Lighten Up Georgia


	Lasagne Quick Taco Salad Farfalle with Cauliflower and Turkey Sausage Jane’s Vegetarian Chili Cool, Creamy Chocolate Dessert

Blue Cheese-Stuffed Pork Chops with Pears Mushroom and Sausage Ragu with Polenta Roast Chicken with Potatoes and Butternut Squash Chicken Enchiladas Vanilla Bean Crème Brulee

	Chicken and Rice Bowl Pecan Crusted Trout Grilled Veggie and Hummus Wraps Romaine, Asparagus and Watercress Salad with Shrimp Frozen Orange Tortes with Cranberry Compote

Diner Meatloaf Muffins Spicy Turkey Meatloaf with Ketchup Topping Pesto Mashed Potatoes Roasted Vegetable Pot Pie with Feta Lemon Cream Pie

	Beef Tenderloin Steaks and Balsamic Green Beans Shrimp and Lemon Saffron Rice Chicken and Rice with Mushrooms Butternut Squash and Smoky Black Bean Salad Grapefruit Pound Cake

Cedar Baked Salmon, Watercress Yogurt Sauce Veggie Stir Fry Tomato and Bean Burrito Whole-Wheat Fusilli with Beef Ragu Grande Marnier Fudge

	Chicken and Rice Casserole Slow-Cooker Pot Roast Broiled Tilapia w/Parmesan Cream Sauce Chicken and Spinach Lasagna Dark Chocolate Cake (Only 4 points!)

Potato and Zucchini Latkes Chicken Noodle Soup (1 point!) Turkey and Provolone Panini Beef Stew Crockpot Recipe Low-Calorie Cheesecake Brownie Recipe

	Lightened Borden/Eagle Brand Magic Bars Lightened Bisquick Easy Pumpkin Pie Lightened Libby’s Pumpkin Cranberry Bread Snickerdoodles Cookie Recipe Lighter Sugar Cookies Recipe

Chicken and Rice Casserole Basic Lean Burgers Light Filet of Fish Sandwich Tomato and Bean Burritos Cherry Berry Cheesecake Cobbler

	Make-Ahead Turkey Breast With Herb Stuffing Pecan-Crusted Sweet Potato Pie Cajun Turkey With Dirty-Rice Stuffing Sun-dried Tomato Semolina Biscuits Triple-Butterscotch Boston Cream Pie Herb-Roasted Turkey With Cheese Grits Green Beans With Bacon-Balsamic Vinaigrette Pecan Tassies in Cream Cheese Pastry Apple-Glazed Pork Loin Roast With Apple-Ham Stuffing Broccoli with Dijon Vinaigrette

Pumpkin Pound Cake Pumpkin Bran Muffins Minestrone Elaine’s Favorite Meatloaf au Gratin Cheesy Calzones

	Tomato and Bean Burritos Asian Burgers with Ginger-Lemon Mayonnaise Chicken Parmesan Pizza Light Filet of Fish Sandwich Chocolate Truffle Bars

Garlicky Broiled Salmon and Tomatoes Grilled Steak Creamy Spinach Lasagna Korean Beef Stir-Fry Broccoli and Parmesan Casserole

	Golden Pineapple Sorbet Tomato & Turkey Soup Great Gazpacho Soup Huli Huli Pork Slow-Cooker Spaghetti Sauce

Flank Steak with Cilantro-Almond Pesto Grilled Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms Grilled Italian Vegetables with Pasta Grilled Teriyaki Shrimp Kebabs Tex-Mex Flank Steak and Vegetables

	Chocolate Covered Strawberries Macaroni Salad Belgian Waffles with Fruit and Whipped Cream Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing Baked Asparagus with Balsamic Sauce

Grilled Chicken with Pretty Peach Sauce Ginger Cakes w/ White Peaches & Blackberry Coulis Peachy Mexican Salsa Peachy Tomato Grilling Sauce Nectarine & Almond Breakfast Gratin

	Savory Sugar Snap Peas Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing Baked Asparagus with Balsamic Sauce Fresh Berry Muffins Berry Yogurt Frozen Pie

Slow Cooker Taco Soup Easy French Apple Tart Apple-Spiced Pork Roast Turkey & Veggie Chili Spice-Roasted Almonds

	Summer Baked Beans Grilled Corn with Creamy Chipotle Sauce Grilled Summer Squash Red, White and Blue Potato Salad Santa Rose Plum Crumble

Half-way Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup Chicken Enchiladas Verde Gourmet Meatloaf Cedar Baked Salmon with Watercress Yogurt Sauce Tomato, Blue Cheese Dressing Recipe

