Stuffed "Deviled" Lemony Eggs

Posted on Dec. 8, 2005 at 3:15 AM - Link

8 large eggs
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons sour cream
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dillweed
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
Salt to taste

Place the eggs in a saucepan just large enough to hold them all in one layer. Add water to cover by 1 1/2 inches. Add 1 tablespoon salt. Partially cover the pan and bring to a full rolling boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and leave on heat for 30 seconds. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 15 minutes. Pour off hot water and rinse eggs under cold running water for 5 minutes. Pour off the water and shake the pans to crack the eggs. Peel under cold running water.

Cut peeled eggs in half lengthwise. Transfer yolks to a bowl. Cover and chill yolks and whites separately for 1 hour.

In a large bowl, mash the yolks with a fork. Mash in the mayonnaise and sour cream. Add dill, lemon zest, and salt; stir until well blended.

Fill the egg white halves with the yolk mixture, extending the filling over part of the white. Generously sprinkle each half with chives, leaving a little yellow showing around the edges. Sprinkle each half with lemon zest. Cover and refrigerate. Serve well chilled. NOTE: The stuffed eggs may be made 1 day in advance and kept covered and chilled.

Makes 16 stuffed eggs.

Fitness and Computing

Posted on Nov. 13, 2005 at 8:19 AM - Link

The quest for physical fitness can be traced back to early China and the teachings of Confucius.  In Colonial America (1700s), regular physical activity was a way of life. Thomas Jefferson recommended at least two hours of exercise daily (Dalleck and Kravitz, 2002).  In the 1950s, the popularity of Muscle Beach and the athletic acrobats performing there inspired an interest in body building and fitness.  Gyms were opening to commercially promote fitness and Jack LaLanne’s television show featured various fitness programs including aerobics, resistance training, and exercise equipment.  The Industrial Revolution in America had made life easier, but with the 1950s and 1960s came the cost of a more sedentary lifestyle, an increase in cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes.  Today’s technology craze, brings expert information and resources directly into our computers and our homes.

How to Eat Before a Workout

Posted on Aug. 31, 2005 at 6:15 AM - Link

The pre workout meal provides you with energy and prevents hunger during exercise. Here are a few tips to consider when thinking about a pre workout meal.

• Make sure you are “event” ready, meaning well hydrated. (If you are properly hydrated, your urine will be light in color and you will be urinating often.)
• Eat 2-4 hours before the event to give your body enough time to digest the food.
• Include several high-carbohydrate foods from the grain and fruit groups, and load up on non-caffeinated fluids such as juices, sports drink, and energy drinks. Good choices include whole-grain bagels, breads, crackers, sport bars, and fruits. These foods tend to be easily digested by most athletes.
• For more staying power, include some protein-containing foods with your high-carb foods at your pre-event meal. Examples include 2-3 slices of turkey, 1-2 slices of low-fat cheese, or a yogurt.
• If you tend to experience stomach problems, eat smaller, more frequent meals.
• Eat familiar foods. Never try a new food on competition day--experiment with foods only on practice days.
• During training, determine what YOUR OWN best time differential is between eating and competition time.
• Once you have finished your pre-competition meal, sip on sports drinks or water the entire time period leading up to your competition or game.

Coffee, Caffeine & Fitness

Posted on May. 7, 2005 at 10:53 AM - Link

One look at a line at the local Starbucks in the morning and you don’t need to be convinced of the huge amount of coffee consumption in the U.S. The National Coffee Association found in 2000 that 54% of the U.S. adult population drinks coffee daily. Guess there’s nothing like the first double espresso in the morning to clear the cobwebs from our heads so we can face the day.

But what are the effects relating to fitness? If that grande-no-foam-double-whipped-extra-shot-no-fat latte gives us the get-up-and-go to start our day at work, will it do the same if we’re headed to the gym?

Creating a home workout gym!!!!

Posted on May. 4, 2005 at 5:20 PM - Link

Many people think that creating a home workout gym is either too intimidating or too costly. So, often they instead invest their money in a health club membership not realizing that for the same amount of money (or even less) they can create a very effective gym right in their own home.

For an effective home gym, all that is required is a little bit of planning. Don’t fall into the trap of purchasing random fitness equipment because of fancy advertising for the latest infomercial fad or the great “sale” at your local fitness store. That type of purchasing leads to a house littered with equipment that’s only use is as a clothes hanger or dust collector. This often happens because the equipment is either useless, poorly constructed or quickly loses its value because it doesn’t progress with your fitness level.

Home Workouts

Posted on May. 1, 2005 at 11:47 AM - Link

What are the benefits of working out at home? Well, here are some highlights:

• No wasted time driving to and from a fitness club
• No waiting in line to use the equipment
• Workout on your schedule, rather than just when the health club is open
• No expensive monthly membership fees or long-term contracts
• Motivation to workout as you pass by the equipment every day.

Some common misconceptions among people with regard to exercise and nutrition.

Posted on Apr. 30, 2005 at 10:25 PM - Link

1. You need to exercise to burn fat.

The truth is you don’t gain body fat because of a lack of exercise. You gain it because your blood sugar levels exceed what you are using. Basically, you are eating too many calories at one time.

2. Your metabolism slows down once you hit 30.

WRONG! Actually, hundreds of research studies have shown that the slow down in metabolism is due to a loss of muscle tissue. And the loss of muscle tissue is directly related to a lack of hard physical activity!

3. Pasta and bread are fattening.

Anything is fattening! Lettuce can be stored as fat! Any food or drink, which contains calories, can be stored as body fat if it causes your blood sugar levels to exceed what the body needs at that time. Bread and pasta are actually great sources of complex carbohydrate! The key is how much you eat and when you eat it.

