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December 2007 - Posts
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Ignite will taking a holiday from December 24 – January 1,
but you can keep posting and sharing with other Ignite users. You may
want to take a look through our past blogs or browse through the Channels section and post a comment
while Ignite is on holiday.
And don’t forget to have a healthy
holiday. This time of year can be very stressful with all the family parties,
traveling and gift-giving. Just remember to make some time for physical
activity and enjoy yourself with family and friends. Have a happy and healthy
holiday!
Justin - A Lumen 
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The Healthy Holiday Recipe Contest was a chance to share ideas for a brighter holiday – with dishes that were both healthy and full of flavor. The recipes were evaluated based on three criteria - Nutrition (25%), Taste (50%) and Originality (25%).
First, to ensure that all recipes met the 'healthy' criteria, we had our expert dietitian and personal trainer, Rebecca Mohning, analyze the recipes and narrow them down to six semi-finalists (3 side-dishes and 3 desserts), based on the nutritional value of each recipes. These six semi-final recipes were then prepared by the Ignite team and presented to 19 judges who evaluated them based on taste and originality. Our winners were based on the scores provided by these 19 judges.
And, the winners are  -
Best Side Dish: Hearty Lentil Soup by Ignite user margarittm
Best Dessert: Berry Healthy Holiday Trifle by Ignite user ericap
Congratulations to both of you as you've won $250 gift card to a local grocery store of your choice. The Ignite team will contact the winners individually to send them their prizes. All recipes submitted during the contest are available to view in the Healthy Holiday Recipe Contest thread.
 Happy Healthy Holidays to all of you from the Ignite Team!
Reena (A Lumen)
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Let's be honest: it wouldn't be a holiday party without desserts. Many traditional holiday desserts such as pies, cheesecake, and cookies are loaded with fat and sugar. Take a look at the labels below – cheesecake can range from 600-1000 calories per slice and some cookies have 400 calories each!
But there are ways to modify these recipes and save a couple hundred calories. So make it a little healthier this year and still enjoy a great dessert.
First, when having a holiday party, serve light desserts when possible, and offer dessert trays with bite-sized samples. When serving desserts, think about portions that are two to four bites – just enough to taste and enjoy. You can use cupcake papers to hold bite-sized portions – for example, small cookies and cake or pie that can be cut into petite portions. You can also use mini cupcake pans to make bite-sized cupcakes, cakes, brownies and cheesecake.
If you are cooking or baking, here are some tips to make a classic dessert recipe a little lighter:
· Use applesauce in cake and pie recipes as a healthier alternative to butter, margarine, or oil.
· When muffin and quick bread recipes call for fat (such as oil), try reducing it by one-third to one-half. You won’t even miss it.
· Save the fat by using cocoa powder instead of chocolate. Substitute three tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder for each ounce of unsweetened chocolate in baked goods such as cakes or cookies. For chocolate fillings, you may need to add one or two teaspoons of oil in addition to the cocoa.
· Replace heavy cream in puddings, cheesecakes, and cream pies with evaporated skim milk.
· Use nonfat yogurt as a substitute for sour cream. Two egg whites can be substituted for each whole egg in many baked recipes.
· Substitute the frosting in a recipe by topping cakes with fresh fruit, fruit sauce, or a sprinkle of confectioner’s sugar.
· Use Splenda in place of all or part of the sugar in baked goodies. It works great in pie fillings and puddings too. Follow the baking tips on the box for ideas.
· Decrease the amount of nuts used in a recipe or skip adding the nuts to the dessert.
· Reduce the amount of chocolate chips or nuts in a recipe by one-fourth.
· Use fat-free whipped cream in place of regular whipped cream.
· Substitute skim milk for regular milk.
And if you are invited to a holiday party this season, offer to bring a healthy dessert so you have something healthier at the party to enjoy!
