Kiwi's Makes Me Go WEEEEE

Yesterday, I wrote about Superfoods - natures prime ingredients. A diet loaded with these tasty ingredients will help your body function at it's best. Every food on my list boasts multiple healing effects, AND is easy to come by. The Super Pick I'd like to focus on this week is the Kiwi.

  Kiwis are an edible berry. The most common varieties are oval, and just a bit larger than a duck's egg. The skin is a dull brown-green that is fuzzy to the touch. The flesh is bright green or golden with a center ring of tiny, black, edible seeds. The fruit has a soft and semi-mealy texture and a sweet but citrus-like flavor. This little fruit is nutrient dense and packs an amazing amount of vitamin C (twice the amount found in an orange), has more fiber than an apple, and is higher in potassium than a banana. The blend of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals found in a kiwi helps protect against heart disease, stroke, cancer, and respiratory disease. Kiwi is also a natural blood-thinner, but works without the side effects of aspirin and supports heart health by reducing the formation of blood clots, lowering cholesterol, and reducing blood pressure. Kiwi is often recommended as part of a diet to battle cancer as it accelerates the healing of wounds and cells.

Tips:

- Eat one kiwi a day while they're in season. California kiwi is in season from October through May, and New Zealand is available between April and November.

- Kiwi contains enzymes that activate once you cut the fruit, causing the flesh to tenderize. So if you're making a fruit salad, cut the kiwi last.

- The riper the kiwi, the greater the antioxidants, so eat them when they are ripe.

Meditaranean Israeli Cous Cous:

Serves 6

1 1/2 cup water
3/4 cup Israeli Cous Cous
3 California Kiwi, peeled and cut
1 Yellow Pepper, diced
3/4 cup Cherry Tomatoes, halved

3/4 cup Chick Peas

1/4 cup Kalamata Olives, pits removed
3 Scallions, thinly sliced
1 Tbs Lemon Juice
3 Tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 cup Fresh Basil, sliced
1/2 cup crumbled Goat Cheese
To Taste Salt and Pepper
1 tsp Honey
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
- In a small saucepan, cook Israeli Cous Cous like pasta.  Toss in Extra Virgin Olive Oil and cool.
- Combine all the ingredients except Goat Cheese in a medium bowl and gently stir.
- Refridgerate until ready to serve.  Top with Goat Cheese.

- Enjoy!

Kiwi Cheesecake:
Filling:

1 1/2 pound Cream Cheese, softened

1 cup Low Fat Sour Cream

1 1/2 cups Sugar

5 Eggs

2 Kiwis, peeled and pureed
2 Tbl Lime Juice
1 Tbl Vanilla
Crust:
1 cup Almonds, ground
1 cup Graham Crackers, crushed
1 Tbl Butter, melted
Garnish:
2 Kiwis, peeled and sliced thin

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
- Prepare pan: 9-inch with parchment paper
- Combine Almonds, Graham Crackers and Butter until evenly moistened.  Firmly press into the bottom of the pie pan
- Mix all filling ingredients together at low speed for 2 minutes.  Pour onto crust and bake for 45 minutes and cool.
- Garnish with fresh sliced Kiwis.
-ENJOY!
  Whether you eat them raw, cooked, or alone, add some tropics in your life and grab a kiwi.
Happy Eating
-Chef Heather

     Wishing You a
Happy & Healthy New Year

Make 2016 Your Healthiest Year Yet
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Too many of us are too familiar 

with this New Year's  scenerio... 

the ball drops, you vow to keep 

your distance from carbs and spend  

the rest of the year on the treadmill, but two weeks intoJanuary, your  motivation plummets, your starch cravings have become difficult to ignore, and  you've skipped morethan a few days at the gym. Come February, your sneakers  have collected dust and you've forgotten all about your New Year's resolution.

Swap Sugary Drinks For Water
Water is one of the best tools for weight loss  because it 

doesn't have any calories.It is also a great appetite 

suppressant, and often when we think we're hungry, we're 

really just thirsty. Water has no fat, no calories, no carbs, 

no sugar, so drink plenty to help your weight-loss.  

Aim For 5 Servings Of Fruits And 

Veg Per Day 

Fruit and vegetables taste  

delicious and there's so much 

variety to choose from.  They're 

a good source of  vitamins and minerals, and dietary fiber. They can also help reduce the risk of  heart disease, 

stroke and some cancers. Fruit and vegetables are low in 

fat and  calories and high in taste.

Add More Fiber to Your Diet
Fiber-rich foods decrease hunger, so you are likely  to 

eat less during the day. You can easily add more to your 

diet by having high  fiber cereal for breakfast, or as a 

snack mixed with yogurt in the  afternoon.

