I failed—plain and simple—no doubt about it. The taste-bud delighting recipe in my head turned out to be a tongue-repulsing creation on my plate. Yes, I’m serious. It was that bad. See, if all had gone according to plan, right now, I’d be writing about veggie-stuffed mushrooms that were so good they had my taste buds belting in joy, as if they were trying out to be the next Glee star. Instead, my taste buds recoiled in horror, as if they were Simon Cowell watching a tone deaf auditioner try out to be the next American Idol.

Lessons Learned

Although I can’t share a tantalizing stuffed mushroom recipe with you, I can share some rules to live by in the kitchen related to my fiasco.

• To avoid soggy stuffed mushrooms, bake, grill, or roast them before stuffing and baking.
• Follow recipes (even if you think you don’t need to). There’s a method to their madness.
• Taste your recipe before dishing it up to anyone.
• Test drive a recipe before serving it to large groups or for any special occasions. The last thing you want is a bunch of hungry party-goers staring at you, waiting for dinner, and all you have is soggy, texture-less, garlicky, over-onion-infused stuffed mushrooms.
• When using a food processor or Cuisinart®, don’t try to overstuff it with veggies. You’ll end up with soupy, mushy vegetables on the bottom, and large unchopped pieces on top. Stick with small veggie batches only.
• If your recipe fails, don’t give up! Get back in that kitchen and try again!
• Always have healthy staples in your kitchen—no ifs, ands, or buts.

The Biggest Lesson: Healthy Items Stocked at Home

The last point mentioned above is key. Not only can stocking your kitchen with healthy eats save you during dinner catastrophes, as I encountered, but in turn, will help keep your bod in top-notch shape. Simply because if healthy fare is what you have in your kitchen, that’s what you’ll have in your stomach. With today’s busy schedule, having easy-to-prepare healthful items ready to go is essential, as you’ll be less likely to dial your local Chinese food or pizza joint during that long work week when you had no time to hit the market. Plus, eating at home is almost always better for your waistline and ticker than eating out. Therefore, whether you’re a culinary genius or not, having lean protein and fiber-amped items on hand is your best bet.

Thus, the next time you hit your local market, grab some healthy eats that keep well, cook quick, and can be bought on a dime, such as brown rice, quinoa, frozen veggies, beans, and water-packed tuna. For example, I always have black beans, frozen broccoli, and quinoa on hand. So in times of need, I can quickly throw together a fiber- and protein-packed dinner that’s filled with healthifying nutrients, such as folic acid, antioxidants, and B vitamins. For those concerned about the beans’ sodium, simply rinse them for about 30-45 seconds to remove approximately 35% total sodium. I always do this. Too much sodium does not do a body good.

So please, learn from my mushroom mishap and adopt my healthy kitchen stocking philosophy, if you haven’t already. And, if you are a mushroom-stuffing extraordinaire, I hope you share your secrets!

Happy Healthifying!

This piece was a guest post for the award-winning dietitian, cookbook author, culinary instructor, recipe developer, and downright inspiration of a healthy foodie, Robyn Webb. Robyn has a WONDERFUL blog, Fabulous Food Finds. Here, you will discover the best food and kitchen tools on the market, awesome cooking tips, foodie news, and grand recipes! Simply said, her blog is fab!

During my health and food segment-watching rampage, I saw a fabulous piece on brain-promoting foods by fellow Dietitian, Tanya Zuckerbrot, MS, RD. In this segment, Tanya gives awesome legit info on exactly why you should be enjoying spinach, salmon, olive oil, coffee, dark chocolate, spices, apples, and blueberries. All DELISH!

So, take a moment and press play. Then, get on the brain-food bandwagon and start adding these healthy eats to your foodie repertoire, that is, if they’re not already there. For example, swap lettuce for spinach on your sandwich or in your salads every once in a while, bake wild salmon with lemon slices and a dash of salt and pepper for a zesty punch, make sautés with a touch of evoo, savor a square of rich dark chocolate as a daily treat (perhaps with that neuron-promoting coffee ), add blueberries and cinnamon to oatmeal or quinoa for a hearty healthful breakfast, and embrace that daily apple—enjoy as a snack, with your sandwich, or bake one with a touch of brown sugar and cinnamon for a fiber-filled, nutrient-packed sweet!