Rebecca
 
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In the final chapters of One Small Step, Dr. Maurer discusses "Taking Small Moments" to examine seemingly small observations that may have a huge impact later on a much larger scale. He gives several examples of thoughtful employees of companies who paid attention to moments in their lives where they saw great opportunity. For example, the American Airlines flight attendant who noticed removing one olive from their passenger's salads resulted in a lower cost salad, which saved the company over five hundred thousand dollars each year. Or the engineer who noticed burrs sticking to his dog's fur and eventually invented Velcro. In each example, noticing small moments helped open their eyes to larger possibilities. We've all heard stories of every day people who notice something small, yet take advantage of that "a ha!" moment to create something extraordinary.
Dr. Maurer says that we need to be curious and open minded in order to achieve this aspect of kaizen. He advises we can achieve better relationships with others using this technique. A study of married couples measured the amount of positive interaction between spouses, which correlated significantly to the success of their marriages. Couples who used a soothing tone when speaking to each other, who inquired about small things in their spouses day, who paid attention when their spouse came home at the end of the day all had happier marriages. What small details could you pay attention to that would make your spouse, child, or other people in your life feel more appreciated and loved ?
I really enjoyed this book, and in summary Dr. Maurer reminds us that kaizen never ends. It is an ongoing process we can use to achieve most any goal we set, to improve our relationships, improve our health and discover our inner power.
I hope everyone enjoyed the book as much as I did, and hope you will join us for a live chat with the author, Dr. Robert Maurer, on January 15 at 3pm EST. He will be chatting with us, answering your questions and discussing the book with Lumenos consumers on Ignite, so mark the date and join us!
Dell- a Lumen
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New Jersey
has become the first state to require flu shots for preschoolers, saying the
children’s developing immune systems and likelihood of spreading germs make
them as vulnerable to complications as the elderly.
Flu shots and three other vaccines will
be required for school children in New
Jersey starting next fall.
Over the objections of some parent groups, State Health Commissioner - Dr. Fred
M. Jacobs - approved the requirement and
three other vaccines for school children starting September 1, 2008.
Dr. Jacobs said the new requirements "will have a direct impact on reducing illnesses,
hospitalizations and deaths in one of New
Jersey's most vulnerable populations -- our
children."
The new requirement was approved by a health advisory board on a 5-2 vote
with one abstention after parents said they worried about the safety of giving
young children dozens of vaccine doses.
Some parents also say they don't want government making their medical
decisions.
Starting in September, all children attending preschool or licensed day care
centers will have to get an annual flu shot, Jacobs said. That makes New Jersey
the first state to require flu shots for preschoolers or older students,
according to the American
Academy of Pediatrics.
New Jersey also will require preschoolers
to get a pneumococcal vaccine and sixth-graders to get vaccines against
meningitis, which New Jersey
already requires for college dormitory residents, and a booster shot against
whooping cough, which in recent years has seen a resurgence blamed on waning
potency of shots given to infants and preschoolers.
The four additional vaccines are recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, the American
Academy of Pediatrics and
other medical groups.
Some parents support proposed legislation that would give families a right
to skip required immunizations by lodging a "philosophical
objection," as some other states allow. The bill has been sitting in a
committee without action for several years.
New Jersey
does grant an automatic exemption on religious grounds and allows exemptions
for medical reasons.
The new vaccines will be available for free for low-income families, and
private insurers generally will cover the cost.
Jason - a Lumen
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On my way home from work this week, I made a stop by the
National Christmas Tree in downtown Washington,
DC. It’s right near the White
House and is traditionally lit by the President and the First Lady. Parking my
car and walking up to the tree, I was amazed at its size and beauty. It was
remarkable with all the glowing lights – and I couldn’t help but look around at
all the other people staring wistfully and taking part in the beautiful display.
Heading home, I realized that this time of the year is pretty special. Put
aside the stress of shopping, this time of year promotes getting together with
friends and family, reflecting upon the past year and being thankful for the
things we have. Plus, it’s a great time for fun and stress-free activities. Go ice skating. It’s a great way to be
active and many cities have ice rinks right downtown. Walk around your neighborhood. Take a stroll around your pad and
look at all the holiday lights and decorations. Host a holiday party. Or if that’s too much work, attend a friend’s
party. Just remember to watch yourself around all the tasty treats. Attend a holiday concert or show. There
are tons of them this time of the year – and many even have reduced price
tickets available depending on when you go.
