This dressing is great as a veggie dip or for your own Costa Vida style salad!
1 packet dry ranch dressing mix
1 c. veganise (This is a mayonnaise substitue. You can find this at your local health food store and it tastes better than mayonnaise!)
1 c. buttermilk
2 tomatillos, remove husk, diced (or buy canned)
1/2 bunch of fresh cilantro
1 clove garlic
Juice of 1 lime
1 jalapeno (use the seeds if you like it spicy, if not remove the seeds)
Mix all ingredients together in the blender. Enjoy!
By: Reader's Digest
Ten ways to make low-carb healthy.
Thanks to the popularity of low-carb diets, nearly half of Americans say they are watching the amount of carbohydrates they eat. If you're among them, we're providing these 10 tips so your carb control is healthy and wise!
Bear in mind that there is a huge difference between Cheese Doodles and oatmeal. Both might be categorized as carbs, but their benefits are on opposite ends of the health spectrum. In the last chapter, we detailed the benefits of “good carbs.” Now it's time to explain what a “bad carb” is. Here's the simplest answer: white flour, refined sugar, and white rice. More broadly, any food made primarily of a carb that has been processed in such a way as to strip out ingredients that hinder quick and easy cooking. Why are refined carbs a problem? Easy: They digest so quickly that they cause blood sugar surges that lead to weight gain and other health troubles.Here are some ways to avoid troublesome carbs while still getting the fuel you need for good health. Carb-counting meets common sense, right this way...
1. Tell the waiter to hold the bread. At almost every restaurant, your meal starts with a basket of rolls, breads, and crackers made from white flour. If it's not put on the table, you won't eat any. Or, if you really need something to nibble on, ask if they have whole wheat varieties.
2. At Chinese restaurants, ask for brown rice, and limit how much you eat to one cup. In fact, some Chinese restaurants have started offering to swap a vegetable for the rice in their combo dinners, knowing that many people are on low-carb diets. At home, always cook brown rice instead of white. Brown rice hasn't been processed and still has its high-fiber nutrients.
3. Instead of bread, use eggplant slices to make a delicious sandwich. Broil two thick slices of eggplant until brown, then add mozzarella and tomato, olive oil and basil to one slice, suggests Nicole Glassman, owner of Mindful Health in New York City. Top with the other slice of eggplant and broil again until the cheese melts.
4. Wrap your food in lettuce leaves. Yes, skip the bun, tortillas, and bread slices and instead make a sandwich inside lettuce leaves. Glassman suggests going Mexican with a sprinkle of cheddar cheese, salsa, and chicken; Asian with sesame seeds, peanuts, bean sprouts, cut up green beans, and shrimp with a touch of soy sauce; or deli style with turkey, cheese, and mustard.
5. Buy old-fashioned snacks in kidsize bags. Truth is, pretzels, tortilla chips, potato chips, and cookies are mostly bad carbs, made primarily of refined flour, sugar, salt, and/or oil. You want to remove as many of these foods from your daily eating as you can. But if you can't live without them, buy them in small bags--1 ounce is a typical “lunch box” size--and limit yourself to just one bag a day.
6. Break yourself of your old spaghetti habits. Almost everyone loves a big bowl of pasta, topped with a rich tomato sauce. The tomato sauce couldn't be better for you; the spaghetti, however, is pure carbohydrate. While spaghetti is fine to eat every now and then, for those sensitive to carbs or wishing to cut back on their noodle intake, here are some alternatives to the usual spaghetti dinner:
Excerpt from back jacket:
"If there was an oil you could use for your daily cooking needs that helped protect you from heart disease, cancer, and other degenerative conditions, improved your digestion, strengthened your immune system, and helped you lose excess weight, would you be interested? This is what coconut oil can do for you."What Coconut Oil DOES Do:
The Coconut Oil Myth
Coconut oil was once mistakenly considered unhealthful. The fact is, this oil is cholesterol-free and rich in the medium-chain "good fats" doctors recommend. Why is it that baby formulas often include coconut oil? Because coconut is one of the world's most nourishing super foods. Nutritionists suggest enjoying up to 3 tablespoons of extra-virgin coconut oil each day, so help yourself to this heavenly, creamy taste of the tropics.
