June 28, 2010 at 5:00 am · Filed under Health, Nutrition
America is in the midst of a health craze. Wherever you go, you just can’t escape it. Wherever you turn your confronted with information about healthy foods, exercise and healthier life choices. Undoubtedly, one of the most effective ways to benefit your health is to opt for healthy foods. Wait a minute, I hear you cry, healthy foods are boring and tasteless. Think again! Healthy foods can be foods you eat every day already, sometimes just preparing them differently can make the difference.
Eating habits and healthy foods can be very enjoyable to eat, as well as being particularly good for you. With healthy foods, it’s good to remember that the nearer the food is to its natural state, the healthier it will be for you. You can start by cutting out the number of pre-prepared foods in your diet. Pre-prepared foods are packed with salt, sugars and synthetic ingredients. Although they may be convenient, you can also prepare healthy foods in no time at all when you know how.
Healthy foods can be very easy to prepare, requiring very little time and effort. It does not necessarily take longer or cost more to live on healthy foods. Here’s an example of a really easy meal that is quick and cheap and includes healthy foods and ingredients. Grill lean hamburger patties until they are fairly well cooked. Put the patties on a whole grain natural seeded buns. Serve with tossed salad drenched in olive oil. For desert, include a serving of fresh fruit or a fresh fruit salad. This is so easy to prepare, it can be on your table in under twenty minutes and involves wholly healthy foods. Grilling lean meats, chicken or fish is certainly not time consuming. Tossing a salad can be done during the cooking time. A good tip is also to fill out the meal with some fresh vegetables which again are very good for you and taste great. You can spice up your mealtimes by trying different healthy foods each time, and experimenting with a range of ingredients you’ve never tried before. Even your local supermarket is packed full of these healthy ingredients for you to select, and many even hand out tips and recipes telling you how to prepare thir produce. This can be a great, healthy way to expose your children to healthy foods which not only taste great, but are good fuel for their growing bodies. You can also try to incorporate herbs into your meal which add flavour and are again very healthy foodstuffs.
Healthy foods can easily be used daily in easy, nutritious meals. You can even use healthy foods in more experimental recipes if you have time to spare. Healthy foods can also be prepared before meal times and frozen for a rainy day. When preparing your own frozen foods, you can have peace of mind in the knowledge that they contain no additives or preservatives, and they are purely healthy foods for you and your families. Another good idea is involving your kids in the preparation of the healthy foods they eat each day. Eating healthy foods can be cheap and timely, so there are benefits all round.
So give it a go. By eating more healthy foods in your diet, you will truly feel the difference. You’ll feel and look better physically, as well as having stronger bones, teeth and muscles, not to mention clearer skin. For such little effort, you can really see the benefits of living a healthier lifestyle.
June 24, 2010 at 11:47 am · Filed under Health
Do you ever get so snug and warm inside your comfort zone that, at some point, you feel like you can’t get out of it? Sometimes you don’t even realize it until you’re in a full-blown rut and you wake up one day and realize, if you have to do that same workout one more time, you’ll probably yank out all your hair.
Getting out of your comfort zone is a great way to push your limits a little. Pushing yourself will make you stronger, not just physically, but mentally and you’ll go back to your old workouts with a fresh perspective and a new appreciation for how strong you really are.
Take the Challenge
I’d like to offer you a challenge. This week, I’d like you to push yourself at least one time. How you do it is up to you – it can be a big challenge or a small challenge but, either way, do something new and see what you’re really capable of. Some ideas:
- Try a new activity. If you tend to do the same exercises all the time, try something new this week – a class at the gym, a machine you’ve never tried, an exercise you never thought you could do.
- Try heavier weights. When strength training, many of us don’t lift as much as we could. If that’s the case with you, for just one exercise, pick up those heavy weights and see if you can really fatigue your muscles. Make that last rep difficult, but not impossible. Always make sure you’re safe and have good form, of course.
- Add a burst of intensity. At the end of one of your usual workouts, tack on some high intensity exercise – run up and down the stairs, do as many pushups as you can, sprint as fast as you can for a minute or try a full minute of squat thrusts. Do something that really gets your heart rate up, even if it’s just for a few seconds.
- Set a new goal. If you’re really ready for a challenge, set a new goal for yourself – sign up for a 5K race or join a local cycling or running club. You could even set a goal to be able to do a certain number of pushups or chin ups – whatever it is, make it something you’ll really work for.
Obviously these ideas don’t cover every situation and each person has to decide what’s challenging for them. For some, just taking a walk for 10 minutes is a challenge. For others, signing up for a marathon might be a good challenge. Wherever you are, make your goal to challenge yourself this week to see just how far you can go when you put your mind to it.
May 21, 2010 at 10:50 am · Filed under MixStirs Smoothie Franchise
MixStirs is proud to announce the opening of its newest location in Sewickley, PA.
