Quinoa Curry with Peas and Pine Nuts

How to Travel and Stay on Track with Your Diet
Here are some tips so you'll come home as slim as when you left. Enjoy eating the food when you're away. After all one of the reasons for going to a foreign destination is to sample the local cuisine. Whether you're going across the globe or to the next state the same tips apply.

• Treat yourself to one or two desserts on your trip, and leave off the rest.
• For breakfast look for low sugar cold cereal and skim milk in the hotel dining room. Oatmeal is always a good choice, but leave off the sugar and raisins. Sweeten the oatmeal with Splenda and ask the server if they can bring you cinnamon to stir into your oatmeal.
• I bring whole grain crackers and unsalted nuts from home when I travel, and when I'm away I snack on fruit and crackers.
  
• When you have free time get some exercise and take a walk.
• Don't overeat on trips. You don't want to be sick while you're away.

Going to Parties Without Gaining an Ounce: Here's How.
Remember when I told you that you'll have to live in the world and deal all kinds of situations? There is a way you can go to parties and get through the holiday season without gaining weight, but YOU HAVE TO HAVE A PLAN.

• Never go to a party hungry. Before you get dressed have a healthy snack so you're not starving when you get to the party. Have something substantial enough to take the edge off your appetite.
  
• Before going through the food line at the party check out the food and decide what you are going to eat. Be very selective about it. Boiled shrimp with a little cocktail sauce, roast beef and a big helping of raw veggies without the dip are good choices.
  
• Go for the fresh fruit. If you're maintaining your weight then have one dessert, but limit it to a once a week treat.
• Watch the drinking; alcohol contains a lot of sugar. Have one glass of dry red wine.
• After you go through the food line then walk away from the table.
• Enjoy socializing with people and smile when people tell you how fabulous you look.

The following recipe is from my upcoming book Eating Your Way To Healthy Living.

Quinoa Curry with Peas and Pine Nuts
My visit to Ecuador inspired me to develop this recipe when I got home. They served quinoa soup that was so delicious. You should be able to find achiote powder in the grocery where the Hispanic seasonings are displayed. If you can't find it then use paprika instead. This quick and easy dish is perfect for a vegetarian dinner.

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 cup quinoa well rinsed in a fine sieve
• 1 teaspoon achiote powder. Use paprika if you can't find achiote powder.
• 2 teaspoons curry powder
• 2 cloves fresh garlic, crushed
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 2 zucchini, cut into slices
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 bunch scallions, including a little of the green stalks, sliced
• 1/2 cup unsalted pine nuts, toasted
• handful fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
• 1 cup low sodium vegetable broth

Please follow these directions.

1. Spread out the pine nuts on a tray and bake in a toaster oven on 325 degrees for 5 minutes or until lightly toasted. Watch carefully so they don't burn.
   
2. Heat the olive oil in a pot and cook the chopped onion and garlic in it for a few minutes until the onion is tender.
   
3. Add in the quinoa, 1/2 teaspoon curry powder and cook over medium heat for 2 minutes while stirring often. Add 2 cups water, bring to a boil, and turn the heat down to low.
4. Cover the pot and cook over low heat for 10 minutes. After the quinoa has cooked for 10 minutes add the zucchini to the pot.
   
5. Cover and cook for 5 minutes more. The zucchini should be crisp at this point.
   
6. Add the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons of the curry powder, 1 teaspoon achiote powder, 1/2 cup water, vegetable broth, peas, scallions and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well and cook covered over low heat for 5-7 minutes until the peas are cooked through.
7. Before serving add in the pine nuts and cilantro and stir. Spoon into bowls to eat.
   

Serves 4.

