3 Steps to Overcoming Obstacles that Stop You From Eating Better

Have you started to change your diet toward a more plant-centered diet but still aren't progressing at the rate you'd prefer?

Are there obstacles or barriers holding you back from making the changes you need to make?  Maybe you aren't even sure what barriers you're up against, but you know you need to make a change because what you're doing just isn't working.

Today I'm going to help you identify and overcome the barriers holding you back to eating an optimal, plant-based diet and achieving permanent weight-loss.

Here's what you need to do...

1.  Identify the problematic behavior.  

How do you do that?  Re-cap on a troublesome eating day.  What happened during that day?  What were you doing when you ate poorly?  Where were you?  How were you feeling?  

Were you hungover?  Were you out to eat?  In a gas-station?  Was it after a frustrating day at work?  Was it in the conference room?  Were you starving?  

Write down your answers.  Seriously.  

2.  Identify possible solutions for behavior change.

What can you do differently to avoid making the same problematic decisions again or reduce the likelihood of them happening repeatedly?

Not drink or drink less when you're out?  Reduce going out to eat or choose plant-based options when you do go out?  Avoid paying inside the gas station so you won't buy a candy bar or call a friend to avoid buying chocolate?  Pack baked sweet potatoes to work or a healthy 'treat' to avoid the cookies in the conference room?  

Write down 3 possible solutions for each obstacle.  Seriously! 

3.  Implement solutions and form new habits.

This may be the hardest step of them all.  It takes time, practice, patience and forgiveness.  Get serious about this step though and you will succeed.  

At the same time, allow yourself to not be perfect and when that happens, don't give up and completely throw your hard work away.  Changing habits is a process, but the longer you stick to them, the easier they become.

Set a goal to stick to your new habits for 90 days and you'll be well on your way to sticking to a healthy behavior change for the long-term!

At first, new habits take more time and attention because it's new behavior.  But after you stick with it for an extend period of time (go for 90 days!) the once new behavior will feel like second nature -- just like brushing your teeth.

If you need help in any or all of this process, contact me for a personal session.  I'll review your current routine and we'll create an implementation plan for you to build new habits, 

Take Control Now Question

What is your #1 obstacle to eating a more plant-based diet?  Tell me 2 strategies you can think of to help you overcome that obstacle.

Answer by clicking 'comment' below.  

How to Make Mexican + Italian Polenta Pie Bites

Two things are important in a plant-based kitchen...

1. Having a quick go-to meal/recipe you can make from everyday ingredients and
2. Having a yummy appetizer when entertaining guests (that's quick and easy!)

Today's recipe satisfies both of those plant-based kitchen requirements and it is… Polenta Pie Bites and they're awesome for 3 reasons.

1. This recipe is well received by everyone.  Meat-lovers, traditional American eaters and vegans all love this recipe.  I've made it for family holiday gatherings and its always been a hit.  I've also made these for myself (and eaten the whole tray which is absolutely okay!) and I've made these as an app to munch on while cooking dinner with friends.
2. You can make this recipe on the fly by using common ingredients you already have in your house (see recipe and bonus tips below).  Additionally, it's easy to switch up the ingredients and continually make new and exciting kinds.
3. Kids also enjoy preparing this dish because they get to decorate each mini polenta pie so get your kiddos involved in this one too!

Here's how to make it...

You can really mix and match any combination of ingredients for these but here are 2 of my favorite kinds.

Mexican Polenta Pie Bites

Ingredients:

• 1 tube pre-made polenta (I prefer plain for this recipe) evenly sliced
• 1/2 jar medium or mild salsa
• 1/2 small yellow, orange or green bell pepper julienned (or a few from all colors)
• 1/4 onion finely chopped
• 2 TB fresh cilantro finely chopped for garnish

* Note: for the peppers, cut the pepper in half (not length-wise) and then julienne the peppers.  This way they'll be the perfect size for the polenta and not too long.

Instructions:

* Instructions are also available in the video above.

1. Turn the oven on to a low broil.
2. Finely chop the onion and julienne the peppers.  
3. Remove polenta from the wrapper and slice into even pieces (about 1/4 in. to 3/8 in. thick.  This will yield about 15 slices).  
4. Place polenta on a baking sheet (no need to spray with oil first.  They hardly stick.  Save yourself 100s of unnecessary fat calories!).
5. Dollop a small spoon of salsa onto each polenta slice and flatten and even out.
6. Sprinkle a a few pieces of onion onto each polenta slice.
7. Add 3 pieces of julienned pepper on-top of each slice.
8. Place in the oven for 20 minutes or until edges are golden and peppers begin to slightly brown.
9. Remove polenta from oven.
10. Using a spatula, remove from the tray and on to a serving dish.
11. Sprinkle each polenta with the cilantro garnish.
12. Serve and enjoy :)

Bonus Tips:

• For the peppers, cut the pepper in half (not length-wise) and then julienne the peppers.  This way they'll be the perfect size for the polenta and not too long.
• When placing polenta onto the baking sheet, place thicker slices closest to the rim of the sheet and thinner slices on the inside.  The rim holds more heat and placing the slices this way will ensure they cook evenly.  
• Other ingredients to use include corn, beans, jalapeño pepper and thin and small avocado slices as garnish.
• Don't cook delicate herbs such as fresh cilantro, parsley and basil in the oven with the polenta.  They'll darken, possible burn and lose their vibrant color.  Instead, sprinkle them on fresh right before serving. 

