The benefits of nutrient-dense fruits and vegetables for a healthy diet

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All fruit and vegetables are super foods. They are the nutrient density of the food groups, which have very few calories to pack nutritional punch you. They are rich in fiber, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. You are in fat and calories. They protect against a range of diseases, including cancer. Make fruits and vegetables the main ingredient in the diet provides a lean, healthy body.

You do not have to memorize theseInformation or counting calories. Just be aware, and add nutrient-dense fruits and vegetables with meals for optimum health. The color of each fruit and vegetables is the key to the type of phytochemicals that it contains. Make sure your plate has two or three colors: red tomatoes, green broccoli, purple berries.

Here are some ways to facilitate more of them in your diet;

Add a handful of leafy greens, avocado slices and slices of apple sandwiches.

Food100% vegetable juice.

tomato sauce is an excellent source of phytochemicals. Use in spaghetti sauce, chili, sauces, soups, beans.

Add extra chopped vegetables to soups.

Save the cooking water and add vegetables to the soup. Replace the water in bread and other recipes with vegetables water.
Add dried fruit and vegetables for lunch. The healthy phytochemicals in fruits and vegetables are not affected Cooking, freezing, canning or drying. Dried produce fresh longer fiber. Watch out for sugar content in dried fruit.

Add pureed food dishes: mashed sweet potatoes with cheese and applesauce cakes macaroni replaces some of the fat: the whole fruit puree or vegetable soup.

Make a cake with fruit, sugar-free Angel Food Cake with Strawberries: cobbler and pies: canned peaches and gingerbread: yogurt and fruit.

Top Picks of fruit and> Vegetable Superfoods:

Red tomatoes - contain lycopene that diabetes reduces the risk of cancer, heart disease, osteoporosis and photo chemicals in their flesh to prevent free radicals from damaging joints, muscles and brain cells.

Broccoli - boosts the immune system, strengthening the fight against cancer photochemical Contains vitamin C and folic acid.

Spinach - contains fiber, calcium, vitamins C, A, B6, E, K, andFerro.

Berries - antioxidants, fiber, calcium, vitamin C

Bananas - important for the content of phosphorus.

Cabbage Soup Recipe - Tasty, Healthy, Cheap

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Cabbage soup recipe choices are tasty additions to any table. And cabbage is a super food packed with nutrition that's good for anybody, dieting or not. If you're looking for a way to stretch your food budget, look no further.

Tasty

Cabbage soup has a reputation as a somewhat smelly, stinky, bland sort of concoction. But it isn't necessarily any of those. The taste of soup largely depends on the ingredients including spices, so good soup is dependent on the materials you use.

Try this to get started.

Cabbage Soup Quick and Easy

1 large head of cabbage
1 large bunch celery
2 bunches green onions
1 large can whole tomatoes
2 cans of chicken broth (13 oz)
3 large bell peppers
salt and pepper to taste

Clean all the vegetables, slice, chop, and add in large pot. Add whole tomato, chicken broth and cook on low heat for 15 minutes or until tender.

Healthy

Cabbage is high in calcium, Vitamin C, Vitamin A, and much more. The raw juice is used for colon disorders and is quick acting. The cabbage soup diet is an old quick weight loss plan used to lose 10 pounds in a week. The soup is used as a filler and strict meal plans are provided for each day. Raw in salads, in juices or cooked in soups, cabbage is an important healthy food.

Cheap

There's a reason cabbage is a staple of peasant people in cool climates. Cabbage is easy to grow in cold climates, but not so easy in warm weather where pests attack. Because it's easy to grow and a high yielding crop, it's cheap. Peasant diets often are more nutritious than the processed diets of seemingly more affluent folks. So as you sit down to enjoy cabbage soup spiced just to suit your tastes, wonder what the rich folks are eating.

Healthy Meal Ideas Featuring Fish, Chicken, Turkey, Vegetables and Dessert

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Healthy Meal Ideas

As more people are growing concerned with a healthy diet, more people are starting to look for healthier meal ideas. Healthy meals do not have to be complex or taste terrible. Here are some healthy meal ideas featuring a variety of foods to make your meal planning easier.

Fish Based Healthy Low-Calorie Meals

Fish is an incredibly healthy meat option because of the necessary Omega 3 fatty acids. For those who enjoy it, there are several options for a healthy meal based around fish.

Check out:
• Grilled Tuna Steaks with Salad
• Salmon with Asparagus and Steamed Potatoes
• Tuna Steaks with Cous Cous and Corn on the Cob
• Grilled or Steamed Salmon Seasoned to Taste and Served with a Vegetable Medley

Chicken and Turkey Based Healthy Meals

Chicken and Turkey are far healthier than red meats, and are great alternatives for the people who do not enjoy fish based meals.

