Too many delicious dinners wouldn’t be the same without the tomato. Especially delectable dishes from the Mediterranean area, could you imagine French, Greek or Italian food without the touch of the tomato?

Today the tomato grows all over the world, yet it is only native to areas of Mexico and South America. The Spanish explorer, Cortez, discovered the tomato growing in the gardens of the Aztecs in the early 1500’s and brought seeds back to Europe with him, yet the tomato still took over 100 years to become a food source. Southern Italians were the first to embrace the golden globes (early tomatoes were yellow not red) and incorporate them into their cuisine. By 1758 the tomato was mentioned in “The Art of Cookery” by Hannah Glass in England. (continue reading…)

My husband I were recently discussing the fact that food has become boring, that we’re both sick of the same old stuff.

Perfect timing for me to receive a new cookbook.

Now my husband isn’t much for eating healthy, I have to trick him to get him to try new food- the last I tell him is that it’s healthy. But he loves seafood and coconut and wouldn’t you know it The Best of Clean Eating is full of recipes featuring one or the other. I’m not much for fish but I do love shrimp so there’s even recipes that both of us can enjoy. Especially the desserts.

The desserts are something hubby and I can both whole heartedly agree on - like on page 152, you get the healthy sweet snacks Power Yogurt for One and Coconut Balls- both recipes sound delicious. But it’s the real desserts that will make you crave healthy decadence. On page 232 I am seriously drooling over the Molten Lava Cakes made with cocoa powder. On page 230 I see a cake I am going to make for my chocolate and coconut loving husband- Coconut Chai Chocolate Cake. Wow it sounds so yummy my stomach is grumbling in sweet anticipation.

For those of you who love carrot cake you have to check out page 226 the recipe for Slow Cooker Carrot Cake and Cream Cheese Honey Drizzle will make non carrot cake lovers drool. Then there’s Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies and Orange Chocolate Ricotta Cheesecake…On page 214 I spy the ultimate apple pie recipe- it’s a pairing of two of my favorite things- vanilla and apples. The Vanilla Bean Spiked Autumn Apple Pie is going on my Thanksgiving menu.

After going through this cookbook you’ll never ever again think that eating healthy is eating bland.

The full color photos are enough to inspire you into exploring new culinary delights then you read through the ingredients and your mouth will start to water.

So far I’ve only spoken of sweet delights but there’s so much more in The Best of Clean Eating, for both die hard foodies and those who simply love food or are looking to try something new.

Throughout the book you’ll find a huge assortment of recipes- gingery roasted squash, roasted cauliflower leek and garlic soup, golden mashed potatoes, apple grilled cheese, yummy hummus, clean eating tortilla chips, sweet potato spread, garlic bruschetta…is your stomach growling yet? Because mine is.

Breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, desserts…you’ll find clean eating recipes for it in this book.

My husband and I are currently marking pages and making a shopping list for all the amazing recipes we are going to try. I can’t wait- I’m actually excited about food again.

ⓒ iStockPhoto - qbanczyk

Soy has become very famous lately because it is everywhere and is possible in every form. Soy is a plant product containing protein, fiber, essential fatty acids, as well as numerous vitamins and minerals. The presence of phytochemicals such as isoflavones, phytate, saponins and phytosterols, makes it even more useful. Soy is supposed to have properties which might help to fight against diseases like cancer, heart disease, osteoporosis and more. Soy is available in the form of nuts, milk, yogurt, cheese, flour, tofu, tempeh, beans and other meat analogs. This can be cooked with other food items to increase its nutritional value or cooked alone.

