Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Alkaline Diet - How it Works


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The alkaline diet is really just the opposite of a high fat, high protein, low carb diet that has become the norm in recent years. If you haven't heard of an alkaline diet you aren't alone, yet it could benefit you.

If you feel poorly if you eat a diet low in carbs and high in protein you should consider the alkaline diet. You should also consider if you have symptoms of excess acidity. These symptoms include chronic fatigue, low energy, nasal congestion, frequent infections or colds, nervous, anxious, stressed, dry hair and/or skin, weak nails, muscle pain, leg cramps, hives, and gastritis.

Before you begin, you can measure your salivary pH and see what it is. If its very low such as a 4, then this is an acidic result. If it's high such as an 8, then this is alkaline. Once you know what your pH is and you know which foods are alkaline and which are acidic you can begin to balance things and return and maintain your body at an alkaline pH.

There are several charts available online for free that can provide the details. Let's look at few alkaline fruits - bananas, apples, coconut, nectarines, pineapple, and tomatoes are just a few. Alfalfa, celery, cabbage, carrots, garlic, lettuce, and mushrooms are a few of the alkaline vegetables. There are also alkaline dairy products, cereals, and nuts.

How does it work? Most foods are either alkaline or acidic depending on the residue they leave in the body and how they are metabolized. It's a good idea to strive for a balance in the body with just a slight alkalinity. You should not assume your diet is too acidic or to alkaline based on what you eat. There are many things that can affect that pH of the body. For example, an orange is acidic when you eat it but turns alkaline in the body.

An alkaline diet that keeps the body slightly alkaline can benefit you by improving your overall health. There is speculation that it may prevent cancer cells from developing, and an alkaline diet has shown to make some chemo drugs more potent and more effective. It can help you regain your health and stay disease free. It can restore energy and vitality and eliminate nasal congestion, headache, joint and muscle pain.

Although there may not be a great deal of direct research on the alkaline diet, there is plenty of research that shows that people who are sick most times have acidic blood, which leads to an imbalance. Seldom is blood too alkaline so you do not need to worry about eating too many alkaline foods.

Here are a few sample recipes.

Green Raw Soup

2 Avocados
1 Cucumber, peel and seed
1 Jalapeno pepper, seeded
1 Yellow or red onion, diced
Juice of 1/2 Lemon
1-2 cups Water or Veggie stock
2 cloves roasted Garlic
1 Tbsp. Coriander
1 Tbsp. Parsley

Instructions:
Puree all ingredients (except onions) in a food processor or blender. Add more or less water to desired
consistency. Top with diced onions for garnish.

Autumn Tomato & Avocado Soup

Ingredients:
5 large ripe tomatoes.
2 ripe avocados
1/2 spring onion
1/4 cup ground almonds
1 cup broth from a natural vegetable stock with no preservatives or artificial additives
1/4 teaspoon dill seed
Dash cayenne pepper
Sea salt & cracked black pepper to taste

Instructions:
All you need to do is place all of the ingredients into a blender and blend! Place the soup into a pan and warm.

The alkaline diet may not be for everyone but is certainly the right choice for some. If you think that the Alkaline diet could help you, talk to your doctor before you start it.

The Cabbage Soup Diet - Improve Your Boring Soup


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The Cabbage Soup Diet is a "miracle" diet supposed to make you lose up to 10 pounds in a 7 days period.

But eating the cabbage soup each and every day, several times a day may end up tiring.

Indeed, the basic recipe (white cabbage, green peppers, carrots, onions, celery and tomatoes) has a sweet taste that is not always appreciated. Moreover, tomatoes and green peppers may provide some acidity that will harm our digestion.

That is why we are allowed to replace peppers and/or tomatoes by zucchini, for instance. The cabbage soup, normally red, will thus become green but that does not change the fact that eating such a soup, over and over again, is boring.

However, there is a way to improve the cabbage soup without having an adverse effect on the quality of the diet.

For a few years, I have been following the cabbage soup diet each summer in order to lose a few pounds.

But I have been quickly disgusted and I started to look in bookstores for some alternative recipes and discovered three recipes created by great Chefs that can completely change the taste of this boring soup.

Unfortunately, I do not like to eat vegetables and some ingredient included in these recipes did not suit me so, I adapted the recipes to my own taste and prepared each recipe for two days - keeping the excess in the freezer for the last day of the diet.

Here are the recipes that I adapted to my taste:

Southern France Cabbage Soup:

1/2 white cabbage,
2 sliced green peppers
4 carrots,
3 large white onions, chopped
4 celery stalk
2 zucchini, chopped
4 fresh tomatoes, chopped
100 mashed mixed green and black olives
3 mashed anchovy
50 g mashed capers
1 small chili
thyme, basil, garlic, salt and pepper to taste

Chinese Cabbage Soup Recipe:

1 chinese cabbage, chopped
2 sliced yellow peppers
3 sliced carrots,
2 large white onions, chopped
1 stalk celery
1 can peeled tomatoes, chopped
1 can bamboo shoots
1/2 pound sliced lotus root
1 small chili, lemon grass
4 teaspoons soy sauce
1 chopped red pepper if you like
1 or 2 teaspoon vegetable soup mix
Salt, pepper, garlic, herbs to taste

The Cabbage Soup Made In Spain:

1/2 white cabbage,
2 sliced red peppers
3 sliced carrots,
3 large white onions, chopped
3 stalks celery
1 or 2 canned peeled tomatoes, chopped,
1 chili pepper, chopped
1 or 2 turnips, chopped
1/2 pound green beans
Garlic, coriander and cumin
Saffron
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 or 2 teaspoon vegetable soup mix
Salt and pepper to taste

These three recipes will help you to change the taste of the cabbage soup diet. Preferably eat a different taste every two days.

Bon appetit.

Monday, March 29, 2010

Amish Soup Recipes


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Good things come to those who wait! These two Amish soup recipes do take a little time to make, but are well worth it. Each use basic ingredients which aren't hard to find, and whole chicken.

Amish cooking can be a wonderful experience, as long as you take the time to make the recipes right. Be sure to also see our website for other recipes, including more Amish recipes, soup recipes, chicken recipe ideas, and much more.

Recipe #1 - AMISH CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP

3 lb. chicken

2 qts. water

2 tsp. salt

1 1/2 c. chicken stock

2 c. celery, chopped

2 c. carrots, chopped

1 tart apple, chopped

1 c. onions, chopped

Dash pepper

4 c. egg noodles

Place chicken in kettle with 2 quarts water. Cover until tender (about 2 1/2 hours). Remove chicken from kettle and strain broth. Debone chicken and return to kettle with strained broth. Add chicken stock, celery, carrots, apple, onions, and pepper and cook until vegetables are tender. Add noodles and cook 8-10 minutes.

Recipe #2 - AMISH CHICKEN - CORN SOUP

2 lbs. cut up chicken

5 c. water

1 med. onion, chopped

2 tbsp. chopped parsley

1/2 c. chopped celery

2 c. corn

Salt and pepper

1 c. flour

1 egg, beaten

1/4 c. milk

Simmer chicken in boiling water, remove bones and skin. Strain the stock. Return to pot, add onions, celery and corn. Simmer till vegetables are tender. Mix flour with egg and milk. Rub mixture with fork till it crumbles. Drop crumbs in soup. Cook 10 more minutes covered. Serves 3 to 4.

Need some more recipes? Be sure to see our website below for more great recipe ideas.

Enjoy!

Grandma Hystad's Special International Recipes-Wines


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To save space on your computer, make a few files and name them Russian
soup, etc. You can then copy and paste only articles you would like
to save.

CONTENTS

RUSSIAN BORCH SOUP

UKRAINIAN CABBAGE ROLLS

ITALIAN SPAGHETTI

CHINESE BEEF AND POTATO PATTIES

POLISH PYROGY

DUTCH APPLE PIE
WINE

RUSSIAN
VEGETABLE SOUP Borch

2 pounds beef, with soup bone.

2 carrots.

1 medium head of cabbage.

2 average-sized onions.

6 average-sized potatoes.

2 cups canned tomatoes.

6 whole pepper kernels.

1 bay leaf.

A few sprigs of dill.

½ cup chopped beets.