Check out these ideas:
• Grilled Chicken with Whole Grain Rice and Steamed Vegetables
• Turkey Casserole with Tomatoes and Sweet Corn
• Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad
• Chicken or Turkey Wraps with Baked Potato
• Chicken or Turkey with Pasta and Steamed Vegetables

Healthy Vegetarian Based Meals

Vegetarian meals are a wonderful way to eat healthy. Even people who are not strictly vegetarian can make a more affordable meal by leaving out the meat component. Since protein and other nutrients found in meat can also come from produce, you don't have to sacrifice nutrition or taste.

Check out these ideas:
• Stir Fry with your choice of vegetables
• Vegetable Curry with Brown Rice
• Fettuccine Alfredo (provided you still eat cheese products)
• Macaroni and Cheese (provided you still eat cheese products)
• Vegetable Soup
• Spaghetti with Marinara

Healthy Meal Tips for Dessert

Even when eating healthy, we are still going to crave sweet foods. This is where fruit salads, yogurt, and healthy whole grain cereals can come in handy. Freeze plain yogurt and top with a fruit medley to mimic ice cream. Try a Jell-O Pudding Snack, or making your own Jell-O parfait.

When choosing your healthy meal options, remember that fruits and vegetables are important. You can eat lots of them without worrying so much about your calorie intake. Consider low fat and low calorie alternatives to things such as butter and whipped cream. This will make your meals more healthy without having to sacrifice on taste!

If you want to get healthy meals on a budget, consider using a wholesale club to purchase your meat items in bulk. This will cut down on the price per pound and you can purchase several nights worth of meals at once.

To save time cooking, you can prepare all the meat together, freezing it until you are ready to use it. Steamed vegetables are available frozen and will steam in the microwave in the bag, so when you're in a pinch you can thaw your cooked chicken, turkey, or fish, and serve it with the microwave steamed vegetables for a healthy snack in a hurry.

Among the diet of fruits and vegetables to your healthy eating program

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You can always count program on fruit and vegetables to your diet. Many people are starting to turn that weight in a diet program to lose effectiveness because of its short. Willing to try these fruits and vegetables, then read the rest of this fund until the end.

Fruits and vegetables are the only thing you need if you want to lose weight. They contain lots of fiber, which is the body's metabolism. HighMetabolism is the natural way our body for all the fat, the effort was to burn us. The fiber also helps prevent the risk of diabetes.

Besides this, a diet that is also safe because it does not contain any chemicals, such as diet pills and do not have to sweat all who are persecuted, only if you exercise. Simply put fruit and vegetable diet is the best way to lose weight really expect when it comes. Thisa diet can also prevent the risk of cancer by about 20%.

If you start to practice it when you need every day, eat five portions of it to: 3 servings of fruit and vegetables. Serves 2 You can use any of your favorite foods, including apples, bananas, watermelon and pineapple. Be sure to get all the fresh fruit, not juicing. Fresh fruits contain more vitamins and fiber than the turningLiquids such as fruit juices.

And for the vegetables, you must take the first losses can lead to a faster tempo of weight. Often make vegetable salad with vegetables and bread as a sandwich or even pouring some 'soup to make it palatable. What can be done, but you get the best result you're looking for. But if you do not like taste, then you can always cooked by boiling in hot water with only the firstadd a pinch of salt for seasoning You can always up broccoli, potatoes, and even include soybeans.

No need to take care needs, hunger, when the diet, take this approach because it takes five servings of fruits and vegetables, your body is energy. At first maybe a little 'harder, but then, of course, the body is able to match.

Rapid Weight Loss Diets - 2 healthy diet plans to keep on track

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Rapid weight loss diets are for people who want to have a sudden change in his body. This type of diet is for people who suffer from depression are so desperate to lose weight or to go. This is also for people who are under the influence of vanity.

"I want to lose weight, now they want Yes, and I mean, I do really, really, I know I'm fat, I do not feel accepted, I feel so depressed, down, helpless, and all the words together. I have a slim body and sexy,adored and looked up. I want to take the smaller size of T-shirt. I want to ... "It 's very common with that of most people who die enough to hold their weight to listen to shed. Being overweight is hard. Your self-esteem and confidence is low. Not more likely to go with you pity yourself, you fear of people will laugh at you. If you are really faced with such difficult decisions in your life. "I have to eat burgers and fries?" I drink Coca Cola or water? Should I eatChocolates? The hardest part is this, if you know what is right, but it's so hard to resist food especially for you with desire for her. You need to know you exercise and eat healthy foods, yet it is so difficult to do.

Losing weight can be a real challenge, especially when you have so many to lose weight. It can be difficult to change a restricted diet of pigging out. However, if you really want to see the best of you, and you leave your self-pity;diet to lose weight quickly are important. It must be a reduction in calories, suppressing appetite, improving metabolism. Do it, you know you need and be willing to sacrifice for himself. It is not the end of the trip, if you lose weight successfully managed. It 's just the beginning for a healthy life you will take a life.

