Posted in Recipe on May 10, 2012
Ingredients
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 large carrots, sliced
5 new potatoes, quartered
2 cups vegetable broth
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon curry powder
salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Heat oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and cook stirring often until onion is translucent. Add carrots and potatoes, and cook for just a few minutes to allow the carrots to sweat out some of their juices.
Pour the vegetable broth into the pot, and season with ginger, curry powder, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until carrots are tender.
Puree soup in small batches using a food processor or blender, or if you have an immersion blender, it can be done in the soup pot. Reheat soup if necessary, and serve.
Posted in Video on May 9, 2012
Video: This stretch targets your quads, but you will feel it all the way up to your hip.
If you are looking for a no cost workout then exercising with a partner is an ideal method to use. Basically you will be using the weight and resistance of the other person to perform each exercise. This should be done very carefully and by using small amounts of pressure to prevent any injuries from occurring.
There are various types of exercises that you can do together and I will describe a few of them below.
Shoulder Press – this can be done by standing face to face with your partner and pressing your palms together at shoulder level. By keeping pressure on each other’s palms you want to move your arms upwards in a smooth movement. Try not to arch your back. Aim to do 10 reps.
Inner/Outer Thigh Muscles – position your legs so that your partner has their hands on the outside of your knees. The movement involves you pushing your legs apart while your partner tries to prevent you by applying pressure. Aim for 10 reps. This can also be repeated for the outer thigh muscles by having your partner place their hands on the inside of your knees.
Shoulder Shrugs – For this exercise you want to place your hands on your partner’s shoulders. Attempt to lift your shoulders up to your ears while your partner applies pressure. The goal is for your partner to apply gentle resistance. Again aim for at least 10 reps.
Hamstrings – Lie down on the floor on your stomach and bend one leg at the knee so that it points up to the ceiling. Your partner wants to hold the back of your foot and apply resistance while you try to bend your leg to your buttock area. Aim for 10 reps if possible.
Quadriceps – For this exercise you will want to be on your back on the floor or use a mat if necessary. Lower your knees towards your chest, this will be the starting position. Your partner will apply pressure to your feet while you attempt to straighten your legs. Aim for 8 to 10 reps of this exercise.
While doing these exercises the person applying the resistance wants to use enough force to make it difficult for the person to execute the movement. But not so much that it is impossible to make any kind of movement at all. With a little practice you can both see and feel how much pressure is required and you will know when to increase the amount.
Posted in Recipe on May 7, 2012
Ingredients
1 tsp vegetable oil
1 small onion, peeled and sliced
1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
1 sweet potato, peeled and cubed
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp each coriander, cinnamon and turmeric
1/2 tsp hot sauce
1 cup canned chickpeas
1/4 cup coconut milk
2-3 large roti or wheat flour tortillas
Directions
Heat oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat. Add the onion; cook for 5 minutes. Stir in broth, sweet potato, garlic, cumin, coriander, cinnamon and turmeric.
Cover and cook, stirring ever so often for 15 minutes or until potato is tender. Season with hot sauce.
Stir in chick-peas and coconut milk. Bring to a boil. Cook, stirring often, until chick-peas are heated through. Divide mixture between two roti shells. Roll to make a wrap.
(Makes 2 to 3 servings.)
Posted in Recipe on May 6, 2012
Ingredients
1 bag Japanese buckwheat soba noodles
5 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp honey
2 tsp honey mustard
1 tbsp creamy peanut butter
3/4 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast
5 scallions
Directions
Cook noodles according to package.
In a large bowl whisk together next 6 ingredients to make dressing.
Cook chicken until cooked through. Shred and add to peanut mixture.
Add drained noodles, scallions and toss until combined.
(Makes 4 Servings)
Exercise is good for everyone, but for some it can prove to be more difficult to get the proper amount of exercise time in each week. If you are dealing with some type of health issue you will understand just how difficult it can be to exercise every day.
For certain conditions low impact exercises can be really beneficial. Regular exercise has actually been shown to help those who are suffering from depression, anxiety attacks, and can even help slow down osteoporosis.
Low impact exercises help to release the endorphins in your brain which in turn make you feel more alive and alert. If you suffer from achy and sore joints exercise will help make you feel better. The tough part is just getting going!
If exercising is challenging because your body hurts then there are a couple of things you can do.
Take a warm bath or shower to warm your joints before exercising
Start exercising very slowly
Visualize yourself exercising
Listen to music while warming up
These tips have been very helpful to people who have to live with the pain of arthritis each day. Sometimes not focusing so much on your body actually allows you to get moving a little quicker each day.
Every time you exercise you must always pay attention to your body. If your routine is too much then slow the pace down. Don?t try to keep up with the rest of the class.
After exercising your body may feel a little sore and tired. This is to be expected and perfectly normal. But if you are experiencing lots of pain more than 2 ? 3 hours later then you may want to seek medical attention.
Always inform your doctor when starting any new exercise program especially if you have a health challenge. They can possibly recommend ways and methods to help ease your body into your new routine.
If you suffer from asthma your doctor can advise you on how to use your inhaler so that you can get the most out of your exercise routine without having an attack. Many Olympic athletes deal with asthma and still manage to exercise and train daily.
Once you have found ways to exercise around your health issue you will find that your mind and your body both feel much better. Within a couple of weeks you will probably notice that you can exercise a little longer without feeling so sore afterwards. Don?t let any health problem stop you from exercising, with a little help and determination you can manage anything.
Posted in Video on May 4, 2012
Video: A great stretch the back of your arms.
Posted in Video on May 3, 2012
Video: If you want to work on your core, the crunch is one of the standard exercises you should be adding to your routine.
Posted in Video on May 2, 2012
Video: This stretch is great for the glutes.
Posted in Recipe on May 1, 2012
Ingredients
1 cup of quinoa
1 cup soy yogurt
1 avocado – cut into 1-inch cubes
1 apple – cut into 1-inch cubes
2 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)
2 tbsp olive oil (or other oil)
1 tbsp sea salt
1 tbsp curry powder
1 tsp ginger powder
1 tbsp white pepper
1 tsp dried dill
Directions
Rinse quinoa. Soak for 10 minutes then rinse again and add to 2 1?2 cups boiling water. Reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes (until all the water is absorbed). Transfer the quinoa to a large bowl and mix in the rest of the ingredients. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 24 hours.