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Carmela's Indian Okra

Functional Training, a new way of getting in shape, has become popular and for good reason. Instead of concentrating on one set of muscles this workout uses multiple muscle groups in an integrated way to improve core strength, flexibility, coordination and endurance. This type of training enables us to do more work like carry a heavy bag of groceries up the steps; it works on balance so we aren't as likely to fall. It's important to stay strong so we can maintain independence as we age. Weight training; it builds more than strength. As you age you lose muscle mass, but weight training keeps muscles strong no matter what your age. Muscles burn more calories than fat, and this is important for weight control. You can work out when you travel. Many hotels have pools and fitness rooms, or you can pack exercise rubber bands and a thin exercise mat in your suitcase so you can work out in your room. It's a good idea to vary your exercise routine from day to day. I do a combination of weight training, core training and different types of walking. To stay motivated change your routine, and find the kind of exercise you enjoy so you'll stay with it. Combine exercising with socializing and family time.
You can make your own convenience food. You don't have to spend all your time in the kitchen every day to enjoy eating the wonderful creations in Eating Your Way to Healthy Living. When you have some time bake and freeze the muffins, pancakes and waffles to eat on a busy weekday morning. If you work during the week on Saturday or Sunday do a big shop at the grocery. Spend a couple of hours making two or three dishes and freeze them in portions. When I make a big pot of soup I eat it for a couple of nights and then freeze it in portions. If you build up a variety of frozen meals you can vary your food from night to night, plus you don't have to cook.
Here's how to cope with eating out and still stay on track with your plan. Be assertive in restaurants. Don't expect restaurant menus to always have the foods you need to eat, so you're going to have to be your own advocate for your new way of eating. Check to see how the food is prepared, and always ask the server to bring the sauce on the side. Instead of ordering mashed white potatoes ask the server to bring you two servings of vegetables. If you ask politely they will usually accomodate you.

The following recipe is also from my upcoming book Eating Your Way to Healthy Living.

Carmela's Indian Okra
This easy but scrumptious recipe came from Carmela, an Indian friend, who lives high up on a hill overlooking a gorgeous lake. I went to her house for a party, and my favorite foods there were the okra, lentils and rice. Be sure to use fresh okra in this dish.

• 1 pound fresh okra, stems cup off and sliced in half lengthwise
• 1 tabelspoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 cloves fresh garlic, crushed
• 1 large tomato, chopped
• 1 teaspoon tumeric
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Please follow these directions.

1. In a large skillet cook the onions and garlic in olive oil for 5 minutes or so until the onions are soft. Add in the tomato, tumeric, salt, and pepper and cook a few minutes longer until the tomatoes have lost some of their juice.
2. Add in the okra and cook uncovered over medium high heat while stirring often. When the okra starts to brown turn the heat down to low and cook covered for 12-15 minutes or until the okra dries out.
3. Stir every few minutes. Do not add water. It is important to the taste and texture of this dish that the oka is dried out. Serve with brown rice and lentils.

Serves 8.

Pomegranate Salad

This is a good time for you to branch out and try foods you haven't had before. Before I started on this low glycemic eating plan I had never heard of grains like spelt and kamut but now these are part of my diet. Dark chocolate with a minimum of 70% cocoa and natural peanut butter are also part of my plan. Once you lose your weight then you can eat whatever you want with moderation and still stay on track.
It does matter what you eat. There's a lot of diet confusion out there, so forget everything you've ever heard about diets. Don't kid yourself that what you eat isn't important because it is. The food choices you make every day help determine whether you are healthy or sick and how long you'll live.
This is what it takes to be a winner in the weight loss stakes: The National Weight Control Registry keeps records of people who have lost a minimum of 30 pounds and have kept it off for more than 5 years. Many of them have common stories of how they did it that will help you. Many of the winning dieters failed a number of times before finding a diet that worked for them. Be sure to find an eating plan that you can live with because this is going to be a lifestyle change. Eat a healthy breakfast every monring. Move more, sit less. All the winners in the Weight Control Registry exercised a lot. Calories and portion size count. Leave off the junk food and spend your calories wisely by eating nutrition dense foods. Fill up on fruits and vegetables. Eat the right foods, lower your calories, exercise more and you can be a winner too.
How to roll with the punches and stay with your plan: You have to live in the real world filled with food temptations and stress. You need to know how to cope with your new eating and exercise plan when life throws you a curve. Your child could be sick, you might have a big project due at work in two days, and family emergencies happen. Does this mean you should throw in the towel and dig into a piece of hot fudge cake just because right now you don't have time to exercise regularly or eat the way you should? If you can work in a 15 minute walk three times a week it will make you feel better. The main thing is to go right back to your healthy eating and exercising as soon as the crisis is over.
Eating right isn't enough; you have to exercise to get and stay healthy. You don't necessarily need to join an expensive gym to exercise. You can buy an exercise book, some good walking shoes and some dumbells and exercise at home and in your neighborhood. The point is to make exercise a priority in your life. Schedule 30 minute exercise sessions three to four days a week to start. Plan for exercise in your day; don't wait until you've finished everything else. I used to exercise to burn calories and to lose weight. Now I exercise to relieve stress, boost energy, improve flexibility and strengthen my bones and heart. My concern now is improving balance, muscle tone, endurance and being able to do more work and maintaining my independence as I get older.

