Net caloric intake = (calories consumed) – (calories expended)

I`m doing everything is my ability and strive to keep my net calorie intake within 50 calories of my daily caloric intake for weight loss.  On a weekly basis, reevaluate I daily caloric intake for weight loss until I reach my optimal weight.

Dieting has never been an easy thing for me especially since loosing weight comes slow even when I`m really trying to keep a healthy, light lifestyle routine AND exercise at least 4 times a week… Apparently, there could be a hidden factor in weight control such as: Bacteria. Everyone has bacteria in their digestive system, but if you’re overweight, it may be because the blend of those bugs is causing you to absorb more calories from the food you eat!
Adding healthy bacteria and “Getting more pro-biotics in your diet can change the balance of bacteria,” says Steven Pratt, M.D., author of SuperHealth, and that can lead to more efficient weight loss! Eat more Yogurt which contain probiotics, such as acidophilus and take control of your weight-loss like I did… (and yes, it worked..)

I used to think the best diet food is low fat and calories reduced. However, its not always true! The best diet food that is healthy, can fight disease and will slim you down is: Nuts! Nuts are fatty, but they keep you full, plus the extra protein they contain will revs up metabolism. Recent studies found that people who ate nuts on a daily base lost 39 percent more weight than those who didn’t , even though their calorie intake was the same! On top of that amazing weight loss fact, keep in mind that nuts can lower your risk of heart disease, diabetes and- cancer!!!  now, that a reason to go nuts, don’t you think ???!!!

These are some manue secrets you need to know:

• Anytime you see the words “Parmesans-Crusted,” or “Orange Glazed” assume the dish has been slathered in sugar or cheese, had given a frying treatment and probably contain nearly a full day’s worth of sodium and half a day’s worth of calories!
  

• In Mexican restaurants, salads are mostly the absolute worst choice from the menu. For example, with burritos and tacos, the amount of high-fat, high-calorie fillers is limited to what will fit in the shells! pay attention!
  

• The top word you should be careful about is the mighty Caesar. Regular restaraunt`s Caesar dressing is normally loaded with many grams of fat and is very high in calories, combine it with cheese and croutons and you turn your light, healthy salad to a complete diet disaster! always ask for a low fat or fat-free dressing!

Good Luck!

Beautiful Jennifer Garner believes that healthy diet equals flawless skin, which is why her favorite recipes comes from the Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, by Ina Garten.  I have bloged about foods that makes your skin feels healthier and look prettier many times before, however this cookbook is totally worth writing about. This is aconventionally organized cookbook with unconventional delicious, healthy, beauty booster food recieps!  

My worst enemy while dieting or weight watching is dinning out in wonderful restaurants where some great dishes are simply irresistible! You see, ever since I started dating my current spouse I found it harder to watch what I eat, especially because he loves taking me to those nicest food places, where you kinda feel like you missed something if you order your very ordinary Caesar salad! For me, a person who appreciates great food, it always feels like a battle!  A short consultation with my nutritionist had made me realized the fact I don’t have to feel bad about having a great quality restaurant dinner, as long as I eat right and less during the day! That`s the secret! What a blast!!!  

For Breakfast:

STARBUCKS Perfect OATMEAL- plenty of energy and only 140 Calories and 3 grams of fat!!!

For Lunch:

McDonald’s Hamburger. (Yes, I know… Hamburger!!!)- With 250 Calories and 9 grams of fat you can add a side of salad with low-fat balsamic vinaigrette which adds 60 calories and 3 grams of fat to your meal however makes it DELICIOUS!

For Dinner:

PIZZA HUT EXPRESS: !/2 Personal Pan Cheese Pizza will provide you with 295 Calories and 12 grams of fat. Again, it is not a lot of food, and not the healthiest or most nutritious one, however, since we`r trying to keep it low on-the-g0, that is not so bad of choice!