Nutiva's Coconut Oil is:
Cold-Pressed & Pure White: Not refined, deodorized, or bleached! Savor its naturally rich aroma and enticing light taste.
Organic: So it's free from pesticides, GMOs, and hexane.
Versatile: Ideal as a high-heat cooking oil (up to 350°), as a nutritious substitute in baking, as a "better-than-butter" replacement on bread, vegetables or popcorn and as a luscious oil for skin care, hair care, and massage.
America Needs an Oil Change - While doctors suggest we consume a 3:1 ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3, the average American diet provides a ratio of 20:1 or more - contributing to heart disease, skin disorders and arterial inflammation. So avoid out-of-balance soy, corn, and canola oils with their trans fats, oxidation and GMOs. Cook with coconut oil (with only 1% Omega-6) and use olive oil (also low in Omega-6), and hemp oil (with the perfect 3:1 Omega ratio) for unheated recipes.
Not all saturated fat is bad!
Coconut oil is cholesterol-free and contains medium-chain good fats with 50%-55% Lauric Acid-a healthy nutrient that supports the metabolism.
3 c. whole wheat pastry flour
2 eggs, beaten
4 cups warm water
4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
2 cups whole grain oats
2 cups whole white wheat flour or whole pastry flour (it is not white flour so don't be fooled - you can find it in the bulk section at your health food store)
1 cup quinoa (pronounced keenwah)
1 cup(s) nuts, almonds, toasted in a dry skillet over a medium-high flame until fragrant, stirring frequently, 3 to 5 minutes and coarsely chopped
cooking spray Preparation
Both soluble and insoluble fiber is undigested. Therefore, they are not absorbed into the bloodstream. Instead of being used for energy, fiber is excreted from our bodies. Soluble fiber forms a gel when mixed with liquid, while insoluble fiber does not. Insoluble fiber passes through our intestines largely intact.
Soluble Fiber:
Functions Of Soluble Fiber
(Here's to you, Ty!)
For any kid who grew up eating the white, doughy bread, making the switch to whole wheat bread can be tough!| Nearly every food preparation process will reduce the amount of nutrients in food. Processes that expose the food to high heat, light or oxygen will create the greatest nutrient loss in your food. It is always best to keep these processes to a minimum; consuming raw foods is definitely the best way of getting the most out of your food. Below is a general table showing the nutrient loss for common food processing methods. Actual losses will vary with the type of food, cooking time and temperatures. Typical Maximum Nutrient Losses (as compared to raw food) | ||||
| Vitamins | Freeze- | Dry- | Cook+Drain | -Reheat |
| Vitamin A | 5% | 50% | 35% | 10% |
| Retinol Activity Equivalent | 5% | 50% | 35% | 10% |
| Alpha Carotene | 5% | 50% | 35% | 10% |
| Beta Carotene | 5% | 50% | 35% | 10% |
| Beta Cryptoxanthin | 5% | 50% | 35% | 10% |
| Lycopene | 5% | 50% | 35% | 10% |
| Lutein+Zeaxanthin | 5% | 50% | 35% | 10% |
| Vitamin C | 30% | 80% | 75% | 50% |
| Thiamin | 5% | 30% | 70% | 40% |
| Riboflavin | 0% | 10% | 45% | 5% |
| Niacin | 0% | 10% | 55% | 5% |
| Vitamin B6 | 0% | 10% | 65% | 45% |
| Folate | 5% | 50% | 75% | 30% |
| Food Folate | 5% | 50% | 75% | 30% |
| Folic Acid | 5% | 50% | 75% | 30% |
| Vitamin B12 | 0% | 0% | 50% | 45% |
| Calcium | 5% | 0% | 25% | 0% |
| Iron | 0% | 0% | 40% | 0% |
| Magnesium | 0% | 0% | 40% | 0% |
| Phosphorus | 0% | 0% | 35% | 0% |
| Potassium | 10% | 0% | 70% | 0% |
| Sodium | 0% | 0% | 55% | 0% |
| Zinc | 0% | 0% | 25% | 0% |
| Copper | 10% | 0% | 45% | 0% |
