Spicy Turkey Meatloaf...D-licious!

This is a great turkey meatloaf recipe. I really wanted to try something new on the traditional recipe. I also made a green bean side dish that can go with any meal.

I did make a few modifications for this recipe because I am made this gluten-free and because I forgot some of the items at home. Still very delicious! I used Glutino Gluten Free Breadcrumbs instead of panko, coconut sugar instead of brown sugar, no soy sauce, and habanero ketchup instead of regular ketchup.

YIELD: 8 servings (serving size: 2 slices)

COURSE: Main Dishes

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 cups chopped onion
• 1 (8-ounce) package presliced mushrooms
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 3/4 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
• 1/4 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon Sriracha (hot chile sauce, such as Huy Fong)
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 pounds ground turkey breast
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• Cooking spray
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion, mushrooms, and garlic to pan; cook 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; cool 5 minutes.
3. Combine mushroom mixture, panko, and next 8 ingredients (through egg) in a large bowl; stir well to combine. Shape turkey mixture into a 9 x 5–inch rectangle on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray.
4. Combine ketchup, brown sugar, mustard, and nutmeg in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Spread ketchup mixture evenly over top of meat loaf; bake at 350° for 40 minutes or until a thermometer registers 160°. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Nutritional Information

Amount per serving

• Calories: 184
• Fat: 3.7g
• Saturated fat: 1.6g
• Monounsaturated fat: 1g
• Polyunsaturated fat: 0.5g
• Protein: 23.2g
• Carbohydrate: 15g
• Fiber: 1.2g
• Cholesterol: 69mg
• Iron: 1.3mg
• Sodium: 405mg
• Calcium: 30mg       

http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/spicy-turkey-meat-loaf-with-ketchup-topping-10000001924732/print/

My green bean recipe:

• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 tbsp butter (I used grass fed butter)
• 1 medium red onion
• 1 lb fresh green beans, ends cut
• sea salt
• ground pepper

Heat skillet on high with butter and garlic, after a minute add onions and cook until softened.  Add green beans, sea salt, and pepper and cook for about 10-15 minutes. Wait 5 minutes to enjoy! Really easy and inexpensive.

Keep pushing for more!

Easy & Tasty Salmon recipe

Salmon is one of the most heart-healthy foods you can eat and it is really easy to make too! Salmon can be found at your local grocery store and there are so many recipes available. It is recommended that you eat salmon or other omega-3 foods at least twice a week. Here is a recipe that is my favorite and easy to make when I am crunched for time.

Ingredients:

3-4 oz salmon filets

1 lemon- half sliced and half left alone

1/2 onion, sliced

sea salt & pepper

1 tbsp olive oil

aluminum foil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place salmon in aluminum foil and add olive oil, sea salt & pepper. Next place the onion on and around salmon filet. Add lemon slices on top of salmon and squeeze the other half all over filet. Fold almuminum in a tight little pouch. Place on a baking sheet and put in middle of oven. Let cook for 20 minutes and be carful when you pull the pouch apart. Salmon will pull apart easily when done. Enjoy!

Energy

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HDL versus LDL- What you should know

When you hear the word cholesterol, most people automatically think bad, but did you know there are two types of cholesterol? Both determine if you are at risk for a heart attack or a stroke.

 First, let’s talk about where cholesterol comes from. Your body makes cholesterol naturally and your genetics can play a factor in how much your body produces. The other source of cholesterol is from the foods you eat, most importantly, from animal products. Think of the eggs you have in the morning, that chicken breast for lunch, or that burger for dinner. All of these contain different levels of cholesterol.

Let’s talk about LDL, also known as the “bad cholesterol”. LDL does not circulate well in the blood and can begin to build up on the artery walls, along with other substances, it can form a plaque build-up. This narrowing of the artery walls is also known as arteriosclerosis. If this happens and a blood clot forms then guess what will happen…a heart attack or a stroke, which can lead to death. Scary, right? Think of your artery as a water hose and you begin to pinch it tigher and tighter and the pressure builds up, much like your artery when you are having a heart attack.

