Garlic Bread recipe

Makes 8 servings (one large loaf)

Ingredients
1 loaf Italian bread or French bread, unsliced
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 garlic clove, smashed (add another if desired)
3 tablespoons parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon oregano

Preparation
1. Slice loaf, LEAVING CRUST INTACT, into slices.
2. It is important NOT to slice through the bottom.
3. Set aside.
4. Mix butter with other ingredients.
5. Allow to sit on counter a while, so flavors travel all through the butter.
6. Take a length of foil, and place loaf lengthwise on the foil.
7. Very gently, spread slices apart, being careful not to break bottom, and spread with butter mixture.
8. When all slices are spread, use any leftover butter to spread the top of the loaf.
9. Wrap sides of foil up.
10. Leave top UNCOVERED.
11. Twist ends of foil.
12. Bake on tray for about 20-30 minutes in a 350 degree oven.
13. This is great with spaghetti or lasagna.
14. When baking lasagna, just put it in with the lasagna for the last half hour of baking time.

WW POINTS per serving: 5
Nutritional information per serving: 212 calories, 13.4g fat, 1.0g fiber

Weight Watchers Creamy Vegetable Chowder recipe

Makes 8 servings

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups diced potatoes
2 cups chopped onions
1/2 cup green beans, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 cup peeled and diced carrots
1 cup zucchini, diced
1/2 cup green peas, fresh or frozen
1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced
2 celery ribs, diced
1 tablespoon butter
2 cups milk
3 cups water or basic light vegetable stock
1 tablespoon canola oil or other vegetable oil
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
2 ounces neuchatel cheese or cream cheese
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Preparation
1. In a large soup pot on medium heat, saute the onion in the butter and oil for about 3-4 minutes.
2. Stir in the celery, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until just soft.
3. Add the potatoes, carrots, water or stock, bay leaf, thyme, salt and pepper; bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for about 5 minutes (until the vegetables are just tender).
4. With a slotted spoon or strainer, remove about 1 1/2 cups of the cooked vegetables and set aside in a blender or food processor.
5. Add the bell peppers, green beans and zucchini to the soup pot and cook for about 5 minutes (until the green beans are tender).
6. Stir in the peas and parsley, simmer for about 2 more minutes, then remove from the heat.
7. Discard the bay leaf.
8. Puree the reserved vegetables with the milk and cheeses to make a smooth sauce.
9. Stir the sauce into the soup and gently reheat.
10. Serve the soup hot.

WW POINTS per serving: 4
Nutritional information per serving: 203 calories, 12g fat, 2.9g fiber

Foods that help you Loose Weight

Potatoes

You'll be surprised to know that baked or boiled potatoes eaten without fatty accompaniments are great for your diet. Have them mashed, adding pepper and a dash of lime makes for a great dish.

Salads

Make salads a mandatory part of your diet if you intend to lose weight. Tomato, beetroot, cabbage, capsicum, or cucumber salads are all low in calories. Plus, they also help fill you up.

Dark chocolate

It's good to indulge in chocolates to avoid binges. An occasional 20-gram chocolate bar helps prevent sweet-tooth cravings.

Fruits

Instead of munching biscuits or other high-calorie snacks, its better to have fruits like grapes, apples or oranges that give you the required energy and also work as great fillers in between meal

Fiber cereals

Chapatti, dhokla, idli, upma, brown bread provided bulk to your diet.

Sprouts

Eating raw sprouted pulses help gain vitamins and fiber. Moong, for instance, sprouts quickly and is beneficial for the health also.

Nuts

Nuts like almonds, packed with monounsaturated fatty acids, contain fats that lower your risk of heart disease and diabetes and also help you control your appetite.

Curds

Curds made from skimmed or toned cow's milk contain only 56 calories per 100 grams and are a good source of protein, calcium and vitamins.

Water

Water has no calories, so it's great for filling up. It also helps you digest food.

Whole grains

All types of grains are naturally low in fat, a good source of complex carbohydrates, and contain beneficial vitamins and minerals.

