Eat Healthy on a Budget - Part One

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Did you know that the cells in your body perform millions of functions every minute of every day. In order to do this, they require the proper nutrients and oxygen, which they get from your blood. The nutrients in your blood come from the foods you eat and from supplements you take. Of course, you knew that. However, knowing what to do and doing it are very different things. We all recall times where we knew what to do to correct an issue - but we just didn't do it. There's a third scenario, and that is: knowing what to do, having the desire to do it, but not the ability. That's what I want to address as it relates to nutrition.

First of all, no matter how good your diet is, it's a good bet that you are not getting optimal nutrition from your foods. I'm not just talking about improper eating. You know, not enough fresh fruits and vegetables, too much soda, coffee and processed foods. Even if you eat a reasonably clean diet most of the time (which almost nobody does), the actual soil that our food is grown in has been over-farmed and lacks essential nutrients. In fact, according to a government study, only four percent of Americans are getting their recommended daily allowance (RDA) of essential vitamins. And the government RDA's are notoriously low.

So what if you want to eat a healthier diet, you want to make sure your children eat healthier, but you don't have the money to buy all organic produce, grass fed beef and wild caught fish? We, as a country, are experiencing very unstable economic conditions and many people find themselves unemployed or underemployed. So, what can you do to improve your diet when you don't have a lot of money to spend? I've had some subscribers ask that very question and I am sure it affects many of you, so I wanted to address this issue and give you some specific suggestions. This is part one of a three-part series. Here are the first six suggestions:

First of all, just decide that you will make the best choices available to you. You may not be able to afford ALL organic produce - not many of us can. You can, however, try to buy locally grown produce, in season. There are usually farm markets that have very fresh, seasonal produce. If you want asparagus in December, you will pay top dollar! You'll know what is in season because that is usually what is on sale. You can click the link below and then find your state or region of the country to see what fruits and vegetables are on sale during each season. Also, why not think about growing your own? A vegetable garden is a fantastic way to get the freshest vegetables at the best price.

Some vegetables ALWAYS seem to be a great value - one of the most versatile is cabbage. You can eat it raw (if you have no sluggish thyroid issues) in a slaw, ferment it into a healthy sauerkraut, cook it as a base for a ratatouille type vegetable dish/soup or blanch and stuff the leaves. It is very inexpensive and quite nutritious. Next, don't discount the lowly potato - white or sweet! While I wouldn't suggest you eat a lot of potatoes, particularly if you have a weight issue, potatoes have vitamins, minerals and fiber and they can extend a vegetable dish, you can roast them or bake them - just don't load them up with sour cream or butter - choose salsa, a drizzle of olive, flax or some other healthy oil instead. And red potatoes have less sugar than russet. Of course, never forget about onions, garlic, celery and carrots. They're usually on sale somewhere every week. They are nutritional powerhouses, very inexpensive and add flavor and texture to any meal they become part of.

Beans (chick peas, cannellini, kidney, pinto, lima, black, navy) and legumes (lentils, peas) are absolutely one of the best values around - nutritionally as well as for your budget! This is one of the few canned foods (besides canned tomatoes) I consider a staple in my pantry. Canned beans and even dried beans that you cook up yourself are loaded with fiber, protein, vitamins and minerals. They are nutritional powerhouses and there is almost always a brand on sale. You can put them on salads, make a bean salad combining several types, use them for soups, puree them and mix with ground meat to bump up the fiber and nutrition content of burgers or meat loaf or make them into a delicious dip like hummus; I even puree them and use them in baked goods! Keep in mind that if you combine beans or legumes with a whole grain like brown rice or barley, you have created a nutritious, inexpensive, complete protein.

That brings me to whole grains. Oats, brown rice and barley are among the healthiest, and most affordable whole grains. You can use them in so many ways. I already mentioned combining them with beans or legumes for a complete protein. They are wonderful extenders in ground meat meals like meatloaf or burgers (instead of bread crumbs). Oatmeal is a wonderful breakfast or even snack. They make delicious and nutritious cookies, bars, crisps and crumbles. Brown rice and barley are excellent added to soups, combined with vegetables to create nutritious, satisfying vegetarian meals and as a side dish flavored with spices and herbs. And don't discount buckwheat and grain-like seeds such as quinoa, millet and amaranth. They are a bit more expensive and are available usually at a health or nutrition store, but these versatile, nutritional powerhouses also go on sale periodically, too. Keep your eyes open for sales. Just be sure to prepare them properly. If you need info on exactly how to do that, it's in the Nutrition-Boosting e-book, along with other strategies to get the most nutrition from all your foods. A quick note about pasta. Whole grain varieties are the best choice. Watch for the sales and stock up then. When you combine these with beans and vegetables you have an inexpensive, low fat, high nutrition, complete protein meal.

Frozen vegetables and fruits are a good choice when they are on sale and fresh produce is not. They retain much of their nutritional value - never buy canned. Also, one of the absolute best values pretty much all year round is frozen spinach. It is so versatile. This can serve as a vegetable or side dish, but you can also add it into soups, combine it with grains and add this to smoothies, omelets and into your burger meat - it extends the meat, which is good in several ways. You use less meat which is healthy and saves money. Spinach also contains a compound that synthesizes protein, so you get more benefit from the protein you combine it with. A win-win in my book.

