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May 2007 - Posts
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This month on Ignite, we’re focusing on outdoor activities - ways to help get out of the house and tips to keep you healthy. And Friday is the day to let loose, where we share fun and healthy ideas for the weekend.
This week, I wanted to talk about one of my favorite hobbies – photography. While in college, I had the opportunity to take a beginning photography course and immediately fell in love with it. Being behind a camera allows me to be creative and gives me a finished product I can keep to remind me of the experience. Plus, photography has a way of changing the way I look at the world. I see things I never noticed before when I look through a photo lens.
Not only is taking pictures fun, but I’ve realized that it also benefits my health. It gets me out of the house and relaxes me with all the walking I do. I even plan small trips around photography on the weekends. When the weather is nice, I head into downtown DC. With all the monuments, buildings, crowds and cars, I always get some great shots. Other times I get away from all the hustle n’ bustle and head to nearby Rock Creek Park for some nature shots. And it’s so easy. All I need is a working camera and a comfortable pair of shoes - and I’m off.
For more information on beginning photography, CLICK HERE.
What's your favorite outdoor activity? Reply to this blog and let us know what you enjoy!
Below is a picture of me doing my love - photography
Justin - A Lumen
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The good news is that the weather outside is getting warmer. The not so good news is that some of us can barely enjoy it – thanks to seasonal allergies. I’m new to this experience. I’ve never been an allergy sufferer until a few weeks ago and now I find myself waking up every morning in a pollen/dust/mite/grass- induced haze. When I realized that the runny nose, itchy eyes were here to stay, I did some research on the Lumenos online health site. If you go to the Condition Center in the My Health section, you can click on Allergy and get some great information on allergy triggers, treatment options and much more.
Since I try to stay away from medications as much as I can, I’ve also been on a quest to learn about home remedies or natural foods and cures for seasonal allergies. For all those fellow allergy sufferers, here’s a list of things that I’ve tried and found to be useful.
1) Drinking green tea with honey.
2) Ginger tea. Crush some fresh ginger, place in a mug and pour boiling water over it. Steep for 5-10 minutes and then sweeten with honey. I’ve used this remedy for colds, too! Ginger is a natural antihistamine and decongestant.
3) Apple cider vinegar: Just dilute the vinegar down with a little water and apply it with a cotton ball on bug bites or to cut down on itching. You can also put a little vinegar in your bath.
These natural remedies don’t work as quickly as over-the-counter antihistamines and you may need to stick with them for a few weeks to see if they really work for you.
Do you have other natural remedies that relieve allergy symptoms? Reply to this blog and share them with all of us. I, for one, would love to hear them!
Reena (A Lumen)
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Now that it is getting to close to summer it is time to take advantage of the outdoors. Being properly fueled on a hike is important to take into consideration. Not eating enough or choosing foods with little nutritional value can leave you feeling weak or dizzy. On the other hand, it can be really easy to eat more than is burned when exercising. Common snacks for energy are protein/energy bars, trail mix, dried fruit, and nuts. A good snack for hiking should have some protein and carbohydrate with a little amount of fat. Protein bars are designed to be convenient energy foods that sustain energy levels. They supply anywhere from 200-300 calories and should have at least 10-15 grams of protein per bar.
Another option for energy during activity is a snack consisting of nuts, raisins, whole grain cereal, and seeds otherwise known as trail mix. This snack supplies a high level of protein but also 12 grams of fat per serving and approximately 160 calories for 1 oz. Measure out the portions of trail mix since it is very nutrient dense and the serving size is only ¼ cup.
 
You can opt to make your own trail mix which can be lower in calories if you use dried fruit without added sugar, less nuts and seeds, and more whole grain cereal. (See recipe below for a lower calorie trail mix as well as Nutritional Content.) Other suggestions for healthy snack foods while exercising are fruit, beef jerky, string cheese and nuts.
