Perfect Winter Comfort Food That Warms Your Body and Soul

By Susanne Myers 

When the temperatures keep dropping outside, it's time for some winter comfort foods to warm you up. There's just something about a big cup of homemade soup or stew to warm your body and soul when it is cold and dreary outside. What is it about these winter comfort foods that instantly make us feel better?

Most comfort foods and especially those we enjoy in the winter have a fair share of carbohydrates in them. Think about Mac & Cheese for example which is a popular comfort food year around. It has plenty of starchy pasta in it. Quite a few other foods like lasagne or a big pile of spaghetti have plenty of pasta as well. Other winter comfort foods include rice (think chicken and rice soup) or potatoes (think beef stew or potato soup).

In addition to the carbs in the winter comfort food itself, we often serve it with some sort of bread. If you are making a pot of soup or stew you usually have a batch of biscuits, a cornbread or a loaf of homemade bread ready to serve along side it. This warm bread is a big part of what makes these dishes comfort foods and also adds some more carbs to the dish.

These carbohydrates can cause the human body to release a hormone called serotonin which is know to make you feel happy (along with preventing depression).

Stews and particularly soups have more liquid than other foods. In the winter time with the heat running everywhere you go, it is pretty easy to get dehydrated. Dehydration can cause headaches and I don't know about you, but I tend to get pretty grumpy when my head hurts. Getting that extra liquid from soups may be just enough to prevent this from happening. Not getting enough liquids also tends to make you feel tired and sluggish. Of course you should also attempt to drink some extra water to make sure your body has all the liquid it needs to function properly. But that can be easier said than done. While I'm find drinking cold water when it's warm outside, I just have a hard time getting it down in the cold winter months. In addition to eating plenty of soup, try drinking some warm herbal teas to get in your required eight to ten eight ounce glasses of water.

Last but not least, these winter foods make us more comfortable simply because they are hot. Eating soups and stews warms us up from the inside which is just what the doctor ordered after spending some time in the cold elements outside. Soups and stews are comforting to eat and will quickly bring your core body temperature back up. As an added bonus, you get to warm your cold hands on the bowl. Now that's what I call comfort.

And now I would like to share the recipe for my favourite comfort food with you. It's chicken and dumplings. It takes a little time to make, but is worth every minute of it. Give it a try and see if you don't fall in love with this dish as well.

Susanne Myers - The Hillbilly Housewife

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Susanne_Myers/6466

http://ezinearticles.com/?Perfect-Winter-Comfort-Food-That-Warms-Your-Body-and-Soul&id=3556365 

Light Salad Meals for Summer

By Laura Cockerell 

Light salad meals are a great idea for hot weather menu planning. With just a few fresh ingredients you can make a meal quickly and easily. I like having a few standby recipes for those warm summer-like days. Here are a few of my favourite easy salad meals.

These easy salad recipes can be served in a variety of ways so you can always have a variety of meal ideas that are simple to make.

I love the creaminess of cottage cheese and here is a really simple salad with just four ingredients. This is a great salad to serve as a wrap sandwich or even a cold pasta topper. This recipe make 3 to 4 servings.

Ingredients:

cottage cheese - 1 (16oz) container

marinated artichoke hearts - 1 cup chopped

sun-dried tomatoes in oil - 1/4 cup chopped

pitted oil-cured black olives - 1/4 cup finely diced

(you can use regular black pitted olives if you prefer)

Directions:

- Simply place all the ingredients in a bowl and toss to combine completely.

Easy Salad Meal Ideas:

·       Layered Wrap Sandwich: Serve this cheese salad as a layered wrap sandwich. Take a soft tortilla shell and layer it with washed spinach or lettuce leaves. Next place the cottage cheese salad on top of the greens. Then place any of the following on top of the cheese salad; strips of thinly sliced avocado sections, deli ham, chicken or roast beef slices. Roll up the wrap and enjoy.

·       Stuffed Potatoes: Make a quick salad meal by using this creamy salad as a topping for baked potatoes. Serve along with steamed and chilled asparagus drizzled with olive oil and lemon juice.

