Tag: vegetables

Day 1 of ‘Live to Eat’ plan!

Everything is nicely measured! About 500 calories!

I had lost a lot of weight last year, but unfortunately, I have gained some back. I keep a scale in the house and fret about my weight often. I can’t allow myself to gain it all back and have to lose what I’ve put back on. I would say I’ve gained back about half. That’s not good. Having a spinal cord injury can make it easier to gain weight, and it does nothing to help with joint pain, back pain etc. Thus, there are many reasons why I have to keep my weight down.

This is the only meal I’ve had today so far. I am back on a 1.310 calorie per day only plan. You can see I carefully measured an 8 oz. cup of coffee and an ‘ounce’ of Colby Jack cheese. Unfortunately, this tedious work is necessary when you have an eating disorder of any sort. My problem is I’ll do well for a while, but my emotions can stop me up and cause me to eat more. I need to stop that.

I naturally follow a Mediterranean diet plan and mainly use extra virgin olive oil. I am sure to get in two to four 2-4 oz. meat/poultry/fish per day, usually. But today I’m fasting from meat due to my Catholic heritage and that’s ok. But I realize how good meat is for you and that we’ve basically been lied to about what to eat for years. I will share a podcast made by some food experts at the end of this article that will help you. Better yet, here is the link right here: https://youtu.be/OeajV1O2320.

Nina Teicholz teaching on Saturated fat.

This is a low calorie breakfast I had, and I more than likely will have two fish fillets for dinner. I had a banana as a snack and some wheat crisps. On a 1,310 calorie plan per day, I can’t afford to eat much. One thing I have learned about food is you cannot let it choose you, you have to choose it. A lot of the idea that we ‘need’ a pizza or need to eat right now is psychological.

Don’t get me wrong. We can be truly hungry. It’s important to realize when we are not hungry and just think we need to eat. I am mastering that. Going into a supermarket these days can seem anything but heathy with a majority of it having processed foods. But everything in moderation. It’s ok to snack or have dessert but we are not to over do it. Once I stopped using the My Fitness Pal app and stopped measuring I got myself into trouble.

I have a doctor’s appointment in mid May, and around this time last year my doctor had set me up with a dietician because he said I needed to lose weight. I took off about 40 pounds, but now I have gained some back. Well only half of it, anyway. But I am still not too happy with myself right now. If I don’t get my weight down by mid May I know my doctor will set me up with s dietician again. So I am going to be my own dietician starting now. I’ve learned so much!

As a matter of fact, the food pyramid needs to be flipped upside down. We are told to eat six grains per day and the least amount of animal food that we can. Just look at the food in our schools:orange juice, greasy pizza, fried chicken strips. This has all been FDA approved.

Dietary cholesterol in egg yolk is actually good for you. You need the protein. There are vitamins and nutrients in eggs you cannot get anywhere else. Apparently there’s a medicine that has ‘statins’ that supposedly gets your cholesterol down. I believe we are to eat real food, though. Cheese is dairy and an animal meal, also. Rather than snacking on chips or sugar, we should try to snack on something cheesy or even something like a slim Jim (meat instead). I think they call them a carnivore strip nowadays.

There have been ‘experts’ in the past who have taught and are still teaching that animal fat is bad for you, meat, eggs, and cheese can cause heart attacks, they say. Not true. On the contrary.

Think vegetables, low carbs, and meat/poultry/fish. Snack as little as possible. Do not eat every two hours. It is also a myth that it speeds up your metabolism it actually just keeps your insulin levels higher. Not good at all. Don’t believe that all low fat, fat free, sugarless products are better. Some are OK, but skinny meals, hmm… Not my thing. The alternatives to some of those ingredients can be worse.

2-3 meals per day, each well under 1,000 calories with protein, some veggies, eggs, etc. is part of my plan. Unsalted almonds or nuts are a healthier snack. I use unsalted butter also. Yogurt, Greek Yogurt is superb! Low fat cheese is ok. But it does not have to be ‘low fat.’ Don’t use vegetable or canola oil. If you’re going to have chocolate, go dark chocolate with cocoa. That’s all for now. I hope this helped you all!⚕️👩‍⚕️👩‍🍳

About Zina

Zina Hermez has authored the best-selling book(s), Not Without God: A Story of Survival and Not Without God: Hope In the Storm. She’s been featured in numerous articles, guest posts, podcasts, websites, newsletters, and magazines. She’s also been featured on The Neil Haley (media giant’s) Show, The Intuitive Edge podcast, and on ESPN’s ‘Solutions from the Huddle’broadcast as well as Grace and Truth Radio World!

Zina’s written several hundred articles and has taught thousands of students from all over the world from many different backgrounds and parts of the world. She’s appeared in Christianity Today, the Suite T blog, and the Southern Writers magazine among many other places. Last August she created the “Writing Because I Can’t Not Write Group” meetings and workshops where aspiring and seasoned authors can network and learn together.

Zina writes on faith, science, and overcoming adversity. She also likes to write about health and diet and loves to help others. Her latest book was just published last year.

Today’s entree 👩‍🍳⚕️🫒

From start to finish and into my stomach. No, this was not all for me. I didn’t even finish everything on my plate. 🤣 But take a look at what I just made. It was healthy and delicious. I have moved over from extra-virgin olive oil on top of the chicken breasts to unsalted butter cubes. 🧈 It cooks much better and is safer in the oven. I also dashed it with kosher salt, parsley flakes, black ground pepper, and table salt. I also added minced garlic pieces.🧄 With the potatoes cooking in the cubes of butter that melted and in the water, the spices and garlic only added some extra flavor. This was yummy good.😋 On the side, I have a cut-up Vidalia onion and a cut-up red pepper (both caramelized in extra virgin olive oil🫒), as you can see. I had to get my veggies and protein in before intermittent fasting begins. I also have a small side of Asiago cheese on wheat bread.🧀🥖 This was soo good! #protein #paleo #ketosis #fasting #mediterraneandiet #extravirginoliveoil #unsaltedbutter #health #realfood 🐣🥔🧅🧄🧀🥖🌶

About Zina

Zina Hermez has authored the best-selling book(s), Not Without God: A Story of Survival and Not Without God: Hope In the Storm. She’s been featured in numerous articles, guest posts, podcasts, websites, newsletters, and magazines. She’s also been featured on The Neil Haley (media giant’s) Show, The Intuitive Edge podcast, and on ESPN’s ‘Solutions from the Huddle’broadcast as well as Grace and Truth Radio World!

Zina’s written several hundred articles and has taught thousands of students from all over the world from many different backgrounds and parts of the world. She’s appeared in Christianity Today, the Suite T blog, and the Southern Writers magazine among many other places. Last August she created the “Writing Because I Can’t Not Write Group” meetings and workshops where aspiring and seasoned authors network and learn together. 

Zina writes on faith, science, and overcoming adversity. She likes to write about health and diet also and loves to help others. Her latest book, Not Without God: Hope In the Storm was published last year.

Mediterranean chicken asparagus lemon delight!🍋🐤🫒

Lunch was fabulous. I had 3/4 of a medium chicken breast. A side of about 15 asparagus spears with half of a sliced lemon, salted, and a side of light Lays potato chips. Last but not least, I included 2 tablespoons of hummus with a Coke. This was yummy good.

I got in two vegetable servings, and two protein servings between the healthy hummus and the chicken. The meal was cooked in extra virgin olive oil, and first I baked the chicken at 420 F for about 25 minutes. I surrounded it with the sliced lemons on the oven tray and drizzled it with extra virgin olive oil. I sprinkled kosher salt and black ground pepper over the chicken also.

