Eating well on the road is tough! So many of my clients struggle with this so I thought I would put a list together of some ideas for how to make it work when you seem to spend more time on a plane, train or automobile than your home. It is all about having a plan and being prepared. Make your travels work for your benefit.

Eat more than you think
Sounds counterintuitive but it works. When you are sitting in the airport at 3pm waiting for your flight, go get a sandwich or salad or a meal sized portion of food to get you through the afternoon rather than munching on something small and unsatisfying. The goal is to never walk into any situation starving. Eating more sooner will prevent binges later.

Have snacks prepared!
Nuts, bars made with natural ingredients, nut butter, dried fruit, fresh fruit, whole grain crackers, high quality jerky need to be in your suitcase at all times. Make a meal out of it! These foods do not need refrigeration so can last a while. If you could add string cheese, yogurt, bean or quinoa salad, hard boiled egg, cottage cheese, turkey sandwich, PB&J sandwich, pre-made salad or some leftovers from the night before that would be great too. Try to eat every 3-4 hours.

Know your airport
For those of you who live out of an airport –you know who you are—take full advantage of any healthy, balanced foods you can buy at the gate. Find a place that makes a sandwich, salad or where you can buy some snacks that are in line with your goals so you are always ready to go. Buy a meal at the airport if you don’t want to rely on airplane food.

Hydrate like it is going out of style
You have to drink more water than you think. Living out of a hotel, airport and plane is extremely dehydrating—always have a water bottle near you and fill it up at all times. You should be going to the bathroom often—while it can be annoying, it means you are drinking enough!

Strut your stuff
It may be hard to get a proper workout in but remember that walking is a workout too. Walk around the airport, walk around the block at the hotel, take the stairs, walk during a conference call or on a lunch break—just stay moving! I know it is frustrating when you get out of your workout routine, but do what you can to move whenever it works with your schedule. If you can take advantage of the hotel gym for even 20 minutes—make it happen! You will feel so much better, guaranteed.

You are working….not on holiday
So often we think we can have that extra cocktail, dessert or fried goodie because we are at a hotel or in a new city. Remember, you are at work! Sadly, this is not vacation. This is not necessarily a celebratory time to splurge. Trust me, I wish I was on holiday all the time too! Find a balance to make it work. You can do this!

Happy Travels!

We have been having a lot of fun at 18 Reasons in the Good Living class! It’s been wonderful learning the truth behind food myths, figuring out how to eat for sustainable, long-term change, creating a more positive relationship with food and of course, cooking up a storm!

A common thing that most struggle with is finding snacks that work for them. Most of us do not eat enough during the day, or miss that afternoon snack and tend to overeat too much at dinner. What can you eat at 3 or 4pm that will fill you up? What is easy to prepare and you can take with you to the office? What is made of whole, clean foods but can still be a snack?

Here are two easy recipes we cooked up in class. Remember, you want to eat a protein and a carbohydrate every time you eat to keep you satiated and give your body all the nutrients it needs. Both of these recipes could be made on Sunday and proportioned for the week. Think outside the box a bit and reap the rewards!

CuCu Frittata

Serves 8

8 eggs
4 small leeks or 2 large leeks, sliced thinly (use onion if preferred)
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped finely
1 bunches parsley, chopped finely
1 pound nettles, stemmed and washed (use spinach or any other green if you like)
Olive oil

Slice leeks, wash, cook until tender over medium heat with some oil and salt, trying to avoid color.

Sauté nettles with olive oil until tender. Let them cool a bit, then squeeze excess water out and chop finely.

Crack eggs in a large bowl. Mix in greens and herbs. Season with salt.

Heat a cast iron or non-stick pan, add olive oil, pack in the mixture, cook over medium heat. Flip, cook, done.

If the center is not setting properly, you can finish in a 400°F oven for a few minutes….

Lentil Salad courtesy of Alice Waters The Art of Simple Food

Serves 4

1 cup lentils (French green lentils or black Beluga lentils are the best varieties to use for lentil salads because they have lots of flavor and they hold their shape when cooked.)
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Salt
Fresh-ground black pepper
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions or green onions
3 tablespoons finely diced shallot
3 tablespoons chopped parsley

Sort and rinse the lentils. Cover with water by 3 inches and bring to a boil. Turn down to a simmer and cook until tender all the way through (adding more water if necessary), about 30 minutes. Drain and reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid.

Toss the lentils with the red wine vinegar, salt, and fresh-ground black pepper. Let sit for 5 minutes.

Taste and add more salt and vinegar if needed.