Grilled Eggplant and Basil Goat Cheese Panini Recipe - 4 Points

Grilled Eggplant Panini Recipe with Basil Goat Cheese

Ingredients:
- 8 slices whole-wheat, light bread (I used Sara Lee Delightful)
- 8 1/2-inch slices eggplant, (about 1 small)
- 4oz goat cheese, softened at room temperature
- 2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
- 1 garlic glove, minced
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 red bell pepper, roasted, seeded, peeled and quartered
- 4 slices red onion
- 4 leaves romaine lettuce

Directions: 
Preheat grill or Panini press to a medium-high. Combine goat cheese, basil and garlic in a small bowl. Lightly spray both sides both sides of eggplant with non fat cooking spray and sprinkle each slice with salt. Then lightly spray each slice of bread with the cooking spray. Grill the eggplant for 6 minutes, turn with a spatula, and continue grilling until the the eggplant is tender, about 4 minutes more. Toast the bread on the grill, 1 to 2 minutes per side. To assemble sandwiches: Spread basil goat cheese on four slices of bread. Top with the eggplant, red peppers, onion, lettuce and the remaining slices of bread. Cut in half and serve warm.

Entire recipe makes 4 servings
Serving size is 1 sandwich
Each serving = 4 Points +

PER SERVING: 225 calories; 9g fat; 14g carbohydrates; 12g protein; 7g fiber

Basil Chicken Recipe - 6 Point Value

Basil Chicken Recipe

Ingredients:
4 whole skinless chicken breasts
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon basil
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 can cream of celery soup
1/2 whole green pepper – sliced

Directions:
To begin the process of making this low fat crock pot recipe, you must place first the skinless chicken breasts in the crock pot. The chicken should then be sprinkled with fresh basil, salt and pepper and soy sauce. Then pour the cream of celery soup over the chicken breasts. Next, slice the green pepper and place it on top of the chicken that is covered with the cream of celery soup. Cover the crock pot and let it cook for approximately six to eight hours.

Serving Size: 1 chicken breast; Per Serving: 287 Calories; 4g Fat; 55g Protein; 3g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 141mg, Cholesterol; 391mg Sodium.

Lemon Garlic Chicken Crock Pot Recipe - 3 Point Total

Ingredients:

- 8 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 10 garlic cloves, finely chopped or minced
- 2 yellow onions, chopped
- 2 cups fat free, low sodium chicken broth
- 1/4 cup lemon pepper seasoning
- 4 tbsp paprika
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 tsp lemon zest

Directions:
Rinse the chicken and pat dry. Mix together the lemon pepper seasoning, paprika and salt. Coat the chicken with the spice mixture. Place the coated chicken in the crock pot and cover with the fat free chicken broth, garlic cloves, parsley and onions and lemon zest. Cook on low heat for about 3-4 hours (or until done).

Entire recipe makes 8 servings
Serving size is 1 breast, with approx 4 tbsp of sauce
Each serving = 3 Point Total

Weight Watcher Cajun Chicken Wrap Recipe

Ingredients:
3/4 pound uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into strips3 Tbsp Cajun seasoning
4 medium tortillas, flour, fat-free
1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 small onion(s), red, thinly sliced
1 tsp paprika
2 cup mixed baby greens
3 tbsp Cajun seasoning
1/2 tsp Cajun seasoning
8 medium basil, leaves
1 1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice
4 tsp fat-free mayonnaise
1 small tomato cut into strips
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Mix the 3 tablespoons of Cajun seasoning, paprika and flour. Season chicken with salt and pepper and coat with seasoning mixture. Spray a large, nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Over medium-high heat, add chicken to pan and sauté until cooked through (approximately about 1 to 2 minutes per side). Remove chicken from heat and set aside. In a separate bowl, mix mayonnaise, lemon juice and 1/2 teaspoon Cajun seasoning for the dressing. On each tortilla, spread 1 teaspoon dressing, add greens, onion slices, two basil leaves and some slices of tomatoes. Top with chicken pieces and wrap. Enjoy!
Serves 4.
Each serving = 3 Point Value

African Mango

African Mango, aka Irvingia Gabonensis, is becoming one of the most popular weight loss ingredients as of late. The African Mango has been extensively studied over the past 20 years, but only recently have scientists been researching the benefits when it comes to weight loss.

