Deceptively Delicious

Like many parents today, Jessica is always looking for simple solutions to get her children to eat right. These Deceptively Delicious recipes feature healthy vegetables that are unseen because they are pureed. Kids don’t even know they are eating right!

Spinach is hidden in brownies, cauliflower in macaroni and cheese, and much more. In addition to her luscious, healthy recipes, she also offers tips for making healthy snacks and creating a positive atmosphere during family meals.

You can purchase Deceptively Delicious at Barnes & Noble, Amazon.com and other top booksellers across the nation.

If you want to hear more from Jessica, check out the event calendar on DeceptivelyDelicious.com. This month she is scheduled to be on top TV shows from Oprah to The View.

Jessica Seinfeld is also the president and founder of Baby Buggy – a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing clothing and other items to underprivileged New York’s families. Baby Buggy has donated nearly two million essential items to New York families through domestic violence and homeless shelters, parent programs and court child centers.

The Cranberry Institute is a non-profit organization founded to help cranberry growers succeed and to spread knowledge about this fine fruit. Indeed, there is much to be learned: did you know that cranberries promote urinary tract health, contain disease-fighting antioxidants, help reduce plaque, may prevent peptic ulcers, contribute to a healthy heart, and have been shown to reduce the effects of aging? Furthermore, Taiwanese researchers found that cranberries may help fight the herpes virus. That’s a lot of work for one small berry.

Fall is the season for cranberries, and you should be able to find heaping bags of them at your local grocery store. They’re generally inexpensive, but you’ll soon find that they taste divinely expensive. Oceanspray has a great recipe section solely devoted to the great cranberry, and featured recipes include Cranberried Lemon Yogurt Bread, Cranberry Chicken Margarita, and Cranberry Ginger Drop Cookies. Yum!

Dieters have a choice of two different diet programs with Weight Watchers.

in “The Flex Plan,” foods are assigned a point value and each dieter is assigned a set number of points they are allowed to consume each day. The number of points depends on the dieters current weight. Participants can also use 5 extra flex points each day, if they need them.

For many years, Weight Watchers was based on this plan. However in recent years, they have developed a different plan – “The Core Plan.” This diet plan classifies certain foods to a list of “core foods.” These foods include some lean meats, whole grains, fat-free dairy products, fruits and vegetables.

On “The Core Plan,” dieters are permitted to eat core foods without restricton “until satisfied, not full.”

Dieters also attend weekly meetings and weigh-ins, where they get support and information about achieving their weight loss goals. There is normally a registration fee for Weight Watchers. However, sometimes they offer specials for free registration. There is also a small fee to attend each meeting, or you can choose to pay $39.95 per month to attend unlimited meetings and have use of all the eTools available.

Even if you don’t want to attend meetings, you can pay the $39.95 for Weight Watchers Online. This program provides a method for independent weight loss as participants have access to diet support materials, recipes and fitness information online.

Over the years, studies have shown that Weight Watchers members lose three times more weight when attending meetings regularly.

Jenny McCarthy is Weight Watchers current spokesperson. Sarah, Dutchess of York, was a celebrity endorser of Weight Watchers years ago.

You can read more about how Weight Watchers works or register for the program at WeightWatchers.com.

Here are some top power foods to add to your diet.

Avocado – Many people steer clear of avocado because they are scared away by its fat content. However, avocado is rich in heart-healthy fat, antioxidants, fiber and other nutrients. In fact, ounce-for-ounce, avocado offers more fiber, potassium and folic acid than any other fruit or vegetable.

Blueberries – If you watched the 2006 World Series of Poker, you saw that eventual champion Jamie Gold was eating blueberries throughout the long, grueling tournament. That’s because blueberries contain dopamine, which improves your concentration and memory. All berries are rich in vitamins and powerful antioxidants, while also being very low calorie.

Flaxseed – Ground flaxseed can be a good source of fiber when added to your yogurt, breakfast cereal or salads. It is also rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which reduces your risk of heart disease, stroke and other cardiovascular problems. Omega-3 is also said to relieve depression and anxiety symptoms.

Garlic – Though you might not enjoy the lingering smell, garlic can help reduce your risk of some types of cancer, lower your blood pressure and reduce cholesterol levels, as well as fight bacteria and infection. Sprinkle crushed fresh garlic into sauces and other foods, or consider garlic capsules for an extra boost.

Salmon – The omega-3 fatty acids that are found in salmon and other types of fish protect against cancer, reduce blood clothing, relieve arthritis symptoms and reduce risk of heart attacks. Two servings of salmon, mackerel or fresh tuna are great for your diet each week.

The new pyramid realizes that one food plan does not fit all and strives to personalize Americans’ food choices according to their personal preferences. MyPyramid Plan takes your age, gender, weight, height, and physical activity into account before recommending a personalized food plan.

In addition to the personalization, MyPyramid strives to be more user-friendly, listing serving sizes by cups and ounces, instead of the ambiguous and oft-confusing “servings.” Furthermore, the MyPyramid website spotlights steps to reaching a healthier weight (up or down), interactive nutrition games for children, and additional resources on healthy living and eating.

