Grilled Portobello Mushrooms

We are always looking for more things to grill in the summertime.

I was handed this fantastic recipe and loved it with our

miniature grill that we've been obsessed with this summer.

If you're a mushroom lover, this recipe is for you!

It's a perfect side dish for a BBQ and more importantly-

how we like our recipes-fast and healthy!

Grilled Portobello Mushrooms:
6 portobello mushrooms
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup low fat Italian dressing
fresh chopped basil
fresh ground pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
sprinkled on feta or Parmesan cheese

Directions: Trim stem on portobella mushrooms. Use pastry brush to brush marinade on 6 portabella mushrooms. Grill about 3 minutes each side on the barbecue. Slice into strips and sprinkle with feta cheese or fresh Parmesan.
(I actually marinated the mushrooms for a couple of hours before grilling, which I think made the flavor extra delish.)

(Thank you Leslie!)

The Tomato

Has it actually been a month???!! I can't tell you how sorry I am! Summer has flown by and has kept me unbelievably busy. Not stress busy, but "doing things" busy. It's been great, but the down side of course has been that my food intake has been a bust. Which has left me not wanting to post, due to me sounding like a hypocrite. I would never want to tell you guys to eat healthy while I'm eating horribly. BUT, however-like I've said before, our bodies are extremely forgiving, and I'm ready to get back in the game of being on track, feeling good and getting my sugars regulated again!

I'm going to start off my long m.i.a. by posting about a vegetable that, although I've been eating uncontrollably, I still manage to fit into my everyday.

The Tomato.

An absolute miraculous vegetable that we all take for granted I'm sure.

Here is a list of 10 reasons why we should love the

tomato all over again

1. Tomatoes contain all four major carotenoids: alpha- and beta-carotene, lutein, and lycopene. These carotenoids may have individual benefits, but also have synergy as a group (that is, they interact to provide health benefits).

2. In particular, tomatoes contain awesome amounts of lycopene, thought to have the highest antioxidant activity of all the carotenoids.

3. Tomatoes and broccoli have synergy that may help reduce the risk of prostate cancer. One study showed that prostate tumors grew much more slowly in rats that were fed both tomato and broccoli powder than in rats given lycopene as a supplement or fed just the broccoli or tomato powder alone.

4. A diet rich in tomato-based products may help reduce the risk of pancreatic cancer, according to a study from The University of Montreal. The researchers found that lycopene (provided mainly by tomatoes) was linked to a 31% reduction in pancreatic cancer risk between men with the highest and lowest intakes of this carotenoid.

5. Tomatoes contain all three high-powered antioxidants: beta-carotene (which has vitamin A activity in the body), vitamin E, and vitamin C. A U.S. Department of Agriculture report, What We Eat in America, noted that a third of us get too little vitamin C and almost half get too little vitamin A.

6. Tomatoes are rich in potassium, a mineral most of us don't get enough of. A cup of tomato juice contains 534 milligrams of potassium, and 1/2 cup of tomato sauce has 454 milligrams.

7. When tomatoes are eaten along with healthier fats, like avocado or olive oil, the body's absorption of the carotenoid phytochemicals in tomatoes can increase by two to 15 times, according to a study from Ohio State University.

8. Tomatoes are a big part of the famously healthy Mediterranean diet. Many Mediterranean dishes and recipes call for tomatoes or tomato paste or sauce. Some recent studies, including one from The University of Athens Medical School, have found that people who most closely follow the Mediterranean diet have lower death rates from heart disease and cancer. Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health, who followed more than 39,000 women for seven years, found that consumption of oil- and tomato-based products -- particularly tomato and pizza sauce -- was associated with cardiovascular benefits.

9. When breastfeeding if moms eat tomato products, it increases the concentration of lycopenein their breast milk. In this case, cooked is best. The researchers also found that eating tomato products like tomato sauce increased concentrations of lycopene in breast milk more than eating fresh tomatoes did.

