Recipe - mushroom soup

The finished product- tasty and nutritious!

I went to make a salad for lunch today, but sadly I was all out of spinach (noooooo!). Time to be creative! Fortunately I had lots of other veggies in the fridge including a pack of mushrooms. Did you know mushrooms are incredibly nutritious? (Click this link if you want to read more about their wonders) So instead of salad, I made a quick and tasty mushroom soup. Here's the recipe! 

Ingredients

400g mushrooms

1 tsp minced or 1 clove of fresh garlic

2 cup vegetable or chicken stock

Handful fresh or a few tsps dried herbs of your choice (I used rosemary and thyme)

Shallots or onion or leek

Some milk or yoghurt to serve

Small amount of butter or olive oil

 Start by chopping the white parts of your shallots (or onion or leek) and saut�ing in a heavy based saucepan with garlic and a little butter or olive oil. Olive oil has more proven heart benefits, but I prefer the taste of butter for these things but the choice is yours - only make sure you just use a little bit or your soup will be oily.  Use 1 tsp minced garlic if you're using a jar, or finally chop a clove of fresh garlic you have it. 

While the onion and garlic is cooking, chop up around 400-500g mushrooms. It seems like a lot but they disappear when they cook. Any mushrooms will do, the darker the mushrooms the stronger the flavour. I had small white button mushrooms in my fridge today so that's what I used! 

Slice them relatively finely to aid cooking but don't be  too precise, they will all be blended eventually so don't need to be pretty.  


Pop the mushrooms in with the onion and garlic and stir for a few minutes until they start to cook and soak up the little bit of oil in the pan. Add your stock, herbs and some ground black pepper and leave to simmer for 5-10 minutes. I used some fresh rosemary  and dried thyme, but parsley, basil, oregano or chives  would all work beautifully. 

While this is cooking you may choose to make some tasty topping for your soup. I had half a rasher of bacon in the fridge leftover from another meal so decided to use it up along with the green tops of the shallots.  You could also chop some fresh herbs or use croutons or flaked almonds - whatever you feel like.  I chopped the fat and rind off the bacon (and fed it to my happy dogs) and diced what was left and popped it in a hot pan with the shallots. As I cook with a well seasoned cast iron frypan, I didn't need any extra fat or oil ..... depending on your pan you may need a little. I also tore off some fresh parsley leaves.

Once the mushrooms are looking brown and soft, take the soup off the heat and zap with a stick mixer or put it in your blender. Make it as smooth or lumpy as you wish. You can eat it as is if you like more watery soup or add some milk or yoghurt to make it taste creamier and more filling. I found two tablespoons of Greek yoghurt stirred through gave it a lovely finish.

Serve immediately with your choice of toppings! 

It's cheap, tasty, nutritious, takes about 15 minutes and serves 4. 

Note: once you add the yoghurt or milk this is probably not ideal to freeze, but should keep nicely in the fridge for a day or so. 

Enjoy!!

Lyndal @ Lean Green and Healthy

Making muesli

In my previous post about the beauty of breakfast I talked about muesli, so of course I have been asked what I put in mine! Here's the run down.

Regular muesli for Phill

I need to eat gluten free but my husband doesn't need to avoid gluten so we make two separate batches. I start with two big containers - one for Phill's muesli and one for mine. I then get a base muesli  - for Phill it's whatever brand of natural muesli with fruit looks nice and is a good price from the supermarket - usually Carman's, Mornng Sun or a generic from Woolworths, Coles or Aldi. We will be adding lots to it so if its mainly oats that's no problem, but some have dried fruit, almonds or coconut already in them. Alternatively you can just start with plain rolled oats or oats and barley (Superfoods make a barley/oats mix like this is which is great). For me I get whatever gluten free muesli looks the best (knowing that they are often sweetened and higher GI than Phill's oats so I will be bulking mine out more and eating smaller serves when its done). I tend to choose Carman's, Freedom foods or the generic GF muesli from Woolworths or Aldi. 

Gluten free muesli for me

Now for the fun bit - time to start adding goodies to it! 

