Stay Hydrated!

One of the most important things to do to keep your body healthy is to keep hydrated.  A lot of times, especially during the warm weather, this is very hard and people often forget to drink water until it is too late and they are already dehydrated.  The average amount of water that one should consume a day is between 6 to 8.8 ounces.  Sugary juices and sodas often are not good for you to drink when you are dehydrated because caffeine tends to make people jittery and makes people frequently urinate, which will dehydrate you more.  These types of drinks also contain a ton of extra sugar and calories that your body does not need.  Make sure to stick to drinks that are healthier for you and that will keep you hydrated such as orange juice and water.  Also, make sure that you are consuming foods that contain water, such as fruits and vegetable!

A Simple Seafood Dish!

Over Easter break, my sister Erin and I decided to change things up and make a yummy seafood dish.  My mom gave us the idea for the recipe and it ended up being delicious.  Shrimp and lobster are very important to incorporate into your diet because they benefit your body in numerous ways.  For example, it has been found that these types of seafood help fight cancer, boosts energy, helps to get rid of anemia and also keeps you skin, hair and nails healthy.

Ingredients:

-Near East garlic and herb rice

-chopped tomato

-pesto

-lobster meat

-shrimp

-1/2 can chicken broth

Directions:

1. Follow directions on the back of the Near East Garlic and Herb rice and cook the rice by following the directions provided.

 

2. After rice is cooked, add in chicken broth and lobster meat and shrimp and stir together.

3. Add in the remaining pesto, chopped tomatoes, lobster meat, and shrimp and mix together.

My Favorite Starter
One of my favorite appetizers to make is spinach dip.  It is extremely easy to make and takes only about 15 minutes to put together.  Spinach is one of the healthiest vegetables to consume because it is rich with vitamins and nutrients.  Spinach helps to prevent inflammatory problems, heart problems, bone problems,and many cancers.  You can enjoy spinach dip with bread or you can dip any of your other favorite vegetables in it, such as celery or carrots.  Spinach dip is a great appetizer to enjoy with your family before a meal or to bring to a get together with your friends! 

Spinach Dip Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 (16 ounce) container sour cream
• 1 (1.8 ounce) package dry vegetable soup mix
• 1 (4 ounce) can water chestnuts, drained and chopped
• 1/2 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
• 1 (1 pound) loaf round sourdough bread

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, mix together mayonnaise, sour cream, dry leek soup mix, water chestnuts and chopped spinach. Chill in the refrigerator 6 hours, or overnight.
2. Remove top and interior of sourdough bread. Fill with mayonnaise mixture. Tear removed bread chunks into pieces for dipping.

Nutritional Information

Amount Per Serving  Calories: 170 | Total Fat: 11.9g | Cholesterol: 12mg
(Recipe courtesy of allrecipes.com)

Try This Recipe on the Grill

Summer Squash and Chicken

(Recipe from Goodhousekeeping.com/food)

• 1  lemon
• 1 tablespoon(s) olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon(s) salt
• 1/4 teaspoon(s) coarsely ground black pepper
• 4  (about 1 1/4 pounds) medium chicken thighs, skinless and boneless
• 4  (about 6 ounces each) medium yellow summer squash, each cut lengthwise into 4 wedges, substitute zucchini
• 1/4 cup(s) fresh chives, snipped
• Grilled lemon slices, for garnish

Directions

1. From lemon, grate 1 tablespoon peel and squeeze 3 tablespoons juice. In medium bowl, whisk together lemon peel and juice, oil, salt, and pepper; transfer 2 tablespoons to cup.
2. Add chicken thighs to bowl with lemon-juice marinade; cover and let stand 15 minutes at room temperature or 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
3. Meanwhile, prepare charcoal fire or preheat gas grill for covered direct grilling over medium heat.
4. Discard chicken marinade. Place chicken and squash on hot grill rack. Cover grill and cook chicken and squash 10 to 12 minutes or until juices run clear when thickest part of thigh is pierced with tip of knife and squash is tender and browned, turning chicken and squash over once and removing pieces as they are done.
5. Transfer chicken and squash to cutting board. Cut chicken into 1-inch-wide strips; cut each squash wedge crosswise in half.
6. To serve, on large platter, toss squash with reserved lemon-juice marinade, then toss with chicken and sprinkle with chives. Garnish with grilled lemon slices.    