10. Tomato peels contribute a high concentration of the carotenoids found in tomatoes. The amount of carotenoids absorbed by human intestinal cells was much greater with tomato paste enriched with tomato peels compared to tomato paste without peels, according to a study from Marseille, France. The tomato skin also holds most of the flavonols (another family of phytochemicals that includes quercetin and kaempferol) as well. So to maximize the health propertiesof tomatoes, don't peel them if you can help it!

(10 reasons to eat the tomato came from Elaine Magge, MPh from the Weight Loss Clinic)

Spice Up Your Chicken/Tuna Sandwich

I'm pretty sure we have all had lunch on-the-go that consisted of canned Tuna mixed with Mayonnaise on white bread.

Well, I'm here to save you from your Tuna Sandwich funk!

We took a road trip awhile back with some good friends and she made a quick lunch (very quick may I remind you) of what I thought to be your basic Tuna sandwich. I was just grateful she took the time to make us these sandwiches. I took my first bite expecting it to have Tuna on my breathe for the rest of the trip. But to my surprise, not only was it Chicken instead of Tuna, but it literally might have been one of the best sandwiches I've ever had.

She told me what she had made the sandwich with, and I can't explain how happy I was that it was right up my alley when it comes to health, but even more happy that it was absolutely delicious!

I can't tell you how many times me and Brad have made this mix again and again, and love it every time.

Incredibly fast, incredibly delicious, and most of all, healthy!

Chicken/Tuna with Cranberries
1 can of canned Chicken/Tuna (lean protein)
1/3 cup of Cranberries
1/4 cup sliced WHITE Onion (white onions have a sweeter taste to them)
1/3 cup of chopped Almonds
1-3 tblsp. of Smart Balance Mayonnaise (best thing to happen to food in my opinion, Mayonnaise made natural and healthy-switch out your Mayonnaise immediately with this. Made with natural olive oil, no hydrogenated oils, and no trans-fatty acids)
Salt and Pepper to taste
and of course Whole Wheat Bread!:)


Directions:
Drain out the canned chicken and mix with all ingredients! Serve on Whole Wheat and you're good to go! You have a deluxe and delicious, new and improved Chicken/Tuna Sandwich.

Thanks so much Kristin! Now everyone will be able to enjoy your fantastic recipe!

Best Workouts for the Butt

Commercials have become something that all of us hate so bad that they actually invented a machine (Tivo) so that you can skip through them entirely.
Well, for those of us who still have to endure the commercial breaks with our favorite TV shows, I've found the cure that not only will make you want a little extra time with those breaks, but will help you feel productive while watching your shows.

After watching TV, I always felt this guilt thinking I should/could have been doing something else. And in most cases, I watched my favorite show rather than exercising. So-I combined my two favorite things together to master my workout and still be able to watch my show without sweating like a dog or feeling like I have to run throughout the entire hour.

Thanks to Jonathon Ross (fitness specialist) and Siri Dharma Galliano (Pilate's guru), both well known fitness trainers for Hollywood, speakers and consultants-they put together the best and most scientifically proven workouts to sculpt your butt to the finest, that we can do all within a commercial break.

Commercial breaks, by law, are supposed to be an average of 3-5 minutes combined. Which, by the end of the hour (your favorite TV show) has given you a perfect 20-25 minutes to do your butt sculpting. I've come to LOVE this strategy, and have made it a habit to do these workouts during each and every commercial break, and to be honest, I haven't felt guilty since.

1. The Squat. One of the best exercises you can do for your butt, hips, and thighs is the squat, say the experts. Stand with feet parallel and shoulder-width apart. Slowly lower your hips, making sure not to let your knees go out past your toes. 20 reps, and for a little extra use some hand weights in both hands. 5-10 lbs.

2. Lunges. Beginning with your feet parallel and hip-distance apart, take a giant step forward or backward. Slowly lower your body, bending both knees. Bend your knees no farther than 90 degrees, keeping your front knee aligned over your front ankle. Step together and repeat.
Alternate legs or do all sets on one leg and then switch for a greater challenge, says Olson: “You’re cutting the rest time by half, and even though you do the same amount, your legs will be working harder.” 1 minute at a time for the "jump lunge".

