WHAT I ATE!

2010-08-11T11:30:00.000-07:00

Ok, today is the first day of ramadan.
I weigh myself at noon this morning I am 176.8!
I have a goal of 10 lbs lost this ramadan. I don't think it will be too hard. I just hope I don't overeat like I usually do. The last few ramadans I didn't lose any weight. I will try to update you in a week to see if there is any weightloss. I will attempt to work out in the evenings, tho im not sure if I will get to it.

2010-08-03T19:32:00.000-07:00

So Ramadan is right around the corner. I figured to boost my weight loss, I would start the low glycemic index diet a few days back. I forgot Ramadan is right around the corner. So for the next week I will 1200 calories or under to start the weight loss program. I am hoping this Ramadan will be a great weight loss one. In the past I have had some Ramadans, where I have lost up to 10 lbs, not recently though. Since Ramadan last year I was 10 lbs heavier. I had managed to gain 10 lbs over 1 year, after losing 20 lbs.

Lets see what happens.
I weight myself this morning, I was 179. I will keep you updated!

Todays meal

2010-08-03T09:31:00.000-07:00

Breakfast:
2 servings of egg substitute 60 calories
1 serving whole wheat bread 90 calories
1 serving cheese 60 calories
1/2 tablespoon butter 50 calories

260 calories for breakfast
( I shouldn't have used the butter but the eggs didn't have any flavor. I used a little salt and am not sure if that adds to the calories as well as black pepper. I might have been able to go without the cheese making it a 200 calorie meal.)

snack:
13 almonds 170 calories

Lunch:
1/2 a Cinnamon raisin bagel 77 calories
with 1 tablespoon cream cheese 45 calories

Snack:
strawberries 18 calories (8 pieces small)
strawberry jello sugar free 10 calories

Dinner:
tomato basil soup 100 calories
salad (4 baby tomatoes, a small amount red pepper, 1 whole mushroom, 1/4 cup roman lettuce, 3 piece baby carrots) maybe 100 calories
less then 1 serving of zesty Italian dressing 60 calories
vinegar for added taste

snack:
pomegranate green tea 0 calories
with honey 120 calories

total calories 932

06/11/10

2010-06-12T12:22:00.001-07:00

yesterday I ate:

breakfast:
nothing

Lunch:
lamb kabob (1 serving)
afghani rice (1 serving)
salad with their homemade ranch dressing (1 serving)
bread ( a large piece)
lots of extra homemade ranch dressing :-/ it is soooooooooo good
water

Dinner:
broccoli with thousand island dressing
grapes
water

2010-06-09T11:14:00.000-07:00

Breakfast:
strawberry banana yogurt
vanilla almond gronola

Lunch:
2- triple burger things from McDonald,
I felt horrible after eating them but I didn't want to throw them away
(3 pieces of meat felt like 1 burger patty)
8 oz bold and spicy bloody Mary mix

Dinner:
2 hot dog 1 with square wheat bread
beans

drinks:
water
another 8 oz bold and spicy bloody Mary mix
8 oz Arizona ice tea

what I ate 06/08/10

2010-06-09T11:11:00.000-07:00

what I ate yesterday:

breakfast:
nothing

Lunch:
chicken cheesesteak
french fries with vinegar and ketchup
water

Dinner:
salmon (tasted like jerky to me)
baked sweet potato with butter and brown sugar

snacks:
smore
yo plait key lime pie yogurt with vanilla and almond gronola

2010-05-20T20:02:00.000-07:00

Cheating a little but still going strong with the special k diet. So far I have lost 5 lbs :-D. I probably won't lose anything by tomorrow due to the cheating I did today. I think this diet was good in it prevented me from constant unnecessary snacking, however I think I needed the diet to stop me. I don't think I am strong enough to stop without a reason.

I need to fit in a dress for my cousins wedding july 17. So I will try to remain on this diet so I can fit the dress. The dress was 1 size too small. Lets see what happens.

2010-05-14T13:14:00.001-07:00

Here I am day 2 of the diet. I am not hungry and am barely eating, but I think it has nothing to do with the diet. I think it other things.

Yesterday I ate
strawberry banana smooth with skim milk and low fat vanilla bean ice cream

At lunch time,
I drank bloody Mary mix with a slice of lime

dinner:
I ate Italian pasta with imitation crab meat
tropical fruit punch ( 9 oz)

Other stuff:
drank water and pomegranate green tea with honey

So I think I am way below calories and i guess it can still be considered the special k diet.

I am allowed to drink whatever I want, which I did. I replaced the breakfast with the smoothly and I'm allowed to eat whatever I want for dinner.

special k diet

2010-05-13T12:41:00.000-07:00

So today I started the special K diet. I have been keeping track of what I eat just not on the blog, I was keeping track with my cousins. Well she bailed, that doesn't matter tho.

I found the special k diet from a commerical and I decided to try it. I do believe this is just a scam to sell there products only, so I am going to slightly modify I go along.

Basically they want u to eat a breakfast of either cereal with skim milk or cereal bar with milk. I usually eat cereal so that won't be too difficult. I have never tasted their cereals so we will see how that goes.

For either lunch or dinner you will replace 1 with a meal replacement drink or bars. I bought a ton of cereal bars, so that will have to work for one of the meals. I might reconsider and buy the protein bars, we'll see.

For the other major meal you can eat whatever you want. I am excited about that, because I think that should make it easier to stick with. I only cook dinner for my husband so I want to be able to eat dinner with him.

The other 2 snacks of the day should be should be cereal bar, special k drink options, etc.

Today, I started the day later then normal so I decided instead of the protein shake or bar, I would just make a smoothy. I put fresh bananas, strawberries, skim milk and vanilla ice cream.

I have weight myself today and I am going to measure my waist. It says in 2 weeks u will lose 1 inch off your waist or 6 lbs.

what i ate 04/21/10

2010-04-21T10:01:00.000-07:00

Ok,
Yesterday I ate:

Breakfast:
honey nut cheerios with 2% milk

Lunch:
2 hebrew national hotdogs with ketchup and mustard, no bread
1 can of corn with 1 tblspn butter and a tiny bit of salt
cranapple juice
1 - kit kat bar packets (the small packets not the full size packets)

Dinner:
I went to red lobster and got the festival of shrimp deal
I ordered the walts favorite shrimp(breaded shrimp)
The seafood stuffed shrimp I threw away half the stuffing (it was bad lol)
and cajun shrimp with wild pilaf rice.

Tons of water

also :-(
I ate 3 chedder biscuits
salad with ranch dressing no crutons

2010-04-14T17:36:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I ate :

Breakfast:
Honey nut cherios with milk

Lunch:
2 bananas
1/2 a slice of vanilla bean cheesecake

Dinner:
Salad (lettuce, spinach, brocoli, turkey, chicken, imitation crab, green peppers, mushroom, etc)
creamy ceaser dressing

Snack:
key lime pie yoplait yogurt cup

2010-04-13T17:33:00.000-07:00

So I have been looking into this 30 day shred, it doesn't say you have to do it everyday for 30 days. It just says after 30 days you should be x lbs lighter. So, yesterday I didn't do the 30 day shred nor did I on Sunday. Today however I did my self defense class, which is going to replace my workouts on Tuesday until I finnish the class.

and the measurements are in!

2010-04-10T11:40:00.000-07:00

So I looked up the last time I weighed what I weigh now, it was Mid-june of 2009 :-(
I also got my husband to measure me so that I can see how well the 30 day shred works.
Here are my measurements at day 1 of the 30 day shred:
Right Arm (6 inches from the shoulder): 14 in
Chest: 41 1/2 in
Waist: 37 in
Abdominals 43 1/2 in
Hips: 46 in
Right thigh: 28 1/2 in
Calf: 14 2/8 in

digusting!! Oh well. Before starting the shred, My left arm hurts, I am feeling super lazy and fat. I know after today I will be hurting a lot but lets see what happened. My sister in law was telling me about a body builder she knows who works out no matter how much pain she is in. She could have a sprained ankle and will still workout. I am not going to take it to that extreme however I will try to workout no matter how sore I get from this workout. In the past when I tried the 30 day shred, I would workout for a few days and then quit because I could handle the pain. I was attempting a break for a few days that just turned into failure. I will for sure remeasure at the end of 30 days and maybe once in the middle to see the progress.

Sadly my weight today is 182. I don't want to share this number but maybe it will encourage me if more people know how fat I am. My goal weight is 145 which was my weight when my husband met me.

Here we go.

2010-04-10T11:03:00.000-07:00

ok, here is the 100th attempt at trying to keep this blog going. Now that the other blog is done, lets see if I can keep up with this one.

Today, I am going to start the 30 day shred, again. I was watching the videos on youtube but they no longer are on there. I went to walmart a few days ago and found it for $9.00, so I purchased it.

Although I was doing good at maintaining my weight that is no longer the case. For the past month my sister in law has been staying with us, and we both let ourselves go. We both ate a lot of things we normally wouldn't eat and as a result, I gained 8 lbs :-(. I am saddened by the way I look, but even more by the number on the scale. I believe it has been over a year since I have seen the number and I really can't go up any more then I have.

I will report back tomorrow with how the workout was as well as what I ate today. I KNOW I ate so much yesterday that I am just too embarassed to write it down.

What I ate 02/22/10

2010-02-22T16:36:00.000-08:00

breakfast:
nothing

Lunch:
some green olives
creamy tomato soup from campbells

Dinner:
a fist full of tortelloni's stuffed ricotta cheese and spinach with melted butter, salt and pepper

Snack:
a little bit of dry roasted peanuts
a handful of utz ripple plain chips

drinks:
2 cups of water

What I ate 01/08/10

2010-01-09T16:24:00.000-08:00

What I ate 01/08/10

Breakfast:
Cherios with oats and 2 percent milk

Lunch:
Nothing

Dinner:
4 bbq wings
2 slices of pepperoni pizza

Dessert:
a thin slice of yellow cake with frosting, tho I didn't eat most of the frosting
cookies and cream ice cream

snack:
Handful of sour cream and onion ripple chips

Drink:
8 glasseswater
1 bottle mistic carrot fruit juice

Bad day overall, ate too much. From yesterday to today there is a weight gain of 1.2 lbs.

what I ate 01/07/10

2010-01-08T16:19:00.000-08:00

What I ate Yesterday 01/07/10

Breakfast:
cereal

Lunch:
Nothing

Dinner:
lamb kobab, homemade bread, cooked lentils, and salad with cutney or however you spell it

Snack:
popcorn salted and buttered to perfection

Drinks:
16 oz cranberry juice
8- glasses of water
8 oz of hot chocolate

Overall good day, weight loss of 1 lb

What I ate 01/06/10

2010-01-07T16:22:00.000-08:00

What I ate 01/06/10

Breakfast:
none

Lunch:
Eggs with melted feta cheese

Dinner:
Popcorn buttered and salted to my liking

Drinks:
cranberry jice
water

my feelings on what I ate yesterday

2010-01-05T08:55:00.000-08:00

So yesterday was a horrible day as far as my eating. I didn't really want to go out but my friend really did so I went with her. I didn't need the cheesecake but I rarely eat cheesecake anymore so I took advantage. It was an amazing slice of cheesecake!! I am not sure why but all I ever want to eat is hash browns these day. I had bought a packet of the hash browns, the ones that look like mcdonald's hash browns, and when I feel like them I bake them, no oil or anything.

I had plans to do a lot of crazy things yesterday but I was stuck at home waiting on the phone for the unemployment agency to answer my call - but nothing happened. I have been calling for 2 weeks with no luck. Yesterday I was on hold for 4 hours and my phone hung up at that point. Oh well here I am yet again on hold, thus far I have been on hold for 1 hour. Lets see if I get lucky today and someone answers me. I don't like to sit around the house, but I am limited to what I do because I am glued to my computer waiting for them to answer the phone. It is sad, because I can't take care of this online.

