If you eat healthy food or sensible portions, that you like, you can stick with eating healthy for life.

Your portions should be spaced out over the course of the day. Water should be a part of every meal.

After you eat, your stomach should be half full, or less, with food. For every two parts of food consumed, you should drink one part water. Leave your stomach at least one quarter empty for movement of air.

When eating at a restaurant, eat half a portion, maximum, and wait five or ten minutes. Restaurant portions are commonly two to four meals on a single or double plate.

This is way too much to consume at a single sitting and you may find out that, once you pause and sip your drink, you are already full.

In the Providence, RI area, there are some restaurants where the single portions could feed a family of four. No wonder a man of 200 lbs. is now considered thin. Do not make comparisons to other people. Eat to live and enjoy your food, but do not use someone else’s over indulgence as an excuse for your own.

Establish control over your appetite. Most of us feel guilty if we don’t finish a plate. This is usually conditioning from your childhood. Bury your guilty past and have the rest “wrapped to go.”

Always eat something for breakfast and never “skip it.” When you skip breakfast, you will over-consume for it, later in the day.

Eat slowly and thoroughly chew your food.

Make sure your last meal, or last “snack” of the day, is small and nutritionally dense. Examples: Cereal with fruit, vegetable salad with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, rice with vegetables, and light popcorn, without the extra butter and salt. For those who eat meat or fish: turkey, chicken, or salmon salad on top of fresh greens.

In the later part of your day, skip desserts, sugary cereals, bread, and second portions.

If you absolutely must have sugar: Eat fruit, strawberries with yogurt or low fat cottage cheese, fruit with rice, or almonds with yogurt.

If you must have coffee or alcohol, beware that these should be consumed in extreme moderation. Both substances will dehydrate your body, and you will have to drink extra water to make up for it. Wine is much better than hard alcohol, but one or two glasses a day is the limit.

1. Atlanta personal chefs can save you money.

Yes, it seems counterintuitive, but you can actually save money when you hire a chef in Georgia. Think about how much money you spend each week picking up take-out, going out to dinner, and buying groceries at the store. Chances are, you and your spouse spend more than the cost of having a personal chef prepare five days worth of customized meals in your own home.

2. A personal chef can save you time.

Most people think that in-home chefs come to your home every day. In truth, they usually come one day each week and prepare five days’ worth of meals at once. They then package and store the other dinners so that all you have to do is reheat and serve. Imagine the time you can save – time that isn’t spent running to the store or piling the family in the car to go grab a bite.

3. A chef for hire can reunite the family.

Well, the chef herself doesn’t reunite the family, but gathering together for a family meal goes far in helping family members stay connected. With careers, errands, extracurricular activities, and time spent with friends, it’s all too easy to spend for family members to scatter to the four winds. With a personal chef, you can spend what little time you have together enjoying good food and catching up with one another.

4. A personal chef brings nutrition to the table.

All too often, nutrition takes a backseat to convenience. Personal chefs provide convenience without sacrificing nutrition. By using the best and freshest ingredients, you can work with a personal chef to come up with menu ideas that are both delicious and nutritious.

5. A party chef takes the stress out of entertaining.

Whether you’re having a dinner party for six or a brunch for sixteen, private event chefs in Atlanta can be a godsend. They can whip up exquisite meals that your guests will find memorable, and you can concentrate on ensuring that everyone has a good time. Private party chefs have the experience needed to create dishes that complement one another, as well as the ability to execute those dishes to perfection. If you need other help for the party, such as servers or bartenders, a personal chef should be able to provide you with reliable referrals.

Once you look into the costs and benefits of hiring a personal chef, you’ll quickly see that she will not only make your life easier, but will also make your life better.

Even for seasoned Barbecue vets, getting your meat consistently good is something that can be more than a little tricky. Well I’m here to tell you that it’s totally doable, and here are eleven tips that will help:

1. Purchase ribs that are evenly covered in meat. In other words, don’t buy a slab that is fatty on one end and fleshy on the other. Avoid slabs that have exposed bones!

