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Recent CommentsHow Can I Stick to My Diet When Traveling?
June 25, 2008
Dear Glenny´s,
I´ve generally been able to stick to my diet when I´m at home, but I start to run into trouble when I travel, especially for business. It’s difficult to cope with the stresses of travel, especially at the airport. Any tips on how I can travel well and still manage to eat healthy?
Thanks.
Terry
Lose Weight with Bigger Portions?
June 25, 2008
“I printed your diet with a large font to make the portions look bigger.”
Moroccan Lemon Chicken With Summer Squash
June 25, 2008
Moroccan Lemon Chicken With Summer Squash and Green Olives
There’s no doubt that chicken is a perennial crowd-pleaser, but it’s easy to run out of new and exciting ways to prepare it. Looking for a delicious new dinner option? This recipe from South Beach features rich flavors that are sure to delight your taste buds!
Makes 4 servings
Description
While the ingredient list for this recipe may seem long, it largely features common pantry spices. When combined, these spices make up a version of ras al-hanout, an intriguing blend that is widely used on Moroccan-style meats and fish. If you prefer, look for prepared
ras al-hanout or another Moroccan blend in the spice section of your supermarket. Mixed with a little extra-virgin olive oil, these spices make a wet rub that blackens while cooking, giving the chicken a rich, exotic taste.
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Ingredients
4 (6-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
1 lemon
4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, thinly sliced
3/4 pound summer squash, thinly sliced crosswise
1/3 cup pitted green olives
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Instructions
Pound chicken breasts between two sheets of waxed paper to 1/4 inch thick.
In a small bowl, mix together cumin, ginger, cinnamon, pepper, allspice, salt, and cayenne. Finely grate zest from lemon into spice mixture. Squeeze 1 tablespoon juice from lemon and add to spice mixture. Put lemon aside to use later. Add 3 teaspoons of the oil to spice mixture and stir to combine. Spread mixture on both sides of chicken breasts.
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken, in batches if necessary, and cook, turning, until blackened on the outside and cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and loosely cover with foil to keep warm.
Add remaining 1 teaspoon oil to the skillet and return to medium-high heat. Add onion slices and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon and scraping up any browned bits, 3 minutes. Add squash, olives, and 2 tablespoons water. Season lightly with additional salt and pepper; stir well. Cover and cook until squash is tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat. Squeeze a little more lemon juice over chicken and vegetables, sprinkle with parsley, and serve warm.
Cooking Tip: Use cutlets in place of chicken breasts if you want to avoid the pounding step. Turkey cutlets can also be used.
Recipe from The South Beach Diet Supercharged.
Nutritional Information
264 calories
8 g fat (1 g sat)
6 g carbohydrate
41 g protein
2 g fiber
314 mg sodium
Source: SouthBeachDiet.com
Facts on Fish
June 24, 2008
As you may already know, fish — particularly oily fish, like salmon and lake trout — is rich in heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. However, not all fish is created equal. The following fish facts from South Beach will help you sort through the science.
Fatty fish helps fight heart disease. Numerous studies have determined that the two omega-3 fatty acids found in fish, EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), help make the blood less sticky and, thus, less likely to clot and cause heart attacks and strokes. There is also compelling evidence that omega-3s fight the inflammation process, which is important since inflammation is thought to be involved in many diseases, including heart disease, diabetes, and arthritis. Just two servings a week of fish will provide the benefits. Omega-3s are most concentrated in sardines, salmon, and mackerel.
Wild fish is the way to go. Farm-raised salmon contains the environmental toxins PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), which may be associated with an increased risk of cancer. This salmon is contaminated because its food contains PCBs. Salmon store the PCBs in its fat, where it can accumulate, just as it does in humans who eat contaminated fish. The best way to avoid ingesting PCBs is to choose wild salmon whenever possible. Canned and pouched salmon are a convenient source in your supermarket. However, there is a way to reduce the PCBs in farmed salmon: Remove the skin (and the fat beneath the skin) before you cook it, and broil, bake, or grill the fish to allow the fat (again, where PCBs accumulate) to drain off. Of course, this will lower the omega-3 content as well, but you’ll still get some of its benefits.