What I ate 01/04/2010

2010-01-05T08:46:00.000-08:00

What I ate 01/04/2010

Breakfast:
nothing

Lunch:
2 hash browns with ketchup

Dinner:
P.F. Changs beef and brocoli and white rice
with chicken lettuce wrap

Dessert:
Dulce de Leche Caramel cheesecake from the cheesecake factory

Drinks:
8 glasses of water

What I ate 01/03/2010

2010-01-04T14:25:00.000-08:00

Yesterday Sunday 01/03/2010

Breakfast:
nothing

Lunch:
2 slices of cheese pizza

Dinner:
steak and cheese sub 8"
with sauteed mushroom and onions
white american cheese, ketchup and mayo
Hash brown

Drinks:
8 oz sparkling cider
8 oz hot chocolate
4 glasses of water

What I ate 01/02/2010

2010-01-03T14:26:00.000-08:00

Yesterday 01/02/2010

Breakfast:
Steak, egg, and cheese bagel from McDonalds

Lunch:
Mansaf with rice and peas and carrots

Dinner:
Salad with Ranch dressing
Cheese fries
1/2 victorian filet
2 mini lobster tails

Dessert:
a few bites from my friends cheesecake
5 meltaway kisses

Drinks:
8 oz apple juice
8 glasses of water

What I ate 01/01/2010

2010-01-02T14:29:00.000-08:00

Breakfast:
nothing

Lunch:
4 in turkey sandwich with tomato, mayo, onion on white bread

Dinner:
mansaf with rice peas and carrots

snack:
bugals

Happy New Years

2010-01-01T10:35:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!

As I am sure most people do, I make a new years resolution every year to lose weight. In 2009 I made that resolution, the results, I am 15 lbs light in 2010. This year I have chose to make the same resolution. I plan to lose 15 lbs this year. The efforts I am making this year to lose weight is the following. In the past eat less or rather focusing on a 1500 calorie intake has proven successful.

The second new years resolution is to up keep this blog. I lost the weight in the first 6 months of the year and spent the 2nd half of the year maintain the weight. I did better when I was tracking my weight, my food and maintaing this blog. This blog is a motivator and reminder of where I want to be. I plan to help myself and my readers by maintain this blog. Inas, one of the readers loves to see pictures of the food, though I know I can't do it daily, I will try to post pics once a week.

Well thats all for now!

2009-08-31T20:08:00.000-07:00

I know I haven't been paying attention to my blog like I should. I am currently fasting because it is ramadan. I am eating 1 maybe 2 times a day. I am excited to say since I started this blog I lost 15.6 lbs. I am excited that the weight is coming off, it is pretty slow, and I haven't stopped eating or really started excerising as much as I should, but none the less the weight is coming off. I will try to keep you guys updated on how I continue to lose weight :-D

day 2- 30 day shred

2009-06-12T06:47:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I did day 2 of the 30 day shred. I felt like I was going to die. A lot of my msucle hurt from the previous day, but I am going to follow the plan to see how it goes. I really want to know if this is worth sticking with or not. I am hoping to get a chance to do day 3 today but am not sure how today or the rest of the weekend will go. But If I can lose 20 lbs in 30 days, I will accept it and try my hardest to finish the program. I am sore today, and not sure if my body will hold up for day 3. My arms and legs were shaking after the workout. I also had to stop during push ups because my arms couldn't take anymore!

30 DAY SHRED REVIEW

2009-06-11T07:44:00.000-07:00

So my review on the 30 days shred.
Yesterday I did the 30 day shred. I have tried it once before and it really kicks your butt. I really plan to stick with this for 30 days. Life happens, so we will see if that will come true.

The 30 day shred is 20 minutes of a combination of cardio, abs, and strength. It says that if you follow this program you can lose up to 20 lbs in 30 days. It is really tempting. I worked out yesterday and ate around 1200 calories, which I think is ok and I have lost a lbs. I think within the next few days I will see if this is water weight or in fact real weight loss.

My arms are a little sore, my hurts a little. When I first finished the workout my arms and legs were shaking. When you are doing the workout, if you aren't fit or just have no upper body strength like me, you feel like you can't take it anymore. I was so happy to be done yesterday and looking back, feel like a wimp that I gave in a few times and stopped working out.

It made me think as I was doing the workout, once I lose the weight I am going to do everything in my power to keep it off. I think Jillian is a good motivator, and is pretty accurate when she counts down. I hate working out when a person says 3 more, then 10 reps later, they are like ok 3 more. WTH?

I recommend trying this. I am going to keep updating you on results. Part one is to be done for 10 days. Every lb I lose, you will know, when I switch to 2nd or 3rd level, you will know. Please, if you try this, let me know your opinion or any success you have. I love hearing positive stories.

Lose Weight by Increasing Intake of Complete Proteins

2009-06-10T07:36:00.000-07:00

Lose Weight by Increasing Intake of Complete Proteins
Thursday, April 02 2009 - by SoundHealth Read more articles at HealthyMuslim.Com

The following research paper outlines the benefits of a high-protein weight loss diet over a low-protein diet.

Abstract

Purpose of review: High-protein diets, often with carbohydrate restriction, are quite popular among overweight Americans pursuing strategies for weight control. Recently, well designed clinical trials have evaluated the anthropometric and metabolic effects of these diets. This review focuses on the impact of high-protein diets on energy expenditure and satiety; the diets' effects on weight loss, body composition, cardiovascular risk, and glycemic control; and potential detrimental consequences of high-protein intake.

Recent findings: Current evidence indicates that protein-induced energy expenditure and satiety contribute to weight control. Randomized, controlled trials continue to show comparable, if not superior, effects of high-protein diets compared with lower protein diets on weight loss, preservation of lean body mass, and improvement in several cardiovascular risk factors for up to 12 months. Evidence that chronic high-protein intake affects glucose metabolism is inconclusive at present. Further study of the long-term safety of diets with varying amounts of protein is warranted.

Summary: On the basis of patients' metabolic profiles and preferences, practitioners can recommend individualized, nutrient-rich diets within current nutritional guidelines for weight control. Diets moderately increased in protein and modestly restricted in carbohydrate and fat, particularly saturated fat, may have beneficial effects on body weight, body composition, and associated metabolic parameters. Key issues must be resolved regarding the long-term compliance and safety of chronic high-protein intake.

Brehm BJ, D'Alessio DA, Benefits of high-protein weight loss diets: enough evidence for practice? Current Opinion in Endocrinology, diabetes and Obesity: October 2008 - Volume 15 - Issue 5 - p 416-421

This research study concludes that diets slightly higher in protein, compared to carbohydrate and fat intake, are beneficial for body weight and for a leaner body composition. Researchers found that protein induced and promoted energy expenditure and promoted feelings of fullness and satisfaction that contributed to weight control. Another recent study also found that increasing protein intake resulted in sustained weight loss, and helped to maintain a healthy weight [1].

Protein is the single most important nutrient that influences metabolic rate and weight loss. Every cell in the human body contains protein. It is a major component of skin, muscles, organs, and glands, and helps to improve immunity, antioxidant function, the production of enzymes, and enhances insulin function. Complete proteins are especially important because they form the structure and integrity of every part of the body.

Meat is the not the only source of high quality, complete protein

Meat and dairy products including poultry,eggs and fish all contain complete sources of protein, i.e. all essential amino acids that the body needs. However complete proteins can also be obtained from a vegetarian diet.

The amino acids found in vegetables are just as high quality as the amino acids found in animals products and can be used just as effectively by the human body. Most protein from vegetables usually contain most of the nine essential amino acids, but one or two of them may be at low levels compared to the protein in animal foods. There are a handful of vegetarian sources that offer complete protein and can stand alone as the main protein source in any meal. These include:

* Quinoa
* Buckwheat
* Hemp seed

Foods that offer high levels of incomplete protein include beans, peas, nuts, seeds, and many grains. beans, lentils, and peas can be easily combined with brown rice or corn to create a delicious complete protein dish.

If you are trying to lose weight, go easy on high carbohydrate foods that are easily broken down in the body and can leave you feeling hungry again quickly, like pasta, potatoes, rice and bread. Eat foods that are good sources of protein and that provide a feeling a satiety, especially complete proteins, as often as possible.

References

[1] Weigle et al A high-protein diet induces sustained reductions in appetite, ad libitum caloric intake, and body weight despite compensatory changes in diurnal plasma leptin and ghrelin concentrations. Am J Clin Nutr 2005, pages 41-8.

Related Articles:

* Lose Weight by Increasing Intake of Complete Proteins
http://www.healthymuslim.com/?lqkhy
* Food Combining For Optimum Nutrition: Food Categories
http://www.healthymuslim.com/?ttlmv
* Nutrients and Superfoods for Healthy Skin
http://www.healthymuslim.com/?teyfk
* Food Combining for Optimum Nutrition: The Basics
http://www.healthymuslim.com/?jcchy
* Why We Need Protein in our Diets
http://www.healthymuslim.com/?cuyvb
* High Fibre Diet Supports Weight Loss
http://www.healthymuslim.com/?yhzpl

30 day shred

2009-06-09T07:35:00.000-07:00

So after the past 2 writing in a journal everything I ate, I realized I eat too much calories. By too much, I mean like 2000ish calories a day. I need to bring my intake back down. I lose weigh when I am around 1000 calories plus exercise. I do believe I have a slow metabolism which doesn't work to my advantage. Today I decided I am going to try the 30 day shred by Jillian Michaels. I have tried it once before, and it is a 20 minute kick ass workout!

I couldn't bring myself to purchase it until I try it out for 30 days. I would like to make sure this is going to work, I hate buying dvd's then adding them to my collection of dvd's that just collect dust. I will report back how I feel starting tomorrow. I do know I was sore for 4 days last time I tried it.

Cranberries are Great Immunity Boosters

2009-06-09T07:34:00.001-07:00

Cranberries are Great Immunity Boosters
Monday, June 08 2009 - by SoundHealth Read more articles at HealthyMuslim.Com

Cranberries are tiny, but tasty infection-fighting fruits packed with antioxidant Vitamin C and natural anti-bacterial properties and have been proven to prevent and treat common infections of the immune, digestive and urinary system.

The cranberry is a glossy, bright red, tart-tasting berry and is closely related to the blueberry. Like blueberries, cranberries can be found growing as wild shrubs, but are also grown to be cultivated.

Cranberries are rich in fiber and are an excellent source of Vitamin C and phytonutrients, such as flavonoids and proanthocyanidins (PAC).They contain more phenolic antioxidants than nineteen of the most popular consumed fruits according to a study published in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry.

Health Benefits

Numerous studies have established the role of cranberries in fighting urinary tract infections (UTIs) such as cystitis. According to one scientific advisor, cranberries are not only nutritious but have unique antiadhesion and antibacterial properties not found in other fruit:

"There have been multiple clinical studies done using cranberry juice and it turns out that cranberry has unique antiadhesion properties that prevent certain harmful bacteria from sticking to cells in our body. This newer concept of antiadhesion is not just limited to UTIs (urinary tract infections) but potentially other harmful bacteria as well, including those responsible for stomach ulcers and gum disease."

cancer

Multiple studies have found that flavonoid compounds including anthocyanins, flavonols, and proanthocyanidins, found naturally in cranberries, are able to fight leukemia, breast, lung, colon and potentially many other types of cancer.

Digestive Health

Cranberry juice has been shown to inhibit bacteria associated with peptic ulcers, H. pylori. Though most ulcers are not life-threatening, H. pylori bacteria has been associated with stomach cancer, acid reflux disease and gastritis. Cranberries' properties have also been shown to help reduce diarrhea.

