~~~Dietary Advice~~~ | Page 1 | ~~~World of Health~~~ | Guild Forums

Annouchka Honda
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Posted: Sun Jul 03, 2011 6:59 pm

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Dietary Advice

This is where we will discuss and talk about all the foods to eat and to avoid. Comments are welcome and will be change accordingly where necessary.

1st Topic: BREAKFAST!!! We hear it all the time. Eat breakfast it is the most important meal of the day. But has any one ever said why?

When we sleep our body is repairing itself, new skin is growing, injuries are recovering, cells within the body are becoming strong again and they are feeding off what they can during the night, the food we ate that day and the movements we made our body do.

If we skip breakfast and eat silly during the day which most people do not all but most. When you go to bed, your body has got nothing good to work with; it is in overdrive, getting rid of bad things. It has no to rest and repair it has to work to break down the toxins and get them out or store them.

By eating a good Low GI, High Fibre diet and Drinking a low GI beverage, you will find you are fuller for longer, have energy to do your everyday tasks and able to function at your optimum and not snack on bad foods and not have as many cravings as well as being able to make the right food choices because you will be looking for sustenance not a sugar fix.

Let me know when sugar cravings hit and we can come up with solutions for you.

Solution one have a glass of water 250ml - 300ml, slowly sipping it, not guzzling it down - that will defeat the purpose of fighting of sugar hit carving.

2nd Tip: - Eating Fibre each day to ensure you are able to go to the toilet without difficulty. There are a variety of foods you can add into your diet to increase your Fibre Intake. things such as: -Apple 1 medium
Banana 1 medium
Orange 1 medium
Cantaloupe 1 cup
Pear with skin 1 medium
Strawberries 1 cup
Grapes 1/2 cup
Figs (dried) 2
Blueberries 1/2 cup
Broccoli (cooked) 1/2 cup
Carrots, raw 1 medium
Spinach (raw) 1 cup 1
Spinach (cooked) 1/2 cup
Green Beans (cooked) 1/2 cup
Cucumber (sliced) 1/2 cup
Tomato 1 medium
Lettuce (Romaine) 1 cup
Peas (cooked) 1/2 cup
Baked Potato with skin 1 medium

Courtesy of: - http://www.ivillage.com/fiber-filled-fruits-and-vegetables/3-a-58114

try to add these things first and tell me how you go with it, keep a record of how many times you go to the toilet I know it is gross, but knowing what comes out lets you know just how effective your insides are.

Read more http://www.ivillage.com/fiber-filled-fruits-and-vegetables/3-a-58114#ixzz0mBkC3JbU

3rd tip: Drinking two litres of water a day. It may seem like a lot but one sip every ten minutes and you will go through it in no time at all, set an alarm on your clock or computer that will say drink some water. I do it and so can you, add some flavour with lime or lemon juice. Good luck tells me how you go.

4th Tip:
It is important to cleanse your body internally, one day a week it is recommended preferably the weekend that you do not eat only drink water and herbal teas, to allow the body ample time to rid the body of unnecessary toxins, do not over exert yourself if you are fasting, but don't lounge around either, just light tasks around the home, gently walking for exercise. The next day only eat lightly, sandwiches, salads, or vegetables and a small amount of meat. It is stated in the bible for Christians reading my guild that fasting is good for the soul and allows you to connect with GOD on a deeper more spiritual level as a large proportion of our lives is spent thinking about breakfast, morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner, dessert. So just try it, it doesn't work for everyone but it could be just the thing you have been missing from you life.

5th Tip: Elimination diet, more often then not our mood swings, weight, physical appearance, skin tone and how we feel overall can be directly associated with the food we put in our body.

So for me I have realised I can eat dairy, if I do, I'm bloated, need to go to the bathroom, very drowsy and total energy drain occurs for me. As I am slowly removing dairy and my body is getting use to not having Milk, Ice-cream, Cream, Whipped Cream, Sour Cream, Cheese, Butter - I am feeling better slowly, when you remove something from your diet you have eaten for quite some time, be prepared to feel worse before you feel better, don’t give in.

Also be aware it will take around 2 months for your body to no longer crave that item of food, the longer it has been in your diet, the longer your body will take to adjust, just contact myself via PM me if you need help or guidance I'm always here to help no matter what the situation.

Courtesy of Yahoo! Lifestyle I thought it would be good for you to have snack ideas to tide you over between meal, so here are some low-calorie/kilojoule snack bar options, see which one you like the best.

For a low-fat energy surge

Uncle Toby’s Body wise Berry Fusion
Super-low in kilojoules, this sweet-tooth’s bar is a fib source of fibre. If you’re looking for a pick-me-up, it’s fantastic with a cup of tea.
Per bar: 363 kJ (87 cal), 2 g protein, 1 g fat, 0 g sat fat, 4 mg sodium

For gym junkies

Bounce Premium Protein Ball
Here’s a good serve of whey protein that’s packed with low-GI peanuts and just a trace of sodium. It’s filling, and it’s great for people who love that nutty taste.
Per ball: 880 kJ (210 cal), 15 g protein, 9 g fat, 2 g sat fat, 0.1 mg sodium

For a wheat-free snack

Carman’s Original
This low-GI fruit-free bar is also low in fat and sugar. Full of flavour despite the lack of fruit, it has an impressive number of wholefood ingredients.
Per bar: 810 kJ (193 cal), 4 g protein, 8 fat, 1 g sat fat, 14 mg sodium

For a wheat-free snack

Carman’s Original
This low-GI fruit-free bar is also low in fat and sugar. Full of flavour despite the lack of fruit, it has an impressive number of wholefood ingredients.
Per bar: 810 kJ (193 cal), 4 g protein, 8 fat, 1 g sat fat, 14 mg sodium

For an anti-oxidant hit

Kuranda Nut Berry
Although a bit higher in fat, this bar is a tasty, handy option for coeliacs. It’s a great portable snack, and the cranberries leave a fresh taste in your mouth.
Per bar: 856 kJ (204 cal), 7 g protein, 14 g fat, 3 g sat fat, 28 mg sodium

http://au.lifestyle.yahoo.com/prevention/nutrition/galleries/g/-/8117431/7/5-healthiest-muesli-bars/

Best Snack Pairs for Weight Loss

if cravings regularly crash your diet, munch on these hunger-busting snacks, suggests US-based nutritionist Tanya Zuckerbrot. In a four-week survey, she found that women who snack on a combination of protein, fibre and healthy fats feel more satisfied and have less of an urge to overeat. It’s because fibre increases satiety, and protein and fats digest slowly, delaying hunger. Zuckerbrot’s top three combos slide in at just 630 kJ (150 cal)!

1/2 cup fibre-rich cereal + 1 serving fat-free Greek-style yoghurt

28 g (snack sized) packet of potato chips + 2 Tbs bean dip

2 cups popcorn + 2 Tbs trail mix
http://au.lifestyle.yahoo.com/prevention/nutrition/galleries/g/-/7201833/1/best-snack-pairs-for-weight-loss/

Burgers – Healthier Recipes

Try them and see which one you like

CHICKEN GORGONZOLA BURGERS

450g lean, ground chicken breast
85g gorgonzola cheese, chopped
½ cup sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp cumin powder
2 tsp vegetable oil
6 wholemeal buns
6 tbs barbecue sauce

1 Preheat barbecue to medium. Combine first five ingredients and salt and pepper to taste in a bowl. Lightly mix together and form into 6 patties. Brush with oil.
2 Grill burgers for 4 to 5 minutes per side or until internal temp is 75°C. Toast buns for 2 minutes. Serve burgers on buns; garnish with barbecue sauce if desired. Makes 6.

Per burger: 1460kJ, 14.2g fat (4g sat), 29.4g carbs, 4.5g fibre, 655 mg sodium, 24g protein

BLACK BEAN OAT BURGERS

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1½ cups diced mushrooms
½ cup plain rolled oats
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tbs cumin
¼ tsp ground black pepper
2 tsp vegetable oil
6 wholemeal buns
6 tbs spicy mustard
1 tomato, sliced
1 cup baby spinach

1 Preheat barbecue to medium. Place half the beans in a food processor or blender along with mushrooms, oats, garlic, egg, cumin and pepper. Process until well mixed. Add remaining beans and pulse the machine until they’re just combined into the mixture. Form into 6 patties and coat each with vegetable oil.
2 Grill for 3 to 4 minutes per side or until browned. Toast buns for 2 minutes. Serve bean burgers on toasted buns and top with mustard, tomato and spinach. Makes 6.

Per burger: 1184kJ, 6g fat (1g sat), 45g carbs, 10g fibre, 300mg sodium, 13g protein

STUFFED PORTOBELLO BURGERS with caramelised onions

1 tbs butter
2 Spanish onions, thinly sliced
1 tbs brown sugar
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
8 Portobello mushrooms
1 tbs vegetable oil
½ eggplant, sliced into thin rounds
85g roasted red capsicum
115g low-fat mozzarella
1 loaf Turkish bread

1 Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and cook until translucent, about 4 to 5 minutes. Mix in brown sugar and balsamic vinegar. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover pan, and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2 Meanwhile, preheat barbecue to medium. Remove stems from mushrooms, brush with oil, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
3 Place eggplant slices on grill, cook for 2 minutes per side, and then set them aside. Add mushrooms to grill, stem sides down, and cook for 6 to 7 minutes. Flip mushrooms and cook for another 4 minutes.
4 Top 4 mushrooms with red capsicum and mozzarella, then cover each with a remaining mushroom, stem-side down. (Stem sides should be facing each other.) Cook for 2 minutes or until cheese has melted; set aside.
5 Meanwhile, slice Turkish bread in half lengthwise down the side, and then slice each half into 4 squares. Toast squares on grill, 2 minutes per side.
6 Place each stuffed mushroom on a Turkish square; top with onions, eggplant and Turkish square. Makes 4.

Per burger: 2242kJ, 14g fat (5g sat), 81g carbs, 7g fibre, 909mg sodium, 26g protein

LENTIL QUINOA BURGERS with sautéed mushrooms

½ cup quinoa
1 can lentils, rinsed
½ cup breadcrumbs
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tsp cumin powder
½ cup coriander juice of half a lemon
½ cup walnut pieces
1 tbs butter
225g Portobello mushrooms, sliced
¼ cup dry red wine
2 tsp vegetable oil
6 wholemeal buns

1 In a saucepan, combine quinoa and 1 cup water. Bring to boil and simmer about 10 minutes. Let quinoa cool.
2 in a bowl combine half the lentils, breadcrumbs, egg, garlic, cumin, coriander, lemon juice, cooked quinoa and salt and pepper to taste. Place in a food processor or blender, process until well combined. Add remaining lentils and walnuts; pulse until they’re just combined into the mixture. Form into 6 patties.
3 Preheat barbecue to medium. Meanwhile, melt butter in skillet over medium heat; add sliced mushrooms and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring regularly. Stir in wine and cook for another 5 minutes.
4 Brush burgers with oil and cook for 4 minutes per side. Toast buns for 2 minutes. Serve burgers on buns and top with sautéed mushrooms. Makes 6.

Per burger: 1862 kJ, 15g fat (3g sat), 62g carbs, 13g fibre, 305mg sodium, 19g protein.

GARDEN CHICKEN BURGER with strawberry sauce

3 tsp vegetable oil
½ medium onion, finely chopped
2 tbs brown sugar
2 cups strawberries, sliced
½ tbs balsamic vinegar
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tbs fresh mint, chopped
1 medium carrot, peeled
1 medium zucchini, peeled
450g lean ground chicken breast
½ cup breadcrumbs
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 egg, lightly beaten
⅓ cup parsley, chopped
6 flatbreads or naan
1 cup rocket or baby spinach

1 Warm 1 teaspoon vegetable oil in a frypan over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until soft, about 4 minutes. Add brown sugar and continue cooking for 2 minutes. Add strawberries, balsamic vinegar and black pepper, cook for 1 minute. Stir in mint and remove from heat.
