The health benefits of garlic (recipe included)

Studies have been conducted and the results show that garlic can lower cholesterol. It can also lower high blood pressure. When digested, garlic breaks down and releases hydrogen sulfide. This process helps the blood vessels relax and widen and this is what helps keep blood pressure low.

Roasted Garlic and Broccoli

• 2 heads of garlic
• 
  
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 
  
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and pepper
• 
  
• Fresh lemon juice, optional

Preheat oven to 400*.

Cut the tips off the garlic heads.

Drizzle with oil.

Place into small glass baking dish.

Sprinkle with spices.

Roast for 20 to 40 minutes.

When cooked, the garlic will feel soft when you squeeze it. Caution...it will be hot to the touch!

When garlic is cool to the touch, remove the skins by squeezing the garlic from them.

Sprinkle with lemon juice if desired.

Clean eating dessert recipes

Most of us crave sweets ever now and again. right? Maybe more "now" than "again"? Here are some sweet and healthy treats for those of us with a sweet tooth:

Black Forest Banana Split

• 2 cups nonfat ricotta cheese
• 2 bananas, split lengthwise
• 16 walnut halves
• 1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons cherry concentrate (available at health-food stores)

Spoon ricotta into a dessert dish and place a banana half on each side of the cheese. Put the walnut halves on top and dust with the cocoa powder. Drizzle the cherry concentrate on top.

Makes: 2 servings

Black forest banana split

Chocolate Dipped Banana Pops

• 2 ounces roughly chopped unsweetened baking chocolate
• 3 ounces roughly chopped milk chocolate
• 2 ripe bananas
• 1/3 cup coarsely chopped salted peanuts (or toasted coconut or cacao nibs if desired)

Melt chocolate in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stirring occasionally, until smooth. Meanwhile, line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper. Slice bananas into thirds crosswise; insert a wooden freezer-pop stick or skewer in one end of each. Dip pieces in melted chocolate, spooning on additional chocolate to cover. Place on prepared baking sheet and sprinkle with chopped salted peanuts. Freeze until chocolate is firm, about 20 minutes, or up to 2 hours. (If frozen for more than 2 hours, let soften for 20 minutes before serving.)

Servings Per Recipe: 6

PER SERVING: 206 cal., 13 g total fat (6 g sat. fat), 69 mg sodium, 22 g carb. (4 g fiber), 5 g pro.

Chocolate dipped banana pops

Baked Apples

Makes 1

• 1 Fuji apple
• Raisins, as desired
• Cinnamon, as desired
• Honey, as desired

Core a Fuji apple, stuff with raisins, cinnamon, and honey, as desired. Bake for about 20 minutes.

Baked apples

RECIPES for clean eating!

Picture taken from forkandbeans.com 

Here is a list of some recipe ideas to help you on your clean eating lifestyle:

Breakfast:

Remember eggs in a hole? Fried egg in toast? Check out this revised version: Reinvented egg in a hole recipe

Oatmeal! Do you love oatmeal? I hope so because it is good for you! 5 minute power oatmeal recipe

Lunch:

These shrimp and avocado summer rolls look amazing! Shrimp and avocado summer roll recipe

Salmon is good for us! Check out this tasty recipe for salmon cakes...and yes, it is good for you: Oven fried salmon cake recipe

Dinner:

Crispy chicken? Yes please... Crispiest spring chicken recipe

Risotto anyone? How about: White bean cauliflower risotto 

Planning your meals…is it worth the extra effort?

If you want to continue to eat healthy and stay away from processed, boxed and packaged foods, I would say YES!

A simple way to meal plan is to find recipes you want to try via the Internet or cookbooks and put all the ingredients needed onto your grocery list…to make sure you have everything you need for the week. This may take you about 15 to 30 minutes.

You can do all the prep work for the meals over the weekend to make weekdays easier!

Your body will thank you!

Drinking clean…

Did the title of this post grab your attention? Drinking clean is super simple: DRINK water and plenty of it: approximately 2 liters (9 cups) for women and 3 liters (13 cups) for men.. Not only will this keep our bodies well hydrated, it will also cut back on the urge to eat. Water keeps the stomach full and if our bellies are full we are less likely to snack on junk. 