Periodontal Disease

In a study that appeared in the Journal of the American Dental Association, a component of cranberry juice was demonstrated to have the ability to stop bacteria from adhering to teeth and gums, thus reducing plaque and periodontal disease.

Tips on Using Cranberries

* Many commercially available cranberry juices contain low levels of cranberry juice and high amounts of much sugar or artificial sweeteners, therefore read the labels carefully, or opt for pure organic juices.

* Fresh, then dried cranberries retain the most antioxidants; bottled cranberry drinks and cranberry cocktails with added sugars or sweeteners contain the least.

References

* Turner A. Inhibition of uropathogenic Escherichia coli by cranberry juice: a new antiadherence assay. J Agric Food Chem. 2005 Nov 16;53(23):8940-7.

* Antioxidant and antiproliferative activities of common fruits. J Agric Food Chem. 2002 Dec 4;50(25):7449-54.

* Yan X, Murphy BT,Hammond GB, Vinson JA,Neto CC. Antioxidant activities and antitumor screening of extracts from cranberry fruit (Vaccinium macrocarpon). J Agric Food Chem. 2002 Oct 9;50(21):5844-9.

* Zhang L. Efficacy of cranberry juice on Helicobacter pylori infection: a double-blind, randomized placebocontrolled trial. Helicobacter. 2005 Apr;10(2):139-45.

* Weiss EI et al. Inhibiting interspecies coaggregation of plaque bacteria with a cranberry juice constituent [published erratam appear in J Am Dent Assoc 1999 Jan;130(1):36 and 1999 Mar;130(3):332] J Am Dent Assoc. 1998 Dec;129(12):1719-23.

* Labrecque J, Bodet C, Chandad F, Grenier D. Effects of a high-molecular-weight cranberry fraction on growth, biofilm formation and adherence of Porphyromonas gingivalis. J Antimicrob Chemother. 2006 Aug;58(2):439-43.

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* Cranberries are Great Immunity Boosters
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* Organic Dried Fruit: A Healthy Nutritious Snack
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what I ate 06/04/09

2009-06-05T10:16:00.000-07:00

breakfast:
nothing

Lunch:
smoked turkey sandwich on toasted wheat bread with mayo and tomato
No cheese

Dinner:
A fist full of pasta with a little homemade marinara sauce
a small bowl on lentil soup made w/ carrots and potatoes

snack:
small mint mocha chip cappuccino from Starbucks because of my crazy cravings and extreme pain. It did make me feel better.

Honey for Fighting Colds, Viruses and Skin Infections

2009-06-05T07:32:00.000-07:00

Honey for Fighting Colds, Viruses and Skin Infections
Monday, May 18 2009 - by SoundHealth

Read more articles at HealthyMuslim.Com

Honey (natural and unprocessed) is an excellent natural remedy for a variety of ailments. This article outlines the findings of studies that have found honey to be a remedy for treating viruses like the common cold, and skin conditions like psoriasis, eczema and cold sores.

Honey Shortens the Duration of a Cold

A new study has found that eating honey reduces the duration of the common cold; more specifically, eating two ounces of honey a day reduces the length of the common cold by up two days.

The researchers, from Jahrom University of Medical Science in Iran recruited men and women within 24 hours of catching a cold.

All 60 patients were given traditional therapies - such as decongestants and anti-pyretics (drugs to lower a temperature) - but half of them were also given a dose of honey - two ounces (around four tablespoons) - every day.

Researchers monitored a range of symptoms including a runny nose, muscle pain, fever, coughing and sneezing. They did not know who had been given the honey.

At the end of the study, which was reported in the Archives of Medical Research, the researchers found a significant difference in duration of all symptoms, with the honey group faring much better. It's thought that this is due to compounds in honey such as phenolic acid and flavonoids.

Research paper details:

Pourahmad M, Sobhanian S. Effect of honey on the common cold. Archives of Medical Research Vol 40, Issue 3, April 2009, Pages 224-225

Honey Fights Viruses and skin Infections

This is not the first stdy to find honey to be effective against viruses. In recent trials at the Dubai Medical Centre, Dr Noori Al-Waili has researched and published many papers on using honey as a natural healer, to treat skin conditions including seborrheic dermatitis, psoriasis, fungal infections, and the herpes virus.

Honey Relieves dandruff and Its Causes

A paper published in 2001 looked at seborrheic dermatitis. This is a common inflammatory skin condition that causes flaky scales that form on oily areas such as the scalp, and is a common cause of dandruff.

Research paper details:

Al-Waili NS. Therapeutic and prophylactic effects of crude honey on chronic seborrheic dermatitis and dandruff. Eur J Med Res. 2001 Jul 30;6(7):306-8.

Abstract

Honey has antibacterial, antifungal and antioxidants activities and has high nutrient value. In this study we investigated the potential use of topical application of crude honey in the management of seborrheic dermatitis and dandruff. Thirty patients with chronic seborrheic dermatitis of scalp, face and front of chest were entered for study. Twenty patients were males and 10 were females, their ages ranged between 15 and 60 years. The patients had scaling, itching and hair loss. The lesions were scaling macules, papules and dry white plaques with crust and fissures. The patients were asked to apply diluted crude honey (90% honey diluted in warm water) every other day on the lesions with gentle rubbing for 2-3 mins. Honey was left for 3 hr before gentle rinsing with warm water. The patients were followed daily for itching, scaling, hair loss and the lesions were examined. Treatment was continued for 4 weeks. The improved patients were included in a prophylactic phase, lasting six months. Half patients were treated with the topical honey once weekly and the other half served as control. All the patients responded markedly with application of honey. Itching was relieved and scaling was disappeared within one week. Skin lesions were healed and disappeared completely within 2 weeks. In addition, patients showed subjective improvement in hair loss. None of the patients ( 15 patients) treated with honey application once weekly for six months showed relapse while the 12/15 patients who had no prophylactic treatment with honey experienced a relapse of the lesions 2-4 months after stopping treatment. It might be concluded that crude honey could markedly improve seborrheic dermatitis and associated hair loss and prevent relapse when applied weekly.

Honey Is An Effective Treatment for eczema and Psoriasis

A second paper from 2003 looked at atopic dermatitis, which is a form of eczema, and psoriasis. A honey salve was added to varying strengths of steroid mixtures and also compared against a placebo Vaseline mixture. The honey salve was found useful on its own by showing significant improvement in psoriasis patients, and no worsening of symptoms.

Research paper details:

Al-Waili NS. Topical application of natural honey, beeswax and olive oil mixture for atopic dermatitis or psoriasis: partially controlled, single-blinded study. Complement Ther Med. 2003 Dec;11(4):226-34.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the effects of honey, olive oil and beeswax mixture on patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) or psoriasis vulgaris (PV).

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-one patients with dermatitis and 18 patients with psoriasis were entered for patient-blinded, partially controlled study; 11 patients with dermatitis used topical betamethasone esters and 10 patients with psoriasis used clobetasol propionate. Honey mixture contained honey, beeswax and olive oil (1:1:1). Mixtures A, B, and C contained honey mixture with the corticosteroids ointment in a ratio of 1:1, 2:1, and 3:1 respectively. Patients with dermatitis were subjected to controlled bilateral half-body comparison to evaluate the efficacy of honey mixture against Vaseline, or mixture A against Vaseline-betamethasone esters mixture (1:1) in patients using topical corticosteroid treatment. In patients with psoriasis, the effect of honey mixture was compared with paraffin in an individual right/left-sites comparison, or mixture A against paraffin-clobetasol propionate mixture (1:1) in patients using corticosteroid topical therapy. In dermatitis, body lesions on right or left half-body were assessed for erythema, scaling, lichenification, excoriation, indurations, oozing and itching on a 0-4 points scale. In psoriasis, lesions of selected site were assessed for redness, scaling, thickening and itching, on a 0-4 points scale.

RESULTS: In honey mixture group, 8/10 patients with dermatitis showed significant improvement after 2 weeks, and 5/11 patients pretreated with betamethasone esters showed no deterioration upon 75% reduction of corticosteroid doses with use of mixture C. In psoriasis, 5/8 patients showed a significant response to honey mixture. In patients using clobetasol propionate, 5/10 patients showed no deterioration upon 75% reduction of corticosteroid doses with use of mixture C.

CONCLUSION: honey mixture appears useful in the management of dermatitis and psoriasis vulgaris.

Honey and Fungal Infections

Another paper published in 2004, looked at the topical use of honey for treating fungal infections of the skin. The majority of patients tested found prompt relief from their conditions, and some were cured within 3 weeks.

Research paper details:

Al-Waili NS. An alternative treatment for pityriasis versicolor, tinea cruris, tinea corporis and tinea faciei with topical application of honey, olive oil and beeswax mixture: an open pilot study. Complement Ther Med. 2004 Mar;12(1):45-7.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the possible role of honey, olive oil and beeswax in the treatment of skin fungal infections.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: Thirty-seven patients with pityriasis versicolor, tinea cruris, tinea corporis and tinea faciei were studied. After clinical evaluation of redness, scaling, pruritis and burning/pain sensation and mycological assessment, honey mixture containing honey, olive oil and beeswax (1:1:1) was applied to the lesions three times daily for a maximum of 4 weeks.

RESULTS: Clinical response was obtained in 86% of patients with pityriasis versicolor, 78% of patients with tinea cruris and in 75% of patients with tinea corporis. Mycological cure was obtained in 75, 71 and 62% of patients with PV, tinea cruris and tinea corporis, respectively. The patient with tinea faciei showed clinical and mycological cure 3 weeks after commencement of therapy.

CONCLUSION: honey mixture may have place in the management of these skin conditions and rigorous, controlled trials are justified.

Honey Treats cold Sores Better than Drugs

Another research paper from 2004 compared the use of honey versus acyclovir (a drug used to treat infections caused by herpes viruses), in treating recurrent cold sores or genital herpes. The study found that honey worked much better than acyclovir in terms of reduced attacks and pain, occurrence of crusting, and healing time. The people who used honey instead of acyclovir cream shortened their healing time by 43% for cold sores and 59% for genital herpes sores, with no side effects.

Research paper details:

Al-Waili NS. Topical honey application vs. acyclovir for the treatment of recurrent herpes simplex lesions. Med Sci Monit. 2004 Aug;10(8):MT94-8. Epub 2004 Jul 23.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this research was to investigate the effect of the topical application of honey on recurrent attacks of herpes lesions, labial and genital, as compared to acyclovir cream.

MATERIAL/METHODS: Sixteen adult patients with a history of recurrent attacks of herpetic lesions, 8 labial and 8 genital, were treated by topical application of honey for one attack and acyclovir cream for another attack.

RESULTS: For labial herpes, the mean duration of attacks and pain, occurrence of crusting, and mean healing time with honey treatment were 35%, 39%, 28% and 43% better, respectively, than with acyclovir treatment. For genital herpes, the mean duration of attacks and pain, occurrence of crusting, and mean healing time with honey treatment were 53%, 50%, 49% and 59% better, respectively, than with acyclovir. Two cases of labial herpes and one case of genital herpes remitted completely with the use of honey. The lesions crusted in 3 patients with labial herpes and in 4 patients with genital herpes. With acyclovir treatment, none of the attacks remitted, and all the lesions, labial and genital, developed crust. No side effects were observed with repeated applications of honey, whereas 3 patients developed local itching with acyclovir.

CONCLUSIONS: Topical honey application is safe and effective in the management of the signs and symptoms of recurrent lesions from labial and genital herpes.

