10) Oatmeal
Start your day with a steaming bowl of oats, which are full of omega-3 fatty acids, folate, and potassium. This fiber-rich superfood can lower levels of LDL (or bad) cholesterol and help keep arteries clear.

Opt for coarse or steel-cut oats over instant varieties—which contain more fiber—and top your bowl off with a banana for another 4 grams of fiber.

9) Salmon
Super-rich in omega-3 fatty acids, salmon can effectively reduce blood pressure and keep clotting at bay. Aim for two servings per week, which may reduce your risk of dying of a heart attack by up to one-third.

Not a fan of salmon? Other oily fish like mackerel, tuna, herring, and sardines will give your heart the same boost.

8) Avocado
Add a bit of avocado to a sandwich or spinach salad to up the amount of heart-healthy fats in your diet. Packed with monounsaturated fat, avocados can help lower LDL levels while raising the amount of HDL cholesterol in your body.

7) Olive oil
Full of monounsaturated fats, olive oil lowers bad LDL cholesterol and reduces your risk of developing heart disease.

6) Nuts

Walnuts are full of omega-3 fatty acids and, along with almonds and macadamia nuts, are loaded with mono- and polyunsaturated fat. Plus, nuts increase fiber in the diet, says Dr. Sinatra. "And like olive oil, they are a great source of healthy fat."

5) Berries
Blueberries, raspberries, strawberries—whatever berry you like best—are full of anti-inflammatories, which reduce your risk of heart disease and cancer.

"Blackberries and blueberries are especially great," says Sinatra. "But all berries are great for your vascular health."

4) Legumes
Fill up on fiber with lentils, chickpeas, and black and kidney beans. They're packed with omega-3 fatty acids, calcium, and soluble fiber.

3) Spinach
Spinach can help keep your ticker in top shape thanks to its stores of lutein, folate, potassium, and fiber.

But upping your servings of any veggies is sure to give your heart a boost.  The Physicians' Health Study examined more than 15,000 men without heart disease for a period of 12 years. Those who ate at least two-and-a-half servings of vegetables each day cut their risk of heart disease by about 25%, compared with those who didn't eat the veggies. Each additional serving reduced risk by another 17%.



2) Flaxseed
Full of fiber and omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, a little sprinkling of flaxseed can go a long way for your heart. Top a bowl of oatmeal or whole-grain cereal with a smidgen of ground flaxseed for the ultimate heart-healthy breakfast.

1) Soy



Soy may lower cholesterol, and since it is low in saturated fat, it's still a great source of lean protein in a heart-healthy diet.

Look for natural sources of soy, like edamame, tempeh, or organic silken tofu. And soy milk is a great addition to a bowl of oatmeal or whole-grain cereal. But watch the amount of salt in your soy: some processed varieties like soy dogs can contain added sodium, which boosts blood pressure.

Reference from http://www.health.com/health

The long, hot days of summer aren’t much encouragement for cooking in the kitchen over a hot stove. Instead, why not take advantage of the bounty of local seasonal fruits and veggies and cool yourself down with a fresh salad?

Quick and simple to make, salads with the right ingredients also bring you some serious health benefits.

Produce Pointers: Start with Healthy Ingredients
When making these salads, be sure to use organic, locally-grown produce from farmers’ markets and health food stores. Fresh, local produce contains more nutrients and is picked when naturally ripe. Commercial produce, on the other hand, is picked unripe and treated with ethylene gas to ripen artificially late. Then it is shipped on a week-long, sometimes even month-long, cross-country trip before it is served on your dining table—how’s that for fuel efficiency?




While the waste of gas is bad enough, studies regularly emerge about the hazardous effects of pesticides and herbicides used on commercial crops: cancer risk, inflammation, reproductive imbalance, among other dangers. So eat food grown close to home: it’s better for your health, better for the environment, and has an unbeatable taste!