Don’t forget to stay hydrated while you are exercising outdoors. If you are outdoors exercising for more than one hour be sure to rehydrate every fifteen minutes with at least 8 oz of fluid, preferably an electrolyte replacement beverage to replace electrolytes lost in sweat. Watch for any symptoms of dehydration such as dizziness, nausea, weakness, and headache.
Remember to eat before you are hungry and drink before you are thirsty to keep the body properly fueled before it is too late.
Nutty Berry Granola
4 cups old fashioned rolled oats
2 cups puffed brown rice
¾ cup wheat bran
½ cup raw wheat germ
3 TB raw sunflower seeds
3 TB chopped walnuts
¼ cup fat free milk
¾ cup dark honey
1/3 cup olive oil or canola oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp pure almond extract
½ cup dried cranberries, chopped
½ cup dried blueberries, chopped
Directions: Preheat oven to 250F. Have ready a large, heavy, nonstick baking sheet. In a large bowl, combine the oats, rice, wheat bran, wheat germ, sunflower seeds, walnuts, and dry milk. Stir until well-blended. In a small saucepan, stir together honey and oil over med-low heat until well-blended. Don’t let the mixture boil. Stir in the vanilla and almond extracts. Add the warm honey mixture to the dry ingredients and stir quickly until well combined. Spread the mixture evenly on the baking sheet. Bake for one hour, stirring every 20 minutes to ensure even browning. Add the berries during the last 10 minutes of baking time and toss gently to mix. Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack and let the granola cool completely. Store in airtight containers in the refrigerator. Makes about 10 cups.
Serving size: ½ cup (good size compared to ¼ cup of most kinds)
161 calories, 5 grams protein, 27 grams carbohydrate, 5 grams fat, <1 g saturated fat, 3 grams fiber
Rebecca
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After some great introductory chapters about kids and food, Missy starts to reveal her bag of tricks for being a Sneaky Chef. And what great tricks they are! From pureeing to slipping whole grains into your kids' pizza dough, to pretending they aren't allowed to eat the "special treats" you're enjoying in front of them, these tricks are really great. I love the idea of simply eating your Edamame soybeans quietly, not offering them to your kids, and saying "yum" every now and then. She also suggests using fillers and substituting lower sugar and fat into recipes, yet leaving some of the good stuff in so kids get a little of what they want but just not as much. Using flavor and texture "decoys" such as candy sprinkles and chocolate chips, the Sneaky Chef can slip in some good for you foods, or remove some of the bad stuff without kids noticing. What were your favorite tricks for becoming a Sneaky Chef?
For the next two weeks we will read the recipes that make up the rest of the book and start to test them out. I can't wait to try them out!
Dell- a Lumen
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More than two-thirds of Americans get little or no physical activity in a typical week. If we value our health, it’s time to make a serious dent in that number.
Does everyone need to start working out at a gym, or running marathons? Of course not. You can start improving your health right now with a simple strategy: choosing the path of more resistance.
It takes as little as 10 minutes of brisk walking to start boosting your health. What do I mean by brisk walking? Here’s an easy guideline: whenever you’re walking, walk as if you’re late for an appointment.
If you take three brisk, 10-minute walks a day; you’ll burn about 1,000 extra calories a week. Add a half-hour walk around your neighborhood most evenings, and you could be getting about 2,000 calories’ worth of physical activity each week – the level experts recommend for improved fitness.
You’re not that far away from improving your health. So hurry up – you’re late for your walk!
Dr.Mike
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The weather is getting nicer – and we think you should enjoy every minute of it. All month long, we’re sharing ways to enjoy the springtime and looking for ways to contribute to better health. And on Fridays, I like to focus on having fun and sharing my ideas for stress-free activities to do over the weekend.
This Fun Friday, I wanted to share an outdoor activity I recently did that was both enjoyable and healthy. Last weekend, a few friends and I took a trip out to Great Falls, a National Park which is located about 15 miles north of Washington, DC. It is a beautiful, 800 acre park filled with hiking trails, picnic areas and even a nature center. We decided to explore the hiking trails that go along the Potomac River and eventually lead to the Great Falls waterfall. I have to say…I had a blast! We hiked for about two hours and by the end we were exhausted. After making this little hiking trip, I realized I found new hobby.