·       Pasta Topper: Another idea for a light salad meal is to serve this cheese salad recipe over whole grain cooked and chilled pasta such as rotini, elbow macaroni or farfalle. I like to serve this with warm garlic bread slices on the side.

Here is another four ingredient recipe that make a delicious light salad meal. It is a refreshing crab salad that is packed with flavor. This recipe makes two servings but you can simply double the ingredients to make four servings.

Ingredients:

cooked crabmeat - 2 cups (flaked or lump - broken into pieces)

dressing of your choice - 3 to 4 tbsp (Italian, French, or Caesar are good choices)

marinated artichoke hearts - 1 jar (7.5 oz) (drained and cut into small chunks)

fresh watercress - 2 cups (washed and chopped)

Directions:

- Break the crabmeat into pieces and marinate in a bowl with the salad dressing for one hour.

- After one hour, add all the other ingredients and toss seafood salad well to coat.

Easy Salad Meal Ideas:

·       Crab Salad with Roasted Veggies: Serve this quick crab salad recipe on top of romaine lettuce with a side of roasted vegetables.

·       Crab Stuffed Avocados: Another easy idea is to serve this delicious salad scooped into an avocado half and serve along with rye toast with melted cheese on top for a quick meal.

·       Layered Crab Salad: You can also serve this as a layered salad by layering the crab salad into parfait glasses alternating between layers of peeled orange segments and the crab salad.

Try this simple chicken salad that is filled with great depth of flavor created with chicken, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes and more.

Ingredients:

chicken - 2 cups cooked, cooled and cubed

garlic - 2 cloves finely chopped

sun-dried tomatoes in oil - 1/3 cup chopped (use oil for dressing)

broccoli - 1 1/2 cups chopped (raw or steamed)

fresh squeezed lime juice - 1 tbsp

Note: If you do not like raw broccoli, you may steam it lightly before adding to salad.

Directions:

- In a mixing bowl, add the chicken, garlic, tomatoes, broccoli, lime juice and the oil from the tomatoes. Toss well to combine.

Easy Salad Meals:

·       Chicken Salad with Udon Noodles: Serve this easy chicken salad over udon noodles with peach and cucumber slices on the side.

·       Easy Garlic Chicken Salad: Serve chicken salad over a bed of spinach leaves and shredded cabbage with a bowl of cold tomato soup and whole grain crackers.

·       Chicken Salad with Rolls: Another quick light summer meal recipe is to serve this garlic lime chicken salad with whole grain rolls or corn muffins.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Laura_Cockerell/271871

http://ezinearticles.com/?Light-Salad-Meals-for-Summer&id=7149949 

Heart Disease - Eating Red Meat May Shorten Your Life   

by Lisa Nelson RD

A study from the National Cancer Institute found individuals consuming the most red and processed meats at greater risk of death from cancer and heart disease versus those eating lower levels.


The ten year study began in 1995 and evaluated the dietary intake of over 500,000 men and women between the ages of 50 and 71. The study divided types of meat into three categories - red meat, white meat, and processed meat.


Red meat was defined as beef, pork, ham, bacon, hamburger, hot dogs, liver, pork sausage, and steak. As well as meats found in foods like pizza, stews, and lasagna.


White meat was classified as fish, chicken, and turkey.


Processed meat included white or red that was cured, dried, or smoked, such as bacon, chicken sausage, lunch meats, and cold cuts.


Individuals eating red meats at the highest levels consumed ~4.5 ounces per day based on a 2,000 calorie/day diet. This is equal to approximately 2 pounds of beef or pork each week. Compare this to the group with the lowest intake of red meat at 5 ounces per week or ~ 0.5 ounce per day.


Those with the highest intake of processed meat consumed approximately 1.5 ounces per day versus the lowest intake group at 0.11 ounces per day.


Men eating red meats at the higher levels each day had a 31% greater risk of dying and women 50% greater risk of dying due to heart disease. The study found that 11% of all deaths in men and 16% of all deaths in women could have been prevented by consuming the lower levels of red meat. Looking at just heart disease, death due to heart disease could have been reduced 11% in men and 21% in women if red meat intake was reduced from the highest level to the lowest.


