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Exercise Eating Inspiration and Relaxation
Making it Fit - February: Love Your Body!
The Community Health Committee hopes that the Making it Fit! initiative helps everyone reach his or her goals in being healthy and happy. We think these goals are not only important to keep us stay healthy, but they are beneficial to the community at large. How can we keep our patients healthy over the coming years if we’re not healthy and happy ourselves?
Here is a little bit about what you will find each month:
- Tips to eating healthier, and at least one recipe for you to try that contains great ingredients and great flavor.
- Activities to try and that target specific areas of the body.
- Music to put on your iPod, mp3 player, or CD player to get your energized!
- Movies and books that we found to be helpful with stress and that inspire us, and/or make us laugh until our sides hurt.
- Lastly, you will see that there are links to different magazines and their web sites so you can get tons of great information.
I find it really helpful to have something new every month to inspire me; if you do as well, you can check out the links provided to these magazines and either start subscribing to the one that really makes sense to you, or just check out a bunch online every month. Some of these sites have monthly or weekly free newsletters you can subscribe to so that you can keep track of your progress and get motivated.
If you have advice to add to this, like a killer ab routine, good music for a leisurely walk, or the best low-fat dip recipe, well then please don’t hesitate to share it with the committee. The more people we have adding to this project, the more people will be positively affected in the outcome. You can contact me with questions, comments, concerns or additions at directore@nsna.org.
We hope you enjoy! Thanks!
Whether you’re in Couple-town or Singles-ville, Valentine’s Day is a wonderful excuse to tell the people around you how much you love and care for them. This includes not just a significant other, but family and friends. It also includes one particular person: you! Don’t forget to tell yourself this Valentine’s Day and the other 364 days of the year just those three simple words, “I love you.” Even dare to go past that and say just why it is that you love yourself. It is really important to remind ourselves what it is that we do well. We, as nurses, are much better at helping other people than we are at helping ourselves, so this month and particularly on February 14th, take a moment to value yourself.
We want to help you love your body so we’ve provided some tools to help. Exercising and eating healthier can be just the thing to help us feel better physically, mentally, and spiritually as well. The exercises below focus on cardiovascular health and we’ve provided romantically themed music for your iPod. Don’t worry, they may be a little lovey-dovey, but they are sure to pump you up!
There are also several recipes. The first is for a healthier cookie for Valentine’s Day. (It is often better to make cookies from scratch because you know what you are putting into them, as opposed to picking up extra preservatives and other unknown ingredients if you picked up a package from the supermarket.) I have also included a meal idea for two to share with your boyfriend, girlfriend, husband, wife, date, friend, sibling, parent or whoever you spend Valentine’s Day with. Maybe this year try making food at home. We often over eat at restaurants because portion sizes are so much larger and we are attempted to eat extra courses when we are not hungry anymore.
Exercise
Cardiovascular exercise ideas*:
A great form of cardiovascular exercise is to go running, of course, but that is not for everyone. One piece of advice for people who are trying to increase (or start) cardiovascular exercise is to ease into it and work up to a longer amount of time and a longer distance. Also try something that is easier on the body: Easing yourself into cardiovascular activity can be choosing an elliptical machine indoors or taking a walk around the neighborhood outdoors. For example, some work on the elliptical machine and then a short amount of running. Then increase the amount by a small increment every time you go to the gym. For instance try doing 20 minutes on day one on the elliptical and 0.2 miles around the track. On day three, try doing 20 minutes again on the elliptical but doing 0.4 miles around the track or on the treadmill. This way you ease your way into exercise and lower the risk of becoming overwhelmed at first and giving up on it.
Tunes to Crank your Cardiovascular System:
- Total Eclipse of the Heart, Bonnie Tyler
- Hello Mr. Heartache, Dixie Chicks
- Hungry Heart, Bruce Springsteen
- Me Love, Sean Kingston
- I Don’t Wanna be in Love (Dance Floor Anthem), Good Charlotte
- Won’t Go Home Without You, Maroon 5
- I Wanna Dance With Somebody, Whitney Houston
- Take Me Home Tonight, Eddy Money
- You Make Loving Fun, Fleetwood Mac
- Be My Lover, La Bouche
*Always consult with a physician or other health professional before starting a fitness program.
Eating
Cookies
This recipe can be found on: http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/cutout_cookie.html
ACTIVE TIME: 45 minutes, TOTAL TIME: 3 hours (including chilling time), EASE OF PREPARATION: Moderate
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour • 3/4 cup whole-wheat flour • 1 teaspoon baking powder • 1/4 teaspoon salt • 1/3 cup low-fat firm silken tofu (see Ingredient note) • 1 large egg • 1 cup sugar • 1/4 cup canola oil • 1 tablespoon butter, softened • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract • Cinnamon-Sugar Topping or Decorator Icing (recipes follow)
1. Whisk all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.
2. Puree tofu in a food processor. Add egg, sugar, oil, butter and vanilla; process until smooth, stopping once or twice to scrape down the sides. Add the dry ingredients and pulse several times just until dough clumps together.
3. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead several times. Divide in half and press each piece into a disk. Dust disks with flour and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
4. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line several baking sheets with parchment paper or coat with cooking spray.
5. Working with one piece at a time, on a lightly floured surface, roll the dough slightly less than 1/4-inch thick. Cut out shapes with a cookie cutter. Gather scraps and re-roll. Place cookies about 1/2-inch apart on the prepared baking sheets. If using Cinnamon-Sugar Topping, add it now.
