We talk a lot about walking for exercise. It’s good for every fitness level. Almost everyone can do it. And you can do it almost anywhere.
This weekend, we challenge you to combine your fitness goals with a little green living.
Walk your errands.
Either skip the car or bus altogether, or park/ride once, and then walk all your errands until you get back to your car/bus stop. If you’re in a small town or a big city, you can easily make this a habit. If you’re in the suburbs, drive to the mall or shopping area, and park out in the “snowpile section” (you know, where they pile the snow in the winter – way out yonder), then walk everywhere until you’re done.
(By the way, you’ll also save on gas or bus fare! Budget tip!)
Can you get to the library, post office, grocery store, dry cleaner, card shop, drug store, farmer’s market – all at once? Bring your reusable bags, maybe a wagon or cart, and see how far you can go. Let us know what you can do.
April 22nd is the 40th anniversary of Earth Day. Originally it was about awareness and appreciation of the Earth – but we like to think it’s a good time to change a habit or two. After all, our health is tied intrinsically to the health of the Earth.
So here’s one idea to get you started * Don’t just turn off – unplug.
It’s called vampire electricity (or, more boringly, standby power), and it’s the electric power consumed by electronic appliances while they are switched off or in a standby mode. For example, your laptop has a power cord with an adaptor built into it (the boxy thing that makes the cord hard to wrap up, lol). Even if the laptop is off, if the cord is plugged in, the adaptor is drawing a small amount of electricity.
So what can you do? Don’t just turn off your small appliances – unplug them.
Do you really need a clock on your coffee pot? No, so go ahead and unplug it. (What are you doing with caffeine anyway? Make a pot of tea or blend up a smoothie instead!)
Plug your computers, televisions, stereos, and media systems into power strips, and turn them off at night (unless you’re recording the shopping channel, and then you need to get to the THM® on a Budget class right away!).
Are your chargers always plugged in? We’ve become an e-society, and that means a lot of chargers – for your phone, PDA, reader, camera, music player … we could go on. Set up a charging station, maybe with a power strip, and use it each night to charge your toys. Then unplug everything in the morning.
All this vampire electricity adds up. The amount of standby power wasted varies among electronic equipment, but overall, the cost to consumers and businesses for all the electricity lost to vampire power in the US is estimated to be $4 billion annually. Sure, some of that is necessary. But if we all get a little smarter about what we really need and what we’re just lazy about, we could make a measurable impact on the amount of electricity used. And since electricity taxes our non-renewable natural resources, that’s a good thing.
Don’t we all wish for a million dollars, or to win the lottery? We think that would solve all our problems, when really, it would only create new ones.
If I had a million dollars
We wouldn’t have to eat Kraft Dinner
But we would eat Kraft Dinner
Of course we would, we’d just eat more
And buy really expensive ketchups with it
That’s right, all the fanciest ke… dijon ketchups!
Mmmmmm, Mmmm-Hmmm
It’s good to know we can change our eating habits and make healthy life choices without having a million dollars. The THM® on a Budget class starts today, and can help you figure out how to spend the money you have (and pay down your debt, and save some, too) on healthy choices. You don’t have to be rich to be healthy.
It’s a fact that people are more successful in meeting their goals when they have support, information, and a plan. Join Marilu.com to get all of that, for only pennies a day.
Our online classes are led by coaches who give you daily personal support. Coaches are people like you who have made changes in their lives by following Marilu’s Total Health Makeover® and who have been hand-picked by Marilu to share what they’ve learned.
The member community is friendly and supportive. Many of our members have followed THM® for more than 5 years, and have lots of experience to offer. You’ll never be alone, and your questions will be answered (no question is a dumb question; we’ve probably already asked it ourselves!).
Join now to get two amazing Total Health® classes in April, and don’t miss Booty Camp in May if you want a hot bikini bod for summer.
THM on a Budget * Good Health ~ Smart Money * April 5-15 * You don’t have to spend more on groceries or break the bank to live a healthy lifestyle. Coach CindyR shares her tips for being a good steward of both body and bank account.
The Role of Your Life * April 19-30 * A Marilu.com exclusive! Using exercises from acting classes, you’ll learn how to live as the star of your own show. This is a Total Health® class, where you’ll make connections between how you think about yourself and how you eat, dress, and project yourself. Fight self-sabotage with this class.