A high intake of processed was linked to a 16% increased risk of dying for men and 25% increased risk for women.


This doesn't mean you need to switch to a vegetarian diet. Individuals eating white meat had a slightly lower risk of death.


Possible reasons for the increased risk of death linked to eating red and processed meat maybe due to the carcinogens formed during cooking, iron in red meat causing oxidative cell damage, and/or saturated fat in red meats increased cancer risk and elevated cholesterol levels.

http://goarticles.com/article/Heart-Disease-Eating-Red-Meat-May-Shorten-Your-Life/2691607/

Dieting to Improve Your Heath Health 

  by Roger Ruzzier 

A daily assault on your system of trans fats and high-cholesterol foods can't be "undone" with exercise alone, research suggests that the goal is to consume nutrient-dense foods good for antioxidants, including Vitamins B, C, and E and folate. These healthy foods have properties that improve nitrate acid levels, and as a result, your cardiovascular health.

Unless you've been living in the cage for the past decade, you will know high-cholesterol food includes eggs, dairy products, and beef. But including a small portion of these foods in your daily diet is also a must, as they also contain essential minerals and good healthy fats, just don't ever do it.

It seems that the better food tastes, the more the cholesterol. Potato chips, candy bars, cake, and ice cream are ALL high-cholesterol foods. So definitely limit these foods in your diet if you are trying to lose weight.

Just how does one set about eating a heart-nutritious diet without starving to death? It really isn't quite as tricky as it might seem at first glance. You might have fresh fruit and fresh vegetables - and fruits and vegetables DO taste good. You should adhere to fish and chicken, and appreciate a beef steak only on a rare occasion, and then the steak has to be very lean.

Wholegrain foods should be the choice you must make. Stick to extra virgin olive oil, olive oil, coconut oil, walnut oil, and avocado oil, and a little butter never really hurt anyone either. Lard and other saturated fats, trans fats should be avoided.

Eating a heart-healthy diet means that you may possibly have to surrender (at least drastically cut back on) many of the foods that have dominated your diet. But the substitutions are tasty and the advantages are many. Be mindful of your heart health. It's the only one you have.

http://goarticles.com/article/Dieting-to-Improve-Your-Heath-Health/2859299/

Seven Gluten Items That Are Hidden in Our Lives That Can Kill Us   

by Wilfredo Wong

Barry Sears, explains it as promoting a balance of hormones in your body, particularly of insulin, that enables your body to work at maximum efficiency and make best use of the nutrition in the foods you eat.

While The Zone Diet has no official scientific support, many nutritionists believe it to be soundly based and by no means a fad. It has been better accepted by the scientific community than the Atkins Diet or Sugar Busters, for example, and those that do the Zone Diet are convinced of its effectiveness. So what exactly do you eat with this diet?

Dr. Sears maintains that the body reacts best to a diet consisting of 40% carbohydrates, 30% protein and 30% fat in terms of the calorie content. This in itself would appear to be reasonable, since your body needs fats for longer-term energy generation, carbohydrates for quick energy and proteins to provide the amino acids needed to generate new proteins and muscle fibers.

Normally you would expect a higher proportion of your calorie intake to be carbohydrate-based, but this is not a dangerous reduction. You should also control the calorie content of each meal to 500 calories for a main meal and 100 for a snack.

The objective of The Zone Diet is not just to lose weight, but also to maintain a healthy cardiovascular system and reduce inflammatory conditions such as diabetes and arthritis. This objective is promoted by maintaining a healthy balance of hormones. In basic terms, an excess of carbohydrates in your diet tends to generate too much insulin.

The purpose of insulin is to prompt the body to make use of the glucose in the blood either as an immediate energy source in the cellular mitochondria or stored as energy in the form of glycogen, and alternatively to convert the spare fatty acids and glycerol in the blood (also generated from carbohydrates) into fat for storage in the fat cells. Your body is allocated a number of fat cells at birth, and these are used throughout your life to store fat molecules: they can be empty, partially full or full, and which determines how 'fat' you are.

