Healthy No Oil Cashew Nuts

Cashew nuts on its own contain lots of fats, so you do not have to fry them or coat them with oil.

And it is possible to eat them without any oil or salt added and yum, it is wonderfully delicious. However, it is easy to get addicted to these nuts, so a handful or two is enough. 1 oz (or 25g) of cashew nuts are already 160 calories.

Cashews contain healthy mono-unsaturated fats, which may help to prevent heart disease; iron for red blood cell function and enzyme activity; magnesium which promotes energy release and bone growth; phosphorus to build bones and teeth; zinc which is essential to digestion and metabolism and selenium which has important antioxidant properties, thus protecting the body from cancer.

Cashew nuts, like all nuts, are an excellent source of protein and fiber. In comparison to other tree nuts, cashew nuts have a lower fat content. They are also, like all other tree nuts, cholesterol free

How to prepare oil free, no salt roasted cashews?

Just cashew nuts

1) Place 200g of cashew nuts on a flat microwave plate.

2) Set microwave on high 1 minute.

3) After every half to 1 minute, use a spoon to mix and turn the cashews. This is to prevent it from burning and to maintain an even golden roast on the cashews.

4) Continue heating on medium for 1 minute, then medium low for another minute. mixing regularly.

5) Cool the nuts when you have reached the desired golden brown. To continue heating, set microwave on medium low or low.

6) Once cooled, store in an airtight container.

Cashews Nuts must be eaten only when it is cooled. Otherwise, you will end up with a sore throat.

Cashews Nuts can be eaten with other dishes. Sze Chuan Chilli Chicken, Bean and Cashew Stir Fry, Chicken and Cashew Lettuce Wrap and many others. Click on the dishes and follow the recipes for a great cookout.

More snack ideas in Healthy Low Carb Snacks.

How I get There - to Optimal Health, Optimal Weight

All through my younger days and my twenties, I had always ranged between 50 to 54 kg. Not a slim frame for a 1.55 m height. And this with all the normal exercise a young female would do, some swimming, some cycling, school PE, and all these not on a regular basis. This is a common problem for most Singapore females, and some males. We are not fat and far from obese, . But we can't seem to look slim or good in small, sleeveless, and belly revealing tops and slim cut jeans. And the older we get, the harder it is to shed those extra weight and fats! Once past 40, the stubborn fats gather around the tummy. Then the clothes get looser and looser to cover those soft, tingling fats.

Walk with me through my days.....
continue in >>How I get There - to Optimal Health, Optimal Weight

Start Now Not Later

I did so much when I was younger, and still lost so little. Now when weight loss is more difficult to achieve, I lose more steadily in the same period. All because of the types of food I should be avoiding. And also when I ate very little before, I put my body in a starvation mode, causing my system to store fats and conserve energy, thus lowering metabolism.

Eating healthily will not only bring health benefits to your body but increase our metabolism. This is how so: low fat, low carb, high fibre, high protein, makes your body inefficient, meaning your body has to expend a lot of energy for a job, which is good for losing weight. We end up expending calories so that more food can be consumed.

I set my ideal weight to be 50 kg. That's the way I like to be and it is also what my husband likes. But when I hit 50kg, I did not have a difficult time maintaining, because I allow my weight to flucuate between 49 to 51 kg, giving me more room to be flexible about food.

Weigh yourself about once a week. When your weight goes up a little, it is time to cut back a little. When your weight goes down below your ideal, it is time to add a little back. You will find that maintaining is not as difficult as you think.

You will notice that by buying fresh produce, whole foods and lean proteins, your expenditure goes up. Yes it does. But often than not, it is more than offset by the reduction in medical fees.

And you gain a healthy body with a beautiful slim figure. Why not?

Read more in my book >>The Asian - Low Fat, Low Carb, High Fibre, High Protein. No Payment is needed. It's free.

Snack Attack! Yummy Frozen Yoghurt

No sugar dessert!!!

What to snack on when you get hungry or just having an itchy mouth? A good snack is Frozen Yoghurt. Mmm, not the store bought ones, as although they are low fat, they are loaded with lots of sugars. You can try making your own, which is really easy.

strawberry peach frozen yoghurt

Peach Frozen Yoghurt

Frozen Fruit Yoghurt Makes two 1 kg tubs

1 kg natural yoghurt

(choose full cream if you like the thickness of the texture;

otherwise low fat to get a lighter version. Both are natural, no sugar yoghurt)

1 can peach in natural syrup or 1 250g tub strawberry

(blueberries, mango, raspberries can be used, although all berries make the yoghurt sour. Try a mix of the naturally sweet fruits with the sour ones)

1) Put all the ingredients in a blender. Process till smooth.

2) Pour into 2 big metal trays and freeze immediately.

3) After 3 hours or more, when the yoghurt is just frozen, use a fork to scrap the frozen yoghurt. This is to separate the ice crystals and frozen yoghurt will be fluffy and soft., as in the above pictures. Warning: Skipping this step means a solid rock like frozen yoghurt.

4) If need to, scrap one more time after 1 hour.

5) Transfer scrapped frozen yoghurt into containers and keep them covered in the freezer.

6) Scoop some out to eat whenever it is time to snack.

Enjoy!