Cover meat with cool water and bring to a boil.
Let simmer until almost tender. Add water if necessary
to keep meat covered. One hour before serving, add chopped
vegetables and seasoning. Potatoes may be cooked separately
before serving. When ready to serve, remove from heat and
add sour cream.

UKRAINIAN

Golubtzi, (cabbage rolls)

1 large head of cabbage

½ pound hamburger

1 cup rice, cooked

1 onion

2 tablespoons fat

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

1 10½-ounce can tomato soup

½ cup sour cream

Remove leafs from cabbage head. Cook in salt water for 5
Minutes, or until leaves are flexible. Drain and cool.
Add ground meat, cooked rice, and seasoning. Put a tablespoon
of the mixture on each leaf. Roll and place each in a baking pan,
pour undiluted tomato soup over them. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes
or until tender.

Serves 6. Option: Add sour cream 5 minutes before serving.

ITALIAN SPAGHETTI

1 pound hamburger

1 average onion

2 green peppers

1 ½ teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon fat

½ pound spaghetti

Mix the meat, chopped onion and green pepper. Add salt. Shape meat
into small balls and fry until brown. Make a sauce with the following:

½ cup chopped onion ¼ cup grated cheese

2 green peppers ½ cup catsup

1 quart strained tomatoes 1 tablespoon paprika

¼ cup sugar ½ teaspoon mustard

1 teaspoon salt ¼ cup chopped celery

Mix together all the ingredients for the sauce and let simmer 1 ½ hours.
Add meatballs and simmer 1 hour longer. Cook spaghetti in salt water
until tender. Drain.

CHINESE

Beef and Potato patties

A dish enjoyed by the whole family, but children love it.

8 oz. beef

8 oz. potatoes

1 egg yolk

a small onion chopped finely

1 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon soy sauce

Cook potatoes until done, mash. Mix in egg yolk
and salt. Add chopped onion with 1 tablespoon oil,
then add round beef. Brown for 4 minutes. Add soy
sauce and mix with potatoes. Shape into golf size balls,
flatten into cookie size. Heat the cooking pan, grease with
oil. Medium heat to brown the cookies, turn to brown both
sides. If you use an electric skillet, set it at 340. When
control light blinks, turn to other side.

POLISH PYROGY

Everyone enjoys this dish. It's one I could eat every day.

Dough

5 cups flour

2 cups warm water

1 tablespoon salt

4 tablespoons oil

3 eggs

1 tablespoon vinegar

Mix flour and salt together.

Mix eggs, oil and water to make 2 cups.

Make well in flour add water mixture.

Mix well then knead. (the more you knead the better)

Roll dough flat, thin and cut into 2-3 inch squares

Put filling (below) in each, seal edge, and use flour to pinch
seal shut.

FILLING

Mashed potatoes.

Course cottage cheese.

Salt and pepper.

Mix together until course.

Drop into boiling water and boil for 5 minutes. Do not place to
many in boiling water at one time as they all should have enough
room to float to top.

After cooking place in different pot and add butter, or
place in frying pan, add butter, and (onions) if you
prefer. Fry for a few minutes until they start turning
a light brown. Can then be served with or without sour cream.

Dutch Apple Pie

3 cups sliced apples

1 cup brown sugar

4 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

3 tablespoons cream

Pastry for 9-inch crust

Combine flour, sugar and cinnamon. Cut in butter with a pastry
blender. Place sliced apples in an unbaked pie shell. Sprinkle
crumb mixture over tope. Add cream. Bake at 375 for 45 minutes
or until apples are soft, and a rich syrup has formed.

DINNER WINE

SPARKLING WINES

The most popular are Champagne and sparkling Burgundy.

Champagne, can be served before dinner, with or without appetizers;
With most dinner entrée; and with dessert. In straw color, pink or red.
Always served chilled.

Sparkling Burgundy is red and a bit dry. Served chilled with red meats and game.

RESPONSIBLE DRINKING
If you have teenagers, or in fact any adult, impress on them
the risks of driving while intoxicated. Statistics demonstrate
many fatal road accidents are caused by drunk drivers.

If you're having a party, provide food with drinks.
Offer non-alcoholic substitutes such as fruit, soft drinks.

2 drinks taken within an hour by a person 100 pounds produces a
075 reading. One drink is equal to about 1.5 oz. of whisky or 2
bottles of beer. The rate of elimination for each hour after
drinking has stopped is 015. A 200 pound person, after 1 drink
produces a reading of .019, so you can see there is a big difference
due to weight.

As a host it is your duty to make sure no one leaves your party
impaired. Have some one drive them home

Disclaimer: The Author of this article is not responsible for accuracy or completeness nor shall he be held liable for any damage or loss arising out of or in any way related to the information or utilization of it.

Recipes to Warm Your Heart & Your Soul


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This time of year most of us are thinking of ways to keep warm. What could be better than recipes which come straight out of our grandmother's kitchen? Whether you are a star chef, culinary arts student, home cook or foodie your passion for delicious food most likely stems from childhood memories of grandmother's cooking. Who can forget the smells and tastes of the foods which came out of her kitchen? If you are lucky enough to have those childhood memories, you are very lucky!

Nowadays it is referred to as "comfort food" and it is just that. It is food that will comfort us and nurture us. Let's face it, at the end of our busy days all of us could use a little of both. For many it is easy to rush home from a busy day and throw something in the microwave for a quick meal to serve the family. But there is something about cooking up a pot of homemade soup and baking fresh biscuits which just can't be beat. It may take a little longer to get dinner on the table, but in the end it is worth it and your family will thank you for it. Perhaps the soup could be made on a Sunday afternoon and will be ready to eat come Monday. When the aromas of home cooking fill the air our bodies begin to relax and are soothed by it. So in a sense home cooking nourishes us in two ways: it nourishes our soul by soothing us and nourishes our bodies when it is eaten.

I don't know about you, but I love to reminisce about being in my grandmother's kitchen. Her country cooking style learned many years before as a child came second nature to her. She could whip up a pot of Vegetable Soup with Dumplings with no effort and bake a tray of Buttermilk Biscuits with her eyes closed! It was a treat to watch and of course, always a treat to eat in grandmother's kitchen! Wouldn't you love to create those kinds of memories for your own family? With that thought in mind, I want to share with you my grandmother's Vegetable Soup with Dumplings and Buttermilk Biscuits recipes. They are sure to warm your heart and your soul! Enjoy!

Vegetable Soup with Dumplings

Use a nice piece of shin meat with a marrow bone in it. Put the meat into a 4 qt. pot. Fill with water and cook until boiling. Turn down to simmer. Add all of the diced vegetables. I use everything, 2 carrots, a piece of turnip, 2 stalks celery, 1 large fresh tomato or ½ cup stewed tomatoes, 1 onion, 1 clove garlic, 1 bay leaf, 3 cloves, a few slices of cabbage leaves, some green pepper, a package of mixed frozen vegetables, 1 tablespoon salt and a dash of pepper. I also like to add 2 tablespoons barley or rice, whichever you prefer. Let it all simmer together for at least 2-3 hours. When it's done, add the dumplings.

For the dumplings: In a bowl mix 1 cup flour, a pinch of salt, 1 egg and enough water to make a stiff dough. Take a teaspoon and cut off ½ teaspoon size of dough and drop into the soup. Cook about 5 minutes until they rise and are done. Cut the meat into bite sized pieces and put back into the soup. Sprinkle a little chopped parsley on top before serving. This soup is a meal in itself.

Buttermilk Biscuits

Sift 2 cups flour, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon sugar, 2 teaspoons baking powder and ½ teaspoon baking soda. Cut ½ stick (¼ cup) of butter into it with a knife or use your hands. Then add ¾ cup buttermilk. Blend into a ball. Roll out 1/2" thick. Cut into rounds using a cookie cutter or a glass. Bake at 400 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes.

Ham and Bean Soup - Smoky Perfection


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Ham and Bean Soup recipes can be found anywhere but rarely are they tasteful, generally bland and mostly containing the same ingredients. Not many carry that unique twist and flavor that we yearn for. This " Smoked " Ham and Bean Soup Recipe has that unique twist with a new taste to leave a flavor in your mouth that will leave you yearning for more.