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Happy Healthifying!

How do you incorporate these super brain foods into your day?

Awaken Your Metabolism

Sometimes we let ourselves get into a rut. We think, “The scale hasn’t budged! That’s it … I’m going on a diet! No more breakfast and a light lunch for me. I am determined.”

As much as I’d like to tell you that this is a sure-fire way to lose some extra pounds, it’s just not. There’s no way around it. In fact, most who take on this approach end up gaining weight in the long run because they’ve slowed down their metabolism.

When you start skipping meals, your body goes into “survival mode” and begins holding on to calories instead of burning them up. In other words, meal skipping has slowed your engine, and is causing your body to hold on to all it’s got. This is most noticeable when you starve yourself for more than 12 hours and your metabolic rate decreases by about 40 percent—not good when you’re trying to lean up!

Now that I’ve told you what NOT to do … you’re probably wondering what you should do.

Let’s take a look at the top three ways to get your metabolism metabolizing!

1. Eat Breakfast: This simple act awakens your metabolism and starts things churning and burning. Simply put, those who eat breakfast are generally thinner than those who don’t and are more likely to maintain a healthy weight. So grab some high-fiber eats with a source of protein, like Greek yogurt and berries with a high-fiber cereal, or eggs on whole wheat toast with an orange. And if you’re an AM exerciser who doesn’t fair well with pre-exercise meals, at least try to get in a banana, whole-grain toast, or a small handful of almonds. Studies show that those who do have pre-exercise fuel work out harder and longer.

2. Nosh Every Four Hours: Envision your body as an engine that needs adequate fuel every few hours to perform at its peak performance. If you eat every few hours, your body will hum along efficiently, and you’ll never let yourself get too hungry, which essentially sets you up for “binge-like behavior” once food comes into sight. Just remember to eat “clean,” whole foods that you recognize and have some lean protein with some high-fiber carbs, like whole grains, fruits, or veggies, at each meal and snack. For example, if you’re just noshing on an apple for a snack, add a slice of low-fat cheese or a small handful of walnuts for an added protein boost (with a touch of fat) to help keep you satisfied and your blood sugar even-keeled.

3. Exercise: Get in a daily sweat session at least four times per week for 30 minutes. And for some real calorie-burning action, don’t forget your weights at least twice a week! The more muscle you have, the more calories you torch while going about your day.

Now, Entering the Giveaway!!!

There are a few ways you can nab the $40 gift certificate to CSN Stores. Please note that you must enter before the end of the day on Wednesday, August 18th. The winner will be notified on Thursday, August 19th.

Let’s count the ways!

1. Become a  Fan of Nutrition with Corinne on Facebook. All who become Nutrition with Corinne Fans as of this post’s date, will automatically be entered!
2. Leave a comment on this post about how you keep a positive self image in today’s skinnified world! If you’d like your comment mentioned in my next post with your name say, “Spread the word.” Then, it will be included with your blog and/or Twitter name (please list in your comment) in the next GGB post!
3. For an extra entry, get on Twitter and tweet, “ Giveaway from @RDCorinne! Enter to win a $40 gift certificate by 8/18 at http://bit.ly/aOwTFv ”
4. Note: if you do all three, you’ll be entered three times!

Happy Healthifying!

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Happy Healthifying!

How do you incorporate these foods into your daily eats?

P.S. Congrats to Kristen from the Swanky Dietitian! She won the Uncle Sam cereal. Enjoy Kristen!

Fortunately, for me, the boxes are gone, the place is starting to look like a home, and all I have to do now is bring a few things to storage. Things are looking good. But, during my procrastinating phase, I wasn’t all lazy. I did some “research” on top healthy crackers and what workout dvds really make you, okay … me, sweat. For the answer to the crackers, I twittered, facebooked, threw in my two cents, and received fabulous picks from dietitians and all you healthy foodies. Regarding the top sweaty workout videos, this is purely a list of my favorite sweat sesh dvds. In moving to SF, I went on a exercise video and Exercise TV rampage, allowing me to make a pretty good list for those who like to get sweaty!

