"Stir It Up..."

If you’ve read my previous blogs about restaurant ordering, you know that I can be a server’s nightmare. I often change what’s listed on the menu to eliminate the extra calories and fat from sauces or certain preparation methods. I’ll usually substitute a vegetable for a high carb side and dressing for my salad is always “on the side”. Usually this isn’t too much of a problem at many of the restaurants I frequent, but in the world of “fast-casual” restaurants, you usually can’t have it your way.

However, since my family has been on board with healthy eating, and since I don’t like to cook EVERY week night, we’ve discovered a great fast-casual restaurant that lets us have our meal EXACTLY like we want it!

At Genghis Grill you can create your own stir-fry bowl using a variety of meats, poultry, seafood, vegetables, sauces, and spices. The many proteins include chicken, steak, shrimp, crab, fish, turkey, and even scallops along with seasonal items. The veggies are fresh and crisp (I am very particular about my veggies, so if I say they’re fresh, they are!) and refilled on a regular basis. They have a huge selection from broccoli to cabbage and carrots, onions, peppers, baby corn, mushrooms, and water chestnuts or snap peas.

As you go through the line, you choose how much of each item to put into your bowl, then you choose a seasoning or two, a sauce or two and give it to the chefs to cook on the grill. They call it “an interactive style of exhibition cooking modeled after a centuries-old legend". Based on this "legend," Genghis Khan and his warriors used their shields not only for protection but for preparing their meals. It seems during lulls of battle, their shields were used as a grill by placing food on them and positioning them over open fires on the battlefield. At the restaurant, instead of shield, they have a huge grill.

After handing over your bowl, you return to your table where a server brings you your food when it’s ready. The stir-fry is served over your choice of white, brown, or fried rice, udon or spiral noodles, or even tortillas. On their website, there’s an awesome nutrition calculator, so you can figure the calories of your bowl ahead of time by clicking on http://www.genghisgrill.com/byo_bowl.php
Since we were following a lower carb eating plan, we started ordering our brown rice on the side. I ask for light oil and have them cook it well-done. With a protein or two, lots of veggies, a sauce and some brown rice, the bowl usually adds up to about 350-400 calories for a filling and delicious dinner. I save about 150 calories if I leave out the starch.

And the nice thing is, you don’t feel like you’re eating fast food. They have a great selection of wines and beers and often have special prices on specific brands. You can eat a healthy dinner, and not spend a lot of money. Bowls are usually $9.99 (or $12.99 for unlimited refills, but that kind of defeats the purpose of eating healthfully). They have kids bowls at kid-sized prices and , for now, they're running a promotion where kids eat free on Tuesday nights. And local newspapers often have a coupon for a buy one, get one free bowl or $20 for two bowls and two drinks. They also have a loyalty card, and after you’ve gotten six bowls, the seventh one is free. We’ve been going there at least once a week for the past few years, so I think we’ve taken advantage of our card!

The chain began in Dallas, and they have locations all over the country. If you click on http://www.genghisgrill.com/locations.php ,you can find the one closest to where you live. In the St. Louis area, Genghis Grill has one location in Ellisville, right next to Lifetime Fitness at 15819 Fountain Drive. The owner and general manager, Brian Durbin is usually there making sure that everything is making his customers happy (tell him Fitness Barista sent you). So, if you’re hungry after a workout or just ready to enjoy a healthy, fresh meal made the way YOU want it, stop in. I promise you, you’ll go back for more!

"Move It Like This..."

Since my broken foot fiasco, I was itching to get back to taking fitness classes. Swimming was a great workout, but I missed the social aspect of taking a class. Luckily, I belong to a gym with a wide variety of choices. A big part of choosing a class is choosing something you are going to continue doing. I’ve been trying a few new classes and I will write about those in the blogs to come, but the class I seem to gravitate to lately is Zumba!

Zumba appeals to me and a lot of people because it has a dance aspect, And even though the moves are sometimes challenging at first (It takes most people six to eight classes to learn the choreography),there is never any pressure to do the moves perfectly.