So take a deep breath of fresh air because from here on in it's going to be a smoking day with a delicious reward.

You Will Need :

1 Lb. Bag Dry Great Northern Beans
1 Hickory Smoked Ham Hock
2 tsp. Wright's Liquid Smoke Flavoring " Hickory Style " ( found in the condiment aisle ). I choose Wrights smoke flavoring because the only added ingredient is water and it doesn't have that chemical taste.
1 tsp. Mustard Powder
2 Carrots, peeled and cubed
1 Large Red Onion, peeled and chopped
2 Garlic cloves, peeled and crushed / chopped
3 Fresh Tomatoes, Cored and diced
1 Celery Stalk, chopped
5 C. Chicken Stock
3 C. Water
1/4 C. Fresh Parsley, Chopped
1 Bay Leaf
1 tsp. White Pepper

OPTIONAL : 1 C. Cubed Ham

1. First you need to soak your beans for 12 hours, I prefer soaking them overnight.

This helps
to drastically reduce the cooking time of the beans


to preserve the nutrients


to reduce the amount of indigestible complex sugars that create "gas".

2. After soaking the Great Northern Beans, strain the beans and rinse them.

3. Add the Great Northern Beans, 5 cups chicken stock, 3 cups water, 1 hickory smoked ham hock, carrots, parsley, tomatoes and 1 bay leaf to a large pot.

If you decide to use the chopped ham, which is optional, then you should add it now.

4. Heat to boiling, then reduce the heat and simmer for approximately 30 minutes.

5. After the pot simmers for about 20 minutes, heat a large frying pan on medium heat. Add the minced garlic, red onion, celery and 2 teaspoons of Wright's "Hickory Style" Liquid Smoke Flavoring. Saute for 5 minutes.

6. Now add the contents of the frying pan to the large pot along with 1 teaspoon dry mustard powder and 1 teaspoon white pepper stir well and simmer for another 45 minutes. Stir Occasionally.

Note : You can pick the ham off of the ham hock and return it to the Ham and Bean Soup if your not using chopped ham. I prefer this method.

Now for a few last touches to finish off your ham and bean soup.

Stir it well and do a taste test. Does it need something? salt? more pepper? Add it now if you feel that it does.

The Best Soup Garnishes For Stunning Soup


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The most important factor when it comes to homemade soup is, of course, the flavor. The best homemade soup makes you want to close your eyes and savor every sip while you distinguish the different ingredients and let the combined flavors melt in your mouth.

As important as a good flavor is, it is also true that attractive dishes make us want to eat them and you can tempt someone's appetite by presenting an appealing recipe to them.

Livening Up Chicken Soup

An example of this can be a chicken soup recipe. Imagine a cream of chicken soup. It is beige in color and rather plain. Chicken soup tends to smell inviting and the flavor is appealing. However, now imagine the same bowl of soup with a swirl of cream on top and some chopped green onions.

Does that not look ten times as inviting? Garnishing your best soup recipes is something that only takes a couple of minutes but can transform a plain-looking soup into something elegant and restaurant class.

Recipe for Elegant Chestnut Soup

If you are having a dinner party or catering for a similar occasion where it is important to impress your guests, the following chestnut soup recipe can do just that. The swirl of cream on top is flavored with honey, pumpkin pie spice, black pepper and more and the garnish really does add to the flavor of the soup. This is an easy recipe to make but one that is guaranteed to impress, no matter what the occasion.

You will need:


White part of 3 leeks, chopped
7 cups chicken broth
3 chopped ribs celery
1/2 stick butter
8 sprigs fresh thyme
2 cored, peeled, chopped green apples
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
4 cups roasted chestnuts, peeled and chopped
2 teaspoons salt
Fresh thyme, for garnish
Sliced apple, for garnish

For the Spiced Cream Garnish:


1 teaspoon honey
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup creme fraiche
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
3/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

How to make it:

Melt the butter in a soup pot, and then add the celery, fresh thyme and leeks. Cook for 5 minutes or until the leeks are soft. Add the apples and chestnuts, turn the heat down and cover the soup pot. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring a couple of times. Add the cream and broth, then some salt and black pepper to taste.

Bring the soup to a boil, and then simmer it for half an hour. Pick out and discard the fresh thyme and puree the soup in batches in a blender. Add more salt or black pepper if you need to. Whisk the spiced cream ingredients.

Divide the soup between bowls and garnish each one with some spiced cream. Use a toothpick to pull it through the chestnut soup in a swirl pattern. Add some ground black pepper, apple slices and thyme sprigs to garnish.

Vegetable and Fruit Diet


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Every person should take 5 servings of fruit and vegetables everyday, as it is nutritious diet. Many dieticians promotes vegetables and fruits diet as to look good and feel good, you need to eat at least 2 ½ cups of veggies and 1 ½ cups of fruits every day. It's no matter if you can't eat fruits at a time, you can eat small bits of fruits and veggies throughout the day.

If you take fruits and vegetables in diet it will provide the necessary roughage and that is essential when constipation, which is a common complaint during pregnancy but what can you do if you don't really like fruit or vegetables? This is not a matter of worry as you can choose the following options to make your diet in desired manner.

Diet Plan

You can take fruit or vegetable salad as your fruit diet. A range of healthy vegetable dips and dippers can prove a good option for lunch. You should try to take those fruits or vegetables, which you like; in addition of it you can take a side salad with greens you like to eat meals. You can add banana in your breakfast, grated carrots in your lunch and two vegetables with your main meal.

A pregnant woman should take sour fruits such as mangoes, grapes, lemons, tomatoes, oranges, berries, and guavas in early pregnancy and sweet fruits such as cheeku and banana etc in the later months. You should try to have fruits with peels, as peels too have additional nutrients and fiber.

Benefits Of Taking Fruit and vegetable Diet

Eating fruit is beneficial as seasonal fruits help to get rid of many health problems. If you take snacks made of fruit it will prove helpful for you to stay longer. Fresh juices made up of sweet lime, oranges, pineapple, musk melon, and water melons are abundant in summer as it is helpful in keeping you hydrated. If you take a vegetable soup for lunch, it will mean that you eat several different vegetables without even realizing it. All of these will add vitamins, minerals and fiber to your diet.

Saturday, March 27, 2010

Home Made Pimento Cheese Meets Vegetable Tray


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If you are looking for a quick snack or an alternative to the same old luncheon meat choices for a great sandwich, why not try Pimento Cheese? It's cool and refreshing. This is such a versatile little mixture that can be used in many ways. This is not even a kissing cousin to the spreads offered by your grocer. No true Southern household would be without it. Try it yourself.

PIMENTO CHEESE

16 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated

1 large jar minced pimentos, drained

2 cups mayonnaise

2 teaspoons Lawry's Garlic Salt

2 teaspoons Jane's Crazy Mixed Up Salt

3 dashes Tabasco sauce

Blend all ingredients either by hand in a large bowl or in a food processor. If you like a "chunky" spread, mix by hand. If you prefer a "smooth" spread, use the food processor. Adjust the salts and Tabasco to taste. When this is mixed initially, it needs to be "soupy" as if you have too much mayonnaise. The cheese will "soak up" the mayonnaise after it sets up.

This should be made one day in advance of serving. Use for sandwiches or as a spread for crackers. You can also use it as a dip for a vegetable tray.

A vegetable tray can really add to your table at a party. The colors are beautiful and the tray can be used as a centerpiece. Use a large round platter, put a bowl in the center for the dip, which could be onion, ranch, blue cheese, pimento cheese, or whatever your favorite happens to be, and group the items in a line from the center to the edge. Use cherry tomatoes, celery, bell pepper, broccoli, cauliflower, cucumber strips, carrots, olives, cubed cheese and anything else that you like.

Make sure you have enough room in your refrigerator for the tray to keep it cool. If you don't, put each group of items in a re sealable plastic bag to save space in the refrigerator and arrange the tray when guests start to arrive. Enjoy.