I steamed the asparagus and cooked the spears in extra virgin olive oil as well, of course. I also dashed the veggies with table salt, kosher salt, and black ground pepper. I added a few cubes of unsalted butter🧈 over the asparagus. It was so good.🫒🍋🌱🐤🧆🫒

Finally, I took the chicken out of the oven early and decided to finish cooking it in the pan with the asparagus. I also added the lemons.🍋 I wanted to combine all the ingredients together, and I really wanted the chicken to soak up the taste of the butter and asparagus, salt, and lemon combo.

Again, it was delicious all around! #mediterraneanfood #healthydiet #intermittentfasting #keto #paleo #healthyliving 😊👩‍🍳⚕️

About Zina

Zina Hermez has authored the best-selling book(s), Not Without God: A Story of Survival and Not Without God: Hope In the Storm. She’s been featured in numerous articles, guest posts, podcasts, websites, newsletters, and magazines. She’s also been featured on The Neil Haley (media giant’s) Show, The Intuitive Edge podcast, and on ESPN’s ‘Solutions from the Huddle’broadcast as well as Grace and Truth Radio World!

Zina’s written several hundred articles and has taught thousands of students from all over the world from many different backgrounds and parts of the world. She’s appeared in Christianity Today, the Suite T blog, and the Southern Writers magazine among many other places. Last August she created the “Writing Because I Can’t Not Write Group” meetings and workshops where aspiring and seasoned authors network and learn together.

Win a writes on faith, science, and overcoming adversity. She likes to write about health and diet and loves to help others. Her latest book, Not Without God: Hope In the Storm was published last year.

Tonight’s healthy meal!🍃🥕🐥

Today I made a single piece of chicken thigh. Yes, there’s fat on it. Don’t let the fat freak you out! You can see I surrounded it with veggies. A little healthy fat won’t kill you! It’s actually extremely healthy for you, contrary to popular belief. I seasoned it with thyme leaves, kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper, and a little table salt. I have about one to two cups of peas and carrots surrounding it. I also added a half cup of water to the bottom of the pan while cooking and added “butter” flavored cooking spray to the bottom also. I baked it at 400 F for about 40-45 minutes. Cooking times can vary. You’ll have to check on it. I used a cake pan to keep it all together.😀 Butter has health benefits, so does meat and veggies are low carbs!!! I drizzled extra virgin olive oil over the veggies along with a little salt and pepper. I also have a cup of rice sprinkled with mini cubed potatoes and curry seasoning on the side. It’s a mini version of my ‘karee,’ dish, in other words, my tomato beef stew sauce that I like to put over my rice. Of course, this is a cup of brown rice—to have optimal health! Total calories: a low 502 (and I didn’t finish all the chicken) but this is not including drinks or condiments.

About Zina

Zina Hermez has authored the best-selling book, Not Without God: A Story of Survival. She’s been featured in numerous articles, guest posts, podcasts, websites, newsletters, and magazines. She’s recently been featured on the Intuitive Edge podcast! She’s also been on ESPN’s “Solutions from the Huddle” broadcast and on Grace and Truth Radio World! Zina’s written several hundred articles and has taught thousands of students of all ages from many different backgrounds and cultures. She’s appeared in Christianity Today, the Suite T blog, and the Southern Writers magazine among other places. She writes on faith, science, and overcoming adversity. She also writes on health and diet and loves to help others. Her latest book, Not Without God: Hope In the Storm is live and for sale! You can order your copy here: https://www.amazon.com/Not-Without-God-Hope-Storm-ebook/dp/B09P9T2DLT

Southwestern Egg Rolls!🧀🌶🫓

I want to share my recipe before I forget. Although I don’t have the note paper I wrote my recipe on, I think I can share the ingredients and what to do because I remember and have done it before. So, here it goes…😊

Ingredients:

2 shredded chicken breast pieces, 4 oz. each (optional)

1 can of rinsed black beans (15 oz)

A bunch of Green onions, about 6-8 bulbs, just cut off the tips and slice thin

1 tspn kosher salt

1/2 tspn chili powder (optional, I don’t like food that is too spicy, so I just sprinkle some chili pepper seasoning over the egg rolls to give them a nice look!)

1/2 tspn black ground pepper

1/4 tspn cayenne

1/4 tspn cumin (optional)

Mexican style shredded cheese (8 oz. package)

1 white onion (chopped into small pieces)

2 cups frozen corn, thawed (optional)

1 16 oz. (Vegan) egg roll slices, try to use about twenty slices of dough

First, you want to add 1-2 tbspns of extra virgin olive oil to a pan and add the black beans (make sure to rinse the beans well first) and add onions (both scallions and white, rinsed and chopped first, of course) over medium to high heat and mix often for a few minutes. Also add the kosher salt, black pepper, and cayenne to the mix (and cumin if you’ve included it). After the vegetables look colorful and bright you know they’re done. The onions will also soften a bit. Don’t overcook. They will also cook when they’re fried in the egg roll. Set the mixture aside in a plate so it can cool.

Here are a few pics!

I decided to add chicken, but I precooked it. So I just added it to the mixed combination after all of it cooled. See below.

Now you have the filling! You just have to roll…🫓

I like to add a little bit of flour to a clean surface then place down my dough roll, but this is optional. The Dough slice already has some flour on it!

You only need 1-2 tblspns of the filling to add to the center of your egg roll. One is good. You don’t want too much filling, then it will be hard to fold the egg roll. Dab each corner with water you can use a brush or your finger. This helps hold the roll together.

First, bring the scoop of filling a little closer towards you and begin to roll the dough slice away from you, then, midway into the roll, fold the sides in and continue to roll (away from you). Also dab the corner/end with water to help it stick! Keep fingers dry.

It takes a little time to get the folding right, but once you do it will be a piece of cake!

Now you can begin to fry!🥘

I used classic olive oil—2-4 cups. It’s a healthier choice than vegetable oil. Folded side down when you fry.

The frying should take no more than 2-3 minutes. At first a little extra. But your last batch should fry up really quickly. Be sure to watch and flip. Don’t move your pan around. Keep it in place for safety. Be careful. Keep heat on high.

Set them aside to cool!

Voila! You have yummy Southwestern egg rolls! Cooking time: at least two hours due to the three phases. Cutting vegetables, making the filling and frying! Average calories: 250 per egg roll.🫓🧀🌶

Enjoy!😊

About Zina 

Zina Hermez has authored the best-selling book, Not Without God: A Story of Survival. She’s been featured in numerous articles, guest posts, podcasts, websites, newsletters, and magazines. She’s recently been featured on the Intuitive Edge podcast! She’s also been on ESPN’s “Solutions from the Huddle” broadcast and on Grace and Truth Radio World! Zina’s written several hundred articles and has taught thousands of students of all ages from many different backgrounds and cultures. She’s appeared in Christianity Today, the Suite T blog, and the Southern Writers magazine among other places. She writes on faith, science, and overcoming adversity. She also writes on health and diet and loves to help others. Her latest book, Not Without God: Hope In the Storm is live and for sale! You can order your copy here: https://www.amazon.com/Not-Without-God-Hope-Storm-ebook/dp/B09P9T2DLT

