Extension Agents Help Women Get Strong
For Life’s Heavy Lifting
Ah August in Montana! The final month of summer means lots of physical activity for Montanans - outdoor fun as well as plenty of farm, ranch, and garden work. Thanks to a series of classes taught by Extension agents across the state, many older women are now better able to handle the challenges of daily living.
“Since 2007, over 400 Montana women have enhanced their strength and improved their health with MSU Extension’s StrongWomen™ program,” says Lynn Paul, PhD, RD (registered dietitian), Extension Food and Nutrition Specialist at MSU in Bozeman. “These classes, taught by me and 23 Extension agents in 15 counties, have been a tremendous boost for how participants feel and what they are able to do. Our research, conducted with Dr. Rebecca Sequin from Tufts University, has documented improvements in strength, balance, endurance, and sleep, as well as reduction in pain from arthritis and other conditions.”
The Extension agents who lead StrongWomen™ classes enthusiastically practice what they preach, since they are all required to do strength training themselves. They have numerous stories to share about the benefits of the classes from all corners of the Treasure State.
· Jona McNamee, Cascade County: A striking benefit of StrongWomen™ classes is that participants do not break bones when they take a tumble down the stairs or slip on ice in the winter. Stronger muscles help protect our aging bones, plus we actually teach women how to protect themselves in a fall. I also often hear that women in our classes sleep better at night and have fewer aches and pains during the day.
· Barb Andreozzi, Deer Lodge County: Ages in our classes range from 42 to 90, with an average around 70 years ‘young.’ I constantly hear that the participants are able to get back to doing things that they used to do - carrying 25 pound bags of dog food, pulling clothes over their heads easily, and keeping their balance on uneven ground. In many ways, these classes help people maintain an active, healthy, independent lifestyle.
· Jane Wolery, Teton County: For me personally, one of the biggest benefits is sleeping better at night. And, researchers have discovered that sleep is very important for both our mental and physical health. Our participants also report quicker recovery from accidents, like falling off a horse, and wonderful improvements in their endurance for the outdoor activities they love, like fly fishing.
“The evaluations for MSU Extension’s StrongWomen™ classes have been extremely positive. Overall, the participants rate the class 9.7 on a scale of 1 to 10,” notes Paul. “That’s why we are doing research to learn how best to deliver programs like this in rural areas of Big Sky country.” If you want to be stronger and feel better this fall, Dr. Paul recommends these ways to get into a strength training groove:
· Contact your county MSU Extension Office to find out about upcoming StrongWomen™ classes.
· Visit StrongWomen™ online (www.strongwomen.com/) for a variety of follow-along fitness programs.
· Look for local strength training programs through fitness centers or certified personal trainers.
Information to support your lifestyle changes. Nutritious recipes and sometimes a laugh or two.
Friday, August 27, 2010
Monday, August 16, 2010
Will Power or Won’t Power
This blog will run for 2 weeks while I search for my creative muse.
Will power-self discipline, the ability to refrain from eating that second helping of chocolate cake. Who ME?? OK, it was in the house and getting older by the day…. I readily admit there are times I use the, ahem, “logic” of what’s the difference if I eat it all now or over a week, I will be consuming it. Doesn’t make sense unless you have been in that position. The real test is the ability to give yourself permission to NOT EAT IT ALL in one sitting. You actually might get through the week without obsessing on that sweetened, delicate morsel of heaven sitting in the refrigerator, calling your name.
Raise your hand if this ever happened to you, past or present—it was the cause of many fights between my brother and me when we were living at our parents, I can’t say when we were kids cause it followed us into college. There is one, let’s say ice cream sandwich-Carvel to be exact, “flying saucer” to be even more specific, the equivalent in Montana is Dairy Queen, but I am here to say, Carvel is better quality, but, I digress. Sitting in class, taking the train and the bus and then walking home, opening the freezer, and WHAT, where is the FLYING SAUCER? Out walks my younger brother, licking his lips, “I ate it”, me-“what do you mean you ate it? That was mine”-him-“nuh uh, didn’t have your name on it”. me-“Maaaaaaaa”.
The good news is that now, as an adult, and it is just my husband and me and, if there is a treat we both really covet, we will share it. Not only is it thoughtful, it is half the calories, and that, is will power.
I liken will power to the cartoons I remember as a child. The character has to make a decision, there is a devil on her one shoulder whispering in the ear,” go ahead, eat it, you know you want to” and on the other shoulder is an angel, whispering in the other ear, “no, don’t do it, you worked so hard to lose those 10 pounds”.
I was reading an article on sparkpeople.com written by a behavioral expert who lost a bunch of weight himself. He says there is guilt and then there is toxic guilt. The toxic guilt is when you pulverize yourself, after the fact, for doing something you know is not good for you. Old fashioned guilt is the kind you feel when you are in the process of contemplating doing something that maybe you really don’t want to do and you are still thinking about doing it. He goes on to say it is when you actually feel the guilt that determines if it is appropriate guilt or toxic guilt. Makes sense.