100% Proven Diet Plan Lose 5 Pounds in a Week


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There are hundreds of diet plans out there telling you the same, but they are not as easy to follow as they seem. But this diet plan will not make you starve, if you follow it exactly meaning no cheating, no adding your own food, it is guaranteed you will lose weight. Now how much weight you will lose is up to your body type. You can lose from a minimum of 2 pounds to a maximum of 7 to 10 pounds in a week.. Yes it works so here is your diet plan.

when you wake up you have two glasses of water or a cup of green tea whichever one you prefer but make sure you add lemon to the water and to the green tea.
After ten to fifteen minutes you will prepare your breakfast. Now you can not skip breakfast. You will have a glass of low fat milk and bran flakes for cereal. If you truly hate this breakfast then the alternative could be an 1 large apple. But a fiber based breakfast is preferred.
For mid morning snack before lunchtime you can have a glass of low fat milk again.
Before you start your lunch you will have a glass of skim milk again, and start your lunch. You can not have any water during your lunch meal. remember your lunch has to be completed within 40 minutes and you can not leave out any food from the plan.
On days 1, 4 and 7: (this is a seven day menu) for lunch you will have: one bowl of salad, no dressing you can add one teaspoon of vinegar and lemon juice. One slice of cottage cheese, one slice of brown bread, 1 apple or guava, followed by green tea.
For mid evening snack you can have a glass of milk again or if you want you can have your favorite green tea
For dinner you will have : 4 oz steak (chicken or fish)
Baked potato
One glass of milk
1 grapefruit
1 cup green tea.

For days 2 and 5 you will have breakfast remains the same for lunch you will have: corn on the cob, one glass of milk, 2 apples, and green tea.
Mid evening: a protein bar
Dinner: a glass of milk
Vegetable soup without corn flour as much as you want make sure you do not add any salt to the soup.
And green tea.

On days 3 and 6: for breakfast you will have an egg, but you are suppose to make the egg in the microwave without adding any salt, you can add pepper and little bit of olive oil if you want.
Lunch: 1 grapefruit
1 glass of milk
1 cup of low fat yogurt
Grilled chicken sandwich in brown bread (you can also have 6 inch subway without the mayo)

Thursday, March 25, 2010

What Are The Healthiest Foods?


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So many people want to eat more healthily - but don't know which are the best foods to choose. Check out this handy list of the healthiest foods.



Fresh food - not processed. Always go for the foods that have had the least amount of processing, and are closest to their natural state. Every stage of processing robs food of nutrients, and often puts in unwholesome additives that are better avoided. Instead of bagged salad, buy a lettuce and shred it yourself. Instead of ready-made pizza, make or buy a wholewheat base and add your own fresh toppings. Instead of a sweetened juice drink, buy and squeeze a couple of oranges...and so on.



Plenty of fruit and vegetables. You've heard it before, of course, but are you really eating as much fresh fruit and veg as you could? Add some to every single meal, whether it's a chopped apple with your cornflakes, and banana mid-morning, salad in your lunchtime sandwich or a cup of vegetable soup, a juicy pear for an afternoon snack and two generous helpings of veggies with your evening meal. Make it a habit.



Choose less red meat, more poultry, fish and pulses. When you plan your main meal, be sure you include several meals each week that focus away from red meat. Get a vegetarian cook book too, and cook veggie once or twice a week.



Pick wholegrains over refined. Bread, pasta, rice - buy the wholegrain varieties, not the white ones, which have had most of their goodness extracted.



Buy organic at least some of the time. Use a little organic meat or poultry, and bulk out the dish with beans, chickpeas or potato. Organic food can be expensive, but try to add some regularly to your weekly shop.



Cut alcohol down, or out. Drink more water too, and fewer caffeine-heavy coffees and teas.



Reduce the sugar in your diet. Eat less chocolate and sweets. Try nibbling on dried fruits or nuts instead.

If eating healthily means making a lot of changes to your diet, do it gradually, and get used to each change before you make the next one. But do do it! It's vital, for your health and your family's wellbeing.

How to Attract Hot & Sexy Single Women Using Don's Diet


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Have you put on a few extra pounds and would like to trim down to look more attractive to the opposite sex?

Well, I've got an easy diet to follow that will melt away the pounds. It works great for me and it will work for you too! I call it, "Don's Diet."

Unfortunately some single women are not attracted to men who are overweight and have a pot-belly. Of course, it works both ways in that a lot of men are not attracted to overweight single women.

With persistence, determination, dedication and willpower, you can easily have a lean and trim body that will attract hot & sexy single women like a magnet. And you can accomplish this without knocking yourself out at the gym.

All you need to do is follow my diet, take some supplements I recommend, and walk or jog for 20-30 minutes three times a week.

Well, let's get started. First, we will start with the diet. Here's a list of the foods you are allowed to eat daily:


Campbell's Beef with Vegetables and Barley soup or Campbell's 98% Fat Free Cream of Chicken Soup.
Quaker Oaks Instant Oatmeal (Maple Brown Sugar or Plain) or Quaker Oaks Instant Grits with Butter. Both of these come in boxes with individual packets.
All the Fruit and vegetables you want to eat.
Combine lean chicken or turkey with your choice of vegetable for a meal.
For sandwiches, use extra lean ham or turkey and use mustard. Also, if you want a hamburger, buy the all vegetable patties. My favorite are called Boca Burgers. Also, be sure and use low calorie bread.
Eat healthy sandwiches using canned tuna or salmon packed in spring water. Use a low fat or fat free salad dressing for your sandwich spread.
Eat salads daily with lettuce and tomatoes and use low fat or fat free dressing.
Snack on carrots, raisins, celery, pickles, rice cakes, animal crackers, and graham crackers.
Last, but most important, drink 8 glasses of water a day - If you get bored with plain water, just make sugar-free instant lemonade, cool-aid, or ice tea.

To curb your appetite, take the Amino-Acid supplement called Phen-Cal available at your local health food store. It is completely safe to take with no side effects. It works on the chemicals in your brain to curb your cravings for food.

P.S. Consult with your doctor before taking and dietary supplements.

And the last part of the losing weight program is exercise. You will be able to lose the weight without the exercise, but you will lose a lot more weight if you do exercise. Just simply walk, jog, or use a treadmill 20-30 minutes a day, three times a week.

Well, that's it...Just follow Don's Diet and you will easily lose 2-3 pounds a week. Try it...you've got nothing to lose but weight and making yourself more attractive to all those hot & sexy single women you've been dreaming about.

How to Thicken Soups with out the Fat


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Smooth and creamy soups are so pleasing to the pallet with there smooth texture and buttery taste. However these types of soups are often times high in fat and cholesterol. There are easy ways to still be able to enjoy hearty thick soups with less fat and less cholesterol.

Here are four alternatives to heavy cream, butter or coconut milk when thickening soup.

Alternative One

Substitute plain yogurt for the cream, butter or coconut milk. Simply make the soup as normal holding back the fat. At the end of cooking add enough plain yogurt to make the soup creamy and smooth. Plain yogurt has a tangy taste and may alter the flavor of the soup. To combat this add a spoonful of honey or sugar with the plain yogurt. But keep in mind yogurt will curdle if boiled. Never boil soup with yogurt.

Alternative Two

Whisk in sour cream. Sour cream is not exactly low in fat or low in cholesterol but it does have the smooth creamy taste and texture many soups require. The trick to using sour cream is to only use 2-3 tablespoons and to whisk it in just before serving. By whisking in the sour cream at the end of cooking the smooth creamy taste will still be full bodied when the soup is served. But just like yogurt sour cream will separate if boiled, never boil soup with sour cream.

Alternative Three

Use less fat. Often a recipe will call for ½ cup to 1 cup of heavy cream. This amount is often times not necessary to achieve the same smooth creamy flavor and texture. Simply lower the amount of heavy cream to 2 tablespoons and the soup will still maintain the desired finish.

Alternative Four

Use vegetable puree. A simple puree of potatoes or other root vegetables will accomplish the desired thickening of the soup. Simply omit the cream, butter or coconut milk and substitute a cup of thick vegetable puree.

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Benefits of Nutrition Journal and RMR


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Nutrition Journal- Your goals will be easier to attain and surpass IF you add this important tool to your program

You will be amazed at how disproportioned our intake of protein,carbohyrdrates and other nutrients are in comparison to what truly promotes body transformation.

The RMR (Resting Metabolic Rate) assessment estimates the number of calories required for daily living and how many calories should be eaten each day. This information would be used to create a nutrition plan. In combination with a strength and conditioning program you will be able to maximize your body fat reduction or lean muscle gain efforts.