2 Preheat barbecue to medium. Grate carrot and zucchini, and then chop gratings into smaller pieces. In a large bowl, lightly mix shredded vegetables, ground chicken, breadcrumbs, Worcestershire sauce, egg, parsley and salt and pepper to taste. Form into 6 patties and brush with remaining vegetable oil.
3 Place burgers on grill and cook 4 to 5 minutes per side or until internal temperature reaches 75°C. Meanwhile, toast bread for 1 to 2 minutes per side.
4 Line flatbreads with rocket, add burgers and top with strawberry sauce, then fold bread over the burgers. Makes 6.

Per burger: 1619kJ, 8g fat (2g sat), 54g carbs, 7g fibre, 497mg sodium, 27g protein

ASIAN SALMON POCKET with citrus yoghurt sauce

½ cup plain low-fat yoghurt juice of half a lime juice of half an orange
1 tsp honey
450g skinless, boneless salmon
1 tbs sesame oil
2 tbs low-sodium soy sauce
1 piece ginger (2.5cm), chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
juice of half a lemon
½ cup breadcrumbs
½ cup coriander, chopped
2 tsp vegetable oil
6 small wholemeal pitas

1 Combine yoghurt, lime juice, orange juice and honey; set aside.
2 Preheat barbecue to medium. Wash salmon and pat dry. Chop half the fish into 2.5cm pieces and place in a food processor or blender along with the sesame oil, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Process into a pasty purée.
3 Chop remaining salmon and add to purée along with breadcrumbs and coriander. Pulse until combined. Form into 12 small patties and brush with oil.
4 Grill 4 minutes per side. Stuff pitas with burgers and yoghurt sauce. Makes 6.

Per burger: 1221 kJ, 11 fat (2g sat), 27g carbs, 3g fibre, 446mg sodium, 23g protein.

Courtesy of Yahoo! Lifestyle

http://au.lifestyle.yahoo.com/womens-health/nutrition/galleries/g/-/8120673/1/healthy-burger-recipes/
The below ten foods are foods you should try and eliminate from your diet, as they will affect your health and your weight loss in a bad way.

Doughnuts

Coated, filled, glazed, sugared, jam crammed or plain, doughnuts are not great for your body. And it's not only the refined flour, refined sugar and then the frying in the refined oil that makes them bad for you. Doughnuts will upset blood-sugar balance, and give a quick high followed by a crash and burn low, then you guessed it, you're hungry again and reaching for another one.

Fries

The high levels of fat and sodium in fries means you should give them a miss.
Fried desserts, such as this banana fritter, feature high up on the list of worst foods to eat as essentially you are dipping something in batter that is already high in sugar and fat, and then deep frying it.

Soft drink

Soft drink has little nutritional value relative to the number of kilojoules in it. Studies have also linked fizzy drink consumption to osteoporosis, tooth decay and heart disease. And diet drinks are not recommended either, granted they are lower in kilojoules but as they contribute to dental erosion (the bubbles in the drink are acidic) they are a no go as well.

Chicken nuggets

First off, chicken nuggets that are not made from fillets are the real bad guys. Again it's similar to the sausages situation, where all the leftover carcass bits are mixed up with sawdust-type stuff to bulk out the meat so manufacturers can crank out more portions. But it's when these little nuggets are deep fried that they really become unhealthy and it's all to do with the size, as small fried items absorb a lot of fat during frying.

Pork crackling

We are talking fatty pig skin deep fried and then doused in salt.

Liquid meals

They aren't inherently bad for you, but liquid meals or meal-replacement drinks do keep you from eating proper food. You need to make sure you eat eating whole, natural foods to ensure you gain all your nutrients.

Canned Soup

Soups mainly sport a healthy identity; wholesome, warming and good for you. The reality is many canned varieties are super-high in salt, so if you must have soup, avoid the canned ones or make your own
Coloured alcopops

Alcopops are big kilojoules culprits as they are packed with sugar and calorific alcohol. Plus the fact that they are full of colours and flavourings all contribute to making them a pretty toxic tipple. Little rule of thumb, the brighter the colour of the alcopop, potentially the worse it is for you. Instead opt for clear spirits with soda, tonic or fruit juice and steer clear of the Technicolor stuff.

1.Add just one fruit or veggie serving daily. Get comfortable with that, and then add an extra serving until you reach 8 to 10 a day.

2. Eat at least two servings of fruit or vegies at every meal.

3. Resolve never to supersize your food portions—unless you want to supersize your clothes.

4. Make eating purposeful, not mindless. Whenever you put food in your mouth, peel it,
Unwrap it, plate it and sit. Engage all of the senses in the pleasure of nourishing your body.

5. Start eating a big breakfast. It helps you eat fewer total kilojoules throughout the day.

6. Make sure your plate is half veggies and/or fruit at both lunch and dinner

7. Eating out? Halve it, and bag the rest. A typical restaurant main such as Thai green curry can contain 2,500 to 3,000 kilojoules, not even counting entrée, drinks and dessert.

8. When dining out, make it automatic: Order one dessert to share.

9. Use a salad plate instead of a dinner plate.

10. See what you eat. Plate your food instead of eating out of the takeaway container or bag.

11. Eat the low-kJ items on your plate first, and then graduate. Start with salads, vegies and soups, and eat meats and carbs last. By the time you get to them, you'll be full enough to be content with smaller portions of the high-kilojoule choices.

12. Instead of full-fat milk, switch to skim. If you drink one 350 ml glass a day, you'll lose 2 kg in a year.

13. Juice has as many kilojoules as soft drink. Set a limit of one glass of fruit juice a day.

14. Get kilojoules from foods you chew, not drinks. Have fresh fruit instead of fruit juice.

15. Keep a food diary. It really works wonders for healthy weight loss.

16. Follow the Chinese saying: "Eat until you are eight-tenths full."

17. Use mustard instead of mayo.

18. Eat more soup. The non-creamy ones are filling but low-kJ.

19. Cut back on or cut out kilojoule-laden drinks such as soft drink, sweet tea, lemonade, etc. People have lost weight by making just this one change. If you have a 600 ml bottle of Coca-Cola every day, switch to Diet Coke, or better still, water. You’ll lose up to 11 kg in a year.

20. Take your lunch to work.

21. Sit when you eat

22. Dilute juice with water.

23. Have mostly vegies for lunch.

24. Eat at home.

25. Limit alcohol to weekends

26. Have a V8 or tomato juice instead of a Diet Coke at 3 pm.

27. Dress up your vegies to make them delicious: Drizzle maple syrup over carrots or sprinkle chopped nuts on green beans. Try broccoli sautéed with pine nuts and sultanas.

28. Mix three different tins of beans and some diet Italian dressing. Eat this three-bean salad all week.

29. Don't forget that vegetable soup counts as a vegetable.

30. Rediscover the sweet potato.

31. Use pre-bagged baby spinach everywhere: instead of lettuce in sandwiches, heated in soups, wilted in hot pasta and added to salads.

32. Spend the extra few dollars to buy vegetables that are already washed and cut up.

33. Really hate vegies? Relax. If you love fruit, eat plenty of them instead; they are just as healthy (especially colourful ones such as oranges, mangoes and melons).

34. Keep seven bags of your favourite frozen vegetables on hand. Mix any combination of vegetables, then microwave, and top with your favourite low-fat dressing. Enjoy 3 to 4 cups a day. This makes a great quick dinner on all healthy weight-loss programs.

35. "The best portion of high-kilojoule foods is the smallest one. The best portion of vegetables is the largest one!

36. "I'll ride the wave. My cravings will disappear after 10 minutes if I turn my attention elsewhere."

37. "I want to be around to see my grandchildren, so I can forgo a Tim Tam now."

38. "I am a work in progress."

39. "It's more stressful to continue being fat than to stop overeating."

40. Skipping meals. Many people on weight-loss programs will diet by day and binge by night.

41. Don't "graze" yourself into being fat. You can easily munch 2,500 kJ of pretzels or cereal without realising it.

42. Eating pasta like crazy. A serving of pasta is 1 cup, but some people routinely eat 4 cups.

43. Eating deceptively healthy-looking muffins and banana bread for snacks.

44. Ignoring "Serving Size" on the Nutrition Facts panel. Learn to read a food label properly.

45. Snacking on bowls of nuts. Nuts are healthy but dense with kilojoules. Put those bowls away, and use nuts as a garnish instead of a snack.

46. Thinking all energy bars and fruit smoothies are low-kJ.

47. A smoothie made with fat-free milk, frozen fruit and wheat germ. See super-healthy smoothie recipes here.

48. The smallest fast-food burger (with mustard and ketchup, not mayo) and a no-kJ diet beverage. Then at home, have an apple or some carrot sticks.

49. A peanut butter sandwich on whole wheat bread with a glass of skim milk and an apple.

50. Pre-cooked chicken strips and microwaved frozen broccoli topped with Parmesan cheese.

51. A healthy frozen meal with a salad and a glass of skim milk.

52. Scramble eggs in a non-stick pan. Pop some asparagus in the microwave, and add wholemeal toast. If your cholesterol levels are normal, you can have up to seven eggs a week!

53. A bag of frozen vegetables heated in the microwave, topped with 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese and 2 tablespoons of chopped nuts.

54. Pre-bagged salad topped with tinned tuna, grape tomatoes, shredded low-fat cheese and low-kJ Italian dressing.

55. Keep lean sandwich fixings on hand: wholemeal bread, sliced turkey, reduced-fat cheese, tomatoes, and mustard with horseradish. Make a perfect sandwich every time.

56. Heat up a tin of good soup.

57. Cereal, fruit and skim milk makes a good meal anytime.

58. Try a veggie sandwich from Subway.

59. Pre-cut fruit for a salad and add yoghurt.

60. Don't tell yourself, "Its okay, I’m on holidays." That opens the door to weeks of splurging.

61. Remember, EAT before you meet. Have this small meal before you go to any parties: a hardboiled Egg, Apple, and a Thirst quencher (water, soda water, diet soft drink, tea).

62. As obvious as it sounds, do not stand near the food at parties. Make the effort, and you'll find you eat less.

63. At a buffet? Eating a little of everything guarantees high kilojoules. Decide on three or four things, only one of which is energy-dense. Save that for last so there's less chance of
eating too much.

64. For the duration of the festive season, wear your well-fitted clothes that don't allow much room for expansion.

65. Give it away! After company leaves, give away leftover food to neighbours or take it to work the next day.

66. Walk around the mall three times before you start shopping.

67. Make exercise a non-negotiable priority.

68. Dance to music with your family in your home. One dietitian reported that when she asks her patients to do this, initially they just smile, but once they've done it, they say it is one of the easiest ways to involve the whole family in exercise.

69. Once in a while, have a lean salad for lunch or dinner, and save the meal's kilojoules for a full dessert.

70. Are you the kind of person who does better if you make up your mind to do without sweets and just not have those foods around you? Or are you going to do better if you have a limited amount of sweets every day? Some people find that they can avoid bingeing if they allow themselves small treats every day.

71. If your family thinks they need a very sweet treat every night, try to strike a balance between offering healthy choices and allowing them some free will. Compromise with low-fat ice cream and fruit, or sometimes just fruit with a dollop of whipped cream.

72. Try 2 weeks without sweets. It's amazing how your cravings vanish.

73. Eat more fruit. A person who gets enough fruit in their diet doesn't have a raging sweet tooth.

74. Eat your sweets, just eat them smart! Carve out about 400 kJ per day for your favourite sweet. That amounts to about 25 g of chocolate, half a modest slice of cake, or 1/2 cup of regular ice cream.