Though MyPyramid is still somewhat generic, the government has taken a serious step toward helping Americans understand their eating options and recommendations. For example, we are reminded to not only eat 2.5 cups of vegetables per day, but to attempt to make that 3 cups weekly of dark green veggies and 2 cups weekly of orange vegetables. Now that’s advice we can all follow.

Naked Juice

Their products are made from bare-naked fruits with no preservatives or sugar added.

Recently, Naked Juice introduced their new Naked Juice Probiotic. Its the first 100% juice smoothie with probiotics.

Though probiotics have been popular in Europe for decades, Americans are now realizing their potential benefits. Each bottle of Naked Juice Probotic includes billions of probiotics, which are friendly microscopic cultures that aid in digestion and immune health.

Naked Juice Probiotic is a blend of mango, orange and pineapple that makes for a delicious and nutritious beverage. It is now available in single-serve 10-ounce bottles with a suggested retail price of $2.49 each.  You can find Naked Juice in supermarkets, club stores and other retailers around the country.

Learn more about Naked Juice Probiotic and the rest of the Naked Juice products by visiting NakedJuice.com.

Fall fruits are delicious and filling, a stark difference from summer’s refreshing variety of light fruits. You’ll soon see the berries and melons on your local grocer’s shelves step aside to make room for bananas, apples, grapefruit, kiwi, pears, clementines, and cranberries. These fruits are not only mouth-watteringly good, but rich in nutrients that our bodies crave. Here are a few of my favorites:

• Clementines: I love going to the store to find cartons of this sweet citrus fruit, one of the best autumn treats. But did you know that clementines are loaded with vitamin C, fiber, and folate?
• Cranberries: Loaded with vitamin C and fiber, these small red berries are delicious in tarts, sauces, cakes, stuffings, and breads. It’s also said that they are a good for the urinary tract.
• Kiwi: Delectable, oval balls of sweet green fruit, kiwis are tropical enough to remind us of summer while we curl up in a fleece blanket. Kiwis are also great sources for vitamin C and fiber.
• Bananas: Superb sources of vitamin B-6, fiber, potassium, and vitamin C, bananas are fantastic on their own or baked into warm banana breads, muffins, or cakes.

What upcoming fruits have your stomach growling in anticipation? What are you favorite fall fruit recipes?

These all-natural bars have over five times the beneficial probiotic active cultures found in yogurt. Probiotics aid in healthy digestion and provide a natural defense for your body.

Attune bars come in two types – the Yogurt & Granola Wellness Bars and the Chocolate Wellness Bars.

The chocolate bars are only 100 calories and a big hit among kids of all ages. The Yogurt & Granola bars are 180 calories of goodness and come in several flavors, including Chocolate Crisp, Cool Mint Chocolate and Blueberry Vanilla, and Wild Berry, Strawberry Bliss and Lemon Crème. They are a good source of protein and fill you up when you are on the go.

All Attune Bars are perfect for when you need a quick snack. Throw them in your child’s lunchbag instead of a candy bar and be comfortable that they are eating something nutritious and delicious.

Attune bars are best when keep refrigerated. You can purchase Attune bars at Attunefoods.com or in the dairy/yogurt section of your favorite grocery store.

If you aren’t sure about the product, you can order an affordable sample pack. A 7-bar sample of the Attune Chocolate bars is only $8.49, while a 7-bar sample pack of the Attune Yogurt & Granola bars is $10.99.

For example, the Detour Runner Bars have MicroLactin for joint health, while the Detour Biker Bars contains Rhodiola for muscle stamina and recovery.

Their Core Strength Bar is made with Ribose to maintain ATP and whey protein for muscle recovery.

These bars come in delicious flavors like Toffee Almond, Chocolate Chip Cookie and Lemon Yogurt among others. And though they taste great, they are very nutritious. Detour Activity Bars are low in fat and made from whey protein.

You can buy Detour Activity Bars at your neighborhood GNC store or purchase them online at BodyBuilding.com for $14.99 for a box of 12.

I tried these bars recently and they are nutritious, protein-rich and delicious. They honestly taste very similar to candy bars. And thankfully, they don’t have the after taste or bad texture like some other energy bars.

If you want to amp up the health factor in the most pleasant way possible, I encourage you to try out some fresh fruit smoothies. All you need is a few simple ingredients and a blender, and you’ll have yourself a vitamin-packed energy drink that doubles as a light meal or snack. Best of all, you can tweak it to your exact likes, creating a thick fruit shake that is as close to the gods’ ambrosia as we mortals can get.

Smoothies are usually a mixture of fruit, nuts, yogurt, honey, and sometimes a bit of protein powder thrown in for good measure. Depending on your personal style, though, you can add tofu, veggies, peanut butter, natural extracts, and even coffee or chocolate. Imagine the freedom to take your favorite foods anywhere in a cup. You can snack on chocolate-covered bananas, peanut butter apples, and melon medleys, all the while knowing exactly what you’re putting into your body. Best of all, it tastes delicious!

The smoothie world is truly your oyster; go and search for your pearl.

• Recipe Zaar: User-sumitted and tested beverage and smoothie recipes
• Smoothie-Recipe.com: Smoothie making techniques, recipes, and helpful tips for any smoothie fan
• Spiffy Smoothies: Unique recipes as well as time-tested favorites
• Better Homes and Gardens: Fantastic smoothie recipes utilizing a wide array of ingredients