How did I stray from will power to guilt? Easy, what happens when you lose your will power? Well, you engage in an action that perhaps you didn’t really want to but lost your control and then what happens? Say it with me “I feel guilty”. Then there is shame, I will leave that for another blog but you can read a small blip about both guilt and shame here.
"Guilt says I've done something wrong; shame says there is something wrong with me. Guilt says I've made a mistake; shame says I am a mistake. Guilt says what I did was not good; shame says I am no good." Bradshaw (1988). http://www.noogenesis.com/malama/guilt.html
Going back to the angel and devil sitting on the cartoon character’s shoulder, here are steps that the Dean Anderson of sparkpeople.recommends:
“End the Toxic Guilt Trip: Exercise Your Healthy Lifestyle Conscience
Fortunately, the solution to the problem of toxic guilt is really quite simple, at least in theory. All you have to do are three simple things:
1. When that quiet, nagging voice in your head starts saying that you are about to do something it doesn't approve of, listen to it. Stop what you're doing for a few moments to ask yourself, "Is this what I really want to do?"
2. If you agree with the voice, decide not do the thing in question. If you disagree, decide to do it. And if you're not sure (or if you halfway want to and halfway don't), try to postpone your decision (and action) until you've had a chance to sort things out a little more.
3. After you've made your decision, act! Then take a few more seconds to notice how you feel about what you just did. Nothing fancy here, no psychoanalyzing yourself, no reading yourself the riot act if you didn't do what you wanted. Just note what you decided, what you actually did, and how you felt afterwards. File this in the memory banks for future reference. “
http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/wellness_articles.asp?id=692
"If you got a traffic ticket would you break every traffic law the rest of the day? Then why toss the whole day over a slice of pizza?" The same goes for your exercise plan. If you can't fit in your full session, why does it make sense to do nothing instead? Wouldn't you want to be 50 or 100 calories instead of zero? Or lose half a pound instead of none?” In other words, you had some “won’t power”, don’t dismiss everything you accomplished. Brush that little negative voice off your shoulder, and tomorrow is another day. Start it with a clean page.
Excerpted from the January 11, 2010 blog From: Spark People Blog
Weekly Humor
Have you any idea how many children it takes to turn off one light in the kitchen? Three. It takes one to say, "What light?" and two more to say, "I didn't turn it on." -- Erma Bombeck
Will power-self discipline, the ability to refrain from eating that second helping of chocolate cake. Who ME?? OK, it was in the house and getting older by the day…. I readily admit there are times I use the, ahem, “logic” of what’s the difference if I eat it all now or over a week, I will be consuming it. Doesn’t make sense unless you have been in that position. The real test is the ability to give yourself permission to NOT EAT IT ALL in one sitting. You actually might get through the week without obsessing on that sweetened, delicate morsel of heaven sitting in the refrigerator, calling your name.
Raise your hand if this ever happened to you, past or present—it was the cause of many fights between my brother and me when we were living at our parents, I can’t say when we were kids cause it followed us into college. There is one, let’s say ice cream sandwich-Carvel to be exact, “flying saucer” to be even more specific, the equivalent in Montana is Dairy Queen, but I am here to say, Carvel is better quality, but, I digress. Sitting in class, taking the train and the bus and then walking home, opening the freezer, and WHAT, where is the FLYING SAUCER? Out walks my younger brother, licking his lips, “I ate it”, me-“what do you mean you ate it? That was mine”-him-“nuh uh, didn’t have your name on it”. me-“Maaaaaaaa”.
The good news is that now, as an adult, and it is just my husband and me and, if there is a treat we both really covet, we will share it. Not only is it thoughtful, it is half the calories, and that, is will power.
I liken will power to the cartoons I remember as a child. The character has to make a decision, there is a devil on her one shoulder whispering in the ear,” go ahead, eat it, you know you want to” and on the other shoulder is an angel, whispering in the other ear, “no, don’t do it, you worked so hard to lose those 10 pounds”.
I was reading an article on sparkpeople.com written by a behavioral expert who lost a bunch of weight himself. He says there is guilt and then there is toxic guilt. The toxic guilt is when you pulverize yourself, after the fact, for doing something you know is not good for you. Old fashioned guilt is the kind you feel when you are in the process of contemplating doing something that maybe you really don’t want to do and you are still thinking about doing it. He goes on to say it is when you actually feel the guilt that determines if it is appropriate guilt or toxic guilt. Makes sense.
How did I stray from will power to guilt? Easy, what happens when you lose your will power? Well, you engage in an action that perhaps you didn’t really want to but lost your control and then what happens? Say it with me “I feel guilty”. Then there is shame, I will leave that for another blog but you can read a small blip about both guilt and shame here.
"Guilt says I've done something wrong; shame says there is something wrong with me. Guilt says I've made a mistake; shame says I am a mistake. Guilt says what I did was not good; shame says I am no good." Bradshaw (1988). http://www.noogenesis.com/malama/guilt.html
Going back to the angel and devil sitting on the cartoon character’s shoulder, here are steps that the Dean Anderson of sparkpeople.recommends:
“End the Toxic Guilt Trip: Exercise Your Healthy Lifestyle Conscience
Fortunately, the solution to the problem of toxic guilt is really quite simple, at least in theory. All you have to do are three simple things:
1. When that quiet, nagging voice in your head starts saying that you are about to do something it doesn't approve of, listen to it. Stop what you're doing for a few moments to ask yourself, "Is this what I really want to do?"
