Sesame Fish

Hope everyone’s weekend is off to a great start! I started mine with some pilates with a little partner to keep me entertained!

We are off to do some errands, at least the sun is shinning! Just wanted to share a super quick and easy fish recipe from the 17 Day Diet Program. Although I no longer follow it, I still enjoy many of the recipes from the book!

Sesame Fish

• 1 lb. tilapia
• 2 tbls. olive oil
• 2 tbls. rice vinegar
• 2 tbls. lite soy sauce
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• 2 tbls. sesame seeds

Spray your broiler pan with non stick spray or cover it with some foil. Whisk together the oil, vinegar, soy sauce and chopped garlic. Pour over fish and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Place under broiler, about eight inches from the heat for 20 minutes or until the fish flakes with a fork.

Servings: 4

How easy is that?! And so delicious, I served it with a side of veggies and whole wheat couscous. Perfect quick go-to dish during Lent!

Happy Saturday!!

Cycle 2 and Taco Salad

Happy Thursday!

Well, I am on to Cycle 2: Activate for the 17 Day Diet which is designed to re-set your metabolism so you stay in a fat-burning zone. It’s quite easy, basically you are alternating each day between Cycle 1 and Cycle 2, always changing it up and keeping your body guessing.

Before I go on, I just wanted to answer a couple questions that some have had.

1. Can you drink coffee/alcohol on this diet?  You are allowed 1-2 cups of coffee a day. As for alcohol, it is restricted up until Cycle 3 which then you are allowed 1 drink a day.
2. Have you been hungry at all? No! I am eating so much more food now than I was before and I’m even finding it difficult to finish everything on my plate. One of the biggest obstacles that I have overcome is snacking at night while watching tv, not even hungry anymore!

So for Cycle 2 shell fish, lean cut meats (sirloin steak, pork tenderloin, lamb etc.), natural starches,  starchy vegetables and legumes are added back into mix! Yahoooo for carbs! Again, there is a whole list in this chapter for each group, you pick the ones you like! You are allowed 2 servings of natural starches per cycle 2 day, such as oatmeal, brown rice, quinoa, couscous etc. Some of the starchy vegetables listed are sweet potatoes, yams, butternut squash, spaghetti squash etc. For the next 17 days, these are some new options that I can have, every other day alternating with Cycle 1. Not bad, right?! Although I am not following it strictly but using it as a guide I am still enjoying it and am feeling lighter and more energetic every day!

Here is a Sample Day on Cycle 2

• Wake up drink - 1 cup of hot water with 1/2 squeezed lemon
• Breakfast – 1/2 cup oatmeal or grits, cooked, 4 scrambled egg whites, 1 peach and 1 cup of green tea
• Lunch – grilled chicken or shrimp on lettuce with lots of veggies, 1 medium baked sweet potato and 1 cup green tea
• Dinner – Grilled pork chops, steamed or boiled cabbage, large toss salad, 1 cup green tea
• Snacks – 1 medium orange and yogurt

Since I don’t eat pork and very rarely eat red meat my choices are   chicken or turkey. Well lately Kailey, my oldest daughter and I have  been on a ground turkey breast kick. She loves taco’s and could eat them every night but after looking at the sodium content (even on the low sodium option) on the back of the seasoning packet my mouth dropped! After searching the web I found a GREAT taco seasoning recipe with only 9mg of sodium compared to 560mg that’s in the packet!

I decided to try it out on my version of the 17 Day Diet’s Taco Salad!

Turkey Taco Salad

• 1 lb. ground turkey breast
• taco seasoning (see link above)
• lettuce, tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers, peppers, etc
• monterey jack and cheddar cheese, shredded

First of all make sure you are using ground turkey BREAST, just regular ground turkey contains the skins so it’s as fattening as 80% ground beef. Brown the turkey in a pan until cooked through and sprinkle several teaspoons (or more to your liking) on the cooked turkey. Serve on a bed of lettuce with your favorite salad toppings along with the shredded cheese. Where’s the dressing? I feel it really doesn’t need any since there is so much flavor form the turkey but feel free to add your favorite!

