A Practical Guide To Healthy Living

Did you know that physically fit people are 40% less likely to catch a cold? True, according to a recent study. Why? Exercise motivates your infection-fighting cells to do their job – this study, from the British Journal of Sports Medicine, found benefits from 20 minutes of exercise five days a week, but a little more wouldn’t hurt you! Just be careful – extreme exercise does suppress your immune system . . . “happy medium” is the name of this game.

Image: Jeroen van Oostrom / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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Like I said a week or so ago, I’m trying harder with the cooked veg.  This recipe showed up in the January Everyday Food magazine and I knew at once I’d have to try it.  I’ve been trying for a while to get D. to eat kale.  He’ll eat Swiss chard and other greens, and enjoys kale in soups (um, with sausage, and really who can blame him?), but he’s not a fan of kale for kale’s sake. [Read more →]

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It’s still winter. We’ve been brutalized this year, and there are no signs of letup. We’re all still stuck inside, sharing the germy love.

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I’ve decided we need to eat more lentils. They’re a terrific source of protein, they cook up quickly and they’re versatile. Think of them as the boneless, skinless chicken breast of the vegetarian world . . . .  So to that end, this week I tried out this new recipe and it’s going to be a regular (to the extent we have those) at our house.  It’s zingy (more or less, depending on your taste for cayenne) and flavorful and warming.  And quick and easy too.

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You’ve probably heard the news – tea’s great for your health.  But are all teas created equally healthful? Nope. [Read more →]

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I’m back on the healthy – finally got rid of the myriad viruses I was fighting, finally rid the house of buttery, sugary treats and now I’m back to clean, sensible eating. And you know what? Despite the pang of longing I still get for my old friend, Sugary Dessert, after dinner, I feel so much better.  I always tell people, and I’ll say it to you here – if you can get yourself off the hooch for a week or two, you’ll stop craving the hooch, and the uptick in energy and sheer pleasure of feeling your body run more smoothly will start to reinforce your healthy eating habits.  Really.  Trust me.  Don’t even get me started on how you can be addicted (in a healthy way) to exercise as well. I was smiling as I ran on the Arc trainer the other day at the gym. It’s great to be back.

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Did you hear?  A recent study found a 30% increase in heart attack risk for older people taking calcium supplements of 500 mg. or more a day.  That means that at that amount, the supplements are likely to cause more heart-related problems than the number of bone fractures they prevent.  Yikes!

What to do?  Talk to your doctor, but it might be prudent to limit your high-dose supplementation for now – try getting your 1,000 mg./day from dietary sources, and if you need to make up a bit, ask your doc about taking a low dose in supplement form (300 to 500 mg.).  That’s my plan.  We’ll watch this one!

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There’s lots of citrus in the market now – why not use some of those tasty navel oranges you see in a new way?  This super-fast and creative take on the usually ho-hum boneless, skinless chicken breast takes it from drab to fab in 30 minutes!

Chicken With Oranges & Feta (adapted from the America’s Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook)

4 scallions, green parts only, sliced thin

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat (don’t use your cast-iron for this one, ’cause you’re going to do the oranges in here too and the acid will react with the iron).  Salt and pepper both sides of the chicken breasts.  When the oil is just smoking, add the chicken and cook until it’s well browned on the first side, approximately 6-8 minutes.  Turn the chicken and continue to cook until it’s no longer pink in the middle, approximately 6-8 more minutes.  Transfer the chicken to a serving platter and tent loosely with aluminum foil.

Return the skillet to medium heat and add the garlic and fennel seed. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Add the oranges and the water and cook, stirring up any browned bits, until the oranges are just softened, 1-2 minutes.  Stir in any accumulated chicken juice and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Pour the relish over the chicken breasts, sprinkle with the feta and scallions, and serve.

Serves 4.

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