Now I know that everyone will argue the plusses of their favorite classes, be it kickboxing, cycling, or CRT, and each class offers its own unique benefits. And, sometimes, it’s hard for people to believe in a class where you can actually burn calories and have fun at the same time!

But, Zumba does just that. It tones and strengthens by giving you a full body workout. Throughout a Zumba class, you’re working your core/abdominal muscles. By engaging your core muscles, you’re also strengthening your back muscles, protecting yourself from injury, creating good posture, and developing flatter abs. It works the entire body, but it's exceptional for working the core because of all the twisting moves. The dance steps give your legs a workout and since the arms are held up during most of the moves, it works out the shoulders, back, and chest as well.

The idea behind Zumba is to build non-existent muscles, and sculpt existing key muscles while burning stored fat cells. The changing movements don’t allow the body’s muscles to be stagnant, putting them to work in lots of different ways.

The types of dance moves used in the routines work the body in specific ways:

-Reggeton works the hip flexors, muscles located at the front of the groin, in the upper crease where the thigh and abdomen meet.

-Cumbia, bouncy, quick, small-step footwork and lateral travel, works the legs, hips and abs.

-Merengue, kind of like a fast march in place, emphasizes the triceps and biceps with its fast arm swings.

-Bhangra and belly dancing challenge the calves and core with the need to elevate on one foot and wave the other foot, toes pointed, in front of the body.

-Salsa and Samba work the lower body, core, and ankle flexors.


And, unlike many workout routines, other than Yoga, Zumba allows you to release inhibitions. If you leave your ego out of it and just enjoy the movement, you’ll have fun. During the routines, your body is able to release “good-for-you” endorphins. And even though they’re working hard and burning MANY calories, most people leave a Zumba class sweaty and smiling! !

Of course, the instructor makes the class fun and I have to thank my fabulous teachers, Abby, Carla, Kathryn and Julie at LTF, and Kim B, of Zumba with Kim B, who got me started in Zumba! Each instructor has their own dance personality. Some are more Latin dance oriented, some more hip-hop and some more athletic, but they all motivate us to work at our highest level! Of course, any class is what YOU make it, so here are some great tips from Master Zumba instructor, Stacy Boyer, for getting the most out of your Zumba class (from Shape.com):

1.Let Loose
Zumba is all about having fun, and joining the party, which is hard to do if you're stiff or self-conscious! The best way to burn more calories in class is to let go, have fun, and try not to think too much. "Letting yourself go will let the calories go!” Boyer says.

2.Maximize Your Arm Movement
During the moves, be sure to fully extend your arms, Boyer says. You’ll boost your calorie burn and engage more muscles by maximizing your arm movements during class. "It's not that tricky and you can do a lot for your body by lengthening, raising, and extending with oomph."

3.Move Up and Down More
“When your instructor takes you through a level change try and do it," Boyer says. All that up and down movement will not only boost your burn, it will also get your glutes, hips, and thigh muscles firing even more. “Sit into your moves, bend your knees, and go up and down and all around as much as you can—level changes burn calories!"

4.Work Your Booty
"There is always a lot of booty shaking in Zumba!" Boyer says. "Just shake it—and shake it good (to best do this, see tip #1)." Boyer recommends pressing through your heels whenever you can to maximize the move’s booty shaping benefits.

5.Rock the Moves You Know
So maybe you don’t have every move mastered yet, that's OK! You can still get a great workout as long as you rock the moves you’ve got! "Always accentuate the moves that you are actually comfortable with," Boyer says. “Make the most out of that shimmy you love, or the salsa step you have mastered. Feel confident in adding your own flair to the movement. If you know it, show it!

So, for those of you who take Zumba classes, you KNOW what I’m talking about. And for those of you who have never been to a class, why not give one a try? You don’t have to be a dancer to enjoy a Zumba class; you just need an open mind and a desire for a great workout!

"Super Fly..."

I’m a big fan of Cirque de Soleil type shows and have been lucky enough to have seen quite a few of them, from the touring companies to the permanent stages in Las Vegas (like LOVE, Viva Elvis and Le Reve). The shows all incorporate a variety of talents, but I am always most fascinated with the aerial arts. The strong, muscular bodies pulling up and down the theater on trapezes, swings, silk cords, and hoops never fail to amaze me. The performers seem almost superhuman; able to tumble, climb and fly through the air.