The following recipe is from my upcoming cookbook Eating Your Way to Healthy Living.

Pomegranate Salad
Very seasonal and festive this salad makes the most of the luscious red pomegranates that are available in the fall. I used red pears which added more color but you can use any variety of ripe pear.

• 1 bunch curly green lettuce
• 1 bag mixed green and red butter lettuce
• 2 ripe pears, halved, cored and cut into wedges. Leave the skin on.
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup crumbled low-fat feta cheese
• 1/3 cup pecans, broken into large pieces and toasted
• 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds from 1 pomegranate
• handful of fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Please follow these directions.

1. Slice a medium sized pomegranate in half and cut each half into quarters. Fill a mixing bowl with water and gently pull out the pomegranate seeds under the water.
2. Drain the seeds in a strainer and discard any of the white rind.
   
3. In a large salad bowl put curly lettuce and the butter lettuce that has been washed, dried and torn into peices.
   
4. Add the pears, feta cheese, pomegranate seeds, toasted pecans and chopped parsley. Sprinkle in some freshly ground black pepper.
   
5. In a small bowl combine the olive oil, lime juice and Dijon mustard. Pour the dressing the salad and mix well.
6. I did not use any added salt since the Feta cheese is salty. Also if you use all of the lettuces you may have to double the ingredients for the dressing so you will have enough.

Serves 8.

Pasta Vegetable Casserole

Eating fats don't make you fat, but the wrong fats will make you sick. It's not how much fat you eat but the type of fat that counts. Fats are calorie dense, and although you can't indulge in a high fat diet if you want to lose weight, a moderate amount of healthy fats are essential for your health. The Good Fats: Polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats are the fats you should be eating, and you get these kinds of fats from nuts, seeds, fish and vegetables. Polyunsaturated fats contain essential fats that are hugely important to your health, but your body can't make these fats. Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are only found in foods. These essential fats improve your cholesterol profile, lower triglycerides and reduce the risk of stroke and heart disease. For cooking olive oil and canola oil are healthy fats that work well. I like to use Smart Balance Buttery Spread for baking because it has no trans fats and it has a good taste. Be sure to use the regular version and not the light though. When you're baking and a recipe calls for butter use Smart Balance instead.
The Bad Fats: We all love ice cream, but eating a diet rich in saturated fat raises low density lipoprotein, or the bad cholesterol. Stay away from saturated fats that are found in meats, butter and ice cream, and avoid trans fats which are found in most margarines, meats, packaged foods and fast foods. Most bakery goods use trans fats.
Yes you can have coffee and dry red wine with this eating plan and still lose weight. Just limit yourself to one cup of coffee a day, and leave off the sugar. Use splenda if you want it sweet, and instead of cream use skim milk in your coffee. You can hae one glass of dry red wine a day if you want. It's important for you to enjoy eating and drinking within reason so you will be able to stay with this low glycemic eating scheme for life.
Snacking, what a great idea! Snacking is hugely important to your weight control efforts since it keeps hunger at bay, adds healthy foods into your daily intake and spreads out eating during the day. With snacks in the late afternoon and at night, this is a diet for eaters who love food. I usually have a piece of fruit, a couple of whole grain crackers with soy cheese in the late afternoon, and at night I'll snack on fruit and unsalted nuts. My late afternoon snack takes the edge off my appetite so I don't overeat at dinner.

