Clean Eat Education :: Beef – What’s Really for Dinner? Make Wise Choices!


Proteins are necessary building blocks to increasing our fitness levels by gaining muscle, trimming fat and fueling our bodies for optimal functioning.  Below, you will find information on how to buy quality beef, as well as suggested serving portions.

Photo Courtesy of http://etc.usf.edu/clipart/22300/22336/beef_22336.htm

Nutritional Benefits of Beef

Vitamins/Minerals

Beef contains several vitamins and minerals that are essential to your daily nutritional intake.  Beef is a good source of zinc, selenium, phosphorus, iron and B Vitamins.  Essential for optimal muscle growth,  Beef is the best source of carnitine and is a good source of creatine.

Calories

Due to the large amount of cuts and the variance of fat in any particular beef source, it’s quite hard to provide concrete calorie counts for beef.  However, below you will find a guide of approximate calorie contents in different cuts of beef.

Ground Beef (85% Beef / 15% Fat) – 3oz portion, cooked

228 calories, 13g Fat, 5.1g Saturated Fat, 84mg Cholesterol

Ribeye Steak – 9oz portion, grilled

585 calories, 29g Fat, 12g Saturated Fat, 207mg Cholesterol

Filet Mignon – 6oz, cooked

320 calories, 18g Fat,  6g Saturated Fat, 85 mg Cholesterol

Concerns Related to Beef Consumption

Hormones

Most commercially available Beef (that which you find in your grocer’s meat section), is fed growth hormones during most stages of their lives.  To allow for sufficient growth of a calf in optimal time, cattle are fed a mixture of large amounts of grain feed and protein supplements.  According to Dr. Heise, a Chiropractic Doctor from Winter Park, FL, “Various combinations of hormones, estradiol, progesterone, and testosterone, and the synthetic hormones, zeranol and trenbolone acetate, may be given to cattle during their growing cycle. Another hormone, melengesterol acetate, may also be added to cattle feed to ‘improve weight gain and feed efficiency.’” (http://www.drheise.com/beef.htm) If a calf can gain 1400 lbs in a matter of a little over one year to 18 months, what potential effects could these hormones have on your weight loss goals?

What can you do to guard against this? Look for hormone-free meats – they are available in many mainstream supermarkets and butcher shops.  We are not advocating that you stop eating Beef, just look at your labels and know what is in your foods before purchasing!

Antibiotics

Over 50% of antibiotic usage can be traced to usage for animal consumption.  Due to overcrowding and increased opportunity for disease, antibiotics are added to cattle feed to prevent such diseases.  However, the large amounts of medicine that are fed to these animals increase the risk of passing the chemicals to those that consume such meat.

What can you do to guard against taking in these chemicals? Look for antibiotic-free meats – they are often available in conjunction with hormone-free meats and are available in many mainstream supermarkets and butcher shops.  Again… we are not advocating that you stop eating Beef, just look at your labels and know what is in your foods before purchasing!

Suggested Servings

Pry your hands off of your mouse or keyboard. Look down at the palm of your hand. That’s one of your best tools for determining how much of a protein or meat you should consume in one sitting! A palm-sized portion of beef is perfect for your next meal.

Just how much beef should you have per week? A 2007 study by the World Cancer Research Fund suggested no more than 11oz or 300g of cooked beef per week.

Additional Information YOU may Want to Know

Cuts of Beef

There are many, many cuts of beef that you should be aware of as you maneuver around your local butcher, farmers market and grocery store. Know which area your meat is coming from so that you can choose an optimal cut for your cooking method.

Chuck – Pot Roast, Short Ribs and Ground Chuck (typically used for hamburger meat)

Ribs – Prime Rib and Ribeye Steaks

Short Loin – T-Bone Steak, Porterhouse Steak and New York Strip Steaks

Sirloin – Sirloin Steaks, Ground Sirloin, Tri Tip Roast

Breast/Foreshank – Crosscut Shank, Brisket, Ground Beef

Plate – Ground Beef

Flank – Flank Steak, Skirt Steak and London Broil

Round – Rump Roast, Round Steak and Roast

USDA Grades of Beef

US Prime – Best quality. Small, limited amount of intramuscular fat. Higher fat content than US Choice.