Phill's has more grains and fruit than I do - rice bran, wheat germ, barley flakes, dried mango, pineapple, paw paw, apricots, cranberries and sultanas, LSA mix and anything else that jumps out at me in the supermarket.
Mine has more seeds and nuts and less grains and dried fruit (to keep the GI low) - I have dried apples, sultanas and diced prunes, and lots of sliced natural almonds. I then top up both boxes with psyllium husk, coconut and all the crunchy things I can find - pepitas, sunflower seeds, chia seeds, quinoa, rice bran, buckwheat etc. And finally a good slop of cinnamon in both for taste and blood sugar lowering effects (the evidence is pretty patchy on this so I don't know if it really does anything, but it tastes great so that's my excuse for adding it to everything!! )

While it costs a little more the first time you do it and need to buy all the bits, you will end up with a huge container, tailored to your tastes and needs and will be much nicer than any brand you get at the shops. I tend to use mine as a crunchy topping on my fruit and yoghurt, Phill eats his as a traditional cereal with milk, and it works fine for both options. Our big containers of muesli last weeks and weeks and taste great :)

YUM! 

Lyndal @ Lean Green and Healthy

The beauty of breakfast

Many commercial cereals are high in sugar
but oatmeal or natural muesli with natural
yoghurt and fresh fruit is filling and healthy

Do you eat breakfast regularly? If you do, chances are you are already taking good steps towards improving your health. If not, maybe its time to start!  I'll tell you why.

There is good evidence that people who don't eat breakfast regularly are more likely to be overweight or obese. In one study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, data was analysed regarding eating patterns from 500 patients. Skipping breakfast was associated with a significantly higher risk of obesity. People who skipped breakfast 75% percent of days were 4.5 times more likely to be obese than those who regularly consumed breakfast. 

This is not an isolated finding, but why is it so? It is thought that people who skip breakfast tend to eat more food than usual at the next meal when their hunger kicks in or nibble on high calorie snacks to stave off hunger. In the study mentioned above it was found that people who skipped breakfast had an overall higher caloric intake for the rest of the day - they got hungry later, ate more to try and catch up and ended up gaining weight. I have been a patchy and reluctant breakfast eater most of my adult life and I'm sure this was one of the compounding factors in my obesity.

Grainy toast with eggs and vegetables, peanut butter and
banana or ricotta and strawberries is a great balanced meal

So, you may be asking yourself:  "if breakfast skippers eat more calories overall and I never have time for breakfast, can't I just keep on skipping breakfast and remember to eat less the rest of the day?"  Well, it seems its not that simple either. It actually does seem to make a difference when you eat, not just how much. In a study at Tel Aviv University published in the journal Obesity, 93 obese women were put on a dietary program for 12 weeks all consuming 1,400 calories per day. However, one group of women consumed most of their calories in a big breakfast with light meals after that, and the other group had most of their calories at dinner.  

Admittedly, the sample size is small, but the results are striking.  By the end of the study, participants in the "big breakfast" group had lost an average of 17.8 pounds each and three inches off their waist line, compared to a 7.3 pound and 1.4 inch loss for participants in the "big dinner" group. According to Prof. Jakubowicz, those in the big breakfast group were found to have significantly lower levels of the hunger-regulating hormone ghrelin, an indication that they were more satiated and had less desire for snacking later in the day than their counterparts in the big dinner group.

And if you're diabetic or pre-diabetic, breakfast is even more important than just for your waistline. A study at the University of Colorado showed that women who skipped breakfast had an impaired metabolic response to their lunch - with a higher glucose level, insulin spike and higher levels of insulin resistance than those who ate breakfast. Over time, skipping breakfast can make you more likely to develop type 2 diabetes, or worsen existing diabetic control.

My breakfast at a cafe this week - half the plate is vegetables
and fruit, with some low GI carbs (beans), protein (eggs) and
good fats (avocado). And it tasted great! 

So, have I convinced you yet?  It is certainly worth your time and effort to fit a nutritious breakfast  into your day. But what to eat?

My breakfast in Malaysia - vegetables, fruit, curry, eggs & rice

The way I see it, breakfast is like any other meal and should be made up of a balance of lots of fruit and vegetables, some lean protein, some  lowGI complex carbohydrates and some good fats. Most commercial breakfast cereals are laden with sugar (read more about that in this article) and heavily processed, so with the exception of natural muesli, oatmeal or rolled oats they are best avoided. Consider making your own muesli by adding fruits, nuts and seeds to a whole grain base (more information on how to do that here). Or topping grainy toast with fruits and vegetables. And eggs are a wonderful breakfast food to enjoy a few times a week. 

