Anyone out there need to shed a few winter pounds with swimsuit season upon us?

Did you know that combining vitamin D and calcium helps your body to maintain and regulate your blood sugar levels, feel full faster, burn fat, and store less fat, which in turn helps you lose weight? Of course you can get vitamin D from both the sun and in supplement form, but the best ways are to eat foods high in vitamin D.  The following foods provide excellent sources of vitamin D:

Fish – Raw fish typically contains more vitamin D than cooked fish. Look for fattier cuts. Also canned fish packed in oil will contain more than when packed in water.  Examples of fish high in vitamin D include raw or cooked Atlantic herring, pickled herring, canned or fresh salmon (raw or baked), raw or canned mackerel, canned sardines, oil-packed canned or fresh tuna, sushi, red and black caviar, oysters, and shrimp.

Fortified Cereals – Read labels to make sure there are no refined sugars or partially hydrogenated oils  included in the ingredients.

Fortified Soy Products - A double bonus – these foods are often fortified with calcium too. Look for fortified tofu and fortified soy milk.

Salami, Ham, Sausages, Bologna, Pork, and Bratwurst are also high in vitamin D. Be careful not to eat too much, as many are high in cholesterol and sodium.

Fortified Dairy Products - Not only are they high in vitamin D, but also calcium. Milk, cheese, and butter are foods to look for.

Eggs and Mushrooms – Slightly cooked white button mushrooms contain the greatest amount of vitamin D.

2  8-oz packages cream cheese (reduced fat) (room temperature)

½ – 1 cup sour cream (reduced fat)

1-2 cups parmesan cheese (grated and/or shredded)

1-2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (reduced fat)

1-2 cloves grated/chopped garlic

pinch grated nutmeg

ground black pepper to taste

2  14-oz cans artichoke hearts in water (drained and chopped)

1-2 boxes frozen spinach (thawed, drained, and chopped)

olive oil cooking spray

½ – 1 cup tortilla chips (crushed)

2 Tbsp – ¼ cup hot sauce (optional)

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350˚.
2. In a large bowl, add cream cheese, sour cream, ½ mozzarella and parmesan cheeses, garlic, pepper, nutmeg, and hot sauce (optional). Thoroughly mix with a hand/stand mixer.
3. Thoroughly combine artichokes and spinach with mixture.
4. Spray a pie pan/medium baking dish with cooking spray, and add the mixture from the bowl. Flatten so it is evenly distributed.
5. Add remaining cheeses and crushed tortilla chips on top.
6. Bake in oven for 25-30 minutes or until top is brown.
7. Serve with toasted baguette bread, pita chips, tortilla chips, or any type of toasted bread. Serves 8-10.

Tips

- Simply grate garlic with a zester/grater to make garlic paste.

- For an alternate way to make garlic paste, peel and finely chop garlic.  Add a pinch or two of salt on top of garlic and rub garlic repeatedly with sides of knife.

- Rub fingers on stainless steel underneath water to remove garlic smell from hands.

- Mashing/cracking garlic first allows for easier peeling.

- When buying garlic heads, look for ones that are tightly held together, firm, and have no give when you squeeze them in your hand.

- If you purchase a whole nutmeg, use a zester to grate.

- To reduce spiciness in a dish, add a little sugar.

- To reduce that burning mouth sensation from spicy foods or hot peppers, drink milk or eat a couple of spoonfuls of yogurt, ice cream, or sour cream. Never drink water, carbonated beverages, or hot tea or coffee to relieve the burning sensation.

- To prevent artichokes from browning due to oxidation, squeeze lemon or citrus juice over top.

- Store dried herbs and spices away from heat and sunlight.

- Store white flour in air-tight containers to prevent bugs. Adding a bay leaf to flour will also keep bugs away.

Alternatives

Ingredients

1 banana

4-6 oz frozen concentrated orange juice

½ – 1 tsp vanilla extract

1 ½ cups ice

1- 2 cups milk

2 -4 oz whip topping (fat Free) (optional)

Preparation

1. In blender, add banana, frozen concentrated orange juice, vanilla extract, ice and milk.
2. Blend until desired consistency.
3. Pour into cups.
4. Add whip topping (fat free) (optional) to top.  Serves 2-3.