So for this weekend, join in the festivities whether you
celebrate a holiday or not. It’s a remarkable time of the year – and it can hold
something special for all us.
Justin – A Lumen
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Healthier eating during the holidays may sound like an oxymoron, but it's possible. As many Ignite users have shown us through the Healthy Holidays Recipe Contest. Popular holiday dishes were converted into healthier versions of the orginals. Butter was replaced with apple sauce or sugar with Splenda or cheese was replaced with healthier low-fat or fat-free versions. To view these recipes and get some ideas for your holdiay side dishes and dessserts, click here.
We'll be annoucing the winners of the Healthy Holiday Recipe Contest next week so stay tuned to Ignite. In addition to all the recipes on Ignite, here are some more healthier dishes that you can try out this holiday season. We'd love to hear your feedback once you've tried them out.
Happy Holidays everyone!
Reena (A Lumen)
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Are you cooking the holiday meal with all the trimmings and would like to save some calories without your guests knowing? Holiday meals don't have to be full of fat, sugar, cream, gravy and lots of butter to taste good. It's easy to trim a little fat, sugar and calories from traditional holiday foods without sacrificing flavor. Here are some ideas for making those favorite holiday dishes lower in fat and calories and your guests will never know!
- When selecting a turkey, choose a plain bird rather than a self-basting bird.
- Remove the skin from the turkey before eating.
- Either use a gravy cup or refrigerate the pan juices and skim the fat off the top before making gravy.
- For dressing, use less bread cubes and more onions, celery and other vegetables. For something different, try adding cranberries or apples. Moisten the dressing with low-fat, low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth.
- When mashing potatoes, use skim milk, garlic powder and Parmesan cheese in place of whole milk and butter.
- Steam vegetables or cook in liquids such as broth or water rather than oil. Use herbs and spices for flavor in place of margarine or butter.
- Put orange juice concentrate and a touch of cinnamon in the center of squash instead of margarine or butter.
- Prepare fresh green beans with chunks of potato instead of cream soup. Top with almonds rather than fried onion rings.
- Cut the sugar to ½ cup in all holiday baked good recipes it will save calories not change the food.
- Substitute 2 egg whites for every egg in a recipe to cutback on fat and cholesterol.
Have a favorite holiday dish try finding the recipe in a lighter version. Here are some places to look on the web for healthier holiday recipes:
www.cookinglight.com, www.eatingwell.com, and www.foodfit.com
As you can see, with a little effort and planning, healthy eating can be a realistic and tasty option this time of year. Be sure to remember to practice portion control this holiday, just because it is healthier does not mean you can eat more! Happy holidays!
Rebecca
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In Chapter 5, we learn about solving small problems in order to avoid much larger ones. Dr. Maurer gives examples of companies like Toyota, Ford, Firestone, NASA, and the US Navy using this aspect of kaizen to identify and solve small problems in their business processes. The idea is that "nipping it in the bud", or fixing a very small, seemingly minute problem before it compounds itself to a much larger issue, works in business, relationships, and reaching one's personal goals. He says that ignoring the small warning signs in the beginning of a relationship, when interviewing a job applicant, using critical self talk and even when we feel aches and pains in our bodies is a big mistake that can lead to much larger problems in the long run, and the feeling of being overwhelmed by larger problems. I have a friend who uses this technique to keep his home clean and tidy. He once said to me, "If I can spend 10 minutes each day cleaning or straightening the house, it saves me from spending hours on the weekends doing it." This is classic kaizen ~ taking care of the little things before they snowball into an overwhelming project. In what ways do you take care of the smaller tasks before they become much larger ?
