Trim Down Fat and Calories from Your Favorite Comfort Foods!

With the holidays upon us, our minds immediately go to thoughts of yummy dishes and desserts. I know my family starts talking about their favorite dishes that I make but once a year for the holidays,as soon as September rolls around. I'm sure this is the case with you and your family.

Foods can be such a comfort to us, especially in the cold winter months, not only because they taste so wonderful, but because they bring back many happy memories and traditions. Unfortunately, many of our favorite comfort foods are high in fat and calories. But don't fret because there are ways to trim down some of your heart-warming family favorites. Just making some small changes to the ingredients can help reduce a lot of the fat contents, as well as salt and empty calories. Here are some suggestions for you to consider:

1. If you are making a dip that calls for cream cheese, be sure to use the 1/3 less fat variety, or substitute 1/2 cup of ricotta cheese blended with 1/2 cup of fat-free cream cheese. Adding crushed garlic and other spices can really spruce it up too. Serve with whole-grain crackers.

2. Instead of using heavy cream when making creamy soups or casseroles, use fat-free evaporated milk instead.

3. Add lots of fiber and protein to your soups and stews by adding beans. They will not change the taste of what you are making and they are extremely healthy for you.

4. Substitute applesauce for butter and oil in your baked goods. Just a 1/2 cup apple sauce equals 1 cup of oil or butter.

5. Many people like to put out a plate of cookies or candies to decorate their table during the holidays and for guests to nibble on when they stop by. Why not put out a bowl of nuts with a nut cracker handy and some fresh fruit like clementines, or oranges and apples. Fruit goes great with nuts and is a wonderful snack. Be sure the fruit is washed and ready to eat.

6. When making your favorite homemade pies and breads, be sure to use whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose flour. You will add lots of fiber and turn your simple-sugar dessert bread into a complex carbohydrate food bread.

7. Remember eggs are good for us, but for those who love to eat them and are watching their cholesterol as well, why not use egg beaters to cook with instead of whole eggs. Your dishes come out just as wonderful, you can eat the batter if you like (no worries about salmonella because they are pasteurized), and you can save the eggs in your diet for eating them as a meal where you can really enjoy them rather than in baked goods.

8. When making anything with ground beef, try substituting ground turkey instead. There is much less fat and cholesterol and your dishes taste virtually the same.

9. Love sausage? Try chicken sausage in your dishes or just at it plain. It has much less fat and is absolutely delicious!

10. When making mashed potatoes, eliminate the butter and use only skim milk to make them. They come out just as wonderfully fluffy and you save tons of calories.

Remember, you can enjoy desserts and yummy foods, just watch your portion size. Eating a small portion of dessert will help you fit dessert into your meal plan without sacrificing nutrition or your slim figure!

Happy Holidays and I'll see you on YouTube,
- YouTips4U

Soothe Your Cough Naturally

This is the time of year that we often get colds and coughs. If you are looking for a wonderful natural cough soother, try a cup of ginger tea with honey. You can make this fresh yourself so easily. Just grate a piece of fresh gingerroot into a mug and pour boiling water over it. Place a small plate over your mug to trap in the steam and help it stay warm while it steeps. Let it steep for 5-10 minutes, then place some honey into it to taste and drink up. It is one of the most effective cough relievers, and the honey helps to soothe your dry or soar throat. It's a favorite in my house, and I hope it will be in yours as well!

Stay well and I'll see you on YouTube,
YouTips4U

Shaving Your Legs Tip!

To help avoid ingrown hairs, rashes and red bumps when you shave your legs, be sure that you do not have goose bumps on your legs when you shave. This happens quite quickly when we lift our leg out of the warm water stream to shave it while resting it against the side of the tub. The sudden exposure to cooler air produces goosebumps, especially in the winter months. Be sure to wait until they go away and your skin returns to its smooth normal texture before shaving, or you will undoubtedly shave off bits of your skin along with the hair. Also, because the skin is raised with the goose bumps, so is the hair follicle causing you to shave too close which leads to ingrown hairs. Please visit my YouTube Channel for more helpful videos on shaving. Here is the link: YouTips4U. When you're on my channel page, simply enter key words into the search bar on the far right to see my videos of interest.

I hope you found this tip helpful in preventing razor rashes!

See you on YouTube,
YouTips4U

Did You Know?

Here are seven helpful health and diet fact tips that you may not know, but should. Did you know that:

1. Hot pepper can help you slim down. Hot peppers contain a compound called capsaicin which is what give the peppers their kick. Capsaicin raises your core body temperature which causes you to burn more calories. The hotter the peppers, the greater the metabolic effect. Try adding them to sauces, curries, and chili.

2. Organic snacks may have more calories than their non-organic equivalent. Many people believe that when they buy an organic snack, like cookies, for example, that they will have less fat and calories than if they buy the same cookie in the non-organic variety. Organic cookies may contain ingredients grown without synthetic pesticides, but in some cases they can have more calories. So be sure to read the label to see the calorie and fat count.

3. One single Broccoli stalk contains more than a day's worth of Vitamin C. So when you eat broccoli, don't forget that the stalks are important for you too. I peel them and steam them right along with my florets.

4. People who graze lose more weight than people who eat the same amount of food and calories, but have it in three meals. Grazing keeps your metabolism raised, your blood sugar steady and helps minimize the storage of excess fat. Remember to keep portions smaller. So instead of three meals a day, eat 6 and help your body use it's own process to naturally lose weight.

5. Olive oil loses its antioxidant properties over time. Don't leave olive oil near the stove, or uncapped for too long because it is sensitive to oxygen, heat and light. If you don't use it often, buy it in small bottles and keep it in a cool dark place.

5. The secret of long lasting nail polish is not in the polish, but in the top coat. Many nail salons order top coats that dry fast and chip more easily. I say, buy your own and bring it with you to the salon, or simply do your nails yourself at home. My favorite top coat is Revlon Top Coat available at most drugstores.

6. Keeping your cuts covered and moist will help them fade faster and may hopefully leave the most minimal trace of a scar depending on the severity of the cut. Many people think you need to keep a cut uncovered to let it heal and breathe. This is not true and cuts actually heal better when covered. Also, a covered cut is protected from bacteria entering the skin.

7. Digging in your purse is the most common way that women damage their cuticles. Please pay close attention to this when you are going into your purse. Damaged cuticles lead to poor nail growth and infections.

I will have more "Did You Know" posts upcoming. Please be sure to subscribe to my blog so you'll be notified whenever I post. Thank you and I'll see you on YouTube,

-YouTips4U

Should Your Skin Feel Squeaky Clean After Washing?

The answer is no. Many of us were taught that in order to be clean our skin has to feel squeaky clean, however, unless your skin feels soft and supple after you cleanse it, your cleanser could be too harsh. Washing your face daily is very important and necessary to remove acne-causing bacteria, makeup, oil, and dead skin cells, however, harsh detergents and overwashing can actually trigger breakouts from excessive oil production and increase the appearance of fine lines. Your body will compensate for the lack of moisture and natural oils and start producing too much. It's best to use a gentle cleanser with hydrators. My favorite is Purpose Soap-Free Cleanser; in the pump bottle. It washes away dirt,oils, and bacteria, without stripping the skin of all of it's necessary moisture and is available at most drugstores. You will really feel the difference.

-YouTips4U