Donna Maurillo, Food for Thought
I don’t know about you, but my fridge is full of leftovers and I won’t be able to see another plate…at least not until New Year’s Eve. But in January things are back to normal and there are no cookies at home. Less cheese on the plate. A big salad for dinner. The usual.
Also, I think that the physical education class will be full as usual in January. If you’re going to take that step, stick with it. We have a room for you with an aerobics or Tai Chi class. It doesn’t matter how old you are. We have classes suitable for all ages and abilities. And it only takes about six weeks of going several times a week before you see any improvement.(That’s until Valentine’s Day.)
Can you talk about weight gain? It’s almost inevitable with all celebratory food. So here’s what to do. It takes 3,200 calories (about 4 sticks of butter) to gain 1 pound of weight. So if you remove the same number, you lose £1. Think in terms of eliminating just 400 calories a day.It’s totally manageable, right?
Adding exercise to the mix will help you burn more calories. What is Exercise? whatever moves you. That means walking with a friend for 30 minutes. Good session of vacuum cleaner. Use the stepper while watching TV. pulling weeds, cleaning driveways. If it drives you, it matters. I do all the housework and garden work myself.
So what can you eat? many. Louis, my former gym trainer, told me to stick to fish (salmon is great), poultry breasts, pretty much any vegetable (potatoes don’t count as a vegetable), and pretty much any fruit. Minimize sugar and simple starches such as white flour, white bread, white rice, and white pasta.
American diet is terrible
Americans are programmed to eat a lot of sugar. Please read the label. Almost everything contains glucose, sucrose, fructose, maltose, lactose, and about 60 other sugars. If you eat a lot of carrots, your brain will eventually want something else. But even if you eat a lot of sugar, your brain won’t tell you to stop. It actually makes you want more.
This makes Americans the fattest and most likely to get diabetes on the planet.
With a population as wealthy as ours, it’s shocking that our personal health falls short of the quality of other countries. Rated 35th.
According to the Bloomberg Index, the healthiest people live in Spain, Italy, Iceland, Japan, Switzerland, Sweden, Australia, Singapore, Norway and Israel. why? Because each of these countries enforces social and economic practices that we do not.
The top two are universal health care (the most important factor) and a healthy diet with more fresh and less processed foods.
Chronic disease and obesity rates are twice those of the average developed country. That’s mostly because we’re mostly addicted to drive-thru restaurants, fried food, sugar, sugar, sugar… oh yeah, and our cars. We drive everywhere and eat a lot of junk food.
But from the new year, we intend to do better. Because we can.
Tip of the week
Run the kitchen faucet until the water is hot before starting the dishwasher. Otherwise the first cycle will be barely warm. This is ineffective for thorough cleaning.
Recipe of the week
Chicken kebabs are a delicious and colorful way to enjoy chicken breast and vegetables. They are inspired by Middle Eastern street food common in places like Turkey, Greece and Arabia.
chicken kebab
4 servings
material
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup orange or lemon juice
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon shawarma or other spices such as turmeric
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 yellow or white onion, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 yellow or green bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 zucchini, cut into 1-inch pieces
instructions
1. Put olive oil, fruit juice, honey, salt and black pepper in a large bowl and mix well.
2. Add chicken, peppers, zucchini, and onions to a bowl. Toss to coat with marinade. Cover the bowl and let it sit for 1 hour. Or refrigerate up to 8 hours and bring to room temperature before cooking.
3. Soak the skewers in cold water for about 30 minutes. Alternatively, use metal skewers.
4. Thread chicken, peppers, zucchini, and onions alternately on skewers.
5. Preheat your gas or charcoal grill to medium heat. Grill skewers 5 to 7 minutes per side or until chicken is cooked through.
6. Serve with saffron rice and plain yogurt if desired.
When roasting:
Preheat the broiler. Spray a broiler pan (or rimmed sheet pan) with cooking spray. Line the skillet with a single layer of skewers. Bake for 5 minutes on each side.
Nutrition per serving
Calories 300; Carbs 32g; Protein 33g; Fat 14g;