From the category archives:

General Health

Wholemeal Pitta Pockets

March 8, 2010

in General Health

A wholemeal pitta bread is equally easy to take to work. Pitta pockets hold salad veg better than sandwiches bits don't fall out. One wholemeal pitta weighs approx 50g/20z, which is half your daily bread allowance, and supplies 3g fibre. It could be eaten along with an F2 Essential Soup, followed by fruit, to make a more substantial meal.

Nearly all the suggested sandwich fillings could equally well be used to fill a pitta and you can freely add any salad veg. First warm your pitta bread in a toaster or under the grill to puff it up, making it easier to split open and fill. But don't leave it too long or it will go hard. Here are a few additional ideas for fillings:    

Houmous and salad: Spread the inside of the pitta with 2 rounded teaspoons reduced-fat houmous. Fill with an appropriate F2 Essential Salad such as grated carrot with almonds and raisins, or the bean, sweetcorn, onion and red pepper mix.

Pesto chicken salad: Mix together l tbsp light mayonnaise with l tsp pesto sauce, then spread inside pitta. Fill with 50g/20z sliced cooked free-range or organic chicken breast meat, shredded lettuce, sliced tomato and cucumber.

Cottage cheese and date: Stir a small tub of cottage cheese and chop up some dates. Spoon up to 100g/40z of cottage cheese into the dry pitta bread and then sprinkle in the dates so that they are evenly dispersed.

Cheese salad with salsa: Mix some tomato salsa with a few quartered cherry tomatoes,

chopped yellow pepper, chopped red onion and 50g/20z feta cheese. Add a few halved, stoned olives if you like. Pile into the pitta.

Wholemeal pasta meals

Wholemeal pasta makes the perfect F2 meal. It is widely available in a variety of shapes conchiglie, fusilli and spaghetti. An average (90g/3 ½ OZ dry weight) main-course serving supplies a substantial quantity of fibre, in the region of 8-9 grams. Pasta is also highly recommended for its low GI.

The obvious way to serve it as an easy meal is with the Basic Tomato Sauce on a ready-made sauce from the chart on article 152-4, or the VERY Easy Tomato Sauce on the next article. A green salad (buying a ready-to-serve pack of mixed leaves doesn't make you a bad person!) is all you need to accompany it. Raw sugar-snap peas sliced lengthways add crunch and fibre to green salad and, when you can afford the fat units, a little sliced avocado turns this salad into something really special.

If you choose the 'make in quantity and freeze' tomato sauce option, here are some of the many ways you can ring the changes. We've included 1 ½ fat units for a portion of the homemade tomato sauce in each meal total.    

Pasta vongole: Add 1 tbsp dry white wine and finely chopped fresh red chilli (or 1 ½ tsp dried crushed chillies) to the tomato sauce, heat in a pan then add about 75g/30z drained and rinsed canned baby clams and heat through gently. Stir in chopped fresh parsley.

Calamari or seafood sauce: Add l tbsp red wine and l tsp garlic puree to the tomato sauce, heat in a pan then add 75g/30z calamari (squid rings) and cook gently for 3-4 minutes until tender. For a spicy kick add chopped fresh chilli, chilli sauce, Tabasco or cayenne pepper (whatever you happen to have). Alternatively, add 75g/30z cooked shelled prawns or seafood selection to the tomato sauce.

Roasted vegetables: Toss a selection of thickly sliced onions, courgettes and red or yellow peppers in l tsp olive oil in an ovenproof dish. Add crushed garlic and chopped fresh rosemary, if liked, then roast in a hot oven for 20 minutes until tender and slightly charred. Add to the tomato sauce.

Garlic and anchovy: Add four drained and chopped anchovy fillets and l tsp garlic puree to the tomato sauce. Just before serving, stir in a handful of shredded fresh basil leaves.

Tuna and mushroom: Gently cook 75g/30z sliced mushrooms in the tomato sauce, then stir in a small drained can (about 80g) of tuna in brine and 1 tbsp rinsed and chopped capers.

Veggie puttanesca: Add a good slosh of chilli sauce, l tbsp rinsed and chopped capers, 6 chopped stoned black olives and 25g/10z chopped sun-dried tomatoes, well drained of oil, to the tomato sauce.

VERY Easy Tomato Sauce

Simply simmer a can of chopped tomatoes with a couple of sliced spring onions until most of the liquid has evaporated. Then add seasoning, a torn basil leaf or two, a few capers, some black olives, chopped parsley anything you have handy. The only oil is in any olives you might use. Count 1 unit if you add 6 olives.

{ 0 comments }

A Sandwich, Soup And Fruit

March 6, 2010

in General Health

Most shop-bought sandwiches are high in fatty calories. Make your own healthy F2 versions, using fibre rich wholemeal bread. If you lunch at home, or can heat soup at the office (or take a flask), one sandwich with a bowl of ready-made F2 soup would make an ideal midday meal. Follow it with a piece of fruit from our high-fiselection on article 90 and your good bacteria will feast all afternoon.

Here are some simple ideas for sandwich fillings. We've cut back on the usual lavish quantities of mayonnaise, used only the light lower-calorie type and suggested spreads other than butter or margarine. In some cases the sandwiches will be best if you pack filling and bread separately and assemble them at lunchtime. These days many offices have fridges in which fillings could be stored. Quantities are given for filling one sandwich made from your daily two large slices of wholemeal bread.

