The Safest Investment

Everywhere you turn lately we are faced with headlines of a gloomy future, a slump, and a big depression. The overwhelming doom and gloom news leads to panic and fear. Fear, in turn leads to stress which happens to be a silent killer. When faced with constant stress, our bodies start to pump out hormones that can lead to obesity and high blood pressure while our minds tend to turn to martinis, cigarettes, anger or depression which in turn cause more internal stress. A lose-lose scenario.

Everybody needs an outlet for stress and exercise is the perfect antidote. Exercise is an investment of time and strength but yields great assets over time. Exercise can lower blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and weight and at the same time increase your metabolism, confidence, and endorphin levels making you feel more energetic than before you started. It’s almost instant gratification! If committed to a ritual of exercise as a part of your lifestyle for the long haul (along with eating well, of course) than you will significantly reduce your risks of heart disease, cancer, and stroke, the top three U.S. killers according to the National Center for Health Statistics (http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/FASTATS/lcod.htm). You will also lower your risk of diabetes which is number 6 on the list. Sounds like a win-win, right?

So how many times a week should one invest in exercise? Some people (including some of my clients J) seem to think that twice a week is a sufficient deposit. However, current guidelines set by the American Heart Association and ACSM (American College of Sports Medicine) for adults under the age of 65 are:

Moderately intense cardio 30 minutes a day, five days a week
Or
Vigorously intense cardio 20 minutes a day, 3 days a week
And
Eight to 10 strength-training exercises, eight to 12 repetitions of each exercise twice a week.

Just keep in mind that these guidelines are set for the average American. If you consider yourself in better shape than the average American (which I hope you all strive for at least that), than we need to up the ante on these guidelines. Working harder for better results will set you ahead of the pack. And you don't have to share your results with anyone else. They're all yours!

Some things, like the stock market, are just out of our hands. Our health is one major thing that we have control over. And your body is the best asset you can invest in. There’s only about 10 weeks left before 2009. A lot can be accomplished in 10 weeks. So take advantage of this last quarter, invest in yourself, lower your risks, and start the new year ahead of the game regardless of what is going on in the financial arena.

Healthy Tofu Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin pie is one of my favorite desserts. However, I rarely indulge because I know that it is usually loaded with sugar and evaporated milk or cream. Here is a recipe that cuts out the dairy and replaces the refined sugar with maple syrup. It's delicious and better for you. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:

What you need:
A blender
18 oz tofu (firm or extra firm)
2 cups canned or cooked pumpkin
2/3 cup pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 unbaked 9-inch pie crust
(you can buy a whole wheat one)

What you do:
Preheat oven to 350°
Blend tofu in the blender until smooth
Add remaining ingredients and blend well

Pour the mixture into the unbaked pie shell and bake for 50 minutes. (Filling will be soft, but will form as it chills)

Chill and serve to your delighted guests...
or just enjoy it yourself

What you get:
A delicious pumpkin pie with more protein than your average pumpkin pie (from the tofu) but with absolutely no dairy or refined sugar(depending on your choice of crust).

The Great Pumpkin Muffins

This recipe is an oldie but a goodie. I look forward to "pumpkin season" every year to make them!

Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
3 tbsp of agave nectar (or maple syrup)
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1 beaten egg
3/4 cup soy milk
2 tbsp melted butter
1/2 cup canned pumpkin


Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl stir together flour, agave nectar, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt. In a small bowl combine egg, soymilk, and butter; stir in pumpkin. Add to flour mixture and stir until moistened. Spoon batter into muffin cups, filling each about 2/3 full. Bake in the oven for 15 to 18 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Serve warm. Makes 12 muffins or double the recipe for a bigger batch!


Healthful Hint: For vegan muffins replace the butter and egg with applesauce.

YUM IT UP: Add nuts and raisins for a more complete muffin. Or turn it into a cupcake with a creamcheese frosting! (creamcheese mixed with maple syrup and a bit of butter too!)

Fall: Change is in the Air

Change. It seems to be the new buzzword these days. September is a time to change seasons. You can feel the energy of change in the air if you are still long enough to sense it. So what do you want to change?

