HealthDay – MONDAY, Dec. 21 (HealthDay News) — It may be possible to create foods
with hunger-suppressing aromas that would offer a new way to fight
overeating and obesity, Dutch scientists say.
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Archive for December, 2009
Imagine Food Aromas That Prevent Overeating (HealthDay)
December 22nd, 2009 
News Avoid a Headache by Choosing Vodka over Whiskey
December 22nd, 2009 News We all know that a long night of partying can result in a hangover the next day, but you may be able to avoid the pain by choosing certain liquors over others.
A study was done that involved 95 heavy drinkers, ages 21 to 33, and their job was to get drunk. Not only did they get to booze, but they even got paid for it! The study found that bourbon is likely to give you a harsher hangover in comparison to vodka.
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Garudasana – Eagle Pose
December 22nd, 2009 News 
Garudasana or Eagle Pose is both a balance asana and one that can help loosen your joints. Since you are physically wrapping the left and right side of your body you are also creating balance between the right and left hemispheres of your brain. Breath throughout and try putting the tip of your tongue on your upper palate.
Procedure For Doing Garudasana or Eagle Pose
- Stand straight, your hands pressed together in prayer position.
- Bend your knees slightly. Lift your left foot, and wrap your left leg over your right. Your left shin should wrap around your right calf, with your toes pointed to the floor. Maintain your balance on your right foot.
- Stretch your arms straight out in front of you. Cross your right arm over your left, and bend your elbows so that your forearms are both perpendicular to the floor.
- From this position, wrap your forearms around each other, and press your palms together as much as you can. At this point, you may begin to feel slightly like a pretzel, but focus on keeping your balance on your right leg. Try to keep your body steady and stable.
- Lift your elbows up, stretching your fingers toward the ceiling.
- Maintain the pose for a few breaths (15 to 30 seconds), then unwind your arms and your legs. Return to Step 1. Repeat for the opposite side.
Benefits of Garudasana or Eagle Pose
‘Garuda’ means eagle and ‘asana’ means pose. Garuda known as king birds also happen to be the vehicle of Vishnu. Even though most of the yoga poses aims towards balance and tranquility, by the look of the asana it will be more visible. This asana would help in loosening up your joints. Stretching your muscles would help in making all the parts of your body more fit.
While doing the asana sense of balance would be achieved as you are standing on one foot. It would look similar to you being wrapped by yourself. As this is a standing pose many beginners do not happen to find the right balance, for this they can use the wall to support the back. This can be done with different variations and can be very challenging. You should consult your doctor before doing any of the yoga poses. Even though these are very beneficial it would depend upon your body whether you can manage these asanas.
Even though this may look like a difficult asana but by regularly doing it you may master it and would be able to reap its benefits. The key for all the asanas is that you have to remain in that pose for at least 15 to 30 seconds which would be more beneficial for you. The key areas which this asana focuses are the ankles, calves, thighs, hips and shoulders.
The benefit which you can get from this asana is the strengthening and stretching of you ankles and calves. These areas which may be neglected would be treated well by this asana. The stretch would help your thighs, hips, shoulders and upper back. The pull which is created in this asana would help making you more relaxed. So when you are relaxed the level of concentration also improves as you are also keeping a check on your breathing while doing this exercise. There is balance all over your mind body and soul which keeps you always in check for the better things in life.
Posted in Yoga 
Tags: asana, eagle pose, keeping your balance, prayer position, sense of balance, tip of your tongue, upper palate 
No Comments »mexican lentil stew $9.23 recipe / $0.77 serving
December 22nd, 2009 Beth M. After making a few heavy dishes this past week (meatballs, stroganoff, chorizo breakfast bowls), I was really craving something lighter and full of veggies (but still really hearty and satisfying, of course). After browsing the web, I decided on a vegetarian lentil stew. I began with this recipe for Spicy Red Lentil and Tomato Soup and tweaked it to my liking. As it turns out, this tomato based soupy stew is exactly what I was craving! Even better yet, it was incredibly easy so it could easily be a weeknight dinner. Be warned, this recipe is huge, yielding a whopping 18 cups so I think next time I’ll definitely half the recipe. This time the rest will just end up in the freezer!
