Back from vacation!

our view from the Lake House

I had a great visit with my son, his fiance and her parents. It was way too short, just three days! After they left, we went up to Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire and stayed at a lovely house right on the lake, courtesy of my other son's girlfriend's parents. It was beautiful and relaxing and the weather was perfect! We only stayed a couple of days...and now it's back to reality!
So, it's Friday, and that means weigh in day for me! Now, while I had company and while I was away, I didn't count calories, I didn't do any exercise routines....and I lost a pound! Go figure!
But, looking back, I see that I didn't indulge in the usual vacation gluttony. That can be directly attributed to my gluten free diet. It is pretty limiting, especially when eating out. At the sports bar when everyone else had the typical, fattening, not good for you ( but yummy!) bar food, the only thing I could eat from the menu was a salad with grilled chicken. At the nice restaurant we went to, I don't eat the bread that looked so delicious, or pasta or anything breaded or anything with sauce since I can't guarantee it's gluten free....so roasted chicken and veggies for me! ( and it was absolutely the best I've ever had!) In NH, at a nice Italian restaurant, I just about swooned when she said they had a chocolate ganache FLOURLESS cake! So, hubby and I shared a piece that came with a tablespoon of vanilla ice cream, just the right amount!
Having been on the gluten free "lifestyle" ( as it's called) for a few years, I don't feel deprived and I really don't get cravings for the stuff I'm not supposed to eat. Sometimes, it's a challenge to find something safe on a menu, but I usually can fall back to a salad if I have to. Most snacks are off limits too.
So, you would think I would be kind of slim since I don't ever eat anything with flour or sauces...baked goodies, bread, pasta, crackers, cookies, etc. I must have the world's slowest metabolism, I guess!
But, today it's back to my routine and counting calories. I still haven't broken that 5-6 lb mark that I've been juggling for 3 years, so I'm determined to do that this week!

Tip of the Day

Speaking of gluten, I just read a new book on the subject that has all the latest research and explains it very well. It's called "The Gluten Effect".
If you or someone you know suffers from any kind of autoimmune diseaase, I strongly suggest that you read the book. It proves through recent research that as many as 5 out of ten people are gluten sensitive and only one in ten are celiacs. Most doctors think celiac disease is the only way that gluten intolerance manifests itself. That is not true. I never had celiac disease. I had arthritis, psoriasis, depression, brain fog and chronic fatigue. I stopped eating foods with gluten and in three weeks I was a new person. The book is less than 12 bucks and it may change your life. And...get this.....One of the symptoms of gluten sensitivity is weight gain and difficulty in losing weight. The book goes into great detail explaining how this is caused my your adrenal glands being stressed by fighting the gluten proteins that are toxic to people who are sensitive to it. Even though I have been researching gluten sensitivity for several years for myself, this book gave me all the info I needed in one place to give me a new resolve to be very very strict in keeping gluten out of my body! Here is a link to the blog of the doctors who wrote the book.
The Gluten Doctors. Go through the archives and you may start to see a connection to your own health problems.
If only one person reads this and is helped and then spreads the word, we can do for ourselves what our uninformed medical doctors can't or won't. I do believe that every year, more doctors will become aware and will help to make a healthier world. Until then, advocate for yourself!
Google searches for "gluten free" will bring up tons of info to keep you busy for a while.

Hey, now even Starbuck's is getting on board and offering a gluten free orange cake...and it's not a crappy cake, it's made with whole ingredients!

Time Off!

You may have noticed that I don't do a new post every day. I've found that when I do that, I spend way too much time sitting at the computer when I should be up and moving...... and I find most people only stop by every few days. My son and his fiance are coming for a visit for a few days, so I won't be blogging at all! I only see them a few times a year, so I'm going to spend all the time I can with them. Then the spouse and I are heading off to New Hampshire for a few days of relaxation.
So, You may not see any posts for the next week.....but check back after that because I'm sure I'll have a lot to talk about!

MUFA!!

