Here’s a great healthy anytime recipe for stuffed peppers! Fire up the grill and get cooking!
Stuffed Poblano Chilies
Ingredients:
2 teaspoons olive oil
4 poblano chilies
1 medium onion, diced
2 tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 cup cooked black beans
1 cup cooked corn kernels
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeño, seeded and diced
1/2 cup toasted pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 1/4 cups Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Preheat the grill on medium.
Cut and slice the chilies in half. Scrape out the seeds and set aside.
Heat the oil in a saucepan over high heat. Add the onion and sauté 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, black beans, corn, jalapeño, pumpkin seeds, cilantro, cumin, and cook until hot. Divide the mixture among the chile halves and top with the cheese.
Lightly oil the rack of the grill and place the stuffed chilies on the grill. Grill for 15 to 20 minutes or until the cheese is golden brown and the chilies cook through. If they start to burn, move them away from the heat source to finish cooking and then serve immediately.
Makes 4 servings.
Note: You may also cook the chilies in the oven at 375ºF for 15 to 20 minutes.
Reprinted with permission from Cooking Well: Healthy Vegetarian. ISBN: 978-1-57826-389-9 $12.50 (paperback). From Hatherleigh Press. Distributed by Random House.
Calendula is a beautiful flower that is closely connected with skin health. It’s commonly used as a homeopathic remedy for several skin ailments, including relief of skin inflammation, bruising, slow healing wounds, and eczema. Calendula also has anti-fungal properties and is widely known to be antimicrobial and an excellent skin purifier. Carrots are rich in vitamin A, known for supporting acne-prone skin. Sweet almond oil is a wonderful natural moisturizer. Because calendula is antimicrobial, it’s an excellent skin purifier.
In her new book, Natural Beauty, beauty expert Elizabeth TenHouten lays out a philosophy of beauty that encompasses physical, mental and spiritual well-being, an integrated approach that addresses the whole person. Natural Beauty includes a wide variety of all-natural beauty tips and tricks drawing on everyday ingredients with amazing healthful properties. The Floral Healing Facial recipe below is just one of many excellent ones found in the book:
Ingredients:
3 cups water
3 carrots
4 tablespoons organic honey
2 tablespoons sweet almond oil
2 tablespoons dried calendula flowers
Preparation and Application:
Cut carrots into chunks with the skin on (the nutrients are in the skins, so no need to peel, just wash well). Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Throw in carrots. Boil until the carrots are soft, about 15 minutes. Mash them in a bowl. Add the organic honey and almond oil. Add calendula flowers. Mix until you have a smooth orange paste. Place in the refrigerator for 10 minutes to cool. It’s a good idea to use a tongue depressor for application to avoid depositing the oil and germs from your fingertips onto your skin. Leave on for 10 minutes and rinse with cool water to seal the pores.
Here’s a perfect refreshing drink, just in time for summer berry season!
Fresh Red Berry Cooler
Ingredients:
2 cups cranberries
2 cups raspberries
1 cup 100% cran-raspberry juice
1 cup fat-free raspberry yogurt
2 cups ice
Directions:
Place all ingredients into blender and blend until smooth. Serve immediately.
Reprinted with permission from Farmstand Favorites: Berries. ISBN: 978-1-57826-375-2 $9.50 (paperback). From Hatherleigh Press. Distributed by Random House.
This fabulous salsa recipe is ideal to combine with fish or chicken…and great for the grill!
Strawberry Salsa
Ingredients:
1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
3 medium sweet red peppers, seeded, diced
2 medium green bell peppers, seeded, diced
2 medium tomatoes, fresh, diced
1 large Anaheim pepper, seeded, chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon crushed dried red chili pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Directions:
Combine all ingredients; mix well. Refrigerate overnight to allow flavors to blend.
Makes 1 1/2 quarts.
Suggestion: Serve 2 ounces of Strawberry Salsa on grilled swordfish, poached halibut, blackened fish, or grilled chicken.
Reprinted with permission from Farmstand Favorites: Berries ISBN: 978-1-57826-375-2 $9.50 (paperback). From Hatherleigh Press. Distributed by Random House.
