1 serving whey protein isolate (vanilla)
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup orange juice
2–3 fresh or frozen strawberries
1/2 small fresh or frozen banana, chopped
1 tablespoon almond butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Stevia to taste (optional)
4–6 ice cubes

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend on high speed until smooth and creamy. Add extra water if desired.

Calories 325 | Protein 28 g | Fat 11 g | Carbohydrates 34 g | Fibre 6 g

Excerpted from The Carb Sensitivity Program by Natasha Turner, N.D. Copyright © 2012 by Natasha Turner, N.D.. Excerpted by permission of Random House Canada, a division of Random House of Canada Limited. All rights reserved.

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7 Belly Slimming Breakfasts

(Choose One Daily; Each Option Totals About 350 Calories)

Don’t be tempted to skip this important meal; eating breakfast wakes up your metabolism, priming it for a day of calorie burning. Plus, because you won’t be so ravenous come lunch, you might end up eating less throughout the day. In fact, studies show that people who regularly eat in the a.m. are thinner than those who don’t. If you’re usually not hungry first thing, you don’t need to force spoonfuls of yogurt down your throat as soon as your eyes pop open. Wait a little while, and eat either after you’ve dressed or when you get to work. The key is that you have something, especially the mix of protein, fruits, vegetables, healthy fats, and whole grains you’ll find in these tasty meals.

Eggcellent A.M. Option – Baked Eggs Sauté 1 cup sliced mushrooms and 2 cups chopped kale in an ovenproof skillet coated with cooking spray until mushrooms are tender and kale wilts, about 7 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in 1 whole egg and 1 egg white, beaten; 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese; and 2 teaspoons chopped fresh basil. Heat under broiler until egg mixture puffs, 2 to 3 minutes. Serve with 1 slice whole-wheat bread topped with 1 tablespoon almond butter.

Slimming Smoothie – Blueberry-Almond Smoothie Blend 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries, 1 tablespoon almond butter, 6 ounces low- fat plain Greek yogurt, and 1/2 cup skim milk until smooth. Thin with water if necessary.

Hot Cereal – Hot Quinoa Top 1 cup cooked quinoa with 1/2 cup skim milk, 1/4 cup diced apple, 1 tablespoon raisins, 1 tablespoon slivered or chopped almonds, and a dash of cinnamon.

Fruit, Veggies, and Yoghurt – Artichoke- Parmesan Crispbreads Top 2 high- fiber crispbreads with 1 cup chopped canned (rinsed and drained) artichoke hearts. Top each with 1/2 tablespoon grated Parmesan. Microwave until cheese melts, 30 to 60 seconds. Serve with 6 ounces low-fat plain Greek yogurt drizzled with 1 tablespoon honey.

Whole-Grain Bites – Honeyed Waffles Spread 2 teaspoons almond butter and 2 teaspoons honey on 2 toasted whole- grain waffles. (Look for whole- wheat flour as the first ingredient.) Top with 1/2 small banana, sliced.

Breakfast Quickies – Eat and Run 1 hard- boiled egg, 1 cup fresh cherries, 3 tablespoons unsalted peanuts.

Breakfast Quickies – Coffee Shop Special Starbucks Perfect Oatmeal with Nut Medley Topping and a tall (12-ounce) nonfat Café Latte.

Excerpted from The Drop 10 Diet by Lucy Danziger. Copyright © 2012 by Lucy Danziger. Excerpted by permission of Ballantine Books. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

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Makes 4 servings

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes

8 eggs
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup fat-free milk
3 ounces smoked salmon, cut into thin strips
1 tablespoon fat-free ricotta
4 fresh chives, chopped

1. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs and season with salt and pepper to taste.

2. Pour the milk into a medium heavy-bottomed pan and warm over medium heat. Pour in the eggs and cook, stirring continuously with a spatula.

3. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the salmon and ricotta.

4. Decorate the salmon and eggs with chives before serving.

 
Excerpted from The Dukan Diet Cookbook Copyright © 2012 by Dr. Pierre Dukan. Photographs Copyright © 2012 by Ben Fink. Excerpted by permission of Random House Canada. All rights reserved.

