Delicious and healthy recipe for Chocolate Fudge

Delicious and healthy recipe for reduced-sugar, nutrient-dense, "Super-Food" peanut-butter Chocolate Fudge

-Takes less than 5 minutes to make
Ideas for lower-calorie, reduced sugar desserts
by Mike Geary, Certified Nutrition Specialist, Certified Personal Trainer

Today, I have one of my most famous delicous Lean-Body desserts or snacks that always helps to satisfy my sweet tooth while at the same time giving you TONS of quality nutrition.

It's my own special version of a healthy peanut-butter-fudge! We could even call it "superfood-fudge". Everybody RAVES about this recipe, and people that try it almost always can't believe that this could be healthy -- because it tastes so damn good!
In fact, there are NO refined sugars or artificial sweeteners in this fudge recipe, so it is MUCH lower in sugar than any fudge you would ever find at any store. Plus, I make this recipe jam-packed with nutrient-dense additions to satisfy your body's need for micronutrients, but also satisfy your sweet tooth!
If you don't like (or can't eat) nuts or peanut butter, you can simply leave out those ingredients and make a chocolate-only version. Pay attention, because there are specific ingredients that make this a LOT healthier for you than typical fudge.

I will say that this dessert / snack is not low-calorie per se, but it is loaded with quality healthy fats, protein, LOTS of antioxidants, and is relatively low in sugar and total carbohydrates (compared with typical fudge or other desserts), while also containing a decent dose of fiber.
Overall, it's a great snack or dessert that helps curb your appetite, fuel your muscles, loads you up on protective antioxidants, and quells that sweet tooth that often makes you overeat on refined sweets.

Geary's Lean-Body Chocolate Peanut Butter "SuperFood" Fudge Recipe:

• 3/4 cup organic coconut milk (NOT the watered down "light" version which just replaces some of the healthy coconut fat with water...use the real full-fat version)
• 1 bar (3-5 oz. bar works well) of bakers unsweetened chocolate - 100% cacao content (if you can't find 100% cacao bakers chocolate, look for at least 70-80% cocoa content on the label of any dark chocolate bar - to minimize sugar content)
• 4-5 tablespoons of peanut butter or your favorite nut butter (almond butter, cashew butter, pecan butter, and/or macadamia butter, etc)
• 3/4 cup raisins or dried cranberries or goji berries (optional)
• 1/2 cup whole raw almonds or other nuts (optional)
• 1/4 cup raw chopped pecans (optional)
• 1 scoop, about 25 gms of your favorite protein powder (I used my new favorite protein -
  the only raw GRASS-FED whey protein!)
• 3 Tbsp chia seeds, hemp seeds, and/or flax seeds (optional, but adds crazy amounts of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants...plus a nutty taste)
• 2 Tbsp rice bran (usually only available at health food stores)
• 2 Tbsp whole oats or oat bran
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• A little natural stevia powder to sweeten (add a small amount to achieve the sweetness you prefer)
• add a small touch of real maple syrup if you want a more "blended" sweetness flavor (keep the amount small to keep sugar content low)

Note on coconut milk: don't be afraid of the fats in this... coconut fat is mostly medium chain triglycerides (MCTs) that are more readily used for energy and also contain a special fat called Lauric Acid, which is extremely healthy and supports the immune system.
Start by adding the coconut milk (cans of organic coconut milk are available at most health food stores and possibly even your grocery store) and vanilla extract to a small saucepan on VERY low heat -- the lowest heat setting. Break up the extra dark chocolate bar into chunks and add into pot. Add the nut butters and the stevia, and continuously stir until it all melts together into a smooth mixture.
Then add the raisins, nuts, seeds, protein powder, oat bran, and rice bran and stir until fully blended. If the mixture becomes too thick or dry consistency, just add a small amount more coconut milk. If the mixtures seems too wet, keep in mind that it will solidify a good bit once it goes in the fridge.
Spoon/pour the fudge mixture onto some waxed paper in a dish and place in the fridge until it cools and solidifies together (3-4 hours). Cut into squares once firm and place in a closed container or cover with foil in fridge to prevent it from drying out.
Enjoy small squares of this delicious healthy "super-food" fudge for dessert and for small snacks throughout the day. This is about as good as it gets for a healthy yet delicious treat!
Even though this is a healthier dessert idea that's lower in sugar and higher in nutrition than most sweet treats, keep in mind that it is still calorie dense, so keep your portions reasonable. Give this recipe a try and I guarantee that you'll LOVE it... Everybody I know raves to me about this healthy, but delicious fudge recipe!
BTW, feel free to email the link for this page with the special healthy fudge recipe to any friends and family that you think might enjoy it or share this with your facebook friends!

