Hands-On Stress Relief

Ever find yourself getting tense in the middle of the day? Whether you're at work or at home, sometimes we find our shoulders hunched forward and our forehead scrunched. Here are some self-massage moves that can help relieve tension around your head, neck and hands.

The Scalp Soother: Place thumbs behind your ears and spread your fingers on top of your head. Move your scalp back and forth slightly by making circles with your fingertips for 15-20 seconds.

The Eye Easer: Close your eyes and place your ring fingers directly under your eyebrows, near the bridge of your nose. Slowly increase pressure for five seconds, then gently release. Repeat 2-3 times.

The Shoulder Saver: Place your left hand on the right side of your next by your shoulder. Press fingers firmly into the muscle while tucking your chin in toward your chest. Hold this position for 10 seconds, release, and then repeat on the left side.

The Palm Pleaser: Lace your fingers together, leaving thumbs free. Slowly knead your left thumb into the palm of your right hand for 20-30 seconds. Then repeat on your left hand.

We could all use a little stress relief in our life :) Happy Monday!

Get On Your Feet!

…get up, and make it happen! Thanks for the intro, Gloria!

Sitting is something a lot of us do most of the day. In fact, I would guess you are sitting while reading this. So go ahead and stand up to make yourself feel better after reading this.

You’ve probably heard that sitting has been seen to lead to health problems. In an article I recently read it said this:

“numerous studies show rates of heart disease, diabetes and obesity are doubled and even tripled in people who sit a lot. Part of the problem with sitting is that it stops the circulation of lipase, an enzyme that breaks down fats. So instead of being burned by your muscles, when you’re sitting fat recirculates in your bloodstream where it may end up stored as body fat, clogging arteries or contributing to disease.

In fact, simply standing up as opposed to sitting engages muscles and helps your body process fat and cholesterol in a positive way, regardless of the amount of exercise you do.”

Pretty crazy, right? But it is also something we can do something about. Like standing up NOW.

A study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine even found that the longer a person sits at a desk at work, the greater their chances are of being or becoming overweight. Sitting for long hours also puts you at risk of back pain, particularly if you sit with poor posture, leg cramps, tense muscles and, of course, out of sheer boredom.

So here are some tips for sitting less and getting healthy:

- the average person can burn 60 extra calories each hour just by standing instead of sitting
- take the opportunity to stand rather than sit as often as you can. Stand while watching your kids play at the park, stand while you talk on the phone or watching TV, etc.
- Your body can only tolerate being in one position for about 20 minutes before it starts to feel uncomfortable, according to the Mayo Clinic. So about every 15 minutes, stand, stretch, walk around or change your position for at least 30 seconds.

Get on your feet!

And while you’re at it, here are some recipes you might want to try out this weekend. Have a good one!

Black Bean Quinoa Burgers

Cookie Dough Baked Oatmeal

Creamy Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing

Whole Wheat Crackers

The Avocado

When I was younger, I’m pretty sure I either didn’t know what an avocado was or I thought it would be gross…because I didn’t try one til just a few years ago. And I feel like I should apologize to the avocado for not giving it a chance for so many years.

The nice thing is, avocados both taste good AND are good for you. And they are pretty dang versatile. Here are some of the impressive stats:

- Despite it’s dark green skin, avocado is known to contain a spectacular array of carotenoids. Researchers believe that avocado's amazing carotenoid diversity is a key factor in the anti-inflammatory properties of this vegetable.

- While it is true that avocado is a high-fat food (about 85% of its calories come from fat), the fat contained in avocado is unusual and provides research-based health benefits

- Some of the health benefits include: anti-inflammatory, cardiovascular health, promotes blood sugar regulation, digestive health, and anti-cancer properties

Here are some tips on how to pick an avocado and store it:

A ripe, ready-to-eat avocado is slightly soft but should have no dark sunken spots or cracks. If the avocado has a slight neck, rather than being rounded on top, it was probably tree ripened and will have better flavor. A firmer, less mature fruit can be ripened at home and will be less likely to have bruises.

A firm avocado will ripen in a paper bag or in a fruit basket at room temperature within a few days. As the fruit ripens, the skin will turn darker. Avocados should not be refrigerated until they are ripe. Once ripe, they can be kept refrigerated for up to a week. If you are refrigerating a whole avocado, it is best to keep it whole and not slice it in order to avoid browning that occurs when the flesh is exposed to air.

If you have used a portion of a ripe avocado, it is best to store the remainder in the refrigerator. Store in a plastic bag, wrap with plastic wrap, or place on a plate and cover with plastic wrap. Sprinkling the exposed surface(s) with lemon juice will help to prevent the browning that can occur when the flesh comes in contact with oxygen in the air.

