Marilu Henner's Blog, page 179

USDA 2010 dietary guidelines released

The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, unveiled today, highlight the benefits of vegetarian and vegan diets, drawing praise from nutrition experts at the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM). The new Guidelines go farther than previous federal policies in acknowledging the power of plant-based diets for health.

The Dietary Guidelines—issued by the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services every five years—are the blueprint for all federal nutrition programs, including school meals. The new Guidelines devote two full pages to vegetarian and vegan nutrition, and point out that these eating patterns provide nutritional advantages and reduce obesity, heart disease, and overall mortality. Vegetarian diets may include dairy products and eggs, while vegan diets avoid all animal products.

~ www.pcrm.org, New Dietary Guidelines Back Plant-Based Diets to Fight Obesity

 

There are vast improvements in the new dietary guidelines, but they still fall short in recommending eating less of certain foods. And in the 95-page document, there is no simple chart to help guide people in choosing what to eat.

We offer a couple of alternatives *

The Power Plate (from PCRM) is a vegan "Basic 4″ guide to a variety of plant-based foods.

The Healthy Eating Pyramid was develped by Dr. Walter Willett and the Harvard School of Public Health. It's not totally THM-friendly, but it's easily adaptable.

 

Marilu in new movie

Accidentally in Love

Hallmark Channel

Saturday, February 12, 2011

9 PM / 8 PM Central

Eddie James, a disgruntled actor who wants to do more than play "Mulligan the Rabbit" on a children's TV show, discovers life can change in a heartbeat when he accidentally gets into a car accident with single mother Annie Baker. In the unexpected friendship that develops between them, Eddie tries to help Annie's nearly-blind daughter Taylor get an operation to restore her sight.

Stars Jennie Garth, Ethan Erickson, Fred Willard and Marilu Henner.

Check it out here.

 

Featured recipe from Marilu's table * Tofu satay with peanut sauce

During next weekend's Super Bowl, many people have entire meals made of appetizers (we do!). If you're going to a Super Bowl party, bring this along for everyone to enjoy. The flavors are bold and delicious – the perfect way to introduce people to tofu.

Tofu is sold two different ways – packed in water (found in the fridge case) and packed in aseptic boxes (found on the shelf). For this recipe, choose the water-packed. To press the tofu, just pour off the water, and place the block of tofu between clean dry kitchen towels or paper towels, and then between two plates. Put a weight, like a can, on the top plate and let the whole "sandwich" sit for about 15 minutes. This helps remove the excess liquid from the tofu, and allows it to absorb the flavors of the marinate better. (It's not hard. You can do it!)

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Tofu Satay with Peanut Sauce

Yellow * Serves 4 (appetizer)

1 block firm tofu, pressed dry and sliced into 8 long pieces

8 wooden skewers

Marinade:

3 Tablespoons agave syrup

4 Tablespoons sesame oil

1/2 Tablespoon ground coriander

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

3 Tablespoons lime juice

2 Tablespoons tamari or soy sauce

2 Tablespoons peanut butter

Mix all ingredients in a food processor and pour into shallow glass dish. Marinate the tofu in the mixture for 1 hour. Soak the wooden skewers in water for at least 15 minutes, and up to an hour (while the tofu marinates).

Grill or broil for about 2-3 minutes on each side. Serve with peanut sauce.

Peanut sauce

Mix together:

2 cups soy milk

1/2 cup sweetened coconut

1 teaspoon crushed red chile flakes

1/2 teaspoon ground caraway

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

4 cloves garlic, crushed

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 Tablespoons peanut butter

1-2 Tablespoons lemon or lime juice

 

Spirit Sunday * Word of the day

We saw a commercial for a popular cereal the other day, and we liked it – so we're borrowing it. (Thanks, Special K!)

If you were to stand on a scale that gave you – instead of a numeric readout of your weight – a word that described you in this moment, what would it be? The commercial called it a satisfaction scale, so we'll borrow that term, but if you're not satisfied, choose the best word that fits you, now.

How adjective best describes your attitude?

How are you feeling?

What's occupying your brain-space?

Where are your thoughts focused?

What word – one word – would show on your satisfaction scale today?

 

What is music doing here?

Listening to music while you workout makes you work at a consistent pace (the tempo of the song). The faster the tempo, the faster you'll workout. Structure your playlist with warm-up and cool-down music, and even intervals of faster and (slightly) slower songs.

Music distracts you from what might become boring (running, for example – not that it's boring for everyone, and certainly your surroundings will also impact your emotions about it – running on an indoor track that requires 15 laps for a mile though? That requires distraction. And yes, that's at our gym.).

