Tag: #wide-body

Quick and Healthy Breakfast: Tomato, Egg, and Avocado Stack!

Tomato Avocado Egg Stack Cooking Light

Pic from CookingLight.com

Next week, a lot of kids will be starting “back to school”, and in the best of times, this event also means a morning filled with chaos. Even if your child will be attending a virtual classroom, you will still need a morning routine, we have all fallen out of our school morning routine.

So, with this recipe, I will give you:

  1. A quick to prepare dish that so won’t feel rushed
  2. A healthy breakfast that will satisfy your child’s hunger and keep them focused on their schoolwork through the morning!

Ingredients:

  • 1 large beefsteak tomato
  • 1 egg – poached
  • ½ sliced avocado
  • 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
  • Salt (to taste)
  • Pepper (to taste)

Additional Options: Mozzarella, crumbled goat cheese, pine nuts, slivered almonds, basil, olive tapenade

Putting this together is simple. Slice your tomato into three horizontal pieces. Drizzle a little balsamic vinegar on slice, add a slice or two of avocado, salt or pepper to taste, then add the next layer. Add the egg on top. Easy!

TIPS: Poaching or boiling an egg keeps the calories down. You can also boil eggs the night before using, thus making this easier to prepare in the morning. A fried egg would also taste good on this stack, though you will need to consider the added fat.

TIPS: Do you want more protein? Mozzarella is a natural addition to this dish as it goes well with tomatoes. Do you enjoy smoked salmon (lox) in the morning? Most folks can readily find smoked salmon in the store, adding a source of healthy protein, no added fat, and ready to eat. And don’t forget that nuts such as slivered almonds also provide you the protein, fat, and fiber, your body needs.

Now is a great time for this recipe because tomatoes and avocados are in season. Nutritionally, you receive a nice protein boost from the egg, complex carbohydrates from the tomato and avocado, and thus no sugar crash at mid-morning, and the unsaturated fats (the good stuff!) in the avocado will make you feel full without making you feel sleepy.

SERVES 1CALORIES 282; FAT 20.5g (sat 3.8g, mono 11.7g, poly 2.9g); PROTEIN 10g; CARB 19g; FIBER 9g; CHOL 186mg; IRON 2mg; SODIUM 356mg; CALC 63mg

Kudos to Cooking Light for such a fantastic recipe. Check out additional details here: https://www.cookinglight.com/cooking-101/tomato-and-avocado-stack-breakfast-salad-recipe

9 Things That Can Weaken Your Bones

Skeletal and what damages itMaintaining a strong skeletal frame is important as we age for it will protect us from broken bones due to accidents, chronic pain, and arthritis. Most of us know that a healthy diet and exercise help us maintain healthy bones. So, what should we avoid that weakens bones? In this post we’ll explore 9 things that can lead to a weakening of your bones.

Too Much Salt

Salt removes calcium from the body, which can weaken bones. Here is the catch, you need some salt in your diet or else your electrical neural pathways won’t work properly. Find a middle ground and consume no more than 2,300 milligrams/day.
HINT: Breads, cheeses, chips, and cold cuts have some of the highest amounts of salt. If the food has been processed, it will likely have a high amount of salt.

No Exercise

We all enjoy a good television show, website, or a lazy day around the house. But if you always binge watch, spend hours on the computer, or every day is a lazy day, you are hurting your bones. Exercise strengthens bones, whether you are walking, running, lifting weights, gardening, or doing yoga. Allow your body to move against the resistant force of gravity, and your bones will be happy.

Your Only Exercise Is Riding the Bike

Bicycling is FANTASTIC for the heart and lungs and is also a great way to help you drop weight. BUT it is not a weight bearing exercise, which is what your body also needs. If you are an avid cyclist, keep on rolling, but consider adding a walk and or weight training to your routine.

Too Much Time Indoors

Your body needs sunlight as your body produces Vitamin D when exposed to the sun. In our modern society, we spend most of our time indoors, and thus we don’t receive the Vitamin D we need. Your doctor has likely talked to you about supplements. Another course of action is to spend at least 10-15 minutes a day in the sun. No one is saying you need to get a tan and risk skin damage, but some sun exposure is necessary.

Another Round of Drinks

Alcohol restricts your body’s ability to absorb alcohol. Limit your daily alcohol intake to 1 drink per day for women and 2 drinks per day for men.

Wheat Bran Cereal and Milk

Sounds odd, but 100% wheat bran cereal restricts the absorption of calcium in milk. That doesn’t appear to be the case in other items, like bread with wheat bran. So, consider a two hour separation between your wheat bran consumption and your favorite source of calcium.

Smoking

If you smoke, then stop. No surprise in that statement, and smokers know they should stop. Most of us know what smoking does to the heart and lungs, but what is does to the bones is that smoking restricts bone growth, and thus if you have an accident and break a bone, it will take far longer to heal than if you didn’t smoke at all. And for women trying to reverse bone loss, smoking will stop or greatly hinder your attempts.

Prescription Meds

Long term use of glucocorticoid medications, like prednisone and cortisone, can cause bone loss. You like use these anti-inflammatory drugs if you have rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, asthma, or Crohn’s disease.

