3 Great Coconut Shrimp Recipes

If you love coconut shrimp, here are three different, but very good coconut shrimp recipes to try.

Coconut Beer Batter Fried Shrimp with Pineapple Salsa

2 eggs
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup beer
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 lb. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
coconut oil
3 cups grated coconut

Seasoning mix:

1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
2-1/4 teaspoons salt
1-1/2 teaspoons sweet paprika
1-1/2 teaspoons black pepper
1-1/4 teaspoons garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon onion powder
3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano

Thoroughly combine the ingredients for the seasoning mix in a small bowl and set aside.

Mix 1-1/4 cups of the flour, 2 teaspoons of the seasoning mix, baking powder, eggs, and beer together in a bowl, breaking up all lumps until it is smooth.

Combine the remaining flour with 1-1/2 teaspoons of the seasoning mix and set aside. Place the coconut in a separate bowl.

Sprinkle both sides of the shrimps with the remaining seasoning mix. Then hold each shrimp by the tail, dredge in the flour mixture, shake off excess, dip in batter and allow excess to drip off. Coat each shrimp with the coconut and place on a baking sheet.

Heat deep fryer to 350F. Drop each shrimp into the hot oil and cook until golden brown, approximately 1/2 to 1 minute on each side. Do not crowd the fryer. Drain on paper towels and serve immediately.

Lay shrimp on large lettuce leaves and serve with Pineapple Salsa dip. Garnish with lemon, orange, or lime wedges.

Pineapple Salsa

1 cup finely chopped fresh pineapple
1/3 cup chopped red onion, 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup pineapple preserves (or apricot-pineapple preserves)
1 tablespoon finely chopped seeded fresh jalapeno chili
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Combine ingredients and gently toss.

Coconut Shrimp Kabobs with Island Coconut Salsa

1 lb. shell-on shrimp, uncooked
1/3 cup coconut milk, canned and sweetened
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 teaspoon red chili peppers, seeded and minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
12 to 18 fresh pineapple chunks

Island Coconut Salsa

1 cup flaked coconut
1 cup chopped cilantro
1 cup chopped green onion
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
1 to 2 teaspoons minced garlic clove
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup olive oil or macadamia nut oil

Peel and devein shrimp retaining tails; set aside. Combine coconut milk, lime juice, garlic, red peppers, cumin, coriander and pepper; pour over shrimp. Marinate no more than 1 hour. Thread shrimp and pineapple chunks on skewers. Broil or grill, 3 minutes per side, or until shrimp are done. Arrange coconut shrimp on large lettuce leaves. Serve with Island Coconut Salsa on the side.

Caribbean Shrimp Run Down

1 lb shell-on shrimp, uncooked
3 tablespoons lime or lemon juice
3 cups coconut milk
1 large onion
3 cloves garlic
Finely chopped hot pepper to taste
1 lb. tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 Tbsp. vinegar
1 t. fresh chopped thyme

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Peel and devein shrimp retaining tails. Pour the lime juice over the shrimp and set aside. Cook the coconut milk in a heavy frying pan until it is oily. Add the onion, garlic and cook until the onion is tender. Add the hot pepper, tomatoes, salt and pepper, thyme and vinegar. Stir and cook very gently for 10 minutes.

Drain the shrimp, add the other ingredients and cook until the shrimp is tender, about 10 minutes. Serve hot over rice. Preparation time: 30 minutes.

How to Energize Your Breakfast with Protein

Including healthy proteins with your breakfast will really help you have a great start to your day. Coupling proteins with other essential nutrients in the morning gives you the proper energy you need to get your day started on the right note.

Protein provides energy and helps build cell structure to support growth and repair. It also helps the immune system function properly. So as you can see, having protein as a part of a nutritious breakfast is an important way to start your day. Try some of these protein choices to start the day off right in the morning.

Eight Protein-Filled Breakfast Ideas

1. A high-in-protein breakfast cereal - Some cereals can have as much as 13 grams of protein. To get an added kick of protein, though, you can sprinkle your bowl of cereal with dry roasted sunflower seeds. This can add an additional 5 grams of protein to your breakfast.

