Greetings from Alana, our Nutritionistl

Dear Balance Members,

Christmas is almost here but you would never know it by the weather! Today, Santa could have been in a pair beach shorts and a tank top it was so warm!!!

I have seen a few of you lately and I can’t believe my eyes… your results are already amazing, and I am so happy to see you all looking so tight and fit and firm. I should have joined the program myself! Yes, I am so impressed with all that I have seen in such a short amount of time.

And speaking of being impressed: Today I got hungry at lunch so I made a couple of great recipes that I want to share with all of you. Perhaps Kimberly can post them to the blog as well. First, I grilled a chicken breast and drizzled it with warm hazelnut vinaigrette. I passionately consumed it with a spinach salad and a couple of thyme and cheese crisps – and I added a bit of wild rice pilaf that I had leftover from a party I went to yesterday.

Putting together a healthy, well balanced (and decadent!) meal does not have to take a lot of time or effort at all. You can get great ideas from looking in fun cookbooks or browsing the internet. The key is to plan your meals around plenty of veggies, some protein, a little bit of healthy carbohydrates, and a good quality fat like olive oil, walnuts, olives, avocadoes, and real butter. I hope you like these recipes as much as I do.

We will all meet again in late February or early March depending on Dr. Ashry’s schedule. In the meantime, keep up the good work, and don’t let the holidays get you too stressed out.

Have a wonderful Christmas and a VERY HAPPY New Year!

Warm Regards,

Alana

Warm Hazelnut Vinaigrette:

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, or walnut oil, or hazelnut oil

2 cloves finely minced fresh garlic

¼ cup coarsely chopped lightly roasted hazel nuts

1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Warm the oil over medium-low heat. Add garlic and hazelnuts, and gently cook for just a minute or until garlic is very fragrant and golden. Stir in the balsamic vinegar, sea salt, and pepper. Drizzle this over grilled chicken, shrimp, fish, or lean beef for a delicious dish! If you like, you can also drizzle it over baby spinach or steamed veggies, of brown or wild rice for that matter!!!

Thyme and Cheese Crisps

1 cup grated parmesan or Romano cheese

2 tsp fresh thyme leaves

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Mix cheese with thyme leaves. Spoon heaping teaspoons onto the baking sheet, spacing a couple of inches apart, and lightly pressing down with your fingers to flatten into circles about 2-inches in diameter. Bake about 6-8 minutes or until lightly browned and crisp. Slide the parchment paper off the cookie sheet. With a spatula, loosen the crisps and cool on wire racks. They will firm up as they cool down (just like us after exercising!!!!!!) Let them cool completely. Then store them in an airtight container, layered between parchment or waxed paper. These are fantastic on salads, and take the place of croutons! They are wonderful! Enjoy!!!!