Coconut-Mocha Poached Pears

ingredients
6 mediumripe yet firm fresh pears1/4 cup sugar2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder2/3  cup unsweetened light coconut milk1/3 cup strong coffee2 tablespoons coffee liqueur or strong coffeeLight frozen whipped dessert topping, thawed (optional)Toasted coconut* (optional)Grated chocolate (optional)
directions

1. Peel pears; quarter pears lengthwise and remove cores. Place pears in a 3 1/2- or 4-quart slow cooker. In a bowl stir together sugar and cocoa powder. Stir in coconut milk, coffee, and liqueur. Pour mixture over pears in cooker.2. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 3 1/2 to 4 hours or until pears are tender.3. Using a slotted spoon, transfer pears to dessert dishes. Spoon cooking liquid over pears. If desired, top with dessert topping; sprinkle with coconut and chocolate.
from the test kitchen

To toast coconut, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spread coconut on a baking sheet. Bake for 5 to 10 minutes or until light brown, watching carefully and stirring once or twice.

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Herbal Tea and Weight Loss

Herbal tea and weight loss have long been connected. Consuming such kind of tea provides treatment and precautionary properties, with the habit now widespread all over the world once being limited at first to Asia. Teas containing herbs are now being suggested by doctors as an essential element of weight loss and everyday fitness routine. One more sign of how famous the drink has turned out to be is that it is at present the next most utilized beverage worldwide following water.

Camellia sinensis is an aromatic plant that functions as the fundamental resource for creating green, black and oolong teas which varies on the method of production. Oolong teas are partially fermented, whereas the well-liked black tea utilizes fermented leaves and the green tea utilizes unfermented leaves. Teas created from this herb contain polyphenols, a bioflavonoid kind that have antiviral, anticancer and antibacterial properties. These polyphenols are therefore essential for keeping the body healthy.

The major optimistic correlation between weight loss and herbal tea is that mixtures from the herbal beverage provide important elements that prevent fat accumulation and causes shedding of pounds. In addition, the antioxidant content of this tea is the main reason in getting rid or avoiding poisonous substances from increasing in the body. This cleansing result is necessary, as toxins lead to bodily or psychological illnesses. Toxin build up can harm human cells and cause cancers, and brings on numerous types of anxiety as the body deteriorates.

Tea has been discovered to lessen the occurrence of stroke and heart ailments as well, and exceeds many fruits and vegetables with regards to antioxidant result. Also, the antioxidants in herbal tea acts on specific body parts. This concentrated detoxifying result is not attained through other ways, some require for a particular and further action to rinse out body toxins.

Therefore, the weight loss and fitness result is founded on scientific and not on any strange or supernatural hypothesis. This technical foundation has urged research laboratories to continue their attempt in finding herbal relief for serious conditions and illnesses as well.

In spite of this hopefulness, people must be reminded that herbal teas are still mainly a back up solution to conventional medicines and cure for weight loss and a range of diseases. Because the advantages is applicable to all ages, a decent amount of herbal teas have become ascertained for equally ordinary conditions and grave or recurring situations.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/3053902

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Strawberry Cupcake Recipe

Ingredients
1 1/3 cup fresh strawberries (not
frozen)
3 cups flour
2.5 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp coarse salt
1/2 cup strawberry milk (regular milk is fine, too)
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
4 large egg whites
This recipe makes 2 dozen
Preheat oven to 350
-Place strawberries in a food processor and puree them. You should have 2/3 cup puree.
If you’re a little short go ahead and add a few more strawberries!
-In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

-In a separate bowl, mix together milk, vanilla, and strawberry puree.
-In another bowl, cream butter with an electric mixer on high speed until the butter
becomes fluffy. Gradually add sugar and continue mixing. Reduce the speed to medium
and add the eggs and the egg whites.