2. A breakfast burrito - A simple egg and cheese on a corn tortilla is great, but go the extra mile and add beans to your egg and cheese, making it a breakfast burrito. In this way you have just added some good healthy amount of protein to your breakfast. This can give your day a start of 25 grams of protein.

3. Peanut butter and jelly on toast - Watch the highly processed peanut butters, though. Look for a less processed one so it has less sugars, or it will defeat the purpose. Even almond butter would be a great protein alternative. Use whole wheat toast and stay away from processed white breads. Using peanut butter or almond butter in place of just plain butter on toast can add 8 grams of protein to your meal to start your day.

4. Greek yogurt - Skip the non-fat yogurts and go straight to Greek for a higher protein yogurt. Add some berries like blueberries which are also high in protein, or some seeds or nuts that are high in protein, to really boost that protein intake in the morning.

5. Oatmeal - Stay away from the instant oatmeal and use the rolled oats. Cook in skim milk instead of water to add an additional 8 grams of protein. Sprinkle with nuts and apple, and drizzle with honey and a sprinkle of cinnamon for a tasty protein-filled breakfast idea.

6. Smoothie - Make your breakfast smoothie with kefir instead of milk or yogurt to add extra protein.

7. Muffins - Make your own; don’t buy from a bakery. This way you can be sure to include protein-rich foods, but also keep out high sugar and processed foods. Make a banana nut muffin with whole wheat flour. Spread with peanut butter to really amp up the protein in your muffin breakfast.

8. Banana and cottage cheese - Need a quick breakfast option? Have no fear. A banana with cottage cheese will give you 28 grams of filling protein to get your day started out on the right note even when you’re on the go.

Adding protein to your breakfast is a great way to get your morning started right. Make sure it’s the right proteins and don’t have a lot of sugary processed foods with it. You will be full right up until lunch time and will be sure to make better choices in your food throughout the day with these great starters.

Tips For Healthy Eating

Healthy eating is a way of balancing the food you eat to keep your body in great health. With healthy
eating, you’ll have energy all day, get the vitamins and minerals you need, stay strong for activities you enjoy, and maintain a healthy weight.

Below, you’ll find tips designed to help you with healthy eating.

1. Don’t skip any meals

Eating 3 meals with snacks in between is the ideal way to maintain both energy and a healthy weight.
When you skip meals and get hungry, you’re more than likely to choose foods that aren’t very good for you.

If you are eating away from home, take food with you or know where you can buy healthy food from.

2. Learn about how to prepare foods

Instead of deep frying, try grilling, stir frying, microwaving, baking, and even boiling. You should
also try fresh or even dried herbs and spices to add flavor to your food. Before you eat any type
of meat, be sure to trim the fat and skin off of it.

3. Avoid a lot of sugar

Drinks that contain sugar are a major source of empty energy. What this means, is that the drinks
contain a lot of energy that your body may not need, and it doesn’t contain any vitamins or
minerals. If you plan to drink sugary drinks, don’t go overboard – limit yourself to 1 a day.

4. Avoid thinking about diets

There are no good food nor any bad foods. All food can be a part of a healthy diet, when eaten
in moderation. You don’t need to buy any low carb, fat free, or even diet foods, as these foods
normally have lots of other added ingredients to replaces the carbohydrates or fat.

Vitamin B12 Deficiency Diet Therapy Should Be The Preferred Solution

If you suffer from a vitamin B12 deficiency, diet therapy and not supplements should be the answer.  It is relatively rare for people to suffer from this particular problem unless there is an underlying health problem.  Being deficient in B12 is common if you are an alcoholic, have a bowel condition such as Crohn's Disease or are very old.  But some vegans and vegetarians occasionally suffer as they do not get sufficient quantities of essential B vitamins via their diet.

If you are lacking in these vitamins, you could potentially be causing serious damage to your body. Your nervous system, growth and development as well as healthy blood cells all depend on this vitamin.

So what symptoms should you be looking out for?   The problem is that the signs can be rather vague. You could have no obvious indications of a problem. Alternatively, sleeping problems, extreme tiredness, irritability, diarrhea, confusion, trouble breathing and being pale are all potential indicators of an underlying problem.  But they could also be there because of the original illness or may be caused by some other medical complaint.  Therefore the only definitive way of testing for a B12 deficiency is via blood tests.