Eggs are a nearly perfect protein food and all things considered, are very economical and versatile. You can make them any number of ways, of course - scrambled, fried, hard boiled, soft boiled, poached, into omelets or frittatas. You can stir scrambled egg into warm broth to create a type of "egg drop" soup or what Italians call Stracciatella. This was a favorite of my children's when they were small. When made as an omelet or frittata, eggs can be the basis of a nutritious, satisfying and very inexpensive dinner. If you can find a local source for your eggs, that's great. When Omega-3 eggs like Egglands are on sale and you have a coupon - stock up. Great Day Naturals Omega-3 eggs are sold in my Walmart and are actually less expensive than regular eggs and have the most Omega-3's and lutein of any other eggs I've seen. As an added bonus, they're distributed by a wonderful, Christian company.

I hope you find these first six suggestions to be practical and helpful. Be sure to look for Part Two!

3 Keys to Back to Basics After Weight Loss Surgery

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People who have undergone weight loss surgery and later gain weight are often told to "get back to basics" but we are seldom given more in depth directions. I was told that when I reported a weight gain to my bariatric center. Many of us have feelings of hopelessness: we are lost without a place to begin the act of losing weight again.

Over the years with much learned there is an effective way to get back to basics and make the most of our gastric bypass or gastric banding surgeries as tools in weight maintenance. In addition to following the food plan there are three key things we can do to sustain weight loss and maintain a healthy weight:

Plan Ahead - Do Not Leave it to Chance

Read, study, and understand the basics completely before you begin. Plan for five days with limited disruptions including life, work, and cyclical (menstruation). Create a meal plan for all five back to basics days and purchase the food to avoid tempting trips to the market. In advance cook a pot of hearty vegetable soup and divide into 1-cup portions. Mentally excite yourself over the opportunity to make new friends with your old pouch. Prepare for carbohydrate withdrawal by having fruit on hand or a supply of Emergen-C. Announce your plan to those who will support you and ask for their encouragement. Visualize feeling wonderful over next few days as you return to the basics. Plan to succeed and you will.

Use the 5 Day Pouch Test Journal

Please do not stop reading, I know keeping a food and exercise log is inconvenient. But it is a waste of five days if we do not make a record of what happens and learn from that record. Your journal does not need to be complicated: track your food, activity, motivation, and energy levels. Record your weight. In so doing you learn how your eating and activity affect your daily function. Identify hunger trends and also learn how, to arrest them. A food journal opens a window to personal discovery.

Get a Buddy

Do not go alone. Get support. Get a partner. Get a buddy. I am repeatedly impressed by the momentum of the buddy system when people go back to basics together. Almost like spontaneous combustion an online group will organize and return to the basics together. And people who are not doing it join to cheer along their fellow neighbors. Others report tremendous success when joined by a spouse, a friend or fellow support group member. Buddies offer support, encouragement, and accountability. Do not go alone.

Your online destination for support is: LivingAfterWLS Neighborhood.

Dukan Diet Menu

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The Dukan Diet plan is super-popular in France and is now gaining momentum in other countries as well. In France alone, it is estimated that over 1.5 million people have used this diet and there are many positive testimonials about it.

In this article I want to go over the Dukan Diet Menu options to help you see what you can eat while on this weight loss plan. There is no one strict menu that this program uses but it's still important for you to know exactly what you can expect.

The Dukan Diet has 4 distinct phases, each with its own guidlines and purpose. Some of the phases deal with losing weight and others with maintaining it after you're already shed your excess weight. This makes the food choices on each phase somewhat different than those on the other phases.

Dukan Diet Menu Phase by Phase

The first phase on this diet plan is called the Attack Phase. This is a purely protein consumption phase. You have all protein for 3--10 days. The book explains how to determine whether you need to follow this phase for just 3 days or the full 10. It depends on how much you need to lose.

As this is an all protein phase, your food chocies basically amount to: beef, chicken, other poultry, low fat or no fat dairy products, seafood, and fish. As you can imagine, this is not going to be an easy phase to go through due to the low range of food choices.

The cruise phase is the second phase of the Dukan Diet. On this phase you have more food choices. Mainly, you can add vegetables to your diet. However, you can only have them every other day. The rest of the time it's still protein only. You can have practically any vegetable that you want except for the starchy ones such as potatoes, peas, and so on.

On the consolidation phase that comes next, you can add bread, pasta, and fruit to your eating routine. However protein is still the foundation of your diet. You do have 2 free meals each week to eat evening "non diet" things, so you can indulge yourself quite a bit.

On the last phase, the one that's about maintenance and not weight loss, you can eat what you want six days of the week and do an all protein day on the seventh. This is how the Dukan Diet plan works.

Eat More Vegetables - 7 Ways to Get More Veggies Into Your Diet

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Are you a vegetable lover or do you just suffer through the occasional salad and side of green beans?

I'm going to assume that most of you listening eat plenty of salad and include a green or other brightly colored vegetable into your daily meal plan at least once. If not, you need the 7 tips to get more veggies into your daily diet.

Here are the 7 easy ways:

1. Having a cup of soup, the microwave kind? Grab a bag of frozen mixed veggies or even just peas and put a 1/4 cup.

2. Making pasta for dinner? With tomato sauce you've got a good start. Why not add some chopped spinach, chard, or kale? Even mushrooms and peppers and onions count. Try for the most colorful pasta sauce ever by adding green, yellow squash, red onion, 3 color peppers and a dark leafy green.