	Cheesy Polenta and Egg Casserole Blueberry Flapjacks Cranberry Pecan Oatmeal Egg Mock-Muffin Sandwich
Beef and Cabbage Stir with Peanut Sauce Black-Eyed Peas with Pork and Greens Lemon Chicken Stir-Fry Italian Peasant Soup, With Cabbage, Beans and Cheese Buffalo Chicken Wrap Caramelized Onion and White Bean Flatbread
A Great Recipe That You & Your Diet Will Love!	Hungry Girl’s Chicken 'n Veggie Pasta Chili-rific Cheeseburger 2-Beautiful Turkey Burger Swirls Gone Wild Cheesecake Brownies Fajitas Fantastico!
More Lighten Up Georgia Sweet Recipes! from Food network Cherry Almond Chocolate Clusters Moist Mocha Cake Chocolate Fondue Dark Chocolate Mousse
Diet Recommendations. What Diet Will Work For You? Now that you’ve made the commitment to lose weight and get healthier, you’re probably wondering what diet to follow? Mission Health nutritionists recommend choosing from following healthy and sensible diets: Weight Watchers A tried and true weight-loss program that has been around for many years. Many people find its “points” system easy to follow and this program teaches good portion-control habits that can help you maintain your weight-loss. Its meetings-based system harnesses the power of group support and keeping up with times has added an online version. Weight Watcher’s meal plans, sensible eating, weight-loss pace has earned it praise from many experts. The EatingWell Diet EatingWell's 7-Day Weight-Loss Diet Meal Plan is designed to provide an overall healthy-eating program at five different daily caloric levels: 1,200, 1,400, 1,600, 1,800 and 2,000. EatingWell's 7-Day Weight-Loss Diet Meal Plan is designed to provide an overall healthy-eating program at five different daily caloric levels: 1,200, 1,400, 1,600, 1,800 and 2,000. You: On a Diet Dr Mehmet C. Oz and Michael F. Roizen's site: RealAge.com offers menu plans and exercise recommendations. You can customize your own menu plan, print shopping lists and it’s all free. mscullin@marketimpactadv.com The Sonoma Diet This diet is based on delicious recipes using staples of Mediterranean eating: fruits, vegetables, whole grains, olive oil, fish, and nuts. The diet starts with a strident 10-day phase called "Wave One," which is calorie-restrictive but is supposed to help you lose your craving for eating sugar and highly processed foods. The diet does contain creative recipes and menus. SparkPeople.com This site offers a free four-stage diet program which uses tools, content, and support to help users make lifestyle changes. Users are prompted to enter height, weight, and amount they intend to exercise, as well as a target date and weight. The site then gives recommendations for calorie, fat, and carbohydrate intake based on calculated BMR, as well as a personalized fitness plan.
Click here for WebMd’s Food & Fitness Journal, by logging your food and exercise daily, you can stay on top of how many calories you’ve consumed as well as how many you’ve burned.
Click here for this handy WebMd portion-size guide that you can take with you. Click here for WebMd’s Printable Food Journal
Lighten Up Georgia Weight Loss Secret It’s Mother Nature’s secret too. The secret help to dieters is fiber. In fact, experts urge people who want to lose weight and stay healthy to eat lots of fiber. Here are some fiber-rich recipes. White Bean Soup with Peppers and Bacon All American Chili Wheat Berry Salad with Raisins and Pistachios Chunky Vegetarian Chili Red Lentil Mulligatawny with Apple-Celery Salsa Lighten Up Georgia Recipes Main meals from Cooking Light’s 250 calorie entrée recipes. Peanut-Crusted Chicken with Pineapple Salsa Broiled Flank Steak with Warm Tomato Topping Pork Medallions with Apricot-Orange Sauce Spicy Tilapia with Pineapple-Pepper Relish Cooking Light Dietitian-Approved: 12 Healthy Snacks Great Recipes to Help You Eat Well & Lose Weight Cook Once, Eat Healthy All Week Here are 5 tasty meals from Self Magazine to get you through the week! Adobo-Glazed Mini Turkey Loaves Vegetable and Chickpea Ragout Spicy Thai Soup With Lime Shrimp Cheesy Shrimp Enchilada Bake Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie 10 Quick & Healthy Dinners Cooking Light’s Favorite Fast Meals! Quick Taco Salad Spicy Lemon Trout Farfalle with Cauliflower and Turkey Sausage Tofu with Red Curry Paste, Peas, and Yellow Tomatoes Marinara Sauce Over Rotini Penne with Asparagus, Spinach, and Bacon Whole-Wheat Buttermilk Pancakes Chicken and Couscous Salad Jane's Vegetarian Chili Roasted Baby Spring Vegetables How do I stop making excuses and make the commitment to lose weight? Here are weight loss tips from WebMD to help you get results fast! Cheryl Forberg, RD “If you really want to get the scale moving, one of the biggest first steps is to lose the white stuff, like sugar, white bread, pasta, rice, and potatoes. It sounds simple, but can be a really big change. Most people don’t realize how much sugar and refined flour is in condiments, breads, tortillas, muffins, baked goods, and bagels. Start by replacing white bread, rice, and pasta with whole grains, and instead of cakes, cookies, and candies, eat more fruit. Start recording what you eat in a food record. Just by writing down what you eat, you take ownership that you ate it -- and that can be a powerful motivator to eat more healthfully.

What is the “Magic” To Losing Weight?

