There is snow in Rochester, NY!

Well it is January 13th and it finally looks like Winter here in Rochester, NY! Woo-hoo!!!

I burned off a few calories this afternoon snow-blowing and shoveling the HEAVY snow off the driveway- whew!

Now let the fun begin…

It is time for a little sledding & skiing!  Here is an article from Kids Out and About Rochester, NY about the Sledding Hills in Greater Rochester!  Take a look.  Which hills are your favorites? Did you sled at any of these parks as a child? Are you taking your kids to the very same hills to make more family memories? My family has LOTS of stories from our days at Mendon Ponds Park  and my kids love sledding at Webster Park.

You can also go snow tubing at Glacier Ridge Snow Tubing in Spencerport or Polar Wave Snow Tubing in Batavia.

Don’t forget about skiing and snowboarding!  Here is a great list to look at if you are not sure where to go – Great places to ski in central and western New York State.  You will find me at Bristol Mountain!

What a fun way to burn calories!

Get out there  and play in the snow!!

2012

Happy New Year!

May your 2012 be Healthy and Fun!!

Pumpkin Puree, that was easy!

I love Pumpkin flavor, but I am not a real fan of pumpkin pie or pies in general.

I have baked and cooked with pumpkin puree in the past, but always from a can, never fresh, until recently.

Last week I purchased a pie pumpkin from the Rochester Public Market.  I brought it home and cleaned it, cut it in half, scooped out the guts and seeds.

I baked it in the oven for about 60 minutes.  I let it cool and then scooped out the flesh, then pureed it in my Cuisinart food processor.

That was EASY!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pumpkins are vegetables that belong to the squash family. Pumpkins have many health benefits.

• low in calories – 83 calories per cup

• no saturated fat or cholesterol, only 1 g fat per cup

• good source of anti-oxidants: beta carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin

• good source of vitamins: vitamin-A, vitamin-C and vitamin-E.

• good source of minerals: calcium, copper, phosphorus, and potassium

• rich in dietary fiber -  7 g of fiber per cup

Pumpkins are a great food to add to your meal planning if you are working on weight management.  Along with the above health benefits pumpkins make a great fat substitute in baking.

Baking with Fresh Pumpkin

How To Prepare Fresh Pumpkins for Baking

Pumpkin Recipes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Let’s Move, RocKids!

I love the Let’s Move! initiative that  First Lady Michelle Obama started and now I am thrilled that Rochester, NY has been inspired to create a local initiative, Let’s Move, RocKids!

If you are not familiar with the Let’s Move! initiative…

Let’s Move! is a comprehensive initiative, launched by the First Lady, dedicated to solving the problem of obesity within a generation, so that children born today will grow up healthier and able to pursue their dreams. Combining comprehensive strategies with common sense, Let’s Move! is about putting children on the path to a healthy future during their earliest months and years. Giving parents helpful information and fostering environments that support healthy choices. Providing healthier foods in our schools. Ensuring that every family has access to healthy, affordable food. And, helping kids become more physically active.

So what is Let’s Move, RocKids!

The Democrat and Chronicle Media Group, with the support of several community partners, has developed Let’s Move, RocKids!, a social gaming initiative that encourages kids ages 4-12 to eat healthier and be active to help prevent childhood obesity. The local project was inspired by First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move initiative with the same objective.

Check it out. This is so cool!

When I say sports drink, what comes to mind?

Gatorade, Powerade, Accelerade, Vitamin Water, or  Propel?

What is a sports drink?

A sports drink beverage is designed to help athletes rehydrate when fluids are depleted after training or competition. Electrolyte replacement promotes proper rehydration, which is important in delaying the onset of fatigue during exercise. As the primary fuel utilized by exercising muscle, carbohydrates are important in maintaining exercise and sport performance.

Have you ever thought of low-fat chocolate milk as a sports drink?

“Got Milk?” has a program traveling the country now – Refuel with chocolate milk.  This tour is stopping at marathons, triathlons, soccer camps and other sporting events raising awareness of the benefits of low-fat chocolate milk.  

Lowfat chocolate milk naturally has many of the nutrients most commercial recovery drinks have to add in the lab – including high-quality protein and key electrolytes like calcium, potassium, sodium and magnesium.

Refuel & Recover
Repair & Rebuild Muscles
Rehydration
Electrolyte Replacement
Liquid Assets of Chocolate Milk

Here are a few other articles with some of the chocolate milk details:

Drinking Chocolate Milk May Help Your Workout – Study Shows Low-Fat Chocolate Milk May Boost Endurance, Build Muscle

Chocolate Milk Refuels Muscles After Workout – Study Shows Carbohydrates and Protein in Chocolate Milk Help Muscles Recover From Exercise

This tour is stopping right here in Rochester, NY at the Rochester Marathon on Sunday, September 18, 2011. Check them out; rehydrate, replenish, rebuild and refuel with lowfat chocolate milk, Nature’s Recovery Drink.

Are you going to give up your other sports drinks and switch to low-fat chocolate milk?  Let me know what you think about refueling with chocolate milk?

Good Luck to all the runners this weekend!

Rochester Wellfest

Rochester Wellfest

WNY’s Largest and Most Comprehensive Employee Healthy Living

Produced by: Harmony Expositions

Where: Rochester Riverside Convention Center
123 East Main Street, Rochester, NY 14604

When: September 13, 2011

Times: 10:30am – 2:30pm

This is a FREE event, just print tickets and go!