US Choice – High quality. Most commonly available beef grade. Lower fat content than US Prime.

US Select – Lower quality typically sold at grocery stores and butcher shops. Lean and sometimes tough.

US Standard

US Utility

US Cutter

US Canner

- Tiffany

Resources

Wikipedia – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beef#American_primal_cuts

Dr. Heise – http://www.drheise.com/beef.htm

About.com - http://southernfood.about.com/library/weekly/aa090802b.htm

Calorie Lab - http://calorielab.com/restaurants/off-the-grill/ribeye-steak/4155/40837

My Fitness Pal - http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/calories/homemade-filet-mignon-15471722

Clean Eating Alternative to Deviled Eggs? Try the Protein Packed Angeled Eggs!

What a great way to reach your fitness goals with our friend and complete protein, the egg! Now, I have to be honest - I have never had a deviled egg in my life!  Jim on the other hand... loves them almost as much as he loves me!  I was super excited to try this recipe for angeled eggs when I saw that it was clean and a great alternative to their higher fat, higher cholesterol evil cousin, the deviled egg. I have visions of Jim taking these for lunch around the office when he is actually home and eating them for snacks!

Ingredients:
6 eggs, hard boiled
6-oz can tuna
4 tbsp Greek yogurt
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 tbsp fresh chopped dill
Paprika, to garnish

Directions:
1. Slice eggs into halves lengthwise. Scoop out yokes and set aside.
2. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, finely mash 2 egg yolks with a fork. Discard remaining yolks.
3. In another bowl, finely mash tuna with a fork.
4. Combine tuna and egg yolks into one bowl. Add remaining ingredients and mix well.
5. Spoon mixture into hollowed-out egg whites. Sprinkle with paprika. Serve immedietly or chill to allow flavors to meld.

*Recipe from Oxygen Magazine, "Eat Eggs Get Lean," October 2011.

There is one caveat... my Father-in-Law, who is not used to eating anywhere near remotely clean, decided to try one and I don't think that they were what he was expecting.  There is definitely a different taste than that of a deviled egg!  Worried? Try making a small batch before you plan to serve them just to make sure the family is up for it!

- Tiffany

Clean Eat Treat :: Chocolate Chip Almond Butter Cookies

Wow!  Just Delicious!  The Chocolate Chip Almond Butter Cookies is another recipe I made for Jim's birthday celebration and boy where they a big hit!  (Even approved by the Southern Mother-in-Law and Father-in-Law!)

Remember, just because it's clean and isn't full of processed junk, you still need to be conscious of the total amount of calories you are consuming.  Each of these bad boys have about 110 calories.  Not bad for a snack once in a while, but pop 4 or 5 of them and you have wasted a good bit of your daily caloric intake. You will get nowhere with your health and fitness goals if you are indulging in too many of our Clean Eat Treats!

Chocolate Chip Almond Butter Cookies (Gluten Free)

 

Ingredients:
1 cup Almond Butter, stirred well
3/4 cup Sucanat
1 large egg
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
3 oz dark chocolate (try Lindt Extra Dark Chocolate 85% Cocoa), broken into small pieces

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium bowl, combine the first five ingredients until blended. Stir in Chocolate.
2. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls on to partchment-lined baking sheets (non-stick pans work incredibly well also!). Bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Let cool on baking sheets for five minutes. Remove to a wire rack and let cool for 15 more minutes.

Yields approximately 24 cookies.

He and She Tip: Freeze your left over cookies by wrapping each one individually. When you are looking for a special treat, unwrap one and eat it before it thaws. A little piece of Heaven on Earth!

Happy Baking!
Tiffany

*Source: The Best of Clean Eating, 2010.

Clean Eat Egg Quiche Muffins

This recipe has to be one of my new favorites! Make it once and you have 12 delicious mini-quiche egg muffins that are not only clean but filled with goodness! Better yet, at around 50-60 calories a piece, you can afford to stuff yourself full of muffins with lack of sacrifice and feeling like you are starving yourself!