Evidently, the magic is what we've known all along; eating healthier, counting calories and boosting your metabolism by exercising. Sorry, but there is no magic pill; watching your calorie intake, increasing your activities, equals slow and steady weight-loss.

Here are some of the "magic" tips that experts recommend:

Exercise each and every day. Make exercise a part of your day. It increases metabolism and burns calories.
Eat more fresh foods, especially fruits and vegetables. Most fruits and vegetables are low in calories and will fill you up and keep you full longer.
Drink more water or no-calorie drinks. Sometimes we mistake thirst for hunger which means we can eat when it's not necessary. By keeping yourself well hydrated you won't feel as hungry.
Record what you eat. Write down everything that you eat to help you manage your daily calorie intake. You'll be more aware of what you eat.
Sit down and eat your meals. If you eat on the run, grab and go, you may not realize what you are consuming. Stop, plan your meals, sit and enjoy every bite.

Here are some additional weight loss tips from Dr. Oz:

Automate your eating by planning your meals ahead of time. That way you're less likely to make an unhealthy last-minute food choice.
Oats are your friends! Eating a cup of oatmeal in the morning will prevent you from gorging in the afternoon.
Foods with healthy fats such as olives, salmon and walnuts help you feel satisfied.
Skipping meals can cause your body to go into a fat-storing starvation mode, making it harder to burn calories.
Got nuts with nuts. Eating a handful of nuts will help you stay full. Try soaking them in water for a different texture.
Use meditation to help you cope with chronic stress, which can lead you to crave feel-good carbs.
You may be used to fried foods but there are other, sometimes healthier, ways to cook including: roasting, steaming, poaching, baking, braising and broiling.
Do your grocery shopping with a list and a time limit; that way, you're less likely to stray into the processed foods section.
When out at a restaurant, ask your servers to hold the bread, snack mix or chips and salsa that might come before the meal. If you're hungry, you'll be tempted.

How To Manage Stress & How It Can Help You Lose Weight

walk on beach

Did you know that leading a hectic life may affect your weight? Studies show that chronic stress can produce too much cortisol, a hormone that can ramp up appetite and lead to overeating which can lead to weight gain or difficulty losing weight.

Jason Block, MD, whose Harvard research was published in

The American Journal of Epidemiology, implicates stress as a trigger for weight gain.

If this is true, what can you do to lower stress so that it can help you lose weight or not gain weight? According to experts; you need to build relaxation time into your day. Just 10 minutes of leisure-time can relieve stress. Here are good tension-relieving examples; take a relaxing walk, read a book or play with your dog. Do something calming that offers relief, even if it's only for a few minutes, but something that removes you from your frenzied life!

Another stress trigger is not getting enough sleep. Have you ever noticed that when you don't sleep well or if you don't get your required slumber time that you crave carbohydrates, especially the sweet high-calorie ones? Evidently, lack of sleep can cause a slowed metabolism, increase unhealthy food choices, and inactivity.

To overcome an unhealthy sleep pattern, set up a sleep routine, one that is soothing (Not playing video games!) like reading a book or doing yoga poses and one that allows for your body to get used to a calmer schedule right before you go to bed. Note: Adults need 8 hours of sleep a night and most of us don't get close to that much rest. But, to encourage you, studies show that getting the right amount of sleep may help you lose weight!

Here are some additional tips:

Exercise is the most efficient and effective way to get rid of stress.
Adding fun to your day can make you happier.
Humor is great for de-stressing; read a funny comic or watch a humorous show and laugh out loud!
Volunteer in your community; not only will this help others. Volunteering is good for you too

A Healthy Meal Plan

fruit

Do Certain Foods Have
"Magical" Slimming Powers?

Throughout the years there have been many diets that have claimed to have "the" answer to help you to melt away all those unwanted pounds. Yet in the end, it seems that there is no "one" magic bullet, or is there?

The grapefruit for example, has long been touted as a first-class calorie burner. The "grapefruit diet," made its first debut in the1930s, and this diet called for eating half a grapefruit with every meal on the theory that a fat-burning enzyme existed in grapefruit that could burn away all excessive calories eaten throughout the day. Grapefruit may indeed help to burn fat, but not enough to offset the calories in grapefruit, much less the calories in the rest of your daily diet.

Researchers conducting a study in Canada 2009 showed that there is indeed a substance (a flavonoid) in grapefruit that can actually induce weight-loss. And in this study conducted with mice; when a grapefruit flavonoid was added to their diet, the mice lost weight, proving the long-held belief that grapefruit could burn fat. But, just eating grapefruit or drinking grapefruit juice will not automatically yield weight-loss. In order to obtain the same results as the grapefruit study with mice, dieters would need to consume 6 - 8 cups of grapefruit juice a day equally approximately 720 calories. And adding 720 calories a day to your diet may not give you the result in weight-loss especially when most experts suggest eliminating 500 calories a day in order to lose a pound a week.

In the end, no magic-bullet, it's back to counting daily calories and eating nutritiously from all the proper food groups. But, adding more of the "fat-burning" foods listed below to your diet can't hurt, but only if you eat within your allotted daily calories.