Pregnant women, nursing mothers, and women considering pregnancy should limit exposure to fish containing methylmercury. This industrial pollutant is most concentrated in long-lived, deep-sea species, like shark, swordfish, king mackerel, and tuna. While adults have a higher threshold and are affected only by high levels of mercury (which can cause neurological damage and vision problems), even low levels can impede the development of the nervous system in fetuses, babies, and young children. The best way to avoid mercury exposure is to eat small fish, like cod, sole, halibut, and shellfish that larger fish feed on. It’s also advisable to vary your seafood selection — as well as avoid high-mercury species.
Source: SouthBeachDiet.com
Staying Full Between Meals?
June 18, 2008
Dear Glenny´s,
My problem is that I eat breakfast and then find myself hungry about an hour after I finish. What can I do to stay full in between breakfast and lunch?
Thanks.
Barbara
Lemon-Thyme Ices
June 18, 2008
Who doesn’t enjoy capping off a warm summer night with a cool dessert? Satisfy your sweet tooth with this refreshing creation .
Lemon-Thyme Ices (Phase 1)
Makes 4 (generous 1/2 cup) servings
Description
This pretty dessert makes a lovely ending to any meal. Reminiscent of an Italian lemon ice, it is updated here with a hint of fresh thyme. If you prefer a less-tart version, add a little more sugar substitute.
Prep time: 15 minutes
Freezing time: 2 hours
Ingredients
3 leafy fresh thyme sprigs plus 4 extra sprigs for garnish
1/2 cup granulated sugar substitute
2 cups boiling water
1 cup fresh lemon juice (from 5 to 6 lemons)
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
Salt
Instructions
In a medium metal bowl, combine thyme and sugar substitute. Pour boiling water over them and stir to dissolve sugar substitute. Steep for 3 minutes, then remove and discard thyme.
Place bowl in freezer until mixture is cool, about 10 minutes. Remove from freezer and whisk in lemon juice, zest, and a pinch of salt. Pour into 2 standard ice cube trays, filling each ice cube compartment to just below the top (you will fill 1 tray and 1/2 of a second one).
Freeze until mostly frozen through, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Place cubes in a food processor or blender and pulse very briefly, just until ice becomes granular. (Don’t overprocess or the dessert will be a liquid.)
Transfer ice to dessert bowls, garnish with tops of extra thyme sprigs, and serve immediately.
Nutritional Information:
30 calories
0 g fat (0 g saturated fat)
9 g carbohydrate
0 g protein
0 g fiber
0 mg sodium
Source: The South Beach Diet Supercharged
How To Tell If You Are Eating Right
June 18, 2008
“I must be eating right. I´m narrow at the top and wide at the bottom, just like the Food Pyramid.”
Grain Cooking Tips
June 17, 2008
You know that grains are an important part of your diet because of their multiple health benefits and ability to satisfy with few calories. And you probably know by now that they can also be a versatile and delicious part of your meal options — but do you know just how versatile they can be? Check out these cooking tips to get the most out of your grains:
Simmer: This is the most common way to prepare grains, particularly for a fluffy side dish. Simply boil the correct amount of water, add the grains, then cover and simmer until all the liquid is absorbed. Try not to lift the cover to check for “doneness” because this releases the steam that has built up in the pot, altering the cooking process. For a flavor boost, try adding chicken, beef, or vegetable broth or stock in place of some or all of the water the recipe calls for. This method works for all grains, from kamut to millet to oatmeal.
Toast: Toasting grains before you cook them brings out their natural nutty flavor, deepens their color, and adds a delicious crispiness. Grains can be toasted on a cookie sheet in the oven at 350 degrees for about 12 minutes. You can also place them on a toaster sheet in the toaster oven or in a frying pan on the stovetop. Keep a close eye on the grains while you’re toasting them, as they can go from brown to black quickly. And keep in mind that toasting grains does not cook them through — you’ll still have to simmer them in liquid to bring them out of their dried state. Couscous and wheat berries taste especially delicious after they have been toasted.
Stir-fry: This method should be used after the grains have been cooked in liquid. The most common stir-fried grain is rice. Adding cooked brown rice and soy sauce to sautéed veggies in a wok is a great way to make homemade fried rice without all the added calories that takeout delivers. You can also stir-fry any other type of grain with veggies too — like quinoa, barley, and bulgur.