Want some recipes?!

Southwesten Salmon and Black Beans

Avocado Cream Sauce

Chicken Avocado Pizza

Avocado Chipotle Deviled Eggs

Now go eat some avocado goodness!

Sugar Secrets

Did you know the average adult consumes 22 teaspoons of added sugar a day? And really we should be limiting that to about 10 teaspoons. A major culprit is the sugar packed soda that is easy to find. But here are a few other ways sugar is sneaking into your diet that you might not have even known about!

1. dried fruit: Dried fruit can be a healthy snack, but many brands pack extra sugar. If you look a the nutrition facts of many dried fruit bags, sugar is listed before the actual fruit. Some fruits has 20 grams of sugar per serving! Eat the real fruit or look for unsweetened varieties instead.

2. yogurt: This isn’t all yogurt, but mostly just the flavored kind you should watch out for.Some contain up to 7 teaspoons of sugar—that’s about three times the amount found in plain yogurt. So get the plain stuff and top it with some fresh or frozen fruit.

3. cereal: We’ve talked about the dangers of this before. A serving of Post or Kellogg’s raisin bran cereal contains nearly 5 teaspoons of sugar. Other healthy-sounding offenders include Kashi’s GOLEAN Crunch! and Kellogg’s Cracklin’ Oat Bran, which each have close to 4 teaspoons of sugar—that’s more than a Boston cream doughnut. So if you need to have that sweet cereal, eat less than a serving and combine it with a lower sugar option.

4. packaged oatmeal: This breakfast staple can also fill your bowl with sugar. Many flavored packets contain about 14 g—comparable to three Oreos. Try making your own from real oats and then adding honey or a small amount of brown sugar. A much better option!

5. Sports Drinks: A bottle of Vitamin Water packs nearly an entire day’s worth of sugar (33 grams) per bottle, while a 12-ounce serving of Gatorade contains about 21 grams of the sweet stuff. These are great to use when training for intense races or sports, but not on a regular basis.

6. Ketchup: A tablespoon of ketchup contains about a teaspoon of sugar, which means about one-third of each serving is straight-up sugar. Go easy on the condiment the next time you garnish your burger or dog.

7. Energy Bars: Nutrition bars are designed to give your workout a jolt, but if you’re not careful, they can also deliver a major unwanted sugar buzz. For example, a Clif bar serves up about 20 g of sugar, while Luna, NutGo, and Zone bars all have about 14 grams each.

8. Smoothies: Smoothies made entirely from fruits and veggies are a tasty treat that fill you up with vital nutrients and antioxidants. When sherbet and other sugary ingredients are added to the mix, however, you may as well be sipping a milkshake. Jamba Juice sneaks added sugars into its classic smoothies by blending sherbet with other natural ingredients. As a result, some of their cool treats contain more than 60 g of sugar (nearly two days worth) per 16 ounces. Smoothie King also adds sweeteners, resulting in 20-ounce frozen giants that contain a whopping 100 g of sugar—or more.

9. Jelly & Jam: Before you slather fruit spread on your sandwich, keep in mind that, while jams and jellies are made with fruit, the second ingredient is sugar. Two tablespoons will fill you up with about 13 grams.

10. Peanut Butter: Not all peanut butter, but most stuff at the stores does. Take a look at the ingredient list and you will find sugar (among other things) other than peanuts! Try to find a natural variety, and if you need to add a bit of honey to sweeten it up.

*The take-away? Be aware! Read those labels and look for ways to reduce that added sugar that can sneak in to our diets so easily.

Have a safe and fun weekend!

Crack-a-lackin

This week in our neighborhood co-op my mom came home with a coconut. Yup. Full on coconut. So of course I started googling to figure out how to crack it open. After some research, I decided to share with you how it went for me. It was much easier than anticipated, but also fun. I felt like I was in Hawaii. For about 2 seconds.

To make the whole process go a bit smoother, the first step is to bake the coconut for 15 minutes at 350 degrees. This starts the process of separating the flesh from the outside shell.

After it is done baking, put it on a sturdy cutting board and get out a hammer and a screw driver. Find the 3 circles. Of the three circles, 2 have a ridge which is called the eyebrow (circled in red) and one doesn’t, called the nose (blue). You want to drill a hole completely through the nose of the coconut and then drill a hole through one of the other circles.

From there, grab a cup and empty the coconut water. This is not milk…you have to make milk from the water.

