How to Tell If You Have Allergies. Allergies. Allergy . Health
Do you think that you may be suffering from allergies? If you do, you may looking for conformation. The good news is that there are a number of approaches that you can take to help you tell if you do have an allergy problem.
Perhaps, the easiest way to determine if [...]
Common Allergy Symptoms. Allergies. Allergy . Health
Do you suspect that you may be suffering from allergies? If you do, you may be looking for a confirmation. After all, some individuals believe that they do not need to seek medical attention if they are able to diagnosis themselves. This is true in some cases, as long as your allergy [...]
Allergy Air Purifiers: Do They Really Work? Health Problems and Allergy.
Do you suffer from allergies? If you do, you may always be on the lookout for ways to treat or manage your symptoms . Although there are a number of natural and affordable ways to treat allergies, some are interested in buying allergy air purifiers. Before many do so, they [...]
Tips for Parents of Children with Food Allergies. Allergies. Allergy . Health
Are you the parent of a child who suffers with food allergies? If you are, you may be looking for some helpful tips to cope with your child’s medical condition.
One of the first things that you will want to do is talk to your child about their food allergy. This is most [...]
Suffering from Allergies: Should You See a Medical Professional. Allergies. Allergy . Health
Do you suspect that you suffer from allegories? If you do, are your symptoms severe? If they are not, you may be wondering if you really need to seek medical help. Of course, there is no harm that can come from scheduling a visit with your doctor, but you still may not [...]
It Happened This Week: The Fat Thin, Body Image, Bungy Jumping & Getting Miz on Ellen
Here's "Ellen" having coffee with Miz
Even the thin can be fat, as pointed out in a Mayo Clinic study covered in the Wall Street Journal this week. “Normal weight obesity” affects almost 30 million Americans, according to the researchers. Which to me supports the health at every size (HAES) message that it’s our health, not our size, that’s really worthy of our attention. And even then, fat isn’t necessarily unhealthy. You can read more about my thoughts on the subject on my post on the body image blog We Are the Real Deal.
On the subject of body image, the blog Weightless shared some tips for improving body image, one thought at a time, from Green Mountain this week. Gives you a good idea of some of the strategies we discuss in our weekly classes on the subject.
The focus of the Mayo Clinic study mentioned above was fat to muscle ratio. And as we all know, some of the magic of physical activity is that it builds muscle. More of its magic: It may help us live longer. Seems physical activity helps preserve the length of our telomeres, tiny caps on the ends of DNA strands that help protect cells. The longer they are, the “younger” our cells appear to be. Another notch in the belt for healthy lifestyles! (P.S. Last Friday, we alerted you to an article that talked about how omega-3 fatty acids have a similar effect.)
As if we needed it, here’s even more proof that physical activity does us good. Four different studies out this week showed it helps protect our bodies and minds as we age. If it were a drug, says one expert, “it would be the safest, most effective drug in the universe.”
Talking about physical activity, Mary, our blogger staff participant of last fall, is off enjoying a fabulous adventure in New Zealand. This week, she actually bungy jumped! Maybe in my next life….
Finally, the fun and fabulous MizFit is campaigning to get on The Ellen Show. We’re voting yes with this link to her post sharing how she makes the effort fun because it’s all about the journey. Wise words for living.
Go out there and live this weekend!
Related Posts
- It Happened This Week: From Eating Like You Want Your Kids To to Trashing the Scale
- Building a Healthier, Happier Body Image with the New Blog Weightless
- It Happened This Week: America the Beautiful, Boycotting Ralph Lauren, Clean Water & Go Fish
- Four Things I Learned At Green Mountain At Fox Run
Healthy Recipe Thursday! Hearty (and gluten free!) Chicken Stew
Simple, Satisfying, Sensible Stew
The Italians have a saying which I adore, “Sette cose fa la zupa”. It means that soup does these seven things: relieves your hunger, quenches your thirst, fills your stomach, cleans your teeth, makes you sleep, helps you digest, and colors your cheeks. Other than the cleaning of teeth, which I’ll leave to my toothbrush and floss, I totally agree. And when it is chilly out, as it certainly is these days here at Green Mountain at Fox Run, few things are as completely warming and satisfying as a piping hot bowl of wholesome and hearty soup. Recipes like this one, combined with a salad or additional vegetable side dish, are well rounded examples of healthy eating.
A standard chicken soup is okay, but to me, adding a thickening roux (butter and flour, briefly cooked together to form a paste) is that one step that takes it to the more satiating “stew” level. But for my gluten free friends roux is not an option, so here at Green Mountain, we keep the chicken stew gluten free, and slightly lower in saturated fat, by thickening it with a cornstarch slurry (water and cornstarch). If you are going to make this stew for the purpose of consumption in a day or two, or if you’re going to freeze it, hold off on adding the slurry until right before you eat it. Happy cooking!