NOTE OF CAUTION

All spoon measurements are level and proper measuring spoons are essential particularly for mayonnaise. Use the light (reduced-fat) mayonnaise, 1 ½ fat units per tbsp, rather than regular full-fat mayonnaise at a whopping 4 fat units per tbsp. All units below have been calculated using light mayonnaise. To further reduce fat you could opt for extra-light mayonnaise at only 1 ½ fat unit per tbsp.

Houmous and tomato or roasted pepper. Spread bread with up to 50g/20z (3 tbsp) reduced-fat houmous. Fill sandwich with sliced tomato or a sliced roasted red pepper and a handful of rocket leaves. You can buy roasted red peppers packed in vinegar in jars or from a deli counter. Drain them thoroughly.

Spicy prawn. Stir 1 tsp of mango chutney and ½ tsp mild curry paste into 2 tbsp light, reduced-fat mayonnaise. Spread a little of this mixture on each slice of bread. Squeeze just a little lemon juice on 2-3 oz prawns and stir in the remaining mayonnaise. Fill sandwich with prawn mayonnaise, crunchy lettuce leaves and cucumber.    

Tuna and sweetcorn. Blend 2 tbsp light mayonnaise with 50g/20z drained tuna (canned in brine or spring water), 1 tbsp sweetcorn and a few capers. Spread between slices of bread and pack out with shredded lettuce. No spread needed on the bread.

Tuna and bean. Combine 2 tbsp light mayonnaise with l tsp tomato puree or ketchup. Spread a little of this mixture on each slice of bread. Stir 50g/20z drained tuna (canned in brine or spring water), 1 tbsp drained, canned red kidney beans and some finely chopped red onion into the remaining mayonnaise. Spread between the bread.

Peanut butter and banana. Spread each slice of bread with I tsp smooth or crunchy peanut butter (2 tsp in total). Fill sandwich with mashed or sliced banana.

Peanut butter with crunchy salad. Spread each slice of bread with 1 tsp crunchy peanut butter (2 tsp in total). Fill with sliced cucumber and a handful of raw bean sprouts. Sprinkle with a little sweet chilli sauce for a spicy Thai-style flavor, if you like.    

Mashed banana with walnuts. Mash 1 large banana with 1-2 tsp honey and 15g/ ½ 0Z chopped walnuts. Spread between slices of bread. No spread is needed on the bread.

Cottage cheese and Marmite. Spread 1 slice of bread with l tsp low-fat spread and the other slice thinly with Marmite. Fill sandwich with 50g/20z plain cottage cheese, drained, sliced cucumber and shredded lettuce.    

Turkey and cranberry. Spread bread with 1 tbsp cranberry sauce, then fill sandwich with 50g/20z thinly sliced, skinless, free-range or organic roast turkey or chicken breast.

Smoked salmon and soft cheese. Spread bread with 50g/20z (3 tbsp) half-fat soft cheese, flavored with snipped chives or a few chopped capers if liked. Fill with 25g/ 10z thinly sliced organic smoked salmon, sprinkled with black pepper and a little lemon juice. Pack out with baby spinach leaves or watercress.

Canned salmon and watercress. Blend 2 tbsp light mayonnaise with the grated zest of ½ lemon and l tsp lemon juice. Spread a little of the mayonnaise on the bread. Stir 50g/20z drained canned pink salmon (wild Pacific) into the remaining mayonnaise for the filling and pack out with trimmed watercress.

Egg, watercress and tomato. Mash one medium hard-boiled egg (free-range, Omega 3) with 1 tbsp light mayonnaise and some chopped watercress. Scoop the seeds out of one largish tomato, dice the remaining flesh and add to the egg. Season and spread between the slices of bread. No spread is needed on the bread.

Cheese, carrot and sultana. Mature cheddar cheese more flavor for your calories makes the best F2 cheese choice and this sandwich filling makes a little go a long way. Grate 25g/10z and combine with a small grated carrot, l tbsp sultanas and l tsp light mayonnaise. Blend together an additional teaspoon of light mayonnaise with one of wholegrain mustard and spread on the bread. Fill the sandwich with the cheese and carrot mixture.

Crab with sweetcorn. Mix 100g/3 ½ oz drained white canned crabmeat with 2tbsp sweetcorn,2 tbsp light mayonnaise and l tsp tomato ketchup. Spice with a dash of Tabasco sauce. Sandwich between slices of bread. No spread is needed on the bread.

Chicken with pineapple and almonds. Mix 50g/20z diced cooked organic chicken with 2 tbsp light mayonnaise. Stir in a chopped ring of canned pineapple, drained of juice, of a green pepper, diced, and 5g (about 10 flakes) of toasted almonds. Don't be tempted to add extra almonds as they are high in fat, but, toasted, they add a lovely flavor to this filling. Sandwich between bread no spread is needed. You could reduce the fat unit count by 2 units by using extra- light mayonnaise.

{ 0 comments }

EASY MEALS

March 5, 2010 General Health

ANYONE WHO Imagines dieters can turn to recipes for every meal hasn't tried to diet or doesn't have a life. Sometimes often you only have time to fix something really simple. Here, without apologies, is a selection of easy, effortless and sometimes obvious meals which fit in with the F2 health and weight-loss formula. We've counted them for fat units for you. Turn to this section when you are pressed for time or can't think what to eat.

