February 2008

Susan's Introduction Featured Article Susan's Healthy Hints Success Story Chef's Specials Ask Susan Free Offers Susan's Healthy Gourmet's award winning chefs have over 100+ years of combined culinary experience. Each month our chefs will prepare a list of special meals. These delicious and nutritious meals cover breakfast, lunch, dinner and even healthy desserts. Each meal can be delivered directly to your home or office. To learn more about our Chef's specials please contact us at: 1.888.396.3257 In each issue of Susan's Healthy Lifestyle our founder, Susan Johnson, will answer a question from one of our readers. If you would like to submit a question to Susan for a future issue please send it to: info@susansheatlhygourmet.com Make sure to place "Ask Susan" in the subject line. Dear Susan, I keep hearing that including nuts in my diet is really healthy, is this true? If so, I thought they were also very fattening. Which is true? Donna Vaughn, Palm Desert Dear Donna, To answer your question, both of your concerns are true. Eating nuts as part of a healthy diet is good for your heart. Most studies have found that people who include nuts as part of a heart healthy diet have lower LDL, low-density lipoprotein aka "bad," cholesterol level in their blood. A high LDL is one of the major causes of heart disease, so nuts' ability to lower LDL cholesterol seems to be extremely beneficial. Many people wonder what's in the nut that's thought to be heart healthy. It's thought to be the unsaturated fats in nuts that lower the bad cholesterol. Lots of nuts are also rich in omega-3 fatty acids. The omega-3s are a healthy form of fatty acids that tend to help the heart. So, what amount of nuts is considered healthy? They contain a lot of fat and although that fat is very good for you, eat nuts in moderation. A small handful a day is the recommend serving. But again, because they are high in fat make sure you are eating nuts in place of something else, don't just add them to an already unhealthy diet, because then you are not doing your heart any good. Keep in mind that it's the whole "raw" nuts that have the benefits. When they are covered in chocolate, sugar or salt the benefits are not quite as high. Nuts also contain fiber, and a high-fiber diet is thought to help prevent heart disease and diabetes. Thanks for the great question! To Your Health, Susan Johnson Referral Program - A large part of our continued success is due to our loyal customers referring their family, friends and colleagues. For that reason we have set up a referral program to reward those who so generously give to us. Each new customer you refer (who doesn't reside in your household) will entitle you to a $25 credit towards your next set of orders from Susan's Healthy Gourmet. Refer a Friend Today! by having them call (888) EZ-MEALS and be sure to remind them to mention your name and Susan's Healthy Lifestyle.		Welcome to Our February Newsletter , We hope you and yours are enjoying the tail end of a great winter season! This month's issue will provide you with answers to some of the most pressing questions we hear about eating and maintaining a healthy diet. As always, my sincere hope is that you find our online publication as beneficial to you as our meals have been. Be sure to look out for our newly revamped website and online publication, both of which have now been launched! Remember, you can refer each issue to your friends, colleagues and family by simply clicking on the "Send to Friend" link at the bottom of the newsletter. I'm sure they will enjoy it and find it as beneficial to them as you have. In the meantime, I want to wish all of our customers and readers a wonderful month! To Your Good Health, Susan Johnson Founder & CEO Susan's Healthy Gourmet To learn more about eating healthy all year round and enjoying a healthy lifestyle you can visit us online at www.susanshealthygourmet.com "A decadent treat that actually has some health benefits, I'll take it!" By Carissa Rivas Although it has a bad reputation, chocolate actually has some great benefits. This doesn't go to say "a little goes a long way" but a little can't hurt. Some of the benefits a delicious piece of chocolate may include are:  The smell alone of chocolate may increase specific brain waves, resulting in relaxation.  Chocolate contains phenyl ethylamine, a mild mood elevator.  The cocoa butter in chocolate contains oleic acid, a mono-unsaturated fat which may raise good cholesterol.  The flavanoids in chocolate may help keep blood vessels elastic.  Chocolate increases antioxidant levels.  The carbohydrates in chocolate raise serotonin levels in the brain, resulting in a sense of well-being.  It may also make milk easier to digest if you are lactose intolerant. Even though eating chocolate has these great benefits, it is always good to remember that moderation is key. Eating one piece of chocolate is okay but eating a box could get you into some trouble. When enjoying a piece of chocolate always remember to chose a dark chocolate over a milk chocolate and it is always more nutritious when combined with fruit or wrapped around nuts or raisins. Go ahead take some time to enjoy a rich and smooth chocolate treat. To learn more about eating healthy all year round and enjoying a healthy lifestyle you can visit us online at www.susanshealthygourmet.com "Quick tips for busy moms" By Carissa Rivas Falling into a rut? If so try, eating foods that you normally would not eat. For example, instead of a baked potato with fixings, try a baked sweet potato with fixings. If you really like a specific salad for lunch, try dressing it up with sunflower seeds, dried fruit or a new dressing. Look up new recipes and when you go grocery shopping buy a cart full of ingredients that you've never had in your cart before. Turning to food for comfort? We do this because it's easy! My best advice: don't have any of your comfort food, like ice cream or cookie dough in the house. Out of sight, out of mind! Try replacing your comfort foods with healthier options, rather than a bowl of chocolate ice cream, try having fat free chocolate pudding instead. Also, keep upbeat music on, it will motivate you to move and keep busy rather than sit with nothing else to do but eat. What are the best fast food choices? If you just can't stay away from fast food, you might as well make the best choices possible. Things to remember: keep it small and never super size. Chose items that are grilled, not fried. Hold the Mayo and if you have to have fries choose a small size and split them with someone that you are eating with. Finally, choose water instead of soda, not only is it better for you, you are saving about 200 calories in your meal. To learn more about eating healthy all year round and enjoying a healthy lifestyle you can visit us online at www.susanshealthygourmet.com Do You Have A Success Story? As a result of our commitment to your health, countless numbers of our customers have experienced dramatic improvements in their health, weight and overall lifestyle. To celebrate their achievements we profile success stories from Susan's Healthy Gourmet's very own customers. If you are a Susan's Healthy Gourmet customer and would like to share your success story, please email us at info@susanshealthygourmet.com Please make sure to place "My Success Story" in the subject line of the email. You can also call 1.888.396.3257 (EZ-MEALS). To learn more about eating healthy all year round and enjoying a healthy lifestyle you can visit us online at www.susanshealthygourmet.com
Make the Healthy Choice Today!
Call (888)396-3275 (EZ MEALS) or visit us at > info@susanshealthygourmet.com