Helthy life

Creamy Crack Chicken Soup

Ingredients

4 slices bacon, diced

1 tablespoon butter

1 small yellow onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

4 to 6 cups low sodium chicken broth

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon dried dill w**d

1/2 teaspoon dried chives

salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

1 bay leaf

4 cups cooked shredded chicken

1 package (8 ounces) softened cream cheese

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

3 to 4 cups baby spinach

1/4 cup heavy cream

sliced green scallions, for garnish

Instructions

Cook diced bacon to a crisp in a Dutch Oven or soup pot.

Remove bacon from pot with a slotted spoon, leaving bacon grease in the pot.

Add butter to the pot and melt over medium-high heat.

Stir in onions and cook for 3 minutes.

Stir in garlic and cook for 20 seconds.

Add chicken broth and scrape up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pot.

Season with garlic powder, onion powder, dill w**d, chives, salt, and pepper.

Add bay leaf and bring to a boil; lower heat to medium low and cook for 5 minutes.

Stir in shredded chicken; cook for 5 minutes.

Add cream cheese and whisk in until completely melted and combined.

Stir in shredded cheese; whisk until melted and thoroughly combined.

Add baby spinach; cook for 2 minutes.

Stir in heavy cream and cook for 1 minute.

Taste for seasonings (salt and pepper) and adjust accordingly. Remove bay leaf.

Remove soup from heat; top with scallions and previously prepared bacon.

Three Vegetable Recipes

3 weight loss vegetables recipes

Here are three delicious and healthy vegetable recipes that can help with weight loss:
Grilled Zucchini and Squash: Slice zucchini and squash into thin rounds and brush with olive oil. Grill for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until tender. Serve with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese and a squeeze of lemon juice.

Roasted Cauliflower: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Cut a head of cauliflower into small florets and toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast in the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until tender and caramelized. Serve with a sprinkle of chopped herbs, such as parsley or chives.

Spaghetti Squash with Tomato Sauce: Cut a spaghetti squash in half lengthwise and remove the seeds. Place the squash halves cut-side down on a baking sheet and roast in the oven at 400°F (200°C) for 30-40 minutes, or until tender. Scrape the spaghetti-like strands from the squash with a fork and toss with your favorite tomato sauce. Add a sprinkle of parmesan cheese on top, if desired.

Grilled Zucchini and Squash: Slice zucchini and squash into thin rounds and brush with olive oil. Grill for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until tender. Serve with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese and a squeeze of lemon juice.
Here's a more detailed recipe for grilled zucchini and squash:
Ingredients:

2 medium zucchini
2 medium yellow squash
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 lemon, juiced
Instructions:

Preheat your grill to medium heat.
Slice the zucchini and squash into thin rounds, about 1/4-inch thick.
Brush the slices with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Place the slices on the grill and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until tender and grill marks appear.
Transfer the grilled zucchini and squash to a serving plate. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and a squeeze of lemon juice.
Serve hot and enjoy!

5 vegetables with keto recipe

Here are five vegetables that are suitable for a ketogenic diet and some recipe ideas for each:

Broccoli: Roasted broccoli with butter and garlic is a simple and delicious side dish. Simply toss broccoli florets with melted butter and minced garlic, then roast in the oven at 400°F for 15-20 minutes.

Cauliflower: Cauliflower rice is a great low-carb substitute for regular rice and can be used in a variety of dishes, such as stir-fries, salads, and bowls. To make cauliflower rice, pulse cauliflower florets in a food processor until they resemble rice, then sauté in a pan with a little oil until tender.

Zucchini: Grilled zucchini is a tasty way to enjoy this summer squash. Simply slice zucchini into 1/4-inch rounds, brush with olive oil, and grill over medium heat for 2-3 minutes on each side.

Spinach: Spinach is a great leafy green to add to smoothies, salads, and omelets. For a simple side dish, try sautéing spinach with a little garlic and olive oil.

Asparagus: Roasted asparagus is a quick and easy side dish that pairs well with a variety of meats. Simply toss asparagus with olive oil, salt, and pepper, then roast in the oven at 400°F for 8-10 minutes.

