Lo-Carb Pumpkin Pie Recipe

Lo-Carb Crust-less Pumpkin Pie Recipe

If you are a Hot Mama trying to shed those post-baby pounds, overindulging in a huge Thanksgiving meal can cancel out a week’s worth of sweating on the treadmill! Yikes! To avoid this potentially way ward moment on the Friday morning scale, I suggest sticking to skinless turkey breast sans gravy, baked sweet potatoes, and loading up on salad and vegetables. To avoid eyeing the 800-calorie per slice pecan pie, I am arming you with a recipe for a Crust-less Pumpkin Pie that is less than 100 calories per serving, lo-carb, and full of skin nourishing vitamins A and C. The best part is that it’s a cinch to make!

Ingredients:

1 large can Libby pumpkin

1 cup unsweetened vanilla Almond Milk (40 calories)

5 packets Truvia sweetener (splenda can be substituted)

2 scoops Vanilla Whey Protein Powder

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tbl. Vanilla extract

Place all ingredients in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth.

Bake in a glass pie-pan for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Eat fiber, lose weight

Want to lose weight post-baby, prevent excessive weight gain during pregnancy, prevent painful hemorroids while pregnant, control blood sugar?

The secret is FIBER. While not a sexy topic of conversation, read on. All you have to lose is inches from your waist and numbers from your cholesterol reading.

Why do we need fiber?

Fiber is especially important for the following:

- reducing the risk of colon and rectal cancer by permitting carcinogens in food to pass more quickly through the intestinal tract

- helping to regulate blood glucose levels in diabetes and in those who are trying to regulate their blood sugar for weight loss purposes

- helping prevent cardiovascular disease

- helping prevent and treat diverticulosis, constipation, and hemorrhoids

- helps to satisfy appetite by creating a feeling of fullness (feeling full = eating less = weight loss)

- has a cholesterol lowering effect

Most Americans do not get enough fiber. How much is enough? The National Cancer Institute recommends 25 to 35 grams of fiber daily. If you are not accustomed to eating that much fiber, increase your intake gradually. Too much too soon can lead to intestinal cramps, bloating and yes, gas.

All vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and legumes have fiber. Animal products do not have any. Most of the fiber in fruits and vegetables is in the skin. Fruit and vegetable juices are usually striped of all fiber. To add more fiber to your diet, eat vegetables and fruits with their skins, whole grain cereals, whole grain breads, beans, peas, and nuts.

Best iphone app for weight loss post baby

As a nutritionist, I often hear complaints of, "I think I am doing everything right and I still can't lose weight!" In this instance, the first thing I tell my clients to do is to keep a food journal. The act of writing down everything that is passing your lips completely eliminates unconscious eating.I have found that even if a client is given a specific diet plan, most find themselves "grazing" on other food and not even remembering that they did so. For a Hot Mama with a new baby, the act of keeping a food journal can be more than challenging in her hectic, sleep deprived schedule. If you are a Hot Mama with an iphone, the ap "Lose It" is just the solution. This ap logs your food intake and daily exercise. It creates a calorie plan based on your age, gender, height, and the amount of weight that you want to lose each week. It even tracks your weight loss progess and diplays your nutrient intake for the day. Better yet, this app is free! Note: If you are breastfeeding, you will want to adjust your calories up 500 per day and only aim for a loss of one pound per week. Adequate calorie and nutrient intake is crucial for nourishing your baby and maintaining your ability to produce milk.

Sleep and post pregnancy weight loss

Exercising and eating healthy and still can't lose that last ten baby weight pounds? Not getting enough zzz's may be the culprit. Numerous studies have shown that women who sleep five hours or less a night weigh more than women who get at least seven hours of sleep. These studies take into account exercise and calorie intake; both being equal in each group. Lack of sleep may decrease metabolic rate (the amount of calories burned at rest) and increases cortisol levels. Elevated cortisol levels have been linked to weight gain (especially around the middle). Getting enought sleep can be particularly challenging for a new mother, but it may be an easier and less expensive solution than hiring a personal trainer, buying the next clothes a size, or losing your mind as your weight loss attempts just seem futile! Here are some tips for my Hot Mamas in need of a decent night's rest:

1. Enlist the help of Daddy. You spent nine months of pregnancy without the comforts of a glass of wine, your favorite sushi, and being able to take a gosh darn aspirin when you had a headache, not to mention the "YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!" experience of delivery so that you both can have a beautiful, healthy baby. It's time for Daddy to step up. If your baby is waking up in three hour intervals, let Daddy take one shift a night.

2. Avoid caffeine after noon, no matter how tired you are. Grit it out and go to sleep earlier.

3. Make sure you are sleeping in a very dark room without any flashing lights such as computer screens, televisions, or flashing phones or clocks. Light inhibits the release of melatonin, which is the hormone that helps you fall asleep. Watching television or surfing the net before bed is a no no.

4. If you can afford it, hire a night nurse for a few nights a week.

5. As tired as you may feel, try to keep up some type of exercise program. Exercise is a great sleep aid.

6. Take naps. A great time to catch up on sleep is when your baby is sleeping.

Best Breakfast Before, During, and After Pregnancy

Help! I’m pregnant! What do I eat for breakfast that won’t make me nauseous, is quick to make, won’t pack on pounds, and will give me energy to keep going all morning? In my practice as a nutritionist, this is a common question for my Hot Mamas- To Be. My recipe for Protein Oatmeal has always been my answer. It has a balance of fiber, good carbohydrates, brain healthy fat, and quality protein. This makes it the perfect breakfast in my book! The balance of carbs/protein/fat will keep you satisfied all morning long. This recipe makes two servings, but you can double or triple it and keep it in the fridge for those mornings where you are pressed for time.

Protein Oatmeal (Apples and Cinnamon)

2/3 cups slow cooking oatmeal

¾ cups water

2 scoops vanilla whey protein powder

2 medium apples cored and diced

2 tbl. Cinnamon powder

1-cup vanilla soy, coconut, or almond milk

2 tsp. ground flaxseeds

1-tablespoon natural cane sugar or stevia

1tsp. sea salt (optional)

Bring water and soy milk to a boil, add oats, sea salt, and apples and stir. Bring to a boil again, reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat and add cinnamon, flaxseeds and protein powder, and cane sugar. Stir and divide into two servings. (Approx. 300 cals)