Here are some tips to help you:

The first step is to know your weight and caloric intake. Weigh yourself and get aYour calorie needs by multiplying your weight by 14 (weight in kg × 14). From this point, set a realistic goal. You can not lose 100 pounds in one month, but you can lose 25 or 30 pounds in 1 month. Setting realistic will prevent you from being disappointed. Well done to the real work and determination sufficient to render.
Change your diet, immediately! If you want to lose fat weight. You can not eat pizza or burgers and fries and expect to lose weight quickly. This is not happen if you set a limit. Here are some quick weight loss diets:

1. The 7-day cabbage soup diet plan

can plan to lose 10 pounds for 15, while on a diet of cabbage soup. The recipe includes a low-calorie vegetables such as cabbage, onions and tomatoes.

Day One:

• Eat all fruits, except banana.

• Drink unsweetened tea and water.

• Take as much carbon> Soup as you want.

Second day:

• Eat fresh, raw or cooked vegetables of your choice.

• Avoid eating dried beans, peas and corn. Baked potato with butter for dinner is good.

• Have the soup as to what is being done today, but as a result of not.

Day Three:

• Combine days one and two extra-eat baked potatoes.

Day Four:

• Eat bananas as you want.

• You can drinkSkimmed milk with the soup.

• You must reduce the craving for sweets, that from that date.

Day Five:

• Choose between 300 and 500 grams of beef with fresh tomatoes are great if you like.

• Drink at least 6 to 8 glasses of water to cleanse the body of poison and prevent your hunger suggestion. Have your soup at least once today.

• You should eat grilled or baked chicken instead of beef andMake sure the skin is removed.

Day Six:

Eat meat and vegetables today with your soup.

Day Seven:

• You can brown rice, unsweetened fruit juices, vegetables, and on that day.

• Have your soup at least once a day. No bread and Coca-Cola.

2. Oatmeal Diet

• on the basis of oatmeal nutrition, has been promoted to lose weight in the way of reducingCholesterol and reduce the risk of certain cancers.

• cereals and oatmeal cookies you can eat every day.

Do you really forgot your old body and get rid of unwanted fat? You have to try fast weight loss diets. This, in one way or the other side is so much to benefit from your appearance to your health. However, it is possible only if and when you are ready to give unnecessary personal sacrifice on your hunger pangs,and are determined to achieve your desired goal. It will be difficult to go through the process, but to see the result after several weeks is worth it.

Cabbage soup recipe - delicious, healthy, economically

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Cabbage soup recipe choices are tasty additions to the table. And cabbage is a super food rich in nutrition, not good for anyone, or diet. If you are looking for a way to stretch the food budget, look no further studied.

Tasty

Cabbage soup has a reputation as a bit 'musty, smelly, stale beer genre. But it is not necessarily so. The flavor of the soup depends largely on ingredients such as spices, soup is so gooddepending on materials used.

Try this to start.

Cabbage soup easy

1 large cabbage
1 large bunch celery
2 bunches scallions
1 large can whole tomatoes
2 cans chicken broth (13 ounces)
3 large bell peppers
Salt and pepper to taste

Clean all the vegetables cut, chop, and add in large flat. Add whole tomatoes, chicken broth and cook over low heat for 15 minutes or until tender.

Healthy

Kohl'srich in calcium, vitamin C, vitamin A, and more. The raw juice is used for intestinal diseases and is fast. The cabbage soup diet is an old quick weight loss plan to lose 10 pounds in one week. The soup is a filler used strict meal plans and day are provided in each case. Raw in salads, cooked in soups or fruit juice, the carbon is important to eat healthy.

Budget

There's a reason coal is a staple of country people in cold climates. Kohl'seasy to grow in cold climates, but not so easy in the hot season when attacking pests. Because it is easy to grow and a good harvest, it is cheap. Bauer diets often more nutritious than processed diets apparently rich people. Just as you sit down to enjoy cabbage soup seasoned to your taste alone, I wonder what they eat the rich.

Summer soups - a healthy choice for weight loss surgery Dieters

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Summer is a time of abundance of locally grown vegetables at affordable prices. The heat in summer and fall in farm stands dot America's streets as local producers of berries to bring the public a large variety of fresh grown vegetables, fruits e. The people control their weight with bariatric weight loss surgery (WLS) can qualify for a stop at the soup stand for farm fresh vegetables to make healthy

A recent study by the PennsylvaniaState University shows that people who diet, a bowl of soup every day in their diet lost more weight and a healthy weight than those who do not want to enjoy their soup. A home-made nutrients as a vegetable soup- energy-density diet that is low and high in fiber and vitamins. These are "low energy", because the calories (energy) in the food industry compared to the volume of food are low. For example, a 1-cup servingvegetable stock is rarely more than 100 calories, depending on the amount of fat used in preparing the other hand, a 1-cup serving of ice cream contains 300 calories, making it a high energy density foods with little nutritional value.

The study found that the soup as an appetizer or a snack mid-morning or afternoon will fill the number want more calories in a day of rest. It is assumed that helps soup saturationbecause the fiber from vegetables slows digestion. In addition, carbohydrates from vegetables, homemade soup tends to be low glycemic and not affect the response to glucose in the same manner processed simple carbohydrates do. As a result of our metabolic process is continuous and we do not feel a power surge or drop, which is often experienced while eating simple carbohydrates.