The following recipe is also from my upcoming book Eating Your Way to Healthy Living.

Pasta Vegetable Casserole
Don't be put off by all the ingredients in this scrumptious vegetarian recipe. It is a perfect dish to bring to a pot luck dinner.

• 16 ounces uncooked whole wheat rotini noodles
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed in garlic press
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 12 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 5 large yellow crookneck squash, sliced
• 4 large zucchini, sliced
• 1 green pepper, chopped
• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 28 ounce can salt-free diced tomatoes, drained
• handful fresh basil, chopped
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• Large container low-fat cottage cheese
• 26 ounce jar Classico Fire Roasted Tomato and Garlic Spaghetti sauce
• 1 cup part skim mozzeralla cheese, grated
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Please follow these directions.

1. Cook rotini noodles until they are al dente, or still a little chewy. Do not overcook the pasta. Drain pasta and spread the noodles in the bottom of a large baking pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray.
2. In a large skillet cook the onions, garlic, mushrooms, yellow squash, zucchini, and green pepper in the olive oil. Stir often and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes until the vegetables are crisp tender.
3. Add the drained tomatoes, the thawed spinach that has been squeezed dry, salt, pepper, oregano and basil to the vegetables. Stir well. Go light on the salt.
   
4. Spoon the vegetables evenly over the pasta in the baking pan. Spoon the cottage cheese over the vegetables and smooth out with the back of a spoon. Put the spaghetti sauce over the cottage cheese and spread that out evenly with the back of a spoon.
5. Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese over the spaghetti sauce, and finally sprinkle the Parmesan cheese on top.
   
6. Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 40-45 minutes until the cheese is slightly browned and the casserole is bubbly.

Serves 12.

Crunchy Broccoli with Sesame Seeds and Ginger

Whole grains figure prominently in the low sugar or Glycemic Index eating plan and with good reason. A nutritional powerhouse, they are packed with bran, fiber, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other plant chemicals that boost your health. They're chewy and delicious and fill you up and not out. You need to eat carbs, but it's important for you to know the good carbs from the bad ones.
The Good Carbs are low glycemic foods such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables, beans and legumes. They take longer to digest and keep blood sugar and insulin levels in check.
The Bad Carbs include all forms of refined sugar, white bread, white pasta, white rice, white potatoes, white flour and corn. We have already talked about how these bad carbs wreck havoc with your blood sugar and insulin levels.
Why are fruits and vegetables so important? Experts say to cut back on meat and chicken and to eat more fruits, vegetables and grains. Chicken, seafood, lean meats, eggs, healthy fats, low fat dairy products and nuts are all part of a healthy diet, but fruits, vegetables, beans and legumes are turly the stars of the show. Almost daily new research is touting the power of fruits and vegetables.
What does the new dinner plate look like? Fruit, vegetables and grains should take up two thirds of the plate with animal products like meat taking up only one third of the space. Think of the plant foods as the main dish and meat as a side dish with the protein on the plate being no bigger than a deck of cards. Nutritional experts suggest cutting back on red meat and eating chicken and fish instead. It is best to eat a variety of protein like tofu, nuts, dried beans or peas rather than just concentrating on chicken or fish.
The latest Dietary Guidelines from the Departments of Health and Human Services were released in 2005, and here's their lowdown on what we should be eating. They recommended we eat 6 1/2 cups of fruits and vegetables, several whole grain products and three servings of low fat dairy products a day. They also recommended that we should exercise for 60 minutes on most days to lose weight and 90 minutes a day to keep the weight off. I kow most people aren't going to eat that many fruits and vegetables, nor are they going to exercise for an hour or more a day. If you make small gradual changes in the way you eat and work in 30 minutes of exercise on most days that will be a great start.

The following recipe is from my upcoming book Eating Your Way to Healthy Living.

Crunchy Broccoli with Sesame Seeds and Ginger
Crisp cooked broccoli with an Asian flavoring really makes this recipe pop. It is quick and easy to make too.