About five years ago, I started this project of losing weight and getting healthy. I wanted my 50's to be my best years yet. I made a lot of changes in my diet, I joined a gym and went regularly and I made sure to walk and move every day. I've added some yoga, strength training and even little pilates to my regimen. So, I know I am a lot healthier than I was five years ago. Things are tighter and I'm stronger, and discovering my gluten intolerance and taking it out of my diet has banished all the chronic health conditions I had suffered. But....and I hate to admit that it bothers me.....I don't weigh any less than when I started. I have bounced up and down within the same five pounds since I began in earnest five years ago. I'm a dress size smaller, so the hard work I've done has changed my body for the better....but I'm still "obese".

I'm at the point now where I've been doing this blog project for a month.....I lost five pounds in the first 3 weeks and then nothing.....although I changed nothing in my routine.
I'm doing all the right things. I have a healthy relationship with food. Cutting out the gluten has conditioned me to have no problem with doing without certain foods so it is easy for me to not eat junk food. I keep track and count calories and I exercise routinely.
So, I am hoping this time it will be different...that I'll finally be able to break through the five pound mark. It's not my goal to obsess about the number on the scale, but to get within a healthy weight that will get me out of the obese category. I know from all my research that as we age, extra weight hurts our heart and our joints. I'm carrying 40 extra pounds and if I don't get rid of that now, it will only get worse.

So, although I already eat lots of fruits and veggies, maybe I need to add more MUFAs to my diet!

What are MUFAs?
MUFAs (pronounced moo-fah) are monounsaturated fatty acids, plant-based fats found in some of the world's most delicious foods--avocado, nuts and seeds, oils, olives, and dark chocolate! Studies show that these good-for-you fats enhance heart health and protect against chronic disease. And now the latest research shows that these dietary superstars may even target fat where it's hardest to lose--in your belly

Meet the MUFAs:

Oils

Pick your MUFA: Canola oil, flaxseed oil, olive oil, peanut oil, pesto sauce, safflower oil, sesame oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil, walnut oil

Use them like this: Stir-fry with sesame, peanut, or canola oil; pan-fry in walnut or olive oil; cook with safflower, soybean, or sunflower oil; use flaxseed oil in salad dressings (flaxseed oil cannot be used for cooking)

One serving equals: 1 tablespoon

Recipe: Leafy Grilled Chicken Salad with Creamy Balsamic Dressing

Nuts and Seeds

Pick your MUFA: Almonds, Brazil nuts, natural peanut butter, dry-roasted cashews, dry-roasted peanuts, dry-roasted sunflower seeds, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios, roasted pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, walnuts

Use them like this: Eat as a snack; sprinkle on a salad

One serving equals: 2 tablespoons

Recipe: Vietnamese Beef Salad

Dark Chocolate

Pick your MUFA: Dark or semisweet chocolate chips, shavings, or chunks

Use them like this: Any way you crave!

One serving equals: 1/4 cup

Recipe: Chocolate Pudding with Bananas and Graham Crackers

Avocado

Pick your MUFA: Florida avocado, Hass avocado

Use them like this: Slice and serve with a salad or any entrée; mash with lime juice, salt and pepper and serve with chips; chop and fold into store-bought salsa

One serving equals: 1/4 cup

Recipe: Key West Chicken-Avocado Sandwich

Olives

Pick your MUFA: Black olives, black olive tapenade, green olives, green olive tapenade

Use them like this: Serve olives as a snack; sprinkle sliced olives on pizzas, salads, or pastas; spread tapenade on crackers or sandwiches

One serving equals: 10 large olives or 2 tablespoons of tapenade

Recipe: Mediterranean Salad-Wraps

It's not just the UN-insured who suffer....