Many patients undergoing weight loss surgery complain of "carb cravings" that consumption of a cup-1Serve the soup is an effective way to stop cravings, and feelings of the crop "head hunger". People who eat "head hunger" with simple carbohydrates tend to be processed significantly more calories without satisfying hunger to eat them. This ultimately leads to weight gain, even after weight loss surgery.

A good homemade vegetable soup can be put together quickly and takes up to a week refrigerated. Consider making soup as a series of layers, fromSavory onions and garlic. Heat a healthy unsaturated fats such as olive oil or peanut oil over medium heat. Add chopped onion and a clove of minced garlic and cook, stirring, until soft and translucent. When the cook onion and garlic, wash and cut vegetables for selected small soup. Fresh vegetables in season, and flawless. Vegetables, soup is good in fresh zucchini and summer squash, tomatoes, green beans, Carrots, beets, spinach, Chinese cabbage, onions and fresh herbs. Fill the pot with as many vegetables as you want, add the herbs in the last minutes of cooking.

For liquids with low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth Add, tomato juice, spices such as V8 vegetable juices diluted with water. Boil the vegetables and liquid until the vegetables are soft and just to combine flavors. For patients weight loss surgery, a thick> Soup is desired, more compact and offer a meal to avoid a "slider foods", the bag slipped through the stomach too quickly. Parts carefully measuring 1-cup serving and this should be eaten in 15 minutes or less. Under plenty to eat more soup to bring higher consumption and a reduced sensation.

In general, 1 cup of vegetable soup that is needed is a supply of fiber and 3 grams of protein and 15 grams of carbohydrates than healthyUse vegetable ingredients such as vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. While our food carefully weight loss surgery is to eat a diet rich in protein, freshly prepared vegetable soup is a healthy food supplement that diet. System of vegetables are known and the risk of many cancers, heart disease, stroke, and strengthen the immune system. For many people with weight loss surgery or raw salad can cause stomach upset, but most of the WLSPatients report a high tolerance for vegetable soup.

Eating Grains - The Healthy Alternative

Nothing can beat the versatility of the humble grain. The next time you are looking for an entrée or a side dish with a twist, look no further than brown rice, wild rice, quinoa, barley or bulgur wheat.

Excellent sources of vitamins, protein, dietary fiber and iron; these grains pack a nutritional wallop. Moreover, each grain has its own distinct flavor and characteristic, making them nutritious and tasty as well.

All five types of grain are adaptable enough to be added to any dish. Using the same recipe, just use a different type of grain and you've got a dish that tastes completely different. Mix and match the different grains for a unique flavor every time. Couscous and quinoa go together very well and so do wild rice and brown rice. Experiment away! You've got nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Try some of these ideas to incorporate these grains into your diet.

Adding ¼ cup cooked wild rice or brown rice when cooking tomato or vegetable soup will give the soup fullness and flavor.

For breakfast try cooking brown rice or bulgur wheat in a combination of ¼ cup apple juice and ¾ cup water. Sprinkle cinnamon and nutmeg over the hot cooked rice for a deliciously wholesome breakfast.

When making the recipe for meat chili, replace 1 pound of wheat with 1 cup dry bulgur. Sauté the bulgur along with the other vegetables and onion. When you finish sautéing, add liquid and let the chili cook on a slow fire till it thickens.

Here's a hearty side dish that goes well with turkey or chicken. Sauté ½ cup mushrooms and ½ cup onions in I teaspoon olive oil in a non-stick frying pan. Add two cups low-fat, chicken broth and bring the mixture to boil on high fire. Add 1 cup barley to the boiling mixture, stir and reduce heat. Cover the pan and let it simmer for at least 45 minutes. Enjoy!

Bulgur Wheat
Delicious and easy to prepare, bulgur wheat is the main ingredient in the tabbouleh, a Middle Eastern salad that is fast gaining popularity all over the world. It is often used to replace ground beef in vegetarian cuisine, giving the vegetable chili a texture similar to that of ground beef but with far less fat and much more fiber.

Barley
A kernel-shaped, mild-flavored grain, barley is often used for thickening soups and stews and is a great addition to casseroles comprising of winter vegetables such as root vegetables, carrots and onions.

Wild Rice
Not really rice at all, wild rice is the seed of a grass grown in Minnesota. Because of its overpowering flavor, wild rice is usually combined with other grains before serving. It is delicious when used in different kinds of soups.

Couscous
Couscous is actually tiny pasta that is made from fine semolina wheat. It is easy to prepare and makes a deliciously airy bed for fish or chicken kebab.

Quinoa
Its superb nutty aroma and taste make it great for use in soups, salad, pilaf and a variety of side dishes.

Brown Rice
Brown rice is basically just unpolished rice. Using it in any recipe that calls for rice, increases the fiber content of the dish instantly.

Healthy Breakfast Ideas for Busy People

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Breakfast is the most important meal of the day! Or is it? This is the type of advice that everyone takes for granted, but in reality, most people make breakfast the WORST meal of the day because they eat food that causes them to gain fat and lose muscle. Here's some healthy breakfast ideas to start your day off on a good foot.

