuffed with Smashed Potatoes and Browned Garlic
(slightly adapted from Cooking Light)
Serves 4

These ‘chokes would make a great dinner if they’re big enough!

4 large artichokes
1 1/2 pounds baking potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 garlic cloves, pressed
1/4 cup dry sherry
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded part-skim Mozzarella cheese
1 tablespoon dried basil
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon shredded Romano

Working with 1 artichoke at a time, cut off stem to the base. Remove bottom leaves and tough outer leaves, leaving tender heart and bottom; trim about 2 inches from the top of artichoke. Steam artichokes, covered, 20 minutes; cool to room temperature. Gently spread leaves; remove fuzzy thistle from bottom with a spoon.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Place potatoes in a saucepan & cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 12 minutes or until tender, then drain. Mash your potatoes with a potato masher till coarsely mashed.

Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic; saute 2 minutes or until golden. Remove from heat; add sherry, scraping skillet to loosen browned bits. Then add sherry mixture to potatoes, Mozzarella, basil, salt, and pepper and mix well.

Stuff about 1 cup potato mixture into each artichoke. Sprinkle with romano cheese. Place stuffed artichokes in an 8-inch square baking dish, lightly greased. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes or until artichokes are tender.

Per serving: 361 Calories; 11g Total Fat; 16g Protein; 50g Carbohydrate; 6g Dietary Fiber; 12mg Cholesterol; 565mg Sodium. Exchanges: 2 Grain(Starch); 1 Lean Meat; 3 1/2 Vegetable; 1/2 Fat