A Great Stuffed Flank Steak

Ingredients

  • 1 Flank steak, sea salt and pepper
    ½ head of bok choy
    1 small onion, finely chopped
    1 slice whole grain bread, crumbled
    2 tbsp. raisins
    2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
    ¾ cup unbleached flour
    ½ tsp. pepper
    ½ cup red wine
    2 cups beef stock (please use organic) beef stock recipe available here.

**When you buy the flank steak, have the butcher pass it through the tenderizer on time. Spread out flank steak and rub with pepper and salt.**

**To skip the stuffing part: Spread 2 tbsp butter and olive oil on flank steak then broil on high for 4 minutes one side and 4 minutes opposite side. Recommended outdoor grill for best taste.**

Preparation

To make stuffing, cut the leaves off the fleshy part of the bok choy stalks. Chop the leaves coarsely and set aside. Chop the stalk and sauté the onions in olive oil and butter until soft. Add bread slice, crumbled, and raisins and sauté about 5 minutes more. Spread stuffing on flank steak. Cut 4 length of string. Roll up steak, tie with string and dredge in flour mixed with pepper.

In a heavy skillet, brown the flank steak on all sides in butter and olive oil. Remove  and pour out fat. Add the wine and stock to pan, bring to boil and skim. Reduce covered, for 2 hours or until meat is tender.

Transfer flank steak roll to a heated platter and keep warm in oven while making sauce. Bring sauce to a boil sauce has reduced by about on half and has thickened slightly. Stir in chopped bok choy leaves and let simmer a minute or so.

To serve, slice crosswise and place slices on  individual plates. Spoon sauce over.

Serves: 4

**Flank Steak provides the most bang for your buck in protein per square inch.**

Avocado and Grape Fruit Salad

Ingredients

  • 2 ripe avocados, well chilled, peeled and sliced
    2 grapefruit, well chilled, peeled and sectioned
    1 head Boston lettuce
    2 tbsp. green onions, finely chopped
    ¾ cup basic dressing

Preparation

Arrange avocado and grapefruit on Boston lettuce leaves, sprinkle with green onions, spoon on dressing and serve.

Serves: 4

Basic Dressing

Makes about ¾ cup

Ingredients

  • 1 tsp. Dijon-type mustard, smooth or grainy (Maille is a lovely kind)
    2 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. raw wine vinegar
    ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
    1 tbsp expeller-expressed flax oil (can use extra olive oil instead)

Preparation

Dip a fork into the jar of mustard and transfer about 1 teaspoon to a small bowl. Add vinegar and mix around. Add olive oil in a thin stream, stirring all the while with a fork, until oil is well mixed or emulsified. If adding flax oil use immediately.

Spread all You Want on Your Sandwich

Health Tip

  • Garlic scapes are high in glutathione, which is the powerful antioxidant in the body. Glutathione protects the cells in the body against outside bacteria and viruses as well as internal causes of cell damage including stress.

Ingredients

  • 3 cups green peas, fresh or thawed
    1 tbsp yellow mustard
    2tbsp extra virgin olive oil
    ¼ cup lemon juice
    1 cup garlic scapes, chopped
    ¼ tsp sea salf
    ½ cup water
    2 tbsp hemp seed
    10 PGX- granules (or 1 tablespoon flaxseed ground)

Preparation

  • Combine all ingredients in a food processor.
  • Processs until smooth.
  • Store in the refierator up to 1 week.
  • Yield: 24 servings

Nutritional Information

  • Serving size: 2 tbsp
    Calories: 32
    Fat: 1.5 g
    Carbs: 3 g
    Protein: 1 g
    Fiber: 1.5 g

**Can be enjoyed as a spread on your favorite sandwich or as guilt free dip**

Awesome Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cups uncooked quinoa
    4 large red or yellow bell peppers
    1 tablespoon olive oil
    1 onion, chopped
    3 ounces cremini or button mushrooms, sliced (about 1 cup)
    2 garlic cloves, chopped
    1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
    1 tablespoon tomato paste
    1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
    14 ounces diced tomatoes, drained
    1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped, or 1 tsp dried
    1/4 teaspoon salt
    1/4 teaspoon black ground pepper
    2 cups marinara sauce, for serving

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a small saucepan, bring 1 1/2 cups water to a boil. Place the quinoa in a strainer and rinse under cold running water until the water runs clear. Stir the quinoa into the boiling water, cover, and simmer until the quinoa is tender and the water is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and set aside.

