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Sunday, July 25, 2010

Nut Butter Brownies

1 cup of almond butter
1/2 cup of maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
1 egg

Bake at 350 for 25-30 mins (usually mine are done at 25 mins)

Sunday, July 18, 2010

Spinach Casserole

Spinach Casserole
2 large eggs
1 C unsweetened almond milk
1 C 100% whole wheat flour
8 oz. spinach
1 tsp. baking powder
2 C organic cheddar cheese, shredded (not for Candida diet)

In a large bowl, mix together the flour and baking powder.
Add the eggs and milk and mix well. Next, stir in the spinach.
Then add the organic cheese. Pour into a greased 9x9 glass baking dish.
Bake at 350 for 40 minutes, until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Ground Turkey and Peppers with Noodles

Ground Turkey and Peppers with Noodles
Olive oil
1 cup chopped onion and green onions
1 bell pepper (red or yellow preferred), chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
Sea Salt
1 lb ground turkey
1 teaspoon chipotle powder or chili powder (or to taste)
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley or cilantro


1 Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a large skillet on medium high heat. Add the chopped onions and bell pepper and cook until onions and peppers are softened, a couple minutes. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds more.

2 Push the vegetables to the edge of one side of the pan and position that side of the pan so that it is off the burner, away from the heat. The empty part of the pan should be right over the burner. Add one or two more tablespoons of oil to coat the empty part of the pan. Put crumpled chunks of ground turkey in the pan, sprinkle with sea salt and chipotle or chili powder.

3 Cook the turkey without stirring until it is browned on one side, then turn the pieces over to brown the other side. Once the turkey is just cooked through, stir in the onions and peppers, and sprinkle with more salt and chili powder to taste. Remove from heat. Stir in fresh chopped parsley or cilantro.

Serve with gluten free noodles. One of my favorite brands is Tinkyada Pasta Joy - Fettucini Style Brown Rice (Wheat Free & Gluten Free noodles.

Saturday, July 10, 2010

Summer Squash Salad

Summer Squash
extra virgin olive oil
lemon juice
toasted pine nuts

Using a vegetable peeler, shave ribbons of summer squash; toss with extra virgin olive oil, fresh lemon juice, and toasted pine nuts.

Crab Salad - Stuffed Avocados

1/3 cup of mayonnaise
2 tablespoons chopped herbs(basil, tarragon or chives)
1 teaspoon of lemon juice
a pinch of pepper
2 chopped cloves of garlic
pinch of sea salt
8 ounces of lump crab meat
1/2 cup chopped celery
4 pitted avocado halves

In a large bowl wisk together mayonnaise, herbs, lemon juice and a pinch of pepper. Using a flat side of a knife smash with a pinch of sea salt; wisk the paste into the mayonnaise mixture. Stir in the crabmeat and celery. Divide the crab salad among the avocado halves.
**I like to use a recipe for mayonnaise...see below for recipe**
Mayonnaise Recipe
1-Egg
½-tsp. Sea Salt
1-Tbsp. Lemon Juice
1-tsp. Dry Mustard
1-Cup Oil

Blend egg, salt, lemon juice, mustard, and ¼ cup oil in a blender then slowly add the remaining oil.
You may add Dill or other spices to taste.
Use Sunflower, Safflower, or Canola Oil, they taste better.

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Can Your Multivitamin Help You Slim Down?

Can Your Multivitamin Help You Slim Down?
By Emily Sohn, July/August 2010
New science suggests taking a multivitamin may help you lose weight.
There’s still no magic pill for weight loss, but taking a multivitamin might be the secret to a slimmer you.
In a new study of more than 85 obese women in China, those who took a multivitamin (with 29 vitamins and minerals, much like a “one-a-day” you find on store shelves), while continuing to eat their normal diets, lost an average of about three and a half pounds over six months. Those who took a placebo lost nothing.
The findings, reported in February 2010 in the International Journal of Obesity, add to a growing field of research that links vitamins and minerals to weight loss. A study published in 2008 in the British Journal of Nutrition, for example, found that dieting obese men and women who took a multivitamin and mineral supplement lost the same amount of weight as dieters who took a placebo during a 15-week calorie-restricted eating plan. But the female supplement-takers reported feeling less hungry, said lead author Angelo Tremblay, Ph.D., an obesity researcher at Laval University in Quebec City. Being less hungry might make it easier to keep the weight off, says Tremblay.
Scientists don’t yet know exactly which vitamins and minerals have the biggest influence over appetite and weight control. Calcium seems to help: a number of clinical trials have shown that consuming 1,200 milligrams of calcium a day can boost weight loss in dieters by up to 60 percent, possibly by binding to fat in the gastrointestinal tract, which reduces how much fat the body absorbs. The weight-loss benefits of calcium supplements, however, appear to work best for people who aren’t already getting enough of the mineral. But other nutrients seem to be helpful, too: women in the Chinese study who took multivitamins lost more weight than those who took a supplement that contained only calcium—in the same amount provided by the multivitamin.
One plausible theory as to why multivitamins might help promote weight loss, suggests Tremblay, is that when your body is low on vitamins and minerals, your appetite fires up—prompting you to eat more to replenish the nutrients you’re missing. By staying topped off with nutrients, on the other hand, it may be possible to keep a runaway appetite under control.
Nutrition experts say it’s best to get nutrients from food, but when dieters cut back on calories they are more likely to miss the mark on some nutritional requirements. So although a supplement on its own won’t melt the pounds away, it can help ensure that vitamin and mineral deficiencies aren’t contributing to extra weight.

