Hungry for another title, Ravens' Lewis watches diet

Ray Lewis, 36 year old linbacker for the Baltimore Ravens, is well-known for his "ridiculous diet" according to his teammate Terrell Suggs. Lewis understands that football is a highly demanding sport and believes his eating habits are what have helped him maintain the longevity of his pro career, consisting of 16 years in the NFL.

A typical breakfast may contain: A protein shake, egg whites, an apple, lots of water, and his daily supplements (most likely a variety of vitamins and minerals). Lewis makes sure to plan healthy snacks throughout the day, promoting both energy maintenance and recovery.

Lewis is aware of his age but truly believes that his diet gives him a huge advantage: "I'm watching these guys, with their cheeseburgers and stuff," he says. "And you're going to compete against me? Even if you're younger and faster, your fuel won't let you beat me."

To read the full USA Today article, click the link below:

Ray Lewis Article

New App: Restaurant Nutrition

Here is a great iPhone App that can help you make better choices when eating out at your local chain of restaurants. The Restaurant Nutrition application allows a user to easily view nutritional information about restaurant menus and track what they have eaten. The Restaurant Nutrition user can turn on diets to track calorie, carb, protein, and fat to help track and quantify their dieting progress. Each time a restaurant name appears in the program the map button near it can be touched to open the Maps application showing all of that restaurant’s nearby locations.

So, in addition to meeting with our own Registered Dietician, you can take more control while at restaurants just by knowing what food items would best meet you nutritional goals.

New App: NSF for Sport

I wanted to make you aware of a new App that is available for your iPhone or Android devices. It is from NSF Certified for Sport. To meet the growing demands of athletes, coaches and all those concerned about banned substances in sports supplements, NSF International created the new NSF Certified for Sport® Program. This new NSF program is a focused solution designed to minimize the risk that a dietary supplement or sports nutrition product contains banned substances.

The program objective is to certify that participating manufacturers of sports supplements have met NSF's stringent independent certification process guidelines, which were developed through a consensus process involving regulatory, industry and consumer groups. A key component of this program will be a specially designed NSF Mark on each product label to show athletes, coaches and consumers that a sports supplement has met NSF's comprehensive program guidelines.This program, which focuses primarily on the sports supplement manufacturing and sourcing process, provides key preventive measures to:

1. Protect against adulteration of products
2. Verify label claims with product contents
3. Identify athletic banned substances in the finished product or ingredients
   
Use this App in addition to talking with the medical staff and dietician to determine if the supplement that you want to use will best help you reach your peak performance as well as keep you compliant with the NCAA rules and regulations regarding banned substances

Roasted Eggplant Dip

Ingredients:

1 Large Eggplant

1 Tbsp Lemon Juice

2 Tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

1 Onion (finely chopped)

1 Medium Red Bell Pepper (seeded, finely chopped)

1 Medium Green Bell Pepper (seeded, finely chopped)

1 Jalapeño (seeded, minced)

Salt and Pepper

1/4 Tsp Crushed Red Pepper

4 Cloves Garlicm (minced)

1 cup Drained Canned Petite Diced Tomatoes

1 Tsp Red Wine Vinegar

2 Tbsp Chopped Fresh Parsley

2 Tbsp Chopped Fresh Basil

2 Tbsp Grated Parmesan

Crudités or Pita Chips (optional)

Directions:

Cut eggplant in half lengthwise, cutting through stem. Scoop out pulp, leaving a 1/4-inch border. Brush the insides with lemon juice, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate. Finely chop eggplant pulp. Warm oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add pulp, onion, bell peppers and jalapeño. Sprinkle with 1 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. pepper and crushed red pepper. Sauté until vegetables are tender, about 12 minutes. Add garlic and tomatoes; sauté for 5 minutes longer. Let cool for 10 minutes, then stir in vinegar, parsley, basil and Parmesan. Transfer to a bowl and let cool completely. (Dip can be made up to 8 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate.) When cool, taste and season with additional salt and pepper. Pat eggplant shells dry and fill with dip. Serve with crudités and pita chips, if desired.

