Are you having trouble sleeping? Tossing and turning and just not settling?
Well, there can be a number of reasons for your sleeplessness. For me, I generally have trouble sleeping after teaching high energy classes at night. I am energized by the activity and excited by the fun of teaching and settling down can be a challenge.
Jasmine has calming and sedative properties, and a jasmine-scented bath before bed can be relaxing.
In a study funded by the National Science Foundation, participants reported the aroma of jasmine made them sleep well and feel alert the following day.
The study had participants sleep in rooms scented with jasmine, lavender, or nothing at all. Those who tried all three sleeping conditions reported feeling the least anxious the next morning after their jasmine inspired rest. They also performed better on cognitive tests given at several points throughout the day.
aahhhhhh
The study was conducted over only three nights, so these effects may not be reliable over time and circumstance.
But I’m figuring any excuse to sink myself deep in my clawfoot tub in the late evening – candlelight, a glass of wine, inner silence – is a good thing.
High in iron and Vitamin C, beets are a colourful vegetable that ought to be in my diet. I have waxed eloquent before on my beet challenge, and I have managed to find at least one way to love beets, in an herbed oven roasted way.
Oh, lucky me! Here is a second way!
Spiced Beets
Ingredients
4 cup sliced cooked beets
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon flour
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons vinegar
1/4 cup boiling water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon cloves
spiced beet
Place beets in greased 1 1/2 quart casserole.
Melt butter, blend in flour and sugar. Add vinegar and boiling water, cook stirring constantly until bubbling. Add remaining ingredients. Pour over beets.
You’ve got the sniffles and you’re sneezing; relying on a dose of NyQuil to help you sleep. You turned your ankle during kickboxing last week and now it’s aching. You are exhausted and sore as your fibromyalgia has escalated.
Should you exercise or should you take some time off from your fave fitness fix?
Well, the answer won’t be the same for everyone, but some general guidelines can help you make a good decision.
In the case of general illnesses, getting sick sure can put a kink in your regular workout schedule. However, you might not have to totally shelve your workouts.
– use the “above the neck” rule. If your symptoms are in your head, such as runny or stuffy nose, sneezing, or you have a sore throat, then you can usually continue to exercise. If your symptoms are below the neck, including chest congestion, hacking cough, or upset stomach, then it’s probably best to hold-off on your workout.
– be vigilant about your hydration. If you are dehydrated, from vomiting or diarrhea, exercise can make your illness worse. As well, exercising while insufficiently hydrated or fueled (nourished) can put extra strain on your kidneys or other vital organs.
– allow recovery time. Minor colds can linger for awhile. Try lighter exercises, such as stretching, recovery yoga or low intensity cardio, until your body is stronger and ready for more challenging activities.
When you’ve got an injury it can be difficult to rest it, particularly if you’re in a workout groove and seeing results. Always have your doctor check your injury and allow your body time to heal.
-never work through the pain. Follow your doctor’s advice. Ask a physiotherapist what exercises you can do, or consult an experienced personal trainer. Stick to their good advice.
– seek exercise options or alternatives. If you have an injury in your lower body, try upper body exercises. A change in impact may be helpful; perhaps swimming is an endurance option or aquafitness is suited to your temporary needs.
– adjust your diet. If you’re concerned about weight gain during your hiatus from regular exercise, take some time to evaluate your daily nutritional intake. Focus on healthy eating, and you may just recover more quickly.
Autoimmune disorders can put your fitness on hold for a lot longer than a minor injury or illness. Recent research has shown exercise is helpful for individuals suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and other autoimmune disorders.
– go easy. Try activities such as yoga, stretching, or light weight training to increase flexibility, range of motion, and increased muscle strength.
– just move. Any type of movement can help minimize joint stiffness. Whether that movement is in water or on dry land, fast-paced or slow, hopping or low-impact, you will gain benefits from the simple act of moving your body.