“Food-Network inspired Oven roasted chicken!”🐤🧅🥔🥑🌱🫒

Tonight’s #dinner was fabulous, and I want to post it before I forget my recipe in case anyone wants to try it! It’s a Food Network-inspired #oven #roasted #chicken and I added a lot to it!🐤😀 First, I cut up my #veggies. I chopped two #potatoes, one onion, an #avocado, and a #lemon 🥔🥔🧅🍋🥑. Then, I put each to the side on their plates. I rinsed off my whole #chicken (it was a fresh young chicken, 5 pounds). Then I #rinsed it quickly on the inside and don’t forget to move anything excess or inside the chicken. Then I placed the chicken on the oven-safe plate. I melted two tablespoons, no more than 1/4 cup of #saltedbutter. After that, I added one tablespoon of #thymeleaves to the butter. Do not completely #melt the #butter 🧈 Then add the thyme leaves (1 tbsp) to the butter. You need a brush to dress the chicken. After that dash the chicken with #koshersalt and #blackpepper. Then, make sure to add cooking spray to your oven-safe plate under the chicken, or you can grease the bottom of the plate with butter if you have no #cooking spray. Add one or two cups of #water to the plate, so the chicken sits in a little water. You don’t want it sticking to the plate during the cooking process. After that, design your cut-up veggies all around. After that, I like to drizzle the whole thing with #extravirginoliveoil 🫒 but it’s not completely necessary. I also like to dash again but this time with table salt. Finally, squeeze part of the #lemon over it to give it that #zesty taste🍋🍋🍋. Yummy! You have chicken, lemon, thyme, potatoes, an onion AND an avocado! What more could you want?👩‍🍳😃🧅🥑🥔🌱 Cook at 400-425F for up to one hour. Cooking times will vary. Check on it every five to ten minutes. If the top starts to burn, you want to lower the temperature, and spice it with a little more salt (do not over salt!) you can always add more after it’s done. But if you make something too salty you can’t fix it. #Under-salting is always best! The kosher salt is really rich and works its way into it nicely so you don’t need much. Check on it every five to ten minutes, again, but mine didn’t need one whole hour. Your thermometer should read at least 160 F. Voila! It’s done!🥑🥔🌱🧈🍋🧅🐤

Voila!🐤🥑🍋

About Zina

Zina Hermez has authored the best-selling book, Not Without God: A Story of Survival. She’s been featured in numerous articles, guest posts, podcasts, websites, newsletters, and magazines. She’s recently been featured on the Intuitive Edge podcast! She’s also been on ESPN’s “Solutions from the Huddle” broadcast and on Grace and Truth Radio World! Zina’s written several hundred articles and has taught thousands of students of all ages from many different backgrounds and cultures. She’s appeared in Christianity Today, the Suite T blog, and the Southern Writers magazine among other places. She writes on faith, science, and overcoming adversity. She also writes on health and diet and loves to help others. Her latest book, Not Without God: Hope In the Storm is live and for sale! You can order your copy here: https://www.amazon.com/Not-Without-God-Hope-Storm-ebook/dp/B09P9T2DLT

The importance of fasting for health ⚕️☕️👩‍⚕️

You need to cut 500-1,000 calories per day to lose weight and it would average one or more pounds a week. It averages at least a few pounds of weight loss per week, actually! I know because I’ve done it before and was on a losing weight streak for months! I’m going back to my intermittent fasting plan again. I’m good with eating meat so that keeps my calorie intake in check because you naturally burn meat calories off—but I need to go back to fasting after 6:30 pm, anyway. It also gives your body a break, insulin rises every time you eat. So here I’m having a ‘honey vanilla chamomile tea.’ It is next to 0 calories and so yummy!☕️ The nice thing about intermittent fasting is you can still have black coffee, sugarless tea, and water in the evening to curb your appetite. It works! #intermittentfasting #tea #healthylifestyle #redmeat #diet #health #mediterranean #paleo #fastingforhealth

About Zina

Zina Hermez has authored the best-selling book, Not Without God: A Story of Survival. She’s been featured in numerous articles, guest posts, podcasts, websites, newsletters, and magazines. She’s recently been featured on the Intuitive Edge podcast! She’s also been on ESPN’s “Solutions from the Huddle” broadcast and on Grace and Truth Radio World! Zina’s written several hundred articles and has taught thousands of students of all ages from many different backgrounds and cultures. She’s appeared in Christianity Today, the Suite T blog, and the Southern Writers magazine among other places. She writes on faith, science, and overcoming adversity. She also writes on health and diet and loves to help others. Her latest book, Not Without God: Hope In the Storm is live and for sale! You can order your copy here: https://www.amazon.com/Not-Without-God-Hope-Storm-ebook/dp/B09P9T2DLT

A healthy breakfast meal 🍳🥩🥖☕️

The benefits of #redmeat and #eggs for #health is priceless and I can’t emphasize it enough. The vital #nutrients your #body needs are contained in these two foods. Don’t get me wrong: #vegetables (and other low carbs) are helpful. #fruit can be beneficial (yet, quite sugary at times), nonetheless, no matter how many fruits and vegetables you decide to eat, red meat and eggs are still the #best. You can have 5,000 eggs and it will not harm you. Dietary #cholesterol does not affect cholesterol levels in your #heart And the #protein contained in #eggs is valuable. The #vitamins #nutrients and #iron contained in red meat is vital. It’s not that you can’t get your source of #protein any other way. But it’s so easy with eggs and meat. Think #paleo #diet Think caveman days. Think to when there was no such thing as #organic or #lowfat or 2 % #milk , or fat free. Think real #food That is what will keep you #healthy and strong. Here we have two #kofta pieces: 222 calories. Two eggs (large) 160 calories. A half of WHEAT bread:🥖 102 cal. And coffee cup ☕️ 67 cal. w/cream and sugar (8 oz). Total: 551 calories (probably less!).

About Zina

Zina Hermez has authored the best-selling book, Not Without God: A Story of Survival. She’s been featured in numerous articles, guest posts, podcasts, websites, newsletters, and magazines. She’s recently been featured on the Intuitive Edge podcast! She’s also been on ESPN’s “Solutions from the Huddle” broadcast and on Grace and Truth Radio World! Zina’s written several hundred articles and has taught thousands of students of all ages from many different backgrounds and cultures. She’s appeared in Christianity Today, the Suite T blog, and the Southern Writers magazine among other places. She writes on faith, science, and overcoming adversity. She also writes on health and diet and loves to help others. Her latest book, Not Without God: Hope In the Storm is live and for sale! You can order your copy here: https://www.amazon.com/Not-Without-God-Hope-Storm-ebook/dp/B09P9T2DLT

I’d like to be a “culinary queen!”👸🍅🥮👩‍🍳

This is how it looks when I decide to ‘whip something up’ really quickly!😂👩‍🍳 I had a little family company over yesterday and planned it just the night before. All @authenticmeals #original #cooking and my very own #recipes !!! Ka’ree as the main #meal accompanied with #brownrice, of course! The main dish—and #homemadewalnutcake for dessert. This time I added #toasted #sesameseeds to the top of the #cake to add a twist! Yummy. We also had #homemadewheatchocolatechipcookies! #coffee and few other things!🍚🍛🌾🍶🍪 #mediterraneandiet #paleo #protein #keto #homemade #diet #cook #baking #entertaininginstyle #fresh #food #foodie #tomatostew #beef #protein #health ⚕️🍅🧅🥩

Finally, when a baby terrorizes your living space!💕😂👶 It’s OK.🙆‍♀️🙅‍♀️ We just cleaned it right up!😂♥️😃

About Zina

Zina Hermez has authored the best-selling book, Not Without God: A Story of Survival. She’s been featured in numerous articles, guest posts, podcasts, websites, newsletters, and magazines. She’s recently been featured on the Intuitive Edge podcast! She’s also been on ESPN’s “Solutions from the Huddle” broadcast and on Grace and Truth Radio World! Zina’s written several hundred articles and has taught thousands of students of all ages from many different backgrounds and cultures. She’s appeared in Christianity Today, the Suite T blog, and the Southern Writers magazine among other places. She writes on faith, science, and overcoming adversity. She also writes on health and diet and loves to help others. Her latest book, Not Without God: Hope In the Storm is live and for sale! You can order your copy here: https://www.amazon.com/Not-Without-God-Hope-Storm-ebook/dp/B09P9T2DLT