Total Recipe cost: $9.23
Servings Per Recipe: 12 (1.5 cups each = HUGE)
Cost per serving: $0.77
Prep time: 5 min. Cook time: 25 min. Total: 30 min.
| INGREDIENTS | COST | |
| 2 cups | dry red lentils | $1.65 |
| 2 Tbsp | olive oil | $0.21 |
| 1 medium | onion | $0.30 |
| 3 stalks | celery | $0.45 |
| 4 cloves | garlic | $0.24 |
| two 14.5 oz. cans | fire roasted diced tomatoes | $2.34 |
| 4 cups | vegetable broth | $2.72 |
| 1/4 tsp each | turmeric and cumin | $0.10 |
| 1 tsp each | chili powder | $0.05 |
| 10-15 dashes | hot sauce | $0.15 |
| 1 medium | lime | $0.33 |
| 1 handfull | cilantro | $0.69 (whole bunch) |
| TOTAL | $9.23 | |
STEP 1: In a medium pot, bring the 2 cups of lentils and 4 cups of water to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, turn off the heat and let sit with a lid on for about 20 minutes.
STEP 2: While the lentils are cooking, begin the stew. Finely dice the onions and cook over medium heat in 2 Tbsp of olive oil. While the onions begin to cook, finely dice the garlic and add to the pot. While the onions and garlic cook, finely chop the celery and then add to the pot.
STEP 3: Cook the onions, garlic and celery until they are soft but not brown. Add the cans of diced tomatoes, vegetable broth, turmeric, cumin, chili powder and the hot sauce. Continue to cook over medium heat until hot.
STEP 4: At this point, the lentils should have absorbed the water and become soft. Add the lentils and any remaining water to the soup mixture. Stir well and slightly mash using the back of your spoon.
STEP 5: Once the entire mixture is hot, add a handful of chopped cilantro and taste test to see if you want any more heat (hot sauce) or salt and pepper.
STEP 6: You can either add the juice of lime to the pot or serve the bowls of stew with a wedge of lime. I like the wedge of lime because it makes for a pretty presentation and that way people can choose whether or not they want it.
NOTE: It wasn’t until after I got home that I noticed I had bought organic vegetable broth which was probably considerably more expensive than regular. Also, if you can’t find the fire roasted tomatoes, don’t fret. They are great and have a wonderful smokey flavor but regular will do great as well (and be about 20 cents less per can).
I had some extra tortilla chips left over from a party (you know how I like to use up leftovers) and they were great dipped in this stew. You could also add a dollop of sour cream or a sprinkle of shredded cheddar cheese. If you have some frozen corn kernels they would also taste great in this stew. Basically, anything that goes well with chili will also taste great with this stew! It’s delicious!!
To our health!
Beth at Budget Bytes
Posted in Budget Bytes Tags: Beth, chili powder, cloves garlic, diced tomatoes, medium, medium onion, medium pot, Per Recipe, red lentils, STEP, stew, tomato soup No Comments »meatball stroganoff $7.99 recipe / $2.00 serving
December 21st, 2009 Beth M. Okay, I saved the best for last! This Meatball Stroganoff is my favorite of all of the recipes that I made with my homemade meatballs. Yes, it is a little bit more expensive per serving than most of my other recipes but it is worth every penny and still a bargain compared to a $8-$12 dish at a restaurant. I love the creamy, beefy sauce with the Italian Meatballs and when they are piled high on top of wide egg noodles, it is truly something special! If you’ve made meatballs and have some in your freezer, please take them out and make this Stroganoff right away!
Total Recipe cost: $7.99
Servings Per Recipe: 4
Cost per serving: $2.00
Prep time: 5 min. Cook time: 35 min. Total: 40 min.
| INGREDIENTS | COST | |
| 16 | homemade italian meatballs | $3.52 |
| 12 oz. | wide egg noodles | $1.04 |
| 8 oz. | white button mushrooms | $1.88 |
| 2 cups (1 can) | beef broth | $0.97 |
| 1 cup | milk | $0.33 |
| 3 Tbsp | butter | $0.15 |
| 3 Tbsp | flour | $0.05 |
| to taste | salt and pepper | $0.05 |
| TOTAL | $7.99 | |
STEP 1: Rinse the mushrooms and slice 1/4 inch thick. In a large skillet, cook the mushrooms in the 3 Tbsp of butter. This may seem like a lot of butter for the mushrooms but you need that quantity of butter for the roux/thickening power for the sauce.
