Simple Food Substitutions to Help Your Weight Loss

One challenge to planning a health menu for weight loss is choosing and cooking foods with flavor. Of course, many of the foods we enjoy are quite flavorful, yet in an age where bolder is perceived as better we may not always sense the crisp zing of a carrot or broccoli spear on our taste buds. So conditioned are we, too, that it may be impossible for some to enjoy a slice of toast without slathering it with butter! Melted cheese on veggies, shortening in cake recipes, little drips and drabs do pile up eventually, and can help pack on the pounds.

The one thing we all need to realize when eating, cooking, and planning healthy meals is that it is possible to induce bold flavors without introducing high-fat contents. Think about why so many people like fast food. It does taste good, and the flavor is plentiful. Yet, if you have ever seen how hamburgers and French fries are prepared at your favorite chain restaurant, you will quickly see why. Note the huge, cylindrical salt shaker by the fry station, and another one by the grill. Note the giant white blocks of shortening dumped into the vats just before breaded chicken and fish is set down to cook. These ingredients contribute greatly to the flavor of your meal, but unfortunately they also raise the fat content.

If you are concerned about what goes in your food to add flavor, yet are not wholly willing to cut out the condiments, there's no need to worry. Next time you open the pantry, consider these simple substitutions to help cut the caloric and fat content of your meals.

Applesauce Instead of Butter

You're baking a cake and cringing at the instructions on the box: mix in one stick of butter. It's enough that you're going to add frosting and candy sprinkles, but you can feel your arteries hardening at the prospect of enjoying a slice. Well, did you know that if you substitute one cup of applesauce for every cup of butter in the recipe you can bring down the cake's fat content without altering the flavor of the cake? Give it a try and see if you can tell the difference. This simple substitution could cut as much as 900 calories from the whole cake!

As for the sugary frosting, why not create your own using a store brand marshmallow creme? While not a health food, marshmallow creme is fat free and a better alternative than most frostings you'll find in the cake aisle.

While you're at it, applesauce makes a good butter substitute in the morning when you're reaching for that slice of toast. Try a bit on your bread for a light, sweet flavor.

Egg Whites for Whole Eggs

While you're baking that cake, take a look at how many eggs are required. Now, we've seen the commercials over the decades touting the wonders of the egg as a nutritional staple; indeed, we can't see having a good old fashioned American breakfast without eggs. Yet, for all the positive press, it doesn't change the fact that the yolk, while containing the bulk of the egg's nutrient value, is also the fattiest part. Added to your cake, breakfast plate, or stirred into your fried rice, you've just upped the content.

In order to cut the fat, separate your eggs and use two egg whites for each whole egg in cooking. While not as plentiful in nutrients as the yellow globe it encases, the egg white alone is an excellent source of protein and helpful amino acids. Scramble some eggs whites with lean turkey, or try an egg white omelette with veggies!

Cottage Cheese for Ricotta Cheese

If you love rich Italian cuisine, then you know some dishes just aren't complete with the aromatic, textured ricotta. Lasagna, tortelloni, canelloni...all are mouth-watering dishes, but the addition of ricotta does more than enhance the flavor, it enhances the fat content.

Cottage cheese, on the other hand, presents a lower fat alternative. Thickened with a touch of flour cottage cheese works well as a substitute in most dishes where the fattier cheese is required. Try it once, and you'll can mangia without guilt!

Little things you do to improve the healthful quality of your food can go a long way in helping you to lose weight.

Related articles diet secrets

Универсальный банк Ренесcанс мощный игрок на поле онлайн кредитов

Этот банковский проект не нуждается в частой похвале – его тарифы открыты и прозрачны. Любой клиент банка получит возможность кредит в банке и удостовериться в этом, обратившись в офис банка, а так же Ренесcанс предоставляет большой выбор услуг для обратившихся клиентов, это и Интернет-банк, и уведомления смс, и поддержка клиентов с помощью круглосуточной службы поддержки. Также, с помощью банка Ренесcанс вы сможете заключить договор микрофинансирования через сайт, что значительно бережёт ваше время. Заявку можно заполнить прямо на сайте банка. Заполнив ваши сведения и выбрав условия вы можете быть уверенным, что в минимальное время с вами свяжется специалист банка и обьяснит вам, как забрать ожидаемый вам микрокредит. Размеры микрокредита банка Ренесcанс колеблится и доходят до пятисот тысяч руб. Процент значительно разница от многих предлагаемых другими банками, еще к этому есть возможность начисления ежегодного процента на остаток денег, поэтому оформлять счет в этом банке еще и выгодно. Положительным моментом для клиента станет возможность получить кредит с нулевой процентной ставкой по кредиту на срок до 1,5 месяцев – для многих это станет значительным аргументом. Ведь если вы оформляете кредит на небольшой срок и ожидаете притока собственных денежных средств, которыми намечаете выплатить ссуду – не актуальные потери бюджета вам совершенно ни к чему. Ваша карта банка будет открыта почти за считанные минуты, а для оформления нужен лишь один документ. В дальнее прошлое канули розыски созаемщика, банк доверяет запрошенную денежную сумму именно вам, а незначительный % сделает ваше сотрудничество приятным и комфортным. Да, и, обслуживание карты также будет без оплаты, что экономически лучше отделяет Банк Ренесcанс от многих других банков, предлагающих займы. Тут вы получите возможность осуществить вклад под проценты, оформить ипотечный кредит, открыть счет, сделать платёж в другое государство или город, в общем, банк владеет широким спектром услуг для любого клиента. Управлять своим счетом возможно из другой точки земного шара, благодаря онлайн банкингу вы сами осуществляете все переводы средств, неважно, находитесь ли вы на работе или в круизе. Выплата кредита можно сделать многими способами – это и банкоматы, и Почта России вашего населенного пункта и оператор Рапида, перечислением из какого угодно другого банка, а также через бухгалтерию по месту службы. Сотрудничество с банком Ренесcанс – практично и приятно в каждой ситуации. Подготовлено сайтом http://kreditocenka.ru/

Natural And Herbal Treatments For Reducing Hypertension

Many individuals today who have high blood pressure and no obvious underlying cause. This condition is medically called essential hypertension.

