by kelsey | Mar 7, 2013 | Cooking Tips, Diet, Food, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
Fish is not the most popular protein in our area since we are a land locked, northern state. Our mid-western diet typically includes proteins from beef, chicken, and pork…and fish often gets overlooked. During the Lenten season, it’s a good time to try out some new varieties and types of fish as they are better stocked and often times are better priced (ie- salmon, mahi-mahi, talapia, etc). The frozen bags of fish often have the filets in individual servings or two servings in a wrap so you can just take out as much as you need and then put the rest of the bag back in the freezer. Fish is a very lean and low fat protein so if you are watching your weight, it’s a good choice. Another benefit of some types of fish is the omega 3 fatty acids. Fatty fish such as herring, trout, tuna, mackerel, seabass, and salmon have these good fats. Our fresh water fish from around here such as walleye, northern, and perch, do not have these fats, however they are still lean proteins. It is recommended to incorporate two servings of fish into your weekly intake, so get into the habit of this during Lent and it could stick!
When we eat fish, we often think of it as breaded and fried, however that is not the healthiest choice. Instead of frying try these cooking methods:
- Grill: Season the fish with herbs and spices and a little lemon juice (from real lemons!). Lightly brush the fish with a little olive or canola oil so it won’t stick to the grill and cook for 10-20 minutes.
- Saute: You can saute any type of skinless fish. Again, season as desired and then heat a little olive or canola oil in the skillet on medium-high. Cook the fish for 2-3 minutes on both side.
- Poach: Place the fish in a saucepan or deep skillet and add enough stock, water, or wine to barely cover the fish. Add your seasonings, herbs, or spices and bring the liquid to a simmer on medium heat. Simmer for 10 minutes or until the center is opaque. Then you can dress it up with a sauce if desired.
- Bake: lightly coat a baking sheet with cooking spray and arrange the seasoned fish fillets on the sheet with seasoning. Bake for 7-10 minutes…you do not need to flip the fish. You can also put the fish filet in tin foil so the seasonings and herbs really flavor the fish.
- Broil: season the fish filet and brush with olive oil. Place on a broiler pan rack and broil 4-6 minutes on each side.
- If you choose to fry, try making it a little healthier by using an egg white to coat your filet, use canola oil to fry in, and instead of the white flour coating, try whole grain cracker or bread crumbs.
- When your fish is opaque and flakes easily, your fish is fully cooked.
Give it a try…you may be surprised how much you like it!
-Kelsey
by Dan | Feb 28, 2013 | Exercise, Motivation, Weather, Wellness/Health, Winter
This time of year, when you are limited by the weather for how much you can exercise outside, it gets kind of tough to stay motivated. The treadmill only gets you so far. Using other equipment, like an elliptical, or the bike, or weights, can help keep things interesting. This is also a good time of year to get out of the cold and snow, and go somewhere warm. Sarah and I have tried to do this for 1 week each year, to help ease the burden of winter. We got back from Mexico a week ago, and running along the beach everyday was absolutely wonderful!
There were lots of new things to look at, and we would go out 2 miles, and come back. The furthest we went along the beach in one direction was 3 1/2 miles. You can see lots of foot prints here. Quite a few people would do the same thing, and this was 6:30 in the morning, before it would get too hot. The ocean waves rolling in, the birds flying, the other flowers, green areas to look were great. We hardly felt like we were running. We would run in the AM, and go for a long walk later in the afternoon. We did not want to miss any ocean time!
What a great way to start each day! There was alwasy something different to look at each day. The sound of the ocean was amazing. This was the easiest it has been in a while to get up and go for a run! I took many different pictures, and I will show over the next few posts different things we would get to see first hand by running, or going for a walk, along the beach. Fun! Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 1982
by Dan | Feb 24, 2013 | Exercise, Family, Motivation, weight lifting, Wellness/Health
Who said fishing can’t be a workout? Just got back from Mexico from a week of vacation, and went deap sea fishing one morning with Sarah, my brother Ray, and his wife Joni. In the last half hour of our time, we reeled in this Sail Fish, 91 inches long!
We had to keep trading off in order to get this fish reeled in. Talk about a workout! It made up for a boat ride that had a lot to be desired. We were all feeling sick on this ride.
