Snacking: Dried Fruits and Nuts.   

by Chelizruby Cube

My Sweets,
I want to share another little secret of mine, well, its not really a secret but i like to think that it is. Lol! Its all about snacking. In the coming weeks, i will be highlighting different ways that i personally do my snacking. Ways that I satisfy my sweet cravings without gaining extra weight. One quick and easy way that i snack is by popping nuts and dried fruits. The idea here is:

This is 50g of dried fruits and nuts. About 200 calories or less.

Watch your portions. Not more than a hand full at each snacking.
Don't eat nuts that are too salty.
Watch out for dried fruits that are coated with sugar. That's a no-no.
Nuts especially are a bit high in calories, depending on the type of nut.
Peanuts (ground nuts) contain 5 calories per nut.
Cashew nuts: 9 calories per nut. Imagine eating 100 nuts at once... Yikees!
Almonds: 7 calories per nut.

A hand full of nuts, same as 50g worth.

I love wearing fitted clothes, so anything to keep my tummy flat is welcome. Nuts and dried fruits are a great way to snack when on the go, (in your office drawer) and great to always have around in case of emergency. hahahaha! Its a great way of getting loads of nutrients. Good fats from nuts and vitamin C from fruits.
Dried fruits mostly come in: Apricot, Peaches, Banana, Cherries, Berries, mango etc
Nuts: Cashew, Peanuts, Almonds, Wall nuts, Pecans, etc
Seeds: Sunflower, Sesame etc
You can get most of these items mixed in a pack (trail mix) which is what i like to do when i have the money, because it comes in different varieties and can be a bit pricey. Trail mix is pack of ready to eat fruits, nuts and seeds. When i first started my weigh loss journey, i ate 'trail mix' a lot, it worked for me though but, then i discovered that there was a cheaper option.
I buy different nuts like cashew, peanuts and almonds. (Mostly)
I buy raisins and dried cherries.
I make a few small bags of mixed nuts and fruits, then store in the fridge.
Each bag must not be more than 40-50 grams which should come to about 200- 230 calories. so that i still stay within range for my daily needs. (pls get a kitchen scale if you don't already have one)
See below for what 50g looks like:

50grams of nuts. (cashew and peanuts)

Always stay within range so that weigh loss can be maximized. I always recommend that each snack must not exceed 200 calories. It leaves you with space to eat well. Please don't be tempted to eat more than the recommended portion. Eat slowly, nut after nut, then drink loads of water afterwards. I doubt if anyone wants to get a day's worth of calories from nuts alone. One cool fact about nuts is that they have a way of keeping you feeling very full for a long time. So take advantage. God bless.
Cheliz.

http://goarticles.com/article/Snacking-Dried-Fruits-and-Nuts/8928619/

Creative Gluten-Free Diet   

by Ilona Stahl

Changing to a gluten-free diet can be difficult at first. You are like a pregnant woman who has a lot of restrictions when it comes to food. It can be equally difficult to look for gluten-free ingredients for the food you want to eat. Since you have health restrictions, you couldn't be more careful.

But you have to keep in mind that choosing a gluten-free diet is like cleansing your body. The following foods usually have gluten ingredients and can be very difficult to modify.

€ oats, whole grain cereal, and nutri-grain bars for breakfast
€ cakes, biscuits and cookies for snack
€ French fries and gravy for fried chicken

One thing that you can do to avoid totally giving up your favorite food is to be creative with food preparation. Gluten sensitivity may be difficult at first but with a little creativity, you can definitely manage it.

The following foods are naturally gluten-free. You are giving yourself a favor when you eat them as they are naturally healthy. Examples of healthy foods are:

€ fresh eggs
€ fruits and veggies
€ milk products
€ natural beans and nuts (ex. peanuts, almonds, cashew)
€ fresh meat from fish and poultry. You need to ensure that they aren't marinated, breaded, or coated.

A trail mix for breakfast is a healthy way of fighting this dangerous protein. You can mix raisins, cranberries, almonds, cashews and dried sunflower seeds. Adding peanuts can be done too. It is a filling recipe which will satisfy your cravings for your old diet.

For lunch, you can have the same trail mix, boiled eggs and rice noodles.

A roasted chicken stuffed with rosemary and onions with vegetables on the side is perfect for dinner. These recipes are very easy to prepare. And they're all gluten-free and delicious.

Knowing what products have this dangerous protein is a great way of sticking to your gluten-free diet. If you are craving for your old diet, prepare them using gluten-free ingredients.
Products containing gluten that you need to avoid are:

€ Cookies as well as biscuits
€ Bread, cakes and pastries
€ Pasta and noodles
€ Sausages
€ Luncheon meat

Be thankful for innovative people and companies for creating healthy products. You can now purchase gluten-free candies and breads from your local grocery store. Don't forget to check the label though. Restaurants are also becoming sensitive to other people's health that they also offer healthy meals.

You can check with your nutritionist or dietician if you want to be guided better with your gluten allergy.

http://goarticles.com/article/Creative-Gluten-Free-Diet/6577306/