When I was a young girl, many, many years ago, how I looked forward to Sundays. It was roast day. Chicken was a real treat in those days, yet now-a-days most families will have chicken once or twice a week. You can bake it, grill it, broil it, stir-fry it, even put it in a stew, you name it. Chicken is very versatile and enjoyed by young and old. You can dice, slice, flatten, mince or shred to name but a few of the ways to use chicken in recipes.

A good way to crumb chicken the low fat way is to beat an egg white with some low fat milk and dip the flatten chicken breasts in egg mix, coat with bread crumbs then heat a good quality non-stick fry pan that has been generously coated with cooking spray, do a spray of the cooking oil over the one side of the chicken and fry in pan. Before turning spray top of chicken then turn, cook both sides until browned and chicken is cooked through.

Chicken is a fairly lean white meat so it is a good choice for slimmers or for those wanting a low saturated fat diet. I think it is best to avoid the dark meat on the chicken such as thigh and leg as these parts are higher in fat than the breast.

The fatty part of the chicken is the skin, it has heaps of fat, and it’s saturated so you shouldn’t have much of this in your diet at all. Yes, I am telling you to remove the skin. I know that you may say that the best part of the chicken is that golden crunchy skin but not if you are on a healthy regime. For example a chicken breast with no skin has about 5g of fat but if you leave the skin on it changes to 13g of fat.

When cooking the breast, make sure you don’t over cook it as it can result in it being very dry. One BBQ chicken with skin and stuffing will cost around 80g of fat, but there is a simple solution to this. Remove all the skin and stuffing and the fat counts drops to around 21g of fat, a huge difference.

Chicken is an excellent source of protein, rich in most B vitamins. If you like a sausage it is good to know that pork and beef sausages are higher in fat than chicken. When buying chicken mince make sure it has a pink look to it, if there are lots of white pieces in it the butcher has processed the skin into the mince, which makes it very high in fat.

For some fabulously tasty low fat healthy chicken recipes and tips go to Annette’s website www.symplytoogood.com.au

This article was written by Australia’s Low Fat Queen Annette Sym. (You may not reprint this article.)

To learn more, check out the Mom’s Talk eBook’s Freezing It & Loving It!

In this age of getting it fast, boxed foods make eating a very convenient thing. People don’t seem to think about the artificial sweeteners and high sodium that the majority of these foods have in them.

Did you know that both refined sugar and salt are washed and bleached?

Artificial sweeteners are linked to many illnesses and diseases. They also cause a false surge of energy and when you come down it is very similar to what a drug addict experiences.

Did you know that boxed and canned foods have little or no nutritional value?

Once foods have been cooked to the extreme the nutrition is basically gone. When canning, the heating process destroys from one-third to one-half of vitamins A and C, riboflavin, and thiamin. Each year that the food is stored, canned food loses an additional 5 to 20% of these vitamins. When we purchase canned and boxed items that have been cooked, dehydrated, and chemically processed we cook them as well. What little nutrients, in any, were in them are gone as well.

So, why do we pick up these items?

There are a number of reasons.

* Some of us grew up on them.
* Others of us love the convenience of them.
* Still others just refuse to believe that they are not good for us.

There are some canned and boxed items that are fine to eat; however it pays to be careful not to fill your basket with foods of convenience. Instead of buying all that processed stuff, pick up fresh fruits and veggies. Even frozen is better than boxed or canned.

Eliminate the bad stuff.

This article was written by LaTara Ham-Ying. (You may not reprint this article)

To learn more, check out the Mom’s Talk eBook’s Freezing It & Loving It!

If you have a sweet tooth then it is important that you satisfy your cravings otherwise you won’t last very long on any diet or healthy regime. When you deprive yourself you are setting yourself up for either a binge, yo-yo dieting or mood swings that will weaken the most disciplined person.

Having said this high sugar foods need to be monitored and eaten only occasionally as they are high in kilojoules and most high sugar foods have very little nutritional value. The secret to long term success is to include your favorites, just learn how to do them the low fat/low sugar way. I have adapted most of your favorite cakes, biscuits and muffins in my recipe books, this way you don’t have to miss out – yes you now can have your cake and eat it too.

Here are some tips:

1. Baking with low fat margarines is a great way to lower the fat count of most baking recipes.

2. Use no fat milk. It’s amazing how much fat you can save compared to nearly 10g for one cup of full fat milk.

3. Egg yolks are full of saturated fats and of no real benefit to cakes, I use only the egg whites, which have all the nutrients and raising ability, so why add 6g of fat per yolk when you don’t need too.

4. I use ½ cup of apple sauce (in jar) instead of oil or butter in a cake or batch of muffins. Add some baking soda to the apple sauce (it will froth) which will keep the baking light. Apple sauce gives the moisture butter or oil would normally give, but has no fat so this is another fantastic way to cut down the fats in baking.

5. One of the tricks to making a low fat cake or muffin is in the folding. You really need to be careful when folding the flour through cause if you over beat they will come out tough or rubbery. Baking my way means there is no fat in the recipe. Fats normally protect the gluten when stirring, so you must fold flour through as if you are making a delicate sponge.