Italian Polenta Pie Bites

Ingredients:

• 1 tube pre-made polenta (can be sun-dreid tomato flavor, basil flavor or plain)
• 1/4-1/2 jar spaghetti sauce (oil-free and preferably sugar-free)
• 1/4 chopped onion
• 10-15 cherry or grape tomatoes sliced in half
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 2 TB fresh basil (or parsley) finely chopped for garnish

Bonus Tips:

• Other ingredients to use include olives, dried italian herbs, sliced mushroom, capers, oregano and freshly chopped basil as a garnish. 
• Don't cook delicate herbs such as fresh cilantro, parsley and basil in the oven with the polenta.  They'll darken, possible burn and lose their vibrant color.  Instead, sprinkle them on fresh right before serving. 
• When placing polenta onto the baking sheet, place thicker slices closest to the rim of the sheet and thinner slices on the inside.  The rim holds more heat and placing the slices this way will ensure they cook evenly.  

Take Control Now Question

What toppings would you add to your own Polenta Pie Bites?

Answer by clicking 'comments' below.

Vegan Veggie Soba Noodle Salad Recipe

Last week I shared with you '7 kitchen 'prep' tips to help you eat healthier' and today, I'm showing you a yummy, yet simple recipe to help you implement some of those tips.

Before I show you the recipe, I want to thank Rouxbe Cooking School for their inspiration for this dish.  I'm currently a student of their Professional Plant-Based Cooking School and this is my spin on their 'Soba Noodle Salad.'

Vegan Veggie Soba Noodle Salad

Ingredients for soba pasta salad:

• 1 package soba noodles cooked and cooled
• 1/2 C green onions chopped
• 1  1/4 C grape tomatoes chopped
• 1 cucumber julienned
• 3 carrots julienned
• 1 small yellow bell pepper julienned
• 2 TB chopped mint
• 3 TB chopped basil (or thai basil)
• 3 TB chopped cilantro
• Sesame seeds to garnish 
• optional: 1 can butter beans rinsed

Ingredients for Asian Vinaigrette:

• 2 TB Bragg's liquid amino acids or soy sauce
• 3 TB rice vinegar
• 4 TB honey
• 2 large garlic cloves minced
• 1/2 red chile pepper minced (ribs and seeds removed)
• 1/4-1/2 tsp red chili flakes

Directions

1.  Cook and cool the soba noodles.  To cook the noodles, make sure you follow the package directions!  Soba noodles cook very fast!  

Generally, you'll bring a pot of water to a rapid boil, add the soba noodles and stir frequently to ensure they don't stick.  Cook for 4-5 minutes (that's it!).  Remove the pasta, strain and rinse with cold water and add the the fridge (covered) until chilled (watch how in the video above).

* While waiting for the pasta to boil, you can get out the rest of your ingredients and cooking utensils.

2.  Prepare ingredients.  While the pasta is cooling in the fridge, prepare your miss en place (that is, all of your ingredients to ensure you're prepared to cook).  Prep the veggies for the pasta (ingredients above).  

Once all of your pasta ingredients are prepped, add everything to the soba noodles and toss until ingredients are evenly distributed.

3.  Prepare vinaigrette dressing by combing all ingredients and whisking until ingredients are evenly mixed.

4. Pour dressing on noodles and toss until evenly mixed.

5. Serve and garnish with sesame seeds.

Bonus Tips

• Be sure to read the ingredients, fiber and especially sodium levels of the soba noodle package.  Some brands have astronomical amounts of added sodium while others don't add any.  Go with the lowest sodium and highest fiber choice when possible.
• To make this dish more filling, I enjoy adding 1 can of butter beans.  It's delicious!
• Double the recipe to have left-overs throughout the week.
• Double the dressing recipe and use as a dip for summer rolls or lettuce wraps.

Take Control Now Question

What else could you do with this dressing?  Would you prepare or eat this dish?  

Answer by clicking 'comment' below.

7 kitchen 'prep' tips to make eating healthy easier

January is a time when you may be more motivated to change your diet and start eating better. Sometimes it feels so difficult though no matter how hard you try.  Am I right?

Well, it doesn't have to be that hard.  Today I share with you 7 'prep' tips to make eating plant-based meals easier.  Putting in a little effort ahead of time can save you more time, energy and calories in the long-run.  A little effort goes a long way here.  

Apply these tips in the beginning of the week and/or some in the middle of the week.  Whenever you chose, just make sure you do them and you won't only eat better, you'll eat more delicious food as well.

7 'prep' tips to make eating healthier easier

1.  Prep salad toppings.  Salad topping may include different sliced veggies, diced fruit, toasted nuts or drained and rinsed canned beans.  Additionally, you can rinse and dry salad greens and place in a zip lock bag with a paper towel. 