Honey for Fighting Colds, Viruses and Skin Infections
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What I ate 06/03/09

2009-06-04T10:19:00.000-07:00

breakfast:
a handful of almonds

Lunch:
smoked turkey sandwich on toasted wheat bread with mayo and tomato
No cheese

Dinner:
2 slices of cheese pizza

snack:
a spoonful of rice pudding at 11ish, really wanted some.

Boost Eye Health Through Omega-3 Rich Foods

2009-06-04T07:34:00.000-07:00

Boost Eye Health Through Omega-3 Rich Foods
Thursday, May 14 2009 - by SoundHealth

Read more articles at HealthyMuslim.Com

Two new studies have found as association between eating foods high in omega-three fatty acids, and reducing the risk eye diseases like age-related macular degeneration.

In the first study, researchers found that eating foods containing omega-three fatty acids, such as nuts, appeared to reduce the risk of age-related macular degeneration - the leading cause of blindness in the elderly.

The participants completed a questionnaire about the foods they ate regularly. Digital photographs of the retina were taken at the start of the study and again five and 10 years later to track the development of age-related macular degeneration.

The results showed that after adjusting for other risk factors, people who ate one serving of fish per week had a 31% lower risk of early signs of AMD. Those who ate one to two servings of nuts rich in omega-3 fatty acids had a 35% lower risk.

Age-related macular degeneration is a condition where the central vision is lost as cells at the back of the eye degenerate over time or new blood vessels grow and bleed.

Writing in the Archives of Ophthalmology, one of the authors said: "In conclusion, our findings support the hypothesis that increased intake of omega-three polyunsaturated fatty acids and regular consumption of fish and/or nuts in the diet may protect against the development of early AMD."

It is thought fatty acids may protect the eyes by preventing the build-up of plaque in the arteries or reducing inflammation, blood vessel formation and oxygen-related cell damage in the retina.

The second study, published in the same journal, found that eating a Mediterranean-style diet rich in fish, nuts, and olive oil is also linked to saving your eyesight and helping to prevent age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Researchers found people who ate higher levels of trans fats more often found in baked goods and processed foods were more likely to develop late-stage age-related macular degeneration. In addition, those who ate the most omega-3 fatty acids through olive oil were less likely to have AMD. They concluded that "A diet low in trans-unsaturated fat and rich in omega-3 fatty acids and olive oil may reduce the risk of AMD."

Trans fats have been shown to increase the risk of inflammatory diseases like heart disease, and researchers think that these fats may also have a similar effect on the blood vessels in eyes.

In contrast, olive oil contains heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids along with other beneficial compounds such as antioxidants and anti-inflammatory components that are associated with helping protect the blood vessels in the eyes and reducing the risk of age-related macular degeneration.

Research paper details:

Tan JSL,Wang JJ, Flood V, Mitchell P. Dietary fatty acids and the 10-Year Incidence of Age-Related Macular Degeneration: The Blue Mountains Eye Study Arch Ophthalmol. 2009;127(5):656-665.
Chong EW, Robman LD, Simpson JA, et al. Fat Consumption and Its Association With Age-Related Macular Degeneration Arch Ophthalmol. 2009;127(5):674-680.

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Tomatoes: The Cancer-Protective Superfood

2009-06-02T05:35:00.001-07:00

Tomatoes: The Cancer-Protective Superfood
Tuesday, May 12 2009 - by SoundHealth Read more articles at HealthyMuslim.Com

The tomato is an immensely popular and versatile food that is rich in the vital antioxidant lycopene, which helps fight against cancerous cell formation as well as other kinds of health problems. It also contains many other beneficial nutrients, making it one of the healthiest fruits or vegetables available.

Tomatoes are a fruit from the Solanaceae family, which also includes peppers, potatoes and eggplant.

Tomatoes are rich in Vitamin C and potassium. They are a good source of plant chemicals such as phytosterols, Beta-carotene and lycopene, a potent antioxidant that becomes more abundant when tomatoes are cooked. Tomatoes also contain polyphenols which have been shown effective in halting growth against liver and prostate cancer. They are a good source of Beta-carotene, which is necessary for the production of Vitamin A, a vitamin that plays a vital role in a healthy immune system, and Vitamin E, which helps to protect the body from toxins.

lycopene

Lycopene is the most common carotenoid in the human body and is one of the most potent carotenoid antioxidants. It is also found in other red fruits like watermelon, papaya, pink grapefruit and pink guava.

Studies have demonstrated that lycopene reduces the risk of prostate cancer and also has cardioprotective, antimutagenic, anticarcinogenic and anti-inflammatory properties.

Lycopene is so insoluble in water and is so tightly bound to the fiber in fruits and vegetables, that the bioavailability of lycopene is increased by processing. Therefore products such as tomato juice, soup, sauce, and ketchup (preferable home-made), produces the highest concentrations of bioavailable lycopene.

Lycopene has been shown to be more health-protective when consumed with fat-rich foods, such as avocado, olive oil or nuts. This is because carotenoids are fat-soluble, meaning they are absorbed into the body along with fats.

Studies on the health benefits of tomatoes

Cardiovascular disease

To date, the majority of research suggests that tomato products may be more cardioprotective than lycopene alone. In a study in which animals were given either tomato juice or a lycopene supplement, and then had heart damage introduced, only tomato juice was found to reduce heart cell death, damage to the heart and improved heart function. An in vitro study using tomato extract found that tomatoes contain compounds that reduced platelet aggregation (blood stickiness).

Another study found that women with the highest intake of lycopene-rich tomato-based foods had a significantly reduced risk of heart disease.

cancer

Research has found that tomato products have a synergistic effect between lycopene and other naturally occurring nutrients in tomatoes that produced better results than lycopene supplementation alone in reducing risk factors for cancer.

Studies found that tomato intake had a significant protective effect against colorectal and ovarian cancer.

prostate cancer

Subjects who consumed tomato sauce daily for three weeks before the removal of their prostate gland (prostatectomy), had a significant decrease in DNA damage in prostate tissues and an increase in prostate cancer cell death. Further research found an inverse association between higher plasma lycopene derived from plant sources such as tomatoes and lower risk of prostate cancer.

Natural anti-inflammatory

Researchers have reported that a daily glass of tomato juice significantly lowers one of the primary markers of inflammation. The build up of these inflammatory compounds and oxidative stress (the production of excessive amounts of free radicals within cells) have been linked to virtually all chronic degenerative diseases.

Tips for Using Tomatoes

* Opt for organic where possible, as organic tomatoes and tomato products have found to deliver as much as three times the amount of lycopene as non-organic alternatives.

* Aluminium cookware should generally be avoided, and this is especially important when cooking tomatoes, since their high acid content will interact with the metal, resulting in the leeching of toxic aluminium into the food, potentially causing harmful effects on your health.

References

* Guns, E.S. & Cowell, S.P. (2005, January). Drug insight: lycopene in the prevention and treatment of prostate cancer. Nat Clin Pract Urol, 2(1), 38-43.

* Bhuvaneswari, V. & Nagini, S. (2005, November). Lycopene: a review of its potential as an anticancer agent. Current Medicinal Chemistry - Anti-Cancer Agents, 5(6), 627-635.

* Das, S., Otani, H., Maulik, N., & Das, D.K. (2005, April). lycopene, tomatoes, and coronary heart disease. Free Radic Res, 39(4), 449-455.

* Dutta-Roy, A.K., Crosbie, L., & Gordon, M.J. (2001, June). Effects of tomato extract on human platelet aggregation in vitro. Platelets, 12(4), 218-227.

* Basu A.,Imrhan V. Tomatoes versus lycopene in oxidative stress and carcinogenesis: conclusions from clinical trials. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2006 Aug 16;

* Kiani, F., Knutsen, S., Singh, P., Ursin, G., & Fraser, G. (2006, March). Dietary risk factors for ovarian cancer: the Adventist Health Study (United States). Cancer Causes Control, 17(2), 137-146.

* Wu, K., Erdman, J.W. Jr., Schwartz, et al. (2004, February). Plasma and dietary carotenoids, and the risk of prostate cancer: a nested case-control study. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev, 13(2), 260-269.

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COOK YOURSELF THIN- SHOW

2009-05-28T07:07:00.000-07:00

I really need to vent for a moment. I watched almost all the episodes from the cook yourself thin show. None of the women look like they lost weight. I am starting to believe it was all scam. Like I assumed the belly would have gone down or something. Nothing and I really mean NOTHING, looks like it changed on the woman's figure. On top of that there is no publicity or the girls or anything to show if the girls kept the weight off. I can imagine if something worked so well there would be publicity, we would see them on oprah or rachael ray or something. I just can't believe people can actually lose 1 and a lot of the people had lost 2 dresses in 6 weeks and that not being a big enough deal. I really wanted to believe that cook yourself thin was going to help. I still believe it might help a little, but not a dress size in 6 weeks. In order for such a transformation to work, you need to be eating well, and working out daily, more like 5 to 6 days a week. Also, that is such a large difference that it wouldn't be maintainable unless u ate that way forever, which I think sometimes you will miss the fat that you no longer have in your diet. I know I haven't tried all the recipes yet, or even a decent amount of them but based on what I have tried 2/3 of the recipes sucked. I am going to continue to make the recipes because there are plenty of them that got great reviews.

Ok, I feel better. Please tell me how you feel. All the shows and the reveals are at
http://www.mylifetime.com/on-tv/shows/cook-yourself-thin/recipes
I really want to know if you see a difference. Also, I would love to know if you have had any positive results from the show.

What I ate 05/28/09

2009-05-28T06:12:00.000-07:00

breakfast:
pineapples

lunch:
1/4 LB hot dog
w/ mustard, ketchup, relish, and onion

Dinner:
lentil soup - big bowl
salad (lettuce, argula, water cress, tomato, orange pepper and dressing)

snacks:
handful of almonds
1 delicious red apple
mint chocolate chip candy

Parsley Is Antioxidant-Rich and Cancer-Protective

2009-05-28T05:32:00.000-07:00

Parsley Is Antioxidant-Rich and Cancer-Protective
Monday, May 18 2009 - by SoundHealth

Read more articles at HealthyMuslim.Com

Parsley is much more than a decorative garnish on the plate. This vibrantly green and flavorful herb contains a wealth of nutrients that make it a healthful and healing food.

Parsley belongs to the Umbelliferae family that includes celery and carrots. The two most popular varieties of this herb are the curly leaf and broad-leaved or flat leaf varieties. Flat leaf parsley is stronger in flavor than the curly leaf variety because it contains much higher levels of essential oils.

Parsley is a source of Vitamin A and C, iodine, iron and many other minerals. It has potent phytoestrogenic activity, equal to that found in soybeans, suggesting possible cancer-preventative properties. There are also many volatile oils and flavonoid phytochemicals present in parsley, all having cancer-protective attributes.

Health Benefits

Parsley is commonly used as a natural breath freshener, due to its high concentration of chlorophyll, and parsley tea is often used as a diuretic and to treat urinary tract infection.

diabetes

Parsley is one of the medicinal herbs used by diabetics in Turkey. In a study testing parsley benefits with diabetic rats, researchers found that the rat subjects who were given parsley experienced lowered blood glucose while their GSH (a cell protector) levels increased. Parsley extract was also found to have a protective effect comparable to the diabetic medication, glibornuride, against liver toxicity caused by diabetes.

cancer

Myristicin, a phytochemical that has been isolated in parsley, is an effective inhibitor of tumors in mice.

Antioxidant Effects

The flavonoids in parsley - especially luteolin - have been shown to function as antioxidants that combine with highly reactive oxygen-containing molecules (called oxygen radicals) to help prevent oxygen-based damage to cells. In addition, extracts from parsley have been used in animal studies to help increase the antioxidant capacity of the blood.