Also remember that most of the rest of the world eats food for breakfast that we in the west would not normally consider "breakfast food" - I had amazing meals of curries, soups , fish and fruits in Malaysia and Singapore for breakfast - think outside the square!

In case you are wondering if I follow my own advice, you'll be pleased to know I have seen the folly of my ways and now eat breakfast every single day and I'm sure it is part of my successful weight loss. Most days I eat a bowl of berries (fruit) with Greek yoghurt (protein) and top it with a handful of muesli (low GI carbs) with nuts and seeds (good fats). Some days I eat eggs (protein) with vegetables (spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms) and fruit (low GI) and maybe some avocado (good fat).  In hotels I tend to order an omelette with spinach, salad and salmon (see a pattern here?). But I always eat something. I may have to get up a few minutes earlier to make it happen, but its routine now and to be the honest, having to stop for 5 minutes to eat it mentally helps my day as well. I certainly can't do without it now!

Under the mixture of grains, fruits, nuts and
seeds is unsweetened yoghurt and a pile
of fresh berries. My usual start to the day!

I have heard people complain that they are just not hungry when they wake up. That certainly is the case for some people, and for most its just training yourself. This is a lifestyle change, remember? Get up, have a glass of water and start moving around to get your body awake and ready. It may be worth looking at how big your dinner is. Too big a dinner or eating too late the night before and you may wake up just not hungry. Make your dinner lighter, watch your alcohol intake and see if that helps. But you will be metabolically better off if you make that first meal of the day a proper nutritionally balanced one, whether you eat it at 6am or 11am.

No matter how busy you are, make the time for a nutritious breakfast. Your body will thank you for it. 

Lyndal @ Lean Green and Healthy

The Simple and Best Ways To Stick To Your Weight Loss Plan

The issue with reducing your weight is searching ways to stick with your weight loss plan with so many distractions sabotaging your efforts. The call of tantalizing sweets or a busy schedule heading the list, and also who can say no to chocolate cupcakes? Some have the strength, but I certainly don�t! Every weight loss program has an end goal. If you are eager to accomplish it, then stick to my best 7 methods to stick to your weight loss plan.

• START SMALL
  Some ladies jump right into the weight loss program, but the bestadviceis to move it slow. Begin with small changes in your eating routine; add in a little fun workout such as Zumba and with small steps integrate your weight-loss strategy into your lifestyle. A few weeks of consistent concentrate on the changes you can manage, and you will notice outcomes that brings you nearer to your fitness goals.
   
• FIND A DIET BUDDY
  You and a weight-loss buddy can be each other�s moral and emotional assistance as you follow the diet plan which includes discussing better ways to stay fit. Basically, being there for each other as �weight loss sisters�. If you are having problems with weight-loss, there is absolutely no better companion than an empathetic buddy.
  
  
• SCHEDULE YOUR MEALS
  It is easier to manage what you consume if you have a set time for your meals. It is understandably hard to restrain yourself until the hands of the clock give you permission, but you need to try. It also assists to prepare small portions of healthy snacks in your fridge so you can have a little nibble when you feel the hunger.
  
  
• DEAL WITH EMOTIONAL EATING
  If you consume because you are sad or unhappy, then it is not easy to follow any weight loss program without 1st dealing with these feelings. You have to listen to your body, ask yourself the reason behind your requirement for food, is it a physical urge or are you just looking to unburden your emotional stress. Once you can tell the difference, it is just a matter of managing yourself
  
  
•  AVOID TROUBLE ZONES
  Your favorite bakery, McDonald's... any place which compels you to break your weightloss plan should be avoided at all costs. It is best to take a different route from work instead of crying over gained calories. If you can�t avoid these kinds of dens of temptation, then mentally fortify yourself against them. Remind yourself of your weightloss plan and your goals and avoid with all your might or better still - take a friend to bodily restrain you.
  
  
•  KEEP THE REWARDS IN MIND
  Push yourself towards your weight loss goals. Every time you feel like giving up, help remind yourself of your reward. A healthy body. A trim waist. To finally fit into your old jeans. The benefits must be continuously in the forefront of your mind and you must always tell yourself you can do it.
  