• l large bunch fresh broccoli, cut into large pieces. Discard bottom third of the stalks.
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted
• 1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon rice or cider vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon Splenda sugar substitute
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  
• 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed in garlic press

Please follow these directions.

1. Spread out the sesame seeds on a baking tray in a toaster oven and toast at 325 degrees for 4-5 minutes until the seaame seeds begin to brown. Watch this carefully to make sure sesame seeds don't burn. You may need to turn down the heat.
   
2. In a large skillet cook the red pepper flakes, ginger and garlic in the sesame oil for 3 minutes over medium heat while stirring often. Mix together the soy sauce, vinegar and Splenda in a small bowl.
   
3. Wash broccoli well, cut off all but 2 inches of the stalks and cut the crowns and remaining stems into large pieces.
4. Add broccoli to the ginger in the skillet and stir fry for 1 minute. Add the soy sauce mixture to the broccoli and mix well.
   
5. Cover the skillet and cook for 3-4 minutes over medium heat until the broccoli is crisp. Right before serving sprinkle the toasted sesame seeds over the broccoli.
   

Serves 6.

Scalloped Tomatoes over Whole Grains

You need to know which foods you should be eating and which ones to avoid on the low glycemic eating plan. The good carbs such as fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains are perfect for this plan. Legumes and whole grains are less processed and more in their natural state. They take longer to digest and are kinder to your blood sugar and insulin levels. Also lean meats, poultry, seafood, eggs, low fat dairy products like skim milk, low fat or non fat yogurt, low fat cheese, and unsalted nuts form the backbone of this healthy way of eating. Don't overdo it on the nuts though. Count them out and while you're losing weight eat 12 nuts as a snack with a piece of fruit. There a few foods you need to cut back on or eat sparingly. This way of eating is a low glycemic or low sugar plan, so the first thing you need to cut way back on is white refined sugar. All forms of refined sugar including white granulated sugar, brown sugar, honey, molasses, corn syrup and maple syrup are offenders and should be avoided. High fructose corn syrup is in most processed foods, so look at the list of ingredients. If a food contains high fructose corn syrup don't buy it. Additionally white bread, white flour, white potatoes and white rice are highly processed and refined foods that move through your digestive tract quickly and dump a load of glucose in the bloodstream. This drives up your insulin, and your fat cells get bigger, and you gain weight. So leave off those foods. There are a few other fruits and vegetables that you should avoid for now; beets, parsnips, corn, watermelon, pineapple, banana are on that list. Don't worry; you won't go hungry. You can have sweet potatoes and a huge array of fruits and vegetables.
Getting Started: Once you have decided to give the low glycemic diet a try you need to know how to shop for food. Start reading the list of ingredients when you're in the grocery. You'll be amazed at how much sugar there is in barbecue sauce, spaghetti sauce and cereals. Look for the brand that has the least amount of sugar and try it. As for cereals read the list of ingredients and stay with the cereals that have 3 grams of sugar or less in them. Whole grain cherrios, shredded wheat, Uncle Sam's are all in that catagory. When you buy breads be careful not to buy bread that lists "enriched wheat flour" in the ingredients. Enriched wheat flour means white flour, and you don't want that. Look for whole wheat flour and other whole grains at the beginning of the list of ingredients. This is the kind of bread you want to buy. Get a big bag of brown rice, a couple of sweet potatoes, fresh fruits and vegetables and a box of whole grain crackers like low salt Triskets. Pick up a bag of whole wheat pasta, and now you're in business.

The following recipe is also from my upcoming book Eating Your Way to Healthy Living.

Scalloped Tomatoes over Whole Grains
This is a great meatless entree that combines nutritious whole grains with a delectable tomato scallop. Every summer I grow Parks Whopped tomatoes, and this variety is the best tasting tomato I've come across. Using homegrown tomatoes in this recipe rockets its taste to the nth degree, but you can also use canned tomatoes with good results.

