Herbed Turkey Burgers

From Better Homes and Gardens

Top these tasty turkey burgers with tomato and sesame buns. They go perfectly with coleslaw or a salad on the side. PREPARATION TIME: 15 minutes COOKING TIME: 12 to 14 minutes NUMBER OF SERVINGS: 4

INGREDIENTS: 1 1/4 pounds skinless, boneless turkey thighs 1 small onion, chopped 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 1 small green bell pepper, finely chopped 1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs (1 slice white bread) 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley 1 large egg white 1/8 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

DIRECTIONS: 1. Remove skin from turkey thighs. Cut off any visible fat and cut meat into small pieces. 2. Place turkey in a food processor and finely chop, occasionally scraping down sides of bowl, or finely chop by hand. 3. Combine onion, garlic, and bell pepper in a medium bowl. Add breadcrumbs, mustard, parsley, egg white, salt, and ground pepper. Add turkey and stir to combine. 4. Heat broiler, arranging oven rack 5 inches from heat. Divide turkey mixture into quarters and form each into a round, compact patty. 5. Arrange turkey patties on broiler rack and cook 6 to 7 minutes on each side or until cooked through.

Nutrition Per Serving: Per serving: Calories 180, fat 5 g, saturated fat 2 g, cholesterol 78 mg, sodium 139 mg, carbohydrate 6 g, fiber 1 g, protein 25 g.

Chicken Strips and Mustard Sauce

From ChangeOne Diet

For this dish, chicken is cut into matchstick-size strips and stir-fried to cook up quickly. White wine and Dijon mustard add elegance to the sauce. PREPARATION TIME: 5 minutes COOKING TIME: 6 minutes NUMBER OF SERVINGS: 2

INGREDIENTS: 1 skinless, boneless chicken breast (about 1/2 pound), halved and pounded to 1/4-inch thickness 1/4 teaspoon dried sage, crumbled 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled 4 teaspoons flour, divided 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper 1 tablespoon unsalted margarine 1 scallion, finely chopped 1/4 cup white wine or vermouth 1/3 cup low-sodium chicken broth 1/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt 2 tablespoons sour cream 1 teaspoon Dijon or spicy brown mustard (or to taste) 1 tablespoon minced fresh chives or parsley Cooked rice or pasta (optional)

DIRECTIONS: 1. Rub both sides of chicken breast with sage and thyme, then cut into matchstick strips. Combine 3 teaspoons flour with the pepper on a plate. Press chicken strips into flour mixture, coating evenly on all sides, shaking off excess. 2. Melt margarine in a heavy 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook, stirring, 1 to 2 minutes, until chicken is golden; transfer to a warm plate. Add scallion to skillet and stir-fry 30 seconds. Stir in wine and boil, uncovered, 1 minute. Stir in chicken broth and boil 1 minute. 3. Whisk yogurt, sour cream, remaining 1 teaspoon flour and the mustard together in a small bowl; stir into skillet juices. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, 1 to 2 minutes, until thickened. Do not boil or the sauce will curdle. 4. Return chicken to skillet and cook, uncovered, 1 to 2 minutes more, until chicken is heated through. Sprinkle with chives and serve with rice or pasta, if desired.

Nutrition Per Serving: Per serving: Calories 255, fat 11 g, saturated fat 4 g, cholesterol 74 mg, sodium 224 mg, carbohydrate 8 g, fiber 0 g, protein 29 g.

Dilled Flounder With Almonds

From ChangeOne Diet

Give ordinary flounder an extraordinary taste and appearance with sautéed almonds and fresh dill.

PREPARATION TIME: 5 minutes
COOKING TIME: 7 minutes
NUMBER OF SERVINGS: 2


INGREDIENTS: 1 tablespoon flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 flounder fillets (about 5 ounces each)
Vegetable cooking spray
1 tablespoon unsalted margarine, divided
1 tablespoon snipped fresh dill or 1/4 teaspoon dill weed
2 tablespoons slivered almonds

DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine flour, salt, and pepper together on a plate. Press flounder fillets in flour mixture, coating evenly on all sides and shaking off excess. Set aside.

2. Coat a heavy 10-inch nonstick skillet with cooking spray, add 1/2 tablespoon margarine, and melt over medium heat. Add flounder and cook 2 to 3 minutes per side, until browned, turning once.

3. Transfer flounder to a warm platter, sprinkle with dill, and keep warm.

4. Again coat skillet with cooking spray, add remaining 1/2 tablespoon margarine, and melt over medium heat. Add almonds and cook, stirring, 2 to 3 minutes, until almonds are lightly browned. Spoon over flounder

Nutrition Per Serving:Per serving: Calories 230, fat 12 g, saturated fat 2 g, cholesterol 65 mg, sodium 243 mg, carbohydrate g, fiber 1 g, protein 24 g.

Curried Greens Recipe. 2 carb grams

From Dr. Weil's My Optimum Health Plan: Your mind & body wellness center. Get your free health assessment now!