6 Summer Salads

Nature has the perfect plan in providing the right foods for the season and summer foods tend to be on the cooling side, helping prevent overheating. One item to note: Eating raw food all the time requires more energy for digestion and tends to put out the digestive fire, so don't forgo the stove altogether. As you will see below, many of these salads require some cooking, as well.

1. Classic Beet Salad
Steam beets and slice into a salad of mixed greens, sliced avocado, and a handful of pine nuts and walnuts. If you want to bulk up the salad, add crumbled soft tofu or shredded chicken.

What is this salad doing for you?
This is an all-in-one anti-aging salad. Beets contain powerful nutrients that help protect against heart disease, birth defects and cancer, especially colon cancer. The avocado and pine nuts are healthy fats and walnuts have omega-3 fatty acids, which bring heart health benefits.

2. Cooling Cucumber Salad
Thinly slice cucumbers, removing the peel if you prefer, and toss with red onions. Let this sit for 30 minutes, then top with apple cider vinegar mixed with Dijon mustard.

What is this salad doing for you?
Cucumbers are a cooling food and also a natural diuretic, helping to hydrate you and lower the pressure in your arteries. The vinegar has antiseptic and antibiotic properties and may also help to reverse hardening of the arteries, as well as dissolve gall stones and kidney stones.

3. Tomato Basil Salad
Cook whole cherry or grape tomatoes in olive oil over medium-high heat until they are lightly browned. Cool, and then toss with fresh basil. For dressing, combine olive oil, vinegar, and a pinch of fresh oregano.

What is this salad doing for you?
Cooking partially breaks down your food, making the nutrients accessible to your body's systems; for example, lycopene, an essential carotenoid antioxidant that has been found to reduce the risks of heart disease, macular degeneration, as well as prostate and other cancers, is more available in cooked tomatoes than uncooked. Basil is filled with luteolin, a bioflavonoid that studies have shown to be the best protection of cell DNA from radiation.

4. Fennel and Dried Plum Salad
Combine sliced fennel, sautéed or raw, and dried plums on a plate. Drizzle with a ginger vinaigrette. (Olive oil, vinegar and minced ginger, if you are making yourself.)

What is this salad doing for you?
This salad soothes digestion and supports weight loss. Fennel helps digestion in two ways: It stimulates the production of gastric juices and also calms the nervous system, regulating the action of the muscles that line the intestine. Packed with vitamin C and essential minerals like potassium and magnesium, dried plums contain a perfectly balanced proportion of soluble and insoluble fibers, ensuring bowel regularity and preventing insulin resistance—making them a great ingredient for weight management.



If weight loss is one of your goals, you may benefit from the herbal formulation B-Slim, a nutrient-rich dietary supplement designed to be part of a sensible overall weight management program.

5. Asian Carrot Salad
Combine shredded carrots, green onion, and sprouts (alfalfa, red clover, daikon radish, and bean sprouts will all work). Dress with sesame oil and rice vinegar. Then sprinkle sesame seeds over the top. For extra kick, add a small amount of grated ginger or chili pepper.



What is this salad doing for you?
Carrots are antioxidant-rich foods filled with beta-carotene, beneficial to eye health. Sprouts are packed with many nutrients with a bounty of health benefits. And sesame oil, the oil most commonly consumed oil by Chinese centenarians, is rich in phytic acid, the antioxidant that may prevent cancer. Studies have also indicated that one variety of sesame oil, called lignan sesamin, radically reduced cholesterol levels in the bloodstream and liver of rats.

6. Watercress with Tofu Dressing
To make the tofu dressing, combine 1/2 pound of plain tofu with a 1/4 cup of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, 1 teaspoon of honey, 1 teaspoon of rice or apple vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon of tamari soy sauce (or a pinch of salt), and 1 tablespoon of tahini. Simply blend until creamy and drizzle over a bed of salad greens.



What is this salad doing for you?
Watercress contains a rich supply of vitamins A and E as well as the minerals calcium, magnesium, potassium, manganese, phosphorous, iodine, and zinc. It is also a natural diuretic that cools you down, and helps alleviate excess water retention and the bloated sensation that comes with it.

