Found this on HER Magazine website. I have to try this - yum!

It's the quick and easy boredom-busting veggie. With only 14 calories per 3.5 ounces, summer squash's entirely edible flesh, skin and seeds offer ease and an impressive array of presentation choices, plus bountiful potassium, carotenes and vitamin C. Go ahead - choose a shiny, firm-skinned zucchini, pattypan, crookneck or marrow squash to boost dinner today with the recipe at right.

Easy Grilled Summer Squash (Serves 4)
3 Tbsp. olive oil 3 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar2 medium zucchini, cut in thirds lengthwise (about 1⁄2-inch-thick slices)2 medium crookneck squash, cut in thirds lengthwise (about 1⁄2-inch-thick slices)1. Whisk oil into vinegar. 2. Brush squash slices with vinaigrette about half an hour before grilling. 3. Heat grill to medium-high.4. Brush remaining marinade on slices and then grill until tender, about four minutes per side.

NUTRITION FACTS (per serving):
134 calories, 2 g protein, 9 g carbs, 11 g fat, 3 g fiber, 5 g sugar, 8 mg sodium

My Inspiration

She wrote the book on Eating Clean and didn't start eating clean and working out until she was 41. She will be 50 this month and I just think she rocks! What an inspiration she is for millions of women like me.

I can't thank her enough.

What is Eating Clean?

I just can't say enough about how much sense eating clean makes. I wish i could following this 100%. I just can't talk enough about it because it makes so much sense

Eating Clean is treating your body right.

It is eating the way nature intended. You eat the foods our bodies evolved to function best on, and that makes you feel – and look – fantastic. When you Eat Clean you eat more often. You will eat lean protein, complex carbs, and healthy fats. These practices keep your blood-sugar levels stable and keep you satisfied. The best part is that if you need to lose weight it will happen almost without you having to try. And yes, you can have a treat now and again.
Best of all, Eating Clean keeps you feeling great and full of energy. In fact, you can forget all about the days when “dieting” meant feelings of hunger, lethargy or deprivation.

Eating Clean is not a fad; it’s a way of life. When you Eat Clean your body will react by losing weight if you need to lose, maintaining a healthy weight if that’s where you are, and even gaining weight if you are too skinny. But regardless of whether you want to lose, maintain or gain, you will feel better than you ever have before.

Never worry about counting calories again. You will never have to diet. Eating Clean will keep you lean and healthy for the rest of your long life.

Eating Clean guarantees results!

Another favorite from the show "Cook Yourself Thin" on Lifetime. This makes my mouth water!

Stuffed French Toast Sundaes

Serves 2 (2 cups per person)

Calories per serving: 353

1 whole egg

1 egg white

2 tablespoons skim milk

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon honey

4 slices whole-wheat bread, crusts removed

1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese

1/2 cup raspberries1/2 cup blackberries

2 tablespoons pure maple syrup

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. In a bowl, whisk together the egg, egg white, milk, cinnamon and honey. Spray a nonstick muffin pan with calorie-free vegetable spray. Carefully dip each slice of the bread into the egg/milk mixture and press it into the muffin pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 12 minutes, until crisp.

3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together the ricotta cheese until smooth. Spoon equal amounts of the ricotta mixture into each of the bread cups and top with berries. Drizzle the maple syrup on top.

Cook Yourself Thin

I started watching "Cook Yourself Thin" on Lifetime and really enjoyed it. Here is one of my favorite receipes from the show. I can't wait to try them out.

Portobello Mushroom Tuna Melt

Serves 2

Calories per serving: 539

4 Portobello mushrooms, stemmed, gills removed

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 5-ounce can albacore tuna packed in water, drained

1 celery stalk, finely chopped

1/2 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Salt and pepper

4 thin slices Swiss cheese

4 slices

1/2 cup mixed baby greens

1. Preheat the broiler. Brush the mushrooms with 1 tablespoon oil. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet and broil, turning once until softened and cooked through, about 10 minutes.

2. While the mushrooms are cooking, in a bowl, combine tuna, celery, parsley, lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and remaining tablespoon oil.