1. What do I drink when I`m thirsty?

2. Do I normally eat in front of the TV or computer?

3. How often do I eat out?

4. How fast do I eat?

5. Do I always finish my entire meal?

6. How many times do I eat during the day?

The answers to these questions could be very, however each one of us should be as closer as possible to these answers:

We should drink lots of water, whether thirsty or not, or at least drink what is based on water, like green tea or lightly flavored vitemins water. When it comes to where we eat, around the table is your best choice since otherwise we tend to be distracted and eat more then we should. When we eat out, it makes it harder to watch our weight and healthy eating since most restaurant food has extra portion, calories and fat. Try to cook at home more often, eat slowly and listen to your body. You would know when you full and should stop eating. Even if there is still food on your plate! yes my friend, you can save it for later and continue eating once hungry again! This is how you keep your stomach and therefore your metabolism working by eating small meals several times a day.

Good Luck!!!

• Chicken with Basil Cream Sauce

• Chicken Carbonara

•  Sesame Chicken

• Orange Peel Chicken

• Chicken Parmesan

• Lemon Chicken

• Alfredo Pasta with Chicken & Broccoli

• Meatloaf and Whipped Potatoes

• Lasagna with Meat Sauce

• Swedish Meatballs with Pasta

Follow these 5 natural secrets and control  your skin`s future:

• Use an SPF sunscreen all year round. Especially on your face! (simply get it in your daily moisturizer product).

• Deal with stress! Aim for a daily time outs, like Yoga, or walk after dinner.

• Eat more unti-aging foods to prevent wrinkles, such as Antioxidants and rich in Vitamins E and Vitamin C foods.

• Do not smoke! Smoking cuts oxygen flow to the skin which results in lifeless appearance and early signs of age.

• Exercise! working out boosts the collagen production which keeps your skin smooth and rosy! 

All peppers are rich in vitamins A, C, and K, but Red Peppers are simply bursting with them plus considered to be a great source of Vitamin B6. This very nutritious vegetable and the antioxidants it contain help preventing cell damage, cancer, and diseases related to aging. Further more, Red Pepper support the immune function, can reduce inflammation like that found in arthritis and asthma, promotes proper blood clotting and strengthens bones.

With all of these great health benefits and nutrition values, I love cooking this Moroccan-style healthy veggie meal since satisfy as steak and tasteful as a gourmet dish:  With 302 calories, 9 grams of protein,  8 grams of fat and 4 grams of fibre per serving, you cannot go wrong with this MUST TRY RECIPE !!!

Couscous-Stuffed Red Pepper W/Yogurt:

Ingrediants:

85 grams of whole wheat Couscous
2 tbsp Raisins
50 ml hot vegetable stock
1 tsp clear honey
1 large lemon- squeez for juice
2 garlic cloves
small bunch flat-leaf parsley
150 ml tub non-fat natural yogurt
2 tomatoes , roughly chopped
2 red peppers , halved, cores removed
1 tbsp olive oil

How to make:

• Pre-heat oven to 400* degrees.

• Place couscous and raisins in a heatproof bowl. Stir stock, honey and lemon juice, then pour over the couscous. Cover and leave to absorb for 5 mins.

• Place the lemon zest, garlic and parsley in a mini food processor and whizz until everything is well chopped.

• Stir 1 tbsp of this mixture into the yogurt, then set aside. Stir the remaining mixture into the couscous with the tomatoes and some seasoning.

• Spoon the couscous mixture into each pepper half, then sit them in a small roasting tin. Drizzle with oil, then bake for 40 mins until peppers are tender.

• Serve with the yogurt and a simple green salad on the side, and- ENJOY!!! 

I have always wondered – “Who wants to cook for ONE ???”   While knowing it is important for my diet and weight watchers lifestyle routine since home made meals are normally the healthier choice, as I tend to enjoy groceries shopping and cooking, doing so only for myself had always made me buying and making more food then I was suppose to in order to freshly satisfy my single little stomach. More then that, I used to feel guilty for wasting extra foods when throwing away the leftovers while there are millions of hungry children out there.  In a recent conversation with my BFF single gey guy, who usually gets to spend dinner time by himself since working late hours, he confessed to really enjoy healthy meals at home, which help his diet, time and wallet.  I was managed to adopt some of his `single person cooking for himself`secrets and this is the outcome:

•  Save time by planning weekly, for cooking 2-3 different meals, then go shopping.