Meanwhile, use a sharp paring knife to cut out the core from the peppers. Pull out any seeds and rinse the peppers inside and out. Place them cut side down on a microwave-safe plate. Microwave on high power until slightly softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Set aside to cool.

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, mushrooms, garlic, and crushed red pepper, if using. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are golden brown, about 8 minutes.

Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the zucchini, tomatoes, oregano, and salt and pepper and cook for about 2 minutes. Stir in the quinoa and remove the pan from the heat.

Place the peppers cut side up in a medium roasting pan. Spoon the filling into the peppers and fill the pan with water 1/2 inch deep. Bake until the peppers are tender and the top of the filling is lightly browned and crunchy, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat the marinara over low heat. When the peppers are cooked, place one on each of four plates. Spoon the sauce alongside or on top and serve.

Makes 4 servings.

  • Prep Time: 5 mins
    Cook Time 1 hr
    Total time: 1 hr 5 mins

Nutrition Facts

Number of Servings: 4

  • Amount Per Serving
    Calories: 297.9
    Total Fat: 7.9 g
    Sodium: 563.9 mg
    Total Carbohydrate: 49.1 g
    Protein: 9.7 g

Garlic Roasted Beats with Zesty Peppers

 

Ingredients

  • 4 yellow or red beets, including the greens of the beets
    Garlic powder
    Fresh ground black pepper
    1/2 to 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
    2 cloves garlic, chopped

Preparations

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Peel and slice beets to approximately 1/4-inch thickness
  • Lightly spray a cookie sheet with olive oil, lay beet slices out on cookie sheet
    in a single layer.
  • Sprinkle with garlic powder and black pepper to taste.
  • Bake in oven for approximately 30 minutes, or until beets start to brown and
    shrivel very slightly. (They will be soft when testing with a fork.)
  • While beets bake, wash beet greens and chop them into large pieces.
  • In a saute pan, add a small amount of olive oil and toss in the 2 cloves of fresh
    chopped garlic, brown slightly, then add beet greens and cook until they are limp.
  • Place greens in a bowl and top with baked beets – serve hot and enjoy!

Serves: 2

**Feel free to mix up the seasonings and create a new flavor all your own – this is
a very tasty and nutritious base recipe that is super simple to modify.**

A Daily Diet Plan

A Daily Diet Plan

WAKE UP

Drink 16 oz of water

**Drink 1-2 gallons of water daily**

Take regular vitamins and minerals first thing, such as:

  • 3 capsules of L-GLUTAMIN
  • 2 african mango
  • 1000mg of L-CARNITINE

Upon Waking Up

Eat 1 serving of cream of rice with 20 grams of low carb, low fat protein added to them.

Then, Eat 6 Additional Meals Throughout the Day

MEAL ONE

Eat 3 oz of tuna flavored with 1/2 cup of roasted red peppers or green peppers.

SNACK

Eat 2 plain rice cakes and 15 cashews

MEAL TWO

Eat 4 oz of red meat with 1/2 cup of brown rice with Mrs Dash for flavor.

MEAL THREE

post workout: Drink a 20 gram low carb protein shake

MEAL FOUR

Eat o 6 oz of orange roughly four days and tuna three days a week with 20 asparagus spears 1 sweet potato, or quinoa with 1pad of butter.

MEAL FIVE

Eat 5 to 7 oz of a white fish of your choice with 12 asparagus spears and a 4 oz yam or baked potato. 1000 mg Vitamin C

MEAL SIX

Eat a set of protein pancakes made from 4 egg whites, 1/2 cup of unsweetened applesauce and 1 scoop of vanilla protein two days.

