Thyme

I found some great information on Thyme here http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=77.

A lot of the receipes that i hav ebeen making called for Thyme and in an effort to educate myself I thought i would try and figure out why.

Description
A delicate looking herb with a penetrating fragrance, thyme is an herb we should all take time to investigate and enjoy. And with about sixty different varieties including French (common) thyme, lemon thyme, orange thyme and silver thyme, this herb is sure to add some spice to your life.
Thyme leaves are curled, elliptically shaped and very small, measuring about one-eighth of an inch long and one-sixteenth of an inch wide. The upper leaf is green-grey in color on top, while the underside is a whitish color.

Health Benefits
Thyme has a long history of use in natural medicine in connection with chest and respiratory problems including coughs, bronchitis, and chest congestion. Only recently, however, have researchers pinpointed some of the components in thyme that bring about its healing effects. The volatile oil components of thyme are now known to include carvacolo, borneol, geraniol, but most importantly, thymol.

Thymol - named after the herb itself - is the primary volatile oil constituent of thyme, and its health-supporting effects are well documented. In studies on aging in rats, thymol has been found to protect and significantly increase the percentage of healthy fats found in cell membranes and other cell structures. In particular, the amount of DHA (docosahexaenoic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid) in brain, kidney, and heart cell membranes was increased after dietary supplementation with thyme. In other studies looking more closely at changes in the brains cells themselves, researchers found that the maximum benefits of thyme occurred when the food was introduced very early in the lifecycle of the rats, but was less effective in offsetting the problems in brain cell aging when introduced late in the aging process.

Nutritional Profile
Thyme is an excellent source of iron, manganese, and vitamin K. It is also a very good source of calcium and a good source of dietary fiber

Peppered Pork Chops

Peppered Pork Chops

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

4 whole loin lean pork chops, about 3/4-inch thick
2 tsp black pepper, coarsely ground
1/2 tsp ground thyme, dried
2 tsp vegetable oil
2 tsp worcestershire sauce

Directions
1 Coat chops with pepper and thyme.
2 Heat oil in large heavy skillet over medium-high heat.
3 Add chops, cook to brown one side (2-3 minutes); turn to brown other side.
4 Remove chops from pan, keep warm.
5 Add Worcestershire sauce to pan, stirring constantly to remove any pan juices and brown bits on bottom of skillet. ( i didn't have any juices left to do this with so i just added some Worcestershire suace after the fact)
6 Pour accumulated juices over chops and serve. (

Nutrition Facts
Amount Per Serving
Calories 188.4
Total Carbs 1.4g
Dietary Fiber 0.3g
Sugars 0.3g
Total Fat 8.8g
Saturated Fat 2.5g
Unsaturated Fat 6.2g
Potassium 436.4mg
Protein 24.4g
Sodium 86.9mg

Dietary Exchanges
1/2 Fat,
3 Meat

The Cholesterol meds are working sort of

Here is a look at my cholesterol chart. I have done well with bringing it down with everything EXCEPT the triglycerides ... anyone know how to get those down???

Lab Work

I did a 16 hour fast and went and had lab work done today. Lets hope there is some improvement in the numbers.

At my doctors appt i must discuss the fact that my FEET ARE KILLING ME. i feel like i am walking around on a bed of stones all the time and my toes are swollen ... ugh i thought that there was an adjustment period to the meds i guess not ... i need help!

Greek Chicken

Greek Chicken
Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes (depends on size of chicken i used chicken breasts and cut them in half so cooking time was not 50 min more like 30 min)

Ingredients

2 fresh lemons

1 cooking spray

6 Chicken, broiler/fryer, leg, with o skin, raw, boned, skin discarded (i have scaled the recipe down to 2 chicken breasts which will also reduce the cooking time)

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1 tbsp ground oregano

Directions

1 Cut 1 lemon in half.

Slice the other lemon thinly and set aside.

2 Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly coat a shallow baking pan with olive oil-flavored cooking spray.

