14-Day Pritikin Weight-Loss Plan Day 10

All Your Meals for Day 10

Breakfast
2 whole-wheat buttermilk pancakes or waffles with 1 cup fresh berries
1 cup plain nonfat yogurt
1 cup tea or coffee with 1 tablespoon nonfat milk or soymilk and 1 packet of sugar substitute

Mid-morning Snack
1 nectarine, plum, or tangerine. A diet rich in whole fruits and vegetables is great not only because they help you lose weight and get plenty of nutrients but also because they are so incredibly low in sodium, which means they can help you avoid high blood pressure. A piece of fruit has just 3mg of sodium. Just 3! A bagel has about 440mg of sodium. An Aunt Annie's Soft Pretzel has 1,120mg of sodium (two-thirds the sodium we should eat for the entire day).

1 ounce walnuts

Lunch
Salad on-the-run. Did you know that many restaurant salads have more calories and saturated fat than two McDonald’s Quarter Pounders? A Chicken Caesar salad at many restaurants can tally up 1,000 calories. Stop off instead at supermarkets with big, bountiful salad bars full of delicious, freshly cut veggies and other healthy toppings, like beans and freshly roasted chicken. Use fat-free dressing or make your own very-low-calorie (and very-low-sodium) dressing by combining a little oil (just a teaspoon or two) with vinegar and black pepper. Total calorie count for your designer salad? Probably not more than 200 calories.

4 ounces canned low-sodium salmon with 1 teaspoon fresh dill, sliced cucumber, and finely chopped onion stuffed into ½ whole-wheat, low-sodium pita pocket

1 cup fruit (While at the salad bar, make up another container full of pre-cut fresh fruit like melon and strawberries.)

Mid-afternoon Snack
Chickpea Crunchies. Toss 1 cup of blotted-dry, cooked chickpeas (garbanzo beans) with ½ teaspoon each of black pepper, coriander, cumin, and cayenne. Spread on a nonstick baking sheet and bake at 400? F until golden brown, about 40 minutes.

Dinner
2 cups mixed greens with 2 tablespoons chopped red onion, 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce, ¼ cup nonfat ricotta cheese, and 1 teaspoon canola oil

1 cup of Super-Fast Italian Soup. From one 14-ounce can of cannellini beans, spoon out 2 tablespoons of beans. Puree the rest. In a medium nonstick pot, sauté 5 cloves of chopped garlic till translucent. Add 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth and 1 head of escarole, finely chopped. Simmer for about 15 minutes, or to your taste. Throw in pureed beans, red pepper flakes and black pepper to taste, and the 2 tablespoons of whole beans. Freeze leftovers in single-serving containers for future meals and snacks.

Penne Pasta in Fresh Herb Sauce (see recipe below)

Dessert Jell-O Sugar-Free Rice Pudding (just 70 calories). Make it pretty by scooping it out of its plastic container and topping it with blueberries and a sprig of mint. Garnish with a little no-sugar-added raspberry jam.

Penne Pasta in Fresh Herb Sauce

Serves 4

2 zucchini, cut into ½-inch-thick moons
1 red bell pepper, peeled, seeds removed
1 yellow bell pepper, peeled, seeds removed
¼ cup shallots, roasted *
½ cup onion, pureed in food processor
¼ cup roasted* garlic, pureed 
1 pound cooked whole-wheat penne pasta
1 large eggplant, roasted whole**; then, scoop out flesh and discard skin.
¼ bunch fresh basil, leaves picked and chopped
¼ bunch fresh thyme, leaves picked 
¼ bunch fresh Italian parsley, leaves picked and chopped
¼ bunch fresh tarragon, leaves picked and chopped
¼ bunch fresh rosemary, leaves picked and chopped
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon black peppercorns, ground
½ cup white wine
½ cup low-sodium vegetable stock

In a large HOT nonstick skillet, sauté zucchinis, peppers, shallots, onions, and garlic. When cooked very al dente, add the remaining ingredients, and mix thoroughly. Serve immediately.
* To roast shallots and garlic, put them on nonstick cookie tray and bake in 450 F oven, shaking the pan occasionally until they are browned, about 10 minutes.
** To roast eggplant, slice eggplant in half, and roast on baking sheet, cut-side down, in 450 F oven until softened but not browned, about 35 to 40 minutes.

Nutrition Information (per 2-cup serving): 260 calories, 1.5g fat, 0g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 10g protein, 12g fiber, 20mg sodium

 The Pritikin Edge: 10 Essential Ingredients for a Long and Delicious Life
You will find many more great food and healthy lifestyle tips in the new book The Pritikin Edge: 10 Essential Ingredients for a Long and Delicious Life by renowned cardiologist Robert A. Vogel, M.D., and Paul Tager Lehr, director of the Pritikin Longevity Center & Spa in Aventura, Florida. The Pritikin Edge is now available wherever books are sold, and includes:
75 recipes for flavorful and healthful dishes
A complete guide for dining out healthfully and deliciously
Quick-fix snacks and salad dressings
Sample menu plans 
Physical activities that are most effective for weight loss and heart health
Key strategies for stepping around stress and becoming a happier, more emotionally nourishing person. When it comes to heart disease, your head really is connected to your heart.