Something simple on wholemeal toast. Most of these toast-toppings are moist enough to eliminate the need for fatty spreads, and in some instances we've suggested alternative spreads. Serve these on your two daily slices of wholemeal bread, toasted, or on one slice after a bowl of F2 Soup or with F2 Salads.

On two slices of toast:

Poached eggs. Lightly poach two Omega-3 free-range, medium-sized eggs. Serve on two slices of hot toast. If liked, first spread the toast with a little mustard, Marmite, or (at me cost of another ½ fat unit) olive tapenade.

Good old baked beans. Spread two slices of toast thinly with brown sauce, if liked, then top with. a can of heated-up baked beans.

Chilli beans. Heat half a 400g can of red kidney or mixed beans which have been canned in a spicy or chilli sauce. Mix in some finely chopped onion and chopped peppers or sweetcorn or both. Pile on two slices of hot toast.

Pizza style. Grill two thickly sliced tomatoes on foil in a grill pan with some crushed garlic and a sprinkling of dried mixed herbs or seasoning. Spread two slices of hot toast with a little tomato puree and top with the tomatoes. Scatter with four drained anchovies, a few sliced black olives and capers. Serve with a ready-made F2 Salad.

Spiced banana and honey. Mash one large banana with 1-2 tsp honey, to taste, a few sultanas and a pinch of ground cinnamon. Spread on two slices of hot toast.

On one slice of toast, with soup or salad:

Sardines with pesta. Spread one slice of hot toast thinly with 1 teaspoon pesto sauce, lay sliced tomatoes on top. Mash two well-drained sardines, the kind which have been canned in brine, with a splash of vinegar to liven the flavor (and lower the GI), and spread on top of the tomatoes.

Sardines and cucumber. Mash two sardines canned in tomato sauce with some of the sauce and a splash of vinegar. Spread on one slice of hot toast then top with sliced cucumber. Serve with cherry tomatoes and a ready-made F2 Salad.

Cheese and celery. Spread one slice of lightly browned toast with 50g/20z light (half-fat) soft cheese with chives, mixed with one stick finely chopped celery. Pop under a preheated grill to warm through. Serve with cherry tomatoes, a ready-made F2 Salad and Branston or another favorite pickle if liked.

Read More...

INDIAN ITEMS

March 3, 2010 General Health

Regard Indian meals as 'add-ons' rather than 'take-away' where your figure is concerned. Same applies to deli items such as onion bhajis. There's a great deal of hidden fat in Indian foods.

Here are just a few figures for popular items to warn you to steer clear of them in general, although some fibre-rich dhals could be included in your menus.

BOMBAY POTATO, per 300g portion…………..5

CANNED LENTIL DHAL, half a 400g can…………..3

CANNED CHICK PEA DHAL, half a 400g can………….2

CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA, per 300g portion……………11

CHICKEN TANDOORI, per 175g portion……………6 ½

CURRY PASTE

per 15ml/1 level tablespoon…………2

CURRY PASTE, slightly rounded teaspoon ………..1

CURRY POWDER……………..0

GOBI ALOO SAAG, per 300g portion…………8 ½

LAMB KHEEMA, per 300g portion………………14

LAMB ROGAN JOSH, per 300g portion …………..9

ONION BHAJI, 50g…………….2 ½

VEGETABLE SAMOSA, 50g…………….2 ½

INDIAN MEAL ACCOMPANIMENTS

CHAPAITI, per 50g portion………….2

NAAN BREAD, per 50g portion…………1 ½

PAPPADUM, each…………1

MAYONNAISE AND MAYONNAISE-BASED SAUCES

If foods were rated for their figure-threat factors mayonnaise might well top the list Chocolate you know is fattening! Mayonnaise, lavishly used these days in so many foods, is a far more secret and therefore sinister threat. It can, and does, turn most ready-made sandwiches and coleslaw into very fattening foods. Even reduced-fat and light mayonnaises, a much better choice, contain a significant quantity of fatty calories.

You have been warned. Hold the mayonnaise. Or at least go for the light reduced fat varieties, which are no real sacrifice, and measure them carefully. Here we've given fat units per 15ml tablespoon a level tablespoon! for mayonnaise-based sauces such as the ubiquitous tartare sauce, as well as mayonnaise itself.

MAYONNAISE, per level tablespoon…………..4

MAYONNAISE, REDUCED-FAT OR LIGHT, per level tablespoon………….1 ½

MAYONNAISE, EXTRA LIGHT, per tablespoon…………… ½

MAYONNAISE-BASED SAUCES

CORONATION SAUCE, per level tablespoon………….1 ½

TARTARE SAUCE, per level tablespoon……………1 ½

SEAFOOD SAUCE, per level tablespoon……………2

REDUCED-FAT SEAFOOD SAUCE, per level tablespoon…………….1

MEAT    

The excess of red and processed meat (such as bacon, sausages, salamis and other deli products) in typical Western diets has been linked in many recent scientific studies to major diseases.

Even lean meal you've eaten meat and why we advise you to limit it to no more than two helpings a week. Lower the meat content and boost the vegetable content of popular dishes such as cottage pie with the recipes in this article. And give Quorn products a try as low-fat meat-free alternatives to popular meat dishes. All fat units are given per 25g/1oz unless otherwise stated.