Alternatives

Ingredients

15.5 oz can of chickpeas/garbanzo beans

1 lemon

1-2 Tbsp Tahini paste

1-2 cloves grated/chopped garlic

salt to taste

ground black pepper to taste

1-2 Tbsp grated/shredded parmesan cheese

½ – 1 tsp hot sauce (optional)

2 Tbsp – ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

Preparation

1. Drain and wash off chickpeas.  Shake off excess water.
2. In a food processor, combine chickpeas, zest and juice from lemon, Tahini paste, garlic, salt, pepper, parmesan cheese and hot sauce (optional).
3. Drizzle in olive oil while processing to reach desired thickness.  Add a little water if too thick, and continue processing to thin out.
4. When ready to serve, drizzle a little olive oil on top.  For a delicious combination, try with pita chips.  Serves 4-6.

Tips

- When grating lemon/ lime zest using a zester/grater, grate only outer yellow/green layer where the essential oils and flavors are located.

- For an alternate way to make garlic paste, peel and finely chop garlic.  Add a pinch or two of salt on top of garlic and rub garlic repeatedly with sides of knife.

- Simply grate garlic with a zester/grater to make garlic paste.

- Rub fingers on stainless steel underneath water to remove garlic smell from hands.

- Mashing/cracking garlic first allows for easier peeling.

Alternatives

Vinaigrette Tuna Salad Recipe

Ingredients

1-2 cans, drained tuna

1-2 diced shallots

2-4 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley (1-2 tsp dried)

¼ – ½ cup quartered cherry/grape tomatoes

2-4 Tbsp chopped black olives

1-2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar

1-2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 Tbsp Dijon mustard

1 lemon

salt to taste

ground black pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Place tuna in bowl, along with shallots, parsley, tomatoes and olives.
2. In separate bowl or measuring cup, mix vinegar, olive oil, mustard, juice from ½ the lemon, salt and pepper to make dressing.
3. Pour dressing over salad and mix all together.
4. Serve.  Tastes great by itself or eaten with celery, on a sandwich or on an English muffin.  Serves 2-4.

Tips

- To maintain longer freshness, wash herbs immediately when you bring them home from the store.  Dry off and store wrapped up in paper towels in a Ziploc bag in refrigerator.

- Place dried herbs in mortar and pestle and gently crush to draw out flavor.  If you do not own a mortar and pestle, gently rub herbs with both hands.

Alternatives

Photo Courtesy: AlishaV on Flickr

Ever want to know simple home remedies that can help you eliminate bad breath? Below are several ideas to try right from your own pantry. Who knew herbs and spices could do such a thing?

• Mint inhibits bad bacteria from growing inside our mouths by cleaning our tongue and teeth.  It is also the common ingredient found in toothpaste.  Chewing on fresh mint leaves helps us fight strong odors such as garlic and onion.

• Cloves have strong antiseptic properties in them, and they can also be chewed or boiled in water to use as a homemade mouthwash. To make the homemade mouthwash, place three whole or finely crushed cloves in two cups of water, and then boil. Strain the water to remove all particles, and then use as a mouthwash.

• Cinnamon sticks adsorb the odors of garlic and onion in our mouths. We can keep the sticks in our mouths until the smells are fully extracted.

• Sage has essential oils with antibacterial properties that can stop the causes of bad breath. If chewed slowly, the leaves can help prevent bad breath. Another simple option is to add 1 TBS chopped sage to water and boil it. Then strain the water and use it as a mouthwash.

• Cardamom is probably the easiest home remedy to rid yourself of bad breath.  After you eat a meal, take some Cardamom. When you chew it, it produces oils, which then improves the taste in our mouths.

• Hazelnuts absorb bad breath when you chew them slowly.

• Lemon juice mixed with a pinch of salt can remove garlic and onion from our breath after a meal.