Important notes- RMR will decrease with the loss of lean muscle and increase with an increase of lean muscle mass. Decreasing caloric intake alone (fad, poor diets etc) will not increase your RMR . Avoid the cycle of regaining body fat by implementing a complete training program.

Recovery and Regeneration- Post workout strategies to optimize the body's natural ability to process excess post oxygen consumption and the specific adaptation on imposed demands- In other words, strategies that are conducive to body fat loss and increase lean muscle mass.
After reviewing your daily nutrition journal and calculating your resting metabolic rate you can review the following:

Specific and safe daily caloric recommendation- including how many grams of each nutrient is needed to meet your goals.

When the best time to eat protein, carbohydrates and other nutrients - including how to select nutrient dense foods.

Healthy snacks and information on the benefits of increasing dark leafy vegatables-especially those high in iron. Plus a list of negative calorie foods.

How to limit white flour and processed sugar intake and explain the negative effects it has on our body.

Omega 3s- Fish-fish oil pills-- how to meet your good fat daily intake and protein with foods like salmon,tuna and other seafood....note canned salmon has high calcium because of how its processed (includes the bones) this is the only canned fish with the calcium benefits,

Reminder to Read the labels!!! Drink at least one 16oz glass of water with each meal and keep the nutrition journal handy for easy reference.

Also, how to reserve calories for a treat!!!! (low sugar,low/no fat) This is good for the soul.
Sample of list of foods that promotes cardiovascular, nervous and digestive system efficiency (liver, intestines, kidneys,heart etc)

Yogurt, Banana, Pear , Peach Grapes, Orange , Berries
Watermelon, Raisins, Carrots, Celery, Broccoli,
Granola , Salmon, Tuna, Soy , Beans, Mushroom,
Garlic, Artichokes, Beets, Honey, Tomato
Green or red peppers, 100% Whole wheat, Oatmeal
Pure bran muffins, Spinach, Sweet potato , Broth-based vegetable soup
Skim and low-fat milk, Soy Milk, Rice Milk

Without a structured balanced nutrition program we can barely be meeting the body's transformation requirement to see any results. Nutrition in combination with a strength and conditioning program is the most effective way to turn your body into a fat burning machine. It is the most productive form of exercise for functional daily life activities and overall health.

There should be no secrets when training with a personal trainer, make sure they give you 110% in all aspects of your training program.

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Healthy Way to Lose Weight in 7 Days or Less!


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So we have all heard about the "7-day Diet"? Have you always wondered what it is or what it includes? Is it good? Is it for me? Well, we know and we are ready to share it with you.

We will first give you a very basic idea about what it is. To start, in the 7-Day Diet the person dieting is permitted to indulge (imagine!) but, in any one kind of food and that too on certain days. This diet plan boasts about being able to detoxify the body and at the same time lead to a nice, and of course controlled, loss of weight.

Say, one day you eat certain fruits, and the next day you eat vegetables, this is the basic plan. By following this, you can lose a lot of weight for sure.

The problem is that it is not a balanced diet. In fact it could lead to the person feeling weak perpetually. Yes, it will lead to loss of weight eventually, but because you are eating only fruits or vegetables most of the time and nothing else. This diet fits well in the group of diets we call fad diets and thus it is completely not recommended.

On the first day of this diet, say Monday, you begin with eating fruits or vegetables, whatever you desire, with the sole exception of the fruit, banana. Don't have bananas on the very first day. On the second day, you strictly eat only vegetables (you can eat as many as you want). On the third day, you go back to the fruits and the vegetables of the first day and Thursday you can have around five bananas and maximum five glasses of milk!

It is very easy to see that the diet deals with certain extremes, especially in terms of the food, the quantity and what is permitted and what is not.

Monday

Eat about as much fruits and juices as you like, excepting bananas.

Tuesday

Eat all the vegetables and vegetable soup that you like.

Wednesday

fruits - excepting bananas, juice, vegetables, and vegetable soups.

Thursday

eat around 5 bananas and also drink about 5 glasses of milk or 8 bananas and about 4 glass of milk.

Friday

Eat 4 steaks of meat, 3 ounces each -chicken/fish/beef, with green vegetables.

Saturday

Eat, again, 4 steaks of meat, 3 ounces each - chicken/fish/beef, with green vegetables.

Sunday

Eat, once again, 4 steaks of meat 3 ounces each - chicken/fish/beef with green vegetables.

Follow this like a bible and you'd get fast and healthy results.

You may discuss more on this at: Help on Dieting [http://www.helpondieting.com] and Weight Loss Dieting for Diabetics [http://www.helpondieting.com/help-on-weight-loss-diabetic-diet.html]

HCG Diet - What Can I Expect If I Try It?


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The HCG Diet is popular, but expect to hear lots of pros and cons from your family, friends and co-workers about the new Weight Loss Cure. First of all, they won't understand it. Second, they will tell you to just eat less and exercise. They will be worried about your new diet and you, so they show their caring by being critical of something they don't understand.

What people first hear about the Hcg diet are the words "hormones and injections." That may sound scary, until you understand you don't have to do injections. And the hormone is natural to the body. You take such a small amount, that men can do this diet, as well as women.

I find it best not to tell anyone just what kind of diet you are doing until the results become noticeable. By then, you will be so encouraged and excited about your weight loss and new stunning body, you won't care about any of the critics. By then you will have more energy and feel better, too. It's so fun to lose 1-2 pounds a day!

What is the alternative? You can try any diet and exercise program and lose a little weight. But will it stay off? You can have gastric bypass surgery or the new lapband. Or you can do Hcg and surprise your friends into thinking you had some kind of amazing liposuction! Just let them think you are doing it by diet and exercise!

What are the benefits? Well, Dr Simeons wrote a book called Pounds and Inches for other doctors and he says that HCG causes a change in metabolism. He says it makes your body mobilize fat out of the fat storage locations. Weight loss comes from adipose tissue, not muscle. And Hcg does not strip the body of vitamins and minerals. And if you follow the diet, you can keep that weight off!

How does it work? Generally you eat a meal of lean meat, chicken, fish, shrimp or lobster, one fruit and one vegetable, two times a day. (There are a few exceptions.) When I first started I had a big salad of all the vegetables allowed and it wasn't until 2-3 weeks later when I had lost over 20 pounds that I found out you weren't supposed to do that. Well, by then I knew it worked for me and I continued eating big salads every day. I lost about 1-2 pounds a day and I think all the fiber helped. And the salads helped my sanity.

What can you expect? You will lose fast mostly in the waist and stomach. You'll reduce any fat pads like a double chin and love handles. You'll lose that inner knee and thigh fat with no sagging skin. The diet actually helps you do body contouring without exercise.

If the HCG Diet sounds interesting to you, you can get a free copy of HCG Diet Tips and other helps at http://www.hcgdietnews.com. I want to help others have success with this diet like I have.

And there's a bonus to doing the Weight Loss Cure that Dr. Simeons mentions. Do you know Hcg helps things like arthritis, fibromyalgia and other aches and pains? I had some sore hips following a long time regime of taking prednisone for asthma. I had to sleep on pillows and tossed and turned. Then a few months ago I realized my hips don't hurt anymore. As much as I was overweight, I didn't seem to have enough padding on my hip bones. Well, it's not a problem any longer. Dr. Simeons mentions that many things that are better during pregnancy are also better while doing this diet.

Supplement Guide To Vitamins and Nutrition


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You can exercise for as much as you can but if you do not have a balanced diet, it would be all for nothing. In order for one to become a healthy individual, he must have the right intake of food on a daily basis. It is important that he knows what the important vitamins and minerals are. There's also an advantage if he knows what specific nutrients can be found in a particular food.

1. Calcium

Calcium is the most abundant nutrient in the body. It has important functions. A majority of it is stored in the teeth and the bones. That alone shows that calcium supports the structure of the human body. Some can be found in the muscle, blood and the fluid in between the cells.

Calcium is needed for the muscles and blood vessels to contract and expands. It also helps in secreting the enzymes and hormones by sending the messages all over the nervous system. There must be a constant level of calcium in the tissues and the body fluid in order for the person to function effectively.

