Meal Tips

How to Burn Fat with Superfood

May 1, 2013

How to Burn Fat with Superfood {0}

Have you ever had an extra ten pounds that you can’t seem to lose? There are hundreds of different pills and diets that claim to be the miracle fix, but when you get down to it the only real results come from a combination of two things: understanding and diligence. You need to understand what you are putting into your body, what to expect as a result, and when to expect to see a change. If you can understand these things you will be one step closer to losing the weight you want to lose.

In order to effectively go about losing weight you need to have at least a basic understanding of how the body works when gaining and losing weight. The body typically stops producing fat cells after we go through puberty, and how much “fat” we have is determined by how full those fat cells are. These cells store fat as energy to be used when we don’t have enough nutrient rich food in our diets, but that energy is not efficiently used, or burned, by typical dieting. There are several ways to circumvent this process and start burning our body’s stored fat rather than burning short term energy sources, and one such way is to incorporate Superfood into your diet. Not only do Superfoods naturally burn calories and increase energy, but they inhibit the process by which fat is stored.

The second thing you need in order to have success with Superfood is diligence. Just like Rome was not built in a day, weight loss is not something that will happen overnight. However, if you have the desire to have more energy and lead a healthier life, than it might not be as quick as a day, but it will be that easy. All it takes is the motivation and you can be on your way to a new body with more energy today.

By Ben Category: Healthy Foods, Meal Tips

Visiting Florida? Be Sure To Check Out These Three Restaurants!

Jan 24, 2013

Visiting Florida? Be Sure To Check Out These Three Restaurants! {0}

Choosing a great restaurant in Florida doesn’t need to be a challenge when Dudes Who Dine can be around to help make some great restaurant reviews. Read ahead for three of the top-rated restaurants in Florida, from romantic dinners to incomparable steak, and then finally to delightful Japanese cuisine. Dig in and enjoy the tastes of Florida!

Best Romantic Restaurant in Jacksonville

Don’t know where to have a romantic date in downtown Jacksonville? The Wine Cellar is continuously rated in the top 25 restaurants in the area. This restaurant features cozy little nooks where couples can enjoy their time together, and dark walls for an elegant feel. There is even a beautiful outdoor seating area, and other spaces that can comfortably accommodate larger groups.

The restaurant has been in business since 1974 and has mastered elegant dining. The menu at the Wine Cellar contains a number of fine dining offerings, and much of the menu is focused on seafood: scallops, shrimp and salmon are a few of their specialties. It’s not only a place for seafood lovers, though. The menu boasts duckling, steak, and lamb as well.

Best Steak House in Tampa

Bern’s Steak House deserves its slogan “a unique culinary experience.” Bern’s, which has been running since 1956, carries one of the largest selections of wine in the entire world. They don’t keep that to themselves though- they offer wine and kitchen tours to every guest. The Bern’s Steak House experience doesn’t stop there; the story keeps people coming back. The restaurant has its very own farm to ensure that produce is always fresh. In addition, they cut steak only as it is ordered so that freshness is unsurpassed.

And the eating continues…To the dessert room. Yes- there is a dessert room! The room boasts 50 different desserts to choose from and more than 1000 varieties of dessert wine. With an interesting history (which will need to be discovered by visiting the restaurant) and such a wide variety of food and drink, there is no wonder why it’s recommended that every person try Bern’s Steak House at least once.

Best Japanese Restaurant in Miami

When searching out Japanese restaurants in Miami, Florida, Shibui is a choice that will satisfy everyone. The dining establishment has been honored with many awards over the years, and they have been in business since 1981. The restaurant has a lot of traditional Japanese cuisine, but they’re moving with the times and they are always trying new things. They originated some of the popular dishes that are currently being served in other areas of town, including the Louisiana and the Margy Rolls.

Florida is filled with a number of pleasant dining experiences, and sometimes it can be a bit blurry as to which places are decent and which places are exceptional. Dudes Who Dine works to make it a simpler process for people to find just the right restaurant for their dining needs. Bon appetite, and look forward to more great restaurant reviews to come!

