Healthy Barbeque Dishes

It’s summertime… and that means barbeques and picnics.  Unfortunately, typical warm weather fare isn’t always the healthiest.  In fact, a recent HealthDay article described a few ways to make sure your barbeque foods are safe.

But food safety is only one concern when you’re faced with greasy burgers, preservative-laden hotdogs, and high-calorie potato salad.  All those extra calories can keep you from meeting your summer weight loss goals, too.

But you don’t have to give up your summertime foods if you’re watching your waistline!  Just try some of these healthy twists on old favorites:

Pick a better burger:  Skip the greasy hamburgers and try turkey burgers instead!  Use ground turkey breast for the leanest, healthiest option.  (If it seems too dry, mix in some diced mushrooms for moisture.)  Veggie burgers are another low-calorie choice.  If you must have beef, choose the leanest burger possible.

Pack a leaner picnic:  Planning a cold picnic?  Replace your chicken salad sandwich with lean turkey breast on whole grain bread, and don’t forget to load it up with veggies like lettuce or tomato.  Or, instead of cold fried chicken, try cold roasted or grilled chicken.  It’s just as tasty, but you’ll consume a lot less fat and calories!

Revamp your potato salad:  Most potato salads are loaded with high calorie mayonnaise.  But a vinegar-styled potato salad is attractive, healthy and yummy!  Try mixing cooked, diced red potatoes with light vinegar, dill and seasonings.  Or replace your potato salad with a whole wheat pasta salad.  For more healthy recipes, search www.allrecipes.com.

Serve your best beans cold:  Typical baked bean dishes include brown sugar, maple syrup and even bacon or ham–which means lots and lots of calories!  Replace your baked beans with a cold bean salad.  Just toss some canned, rinsed beans with balsamic vinegar and a few "extras"–such as diced red onion, cubed cucumber and spices.  This dish is loaded with fiber and tastes refreshing on a hot day!

Finish with fruit: Sure, ice cream is a favorite hot weather treat.  But a fruit sorbet can be just as delicious!  Make your own by freezing pureed fruit, or purchase it readymade from your supermarket.  Serve with other cool fruit treats–like chunks of watermelon and pineapple–for extra nutrients and flavor.

Healthy Barbeque Dishes

It’s summertime… and that means barbeques and picnics.  Unfortunately, typical warm weather fare isn’t always the healthiest.  In fact, a recent HealthDay article described a few ways to make sure your barbeque foods are safe.

But food safety is only one concern when you’re faced with greasy burgers, preservative-laden hotdogs, and high-calorie potato salad.  All those extra calories can keep you from meeting your summer weight loss goals, too.

But you don’t have to give up your summertime foods if you’re watching your waistline!  Just try some of these healthy twists on old favorites:

Pick a better burger:  Skip the greasy hamburgers and try turkey burgers instead!  Use ground turkey breast for the leanest, healthiest option.  (If it seems too dry, mix in some diced mushrooms for moisture.)  Veggie burgers are another low-calorie choice.  If you must have beef, choose the leanest burger possible.

Pack a leaner picnic:  Planning a cold picnic?  Replace your chicken salad sandwich with lean turkey breast on whole grain bread, and don’t forget to load it up with veggies like lettuce or tomato.  Or, instead of cold fried chicken, try cold roasted or grilled chicken.  It’s just as tasty, but you’ll consume a lot less fat and calories!

Revamp your potato salad:  Most potato salads are loaded with high calorie mayonnaise.  But a vinegar-styled potato salad is attractive, healthy and yummy!  Try mixing cooked, diced red potatoes with light vinegar, dill and seasonings.  Or replace your potato salad with a whole wheat pasta salad.  For more healthy recipes, search www.allrecipes.com.

Serve your best beans cold:  Typical baked bean dishes include brown sugar, maple syrup and even bacon or ham–which means lots and lots of calories!  Replace your baked beans with a cold bean salad.  Just toss some canned, rinsed beans with balsamic vinegar and a few "extras"–such as diced red onion, cubed cucumber and spices.  This dish is loaded with fiber and tastes refreshing on a hot day!

Finish with fruit: Sure, ice cream is a favorite hot weather treat.  But a fruit sorbet can be just as delicious!  Make your own by freezing pureed fruit, or purchase it readymade from your supermarket.  Serve with other cool fruit treats–like chunks of watermelon and pineapple–for extra nutrients and flavor.

CONTEST: Win a copy of The Revival Slim & Beautiful Diet

Contest:  "What I Love About My Body"

Entries: 250 words (or less) personal essay

Theme:  The physical aspect you love most about your body, whether it’s your eyes, your hands or your legs.  Maybe you love the strength and power you get from weight training, or perhaps you love the way your feet carry you across the finish line of a 5k race.  Whatever you love about your body, tell us about it!  Essays may be related to diet, nutrition, fitness or any other aspect of healthy living.

