Potato Peeling Tip

Dining Out?

15 Restaurant Survival Strategies from Eat This Not That

1. Front-Load with Protein
So what’s the best way to start the meal? Easy—you want something loaded with lean protein. A study published in Physiology & Behavior showed that people who ate a protein-heavy appetizer consumed an average of 16 percent fewer calories in their entrée than those who loaded up with carbohydrates. The effect is spoiled, though, if you wolf down a bunch of greasy chicken strips. Look for something like shrimp cocktail, which hasn’t been deep-fried or slathered with cheese.

2. Beware of the Booze
We know life's rough, but here's the deal: The standard cocktail has anywhere from 200 to 500 calories, yet those who drink before a meal actually wind up eating more come chow time. Researchers in the Netherlands gave people a pre-meal treatment of booze, food, water, or nothing. Those who had the booze spent more time eating, began feeling full later in the meal, and consumed an average 192 extra calories.

3.Beware of Portion Distortion
According to data collected by the Nationwide Food Consumption Survey, food portions are growing. Hamburgers, for instance, have grown by 97 calories since 1977. French fries have grown by 68 calories. The problem with this is, as the research points out, that people don’t necessarily stop eating when they’re full. Students at Cornell were given access to an all-you-can-eat buffet and told to go to town. Researchers took note of how much they ate; the following week, they served the same students portions of either equal size, 25 percent bigger, or 50 percent bigger. Those with 25 percent more food ate 164 more calories, and those with 50 percent more food ate 221 extra calories.

4. Enjoy the Conversation
It takes your stomach about 20 minutes to tell you that you’re full. That means you need to eat slowly so you get the message before you’ve overeaten. That shouldn’t be hard—just set your fork down every now and again and tell one of the many adventurous stories from your childhood. Told them already? Make up some new ones.

5. Avoid Handouts
Just because it doesn't cost money doesn't mean it doesn't have a price. Munch on a couple of Olive Garden's bread sticks or Red Lobster's Cheddar Bay Biscuits and you've just put down 300 calories before your meal arrives. A basket of chips at the Mexican joint? Expect a price tag around 500 calories, which can easily double the impact of an entrée. Not so free now, is it?

6. Don’t Fall for Combos
At every fast-food restaurant, as soon as you decide on an entrée, expect to face some variation of this question: “Would you like to make it a combo meal?” Of course, you’re tempted. This is the modern-day equivalent of supersizing, wherein you get an average of 55 percent more calories for 17 percent more money. It’s also the cheapest way to get fat in a hurry. Just say no.

7. Drink Responsibly
Sure, sure, you know all about the dangers of soda, but here's what you might not realize: A cup of sweet tea is only marginally better than Pepsi. Each glass you drink with dinner adds about 120 calories to your meal, and the same goes with juice. In fact, America's love affair with flavored drinks adds 450 calories to our daily diet, according to a study from the University of North Carolina. That's an extra 47 pounds of body mass to burn off (or not) each year. Switch to water, though, and it has the opposite effect: The more you drink, the more you shrink. Choose accordingly.

8. Drink Responsibly
Sure, sure, you know all about the dangers of soda, but here's what you might not realize: A cup of sweet tea is only marginally better than Pepsi. Each glass you drink with dinner adds about 120 calories to your meal, and the same goes with juice. In fact, America's love affair with flavored drinks adds 450 calories to our daily diet, according to a study from the University of North Carolina. That's an extra 47 pounds of body mass to burn off (or not) each year. Switch to water, though, and it has the opposite effect: The more you drink, the more you shrink. Choose accordingly.

9. Think Big
Restaurants are not required to emblazon nutritional information on the side of their plates, which makes it nearly impossible to guess how many calories are in each meal. Care to venture a guess? Well, if you’re like most people, you’re not even in the ballpark. A 2006 study published in the American Journal of Public Health found that consumers given an obviously high-calorie restaurant meal still underestimated the caloric load by an average of 600 calories. Use that as the new barometer to gauge the heft of your dinner.