**On your other training days (and off days) eat 2 eggs and 1 cup of mixed veggies of your choice**

Eggs are Good For You

Eggs are Good For You

Eggs got beat up a while back when the media went cholesterol crazy. Eggs were cast with full-fat cheeses and rich meats as heart-unhealthy villains in our diets (the latter two are still on the B list). Today, eggs are on the culinary – and nutritional – red carpet. In fact, many urban dwellers are now raising their own backyard hens. Why the change of heart? Here, from Egg Nutrition Center in Park Ridge, Illinois, are a handful of reasons why eggs are making a comeback:

Facts. Eggs are nutrient-dense and a good source of all natural, high-quality protein. They provide 13 vitamins and minerals in varying amounts at 70 calories per large egg. They are a strong example of a nutrient-dense food.

Protein. Both egg yolks and egg whites are good sources of high-quality protein; almost half the protein and the majority of the other nutrients are in the egg yolks.

Fat. Most of the fat in eggs is unsaturated. While egg yolks are a concentrated source of dietary cholesterol, they can still be included in a heart healthy diet.

Below are answers to some frequently asked questions about eggs:

How many eggs can I eat in a day? Evidence shows that one egg per day is fine for most healthy people and does not result in significant changes in serum lipoprotein cholesterol and triglyceride levels. If you have cholesterol issues, consult a dietician of your physician about this.

How much cholesterol does one egg have? Recent studies show that eggs have less cholesterol than ever before. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently reviewed egg nutrient data. Results showed that the average amount of cholesterol in a grade A large egg is 185 milligrams (mg), 14% lower than the amount previously recorded. One possible cause for the decrease in cholesterol level is improvement in the feed given to hens.

What is the difference between AA and A grade eggs? According to the North Carolina Egg Association, in the grading process eggs are examined for both interior and exterior quality and are sorted according to weight (size). Grade quality and size are not related to one another. In descending order of quality, grades are AA, A and B. There is no difference in nutritive value between the different grades.

When I’m making a recipe or baked goods, what is the default-sized egg I should use? Most recipes are written for a standard large egg.

Is there any difference between eggs with different shell colors? The breed of hen determines the color of the eggshell. Breeds with white feathers and earlobes lay white-shelled eggs, and breeds with reddish-brown feathers and earlobes lay brown-shelled eggs. The difference between brown- and white-shelled eggs is barely skin deep; the pigment layer of the shell is so thin, it can easily be removed by rubbing with sandpaper or abrasives. There is no nutritional difference between eggs due to their color.

What is the difference between certified organic and regularly produced eggs? “In October 2002 the National Organic Standard Board set national guidelines that must be met by producers wishing to market organic eggs,” explains Marcia D. Greenblum, MS, RD, senior director of nutrition education at Egg Nutrition Center. “organic eggs are produced by hens given feed grown without most conventional pesticides, fungicides, herbicides or commercial fertilizers. The use of growth hormones is also prohibited; all eggs are hormone free, whether or not they are labeled as such.” 

Excerpt taken from the May 2011 edition of IDEA Fitness Journal

No Yo Yo Diets

No Yo Yo Diets

Generally, the concept of a trainer gaining 70 lbs is unheard of. Not only are trainers obligated to help their clients through their weight loss journey, but they also act as role models and inspiration for those looking to adopt a fit lifestyle.  Trainer Drew Manning, however, broke this stereotype. In a year’s time, he managed to gain, and then lose, 70 lbs in order to better relate to his clients.

Drew isn’t the only one to have tried such a weight feat; many actors and actresses endure the same rapid size fluctuation to better portray their assigned role in movies and television shows. However, this isn’t something to try at home. Drew is a professional educated in how to appropriately lose weight and celebrities are armed with teams of health experts. In fact, such “yo-yo dieting” can often result in negative consequences.

To begin with, not only does rapid weight gain result in external changes like an enlarged figure laden with stretch marks but it more critically takes a toll on the internal system. High blood pressure and a strain on the organs can result from the increased weight. If done incorrectly, hasty weight loss can have an equally concerning result.

Shocking to many, fad diets often produce moodiness, fatigue, gallstones, and sagging skin. Even more astounding is that once completing the ‘miracle diet’, many people often quickly regain the weight they lost and more. Studies have proven that healthy eating and regular exercise are the two key components of a long-lasting fit lifestyle and physique.