The lists…

Top 5 Healthy Crackers

1. Triscuit and Triscuit Thin Crisps: These were top picks among those who let their cracker love be known. The underlying reason why these topped the top was their minimal ingredient list, only three to four ingredients used, and that whole wheat was the FIRST ingredient.
2. Ak Mak Whole Wheat Stone Ground Sesame Crackers: These are my favorite! The first ingredient is 100% organically grown ‘whole of the wheat’ flour stone ground. And again, it only takes a few ingredients to make these gems. Ak Mak states, “ The organically grown kernel of wheat is ground, then all of the ground whole wheat is blended into a complete whole wheat flour, nothing added, nothing removed.” Just love it!
3. Ryvita Crispbreads and Ryvita Wholegrain Crackerbread: The crispbreads, made of whole rye, are adored for their variety of flavors—from sweet onion to original to pumpkin seeds and oats. And Ryvita’s wholegrain crackerbread, made of wholegrain wheat flour, is infamous for its versatility and relatively low calories, 20 calories per slice. To add some jazz, check out Ryvita’s topping list to take your crackers to a whole new level.
4. Mary’s Gone Crackers: These are simply delish. When asking, “What’s your favorite healthy cracker?” I received numerous responses from Twitter saying, “Hands down, Mary’s Gone Crackers.” And rightfully so! These delights are wheat-free, gluten-free and organic. They’re made of organic whole grain brown rice, organic quinoa, organic flax seeds and organic brown sesame seeds, with no added fat … how can you go wrong?
5. Dr. Kracker: These organic crackers come in eight different flavors and reportedly, “burst with texture, character, and gusto!” I’m not gonna lie, I’ve never had these crackers, but after checking their nutrition stats and hearing their rave reviews from you, how could I not? Plus, who doesn’t want to eat a cracker bursting with gusto?  Go Dr. Kracker!

Top 5 Sweaty Workout DVDs

1. Jillian Michaels: No More Trouble Zones: My favorite weight video of all time. No question.
2. Jillian Michaels: Yoga Meltdown: My newest craze. It’s unlike any other yoga I’ve done. It’s more of a yoga fusion, so if you’re not into power yoga, you may not dig it. There are two 30 minute workouts. I’ll do the whole thing to get a real good workout in.
3. Jillian Michaels: Banish Fat Boost Metabolism: Let’s just say get ready for some huffing and puffing. A good cardio sweat sesh using only your body weight.
4. Cindy Crawford: The Next Challenge Workout: An oldie, but definitely a workout goodie. Great mix of weight routines with just a hint of cardio. You’ll be sore.
5. Steve Maresca: Rock Hard Body Extreme: A fun cardio video that utilizes a medicine ball. Some of these moves I had never done before, so the video keeps you on your toes and engages. Plus, you feel like you got in a really good workout, which I find difficult to do with most cardio videos. Currently, it’s available for free on Exercise TV, if you have On Demand with Comcast.

Happy Healthifying!

What’s your favorite cracker?

What workout dvd to you get your workout on with?

The line-up of speakers to inspire (and trust me they did) included renowned health professionals and health innovators: Dr. Mehmet Oz, MD, FACS, MBA, cardiac surgeon, author, and host of The Dr. Oz Show ; the first ever Chief Wellness Officer at any major academic medical center and co-author of the YOU book series with Dr. Oz, Dr. Michael Roizen, MD, of the Cleveland Clinic; Dr. David Katz,MD, MPH, FACPM, FACP, an internationally renowned authority on nutrition, weight management, and the prevention of chronic disease, and a recognized leader in integrative medicine and patient-centered care; The “Mindless Eating” guru Dr. Brian Wansink, Ph.D;  Best-selling cookbook author and nutrition promoter, Mollie Katzen; Jamie Lauren, former Top Chef contestant and Executive Chef at Absinthe in San Francisco, and award-winning chef Rocco DiSpirito!