2. If you agree with the voice, decide not do the thing in question. If you disagree, decide to do it. And if you're not sure (or if you halfway want to and halfway don't), try to postpone your decision (and action) until you've had a chance to sort things out a little more.
3. After you've made your decision, act! Then take a few more seconds to notice how you feel about what you just did. Nothing fancy here, no psychoanalyzing yourself, no reading yourself the riot act if you didn't do what you wanted. Just note what you decided, what you actually did, and how you felt afterwards. File this in the memory banks for future reference. “
http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/wellness_articles.asp?id=692
"If you got a traffic ticket would you break every traffic law the rest of the day? Then why toss the whole day over a slice of pizza?" The same goes for your exercise plan. If you can't fit in your full session, why does it make sense to do nothing instead? Wouldn't you want to be 50 or 100 calories instead of zero? Or lose half a pound instead of none?” In other words, you had some “won’t power”, don’t dismiss everything you accomplished. Brush that little negative voice off your shoulder, and tomorrow is another day. Start it with a clean page.
Excerpted from the January 11, 2010 blog From: Spark People Blog
Weekly Humor
Have you any idea how many children it takes to turn off one light in the kitchen? Three. It takes one to say, "What light?" and two more to say, "I didn't turn it on." -- Erma Bombeck
Summer Slaw
Serves 8
It doesn’t get any easier than this and it is tasty too.
3 cups shredded cabbage (can use bagged slaw mix)
1 cup berries – your choice-mix 'em up for some color variety
1 cup chopped cantaloupe
Dressing
5 TBS Fat Free Miracle Whip
1 TBS honey
¼ tsp poppy seeds
Mix dressing and pour over salad and mix well. Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.
Nutrition Information
8 Servings, per serving
Calories 37.4
Fat .5 g
Sodium 85 mg
Potassium 166 mg
Carbohydrates 8.6 g
Protein .7 g
It doesn’t get any easier than this and it is tasty too.
3 cups shredded cabbage (can use bagged slaw mix)
1 cup berries – your choice-mix 'em up for some color variety
1 cup chopped cantaloupe
Dressing
5 TBS Fat Free Miracle Whip
1 TBS honey
¼ tsp poppy seeds
Mix dressing and pour over salad and mix well. Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.
Nutrition Information
8 Servings, per serving
Calories 37.4
Fat .5 g
Sodium 85 mg
Potassium 166 mg
Carbohydrates 8.6 g
Protein .7 g
Monday, August 9, 2010
Pay Now or Pay Later
I recently saw a repeat of a news show on healthy lifestyles, obesity and food choices. I have excerpted from the show transcripts. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/10/25/sunday/main5419040.shtml?tag=contentMain;contentBody
“But, how do you make healthy choices when they simply do not exist?
Lucinda Hudson and Holland Brown led a 12-year battle to bring a grocery store to this Philadelphia neighborhood.
"It was horrible, to say the least, about a community as big as this, to have no supermarket!" said Hudson.
Jeff Brown owns this Shop Rite franchise. He opened four locations in the inner city, thanks to grants and loans, all part of a Pennsylvania program designed to encourage healthier living.
Before the supermarket opened, the only options in the neighborhood, said Brown, were small bodegas. "And the bodegas did not have a lot of fresh food, and their prices were very expensive. So we have a situation that the poorest of us had to pay the most. And that's the part that just doesn't work.
"Success here is tallied in the receipts. This store sells the same amount of fresh foods as its more affluent, suburban counterparts. And even if fresh costs more, Regina Brown says it's worth it:
"It's going to cost you one way or another," Regina Brown told Doane.
"It's going to cost you health-wise - or it's going to cost you money-wise. Either way you pay. So I'd rather pay this way."
"Pay on the front end?" asked Doane.
"Pay on the front end, yeah," she said.
And those "back-end" health care costs may only get bigger.”
I wanted readers to see this section for 2 reasons, it’s inspiring what determination can accomplish and specifically for the part bolded.
Some of us don’t want to “pay now” by making healthy choices. Some people want to “pay later”.
· Did you know if you are newly diagnosed with diabetes, you can expect to shell out about $4200 more a year in medical expenses? I don’t know about you, but I can have lots of fun with $4200 a year.
· According to a study by the University of Chicago the number of Americans with diabetes will increase from 24 million to 44 million people by the year 2034. The health care costs will increase from $116 billion to $336 billion a year. www.forbes.com 1/13/2010.
Ouch.
“Of the $5.3 billion GM spent on medical bills last year (2006) an estimated 25 percent could be traced back to unhealthy habits such as overeating, lack of exercise, stress, cigarettes and alcohol.”
