Saturday, July 14, 2007

Healthy Eating Recipes: How To Make Your Recipes Healthier

By Trevor JohnYou've probably got hundreds of recipes in your collection butmaybe not all of them are as healthy as you'd like them to be.Which is likely a shame as there's a good chance that some ofthose recipes are amongst your favorites. How do you go about changing your favorite recipes into onesthat are healthy for you? Even those old family favorites thathave been passed down through the generations. 1. Reduce the amount of fat, sugar and salt in your recipes. You'll be pleasantly surprised just how much you can reduce thelevel of fat, sugar and salt in your recipes without affectingthe taste. If you've cut back too much, it's always possible toadd a little bit more salt at the table. You can reduce theamount of fat by using a non stick pan and an oil spray ratherthan slurping oil into the pan. You can also use a slottedspoon to skim off any excess fat as the recipe cooks. Cuttingdown on sugar will depend on what you're cooking, but it'sgenerally safe to try initially cutting sugar down by a quarter- I doubt you'll notice the difference. Salt is necessary in recipes for bread as otherwise the yeastwon't be able to do it's job. In other recipes, such as crockpots and stews, you should easily be able to reduce the saltyou use by half with very little effect on the final taste. Youmay even find that with an imaginative use of sauces, you caneliminate salt from some of your recipes entirely. Remember that some of the ingredients you use may contain salt,sugar or fat. Read the labels and substitute as necessary. Butdon't just blindly add a low fat option without checking thatthe manufacturer hasn't simply substituted sugar for fat. 2. Make Healthy Substitutions As well as examining labels, look for ways to increase thenutrition in the food you eat. Whole wheat pasta, brown rice,whole grain cereals. All of these are easy substitutes and willlikely enhance the taste of the dish you are cooking - they haveless of the original product removed in the manufacturingprocess, which leaves more taste available for you. 3. If possible, delete an unhealthy ingredient Many recipes react well to variations (you may even findalternatives listed at the end of the recipe). Substitutefrosted ingredients for un-frosted ones to cut down on sugar,for instance. Be careful with adding nuts to a dish as they arehigh in fat (although the fat is usually considered "good" fat,so don't cut them out entirely). Let your family and guests addtheir own toppings such a mayonnaise and sauces. Considersubstituting lower salt, fat and sugar versions of thesesauces. And don't squeeze that maple syrup quite as hard thenext time you eat a stack of pancakes! Once you start converting your recipes, you'll become moreimaginative and will have a good idea on what is working andwhat isn't Keep a notebook handy so that you can remember thesuccesses and adjust the times when the changes you madeweren't as successful as you'd have liked.About the Author: Treat your children and family to a batch ofspecially designed healthy recipes that are easy to make andhave all been taste tested athttp://healthy-eating-for-kids.comSource: http://www.isnare.com

Sunday, July 1, 2007

Can The Cabbage Soup Diet Help You Lose Weight ?

The Cabbage Soup Diet is different and a little extreme, atleast at the start. Here are all the details and a new cabbagesoup diet pill announcement at the end of this article. In the world today, there are millions of people who areoverweight. Obesity is on the rise, and many people are lookingfor a way to shed a few unwanted pounds quickly. There are many methods that those who want to loose weight canuse, one being dieting. There are thousands of diets on the market today, one of theoldest being the cabbage soup diet. Those who choose to usethis diet plan should be prepared for an extremely strict dietregime. There are many different recipes for cabbage soup, however theclassic recipe includes cabbage, onions, peppers, garlic,celery, mushroom, carrots, and tomatoes simmered in vegetablestock. This unusual diet allows you to eat as much cabbage soup as youwant throughout each day. Adding various fruits and vegetable onassigned days is the only variation to the menu. The only drinksthat are allowed on program are water, unsweetened fruit juiceon the days that fruit is assigned. Skim milk is allowed; onthe days that it is assigned, and black coffee and plain tea. Here's the scoop on how this eating plan is structured: Day one of the cabbage soup diet allows you to add as muchfruit as you want to the menu with the exception of bananas. Day two allows you to add vegetables to the menu, including onebaked potato with a small amount of butter. Day three allows you to add fruits and vegetables to the menu.However, potatoes and bananas are to be excluded. Don't give upjust yet. Day four of the cabbage soup experience allows you to add eightbananas to your menu, and as much skim milk as you want. Day five is a treat and a relief. You are allowed to add up totwenty ounces of beef to the menu and six tomatos. Day six of this weight loss program allows you to add as muchbeef and vegetables as you like to the menu with the exceptionof potatoes. Day seven allows you to add brown rice and vegetables with theexception of potatoes and unsweetened fruit juice to the menu. It is important that you remember to spread the menu allowancesthroughout the day. Do not have all of them all for just onemeal. It is also important to remember that this particular soup dietplan is meant to be used for only seven days. Using it anylonger can lead to serious health problems. There has been a great controversy in the medical communityregarding the cabbage soup diet. Some experts feel that thisdiet may be harmful to some people. Therefore, it cautionshould be used when considering this diet. Obvioulsy, it is not recommended for everyone. It is crucialthat you consult your physician before starting the cabbagesoup diet to rule out any underlying health problems. Yourdoctor will advise you if this is the right diet for you.About The Author: Ken Black is the owner ofhttp://www.Weight-Loss-Discovery.com. Visit us to learn moreabout healthy weight loss.