Crazy Stir Fry Combinations!!!

Vegetables... Meat... Seasoning... All these ingredients (PLUS MORE) can be found in stir-fry recipes which is why I adore them so much! (And why places such as Mongolian BBQ always get my service - ha ha). I won't lie to you though, I eat a limited diet so my combinations may not be as "crazy" as others who do not restrict foods (allergy issues - long story)... but I find my combos still pretty "top-notch" and delicious which is why I thought I could share a few combos with all of you!

1. Diced Chicken Breast or Turkey Breast, Chili Powder, Garlic, Olive Oil, Salt, Pepper, Bell Pepper Strips, Cilantro, Sliced Onions & Olives

2. Diced Chicken or Turkey Breast, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Olives, Capers, Green Beans, Sliced Onions, Garlic, Olive Oil, Salt & Pepper (Can be made with WHITE FISH of any type as well) 

3. Diced Chicken or Turkey Breast, Water Chestnuts, Diced Tomatoes (or Sun-Dried), Broccoli, Olive Oil, Basil, Garlic, Pepper & Salt

4. Salmon, Diced Cabbage, Straw Mushrooms, Spinach, Swiss Chard, Kale, Olive Oil, Red Pepper Flakes (a tiny bit), Onion Powder, Garlic, Salt & Pepper

5. Ground Elk, Diced Zucchini & Summer Squash, Sliced Onions, Olive Oil, Chopped Button Mushrooms, Garlic, Salt, Pepper & Red Pepper

6. Squid, Tomatoes, Red Wine, Olive Oil, Olives & Sliced Onions

7. Octopus, Paprika, Diced Olives, Red Wine, Olive Oil, Thyme, Basil, Lemon Juice, Salt & Pepper

8. Ground Bison, Diced Eggplant, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Oregano, Sliced Onions, Olive Oil, Garlic, Fennel Seeds, Salt & Pepper

9. Salmon, Fennel, Lemon, Celery, Green Bell Peppers, White Wine, Olive Oil, Salt & Pepper

10. Clams, White Wine, Clam Juice, Chopped Parsley, Diced Shallots, Garlic, Minced Anchovies, Olive Oil, Thyme, Salt & Pepper  

11. Ground Ostrich, Spaghetti Squash, Canned Tomato Sauce, Diced Onion, Green Bell Peppers, Salt, Pepper, Olive Oil, Oregano & Basil  

12. Ground Grass-fed Beef, Artichoke Hearts, Olives, Capers, Diced Zucchini, Sliced Onions, Olive Oil, Salt, Pepper, Thyme, Rosemary & Garlic 

13. Tuna, Green Beans, Sun-dried Tomatoes, Hard Boiled Eggs, Olive Oil, Garlic, Artichokes, Salt & Pepper

14. Sea Scallops, Diced Leeks, Olive Oil, Garlic, Clam/Seafood Broth, Shallots & Diced Cabbage

15. Ground Turkey Breast, Diced Cauliflower, Bell Peppers, Onions, Garlic, Dill, Chicken Broth, Olive Oil, Sage, Thyme, Salt & Pepper

16. Hard Boiled Eggs, Shallots, Asparagus, Olive Oil, Olives, Salt & Pepper 

17. Ground Grass Fed Lamb or Goat, Spinach, Olive Oil, Garlic, Ginger Root, Curry Powder, Tumeric or Curry Powder, Salt, Pepper & Cardamon 

**So for the moment that's all I could come up with off the top of my head... but if I come up with more crazy, yet healthy concoctions I will certainly keep you POSTED - PUN INTENDED! 

OH and if you have any you would love to share... please feel free to leave a comment with your ideas! 

(Pictures on post were not taken by me, FYI)

You Can't Hide From It, So Embrace It Safely!

I am sure all of you are extremely tired from the mundane/routine tasks you completed all week... I know I am. Weekends are a perfectly way to unwind from these 5 hectic days from hell. Seeing friends, sleeping, pampering yourself, all fall into that category. Another great way to completely unwind while obtaining some health benefits is by sun tanning.

I know exactly what you're thinking... "I thought sun-tanning was bad for us"... "Um excuse me, skin cancer!"... "When I go outside I use SPF 100 because I don't want to risk it"... "WRINKLES!"...

