Move #4 & 5 in the Path to Better Health

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Tip #4 & #5 – Appointment and Accountability

Since I missed posting last week’s tip, I am tying tip #4 and #5 in together since they can go hand-in-hand at times.

Tip #4 is to make your workout a priority by making an appointment with yourself. Placing it in your schedule by typing it into your smartphone calendar keeps you focused on the goal. As a mom, I love to “check off” items on my to-do list, and exercise is one thing I do for myself and, therefore, is a benefit to my family since I feel a sense of accomplishment afterward.

Tip #5 is to have accountability with a friend and make an exercise date with him or her. Once again, it’s scheduled and you are less likely to skip it. Friends also encourage and push you along the way.

 

Check out my other healthy New Year tips:

Tip #1 – Don’t Drink Your Calories

Tip #2 – Portion Control

Tip #3 – Get Moving

Dietary Aids Lead to Increased Liver Damage

keepcalm Dietary aids, such as green tea extract and other “fat burning” supplements, have recently been under scrutiny as new data emerges from the nation’s hospitals. Here is an excerpt from the NY Times article. Read the whole article here, and keep the weight off with these two good ol’ stand-bys: Healthy eating and exercise!

“Dietary supplements account for nearly 20 percent of drug-related liver injuries that turn up in hospitals, up from 7 percent a decade ago, according to an analysis by a national network of liver specialists. The research included only the most severe cases of liver damage referred to a representative group of hospitals around the country, and the investigators said they were undercounting the actual number of cases.” – ANAHAD O’CONNOR, NY Times

Caesared Brussel Sprouts – “A Salad For Each Week” #17

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I love my mom’s Caesar salad dressing and have been making a lot of it lately since my girls love it too. But it doesn’t just go well with crisp romaine- it goes great on roasted brussel sprouts! I tossed the sprouts in the caesar dressing and roasted them at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes. Warm, slightly sweet, and garlicky all at the same time- yummy!

Caesar Dressing

  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

  • 2 inches of anchovy paste

  • 2-3 cloves of garlic

  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

  • 1 teaspoon dry mustard

  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper

  • Fresh grated Parmesan

On a cutting board, place the anchovy paste, dry mustard, and pepper in a pile. Put the garlic cloves onto them and begin to mince and mash together until it resembles a chunky paste. Pour the oil and Worcestershire sauce into a glass jar with a lid (I like to use my mason jars). Add the anchovy mix and seal the jar. Shake well before pouring. Place brussel sprouts into a bowl and pour on dressing. Shake gently to coat. Place on a cookie sheet and grate fresh Parmesan cheese onto the sprouts. Bake 20 minutes or so. Keep leftover dressing in the fridge for up to one week.

Other recipes you will enjoy:

“A Salad For Each Week” Recipes:

  1. Broccoli and White Bean Salad

  2. Asian Purple Cabbage Slaw

  3. Fresh and Minty Cantaloupe and Tomato Salad

  4. Tangy Kale and Sweet Potato Bit Salad

  5. Key Lime Corn and Black Bean Salad

  6. Green Bean, Tomato, and Mozzarella Pesto Salad

  7. “So Long Summer” Salad

  8. Pickle Salsa

  9. Gingery Broccoli and Carrot Salad

  10. Mediterranean Farro Salad

  11. Home Grown Kale and Pumpkin Seed Salad

  12. Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Warm Chutney Dressing

  13. Cranberry and Orange Quinoa Salad

  14. Southwest Ranch Dressing

  15. Marinated Mushrooms

  16. Fajita Quinoa

Chex Mix in my Oven

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I skipped pass the BOGO Chex Mix deal at my Publix today. Instead, I bought a box of Cascadian Farms Multigrain Squares (also on sale) and headed home to make our own (without preservatives like modified starch or BHT). I mixed the cereal with Newman’s High Protein pretzels, peanuts, and a scattering of Rice Works chips. I used the original Chex Mix dressing recipe but just made it healthier by replacing the butter with olive oil and more satisfying for a hungry tummy by using the higher protein and fiber ingredients. Now the kids will have that all week to snack on at school. Oh, and the warm oven heated my chilly home for an hour 🙂

Move #3 in the Path to Better Health

walking

Tip #3 – Get Moving

In order to get the benefits of health and longevity, you must move and move quickly. In a large and prolonged study of walkers, the National Walkers’ Health Study found it necessary to walk at a pace faster than 17 minutes per mile in order to (pretty significantly) decrease one’s chances of an early mortality. So enjoy a long, happy, and healthy life by putting some spring into your step and moving faster than a snail’s pace!

Check out my other healthy New Year tips:

Tip #1 – Don’t Drink Your Calories

Tip #2 – Portion Control

Fajita Quinoa – “A Salad For Each Week” #16

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After a few weeks of Christmas happenings, traveling to see family, and getting back into the swing of the normal school-year schedule, I am now finally posting a salad recipe that is yet another grab-and-go dish in my “A Salad For Each Week” series.
This salad is based on my infatuation for all Mexican food- particularly fajitas! I love the taste of all the peppers and onions in this sizzling meal, so I concocted this lighter and healthier version that is still full of flavor.