When you’re planning meals for your family at home it is much easier to adhere to a healthy eating plan and monitor how well everyone is eating. Eating out at restaurants presents a new set of challenges, but it can still be done!
The book Combat Fat for Kidsis the ultimate guide to building a healthy lifestyle for the whole family and fighting childhood obesity. Below are some helpful suggestions the authors offer to help you and the whole family make healthy eating choices while dining out:
1. Start the meal by ordering salads that are packed with vegetables for the whole family. It will help control hunger and help your family feel satisfied sooner.
2. If entrees are big, ask for an extra plate and split them with another family member. Remember, it’s not always necessary for your child to clean his plate as long as he has eaten a balanced and filling meal. It’s also fine to ask your waiter to box up some of the meal and take leftovers home with you.
3. Ask your waiter how the foods are prepared so that your family can make wise selections from the menu. There is nothing wrong with asking questions about whether or not the meal is deep-fried, grilled, or baked. Try to stick with meals that are blackened, grilled, broiled, baked, boiled, or stir-fried.
4. Understand that it’s acceptable to ask for sauce, gravy, and spreads to be left off from meals or placed on the side so that the amount can be monitored. The same principle applies when ordering salads. Asking for dressings or sauces on the side makes it easier to control portions. A little can go a long way with fatty or calorie-laden toppings.
5. Order menu items instead of the all-you-can-eat buffet. There is a much greater chance of overeating and losing sight of portion control when family members are loading their plates at the buffet and can make multiple trips to refill.
6. If your family splurges for dessert when dining out, try to order a fruit-based dessert or split the dessert into smaller portions. It’s not necessary to ban all desserts. Instead, simply reduce how often and how much of them your kids eats.
Reprinted with permission from Combat Fat for Kids. ISBN: 978-1-57826-458-2, $9.99 (ebook). ISBN: 978-1-57826-396-7, $15.00 (paperback). New from Hatherleigh Press. Distributed by Random House.
Berries are among the most popular, healthful, and versatile of all fruits found at local farmers markets. Whether enjoyed in their simplest form or incorporated into recipes, they provide delicious and nutritional benefits. The book Farmstand Favorites: Berriesoffers over 75 easy-to-prepare recipes to use with a variety of berries, as well as general information about their types, benefits, and suggestions for preserving and storing them.
Here are a few tips on how to store berries so you can enjoy them longer:
— Do not store berries in their original container. Instead, remove and sort out any moldy or overripe ones. Then place the remaining berries in a loosely covered container.
— Do not wash berries until right before using them.
— Do not allow berries to sit in the sun or heat. Store them in a refrigerator set a 32°-40°F.
— For long-term storage, berries can be frozen in an airtight container. Those prepared without sugar should be used within 3 months. Berries prepared with sugar or any other sweetener can be kept for close to a year.
— Berries can also be pickled or preserved into a variety of jellies, jams, salsas, and chutneys.
Reprinted with permission from Farmstand Favorites: Berries. ISBN: 978-1-57826-375-2, $9.50 (paperback). New from Hatherleigh Press. Distributed by Random House.
Prepare the fruit and place in a large bowl. Combine orange, juice, lemon juice, honey, ginger, and nutmeg in a small bowl. Whisk together until well combined. Just before serving, pour honey orange sauce over the fruit.
Reprinted with permission from Farmstand Favorites: Berries ISBN: 978-1-57826-375-2 $9.50 (paperback). From Hatherleigh Press. Distributed by Random House.
Hazy, Hot, and Humid Summer Workouts/Practices: How to Recover Fastby Stew Smith
Any person or team who exercises in the heat needs to hydrate during workouts to stay cool and avoid over-heating and even potential death from heat stroke. Fatigue is part exertion and part body heat so your hydration plays a huge part in your athletic and tactical performance. Dehydration can occur during excessively sweaty workouts no matter how well you hydrate prior to your workout, but you also need to add electrolytes (sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium as well.) Foods rich in many of these elements are essential to your recovery from significant water/electrolyte loss. If you are not sweating profusely during your workouts, the need for these salts are less and you will likely get the required salts from your regular diet. However, if you are in an arid environment like the desert, you will dehydrate without sweating and all you will see will be salt stains and chapped lips as the air is evaporating the moisture right off your skin.