FYI - you can also get healthy organic snack bars for quick bites on the road or at the office (and they have chocolate peanut butter flavor too!) at my good friends site at Prograde:
Healthy organic snack bars (peanut butter, almond butter, or spirulina)
Enjoy!

Mike Geary
Certified Nutrition Specialist
Certified Personal Trainer
Author - The Truth about Six Pack Abs

You might also like this related Article:

Healthy Raw Snacks and Treats

Vegan, Vegetarian, Macrobiotic ... What's the Difference?

Vegan, Vegetarian, Macrobiotic ... What's the Difference?

:: By Sally Kneidel and Sara Kate Kneidel

-->
So, you’re vegetarian and you don’t eat eggs,but your brother’s a vegetarian and he eats fish. And your best friend, she doesn’t even drink milk, but your neighbor calls herself vegetarian, even though you saw her eat chicken the other day. What’s going on? The truth is, being a vegetarian can mean lots of different things. Everyone has a different definition of what they do and don’t want to eat. Fortunately, if you want to be more specific, there are a number of useful terms. Let’s break it down.

Vegetarian
This is a general term. About 5 percent of the current U.S. population considers themselves to be vegetarian, although a number of varying dietary habits fall into this category. Usually this term refers to someone who doesn’t eat any kind of meat, including beef, pork, chicken, turkey, and seafood. However, there are many people who don’t quite match this description, but still use this label. These include …

Pollo-Vegetarian
This is someone who follows a mostly vegetarian diet but is known to eat the occasional McChicken sandwich or nibble at some turkey jerky. In reality, birds are meat, so this isn’t really a form of vegetarianism, but lots of people who call themselves vegetarians do indulge in a bit of chicken every so often.

Pesco-Vegetarian
Again, this is someone who follows a mostly vegetarian diet but who does eat a little meat—in this case, seafood. For some reason, lots of people don’t seem to count aquatic creatures as animals. This is often for health reasons: fish is a healthier choice than pork or beef, for instance. Other people choose to eat fish because it doesn’t affect land use as much as raising livestock does. However, overharvesting and polluting our seas and lakes is a significant environmental concern. Nonetheless, this is a popular diet, although, like pollo-vegetarianism, it’s not technically vegetarian.

Lacto-Ovo-Vegetarian
This person eats no meat, including seafood, but does eat dairy products and eggs. Most lacto-ovo-vegetarians follow this basic rule: if you have to kill the animal to get the product, then don’t eat it. Therefore, milk is okay, but gelatin, which is made from horse hooves, is not.

Lacto-Vegetarian
This person eats no meat or eggs but does eat dairy products. Dairy products include cows’ milk and any food you can make from cows’ milk, such as ice cream, yogurt, cheese, cottage cheese, sour cream, butter, and so on. Other animal products, such as goat cheese, are also included.

Ovo-Vegetarian
A person on this diet eats no meat and no dairy products but does eat eggs. This isn’t too common. (The lives of hens that provide table eggs are at least as miserable as chickens raised for meat, and eggs are no healthier in our diets than meat, so it’s little wonder there are few ovo-vegetarians.)

Vegan
About 1 percent of the U.S. population follows a vegan (pronounced “VEE-gun”) diet. This excludes all meat, eggs, and dairy products, and usually any other food produced by animals, such as honey. A strict vegan also avoids products that may seem innocent, such as refined sugar (white table sugar), because animal bones are used to process it. Many vegans also refuse to use nonedible animal products, such as leather, silk, wool, feathers, and so on. This can get really complicated. For example, did you know that camera film isn’t vegan? Gelatin is used to manufacture it. Or that some lotions contain lanolin, which comes from wool? Strict vegans have to be very well informed.