GM has 90,000 diabetics among the people on their health plan, (this is from an article written in 2007.) The diabetics on the plan who are younger than age 65 cost the company $12,000 a year for medical care that is related to diabetes. The folks over 65 are on Medicare and still cost the company about $5000 per year. Other diabetes related problems include heart disease, blindness, kidney failure, limb amputation. Ka -ching. From The Detroit News: http://detnews.com/article/20061025/LIFESTYLE03/101220017/Losing-the-battle-of-the-bulge#ixzz0vTozoLKE
“The future belongs to those who prepare for it today” Malcolm X
Do you take your car/truck in for regular oil changes and tire rotation? Have the brakes checked periodically? Wash your vehicle, vacuum it, and keep it clean? It is likely your home away from home, we spend lots of time driving across this vast state, to and from work or chauffeuring kids to activities.
Stay with me here, I am getting to the point. What I am driving at (no pun intended) is this: most of us take better care of our vehicle than we do our bodies. Guess what, car parts can be replaced. Body parts, well, some parts are replaceable, but at a very high cost, physically and financially. But let’s face it, by the time you have a body part that needs replacing, it has been pretty well battered. Think about this, are you driving around on bald tires? Is your oil light on? Exactly. You are taking care of your vehicle. Why aren’t you taking as good care of yourself? A car can be replaced. Sound familiar? This is from the April 12 blog.
"If I knew I would live so long, I would have taken better care of myself." Mickey Mantle
According to a study by Franco et al, in people with diabetes who are 50 years and older, the life expectancy for men is 7.5 years less than men without the disease and diabetic women lived an average of 8.2 years less than women without the disease. Tack on heart disease associated with diabetes and the years for men fell to 7.8 years and women 8.4 years. Arch Intern Med. 2007 Jun 11;167(11):1145-51.
Associations of diabetes mellitus with total life expectancy and life expectancy with and without cardiovascular disease. Franco OH, Steyerberg EW, Hu FB, Mackenbach J, Nusselder W.
What does $4200 buy you?
· Co-pays to the doctor
· Co-pays for lab work
· Co-pays for medication
· Co-insurance, this is your out of pocket expense for what your insurance does not cover
· Lost time from work for you and possibly your spouse
· Lost time from enjoying life cause you feel crummy
~OR~
Just for the heck of it I priced out 3 very nice vacations. This is what I found on-line for under $4200:
· Round trip from Helena MT
· Travel from January 31, 2011 – February 14, 2011
· All 3 trips are for 2 people and include air fare, a stay at a 5 star hotel and car for 2 weeks
· To Maui - $3802
· To Venice, Italy- $3609
· To Paris, France -$3826
“You’ll never miss the water till the well runs dry” WC Handy
Joke of the Week
My mother taught me TO APPRECIATE A JOB WELL DONE.
"If you're going to kill each other, do it outside. I just finished cleaning."
“But, how do you make healthy choices when they simply do not exist?
Lucinda Hudson and Holland Brown led a 12-year battle to bring a grocery store to this Philadelphia neighborhood.
"It was horrible, to say the least, about a community as big as this, to have no supermarket!" said Hudson.
Jeff Brown owns this Shop Rite franchise. He opened four locations in the inner city, thanks to grants and loans, all part of a Pennsylvania program designed to encourage healthier living.
Before the supermarket opened, the only options in the neighborhood, said Brown, were small bodegas. "And the bodegas did not have a lot of fresh food, and their prices were very expensive. So we have a situation that the poorest of us had to pay the most. And that's the part that just doesn't work.
"Success here is tallied in the receipts. This store sells the same amount of fresh foods as its more affluent, suburban counterparts. And even if fresh costs more, Regina Brown says it's worth it:
"It's going to cost you one way or another," Regina Brown told Doane.
"It's going to cost you health-wise - or it's going to cost you money-wise. Either way you pay. So I'd rather pay this way."
"Pay on the front end?" asked Doane.
"Pay on the front end, yeah," she said.
And those "back-end" health care costs may only get bigger.”
I wanted readers to see this section for 2 reasons, it’s inspiring what determination can accomplish and specifically for the part bolded.
Some of us don’t want to “pay now” by making healthy choices. Some people want to “pay later”.
· Did you know if you are newly diagnosed with diabetes, you can expect to shell out about $4200 more a year in medical expenses? I don’t know about you, but I can have lots of fun with $4200 a year.
· According to a study by the University of Chicago the number of Americans with diabetes will increase from 24 million to 44 million people by the year 2034. The health care costs will increase from $116 billion to $336 billion a year. www.forbes.com 1/13/2010.
Ouch.
“Of the $5.3 billion GM spent on medical bills last year (2006) an estimated 25 percent could be traced back to unhealthy habits such as overeating, lack of exercise, stress, cigarettes and alcohol.”
GM has 90,000 diabetics among the people on their health plan, (this is from an article written in 2007.) The diabetics on the plan who are younger than age 65 cost the company $12,000 a year for medical care that is related to diabetes. The folks over 65 are on Medicare and still cost the company about $5000 per year. Other diabetes related problems include heart disease, blindness, kidney failure, limb amputation. Ka -ching. From The Detroit News: http://detnews.com/article/20061025/LIFESTYLE03/101220017/Losing-the-battle-of-the-bulge#ixzz0vTozoLKE
“The future belongs to those who prepare for it today” Malcolm X
Do you take your car/truck in for regular oil changes and tire rotation? Have the brakes checked periodically? Wash your vehicle, vacuum it, and keep it clean? It is likely your home away from home, we spend lots of time driving across this vast state, to and from work or chauffeuring kids to activities.