If you are doing multiple hours in the heat with long races, long days working outside, two or three a day practices preparing for Fall sports, you need to think of the meal in between your working hours as not only a post workout meal but also a pre workout meal. Adding more water, salts, protein, carbohydrates, will help you feel better and have more energy for training or working. Once the day is done, it is even more essential to prepare for the following day in hot and humid environments.
(NOTE: The same applies to dry arid environments but you will not be able to wring the sweat out of your clothes – your sweat evaporates too quickly. You will see salt stains on your clothes and that means you need water and salts in your recovery meals.
If you can wring out your shirt after a workout, it will be beneficial to add more of these “salts” into your post exercise diet. Sure, you can add sports drinks but stay away from the extra sugar and electrolytes if you are not sweating. Sports drinks with sodium, potassium, carbohydrates (sugar) are a safe bet for hydration during hard sweaty exercise. If you are not sweating profusely, there is little need for these sports drinks during exercise unless you are in a desert environment where you do not sweat as it evaporates immediately. Bananas, kiwi, coconut juice and water are some of the best natural aids in re-hydrating and replacing electrolytes. Here are some more ideas for hydration:
Before Workouts–Do not drink too much 1 hour prior to hard workouts if you are doing significant running since the bouncing will potentially cause cramping. Although, most would rather deal with cramping than dehydration so think about your effort level when sweating profusely and what will work for your level of exertion in the heat.
During Workouts– Sip water or a carbohydrate/electrolyte mix every 10-15 minutes to maintain high intensity performance training.
A ballpark equation for daily consumption of liquids for highly active person is: 50-75% body weight in lbs = oz per day of H2O
Finding the right mix of carbohydrates, protein, fats, electrolytes and water all depends on your age, sex, weight, activity level, weather, and goals. Every day that you have a challenging workout with above average times and feel great afterward, make a note of everything you did that day. Often that is the formula that works best for you and your fitness performance goals.
After Workouts– If hot sweaty or covered in salt stains, you have a huge selection of post workout meals and drinks that will help you recover. Consider protein and carb replacement first, but if you are still feeling sluggish from the workout it is likely lack of fluids and salts in your post workout meal.
One favorite post exercise quick snack is a can of chicken noodle soup (Campbells Noodle O’s) because it is loaded with potassium, sodium, carbs, and protein as well. In fact, it has about 3-4 times the potassium of a banana and about 5-6 times the potassium of Gatorade. If you are not sweating much and you’re not in arid environment, water will be enough to hydrate you.
STUART FISCHER, M.D., a graduate of Yale University, completed his residency at Maimonides Hospital in Brooklyn, and served as an Attending Physician at Cabrini Medical Center in New York City. He also worked with the late Dr. Robert Atkins as the Associate Medical Director of the Atkins Center. His expertise in alternative medicine, nutrition, and weight loss, is complemented by his strong traditional, hospital-based education. He is the author of The Little Book of Big Medical Emergencies and The Park Avenue Diet.
Ingredients: 1 ounce lean ground beef, 1 tablespoon onion, chopped, 1 cup Romaine lettuce, shredded ¼ cup fresh tomatoes, diced ¼ cup cucumber, diced, 1 (8-inch) whole wheat tortilla
1 tablespoon fat-free ranch salad dressing
Directions: Brown ground beef and onion in skillet over medium heat, drain excess fat. Mix lettuce and tomato together with ground beef mixture. Chop cucumber and mix with salad dressing. Place tortilla on a plate and spread with beef mixture. Top with cucumber and salad dressing mixture and roll wrap.
Reprinted with permission from Cooking Well: The New Kitchen Garden. ISBN: 978-1-57826-331-8 $15.00 (paperback). From Hatherleigh Press. Distributed by Random House.
Directions: In a blender, puree fruit with Splenda and lime juice until smooth. Combine fruit mixture with water in large pitcher. If desired, pour through a strainer to eliminate pulp. Stir well and pour into tall glasses with ice. Serves 4.
Reprinted with permission from Cooking Well: The New Kitchen Garden. ISBN: 978-1-57826-331-8 $15.00 (paperback). From Hatherleigh Press. Distributed by Random House.