• 1 cup mixed uncooked whole grains. Can use whole wheat berries or Kashi 7 whole grains and sesame.
• 2 onions, chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 6 medium tomatoes or 1 (16-ounce) can no salt added tomatoes, drained and cut into large pieces
• 1 sweet yellow pepper
• 2 stalks celery, cut into slices
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed in garlic press
• 1 handful fresh basil, chopped
• 1 tablespoon whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon Splenda sugar substitute
• Grated Parmesan cheese

Follow these directions.

1. Cook one of the chopped onions and the mushrooms in 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Cook for a few minutes until onions and mushroom are soft and cooked. Add whole grains to skillet with the onions, and stir often over medium heat for 2 minutes to toast the grains. Add 2 cups water, salt and pepper to the grains. Cover, and bring to a boil. When the water boils turn the heat down to low, and cook for 30 minutes or until water has cooked out.
2. While the grains are cooking start on the tomatoes. In a separate skillet heat the remaining tablespoon oil and cook the remaining chopped onion, crushed garlic, celery and yellow pepper. Cook for a few minutes over medium heat until the vegetables are partially done. If you are using fresh tomatoes cut them into large pieces and let them drain in a colander before adding them to the skillet.
   
3. Add drained tomatoes, chopped fresh basil, 1 teaspoon Splenda, salt and pepper to the skillet, and stir well.
4. Go very light on the salt. You can always add a little more. Cook tomatoes uncovered over medium heat for 5-10 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon whole wheat flour and stir into the tomatoes. Cook over low heat for another 2 minutes. Spread the cooked whole grains on the bottom of a baking dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Spoon the tomatoes evenly over the top of the grains. Sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese over the tomatoes. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 25 minutes or until it is browned and bubbly.

Serves 4.

Swiss Chard with Garlic, Red Pepper, and Walnuts served over Pasta

One of the goals of my upcoming book Eating Your Way to Healthy Living: If I Can Do It So Can You is to change the way people think about food. Start to see food as a pleasure that nourishes instead of the enemy that makes you fat. Break out of your rut and try foods you haven't eaten before.
Excuses, Excuses.....Are you saying to yourself that you couldn't possibly follow this eating plan because you have no willpower? Maybe you're telling yourself this plan isn't for you since your kids and spouse love mashed potatoes and candy and they would revolt if you didn't supply them with these foods. These are excuses, and you're filling your head with reasons you can't change your eating habits not because you can't do it but because you don't want to. You can do anything that you want to do with enough determination and hard work. Everything we do involves some sort of price in terms of time and effort.
First let's talk about willpower. Quit worrying if you have it or not; just concentrate on the job at hand. Tell everyone you know about your new way of eating. When you tell people you're going to do something it strengthens your resolve. Remind yourself you're on a new adventure towards a better life. Take it one day at a time. You can do anything for one day. Pre-planning is important for success on this eating plan. You need to think ahead to what you'll be eating in the next couple of days so you will have the foods you need on hand.
Are you using your family as an excuse for not jumping on this bandwagon? Children love to help in the kitchen; it makes them feel important. Slowly but surely start making changes in the foods your family eats. It's your job as a parent to teach your children good eating habits and add exercise in family activities. Do you think you're doing your kids a favor by giving them highly processed foods heavy in salt, refined sugar and fat? My children used to complain when they were small and I wouldn't let them have a lot of junk food. Now that they are adults they have thanked me for teaching them how to eat. One way to get the kids excited about eating vegetables is to have a vegetable garden in the summer. It doesn't have to be a big garden at all. The point is to let the kids help you in the garden, and they will enjoy eating the food they grew themselves.
The following recipe is from my upcoming book Eating Your Way to Healthy Living.

Swiss chard with Garlic, Red Pepper, and Walnuts over Pasta

Get the freshest chard you can find for this delectable dish, or better yet grow your own. Greens are extremely nutritious, and I love finding new ways to make them. Lemon rind, garlic, red pepper and walnuts liven up this brilliant green entree. This is a perfect supper for two served over whole wheat pasta.

• 1 large bunch Swiss chard, washed and chopped with stems removed
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 5 cloves garlic, crushed in a garlic press
• 1 bunch scallions, chopped using mostly the white part
• Grated lemon rind from 1 large lemon
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
• Whole wheat pasta

Follow these directions.