3. Breakfast? Whole grain toast with sliced tomatoes and balsamic vinegar is heaven when tomatoes are in season. All sorts of left over veggies can be found in my egg beaters or frittata on a weekend. And yes I have a favorite smoothie that includes left over sweet potato, orange pieces, and yogurt.

4. Salads seem like a natural as they start with some form of leafy vegetable. But we often get into a rut with our ingredients. When was the last time you chopped up raw cauliflower or broccoli into your salad? Raw bok choy-which is loaded with calcium is crunchy and this helps use a head up before it goes soft. Celery may not seem nutritious but in Chinese medicine it's one of the top medicinal foods for treating high blood pressure. It has a relaxing effect on muscle.

5. Snacking-let's start with super nutritious celery. Some almond or peanut butter spread in that little groove is a fave for many years, dipping it in low fat dressing is acceptable as long as you portion out a reasonable amount. What about plain old celery with a sprinkle of salt? All raw vegetables-and we are encouraged to eat more raw foods right?-with the exception of a few like asparagus and eggplant, are satisfying because they fill us up and you almost can't eat too much. Going back to the other half of that sweet potato I mentioned, heat it in the microwave, spoon in some plain yogurt a wee bit of maple syrup and cinnamon and I'm telling you it's so yummy. Often I just eat it with a drizzle of fine olive oil, salt and pepper.

6. Dinner or whenever you eat your main meal of the day. How about 2 vegetables rather than one vege one starch? You'll be amazed at the things that resolve when we limit starches-even those that are not white. Bloating, weight gain around the middle, carb cravings and more can be resolved to name a few. How about a big pile of sautéed vegetables with the fish on top? Saute broccoli rabe with garlic, olive oil and chicken stock, add a chicken breast and top with rich tomato sauce. How about eating your steak or pork roast with grilled mushrooms, peppers, onions and a big salad. It's really just a mind shift and a wee bit of prep and planning ahead so you have these things in the house.

7. Awareness. Well I might be cheating a bit here because it's not really a tip but it's an important concept. You have to want to get more nutrition into your meal plans to do so. Asking yourself daily-how can I add some vegetables to my day, will go a long way to creating change.

So love your vegetables and let them work their magic to keep you in good health.

Ants on a log anyone?

Medifast Diet Review - A Diet Plan That Works

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Every diet program has its benefits but at the same they all have their fair share of critics. One thing in common among diet regimens is that all of them can give you the result that you want. This is basically weight loss or fat loss, but they can all fail if the user does not follow the guidelines strictly. All of them require lifestyle changes and discipline. Getting rid of bad eating habits is the first step to start and to commit to a certain diet program.

Medifast belongs to the continuously increasing number of diet programs available that promise fast results (as its name wish to imply). It also has its share of success stories that you can easily find in every Medifast diet review from satisfied users. But, what makes Medifast unique is that it has been around for more than 25 years now. Its staying power is due to the fact that it is well-researched and is backed by scientific studies. Medifast guarantees users to lose as much as 5 pounds in a week. People in the lower end can lose at least 2 pounds.

In a Medifast diet review, you will not only find stories from simple people, who are happy to share the great impact of the program to their lives, but also you can read clinical reviews and recommendation from medical practitioners. Medifast is even recommended to diabetics in order to regulate their weights and sugar level. Nowadays, there are almost 15 000 doctors who have been recommending Medifast to their obese patients, patients with diabetes, or anybody who requires effective weight loss program to avoid health complications.

Another unique feature of this diet program is that it you don't need to prepare most of the meals by yourself. Their 5 and 1 program includes 5 replacement meals that are formulated to be low in calorie and fat, plus, a strictly lean meat, vegetable and salad meal that you can prepare. Eating six times a day will never make you hungry and you will never have to worry about negative effects of overeating.

By taking the replacement food products regularly, the body will enter the state of mild ketosis. This is actually the reason why the body is able to burn all the reserve fats. However, there are some doctors who believe that there are health risks involve in depriving the body with carbohydrates, making the body turn to the reserve fats for energy. It can also result to muscle loss.

The Soup Diet

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The Diet

Lose weight and get rid of that "excess baggage" can be very difficult. More often than not, when you start a diet, you want quick results and that is exactly what you get with the diet of cabbage soup for 7 days.

The quick results provided by this diet of soup, no doubt, will motivate even the most daunting. The recipe diet cabbage soup is part of a diet low calorie, low fat and high in fiber you will eat for 7 days.

Some people have tried this method claimed to have lost 4.5 pounds of weight within a week. Below are the basic steps you need to follow the diet of soup.

Plan soup diet 7 days

First Day - Any fruit except bananas, take the soup. To take drink teas, juices or water.

Day 2 - Day of vegetables. Eat any vegetable you like. Baked potato with butter for dinner, take the soup. However try not to eat beans, corn or peas (despite being released). Do not eat fruit.

Day 3 - Combine Day 1 and 2, without potato; take the soup

Day 4 - Up to six bananas, whole milk you want, take the soup. The objective of this day is to reduce your cravings for sweet things.

Day 5 - 300 to 500 grams of meat, and no more than 6 tomatoes. Drink at least 6 to 8 glasses of water to flush uric acid from your body, take the soup. The meat can be chicken but without skin.

Day 6 - All the meat and vegetables you want, take the soup

Day 7 - Integral rice (also known as brown rice), fruit juices without sugar or sweetener and vegetables. Take the soup.