Limit Soy in Your Diet

Limit Soy in Your Diet

Consider these problems soy presents to your diet and why it’s a good idea to limit your intake.

Reason 1 – Toxicity

  • Soy increases your toxic load; it is one of the most sprayed crops. Their high content of pesticides increases your ever-increasing toxic load. In addition, aluminum content skyrockets while processing.

Reason 2 – Potential Hypothyroidism

  • Soy contains goitragens, which are compounds that facilitate hypothyroidism. To learn more about fighting hypothyroidism, attend one of y Biosignature Modulation seminars.

Reason 3 – Blocking Mineral Absorption

  • Soy has a high content of phytates, which are known to inhibit the absorption of both macro-minerals (i.e. calcium) and trace minerals (i.e. zinc). The good news is that the meat consumption blocks phytates. If you are going to eat tofu, make sure to eat some meat during the same meal.

Reason 4 – Link to Attention Deficit Disorder

  • Soy-based infant formulas are linked to ADD. They contain 80 times more manganese than breast milk. Too much manganese content is linked to neurotoxicity.

Reason 5 – Increased Cardiovascular Load

  • Hemaglutinin is found in soybeans. This compound is known to make red blood cells aggregate, therefore increasing your cardiovascular load.

If you are not convinced, read Dr. Kaayla Daniel’s book, The Whole Soy Story.

Hgh May be the Fountain of Youth

Hgh May be the Fountain of Youth

Human growth hormone (hGH),  often called the “fountain of youth” and the secret weapon of the movie stars is available to all of us through a specific training protocol. This mystery maturation instigator, is responsible for the regulation and upkeep of one’s physical makeup in the later years.

The hGH attaches to cells that have receptors for it. What this means is that it doesn’t allow fat cells to be created. Also, it does a wonderful job of speeding up your metabolism. In response to the hGH another hormone is made, the Insulin Like Growth Factor-1(IFG-1). This hormone is secreted through our liver and other tissues in response to the hGH. The more IFG-1 you have, the more fat building muscle is created. Basically, the more hGH we have, the more IFG-1 is made in our bodies. With this, our muscles will begin building up much more.

Like the majority of other hormones, hGH is secreted by the pituitary gland. While there are other times it is secreted, the strongest releases of the hormone are while sleeping and during exercise. This is especially directed at baby boomers, as they are in the life stage where this vital hormone can be utilized for fitness.

If the two best ways to produce this natural maintainer of wellness are sleep and exercise, it seems only fitting that you should make some either major or minor adjustments to your lifestyle to improve your health. Sleeping is simple, however if you don’t get enough of it (which many stressed out adults tend not to), there could be a number of harmful consequences to your health. Easy ways to prevent this are by getting 8 hours of sleep a night in a dark room, and by keeping up a balanced diet.

Numerous studies confirm that it is the intensity of the exercise that will produce an ideal amount of hGH. For all of you baby boomers out there, this is most advantageous as it helps to maintain fitness later in life. The best form of exercise for hGH secretion is weight training or intervals within the cardio program. This will require you to use your biggest muscle groups in order to use heavier weight with minimal rest time. Interval cardio is also a great way to produce large amounts of the human growth hormone, while also increasing your endurance and speed.

I suggest starting with weight training as your first defense in the anti-aging attack. Weight training synonymous to strength training, will improve your balance and coordination as well as your posture. More importantly, if you have poor flexibility and balance, strength training can reduce your risk of falling by as much as 40 percent, a crucial benefit. If you have arthritis weight training can be as effective as medication in decreasing arthritis pain. Weight training can help post-menopausal women increase their bone density and reduce the risk of bone fractures. And for the 14 million Americans with type 2 diabetes, weight training can help improve glucose control. Lastly, during weight training, your body continues to burn calories after the workout a process called “physiologic homework.” More calories are used to make and maintain muscle than fat. Your metabolism is boosted 15 percent by this kind of training.

So for those of you out there that think that the only way left to grow will result in a larger clothes size, keep in mind the wonders that can be done by adding exercise into your daily routine. Since age isn’t a barrier holding you back, make the most of the human growth hormone; through weight training, there’s no better time to start than now!