Sunday, June 29, 2014

Salad Dressing Undressed

Summer's fresh flavors and colors offer endless crunchy possibilities when it comes to vibrant, flavorful salads.

So why do you cover your greens with high fructose corn syrup, soybean oil, sodium benzoate, calcium disodium EDTA, and propylene glycol? Yum!  It sounds disgusting really. But many of us eat preservative filled, sodium rich, calorie-laden,  bottled dressing everyday and never think twice about it.

That's exactly what was in the bottle of lite poppy seed salad dressing I pulled off the grocery store shelf recently.
 Balsamic vinaigrette is light and flavorful.


So let's go ahead and "undress" salad dressing. It sounds sexy, doesn't it?

You want dressing to complement your veggies, not overpower them or coat them in a bath of goop.

Think oil and vinegar.Together it's called vinaigrette.




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 Now if that age old combo of red wine vinegar and oil doesn't strike you as delicious, think outside the box. There are dozens of types of vinegar on the store shelf, or you can easily create your own flavored vinegar.

 Salad dressing should really be just two main ingredients. An acid and an oil, plus seasonings and herbs. The "acid" is a vinegar or citrus juice. The base is oil, preferably olive oil which is a healthy fat--excellent for your heart. Extra virgin olive oil is the purest form. It's the first press of the olive and has the richest content of healthy fats.


Recipes To Make your Own Flavored Vinegar

Experiment with rice wine vinegar. It's very mild and pairs nicely with soy sauce, a touch of sesame oil, olive oil, fresh grated ginger, a squirt of lime juice and spices for a salad with an Asian flair.
Red wine vinegar is a little more harsh on the tongue, but can be tamed with water, and fresh herbs like oregano and basil.

My favorite dressing is a Caesar style with fresh squeezed lemon juice, lots of minced garlic and olive oil, plus salt and pepper. Top it with freshly grated Romano cheese.  Or use orange juice, skip the garlic and cheese and top it with dried cranberries for a sweeter version.

Balsamic vinegar whisked with olive oil makes an earthy, bold dressing for summer greens.

To make any dressing, simply blend ingredients with a whisk or toss them in the blender. You can even pour all the ingredients in a small glass jar and give it a good shake. Then store in the fridge and bring to room temperature before serving. The general ratio of oil to vinegar is 3:1. Three parts oil, to one part vinegar. Depending on the flavors and balance you're looking for, adjust. I tend to go a little easier on the oil.

If you're making a large salad for your family, drizzle the dressing around the edges of the bowl using as little as possible, then use tongs to toss and distribute the dressing evenly. You don't need to use much to bring out the true natural flavor of your veggies.

For creamy dressings, experiment by mashing an avocado to form the base of the dressing, then mixing in water, lemon juice and herbs. Plain yogurt also makes an excellent creamy base when you add chives, onions, fresh herbs and spices from your pantry.

Naked salad with just a hint of dressing. Now THAT is sexy.



Minty Watermelon Cucumber Salad

4 cups cubed seedless watermelon
1 medium English cucumber, halved and sliced
3 green onions, chopped
handful fresh mint, chopped
4 tbs balsamic vinegar
4 tbs olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

In a large bowl, combine watermelon, cucumber, onions and mint. Whisk vinegar, oil, salt and pepper. Pour over salad and toss to coat. Serve immediately or refrigerate up to 2 hours.
6o cal, 3/4 cup serving, 9 gr. carbs.





Monday, June 23, 2014

Just Start

Your skinny jeans aren't so skinny anymore. In fact, you wish you could just zip them closed and still be able to breathe. You saw yourself in your cousin's wedding photos and wondered when you started to look like that. It's time for a change in your fitness picture. So you start walking every day and starve yourself. After a week, you're a raging pain in the butt and no one can stand to be around you.

You're soon back to your old habits. Downing the coffee. Convincing yourself that diet pop is OK because it has zero calories.  You're eating whatever crap leftovers your office buddies dragged in from their weekend parties. Dining out is the norm rather than an occasional treat. You're too tired to exercise, grocery shop or plan a meal.
And the vicious cycle continues.

Here's the deal. We're like rubber bands when it comes to habits--we want to stretch back to our original shape and size.  It takes planning, will power, and downright determination to make changes that'll last for the long haul.

So give yourself a break and give it time. Set yourself up to succeed in this new lifestyle. Start with a natural cleanse: by removing sugar from your diet and drinking water. No--you don't need a fancy cleanse product.

The average American eats 152 pounds of sugar a year. Yes, read that again. That's 6 cups of sugar a week, or 42 teaspoons a day, according to the group, Health Promotion In Motion. Just paste those donuts on your rear end already.

Start by removing blatant sugar from your daily diet and fill in with two fruits a day. Fruit has natural sugars so you don't want to eat unlimited amounts. But it's also loaded with fiber and vitamins you can only get from eating real food.

Then turn that diet pop habit into water habit, aiming for at least 90 ounces of water a day. Put a slice of lime in it, or lemon, or cucumber.

So much of the sluggishness we feel is actually dehydration. Did you know that just a 2-percent drop in dehydration can zap our energy, create enormous fatigue and make us think we're hungry?

Carry a water bottle around like it's your part time job and chug away. It'll fill you up, make your skin look great and give you energy to exercise. Water is a natural lubricant and pain reliever, cushioning your joints. Every cell in your body needs water to thrive and make you feel energized.

I'll drink to that!