It's a Holiday Weekend

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Fattening Foods of Summer Slideshow

The Key to Weight Loss? Write It Down

A new study shows that staying motivated to lose weight is the key to success. And the easiest way to do that is to keep a food diary. The formula for successful weight loss may be in your head. A new study published in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior has found that knowing what motivates you, and staying motivated, is key to successfully losing weight. And a paper and pen may be the most powerful tools for doing just that. Read more …

Tips for Eating Out Without Over Doing It

If you're trying to manage your calorie intake, eating out can be extremely challenging.

Research in the past has shown that those who eat out regularly have higher intakes of fat, salt and calories. This makes sense given the choices available in most restaurants these days.

Ted's post, Do You Spend too Much on Food? stated, "Americans spent on average 37% of their food budget on eating out in 2009." That's a lot of eating out!

A recent survey, carried out by the CDC, looked at Read More ….

Yoga May Help Fight Depression

Yoga May Help Fight Depression

Putting Foods Off-Limits Can Sabotage Your Diet

Do you ever notice that as soon as you decide a certain food is "off-limits", it's the food you crave more than any other? For me, it's cake- specifically, yellow cake with lots of white icing. My husband's birthday is coming up, and I always make his favorite cake (which happens to be yellow cake with white icing.) He's content to eat one or two pieces, and then be done with it. I tell myself that I shouldn't eat any of it, because the less I have, the less I'll want. But as soon as I do that, I find myself thinking about how good it would taste, and usually I end up caving in and indulging more than I should. A new study shows
Read more ...

Mama’s Red Beans and Rice

Ingredients

2 T canola oil
1 large onion, diced
1 yellow or red pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch green onions, sliced, green part reserved for garnish
1 lb. turkey smoked sausage
3 (15 oz) cans of kidney beans
1 ( 14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes with basil and garlic
1/2 t red pepper flakes
1 T oregano, dried flakes
1 t thyme, fresh or pinch dried
1 bay leaf, whole
1 pinch salt
1 t black pepper
1 c Instant brown rice
1 c water

Directions

Slice sausage in half lengthwise and then in half again. Cut crosswise to dice. Heat oil in a large dutch oven or heavy saucepan. Once hot, add onions, diced pepper, garlic, and white parts of green onion. Cook until tender. Add sausage. Cook just until browned. Add spices, beans, and tomatoes. Stir to combine. Add rice, stir to combine and cook for 1 minute to coat the rice. Add water. Bring to a boil and immediately reduce to a simmer. Cover and continue to cook for 25 minutes or until rice is tender. Remove bay leaf before serving and finish with hot sauce and sliced green onions. Makes 12 hearty one-cup servings.
Vegetarian smoked sausage (found in the refrigerated health food section of most supermarkets) makes a great substitute for the turkey sausage.
Number of Servings: 12

Nutritional Info

• Servings Per Recipe: 12
• Amount Per Serving (1 Cup)
• Calories: 221.7

• Total Fat: 4.3 g
• Cholesterol: 5.8 mg
• Sodium: 146.6 mg
• Total Carbs: 37.8 g
• Dietary Fiber: 9.1 g
• Protein: 8.9 g

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