AND YET ANOTHER 8 WAYS TO GET YOUR 5 A DAY

1. Start your day with a healthier sundae, by layering your
muesli or high-fiber cereal with plain low-fat yogurt,
slices of fresh fruit, and a sprinkling of nuts drizzled
with honey - delicious!

2. Thread strawberries, grapes, and cubes of Kiwi fruit,
watermelon, and paw-paw onto skewers, and serve as tropical
poolside kebabs.

3. Banana wheels on top of wholewheat toast? Try it. Its too
good a treat to be enjoyed by five-year-olds alone.

4. Broaden your horizons. Try a fruit or vegetable you have
never tried before, or try an old favorite prepared in a new
and interesting way. For instance, if you are fond of
steamed asparagus, why not try asparagus raw, with just a
little balsamic vinegar and lemon zest on hand?

5. Turn an ordinary sandwich into a culinary masterpiece by
adding layers of fresh or grilled veggies to your chosen
filling.

6. Peel and slice a paw-paw into petals, and serve with a
zesty squeeze of lemon for a breakfast treat.

7. Pop some seedless grapes into the freezer overnight.
Serve as little bites of chilled dessert, or plop into a
tall glass of water for an icy touch of flavor.

8. For a Protein-packed anytime snack, spread a little
peanut butter along the inside of a celery stick. Paste a
line of raisins or dried cranberries on top, and crunch to
your heart's content.

There you have it. Now you have no excuse for not getting
your 5 a day! Replace any fruit or veg not available or not
to your liking with any alternative of your choice. Enjoy!

ANOTHER 8 WAYS TO GET YOUR 5 A DAY

1. Spread low-fat chunky cottage cheese onto granary bread,
and top up with cherry tomato, thinly sliced cucumber,
grated carrot and sprouts for a filling snack.

2. Take the top off a leathery looking granadilla (that's
how you will know its ripe) and spoon out the seeds with a
slurp.If you don't mind waiting a little longer for your
fix, sprinkle the seeds over plain low-fat yogurt instead.

3. Introduce a few leaves of fresh mint to a bowl of
watermelon cubes, for an irresistible appetizer or summary
salad.

4. Make a well stocked fruit bowl the welcoming centerpiece
of your home. Top it up with the colorful bounty of the
season, and encourage family and friends to treat it as a
help-yourself snack bar, rather than an ornamental
arrangement.

5. Half-moon slices of Granny Smith apple, served on a bed
of celery stalks and leaves, with a topping of chopped
walnuts. Yes, its a Waldorf salad, but something's missing:
the mayonnaise. That's because all you need is a dash of
lemon juice or olive oil to enjoy this crispier, crunchier,
healthier version of the famous dish.

6. Spicy rice tastes even nicer when you mix it up with
choppings of cold pineapple and cuts of mango.

7. Haul out the cookie cutters, call in the tikes,and spend
some quality time crafting pretty vegetable carvings.

8. Toast a pita bread, fill it up with veggies - grated
cabbage, red onion rings, peppers, cherry tomatoes,
cucumbers - and voila, you've got a quick and healthy salad
in your pocket.

9 WAYS TO GET YOUR 5 A DAY

Rich in nutrients and vast in variety, fruit and vegetables
are a cornerstone of a healthy lifestyle. Try these tips to
meet or exceed your recommended daily ration of nature's
health boosting bounty.

1. Blend a banana with frozen berries, plain low-fat yogurt
and milk for a delicious fruit smoothie.

2. Couscous is a nourishing staple of African cuisine,
painstakingly prepared from semolina or barley. But don't
just eat it on its own: mix it with crispy roast vegetables,
browned in their own juices, and add a topping of green
salad and lemon juice to make a meal on its own.

3. Test your fruit and veggie literacy by working your way
through the alphabet of options on your 5 a day plan. A is
for Artichoke, B is for Butternut, C is for Courgette... and
if you get stuck at X, try Xigua, the Chinese name for a
variety of small watermelon.

4. Slice a banana along its length and coat the inside with
peanut butter. Stick it back together, and serve it to your
kids as a Peanut Butter Banana Boat.