I have to vent. And this does have something to do with keeping healthy because it looks like if I get sick, I'll be bankrupt.....so more incentive to eat well and exercise.
I just spent a frustrating morning online and on the phone trying to find an affordable health insurance plan. I guess my idea of what is affordable and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts' idea is very different. You may have heard about the Insurance reform in Massachusetts and how everyone can be insured now! Well, it has been successful in providing poor people with subsidized insurance but according to the State, we make too much income....the cutoff is $43,000 for a couple, to qualify. So the cheapest plan available to us is $1000 a month, with a $2000 deductible each and a 35% hospital co pay. One hospital stay will bankrupt us. $12000 a year ( almost 20% of our net income) paid to an insurance company but nothing paid to us except some of the hospital bill should we need it. A sweet deal for them. A plan with full hospital coverage is $1700 a month. Being pretty healthy and not on any meds, I'll never meet my deductible. I can't afford the $1000. for a colonoscopy that my doctor ordered. Not that and also the monthly premium in one month. So hopefully, there is nothing lurking in there that we'll find out about too late....because that will be very ironic.....because the insurance won't pay for the screening, I may develop a serious illness and they will finally end up paying a lot more. Oh, and in case you were wondering ....part of the deal the state made with the insurance companies to take part in there program was to not allow plans without prescription coverage that would cost less or plans for just catastrophic care. I doubt I would pay anywhere near $1000 a year for doctor visits, so hospital insurance is all we need......but you can't get that here.....that would hurt the insurance company profits. So,don't go bragging about the great Mass Health reform to me please. I am hoping and praying that Obama keeps his word and gets what we need.

Waisting away!

Friday again already! You know what that means....weigh in day! It was bound to happen....my scale tells me I haven't lost an ounce this week. I was only discouraged for a minute though. Because I am counting calories, I know that, technically, I must have lost some fat somewhere and water weight will make the number on the scale fluctuate. I know that even on The Biggest Loser, the contestants have weeks when they don't lose ( or they gain) even though they haven't changed their routine or diet. My body has its own mind it seems. But, my body feels different so let's take out that tape measure and see.

Yep, my waist, my menopausal middle......is one inch less than last week.....so are my hips and thighs. So maybe all that muscle I'm building is the reason for the scale not budging! There is a part of me that always hopes for huge numbers lost every Friday, but logically I know that's not what I'll see. Whatever the reason, it doesn't matter because I know that if I am consistent with my plan, it will show up eventually.

The weekend is here! I have a party tonight and tomorrow I'm off to visit my sister for an overnight...so that means I have to be a little diligent about what I put in my mouth ( alcohol). So, I've committed to only have 2 drinks and I'll work them into my calorie count for each day. In social situations like this, with lots of tempting ,fattening food, it's actually an advantage that I can't eat gluten, because most of those goodies are stuff I can't eat anyway!

Recipe of the Day
Phyllo pizza with feta, basil and tomato
I have a ton of basil to harvest from the garden, so I'm looking for ways to use it. This recipe from Cooking Light looks great! ( of course I'll substitute a gluten free crust)

Salty cheese, tomatoes, and basil make this a savory treat. Pair with a tossed green salad for a light summer supper.

Yield

6 servings (serving size: 2 slices)

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) finely crumbled reduced-fat feta cheese
• 1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 10 (18 x 14–inch) sheets frozen phyllo dough, thawed
• Cooking spray
• 2 cups thinly sliced plum tomato
• 1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions
• 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375°.

2. Combine first 6 ingredients in a bowl.

3. Cut phyllo sheets in half crosswise. Working with 1 phyllo sheet half at a time (cover remaining dough to keep from drying), place phyllo sheet on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Coat phyllo sheet with cooking spray. Repeat with 2 more layers of phyllo. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons cheese mixture. Repeat layers 5 times, ending with 2 phyllo sheets. Coat top phyllo sheet with cooking spray; sprinkle with 2 tablespoons cheese mixture. Pat tomato slices with a paper towel. Arrange tomato slices on top of cheese, leaving a 1-inch border. Sprinkle with onions and the remaining 6 tablespoons cheese mixture. Bake at 375° for 20 minutes or until golden. Sprinkle with basil leaves.

Wine note: A good wine for this dish won't overwhelm the delicate phyllo but will stand up to the salty cheeses and fresh basil. A favorite that fills the bill: Veramonte Sauvignon Blanc Reserva from the Casablanca Valley of Chile. The 2008 is $11. —Karen MacNeil

Nutritional Information

Calories:

195

Fat:

6.7g (sat 3.2g,mono 2.1g,poly 0.5g)

Protein:

9.3g

Carbohydrate:

24.6g

Fiber:

1.9g

Cholesterol:

11.4mg

Iron:

1.7mg

Sodium:

526mg

Calcium:

158mg

The power of Oatmeal!