Today’s healthy lunch!🐤🥔🌾

This is a pretty healthy concoction for a late lunch today. The worst part: is potatoes. Potatoes are a ‘starchy vegetable’ and not the best choice. But they are yummy and by far not the worst thing you can have! They’re still a vegetable. I added brown rice (definitely the best ‘grain’ choice)! I try to steer clear of white bread and white rice. Wheat and brown are always the way to go! I did add a tablespoon of butter (unsalted) to the potatoes! Yummy. And contrary to popular belief: the chicken with skin is not bad for you. It’s what we call a ‘healthy fat.’ ALL saturated fat is not bad. You don’t constantly have to have Turkey or veggie burgers. A little skin on your meat won’t kill you. You can always tear it off, anyway. Think real food! Do away with ‘skinny meals,’ low fat, and fat-free. Those are not healthier choices. Low-fat cheese is not healthier than whole milk or cheese. Low-fat milk doesn’t benefit you greatly over regular milk. They are not making you skinnier. They just make you hungrier because of their added alternatives. Don’t miss the vital nutrients your body needs. The lemon was for squeezing over the rice and chicken and potatoes! I love the zest of the lemon and the taste of it with some added salt!🍋 Total calories: (roughly) 590 without adding drinks or condiments.

About Zina

Zina Hermez has authored the best-selling book, Not Without God: A Story of Survival. She’s been featured in numerous articles, guest posts, podcasts, websites, newsletters, and magazines. She’s recently been featured on the Intuitive Edge podcast! She’s also been on ESPN’s “Solutions from the Huddle” broadcast and on Grace and Truth Radio World! Zina’s written several hundred articles and has taught thousands of students of all ages from many different backgrounds and cultures. She’s appeared in Christianity Today, the Suite T blog, and the Southern Writers magazine among other places. She writes on faith, science, and overcoming adversity. She also writes on health and diet and loves to help others. Her latest book, Not Without God: Hope In the Storm is live and for sale! You can order your copy here: https://www.amazon.com/Not-Without-God-Hope-Storm-ebook/dp/B09P9T2DLT

Red meat for health 🥩⚕️🧅🌾

Did you know that eating meat promotes a healthy lifestyle? When you eat lots of protein, you’re able to burn off 20-25% of it, and you don’t even need to exercise! As a matter of fact, you can live a sedentary life and still lose weight as long as you eat right! Do not fear red meat. I tend to follow a paleo and Mediterranean-style diet. Think back to the caveman, obesity did not exist during their time. We didn’t have the faulty guidelines we go by now. Vegetable oil packaged foods are not good for you, six grains per day (as recommended on the USDA food pyramid is not good for you), and fruits are not healthy and okay in abundance because they grow on plants and trees. They contain a lot of sugar. Did you know that in NY City you cannot send your child to school with whole milk? Did you know that they’re given pizza and donuts, though? Saturated fat is not all bad and doesn’t cause heart disease. Therefore, red meat, even bacon, is OK. I have lost around thirty pounds since last year in November. When I first started I was on a strict diet—eating only 1,200-1,300 low calories per day. Now I’m eating up to 1,800-1,900 calories and still maintaining the same weight! And it is not because of more exercise! I make sure to get in meat at least one 4-6 ounces two times per day with a side of veggies. I have two eggs for breakfast every morning. I still get in some sugar and snack (within limits). Eating protein each day once to three times per day promotes health. The nutrients in red meat are vital for me. Iron, B1, B12, Vitamin D, and other nutrients are crucial. You can’t get them the same way anywhere else.🥩🥓🍗🍖

About Zina

Zina Hermez has authored the best-selling book, Not Without God: A Story of Survival. She’s been featured in numerous articles, guest posts, podcasts, websites, newsletters, and magazines. She’s recently been featured on the Intuitive Edge podcast! She’s also been on ESPN’s “Solutions from the Huddle” broadcast and on Grace and Truth Radio World! Zina’s written several hundred articles and has taught thousands of students of all ages from many different backgrounds and cultures. She’s appeared in Christianity Today, the Suite T blog, and the Southern Writers magazine among other places. She writes on faith, science, and overcoming adversity. She also writes on health and diet and loves to help others. Her latest book, Not Without God: Hope In the Storm is live and for sale! You can order your copy here: https://www.amazon.com/Not-Without-God-Hope-Storm-ebook/dp/B09P9T2DLT

Tabbouleh and Meat pies!🫓🌿🍋

I made these wonderful meat “pizza” and tabbouleh pies yesterday! The taste was fantastic! I added a hint of citrus 🍋 to each one and combined with the parsley, tomatoes, yellow peppers and onions. Yummmmm! That’s all I have to say. I made the dough from scratch and enjoyed it! I also love to embrace my ethnic side! #mediterranean #health #food #foodie #paleo #keto #tabbouleh #diet #weightloss #healthnut #connossieur #food #traditional 🧅🌿🫑🥖🍅

About Zina

Zina Hermez has authored the best-selling book, Not Without God: A Story of Survival. She’s been featured in numerous articles, guest posts, podcasts, websites, newsletters, and magazines. She’s recently been featured on the Intuitive Edge podcast! She’s also been on ESPN’s “Solutions from the Huddle” broadcast and on Grace and Truth Radio World! Zina’s written several hundred articles and has taught thousands of students of all ages from many different backgrounds and cultures. She’s appeared in Christianity Today, the Suite T blog, and the Southern Writers magazine among other places. She writes on faith, science, and overcoming adversity. She also writes on health and diet and loves to help others. Her latest book, Not Without God: Hope In the Storm is live and for sale! You can order your copy here: https://www.amazon.com/Not-Without-God-Hope-Storm-ebook/dp/B09P9T2DLT

Happy Forth! Eat well!🌟🇺🇸🌱

Happy Fourth of July!☄️ There is a war in America. It’s a war on food. This was my breakfast today. We are taught to not eat animal products and that vegetarianism or being a vegan is healthier! Simply not true. No evidence supports the idea that eggs, cheese, or red meat cause cancer or even heart disease; on the contrary, people who gravitate towards ‘low fat,’ no sugar, sugar-free, low protein, and more of a plant-based diet have been proven to get sicker. High fructose corn syrup is widely used; and it’s even worse than sugar. Sugar is ok in moderation, in my opinion. Too much of anything is not good. Mostly all processed food contains high fructose corn syrup. Vegetable oil is another item widely used that’s not good for you. I only use extra virgin olive oil unless I’m making a cake mix that calls for vegetable oil. I don’t eat out at restaurants much. The way food is cooked in most restaurants is with vegetable-heated oils and not healthy for you. My idea is to reduce carbs (I’m in a constant struggle with myself to stay away from snacks, but I do snack a little!). Again, we have to find that balance. The point is, when you gravitate more towards protein/nutrients in healthy ‘fat’ through meat/poultry/fish, etc. you eat less because your body feels fuller. There is iron, B1, B12, and a whole bunch of other vitamins in meats. It’s incredibly healthy! You can even turn around diabetes. The other thing I do is fast more in the nighttime hours. I eat very little and do not eat dinner late at night.