Vegetables are full of essential vitamins that we need for our bodies to perform optimally.  The richer the color - the richer the goodness! Color your morning and try this recipe - it's fabulous!

Clean Egg Muffins

Ingredients:
Olive Oil Spray (Pure Olive Oil)
4 scallions (or green onions), minced
2 carrots, shredded
1/2 red bell pepper, minced
1/2 zucchini, shredded
14 egg whites
4 whole eggs
1/2 tsp basil
1/4 tsp oregano
Dash of sea salt and pepper

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Coat a 12-muffin tin with a small amount of olive oil spray to prevent sticking.
2. Combine vegetables in a big bowl. Fill each muffin tin 2/3 full with vegetables.

3. Whisk eggs and seasonings in a large mixing bowl.
4. Use a 1/3-measuring cup for the egg mixture and pour slowly into each muffin tin. Egg mixture should fill tin the rest of the way. Bake for 30 minutes or until muffins have risen and are slightly browned. Serve.

Tip: Muffins will stay for approximately 1 weeks refrigerated, or you can freeze them for later consumption (be sure to thaw overnight in refrigerator before eating).

- Tiffany

Source: Oxygen Magazine, "Eat Eggs, Get Lean", October 2011

Clean Eat Treat :: Chocolate Almond Biscotti

It was Jim's birthday yesterday, and in celebration, I made some yummy clean treats and non-clean, regular cupcakes (we won't talk about those) for the rest of our family. I am not a baker, but spending 8 hours baking these yummy treats, which you will get the recipes to over the next 2 days, was somewhat cathartic. 

I can't wait to sit down with a cup of my coffee - half coffee, half milk and cinnamon, and one of these clean Chocolate Almond Biscotti cookies after a hectic day of running around and teaching aerobics!  The taste is divine and not too chocolaty.

Chocolate Almond Biscotti

Ingredients:
1/2 cup raw unsalted whole almonds, toasted and coarsely chopped, divided (can also use chopped, unsalted almonds in bags from the grocery store)
1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup unsweetened dark cocoa powder
2 tsp instant coffee crystals
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup Sucanat or rapadura sugar
1 whole egg
1 egg white
1 tsp real, high quality, vanilla extract
1 tsp almond extract
1 tsp lemon zest

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F/ 180 degrees C.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (optional - mine always makes the oven smoke so I omit this step!)
3. Put 1/4 c of the almonds, both flours, cocoa powder, coffee crystals, baking soda and salt in a food processor. Process for a few minutes until the almonds are finely ground. Put mixture in large mixing bowl and set aside.
4. Combine Sucanat, egg, egg white, both extracts and lemon zest in a blender and process until mixture is foamy - three to four minutes.
5. Pour wet ingredients into flour mixture. Add remaining coarsely chopped almonds. Mix well.
6. Divide dough in two. Shape each half into a log and place logs on baking sheet. (He and She Tip: Make logs wide and flatter - they will cook more evenly.)
7. Place baking sheet in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for at least 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 300 degrees F/ 148 degrees C.
8.  Cut each log into ten 1/2 inch pieces. You may choose to cut diagonally or straight.
9. Return the biscotti slices to the baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes or until the cookies are dry and lightly browned.
10. Remove from heat and place on wire rack to cool. Do not seal in airtight container until biscotti are cool and dry.

** Source: The Eat Clean Diet Book Recharged!,  Tosca Reno, 2009

He and She Great Deal :: Bob's Red Mill Products available at Big Lots

Big Lots is located next to the gym that I teach and train at, so I can't help but pass a little time now and again with a quick visit (okay, I admit it - it's a little more than a few visits here and there!).  However, I have been thoroughly impressed with their prices and selection - especially on items that I use everyday - olive oil, whole wheat flours, mixing cups, etc. I noticed a few weeks back that they started carrying the Bob's Red Mill brand - I was super excited.  Though their selection was small, I quickly found staples in our Clean Eating lifestyle, like quinoa, quick cooking oats, and ground flax seed.  Apparently, both companies have started to form more of a partnership because today, an entire endcap of an aisle was full of the Bob's Red Mill varieties.