75. Try these smart little sweets: sugar-free hot cocoa, frozen red grapes, sugar-free gum or Paddle Pops.

76. Eat breakfast, lunch and dinner. The majority of people who struggle with night eating are those who skip meals or don't eat balanced meals during the day.

77. Eat your evening meal in the kitchen or dining room, sitting down at the table.

78. Drink cold, unsweetened raspberry tea. It tastes great and keeps your mouth busy.

79. Change your night-time schedule. It will take effort, but it will pay off. You need something that will occupy your mind and hands.

80. If you're emotional-eating at night, you need to focus on getting in touch with what's going on and taking care of yourself in a way that really works. Find a method of coping with your stress that doesn’t involve food.

81. Put a sign on the kitchen and refrigerator doors: "Closed after Dinner."

82. Brush your teeth right after dinner to remind you of your weight loss goals: No more food.

83. Eat without engaging in any other simultaneous activity. No reading, watching TV, or sitting at the computer.

84. Remember: eating late at night won't cause weight gain on healthy weight-loss programs. Its how many kilojoules—not when you eat them—that counts.

85. Diet or fat-free isn't always your best bet. Research has found that none of the lycopene or alpha- or beta-carotene that fight cancer and heart disease is absorbed from salads with fat-free dressing. Only slightly more is absorbed with reduced-fat dressing; the most is absorbed with full-fat dressing. But remember; use your dressing in moderate amounts.

86. Skipping breakfast will leave you tired and craving energy-dense foods by mid-morning. Try this sweet, filling, antioxidant-rich breakfast: In a blender, process 1 cup fat-free yoghurt, 1 1/3 cup frozen strawberries, 1 peeled kiwi, and 1 peeled banana. Pulse until mixture is milkshake consistency. Makes one 2-cup serving; 1457 kJ (348 calories) and 1.5 g fat.

87. If you're famished by 4 p.m. and have no alternative but an office vending machine, reach for the nuts—the same goes if your only choices are what's available in the hotel minibar.

88. Next time you're feeling wiped out in late afternoon, forgo that cup of coffee and reach for a cup of yoghurt instead. The combination of protein, carbohydrate and fat in a 200 g serving of low-fat yoghurt will give you a sense of fullness and wellbeing that coffee can't match, as well as some vital nutrients. If you haven't eaten in 3 to 4 hours, your blood glucose levels are probably dropping, so eating a small amount of nutrient-rich food will give your brain and your body a boost.

89. Making just a few diet changes to your pantry shelves can get you a lot closer to your weight-loss goals. Here's what to do: If you use corn and peanut oil, replace it with olive oil. Same goes for breads—go for wholemeal. Swap fatty cold meats like salami for tinned tuna, sliced turkey breast, and lean roast beef. Change from drinking whole milk to skim milk or low-fat soy milk. This is hard for a lot of people so try weaning yourself down to low-fat before you go skim.

90. Nothing's less appetising than a crisper drawer full of mushy vegetables. Frozen vegetables store much better, and maintain nutrients better than fresh. Food suppliers typically freeze vegies just a few hours after harvest, locking in the nutrients. Fresh vegies, on the other hand, often spend days in the back of a truck before they reach your supermarket.

91. Worried about the fat content in your peanut butter? While peanut butter is high in fat and kilojoules, it contains mostly monounsaturated fats (MUFAs) that help shift belly fat. Plus it’s loaded with protein to keep you fuller for longer.

92. Overeating is not the result of exercise. Vigorous exercise won't stimulate you to overeat. It's just the opposite. Exercise at any level helps curb your appetite immediately following the workout.

93. When you're exercising, you shouldn't wait for thirst to strike before you take a drink. By the time you feel thirsty, you're already dehydrated. Try this: Drink at least 500 mls of water, two hours before you exercise. Then drink another glass an hour before and sip regularly during your workout. Make sure you drink a few glasses after you're done exercising.

94. Tune in to an audio book while you walk. It'll keep you going longer and looking forward to the next walk—and the next chapter! Check your local library for a great selection. Look for a murder mystery; you might walk so far you'll need to take a cab home!

95. Think yoga's too serene to burn kilojoules? Think again. You can burn 1000 to 1500 kilojoules during an hour-long class (that's as much as you'd burn from an hour of walking)! Plus, you'll improve muscle strength, flexibility, and endurance.

96. Not drinking enough can hamper your healthy weight loss programs' efforts. That's because dehydration can slow your metabolism by 3 per cent, or about 190 fewer kilojoules burned a day, which in a year could mean weighing half a kilo more. The key to water isn't how much you drink; it's how frequently you drink it. Small amounts sipped often work better than 500 ml gulped down at once.

97. A dietitian can help you find healthy ways to manage your weight loss with food. The [http://www.daa.asn.au/dmsweb/frmfindapdsearch.aspx |Dietitian Association of Australia] has an online tool to help you find a local practitioner.

98. Use your community to help you shift kilos. US researchers set up exercise and healthy weight loss programs in 16 churches. More than 500 women participated and after a year the most successful lost an average of 9 kg. Engaging with a group of people you feel comfortable with can help you stick to your weight-loss program.

99. Here's another reason to keep level-headed all the time: US research found that women less able to cope with stress—shown by blood pressure and heart rate elevations—ate twice as many fatty snacks as stress-resistant women did, even after the stress stopped (in this case, 25 minutes of periodic jackhammer-level noise and an unsolvable maze).

100. Sitting at a computer may help you slim down. When researchers at Brown University School of Medicine put 92 people on online healthy weight loss programs for a year, those who received weekly e-mail counselling shed 2.5 more kilos than those who had no counselling. Counsellors provided weekly feedback on diet and exercise logs, answered questions, and cheered them on. Most major online diet programs offer many of these features. Sign up to the Prevention newsletter for free weekly tips in your inbox.

Courtesy of Yahoo Search engine

Recently as part of my course I had to research the nutritional requirements for PLWHA - People living with HIV/AIDS and I was shocked to find hardly any research at all. So much money goes into Children and Cancer research but why does no money go towards nutritional guidance, information advice on healthy eating, sourcing food and health management through good eating habits.

It is important for everyone to have an understanding of what the body needs how much it needs and the best way for the body to receive carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, nutrients and minerals.

Having Lite N easy is helping me understand portion control and is providing me a number of ideas to apply to friends and family that don't want to be on a strict diet but want to know what foods to eat.

I encourage if you are not sure about portion sizes, good foods, bad foods, eating habits, lifestyle choices with food, seek help and advice from a qualified Nutritionist/Dietitian they can guide you advise you, teach you and equip you with what you need to live a long happy life making positive and good food choices.

Posted: Sun Jul 03, 2011 7:02 pm

Crank up your metabolism

Don’t curse a sluggish system – boost kj-burning potential with these body-revving

Have you ever watched a slender woman enjoy a big bowl of ice cream and wondered where the hell she puts it? She doesn’t put it anywhere, actually. Most likely, she has a Maserati-fast metabolism that incinerates fat before it has a chance to take up residence on her thighs. Jealous? Don’t be. While genetics counts for part of your metabolic efficiency, you can give Mother Nature a kick up the bum by simply tweaking your fitness regimen. “Your body adapts to exercise over time, which causes your metabolism to fall into a lull,” says fitness trainer Geoff Bagshaw. “Adding variety to your workouts will help you break through plateaus so you continue to see results.” Intensity matters too: exercising harder promotes the growth of lean muscle, which burns more kilojoules during and after your workout, says strength and conditioning specialist Craig Ballantyne. The workout techniques here will inject a powerful shot of variety and intensity into your usual routine. Replace or supplement one or two of your regular workouts each week with one of these training methods and watch the kilos melt away. Shock your body To scorch more kilojoules and trim centimetres off your body, you need to challenge and surprise your muscles. Most of the time your body needs a break between workouts (it’s during those rest periods that big changes actually happen). But a few times a year, it’s smart to put yourself through back-to-back boot-camp workouts. “Overloading your muscles will keep them guessing, helping you break through any plateau,” says exercise physiologist Tom Holland. During this push, work every muscle three or four days in a row, performing sets with little or no rest in between.

TRY IT Do our fast-paced circuit, right. Complete 12 reps of each exercise (except for the plank – hold it for one 60-second set), going from one move to the next without rest. Repeat the entire circuit up to three times, resting for two minutes at the end of each circuit.

FAST-PACED CIRCUIT

Push-ups
Dumbbell chest press on ball
Crunches on ball
Plank (hold for 60 seconds)
Dumbbell front raises
Dumbbell side raises
Dumbbell biceps curls
Walking lunges
Squats with dumbbells
Box jumps

SLOW DOWN

Adjusting the tempo of an exercise stimulates the muscle differently, says personal trainer Maren Piefer. “The longer your muscles experience tension, the harder they work.” During an exercise, count to two as you raise the weight, and count to four as you lower it. You’ll spend more time in the lengthening phase of muscle contraction, which is more challenging and results in a higher kilojoule burn during and after your workout.

TRY IT During a chest press, count to two as you push the dumbbells towards the ceiling, and count to four as you lower them. During squats, count to four while lowering towards the floor and then to two as you stand.
Split the difference

Do a full rep of an exercise, then do just half of it at the hardest part of the move. “You sneak in extra reps and increase muscle tension in virtually the same amount of time,” Piefer says. “It also pumps lots of blood into the muscles, which is excellent for enhancing definition.”

TRY IT Grab a dumbbell in each hand, arms resting at your sides, palms facing forward. Without moving your upper arms, curl the weights towards your shoulders, then slowly lower them halfway; stop and raise them back to your shoulders. Lower back to start. That’s 1 rep.

Build a pyramid

A pyramid is three or more sets of the same exercise, starting with light resistance and high reps, then increasing the weight and decreasing the reps with each set. A full workout of pyramid sets can be tough (and time-consuming), so start by working one upper-body and one lower-body exercise into the end of your workout, says Ballantyne. This way, you won’t exhaust the key muscle groups you need to complete your regular routine. Unlike other intense workouts that build strength, this technique emphasises muscular endurance (the rate at which your body can continually produce force), which can increase your fat-burning rate.

TRY IT Holding a pair of dumbbells at your sides, step forward with your right foot and lower your body until your right knee is bent 90 degrees. Return to standing and continue for a total of 15 reps. Repeat with the left leg, then rest for 20 seconds before doing the second set: 10 to 12 reps, using a slightly heavier weight. Rest, then increase the weight again and do six to eight reps.

MIX IN CARDIO

Keep your heart pumping – combine cardio and strength routines. “Doing cardio between sets of weighted exercises burns a higher percentage of kilojoules from fat,” Holland says.

TRY IT Instead of resting after a strength exercise, do at least 30 seconds of intense cardio, such as skipping or high knee lifts. “If you do less intense cardio, like jogging in place, go for at least a minute,” Holland says. Fast & furious Try the Tabata method when lifting weights. Fast and hard intervals – 20 seconds of all-out effort followed by 10 seconds of rest – are repeated a total of eight times (for a grand total of four minutes). Researchers at McMaster University in Canada found that exercising as hard as you can for short periods is as effective at improving muscle and metabolism as sweating it out longer at a lower intensity. All-out efforts keep your heart rate zipping for the entire workout (even during the rests) and for hours after you kick off your sneakers. The end result? You burn extra kilojoules.

TRY IT Bagshaw suggests this three-move sequence, left: starting with exercise one, do as many reps as you can with proper form in 20 seconds, rest for 10 seconds, then continue for a total of eight intervals. Rest for two minutes, then go to exercise two and do eight intervals. Take another two-minute breather, then do eight intervals of exercise three.

TABATA METHOD

Lunges with biceps curls Holding dumbbells at your sides, step back and lower into a lunge, curling the weights up to your shoulders. Stand and repeat, alternating legs.

Squats with overhead presses Hold dumbbells at shoulder height and lower into a squat. Press the dumbbells directly overhead as you stand.