STEP 2: Once the mushrooms have fully cooked and all of the liquid they released has evaporated, add the 3 Tbsp of flour. Stir and cook the flour covered mushrooms until the flour is golden brown (about 2-3 minutes)
STEP 3: Next, whisk in the milk and beef broth until all of the flour is dissolved. Continue to cook and simmer the sauce over medium heat until it has thickened (about 5-10 minutes).
STEP 4: While the sauce is simmering, bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the egg noodles according to the package directions (boil for 5-10 minutes).
STEP 5: Drain the noodles and divide into four servings. Top each serving of noodles with four meatballs and about 3/4 cup of sauce. Enjoy!
It was so good that I COULDN’T help myself while taking the pictures…
NOTE: It wasn’t until well after I finished making this that I remembered Stroganoff is traditionally made with a sour cream sauce. Woops. Either way, this is delicious! The sour cream would add a nice little tang and I bet you wouldn’t have to go through the trouble of making a roux so perhaps next time I’ll try it with sour cream instead. Because there DEFINITELY will be a next time!
To our health!
Beth at Budget Bytes
Foodborne E. Coli Suspected in Urinary Tract Infections (HealthDay)
December 16th, 2009 News HealthDay – WEDNESDAY, Dec. 16 (HealthDay News) — E. coli bacteria in
food — commonly linked to food poisoning and the stomach pain and
diarrhea that result — might also be the cause of some urinary tract
infections.
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Posted in News Tags: diarrhea, e coli, e coli bacteria, food, food poisoning, HealthDay, healthday news, stomach pain, urinary tract infections, Wednesday No Comments »creamed spinach $3.34 recipe / $0.56 serving
December 16th, 2009 Beth M. I made creamed spinach a couple weeks ago and then again this week to fine tune the recipe before posting. Between the two batches of creamed spinach, I found out how versatile the stuff is! I began putting it in everything from casseroles (I mixed it into my Bacon Pesto Pasta Bake) to sandwiches, quesadillas or straight up on crackers. I’ve decided that creamed spinach should almost be a staple in my refrigerator. If you choose your ingredients right, it’s a fairly healthy way to sneak some dark green veggies into your day!
Total Recipe cost: $3.32
Servings Per Recipe: 6
Cost per serving: $0.56
Prep time: 5 min. Cook time: 15 min. Total: 20 min.
| INGREDIENTS | COST | |
| two 10 oz. boxes | frozen chopped spinach | $1.92 |
| 1/2 medium | yellow onion | $0.22 |
| 2 cloves | garlic | $0.12 |
| 2 cups | milk | $0.65 |
| 4 Tbsp | butter | $0.20 |
| 1/4 cup | all-purpose flour | $0.13 |
| 1/4 tsp or to taste | crushed red pepper | $0.05 |
| to taste | salt & pepper | $0.05 |
| TOTAL | $3.34 | |
STEP 1: Thaw your spinach and squeeze out excess water. I just use the microwave to thaw it (put it in a bowl to catch melting liquid) but you can leave it in your fridge for a day too. You do not need to squeeze out ALL of the water, I think some is fine and it holds a lot of spinach flavor.
STEP 2: Finely dice the onion and garlic. Saute until soft and translucent (not browned) in 4 Tbsp of butter over medium heat. This may seem like a lot of butter for half an onion and 2 cloves of garlic but you need 4 Tbsp for the roux to make sure there is enough thickening power for all of the milk.
STEP 3: Once the onions and garlic have cooked, it’s time to make the roux. Dump in the 4 Tbsp (or 1/4 cup) of flour and stir it into the melted butter well. Continue to cook this paste for 1-2 minute more over medium heat.
STEP 4: Add the 2 cups of milk and whisk until all of the flour/butter paste has dissolved. Let the mixture simmer until it is nice and thick (5-10 minutes). Add the salt, pepper and red pepper flakes to taste. The red pepper flakes are not necessary but I think it gives the creamed spinach a nice little kick… Too much and it will over power the fresh, delicate spinach flavor.
STEP 5: Stir in your spinach and you’re done! If your creamed spinach is still too liquidy, you can simmer it a little bit longer until the sauce reduces. Just remember that when it cools down it will thicken as well.
NOTE: Traditionally, nutmeg is the spice of choice for this cream sauce so if you’re not into red pepper, try nutmeg.