By Vivian Category: Meal Tips

Healthy Thanksgiving Meal Ideas

Nov 14, 2012

Healthy Thanksgiving Meal Ideas {0}

Thanksgiving conjures images of feasting with family, with a bounty of food and drinks to try. Thanksgiving dinner can be flavorful and healthy simply by creating a few healthy dishes to balance and compliment the less healthy ones. Those that highlight the autumn season’s bounty, including root vegetables and pumpkin, are a great addition to bring to the table.

Roasted Root Vegetable Medley

This easy side dish can be prepared in advance. The autumnal hues of these fiber-rich root vegetables offer a visually appealing presentation.

Ingredients:
6 red beets, peeled, cut into sixths
3 turnips, peeled, cut into sixths
2 large parsnips, peeled, sliced crosswise into 1-inch rounds
5 Yukon gold potatoes, peeled, but into sixths
1 1-pound bag of baby carrots
12 garlic cloves, peeled
6 shallots, peeled, halved lengthwise
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place the cut vegetables, garlic and shallots in a roasting pan. Add the olive oil, thyme and sage. Generously sprinkle the mixture with salt and pepper. Toss all of the ingredients well, until the vegetables are evenly coated with the oil, herbs, salt and pepper. Roast this for about one hour, stirring once halfway through the cooking time. Serves eight.

Pumpkin Bread

Loaded with beta-carotene, potassium and healthy fat with every bite, this satisfying dessert option makes the most of fall pumpkin spice flavors without the inclusion of heavy cream.

Ingredients:
1¼ cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
1 egg
¼ cup vegetable oil
7 ½ ounces canned pumpkin
¼ teaspoon vanilla
½ cup coarsely chopped walnuts
½ cup raisins or dried cranberries

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a loaf pan. Mix all ingredients and pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 1 ¼ hours. Cool to room temperature before removing the loaf from the pan. Makes one loaf.

Side dishes of vegetables and complex carbohydrates create a visual cornucopia of autumn’s bounty. In lieu of mashed potatoes laden with butter and heavy cream, consider mashing the potatoes with turnips and roasted garlic cloves for added flavor. Substitute white flour rolls and stuffing bread with whole grain variations. Instead of heavy cream pies, choose desserts that showcase the season’s fruits.

To your health, happy Thanksgiving!

Rowena is a writer for Ivein.com. In her spare time she loves to go hiking and read.

 

By Rowena Category: Healthy Foods, Meal Tips, Recipies Tags: , ,

Top 5 Foods That Will Stain Your Teeth

Oct 21, 2012

Top 5 Foods That Will Stain Your Teeth {0}

Everybody wants a winning smile, but we don’t always make the connection between the foods and beverages we put in our mouths and the effects that they will have on our teeth. If you want to brighten your smile, then you will have to pay close attention to the foods you eat every day.

Here are 5 foods that will stain your teeth.

DARK FRUITS AND FRUIT JUICES

Grapes, pomegranates, and berries of all types are notorious for staining clothes, so why would we want to let them stain our teeth too? Due to the concentrated levels of antioxidants and other goodies in these fruits, don’t eliminate them completely! Just be sure to limit their consumption and to brush as soon as possible after eating them.

CURRY

Red curry, green curry, yellow curry, and spicy-evil-jungle-devil-curry are all delicious, but they will absolutely kill your smile. If eating out at Thai or Vietnamese restaurants (or when cooking at home), stick with other options that are easier on your pearly whites, like Thai pad noodles or pho.

COFFEE, TEA, AND SODA

These habitually consumed beverages are major culprits in our battle against yellowness! If you just can’t get going without your java, then be sure to sip and swish some water in between cups. Can’t live without soda? Try colorless varieties like lemon-lime and all natural sodas.

SOY SAUCE

You probably don’t chug this stuff every day, but even a little dab will do you. To keep your teeth from losing their shine, find other ways of seasoning your rice dishes. Try substituting furikake or even ketchup spiked with some hot chili pepper sauce instead.

CIGARETTES

Okay, so this technically isn’t a food or beverage, but it’s earned its place in the Teeth-Yellowing Hall of Fame. A pack per day will dull your teeth just as much as any food listed above, so does that mean you should quit smoking to preserve your smile? Well, you could do that; it wouldn’t hurt. But there may be other options.

