Ingredients 

• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2-3 bell peppers, chopped
• 2 large carrots, shredded
• 2 cups mushrooms, chopped
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 6 boneless, skinless cooked chicken breast, shredded
• 4-8 cups chicken broth
• Seasonings to taste: salt, pepper, anise seed, fennel seed, dried oregano, and dried basil

Instructions 

1. In a large saucepan, heat olive oil and add garlic until fragrant.
2. Add onion and season with salt. Heat the onions for about ten minutes , stirring constantly.
3. Add the bell pepper and heat until tender.
4. Add the shredded carrots and mushrooms and cook for five minutes.
5. Add chicken broth, tomatoes, chicken, and seasoning to the pot and simmer for 30 minutes until the flavors blend.

This recipe will make about 6-7 servings totaling around 150 calories per serving. 150 calories may sound like nothing for a meal but trust me this soup fills you up. I like to have it for lunch as it keeps me full for hours after I eat it for a fraction of the calories.

Breakfast
Veggie omelet: Whisk together one egg and three egg whites with 2 tablespoons each of sliced peppers, onions, mushrooms, and tomatoes. Pour mixture into a skillet over medium heat. Cook for about five minutes turning after three minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and a little hot sauce.

Lunch
Chicken and broccoli: Combine steamed broccoli with a grilled chicken breast and top with a low sugar condiment such as soy sauce, hot sauce, or rice vinegar.

Dinner
Grilled chicken salad: Top 2 cups of salad greens with chopped tomatoes, a slice pepper, mushrooms, and a sliced grilled chicken breast. Dress the salad with your favorite fat free balsamic vinaigrette.

Snacks:
Baby carrots dipped in a mix of nonfat plain yogurt, chopped garlic, and a multi spice seasoning.
1 serving nonfat plain Greek yogurt topped with 1 cup fresh or frozen berries.

Looking for similar meal plan ideas? We’ve released a meal plan app for 17 Day Diet onto iTunes for you iPhone or iPad. Each week we send out hand-picked meal plans that are balanced and fit the guidelines of the diet. This diet is healthy in general and recommended to anyone wanting to lose some weight.

The last great benefit of Greek yogurt is its versatility. Read on to find out all the ways to use it.

1. The obvious-eat it
2. Substitute  it for sour cream. Making a taco salad, use nonfat, plain Greek yogurt mixed with salsa for a dressing.
3. Recipe call for buttermilk? Use Greek yogurt instead just add a little water to thin it out.
4. Use it as a marinade like this recipe here
5. Use it instead of oil when baking. Next time you make banana bread skip the oil and use the yogurt.
6. Replace the fattening mayonnaise. Try this lighter version of a chicken salad sandwich.

Detoxification
Drinking lemon juice in the morning detoxifies your liver and cleanses the kidneys by helping the body remove unwanted toxins.

Digestion
Lemons improve digestion by keeping bacteria away. You can add freshly squeezed lemon juice to food or drink a glass of lemon water after each meal to stimulate the creation of stomach acid. They are also proven to give your regular bowel movements.

Balancing pH
You might think acidic when talking about lemons, but that is just the taste. Lemons are actually one of the most alkaline foods and restore pH balance in the body which fight off cancer and other illness.

Fight the Flu
And the cold. Packed with vitamin C and flavonoids that work against infections.

Reduce Inflammation 
Lemons are believed to have pain-relieving qualities. Their smell helps to open up blood vessels which produce anti-inflammatory effects.

Hangover Blaster
Gatorade has nothing on lemons. Packed with more electrolytes, lemons are the prefect cure when you had a little too much to drink the night before.

Photo courtsey of http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-4769/Why-You-Should-Drink-Warm-Water-Lemon.html

* Fruit is measured as 1 medium piece of fruit or 1 cup fruit.

For more information on the 17 Day Diet, get the book written by Dr. Moreno!

For guidance while on the 17 Day Diet including personal support (we’ll answer your questions directly) see our app available on iPhone, Android phones and Kindle:

]]> http://www.womensdietnetwork.com/17-day-diet-allowed-fruits/feed/ 0 http://www.womensdietnetwork.com/water/ http://www.womensdietnetwork.com/water/#comments Tue, 06 Aug 2013 15:27:50 +0000 Kasey http://www.womensdietnetwork.com/?p=1938 Health Benefits of Drinking Water: Healthier  Skin-Forget about  expensive creams or beauty treatments. Drinking water is the free way to hydrate your skin, prevent acne, and prevent wrinkles.  Remove Toxins-Water flushes toxins from your body especially from your digestive tract. The kidney system is dependent on water to do its work. Water also helps get rid of excess nitrogen and ketones which is important when following a high protein diet. Cushions and Supports [...]