You might have read that soy is very good for health. You will be surprised to know that around 100 years back it was considered unfit for eating. It has been found that soy is actually very hard on our body system, especially on the hormonal system. Soybean was considered one of the sacred grains among wheat, barley, millet and rice in China centuries ago. It was considered sacred because it was very useful in crop rotation. The roots of soybean plants fix atmospheric nitrogen into useful nitrogen compounds which help in maintaining the level of nitrogen in the soil required for the growth of other crops. At that time soybean was not eaten. Chinese found that soybean has got many natural toxins which could not be destroyed in conventional cooking. These toxins are strong inhibitors that block digestive enzymes. The toxins are deeply imbedded proteins which produce serious gastric disorders and block absorption of essential amino acids. Soy contain compounds known as goitrogens that depress thyroid function. The soybean found its way to the dinning table only after fermentation was discovered in the form of fermented food like soy-sauce and miso. Soybeans come largely from genetically engineered plants. (continue reading…)

ⓒiStockPhoto - stephconnell

Thanksgiving or Christmas are occasions when family and friends are gathered around, adding fun to our lives and bringing moments of joy. These occasions may distract you from the everyday concerns and worries but, distraction from your diet- no way. On an average, a person gains 7-10 pounds between Thanksgiving and New year! Here are few steps to keep up your health throughout the holidays and add joy, not pounds.

Count the calories

The Caloric Control Council reveals the fact that an average American consumes around 4,500 calories and 229 grams of fat on Thanksgiving Day alone. The fat amount equals to the fat that we should take in three days and twice as many calories which should be consumed in one day. Most of these calories come from snacking all day. So you better watch what you are snacking on and control the portion size. (continue reading…)

©iStockphoto.com - bukvalno

If you have decided to opt for a vegetarian diet and you may wonder how are you going to substitute the meat with vegetarian diet, but you have ample of options available. You don’t have to worry about how you are going to prepare for the feast on Thanksgiving without meat. There are many meat substitutes available in the market which will not only give you enough nutrients but also make tasty recipes, helping your transition from a meat eater to a vegetarian easily. In addition the soy-food has cholesterol reducing properties, which in turn reduces the risk of heart diseases and high blood pressure related problems. You can welcome your guests with healthy and vegetarian food on this thanksgiving.

Here is a guide to some of these food that you may experiment with: (continue reading…)

ⓒ Janet Harriett

People are looking for organic as it is difficult to find any fruits and vegetables grown without a whole load of chemicals. But its not that you always have to look around and find all the organic food, which may be costlier than the non-organic one. Washing food items can only remove dirt, bacteria, insects and the pesticide residue, but not the whole of it because these chemicals are absorbed by the fruits and vegetables. Some other chemicals form bonds with either with its skin or core, thus washing does not help much in such a case. Peeling off may help a little bit but doesn’t eliminate the chemicals totally. By just switching to a few organic fruits and vegetables, you can reduce the amount of pesticides going into your body. The fruits and vegetables listed below are grown with so many chemicals that you pose a real thereat to your body by consuming them on a regular basis.

Strawberries

It is said that the strawberries grown with chemicals are so full of them that the fruit itself can be ground up and used as a pesticide!! An estimated 65 percent of various agro-chemicals including pesticides, fungicides, insecticides, weedicides, herbicides etc are used over strawberry crop. For example, for getting rid of fungus, methyl bromide, a chemical responsible for depleting the ozone, is used. This chemical can cause poisoning and neurological disorders. It has been kept in toxicity Category I compound by EPA classification. The strawberries plants are drip-fed on chemical fertilizers and the chemicals to kill all microorganisms and other living things in the soil. (continue reading…)

©iStockphoto.com - pidjoe

I am here with a story of my friend, Nicole, who is my next door neighbor. This friend of mine had a perception that she is out of shape. During her routine check up, her physician told her that she has got just the perfect weight and BMI and she is good. But, the numbers on the scale never matched her expectations so she decided to cut back the fat from her diet altogether. The result was that within a few days she ended up having depression and a few other problems related to vitamin deficiencies.

Yes that’s true! Having a diet too low in fat can have a negative effect on your overall health. Consumption of less that 20% of the calories from fat from your food intake for a long a time can lead to some serious health issues. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend 20% to 35% of your daily calories should come from fat if you are a healthy adult. It is always a good idea to keep a check on the fat intake so as to mange weight and reduce the risk of heart disease but you should make sure that you are taking the minimum amount of healthy fat from food sources like almonds, avocado, tuna, salmon, flax seeds, olive oil, canola oil. (continue reading…)