Before the Inspiration

However, before the talks began, there was a little fun to be had and some health to be discovered. Willing attendees had their blood pressure read, Body Mass Index (BMI) revealed, and the chance to visit some booths from some of the best of the best in the food world:  The Wild Blueberry Association of North America, USA Pears, the California Walnut Commission, and USA Dry Peas, Lentils, and Chickpeas. Representatives of HealthCorps were also present. I had never heard of HealthCorps before—and the work the organization does is phenomenal. HealthCorps was founded by Dr. Oz and is dedicated to empowering students and communities to become agents of change and take charge of their health. It’s simply fabulous!

NOW—a little taste of the event!

This pic doesn’t even come close to portraying how many were clamoring to get in! Awesome to see SO MANY folks dedicated to their health!

The California Walnut Commission. The beige ovals in front of the bowl were stress balls in the shape of walnuts!

USA Pears was giving away these fabulous pear packers, so you can make your pears portable and unbruisable! Love it!

This is one of the activities that HealthCorps does with the kids and teens in their program. Only the ingredients were on the outside of the bag, and you had to guess what food it was! Some results were shocking…read labels folks, even if the food is marketed as healthy!

The Wild Blueberry Association of North America gave samples of guess what—-wild blueberries! They were delish!

Lindsey and I in front of the USA Dry Peas, Lentils, and Chickpeas stand!

At the USA Dry Peas, Lentils, and Chickpeas stand, they were showcasing various items and one was green pea flakes! I’d never heard of them! Have you? Anywho, apparently they’re the new hot craze in the cooking world. One hot use is to use them in place of bread crumbs, or any flour, to coat fish. Sounds good to me!

Getting Ready for Dr. Oz

We all sat in anticipation and stared at the stage for America’s DOC himself to begin his talk, America’s Wellness Tipping Point!

AND THEN … he came on!!!

Key Points from Dr. Oz

• YOU are in charge. What you do now makes a difference in your health. You have the power to control over 70% of how well and long you live.
• Plants win. Eat a whole food, plant-based diet that is high in fiber. Think foods that come from the ground: fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds, and lentils. Basically, you should be able to recognize where your food comes from.
• Start right & don’t “starve.” Always eat a breakfast that is high in fiber with some protein, “so you’re not foraging” for food constantly later in the day. And don’t let yourself get to the point of a growling, starving stomach. You’ll likely overeat at the next meal and it will negatively affect “the biology of blubber.” Slipping into starvation mode makes your body want to store fat.
• Watch your waist. It is not obesity that kills, but waist size. A high waist size is a strong predictor of heart disease, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, a fatty liver, and other negative health consequences. A healthy waist size should be less than or equal to half of your height.
• Develop and keep healthy habits. Most people who are thin have learned simple healthy habits and have continued them throughout their life, i.e. playing outside with their kids or jogging instead of watching TV.
• 5 MUST-dos to change your health. 1) Control your blood pressure; 2) Banish cigarettes; 3) Exercise 30 minutes a day; 4) Eat a healthy diet that you love because if you don’t love it, you won’t eat the healthy fare; 5) Control stress.

Happy Healthifying!

Which exhibit would have been your 1st go-to?

What’s your favorite Dr. Oz message?

In less than one week I’ll be at the 2010 Food for your Whole Life Health Symposium blogging and tweeting away info from some of the best of the best in the fitness, health, and nutrition world (including Dr. Oz!). Check out the fabulous speakers here. Stay tuned by checking-in on GGB and following me on Twitter along with my media-bloggin’ gal pals: Janel at Eat Well with Janel, Jess at a A Fete for Food, Elizabeth at Don’t White Sugar-Coat It, and Lindsey at Healthy Blog Snack.

But, until June 6th, you’ll have to suffice with my posts Below is this weeks post for the Symposium … written by yours truly. You can read more of the Symposium’s blog posts here. Enjoy!

We’re constantly reminded of what we need to do to be better, fix the problem, or undue any “wrongs.” But, what if you could go back in time—even for a little—and do something just a tad differently to change that one oh-how-I-wish-I-could-have-done-this-differently life moment because things would have been just that much better. Perhaps, you wish you would have taken that job, made that move, or spoke up to that special someone. Whatever it is—each of us has a wish-I-would-have moment.

Yet, when it comes to your health, there are certain things you can start doing RIGHT NOW so you never have to look back and regret. We have seen the future and know what will help keep your bod in top-notch shape—and it all starts with proper nutrition.