So, I was very surprised to learn that my former Pilates teacher at Body, Mind, and Soul Studio, Merrily Stanley, was actually learning and practicing aerial performance at a South City studio right here in St. Louis, called Bumbershoot Aerial Arts.

We had lost touch since my Pilates lessons and reconnected on Facebook. I saw pictures of her pulling, climbing, and wrapping herself on the aerial silks and had to find out more.

Merrily initially became interested in aerial arts when she saw Pink do a sling performance on the MTV Music Awards a few years back. She Googled “Aerial Arts”, found Bumbershoot, and immediately signed up for a beginning class.

At the time, her husband was in Iraq, she had a teenage son at home and she was getting bored with “gym stuff” for her workout. Once she started the 1st level Silks class, she realized that her Pilates training gave her an advantage and she quickly progressed to more advanced practice. For Merrily, even though she was scared of heights when she started, it ”felt good from the beginning”. It gave her confidence when she saw she was strong from the start, and she loved hanging upside down, which was “really decompressive”. (However, she was reminded of the incredible amount of grip strength needed for aerial today while practicing trapeze after not doing it for a week. Her forearms were about to explode).

The types and levels of classes are listed on Bumbershoot’s web site (www.bumbershoootaerialarts.com), but what Merrily loves about the place is that they’re really great about breaking things down for their students: movement by movement, skill by skill. She says they really make something unique and kind of foreign, accessible to everyone who wants to learn.

The atmosphere is very welcoming and, not only does she love and trust the teachers, but she gets a lot of encouragement from her fellow class members. They spot each other and depend on each other, so they have to trust one another.

For Merrily, it’s literally been a shot of confidence. Besides the amazing physical benefits (like core strength, flexibilty and balance), she’s also overcome some fears and fulfilled a desire to perform that she wouldn’t have done otherwise. She had always wanted to be in plays in high school, but didn’t have the nerve to audition, so it was a real “rush” last year when her silks class did a performance dressed as superheroes!

It has also helped her in her own Pilates teaching, and she’s working to be an assistant instructor at Bumbershoot. She gets so much satisfaction from seeing people progress, and it’s a great balance with her Pilates practice. (And don’t think you have to be a Pilates instructor to do this. She’s taken classes with a 70 year old man and a 12 year old girl).

She even did a silks photo shoot called “Trash the Dress”, wrapping, pulling and climbing in her wedding dress (after the wedding, of course), and she’ll be doing another group performance on October 19th and 20th.

She admits it’s not always easy and has the rope burns and bruises to prove it, but this has a real place in her life and it’s worth both the physical and time balance challenges. She wants to continue learning and teaching others the beauty and enjoyment of both aerial arts and Pilates.

Bumbershoot Aerial Arts Studio
2200 Gravois Ave.
St. Louis, MO 63104
314.898.3259

Body, Mind, and Soul Pilates
629 North New Ballas Suite 211
Creve Couer, MO
314-995-7020

"Higher Ground..."

Who knew?? All these years I’ve been reading weight loss books from The Pritikin Diet to The Atkins Diet to the currently popular, Flat Belly Diet. And now I find out that, according to Columbus, Ohio Rabbi Areyah Kaltmann, all I needed to do was consult the Kabbalah for weight loss advice. He is offering a six-week course called "Diet Divine: The Kabalistic Secret to Weight Loss" to help people look at food and self-control differently. The program focuses on Jewish mysticism; the spiritual quest to understand God and the soul.

Rabbi Kaltman is not a nutritionist nor is he a personal trainer, however, he says the Kabbalah teaches that limited beings, such as people, can accomplish extraordinary things. His program tries to help people look at food and self-control differently. The basis for that is in Jewish texts, he says, including some by Kabbalist rabbis who lived 250 years ago and wrote about imperfection. In the texts, they taught that God is most happy when imperfect people overcome their limitations, such as a tendency to binge. "According to Jewish mystical teachings, it's OK to be imperfect," he said. "If God just wanted angels, he didn't have to create the world”.

