Archive for March, 2010
About Asparagus
Do you know that Asparagus are packed with vitamins, minerals, fiber and protein and are only about 3 calories a spear. About 8 medium spears of cooked asparagus provides two-third the daily value of Folate, a B vitamin that promotes cell division and might reduce the risk of atherosclerosis and dementia, as well as a 114% of the daily value for Vitamin K an essential nutrient for bone formation and blood clotting. They are also high in Potassium and a good source of Vitamin C and A,thiamin,riboflavin,manganese, vitaminB6, copper,niacin and phosphorus.
Even though they are available year around, at spring time they are less expensive and are fresher. Different types are available but the most common in the States are the green ones, in Europe the preference is for the white ones, they come from the same plant but are grown out of the sun under a mound of dirt so they don’t develop chlorofil, and they require more labor to be harvested, therefore are more expensive but are not as nutritious.
The thinner asparagus come from older plant and the large spears grow on younger, more vigorous plant. Steaming them is better then boiling and cook them to tender to preserve their nutrients. Once cooked they can be served sprinkled with fresh grated cheese melted under a broiler or cut and mixed with fresh sliced tomatoes with a parsley vinaigrette as a salad or simply plain with your favorite seasoning and a dab of light mayonnaise.
Prior to cook them you may trim of the woody stem about 2″ (which is the opposite of the head or tip) and disregard-it or save -it to make soup.
Are we Ready for Spring ?
Yes it is this time of the year finally,the temperature is rising, the birds are singing and after a long and great winter skiing i can’t wait to get back on my bike and enjoy a nice ride !!
Well said , but truly am i ready to get down the road? My mind is that for sure, but what about my Body? Even though i have been skiing on a regular basis throughout the winter, and i mean hard skiing, biking uses muscles and joints in a different way and i have to be aware of my body’s well being.I am a year older now and yes as the years add up, people believe they can perform as they used to, but the reality some time can be a surprise ! So before you decide to go for that long ride, take time to analyze how you feel, and how the bike feels, go around the block a few times, make sure your bike has been properly tuned and that it still feels as good as the last time you ware on it last year, is your seat at the right height, are your shoes comfortable,double check the functionality of your brakes and are your gears shifting smoothly? If all is in order go for it and enjoy, don’t forget your basic tools, your water, some food and remember that cycling can be dangerous and if you are not in the best of shape take it slow and be safe.
Yoga for Weight Loss
While most people think Yoga is more for stretching limbs and becoming more flexible, it can also be an effective tool for weight loss. In truth, the body exerts a lot more effort when it is moving slow than when it is moving fast. Thus, the slow stretching movements of Yoga stretches exert a tremendous amount of strain on muscles, and can be a great tool for weight loss and stretching fitness is a viable option.
While Yoga stretches can be great for weight loss and overall fitness, it’s important to take a balanced approach with diet and exercise. The best thing about Yoga stretches is that they can be done almost anywhere without a lot of complex equipment. Thus, losing weight through fitness can be as simple as owning a pair of running shoes and a Yoga mat. Diet is also an important part of weight loss, thus eating lots of fruits and vegetables and avoiding processed foods is a good idea. Taking these steps will promote wellness and give us the figure we all desire!
Spring Break
Well it is this time of year again, skiing season is almost over and the kids are on Spring Break and Guess what ! So am i ! I will get back to you all next week with more useful information, in the mean time Stay healthy !
Doctor’s Visit #2 & 3
Hello again, and it is time for my second visit to get my blood drawn !
The nurse comes in with the necessary hardware in order to perform the did : First she tells me to relax my right arm and proceeds on locating the artery on the deep of my elbow, pokes it with an extracting needle and attach the first of three small container to it, ounce filled-up she removes it and proceed to the next and the next, remove the needle and covers the hole with a cotton ball and a piece of tape. I ask her what are the test that are going to be performed and she gives me a detail explanation of each one and inform me that the results will be available in a week .
A week later i am back to get the results and talk to the doc.( third visit) He comes in with my paper work, goes down the list and specifies that all my numbers are in order except for my cholesterol numbers that are not in line and that i am deficient in Vitamin D, gives me a prescription for my cholesterol and tells me to come back in a month and take some Vitamin D, 1.000 I.U. p. day . I asked him to give me some more specifics about some of the numbers ” which he did” and if there was anything else that i should know based on the information from the blood test and that i gave him and he replied “Keep doing what you are doing, watch your cholesterol,and take your Vitamin” and that was it.
The point of all this is : I went for a Physical and was expecting a more detailed and thorough examination, maybe today things have changed and Doctors are trying to do to much and spending 10 minutes p. visit with their patient is the most they can do. Well, to say the least i am disappointed about the situation and i hope that this is not a common practice. Stay informed and stay healthy.
Doctor’s Visit # One
I f any of you out there are like me , a visit to the doctor’s office if something that i try to minimize as much as possible. Been over sixty, in good shape and not having any medical issues, i decided it was time to make an appointment for a physical and see if all my numbers ware in line with the norms.