Easy Egg White and Goat Cheese Omelette

Serves 2

10 egg whites or 1 1/4 cup egg whites (Naturegg Simply Egg Whites)
2 egg yolks (omega-3 eggs) or 1/4 avocado, sliced
Salt and pepper to taste
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 heaping tablespoons goat cheese
4–6 tablespoons sugar-free prepared salsa such as any from Neal Brothers Organics, or Mrs. Renfro’s Habanero Salsa or Que Pasa Salsa Mexicana
1 cup apple, chopped

Whisk the egg whites (and yolks, if included in the recipe) and season with salt and pepper. In a small skillet, heat 1 teaspoon of the oil and pour in half the egg mixture. Cook while pulling the egg mixture to the side of the pan, allowing the runny part to flow underneath until set (about 2 to 3 minutes). Top with half of the cheese and salsa (and sliced avocado, if using). Gently slide the omelette onto a plate, tipping the pan to fold the omelette.

(Note that this meal can be enjoyed with cow’s milk cheese instead of goat cheese after the first two weeks of your detox. In this case, you can add 2 slices of low-fat Swiss or Jarlsberg cheese.)

Calories 250 | Protein 27g | Fat 11g | Carbohydrates 11g | Fibre 2g

Excerpted from The Supercharged Hormone Diet by Natasha Turner. Copyright © 2011 by Natasha Turner. Excerpted by permission of Random House of Canada Limited. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

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Use any of these supercharged recipes for a meal. If you are using one as a snack, reduce the serving size to meet your snack intake requirements. So, instead of 21-30 g of protein, women should have 20 g and men should have 25 g per smoothie. You should also reduce the fruit and milks by half for snack serving sizes. For each smoothie, place the ingredients in a blender and blend at high speed until smooth.

Choco-Bananachino

1 serving whey protein isolate
2 tablespoons chia seed or flaxseed (ground) or 1 serving of Clear Fibre
2 teaspoons cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
4 ounces milk/soy milk/yogurt/almond milk
1/4 cup water
1/2 small banana (preferably frozen)
4–6 ice cubes

Antioxidant Smoothie

1 serving whey protein isolate
2 tablespoons chia seed or flaxseed (ground) or 1 serving Clear Fibre
1/2 cup milk/soy milk/almond milk
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)
1 small banana
4–6 ice cubes

Anti-aging Smoothie

1 serving whey protein isolate (vanilla)
2 tablespoons ground flaxseed or chia seed or 1 serving of Clear
Fibre
1/4 cup raspberries
1/4 cup blueberries
1/4 cup sliced strawberries
1/4 cup blackberries
1 cup water
Note: You may use 1 cup of fresh or frozen four-berry blend instead of the berries listed above.

Excerpted from The Supercharged Hormone Diet by Natasha Turner. Copyright © 2011 by Natasha Turner. Excerpted by permission of Random House of Canada Limited. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

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Called pain perdu (lost bread) by the French, it’s easy to imagine that the whole idea of French toast was invented as a way to salvage bread that’s become hopelessly stale. Most of us associate French toast with breakfast, but it can also be served as dessert. It’s a real delight served with authentic maple syrup, but it can also be served with fresh fruit and/or whipped cream. One trick that always improves French toast, pancakes, and waffles is to heat the syrup by placing the bottle, with the lid loosened, in a saucepan of boiling water for 5 minutes.

Makes 4 dessert or breakfast servings

8 slices white sandwich bread, preferably slightly stale
3 eggs
1 cup milk
4 tablespoons butter, plus more to serve
Maple syrup (ideally hot, see below)
Whipped Cream and/or sliced strawberries or other fruit, to serve

If you like, cut the crusts off the bread. Beat together the eggs and milk and put the mixture in a baking dish or shallow bowl large enough to hold at least one slice of bread. Gently press a slice or more of bread into the beaten egg mixture until it has absorbed much of the mixture.

Melt half the butter in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add four of the slices in a single layer. Cook until golden brown on the bottom, about 6 minutes. Turn and repeat on the other side. Keep warm while preparing the remaining bread with the remaining butter.

Serve on hot plates (heated in the oven or microwave, if they’re microwave safe).

Maple syrup

It’s almost universal in breakfast places that serve pancakes, waffles, and French toast that the food is served nice and hot but then, sitting on the table, is a cold container of maple syrup that will guarantee cooling off your food almost immediately. To heat maple syrup, remove the lid, and set the whole bottle in a saucepan surrounded with water (but not so much that the bottle is unstable) and heat gently for 10 minutes or so.

Excerpted from Kitchen Simple by James Peterson Copyright © 2011 by James Peterson. Excerpted by permission of Ten Speed Press, a division of Random House of Canada Limited. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

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