Yummy Bean Soup Recipe From Biggest Loser

The Biggest Loser 6 Weeks to a Healthier You book has some amazing recipes that will help you stick to your diet.  This bean soup is easy to make, tastes great, and even works with a vegan or vegetarian diet.


Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

1 tablespoon garlic, chopped

28 ounce can of fire roasted tomatoes

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

3 (15 ounce) cans of your favorite beans, drained

4 cups veggie broth

2 cups frozen spinach

Directions

1.Saute’ onions in oil, adding garlic as onions soften.

2.Stir in tomatoes and spices and simmer 5 minutes.

3.Add 3 cups of beans and broth and bring to a boil.

4.Reduce heat and simmer.

5.Add remaining beans and broth to blender and mix until smooth.

6.Add bean mixture and spinach to stew and simmer until ready to eat.

This is an awesome, easy to prepare dish. Feel free to mix and match the type of beans you use and if you prefer a soupier stew, skip the blender step.







Serving size=1 cup



Calories-160

Carrot Cake Smoothie

These yummy carrot cake smoothies taste as good as carrot cake, but with only about half the calories!  They are great for just about any diet including phase one of the 17 day diet.  The best part, it is super easy to make.

Ingredients


1 1/2 cups cooked carrots

1 1/2 cups ice cubes

6 ounces of plain or vanilla yogurt

1 teaspoon orange zest

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Dash of nutmeg

Directions

1.Cook carrots until soft and then cool in the refrigerator.

2.Throw everything in the blender and mix well.

Tips For Buying Produce

Does the produce aisle intimidate you?  Here are some tips for getting the freshest fruits and veggies for your diet:

Fresh or Frozen?


Most produce is just as nutritious frozen as it is fresh, so think about your eating habits. If you use it up slowly, pack your freezer, but if your family goes through produce quickly, stick with fresh for better taste and texture.

Berries

Don’t think you’ll finish them in 3 to 5 days? Buy frozen instead.

Bananas

Avoid bananas that are too green, particularly for use in smoothies to avoid a strange tangy taste.

Green onions


Green onions are much easier to use then whole onions for small meals. Just chop the tips and toss the bulb.

Bagged baby spinach leaves

Peek through the bottom of the bag. If you see any mush, choose another package.

Broccoli

Look for tight buds or florets; they indicate a fresher find.

Peppers

Avoid peppers with wrinkly skin – a sign of aging.

Mixed Green salad blend

The more color the greater the antioxidants.  Choose bags with red radicchio, pale green endive, and dark green spinach.

Avocados
The darker black the better.

Orange Avocado Salad

5-Lettuce Mix™

Salad Ingredients:
1 pkg Fresh Express 5-Lettuce Mix
1 orange, peeled & sectioned
1 avocado, sliced
1/2 cup red onion, sliced
1/2 cup almonds, slivered
1 cup sugar snap peas
Your favorite Vinaigrette dressing

Make the Salad:
Place greens into a large salad bowl.
Top with orange sections, avocado, & onion.
Add almonds & snap peas.
Drizzle dressing over salad.

Kelly Bensimon Real Housewives Diet

The Real Housewives of New York City star, Kelly Bensimon reveals that she consumes less than 700 calories a day on her extreme diet that some are calling a "starvation" diet.  What do you think?

Better-for-You McDonald's Breakfast Choices

It is hard to eat healthy when you are on the run!  Here are some better breakfast choices from McDonald's:
Picks




•English Muffin (no butter): 140 calories, 1.5g fat, 0g saturated fat, 0g trans fat, 260mg sodium, 27g carbs, 2g fiber, 5g protein.

•Egg McMuffin: 300 calories, 12g fat, 820mg sodium, 30g carbs, 2g fiber, 18g protein.

•Scrambled Eggs (two): 170 calories, 11g fat, 4g saturated fat, 0g trans fat, 180 mg sodium, 1g carbs, 0g fiber, 15g protein.

Tons of Calories in Designer Coffees

Coffee is usually a safe diet option with only about 5 calories.  That is, until you start adding flavors to it. Then the calories start racking up. In fact, some fancy coffee drinks amount to the same caloric intake as an entire meal.

The largest size of Starbucks’ Dark Berry Mocha Frappuccino, a limited for summer-time offer, contains a whopping 561 calories. Speaking of whoppers, a flame-broiled Whopper from Burger King isn’t much more at 670 calories

The Rule of Five

When shopping for cereal, check the Nutrition Facts label using the Rule of Five as a guide. Ideally, cereal should have less than 5g of sugar and 5g or more of fiber per serving. The Rule of Five is not set in stone. If a cereal is very low in sugar, it's okay if it's a little lower in fiber. Oatmeal, for example, has only 4 grams of fiber per serving but 0 grams of sugar. On the other hand, cereals that contain dried fruit may be higher in sugar. Just be sure that most of the sugar is, indeed, coming from fruit and not added sugars. (If sugar or corn syrup is among the first few ingredients in the list, take a pass).

