Marilu Henner's Blog, page 173

Damage control day

Damage control day is when we try to put out fires before they even happen.

Try to anticipate anything that's about to go haywire. If you've been taking care of yourself and your body, you'll feel better, have more control, and be better organized in your life, so you'll be able to focus your antenna outward. (See, this really is the TOTAL Health Makeover®.)

Have your radar set higher than you normally would be for potential danger. Anticipate and fix the problem before it all falls apart. Instead of giving in to the toxicity of the relationships either at home or at work, rise above it and be the negotiator. A lot of times in show business, people are working close together and tempers often flare at the lightest provocation. It's so important to stay calm and centered during those volatile times.

 

Featured recipe from Marilu's table * Asian edamame dip

We're not sure where this recipe came from, but it's delicious and packed with protein. It's the perfect dip for raw veggies or baked pita chips or rice crackers.

If you're not a fan of cilantro, substitute fresh parsley. If you don't have peanut butter, substitute another nut or seed butter.

If you don't have a food processor, you can make this in a blender, but you'll need to stop and scrape down the sides frequently. (Or use a VitaMix! Find out how to win one here!)

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Asian Edamame Dip

Green * Makes 1 cup

1 cup frozen shelled edamame (don't buy the ones in the pod, and don't buy canned soybeans)

1 Tablespoon minced fresh ginger

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 cup light silken tofu (the kind in the aseptic box, such as MoriNu)

1 cup cilantro leaves

3 Tablespoons peanut butter

2 Tablespoons low-sodium tamari

2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice

1/2 teaspoon siracha or chile-garlic paste

Bring a small pot of salted water to a boil. Add the edamame and cook for 10 minutes. Drain.

Place minced ginger, minced garlic, edamame, tofu, cilantro leaves, peanut butter, tamari, lime juice, and siracha in the food processor, fitted with the blade. Process, pulsing and scraping down the sides as required, until the dip is the texture you like (chunky-smooth).

Refrigerate in a sealed container for at least 3 hours to allow flavors to develop.

 

Get running

Get running… or walking, anyway – whatever your fast pace is.

It's time to stop strolling and start rolling along.

If the sidewalks and running tracks aren't clear and dry where you are, then find an indoor track. Check the local Y or fitness center for a track, or speedwalk at the mall. We like actually moving better than a treadmill, but those are good, too – plus you know exactly how fast you're going, and you can make it go faster!

That's today's plan – move faster. Challenge yourself to pick up the pace. Run like a river!

//www.marilu.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/08 Watching The River Run.mp3

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Amazon.com Widgets

 

Junk the junk for a fresh, clean start

Remove all the food saboteurs from your cupboard, cabinets, refrigerator, and freezer. If you follow Lenten practices (or even if you don't), it's a good time to get back to basics and strip out the extras.

You know the extras we're talking about – the chips and dips, the ice cream, the candies and cookies. Your intentions are good – you'll just have an occasional treat, right?

Wrong! You'll be tempted during times of weakness – boredom, stress, thirst, pressed for time, angry or upset, etc., etc., etc.

While you're at it, read the labels of all the prepared and processed food – cereals, frozen breakfasts and dinners, drink mixes and juices, canned soups and sauces. You may find "junk" on those labels, too, and it's just easier to get rid of the things you don't want standing in your way to good health. (If the packages are unopened, we suggest a donation to your local food shelf. Some food is better than no food for many people.)

So while you're feeling strong today, fill your garbage bags, not your saddlebags!

 

New class starts Monday!

Are you in a rut?

Is your weight stuck at one number?

Are you tired of your workout?

Do your menus bore you?

Well get ready for MIX IT UP MARCH! We'll mix it up, shake it out, stir it around – and get ready for a fresh, sexy spring!

Class begins Monday, March 14 for ten weekdays, ending Friday, March 25.

Your coaches are the amazing Lyrical, an experienced THMer with a sparkling personality and lots of great ideas, and her son Chef Ryan! Ryan was in high school (or maybe middle school) when his mom decided they'd be eating healthier foods and following Marilu's THM® program. He learned to love a great variety of food (we can tell you about the first summer they subscribed to a farm share, and he found all kinds of new favorites – and sometimes ate all the plums or all the carrots or all the berries before his mom got home from work). He fell in love with preparing food so it was both delicious and healthy, so much that he went to chef school and found a career he's passionate about!

Now for these ten days, we get Chef Ryan as a coach!

Take this class to mix up your routine, shake things up, kick it into high gear, and get ready for spring. Get fresh and get sexy by mixing it up!