Stay with me here, I am getting to the point. What I am driving at (no pun intended) is this: most of us take better care of our vehicle than we do our bodies. Guess what, car parts can be replaced. Body parts, well, some parts are replaceable, but at a very high cost, physically and financially. But let’s face it, by the time you have a body part that needs replacing, it has been pretty well battered. Think about this, are you driving around on bald tires? Is your oil light on? Exactly. You are taking care of your vehicle. Why aren’t you taking as good care of yourself? A car can be replaced. Sound familiar? This is from the April 12 blog.
"If I knew I would live so long, I would have taken better care of myself." Mickey Mantle
According to a study by Franco et al, in people with diabetes who are 50 years and older, the life expectancy for men is 7.5 years less than men without the disease and diabetic women lived an average of 8.2 years less than women without the disease. Tack on heart disease associated with diabetes and the years for men fell to 7.8 years and women 8.4 years. Arch Intern Med. 2007 Jun 11;167(11):1145-51.
Associations of diabetes mellitus with total life expectancy and life expectancy with and without cardiovascular disease. Franco OH, Steyerberg EW, Hu FB, Mackenbach J, Nusselder W.
What does $4200 buy you?
· Co-pays to the doctor
· Co-pays for lab work
· Co-pays for medication
· Co-insurance, this is your out of pocket expense for what your insurance does not cover
· Lost time from work for you and possibly your spouse
· Lost time from enjoying life cause you feel crummy
~OR~
Just for the heck of it I priced out 3 very nice vacations. This is what I found on-line for under $4200:
· Round trip from Helena MT
· Travel from January 31, 2011 – February 14, 2011
· All 3 trips are for 2 people and include air fare, a stay at a 5 star hotel and car for 2 weeks
· To Maui - $3802
· To Venice, Italy- $3609
· To Paris, France -$3826
“You’ll never miss the water till the well runs dry” WC Handy
Joke of the Week
My mother taught me TO APPRECIATE A JOB WELL DONE.
"If you're going to kill each other, do it outside. I just finished cleaning."
Curried Brown Rice and Wheatberry Salad
Yield: Serves six.
Salad ingredients
2 cups, tightly packed, cooked brown rice
2 cups, tightly packed, cooked spelt or wheatberries
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed, or 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas
1/4 cup chopped chives
1 red pepper, diced
1 broccoli crown, broken into small florets and steamed four minutes
1/4 cup chopped or slivered almonds, lightly toasted
1/4 cup raisins (optional)
For the dressing:
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon curry powder (more to taste)
Pinch of turmeric
1/4 teaspoon chili powder (optional)
Salt to taste
1 small garlic clove, minced or pureed
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup plain low-fat yogurt
Lettuce leaves or radicchio leaves for serving (optional)
1. In a large bowl, combine the grains and remaining salad ingredients.
2. In a medium bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the lemon juice, curry powder, turmeric, chili powder, salt and garlic. Whisk in the olive oil and the yogurt. Taste and adjust seasoning. Toss with the grains. Serve on lettuce or radicchio leaves if desired.
Advance preparation: The grains freeze well and will keep for three or four days in the refrigerator. Steamed broccoli will keep for two or three days in the refrigerator. You can assemble the salad through step 1 hours before you make the dressing and toss the salad.
Nutritional information per serving: 341 calories; 11 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 1 milligram cholesterol; 52 grams carbohydrates; 9 grams dietary fiber; 208 milligrams sodium (does not include salt added during cooking); 12 grams protein
From: New York Times Martha Rose Shulman can be reached at martha-rose-shulman.com.
Salad ingredients
2 cups, tightly packed, cooked brown rice
2 cups, tightly packed, cooked spelt or wheatberries
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed, or 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas
1/4 cup chopped chives
1 red pepper, diced
1 broccoli crown, broken into small florets and steamed four minutes
1/4 cup chopped or slivered almonds, lightly toasted
1/4 cup raisins (optional)
For the dressing:
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon curry powder (more to taste)
Pinch of turmeric
1/4 teaspoon chili powder (optional)
Salt to taste
1 small garlic clove, minced or pureed
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup plain low-fat yogurt
Lettuce leaves or radicchio leaves for serving (optional)
1. In a large bowl, combine the grains and remaining salad ingredients.
2. In a medium bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the lemon juice, curry powder, turmeric, chili powder, salt and garlic. Whisk in the olive oil and the yogurt. Taste and adjust seasoning. Toss with the grains. Serve on lettuce or radicchio leaves if desired.
Advance preparation: The grains freeze well and will keep for three or four days in the refrigerator. Steamed broccoli will keep for two or three days in the refrigerator. You can assemble the salad through step 1 hours before you make the dressing and toss the salad.