Calcium can be found in yogurt, sardines, cheese, milk, tofu, orange juice, salmon, pudding, spinach and turnip.

2. Chromium

Chromium is a mineral that enhances the insulin action in the body. It is a hormone that is critical to the storage and metabolism of fat, carbohydrates and protein. It is an active ingredient in the glucose and is directly involved with the metabolism process of fat, carbohydrates and protein.

Chromium can be found in broccoli, grape juice, muffins, potatoes, garlic, basil, beef cubes, orange juice, turkey breast, wheat bread, red wine, apple, banana and green peas.

3. Folate

Folate is water-soluble Vitamin B and is the synthetic form found in added and supplemented fortified foods. It helps produce and maintain the new cells in the body. It is responsible for the cell division and growth like that of the infancy and pregnancy stages. Folate is required to produce DNA and RNA which are the cell's building blocks.

Folate can be found in breakfast cereals, beef liver, cowpeas, spinach, asparagus, rice, spinach, green peas, broccoli, avocado, peanuts, lettuce, wheat germ, tomato juice, orange juice, turnip, bread, eggs, cantaloupe, papaya and banana.

4. Iron

Iron is one essential to human beings because it integrates the enzymes and protein which maintain good health. This also transports the oxygen to the parts of the human body. If there is a deficiency in the oxygen storage to the cells, this could result to poor functioning, fatigue and decreased immunity. Too much iron can lead to toxicity and death.

Iron can be found in chicken, oysters, beef, clams, turkey, halibut, crab, pork, tuna and shrimp.

5. Vitamin A

Vitamin A play important role in bone growth, vision, cell division and reproduction. It helps in regulating the immune system which fights off and prevents infection by destroying the harmful virus and bacteria. It also helps the mucous membranes and the skin to function as a barrier.

Vitamin A can be found in liver, milk, cheese, carrots, spinach, kale, vegetable soup, cantaloupe, apricots, papaya, mango, oatmeal, peas, tomato juice, peaches, pepper.

6. Vitamin B12 helps in maintaining the red blood cells and nerve cells. It is also needed to produce DNA because it contains metal cobalt.

Vitamin B12 can be found in fish, poultry, eggs, meat, milk and liver.

Saturday, March 20, 2010

Frugal Living Tips - Ways To Live Cheaper


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Learn to save some of your hard earned cash with these frugal living tips. You do not have to use them all but picking even one will save you some money!

Bills- Do we need everything we pay for?

Do we need every movie channel that our cable or satellite company provides? Do we pay for five movies at a time from Netflix when we only watch three? Are we getting the best deal on auto or home insurance that we can? Do we really need such a large home or three cars?

It is important to evaluate every bill you pay and make sure you really need it. Can you cut your cable bill in half? Call around and get estimates on auto and home insurance to see if you could save some cash. If only two of you drive in the household do you really need three cars? Can you get by on one?

Ask yourself these questions and more to figure out what you really need and not what just makes you feel better.

Buy used and sell used

Don't throw away that lamp you I do not like. Trying to sell on eBay or Craigslist, and if it did not work, then donate to a charitable organization like the Salvation Army or goodwill or your local church.

Instead, the showroom floor running when you need new furniture or appliances, the nose, markets and flea markets. Not only can an expensive couch for half the price of the new and only six months, but you are also saving a position in a landfill, finally!

Pay itoff!

Plan a budget and stick to it. You will feel better than you can ever imagine when you have no credit card debt. And when you pay off that credit card debt you can move on to bigger things. What if you have not auto debt or home debt anymore? How much stress would that reduce in your life?

Pay off the smallest bills first then use that money to pay off larger debt and so on (while making your minimum monthly payments) and see how fast you can pay off what you owe!

The best feeling in the world comes from buying a big ticket item for cash and knowing you will not have to pay anyone interest.

Go meatless!

Another of the easiest frugal living tips is to cut meat out of your diet for at least one meal a week. While this may sound like it is not that fun, especially for the meat and potato group, you may be surprised at the meatless meals you can come up with!

Some excellent meal ideas for eating meatless are beans and cornbread, baked potato dinner, cheese quesadillas, or vegetable soup. Think about the meals your family enjoys and you may be surprised to find more than one meatless meal in your recipe file already!

Remember, as Benjamin Franklin said, "A penny saved is a penny earned!"

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Atkins Diet Menu


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Knowing that you need to better see this matter I recommend that you take Five minutes to read what we have to say.

With the advent of the new age, spent are the years when having a Marilyn Monroe figure was considered to be the prototype of what a woman should look like. Now we have waif-thin use models on what the perfectible woman should look like, and this is the image we want to have for ourselves as well. To that end most of us will turn to every dieting possible, but it’s a fact that a thriving number of dieters are concentrating more on what the Atkins Diet menu has to offer for them than anything else.Sure, there can be any number of diets that are similar to the Atkins Diet and the Atkins Diet menu plans, but it has to be said that the Atkins Dieting was the first of these now-popular high fat, high protein, low carb diets.

And the Atkins Diet menu will offer you the most tempting raiment of foods to opt from.With only a little sensible mix and matching on your part you can even come up with another meal plans that will touch anything found on any of the other such diets.

By going on the Atkins Diet menu planning becomes that much easier for you, and you also have no need to concern infinitely if what you’re preparation will follow with your dietetical regulations.The Atkins Diet menu can help work out your problem in this way and it can also help you in compilation a list of foods and meals that you shouldn't eat.

By doing this you can take your food lists shopping with you, where they can help you to know which foods should stay off your grocery store list. This can get an invaluable care to you in staying steadfastly on your diet.This doesn't of course mean that it will be easygoing to stay on your diet.

Quite a the adverse in fact, even though you get to eat what can measure to virtually anything you want from the high fat high protein part of your Atkins Dieting menu, if you love your carbs you’ll feel the separation. And if you have been sustained for most of your life by these high carb foods as most of us are, then you’ll have an even harder time getting used to the rigors of the Atkins Diet menu plans.

The only thing that’ll help you now in retention on track and aside from your intense carb cravings could be your Atkins Dieting menu [http://www.low-carb-diet-recipes-plan.com/index.php] plans and the food lists. So keep your menu plans close to you and your high carb foods aside from you. These menu plans and food lists might get your nearest allies in the next few weeks as you fight through the induction phase, but don’t worry. With a little persistence on your part you’ll come through with flying colors and a slimmer body.

This article was written to provide you with knowledge about the subject I value you taking your time to read it.

Sunday, March 14, 2010

Healthy Cream of Vegetable Soup


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The other day I had a full vegetable drawer in the fridge and it was time to clean it out. Maybe I've had one too many salads lately, because I was looking for something a bit different. As chance would have it, I also had about 2/3 of a gallon of skim milk that needed to be used up by weeks end - so I immediately thought of cooking up a creme based soup. This one turned out to be a bit unusual (and tasty) because usually my vegetable soups are tomato based. I was surprised when I served this recipe that every single family member ate every last drop (even the teens in the house!).

Like most soup recipes, you can interchange the ingredients and vegetables with what you have on hand or need to use up - this just happens to be how I made the recipe last night. Keep in mind that even though this is a creme based soup - I tried to keep it as healthy as possible. In addition - this is a great vegetarian recipe to make for a meatless main dish!

Ingredients for Creme of Vegetable Soup:


1/2 Vidalia Onion chopped
1/2 Zucchini chopped with skin
1/2 Green Pepper chopped
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 tbsp lite margarine
2 tbsp olive oil
1 lb chopped broccoli
1/2 lb chopped carrots
2 stalks celery chopped
1 small bunch cauliflower chopped
2/3 gallon skim milk
2 packets powdered cheese mix
salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Italian seasonings to taste
1 tsp each thyme, rosemary, and sage
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp ground Cumin

A lot of creme soups are water based with milk added, but I've always made my creme soups 100% milk based whenever possible. I use skim milk, so it's healthier, and you do have to stir a 100% milk based creme soup more often while cooking - but I think it just plain tastes better.

I start this recipe off by putting chopping up the onion, green pepper, celery, and carrots and placing in a large 4 quart pot on the stove. Add the margarine and olive oil and turn the heat to med-high. What you're going to do here is get your vegetables soft in the butter and oil for about 5-6 minutes, stirring constantly.