BACON AND HAM

BACON, per rasher, back or streaky, grilled………..1 ½

GAMMON, average steak (250g/90z raw weight) grilled………..5 ½

HAM, cooked weight, lean only…………. ½

HAM, cooked weight, lean and fat1 ………….½

BEEF

CORNED BEEF……………1

ROAST BEEF, lean only………………1

ROAST BEEF, lean and fat………….1 ½

LEAN GRILLING STEAK, average, weighed raw ………….½

SMALL (175g/60z raw weight) lean steak, grilled, each……..3

AVERAGE SIZED (2259/80z raw weight) lean steak, grilled, each…………4

MINCED BEEF, weighed raw……………1 ½

LEAN MINCED BEEF (less than 10 %  fat), weighed raw…………..1

BURGERS

Although different brands vary a little in fat content, the following figures will be close enough to keep fat and calorie intake at weightloss level. Fat units are given for whole grilled burger in each case.

SMALL BURGER, 50g/20z raw weight…………….3

LARGE BURGER, 115g/40z raw weight……….7

LAMB

LEG, roasted, lean only…………..1

LEG, roasted, lean and fat1 …………..½

SHOULDER, roasted, lean and rat…………….2

AVERAGE CHUMP CHOP (150g/50z raw weight), grilled………….8

AVERAGE LOIN CHOP (125g/4 ½ oz raw weight) grilled…………7

LIVER

CHICKEN LIVER, per 50g/20z raw………….½

LAMB'S LIVER, fried………….1 ½

LAMB'S LIVER, raw…………… ½

LIVER pATE…………..3 ½

LIVER PATE, reduced-fat…………. ½

PORK

FILLET, lean only, raw……….. ½

LEG JOINT, roasted , lean and fat…………..1

LOIN CHOP, 125g/4 ½ ,oz raw weight, grilled…………..4

PORK CHOP, 200g/7oz raw weight, grilled………..6 ½

SAUSAGES

Fat units are given per whole sausage, well

Grilled to drain off maximum fat. See Quarn section for lower-fat alternatives.

BEEF SAUSAGE, large…………3

BEEF SAUSAGE, thin1 …………..½

PORK SAUSAGE, large………….3 ½

PORK SAUSAGE, thin………….2

MEXICAN FOODS

Mexican foods give maximum flavour kick for calories to spice up your diet. We were cheered to find that even refried beans aren't as fatty as they sound when we checked out Old EI Paso and Discovery, the leading supermarket brands.

FAJITA SPICE MIX, per 35g sachet ………..½

REFRIED BEANS, per 215g can………… ½

SALSA, CHILLED, per average 170g pot…………….1

SOURED CREAM, fresh or long-life per level tablespoon…………….1

TACO SHELLS, EACH………….1

TORTILLAS, CORN, EACH……………1

TORTILLAS, WHEAT FLOUR, EACH…………1

SAUCES, PER JAR AS SOLD:

DISCOVERY CHILLI CON

CARNE SAUCE, 370g…………..1 ½

DISCOVERY FAJITA SAUCE, 370g……………3 ½

OLD EL PASO ENCHILADA SAUCE, 475g……………6 ½

OLD EL PASO FAJITA SAUCE, 475g…………1

OLD EL PASO SIZZLING SAUCE, 235g………..4

UNCLE BEN'S CHILLI CON CARNE SAUCE, 500g…………..1

MILK

We suggest skimmed organic dairy or calcium enriched unsweetened soya as the best milks to use in cereals and tea. Here are the fat units to count if you do and the extras to add, which come mainly in the form of that unhealthy saturated fat, if you don't. Some recent studies suggest that the milk from organically reared cows is a better source of important nutrients than that of non-organic cows, because they eat more fresh grass and clover and a generally more natural diet. Units are given for half a pint (300m I, in each case.

RECOMMENDED MILKS

SKIMMED DAIRY MILK ………….½

UNSWEETENED SOYA MILK…………1 ½

OTHER MILKS

COW'S BREAKFAST MILK……………5

COW'S CHANNEL ISLAND MILK…………..5 ½

COW'S FULL-FAT MILK……………..4

COW'S SEMI-SKIMMED MILK……………2

GOAT'S MILK…………..4

NUTS

Although cram-packed with valuable nutrients, nuts are also cram-packed with calorie-rich oil. And it's just so easy to eat lots of them in a very short time so hard to stop once you've opened a packet Eaten with alcohol, as they so often are, nuts pose an even greater hazard for slimmers. The nuts make you want more alcohol, the alcohol makes you want more nuts Advice for dieters:

• Don't eat nuts with an alcoholic drink.

• Only ever buy the smallest individual-sized packet.

• Ideally choose pistachio nuts, sold in their shells. Having to shell each one slows down eating speed considerably and makes you content with less.

Health note

When eaten salted, nuts can add to excess salt intake. Salt won't affect your weight but is linked with high blood pressure and strokes.

Fat units are given per 25g11oz, weighed shelled unless otherwise stated.

