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April 30, 2008
Quote of the Day
"Ability is what you're capable of doing.
Motivation determines what you do.
Attitude determines how well you do it.”
–Lee Holz
Posted by Lisa at 01:56 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
April 26, 2008
Pico de Gallo Pork Loin
There's nothing like a slow cooked Mexican meal. Mix together before work, come home to a great smelling house and dinner ready to enjoy.
1 tsp each of cumin, paprika, chili powder, black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 pounds pork tenderloin
1 medium red onion, diced
1-2 jalapeno chile peppers, seeded and diced
1 1/2 cups tomatoes, fresh or canned
1/3 cup fresh lime juice (about 1 lime)
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
6 whole wheat tortillas
1/4 cup cilantro, for garnish
6 Tbsp fat free plain yogurt, for garnish
1. In a small bowl, combine the spices and salt. Rub mixture over the entire tenderloin. Place onion and peppers in a large slow cooker.
2. Lay tenderloin over the onion bed and cover with tomatoes. Drizzle lime juice over meat and add broth.
3. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. When pork is fork-tender, turn off the heat and shred. Mix with vegetables. Serve with tortillas and top with cilantro and yogurt.
Serves 6
Per serving: 265 kcal, 32g protein, 27g carb, 6g fat, 2g sat fat, 76mg cholesterol, 3g fiber, 524mg sodium
Posted by Lisa at 09:31 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
April 22, 2008
Orange Sesame Salmon
Here's another good salmon recipe. I used spinach instead of asparagus, because I have a huge bag in the fridge. I added it in with the rice. The orange zest and orange juice are a great combination with the salmon and the rice.
2 Tbs olive oil
2 10 oz. skinless salmon fillets, halved
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 bunch fresh asparagus, stems removed and cut in 1/2 " pieces
1/2 cup orange juice
2 Tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp soy sauce
Zest of 1 orange
2 cups low sodium chicken broth
2 cups dry instant brown rice
2 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds
1. In a large, deep nostick skiller with a lid, heat oil on medium. Add salmon and sprinkle with garlic. Cook for 2 minutes, turn and cook an additional 2 minutes.
2. Add asparagus, orange juice, sugar, and soy sauce to skillet. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 3 to 5 minutes, until salmon is flaky and asparagus is fork-tender.
3. Transfer only the salmon to a serving platter and cover with foil to keep warm. Gently stir orange zest into the pan. Add broth and bring to a boil. Remove from heat, stir in rice, and cover. Allow to stand for 5 minutes.
4. Fluff rice with a fork and return salmon to top the rice. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Serves 6
Per serving: 472 kcal, 28g protein, 58g carb, 15g fat, 2g sat fat, 54mg cholesterol, 4g fiber, 254mg sodium
Posted by Lisa at 08:03 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
April 16, 2008
Hurry Up and Wait
For most individuals, living in the 21st century, life has become a blur of comings and goings punctuated by guilt about how much faster they should be "coming and going." The insanity of hurriedness has permeated every facet of life and prevents us from being able to enjoy friends, families, and ourselves to the fullest. Nobody seems capable of simply being where they are without thinking or saying they should be someplace else.
I think it's time to recognize that slowing down is good for our health. Patience is not only a virtue, but it can also be the road to mental and physical well-being. Waiting can be an opportunity to connect with other people, whether through friendly conversation or perhaps by making light of the situation.
Posted by Lisa at 08:58 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
April 13, 2008
Don't forget your... Magnesium.
Magnesium may not get the spotlight like calcium, but this essential mineral is being recognized for many health benefits.
A recent analysis showed that for every 100 milligram increase in magnesium intake, type 2 diabetes risk decreases by 15 percent. The daily amount of magnesium needed is 320 milligrams for women and 420 milligrams for men, but in the United States, our intake is lower than the recommended amount.
In addition to diabetes-risk reduction, magnesium is also crucial to controlling blood pressure, maintaining strong bones, keeping a healthy heart, and may even help preserve hearing in people exposed to loud noises. Magnesium may be lost from the body if you take some types of diuretic drugs to lower blood pressure or take birth control pills or estrogen.
Foods that provide over 100 milligrams of magnesium per serving include:
• Trail mix
• Halibut
• Cooked spinach
• Roasted pumpkin seeds
• Black beans
• High fiber bran cereals, like All Bran
• Brazil nuts
• Lima beans
Posted by Lisa at 08:11 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
April 08, 2008
Family Time
In a large survey conducted by the American Dietetic Association Foundation, kids ranked Mom and Dad as their No. 1 nutrition role models. This same survey also found that if Mom and Dad spent most of their time watching television and being inactive, their kids did the same.
If your eating habits need a tune-up, here is some help.
• Make breakfast a priority. Kids who eat breakfast every day get more nutrients overall. They fare better at school and are less likely to be overweight.
• Give them a choice. Don't ask children if they want a vegetable at dinner; ask "Would you like carrots or green beans with dinner tonight?" Studies show that if parents emphasize the importance of vegetables and fruits, children will eat them more often.
• Abolish the clean plate club. The clean-your-plate mentality overrides the natural cues a child has to stop eating when he is full. It can also encourage overeating later in life.
• Value family mealtimes. Families who eat together tend to eat healthier.
• Avoid using food as a bribe. Threatening no dessert after dinner if they don't eat their vegetables only teaches children to value dessert. It doesn't teach them to like vegetables. Similarly, don't use food as a reward.
• Try one or two new healthy foods or recipes every week. Some new foods and recipes will catch on and others won't. You might need to expose kids to certain foods 10 or 15 times before they develop a taste for them. If today's Singapore Black Bean Salad doesn't receive rave reviews tonight, it just might next month.
Posted by Lisa at 06:51 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
April 03, 2008
Au Bon Pain is Now Petite
It's like the antisupersize. Au Bon Pain, the Boston bakery chain, is serving up the latest in meal control: Portions, a line of 14 dishes all 200 calories and under.
The small plates can be mixed and matched and the concoctions include everything from hummus and cucumbers to Thai peanut chicken to Brie, fruit, and crackers.
The portions concept addresses a growing consumer demand for smaller, lower calorie meals, the company says. And it follows Quizno's introduction in January of 200 calorie flatbreads known as Sammies.
Au Bon Pain says it is expecting big things from its small meals. At Au Bon Pain's International Place location, 120 Portions were recently sold during the first day of the Portion's launch, far exceeding sales target of 250 servings per cafe per week.
The Portions line has been in tests throughout Greater Boston since the fall, and the concept will be rolled out to all of the chain's 182 stores nationwide this month.
Posted by Lisa at 07:37 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack