BEAUTY KLINIC

Chicken breast meat is probably the healthiest part of a chicken that is low in fat and has the required protein. Apart from that, it is also very versatile and easy to cook. One could bake it, grill it, roast it, stir fry it, deep fry it or dress it up in various sauces to make it tasty and healthy.

Baked chicken breast meat, without its skin, is by far the healthiest option for protein other than eating baked fish. However, it need not taste horrible or bland at all. There are so many different sauces and ways to prepare the chicken breast meat that baked chicken breast meat will never be plain, old boring food ever again.

Now, there are a lot of different chicken recipes to choose from so which are more suitable for chicken breast meat? Actually, due to the versatility of the meat, you can cook it any way you like. An easy way would be to have grilled chicken breast. To grill it to perfection, just season it and then put it into the griller and you are done.

One other way for some healthy chicken dinner is to stir fry the chicken breast meat. All you need to do is to cut the chicken meat into small chunks, season it with some sauces and then stir fry it. You will need to know the basic stir fry techniques before you could attempt this though, so as not to burn it.

If you do not want to stir fry, you can also try roasting your chicken. Although roast chicken is using the whole chicken, chicken breast meat can also be roasted. You only need to marinade the chicken and then you roast it. If not, deep frying the chicken breast meat is another option. Although not healthy, who doesn′t love deep fried crunchy chicken? All you have to do is to cut it into long thin strips, marinade it with buttermilk then dip into egg whites and roll it over breadcrumbs before frying it in oil.

If eating the whole piece of chicken breast meat is too much, you can also put it into the food processor and mince it. You can try out some other great minced chicken breast recipes. Or you can use the minced chicken to make burgers or for pasta sauce or any dish you like. You have so many chicken recipes to choose from. So, no matter how you like to cook your chicken, you will find that it is pretty easy to cook, so long as you don′t overcook it or else the meat will end up stringy and tough.

Vegetables usually conjure up images of boring, tasteless dishes. What most people don′t know is that being a vegetarian doesn′t mean sacrificing taste for health benefits. One way to prove that the stereotype is wrong is through a vegetarian chili recipe. A vegetarian chili recipe is simply packed with both taste and health benefits.

Chili Pepper

It is not clear where chili peppers exactly came from. It is clear though that from the time of the Spanish and Portuguese explorers to this day, chili peppers have become one of the most sought after spices.

Chili peppers come from several pepper species with varying intensities of hotness and flavor. A chili pepper’s hottness can range from the slightly sweet bell pepper or from the completely mild to the extremely hot habanero. Other chili pepper types include poblano, chipotle, ancho, cayenne, tabasco and pimiento. Chili peppers get their distinct taste from the chemical capsaicin which is naturally resistant to both freezing and heat. Today, people can get their chili kick from related products like chili powder, chili oil and dried chili. Some vegetarians however would understandably still prefer fresh chili peppers for a good vegetarian chili recipe.

Health Benefits

Chili pepper aficionados would be pleased to know that chili peppers have great health benefits. One of the major benefits of a vegetarian chili recipe stems from the antioxidant content of chili peppers.

Beta carotene and vitamin C which are strong natural antioxidants that help fight free radicals are known to be found in chili peppers. Free radicals are rouge unpaired molecules that may build up due to oxidation and cause cell damage by stealing healthy molecules to pair with. These free radicals may be the cause of various illnesses including cancer. The vitamins in a vegetarian chili recipe neutralize free radicals by pairing with them.

A very popular health benefit enjoyed by vegetarian chili recipe lover would be the capsaicin, a natural pain reliever. A vegetarian chili recipe with enough capsaicin can diminish substance P which is responsible for sending pain signals. Capsaicin in a pure vegetarian chili recipe can decrease the sensation of pain without making a person loose complete sensitivity.

Until now, studies for health benefits a vegetarian chili recipe are still being conducted. Experts are looking into the possibility that chilies can help improve digestion and metabolism, improve appetite, decrease levels of bad cholesterol and improve blood circulation. It is also quite clear that chilies have an indirect way of managing our bodies′ sodium levels. A flavorful chili dish simply cuts our need and craving for more sodium.

Vegetarian Chili Recipe

You may have possibly heard how vegetarian cooking can be nutritionally unbalanced for its lack of protein. Now, that no longer holds true. You can always get enough protein by combining tofu and beans in a flavor filled chili recipe. Chili however is almost always best tasting in a recipe pot that is generously filled with garlic, onions and tomatoes. You can also try a little variety by experimenting with a little red wine or natural fruit juice in a chili recipe pot.

En papillote, or cooking in parchment packets, is a French technique that is quick and easy. The food is steamed inside the pouch during baking, keeping its moisture intact. The natural sweetness of the foods comes out in this cooking method. If you have never tried it before, you will find it is fun, too. In the oven, the packets fill up like a balloon. Your family and friends will not know what is for dinner until they open their packets, engulfing them in the delicious scents of herbs, sauce, and food.

