For many, this week or next ushers in a new school year for our children. We want them to be prepared to give it their all and so we’ve paid for new books, new folders, and new pens, pencils and calculators. But are we also helping them feel their best and be prepared to fight off the germs and bacteria that usher in colds, flu, and other common “school year illnesses”? To keep the immune system working at its best, we can increase our intake of the following foods. They are recommended by my good friend and owner of Architect Sports, Alan Tyson (I add the last one because I swear by it): [Read more…]
Start the School Year Off Right: Make Sure Your Family is Eating These Nine Foods That Boost the Immune System
August 25, 2016 by Leave a Comment
An Awesome Curried Chicken Salad You Need to Try
March 1, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Awesome Curried Chicken Salad. The picture doesn’t show the yellow curry, but it’s in there and it is tasty.
The other day I made curried chicken salad using a rotisserie chicken. It was easy, healthy, and so delicious. What is not to love about curry. Here is the recipe:
Curried Chicken Salad
Ingredients:
2 rotisserie chickens (if you have fewer mouths to feed, one chicken is fine)
2 green scallions
1 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons curry powder
4 stalks of celery chopped
1/2 lime or lemon
2 fresh basil leaves
2 large apples
salt and pepper to taste (or Krazy Salt) [Read more…]
Six Power Packed Performance Snacks
February 11, 2016 by 1 Comment
It seems my kids are always hungry. They are athletic and so I feel bad when all I have at home for them to grab before or after practice are processed energy bars. Even for selfish reasons I am on the constant look-out for quick snacks that are also packed with protein and the “good” kind of carbs that give me energy. Here are six homeade portable performance snacks recommended by physical therapist, Alan Tyson of Architech Sports in Charlotte, NC. They are made with items easy to keep in the fridge or pantry, and they are fairly inexpensive as well!
Greek yogurt with fruit and nuts
Non-fat or low-fat Greek yogurt mixed with fruit and a tablespoon of nuts forms a great combination of carbohydrates, protein and other essential nutrients active people need. We recommend adding almonds or walnuts. [Read more…]
Homeade Curried Lentil Soup…You Gotta Try This!
February 4, 2016 by 1 Comment
Homeade Curried Lentil Soup…
I love anything “curried”, so yesterday I took an old lentil soup recipe, added some curry, celery and potatoes… and voila! I turned it into a “curried lentil soup”. If I may say so myself, it was delicious…and healthy too! Here it is: [Read more…]
If You Want Lean Muscle Mass, It’s More About What you Eat and Less About What You Do
January 29, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Most athletes want to be lean regardless of the sport in which they participate. In fact, most of us, whether we are super athletic or weekend warriors, want lean muscle mass. So what is the most effective way to become leaner? The secret is nutrition. In other words, it’s what we eat…not what we do. I have written many times about the Rule of 70. I believe weight loss/weight maintenance is 30% what we do (exercise), and 70% what we eat. I think Alan Tyson would agree as he recently wrote about what we can do to create lean bodies with less training, and why it is a good thing. The following are the foods Tyson recommends for creating and maintaining lean muscle mass while also maintaining fitness. By eating a combination of the following foods, not only will you likely see increased muscle mass and a leaner body, your workouts will take on a whole new level. [Read more…]
Balance in Eating is Not Easy But it is Key
June 23, 2015 by Leave a Comment
You Must Be Hungry is a book written by a mom (Sheila Himmel) who is a food journalist and her daughter (Lisa Himmel) who battled eating disorders
My daughter is a runner. She recently decided that she needed to lose a few pounds in her attempt to drop some time on the track. My motherhood antenna went up automatically. Since she already runs quite a bit and also works on strength training, exercise is not something she needs more of. So she is focusing on the kitchen and on eating healthier. Of course I am all about my kids eating healthy.
Unfortunately I also know that we all can become out of balance sometimes. We are, most of us, aware of the issues of eating disorders for teenage girls and young adults. So when a 17 year-old tells me she wants to drop a few pounds, my first thought is NO! Yet I also remember that sometime around that same age I first started becoming aware of eating healthier. In some ways, in fact, the early we recognize that good food choices are important in maintaining healthy weight, the earlier we can make good habits a part of everyday life. [Read more…]
9 Simple Tips for Making Smoothies (Juicing Too)
April 24, 2015 by 2 Comments
Some of my favorite add-ins are basil or mint leaves….
I love my Vitamix. I feel so fortunate that we decided to “bite the bullet” and buy one when my husband was diagnosed with cancer some years back. It’s been worth every dime (or dollar…or hundreds of dollars…but whatever). As long as we have a little fruit in the house, some greens, and maybe yogurt or kefir, we can make great smoothies almost everyday. I would say we do the smoothie thing about 4-5 days a week. I love handing #5 (Annie) a smoothie as she heads out the door. She’s 17 and drives so she has access to junk food if she wants it. I feel good about loading her up with a tall glass of greens and fruit, knowing at least she has started the day right. The rest of my younger kids stay home for school, and smoothies are a quick way to start the day (clean-up is another topic altogether). [Read more…]
Nine Reasons I’m Happy I Drink Coffee (And Why it’s Great Pre-Workout)
March 5, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Most people who know me know I like coffee (ok I’ll admit it…I love it). I can usually be seen with a cup of coffee in my hand most of the morning in fact. I like it hot so I usually have to either microwave it or pour it back into the pot and refill my cup to keep it piping. I’m always happy to find reasons to keep drinking my Joe and so when I recently read an article touting the benefits of coffee, I was confidently re-affirmed that my coffee-drinking habit is justified (I admit I conveniently avoid reading articles suggesting otherwise).
The following are nine reasons I am a happy coffee drinker: [Read more…]
Incredibly Awesome Lentil Soup
February 8, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Yes, I even have cabbage and fresh basil…which is better than what the recipe calls for!
I love soup. Lentil soup the most. So I’m always searching for good recipes. Especially ones whose ingredients I actually have. Imagine my joy when I found this one for Winter Vegetable Lentil Soup…that even included my favorite spice, curry. I was giddy as I looked over the ingredient list. I have every one…in my kitchen…now (the better you know me the better you will understand how amazing this is). I even thought to myself…I should have created this recipe (this is also quite humorous if you know me)! Can’t wait to make it today and eat it tonight. Do you have a good soup recipe to share?
Seven Foods You and Your Family Should Be Eating
January 8, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Alan Tyson, physical therapist and owner of Architech Sports, recently wrote about the best foods for our bellies. There are seven. I was surprised by the last one! Add these to your shopping list and try to include them in daily meals.
1. High-Fiber and Antioxidant-Rich Vegetables
All veggies are good for you. They are high in vitamins, phytonutrients, antioxidants,
and fiber and are generally low in calories and low in fat. But certain varieties do contain “FODMAPs”, [Read more…]
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