Spaghetti Squash with Avocado Pesto

Tip: One cup cooked squash has 2 grams of fiber, loads of vitamins, and a more 40 calories.

Ingredients:

• 1 spaghetti squash (1½-2 lbs)
  
  


• ½ ripe avocado, pitted and diced
  
  


• ¼ cup Italian parsley or basil leaves
  
  


• 1 tbsp chopped chives
  
  


• 2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
  
  


• 1 tsp minced garlic
  
  


• ½ tsp salt
  
  


• ¼ tsp ground black pepper
  
  


• ⅔ cup hot water
  
  


• 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil or parsley
  
  

Preparation:

• Preheat oven to 375 F. Coat baking sheet lightly with olive oil cooking spray.
  
  


• Wash squash and cut in half lengthwise. Remove seeds. Pierce outside of each half a few times with fork. Place squash cut side down on baking sheet and bake about 45 minutes, or until very tender when tested with fork. Cool slightly.
  
  


• Place avocado, parsley, chives, Parmesan cheese, garlic, salt, pepper, and ¼ cup of the hot water in blender. Process until smooth, turning blender off and on occasionally and adding additional tbsp or two of hot water, if needed.
  
  


• Rake spaghetti-like threads of squash into serving bowl, using tines of fork. Discard skin. Drizzle pesto over squash and garnish with basil.
  
  

Make 6 Servings:

Weight Loss Recipes Amount per Serving: 60 Calories, 2 g Protein, 9 g carbohydrates, 3 g Fiber, 3 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 230 mg sodium

Guest Post on the blog: Life As I See It.

Hello!! I'm a guest blogger on Life As I See It today.  Be sure to go check it out as I answer the question, "What inspired you to start writing?"

Cornbread Stuffing with Sausage & Prunes

Ingredients:

• 8 cups toasted cornbread cubes
  
  


• 8 oz (about 2 links) lean turkey Italian sausage
  
  


• 1 tbsp olive oil
  
  


• 2 cups chopped onions
  
  


• ½ cup chopped celery
  
  


• ½ cup chopped carrot
  
  


• 1 tsp chopped garlic
  
  


• 1 cup coarsely chopped prunes
  
  


• 1 tsp dried thyme
  
  


• 1 tsp dried sage
  
  


• ½ tsp dried marjoram
  
  


• 2 cups fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth
  
  


• 3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
  
  


• 1 tsp salt
  
  


• ½ tsp ground black pepper
  
  


• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
  
  

Preparation:

• Preheat oven to 325 F. Place toasted bread cubes in large bowl and set aside.
  
  


• Cook sausage in small nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until brown and cooked through. Drain well, crumble, and set aside.
  
  


• Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Stir in onions, celery, and carrot, and cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add garlic and cook 1 minute longer, but don’t allow the garlic to brown. Stir in sausage, prunes, thyme, sage, marjoram, and ½ cup of the broth and bring to a boil.
  
  


• Reduce heat and simmer for 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Pour vegetables mixture over cornbread. Add parsley and stir well. Season with salt and pepper. (The stuffing may be prepared to this stage a day ahead and refrigerated, covered, in mixing bowl.)
  
  


• Transfer stuffing to baking dish coated with olive oil cooking spray. Combine eggs and remaining broth and pour over cornbread mixture, tossing well. Cover baking dish with foil. Bake stuffing 25 minutes. Remove foil. Turn over up to 375 F and bake about 10 minutes longer, or until top begins to brown.
  
  

Make 16 (½ cup) Servings:

Weight Loss Recipes Amount per Serving: 150 Calories, 7 g Protein, 22 g carbohydrates, 3 g Fiber, 4 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 65 mg cholesterol, 400 mg sodium

Girls' Room -Flame Thrower NEEDED

Just a little insight into my everyday life.

Vanilla Poached Pears

Ingredients:

• 1 cup water
  
  


• 1 cup unsweetened apple juice
  
  


• ¼ cup agave nectar or dark honey
  
  


• 2 tbsp orange juice
  
  


• 1 tsp vanilla extract
  
  


• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
  
  


• Pinch cloves
  
  


• 2 tbsp grated orange zest
  
  


• 4 firm, ripe pears
  
  


• 2 tbsp lemon juice
  
  


• Fresh mint leaves
  
  

Preparation:

• Combine water, apple juice, nectar, orange juice, vanilla extract, cinnamon, cloves, and 1 tbsp of the orange zest in a 3-quart saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil.
  
