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.

Applesauce Carrot Bread

Eating healthy is a hot topic today, but with the demands on people's time and the confusing array of diet plans out there few people even know where to start. This blog is for you whether you are at a normal weight and want to eat better so you can feel good and live longer, or whether you are struggling with a weight problem and need to take control of your waistline and thus lower your risk of obesity related diseases. The Low Glycemic eating plan is for anyone who wants to eat healthy regardless of their weight status. Low glycemic is a fancy word for low sugar. I'll introduce this eating plan, and in future blogs I will offer tips on how to get started on a healthier life. Stay tuned!

Despite all the push for low-fat foods in the past 20 years Americans are fatter than ever, and along with the rise in obesity there is an alarming epidemic of obesity related diseases like Type 11 Diabetes. Nutrition experts used to tell us that eating low-fat foods was the answer to the
battle of the bulge. It ain't so. Sugar is the problem and not fat. It's important to eat healthy fats and to avoid trans fats, but sugar is the culprit. Americans eat a shocking amount of sugar and a lot of processed foods. The low glycemic diet avoids foods that are high on the Glycemic Index. These are foods that are digested very quickly and can cause a surge in insulin production in your body. High glycemic foods get blood glucose levels up and keep them up. You'll notice that I don't use these foods in my recipes. White baking potatoes, corn, beets, white flour, white bread, white rice, pineapple, watermelon are some of the offenders. There is a dazzling array of foods to enjoy in the Low Glycemic eating plan such as whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, low fat dairy, chicken, meats, seafood, nuts and healthy oils. My recipes cut back on sugar, fat and salt, but every one of them tastes terrific. These recipes prove that food is meant to savor and enjoy.
Stop thinking of food as an enemy that makes you fat; food is nourishment and a source of pleasure that you can share with your loved ones.

The following recipe uses applesauce to create a moist, flavorful bread that can be frozen in individually wrapped slices. With a cup of hot tea this is a perfect dessert. I tried out this recipe on my daughter, and she loved it. So will you.

• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup non-fat buttermilk
• 2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour. Use white whole wheat flour if available. If not use regular whole wheat flour.
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 large carrots, grated
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Follow these steps

1. Spray the bottom and sides of a loaf pan and preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
2. In a large bowl combine flour, allspice, cinnamon, salt, baking soda and mix well. Add grated carrots to dry ingredients and stir. Add eggs, brown sugar, canola oil, applesauce, vanilla and buttermilk to flour and mix well. Do not over mix; just make sure the flour is blended into the wet ingredients. Add in the chocolate chips and nuts. Mix again. If the batter is too stiff you may have to add a little more buttermilk. Add a tablespoon at a time.
   
3. Spoon the batter into a loaf pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Bake in a preheated 325 degree oven for 45 to 50 minutes. Stick a toothpick in the middle and if it comes out clean then the bread is done.
   
4. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack to finish cooling.

Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chewy and delicious, pumpkin, oatmeal, walnuts and chocolate chips create a cookie that's sure to please. Enjoy two of these cookies with a cup of hot tea for dessert. Who knew healthy eating could be so good.

• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 1/3 cups old fashioned oats
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Heaping 1/2 cup Smart Balance Buttery Spread. Use the regular Smart Balance and NOT the light version.
• 3/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1 cup canned 100% pure pumpkin
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Follow these steps

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and spray cookie sheet with cooking spray.
2. In a medium bowl combine flour, oats, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice and salt. Let Smart Balance Buttery Spread sit out until it softens. In a large bowl using an electric mixer on medium speed beat the Smart Balance Buttery Spread with the brown sugar for a couple of minutes until it's light and fluffy. Add in the pumpkin, egg and vanilla, and mix well. Add in the flour mixture and mix well. Stir in the walnuts and chocolate chips and mix until combined. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto the cookie sheet.
3. Bake in a preheated oven for 14-16 minutes until the cookies are lightly browned and set in the centers. Cool on the cookie sheet for 2 minutes and then finish cooling cookies on wire racks. Makes 48 cookies.