When I got home, I did some research and here’s what I learned - hiking is a great form of exercise. Hiking gets your heart rate up, improves your balance and it strengthens those muscle groups that you never use. I can attest to this last part.
Personally, I loved my hiking trip because it got me off the couch and doing something active outdoors. And I found that when I got home my stress-level was much lower and I had so much more energy and was happier with the outcome.
Do you guys know of other hiking trails that you’ve tried and liked? I’m ready to plan my next hiking trip. If you would like to share your favorite trails, reply to this Blog.
Here’s a pic below from my trip to Great Falls. Beautiful!
Justin - A Lumen
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Although The Sneaky Chef was initially developed for picky kids, we quickly learned from the avalanche of emails that came in from happy parents that they were using these methods for themselves, too. And, not surprisingly, many husbands and grandparents have now been the unwitting recipients of Sneaky Chef healthy recipes!
One of the main reasons is that the Sneaky Chef is a one-meal solution for the entire family. Moms no longer need to be short order cooks, making a different dish for everyone at the table, including often for herself. One Sneaky Chef dish is packed with a good dose of fiber, whole grains, veggies and even fruits, that it’s enough not just for the kids, but for all of the adults too. Everyone at the table will have increased their intake of all of the good stuff we’re supposed to be eating at every meal, while decreasing the no-no’s like fats and sugars.
For menu planning, the key is to spend 30 minutes per week creating my signature “make-ahead” purees from the book, and then store them in the fridge for a few days (or freezer for 3 months). Choose one color a week, say my Orange Puree of sweet potatoes and carrots (boil vegetables until tender, then puree with a little water until smooth). Keep a glass of this puree in the fridge for 3 days add a dollop in many of your favorite recipes. For example, Orange Puree mixes invisibly into tomato sauce, muffin mix, even French toast batter for a healthy boost of fiber and nutrients.
Sample daily menu using Sneaky Chef Orange Puree (complete recipes can be found in the book, The Sneaky Chef):
Day 1: Orange Puree Day
Breakfast:
Peanut Butter and Jelly muffin with Orange Puree You wouldn’t believe how good these muffins are, while eliminating the crash-and-burn that usually follows traditional muffins. Start with a whole grain muffin mix, then add Orange Puree of yams and carrots, plus peanut butter. Then watch how far your kids will go on that compared to a regular muffin!
Lunch:
Healthy Franks n’ Beans
This recipe couldn’t be faster or easier and combines most kids’ favorites: hot dogs and baked beans. The yams and carrots in the Orange Puree add not only a top source of nutrients and fiber, but a delicious hint of sweetness. Use turkey or beef hot dogs with no nitrates, or even tofu dogs if you’re adventurous. Slice them into a can of baked beans with ½ cup of Orange Puree and a tablespoon of ketchup. (Be aware that hot dogs are a choking hazard for children under 4).
Dinner:
Sneaky baked ziti. Thanks to the versatile blandness of high fiber, low-fat tofu, and the fact that it bears a striking resemblance to its higher fat twin, mozzarella cheese, you can replace at least one third of the cheese used in traditional baked zitis. Just mix some Orange Puree with your favorite tomato sauce and you’re guaranteed not only that they’ll gobble it up, but that they’ll say it’s sweeter than ever before.
The Sneaky Chef
(Missy Chase Lapine)
Missy Chase Lapine is the author of The Sneaky Chef: Simple Strategies for Hiding Healthy Foods in Kids’ Favorite Meals (Running Press, March 2007). She is the former publisher of Eating Well magazine and the founder of a natural baby product line Baby Spa®. Missy is currently on the Culinary Arts faculty of The New School, in New York City, and operates The Sneaky Chef workshops, which is a program of cooking classes and demonstrations that teach families how to eat healthier. She is a contributor to Parenting Magazine, ediets.com, and education.com, and available to individuals, groups and businesses for private cooking instruction, workshops and personal coaching in The Sneaky Chef methods and recipes. Missy lives with her family in Westchester, New York.
