Author Archives: Jenny Kalina

These meatballs were so easy to make and fast! They are very filling. Two meatballs is usually more than enough for me. Easily reheated.

I don’t like to touch raw meat so I wear plastic gloves while prepping and throw them away afterwards. If you are using your hands, remember to remove all rings (including wedding rings) because small particles of uncooked meats can get under rings. Wash your hands thoroughly afterwards and run anything that has touched raw meats through the dishwasher or wash well by hand.

Makes 16 meatballs

Ingredients

• 1 lb organic grass fed ground beef
• 1 lb organic ground pork
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tsp organic beef gelatin (this is the one I used but feel free to use another one)
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 cup almond flour
• Optional garnish: roughly chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line baking sheet with parchment paper
• Place the following in a mixing bowl and let set for 5 minutes before combining: ground beef, ground pork, eggs, parsley, gelatin, salt, oregano, black pepper, and red pepper flakes.
• Add almond flour to mixture and combine all ingredients using hands.
• Roll mixture into 16 balls (approximately 2.4 ounces per meatball – I used a food scale for my first one to judge size) and place on prepared baking sheet.
• Bake meatballs for 30 minutes on middle oven rack.
• After 30 minutes, transfer baking sheet to top oven rack and broil meatballs until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes.
• Remove meatballs from oven, serve warm, and or reheat later
• May be served with sweetener –free tomato sauce

I love trying new recipes. Each weekend I hit the lab (my kitchen) and try out as many recipes as I can. For the next few weeks, I want to start sharing with you some of the , recipes that been easy, yummy and have staying power (they can be reheated and still taste good).

This recipe was so easy and delicious. This is the first time I have truly enjoyed zucchini noodles. Maybe I’ve been away from pasta for too long but I had a real spaghetti experience. This can be reheated in the toaster oven, double boiler or microwave. Tastes great even on reheat. And, my family LOVED it.

Lemon Garlic Butter Steak and Zoodles

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb (650g) flank steak
• 4 medium zucchini (or 2- 10 oz package of zoodles)
• 2 tablespoons avocado oil
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons butter or ghee
• 1 lemon, juice and zest
• 1/4 cup chicken broth (you can make your own or buy packaged but please look out for sweeteners and MSG or MSG like ingredients)
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• Salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste

The steak marinade

• 1/3 cup tamari (or gluten free, sweetener free soy sauce)
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon sweetener free hot sauce

Directions

1. Combine the ingredients for the marinade in an airtight container or a Ziploc bag. Add the steak strips into the marinade, seal and allow to marinate in the refrigerator for 30-60 minutes
2. If you are using whole zucchini, spiralize it.
3. If the zucchini is too wet (zucchini contain a lot water), sprinkle with some salt and let sit for 5 minutes then rinse salt off in a colander.
4. Bring the steak to room temperature and heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat — reserve the juices of the marinade for later. Add the steak strips in one layer and season with salt and pepper. Cook for one minute without stirring. You can also cook an entire piece of steak and cut it later when it’s cooked. This is what I do because I’m a bit lazy.
5. Add minced garlic, then stir the steak for another minute or two to cook the other side. Remove the steak from the skillet and set aside to a plate.
6. In the same skillet, add butter, lemon juice and zest, red pepper flakes, chicken broth, and remaining marinade juices. Bring to a simmer and allow to reduce for 2-3 minutes, stirring regularly.
7. Stir in the fresh parsley, then add the zucchini noodles and toss for two to three minutes to cook it up. Allow the cooking juices to reduce for one minute if the zucchini renders too much water. Add the steak strips back to the pan and stir for another minute. Serve immediately.

Welcome back. I am continuing with my series on how your thoughts help or sabotage your goals. This week, I want to discuss the “I deserve this” thought.

After a long day or week at work or a stressful interaction, we often turn to dessert or alcohol to “treat” ourselves. I get it. I used to sit with a treat in front of TV almost every night with a big bowl of popcorn and some dark chocolate. It’s totally pleasurable to just lose yourself in yummy snacks and a great TV show. And, we think often think that snacks in front of the TV or at the movies enhance our pleasure.

Not gonna lie…food and alcohol is a pleasure

But are you using it to solve all of your pleasure needs? How’s that working for you? If you are not at your goal weight, consider 1) choosing to eat your treats strategically (I always suggest the my clients schedule their treats) and 2) finding other things that bring you pleasure. I used to have a small glass of red wine every night at dinner. I found something that I like even better – the NY Times Crossword puzzle and that I cannot both be slightly buzzed on wine and do the puzzle. I choose the puzzle. And, I still love watching great TV  (I’ve loving The Good Place, Mozart in the Jungle and Blackish right now by the way). But, I realized that the snacks don’t really enhance the experience like I used to believe they did.

