Ingredients:

1 plum tomato, diced
1 cup canned black beans, rinsed
1 cup fresh corn kernels, (about 2 ears)
2 tablespoons cornmeal
1 pound prepared whole-wheat pizza dough
1/3 cup barbecue sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella, preferably smoked mozzarella

Preparation:

1. Preheat grill to medium.
2. Combine tomato, beans and corn in a medium bowl. Sprinkle cornmeal onto a large baking sheet. Stretch the dough into about a 12-inch circle and lay it on top of the cornmeal, coating the entire underside of the dough.
3. Transfer the crust from the baking sheet to the grill. Close the lid and cook until the crust is puffed and lightly browned on the bottom, 4 to 5 minutes.
4. Using a large spatula, flip the crust. Spread barbecue sauce on it and quickly sprinkle with the tomato mixture and cheese. Close the lid; grill until the cheese is melted and the bottom of the crust is browned, 4 to 5 minutes.

1 pizza serves 6.  1 serving provides approximately 315 calories.

Adapted from EatingWell.com

Now that the holidays are over, most of us are figuring out how to drop the pounds we’ve gained over the past few weeks. Many New Year’s resolutions will be related to weight loss, working out or setting goals for a newer healthier lifestyle. How about making a new year’s resolution that will help you achieve all of the above? Boosting your metabolism is the holy grail of weight loss for everyone. Metabolism is the process of breaking down proteins, carbohydrates, and fats to yield the energy your body needs to maintain itself. The rate of your metabolism depends on the interaction between the number of calories you consume, the number of calories you burn while eating and exercising, and the calories you burn based on your individual genetic makeup.

How can we boost our metabolism?

Build Muscle Our bodies are constantly burning calories even when we’re sedentary. Every pound of muscle uses about 6 calories a day just to sustain itself, while each pound of fat burns only 2 calories a day. That small difference can add up over time. In addition, after a bout of resistance training, muscles are activated all over your body, increasing your average daily metabolic rate. Bikram Yoga is a great way to increase muscle mass in your body.

High-Intensity Workouts The key is to push yourself. High intensity training delivers a bigger, longer increase in resting metabolic rate when compared to low or moderate intensity workouts. These workouts are brief, intense and infrequent. High intensity workouts are performed with a high level of effort, or intensity, where it is thought that it will stimulate the body to produce an increase in muscular strength and size.

Drink adequate fluids The body needs water to process calories. If you are even the least bit dehydrated, your metabolism may slow down. In one study, adults who drank eight of more glasses of water a day burned more calories than those who drank four. Besides the obvious with drinking lots of water or unsweetened beverages, try munching on fresh fruits and vegetables, which are full of fluid, rather than pretzels or chips.

Small frequent meals Believe it or not, eating more can in fact help you lose weight. The key to this is eating more often. When you eat large meals with many hours in between, your body is trained to slow down the metabolism. However, having small frequent meals every 3 to 4 hours can promote a higher metabolism. This in turn will lead to the body burning more calories. In addition, studies suggest when people eat more frequently; they tend to eat less at each “mini” meal.

Pack on the protein The body burns more calories digesting protein when compared to fat or carbohydrates. Protein requires almost 25% more energy to digest. Keep in mind you want to eat a balanced diet, but replacing carbohydrates such as rice or potatoes, with lean protein sources can jump start the metabolism. Healthy sources of lean protein include lean beef, turkey, fish, chicken, nuts and egg whites.

In conclusion, increasing your metabolism is a great ways to jump start not only a weight loss program but also a healthier and happier lifestyle. Making small changes gradually can help you achieve your new weight loss goals and resolutions for the New Year!

Laurie Taunton MS R.D.

LTaunton@hotmail.com

Super Bowl Sunday
6:30pm class is cancelled

Any RVC active members who are currently in a package and wish to take the 6:30pm in Rego Park will be entitled to a complimentary class.