The Problem With Breakfast

So why do I think that people are going about breakfast all wrong? Well, let's take a look at what most people eat for breakfast during the week, when we are rushing around to get ready to go to work:

Cereal and milk

And here's what we eat on the weekends, when we go out for breakfast or make a big one at home:

Pancakes and syrup

So what's wrong with this picture? Well, sugars and other refined carbohydrates such as cereals and flour have been found to cause insulin resistance, a state in which the body is continually storing fat away in the body, day and night. So if you want to start the day healthy, make sure you ditch these types of foods.

Breakfast Ideas for the Weekdays

First of all, many people aren't hungry in the morning and force themselves to eat anyway. This is wrong. You need to listen to your body and only eat when you are hungry. You shouldn't feel guilty about skipping breakfast.

That being said, if you are hungry in the morning, it's important that you start the day out with real, whole, unprocessed foods. That means cereal is out, so what are you to eat? Since you are in a hurry, it's probably best to make breakfast the night before, or to make a big batch of food earlier in the week that you can warm up. Here's some of my favorites:

Last night's leftovers: Most people are weirded out by the thought of eating dinner for breakfast, but if you made a healthy meal emphasizing unprocessed meats and vegetables, it will be just as good in the morning.
Hard-boiled eggs: Most people don't eat enough protein in the morning and therefore feel hungry in just a couple hours. Hard boil a dozen eggs at a time and you'll have a quick breakfast ready to go at a moment's notice in the refrigerator.
Fruit: Berries and cream, melon and cottage cheese, even just a half of a grapefruit are all excellent ways of getting plenty of vitamins and antioxidants first thing in the morning.

By avoiding the sugars and processed carbs that are so common in most breakfasts and making it ahead of time, you will be able to start the day off right with these healthy breakfast ideas.

Healthy Miso Soup Recipe

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I am a purist when it comes to eating. I have eliminated processed foods from my life and have accomplished this by experimenting with various recipes and flavors. To my delight, it has been simpler than I thought to eat clean. But, like anyone, I also like my meals to taste great. This soup recipe is a Japanese classic. It is full of pure ingredients and simple to prepare.

Miso soup contains the lately controversial ingredient, soy. Recently some negative press has surfaced about soy. It is important to note though that the soy products that have been shown to be a potential health issue is adulterated soy. It is important that you stick to eating organic, non-GMO soy. This is "safe" soy. Steer clear of processed soy products and foods that are not organic including those that are contained in supplements.

Organic soy contains phytochemicals and is such a beneficial food. It has been proven to have a profound benefit to human health. Soy promotes healthy bones and heart health. It can relieve or eliminate menopausal symptoms and has been shown to prevent cancer.

Soy beans are rich in protein. They are the only vegetable source that contains all of the essential amino acids. Soy beans are chock full of calcium, iron, zinc, phosphorus, magnesium, B-vitamins, omega 3 fatty acids and fiber. Enjoy soy in this easy recipe.

Ingredients:
2 - 4 tablespoons organic white miso paste (to taste)
2 - 3 ounces firm tofu (2 handfuls), chopped into 1/3-inch cubes
a handful of well washed organic baby spinach
2 green onions, tops removed and thinly sliced
a small handful of chopped cilantro or dried cilantro to taste
a pinch of red pepper flakes

Method:
Boil 4 cups of water in a medium sauce pan. Once boiling, remove the pan from the heat. In a separate small bowl, pour some of the hot water. Whisk it together with the miso paste to thin it out. This will keep the miso paste from becoming lumpy. When the miso paste is dissolved, stir the bowl of dissolved miso back into the larger pot. Taste it. Slowly add more miso by using the same method. A little bit at a time until the soup has the miso flavor you like. This process will become second nature after a couple of tries. You will get to know exactly how much miso to add each time you prepare this soup.

Miso paste comes in lots of different varieties. You may choose to vary the types of miso that you use. Some miso pastes are not as salty as others. Again, trial and error is important with this broth. If the miso you like is not salty, you can make it taste saltier by adding some sea salt, soy sauce or Bragg's to your broth to taste.

Once the broth for this easy recipe is developed, add in the tofu, remove the soup from the heat and let it sit for a minute or two. Then add the baby spinach, cilantro and red pepper flakes and serve.

Serves 2 - 3.

The Healthy Weight Loss Diet For Vegans

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Even though one does not eat meat it does not mean to say that you won't gain weight. Vegans that are overweight need a healthy weight loss diet and here are a few tips to help you on your way to health and happiness:

• One needs to control the amount of food intake as an average serving should be half a cup which will be a certain amount of calories. For the first six months try and avoid eating out in restaurants as they usually serve huge portions of food or just eat your required portion and take the rest home.

• Male sure you eat breakfast every day as this will keep your blood sugars stable as well as eliminate sugar cravings. Your breakfast should consist of high protein and low calories such as a scrambled tofu with spinach and soy and include a slice of toast with a cup of herbal tea. Or you could have a bowl of muesli with fresh fruit and soy milk.

