KinkyShea’s Health and Fitness Tip of the Week

Ingredients (makes 4 servings):

4 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and halved length wise

1 tablespoon finely chopped chutney

2 teaspoons of reduced-calorie or fat free mayonnaise

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1.Remove the yolk from egg halves and set whites aside. In a medium bowl, mash egg yolks with a fork and mix in the chutney mayonnaise, mustard, cayenne and salt.

2. Spoon mixture evenly into the egg whites. Enjoy!

TIP: For perfect hard-cooked eggs, start by placing eggs in a saucepan and add enough water to cover by one inch. Then bring water to a boil and remove the pan from the heat. Cover and let stand 15 to 17 minutes and then run cold water over the eggs to stop the cooking process. To add a splash of color once finished sprinkle with paprika and chopped parsley.
Nutrition Information (per serving): 98 Calories, 6g Total Fat (with reduced calorie mayonnaise), 213 mg Cholesterol, 226 mg Sodium, 4g Total Carbohydrate, 0 g Dietary Fiber, 6 g Protein, 26 mg Calcium.

Last week, we took a look at a few tips and tricks to help keep the extra pounds at bay during the holiday season. This week we’ll pick up where we left off and explore more tips to help keep your holiday season merry, healthy and bright.

6. On the nights when you decide to have an alcoholic beverage, limit yourself to one or two and don’t indulge every night. Choose your drink of choice wisely. If you’re having a cocktail try mixing your alcoholic beverage with nonalcoholic, calorie-free drink (like diet ginger ale, diet cola, or flavored seltzer) to help cut calories. Another alternative are wine spritzers (half wine and half seltzer).

7. Make sure you stay continuous with your strength training routine. Building and maintaining muscle will help your body continue to burn calories while at rest.

8. Revamp your grocery lists to include lists of the ingredients you’ll need for a week’s worth of quick, easy meals. This saves you from being limited to fast foods or grabbing whatever is most convenient at the time.

9. If sweets are your weakness, then try rewriting recipes for your favorite sweets. Read the ingredients list and see where you can make healthier substitutions. For example: try substituting whole milk with fat free milk, sugar with Splenda or TruVia, white flour with whole wheat flour, regular cream cheese with light or fat free cream cheese. Challenge yourself (and your friends) to give your favorite homemade sweets a more waistline friendly makeover.

10. For your own holiday wish list, add health-related gifts this year. Go ahead and ask for that Wii Fit or reduced fat or reduced calorie cookbook, or anything you need to stay on track with, or begin, your goals on into the New Year.

11. Finally, remember to take time out for yourself. Just relax and breathe! Realize that you don’t have to be superhuman and do everything yourself and all at once. Sit and read a book, take a hot bath, listen to soft music, or go for a quiet stroll, whatever you need to do to distress in a healthful way. Holiday stress can be just as unhealthy as eating a whole chocolate cheesecake and washing it down with a bottle of scotch. Your mental health is just as important as your physical health, so take the time to make sure your mind is just as healthy as your body. After all it’s YOUR holiday season too!

Until next week…

KinkySheaPT