I just finished a bowl of oatmeal with blueberries. I was inspired by an article today in The Cape Cod Times. Even though I know all the benefits of eating a good breakfast, ( I've blogged about it here) and I never skip my morning meal, I can see that I can do better. In fact, I want to do BEST! See what I mean below from the article:

BEST: A bowl of slow cooking oatmeal topped with fresh berries and a hard boiled egg.

This meal is a nutritional powerhouse and easy to pull off if you make the oatmeal and the eggs the night before. Fiber and protein help slow down the digestive process, making you feel full longer and keeping your blood sugar steady. To make this meal even better, add good fats by spreading peanut butter or avocado on whole grain toast or an English muffin.

So, I searched the pantry and found some oatmeal in a canister that I had put away for the summer and cooked up a bowl. I added some flax seed meal and fresh blueberries. I knew that oatmeal has been touted as a great weight loss tool....and I'm trying to lose weight, so I googled it and found all the info I need right here

As surprising as it may be, the warm comfort breakfast food you ate as a kid is actually a powerful fat burning food source-oatmeal! Packed full of oats, soluble fiber, and protein, oatmeal boosts weight loss and fat burning processes as it keeps consumers feeling fuller longer.

The Fat Burning Powers of Oatmeal

Oatmeal's most powerful fat burning agent is its incredible fiber source. The fiber in oatmeal is soluble, which means that your body slowly moves this food product through your digestive tract, making you feel fuller and more satisfied for longer periods of time. Oatmeal, as well as most other unprocessed whole grains, is an outstanding source of fiber which boosts weight loss results; yet the other key benefit to oatmeal is its ability to stabilize blood sugar levels and boost the body's metabolic fat burning engines.

• Oatmeal and Fiber

As consumers of oatmeal feel more satisfied with the intake of fiber, dieters will feel less tempted to overeat or indulge in snacks or unhealthy temptations. When your hunger pangs are naturally suppressed, you are more capable of limiting the caloric and food intake; as a result, the body begins to feed on stored fat cells in order to generate energy. Simply by consuming oatmeal, the body should naturally go into a fat burning mode, resulting in the utilization of fatty cells for energy, support, and body functioning.

• Oatmeal and Blood Sugar Levels

As oatmeal boosts the body's intake of fiber, it simultaneously serves as a fat fighting agent because it stabilizes the body's blood sugar levels. Essentially, anytime you consume a food, your body converts the food into glucose, or sugar. This intake of food and rise in glucose levels leads to an immediate energy rush, followed by an inevitable energy crash, as eventually you feel lethargic, tired, and may even experience headaches after eating high-sugar or highly-processed foods. Unlike most foods, however, oatmeal has the opposite glucose-rising effect on the body. As oatmeal's fiber content allows the body to digest this food more slowly, the body does not react to this intake of food by immediately producing glucose and energy; on the contrary, oatmeal keeps the blood sugar levels more stable, as a steady amount of glucose is released at a steady and safe rate. As a result, you'll feel less tired after consuming this fat burning food, and you'll also be less likely to encounter an energy crash later in the day. The greatest fat burning benefit of this helpful side-effect is that the body's natural response to tiredness or fatigue is to crave or eat a sugary food or treat, as this will provide the body with quick and short-term energy. Because the body is less likely to feel fatigued when consuming oatmeal, dieters are ultimately less likely to crave sweeter foods and unhealthy snack options; therefore, dieters can again avoid temptations with minimal physical cravings or distractions, allowing the body to continue to burn up fat stores for energy supplies.

Choosing the Best Fat Burning Oatmeal Products

While dieters will benefit from traditional or instant oatmeal, individuals can also try out new and scientifically engineered oatmeal products in order to experience enhanced fat burning benefits. For example, companies today, such as Quaker Oats and Kashi, sell oatmeal varieties that are higher in protein. When paired with the natural benefit of fiber, this added protein boost will help consumers feel even more satisfied and satiated, again reinforcing the body's ability to limit caloric intake while burning stored body fat.