Time to Dust off Your Grills

One of the best things about the warm weather is cooking outdoors! Not only is grilling an excellent way to enjoy the beautiful weather but it is also a great healthy option to cooking! As opposed to frying, or other cooking methods which employ lots of butter, oils, and grease, grilling cooks food with no fat or extra calories added! In addition it provides it with a great smoky flavor with a beautiful crust and crispiness. There is an endless amount of things that you can cook on the grill. Some of my families favorites are marinated chicken, burgers- beef and turkey, chicken sausages, or even shrimp and other seafood. Other great options are sides or appetizers such as grilled vegetables, on kabobs or not- but onions, peppers, potatoes, tomatoes, asparagus, corn and/or zucchini. From appetizers, mains, sides and even desserts grilling provides a great (nutritional) way of cooking that gets the family outside and enjoying the weather, while keeping health in mind!

Every summer my family and I go to Cape Cod.  One of our favorite things to do is grill on the Outer Beach.  It's absolutely beautiful there and its amazing to be able to grill some of my favorite foods while being on the beach!
Here are some pictures of the Outer Beach last year and one of our barbecues:

My Sister, Erin, working the grill

My Dad and I

Packing a Tasty Snack for the Road

Since I was not fortunate enough to travel to a tropical paradise this spring break, I decided to bring the tropics home by making a yummy fruit salad.  Instead of jetting off to the beach, I spent a weekend at Union College in Schenectady, New York with my two sisters that go there.  Since the drive is 3 hours, I decided to pack a healthy snack.  Since the weather is getting warmer and fruit is now in season, when I went to the grocery store, I picked up 4 kiwis, a container of strawberries and a container of blueberries all totaling under $10, which is  great deal for lots of fruit!  I put together a fruit salad with my 3 favorite fruits for my car trip snack and it was delicious!

 
Some Interesting Health Facts

Kiwis:  This fruit is very high in vitamins and minerals.  Kiwis contain more vitamin C than oranges do and just as much potassium as bananas contain.  Studies have show that eating kiwi helps your respiratory system immensely.

Strawberries: they are a great source of vitamin C, K, and B6, as well as fibers and flavonoids.  These flavonoids that strawberries contain help to protect against inflammations, heart disease and cancer.

Blueberries:  they contain flavonoids and anthocyanidins, which are antioxidants.  They have the highest content of antioxidants, which may protect against Alzheimer's disease and prevent stress and age related diseases, as well as improve people's vision.


(information found on http://www.everynutrient.com)

Put a Stop to Your Sugar Cravings

Decadent Desserts That Don't Cramp Your Style

I admit, I have a sweet tooth!  One thing that I always crave is desserts.  I am a huge chocolate fan and love anything that is sweet.  I like to bake and I really love simple and easy to make recipes.  Many people when they are trying to lose weight feel that they need to cut out dessert completely from their diets.  This is not entirely true.  In order to maintain a healthy diet and to put a stop to your sugar cravings, you should still include some form of sugar or dessert in your diet, the key is to just eat it in moderation and to cut the amount of calories and fat by choosing healthier desserts.  One of my favorite dessert to make is oatmeal raisin cookies! They are not only very tasty, but they are low in calories and are a great example of a dessert that still satisfies your cravings but doesn't load on the fat.  This recipe below is for cookies that are only 225 calories!

 

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Ingredients

• Boiling water
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour, spooned and leveled
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 cup apple butter
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup rolled oats (not quick-cooking)

1. In a bowl, add the raisins and cover with boiling water. Let stand 5 minutes. Once plumped, drain the raisins and set aside to cool completely.

2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F

3. Combine flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.

4. Using an electric mixer, beat the apple butter, butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla until combined. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture until just combined; stir in the oats and raisins.

5. Using a rounded tablespoon, drop the cookies onto parchment-lined baking sheets about 2 inches apart (12 per sheet). Bake until the cookies are no longer wet-looking in the center, 14 to 16 minutes, rotating pans halfway through. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

(Recipe found on FoodNetwork.com)