Do some self-inquiry

Ask yourself:

1. Are my regular treats interfering with my weight loss goals?
2. What problem am I trying to solve by having this cookie or glass of wine? Is it really working?  (hint…that food and alcohol is probably causing more problems and not really solving any for you).
3. How will I feel about myself tomorrow if I DON’T have the cookie? Proud, happy?
4. How will I feel about myself tomorrow morning if I DO have the cookie? Regretful?
5. What else might I do to relax?

What activities spark joy or relaxation (besides food and alcohol)

I suggest making a physical list on a piece of paper, index card or on an electrical device or somewhere easily accessible  to you of 10 things that spark joy and/or relaxation. Here are some of mine.  Update your list regularly adding new ideas and taking away things that no longer work for you.

Why write a list?

This list is a handy tool for when you get the urge to eat or drink after a stressful day. Pull it out when you have the thought “I deserve a treat.” You DO deserve a treat but you also deserve to get to your long term weight loss goals. After you make your list, keep it handy.  If you start using these activities instead of your go-to snack or drink, you will reinforce habits that serve you.

I’ve been discussing how we use our mind sabotage ourselves. A lot of us are under the assumption that the only way to lose weight is through food prep. I agree food prep is a great way to save money and to ensure that you have tight control over what goes into your body.

Do you have the thought “I can’t lose weight because I can’t food prep”?

Ask yourself: what are the obstacles to prepping food? Write them down.

When you have a problem, use my mantra: I CAN FIGURE SHIT OUT

It’s so easy to just throw in the towel when faced with an obstacle. But, you are REALLY good at figuring things out. If not, you wouldn’t be as successful in other areas as you are today. Apply the same technique of problem solving to your food prep as you do to the other aspects of you life and HAVE FAITH that you CAN figure shit out.

Changing your thinking to solve your problems

Here are some examples of food prep obstacles which are just sneaky sabotaging thoughts (and how you might train yourself to respond):

1. I can’t food prep because I don’t know how to cook (I can take a course, watch a you tube video)
2. I don’t have time to chop (I can buy pre-chopped veggies, I can ask my teens/spouse, nanny/mom/dad to pre-chop some veggies)
3. No way can I cook right now (I can subscribe to a meal service)
4. I don’t know what to make. (I have a smartphone or computer and I can pretty much research anything I want on there)
5. I don’t want to try out a new recipe – what if I hate  it? What if I burn it (I might make mistakes but I will eventually get into my groove)
6. I don’t want to eat the same thing every day (I can prep 2-3 different things and freeze and rotate them, I can experiment with different recipes and spices)
7. Because of my schedule, I am forced to eat out (I can review the menus ahead of time, I can make the best possible choices)
8. What if I feel hungry (Hunger is never an emergency, I can wait a few minutes or longer)

What do you tell yourself when you have an obstacle? Post below if you have thoughts.

I’ve been discussing how we might sabotage ourselves with our thoughts. One big thought obstacle that I come across is: IT’S NOT FAIR. It goes something like this: “My sister/friend/brother/husband can eat whatever s/he wants and stay thin.”

I have news for you – you are right – it isn’t fair

And if you want to get to your weight loss goals you are going to have to come to terms with the fact that you are your own special human in your own special human body and you must ADAPT to your personal system. Just because you husband or wife or friend can eat a piece of dark chocolate every night and stay at their goal weight, you might not be able to.

Humans are we are all pretty much wired to bristle at the lack of fairness

Think about how you feel when someone cuts in line or if someone gets a lower price on the same item as you. It can really ire us. We are hard wired to seek fairness. Research show that young children respond to lack of fairness.  Studies show that other mammals such as chimps display a human like fairness as well. So, we can assume that fairness if pretty much hardwired into us.

“It’s not fair” is a sabotaging thought and it will not help you get to your goals

Are you having the “it’s not fair” thought, If so, follow the steps I outlined in part 1: Ask yourself:

1. What am I thinking (e.g. “this is SO UNFAIR. My friend can eat popcorn and stay thin and I can’t.”)
2. Ask yourself: are those helping me or sabotaging me? And, are they even true?
3. What might I think that would help me? Or, what would I tell a friend in the same situation?

I like to tell myself in theses situations, life isn’t always fair but dwelling on that thought is not going to help me.

Today I’m continuing with my series on the types of thoughts that might be sabotaging your weight loss goals.

Are you sabotaging yourself with thoughts that others have some special talent you don’t have or have superior genes?