Macrobiotic
A follower of the macrobiotic diet is mainly vegetarian, but this diet sometimes includes seafood. All other meat products are excluded,as well as eggs and dairy products. Basically, this diet focuses on eating local and seasonal foods that balance each other in harmonic ways. Some people follow this diet as a philosophy of life and others follow it for health reasons.

Fruitarian
A fruitarian is a person who eats only fruits and vegetables, often including beans, nuts, and grains, usually raw. It is important that these things are taken from the plant withoutkilling it.

Raw or Living Food Diet
A person who follows this diet eats only raw foods. The concern is that heating foods above 116°F destroys important enzymes that help with digestion. This person also believes that cooking diminishes the vitamin and mineral content of the food.

Hurray for all types of vegetarians! All of these choices can be healthy—some more than others—but it is important to be well informed about the health benefits and risks of any diet that you choose to follow. Although people often feel strongly that their choice is the best and may be critical of others, the reality is that cutting your meat consumption in any way is a positive step. Reducing the amount of meat in your diet benefits your health, promotes animal wellbeing, and helps the planet support the growing human population.

From Veggie Revolution: Smart Choices for a Healthy Body and a Healthy Planet' by Sally Kneidel and Sara Kate Kneidel. © 2005 Fulcrum Publishing.

(End of Article)

Source: This is an article from GAIAM Community.

Gaiam.com is a health-conscious, environmentally responsible lifestyle company whose goal is to bring LOHAS to the mainstream. The Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability (LOHAS) concept is centered on the idea that our own health and happiness is connected to the health of our planet. Taking a holistic approach to our content and product selection, we encourage wholesome lifestyle choices with healthy, green products for your home and body.

Related Video:
More-Ganics: Get More Organics In Your Diet
Essential Tips for Healthy Eating

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Celebrity Planet: Nicole Kidman Grows Produce...And Her Family
Eating Healthy & Organic on the Go





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Vegetarian Secrets Exposed ...

Natural Healing Recipes

Let them grow your own organic food for you!

Here is something very interesting that I just found on a fellow APsense member\'s blog, Ginny Williams:


I wanted to share this immediately!


It is an awesome opportunity for everybody interested in Organic Food, especially Vegetarians and Vegans.


It is in pre-launch now and you can pre-register for your own organic acre . It will be situated on a farm in Oregon.


Read what they say:


My Organic Acres is like nothing you\'ve ever seen before.

You will lease and have access to your own 240/120 square foot Organic Garden 24/7 from the comfort of your own living room through the magic of the computer.

You will tell your own personal gardener what favorite products you wish to plant. The only thing you will miss is that pungent compost odor that wafts through your garden.

You will have an expert gardener assigned to till, plant, hoe, and harvest your crops for you.

You can then choose to sell all or a portion of your crops in our farmers market, have all or a portion of your crops shipped direct to your house for dinner or give all or a portion of your crops to feed the hungry.

All of this will be handled for you by the expert staff at Organic Acres. All of your crops will use only products certified as organic by the USDA and all of your crops will be guaranteed.

Read more and pre-register (no obligation):

My Organic Acres

Even if you will not get your own Organic Acre in the end, you can still do something good by telling as many people as you can about this great opportunity! (You even get paid for doing this.)

To our international readers (outside U.S.):

Unfortunately shipping produce outside the U.S. is not permissible but you certainly can participate in Organic Acres.


While you have the option of leasing a Full or Half Garden, anything you would grow in your garden would need to be sold to the community members through the Farmers Market here in the U.S.


At present your best options would be to join as a Free or Basic member.


You can earn commissions on anyone you\'d bring into your community by giving them your Organic Acres link up to 5 levels deep as a Basic member up, 1 level as a Free member.


I am really jealous on my US colleagues that they can have their own organic garden like this! (I am in Germany). I would jump on this if I were in the US!


My Organic Acres


PS. Since you are reading this you might also be interested in joining my new APSense group Raw Vegan! You are very welcome.

http://www.apsense.com/group/rawvegan

Overeating Nutritious Food

Overeating Nutritious Food

Can you actually GAIN body fat by eating as much nutritious food as you want?