  


• Peel, halve, and core pears while poaching liquid is coming to a boil, and immediately coat them in lemon juice
  
  


• Reduce poaching liquid to a simmer. Add pears, cover, and simmer 2 minutes. Remove pears from heat and allow to cool in liquid. Remove from pan. Heat juice to reduce it by half. Strain liquid and pour over pears. Garnish with remaining orange zest and fresh mint. Enjoy hot or cold.
  
  

Make 6 Servings:

Weight Loss Recipes Amount per Serving: 110 Calories, 1 g Protein, 23 g carbohydrates, 2 g Fiber, < 1 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 0 mg sodium

Clean Up Your Life And Feel Better Fast

Have you already purged those out-of-date clothes from your closet? Turns out there are a few household items and everyday behaviors you may need to ditch as well. These smart strategies are guaranteed to help you sleep easier, sniffle less, and even lose a few pounds.

1. CLEAR OUT Expired Meds
   
        Before you reach for that econo-size bottle of ibuprofen, check the date on the label: Nearly two-thirds of people take expired drugs on occasion, finds a survey from Medicine Shoppe Pharmacies. “The danger with old medications is that they may not be effective,” says Deanna Gohil, the supervising pharmacist at the University of Rochester’s Strong Health Pharmacy. “With allergy medication, you may sneeze and wheeze unnecessarily; with blood pressure medication, you could put your heart at risk.”
   
        Go Through your medicine cabinet and discard any bottles or pills past their prime. “Instead of dumping them down the drain re flushing them, which can contaminate drinking water, put them in a sealable plastic bag and throw it in the trash,” says Gohil. After you’re through, stock up on a few staples you know you’ll use regularly, such as antibacterial cream. (It’s also a good time too replenish your sunscreen supply, as you need a new bottle every three years, or sooner if it smells funny, changes color, or separates.) You may want to get over-the-counter allergy meds and poison ivy treatment too if you spend time outdoors. “Opt for smaller packages of thing you use less frequently, such as cough syrup, so you’ll use them before they expire,” says Gohil. Because many medicines degrade much faster in hot, moist conditions, don’t store them in the bathroom medicine cabinet or kitchen (where about 80 percent of people keep theirs). You’re better off keeping them in a bedroom drawer.
   
   
   
   


2. CLEAR OUT Heavy-duty spray cleaners
   
        Those gleaming counters and floors may come at the expense of breathing easy if you use industrial-strength products. Researchers from the Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology in Spain found that people who scrubbed their homes with aerosol or spray cleaners at least once a week were nearly 50 percent more likely to develop asthma symptoms, like shortness of breath, than those who didn’t. “Breathing in the chemicals found in furniture and glass cleaners, along with air fresheners, can cause inflammation in the lungs,” says study author Jan-Paul Zock, Ph.D.
   
        To safeguard your airways, switch to non-spray liquid cleaner (this minimizes the amount of chemicals you inhale) or choose a spray that’s free of artificial substances, such as those from Method, Ecover, and Seventh Generation.
   
   
   
   


3. CLEAR OUT Last week’s leftovers
   
        When was the last time you saw the back of your fridge or picked through your pantry? Hanging on to those week- or several-months-old leftovers may raise your risk of becoming one of the 76 million people who suffer from food-borne illness every year. According to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research, subjects were up to three times more likely to drink a smoothie past its expiration date if they already owned it. People place extra value on things they possess, so they tend to downplay potential risks, explain the researchers.
   
        After you throw away expired products and leftovers that are more than three days old, make sure your refrigerator thermostat is set to 40 F. “Anything warmer increases the odds that any bacteria in food can reach harmful levels,” says Catherine Donnelly, Ph.D., a professor of food science at the University of Vermont.
   
        When it comes to the freezer or pantry, the concern is more about food quality than safety. Some foods--like steaks or chicken—are fine for up to a year, but most leftovers and frozen meals will start to get freezer burn after six months, which affects flavor and texture. Canned foods can last for years, but if you haven’t used them in a year, chances are you never will; donate your nonperishables to a food bank.
   
   
   
   


4. CLEAR OUT Cold-weather bedding
   
        When it’s chilly outside, there’s nothing cozier than snuggling beneath a thick blanket. But using the same sheets year-round can disrupt your snooze time, according to research from Cornell University Medical Center. “You start feeling sleepy when your body temperature drops,” says Patricia Murphy, M.D., the study’s author. “Raising may interrupt your natural circadian rhythms, making it harder to nod off.”
   
