Weekly Wellness
Issue 187
Featured Article
Fiber: A Non-Nutritional Vital Nutrient
Fitness Tip
Physical Activity Myth
Myth: Lifting weights is not good to do if you want to lose weight, because it will make you "bulk up."
Fact: Lifting weights or doing strengthening activities like push-ups and crunches on a regular basis can actually help you maintain or lose weight. These activities can help you build muscle, and muscle burns more calories than body fat. So if you have more muscle, you burn more calories -- even sitting still. Doing strengthening activities 2 or 3 days a week will not "bulk you up." Only intense strength training, combined with a certain genetic background, can build very large muscles.
Tip: In addition to doing at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity (like walking 2 miles in 30 minutes) on most days of the week, try to do strengthening activities 2 to 3 days a week. You can lift weights, use large rubber bands (therabands), do push-ups or sit-ups, or do household or garden tasks that make you lift or dig.
Nutrition Tip
Spinach
Thinking "yuck"? Love it or hate it, spinach is among the most nutritious of all foods. In addition to iron and calcium, spinach contains a number of other important nutrients such as fiber, vitamins A and C, folateand lutein. Spinach is considered a power-packed vegetable and an excellent selection to help you reach your goal of five servings a day of fruits and vegetables.
There are many forms of spinach available: Fresh, frozen and canned as well as dehydrated spinach flakes. Spinach varieties are categorized by the shape of their leaves: Flat, semi-savoyed (crinkled) and heavily savoyed. The flat leafed types are used primarily by the processing industry, since soil particles are easier to wash off. The thick leaves and ease of washing also make this type attractive to many people who purchase their spinach fresh. Whatever you choose, fresh spinach should be crisp, succulent and dark green, with a minimum of stems. Cooking with fresh spinach used to be time-consuming because it took several rinsing to remove all the grit. However, you can now buy pre-washed and ready to use spinach. If you have a small household to feed and do not think you will use an entire bag in one meal, you can chop up the extra and add it to casseroles, soups, lasagna and omelets.
Nutrient of the Week
Chaste Tree Berry
Chaste Tree Berry is found growing on riverbanks and nearby foothills around the Mediterranean. With a dark brown, peppercorn-size fruit, it has a pleasant peppermintlike odor. It is a widely used European treatment for all types of PMS symptoms and menstrual irregularities, especially breast tenderness. This herb is sedative and relieves muscle spasms, so women experience significant improvements in irritability, depression and headache.
Quick Recipe
Stuffed Tomatoes
When your garden comes in and you have lots of fresh, juicy tomatoes, here's an idea for lunch. Combine one can (6-1/2 oz) drained tuna with 1/4 cup diced celery, 2-teaspoons pickle relish and 1/3 cup mayonnaise. Then cut from top of tomato (stem on bottom); cutting down to make four pieces, but not cutting down all the way. Then fill the tomatoes with tuna mixture. Makes 4 stuffed tomatoes.
Tidbit(s)
Carbohydrates
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that it would set guidelines for how many carbohydrates are allowed in foods advertised as low or reduced-carb. It seems the way in which carbohydrates are counted varies widely among manufacturers. Items currently labeled as having no carbs or reduced carbs may actually have just one gram less than their full-carb counterparts. And products containing the sugar substitute maltitol often do not include this ingredient in their total carb content -- a practice the FDA insists is misleading. The Grocery Manufacturers of America, which represents most major food brands, is lobbying the FDA to define low-carb as nine grams of carbohydrates per 100 grams of food (a typical serving size).
Food Fixes
To plump up dry or sugary raisins cover them with boiling water or hot tap water. Soak them for about 5 minutes and pat dry.
When measuring honey, molasses, or syrup, oil the measuring spoon or cup first so the honey will come off easily.
Make sure that your cornstarch is fresh. Test by combining a tablespoon of vinegar and corn starch together, if it bubbles, it is still fresh.
Oatmeal is very nutritional, but very bland. Instead of eating the flavored instant kind (with preservatives and chemicals), make old fashioned or quick oats and add 100-percent fruit spread to sweeten and flavor it.