Some people are tempted to fix any issue with a pill. It appears to be easier to take a supplement rather than try changing your diet.  While doctors sometimes recommend medication, this is usually for the most severe cases.  Your body simply cannot absorb vitamins and minerals from tablets as well as it can from natural sources.

Vitamin B12 deficiency diet therapy can help those who are less seriously affected.   The best way to improve your intake is to make sure you eat a healthy breakfast.  Wholegrain cereals contain essential B vitamins.  If you are not vegetarian, quality meat provides a great source as does eggs and dairy produce.  Be aware though that boiling milk destroys the vitamins.

If you are vegetarian or vegan, you may need to take supplements as the vitamin B12 contained in plants is not accessible to humans.  Some people will tell you that Nori (seaweed) and Spirulina (an algae) both contain good quantities of this vitamin and they do but not in a form that we humans can access. So don't waste your cash in expensive health stores. You can eat some foods that have been fortified with vitamins such as yeast extract, vegetable protein, and soya milk.

Studies have been undertaken in third world countries to find out why the citizens rarely suffer from B12 deficiency. It appears that the reason is the fact that their vegetables are fertilized with human manure.  However excellent a source of B vitamins this is, I am sure most US citizens would prefer not to have these foods on their table.


If you are diabetic you may also be at risk due to the effects of some of your medication so it is best to discuss treatment with your doctor.  He will probably suggest the Vitamin B 12 deficiency diet therapy as the best option for you.

How to Make Homemade Cellulite Cream

Have you looked into using cellulite creams and lotions? You may have been put off by the cost, or maybe you aren't comfortable with the ingredients used. You can actually make your own cellulite-fighting creams at home for much less money using healthy ingredients. Here are some recipes to try.


1. Essential Oil Cellulite Cream

This good-smelling lotion not only pleases your sense of smell; the essential oils used are reputed to help tighten skin and reduce cellulite's lumpy appearance.

* 1 cup unscented body lotion
* 1 tablespoon witch hazel (available at drug stores and large retailers in the pharmacy or first aid section)
* 3 to 5 drops each of the following essential oils: juniper, rosemary, cypress and grapefruit

First, mix the essential oils with the witch hazel by shaking or swirling. Then add the lotion and stir or shake vigorously. Use this lotion after you shower and before bedtime, working it into the skin with a circular, massaging motion.


2. Coffee Scrub

Caffeine is one of the main ingredients used in a lot of commercial cellulite creams. Using coffee grounds you can apply this caffeine to the skin, and also the abrasive/exfoliant action of the grounds can help increase circulation and skin tone. Here is how to make a coffee scrub for cellulite.

* 1 cup used coffee grounds (some sources say you can use the ground coffee fresh, without making coffee with it first. Presumably, this would have more caffeine but may seem more wasteful)
* 1/4 cup sweet almond oil

Mix these two ingredients and apply to wet, warm skin in small circles, massaging well. You can "wrap" the area with plastic wrap and then a towel, leaving the coffee scrub in place for about ten minutes before rinsing. Make sure you have a strainer over your shower drain so it doesn't get clogged with coffee grounds!


3. Fruit Cream

The presence of acids such as tartaric and citric acid in fruits may help reduce cellulite. This recipe also uses sugar, which can act like an exfoliant to increase circulation and tone up skin.

* 1 tablespoon sweet almond oil
* 3 tablespoons sugar
* 1/2 cup pureed fresh strawberries

Apply this cellulite cream as you would the one made from coffee grounds. It could also be used under a cellulite wrap.

Exercises to Help Reduce Cellulite

Cellulite is one of those unsightly conditions that many people don't know how to address. Regular exercise does not always help; even though you may lose weight and tone some areas, the cellulite-ridden places may stubbornly refuse to smooth out. Specific exercises, though, may help reduce cellulite's appearance, especially in combination with a healthy diet. Here are some tips and ideas.

