7 Easy Breakfast Ideas

Here is another idea how to start your day right. I do believe that eating breakfast is the way to make you successful in your day activities. Why? Because I can think well and I am not moody at all. Coffee makes me awake but would never feed the rest of my system. So hubby and I always have breakfast before we start our work.

So here is what I gather from my source. I just want to share this to all who may like the idea of breaking the fast before anything else.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Even if your morning schedule is packed, you can still have a healthy breakfast and get out the door on time. Get off to a good start with these quick and easy options:

1. Blend fruit and yogurt for a smoothie - you can even drink it on the go. Using frozen mixed berries or other fruit from your freezer can save prep time.

2. Grab a high-protein boiled egg and a slice of fruit. Did you know that three to four eggs per week can be part of a heart-healthy diet?

3. Toast whole-wheat bread and top with peanut butter or hummus. pair it with an apple. (An apple a day drives the doctor away.)

4. Bake high-fiber muffins and freeze some for later. Eat with yogurt and a banana.

5. Try a breakfast wrap: leftover baked turkey or chicken with low-fat cheese rolled inside a whole wheat tortilla. Or try freshly cut or canned fruit and low-fat cream cheese. Add vegetable juice for a balanced meal.

6. Make a quick-broil mini pizza with whole-wheat English muffins, sliced tomatoes or tomato sauce, low-fat cheese, and lean ham or chicken sausage. Finish with a glass of orange juice.

7. Top high-fiber cereal or waffle with blueberries, yogurt and sliced almonds.

Make it happen. Plan in advance. Stock up on ingredients and cook on the weekend so you can have a nutritious beginning every weekday morning.

Source: TopHealth - The Health Promotion and Wellness Newsletter, January 2009

Lemon Cake

This is the cake I made the other day which I got from the Biggest Book of Diabetic Recipes. This is supposed to have fresh rosemary but hubby and I decided to omit it. He said that he did not want an herb in his cake.

Here is the list of what you will need:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour

• 1 tsp no salt baking powder (Hain Pure Foods)

• 1/4 tsp no salt baking soda (from Ener-G Foods Inc.)

• 1/8 tsp sodium-free salt alternative

• 1/2 granulated sugar

• 2 egg yolks and 2 egg whites

• 3 tbsp canola oil

• 1/3 cup low-fat yogurt

• 2 tsp finely shredded lemon peel

• Lemon Glaze

Here is how to do it:

1. Lightly coat an 8x1.5 inch round cake pan with non stick cooking spray; set aside. In a small bowl stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

2. In a large mixing bowl combine granulated sugar, egg yolks and oil; beat with an electric mixer on high speed for 2 minutes. Add yogurt and lemon peel. Beat until combined. Add flour mixture and beat just until combined.

3. In a medium mixing bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Stir one-third of the stiffly beaten egg whites into batter to lighten. Pour in remaining egg whites.

4. Spread in prepared pan and bake in a 350º oven for 25 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touch.

5. Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Use tines of a fork to pierce cake. Slowly drizzle Lemon Glaze over cake. Cool completely. Remove from pan and turn cake top side up. If desired, top individual servings with strawberries and garnish with lemon pieces. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Lemon Glaze: In a small bowl stir together 3 tbsp lemon juice and 2 tbsp sifted powdered sugar.

This is so good with tea in the evening.

Cream of Broccoli Soup With Carrots

Broccoli is one of the most healthful and most nutritious vegetables available in the market.
From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Ira Dreyfuss cited that broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables, such as radish and cauliflower, may be crucial to boosting the immune system as we age.

She further said that research suggests the chemical sulforaphane can activate antioxidants to help restore an aging immune system, which weakens because of free radicals that damage cells.

Hubby always buys this veggie at the farmers' market. So in my hope to get rid of all the broccoli in my two vegetable containers in my refrigerator, I decided to make the Cream of Broccoli Soup. I found this recipe in the box of Carnation milk at the store. But I added a little touch of my kitchen ingenuity to make the presentation more colorful.

Here is the list of things that you will need in case you want to try my recipe:

* 3 cans (14.5 oz each) reduced fat chicken or vegetable broth
* 9 cups broccoli florets
* 1 small onion coarsely chopped
* 1 1/3 cups dry Carnation Instant Nonfat Dry Milk
* 3 cloves garlic, minced
* 1/2 cup carrots, cut in very tiny cubes
* 1/2 cup water
* 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
* 1/4 tsp salt (optional)
* 3 bay leaves
* 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
* 3 tbsp + 1 tbsp olive oil

Here is how to do it:
* In a non-stick pan, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil.
* Brown garlic then add onions. Stir until transparent.
* Add broth and bring to a boil.
* Add broccoli and cover the pan.
Bring to a boil again for about 5 to 7 minutes.
* Remove from heat and cool slightly.
* Smooth the vegetable-broth mixture in the food processor.
Blend until desired consistency.
* Return the processed mixture to the pan.
* Combine milk, water, flour, salt (if needed)
and black pepper in medium bowl. Mix well.
* Stir the mixture into soup and throw in the carrots
and bay leaves.
* Bring it to a boil or until carrots are done.
* Serve with your favorite crackers or bread.
* Have a Happy Meal!

How To Slow Down

This is another piece of information that I got from a newsletter. I just want to share this and who knows this might be of help to many. Much as I don't want to corrupt the message, I try to copy the article word for word from my source.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

With the pace of life only getting faster, it's more important than ever to step on the brakes now and then. That's because constant busyness can keep your stress hormone levels high, leading to health problems down the road.