When perusing the oatmeal aisle at the grocery store, however, avoid the sugar-laden sweeter varieties, as an excess in sugar will essentially eliminate all of the fat burning potentials that oatmeal has to offer. If you can't eat your oatmeal plain, add some nuts, a small amount of honey (as this is a natural and unprocessed sugar), or a handful of blueberries into your bowl. This will add a bit of natural flavor without stealing all of your fat burning benefits! Also, as you are experiencing enhanced fat burning benefits, keep in mind that a steady intake of oatmeal as part of a regular diet also lowers harmful cholesterol levels, and lowers risks of certain cancers, such as colon cancer. Eat up, lose weight, and enjoy all of the wellness perks of oatmeal.

So, I'm off to the health food store today to get a big bag of gluten free oatmeal. I'll cook up a big batch to keep in the fridge so I just have to microwave it in the morning.

Tip of the Day

I'm always looking for ways to flatten my expanding post menopausal middle without having to do 1000 crunches a day! Here is an article I found that tells me an a-peeling way to do it....in just a few easy "steps"!

The Definitive Flat Tummy Rules

You have to include fiber in your diet

If you want to lose weight and trim inches off your waist, fiber is HUGE. And the reason it's huge is because it fills your stomach with much fewer calories. It also keeps you feeling full much longer. To sum it up, fiber enables you to not only eat less now, but also later in the day.

But you need plenty of fiber to accomplish this. The FDA advises 25 grams of fiber a day. But, that's not nearly enough if you want to flatten your gut now and keep it that way. You should shoot for a minimum of 20 grams of fiber per day. And it's not difficult to do. I'll show you how easy it is.

Go to Wal Mart and pick up a can of black beans and three apples. Eat that every single day. How hard it is that?

Black beans should only be used a side dish. They should not be the main course of your meal. With that said, you can fit black beans in just about kind of meal.

You can probably figure out how to eat 3 apples a day. Just substitute an apple for that king-size bag of chips you devour 20 minutes before going to bed.

Walk Up and Down Stairs

If you have stairs in your home or the building you live in, tie on some shoes and get stepping.

All you need to do is walk up and down them for 10 minutes a day, 5 days per week. Better yet, do it every single day.

Don't tell me you can't do that!

That may not seem like much, but you'll notice immediate and long-term benefits. If you commit to this for just two weeks, you'll see what I mean.

See, how easy it all can be?

All you have to do is follow these 2 easy flat tummy rules and your stomach will be something you'll be showing off sooner than you think.

So, I found a recipe using black beans AND apples:

Recipe of the Day

Apple Black Bean Salsa
From the American Institute for Cancer Research

Combining apples and black beans in a tangy salsa provides special health benefits as well as great taste. Both apples and black beans are rich in phytochemicals, the natural substances that have been linked to cancer protection.

lemon juice for dipping apple slices
2-3 red Delicious apples, peeled, enough to make 2 cups diced fruit
3 Tbsp. lime juice, preferably freshly squeezed
3 Tbsp. orange juice, preferably freshly squeezed
1/2 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
3 Tbsp. diced green chili pepper (canned version)
2 Tbsp. minced fresh cilantro leaves
salt and pepper, preferably white

Place lemon juice in wide shallow bowl. Peel and slice apples, then dip slices into juice to prevent browning. Dice slices to makes 2 cups.

In a mixing bowl, place apples, beans, chili pepper, cilantro, lime juice and orange juice. Mix thoroughly. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Refrigerate 6 to 8 hours before serving. (Salsa can be prepared up to one day ahead.) Before serving, drain off excess liquid.

Serve with chicken or fish.

Makes 8 servings, each containing 28 calories and 0 grams of fat.

Bon Appetit!