• While shopping, save money by start thinking in terms of portions, rather than recipes.

• Plan on using leftovers in order to create one extra meal.

• Buy only what you Know you`ll eat during that week, considering products you can take to work as well, like fruits, snacks, yogurt and etc.

• Creat more then one dish that build on similar ingredients and cut the fresh vegetables for two meals ahead in order to ease the next day cooking preparation.

• Use your freezer, however split whatever you are about to freeze into small portions put into ziploc sealed plastic bags. Then, you can defrost the correct amount of food you wish to cook that day. 

• Marinate the meat, pork, chicken or fish in the morning, before you go to work. It takes about 5 minuets and save you many more minuets later, when you are ready to prepare your meal.

If you wish to share more great ideas on how to cook for single person while eating right and saving waste of time and money please add your comment and share it with everybody! 

Thanks! 

Supermarkets shelves are loaded with products claiming to contain 0 trans fat.  However, what many of us are not aware of is that this “zero” on labels isn’t necessarily a REAL Zero! Since according to the FDA trans fat labeling rulesand guideline, products may contain up to 0.5 grams of trans fat per serving in order to be claimed as “Zero” trans fat on their label. Companies are simply taking advantage of these regulations which results in deceiving us, the consumers!

Before you purchase your next box of crackers, cookies or any other product with a “zero trans fat” or “trans fat free” labels, take a look at the ingredients list. Be aware that labels don’t always tell the full story and try to pay attention to the nutrition facts which are normally located at the back of the product, in smaller fonts. That would tell you if the “Zero” is a real non-fat or maybe it is 0.3 or 0.4 grams of trans fat!  The reason this is so important is since the recommended daily limit of trans fat we should consume is 2 grams only! (about %1 of the daily calories, based on an 2,000 calorie diet). Just one of these so-called “zero grams trans fat” servings at each meal could easily adds up, therefore- Awareness please!!!       

Many of us have sleeping problems and new researches suggests a natural healthy way that can help us sleep throughout the night. Even though conventional wisdom says you’re not supposed to eat right before you go to bed since supposedly it is to be the time all food goes to your waistline.  However according to several new researches bedtime snacks can actually help you sleep better especially if you have insomnia. Exploring the subject, I found a great Web-MD article which explains why bedtime snacks can indeed help you sleep. According to this article it is mostly about our metabolic hormones. If you don’t have enough Leptin, which is the hormone that signals satiety, your body could wake you up. However, the article says that you can’t snack on just anything, and certainly should not eat heavy meals since the digestive system slows down while you sleep, so eating too much can make you uncomfortable.

Choose your snacks wisely- most recommended by experts are light dairy, carbohydrate-rich snacks because it most likely increase the level of sleep-inducing tryptophan in the blood. Good choices include a small bowl of cereal and milk, a few oatmeal cookies, peanut butter toast, or a small muffin. Beware of foods containing caffeine, including less obvious choices such as certain sodas and chocolate.

My favorite solution for fast, healthy and as fresh as possible meal, when short on time for cooking, is the low fat convenience Contessa Frozen Meals. In less then 10 minuets of preparation and a single pan, I always feel like I had just cooked that  hearty home-style healthy meal. Contessa brand offers customized gourmet foods, including convenience meals for short and simple preparation and a consistency of quality and freshness. I love the fact there are greens and tasteful healthy vegetables included in every bag, plus the sauce is always packed separately for a preferred taste and dietary needs.  Contessa meals are definitely a great healthy fast food solution, and at no doubt for people who appreciate fine food, though have no time or the ability to cook.  Especially once trying to maintain a weight watchers lifestyle and healthy diet, these low-fat and less calories meals from Contessa brand are highly recommended for any occasion!