1. Wash the chard well and pull the tough stalks off. Chop the chard into large pieces.
   
2. In a large skillet heat the olive oil and cook the scallions and garlic in the oil over medium heat until the garlic has started to brown.
   
3. Add the chard to the skillet and stir well.
   
4. Add the grated lemon rind, red pepper flakes, walnuts, rosemary, chichen broth, salt and pepper to taste.
5. Cook uncovered over medium heat for 5 minutes. The chard cooks fast and turns a brilliant green.
6. Cook whole wheat pasta until it is still slightly chewy when you bite into it. This is called al dente. Drain the pasta in a colander and put the cooked pasta on a plate. Spoon the chard over the pasta and sprinkle freshly grated Parmesan cheese over the chard.

Serves 2.

Baked Scallops with Olive Oil, Garlic and Breadcrumbs

Keys to Success: Calories, Portion Control, Exercise
The bottom line is in order to lose weight you have to consume fewer calories than your body needs to maintain itself at your current weight. This is the way it works, and don't fool yourself into thinking otherwise.

Another important component to successful weight control is portion size. By decreasing portion size you will automatically cut down on the calories you're eating. Just because a food is good for you and is low in calories doesn't mean that you can eat huge amounts of it and expect to lose weight. Take moderate sized portions; eat slowly and enjoy your food. Look at your plate when you're serving yourself; if it's mounded up high and spilling over the rim then put half of it back. You don't need to eat that much. Leave off the appetizers and content yourself with eating the main course. Forgo the seconds. Don't worry you won't be hungry. You'll be surprised at how satisfied you'll feel with less food. Just remember when you're eating that this isn't your last meal. You'll get more good food tomorrow, so you don't have to overeat today. Practice eating slowly until you feel pleasantly full, and then push your plate away. You'll feel so much better eating this way.

Exercise is a major part of this new improved lifestyle, and it should be a part of your daily life. You don't need to go to a gym to be fit, and you can break up your exercise into two or even three short sessions a day. Be sure to fit exercise into your day just as you would eating or working. Don't wait until night time to see if you have any spare time to exercise. Gardening, washing the car, raking the leaves burn calories, and there are other ways you can increase your physical activity. Park your car away from stores so you have to walk further, and always walk up and down stairs instead of taking the elevator. Make physical fitness a family priority, but make it fun. Why not have a dance contest instead of watching a movie? It's a good idea to limit the amount of time you and your children watch TV and sit in front of the computer. The goal is to sit less and move more.

The following recipe is from my upcoming book Eating Your Way to Healthy Living: If I Can Do It So Can You.

Baked Scallops with Wine, Olive Oil, Garlic and Bread Crumbs

This beautiful scallop dish is quick and easy to make. Scallops bake in olive oil, garlic, white wine, bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese until they are a golden brown color. Whole wheat pasta is good with the scallops, and be sure to pour all the cooking juices over the scallops and pasta before serving. Get whole wheat panko bread crumbs if you can, but if not use regular bread crumbs.

• 1 pound large scallops
• 4 cloves garlic crushed in a garlic press
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• Pepper to taste
• Pinch of salt
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
• 1/4 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
• Parmesan cheese, grated

Follow these directions

1. Drain scallops, and place them in a baking pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray.
2. Add the olive oil, crushed garlic, white wine, lemon juice, pepper, pinch salt and parsley to the scallops in the pan.
   
3. Sprinkle bread crumbs over the scallops, and then lightly sprinkle freshly grated Parmesan cheese over the bread crumbs.
4. Bake on the middle shelf of the oven at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes. Turn the oven up to 425 degrees and bake for another 5 minutes until the scallops are golden brown on top and the sauce is bubbling.

Serves 4.

Curried Cucumber Buttermilk Soup

This refreshing soup is a recipe from my upcoming cookbook Eating Y our Way to Healthy Living: If I Can Do It So Can You. Years in the making this is my personal story of how I lost 17 % of my body weight and how I kept it off long term. It is also a how to guide for anyone to do what I did. Finally there are 185 recipes all loaded with flavor and good nutrition. My recipes are proof that good eating goes hand in hand with healthy eating.