– pay attention. Take note of how different exercises affect your levels of fatigue and pain. Keep written records and show your doctor, who can help you determine the type of exercise that is best for you.
The cold snap seems to have ended. Thankfully. But, this weather has me thinking of sunshine, beaches, long sunsets, less clothes and moonlight dancing.
The Mayan Riviera came to mind and I thought a bowl of Sopa de Lima would be satisfying.
There are many different sopa de lima recipes. This one is easy, healthy and relatively inexpensive to make.
Ingredients
3tbsp olive oil
2 med onions, chopped coarsely
4-6 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1tsp ground cumin
1/2tsp oregano
black pepper to taste
1-2 fresh jalapeno peppers, chopped finely
lime juice
4 med tomatoes, chopped (roughly 4 cups)
3c vegetable stock (see here for a stock recipe)
1-2 limes
turkey sausage, diced
Grated Monterey Jack cheese and parsley or cilantro (optional).
Method
1) In a large pot, saute the onions, garlic and spices in the olive oil for 4-5 minutes on medium heat. Add the jalapenos and saute for another 5 minutes or so.
2) Add the chopped tomatoes, cover the pot and cook on medium, stirring frequently, until the tomatoes begin to release their juices, perhaps 10 minutes or so (depending on the tomatoes).
3) Add the stock and turkey sausage, bring everything to a boil, and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the lime juice and serve immediately. Garnish with optional Monterey Jack cheese and parsley or cilantro.
* If you want to add even more heat: you can add the jalapenos to the pot when you first start sauteing (sauteing them longer in oil will release more of their heat). You can also use a hotter chili instead of the jalapenos (say Serrano peppers, or if you’re completely insane, bhut jolokia peppers). Of course the easiest option is to leave a bottle of Tabasco on the table and let people choose their own heat.
You can also add other meat to this soup. Chorizo or other sausages, chicken or leftover roast turkey. Or, leave the meat out all together.
I tried to download one of those random number generator add-ons, but as I am still one of the (haha) few folks who live in high speed deficit on the most quaint of islands, well the dial up connection was unhappy. So, reverting to lower tech but higher speed (the beagle refused to help with the draw)the name drawn from the hat is….drum roll…..
broccoli for a winning recipe
Kelly’s submission of Broccoli Rigatoni Bake!
Congratulations Kelly!
I just know you can use your time with me to do things to your belly other than feed it!
Thanks to everyone who entered. It was fun and there were no runners up in the taste category.
REVISED: one one-hour high intensity cardio session/week and one interval session - I completed the long session
a minimum of four days/week of 45 minute mindfulness practice – only twice this week
five crazy body weight challenges to be performed one per week in two cycles – I completed two this week to make up for the miss on week 3; so I’ve completed 5 and now will revisit them in the second 5 weeks
one ‘legs day’ per week – completed, with much grunting and sweating
Okay, now for the ‘what you don’t know about me’ segment. I wasn’t kidding last week when I said I married my partner in order to avoid being deported. Uh huh.
He was attending a school in the United States for his Ph.D. and I, with the brand new most miraculous babe, remained in Canada awaiting his return.
I quickly developed a strong, persistent and insatiable urge to escape my MIL (sadly, ’tis true). So I quit my job, gave up my lease, loaded everything I owned in my old Chevette (well, some of it was on top) and drove 5 days with a 10 month old in the back seat. (As an aside, the day I drove out of Canada it was 40 degrees below zero, the point where the temperature scales meet).
I was then residing in the United States on a 6 month visitor’s visa. He was on a student visa. I performed services for which I was given an honourarium, allowing me to ‘work’ in a gray area of visa status. I housed us, fed us and supported my partner’s bad habit of mainlining academic knowledge. (This is the set up for the irony to follow)
When the end of my visa status was approaching there were only two choices: I had to leave the country or I had to marry my partner in order to become his ‘dependent’ and have a dependent’s visa. Hahaha.