The second time I made this creamed spinach, I made half a batch and it was just enough for me. I had half an onion in my fridge waiting to be used up so instead of using only 1/4 onion (if truly halving the recipe), I used the entire half and it still tasted great. I have the container of creamed spinach in my fridge and, I kid you not, I’ve been eating a little bit with everything; breakfast, lunch and dinner!
I find that 2% lowfat milk is my favorite for this recipe because it is has enough fat to keep that creamy taste but not so much that this dish ends up being so heavy that I don’t feel like I’m truly eating vegetables. If you prefer a super rich creamy dish, use whole milk or even a splash of cream. Parmesan cheese melted in would also be divine… but I have to stop myself somewhere!
To our health!
Beth at Budget Bytes
Chao Ga, Vietnamese Rice Porriage
December 16th, 2009 Tommy Grobmyer INGREDIENTS
* 3 cups water
* 3 cups chicken stock
* 1/2 cup glutinous rice
* 1 cups long grain rice
* 1 cup chicken meat, shredded
* 2 tablespoons fish sauce
* ½ teaspoon sugar
* ½ tablespoon poultry seasoning
GARNISHES
* ½ teaspoon white pepper (black works also)
* 2 spring onions or scallions or green onions, sliced thin
DIRECTIONS
1. Place rice and glutinous rice in a large pot with water and stock.
2. Bring to boil then lower heat, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally.
3. Cook until rice is very soft and mixture is thick. Roughly 45-60 minutes.
4. Add fish sauce, sugar, shredded chicken, mushrooms, and poultry seasoning.
5. Stir Gently.
6. Spoon porridge into individual serving bowls.
7. Garnish with spring onion.
8. Sprinkle with pepper.
Posted in Recipes Tags: chicken, green onions, pot with water, poultry seasoning, rice, spring onion, spring onions, teaspoon sugar, Water, white pepper No Comments »Ch Ch Ch Chia
December 16th, 2009 Tommy Grobmyer 
Do you remember this?
Chia Pudding/Cereal
I used to think that chia was just for fun…as in soak the seeds, spread them on your chia pet and literally watch them grow! I was surprised to come across readings that outlined some of the incredible health benefits of chia seed.
Chia is a tiny black or white seed that was used as a staple food by the Indians of the southwest and Mexico. It is used as a high energy food and has been recorded as far back as the ancient Aztecs. Chia absorbs more than ten times its volume in water and forms a gel that makes a great base for puddings and helps keep your body hydrated. Chia is a rich source of fiber, calcium, B vitamins, and Omega 3 fatty acids. It is a complete protein, helps regulate digestion, control blood sugar, and is high in antioxidants.
I started experimenting with different chia pudding/breakfast cereal type recipes. Some worked well, others made me feel like I was eating slimy food that I knew was good for me. Here is one that works really well. Some of the ingredients might not be easy to find so I have added optional substitutions for you. Basically you can make a chia pudding out of any liquid that tastes good. For example if you have a favorite smoothie recipe, make the smoothie and take two cups of liquid and pour it over 1/4 cup of chia seed, let it sit for a half hour to two hours and voila!
1/4 cup chia seeds
2-3 cups coconut water (or filtered water)
meat of one young Thai coconut (you could also use a tablespoon of your favorite nut butter)
1 vanilla bean (or 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract)
1 tablespoon raw honey (or agave, maple syrup, or other favorite sweetener)
pinch of sea salt
Blend coconut water and meat, vanilla, honey and sea salt in a blender until smooth. Pour over chia seeds and let set in refrigerator for thirty minutes to two hours (the longer the better). Once again…you can make this recipe using any ingredients that make a smoothie like texture. Sometimes I add fresh or seasonal berries, apples, pears, almond butter, lucuma, carob powder, cacao powder…..etc.
Good luck! Let me know if you try it and what your favorite chia recipe is.
Posted in Recipes Tags: ancient aztecs, Chia, chia seeds, coconut water, control blood sugar, Mexico, omega 3 fatty acids, Pudding, seasonal berries, teaspoon vanilla, Water No Comments »Don’t Let The Holidays Stress You Out
December 16th, 2009 News Spending time with family is supposed to bring joy and happiness during the holidays, but for many, “the fam” produces stress, anxiety and amounts to obligatory time and energy. Of course, the list of purchases, holiday parties and constant supply of holiday desserts doesn’t help either…
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Posted in News Tags: fam, holiday, holiday desserts, holiday parties, joy and happiness, Spending, spending time with family, stress anxiety, time, time with family No Comments »