After that, hold the coconut in your hand with the 3 holes on one side and the other end on the other side. Then with your hammer, hammer down the center as you turn the coconut in your hand. It will start to separate the shell from the inside.

At this point I just went hammer crazy and the whole thing started cracking to open up to the coconut meat.

From here you can find other ways to use your coconut, such as shredding it, blending it, making milk or oil, or pretty much anything. I have a recipe for you on Wednesday!

~Have you ever cracked and used a coconut?

When to go Organic

I often get people asking me how important it is to buy organic fruits and vegetables. I think going organic is wonderful if you are able to. However, I wouldn’t say that being unable to buy organic should ever stop you from buying produce or eating well. It is most important to be eating the fruits and vegetables you can, and go organic when it is possible.

Unfortunately, non-organic fruits and vegetables are grown with potentially toxic chemicals, including pesticides, herbicides and chemical fertilizers. Those chemical residues remain not only on the skin of the fruit, but also can be absorbed into the inner flesh. That is why when you are unable to buy organic, it is especially important to wash your produce before eating and be aware of where you buy your produce from. It’s always a bonus to buy local!

The Environmental Working Group (EWG), a not-for-profit environmental research organization, released a list of fruits and vegetables that are most and least contaminated with pesticide residues.

By eating some of the most contaminated fruits and vegetables, you and your children are exposed to about 10 different pesticides a day, according to EWG. Fortunately, by avoiding the most-contaminated produce out there, and concentrating on the least contaminated instead, you can reduce your exposure to pesticides by almost 80 percent, and be exposed to less than 2 pesticides per day, EWG says.

With that in mind, if you’re trying to decide which food products to buy organic, focusing on those on the following 2009 list of the MOST contaminated fruits and vegetables would be money well spent.

The MOST Contaminated Fruits and Veggies (Buy These Organic)

1. Apples          
2. Celery
3. Strawberries
4. Peaches       
5. Spinach
6. Nectarines - imported
7. Grapes - imported     
8. Sweet bell peppers  
9. Potatoes       
10. Blueberries - domestic 
11. Lettuce         
12. Kale/collard greens

On the flipside, the produce with the LEAST amount of pesticide residues were:

1. Onions
2. Sweet Corn
3. Pineapples
4. Avocado
5. Asparagus
6. Sweet peas
7. Mangoes
8. Eggplant
9. Cantaloupe - domestic
10. Kiwi
11. Cabbage
12. Watermelon
13. Sweet potatoes
14. Grapefruit
15. Mushrooms

Just be aware and do what you can to make healthy changes. That is what is more important!

Have a great Monday!

Too Much of a Good Thing…

There are lots of healthy snacks out there. Really, there are. The problem is that sometimes a healthy snack can turn into a not-so-healthy snack just by eating too much of it or eating the wrong kind. Here are a few examples for you to watch out for on your next grocery trip:

- trail mix & granola: Yes, it’s packed with protein and omega-3s, and makes for a portable, satisfying snack. But what lurks behind these nutty, prepackaged snacks are loads of excess sugar, oils, and preservatives. Add on the extra-salty varieties and sugar-packed dried-fruit, and there’s a bit of a dilemma. Avoid prepackaged mixes with lots of fruit and opt for homemade batches with unsalted nuts and all-natural fruits.

- hummus: While this garbanzo bean-based dip does offer a good dose of protein, heart-healthy fats and fiber, working it into a healthy diet is all about portion control. Stick to one serving (2 tablespoons) to keep the calorie count under 80 calories. Also, stick to lower-calorie and carb dippers like fresh or lightly steamed veggies like carrots, celery, snap peas, or broccoli instead of pita chips or pretzels.

- sushi: (sorry, Nat…) It’s a healthier dinner than fried chicken, we’ll give you that. But despite the fresh veggies and omega-3-filled fish, sushi can be a silent killer when it comes to calorie counts, often packed with too much rice (sometimes a full cup per roll!), fried fillings, and heavy sauces. Instead, opt for sashimi (slices of fish without the rice), or a brown rice roll with only fresh fish (hold the sauce). Another word to the wise: Stay away from special Americanized rolls that are often filled with extra calories from cream cheese or (yes) even bacon.

- dried fruit: While dried fruit does have some redeeming qualities, varieties with added chemicals and sugar make it easy to question these healthy claims. To pick a healthier version, look for “no sugar added” or brands that use alternative sweeteners like all-natural fruit juice. Also beware of serving sizes: Dried fruit is considered an energy dense food-high in calories, and relatively low in nutritional value.