I’m a medical provider as well as a weight loss coach so I’m not going to tell you that genetics don’t play a role in your body type and your physical and mental health. I work with otherwise healthy people every day that have to be extra careful (and even take medications) to avoid life-threatening diseases because of genetic risk.

There’s even evidence that genetics play a role in which political party we choose. Total aside – check out this podcast on the subject of genetics and political preference (confession: I’m a podcast junkie). But, genetics are NOT the only reason we are overweight. Health and wellness are where genetics and lifestyle meet.

FACT: Few people are “naturally” thin and fit and can eat whatever they want and never exercise

The truth is most people who are at their goal weight or who have achieved any form of success have WORKED HARD to get there. While they might make it look easy when you see them gracefully running on the treadmill in the gym or rocking the little black dress, you don’t see the behind the scenes of how they got there and how they stay there. If you did, you’d see a lot of work and a lot of messiness.

Watch your thoughts: are you continually comparing yourself to others as either an excuse or a way to put yourself down?

If so, follow the steps I outlined in part 1: Ask yourself:

1. What am I thinking (e.g. “she is just naturally thinner than me so I shouldn’t even bother” or “I’m not even going to bother because my family is all overweight.”)
2. Ask yourself: are those helping me or sabotaging me? And, are they even true?
3. What might I think that would help me? Or, what would I tell a friend in the same situation?

Last week I talked about how many thoughts you have per day – 50,000 or more and how those thoughts are often self-sabotaging. The most effective way (that I know of) to change your results, whether it’s to get a new job, get into a college or lose 50 pounds, is to change your mindset through the practice of mindfulness.

One of the more sabotaging type of thought we have is the “all or nothing” type of thinking.”  I’ve had clients tell me that they must lose 15 pounds this month or it’s not worth it. In my opinion, that’s an incredibly sabotaging thought. If they lose 5 pounds this month, that is to be celebrated!

Giving yourself unattainable goals is a quick path to despair and failure

If you set an unreasonable goal like losing 20 pounds in a month (not impossible but highly unlikely for many of us), you are more less likely to take action to begin with because of fear of failure. And, even if you do take action, if we don’t measure up, we often give up.

Watch your thoughts: are you continually setting unreasonable goals and judging yourself when you don’t meet them?

If so, follow the steps I outlined in part 1: Ask yourself:

1. What am I thinking (e.g. “If I don’t lose at least 20 pounds by Christmas, I’m giving up.”)
2. Ask yourself: are those helping me or sabotaging me? And, are they even true?
3. What might I think that would help me? Or, what would I tell a friend in the same situation?

When I find myself falling short of my goals (reasonable or otherwise), I give myself credit for what I have accomplished and build on that. That seems to work to keep my on track.

So much of our success with weight loss and weight loss and weight loss sustainability has to do with our mindset. In the cognitive model (which I use with my clients and on my own thoughts), our thoughts drive our emotions which drive how we behave. In this mini series on self-sabotage I’ll discuss how certain thoughts might sabotage your weight loss goals so you can be on alert for them.

It all begins with paying attention to your thoughts

Mindfulness is just a fancy way of saying that you are working on paying attention to your thoughts. Researchers tell us that we have at least 50,000 thoughts per day which is roughly over 35 thoughts per minute. There is also evidence that the vast majority of these thoughts (about 80%) are “negative.” I don’t like that word so I use the term “sabotaging.” By sabotaging I mean thoughts that take you away from goal whatever it is. There is also data that 95% of the thoughts you had today are the same ones as yesterday.

Remember, you CANNOT control your thoughts

Your mind is a constant thought machine. There is no way to stop your mind from doing what it’s supposed to do which is to create thoughts. That’s like trying to stop your blood from flowing (not a good idea). But…if you pay attention, at least a little of the time, you will find that you become a much happier more effective person. And though can’t possibly pay attention to EVERY thought you can pay attention to enough of your thoughts to make a deep and lasting impact.

It’s all about checking in with yourself when you don’t “feel right”

This is how I do it: when I feel  “icky” or uncomfortable or anxious or paranoid or any unpleasant emotion, I check in with my thoughts. What is going through my brain? Is it helping me achieve my goals?

How this might sabotage weight loss (or any other goal)

One type of a thought that many of my clients have at the beginning of their weight loss journey is that they are not capable of losing weight which leads to a feeling of doubt which is a stressful feeling. And, what do stressful feelings lead to for so many of us? Eating and drinking. The eating and drinking lead to weight gain (or lack of loss) which proves to them that their lack of belief in themselves was justified.

What to do?
Start to notice when you are feeling “off” and tune in. Ask yourself:

1. What am I thinking?
2. Is that thought helping me or sabotaging me? And is it even true?
3. What might I think that would help me? Or, what would I tell a friend in the same situation?