(One Big Ball of Concentrated Skin Cancer & Vitamin D! ha ha)

Yes, all of those things can result from sun-tanning... but that's why I am here to tell you how to tan safely and reap the benefits that come with basking in it!

First things first... if you want a golden tint... go outside for it! Never ever use a tanning bed! In tanning beds the only UV rays available are UVA rays which cause the most damage (while also giving you that bronzed glow... or red as a lobster look). Plus when you are laying in a tanning booth completely nude, the distance between the rays and your body is quite close - tanning beds are 2 to 3 times MORE POWERFUL than UVA rays from the sun... Thus more rays are absorbed into your body. What happens when these rays are soaked up? Well they do a number to your immune system (weaken it) which means you are more susceptible to getting skin cancer. Yikes!

When you're outside both UVA and UVB rays are present... which means the risk of getting skin cancer is there as well because two powerful rays are being absorbed into your body... No wonder there are so many sun block brands with high SPFs - getting skin cancer is rather easy!

So what can you do to make sure you are not part of the statistic (of those who get skin cancer per year)? This may come as a shock to you but for the first ten minutes of being outside, wear no sun screen at all... This way you obtain an ample amount of Vitamin D which is one of the vitamins most every American is deficient in. Vitamin D is a "wonder drug" and new findings keep supplying more information in it's favor.

After those health boosting ten minutes though, slather on some SPF 35 and reapply it every 2 hours!! This is hard to remember because some either fall asleep outside or get too involved in the Frisbee game... that's why perhaps you should turn on the timer on your cell phone - anything to get you to remember to reapply that sun screen!

Now I won't lie to you - I am pretty bad at putting sun screen on myself... but I have definitely paid for it and will try my best this summer to keep up a healthy sun screen routine!

Who's with me?

PS: HAPPY WEEKEND!!!

The Queen of Talk is Dethroned!!!

BREAKING NEWS! 

OPRAH WINFREY is no longer the most "powerful" celebrity on the planet!!!!!! How in the world can this be! She has TV shows, a production company, magazines, clothing lines, home wear lines, EVERYTHING and it's Oprah for heavens sake! Who in the world has replaced her!

Hm... Well I can list a couple of celebrities who have made lots of movies and demanded high pay checks at the end of each... there's Ben Stiller, Denzel Washington, Morgan Freedman, Jack Nicholson, Brad Pitt, Reese Witherspoon, Julia Roberts... but none of those listed surpassed her! So who did... ANGELINA JOLIE!

I guess we all shouldn't be too shocked; after all the world seems to be completely infatuated with her. From her long flawless features, HUGE lips, six children, humanitarian efforts around the globe... and not to mention her arm candy, Brad Pitt, Jolie is constantly featured in all the tabloids! Since the world believe Jolie is a goddess, she can demand the HIGHEST pay check and get away with it. (I wonder if Pitt is proud of her or jealous, although he didn't do too shabby in the ranking either: #9)

According to Forbes Magazine, in the past twelve months Jolie has made $27 million from movies such as Kung-Fu Panda, Wanted and Salt (a movie she is currently working on). What also helped her claim the top spot was all the publicity she got during and after her pregnancy with her twins Vivian and Knox (I hope she thanks them in the future). 

So do we think Oprah will fight her way back to the top next year? Lets hope so because I am already starting to feel out of sorts! 

Rounding Out The Top 10

#2: Oprah Winfrey 

#3: Madonna (Ugh, not a fan!)

#4: Beyonce Knowles (I wonder how Jay-Z feels!)

#5: Tiger Woods (Hole in One!)

#6: Bruce Springsteen

#7: Steven Spielberg (You must cast me in your next movie)

#8: Jennifer Aniston (Ha, she beat Brad - I bet she will celebrate!)

#9: Brad Pitt (Yes, you know you're hot)

#10: Kobe Bryant

#11: Will Smith (Well deserved!)

#12: Dr. Phil McGraw (All thanks to Oprah!)

#13: Britney Spears (Glad to see she's back in action)

#14: David Letterman (Jay Leno isn't lower on the list, I bet you're stoked!)

#15: Coldplay

#16: Adam Sandler (You deserve this because you always make me laugh)

#17: Harrison Ford (Indiana Jones does it again!)