- diet soda: Diet drinks may sound healthier, but some studies suggest drinking diet soda might actually be linked to greater weight gain than its sugary cousins! Another study found people who drink more than one diet soda per day have experienced a greater increase in waist size over almost ten years than those who avoid the bubblies completely. One of the biggest factors to blamed? Aspartame, a calorie-free sweetener used in many diet sodas.

- Caesar salad: Just because it’s on a bed of lettuce doesn’t mean it’s healthy. Caesar salad may seem like a healthy menu option, but its calories-laden dressing, blanket of cheese, and refined grains make it a not-so-smart choice. In moderation, they’re all fine. But take a closer look, and we have a different story. The classic calorie dense Caesar dressing is made from, egg yolks, not to mention the cheese and croutons often piled high.

- fruit juice: Just because it came from fruit doesn’t mean it has the same benefits. One cup— take apple, for example— can pack more than 100 calories. But some nutritionists believe the real problem starts when people think about juice (or any liquid) as calorie-free— which is clearly not true. But our biggest problem with juice is all about the sugar. Yeah, fruit naturally has a good deal of it, but squeezing it (literally) into juice form just makes that sugar even easier to choke down. Plus, juicing even removes the super-healthy fiber from real fruit.

The takeaway? Most foods (the healthy and not-so-healthy) are fine to eat…in moderation. Be aware of serving size, ingredient lists and other options that are better for you. With a little awareness and knowledge regarding your choices, you’ll be just fine!

Friday’s Favorites

Hey, friends! Comin’ at ya with a round of Friday’s Favorites. Hope you have a fun weekend! (yay for 3 day weekends!)

- Zucchini Boats anyone?

- here’s a nifty portion control video…short and to the point!

- Top Ten Greens…check out the first one! Love my broccoli :)

- This apple banana stew looks like a fun and simple treat for kids and adults to enjoy

- Speaking of portion control, here is a great way to give you your freshly baked cookie fix, but just a few at a time

- I like oatmeal, I like protein, and I like simple…therefore I like these (kid friendly) no bake oatmeal protein bites!

- there are lots of seeds out there, but this helps you find the best and tells you why

- we already had one quinoa recipe this week, but I figure there can never be enough quinoa…check out this peanut butter cacao quinoa 

For Your Benefit

In the last few weeks I’ve come across two websites that I think are pretty awesome. So I thought I would share them with you!

First up: RECIpage

You know those days you get bored with what you have been making for the past month and decide things need to change? Or you get something from your local co-op and don’t really know what to do with it? Well, this page is for you. RECIpage is a collection of hundreds of blogger recipes. You can type in anything from a specific blogger, to an ingredient, a method of cooking or a course of food. It is pretty much fantastic – and your eyes will be opened to so many new recipes you won’t know what to do with yourself!

For example, I typed in “blueberry muffins” since we just got some fresh blueberries from our co-op. Then 21 recipes came up on a page and I can browse until I find one I like!

Whole Wheat Blueberry Muffins

Lemon Blueberry Muffins

Or I just went more general with searching for “blueberries” and 225 recipes came up! A little overwhelming…but fun to look at.

Blueberry Poppy Seed Granola

Blueberry Pretzel Clusters

As you can see…I really like it.

Second up on the websites of note is Get Real 2012.

“This year-long series is for those who have had even the slightest desire to transition your family to whole foods. You may have started, you may have started and quit, you may be completely overwhelmed, not know where to start.”

There is a year long schedule of what to do each month to transition to eating a cleaner and preservative free. There are weekly posts on the months topics. January focuses on cleaning out the pantry and freezer and replacing the foods with better options.

I think this is an awesome idea – for everyone that wants to make small changes this year. You might choose to do it all or choose to do some of it, but it is worth looking in to. Because preservative free is the way to go! As much as you can, at least.

Hope you enjoy these websites as much as I do!

30 Days

Before I tell you this story, you have to understand that I am a punctuality FREAK. That is probably even an understatement. It drives my family crazy at (most) times. So I try to only be anal when I have to be. But really…it is probably out of hand. See example:



My mom used to always tell me that it takes 21 days to make a habit. So if you are trying to start something new (like a new years resolution, eh?) you do it for 21 days straight and it will become a habit. Fast forward to my sophomore year of high school where one of my neighbors would give me a ride to school each morning. She was always late. To the point that she would drop me off outside the door closest to my classroom because there was approximately 30 seconds until the late bell rang. Which is a recipe for a heart attack for me.

So anyway, I decided to challenge my dear neighbor (who was a senior) to 21 days of picking me up on time. And I offered a reward. Seriously as I type this I realize I am totally weird…but I promise we were good friends and she was happy to try it, because she too wanted to be on time for once. So for 21 days she was on time, and it was glorious. Come day 22, and we are back at racing against the clock. I will say though, that from that point on, we were on time probably 75% more than we used to be.



