Taking the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator provides a little extra calorie burn and is great for those leg muscles. Researchers in Sweden discovered that in this particular area, 97% of people opted for the escalator instead of the stairs. The question the researchers posed was, "How do we get people to take the stairs?" Watch the video to find out....
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Super Bowl Staple: Hummus
I love hummus. At first I thought it was gross because I thought garbanzo beans were gross. This was one of those foods that reluctantly grew on me. Hummus is great to have because it's incredibly easy to make, low in fat and calories, lots of protein, and you can tweak the recipe to however you like it (I like sundried tomato in mine). You can put hummus on just about anything such as pita chips, vegetables, and even pieces of french bread. So break out the food processor and enjoy!
Ingredients
1 can of garbanzo beans (strained and rinsed)
2 cloves of garlic, minced (you can always use more)
1 - 2 tbsp tahini (it's made out of ground up sesame seeds)
Juice from 1/3 of a lemon
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
What to do:
•Place all of the ingredients in a food processor for a few minutes, or until the mixture is creamy and smooth.
•Serve chilled or room temperature. Refrigerate any leftovers in an air-tight container.
Ingredients
1 can of garbanzo beans (strained and rinsed)
2 cloves of garlic, minced (you can always use more)
1 - 2 tbsp tahini (it's made out of ground up sesame seeds)
Juice from 1/3 of a lemon
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
What to do:
•Place all of the ingredients in a food processor for a few minutes, or until the mixture is creamy and smooth.
•Serve chilled or room temperature. Refrigerate any leftovers in an air-tight container.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Super Bowl Staple: Lemon-Drop Chicken Wings
A couple weeks ago I posted a chicken wing recipe but it had occured to me that not everyone likes spicy buffalo wings. So after a bit of searching I found a recipe for wings that is not spicy and low in fat. Yes, it does involve alcohol but it cooks out later so the only thing you'll be getting "drunk" on is the flavor.
Ingredients
1/2 cup vodka
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 1/2 pounds chicken wings, tips trimmed off
Preparation
1. In a large bowl or resealable plastic bag, combine vodka, lemon juice, sugar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Stir to dissolve sugar and salt. Add the chicken wings and mix to coat. Cover bowl or seal bag and refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 400°. Line a 9- by 13-in. baking pan with two layers of foil. Arrange the chicken wings in a single layer in the pan, and pour the marinade evenly over all. Bake until meat is well browned and pulling away from the bone, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Serve hot or warm.
Ingredients
1/2 cup vodka
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 1/2 pounds chicken wings, tips trimmed off
Preparation
1. In a large bowl or resealable plastic bag, combine vodka, lemon juice, sugar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Stir to dissolve sugar and salt. Add the chicken wings and mix to coat. Cover bowl or seal bag and refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 400°. Line a 9- by 13-in. baking pan with two layers of foil. Arrange the chicken wings in a single layer in the pan, and pour the marinade evenly over all. Bake until meat is well browned and pulling away from the bone, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Serve hot or warm.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Super Bowl Staple: Healthy Substitutes
Instead of posting a whole new recipe, I thought it would be more useful to relay some ideas to help make your Super Bowl Party menu a little healthier. What's great is that you can also incorporate these substitutions in your everyday menu.
Lean Cuisine Use lean ground turkey instead of beef when making chili.
Fat-Free Buy fat-free versions of sour cream, plain yogurt, and cream cheese to knock out fat without sacrificing flavor in the majority of dips and casseroles.
Bean Town Add beans to pump up fiber and protein, making dishes satisfying without adding animal fat.
Veggie Might Toss in vegetables-whole, grated, or pureed-to boost nutrients and flavor with minimal calories.
Liquid Assets Remember that alcohol has plenty of calories. Stock up on light beer, white wine for spritzers, and diet soft drinks. Be sure to provide zero- and low-calorie beverages so that your guests can alternate alcoholic drinks with non-alcoholic ones throughout the day.
