Double Whammy: Food for Thought and Your Belly.

Hello!! Fancy meetin’ you here again!

This morning I was mulling over a few topic ideas for today’s blog post when I looked at the clock and saw it was 10:30, which meant it was time for our break! (if you don’t already know this, dietitians are known to stick to a tight schedule when it comes to pretty much everything.) And that’s when I decided on today’s topic. Exercise. Original, right? No, really it is, and I will tell you why.

Each day, the dietitians at Lourdes RMC (where I am completing my clinical rotation) use their allotted “smoke” break time to take a 15-minute walk around the hospital (and not smoke, obviously). It’s usually outside, and considering we are in Louisiana, the weather is pretty agreeable on most days- even in February.  Now, other interns told me about this practice before I actually began my rotation at Lourdes, but I did not realize the gloriousness of these daily strolls until I was able to partake.

Surprisingly, the most noticeable benefit from our walks has not been the physical act of exercise, but the effect it has on clearing the mind and reducing stress and tension. In my 10 months of eight-to-fiving-it, I have come to a very clear understanding of the ups and downs during the workday. Around 10:30 is when I am very tired of staring at a computer, calculator, or chart (fill in the blanks here with the things that you see for the first 2.5 hours of your day).  The same feeling comes around at about 2:30, which is compounded by that dreaded after-lunch drowsiness, and that’s when we take our second break. Without fail, I come back into the office after our walks refreshed, with new ideas, and ready to get back to work.

Are you allowed breaks? If your answer is no, I would double-check that. And if your answer is no because you don’t think that walking is a good way to spend your break, try it just one day. Exercise is proven to increase focus, and when your break is refreshing, you’re likely to be far more productive when you come back from your walk versus working through your break or using your break to check your facebook. (I’m sure no one does that…).

If you try this, I want to know about it! Even if I don’t know you or we haven’t talked since 2^nd grade! Tell me how it goes, and get your work buddies involved. It’s also a great way to build friendships with your co-workers. I am going to try hard to get this going everywhere I work.

Don’t worry… I didn’t forget that I promised a recipe, for all of my facebook friends. This recipe came about because I am trying to use up all the food I have left before I move out of my apartment in Louisiana and back home to the Lone Star State. I will also mention that as you get to know me, you’ll find out I am all about fast and easy recipes. I don’t love spending hours in the kitchen to prepare a meal on Tuesday night, or any other weeknight for that matter unless it’s Thanksgiving or Christmas. So without further ado, Baja Fish Tacos, ladies and gents:

Baja Fish Tacos

Ingredients:

-Boneless, Skinless Tilapia, fresh or frozen

- Mrs. Dash Southwest Chipotle Seasoning

- Lime Juice

- "Mexicorn"

- Black beans

- Corn Tortillas

- Fresh spinach

- Your Favorite Salsa

Procedure:

·   Start with thawed tilapia (don’t thaw it on the counter, that’s gross. Plan ahead and put the fish in the fridge before you go to work. Then you can look forward to this tastiness all day!)

·   Spray a baking dish with olive oil cooking spray and squirt lime juice on both sides of the fish. This will help decrease that “fishy” taste/odor and add a nice flavor.

·   Arrange the tilapia in the baking dish and sprinkle a generous amount of Mrs. Dash seasoning on the top- after all, it is salt free!

·   Follow the baking instructions on the packaging if available, but if not, I usually bake my fish at 375F for 10-15 minutes, and then I use my food thermometer to make sure that the fish is cooked safely to an internal temperature of 145F.

·   Right before the fish is done, wrap the corn tortillas in wet paper towels and microwave them for about 25-30 seconds.

·   Spread your salsa, a few black beans, some Mexicorn, and some fresh spinach leaves on the tortillas.

·   Remove the fish from the oven and split the tilapia fillets in halves or thirds to fit into the tortilla.

·   Rest assured that you’re eating a healthy meal and pat yourself on the back.

The Skinny:

4 oz. of tilapia (which is about the size they usually are) provides only about 100 calories and a whopping 20 grams of protein. Corn tortillas are only 55 calories each. Salsa and spinach together might add about 25 calories if that, and your beans and corn- about 50 calories. So your grand total for 2 Baja Fish Tacos is about 285-300 calories, give or take. Plenty of room for some fresh pineapple for dessert! YUM!

Y'all let me know what you and your peeps think! You can tell me about it below in the comments, on my facebook (www.facebook.com/sarahmicheletaylor), or tweet at me! @NutritionSimply.

Til Saturday, 

Sarah