One of the most important things you can do to protect yourself from many diseases, illnesses and early aging of the skin is to eat right and keep a healthy diet. It is the best natural powerful defense against cancer, diabetes, heart disease or stroke. Whether or not you have a family history of those diseases, what you eat and how much you eat can help reduce the risk.

What does Eating Right mean?!
Making healthy, smart choices whenever it comes to foods, on a daily base. Whether you`re eating inside or outside, gourmet food, or fast food- with today`s variety of ingredients and products, there are always better, smarter choices you can make:

• Eat at least five servings of vegetables and fruits each day!

• Choose whole grains over processed (refined) grains and sugars

• Substitute healthier fats for not-so-healthy fats

• Beware of portion distortion, and help trim down the number of calories you eat.

• Substituting lower calorie and lower fat foods for higher in calories and fats foods to help maintain a healthy diet and weight.

OATS:
Oatmeal or oats crackers have the highest satiety ranking of any food. Unlike many other carbohydrates, oats digest slowly, so they have little impact on your blood sugar, making them the most filling choice.

EGG WHITES:
Dig in to eggs whites. They won’t harm your heart, but they can help you trim inches. A recent study from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge reported egg protein is filling, so you eat less later in the day!

ORGANIC STEAK:
The protein in beef helps you retain muscle mass during weight loss, and since regular beef has reputation, the organic choice would be healthier! The best way to eat beef while dieting is grill or broil top round or sirloin kind, sliced thinly and combined with mix of veggies.

WHOLE GRAIN:
Read the full story about why whole grain is better for your diet:

Healthy diets almost always contain fish, which have fewer calories and higher nutrition values than other meat sources. It’s also one of nature’s most versatile foods – can be steamed, baked, fried or poached and even great as raw, in the form of sashimi.
Many health institutes recommend eating up to two portions of fish a week, based on several different studies. Eating fish could lowers the risk of death from heart disease by 36 per cent, thanks to the oils in fish, that appear to reduce stickiness of blood, therefore can prevent it from clotting. Fish also contains selenium which thought to have cancer-fighting properties plus omega-3 fatty acids which are believed to raise levels of the brain chemical- Serotonin, which aids in reducing depression. Omega 3 regulate the body’s inflammation cycle as well, which prevents and relieves painful conditions like arthritis and cystitis.

One of the benefits I like the most, from eating fish, is its ability of reducing signs of age! Some dermatologists say that a fish rich diet acts like a facial smoothing-out age lines.
 

Recommended fish: Salmon, Trout, Sardines and Tuna:

Try some of my favorite healthy recipes, taken from MyRecipes.com:

Baked Salmon With Dill Herb:

 
Tuna with Ginger Cream:

Trout with Brown Butter and Pecans:

Sardine and Potato with Romesco Sauce:

The amazing innovated iPhone has a new free application which certainly makes life a bit easier and can help you lose weight or at least watch what you eat and be aware of how many calories you eat during the day!  This IPhone application called `Lose It` which is the most complete and streamlined weight loss application available for the iPhone and would keep you on track by allowing to set your weight-loss goals, establish a “daily calorie budget” and then record your daily food intake and exercise. AMAZING!!! I LUV IT!!!

Thank you Apple!

I have recently discovered Chex Mix Chocolate Bars product while shopping for groceries. I was right near the cereal section, when could not avoid hearing a young lady taking to her friend while pointing on the shelve, saying “Those Chex Mix bars are impossible to resist…” I had to look at the nutrition facts at the back of the pack, and was absolutely amazed! These chocolate chunks, wheat pretzels and corn cereal bars contain only 140 calories, 3 grams of fat, 26 grams of carbs and more important- 8 grams of whole grains and fiber per serving! I felt like I have just found my ultimate new chocolate craving healthy weight watching solution!!! Got home, tried it and guess what- It DOES AMAZINGLY taste like REAL chocolate! and its healthy! very nice. I was extremely satisfied, considering the fact I used to be addicted to “Snickers” Chocolate Bars, which contains 280 Calories, 14 GRAMS OF FAT (yes ladies and gentlemen! 14 grams of fat in ONE (1) BAR!!!!!!  Hello!!! my `Lean Cuisine` yummy Lunch box does not contain THAT MUCH FAT!!!
 