Prices are even better than the bulk sale pricing on the Bob's Red Mill website (especially once you factor in the price of shipping).  

Pricing of Just a Few of the Items Available:

Bob's Red Mill Quick Cooking Oats

Normally $25.20 for a bulk order of 4 bags, $6.30 per bag through their website.

Big Lots Price: $4.95 ea. 

Bob's Red Mill Whole Grain Quinoa

Normally $37.04 for a bulk order of 4 bags, $9.26 per bag through their website.

Big Lots Price: $7.95 ea.

Bob's Red Mill Oat Bran
Normally $10.07 for a bulk order of 4 bags, $2.52 per bag through their website (plus shipping costs).
Big Lots Price: $2.50 ea.  (Not a huge savings, but not having to pay shipping will factor in for added savings.)
Bob's Red Mill Natural "No Fat Added" Granola
Normally $13.88 for a bulk order of 4 bags, $3.47 per bag through their website.
Big Lots Price: $3.00 ea.
**Note: this product is clean. Contains evaporated cane juice for sweetness.**
Bob's Red Mill Fava Beans
Normally $24.77 for a bulk order of 4 bags, $6.19 per bag through their website.
Big Lots Price: $6.00 ea.

About Bob's Red Mill:
Bob's Red Mill is an employee-owned organization that has been making quality products for over 25 years. Currently, they manufacture over 300 products including organic and gluten free products. Their mill, store and headquarters are located in Milwaukie, OR.

Happy Shopping (and good eating)!
Tiffany

He and She Great Deal :: Gilt Taste

As I was sifting through my email this morning, admist the junk that I lovingly call "marketing," I decided to actually open my daily email from Gilt today.  (He and She LOVES a great deal, so why not?)  Am I glad that I did...

Gilt has launched a new division to their website called Gilt Taste.  You must first sign up as a member of their parent company, Gilt to have access to Gilt Taste. Gilt Taste is still in the beta phase, but it is phenomenal!  Gilt Taste has worked with several vendors in each category of Gifts, Meat, Seafood, Cheese & Dairy, Pantry, Sweets, Produce, Wine and Equipment.  Not all the items are optimal for the Clean Eating lifestyle, but it's a great resource for hard to find items and treats.  (Note - You may not want to view the Sweets tab - they all look delicious!)

Want some fresh venison ribs? How about a 12" x 12" x 13" box full of fresh seasonal vegetables?  Clean sea salt and olive oil roasted almonds?  It's all there!  I am in love!

Prices:  The prices on the meat and seafood are not the cheapest, but the cuts appear to be phenomenal and you know where your meat is coming from.  The ranches/manufacturers are clearly listed and can be found with an easy Google search online. Bottom line - the prices are somewhat discounted gourmet pricing.  There are some great deals to be had!

Selection: The produce and pantry sections are chock full of great items that are hard to find unless you live in a metropolitan area or have access to international foods stores. 

Shipping: How does this fresh food stay fresh?  Well, I haven't ordered - yet, but it appears that most of the meats and seafoods are frozen, vacuum sealed and shipped overnight or packed in dry ice and shipped 2-day air.  The produce appears to be shipped overnight as well.  Each item specifies shipping time and availability.

Check it out and I can't wait for your feedback on the goodies that you get!

Counting Calories? Determine your Daily Calorie Needs FIRST!

Want to know how many calories you should have per day?  Try these websites and average the results!

Photo Courtesy of D Sharon Pruitt

About.com's Calorie Count - Focused on achieving goal-weight, this calculator uses your current weight, goal weight, gender, age, height, activity level and desired time frame to calculate your goal calorie intake.

Fitness Magazine - This calculator takes into consideration height, weight, age, sex, and activity level. It calculates what you need to maintain your weight.  You will need to subtract calories if you are interested in losing weight.