He says the reason the human head sits above the heart is because the mind must rule over emotions, and those emotions, when they get out of control, often lead to compulsive eating. He also cites Maimonides, the great rabbi who lived 800 years ago and wrote a book about nutrition. Maimonides said to eat until you're three-quarters full and then stop. The Talmud also teaches that food should be eaten slowly and savored. So, according to Kaltmann, "saying no is really saying yes.”
"When you say no to unhealthy food, you're saying yes to your family, you're saying yes to a healthy life," he said. "You're saying yes to feeling like a human being and not an animal."

Other Jewish scholars, like Rabbi Deborah Orenstein, have addressed the teachings too. In her 2007 Rosh Hashonah sermon, she noted that the process of losing weight has instructive parallels to the Jewish practice of Teshuvah. Teshuvah literally means "return" and is the word used to describe the concept of repentance in Judaism. Teshuvah is most frequently associated with the High Holy Days but people can seek forgiveness for wrongs they have committed at any time.

Some of the parallels she draws are:

Taking responsibility- She explains that your level of physical or spiritual fitness today is based on what you did in the past, and choices you have made. Understanding what you’ve done wrong in the past is a precursor to change, but it doesn’t cause transformation. For a different result, you have to make new choices.

Loving and Caring for Your Body- Since the first stage of Teshuvah is physical self-care, we need to make peace with our bodies and be kind to them, in order to effectively carry out the work it takes -- physically and spiritually -- to maintain our fitness.


Giving Some Things Up- Of course, if you’ve ever tried to lose weight you know this. You might have to give up desserts, trans-fats, or large portions. You may even need to stop stocking junk food in your pantry. This also goes, she says, for all kinds of temptation we renounce yet keep accessible.

Taking On New Patterns- Healthy eating (like Teshuvah) is undermined when we confuse it with deprivation. She says both are enhanced when we consider not just what we are renouncing, but what we are gaining. (or, in the case of weight loss, losing).
What healthy foods can you add to your diet to give you better energy? How will losing weight make your joints stronger? With what positive habit might you replace destructive patterns?



Keeping At It. Small Changes Make a Big Difference- Be aware that, with both Teshvuah and eating habits, results are not immediate. You don't practice patience once, or eat well for a day, and see dramatic changes. Persist, and you will.


Judaism embraces the idea of persistence--from the efforts of Moses in ancient times to the modern struggles of Israel to find peace. These lofty goals can work just as well for the individual in a personal struggle with weight loss and maintenance. It's the attitude of not giving up that helps weight losers reach and keep their goal. Another Jewish value which came into play was, that at some point, they experienced an epiphany or moment of truth about their weight.

But faith-based weight loss is nothing new. Christian programs, in particular, have existed for decades.

In March 1981, First Place 4 Health was started by 12 men and women at a Baptist church in Houston. Described by its director as “a Christian Weight Watchers”, the program now has 12,000 chapters in the United States and 20 other countries. In Bod 4 God, Steve Reynolds “The Anti-Fat Pastor” lost more than 100 pounds and launched a successful weight-loss program based on four “keys” from the Bible in his church and community. These programs foster the ideas that gluttony is a sin and human bodies are temples.

Having a keen awareness of just how difficult it can be to distinguish physical needs from vaguer, but no less powerful emotional ones is how all religious practices helps us grow. So, using those same skills to guide your body to health really does seem to make sense.

"It's Not JUST A Sandwich..."

Whenever I fly into or through Midway Airport in Chicago, I try to plan my flight connection around lunchtime because I am obsessed with the Potbelly Sandwich Shop located between the A and B gates there. And when I visit Chicago, even though the city is a mecca of amazing and different foods, I try to have at least one lunch at one of the many Potbelly locations there. When we first discovered it, we took the train into the city, dragged our suitcases down the steps and through the revolving doors at the Potbelly on State and Lake because we couldn’t wait to eat there.

So, I was so excited when I saw the sign go up in the former Provisions location on Olive and Old Ballas, announcing that we too were getting a Potbelly here in St. Louis. Now I know what you’re thinking, “Big deal. It’s just another sandwich shop like the 8 million others in every strip mall”, but you’re wrong.