Monday, July 5, 2010

Turkey Meatballs

Turkey Meatballs

1 package ground turkey

1 jalapeno (I use a fresh jalapeno, rather than the canned variety)

1/2 medium green or red bell pepper

1/2 c. oatmeal

1/8 c. “hot” salsa (I used Rotel)

1/2 c. egg whites

2 cloves of garlic

sea salt & white pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients into a large serving bowl. Divide into 12 muffin tins and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Couldn’t be easier! Now go eat!

Nutrition facts: Serving size 1 muffin (61 g)

Cal 60

Just 5 steps to get started!

So you’re ready to get started with a healthy diet and exercise plan, but you’re not sure where to begin? I have 5 steps to get started. You may have implemented some of these already:

1) Food diary: Keep an honest and accurate record of everything you put in your mouth including timing of meals, exercise, & sleep. Even if you “cheat”, be honest. This isn’t a failure; it’s an opportunity to learn about triggers that make it difficult for you to succeed.

2) Do it in the morning! Perform 30 minutes of pre-meal cardio each day. No excuses! You have to get up too early? Fine, then get up a little bit earlier.

3) Zero rule: the number of calories you consume each day should be your weight, with a zero on the end. For example, if you weigh 125, your daily caloric intake should be 1250. Are you very active? Then add 150 calories. (There are other, more complicated & much more scientific methods for calculating daily caloric requirements, but to begin, this is the simplest & most effective.)

4) Eat on the clock! Set a timer and eat every 3 hours, even if you’re not hungry. Take your total caloric intake, divide by 6 and eat that many calories at each meal.

5) Drink up! Drink a non-caloric beverage with each meal. If you normally drink soda, coffee with sugar & cream, juice or some other beverage that packs on calories, switch to water instead. Other options include diet sodas (not my first choice however); green tea, or crystal light. Green teas are also available in flavored varieties & they may be sweetened with Splenda or Spevia. As an added bonus, green tea is also thermogenic! The important thing is NON-CALORIC! Don’t drink your calories.

How do these sound to you? Are you already following these 5 simple steps? Do any sound too difficult or unrealistic for you to perform? Identify the hurdles to your success on this plan, and we’ll work through it!

Yogurt I like.

Fage
http://www.fageusa.com/

Avocado Yogurt Sauce

Avocado Yogurt Sauce

1-1/2 c. plain greek yogurt

2 avocados

1 garlic clove, peeled

1 lime, peeled

1 t. salt

1 jalapeno pepper, halved

1/4 c. cilantro leaves

Place all ingredients, except cilantro, in the Vitamix. Blend for 30 seconds. Add cilantro leaves. Blend for an additional 15 seconds. Serve this with tacos, fajitas, seafood, poultry or as a salsa alternative with chips. (The last suggestion was for the people who are NOT on a clean eating diet- or on your cheat day!) This makes 3 cups.

Serving size: 1/4 c

Calories: 74

Golden delicious pancakes!

Pancakes

1 c. uncooked whole-grain oats (not instant)

6 egg whites

1 c. fat-free cottage cheese

1/4 t. vanilla extract

1/4 t. ground cinnamon

2 packets sugar substitute (I used Stevia)

In a blender, combine all ingredients. Then blend on medium speed for about 1 minute, or until the batter is smooth. Pour batter, 1/4c. at a time, onto a hot greased non-stick skillet on medium heat. Cook the pancake for about 3 minutes, or until it is bubbly on top. Flip and cook 2 minutes on the other side, or until golden brown. Serve with maple syrup and fresh berries.

Serving Size: 2 pancakes

Calories 230

Naturally Enhancing Your Fertility-The issue of diet and how it can affect fertility.

Factors influencing fertility
http://www.utahinfertilityawareness.com/p/2010-event-materials.html

•#1 Factor: Age
•#2 Factor: Weight
•#3 Factor: Diet
•#4 Factor: Pollution


The issue of diet and how it can affect fertility.

•Mediterranean Diet helpful. It uses lots of veggies, fish and olive oil
•Alcohol consumption reduces by fertility by 60%
•Caffeine (more than 250 mg per day) reduces fertility by 45%
•Drugs 70% reduction in fertility
•Antioxidants help refuel and rejuvenate old eggs – especially CoQ10 (can fight the aging and help the quality of eggs)
•Avoid too much fish – the mercury levels harm eggs
Risk of Ovulation problems with high intake of:

•Saturated Fat
•Fast digested Carbs
•Animal protein instead of plant protein (want hormone free)
•High protein diet instead of low protein diet
•low amount of whole milk vs. skim milk (soy milk can change estrogen levels and when you are on several meds to try to balance hormones you have to be careful of what you eat)

Thursday, July 1, 2010

Rouxbe's Cooking School

Rouxbe's Cooking School
Great cooking videos. Welcome to Rouxbe’s sample video lesson (more video samples).
http://rouxbe.com/cooking-school/lessons/170-pan-frying

Baked Tilapia with Roasted Vegetables

1 vidalia onion, sliced

1 squash, sliced in thin rounds

1 zucchini, sliced in thin rounds

1 yellow and red tomatoe sliced into wedges

1 red pepper, thinly sliced (optional)

¼ cup olive oil

1 teaspoon sea salt

½ teaspoon white pepper

8 fish fillets (tilapia)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss vegetables with oil, sea salt and white pepper and spread out in roasting pan. Roast for about 20 minutes. Place fish atop vegetables and drizzle with about 2 tablespoons of olive oil and some more sea salt and white pepper. Cover and bake for about 1/2 hour. Other spice suggestions rosemary and garlic.