3. Bridges. Lie on your back with knees bent and feet on the floor, hip-width apart. Slowly peel your spine off the floor from the bottom, one vertebra at a time, tightening the glutes and hamstrings (backs of the thighs) until you've created a diagonal line from your shoulders to your knees. Return to the floor slowly, one vertebra at a time.
Olson likes the one-legged bridge: Hold the knees tightly together and extend one leg at knee level while in the bridge position. Do all repetitions on one side, then switch. Hold for 30 seconds, 3 sets on each leg.

4. Step-ups. Using a weights bench (a step would work too-but I usually just use a chair), step one foot on top, then push through the top leg and glute to lift the bottom leg up and tap the bench. Lower and repeat using the same leg.
Add hand weights or a knee lift with the tapping leg for a greater challenge, suggests Olson. Try do do it continually for 1 minute on each leg.

5. Leg/hip extensions. Reaching a leg behind your body is a great way to work the glutes. In Pilate's, it’s done while lying on your side, but you can also do it while lying over a stability ball or standing. Using a slow, controlled motion, extend the leg behind the body while squeezing the glutes and keeping the torso stable. Do three sets of 15 repetitions, then switch legs.

6. Skater plyos. Feeling like a professional skater? Try this plyometric side step. Standing with feet under hips, take a lateral (sideways) hop to the left on your left foot while coming down to touch your right hand to the floor. Alternate sides and try to complete three sets of 20. "This is great for strength, power, agility and toning up," says Durkin, the Pilate's master.

What I'll do is usually switch them daily. Either doing lunges, squats, and plyos for one day, and then switch it up the next. Sometimes I'll focus on just one exercise (ex. lunges) for each break all the way through, then focus on another exercise (ex. bridges) the next break. You can do whichever you want, mix them up, stick to one, or do as many as you can within the break.

Good Luck, and I hope you start enjoying your commercial breaks that much more!

Menu Update

My Fellow Readers,

I wanted to get an update on the menu if any of you have tried it.

Let me know what you think, how you've enjoyed it, if you haven't enjoyed it, if it's been helping?

I just wanted to get the scoop to see how it's been for ya.

Or if you have any questions regarding the menu, always feel free to ask!

Did You Know??

Children are munching on more snacks today than they were 30 years ago, according to researchers who studied data on more than 31,300 young people between 2 and 18 years old.

In 2006, kids took in an average of 113 more calories per day than they did in 1977-the equivalent of about 12 pounds per year. What's more, kids are getting 27 percent of their calories from snacks like sweets and salty chips, not whole grains and fruit.

Source: Health Affairs, march 2010

Simple, Delicious and Low-Caloric Marinades

Chicken Marinade (Skinless, boneless)

Zesty "Light" Italian Dressing (use depending on how much chicken you are preparing)

Oregano

Basil

1/3 c. Sprite Zero

-Mix dressing with herbs in a bag and place chicken in mixture. You can marinate up to 3-4 hours, or over night. Depending on how much time you have. The longer you marinate, the more tender the chicken is.

Fish Marinade (Salmon)

3 Tbls. of Soy Sauce

1 Tbls. of Honey

Salt and Pepper to taste

-Mix together in a bowl. Broil the fish (Salmon) for 3 minutes in a foiled pan, then poor the mixture over the fish and broil for another 3-5 minutes.

Steak Marinade (new york sirloin)

1/4 tbls. of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/4 Soy Sauce (LOW SODIUM!)

3 tbls. of Montreal Steak Seasoning

-Mix the olive oil and soy sauce together, and place steak on sauce. Shake on the Montreal Seasoning and refrigerate for half an hour. Turn over steak and shake on Montreal on the other side as well. Marinate for another half an hour then turn. Only shake on seasoning once on each side, but turn every half hour for 2 hours. It comes out perfectly tender and marinated.