Nutritional information per serving: 341 calories; 11 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 1 milligram cholesterol; 52 grams carbohydrates; 9 grams dietary fiber; 208 milligrams sodium (does not include salt added during cooking); 12 grams protein
From: New York Times Martha Rose Shulman can be reached at martha-rose-shulman.com.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Decisions and Choices
Webster’s Dictionary Definitions:
Choice: “the act or opportunity of choosing or the thing chosen” “Choice suggests the opportunity or privilege of choosing freely”.
Decision: “A determination arrived at after consideration”.
I really never gave much thought about the differences between choice and decision until I started writing this. It gave me pause to think (uh oh!). You make your choice after deciding upon something. I like the use of the word “opportunity” in the definition of choice.
“The road to better health is paved with the small decisions we make every day.” Tara Parker –Pope, New York Times
Do you realize first, how lucky we are at the choices we do have because we live in this country? I am not going to wave flags or anything, but think about it. We can go grocery shopping and well, just look at the cereal aisle in a supermarket. Three shelves of cereals (or maybe it is four, I have to pay better attention), the selection runs from the front of the store to the back of the store. Top to bottom. Anything from healthy, whole grains to sugar shock, hot or cold, small boxes, large boxes, premium brand to store brand, super expensive to somewhat affordable. We have our choice of coffee, flavored coffees, flavored coffee creamers, plain coffee, whole bean, ground bean, fine ground or course ground, dark roast or breakfast roast, de-caffeinated. Milk, have you ever looked at the milk selection? Whole milk, 2%, 1%, skim milk, chocolate milk, half and half, soy milk, flavored soy milk, almond milk. I could go on and on but you probably get where I am going. No wonder I can’t stand grocery shopping and stick to my list, get in and get out.
We all have choices. I am quite fond of saying that even making no decision is a choice. But remember, you have to live with the fact that the window of opportunity may have gone by and you chose to do nothing or even worse, someone else makes the decision for you. I don’t like that unless I am prepared to live with someone else thinking they know me that well to make a decision for me, not so much.
I recently took a defensive driving class offered by the State. We learned from a video that for every two miles a person drives, they make about 400 observations, and that those 400 observations result in about 40 decisions. It then said that even if the driver is paying attention, one of those 40 decisions is a mistake. While most of those mistakes are minor and don't result in a crash, any one of them could be dangerous in the wrong circumstances. They then said that when you are distracted, the number of mistakes goes way up, they didn't give a number.
This all makes me wonder about how this flows into our daily life outside of the car, especially when grocery shopping or to exercise or how ‘bout restaurant menus and how we can easily get derailed with those tantalizing, tempting tidbits of fatty or sugary foods. Some people get overwhelmed by too many choices and will grab an item without really paying attention.
In Lifestyle Balance you are taught to read labels. This may well be a new experience for you and yes, it can be overwhelming at the beginning. How many labels must you read before making the decision to choose the low-sodium store brand diced tomatoes? I have trained my eyes to zero in on the fat content, I look for trans fats and I also look for high fructose corn syrup in the ingredients. Those are my three purchase guidelines. Low fat and no high fructose corn syrup if I can avoid it. To make your life easy, set your own label rules to live by. You will also know what brands you like and which ones to avoid. I finally found a brand of yogurt I like that has no high fructose corn syrup.
How do you do your shopping? Go with a list of specific items and stick to it? Do you go with perhaps an idea of what you need? Do you wing it and just roam up and down the aisles and look for things to see if you need them? Do you plan your weekly or monthly meal menu and buy what you will need to plan your meals? We are all different and what works for one person may not work for you. Keeping this in mind, how do you feel when you are shopping this way? If you find your anxiety rising, perhaps it is time to change how you do your shopping. Go with a list if roaming the aisles is too much to handle. Using a list also helps you stick to your budget and keep you from buying impulse items, since the list may not take you down a particular food aisle. I get overwhelmed when there is too much to choose, sensory overload.
Decision making can be a stressful situation, even when what you are deciding on is fun. If you have issues with making decisions, here are some ideas for you to digest. Source: http://www.stressdirections.com/tools/tools_cognitive.html#Decision%20Making%20Skills
· Identify what decision needs to be made. If it is a big decision then think things through and think of the impact on yourself and others. Try the old Ben Franklin list, a list of pros and cons.
· Gather information you will need. Making an informed decision is empowering. Why, just this morning our refrigerator freezer decided to go on the fritz. I had already been doing research to purchase a new fridge so don’t feel as freaked out as I might be going in with no information.
· Options. I like options. I like having a plan A, B and possibly plan C. Sometimes what you think is the best decision turns out to play a second when compared to other ideas.
· Once you make up your mind, act on it. Be open to compromise if your first choice is not available to you.
Smart Choices and Healthy Lifestyles
· Get out and walk. Move. Ride a bike, dance, swim, or? You fill in the blank for what you enjoy doing.
· Eat 5 servings of fruits and veggies daily. Don’t get overwhelmed, sometimes a large apple is the equivalent of 2 servings. You may reach a point where a fresh peach sounds much better than a piece of cake.
· Buckle up when in a car. Wear your seat belt.