-Now reduce the mixer speed to low and add about half of the flour mixture. Mix until
combined, and be careful not to over mix or your cupcakes won’t rise. Then slowly add
the milk mixture, and mix just enough until combined. Add the remaining flour mixture.
-Pour batter into prepared cupcake tins and place in the preheated oven.

-Cooking times may vary, but it should take somewhere between 20-25 minutes.

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High Fiber Foods And Weight Loss

Those people who have a weight problem and consult a nutritionist or other professional will be told of the necessity to eat a well-balanced and nutritious diet, which includes the importance of eating enough dietary fiber. This is a term used often in health matters relating to weight gain. Nevertheless, what does ‘dietary fiber’ mean?

Dietary fiber is found in food products that originate from plants. It is found in all plants and trees that provide us with a large and important sector of our diets. Fruits – fresh and dried, vegetables – fresh and frozen, pulses – dried beans and lentils, whole grains, and nuts, are examples of the range of products that provide us with this vital part of our diet.

Fiber is not found in dairy products – milk, cheeses, yoghurt, nor is it present in meats, including poultry and fish.

A shortage of fiber in a diet can lead to a wide range of medical problems centered on the digestive and intestinal parts of the body: Bowel and colon cancer; constipation; irritable bowel syndrome; diverticulitis; coronary heart disease; diabetes; and over weight and obesity. Consuming the necessary daily intake of fiber can do much to overcome these troublesome medical conditions.

Unlike other components of our diet such as carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, fiber is not digested by the human body. It moves through the body to the bowel without being broken down.

Fiber takes two different forms, soluble and non-soluble, each form coming from different food groups.

Soluble fiber has been found to help in lowering cholesterol levels and relieving constipation. It is found in the flesh of fruits; vegetables; grains; dried beans, and lentils; and soy products.

Insoluble fiber comes from bran products; the skins of fruit and vegetables; nuts and seeds; and wholegrain foods.

Both types of fiber are equally important in maintaining a healthy digestive system so if a person is getting a sufficient amount of soluble fiber, then they would also be receiving enough insoluble fiber. Both soluble and non-soluble fiber is present in fiber-rich products.

The benefits of eating a diet high in fiber results in a more healthy and efficient operating of the bowels – it keeps constipation, hemorrhoids (haemorrhoids) and diverticulosis at bay. Soluble fiber lowers cholesterol levels. Both types of fiber lower blood sugar levels and insoluble fiber in a diet is associated with reduced risk of Type 2 diabetes. A high fiber diet assists with weight loss.

However, for over-weight people and those suffering from obesity, the benefits of eating enough fiber in their diet are that it assists with weight loss. Over-weight people have reported losing weight by consuming a diet that contains the recommended daily intake of fiber. One of the reasons for this is that food high in fiber is usually low in calories. As an example, four slices of white bread contains about 3 grams of fiber. However, four slices of wholegrain bread contains about 5.7 grams of fiber, and 10% fewer calories.

A meal with adequate fiber content acts as an appetite suppressant. This means the food is digested more slowly in the body giving a person a feeling of not being hungry, leading to the elimination of eating snack food between meals. Therefore, a person eating a meal with an adequate amount of fiber would eat less and therefore consume fewer calories. A two pronged attack leading to a healthier life style.

It is acknowledged that Westerners do not get enough fiber in their daily diets. The recommended daily intake should be about 30 grams for a mature age male. Whilst this may seem a lot, its easily achieved – eat wholegrain bread instead of white bread; eat an extra vegetable for dinner; have nuts or dried fruit, or a piece of fresh fruit as a snack instead of a bakery product.

It is imperative when eating a high fiber diet also to drink plenty of water to avoid bouts of constipation.