Push-ups From a push-up position (or modified push-up position, on your knees), bend your elbows to lower your chest to the floor. Push up. That’s one rep.

GET OFF THE GROUND
Plyometrics – think leaping, jumping and skipping – burns kilojoules and builds lean muscle quickly. “Working against gravity increases the load, and jumping incorporates different muscle fibres, which make your workout more intense,” says trainer Jeremy Chung. This method is often used by athletes to improve speed and force, helping to develop fast and explosive movements.

TRY IT Follow this metabolism-boosting workout

INTERVAL TRAINING
For the best fat-burning results there’s no need to endure crotch-numbing hours on an exercise bike – a quick game is a good game, says WH fitness advisor and trainer Ray Klerck. A study from the University of NSW found that sprinting for eight seconds on an exercise bike followed by 12 seconds of pedalling lightly for a total of 20 minutes burned three times as much fat as people who exercised at a continuous pace for 40 minutes. “The intermittent sprinting produces high levels of chemical compounds called catecholamines, which allow more fat to be burned from under the skin and within the exercising muscles,” says study co-author Associate Professor Steve Boutcher.

TRY IT Unlike the run-for-40-minutes workouts you’re likely to see most people drudging through in the gym’s cardio area, these fat-burning sessions cut to the chase and burn fat from the outset. “You’ll also build strength because you will alternate between periods of hard work and recovery,” says Klerck. “So you’ll have better muscle tone in your legs.” Uh, yes please. Try his cardio plans below:

RUNNING WORKOUTS

RUN RECOVER
Do 8 sets of 200m at high intensity Low intensity for 2 min
Do 6 sets of 400m at high intensity Low intensity for 2 min
Do 2 sets of 800m at high intensity Low intensity for 4 min

CYCLING WORKOUTS

CYCLE RECOVER
Do 8 sets of 400m at high intensity Low intensity for 2 min
Do 6 sets of 600m at high intensity Low intensity for 2 min
Do 2 sets of 800m at high intensity Low intensity for 4 min

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Posted: Sun Jul 03, 2011 8:35 pm

Berry Burst

Ingredients
85g frozen summer berries (or fresh, when they’re in season)
1 small banana, peeled and cut into chunks
3 tbsp strawberry yoghurt
2 tsp clear honey
4 tbsp reduced-fat milk
Method
1. Leave the berries to defrost for about 20 minutes then pop into a blender along with the banana, yoghurt and honey. Whiz for 1 to 2 minutes until smooth. Add the milk and whiz again until frothy. Pour into a glass to serve.

Brekkie Wrap

Ingredients
1 tsp reduced-salt butter
2 eggs
1 tbsp reduced-fat milk
A sprinkling of grated reduced-fat cheddar cheese
Any other ingredients that take your fancy, such as chopped tomato or onion sautéed beforehand
Ham slices
A tortilla wrap
Method
1. Melt the butter in a small pan over a low heat.
2. Beat the eggs and milk together and cook in the pan, stirring with a wooden spoon, until scrambled. You can add the cheese and any other ingredients now, or add them separately when assembling the wrap.
3. Lay a couple of ham slices on the tortilla, then pile the egg and other ingredients onto one side and roll the wrap up firmly.

French Toast with caramelised apples

Ingredients
For the apples:
20g unsalted butter
2 tbsp caster sugar
2 medium apples, peeled, cored and cut into 12 wedges
For the toast:
2 thick slices of slightly stale bread, crusts removed
2 eggs
2 tbsp reduced-fat milk
1 tbsp caster sugar
3 to 4 drops vanilla essence
Unsalted butter for frying
Ground cinnamon, for sprinkling
Method
1. Prepare the caramelised apples first. Melt the butter in a frying pan over a medium heat, and then stir in the sugar until dissolved. Add the apple slices and, turning occasionally; cook for 5 to 10 minutes or until soft and just turning golden.
2. Cut the bread into shapes (using biscuit cutters), fingers or triangles for something fun, or leave whole. Beat the eggs with the milk, half of the caster sugar and the vanilla essence and pour into a shallow dish. Heat a frying pan over a medium heat and add the butter, before dipping the bread into the egg mix, making sure that it‚ is thoroughly soaked. Fry each piece for 2 to 3 minutes or until golden on one side, then flip over and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Mix the remaining sugar and the cinnamon together and sprinkle over the hot French toast. Serve the caramelised apples on the side.

Granola

Ingredients
175g rolled oats
70g coarsely chopped pecans
20g shredded/desiccated coconut
¼ tsp salt
60g soft brown sugar
2 tbsp canola or sunflower oil
4 tbsp maple syrup
50g raisins
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 150ºC. Put the oats, nuts, coconut, salt and sugar into a large bowl and mix together with a wooden spoon.
2. Whisk the oil and syrup together in a jug or small bowl, pour over the oats and mix well.
3. Spread the mixture out on a lightly oiled baking tray and bake in the centre of the oven for 40 to 45 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.
4. When cooked, transfer to a bowl, stir in the raisins and leave to cool before serving a portion and storing the rest in a sealed container.

Sunshine Smoothie

Ingredients
1 medium banana, peeled and cut into chunks
Half a large mango, cubed
1 tsp clear honey
120ml pineapple juice
60ml orange juice
Method
1. Put the banana, mango and honey into a blender and whirl for 1 to 2 minutes until smooth. Add the pineapple and orange juices and whiz again until the drink is nice and frothy. Pour into a glass to serve.

Posted: Sun Jul 03, 2011 8:59 pm

8 Ways to Tame a Raging Appetite

1. Guarantee Success
How long do you think you can stick to a new plan? Find a duration that you're 100 per cent confident you can achieve, even if it's just a couple of days. "Once you make it to your goal date, start the process over," says Dr Mary Vernon, president of the American Society of Bariatric Physicians. "This not only establishes the notion that you can be successful, but also gives you a chance to start noticing that eating better makes you feel better, reinforcing your desire to continue."

2. Find More Motivation
If your diet's only purpose is to help you finally achieve six-pack abs (or even just a two-pack), it may be hard to stick with for the long haul. The solution? "Provide yourself with additional motivators," says Dr Jeff Volek. He suggests monitoring migraines, heartburn, acne, canker sores, and sleep quality, along with common measures of cardiovascular health. "Discovering that your new diet improves the quality of your life and health can be powerful motivation," says Volek.

3. Don't Dwell on Mistakes
Okay, you over-indulged. What's the next step? "Forget about it," says James Newman, a nutritionist at Tahlequah City Hospital, in Oklahoma, who followed his own advice to shed 125 kilos. (That's right, 125 kilos.) "One meal doesn't define your diet, so don't assume that you've failed or fallen off the wagon," he says. Institute a simple rule: Follow any "cheat" meal with at least five healthy meals and snacks. That ensures that you'll be eating right more than 80 per cent of the time.

4. Eat Breakfast
Sure, you've heard this one before. But consider that if you sleep for 6 to 8 hours and then skip breakfast, your body is essentially running on fumes by the time you reach work. And that sends you desperately seeking sugar, which is easy to find. "The most convenient foods are often the same ones you should be avoiding," says Berkowitz. That's because they're usually packed with sugar (chocolate bars), or other fast-digesting carbohydrates (biscuits, chips). Which leads to our next strategy.

5. Install Food Regulators
It's time for a regime change. Clean out your cupboard and fridge, then restock them with almonds and other nuts, cheese, fruit and vegetables, and canned tuna, chicken, and salmon. And do the same at work. "By eliminating snacks that don't match your diet but providing plenty that do, you're far less likely to find yourself at the doughnut-shop drive-thru or the vending machine," says Dr Christopher Mohr, president of Mohr Results, in Louisville, Kentucky.

6. Think like a Biochemist
It's true: They make all-natural cookies. But even if a cookie is made with organic cane juice (the hippie name for sugar), it's still junk food. Ditto for lots of "health foods" in the granola aisle. That's because hippie sweeteners raise your blood sugar just like the common white stuff. "If you're going to eat a cookie, accept that you're deviating from your plan, and then revert back to your diet afterward," says Berkowitz. "By convincing yourself that it's healthy, you're only encouraging a bad habit."

7. Recognise Hunger
Have a craving for sweets, even though you ate just an hour ago? Imagine eating a large, sizzling steak instead. "If you're truly hungry, the steak will sound good, and you should eat," says Dr Richard Feinman, a professor of biochemistry at SUNY Downstate Medical Center, in New York City. "If it doesn't sound good, your brain is playing tricks on you." His advice: Change your environment, which can be as easy as doing 15 push ups or finding a different task to focus on.

8. Take a Logical Approach
"Before you take a bite of food, consider whether it's moving you one step closer to your goals or one step farther away," says personal trainer Alwyn Cosgrove. This won't stop you from making a poor choice every single time, but it does encourage the habit of thinking long-term about what you're eating right now. The payoff is that "80 to 90 per cent of the time, you'll make a better decision."

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Posted: Sun Jul 03, 2011 9:00 pm

8 WAYS TO CUT FAT WITHOUT REALISING IT

Slice Fat from Pizza

Always order your pizza with double tomato sauce and light cheese. Men who eat a lot of tomato products tend to have less prostate cancer—probably because tomatoes are a rich source of lycopene. Reducing the mozzarella by just one-third (you won't miss it) will save you 20g of fat per pizza. That's as much as in a McDonald's Quarter Pounder.

Order the Steak Fries

If you love French fries, always order the steak fries. Large-cut fries don't absorb as much oil as shoestring or curly fries, which lowers the fat count.

Juice a Stir-Fry

With a can of frozen orange-juice concentrate, you have a great way to add flavour to stir-fried chicken (or beef) and vegetables without adding fat. Just a few spoonfuls will do. (It's even better if you add some garlic.)

Soften Your Spread

Soften butter or margarine at room temperature or in a microwave. Chances are you'll spread your bread with one-quarter of the fat and kilojoules you do when you put it on cold.

Cool Your Cans

Refrigerate canned meats, soups, gravies, and other canned foods containing fat. The fat will rise to the top and collect, so you can scrape it off.

Dilute Your Fruit Juice

Fruit juice is sneaky fattening—a 454g bottle of cranberry-grape blend, for instance, contains about 1155kJ. Dump half and store it, then refill the bottle with water. You'll barely notice the difference, and you'll be cutting half the calories.

Oil Your Potato

To save kilojoules and fat, put a splash of olive oil on your baked potato instead of the usual butter or sour cream.
Say Goodbye to Rubbery Cheese

To prevent low-fat cheese from turning to rubber in the microwave, spritz your nachos with a quick blast of cooking spray, before nuking them. A similar trick involves spraying the inside of a grilled-cheese sandwich before you toss it in the frying pan. This adds just enough fat to make the cheese stay gooey and creamy as it slowly melts.

Posted: Sun Jul 03, 2011 9:04 pm

5 Reasons that it is okay to eat Chocolate Hooray!!

1. Chocolate makes you happy
The warm and fuzzy feeling you get after a few squares of Dairy Milk is not imagined. Chocolate contains a phyto-nutrient that causes the brain to release endorphins—a hormone that makes you happy.

2. Chocolate protects your heart
A German study found that eating 7.5 g of dark chocolate every day may cut your chance of heart attack by almost 40 percent. Participants who nibbled on chocolate daily boasted lower blood pressure and reduced rates of stroke.

3. Chocolate helps PMS
Chocolate is virtually a nutrient-powerhouse. It contains zinc, magnesium, copper and chromium, says Prevention advisor Dr Joe Kosterich. Pre-menstrual chocolate cravings are often linked to low magnesium.

4. Chocolate contains antioxidants
Tea? Red wine? Chocolate is also a great source of antioxidants. It's rich in flavanols and proanthocyanins, both of which boost 'good' HDL cholesterol levels.

