Marilu Henner's Blog, page 222

Fitness Friday * Take your bike for a spin

Indoors or out, bicycling is a great way to burn calories while having fun. Here are some tips for a healthy bike ride:

Wear a helmet when biking outdoors.

Adjust your bike for a proper fit. When seats or handlebars are too low, you can strain your knees, back, neck, arms, and wrists. If you're unsure about what a proper fit is, visit a bike store and ask the experts.

Check the pedal resistance. Too much resistance strains your quads and knees, while too little can hurt the back and pelvis...

Featured recipe from Marilu's table * Parisian snow peas

Spring means peas – all kinds of fresh, bright green peas. Enjoy this easy side dish.

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Parisian Snow Peas

Purple * Serves 4

1 pound snow peas

5 large shallots

1 Tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons Earth Balance margarine

Wash snow peas and pat dry. Remove tips, tails and fibrous strings (very important step).

Place peas in a steamer basket over boiling water. Cover tightly and steam for 2 minutes. Place in a colander and refresh with cold running water. Pat dry.

Peel shallots and chop...

Lean, clean, exciting machine

Whatever you drive, it's a more exciting car if it's well-maintained. So if you can't afford your dream car, keep the car you have clean inside and out.

Wash your car yourself for exercise and fun (it really is fun). Or take it to a car wash (always bring a book to the car wash if it's a nice day… there could be a line).

Remove the trash from your car at least once a week. Do it at the gas station while you fill up, or at home as you move from the car to the house.

Dust the dashboard and...

Pesticides linked to ADHD in children

Exposure to pesticides used on common kid-friendly foods — including frozen blueberries, fresh strawberries and celery — appears to boost the chances that children will be diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, new research shows.

Youngsters with high levels of pesticide residue in their urine, particularly from widely used types of insecticide such as malathion, were more likely to have ADHD, the behavior disorder that often disrupts school and social life...

Get moving * Express yourself

We heard Serena Ryder in concert recently and we loved her energy! She performed without her band, so all her percussion was in the way she played the guitar and stomped her feet. And wow, did she make some noise.

Get up and dance. Stomp your feet, twirl around, shake your head, and really get into it.

We tend to keep our feelings buried in our bodies, repressing them in hunched shoulders, downcast eyes, smaller steps, and poor posture. Play this song and let it all go. Loosen up all...

Book review * Clean Food

Clean Food: A Seasonal Guide to Eating Close to the Source

Terry Walters

Of course we'd be attracted to any cookbook called "Clean Food." It's the perfect title for those of us who love whole foods, seasonal foods, and vegan foods.

The book is in five sections (although the table of contents doesn't divide it this way – this is how we see it): basic information, spring, summer, fall, and winter. It's perfectly organized for seasonal eating, which is the best way to eat the freshest available ...

Featured recipe from Marilu's table * Moroccon grilled salmon

Grilling season is here! We love to hand off some of the kitchen duties to someone else, so we can concentrate on getting the side dishes ready. (And yes, we know that could sound very 1950's, but we like to think of it as sharing the work.)

The "work" in this recipe is preparing the marinade. Allow time for the fish to sit in the marinade – 1-4 hours is ideal (or you can put it in the marinade in the morning and cook the fish for dinner). When it's time for dinner, prepare simple side...

Spirit Sunday * Day of rest

Photo by Katarzyna Lipińska

I still need more healthy rest in order to work at my best. My health is the main capital I have and I want to administer it intelligently.

~ Ernest Hemingway

 

Marilu.com has a "Spirit Sunday" tradition. Take some time today to rest, to relax, to breathe. Enjoy a moment in nature, or a nap, or a yoga meditation, or a prayer. Just take a little time out.

 

Marilu on Good Day Tampa Bay Friday

 

Running on plant power

We were intrigued by this story in the New York Times about ultramarathoner Scott Jurek.

Ultramarathoners are distance runners – really long distance runners. Jurek is currently preparing for a 24-hour race in France, where runners compete by circling a 1.4 km route repeatedly for a whole day, and then find out who went the longest distance. He also runs 100-mile races, races across deserts, and up mountains.

And… he's a vegan.

Jurek eats from 5000 to 8000 calories a day, all plant-based. ...