Finally, in Chapter 6 Dr. Maurer talks about small rewards, and the importance of noticing and taking the time to enjoy our small successes along the way. He tells us that small, inexpensive rewards given frequently can motivate others (and ourselves) to continue to improve our habits and move toward reaching our goals. He talks about Japanese companies that reward employees smaller, more frequent amounts for giving suggestions as opposed to larger, less frequent rewards for the same behavior. Making our spouses, friends, co-workers and employees feel appreciated goes a long way. The right, appropriate reward can instill lasting change and encourage progress in the right direction. I liked the example of the woman who gave herself chocolate at various points in her journey to graduate school class after a long day at work, to motivate her and reinforce her behavior as she made it to class. Soon, she established a habit and didn't need the chocolate to keep herself going to class. How could you reward yourself for meeting smaller goals and milestones?
Next week, we will discuss Chapter 7, our final chapter and wrap up this book club series. Until then, happy reading!
Dell- a Lumen
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For many of us Thanksgiving
begins a season of special meals and once-a-year indulgences. We all look
forward to turkey, mashed potatoes, pecan pie, and other goodies. And because
it's that time of year, we may not be too shy about taking an extra helping of
our favorite side dish or dessert.
Don't feel too guilty about
that. According to a study in the New England Journal of Medicine, most people
gain only a pound between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day, which is of little
consequence as long as you drop it in the New Year. So make sure you stick to that
New Year’s resolution to eat better and exercise more.
But whether you add an
extra pound or maintain your weight through the season, the ingredients in
traditional holiday fare offer nutritional gifts along with good flavor.
Tryptophan, the amino acid
in turkey falsely accused of making revelers sleepy, may help regulate the
body's immune function. Cranberries are full of antioxidants that may confer a
number of health benefits, such as preventing tooth decay.
Beta-carotene-rich produce
like sweet potatoes and pumpkin may slow age-related decline in lung function,
according to the European Community Respiratory Health Survey. Nuts are packed
with heart-healthy monounsaturated fat. You can even prepare stuffing with
quinoa, a high-protein grain. And fruits, vegetables, nuts, and grains are rich
in fiber.
The holiday table can offer
plenty of good tasting and healthful indulgences--especially if your recipes
balance great taste with sensible amounts of calories and fat.
Do you have a healthy
holiday recipe of your own? Don’t forget to share it with us on Ignite. You could
win one of two $250 gift cards. For more information on how to enter go to the Your holiday recipe could be worth
$250 in the Ignite Healthy Holiday Recipe Contest forum under the
Health Buddies Channel.
Jason - a Lumen
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On Wednesday, we got snow in my neck of the woods. And it
looks much of the east coast and midwest did too. Typically, we don’t get much
snow in DC, especially since this early in the year. The first day of winter
(December 22) hasn’t even come yet. Many schools were closed or on delay and the
roadways were a mess. The lucky ones didn't have to go to work.
But on a more positive note, the first snowfall does give us
all the opportunity to be a kid again. Building
a snowman, having a snowball fight, making snow angels – all fantastic ways to enjoy the winter weather and burn some extra calories. Just remember to bundle yourself up real tight
and dress in layers. You'll be able to stay outside for a while. But most importantly, stay away from the yellow snow.  Justin – A Lumen
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Most people don’t associate the holidays with the word “healthy” or if they do, the next thought is not fun, but boring. This holiday season you can make the parties fun and healthy at the same time if you follow these simple tips:
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Remember the party is more about the event than the food. Try to have other activities planned so food is not the primary focus. Games, cards, or darts are fun party activities.
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Present a variety of foods -- this makes the healthy party more fun with a large assortment.
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Try something new. If you offer different foods people get very excited about trying something different.
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Make healthy snacks fun! Serve them in muffin liners, wrap in plastic wrap and tie with red and green ribbon.
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Offer a fruit buffet or make your own salad bar so guests get a chance to create their own healthy combination.
Rebecca
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With the holidays here, there are lots of parties and social gatherings that involve food. Many appetizers are loaded with calories and fat, such as spinach artichoke dip, which is over 50 calories per 2 tablespoons and chicken wings that are 100 calories per wing (see labels below). If you are trying to save calories this holiday season, here are some ideas on how to make your appetizers appealing but low calorie.