Of course, most diet pills have a propensity to abuse just about any ingredient, whether it’s effective or not. But while claims vary from product to produce, most claim that African Mango can help burn fat, suppress the appetite, and control hormones such as the obesity hormone leptin.

There are also some who suggest African Mango is related to the common mango and that it may also help you to cleanse and detoxify the body. But what has 20 years of research determined about the African Mango?

The Good Things About African Mango

African Mango is a single ingredient that has been said to be quite possibly the most effective weight loss ingredient to recently hit the market. When you use African Mango, you will see it first start working as it helps to suppress the appetite. It’s also been clinically proven to increase fat burning by elevating the metabolism.

It has not been connected to any serious side effects.

This one ingredient is the only ingredient, prescription or natural, that has been clinically proven to lower levels of leptin to help you to get on your way and avoid weight rebound. And it continues to demonstrate significant effects, only requiring 150mg, which amazingly enough, most companies don’t even bother to use.

The Bad Things About African Mango

African Mango does not actually detoxify or cleanse the body. As much as African Mango can do to help you lose weight, there are products out there that still exaggerate the possible benefits of African Mango.

The Skinny

African Mango has a number of active components capable of results that have never been seen before with any other ingredient. It has a low propensity to be abused. And when you use African Mango, you will find that it can help you to lose more weight. It should not be a standalone ingredient.

Yes, it seems to do everything in one. But it is always important to have backup. It is always essential to have more than one ingredient that can help you to achieve the results that you want.

How to Lose Weight

You already know that to lose weight, you need to burn more calories than you consume. You've tried dieting, keeping a food diary, creating an exercise regimen, and perhaps even hypnosis. It's now obvious that the problem isn't with the technique, but with your willpower. Old habits die hard. If you're having a hard time maintaining your efforts over time, here are some radical ways to break away from the routine.

Steps

1

Don't neglect the tried and true. Ultimately, losing weight comes down to one key principle: Burn more calories than you consume. The steps that follow won't work if you have a thousand more calories coming into your body on a daily basis than you have going out. Lay the foundation for weight loss with these practices:

1. Don't neglect the tried and true. Ultimately, losing weight comes down to one key principle: Burn more calories than you consume. The steps that follow won't work if you have a thousand more calories coming into your body on a daily basis than you have going out. Lay the foundation for weight loss with these practices:
   
   
   • Count calories and keep a food diary.
   • Go on a diet.
   • Cut down on sugar, high fructose corn syrup, trans fats and saturated fats.
   • Burn more calories by exercising: Run, walk, even exercise at the computer you are sitting in front of now.
   • When possible eat food cold. If it's reasonable, eat food cold or room-temperature as opposed to warm, examples include eating cold soup, leaving those hard-boiled eggs you had yesterday for dinner cold, and eating ice cream in stead of drinking overly-sweet fruit juices. Your body requires more calories to warm something up if it's cold. There's a very advanced formula to find out how many calories certain temperature water (yes water) will burn, which is another good example, when possible drink ice water instead of regular temperature tap. It takes about 25 calories to heat up just a liter of cold tap water to your body temperature, that adds up!
   • Raise your metabolism.
2. 2
   
   

    Big bowl, big servings, big weight gain
   Downsize your kitchenware. The human mind works in mysterious ways. It turns out that using smaller bowls, plates, and containers can subconsciously influence how much you serve yourself. Even nutrition experts are victims of this phenomenon; when 85 of them were given a random mix of small and large bowls and scoops, those who got larger bowls served themselves 31% more ice cream, and added on another 14.5% if they had bigger scoops!^[1]
3. 3
   
   

   
   Put down the knife. By putting down whatever utensils you're using between every bite, you can significantlyslow down your eating time, leaving your stomach a chance to feel full and reducing the likelihood that you'll go for seconds. Another technique that can have a similar effect is to take a sip between each bite. Numerous studies have shown that eating slowly results in eating less.^[2] There's even a device you can get from a dentist that you wear to make your oral cavity smaller so that you take smaller bites,^[3] and "diet forks" that are so awkward to use that you'll get less food per bite! There are even heat-retentive plates to keep your food warm as you eat at a snail's pace.
4. 4
   
