Best Food lesson: Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme

From eDiets

OK, you can stop singing the classic Simon & Garfunkel tune now and move on to today's Best Food lesson.

Seasonings go a long way toward flavoring your food, especially when you're reducing the fat in your traditional recipes. Fat makes food taste good. So when you lower the fat content you need to be creative to make your food appetizing and flavorful.

Spices include seasonings from all different plants... as well as from the different parts of plants (i.e. the root, bark, stem, fruit, seed or leaves!)

Some are sweet spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg, which come from the bark of trees. And some are strong spices, such as herbs like rosemary, mint, tarragon and thyme, which are all leaves of succulent plants.

Experiment with herbs and seasonings. Stir them into stews, sprinkle on fish, chicken and meat. Add sweet spices to hot cereals and to rice dishes.

You can use fresh herbs or dried herbs and you can grow your own in your garden or in window boxes all year ‘round. Dried herbs are more pungent than fresh, so if the recipe you're using calls for fresh, use one-third the amount of dried. Crumble the dried herb between your fingers and always add to the dish near the end of the cooking time for the most flavor.

When you're expanding the recipe, don't double the herbs or spices. Just add 1-1/2 times as much of the herb or spice. Taste and if you like feel free to add a bit more.

Cinnamon sprinkled on a sweet potato will make the flavor oh, so delicious you'll never need butter! Add chopped fresh chives and a tablespoon of nonfat yogurt to a baked white potato and you'll never miss the sour cream.

Variety is the spice of life. Add some spice to your food for a delicious change of pace.

Nothing says summer like a backyard barbeque, juicy fruits and sensational salads. Introducing our new SUMMER FRESH DIET! It's everything you love about summer, all rolled up into a diet that will give you a body you'll love, too! Visit eDiets for a FREE diet profile!

Fed Up With Your Diet?

Fresh-delivered, great-tasting prepared meals! Real food. Not frozen, canned or powdered like other meal delivery diets. Just pick the delicious meals you love and discover the freshest new way to lose weight!

Our weekly customizable weight-loss program features two distinct menus starting at just $15.95 a day! Each menu is designed to give you a wide variety of healthy, fresh-prepared meals each and every week

Click on images for more info:

California Breakfast Honey Oat Granola with Yogurt Banana Muffin Homestyle Meat Loaf Sandwich Mediterranean Grilled Chicken Salad Hearty Black Bean Turkey Chili Chicken Vesuvio Grilled Pork Loin with Barley Pilaf Beef Pot Roast with New Potatoes Sunny Walnut Trail Mix Sugar-Free Pudding Mozzarella Cracker Snack

Salmon Fillets with Creamy Wasabi Sauce

eDiets Healthy Recipe

Poaching in a low oven is the best way to produce evenly cooked fish. The cooking time given in this recipe yields a slightly rosy center. For a completely opaque fish, increase the cooking time to 18 minutes.

Prep time: 15 minutes
Bake/Cook time: 15 minutes

Ingtredients

1 cup water
1/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp. soy sauce
3 Tbsp. green onion, sliced thinly (about 1/3 green onion)
4 three-inch wide center-cut salmon fillets (about 2 lb.)
1/3 cup mayonnaise
3 Tbsp. wasabi sauce with ginger (such as Gold’s)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine water, soy sauce, green onion, ginger and garlic in a 2-quart baking dish. Add fillets skin side up and bake 15 minutes, until just cooked through.

2. Meanwhile, whisk mayonnaise with wasabi sauce. Set aside.

3. Remove fish from oven and let stand five minutes. Measure 2 tablespoons of the cooking liquid and whisk into mayonnaise mixture.

4. To serve, peel skin from fish and drizzle sauce on top.

Makes 4 servings. Nutritional values per serving: 567 calories, 41g fat, 46g protein, 2g carbohydrate, 1g fiber and 1g net carbs.

This recipe comes from Atkins at eDiets.

Are you ready to sink your teeth into a new lifestyle, one that will help you drop pounds and improve your health? Try one of our 24 super diets, including the Atkins Nutritional Approach. To get the ball rolling, simply visit eDiets and fill out a free profile

10 Foods to Improve Your Looks

By Brook Phelps
eDiets Contributor

As the saying goes, "You are what you eat." So what effect does your diet really have on your appearance? We know eating sensibly helps maintain a healthy lifestyle, but it can also help maintain a healthy appearance. When you feel good about the things you eat and the things you eat are good for you, you'll look good, too. Here are 10 foods to help you do just that.

Water
Drinking plenty of water every day helps the skin look soft, supple and more youthful. By keeping the body hydrated, your overall appearance will benefit -- from improved skin texture to healthier hair and nails. If you're feeling bloated, it may be due to an increase of sodium in the body. Increase your intake of water to help flush it out. Also, water helps the weight-loss process by reducing water weight and replenishes water loss during workout activity.

Vitamin C
Vitamin C helps the body fight infection and disease. It pumps up the immune system and promotes healing. Did you also know that vitamin C is essential to collagen production? Collagen helps the skin remain elastic but firm, which keeps the skin wrinkle-free. Citrus fruits, strawberries, tomatoes, broccoli and cabbage are all vitamin C-rich foods. Keep in mind that their juices are also packed with this important vitamin.