Recipe at www.allyou.com

Enchilada Casserole

Ingredients:

1 lb. Ground Sirloin

1 cup Chopped Onion

1 Tbsp Butter

1 Tbsp Minced Garlic

1 1/2 Tbsp All-Purpose Flour

1 cup Fat-Free, Lower-Sodium Beef Broth

1 Tbsp 40% Less-Sodium Taco Seasoning Mix

1 (8-ounce) can No-Salt-Added Tomato Sauce

4 (8-inch) Whole-Wheat Flour Tortillas

1/3 cup (1 1/2 ounces) Shredded Monterey Jack Cheese with Jalapeño Peppers

Directions:

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef and onion to pan; cook 6 minutes, stirring to crumble. Preheat oven to 400°. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute. Sprinkle with flour; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add broth, taco seasoning, and tomato sauce to pan. Bring to a boil; cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 1 1/2 cups tomato mixture to beef mixture; reserve 1/2 cup tomato mixture. Place 1 tortilla in a 9-inch pie plate. Top with 1 cup beef mixture. Repeat layers, ending with tortilla. Spread reserved tomato mixture over tortilla. Top with cheese. Bake at 400° for 10 minutes or until cheese melts. Cool slightly. Cut into 4 wedges.

Recipe in Cooking Light

Chicken Divan

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs. Broccoli (about 3 large heads, chopped)

24 oz Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts

Salt and Pepper

1 Tbsp Unsalted Butter

2 1/2 Tsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

2 Cloves Garlic (crushed)

2 Tbsp Minced Shallot or Onion

1/4 cup All-Purpose Flour

1 cup Fat-Free Chicken Broth

1 cup Nonfat Milk

1/4 cup Dry Sherry or White Wine

6 oz Shredded Reduced-Fat Swiss Cheese

1/4 cup Grated Parmesan

1/4 cup Seasoned Whole-Wheat Bread Crumbs

Directions:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add broccoli and blanch 3 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop cooking. Preheat oven to 350°F. Mist a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Mist a large skillet or grill pan with cooking spray; place over medium-low heat. Cook chicken, turning once, until browned and almost cooked through, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat; transfer chicken to a cutting board. When cool, slice chicken into bite-size pieces. Warm a medium skillet over medium heat. Add butter and 2 tsp. oil; heat until butter has melted. Add garlic and shallots and sauté until tender, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle flour over mixture and whisk until incorporated. Stir in broth, milk and sherry and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in half of Swiss cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Arrange broccoli in baking dish and pour half of sauce on top. Arrange chicken on top and cover with remaining sauce. Sprinkle with remaining Swiss cheese and Parmesan; top with bread crumbs. Drizzle with 1/2 tsp. olive oil. Bake for 30 minutes or until browned on top; serve hot.

Recipe in www.allyou.com

Moroccan Chicken and Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 cup Chopped Onion

3 (4-ounce) Skinless, Boneless Chicken Thighs (cut into bite-sized pieces)

1 Tsp Ground Cumin

1/4 Tsp Ground Cinnamon

1/8 to 1/4 Tsp Ground Red Pepper

3 cups (1/2-inch) Cubed Peeled Butternut Squash

2 Tbsp No-Salt-Added Tomato Paste

4 cups Chicken Stock or Fat Free, Lower Sodium Chicken Broth

1/3 cup Uncooked Couscous

3/4 Tsp Kosher Salt

1 Zucchini (quartered lengthwise and sliced into 3/4-inch pieces)

1/2 cup Coarsely Chopped Fresh Basil

2 Tsp Grated Orange Rind

Directions:

Heat a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion, and cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add chicken; cook for 4 minutes, browning on all sides. Add cumin, cinnamon, and pepper to pan; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add butternut squash and tomato paste; cook 1 minute. Stir in Chicken Stock, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 8 minutes. Stir in couscous, salt, and zucchini; cook 5 minutes or until squash is tender. Remove pan from heat. Stir in chopped basil and orange rind.

Recipe in Cooking Light