Add fresh and dried parsley to soups and sauces, vegetable and grain dishes, meat and fish, or use in salads. Add it at the end of the cooking process for best taste and nutritional value.

References

Ozsoy-Sacan O, Yanardag R, Orak H, Ozgey Y, Yarat A, Tunali T.Effects of parsley (Petroselinum crispum) extract versus glibornuride on the liver of streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. J Ethnopharmacol. 2006 Mar 8;104(1-2):175-81.
Bolkent S, Yanardag R, Ozsoy-Sacan O, Karabulut-Bulan O. Effects of parsley (Petroselinum crispum) on the liver of diabetic rats: a morphological and biochemical study. Phytother Res. 2004 Dec;18(12):996-9.
Zheng GQ, Kenney PM, Zhang J, Lam LK. Inhibition of benzo[a]pyrene-induced tumorigenesis by myristicin, a volatile aroma constituent of parsley leaf oil. Carcinogenesis. 1992 Oct;13(10):1921-3.
Hirano R, Sasamoto W, Matsumoto A et al. Antioxidant ability of various flavonoids against DPPH radicals and LDL oxidation. J Nutr Sci Vitaminol (Tokyo). 2001 Oct;47(5):357-62 2001.

Parsley Is Antioxidant-Rich and Cancer-Protective
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what I ate 05/26/09

2009-05-27T06:49:00.000-07:00

breakfast:
bagel and cream cheese

Lunch:
steak and provolone cheese 6" sub
with tomato, ketchup, mayo, and hot peppers

Dinner:
Spaghetti carbonara from cook yourself thin (it was gross)

Snacks:
handful of almonds
1 cup pineapples fresh cut by me!
1 large orange

Fatsecret.com says this is about 1500 calories :-(
sparkpeople.com says it is more like 1300 calories :-(
need to be at no more then 1200 to achieve a successful weightloss

The Spice Cumin Is Excellent For Digestion

2009-05-27T05:29:00.000-07:00

The Spice Cumin Is Excellent For Digestion
Friday, May 22 2009 - by SoundHealth

Read more articles at HealthyMuslim.Com

Cumin is a distinctly fragrant and tasty spice that has many digestive and detoxifying properties for the body.

Cumin is related to coriander and is a member of the parsley family. The seed component of the plant is mainly what is used as a spice and it is a key ingredient in chili powder and curry powder. Cumin has a strong, sharp taste and is used extensively in Mexican, Indian, North African, Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cooking.

Cumin is a source of iron and manganese. Rich in essential oils such as cuminaldehyde and pyranzines, cumin is associated with blood glucose-lowering effects.

Health Benefits

In traditional medicine, cumin helps aid digestion and related problems. Its aromatic essential oils, mainly cuminaldehyde, activate the salivary glands in the mouth, facilitating the primary digestion of food. Thymol, another compound present in cumin, has stimulating properties and helps to trigger the glands which secrete acids, bile and the enzymes responsible for complete digestion of food in the stomach and the intestines, and greater absorption of nutrients. Cumin is also a carminative i.e. it prevents the build-up of gas in the intestine and thereby reduces flatulence, improves digestion and appetite.

Cumin has antibacterial properties and has been known to protect against hookworm infection (a soil-transmitted parasitic infection).

Arthritis

One study showed that rats that were given an extract of black cumin had reduced inflammation attributed to arthritis.

diabetes

Rats who consumed cumin for six weeks had marked reduction in blood glucose, hemoglobin and triglyceride levels. Researchers also found cumin supplementation to be more effect than glibenclamide (an oral hypoglycemic medication to help control blood glucose) in the treatment of diabetes mellitus.

Colon cancer

Cumin added to the diets of rats slowed down the formation of colon cancer cells.

Ulcers

Cumin was found to be highly effective at killing H. pylori, a bacteria associated with stomach ulcers.

Tips on Using Cumin

Because cumin can lose its flavor quickly, fresh-ground seeds are preferable to cumin powder.
Lightly roast whole cumin seeds to bring out the flavor before using them in a recipe.
Cumin goes well with chicken, or add it to legume dishes such as lentils and beans.
After a meal, chew a blend of cumin seeds, fennel, cloves and cardamom to enhance digestion and sweeten the breath.

References

Tekeoglu I, Dogan A, Demiralp L. Effects of thymoquinone (volatile oil of black cumin) on rheumatoid arthritis in rat models.Phytother Res. July 11, 2006
Hypolipidemic effect of Cuminum cyminum L. on alloxan-induced diabetic rats. Pharmacol Res. 2002 Sep;46(3):251-5.
Lee HS. Cuminaldehyde: Aldose Reductase and alpha-Glucosidase Inhibitor Derived from Cuminum cyminum L. seeds. J Agric Food Chem. 2005; 53(7):2446-50
Nalini N, Manju V,Menon VP. Effect of spices on lipid metabolism in 1,2-dimethylhydrazine-induced rat colon carcinogenesis. J Med Food. 2006 Summer;9(2):237-45.
O'Mahoney R et al. Bactericidal and anti-adhesive properties of culinary and medicinal plants against Helicobacter pylori. World J Gastroenterol. 2005 Dec 21;11(47):7499-507.

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Spaghetti Carbonara

2009-05-27T04:02:00.000-07:00

Ok, here are the results of the spaghetti carbonara. I made it yesterday, probably because I didn't really plan for it. When I plan to cook, it doesn't pan out!
I made the same size and everything suggested by the recipe. I had a problem with putting a raw egg in my meal and serving it, so I did cook the egg a little big once it was mixed in with the milk. I was not happy with the overall taste of the meal. It was creamy but really without any flavor. I added a lot of salt and pepper to make it edible but couldn't finish my portion size. My husband struggled to finish his portion as well, but unlike me, he was a trooper.

You cook the sauce in the same as the bacon to give it flavor, but because you take out all the oil, you lost most of the best flavor. Also, it really could have used more Parmesan cheese. The little pieces of bacon in the meal were the only things that I was eating for. By the end of the meal I was just picking out bacon pieces. The only way I could have made this better, is by actually making the Alfredo sauce and pouring it over the noodles.

I didn't make the bread, I don't need the extra calories. I imagine if I did, it would have helped me get through the meal. I just don't think rubbing garlic on a piece of bread is going to make decent garlic bread. I think it is going to lack a lot of the flavor that garlic bread has. One day I will try it and report back.

Ratings:
overall: 1/5
bacon: 5/5 it really helped me survive the meal. It tastes great
peas: 2/5 I am not a fan of peas but the peas tasted better then the meal did
would I make it again: NO WAY!

If you are brave enough and want to try the recipe, here you go:

Spaghetti Carbonara

Serves 4
Calories per serving: 412
Calories per serving garlic bread: 78

For the spaghetti
3 slices bacon
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1/3 cup low-fat (1-percent) milk
1 large egg
8 ounces spaghetti
1 cup frozen peas
1 1/2 ounces Parmesan cheese, finely grated (6 tablespoons)
1/4 cup sliced fresh flat-leaf parsley
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste

For garlic bread
1 whole-grain baguette, sliced
1/2 garlic clove
Olive oil
Chopped basil

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat, turning occasionally until browned and crisp, about 6 minutes. Drain pan and dry bacon on paper towels; keep the skillet on the heat. Add the oil and onion, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat. Whisk together the milk and egg in a large serving bowl until well combined. Stir in the onion.

3. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add spaghetti, and cook according to the directions on the package.

4. While pasta is cooking, slice baguette thinly on bias. Place slices on sheet pan. Lightly rub with flat side of garlic clove, and brush on a little olive oil and sprinkle basil. Place into oven on top rack for 5 to 7 minutes, until golden.

5. Two minutes before the spaghetti is done, stir in the peas. Drain and immediately transfer to the milk mixture. Toss until the pasta is well-coated. Add the cheese, parsley, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and toss well. Crumble the bacon into small pieces over the spaghetti, and toss. Serve immediately.

Freshly Squeezed Juice Lowers the Risk of Obesity

2009-05-26T07:27:00.000-07:00

As I was reading the article bel0w, I started to think. We in the U.S. don't make as much fresh juices as we should. It really is cheaper to buy juice then to make your own. I am however willing to reconsider the amount of juice I purchase if it will help with my weight loss mission. Please feel free to let me know what you think of this article.

Freshly Squeezed Juice Lowers the Risk of Obesity
Monday, May 11 2009 - by SoundHealth

Read more articles at HealthyMuslim.Com

Drinking a freshly squeezed glass of juice is a delicious and nutritious way to start the day, and new research shows that it will also lower the risk factors for several chronic diseases and for obesity.

New research presented at the Experimental Biology (EB) 2009 meeting has found that people who drink 100% pure were leaner, had better insulin sensitivity and had lower risk for obesity and metabolic syndrome - a cluster of conditions that increases risk for stroke, heart disease and diabetes, when compared to non juice-drinkers.

Study Details

The study looked at data from the National Health and nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999-2004 - an ongoing data collection initiative through the Centers for Disease Control and Promotion. Researchers found that, compared to non-consumers, 100% juice consumers had lower mean body mass index (BMI), smaller waist circumference and lower insulin resistance. The researchers noted an inverse association between level of juice intake (oz/day) and these parameters.

Based on the analysis, risk for obesity was 22% lower among 100% juice drinkers, while risk for metabolic syndrome (defined as the presence of three or more of the following: central obesity, elevated blood glucose, elevated fasting triglycerides, low HDL-cholesterol, elevated blood pressure) was 15% lower compared to non-consumers.

"We know that maintaining a healthy diet rich in fruits and vegetables is linked to decreased risk of some chronic diseases," noted one of the authors. "One-half cup of 100% fruit juice counts as a serving of fruit and, based on our analysis, 100% juice consumption is associated with some of these same benefits."

According to the researchers, intake of 100% juice was generally associated with other healthful behaviors. Among more than 14,000 participants in the survey, juice consumers had higher physical activity levels and more favorable dietary intake patterns (including: lower fat intakes, higher fiber intakes, lower added sugar intakes). After taking these lifestyle factors into account, the inverse relationship between 100% fruit juice consumption and metabolic syndrome was no longer statistically significant. However, risk for obesity remained 14% lower among juice consumers even after the adjustment.

Summary

Juicing your own fruits and vegetables can be a healthy and convenient way of getting vital nutrients from these foods every day. Try to drink the juice as quickly as possible after it has been juiced, as this will ensure that you get the maximum benefit.

Freshly Squeezed Juice Lowers the Risk of Obesity
http://www.healthymuslim.com/?tikid
Grow Your Own Organic Fruit and Vegetables: Seed Sowing
http://www.healthymuslim.com/?jckvt
Grow Your Own Organic Fruit and Vegetables: Getting Started
http://www.healthymuslim.com/?ybcap
Being Overweight Raises the Risk of Cancer
http://www.healthymuslim.com/?jtavo
Food Combining For Optimum Nutrition: Food Categories
http://www.healthymuslim.com/?ttlmv
Food Combining for Optimum Nutrition: The Basics
http://www.healthymuslim.com/?jcchy
Almonds Can Control Weight
http://www.healthymuslim.com/?nlzlc
Fruit and Vegetables Boost Bone Health
http://www.healthymuslim.com/?sajdz
Healthy Snack Ideas
http://www.healthymuslim.com/?mqwcv
Minimal Processing of Fruit Does not Lose Its Nutritional Value
http://www.healthymuslim.com/?beqsp
Fruit and Vegetables that Contain the Most Pesticides
http://www.healthymuslim.com/?mlwlj
Make Your Own Energising Juices
http://www.healthymuslim.com/?xmbgj
Grow Your Own Organic Fruit and Vegetables: Introduction
http://www.healthymuslim.com/?cides
Ibn al-Qayyim on Eating Local Seasonal Produce, Its Health Benefits and the Methodology of Eating It
http://www.healthymuslim.com/?enthb
Calculate Your Body Mass Index (BMI) Value
http://www.healthymuslim.com/?pudeu
How To Eat Fruit Properly
http://www.healthymuslim.com/?dgjyt

my meal yesterday

2009-05-26T06:14:00.000-07:00

I went out with some friends to watch a movie. Now all I had eaten all day was a bowl of cereal with 1 percent milk. I would say I was doing really good. We got to the movie and I didn't get popcorn or the slurpee thing that I usually get when I go to the movie. I was really proud of myself for not giving in, especially when this guy sat down right next to me, and put his drink in the cup hold there is shared between the two seats. He had a large bag of popcorn and I swear to you, he ate that bag throughout the whole movie. It wouldn't have been soo bad if I could avoid listening to his chewing. I thought once the movie started, it would be ok, but it soo wasn't the case. I put a piece of gum in my mouth so I would be interested in the amazing smell of the butter... omg. I survived!