5. Take a dip-bowl of low fat cottage cheese and, taking a
circular tray, surround it with alternating slices of fresh
fruit and vegetables. Tuck in at your convenience.

6. Peel and cut a pineapple into hefty vertical slices.
Slide it onto some skewers, and sprinkle lightly with curry
powder for an authentic street-stall treat.

7. The Kiwi fruit adds an exotic burst of flavor to a salad
or desert. Its tangy on the tongue with just a hint of
sweetness. But to really enjoy it to its fullest, eat it like
the Kiwis do: bite by juicy bite, with the skin on. Don't
forget to give it a good wash first, and remember, all that
extra fiber is good for you!

8. Take a big red apple and slice it into little strips,and
cunningly serve as "apple chips" to the young ones.

9. Raid your vegetable drawer to make a hearty soup or stew,
and you are guaranteed to get your recommended quota of 5
healthy portions a day!

The Fruit And Vegetable Guide To Healthy Living

Foods such as fruits and vegetables contain not only the
vitamins and minerals that are often found in supplements,
but also other naturally occurring substances that may help
protect you from chronic diseases.

Variety also is important because fruits and vegetables
provide other nutrients, such as folate, potassium, calcium,
and iron, which every single public health agency recommends
3 to 5 servings every day.

Using herbs or seasoning instead of butter or fat could make
vegetables more distinctive. Vegetables may be raw or
cooked; fresh, frozen, canned, or dried/dehydrated; and may
be whole, cut-up, or mashed. But certainly the acid test or
taste of the good cook will be in the preparation of
vegetables.

The idea of using raw vegetables is the most desirable for
any menu, and especially for the low-fat menus and raw food
diets, since many of the vital vitamins and minerals in
vegetables may be destroyed by cooking.

The raw food diet is said to provide you with quick weight
loss results. Use raw vegetables almost exclusively, since
the vitamin value is at peak this way, and the crispness of
the vegetables is most appetizing. Various combinations can
be used with vegetables, cottage cheese, or gelatin recipes.


Along with vegetables, fruits also contain virtually no fat
and are entirely free of any cholesterol. When fresh fruits
are not in season, use dried, canned, or frozen fruits.
There is no much restriction on the use of fruits, which are
also certainly ideal for desserts, except avocado and
coconut, which are both very high in fat content and thus
should be used less.

Fruits and vegetables salads are very popular and often
served before a main course. However, a well-constructed
vegetable or fruits salad can be served as a meal all alone
in a low fat or raw food diet.

Aspic salads are excellent when prepared with vegetables or
vegetable juices. And gelatin salads are special favorites
to many, especially when made with fruit juices instead of
water. If cottage cheese is added to gelatin and aspic
salads, more protein and "body" results.

Eating fruits and vegetables may lower the risk of cancer,
particularly cancers of the gastrointestinal tract,
according to a high-level international review of research
findings. And also helps reduce the risk of heart disease,
high blood pressure, diabetes and cataracts.

What You Must Know If You Are Planning A Vegetable Garden

By Petra Spink

Planting a vegetable garden can be a very rewarding hobby as
well as provide you with a healthy food source. Planning a
vegetable garden gives you the chance to grow only the ones
that you and your family love and it gives you the
satisfaction of knowing that they are healthy and contain no
pesticides or other harmful chemicals.

While many people think putting out a vegetable garden is
too much trouble, it really isn't that hard and can be quite
fun for everyone involved. If you take care of your
vegetable garden properly, then you will be able to grow
some of the most delicious, fresh vegetables.

You will want to pick a spot in an area that receives a
minimum of 6 hours of direct sunlight daily for your
vegetable garden. If you have a more shaded area, leafy
plants like spinach and lettuce are better choices as they
are more tolerant of shade.

If your garden lacks good soil, you may wish to seek to add
compost, leaf mold, rotted manure, or peat moss to enrich it.
Growing in soil that is mostly clay is also very difficult,
but humus or vermiculite may be added to improve drainage issues.
Test your soil by squeezing a handful. If it retains the shape
but can crumble a bit, then it likely will only need a bit of
organic matter to make it work well for vegetable gardening.