Since there was no emergency the earliest i could be seen was two weeks down the line. On that day i got to the doctor’s office early as ask, to feel-up the required pepper work since it was my first time with this health professional, ounce completed the nurse took my weight, my height, my blood pressure, and instructed me to wait for the doc. After a wait of about 10 minutes a middle aged man showed-up introduced himself as been the doc and proceeded on going over the questionnaire that i filled-up and said and i quote (any particular reasons you are here?) I replied, not getting any younger i want to make sure that i am as healthy as i feel, his response was, “Your blood pressure is normal,take a deep breath and exhale (as he was listening with his stethoscope on my back),then he check my pulse and specified, ” as far as i can tell you seem to be fine, but i want to see you back in a week for some blood test to have a better understanding on your numbers.” and off he went..
That’s it ? I felt kind of cheated, i was expecting a more specific and detail examination, so anyway i made my next app. with the front office and left hopping that a more thorough evaluation will be done with the results of my blood tests.
I will go over that session on my next blog, SURPRISE..
Building Muscle
Most guys out there would like to bulk up and build more muscle, and all it takes is commitment, time management, and a few changes in diet. First you will need to workout (obviously). This can be done with home equipment like a Bowflex or Nautilus, or in the gym with weights. The key is to focus on what areas of your body you want to bulk up (upper body, arms, legs, etc.) and then create an exercise plan that targets those areas. For bulking up and building muscle, you tend to want to do low repetition, high resistance. This means your workout should be hard, but not too long, and most of the time you should be lifting near your maximum for the particular weight. You will want to do this at least three times a week, with a day in between each time.
For dieting, you will want to consume high protein foods like meat, eggs, and some dairy products. Protein supplements like protein bars or a protein drink can speed up bulking and building muscle.
About Eggs.
For something that most everyone eat regularly, it seems that a lot of people don’t really know much about the incredible Egg. For instance while at the market i have been amazed on how much time individuals are spending analyzing and looking at which one they should purchase,* The brown ones or the white ones, cage free or not, regular or Egg-land’s Best, what size* . Of course first the price is an important factor and can go from one extreme to the other, and is there a important nutrition difference between them ?
One thing to know is that eggs are healthy food, the white contains Proteins and the yolks are high in Cholesterol. So if your Cholesterol levels are on the wrong side, you should stay away from the yolk and stick with the White.Eggs are generally graded as, small, large, extra-large and jumbo, in conventional recipes the eggs recommended are the large ones. Small ones have about 50 calories, large and extra-large 75, jumbo 90.
The white eggs are from white feather chicken and the brown ones are from red or dark feather chicken and there is absolutely no difference in the nutrition value.
Cage free should be qualified as an animal roaming free on the surrounding of its chicken coup and therefore have a varied diet of grains , insects, grass and other goodies from the hearth but not always defined as such, if you truly want caged free, the best way is to buy them at your local weekly farmers market or from your neighbor farmer. In general the yolk of the true free range hens are much darker.
Egg-Land’s Best are from vegetarian fed Hens, High in Vitamin E and Omega 3 and have 25% less Saturated fat and also are the most expensive.
Overall Eggs are the same from one chicken or an other but they are different based on the hens diet.
Eggs can be kept for 30 days passed their expiration date if refrigerated at or below 45 degree F.
Ways to Stretch
-Static stretches are to alleviate muscle imbalances, improve posture and prevent injury and each stretches should be performed 2-3 times and hold for 20-30 seconds.
-Active stretches gradually increases the joint range of motion by moving in and out of stretches in a rhythmic fashion and hold each stretch for only 2-4 seconds, performing between five and ten repetitions of each particular stretch. Active stretching, strengthens and stretches at the same time and helps improve posture and movement.
-Functional stretching uses the body momentum and muscles to take a joint to it’s full range of motion in the same way you move everyday and mimic the same movements. They are for a great warm-up prior to any activities, help in flexibility and the quality of your everyday life. Incorporating a program of functional stretching as you get out of bed in the morning is a great way to be more flexible throughout the day.
What stretch you should be doing is determined by which muscle are tight, so take your first steps to be a more flexible, healthier you and start stretching today. Check with your physician for more specific information.
Stretching Safely
When in our younger years,the flexibility of our body provided us with an easier way to accomplish just about any type of physical movements and as we are aging it seems that rust is taking over and even the simplest task ( tying our shoes) can be painful.
Incorporating a daily routine of stretching can bring back and increase flexibility and reducing the risk of muscle joint and tendon injuries.Stretching also improves circulation, increasing blood flow to the muscles. There are no disadvantages to stretching, unless you do it improperly. There is a few things to keep in mind and not to do before beginning any stretching : Do not stretch cold muscles, Do not overstretch and do not stretch a muscle improperly.
Always do some type of warm-up for at least 5 to 10 minutes, like jogging in place or rotation of your arms or a repetition of bending up and down. There will be some discomfort, especially if you are not used to stretching, but it should not be painful. And if you are not knowledgeable on how to perform the proper stretch for specific parts of the body, follow the directions of a stretching manual or program.
Again, flexibility will help you perform daily activities and reduce the risk of muscle, joint and tendon injuries, and even can help eliminate or decrease low back pain. Stretching increase your range of motion, which means your joints can move further before injury occurs, also remember that every joint is tied to another joint, so if one muscle or joint is tight it is going to affect an other joint or muscle.