3 Place chicken in pan and brush with extra-virgin olive oil and juice from halved lemon. Drizzle with oregano and lemon slices.

4 Bake chicken for 50 to 60 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in the center when cut with a small knife.

5 Remove from the oven and serve hot.

Additional Information

Serve it with sliced tomatoes and garlic bread. (i am going to serve chicken over a bed of wild rice)

Nutrition Facts
Serving size: 1 piece
Amount Per Serving
Calories 186.3
Total Carbs 2.2g
Dietary Fiber 1.1g
Sugars 0.7g
Total Fat 9.1g
Saturated Fat 1.8g
Unsaturated Fat 7.3g
Potassium 299.7mg
Protein 22.9g
Sodium 97.7mg

Dietary Exchanges

1 Fat,

1 1/2 Meat

Sad news

I got on the scale today and i had gained back 5 pounds. I truly need to start working out or doing something to help! I think that i have the eating healthier on a good path now i need the path the gym.
I did walk yesterday 4 city blocks and today after work i walked the grocery store just so i could walk somewhere as it was rainy and i didn't want to drive to the gym!

Quick Taco Soup

Okay I made this and it was GREAT!!!
I did make a few changes and i am not sure how it plays out with the dietary changes.
I did fry the meat but as my pan does not require spray that was omitted.
I then used onion powder a tablespoon instead of fresh onions.
The pinto beans were low in salt and were not seasoned.
I used a can of chopped tomatoes that had basil and oregano in them.
I did not use any chili powder instead i used 2 tablespoons of taco seasoning mix and 4 tsps of powdered ranch dressing.
I served in a bowl with a side of tortilla chips on a cold and rainy night! It was perfect.


Dinner Tonight is Quick Taco Soup ....
I found this recipe at http://www.dlife.com/dLife/diabetic-recipes/recipeResults.html?keyword=taco+soup+ Where i find many of my recipes that i am trying. But the funny thing is that this recipe was also in a magazine called cooking for 2. However the one in cooking for 2 didn't' appear to be as spicy as this one so i think that i will sorta alter them and mix them as to my taste buds while trying to reduce the amount of salt that is the recipe

QUICK TACO SOUP
Ingredients
1 2/5 cooking spray
3/5 lb extra lean ground beef (5% fat) (or ground sirloin)
1 2/5 cup fresh chopped onion
19 2/5 oz Beans, pinto, spicy, with jalapeno & red pepper, fat free, canned
16 8/10 oz Tomatoes, stewed, unsalted, canned , undrained
12 oz canned red tomatoes with green chilis , diced
2 2/5 tsp chili powder
6 medium corn tortilla
6 cup Lettuce, iceberg, fresh, shredded
3/5 cup Cheese, cheddar, low sodium, shredded
3/10 cup fresh cilantro , chopped (optional)

Directions
1 Preheat oven 350 degrees F. Spray a large saucepan with cooking spray. Heat over medium-high heat until hot. Add beef and onion. Saute 6 minutes or until beef is browned. Add beans, stewed tomatoes with juice, diced tomatoes and green chilies, and chili powder. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer 10 minutes.
2 Place tortillas on baking sheet. Spray tortillas lightly on both sides with cooking spray. Using pizza cutter, cut each tortilla into 6 wedges. Bake 5 minutes.
3 Divide lettuce among 5 soup bowls. Ladle beef mixture equally over lettuce. Top with cheese and cilantro (optional).
Serve with tortilla wedges.


Makes 5 servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 293.1
Total Carbs 40.7g
Dietary Fiber 9.9g
Sugars 7.6g
Total Fat 6.9g
Saturated Fat 3.1g
Unsaturated Fat 3.8g
Potassium 0mg
Protein 20.1g
Sodium 471.8mg
Dietary Exchanges
1/2 Fat,
1 1/4 Meat,
2 Starch,
2 1/4 Vegetable,
1/4 Very Lean Meat