Offer veggie wraps: Wrap heated, crumbled veggie burgers, diced tomatoes, shredded lettuce, chopped roasted peppers and your favorite low-fat dressing in flavored tortillas. Slice the tortillas into bite-sized pieces and hold them together with toothpicks.
Make a fruit platter with fat-free yogurt mixed with Splenda and include assorted fruits.
Serve hummus with homemade whole grain bagel chips. Slice bagels diagonally into thin pieces. Lay on a cookie sheet and apply a bit of cooking spray. Bake in a 400° oven until brown and crisp.
Serve individual pizzas on English muffins. Top with salsa or pizza sauce, vegetables, and shredded low-fat cheese.
Put out a variety of baked tortilla or corn chips, and serve with salsa.
Offer shrimp cocktail which is low calorie and appealing.
Spread rice cakes or low-fat crackers with fat-free cream cheese; top with thinly sliced cucumber and tomato.
Serve vegetable and fruit kabobs. Spear mushrooms, onion, bell pepper, pineapple chunks and cherry tomatoes on bamboo skewers.
Bake pita bread, cut into triangle-shaped wedges, until crispy. Serve with salsa, bean dip or fruit chutney. Or for a sweet treat, use a bit of cooking spray and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.
Next week I will be giving some ideas for healthier holiday entrees.
Rebecca
 
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This month, we've been reading Dr. Robert Maurer's book, "One Small Step Can Change Your Life- The Kaizen Way". Dr. Maurer is a psychologist who has devoted his career to studying successful change. He's studied how people succeed in meeting their goals, and how they maintain success over time. He talks about two ways people approach the desire to change- through innovation, vs. slow comfortable change in small steps. Innovation involves radical, dramatic and sudden change- a shock to the system so to speak. While innovation can work, the chances of it succeeding are quite low. Alternatively kaizen, or change through small gradual steps, has a higher success rate for lasting results. The reason for this is largely biological- tricking the brain to avoid a fearful response seems to really work!
In the first part of the book, Dr. Maurer explains how change causes fear in our brains. I found this idea a little hard to believe- that stress, anxiety, depression, and a whole host of negative emotions are all rooted in the basic fear response. But after understanding the clinical studies and behavioral examples in the book, I am starting to see how fear can paralyze us from getting what we want in many areas of our lives. If that is true, then it makes sense that using techniques which avoid a biological response would be a good idea! This is the reason kaizen works- taking small steps bypasses the amygdala, the part of the brain responsible for our fight or flight response.
The middle chapters start to outline how kaizen works, by "thinking small thoughts" and "taking small actions". Dr. Maurer recommends we start by thinking small thoughts, asking playful questions about our goals. For example, instead of asking "How could I be so stupid ?" or "Why does everyone else have an easier life than I do?" we should ask, "What is one thing I like about myself?" or "What is one thing I am thankful for in my life today?" By asking positive, non threatening questions of ourselves, we bypass that automatic fear response. Soon, our minds embrace the idea of change rather than resist it. Similarly, taking small action steps, no matter how ridiculous and ineffective they may seem, leads to bigger steps that do not elicit the fear response in us. Even "unlearning" negative behaviors, such as overeating, smoking or any other addictive behavior, is possible by using kaizen. I found Dr. Maurer's theory that we think of objects of addiction, such as cigarettes, as being our "friends" to be very interesting. He describes the case of a woman who wanted to quit smoking, who first had to face her fear of losing the comfort of her tobacco "friends" and replace them with more appropriate types of comfort.
My favorite section so far is the New Year's resolutions- kaizen style ! I plan to take on several resolutions next year, and I plan to kaizen my way through them all to success. I've already by starting with my 5 minutes every day on the elliptical (yes, I've reached my goal every day this week!) Now that Lumenos has launched the Healthier Holiday Recipe contest, maybe you can think of a recipe you can modify to take a small step toward a healthier change.
Next week, we will discuss chapters 5 and 6. Have a great week!
Dell- a Lumen
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