Add the extra-virgin olive oil, scallions or shallot, and parsley. Stir to combine. If the lentils seem dry and are hard to stir, loosen them with a bit of the reserved cooking liquid.

Try these variations

Add 1/2 cup diced cucumber.

Dice very fine 1/4 cup each of carrot, celery, and onion. Cook until tender in a couple spoonfuls of olive oil. Cool and stir into the salad in place of the scallions or shallots.

Garnish with 1/2 cup crumbled goat or feta cheese.

Toast and crush 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds and add to the salad. Substitute cilantro for the parsley.

Dice 1/4 cup flavorful sweet peppers, season with salt, and let stand to soften. Stir in with the scallions or shallots.

Add vegetables and herbs of choice and serve over a bed of greens

Next week we are roasting chicken and veggies and making quinoa cakes…cant wait!

Cheers to good living!

Sunday after Sunday, year after year, my father and his best friend Jim have watched the 49ers lose. Thanks to Jim’s tickets they have their routine – Dad picks up sandwiches, they have their meeting spot and walk to the stadium. They barely sit through the whole game and come home with another loss. It is painful to watch but also inspiring to see their loyalty. They are true fans!

This season everything changed and now their 49ers are so close to the promised land. It is exciting! So as everyone gets ready to watch football this weekend the obvious question is….what are you going to eat???

Eat real food
Roast a chicken or grill up some steak or burgers
Roast vegetables to munch on
Make a bean or lentil salad
Eat some chili filled with beans, vegetables and meat if you like
Make a frittata filled with eggs and veggies
Enjoy some soup on a rainy day

Dippity Dip
Make a dip that has some punch and may even be healthy. Check out these recipes for a yummy bean puree, guacamole, hummus, red pepper spread, olive tapenade or yogurt dipping sauce. Use whole ingredients and notice how much better everything tastes! Think outside the box and see how easy and delish it can be.

Choose your snacks wisely
For crackers and chips – go whole grain, not very processed and baked or air popped
For sweets – get something you LOVE! Don’t waste time eating candy you don’t even like. Choose something that will satisfy that sweet tooth and move on.

Guess there is only one more thing to say….Go Niners!!!!

I have decided it is time to redefine the word cool. In this time of year when everyone is trying to “be good” and avoid certain foods and behaviors they often feel like life is boring and uncool.

I think it is time to switch things up.

What if now it is cool to eat well and take care of yourself?

What if it is cool to not feel stuffed after a meal and wake up without a hangover?

What if it cool to feel strong, empowered, healthy and dare I say it…happy?

You get to define how you want to view living healthily. Every time I make a smart decision that is right for my health and body I am proud of myself, feel better about things and feel like a very cool rock star.

So, who wants to join the cool kids club?

When all else fails and you cannot seem to get your mojo, motivation, willpower or anything working for you, an accountability check is always a good plan. I am not a true early bird (doesn’t surprise many of you!) but due to my schedule, working out in the morning is my only option. How do I make it work? I sign up for a class or meet friends at the gym. (Okay okay, I am late sometimes, but I do get there!) When I know I have to meet someone or I am paying for a class it motivates me to show up, even if I am half asleep and groggy. All I need is that push to get me there and then I am good to go and feel fantastic after the workout.

Get friends, family, coworkers or even strangers to support you to eat better and live a healthier life. Here are some great ways to get you started.

Friends don’t let friends eat fried

Do you know someone who is trying to eat better? Reach out to them and talk through how you two can support each other.

- Go to lunch or dinner together and talk through the menu
- Use each other as a back up check so you don’t fall off track
- Go grocery shopping together and pick up great snacks such as popchips, yogurt, nuts, fresh produce and cottage cheese
- Start a recipe exchange or cook together to try new meal ideas
- Go workout together—try a new hike, take a class or go for a walk

Want to do this solo?

I just learned about this cool app (thanks Mike!) called gym pact – literally motivates you to check in at your workout facility and you will get paid to go! Pretty cool and a great accountability check.

Add some competition at work

One of my clients (thanks Red!) and her coworkers got obsessed with this program. It’s called introplay and it allows you to split up into teams and get points for your workouts. A great way to create a healthy environment at the office.

Are you one of those folks who love to take photos of your food?

You know who you are—take advantage of your hobby and get motivated! The Eatery allows you to take photos of what you eat and rank how healthy it is—and you can rank others.

And don’t forget about record keeping–it works!

