The power of Kiwi!

When I do my grocery shopping I don’t buy Kiwi because isn’t sweet enough for my husband’s and son’s palate. In this past month, Kiwi is becoming part of our weekly diet thanks to the information passed from my mother to us.

Kiwi is packed with vitamins, minerals, and soluble and insoluble fiber. These are some of the reasons why kiwi can help to protect against heart disease. Surprisingly, one large kiwi has twice the amount of Vitamin C than of an orange and is loaded with lutein, which reduces the risk of cancer and heart disease. Also it has copper, which is important for bone strength, brain development, and building immunity; and potassium, which aids in efficient heart functioning and helps to control blood pressure. The fuzzy skin can be removed or eaten, as it also contains nutrients which are similar to the skin of a peach.

Add it to fruit salad, chicken salad, cereal, pancakes, or desserts for an extra punch of nutrients.

KIWIFRUIT CHICKEN SALAD

1 ½ cups cooked chicken, cubed

¼ cup celery, chopped

¼ cup toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped

3 tablespoons mayonnaise

¼ teaspoon salt

2 kiwifruit, pared, sliced, divided

 Directions:

• Combine chicken, celery, walnuts, mayonnaise and salt
• Quarter half of kiwifruit slices; gently stir into chicken mixture
• Spoon onto 2 lettuce-lined salad plates.
• Garnish each serving with remaining kiwifruit slices.

Serves 2.

Try kiwi in different recipes or use it as part of your smoothies. Kiwi is another power fruit!

Prepare las comidas en casa para empezar su estilo de vida saludable

Preparar y comer comidas en casa es un paso importante para comer saludable. Usted puede preparar comidas saludables, fáciles y rápidas en casa. Tan solo recuerde estos simples pasos: Planear, comprar, preparar y comer.

Planear

• Mantenga una lista de las comidas favoritas de su familia. Separe 30 minutos para planear para la siguiente semana.
• Haga una lista de los platos principales y de los acompañantes que servirá cada día de la semana. Seleccione recetas con pocos ingredientes y que necesiten solo técnicas de cocina rápidas.
• Pegue el menú en la nevera donde todos lo puedan ver.
• Escuche los comentarios de su familia sobre el menú y use la lista de los platos favoritos de su familia incluyendo los platos principales, las ensaladas, los vegetales, las frutas y los postres.
• Busque ideas de platos principales y de acompañantes rápidos y saludables en libros de cocina, periódicos, sitios de internet, o revistas y agréguelos a su lista. Mantenga estas recetas en fólderes o en cajas.

Comprar

• Compre con regularidad una vez a la semana o al mes, asi ahorra dinero, tiempo y gasolina.
• Compre frutas y vegetales en estación porque es más barato y sabe mejor.
• Visite su farmer’s market más cercano y ahorre dinero al comprar calidad.
• Compre solo lo de su lista asi no gasta demás y no olvida los ingredientes para las recetas de su menú.
• No compre con hambre. Consuma un snack o una de sus comidas antes de mercar.
• Los chicos puede ayudar, déjelos escoger una fruta o un vegetal Nuevo o algo que en realidad les guste mucho.

Preparar  

• Sea estricto con su plan.
• Lave y prepare sus frutas y vegetales con anticipación.
• Prepare demás del plato principal para otra comida.
• Agregue una fruta o vegetal favorito en lata o congelado.
• Revise su plan de comidas todas las tarde y saque su comida congelada al refrigerador la noche anterior para que se descongele de manera segura para la siguiente cena.
• Involucre a los chicos, es divertido para todos. Los ninos van a probar nuevas cosas si ayudan en la cocina. Recuerde la seguridad en la comida haciéndolos lavar sus manos en la cocina con frecuencia.