  
• OVERCOME SETBACKS
  In the beginning, you may fall off the wagon a few times, your resolve may waver and you will dive into fast food and sweets. Don�t be disheartened; pick yourself up and also vow to stay true to your weight loss plan. What is important is your dedication, not how many times you fall.

Do you think these tips are useful? Which of them is most effective for you? I would like to know what works for you, so please share!

Time for action?

Are you sick and tired of feeling sick and tired? The first step is deciding its time for change. Maybe you've had health issues, maybe you are unhappy with the way you look or feel, maybe you just want to be healthier. The biggest step is making the decision that you want things to be different from now on. Congratulations. You're reading my page. You're already on your way !

Lyndal @ Lean Green and Healthy 

Making use of leftovers - curry recipe!

One of the important things when eating a healthier diet is cooking meals from scratch. Restaurant meals are expensive and fast foods are generally high in fat, salt and kilo joules. The best way to know exactly what you are eating is to make it yourself. But how best to make this economical? One tip is to make the most of leftovers! 

A decent sized freezer and a range of containers are a godsend when you're busy. Pack away leftovers in single meal sized containers, label and date them clearly and stack them away. If you're busy, out late or don't feel like cooking it's great to be able to have easy quick reheatable meals, cheaper and better for you than any ready made packet meal!

With some imagination and planning you can really cut back on waste. Two nights ago we cooked a spectacular roast pork, but it was a large piece and we had half left over. We had been meaning to have it for lunch but hadn't, and I certainly wasn't going to throw it away! This sounds like a job for CURRY!!

I put the rice on first as the rice cooker does a great job but Is pretty slow. When it comes to rice, check the GI of the rice you are using. Basmati or doongarra rice are good options, as are some brands of low GI brown rice. I add turmeric and cardamom to the water for colour and flavour. Now, back to the curry! 

Start with diced onions, ginger, garlic, chilli, chopped coriander stalks and some spices. I use ground coriander, cumin, garam marsala, cardamom, paprika and dried chilli flakes. Add a slop of olive oil and start cooking the onions until translucent and making a paste of the spices. At this point you need to take a big sniff...mmmmmmm ;)

Then add your chopped leftover meat - I used the pork, but this would work well with rotisserie chicken, beef or lamb, even leftover sausages. Stir until browned.  Or if you don't eat meat, skip this step and move on to the sauce and veggies!

I then add a ready made sauce to simplify the process (if I have time I make the whole lot from scratch... And I'll share that recipe later LOL) and my sauce of choice is usually something by Taylor's or Patak's.  Read your labels, choose something with as few artificial ingredients as possible, check the fat sugar and salt content and once you find one that works for you, keep a jar in the pantry for curry emergencies!

Add the sauce, some tinned or fresh tomatoes, a handful of frozen peas or small tin of canned peas, a small can of chick peas. Add whatever veggies you have kicking around in the fridge - green beans, steamed sweet potato, carrots, spinach, cauliflower - you name it, the more the merrier! If the sauce is a bit thick add some coconut milk or yoghurt to thin it out a bit and simmer until the rice is done. 

Once your rice is ready you can serve as is, or to make it a bit more like a kashmiri pilau I added pepitas, fennel seeds and sultanas to the rice. If rice is too much of a carbohydrate load for you (I usually avoid it) then consider having your curry on a big bowl of spinach. Top with yoghurt, flaked almonds, chopped coriander and enjoy! Delicious!

The whole meal is quick, tasty and a great way to avoid throwing away perfectly good food. Enjoy!!

Lyndal @ Lean Green and Healthy

So what to eat for a healthier you?

Here is the simple explanation of my daily plan regarding food. I exercise too, but remember that for me, 90% of weight loss was about what I ate. Exercise makes you fitter, stronger and healthier, but if you are eating too many calories it is very difficult to run away from a bad diet with exercise alone. 

