Quick Basic Fruit Smoothie

Smoothies are a great option for breakfast.  They are quick and easy to make and can be eaten on the go (though sitting down to eat slowly and peacefully aids in digestion and helps us not to over consume).  Sometimes a hectic morning calls for a breakfast that balances carbs, protein and healthy fats and can be noshed while driving, cleaning, checking email, or gently encouraging children out the door to school.

The key to a good, quick smoothie is a simple, powerful blender like the Ninja.  (prices vary between $30 and $200.  available at amazon.com and other larger retailers.)

The Stuff:

1 carton yogurt (flavored or unflavored.  Recommendations: Noosa, Chobani, Kalona SuperNaturals)
1 cup (more or less) ice cubes
1/2 to 2 cups of fruit and/or vegetables (berries, bananas, avocado, spinach, peaches, wheat grass etc)
1/2 to 1 cup milk or milk substitute (almond, hazelnut, soy)
1/4 cup whey protein
1/4 cup ground flax seed
1-2 tablespoons nut butter (almond, peanut, cashew) optional
1-2 tablespoons honey (if you use plain yogurt, you may want a bit more honey)

The Steps

Add ingredients to your blender all at once and puree until smooth.

Makes four servings more or less.

Loaded with healthy protein and fats and fiber, these smoothies will keep your tummy full all morning!

Try different combinations for some yummy tastes.  Smoothies are a great way to use up over ripe fruit and kids love them!

Do you have a favorite smoothie combo?  Post below and share your yummy recipes!!

Melanoma cases rising; young women at greatest risk – USATODAY.com

I was recently seeing a nurse practitioner for care and as part of her Q & A, she asked me if I regularly wear sunscreen or visit tanning beds.  I was startled at her question.  I’d never been asked about my tanning history while wearing a paper dress – but I’m glad she asked.

Growing up on a farm in the 80′s and 90′s, I was outdoors a lot.  As I got into my teen years, I became an avid fan of tanning and in my junior year of high school, started regularly using a tanning bed – which continued up until about two years ago.  I admit.  I am a sun worshiper extraordinaire and I have the wrinkles and $50 a bottle magic skin potions to prove it.

I also personally know three people who have suffered from aggressive, invasive and difficult-to-treat malignant melanoma and I have to say, I am concerned about me…

“Women under 40 are hit hardest by the escalating incidence of melanoma, according to a Mayo Clinic study published in the April issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings, out today.

Researchers examined records from a decades-long database of all patient care in Olmsted County, Minn., and looked for first-time diagnoses of melanoma in patients 18-39 from 1970 to 2009. Melanoma cases increased eightfold among women in that time and fourfold for men, the authors say.”

via Melanoma cases rising; young women at greatest risk – USATODAY.com.

So I will be making an appointment with my dermatologist this week to have all my moles looked at.  And am going to start considering being more faithful about using sunscreen.  I promise.  I just hope it’s not too little to late.

Efforts are now underway to restrict tanning bed use to only those over the age of 18.  What do you think?  Something to worry about or no big deal?

 

Step It Up Today

If you’re looking for a high-impact calorie-burning blast, look no further!  Join us every Tuesday at 6:30 pm for Step It Up in the FFC Gym for some great laughs, fun routines and serious work!

Step and dance aerobic workouts provide multiple benefits according to the LIVESTRONG Foundation:

“Along with making you a better athlete, aerobic stepping will also benefit your overall health. The intense cardiovascular workout will make your heart and lungs work more efficiently. The calorie burning aspect of the exercise will help you maintain a healthy weight, and avoid weight-related problems such as diabetes, heart disease and joint pain.”

Join us tonight!!  Try it out for FREE or $4 to drop in or purchase a 10 class punch card for $35.

RAGBRAI Team to Share the Gospel with Cyclists

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Team Impact is a Christ-centered bicycle club with group rides held in the spring, summer and fall. Our major event will be participating in our 29th RAGBRAI, July 22-28th, 2012.  We ride RAGBRAI both as individuals and in small groups with everyone going at their own pace. Devotions are held each night and fellowship throughout all our trips. Thirty to thirty-five people of all ages will go with our group to be a little salt and light on the RAGBRAI route. The group welcomes riders from all Bible-believing churches and denominations.

If you would be interested in riding RAGBRAI with other believers sharing the message of Christ, contact gerald.graves@mchsi.com or 996-2539.

Preventative Medicine Proves Its Worth?

When Bill Weir, an assignment reporter for Nightline was asked to do a story on Dr. David Agus, a California oncology doctor with a new book and an innovative approach to health, he readily agreed.  He consented to numerous tests and agreed to share his results with America.

 

But this self-confessed fitness nut was not prepared for what the doctor found.

 

On a routine MRI, Dr. Agus found heart calcifications that indicated that a heart attack could be imminent for the 44 year old Weir.  It shook Weir to the core.

 

Said Weir, “I’ve survived 44 years with the willfully ignorant attitude that doctors are for sick people, and I never get sick.”

 

The good doctor’s prescription to treat Weir’s illness?  Diet and lifestyle changes including more cold water fish, reducing stress, more fruit and veggies, cutting back on fats and alcohol.

 

A lifesaving MRI and a prescription for common sense.  Did Weir really need an MRI to tell him that a diet heavy on fat and alcohol and a stressful life and career could potentially kill him?  Perhaps.  I think we all understand these things in a sense but it can take a brush with death to actualize them in our lives.

 

Watch the video here and watch more on tonight’s Nightline.

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/this-could-be-big-abc-news/ultimate-example-preventive-medicine-232140727.html

Paula Deen Reveals Type 2 Diabetes Diagnosis

Paula Deen, diabetes, iowa, ankeny, fitness, weight lossAfter revealing on the Today Show that she has lived with Type 2 diabetes for the past three years, Food Network host and guru of Southern cooking, Paula Deen has come under fire for not revealing her condition sooner and for continuing to cook foods that are downright frightening in fat, calories and sugar.  (Have you heard of Gorilla Bread?)

 

Her revelation has led some to ask, “Did her diet lead to her Type 2 diabetes?”  Its a good and fair question and it seems the answer is both “yes” and “no.”  There is no single food or even a group of foods or a style of cooking that will lead to Type 2 diabetes.  But risk factors for Type 2 diabetes include obesity which is directly linked to an unhealthy diet.

 

This isn’t the first time Deen has been criticized for her love of butter or her calorie-rich concoctions.  Caving into similar pressure years ago lead her to invite her sons on to her famous cooking show to demonstrate leaner, healthier versions of her recipes.

 

Deen has incredible star power and could use this as an opportunity to begin the conversation with her fans about ways to cook nutritious foods and how a healthy diet can lead to weight loss and help eliminate Type 2 diabetes.

 

What do you think?