Tips for sticking with your exercise plan

Here, CNN Health provides “7 tips for staying motivated” in your fitness program. My two favorites are #2) make it fun and #3) make physical activity part of your daily routine. Finding a physical activity you enjoy is probably the most important thing you can do if you want an exercise routine you can stick with. You will actually want to work out if you are doing an activity that you find enjoyable. And think outside the box. You don’t have to work out in a gym or in front of an exercise video; you can run, hike, swim, bike, climb, dance or play a sport. Making physical activity part of your daily routine takes that fun workout and makes it more conveniently fit into your busy schedule. I have a week-at-a-glance planner that I use to schedule my workout days for the entire week at the end of each previous weekend. To read all 7 tips, check out CNN Health’s “Fitness programs: 7 tips for staying motivated.”

Here, CNN Health provides “7 tips for staying motivated” in your fitness program. My two favorites are #2) make it fun and #3) make physical activity part of your daily routine. Finding a physical activity you enjoy is probably the most important thing you can do if you want an exercise routine you can stick with. You will actually want to work out if you are doing an activity that you find enjoyable. And think outside the box. You don’t have to work out in a gym or in front of an exercise video; you can run, hike, swim, bike, climb, dance or play a sport. Making physical activity part of your daily routine takes that fun workout and makes it more conveniently fit into your busy schedule. I have a week-at-a-glance planner that I use to schedule my workout days for the entire week at the end of each previous weekend. To read all 7 tips, check out CNN Health’s “Fitness programs: 7 tips for staying motivated.”

Make your yogurt "Greek"

Plain yogurt, especially low-fat, can be a wonderful (and healthier) substitute for mayonnaise (think tuna, chicken & potato salads), sour cream, ranch dressing, dips & spreads; however, sometimes a thicker consistency is desired than what most yogurts can provide. Greek yogurt can provide this thick, rich consistency, but Mark Bittman shows us how we can easily thicken ordinary yogurt ourselves in this short but useful piece from the New York Times website. It's a simple technique that requires little more than a dish towel, some yogurt and time. Take a read, and next time your recipe calls for mayo or sour cream, try substituting that ingredient with your own homemade "Greek" yogurt.

A Recipe Secret Wrapped in a Towel by Mark Bittman - March 16, 2010

Plain yogurt, especially low-fat, can be a wonderful (and healthier) substitute for mayonnaise (think tuna, chicken & potato salads), sour cream, ranch dressing, dips & spreads; however, sometimes a thicker consistency is desired than what most yogurts can provide. Greek yogurt can provide this thick, rich consistency, but Mark Bittman shows us how we can easily thicken ordinary yogurt ourselves in this short but useful piece from the New York Times website. It's a simple technique that requires little more than a dish towel, some yogurt and time. Take a read, and next time your recipe calls for mayo or sour cream, try substituting that ingredient with your own homemade "Greek" yogurt.

A Recipe Secret Wrapped in a Towel by Mark Bittman - March 16, 2010

Have your cake too! (Tips for whole-wheat baking)

One of my favorite ways to literally live a healthy life and have my cake too, is baking with whole-wheat flour. I mostly implement this strategy when making muffins and other quick bread recipes (muffins, biscuits, popovers & loaf breads that don’t require kneading because baking powder and/or baking soda are used to make the product rise). I generally replace ½ of the all-purpose flour in the recipe with whole-wheat flour and find that the altered product is as delicious, and nearly as tender, as the original recipe; however, I would not completely replace the all-purpose flour with whole-wheat flour as the high protein content of whole-wheat flour will make for a very dense product when used alone. Check out this page from www.foodnetwork.com for more “Tips for Baking with Wholegrain Flours.”

And remember…over-mixing any quick bread recipe can result in a too-dense product so you want to be extra careful not to over-mix when making a quick bread recipe that includes whole-wheat flour.

One of my favorite ways to literally live a healthy life and have my cake too, is baking with whole-wheat flour. I mostly implement this strategy when making muffins and other quick bread recipes (muffins, biscuits, popovers & loaf breads that don’t require kneading because baking powder and/or baking soda are used to make the product rise). I generally replace ½ of the all-purpose flour in the recipe with whole-wheat flour and find that the altered product is as delicious, and nearly as tender, as the original recipe; however, I would not completely replace the all-purpose flour with whole-wheat flour as the high protein content of whole-wheat flour will make for a very dense product when used alone. Check out this page from www.foodnetwork.com for more “Tips for Baking with Wholegrain Flours.”

And remember…over-mixing any quick bread recipe can result in a too-dense product so you want to be extra careful not to over-mix when making a quick bread recipe that includes whole-wheat flour.

How to Read a Nutrition Facts Panel

A couple days ago I wrote about the US Department of Agriculture’s Nutrient Database (see March 14 post). That post started with the line “Not everything we eat comes in a package conveniently printed with a Nutrition Facts panel…” So back to that Nutrition Facts panel; that black and white box on the back of packaged foods filled with, often confusing, nutrition information for that particular food product. Most people have no idea what to do with the Nutrition Facts panel, so I want to introduce to you another resource. The American Dietetic Association’s Website, www.eatright.org, has a resource section “For the Public” which includes some nice information on how to read a Nutrition Facts panel, including not only the basics of reading a Nutrition Facts panel, but also information about health claims on foods and reading the Nutrition Facts panel for children under two (at the ADA's Nutrition Facts page, click the link for the topic of your choosing). The information is short, sweet and easy to understand, so take a read and test it out on the next box, bag or jar you pull from the supermarket shelf.