6. Cooking spray or baking paper is better than greasing cake pans with butter and flour.

7. Watch what you add to baking as there are many hidden fats, such as adding nuts, yes they are good for you but they are also high in fat so use sparingly in baking.

8. Adding dried fruit is a great way to add fiber to your baking but they are high in sugar so don’t overload.

9. Icing adds loads of sugar and kilojoules per serve so just do squiggles over the top with icing.

10. Other add-ons in baking that add fat are coconut, cream and cream cheese.

For some fabulously tasty low fat healthy chicken recipes and tips go to Annette’s website www.symplytoogood.com.au

This article was written by Australia’s Low Fat Queen Annette Sym. (You may not reprint this article.)

To learn more, check out the Mom’s Talk eBook’s Freezing It & Loving It!

Turmeric is an exotic spice often found in Indian or Asian foods. It is a member of the ginger family, it is bright yellow in appearance and it has an earthy, bitter flavor. Turmeric is what makes our American mustard bright yellow.

The health benefits of turmeric come from curcumin, which gives Indian food its strong yellow color. It has been used for generations to treat gastrointestinal and inflammatory issues. It is only recently that the medicinal study of turmeric has exploded. Over two hundred clinical papers studies turmeric and its health benefits in the last year, including its affect on cancer, Alzheimer’s and psoriasis.

Anti-inflammatory

Curcumin (a component of turmeric) and resveratol (a component of red wine) are among the most potent anti-inflammatory and anti-proliferative agents. A recent study investigated the reduction of joint inflammation in rats. It appears that curcumin prevents a protein that controls when genes are switched on or off from being activated in the joint. This research could eventually include other inflammatory disorders, such as asthma and multiple sclerosis.

Turmeric is also considered to be a pain-relief agent. By relieving the inflammation in joints due to arthritis, the pain is also relieved.

Digestive Stimulant

Turmeric acts as a digestive stimulant and encourages the release of digestive enzymes that break down carbohydrates and fats. It helps with stomach ailments and is popular as a tea.

Other Healthy Benefits

Turmeric is only beginning to be studied at length for its medicinal and preventative uses. Just a few of the diseases and issues it appears to have an affect on include:

Prevention and treatment of cancer, particularly melanoma, breast cancer and colon cancer
Aids in digestion
Promotes proper metabolism
Used for stomach upset
Relieves menstrual discomfort
Promotes liver health
Reduces cholesterol levels
Lessens pain from osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and tendonitis
Protects heart and brain
Lowers homocysteine levels, a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease
Reverses early stages of Alzheimer’s
Stops progression of multiple sclerosis by reducing the production of the IL-s protein
Stops joint inflammation
Helps smokers quit
Used for healthy skin care

And it has four powerful Anti-properties: it is Antioxidant, Antibacterial, Anti-inflammatory and Antiseptic.

Turmeric is even used in many sunscreens and as a skin lightener. There is an ongoing project to extract and isolate tetrahydrocurcuminoids (THC) from turmeric to be used in cosmetics and towards treating skin inflammations. Antioxidant rich products are coveted in skin care products.

How to Add Turmeric to Your Diet

Turmeric is a strong flavor that can enhance many meals. Try several recipes using turmeric as a spice, broadening your horizons and adding health benefits as well. Most curries and many Indian dishes include liberal amounts of turmeric. The bright yellow appearance of food is a dead giveaway.

To sooth respiratory issues, such as a cough or asthma, add a teaspoon to a glass of warm milk. Turmeric can be added to baked goods, dry mixes, pickles, relishes, salad dressings, butters and broths. Color your world yellow with this versatile spice..

Are cravings for sugar, carbs, salt, junk food, sodas, and coffee running your life? For over 20 years, Diana Walker, the Cravings Coach, has assisted people like you in using natural, safe options for creating vibrant health. Receive Diana’s free Cravings Coach TIPS at http://www.thecravingscoach.com/blog

This article was written by The Cravings Coach Diana Walker. (You may not reprint this article.)

To learn more, check out the Mom’s Talk eBook’s Freezing It & Loving It!

No doubt you’ve heard and read that certain herbs can only be used with certain foods, and in a very few cases this is true…perhaps. But, the same rules apply with herbs as with wines…if you like it together…then use it.

There are however some rules that should never be broken or modified…one is when to add herbs to the pot.

If we are baking a bread, a meat dish or casserole, then adding the herbs before cooking is the only option we have…..but baking doesn’t destroy the properties the way high and prolonged stove top cooking does. Therefore, when adding herbs to a soup pot or pasta pot, always make it the last addition…ten minutes before the end cooking time is usually just about perfect.
Bottom line…the longer we cook herbs, the less value we retain.

It’s not a coincidence that nature has provided so many of our medical needs in herbs that taste good.

Hippocrates said: “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” And he was the father of medicine after all.

The next time you make a pot of soup, add a spoonful of your favorite herb, and know you just did something good for you body.

If you are not educated in the using of culinary herbs……stick around and feel free to ask questions.

Spring is just around the corner and the gardens are always overflowing…..I would love to share with you, and learn from you.

This article about Using Fresh Herbs was written by Bea Kunz. (You may not reprint this article.)

To learn more, check out the Mom’s Talk eBook’s Freezing It & Loving It!