I eat whole foods - fruit and vegetables, nuts, fish, meat, eggs, whole grains, dairy, all that stuff - but I don't eat very much rice, pasta, white potatoes, bread or sugar or processed foods if I can help it. Part of the trick, for people with diabetes like me, (and it works the same for non-diabetic people) is watching the glycaemic index of the food - that is,  how fast your body breaks it down into sugar. If your food has a high GI (pure glucose has a GI of 100) then it goes straight into your bloodstream and pushes your blood sugar up, your body produces insulin to deal with it, your blood sugar goes down again and 1) you're hungry quickly and 2) your body stores the excess sugar as fat. Foods like white bread, white rice, pasta, and potatoes have GI that is high and very close to pure sugar. But lower GI things (say eating porridge for breakfast) takes a long time to break down - you don't get the sugar spike that causes fat gain and you don't get the insulin spike that makes you hungry - so you stay fuller longer and put on less fat. Over time if you also have a calorie deficit (simply you eat less calories than you burn) you will lose fat. The books my specialist recommended are by Prof Jenni Brand-Miller from Sydney University. Their website is the Glycemic Index Foundation and they are also on Facebook and I highly recommend any of her books, particularly the Low GI Diet Handbook. Their books recommends swapping high GI things (like white potatoes) for lower GI things (like sweet potato). White bread for grain bread. That kind of thing. That will certainly make a difference to your weight, appetite, energy and general well-being. Just to be clear, I am NOT talking about no carb diets, or low carb diets, I like to call it a SLOW carb diet :)

These are the pointers that work for me, they may not be right for you. Most of these are based on the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating. If you need more specific advice, see an Accredited Practising Dietitian. 


Foods to eat more of:

• Fish � 2-3 a week fish will decrease your risk of heart disease and decrease calories. Tinned fish (salmon or tuna, sardines or herrings) are also great for lunches.
• Vegetables � with the exception of potatoes you can eat almost all vegetables and know they are high fibre, low calorie and low GI � fill up on these! 
• Fruit � some fruit are better than others, but most are fine and full of nutrients
• Eggs, nuts and avocado � like fish, these contain good fats and in small servings are very good for you, eggs are fine 3-4 times a week, a handful of nuts for a snack or some avocado in a salad are excellent ideas
• Dairy: yoghurt, milk, cottage cheese are all good sources of protein and calcium and low GI
• Wholegrains: I can't eat gluten, but I add sorghum and buckwheat flakes to my breakfast, quinoa to my salads etc
• Legumes- that�s beans, lentils, baked beans, chick peas, kidney beans - add them everywhere!

Foods to eat less of : 

• Bread � if you love bread then the more visible grains the better (look for the GI symbol on the pack), or real sourdough is another good option, but treat the cakey white stuff as a treat
• Rice �   Basmati or Doongarra rice is lower GI than white rice, but watch your portion sizes, most of us eat too much. Brown rice is more nutririous but the GI is not much better.
• Pasta � by itself, pasta is relatively low GI but most of us eat much too much in a serving.
• Potatoes � white potatoes can be an issue if you're diabetic like me.

• Fried food, take away food, cakes or biscuits
• Hard cheeses regularly (they are high in fat and are a great treat but watch portion sizes)
• Sweets, chocolates etc
• Refined sugar � I avoid sugar altogether or use honey, pure maple syrup or a little Stevia - I don't use artificial sweeteners but many people do ... I'm not convinced that they are unsafe as such, but I personally don't see the point.
• �Diet foods� � most foods that are sold as �diet� foods have significant amounts of sugar or fat or processing and will actually make you fatter � don�t be fooled !
• Alcohol � I�m a fan of red wine and there is good evidence that a small amount is good for your cardiovascular health (YAY!) so I have a small glass of merlot with dinner 4 or 5 nights a week. But watch the size of your servings and how often you drink�. Remember that it is easy to slip into hazardous drinking habits which can lead to all sorts of problems.

A few other pointers:

Eat more fruit and especially more vegetables

Eat more lean protein

Drink more water

Watch your alcohol intake

Eat smaller portions

Don't deny yourself completely- everything in moderation, life should be FLEXIBLE! 

MOVE MORE!

I ask myself a fundamental question when I'm looking at  a food, meal or whatever - can I tell what this originally was? Has this food been so processed that it no longer resembles its original form?  Twinkies don't come from a twinkie tree. Gummy bears don't look like their component ingredients (whatever they are!) But an apple, a piece of fish, a glass of milk, a slice of coarse grainy bread, a plate of beans? I can see what they used to be and recognise them. Generally if I can recognise it, its usually a good thing - just a thought to consider. You don't have to be a puritan, but its a nice principle to think about.