Free Dieting - This calculator is slightly less information-intensive as other calculators listed.  It accounts for your age, gender, weight, height and activity level. It then provides you with maintenance calorie intake, fat loss calorie intake and extreme fat loss calorie intake (He & She does not recommend following the extreme fat loss calorie intake suggested).

Mayo Clinic - This calculator also considers your height, weight, age and sex. It has fewer settings for activity level as that of the Fitness Magazine counter, but it is quite similar. You will need to subtract calories for weight loss.

What did you find out?  Are you on track with your calories?

Clean Eat Education :: The Nutrition of the Egg

What is so special about the egg?  I know it's a complete protein... but what does that really mean?  Are there any negatives that I should be aware of? What is the nutritional content?

He & She breaks down the Egg for you and offers some insight to this natural protein source.  See below:

What is an egg white?  The egg white, or albumen, is the protection for the developing chick.  It is high in nutrients, including vitamins Riboflavin and Selenium to support and protect the embryo. The egg white also contains Ovalbumin, a protein that aids in the metabolism of enzymes in the human body. Don't be fooled though - there are more than 40 different protein types in an egg white from just one egg. Fantastic added bonus!

Should I eat the entire egg?  There are different schools of thought on this topic.  Ultimately, it depends on your nutritional goals.  Are you looking to build muscle mass (eat egg whites as you will likely be consuming more eggs) or provide your body with wholesome foods that it needs (eating egg yokes, sparingly, will be just fine)?  Although He & She recommends monitoring your intake of egg yolks, there is no need to worry about the cholesterol content.  The enzymes and proteins found in the egg white of an egg can actually help protect the human body from ingesting too much cholesterol. Throw an egg yolk in with your egg whites from time to time and reap the benefits of the natural source of vitamins and fats.

Nutritional Information: 
If you eat the entire egg, you will find that in one large egg, you ingest:
          71 Calories
          5g Fat
               2g Saturated Fat
          221mg Cholesterol
          70mg Sodium
          0g Carbs/Sugars
          6g Protein

High in vitamins: Riboflavin, B12, Phosphorus and Selenium

Go the leaner, muscle-building route and opt to scramble up some egg whites.  Your nutritional intake then changes to:
          16 Calories
          0g Fat
               0g Saturated Fat
          0mg Cholesterol
          55mg Sodium
          0g Carbs/Sugars
          4g Protein

High in vitamins: Riboflavin, Selenium

Sources:
http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/dairy-and-egg-products/112/2
http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/dairy-and-egg-products/111/2
http://www.fitsugar.com/Egg-White-Vs-Egg-Yolk-Which-Better-364527

He and She Explores :: High Falls State Park - Jackson, GA

Since Jim is often away from home and traveling, we decided to get out of the house and enjoy the weather and nature a little more - together.  Since we have changed our lifestyle with our food choices, we thought that we should clean up our activities as well.

Excited to go on what I hoped would be a hike, we scouted out places on the internet to go that were not too far away from our home but would get us somewhere neither of us has been.  We settled on a Georgia State Park with a waterfall... Great idea, huh?

Loaded with healthy clean meals and snacks, we drive the 1.5 hours each way to High Falls State Park in Jackson, GA.  What do we discover? A man-made waterfall, with little to no water in it! That is just our luck!

Here are a few pictures from our journey:

Astro the Great Dane

He

She and Astro

Happy Exploring!

Tiffany

Sugar Addiction? Is it True? Can it Really Happen?

As you read and become more aware of your body and of clean eating practices, you will find that without the added, processed and refined sugars in your diet, you will start feeling better. Earlier in the week, ABC ran a segment on Food Addiction through their series, {Extra}ordinary Family (Extraordinary Family), part of the Primetime Nightline series.  The show followed overeaters, bulimics and touched on sugar addictions. 

ABC worked with researchers to debunk the myth of whether you can be ADDICTED to sugar or if it is pure fallacy.  The findings are remarkable.