Afterwards, we decided we would go out to eat for dinner. My mistake, I really should have just went home. I have my hummos in the fridge that is soo low in calories. But NO!, I decided to eat out with the friends. Well, we went to T.G.I. Fridays. I really really really wanted fried foods. You know those days where your want becomes so strong that no one is going to convince you otherwise. I got my friend shrimp and french fries. So... good! I felt ok after that but then the friend decided she would get dessert. I really really should not have given in. She ordered 2 amazing desserts and I ate. One was a brownie with ice cream and the other was chocolate chip cookie pieces with ice cream and whip cream. OMG, it was amazing, until the ride home. I felt soo sick on the way home. I knew I way overate. Even as I was laying in bed to go to sleep, I still felt like my stomach was about to explode. So here you have what started off to be a perfect day as far as my eating habits and turned into once of the worst days ever for my stomach.

What I ate 05/21/09

2009-05-22T06:43:00.001-07:00

What I ate 05/21/09

Breakfast:
Quacker apples and cinnamon oatmeal
130 calories, 1.5 g of fat, 3 g of fiber, 3 g of protein

Lunch:
Small, turkey ranch and Swiss from Quiznos
450 calories, 22.5 g of fat, zero trans fat, 5 g of fiber, 17 g of protein

Dinner:
1/4 cup of non-fat greek yogurt
32 calories, 0.88 g of fat, 0 g of fiber, 4.25 g of protein
1 small pita bread
77 calories, 0.34 g of fat, 0.6 g of fiber, 2.55 g of protein
1 tablespoon crushed and pickled chili peppers
140 calories, 0.09 g of fat, 0.3 g of fiber, 0.23 g of protein
Roman Lettuce salad with olive oil, lemon juice and salt
49 calories, 4.58 g of fat, 0.7 g of fiber, 0.5 g of protein

Snacks:
1/2 a can of corn
133 calories, 1.64 g of fat, 3.3 g of fiber, 4.3 g of protein, 33 g of Sodium ( I am not sure if this is accurate because I usually purchase no salt added)
melted butter
102 calories, 11.2 g of fat, 0 g of fiber, 0.12 g of protein, 82 g of Sodium
Dash of salt
0 calories, 0 g of fat, 0 g of fiber,0 g of protein, 155 g of Sodium

Drinks:
8 - 8 oz glasses of water

Recommended Calories: 1150-1250 - under (1028 Cal)
Recommended Protein: 45-75g - under (35 g)
Recommended Fat: 20-33g - over (44.5 g)

My recommend fat is way lower then yesterdays food intake. My calories and protein are a decent amount under what I should have eaten yesterday. I worked out 30 minutes at curves yesterday plus took a 1 hour walk.

postponed the spaghetti carbonara meal

2009-05-22T05:53:00.000-07:00

So I decided against cook the spaghetti carbonara last night. I really was hungry, but decided to eat something else instead. I ate a salad and lebanah sandwich for dinner which took all of 2 min to do as opposed to 20 min. My body is weird, when it is hungry it is like "FEED ME NOW BEEP!" so I need to figure out how to cook and get done before I get to that point. Anyways, maybe this weekend I will try it. I will report back as soon as I have the verdict!

LOSE WEIGHT- HELP FEED AMERICA

2009-05-22T05:43:00.000-07:00

Pledge to lose weight and in return help feed America. For every pound you lose in weight General mills will donate 0.14 cents to the help feed America, which is enough to donate 1 pound of groceries to your local food bank. How exciting?? If you are trying to lose weight anyways, like me, why not help out a cause? For more information or to make your pledge, go to:

http://www.pfpchallenge.com/

tonight's dinner spaghetti carbonara

2009-05-21T09:55:00.000-07:00

Today, I am going to cook the spaghetti carbonara. I have never eaten it before so I am not sure what it is going to taste like. I like that the calories is 412 per serving. I don't plan on making garlic bread. I don't need the extra calories. As long as this is all I eat for dinner and for the rest of the day, I will have a great low cal day. I am looking forward to trying this meal and letting everyone know how it tastes. Be sure to keep your eyes peeled for my ratings. As usual after my ratings I post the recipe so you too can make the meals.

what I ate 05/20/09

2009-05-21T05:04:00.000-07:00

had a horrible day yesterday. Based on fatsecret.com I ate 1563 calories and I think it maybe have been more then that :-( . I gained .8 lbs from yeseterday. Totally bummed, now I have gained back 2 lbs.

What I ate

Breakfast:
egg and cheese sandwich on white bread. I asked for wheat bread, was bummed to see white bread. Anyways, I ate it.

Lunch:
I didn't eat any lunch because I knew my dinner would probably add up in calories. I didn't realize it would be 1000 calories :-(

Dinner:
Spiral pasta with spaghetti sauce and cheese all over it. It was really good, I didn't make it. Before that my cuz fed me lentil soup with potato pieces in it. I was really full then, but she insisted I eat. I REALLY REALLY SHOULD HAVE STOPPED AT THE SOUP. With the pasta there was salad with italian dressing. I really had more like 2 tablespoons of dressing if not 3. I felt bad last night after eating all. I really should not have done so.

Dessert:
I didn't eat any because I knew I went overboard with dinner.

Drinks:
I drank limade 1 cup
I also drank 1 cup of chocolate milk. I had a tickle in my throat at mid-night and I thought the milk would help
I drank 6 cups of water

I went to curves for 30 min.

What I ate 05/19/09

2009-05-20T05:00:00.000-07:00

What I ate 05/19/09

For someone that is sick, I think I ate a lot!

Breakfast:

nothing

Lunch:

nothing

1/2 a sandwich and soup at Panera

frontage chicken with broccoli and cheese soup

Snack:

1= ice breakers sour mint

1 - vitamin C chewable

Dinner:

2 slices of pizza, they were cut small

with turkey pepperoni

plus 3 BBQ wings

Dessert:

None

Drinks:

3 cup of water

1 cup of simply limeade

1 cup of orange juice - no pulp

What I ate 05/18/09

2009-05-19T10:58:00.000-07:00

What I ate 05/18/09

Breakfast:
Egg and cheese sandwich on wheat bread

Lunch:
seasoned french fries with a little ketchup

Snack:
2 cup cakes- i am addicted!

Dinner:
lential soup with pototoes, and homemade croutons

Dessert:
2- ice breakers sour mints

Drinks:
4 cup of water
2 cups homemade lemonade ( From my cuz Maya)
1 cup of milk

What I ate 05/17/09

2009-05-18T11:07:00.000-07:00

What I ate 05/17/09

Breakfast:
nothing

Lunch:
1 hamburger with tomato, mustard and ketchup
1 hot dog with ketchup and mustard

Snack:
2 chocolate cupcakes
one with chocolate frosting and sprinkles and one without

Dinner:
1 zucchini stuff with rice and ground beef in tomato soup
1 bowl of pineapples fresh cut

Dessert:
3- ice breakers sour mints

Drinks:
3 cup of water

What I ate 05/13/09

2009-05-14T04:58:00.001-07:00

Breakfast:
Egg and cheese sandwich on wheat bread

Lunch:
1/4 lb hot dog
on Italian hot dog bun with ketchup, mustard, relish, and onions

Snack:
2 tiny squares of dark German chocolate

Dinner:
ultimate sausage cheese pizza from the recipe in the post below

Drinks:
5 cup of water
1 cup of milk
1 cup of lemonade

Did a 30 min curves work out too!

Ultimate Sausage Cheese Pizza

2009-05-14T04:32:00.000-07:00

Last night I figured I would make the ultimate sausage cheese pizza. My brother who had walked by a few times while I was watching the episode with the pizza in it thought it looked so good that he would be willing to try it. Here is my results.

Now, when you make your personal pan of the pizza, it doesn't look as big as this is made out to be. The calorie in take is for the whole pizza. The recipe calls for regular pizza dough. When I stopped by my local grocery store, I didn't find anything but wheat pizza dough. I prefer using wheat pizza dough anyway. I didn't use any scallions because personally, I don't care for scallions. I didn't have any chicken sausage so instead I did use regular beef pepperoni. I used 3 thin slices of pepperoni per pizza. Since watching the show I learned a neat trick. When you want to use something that is high in fat, trick your eye. The way to do that is to cut it up in to thin slices, when you start to pile it one whatever you will think you put a lot more then if u had left it as one whole piece. So that is what I did with the peperoni. 3 looked like so much for one small personal pan pizza. Of course my pizza needed a lot more veggies. Here is what I added:
-peperoni
- yellow peppers
- red jarred roasted peppers
- mushrooms
- black olives
- red onion
-fresh cut basil

I added the same amount of Parmesan cheese recommended. I did however feel it maybe too little when I made it so I added just a hair of low fat mozzarella cheese. After tasting it, I don't think you need it but, I don't think that little bit of cheese makes that much of a difference in the calories. I left all the veggies raw. I didn't cook the pepperoni either, it cooks itself in the oven.

My score: 5/5
I absolutely loved it! It tasted great. One personal pan was more then enough. I bought one bag of pizza dough. When you make your own personal pan you feel like you are eating more then if you were to eat from a pizza. The sauce was great, and it did actually go a long way. I had plenty left over. It tasted great, and I let everyone put together their own pizza. It is a meal that can be prepared with children. When I buy a pizza from the grocery store usually I will eat 4 slices, but this actually filled me up. The dough was the equvilent of 2 slices of pizza. I think part of being able to eat better is to conivence your eyes that you have more then enough on your plate. A lot of people eat with their eyes, myself included and this did the trick. I recommend everyone try this. I didn't feel like I missed the cheese, because there were so many other items there and the taste was just great. There was cheese and I do agree that fresh shredded parmesean cheese has a strong enough taste that you don't need a lot.

Please let me know you experiences and reviews with this meal!

Ultimate Sausage Cheese Pizza

Serves 1
Calories per serving: 475

1 teaspoon olive oil
1/4 tablespoons minced garlic
1/4 cup organic tomato sauce
1/8 teaspoon salt
Pinch pepper
1 link precooked chicken basil sausage
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
1/2 red bell pepper or jarred roasted red pepper
4 ounces prepared pizza dough
2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon chopped scallion, white and green parts
1 teaspoon coarsely chopped fresh basil

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

2. For the tomato sauce, heat oil in a small saucepan over medium heat, add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add tomato sauce, salt and pepper, and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes.

3. Preheat a gas grill or stovetop grill pan over medium-high heat. Place chicken basil sausage and bell pepper on the grill. Grill the sausage until cooked through, about 2 minutes each side; set aside. Continue grilling the pepper, turning, until the skin is blackened, 10 to 15 minutes.

