Quantity, color are key to better health with vegetables

by Lynn  Little

From a health standpoint, vegetables are a five-star food group:  naturally
nutrient-rich; better tasting than a vitamin pill; low in calories  and fat;
cholesterol-free; and packed with disease-fighting  phytonutrients.

A study in the November Journal of Nutrition emphasizes  the double benefit
of vegetable intake. Volunteers who ate vegetables  consistently for two
weeks had higher blood levels of vitamin C - and lower  levels of some
compounds that impair health. In this study, the vegetables  were eaten as
gazpacho, an antioxidant-rich soup of tomatoes, cucumbers,  green peppers and
garlic.

To maximize your health with vegetables,  nutrition experts suggest at least
three to five servings per day - in a  rainbow of colors. All types of
vegetables can be nourishing and delicious -  fresh, frozen, canned and
juiced. Hearty soups and stews are a great way to  enjoy veggies on frosty
winter days. Other ways to bump up your intake  during cold and flu season
include: crunchy carrots for a snack at school or  work; a tossed spinach
salad at lunch or dinner; and a quick-to-cook side of  frozen broccoli in the
evening.

Here are a dozen vegetables and ways  to enjoy them, at the same time,
treating yourself to good health:

·  Broccoli and cauliflower: They are versatile and very healthful. Eat them 
raw (with dip if you like) or cooked, in a salad, or even a slaw.

·  Carrots: They're sweet, crunchy, and good for your teeth, eyes and heart. 
They're perfect raw (as a snack or salad) or cooked in a stew.

·  Peppers: They come green, red, yellow, orange, even purple. Enjoy peppers
in  a salad, stir-fry, casserole or as a snack.

· Spinach: A salad of baby  spinach leaves with pears or apples can turn
anyone into a real spinach  lover.

· Onions: The zesty onion family (scallions, leeks, and garlic,  too) offers
some powerful antioxidant nutrients.

· Peas: Fresh,  frozen, or even canned, peas are a treat to eat, and they are
popular with  small children.

· Beets: If you've never liked beets, try them in a new  way - roasted,
grilled or lightly steamed in the microwave.

· Sweet  potatoes and yams: Switch the color on your usual baked potato - and
you'll  get a lot more nutrients, along with great taste.

· Mushrooms: Just a  mushroom or two adds rich flavor to a casserole, soup,
stew, stir-fry, or  even a tossed green salad.

· Leaf and romaine lettuce: Rule of thumb for  a healthy salad: The darker
green or red the lettuce leaves, the more  nutrients you get.

· Green, yellow or purple beans: Like their pea  "cousins," beans offer some
fiber and a bit of protein, along with vitamins  and minerals.

· Tomatoes: Cooking increases the availability of some  tomato nutrients - so
enjoy canned sauce, paste and chunks.

Eating  more vegetables (and fruits) might be one of the smartest choices you
can  make. Eating at least five servings of produce a day helps fight 
cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer, as well as everyday colds. It 
also helps maintain your eyesight and improve overall health at the same 
time.

Portion Sizes

Click on the chart to enlarge

How to Substitute Splenda for Sugar

Confections

In recipes where the amount of sugar is quite high, sugar
often contributes significantly to structure and texture.

Frosting, candy, fudge, caramel, pecan pies, angel food
or pound cake:

For best results, only replace about 25% of the sugar required with SPLENDA® Granular instead of a full sugar replacement. 




Volume / Height
You may notice a smaller yield when substituting SPLENDA®
Granular for sugar. In some cases, cakes and quick breads
will not rise as high as their full-sugar counterparts,
but they will still taste delicious!

To achieve a better rise:

Switch from 9" round pans to 8" round pans with 2" sides.
Also, try adding 1/2 cup nonfat dry milk powder and 1/2
teaspoon of baking soda for every 1 cup of SPLENDA® Granular. 




Creaming
When creaming butter or margarine with SPLENDA® Granular,
your mixture will appear less smooth than with sugar, and
may separate upon the addition of eggs. This is normal and
you should continue following the recipe instructions 




Texture
Cookies often rely on brown sugar for their chewy, crunchy
texture. To retain the texture, replace only the white granulated
sugar in your cookie recipes. You can also try replacing a bit
less of the total sugar or by using SPLENDA ® Sugar Blend for
Baking. Don't forget -you need only half as much SPLENDA ® Sugar
Blend for Baking as the amount of sugar called for in your
recipe. Only 1/2 cup is needed to replace 1 cup of pure sugar.
You may need to flatten the cookies before baking to aid
spreading. Jams, jellies, puddings and custards, when made
with SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener, Granular, may be slightly
thinner or soft-set. See Storage.




Flavor
For cookies, puddings and custards, use an additional teaspoon
of vanilla extract per one cup of SPLENDA® Granular to enhance
flavor. For quick breads and muffins, add one or two tablespoons
of honey or molasses to boost flavor and provide some moistness. 




Yeast Activation
SPLENDA® Granular will not activate yeast. Maintain at least two
teaspoons of sugar in recipes calling for yeast and replace the
remaining sugar with SPLENDA® Granular. 




Browning
In the baking process, sugar caramelizes to produce the familiar
golden brown color of baked goods.

Baked goods made with little or no sugar do not brown like recipes
made with sugar.

To help achieve a more golden brown color when baking with
SPLENDA® Granular, lightly spray the batter or dough with
cooking spray just before placing in the oven.




Bake times
Your baked goods made with SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener may
bake more quickly than those made with sugar.