In the case I listed above (“I can’t lose weight”) you might have the intentional thought: “I can figure this out.” That thought alone won’t take the pounds off but this continual process of observing your sabotaging thoughts often adds up to lower stress and therefore weight loss. And, sometimes just RECOGNIZING the stressful thought is enough.

Even die-hard veggie haters often enjoy this rice substitute. And now many major supermarkets have pre-riced cauliflower.

Basic Cauliflower rice 

Ingredients

• 1 small head cauliflower cut into florets (or 3 ½ -4 cups of riced cauliflower)
• 2 teaspoons ghee or coconut oil
• 1 tsp cold pressed sesame oil
• ½ cup diced yellow onion
• ¼ cup water
• ¾ teaspoon salt

Directions

1. “Rice” the cauliflower using a food processor with a grating attachment or a box grater. Pick out any large fragments that don’t get shredded and save for another use.*
2. Melt ghee and sesame oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and garlic. Sauté for 5 minutes until onion has softened.
3. Add the cauliflower and sauté for 5 minutes
4. Add the water and salt and increase heat to medium-high. Cook 15 minutes until cauliflower is tender and liquid absorbed

Coconut, Cilantro & Lime Cauli-rice

Ingredients

• 1 small head cauliflower cut into florets florets (or 3 ½ -4 cups of riced cauliflower)
• 2 teaspoons coconut oil
• 1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 2 teaspoons honey
• ¼ cup fresh chopped cilantro
• ¼ cup full-fat coconut milk
• ¾ teaspoons salt

Directions

1. “rice” the cauliflower using a food processor with a grating attachment or a box grater. Pick out any large fragments that don’t get shredded and save for another use.*
2. Melt the coconut oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the cauliflower to the pan and sauté for 5 minutes
3. Add the remaining ingredients and cook for 15 minutes until the cauliflower is tender and the liquid has been absorbed

Saffron cauli-rice

Ingredients

• ¼ cup chicken stock (sugar free, msg free or make your own)
• ½ tsp saffron threads
• 2 tsp ghee or extra virgin olive oil
• ½ cup diced yellow onion
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 1 tsp garam masala
• ¾ tsp salt
• 1 small head cauliflower cut into florets florets (or 3 ½ -4 cups of riced cauliflower)
• ¼ cup peas 

Directions

1. In a small saucepan, bring chicken stock to boil then add saffron. Cover and remove from heat
2. Melt ghee in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, garam masala and salt and sauté for 5 minutes until onion has softened
3. “Rice” the cauliflower using a food processor with a grating attachment or a box grater. Pick out any large fragments that don’t get shredded and save for another use.*
4. Add the cauliflower to the skillet and continue to sauté over medium heat for 5 minutes
5. Pour in the saffron broth and the peas and increase the heat to medium-high. Cook for 15 minutes until the cauliflower is tender and the liquid has been absorbed

Compared to my other veggie recipes for veggie haters which hide your veggies, these dishes feature veggies in the WIDE OPEN. But, veggie haters, don’t despair, you might enjoy these anyway.

Roasted Veggies

Many people who dislike vegetables love (or at least will tolerate roasted veggies). You can roast just about any vegetable you like (even broccoli)

Ingredients

• Any veggie (some great ones to start with: a head of broccoli cut into florets, a head of cauliflower sliced, carrots – peeled or scrubbed unsliced, sliced zucchini, asparagus)
• Spray olive oil
• Salt and pepper and spices (chopped garlic, curry, oregano…get creative here)

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350
• coat cookie sheet or pyrex with spray oil (may also place down parchment paper)
• lay down veggies and spray them with oil
• sprinkle with salt, pepper and spices
• Roast until tender (usually 15-45 mins depending on the veggie and how soft you like your veggies)
• Serve immediately. May be eaten cold on their own, in a salad or mixed in with your scrambled eggs

Oven Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon – Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

• 4-6 strips thick-cut paleo bacon or paleo turkey bacon (sweetener and nitrate free ex: Wellshire Farms)
• 1½ pounds Brussels sprouts
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4-6 bacon slices, cut into 1 inch pieces

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Clean and trim Brussels sprouts and cutting any very large heads in half through the core. (It’s fine if some of the outer leaves fall off – just bake those along with the rest of the sprouts. They get extra crispy and are delicious!)
3. Place the Brussels sprouts in a large bowl and drizzle with olive oil, tossing to evenly coat.
4. Pour the Brussels sprouts onto a large sheet pan (in a single layer). Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
5. Evenly sprinkle the bacon pieces over the Brussels sprouts.
6. Roast in the oven for 20 to 30 min, turning halfway through the cooking time, until golden and lightly caramelized.