I went to see Julie and Julia yesterday. I made sure I ate lunch first because I knew looking at all that gourmet food would make me salivate. When I came home, I wanted to make something with lots of butter! But, I didn't have one decadent thing in the house, so I had some chicken and a salad. But the movie (which is excellent by the way), reminded me how much I like good food. I like eating it, I like cooking it and sharing it and just the whole experience of it! I am eating healthier, but I don't want to end up eating the same old boring meals all the time. So, I will occasionally indulge in a decadent meal....I'll keep the portions in check, but I won't deny myself the pleasure. I think I may need to break out the old French Chef cookbook!
We had our gift from the Gods of four days of gorgeous, sunny non-humid weather....so now it's payback time as we are in for a week of steamy heat again. So I'm doing my workout and getting out for my walk early and then hiding in my air conditioned studio for a while and getting some work done!

Recipe of the Day

Cherries are abundant now, but you can use any fruit in this lovely and easy to make pie. Compared to a regular pie crust, this is a bit healthier since it doesn't use butter ( yes, and it is Julia's recipe!) I toss in a third cup of flaxseed meal to add some "healthy'

Julia Child's Clafouti
serves 6-8

1 1/4 cups milk
1/3 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 Tablespoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup flour
3 cups cherries, pitted
1/3 cup sugar
powdered sugar

In a blender blend the milk, sugar, eggs, vanilla, salt and flour. Pour a 1/4 inch layer of the batter in a buttered 7 or 8 cup lightly buttered fireproof baking dish. Place in the oven until a film of batter sets in the pan. Remove from the heat and spread the cherries over the batter. Sprinkle on the 1/3 cup of sugar. Pour on the rest of the batter. Bake at 350 degrees for about for about 45 minutes to an hour. The clafouti is done when puffed and brown and and a knife plunged in the center comes out clean. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, serve warm.

Body Image

I can't believe it's already Friday again! So, that means it's weigh-in day. I got on the scale first thing this morning and it showed I had lost one pound, then I did it again an hour later and it showed three, so I'll split the difference and assume I've lost two again....since I've been pretty much on track for the eating and exercise as I have the last two weeks. The precise number isn't a concern for me since I'm not getting any prizes and I'm not in danger of being voted off of anything......as long as I'm still losing, I'm okay with it.

We are having a little stretch of absolutely beautiful weather here. I should really find time to go to the beach. I do live on Cape Cod, y'know. I wish I liked to swim more than I do. It's such great exercise. I have to admit it's not fear of water that keeps me from doing it. I don't have great swimming form or skills, but I can stay afloat. The few times I let myself go in the water, I love the feeling of just floating on my back and looking at the clouds.
No, it's not any fear of waves keeping me land bound. It's the fact that I haven't been comfortable in a bathing suit since this picture was taken. I was eight years old....the horizontal stripes didn't bother me at all. The horrible pixie hair cut that made my face look fat....I didn't think twice about it. I don't know exactly why that changed, but I know that after that I spent my life feeling that I was too fat to expose myself and would never go to the beach without a cover up. When I was older, I avoided the beach whenever I could. When I think of all the things I didn't let myself enjoy because I was too embarassed looking the way I did....it's sad. And the thing is, I wasn't really fat....I just thought I was. I'm sure I could go into the reasons for that....and I will at another time. But it's too gorgeous here today and I want to go enjoy it before it gets hot and muggy again. So, just a short post today.....it's time to get moving!

I hate exercise

Confession.......I really don't like exercise.
I really don't. But, I've done enough of it to know that I feel really good after I do it. So, I look at it as one of those necessary things that you dread doing, but once you get going, you do get into it a bit and although maybe never "enjoy" it, you get a good sense of accomplishment that you did it. I also have found that the more often you do it, the easier it gets. So the only stumbling block I have to conquer is the part where I actually commit to doing my chosen exercise every day.
Pilates: I took a Pilates class....twice....2 years apart. What I learned about Pilates is that it is hard, it hurts .....and it works incredibly. I went to a class with a couple of friends a couple of years ago. The class was at 6:30 am, so I surprised them both by actually showing up. I couldn't do a third of the moves, but I tried my best ( I can get really competitive) and after the hour, my body was actually shaking as I walked to my car. Just after that one class, I felt my abs tighten and my posture was straighter....it felt great. I felt like a ballerina....tummy in, shoulders down, gliding along.......but, I never went back. .....it was hard and it hurt, so finding reasons ( excuses) was easy. But I'm glad I took that class because now I KNOW that it works.
So, I'm adding some Pilates into my routine, but I'm going to ease my way into it. I hate the traditional ab exercises where you have to lie on your back. It bothers my neck and I get lightheaded. So I was happy to find this video of Pilates Ab exercises....standing.