While parchment paper is the traditional paper used for this method of cooking, you can also try brown lunch bags in a pinch. To make a pouch, fold a large sheet of parchment in half. Cut along the fold, making a large Valentine heart. Make enough so there is one pouch per person. Open the heart. Position your food in the center of one half of the heart. Add your salt and pepper, vegetables and any sauce or marinade the recipe calls for. Top it off with lemon slices or herbs. Seal up your packets by folding the empty half of the paper over the food. Beginning at the top of the heart, make small folds towards the food. Continue making the folds along the entire edge, folding the last one over a few times to make sure it stays. Put the finished packets on a baking sheet and bake according to your recipe.

Healthy Benefits

Besides the fun of opening your food like a Christmas present and practically no clean up, parchment cooking is also healthy. Steaming the food in your packets is low fat and great for those watching what they eat. You do not need to use as much butter or oil as you might in other cooking methods. It is also a gentle way to cook delicate foods such as fish.

Parchment is easily found at the grocery store with the aluminum foil and waxed paper. If you cannot find parchment, foil will work the same way.

Packet Ideas

Parchment packets are so versatile you can cook just about anything in them. Fish works well, and chicken and pork also does well. Almost an entire meal can be prepared in a packet. Just use layers for your meat, sauce, and vegetables to get a wonderful entre. Pasta can even be cooked to perfection!

Make a delicious entre of salmon, dill, and lemon, or a vegetarian dish of sweet potatoes seasoned with leeks. Find some easy chicken recipes with a sauce and bake them in parchment. You can even make a tasty Asian pouch with ramen noodles, green onions, fish or chicken and some teriyaki sauce.

Preparation is the key to baking in parchment. Make sure your aromatic vegetables are sliced thinly. Some vegetables that work well include carrots, celery, shallots, mushrooms, and zucchini. Add some herbs.

Place your packets on a cookie sheet and bake in a 400-degree oven for 6 to 10 minutes. Once the timer dings, dinner is ready!

You must be the same age as me if you get the Hawaii 5-0 reference to Wo Fat, a villain from the old television show. A medical school classmate of mine got stuck with that for a nickname, and it fit him perfectly.

I’ve always hated low fat and no fat foods. They usually end up in the “disgusting” category in my book, and the garbage disposal in my home.

I will say there are a few low or no fat foods that actually make the grade. You find them by sticking to foods that are as close to their natural state as possible. Take Jersey tomatoes for instance, with a couple drops of olive oil, some balsamic vinegar, and a hint of salt and pepper.

How about watermelon with a touch of salt? Or not?

Fresh peaches? Or cherries?

Even salad makes a tasty treat if it’s fresh enough.

However as a realist I understand these aren’t everyday foods, or even every month. But if you can make it happen, go for it. It’ll be better for you than Pop Tarts and microwaved mac and cheese, that’s for sure.

And most low fat or no fat items are more chemical constructs than real food. Just look at the ingredients on the label. If you spot any artificial sweeteners, run away.

I like to take a page from Julia Childs, who once said, “If you want to lose some weight, eat a little less. You don’t need to eat a 16 ounce steak, or a one pound potato. Butter isn’t your enemy, gluttony is!” My kind of woman - sort of.

Let’s face it, it doesn’t take Larry The Cable Guy to break down why Hot Pockets are bad for you, although it’s a fun discourse if you get the chance.

Eating food in its natural state is also key to long-term weight loss. If you ever have the chance to see how a group of chefs eat, you’d be surprised. Everything on the plates would be simple yet with pristine ingredients.

Years ago we couldn’t do that (get really good ingredients).

But finding fresh food today is a lot easier no matter where you live in the U.S. So gradually add some of these kind of meals into your weekly routine.

I just finished reading a study showing that people who make simple changes in their diets and take pharmaceutical grade fish oil, lose weight and keep it off.

Which is great to see. Ultra pure pharmaceutical grade fish oil and simple changes in diet are a dynamite combination.

So make these changes and you won’t need to be spending your time sitting around reading old magazines in an overcrowded waiting room. Get started now.

Lots of people are concerned about pollution. Especially product contamination. Should they be?

My answer is no.

First of all, by pollution, most people are talking about heavy metals and PCBs.

To avoid these, you need a supplement that goes through a triple phase molecular distillation purification process to maximize purity.

You want to make sure the oils of any product are distilled in a controlled, pristine vacuum environment which insures contaminant removal above and beyond traditional purification methods.

Your supplement must also surpass all national and international standards for environmental pollutants. This means dioxins, PCB’s, pesticides and heavy metals - and of course mercury.

So should you be worried about contaminents?

Absolutely.

A Canadian study sampled commercial grade fish oil recently. All the samples analyzed contained detectable residues of both organochlorine pesticides and PCBs.

Notice the study involved “commercial grade fish oil.”

This same grade is found in drugstores, your local grocery or health store, and anywhere you shop. It’s cheap and can be bad for your health.

Many recent studies suggest that pharmaceutical grade omega 3 fatty acids may confer many potential health benefits, such as:

1. Improved vascular health.

2. A reduction in cardiovascular disease risk.

3. Symptoms of rhuematoid arthritis reduced.

4. Thinning of the blood.

Regular old fish oil can’t possibly compare.

A study forwarded to me today suggests a link between pharmaceutical grade fish oil and improved function of the prostate. Another thing to remember is that pharmaceutical grade fish oil is not a drug, and has no debilitating side effects. So remember to only go with pharmaceutical grade.