Get Healthy With Tuna!

Eating more tuna might just be the trick to making you a healthier, happier person. It’s a natural source of Omega-3 Fatty Acids that supports heart-health, promotes brain and eye health, and may have a role in reducing symptoms of depression. Check out http://www.starkist.com/ for tasty tips on how to incorporate tuna into your everyday life in delicious and healthy recipes. Go ahead — eat StarKist tuna and get ‘kist for good health!

Food Calorie Calculator

As you get ready to snack you might find yourself wondering, how many calories are in this? Using this site you can find nutrition facts including calories, fat, carbohydrates, protein, sugar, fiber in over 37,000 foods and beverages.

Calorie Calculator

5 Foods to Flatten Your Abs

100's of sit-ups and you still have a bulging belly? Try replacing some of the food you are eating with these 5 foods for flatter abs:

Orange Fruits and Veggies: According to a recent review from Copenhagen University Hospital, the best way to whittle down your waist is to replace carbohydrates from sugar and refined grains (like white bread) with carbs from fruits and vegetables. Orange-hued foods were found to be the most effective substitutes. Make sure you are eating the real thing, and not just juices.


Lean Meats: You should be getting about 25 percent of your daily calories from protein, but you should make sure to choose lean sources like poultry, fish, low-fat yogurt, and fat-free milk to keep calories down. Nuts are also high in protein, but can also be high in calories, so eat them in moderation, roughly a handful a day.

Protein helps to keep you feeling full and boost your energy, aiding in your weight-loss efforts. According to research from Skidmore College and Copenhagen University Hospital, eating additional protein is especially helpful for those over 40 in reducing abdominal fat.

Nuts: A recent survey of more than 8,000 Americans found that selenium, a cancer-fighting mineral, seemed to also lower rates of abdominal obesity, reporting that those with lower levels of selenium had larger waistlines.

Several foods contain selenium, so it’s hard to know if you’re getting your recommended 55 mcg per day. The best sources are nuts (especially Brazil nuts), whole grains, poultry, red meat and seafood. Foods rich in vitamin E, such as nuts and seeds, will increase the effectiveness of selenium in the body.


Wine: Several studies suggest that light drinking protects against weight gain around the waistline in women. Data reviewed by the National Center for Health Statistics points to one 4-ounce glass of wine as the best bet.

The key to boozing and losing is the “less is more” philosophy. While one glass has great health benefits, having more is just going to add inches to your waist.



Fish: There’s a difference between good and bad fats. Eating good fats like monounsaturated and omega-3s make it easier to stay slim, according to recent research. Healthy fats, like monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, are found in fish, nuts, olive oil and avocado, while the bad fats, like saturated and trans are found in butter, shortening, pre-packaged cakes and cookies.

Romaine Salad With Tomatoes and Bacon

Ingredients

4 slices bacon
1 head romaine lettuce, cut into strips (6 cups)
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
4 scallions, sliced
4 to 6 tablespoons bottled Caesar dressing


Directions

1.In a skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Break into pieces when cool.
2.In a large bowl, toss the lettuce, tomatoes, scallions, and bacon with the dressing.

Want Flat Abs? Add These Foods To Your Diet

Hoping to get flat abs?

In addition to regular cardio workouts and exercises that target the muscles in your mid-section, the foods you eat can help get your belly super slim too. Check out these six superfoods that are good for you on the inside and on the outside too — add them into your daily diet and you’ll be showing off a toned, flat tummy in no time:

Berries
Blueberries and blackberries are packed with antioxidants

Avocados
Avocados are packed with monounsaturated fat — the “good” fat. Monounsaturated fats level out blood sugar levels and keep your body from storing fat around you belly.

Green Tea
Another source of antioxidants, green teas also rev up your metabolism and make it easier for your body to burn fat. Drink three cups a day for optimal benefits.

Milk
Fat-free milk — and even better fat-free chocolate milk (yay! a treat too!) — has been shown to aid post-workout muscle recovery better than any sports drink. The super-combo of protein and carbs in low-fat chocolate milk is “just right for refueling weary muscles,” says William Lunn, PhD, an exercise scientist at the University of Connecticut.


Yogurt
We know that the probiotics in yogurt help digestion, which helps relieve bloat and fullness than can hide the six-pack underneath! Try to have a cup of yogurt each day to keep your belly full of the good bacteria that banishes the bad bacterias that promote icky bloat

Baby Food Diet: Should You Try Hollywood's Newest Trend?

Hollywood has gone baby crazy - baby food that is. Eating baby food is the new celebrity diet trend. Should you try it? Here's a quick pros and cons run down to help you decide:

Pro: No need to cook—just throw a bunch of jars of baby food in your bag and go.

Pro: They're automatically portion controlled!

Con: Have you ever seen a baby eat peas? They might not be tasty enough to sustain you long term.

Pro: Baby food is low in additives and preservatives.

You might lose weight, but it is probably better to keep eating like a grown-up!