Comer  

• Comer juntos: Hágalo una prioridad, es una gran oportunidad para compartir en familia. Los chicos comen más despacio que los adultos, así que tome su tiempo durante las comidas y disfrute de unos minutos demás sentados en la mesa antes de limpiar.
• Apague la televisión, la radio, el teléfono, para que todos disfruten de la conversación sin distracciones. Deje que las personas dejen mensaje o apague el sonido de su teléfono para evitar las distracciones.
• Compartan los eventos del día preguntándole a cada persona sobre una actividad divertida o algo bueno que haya ocurrido durante el día. Es un rato agradable para saber sobre eventos especiales de la escuela o sobre los logros de los chicos.
• Haga elecciones saludables: Es más fácil cuando se preparan las comidas en casa y la familia se sienta en la mesa a compartir la comida. Es una buena oportunidad para hablar y servir de modelo sobre comer saludable, los tamaños de las porciones, y probar nuevos alimentos.

Para recetas fáciles y saludables contacte su oficina de Extensión más cercana.

Preparing meals at home is the first step for a healthy lifestyle

Preparing and eating meals at home is an important step toward eating healthy. You can have easy, quick, and healthy meals at home. Just keep it simple with these four steps: Plan, shop, fix, and eat.

Plan

• Keep a list of the things your family likes to eat. Set aside 30 minutes to plan for the next week.
• Make a list of the main dish and the side dishes that you will serve for each day of the week. Select recipes that have few ingredients and that use quick cooking techniques.
• Post the menu on the refrigerator.
• Get input from your family members. Use your list of everyone’s favorite foods, including main dishes, salads, vegetables, fruits, and desserts.
• Look in cookbooks, newspapers, Web sites, or magazines for quick main dish and side dish ideas. Add them to the list. File recipes in a file, box, or loose-leaf notebook.

Shop

• Shop regularly, whether once a week or once a month. This saves time, gas, and money.
• In-season fruits and vegetables are less expensive and taste better.
• Visit local farmer’s markets or farm stands for lower prices and better quality.
• Stick to the list. You are less likely to overspend and less likely to forget ingredients you may need for your week’s menus.
• Don’t shop hungry. Eat a snack, or go shopping after eating a meal.
• Get the kids involved by letting them choose a new fruit or vegetable that they’d like to try or an old favorite.

Fix

• Stick to your plan.
• Wash and prepare fruits and vegetables in advance.
• Make extra of a main dish for another meal.
• Add a favorite canned or frozen fruit or vegetable to any main meal.
• Check your meal plan each evening, and take out frozen meats the night before. Place them in a dish in the refrigerator to thaw safely for the next day’s dinner.
• Get the kids involved. Fixing meals can be fun for the whole family. Children are more likely to try new foods if they help get them to the table. Safety comes first. Encourage good hand-washing.

Eat

• Eat together: Make eating together a family priority. Mealtime is a great opportunity for parents and kids to be together. Remember that kids often take more time to eat than adults do. Take your time through dinner, and enjoy the extra few minutes sitting at the table before cleaning up.
• Turn off the TV: Turn off the television, radio, cell phone, and beeper so everyone can focus on the conversation without distraction. Let the answering machine pick up calls, or turn off the phone ringer to avoid dinner interruptions.
• Share events of the day: Ask each person at the table to talk about a fun activity or something good that happened that day. It is a wonderful time to catch up on special school events or achievements of the kids in your family.
• Make healthy choices: It is easier to make healthy choices when meals are prepared at home and families sit at the table together to share that meal. It is a good time to talk about and model healthy eating, portion sizes, and trying new foods.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids: An Essential Contribution

Our body must get the Omega-3 fatty acids from food. Foods high in Omega-3 include fish, vegetable oils, nuts (especially walnuts), flax seeds, flaxseed oil, and leafy vegetables.

Omega-3 fats are special because they provide the starting point for making hormones that regulate blood clotting, contraction and relaxation of artery walls, and inflammation. Omega-3 fats have been shown to help prevent heart disease and stroke, may help control lupus, eczema, and rheumatoid arthritis, and may play protective roles in cancer and other conditions.

Omega-3 fats are a key family of polyunsaturated fats. There are three main omega-3s:

• (EPA) and (DHA) come mainly from fish, so they are sometimes called marine omega-3s.
• (ALA), the most common omega-3 fatty acid in most Western diets, is found in vegetable oils and nuts (especially walnuts), flax seeds and flaxseed oil, leafy vegetables, and some animal fat, especially in grass-fed animals.