10 Think Thin
Want to know the easiest way to make a portly pizza? Here's a hint: It has nothing to do with toppings. Nope, the biggest problem facing your pie is the massive boat of oily crust hunkering along the bottom. Your best defense is to order it as thin as you can. Three deep-dish slices from a large Domino's pie, before toppings, will cost you 1,002 calories. Downsize that to a thin crust and you just burned off 420 calories without lifting a finger. Who knew losing weight was so easy?

11 Invite the Kids to the Grown-Up Table
Speaking of pizza, how do you rein in the kids' growing affection for cheese and pepperoni? Not by ordering them a personal pan found on so many kids' menus across America. The mini pepperoni at Pizza Hut runs 660 calories, and even the kids' regular crust pizza at Uno Chicago Grill has 780. And it's not just pizza; from 873-calorie "mini" turkey burgers at Ruby Tuesday to 981-calorie nachos at On the Border, kids' menus are often cluttered with problematic foods. Massive portions like this help explain how today's little ones consume 180 more calories per day than their peers of 1989. That's a lot of girth over the course of childhood. Instead of ordering whole meals, combat the trend by feeding the small appetites with a little off your plate. A couple of slices of your thin pepperoni pizza, for instance, will cost only 400 calories. Half a cheeseburger? About 350 calories. Make this the norm and you'll save calories for them and yourself.

12 Side with Sides
Some of the best of restaurant fare can be found in the side items section of the menu. Plates of black beans, roasted seasonal vegetables, and even skewers of "add-on" shrimp are prime fodder for a healthy meal. Stick to two and you can walk out feeling better for not having busted your calorie bank. (Oh, and you'll save cash, too-if you're into that kinda thing.)

13 Personalize Your Order
Think of the menu as a list of starting points. Any respectable joint in the country-even fast-food purveyors-will tailor to your wants, but only if you voice them. The caloric savings are as big as your imagination. Take a BLT-ask for mustard instead of mayo, then pick off a slice or two of bacon and you've just cut 250 to 400 calories from your sandwich. Use these to help you get the hang of it: Ask them to sub in whole-grain bread on your sandwich at Panera, to make your pasta with whole wheat noodles at Macaroni Grill, and to go light on the oil with your omelet at Denny's. There, wasn't that easy?

14 Order It To Go
How many times have you finished your plate just because there wasn't enough to take home? Well, next time, make sure there's enough. Every time you order a full-size dinner entrée, ask the server to deliver a to-go box with your food. The food is easier to divide before you start eating, and you won't have to fight the temptation of a half-eaten manicotti sticking in your face.

15 Be a Dessert Dodger
When the food-industry research company Technomic surveyed 1,500 people on their dessert habits, not a single person reported that they never ate dessert. To contrast, 57 percent said they ate dessert frequently. Of course, there's no problem with an occasional treat, but there is a problem when it tacks on half a day's calories to the end of your meal. The average dessert at T.G.I. Friday's, for instance, packs 819 calories. So rather than order your own massive dessert, ask for an extra spoon and take a few bites from your tablemates' orders. You'll be doing everyone a favor.

Coffee Filters

1. Cover bowls or dishes when cooking in the microwave. Coffee filters make excellent covers.
2. Clean windows and mirrors. Coffee filters are lint-free so they'll leave windows sparkling.
3. Protect China Separate your good dishes by putting a coffee filter between each dish.
4. Filter broken cork from wine. If you break the cork when opening a wine bottle, filter the wine through a coffee filter.
5. Protect a cast-iron skillet. Place a coffee filter in the skillet to absorb moisture and prevent rust.
6. Apply shoe polish. Ball up a lint-free coffee filter.
7. Recycle frying oil. After frying, strain oil through a sieve lined with a coffee filter.
8. Weigh chopped foods. Place chopped ingredients in a coffee filter on a kitchen scale.
9. Hold tacos. Coffee filters make convenient wrappers for messy foods.
10. Stop the soil from leaking out of a plant pot. Line a plant pot with a coffee filter to prevent the soil from going through the drainage holes.
11. Prevent a Popsicle from dripping. Poke one or two holes as needed in a coffee filter.
12. Do you think we used expensive strips to wax eyebrows? Use strips of coffee filters.
13. Put a few in a plate and put your fried bacon, French fries, chicken fingers, etc on them.
Soaks out all the grease.
14. Keep in the bathroom. They make great "razor nick fixers."
OH YEAH THEY ARE GREAT TO USE IN YOUR COFFEE MAKERS
Who knew? And you can buy 1,000 at the Dollar Tree for almost nothing.