I'm definitely not talking politics here. I'm talking about your health. Maybe you want to change your fitness routine, dietary habits or some nasty lifestyle habit that you have been hanging on to? This is the perfect time of year to take on a new challenge. Take advantage of that fresh fall energy and do something different. Try and balance your own yin and yang energy. Too many of us let ourselves be dominated by only one (mostly yang in city-living). Here's a few ideas to get you started:

1. Change your exercise program. Start a new class. If yoga is all you do try something faster like spinning or kickboxing. If you only workout in gyms, try an outdoor workout.

2. If you eat meat everyday, try cutting back for a bit and see how you feel. If you tend to not eat all day and stuff yourself at dinner, try eating a healthy breakfast and lunch and then a small dinner.

3. Change something in your personal life. A bad relationship? Sleeping habits that leave you exhausted? A cluttered closet? Cleaning up messes can help shift your energy and open up doors for positive change.
So, get out there and make a difference for yourself. You can't just think it, taking action will make all the difference!

Zucchini Lasagna

INGREDIENTS:

3 cups tomato sauce
4 large zucchini
1 pound ricotta cheese (to reduce calories, choose skim orpart skim ricotta)
1 pound shredded cheese (mozzarella, provolone, fontina, etc. again choose part skim if possible and organic of course)
2 cups diced mixed vegetables (mushrooms, onion, bell pepper, etc)

Preheat oven to 350. Thinly slice zucchini (1/8 inch).

Spread 1 c sauce in baking dish. Add a layer of overlapping zucchini slices. Add half of ricotta cheese, one third of shredded cheese, and half of vegetables. Top with 1 c sauce.

Repeat layering with zucchini, ricotta, cheese, and vegetables. Top with remaining sauce and cheese.

Bake for one hour until bubbly. Let cool, then refrigerate overnight. Cut into pieces, reheat, and serve.

Summertime BBQ Gets a Makeover

If you are like me, there's nothing I love more than a summertime BBQ, minus burgers, piggy parts, steak and ribs. There are so many different foods that you can grill that don't have to clog your arteries and weigh you down.

You can make an entire Mediterranean style vegetarian meal on the grill and add some fresh fish as well. Invest in some rolls of tinfoil, a nice bottle of extra virgin olive oil and a canister of sea salt. The rest is easy. Go to your local farmer's market (if you have one nearby), and purchase a variety of your favorite fresh veggies like eggplant, zucchini, onions, peppers, tomatoes, portobello mushrooms. Next slice them up, drizzle with EVOO and add a touch of salt. Grill them in tin foil to avoid charring them. Charring foods on the grill increases their carcinogenic potential. Add some kind of hard cheeses, like haloumi (see recipe below), and you have a delicious, light meal with no cleaning up!

If you want to include some good clean fish to your meal, take a fresh piece of a locally caught white fish and prepare it in the same way with a squeeze of fresh lemon or even lime. This time of year you can find great locally caught (if you live on the east coast) fluke, striped bass and cod. Remember to limit your tuna, shark, tilefish, and swordfish intake due to higher levels of mercury and heavy metal toxins.

It's the weekend, so share a bottle of red wine with your friends and family to complete the meal. Red wine contains an anti-oxidant called resveratrol which has been linked to reducing heart disease and fighting cancer. Live a little. It's the Mediterranean way. Viva!

Tomato, Haloumi and Spinach Salad

INGREDIENTS:

• 6 1/2 oz. of haloumi cheese
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh oregano
• 1tbsp chopped fresh marjoram
• 8 Roma tomatoes, halved
• 1 small red onion, sliced
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 5 oz. baby spinach leaves

PREPARATION:
Cut the haloumi into 1/2 inch thick slices lengthways and put in a shallow dish. Mix together the oil, garlic and herbs and pour over haloumi. Marinate for 1 to 2 hours.
Preheat oven to about 400 degrees. Place the tomato and onion in a single layer in a roasting tin, drizzle with 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil and 1 tbsp of the vinegar and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 45 minutes, or until golden. A faster option is to grill them.

In a seperate skillet drain the haloumi and cook for 1 minute each side or until golden brown. Again you can grill the cheese if the bbq is already going.
Divide the spinach leaves among four plates and top with the tomato and onion. Whisk the remaining olive oil and vinegar and drizzle over salad and top with haloumi. Enjoy!