As expected, this first full week back to work after the holidays has been a doozy. In many ways, it’s great to be busy at work again, but this week has definitely been stressful! I got an email at 11:15am on Monday from our marketing department, asking if I’d be available for an interview around noon.
I don’t think I’d fully processed the words in the email, because it wasn’t an audio-only interview…it was for a local news channel. I still would have said yes, but I really had no idea what I was walking into. I figured, they’re coming to my office at a time that works for me, let’s do the damn thing. I guess.
And so we did. I didn’t love the interview portion they pulled – the content was pretty blah…in my opinion. Clearly they found it news-worthy, but I was more a fan of the statement, “dieting is the biggest predictor of future weight gain.” It’s January, what a timely statement.
With that, some facts. Eighty percent of people who lose more than 10% of their body weight end up regaining all of the weight (and often more) within a year. Moreover, the weight loss experienced is that of both fat mass and fat-free mass, making the gaining of weight (in the form of fat, most often) a slippery slope for overall body composition and damage to the resting metabolic rate.
Basically, dieting most often doesn’t work and crash dieting is even worse. Bottom line: eat more vegetables, fruits, and whole foods. I know, not a sexy statement, but the truth. Oh, and eat more meals that have been prepared at home!
Recipes like this one are a great example – I upped the veggies big time from the original version, doubling the peppers, onions, carrots, and adding in cabbage. Challenge yourself in 2020 to increase the variety, color, and balance of your meals by getting busy in the kitchen. I mean, look at all those colors!
- ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp hoisin sauce
- 1 Tbsp sriracha
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in to ½ Inch strips
- 8 oz Lo Mein egg noodles
- 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 Tbsp minced ginger root
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- ½ red onion, sliced
- 3 carrots, julienned or matchstick cut
- 1 red bell pepper, cut into slices
- 1 green bell pepper, cut into slices
- 4 green onions, cut into 2-inch long pieces
- 3 cups shredded cabbage
- In a small bowl, whisk together all sauce ingredients; set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, cornstarch, and olive oil until well-combined. Add the sliced chicken; gently toss and set aside.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and cook lo mein according to package directions. Drain and set side.
- In a large, deep skillet heat toasted sesame oil and olive oil over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the ginger, garlic, and marinaded chicken. Cook for 5-6 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink.
- Add the sliced onion, carrots, and bell pepper; cook 4-5 minutes or until tender. Add the green onions and cabbage; stir fry for 1-2 minutes.
- Add the cooked lo mein to the skillet; pour sauce over the stop and stir fry for 2-3 minutes to heat through.
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