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5 squares Newsletter |
February
2010 |
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Quick Links
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Do Good, Feel Good |
Play & End Hunger
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 Greetings,
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This past month has brought our mission to another
level. US Weekly magazine featured us as part of the
cover story about
celebrities' favorite diets. Although we have
been in many publications in the past nine years,
this one had the greatest impact of all.
I love to spread the buzz about 5 squares™ and hope
everyone knows how important
word-of-mouth
recommendations are to our business. You
built 5 squares, and its continued success is
dependent upon you!
Please visit
5 squares on
Facebook where you can get the latest
information on specials and some great diet tips
too. Chat us up. We would love to hear from you!
And speaking of diets tips, this month's nutrition
article features an easy and healthy
tip about fiber.
In focusing on the importance of fiber, we included
a quick guide on how to
save money
on produce. You can eat fresh tasting fruits and
veggies and maximize shelf life at the same time.
You can also practice cooking with fiber in mind
with our delicious
Vegetarian Chili
recipe.
Another powerful diet tip is to team up with a
friend. To help you do just that, our
Valentine's Day
Special is below. If you buddy up with
someone in your household, you will enjoy fantastic
savings and gain valuable support in your quest to
eat right. Happy Valentine's Day to you and yours.
I'm off to make some more yummy meals...
Happy Eating!
Monica Lynn
Nutritional expert and Founder of
5 squares
P. S. Feel
free to
email me
your feedback and questions and forward this
newsletter to your friends. |
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Nutrition:
Healthy Weight Loss Tip - Fiber
First
When you hear the word
"fiber," do you cringe? Is it a five-letter
word that brings up all
kinds of images better left unsaid?
According to experts, 96% of people in the
United States don't
consume enough fiber despite
the fact that fiber aids in weight
loss and
fights disease.
If you can think about fiber as a strategic
weapon in your arsenal of weight loss tactics
instead of just another nutritional component
that some far-away and famous nutritionist,
whose name you don't remember and can't
pronounce, requires you to eat, you may reap a
slew of healthy benefits.
Fiber 101
Fiber is a
carbohydrate your body can't absorb. There
are two kinds of fiber: soluble (dissolves in
water) and insoluble (cannot dissolve in water).
Although your body doesn't digest fiber, it is
important to your overall health.
Benefits
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Reduces cholesterol
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Lowers glucose levels
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Reduces risk of heart disease, diabetes, and
diverticulitis.
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Blocks cholesterol and fats from absorption
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Prevents constipation and irregularity if
consumed with adequate
water
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Supports weight loss
Weight Loss and Health Strategy - Fiber First
Fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts and whole
grains are all great sources of fiber. Fruits
and vegetables fill you up and are some of the
richest sources of nutrients with minimal
calories.
A well-balanced diet is important. We are not
saying to avoid all other foods. The idea here
is to gradually tweak your eating toward the
fiber foods, and away from the
sugary, fatty foods.
Experts say that adults should consume 20 to
35 grams of dietary fiber each day. Ask your
doctor what is best for you and make sure you
drink plenty of
water to help move the fiber through your
body. Drinking water will also add to that
"full" feeling.
Make sure you follow your physician's directions
if you are going to increase your fiber intake.
If you have any intestinal or stomach
conditions, your doctor can guide you. If you
plan on increasing fiber in your diet, you
should add it slowly to allow your body time to
adjust. You want to make these additions
gradually to avoid any bloating or gas. Focusing
on fiber foods such as lettuce, celery,
cucumbers, melon, asparagus, green beans, and
oranges will help to minimize intestinal
reactions.
High Fiber
Foods
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Apples with skin
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Barley
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Beans
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Beets
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Bran
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Broccoli
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Brussels sprouts
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Cabbage
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Carrots
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Cauliflower
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Citrus fruits
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Lentils
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Oat bran
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Oatmeal
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Pears with skin
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Peas
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Raspberries
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Rye
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Strawberries
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Turnips
It is best to eat a wide variety of high fiber
foods, but the list above will get you started.
For a more complete list visit the
USDA National Nutrient Database. Target
excellent sources of fiber with at least 5 grams
of fiber per serving and good sources of fiber
with between 2.5 and 5 grams of fiber per
serving.
Tips for Adding Extra Fiber to Your Diet
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Eat fruits with the skin on when
possible and instead of drinking juice.
Eat a piece of fruit first before
breakfast.
Add plenty of high fiber vegetables like
broccoli and carrots to soups and
salads.
Choose a high-fiber food for an
appetizer when dining out at a
restaurant.
At lunch and dinner, eat salads first.
Eat 100% whole grain foods for highest
fiber content, not the processed,
refined grains with less fiber.
Keep in mind powdered fiber products like
Metamucil®, Citrucel®, and FiberCon® won't give
you the same vitamins and minerals found in
whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. Ask you
medical professional about whether you need
these products. Please
email us or call us toll free at
1.866.5.WE.COOK (1.866.593.2665)
if you have any questions. After all, we are
only one click away.
You can also visit our
archive page for past newsletter
nutrition articles.
The health
information provided here is for informational
purposes only and is not intended to substitute
for seeking professional medical care.
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How to Save Money on Produce
Do you sometimes find that your fruit and
vegetables lack taste or rot quickly?