Snow? Think Pineapple

A bright, sunny, yellow pineapple

First start with natural beauty treatment so the fragrants of pineapple fill your cute little nose. Alpha hydroxy acids (AHA) work wonders because it removes dead skin cells, which is mainly made up of a protein called keratin. But did you know there is a type of plant enzymes called Proteolyitc enzymes that actually help to dissolve the layer of keratin?

Pineapple is a main source of Proteolytic plant enzyme. The enzyme helps to fight free-radicals that damage the skin and helps to remove dead skin cells while detoxifying to give a clean, rejuvenated skin. Pineapple is useful against acne as it has anti-inflammation properties. Having exfoliating and anti-acne properties, pineapple makes your skin spotless and young.

1 slice ripe pineapple or 1 tablespoon pineapple juice

Massage the fruit or juice onto your face. Although the fruit is sticky, it is best to let it dry completely (it takes about 10 to 15 minutes), before rinsing with warm water and patting dry. Rub your hand over your face to feel just how much softer and more supple the skin feels! Speaking of hands…. It’s nice on the top of the hands too.

Don't you just hate it when your elbows get dry, itchy and scaly? Dry, scaly elbows don't look attractive at all. You can remedy this skin problem by exfoliating using a good, and natural, body scrub: fresh pineapple. Rub some mashed, fresh pineapple onto your elbows (as well as on other dry, itchy and scaly areas on your body) and rinse it off after 15 minutes. Apply lotion or moisturizer to finish it off.

Now let's go to Hawaii



Pineapple is Beneficial also in the following condition :
1.It regulates the gland and found to be helpful in cases of goiter
(enlargement of the thyroid gland).
2.Dyspepsia (chronic digestive disturbance).
3.Bronchitis (inflammation of the bronchial tubes.)
4.Catarrh (secretions from mucous membranes).
5.High Blood pressure.
6.Arthritis (diseases of the joints)
7.Fresh pineapple juice is also used in removing intestinal worms.
8.Fresh pineapple juice has been used to combat diphtheria and other infections of the throat or other parts of the body.
9.Prevents nausea (includes morning sickness and motion sickness), Take 230 cc. of pineapple juice or papaya juice.
10.Constipation
Optimize your vitamin C intake. Look for the "gold" variety of pineapple. Loaded with 4 times the vitamin C of regular pineapple, this variety is exceptionally sweet, with golden-colored flesh.

So some great health benifits.
Did ya know pineapple is a meat tenderizer? The bromelain in pineapple helps tenderize meats because it breaks down protein. When making a marinade for tough cuts of meat such as flank steak, add pineapple juice. Now ya know!

How to cut a pineapple

Courtesy of Alan


Choosing a ripe pineapple is not hard. First check for fresh, green leaves and plumpness. Smell the base for a sweet, pineapple smell. Check for soft or moldy spots that are signs of bad fruit.

Lay the pineapple on its side and slice off both the crown and the stem. Some people like to twist the crown off with their bare hands and growl, but it's purely a matter of preference.



Next, stand the pineapple up on end and carefully slice off the skin, from top to bottom, leaving as much flesh as possible. Don't worry about the little eye spots; we take care of those next.



If you observe the eye spots, you'll see that they form diagonal lines around the pineapple. Cut a v-shaped groove along each diagonal line to remove the eye spots.



At this point, everything left is edible. If you want pineapple circles, cut the fruit in disks and then core each disk.



Munch on the core as you cook-- it's tough but many people like the mild flavor. If you want pineapple cubes or wedges, instead cut the pineapple into quarters lengthwise, core each quarter, and work from there.