• For lunch you can have a salad that contains onions, tomatoes, cucumber, tofu, dark greens, olives and nuts and have this with whole grain crackers. Make up your own salad dressing by using olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

• For dinner you can alternate with a tofu casserole or any of the soy products such as patties, sausages or soy mince. Include lots of vegetables such as mushrooms, broccoli, pumpkin etc. or make yourself a large pot of vegetable soup of which you can have a small serving every evening in addition to your main meal. Have a fruit salad for desert.

Make sure in between your healthy weight loss diet you eat snacks such as nuts, dried fruit or raw vegetables. Make your diet has adequate vitamin, minerals and especially Vitamin B12 and D.

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!

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.

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

Stay Healthy Over Christmas/Hanukkah/New Year's in 5 Easy Steps

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Well it is nearly the end of November, and like it or not, Christmas/Hanukkah/New Year is looming on the horizon for many of us. For those of us who do not celebrate it in our homes, there are still social engagements, office parties and meals to contend with. Each year we are squeezed into making more effort, buying more presents and more food than before.

There can be weeks of December and New Year where a constant stream of drinks and nibbles if offered where ever we go, our classes and gyms are closed when we want them, and at the same time, we are expected to look fabulous and cheerful all of the time. Well I say ENOUGH! We can socialize and have fun at this time of the year without having to compromise our healthy lifestyles. Here are five ways to survive the season of gluttony;

1. Keep to your exercise schedule; it is tempting to let the dark nights, cold mornings, endless chores, shopping, and preparation get in the way of your usual exercise routine whether that is classes, gym, home routines, or walking programmes. Make sure that you mark in your diary the times that you will be exercising and stick to them as if they are an appointment with somebody special- your body deserves not to be neglected. Anyway, for once the gym will be empty and you can stay on the running machine for as long as you like!

2. Stick to your healthy eating plan; just because the supermarket shelves are groaning under the weight of Belgian chocolates and bumper packets of Pringles doesn't mean you HAVE to buy them. Ignore the special offers; don't buy 3 of something you would never usually buy just because it is festive, and NEVER walk through the Christmas food section! Keep your cupboards stuffed with healthy things. Don't forget that this is the best time of the year for citrus, so if you want something Christmassy then buy a huge pack of satsumas or clementines.

3. Watch out for what you drink. There may be parties, drinks after work, meals out, and social visits; for many people this will involve drinking more alcohol/mixers/soft drinks than usual. As we have discussed before, these drinks may have a detrimental effect on our weekly calorie intake.

o Make sure that you eat before you go out drinking- hunger can lead to drinking too much too quickly.

o Make your first drink a sparkling mineral water- this ensures that thirst doesn't make you gulp your drink down.

o Match each alcoholic drink for a glass of water to stay hydrated and ensure that you don't drink too much.

o If you do not drink, still watch out for soft drinks which are high in calories. Mix fruit juice with sparkling water, or drink water with a slice of lemon or lime.

o Choose a spirit such as vodka and drink with plenty of fresh fruit juice or cranberry. Drink white wine spritzers, or make a luxury Bucks Fizz with good quality fresh orange juice and sparkling wine.

4. Watch out for what you eat; here are some ideas for healthier alternatives to party snacks:

Swap Belgian chocs for Dark Chocolate-covered Brazil nuts (rich in selenium and other antioxidants).

Swap Peanuts for Unsalted seed and nut mix: almonds, brazils, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, soya nuts, hazelnuts- all rich in essential fatty acids. These will do you good, but don't go mad, even good fats will contribute to weight gain in excess.

Swap Crisps (aprox 33% fat)for Japanese rice crackers (often almost fat free), salted pretzels 3% fat or less (not the flavoured ones).

Swap Little pastry snacks (mini-quiches, vol-au-vents, cheese straws etc) for Margarita Mini-pizzas, blinis/mini oat cakes with smoked salmon and half-fat cream cheese, bread sticks.

Swap Crisps with dips (sour cream and chive, blue cheese etc)for hummus or low-fat yoghurt with onion and herbs. Make vegetable batons or bread sticks for dipping. Avoid creamy and cheesy dips,

5. Enjoy yourself, have little bits of what you want, but EXERCISE RESTRAINT. You do not have to go crazy just because everyone else is. You will feel much better going to bed without that horrible stretched feeling in your belly. Try serving or choosing green salad or vegetable soup before the main meal to suppress your appetite and discourage over eating. Buy small amounts of quality treats rather than the huge bags and boxes of special offer stuff. If it is there in huge quantities, you can bet you will eat in huge quantities.

Well you may scream Bah Humbug at me, but I know how hard this time of the year can be for people; hopefully by keeping ourselves in check and searching for healthy alternatives, we can all emerge in January still healthy, fit and happier than the people who bought the bumper packs of Pringles.