If you're thinking about making lifestyle changes that's great. Here are a couple of tips to guide you on your way to better health. First don't look at this eating plan as a diet for a month or two so you can look good at your college reunion or get into your bathing suit. It's a lifestyle change that you will be living with for the rest of your life. That's why it's very important that you find an eating plan and an exercise plan that works for you. You should be eating foods you love and finding an exercise program that you enjoy so you can stay with it long term.

Other tips for success are:

• Have realistic goals and start with small achievable steps.
• Tell people about your diet and enlist their help.
• Dwell on your successes and not your failures.
• Accept the fact this will take hard work and some sacrifice on your part.
• Reward yourself with non food related treats for a job well done.

Start keeping a food journal and write down everything you eat in a day. This will help you to see what you're eating and how you can improve. Find a friend or family member to be your cheerleader and exercise buddy. You can encourage each other plus it's good to have another person that you're accountable to.

Curried Cucumber Buttermilk Soup
The inspiration for this cold and refreshing cucumber buttermilk soup came from Veselka's, a Ukrainian restaurant in the East Village in New York. I was there on a hot summer day, and the soup was perfect. I couldn't wait to get home to make it. You'll love this when it's hot and muggy outside.

• 2 large cucumbers, peeled, quartered lengthwise, seeded and cut into chunks
• 1 large bunch fresh dillweed, a few leaves reserved for garnish
• 1 onion, quartered
• 1/2 cup non-fat buttermilk
• 1 1/2 cups plain low fat yogurt
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
• 3-5 drops hot red-pepper sauce
• 1 1/4 cups low salt chicken broth

Follow these directions:

1. Chop the dillweed, onion, and cucumber in a food processor until finely chopped but not pureed. In a bowl whisk the buttermilk with 1 cup of the yogurt, curry powder, salt, white pepper, and hot pepper sauce. Whisk in the cucumber mixture and the stock. Refrigerate the soup at least one hour. Serve in chilled bows; garnish each bowl with a dollop of the remaining yogurt and a little dillweed. Serves 6.
   

Applesauce Spice Bran Muffins

Getting started on a new way of eating can be done slowly and gradually. Instead of using whole milk you can start using 2% milk. Six weeks later then switch to 1% milk, and 4-6 weeks after that start using skim milk. This small change alone will save lots of calories and will also cut down on saturated fat. You can do the same thing with brown rice. Instead of always using white rice start using brown rice occasionally. In 4-6 weeks use brown rice half the time, and in another 4 weeks only use brown rice. The same thing goes for whole wheat pasta. Start out by using it occasionally, but gradually use whole wheat pasta more and more until you are only using it instead of cooking with white pasta. If it takes 6 months to make these gradual changes that's fine. The main thing is to start now.
Cut yourself some slack and allow for cheating. It's not what you eat once in a while that will hurt you; it's what you eat on a regular basis that counts. If you can't live without that piece of chocolate cake, then eat it. Limit yourself to one moderate serving, and eat it slowly enjoying every bite. You need to be able to eat your favorite treats once in a while. Just knowing you can have whatever you want occasionally will help you to stay with this plan.

Applesauce Spice Bran Muffins
Applesauce makes these spicy muffins extra moist, and bran gives them extra fiber. Sometimes I add a cup of fresh cut up fruit to the recipe but they're good either way.

• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 cup wheat bran
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Follow these directions.

1. Spray the bottoms only of a muffin tin for 12 muffins
2. In a large bowl mix together the flour, bran, brown sugar, baking soda, salt cinnamon and cloves.
   
3. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the egg, applesauce, oil and walnuts. Mix until blended, but do not overmix. If mixture is too dry you may need to add a couple of tablespoons of non-fat buttermilk.
   
4. Spoon into muffin tin and bake in a pre-heated 375 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes.
   
5. Let cool in muffin tin for 5 minutes and then turn out and finish cooling on wire rack.

Makes 12 muffins.