I went to town hall and filled in the marriage license application. When asked the date of the wedding I countered with a query as to when the license would be ready. Upon being told it would be there in 4 days – Tuesday – I said the wedding was in 5 days – Wednesday.
I then obtained a list of JP’s, called clinics to find the cheapest price for the required blood work (’cause that’s how it is in the United States), got my hair cut and got married.
The plan to have the JP say the three sentences required by law in our apartment was foiled when she realized the town line went through the apartment complex and we lived outside the jurisdiction where we purchased the license. So, we walked across the street to be wed.
For the record? I wore a jean skirt and blouse and sandals and he wore his runners, shorts and a Tee. The couple who stood as witnesses for us, the only people who knew of the wedding, were quite dressed up and were mistaken for the bride and groom when the JP arrived.
Also for the record, we have to pull out the marriage certificate to figure out on which day we got married, or ask my mom, who we told of the wedding a few years later, as we married, it turned out, on my parents’ wedding anniversary.
Liz, at Maritime Penny Pinchers, ran a giveaway for me last month. Submit a frugal healthy recipe for a chance to win fitness services.
Today I preview the recipes for you. Tomorrow the winner will be announced.
Though the number of entrants was small, the tastiness of these recipes is outstanding. Each recipe is easy to prepare and got great reviews from my family (with the exception of the teenager and the lovely heat in the veggie chili).
If the winner had to be picked based on the pleasure of the eating, it would be an all-around tie!
Eileen's recipe
Super Low (everything but taste) Banana Bread
submitted by Eileen
Ingredients
1 cup sugar substitute (can use raw or regular sugar or mixture if you wish) – I used demerara
1/3 cup applesauce (or margarine)
7 tbsp egg sub (or 1 egg plus two whites)
1 tsp baking soda
2 cups wheat flour (or sub your fave flour) – I used oat flour
Blend sugar and applesaue, add egg and mix well. Add flour and soda and stir (will seem too dry here but don’t worry!).
Mix milk and vinegar together and then add to mixture. Stir in bananas.
I like to add cinnamon (maybe a tbsp) and some nutmeg (maybe a tsp) and I like to add a couple or three handfuls of choc chips sometimes!!
Bake in a 9×5 loaf in 350 degree oven (I use convection setting) for about an hour (give or take ten minutes)
Cool and serve. If you like, add some maple flavor to some buttercream icing and ice your bread BUT this takes away all the low parts!!
Jane's recipe
Lentil Soup/Stew
submitted by Jane
This is cheap and good for you and EASY and really tasty, and it makes a huge amount–freezes well–reheats well. It doesn’t look like it should taste as good as it does–real comfort food–my Mom used to make it when we were little:
Ingredients
2 cups red lentils (washed)
8 cups of vegetable bouillon (or 8 cups of water and 4 bouillon cubes)
4 large potatoes (cubed)
1/2 lb of carrots (chopped) (about 4?)
1 large onion (chopped)
3 cloves garlic (pressed)
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tbsp lemon juice (stuff from bottle is fine)
Method
Wash and drain lentils.
Bring bouillon to boil; add everything EXCEPT lemon juice and simmer 30 minutes.
Add lemon juice and simmer 15-30 more minutes (’til veggies are nice and tender); taste and adjust seasoning.
Serve in big bowls; make appreciative noises while eating
**it can be pureed to make a potage (but I like it in its chunks)
*** you can add more potatoes next time if it’s too thin
This dish is so easy to make, and perfect for a wintery day!
Jennifer's recipe
Veggie Chili
submitted by Jennifer
In crockpot or large saucepan on stove mix:
1 pkg Veggie Ground Round
2 cans stewed tomatoes (approx 3 cups total)
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp cayenne
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp sugar or sugar sub. I used demerara
1 cup carrots, chopped
1 cup chickpeas, rinsed if using canned I used dried chickpeas which a soaked overnight and added a bit extra liquid
1 cup kidney beans, rinsed I didn’t have any prepared beans, so I used 2 cups of chickpeas
1 red pepper, diced I had no peppers on hand but tossed in some green beans instead
1 cup pearl onions, whole (remove outer skin)
Whole garlic cloves, to taste (I use 3-4)
Stovetop:
Bring all above to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally
Crock Pot:
Low for 6 hours, or high for 3.