A couple days ago I wrote about the US Department of Agriculture’s Nutrient Database (see March 14 post). That post started with the line “Not everything we eat comes in a package conveniently printed with a Nutrition Facts panel…” So back to that Nutrition Facts panel; that black and white box on the back of packaged foods filled with, often confusing, nutrition information for that particular food product. Most people have no idea what to do with the Nutrition Facts panel, so I want to introduce to you another resource. The American Dietetic Association’s Website, www.eatright.org, has a resource section “For the Public” which includes some nice information on how to read a Nutrition Facts panel, including not only the basics of reading a Nutrition Facts panel, but also information about health claims on foods and reading the Nutrition Facts panel for children under two (at the ADA's Nutrition Facts page, click the link for the topic of your choosing). The information is short, sweet and easy to understand, so take a read and test it out on the next box, bag or jar you pull from the supermarket shelf.

Work out while watching TV

Most of us get home in the evening and just want to crash; however, we're also well aware that we should be engaging in regular physical activity for optimal health benefits. The US Department of Health & Human Services recommends that the majority of adults get a minimum of 2 hours and 30 minutes a week of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity; in addition to some muscle-strengthening activity 2 or more days a week. Similarly, the American Heart Association recommends that healthy adults ages 18-65 get at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity activity five days of the week. So what to do when you haven’t found time in your day for a workout but all you want to do at night is turn on the TV and plop down on the couch? Go ahead and tune in to your tube but skip the couch. Fit in a workout while enjoying your favorite television show. You can pull out some dumbbells and work your upper body; pull out a mat and work your abs; or even run in place or do some squats or lunges. To read more about working out without giving up your screen time, and for sample workouts (including demo videos!), check out this article at www.fitsugar.com.

Most of us get home in the evening and just want to crash; however, we're also well aware that we should be engaging in regular physical activity for optimal health benefits. The US Department of Health & Human Services recommends that the majority of adults get a minimum of 2 hours and 30 minutes a week of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity; in addition to some muscle-strengthening activity 2 or more days a week. Similarly, the American Heart Association recommends that healthy adults ages 18-65 get at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity activity five days of the week. So what to do when you haven’t found time in your day for a workout but all you want to do at night is turn on the TV and plop down on the couch? Go ahead and tune in to your tube but skip the couch. Fit in a workout while enjoying your favorite television show. You can pull out some dumbbells and work your upper body; pull out a mat and work your abs; or even run in place or do some squats or lunges. To read more about working out without giving up your screen time, and for sample workouts (including demo videos!), check out this article at www.fitsugar.com.

Easy whole fish recipe: Red Snapper en Papillote

I recently wrote a post about using eating out as an opportunity to eat fish (see March 9 post). While it is a great idea, I still want you to know that preparing fish at home does not have to be difficult or scary. Many people don't eat enough fish because they are too intimidated by it to prepare at home. I can say from personal experience that this recipe, from the Food Network's Alton Brown, for whole red snapper, prepared en papillote, is as easy to make as it is delicious. "En papillote" means that the fish is baked in a parchment paper pouch. This dish is equally nutritious and flavorful.

Some tips:
• Have your fishmonger/fish department clean, gut & scale the fish for you
• Use whole wheat couscous
• Don't be afraid of omitting or substituting ingredients (I didn't have fresh oregano on hand, so I used dried oregano)
• Use a white wine that you have on hand/would enjoy drinking
• Make sure you have enough parchment paper and...
• ALWAYS read completely any recipe before you begin cooking!

I recently wrote a post about using eating out as an opportunity to eat fish (see March 9 post). While it is a great idea, I still want you to know that preparing fish at home does not have to be difficult or scary. Many people don't eat enough fish because they are too intimidated by it to prepare at home. I can say from personal experience that this recipe, from the Food Network's Alton Brown, for whole red snapper, prepared en papillote, is as easy to make as it is delicious. "En papillote" means that the fish is baked in a parchment paper pouch. This dish is equally nutritious and flavorful.

Some tips:
• Have your fishmonger/fish department clean, gut & scale the fish for you
• Use whole wheat couscous
• Don't be afraid of omitting or substituting ingredients (I didn't have fresh oregano on hand, so I used dried oregano)
• Use a white wine that you have on hand/would enjoy drinking
• Make sure you have enough parchment paper and...
• ALWAYS read completely any recipe before you begin cooking!

Nutrition information at your fingertips

Not everything we eat comes in a package conveniently printed with a Nutrition Facts panel. Enter the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Nutrient Database. Type in a key word, or two, for the food item you are interested in, to get basic nutrient data for that food item (think calorie, carbohydrate, protein, fat, vitamin & mineral content, etc.). The database includes nutrient information for raw foods, packaged foods, baby foods and even fast foods. Test it out for yourself!

USDA Nutrient Database

Not everything we eat comes in a package conveniently printed with a Nutrition Facts panel. Enter the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Nutrient Database. Type in a key word, or two, for the food item you are interested in, to get basic nutrient data for that food item (think calorie, carbohydrate, protein, fat, vitamin & mineral content, etc.). The database includes nutrient information for raw foods, packaged foods, baby foods and even fast foods. Test it out for yourself!

USDA Nutrient Database