More ideas on snacks >> Healthy Low Carb Snacks

Cool as a Cucumber

Do you know that 100g of cucumber has just 10 cal? Amazing! It is so filling and cooling for the body. Not to mention the wonderful vitamins and minerals . The fresh cucumber is a very good source of the Vitamin C, Vitamin A, the mineral molybdenum, potassium, manganese, folate, dietary fiber and magnesium. Eat it raw with the skin and increase your fibre intake.

This crisp, refreshing fruit also contains compounds called sterols, which have been shown to lower cholesterol in animals. Also, the heaviest concentration of sterols is in the skin of the cucumber.

Cucumbers are a great digestive aid and have a cleansing effect on the bowel. It is also a wonderful beauty aid. With just a handful of calories per cup, surely we cannot do without it. Cucumbers are one of my favourite vegetables too, especially when I get too lazy to cook - washing a cucumber and cutting it up with some meat makes a filling and satisfying meal for me.

Lose Weight Quickly and Stay Healthy

Last week, I found myself consuming too much meat. Ugh! I felt bad and fat, and have lots of internal body heatiness.

Then I felt the urge to eat just vegetables.

Well, you know as well as I do, that sometimes eating just vegetables alone is so bland and unappetizing. But if you cook with some fried tofu, it is a meal on its own. And it is so delicious and filling that I ate it 3 times in that week.

This is how to whip up a delicious vegetarian meal.

Fried ToFu with Chye Sim

400g chye sim (or any green leafy vegetables), plucked into bite sized pieces and washed and dripped dry.

1 piece 200g tofu, cut into 2cm x 4cm strips

1 tbsp peanut oil or vegetable oil

1 tsp oyster sauce

1 tsp light soya sauce

1) Pan fry tofu in 1 tablespoon peanut oil in a wok until golden crisp.

2) Put in the vegetables and stir fry for 2 minutes.

3) Add the oyster sauce and soya sauce and stir fry for 1 more minute.

4) Dish up and eat hot with a book!

For more vegetables recipes , click here >> Vegetables

Breakfast Time!

Good morning. What do you take for breakfast? Is it the never ending bread with different spreads? Or different kinds of cereals with milk or juice? Or do you have the energy for a hot breakfast - eggs, bacon or porridge? Or no, just coffee, as black as possible, to keep you awake for the rest of the morning? Or you just don't have the time for breakfast?

Yes, this reminds me not to be too lazy, and prepare good breakfasts, especially for my children who wake up at awfully early hours 5.45 am to 6.15 am, to go to school. And for myself, so that I do not just pick up the multi grain bread and low fat milk.


I do have a list of wonderful, delicious and yes, very healthy breakfasts. They are all very easy to prepare and need just a little time.

Click below and find out these delicious breakfasts.

Sardine Spread with Multi Grain Bread

Egg Cucumber with High Fibre Biscuit

Oven Roasted Cashew Nuts

Soft Bean Curd (Tau Hua)



For More, check out Breakfast Ideas

Eating Out All Over the World

I have been very busy the whole of 2008. Travelling and enjoying the long walks and food found in Alaska, Canada, Hong Kong, China, Taipei in Taiwan, Medan in Indonesia, Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. Although it was quite difficult to resist the desserts, especially when you are on a cruise for 7 days where all the food are already paid for and there is no limit one can eat, there is plenty of low fat, low carb, high fibre, high protein to eat.

In particular I enjoyed the baby ribs in Anchorage/Alaska and Vancouver/Canada, with vegetables on the side. Hong Kong has an interesting range of which I love their Tim Sum, Roasted Goose and Swee Kao soup. Medan/Indonesia was a little difficult as most food has some sugar in it, even cooked meat and fish.

So bon appettite! You can find plenty to satisfy yourself if you know how.
For a list of foods as your guide, go to >>Eating Out

What I Eat Everyday

Here are pictures of what I eat everyday with more of them in Recipes. When I first talk about what I eat, many people did not believe that I lost weight through eating the right foods.

I do not count calories. Nor carbs, proteins or fats. I simply mix and match any of the foods found in Recipes, keeping in mind the right proportions : 2/3 vegetables, 1/3 lean meat, low in salt, low in oil and fats. In the earlier days of my blog, some in Google Low Carbers said " I was eating wood and sticks". When I challenged them to take a look at my blog, they refused, continuing to taunt me. Fortunately some did, although very few in numbers, and they came in support of me. But their voices were drowned.

I am making an effort of give you as many recipes that I use, taking pictures of them as I cooked them every day. I am showing them as I serve them. They have not been beautified and really would appear as it shows. I believe you will find them delicious and nutritious. Click here What I Eat Everyday for more food pictures.

And thank you to all my wonderful visitors........... I know who you are, where you are reading my blog from. So thank you. You will also be surprised to find many of my ideas and products I use in the advertisements in my blog.

Drink Chinese Tea for Good Health and Weight Loss

Any Chinese tea or Japanese green tea... wulong/oolong, pu er, jasmine, etc can help in weight loss because all these tea are drank without adding sugar, Some teas have some benefits that others do not have, like relaxing the body and mind, reduce heatiness and so on. It is a total study to know the benefits.

Read about some of these Chinese teas and their benefits >>Chinese Tea for Good Health and Weight Loss