Healthy and on budget

My Body By Vi diet allows me to lesson my grocery bill while eating healthier than I was but I also like to cook and still eat dinner since I actually replace my breakfast with a shake and a snack since I drink one after my workout. I still eat lunch and dinner. Since my goal is more than 30 lbs the total I spend per day a month is about eight dollars. Not bad for two those two meals plus my omega's and my metabolic booster.

Since I am new to eating healthy and hate spending a ton of money I thought I would share a few recipes that I have found. I love pasta so the first one I am sharing with you Chicken Piccata with Pasta and Mushrooms.  This recipe you can swap the chicken for a mild fish like Talipa or Shrimp. 

 

INGREDIENTS

• 6 ounces whole-wheat angel hair pasta
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour, divided
• 2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 4 chicken cutlets, (3/4-1 pound total), trimmed
• 3 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 10-ounce package mushrooms, sliced
• 3 large cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons capers, rinsed
• 2 teaspoons butter

• PREPARATION

  1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until just tender, 4 to 6 minutes or according to package directions. Drain and rinse.
  2. Meanwhile, whisk 5 teaspoons flour and broth in a small bowl until smooth. Place the remaining flour in a shallow dish. Season chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper and dredge both sides in the flour. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook until browned and no longer pink in the middle, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate; cover and keep warm.
  3. Heat the remaining 1 teaspoon oil in the pan over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring, until they release their juices and begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Add garlic and wine to the pan and cook until reduced by half, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the reserved broth-flour mixture, lemon juice and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring, until the sauce is thickened, about 5 minutes.
  4. Stir in parsley, capers, butter and the reserved mushrooms. Measure out 1/2 cup of the mushroom sauce. Toss the pasta in the pan with the remaining sauce. Serve the pasta topped with the chicken and the reserved sauce.

  NUTRITION

  Per serving: 397 calories; 9 g fat ( 3 g sat , 3 g mono ); 54 mg cholesterol; 45 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 28 g protein; 5 g fiber; 544 mg sodium; 609 mg potassium
  I made this a few weeks ago and it came out great. The kids and husband love it. My husband loves steak so I haven't tried this second one yet but think when he comes home we are going to try it. 
  

  INGREDIENTS

  • 8 ounces 1/2-inch-thick steaks, such as rib-eye, trimmed of fat and cut into 2 portions
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
  • 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 plum tomatoes, diced
  • 2 teaspoons lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

  • PREPARATION

    1. Sprinkle both sides of steak with chili powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the steaks and cook, turning once, 1 to 2 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer the steaks to a plate, cover with foil and let rest while you make the salsa.
    2. Add tomatoes, lime juice and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt to the pan and cook, stirring often, until the tomatoes soften, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in cilantro and any accumulated juices from the steaks. Serve the steaks topped with the salsa.

    NUTRITION

    Per serving: 192 calories; 8 g fat ( 2 g sat , 4 g mono ); 81 mg cholesterol; 4 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 26 g protein; 1 g fiber; 359 mg sodium; 515 mg potassium.
    
    
    I hope you guys like these recipes. There are many more to be found on web if you just look. Although I am meeting most my needs with my shakes I still love good food.
    Are you ready to start your 90 Day Challenge? What can you accomplish in 90 Days?
    http://lanischweitzer.myvi.net

Benefits of Soy Protein

There are several types of protein out there but today I am focusing on Soy Protein. I am on my Body By Vi 90 Day Challenge trying to get in better shape and wanted to learn more about it and why it works so well in these shakes for those of us that are trying to loose weight or achieve a fitness goal. 

Soy protein is a vegetable protein. This type of protein is great for recovering after a workout. The reason it is great for recovery is that it contains glutamine (emino acid that aids in recovery), arginine (dialetes blood vessels so nutrients can get to the muscles faster, and BCAA's (one of nine essential amino acids that aids in recovery). 

Soy protein also helps support a healthy cholesterol and boost thyroid hormone output. For those of us with that suffer from low thyroid that alone is worth joining the challenge and drinking the shake mix. By increasing thyroid production it helps boost up metabolism and aids in fat loss. This type of protein can be taken both before and after your workout. 

Ready to start your own 90 Day Challenge? Contact me and we will pick a goal, pick a kit, and get started. 

http://lanischweitzer.myvi.net

A few fruits you should add to your diet

I am lucky in that my kids love fruits. The other day after dinner my son came to the table with an apple. I started to laugh because generally my kids have to ask before they grab food and just start munching but it was an apple and not a piece of candy from the Halloween candy bag we have. I couldn't get mad but I became curious besides the usual fruits I buy is there one I should try.