ALMONDS………….5 ½

ALMONDS, blanched, whole or flaked………….5 ½

ONE WHOLE ALMOND …………….½

MARZIPAN……………1 ½

BRAZIL NUTS…………..7

ONE WHOLE BRAZIL NUT…………….1

CASHEW NUTS…………..5

CHESTNUTS, weighed shelled…………….1

COCONUT, creamed block……….7

COCONUT, desiccated…………6

COCONUT MILK, per 400ml can…………..24

COCONUT MILK, REDUCED FAT, per 400ml can…………12

COCONUT CREAM, per 200m I carton…………….16

HAZELNUTS……………..6 ½

MACADAMIA NUTS………………8

MIXED NUTS AND RAISINS3…………….. ½

PEANUTS, DRY ROASTED……………5

PEANUTS, ROASTED SALTED………….5 ½

PEANUT BUTTER, per teaspoon…………..1 ½

PECANS …………….7

PINE NUTS………..7

PISTACHIO NUTS, weighed with shells………..3

PISTACHIO NUTS, weighed shelled………..5 ½

WALNUTS……………..7

OILS

Whether olive, corn, palm, safflower, sesame, soya, sunflower, peanut, walnut you name it oil is oil in terms of the whopping number of fatty calories it supplies. Ration it strictly. Measure it carefully. Every drop counts when you are trying to lose weight. Sorry to nag, but don't live another day without owning measuring spoons. You'll find these in kitchenware departments. When rationing fats for weight loss it's particularly important to focus on healthier oils in place of solid saturated and trans fats. ALL OILS

Per 15ml tablespoon……………5

Per 5ml teaspoon……………..2

PASTA SAUCES

Forget (please-0 that totally misleading low-carb nonsense about pasta being fattening. It's the sauce that makes the real difference to a pasta meal. Choose the right one and whole-wheat pasta, with a side salad, is among the most healthy and helpful of all dieting meals: high fibre, low GI, low cal, filling, easy.

Choose the wrong one and you're downing loads of fatty calories. You get a main course portion of pasta (90-100g dry weight) for around 300 calories-well within weight-loss limits for a main meal but could more than double this by adding an oily sauce. In cheesy sauces many calories will be in the form of health threatening saturated fat.

'Heavens, I haven't got time-what can I eat tonight?' emergencies below. We've trawled the stores to select some of the lowest-fat ready-made pasta sauces. We also give figures for some of the worst to show just how picky you have to be.

PIZZAS

Pizzas can range from the 'permissible' to the 'terminal' where weight is concerned. It isn't the base, it's all those fatty, cheesy calories even worse, fatty cheesy and meaty calories! heaped on top that makes the difference. Thick bottom, thin top is a good rule of thumb to get maximum filling power for minimum fattening power.

There's little advantage in a thin base but the less cheese and meat on top the better. And always serve pizza with a pulse-packed F2 Salads to add that essential fibre and lower the GI of tile meal.

You can limit fatty pizza calories by:

• Buying a pizza base and topping it yourself.

• Choosing pizzas labelled 'low fat', available in most supermarkets, or the small frozen French bread type.

• Choosing a mini-sized pizza and eating it with loads of salad.

Pizza-eaters should brace themselves for some shock-horror figures below. And you wondered why you were putting on weight? Nearly every restaurant pizza, unless there's a cheese-free option, costs around 1,000 calories. By far the most lethal of the shop-bought lot are those labelled 'stuffed crust' (cheese inside as well as on top). 'loaded cheese', 'meat feast' and 'deep pan'. As many as 1,300 calories and enough fat to give a bullock a heart attack in one of those.

 

PUT-IT-TOGETHER PIZZA

INGREDIENTS:

NAPOLINA MINI PIZZA BASE (14cm/5 ½ ,inch) per base.. . …. …………….1

NAPOLINA LARGE PIZZA BASE (23cm/9 inch) per base…………1 ½

NAPOLINA PIZZA TOPPING, per 300g jar…………………..2 ½

REDUCED-FAT PIZZAS

REDUCED-FAT CHEESE AND TOMATO PIZZA (18cm/7 inch)…………….2 ½

REDUCED-FAT HAM AND PINEAPPLE PIZZA (18cm/7 inch)…………3

REDUCED-FAT ROASTED VEGETABLE (18cm/7 inch)………………..3

SMALL PIZZAS

AVERAGE CHEESE AND TOMATO PIZZA (13cm/5 inch)………….2

CHICAGO DEEP DISH FROZEN MINI

PIZZAS (2 in a pack)

HAM AND PINEAPPLE, per mini pizza…………..5 ½

HOT AND SPICY, per mini pizza…………..6 ½

TRIPLE CHEESE, per mini pizza…………..4

PIZZA FINGERS (10 in a frozen pack) per pizza finger ……………½

FRENCH BREAD PIZZAS

FINDUS FRENCH BREAD CHEESE AND TOMATO PIZZA, each………….1

SHOCK-HORROR PIZZAS!

DEEP-LOADED CHEESE PIZZA, (25cm/10 inch) per pizza…………….17 ½

DEEP-PAN PEPPERONI PIZZA, (20cm/8 inch) per pizza………….18 ½

STUFFED-CRUST MEAT FEAST PIZZA, (25cm/10 inch) per pizza……………..18

POULTRY CHICKEN

Lean skinless chicken can be a low-fat food if you opt for free-range ideally organic free-range. Recent research suggests that factory farmed chicken (which means all chicken on sale not labelled 'free-range' or 'organic') now has a higher fat content than was previously realized, thanks to so-called 'advances' in the speed of chicken growth. Avoid fast-food fried chicken and fat-added ready-made chicken meals which can be very high in fat content and calories, as you can see from the figures below. Fat units given for basic chicken meat apply to free-range and free-range organic.