5. Chocolate can help you lose weight
A good weight-loss plan should include all the foods you love—in moderation. So don’t ban chocolate from your diet! You’ll only obsess about it because you can’t have it. Instead allow yourself a little bit of chocolate when you really want it.

Courtesy of Yahoo! Health

http://au.lifestyle.yahoo.com/prevention/nutrition/article/-/8087676/5-reasons-to-eat-chocolate/ - Check out the link for yourself

Enjoy reading the yummy recipes that are low calorie in the following posts.

Thank you Yahoo Health.

Strawberry Chocolate Cottage Cheese

Sprinkle 1 cup low-fat cottage cheese with 2 tbs dark choc bits and 1/4 cup sliced strawberries. Sprinkle with chopped mint leaves.
Total: 1,460 kJ (349 cal)

Chocolate Banana Blast

Mix 1/2 sliced small banana and 2 tbs grated dark chocolate with 1/2 cup plain low-fat Greek-style yoghurt.
Total: 1,472 kJ (352 cal)

Rich Chocolate Custard

Preparation time:
10 mins
Cooking time:
10 mins + chilling time
Servings:
4
you’d never guess that this lusciously creamy dessert is made with low-fat milk. Cocoa powder has less fat and a higher concentration of antioxidants than regular chocolate does; combining the cocoa and choc favours your heart as you tantalise your tastebuds.
Ingredients
1⁄3 cup packed brown sugar
1⁄4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3 tbs cornflour
1 tsp instant espresso coffee powder (optional)
1⁄8 tsp ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt
2 cups low-fat milk, divided
1 large egg
60 g dark-chocolate chips
11⁄2 tsp vanilla extract

Method
1. Whisk brown sugar, cocoa powder, cornflour, espresso powder (if using), cinnamon, salt and 1/2 cup of the milk in medium saucepan.
2. Turn on heat to medium-low; pour remaining milk into sugar mixture while whisking. Bring to a simmer. Let simmer, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened (about 2 to 3 minutes).
3. Beat egg lightly in small bowl. Pour in 1 cup of the hot-milk mixture while whisking. Pour egg mixture back into saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring, for 2 minutes.
4. Remove pan from heat. Add chocolate. Whisk until smooth. Stir in vanilla. Pour into 4 serving dishes. Chill, covered, for at least 2 hours.
Notes
Nutritional Info Per Serving: 1,144 kJ (273 cal), 8 g protein, 42 g carbs, 0 g fibre, 8 g fat, 5 g sat fat, 109 mg sodium

Chocolate Raspberry Porridge

Mix 1/2 cup dry oats (cooked with water to desired consistency) with 1/4 cup dark choc bits and 1 cup raspberries (or other berries in season).
Total: 1,754 kJ (419 cal)

Chocolate and Sultana Cake

Preparation time:
15 mins
Cooking time:
60 - 80 mins
Servings:
12
you don’t need high-fat chocolate to make chocolate cake. Our recipe uses cocoa and yoghurt to give this cake its delicious taste and creamy texture. Adding sultanas brings natural sweetness to the mix.
Ingredients
1⁄2 cup olive-oil spread
1 1⁄2 cups caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
1⁄2 cup low-fat vanilla yoghurt
1 3⁄4 cup self-raising flour
3⁄4 cup good-quality cocoa (such as Droste or Valrhona) + 1 tsp for dusting
1 tsp bicarb soda
1 cup water
1⁄2 cup sultanas

Method
1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease and flour a deep 20 cm round cake tin.
2. Beat together olive-oil spread, sugar and vanilla extract in a medium bowl (by hand or with an electric mixer) until creamy.
3. Add eggs one at a time; continue to beat for 2 minutes. Stir in yoghurt and add dry ingredients, sifted, and water. Beat until just combined. Stir in sultanas. (Sultanas improve the texture and flavour of cake, increasing its sweetness with their natural fruit sugars.)
4. Pour mixture into prepared tin and bake for approximately 60 to 80 minutes; cooking time depends on oven—check regularly for browning. (If necessary, cover with foil halfway through cooking to prevent over-browning.) Cake is ready when it springs back upon touching and a wooden skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

Notes
Nutritional Info Per Serving: 1,230 kJ (294 cal), 5 g protein, 49 g carbs, 1 g fibre, 9 g fat, 2 g sat fat, 278 mg sodium

Tip: A dusting of cocoa powder is the best icing on this moist cake

Cherry Chocolate Smoothie

In a blender, combine 1 cup skim milk,1 cup frozen cherries, 1/4 cup low-fat vanilla yoghurt and 1/4 cup grated dark chocolate. Mix until smooth.
Total: 1,680 kJ (402 cal)

Boyfriends mother sent over a box of chocolates, dairy milk ,I hope boyfriend leaves some for me, Christmas season is dangerous, so be careful of your intake of chocolate have a little bit of chocolate followed by fruit, vegies, salads, nuts, water, etc. Enjoy but don’t overindulge

I recently discovered my love for Hot Chocolate and its calming relaxing effects and the ability that my sleep is improved when I have a cup of Hot Chocolate 1 hour before bed.

The movie choclat has inspired me to one day cook Roast Lamb and have chocolate as the gravy, I'd love to see how that tastes, dark cooking chocolate.

How do you eat you chocolate and does it positively affect your health?

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Posted: Sun Jul 03, 2011 9:16 pm

Foods to fight cancer

Strawberries

Emma Brown, 2006 UK young scientist of the year has researched how eating soft-fruit can protect you against colon cancer. "The berries slowed the rate of replication of the cancer cells, offered protection against DNA damage, and showed anti-invasive effects," she explained.

Blackcurrant
Blackcurrants are another soft-fruit tested by award-winning scientist Emma Brown, who said that when these berries were digested the cells reacted to the same kind of matter colonic cancer cells in the human gut would come across.

Special seaweed
Emma Brown is currently looking into the potential of marine bioactives to give protection against colon cancer.

Raspberries
Rich in antioxidant, these berries can reduce the amount of tumours in your body. A study conducted on rats at the Ohio State University found that the more berries the rats ate, the fewer tumours they had.

Lingonberries
Lingonberries are best known for their antizyme content. The berries contain a chemical that deactivates the enzyme ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), stopping pre-cancerous cells grow in the body. The unusual berry can be found in Scandinavia.

Blueberries
Blueberries are beneficial to fighting all types of cancer because they are full of anthocyanins and ellagic acid, antioxidants that have been found to kill cancer cells in lab tests.

Mushrooms
Mushies contain compounds that help fight cancer by building up your immune system.

Grapes
Grapes contain a chemical known as resveratrol, a potent antioxidant that helps prevent cell damage before it even begins.

Posted: Sun Jul 03, 2011 9:22 pm

Here are five food tips to help you stay at your fighting weight

1 CHIPS ’N’ DIPS
Grab some tortilla wraps and make your own low-fat Mexican chips. Slice up the tortillas, arrange on a baking sheet and lightly coat with cooking spray. Bake for 10 minutes in an oven pre-heated to 180°C and then dip (low-fat, of course) with impunity.

2 OAT CUISINE
Beef up your homemade burgers by adding a handful of oats for every 650 grams of minced meat. Not only will this increase the amount of fibre, it can also reduce high blood pressure and cholesterol. You won’t get that at the drive-through.

3 EGG AND CHICKS
For a quick snack, hard-boil a few eggs and keep them in the fridge for a protein hit that’ll stop hunger in its tracks. Or toss some canned chickpeas with a little olive oil, salt, pepper and spices, then toast in the oven at 200°C for 20 minutes. Tasty and good for you!

4 ACID REIGN
Succumbed to temptation and made some fries? Then hold the tomato sauce and sprinkle on some vinegar instead. A recent Japanese study by the Central Research Institute of the Mizkan Group Corporation (a condiments manufacturer) shows the acetic acid in the vinegar deters the accumulation of body fat. Its effects on a battered sav aren’t known!

5 CHEESE PAIRINGS
You don’t have to skimp on taste when cutting kilojoules. Keep things interesting using mozzarella instead of parmesan – it will slash your fat intake while still supplying a rewarding cheesy tang. As with so many things in life, it pays to think before your open your mouth.

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Posted: Sun Jul 03, 2011 9:24 pm

WHAT TO EAT WHEN YOU'VE . . . OVER-INDULGED
Need to bounce back from a Christmas Day binge? Don’t tailor your clothes, tailor your meals

Grilled chicken breast
The protein in lean meat and poultry fills you up and speeds up metabolism, which cuts your cravings while easing off the kilos. High-protein diets also help to build muscle rather than belly fat.

Grapefruit
One a day in addition to your regular meals can accelerate weight loss. The fruit’s acidity slows digestion, helping you feel full longer. And the vitamin C-packed grapefruit works to lower cholesterol and decrease risk of stroke, heart disease and some types of cancer.

A scoop of tuna salad
A study at Oxford University found that eating salmon and tuna can speed up the movement of food from your stomach to your intestines, which leaves your stomach calmer and quells bloating. Credit the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish, which stimulate the hormones that regulate food intake, body weight and metabolism.

Skip - Salty snacks
Sodium binges can lead to water retention, which makes your stomach feel like a beach ball. Avoid inflation by skipping salty foods, like salted nuts and potato chips, and resist your cravings for Chinese takeaway and Mexican food, two of the most salt-laden foods.

Posted: Sun Jul 10, 2011 6:37 pm

Delicious ways to enjoy the fat-fighting, muscle-building power of protein Cooking
Here's one of our favourite scientific facts: you burn 10 to 30 per cent of the kilojoules you eat each day simply by digesting your food. But not all foods are created equal. Your body uses more kjs to digest protein (about 105 torched for every 420 eaten) than it does to digest fats and carbs (42 to 63 burned for every 420). Protein also helps build muscle - and the more muscle you have, the higher your metabolism. This wonder nutrient also makes you feel fuller faster, and new research published in the Journal of Nutrition has shown that a diet with some extra protein is more effective at trimming body fat than a standard low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet. The key, say researchers, is to include a balance of protein and carbs in your three daily meals. And with these easy, flavour-packed recipes, that shouldn't be a problem... In recipes that don't specify amounts for meats, poultry or fish, use a total of 340g to 450g. Each recipe makes four serves.

1. Lamb burger with smoked mozzarella
Cut 115g of smoked mozzarella into four pieces. Divide 450g of lamb mince into quarters and form into patties around each piece of cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste. Grill until the outsides feel very firm, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Serve on toasted buns with salad leaves and your choice of condiments.

2. Chicken braised in soy sauce and lemon
Brown the chicken pieces in 2 tbs olive oil. Remove from pan. In same pan, sauté 1 chopped garlic clove. Add ½ tbs grated lemon zest, a pinch of cayenne pepper, 2 tbs soy sauce, 1 tsp sugar and 1/3 cup water; stir. Add chicken, cover and simmer for 15 minutes, turning pieces once. Add lemon juice and more soy sauce to taste.

3. Grilled chicken with pesto sauce
For pesto: in a food processor, blend 2 cups fresh basil, 1 garlic clove, a pinch of salt, 2 tbs pine nuts, ½ cup grated parmesan and ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil. For chicken: season 450g of thin chicken cutlets with salt and pepper. Grill for 4 minutes per side. Paint with pesto and serve.

4. Chicken with citrus sauce
For citrus sauce: in a pan, warm the zest and juice of 1 lemon plus the sections of another lemon, an orange and a grapefruit. Add ¼ cup olive oil, 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves, ½ tsp minced garlic, 1 small onion (diced) and salt and pepper. For chicken: rub a chicken breast with a small amount of extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill for 10 minutes and serve with the citrus sauce.

5. Chicken tikka with yoghurt sauce
For yoghurt sauce: mix 1 cup yoghurt, 1 tsp minced garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper. For chicken: cut chicken breast into 2cm chunks and marinate in ¼ cup yoghurt, ¼ cup ground cashews and 1 tsp each of ground cardamom, ground coriander, minced ginger, tandoori paste and minced garlic for 30 minutes. Grill until cooked through (about 7 minutes); serve with yoghurt sauce.