Booty Camp ~ Get Ripped with the Jills * May 6-26 (pre-camp warm-up May 3-5) * Coaches Jill and Jill are pumped up for hard-core booty kicking. Join the fun, challenge yourself, and get results in this 21-day class. The class includes a meal plan, recipes, and more.
All members are automatically enrolled in every online class. Become a member and take a class each month (sometimes two classes) – meet your goals for your health.
Make this satisfying vegan meal and take advantage of fresh produce, too. (It’s not as hard as it looks.)
Use a different nut or seed butter if you have to avoid peanuts – almond butter and sunflower seed butter work just as well (not to mention other varieties).
When you buy fresh ginger, peel and finely grate the whole root. (We try to buy a piece that’s finger-sized rather than hand-sized, so we don’t have too much extra.) The best grater for ginger is a microplane, or you can use a special ginger grater (usually made of porcelain). Measure out the amount you need, then wrap the rest tightly in plastic wrap and put it in a freezer-weight zipper bag. Freeze until you need it again. No waste!
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ Soba Noodles with Shredded Vegetables and Peanut Sauce Green * Serves 4
1 medium carrot, cut in matchstick pieces
1/4 pound snow peas, strings removed, sliced lengthwise into thin strips
1/2 pound button or shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced (remove stems of shiitakes)
1/2 cup vegetable stock or water (plus a little extra)
3 Tablespoons creamy peanut butter
2 Tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 Tablespoon brown rice syrup
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
10 ounces dried buckwheat soba noodles
1 Tablespoon dark sesame oil
2 Tablespoons dry sherry
1 small yellow onion, finely diced
2 cups finely shredded green or napa cabbage
1 cup fresh mung bean or soybean sprouts
4 lime wedges
In a small bowl, whisk together the stock, peanut butter, vinegar, rice syrup, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, and cayenne until well combined. Set aside.
Bring about 12 cups water to a boil in a large pot. Add the soba noodles and stir to separate. As soon as water returns to rolling boil, add 1-cup cold water. Return to boiling, then immediately turn off heat and leave noodles in hot water for 5 minutes. Drain well without rinsing.
Heat oil and sherry in a wok or heavy bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add carrot, snow peas, cabbage, mushrooms, and salt. Stir-fry for 4-5 minutes, until veggies have begun to wilt. Add peanut sauce and cook about 1 minute, until bubbling. Add the noodles and toss gently, until well combined with sauce and veggies. Add another few tablespoons of stock if mixture seems to dry.
Divide among four heated serving bowls and top each with 1/4 of the sprouts. Nestle a lime wedge into each bowl and serve immediately.
In honor of Meatout, we want to share a favorite vegan entree that showcases North African flavors. We make this in about 30 minutes (includes chopping time) with surprisingly basic ingredients.
A couple of budget tips:
If you don’t have some of the spices, try your local food co-op or natural food store to get a small amount. They’re fresher than what’s available in the cans and jars of the grocery store, and you only need to buy what you need – usually at a very low cost (don’t let the per-pound price on the bulk jar fool you – you’re probably buying less than an ounce).
Dried beans are a lot less expensive than canned beans. Soak 2 cups of dried beans overnight to save money.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ Moroccan-Style Burritos Green * Serves 6
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1-1/2 cups thinly sliced onion (about 1 medium onion)
2/3 cup thinly sliced red bell pepper
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon paprika
two 15-ounce cans garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained
1 cup vegetable stock (try Imagine Foods No-Chicken Broth)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup chopped fresh spinach leaves
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
6 large whole-wheat tortillas
Cucumber Yogurt Sauce
Mix the following ingredients together in a small bowl.
1 cup plain soy yogurt
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and grated on medium holes (about 1 cup)
1 teaspoon paprika
Salt and pepper to taste
Make the cucumber-yogurt sauce and refrigerate. In a small bowl, combine the coriander, cumin, red pepper flakes, and paprika.
Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat and add the oil. Add the garlic, onion, and bell pepper and cook for 6 minutes. Add the spices and mix well. Add the garbanzo beans and broth and cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Mash with a potato masher until the mixture is about half-smashed (it’s okay to have whole beans in there, but it’s easier to eat if they’re a bit smashed). Season with salt and pepper and then stir in the spinach and cilantro.
Spoon 1/2 cup of the garbanzo bean mixture onto each tortilla and top with some yogurt sauce. Roll up the tortillas tightly and serve.
Get yourself some green by keeping track of all the money you spend on bad food and bad habits.
