Experts have long stressed the importance of eating for our beauty as well and not just for the body and our silhouette. Just like smoking or too much chocolate can ruin the complexion and damage the teeth, certain foods encourage the healthy growth of nails and hair, or focus on ridding the face of spots and even wrinkles. Three of them also make great snacks, as Glamour magazine points out.

If we happen to be at work, with hardly enough time for a proper mini-break for a snack, there is still hope for us to eat something that is good for our body and our health. That is to say, don’t reach for the bar of chocolate or bag of chips yet, because there are other options as well. Kiwifruit is perfect in this sense, Glamour explains, citing the words of Lisa Drayer, M.A., R.D., an expert beautritionist and author of “The Beauty Diet,” speaking to Woman’s Day.

Blueberries and tomatoes also make for wonderful snacks that also take care of your appearance. Blueberries are like “antioxidant powerhouses” that “help rid your body of toxins, says Drayer. Sprinkle some in your yogurt or over a bowl of cereal,” the magazine urges. Moreover, “The lycopene in tomatoes wards off many diseases and may also help protect your skin from sunburns,” and you can serve them with low-fat cheese or plain, if you like them this much. Read the rest of this entry »

Most of us are feeling the effects of the holiday now and the traditional meal in particular for the days to come. One way to cut down on calories these days without actually feeling like it is by replacing diet with flavored water that we can prepare ourselves. We all know that juices and sodas now usually come with very high sugar content, which is why they’re often referred to as caloric bombs that deliver only empty calories. This translates into a few inches more on our waist and, of course, a decrease in health as well. To prevent that while still enjoying a sweet drink, we can learn how to make our own flavored water.

It is possible that we might get bored very easily by simply adding a slice of lemon in our glass of water. If, for instance, we don’t have time to make homemade lemonade and drink it instead of water, we can add a few drops of natural juice to a bottle of water and thus make sure it gets a special, but vague flavor. The combination of lime and orange is to kill for.

Adding herbs to your water put a few sprigs of fresh mint in my H20 pitcher or even lemongrass. Add freshly cut cucumbers. This small addition really gives water a clean and refreshing taste that is ever so subtle. Add fresh sliced ginger, and you’ve made yourself a natural tummy tamer. Or you can add pickle juice to water and make your own electrolyte replacement drink. It might sound gross but it really works! For a hint of sweetness, crush up some berries or pomegranate seeds into your water. But, if you’re really craving soda, liven up soda water.

If you are using a conventional oven, don’t worry, it’s easy. You simply cut it into quarters using either a sharp cook’s knife or kitchen shears. Start at the tail end with the chicken on its back and cut down through the parson’s nose. Now stand the chook on its neck with the backbone towards you and cut straight down, using the notch in the parson’s nose as your starting point.

Flatten out the bird, skin-side down, and cut from neck to tail, through the center of the gelatinous membrane that forms the breast-bone. Finally, cut across the halves between the thigh and breast to make your quarters. You will easily see where to do this. It’s a natural cutting point. Place the pieces skin-side up in a roasting tin large enough to hold them without overlapping, brush them with the mixture given above, and bake for 30 minutes, basting once.

For the last five minutes turn the oven heat to full, which will help to give a crisper finish. You can miss out this step if you intend to discard the skin. As always with roasted meat, once the cooking time is over keep the chicken warm but let it stand for five minutes before carving. This lets it relax and allows the juices to spread evenly throughout the joint.

When you carve the breast, instead of slicing it lengthways as you normally would, remove it from the bone in one piece and then slice it at a slight angle, starting at the neck end and working back. You can join the legs in the usual way.

Most of us would agree that lunch is a happily anticipated break in people’s workday. But how often after lunch do you feel over-stuffed and ready for a nap—anything but work? Whether you are packing lunch, grabbing it on the go, or eating out, you can make smart choices that will cut back on calories and bring you energy for the rest of your day. Best of all, these tips can decrease costs, too!