Next have your milk handy and your going to sprinkle the 1/2 cup flour over the mixture in the pot while stirring it in with a spoon in the other hand. Do this until the flour is used up, and what you should end up with is a veggie mixture with flour that is clumped or balled up (but mixed well). Brown this for about 60 seconds, and then add the milk little by little, mixing as you go until the entire 2/3 gallon is gone. You have now created a rue which you have turned into the base for your creme soup.

Next I add the Zucchini, Broccoli, and Cauliflower to the pot (chopped of course). I saved them until I got to this point because these are much softer vegetables that cook quickly - and there's no point in pre-cooking them. Next I add all my seasonings, the salt, pepper, rosemary, thyme, and sage - in addition to Italian seasonings, garlic powder, and cumin. These all seemed to blend very well together for this recipe and everyone loved the end taste.

Last but not least, I used 2 packets of powdered cheese. There are 2 reasons I do this. The first is - by not using real cheese I'm cutting out a lot of fat. In addition, this type of cheese is designed to get thick. Basically it's the same powdered cheese mix you might see used in food service for pretzel cheese, or macaroni and cheese. It has a thickening agent (like cornstarch) that thickens up your creme soup even more - but it also gives it a real cheddar-cheesy taste without having to use real cheese or Velveeta (which you could do - just wait until the soup is nearly done cooking!).

Once I added all the vegetables I added just enough additional milk to bring the level within about 2" of the top of my 4 quart pan. I did this to accommodate shrinkage (evaporation), since I cook this soup uncovered. You may or may not have to add milk to level it off at the end depending on how many vegetables you use and how much space in the pot they take up.

Bring the soup to boil on med-high and then turn the burner down to med-low, and cook for about an hour to hour and a half. While bringing to a boil, stir every 60 seconds - once you turn the burner down stir about every 5-8 minutes. This soup is best cooked in a teflon coated pan (better for cleanup too!).

Friday, March 12, 2010

Rice Diet 7 Day - Losing Weight by Eating Rice?


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First of all: Despite its name, the Rice Diet is not based upon eating rice.

Created by Duke University, the Rice Diet was created in order to help those with hypertension, heart disease, obesity, and diabetes.

The diet is not a typical diet and cannot be followed from the comfort of your home.

The Rice Diet is medically supervised that is only administered by doctors and nutritionists. Only doctors and nutrition experts that work in a place called Rice House in North Carolina are able to provide you with the needed items for the diet.

Many overweight people from all over the world save up money and make time to visit the Rice Diet Center. The center offers many health classes and workshops. The visitors are also put under the watch of nutrition experts. Usually, visitors stay for 4-8 weeks.

The entire program consists of just 2 phases.

The beginning phase of the diet consists of eating just grains and fruits. This should always and only be done under medical supervision of a doctor or nutritionist.

The second phase of the diet allows dieters to add fish, beans, vegetables, and other types of carbs to their own menu.

The Rice Diet program is best suited for those who are extremely overweight and have been struggling with obesity since childhood or for a few years. It is also for people who need to lose a lot of weight, not just a few pounds. The diet is not for everyone as it is also very costly.

Maybe you have heard about the Cabbage Soup Diet. What are the differences between the Cabbage Soup Diet and the Rice Diet? The Cabbage Soup Diet is much different from the Rice Diet, and is not as healthy as the latter. The diet is also referred to as the Mayo Clinic Program.

So, what is the Cabbage Soup (Mayo Clinic) Diet?

The Cabbage Soup Diet is a week long plan that allows the dieter to eat an unlimited amount of cabbage soup each day.

This is so because the soup has virtually no calories. The diet also allows for other foods to be eaten along with the soup, but these foods are limited, unlike the cabbage soup.

The menu that goes along with the diet is slightly bizarre to some. Some days it lets a dieter eat fruit with unlimited cabbage soup, then some days the diet only allows unlimited soup with vegetables along with it.

On different days the diet allows users to eat an unlimited amount of rice, while other days are made to be full of soup and bananas.

This unusual weight loss program is a quick week long diet for people to lose weight by eating very low amounts of calories each day.

As a whole, I do not recommend this diet because it is not very healthy, and healthier diets exist.

The Rice Diet is a much better choice; however, the Rice Diet was not created for everyday people who are just looking to drop a few pounds. It is only for extremely overweight people who have no other means of losing weight.

Overall, both programs are not the best choice for everyday dieters. In my opinion, there are much better options out there. If you are an average dieter, I do not recommend either of these diets for you.

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

The Cabbage Soup Recipe Diet For Quick Weight Loss


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You've probably heard of the cabbage soup recipe diet. It's also known by several other names including the Mayo Clinic Diet, Sacred Heart Diet, Military Cabbage Soup, TJ's Miracle Diet and the Russian Peasant Diet. It's also called the Banana Diet and I'll tell you why a little later. The reason the diet is somewhat famous is the promise it makes that you can lose ten pounds in a week by following the diet. Is that possible? I can say it is because I've done it myself. And you get plenty to eat and a variety of different foods, so it wasn't that hard to follow.

Now is this diet a sensible long-term eating plan? Not really. It's a short-term way to drop a few pounds, that's all. Don't you know that sometimes you need to see some quick results to keep you motivated or to get you motivated. That's what this eating plan can do: help your motivation by letting you drop a few pounds fast.

You might think that the cabbage soup diet is just eating cabbage soup for a week. No fun, huh? Actually you can use all kinds of cabbage soup recipes to provide some variety. But that's not what it is at all. Actually, you can eat all the cabbage soup you want for the entire week, but there are many different foods you can eat during the week. It's not at all a starvation diet. Each day you eat certain foods and the foods change on each day. When you consider that you can eat all the soup you want, there is little chance you will really get hungry. The down side is the absence of several of my favorite dishes from the food plan. No brownies, ice cream, sweet potato casserole or pizza. Oh well! Like most fat loss diets, you don't get breads and pastries.

Included in the meal plan are fruits, vegetables, meat, milk and bananas. Alright, here's the banana part. On the fourth day of the diet, you eat up to eight bananas and all the skim milk you want plus the soup. That's why I call it the banana diet!

Monday, March 8, 2010

The ten best ways to change the eating habits of the family


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We have learned over the years, the importance of good nutrition. One thing is to eat more fruits and vegetables a day. However, this need is realized to do something and make it an entirely different matter. Is not it? It 'easier said than done, and they know more than us. You might feel that its just a lot of food to consume, and many would agree with you. How is it that we do not feel the same way about junk food? It's easy to grab a handful of chips orPretzels. Here are some tips to consider.

1. Breakfast can be a test for the most part. But we all know how important a good. Here's a simple recipe to attract the most discerning eater. The smoothies, and are treated like a milkshake, not a meal. The ingredients vary depending on you and your family likes and dislikes. And you can make your own fresh ingredients.Add fresh fruit or fruit of your choice, a fat-free yogurt, and therego.

2. Change the way of making sandwiches. Share your bread spread with a selection of fresh vegetables, a bit 'of mayonnaise and a bit' of mustard. This spread gives a spicy flavor to any sandwich.

3. Think think think. What can I give the kids a snack that is healthy? Something sweet and chewy. I know! Dried fruits are sweet and hard, and delicious. E 'as a piece of candy for its sweetness. It can replace sugar ... in a bowl of hot cereal for breakfast. Not a badIdea.

4. We all know how some people react when the vegetables word is not said, is not it? Responding in particular, how our children in general. The finger-in-the-throat, which always me off. Not good. It 'a way for everything, and here is the juice! Fruit, vegetables and fruit, juice or just vegetables. You have a lot on hand and ready to go when they want a delicious snack or a drink to quench thirst.

5. Try something different for dinner. Havemembers of your family to choose which types of vegetables or fruit that you prefer and leave the vegetables to prepare a salad.You might be surprised at the taste. Let three or vegetables and fruit of their choice. See what they come up with. It seeks to promote a number of ingredients, at least. Each other, and the addition of dressing choice.

6. I've always been a fan of ads a bowl of fresh apples on a table or a kitchen table. The fascinatingwho goes to see the automatic, like go get something to eat. An almost unconsciously. One popular combo is peanut butter with raisins or bananas, or both, on bread or stuffing a stick of celery. Let your imagination run wild.