6. Grilled chicken with wasabi sauce
For sauce: combine 1 tbs minced garlic, ½ cup rice vinegar, 2 tbs mirin (Japanese rice wine; you'll find it in your supermarket's international aisle), 2 tbs soy sauce, 1 tbs minced fresh ginger, 1 tsp wasabi powder and salt and pepper to taste. Warm over low heat or in microwave. For chicken: brush breasts with olive oil and grill for 10 minutes. Pour sauce over chicken; garnish with chopped shallots and coriander.

7. Herb-roasted chicken cutlets
Mix 1 tbs minced fresh tarragon, ¼ cup chopped fresh dill, ½ cup chopped fresh parsley, salt and pepper to taste. Place chicken in a baking dish with 1 tbs olive oil, herb mixture and 1 cup chicken stock. Roast at 165°C for about 15 minutes. Serve with herb sauce.

8. Sautéed chicken with warm spices
Heat 4 tbs of peanut oil in a large fry pan. Shake salt and pepper onto chicken cutlets then coat in flour seasoned with cayenne pepper. Sauté chicken until cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Remove from pan. In same pan, sauté ½ cup diced onion until soft. Add 1 tbs minced fresh ginger, 1/8 tsp nutmeg, 1 tsp paprika, ¼ tsp ground cinnamon and 1 cup chicken stock; cook over medium heat until reduced. Add chopped coriander leaves and lime juice to taste. Spoon the sauce over the chicken.

9. Chicken Cobb Salad
Dice 6 slices of cooked bacon (fat removed) and 2 cooked chicken breasts. Chop half a red onion, a tomato, an avocado and a hard-boiled egg. Top a bowl of lettuce with the meat, vegetables, egg, and ½ cup crumbled blue cheese. Whisk together 2/3 cup olive oil, 1/3 cup sherry vinegar, a diced shallot, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, and salt and pepper to taste. Toss all together and serve.

10. Kung Pao prawns
Combine 1 tbs dry sherry or Shaoxing wine (Chinese wine you can get from most Asian food shops), ½ tsp cornstarch and 650g of peeled raw prawns. Heat 2 tbs canola oil and cook a few dried chilli peppers over medium heat until slightly blackened. Mince 2 cloves of garlic and add to prawn mixture, along with 1 tsp minced ginger. Cook for about 3 minutes. Reduce heat, add 1 tsp sugar and 3 tbs soy sauce, and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 1 tsp sesame oil and a chopped shallot. Garnish with 60g chopped roasted peanuts.

11. Grilled prawn salad with chilli and basil
Grill 680g of peeled raw prawns until firm. Toss 4 cups salad greens with 1 cup torn Thai basil leaves, ¼ cup diced red onion and 1 diced cucumber. Whisk together the juice of 2 limes, 1 tbs fish sauce, 1/8 tsp chilli flakes, ½ tsp sugar and 1 tbs water. Toss with greens and vegetables. Lay prawns on top and serve.

12. Mediterranean seafood salad
Cut 225g of any firm white fish (leatherjacket is a good choice) into 2cm chunks and drop into boiling salted water. After 30 seconds, add 230g each of scallops and peeled raw prawns. Cover; remove from heat, let sit for 10 minutes, then drain. Toss the seafood with ½ cup minced fresh parsley, 1 tbs capers, 1 chopped shallot, ¼ cup olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Add lemon juice and other seasonings to taste, serve.

13. Grilled fish with basil dipping sauce
For sauce: combine 2 tbs water, 1 tsp minced garlic, 2 tbs soy sauce, 2 tbs rice vinegar, 1 tbs sugar, 1 red chilli, deseeded and thinly sliced, and ½ cup sliced fresh basil. Season 450g firm white fish (try mullet or whiting) with salt and pepper. Cook, the turn once, until cooked through (8 to 12 minutes, depending on thickness). Serve with sauce.

14. Oven-baked fish
Soak firm white fish fillets in 1½ cups milk, then drain and coat in bread crumbs seasoned with salt and pepper. Coat the bottom of a baking tray with 2 tbs olive oil. Add fillets and drizzle with a little oil. Bake at 230ºC for 8 to 15 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges.

15. Garlic prawn fajitas with guacamole
Cook minced garlic cloves in 1 tsp canola oil until fragrant. Add 450g of peeled prawns; season and cook until see-through (about 3 minutes). Mash an avocado with 2 tbs minced shallots or onion, 1 tsp garlic, 1 tsp diced chilli, a squeeze of lemon juice and salt and pepper. Serve the prawns and guacamole on 4 heated flour tortillas. Garnish with coriander.

16. Grilled sausage, chicken and vegetable skewers
Cut chicken breast and your favourite sausage into 3cm chunks. Cut an eggplant into 3cm cubes and 2 red capsicums into 3cm pieces. Cut a lemon into 8 wedges. Thread pieces onto skewers, alternating ingredients, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill for 10 to 15 minutes and remove pieces from skewers; squeeze grilled lemon over the dish. Serve.

17. Pan-cooked salmon with miso-carrot sauce
For sauce: in a food processor, combine ¼ cup peanut oil,¼ cup rice vinegar, 3 tbs mild/sweet miso (try the Asian section of your supermarket), 1 tbs dark sesame oil, 2 carrots and a chunk of peeled fresh ginger. Blend until chunky-smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. For fish: in a pan, heat 1 tbs olive oil. Sprinkle 450g salmon with salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 4 minutes, turn, and cook until it reaches desired colour. Serve with sauce.

18. Salmon scramble
Whisk 4 eggs, 2 tbs milk and salt and pepper to taste. Heat ½ tbs of butter until foamy. Add egg mixture and reduce heat. Stir gently, pushing eggs from pan edges to the centre. Add ½ cup flaked smoked salmon. Remove eggs from heat when just set. Garnish with dill.

19. Barramundi meunière
Heat 1 tbs olive oil in a pan. Sprinkle barra fillets with salt and pepper; coat in flour. Cook until brown on one side (about 3 minutes); turn. Cook second side until firm to touch. Drizzle with lemon juice and olive oil; top with chopped parsley.

20. Grilled kingfish with fruit salsa
For salsa: mix diced papaya, mango, pineapple and/or watermelon with ½ cup each of diced capsicum (any colour) and red onion, 2 tbs minced chilli, ¼ cup chopped coriander, 1 tbs olive oil, 3 tbs lime juice and salt to taste. For fish: sprinkle kingfish with salt and pepper and grill on one side for 5 minutes; turn and cook to desired colour. Serve with salsa and lime wedges.

21. Pan-roasted kingfish with pea purée
In ovenproof pan, heat 2 tbs olive oil; add kingfish steaks, salt, pepper and cook until brown, for 3 to 5 minutes per side. Cook in 260°C oven for 5 to 10 minutes. Boil 2 cups peas (frozen is fine) until tender, then purée with 1 tbs minced fresh ginger. Add water until mixture is the consistency of yoghurt. Serve fish on top of mixture.

22. Vietnamese-style steak
In a food processor, combine 1 tbs fish sauce, 1 tsp pepper, 1 tsp sugar, 1 small red chilli, 2 tbs lime juice, 2 cloves garlic, 2 chopped shallots, ½ cup chopped mint or Thai basil, ½ cup chopped coriander, and salt. Process until finely chopped. Grill steak to desired colour and serve sliced with the sauce. Delicious.

23. Grilled beef salad with mint
Cook 450g beef tenderloin to medium-rare, about 10 minutes. Toss 4 cups lettuce with 1 cup torn mint leaves, ¼ cup diced red onion and 1 diced cucumber. Whisk together the juice of 2 limes, 1 tbs soy sauce, 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper and 1 tbs water. Thinly slice beef and add its juices to the dressing. Serve meat over salad, drizzled with the dressing.

24. Stir-fried spicy beef
Thinly slice 450g flank steak across the grain into bite-size pieces. Chop ½ cup basil and mix with beef. Cook 1½ tbs minced garlic in 1 tbs peanut oil until slightly brown. Add beef-basil mixture and ¼ tbs chilli flakes; cook for 2 minutes. Add 1 tbs soy sauce and the juice of half a lime and serve.

25. Edamame with pork mince
In 2 tbs olive oil, cook 230g pork mince until brown through. Remove the pork from the pan and pour off all but about 2 tbs of the fat. In the same pan, cook one small chopped onion and 1 tbs minced garlic until soft, about 3 minutes. Add 1 tsp ground cumin and 1½ cups chopped tomatoes; cook for 10 minutes. Stir in 2 cups shelled edamame and cook until tender (about 8 minutes). Return pork to the pan, season with salt and pepper to taste and garnish with coriander.

26. Sautéed pork medallions with lemon and parsley
Cut 450g pork tenderloin into 1½cm-thick slices and pound to 1cm thickness. Heat 3 tbs of olive oil in a pan. Coat pork medallions in flour seasoned with salt and pepper. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side, turning once. Remove. Pour off fat, add ½ cup dry white wine and cook until wine is almost evaporated. Add lemon juice and a few capers. Spoon the sauce over meat. Serve with parsley and lemon wedges.

27. Thai-style stir-fried pork
Cut 450g pork shoulder into bite-size pieces. Cook in 1 tbs peanut oil until no longer pink, about 3 minutes. Remove. Cook 1½ tbs minced garlic for 10 seconds. Add 450g of chopped spinach and cook until wilted. Add pork, 2 tbs fish sauce and the juice of half a lime. Stir and serve.

28. Lamb chops with silverbeet
Sprinkle 2 lamb chops with salt and pepper. Grill for about 5 minutes on each side, turning once. Chop 450g silverbeet (aka Swiss chard), separating the stems from the leaves. Heat 2 tbs olive oil in a small pot, stir in silverbeet stems, and cook until softened. Add leaves, cover, and steam for a few minutes. Add salt and pepper. Serve chops with a mound of greens and some lemon wedges.

29. Lamb medallions with shallots, tarragon & red wine
Cut 450g lamb loin into 2cm-thick rounds and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tbs olive oil in a pan and cook lamb until brown on both sides, about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove lamb and set aside. For the sauce: Add 1 tbs minced shallots to the pan and cook for about 2 minutes. Add 1 tsp minced tarragon and ½ cup red wine and simmer until the liquid is reduced by half. Stir in juices from under the resting meat. Serve the lamb with the sauce.

30. White beans with cabbage and ham
In boiling salted water, cook 3 cups chopped cabbage until tender, then drain. In 2 tbs olive oil, cook 2 cups chopped leeks and 1 stalk celery (chopped) until softened, about 5 minutes. Add 2 sprigs thyme, ½ cup chopped ham, 1 cup chicken stock, 3 cups drained cannellini beans and cabbage. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook until heated through. Serve with grated parmesan cheese.

31. Miso-grilled pork tenderloin
Rub a pork tenderloin with ¼ cup white, yellow or red miso paste. Grill the pork, browning meat on all sides, until almost cooked through but still slightly pink in the centre (about 10 to 15 minutes). Let the meat sit for 10 minutes to rest, then cut into thick slices and serve.

32. Chorizo and beans
Cut about 230g of chorizo into chunks and bury in a pot filled with 4 cups canned cannellini beans and dried chilli flakes to taste. Warm on a stove over medium heat for about 10 minutes, add salt and pepper to taste and serve.

33. Bean and cheese burger
In a food processor, combine 2 cups drained canned beans (haricot, cannellini or kidney beans are all fine), a quartered onion, ½ cup rolled oats, ½ cup grated mozzarella cheese, 1 tbs chilli powder, 1 egg and salt and pepper to taste. Process until the mixture is chunky, adding liquid to hold the mix together. Shape into patties and cook in a pan coated with 1 tsp olive oil until browned, about 5 minutes; turn and cook for a further 5 minutes on the other side or until firm and browned. Serve on a wholegrain bun with salad.