BREAST MEAT, roasted, eaten without skin ………….½

LEG MEAT, roasted, eaten without skin………..1

AVERAGE BREAST, eaten without skin, cooked without fat ½

DRUMSTICKS, roasted or grilled with skin, each………….1 ½

LEG QUARTER, roasted or barbecued, eaten with skin……………7 ½

POPULAR CHICKEN DISHES CHICKEN NUGGETS (6)………..5

CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA, per 300g portion……………11

CHICKEN KIEV, per 150g portion…………..12

TAKE-AWAY FRIED COATED CHICKEN

Per piece:

CRISPY STRIP ………..2

DRUMSTICK ………….4

THIGH ……………7

WING…………..4 ½

DUCK

Per 25g11oz unless otherwise stated.

DUCK, CRISPY, Chinese style………….2 ½

DUCK, ROAST, lean meat only……………1

DUCK, ROAST, lean and fat with skin ……………4

DUCK, BREAST FILLET, per 175g/60z raw breast, grilled or baked, eaten with skin ……………10

DUCK, BREAST FILLET, per 175g/60z raw

breast, grilled or baked, eaten without skin………….3

TURKEY BREAST MEAT, roasted, eaten without skin………………½

SALAD DRESSINGS

Take care like mayonnaise, most salad dressings are very high in calories. Options for slimmers include making your own with a lower ratio of oil to vinegar, trying low-fat or fat-free shop-bought dressings, or having just a small quantity of the one you love best. Either way, measure it carefully and count the fat units. Fat units are given per 15ml tablespoon unless otherwise stated.

BALSAMIC VINEGAR DRESSING, shop bought…………3

BLUE CHEESE DRESSING, shop bought……………2 ½

CAESAR DRESSING, shop bought ……………3

CAESAR DRESSING, LOW FAT, 2tbsp…………….. ½

FRENCH (VINAIGRETTE) DRESSING, shop bought ……………3

FRENCH (VINAIGRETTE) DRESSING,

REDUCED FAT, shop bought, 2tbsp ………………½

FRENCH (VINAIGRETTE) DRESSING, FAT FREE, shop bought ………..0

FRENCH (VINAIGRETTE) DRESSING,

HOMEMADE (3 tbsp oil to 1 tbsp vinegar)…………4

FRENCH (VINAIGRETTE)

DRESSING, HOMEMADE (2 tbsp oil to 1tbsp vinegar)……………3 ½

HERB AND GARLIC DRESSING, shop bought………………2

HERB AND GARLIC DRESSING, shop bought, low fat ½

HONEY AND MUSTARD DRESSING, shop bought ………………..2

HONEY AND MUSTARD DRESSING, low fat …………..1

ITALIAN DRESSING, shop bought………………3

ITALIAN DRESSING, shop bought, low fat, 2 tbsp…………. ½

SALAD CREAM ………………….1½

SALAD CREAM, light or reduced fat…………1

THOUSAND ISLAND, shop bought ………….. 1½

THOUSAND ISLAND, shop bought, reduced fat………….1

SHELLFISH AND SEAFOOD

Although seafood is a source of dietary cholesterol (the cholesterol you eat, as opposed to the cholesterol your own body makes), F2 strictly rations saturated fats, which are the major cause of cholesterol problems. So most people check with your doctor if you have heart health problems can afford to enjoy a little seafood in their diet. As you see, it is low in fatty calories. Fat units are given per 25g/10z unless otherwise stated.

CALAMARI, FRIED IN BATTER……………….1

CALAMARI, RAW, per 75g/30z ………….½

CRAB MEAT, light and dark meat …………..½

LOBSTER, per 1159/40z portion ………….½

MUSSELS SHELLED …………………½

MUSSELS, weighed with shells, per 115g/40z ……………½

PRAWNS, peeled, per 759/30z portion …………….½

SCALLOPS, raw, per 759/30z………….. ½

SCAMPI IN BREADCRUMBS, frozen……………….1

SCAMPI IN BREADCRUMBS, deep fried…………1 ½

SEAFOOD STICKS, per 115g/40z portion ………….½

SEAFOOD SELECTION, per 75g/30z portion ………..½

Read More...

Light Delight

May 27, 2009 General Health

 

Light yet wholesome salads are perfect to keep your cool and healthy through rising temperature.

Ingredients:

Pears 4  nos
Walnuts (blanched,  skinned and roasted) 12 nos
Mint leaves 12 nos
Lemon juice. 4
wedges  
Salt To taste  
Olive oil 40 ml
Castor sugar optional  
Rocket leaves. 25 nos
Parmesan flakes 16 nos

Method:

Slice pears put them in mixing bowl.
Add torn mint, lemon juice, salt, pepper and olive oil.
Season rocket leaves separately.