Try these tips to help you relax:

Take 20: Make it a rule to take at least 20 minutes for you every day. Clse your eyes, go for a walk, breathe deeply, soak your feet - give your body and mind this time to de-stress.

Cut Back On Time Wasters: Divide all your daily activities, from eating breakfast to watching TV, into three lists: "Must Do," "Should Do," and "Could Do." Note how many could-dos fill up your time, and try limiting or bundling those activities. You'll reduce that frenzied feeling, guaranteed. Note: Taking time to relax is a must-do.

Leave Space In Your Schedule: Don't jam-pack your days and evenings with obligations. Try leaving at least one evening a week open, and reserve some weekend "slowdown" time just for you. If your kids' schedules make this difficult, see about carpooling arrangement with friends.

Break The Screen Addiction: The internet and e-mail are useful tools but can soak up alot of your spare time. Try setting an alarm next to your screen to signal when you've gone past a certain amount of time, or program your computer to beep every 15 minutes.

Try at least one of these tips today. You can break the cycle of feeling overwhelmed.

Source: TopHealth: The Health Promotion and Wellness Newsletter

Zesty Pasta Recipe

The other week, my hubby told me that I did not make the pasta that he likes anymore. It was a good idea though because I still have a lot of ground turkey meat in my freezer. At least I could make room for the lumpias that I plan to make any time soon. So I decided to make the zesty recipe before the week ended.

This recipe is easy to make especially if one is in real hurry. Besides, this is a very healthy one compared to the refrigerated ready lunch pack from any store.

If you want to try, here is the list of what you will need:

* 2 cups Dreamfields pasta
* 26 oz Organic Marinara Sauce (No Salt) from Trader Joe's
* 1.3 lb of lean ground Turkey meat
* 1 medium onion bulb, chopped
* 8 cloves fresh garlic, minced
* 1 bunch of cilantro
* 2 cups of mushrooms, cut lengthwise
* 1 cup julienne sliced Sun Dried tomatoes in olive oil
* 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp extra virgin oil
* salt to taste (optional)

Here is how to do it:
* Cook pasta according to cooking directions then set aside.
* Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a non-stick pan big enough to hold all the ingredients. Then add garlic until you smell the aroma.
* Add onions and stir until transparent.
* Stir in the turkey meat and cover for 3 minutes.
* Make sure the meat is already brown before adding the mushrooms.
Stir thoroughly to break the meat apart.
* Cover for another 3 minutes.
* Then stir in fresh cilantro and the marinara sauce.
Bring it to a boil and stir occasionally.
* Check if the meat is cooked before adding the pasta.
Then stir in sun dried tomatoes.
* Add salt if you need it. Do not cover. Let it stay for another minute or two.
* When it is done, pour 1/4 cup olive oil and mix it before serving.

Yummy! Hubby loves this plate!

7 Ways to Control Cholesterol

Note: I just read this article in TopHealth Newsletter distributed in our parish. I think this is very much helpful to those who want to stay healthyI copied all details of the article to make sure the idea is not distorted.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - -- - - - - -- - - - - - - -- - - -- -
Your body needs cholesterol, a soft, waxy substance essential to cell and hormone formation and other biochemical processes. But too much cholesterol can lead to heart disease.

Here's the smart approach to keeping it under control:

1. Read food labels. Choose foods that are low in saturated fats, trans fats (a type of saturated fat often found in processed foods), and cholesterol. Good news: Food manufacturers are now required to list trans fat amounts, and many are taking measures to eliminate trans fats altogether.

2. Know your numbers. Get a fasting lipoprotein profile to find out what your total cholesterol, LDL (bad) cholesterol, HDL (good) cholesterol, and triglyceride numbers are. Talk to your health care provider about any numbers outside the healthy range and what actions you should take.

3. Choose the right stuff. Eat mostly plant-based foods--only animal foods contain cholesterol--and other cholesterol-free foods. Use healthy oils such as olive or canola oil for cooking; they may lower LDL and raise HDL levels. Eat more fish and opt for lean cuts of meat and poultry.

4. Maintain a healthy weight. People who are overweight or obese have a greater risk of developing high cholesterol.

5. Limit the wrong stuff.Cut back on fatty red meats, butter, cream, whole milk, and cheeses. Go easy on packaged baked goods such as cookies, crackers, and cakes. They're the most likely foods to contain trans fats.

6. Stay physically active. Exercise can raise healthy HDL and lower unhealthy LDL cholesterol levels.

7. Don't smoke. If you do smoke, talk to your health care provider about ways to quit.

Taken from "Top Health: The Health Promotion and Wellness Newsletter" - September 2007.

Split Pea Soup With Squash

I just found this picture in my folder. This soup was really good and is very healthy. I made this with 2 cups of split peas, 1 cup of yellow squash, garlic, onions, olive oil, 1 small carrot cut in dice just to give color.

This recipe is very simple and quick. I just sauteed garlic and onions in olive oil then added the peas. I stirred it then add 2 cups of water and let it boil for 30 minutes. Then I put it in the processor to smooth it. I put it back in the pan and added the desired amount of water. When the water started boiling, I threw in the carrots and cooked until the carrots were cooked. When it was done, I just added cilantro and stirred it. That green leaves complemented the yellow color of the soup. Very flavorful that's what my hubby said. There was no salt as we are always trying to omit it slowly in our diet. This soup is better served with crackers or any of your favorite bread but I prefer french bread.