I hope you enjoy these six summer salads! I invite you to visit often and share your own personal health and longevity tips with me.

May you live long, live strong, and live happy!

This post is shared by Mr.Mao on Yahoo!Health, For more visit his blog at http://www.askdrmao.com/index.php

Ingredients:

• 12 oz. cooked chicken breast
• 1 c. low-fat or fat-free mayonnaise
• 1 medium Granny Smith apple, diced
• 1 c. walnut halves or pieces

Directions:

1. Cut chicken breast into 1-inch cubes.
2. Combine chicken cubes, diced apple, walnuts, and mayonnaise in a bowl and mix well.

Serves: 4
Serving size: approximately 1 cup
Nutritional analysis (per serving):
307 calories
23 g protein
18 g fat
2 g sat. fat
16 g carbohydrate
4 g fiber
56 mg cholesterol
539 mg sodium
38 mg calcium
1 mg iron
26 mcg folic acid




Nutritional analysis may vary depending on ingredient brands used.
Why this recipe is good for pregnant or breastfeeding women:
This recipes provides extra protein, which is important for pregnant and breastfeeding women. Homemade mayonnaise should not be used because the raw egg yolk is a source of bacteria that can be harmful to you and your unborn baby. Your immune system is not working as well during pregnancy, so you should avoid raw and undercooked foods.
Variations and suggestions:
This chicken salad can be served over a bed of greens or spread on top of bread for a tasty sandwich.

Buttermilk Pancakes are wonderfully thick with a light and spongy texture and their flavor only hints of the richness and tanginess that buttermilk offers. You begin these pancakes as you would any regular pancake batter; by whisking together the flour, baking powder/soda, salt and sugar. Only instead of using milk, eggs, and melted butter to bind the dry ingredients together, you replace the milk with buttermilk. Buttermilk has this nice thick and creamy texture with a rich tangy buttery flavor that makes these pancakes so tender, fluffy, and soft. In the past buttermilk was actually made from the liquid left over after churning butter, but now it is commercially made by adding a bacteria to whole, skim, or low fat milk.

But you really do not need to make a special trip to the grocery store every time you need buttermilk to make these pancakes. One option is to buy buttermilk powder so you always have it on hand or you can just as easily make your own buttermilk by adding 1 tablespoon of white distilled vinegar, cider vinegar, or lemon juice to 1 cup of milk. Just stir the vinegar or lemon juice into the milk and then let it stand 5 to 10 minutes before using.



Although pancakes are mainly served for breakfast they take center stage on Pancake Day, or Shrove Tuesday (Mardi Gras), when they are often served for supper. The ingredients used to make pancakes are forbidden during Lent so making pancakes is a great way to use up these ingredients. We have come to think of this day as the 'feast' before the 'fast'. It is interesting to note that the word 'Shrove' comes from the word 'shrive' which is the Tuesday before Lent and the day on which parishioners shrive, or confess, their sins. 

Recipe:
1 cup (140 grams) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons (28 grams) granulated white sugar
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk
3 tablespoons (40 grams) unsalted butter, melted
Plus extra melted butter for greasing the pan.




In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar.  In a separate bowl whisk together the egg, buttermilk, and melted butter. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture, all at once, and stir or whisk just until combined. The batter should have some small lumps. Make sure you do not over mix the batter or the pancakes will be tough.

Heat a frying pan or griddle over medium high heat until a few sprinkles of water dropped on the pan or griddle splatter. Using a pastry brush, brush the pan with a little melted butter.
Using a small ladle or scoop, pour about 1/4 cup of pancake batter onto the pan, spacing the pancakes a few inches from each other. When the bottoms of the pancakes are brown and bubbles start to appear on the top surfaces of the pancakes (2-3 minutes), turn over. Cook until lightly browned (about 1-2 minutes).
Repeat with remaining batter, brushing the pan with melted butter between batches.
Serve immediately with butter and maple syrup or your favorite jam.