Do you have any friends and family who could benefit from getting fitter and feeling better? If you do, then treat them to free copy of this newsletter, forward it to them, and get them to e-mail me with a request. E-mail getfitter@yahoo.co.uk subject: newsletter request. Would you like to bring health into the workplace? Get fitter now offers a corporate package, including yoga classes/courses, Nutrition seminars, conference breaks, Company Wellness days and Healthy Friday a monthly wellness event. Please visit http://www.corporatechill.com

The information contained in the Get fitter Newsletter is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for the advice of or treatment that may be prescribed by your physician. Before adhering to any recommendations or undertaking any exercise program or diet regimen, you should consult your physician.

Fight Colds And Flu With Healthy Food

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Your food and healthy lifestyle choices boost your immune system, and that can prevent you from coming down with colds and flu. The key is not waiting until you get sick to make these changes; you need to revamp your diet and lifestyle before the cold and flu bugs hits you.

Drink lots of water, eat a healthy balanced diet supplemented with a whole food supplement for extra protection, exercise often and get restful sleep.

Eat More Fruits and Vegetables

You know you need to eat lots of fruits and vegetables. The problem with this age - old phrase is that people tend to like the fruits more than the veggies. If you really hate a certain vegetable it's probably not going to do you a lot of good if you have to force yourself to eat it. To keep your immune system strong, you have to actually get the fruits and veggies in your body, you have to make it happen.

People tend to eat fewer fruits and vegetables in the winter, which is the opposite of what you should be doing. Everyone needs at least five servings of fruits and vegetables every day to get adequate vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants -- all things we need for a healthy immune system.

Make sure that fruits and vegetables are part of every meal. You can add berries or a sliced banana to your whole grain cereal at breakfast and drink a glass of 100% orange or grapefruit juice. Pack a bunch of grapes or an apple with your sandwich for lunch, and top that sandwich with tomato slices, avocado, sprouts and lettuce. Start dinner off with a salad or vegetable soup, or serve a big salad as a healthy dinner. Keep a bowl of oranges, apples and pears on your counter top to grab as quick snacks.

Keep Up Your Healthy Diet

While you want to focus on increasing the amount of fruits and vegetables you eat, don't forget to choose other healthy foods to supply nutrients your immune system needs. A healthy balanced diet with lean meats, fish, poultry, low-fat dairy, legumes, whole grains, nuts and seeds provides your body with all of the nutrients you need for general health. A healthy body tends to have a healthier immune system.

Protein sources such as lean meats, dairy, eggs and legumes are especially important because they supply the amino acids that your body needs to build the components of your immune system. Lean meats also contain iron and zinc; deficiencies of these minerals can depress your immune system.

Of course, avoiding unhealthy food is important too. Stay away from excess sugar and unhealthy fats, such as saturated fat and trans fats. Make a real effort to give up the Mc Junk meals. Keep healthy snacks handy so you won't be so tempted to eat less healthy options. Try dried fruit or trail mix.

If the cold or flu bug bites here's a daily menu based on experts' recommendations:

Breakfast

Orange juice or half a grapefruit. Both are great sources of vitamin C, which could shorten the duration of colds.

Whole-grain cereal or bread. Whole grains are rich in vitamins and minerals, including zinc and vitamin E, which can help keep your immune system healthy.

Black tea. Real tea leaves (not herbal) have substances that speed the action of cilia, the tiny hairlike cells lining your nasal pas-sages, helping them expel germs.

Mid-morning snack

Yogurt with fresh fruit.

Lunch

Chicken soup. Nebraska researchers used a traditional recipe they called "Grandma's Soup," which had veggies like onions, parsnips, and carrots, along with chicken. But most of the commercial varieties they tested reduced inflammation, too. For even more protection, add a clove or two of garlic.

Anise-seed cookie. Anise seeds, with their licorice-like flavor, have been found to help break up congestion.

Dinner

Salad of bitter greens. Watercress and arugula can make a salad special-and research shows they may also have antiviral effects. Bitter greens are especially helpful in relieving chest congestion, sniffles, and coughs.

Pasta with tomato sauce and plenty of garlic. Because the pungent bulb is one of the most potent disease-fighting foods around, it's worth having at least two servings a day. Raw garlic has the most benefits, but cooked garlic also packs a punch.

Ginger tea. It's different and refreshing-and ginger is loaded with virus-fighting substances, including several that act directly against cold viruses."(One substance, gingerol, can suppress coughing.) Boil water; then steep a tablespoon of fresh shredded ginger for 2 or 3 minutes.

Honey and lemon drink: for a bedtime drink that helps to soothe sore throats and coughing - squeeze the juice of a lemon into a mug of hot water and add a teaspoon of honey, stir to dissolve.

Baked Vegetables Recipes For a Healthy Diet

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Vegetables are healthy. It revitalizes our immune system and other organs of the body. Here are healthy baked vegetable recipes you can try at home.