Recipe of the Day

Here's a great way to enjoy those summer fruits!

Banana-Berry Smoothie

Makes 3 servings, 1 cup each

Ingredients

1 ¼ cups orange juice
1 ripe medium banana, peeled and sliced
1 cup frozen blueberries, blackberries or raspberries
½ cup silken tofu
2 ice cubes, crushed (see Tip)
1 tablespoon sugar (optional)

Banana-Berry Smoothie Ingredients Cont.

Banana-Berry Smoothie Instructions

Combine orange juice, banana, berries, tofu and crushed ice in a blender; cover and blend until smooth and frothy. Sweeten with sugar, if desired. Serve immediately.

Banana-Berry Smoothie Instructions Cont.

Banana-Berry Smoothie Tips

Tip: An easy way to crush ice is to place cubes in a heavy-duty plastic bag and break them with a rolling pin.

Banana-Berry Smoothie Tips Cont.

Banana-Berry Smoothie Nutrition Information

Per serving: 135 calories; 2 g fat (0 g sat, 0 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol;
27 g carbohydrate; 4 g protein; 3 g fiber; 19 mg sodium; 376 mg potassium.
Nutrition bonus: Vitamin C (93% daily value).

Get un-kinky, with Yoga!

I'm feeling kinky today.
No, not the kind of kinky that might make for an interesting day, but my body is stiff and achy all over. So, I've decided to add some Yoga to my daily routine.

Most classes, and people who are really into yoga, do an hour or an hour and a half routine, but I know that I won't keep that up so it won't do me any good to commit to a class. I have a terrific DVD called Yoga for Beginners and it's a perfect fit. It's 30 minutes, the poses are easy enough for anyone to do, and it does the job of making me feel more flexible. But, the benefits of yoga are much more than just flexibility. Here is a great site that lists the many, many benefits....physiological, psychological and biochemical....it's a true mind/body experience. I've done yoga before so I know the benefits, but I didn't keep it up enough so that it became part of my daily life. But now that I'm committed to getting healthy, I know it's the perfect time to get back to it. So, try it....you'll feel great. Here is all the info you need to get started.

This week's exercise challenge

Why, it's yoga of course! This week's challenge is to just try a beginner yoga routine and see how it makes you feel. You don't have to have a dvd.....go here for a terrific video series on How Yoga Benefits Weight Loss.... it's like having a personal yoga instructor in your home!
I'm going to alternate my 15 minute strength training workout with a 30 minute yoga routine. And, of course, I keep up the walking every day!

Recipe of the Day

I love burgers, but I'm trying to cut down on red meat. The trouble with just making a patty out of plain ground turkey and tossing it on the grill is that because it has hardly any fat, it ends up dry and tasteless. So, you add some good stuff to it for flavor and juiciness....and don't overcook it! Here's a good recipe. I also add a bit of the basil walnut pesto I just made from my abundant basil crop.

Turkey Burgers

1-1/2 pounds ground turkey (93 percent lean)
½ cup finely grated Gruyere cheese...or try feta
4 scallions, thinly sliced
¼ cup dried breadcrumbs
¼ cup Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, minced
Coarse salt and fresh ground pepper
Vegetable oil, for grates (if grilling)

1) Heat the grill to high. In a medium bowl, use a fork to gently combine the turkey with the Gruyere, scallions, breadcrumbs, Dijon mustard, and garlic; season generously with salt and pepper. Dividing the mixtures evenly, gently form the mixture into six 1-inch-thick patties.

2) Lightly oil the grill. Place the patties on the hottest part of the grill; sear until browned, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Move the patties to the cooler part of the grill; continue grilling until cooked through, 5 to 10 minutes per side.

233 calories, 11.5 g fat,