(c) ABCNews 2011, ABCNews.com

As you can see, the areas in red are reactions occurring in the brain as a result of the sugar intake.  Tennie, the self-professed "sugar addict's" brain scan is on the left, where a "normal" brain scan with the same amount of sugar intake is on the right.  The differences are astounding! It's amazing how so little can affect our bodies so much!

Watch the 5 minute segment on the sugar addiction study.

Has this caused you to think about sugar in a different way? Do you think that you are addicted to sugar?

Clean Eat Treat :: Sweet Potato and Cinnamon Brownies

Who said you had to suffer from lack of treats when you eat clean?  Think about your ingredients and what ingredient substitutions you can make.

The Sweet Potato and Cinnamon Brownie  

Ingredients:
1 cup Whole Wheat Flour
1 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder (Try Hershey's Cocoa: Natural Unsweetened - The ONLY ingredient is cocoa.)
1 Tbsp Ground Cinnamon
1 Tbsp Baking Powder
1/4 tsp Sea Salt
1 cup Baked Sweet Potato (Make sure that you use oven baked sweet potato minus the skin for maximum sweetness.)
1/2 cup Agave Nectar (The most economic place to purchase Agave Nectar - so I have found - is Marshall's, TJ Maxx or HomeGoods near the olive oils.)
1/4 cup Olive Oil
1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
6 Egg Whites
Extra Olive Oil in a Spritzer Bottle

Directions:
1.  Preheat Oven to 350 degrees F.
2.  Combine flour, cocoa powder, cinnamon, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.

3.  Using a food processor, combine baked sweet potato, agave nectar, oil and vanilla extract. Puree until combined and smooth. 

4.  Gradually mix wet ingredients into dry ingredients, until just combined.

5.  In a separate bowl, whisk egg whites until fluffy. 

6.  Using a rubber spatula, gently fold egg whites into batter.

7.  Using your olive oil spritzer, lightly spray a baking pan - I prefer a 8x8" pan for brownies. Transfer brownie batter into prepared baking pan.

8.  Bake for 16-18 minutes until a tookpick inserted in the center of the brownies comes out clean.

9.  Allow to cool to room temperature for approximately 30 minutes.

He and She Tip: Brownies fresh from the oven will have a cake-like texture. If you desire more of a brownie texture, refrigeration overnight is recommended.

Gluten Free Version: Use Gluten-Free Flour as an alternative

Happy Baking!
Tiffany

Exactly Who Is He and She of He and She Eat Clean?

He and She are husband and wife of 4.5 years. He and she realized that in order to support one another through life's ups and downs (hopefully more ups than downs), they would need to feel good. To feel good, they choose to eat clean and eat from nature instead of natural foods stripped to form processed foods such as crackers, spreads/sauces and sugary snacks.

Now for the introductions:

His name is Jim. He is 32, but almost 33. Growing up a Southern boy just outside of Atlanta, he was raised on the traditional regional cuisine of fried foods, meat-flavored overcooked beans (which we will admit, are quite yummy) and biscuits. He travels approximately 44 weeks out of the 52 week year as Director of Sales for a K-12 focused School Nutrition Software company. He enjoys manly activities like trout fishing, college football, mowing the lawn with his suped up zero turn lawn mower and pretending to like to shop with his wife. (Can you tell who is writing this initial post?) He is level-headed and thinks before he acts/reacts. He is a man of his word and a man of God.

Her name is Tiffany. She is 27. She doesn't really have a home town - her family moved so many times when she was younger, she would often be at 2 different schools in 1 year.  No, she is not an Army brat. She grew up eating what her parents thought was healthy, and admits that her mother tried the Richard Simmon's Deal a Meal when she was little. She is an ACE-certified personal trainer and an aerobics instructor, teaching classes ranging from Zumba, cycling, body sculpting, to water aerobics, runs a fitness ministry at their church, and sews clothing and draperies and embroiders/monograms for herself and others.  She enjoys lifting weights (when she can find the time), sewing and window shopping for clothes that she can recreate.  She is not level-headed, nor does she think before she acts/reacts. She does not like to talk about herself. She is tender-hearted and cries at the drop of a hat.