During early summer you need to mulch the vegetables that
you will be planting. Make the mulch thick and it will help
to keep away weeds, it will improve the coil structure, and
will help to keep the soil in the right amount of moisture.
Compost, straw, hay, and shredded bark are great materials
for mulch.

As you start planning a vegetable garden, a drip irrigation
system may be a smart choice to install for your garden.
This will deliver water directly to the roots of the
vegetables where it is needed most. A timer can even be
installed, automating the times you irrigate your plants and
freeing you for other activities.

Deciding what you wish to grow is a key consideration to
planning a vegetable garden. You will want to grow
vegetables that fit well with your soil type, and with your
personal taste preferences. Focus on these aspects as you
plan and plot out your garden. While you may find it
interesting to grow all kinds of vegetables, it may not be a
good idea if your family refuse to eat them.

You can't measure the satisfaction you will get from growing
your own vegetables. A big feeling of well being is
inevitable knowing that you are feeding yourself and your
family the very best quality available. Remember, others
before you have made a great success of this from scratch so
there is no reason why you can't. Just follow the rules and
tips that more experienced gardeners give and you won't go
wrong.

Become A Pro In Shrimp Dishes!

Shrimps are no longer considered as a dish reserved for the
special occasion only. Now in almost every home it is cooked
regularly. The reason behind its popularity is not only the
fact that it tastes good and is easy to prepare but it is
healthy as well. For instance, less than 85 calories are
gained with 3-ounces of shrimps. Although it is known to
contain high dietary cholesterol, it doesn't increase blood
cholesterol.

Easy shrimps recipes are widely available that can help you
in preparing a shrimp dish. You can easily prepare tasty and
healthy shrimps with these recipes. A perfect shrimp dish
not only depends on the recipe used but the quality and
quantity of shrimp as well. The most popular type of shrimps
in the market is white, brown and pink shrimp. You will also
find jumbo, rock and tiger shrimps.

Shrimps are available on count per pound basis in the
market. The more the number of shrimps, the smaller their
size is. It is advisable to consider pound per person when
ordering for shrimps. Also, you should buy frozen shrimps
and later defrost them. When about to prepare a shrimp dish,
make sure to thaw the shrimps in your refrigerator before
using them.

You don't need high cooking skills for cooking shrimp.
Depending on the recipe you will either be required to cook
through boiling, cooking within the recipe itself or cooking
partially in advance.

Before providing you with an easy shrimp recipe, here are few
tips that one can follow to cook perfect tasty shrimps. The
most important tip is not to let the shrimp overcook
otherwise the shrimp will dry-up and becomes rubbery. In the
boiling method, the shrimp will rise to the top of water to
signal its done. Secondly, sometimes your shrimp smells off a
little-bit. If it is still fresh from the market then simply
rub the shrimp with baking soda and let it stay in the
refrigerator for about ten minutes. Then rinse it thoroughly
and remove the soda completely. Note that if it is giving
off a strong ammonia odor then it is time for you to throw
it away and not use it. Peeling shrimp off when raw is
easier than when cooked.

Below is an easy shrimp recipe that you can follow :

Ingredients needed:
a. 3 tbsp of garlic minced
b. cup of lemon juice
c. 2 tbsp of olive oil
d. cup of parsley(freshly minced)
e. tsp of salt
f. tsp of pepper
g. 1- pounds of cooked shrimps

Place oil and garlic in skillet over medium heat until
fragrant. After this add parsley, lemon juice, pepper and
salt. Transfer to a large bowl and add shrimps. Serve when
chilled.Enjoy!

Want A Healthy Body? Eat Whole Wheat

Why is it so important to eat whole grains?

Few people realize how nutritional and beneficial whole
wheat products are. Whole grains are a good source of
vitamins B, E, in addition to magnesium, fiber and iron,
plus important antioxidants that are not found in fruits and
vegetables.

Whole grains help control sugar in your blood, a fact that
diabetic people know very well, and also reduces the risk of
cancer. Whole grain must have all 3 parts: germ, bran and
endosperm. Dietary guidelines established by the US
government recommend 3 servings of whole grains a day for
adults.