Presentation:

Arrange few rocket leaves on plate.
Make a small heap of the pear salad on top of leaves; arrange remaining leaves on the plate.
Finish with Parmesan flakes, a drizzle of olive oil and toasted walnuts

Method:

Preheat the oven to 200C/Fan 180C/400F/Gas Mark 6.
Place the chicken in a non stick roasting tin with the onion and half the oil from the dressing. Roast for 10-15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked.
Whisk the remaining dressing ingredients together with seasoning.

Presentation:

Empty the leaves into a bowl, add the tomatoes.
Stir the chicken, onion and dressing into the salad leaves and toss to mix.
Serve warm.

 

Read More...

Why Do You Get Hungry Before Your Period?

May 25, 2009 General Health

Studies show that food intake (and presumably hunger) increases in the days before menstruation. Metabolism can jump as well, up to 16 per cent. Why? The hormone progesterone that’s released before menstruation causes the body to heat up and expend more energy, resulting in a need for more fuel. If you’re like the average women, you consume an extra 300 calories a day in the week before your period. And you may need every morsel, so don’t hold back make meals full ad snacks substantial. As for that chocolate craving? Also take care of your skin using anti aging products like tripeptinon. Go ahead and down a couple of squares, because you’ll probably burn them off. PMS meltdown, averted.

Read More...

OUT OF JOINT

May 12, 2009 General Health

QUESTION
  I am 61 years old, male, non diabetic, non hypertensive, purely vegetarian, weighing 54 kg at 5′ 6". active in all respects except for a knee problem. I exercise daily for 25 minutes. However
1) I cannot stand continuously for more than 15 minutes.
2) I cannot walk comfortably more than a kilometer.
3) Sitting without back support is not possible. I am taking one tablet of calcium with Vito  500. On taking one tablet of Moviz, I feel a little relief. Is there any remedy or exercise for my problem? I have no trouble while sitting or lying down.

ANSWER
   The knee problem you describe is probably due to early degenerative changes. The fact that there is no pain while lying down or sitting, is an encouraging sign. Keeping your weight down and performing low impact exercises like swimming and cycling should help you. If the situation demands taking pain killers on a regular basis, you should be consulting a knee specialist. A clinical evaluation and X-rays of the knee will reveal the status of the joint.

 

Read More...

SINGING A NEW TUNE

May 12, 2009 General Health

QUESTIO
   I am a singe for the past  15 years. In the last 2 years my voice has become hoarse and cracks while singing. I get tired easily. I consulted an ENT specialist, who diagnosed nodules in my voice box and has advised me to get operated. I want to avoid surgery as I am afraid I will lose my voice completely?
ANSWER
   Vocal nodules are often the result of incorrect technique, overuse and misuse of the voice. They are best treated with a vocal hygiene programme and corrective voice training after a detailed assessment by a laryngologist voice specialist]. The assessment would include a clinical evaluation of the voice and an examination of the vocal folds through laryngoscopy. Corrective voice training treats the root cause of the nodules and in a majority of cases they regress. Surgery is not recommended as the primary treatment option. Operating on nodules without changing voice techniques will only lead to a recurrence of the nodules as the cause of the problem is not tackled. It is essential to learn vocal techniques that are compatible with the normal anatomy and physiology of the voice. Warm up your voice before singing. And avoid singing until you undergo corrective voice training

Read More...

SHIFTING PERSPECTIVE

May 12, 2009 General Health

QUESTION
   My son, 21-years old, is a fit, strapping young lad, works out regularly at the gym, plays soccer on Sundays. Right now he’s facing a big dilemma. His job requires him to be constantly on shift. At least 4 days a week he’s either on a 4 PM-to idnight round that has him going to bed at 2 AM, or a 11 PM-to-8 AM shift, when he’s sleeping all day and only waking up for lunch. This has not only messed up his meal timings (he doesn’t know whether he’s eating dinner or breakfast!) but also his gym routine. Please advise:
   (a’ How, when and what type of exercise he can fit in this erratic schedule so that he suffers no exhaustion at work and remains active.
   b) What kind of food (and how much) he should be eating before he sets out for a dead-hour shift (11 PM to 8 AM)? Should he have something light before leaving home and then eat again at 2 AM, or eat a full dinner and have his next meal only the following morning? And after an all-nighter, what should he be having – breakfast or a full meal?
    c) Another confusion is whether we should wake him up at 1 PM for his lunch or let him sleep through till 4 PM and then eat.
ANSWER
    Shiftworkers have very unique problems that frequently lead to severe disruptions of the body’s intrinsic bio rhythms. o begin with, make sure your son’s shifts are consistent for consecutive days and always change in the forward direction, instead of going back and forth. Specific answers for your questions:
   A. Exercise should be done after he has had at-least 7 to 8 hours of sleep regardless of the time. Exercise helps in release of adrenaline which has an alerting influence.
   B. Before the night shift he can have a light meal and take a packed carbohydrate-rich snack to eat in the middle of the night. When he returns from work in the morning let him eat a full meal that is rich in the amino acid tryptophan (found in pistachios, milk) to aid sleep. A medication called melatonin can also help him sleep better. Don’t wake him up at 1 PM for lunch. More than food, he needs an unbroken stretch of sleep from 9AM to 5PM to allow the body to repair itself.

Read More...