I found an article on the 8 Healthiest fruits you should be eating from Ladies Home Journal. So here's the 411 according to this article.

1. Blueberries. This has been listed as one of the best super fruits for awhile. I have seen this on the cover of many magazines while in the checkout line. Rich in antioxidants helps in fighting cancer and in the prevention of muscle degeneration. Like cranberries they also help prevent urinary tract infections.

2. Oranges. A single orange has a full days worth of Vitamin C plus potassium. The scent is also supposed to be calming.

3. Apples. The skin of an apple is high in fiber both soluble and insoluble. These types of fiber help lower cholesterol and keeps you regular. It is also packed full of antioxidants.

4. Bananas. These by far are my sons favorite and have become my favorite thing to mix with my Body By Shake mix with a dab of peanut butter. Bananas are full of potassium and low in sodium. This can help reduce your chance of high blood pressure and strokes.

5. Kiwi. Kiwi has twice as vitamin C as an orange and is thought to help reduce risk of cataracts and might even help protect DNA from damage.

6. Red and Purple Grapes. For those of you with little kids these are always the easiest things for me to get mine to eat. At every party with a fruit platter I would find them stuffing their cheeks like little chipmunks. Grapes contain resveratrol. This antioxidants helps fight against heart disease. You can get this in a cup of dark grapes or a 5 oz glass of Merlot.

7. Strawberries. Another one of my favorites for my Body By Vi shakes. A handful of this yummy treat is expected to help control type 2 diabetes, help prevent heart disease, reduce inflammation, plus full of vitamin C and and other antioxidants.

8. Papayas. Papayas help in digestion. They are full of Vitamin C and a good source of folate.

My kids still won't eat Kiwi. Maybe later when they get over that it looks fury. I hope you all enjoy and find this information useful. If interested in the article check out http://www.lhj.com/recipes/healthy/eating/8-healthiest-fruits-you-should-be-eating/

Ready to start your own 90 Day Challenge? Pick a goal, pick a kit and lets get started. http://lanischweitzer.myvi.net

Foods to help belly fat

Before I ever had kids I had a little pouch. I hated it. One time my little brother asked me if I was pregnant. Two c-sections later it has not gone away. I am proud to say that thanks to my 2 Body By Vi Shakes a day and my workouts I do notice that my stomach is starting to get some light definition. This might be a light trick caused by shadows but....I am hopeful.

So tonight I thought I would look up food that is supposed to help with that. I know that I am not the only one with that issue. There were lots of articles this one is based on one I found on Real Age. 

1. Black Beans. Legumes in general are high in fiber and protein which help reduce appetite. Black beans are the highest in flavonoids which is expected to help fight belly fat. 

2. Pears. Fresh pears are very low in calories and high in fiber that the articles actually states you can eat one at every meal and loose weight. Pears are loaded with two things that are supposed to help fight belly fat they are: catechins and flavonols. 

3. Popcorn. Ok for those of you that got excited this popcorn minus the butter and salt (and the oil they use at the movie theater sorry guys). Popcorn is a whole grain belief it or not and people who ate lots of whole grain have been proven to have smaller waist lines.

4. Cold Potatoes. If you put potatoes in the fridge overnight they form a resistant starch crystal. This is a fiber that triggers two hunger halting hormones. It also helps burn more fat while making less available to store. You can make a vinegar potato salad. 

5. Peanuts. The calories burned from peanuts are burned more readily than their less healthy alternatives such as cookies, crackers and chips.

6. Sunflower seeds. Tip to remember unsalted. You can toss them into your cereal, on your sandwhiches in your yoguart. This yummy little treat is high in monounsaturated fat, which is a healthy fat that inhibits waist spreading. 

7. Tea. White Tea to be exact. A study showed that cells that were treated with white tea absorbed 70% less fat than those weren't. The same cells also triggered fat break down. 

8. Apple Cider Vinegar. This yummy ingredient has a compound called acetic acid. This turbo boost the ability to burn fat while hindering fat storage. Double trouble for fat. 

9. Safflower Oil. This is used a lot in salad dressings and a few teaspoons of this a day seems to encourage belly fat to take a hike. It contains an omega-6 ingredient called linolic acid that causes your metabolic rate to rev up. 

Some of these foods are new to me. Some I realize I am getting thanks to my high fiber protein drink from Visuals and the omega-6 from my Omega Vitals. Some of these seem pretty easy to add to your diet. For instance maybe I should see if I can find a white tea that I like and that will also help increase my water intake and hopefully help me add more water to my day.