Members are automatically enrolled in class – just check your inbox on the first day of class for the class daily email.

Not a member? Join now!

Hey! Get a friend to join with you and earn an entry in the drawing for a free Vitamix! Read the details here.

 

Nightshades and joint pain

If you have arthritis, or a sensitivity to swollen joints, or have a family history of arthritis, or are prone to cold sores or psoriasis…you may find that foods in the nightshade family cause irritation.

What are nightshades? Tomatoes, white potatoes, peppers (includes bell peppers, cayenne, chili, paprika, pimiento – but not peppercorns) and eggplant .. as well as tobacco and belladonna. These are all members of the Solanaceae family of plants, historically referred to as "nightshades." It is thought the name originated among the Romans who ground up a so-called deadly black nightshade and put it in an alcoholic drink intended for an enemy. The shade came down for a long night: they died. The botanical name for the black nightshade is Atropa belladonna L.

The degree of sensitivity is different for everyone. You may be fine eating these foods, or just some of them. The only way to really know is to eliminate them for a while and see how you feel, not only 'off' these foods, but again once you re-introduce them to your diet.

According to Dr. Norman F. Childers of the Arthritis Nightshades Research Foundation, the nightshade family can be tricky. After eating a tomato, it can take as long as 48 hours before a reaction occurs. And it can actually take as long as six months for all reactions to stop. This means if you want to thoroughly test for nightshades you may need to completely give up every member of this family for six months.

Some people find they have moderate levels of sensitivity. Perhaps you just need to moderate your intake of nightshades. If you find you are more sensitive to these foods, your avoidance really extends beyond the foods themselves. Prepared foods often have potato starch or tomato paste. Relish may contain peppers or paprika. Anytime you see "spices" listed under ingredients, the food may contain paprika or peppers. Now if this seems extreme, it's meant mainly for those who have severe sensitivities to nightshades. But it also illustrates another reason to read labels!

 

Featured recipe from Marilu's table * White bean salad

We love this salad served in pepper cups. Wash three bell peppers (we like using different colors), slice them in half vertically, then remove the ribs and seeds, keeping the halves intact. Fill each pepper half with a scoop of white bean salad.

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White Bean Salad

Green * Serves 6 to 8

1 19-ounce can white beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup diced organic tomatoes

1/2 cup diced organic red onions

1/2 cup minced fresh parsley

2 ounces soy mozzarella, cubed

1/4 cup lemon juice

3 Tablespoons olive oil

1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 garlic clove, minced

2 teaspoons lemon zest

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

In a large bowl, gently mix beans, tomatoes, onions, parsley, and soy mozzarella.

In a small bowl, mix remaining ingredients. Combine and toss.

 

Spirit Sunday * Work it!

Spirit Sunday is all about renewing your spirit for the week ahead, taking a personal time out for something beautiful or spiritual or enjoyable. Today we're sharing another example of gusto – celebrating life and family, and having fun.

This video starts like many other home videos, but give it a couple of minutes and you'll be grinning ear to ear, thinking, "yeah! work it, guys!"

 

 

Have fun this weekend! Do something a little bit silly or a little bit wild. Work it!

 

There's something fishy going on

Seafood is part of the Total Health Makeover® for those who choose to eat animal protein, and Lent starts next Wednesday – fish is a traditional Lenten food, and it's often on sale during the next six weeks at your grocery store.

Not all seafood is good for you, though. How do you know what's good for you, and what's really not so healthy? (Rule number 1 – Don't automatically trust the person trying to make the sale…)

 

Monterey Bay Aquarium keeps this information updated and available for everyone. We love that they've dedicated themselves to gathering this information and publishing it.

Download pocket guides here – they're available by region of the US. There's even a sushi guide!

 

 

 

 

 

Or get a mobile application – iPhone users can download this application, or if you have another phone with internet service, just go to mobile.seafoodwatch.org.

 

Work those abs, baby

It doesn't take hundreds of crunches to get rock-hard abs. By standing up straight (and sitting up straight) and pulling your abs in tight, you'll work them out all day long! And we all know that 16 hours of holding your abs in is a lot more of a workout than 5 minutes of crunches.

The best solution is to do some crunches AND pull your abs in all day.

Try it like this * When you sit and stand, imagine there's a string attached to the top of your head pulling your whole body up. See how your hips automatically tuck under and your tummy sucks in? For comparison, slump down and see how your stomach pooches out.

It will take a while to train your body how to sit and stand correctly. But keep it up and soon it will become second nature. You'll look younger, thinner, and have great abs!