First of all, a serving tends to be smaller than most of us think.  For example half of an apple, orange, or banana is one serving.  A half a cup of berries or grapes is one serving.   I make a protein shake almost every morning for my family and this is how we are able to get many of the fruits and vegetables we need each day.  Frozen or fresh fruits or vegetables work equally well.   Here is a great recipe for a fruit & veggie shake!

Ingredients:

½ cup fresh frozen strawberries                                                                                    

½ cup spinach

½ cup  frozen peaches

½ an orange

½ cup carrots

½ pear                                            

½ apple

½ plum

2 scoops of vanilla protein powder

½ cup ice

½ cup water

1 egg (optional)

¼ tsp coconut oil

Blend in a blender until smooth, pour into a glass and enjoy! Makes two servings.

Thank you for the compliment about my classes.  I enjoy having you as a participant!  One thing you are missing is patience!  (I know, I should talk!) You want to lose 30 pounds but you only gave South Beach one month! To lose the weight the healthiest way, you should expect to lose 1-2 pounds a week.  So it should take at least four months and probably more like six or eight months to lose 30 pounds, not one month.  Since you exercise, you may also experience a shift in your weight.  As you exercise, you will gain muscle mass and lose fat mass.  This will lead to a smaller body but at the same weight.

It’s also important to understand how you are fueling your body when you exercise.  To burn fat and get the best results, you need to exercise in the aerobic zones most of the time.  Invest in a heart rate monitor and hire a personal trainer to calculate your RMR (Resting Metabolic Rate) and set up your aerobic and anaerobic zones. This will help you keep track of how you are training and what your calorie burn is.

You mentioned your exercise routine but not your diet routine.  Changing your diet to lose weight needs to be a permanent lifestyle change, not a temporary change like diets often are. Since you mentioned losing and gaining weight, I suspect you lost weight and perhaps resumed old habits thus regaining the weight you lost. Many times this happens because most of us underestimate how much we eat during the day.  To lose weight, you should try to eliminate about 250 calories from your daily diet and increase your daily activity by 250 calories.  This adds up to 500 calories a day or one pound of weight loss a week.  One of the best ways to track what you eat and how much you eat is to keep a journal.  For the first week, eat as you normally would and don’t try to “be good.”  You need to see what you are really eating and what you need to change.  After the first week, try a site like www.calorieking.com to journal your diet, add up the calories and make the necessary changes.  Most women who workout at your level need to eat between 2000-2300 calories/day. A personal trainer can help you find the right amount.

Protein is made up of chains of individual amino acids and they are the building blocks your body needs to rejuvenate, rebuild and maintain your muscles, organs, and immune systems. Protein can also be used for energy when you don't have enough carbohydrates in your diet. Your body can make some amino acids, but there are some, called essential amino acids, that have to come from directly from your diet.

Animal protein sources provide all of the essential amino acids so they are called complete proteins. Each time you eat eat meat, fish, dairy products, or eggs you get all of the essential amino acids.  Vegetarians and vegans rely on plant proteins to get their amino acids. Soy and hemp are the only plant sources that contain all of the essential amino acids.  All other plant protein sources are incomplete proteins, meaning that they don't provide all of the essential amino acids. However vegans and vegetarians who eat a variety of plant proteins throughout the course of the day should get all of their amino acid needs met.

There are four groups of plant foods.  The first group is made up of bread, rice, whole wheat and whole grain products.  These include cereal, pasta, bread, and noodles.  Group two is the legumes and includes peas, beans and lentils.  The third group is vegetables and fruits and the fourth group is nuts and seeds.  To get a complete protein, combine any food item from group one with one, single food source from any one of the other three groups.

Here are some sample combinations of plant proteins that will provide you with all of the amino acids you need:

• Grains plus legumes. Try black beans and rice.
• Wheat crackers, nuts and legumes. Lentil soup with a serving of almonds and crackers on the side.
• Corn plus legumes. Try pinto beans in a corn tortilla.
• Whole grain pasta with peas, almonds, and your favorite sauce.
• Whole wheat toast with peanut butter.
• Bean soup with whole grain crackers.
• Corn tortillas with refried beans and rice.

Cod liver oil is a supplement that is derived from the liver of a cod fish and is a good source of the essential fat omega-3 which has a positive effect on everything from mental illness to the health of your heart. Certain advertisements give the impression that cod liver oil will literally oil your joints. While this isn't true, cod liver oil is very good for your joints. It contains anti-inflammatory substances called prostaglandins that have been proven to help those suffering from painful or swollen joints.  Cod liver oil is equally beneficial for your bones due to its high content of vitamin D.

What you eat can have a direct impact on the health of your unborn child. There are foods you should try to eat during pregnancy to help your baby grow and develop in your womb. You need whole, unprocessed foods that are good sources of healthy fats, proteins and carbohydrates. However, there are key foods to stay away from: 

1. Mackerel can contain high levels of mercury which can be harmful to your unborn baby. Shark and swordfish should be avoided for the same reason.

2. Liver and liver products contain very high levels of vitamin A which research has shown can cause birth defects. Similarly, any supplements with high levels of vitamin A should not be taken during pregnancy.

3. Soft, mould-ripened and  blue veined cheeses such as Brie, Stilton and Camembert should be avoided because they can contain the potentially poisonous listeria bug.

 4. Anything unpasteurized such as eggs, milk, or cheese can lead to toxoplasmosis which is an infection caused by a microscopic parasite that can live inside the cells of humans and animals, especially cats and farm animals.

5. Underdone or lightly cooked eggs, meat or poultry; or raw or uncooked eggs, meat and poultry can contain a variety of bugs that could seriously harm your unborn baby.

You can still enjoy your favorite drinks during pregnancy but only in moderation. You should drink no more than three cups of coffee a day and ideally only one. You should drink no more than one or two glasses of wine a week. However, to be safe you shouldn't drink any alcohol at all until after your baby is born.