This recipe is from the Fat Smash Diet book, suitable for Phase I of this program, or any time as a healthy choice salad.

I prepared it for my second week of Phase I, with some minor modifications.

It is on a tangy side, due to the required amount of lemon juice, but also quite refreshing.

Great as a snack between meals, or as a side dish with veggie burger, or brown rice.

I usually flavor  my brown rice with sauteed onions, salt and pepper.

This recipe yields 4-6 servings.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb fresh green beans
• 10 cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 yellow pepper, seeded and julienned (I used orange pepper, chopped)
• 1/2 cup green bell pepper, chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced (my addition)

Vinaigrette Ingredients:

• 1 tsp Dijon mustard (I used powdered)
• 1/4 cup olive oil (I used extra virgin)
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (or less, for less tangy taste)
• 1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
• 1/8 tsp salt (or to your taste)
• 1/4 tsp onion powder (my addition)
• 1/4 tsp crushed basil (my addition

Directions:

1. Wash green beans thoroughly. Trim off at both ends.
2. Boil 4 cup of water.
3. Add beans to boiling water, and cook about 4 minutes.
4. Drain off water, and let the beans cool.
5. Rinse the other vegetables, and pat dry.
6. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half, and set aside.
7. Chop the orange and green peppers.
8. Cut beans in half.
9. Place all chopped vegetables in a medium bowl, add parsley and garlic.
10. Mix to incorporate.
11. Pour the prepared vinaigrette over vegetables, toss gently.
12. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour ( I liked it better the next day, since the flavors had a chance to blend well together).

Vinaigrette Directions:

1. In a small bowl, combine mustard, oil, and lemon juice.
2. Cover, and shake well, to mix together.
3. Add onion powder, basil, salt and, and shake again to mix it well.

Enjoy.

It has been a while since I shared some useful tips with you, from ecomii website, which I find very informative.

This one is about eating whole foods, rather than processed foods.

Please enjoy this tip.

Today’s tip: Eat Whole Foods Instead of Half Foods

What?
Boost your nutrition – and reduce food industry pollution – by eating whole foods whenever possible.

How?
Is it processed?  Labeled as “low-fat” or “enriched”?  If so, skip it, and look for pure food in its natural state.  Good examples are fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

Why?
The food industry emits over 24 million tons of CO2, and a large part of that comes from processing and packaging food.  Plus,  whole foods are indisputably healthier.

Did You Know?

Whole grains can lower your risk of cardiovascular disease by up to 30%.

The weather has been so cooperative lately, just perfect for gardening.

If you read my gardening posts last year, (you my check the links below this post) you already know that gardening is one of my fun ways of spending time outdoors, and enjoying nature.

Last year I showed you my new plant, “sorrel”, which is doing very well, as it is a perennial plant, but this year it decided to grow long stalks, full of buds for blooms, thus new seeds for future new plants.

Take a look how “stalky” these plants look like this year?  See the close up on the right, it really should never come to that point, unless you want it to bloom and produce seeds for next year’s new plants.  I chopped off all the hard, long stalks, very close to the ground and discarded them, as I do not wish to have any additional seeds, but rather nice fresh leaves to use in my dishes.

So if you also planted your sorrel plants last year, and did not have a chance to check on them this year yet, you will find them looking just like mine, and need to act quickly to clear it up.

This is the most beautiful time of the year, because my flower garden is continuously in bloom.

I finally found some time to work in my vegetable garden, and seeded some red beets, parsley, dill, cilantro,basil, spinach, cucumbers, green bean, sweet peas, and zucchini.

I also planted my seedlings of tomatoes, artichokes and red and green peppers.  This sounds like a large garden, but it actually is quite small, but this year I decided to plant cucumbers in planters next to my fence, as well as zucchini, since they took lots of room last year in my garden.

I make my own compost from the vegetable scraps from my kitchen, and realized that my potato peels, tomato and pepper seeds, sprouted into nice plants.  How exciting is that?

This spring I followed the gardening rule, and trimmed my raspberry bushes, and rose bushes.

I can’t believe how nicely they are growing now.   The raspberry bushes are full of buds, which means lots of upcoming raspberries, and the rose bushes are looking very vibrant and healthy, and full of buds ready to bloom.

I also have an English Walnut tree, and can’t wait until it starts bearing walnuts.

This walnut tree is only 4 years old, so I think I still have to wait a couple more years before it will start producing nuts.

Here I have a questions to my readers, as I have these two bushes, and do not know the name for this plant.

It is from Poland from my parents garden, and they called it “Bozy Drzewek”, so if anyone can recognize this bush, please let me know if these are found here in the US and what are they called?

Here you can see what this bush looks like, and then a close up of the type of foliage it consists of.  For winter, the greenery dries up after a frost hits it, and only the bare branches stay up through the winter.  But in spring it starts all over again with new foliage, which  is very soft, and fragrant.

So, if you recognize this plant, please leave me a message or send me an email, as what is the name of this plant and does it have any other uses besides being a nice, fragrant bush in my garden, which brings my thoughts back to my birthplace and my family.