Read more

]]> Want to improve your skin, health, and aid your weight loss efforts? Drink more water. This tried and true method gets over looked too often. The popular 17 Day Diet suggests you drink at least 8 eight cups daily and during the jumpstart phase of the Flat Belly Diet, 8 cups of “sassy water” are mandatory. But can this tasteless liquid really live up to all its claims read on to find out…

Health Benefits of Drinking Water:

1. Healthier  Skin-Forget about  expensive creams or beauty treatments. Drinking water is the free way to hydrate your skin, prevent acne, and prevent wrinkles. 
2. Remove Toxins-Water flushes toxins from your body especially from your digestive tract. The kidney system is dependent on water to do its work. Water also helps get rid of excess nitrogen and ketones which is important when following a high protein diet.
3. Cushions and Supports Joints & Muscles-Water makes up a large part of the fluid that lubricates joints and also a lack of water is a known cause of muscle cramps.
4. Regulates Body Temperature-Drinking water regulates the bodies temperature which is important during exercise and these warm summer days.
5. Reduces Risk of Heart Attack- A study of 20,000 healthy men and women found that those who drank up to 8 glasses of water were less likely to die of heart attack or heart disease than those who only drank two cups daily.

Weight Loss Benefits:

1. Energy Shot-Dehydration causes fatigue and headaches staying hydrated all day is your best hope to avoid these symptoms.
2. Keeps You Full-Sometimes it is difficult to tell the difference between hunger and thirst. Drinking 8-16 ounces of water 15-30 minutes before meals will help you know the difference and perhaps cause you to leave a few bites on your plate. 
3. Burns Fat- Water aids digestion and metabolism for these functions to work properly you must replace the water you lose daily which can be up to 10 cups. 
4. Builds Muscle-Dehydration decreases protein synthesis which is the process that builds muscles costing you energy and causing your body to store calories instead of burn them.

Is water too boring for your palate? Try these 40 Spa Waters that are sure to add a little variety to your life.

What is your favorite thirst quencher?

• Water
• Fruit Juice
• Diet Soda
• Soda
• Hot tea or Iced tea
• Hot Coffee or Iced coffee
• Energy drink
• Other

]]> http://www.womensdietnetwork.com/water/feed/ 0 http://www.womensdietnetwork.com/healthy-lean-vegan/ http://www.womensdietnetwork.com/healthy-lean-vegan/#comments Sun, 04 Aug 2013 05:17:41 +0000 Kasey http://www.womensdietnetwork.com/?p=1920 Read more

Benefits of Kale

1. Low calorie, high in fiber, and has 0 fat. 1 cup only has 36 calories! 
2. High in iron: not sure what Popeye was thinking eating spinach.
3. Packed with antioxidants
4. Anti-inflammatory: 1 cup has 10% the RDA of omega-3 acids
5. High in vitamin A which is great for your skin, vision, and mouth health.

Not only are these chips a friend to your waistline and packed with nutritional benefits, they are a cinch to make. It takes about 25 minutes to whip up a batch and they will hold for 3-5 days in an airtight container. But trust me they wont last you the day. Think of them as the perfect diet snack. If you are on the 17 Day Diet, these chips will get you through cycle one.

STEP 1: You want to remove the leafs from the stems before you begin. To do so hold the bottom end of the kale with one hand and take your other and slide it along the stem pulling the leafs up with you. Now tear the kale into bite-sized pieces, wash, and dry throughly. I filled the sink with water, rinsed the kale, and dried it using a Salad Spinner. You want to dry completely to avoid steaming the kale when you put it in the oven.

STEP 2: Place dried kale in a bowl and toss with 1-2 teaspoons olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon sea salt. Toss until the kale is well coated and the leafs are shiny.

STEP 3: Lay kale flat on a baking sheet but make sure it isn’t overlapping. If the kale overlaps too much, you will just steam it and it will not get that crispy texture.

STEP 4: Optional: Sprinkle kale with grated parmesan cheese. Sprinkling it over the kale works best. If you toss it in the bowl, all the cheese ends up on the side of the bowl and not on the kale or in your mouth.

STEP 5: Place in a preheated 350 degree oven for 10-13 minutes. After 10 minutes, keep an eye on it. You don’t want the kale to burn.

STEP 6: Remove from oven and enjoy!

As you see they shrink up a great deal. I used a large head of kale and it took me about 3 batches in the oven to use all the kale. You can also place a couple different baking sheets in the oven at once and you don’t have to worry about rotating them.

Tip of the day: make sure you have floss handy. The crispy kale can easily get stuck in your teeth.

The moves for this challenge are basic abs moves. If you have questions on performing them correctly, follow the links listed below.

PLANKS
CRUNCHES
BICYCLE CRUNCHES

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I love this clean eating recipe because you can adapt it to fit any eating style. There are variations for Gluten-Free , Paleo, and Vegan diets.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour (oat flour, almond, or coconut flour)
• 1/4 tsp. each baking powder and salt
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 3 tablespoons Coconut Oil (melted)
• 1/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 1 tsp. pure Vanilla Extract
• optional: 1/4 cup mini chips or vegan chocolate chips

Instructions

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1. Preheat oven to 330F.
2. Add all of the dry ingredients to a medium bowl and mix well.
3. In a small bowl combine the Coconut Oil, vanilla extract, and applesauce.
4. Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients and stir lightly.
5. Pour in the almond milk and stir well.
6. Pour batter evenly into a greased 8x4in. Loaf Pan (for a 13x9in. pan try doubling the recipe).
7. Bake for about 20 minutes. (They’re ready when a toothpick or fork stuck into the middle comes out mostly clean.)
8. Enjoy!