About Zina

Zina Hermez has authored the best-selling book, Not Without God: A Story of Survival. She’s been featured in numerous articles, guest posts, podcasts, websites, newsletters, and magazines. She’s just been featured on the Intuitive Edge podcast! She’s also been on ESPN’s “Solutions from the Huddle” broadcast and on Grace and Truth Radio World! Zina’s written several hundred articles and has taught thousands of students from all over the world from many different backgrounds and cultures. She’s appeared in Christianity Today, the Suite T blog, and the Southern Writers magazine among other places. She writes on faith, science, and overcoming adversity. She also writes on health and diet and loves to help others. Her latest book, Not Without God: Hope In the Storm is live and for sale! You can order your copy here: https://www.amazon.com/Not-Without-God-Hope-Storm-ebook/dp/B09P9T2DLT

Yesterday’s dinner was delicious!🥩🍜🥔🧅

I did it again! Today I even had leftovers!😀 I can’t stress enough that meat is good for you. I have lost weight by adopting this method. Having at least one 4-6 ounce meat/poultry/fish per day along with a side of low carb veggies can really improve your health. Red meat is ideal for me because at times I can be mildly anemic. The health and nutrition provided by following this plan: a paleo, or even Mediterranean style plan is priceless! I have lost weight and am now fitting into pants I haven’t worn in years! Of course limiting snacks and sugar helps along with fasting in the evening/near bed time hours. I am not one to eat dinner at night. This top sirloin fillet was cooked to perfection and the asparagus and Asian style noodles made it so yummy. I also worked in potatoes and onions. Yumm! I love the feeling after I’ve just had some good nutrition.🥩🍜🧅🥔🌱

Cookin’ in my kitchen!🍃😃

About Zina

Zina Hermez has authored the best-selling book, Not Without God: A Story of Survival. She’s been featured in numerous articles, guest posts, podcasts, websites, newsletters, and magazines. She’s just been featured on the Intuitive Edge podcast! She’s also been on ESPN’s “Solutions from the Huddle” broadcast and on Grace and Truth Radio World! Zina’s written several hundred articles and has taught thousands of students from all over the world from many different backgrounds and cultures. She’s appeared in Christianity Today, the Suite T blog, and the Southern Writers magazine among other places. She writes on faith, science, and overcoming adversity. She also writes on health and diet and loves to help others. Her latest book, Not Without God: Hope In the Storm is live and for sale! You can order your copy here: https://www.amazon.com/Not-Without-God-Hope-Storm-ebook/dp/B09P9T2DLT

Today’s dish was nutritious🍅🫒🍆

Today’s main course was incredible! I got some really great nutrition in with this one! #baked #chicken with sliced #eggplants along with cut up #potatoes You can’t leave out some fresh #healthy #tomatoes The thing I love about cooking meals like this is all you mainly have to do is cut up the #veggies 🍆🥔🍅 Then design them in a pretty way in a nice #baking dish. But of course, use #salt and #pepper on the ingredients. I used #kosher salt and ground pepper. I also added non-stick cooking spray as well as a cup of water to the bottom so it wouldn’t stick. I #baked at 350 F for at least 35 minutes, more like 45, and even increased the temperature to 400 F for the last ten minutes or so. You be the judge of when it’s finished. Oh, and I drizzled #extravirginoliveoil over the #chicken and #potatoes and other #vegetables. This was delicious! #yummy #paleo #keto #lowcarbrecipes #mediterranean 🫒 #healthyfood #healthylifestyle #foodie #health🐤🥔🍆

About Zina

Zina Hermez has authored the best-selling book, Not Without God: A Story of Survival. She’s been featured in numerous articles, guest posts, podcasts, websites, newsletters, and magazines. She’s just been featured on the Intuitive Edge podcast! She’s also been on ESPN’s “Solutions from the Huddle” broadcast and on Grace and Truth Radio World! Zina’s written several hundred articles and has taught thousands of students from all over the world from many different backgrounds and cultures. She’s appeared in Christianity Today, the Suite T blog, and the Southern Writers magazine among other places. She writes on faith, science, and overcoming adversity. She also writes on health and diet and loves to help others. Her latest book, Not Without God: Hope In the Storm is live and for sale! You can order your copy here: https://www.amazon.com/Not-Without-God-Hope-Storm-ebook/dp/B09P9T2DLT

Mornin’ Breakfast☀️🍳

Heart-shaped eggs w/kuftas and a side of cut up potatoes and onions!

Breakfast should be nutritious and good for you. I have two eggs for breakfast just about every morning because of the benefits of the eggs and the protein. This morning I made heart shaped eggs.💕🥚 The nutrition is priceless. Do away with the myth that the egg yolk is bad for you. The yellow yolk is not bad; on the contrary, it provides a variety of benefits. There is no evidence that dietary cholesterol raises blood level cholesterol. Animal products can be really good for you. Red meat (beef) does not cause inflammation; red meat reduces disease because it has a variety of benefits including iron and B1, B12, and B16 vitamins. Therefore, I made these amazing little “kuftas” on the side, and each one is only 67 calories. They were spiced to perfection and yummy. I also had my low carb side of veggies (mixed with a little extra virgin olive oil), and lightly salted with pepper.🥔🧅 With a cup of coffee, today’s breakfast was delicious!☕️

About Zina

Zina Hermez has authored the best-selling book, Not Without God: A Story of Survival. She’s been featured in numerous articles, guest posts, podcasts, websites, newsletters, and magazines. She’s just been featured on the Intuitive Edge podcast! She’s also been on ESPN’s “Solutions from the Huddle” broadcast and on Grace and Truth Radio World! Zina’s written several hundred articles and has taught thousands of students from all over the world from many different backgrounds and cultures. She’s appeared in Christianity Today, the Suite T blog, and the Southern Writers magazine among other places. She writes on faith, science, and overcoming adversity. She also writes on health and diet and loves to help others. Her latest book, Not Without God: Hope In the Storm is live and for sale! You can order your copy here: https://www.amazon.com/Not-Without-God-Hope-Storm-ebook/dp/B09P9T2DLT

The benefits of meat for health!🍃🥩🥔

I will never get tired of healthy cooking. This was worth the wait! I just added some ‘hickory’ barbecue sauce to go with this yummy steak!🥩 First, it was pan-seared in a bit of extra virgin olive oil and unsalted butter (w/kosher salt and pepper!). THEN, it was cooked on the stovetop. Later put in to bake at 400 F for 35-45 minutes. Wow! I added the fresh spinach (also cooked) and cut up onions. Perfect with a side of brown rice and potatoes! This meal actually increases your chance of weight loss. It’s the iron in the spinach, and many nutrients in the meat. This is very nutritious. I will never get tired of healthy cooking! #paleo #keto #diet #mediterranean #lowcarb #veggies #meat #cooking #steak #foodie #conoisseur

About Zina

Zina Hermez has authored the best-selling book, Not Without God: A Story of Survival. She’s been featured in numerous articles, guest posts, podcasts, websites, newsletters, and magazines. She’s just been featured on the popular, Intuitive Edge podcast! She’s also been on ESPN’s “Solutions from the Huddle” broadcast and on Grace and Truth Radio World! Zina’s written several hundred articles and has taught thousands of students from all over the world from many different backgrounds and cultures. She’s appeared in Christianity Today, the Suite T blog, and the Southern Writers magazine among other places. She writes on faith, science, and overcoming adversity. She also writes on health and diet and loves to help others. Her latest book, Not Without God: Hope In the Storm is live and for sale! You can order your copy here: https://www.amazon.com/Not-Without-God-Hope-Storm-ebook/dp/B09P9T2DLT

It’s what’s for dinner!🥩🌽🌾

The steak and sides turned out fantastic! First I rubbed both sides with a dash of kosher salt and ground pepper. Then I pan-seared using 1-2 tablespoons of heated olive oil along with a tablespoon of unsalted butter. I flipped the steaks(s) every 3-5 minutes until well cooked. Note: I also added a half cup of water to keep the steak moist and prevent it from burning to the bottom of the pan. Then I moved over the steaks and put them on to the oven-safe plate and added the just rinsed frozen vegetables. I spilled the veggies over the steak in the oven safe. I first coated the plate safely with non-stick cooking spray. Again, I added a cup of water to the bottom of the oven safe. I cooked at 400-425 F for 25-35 minutes and then used a thermometer (steak has to be cooked to at least 145 F) to ensure they are cooked. I even splashed with a hint of wine and added barbecue sauce. I accompanied with brown rice and the veggies. Yummy! This was so delicious!