34. Baked eggs with spinach
Bring a pot of salted water to boil and cook 900g spinach for 1 minute. Drain and leave to cool, then squeeze out any excess liquid and chop. Next, heat 3 tbs olive oil in a large baking dish, add the spinach and toss to coat. Spread out the spinach, making 8 nests. Crack 1 egg into each nest and top with salt, pepper, grated parmesan cheese and bread crumbs. Bake in a 180°C oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until the yolks are just set and whites are solidified.

35. Grilled tuna steak with corn and tomato relish
For relish: heat 1 tsp olive oil in a fry pan. Cook kernels from 4 ears of corn until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Add 2 chopped tomatoes, some salt and pepper, 1 tsp ground cumin and ¼ tsp cayenne pepper. Cook for 30 seconds; remove from heat. For fish: sprinkle tuna with salt and pepper. Grill, turning once, to desired colour; serve with the relish.
Plus five more high-protein recipes we love

Bonus 36. Poached lemon chicken with steamed broccolini
1L low-salt chicken stock
4 lean organic chicken breasts
2 bunches broccolini, trimmed
2 tbs fresh mint or parsley, chopped
zest and juice from 1 lemon
Boil the chicken stock in a shallow saucepan then turn down to a low simmer. Add the chicken breasts and gently poach for about 12 minutes until cooked through. Turn off the heat leaving the chicken in the stock while you steam the broccolini for a few minutes until tender. Divide the broccolini between serving plates. Remove chicken from poaching liquid and place on top. Sprinkle with herbs and lemon zest and juice. Serve alone, or with steamed brown rice.

Bonus 37. Roasted Salmon fillet with steamed broccolini and soft poached egg
4 x 150g salmon fillets
salt and pepper to taste
1 bunch broccolini
4 tbs white vinegar
4 organic eggs
20g shaved parmesan cheese
lemon wedges, to serve
Place salmon on a baking tray and season with a little salt and pepper. Roast in a 220ºC oven for 6 to 8 minutes, until just cooked but still a bit pink in the centre. Fill a small pot with water and bring to the boil. Blanch the broccolini for 2 minutes until tender. Remove from the water and arrange on serving plates. Add vinegar to the same water and crack in the eggs. Poach the eggs for about 2 to 3 minutes or until softly poached. Arrange salmon over the broccolini, followed by the egg and parmesan cheese. Serve with lemon wedges.

Bonus 38. Really good fried rice
1 tbs olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 onion, finely diced
100g mushrooms, sliced
1 red capsicum, diced
½ cup frozen corn
1 cup cooked brown rice
2 tbs wheat-free tamari
soy sauce
4 tbs mirin (rice wine)
2 spring onions, finely sliced
1 small bunch coriander leaves, chopped
100g pumpkin seeds
1 x 400g tin cannellini beans, drained
Stir-fry the garlic, onion and mushrooms in olive oil until golden and soft. Add the capsicum, corn, rice, soy sauce and mirin, then cook for 1 to 2 minutes, or until heated through. Fold through the spring onions, coriander, pumpkin seeds and beans just before serving.
NB: the beans can be replaced with stir-fried chicken breast if you prefer.

Bonus 39. Frittata with zucchini and ricotta
1 tbs olive oil
1 garlic clove, chopped
150g zucchini, sliced into rings
salt and pepper to taste
4 organic eggs, beaten
4 tbs ricotta
Juice and zest from 1 lemon
In an oven-proof frypan, sauté the garlic and zucchini in olive oil for a few minutes until tender. Season with a little salt and pepper, and then pour in the beaten eggs. Mix eggs through, then top with the ricotta and a little grated lemon zest. Bake in a 200ºC oven for about 10 minutes until set and golden. Serve with a little parsley and lemon juice sprinkled on top.
Bonus 40. Salmon and pea pasta
350g penne pasta
1 cup frozen peas
juice and zest from 1 lemon
400g poached salmon (see NB)
handful baby spinach leaves
small bunch parsley, chopped
2 tbs olive oil
Pepper to taste
Cook pasta in plenty of boiling water until al dente. Just before draining, add peas and cook for a further 2 minutes, then drain. Toss with lemon juice and zest, flaked poached salmon fillet, baby spinach, parsley, oil and pepper.
NB: to poach the salmon, cover with cold water, add lemon juice and salt. Bring to the boil then turn down to simmer. Poach until cooked through (about 10 minutes).

41. Walnut caramel slice

42. Vanilla meringues with cranberries

43. Ginger caramel tarts

44. Apple tart with choc chip ice cream

45. Caramel chocolate fudge rolls

46. Caramel ice cream cake

47. Chocolate brownies with marshmallow

48. Chocolate dipped honeycomb

49. Dark chocolate torte

50. Peanut and chocolate biscuits

Annouchka Honda
Captain

6,150 Points

50
200
200

Offline

Annouchka Honda
Captain

6,150 Points

50
200
200

Offline

Posted: Sun Jul 10, 2011 6:41 pm

Healthier BLT

2 small red capsicum, seeded and sliced
2 red chilli’s, deseeded and chopped
1 tbs olive oil
1 punnet cherry tomatoes
4 eggs
80g prosciutto
2 tbs sunflower oil for greasing
4 slices wholemeal seed loaf, toasted
1 head baby butter lettuce
Optional extras (not included in nutritional values): Good-quality whole-egg mayonnaise
Gruyère cheese

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Toss the red capsicum and chilli with a little olive oil and bake in the middle of the oven for 10 minutes. Toss the tomatoes with the capsicum and bake for another 10 minutes or until the tomatoes are just beginning to burst.
Fill a medium-sized pan with about four centimetres of water, replace the lid and bring to the boil. Grease the ramekins and break an egg into each. Once the water is boiling, switch off the heat and remove the lid. Add the ramekins, replace the lid and check after 10 minutes – the egg whites should be set but the yolk slightly soft (for a better-cooked egg, replace the lid for another five minutes). When cooked, run a sharp knife around the edge of the white and remove using a flexible plastic spatula.
Add the rashers of prosciutto to a dry non-stick pan (no oil) over medium-high heat. Once they start sizzling, reduce the heat to low and cook until the strip of fat on the edge turns creamy coloured and crispy. Set aside on a paper towel-lined plate.
Place a piece of toast on a plate, spread with a smidgen of mayonnaise (if you like) and add the butter lettuce leaves, capsicum and rashers of prosciutto. Top with the egg and some tomatoes, season with freshly ground black pepper and, if you’re feeling indulgent, finely grate a little Gruyère over the egg.

SERVES 4 per serving: 1 298kJ, 12g fat (3g sat), 32g carbs, 5g fibre, 20g protein, 990mg sodium

Turkish eggs

1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
150g baby spinach, stalks pulled off, washed
2 eggs
For the yoghurt sauce
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tbs chives, finely chopped
1 cup Greek-style yoghurt
For the paprika oil
1 tbs extra-virgin olive oil
tsp paprika
To serve Wholemeal flatbread

For the accompaniments, mix the chives and garlic into the yoghurt and set them aside. Mix the paprika with the olive oil, set aside.
Heat 1 tbs of olive oil in a pan over medium heat and sauté the onion and garlic until softened but not browned.
Turn the heat up to medium-high, add the spinach and cook, tossing frequently until bright green and cooked through. Season to taste.
Create two “nests” or hollows in the spinach. Break each egg into a teacup, and then slip the eggs into the “nests”. Turn the heat down to medium, cover with a lid and cook for five minutes or until the eggs are just cooked.
Spread some of the yoghurt on each plate, then scoop out the eggs with their spinach surrounds and place on top of the yoghurt. Drizzle over the paprika, olive oil and serve.

SERVES 2 Per serving: 1045kJ, 12g fat (2.5g sat), 18g carbs, 4g fibre, 19g protein, 230mg sodium

Tropical fruit salad

2 pineapples
4 mangos
Dried chilli flakes
Sea salt flakes
Fresh limes, halved
Coconut curls (optional)

Top and tail the pineapples and slice off the peel following the curve of the fruit. Cut out the black “eyes” by following the diagonal line in which they run, then place the pineapple on its side and cut slices – they should be a star shape.
Cut the cheeks off the mangos, cut slices into the flesh, invert the skin and scoop out the slices.
Arrange the fruit on a platter and set out bowls of seasoning for everyone to sprinkle according to their own taste.

SERVES 4. Per 660g serving: 1 505kJ, 1g fat (0g sat), 150mg sodium, 95g carbs, 10g fibre, 75g sugars, 4g protein

WORDS: NIKKI WERNER; ALICE TRELOAR.

Banana-buckwheat blueberry pancakes

2 bananas
2 eggs
1½ cups buttermilk
1 cup buckwheat flour
½ cup stoneground cake flour (Can’t find it? Mix 1 part cornflour to 3 parts plain flour)
1 tbs brown sugar
1 tbs baking powder
Pinch of salt
Sunflower oil for frying
Fresh blueberries
to serve Maple syrup

Peel the bananas and mash with a fork in a medium bowl. Whisk in the eggs, and then add the buttermilk.
Add the dry ingredients to a large bowl and create a well in the middle.
Add the wet ingredients and whisk together until just combined. Leave to rest for 15 minutes.
Add one teaspoon of sunflower oil in a non-stick pan over medium low to medium heat. Once it starts bubbling, add two tablespoons of the pancake mixture.
As soon as bubbles start forming on the surface of the pancake, drop on some blueberries, flip and cook for another minute.
Set aside on a plate lined with a paper towel (keep warm in the oven if you like).
Serve drizzled with plenty of maple syrup.

MAKES 12 Per serving: 585kJ, 2g fat (0.5g sat), 29g carbs, 2g fibre, 4g protein, 220mg sodium

Monday
Lose your lard with beans
Cannellini beans with tuna

Your shopping list:
200-gram can tuna in olive oil
400g can of cannellini beans
Handful of chopped basil leaves
½ small cucumber, diced 150g radishes, halved
½ Spanish onion, finely sliced
Balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil
Crusty wholemeal bread

Method:
Drain and flake the tuna and add it to the rinsed cannellini beans. Mix in the basil leaves, cucumber, radishes and onion. Dress with a splash of balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Serve with a chunk of bread. This meal serves two. The payback is: To lose weight, you need to ditch saturated fat from your diet and this dish contains only 2.1g of the stuff. The beans, vegies and wholemeal bread are all packed with complex carbs: these are burnt slowly to give you more energy for longer and help break down fat, particularly when mixed with the high levels of protein you’ll get from the tuna.

Tuesday
Turn Japanese and build muscle
Oriental noodles with chicken and peanuts in a rice-vinegar dressing

Your shopping list:
1 portion wholemeal noodles
3 tsp sesame oil 2 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tsp teriyaki sauce
Squeeze of lime juice
½ tsp soft brown sugar
3 spring onions
Half a small cucumber
¼ green and ¼ red capsicum
Handful of peanuts
Handful of bean sprouts
100g precooked chicken pieces

Method: Soak the noodles in a bowl of boiling water for four minutes, then remove, rinse and toss in one teaspoon of sesame oil. Mix the rice vinegar, teriyaki sauce, remaining sesame oil, lime juice and brown sugar in a jar and shake. Meanwhile, finely slice the spring onions and cucumber, cut the capsicum into strips and chop the peanuts. Mix the vegetables into the noodles with the bean sprouts, then add the chicken pieces, throw on the rice-vinegar mix and sprinkle with chopped peanuts. Serves one the payback: The complex carbs in the noodles and vegetables will give you slow-burning fuel for a testing workout. The energy-boosting effects of the B vitamins in the chicken and bean sprouts are doubled when combined with vitamin C-rich vegetables and the squeeze of lime juice. On top of all these benefits, the mighty peanut ups your levels of the co-enzyme Q10, which has been shown to help you exercise harder for longer.

