St Patrick’s day is hardly reason to think “get in shape” or “lose weight”, but the green holiday might be what it takes to get you eating healthier.

The Former Fat Guy Rob Cooper presents 6 ways in which we can take up the “green habit” on St Patrick’s day. Green smoothies, salad’s and soups make up the first 3 of his list but of note is what looks to be a quite delicious green soup recipe.

His thoughts on green foods for St Patrick’s day are great, but what about supplements such as blue green algae, spirulina or even hemp protein? I know, hemp protein is pushing it, but it kinda looks green.  Increasing green foods should help with acne prevention and green tea is said to be good as well.
Either way you look at it, St Patricks day is better know for beer and shamrocks than it is for dieting or weight loss, but maybe we should have a re-think of that.  Take up Rob’s challenge and eat more greens starting March 17th.

Tags: acne treatment, nutrition, diet, weight loss

When you go shopping, what do you buy from the grocery? I suspect it’s a large variety of different nutrient dense foods, but what if you only had one item to choose from each department?

This is the question being asked on the poll 5 Items You Buy At The Grocery.

It’s interesting to see the food items that people purchase around the world. There seems to be a common theme of Oatmeal though. So far it’s the most popular dry good according to the poll. What about the other departments thought. Rob is asking for our input into the areas of produce, meat, frozen, bakery and dry goods. I think I’d have to go with a good piece of steak or lamb for the meat and green beans for the produce.

Have a look at the poll and leave a comment on the what are your favorite foods poll.

Tags: diet, nutrition, nutrition, weight loss

Gone are the days of dieting for weight loss, in is the smart way to get results – eat higher quality food full of nutrients, fiber, protein and carbohydrates. Cutting calories doesn’t necessarily cut it anymore. Instead of starving your body, feed your body to a healthy slenderness.

If you’re new to whole foods, some recipes would certainly help in getting your started.

Soups are great meals to prepare in the cold winter months and can be easily packaged to take to work with you for a healthy meal.

Here are 5 whole food soup recipes you can create at home to provide essential nutrition for your weight loss program.

Black Bean Soup – When it comes to three basic categories of nourishment – protein, fiber and anti-oxidant related substances – few foods have as solid a nutritional profile as black beans.

African Peanut Stew – Featuring Chickpeas (Garbonzo Beans). A prominent ingredient in Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, and East Indian dishes such as minestrones, hummus, and falafel, whole Chickpeas have a mild yet hearty flavor and keep their unique round shape when cooked. In addition to being a good source of protein and calcium, Chickpeas are especially high in iron.

Barley And Lentil Soup – Lentils are a delicious and nutritious food — high in protein, minerals, and fiber — that can be easily used as a substitute for other staples such as meat, pasta, or potatoes in soups and stews. Unlike dried beans, they require no soaking and cook relatively quickly.

Pumpkin Butternut Squash Curry Soup – Butternut squash is a winter squash with a sweet nutty taste that can be steamed, roasted, pureed or mashed and used in any type of recipe. This Pumpkin Butternut Squash Soup is just right for the cold weather as the ginger gives it a bit of a kick.

Broccoli Lentil Soup With Roasted Pepper Coulis – The lentil is a brushy annual plant of the legume family, grown for its lens-shaped seeds. With 26% protein, lentil is the vegetable with the highest level of protein other than soybeans, and because of this it is a very important part of the diet in many parts of the world, and especially South Asia.

Technically, these are soup recipes and stew recipes, but I’m sure you’ll love them anyway.

Tags: weight loss, diet, nutrition, acne