Pineapple is low in fat, contains no cholesterol and is brimming with Vitamin C and other trace minerals

You might be warming up pizza

Here's a helpful hint: Heat up leftover pizza in a nonstick skillet on top of the stove, set heat to med-low and heat till warm. This keeps the crust crispy. No soggy micro pizza. I saw this on the cooking channel and it really works.

How about low cal pizza that tastes good?
Nutritious by nature - Delicious by design
AC LaRocco pizza in the frozen food section.


http://www.aclarocco.com/index.html

All about Banana

The original Chiquita Banana commercial

FYI:Take your bananas apart when you get home from the store.
If you leave them connected at the stem, they ripen faster.


Bananas contain three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber. A banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy. Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout.

No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world’s leading athletes.
But energy isn’t the only way a banana can help us keep fit.
It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.

Depression: According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.

PMS: Forget the pills - eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.

Anemia: High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.

Blood Pressure: This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it perfect to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit’s ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.

Brain Power: 200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school ( England ) were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.

Constipation: High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.

Hangovers: One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey. The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.

Heartburn: Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.

Morning Sickness: Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.

Mosquito bites: Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.

Nerves: Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.

Overweight and at work? Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and chips. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady.

Ulcers: The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.

Temperature control: Many other cultures see bananas as a “cooling” fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Thailand , for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): Bananas can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer tryptophan.

Smoking &Tobacco Use: Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.

Stress: Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body’s water balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels.. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack.

Strokes: According to research in The New England Journal of Medicine, eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%!

Warts: Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want to kill off a wart, take a piece of banana skin and place it on the wart, with the yellow side out. Carefully hold the skin in place with a plaster or surgical tape!

So, a banana really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrate, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around…

So maybe its time to change that well-known phrase so that we say,
“A banana a day keeps the doctor away "

Lock & Roll

I had to go into the kitchen and check this out for myself. Whoever looks at the end of your aluminum foil box? You know when you try to pull some foil out and the roll comes out of the box. Then you have to put the roll back in the box and start over. The darn roll always comes out at the wrong time. Same with Saran wrap I can't count the number of times the Saran wrap roll has jumped out when I was trying to cover something up.
Revelation:
Right there on the end of the box is a tab to lock the roll in place. Who knew?

Amazing Omega-3 Eggs
High omega-3 eggs are nature's nearly perfect food. Eggs contain all known nutrients except for vitamin C! They are good sources of fat-soluble vitamins A and D as well as certain carotenoids that guard against free-radical damage to the body. They also contain lutein, which has been shown to prevent age-related macular degeneration. When possible, buy eggs directly from farms where the chickens are allowed to roam free and eat their natural diet, or purchase eggs marked DHA or high omega-3 eggs (they contain a healthy balance of omega-3 to omega-6). Despite the unfounded cholesterol scare during the past 15 years, eggs can be a healthy addition to anyone's diet; they can actually help reduce the risk of both heart disease and cancer.

12 Food Additives to Avoid

The following food preservatives, colorings, and sweeteners are known or strongly suspected to cause cancer. Avoid eating foods that contain these additives:
sodium nitrate
sodium nitrite
blue #1
blue #2
blue #3
green #3
red #3
yellow #6
saccharine
acesulfame K
acesulfame potassium
potassium bromate

From the Harvard Health Publications Special Health Report, Healthy Eating: A Guide to the New Nutrition. Copyright 2006 by the President and Fellows of Harvard College. Illustrations by Christopher Bing, Lynn Jeffery, and Doug McGredy. All rights reserved. Written permission is required to reproduce, in any manner, in whole or in part, the material contained herein. To make a reprint request, contact Harvard Health Publications. Used with permission of StayWell.

FYI

SECRETS THE FOOD INDUSTRY DOESN'T WANT YOU TO KNOW!
The food industry doesn’t want you to know that companies must pay to be an American Heart Association-certified food. That’s why the AHA logo might appear on some products but is absent from others—even when both meet the guidelines.