Awareness, people. That’s all I`m saying. Don’t count calories, but DO check the nutrition facts of those foods you eat! That’s how you can watch your weight and keep a healthy lifestyle!

So what exactly is Tofu and why should we eat more of it as part of our weight watching healthy diet rutine, and substitute it with meat once in a while?! Tofu may looks like feta cheese, however it is non-diery and is made by curdling fresh hot soy-milk with a coagulant. Tofu is rich in high-quality protein, a good source of B-vitamins and iron and is rich in Calcium. It is low in saturated fat and contains no cholesterol! Generally, the softer the tofu, the lower the fat content. Tofu is also very low in sodium, making it a perfect food for people on sodium-restricted diets.

In recipes, tofu acts like a sponge and has the miraculous ability to soak up any flavor that is added to it. Crumble it into a pot of spicy chili sauce and it tastes like chili. Blend it with cocoa and sweetener and it becomes a double for chocolate cream pie filling. Cubes of firm tofu can be added to any casserole or soup.

1) Berries (Especially Blueberries)

Berries

2) Artichoke: 

Artichoke

3) Corn:

Corn

4) Broad Green Beans

5) Almonds:

Almonds

6) Apricot:

Apricot

7) Broccoli:

Broccoli

8) Lemon:

9) Dated:

Dated

10) Chiles:

Chiles

11) Garlic:

Garlic

12) Grapes:

13) Mango:

Mango

14) Squash:

Squash

15) Peppers (Especially Red Ones):

Peppers

16) Spinach:

Spinach

17) Carrots:

Carrots

18) Tomatoes:

Tomatoes

19) Green Tea:

Green Tea

20) Pineapple:

Pineapple

21) Red Beets:

Red Beets

22) Pinto Beans:

Pinto Beans

23) Pomegranates:

Pomegranates

24) Sweet Potatoes:

Sweet Potatoes

25) Whole Grain Brown Rice:

Brown Rice

26) Raw Nuts & Seeds

Raw Nuts & Seeds

27) Olive Oil:

Olive Oil

28) Red Wine:

Red Wine

29) Dark Chocolate:

Dark Chocolate

 30) Coffee:

Cup Of Coffee

Check ChicShuk recipes for healthy eating: 

Some food can benefits our skin in different levels. However, these following ones are at the top list, and are highly recommended if you wish to keep your natural beauty skin as healthy and glowing as possible, before even applying any type of facial creams or anti-aging products. It is simple-  Stay healthy and look great at the same time! Eat more of these foods:

• Wild Salmon: A prime source of omega-3 fatty acids, which can reduce skin inflammation and prevent redness, wrinkles and future sagging

• Yogurt: (and make sure it is a low-fat one, of course) gives bone boosting and more calcium then a glass of skin milk.

• Oysters: Yes, ladies and gentlemens, Oysters are a top source of Zing, which helps build collagen and speed up skin renewal and repair.

• Blueberries: from my Antioxidants  list, blueberries are full of them, and can prevent long term cell damage.

• Kiwifruit: One of my favorite fruits. It is rich in potassium as banana, however add its plenty of vitamin C and you promote glowing, wrinkle free skin! Luv this one!

• Sweet Potatoes: full with Beta-carotene, which helps smooth the skin.

•  Tomatoes: are major source of lycopene, combined with their anitioxidants can protect against sunburn.

• Walnuts: rich with omega 3 and help fight against skin ailments like psoriasis and eczema.

• Dark Chocolate: last but not least, great news for the chocolate lovers: it is full with antioxidants and nutrients cocoa, which helps boost hydration, smoothness and protection against sun exposure.  (choose chocolates with %60 percent cocoa).