DO NOT DIET - EAT WELL!

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"People associate word 'diet' with deprivation. That's not a good motivator", says John Foreyt, author of Living Without Dieting. Nutritionists universally agree that the most effective weight-loss plan , and the most beneficial strategy for the body, is to personally develop lifelong healthy eating habits.

Based on the recommendations of nutritional experts from one of the finest health spas in the world (Clinique La Prairie) the balanced diet should include something from the seven food classifications, below, every day.

Group 1: milk, cheese and yoghurt

Group 2: meat and its substitutes (tofu)

Group 3: bread, cereal and potatoes

Group 4: fruit and vegetables

Group 5: fats, such as butter

Group 6: sugars

Group 7: liquids, such as water and juice

If you really listen to your body , you will begin to understand the types of foods that fill you up and make you feel good!

A number of studies prove that eating an early morning meal has beneficial effects on mental and physical health.

NEVER SKIP YOUR BREAKFAST!

Vegetable and fruit salads are the most beneficial  as well as most time consuming to prepare. A little bit of planning and creativity will simplify your life.

Step 1:

For every week buy your favorite greens for the salad base. You actually can change your base every week or keep it the same (whatever you like). In addition to it, you buy your favorite veggies and fruits. We assume that you always have olive oil and lemon/lime at home (if not , consider to buy it as the dressing which is sold in stores usually have an additives which are not healthy).

Step 2:

Mix and match! Do not be afraid to try, experiment!

 In addition to traditional salads (Greek salad, Caesar salad etc.) try our favorite combinations:

• salad base + orange, grapefruit onion and mango
• salad base + tomato, red paper, onion and mango
• salad base + papaya, mango and kiwi

If you have any berries or nuts, do not hesitate to add them to your salads, especially fruit salads, be creative and listen what your body wants. Honey melons are great for your skin, do not forget about it. Use plenty of fresh or dried herbs. It  will give unforgettable flavor to your salads and provide additional source of vitamins.

It is good to have the rainbow of colors in your salads as the color usually represents specific elements, so it is good for the balanced diet and it is fun. The food preparation should be simple and fun, enjoy it!

Step 3:

Make sure you have your salads ready for you in the morning, so you always can have cereal and fruit salad or eggs and salad. In addition, salad can be a base for the evening meal if you add mushrooms, chicken or cheese on the top of it.

Sofia-Style Recipes

 We would like to share with you some simple, fun and healthy recipes that you will enjoy as well as benefit from. The recipes we provide are so simple you need just a few minutes to make them. Our recipes give you the idea what can be done with the food but do not limit you. You can always enhance or modify the recipe as long as you listen to your body and understand what you need to eat!

You can buy ready made dishes from a supermarket or deli, but be aware of additives/coloring and a lot of other stuff they use that you do not want to eat, so learn how to cook yourself. It is simple, fun and you will enjoy it! And do not hesitate to try the dish before it's ready, exercise your taste buds!

Every month we have a different theme covered, so please come back and find what are our month favorites!

July, 2008

 recipes include dishes stuffed with protein as well as veggies and fruits.

Seafood Mix Salad

This very simple recipe can be prepared in two steps. First, cook the seafood mix and eggs, second mix it together with veggies/fruits and dressing.

You need:

• frozen seafood mix package (1 pound)
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 sweet onion, diced
• 1 celery stick, finely diced
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced
• 1/2 green/red pepper/ (optional),  diced
• black pepper/cajun spices
• 1 Tbsp chopped cilantro sprigs
• 1 tsp herbs (oregano)
• 1 tsp chopped dill

You can use two type of dressing:

a) mayonnaise

b) olive oil and lemon (our favorite)

Put the seafood mix in the pot, cover with water and bring to a boil, remove seafood from the water and store in the fridge (it can be stored for two days). Boil the eggs, remove the shell and store in the fridge. This first step can be done 1-2 days prior to preparing the salad. Chop eggs, mix it with seafood, veggies, spices and herbs, add your favorite dressing. If you want to have a really funky salad add some raspberries or chopped mango to the olive oil/lemon dressing. Do not use salt if you use mayonnaise dressing. If you like to add some sweetness to the olive oil/lemon dressing add some sweet fruits, such as honeydew or mango. It tastes delicious!

Tuna and Scallop Ceviche

This recipe can be used as an appetizer. Ceviche is a way of curing food using lime or lemon juices. Although this recipe calls for bay scallops and ahi tuna, you could also use one or more of the following: salmon, sea bass, swordfish, and yellow tail. But please use fresh fish. The raw fish in this recipe is cooked by the acidity of the lime juice.

You need:

• 1/2 pound fresh bay scallops
• 1/2 pound ahi tuna
• 1 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
• 2 tbsp finely minced ginger
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced
• 1 tbsp fresh cilantro sprigs chopped
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp grated orange zest

Cut the scallops in half, cut the tuna into the same size pieces as the scallops. Place the scallops and tuna in nonreactive bowl and add lime juice. Refrigerate for 6 to 8 hours. Prepare and have ready all the remaining ingredients. The recipe can be completed to this point up to 6-8 hours before serving.

Drain the lime juice from the scallops and tuna , then place in a clean glass bowl. Add all the remaining ingredients and mix well, transfer to a serving bowl. Serve chilled with crackers and endive cups. You can serve it as a cold dish with fruit salad.