HEAD START

May 12, 2009 General Health

" A month later the pain struck again, this time with an intensity that literally shook me. It was like someone had swung a bludgeon the back of my skull "
   When the opportunity to visit Mount Kailas came about in July 2005,1 was ecstatic. At 58, I had few responsibilities to hold me back (I run a boutique ‘Karuna’ on Peddar Road) or health complaints to worry about. Barring, that is, a mild rise in Blood Pressure that was discovered in the compulsory physical done for pilgrims just before setting off .
   The 10-day tour proved to be an arduous one. As the altitude rose, I started experiencing breathlessness. We were half way up when a disturbing new sign arose  persistent headache. It was as if hot blood was rushing up my head which weighed a ton on my shoulders. Assuming that the climb had aggravated my borderline hypertension, I popped the pills prescribed by my GP. But seeing my discomfort, and that of 2 other piligrims who were also struggling, our group leader called a halt. The headache vanished within an hour, and in fact did not reappear for the rest of the journey. Nevertheless I curtailed my ambition of topping the Mount Kailash and turned back at Manasarovar.
FRESH JOLTS
   Back in Mumbai, the events of the trek were soon forgotten as work and family affairs clamored for attention. My boutique sells exclusive ethnic salwaar kameezes and embroided sarees, and supervising half a dozen tailors keeps me on my feet eight hours a day. One evening about 7 to 8 months after the pilgrimage, I was relaxing on the sofa after a hard day at the shop, when I felt an arrow of pain shoot through my head.
   Simultaneously a wave of dizziness took over and I blacked out. The maid, who was on her way out, was so alarmed that she stayed back to watch over me till a member of the family returned home. Twenty minutes later I regained consciousness, grabbed a glass of water and staggered to the bedroom. It must be the High Blood Pressure, I decided, and swallowed an extra dose of BP pills, assuring the maid I was fine.
GROWING PROBLEMS
   According to Dr. F.D. Udwadia, then Neurologist at the Breach- Candy hospital, aneurysms are little sacs or bubbles that grow on the wall of a blood vessel in the tissues covering the brain. The good news was that the growths were not malignant. However even benign tumors cause trouble because they grow slowly in the skull, pushing and distorting the brain. In my case the aneurysms had caused a localized ballooning or dilation of blood vessels in the tunica extern, tough connective tissues of the brain.
.SEEKING SOLUTIONS
   Endovascular Therapy involves no scalpel, no major cutting. That does not mean it carries no risks. In 2 out of 100 cases the procedure may result in paralysis, stroke or even death. However the other option – opening up the brain- was even more unpalatable. Unfortunately, although the 6 mm aneurysm required immediate intervention, Breach Candy did not have the wherewithal to treat my condition.. Post· up, I woke up to a horrible headache and severe bout of vomiting. However Dr. Limaye assured me that the procedure had gone off well and everything was intact. (I presume he meant my grey cells hadn’t been messed with.) I was to visit him periodically for follow ups. The fate of the remaining 9 mm aneurysms largely depended on my progress report for this one. If all went according to plan it would be removed within 6 months. Meanwhile I would be taking a handful of pills to control my Blood Pressure, as even a slight fluctuation in it could cause the aneurysm to burst and result in brain haemorrage. I returned home 3 days later with strict warnings not to exert myself too much or engage in strenuous activity, in short to avoid all physical and mental stress.
   Despite Dr. limaye’s assurances on the safety of the coils, I just couldn’t stop thinking about the alien object sitting in my brain, What if the platinum wires uncoiled and pierced into my grey cells? What if my body rejected the coils? Over and over the what ifs whirled in my brain. Even after I. got back to work a week later, somewhere at the back of my mind, I was constantly observing myself, watching out for changes. It may have been my imagination, but I noticed that my brain couldn’t work beyond two hours at a stretch, after which I’d go blank.
   My responses also appeared to have slowed down, as if it ( the brain) was demanding time to recoup. Dr. Umaye assured me these "symptoms ~ were not the fallout of the procedure, that I was being over cautious. St ill, cognizant that I cannot handle workload like before, I cut down my clientele from 70 to 35 a month. I had greatest difficulty observing the ban on yoga. Dr. Limaye said that certain mudras may exert pressure on my skull and hike blood pressure in the brain, both of which could cause the remaining 9 mm aneurysm to rupture. I compromised by settling for simpler asanas like the Pranayama. That, and work, helped  immensely in preventing negative thoughts gaining an upper hand.
BACK TO SQUARE ONE
   Post-op was pretty much a replica of the previous procedure – severe headache, nausea, dizziness – which disappeared within days. I’m almost back to myoid self, except for the odd feeling I invariably get when I reach up and touch those areas where the platinum coils sit. There’s no outward sign of their existence, but I keep sensing a lump. Maybe it’s just my imagination, like Dr. Limaye says, just as he dismisses the other complaints, namely mental fatigue and slow responses, as overreaction. He insists I don’t have to pussyfoot around for the rest of my life, apart from observing normal precautions like not overdoing things. Counseling will help me come to terms with my fears, he assures. The possibility of aneurysms recurring in the same area is very low, he says. However that doesn’t mean they can’t sprout elsewhere. Indeed the latest reports indicate a small bulge in the middle cerebral artery of the left hemisphere of my brain. The implications of these are still unclear but I’ve kind of gotten resigned to my fate. like they say Que sera sera. What will be, will be.

 

Read More...

← Previous Entries