4. Place pepper in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let stand until cool enough to handle. Peel, stem and seed the pepper; cut or tear half the pepper into large dice, reserving the other half of the roasted pepper for another dish. When chicken sausage is done, slice thinly and set aside.

5. Spray an aluminum pizza pan with nonfat cooking spray. On a lightly floured surface, use your hands to stretch the pizza dough into a thin round, about 8 inches. Place it in the prepared pan. Spread the dough with the tomato sauce. Sprinkle with half of the cheese. Arrange the sliced chicken sausage on top, and scatter the pepper over. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese.

6. Bake until the edges are crisp and lightly browned, and the cheese is melted, about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from oven, and sprinkle with scallions and basil, if using. Let pizza stand about 2 to 3 minutes before eating.

What I ate 05/11/09

2009-05-12T04:52:00.000-07:00

What I ate 05/11/09

Breakfast:
Egg and cheese sandwich on wheat bread

Lunch:
nothing

Snack:
nothing

Dinner:
spiral whole wheat pasta with spaghetti sauce, lean ground beef and mozzarella cheese
A salad with Greek vinaigrette

Dessert:
A slice of french apple pie
A cup of tea with a little 2 % milk and small spoon full of honey

Drinks:
2 cup of water
2 cups of lemonade
1 cup of tea

What I ate 05/10/09

2009-05-11T06:53:00.000-07:00

What I ate 05/10/09

Breakfast:
Labni on small pita bread with crushed pickled chili pepper

Lunch:
chicken Caesar salad from cook yourself thin

Snack:
3 green plums with salt mmm
2 green almonds with salt

Dinner:
cup of milk with a biscuit

Drinks
2 12 oz cups of lemonade
2 cup of water
1 cup of milk

Chicken Caesar Salad

2009-05-11T06:21:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I made the Chicken Caesar Salad. Here is my review. There was too little dressing and too much green ingredients. I used 1 1/2 heads of Romanian lettuce. And I thought it for 4 people not 2. But because there was too much lettuce there was barely any flavor on the pieces of lettuce. The dressing was not Caesar dressing. All I could only taste was vinegar and Dijon mustard. I put the Parmesan in at the end once the lettuce was in and then stirred it so I am not sure if that affected my thinking the dressing wasn't good. I didn't spin dry the ingredients, and am curious to see if that really affected the taste any. I couldn't find Mustard Cress in our local grocery store, but I did substitute water cress in it's place. The person did know if that there was something called mustard crss. I usually have soo much dressing on my salad so it was extremely difficult eating this. I think the amount of dressing that was on the salad was the normal amount that one would have, I just am not used to it. However, having the 1/2 an egg and the bread did help me get through eating the salad. Either the Argula or the water cress has a really strong taste, which just wasn't covered by the dressing, that I think that is why I tend to put more dressing then I should.

Rating: 3 out of 5
The portion was more then enough for one person to get full. I will try it again but adding the paremesan with the dressing to see if that affects the taste. Also, I will only use 1 head of romanian lettuce next time which will make each bite have more of the dressing taste. I will spin dry the lettuce to see if that may have affected the taste as well. If you try this out, please let me know how it worked out for you. I would love to hear your experience good or bad. Don't take my experience as a reason not to try this.

Chicken Caesar Salad

Serves 2
Calories per serving: 445

For the salad
8 ounces chicken breast, skinless
Olive oil to brush onto the chicken and on the toast
4 thin (melba thin) slices baguette on the diagonal
1/2 medium garlic clove
2 heads baby romaine lettuce
1 large, free-range egg
One handful of arugula and mustard cress
2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan
1 tablespoon sunflower seeds

For the dressing
2 tablespoons fat-free Greek yogurt
1/2 garlic clove
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon malt vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Brush the chicken with a little olive oil.

3. On a hot grill pan, sear the chicken breast for 4 to 5 minutes before flipping over and doing the same on the other side.

4. While the chicken is searing, prepare the baguette toasts. Slice the baguette on the diagonal and place on a baking sheet. Brush on a little olive oil. Toast the bread for about 10 minutes, until crisp. Rub with the garlic clove.

5. Once you have strong grill marks over the chicken breast on both sides, cover your pan with foil and place into the hot oven on the higher shelf for 15 minutes.

6. Meanwhile, wash the lettuce and spin dry.

7. Carefully drop the egg in boiling water and boil for 5 minutes exactly. Empty the boiling water out of the pan and replace it with cold water. Let the egg stand in the cold water while you finish the recipe.

8. To make the dressing, combine all the ingredients into a small mixing bowl and stir together with a whisk. Taste and season before setting aside.

9. Put the washed and dried salad leaves into a big bowl with the dressing. Toss for a couple of minutes to make sure that all the leaves are coated. Add the shaved/grated Parmesan and arugula. Toss once again.

10. Remove the chicken from the oven and let it cool down enough to handle before slicing on the diagonal.

11. Plate up the salad, making sure that the chicken is evenly distributed.

12. Tuck the crispy baguette toasts on the side of the salad and add half the soft-boiled egg. Finally, grind over some black pepper, scatter the sunflower seeds, and serve.

What I ate05/06/09

2009-05-07T08:56:00.000-07:00

What I ate 05/06/09

Breakfast:
10 Seeded large grapes
a few pieces of grapefruit with some grapefruit juice

Lunch:
1/4 lb hot dog
on italian bread
ketchup, mustard, relish, and onion

Snack:
5 more seeded large grapes

Dinner:
Rangoons 7 pieces 600 Cal
I baked these instead of frying them

Dessert:
5 pieces oreo double stuffed cookies
with 16 oz cup of 2 % milk

4 cup of water

2009-05-06T07:39:00.000-07:00

So for the past 2 days now I have been watching this show called cook yourself thin.
It comes on lifetime everyday at 5:00 and 5:30 pm. I think the show is amazing!
I decided I would like to apply the teachings for 6 weeks and see the results. There is a book that goes with the show. I am not going to buy the book until I try this out for 6 weeks, to see if it works. Basically the show talks about if you change your eating habits to the meals which they suggest you will lose 1 dress size in 6 weeks. Now, they just revamp meals that you would normally eat and consider high calorie meals. If you would like to watch it tune in on lifetime or go to this.

So as I try out recipes I will update you with my results. I hope to do a weigh in and check all inches before the start of the 6 week plan.

UPDATE

2009-04-13T07:13:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Mid-Day I weighed Myself.
I have lost 3 lbs since that start of my blog
I have lost 6 lbs since I decided I want to lose weight.
I have 49 lbs to go

What I ate 04/13/09

2009-04-13T07:12:00.001-07:00

What I ate 04/13/09

Breakfast:

Lunch:
12" Chicken Breast sub (10 pts)
280 calories, 4.5 g of fat, 4 g of fiber, ? g of protein
Includes tomato, pickles, banana peppers, onion, papper, provolone cheese
Light Mayo (1.5 pts)
280 calories, 4.5 g of fat, 4 g of fiber, ? g of protein

Snacks:

Dinner:
rice and tomato soup with string beans peas

Dessert:
none

Drinks:
6 - 8 oz glasses of water
Tazo green tea (0 pts)
0 calories, 0 g of fat, 0 g of fiber, 0 g of protein
1 tablespoon of sugar (1 pts)
15 calories, 0 g of fat, 0 g of fiber, 0 g of protein
1 oz of non-fat milk (1 pts)
9.5 calories, 0.2 g of fat, 0 g of fiber, 4 g of protein

EXERCISE: 3.22 miles

Recommended Calories: 1150-1250 - 734.5 g
Recommended Protein: 45-75g - 7 g
Recommended Fat: 20-33g - 10.7 g
Weight Watchers Points 26 -used 18

What I ate 04/12/09

2009-04-13T07:10:00.001-07:00

I flat bread veggie omelet from Donkin donuts

6 cups of water
1 cup of tazo green tea with 1 teaspoon sugar
1 - 8oz cup of arizona iced tea

1 coffee bun

2 pieces of pita bread with labenah, shata, olive oil

some Armenian string cheese

What I ate 04/11/09

2009-04-13T07:08:00.001-07:00

DQ 6 chicken strips and fries with gravy

mansaaf (rice with yogurt soup and a few almonds)

a sip from my husbands pespi

4 cups of water

What I ate 04/10/09

2009-04-10T06:09:00.000-07:00

What I ate 04/10/09

Breakfast:
Scrambled egg
Amiercan Cheese
2 pieces of wheat bread, toasted

Lunch:
6" Turkey Breast sub (5 pts)
280 calories, 4.5 g of fat, 4 g of fiber, ? g of protein
Includes tomato, pickles, banana peppers, onion, papper, provolone cheese
Light Mayo (1.5 pts)
280 calories, 4.5 g of fat, 4 g of fiber, ? g of protein

Snacks:
6" Turkey Breast sub (5 pts)
280 calories, 4.5 g of fat, 4 g of fiber, ? g of protein
Includes tomato, pickles, banana peppers, onion, papper, provolone cheese
Light Mayo (1.5 pts)
280 calories, 4.5 g of fat, 4 g of fiber, ? g of protein

Dinner:
halal peporoni pizza 2 slices

Dessert:
none

Drinks:
6 - 8 oz glasses of water
Tazo green tea (0 pts)
0 calories, 0 g of fat, 0 g of fiber, 0 g of protein
1 tablespoon of sugar (1 pts)
15 calories, 0 g of fat, 0 g of fiber, 0 g of protein
1 oz of non-fat milk (1 pts)
9.5 calories, 0.2 g of fat, 0 g of fiber, 4 g of protein

EXERCISE: 3.22 miles

Recommended Calories: 1150-1250 - 734.5 g
Recommended Protein: 45-75g - 7 g
Recommended Fat: 20-33g - 10.7 g
Weight Watchers Points 26 -used 18

What I ate 04/09/09

2009-04-09T07:37:00.000-07:00

What I ate 04/09/09

Breakfast:
Quacker apples and cinnamon instant oatmeal (3 pts)
150 calories, 1.5 g of fat, 3 g of fiber, 3 g of protein

Lunch:
6" Turkey Breast sub (5 pts)
280 calories, 4.5 g of fat, 4 g of fiber, ? g of protein
Includes tomato, pickles, banana peppers, onion, papper, provolone cheese
Light Mayo (1.5 pts)
280 calories, 4.5 g of fat, 4 g of fiber, ? g of protein

Snacks:
6" Turkey Breast sub (5 pts)
280 calories, 4.5 g of fat, 4 g of fiber, ? g of protein
Includes tomato, pickles, banana peppers, onion, papper, provolone cheese
Light Mayo (1.5 pts)
280 calories, 4.5 g of fat, 4 g of fiber, ? g of protein

Dinner:
Pasta
calories, g of fat, g of fiber, ? g of protein
Tomato Sauce
calories, g of fat, g of fiber, ? g of protein
Cheese
calories, g of fat, g of fiber, ? g of protein

Dessert:
none

Drinks:
6 - 8 oz glasses of water
Tazo green tea (0 pts)
0 calories, 0 g of fat, 0 g of fiber, 0 g of protein
1 tablespoon of sugar (1 pts)
15 calories, 0 g of fat, 0 g of fiber, 0 g of protein
1 oz of non-fat milk (1 pts)
9.5 calories, 0.2 g of fat, 0 g of fiber, 4 g of protein

EXERCISE: 3.22 miles

Recommended Calories: 1150-1250 - 734.5 g
Recommended Protein: 45-75g - 7 g
Recommended Fat: 20-33g - 10.7 g
Weight Watchers Points 26 -used 18

What I ate 04/08/09

2009-04-08T04:35:00.000-07:00

What I ate 04/08/09

Breakfast:
Quacker Cinnamon and spice instant oatmeal (3 pts)
170 calories, 2 g of fat, 1 g of fiber, 4 g of protein