· Quit smoking. Don’t smoke? Don’t start. Need help? Montana Quitline 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669).
· Avoid secondhand smoke.
· Wear sunscreen.
· Reduce the fat in your diet. Read food labels. Avoid saturated fats and trans fats.
· Eat fish at least twice a week.
· Have kids or grandkids? Be a role model for them to establish healthy habits.
This was from an e-mail I received recently at home.
'Life is all about choices. When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people affect your mood. You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. The bottom line: It's your choice how you live your life.'
Friends, as I write this, I am choosing to be in a good mood. The fridge that was supposed to be delivered today is damaged and that was the last one in the store. The next won’t be in for maybe 2 weeks. I choose to be happy, I choose to be happy…
A little humor
Q: Is it common for senior citizens to have problems with short term memory storage?
A: Storing memory is not a problem, retrieving it is a problem.
Choice: “the act or opportunity of choosing or the thing chosen” “Choice suggests the opportunity or privilege of choosing freely”.
Decision: “A determination arrived at after consideration”.
I really never gave much thought about the differences between choice and decision until I started writing this. It gave me pause to think (uh oh!). You make your choice after deciding upon something. I like the use of the word “opportunity” in the definition of choice.
“The road to better health is paved with the small decisions we make every day.” Tara Parker –Pope, New York Times
Do you realize first, how lucky we are at the choices we do have because we live in this country? I am not going to wave flags or anything, but think about it. We can go grocery shopping and well, just look at the cereal aisle in a supermarket. Three shelves of cereals (or maybe it is four, I have to pay better attention), the selection runs from the front of the store to the back of the store. Top to bottom. Anything from healthy, whole grains to sugar shock, hot or cold, small boxes, large boxes, premium brand to store brand, super expensive to somewhat affordable. We have our choice of coffee, flavored coffees, flavored coffee creamers, plain coffee, whole bean, ground bean, fine ground or course ground, dark roast or breakfast roast, de-caffeinated. Milk, have you ever looked at the milk selection? Whole milk, 2%, 1%, skim milk, chocolate milk, half and half, soy milk, flavored soy milk, almond milk. I could go on and on but you probably get where I am going. No wonder I can’t stand grocery shopping and stick to my list, get in and get out.
We all have choices. I am quite fond of saying that even making no decision is a choice. But remember, you have to live with the fact that the window of opportunity may have gone by and you chose to do nothing or even worse, someone else makes the decision for you. I don’t like that unless I am prepared to live with someone else thinking they know me that well to make a decision for me, not so much.
I recently took a defensive driving class offered by the State. We learned from a video that for every two miles a person drives, they make about 400 observations, and that those 400 observations result in about 40 decisions. It then said that even if the driver is paying attention, one of those 40 decisions is a mistake. While most of those mistakes are minor and don't result in a crash, any one of them could be dangerous in the wrong circumstances. They then said that when you are distracted, the number of mistakes goes way up, they didn't give a number.
This all makes me wonder about how this flows into our daily life outside of the car, especially when grocery shopping or to exercise or how ‘bout restaurant menus and how we can easily get derailed with those tantalizing, tempting tidbits of fatty or sugary foods. Some people get overwhelmed by too many choices and will grab an item without really paying attention.
In Lifestyle Balance you are taught to read labels. This may well be a new experience for you and yes, it can be overwhelming at the beginning. How many labels must you read before making the decision to choose the low-sodium store brand diced tomatoes? I have trained my eyes to zero in on the fat content, I look for trans fats and I also look for high fructose corn syrup in the ingredients. Those are my three purchase guidelines. Low fat and no high fructose corn syrup if I can avoid it. To make your life easy, set your own label rules to live by. You will also know what brands you like and which ones to avoid. I finally found a brand of yogurt I like that has no high fructose corn syrup.
How do you do your shopping? Go with a list of specific items and stick to it? Do you go with perhaps an idea of what you need? Do you wing it and just roam up and down the aisles and look for things to see if you need them? Do you plan your weekly or monthly meal menu and buy what you will need to plan your meals? We are all different and what works for one person may not work for you. Keeping this in mind, how do you feel when you are shopping this way? If you find your anxiety rising, perhaps it is time to change how you do your shopping. Go with a list if roaming the aisles is too much to handle. Using a list also helps you stick to your budget and keep you from buying impulse items, since the list may not take you down a particular food aisle. I get overwhelmed when there is too much to choose, sensory overload.
Decision making can be a stressful situation, even when what you are deciding on is fun. If you have issues with making decisions, here are some ideas for you to digest. Source: http://www.stressdirections.com/tools/tools_cognitive.html#Decision%20Making%20Skills
· Identify what decision needs to be made. If it is a big decision then think things through and think of the impact on yourself and others. Try the old Ben Franklin list, a list of pros and cons.
· Gather information you will need. Making an informed decision is empowering. Why, just this morning our refrigerator freezer decided to go on the fritz. I had already been doing research to purchase a new fridge so don’t feel as freaked out as I might be going in with no information.
· Options. I like options. I like having a plan A, B and possibly plan C. Sometimes what you think is the best decision turns out to play a second when compared to other ideas.