For more information visit www.TheSneakyChef.com.
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Summertime is approaching and this means it’s time for a BBQ. The common high-fat, high-calorie favorites such as burgers and sausages aren’t the only foods on the BBQ menu. Enjoying tasty meals outside with family and friends does not have to be an unhealthy one!
Let’s take a look at the nutritional breakdown of some BBQ favorites. A grilled cheeseburger (4 ounces) weighs in at a hefty 14 grams of fat for 300 calories with a whopping 610 mg count of sodium. A hot dog (3.5 ounce) clocks in at 16 grams of fat, 270 calories and 700 grams of sodium. Sides of coleslaw (1/2 cup) have 11 grams of fat and 114 calories. Potato chips have 12 grams of fat per 1 ounce and potato salad has 358 calories per cup with 20.5 grams of fat. What can you eat that won’t give you more calories and fat than you need in one day!
   
It is still possible to have healthy options at your next BBQ without sacrificing flavor. Cook with lower fat cuts of beef, poultry and seafood and try marinating them for flavor. Try doing chicken or shrimp kabobs or make a burger from lean ground beef mixed with some ground turkey to lower the fat content. Grill lots of vegetables, almost every vegetable can be grilled! All that you'll need is a light marinade or a light brush of oil as you grill.
What kind of sides can you offer in place of the coleslaw and potato salad? Prepare more fresh salads than mayonnaise drenched slaws and potato salads. Lighten creamy salads with lower fat mayonnaise by substituting vinegar for the mayonnaise. Serve a dip like hummus with pita bread for an appetizer. Keep a bowl of cut-up fruit around for a light dessert.
Being creative this summer will provide you with more variety and lower calorie options.
Rebecca
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Hi Everyone,
Since The Sneaky Chef book came out in March, e-mails from grateful parents have flooded my site, and I’ve felt the exhilaration and satisfaction of knowing my book has struck a resounding cultural chord, clearly resonating with thousands of sneaky-chefs-in-the-make.
The Sneaky Chef is about hiding sneaky ingredients with a healthy punch into the meals your children already love to eat. They’ll love every bite of their deliciously sneaky brownies (with hidden purees of blueberries and spinach), and they’ll be clamoring for more rich, sneaky mac’n cheese (with pureed zucchini, cauliflower and white beans). Over 75 simple recipes with ingeniously disguised superfoods will help you create healthy meals for your entire family. And with every sneaky bite, you’ll be packing more fiber, whole grains, vitamins and antioxidants into your kids’ daily diets.
I am really looking forward to sharing this exciting solution with you. Next week, Dell will be covering chapter 5–The Sneaky Chef’s bag of Tricks. You’ll see how easy it is to puree almost anything, how to select unrefined products that hide the best based on color and texture – such as blueberries, yams and spinach – and how to make simple substitutions that boost nutritional value with no difference in taste. You’ll also see how to identify healthy foods that your kids may enjoy straight up, how to choose healthier cooking methods, how to cut fats and calories, how to use visual decoys, etc.
So don’t miss out! See you at the table!
The Sneaky Chef
(Missy Chase Lapine)
Missy Chase Lapine is the author of The Sneaky Chef: Simple Strategies for Hiding Healthy Foods in Kids’ Favorite Meals (Running Press, March 2007). She is the former publisher of Eating Well magazine and the founder of a natural baby product line Baby Spa®. Missy is currently on the Culinary Arts faculty of The New School, in New York City, and operates The Sneaky Chef workshops, which is a program of cooking classes and demonstrations that teach families how to eat healthier. She is a contributor to Parenting Magazine, ediets.com, and education.com, and available to individuals, groups and businesses for private cooking instruction, workshops and personal coaching in The Sneaky Chef methods and recipes. Missy lives with her family in Westchester, New York.
For more information visit www.TheSneakyChef.com.
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