Christmas Eve
7:30am, 10:00am and 12:15pm only

Christmas Day
7:30am and 10:00am only

Cobra Package $90 (savings of $10)
includes $30 RVC gift card, yoga mat, Skidless Yogitoes & a sprinkle of Yoga Fuel and Ultima Replenisher individual packets (1 each)

Locust Package $159 (savings of $16)
includes $100 RVC gift card, Yogitoes, & Ultima Replenisher 60 serving size

Savasana Package $265 (savings of $20)
$200 Gift Card, Yogitoes, Ultima Replenisher (30 individual packets), Bikram Yoga RVC/Rego Pk T-Shirt or Tank

Whether you’re ready for it or not, the time of year has arrived.  Come the holiday season, the temperature gets colder, the days get shorter and your clothes seem to get tighter.  Statistics show that Americans can gain anywhere between 1 and 10 pounds during this time of year, not to mention the average 4,500 calorie feasts we consume on Thanksgiving and Christmas day.

While you all may be sweating it out for 90 minutes during your Bikram Yoga class, you still want to be mindful of the choices and goals you set for yourself this upcoming season.  One recommended goal would be to try and maintain your current weight rather than focusing on losing weight at this time.  It can become extremely difficult to resist temptations all around the holiday table, but there are simple steps you can take that can keep the extra pounds off.

Stay active

One of the most effective ways to burn off those extra calories is to engage in regular exercise.  Kick up your usual routine and take one extra Bikram class each week!  Other ideas on how to get moving include:

Using a stationary bike or treadmill

Swimming

Taking a 30 minute brisk walk after your meal

Weight lifting

Fill up on Fruits and Vegetables

Making sure you consume at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables each day is a great solution to helping you feel full without boosting your caloric intake.  When comparing fruits and vegetables to other snacks such as cookies, potato chips, crackers and candy, fruits and vegetables not only contain less calories but they have more nutrients.  One nutrient in particular is fiber which will help fill you up faster.

Plan Ahead

Before you head to your holiday party, eat a healthy snack such as a piece of fruit, low fat yogurt, or a handful of almonds.  When you arrive at the party, you will most likely not over-indulge on the high calorie, high fat hors d’oeuvres.

In addition, if you’re going to a potluck dinner, bring a healthy dish to share.  This way you’ll be guaranteed to have at least one healthy choice on the table.

Make positive choices

Using a smaller plate for appetizers will help you from over eating the fried, high calorie foods.  Try not to go back for seconds during that time as well.  For dinner, try to fill half of the plate with salads, greens and/or vegetables, one quarter with lean protein, and the final quarter with a complex carbohydrate such as brown rice or sweet potatoes.  Other tips on cutting calories at dinner include:

Avoiding sauces made from cream or half and half

Use oil and vinegar for salad dressing in place of a creamy dressing

Try to restrict your alcohol to one or two servings, and choose a glass of wine over high fat eggnog.

As for dessert, the best low calorie choices would be fruit, pudding, ginger snaps or even angel food cake.  If you must indulge in a dessert higher in calories, limit yourself to one small piece or thin slice of cake.

Remember, the holidays are really about celebrating with family and friends, not food.  Be sure to enjoy yourselves and plan effective strategies to help achieve your goals.  Happy Holidays!

Laurie Taunton MS R.D.

LTaunton@hotmail.com

Ingredients:

Vegetable cooking spray

1 cup granulated sugar

½ cup liquid egg substitute

1/3 cup cooked black beans

¼ cup all purpose flour

½ cup butter, melted

2 squares unsweetened baking chocolate, melted

2 tablespoons vanilla extract

¼ cup semi sweet mini chocolate chips

1 tablespoon sifted powdered sugar

Directions:

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Spray a 9×9 inch pan with vegetable cooking spray
2. Combine the sugar, egg substitute and beans in a food processor; process until very smooth
3. Transfer the bean mixture to a medium-size mixing bowl.  Stir in flours, butter and chocolate until smooth.  Add the vanilla extract and chocolate chips; stir until smooth.  Transfer to baking pan
4. Bake approximately 25 minutes; the middle should be slightly jiggly and wet when removed from oven.  Cool and sprinkle with powdered sugar just before serving.

Makes approximately 9 servings.  1 serving provides 230 calories.

Adapted from the American Dietetic Association.

Hey Yogis!

Here is our class schedule for Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 24th, 2011.

6:30am, 8:30am & 10:30am classes only. The following day, the 25th, our regular schedule will resume, but the 6:00am is cancelled.

Have a safe, healthy and happy holiday!

Don’t forget, Saturday night before you go to bed yogis! Turn your clocks back one hour, so you are not late for tomorrow’s class!