Historians believe that man has been eating wheat for the
last 12,000 years; it probably started in southwestern Asia
in one of the so-called river civilizations. This incredibly
nutritious plant was revered in parts of China as sacred
food. In the U.S., wheat only started to be grown
extensively in the 19th century after being introduced by
Christopher Columbus in 1492.

Bulgur wheat is a type of cereal made from several wheat
plants that can be found in natural food stores. It is a
common ingredient found in Turkey, the Middle East, and
around the Mediterranean. It is used in bakery, pilaf,
soups, or even in salads. Bulgur has a low glycemic index of
46, which means that people suffering from diabetes can use
it in moderation. The glycemic index or GI is a measure of
the effect of carbohydrates on sugar levels in the blood.
White bread for example has a GI of 100 which would produce
a glucose level of 140, way above the recommended limit
(95).

Is it just bread or can you find other whole wheat products?
Luckily there are several products on the shelves made from
whole wheat flour, spaghetti among them. You can also find bagels,
hot dog bread, vermicelli, muffins and, of course, whole grain
flour that you can use to make pancakes and waffles, as
well as cookies and whole wheat Mexican tortillas (although
you can find them ready-made in your local store). As you
can see, there are a lot of choices for everybody and every
taste.

As you practice good nutrition, your children will learn
it too. Children will learn healthy habits that they
will carry with them into adulthood, keeping them healthy
and fit.

A diet rich with whole grains will help maintain a healthy
body, so start eating more whole grains today.

What You Can Do With Celery Seed

If you have simply bought yourself some celery seed on a
whim, or you are simply interested in finding out what it
can do for you, there is some information that you should
know about the seasoning celery seed. This seasoning has
been around for quite some time in a wide variety of
cultures, and you will find that with a little bit of work,
it can be easily integrated into your diet. Take some time
to look around and see what celery seed can do for you!

What is Celery Seed?

Celery seed comes from a plant called apium graveolons, not
the celery vegetable. There are a lot of other small, brown
seeds, which are similar in appearance, but the unique smell
of celery seed gives it away. They smell just like celery.
When you use celery seeds in your recipe, whether you are
making crockpot chicken noodle soup, a salad dressing, or a
vegetarian casserole, you will find these seeds impart the
flavor of celery without having to add stalks of celery to
the recipe.

How Can You Use Celery Seed?

You can use these seeds to flavor soups and salad dressings
as well as in pickling. Chicken noodle soup has a real kick
if you add some celery seed. If you suffer from bronchitis,
gout, arthritis, and various other inflammations, celery
seed is a scientifically proven homeopathic remedy.

Because celery seeds have a significant concentration of
phtalides, you will see that it has some scientifically
provable qualities as a sedative and a muscle-relaxant.
Consumption of celery seeds also leads to an antioxidant
effect.

How can I make a good celery seed salad dressing?

As well as being an excellent ingredient in homemade chicken
noodle soup, celery seeds are found in many types of salad
dressing. You can make your own by combining a teaspoon of
salt, a teaspoon of celery seed and a teaspoon of dry
mustard. Next, add a teaspoon of onion juice and trickle in
a cup of salad oil and a third of a cup of vinegar slowly.
The resulting dressing is mild yet tangy and is very tasty
on vegetable or fruit salads. You might prefer to add sugar
and pepper, depending on your taste.

What Foods are Good with Celery Seeds?

Celery should be added when you feel the recipe would suit
it. With a bit of experimentation, trial and error you might
even be able to come up with some fabulous new recipes.
Homemade chicken noodle soup is known for being extra tasty
with added celery seed, or crockpot chicken noodle soup if
you are at work all day and want to come home to a ready
meal. If you normally add celery to a certain recipe, try
celery seed instead for a change in texture. Coleslaw and
chicken potpie are other recipes, which suit a celery seed
flavor.

There are many reasons, as you can see, for using celery
seed. A bottle of celery seed keeps for up to 3 years so there
is no reason not to get some and experiment. Try making
some chicken noodle soup and adding celery seed
to taste. You definitely won't be disappointed with the
results!

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