About Zina

Zina Hermez has authored the best selling book, Not Without God: A Story of Survival. She’s been featured in numerous articles, guest posts, podcasts, websites, newsletters, and magazines. She’s just been featured on the well-known and popular, Intuitive Edge podcast! She’s also been featured on ESPN’s ‘Solutions from the Huddle’ broadcast and on Grace and Truth Radio World! Zina’s written several hundred articles and has taught thousands of students from all over the world from many different backgrounds and cultures. She’s appeared in Christianity Today, the Suite T blog, and the Southern Writers magazine among other places. She writes on faith, science, and overcoming adversity. She also writes on health and diet and loves to help others. Her latest book, Not Without God: Hope In the Storm is live and for sale! You can order your copy here: https://www.amazon.com/Not-Without-God-Hope-Storm-ebook/dp/B09P9T2DLT

Zina’s Healthy Tips to Maximize Health⚕️

I’m not too sure how I feel about this bandana, thoughts? Anyway, you may get tired of my posts about food and diet lately. As some of you know, recently I created the page, “Zina’s Healthy Tips to Maximize Health.” https://www.facebook.com/Zinas-Healthy-Tips-to-Maximize-Health-112061191416124/ If you haven’t liked it already, I would greatly appreciate it if you do. The cover photo is a picture of my beloved father, I dedicated it to him. He lived to be 87 years old through wonderful doctors and medicine. He didn’t always make the healthiest choices, but one thing I distinguishably remember about dad is he had eggs for breakfast every morning typically with sausage. He would eat cold Turkey often and raw tomatoes. He’d at times eat liver from an animal or even tongue from a sheep (yuck!). He wasn’t the greatest cook and left that to mom. But when he did eat or prepare something himself, it was always ‘real’ food.’ I remember ordering pizza one time and him and mom yelling at me and saying, ‘What’s that?’ Cheese with bread.😂😂😂. I also created this page to celebrate not only food but life. I have had my share of surgeries and health challenges in my life because I suffered a spinal cord injury at just sixteen years old from a vehicular related accident. During one health crisis, I tried to become a vegetarian and didn’t eat meat for three months, but that was not the cure. I also considered doing the very difficult ‘Daniel fast.’ And was not able to do it at that time. Nonetheless, I’m feeling better, so much better, and have been studying food for months. In the last several months I’ve dropped more than 25-30 pounds, so I want to share with the world what I’ve learned. The number one cause for disease is food. When you don’t eat right it can cause inflammation and an array of other issues. I am also happy to announce that I have hopes for writing a third book, but this time it will be a healthy cook book. I’d appreciate all your support as I continue to go through this health journey. I can never fully cure my spinal cord injury, but I can choose to be as healthy as possible even though I have to live with it for the rest of my life. Blessings to all, Zina #Zina’sHealthyTipstoMaximizeHealth❤️

About Zina

Zina Hermez has authored the best selling book, Not Without God: A Story of Survival. She’s been featured in numerous articles, guest posts, podcasts, websites, newsletters, and magazines. She’s been featured on ESPN’s ‘Solutions from the Huddle’ broadcast and on Grace and Truth Radio World. Zina’s written more than 500 articles and has taught thousands of students from all over the world spanning many different backgrounds and cultures. She’s appeared in Christianity Today, the Suite T blog, and the Southern Writers magazine among other places. She writes on faith, science, and overcoming adversity. She also writes on health and diet and loves to help others. Her latest book, Not Without God: Hope In the Storm is live and for sale! You can order your copy here: https://www.amazon.com/Not-Without-God-Hope-Storm-ebook/dp/B09P9T2DLT

Don’t gravitate towards sugar!🍥

The idea that you have to completely cut out sugar or carbs in order to lose weight is a myth. Carbs are in almost everything. We have ‘good carbs’ and ‘bad carbs.’ A banana has carbs, but they are a ‘low carb.’ As a matter of fact, the idea that a ‘plant based diet’ is the key to losing weight and health is a myth also. The food pyramid should be flipped upside down. It’s no wonder diabetes and heart disease are two of the most prominent diseases in this country. We are conditioned to gravitate towards sugar and taught that butter, milk, and meat are ‘bad for us.’ We’re taught that egg yolk is dangerous; however, new findings have reported that you don’t get high cholesterol from dietary cholesterol such as eggs, red meat, and ‘fatty’ dairy.


Actually, it doesn’t impact ‘bad’ cholesterol or your ’LDL’ at all.

Here is a sample breakfast of mine:


Here is a sample dinner:


I have lost weight and found my journey back to health by incorporating either meat, poultry, or fish twice per day. I have a side of veggies and one egg every morning. I stick to a calorie restrictive diet and home cook my own meals. Eating this way w/a healthy snack each day makes me feel full. I’m getting enough nutrition and iron to sustain me. I don’t have to gravitate towards sugar. Follow me for more tips on diet and health or let me know if you have any questions. I’d be happy to help!

Oh, and please spare me with the ’lowfat’ and ‘nonfat,’ reduced ‘fat’ stuff. Please don’t offer me protein ’shakes’ or ’skinny meals.’ That stuff is packed with things that are unhealthier than ‘fat’ or sugar. I steer clear of those products. Real food balanced with the right portion sizes is the key. We are taught to over eat.

About Zina

Zina Hermez has authored the best selling book, Not Without God: A Story of Survival. She’s been featured in numerous articles, guest posts, podcasts, websites, newsletters, and magazines. She’s been featured on ESPN’s ‘Solutions from the Huddle’ broadcast and on Grace and Truth Radio World. Zina’s written more than 500 articles and has taught thousands of students from all over the world spanning many different backgrounds and cultures. She’s appeared in Christianity Today, the Suite T blog, and the Southern Writers magazine among other places. She writes on faith, science, and overcoming adversity. She also writes on health and diet and loves to help others. Her latest book, Not Without God: Hope In the Storm is live and for sale! Order your copy here: https://www.amazon.com/Not-Without-God-Hope-Storm-ebook/dp/B09P9T2DLT

Intermittent Fasting (benefits) & Calorie restriction! #health⚕️


I have been decreasing my amount of breakfast lately: for example, instead of having two eggs for breakfast, I am only having one. I don’t add ground beef every day, as a matter of fact, sometimes I skip breakfast altogether. Some of this is to continue to maintain my low calorie intake of 1,440 calories or less per day. Some of the reasons I’m decreasing is also because of the benefits of fasting or reducing food. Fasting has been proven to improve our health greatly. After eight hours of fasting, your body naturally goes into “ketosis,” so intermittent fasting is like doing “keto” without following a keto diet.

As of today, I have set my “eating” hours from 10 am to 6 pm. That will put me at a 16:8 plan. Eight hours of eating and 16 hours of no food. Again, after 8 hours of no food, your body naturally goes into ketosis and stops buring carbohydrates for fat. Instead, it burns fat and makes things called ketones, which it can use for fuel. That’s what we weant. Ketosis is a word you’ve probably seen while you’re looking for info. on diabetes or weight loss. Typically I have breakfast and lunch with a snack in the evening. I would like to get to the point where breakfast and lunch are cut by 200-400 calories each time.

