Soups: healthy and filling

• Soup contains less calories but they are nutritious than any other meal. Soups are found to keep you full for longer than most other meals and this has been proved by the age old phrase "nothing fills me up like a hot bowl of soup". The researchers at Penn State found that foods high in water content had a very strong impact on satiety (the feeling of satisfaction/fullness).

• They are one of the most nutritive method of consuming vegetables because the vitamins and nutrients in the soup are retained in it.

• The antioxidants present in vegetables and garlic have excellent healing properties for diseases like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, asthma etc . Diabetics would also benefit from drinking soup as the high antioxidant content of soups helps rectify the damage by the high blood sugar levels. Remember, only the fresh soups have the antioxidant properties.

• Soups are filling and very low calorie, therefore they are great for someone trying to decrease the quantity of food.

• Soups are a great substitute to excessive tea/coffee.

• Kids often enjoy soups and it is far tastier than cooked vegetables.

Wheat Soup

Ingredients

• Whole Wheat - 2 cups

• Yogurt - 4 cups

• Chicken Stock - 4 cups

• Egg - 1

• Flour - 2 tbsp

• Salt to taste

• Ground Pepper - 2 tbsp

Method

• Take Wheat and soak in water for 8 hours. Drain the water. Place the yogurt in a sieve lined with cheesecloth and let the excess liquid drain out for a minimum of 5 to 6 hours, or overnight if possible.

• Take a deep (soup) pan and add the chicken stock to it and boil the wheat in the chicken stock. On low heat cook for 1 hour.

• Once the wheat is cooked strain the soup using sieve.

• In a frying pan add the yogurt, flour and egg and mix well. Cook on a low heat until it thickens.

• Add ½ cup of water and cook until the mixture gets boiled. Add this mixture to the soup and boil for 3-4 min and serve.

• Season with salt and pepper and garnish with chopped onions and sauces if desired.

Mediterranean Soup

Ingredients

• Butter - 50gm

• Leek - 1

• Water

• Flour - 1/4 cup

• Broccoli - 400 gm

• Carrots - 3

• Zucchinis Sliced - 2

• Red pepper Sliced - 1

Method

• In a frying pan add butter and once the butter is melted add the leek to the pan. Fry for 10 min.

• Add the flour to the leeks and fry for 2-3 min and add the vegetable stock and water to the pan and boil for 15-20 min on medium heat.

• Once the soup starts to thicken, add the rest of the vegetables and cook for 15 min on medium heat.

• Once the vegetables are cooked and become soft. Turn off the heat and serve.

Roast Tomato and Chickpea Soup

Ingredients

• 6 large plum tomatoes

• 1 medium onion, halved

• 2 garlic cloves

• 300ml / 1/2 pint / 11/4 cups vegetable stock

• 430 g can chickpeas, drained

• 30ml / 2 tbsp tomato puree

• 30ml / 2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander

• salt and black pepper

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 200^oC. Place the whole tomatoes, onion, and garlic on a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes until tender and lightly browned.

• Place in a food processor with the vegetable stock and half the chickpeas, and blend until smooth.

• Press through a sieve.

• Return to the pan, add the tomato puree, the remaining chickpeas, and the coriander. Bring to the boil and serve hot.

How to Lose Weight With Miracle Fruit

Losing extra weight whether it is 5 pounds or 25 pounds can be excruciatingly difficult. Most people know that in order to lose weight you need to have will power, focus and a plan. In this day and age we are all busy and busy means not having time make proper meals, not having time exercise as much as we should and because we're tired, we can succumb to temptation very easily. When temptation comes in the form of a chocolate bar or cookie or other high calorie snack - the impact on plans to shed extra weight can be disastrous. What if there was something that could satisfy a temptation craving but still be good for you? Miracle Fruit just might be that something!

Miracle Fruit is a berry plant that originates in West Africa. The berries themselves have a protein called miraculin that is nothing short of miraculous. When the miraculin hits your tongue, the protein binds with your taste bud receptors and enhances the ability to taste sweet. In fact, it works so well you can drink straight lemon juice or bit into a lime without even puckering. In fact, the lemon juice or lime slice will taste like you mixed it with a cup of sugar. Miracle Fruit is not new, it has been used by West Africans for centuries to sweeten simple foods such as cornbread, soups and porridge.

How can this fruit help you lose weight? It's simple: the key is to get your diet on track by reducing sweets. In order to reduce your intake of sweets, you need to be able to withstand the temptation to indulge yourself when you are hungry, stressed or in a hurry. To do this you will need to have healthy food at hand such as carrot sticks, apple slices or other fruit or vegetable. Simply eat a Miracle Fruit berry when temptation strikes and then indulge yourself in the sweetness of the snack. Carrots will taste like they are covered in brown sugar. Apple slices will taste like they are straight out of a pie and you will be on track to losing that extra weight!

The same principle can be applied at home as well. When you feel like snacking (which is the downfall of the dieter) make sure you eat a Miracle Fruit berry first and then head straight for the crisper instead of the cupboard. You can also indulge in things such as a lemon meringue pie - just leave out the sugar! You can also brew cold tea and pair it with a Miracle Fruit berry in order to feel like you are drinking sweetened iced tea.

Successfully losing weight feels amazing and with the right planning and tools you can be successful!

Flat Belly Diet

Flat Belly Diet targets the millions of Americans who want to take a few inches off of their waistline. The writers, Liz Vaccariello and Cynthia Sass, both work for Prevention magazine; with Vaccariello (editor-in-chief) being the primary voice of the book and Sass (nutrition director) providing additional knowledge and insight.
In essence, the book promises a flatter belly and weight loss of up to 15 pounds in 32 days by following the diet plan. The diet itself is fashioned after the traditional diet of the Mediterranean – more specifically, the southern regions. It allows for 1600 calories per day, with an emphasis on wholesome, unrefined foods; including nuts, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, seeds, and lean protein. Red meat is restricted – only being allowed about once a month.
Before beginning the diet, dieters go on a four-day, anti-bloat, jump-start diet. The idea is to get dieters in the mindset for healthier eating while making them feel better by relieving bloating, constipation, and the general sluggishness that usually accompanies unhealthy eating. After the four-day period, dieters then start the 28-day program, with a focus on having a monounsaturated fat (MUFA) at every meal. This, according to the authors, is the secret to the Flat Belly Diet and what makes it different and more-successful. Exercise is optional, but encouraged.
All in all, Flat Belly Diet provides a fairly normal approach to dieting, with the addition of increased good fats (MUFA). There is no calorie-counting, which is a boon for many dieters. Instead, dieters choose from a list of 28 mix-and-match meal and snack plans. The book also includes 80 recipes, complete with nutritional analysis for each one. The drawbacks of Flat Belly Diet include 1) difficulty maintaining the weight loss rate after the initial 32 days, and 2) 1600 calories is too low for most people, which could result in binge eating and the yo-yo dieting effect.
If you decide to try Flat Belly Diet, we would recommend adjusting the calorie intake to meet or exceed your BMR and adding a fitness regime to start building muscle mass. Diet alone may help you lose weight, but exercise is essential for maintaining a healthy lifestyle.