Saturday, December 29, 2007

Blogging on something with nutritional value- Avocados

Been a while since blogged i decided to blog with good nutrition facts and information on each food i am using with its benefits and few recipes you can try too. my favorite si the guacamole!!!
I had some blood tests doenand realization struck me hard on the face. I have soem serious cholestrol levels to deal with. So what did i import into my present diet--------------?
yeah Avocados and loads of garlic. I started with guacamole preparation for sadwiches and made an indian chutney too. If you need recipes for both just leave a post here ad i would respond. the are good and the use of avocados for sometime i can see a good difference in my cholestrol level...i am on the safer side now.
Avocados contains oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat that helps lower cholesterol. I had a reduction over the total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol, along with an 7% increase in HDL cholesterol which is good for health. Avocados have potassium, that helps in lowering high blood pressure and conditions related to the heart. It also contains folate, that is good for heart.
it is also a very concentrated dietary source of the carotenoid lutein; it also contains measurable amounts of related carotenoids (zeaxanthin, alpha-carotene and beta-carotene) plus significant quantities of vitamin E. Since avocados contain a large variety of nutrients including vitamins, minerals, as well as heart-healthy monounsaturated fat, eating a little avocado along with carotenoid-rich vegetables and fruits is an excellent way to improve your body's ability to absorb carotenoids while also receiving other nutritional-and taste-benefits.People allergic to fruits like bananas and chestnuts should not take avocados.
Avocados are one of the highest rated on the World's HealthiestFoods list with the following:vitamin K dietary fiber potassium folate vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) vitamin C copper
Chosing avocados in India. This fruit is easily available in california and other states in the US.A ripe, ready to eat avocado is slightly soft but should have no dark sunken spots or cracks. If the avocado has a slight neck, rather than being rounded on top, it was probably tree ripened and will have better flavor. A firmer, less mature fruit can be ripened at home and will be less likely to have bruises. The avocado available in India has a pebbled dark green or black or greenish-brown skin.
Tips for preparing avocados:Cut the avocado in half lengthwise. Gently twist the two halves in opposite direction if you find the flesh clinging to the pit. Remove the pit. Then peel and slice. If the flesh is too soft to be sliced, just slide a spoon along the inside of the skin and scoop it out. You can prevent the natural darkening of the avocado flesh that occurs with exposure to air by sprinkling with a little lemon juice or vinegar.
A few quick serving ideas:Use chopped avocados as a garnish for soup.Add avocado to tofu-based recipe.Mix chopped avocados, onions, tomatoes, cilantro, lime juice and seasonings for a rich-tasting twist on traditional guacamole.The bread used are subway type breads easily available in the Hot Breads.Spread ripe avocados on bread as a healthy replacement instead of butter or margarine and mayo.For a fruit salad use avocado with fennel, oranges and fresh mint. They also make avocado milk shake with loads of sugar which is not advisable although it tastes wonderful.
Recipes:
Avocado Salad:Prep and Cook Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients: 1 large head lettuce1 large tomato chopped 1 small red bell pepper cut 1/2 small avocado cut into chunks 2 tablesppons coarsely chopped walnuts -optional
Dressing:2 tbsps lemon juice 2 tsp balsamic vinegar extra virgin olive oil to taste Salt and cracked black pepper to taste
Directions: Remove outer leaves of lettuce heads and discard. Cut off tops of leaves and discard. Tops are bitter. Chop remaining inner leaves. Rinse in cold water, and if you have a salad spinner, spin lettuce to dry. If you don't have one, remove as much water as possible in a colander and then dry with paper towels. This will keep the flavor of the salad from getting diluted.Whisk together lemon juice, vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper in a small bowl and toss with salad greens. Sprinkle with chopped walnuts if desired.Serves 4
Avocado and Shrimp Salad
Prep and Cook Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients: 1/2 kg cooked medium sized shrimp 1 medium sized tomato, seeded and chopped 1 large clove garlic, pressed 2 tbsps fresh lemon juice 1 tbsps balsamic vinegar 1 large firm avocado cut into 1/2 inch cubes 1 tbsps chopped cilantro 1 tbsps chopped fresh mint 2 tbsps chopped pumpkin seeds salt & pepper to taste pinch red pepper flakes extra virgin olive oil to taste 1 head small lettuce
Directions:
Combine all ingredients with shrimp in a bowl except lettuce and mix. Marinate and leave in refrigerator for 15 minutes or more. Serve on bed of chopped romaine lettuce.Serves 4

Steak fillet with Avocado SalsaPrep and Cook Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients: 4 pieces of fillet big in size 1-2 tsp finely minced bell pepper6 medium cloves garlic ¼ cup + 1 tbsps fresh lemon juice 3 tbsps chopped fresh cilantro 8 cherry/small tomatoes1 medium ripe but firm avocado diced into cubes salt and black pepper to taste
Directions:
Mix all ingredients except fillet in a bowl and set aside.Rub fillet with 1 tbsps lemon juice and season with a little salt and black pepper. Take a pan with a spoon of oil and cook for about 3 minutes and turn. Cook for another 3 minutes and remove from pan. This is our Stovetop Searing cooking method. Place on plate, and top with salsa.Serves 4

Thursday, June 14, 2007

Looking Good

In this present world where lot of centres are helping one slim down....we feel a bit left out. You can live with dark shades of clothes that make you look slimmer and have a cut that best suits you. But on the long run if you dont start doing anything about yourself you will be down the health line.

Monday, June 4, 2007

Adapting to a lifelong change

Following diets, detoxification, being on a plan is all good enough. But you cannot be on this for your whole life!!! You will go back to your normal lifestyle. Either you can count the calories you have everyday or do exercising. For people who have a better metabolic rate if yu have a great get together outside make sure your evening meal is only fruits or cooked food that is less in fat, calories and carbs...avoid the carbs for sure in the night. Make sure the next day you eat light too....being on detox for a day or two in a fortnight is very healthy for the body!

Negative calorie food list

Water therapy

Diet recipes

Famous diets

There are many diets claiming to give the best results. Here are the best :
Weight Watchers,
Atkins,
Diet.com, S
South Beach Diet
eDiets.
Some others are:
Fat Loss '4' Idiots
The Sonoma Diet
Weight Loss by the Numbers
Mediterranean Diet
Anne Collins Weight Loss Program
FormulaZone.com
The Negative Calorie Diet
Mayo Clinic Plan

These are all good to discipline the day to day eatign habits and combined with soem exercises or atleast soem brisk walkign will give the best results. It si important to have a small goal and work towards your slimmer self always. There are other diets like cabbage soup diet and popcorn diet that helps you knock off soem initial weight before you start.

Foods that help you to slim down

cabbage, capsicum,cauliflowers are some of the negative calorie foods available