Prize:  The best essay (as determined by our judges) will win a copy of The Revival Slim & Beautiful Diet book by Aaron Tabor and publication on RefrigeratorRaid.com

Deadline:  Midnight ET, July 31, 2007

To Submit:  Email RefrigeratorRaidEssay @ yahoo.com (no spaces), and include name and mailing address

Rules
- Essays must be the original writing of the contestant and previously unpublished in any medium.
- Judging based on quality of writing (no misspellings, please!), originality, creativity and interest.
- Paste entry into the body of the email.  Attachments will be automatically deleted.
- Type "What I Love About My Body" in subject line of email.  Emails with any other subject line will be automatically deleted.
- Include name and address with entry. (Names and addresses will be used for contest purposes only.  We will not market, spam or sell your information.)
- Only one entry per person.
- Contestants must be 18 years of age.
- Winner will be notified, and winning essay and author name will be posted on RefrigeratorRaid.com by August 15, 2007.

Fine Print
- No purchase necessary.
- If winner cannot be reached within 30 days for distribution of prize (we’ll send you 3 emails), winner forfeits prize.
- Contest is void where prohibited by law.
- Any taxes are solely the responsibility of the winner.
- All federal, state and local laws apply.
- Submissions become the property of RefrigeratorRaid.com and will not be returned.
- By submitting an entry, all contestants confirm that their material does not infringe on another’s copyright, trademark or other proprietary or personal right, does not contain unlawful or libelous material, and does not plagiarize another person’s work.
- By submitting an entry, contestants agree that, if their entry is selected as the winner, RefrigeratorRaid.com becomes the temporary sole owner of the essay, and acknowledges and agrees that the winning contestant’s name and essay will be published at RefrigeratorRaid.com with no further permission or additional compensation other than the aforementioned grand prize.
- Thirty days after publication, the winning contestant may request that the essay be removed from the website.  Within seven days after this request, the essay will be removed from RefrigeratorRaid.com and all rights will revert back to the author.
- Contestants agree that the sole and final judgment of all matters related to the contest, including the judgment of the winning entry and contest rules, are at sole discretion of RefrigeratorRaid.com and its owners.
- Contestants agree that RefrigeratorRaid.com and its owners are not responsible or liable for any claims, damages, losses, injuries or deaths arising from or related to any part of this contest.
- By accepting the prize, the winner agrees to release RefrigeratorRaid.com and its owners from any and all liability resulting from participation in the contest and/or acceptance or use of the prize.
- Contestants agree that RefrigeratorRaid.com is not responsible for lost emails, undeliverable emails, entries that do not meet the guidelines, technical or human errors, computer malfunctions, etc.

About The Revival Slim & Beautiful Diet:
This clinically proven, doctor-designed wrinkle & body makeover
claims to help readers reduce body fat, reduce wrinkles, improve hair
silkiness, balance hormones, increase energy and more.  The cover of
the book claims that dieters enjoyed an average loss of 26 to 29 pounds
in just 16 weeks.  To learn more, visit the website at
www.RevivalDiet.com.

CONTEST: Win a copy of The Revival Slim & Beautiful Diet

Contest:  "What I Love About My Body"

Entries: 250 words (or less) personal essay

Theme:  The physical aspect you love most about your body, whether it’s your eyes, your hands or your legs.  Maybe you love the strength and power you get from weight training, or perhaps you love the way your feet carry you across the finish line of a 5k race.  Whatever you love about your body, tell us about it!  Essays may be related to diet, nutrition, fitness or any other aspect of healthy living.

Prize:  The best essay (as determined by our judges) will win a copy of The Revival Slim & Beautiful Diet book by Aaron Tabor and publication on RefrigeratorRaid.com

Deadline:  Midnight ET, July 31, 2007

To Submit:  Email RefrigeratorRaidEssay @ yahoo.com (no spaces), and include name and mailing address

Rules
- Essays must be the original writing of the contestant and previously unpublished in any medium.
- Judging based on quality of writing (no misspellings, please!), originality, creativity and interest.
- Paste entry into the body of the email.  Attachments will be automatically deleted.
- Type "What I Love About My Body" in subject line of email.  Emails with any other subject line will be automatically deleted.
- Include name and address with entry. (Names and addresses will be used for contest purposes only.  We will not market, spam or sell your information.)
- Only one entry per person.
- Contestants must be 18 years of age.
- Winner will be notified, and winning essay and author name will be posted on RefrigeratorRaid.com by August 15, 2007.