This is a great recipe to use up vegetables in your fridge! Veggie Ground Round is a great sub for ground beef- I served this dish to my boyfriend and he didn’t even notice the difference!
If you like a sweeter taste, add 1/2 c. of organic ketchup during the last hour of cooking.
Kelly's recipe
Broccoli Rigatoni Bake
submitted by Kelly
Ingredients
12 ounces uncooked rigatoni or large tube pasta I used whole wheat pasta
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1/4 cup all-purpose flour I used besan – chickpea flour
Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, saute garlic in butter over medium heat for 2 minutes. Stir in flour and salt until blended. Gradually add milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat; set aside. Drain pasta and toss with oil; set aside.
In a large saucepan, bring 1 in. of water and broccoli to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 5-8 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain and rinse with cold water.
In a 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray, layer 1 cup white sauce, half of the pasta and broccoli and 1/2 cup cheese. Repeat layers. Top with remaining sauce and cheese.
Cover and bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until heated through.
Yield: 10 servings.
Sara's recipe
Squash Muffins Kids Actually Like (this is soooo true!)
submitted by Sara
Ingredients
2 CUPS mashed squash
3/4 c. cooking oil
1/2 c. sugar (or more if U like!) I used 1/4 cup demerara
4 eggs
3 cups flour I used 2 cups of organic whole spelt flour and 1 cup organic oat flour
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon (I add a little more cause I love it)
1 tsp salt
1+ cup chocolate or carob chips Omitted from my version but I think crushed organic walnuts would be fabulous
I use fresh squash (here’s a tip: wash a whole squash. Stab it deeply several times with a big knife. This can be fun! Put in the microwave for 10 mins. Remove, split open, let cool, THEN peel and dice, cook in mic til done then mash. If it very dry add up to a cup of water).
Combine the first four ingredients-for fluffier muffins use a hand mixer. Add dry ingredients, mix, then add choc. chips.
Put in greased muffin tins, bake at 350 for about 15 mins.
Makes 2 dozen small muffins. They freeze well too!
Kettlebells are going to notch up your workout. They are going to challenge you metabolically. They will work your cardiovascular capacity at the same time that they tax your muscular endurance and your mental stamina.
That’s what I keep telling you. That’s what all the anecdotal evidence indicates. Surf the many voices of kettlebells on the internet and you will read one amazing story after another of the positive changes wrought by kettlebells and you’ll see people in amazing shape working with kettlebells.
Nadine: I can’t even express how Kettlebell has changed my life for the better. I never exercised with enjoyment until KB. Even struggling with surgeries I have never stopped. It makes me feel confident, strong and … fitter. The encouragement from every class is exceptional. ….Bring on the STEAM….
We are getting used to hearing about the qualitative nature of kettlebell workout efficiency. And let me tell you, qualitative changes in your health, your fitness level, your sport performance, and your sense of self are really all that count.
Debbie: [I’m] a beginner Kettlebeller, but can see the addiction forming. Love it!! It is intense and then when you make it to the end of class the sweet satisfaction sets in.
Oh, I know we are stuck on numbers. We want quantitative data. How much we weigh, what we can bench. Our BMI, percent body fat, and other body measurements. Our max kettelbell snatch test, how many calories we eat, how many we expend, our BMR. Our daily grams of fat, grams of carbs, grams of proteins.
We strap on heart rate monitors and download blackberry apps and twitter our METS. We wear split timers, count flights climbed, kilometres biked or run, reps and sets. We bookmark websites that count and calculate and manage our numbers for us.
We count out a lot of cash in the pursuit of our numbers.
