July 16, 2010

Chocolate Ice

Posted in HCG, Recipes, Weight Loss at 3:36 pm by Dr Michelle Torrance ND, LAc

I was so excited to figure this out over the weekend! Enjoy! It is perfect for all this nice weather!

  • Splash of water or coffee or green tea…etc.
  • 1 scoop Shake (whatever variety you’ve got will work)
  • Crushed ice (cubed won’t work, has to be crushed)

Add it all into a Magic Bullet cup and blend. You’ll have to shake the cup a bit to get the ice to move around, and be sure to blend it up really well – then grab a spoon!!

Variations:

  • Vanilla shake with some berries
  • 1/2 apple and cinnamon, maybe a dash of stevia
  • Vanilla shake with Chai Spice (I found this spice blend at Fred Meyer)

May 16, 2010

Start your day off well!

Posted in Recipes, Weight Loss at 7:39 pm by Dr Michelle Torrance ND, LAc

I just thought I’d share my favorite morning drink:

16 oz hot water
2 packets True Lemon (unsweetened) or a 1/4 of a squeezed fresh lemon
Vanilla Stevia, a few drops to taste

It’s a little tart, a little sweet and gets things moving in the digestive sense. It leaves you with a clean taste and just makes your day start a little more nicely. If that isn’t reason enough, let me give you one more: that’s 16 oz of fluid that goes towards your water goal!

Remember, to lose weight well you must, must, must drink your water! 1/3 of your body weight in ounces should be your minimum goal!

April 21, 2010

I miss “heavy food”!

Posted in Recipes, Weight Loss at 1:29 pm by Dr Michelle Torrance ND, LAc

This is a quote from one of my patients today. She made a connection that most of the food that she has been eating is lighter in weight and substance to what she was eating before. Gone are the days of clumpy cream sauces, pastas, potatoes and weighty fats and starches.

No doubt about it, it is a hefty change (yes, pun intended).

So what do we do to feel good about these changes in our eating habits?

1. We acknowledge that the food we’re eating is, indeed, lighter and healthier for us. We work to wrap our minds around that just because our brain is sending strong signals to increase the caloric density of our food, we don’t need to do this. Eating those calorically dense foods didn’t serve us before, in fact, it only made us heavy, literally.

2. We use thickeners and other foods to round out our meals. For example:

  • Agar or arrowroot in our soups to make them thicker and give them some additional mouth-feel.
  • Gelatin, unflavored and unsweetened, added to our fruit to make a low-glycemic jello.
  • Shirataki noodles, also known as “Miracle Noodles” to add to cold salads or soups. You can get these at Central Market in the Asian food section, or order online.
  • Konjac flour added to shakes to make them into pudding! Trust me, use less than you think you need! 1 tsp usually will suffice!

April 16, 2010

White Fish & Cabbage

Posted in HCG, Recipes at 9:32 am by Dr Michelle Torrance ND, LAc

The sun is shining, so let’s enjoy a quick and easy meal!

White fish fillet
Non-fat, low sodium chicken or veggie broth
Green veggies or basil
Napa cabbage

Poach the fish in the broth
Spice however you would like or add some lemon to the top
While poaching, add your green veggies to the broth if you would like them cooked a bit
Slice or chop the cabbage

Put the sliced cabbage in a bowl, put the fish on top and pour some broth over both. The hot broth will soften and flavor the cabbage nicely.
Add your veggies and you’re all done!

March 15, 2010

Taco/Chili Seasoning

Posted in HCG, Recipes at 8:22 pm by Dr Michelle Torrance ND, LAc

Very flexible recipe – feel free to customize!

  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp oregano
  • 1/4 tsp cumin
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne
  • 1/4 tsp basil
  • 1/4 tsp thyme
  • March 14, 2010

    Veggies, Roasted or Steamed

    Posted in HCG, Recipes at 12:19 pm by Dr Michelle Torrance ND, LAc

    Tired of cold salad? Me too.

    At work, the ladies and I often enjoy a dish of veggies hot from the oven. We get a box of organic vegetables delivered directly to the office each week, so we always have plenty of great, healthy options available for a reasonable price. And we’re supporting local farms! It doesn’t get better than that!

    This recipe is absolutely flexible, so I’m just going to give you the version we most recently put together:

    Zucchini

    Asparagus

    Onion

    Broccoli

    Mushrooms

    Tomatoes

    Put into a casserole dish with the sturdier items/longer cooking items at the bottom (ex. the asparagus and onion).

    Add some water, salt, pepper and whatever seasonings you want. Or take a short cut and add low sodium chicken or veggie broth. You can leave it uncovered and move it close to the broiler for top heat, or you can cover it with foil and steam the veggies on the middle rack.

    Pop in the oven, 350-400 degrees for 20-40 minutes (I know, broad recommendation, but everyone’s ovens are a bit different, and it depends on the volume of food and your crunchiness preference!)

    March 11, 2010

    Turkey Frikadellen

    Posted in HCG, Recipes at 9:36 pm by Dr Michelle Torrance ND, LAc

    My mom used to make Frikadellen when I was a kid – they are German equivalent of meat-loaf, but in individual portions. Way more fun to eat that way!

    The “normal” way to cook these is in the pan with oil – but as we know, that isn’t the lowest fat option available. Instead, you’re going to get these together and bake them. The oil that runs off in the pan can be put into food compost or added as a nice treat to your dog’s bowl!

    • 1 lb ground turkey, the leanest you can find
    • 1/2 onion, diced
    • 1/2 can diced, low sodium tomatoes – or you can chop up a fresh one
    • 2 egg whites (If you can eat them. If not, just leave them out.)
    • Pepper, salt and other spices to taste (I like marjoram and parsley; or cumin and coriander; or garlic salt; or…)

    Mix it up, divide it into 8 balls, flatten them and put them on a cookie sheet covered with foil, shiny side up.

    Bake for 15-20 minutes at 325-340 degrees.

    Now you have enough for 4 meals, two Frikadellen each!

    Blueberry Dessert

    Posted in HCG, Recipes at 9:35 pm by Dr Michelle Torrance ND, LAc

    When you need something really sweet and really yummy – especially if everyone else is getting pie and cake!

    • 1/2 Blueberries (frozen is fine)
    • 1/8 – 1/4 tsp cinnamon
    • 1/8 – 1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
    • 1/2 packet of xylitol or erythritol granulated sweetener (not necessary unless you really, really need it sweet!)

    Put it into a little pyrex dish or something else microwave safe. If fresh, microwave for 1 minute, if frozen, 2 minutes.

    Yum!