by Dan | Apr 20, 2014 | Exercise, Goals, Motivation, Wellness/Health
The Watertown Area Running Club will be starting up again on Sunday May 4. WARC began about 2 years ago with a small group of friends who got together to run. No competition, just a social gathering, and the chance to run with other people and talk. No pressure. No times. Just company, which helps many times for a change from running by yourself. Don’t get me wrong. There are still times when I want to run by myself, but it is a nice change to mix it up, and just chat and meet people who like/love to do the same thing.
We will begin on Sundays at 7AM, meeting at the north parking lot of Jackson Park. On wednesdays we will meet at Anytime Fitness at 5:30 PM. Distances can range from 2 miles on up. Again, it is a social gathering. No competition. No speed. Just people who want to get out and run together and enjoy Watertown. Hope to see you there! Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 2396
by kelsey | Apr 16, 2014 | Diet, Holidays, Wellness/Health
Do you have your Easter baskets all ready for the little (or big) kids in your life? Easter baskets are usually filled with all kinds of goodies and I like to think of them being just as exciting as getting your Christmas stocking! My family has all kinds of funny stories about the big search for finding our Easter baskets and of course what we find inside is even more exciting! The candy aisles at the store are filled with all kinds of goodies, but let us not forget that there are plenty of other non-junk food options to fill your Easter baskets with. Here are some ideas for you:
- Sidewalk chalk
- Color Dotz by Crayola (color your bath water with them!)
- Books
- Coloring books
- Stuffed animals
- Sunglasses
- Shoes
- Socks
- Hair accessories for girls
- Mini cars or planes for boys
- Nail polish
- Gift certificate to the movies or iTunes
- Magazine subscription
- Jump rope
- Yo-yo
- Pencils, crayons, markers
It’s ok to enjoy a little candy, but be sure to include some of these other goodies to help make your Easter baskets a bit healthier! And more importantly, remember the real meaning of celebrating Easter!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Apr 15, 2014 | Cooking Tips, Diet, Holidays, Wellness/Health
With the Easter Holiday and Celebration just a few days away, many of you have your eggs hard boiled and ready to be painted…or many of you already have them painted! Painting eggs is an Easter tradition. As a child I always looked forward to painting eggs, the egg hunt, and of course of our Easter baskets. Easter was always an eventful holiday around our house and we have many funny stories to tell about our traditions. The eggs, baskets, etc are all part of the fun, but be sure to reflect on the real meaning of Easter!
As Sunday comes and goes, you may wonder what to do with those eggs. Here are some tips for you to practice proper egg safety:
- Not sure how to boil an egg? Place the eggs in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil with the lid on, then turn off the heat. Let the eggs sit in water for 15 min. Remove eggs and place in a bowl of ice cold water to cool.
- Eggs should be used within 3 weeks of the sell by date. Be sure to store them in the fridge at a temp less than 40 degrees F.
- Hard boiled eggs spoil faster than fresh eggs as the protective coating is washed away, making them more susceptible to bacteria. Hard boiled eggs must be refrigerated within 2 hours of cooking.
- If you want to eat the hard boiled eggs after the holiday, you must store them in the refrigerator. Throw away any eggs that are cracked, dirty, or have been out of the fridge for more than 2 hours. If you are going to use the leftover cooked eggs, it is recommended to use them within one week to prevent food poisoning. To help you do this, you could make two batches- one to display and one for eating.
- Ever wonder what the green ring on a hard boiled yolk is? It’s a result of overcooking the eggs and is caused by sulfur and iron compounds in the egg reacting to the surface of the yolk. The green color may also be a result of a large amount of iron in the water used to cook with. It may look funny, but it is safe to eat.
Happy Easter!
-Kelsey
by Dan | Apr 12, 2014 | Exercise, Family, Motivation, Weather, Wellness/Health
With everything that has gone on for our family these last few weeks it was nice to have some good news for a change. My daughter Megan goes to school at George Mason University in Fairfax Virginia, just outside of Washington DC. She has been having health problems this last month, and had to undergo a bunch of tests recently. Sarah flew out there this week to be with her through it, and we got great news that at least nothing serious, and will be fine! What a relief! We can worry about ourselves, and all the things we have to do, but when it comes to our kids, everything comes to a halt! Sarah and Megan are spending today in DC at the Cherry Blossom festival. They have sent me a few pictures. What a view!