Note: do not eat bread, drink alcohol and or any other beverage, not even soda, only water.

Pros and Cons of Diet Cabbage Soup 7 Days

Pros: You will lose weight fast, and can ingest the amount you want of the foods listed in the program.

Although diet is only for seven days (and should not be extended any longer), it provides a great "kick" to a more moderate diet.

Cons: Some people find the soup "boring".

Some people have reported feeling dizzy, weak, and suffered loss of concentration (although some people affected felt it was worth it because it was only for a week they managed to lose considerable weight).

6 Steps to Success

1 - Follow the diet religiously;.
2 - Drink at least 4 glasses of water a day;
3 - Keep in mind that it is only for seven days;
4 - If in doubt, print the information on this site so you can refer to it daily;
5 - Eat plenty of soup - how many times you want! Do not try to go hungry or you will probably cheat and break the diet;
6 - Try different spices to liven up the soup and add variety.

That is it. Using the diet of cabbage soup for 7 days you will be able to lose weight very quickly, without starving all week.

Foods to Eat to Lose Weight - The Healthy Choice

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So what do you feel like eating today? A comforting bowl of hearty vegetable soup? A delicious crunchy salad or a delicately flavoured piece of fish? The choice is yours. Your future health - on a plate. When making your decision, bear in mind these three fundamental rules for true healthy eating when choosing foods to eat to lose weight.

Moderation. Make sure not to overload your stomach. A rule of thumb is that a meal should be the equivalent of one moderate bowlful. Eat slowly and savour every mouthful. After a couple of weeks, you will find that you don't want more than a bowlful of food at any one time.

Balance. The three main food groups (protein, carbohydrate, fat) should all be represented in the right proportion. To make it easy divide your plate into three portions; remember to fill three quarters of your plate with vegetables, one quarter with protein and one with carbohydrates. Load up with vegetables and fruit. Most of your meal should be plant-based. Add a little protein the size of your palm at every meal - this will give you energy and keep hunger at bay. Two tablespoons of wholegrain carbohydrates, starchy vegetables, beans or pulses stop cravings for unhealthy foods. And remember a small amount of healthy fats is essential for health.

Variety. To achieve a well balanced Healthy diet we should be choosing from between sixty to seventy varieties of food, the average person eats only twenty. Without the variety of foods we can't get all the vitamins and minerals we need for optimum health. Make it a habit to try a new food or a seasonal one every week.

Swap sweets, cakes and biscuits for fruit mostly fresh and a little dried. White pasta, rice, bread and sugary cereals for wholemeal and wholegrain products, beans and pulses. Red meat and meat products such as sausages, bacon and burgers for more fish especially oily fish, beans and pulses. Processed foods for vegetables, salads, nuts and seeds. Caffeinated drinks for water and herbal teas. Some butter and most margarines for healthy oils such as olive or rapeseed.

The odd treat is fine but these should not be part of your routine shop as they disrupt your body's chemistry and add nutritionally empty calories and they are not the kind of foods to eat to lose weight.

Comfort Food At Its Best And It Is Diabetic Friendly Too

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Do you have a craving for some good comfort food? We have a menu here of comfort foods to please anyone and it is even okay for diabetics, too. For the entree we have Tasty Onion Meatloaf. Meatloaf has long been considered one of Americans' favorite comfort foods. This recipe is simple with a lot of the flavoring coming from the package soup and recipe mix. The oats add an extra touch of "good-for-you" to this tasty dish.

The Vegetable Casserole can be prepared after the meatloaf is in the oven and baked along side during the last part of the baking time. This is a cheesy casserole making it another good comfort food. Blackberries are often a part of our favorite comfort foods. However, to lighten this meal, we use them in a lighter way than the usual cobbler or pie. Try this new lighter blackberry dessert that uses phyllo dough to make Blackberry Cups.

TASTY ONION MEATLOAF

1 envelope (1-oz) Onion Soup and Recipe Mix
2 lbs ground beef
1 cup dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup quick-cook oats
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup water
1/3 cup ketchup

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the onion mix and ground beef until well mixed. Add the bread crumbs and oats to the mixture. Add the eggs, water, and ketchup. Use hands to mix well. In a large baking pan form the mixture into a loaf. Bake approximately 1 hour until done.

CALIFORNIA BLEND VEGETABLE CASSEROLE

2 lbs frozen California Blend Vegetables
1 lb Velveeta Cheese
1 1/2 pkg Town House or Ritz crackers
1 1/2 sticks butter

Cook vegetables according to package directions. Drain well. Place vegetables in a 9x13-inch pan. Cut cheese into cubes and spread over the vegetables. Melt butter. Crush crackers into fine crumbs; mix with butter and sprinkle over cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

BLACKBERRY CUPS

6 sheets frozen phyllo dough, thawed
nonstick cooking spray
1 pint fresh blackberries
2 tbsp Splenda
1 cup sugar-free Cool-Whip
1 carton (6-oz) lite custard-style peach yogurt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Get out 6 large custard cups.

Cut phyllo dough crosswise into 4 pieces. Place 1 sheet phyllo dough on work surface keeping the remaining sheets covered with plastic wrap and a damp kitchen towel. Lightly coat first piece of the sheet of phyllo dough with nonstick cooking spray and place in a large custard cup. Place second piece of first sheet atop the piece in the cup, alternating corners; spray with cooking spray. Repeat with the other two pieces, alternating corners. Repeat this process with the other 5 sheets of dough into the remaining 5 custard cups. Place custard cups on a baking sheet and bake approximately 15 minutes or until the pastry is golden. Let cool to room temperature.