Now the thing some people find challenging is that they want something to call it? Who's diet book is it? Which diet guru or celebrity is it from? Show me a meal plan?  It doesn't work that way. I  am a firm believer that there is no "one diet" that suits every person at every stage of their life, and the key to leaving our weight troubles behind us for good is learning the fundamental principles to eat HEALTHILY and HAPPILY to suit us and our current circumstances in life (I have a post you can read about my "one-size-doesn't-fit-all" philosophy here). So if you've joined my blog to get a 12 week bootcamp plan to tell you exactly what to eat to get skinny fast and fit into a bikini for summer and then ignore it until next smmer, then you may be in the wrong place. If, however, you want to learn to get healthy for life by making sustainable adaptable lifestyle changes that you can live with forever, then stick around, I might be able to help :)

On both the blog and the page I will share a lot of day to day things that help and also share information from others.  Following this kind of plan has helped me lose 55kg (121lbs) in about 2 years.  Slow and steady wins the race in weight loss, don't be impatient, just make small changes that you could live with forever. Hope this helps!

Lyndal 

WELCOME to Lean Green and Healthy

So... who can spot the difference??

Welcome to my page about my experience and ongoing progress towards a fitter healthier me. I've been working on my Facebook page for over a year now and, with over 25,000 followers there, I thought it might be time to have a crack as a blogger. So, who am I and what's it all about? 

I'm a family physician (GP) in Australia and a combination of busy life, poor choices and health problems meant that, like over 60% of the adult population, I was overweight. In fact, at my heaviest I was morbidly obese. I knew medically it was a problem and I knew I had to do something about it... but there was always higher priorities- family, life, work... it was something I would tackle later. Well, later caught up with me (as it does) and in 2012 at the age of 41 I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. But I bit the bullet, took a stand and changed my life  - and you can too.

So far, since I was diagnosed in July 2012, I have lost 55 kg (121 lbs) with no gimicks, surgery or pills and potions - just healthy eating and a little bit of exercise. I keep getting asked if I'm doing "Atkins" or "paleo" or whatever. I guess it�s a bit more complex than that as none of the "labels' really fit... or perhaps even a bit easier! I am basically keeping my diet simple and focusing on nutritional foods and following the healthy eating guidelines  - cutting back on simple carbohydrates and sugars and processed food and eating more real unprocessed stuff. Some people would call this clean eating. I'm not a fan of strict labels so I  just call it my life now. I do have treats - like good cheese, red wine and coffee (mmmm) but I keep things in moderation.  I counted calories for the first few months which was a good educational experience, but to be honest it was a little overwhelming (and obsession inducing?) so I stopped that - I find it easier to make the healthiest choices I can each day and just let the calories take care of themselves. So, on this page I want to share things I've learned and things I find interesting, and answer questions people might have. Lean Green and Healthy is about healthy eating, exercise, motivation, inspiration, mindful eating, self care and managing chronic disease. Its also about sharing what I know and interesting information from friends and colleagues with nutritional knowledge and expertise.

In 2013 I discovered that I was getting severe gut symptoms and skin rashes from even the small amounts of bread products that I was eating and unfortunately I also have Coeliac disease, which I am at increased risk for as I have lupus (SLE) as well. Again, I am not convinced that gluten is the terrible toxin it is made out by some to be, but for me and others with coeliac, we need to avoid it. Many of you chose to do so also, for all sorts of reasons, so I'm just mentioning this as you may notice it in my posts that I mention GF foods. This is not some fad, sadly I don't have a choice about this, but maybe you do. I can't eat gluten containing grains, but I think wholegrains are good for you and I do try and eat other coeliac safe grains where I can. 

I am far from perfect, but all in all I am a work in progress and will share what I learn along the way.

While I am a health professional, I am not a nutritional expert so if you have any doubts about your own health remember to speak to your own GP and seek dietary advice from an Accredited Practising Dietitian. This page is not designed to give specific medical advice, just general concepts which have been useful to me and you m

ay consider applying to your situation. 

