Marilu Henner's Blog, page 127

KALE CHIPS

One of the easiest, and  HEALTHIEST, snacks you'll ever make.

1 bunch kale, washed, spun dry and torn into bite size pieces

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon nutritional yeast (optional)

Lay kale pieces in a single layer on a lightly oiled jelly roll pan

Bake at 350 for 18 minutes or until crisp (Depending on your oven you may need to rotate the inner pieces to the edge and the outer pieces to the center in order to have them done evenly)

Toss in a bowl with the olive oil, salt and nutritional yeast (if using)

GENIUS

"WHAT IS CALLED GENIUS IS THE ABUNDANCE OF LIFE AND HEALTH."

Henry David Thoreau

 

Some people just seem to have abundance in their lives.  We're not talking about material abundance but an abundance of energy, health, gusto.   It's a wise person who learns how to care for themselves. 

Learn all you can to make your health, your world, your life, better. 

Marilu.com is a great tool to help you do that.  We've got great classes scheduled in the coming months, beginning with our annual Booty Camp, followed by a Memory Makeover with Marilu and a Viva la Vegan workshop in June! 

 

Be a part of it.  It could be one of your smartest decisions ever !

Happy St. Paddy's Day

On March 17th everyone's got a little bit o' the Irish in them.  It's fun to celebrate but if you're new to a healthy lifestyle you might be wondering how to do that without the typical tradition (at least here in America) of corned beef and cabbage. 

Veg News recently had some fun with this and gave a shout out to some fun vegan friendly bars.  Some of these may be in your area but if not think about how you might want to celebrate with some vegan food and fun, either out with friends or in your own home. 

Make a THM version of Irish Coffee…either with or without alcohol, some tea bread or some split pea soup.  There are a lot of ways to have fun, celebrate a bit and not compromise your health ! 

http://vegnews.com/articles/page.do?pageId=4304&catId=7

Cabbage

Cabbage is a healthy and versatile vegetable.  There are so many things you can do with this from making vegetarian cabbage rolls, sauteeing it as the main ingredient in a pasta dish, shredding it for cole slaw or in a salad, adding it to soups or making vegetarian colcannon. 

A cup of cabbage contains only 22 calories but packs a nutritional wallop.  It's loaded  with sulforaphane, a chemical that increases your body's production of the enzymes that disarm cell-damaging, cancer-causing free radicals.

Good News for Health Care

It's been reported that 87% of  medical students feel that their nutrition education is lacking.  With nutrition playing such a vital role in our health this is alarming.

Now, thanks to The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, there is a free website aimed at helping health care professionals expand their knowledge in the area of nutrition.  In addition to webcasts, video and text courses, NutritionCME.org  also offers conference updates, resources and breaking medical news. 

Some of the diverse offerings on NutritionCME.org include webcasts on the Power of Sustainable Changes in Diet and Lifestyle by Dean Ornish, M.D., Health Effects of Soyfoods: Separating the Data from Misinformation by Mark Messina, Ph.D., M.S., and Vegan Diets for Diabetes by PCRM's own director of diabetes education and care Caroline Trapp, M.S.N., C.D.E.

We include this information for those of you in the health care field who might be interested in checking it out, and invite those of you who aren't to discuss it with your own health care providers.

Why Rye?

Many people are becoming more aware of what they're putting into their bodies.  Diets rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains are gaining popularity.  If you're just beginning on your health journey chances are the grains you're including are rice and oats.  That's great.  Easy enough. 

The next step is to experiment with brown rice, wild rice and other grains. 

If you've never tried rye (aside from a sandwich on rye bread) why not give it a try this week.  There are a lot of good reasons to add this to your diet. 

A diet high in whole grains can reduce your risk of cancer, diabetes and heart disease. 

According to The American Journal of Gastroenterology the insoluble fiber in rye can help prevent gallstones in women.

Rye contains Vitamin E, calcium, iron, thiamine, phosphorous and potassium.

The fiber in rye has a high water binding capacity allowing you to feel full longer. 

1 cup of cooked rye berries delivers 34% of your recommended daily fiber intake.

Rye tastes great and is versatile enough to appear at any meal.  Enjoy it in a hot breakfast cereal, add it to stir fry, soups, or even a salad.  It adds flavor and texture and keeps your meals interesting.

Vegan Money Pits

A vegetarian, or vegan, lifestyle is not only good for the planet and good for your health but it can be good for your wallet…..unless you fall into some common traps. 

 The most common trap might be buying something you don't need or want just BECAUSE it's vegan.  You're really full, you weren't planning on dessert but there's a vegan cupcake on the menu so you just HAVE to have it. 

Or you wander into the grocery store hungry and load up on every cookie and snack food that fits the bill. 

Of course this happens to everyone, not just vegans and vegetarians but after so many years of limited choices it's tempting to load up your cart.

Resist temptation.  In the first place, processed food is still processed food and you do want to have a HEALTHY lifestyle.  And secondly, this way of eating is becoming more mainstream so that pack of cookies is NOT your last chance at a vegan treat. 

Visit the recipe forum here at Marilu.com for some great ideas that will keep you healthy AND fiscally responsible.

Chopped Vegetable Salad

This salad is so fresh and clean, you'll feel both virtuous AND energized !

2 beefsteak tomatoes, sliced thick

1 bunch asparagus, ends trimmed

1 large green bell pepper, top and bottom sliced off

2 ears corn on the cob, shucked

3 large carrots, peeled and sliced thickly, lengthwise

1/4 pound fresh green beans, ends trimmed

10 cloves minced garlic

1/3 cup Dijon mustard

3/4 cup olive oil

1 head Romaine lettuce, washed and sliced

In a large bowl add garlic and 2 ounces of olive oil.  Add vegetable, season with salt and fresh ground black pepper.  Grill on medium heat and set aside. 

Chop all vegetables into medium size pieces just before serving.  Add vinaigrette and place on top of shredded roamtine lettuce.

Be Aware

"SELF AWARENESS IS THE BEGINNING OF WISDOM AND A PREREQUISITE FOR SELF-CARE."

Marilu Henner

 

Marilu's words are a great way to begin the week, especially for those of you who are taking her Blast Class in the member's area.  This quote is from the first of Marilu's Total Health Makeover books;  the one in which she introduces the 10 steps of her program.

Why not begin your week with total honesty and self awareness.  Think about your health, your menu and your lifestyle choices.  What areas do you need to tweak in order to be the very best version of yourself?

Beauty on a Budget

To keep your lips soft and protected during your workout try this simple tip.  It will save you money and give you a natural look at the same time.

Take an old lipstick that's worn too low to use, or one of the samples that we all have lying around.  Scrape it into a small bowl and mix well with shea butter straight from the jar or vaseline that's been softened in the microwave or on the stove top.   When well mixed you can transfer this to a small jar. 

If you don't have a leftover jar from eye cream, or another product, you can purchase a small container at the drugstore for next to nothing. 

Take it a step further and make a bigger batch to share with friends.  In attractive containers you can use these as favors.  And think of the fun you can have naming the shades !