Fine Print
- No purchase necessary.
- If winner cannot be reached within 30 days for distribution of prize (we’ll send you 3 emails), winner forfeits prize.
- Contest is void where prohibited by law.
- Any taxes are solely the responsibility of the winner.
- All federal, state and local laws apply.
- Submissions become the property of RefrigeratorRaid.com and will not be returned.
- By submitting an entry, all contestants confirm that their material does not infringe on another’s copyright, trademark or other proprietary or personal right, does not contain unlawful or libelous material, and does not plagiarize another person’s work.
- By submitting an entry, contestants agree that, if their entry is selected as the winner, RefrigeratorRaid.com becomes the temporary sole owner of the essay, and acknowledges and agrees that the winning contestant’s name and essay will be published at RefrigeratorRaid.com with no further permission or additional compensation other than the aforementioned grand prize.
- Thirty days after publication, the winning contestant may request that the essay be removed from the website.  Within seven days after this request, the essay will be removed from RefrigeratorRaid.com and all rights will revert back to the author.
- Contestants agree that the sole and final judgment of all matters related to the contest, including the judgment of the winning entry and contest rules, are at sole discretion of RefrigeratorRaid.com and its owners.
- Contestants agree that RefrigeratorRaid.com and its owners are not responsible or liable for any claims, damages, losses, injuries or deaths arising from or related to any part of this contest.
- By accepting the prize, the winner agrees to release RefrigeratorRaid.com and its owners from any and all liability resulting from participation in the contest and/or acceptance or use of the prize.
- Contestants agree that RefrigeratorRaid.com is not responsible for lost emails, undeliverable emails, entries that do not meet the guidelines, technical or human errors, computer malfunctions, etc.

About The Revival Slim & Beautiful Diet:
This clinically proven, doctor-designed wrinkle & body makeover
claims to help readers reduce body fat, reduce wrinkles, improve hair
silkiness, balance hormones, increase energy and more.  The cover of
the book claims that dieters enjoyed an average loss of 26 to 29 pounds
in just 16 weeks.  To learn more, visit the website at
www.RevivalDiet.com.

CONTEST: Win a copy of The Revival Slim & Beautiful Diet

Contest:  "What I Love About My Body"

Entries: 250 words (or less) personal essay

Theme:  The physical aspect you love most about your body, whether it’s your eyes, your hands or your legs.  Maybe you love the strength and power you get from weight training, or perhaps you love the way your feet carry you across the finish line of a 5k race.  Whatever you love about your body, tell us about it!  Essays may be related to diet, nutrition, fitness or any other aspect of healthy living.

Prize:  The best essay (as determined by our judges) will win a copy of The Revival Slim & Beautiful Diet book by Aaron Tabor and publication on RefrigeratorRaid.com

Deadline:  Midnight ET, July 31, 2007

To Submit:  Email RefrigeratorRaidEssay @ yahoo.com (no spaces), and include name and mailing address

Rules
- Essays must be the original writing of the contestant and previously unpublished in any medium.
- Judging based on quality of writing (no misspellings, please!), originality, creativity and interest.
- Paste entry into the body of the email.  Attachments will be automatically deleted.
- Type "What I Love About My Body" in subject line of email.  Emails with any other subject line will be automatically deleted.
- Include name and address with entry. (Names and addresses will be used for contest purposes only.  We will not market, spam or sell your information.)
- Only one entry per person.
- Contestants must be 18 years of age.
- Winner will be notified, and winning essay and author name will be posted on RefrigeratorRaid.com by August 15, 2007.

Fine Print
- No purchase necessary.
- If winner cannot be reached within 30 days for distribution of prize (we’ll send you 3 emails), winner forfeits prize.
- Contest is void where prohibited by law.
- Any taxes are solely the responsibility of the winner.
- All federal, state and local laws apply.
- Submissions become the property of RefrigeratorRaid.com and will not be returned.
- By submitting an entry, all contestants confirm that their material does not infringe on another’s copyright, trademark or other proprietary or personal right, does not contain unlawful or libelous material, and does not plagiarize another person’s work.
- By submitting an entry, contestants agree that, if their entry is selected as the winner, RefrigeratorRaid.com becomes the temporary sole owner of the essay, and acknowledges and agrees that the winning contestant’s name and essay will be published at RefrigeratorRaid.com with no further permission or additional compensation other than the aforementioned grand prize.
- Thirty days after publication, the winning contestant may request that the essay be removed from the website.  Within seven days after this request, the essay will be removed from RefrigeratorRaid.com and all rights will revert back to the author.
- Contestants agree that the sole and final judgment of all matters related to the contest, including the judgment of the winning entry and contest rules, are at sole discretion of RefrigeratorRaid.com and its owners.
- Contestants agree that RefrigeratorRaid.com and its owners are not responsible or liable for any claims, damages, losses, injuries or deaths arising from or related to any part of this contest.
- By accepting the prize, the winner agrees to release RefrigeratorRaid.com and its owners from any and all liability resulting from participation in the contest and/or acceptance or use of the prize.
- Contestants agree that RefrigeratorRaid.com is not responsible for lost emails, undeliverable emails, entries that do not meet the guidelines, technical or human errors, computer malfunctions, etc.