Makes about 8 - 3-inch (7.5 cm) pancakes. 

Read more: http://www.joyofbaking.com/breakfast/ButtermilkPancakes.html

Nutrition Information

• Canned Tomatoes are an excellent source of Vitamin A and a good source of Vitamin C.
• 1/2 cup of canned tomatoes provides 1 serving from the VEGETABLE GROUP of the Food Guide Pyramid.

Nutrition Facts

Serving size ½ cup (120g) Canned tomatoes, heated

Amount Per Serving & % Daily Value*

• Calories 25
• Fat Cal 0
• Total Fat 0g 0%
• Saturated Fat 0g 0%
• Cholesterol 0mg 0%
• Sodium 190mg 8%
• Total Carbohydrate 4g 1%
• Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
• Protein 1g
• Vitamin A 20%
• Vitamin C 15%
• Calcium 4%
• Iron 15%

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Read More >> Cooking Tips Collection

There are more than 500 different pasta shapes.

Dry pasta can be stored up to two years if kept in a tightly sealed package or a covered container in a cool, dry place.

To cook pasta, boil 4 to 6 quarts of water for 1 pound of dry pasta. Add salt if desired.

For salads, drain and rinse pasta with cold water.

If cooked pasta is not to be used immediately, drain and rinse thoroughly with cold water. Allowing the pasta to sit in water will cause it to absorb water and become mushy. When the pasta has cooled, toss lightly with salad oil to prevent it from sticking and drying out. Cover tightly and refrigerate or freeze. Refrigerate the pasta and sauce separately or the pasta will become soggy.
To reheat, put pasta in a colander and immerse in rapidly boiling water just long enough to heat through. Pasta may also be reheated in a microwave.







Allow 2 ounces of dry pasta for a side dish serving and 4 ounces for a main dish serving. Although it will vary with the shape, 1 pound of pasta will yield about 8 cups of cooked pasta.

• Thin delicate pasta should be served with light, thin sauces.

• Thicker shapes work well with heavier sauces.

• Pasta shapes with holes or ridges are best for chunkier sauces. Some shapes have ridges in which to hold sauces better.

Read More >> Cooking Tips Collection

PASTA

TOMATOES, CANNED

Orange is one of the favorite fruits in India and all over the world. This particular fruit is good source of vitamin C as this is rich in vitamin C this also have many health benefits. Oranges are generally available from winter through summer with seasonal variations that depends on variety. As it is tasty as well as healthy so it is an additional food that makes the perfect snack and adds a special tang to many recipes.

Nutritional Contents of Orange :

1. Betacarotene, another powerful antioxidant that protects our cells from being damage.
2. Calcium that helps protect and maintain the health of our bone and teeth.
3. Folic Acid for proper brain development.
4. Magnesium helps maintain blood pressure.
5. Potassium helps maintain electrolyte balance in the cells, and is important in maintaining a healthy cardiovascular system.
6. Thiamin helps to convert food into energy.
7. Vitamin B6 helps support the production of hemoglobin that carries oxygen to all parts of the body.

Health Benefits

An orange packs over 170 different phytonutrients and more than 60 flavonoids, many of which have been shown to have anti-inflammatory, anti-tumour and blood clot inhibiting properties, as well as strong anti-oxidant effects.
The combination of the high amount of anti-oxidant (vitamin C) and flavonoids in oranges makes it one of the best fruits in helping to promote optimal health.

Arteriosclerosis:  Regularly consuming vitamin C retards the development of hardening of the arteries.

Cancer prevention:  A compound in oranges called liminoid, has been found to help fight cancers of the mouth, skin, lung, breast, stomach and colon.  The high vitamin C content also acts as a good anti-oxidant that protects cells from damages by free radicals.