Mike Geary, author of best selling book “Truth About Abs” experiments with intense overeating on himself

“I wanted to see if I could actually GAIN unwanted body fat by eating as much food as I wanted for 6 weeks straight. My theory was that if you eat the right types of food and don’t stray from those foods, the body will automatically rebalance itself, even though you’re attempting to overeat.

I couldn’t just eat any and all types of foods… I would overeat on as much food as I wanted, but ONLY the foods that are “approved” according to my rules (the same rules Isabel teaches in The Diet Solution Program).

You’re not going to believe what happened. The end result after 6 weeks of trying to stuff my face with as much healthy food as possible: My body weight stayed EXACTLY the same! I didn’t gain a single pound.

I know the first reaction of many people is that I just must have a “fast metabolism” or something along those lines and that’s why I didn’t gain weight – But that is false!

The truth is that I have no problem at all gaining weight when I overeat on junk food or processed food in general. I can guarantee you that if I was overeating on those foods during the 6 weeks, I would have gained a massive amount of weight.

In fact, in the past I’ve easily gained as much as 10 lbs in only 1 week when I’ve been on some sort of vacation and simply ate the normal types of processed foods that everyone else was eating.

This proves that I’m just as prone to gaining weight as anybody else. Eating nutrient dense foods forces the body to readjust, just like I theorized. Not only that, but this is the type of eating that pretty much totally eliminates cravings…

You just cannot get fat when you make the right food choices and you just can’t help but burn fat off your body when you make the same great food choices. As I’ve mentioned before, I think one of the programs that gives some of the best guidelines for eating healthy and truly enjoying your food for lifelong success is Isabel De Los Rios’ program.”

Mike has an extremely effective fitness program and also shares many of the same nutrition principles that I follow. His program is called The Truth About Abs and you can check it out here.

Eating the Mediterranean Way

Buy at AllPosters.com

Another article from Donna Zuehl's Forum "Health Topics - Discussion of health topics. Tips for improving health" at adland.pro. If you are interested in discussion of health topics you might consider joining this forum. It is certainly one of the best around!


Eating the Mediterranean Way

It's official: The so-called Mediterranean diet is good for you. Eating lots of grains, fruits, nuts, vegetables, olive oil and fish; limiting red meat and dairy; and moderating alcohol intake can protect against major ailments such as heart disease, cancer, Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease, say Italian researchers. They analyzed 12 international studies that followed 1.5 million people for up to 18 years and found that those who stuck to a strict Mediterranean diet had a 9 percent lower death rate from cardiovascular disease, a 6 percent lower incidence of cancer, and a 13 percent reduction in the incidence of Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases.

In honor of National Nutrition Month, hosted by the American Dietetic Association, take a close look at your diet, and add these healthy foods to the menu.

(End of Article)

Source: Forum Health Topics - Discussion of health topics. Tips for improving health at adland.pro, Forum Owner: Donna Zuehl.

DISCLAIMER: I am not responsible for any false or misleading health information in this blog. I am not a medecin or other physical health professional. All advice provided here in this blog has come to me through extensive study of literature at different sources both online and offline. In case of serious health problems always see your doctor first.

Read more here:

The Mediterranean Diet

From the ebook:
Why have Mediterranean diet plans become this popular so fast? Well, much of it is based on the exposure the diet's research is getting from many universities, research institutes and even heart foundations in civilized countries around the world including the American Heart Foundation and Harvard University. It is a favourite with medical practitioners and nutritionists and there's a lot of history to back-up the claims. Some have said that there is more backing this diet than any other known.

5 Healthy and Delicious Lunches Your Kids Will Love

5 Healthy and Delicious Lunches Your Kids Will Love
:: By Jessica Goldbogen Harlan

When it comes to my daughter's lunches, there's certainly much more to think about these days than when my mom packed PB&J sandwiches into a brown paper bag or my Strawberry Shortcake lunch box. Most moms today worry about issues like pesticides, nut allergies and trans fats, and they want to make sure that what they send for their child's noontime meal is healthy and well-balanced. Still, you also have to make sure it's tasty enough so that it won't get traded (or worse, tossed).