   

   
   Know the enemy! Make a list of the food items that are your weaknesses. These aren't always unhealthy foods, either. Sometimes we fool ourselves into believing that as long as we avoid the "bad" foods, we're making progress. At least, that's what we like to think as we get up for our third serving of fruit salad, or finish a bag of pretzels in one sitting, saying that they're healthier than chips. Remember that too much of anything is bad. You probably don't need to keep a food diary to know your enemies. Common culprits include soda, bread, alcohol, and fast food. Whatever your weakness is, cut down on it. If you cut it out completely, you're more likely to binge. Buy only small packages of it and have it only once in a while. If cutting down doesn't work, you might need to go cold turkey.
   • Also seek out and reduce needless sedentary activities that burn few calories and can make you more susceptible to temptation to overeat.
5. 5
   
   

    Whole grain pasta
   Choose whole grains over a whole belly. If you switch out all of your refined grain food (white bread, food made with white flour) for whole-grain food (oatmeal, whole-grain cereal, whole-grain pasta, brown rice and barley) you won't lose additional weight overall. However, you will lose more weight in the belly area, which will make you look thinner--at least, that's what a Penn States tudy implies.^[4] Not only will your slimmer profile make you feel better about your progress, but by losing the VAT (visceral adipose tissue) you're also doing away with a risk factor for type 2 diabetes, coronary vascular disease, and some types of cancer.^[5] Check those labels and make sure that any grain-based foods you buy are made up of at least fifty-one percent whole grain.^[4]
6. 6
   
   

   
   Limit your spending. Some people have an easier timecontrolling their wallet than controlling their diet. Go ahead, cut up those credit cards, and build up your emergency fund, if you haven't already (in its own account, and leave the bank card at home). Limit the amount of cash you have in your wallet, especially if you're subject to spontaneous fast food indulgences. When you go grocery shopping, have a list prepared, and bring just enough money to cover those items (this might take a few dry runs). The embarrassment of not having enough money at the register will keep you from throwing a few extra items in the shopping cart. If you don't do the grocery shopping, then offer to take on this monumental role. Your family or roommates might complain about the absence of junk food, but you'll be doing them a favor by stocking the kitchen with healthy stuff. They'll thank you...later...years later.
7. 7
   
   

   
   Set a digital watch to go off every two hours. Eat only when the watch tells you to. Spontaneous eating sessions (those times when you feel those hunger pangs, those cravings, and you scour the cabinets or the streets in search of satisfaction) are your weakest points. This is why all weight loss books tell you to avoid skipping meals. If you eat every two hours, you won't get so hungry that you gorge yourself when you do eat. You know how it goes: "Oh...I'm so hungry...the brownies are right there...I'd have to walk all the way to the deli to get a sandwich, but my stomach's churning...." Of course, if you eat the equivalent of a cheeseburger every two hours, that's a recipe for obesity, but again, you're more likely to retain self-control and stick to your diet when you don't have hunger pangs to cloud your judgment. It wouldn't hurt, however, to plan out what you'll eat (smoothie at 10, chicken salad at 12, a single piece of leftover cherry pie at 2, a slice of bread with peanut butter at 4, and so on).
   
   
   • This has the added benefit of increasing your metabolism. Extending the time between meals makes your body go into "starvation mode," which will slow down your metabolism in response to the perceived threat of starvation. This is why fasting and skipping meals will only make things worse. In addition to having four to six small meals per day,^[6] eating healthy snacks will also increase your metabolism.^[7]
   • Another useful way to think about this is to use a "hunger scale." Rate your hunger on a scale of 0 to 10, with 0 being so hungry that you feel weak and 10 being so full that you just want to curl up in bed and digest. Eat when you're at about 3, which is when you're just a little hungry, but not famished.^[8]
8. 8
   
   

   
   Trade weight for cash. A 2007 study showed that the more you pay people to lose weight, the more pounds they drop over a three-month period.^[9] If there's someone who keeps nagging you to lose weight, ask that person about paying you for every pound you lose. If your employer is self-insured, he or she might consider enlisting the services of a company that develops reward programs to encourage employees to lose weight.^[10]You can also sign a contract that forces you to pay up for every pound you don't lose (or every pound you gain) and whatever money you pay (or gain) can be donated to charity.