Don’t like water? Try this recipe for cucumber water! 

In addition, purchase in inexpensive cup that will hold the amount of liquid you need to drink each day. Add some ice cubes and water…now, you can sip all day long! 

Easy clean eating tips: How many times a day do I eat?

When you are eating clean, it is a good idea to eat 4 to 6 meals a day, leaning on the smaller size.  By doing this, you will keep your blood sugar regulated and your metabolism will increase…making it easier to lose weight if that is one of your goals! 

Don’t forget: NO SKIPPING BREAKFAST! We have the obvious: if we skip breakfast we are starving by lunchtime. When we are feeling super hungry, we tend to eat anything in site! Nooooo! Eat breakfast to prevent that from happening. See our post for: Overnight banana bread oatmeal for a healthy breakfast idea...this post also includes a simple how to video! 

Cooking clean...how do I do it?

One of the key parts to clean eating is to eat your fruits and veggies raw whenever possible. They do have many vitamins and nutrients in them and eating them raw will not alter anything that they have to offer.

Cooking your veggies is not a bad thing, as long as we stay away from deep frying and soaking them in animal fats. It is good to keep our food interesting by adding different spices, eating them raw at times and cooking them at times. It is hard to stick to any type of healthy lifestyle if we get bored with it!

Steaming veggies is the healthiest way to cook them. It maintains most of the vitamins and nutrients. We can also, stir fry them, but remember not to add lots of unhealthy oils and salts!

Are ALL processed foods bad for me?

Are all processed foods bad for me?

Milk is pasteurized and instant oatmeal is processed. Does that mean we should stay away from them? No. Always shop for organic, that will help. In addition, milk and instant oatmeal are not categorized in the same group of foods such as packaged cakes, doughnuts, cookies, diet drinks and so on.

“Ultra-processed” foods are foods that are heat and eat and food “like” products such as Velveeta cheese. These are foods that our bodies will be happy we stay away from consuming.

What are some health benefits of eating clean? 

Research has shown us that clean eating (eating whole, un-processed foods such as fruits and veggies) can prevent diseases and harmful conditions. Diabetes (type 2) and high blood pressure are just two examples of what can be prevented by eating clean.

Clean eating can also help to improve skin as well as our hair and nails. It is a healthy way to control our weight too!

Add some fresh fruits to your Holiday menu this year...

Christmas is just days away and along with all the goodies we are going to eat, we can still add fresh fruits into the Holiday menu! Check out these 2 recipes:

The first recipe is a super easy and taste apple salad dressing. No preservatives in this one though!

Easy Apple Salad Dressing

• 2 apples, peeled and cored
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• Cinnamon, two shakes
• Ground cloves, one shake

Add all ingredients into a blender.
Blend until smooth.
Pour over salad just before serving.


Juice your own sweet lemonade without any sugar or preservatives! Whip out that juicer you have stored in the cabinet and get to juicing again.

Some blenders are also capable of creating this sweet lemonade recipe. Instead of using a juicer, you can use a heavy duty blender as well. If you are, peel the apples and lemon for better results.

Apple Lemonade

• 4 apples, cored
• ¼ of a lemon, with peel

Press lemon through the juicer and then run the apples through.
It is that simple…fresh, sweet lemonade!

Add some sliced fresh fruit for added flavor and a festive Holiday look!

Overnight banana bread oatmeal recipe

I am all about simplifying life...particularly around the Holidays! Give this overnight banana bread oatmeal a try! It is perfect for the entire family. Check out the video to see how simple it is to prepare...

Banana Bread Overnight Oatmeal Recipe

• 1 banana, medium to large
• 1/3 cup oats
• 1/2 cup cashew milk, unsweetened
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 tablespoon pecans or walnuts, chopped

Mash banana in a bowl.

Add oats, milk, seeds, cinnamon and honey.

Mix together well.

Add to a mason jar or other type of glass jar with an air tight lid.

In the morning before eating, top with nuts and enjoy!