According to the United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service, a child's lunch should include milk,

a protein, a vegetable or fruit, and a grain. Within these parameters, you can think beyond the typical sandwiches that we grew up on and get creative about fun presentations and flavor combinations. Many young kids love the act of dipping their foods, so consider packing some healthy dips like yogurt or hummus to enjoy with vegetable spears. Try cutting or forming foods into fun shapes that they'll love to eat. Or, take a cue from the meals enjoyed by other cultures, particularly the cuisines that your child is starting to explore and enjoy, such as Japanese, Mexican or Thai.

Here's a week's worth of

school lunch ideas that ensure your child will stay satisfied all afternoon.

Monday: SB&J, Cucumber Fingers with Lemon-Dill Dipping Sauce
Spread soy nut butter and no-sugar-added fruit preserves onto slices of white whole-wheat bread and sandwich them together. Mix a squeeze of lemon juice, a teaspoon of fresh chopped dill, and a sprinkling of salt and pepper into plain low-fat yogurt; serve with cucumbers cut lengthwise into 3-inch wedges.

Tuesday: Turkey-Spinach Pinwheels, Veggies and Hummus, Oatmeal Cookie
Spread a whole-wheat tortilla or flatbread thinly with low-fat vegetable cream cheese. Top with a few slices of turkey deli meat (or tofu turkey deli meat), sprinkle evenly with baby spinach, roll and slice into pinwheels. Include a small container of hummus and your child's favorite vegetables for dipping (baby carrots, celery stalks, bell pepper slices, broccoli or cauliflower florets are all good choices). Include a store-bought or homemade oatmeal cookie.

Wednesday: Soba Surprise, Fresh Fruit
Combine about a cup of cooked whole wheat soba noodles with shredded carrots and zucchini, diced bell peppers, shredded, cooked chicken breast and shelled, cooked edamame. Make a dressing of 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon soy sauce and 1 teaspoon sesame oil; toss with the salad. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Include your child's favorite kind of fresh fruit, and, if they know how to wield them, chopsticks.

Thursday: Lunch Kebabs, Flatbread and Fruit
On wooden skewers, spear cheese cubes, cherry tomatoes, chunks of seasoned, baked tofu, and halved slices of cucumber. Include some crunchy flatbread or multigrain crackers and a container of seedless grapes or another favorite fruit.

Friday: Stuffed Pita
Fill a whole-wheat pita with sliced avocado, Monterey jack cheese and sprouts. Serve with soy crisps or vegetable crisps and sliced apples spread with peanut butter, almond butter or soy nut butter

(End of Article)

Source: This is an article from GAIAM Community.

Gaiam.com is a health-conscious, environmentally responsible lifestyle company whose goal is to bring LOHAS to the mainstream. The Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability (LOHAS) concept is centered on the idea that our own health and happiness is connected to the health of our planet. Taking a holistic approach to our content and product selection, we encourage wholesome lifestyle choices with healthy, green products for your home and body.
PS: Should you feel inclined to shop there I advice you to join My Power Mall first. Gaiam.com is one of 10000+ stores in this mall. When you shop from your own mall, you will get great rebates on your shopping.

Top 10 Superfoods

Top 10 Superfoods
:: By James Rouse, N.D.

Too busy to eat as healthfully as you’d like every day? Getting maximum nutritional punch from a few uber-foods can help fill the gaps. (A multivitamin is great insurance for days when you do miss a meal or two, but real food should always be your primary source of nutrients.) Keep these superfoods on your radar — and on hand — to improve your odds of getting enough of the most important nutrients.

Editor’s Note: We’ve included a few of Dr. Rouse’s recipes (he’s a chef too – read his bio here) to help you include more superfoods in everyday meals.

1) Green tea
Green tea contains polyphenols, which may reduce heart disease, cancer and stroke risk. Green tea also supports brain health and memory, likely due a key compound in green tea called EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate), a flavonoid. EGCG is thought to boost the immune system and prevent tumors. Aim for at least two cups daily.

2) Wild omega-3-rich fish
The “good fats” in some fish are thought to help protect against heart disease and other inflammatory diseases.
Be careful about the type and amount of fish you consume; fish is now recommended no more than once a week due to concerns about mercury content from environmental pollution. Check the Organic Consumer Association website for the latest updates on which species of fish have the lowest mercury content.
Note that low-mercury but over-fished or destructively harvested species such as Atlantic cod, Atlantic flounder, Atlantic sole, Chilean sea bass, monkfish, orange roughy, shrimp, and snapper should be avoided for the environment's sake.