Lunch:
FRIES (7.5 pts)
315 calories, 19 g of fat, 3.5 g of fiber, 0 g of protein
1/2 A CHRISPY CHICKEN SUB WITH MAYO, KETCHUP, HOT PEPPERS, PICKLES (6.5 pts)
310 calories, 15.5 g of fat, 7.75 g of fiber, 0 g of protein
Provolone Cheese (1 pts)
67.2 calories, 5.25 g of fat, 0 g of fiber, 0 g of protein

Snacks:

Dinner:
1/2 A CHRISPY CHICKEN SUB WITH MAYO, KETCHUP, HOT PEPPERS, PICKLES (6.5 pts)
310 calories, 15.5 g of fat, 7.75 g of fiber, 0 g of protein
Provolone Cheese (1 pts)
67.2 calories, 5.25 g of fat, 0 g of fiber, 0 g of protein
POST HONEY OATS AND ALMONDS CEREAL (4 pts)
67.2 calories, 5.25 g of fat, 0 g of fiber, 0 g of protein
2 % MILK (3 pts)
67.2 calories, 5.25 g of fat, 0 g of fiber, 0 g of protein

Dessert:
none

Drinks:
6 - 8 oz glasses of water
Tazo green tea (0 pts)
0 calories, 0 g of fat, 0 g of fiber, 0 g of protein
1 tablespoon of sugar (1 pts)
15 calories, 0 g of fat, 0 g of fiber, 0 g of protein
1 oz of non-fat milk (1 pts)
9.5 calories, 0.2 g of fat, 0 g of fiber, 4 g of protein
1- 16 oz minute maid(4 pts)

EXERCISE: NONE
WEIGHT MYSELF, I GAINED 2 LBS WHICH MAKES MY TOTAL LOSS NOW ONLY 2 LBS :-(

Recommended Calories: 1150-1250 - 1222.2
Recommended Protein: 45-75g -8 g too low
Recommended Fat: 20-33g - 62.7 g too high
Weight Watchers Points 26 - 35.5 too high

What I ate 04/07/09

2009-04-08T04:29:00.000-07:00

What I ate 04/07/09

Breakfast:
half a bagel (3 pts)
150 calories, 2 g of fat, 1.5 g of fiber, 6 g of protein
cream cheese (3 pts)
100 calories, 9 g of fat, zero trans fat, 0 g of fiber, 2 g of protein

Lunch:
half a seafood sub from subway (10 pts)
450 calories, 22 g of fat, zero trans fat, 5 g of fiber, 2 g of protein
italian bread, provolone cheese, tomatos, pickles, banana peppers, jalapenos, green peper, I think shredded carrots, vingear, and old bay (this isn't how I make it, but my boss got it :-S)

Snacks:
1 portion size of Lays salt and vingear chips that came with my meal
1 Quacker s'mores granola bar
100 calories, 2 g of fat, 0 trans fat, 1 g of fiber, 1 g of protein

Dinner:
half a seafood sub from subway (10 pts)
450 calories, 22 g of fat, zero trans fat, 5 g of fiber, 2 g of protein
italian bread, provolone cheese, tomatos, pickles, banana peppers, jalapenos, green peper, I think shredded carrots, vingear, and old bay (this isn't how I make it, but my boss got it :-S)

Dessert:
none

Drinks:
6 - 8 oz glasses of water

EXERCISE: 3.22 miles

Recommended Calories: 1150-1250 - WAY OVER
Recommended Protein: 45-75g - WAY OVER
Recommended Fat: 20-33g - WAY OVER
Weight Watchers Points 26 -used 39 today :-O

UPDATE

2009-04-06T08:04:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Morning I weighed Myself.
I have lost 2 lbs since that start of my blog
I have lost 5 lbs since I decided I want to lose weight.
I have 50 lbs to go

What I ate 04/06/09

2009-04-06T08:02:00.000-07:00

What I ate 04/06/09

Breakfast:
half a bagel (3 pts)
150 calories, 2 g of fat, 1.5 g of fiber, 6 g of protein
cream cheese (3 pts)
100 calories, 9 g of fat, zero trans fat, 0 g of fiber, 2 g of protein

Lunch:
Healthy Choice 5-spice beef and vegetables (6 pts)
310 calories, 5 g of fat, 7 g of fiber, 15 g of protein

Snacks:
Quacker chewy bar (2 pts)
100 calories, 0.5 g of fat, 1 g of fiber, 1 g of protein

Dinner:
Classico Spaghetti Sauce - four cheese
90 calories, 4 g of fat, 2 g of fiber, 3 g of protein
Angel Hair pasta
210 calories, 2 g of fat, 4 g of fiber, 10 g of protein
2 pieces of garlic bread ( TOTAL MEAL 14 pts)
340 calories, 20 g of fat, 2 g of fiber, 10 g of protein

Dessert:
I would like to think the tea was my dessert

Drinks:
6 - 8 oz glasses of water
1- huge cup of green tea honey and camomile made with milk and sugar (12 pts)

EXERCISE: 3.30 miles

Recommended Calories: 1150-1250 - WAY OVER
Recommended Protein: 45-75g - WAY OVER
Recommended Fat: 20-33g - WAY OVER
Weight Watchers Points 26 -used 39 today :-O

2009-04-06T07:57:00.000-07:00

What I ate 04/05/09

Breakfast:
Virgin bloody mary with an olive, celary and large pepper
2 tiny biscuits with butter and jelly

Lunch:
half of the steak omelet and house fries I ordered for breakfast :-S

Snacks:
buttered and salted homemade popcorn

Dinner:
1 french bread pizza

Dessert:
none

Drinks:
6 - 8 oz glasses of water
1- 8 oz arizona lemon ice tea
1- 12 oz green tea with honey and camomile, milk and sugar

Recommended Calories: 1150-1250 - probably within limit
Recommended Protein: 45-75g - probably within limit
Recommended Fat: 20-33g - probably within limit

2009-04-05T07:54:00.000-07:00

What I ate 04/04/09

Breakfast:
labenah sandwich on wheat bread with olive oil and shata

Lunch:
none

Snacks:
none

Dinner:
1/2 a chicken burrito from QDOBA
(chicken, black beans, tomoato, sour cream, on tortilla bread)

Dessert:
none

Drinks:
4 - 8 oz glasses of water

Recommended Calories: 1150-1250 - less then
Recommended Protein: 45-75g -
Recommended Fat: 20-33g -

2009-04-04T05:49:00.000-07:00

What I ate 04/03/09

Breakfast:
half a bagel
150 calories, 2 g of fat, 1.5 g of fiber, 6 g of protein
cream cheese
100 calories, 9 g of fat, zero trans fat, 0 g of fiber, 2 g of protein

Lunch:
Healthy Choice Chicken Tuscany
320 calories, 8 g of fat, 5 g of fiber, 21 g of protein

Snacks:

Dinner:
Pakistani food (rice, chicken, curry)

Dessert:
fruit tart
carmel and vanilla icecream 1 small scoop

Drinks:
8 - 8 oz glasses of water

Recommended Calories: 1150-1250 - 470
Recommended Protein: 45-75g -29
Recommended Fat: 20-33g - 19

2009-04-03T08:40:00.000-07:00

After working out, I got really thirsty. My husband got some Nesquick ready made chocolate milk. I believe I have earned the right to drink some. 6:34 pm

Calories: 200

What I ate 04/02/09

2009-04-03T05:46:00.000-07:00

What I ate 04/02/09

Breakfast:
half a bagel
150 calories, 2 g of fat, 1.5 g of fiber, 6 g of protein
cream cheese
100 calories, 9 g of fat, zero trans fat, 0 g of fiber, 2 g of protein

Lunch:
lentials and rice with olive oil sauteed onion
102.5 calories, .44 g of fat, zero trans fat, 0.63 g of fiber, 4.2 g of protein
plain lowfat yogurt
140 calories, 3 g of fat, zero trans fat, 0 g of fiber,11 g of protein

Snacks:
Small cube of a homemade brownie cheesecake bar that I made

Dinner:
1 french bread pizza
will get back to you later with the details
Drinks:
8 - 8 oz glasses of water
1 - 8 oz Nesquick chocolate milk
200 calories will get back to you later with the rest of the details

Recommended Calories: 1150-1250 - under(1000)
Recommended Protein: 45-75g -
Recommended Fat: 20-33g -

2009-04-02T15:35:00.000-07:00

Dinner @ 04/02/09

2009-04-02T15:28:00.000-07:00

1 cup of motts apple sauce w/ cinnamon sprinkled on it

100 calories, 0 g of fat, zero trans fat, 1 g of fiber, 0 g of protein

What I ate 04/01/09

2009-04-02T07:55:00.000-07:00

What I ate 04/01/09

Breakfast:
half a bagel
150 calories, 2 g of fat, 1.5 g of fiber, 6 g of protein
cream cheese
100 calories, 9 g of fat, zero trans fat, 0 g of fiber, 2 g of protein

Lunch:
2 fists full of lentils and rice with olive oil sauteed onion
102.5 calories, .44 g of fat, zero trans fat, 0.63 g of fiber, 4.2 g of protein
1/8 cup of plain fat-free yogurt
70 calories, 2 grams of fat, zero trans fat, 0 grams of fiber, and 6 grams of protein

Dinner:
1 can of corn
100 calories
1/4 cup of low- fat cottage cheese
1.5 calories, .56 g of fat, zero trans fat, 0 g of fiber, 7 g of protein
1 cup of motts apple sauce w/ cinnamon sprinkled on it
100 calories, 0 g of fat, zero trans fat, 1 g of fiber, 0 g of protein

Drinks:
5 cups of water

Recommended Calories: 1150-1250 - under (624.4 Cal)
Recommended Protein: 45-75g - under (25.2 g)
Recommended Fat: 20-33g - under (14 g)

Way under on everything I ate yesterday. I had no intentions on skipping out on dinner yesterday. I went out to a lecture from 7:00 pm - 10:00 pm and I was hungry before I left. After I got there I was super hungry but I didn't have anything with me. When I got home I ate the apple sauce and cottage cheese so I would go to bed hungry.

I will post my pictures plus work out information this weekend!

What I ate 03/31/09

2009-04-01T09:11:00.000-07:00

What I ate 03/31/09

Breakfast:
half a bagel
150 calories, 2 g of fat, 1.5 g of fiber, 6 g of protein
cream cheese
100 calories, 9 g of fat, zero trans fat, 0 g of fiber, 2 g of protein

Lunch:
Healthy Choice Microwavable meal
chicken, shrimp and rice
250 calories, 5 g of fat, zero trans fat, 5 g of fiber, 17 g of protein

Snacks:
1 pepridge farm granola soft cookie
140 calories, 6 g of fat, 2 g of fiber, 3 g of protein
1 heshey with almond bar
210 calories,1 g of fat, 5 g of fiber, 4 g of protein
Pringles Select bold crunch southwestern potato chips (1 serving)
140 calories, 8 g of fat, zero trans fat, 1 g of fiber, 1 g of protein

Dinner:
lentials and rice with olive oil sauteed onion
102.5 calories, .44 g of fat, zero trans fat, 0.63 g of fiber, 4.2 g of protein
plain lowfat yogurt
140 calories, 3 g of fat, zero trans fat, 0 g of fiber,11 g of protein

Drinks:
8 - 8 oz glasses of water
1 - 4 oz cranberry juice

Recommended Calories: 1150-1250 -over (1272.5 Cal)
Recommended Protein: 45-75g - good (48.2 g)
Recommended Fat: 20-33g - over (34.4 g)

Way over on my calorie intake, slightly over on fat intake. The Protein intake is right where it needs to be.