Not in the mood or don’t have time for a salad? Make a wrap out of it!

Next week I will be posting another option that uses this same ground turkey recipe that will be a hit for your Super Bowl party!

Hope your day is going well!!

Back on Track

I haven’t done a whole lot of cooking or baking the past few weeks, hence the lack of recipes on my blog lately. After the holidays, like everyone else I feel like I am on a sugar and carb overload and in dire need for a complete cleanse of everything.

So I thought this would be a great time to get back on my healthy lifestyle and to help me get started I borrowed this from a friend…

The 17 Day Diet by Dr. Mike Moreno. I have seen him on all the morning shows talking about his new diet that consists of  four 17 Day cycles; Accelerate, Activate, Achieve and Arrive. He states that if you follow this diet strictly and exercise you can lose as much as 12-15 lbs during the first cycle.  On this diet you eat lean proteins, vegetables, low sugar fruits, natural carbs, probiotics and good fats. This sounded pretty sensible to me so I decided to go ahead and give Cycle 1 –Accelerate a try. My main goal is not to lose a lot of weight but to get back on a healthy balanced diet, so I am not strictly following this, just using it as a guide.  On this cycle you can eat unlimited amounts of protein and cleansing vegetables, some fruits, healthy fats and probiotics but are restricted from carbs.  Did I mention how much I love carbs?! I’m going to be honest, by day 3 I wanted to cry! But once I got over that hump I felt great! It’s actually very easy to follow,  there is  a complete menu and recipes for 17 days of each cycle so all the guess work has been taken out for you. Each food category has a list and you choose your favorites.

Hear is a sample menu:

Wake up drink - 1 cup of hot water with 1/2 squeezed lemon (At first I thought no way can I wake up and drink that…..turns out I love it and it gets things moving if you know want I mean!!

Breakfast – 2 hard boiled or poached eggs, 1/2 grapefruit or other fruit from the list and 1 cup of green tea

Lunch – Super salad with unlimited veggies with 1 tbl olive oil mix with balsamic vinegar and 1 cup of green tea

Dinner – Plenty of grilled chicken with unlimited amounts of veggies, steamed or raw, 1 cup of green tea

Snacks – yogurt and 1 fruit from the list (I usually have these between breakfast and lunch)

drink plenty of water throughout the day

Why green tea with every meal? It contains natural chemicals that increase fat burn.

My biggest challenge besides no carbs has been getting in the veggies, this diet has definitely helped me try things that I have never tried before! Lunch has also been difficult because I am used to just having greek yogurt with some fruit and now I am eating so much more whether it’s a salad, homemade soup or a grilled chicken wrap.

How have I done so far? After finishing up Cycle 1, I feel great, I have so much more energy and much to my surprise I have lost over 7 lbs. Yikes!! This cycle is great if you have a special occasion coming up that you want to look and feel great for or just to get you butt back on track like me!

On to Cycle 2 – Activate which incorporates natural carbs back into the diet! Yay, I can’t wait!!

This week I made my version of the Chicken -Vegetable Soup, one of the recipes from the book. Although it may not look very appetizing in the picture it was AWESOME!!!

Homemade Chicken Vegetable Soup

Makes 4 large bowls

• 1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast – cooked
• 1 tsp. olive oil
• 1 large carrot, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 1 cup of frozen okra
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 cup cauliflower
• 1 pkg.  spinach
• 15 oz. can  crushed tomatoes
• 2 14 oz. cans  low sodium chicken broth
• pesto*
• salt and pepper

In a large pot cook onions, celery and carrots in a tsp of oil until tender. Add crushed tomatoes and chicken broth, bring to a boil. Add the cauliflower and okra and let simmer for about 20 minutes. Next add the cooked chicken and spinach, cook until its wilted down then just before serving stir in pesto. 

*If you remember my post here about freezing pesto in ice cube trays, I thought this would be a perfect soup to add one of those cubes and boy was I right! Delish!!!

 

On to Cycle 2, wish me luck!!

Did I mention I’m taking my hubby along for the ride???