Cakes: Check 7-10 minutes before the original recipe's
expected bake time.

Cookies, brownies and quick breads: : Check 3-5 minutes before
the original recipe's expected bake time.




Storage
Sugar acts as a preservative, helps retain moisture, and keeps
baked-goods fresher longer.  All fresh baked goods are best
eaten within 24 hours. If you want to keep your baked goods
made with SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener, Granular longer,
wrap well and freeze.

For canning, SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener, Granular does not
provide preservative properties. However, it is heat stable
and can be used as a sweetener in canning.




Canning
SPLENDA® Brand Products are heat stable and can be used as a
sweetener in canning and in making jams and jellies. However,
SPLENDA® Brand Products do not provide the preserving properties
of sugar, so proper canning techniques are essential to avoid
spoilage and to achieve successful results. Once opened, these
homemade goodies must be stored in the refrigerator and used
within one month, to minimize any spoilage from natural
airborne bacteria.

Veggies - FRESH, FROZEN OR CANNED??

Message of the Day
FRESH, FROZEN, CANNED



Growing up, I only knew vegetables one way. FRIED! I didn`t even know
what
vegetable I was eating, because all of them looked the same – FRIED!
Yes, we
had salad on the table for dinner, but us southerners really liked to
ladle
on the dressing, so it`s more like a bowl of dressing with some lettuce
and
chopped tomatoes in it.

I did not become adventurous with vegetables until I came to California
in
the early seventies and opened up a salad bar in Beverly Hills called
"Ruffage." I would get up at four o`clock in the morning and go to the
wholesale produce market to pick up lots of veggies for the day. I made
friends with all the salespeople there, and they would let me taste all
the
vegetables that had been picked and shipped to them. I began having
salads
every day! I tried all kinds of combinations, and when I began eating
vegetables, I began feeling healthier!

There are three ways you can buy veggies nowadays. You can buy them
fresh,
and that`s the best way to eat them. There`s something about the taste
of
freshness that cannot be duplicated. All around the country, there are
many
big supermarkets and massive superstores that have a great selection of
fresh produce at very affordable prices.

The next best thing is frozen. The frozen food department is busting
with
bagfuls of frozen veggies. I picked up a few myself last week. I got
one
with broccoli, carrots, and cauliflower, and another with water
chestnuts,
bell peppers, and zucchini. I keep them handy when I want to make a
quick
vegetable soup or a stir-fry. Sometimes I steam the veggies and add
them to
a baked potato or some pasta.

The third way to purchase veggies is in a can. Before writing this
message,
I bought various cans of veggies. I bought canned spinach, canned green
beans, and canned mixed vegetables. Well, I found that these veggies
tasted
very salty and very soggy. They just didn`t make my taste buds sparkle.
If
for some reason you have to buy canned vegetables, please rinse them
off
before cooking with them.

Are you eating enough portions of veggies every day? How many – five,
six,
seven? Are you eating salads for lunch, snacking on carrots and celery
sticks for snacks during the day? Are you serving a side of vegetables
with
your evening dinner?

Tell me your favorite way of serving veggies. Are they simple, or are
they
edgy? ;-)

Love,
Richard

Curves Eating Suggestions

The following was given  at Curves.

Good Rules
1 Lower your intake of fat and carbohydrates
2. Eat more protein and vegetables
3. Avoid bas complex carbohydrates and bad simple carbohydrates.
4. Drink more water.
5. Go to Curves


Eat More...PROTEIN such as :
Fish
Lean Chicken
Lean Red Beef
Eggs ( 2 a day is permissable)
Tofu, soy products and soy milk, lentils
Dairy - lowfat milk, cheese and yoghurt ( without incorporated fruit)

Eat More : Good Vegetables ( no limit on quantity)
Brocolli, spinach, celery, cucumber, green salads, capsicum ( bell peppers),
 Chinese green vegetables eg bok choy, cauliflower, chillies, green beans,
 spring onion, cabbage, asparagus, mushrooms etc

ELIMINATE : Bad Complex Carbohydrates such as:
Processed ( refined) white flour products - white bread, cakes, biscuits ( cookies), pastries etc
Processed ( refined) grains - white rice.  You can use bearl barley as a substitute.

ELIMINATE : Bad Simple Carbohydrates
Potatoes,
Cane Sugar Products
Carbonated Soft Drinks

Limit or Eliminate these vegetables ( preferrably eliminate)
Onions, carrots, peas, corn, pumpkin, parsnips, broadbeans, beetroot

Limit or Eliminate these fruit
Dates, raisins, sultanas, watermelon, rockmelon, mangos, black grapes, bananas

Acceptable fruits ( 2 pieces maximum a day)
Cherries, plums, green pears, apples, nectarines, berries, grapefruit, peaches,
 oranges

Success Is Waiting For You

SUCCESS IS WAITING FOR YOU

There are no age limits on when you can transform your life.
Change is possible at any time.
It is essential if you want to grow.
You have control over your life.
Success or failure is up to you.
You control how lucky you are.
You create your wealth with your effort.
The doubts you'll experience along the way are part of life.
Make a plan to attain your success and stick to it.
Your life is a marathon, not a short sprint.
Accept total responsibility for your actions
and remove 'QUIT' from your vocabulary.
Decide you want success and it can be yours.
Success is always your choice.

(c)2006 by Max Steingart
Reproduce freely but maintain (c) notice

When you stand still, you reject the struggle, and you refuse to
change and grow.
Ultimately, you reject fulfillment, happiness, the dance for joy and
everything else that is eternally good.~Matthew Kelly