This recipe has:

327 calories

0 cholesterol

9 grams of protein

12 grams dietary fiber

15 grams sugar

11 grams of fat

81 grams sodium

Vitamins A,C,calcium and iron

This is according to the Myfitnesspal app.

The recipe I have listed here is for 1 serving. Just double to triple to make several days worth!

Can drinking water help us lose weight? (plus, cucumber lime water recipe)

We have all heard that we should be drinking 8 glasses of water every day, right? Well, according to Virginia Tech, people who drank 16 ounces of water before each meal lost about 5 more pounds than those who did not.

The reason they lost weight? It could be because the water took up stomach space and made them feel full. So, in turn, they ate less food at each meal.

Doctors will tell you not to wait until you are thirsty to drink water. It is always good to stay hydrated and not drink too much or too little water each day.

Try this flavorful recipe:

Cucumber Lime Water

• 3 small seedless cucumbers
• 2 liters of water
• 1/2 lime, sliced into small pieces

Add all ingredients into a pitcher. Refrigerate for 24 hours.
Strain water and pour into glasses. Enjoy straight from the pitcher or over ice.

How do I have a healthy Thanksgiving Holiday?

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! We all deserve a day to enjoy food, family and friends! Here are some easy tips to keep you and your family healthy this Holiday. You can still enjoy the Thanksgiving foods you love…it’s true! You can also get your workout in on Turkey Day! Check out how…

Start the day off right with a healthy breakfast.
Jump start your metabolism by preparing a healthy breakfast filled with protein and healthy fats!  Try eggs with turkey sausage or hot oatmeal with fruits, nuts and seeds. Add some Thanksgiving flavor by adding a dab of pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon to your oatmeal and/or add a tablespoon or two of organic pumpkin puree!

Start a new tradition:  Include a sport or group activity on Thanksgiving Day. 
Have a family football game or just toss the football around in the yard. Another great option is to go for a family walk together…or how about an easy game of tag in the yard? Whatever you decide to do, it will create great memories and allow the family time to bond. In addition, it will get everyone moving and provide a bit of exercise on a day filled with television and food.

Load up on veggies.
Yup…make the veggies the start of the show! Saute some of your favorites in olive oil or bake them in the oven. Veggies are low in fat, calories and cholesterol!

• Serve salad as a first course…Heavy on greens…light on non-veggie add-ins like cheese.
• Try a new veggie recipe that packs flavor without extra calories. 

Holiday Food Facts

A typical Thanksgiving Meal:
Roast turkey (dark and white meat) with skin (4 oz)
Candied sweet potatoes with marshmallows (1 cup)
Green bean casserole
Jellied cranberry sauce (½ cup)
Caesar salad
Mashed potatoes with milk and butter (1 cup)
Apple pie with vanilla ice-cream
Pecan Pie
TOTAL CALORIES: 2,796 calories 

Light Thanksgiving Meal:
Roast turkey (light meat only), no skin (4oz)
Small Baked sweet potato
Sautéed green beans
Light cran-berries sauce (½ cup)
Mixed green salad with fat-free Italian Dressing
Mashed potatoes with roasted garlic and skim milk (1 cup)
Light pumpkin pie
TOTAL CALORIES: 750 calories 

Food calorie list was taken from: 
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/joanna-dolgoff-md/healthy-thanksgiving-tips-recipes_b_1092915.html

Simple techniques to help keep ourselves and our children healthy

Check out this small list of ways we can keep our children healthy! We can also apply these techniques to our own adult lives as well:

• Never skip breakfast (enough said).
• Snack with purpose. Snack to fill the gap between meals, not just because there is nothing else to do. Snack on healthy foods.
• Beware of potion distortion. Use smaller bowls and cups to help portion control.
• Empty calories are consumed by sugary drinks. Watch the calories and fat in drinks as well as food.
• Eat more whole foods. Packaged foods contain high sodium, calories and fat. Eat fresh foods.
• Set the table. Eat together as a family. Cook with your children.
• Kick the sugar habit. So many of the regular foods we eat have sugar...even bread! Cut back on the amount of sugar we allow our children to consume.

