If you’ve read some of my past blog posts, you know how I feel about the thousands of fly-by-night fitness and nutrition ‘companies’ out there.  Many are less than honest and some can even be harmful to your well being.  I am very picky about the companies that Dave’s Press affiliates with.  At Large Nutrition was the first and is one of THE premiere supplement companies on the market today.  Premium quality products at great prices with impeccable customer service.

Now, in addition to At Large Nutrition, Dave’s Press is now affiliated with FitDay.com and Bodybuilding.com!  Two more fitness industry leaders that I have personally experienced.

FitDayhas everything you need to stay on track and achieve your goal. Track your foods and get feedback on your calories, carbs, fat, protein, and nutrition. Plan your weight loss and monitor your progress. Track and analyze your activities, metabolism, weight, moods, measurements, and more!

Bodybuilding.com has one of the largest, if not THE largest, online supplement store as well as one of the most popular fitness communities online.  It has built a great reputation for very reasonable prices and very quick delivery.  I’ve used them on a number of occasions and have been nothing short of impressed with their service.

In starting Dave’s Press, I never expected to make money from the endeavor.  All I want is to help others find success in health and fitness.  There are some costs associated with running the site and it would be great if those costs could be covered through affiliate sales.  If you enjoy the articles posted here and you are looking to purchase supplements or Fitday’s services, I only ask that you do so through Dave’s Press by clicking on one of the affiliate banners.  It would be much appreciated!

Creamy Caesar Dressing

I love a good caesar salad but the traditional dressing has about 210 calories per serving.  Not so with this recipe that comes in at 60 calories per serving.  Courtesy of EatBetterAmerica.com.

Prep Time:10 min 
Start to Finish:1 hr 10 min 
makes:8 servings (2 tablespoons each)

Ingredients:
1/3 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
1/3 cup fat-free sour cream
1/4 cup fat-free (skim) milk
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 small clove garlic, finely chopped
1 to 2 anchovy fillets, finely chopped, if desired

Instructions:
In small bowl, mix ingredients until blended. Cover; refrigerate 1 hour to blend flavors. Store in refrigerator up to 2 days.

Short on time? Look for jars of chopped garlic in the produce department.

This dressing is delicious on a traditional Caesar salad of crisp romaine, but you could choose any combination of lettuce and veggies that you like to serve it with.
 

Nutritional Information
2 tablespoons each: Calories 60 (Calories from Fat 40); Total Fat 4 1/2g (Saturated Fat 1g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 5mg; Sodium 160mg; Total Carbohydrate 3g (Dietary Fiber 0g, Sugars 1g); Protein 2g % Daily Value Vitamin A 0%; Vitamin C 0%; Calcium 6%; Iron 0% Exchanges 1 Fat Carbohydrate Choices 0

It is estimated that the success rate of dieting is between 2%-5%.  I know that may seem like a morale crushing statistic but all is not lost!  It makes sense that if you know WHY most diets fail then you know HOW to avoid the pitfalls and can increase your chances of success, right?  If you’re walking through a minefield your chances of making it through unscathed are slim but if you have a map of where the mines are located your chances of successfully crossing are greatly improved.

The health and nutrition industry is a multi-billion dollar per year industry and it is largely unregulated.  When you add those two things together you can count on the circling of the vultures.  It seems like you hear of a new, whacky diet everyday and people fork over their hard earned money in hopes that it “can be the one.”  There are some really bizarre diets out there and I’m here to tell you it doesn’t have to be bizarre to be effective.  You don’t have to eat cotton balls or sedate yourself so you won’t eat.  Yes, those were actual diets.

So why do most diets fail?  Is it the diet or the person?  In my opinion it is both.  Here are few reasons why most diets fail and it is my hope that with knowing these few reasons you may increase your chances of success.

Sweet Barbecue Chicken Kabobs

Quick, easy, and healthy kabobs from Kraftfoods.com.

Prep Time: 15 min
Total Time: 25 min
Makes: 4 servings, one kabob each

Ingredients
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-1/2-inch pieces
2 cups  fresh pineapple chunks (1-1/2 inch)
1 each: red and green pepper, cut into 1-1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup  KRAFT Original Barbecue Sauce
3 Tbsp. frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed

Instructions
HEAT grill to medium-high heat. Using 8 long wooden skewers (placing 2, side-by-side, for each kabob), thread chicken alternately with pineapple and peppers onto skewers to make 4 kabobs.

MIX barbecue sauce and juice concentrate; brush some of the sauce mixture onto kabobs.

GRILL 8 to 10 min. or until chicken is done, turning and brushing occasionally with remaining sauce mixture.

Kraft Kitchens Tips
Note: Soak wooden skewers in water 30 min. before using. Wrap ends with foil before grilling to prevent them from burning.

Variation: Prepare recipe as directed, substituting 1 lb. salmon fillets, cut into 1-inch chunks, for the chicken. Or, you can substitute 1 lb. cleaned extra large shrimp for the chicken, but you will need to reduce the grilling time to 4 to 6 min. or until shrimp turn pink.
 
Nutrition Information
Calories  240
Total fat  3 g  
Cholesterol  65 mg
Sodium  480 mg
Carbohydrate  29 g  
Dietary fiber  3 g  
Sugars  24 g
Protein  26 g

Nutrition Bonus
Fire up the grill for these delicious kabobs laced with chicken, fruit and vegetables. As a bonus, the pineapple and peppers are rich in vitamin C, while the peppers are also a good source of vitamin A.

Asian Grilled Chicken Breasts
This recipe serves: 2

A very quick, easy and healthy grilled chicken recipe from FoodFit.com.

Preparation time: 5 mins
Cooking time: 10 mins

Ingredients
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon minced ginger
freshly ground black pepper
salt to taste

Cooking Instructions
1. Mix the oil, say sauce, garlic, ginger, mustard, salt and pepper, and brush on the chicken breasts. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
2. Preheat the grill.

3. Grill the breasts for 5 to 6 minutes on each side, depending on the thickness. Let the chicken rest on a plate for 1 or 2 minutes before serving.
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size:1 breast
Serving Size 0
Calories 166
Protein 26 g
Total Carbohydrate 0 g
Sugar 0 g
Total Fat 6 g