6. Bake cookies, one sheet at a time, until light golden around the edges, 12 to 16 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack and let cool completely.
7. If using Decorator Icing, decorate cookies as desired. Let stand until frosting has set, 30 to 45 minutes.
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION: Per cookie (undecorated): 67 calories; 2 g fat (0 g sat, 1 g mono); 6 mg cholesterol; 11 g carbohydrate; 1 g protein; 0 g fiber; 25 mg sodium.1 Carbohydrate Serving
TIP: Ingredient note: Choose silken-style tofu, available in most supermarkets, rather than regular tofu for this recipe. It has a custard-like texture, which is suitable for pureeing.
Cookie-Decorating Tips
- To tint icing: Place small quantities of icing in several small bowls. Add a little food coloring to each one and mix well. You will obtain the most vivid colors if you use paste food colors, which are available at craft stores and cake-decorating shops.
- To make a piped design: If icing seems too stiff, thin with a few drops of water. Spoon icing into a pastry bag fitted with a fine writing tip or a paper-piping cone. (To make a paper piping cone, cut a piece of parchment or wax paper into a 15x12x8-inch triangle. Starting at the short corner, wrap the triangle up along the long side to make a tight cone. Fold the tip into the cone to secure it. Spoon icing into cone, close the top of the cone and fold edges over to seal. Cut a small opening in the tip.) To outline a cookie for accent, pipe a continuous line or a series of connected dots around it.
- To paint cookies: Thin icing with water until it is the consistency of heavy cream. Using a clean watercolor paintbrush, coat the tops of the cookies with icing.
- To make swirls: Paint cookies with one icing color. While it is still wet, use a paper piping cone or plastic condiment bottle to drop a contrasting color onto the cookies. Draw the tip of a toothpick through both colors, creating a swirled effect.
Dinner for Two
So you want to have dinner with someone special for Valentine’s Day. Here is a recipe to try out for just the two of you, or double it or halve it if there are more or less of you!
I found this recipe on: www.eatingwell.com/recipes/collections/healthy_cooking_two_recipes.html.
You can find more ideas there if you are not in the mood for a chicken dish.
Maple Glazed Chicken Breast
ACTIVE TIME: 20 minutes, TOTAL TIME: 2 hours 20 minutes (includes 2 hours marinating time), EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup • 1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce • 2 teaspoons lemon juice • 1 clove garlic, minced • 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper • 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 8 ounces), trimmed and tenders removed (see Tip)
1. Whisk syrup, soy sauce, lemon juice, garlic, ginger and pepper in a small, shallow dish. Add chicken and turn to coat with the marinade; cover and refrigerate for 2 hours, turning once.
2. Coat an indoor grill pan with cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Remove the chicken from the marinade (reserving the marinade) and cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast registers 165°F, 3 to 5 minutes per side.
3. Meanwhile, pour the reserved marinade into a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook until reduced by about half, about 4 minutes. Liberally baste the chicken with the reduced sauce and serve.
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION: Per serving: 186 calories; 1 g fat (0 g sat, 0 g mono); 66 mg cholesterol; 15 g carbohydrate; 27 g protein; 0 g fiber; 343 mg sodium; 361 mg potassium. Nutrition bonus: Selenium (30% daily value). ?1 Carbohydrate Serving? Exchanges: 1 other carbohydrate, 4 very lean meat
TIP: Tip: Wrap and freeze the chicken tenders. When you have gathered enough, use them in a stir-fry—they are the perfect size.
Inspiration and Relaxation
Looking for a love story??? Here are three movies that are without fail wonderful love stories. One will make you laugh, one will make you cry, and one will make you do a little bit of both!
- Cry: Ghost
- Laugh: Sweet Home Alabama
- A little bit o’ both: Out of Africa
Please check out these links and think about subscribing to the magazines. They both are full of advice and inspiration to do better.
www.shape.com
Here are some highlights to check out at shape.com:
- They have a great section called “Find a Workout.” This gives great examples of different things to try for workouts and also different body areas to target. I borrowed an idea from this site to help with cardio and you can find many more helpful pieces. They even have cards that you can print out for easy and quick reference.
- A second tool that they have on shape.com is a food journal where you can add up calories and look at what you are eating that contains protein, fat and carbohydrates. It gives you a good snapshot over time into what you are consuming.
- Another wonderful tool is their “Recipe Finder.” This is a really helpful tool because you can enter search criteria that are actually helpful in finding specific types of food for specific types of situations. For example, say I am looking for a high fiber, low fat recipe for breakfast. If I wanted this I would indicate those three preferences and the site would generate a list with those specifications.
- They also have a free newsletter that you can sign up for so you can get regular advice and updates.
www.eatingwell.com
Here are some highlights to check out at eatingwell.com:
- They have a great section for cooking for kids, so if you are cooking for kids this is a great section to check out to keep you and the kids healthy.
- There is a great section on some of their favorite things, like their favorite teas and also articles on things that are controversial right now, like whether bottled water is better or worse for you.
- They have a great newsletter that is sent to you every week and it contains new recipes and tips for eating healthy.
We all need some inspiration to make it all happen so here is this month’s mantra coming straight from the mouth of the inspiring and hopeful Oprah Winfrey: “I finally realized that being grateful to my body was key to giving more love to myself.”
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