Of course, my daughter would not believe us that we caught this, thinking it was just another “exaggerated fish story”…until she saw the pictures! Until this, we only caught 2 small fish that were not worth keeping. I did not have to worry about lifting weights this day. I was also glad I do some weight training as well! A fish story for eternity! I will be posting other adventures, scenes from our trip to Mexico, and show how easy it can be to have a great vacation, and still exercise and be healthy. Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 1978
by kelsey | Feb 12, 2013 | Cooking Tips, Diet, Heart Health, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
In celebration of National Heart Month I cannot resist reminding you about the significance diet and activity play in promoting a healthy heart. Heart disease is the number one killer of Americans and affects both men and women. Genetics do play a role, however a heart healthy diet and and regular activity can help minimize the effects and complications of heart disease. Whether you have heart disease in your family or not, it’s still good to follow a heart healthy eating plan. Highlights of the diet include:
- Lots of fruits and veggies! I’m sure you already knew this one, but the benefits of getting your 5 a day servings of fruits and veggies are worth reminding you again. Most of us know this, the hard part is doing it. Try adding them to your meals, have fruit as a snack, get a double serving to help you reach this goal.
- Fiber! Fiber is very beneficial in combating heart disease. Incorporating more whole grains (and fruits, veggies, and beans/lentils) into your diet will increase your fiber and aid in heart health. Oatmeal, brown rice, wild rice, whole grain noodles, whole grain breads, and even popcorn are considered whole grains. Aim to get at least 25-35 g/day.
- Choose lean proteins. Decreasing the amount of saturated fat in your diet will help reduce plaque buildup. Choose white meat poultry without the skin, 90% or greater lean hamburger, fish, beans, etc….stay away from processed meats! Fatty fish such as salmon, tuna, herring, and trout offer additional benefits as they are loaded with healthy omega 3 fatty acids.
- Choose healthy fats. Incorporating more plant fats such as canola oil and olive oil into your diet and reducing your intake of saturated and trans fats has been shown to improve heart health. You want to choose foods that are lower than 5-8g of total fat per serving and <3g saturated and trans fat per serving. Choosing low fat dairy products will help reduce the amount of saturated fat in your diet as well.
- Hold the salt! Excess sodium can increase blood pressure and cause heart failure. Aim to keep your sodium intake below 2400mg/day. You can do this by doing more home cooking, avoiding boxed or packaged goods, cooking with salt free seasonings, and not using table salt.
- Exercise! At least 30 minutes of exercise a day has been shown to improve heart health. If you can do more, the better!
Making small changes or substitutions will help you have a healthier heart and reduce risk for disease. Reading labels is really essential to help you make good choices, so take some time in the grocery store and really examine the products to ensure you’re making healthy choices!
-Kelsey
by Dan | Feb 10, 2013 | Equipment, Exercise, Goals, Motivation, Weather, Wellness/Health, Winter
When I got up this morning and looked outside, I knew I was not going to be able to run outside. Out here, there was already about 7 inches in the driveway. So I did go out and blow snow, and some shoveling, but was kind of dreading having to do a long run on the treadmill. Some days, no problem, but other days, it can be a chore trying to fire up to do this on a treadmill. I had just gotten back last night from a conference in the Black Hills, and ran hills out there. Well, not really hills, more like Mountains! I was still sore, and the thought of trying to knock off 12 miles on the treadmill was not my idea of a really good time. So I decided to bike instead. At the pace I set, I rode 36 miles on the bike, which when converted over based on the speed, was equal to just over 12 miles.
By doing the biking, it allowed my legs a little more recovery time from doing the hill workouts in Deadwood. Sometimes, you just need to listen to your body, and make adjustments. Next time, it probably won’t be an issue to be on the treadmill, but the outside option for me will always be first. Running outside is just so much more enjoyable, and you can look around, and the time goes by so much faster. Just remember, you can come up with an alternative way to exercise before saying you are not going to do anything that day. Be creative. Some people I know, Jill and Steve, ran their 11 mile run outside this AM. More power to them! In South Dakota, if we let the weather dictate whether we will exercise at all, whether inside or outside, we would not get much done. Stay positive! Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 1964
by Dan | Feb 2, 2013 | Exercise, Family, Goals, Motivation, Wellness/Health
Last night Prairie Lakes Hospital held a Women’s Health Forum, talking on numerous topics, particularly heart disease. The keynote speaker was 2004 Olympian Carrie Tollefson, a native of Dawson, MN.
She took a picture with all of us after her motivational speech. I got to go because they presented me with recognition for my consecutive exercise streek, and it was great to be there. I got to bring the rest of the family along as well. Nick and I are the only male attendees that night, and we got to sit at the front table, right in front of the podium!
Before her talk, she took this picture with us, and we are holding two of the Runners World magazines I had with her on the cover (she has 4 total!), and she autographed them for me. She is 6 months pregnant right now, and could still kick our butt running! She gave an excellent talk, fired everybody up, and it was great seeing someone close, and from a town of 1600, do what she has done, and not forget where she came from. She was a journalism major, broadcasting, so her and Megan had a good talk as well as she wants to go into journalism. The kids were all amazed at her accomplishments as well. Sarah could not be there to start with as she was off delivering a baby, and they don’t wait! She did an excelllent job speaking to the crowd of about 450 people. Her line is: “Get after it!” Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 1956