Are you wondering why I am telling you this yet? Ya, I’m sure you are. Well I came across this video on trying something new for 30 days. I did something similar to this last January and I think it works out well. Some goals should last longer than 30 days, because they will take longer than 30 days. But small goals along the way, or maybe trying something new, or trying to break or start a habit – 30 days is perfect. So check out this video. And decide what changes you want to make for the next 30 days. Because you can do anything for 30 days!

Antioxidants: What & Where

Last week my family took a trip down to Arizona to watch my brother in a basketball tournament. The weather was wonderful, the basketball was great, and I decided I will live there some day. This cold stuff in Utah does not work for me.

But while there, we headed to Trader Joe’s, since Utah hasn’t figured out what they are missing out on yet. There we found some pomegranate seeds out of the pomegranate and ready to eat. We bought them. Who wouldn’t?



While snacking on those in the car my dad started asking about antioxidants. This story is taking much longer than I thought. But anyway…I think antioxidants are one of those “if you eat them you are healthy” things that everyone hears about but isn’t sure exactly why they are or what they are. So I am here to tell you.
By definition, antioxidants are chemical substances that prevent or repair damage to cells caused by exposure to oxidizing agents such as oxygen, ozone, and smoke and to other oxidizing agents normally produced in the body.

Another version: Antioxidants are substances or nutrients in our foods which can prevent or slow the oxidative damage to our body. When our body cells use oxygen, they naturally produce free radicals (by-products) which can cause damage. Antioxidants act as "free radical scavengers" and hence prevent and repair damage done by these free radicals.  Health problems such as heart disease, macular degeneration, diabetes, cancer are all contributed by oxidative damage. Antioxidants may also enhance immune defense and therefore lower the risk of cancer and infection.

       
     

Top sources of antioxidant-rich foods:
Pomegranate, blackberries, walnuts, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, artichokes, cranberries, red cabbage, pecans, cloves, grape juice, dark chocolate, guava nectar, mango nectar…to name a few

Here are (some of) the antioxidants themselves:

• Vitamin A and Carotenoids
  Carrots, squash, broccoli, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, kale, collards, cantaloupe, peaches and apricots (bright-colored fruits and vegetables!)

• Vitamin C
  Citrus fruits like oranges and lime etc, green peppers, broccoli, green leafy vegetables, strawberries and tomatoes
• Vitamin ENuts & seeds, whole grains, green leafy vegetables, vegetable oil and liver oil
• Selenium
  Fish & shellfish, red meat, grains, eggs, chicken and garlic
• Flavonoids / polyphenols red wine
  purple grapes
  pomegranate
  cranberries
• Lycopene
  Tomato and tomato products
  pink grapefruit
  watermelon

• Lutein dark green vegetables such as kale, broccoli, kiwi, brussels sprout and spinach
• Lignan flax seed
  oatmeal
  barley
  rye

Antioxidants are found abundant in beans, grain products, fruits and vegetables. Look for fruits with bright color - lutein in some of the yellow pigments found in corn; orange in cantaloupe, butternut squash and mango; red from lycopene in tomatoes and watermelon, and purple and blue in berries. So enjoy eating a variety of these products. It is best to obtain these antioxidants from foods instead of supplements. In addition, minimize the exposure of oxidative stress such as smoking and sunburn.

So…maybe this year a goal could be getting a bit more color into your diet, and a little less of that color tan and brown. (Like chips, fries, candy bars, crackers)

There ya go, pops.

Linked Up

My mom and I just got back from a quick trip to Las Vegas for some hiking, yoga, Cirque du Soleil and some very nice weather. With a pleasant stop at The Red Barn on the way home! While I gather pictures from that (the hikes were unreal) I will leave you with some fabulous links!

Pumpkin Seeds...3 WAYS! Goodness those all sound delicious. And make me want to carve a pumpkin just to get to the seeds.


Long Run Obstacles – Pretty sure we all have those days that we just don’t want to do our long run, or any type of exercise for that matter. Here are some ways to get past those exercising blues.

Apple Peanut Butter Cookie Bites – substitute in some almond butter and we are good to go! These look great!


White Chicken Chili – I’m not sure anything says fall like some good chili. This sure looks like some good chili.


Sweet Potato Muffins – Yum! With some pumpkin and banana variations, these muffins are delicious and good for you!

Pumpkin Pie Spiced Almonds - Almond and pumpkin...I'm in!

Happy Monday!

~Got a link to share? Go for it.