1lb lean beef (top round), cubed
2 tsp vegetable oil
¾ Tbsp onion, finely diced
1 lb mushrooms, sliced
¼ tsp salt
to taste pepper
¼ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp dried basil
¼ Cup white wine
1 cup plain lowfat yogurt
6 cups macaroni, cooked in unsalted water

Directions:
1. Cut beef into 1 inch cubes

2. Heat 1 tsp oil in nonstick skillet. Saute onion for 2 minutes

3. Add beef and sauté for 5 minutes more. Turn to brown evenly. Remove from pan and keep hot

4. Add remaining oil to pan and sauté mushrooms

5. Add beef and onions to pan with seasonings

6. Add wine and yogurt, and gently stir in. Heat, but do not boil**

7. Serve with Macaroni

Note: if you desire thicker sauce use 2 teaspoons of cornstarch.

Yeild: 5 servings, Calories: 499, Total Fat: 10g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Protein: 41g, Carbs:58g

http://www.tedloofitness.com

Ingredients:

8 bonesless skinless chicken thighs or 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp each salt an pepper
1 sweet green pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces

Directions:

Cut each chicken thigh in half (or each breast into quarters).

In large bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, maple syrup, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper. Add chicken; turn to coat. Cover and marinate in refrigerator for 4 hours.

Onto skewers, alternately thread chicken and green pepper. Place on greased grill over medium-high heat; close lid and grill, turning once, until juices run clear for thighs, about 12 minutes, or until no longer pink inside for breasts, about 18 minutes. (Or broil kabobs, 6 inches/15 cm from heat, turning once, until golden brown and juices run clear for thighs, about 8 minutes, or until no longer pink inside for breasts, about 12 minutes.)

Note: pair these kabobs with a carb such as rich or noodles or a veggie dish

Nutritional info:
239 cal, 33 g pro, 10 g total fat, 3 g carb

http//www.tedloofitness.com

Do we all remember the 2004 documentary “Supersize me”? Do you remember your reaction to the film? I didn’t eat McDonalds for months after that. Following that documentary McDonalds locations began to phase our their Supersize menu and stick to the basic small, medium, large. Today however McDonalds has decided to introduce a new softdrink and hamburger.

The Drink: The HUGO softdrink as its being called contains 400 calories on its own
The Burger: The new ANGUS burger (which is being tested in LA) is made up of a 1/3 beef patty, bacon and cheese totaling 820cal and 43g of fat. If you decide to make this burger into a combo and add large fries and a softdrink your ONE meal will total 1700cal.

In a society that is struggling with an obscene obesity rate skyrocketing diabetes numbers I personally feel that these “new and tasty items” from McDonalds are a disgrace. I should clarify that I am not targeting McDonalds directly; they have simply given me a fantastic example, as all fast food restaurants are guilty of promoting unhealthy, fat filled meals at a cheap price. It is human nature to want to order a meal that gets you more for your money. What people don’t realize, or rather chose to ignore, is that the amount that they are ordering is above and beyond the amount of food they actually need to consume. Yes fast food restaurants now have a “healthy” menu consisting of salads and sandwiches but do you see discounts and large amounts of promotion on these items? I simply do not understand the purpose of introducing items such as the above to our society of today!!!

If you would like to read the article please do so at:
http://features.us.reuters.com/wellbeing/news/91FDB3E0-4C2A-11DC-894F-E138467B.html

http://www.tedloofitness.com

Ingredients

1 piece (4in/10cm) cucumber
1 sweet red pepper
1 carrot
2 green onions
8 leaves Boston or leaf lettuce
Lime wedges
1lb lean ground beef
3 cloves garlic, minced
1tsp minced ginger root
1tsp chinese five spiced powder
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp Asian chili sauce or hot pepper sauce

Directions
Cut cucumber in half lengthwise; thinly slice crosswise. Seed, core and slice red pepper thinly. Grate carrot. Thinly slice green onions. Arrange vegetables, lettuce and lime wedges on serving platter. (Make-ahead: Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 hours.)

In large nonstick skillet, sauté beef over medium-high heat, breaking up with spoon, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Drain off any fat.

Add garlic, ginger and five-spice powder; cook over medium heat, stirring, until aromatic, about 2 minutes. Add hoisin sauce, soy sauce and chili sauce; cook, stirring, until hot, about 4 minutes. (Make-ahead: Let cool for 30 minutes; refrigerate, uncovered, until cold. Refrigerate in airtight container for up to 24 hours; reheat to serve.)

Transfer to bowl. Let each person spoon 1/2 cup (125 mL) beef mixture into each lettuce leaf. Top with some cucumber, red pepper, carrot and green onions. Wrap lettuce around filling.

Nutritional info:

309 cal, 25g protein,16 g total fat, 16 g carb

http://www.tedloofitness.com/

A little while ago I visited a naturopath and she advised me to slow down and chew my food a little more. She recommended 20-30 chews per bite which would not only aid in digestion but also drop the actual amount of calories I consumed. A study by the University of Rhode Island has shown that slowing down while you eat will actually help you lose weight.

link to study - URI Study

Give it a try!

Ted

A friend of mine, Gina, got me thinking the other day. I was sick last week and she had heard through the grapevine that I was under the weather and her immediate response was “WHAT? Ted is never sick!” This got me thinking… (more…)

We are constantly bombarded with fitness acronyms. To help you better understand this fitness speak, here is a brief description of some of the most common terms. I will expand on these descriptions in more detail in future monthly tips.
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