• TIPS
• One thing you might notice that happens if you eat slowly is that your food gets cold before you finish it. To address this, you can serve yourself smaller portions (heating as you serve) or even purchase plates specifically designed to keep food warm (heat retentive plates).
• Eat lots of soluble fiber, it soaks up fat and cholesterol from your body.
• Don't cut fat completely from your diet. It's important to recognize that fat is necessary for good health and sustainable weight loss. Remember that weight loss is about calories, and while fat does have more calories per gram than carbs or protein, foods like ground flax, nuts, and avocados are all high fat foods that are touted for their health benefits. Taking this approach will promote healthy weight loss by keeping you feeling full longer, and provide your body with the nutrition it needs to properly absorb and process nutrients.
• Keep a fitness log: Get a blank piece of paper and draw about forty small squares or print a spreadsheet from Microsoft Excel. Try to figure out your most common exercise-related activities and make two letter (or number) codes for them. Add a few more activities to get you moving. Set a date to complete all of your squares. Consider going over your log daily to fill in the squares, as you will not remember what activity you did three weeks from now. Make sure that your date goals are reasonable and timely.
• 
  

   Dancing can be an aerobic workout
  For physical activity, try something different. Maybe you’ve stopped going to the gym because it's boring. Do something unique and preferably something that involves a long-term commitment and contract, such as swing or salsa dancing,swimming lessons, fencing, or martial arts. Choose a school or instructor you like--you're more likely to show up, especially if there's someone holding you accountable. The more expensive the contract, the more likely you are to stick with it...unless you're filthy rich, in which case you can hire a personal trainer.
• Knowing your Basic Metabolic Rate (BMR) can help with this. Your BMR is the baseline number of calories your body needs to function of you were to just stay sedentary all day long. Consuming about 500 calories under this number is a way to boost your diet and ensure at least some weight loss.
• If you are having a hard time getting started or maintaining an exercise routine, use Monday as the day to recommit. Instead of making it a New Year’s Resolution or something you start doing on your birthday, using Monday gives you fifty-two chances to get on track!
• Boost metabolism temporarily with aerobic exercise. Different activities burn different quantities of calories, but the important thing is to raise your heart rate and sustain the activity for approximately thirty minutes.
• Boost metabolism in the long run with weight training. Muscle burns more calories than fat does--73 more calories per kilogram per day, to be exact.^[11] Every muscle cell that you gain is like a little factory that constantly burns calories for you, even while you sleep, and revs up when you exercise.

WARNING

• Don't lose weight too quickly (more than one or two pounds a week). Losing weight quickly has its own health risks, as does being underweight. In addition, pushing yourself too hard can increase the likelihood of relapse. Slow and steady wins the race in this department.
• Consult your doctor before making any major changes to your lifestyle if you have a medical condition that could be affected. Consulting your doctor can also help you rule out medical conditions that could be contributing to your weight.
• Avoid "fad" diets such as the cabbage soup diet, "carb-loading," boiled egg diet, etc.
• Avoid smoking as a weight-loss method. While nicotine is a metabolism booster and appetite suppressant, the health hazards far outweigh any benefits.
• Expect your metabolism to slow down as you lose weight. The more weight your body is carrying, the more calories your body has to burn in order to sustain itself, even at rest. When you begin restricting your calorie intake, you'll lose weight relatively easily because your body's high caloric needs are not being met. But after you begin to shed the weight, the body has less mass to carry and thus needs fewer calories. In order to continue losing weight, you will have to restrict your caloric intake even further in order to maintain a difference between what your body needs and what you are providing.^[11]
• Remember that being healthy overall is more important than losing weight. Preventing obesity should be like preventing diabetes or cancer or hypertension; you are preventing a disease. Never do anything unhealthful to lose weight. You don’t want to substitute one disease for another.

1.