Easy Creamy Baked Asparagus
Ingredients:
¼ cup Peppercorn Ranch Dressing
½ cup RITZ Cheese Crackers, coarsely crushed
1 pound trimmed asparagus spears
2 tablespoon KRAFT Parmesan Cheese, shredded

Directions:
Heat the oven to 350oF. Cook asparagus in large pot of boiling water from 2 to 3 minutes. Drain when it becomes bright green. Add asparagus with dressing in 1 and ½ to 2-quarts baking bowl. Sprinkle with cheese and cracker crumbs. Bake for about 10 to 15 minutes. Wait until the cheese is lightly browned.

Baked Cabbage
Ingredients:
3 cup shredded red cabbage
3 tablespoon light brown sugar
1/4 cup seedless raisins
1/4 cup cider vinegar
½ thinly sliced red onion

Directions:
Heat the oven up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. In a 2-quart shallow baking dish, mix vinegar and sugar. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Add and mix cabbage, onion, and raisins with vinegar and sugar. Cover and bake for 20 minutes. Stir after 10 minutes.

Herbed Grilled Vegetables
Ingredients:
¼ cup minced fresh herbs like basil, rosemary and oregano
1 small eggplant, slice into ¼ inch slices
½ teaspoon salt
1 red, green and yellow bell pepper, slice into ¼ inch slices
2 Italian squash, slice lengthwise and into ¼ inch pieces

Directions:
Combine herbs in a small bowl. Leave it for at least 3 hours. Place egg plant in a large strainer. Sprinkle salt into it. Let it drain for an hour. Remove the grill from barbecue and heat to medium. Spray grill with nonstick cooking spray. Lightly spray vegetables with cooking spray. Sprinkle it with herb mixture. Place grill on barbecue and cook for about 10 to 15 minutes. Wait until the grill is crisp-tender and lightly browned on both sides.

Glazed Carrots
Ingredients:
4 cups (8 medium) carrots, sliced in to ¼ slices
½ cup water
½ cup dry white wine
2 teaspoons margarine
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons brown sugar

Directions:
Cook the primary 5 ingredients in a large skillet over a medium heat for 12 to 15 minutes. See to it that the liquid has evaporated. Reduce heat from medium to low. Stir the lemon juice and brown sugar. Cook for 5 minutes. Occasionally stir it until the carrots are glazed.

Baked Penne with Roasted Vegetables
Ingredients:
1 yellow onion, peeled and sliced into 1 inch strips
1 pound penne pasta
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 cup minced fontina cheese
1 and ½ cups thawed frozen peas
1/4 cup grated Parmesan, added with 1/3 cup for topping
½ cup shredded smoked mozzarella
1 tbsp dried Italian herb mix or herbs de Provence
2 tablespoons butter, slice into small pieces
2 red peppers, slice into 1 inch wide strips
2 medium-sized summer squash, slice into 1 inch cubes
3 cups marinara sauce
2 zucchini, slice into 1 inch cubes
Halve 4 cremini mushrooms

Directions:
Heat the oven up to 450F. On a baking pan, mix the squash, peppers, mushrooms, zucchini, and onions with dried herbs, ½ teaspoon salt, olive oil, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Bake until it becomes tender for 15 minutes. Then set aside. Cook pasta in boiling salted water for about 6 minutes. Make sure that it's just enough for it to soften a bit. Then drain. Put the drained pasta in a large bowl. Mix with peas, roasted vegetables, marinara sauce, cheeses, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Set the pasta in a clean pan. Then top it with 1/3 cup Parmesan and butter pieces. Bake it for about 25 minutes until cheese melts.

Create a List of Healthy Snacks When Dieting

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Creating a list of healthy snacks is useful when you are dieting. Once you've developed your list, go to the grocery store and buy these easy to make foods. Stocking your pantry with tasty low calorie snacks is an important success ingredient for dieting. The reason is that you'll be a lot less likely to dine out or order in for pizza if the supplies you need to make a quick and healthy meal or snack are right at hand.

For instance, low fat microwave popcorn. Only 25 calories a serving, this can "tide you over" until the next meal. Also serves as a crunchy, salty snack when that urge hits. While fruits and vegetables of all sorts top the list of healthy snacks, here is a list of the kinds of foods you'll always want to have on hand:

o Frozen vegetables
o Pre Washed Greens
o Canned tomatoes
o Canned beans
o Whole grain wrap supplies
o Pre cooked grilled chicken breasts
o Pre cooked brown rice

As you can see, you could easily create several different meals or snacks with this combination of foods. Wrap the chicken breasts and greens for a healthy sandwich. Put a pot of canned tomatoes, canned beans, and frozen vegetables along with a couple of cups of water for a great vegetarian vegetable soup. Or, warm up the grilled chicken breasts and brown rice accompanied with a salad of fresh greens and you've got a complete meal.

I personally am lazy when it comes to snacks. It's really easy to open a bag of chips or box of cookies. I like fruit, but find that some of my favorite produce is hard to eat. For instance, I won't go to the trouble of eating an apple whole or even cutting it up. But when I buy prewashed, cut apple slices, I happily substitute them for prepackaged snacks.

Creating a list of healthy snacks is a great way to jumpstart your diet.

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]

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!).