Zucchini Nutrition Facts

There’s zucchini…and then, well, there’s ZUCCHINI (see photo). This popular variety of summer vegetable is light, refreshing, versatile and delicious. Zucchini is easy to grow in a home garden….and boy, does it grow. Summer squash is in peak season early in the summer but home gardeners may not harvest it until mid-summer or later. Eating produce in-season ensures fantastic flavor and lower prices. Late summer and early fall is not time to wind down your trips to the farmer’s markets, but to kick it into high-gear as August is a big harvest month.

Summer squashes are relatives to winter squashes, such as pumpkins as well as melons and cucumbers. They belong to the Cucurbitaceae family of plants. Zucchini has a soft shell and creamy white flesh. In terms of selection, choose firm zucchini (free of blemishes) with a shiny, slightly prickly green skin. Store in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days. DO NOT wash until you are ready to use.

This low-carbohydrate vegetable offers 20 calories per cup, sliced, 0 g fat, 4 g carbohydrate, 3 g sugar, 1 g protein, 1 g dietary fiber and 10 mg sodium. Zucchini is an excellent source of vitamin C and a good source of other essential micronutrients, such as molybdenum, vitamin B6 and manganese. Summer squash is one of the best food sources of various carotenoids (antioxidants found in dark green/orange veggies), such as alpha- and beta-carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin, and beta-cryptoxanthin. Supporting healthy eyesight, offering anti-cancer benefits and supporting blood sugar metabolism are just three of the many health benefits of this nutrient-dense veggie. Eat raw (as a snack or on top of a salad) or slice and steam to retain the most nutrients (skin-on). Zucchini can be frozen, but doing so will soften the flesh…however, frozen summer squash actually retains its antioxidant content (potency) very well.

You can find recipes for zucchini bread, cake, muffins, etc. What about something different and super-easy? Cut your zucchini length-wise in 1/4″ slices. Brush lightly with olive oil and grill seasoning (and/or seasonings you like). Grill (on a pre-heated grill) until tender, about 3-4 minutes per side!

Refreshing, cool, hydrating summer snacks

Do you find that the summer heat takes a lot out of you? Shake things up by making fruit-based popsicles and slushies. They offer calories (as a snack), vitamins and minerals and the nutrient most essential for life (2nd only to oxygen)… water.

Kitchen Essentials: Blender and Popsicle Molds

Two essential kitchen accessories to ensure happy faces all summer include a high-powered blender and a set of popsicle molds. Make your own tasty, refreshing slushies and popsicles. There are many recipes available online. You can also make up your own recipes. Use what’s in season and think outside of the box. When it’s super-hot, you may not feel like eating. Irregular eating patterns can zap energy. For a fun pick-me-up, these treats can do the trick.

Suggested Recipes:

A few ideas to get you started: in a blender, whip up equal parts nonfat yogurt and frozen raspberries (about 1 cup of each). Add sugar or another sweetener to taste. Blend well, pour into molds and freeze. Love avocados? This neutral-flavored, creamy fruit makes great (saturated fat-free) ‘ice cream’ and ‘ice’ pops. Start by combining a 1/2 cup sugar and 1 cup water in a pot. Place on the stove top (medium heat), stirring occasionally until the mixture boils and the sugar dissolves completely in the water. Let cool to room temperature. In the meantime, scoop the flesh out of two medium-sized ripe avocados and put in a blender. Add the cooled sugar-water mixture. Add 2 TB fresh lime juice. Optional ingredients include fresh mint leaves and/or a splash of tequila (adults only!). Blend well at high-speed. Pour into popsicle molds. Freeze and enjoy. Each recipe makes 5-6 large popsicles.

Make yourself a hydrating, refreshing green slushy by combining, in a blender: 1 cup cucumber (peeled, seeded regular or ‘English’ cucumber), 2 cups honeydew melon chunks (that you’ve frozen), a dozen fresh mint leaves and 2 – 4 tbsp. fresh lime juice (to taste) as well as 1 – 2 tsp. honey. Blend well and serve in 2 tall glasses.

All three of the above recipes offer 100 to 200 calories per serving.

Body Weight Exercises for Back

Body Weight Exercises for Back: Significance

Your back takes a beating every day – and deserves your care and attention. A strong back is a healthy back. Aesthetics aside, there are many small back muscles that support your spine and those that play a role in proper posture. You can work those at the same time as you are training the larger muscles with body weight exercises and/or isolate them with specific exercises that also involve your core, such as bird-dogs.

While there are dozens of effective body weight exercises to work your upper, mid and lower back muscles, you don’t want to spend your whole workout concentrating on one area of the body. Workout smarter and harder, not necessarily longer, for best results.

Body Weight Exercises for Back: Specifics

Body weight exercises give you opportunity to work multiple muscle groups at the same time. Work your upper back by squeezing your shoulder blades together during slow incline push ups, or the muscles that line your spine by doing alternating leg raises while performing a plank. Or alternate a standard plank with a superman.

For the following body weight exercises, you’ll need access to a bar, railing or even the jungle-gym at your local park. Be creative. Today’s jungle-gyms have platforms of varying heights, for more flexibility with your exercise choices. Performing a standard pull up (all variations) is an excellent exercise, but very difficult for most women that at first (without assistance and/or a partner). What do you do if you are working out alone or do not have a band to off-set some of your body weight? Try a self-assisted pull-up or a body row (technically an inverted row) instead. The emphasis is on your posterior deltoids and latissimus dorsi (upper back). The greater the incline or the less assistance you allow yourself, the harder the body weight exercises will be.