I’ve listed their salad menu options of which I would choose from and listed some changes I would ask the waitress to make.  I like to go directly to the salad menu and change things up because I can go low-carb, protein and lots of flavor without the preservatives and heavy salt.

Which salad would you choose??

House Salad

Seasonal greens, julienne carrots, red onions, vine ripe tomatoes, cucumbers and croutons – 5.95

Doug tip:  get rid of croutons and use an oil and lemon dressing.

Caesar Salad 

A traditional favorite with our homemade dressing – 7.95

Top your Caesar Salad or House Salad with your choice of

Chicken, Steak Tips, Teriyaki or Turkey Tips

Blackened Swordfish Tips

Dougs Tip: I would keep the parmesean cheese on the salad.  I’d go for the chicken or blackened swordfish.  Turkey tips sound healthy but really they are saturated in preservatives.

California Cobb Salad

Grilled chicken breast, bacon, cheddar cheese, avocado, tomatoes, scallions and ripe olives

Dougs Tip: I would scratch the bacon and again go for the oil and vinegar or lemon.  You could put ranch on it but keep it to a minimum.

 Chopped Salad

Shredded romaine, red and yellow cherry tomatoes, chickpeas, red beans, cucumbers, olives, red onions, feta cheese and Italian vinaigrette – 11.95

Doug’s Tip:  not a bad salad but I’d limit the feta cheese. 

Grilled Salmon Salad

Fillet of salmon lightly seasoned and grilled, then served over seasonal greens with tomatoes,boiled egg, steamed potatoes, green beans, pickled red onions, kalamata olives and lemon walnut vinaigrette – 15.95

Doug’s Tip:  My overall favorite on the menu and of course this is the one I picked.  I added blackened swordfish.  I just used olive oil and lemon and it tasted great.

Arugula Beef Salad

Baby arugula tossed with gorgonzola cheese, toasted pine nuts, balsamic dressing and served with fire roasted top sirloin crusted with peppercorns – 17.95

Doug’s Tip:  If you wanted steak and you were craving salad I’d say you could eat this salad.  Just eliminate or cut back on the cheese.

Salad Dressings

Creamy Bleu Cheese, Parmesan Peppercorn, Zesty Italian, House Vinaigrette, Balsamic, Raspberry,Honey Mustard, Lemon Walnut Vinaigrette, Caesar, Ranch or Olive Oil & vinegar.

Doug’s Tip:  Try to stay away from the creamy dressings.  Not because of the fat as much as the artificial flavors, preservatives and saturated fat. Paul Newman’s makes a decent commercial line of dressings.   Yet, it won’t kill you to add a tablespoon of any of the above to your salad if you’re just concerned about losing weight.

Free Range Organic Chicken

Oven roasted half chicken rubbed with provençal herbs over a bed of mashed potatoes with grilled asparagus and garlic chicken jus – 16.95

Doug’s Tip: I thought I’d throw this one on the post to show you a decent option.  Cut the mashed potatoes and garlic jus.

 
Train for a new career in the growing field of HEALTH CARE!
 

Sorry to break then news….no protein bar on the market is a good protein source!!!   Bars are just a convenient way to get extra calories.   A good protein source is food that’s void of other ingredients such as eggs, egg whites, chicken, beans, hemp protein, whey protein (not great), fish, turkey, lean meat..etc.     Notice I didn’t list soy protein, I’ll have to leave this to another discussion some other day.  Just know that any soy product that’s mass produced is a horrible source of protein (i.e. soy milk, soy burgers).

Listed Below is a popular so called ” Protein Bar”.

Ingredients: Soy Protein Isolate, Beet Juice Concentrate, Organic Brown Rice Syrup, Organic Evaporated Cane Juice, Palm Kernel Oil, Organic Rolled Oats, Unsweetened Chocolate, Cocoa, Organic Soy Protein Concentrate, Vegetable Glycerin, Natural Flavors, Organic Dry Roasted Almonds, Rice Starch, Cocoa Butter, Inulin (Chicory Extract), Organic Milled Flaxseed, Organic Oat Fiber, Organic Sunflower Oil, Soy Lecithin, Salt.

Lets do some analysis.  Oh, good old soy protein isolate…garbage.  Lets see where else there’s protein?  Organic dry roasted almonds…nope, consider this a fat and they are dry roasted so again…not a protein source but rather fiber and a fat.

There really isn’t any protein..a carb bar, yes.  Protein source no!  So, should you eat these?  Well, if you need to refuel on sugars and fiber then this may help but if you’re trying to get lean then replace with a green apple and handful of RAW NUTS.  If you are going to eat this then I recommend eating 1/4-1/2 only and drinking lots of water once a day.  I would skip this bar but it’s up to you.

Click on the banner below and check out their raw bars. Alot better for you.

Ya, instead of getting healthier they were rollin down the street with cheeks like a blow fish and a jelly belly that slapped the ground everytime they tried to run off their last meal.

So, here we are with the “Organic Craze”. 

Those who know me would say that I only eat clean, all natural foods and have since I’ve been about 12 years old.  No preservatives, no chemicals, nothing foreign just real ingredients.  Yet, does that mean just because the label says organic that gives me right to stuff my face and think I’d never put on weight.  Obviously not!!

