Month: March 2014

Diabetes Alert Day!

Hi All,

The question of the day, and really of the month, is “Are you at risk?”  Take the Diabetes Risk Test at the below link to see if you possess risk factors of type 2 diabetes.  Risk factors may include, but are not limited to, your family background and your age.  The test is free and it is super easy.  Also, Boar’s Head Brand will donate $5 to the American Diabetes Association for every person who takes the Diabetes Risk Test March 25th through April 25th. http://www.diabetes.org/risktest

Go Go Go!

Tawnie Goodwin

Sugar-Free Roasted Cinnamon Nuts

Nuts Over Cinnamon

I am “Nuts Over Cinnamon!”  Cinnamon is known to be a good blood sugar stabilizer and I use it on almost everything sweet.  I always love the smell of the cinnamon nuts at the mall but they can be loaded with sugar.  I paired a sugar substitute with cinnamon and nuts for a quick snack that won’t kill your healthy ambitions.  Additionally, nuts have protein, are high in good fats, and digest slowly.  Below is my Sugar-Free Roasted Cinnamon Nut recipe:

Ingredients:

3 C Nuts (almonds, pecans, cashews, or walnuts)

1 Egg White

1/2 tsp Salt

1 and 1/2 tsp Cinnamon

1/8 C Baking Splenda

Baking Instructions:

Coat a baking sheet or pan with cooking spray.  I place aluminum foil on top of the pan for easy cleaning.  Bake at 275 degrees for 1 hour.  Stir every 15 minutes.

Stress Reduction and Exercise

I spoke to 2 college strategies classes last week about stress reduction in relation to exercise.  I want to share a section of my presentation.  Below is a segment from the Yoga Journal that projects 1 of their 38 ways “Yoga Keeps You Fit.”

“When you contract and stretch muscles, move organs around, and come in and out of yoga postures, you increase the drainage of lymph (a viscous fluid rich in immune cells). This helps the lymphatic system fight infection, destroy cancerous cells, and dispose of the toxic waste products of cellular functioning.”  (http://www.yogajournal.com/health/1634)

Stretching really does make a difference.

Tawnie Goodwin

Top 10 Salad Toppings that Won’t Kill Your Waistline

Top 10 Salad Toppings

I selected these toppings because they offer the biggest rewards for calorie content.  At minimum these foods contain a good amount fiber, protein, flavor, or healthy fats which all contribute to satiety.

1.  lean protein (2-3 ounces chicken or shrimp)

2.  nuts (almonds, cashews, walnuts, or pecans)

3.  boiled eggs (about 75 calories/egg and 7 grams of protein)

4.  lemon juice or balsamic vinegar (use as salad dressing)

5.  1/4 C part-skim mozzarella cheese (about 80 calories and 7 grams of protein)

6.  herbs (basil and oregano add flavor without adding salt or calories)

7.  black olives or 1 tsp EVOO (pair with balsamic vinegar for dressing)

8.  broccoli and cucumbers (filling)

9.  peppers (bell peppers, sweet peppers, and banana peppers)

10.  1/4 an avocado (contains healthy fats for less than 100 calories)

Gibraltar

Today I have a Gibraltar-sized hole in my heart.  It’s a small hole because Gibraltar makes up only 2.6 square miles, but it is known as one of the Pillars of Hercules so that fact alone makes it cool.  The primary language is English because Gibraltar is a British territory; however, there are a lot of Spanish speaking individuals because the territory is connected to Spain.  The monkeys you see below are barbary macaques and are one of the main attractions–they were very friendly.