Sandwiches usually don’t come to mind when we talk about a healthy eating plan, but if they’re made with the right ingredients and put together carefully, they are the perfect “My Plate” creation.

And Potbelly does it right from the start. They use oven-roasted turkey breast from the whole breast (not pressed), Black Angus roast beef, and all-natural chicken breast. Both the chicken salad and the tuna salad are made in the store daily. The breads are what make the sandwich amazing though. I’ve always gotten the multi-grain and it’s not just brown processed bread like some places. It’s a nutty, grainy and hearty bread that’s the perfect complement to the meat and/or cheese you order on it. They also have “regular” bread which is actually kind of a French sourdough, but still yummy. The Turkey Breast sandwich with Swiss or Provolone clocks in at 450 calories, and the Roast Beef and Provolone at 460. They really are filling enough to save a half for later in the day.

I was kind of disappointed that the St. Louis store doesn’t offer the “Skinnies”, which are thin cut bread and 1/3 less meat and cheese. The skinny TKY is only 294 calories and the skinny “Hammie” is only 332. I was told that since this location just opened, we’ll have to wait for the Skinny option to be offered.

If you’re not a sandwich kind of luncher (if that’s not a word, it should be), their salads offer high protein, filling combinations also made fresh to order. The Uptown Salad combines their chicken with fresh and dried fruits like cranberries, apples, grapes, greens topped with walnuts and blue cheese at 520 calories with 28 grams of protein, and the Farmhouse Salad mixes chicken veggies, greens and hard –boiled egg for 410 calories and 37 grams of protein.

Their soups change from day to day, but their 8 oz. Chicken Noodle for 150 calories, and their 8 oz. Garden Vegetable for 110 calories can be paired with a Mediterranean salad for 214 calories to make a meal.

Of course they do offer cookies and shakes and even a sandwich called Big Jack’s PB&J (and you DON’T want to know how many calories are in those), but it’s good to know there are lots of options that keep you from undoing your hard work in the gym.

And if you go in, ask them WHEN they are going to have the Skinnies on their menu. Maybe if enough people request it, they’ll put them on sooner!!
For now, I’m just happy I don’t have to wait for a trip out of town to have one of their yummy sandwiches!

To find a Potbelly near you, go to:
http://www.potbelly.com/Shops/ShopLocator.aspx

"Get Ready...."

In one year, my son and daughter-in-law-to-be are getting married. To say I’m beyond thrilled is an understatement! I love them both so much and we love her family and can’t wait for the fun times together! And although I’ve never been an advocate of “event” fitness, and I’ve preached that everyone should have a consistently healthy lifestyle, THEY”RE GETTING MARRIED, and who doesn't want to look and feel good!!

A 2007 Cornell University study by Lori Neighbors and Jeffery Sobal found that 70 percent of engaged women and their mothers said they wanted to lose weight, typically 20 pounds. So brides are increasingly going on crash diets. One woman in New York prepped for wedding gown shopping by spending eight days on a feeding tube. The diet, under a doctor’s supervision, offered 800 calories a day while she went about her day, with a feeding tube in her nose.

I was not that extreme when I got married (many years ago), but I did spend three months basically subsisting on a diet of lettuce, cottage cheese, coffee and cigarettes to try and look skinny on my wedding day. Of course, by the time our first anniversary rolled around, I had quit smoking, started cooking, and gained back the starvation weight I had lost (and then some). Soooo….not exactly the healthiest way to prepare for an event.

If you know well in advance that you’d like to get fit for an event, be it a wedding, reunion, graduation, or new job, you can work on developing your healthy lifestyle; not frantically trying to drop three sizes in a month.

If you do have over 50 pounds to lose, it’s best to get started as soon as possible. If you’re OK losing a pound or two each week, then a program like Weight Watchers or the Eat-Clean Diet can be a great place to start. I like these because you prepare your own food and focus on the health benefits of what you eat. However, for some people, it’s discouraging to see such a slow loss. In that case, talk to your doctor about a more restrictive eating plan like Medifast, South Beach or Atkins. Seeing the quicker weight loss can be motivating and it can encourage you to create a healthier lifestyle. Once you’ve gotten closer to your goal, you can branch out to foods that will help you maintain and energize your fitness level.

