Brrrrr...!

Holy crap it's FREEZING here in LA! Who knew it even got this cold here?! I moved from New York to warmer climates to avoid this! But, most of us live in climates that have cold snaps and entire seasons. What happens when it gets cold? Everyone piles the hot, starchy carbs on their plates as well as the stews and the bread to sop up the gravy. C'mon, we're all guilty of that. Also, the cold turns off our thirst mechanism, so we don't drink as much fluid as we need.

The result from all this? Weight gain, feeling bloated (and a little constipated...sorry, it's true!) The holidays alone are calorie-laden. Add the cold for 3 months and you have a recipe for unwanted weight gain.

How do we avoid this? Well, here are a fewthings I recommend to my clients that I do myself. 1-Eat soup whenever possible. I just had lunch with my friend, Pati, at the Newsroom Cafe in Beverly Hills. It's a great place for healthy items, but I really can't eat salad when it's 45 degrees outside. I ordered their Chinese Chicken Soup and it fit the bill perfectly. Lots of chicken, fresh herbs and vegetables with low-carb tofu noodles in a chicken broth. i added some red pepper flakes for a little spicy-heat and I was golden! It was filling, had a ton of fibrous carbs and protein and the broth was very tasty...although more salt than I would have made at home. But this kind of lunch or dinner is only about 350-400 calories total and will keep you full for hours. For dinner, I'm making a spicy tomato soup and adding little turkey meatballs to it. (stay tuned...I'll be posting the soup recipe in a few days...)

2-Give yourself a timeout for mid-afternoon tea. A hot mug of tea is a welcome relief when it's cold out. Especially if it's made with green tea or another herbal mixture. It keeps you full, has virtually no calories and replaces lost fluid your body needs. It also allows you to take a breath from your busy day to re-group.

3-Be aware of how much and when you're eating. You can actually lose a little weight in this weather if you do it right. The body will vibrate more to keep itself warm (hence-shivering!) and will burn up an extra 150-200 calories a day. If you don't overcompensate on the mashed potatoes and gravy, you can drop a couple of holiday pounds in no time!

Alright. Time to start cookin'. Talk to you Later!

Rona