Source: SonomaDiet.com
Three Things You Can Do To Lose Weight
June 10, 2008
“In all my years as a doctor, I’ve only found three things to help a person loose weight:
cut your hair, trim your nails, and clean out your navel!”
The Scoop on Brown Rice
June 9, 2008
What exactly is brown rice? Well, first of all, brown rice isn’t always brown.
“We say ‘brown rice’ when we mean ‘whole-grain rice,’ ” said Cynthia Harriman, a spokeswoman and nutrition educator for the Oldways food-issues think tank and the Whole Grains Council. Brown rice actually comes in a lot of colors, she said, including red and black, the latter of which also is known as forbidden rice.
According to a definition from the USA Rice Federation, brown rice is rice with only the hull removed. The color comes from the kernel’s bran layers, which carry vitamins, minerals and fiber.
It was last month that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration decided that brown rice can carry a “whole-grain” designation, although the fact that it hadn’t been included in an earlier ruling was a technicality, Harriman said, that basically had to do with wording. The designation is important because it makes it easier for consumers to know that brown rice can help them meet one dietary goal.
“In 2005, there was a dietary guidelines recommendation to increase our whole grains,” said Anne Banville, spokeswoman for the USA Rice Federation. “That really is what has given the big push to whole grains. Any authoritative source agrees we all need to get more whole grains in our diet.”
Among the reasons, Harriman said, is that diets rich in whole grains and low in fat have been shown to contribute to heart health. And brown rice is rich in vitamin E, which is an antioxidant that has been linked to protecting cells from cancer, heart disease and cataracts, according to the federation.
A plus for brown rice is that it’s familiar to most people, even if, as Harriman said, “people have traditionally thought of brown rice as a hippie food; eat a bit and you’ll burst out singing ‘Kumbaya’ or something like that.”
But, she said, it has become both more sophisticated — as in the red, black and other varieties that are being showcased in high-end restaurants — and more familiar. In addition to the supermarket-staple long-grain, brown varieties including jasmine and basmati are showing up in local stores.
“We’re seeing most whole-grain food go away from this hippie image, and also this dichotomy between foods that taste good and foods that are good for you,” she said. “You shouldn’t have to hold your nose and eat things because they’re good for you. There are delicious things out there, and brown rice is just one of them.”
“It’s a familiar whole grain,” said Banville. “It’s not that big of a leap; people can even pronounce it.” Some people, she said — particularly moms with recalcitrant kids — mix white and brown rice to make the latter more familiar.
Brown rice also is showing up in more convenient forms. Because the bran layers resist heat and moisture, long-grain brown rice takes 45 to 50 minutes to cook, compared to about 14 for white (although Harriman said one red variety takes 20 minutes). But, as Harriman noted, there’s “lots going on in the brown-rice area.” Uncle Ben’s and Minute Rice have introduced precooked brown rice in cups that heat in the microwave in 90 seconds in the case of Uncle Ben’s, 60 for Minute Rice (true to its name).
Banville said the new products are helping to propel double-digit annual increases — such as 20 percent last year — in U.S. consumption of brown rice.
“There’s a whole bunch of products out there that weren’t five or eight years ago, and consumers are really going for them,” she said.
Special diets also are fueling the increase.
“Last year, when everybody was crazy about the South Beach Diet, brown rice was one of the few carb foods that the South Beach Diet permitted once you got past the initial phase,” Banville said.
Commercial outlets also have made brown rice more familiar to consumers. Banville said the federation works with Disney World in Orlando, Fla., which has increased its menu offerings.
And Harriman, in confirming that brown rice has become “much more mainstream,” noted that at outlets of the P.F. Chang’s chain, “they come to the table and instead of slapping down the white rice and making you beg for the brown rice, they take your order and ask.”
Laura Cherry, a spokeswoman for P.F. Chang’s, said that last year the chain and its Pei Wei concept served 12 million pounds of white rice and 10 million pounds of brown.
“Every year the amount of brown rice requested seems to go up,” she said, adding that that holds true for both concepts.
Which just makes sense to Harriman.
“If you serve it,” she said, “they will come.”
Source:
http://www.lvrj.com/
HEIDI KNAPP RINELLA
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