Some basics to remember no matter where you are on the fitness/weight loss meter:

You need to eat. Maybe not as much, maybe different foods, but if you consume too few nutrients, your body will rebel. Get the right mix of carbs, fats, and protein. The most effective combo for dropping pounds fast is one that is high in whole grains, vegetables, and fruits, contains mostly unsaturated fats from olive oil or nuts, and provides a healthy dose of extra-lean protein from dairy, legumes, soy, fish, and lean meat. Look for "real" (i.e., unprocessed) foods. You need fuel for energy and to keep your mood stable and positive.

You don’t NEED to drink alcohol. A celebratory drink can cost you 150 calories or more. And that's if you only have one! Even if you're in the habit of having just a few drinks a week, cutting back on alcohol can save you hundreds of calories in the end. Save the cocktails for the special occasions coming up and sip water instead, or try alternating alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages so you won't feel left out of the festivities

Drink lots of water to flush your system. The body has a filtration system in place that will excrete toxins from the body. Without proper hydration, however, this system cannot function optimally. Make sure you consume plenty of water to dilute and flush unwanted toxins and waste products from your body.

Avoid excess salt. You want to reduce your salt intake to decrease your body's water retention. Table salt and other processed foods are loaded with sodium and alter the way cells handle excess water. When there is high sodium, cells absorb water as a result of osmosis. You can reduce excess water weight and decrease bloat by cutting back high sodium foods.

Exercise. Work Out. Train. Lift. Whatever you call it, a combination of cardio and strength training is best. This is an obvious one, but do something (anything!) to get moving. Twenty minutes of exercise a day will do wonders to boost your energy and kick-start the calorie burning process. Choose a time of the day when you usually feel motivated and energetic -- that way, you'll be more likely to stick with it.

Interval Training involves alternating short, fast bursts of intense exercise with slow, easy activity. Interval training works both the aerobic and the anaerobic system, and it results in improved conditioning of the cardiovascular system. It also helps prevent injuries often associated with repetitive exercise by allowing you to increase training intensity without overtraining or burn-out.

Cross Train-Alternating exercise is a great way to train effectively. Not only do you develop overall muscle conditioning, but you allow muscles to rest and recover without losing your fitness and get a mental boost from alternating activities

Strength Train-Building strength is one of the fastest ways to improve your physical condition and shape and train more efficiently. You can spend hours running, cycling or playing your sport, but a few weight training sessions each week will add strength, power, and also help reduce your risk of injury.

Get a Personal Trainer-Following a program written by someone else can take the pressure off and give you new ideas. It can also assure that you are doing the exercises correctly and efficiently. Opt for a few sessions when you start your fitness program to make sure you are getting the most out of your workout and schedule additional sessions as you get closer to where you want to be weight and fitness wise and closer to the event.

The thing is, if you can start to work on a healthy lifestyle now, the closer you get to the event, the more relaxed you’ll be. Whether you're in the wedding party, the planning committee for the reunion, or getting ready to start a new phase in your life, all of the planning can take its toll on you. But if you’re eating right and working out, you’ll be in a better mood and be better able to cope with the decisions you need to make.

As you get closer to the event, there are things you can do to tweak your fitness and push yourself harder (we’ll go over those in a future blog) , but if you’ve got the time, get yourself on the road to health, so you’ll be around for all of the life events yet to come!!

"I'm Just Sayin'..."

Nike first coined the now-famous slogan "Just Do It" for a 1988 Nike ad campaign, (which was chosen by Advertising Age as one of the top five ad slogans of the 20th century and enshrined in the Smithsonian Institution). Since then, exercisers everywhere have proclaimed their dedication and disdain for their workouts and specific types of exercise literally with the shirt “on” their backs!

I've never really been fond of “one saying” shirts because I can never just have one opinion at a time; I need lots of them. So I really love my lululemon manifesto shirt that basically lists all of their inspirational philosophies on one adorable garment.

And I've actually seen some very funny and motivating t’s at the gym in the past few years. One in particular I’m sure was written just for me. In fact, because I used to talk so much to everyone at the gym, a friend used to wear this shirt just to remind me of what I was there for.