Lean Cuisine Use lean ground turkey instead of beef when making chili.
Fat-Free Buy fat-free versions of sour cream, plain yogurt, and cream cheese to knock out fat without sacrificing flavor in the majority of dips and casseroles.
Bean Town Add beans to pump up fiber and protein, making dishes satisfying without adding animal fat.
Veggie Might Toss in vegetables-whole, grated, or pureed-to boost nutrients and flavor with minimal calories.
Liquid Assets Remember that alcohol has plenty of calories. Stock up on light beer, white wine for spritzers, and diet soft drinks. Be sure to provide zero- and low-calorie beverages so that your guests can alternate alcoholic drinks with non-alcoholic ones throughout the day.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Super Bowl Staple: Roasted Vegetable Dip
2 medium zucchini, sliced (4 cups)
2 medium yellow summer squash, sliced (3 cups)
2 medium red bell pepper, sliced
2 medium red onion, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, peeled
Cooking spray
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne)
Heat oven to 400* spread all the vegetables on a cookie sheet, spray with cooking spray, sprinkle with salt and red pepper, bake about 30 minutes, turning vegetables over one time. Place vegetables in a blender or food processor. Blend 1 minute on high. Serve warm or chilled.
2 medium yellow summer squash, sliced (3 cups)
2 medium red bell pepper, sliced
2 medium red onion, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, peeled
Cooking spray
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne)
Heat oven to 400* spread all the vegetables on a cookie sheet, spray with cooking spray, sprinkle with salt and red pepper, bake about 30 minutes, turning vegetables over one time. Place vegetables in a blender or food processor. Blend 1 minute on high. Serve warm or chilled.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Super Bowl Staple: Boneless Buffalo Wings
While at first glance these may not seem like a healthy alternative, they have about half the fat and calories as regular buffalo wings. By using skinless chicken breasts, you're eliminating the skin (and added fat) that is normally found on wings. What to cut even more calories? Bake the wings instead of frying and skip the blue cheese dressing entirely.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
•1 lb. chicken breast tenders
•4 egg whites
•2 Tbsp commercial wing sauce, such as Frank's
•1/2 cup flour
•1/2 cup corn meal
•1/2 tsp salt
•1/2 tsp ground red pepper
•2 Tbsp canola oil
Preparation:
1. Slice chicken breast tenders in half, vertically, and set aside.
2. In a small dish, whisk together the egg whites and 1 tablespoon of the hot sauce. In a seperate dish, mix together the flour, corn meal, salt, and ground red pepper.
3. Dip the chicken breast tenders in the egg mixture, and then in the flour mixture. Assure that the tenders are evenly coated. Repeat the procedure one more time so that each tender has been dipped in the egg and then the flour mixture two times. Set the breaded tenders on a plate.
4. Heat the cooking oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Place the tenders in the pan, and cook 4-5 minutes on each side or until the chicken is done and the outside is golden brown and crisp.
5. Place the chicken on paper towels, and drizzle with the remaining hot sauce.
Serves 8
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
•1 lb. chicken breast tenders
•4 egg whites
•2 Tbsp commercial wing sauce, such as Frank's
•1/2 cup flour
•1/2 cup corn meal
•1/2 tsp salt
•1/2 tsp ground red pepper
•2 Tbsp canola oil
Preparation:
1. Slice chicken breast tenders in half, vertically, and set aside.
2. In a small dish, whisk together the egg whites and 1 tablespoon of the hot sauce. In a seperate dish, mix together the flour, corn meal, salt, and ground red pepper.
3. Dip the chicken breast tenders in the egg mixture, and then in the flour mixture. Assure that the tenders are evenly coated. Repeat the procedure one more time so that each tender has been dipped in the egg and then the flour mixture two times. Set the breaded tenders on a plate.
4. Heat the cooking oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Place the tenders in the pan, and cook 4-5 minutes on each side or until the chicken is done and the outside is golden brown and crisp.