In general, we human beings/doings seem to have a special affinity for numbers – counting, recording, comparing. Any numbers are good. We feel like numbers are somehow ‘real’ and validating. It isn’t enough that we feel better, sleep better, cope with stress better, have more energy in our day to days and have better guns. Can I live with more vitality? Greater peace? Increased productivity? More compassion?
Oh no. Give us the numbers! And we want them to change in a desired direction.
Remember, numbers only provide us with a portion of our story; and not necessarily the most important part.
However, when this tiny piece of science regarding kettlebell effectiveness was brought to my attention, I was initially kind of excited. Finally, folks were going to run the numbers on working out with kettlebells. Yes, the research has to be done. Yes, there is value in it (at least after a body of sound, ethical scientific knowledge has been amassed).
Researchers at the La Cross Exercise and Health Program, University of Wisconsin, were funded by the American Council on Exercise to conduct a study of the energy cost and aerobic workload of a Kettlebell Snatch test. This study, published by ACE in Fitness Matters, used a very small sample size – just 10 men and women – who were experienced in the use of kettlebells.
The baseline kettlebell fitness levels of the subjects were established with a 5 minute kettlebell VO2 max snatch test. The weight they snatched in the baseline measure was based on an unelaborated formula based on gender, body weight, fitness level and experience level. Based on the results of this baseline, the cadence was set for the experimental test.
The 20 minute snatch test these test subjects underwent sounds rather vigorous and perhaps a bit grueling. Based on their baseline, they performed a specific number of snatches for a 15 second interval and rested 15 seconds (this is a pretty typical VO2 Max repertoire in the kettlebell world), continuing for a 20 minute total.
This gives you some idea of the VO2 Max protocol.
The results?
During the 20-minute workout, the average calorie burn was 272 calories, not counting additional calorie burn due to the substantial anaerobic effort.
We estimated oxygen consumption and how many calories they were burning aerobically, and it was 13.6 calories per minute. But we also measured the blood lactate, so anaerobically they were burning another 6.6 calories per minute. So they were burning at least 20.2 calories per minute, which is off the charts. That’s equivalent to running a 6-minute mile pace. The only other thing I could find that burns that many calories is crosscountry skiing up hill at a fast pace.
The researchers credit the high caloric burn to the fact that the kettlebell snatch workout is a total-body movement that is done very quickly due to the interval-training format. It is a format which should only be employed by experienced kettlebell users.
The heart rate (in bpm) for the experimental subjects ranged from 128 to 180 with the % heart rate max being 86% on the low end and 99% on the high end.
“Any time you’re using that much muscle effort, it’s going to be a vigorous workout” said Porcari.
Compared to research findings of standard weight training, the kettlebell snatch routine used in this study provided a workout of higher intensity. In fact, this routine exceeded accepted standards/recommendations for improving aerobic capacity. Resistance training combined with cardiovascular challenge: Kettlebells = sweet.
So, take those numbers and plug them in to your bodybugg.
1c basmati rice (the recipe calls for 2 ¼ cups but we halved this)
5 tbsp ghee
4tbsp lemon juice
Ginger root
Mint leaves
Method
Place chili powder, 1 tsp caraway seeds, cassia sticks, cardamons, salt, 1 onion, bay leaves and ginger in a mortar and grind to a paster with a pestle.
Cook rice according to directions, but remove from heat when half cooked.
final assembly
Melt the ghee, sauté second onion until golden. Put onion in bowl and mix with lemon juice and mint leaves to taste.
Add spice paste and shrimp to the pan and stir fry about 5 minutes. Set aside in bowl.
Place half the half-cooked rice in a saucepan, place shrimp mixture on top along with half the onion mixture. Top with other half of rice and the remaining onion mixture and milk. Add extra mint to taste.
Cover and cook over low heat for 15 – 20 minutes. Mix well before serving.
What a great day for a walk - sunshine lifts my mood & the brisk walk relaxes my screaming abs after teaching lunch time Creative Core Class 20 hours ago