Fajita Quinoa

  • 2 cups cooked quinoa

  • 1 green pepper, sliced

  • 1 red pepper, sliced

  • 1 cup sliced onion

  • 2 garlic cloves, minced

  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin

  • 1/4 teaspoon paprika

  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

  • Dash of sea salt

  • 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped

Saute peppers, onion, and garlic in a little bit of water over medium heat for 8-10 minutes. Meanwhile, pour cumin, paprika, pepper, and salt onto quinoa and stir to mix. Once veggies are done, you can either stir them into the quinoa or serve on top of it. Garnish with fresh cilantro. Enjoy immediately or the next day when it is even better! Makes 4 servings.

Other recipes you will enjoy:

“A Salad For Each Week” Recipes:

  1. Broccoli and White Bean Salad

  2. Asian Purple Cabbage Slaw

  3. Fresh and Minty Cantaloupe and Tomato Salad

  4. Tangy Kale and Sweet Potato Bit Salad

  5. Key Lime Corn and Black Bean Salad

  6. Green Bean, Tomato, and Mozzarella Pesto Salad

  7. “So Long Summer” Salad

  8. Pickle Salsa

  9. Gingery Broccoli and Carrot Salad

  10. Mediterranean Farro Salad

  11. Home Grown Kale and Pumpkin Seed Salad

  12. Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Warm Chutney Dressing

  13. Cranberry and Orange Quinoa Salad

  14. Southwest Ranch Dressing

  15. Marinated Mushrooms

Move #2 in the Path to Better Health

Nutri-plate

Tip #2 – Portion Control

I love this plate! It is a great visual to think upon as you fill a plate for lunch or dinner. Remember that your proteins should be lean (fish, chicken breast, turkey breast, organic lean beef), your grains are to be whole (brown rice, quinoa, farro, beans/legumes, or whole wheat items), and your veggies are to be lightly dressed in healthy, seasoned oils. If you are wanting to add fruit to this plate, I would replace or decrease the whole grains since these two groups (grains and fruit) are both good sources of carbohydrates.

Check out my first tip from last week:

Tip #1 – Don’t Drink Your Calories

Today is Your Januray 1st.

if you start today

‘Tis the season for that post-Christmas, over-indulgence “hang over”. You’ve had a day to recover and now is a great time to start anew! Don’t wait until January 1 to make changes for your health. Here are some easy steps to take to start today:

  • Throw out leftovers … candy, cookies, and the rich, Christmas meal leftovers.
  • Enjoy moving! Exercise by doing an activity that you love and look forward to.
  • Drink lots of water or green tea.
  • Load up on fresh, seasonal vegetables and fruits like oranges, pears, broccoli, greens, and squash.
  • Eat from a smaller plate – you place less on your plate AND your eyes see a full plate making your brain perceive that you will be satisfied with the meal.
  • Slow down…in both your schedule and your eating. The needed rest will drop cortisol levels (which can cause weight gain) and you can sit down and enjoy a meal rather than rushing through it and not knowing what and how much you just ate.
  • Learn that it’s okay to say “No thank you.” You can politely decline foods that are offered to you that don’t fit into your meal plan.
  • If you falter, start again with your next meal- not on the next day!

 

Dried Herbs on Evergreen Boughs

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Looking for a way to continue to enjoy your dying Christmas tree? Try using it as a drying rack for your fresh herbs. I simply pulled (or touched at this point!) off some of the tree’s needles. I cut fresh basil, rosemary, and mint and tied them with yarn to the tree limb. I started them off by my kitchen window (as seen in this picture), but then read where the moist and aromatic air of the kitchen is not the ideal place for them and neither is the sunlight. So find a place that lacks sunlight and has dry air, hang your herbs there, and enjoy the drying process (1-4 weeks) and the last of your Christmas tree! Use your herbs in your favorite dishes or in a decorative fashion.

Lemon “Poppy” Seed Scones

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My oldest daughter decided that we should have a Christmas tea party. Therefore, we did. My mom hosted this tea party on Saturday and it was requested that I make lemon poppy seed scones. I used my orange date scone recipe as my base and decided to replace the poppy seeds with chia seeds- always looking for a way to add a healthy twist! Here is the recipe that left little remaining on the serving plate:

Lemon “Poppy” Seed Scones

1 cup organic whole-wheat flour

1 cup Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-free flour mix

1/4 cup organic coconut sugar

1/4 cup local honey

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons chia seeds

6 tablespoons extra virgin coconut oil

1 large egg, slightly beaten

1/2 cup almond milk

Zest and juice of one lemon

1. In a large bowl, combine flours, sugar, salt, shia seeds and baking powder. Stir until mixed. In a medium bowl, whisk together coconut oil and honey. Add to flour mixture. In that medium bowl, mix egg, milk, and lemon juice and zest. Add into flour mixture. Gently stir just until combined and dough forms a large ball.
2. Preheat oven to 350°. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured baking sheet. With floured hands, pat dough into an 8-inch round, about 1 1/2 inches thick. Cut round into eight pie-shaped wedges. Bake until lightly browned around the edges, about 20 minutes. Cool on a baking rack. Squeeze fresh lemon juice over warm scones if desired.