Ellen ~~Defining Myself

Are you letting the summer run you?....I know I do.......Here are a few tips

With the high temperatures, your body tends to lose water and sodium in form of sweat. Hence, it is important for you to drink plenty of water. Make sure that you keep a bottle of water with you always, be it your work-station, kitchen or car.

During summers make sure that you eat lots of fresh vegetables and fruits. Besides providing you essential nutrients, they will aid in weight loss.

Include fruits and vegetables rich in water content like melons, oranges, lettuce, celery, tomatoes, cucumbers and onions in your summer diet. These veggies and fruits will hydrate your body as well as drop your body temperature.

Avoid fast and junk foods as they are fat laden. The greasy and fried foods have heated thermal effect on your body and make you feel sluggish.

It is advisable to avoid carbonated, caffeinated and alcoholic drinks and beverages. These beverages contain preservatives which add on to your water loss through urine.

During summer people prefer to drink chilled liquids; it should be avoided as chilled liquids slightly constrict blood vessels. Constricted blood vessels reduces body heat loss via skin hence has negative impact on your health.

Say good-bye to your winter vegetables and fruits like spinach, garlic, beetroot, radish, hot peppers, grapefruit, pineapple etc. These vegetables and fruits tend to produce heat.

In order to restore all the lost nutrients, besides water, you may drink fruit juices.

Cut down your intake of spicy, hot and salty food. During summers try to stick to natural and light food.

Make sure to have a glass of water before and after any glass of alcohol. Water will fill you up in a healthier way.
  For those summer parties, have a party plan. Offer to bring a veggie, fruit, or shrimp tray as a guarantee you will have something healthy to munch on.
  Go easy on alcohol and specialty coffees. Wine has 85 calories. Ultra light beer has 150. Mixed drinks have 300 or more calories. Some lattes have as much as 600 calories! Keep track of what you are drinking!
Make weekly resolutions to stay away from the quantities of things you shouldn't eat. It's often easier to deal with things on a week to week basis.
  Get enough sleep. Not allowing your body enough rest and recovery can make you hold weight. 

Ingredients

Ingredients:
1 head garlic
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
10 multi-branch sprigs fresh thyme (about 1/3 ounce)
2 pounds purple or all-purpose white potatoes,
cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1/2 cup low-fat milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, or to taste

yumm recipes Purple Mashed Potatoes

Directions

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400°F.

Rub off excess papery skin from garlic head without separating the cloves. Slice the tip off the
head, exposing the cloves. Place the garlic in a small baking dish, such as a bread pan.
Drizzle with oil and lay thyme sprigs around it. Cover with foil. Roast until very soft, 30 to 45
minutes. Uncover and let cool.

About 15 minutes before the garlic is done, cook potatoes in a pot of boiling water until tender,
8 to 12 minutes. Drain well.

Return the potatoes to the pot. Squeeze the garlic cloves out of their skins into the potatoes.
Strain the oil through a fine sieve over the potatoes, pressing on the solids (discard the thyme).
Add sour cream, milk, salt and pepper; mash to desired consistency.

Makes 10 (1/2 CupServings)
Nutrition Information:
Calories 139, Fat 7 g, Carbs 16 g, Fiber 7 g, Protein 2 g