Healthy chili recipe

Eating chili is a great way to eat your needed protein and fiber. You can serve this as vegetarian chili by leaving out the meat. You can also make the chili in the crockpot without the meat and cook your meat separately and serve it on the side. This works great if you are serving vegetarians and meat eaters at the same time.




Crockpot Chili

• 1 pound of ground meat, beef, turkey or chicken, grass fed and antibiotic free, defrosted
• 1/2 large onion or 1 small onion, peeled and chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp each: pepper, salt and garlic powder
• 1 tsp honey
• 3 shakes of hot sauce
• 1 small package low sodium chicken bullion (optional)
• 1 can chopped tomatoes
• 1, 6oz can tomato sauce (optional)
• 1 can each: kidney beans, northern white beans, baked beans, black beans and chili beans
• 1 can butter beans (optional)
• Olive oil

Add all ingredients to crockpot.
Cook on low for about 6 hours. Or cook on high for 4 hours.

Snacking on walnuts? Yey or Nay?

Walnuts are actually an excellent snack! They are high in omega-3 fatty acids and are naturally cholesterol free. In addition, walnuts are also sodium free.

You can easily eat them for a mid-day pick me up. You can also cook and bake with them. Adding chopped walnuts to your oatmeal is a great way to add these into your diet.

In addition, walnuts are economical. They are definitely one of the better priced nuts to buy. You can easily replace other nuts called for in your favorite recipes with walnuts. By doing this you not only save money, but you will be investing in your health as well!

To learn more about walnuts and get new recipes, please visit:  Walnuts.org

Eat your oatmeal!

Have you often wondered if instant oatmeal is just as good for you as rolled oats are? If so, I have the answer for you!

Rolled oats are a better choice than instant oats and here is why:
By using rolled oats, you will reduce the added sodium and sugar that are in the instant variety.
In addition, by eating the rolled oats you will feel fuller for a longer amount of time. This is because it will take your body more time to break down the rolled oats.

So, there you go! Stick to the rolled oats and stay fuller and eat healthier.

TIP: 

Since rolled oats do not come in the flavors of the instant oats, you can easily add some flavor to them yourself. Add a dab of honey and/or ground cinnamon to your oats. You can also add raisins and/or dried cranberries. For a dab of sweetness, add some low sugar jelly or jam. For crunch, add nuts or top it with granola. The possibilities are endless, just get creative!

Need protein? Have a pineapple smoothie!

Smoothies are one of the easiest ways to get more protein into your diet.

This recipe for a pineapple smoothie, provides you with fruit, greens and protein! If you need to eat more greens or want your family to eat more greens, sneak them into this drink and no one will even know they are in there. The blueberries mask the green color and the sweetness from the fruits and juice will hide the flavor.

Pineapple Blueberry Smoothie

1 1/2 cups pineapple juice
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1 banana
1 cup fresh spinach leaves
1 scoop of your favorite protein powder

Add juice and spinach to blender and blend on high for 30 seconds.
Add berries, protein powder and banana and blend until smooth.

Tip: for a creamier smoothie, use half milk, half pineapple juice!

Making banana milk

If you are looking for a healthy liquid to add to your smoothies, look no further!

Generally speaking, bananas have about 100 calories each. If you make the following recipe to add to your morning smoothies or protein shakes, it is equivalent to about 25 calories per 8 ounces (1 cup).

Banana Milk

1 banana
4 cups water

Add banana and water into a blender. Mix until combined. Strain and enjoy.

This milk should be used upon making. It may store airtight for a day but it tends to turn dark in color from the bananas.You could also add 3-4 pitted dates to the mixture before blending for added flavor.

Looking for a tasty smoothie recipe? Here you go:

Pina Colada Smoothie

1 handful (about 1/4 cup) fresh or frozen pineapple, peeled and cut into small chunks
1 handful (about 1/3 cup) shredded coconut
1 banana, peeled
1/2 cup banana milk, or other milk of choice

Add all of the above ingredients into a blender.
Blend on a higher setting to be sure all the banana gets blended in well.
Add more milk if smoothie is still too thick or until you reach your desired consistency of the smoothie.