Research shows that when you keep track of what you eat you wille at less and have better success at weight loss. Write it down in a journal, in a document on your computer or phone or use one of the many online trackers. A lot of my clients use the Livestrong program.

PS-I am here to help too!

I am going to be on TV tomorrow on 7Live at 3pm with some great tips on keeping your resolutions! And remember to sign up for my Good Living program at 18 Reasons. It is going to be fantastic! I am so excited.

Go make some friends and get healthy—it is going to be a good year!

It’s crunch time…how ya doing? Did you make the last 4 weeks work in your favor? Or did it all just get to be too much and you are ready to start things fresh on January 1st? Either way, how can you make a resolution that sticks?

You would think I would be a big fan of New Years Resolutions, but they drive me nuts. People set huge goals and create no plan which sets them up for failure. I am in the success business—what goal can you create that is achievable and sustainable?

Step One: Find your inner motivation.

New Years resolutions are usually, “I want to lose 10 pounds” or “I want to look smoking hot in that dress” or “I want to lose my gut”—while these all may be true they are not very motivating. What do you really want? What can you say to yourself to truly motivate yourself?

“I want to lose this baby weight so I can be strong and fit to play with my kids”
“I want to live the life I know I am capable of. I used to be a great skier. I want to lose weight and build strength so I can ski with my buddies.”
“I want to lose my gut so I can tie my shoes with ease and the pain in my back will go away”
“I want my heart to be strong for a long time—I want to eat in a way that keeps my cholesterol and blood sugar in the normal ranges.“

These are motivating! This keeps you on track.

Step Two: Create a plan.

Figure out what you need to do to make it work.

Are you a member of a health club but it is not convenient? Find a club or studio that works. There is something for everyone!

Are you wanting to cook more but dont know where to start? Find one recipe online and make it on a Sunday night. See how many days it lasts for leftovers and you will see how easy it is.

Are you trying to eat better but dont have the willpower? Forget willpower and chose ONE habit that you want to try. Eat less processed foods, start eating breakfast, eat more vegetables or drink less alcohol–chose one and see how it goes. When you choose one goal at a time you can actually achieve success!

Are you wanting to be a morning workout person? Make it happen. Pack your clothes the night before, get into bed earlier and let your family and work get used to your adjusted schedule.

Are you wanting to try a new class but are scared? Go for it! Seriously, who cares? Just have fun and roll with it. My boxing teacher laughs in my face on a regular basis because I am so bad—I laugh back at him because I am loving the workout! Go to a cooking class, a cool lecture, a bootcamp, water aerobics or karate class–just do it and have fun!

Step Three: Stay focused on the prize.

There will always be something that stands in the way. Always. An injury, a schedule change, a bad nights sleep, in a funk, a big night out—it’s all good. Just start the next day focused on what you want and you will keep moving forward.

Cannot wait to see what fun we will have in 2012! Happy new year!!!

When life gives you lemons….make preserved lemons! It’s my new obsession. A few months ago, I was at a potluck and my friend Rosie was mixing up a salad. The dressing smelled delicious and once I tasted it I was in love. I literally was thinking about the salad all day (clearly I have issues when these are things I am thinking about!) and when I emailed her for the recipe she said her secret ingredient is preserved lemons. Brilliant!

How do I do it?

It is so simple! All you need is lemons, salt and a mason jar. Click here for a recipe from epicurious or search online for plenty of options.

So….how can I get that salad dressing?

Rosie was nice enough to share the love. Enjoy!

For a salad serving 6 people

1 Tbs chopped preserved lemon (or more if preferred)- skin, goo, and liquid combined
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp brown sugar
2 Tbs white wine vinegar (or champagne vinegar is fine too)

SHAKE SHAKE SHAKE

Then add:

1/4 cup olive oil

SHAKE SHAKE SHAKE

What else can I make with preserved lemons?

There are so many options—explore online for some goodies. I roasted chicken with lemons inside, a client made a cous cous with a preserved lemon sauce and I found a butternut squash and chicken tagine recipe that looks divine that I want to try. Yum.

Makes a fantastic gift idea

Easy to make, beautiful, affordable and tasty. It is a hit!

I am paying it forward Rosie – thank you!

“I know what to do…”

I hear this all the time. “I know how to eat right but I can’t make it happen…” The truth is many of us know what to do, but it is not coming together in our daily routine. The reason is….THE SCHEDULE. You may have the best intentions but if the day is passing you by and nothing is getting done there is a scheduling error. Getting your schedule under your control is the holy grail. Seriously. If you can get control of your day you will feel better than ever. It is all about making it work for you.