3) Blueberries and pomegranates
Both of these fruits have very high antioxidant activity, offering brain and memory protection. And research shows that drinking pomegranate juice may help with lowering the risk for hardening of the arteries or atherosclerosis.

Cabbage and Apple Salad with Pomegranate Seeds
Serves 4

4 cups cabbage

4 carrots

1 Granny Smith apple

1/4 cup sunflower seeds

1 1/2 teaspoons lime juice

1/4 cup nonfat yogurt

1 teaspoon honeyfresh mint or cilantro

1/4 cup pomegranate, seeds

Combine cabbage with carrots and apple. Transfer to a serving bowl, add sunflower seeds and mix gently. In a small bowl combine lime juice with yogurt and honey. Add to cabbage mixture and toss well to coat. Divide onto four salad plates and sprinkle top of each with one tablespoon pomegranate seeds. Garnish with fresh cilantro or fresh mint.
Per Serving: 139 Calories; 5g Fat (29.1% calories from fat); 5g Protein; 22g Carbohydrate; 6g Dietary Fiber; trace Cholesterol; 53mg Sodium.

4) Olive oil
One of the best types of fat you can opt for in your diet, olive oil has been shown to help protect against heart disease and cancer. Recent research shows that heart-attack survivors on a Mediterranean diet had half the death rates of those on an ordinary low-fat diet. Olive oil is also high in antioxidant activity.

Edamame-Feta Spread
Serves 4

2 cups shelled edamame (if frozen, thaw first)

2 cloves garlic

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

2 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Mix and mash all ingredients together by hand or with a blender or food processor. Serve with crackers, chips, rice cakes, or veggies.
Per Serving: 114 Calories; 11g Fat (82.9% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 2g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 17mg Cholesterol; 327mg Sodium.

5) Walnuts, almonds, pine nuts, macadamia nuts
Researchers at Loma Linda University found that adding two 1-ounce servings of almonds daily to study participants’ diets helped them to achieve a better intake of key nutrients and helped them to lower their intake of dietary detractors like trans fats, excessive sodium, sugars and cholesterol. Eating nuts may help protect against

heart disease and inflammation, and research on walnuts showed that enjoying as little as eight to 11 walnuts daily reduced total cholesterol by up to 4 percent.

Limit yourself to about an ounce a day; about what fits in the palm of your hand with your hand open flat.If you use walnuts as a pre-walk snack or add them to your favorite oatmeal cookie recipe, you may enjoy even greater cholesterol-lowering benefit. Walnuts are a rich source of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, as well as a compound called ellagic acid that has been shown to reduce artery-forming plaque. Nuts are a truly heart healthy snack, topping or addition to any meal.

6) Whole grains (especially oats, whole wheat, barley)
Whole grains help stabilize blood sugar and insulin and may protect against heart disease. They include all three parts of a grain kernel: the bran, germ and endosperm. Whole grain foods are made with all three of these grain components. Whole wheat flour, brown rice, barley and oatmeal are all whole grain foods. Look for the words “whole grain” on the label, and the word “whole” immediately before the name of the grain in the list of ingredients; it should be the first item in the ingredients list.

> Products labeled with the words “multi-grain,” “stone-ground,” “100% wheat,” “seven-grain,” “pumpernickel,” “organic,” or “bran” may actually contain little or no whole grain.

> Color is not an indication of whole grain. Bread is often brown because of added molasses, not necessarily because it contains a significant amount of whole grain. Other foods, like Cheerios®, contain whole grain but don’t have a dark brown color.

> Contrary to popular perception, the benefits of whole grains go well beyond fiber and fiber’s role in digestive health. Whole grains contain vitamins B and E; the minerals magnesium, selenium and zinc; phytonutrients; and many other important nutrients that appear to work together in powerful ways.

> Processed foods such as crackers and ready-to-eat cereals can be excellent sources of whole grains and provide a convenient way to add whole grains to the diet. Just try to include non-processed whole grain foods.