I achieved that. The picture I posted above is of my breakfast. I had one egg: 70 calories. I had almost half of a sweet onion: that is about 18 calories in the picture above. I had a third of a Roma tomato: again, only around 8 calories. I also had a slice of split top wheat bread: 8o calories. With coffee (with limited cream and sugar), that is 50 calories. That’s a low 224 calories. As you can see, by taking out the regular 2 oz. beef and extra slice of wheat (or second egg), I have cut my calories significantly. However, I will incorporate ground beef maybe for lunch or tomorrow. The benefits of ground beef are incredible. Red meat provides iron and other nutrition. I have been anemic before and don’t want to get back on iron pills, so having red meat several times per week is important for me.

About Zina

Zina Hermez has authored the best selling book, Not Without God: A Story of Survival. She’s been featured in numerous articles, guest posts, podcasts, websites, newsletters, and magazines. She’s been featured on ESPN’s ‘Solutions from the Huddle’ broadcast and on Grace and Truth Radio World. Zina’s written more than 500 articles and has taught thousands of students from all over the world spanning many different backgrounds and cultures. She’s appeared in Christianity Today, the Suite T blog, and the Southern Writers magazine among other places. She writes on faith, science, and overcoming adversity. She also writes on health and diet and loves to help others. Her latest book, Not Without God: Hope In the Storm is live and for sale! Order your copy here: https://www.amazon.com/Not-Without-God-Hope-Storm-ebook/dp/B09P9T2DLT

Signature Mediterranean Sampler Meal!

My Signature Sampler Mediterranean Meal!🐤🌾🌽

This was one of my main dishes while doing the Mediterranean diet back in November, and it’s still great to eat this way. Brown rice (if you’re going to have a grain, make it brown or whole wheat, for bread). Of course, there are other healthier grains, but brown rice and wheat bread were my go tos while I was on the Mediterranean diet. You may have learned that skin on chicken is bad for you, but the latest findings show that some skin on chicken is OK to have at least once in a while. It’s got Omega 3 fatty acids, which are good for your heart. And I don’t mean you should have at it and order Kentucky Fried Chicken or anything. All restaurant food can be more damaging than you realize. Heated ‘oil,’ especially vegetable oil and canola is a leading cause of obesity and diabetes in this country. You can see I have cooked homemade–and this piece of chicken thigh (w/skin) is 239 calories, 4 oz. The 1/2 cup of brown rice is 180 calories and the ‘mixed veggies,’ half-cup, are only 35 calories! It’s a win-win-win! And you’re getting in some ‘low’ or healthier carbs. Carbs to watch out for: sugary stuff, processed, cookies, TV dinner type, etc. Another note: I added a teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil to the rice AND the veggies and sprinkled them with KOSHER salt and some black ground pepper. Kosher salt–definitely the healthier option! Total calories in this meal: 454 calories (not including drinks or condiments). I’ve been thinking of writing a healthy cookbook someday, and this would definitely be a meal I add!😃🍽️🌾

About Zina

Zina Hermez has authored the best selling book, Not Without God: A Story of Survival. She’s been featured in numerous articles, guest posts, podcasts, websites, newsletters, and magazines. She’s been featured on ESPN’s ‘Solutions from the Huddle’ broadcast and on Grace and Truth Radio World. Zina’s written more than 500 articles and has taught thousands of students from all over the world spanning many different backgrounds and cultures. She’s appeared in Christianity Today, the Suite T blog, and the Southern Writers magazine among other places. She writes on faith, science, and overcoming adversity. She also writes on health and diet and loves to help others. Her latest book, Not Without God: Hope In the Storm is live and for sale! Order your copy here: https://www.amazon.com/Not-Without-God-Hope-Storm-ebook/dp/B09P9T2DLT

Tomato-onion Chicken skillet!🍅🧅



Today I decided to create a new recipe, and it tastes pretty delicious!! First I started by caramelizing the onions for 5 minutes, and if you’re wondering how I did that I will explain. You coat a pan with one tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and then turn the heat up to medium-high heat. If the onions start to turn brown they are not burning, they are caramelizing it’s a natural process when cooking onions.🧅 Oh, I only sliced half of a large sweet onion. Then you add the tomato (I chopped a full Roma tomato) and continued to mix them together frequently. I cooked for an additional 5 minutes once I added the tomato. Don’t cook for too long or your tomatoes will become too soft. Then I moved the tomato-onion combo to a hot plate on the side. After that, I cooked the chicken. You can use two 4 oz. chicken thighs (skinless) or chicken breast pieces. Using the same hot pan, you coat one more time with a table spoon of extra virgin olive oil (you may need to add a little nonstick cooking spray or butter during the cooking process). Start with the smooth side of the chicken, again, cook on medium to high heat for 5 minutes then flip the chicken over. Cook for 5 minutes than flip, again. Please note: you will need to continue this process several times to make sure the chicken is cooked. Also, keeping the chicken covered with a lid will make it cook faster. Another note, you should keep 3-5 oz. of water on hand to continually add water to your chicken/pan. Adding the water with the oil and the chicken will make it boil over some and then fry a bit to get that nice brown look. Your chicken is not cooked until it has reached a temp of at least 145. Finally, I added a half cup of the tomato-onion combo and laid it over the chicken thigh piece. Yummy! I also have leftovers for tomorrow. #mediterranean #mediterraneanfood #paleo #paleodiet #healthylifestyle 🐤🍅🧅

About Zina

Zina Hermez has authored the best selling book, Not Without God: A Story of Survival. She’s been featured in numerous articles, guest posts, podcasts, websites, newsletters, and magazines. She’s been featured on ESPN’s ‘Solutions from the Huddle’ broadcast and on Grace and Truth Radio World. Zina’s written more than 500 articles and has taught thousands of students from all over the world spanning many different backgrounds and cultures. She’s appeared in Christianity Today, the Suite T blog, and the Southern Writers magazine among other places. She writes on faith, science, and overcoming adversity. She also writes on health and diet and loves to help others. Her latest book, Not Without God: Hope In the Storm is live and for sale! Order your copy here: https://www.amazon.com/Not-Without-God-Hope-Storm-ebook/dp/B09P9T2DLT

Today marks one year since I began my ‘diet’ journey!🥑

This picture popped up today in my Facebook memories. It was my photo from last year. Yes, intermittent fasting is great but it’s not enough! I mean, it’s enough to maintain your weight, to repair cells and to reduce some inflammation. But it’s not enough to lose weight! I mean, you can lose ‘some weight,’ but since last year I have incorporated the Mediterranean Diet. I started out with a restriction of 1,200-1,300 calories per day last November and had Greek Yogurt for dinner often. In a matter of weeks, I lost 25-30 pounds! Fast forward to today! I have learned so much more about food. The importance of eating red meat, how vegetable oils (and most restaurant food can be toxic), how the Food Pyramid we go by includes too many grains. I learned a lot of things about diet through this journey. As of yesterday, I switched over from the Mediterranean to more of a Paleo-diet. Or, ‘caveman’s’ diet, as they call it. The cavemen were healthy and diabetes and heart disease didn’t run rampant in their day. Today we have too many grains and too much sugar and packaged/processed food. Just study the grocery store next time you are shopping. The latest studies even show that fruits and vegetables don’t have all the benefits we believe them to have. They have some benefits and are low in calories. They make you feel full. But I’m switching to more of a Paleo style diet. I have a tendency to be low on Iron and anemic. The Iron that you get and other sources that come from a Paleo diet will be good for my health! I looked great in this picture and felt better, but the truth is–after four weeks of intermittent fasting I had lost very little weight. In this day and age, with the food that is out there, more is needed than just Intermittent fasting. We have to be aggressive at taking care of our health!