I�d encourage you to take the time to read down the page if you can as we will be adding quite a few posts talking about breakfasts, lunches, tips for travelling, recipes, exercise and research articles. Grab a cuppa and start from the beginning if you like. I follow a lot of pages, some of which I agree with immensely and others I pick and choose from their posts- but I will share lots of information for you when I can. Also feel free to check out our Facebook page here -->  Lean Green and Healthy on FB - it has been going for a year now and is full of information! You may wish to join our chat group on Facebook also  --> Lean Green and Healthy CHAT - it's a great group where you can gain support, ask questions, share photos (we love food pics and progress pics!) rant or vent. 

I hope all this information is useful to you and you enjoy it.  Post your ideas, thoughts or questions. Comment as much as you can! Please share with your friends and family. We are here to support you!

Here's some helpful links to get started:
So what to eat for a healthier you
What does a balanced meal look like?
When it comes to diets, one size doesn't fit all 
Stop dieting now PLEASE!!!
The beauty of breakfast
To snack or not to snack, that is the question! 
Weight loss cures and snake oil salesmen
Focus on the journey, not the destination

Lyndal @ Lean Green and Healthy

City Lash - Eyelash and Eyebrow Enhancer

Use a lash growth treatment to grow longer, fuller lashes.

Are you looking for a product which will grow lashes without side-effects. Several brands can sting and form irritation and redness, not to mention cause unnecessary growth of hair and also discoloration of your skin and eye region! 

� Avoid prostaglandins which can cause color changes in your eyes and skin. 

� Only use formulas with effective peptides, revitalizing elements and vitamins--these important elements give strength, growth and flexibility 

� Apply treatment to brows too! Bigger brows are extremely crucial in the biology of attraction. Brows, like lips, naturally slim over time, therefore full brows scream YOUTH! 

Q: What you should know about City Lash? A: If you want fuller, longer and thicker eyelashes, CITY Lash is the solution you�re looking for. This incredible eyelash lengthening formula is safe and proven to work, where every single case study subject exhibited incredible visible results!

Q: How does CITY Lash work?

A: CITY Lash works by stimulating keratin genes at the cellular level, improving the thick-ness and length of every single lash. This procedure enhances the life cycle of each lash, causing it to stay in your lid for a longer time. Simultaneously, new lashes are induced to grow up, resulting in a longer, thicker lash bed that lasts! 

Q: How will I observe CITY Lash is working?

A: Do a test! Photograph your lashes before you start using CITY Lash and check your growth. Within as small as 5 4 weeks, you will see fuller, bigger eyelashes. Due to the natural improvement cycle of your eyelashes, it will require about forty days for your old lashes to be changed with new fuller, longer lashes. You will begin to see enhanced results faster on the newer eyelashes but will slowly notice your eyelashes growing fuller and longer. 

Q: How soon will I see results?

A: Clinical research has shown about a 25% improvement in length after just two weeks, with as much as a 72% enhance after 42 days. Individual results may vary, but you will begin to see impressive results in less than 40 days. 

Q: Can I still use mascara with CITY Lash?

A: Your normal make-up can be used on your eyelashes in combination with CITY Lash and will not impact on the growth process. Wait some minutes for CITY Lash to dry out before applying any of the make-up. 

Q: Do I need to apply CITY Lash 2 times a day?

A: No. CITY Lash is made to give maximum results in the shortest time with twice-daily application. If you want to use CITY Lash just once a day, the best results will occur if you use it at night before going to sleep. Make sure and clean off all your make-up and wash the area thoroughly. Apply CITY Lash and let it dry before retiring for the night 

Q: How long do I need to use CITY Lash?

A: In as little as 4-6 weeks, you should see awesome results from CITY Lash. Continued use will assist maintain your new longer, thicker eyelashes. Remember, your outcomes will be noticeable as your new lashes grow, so carry on using City Lash and be surprised! 

Home Remedies For Removing Makeup

Baby Oil

Perhaps something you never could have assumed placing near your eyes, baby oil is really a gentle, effective eye make-up remover. It also performs on other areas of the face, but apply it sparingly. The oil isn't usually good for the entire face. When used for the eyes, it's a must. 

Less is more when applying it. A couple of days of the oil on a cotton ball or skin cells is perfect. Apply it over the eyes region while your eyes are softly closed. Based on the amount of make-up was used, you may have to repeat the method once or twice. 

Raw Milk

Raw milk is yet another home method for removing eye make-up. This kind of milk has not undergone any homogenization or pasteurization processing. Cover up a cotton ball with a liberal amount of raw milk, and softly pat down your eye area with it. Afterward, clean all the milk off. 