        For a better night’s slumber, trade in your flannel sheets and heavy comforter for cotton sheets and a lightweight duvet.
   
        Replacing flat pillows may also lead to sweeter dreams. Pillows lose elasticity over time, which means less support for your head—and potentially more tossing and turning. Synthetic ones last about two years, while feather versions, like those with goose down, need to be replaced every five. A good test: Fold your pillow in half. If it just lies there rather than springing back to the open position, toss it.
   
   
   
   


5. CLEAR OUT Those 3-pound dumbbells
   
        “If you’ve been working out with light weights for years, you may not reap the results you want,” says Jessica Matthews, a continuing education coordinator for the American Council on Exercise. “Varying your workouts will help build lean muscle mass, which boosts metabolism and calorie burn.”
   
        How can you tell if you’re lifting the right amount? You should start to feel fatigued by the last few reps of a set, or after about a minute, says Matthews. “If you think you can keep going for a while, it’s time to bump up the weight.” You may also want to consider picking up some resistance bands to take your workout up a notch: A recent study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that women who used these elastic bands along with dumbbells gained two to three times the body strength as those who only lifted weight.
   
   
   
   


6. CLEAR OUT Your heavy drapes
   
        “Certain window treatments, like thick curtains and venetian or Roman Blinds, are serious dust magnets,” says Martha White, M.D., director of research at the Institute for Asthma and Allergy in Wheaton, Maryland. Dust can trigger sniffling, sneezing, and watery eyes in up to 45 million allergy sufferers, she says. If you have seasonal or indoor allergies, trade in those drapes for washable curtains made of cotton or a lightweight synthetic blend and launder them once a month. Prefer blinds? Replace them with roller-type shades that you can wipe down regularly (monthly is best)
   
   

Shelf-life smarts

Some expiration dates aren’t clear-cut. Here’s when you need to replace a few common products.

• Smoke alarm batteries
  
  1 year, or sooner if they chirp
  
  One in five homes doesn’t have a working smoke alarm—mainly because the batteries are dead or missing. Set a specific date, like a birthday or the first of the year, to replace the batteries.
  
  
  
  


• Eye makeup
  
  6 months
  
  Mascara, eyeliner, and shadow contain preservatives that slow the growth of infection-causing bacteria, says Thomas Steinemann, M.D., a spokesman for the American Academy of Ophthalmology. “But micro-organisms can still grow in the container or tube over time.”
  
  
  
  


• Condoms
  
  3 to 5 years
  
  That’s the general rule for most condoms, but always check the expiration date printed on the foil wrapper to be absolutely certain, says David Johnson, group product manager for Trojan. Too-old condoms are more likely to break.
  
  
  
  


• Kitchen sponge
  
  1 month
  
  These scrubbers can breed bacteria. “A dirty sponge could spread more germs on your counters.” Says Robin Bechanko, a microbiologist for the public health organization NSF International. Between replacements, disinfect your sponge by microwaving it (make sure it’s sopping wet) for two minutes.
  
  
  
  


• Loofah
  
  2 months
  
  This skin smoother collects sloughed-off cells, which bacteria can feed on. Hang it up to dry after every use and toss it in the washing machine weekly.
  
  

Proactol: Weight Loss and the Perception of Hunger (Part 5)

In Germany, a group of researchers set out to examine the effects of NeOpuntia on both hunger and

body weight

. Researchers used a group of Caucasian subjects who were randomized into two groups. One group received a placebo, and the other group received NeOpuntia. Both groups were given a particular diet plan which consisted of 2500 calories per day.

It was discovered that after just three days, there was a statistically significant loss of weight in the NeOpuntia group. Additionally, the members of the NeOpuntia group reported feeling moderate to strong levels of satiety. The control group did not report these levels of satiety. This suggests that not only does NeOpuntia lead to weight loss, it also helps those using it feel full throughout the day.

Proactol has long joined the club of the

best rated weight loss programs

. Interestingly, popular meal delivery diets in the US, such as Diet To Go and eDiets, cannot match the natural, affordable and scientifically backed solution offered by Proactol. This plant-based pill provides dieters with a simple, safe, herbal remedy to obesity. The fat-binding properties of Opuntia ficus indica cactus offer a promising approach for fighting the obesity epidemic now plaguing the world, and few dieting alternatives can match its effectiveness and safety. Go to Proactol web page right now.