While phyllo cups bake, combine the blackberries and sugar in a small bowl and allow to stand for 15 minutes. Mix the Cool Whip and yogurt in a medium bowl. Reserve 1/2 cup of the blackberries for garnish. Fold the remaining blackberries into the yogurt mixture. Spoon mixture into the cooled phyllo cups. Garnish with the reserved berries.

Enjoy!

How to Have a Low Fat, High Fibre Diet

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Fibres are natural appetite suppressants which is why you will often see high-fibre cereals advertising that they can keep you full until lunch. It goes without saying that an increase in your fibre intake can be achieved with a few simple changes in your diet.

Making a change to your diet can, at first, seem like a tough thing to do. However, a few small changes over time and you will soon have increased your fibre intake and start feeling the benefits of appetite suppression.

Before we provide you with some suggestions on how to incorporate more fibre in to your diet let's first look at what fibre is and what its health benefits are.

Fibre is made up of several complex carbohydrates and can either be soluble or insoluble. Unlike most other foods we consume, fibre contains no calories, vitamins or minerals and therefore passes through your body without being digested. This is also why people suffering from constipation are encouraged to eat more fibre (or roughage as it is also known).

If you are thinking you can gain fibre from eating meat then you are sadly mistaken. Fibre only exists in the cell walls of plants, therefore things like fruit, vegetables, and grain are all commonly high in fibre.

In addition to the appetite suppression and therefore weight loss benefits, fibre also offers other health benefits. It is known to help reduce the risks of bowel problems such as haemorrhoids and cancer of the bowel and colon. It also helps to stabilise blood sugar levels and reduce blood cholesterol levels.

As you can see, the benefits of a high-fibre diet stretch much further than just helping you to control your appetite and lose weight. Therefore even if you are happy with your current weight a little more fibre in your diet can only be a good thing.

With this in mind here are some simple meal ideas to help you begin to increase your daily fibre intake:

Breakfast:

Wholemeal toast
Wheat or grain based cereal
Bran muffins
Porridge oats
Pure fruit smoothie

Lunch:

Sandwiches made with wholemeal bread
Any vegetable soup with wholemeal bread
Beans on wholemeal toast
Wholegrain pasta salad
Nuts and seeds
Fruit Salad

Dinner:

Wholegrain pasta or rice with a sauce of your choice
Vegetable stir fry
Bean or vegetable Enchiladas (use wholemeal tortillas)
Vegetable chilli with kidney beans

Find Out the Cabbage Diet Ingredients Here

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The cabbage diet ingredients are simple and inexpensive too. It's really surprising that these common items when combined properly can result in losing ten pounds in a week. But it works and has for a long time. One of the reasons so many people follow this plan is there's no starving. You get plenty to eat.

See the cabbage soup is used as a filler. You can eat all the soup you want at any time. That keeps the hunger away, but the soup is low in calories and fat too. The soup isn't magic. You can make it all kinds of ways. Below is one example recipe, but you can modify the recipes as you like.

The Classic Green Cabbage Soup

One half of a medium green cabbage

3 large onions

1 large bell pepper

1 head of celery

1 can of diced tomatoes

1 pack of onion soup mix

3 vegetable bouillon cubes

8-12 cups of water

*Optional - 1 8 oz. can of V-8 juice
*Optional seasonings: salt, pepper, garlic powder, cilantro, parsley, basil, oregano

Place washed, chopped vegetables in a large stockpot. Add water and stir in soup mix, bouillon and tomatoes. Add enough water to fully cover all the vegetables. Then simmer until vegetables are soft.

The other ingredients of the plan are as follows: fruit, vegetables, skim milk, beef or chicken, brown rice and unsweetened fruit juice. What's more, you can eat all of most of these that you want. But you can only eat certain foods on certain days. See, there are really no secret ingredients and nothing expensive to buy. The trick is in how the foods are combined. That's the key.

The cabbage soup diet ingredients are nothing special. The key to the fast weight loss is how the ingredients are combined. The best way to use this eating plan is combined with a long-term diet plan. Using the cabbage soup diet helps you get quick results so you're motivated to stick with your long-term weight loss.

A Healthy Diet For Infants

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In children up to 5 years, growth and activity are greatly increased, and meals should provide plenty of the following nutrients:

- Protein-for body growth
- Calcium-for bones and teeth
- Fluoride- for teeth
- Iron- for red blood cells

And this diet should be well balanced in all respects. Children should be discouraged from eating between meals, especially sweets and snakes such as crisps, as this may lead to poor appetite at mealtimes, tooth decay and obesity. It is unwise to give children food such as a biscuit or sweet every time they are upset or unhappy about something. This could start a habit that becomes hard to break and can even continue into adulthood, possibly leading to obesity.

At this age, a children appetite may vary from day to day, and parents should make allowances for this. Rather try to force a child to eat, give small portions with option of a little more if desired. The child's appetite may be poor for any of these reasons:

- Teething-gums can be sore and uncomfortable.
- Illness- the child may be unable to explain how it feels in words, but show it by refusing food.
- Assertiveness-children like to assert their independence, and so many refuse to eat even if hungry.