Hearty Chicken Stew
1 pound chicken breast
2 teaspoons olive oil
2/3 cup onion, chopped
2/3 cup carrot, chopped
2/3 cup celery, chopped
2 tablespoons garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon (optional)
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1 pinch cayenne
1 1/2 cups diced potatoes (about two medium sized potatoes – I would reccommend Yukon gold)
1/2 cup frozen peas
3 tablespoons cold water
1 tablespoon cornstarch
to taste black pepper
to taste salt
4 tablespoons scallion
Place the whole chicken breasts in a pot, cover with several inches of water, and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook, uncovered, for 1 hour. Skim off the fat and chop the chicken.
In another pot, saute the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic in the olive oil until the onion starts to become transparent, stirring occasionally. Add the tarragon, thyme, basil, and cayenne, stir for 20 seconds, and add the chicken and the broth in which it cooked. Bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for about a half an hour.
Add the potatoes to the pot. When they are starting to get tender, add the peas.
In a small bowl, combine the cold water and cornstarch and stir well. Whisk into the soup. Continue to simmer another ten minutes, stirring occasionally.
Taste and adjust seasonings with the salt and pepper. Garnish with scallions if you so desire.
What’s your favorite dish to warm you from the inside out?
Related Posts
- Healthy Recipe Thursday! Middle of Winter Quick Berry Tart
- Healthy Recipe Thursday! Simple Salad Dressing
- Healthy Recipe Thursday! Holiday Fruit Bars
- Healthy Recipe Thursday! Fettucine with Grilled Veggies & Greek Basil
How to Choose an Air Purifier for Allergy Relief. Allergies. Allergy . Health
Are you looking for relief from your allergy symptoms ? If you are, you may want to examine air purifiers. Air purifiers are a great way to seek relief from many of the most common allergy symptoms . In fact, some individuals see a complete elimination of [...]
Meals, Snacks & Your Metabolic Rate
In class yesterday, one of our participants was wondering if eating five or six mini meals is better for her metabolism than eating three major meals. At Green Mountain we work with three main meals, but also give people the opportunity to add snacks throughout the day as needed because everyone is different in terms of their nutrition needs. However there are a few basic guidelines we do encourage as far as timing of meals goes: don’t skip breakfast and don’t have super long stretches of time in between meals (five hours or more is getting into the “super long” range).
Numerous books and article are written on the supposed benefits of snacking to encourage weight loss versus eating fewer but larger meals. However, breaking your meals up into many small snacks won’t necessarily guarantee a metabolic boost and major weight loss. Trying to work with someone else’s structure for meal timing may not work with your body or your schedule. For example, if I try to eat every three hours, I might find that some of those time frames roll around and I’m not hungry. If I force myself to eat anyway in order to stick to the schedule, I may actually be encouraging overeating.
I found an interesting collection of information on the subject of snacking in this article To Snack or Not to Snack, That is the Question. One study cited in the article said that people who snacked when they were not hungry did not compensate at the following meal by eating less. So the non-hunger snacking actually increased their overall intake. It also mentioned that eating frequently was associated with lower body weight for men, but did not encourage weight loss for women. Interesting…
On the other hand there are a lot of good things to say about snacking or having mini meals. Having smaller meals, more frequently, could have the benefit of lowering blood lipid levels and stabilizing insulin levels after eating. So a pattern like this could really be helpful for those with insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, or PCOS. It really doesn’t have to be one or the other. A combination of meals and snacks based on your schedule and physical need for food is the way to go!
What works for you? Do you find that you prefer many small meal, a few major meals, or a combination of both?
Related Posts
- Diabetes: How Genes May Affect Your Reaction to Metabolic Stress
- It Happened This Week: Debunked Myths, The Power of the Food Culture And Yoga
- Healthy Recipe: Veggie Enchiladas
- It Happened This Week: Fad Diets, Fortified Junk Food and BlogHer
Back to Basics
Well, for some reason which I’m not too sure, I’ve gone and buggered up my back again. So much so, that I’m finding it a bit challenging to sit at my desk and write this post. (pity not required). The two things I am very inconsistent about (stretching and ab work), have taken shape in the form of an aching back.
So, to make it a bit easier on me — and my back — I thought we might revist an aching back blast from the past…
Some great back stretches for the back can be found here.
Related Posts
- Dancing with the Stars
- Getting Fit: If It Ain’t Broke, Don’t Fix It
- The Sounds Of Silence and Music
- It Takes a Village
