Melon and Chicken Salad

This is a great recipe for leftover chicken. Use whichever melons are in season for a very affordable lunch.

Ingredients:
1 small cantaloupe or honeydew melon
6 cups of cooked chicken, cubed
2 cups celery, chopped
2 cups seedless green or red grapes
1 cup water chestnuts, sliced (optional)
1/2 cup light sour cream
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 1/2 tsp curry powder
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Cut the melon in half and take out the seeds.

2. With a melon baller, scoop out the flesh and carefully place the melon balls into a large bowl (if you don’t have a melon baller, cut the melon into bite-size cubes).

Benefits of Eating Raw Vegetables

Raw food or ‘live’ food as it is known in modern day terms is making a fashionable comeback. It is not just a celebrity food fad anymore as people are realising the benefits from healthy eating.

Research has shown that people who complained of being sluggish and tired once given a diet of ‘live’ food soon commented on how full of energy they felt. It was as if they had been given a new lease of life. Live food gives us energy, good digestion and overall good health. The definition of ‘live’ food is “foods in their original uncooked state”. These can be seeds, nuts, fruit, sprouts and vegetables.

Surviving Summer BBQ Foods

Summer BBQ’s are so much fun, but so difficult to keep up on healthy eating.  Sure when it is at your house you can make some incredible healthy options.  But when it’s at a friends, you are more at their mercy.

One major thing I am doing differently this year is bringing my own brauts.  Jennie O has a line of incredibly yummy brauts.  There were 5 packs on clearance one day and I already knew that I really liked them.  I snagged all of the packs and put them in my freezer.  Now I have my own healthier meat option for at least 5 BBQ’s this Summer and a couple left for others in those packs as well.  Yes, I will bring them to our friends houses to have them cooked up.  I can’t do greasy food without getting sick, so this way it helps me out in many aspects.

Sunshine Muffins

Ingredients:
1 orange (preferably organic)
½ cup of milk
2 tbsp poppy seeds
1 egg
¼ cup oil
1 ½ cups plain flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarb soda

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.

2. In a little bowl, soak 2 tbsp poppy seeds in ½ cup of milk and let it stand for about 20 minutes.

3. Cut the orange into 8 pieces and remove any seeds. Place the whole of the orange (including skin), the milk with poppy seeds, the egg and oil in a blender and blend until smooth.

30 Minute Tone Up

Today modern life can leave all of us wanting more time, and we don’t want to use up precious hours at the gym, particularly in the summer or around holiday seasons. To combat the lack of time, work-outs now need to be as quick as possible, and here is a routine that you can do at home in just 30 minutes. Do two or three sets of each exercise in a cycle until the 30 minutes is up.

If possible take two weights that you are comfortable holding and hold one in each hand. You should use these for steps 1,2,3 and 5:

Delicious Lentil Salad

Ingredients:

1 cup brown lentils
1 cup carrots, diced
1 cup red onions, diced
2 large cloves of garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
½ tsp dried thyme
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
½ cup celery stalks, diced
¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper, freshly ground

Directions:

Put the lentils, carrots, onion, garlic, bay leaf and thyme in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring mixture to a quick boil, lower heat and simmer uncovered for about 15 – 20 minutes or until the lentils are cooked (don’t let them get mushy). Remove the bay leaf and after draining the lentil mixture, combine with lemon juice, celery and parsley. Season with salt and pepper and mix gently. Enjoy with fresh crusty bread!

Don’t Get Stuck in a Weight Loss Cycle

You diet, drop a few pounds and then put it back on again. Consequently you do the same thing over and over again and it just gets frustrating. Sound familiar? Well it’s time to break out of the cycle and learn how to lose weight effectively- without a fancy diet.

Here are some rules that can help weight loss:

Italian Broccoli Frittata

Ingredients:
1 bunch of broccoli, cut in 3/4ins pieces including stems
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup onions, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 eggs, lightly beaten
½ cup grated cheese (which ever you prefer)
1 tsp salt
Pinch of nutmeg
Pinch of ground pepper

Directions:
1. Steam broccoli pieces for a few minutes until slightly cooked, but still crisp. Drain.

2. Use a 10inch skillet and heat the oil over medium heat, add the onion and garlic and stir until the onion is tender. Add the broccoli pieces.