Would you like to maximize the shelf life
of your produce?
You can extend the life of the fruits and
vegetables you buy and enjoy great taste if you
know:
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How to identify ripe fruit and
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How to store produce at home.
Don't waste your hard-earned money on bad
produce and ruin good produce by storing it
incorrectly.
How to Identify Ripe Fruit and Vegetables
Make sure you buy ripe soft berries, cherries,
citrus, grapes, pineapple, and watermelon,
because they will not ripen further in your
home. This also applies to tomatoes in the
winter. Look for vine-ripened tomatoes during
the colder months.
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Buy in-season. See the
In-Season Produce article.
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Smell - Local farmers' markets are a great
place to use smell as an indicator. Grocery
supermarkets are refrigerated, which makes
the smell test a bit more difficult but not
impossible. Smell for an aromatic scent in
the blossom end of the fruit.
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Color - In general, brilliant color is an
indicator of ripeness particularly for
bananas, apples, tomatoes, red berries, and
cherries. Cantaloupes and peaches should
have a yellowish color to them.
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Softness - Rock hard fruits are not yet
ripe. The softness test works well for
fruits such as pears, kiwis, and avocados.
Also, if you feel a bit of give when you
press in on a melon, it is probably ripe. On
the other hand, if you press in on an
eggplant and the area doesn't bounce back,
the eggplant is past its prime. Buy
eggplants that have oval instead of round
circles at the blossom end for maximum meat
and minimal seeds.
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Weight - A heavier piece of fruit is also a
good indicator of ripeness. If you pick up a
grapefruit or tomato that feels heavier then
others, it is probably almost ready to eat.
How to Store Fruits & Veggies
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Keep fruits and vegetables separate.
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Store outside the fridge: avocados, bananas,
onions, stone fruits (including peaches and
plums), potatoes, and tomatoes.
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Once melons ripen on the counter, move them
into the fridge.
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Keep potatoes, onions, and garlic separate
from each other and in dark containers.
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Leafy greens: Wash and spin them or
lightly dry them with a paper towel. Store
them in a loosely closed plastic bag lined
with paper towels or a cloth.
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Store in the refrigerator crisper: Beets,
broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, celery, corn
with husks, cucumbers, eggplant, and leafy
greens.
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Store in a separate refrigerator crisper:
Apples, cranberries, figs, grapes, kiwis,
mangoes, nectarines, rhubarb, and
strawberries.
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Store in the refrigerator in a warmer zone:
Berries, cherries, ripe melons, mushrooms
(in a paper bag), peppers, yellow squash,
and zucchini.
Enjoy the great flavor of produce all year round!
You can also visit our
archive page for past newsletter
articles on resources.
The health information provided here is for
informational purposes only and is not intended
to substitute for seeking professional medical
care. |
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Recipe:
Easy
Vegetarian Chili
A flavorful favorite
that
you will turn to again
and again. And it's a great way to
fill up on fiber.
Just chop a few
veggies, add some spices,
and simmer.
It's that easy!
Ingredients
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup chopped onions
¾ cup chopped carrots
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
¾ cup chopped celery
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 (28 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes
with liquid, chopped
1 (19 ounce) can kidney beans with
liquid
1 (11 ounce) can whole kernel corn,
undrained
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
1 ½ teaspoons dried basil
Preparations
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Heat oil in a large saucepan over
medium heat. Sauté onions, carrots,
and garlic until tender.
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Stir in green pepper, red pepper,
celery, and chili powder. Cook until
vegetables are tender, about 6
minutes.
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Stir in tomatoes, kidney beans, and
corn.
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Season with cumin, oregano, and
basil. Bring to a boil, and reduce
heat to medium.
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Cover and simmer for 20 minutes,
stirring occasionally.
8
servings.
You can
also visit our
archive
page for
past newsletter recipes.
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Buddy Up and Save with our
Valentine's Day Special! |
TEAM
UP &
SAVE! |
Experts say teaming up with another person
is one of the best ways to successfully
change your eating behavior.
Add a second person at your home for an
additional $30 (that is a $13-a-day
savings).
Or add an extra dinner at this month's
special rate of only $13 per day. You'll be
feeding you and your partner gourmet,
healthful food for less than you'd spend
cooking it yourself.
Please call us at 1.866.5.WE.COOK or
email us to get started now. The entire
month must be prepaid in advance. Offer
expires February 28, 2010 and cannot be
combined with other offers. Also, please
mention this newsletter when you call.
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Offer Expires: February 28, 2010. |
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5 squares™ healthy eating plan is a
weight management program
designed to help you manage your eating habits and achieve
personal weight and health goals. We take all of the
guesswork out of eating properly by eliminating the
opportunity to make wrong choices.
Our expert chefs prepare
guilt-free,
delicious food, which is delivered right to your door
before 6 a.m. Because you have your five meals for the day
(3 meals plus 2 snacks), you have the power to eat the right
foods, the right amount, and the best nutritional calories.
The 5 squares monthly e-newsletter is a great resource for
nutritional advice;
quick, healthy-lifestyle tips; recipes; resources and
special offers; and
5 squares promotions.
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Email us:
Info@5squares.com
Call us toll-free:
1.866.5.WE.COOK (1.866.593.2665)
Visit us:
www.5squares.com
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