Nutrition is powerful, and when you seek the best of the best for your bod, you have the power to help prevent some chronic diseases, such as stroke, heart disease, cardiovascular disease, obesity, osteoporosis, and some cancers. So, the real question is whether you’ve got the will to make these changes NOW to prevent problems later.

Some Answers:

• Glorify fruits and veggies: Make produce the main focus of your daily eats. This mantra is mentioned all the time, but there’s a reason for it—fruits and veggies are easy on the waistline, and are chock-full of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and other health-friendly micronutrients that help keep you free of disease.
• “Hug” those heart-healthy fats: Amp up your intake of mono- and poly-unsaturated fats to keep your heart health in-check. Healthy monos are found in olive and canola oil, sesame oil, avocado, and many other nuts and seeds. Polys include the essential heart-friendly fatty acid, omega-3, and are found in fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel, herring and trout. Other sources include walnuts and sunflower seeds and flaxseeds.
• Fill up on fiber: Foods like brown rice, whole-grain bread, oatmeal, popcorn, broccoli, sweet potatoes, beans, blackberries, strawberries—basically, foods from plants are a fabulous source of fiber that can help you achieve your goal of 20 to 30 grams of fiber per day (with men towards the higher end of the spectrum). Getting in your daily dose of fiber has shown to help reduce the risk of developing heart disease, type 2 diabetes, diverticulitis (inflammation of the intestine), and constipation. Plus, as my mentor, Joan Salge Blake, MS, RD, LDN would say, “Fiber helps fill you up, before it fills you out,” always a positive!
• Watch the added sugars and sodium: Limit processed packaged foods, the biggest sugar and sodium hitters, and opt for foods that you can actually recognize. When you choose foods in their whole form compared to processed form, you’re automatically—and drastically—reducing the sodium and sugar content of the foods you put in your bod. This allows your heart to work more efficiently and you to take in more essential nutrients. For example, choose low-fat cheese and strawberries instead of Cheetos® and a strawberry Fruit Roll-Up®.
• Go light on protein and dairy: Choose lean turkey, ham, seafood, and skinless chicken and trim any excess fat. Also, make sure to stick with lean cuts of beef—round steaks and roasts. If you can, opt for grass-fed meat too. It’s lower in total and saturated fat, slightly higher in omega-3s, and higher than grain-fed and finished meat in vitamin A and E—antioxidants that help prevent disease. And don’t forget about beans and lentils. They’re fabulous sources of fiber and protein that will help you stay fuller longer. When you can, replace meat with beans to increase fiber, decrease fat, and still get in satisfying, muscle-promoting protein. When it comes to dairy, pick low or non-fat goods. This way you’ll keep your heart and waistline in shape and give those bones the calcium and vitamin D they need to stay strong.

Happy Healthifying!

What’s something you do to “amp up” your health?

Women’s Health (one of my most beloved mags) contributor Dr. Keri Peterson discusses which in fact plays a larger role in these health conditions. Just watch the below video  from the Today Show for the 411. I saw this segment the other day and just had to share. It’s a goodie!

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

On June 6th and 7th, I’ll be attending the Food for Your Whole Life Symposium in New York City as a media blogger with my FaVe four fabulous nutrition bloggers–Janel, Jessica, Lindsey, and Elizabeth. This rocking event will dish the latest research on age-based nutrition for optimal health. And features health guru Dr. Oz, along with other renowned health experts, including Mollie Katzen, Michael Roizen, David Katz, Roger Clemens (not the pitcher), Karen Collins RD, Keri Gans RD, James Joseph, Petra Kolber, Joan Sabate, Brian Wansink, and Elisa Zied RD.

From now until June, each of us nutrition ladies will be posting on topics to make a healthier you—inside and out! Take a peek at what’s already been written here. My first post is on steps to making your time on Mother Earth longer and better. Here we go … ENJOY!!!

Little Steps for a Long Life

By Corinne Dobbas, BS, of Green Grapes Blog

We all want to live a long life. But, let’s be real, we want more than just that. We want our time on Mother Earth to be invigorating, energizing, and rejuvenating.

