Calories and fat grams can really add up on salad. Here are a few ways to reduce the amount of dressing you use. Enjoy the taste of the actual vegetables in your salad – don’t obliterate them with the dressing.
Dilute salad dressing with a little bit of water and apply it with a small spray bottle.
Use your fork to drizzle salad dressing over your salad, instead of a spoon or pouring from the “on the side” cup or bottle.
At home, put your salad in a clean plastic produce bag (like the ones from the grocery store) and add 1 teaspoon of dressing per serving. Blow a little air in the bag if it’s just for you, or “capture” a little air by grabbing the bag at the top. Twist it closed and shake the bag to distribute the dressing evenly.
You’re never too old to get healthy and to feel better than you do right now.
~ Marilu Henner
Life is a continuous process improvement program. Every day is an opportunity to feel better and be healthier than you were yesterday. Never give up on that daily opportunity – no matter how old (or young) you are, no matter what health challenges you’re facing. Choose to do better today than you did yesterday.
Start your day off right – and fit everything in with a simple routine. If you’re confused about how to fit in dry skin brushing, this morning jumpstart will help you understand it.
The night before *
Check your calendar for tomorrow.
Select your clothes for tomorrow based on your calendar. Lay them out.
Select your workout clothes for tomorrow. Put them in the bathroom.
Your mom was right – breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Start off a cold winter day with pumpkin oatmeal. More flavor, more excitement, more nutrients, and more fiber – yum! (And it’s vegan!)
Time saving bonus – you can make the whole recipe and just keep the extra in the fridge for a few days. Warm it up with a little extra almond milk, and you’re good to go with very little prep time.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ Pumpkin Oatmeal Blue * Serves 4-6
1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
2 cups water
2 cups plain almond milk
4 Tablespoons dried cranberries
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 cups quick cooking oatmeal (not instant)
Maple syrup or agave syrup, for serving
Chopped pecans, for serving
Additional almond milk, for serving (if desired)
In large saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the pumpkin, water, milk, dried cranberries, salt, cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves. Bring to a boil.
Add the oatmeal. Turn the heat down and cook about 15 minutes. Stir often. Once the oatmeal is cooked, serve with maple syrup or agave syrup on the side, chopped pecans to sprinkle on top, and almond milk for those who like creamier oatmeal.
An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.
~ Martin Luther King, Jr.
Today is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in the United States. MLK was a powerful leader and a strong voice in the battle for civil rights in the 1960′s. He lived his convictions every day. He never doubted his responsibility to the world at large.
While we’re here trying to meet our personal goals of weight loss and better health, it’s good to remember why we’re choosing to do that. If we’re only here for vanity, then our lives will lack meaning. Become your best so you can make an impact on your community and the world. And don’t wait until you’re at your best (it’s a journey, you know? It’s going to take a lifetime!) to start doing some good.
What will you do today to make a difference?
Side note * If you’re ever in Memphis, the National Civil Rights Museum is a really good place to learn (or be reminded) about the fight for civil rights in the USA.
We can’t all be Miss America, but we can all be amazing.
And you are. YOU are amazing.
We hear (especially in January) about all the ways we can improve ourselves, and sometimes we forget that we’re pretty darn good just the way we are. In the grand scheme of things, we’re doing fine. Sure, we want to improve something (or a few things), but that’s because the opposite of improving is letting it go, and that’s just not who we are. So work on your goals, aspire to be greater than you are today, but never forget…
Remember to watch the Miss America Pageant tomorrow night on ABC – 9 PM Eastern.
Marilu is judging the competition. While the judges don’t get a lot of airtime, we know she and the other judges have been impressed by a lot of the contestants. As Marc Cherry said on Joy Behar’s show the other night, there are a lot of young people getting attention for negative behavior – why not check out some young women who are making a positive impact in the world?
This is the Miss America competition that riles up the feminists. It’s supposed to be about fitness, and how well the contestants take care of their bodies. The thing is, we’d all love to look that good in a bikini. And we know that it does take effort to look that good. Regular, frequent (daily), deliberate workouts get those results.
So scorn the swimsuits all you want. They really do show what a serious fitness routine can do for you.
This is one of our favorite quick and easy veggie meals.
Purchase broccoli slaw in bags in the produce department. Feel free to use what you have in the fridge for other veggies. This recipe is really flexible.
Instead of using nuts and seeds, you could substitute a can of beans, drained and rinsed. Add them with the mushrooms to warm them through.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ Stir-fried Slaw Blue * Serves 2-3
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 package broccoli slaw
1/2 small onion, sliced (or use shallots or scallions or leeks or some other onion-y vegetable)
1-2 handfuls of other veggies from the fridge, fresh or leftover (plain) – bell pepper, carrot, cabbage, spinach, kale, celery, green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, bok choy, etc. – cut into pieces about the same size as the slaw
3-4 baby bella or shiitake mushrooms, sliced
1/3-1/2 cup of your favorite sauce or dressing (ones we like – San-J Thai Peanut sauce, Annie’s Goddess dressing)
1/3 cup sliced almonds, shelled peanuts, or chopped walnuts
sesame seeds or sunflower seeds
2 cups cooked grain (brown rice, quinoa, rice and rye, etc.) – optional
Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. When it’s hot, add the broccoli slaw, onion, and any other raw veggies. Stir-fry about 5 minutes, until veggies start to soften. Add the mushrooms and any cooked veggies to the skillet and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Toss with dressing or sauce, top with nuts or seeds. Serve with a cooked grain for heartier appetites.
