Healthy cooking tips, recipes, food facts and more from a Registered Dietitian!
Archive for March, 2008
Exercise – How to Get Started
Mar 29th
No Excuses!
Beautiful spring weather makes for great exercising!
I will have to admit that, over the past couple of months, I have let my exercise regimen lax up a little. I haven’t been working out like I should and I’m on a quest to get back going again, especially now that spring is here and the weather is beautiful. So, here I am to encourage you to do the same. Let’s exercise “together”!
First, I’m wondering what information regarding exercise would be most helpful to you (i.e. would you like to know how to get started, how to make your “old faithful” program a little more exciting, how to find new shoes, etc?). Please send me whatever exercising questions you have and I’ll try to answer them myself or find someone else who knows the answer! I’m also open to any questions you have regarding “sports nutrition” or performance.
This week’s exercise tips include how to get started exercising (for the first time or for returning exercisers):
- Check with your doctor – Especially if you have ever had problems with your blood pressure, blood sugar, joints, etc. Make sure you are physically able to begin exercising.
- Get some good shoes – Nothing (believe me, I’ve been there) is more depressing than to get started on a good schedule of exercising and then be sidelined by an injury. Go to a store that has someone knowledgeable to help you pick out some good shoes for your feet for the activity you will be doing. It’s OK to ask them to show you which shoes are for you and are on sale!
- Set a schedule – If you don’t make an appointment to exercise, no one will do it for you. Make exercising a priority (if that means exercising before work, do it). Getting a buddy to meet you to exercise can help keep you accountable.
- Start gradually and set a reasonable goal – Decide how much time you are going to set aside and for how many days of the week. A good place to start is 30 minutes, 4 days per week (i.e. Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and 1 weekend day). Choosing a goal race to walk or jog in is a good way to keep yourself motivated. If you are just starting to exercise in March, choose a 3 mile or 5K (3.1 mile) race to walk or walk/jog in this fall and tell friends and family members your goal so they can encourage you along the way.
- Get yourself excited – Get yourself a cool new exercise t-shirt or even an ipod – anything to get yourself excited about exercising! Think about what a wonderful thing you are doing for your body!
Remember: Make the focus of your exercise program to be overall health, not just weight loss. Think about the positive effect exercising will have on your heart, mind, and energy levels. Read motivational stories of people who have begun an exercise program and gotten their diabetes or high blood pressure under control.
Note: Recommendations are to exercise at least 30 minutes per day for good health, 60 minutes per day for weight loss, 60-90 minutes per day for weight loss maintenance, and 60 minutes per day for children.
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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My Windowsill Herb Garden, Week 5
Mar 28th
My plants are still growing nicely in my windowsill!
I asked Mark Cooper, the horticulture student who helped me last week, if he had any tips regarding speeding the growth of my plants. I had tried to “help them out” by putting them under the warm range light on the stove but now I think I should have let them go to sleep when I did…
“As far as the grow light Idea; that would be good BUT Basil is a long day plant, so short nights could induce early flowering. Since it is an annual, that is a lethal combination; especially when you (the home grower) wants a longer harvest period. So don’t interupt the darkness at night for the basil and it should last longer for you.”
Mark also offered some advice for another plant to try:
“Also look at Bay as a nice outdoor potted evergreen (Laurus nobilis). It is marginally hardy in Zone 7, so it will need some protection from a few of the extremely cold days in Starkville/Memphis. But it is really pretty, and a great way to have fresh bay for cooking. Most garden centers sell small “seedlings” (it is a tree) in quart sized pots and larger. The technical term is a “ramet” as we typically propagate Bay from cuttings rather than seed.”
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5) Loading ...Grocery Shopping Tips
Mar 27th
March is National
Nutrition Month!
Grocery shopping presents many obstacles to keeping a healthy diet. Two great tips for grocery shopping (to avoid breaking your diet or your wallet) are:
1) Don’t shop while hungry
2) Make a list before you go and don’t stray from your list
The American Heart Association has a tool that is great for helping you stay on your healthy eating plan. Look for foods with the heart-check mark when you purchase them. Foods with this sign are considered “heart healthy” by the AHA, are low in saturated fat and cholesterol, and are more than 51% whole grain (if a grain product). The American Heart Association website also contains a section for making your grocery list. The database contains hundreds of foods with the seal of approval that you can choose from, then allows you to make your shopping list to print to take to the store. You can even save and retrieve your grocery list if you want to make changes later on or use your blackberry while you shop. For the grocery list database, check out the AHA’s My Grocery List part of their site.
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...Italian Fish Bake
Mar 26th
While staying with my Aunt Marianne Granier in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, we made this delicious fish recipe. While the original recipe called for extra butter, my aunt found that the recipe actually tasted better (and was better for you) when you left the butter out and substituted some olive oil instead. You can really use any type of fish filets. I’ve had it with catfish filets and tilapia filets and both tasted great.
1/4 cup Italian style bread crumbs
Pinch cayenne pepper
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 fish fillets (1 1/4 pounds total)
1/3 cup grated Romano cheese
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Olive Oil
Fresh lemon wedges, for garnish
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line casserole dish with aluminum foil. Spray with cooking spray. In pie plate or shallow bowl, combine bread crumbs, Parmesan and Romano cheeses. Stir in garlic, black and cayenne pepper. (If you think you need to, you can add a pinch of salt but the bread crumbs and cheeses are salty already.)
Brush fish with a olive oil. Dredge fish in bread crumb and cheese mixture and place in prepared baking dish. Spray with cooking spray (my aunt uses olive oil flavored cooking spray. Bake in preheated oven for about 15-20 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Serve with lemon wedges.
Note: Aunt Marianne says that spraying the fish with cooking spray helps them to brown and get crispy.
Recipe from: Marianne Granier, St. Francisville, Louisiana
(2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5) Loading ...Yarn Eggs
Mar 22nd
| CRAFT MATERIALS: | |
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Thin cotton yarn |
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Balloons |
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Craft glue |
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Newspaper |
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Waxed paper |
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Clothespin |
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Clothes hanger |
1. For each egg, cut twenty 3-foot-long strands of cotton yarn and blow up a balloon to a 6- to 8-inch diameter. Mix equal parts of glue and water in a shallow disposable container.
2. Cover your work area with newspaper and a sheet of waxed paper. Hold a strand of yarn by one end, dip it into the glue mixture, then wrap it around the balloon. Repeat with the other strands, randomly overlapping them and tucking in loose ends, until the balloon is evenly covered.
3. Using the clothespin, suspend the balloon from the clothes hanger and let it dry overnight. (Cover the area below it with newspaper to catch drips.) Once the egg is completely dry, carefully poke a hole in the balloon, then pull it away from the string as it deflates. Hang your finished egg with ribbon or yarn.
Project idea and photos taken from: Family Fun
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