Sugar-Free Keto Diet

Suger free keto diet

A ketogenic diet, or keto diet for short, is a low-carb, high-fat diet that has been shown to help some people lose weight. One aspect of the diet is that it is typically low in sugar. However, it is possible to follow a ketogenic diet without consuming any sugar at all. This would involve avoiding foods that contain sugar, such as sweets, soda, and some types of fruit, and focusing on consuming fats, proteins, and non-starchy vegetables instead. It is important to note that following a ketogenic diet requires careful planning and monitoring, and it is not appropriate for everyone. It is always a good idea to consult with a healthcare professional before making any changes to your diet.

5 suger free keto diet

Here are five potential meal plans for a sugar-free ketogenic diet:

Breakfast: eggs cooked in butter or coconut oil, with spinach and avocado.
Lunch: a big salad with mixed greens, grilled chicken, avocado, and olive oil-based dressing.
Dinner: grilled salmon with broccoli and cauliflower rice.
Snacks: nuts, cheese, or hard-boiled eggs.
Dessert: sugar-free whipped cream with fresh berries.
It's important to note that these are just examples, and the specific foods you choose will depend on your personal preferences and dietary needs. When following a ketogenic diet, it's important to pay attention to the types and amounts of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates you're consuming, as well as getting enough fiber and micronutrients. It may also be helpful to track your food intake and ketone levels to ensure that you are in ketosis.

Breakfast: eggs cooked in butter or coconut oil, with spinach and avocado

Eggs cooked in butter or coconut oil with spinach and avocado is a simple and delicious breakfast option for a sugar-free ketogenic diet. This meal is high in protein and healthy fats, which can help keep you feeling full and satisfied. It's also low in carbs, making it a good choice for those following a ketogenic diet. Here's a recipe you can try:

Ingredients:

2 eggs
2 tablespoons butter or coconut oil
1 cup spinach
1/2 avocado, sliced
Instructions:

Heat the butter or coconut oil in a small skillet over medium heat.
Crack the eggs into the skillet and cook until the whites are set and the yolks are to your desired level of doneness.
While the eggs are cooking, place the spinach in a separate pan and cook over medium heat until wilted.
Place the cooked eggs and wilted spinach on a plate and top with sliced avocado. Enjoy!

Lunch: a big salad with mixed greens, grilled chicken, avocado, and olive oil-based dressing.

A salad with mixed greens, grilled chicken, avocado, and an olive oil-based dressing is a tasty and satisfying lunch option for a sugar-free ketogenic diet. This meal is high in protein and healthy fats, which can help keep you feeling full and satisfied. It's also low in carbs, making it a good choice for those following a ketogenic diet. Here's a recipe you can try:

Ingredients:

4 cups mixed greens
1 cup grilled chicken, sliced
1/2 avocado, sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:

Place the mixed greens in a large bowl.
Top the greens with the sliced grilled chicken and avocado.
In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper to make the dressing.
Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss to coat. Enjoy!
You can also add other vegetables to the salad, such as cherry tomatoes, cucumber, bell peppers, or radishes. Just be sure to pay attention to the carb content of any additional ingredients you add.

5 Ways to Manage Your Weigh

These tips from SlimFast consultant and registered dietitian Maryann Walsh show it doesn't take a drastic lifestyle overhaul to make an impact.

Eat Mindfully

Many people who struggle with their weight benefit from being more conscious about what they're eating and why. For example, consider your eating habits, such as eating even when you're not hungry whether that's because it's mealtime and you think you should eat, you're satisfying a craving or using a tasty snack to cope with stress.

Recognizing why you're eating is an important step toward correcting destructive eating patterns, but so is paying attention to the other details of the eating experience, including what you eat and how it makes you feel. Ultimately, this may allow you to choose healthier foods that nourish your body for the long-term, rather than the brief satisfaction that comes with less nutritious choices.

Consider Intermittent Fasting

One weight-loss method many people find success using is intermittent fasting, which involves abstaining from all food and beverages for a specified time period each day or week. While going too long without food can sometimes lead to excess hunger then overeating later, in shorter, controlled fasting timeframes one can often more easily achieve a caloric deficit, which is required for weight loss.