Parents should try to stay calm but firm, and indicate clearly the behavior they expect at the meal table. There is then unlikely to refuse food for long.

Suggested meals for toddlers are given below.

Breakfast:

- Wholegrain, unsweetened sear with milk, and perhaps fruit or yogurt or porridge or
- Boiled, poached and scrambled eggs or
- A small piece of fish or
- A small rasher of bacon and a tomato or
- A small vegetable burger and a tomato or
- Toast of wholemeal bread or
- A small croissant or toasted bun or
- Butter or margarine or
- Yeast extract or a little jam or marmalade or
- Milk, fruit juice or water

Midday Meal

- A small piece of baked or poached fish or
- A small piece of meat or bean stew or
- Cheese or vegetable omelet or
- Salad or
- Mild vegetable or meat curry with vegetables, potatoes and pasta or

lentil and vegetable soup with crusty bread or
- Savory rice with mixed vegetables or
- Fresh fruits, fruit in jelly, fruit crumble and mousse with yogurt

Evening Meal

- Fish cakes, lentil burger or
- Small salad with egg, meat or cheese or
- Small piece of fish in sauce or
- Small piece of pizza and salad or
- Bowl of vegetable soup or
- Small round of sandwich or
- Bowl of mixed 'finger foods', e.g. cheese, cubes, beans, pieces of cucumber, apple. Tomato, dried fruits, celery and carrot sticks, cooked sausage and bean sprouts.
- Baked beans with toast or
- Small piece of cake or yogurt

3 Easy Diets You Can Follow

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There are many diet programs in the world today and many of them require your full attention. But the problem is that people can get so busy that they do not have time to follow these diet programs. The root of this problem is discipline and most people cannot fathom the idea that they have to follow a certain regimen every single day until they see significant changes in the way they look or feel. There are diets, however, that you can use so that you can lose weight even without having to try. Here are 3 easy diets that you can follow.

The water diet - By simply drinking more water, you can increase the chances of losing weight. But you also need to eat less and exercise a little more so that you can sweat out the water you have taken in. Burned fats will travel out with the sweat that you produce during light exercises. The great thing about this diet is that it will also clean out the toxins that you have taken in over the years that you have been eating unhealthy food. Make sure that you drink more water than you are accustomed to. About 10 glasses a day should do the trick.

The soup diet - Heat is one of the best ways to burn the fats that are in your body. Now, the one way to do that without exercising too much is to eat hot cabbage soup. Of course, you need to combine this with other foods because cabbage soup cannot give you the energy that you need to continue throughout your day. A 7 day diet with cabbage soup or other vegetable soups will help you to burn the fats in your body. In fact, you will be able to burn about 10 pounds minimum if you follow this diet strictly. This is one of the 3 easy diets that are sure to work.

Eat less but enough - Diets are great but they don't require you to stop eating completely. You can eat your favorite foods but you should eat them in smaller portions. This will allow you to take in less fat from the foods and you can concentrate on burning the fats that already lying dormant in your belly or your thighs.

Easy Vegan Recipes For Vegetable Side Dishes on Saint Patrick's Day

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Saint Patrick Day is just around the corner so why not take a healthful approach to what you serve with these easy vegan recipes for vegetable side dishes. Celebrating with holiday parties is fun and since there will be plenty of green beer to sip on make sure to include some fresh healthful food for your event.

It's easy and cool to offer shot glasses filled with celery or asparagus soup. Asparagus soup is one of the many easy vegan recipes that you can do the night before and then after work, simply take the soup out of the fridge, fill your shot glasses and serve on Saint Patrick Day.

How about green olive tapenade on a toasted sourdough baguette? For holiday parties on Saint Patrick Day this dip can be made a few days in advance and again, just pull it out of the fridge prior to guest arrival and serve either already topped on the baguette or as one of your vegetable side dishes. (Recipe for olive tapenade can be found on page 83 in Budget Bash.)

Other vegetable side dishes your friends would enjoy on Saint Patrick Day are a cucumber salad with balsamic vinaigrette, Waldorf salad, fennel and mint salad or a cucumber and seaweed salad.

Of course, keeping it vegan and real let's not forget a bowl of edaname either cold or warm with or without salt. All of these easy vegan recipes mentioned for your holiday parties won't take much time and some can be made well in advanced, refrigerated overnight and then quickly transferred into fun and simple serving dishes as vegetable side dishes.

Roasted Asparagus Soup Recipe

2 1/2 lbs. thin asparagus, trimmed & cut into 2" pieces
2 leaks, white & light green parts only, cleaned and finely chopped
2 T. Olive Oil
salt & pepper to taste
2 1/2 C. vegetable broth
Chives for garnish

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. In a heavy roasting pan, combine asparagus, leeks, olive oil, slat and pepper. Mix to combine.

Roast, stirring occasionally, for 30 to 35 minutes or until leeks are golden brown & asparagus are tender.

Transfer the vegetables to a blender and add the broth. Process until completely pureed, taste to adjust seasonings.

Pour soup into shot glasses & garnish with chives if desired.

Waldorf Salad Recipe

3-4 Granny Smith Apples
2 Celery stalks, thinly sliced
4 oz. walnut pieces or pecans chopped
Mixed greens if desired
French vinaigrette dressing

Cut a few slices of apple with the skin on for decoration and then peel and core the rest of the apple and cut into thin strips. Toss the apple slices in lemon juice to prevent apples from turning brown.