5. Place the chicken on paper towels, and drizzle with the remaining hot sauce.
Serves 8
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Recipe: Blueberry Buckle
Here's a delicious yet sensible dessert recipe that contains the healthy fiber of oats, the antioxidant properties of blueberries, and the crunchy goodness of almonds . . . plus it tastes great!
2/3 cup uncooked steel-cut oats
1/2 cup raw blueberries
1 Tbsp. slivered almonds
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup water
Optional: 1 tsp. honey or raw sugar, or a pinch of stevia.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients in a glass baking dish and mix well. Bake for 20 minutes (or microwave on high for 1-1/2 minutes). Makes one generous serving.
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
2/3 cup uncooked steel-cut oats
1/2 cup raw blueberries
1 Tbsp. slivered almonds
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup water
Optional: 1 tsp. honey or raw sugar, or a pinch of stevia.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients in a glass baking dish and mix well. Bake for 20 minutes (or microwave on high for 1-1/2 minutes). Makes one generous serving.
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Digging Deep
Usually when I use the term, "digging deep" I'm referring to me having gotten myself in some sort of mess :-) But not today.
This time I'm referring to that inner strength that we all have but oftentimes don't know it's there. Sure, we've all had to push through those times when we just didn't want to do something but it's those times when we are given little choice and have to reach down and use that inner strength.
The first time I had to use mine was during the very intense first year of my daughter's life. During my pregnancy I had been diagnosed with Hodgekin's Lymphoma. Two weeks after she was born I started chemotherapy which lasted for 6 months and then immediately followed by 5 weeks of radiation. Getting all those medications was hard enough on it's own but I also had an infant to take care of. The chemo wiped me out so severely that there were times I couldn't get out of bed but with a crying newborn I was left with little choice. I had to dig deep and find that strength to stand up because someone needed me.
So why am I sharing something this personal with you all? I wanted to tell you that no matter what you may be going through or attempting to do--whether it's losing weight, fighting a disease, facing a deployment, or whatever else, you DO have that inner strength to get through it. I could've easily given up and let myself succumb to my disease but instead I chose to dig deep. And you can't do it for anyone else, you have to do it for yourself. I wanted to see my daughter grow and our family expand. Ten years later, I'm still here and going strong.
Don't let your fears and frustrations keep you from digging deep. Look inside, grab that shovel, and start bringing up that inner strength that we all know is there. When it's all over you can look back and say, "Yeah, I did that." and that inner strength will grow by leaps and bounds.
This time I'm referring to that inner strength that we all have but oftentimes don't know it's there. Sure, we've all had to push through those times when we just didn't want to do something but it's those times when we are given little choice and have to reach down and use that inner strength.
The first time I had to use mine was during the very intense first year of my daughter's life. During my pregnancy I had been diagnosed with Hodgekin's Lymphoma. Two weeks after she was born I started chemotherapy which lasted for 6 months and then immediately followed by 5 weeks of radiation. Getting all those medications was hard enough on it's own but I also had an infant to take care of. The chemo wiped me out so severely that there were times I couldn't get out of bed but with a crying newborn I was left with little choice. I had to dig deep and find that strength to stand up because someone needed me.
So why am I sharing something this personal with you all? I wanted to tell you that no matter what you may be going through or attempting to do--whether it's losing weight, fighting a disease, facing a deployment, or whatever else, you DO have that inner strength to get through it. I could've easily given up and let myself succumb to my disease but instead I chose to dig deep. And you can't do it for anyone else, you have to do it for yourself. I wanted to see my daughter grow and our family expand. Ten years later, I'm still here and going strong.
Don't let your fears and frustrations keep you from digging deep. Look inside, grab that shovel, and start bringing up that inner strength that we all know is there. When it's all over you can look back and say, "Yeah, I did that." and that inner strength will grow by leaps and bounds.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)