About Zina

Zina Hermez has authored the best selling book, Not Without God: A Story of Survival. She’s been featured in numerous articles, guest posts, podcasts, websites, newsletters, and magazines. She’s been featured on ESPN’s ‘Solutions from the Huddle’ broadcast and on Grace and Truth Radio World. Zina’s written more than 500 articles and has taught thousands of students from all over the world spanning many different backgrounds and cultures. She’s appeared in Christianity Today, the Suite T blog, and the Southern Writers magazine among other places. She writes on faith, science, and overcoming adversity. She also writes on health and diet and loves to help others. Her latest book, Not Without God: Hope In the Storm has just been released, on Jan 24! Order your copy here: https://www.amazon.com/Not-Without-God-Hope-Storm-ebook/dp/B09P9T2DLT

Paleo-Diet 101!🍳🍖🫒

It HAS TO be Extra Virgin Oil! I’ve had enough of the Mediterranean! Now I’m moving on to bigger and greater things (although this dish is kind of Mediterranean!)🤣

This morning I had two eggs for breakfast, scrambled, 140 calories. It’s OK to eat eggs! I also had a 4 oz. (angus) beef Patty, chopped up! Well, actually I ate about 3.2 oz. (192 calories). Meat is good for you and healthy.

I also had two 1/2 slices of split top wheat bread 🍞 on the side (70 calories) and about 1/2 of a chopped sweet onion 🧅! 8 calories. Yes, I eat raw onions! I just rinse them off before I do.

Oh, and of course I had a side of coffee ☕️w/limited cream and sugar, 50 calories! That is a total of 460 calories (red meat may be a little higher in calories, but the benefits of red meat are priceless!). Red meat contains Iron and other vital sources that we don’t get in other food! It was a yummy breakfast!

About Zina

Zina Hermez has authored the best selling book, Not Without God: A Story of Survival. She’s been featured in numerous articles, guest posts, podcasts, websites, newsletters, and magazines. She’s been featured on ESPN’s ‘Solutions from the Huddle’ broadcast and on Grace and Truth Radio World. Zina’s written more than 500 articles and has taught thousands of students from all over the world spanning many different backgrounds and cultures. She’s appeared in Christianity Today, the Suite T blog, and the Southern Writers magazine among other places. She writes on faith, science, and overcoming adversity. She also writes on health and diet and loves to help others. Her latest book, Not Without God: Hope In the Storm has just been released, on Jan 24! Order your copy here: https://www.amazon.com/Not-Without-God-Hope-Storm-ebook/dp/B09P9T2DLT

Yesterday’s Lunch!🎉


I took this pic of my lunch yesterday! I was just finishing up only 1/3 of a chicken shawarma bowl (w/veggies!) from Mr. Kabob express! Oh, I had also ordered a side of 1/2 of an Arabic Pita Bread (70 calories only) to make a ‘laffa,’ in other words, a small sandwich!🥙As you can see here there are yummy cucumbers🥒 and tomatoes🍅 included! I think the most ‘loaded’ thing in this meal was the 1/2 cup of yellow rice (still, only 75 calories!). Brown rice or whole grain is preferred, though. Oh, the other item heavier in calories—garlic sauce!🧄 But seriously, how could I have had chicken shawarma without a tblspn or two of garlic sauce!?😄 So, I kinda cheated with those two items. I was actually celebrating my recent weight loss of 30 pounds in just seven weeks!!!🥳 Nonetheless, this is still a very Mediterranean meal! #mediterranean #mediterraneandiet #foodplan #health #weightloss🍅🥙🧄🥒🐤🌾


About Zina

Zina Hermez has authored the best-selling book, Not Without God: A Story of Survival. She’s been featured in numerous articles, guest posts, podcasts, websites, newsletters, and magazines. Recently she was featured on ESPN’s ‘Solutions from the Huddle’ broadcast and on Grace and Truth Radio World. Zina’s written hundreds of articles and has taught thousands of students from all over the world spanning many different backgrounds and cultures. She’s appeared in Christianity Today, the Suite T blog and Southern Writers magazine among other places. She writes on faith, science, and overcoming adversity. She is also a major foodie and loves to help others. You can connect with her on Instagram, Facebook, Linked In, or Twitter.

Food tip(s)! #2🌽🥩🥦



Pictured above is my signature ’Christmas Tree Stuffed Chicken’ (w/avocado and tomato pieces). ‘Avocados are a healthy food you can add. The vitamins, minerals, and healthy fats you get from avocados help prevent disease and keep your body in good working order.’ And they are delicious!🥑🥑 I love tomatoes too and often eat them raw!🍅

Part of the Mediterranean diet is getting your veggies and protein in. You are allowed 2-4 servings a day of each based on your individualized plan. Try to avoid baked snacks, desserts high in sugar, try a dark chocolate piece (with cocoa), instead, or very limited chips or snacks (like a handful!). Keep your creamer or sugar as low as possible in coffee/tea (around one to two tspns of each). It’s not keto but has some of the same patterns. Chicken, beef, fish, etc. should be around two 3-4 oz. of meat twice a day and you can have eggs for breakfast! Or you can substitute with another protein like Greek yogurt, for example. That would be more than enough protein for one day!🍗🥩🐠🥕🥦🥬🌽

Also, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration says that eating 1.5 ounces of nuts per day may reduce the risk of heart disease. #mediterranean #mediterraneandiet #mediterraneanfood🥜🌰🥜

The above picture is about one ounce of unsalted cashews!

About Zina

Zina Hermez has authored the best-selling book “Not Without God: A Story of Survival.” Her stories have been featured in various guest articles, medical journals, magazines, newsletters, and more than 300 of her own blog articles. As an educator for more than twenty years, she’s had the privilege of working with thousands of students from different backgrounds and parts of the world. Her upcoming book, “Not Without God: Hope In the Storm” will be out next year. Her writing endeavors have earned her an invitation to speak at the Harvard Faculty Club’s “Business Expert Forum.” Zina’s goal is to help others overcome adversity, and she strives to do what she longs to. She’s appeared in Christianity Today, the Southern Writers magazine, and Suite T blog, among other places. Socializing with friends, taking business trips, listening to music, and meeting new people are among her hobbies. She was recently featured on Color Speak (a Grace and Truth Radio World! podcast) and on ESPN’s ‘Solutions from the Huddle’ broadcast. You can connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, Linked In, or Twitter.

A food tip!🍗🌽🥕

Here’s a tip: to make a 3-4 oz. piece of chicken thigh healthier and less calories tear off the skin before cooking. You’re only looking at about 109 calories. Add some salt and pepper. Accompany it with a side, 1/2 cup, of frozen (heated) vegetables. You can add a tablespoon of vegetable oil to give them more taste with a little salt. This dinner yesterday was very simple but heart healthy. You can add 1/2 of a wheat bun on the side to get a grain/bread and you’re running at about: 350 calories (this is including the one tblspn. of vegetable oil). Clearly, it wouldn’t hurt to have a second 3-4 oz. piece of chicken thigh or another half cup of mixed veggies!🥕🌽🌱

About Zina

Zina Hermez has authored the best-selling book “Not Without God: A Story of Survival.” Her stories have been featured in various guest articles, medical journals, magazines, newsletters, and more than 300 of her own blog articles. As an educator for more than twenty years, she’s had the privilege of working with thousands of students from different backgrounds and parts of the world. Her upcoming book, “Not Without God: Hope In the Storm” will be out next year. Her writing endeavors have earned her an invitation to speak at the Harvard Faculty Club’s “Business Expert Forum.” Zina’s goal is to help others overcome adversity, and she strives to do what she longs to. She’s appeared in Christianity Today, the Southern Writers magazine, and Suite T blog, among other places. Socializing with friends, taking business trips, listening to music, and meeting new people are among her hobbies. She was recently featured on Color Speak (a Grace and Truth Radio World! podcast) and on ESPN’s ‘Solutions from the Huddle’ broadcast. You can connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, Linked In, or Twitter.

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