#18: Michael Jordan (This man is just amazing)

#19: LeBron James

#20: Tom Cruise (This is not shocking)

PS: Don't believe everything you read... these figures could be before taxes, etc.... for all we know Orpah could still be on top! 

Food of the Day: EGGS

The Amazing Incredible Edible Egg! Why not start off the week with a wonderful high protein food that will keep anyone full for up to 4 hours (depending on how many you eat - many studies have proven this theory correct!). 

Those tiny little orbs you see in the grocery store diary aisle are quite amazing!! 

First of all, I am not quite sure why everyone places them in the "dairy" family because they are made from a chicken and contain no dairy ingredients what-so-ever (so if you're lactose-intolerant, by all means, ENJOY)... Secondly, THEY WILL NOT RAISE YOUR CHOLESTEROL! So for all your cholesterol-phobs out there, get your facts straight! High cholesterol foods do not impact your cholesterol levels... Saturated and Trans Fatty Acids found in that burger, french fries, muffin, bread, cookie that you are nibbling on as you read this are what cause your cholesterol levels to SKY ROCKET! But enough about those "junk foods" - today's post is about EGGS so that's what will be discussed! 

So what came first, the chicken or the egg? Well personally I think the egg, but that is a mystery that may be never solved. What I do know though is that eggs are a very versatile food that have numerous health benefits! 

I must first mention that ONE WHOLE EGG (whether BROWN or WHITE/ ORGANIC or NOT) has 68 to 70 calories, and roughly 4 grams of fat. One egg also has almost 6 grams of high quality protein which all of our bodies need to thrive! 

There are two parts to eggs that I am sure you all know quite well: the white & the yolk... Both sections contain the protein (the white a bit more) but what the white lacks, the yolk makes up for! The yolk is where all the incredible health benefits lie which is why it's such a pity when people toss the yolk and only eat the white. What exactly does the yolk contain?

WELL SINCE YOU ASKED... 

1. Choline - Builds Strong Cells in the Body, Improves the Chemical Events that take Place in the Body, Helps Carry Nerve Messages to Respected Locations, Reduces Body Inflammation

2. B Vitamins - Builds all around Good Cardiovascular Health, Promotes Energy, Promotes Brain & Nerves System Function

3. Fibrin (One of many Special Proteins in Eggs) - Prevents Blood Clots 

4. Lutein & Zeaxanthin - Contributes to Eye Health, Reduce Cholesterol Levels 

5. Tryptophan - Regulates Appetite, Aids in Good Sleep, Promotes Good Moods 

6. Selenium - Helps Prevent Oxidative Stress (which causes heart disease), Supports Thyroid Health, Preventative to Cancer, Reduces Inflammation  

7. Iodine - Regulates Thyroid Hormones 

8. Vitamin D - Maintains Cell Growth & Structure, Maintains Proper Calcium & Phosphorus Levels in Blood, Reduces Inflammation, Promotes Healthy Immune Function, Prevents Chronic Disease & Cancer, Promotes Strong Bones & Joints

So there you have it! That is only a few of the AMAZING benefits of consuming eggs! So don't hold yourself back! Get to your nearest grocery store: STAT: and purchase some free-ranged organic eggs enriched with omega-3 fatty acids (the fat found in fish which has been noted as being vital for everyone's health)... Your body will thank you buy having BOUNDS of energy so you can take on the day! See you next week with another awesome food... but for now:ENJOY!

PS: All this wonderful information was given to me by The Worlds Healthiest Food Website

So since it will be June 1 tomorrow, I thought perhaps I should "overhaul" this blog to make it more uniform and perhaps make me more motivated to keep writing!! I think I will have specific days where I write about certain things... Not every day though but I think 4 times a week!

MONDAY: All About Food 

WEDNESDAY: Celebrity News 

FRIDAY: Dining Out/Travel/Weekend Activities 

SATURDAY: Miscellaneous

Hm so now the question is, what do I write about each of these days... well celebrity news definitely has to be a day... So perhaps that should be... Wednesday! Basically I will report/write about whatever is going on in the celebrity world of news over the course of the previous week. 

I think Friday should be dedicated to dining out/traveling for the weekend/weekend activities that are both healthy & fun... Basically just try and get everyone excited about the 2 day break that's about to come.