HDL is known as the “good” cholesterol or as I like to call it, the superstar! High levels of HDL have shown to decrease your chance of heart attack by chiseling away at the plaque build-up and takes that cholesterol to the liver to get passed from the body.  This “good” guy is found in oils such as olive, peanut, and canola, nuts, fish, and other foods containing omega-3 fatty acids. Here is a source to find out about more foods containing omega 3:

World's Healthiest Foods rich in
omega 3 fatty acids

FoodCals%Daily Value

Flax seeds112199.5%

Walnuts16494.5%

Sardines19786.6%

Salmon15852.5%

Soybeans29842.9%

Halibut15925.8%

Scallops12717%

Shrimp11215.4%

Tofu8615%

Tuna15813.7%

Other ways to increase your HDL levels include quitting smoking, increase physical activity, such as brisk walking or running (at least 30 minutes, five times a week), losing weight (which if you increase your activity, this should follow suite), choose foods items that do not have saturated or trans fats, and moderate alcohol consumption (no more than 1 drink a day for woman/people 65 years or older; 2 drinks for men).

Remember HDL is the superstar and LDL is the villain in the movie called your heart. Everyone needs high levels of HDL and low levels of LDL. High levels of HDL should be at 40 mg/dL or higher for men and 50mg/dL for women. If you are unsure of your risk, always ask your doctor for help.

Cute Running Shoes

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How to Quit Smoking and Improve your Heart Health

From Marisa's husband, the Friendly Pharmacist

Quitting smoking is one of the biggest changes a person can make to improve their heart health and live longer. Everyone knows the risks that smoking causes for lung disease and cancer. However, the heart and vascular risk caused by smoking are more common and just as deadly. The good news is that studies have showed the risk is reversible by quitting smoking.  An ex-smoker’s risk of stroke returns to normal 5 years after quitting and his or her increased risk of heart attack are eliminated by 15 years. We all know that quitting is much easier said than done. It takes a strong commitment and lots of will power. There are also medication options that can assist a person trying to quit: Nicotine replacement, Buproban, and Chantix.

Nicotine replacement is the most common aid and is available without a prescription in several forms. Patches, gums and lozenges are the 3 forms you can purchase without a prescription. The goal of nicotine replacement is to reduce the withdraw symptoms from nicotine by slowly decreasing your nicotine intake.  It is not recommended that a person continue to smoke while taking these products.

Buproban is a trade name for buproprion which is also marketed as an antidepressant. The manufacturer lists an unknown mechanism for why it helps with smoking cessation. However, like nicotine it increases dopamine by slowing your body’s ability to recycle dopamine and leaving higher levels of dopamine available to your nerve endings. This is believed to help reduce cravings since the level of dopamine in your nerves would not drop as quickly as it a person quit without assistance. It should be noted that Buproban does carry similar risk to all antidepressant medications. It should be used with close supervision of a physician and any changes in mood, depression or suicidal thoughts should be discussed with a doctor immediately. It is also not recommended to smoke once buproban is started.

Chantix is the newest smoking cessation aid. It blocks the nicotine receptor in a person’s body so nicotine cannot attach and cause dopamine to release.  So a smoker no longer gets the good sensation often experienced with a cigarette. It is also believed to elicit the release of small amounts of dopamine to help reduce cravings. A person can continue to smoke for the first 7 days after starting Chantix. However, the cravings should decrease as the week progresses. New concerns with Chantix suggest that any change in mood, depression or suicidal thoughts are serious and should be discussed with a physician immediately.

It is important to remember that all of these products are aids available to assist you in quitting. They help reduce many of the physical symptoms of withdraw from nicotine but the psychological battle against the addiction must be won with determination and will power. It is important to have a strong reason to quit for yourself; Something that you can use to motivate yourself when the cravings and temptations are strongest. Develop rituals to replace your smoking ritual. Smoking is often tied in with breaks or redundant task and it is important to find other safe and healthy habits to replace smoking. Walking, talking to friends and meditation are good substitutes in most cases. In the end, remember there is a huge benefit to quitting smoking: a longer, healthier life with more money in your pocket.