7. Dessert! Well, this is a forbidden subject of many. Desserts are not a prohibited and a simple solution is to change your eating habits is. Replace all the cakes, biscuits and cakes. Think of yogurt with a blanketcoating of rich fruit, and maybe some nuts. This dessert can be left to your creative abilities.

8. I remember growing exotic fruit and then bananas. Today, the types, however, there are more exotic fruits more common every day. They can be eaten like an apple or a peach.

9 vegetable soup, and it is easy to do. Use as vegetables, fresh or frozen meat or without meat. Photos of a day of hot and cold snowy. You have this picture? Nowone might add, with a bowl of hot soup, warming his hands around the cup.

10. Now that all fruits and vegetables has tried, you can ask them to be served in any case the choice of vegetables with dinner on one evening. The vegetables that you like and have at least one night a week.
How it works for you so far? Do not press the issue just to make your suggestions. They are also interacting with family members express theirCooperation. These steps are easy and some way to encourage their family to eat healthy.

Final Tip:
Make sure that the fresh fruit, fruit juices and vegetables are always available.

Saturday, March 6, 2010

A Vegetarian Diet Plan - How to Get Started


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Perhaps you're worried about the health effects of eating fatty meat. Or maybe the idea of animals dying so you can eat them really bothers you. Whatever the reason, you've decided to start a vegetarian diet plan. So, now what?

It's all too easy to fall into the trap of eating lots of pasta, bread, and cheesy pizza when you first start eating vegetarian, but that's no better for you than the fatty diet you're trying to get away from. For a truly healthy vegetarian diet, you'll need to learn to incorporate whole grains, leafy greens, and fresh fruits and vegetables in a way that's satisfying and varied. It's easiest to balance your vegetarian diet plan if you continue to incorporate eggs and dairy (called ovo-lacto vegetarianism). Strict veganism requires some supplementation, notably with vitamin B12 and the fatty acids DHA and EPA, in order to meet minimum nutritional requirements. For this reason, if you are set on becoming a vegan, it's wise to consult with your doctor or a qualified nutritionist to make sure that your diet is healthy.

If you have concerns over the factory farming of eggs and dairy cattle, consider frequenting your local farmers' market, where you will find sustainably produced eggs, milk, and cheese which are free of dangerous hormones and antibiotics, produced by happy animals eating appropriate, natural feeds. To many consumers, the difference in quality between these sustainable animal products and their supermarket counterparts is nothing less than shocking.

Once you've decided on the type of vegetarianism you wish to pursue, it's time to devise a weekly meal plan. Write down ideas for seven breakfasts, seven lunches, seven snacks, seven suppers, and seven desserts. Possible breakfasts include low-sugar, whole grain cereal (hot or cold), buckwheat pancakes with real maple syrup, whole grain waffles (can be made ahead, frozen, and reheated in the toaster), omelets, and fruit salad. Possible lunches could be vegetable fried rice, fritattas, soup made with seasonal vegetables, or a roasted vegetable wrap. Snacks might be nuts, dried fruit, fresh fruit, or trail mix. Supper might be stuffed squash with a side of steamed asparagus and a salad, grilled portabella with a baked sweet potato and sweet-sour kale, or vegetable stew with fresh garlic bread and corn on the cob. Dessert might be baked apples drizzled with honey, fresh strawberries, peaches and blueberries topped with freshly whipped cream, or a homemade rhubarb pie.

Browse the cookbook section at your local bookstore and pick up a couple of vegetarian cookbooks that appeal to you, then use them during your brainstorming session to set up your weekly vegetarian diet plan. Learn about the seasonality of vegetables and fruits in your area so that you can get the best prices, eat local foods, and support local farmers.

Once you have your meals and snacks planned, go through and list the ingredients for each one, then combine that information to make your weekly shopping list. Check your kitchen to make sure that you have enough of all of your staples, and narrow the list down to things that you are almost out of, plus the foods you will be buying fresh. Some things, like soups and stews, lend themselves to large batches which can be frozen in individual containers for easy meals on busy days. Get in the habit of setting aside a weekend afternoon for cooking slow foods in big batches, then freezing them. Then you'll never be caught flat-footed if an emergency comes up or company arrives.

A vegetarian diet plan can be simple and stress-free; it just requires a bit of forward planning.

Thursday, March 4, 2010

Vegetarian Food Diet


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What we eat determines a lot about who we are and how we behave, apart from the basic fact that it also determines how healthy we are. In recent times an increasing number of people have been turning towards professional help and guidance where there daily in take is concerned. And most of such people are those recuperating from an ailment - chronic, major, or minor. That is the problem with people, they wait for disaster to strike in order to take control of their life.

In fact, while many overlook the need to follow a healthy dietary routine; experts insist that one can prevent any kind of disease by following a proper food intake regime. This would include proper eating timing, proper meals in the day and most importantly following a vegetarian diet.

The physiology of the human body is such that it can easily digest any kind of vegetarian food, as well as fruits and nuts. Any other kind of food remains in the digestive system longer, creating disease in the body. One should realize that the human body is required to follow a normal process of eating, digesting and excreting. And this process will happen undisturbed with vegetarianism being a way of healthy living.

According to food experts, by eating right and light, one can also control their stress levels. Obviously, along with a good diet regime, one needs to also practice stress control methods such as varied breathing techniques, yoga, aerobics, meditation, etc.; whatever keeps the mind healthy, permitting flow of oxygen into the mind and body.

In fact, a vegetarian diet helps one eat the required six to seven small meals a day, instead of large and heavy two to three meals. These six mini meals could include:

Breakfast: a bowl of cereals with a glass of milk, or juice, or tea or coffee
Between breakfast and lunch: A bowl of fruit salad; or a bowl of any one fruit of preference (preferably the fruit of the season)

Lunch: Vegetables with rice or bread along with some salad

High Tea: Sprouts, or a vegetable sandwich, or a handful of dried fruits and nuts

Pre-dinner: A vegetable soup with some salad

Dinner: Vegetable with rice or bread

Along with this one can add tender coconut water along with the fruit (mid-morning). Also one should have two to three liters of water (Note: those with a water retention problem should ask a medical practitioner about the amount of water intake).

Following this kind of a vegetarian routine can prevent all kinds of health related problems. But then, one should also bring into this eating routine some kind of daily physical recreational activity. As this, as mentioned earlier is fresh flow of oxygen, as well further activates the body's digestive and circulatory system.

Also, one should make it a habit to stroll for about five to ten minutes after every mini-meal and twenty minutes after every major meal. This should be a light brisk walk.

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Atkins Grapefruit Diet - Is it a Hoax?


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All About This Diet

One of the urban legends has been that eating grapefruit at each meal will melt the pounds away. Is this true or simply a hoax? The Grapefruit diets have been around for 70 years believe it or not. Before I get into what grapefruit can do for the body, it is essential to understand what exactly the grapefruit diet is. The grapefruit diet is not a diet that consists of eating only grapefruit for a short amount of time, like the cabbage diet or a soup diet. The Atkins grapefruit diet has now taken it a step further by incorporating grapefruit into their famous diet.

So How Is It A Hoax

The theory goes that grapefruit contains a special enzyme that really burns fat. Grapefruit is simply high in fiber, high protein, low in sugar and contains no trans fats. However, Atkins' menus average 60-75% of calories from fat and contain no fruit. You see how the Atkins diet can appeal to many people? One reason this diet gets is popular is that the diet does work to cause weight loss and the conventional diet is so unhealthy and fattening that people need to do something that works.

First of all, physicians from the American Heart Association are extremely worried because a high-animal protein and high-fat diet is damaging the heart condition and blood vessels' health (blood flow and blood clots especially). Dr Atkins' theory is really quite simple: when you cut out carbohydrates, your body is forced into burning its fat stores to provide it with energy; as you burn more calories when your body burns fat compared with carbohydrate, you'll lose weight more quickly

Some nutritionists define a fad diet by a series of questions rather than assessing it popularity. Why do you lose weight at first but then gain it all back? This diet promises a quick fix, but is there really a quick fix when we are talking about your health?