2. Allow for one pound of ribs per guest. This is a generous helping but for more impressive appetites, make it two!

3. When preparing the meat, make sure you remove the membrane on the underside of the ribs with a sharp knife. If you don’t it blocks the flavor intake.

4. Always marinate your ribs in the refrigerator, not at room temperature.

5. Don’t even think about boiling those ribs! Above all else, boiling the meat causes it to lose all its flavor. If you just have to pre-cook your ribs before slapping them on the cooking grate, try steaming your slabs instead as this will help lock the flavor in.

6. Before placing your ribs on the grate for Barbecuing or smoking, make sure you coat the metal with a generous helping of oil.

7. Barbecuing demands constant attention! As soon as it goes on your grate, stay close by and keep an eye on it. Watch the cooking temperature and avoid going above 250 degrees Fahrenheit — the best ribs are cooked slowly over indirect heat for about five hours.

8. Put down that fork! Always use tongs to handle your meat once it’s on the grate. Why pierce the meat and let the flavor ooze out if you don’t have to?

9. If you’re going to baste during cooking stay away from anything with sugar in it. Your best bet is to use vinegar and/or water-based products only.

10. Only lay on the BBQ sauce in the last 20-30 minutes of cooking. Any sooner than that and the heat will cause the sauce to caramelize and burn your meat.

11. Let the ribs cool for 10-15 minutes before you serve them up. This is just a courtesy — you don’t want to singe your guests’ mouths with smoking hot sauce! You could lose some friends.

Now the only thing left to do is to go out and implement these tips. Happy barbecuing!!

Below are 6 tips for having a healthy dinner out (while still enjoying your meal like normal!):

- Watch Your Drinks – By not ordering an alcoholic beverage, you’ve saved yourself a considerable number of calories. Try sipping iced tea sweetened with a noncaloric sweetener, a diet soft drink, or water with lemon. You’ll be glad you did when you consider the calorie savings.

- Have A Salad – One of the best menus to have is salad. Not only will it fill you up so you’ll consume fewer calories overall, but it will also give you a hefty dose of antioxidants which are heart healthy. Be sure to ask your waitress to hold the croutons and cheese which will further reduce your caloric load. Also, choose your dressing wisely. Avoid cream based dressings and go for the vinegar based ones. You also have the option of using vinegar and olive oil which is heart healthy.

- Don’t Order An Appetizer Unless Necessary – Do you know that some appetizers have more calories and fat than the main course? Plus, many appetizers are fried and served with heavy sauces which will add to your intake of saturated fat as well as trans fats and calories. It’s not a healthy way to start your meal.

– Choose The Right Kind Of Foods – Go for broiled and grilled rather than fried. Not only will you save calories and fat grams, you’ll also avoid trans fats which are so prevalent in fried foods. Instead, consider asking for a doubles order of vegetables with your entree. Very few Americans are getting the 7-9 servings of fruits and vegetables recommended for optimal health. Plus, by avoiding the starch, you’ll be reducing your caloric and carbohydrate load. Also, stick to tomato based sauces rather than cream based and you’ll enjoy a considerable calorie savings. Lastly, ask for the sauce to be served in a separate dish on the side so you can control the amount you eat.

- Don’t Overeat – Today, many restaurants are serving larger quantities of food than in the past. If this is the case, put aside a portion of your entree at the beginning of the meal to take home with you. If you remove it from your plate before you start eating, you’ll be less tempted to overeat.

- Say “No” To Sugary, Fatty Desserts – Instead, go for a low fat or low carbohydrate dessert selection such as a low carb cheesecake. These are wise choices for the health conscious eater and still allow you to end the meal on a sweet note. If a healthy dessert option isn’t available, try a cup of coffee with skim milk to help satiate your desire for something sweet.