Baby Shampoo

Apply baby shampoo on a cotton ball or tissue to remove stubborn mascara. The gentle "no tears" product is good for babies, but adults can use it, as well. 

Cucumber 

Peel a cucumber. Mash it into a paste, including just a little bit of water. The cucumber has their natural moisture. Once you've made the paste, put it on to your skin liberally to smoothly rinse away the make-up. The seeds assist with exfoliation. Cucumbers have long been placed over the eyes of ladies wanting a pick-me-up or even remove bags under the eyes. Using cucumber to clear off make-up leaves the skin sensation really refreshed. 

Yogurt

Ayushveda.com notices that yogurt can make a highly effective make-up remover. Ensure you apply the plain, unflavored kind of yogurt. Soak a cotton ball in the yogurt and apply it to swab away blusher, powder and foundation from your face .After that wash with cool water. 

Petroleum Jelly

Petroleum jelly may also help to make an effective eye make-up remover, since its oils is usually effective for dissolving beauty products. Add a small amount of petroleum jelly on tissue paper or a cotton ball and softly rub your eye area. The jelly, although extremely hydrating for the skin, may have a very oily and dense sense, thus make sure to rinse it off carefully afterward. 

Lemon Juice and Rice Milk

Put 2 parts rice milk to 1 part lemon juice. Blend together. Put on this to the face with a cotton ball or pad to take off make-up efficiently from the face, but the eye are should be avoided. Lemon juice left on face by itself is said to minimize freckles also, but that's an unproven concept. This is not for use on the eyes. 

Almond Oil

One convenient home remedy for eye make-up removal involves almond oil. Simply apply a small amount of the oil onto a cotton swab. After that apply the swab to softly remove makeup from your eyes. The almond oil method can be particularly great for mascara removal. Substitute with sesame oil if necessary.

City Cosmetics Total Eye Rejuvenation Serum - Should You Buy It?

City Cosmetics Eye Serum Overview:

We designed our Total Eye Rejuvenation Serum because most women kept coming to us having an issue no other item could solve: aging, tired, creping eyes. This effective serum was designed to change that. It's the 1st ever to focus on every factor of aging eyes, using a revolutionary 6 Phase approach. It is also one of the initial items to contain the fantastic new ingredient BeautifEYE, which is clinically shown to lift sagging eye lids by 20%! Dark circles, crow's feet, bags - all these issues can be cured in minutes using only this one easy formula!

 Repairing your eyes' vitality is the single best approach to look significantly younger. Our Total Eye Rejuvenation Serum is clinically proven to make the eyes appear years more youthful after just one application... it's your very little secret which makes sure no one actually guesses your "real" age again!

Full Ingredients List:

Albizia Julibrissin Bark Extract, Sucrose Palmitate, Titanium Dioxide, Steareth-20, Polyglyceryl-10 Decaoleate, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Polyvinylalcohol Crosspolymer, Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Caprooyl Tetrapeptide-3, Perfluorodecalin, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Nylon-12 Fluorescent Brightener 230 Salt, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Glyceryl Linoleate, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Phytate, Tocopheryl Acetate, N-Hydroxysuccinimide, Chrysin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Lauryl PEG-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone, Palmitoyl Oligopeptide, Darutoside, Hexylene Glycol, Phenyl Dimethicone, Propanediol, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Capryly Methicone, Cyclopentasiloxane, Water, Sea Salt, Dextran.

Directions for use:

Apply a pea-sized amount of the serum to your eye area, ensuring to achieve every factor of your eye area. Pay special attention to the area around your orbital bone, ensuring to apply the serum in an upward way. Never pull down on your skin- this will simply make your lines and wrinkles even worse!

We recommend using the serum 2 times every day, morning and night. This will make sure epidermis gets the nourishment it requires throughout the day.

Final Verdict:

If you have not already heard about this Total Eye Rejuvenation Serum, be ready to read about it everywhere soon. It�s great. It elevates sagging lids, smooths over fine lines and wrinkles, and erases dark circles. This multi purpose serum will likely replace many of the less-talented items in your beauty kit, leaving you wondering how you ever lived without it in the first place.

If you�re interested in using the Total Eye Rejuvenation Serum then you can buy it with its official site.