And like the “Just Do It” slogan, some shirts are short and make their point.

I also like the shirts with a bit of a sarcastic edge to them.

And the ones that are “event specific” that I found on etsy, are adorable and garner encouraging cheers from your fellow gym-goers.

Even the workout towels can be motivating if you get the right ones.

But of course the t-shirt I love to see everyone wearing is my favorite overall design! (Email me at hkraus52@gmail.com if you’re interested in ordering a t or tank).

"Any Fish You Wish..."

(In my quest for great places that serve delectable food that’s fresh and healthy, here is the 2nd in a series of restaurants you can enjoy even if you’re trying to keep your weight and health in check)

We all know we should be eating more fish and seafood, but it’s not always easy to find incredible treats from the sea when you live in the Midwest. (St. Louis, especially).

So, I was thrilled when Oceano Bistro opened a few years back in Clayton. It’s a beautiful space with an open feel from the inside restaurant to the windowed patio. The kitchen looks into the dining room so you can see the food as it comes up (causing me to change my order on many a night!!).

So many places cover the taste of their fish and seafood with heavy sauces, butter, and breading, but since Oceano serves a really fresh, high quality product, the flavor of the food comes through without piling on calorie-laden toppings.

According to their website, they “feature the finest and most fresh fish and seafood available in the St. Louis area.” And they use fresh local produce and products in their preparation. Using flavorful marinades, light sauces, and healthy prep methods like pan roasting, grilling and steaming, the dishes at Oceano are not only healthy, but delicious too! The sides like corn and asparagus risotto, grilled Szechuan long beans, or grilled Portobello mushrooms provide rich tasting accents without a heavy food overload.

And although the Clayton restaurant is about 20 minutes away, it’s always worth the drive. So, imagine my excitement when I heard they were opening a second location in Chesterfield, about two minutes from where I live. I was worried that the new location might not have the same menu or ambiance as the original location, but it still has the same great feel and amazing food that allows us to go out to eat without killing our healthy lifestyle.

According to a recent article in St .Louis magazine, “Oceano's co-owner Amer Abouwasser said that the new Oceano would mirror the Clayton flagship, both in menu and interior design:” They will also have a “lavishly landscaped rear patio” for outside dining. It is a beautiful setting with a similar feel to the original.

We typically order many of the same dishes, but our recent dinner was a bit more adventurous.

The light Bistro Market Salad is a spring lettuce mix with tomatoes, red onion and gorgonzola cheese tossed in balsamic vinaigrette (which, of course, I get on the side). It’s just the right size to take the edge off of your hunger without filling you up.

The Hamachi Avocado Ceviche has thin slices of sashimi grade Hamachi with Meyer lemon vinaigrette, avocado, peas and micro sprouts. It’s so light and unique that I sometimes want to have two orders for my meal.

My friend Sarah actually ended up ordering two appetizers for her meal and both were healthy and filling. She’s a very health-conscious eater, but also an amazing cook, so her seal of approval on a dish means a lot. The Grilled Seasonal Vegetables with Balsamic dipping sauce and Maryland Lump Crab Cakes with shitake mushrooms, green apples and arugula were both filling and flavorful and she actually ended up taking some of each dish home because she was full.

My husband’s favorite dish at the restaurant is their Steamed Shellfish Soffrito. A super generous portion of prawns, mussels, and, scallops are cooked with lemons, tomatoes, and roasted garlic and served in a bowl over what they call a risotto gallette (Kind of like a risotto pancake). When my husband was on his low-carb diet, he would order it with green beans instead, but the galette is light and not too big, so it’s a great way to soak up the broth from the soffrito. Our friend Larry ordered it and loved every bite.

Since there are so many “good-for-you” choices, my husband decided to finally try something different, so he got the Grilled Jumbo Sea Scallops . They were large and grilled with a great sear, but not oily. A truffle beurre blanc is served on the side so you can dip into it if you want, but the pesto-like garnish is flavorful as well.