Add the chopped celery, apple slices, nuts and mixed greens and toss with French vinaigrette.

French Vinaigrette Dressing Recipe

2 tbs. Dijon mustard
2 tbs champagne vinegar
6 tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Mix ingredients in a cruet and serve with salad.

I hope you found these easy vegan recipes for vegetable side dishes fun to make for your holiday parties on Saint Patrick Day. Until next time, remember the Budget Bash mantra: make it simple, delicious, stylish, fun and economical to all!

Delicious Menu For Low Fat Diet

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It is very easy to follow diet menu without difficult recipes.
Using menu for low fat diet you will be able to loss about 5 kg per week.
Menu for low fat diet is balanced and provide the body with the necessary nutrients and vitamins; it is recommended not to change it if you want to archive good results.

Monday

Breakfast:
oatmeal with pumpkin, tea.

Dinner:
salad of fresh cabbage and carrots.
vegetable soup.

Snack:
mushrooms with potatoes.
apples and plums.

Dinner:
stewed turnips with carrots and onions.
cranberry with sugar, candied peel.

Tuesday

Breakfast
potato pancakes with tomato sauce and mushrooms.
vegetable salad with onions.
coffee or tea.

Dinner
salad of fresh apples, celery and onions.
mushroom soup.

Snack:
vegetable soup
apples

Dinner:
stuffed with rice and mushrooms.
tea with plum jam, candied peel.

Wednesday

Breakfast:
salad of boiled vegetables.
coffee or tea.

Dinner:
fresh beet salad with apples.
vegetable soup.

Snack:
boiled potatoes with tomato sauce, salted of cucumbers
tea

Dinner:
boiled pumpkin
apples and candied peel.
tea.

Thursday

Breakfast:
boiled mushrooms.
oatmeal

Dinner:
salad of fresh turnips and carrots with cranberries
vegetable soup with onions and carrots

Snack:
pumpkin salad with apples, honey and nuts.

Dinner:
fresh beet salad with apples.
vegetable soup.
tea.

Friday

During the day, only water and tea.
Dinner - potatoes and green salad with sour cream. Sandwich with cheese, tea

Saturday

Breakfast:
oatmeal on the water
coffee or tea

Dinner:
salad of fresh carrots with nuts and herbs
radish with onion and sunflower oil
vegetable soup

Snack:
stewed vegetables and salted black mushrooms
baked apples, lightly sprinkled with sugar

Dinner:
boiled potatoes and salad of onions, carrots.
tea and candied peel

Sunday

Breakfast:
oatmeal with sugar
pancakes with onion-garlic sauce or jam of black currants

Dinner:
beet salad with carrot, garlic and parsley
vegetable soup and toast

Snack:
stewed vegetables and salted black mushrooms
baked apples, lightly sprinkled with sugar

Dinner:
salad of fresh cabbage and carrots.
vegetable soup.

It is recommended to consult your doctor before applying any of these diets.

30 Minute Dinner, Homemade Vegetable Beef Soup & Cheesy Corn Muffins - Peach Ambrosia For Dessert

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If you are like most people today, it often feels like you meet yourself coming and going. We live in a busy world yet we want to serve our families delicious, hearty meals and on a budget, no less. It really is possible to do so without much fuss. The following menu gets your meal on the table quickly, won't break your food budget, and it is filling and very tasty. Try Homemade Vegetable Beef Soup in 30 Minutes served with Cheesy Corn Muffins. Finish off your meal with a light touch. Heavenly Peach Ambrosia is just right. This entire quick and easy meal is diabetic friendly!!

HOMEMADE VEGETABLE BEEF SOUP IN 30 MINUTES

1 tbsp olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

3/4 lb. beef sirloin, thinly sliced

32 oz frozen vegetable blend of broccoli, cauliflower and carrots

1 can black-eyed peas*

1 can (14.5 oz) low-sodium beef broth

1 1/4 cups water

1 tsp dried oregano

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic, saute 1 minute. Add beef and continue cooking until browned. Transfer beef to a plate and keep warm. Return the saucepan to heat and add the vegetables, black-eyed peas, broth, water and oregano Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium and simmer, covered, 8-10 minutes. Add the other ingredients back in and heat through for 4-5 minutes.

*Use a can of any type bean you choose.

Note: This soup has an equal amount of carbs and protein.

CHEESY CORN MUFFINS
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 tbsp butter
2 pkgs (8 1/2 oz each) unsweetened corn muffin mix
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

In a small skillet, saute onion in butter until tender; set aside. Prepare muffin mixes according to the package directions; fold in onion. Fill greased muffin tins two-thirds full. Combine sour cream and cheese; drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto each muffin. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or until done. Cool in pan for five minutes before removing.

HEAVENLY PEACH AMBROSIA
3 cups fresh sliced peaches
2 cups blueberries
1 1/3 cups flaked unsweetened coconut

Arrange half of the peaches in the bottom of a clear glass bowl; sprinkle with half the coconut. Add the blueberries and sprinkle with the remaining coconut. Top with the remaining peaches. Chill. Before serving garnish with a little additional coconut, if desired.

Enjoy!

Mini Meals - Small Meals Made Easy

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When you are in a real hurry, need a quick-fix meal or just want something on the smaller side, mini-meals are a great idea.

The variety is endless and can include just simple foods that you have in your fridge or cupboard.