The next time you go out for dinner, keep the above tips in mind. You will be surprised how many calories you are able to slash out of your meal just by ordering the right menus! Happy healthy eating!

We grow tomatoes, and strawberries in containers and the extra benefit is that you get total control over the growing conditions.

The best combination is to have organic soil together with organically produced seeds or plants, that way you ensure you get the full flavour and benefit.

Containers can be placed anywhere that receives a reasonable amount of daylight, which means that you can use them on balconies or other hard surfaces.

Look for your local suppliers

One of the most satisfying things to do is to buy organic food locally. That way you get the freshest ingredients for your kitchen and also get to support local businesses. With no transportation costs for the supplier too you should get very competitive prices.

Don’t forget that these same businesses will be employing local staff so you are also helping the local economy, everybody wins in this scenario.

Local markets

We visit a big monthly market held on a disused airstrip. Organic food is just one of the variety of items sold there but the prices are very, very good indeed. Of course they are all local suppliers and with several of them in one place we benefit from healthy competition and get to sample a lot of fruit!

Local box schemes

If you are unable to get out of your house or are too busy working to select your groceries by hand then why not subscribe to an organic box scheme?

You will receive, delivered to your door, a weekly selection of fruit and vegetables in season.

Farm shops

Finally, investigate whether any farms near you are operating an organic farm shop. Our local one is operated on an open farm so that you can go and see where the animals are being kept and take a look at the crops being grown.

They actually have a well-designed walking route around the farm which makes a nice day out for the kids too.

If you investigate the options above you should be able to make considerable savings whilst you and your family sample the delights and

1. Do you need to get a license to run the business? Many states require that businesses get a license before they are allowed to open. This includes home businesses in many locations. Check with your local government agencies to see what you will need to have in place to start your own home business.

2. Do you need a zoning permit? If you have a home business opportunity that requires doing actual business with the public, you are going to need to make sure that you will not be in violation of any zoning laws. Most cities have very strict residential zoning requirements and it is not hard to violate them. Make sure that the type of business you want to start will be acceptable to run at your current location.

3. How much equipment will you need to buy? You’ll need to know exactly how much money you’re going to have to spend to get your business operational. While some home business opportunities require just a computer, others may need a special printer, extra software, additional gadgets or even heavy equipment. This can add up in a short period of time. Make sure that you are aware of all the expenses that you will incur before you start up.

4. Do you have enough space in your home to devote to your business? Running an informational company is one thing, but if you are going to be stocking products in your home, you’re going to need enough space. For tax purposes, you’re also going to have to have a room that is completely devoted to your home business. This means no kid’s toys, or anything from your normal family life can intrude on this room. If you don’t have this kind of space you may need to add on to your home to accommodate your business.

5. Will you need to purchase any insurance? If you are doing business with the public at your home, you will need to get liability insurance. This will help protect you if anyone falls on your property or injures themselves in anyway. If you will be storing products, you will need to have them insured in case there is a flood or they get damaged in any way.

Lastly, you may want to consider business protection insurance that will help you in the event of any copyright infringement claims or other common complaints. Don’t forget your own health insurance, or any insurance that you may need to provide for employees. This can add up quickly and increase your overall start up costs.

Every barbecue is always a good fun family event. Here are 5 ways to make your routine evening barbecue a more unique experience:

1) Who said you have to only barbecue meat? There is quite a lot that can be done with bread or fruit and veg over a naked grill. One way to make barbecues and grilling more fun to the whole family is to use pastry cutters for what ever it is you are grilling. It is up to you or your kids what design and type of food you use.

2) Try some of those foil packed recipes which cook in less than 20 minutes which are very handy and clean and kids will also love the surprise element. Combos can be great fun as you can mix it up any way you want and it makes a great game for the kids mixing different items of bread, fruit and veg.

