D'Vida Pre-Made Smoothies, the 100% natural & low calorie meal replacement/snack!

Everyone is looking for a simple fast and healthy meal replacement or snack.   Now-a-days most products that are easy are loaded with preservatives and ingredients that most people can't read.  

Whether you're looking for a post workout drink, trying to slim down, or you're simply just looking for a healthy breakfast/lunch/snack, the d'Vida pre-made smoothies are LOW-GI, HIGH PROTEIN and non-GMO, the perfect addition to your pantry!

D'Vida offers pre-made smoothie sachets that are not only quick and easy to make, but are also healthy and nutritious! The d'Vida sachets begin with a proprietary, LOW-GI smoothie base, with all-natural ingredients and only the freshest fruits and vegetables. All products are non-GMO, gluten free and act as an excellent source of fiber and protein. 

D'Vida makes great party drinks as well.  If you love Pina Coladas, your guest will rave over the VideBOOST (Pineapple and Coconut) with fresh strawberries and bananas.   These Pina Coladas would make a great drink for bookclub, baby shower or throw them in a mug and drink them while watching your favorite football team play.  

These smoothies are so easy to make.  Open a sachet and add ice and water and blend.  For a different flavor or for more of a variety add your favorite fruit.  

I recently tried D'Vida Pre-made smoothies.  I was actually impressed with the flavor, it actually tasted like the real stuff.  I decided when I tried the smoothies to opt out of adding any ingredients to my drink so I could get the pouches original flavors.   I was very impressed.  I didn't feel like I needed to add anything.  You may enjoy adding more ingredients to get more fruit and vegetable servings but it isn't necessary.  My absolute favorite smoothie was the VidaBOOST which consists of pineapple and coconut.  There were actual coconut flakes in it.  It was amazing.  When I had finished drinking it I wished I could open another because the flavor was so good.   It did in fact leave me feeling fuller and better.  I drank it after exercising and found it helped give me another boost and left me feeling satisfied.


I was also impressed with D'Vida's different options.  You can purchase D'Vida VidaBOOST (pineapple and coconut),  VidaGREEN (cucumber, kale, green apple and spinach), VidaPUMP (Peanut butter and strawberry) and VidaSLIM (strawberry and banana).  Drink a smoothie based on your needs for the day and what you are trying to accomplish for your health.

D'Vida has also made purchasing simple and easy.   It is available to order on Amazon.   Grab yours today and start on a path to a better you.  

Review By A.H -Mom of 4

Learn About Tofu

You don’t have to be a vegetarian or vegan to experiment with tofu. Also known as “bean curd,” tofu is an excellent source of soy-based protein and iron and it lends itself to a variety of delicious, healthy dishes. Tofu can be found in a number of different forms: Silken tofu (or Japanese-style tofu) is softer, smoother, and generally better for creamier dishes, while regular tofu (or Chinese-style tofu) is firmer and more granular in texture, and it works especially well in stir-fries, stews, soups, salads, and more. You can enjoy a 1/2 cup serving of all varieties of tofu on all phases of a low glycemic diet.

Buying and Storing Tofu
Both silken and regular tofu can be purchased at an Asian market or health food store and many supermarkets now carry both types as well. Each type comes in varying degrees of firmness: soft, firm, and extra-firm. Light silken tofu is also available. There are also ready-to-eat baked and marinated versions of regular tofu available in a variety of flavors, from Italian to Asian. Regular tofu is always packed in water and sold refrigerated. Silken tofu is usually sold in vacuumed-packed containers that do not need to be refrigerated and can last for years on the shelf unopened.

Cooking With Tofu
Silken tofu is ideal for puddings, smoothies, dips, soups, salad dressings, sauces, pie fillings, and other creamy desserts (even cheesecake!). Regular tofu is an excellent meat replacement and delicious marinated for stir-frying, sautéing, or grilling. It’s also great in baked tofu dishes or in any dish in which you want the tofu to retain its shape. Try it crumbled and scrambled as well.

See more South Beach Diet Tips.

Spread protein across the day

Often breakfast is a hot drink and pastry; lunch is vegetable soup or a green salad with garlic bread.  Finally, at dinner we may have protein.  Rick Gallop, author of "The GI Diet," writes that protein is brain food and should be eaten early in the day, if not at every meal and snack.  Protein provides amino acids for neurotransmitters.

Protein is required to build and repair body tissue. It satisfies hunger better than carbohydrates or fats. Because it is harder to digest, it releases glucose more slowly and evens out sugar peaks.

One of the best proteins is beans. Nuts also are high in proteins. Choose low fat, lean meats, skinless chicken, seafood, and low fat dairy.  However, don't use artificially sweetened dairy (which Gallop recommends). I like Greek style natural yogurt with fruit and instead our sour cream. The potential harm to heart and other organs is too great. (See http://ow.ly/4rTdu.)

Here is a day's food plan that incorporates protein.

Breakfast: Protein drink, with fruit and soy milk.
Snack: Raw almonds and fruit.
Lunch: Salad with garbanzo beans and vinegrette dressing.
Snack: Protein bar.
Dinner: Pesto chicken, frozen or fresh vegetables, quinoa, and fruit. 

Day 14 Low Glycemic Lifestyle Change

I'm on day 14 of my lifestyle change to a low glycemic diet.  Some of the meals have been really great.  My friends, Doug and Terri, are making the change with me.  Last night Doug made Carne Asada, a recipe he found on the South Beach diet webpages.  In addition, we had a salad with homemade vinaigrette and steamed vegetables - asparagus and zucchini. I sprinkled mine with dried mint flakes. Yummy.

Here is the recipe.
Carne Asada

Prep time: 15 minutes | Marinating time: 20 minutes | Cook time: 25 minutes | Stand time: 10 minutes | Serves: 4

Details:

Carne asada means “grilled meat” in Spanish and is also the name of one of Mexico’s most popular dishes. Purchase the fresh salsa from your supermarket. You can also try grilled scallions instead of red onion if you like. (Phase 1)

Ingredients:

    1/4 cup fresh lime juice

    2 garlic cloves, minced

    1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

    1/3 teaspoon salt

    1 (1 1/2 pound) flank steak, about 1" thick

    1 large red onion, sliced into 1/4" thick rounds

    1/2 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

    1 small avocado, sliced into 1/4" thick pieces

    1 cup fresh tomato salsa

Nutritional Information:

360 calories

17 g fat (5 g sat)

13 g carbohydrate

38 g protein

3 g fiber

440 mg sodium

Directions:

   In a 9" by 13" glass baking dish, combine lime juice, garlic, pepper, and salt. Add steak and turn to coat. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and marinate steak at room temperature for 20 minutes, turning once.

    Lightly coat a grill or grill pan with cooking spray and heat to medium-high. Grill steak, basting with any remaining marinade, 5 to 7 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes.

    While steak is resting, in a medium bowl toss onion with oil. Grill onion, turning occasionally, until golden, 4 to 5 minutes. Cut steak into thin slices across the grain and divide among 4 plates. Serve with onion, avocado, and salsa.