The human body generally uses ALA for energy, and conversion into EPA and DHA is very limited. So you really need to eat fish to obtain the healthy benefits of the marine omega-3. 

Due to the benefits of marine omega-3 fatty acids, it is important to eat fish or other seafood one to two times per week, particularly fatty (dark meat) fish that are richer in EPA and DHA. This is especially important for women who are pregnant or hoping to become pregnant and nursing mothers. From the third trimester until the second year of life, a developing child needs a steady supply of DHA to form the brain and other parts of the nervous system. Many women shy away from eating fish because of concerns that mercury and other possible contaminants might harm their babies, yet the evidence for harm from lack of omega-3 fats is far more consistent, and a balance of benefit vs. risk is easily obtained.

Teriyaki Salmon with Zucchini

Ingredients

Low-sodium teriyaki sauce

2 (6-ounce) salmon fillets

Sesame seeds

2 small zucchini, thinly sliced

4 scallions, chopped

Canola oil

Preparation

Combine 5 tablespoons teriyaki sauce and fish in a zip-top plastic bag. Seal and marinate 20 minutes. Toast sesame seeds in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, and set aside. Drain fish, discarding marinade. Add fish to skillet, and cook 5 minutes. Turn and cook for 5 more minutes over medium-low heat. Remove from skillet, and keep warm. Add the zucchini, scallions, and 2 teaspoons oil to skillet. Sauté 4 minutes, or until lightly browned. Stir in 2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, and serve.

Yield: Serves 2 (serving size: 1 salmon fillet and about 1 cup zucchini)

Calories per serving: 376, Fat per serving: 16g, Saturated fat per serving: 3g, Monounsaturated fat per serving: 6g, Polyunsaturated fat per serving: 7g, Protein per serving: 40g, Carbohydrates per serving: 11g, Fiber per serving: 3g, Cholesterol per serving: 87mg, Iron per serving: 5mg

Sodium per serving: 375mg, Calcium per serving: 53mg

Recipe from health.com

Road to Permanent Weight Loss It’s a lifestyle, not a temporary diet.

Here are 10 recommendations by Connie Crawley, our Nutrition Specialist at the Extension Service, to achieve and maintain a healthy weight in 2015.

1. Eat a nutritious breakfast every day. You will be less likely to feel hungry later in the day.

2. Drink mainly water and 2-3 cups of non-fat or low fat cow’s milk or soy milk fortified with calcium each day. Cut the sweet drinks. Milk makes you feel fuller when you eat less food.

3. Have 1 cup of cooked, low calorie green or yellow vegetable at both lunch and supper. If you eat them raw, you can go up to 2 cups.

4. Bake, roast, grill, broil or microwave your food instead of frying. Each tablespoon of fat saved is 100 calories less you will consume.

5. Mainly eat whole grains and whole wheat bread. One portion is the size of a deck of cards. Try different whole grains like quinoa, amaranth, bulgur, whole wheat couscous and millet. They are great mixed with beans or nuts.

6. Eat fruit for dessert. A typical dessert has 300-600 calories or more. That equals about 3-6 pieces of fruit. Could you eat that much fruit?

7. Make portions of meat, chicken or fish no larger than a deck of cards. Fill up on vegetables and fruit instead.

8. Eat more meals prepared at home. Take your lunch to work as often as possible. Look for quick healthy recipes to prepare at home instead of buying take-out and convenience foods. Prepare and freeze meals ahead to reheat on busy days.

 

9. Get a total of 30-60 minutes of physical activity daily. It can be broken up into 10-minute segments. For weight loss, you may need to do closer to 60 minutes than 30 minutes.

10. Eat off a 9-inch plate. This is typically a salad plate in a place setting. Switch to this size and you automatically cut 200-300 calories without even trying.

If you adopt one or more of these recommendations each month, you will be a different person at the end of the year.

I have been following these steps for the last six years, and I have maintain the same way all these years! You need to give it a try!