BeANatural

What a find…BeANatural original 3 bean chips. Yes chips made from beans. After reading the label I thought I should give them a try. I think they are VERY tasty, crisp, crunchy, just the right amount of salt with excellent flavor!

BeANatural original 3 bean chips are

Good Source of Protein (6grams)
Good Source of Fiber (4grams)
100% Natural
0 grams Trans Fat
No cholesterol

So far I have only found these ships at BJ’s Wholesale Clubs.

Give them a try!

LÄRABAR

I am always on the look out for different and easy to take along snacks.  Here is one of my new favorites LÄRABAR.

LÄRABAR is a delicious blend of unsweetened fruits, nuts and spices. Made from 100% whole food, each flavor contains no more than nine ingredients. Pure and simple, just as nature intended.

LÄRABAR

I love that LÄRABAR are natural, they contain very few ingredients, most do have no added sugar, and  LÄRABAR are gluten-free. I have purchased LÄRABAR at Target and Wegmans for about $1.29/bar.  I do not eat LÄRABAR everyday, but I do like to have them on hand for snacks on the go.

I have not tried them all, but for right now my favorite flavors are Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip, Chocolate Chip Brownie, and Peanut Butter & Jelly.

F. Olivers Oils & Vinegars

I am not sure if you are in the Rochester, NY area, but if you are & you have not heard of or been to
F. Olivers Oils & Vinegars in Canandaigua, NY
you should check it out!

F. Olivers Oils & Vinegars
129 South Main Street
Canandaigua, NY 14424
585.396.2585

 

Kris, Mason, Anna, & I visited F. Olivers on Mother’s Day.  We all had a great time, even the kids tasted and gave their opinions and new suggestions.

I absolutely LOVE Ginger, so I knew right away that would be the first one to taste and buy!  Penelope helped us pair that with the Lime oil, an outstanding combination!

Honeyed Ginger Balsamic Vinegar

The bright clean character of ginger mellowed with delicately sweet honey gives this white balsamic the perfect taste for enjoying on its own or mixing.

Especially flavorful with salads, fruit, deserts, seafood, pork, and stir-fries.

Pairs beautifully with Heady Garlic and Fresh Pressed Persian Lime EVOOs and with Roasted Sesame Oil.

Fresh Pressed Persian Lime Olive Oil

The perfect fusion of luscious Persian Limes and ripe Mediterranean olives – pressed together!

Especially flavorful with salads, fruit, fish, seafood, and chicken. Equally delicious with savory or sweet foods.

Pairs beautifully with Creamy Coconut, Farmstand Strawberry, Sweet Rich Cherry, Royal Pomegranate, and 12 Year-Old White Balsamic Vinegars.

Let me talk about Olive Oil for a minute…. Olive Oil is a good natural source of monounsaturated fatty acids and antioxidants.  That is GOOD news!  Olive oil has been shown to have many health benefits including the potential for lowering your risk for heart disease and cancer, and anti-inflammatory benefits that can help with diabetes, hypertension, arthritis, and asthma.

Balsamic vinegar also is on the healthy choices list.  Balsamic vinegar is rich in minerals, including calcium, iron, magnesium,  phosphorus,  potassium,  and manganese while it is low in sodium, saturated fat and has no cholesterol.  Balsamic vinegar is good for the heart and circulatory system and contains anti-cancer agents.

Other than a simple oil & vinegar salad dressing, I have not decided how to use my new flavorings yet, but I am looking forward to it.  F. Olivers has a few recipes available online that may inspire me to make another purchase real soon!
Stay tuned…

“It’s Your Time.” – National Women’s Health Week 2011

It’s your time!

National Women’s Health Week is a weeklong health observance coordinated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office on Women’s Health. It brings together communities, businesses, government, health organizations, and other groups in an effort to promote women’s health. The theme for 2011 is “It’s Your Time.” National Women’s Health Week empowers women to make their health a top priority. It also encourages them to take steps to improve their physical and mental health and lower their risks of certain diseases. Those steps include:

• Getting at least 2 hours and 30 minutes of moderate physical activity, 1 hour and 15 minutes of vigorous physical activity, or a combination of both, each week
• Eating a nutritious diet
• Visiting a health care professional to receive regular checkups and preventive screenings
• Avoiding risky behaviors, such as smoking and not wearing a seatbelt
• Paying attention to mental health, including getting enough sleep and managing stress

Learn more about National Women’s Health Week.

2011 Woman Challenge

Did you know?

Women should get at least 2 hours and 30 minutes of moderate physical activity, 1 hour and 15 minutes of vigorous physical activity, or a combination of both, each week. Children and adolescents should get 60 minutes or more of physical activity daily.

The Office on Women’s Health is supporting the Million PALA Challenge of the President’s Challenge, a program of the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition, by encouraging participants and supporters of the Woman Challenge group to be physically active on a regular basis. The Presidential Active Lifestyle Award (PALA) is a great way to get recognized for your accomplishment. All it takes is an almost daily commitment to physical activity for 6 out of 8 weeks. Stick with the program and you will earn an award in less than two months.

Local event:  FREE WEEK AT CURVES MENDON, NY

It’s your time!

Ladies, you need to take care of yourself. You are a pretty big deal!