Oaty Whole Grain Pancakes
Serves 4

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

2 tablespoons wheat germ

2 tablespoons flax seed, ground

1/2 cup reduced-fat buttermilk **

1/2 cup lowfat milk **

1 egg

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix together dry ingredients. Whisk together wet ingredients in separate bowl. Then add wet ingredients to the dry and whisk just until smooth. (For thinner pancakes, stir in additional 2 tablespoons milk.
Spray griddle or large nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Heat griddle over medium heat or to 375°.
For each pancake, pour about 1/4 cup batter onto hot griddle. Cook pancakes until puffed and dry around edges. Turn and cook other sides until golden brown.
Per Serving (2 pancakes): 182 Calories; 7g Fat (32.8% calories from fat); 7g Protein; 24g Carbohydrate; 5g Dietary Fiber; 2mg Cholesterol; 596mg Sodium.

**Feel free to substitute plain or vanilla soy milk in place of the buttermilk and regular milk. For a buttermilk-like effect, add about a tablespoon of fresh lemon juice to your cup of soymilk.

7) Red grapes (and red and white wine)
Grapes provide vitamin C, vitamin B1 and vitamin B6, but mostly provide pleasure in their juiciness and sweetness. Red grapes also contain powerful phytochemicals (especially phenolics) that may help decrease risk of cardiovascular disease. These phenolic compounds are housed mostly in the skin of the red grapes.
Resveratrol, a polyphenolic stilbene found in the skins of red fruits including grapes, may be responsible for some of the health benefits ascribed to the consumption of red wine. Resveratrol has been shown to have anti-oxidant, anticancer, and anti-inflammatory activity.
Enjoy grapes in salads, alone as a snack, or sliced in sandwiches.

8) Garlic and onion
These foods contain sulfur compounds that may protect against heart disease and some cancers.

Whole Wheat Quesadillas with Caramelized Onions, Brie and Pear
Serves 4

1 small red onion thinly sliced

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 whole wheat tortillas

2 ounces brie, thinly sliced

1 medium Bosc pear, cored and thinly sliced

In a medium sized skillet, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add sliced onions. Gently stir fry over medium high heat until onions caramelize. Set aside. Meanwhile, place one whole wheat tortilla in the same skillet (you may need to lightly coat it with cooking oil spray) and layer one side with an ounce of sliced Brie cheese (or whatever cheese you desire), about 5 slices of pear and half of the caramelized onions. Fold one half over the over and cook over low heat, gently flipping midway through until cheese has melted. Cut each half into four slices. Serving size is 2 slices.
Per Serving: 187 Calories; 9g Fat (41.1% calories from fat); 6g Protein; 23g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 14mg Cholesterol; 280mg Sodium.

9) Crucifers (broccoli, kale, cabbage)
Cruciferous vegetables contain indole alkaloids that may help

prevent cancer. They are also high in fiber, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. Plus, foods from the cruciferous and cabbage family (including broccoli, cabbage, kale, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, collards and turnips) may help bolster memory as you age. Researchers at Harvard Medical School found that women who eat the most of these foods are the least likely to be forgetful.

10) Tomatoes
These wonderful orbs contain lycopene, a powerful antioxidant shown to help stimulate the immune system and protect from certain cancers, especially prostate. Lycopene is more highly concentrated in cooked tomato products including tomato paste, tomato sauce and even ketchup.

Bonus food: dark chocolate!
Very high on the happiness quotient, which alone is thought to add years to your life. Also contains flavonols, which are potent antioxidants.

Consult your doctor before using any health treatment — including herbal supplements and natural remedies — and tell your doctor if you have a serious medical condition or are taking any medications. The information presented here is for educational purposes only and is in no way intented as substitute for medical counseling.

(End of Article.)

This is an article from GAIAM Community.

Gaiam.com is a health-conscious, environmentally responsible lifestyle company whose goal is to bring LOHAS to the mainstream. The Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability (LOHAS) concept is centered on the idea that our own health and happiness is connected to the health of our planet. Taking a holistic approach to our content and product selection, we encourage wholesome lifestyle choices with healthy, green products for your home and body.

PS: Should you feel inclined to shop there I advice you to join My Power Mall first. Gaiam.com is one of 10000+ stores in this mall. When you shop from your own mall, you will get great rebates on your shopping.