The Sewickley MixStirs opened last week with a bang with lines out the door most of the day. Kids enjoyed taking pictures with Banana Boy, many of which can be seen at the MixStirs Fan Page on Facebook.
Smoothies, wraps, paninis, protein shakes………you can’t get enough!
If you are in the area please stop by and see what has got the town of Sewickley going wild!
Keep a look out for our newest location opening soon in Washington Heights, NYC.
Stir It Up!
May 21, 2010 at 5:00 am · Filed under Nutrition
There is a rich world of creative and flavorful alternatives to salt. Get started with this guide to spices, herbs and flavorings and the food items with which they are a particularly good flavor match. Then get creative and experiment!
Allspice: Lean ground meats, stews, tomatoes, peaches, applesauce, cranberry sauce, gravies, lean meat
Almond extract: Puddings, fruits
Basil: Fish, lamb, lean ground meats, stews, salads, soups, sauces, fish cocktails
Bay leaves: Lean meats, stews, poultry, soups, tomatoes
Caraway seeds: Lean meats, stews, soups, salads, breads, cabbage, asparagus, noodles
Chives: Salads, sauces, soups, lean meat dishes, vegetables
Cider vinegar: Salads, vegetables, sauces
Cinnamon: Fruits (especially apples), breads, pie crusts
Curry powder: Lean meats (especially lamb), veal, chicken, fish, tomatoes, tomato soup, mayonnaise
Dill: Fish sauces, soups, tomatoes, cabbages, carrots, cauliflower, green beans, cucumbers, potatoes, salads, macaroni, lean beef, lamb, chicken, fish
Garlic (not garlic salt): Lean meats, fish, soups, salads, vegetables, tomatoes, potatoes
Ginger: Chicken, fruits
Lemon juice: Lean meats, fish, poultry, salads, vegetables
Mace: Hot breads, apples, fruit salads, carrots, cauliflower, squash, potatoes, veal, lamb
Mustard (dry): Lean ground meats, lean meats, chicken, fish, salads, asparagus, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, mayonnaise, sauces
Nutmeg: Fruits, pie crust, lemonade, potatoes, chicken, fish, lean meat loaf, toast, veal, pudding
Onion powder (not onion salt): Lean meats, stews, vegetables, salads, soups
Paprika: Lean meats, fish, soups, salads, sauces, vegetables
Parsley: Lean meats, fish, soups, salads, sauces, vegetables
Peppermint extract: Puddings, fruits
Pimiento: Salads, vegetables, casserole dishes
Rosemary: Chicken, veal, lean meat loaf, lean beef, lean pork, sauces, stuffings, potatoes, peas, lima beans
Sage: Lean meats, stews, biscuits, tomatoes, green beans, fish, lima beans, onions, lean pork
Savory: Salads, lean pork, lean ground meats, soups, green beans, squash, tomatoes, lima beans, peas
Thyme: Lean meats (especially veal and lean pork), sauces, soups, onions, peas, tomatoes, salads
Turmeric: Lean meats, fish, sauces, rice
May 7, 2010 at 1:36 pm · Filed under Nutrition
Scientists funded by the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) found that volunteers who followed a low-calorie diet or a very low-calorie diet not only lost weight, but also significantly enhanced their immune response. The study may be the first to demonstrate the interaction between calorie restriction and immune markers among humans.
The lead researcher, Simin Nikbin Meydani, is director of the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (HNRCA) at Tufts University in Boston, Mass., and also of the HNRCA’s Nutritional Immunology Laboratory.
The study is part of the “Comprehensive Assessment of Long-Term Effects of Reducing Intake of Energy” trial conducted at the HNRCA. As people age, their immune response generally declines. Calorie restriction has been shown to boost these immune responses in animal models.
In the study, 46 overweight (but not obese) men and women aged 20 to 40 years were required to consume either a 30-percent or 10-percent calorie-restricted diet for six months.
Prior to being randomly assigned to one of the two groups, each volunteer participated in an initial 6-week period during which measures of all baseline study outcomes were obtained. All food was provided to participants.
For the study, the researchers looked at specific biologic markers. A skin test used called DTH (delayed-type hypersensitivity) is a measure of immune response at the whole body level.
The researchers also examined effects of calorie restriction on function of T-cells—a major type of white blood cell—and other factors on the volunteer’s immune system.
DTH and T-cell response indicate the strength of cell-mediated immunity. One positive was that DTH and T-cell proliferative response were significantly increased in both calorie-restrained groups.
These results show for the first time that short-term calorie restriction for six months in humans improves the function of T-cells.
Details of this 2009 study can be found in the publication Journal of Gerontology, Biological Sciences. ARS is the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s principal intramural scientific research agency.
By Rosalie Marion Bliss