Music keeps you from looking at your watch or the clock on the wall. Your focus is on the songs and the motion, not on how much time you have left.

Music is fun. And exercise should be fun, too.

If you have songs you'd like to suggest for the blog here at Marilu.com, we'd love to hear them.

 

Get up and move

Some songs just energize us – really get us excited about moving. This one isn't always on our exercise playlist, though.

Sometimes it's on the "cleaning the house" playlist (if you don't have one of those, you're missing out on some motivation for dusting the tschotskes and mopping the floors).

Sometimes it's on the "getting ready for a hot date" playlist (seriously – we have a playlist for just about everything). This last addition is a direct result of how the song was used in The Devil Wears Prada.

Whenever we hear it, though, it motivates us to get moving, so we offer it today to help you DO whatever it is you're DOing.

Get up and do.

//www.marilu.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/05 City Of Blinding Lights.mp3

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Amazon.com Widgets

 

Fitness Friday * Unpack your saddlebags

You can tone your outer thighs with side leg lifts. Best of all, you can do this exercise standing at the kitchen counter, pumping gas, stirring the soup, waiting in line, or almost anywhere!

Stand up tall and lift your right leg out to the side a few feet, then pull it back in. Most important: use your thigh muscles, not momentum, to make the movement. Keep it slow and controlled. If you're having trouble keeping your balance, place your left hand on the back of a chair or another stationary object. Repeat the lift 15 times on one side, then switch to the other side.

Hiho Saddlebags, Away!

 

Marilu will be at Dr Joel Fuhrman's Health Getaway * Early bird registration ends soon

Dr. Fuhrman's 2011 Health Getaway

June 26 – July 2, 2011

The Grand Summit Hotel, Park City, Utah

Dr. Fuhrman invites you to join his 2011 annual Health Getaway. From the moment you arrive at Canyons Resort an inspiring, learning and fun-filled stay awaits. Daily events include lectures and workshops led by Dr. Fuhrman, delicious high-nutrient nutritarian cuisine, health screenings and planned social events. Dr. Fuhrman's program is a health-promoting life-changing experience for you and your loved ones.

Dr. Fuhrman is pleased to announce this year's special celebrity guest emcee, Marilu Henner!

All-inclusive package includes *

Daily lectures presented by Dr. Fuhrman on the latest nutritional research
Dr. Fuhrman's nutritarian cuisine at every meal
Deluxe accommodations
Health screening
Cooking demonstrations
Exercise classes – twice daily
Roundtable discussions – "living it" with Lisa Fuhrman
Discussion groups to support you in a nutritarian lifestyle
Fun and activities for the whole family
Outdoor pool
Whirlpool tub
Scenic gondola rides
Hiking / mountain bike trails
Each room comes with complimentary wireless high speed internet
Welcome gift for each guest

Find more information here.

 

New class coming in February!

The CORE CLASS ♥ Getting to the Heart of THM

What is more basic than loving yourself? Your Total Health Makeover provides the keys for learning to love yourself – with the right food, the right exercise, the right self-care.

This 10-day class will focus on using your personal strengths to help you succeed with your Total Health Makeover.

Online classes at Marilu.com offer you *

Marilu Henner's daily plan for your personal goals and priorities…
Access to Marilu's proven meal plan that works…
Support for your exercise program…
Live chats with Marilu…
Ideas and tips for improving every aspect of your life…
Coach Heather, a THM® expert who will be in touch with you every day…
A community of friends who are doing the program right along with you…
Don't wait… make sure you're signed up for Marilu's new online class today!

 

Featured recipe from Marilu's table * Asian red snapper

Sometimes we get in a rut with our meals. This is a dinner that will shock you out of your rut (probably) with restaurant-quality flavors and techniques that are easy to replicate.

We like to serve this with braised baby bok choy (top with sliced almonds) and brown rice.

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Asian Red Snapper

Purple * Serves 2

1 pound of red snapper fillet

2 stalks of green onion, cut in half vertically and then sliced again into three sections each (you will have six very thin sections)

1 thumb-size piece of ginger, peeled and thinly sliced

4 Tablespoons soy sauce or Bragg's Liquid Aminos

4 Tablespoons rice wine

1 teaspoon sesame seed oil

1 small can or jar water chestnuts

2 ounces dried shiitake mushrooms soaked in water to soften (squeeze out excess water and chop into bite size pieces)

4 Tablespoons of hot chili oil (optional)

Brush baking dish with sesame oil and preheat oven to 450F.

Place snapper in baking dish and top with remaining ingredients except the chili oil. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes.

Heat the chili oil until almost smoking. Pour the oil over the fish (carefully). Serve immediately.