4. Eating after 7pm will make you fat.

Absolutely false! It all depends on whether or not the body needs that amount of calories at that time. Keep in mind your body is constantly burning calories, 24 hours per day, just the amount varies.

5. Strength training will make you bulk up.

Another NO! It seems as if mostly women are concerned with this one. Muscle size is primarily affected by genetics and hormone production; therefore, most women don’t have the potential to build very large muscles.

Muscle burns calories, so the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn which makes easier to burn fat and harder to gain it!

By no means is this a complete list! There are so many I could write a whole book just about them. The key is in education, but not by reading fitness magazines!

Posted on Apr. 28, 2005 at 10:11 PM - Link

Setting a specific goal allows the individual to focus on training and drives motivation to exercise. It’s a lot easier to make it to the finish line if you have the goal in sight.

What’s important is less about the specific event, but rather, taking advantage of an event to help you maintain your health, fitness and nutrition program. So, take the initiative to find an athletic event that sounds fun and challenging. Then, set your fitness goals and come up with a plan for achieving them. It’s never too late to pursue a healthy way of life!

Setting and Achieving Milestone Fitness Goals Promotes Healthy Living!

Posted on Apr. 26, 2005 at 10:35 AM - Link

Too many people sign up for exercise programs only to quit after a few sessions. The most popular excuses include, “I don’t have time,” “I’m too tired,” and “It’s not working for me.”

Rather than just saying you’ll go to the gym a few days a week and then breaking that promise, I encourage people to set specific goals for themselves and build a defined exercise and diet program to achieve them.

10 Essential Health Tips

Posted on Apr. 25, 2005 at 6:35 AM - Link

1. Move More
Make it a daily challenge to find ways to move your body. Climb stairs if given a choice between that and escalators or elevators. Walk your dog; chase your kids; toss balls with friends, mow the lawn. Anything that moves your limbs is not only a fitness tool, it's a stress buster. Think 'move' in small increments of time. It doesn't have to be an hour in the gym or a 45-minute aerobic dance class or tai chi or kickboxing. But that's great when you're up to it. Meanwhile, move more. Thought for the day: Cha, Cha, Cha…. Then do it!

2. Cut Fat
Avoid the obvious such as fried foods, burgers and other fatty meats (i.e. pork, bacon, ham, salami, ribs and sausage). Dairy products such as cheese, cottage cheese, milk and cream should be eaten in low fat versions. Nuts and sandwich meats, mayonnaise, margarine, butter and sauces should be eaten in limited amounts. Most are available in lower fat versions such as substitute butter, fat free cheeses and mayonnaise. Thought for the day: Lean, mean, fat-burning machine…. Then be one!

4. Reduce Stress 
Easier said than done, stress busters come in many forms. Some techniques recommended by experts are to think positive thoughts. Spend 30 minutes a day doing something you like. (i.e.,Soak in a hot tub; walk on the beach or in a park; read a good book; visit a friend; play with your dog; listen to soothing music; watch a funny movie. Get a massage, a facial or a haircut. Meditate. Count to ten before losing your temper or getting aggravated. Avoid difficult people when possible. Thought for the day: When seeing red, think pink clouds….then float on them. 

5. Protect Yourself from Pollution 
If you can't live in a smog-free environment, at least avoid smoke-filled rooms, high traffic areas, breathing in highway fumes and exercising near busy thoroughfares. Exercise outside when the smog rating is low. Exercise indoors in air conditioning when air quality is good. Plant lots of shrubbery in your yard. It's a good pollution and dirt from the street deterrent. Thought for the day: 'Smoke gets in your eyes'…and your mouth, and your nose and your lungs as do pollutants….hum the tune daily.

6. Wear Your Seat Belt
Statistics show that seat belts add to longevity and help alleviate potential injuries in car crashes. Thought for the day: Buckle down and buckle up.

7. Floss Your Teeth
Recent studies make a direct connection between longevity and teeth flossing. Nobody knows exactly why. Perhaps it's because people who floss tend to be more health conscious than people who don't? Thought for the day: Floss and be your body's boss.

8. Avoid Excessive Drinking 
While recent studies show a glass of wine or one drink a day (two for men) can help protect against heart disease, more than that can cause other health problems such as liver and kidney disease and cancer. Thought for the day: A jug of wine should last a long time.

9. Keep a Positive Mental Outlook 
There's a definitive connection between living well and healthfully and having a cheerful outlook on life. Thought for the day: You can't be unhappy when you're smiling or singing.

10. Choose Your Parents Well 
The link between genetics and health is a powerful one. But just because one or both of your parents died young in ill health doesn't mean you cannot counteract the genetic pool handed you. Thought for the day: Follow these basic tips for healthy living and you can better control your own destiny.

Regular exercise - it's easier than you think

Posted on Apr. 12, 2005 at 12:47 PM - Link

Would you like to do more exercise, but feel you don't have the time to fit it in? Or do you think you're so unfit that exercise will be too difficult or make your muscles sore?
 Many people don't do regular exercise because they think they're too busy or they're not fit enough. One reason for this is the idea that for exercise to do you any good you must do it for at least half an hour each day and it has to be strenuous.
The good news is that fitness experts now say you don't need to do your daily 30 minutes of exercise all at once. You can break it up into smaller periods throughout the day - a five minute brisk walk to the bus stop in the morning, for instance, a 20 minute walk after lunch and a 15 minute walk in the evening after work. As long as you accumulate 30 minutes of moderately brisk exercise during the day - preferably every day - you'll be healthier for it. Depending on your lifestyle, there are a lot of different ways to fit periods of walking into your day - walking the dog, walking to the shops, taking the children for walks, or walking with them to school, walking with friends, walking along the beach or in the park, or even joining a walking club.

IMPORTANCE OF FITNESS

Posted on Mar. 26, 2005 at 9:21 AM - Link