Green Tea
Also rich in antioxidants, green tea has also been shown to lower cholesterol, improve immune function and reduce the risk of specific types of cancer. If you're a big coffee drinker, try replacing your morning cup o' Joe with a cup of green tea. Without cream, sugar or other artificial flavorings, you may notice a reduction in weight -- and still satisfy your caffeine fix.

Soy
Soy proteins are rich in amino acids, vitamin E and many antioxidants. These components help the skin retain moisture, smooth skin's appearance and improve elasticity.

Essential Fatty Acids
Essential fatty acids (EFAs) like omega-3 and omega-6 are known as "good fat," which helps cellular functioning. This helps skin, hair, nails, muscles and practically everything involved in your physical appearance. Like other "good" foods, EFAs help the cells to function properly, which helps to clear up skin and prevent blemishes, reduce wrinkles, improve hair condition and nail growth.

Milk

"Milk. It does a body good." It's not just a catchy marketing phrase -- it's true. Milk is rich in calcium, vitamins B2, B12 and D. Calcium, paired with the calcium-absorption booster vitamin D, helps to maintain strong bones and healthy teeth. Vitamins B2 and B12 are essential for red blood cell growth, which helps to carry much needed oxygen to cells. So what does this mean to your looks? Hair and skin will look livelier and healthier.

Green vegetables
Vegetables such as spinach, collard greens and kale are rich in Vitamin A, C, E, iron and fiber. We've already discussed the benefits of vitamin C, but equally important to looking great is your intake of vitamin A and E. Vitamin A has antioxidant properties and maintains moisture for eyes, skin and mucous membranes. Vitamin E is essential for healthy, smooth and younger-looking skin.

Yogurt
Since yogurt is a dairy product, all the benefits of milk also hold true for yogurt. Yogurt also contains friendly bacteria, which aids in digestion, improves the immune system and (when used as a mask) can help hydrate and cleanse the skin.

Garlic
The effects of garlic have been widely known for centuries, but only recently taken seriously by modern science. In studies, this mysterious and potent food has been shown to reduce blood pressure, lower cholesterol and even prevent cancer. Although your partner may not want to kiss you after eating it, keep in mind that garlic is also high in antioxidants, which will help you stay looking young. If you can't stand the smell or taste, take it in capsule form.

Chocolate
OK, OK, maybe chocolate isn't the most health-conscious food on the planet. However, chocolate does have positive effects on your mood by pumping up endorphins and serotonin, which help to give you an overall calm and pleasant feeling. And when you feel good, you look good. Who can argue with that?

Greens and Tofu Salad

Ingredients

3 oz. firm tofu
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/3 Tbsp. olive oil
4 tsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. lite soy sauce
2 cups mixed salad greens
6 cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped or sliced cucumber
3/4 oz. vegetarian dairy-free Mozzarella cheese

Directions

Drain and press water from tofu with paper towels; cut into bite-size cubes. Mix the oil with garlic powder, balsamic vinegar and soy sauce to make a dressing. Add half the dressing to the tofu and marinate, covered, at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
Rinse, spin or pat dry salad greens and tear or cut into bite size pieces. Rinse cherry tomatoes and cut in half.

Coat a nonstick skillet with cooking spray and heat to medium; stir-fry tofu until slightly golden, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from skillet and let cool. Mix greens with tomatoes, cucumbers and tofu in a salad bowl; add the remaining dressing and toss well; sprinkle with cheese substitute and serve.

Amount Per Serving:

Calories 340,
Calories from
Fat 140,
Total Fat 16.0 g,
Saturated fat 2.0 g,
Cholesterol 0 mg,
Sodium 260 mg,
Total Carbohydrate 22 g,
Dietary Fiber 4 g,
Sugars 11 g,
Protein 29 g,
Vitamin A 80 percent,
Vitamin C 50 percent.

This recipe is:

Low in Sodium (approximately 800 milligrams or less of sodium)
Low in Cholesterol (approximately 100 milligrams or less of cholesterol)

From the GI Diet plan on eDiets.

Need a diet that'll let you eat filling, tasty foods while you lose weight? We
offer 24 personalized plans, including the red-hot, carb-smart GI Diet. CLICK HERE to fill out a free diet profile

World's Healthiest Cheesesteak

Mike Geary
Truth About Abs

I've been known to come up with ways to make typical junk foods extremely healthy. Unique recipes for healthier pizza versions, healthy burgers, healthy fudge, and so on have all been featured in my newsletters in the past.

Today, I wanted to tell you about my "world's healthiest cheesesteak". Growing up in the Philly area, I'm sure you're aware we're known for our famous cheesesteaks. However, health and fitness have NEVER been associated with our cheesesteaks... until Geary stepped in.

So here's how I made the world's healthiest cheesesteak:

First, I used Ezekial sprouted grain rolls, which are a mix of about 10 different sprouted grains with no refined flour.

Then, I used a good quality grass-fed beef and sliced it thin. Grass fed beef contains larger quantities of CLA - conjugated linoleic acid, which (in it's natural form) is shown in some studies to promote fat loss and muscle repair. Also, grass fed beef contains a much better ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids compared with typical grain-fed beef sold at most stores.

Then, I used a raw longhorn cheese from grass-fed cows as well. Grass-fed dairy is also a great source of beneficial CLA.

Finally, I topped it all off with some sauteed vidalia onions...

and voila... the healthiest cheesesteak on the planet! And it was damn delicious too!

Enjoy!