Place your toppings in tupperware containers (I love this one!).  This makes eating salads throughout the week much easier because you have an assortment of yummy toppings to chose from and assemble immediately.

2.  Cook a batch of a whole-grain.  Cooking 1 batch of your favorite whole-grain such as brown rice, farro, whole-grain pasta, quinoa or barley, will make eating a variety of different meals easier throughout the week.  Cooking 1 batch of quinoa (takes 20 minutes AND you can chop your salad veggies while it cooks) can then be used as a whole-grain breakfast, as a salad topping, for a whole-grain salad with veggies, avocado and garbanzo beans   or with a veggie and bean stir-fry.

3.  Make a sauce or a dressing.  A thick sauce such as hummus or a cashew 'cream cheese' can not only be used as a spread for sandwiches, dips and pitas, but can also be thinned out to use as a dressing for salads or grain bowls.  A decadent and versatile sauce or dressing will make eating leafy greens and healthy whole-grains much more exciting and easy!

4.  Make a large batch of a meal.  If you put the energy into making a meal, you might as well make a large batch of that meal.  You'll spend less time than if you'd make it twice (much less!).  Save the left-overs for lunch the next day or freeze left-overs for a quick meal later in the week.

5.  Find and prep a recipe.  Find a recipe you'd like to cook.  Take a picture of it or keep it saved on your phone.  This way when you're at the store, you'll actually have it with you to ensure you buy all the necessary ingredients.  

6.  Freeze bananas.  I LOVE banana ice-cream.  Taking 2 minutes to freeze banana chunks has saved me so many times when I come home hungry and yearning for something sweet.  If there's frozen bananas, I can make banana ice-cream (many different flavors) in a matter of minutes.  I also enjoy adding frozen banana chucks to my oatmeal in the morning with blueberries and chopped dates.  

Simply freeze very ripe bananas by removing the peel and cutting or pulling them into 1 inch chunks and placing in a zip lock bag and place in the freezer until hard.  Learn how to make my traditional banana ice-cream here or berry-chocoloate ice-cream here.

7.  Make a batch of baked sweet potatoes.  Cook 5 or so at a time and enjoy baked sweet potatoes as a snack, for breakfast or use as part of a meal like black bean sweet potato quesadillas.  Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees F and bake for 45-60 minutes.  Smaller yams or sweet potatoes won't take as long to bake.

Now I'd love to hear from you.  Answer today's Take Control Now question by clicking 'comment' below.

Take Control Now Question

Which of these tips will you implement?  Have another to share?

 

Does dairy increase prostate cancer risk?

You may not know this about me, but I met Santa Clause.  Yes, the real Santa Clause when I was studying in Finland and visited the North Pole.  (See here's me running into the Arctic Ocean!).

View fullsize

So, Santa and I are homies and I was so thrilled to receive a letter from him today!  He has some health concerns and he has a Take Control Tuesday Question to share.

“Dear Trisha,

I am concerned… As you know, I have SO many Christmas duties to take care of but I’m starting to get worried... I just heard on the radio — a new study found dairy products are associated with prostate cancer! Milk of all foods! Now what am I supposed to do!?

Trisha, as you know, one of my favorite parts of Christmas is drinking milk under the Christmas trees from all over the world! I really don’t know if this dairy and prostate cancer study is true. What’s the deal? Do I really have to stop drinking milk!?

Thanks for all your help Trisha. You’ve been a good girl this year and I love your Take Control Tuesday videos!

Love,

Santa Clause

P.S. Can you please put vegan, plant-based cookies under the tree this year? Mrs. Clause is on my butt to lose some weight, and she’s right. Thanks!”

Oo-ee Santa.  Well you're right!  A study published in November, 2014 in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found that intakes of total dairy products, all types of milk, low-fat milk and cheese were all associated with an increased risk in prostate cancer.

Now Santa, I want you to know that this study isn't just based on one single study.  The authors conducted a meta-analysis -- they compiled the results of 32 different prospective studies and found the above results, which makes an even stronger case for dairy and prostate cancer risk.

Additionally, researchers found that supplemental calcium was associated with increased risk of fatal prostate cancer.  Yikes!

Interestingly though, non-dairy sources of calcium were not associated with increased prostate cancer risk.  Yeah for plants!

This is even more reason to get your calcium from plants including broccoli, garbanzo beans, tofu, raw carrots, kale and yes, almond milk (which has more calcium per serving than regular milk!)  

To learn why plants are better for your bones than dairy, watch this Take Control Tuesday video.  

So Santa, my friend, ask your beloved milk givers to swap that cow utter juice for some almond milk instead.  Problem solved!

And of course, I will happily leave you some healthy, plant-based cookies for Christmas this year. And I included cookie recipes for our Take Control Tuesday viewers too :)

Find over 15 holiday treats for Santa on my Healthy Holiday Treats Pinterest board here.

Now Santa and I would love to hear from you...  

Take Control Now

Do you have any concerns about drinking or not drinking milk?  

Please answer today's question by clicking 'comments' below.

References

1. D Aune, D.A. Navarro Rosenblatt, D. SM. Chan et al. Dairy products, calcium, and prostate cancer risk: a systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2014.