Here Megan is with all the cherry blossoms in the background. A great view in more ways than one! Appreciate every day we have, and especially appreciate our health, as we don’t know when things may change. Keep working on what we as individuals can do to help maintain our own health, and keep working on our diet, and staying active. There is no pricetag on our health! As I have been saying a lot lately, somebody out there would care if we were not here! Enjoy the Spring coming. Be outside. Enjoy all the views. Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 2388
by kelsey | Apr 9, 2014 | Cooking Tips, Diet, Eating Out, Food, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
Thanks to our viewer Jill for this requested topic! If you have any nutrition or activity topics you’d like us to discuss on here, please contact us! We’re always open to ideas! -Kelsey
These days eggs have been mis-perceived as a forbidden food, why is this? Eggs contain cholesterol, a type of fat made naturally in the body or found in animal produced foods, used by the body to keep us healthy. There are two types of cholesterol: “good” and “bad.” Low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, is known as “bad” cholesterol. High-density lipoprotein, or HDL, is known as “good” cholesterol. Too much of one type, or not enough of another can put you at risk for coronary heart disease, heart attack, or stroke. Depending on the size of the egg, one yolk contains about 185-215mg of cholesterol; the whites of the egg do not contain cholesterol. Today’s research shows that one egg yolk a day is fine for most healthy people, as long as their total cholesterol intake is 300 milligrams a day or less. For people at risk or diagnosed with heart disease, consuming less than 200 mg per day of cholesterol may be of further help to decrease significant health risks. The American Heart Association suggests for people with heart disease to consume no more than 2-3 eggs a week, substituting egg whites or cholesterol-free eggs as they choose.
Other benefits of eggs include: one large egg has just 70 calories; it is a good source of protein and vitamins A and D, B complex vitamins, and phosphorus. Eggs also supply lutein and zeaxanthin, which can help promote good eyesight.
Written by Shelby Johnson, USD Dietetic Intern
by kelsey | Apr 2, 2014 | Cooking Tips, Diabetes, Diet, Food, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
Every Tuesday we meet at the County Fair Banquet Hall for STRIVE 2 Survive, County Fair Foods supplies treats for us. I have to be honest, it’s one of my favorite parts of the lecture as I am always curious to see what new foods they’ll have us try! They have had some really great healthy and low calorie recipes lately so I couldn’t resist sharing!
The above picture is “Crisp Cucumber Salsa”
2 cups finely chopped seeded peeled cucumber
1/4 chopped red onion
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
1 garlic clove, minced or pressed
1-1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/2 cup finely chopped seeded tomato
2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley
4-1/2 minced fresh cilantro
1/4 reduced fat Greek yogurt (can use this instead of sour cream)
1-1/2 tsp lime juice
1/4 seasoned salt
In a bowl combine the Greek yogurt, lemon juice, lime juice, cumin, and seasoned salt. In another bowl, combine the other ingredients. Pour the liquid mixture over the cucumber mixture and toss gently to coat. Serve immediately with baked tortilla chips. Note- 1/4 cup is only 16 calories! If it’s too spicy, you can eliminate the jalapeno.
Low Fat Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 (15 oz) can solid packed pumpkin
1/2 cup chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners. Whisk whole wheat flour, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg in a large bowl. Stir pumpkin and water into dry ingredients, mixing until just moistened; folk in chocolate chips. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling them to just below the tops. Bake in the preheated oven until lightly browned and tops of muffins bounce back when pressed lightly, 25-30 minutes. Let muffins cool in pans for 5 minutes until removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
Nutrition information: servings per recipe: 12
Calories: 150 Total Fat: 2.6g Sodium: 323mg Total Carbs: 31g Dietary Fiber: 4g Protein: 3.5g
We also had excellent treats last week, but I didn’t get pictures. Here are the recipes for you try. They are excellent!
Angel Food Dessert
1 sugar free angel food cake, cubed
1 package sugar free vanilla pudding
1 package sugar free strawberry jello
1-16oz cool whip
fresh strawberries, sliced
Mix jello according to package. Also mix pudding according to package. Cube angel food cake. Put in pan in layers. Angel food cake first, then pour jello over, then pour pudding over, and then put cool whip on top. Lay sliced strawberries on top of cool whip and refrigerate over night covered.
Garden Fresh Cottage Cheese Salad
1 container 1% cottage cheese
1 cucumber cubed
1 regular tomato cubed
1 package Good Seasoning Italian dressing
Mix together and put in refrigerator for a few hours before serving.
All of these ingredients for these products can be found at our County Fair Food Store. Enjoy!!
-Kelsey
