Saucy Beefy "Rice" AND FACTS ON Poultry VS Beef

When it comes to burgers, do you choose turkey or beef? Many people trying to eat a healthier diet opt for a turkey burger believing it will be healthier for them. BUT are you often tired, have a hard time losing weight, have thinning hair??? Before you place your next order, you may want to take a closer look at the two types of meat to see how they compare. You may be switching back to the beef!Iron...

Asparagus and Crab Salad AND Facts of IMITATION CRAB

What exactly is imitation crab? First of all per serving, it has 15 to 20 grams of carbs! The last I checked crab didn't have any carbohydrates. So where do they come from? It starts with an overly processes white fish (Cod) and fortified with sugar, sugar, and more sugar. Cod is used primarily because it has a mild flavor that easily takes on the flavor of real crab meat, but also because it is cheap....

Chocolate "Tapioca" Pudding and WHY CHIA seeds

WHY CHIA SEEDS:1. DIABETICS: If you mix a spoonful of Chia in a glass of water and leave it for 30 minutes, the glass will appear to contain not seeds or water, but a gelatin. This gel-forming reaction is due to the soluble fiber in the seed. This same gel-forming activity takes place when we eat these gummy fibers, known as mucilages. The gel that is formed creates a physical barrier between carbohydrates...

VIACTIV Calcium Chews

I am officially repulsed by advertising! I knew that there would be corn syrup in these "so-called" healthy calcium supplements, but TRANS-FAT! How ridiculous! AND I didn't think that corn syrup would be the first ingredient...no wonder they taste so good. Sugar upsets the calcium/phosphorus ratio in the blood more than any other single factor. It also stresses the adrenal glands and upsets...

WHY I USE BUTTER and True Causes of HEART DISEASE

I have many clients claim that they made my recipes even healthier and lighter in calories by using butter substitutes. First of all, YUCK! That stuff tastes terrible! Second of all, you get the same amount of fat and calories if you use the same serving size. Let's dissect "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter"... It says "fat-free" all over it. BUT, when you look at the ingredients it is Hydrogenated...

Salad Toppers and Facts on McCormick

There are TONS of seemingly harmless foods out there that has made me become the detective we all need to be. Our health depends on it. When I ask clients about their food diary, some say "a salad" for lunch, BUT when we dive into what is on that salad that is when some real things come up. Even if you consume a salad of organic greens, farm fresh hard boiled eggs, "salad toppers" and homemade olive...

ADOPTION UPDATE

This week was awesome...we finally got a court date! We travel mid May to meet our boys for the first time. Words can't describe how we are feeling. Micah is now 22 months old and Kai is 4 months old. We often get photos and updates of the boys, which we can't share until they are legally ours, but they are very healthy and SUPER cute!We were placed with Micah and a baby boy late in October. We would have gotten the boys in January (or sometime around...

Chicken and Waffles

Are you eating more fiber, taking the right probiotics, magnesium glycinate and still not going #2 everyday? Has your doctor told you that it is fine and that is just how your body is? Well, your doctor is wrong. Everyone should go #2 everyday...it is more important that you think. We are living in a sea of estrogens. When we aren't properly excreting those toxic levels of estrogens, they get stored...

Ragi Cone Dosa With Kale Carrot Chutney

Ragi(Finger millet) is a nourishing grain ,which is incorporated in many South Indian dishes.Its incredibly low in fat and sugar,excellent source of Calcium. The Ragi porridge like oat meal, toppped with fruits and nuts is a great for a blooming start of day . The Ragi Dosa is little elaborate, I reserve it for weekend breakfast or brunch.The nutrition in Ragi dosa is like no other ,serve with an...

Peanut Butter Noodles and Facts on XYLITOL

Xylitol is a naturally occurring low-calorie sweetener found in fruits, vegetables and certain hardwoods. Our bodies can produce up to 15 grams of Xylitol per day from the foods we consume. Xylitol produces a lower glycemic response than sucrose or glucose so it has minimal side effects on blood sugar and insulin. It is not as low as erythritol, but some people prefer the taste of Xylitol as compared...

Blueberry Protein Bagels

I had company over last weekend and I made my garlic bread. One person commented that it tastes good, but the texture it too much like angel food cake...he couldn't get past the consistancy. So I experimented a bit on making a more "bread-like" texture. When making "gluten-free" foods, it is hard to get the "chewiness" that gluten creates. Guar gum and Xanthan Gum are fibers that thicken foods and...

Nut Free Granola Bars and Facts on BHT

Quaker Chewy Granola bars are a common staple in many families. There are some scary ingredients in those little plastic packages. One of which is BHT. BHT is produced by an alkylation reaction of p-cresol with isobutylene and is also used in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, jet fuels, rubber, petroleum products, and embalming fluid. As a food additive BHT has been banned in Japan, Romania, Sweden, England...

Salmon or Chicken Cakes

2 TBS coconut flour 1/4 cup finely chopped mushrooms1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated16 oz boneless/skinless chicken breast, cut into chunks OR canned salmon (my dad caught it!)1/4 cup chopped green onions2 tsp Cajun seasoning1/4 tsp Celtic sea salt1 egg2 tsp coconut oil OR gheeFor the Aioli:2 TBS olive oil mayonnaise2 tsp prepared horseradish1 tsp bottled minced garlic1/8 tsp saltTo grind the chicken,...

Cowboy Chicken Casserole

This was a super tasty dinner! The way it is layered, it reminded us of a Mexican lasagna using the mushrooms as the noodles. I made this the night before so all I had to do was throw the oven on after a long day at work. This dish could also be made in a slow cooker.Most Chicken Casseroles include Cream of Chicken soup. Have you checked the ingredients in that little metal can? It has TRANS-FAT,...

Vanilla Strawberry Cupcakes with Honey Cream Cheese frosting

It was my kiddo's birthday last week ,he insisted for a vanilla cake with strawberries.His wish was granted, mommy was for once going to bake a cake without chocolate. The strawberries are not in season yet ,can be pricey and not as fresh as those sold in summer. None of which would matter to my little one ,as long as strawberries are on and in his special cake.The frosting is incredibly simple to...

Little Debbie Zebra Cakes

I believe that "knowledge is power," so when I gross you out with ingredients and facts about food, I'm just trying to bring awareness to you and your family so we can all become healthier together. When I was younger, I was NEVER concerned about what I put into my body, but now that I feel so good, I want everyone to realize you can get out of the "brain fog" and increase energy through eating the...

Corned Beef "Noodle" Casserole

St. Patrick's Day is coming! This recipe is a perfect dish to prepare for that night. Cabbage contains vitamin C and folic acid. Cabbage protects against stress, infection and heart disease, as well as many types of cancers, according to the American Association for Cancer Research. To avoid gas after eating cabbage, add a few fennel, caraway or cumin seeds before cooking. Cabbage is also a good source...

Cream of Asparagus Soup

It is spring time, which also brings to mind asparagus. Here is a great alternative to the goo that plops out of an aluminum can that Campbell's refers to as Cream of Asparagus Soup. Have you checked out the ingredients on the can? Yuck! Ingredients: Water, Asparagus, Vegetable Oil (Corn, Cottonseed, Canola And/Or Soybean), Modified Good Starch, Wheat Flour, Contains Less Than 2% Of: Cream (Milk),...

Yakisoba Chicken

1/2 tsp sesame oil1 TBS coconut oil2 TBS chile paste2 cloves garlic, chopped4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1 inch cubes1/2 cup wheat free Tamari sauce (fermented soy sauce)1 onion, sliced lengthwise into eighths1 medium head cabbage, sliced into "noodles"OPTIONAL: peanuts for garnishIn a large skillet combine sesame oil, and coconut oil and chili paste. Stir fry 30 seconds....

Caramel "Popcorn"

Many of my clients often grab popcorn as a bed-night snack. 5 cups of air popped popcorn is very low in calories, but it is ALL SUGAR! 38 grams of carbohydrates = 9.5 teaspoons of sugar in our blood, which is way too much (and this is just plain AIR POPPED popcorn...no caramel sauce on it). Complex carbohydrates are just glucose molecules hooked together in a long chain...our body breaks it apart...

Pumpkin Cream Puff and TRANS FAT FACTS

Do you use Pepperidge Farm Frozen Pastry? They contain trans-fats and high fructose corn syrup...They use so much trans-fat they list it twice!INGREDIENTS: UNBLEACHED ENRICHED WHEAT FLOUR [FLOUR, MALTED BARLEY FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMIN MONONITRATE (VITAMIN B1), RIBOFLAVIN (VITAMIN B2), FOLIC ACID], WATER, PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED VEGETABLE SHORTENING (SOYBEAN AND COTTONSEED OILS COLORED WITH...

Fried Rice "Noodles"

For this recipe I used a daikon instead of noodles. Another option would be to use Miracle Noodles. A one cup serving of daikon contains about 20 calories, 4g carbs and 2g of fiber for an effective carb count of 2g. Daikons are an excellent source of vitamin C and has lots of magnesium, folate, and provides 10% of your RDA for fiber.3 cups daikon (into noodle shapes)1 cup pork , thinly sliced1/2 tsp...

Eggplant "Breadsticks"

"HEALTHIFIED" "Bread"sticks1 eggplant, peeled and cut into "breadstick" shapes2 eggs beaten1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated1/2 cup almond flourItalian spicesMarinara sauce (Mario Batali brand no soybean oil and no sugar added)In a bowl, whisk eggs. Set aside. In another bowl mix almond flour, cheese and spices. Place eggplant sticks into egg mix, then roll in almond flour mixture.Option 1: Preheat...

Delicious Ham and "Potato" Soup

The traditional recipe for ham and potato soup uses potato, and a butter/flour mixture for a thickener. I switched out the potato and used cauliflower to save over 90 calories and 25 carbohydrates per cup of vegetable. I also ditched the butter/flour thickener and used cream cheese which added a ton of flavor without any extra calories.3 1/2 cups chopped cauliflower1/3 cup diced celery1/3 cup finely...