This condition is very common today, and according to a British study, it affects 10 to 20 per cent of Great Britain's adult population. Hypertension is more common in men that in women and occurs more frequently in middle and old age, tough a considerable segment of young adults are being found to be hypertensive.

Many people today find themselves shocked to know that their doctor advises them that they have high blood pressure, or hypertension, and most often, there are no symptoms and no reason to suspect that the pressure of blood in the arteries is high, putting pressure on the arteries and veins. These blood vessels become more rigid when we grow older, and increases the likelihood of these vessels being more inclined to burst.

Evaluating The Seriousness of the Problem

It is estimated hat around 20 million or more Americans have been diagnosed with high blood pressure. If you're one of those individuals, obviously you're not alone. Health and wellness experts advise individuals to take a closer look at their lifestyle and, once and for all, do something to change whatever is causing the blood pressure problem.

When blood pressure is measured, there are two numbers reported. The first and higher number is the systolic, and this measures the pressure within the arteries when the heart beats or constricts. The diastolic refers to the lower number and measures the pressure in the arteries when the heart is at rest in between beats.

Effective Natural And Herbal Remedies For Hypertension

- Many laboratory studies have noted that both fish oil supplements or flaxseed oil, which are rich in omega- 3 fatty acids, are very potent in reducing blood pressure.

- Celery, garlic and onions. Garlic and onions have been studied to effectively reduce the systolic blood pressure in hypertensive people by 3.1%. High blood pressure sufferers are advised to eat raw garlic in salads and use it in cooking. Also take garlic supplements daily-one after breakfast and one after dinner

- Cucumbers. This vegetable is rich in potassium, phosphorus and calcium as well as being a potent diuretic and calming agent. For bringing blood pressure levels down, try eating a cucumber every day. You could also try drinking half a cup of fresh cucumber juice, and could also include some carrots and parsley, which is another good diuretic.

- Many herbal mixes and solutions have been used for centuries to help support the systems of the body. They provide phytochemicals and nutrients that can have potent but but safe effects on body systems. These herbs work not by blocking chemical reactions like dugs, but work by by balancing the body's metabolism. Hawthorne is known to have a mild effect on blood pressure and is also well known as a heart tonic.

Many herbs and fruits contain antioxidant properties that help reduce inflammation in the arteries and veins, as well as strengthening them. This helps in significantly reducing the risk of strokes and coronary attacks. Examples of these are pine bark, bilberry and strawberry.

http://primeherbal.com - Prime Herbal

Herbs For High Blood Pressure - 7 Tried and Tested Herbs As Alternative Treatments For Hypertension

Based on the data of the American Heart Association (AHA), almost one out of three Americans has high blood pressure. The sad part is that they are not aware that the disorder is already in their system.

Only when it becomes severe by manifesting symptoms like nosebleeds, headache, or dizzy spells will the individual submit himself for examination, only to learn that he is already a hypertension sufferer.

He will now require medication, adopt certain diet restrictions, and lifestyle change. On the other hand, he can opt for herbs known to be effective in controlling high blood pressure. The use of alternative medicines has been a common practice among old folks in almost every parts of the globe.

These people were able to tap the vast potential given by Mother Nature without the need of synthetic medicines produced by pharmaceutical companies. In earlier times, this was snubbed by the medical world due to inadequate scientific basis.

To date, a lot of medical studies are underway to validate these herbs as effective treatments for high blood pressure since they are now gaining worldwide acceptance even for other illnesses.

In connection with this, there are 7 tried and tested herbs available to provide the hypertension sufferer natural treatments for high blood pressure:

1. Garlic - Has shown its effectiveness by lowering the bad cholesterol (LDL), maintains the capability of blood to flow freely, strengthens the heart, mild diuretic, and antibacterial.

2. Turmeric - Is an Indian herb commonly used in curry foods but contains curcumin. Curcumin has antioxidant properties that helps improve blood flow, liver metabolism and make the blood vessels stronger.

3. Hawthorn Berry - Improves the flow of blood by opening the coronary arteries. It prevents the arteries from hardening and helps strengthen the heart muscle for better function.

4. Gingko Biloba - This is good for dilation of the arteries, improvement of blood circulation leading to the lowering of high blood pressure. Also, it aids in improving the memory and increasing the flow of blood particularly in the brain area.

5. Olive leaf - The extracts are used for irregular heartbeat and for normalizing the blood pressure.

6. Ginger - Aside from its health properties in improving the blood circulation and relaxing the muscles around the blood vessels, this is also used for easing the digestion.

7. Maitake - A Chinese mushroom commonly used in lowering the cholesterol levels, both the systolic and diastolic.

Complementing these herbs for high blood pressure are nutritional food supplements like coenzyme Q10, calcium, folic acid and vitamins B6, B12, E and C.

Additionally, not all herbs can be used in the treatment of high blood pressure. Medical science has suspected that rosemary oil, Asian ginseng, ephedra, and licorice can trigger this medical problem.

Nevertheless, proper doctor consultation is always needed before venturing in the use of herbs for high blood pressure.