Being Underweight

Being underweight, a BMI of 18.5 or less, means a greater chance of fracture and bone loss. Your doctor can best tell you I you are or are not underweight, so consult with him or her if you are concerned.

 

Thanks to the folks at WebMD for some of these ideas.  https://www.webmd.com/osteoporosis/ss/slideshow-bone-wreckers

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Zucchini Noodles with Avocado Pesto & Shrimp

Zucchini noodles and avacado pesto

video capture from EatingWell.com

Seeing this recipe makes me want to say, “SHUT UP AND GET IN ME BELLY!” There is so much healthy goodness, BUT on top of that, it is crazy with great taste! I can hardly wait to hear from you guys, telling how good this dish tasted. Kudos to Eating Well for this recipe.
Ingredients

  • 5-6 medium zucchini (2 1/4-2 1/2 pounds total), trimmed
  • ¾ teaspoon salt, divided
  • 1 ripe avocado
  • 1 cup packed fresh basil leaves
  • ¼ cup unsalted shelled pistachios
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
  • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil plus 2 tablespoons, divided
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 pound raw shrimp (21-25 count), peeled and deveined, tails left on if desired
  • 1-2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning

For the directions, please check out http://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/257004/zucchini-noodles-with-avocado-pesto-shrimp/

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 3/4 Cups Each

Per Serving:

446 calories; 33.2 g total fat; 4.7 g saturated fat; 159 mg cholesterol; 713 mg sodium. 1271 mg potassium; 15.8 g carbohydrates; 6.6 g fiber; 7 g sugar; 25.9 g protein; 1144 IU vitamin a iu; 55 mg vitamin c; 112 mcg folate; 141 mg calcium; 2 mg iron; 110 mg magnesium;

Exchanges:

6 Fat, 3 Lean Protein, 1 1/2 Vegetable

Nutrition Profile:

  • Dairy-Free
  • Soy-Free
  • Healthy Aging
  • Low-Calorie
  • Egg Free
  • Gluten-Free
  • Healthy Immunity

3 Reasons Why Your Skin Needs Vitamin E Oil TODAY

Day at the beach“Summertime, and the living is easy”. What isn’t so easy is how Summer’s direct sunlight can play havoc on unprotected skin. You’ve likely experienced a little too much Sun exposure so far this Summer. What I’ll do here is show you a way you can begin protecting your skin today and potentially reverse any damage it has already suffered.

We all need to expose ourselves to the Sun as this is the way our bodies produce Vitamin D, but too much of a good thing is not so good, as too much exposure to the Sun can lead to a break down of collagen within the skin which leads to a premature aging of the skin; excess exposure can cause hyperpigmentation, i.e. dark splotches on the skin; and even worse, excess exposure can lead to skin cancer.

But instead of giving up on going outside and just accepting your damaged skin, here is the solution to heal your damaged skin: Vitamin E oil.

And here is why you will want to start using Vitamin E oil:

  1. Prevents aging and wrinkles: Medical research (here) shows that vitamin E and other ingredients rich in anti-oxidants can delay the wrinkles as well as repair skin damage. This occurs because Vitamin E increases circulation, which helps repair damage, thus leading to firmer skin.
  2. Eliminate Hyperpigmentation: Hyperpigmentation, or dark spots or splotches, occur after too much sun exposure creates a concentration of melanin in the skin. Vitamin E has been shown as an effective treatment for evening out skin color, and paired with Vitamin C, eliminates dark spots.
  3. Fix Chapped or cracked lips: Vitamin E promoted cell regeneration, so if you’re lips are suffering from too much time at the beach, use a little Vitamin E oil to promote faster healing.

BONUS BENEFIT: Eliminates Acne Scarring. Some people swear Vitamin E oil eliminates their acne scarring, though research has not shown the results to be consistent. So, while Vitamin E oil may work on acne scarring for some folks, your results may vary and you need to consider that if this is the reason you purchase the product.

USEAGE TIPS:

A few drops go a long way. Use a circular motion when applying to the skin as this will increase the circulation and thus absorption. And DON’T FORGET THE TOPS OF YOUR EARS as they also are exposed. Vitamin E can also be used on other parts of the body.

Ladies- Use this product before bedtime. The oil is thick, and a few drops go a long way. Because the oil is thick, it will need about 20 minutes to fully absorb. AND because of its thickness, the oil would interfere with any attempts to put on makeup. The good news is that sleep is the time the body repairs and regenerates, and Vitamin E fits well into your body’s repair cycle.

Gentlemen– Besides using the oil on exposed skin, Vitamin E oil can be used on a daily basis as a beard oil, softening the most bristly of beards. BONUS, Vitamin E oil is about ¼ the price of most beard oils.

Let me know your experiences with Vitamin E oil by commenting below. But before you leave, be sure to subscribe to the Wide-Body site, at Wide-Body.com. Subscribing is free, and I’ll keep you informed of the activities at the Wide-Body as well as have special offers just for subscribers.

Take care and enjoy life!