1. Cardiovascular Exercises

Not too long ago, we called this kind of exercise "aerobics." Certain cardiovascular exercises work the areas of the body that tend to be prone to cellulite, as well as increase overall metabolism and circulation. Some sources say that cellulite is partially the result of poor circulation; cardiovascular exercises can help this. Some cardiovascular exercises you might try - and some of the areas they target - are listed below.

* Vigorous walking - buttocks, thighs, back of the legs

* Swimming - back of the arms, upper and lower legs

* Stationary bike - legs, buttocks

* Jogging - legs, buttocks, arms

2. Target Toning

It can help to target tone areas of your body that have cellulite.

* Sit-ups and crunches can tone the belly, but take care not to strain your neck or back. There are alternatives to sit-ups ("modified" sit-ups) that may work better for those whose backs can't take traditional sit-ups or crunches.

* Leg curls, where you lift weights using the muscles in the back of your upper leg, help tone up the hamstring area and buttocks.

* Triceps presses can help the back of the upper arms. Like a reverse push-up, triceps presses use the triceps to raise and lower your body. If you are not familiar with these exercises, here is how they are done: get into a "crab-walk" position, with your knees bent, your bottom off the ground, and your arms behind you holding you up. Then bend and straighten the arms (don't just move your bottom up and down) to work the triceps.

* Lunges and squats can help tone the upper legs and buttocks. There are various ways to do these - just make sure you choose low-impact versions of these exercises if you have trouble with your joints.

* Step exercises are said to be good for cellulite, as they work the upper legs and buttocks.

3. Yoga, Pilates, and similar exercises

Some people swear by Yoga and similar exercises for smoothing out cellulite. This may be due to the circulation enhancement that such stretching, balancing exercises are said to promote. It could also have to do with targeted muscle toning. Regardless, these kinds of meditative exercises may be just the thing to complement your cellulite-reduction efforts.

Why We Get Stitches When Running and How to Avoid Them

Side stitches, or side pains, can be very painful and uncomfortable, and can hinder a perfect running experience almost immediately. The pain can start off slight and increase sharply in a matter of seconds. More than anything, side stitches are a nuisance to runners and may mean you need to stop your workout early!

What is a Stitch?

A side stitch is felt on either the right or left hand side of the body, though it most often occurs on the left side. It resonates in the area right below your lower ribs. The pain can be so intense at times that it can even cause you to stop running completely.

Why do Stitches Occur?

There is no definite medical explanation for why stitches occur, especially during running, but there are several theories. Some researchers claim that stitches are more common with beginner runners, due to the fact that they are more likely to engage in rapid or shallow breathing.

Rapid breathing is believed to not fully engage and relax the diaphragm, thereby causing the ligaments on one side of the body to contract forcefully. Another belief is that the rapid breathing, combined with the jolting of running and exhaling as your right foot touches the ground, puts additional strain on the ligaments near the liver and the diaphragm, which then causes the pain to be felt on the left side of the body.

Other research states that eating a meal within one hour of a run can cause side stitches, as well as drinking sugary or carbonated drinks. The digestive system has not worked the food and drinks completely through the system, and could be the reason for the sharp pains felt on the side.

Still other research suggests that if a runner forgoes a proper warm-up before a running session, and starts off running too fast, too soon, he or she will experience sharp side pain.

Preventing Stitches

If you notice that you get side stitches often, first ensure that you are not eating any type of meal, even a small snack, and large amounts of liquid within one to two hours of a run. You can drink a little water, but not too much, and avoid sports and carbonated drinks. Water is always your best choice before a run, especially in hot weather.

Another means of preventing stitches is to practice deep breathing in a rhythmic manner. Smooth, slow, complete breathing cycles will allow you to avoid rapid breathing. While you are breathing in and out fully, you also want to maintain proper posture.

The proper posture for running is to have your back straight, not hunched over, your chest up and open for easy breathing, and your arms bent at 90 degree angles at your sides. This posture will ensure that your muscles are not being squeezed, which can cause almost a muscle cramp.

If you do happen to experience stitches, press real hard into the side that hurts and breathe deeply. Although it is hard to keep a good posture during this episode, try your best. After slow, even-paced breathing and massaging of the tense muscle, the pain should subside.