Eat Breakfast
Did you know... in order to gain weight, sumo  wrestlers  in Japan don't eat breakfast? Really! Skipping  breakfast slows down the metabolism and encourages weight gain.Start your day with a  breakfast  that combines fiber and lean  protein, in order to rev up your  metabolism and keep you full till lunchtime.
Increase your Dairy Intake
Not getting enough calcium triggers the release of a hormone that causes fat storage. Meeting your daily 

calcium  needs helps you burn fat more efficiently. 

Choose low-fat dairy  products for the nutrients your body needs, without the extra calories.

Spice it up
Increasing your intake of capsaicin temporarily boosts your  metabolism and 

helps you feel satiated after meals. Try adding Tabasco sauce to your eggs, 

curry to your soup, and  hot peppers to your chili. Spices will add flavor and health benefits to your  dish.

Start your Meal with Soup
Soup is one of the most filling foods, and a big  bowl of it is a great way to avoid   higher calorie temptations.  Aim for  broth based soups   filled with vegetables, which tend to have a lot fewer  calories than cream based soups. 

Remember, these tips are not just for weight loss  but also to make you feel more energized, stronger, healthier and younger. Live  a better quality of life.  Don't give up because you splurged.  DON'T GIVE UP !!
Good luck in sticking with the resolutions and  shedding the pounds.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Schedule Your Nutritional Consultation Today

Don't wait! Schedule meal services for yourself or a loved one today.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Farm Markets

Summer is here and that means a plethora of freh, local produce is available to us in the Hudson Valley.

Fruits and vegetables are critical to promoting good health. Increasing the quantity of produce in your diet is the easiest way to boost your nutrition. These super-foods are calorie sparse, vitamin dense, superior sources of anti-oxidants and packed with essential nutrients. Produce does much more than just contribute healthy nutrients, essential vitamins, minerals, and fiber, they also help protect you from chronic diseases and they help you heal.  In fact, fresh fruits and veggies boast multiple healing effects, from fighting cancer to reducing cholesterol, guarding against heart disease, aiding in weight loss and so much more. 

There are hundreds of extremely nutritious and tasty options to choose from! So no matter what your preference is, there is always some fruits and veggies that are waiting to tickle your taste buds. Eat these super-healing picks and start feeling pretty super yourself.

Fruit and Veggie 101
Money Saving Tips

1- Create a weekly meal plan that uses the same fruits and vegetables, but prepared in different ways. 

2- Buy fruits and vegetables in season and at farmers' markets or at your local grocery store.

3- Minimize waste, buying only the amounts you will eat.

4- Be creative! Enjoy your fruits and vegetables in different ways. Try baking apples or poaching pears with some cinnamon. Homemade soup is a healthy and tasty way to use vegetables. Smoothies and salsas are also a great use of produce.

5- Cut your fruits and vegetables at home. Pre-cut produce costs more than whole fruits and vegetables.

6- Pick your own at local farms. Late summer and early fall is a great time to pick your own. This is a fun and inexpensive way to buy in bulk.

7- To make fresh fruits and vegetables last longer, wash and dry after purchasing, then store them in the refrigerator or freezer. 

Farm Markets

Arlington Farmers Market

Location: Raymond & Collegeview Aves. Poughkeepsie.

Hours: June-Oct., Thurs., 3-7pm 

URL: Arlingtonbid.org


City of Poughkeepsie Farmers Market

Location: 253 Main St., Poughkeepsie.

Hours:June-Oct., Fri., 10am-3pm 

Contact: 845/473-1415 


Hyde Park Farmers Market

Location: Hyde Park Town Center, Route 9, Hyde Park

Hours: June-Oct., Sat., 9am-2pm 

Contact: 845/229-9111 



Millbrook Farmers Market

Location: Front St. and Franklin Ave., Millbrook

Hours: May-Oct., Sat., 9am-1pm

Contact: 845/677-4304 

URL: MillbrookFarmersMarket.com


Rhinebeck Farmers Market

Location: 23 E. Market St., Rhinebeck.

Hours: May-Nov., Sun., 10am-2pm

Contact: 845/876-7756 

URL: RhinebeckFarmersMarket.com 

Barton Orchards 
Poughquag, NY 
(845) 227-2306

Brittany Hollow Farm 
Red Hook, NY 
(845) 758-3276
Greig Farms
Red Hook, NY 12571 
(845) 758-1234

Daisi Hill Farm 
Millerton, NY 
(518) 789-3393

Wigsten's Farm Market 
Pleasant Valley, NY 12569 
(845) 635-1570
www.dutchesstourism.com/farmers.asp
www.dutchesstourism.com/farm.asp