Now, there’s no one trick—or pill for that matter—to achieving this ideal state of being. However, there are little things along the way that can help you get there. And, if you haven’t guessed yet, those “little things” all revolve around living a healthy lifestyle. Because honestly, there’s no way you’re going to feel invigorated, energized, or rejuvenated if you’ve been staring at a screen all day, noshing nightly at the local Mickey D’s, going days without your fruit and veggie friends, sleeping four hours a night, or going waterless for hours at a time.

You see where I’m going with this? It’s our day-to-day actions that add up, and eventually form a lifestyle. And it’s when that lifestyle is full of healthifying behaviors that you’re heading in the direction of longevity. WooT! WooT! I don’t know about you, but that’s a direction I’d like to head in!!!

SO…Let’s take a peek at some healthifying behaviors, shall we? Great! Here we go! Eating more fruits and veggies, switching to 100% whole grain products, dedicating seven hours of your day to sleep, eating more home-cooked meals, breaking a daily sweat, and downing more H20! These ALL top the healthy lifestyle 101 list. However, just because they’re the renowned chart toppers doesn’t mean that everyone’s doing them. So—let’s move in that proactive direction!

Grab a pen and paper…

Taking the First Little Step

• Write down one thing you plan on doing to become healthier, and make sure it is a S.M.A.R.T. goal
  • S—Specific. Define your goal well. For example, “After work, I will walk 45 minutes three times per week around my neighborhood from this date forward.”
  • M—Measurable. Set a goal that is measureable in some way. You want to be able to assess your progress. Not “I will eat more veggies,” but “I will eat at least 3 servings of veggies from today on.”
  • A—Achievable. Make sure your goal is humanly possible! And reasonable for you! If you’ve never run a day in your life, your goal should not be “to run a marathon next week.” Instead try, “By the end of this year, I want to complete my first half marathon.”
  • R—Relevant. Create a goal that’s important to you and that you’re confident you can achieve. This will allow you to get the job done and will set you up for success. Ask yourself on a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being the highest level) where your goals falls. If your goal isn’t at least a seven in importance AND a seven in confidence that you can achieve it, modify or change your goal so it hits a seven in both categories, allowing for success!
  • T—Timely. Give yourself a time frame to accomplish the goal. If your goal is to “replace sandwich bread with 100% whole-wheat bread each day starting today,” your time frame would be daily, from this day forth. If your goal is “to lose 10 pounds,” shoot for a realistic achievable time frame, such as 2 ½ months (about a pound per week).

Little Steps do Equal Success

Remember, nothing happens overnight. Just start small. The first step is choosing one S.M.A.R.T. goal and then choosing another. And before you know it, you’ll be walking along that healthy lifestyle path with some extra pep in your step, inching your way to a more zestful day … and longer life!

Happy Healthifying!

P.S. Want a FaB prawn recipe? Check out my Prawn Veggie Orange Delight on Skinny in the City HERE

Confused by what an ounce sizes up to?

Wondering how in the world you’re supposed to know what a tablespoon looks like on the fly?

WELL—so are A LOT of folks! It’s been shown that even health professionals can get serving sizes wrong! Trust me—it’s TRUE!!!

SO … if you’re like me and sometimes need an extra-oomph tool to help you accurately spot a tablespoon from a quarter cup OR a half-cup from one cup sans kitchen paraphernalia, check out WebMD’s AWESOME Portion Size Plate. This handy-dandy tool visually displays serving sizes for all the food groups from dairy to veggies! Personally, I think it’s pretty gosh darn cool!!!

Check. It. Out. Click HERE

GGB Spring Challenge Update!

CONGRATS to Janice from Meal Makeover Moms’ Kitchen! Her recipe for Piping-Hot Peanut Butter Soup was a HIT! Janice you take the crown for GGB’s Peanut Butter Madness Challenge and will be receiving the POPULAR popchips! And Anne, you take the tiara Your recipe was well loved too!!! If you haven’t already, check out Anne’s Peanut Butter Banana Tofu Pie.

Happy Healthifying!

What do you think of the WebMD portion tool?

P.S. Take a peek at the Summer GGB Challenge