My current favorite there (I’ve gotten it the past three times) is the Sauteed Warm Water Sea Bass. It’s lightly herb crusted and the outside is crisp and the inside is so moist and flavorful, and perfect with the sweet corn and asparagus risotto and smoked tomato butter garnish around the plate. The risotto is creamy, but the creaminess comes more from how long the rice cooks rather than from added fat.



We know that seafood contains high levels of many important nutrients that are not commonly found in other foods. It is an excellent source of proteins, omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA), vitamin D, vitamin B12, selenium and iodine. So why not have the healthy benefits while enjoying a great night out.

Oceano Bistro has really raised the bar with a beautiful atmosphere, great flavors, and unique presentations of foods that are actually good for you!

Leggero e Gustoso (or, can I really eat at an Italian restaurant and lose weight???)

Most of you already know that I’m kind of obsessed with the Food Network and the Cooking Channel. I like the cooking shows, and love the competition shows like Chopped and Iron Chef. It fascinates me how the chefs make completely different dishes with the exact same ingredients. But most of all, I love the shows that highlight favorite foods in restaurants, hotels, and food trucks, like Unique Eats and The Best Thing I Ever Ate.

Of course, cooking at home is the best way to control the calories and nutrients that you eat. And though I still like to eat nutritiously when I go to a restaurant, I’ve found plenty of great places where you can enjoy amazing food and not have to sacrifice healthy eating in the process.

This week I’m focusing on Brio Tuscan Grille, a chain restaurant that feels like an independent, local eatery. Anyone who has been there knows what I mean. The Italian word “brio” translates to “lively” or “vivacious” in English. Great words to describe Brio’s menu, which breaks preconceived notions, setting itself apart from the typical Italian chain restaurants.

The bread basket is deliciously tempting, so we always tell them NOT to bring it to the table. However, if you must have a little nibble, try the seeded cracker bread in the basket sans butter. It’s light and crispy, and the seasoned seeds make it tasty on its own.

A filling, high protein signature starter is Beef Carpaccio, thin slices of raw beef, served with field greens, capers, mustard aioli and Parmigiano-Reggiano The mustard aioli is light, but still flavorful, pairing well with the light beef and fresh, lightly dressed greens. The plate is HUGE, so plan to share it with your whole table.

All of their salads are generous and flavorful, but the Chopped Salad is a particular favorite of mine. Combining fresh lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, and feta cheese, the salad whets your appetite without filling you with fat and calories. I always order my dressing on the side, but the Italian vinaigrette they serve just lightly coats the greens without soaking them in fat-laden dressing.

The Grilled Shrimp with Orzo is one of my husband’s favorites and it’s cooked in very little sauce or fat. About 5 large shrimp with a bit of spice to the grill rub, sit atop crisp, seasoned grilled asparagus, zucchini, and tomatoes in a lemon vinaigrette. The vegetables are mixed into the orzo, which is enough to be satisfying, but doesn’t leave you stuffed .

The salmon at Brio is probably the best I’ve had anywhere (and I order salmon a lot). It comes with Romano crusted tomatoes, citrus pesto, asparagus and crispy shoestring potatoes. I usually substitute grilled veggies for the crusted tomatoes and shoestring potatoes, and get the citrus pesto on the side. But honestly, the fish is so good by itself and always grilled to the right texture and consistency, that I usually don’t use very much of the light, lemony sauce.

Another favorite that’s a healthy combination of flavors is the Brio Mixed Grille. It’s a very full plate (definitely large enough to share or take home part for a second meal) of lemon rosemary chicken, beef tenderloin and seasoned shrimp skewers, served with roasted vegetable wild rice orzo and citrus tomato pesto. Again, I usually get the tomato pesto on the side. But, since the proteins are all well-seasoned and grilled, they taste great on their own too.

Desserts? I don’t go there. But if you’re the type who needs a little something sweet at the end of your meal, at least Brio offers a variety of petite shot glass desserts.

Brio is one of the best places I know to keep your promise to eat healthfully, but still have the fun of an incredible meal out. So, if you want to treat yourself to a dinner out without feeling guilty about overindulging, give Brio a try!

Keep checking back for more posts about dining out at great restaurants while still sticking to your healthy eating habits!