There must be a day dedicated to food, since I am obsessed with it, so I am thinking Monday is a good day for those posts because well, everyone wants some ideas on what to cook for the week... I will feature healthy food super stars on Mondays along with recipes and some new breaking health studies that are being discussed. 

And that leaves Saturday... Good Old Saturday - A day to recuperate from the past week... What do people want to read on those days... Probably nothing but I have to do something! How about Saturday is miscellaneous day because after all, how many of you actually know what you yourself will be doing on Saturday! Exactly! 

So THERE you have it... My weekly plan! Stay tuned for Tomorrows POST - All about food!!!

HAMACHI KAMA Review

(Sashimi Platter)

DROOLING YET?

Oh how I adore Japanese Food! I eat it weekly and could certainly eat it daily if my wallet and bank account permitted me! But no no. I must restrain myself... Weekly is enough! Whenever I go, I order so much it's crazy, and I am known for eating such large quantities. I don't order rolls because I don't eat rice, but I do order the exotic menu items like eel sashimi, escolar sashimi, uni, etc...

(Eel Sashimi)

One menu item that I order every single time I go out to sushi (and buy at Whole Foods too when they have it) is Hamachi Kama!

(Oh the most delicious food: hamachi kama)

What is Hamachi Kama exactly? Well it's the neck of Hamachi or Young Yellow tail Tuna. It is the most fatty and delicious part of the fish. When prepared it's grill to perfection and served piping hot with soy sauce & some shaved cabbage and or diakon (depending on restaurants). They range in size from small to large and boast roughly 4 to 6 ounces of meat!! For once ounce of yellow tail tuna... you get 31 CALORIES!!!! 31! That's NOTHING! Which is why I... uh... order 2 or 3 of them depending on how hungry I am and what other things are on the menu! Wait, why did I sound embarrassed... I CERTAINLY AM NOT!! The smooth and buttery taste is sensational and the omega-3 fatty acids are abundant! Oh and get this... all that hype about Vitamin D being absolutely amazing for your health... well hamachi Kama (and hamachi in general along with other fatty fish) have LOADS OF IT packed RIGHT IN!

(Hamachi Sashimi)

SO.... what are you going to do the next time you go out to sushi? That's right, order hamachi Kama... and if they don't have it on the menu ask their server if the sushi chef has any whole hamachi in the back that he can cut and grill! The chef will be impressed with your fish knowledge and your taste buds will be impressed with how delicious this piece of fish really is!! ENJOY!

(yummy yummy - a food you don't have to be afraid to eat with your HANDS!)

*Salmon Collars are also avaliable but not nearly as scrumptious! (oh but still very yummy!)

*Next up in the sushi review: Escolar

(Escolar Sashimi)

White Tea

Ever since my surgery I have been a bit hesitant about drinking coffee... I haven't really had a craving for it... and if anything the thought of it has made me slightly nauseous... But I need caffeine in the morning or else I am as functional as a remote control without batteries! So what else could I add to my life other than coffee to pep me up? I decide White Tea would be perfect... I used to drink it in the past and thought it to be very light and nurishing yet gave me the caffeine I needed to tackle the day. Granted both Black and Green Tea do the same thing, but there is something about White Tea that I like just a bit more than it's relatives (and when I say relatives, I mean it because they all come from the same plant). So of course, since I have been drinking this brew daily now... I had to look into it's health benefits... and here is what I found:

WHITE TEA:

- Caffeine: roughly 15 mg per one tea bag steeped for 3 to 5 minutes & then removed (about 25 to 30 mg if tea bag is left in)

- Prevents body from storing fat

- Boosts mental strength

- Natural appetite suppressant

- Contains lots of antioxidants

- Does not stain teeth & aids in dental health

- Carries anti-aging properties

- Contains EGCG

- Reduces skin cancer risk

- Reduces heart disease risk

- Reduces stroke risk

- Reduces diabetes risk

- Detoxes Harmful substances from the body

http://www.whiteteacentral.com/ --> Where info is from

Personally my favorite WHITE TEA is anything from Celestial Seasonings!!!

So doesn't all this information make you want to drink WHITE TEA on a daily basis!? Even if you drink black or green tea you will still get the same health benefiting properties!!!