Prepare for your fasting phase by choosing foods that support satiety. Options like SlimFast's Intermittent Fasting line of meal bars and protein shakes can help avoid a sense of deprivation with tasty flavors like the Vanilla Cupcake Snack Shake Mix and Vanilla Almond Crunch Complete Meal Bar. The shake mixes deliver 15 grams of slow-digesting protein, compared to whey protein, to help curb hunger, along with more than 20 vitamins and minerals. The meal bars clock in with 15 grams of protein and 10 grams of fiber.

Manage Stress

When you're stressed, your body produces cortisol, which also raises insulin and can drive hunger and trigger cravings for comfort foods. In fact, that's the very reason people tend to overeat when they're under pressure. Light exercise and meditative practices can help you manage your mental strain. You might also consider talk therapy with a friend or professional or spend time unwinding with a book or music.

Get Proper Sleep

Poor sleep habits affect your weight in numerous ways. One is that when you're feeling tired, your hunger and satiety hormones, ghrelin and leptin, can be affected, leading to an increase in caloric intake and subsequent weight gain. Additionally, when you're tired, you're more likely to take shortcuts like skipping workouts or opting for unhealthy convenience foods. All are reasons to make better rest a bigger priority.

Track Eating and Exercise

When you're not paying attention to what you eat and how you move, you may not even realize how your habits are affecting your health. Logging what you eat, especially if you use a tool like an app that helps you see the nutrition breakdown, may give you a clearer idea of the quality and quantity of your intake. Similarly, when you're specifically writing down the time you're committing to physical activity, you'll find it easier to identify patterns and pinpoint where you can make adjustments to increase your exercise.

Visit SlimFast.com to find more resources on weight management and intermittent fasting.

Photo courtesy of Getty Images (woman and man exercising)

Michael French [email protected] 1-888-824-3337 editors.familyfeatures.com

About Family Features Editorial Syndicate

A leading source for high-quality food, lifestyle and home and garden content, Family Features provides readers with topically and seasonally relevant tips, takeaways, information, recipes, videos, infographics and more. Find additional articles and information at Culinary.net and eLivingToday.com.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/5-ways-to-manage-your-weight-301706267.html
SOURCE Family Features Editorial Syndicate

Helthy life

Keto Meal

The human skeletal system is made up of several joints -- 250 to 350 in total -- that connect different parts of the body and keep them moving (via Healthline). However, these joints are susceptible to wear and tear, sometimes leading to painful joint conditions (per Medline Plus). According to Cleveland Clinic, chronic joint pains are most commonly associated with osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, gout, tendinitis, infections, and injury and overuse.

Besides certain conditions, other risk factors may make some people more likely to experience joint pain, such as being overweight. A healthy diet can play an important role in reaching and maintaining a moderate weight, resulting in less strain on tired joints.

A keto diet might appear at first glance to fit the criteria for a joint-friendly meal plan. There's evidence that keto is an effective way to lose weight, without requiring dieters to count calories (per Healthline). But its effect on joint pain isn't so straightforward.

© tpawat/Shutterstock runner clutching painful knee

The keto diet is an eating plan that encourages ketosis, a state where the body burns fat instead of sugar or carbohydrates for energy. To achieve this state, dieters limit their consumption of carbohydrates and increase their consumption of fatty foods.

One 2020 study published in Pain Medicine found that a low-carb diet relieves knee osteoarthritis pain in older adults. While keto is considered a low-carb diet, however, it may not be the right choice for easing joint pain.

WebMD weighed in on the benefits of going keto for rheumatoid arthritis and concluded that the diet's high intake of fat and processed meat may promote inflammation, making arthritis pain worse. Dr. Lona Sandon, an associate professor in the department of clinical nutrition at UT Southwestern, agreed, telling Everyday Health, "[Keto is] not a good choice for people with systemic inflammatory conditions, because it completely goes against the science we know that prevents inflammation in the body."

Besides being heavy in inflammatory red meats and fatty foods, the keto diet is also low in anti-inflammatory fruits and vegetables. Cleveland Clinic suggests replacing the keto diet with the Mediterranean diet or another diet loaded with vegetables, herbs and spices, and omega-3 fatty acids to support painful joints.

Read this next: 14 Signs Your Diet Is Doing More Harm Than Good

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