Chickpeas, also known as Garbanzo Beans, is very high in protein, thus an excellent food choice for vegetarians, vegans, and great for Fat Smashing Diet folks.

I prefer vinaigrette salads over the ones with mayo, and would easily choose many vegetables over some meats.  This Chickpeas Vinaigrette salad is just the perfect combination for me, and you might like it as well.

It is very easy and quick to assemble, and holds well for several days, refrigerated.  It is perfect for any occasion, such a party food, light lunch, or a healthful snack.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of Chickpeas (I used 1 can of Progresso)
• ¼ cup red onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped (I used my “best on earth” garlic chopper)
• ½ cup of celery, finely chopped
• ½ cup red pepper, finely chopped
• ¼ cup yellow pepper, finely chopped
• 2Tbs fresh Italian Parsley leaves, chopped
• ¼ cup Red Wine Vinegar
• ¼ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Salt and Black Pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, combine  the chickpeas, onions, garlic, celery, red and yellow pepper, and Italian Parsley.
2. Fold with a spoon to mix evenly.
3. Prepare the vinaigrette dressing by combining the Red Wine Vinegar and olive oil in a shaker, and mix well.
4. Pour over the vegetables.
5. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Refrigerate for an hour, or overnight, for the flavors to marry.

photo credit: miikkahoo

I never thought I would like the taste of a veggie burger, so at first I purchased some frozen ones, Veggie Medley by Gardenburger , and realized that they were not as bad as I thought.  Since I am not really a hamburger lover, veggie burger earned my approval.

I like making my own food at home, since it allows me to control what goes into it, and enables me to modify the recipe to my taste.

I looked up some recipes for veggie burgers, and came up with this modified version to fit The Fat Smash Diet.

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup fresh corn kernels or frozen, thawed
• 6 mushrooms, finely chopped
• 2 scallions, finely chopped
• 1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• Dash cayenne pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh spinach
• 1 carrot, peeled and grated
• 3/4 cup brown rice, cooked
• 1 egg white
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

1. In a large skillet heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium high heat.
2. Stir in corn, mushrooms, scallions, and bell pepper.
3. Saute for 3-4 minutes.
4. Add garlic, cumin and cayenne and cook for 30 seconds.
5. Remove from heat and stir in spinach.
6. Add carrot and brown rice and stir to combine.
7. Add egg white and season with salt and pepper.
8. Add some quick oats or more brown rice, if the mixture does not hold together.
9. Shape mixture into 6 disks and place on a plate.
10. Cover and chill for 1 hour.
11. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in non-stick skillet and cook veggie burgers until golden on each side.

Tip: I like to eat these veggie burgers plain in Phase I and II, but in Phase III, there is a choice of whole wheat bread or whole wheat muffin to serve these on.  Veggie Burgers, just like brown rice, are now part of my new food list, which I learned to enjoy.

photo credit: diekatrin

I already informed you about the Fat Smash Diet, introduced you to the book, posted the food list, and hopefully convinced you to join me, so we can have fun together.

So today is the BIG day, our first day of Detox, and as with anything else in life, first is always the most challenging.  It will get easier with each passing day, believe me, because you are building up your confidence, self control, and most of all, you begin to feel better and eat healthier.

I will not bore you with this every day, but today I will share my daily menu with you,  and I am looking forward to hear about yours.

I printed out my lists of Recommended and “DO NOT” foods, and posted it on my refrigerator.  My food shopping was done on Saturday, and on Sunday I jotted down my basic plan for my daily eating routine and a quick first day menu.

Since my morning starts at 5:15 AM everyday, Monday through Friday, my eating time might differ from yours.

6 AM- Breakfast

• 1 cup of cooked oatmeal with skim milk (please check out my Tip, below)
• 1 cup of OJ
• 1 slice of Low Fat cheese
• Multiple Vitamin
• Water

9 AM – Snack

• 15 grapes
• 4 saltine crackers
• Water

12 noon – Lunch

• Tossed salad with 1 Tbs. of light dressing
• 1 cup of Brown  Rice with sauted onions in 1 tsp of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1/4 tsp. salt, pepper to taste
• Yogurt – Low fat
• Fresh Fruit
• Herbal Tea, no sugar (I do not like sugar substitutes)
• Water

3 PM – Snack

• 6 baby carrots
• 6 Almonds
• Water

6 PM – Dinner

• 1 cup Brown Rice with  1 Tbs. Soy Sauce
• Steamed vegetables, with pepper
• 1 cup Low Fat Milk
• Water

8 PM – Snack

• 1 cup herbal tea
• 3 saltine crackers
• Water

As you can see, my meal plan include 3 meals per day, plus 3 snacks.  This is more food than I normally would consume on daily basis.  The portions are the right size, plus the snacks in between, plus all the water I wish to drink, really is more than enough to keep me satisfied, and I never feel overly hungry.

It is very important to stick to the recommended and excluded foods in each session, watch your portions, and exercise at least 45 – 60 minutes per day.  I take a 10 minutes walk after eating lunch, then walk again for at least 30 minutes after dinner, and climb the stairs 3-4 times after my last snack for the day.  Since I try to go to bed by10 PM, sleep is also very important to  good health, I still have enough time to settle down and relax my body after the “stair master” workout.