For most people increasing the quantity of fiber in their daily diet means only a very small adjustment, so the benefits would seem well worth the effort of making this adjustment. The over-all benefit is a much healthier life-style without any of the physical problems associated with not eating enough foods high in fiber.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6966773

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Bare Bones Low-Fat Chicken Salad Recipe

Bare Bones Low-Fat Chicken Salad
(David Kirsch, The Ultimate New York Body Plan)
SERVES: 1
4 oz poached chicken breast, cut into 1-inch cubes
¼ cup coarsely chopped celery
1 tsp finely chopped parsley
1 tbsp sliced almonds, coarsely chopped 
2 tsp Dijon-style mustard
2 tbsp chicken stock
1 or 2 dashes hot pepper sauce
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
In a medium bowl, mix chicken, celery, parsley, and almonds.
In another bowl, whisk mustard, stock, and hot pepper sauce together until well blended.
Combine mixtures, and stir well. Season with salt and black pepper.

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Basic Spaghetti Squash Recipe

Spaghetti squash is tasty low-carbohydrate substitute for pasta.
(Sally Fallon, Nourishing Traditions)

1 spaghetti squash (any size)
butter, to taste
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Preheat oven to 350°F.

Cut spaghetti squash in half lengthwise; remove and discard seeds. Place squash, cut
sides down, in a baking pan with about ½ inch of water. Bake for about 1 hour, or
until tender when pricked with a fork.

Let squash cool slightly, then remove the strands of flesh, bit by bit, with a fork. Mix
in butter, salt, and pepper.

Variation: Serve topped with grated Parmesan cheese, pesto, or tomato sauce.

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Banana Chocolate Cupcakes Recipe

I n g r e d i e n t s
1 cup (200 grams) granulated white sugar
1 cup (130 grams) all-purpose flour
1/3 cup (35 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder
(regular or Dutch-processed)
3/4 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1/2 cup mashed ripe bananas(about 1 medium
sized banana)
1/2 cup (120 ml) warm water
1/4 cup (60 ml) milk
1/4 cup (60 ml) canola, corn, or vegetable oil
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Chocolate Fudge Frosting:
3 ounces (90 grams) unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup (120 grams) confectioners (powdered or icing) sugar, sifted 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Banana Chocolate Cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and place rack in
the center of the oven. Line 12 regular-sized muffin cups with paper liners or spray each cup with
a non stick vegetable spray.

In a large bowl whisk together the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
In another large bowl, whisk together the egg, mashed banana, water, milk, o il, and vanilla
extract. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir, or whisk, until combined. (The
batter is quite thin.) Pour or scoop the batter into the muffin cups, about 3/4 full, and bake for
about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean.

Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack. Frost with the Chocolate Frosting.

Chocolate Frosting: Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl placed over a saucepan of simmering
water. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.

In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter until smooth and creamy
(about 1 minute). Add the sugar and beat until it is light and fluffy (about 2 minutes). Beat in the
vanilla extract. Add the chocolate and beat on low speed until incorporated. Increase the speed to
medium-high and beat until frosting is smooth and glossy (about 2 -3 minutes).


Makes 12 regular-sized cupcakes. 

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Exercise and Type 2 Diabetes

One of the most undemanding and the most workable ways to knock over blood sugar amount, eliminate the dangers of “cardiovascular disease,” and perk up health and welfare in general is exercise.
In spite of that, in today’s inactive world where almost every indispensable job can be carried out online, from the ergonomic chair in front of a computer, or with a streaming line of messages from a fax machine, exercising can be a hard argument to win over.

The Weight of Exercise

Everyone should exercise, yet the health experts tells us that only 30% of the United States population gets the recommended thirty minutes of daily physical activity, and 25% are not active at all. In fact, inactivity is thought to be one of the key reasons for the surge of type 2 diabetes in the U.S., because inactivity and obesity promote insulin resistance.

The good news is that it is never too late to get moving, and exercise is one of the easiest ways to start controlling your diabetes. For people with type 2 diabetes in particular, exercise can improve insulin sensitivity, lower the risk of heart disease, and promote weight loss.