Try switching from regular to filter kings. That will keep some of those chemicals out of your mouth and off of your teeth. Also, consider substituting nicotine gum or patches for cigarettes for a portion of your day. Who knows…besides preserving your smile, these changes might actually help you cut back on smoking as well!

Reducing your consumption of these foods will go along way in whitening your teeth and giving you that beautiful smile you keep dreaming of. Be sure to brush, floss, and use mouthwash at least twice per day, and brushing your teeth after lunch isn’t a bad idea, either.

Author Bio:

Rowena works for a dentist in Temple Texas and is an expert on Dentrix software.  When she is not blogging or working she enjoys live music and being outdoors.

By Rowena Category: Healthy Foods, Meal Tips

Pick-Me Ups: Morning Foods

Apr 10, 2012

Pick-Me Ups: Morning Foods {0}

There are plenty of reasons out there as to why it is difficult to wake up. Maybe you did not get to bed until late the night before, you could be overcoming some illness, or maybe you have a bad hangover. Any of these can make waking up a very difficult thing to do. Here are some foods and such that can take a little bit of the sting out of the morning melancholy.

Ginger is a bitter root that is a very powerful antioxidant. You have probably had it with sushi or as a tea. When ingested in large quantities, it can be quite shocking to the senses. It is very good at helping your digestive system and keeps everything down there functioning properly. It helps you to minimize acid reflux or heart burn in your system. Make sure that when you have this, you are consuming it in either tea form or mixed with other foods because it is not as effective on an empty stomach.

Honey also contains many antioxidants that are good for you and help you to wake up and function properly. Some people in Poland use honey mixed with pickle juice as a hangover remedy. While it may sound a bit distasteful, they swear by it. If that is not quite up your alley, just a few spoonfuls of the golden nectar should be enough to give you a healing kick.

The prickly pear cactus has also been revered as a wake-up food. It reduces nausea, fixes dry mouth, and restores appetites. It is an extract that can be taken in supplement form or you can purchase the fruit in a local asian market and cook it up in some recipes or just drinking the extract.

Eggs are especially good for hangovers. They contain an amino acid called cysteine, which aids in the body’s detoxification after consuming alcohol. Specifically, cysteine targets acetaldehyde which is the product of the oxidation of ethanol which is a part of alcohol. Acetaldehyde is what causes you to have that headache and loss of appetite. Once you wake up and knock down a cup of ginger tea, scramble yourself an egg or two and you are well on your way to feeling better.

Pho is a type of Vietnamese noodle that is served in beef broth. Typically, the soup consists of beef, tripe, onions, and bean sprouts. It is a very warm dish and is just the thing to fill you up. It is a wonderful meal when you are feeling sick or out of sorts. If your stomach is a bit upset, this is also the perfect meal for you. You can add lime juice or some sweet Hoison sauce to make it fit your taste. This is better than a bowl of chicken noodle soup and is healthier and more filling as well.

If a meal does not quite sound like what you want, then go for a small can of tomato juice. There is some salt in there that makes it a bit bold, but it also has so many nutrients in it that you cannot help but feel better after drinking it.

By Emily Category: Meal Tips

Surprising Uses for Lemon Peels

Mar 15, 2012

Surprising Uses for Lemon Peels {0}

There are plenty of uses for common household items that you probably never knew about. Did you know that the best way to remove soap scum is to scrape it with an old credit card? The best way to make your entire bathroom shine is to use a mixture of vinegar and water? Also, did you know that lemon peels are incredibly useful around the house? Here are just a few obscure, but helpful uses for lemon peels in your everyday cleaning.

They clean up the grease like nothing else. If you have grease on your counters, then just spread a little bit of salt over it and take half of a juiced lemon and then rub it on that area. When you are done all you have to do is wipe it up with a paper or cloth towel and you are done. It also takes care of grease in the microwave. Put some lemon rinds in a bowl and fill it halfway with water. Leave it in there while you run the microwave on high for about five minutes. This causes the water to boil and then the steam and acid from the lemons takes care of the grease. When you are done, carefully remove the bowl (it is HOT), and then take a towel and wipe the microwave out.

Lemons are good for polishing various metals around the home. If you have some chrome, for example it would be on faucets or other such surfaces, then you just rub with half of a squeezed lemon. Make sure you get all the nooks and crannies where minerals deposit themselves. Then rinse it off and buff with a fabric towel or cloth. This same method works when you are polishing a stainless steel sink, it takes care of all those nasty spots on it as well.