These simple meals can take the edge off if you get really hungry but don't have time for a full meal. Some people also tend to be grazers and eat several smaller meals throughout the day instead of the standard three bigger meals and that's when having a variety of mini-meal ideas ready to go comes in handy.

Here are some ideas for quick and easy mini-meals that are not only delicious but are budget-friendly too.

Cottage Cheese: low-fat cottage cheese is a good base and can be combined with any of the following fruits or veggies (cut into bite-sized pieces) and a sprinkling of chopped nuts like almonds, walnuts, pecans, or hazelnuts.

Here are is a suggested list of fruits and vegetables to add to your cottage cheese.

- Fruit:
blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, apples or applesauce, banana, mandarin oranges, diced mango, peaches or pineapple

spices and sweeteners for fruit: agave syrup, cinnamon, honey, maple syrup, nutmeg

- Veggies:
carrots, celery, chayote squash, cucumber,green beans, jicama, leeks, mushrooms,onions or scallions, frozen, thawed and drained peas, radishes or tomatoes

herbs for veggies: basil, cilantro, dill, oregano, thyme, rosemary

Soup: Soup is a great way to get more vegetables in your diet and if you take a good vegetable soup (either homemade or a store bought variety with natural ingredients) and add a little something extra to it you can have a meal in a bowl in minutes.

Here are some easy additions to try:

-cooked and cubed white or sweet potatoes
-cooked brown or basmati rice
-canned beans (rinsed and drained)
-grilled chicken, grilled salmon
-canned salmon or tuna (drained)
-baked tofu (cut into cubes and add to soup)

Fresh spinach is a nice addition, just stir it into the hot soup and the leaves will wilt into it. You might also like to try fresh chopped herbs like cilantro or basil for a nice topping for the soup. You could also add a small handful of grated fresh cheese.

Pita Sandwich: Here's a simple idea that is so quick and can be made with practically anything you have on hand. I usually mix a few ingredients together, stuff the pita and then add a flavorful topping. Here are some of my favorite stuffings.

- mix together: tuna, a little mayonnaise, celery, tomatoes
topping: chopped fresh basil

- mix together: cooked chicken, low-fat Greek style plain yogurt, cucumbers, sweet red peppers
topping: sprinkling of chopped green olives

- mix together: Oriental style baked tofu, mustard, sliced scallions, water chestnuts
topping: alfalfa or radish sprouts

- mix together: spread some almond butter in the pita on one or both sides and add some diced strawberries or bananas
topping: a sprinkling of cinnamon or drizzle of honey

- mix together: cottage cheese, sliced leeks, capers, tomatoes
topping: walnut pieces

- mix together: cooked ham (diced), mustard, low-fat Swiss cheese cubes, shredded lettuce
topping: a sprinkling of diced apple

- mix together: spread a layer of whipped low-fat cream cheese inside one or both sides of the pita and add a mixture of diced apple and diced celery
topping: a sprinkling of cinnamon

- mix together: canned salmon (drained), thinly sliced red onion, low-fat Greek style plain yogurt, diced sun-dried tomatoes (no oil variety - softened in warm water)
topping: sprinkling of dried dill or chopped fresh dill

- mix together: diced hard-cooked egg, mayonnaise and spicy mustard, diced celery
topping: radish sprouts and grated parmesan cheese

- mix together: basil pesto, sun-dried tomatoes (in oil, drained and chopped), diced black olives, shredded cabbage
topping: crumbled goat cheese

Simple Fruit Combos: Use these combinations and simply place in a bowl and enjoy or place in a container to take to work for a light lunch.

- cantaloupe, honeydew and watermelon cubes combined with crumbled blue or feta cheese

- apples chunks with grapes and gouda cheese

- red and green grapes, celery chunks and goat cheese crumbles

- mango, papaya and sliced almonds

- nectarine and peach slices or chunks tossed in a little low-fat plain or vanilla yogurt topped with crumbled cinnamon graham crackers

- strawberries and blueberries tossed in lemon yogurt with whole grain crackers on the side

Mini Sandwiches (Open-Faced) - whole grain English muffins topped with:

- marinara sauce, thin sliced mushrooms, low-fat cheese slice

- thin layer of tomato paste, basil leaves, cooked chopped shrimp, grated parmesan cheese

- mashed black beans topped with salsa and grated soy cheese

- hummus topped with baby spinach leaves, thin slices of zucchini squash or yellow summer squash, thin slice of beefsteak tomato and salt and pepper to taste

- vegetarian refried beans, thinly sliced tomatoes, thinly sliced cucumbers, vegetarian pepper jack cheese slice

- mashed banana, chopped dates and chopped walnuts

- low-fat mayonnaise, deli turkey slices, romaine lettuce and sweet red pepper slices

Other Quick Mini-Meal Options:

- String Cheese: another simple and quick idea and can be eaten with either sliced or cubed fruit of choice or vegetable sticks using carrots, celery, jicama, sweet peppers, cucumbers or chayote squash

- Fruit or Veggie Skewers: a simple idea and easy to make

For fruit skewers: try apple and pear cubes with green or red grapes skewered on small wooden skewers alternating with cubes of sharp cheddar cheese or choose your favorite fruit and cheese combos

For veggie skewers: try chunks of sweet peppers, cherry or grape tomatoes, mushrooms, zucchini or even summer squash and your favorite cheese

Give these simple ideas a try when you need a quick mini-meal in a hurry.