Wednesday
Make your catch of the day a brain booster
Sardines and fresh tomato on toast

Your shopping list:
2 large tomatoes
Olive oil
Black pepper
1 clove garlic
2 thick slices wholemeal bread
100g tin sardines in olive oil
Worcestershire sauce

Method: Cut a cross into the base of each tomato, drop them briefly into a bowl of boiling water and then skin them. Remove the core and seeds and mash with a little olive oil and black pepper. Rub a clove of garlic on the toasted slices of bread and spread on the mashed tomato. Cover with the sardines and a dash of Worcestershire sauce. Serves one
the payback: Packed with iron, sardines are first-class brain food. Research from Kings College London has shown that people with iron-rich diets have higher IQs and better concentration. Vitamin C, in the tomatoes, also helps increase your body’s uptake of iron. Wholemeal bread will keep your energy levels high and regulate blood sugar.

Thursday
Spice up your sex life with chilli
Prawn wraps with chilli-citrus dressing

Your shopping list:
1 piece ginger
350g cooked and peeled prawns
½ tsp rice wine
200g carrots, grated 60g bean sprouts
Small handful chopped mint
Small handful chopped coriander
2 red chillies, finely chopped
Zest and juice of a lime and lemon
2 tsp soy sauce
4 tbsp olive oil
1 whole iceberg lettuce

Method: Finely grate the ginger and toss it into a bowl with the prawns and rice wine. Add the carrot, bean sprouts, mint and coriander then set aside. In a bowl, mix the chillies, lemon and lime (both the zest and juice), soy sauce and olive oil. Taking a lettuce leaf at a time, fill each with the prawn mixture, then dip into sauce. This meal serves two. The payback is: When you’re limbering up for a romantic night in, you don’t want to be wiped out by a huge dinner. This dish is light, yet still gives you complex carbs for stamina. Prawns are rich in selenium (essential for your reproductive equipment) and zinc, which boosts your libido and sperm production. You’re also armed with a host of energy generators: protein, iron, magnesium and vitamin B12.

Friday
Fight flu with fish
Ceviche of salmon and scallops with homemade salsa and toasted tortillas

your shopping list:
6 fresh scallops’
150g salmon fillet
Juice of 2 small limes
Black pepper
2 tomatoes
1 avocado
1 Spanish onion
half a chilli
Handful of fresh coriander
Fresh flour tortillas
Olive oil

Method: Place the scallops in boiling water for one to two minutes. Remove and transfer to a bowl of cold water. Cut the salmon and scallops into thin strips and lay them in a dish. Squeeze three-quarters of the lime juice so that the fish is lightly covered and sprinkle with pepper. Put it in the fridge for 45 minutes. Dice the tomatoes, avocado and onion and finely slice the chilli and coriander. Mix together and squeeze over remaining lime juice and one tablespoon olive oil. Serve with the fish and toasted tortilla. This meal serves two. The payback is: Because ceviche is raw (it’s “cooked” by the acidity in the lime juice), you’re getting the full benefit of all the fish’s antioxidants, which is great news for your immune system. Vitamin A – found in tomatoes, chillies, avocado and onion – prevents free-radical damage within the cells. The fish content also boosts levels of immunity-powering zinc and copper, to protect bones and tissue.

Saturday
The Moroccan hangover cure
Vegetable tabouli with lemon and feta

Your shopping list:
150g bulgar wheat
Handful pine nuts
5 artichoke hearts (preserved in oil)
10 to 12 pieces of red capsicum (preserved in oil)
Half a small cucumber, chopped
1 Spanish onion, chopped
100g pitted Kalamata olives, halved
10 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 lemon
100g feta cheese
Black pepper

Method: Place the wheat in a large bowl and cover with boiling water. Soak for 30 minutes, then drain and allow to cool. Stir in the pine nuts, artichoke, capsicum, cucumber, onion, olives and cherry tomatoes. Stir in the grated zest and juice of the lemon. Sprinkle the dish with crumbled feta cheese. Season with freshly ground black pepper and eat. This meal serves four. The payback is: The capsicum, tomatoes and lemon juice all provide good quality vitamin C to help flush your big night of boozing out of your system – particularly from your liver. Plus, the vitamin E combines with the powerful antioxidant selenium (in the wheat), pine nuts, onions and cucumber to protect your liver and kidneys from free-radical damage, lower the risk of heart disease and keep cholesterol levels down.

Sunday
Get happy, eat turkey
Turkey pita pockets with spicy lentils

Your shopping list:
100g bulgar wheat
400g tin of lentils
2 tsp Tabasco sauce
250g tahini 2 cloves garlic, crushed
5 tsp lemon juice
300g of natural yoghurt
6 wholemeal pita pockets
6 slices of turkey
Strips of romaine lettuce
2 tomatoes, chopped
Method: Place the wheat in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Soak for 30 minutes, then drain. Meanwhile, drain a tin of lentils, mix them with wheat, season and add the Tabasco. Whisk together the tahini, garlic, lemon juice and yoghurt with a half-teaspoon of salt and six tablespoons of water. Warm the pita, open and spoon the lentil mixture into each, adding the turkey, lettuce and tomatoes. Drizzle with the tahini sauce. This meal serves three. The payback: The turkey and lentils are both packed with tryptophan, an amino acid that boosts your feel-good chemicals. Lentils are also a great source of depression-fighting folate. Tahini, a sesame-seed paste, provides magnesium and calcium, which work together to relax you. Even a wholemeal pita pocket can brighten your day – whole grains are packed with gloom-busting vitamin B1.

Posted: Sun Jul 10, 2011 6:51 pm

Foods that can cause you harm

Chicken

According to a recent study 12 per cent of raw chickens found at supermarkets were infected by Salmonella. To lower your chances of being infected look for chickens labelled 'free range’ and 'organic.' At home rinse your chicken in the sink before cooking

Spring onions

Spring onions (aka scallions) were the cause of a massive hepatitis A outbreak at that Chi-Chi's in 2003. They also triggered a small hep A outbreak in Georgia, North Caroline and Tennessee. Buy refrigerated ones from the supermarket and blast them clean under the tap at home, before adding to meals.

Cold cuts

Labelled as 'high risk,' bacteria can rapidly grow on cuts stored even under the ideal conditions. Listeria the common bacteria found thrives at refrigerator temperatures. Avoid deli's that are dirty and head to ones that you know clean their slicers.

Eggs

Widespread pasteurization has reduced the rate of Salmonella contamination in eggs to only one in 20,000. But that still leaves more than 2 million hazardous eggs in circulation each year. Look for free-range eggs or pasteurized at the supermarket, and when at home keep them in the coldest part of your fridge.

Ground Turkey

The University of Maryland found that 24 per cent of the ground turkey sampled came back positive for Salmonella. And some of that Salmonella was resistant to antibiotics. Hunt for organic turkey breast at the supermarket, as most commercial turkey processors pump up their birds with antibiotics.

Lettuce

'Salad' accounted for 28 per cent of food poisoning in the states between 1990 and 2002. Make sure you wash all lettuce bought, even if it has come from a mixed lettuce bag that claims to have been washed three times.

Mince meat

If slaughter house safe guides fail (and some do) beware that E.coli could potentially pop up in your next meat patty. When at the supermarket or grocery store see if they have 'irradiated mince meat.' When at home mix oregano into the mince meat as it has a antibacterial property, that’s one of the best at wiping out E.coli.

Oysters

Oysters' power as an aphrodisiac is overblown, but their power as a diarrheic when slurped raw is not. The University of Arizona tested oysters from the Gulf Coast location and found 100% of them had high amounts of E.coli. Don't buy from supermarkets, go to your fresh seafood shop and make sure they are thoroughly cooked before slurping.

Peaches

The fruit is doused with pesticides in the weeks prior to harvest to ensure blemish-free skin. By the time it arrives in your produce department, the typical peach can be coated with up to nine different pesticides. Make sure you buy organic and wash under water before eating.

Rockmelon

A sample found that 3.5 per cent of the melons carried Salmonella and Shigella, the latter bacteria normally passed person-to-person. Among imported cantaloupe, 7 percent tested positive for both bugs. And because you eat melons raw, the bacteria go right down your gullet. Make sure when you buy form the supermarket that the melon is free of dents and bruises.

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Posted: Tue Jul 12, 2011 4:03 pm

You’ve heard it a million times… sugar makes you fat. In fact, with all the hoo-ha about evil old’ sugar, you’re probably even beginning to believe that the devil himself comes in the form of a small, white, sickeningly sweet granule!

But what you may still be asking yourself is just why sugar is so bad for you. After all, it’s a ‘natural’ product and hasn’t got any fat in it… and isn’t it fat that makes you, well, fat?!

There are so many studies out there on the sugar/health connection but one man who sums it all up pretty well is Doctor Robert Lustig, a Professor in the Division of Endocrinology at the University of California, who has been a real pioneer in decoding the way sugar is metabolised in the body.

According to Lustig, “It’s not about the calories. It has nothing to do with the calories. It (sugar) is a poison by itself”.

But why? Here's what Dr. Lustig has to say:

Eating too many dietary carbohydrates, especially from sugars, causes fat to become fixed in fat tissue (rather than used as energy, or moved out of the body).

Sugar intake raises your insulin levels, which can prevent fat from being released and ‘flushed’ from the body.

Eating too much sugar directly causes free fatty acids to turn into triglycerides that get stored as fat (this is particularly true of fructose, a kind of sugar found in just about any processed food, baked item or sweetened drink, including fruit juice. Also found in high levels in dried fruit!)

Sugars can directly interfere with your brain’s communication with leptin, the hormone that suppresses your appetite. So your likelihood of overeating and obsessively craving not-so-wholesome foods increases.

So how much is too much?

According to Dr Joseph Mercola, a renowned expert in natural health, these are the guidelines you should follow (most of the time) to make sure your diet is balanced, foods are processed effectively and the evil little sugar monster doesn’t take too firm a grip on your health (and your bod!):
1.Limit sugar intake to less than 25 grams per day. At least 15 grams of these sugars should come from fruit, which doesn’t leave a lot of wriggle room for other, more processed foods. An apple alone has between 5-10 grams of fructose, so imagine the damage a single can of Coke would do!
2.Limit or eliminate processed foods, which contain hidden sugars – the worst kind!
3.Eliminate as much gluten and other highly allergenic foods from your diet as possible (this includes Soy, which can be fairly sugary).
4.Eat organic, locally-grown foods where possible, or give your fruit and veg a good wash! Hidden toxins from spraying can contribute to a stressed-out liver. Combine that with excess sugars flooding that same lil' liver and it ain’t pretty!
5.Eat at least one-third of your food raw/uncooked. A big salad at lunch time should do it!
6.Increase the amount of vegetables in your diet. Even a little can make a big difference.
7.Avoid artificial sweeteners of all kinds (they’ll just make you crave real sugars and are not great for you in the first place).
8.Swap all trans fats (vegetable oils, margarine etc) for healthful fats like avocado, raw butter or coconut oil. These healthy fats help to ‘flush’ stubborn fats from the body and decrease sugar’s impact.
9.Take a high quality omega-3 supplement (fish or krill oil, or flaxseed oil for vegetarians): this helps your body to process sugars in a more healthful way and will increase fat burn too!
10.Drink plenty of water
11.Optimise your vitamin D levels, either through appropriate sun exposure, eating the right foods, or with a D3 supplement.
So there you have it, a few reasons to decrease your intake of the white stuff and a couple of easy ways to make sure you avoid becoming sickly sweet!

What kind of results have you seen from cutting down your sugar consumption?

Courtesy of http://au.lifestyle.yahoo.com/health/blogs/show/2509382/why-sugar-makes-you-fat/

Welcome to Gaia! ::

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~Amke's Healthy Lifestyle~

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