Type 2 Diabetes

Diabetes is on the rise. The number of people diagnosed with diabetes every year increased by 48% between 1980 and 1994. Nearly all the new cases are Type 2 Diabetes, or adult-onset, the kind that moves in around middle age. Symptoms of Type 2 Diabetes include increased thirst, appetite, and need to urinate; feeling tired, edgy, or sick to the stomach; blurred vision; tingling or loss of feeling in the hands.

The causes of type 2 diabetes are complex and not completely understood, although research is uncovering new clues at a rapid pace.

However, it has already been proven that one of the reasons for the boom in type 2 diabetes is the widening of waistbands and the trend toward a more deskbound and inactive lifestyle in the United States and other developed countries. In America, the shift has been striking; in the 1990s alone, obesity increased by 61% and diagnosed diabetes by 49%.

For this reason, health experts encourage those who already have type 2 diabetes to start employing the wonders that exercise can do for them. Without exercise, people have the tendency to become obese. Once they are obese, they have bigger chances of accumulating type 2 diabetes.

Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reports that over 80% of people with type 2 diabetes are clinically overweight. Therefore, it is high time that people, whether inflicted with type 2 diabetes or not, should start doing those jumping and stretching activities.

Getting Started

The first order of business with any exercise plan, especially if you are a “dyed-in-the-wool” sluggish, is to consult with your health care provider. If you have cardiac risk factors, the health care provider may want to perform a stress test to establish a safe level of exercise for you.

Certain diabetic complications will also dictate what type of exercise program you can take on. Activities like weightlifting, jogging, or high-impact aerobics can possibly pose a risk for people with diabetic retinopathy due to the risk for further blood vessel damage and possible retinal detachment.
If you are already active in sports or work out regularly, it will still benefit you to discuss your regular routine with your doctor. If you are taking insulin, you may need to take special precautions to prevent hypoglycemia during your workout.

Start Slow

For those who have type 2 diabetes, your exercise routine can be as simple as a brisk nightly neighborhood walk. If you have not been very active before now, start slowly and work your way up. Walk the dog or get out in the yard and rake. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Park in the back of the lot and walk. Every little bit does work, in fact, it really helps a lot.

As little as 15 to 30 minutes of daily, heart-pumping exercise can make a big difference in your blood glucose control and your risk of developing diabetic complications. One of the easiest and least expensive ways of getting moving is to start a walking program. All you need is a good pair of well-fitting, supportive shoes and a direction to head in.

Indeed, you do not have to waste too many expenses on costly “health club memberships,” or the most up-to-date health device to start pumping those fats out. What you need is the willingness and the determination to start exercising to a healthier, type 2 diabetes-free life.

The results would be the sweetest rewards from the effort that you have exerted.

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Savory Italian Grilled Chicken Low Carb Recipe

Ingredients

6 chicken breasts
1/4 cup olive oil
3 cloves garlic, crushed
fresh ground black pepper
1/4 cup fresh basil leaf, chopped
1/4 cup melted butter
3 sprigs fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon parmesan cheese

Directions
To grill, skin chicken breasts and rub in pepper to taste. Blend basil, olive oil, butter, garlic and parmesan cheese at low speed
using an electric blender, chopper or processor till smooth. Baste chicken lightly with mixture. Grill over medium coals
basting during cooking time with basil sauce. During this time add the rosemary branches to coals for added smoke flavor.
Do this 2 or 3 times. Grill 10 minutes each side depending on barbecue temperature. Garnish with fresh basil and serve this
grilled chicken recipe with rice or Italian pasta.

Nutritional Facts
Calories 403
Calories from Fat 273 (67%)
Amount Per Serving %DV
Total Fat 30.3g 46%

Saturated Fat 10.1g 50%
Monounsaturated Fat 14.2g
Polyunsaturated Fat 4.1g
Trans Fat 0.2g
Cholesterol 113mg 37%
Sodium 159mg 6%
Potassium 336mg 9%
Total Carbohydrate 0.6g 0%
Dietary Fiber 0.1g 0%
Sugars 0.0g
Protein 30.8g 61%
Servings: 6

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