Don’t get sucked up into the all natural, organic advertising bonanza.  If you’re trying to lose weight; watch your calories and work your ass off.  That’s how you’ll get in shape fast.  Not by sucking down acai juice, pills and cup cakes.

Do yourself a favor….skip the bull.  Go to basics: lean proteins, organic veggies, fruits and greens.  Sprinkle it with some complex carbs and SWEAT! Lift some weights and hit a punching bag.  Just move.

Summary: Go organic but don’t stuff your face.

Here’s what you need…

• 1 can albacore chunk tuna, packed in water
• 2 Tablespoons finely chopped white onion
• 1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped
• 1/2 yellow bell pepper, finely chopped
• 1/2 apple, finely chopped
• 2 Tablespoons all natural light canola oil mayo or soy based Noyanaise
• 1 Tablespoon organic lite ranch salad dressing
• 1 teaspoon dried dill
• 4 large lettuce leaves, washed
• Pepper to taste

1. Combine the tuna, onion, bell pepper, and apple in a medium bowl. In a small bowl mix the mayonnaise, ranch dressing and dill.
2. Add the mayonnaise mixture to the tuna and mix until well combined.
3. Arrange the lettuce leaves on two plates, and fill with tuna. Garnish with a dash of pepper.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 124 calories, 1.5g fat, 13g carbohydrate, 2.7g fiber, and 14g protein.

Check These Books Out, Click Below:
The Live Food Factor: The Comprehensive Guide to the Ultimate Diet for Body, Mind, Spirit & Planet

Raw Power! Building Strength and Muscle Naturally

This recipe is as refreshing as it is nutritious. Plump black lentils mixed with chunks of mango, strawberries, tomatoes and onions will tease your taste buds into submission. A splash of balsamic vinegar is the only flavoring that this colorful salads needs. Serve as a side dish or as a light meal.
Yield: 3 serving

Here’s what you need…

• 1 cup black lentils, cooked
• 1 medium mango, cut into 1 inch cubes
• 1 medium tomato, chopped
• 6 medium ORGANIC strawberries, chopped  ( trust me! At least buy organic strawberries.)
• 1 tablespoon red onion, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar  or try Paul Newman’s Balsamic Vinegrette
• Sea Salt and pepper to taste

Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 148 calories, 1g fat, 27g carbohydrate, 10 g fiber, and 9g protein.

Check this book out, click below:

The Live Food Factor: The Comprehensive Guide to the Ultimate Diet for Body, Mind, Spirit & Planet

Raw Power! Building Strength and Muscle Naturally

Check These Nutrition Books Out, Click Below:

The Live Food Factor: The Comprehensive Guide to the Ultimate Diet for Body, Mind, Spirit & Planet

Raw Power! Building Strength and Muscle Naturally

Fried Food Disaster

Of course no one wants to listen to a lecture on the importance of healthy eating coupled with a solid exercise routine. That would preclude the quick and easy part.

So in a world where two thirds of all adults are overweight or obese, and some doctors predict that we will soon see a generation with a lower life expectancy than their parents due to obesity related diseases, I’ve come up with a solution that is both quick and easy. (Drum roll, please.)

Stop eating fried foods. (Gasp!)

Fried foods, despite having little to no nutritional value and being loaded with fat and calories, have become an accepted indulgence in our society. So accepted that many restaurants serve fries or chips alongside every meal.

It’s no wonder that fried foods are the number one thing that most people crave – they are salty, addictive and plentiful.

Are Fried Foods Really That Bad?

In a nutshell, yes, fried foods really are that bad for you.

Take an average potato, bake it and you have 110 calories and 0 grams of fat. Take that same potato, turn it into French fries and you have 380 calories and 18 grams of fat.

Frying food is the easiest way to dramatically increase the calorie and fat content. And you know that extra calories and fat end up as extra body fat.

Other disasters that fried foods put you at risk for include:

Fried foods have also been known to trigger Acid Reflux and IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome).

Need I say more?

Going Fried-Free

Giving up fried food may not be easy, though it will arguably be one of the best things you do for your health and appearance. You will lose weight and improve your health by eliminating fried food from your life.

Keep in mind that, like all habits, the first thirty days will be the toughest. Make things easier by staying away from situations that place you in front of a big basket of fries or plate of doughnuts.

New Foods to Love

Instead of fried foods, enjoy the following:

• Substitute a salad or fruit instead of fries
• Baked potato – but pass on the butter and sour cream
• Baked or grilled chicken instead of fried chicken
• Organic Tortilla Chips (baked) instead of fried potato chips
• Raw veggie pieces

You may be surprised how delicious these healthier options taste.

Help, I’m addicted!

If your diet has consistently included fried foods – multiple times a day or several times each week, then giving it up may take more work than simply trying healthier options.

You’ll need to use some mental strategies as well.

To do this focus on all the negative things about eating fried foods:

• Think of how bloated and heavy you feel afterward
• Remember the heart burn you’ve experienced
• Focus on the extra pounds you want to lose – imagine doughnuts and French fries sticking to your belly and thighs
• Look at your acne

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• Feel the discomfort of being out of breath doing normal activities

You didn’t think I was really going to skip telling you how beneficial exercise is to achieving your health and weight loss goals did you?

The bottom line is that exercise plus healthy eating will give you the body that you want.

What are you waiting for? Drop that bag of chips!