In effect, insulin reacts to excess blood glucose, and instructs your biochemistry to reduce it by: converting it to energy, to an emergency energy store (glycogen) or into fat.

Another hormone is glucagon, which comes into play when the level of glucose in your blood is low. It stimulates the liver to release glycogen as an emergency energy source, and also releases hormones that make you feel hungry. When you learn how to do The Zone Diet you basically learn how to control the release of these hormones.

The Zone Diet controls the relative amounts of protein, carbohydrates and fats in your diet that in turn control the release of the hormones that make you fat or keep you burning the glucose generated from your diet. You can follow The Zone Diet in many different ways, because there are no restrictions on the food you can eat other than the strict 40/30/30 ratio of carbohydrate/protein/fat.

You can eat foods such as chicken, pork, ham and beef as your 30% protein and fresh fruit and vegetables, nuts and particularly leafy green vegetables to make up the other 70% along with a small amount of oil: that together with nuts and some fruits offer the fats needed. Vegetarians can take soya, tofu or nuts as their protein source.

http://goarticles.com/article/Seven-Gluten-Items-That-Are-Hidden-in-Our-Lives-That-Can-Kill-Us/4502230/

Gluten Free Lunch Ideas   

by Melind Knight

Without a proper lunch, getting through a busy afternoon can be a struggle. When you're on a gluten-free diet (which excludes wheat, rye, and barley), it's important to find healthy lunch recipes that give you the calories, protein, and vitamins you need to feel great all day long. If you're interested in learning more about tasty and nutritious lunch ideas, you'll enjoy these easy-to-prepare, economical ideas; most of them rely on clever substitutes of some popular, wheat-based breads and food products:

Rice Noodle Stir-Fry - What could be healthier than a base of rice noodles, topped with a selection of lean beef or chicken, red peppers, onions, and carrots? By picking up a bottle of wheat-free Tamari soy sauce, you can enjoy the salty kick of this Asian condiment - without worrying about glutens. Simply stir-fry your favorite meats and veggies (or gluten free tofu, if you're vegetarian) in a little vegetable oil, minced garlic, and Tamari sauce - if you want more spice, add some red pepper flakes. Meanwhile, boil some rice noodles and drain. When you're ingredients are ready and cooled, fill a plastic container with a base of noodles and a healthy portion of toppings - if you like, add a little more Tamari for flavor. You can eat this delicious lunch hot or cold, and it provides lots of essential carbohydrates and nutrients. Add a bottle (or two) of pure water to your meal to balance the sodium in the dish.

Classic Peanut Butter & Jelly Bagel - Sometimes, comfort food can be just right for certain days. If you've always enjoyed peanut butter and jelly on bread or a bagel, you can still have what you want - all you need to do is find gluten free bagels in a plain flavor. Most health food stores will stock these - you may also have a gluten free bakery right in your own town or city. Once you've found your bread product, look for natural peanut butters and organic jams and jellies - there are some terrific gluten free choices in the marketplace. If you're looking for a mainstream brand of peanut butter that is safe to eat, you might enjoy Skippy Natural Creamy Gluten Free Peanut Butter; Smuckers brand fruit preserves are also completely gluten free.

Soup With Legumes - Pouring some hot, satisfying soup into a microwave-safe container or Thermos can be a great way to enjoy superior nutrition on a cold or rainy day. If you make lots of soup in advance, you'll be able to freeze your leftovers and use them for easy lunches. To make great soup, choose a gluten free broth, or simply do things the old-fashioned way by boiling up a chicken along with onions, chopped carrots, and a spice bouquet garni. Once you've boiled the chicken, tear off the excess meat and reserve; then, strain the broth to remove bones and vegetables. If you like, cool overnight and skim off fat before using. Adding any food items you have lying around can be a great way to use up leftovers - consider drained chickpeas or kidney beans, rice, sliced carrots and onions, shredded chicken, and diced potatoes. If you love pasta in soups, use brown rice pasta shapes to add heartiness to your soup. Spices such as curry, tarragon, or hot sauce can give your soup a more exotic feel. 

http://goarticles.com/article/Gluten-Free-Lunch-Ideas/4904129/