Believe it or not, lemon works as a beauty product as well as just a helpful home cleaner. If you have age spots, then the lemon peel can help to diminish them. Simply place the peel on the spot and leave it on for an hour. When you are done, rinse off the spot and repeat as often as you like. Be careful because the lemon can cause your skin to dry out and flake. What causes the age spot to get lighter is the acid within the peel, it works as a sort of bleach. It also is a great skin tonic for your face, if you rub it on your face and then rinse off.

More uses for lemon peels can be found here.

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By Emily Category: Meal Tips

Jan 18, 2012

Weekly Shopping Trip {0}

Here is my dinner meal plan for the week, and the groceries I needed to buy to make them. I will post the recipes when we make the meals. I was pretty well stocked up on ingredients before I went to the store this week, so I didn’t need to buy a lot.

Dinner Plan:

  • Veggie Topped Pasta
  • Lettuce Wraps w/Raw Thai Nut Sauce from Raw Melissa
  • Whole Grain Waffles w/Green Smoothies
  • Black Bean Salad in Lettuce Wraps
  • Quinoa Chili w/Whole Grain Corn Bread
  • Leftovers
  • Dinner @ Sisters House

 Shopping List

  • Onion (1-2)
  • Mushrooms (16oz)
  • Zucchini (1-2)
  • Sweet red bell pepper (1)
  • Cilantro (1)
  • Oranges (8-10)
  • Broccoli (1-2)
  • Strawberries (1-3lbs)
  • Tomato sauce (8oz)
  • Water chestnuts (1 – 8oz)
  • Whole milk (for Kefir)
  • Olives (3)
  • Eggs

 

By Kristie Category: Meal Tips

Successfully Feeding Your Family!

Jan 16, 2012

Successfully Feeding Your Family! {1}

One of the things that has been a huge help to successfully feeding my family has been implementing a weekly meal plan. Having a weekly meal plan can eliminate a lot of the stress of cooking dinner each night. Planning your meals ahead of time means you won’t have to scrounge around at the last minute when you are starving and too tired to cook! Before I implemented a weekly meal plan it seemed like I was scrounging around for ideas everyday and didn’t know what to make. After I began the meal plan I had a planning session once a week and went to the grocery store once a week to minimize the headache.  Meal plans can also save on grocery bills – check what you have in your fridge and as you make your meal plan make a list of the things you’ll need for the week, so when you go to the store you’re only buying items that will be used for the meals you know you are going to make. Here is a simple meal plan that you could implement easily:

 

 

A weekly meal plan can help keep food on the table and keep you sane!

Sample Weekly Meal Plan

 

Some tips when preparing your weekly meal plan:

-Plan your meals the same day each week. You could plan them out on Saturday and get your grocery shopping done over the weekend and be ready for the week to start!

-Rotate some of your favorite meals into your plan. Keep a list of easy favorites that can be repeated–this will be very helpful as you are doing your planning.  Some families like to do “Taco Tuesday” each week or a big pasta dinner on Sundays.

-It can be fun to have one or two recipes a week that are new and exciting – check out Food Like That recipes or you can check out Pinterest or flip through your favorite cookbooks!

-Leave a night open for leftovers! Or you can plan to eat them for lunch. Just make sure that you plan for it so it doesn’t go to waste.

-Have a backup meal available. If you were planning on leftovers but you ate all the food the backup can keep you from scrambling. Or if your family just doesn’t feel in the mood for a specific meal they can choose to have the backup. But they can’t be too picky because they only have one backup!

-For busy days or nights you’ll be getting home late consider crockpot meals. It can be so wonderful to walk in the door after a long day to a delicious smelling meal that’s ready to eat!

-As you plan out your breakfasts, lunches, and dinners for the week make your grocery list on your meal plan itself. Keep in mind the ingredients you’re using and see if there can be or needs to be any overlap. Or if you are making two things that need cooked chicken consider making a large batch of cooked chicken the first night and saving half for the next time it’s needed.

 

Planning out your meals for the week will simplify meal times and relieve some of the stress of cooking!

By Ben Category: Meal Tips