Making healthy food choices
April is National Garden Month and, as we transition to the warmer days of May, a great time to consider growing fresh herbs. Why? A few of the benefits include versatility, flavor, nutrition and health benefits, cost and convenience. Light gardening, such as growing herbs in pots, for example, is great for reducing stress, fostering creative juices and adding freshness to your diet.
Herbs can grow in soil in the ground, in raised beds or pots. What to start with? Start with the herbs you already use and are easy to grow and thrive, such as basil, thyme and oregano. While you can grow many herbs successfully from seed, using starter plants from trusted sources gives you the ability to harvest your herbs almost immediately. Parsley, mint and basil are well suited to growing in pots. If you start from seed, expect a 3-week wait for adequate growth before harvesting.
Herbs need plenty of sunlight, at least 6 hours/day, pots with adequate drainage (terra cotta pots work well) and potting soil (versus garden soil). Better to use a pot that is too large than too small as the plant can outgrow the pot and easily dry-out. You can plant several herbs in a larger pot as they may do better growing together, sharing resources. Be sure to choose herbs with similar hydration needs.
What are pulses (in food terms?) Pulses are the official name for a broad category of plant foods in the form of dry, edible seeds that grow in pods. All pulses are legumes but not all legumes are pulses (think peanuts and soybeans). The main categories of pulses are dried beans, peas, chickpeas and lentils.
What are the advantages to eating pulses? They are protein and fiber-rich, also an excellent source of complex carbohydrate and many other nutrients. If you are starting with the dried (not canned) form, soak overnight. This softens the seed and decreases cooking time, which makes them easier to digest (less gas). Pulses are vitamin-and-mineral-rich, high in magnesium, zinc, iron and folate, to name a few. Here are a few key health benefits:
When you are being mindful, you are present in the moment. You are aware of your thoughts and feelings, body sensations and environment. It involves bringing your focus to the present moment through a variety of exercises and strategies. Mindfulness exercises promote positive psychology and reduce feelings of stress. Practicing mindfulness enables you to slow down, to observe without over-reacting and feeling overwhelmed. It can bring you feelings of peace.
One exercise for promoting mindfulness is the Five Senses exercise. It involves tuning into your environment using all five senses, being fully aware. In the following order you take a moment to (1) notice 5 things you can see (possibly things you might otherwise not notice), (2) notice 4 things you can feel (such as the texture of the shirt you are wearing, a smooth surface, the sun on your face), (3) notice 3 things you hear in the background, (2) notice 2 things you can smell and, (1) notice one thing you can taste (of a drink, of the taste in your mouth, the air, a piece of gum). Finish this exercise aware, appreciative and centered.
Spring is here and it’s time for fresh ideas. Have you ever considered redressing your veggies? Good sauces enhance a vegetables natural flavor while keeping the veggie the ‘star’ side dish. Buttery cheese sauces are tasty but hardly the only option. Why not try these uncooked sauces for a tasty veggie topping or dip:
Less than half of Americans get the recommended minimum for physical activity, 150 minutes of moderately-intense exercise. That said, no activity is a waste of time, even small spurts all add up and offer health benefits. Some is better than none.
And that leads us to a current trend known as the micro-workout, also known as a mini training session. Think of a micro workout as an exercise ‘snack’. Snacks, if well planned and nutritious, help to bridge gaps in the diet and contribute to overall nutrient needs. They are, essentially, small meals. Micro-workouts are exercise bouts that last at least 20 seconds but typically less than 10 minutes. Knowing you can get through a session in a few minutes is motivating.
Intense exercise spurts of 20-60 and up to 3-7 minutes at a time, offers huge benefits. Any movement you can comfortably maintain for 30 seconds, engages large muscle groups and gets your heart rate elevated can be a micro-workout.
What to do? A quick walk, using a step bench, or performing calisthenics (jumping jacks, squats, lunges, step-ups, push-ups) are all options. A four-minute micro-workout might look like this: 25 seconds: jumping jacks, 25 seconds: body weight squats, (doesn’t have to be high-impact to be vigorous), followed by 10 seconds of rest (or take the rest in-between sets.
The greatest health benefits are seen in those logging 15 minutes per day of micro-workouts. Setting aside 4-5 minutes per day of vigorous intermittent exercise, however, may lower your risk of developing cancer. Other benefits of doing 10-minute micro-workouts 3x/wk include improvements in insulin resistance, increased endurance and lower blood pressures. Even taking quick walks (a couple of minutes every 30-60 minutes) puts you ahead of the game.