3) They say variety is the spice of life so if you only ever cook the same old sausages and steaks why not try something different like a nice bit of cod or a juicy bit of venison. Similarly, try to mix it up with condiments and seasoning.

4) Barbecues should not be rushed, they are supposed to be fun, many of the die hard barbecue fans out there will state that broiling is an insult to the barbecuing criteria. Barbecues should represent a process of slow cooking on low to high heat and while you wait for the food to grill its a great opportunity to have a good laugh with who ever is in your party be it friends and family.

5) When we were all small children are moms told us never to play are food, well there is an except to every rule isn’t there? Barbecue games are a great way to have really good fun while cooking. In the game Glutton, every player gets either mashed potatoes, turnip or mac cheese, then they must pick at random a utensil from the kitchen and eat and the first person to eat all of their dish wins

TDrink minimal quantities. If you find yourself drinking more than would be used in a social situation, alcoholism may be a lurking illness. The best way to avoid addiction is to drink minimal quantities and know when to stop.

TDrink beer at home. The best way to drink beer responsibly is to simply drink it at home. This will eliminate the danger associated with driving or getting into a confrontation with others.

TDo not drive. If you have consumed beer, it is best not to drive. Not only may it be illegal, but also dangerous. If you need to go somewhere, walk or have someone to take you.

TIf you are away from home and have been drinking, give your keys to a friend, designated driver or call someone to pick you up. If you need a ride home, you can call a friend, family member of even a taxi. Anytime that you are under the influence of alcohol, it is pertinent that you not attempt to operate an automobile. This could not only endanger your life, but those of others as well.

TNever leave your drink unattended in a public place. This is especially true of restaurants, bars and/or anywhere that alcohol is served. Leaving your drink unattended may leave you susceptible to someone placing a substance in your drink. If you get up to dance or go to the restroom, order a new glass of beer when you return. If you are just mingling, take your drink with you.

In the United States, an individual must be 21 years of age to purchase and/or legally consume beer. When purchasing alcohol, photo identification is required. This can be in the form of a driver’s license or other similar form of identification, which features a photo and birth date of the customer. A number of retail grocers, in the United States, prohibit the sale of beer before 12 p.m. in the afternoon.

If you, or someone that you know, is believed to have a drinking problem, consult a local treatment center for diagnosis and therapy to help overcome the illness. Alcoholism is a disease that often requires professional medical care, which is why proper treatment is critical to its cure.

- Freshness

Fruit and vegetables taste better and are healthier if eaten as soon as possible after picking. Most fruit you buy from supermarkets and the like is picked well before it is properly ripe, to extend shelf life, and this usually has an impact on flavour. Growing your own lets you taste the freshest possible produce as it’s meant to taste.

- Quality

Commercially grown crops are often selected for their high yields, uniform appearance and long shelf lives rather than for quality and taste. When you grow your own, you can concentrate on the quality rather than the economics.

- Price

Much supermarket fresh produce is hugely overpriced, despite their advertising claims. Growing your own from seed is about as inexpensive as you can get, and even growing from small plants you buy is likely to provide you better food at a lower cost. With many plants, you can use the seed from one growing season to provide plants for the next – a self sustaining cycle that will cost you only time and effort to keep going.

- Provenance

More and more people have concerns about how our food is produced, with chemical pesticides and GM food a particular worry. With your own vegetable patch, you know exactly where your food is from and how it was grown.

- Variety

There are literally thousands of different varieties of fruit and vegetables, but supermarkets tend to concentrate on only the most profitable and easy to sell. This means that our choice is often limited to a few select varieties of apple, for example, rather than the hundreds of traditional kinds that exist. Growing your own lets you pick the varieties you like the most, and experiment to find new ones you’ll rarely see on sale.

There is of course a downside to all this – it takes time and effort. In these increasingly busy times, we might not think we have the time to spare, but starting small with a few herb plants on your windowsill, or even the odd tomato plant, will give you a taste of growing your own and might even be enough to hook you into it for life!