I alter my weekend schedule just a bit, since my day starts with breakfast around 8 AM, so I move my first snack to 10 AM, then follow the rest of the schedule as is.  I also take my long walk after lunch, rather than in the evening, and I think of house cleaning, or gardening, as an additional exercise.  It is… don’t you agree?

I am very diligent about following my eating schedule, as this is very important for the system to get used to, and help the metabolism.

For menu variation, I may use two poached or cooked eggs, but I only eat the whites, or just have a smoothie (click here for a recipe – but  do not add whey during the detox program), which I would split between breakfast and snack.  I also love veggie burgers, and use them for lunch or dinner, plus Brown Rice, which I never used until I started this program, and now prefer it over the white rice.

Here is my own testimony about the results of the Detox Phase.

Two years ago I tried this program for the first time, and after completing the 9 days of Detox, I started the Phase Two, at which time someone at work had a birthday and shared a chocolate chip cookie withe me, which I thought was OK to have one cookie.  Well, I thought it was OK, but my system did not care for it, and I experienced a very uncomfortable feeling in my stomach.  It felt as if I ate several of them, and over indulged. My body’s reaction really surprised me, but and at the same time it felt great knowing that my system was cleansed, and reacted so suddenly to the sugar and the fat in that one cookie.  This is why I am trying this program again, after slacking off for about a year.

My next post, regarding this diet, will publish on the 9th day from today, and I will provide you with the food list for the Second Phase.  Until then, enjoy your healthy lifestyle!!

Tip: If you plan to cook your Oatmeal in a microwave, you need to keep an eye on it, so it does not over boil and really mess up you microwave (Ive been there and done that…not pretty).

Here is how I do it:

1. Heat up 1/2 cup of water in a bowl,  for 1 minute.
2. Add  quick oats (I like it thick, so I use about 5 tsp).
3. Mix it in well.
4. Microwave again for 30 seconds.
5. Mix it up.
6. Microwave for additional 30 seconds, and this time keep an eye on it, because you might have to stop it sooner to prevent any overflow.
7. Remove (be careful, as the bowl might be hot).
8. Add some low fat milk (1/2 cup).
9. Mix it in.
10. Add some fresh fruits.
11. Enjoy.
12. Make sure you only consume 1 cup of it.
13. Any left over,  I use it in a smoothie for my mid-morning snack).

Did you also notice that I have WATER listed in every meal/snack selection?

You want to drink as much water as you can, since it will not only keep you feeling full, if needed, but also help you flush out the toxins from your body much faster.  I try to drink 64 oz of water per day.

As I mentioned to you in my previous post about the Fat Smash Diet, there are 4 different Phases you go through during this program, and each phase has a list of suggested and excluded foods.

Some of the excluded foods in one phase are being introduced back into your diet in the next phase, so for ideal success, you need to follow these food suggestions, eat 3-4 smaller meals per day, follow the same eating schedule, and continue to  exercise.

Just think, this phase is only 9 days long….you can do it!!

It is so worth it.

Phase One –Detox

Suggested Foods:

( in daily maximum quantities)

• All fruits in any quantity.
• All vegetables in any quantity, except:
• No white potatoes
• No Avocados
• Good sources of protein:
• Chickpeas
• Beans
• Tofu
• Lentils
• Brown Rice -  2 cups of cooked rice
• Low-Fat or Skim milk, or Soy Milk – 2 cups
• Water – as much as you like
• Oatmeal – 1 cup
• All herbs and spices
• Low-fat Yogurt (no fruit on bottom) – 2, 6-oz cups per day
• Egg whites – 4
• Herbal tea – 2 cups
• Freshly squeezed fruit or vegetable juice – 1 cup
• Low-fat cheese – 1 ½ slice, or 1 Veggie Burger without bread
• Sugarless chewing gum
• Low-fat Mayo – 1 tsp
• Salt – 1 tsp
• Butter – 1 tsp
• Mustard or Ketchup – 1Tbs
• Soy Sauce – 2Tbs
• Teriyaki Sauce – 2Tbs
• Sugar substitute – 1 tsp

Snacks:

(Choose one snack for the allotted snack period in your eating schedule)

• Low-fat yogurt dip  - 1/3 cup, and  2 cups raw vegetables
• Cashews – 10 pieces
• Low-fat Granola bar – 1
• Grapes – 15 pieces, and ½ cup of low-fat milk
• Plain Low-fat Yogurt – ½ cup
• Baby carrots – 1 ½ cup
• Almonds – 10-14 pieces
• Jell-O Smoothie snacks – 1 snack
• Popcorn, air popped – 3 cups- NO butter
• Saltine crackers – 7
• Medium banana – 1 frozen
• Sunflower seeds – 2 Tbs

EXCLUDED FOODS:

• Peanut butter/jelly
• White Rice
• Meat
• Fish
• Full-fat cheese
• Bread – all types
• Raisins
• Dried or preserved fruits
• Candy
• Ice cream
• Alcohol
• Soda – regular or diet
• Coffee and all coffee drinks
• Sports drinks
• Milkshakes
• Whole eggs or yolks
• Fried foods
• Fast food