Cholesterol:  The alkaloid synephrine found under the orange peel can reduce the liver's production of cholesterol.  Whereas the anti-oxidant fights oxidative stress that is the main culprit in oxidizing the LDLs in our blood.


Constipation:  Even though the orange "tastes acidic", it actually has an alkaline effect in the digestive system and helps stimulate the digestive juices, relieving constipation.

Damaged sperms, repair:  An orange a day is sufficient for a man to keep his sperms healthy.  Vitamin C, an anti-oxidant, protects sperms from genetic damage that may cause a birth defect.

Heart disease:  A high intake of flavonoids and vitamin C has been known to halve the risk of heart diseases.

High blood pressure:   Studies have shown that a flavonoid called hesperidin in oranges can lower high blood pressure.

Immune system:  The strong content of vitamin C stimulates white cells to fight infection, naturally building a good immune system.

Kidney stones, prevent:  Drinking orange juice daily can significantly drop the risk of formation of calcium oxalate stones in the kidney.


Skin:  The anti-oxidant in orange help protect the skin from free radical damage known to cause signs of aging.

Stomach ulcer:  Consuming vitamin C rich foods helps to lower the incidence of peptic ulcers and in turn, reduce the risk of stomach cancer.

Viral infections, protection against:  The abundance of polyphenols have been shown to provide protection against viral infections.

Health has been the newest thing to care about. People's health is important to them now more that ever. With the many diet programs and healthy food watchers, fruit especially has become the better snack to eat. By eating fruit, you gain benefits that will benefit your life. The long life span that you can have from eating fruits is what everyone is looking for. One such fruit is pineapple.

Pineapples have exceptional juiciness and a vibrant tropical flavor that balances the tastes of sweet and tart. They are second to bananas as America's favorite tropical fruit. Pineapple is one of those foods that it is heaven to eat. A good, juicy ripe pineapple can satisfy a sweet craving as well as any chocolate bar

There are many benefits for eating pineapple. Pineapple is full of vitamins and nutrients. All fruits are full of nutrients. However, pineapple has more benefits than just being packed with vitamins and nutrients. Pineapple benefits are also:

Pineapple is Loaded with Vitamins and Minerals


The obvious benefits of pineapple are all the vitamins and minerals the fruit is loaded with. Its nutrients include calcium, potassium, fiber, and vitamin C. In addition it is low in fat and cholesterol.

The benefits of pineapple can be achieved through eating fresh, canned, or frozen pineapple or by drinking its juice.

Strengthens weak bones

Ever kneel down and you hear that slight pop of your bones? If you have this is a sign that you are not getting enough iron in your body. Pineapple helps strengthen your bones so you won't have to worry about that pop turning into a snap.

One of the benefits of pineapple is that it helps to build healthy bones. Pineapples are rich in manganese, a trace mineral that is needed for your body to build bone and connective tissues. Just one cup of pineapple provides 73% of the daily recommended amount of manganese. The benefits of pineapple can effect the growth of bones in young people and the strengthening of bones in older people.

Good for Gums

Your gums are very important to keep healthy. The gums hold the teeth in place and your teeth would be in bad condition if you have unhealthy gums. By eating pineapple, you are strengthening your gums to make it through the hard years later.

Prevents Macular Degeneration

Eating pineapple prevents from many diseases. One such is Macular Degeneration. This is when your bones determinate through the disease. It causes death. However, eating pineapple degreases your chances by 36%. You can feel safe from this horrible disease.

Helps Arthritis

Those who have arthritis pain, eating pineapples can reduce the pain of arthritis and for those who do not have arthritis, pineapple prevents the disease by strengthening your bones and giving extra iron to your bones.

When you eat pineapples, you have a better chance at having a healthier life. Doctors have been preaching the eating of fruits for centuries. There is always good things that come from fruits. Be aware of all the benefits of the fruit you eat so you know what you are lacking for the day. Our bodies need a certain amount of nutrients and vitamins a day. By eating fruit, we have a happy, healthier life.