You know what we’re talking about – the candy bar you pick up at the checkout counter, the drive-through fast food stop that just “happens” to be on your way, the cigarettes you smoke when you’re out with friends, the way you hit “snooze” instead of going to the gym.
Figure out the cost of your gym membership per visit (aiming for three times a week is reasonable). How much does it cost you to skip a day? We know you want to say, “Fine, I just won’t renew my membership, and that will save me money.” Well, yes, but it will also cost you unless you are dedicated to your own non-gym workout. Sometimes the money is the motivator.
Look at your grocery bill and figure out what doesn’t need to be there. How much did you spend on junk food? It could really add up in a year.
Now think green, and start saving that money. You might have enough for some really great incentives – like jewelry or vacations or hey, there might be enough to cover that gym membership (which you’ll be using) after all!
If you need a fresh start, this is a good week for it.
The Chinese New Year started on Sunday – it’s the year of the tiger. While the traditional association is for people born during this year, there are a few Tiger characteristics that you may want to adopt.
Brave, courageous * try something new; be fearless; take risks
Hunter * pursue your goals; don’t let anything stand in the way of success
Competitive * challenge yourself
Leader * take control of your life
President’s Day was on Monday – celebrating both George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. Both of these men managed to overcome a lot of failures before they were successful. Don’t let the past stand in the way of your future!
Lent starts today – six weeks of spiritual preparation for Easter. Take stock of where you are, and where you want to be. If you need to make changes, do it now – don’t put it off.
“Give up” something you enjoy * some Christians give up something they enjoy for Lent (chocolate, soda, wine, etc) as an act of sacrifice.
Add a daily habit * some Christians add a spiritual habit (prayer, spiritual reading, etc).
Is there a habit you need to drop or add to your life? This could be a good time to do that – it doesn’t have to be connected to religion. Give up sugar for 6 weeks, or exercise for 30 minutes a day for 6 weeks.
Oh, and there’s a budget bonus for people who eat fish – it’s probably on sale for the next 6 weeks because of Lent. If you buy fish to keep in the freezer, ask them to wrap it appropriately at the store – in the portions you want, in plastic and then in freezer paper.
Go for a new beginning this week – a fresh start. Your inTENtions are still within reach, if you’re willing to make a commitment to them.
This salad can be served warm with sliced tomatoes and crusty bread as a main dish for vegans or it can work as a side dish, either hot or cold.
And kale is good for you! Eat more kale!
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ Barley-Kale Salad Blue * Serves 4-6
1 small bunch kale (washed and chopped)
1 cup pearl barley (not barley flakes)
1/2 red onion (sliced)
1/2 cup chopped Italian parsley
2 teaspoons mustard
1/2 to 1 teaspoon agave nectar
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Cook barley according to directions.*
While barley is cooking make the dressing. Whisk together mustard, agave and vinegar. Add olive oil in a slow stream whisking until emulsified.
Pour dressing into a large serving bowl. Add onions, then kale.
When barley is cooked, drain any excess water if necessary, and spoon it immediately over the kale being sure to spread it out to cover the kale. Let sit 2 to 3 minutes or until kale is wilted. Toss all ingredients thoroughly. Add parsley, and salt and pepper to taste, and toss again.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~
* If you purchase grains in bulk, they’re much cheaper, but they don’t come with directions. Most grains are cooked as follows:
Rinse grain under running water. Place in pot and cover with twice as much water (1 part grain to 2 parts water). Bring to a boil over medium heat. When it boils, stir once or twice, reduce the heat to simmer, and cover (or mostly cover). Cook until the water is gone, usually about 20-30 minutes. Most grains triple in volume, so if you start with 1 cup uncooked, you’ll end up with 3 cups cooked.
4 cups dry white beans, rinsed and soaked overnight in 6 cups of water OR 4 15-ounce cans white beans
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup minced carrots
1/2 cup minced onions (fresh, not dried)
1/2 cup minced celery
1/4 teaspoon minced garlic
8 cups water (not the soaking water)
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon minced thyme
First, strain the beans you soaked overnight in a colander. If using canned beans, drain and rinse.
In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat, and saute the carrots, onion, celery, and garlic until lightly cooked. Add the beans, water, and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook for 1 hour (if you used dried beans and soaked them overnight) or 15 minutes (if you used canned beans). Add the salt, pepper, and thyme.
Serve with crusty whole grain bread and a fresh green salad.