• Soup up your lunch – soup is a simple lunch that won’t weigh you down; in fact, studies have found that people who eat a serving of soup daily lose more weight than those who eat the same amount of calories but don’t eat soup. Nutritious low-salt soups will nourish you as they flush waste from your body; best of all, soup is easy for your body to assimilate and you will return to lunch with renewed energy and untroubled digestion. Go for homemade soup whenever possible to steer clear of the salt and chemicals in canned soups. Read the rest of this entry »

It has been always stressed by experts how important eating is not just for our body and silhouette but as well as for our beauty. Just like smoking or too much chocolate can ruin the complexion and damage the teeth, certain foods encourage the healthy growth of nails and hair, or focus on ridding the face of spots and even wrinkles. Some of them also make great snacks. Like for instance you were at work, with hardly enough time for a proper mini-break for a snack, there is still hope for us to eat something that is good for our body and our health.

Kiwifruit is perfect in this sense, Glamour magazine explains, citing the words of Lisa Drayer, M.A., R.D., an expert beautritionist and author of “The Beauty Diet,” speaking to Woman’s Day. This little green fruit is the most nutritionally dense of them all. This is also loaded with vitamin C, boosting the production of collagen, which improves your skin’s elasticity. The best way to enjoy kiwi? Cut in half. It creates its own bowl, so you can just eat it with a spoon. By serving it like this, you will avoid getting kiwi juice all over the keyboard or, even worse, on your clothes.

In addition, Blueberries and tomatoes also make for wonderful snacks that also take care of your appearance. Blueberries are like “antioxidant powerhouses” that “help rid your body of toxins. Sprinkle some in your yogurt or over a bowl of cereal. Moreover, the lycopene in tomatoes wards off many diseases and may also help protect your skin from sunburns and you can serve them with low-fat cheese or plain, if you like them this much.

You should bring food that can be enjoyed cold. Or if available, warm up your food over a stove or in a toaster oven. Use the microwave as a last option; though convenient, it has been found that microwave cooking destroys some important nutrients in your food. If you choose to use the microwave, try to avoid plastic containers or plastic wrap because studies have shown that when these are microwaved, they can leach dioxins, phthalates, or nonylphenol. Instead, microwave your food in glassware, corning ware, ceramic or lead-free terra cotta bowls. So, here are some lunch meals to bring:

• Greens with steamed beets sprinkled with pine nuts, walnuts, and shredded chicken
• Avocado and turkey sandwich on whole wheat bread.
• Whole grain pasta with organic meat sauce.
• Brown rice or quinoa with sautéed veggies.
• Veggie stir-fries or boiled dumplings.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 tsp. salt
• 4 canned pineapple slices, drained
• 4 tbsp. brown sugar
• 4 tbsp. catsup
• 4 tsp. mustard

How you do it:
Shape meat into 8 thin patties. Sprinkle with salt. Put 1 slice of pineapple on each of 4 patties. Top with remaining 4 patties and seal edges. Put burgers on broiler pan rack. Broil with tops 4″ from heat until brown, 3 to 5 minutes.

Mix brown sugar, catsup and mustard. Turn burgers. Spoon brown sugar mixture on burgers and broil until done, approximately 3 to 5 minutes. Very surprising and delicious taste.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, pressed
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt or Greek yogurt
• 4 chicken breast halves with bones
• 1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained
• 1 12-ounce container cherry tomatoes
• 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro, divided

How you do it:
Preheat oven to 450°. Mix first 5 ingredients in medium bowl. Pour 1 teaspoon spiced oil mixture into small bowl; whisk in yogurt and set aside for sauce. Place chicken on large rimmed baking sheet. Rub 2 tablespoons spiced oil mixture over chicken. Add beans, tomatoes, and 1/2 cup cilantro to remaining spiced oil mixture; toss to coat. Pour bean mixture around chicken. Sprinkle everything generously with salt and pepper.

Roast until chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup cilantro. Transfer chicken to plates. Spoon bean mixture over. Serve with yogurt sauce.