3. Remove the mushrooms from the oven. Divide tuna mixture among mushrooms, and spread evenly in caps. Top each with a slice of cheese, and broil until cheese melts, about 2 minutes. Top each mushroom with a tomato slice and 2 tablespoons greens, and serve immediately

A LITTLE FAT GOES A LONG WAY

Another article from HER magazine

But fat also performs many important functions in the body, and many people completely ignore their body's requirement for health fats as they strive to eat a "fat-free" diet. You're wise to aim for 20%-25% of total calories from fat; you don't need to cut your fat intake any lower than that.
Carbohydrates and proteins contain approximately 4 calories per gram, while fat contains 9. Therefore, cutting down on fat may help lower total calorie consumption, which can result in weight loss but only if you don't increase portion sizes and number of servings. Be aware, however, that some reduced-fat or fat-free foods contain as many calories per serving as the higher-fat versions, so be sure to read labels.Why eat fat?Our bodies manufacture some fats and we also take in fats from the foods we eat. Fat enhances the flavor and texture of food, so meals with little or no fat don't provide the same satiety, or feeling of fullness. As a result, many people have given up on low-fat eating habits in exchange for higher-fat foods, which taste better. Bottom line: You should eat a flavorful, low-fat diet that's beneficial to your health.
What are the different types of fats?When we consume fat, our bodies break it down to its smaller components, known as fatty acids. Depending on their chemical structure, these are called saturated, polyunsaturated or monounsaturated.

Saturated fats, the most common types of fat consumed in a typical diet, are found in animal foods such as meat, poultry and eggs, full-fat dairy products and tropical oils. Saturated fat is the type of fat most likely to travel through our arteries, depositing plaque and cholesterol, and raising low-density lipoprotein (LDL, or "bad") cholesterol. High intakes of saturated fats are linked to heart disease and some cancers, so experts recommend that your daily intake be less than 10% of your total daily calories.

Polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs) are found in foods like vegetable oils (safflower, sunflower and corn) and fatty fish. Although PUFAs provide linolenic and linoleic acid, both essential fatty acids that are necessary for health and can't be made by the body, the recommended intake is less than 10% of total calories. Part of the omega-3 and omega-6 families, respectively, linolenic and linoleic acid serve as precursors to other crucial PUFAs such as arachidonic acid, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). While the latter two are found in fatty fish like salmon, mackerel and herring, the body can manufacture DHA and EPA from linolenic acid, but only if linolenic acid levels aren't low. Some research suggests that omega-3 PUFAs may help prevent heart disease because they lower triglycerides and reduce blood clotting. They may also lower blood pressure and prevent irregular heartbeat.
Monounsaturated fats (MUFAs), found in foods such as vegetable oils (olive, peanut and canola), are the primary oil consumed in the heart-healthyMediterranean diet. The recommended intake of MUFAs is 10% of total calories.

Decreasing your saturated fat intake and keeping your overall fat intake in perspective are equally important. Your diet shouldn't consist of too little or too much fat. Also keep in mind that foods lower in fat may not necessarily be lower in calories. In addition, caloric intake and physical activity have been overlooked in all the excitement regarding new fat-free and reduced-fat foods. Make a habit of reading labels to determine if a food has too much fat. Generally, a food should provide less than 3 grams of fat (27 fat calories) for every 100 calories it contains.

POST-TRAINING STRESS

I found these article today - pretty interesting - thought i would share :-)

Find out if there any foods you should avoid eating after working out?
By Chris Aceto
April 4, 2009

MuscleAndFitnessHers.com

The immediate aftereffects of a hardcore training session cause the body to act like a sponge, absorbing far more carbohydrates and amino acids from protein than at any other time of day. Muscles burn through glycogen, their stored collection of carbohydrates, during the workout and literally crave them in the post-training phase. That's why you can get away with eating plenty of fast-digesting carbs with little worry about adding bodyfat at this time. Likewise, you need plenty of protein to rebuild the recently traumatized muscle tissue.

That leaves dietary fat the one nutrient to avoid soon after training. Fat slows digestion, and after a workout, you want the opposite - rapid digestion - to immediately start the recovery and repair processes and spur the release of hormones that facilitate growth. So until at least 90 minutes after training, avoid proteins with high-fat content such as beef, whole eggs, dairy products and salmon. Your best bet is liquid protein like whey, casein, soy and/or egg protein shakes. Avoid fiber in the 90-minute window after working out because it slows digestion as well; save the veggies, oatmeal and whole-grain breads for other meals.

To order Chris Aceto's training and nutrition books Championship Bodybuilding and Everything You Need to Know About Fat Loss, visit nutramedia.com