Less 13.43g carb grams after makeover: just replace the brown sugar with brown sugar substitute (click here)

Curried Greens

6 Servings

When people hear the word "greens," I think they immediately conjure up childhood memories of overcooked lumps of vegetation they were forced to eat and hated. But the vegetable section of the grocery is a different world today, brimming with a variety of greens such as spinach, chard, kale, mustard, collards, and bok choy that are tasty as well as excellent sources of vitamins and minerals. Iron, calcium, and folic acid (an important B vitamin that helps prevent birth defects and offers protection from heart disease) are abundant in these leafy veggies. Greens can have strong tastes, but I encourage you to experiment with varieties you've never tried or haven't had in a while. I believe you'll be in for a pleasant surprise.

Ingredients:
1 pound spinach, kale, collards, or beet greens (or mixture of all)
2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
2-3 tablespoons curry powder
1 cup finely chopped tomatoes (fresh or canned)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon dark-brown sugar
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 cup onion, finely diced
3/4 pound brown potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

Instructions:
1. Wash and drain greens, removing any coarse stems and midribs. Cut into half-inch strips.

2. In a small bowl, mix together garlic, curry powder, tomatoes, tomato paste, and sugar.

3. Heat the canola oil in a skillet and sauté onion over medium-high heat until it begins to brown. Add the spice-and-tomato mixture, mix well, and cook for a few minutes.

4. Add the potatoes and 2 cups water.

5. Mix well, bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and cook for 10 minutes.

6. Add greens and cook for 10 minutes more, or until potatoes are done.

7. Correct seasoning to taste. Garnish with the chopped fresh cilantro if desired.

Nutritional Information:

Per serving:
103 calories
3 g total fat (0 g sat)
0 mg cholesterol
19 g carbohydrate ( around 2 g after our makeover)
4 g protein
4 g fiber
250 mg sodium

Grilled Asian Salmon Recipe. I carb gram

Good for Phase 1 South Beach Diet®

Serves 2
Purchase center-cut salmon fillets for this recipe — thinner fillets, cut from the tail end of the salmon, can too easily overcook on the grill. Tip: Salmon skin cooks to a tasty crispiness, so keep the skin on when grilling.

Ingredients
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
2 center-cut salmon fillets, about 5 oz each

Instructions:

1. In shallow glass dish, combine sesame oil, soy sauce, ginger, and vinegar. Add salmon; turn to coat. Marinate, refrigerated, for 30 minutes to 1 hour, turning occasionally.
2. Preheat grill (medium-high heat); lightly oil grill. Place fillets on grill, skin-side up. Grill about 5 minutes per side. Fish is cooked when a thin knife blade inserted in center reveals that the pink flesh is almost opaque. Serve warm.

Nutritional Information:
321 calories
22 total fat (5 g sat)
70 mg cholesterol
1 g carbohydrate
29 g protein
0 g fiber
330 mg sodium

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Low Carb Q&A: Exercise

Question: "What exercises do you recommend for a desk-bound low-carber? "

Answer:

The strictest of all low-carb diets — the ketogenic diet — shouldn't prevent you from regular exercise. In fact, a cardiovascular workout of moderate intensity is recommended: it was shown that ketogenic diets could actually improve one's exercise performance, compared to "balanced" diets, even when matched in calorie intake.

Low-Carb + Moderate Intensity = Greater Benefits

The ketogenic diet caused an increased maximal oxygen consumption capacity (VO2 max,) indicating a shift towards higher exercise tolerance. The theory is that changes in body's insulin and glucagon (insulin's opponent) caused by low-carb diets result in greater oxygen delivery to exercising muscle.

Another benefit of exercise for low-carbers is the intensive fat burning, due to a higher noradrenaline (a fat-burning hormone) response to exercise. Low-carbers also provide a higher rate of free fatty acids that the body taps into for energy.

While exercise is recommended, you should note that a low-carb diet results in shorter time to exhaustion during high-intensity exercise, so again, I recommend moderate intensity. High-intensity, interval intermittent exercises, such as sprinting, are also possible, as long as you allow yourself adequate time to recover between bouts.

Bodybuilding is a completely different story: it’s all about increasing muscle mass —something that just can't be accomplished on a low-carb diet.

From all these facts, the recommendations are simple:

- Exercise is not only possible during low-carb diets — it’s encouraged.
- The type of exercise is up to you, though high-intensity and high-duration exercises should be avoided
- If you chose to do interval training, be sure to allow more time between exercises.

Low-carb diets should not prevent you from keeping fit, desk-bound or not. Don't hesitate to let me know if you want my specific advice on safe and efficient ways of fitness training.

Sources

- Journal of Physiology & Pharmacology, 47(2):361-71, 1996
- Journal of Clinical Investigation, 66(5):1152-61, 1980
- Sports Medicine, 27(4):213-28, 1999
- American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 71(2):450-7, 2000
- European Journal of Applied Physiology & Occupational Physiology,
73(1-2):105-12, 1996
- European Journal of Applied Physiology & Occupational Physiology, 70(1): 70-4, 1995
- Journal of Sports Sciences, 11(2):119-26, 1993

23 Tips on Cutting Donw on Sweets

Although the USDA recommends we get no more than 10 teaspoons of sugar a day, the average American downs about 34 teaspoons — more than three times as much. Here we’ll show you ways to get your sugar consumption down to healthy levels. But beware: Uncovering all the sugar in your diet isn’t easy. Sugar often hides under several pseudonyms and turns up in even the most innocuous foods (like bread, crackers, salad dressing, ketchup, and mustard). But with the following tips, you should be able to have your cake and eat it too. Click here to get all 23 tips!