· Once you make up your mind, act on it. Be open to compromise if your first choice is not available to you.
Smart Choices and Healthy Lifestyles
· Get out and walk. Move. Ride a bike, dance, swim, or? You fill in the blank for what you enjoy doing.
· Eat 5 servings of fruits and veggies daily. Don’t get overwhelmed, sometimes a large apple is the equivalent of 2 servings. You may reach a point where a fresh peach sounds much better than a piece of cake.
· Buckle up when in a car. Wear your seat belt.
· Quit smoking. Don’t smoke? Don’t start. Need help? Montana Quitline 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669).
· Avoid secondhand smoke.
· Wear sunscreen.
· Reduce the fat in your diet. Read food labels. Avoid saturated fats and trans fats.
· Eat fish at least twice a week.
· Have kids or grandkids? Be a role model for them to establish healthy habits.
This was from an e-mail I received recently at home.
'Life is all about choices. When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people affect your mood. You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. The bottom line: It's your choice how you live your life.'
Friends, as I write this, I am choosing to be in a good mood. The fridge that was supposed to be delivered today is damaged and that was the last one in the store. The next won’t be in for maybe 2 weeks. I choose to be happy, I choose to be happy…
A little humor
Q: Is it common for senior citizens to have problems with short term memory storage?
A: Storing memory is not a problem, retrieving it is a problem.
Gingered Noodle Salad with Mango and Cucumber
6 servings
Dressing:
6 TBS rice vinegar
1 ½ TBS canola oil
1 ½ tsp peeled and chopped fresh ginger
1 tsp minced fresh jalapeno (or to taste, can add more or omit)
1 garlic clove chopped
For noodles:
8 oz bean thread noodles or rice noodles (can find in Asian food section of market) or use whole wheat noodles or Udon noodles
1 English cucumber (or regular if can’t find English), halved lengthwise and thinly sliced diagonally
1 bunch scallions, thin sliced diagonally (appx 1 cup)
1 firm-ripe mango, peeled pitted and thin sliced*
2 carrots diagonally sliced thin
1 cup fresh cilantro springs (can omit if you don’t like cilantro)
* Can’t find mango? Try papaya, maybe peach-get creative-blueberries might work well
Dressing: Blend all dressing ingredients in a blender until smooth.
Noodle mixture:
For long noodles break them in half before cooking. Follow directions on package for cooking noodles. If the directions are not on the package, usually you soak them in boiled water until they are soft. Udon noodles and whole wheat noodles are boiled in water till done.
Drain noodles and rinse under cold water, drain noodles again and blot out excess liquid.
Put noodles in large bowl and toss with dressing and add vegetables/mango and lightly toss. Add cilantro if desired.
For added protein-serve with grilled chicken, fish or thin sliced beef
Nutrition Information:
6 servings, per serving
240 calories
4 g fat
261.5 mg sodium
22.3 g carbohydrates
1.2 g protein
Added protein per serving:
2 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless
Calories 129.8
Fat 1.5 g
Flank steak thin sliced 6 oz
Calories 88
Fat 4 g
Salmon , 6 oz ( a high fat fish)
Calories 89
Fat 5 g
Orange roughy, speckled trout, halibut, mahi mahi are low fat fish – 6 oz
Calories 50
Fat .5 g
Dressing:
6 TBS rice vinegar
1 ½ TBS canola oil
1 ½ tsp peeled and chopped fresh ginger
1 tsp minced fresh jalapeno (or to taste, can add more or omit)
1 garlic clove chopped
For noodles:
8 oz bean thread noodles or rice noodles (can find in Asian food section of market) or use whole wheat noodles or Udon noodles
1 English cucumber (or regular if can’t find English), halved lengthwise and thinly sliced diagonally
1 bunch scallions, thin sliced diagonally (appx 1 cup)
1 firm-ripe mango, peeled pitted and thin sliced*
2 carrots diagonally sliced thin
1 cup fresh cilantro springs (can omit if you don’t like cilantro)
* Can’t find mango? Try papaya, maybe peach-get creative-blueberries might work well
Dressing: Blend all dressing ingredients in a blender until smooth.
Noodle mixture:
For long noodles break them in half before cooking. Follow directions on package for cooking noodles. If the directions are not on the package, usually you soak them in boiled water until they are soft. Udon noodles and whole wheat noodles are boiled in water till done.
Drain noodles and rinse under cold water, drain noodles again and blot out excess liquid.
Put noodles in large bowl and toss with dressing and add vegetables/mango and lightly toss. Add cilantro if desired.
For added protein-serve with grilled chicken, fish or thin sliced beef
Nutrition Information:
6 servings, per serving
240 calories
4 g fat
261.5 mg sodium
22.3 g carbohydrates
1.2 g protein
Added protein per serving:
2 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless
Calories 129.8
Fat 1.5 g
Flank steak thin sliced 6 oz
Calories 88
Fat 4 g
Salmon , 6 oz ( a high fat fish)
Calories 89
Fat 5 g
Orange roughy, speckled trout, halibut, mahi mahi are low fat fish – 6 oz
Calories 50
Fat .5 g
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