About The Revival Slim & Beautiful Diet:
This clinically proven, doctor-designed wrinkle & body makeover
claims to help readers reduce body fat, reduce wrinkles, improve hair
silkiness, balance hormones, increase energy and more.  The cover of
the book claims that dieters enjoyed an average loss of 26 to 29 pounds
in just 16 weeks.  To learn more, visit the website at
www.RevivalDiet.com.

Workout Guides And Demos

Are you new to exercise?  Using proper form when you workout is vital because it helps ensure you target the right muscles–which means you’ll build strength faster.  Exercising properly also helps prevent injuries that can result from poor form.

So if you’re not familiar with many exercises–and you don’t have the money or time for a personal trainer–try one of these resources:

•    The Washington Post has a huge selection of exercise demonstrations on their website.  The categories (like Beginner and Advanced, or Upper Body and Lower Body) make it easy to find just the right exercise.  The site includes a visual demonstration of a live person performing the exercise, as well as a detailed written description.  Link 

•    Exrx.net also provides a link to exercises, a demonstration and a description of the movement.  This site tends to be geared toward bodybuilders, but there’s plenty for the newbie, too.  As an added bonus the exercises are organized by specific muscle, such as the hamstrings or the obliques–a great choice if you want to target a specific body part.  Link 

•    Strength Training by Lee E. Brown is a comprehensive book that includes everything you need to know about building muscle.  It has a huge section that describes many different exercises, including a detailed description and color photos.  Although reading a book isn’t the best way to learn proper form, this is one of the better books for self-taught exercisers.

Workout Guides And Demos

Are you new to exercise?  Using proper form when you workout is vital because it helps ensure you target the right muscles–which means you’ll build strength faster.  Exercising properly also helps prevent injuries that can result from poor form.

So if you’re not familiar with many exercises–and you don’t have the money or time for a personal trainer–try one of these resources:

•    The Washington Post has a huge selection of exercise demonstrations on their website.  The categories (like Beginner and Advanced, or Upper Body and Lower Body) make it easy to find just the right exercise.  The site includes a visual demonstration of a live person performing the exercise, as well as a detailed written description.  Link 

•    Exrx.net also provides a link to exercises, a demonstration and a description of the movement.  This site tends to be geared toward bodybuilders, but there’s plenty for the newbie, too.  As an added bonus the exercises are organized by specific muscle, such as the hamstrings or the obliques–a great choice if you want to target a specific body part.  Link 

•    Strength Training by Lee E. Brown is a comprehensive book that includes everything you need to know about building muscle.  It has a huge section that describes many different exercises, including a detailed description and color photos.  Although reading a book isn’t the best way to learn proper form, this is one of the better books for self-taught exercisers.

Happy Memorial Day!

We’re taking our first vacation here at RefrigeratorRaid.com!  We’ll be returning on May 29, 2007.  Have a healthy and happy Memorial Day weekend!

Happy Memorial Day!

We’re taking our first vacation here at RefrigeratorRaid.com!  We’ll be returning on May 29, 2007.  Have a healthy and happy Memorial Day weekend!

Real Motivation: Weight Loss Success Stories

This article is part of our Real Motivation series.  These articles give it to you straight–without the candy coating.  If you prefer gentle encouragement and support, you may want to skip this post.  But read on if you don’t mind the cold, hard truth.

It’s easy to say "I can’t do it."

It’s easy to give up.

It’s easy to say "It’s impossible."

But it IS possible.  You CAN do it… as long as you DON’T give up!

To prove it, here are some real-life success stories:

•    Markie Crossman lost 75 pounds with TOPS.  She dropped from a size 18 to a size 10!  Link at WashingtonPost.com 

•    Together this couple–Martin Lilienthal Jr. and Elizabeth Cullen–lost more than 200 pounds!  They did it by simply becoming more active and modifying their diets.  Link at USAToday.com 

•    Heather M. lost 85 pounds with Jenny Craig.  She made healthy foods and exercise a part of her life. Link at JennyCraig.com 

•    Nancy lost 44 pounds through Weight Watchers–and she’s still losing!  Link at WeightWatchers.com 

•    Kyra Wilson lost 70 pounds with Body for Life.  In the first 12 weeks she lost 22 inches!  Link at iVillage.com 

•    Dan went from 312 pounds to 184 pounds with weight training and a proper diet.  Link at MSN.com 

What’s did these people all have in common?  They were dedicated to the path of weight loss, and they had a desire to succeed.

So just find your reason for health and stay focused on the tasks you must accomplish.  It became a reality for these people, and it can be a reality for you, too.

What one man can do, another can do! [From the movie The Edge]