Penne with Treviso and Goat Cheese

When my mother in law sent me this recipe, it had me DROOLING! We absolutely loved it! I made extra's on purpose to have enough for lunch the next day, and it was just as delish the next day for leftovers! No spiking of the sugars, and the flavour was incredible! Thank you so much Lisa!

Highly recommend it!

Penne with Treviso and Goat Cheese
Ingredients
1 pound penne pasta (whole wheat)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, halved
1 pound treviso or radicchio, chopped (about 4 cups) (I didn't use this ingredient, just spinach)
3 packed cups (3 ounces) baby spinach
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon salt, plus more for seasoning
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan
1 1/2 cups (11 ounces) goat cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup basil leaves, torn (I was out of basil, so I actually used Parsley and it was just as good)

Directions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water.

In a 12-inch skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant and golden, about 1 minute. Remove the garlic and discard.

Add the treviso, spinach, chicken stock, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of salt, and red pepper flakes. Cook until the treviso and spinach until wilted, about 6 to 8 minutes.

Add the pasta and Parmesan. Toss well and thin out the sauce with a little pasta water, if needed. Season with salt, to taste.

Transfer the penne to serving bowls. Top each portion with the crumbled goat cheese and garnish with basil before serving.

Strictly for Cereal Lovers

When I was diagnosed, one of the first things I had to get rid of was cereal. Mmmmm, cereal! My second love. It wasn't for about 2 years after I was diagnosed that I dared to eat my first bowl of cereal, which by the way tasted like heaven on earth. But even the taste couldn't convince me that it was good for me, from what the nutritionist had said. The doctor and my dietitian had said cereal was empty calories with not a lot nutrients, therefore leaving it a bad choice for breakfast.

Thank goodness for research! And even more grateful for the companies trying to keep up to the "healthy" world. If you haven't noticed, everyone is trying to make their product healthier. Cereal companies are one of those manufacturers who are trying to keep up to the health and doing a great job at it.

According to researches it's better than most breakfasts!!! (I'm not lying when I say this was the best thing I've read in a long time!)

In a study of nearly 10,000 kids and teens, researchers learned that those who ate any type of cereal every morning got more fiber and nutrients than breakfast skippers or those who at other types of breakfasts. kids who didn't have breakfast, on the other hand, ate more sugar daily and were more likely to be obese. Though the study looked at cereal eaters in general, it's smarter to always stick to varieties that are low in sugar and high fiber.

After looking strictly at cereal labels and paying close attention to my sugars after eating certain brand's, I compiled this list of cereals I trust with my health and Diabetes. I'd recommend these to anyone, and so would my nutritionist:

1. Kashi GoLean
   
2. All-Bran Raisin Bran
3. Fiber One
   
4. Barbara’s Shredded Spoonfuls
   
5. Cheerios
   
6. Kellogg’s Complete Oat Bran Flakes
7. Grape Nuts
   
8. Quaker Oatmeal Squares
   
9. Shredded Wheat ‘n Bran 100% Natural Whole Wheat MiniWheats
   
10. Total Whole Grain

If none of these cereal suit your fancy, always look at the nutrition label and make sure they have more than 3 grams of fiber, less than 45 grams of carbs, and around 2.5 grams of fat. If there's any protein, that's wonderful-but fiber is better for mornings.

(Source: Journal of the American Dietetic Association, July 2010)

Fighting A Cold The Old Fashioned Way

When we think of catching a cold, most of us would think back to the days when we would spend the entire day cuddled up in bed while our mother would so kindly bring us a bowl of homemade chicken noodle soup.

Well, your mom wasn't too far fetched when she was bringing you a cup of chicken noodle soup. She was dead on actually on how to help your sickness. There's key ingredients that are found in a good batch of chicken noodle soup that are helpful when fighting a cold.

With flu/cold season right around the corner, I have some information on the foods and why they are in the soup to begin with that would be good to know for next time your craving something warm and soothing.

Chicken

It's a great source of zinc, which is shown to reduce the symptoms and duration of a cold.

Carrots

They're great immune system enhancers because beta-carotene helps hold off infection.

Garlic and Onions

Are both unbelievably strong antivirals, which have compounds that speedily get to the lungs and respiratory tract to effectively attack cold viruses.

Egg Noodles

Help boost selenium intake, which makes it harder for the cold virus to multiply and mutate.

Red Bell Peppers

Are a strong source of salicylates, (f.y.i.-salicylates are chemicals that occur naturally in many plants. They usually act as a preservative to prevent rotting and also act as a defendant against harmful bacteria) aspirin's active ingredient.

Cayenne Peppers

Have more salicylates and are an effective natural decongestant.

Here's a recipe to get this season started for you!

Chicken Soup for the Cold...and soul.

Ingredients:

2 cups of chicken, cooked and diced

1/2 cups of carrots, chopped

2 (2.72 oz.)store-bought packets of chicken-noodle soup mix

2 medium onions, diced (I used white, they are sweeter)

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 cup of enriched egg noodles (you can buy whole wheat as well)

1 red bell peppers, chopped

2 tsp. cayenne pepper

Directions:

1. Pour 8 cups of water into a large pot and bring to a boil.

2. Add the chicken, carrots, onions, and garlic, and boil for half an hour or until the carrots are tender.

3. Add the remaining ingredients and cook for an additional 5-10 minutes. Makes 8 1-cup servings.

Nutrients:

167 calories

15 grams of protein

20 grams of carbs

1 gram of fat

2.5 grams of fiber

28 milligrams of sodium

(Source: citihealth.com)

The Spinach That Won't Make You Cringe

Growing up, I'm sure most of us cringed at the thought of eating spinach for dinner. Well, guess what-mom was right when she said spinach was good for you!
Turns out, calorie for calorie, this vegetable is an incredible power food. In fact, the nutritional benefits are so great, you can eat as much of this awesomeness as you like and still look fabulous. "Packed with folic acid, vitamins A, C, and E and a huge mix of antioxidants, it also contains flavonoids, which are thought to slow the cognitivie decline that accompanies aging", says cityhealth staff of the Healthy Utah Magazine.
Other health benefits include lowering blood pressure, reducing the risk of heart disease, anemia, and cancer risks.
Here are some recipes of some great smoothie's, that include spinach, next time you're wanting something sweet, and something incredibly healthy.

(Sources: Healthy Utah, Citihealth Staff, and UThealth.com.)

Recipes From You: Black Bean Salad

My sister in laws and mom in law have been swapping recipes, and I thought I would throw this one in that my sister in law gave me. Which by the way, is raising one of the healthiest families I know. She is always giving her kids incredible dishes that are fresh and healthy-and if that doesn't convince you how healthy she is-her kids LOVE and crave vegetables...I've honestly never heard of it, but she's done it:)

Black Bean Salad Recipe
Ingredients:
1 (15 ounce) can of black beans, thoroughly rinsed, and drained (or 1 1/2 cup of freshly cooked black beans)
1 1/2 cups frozen corn, defrosted (or fresh corn, parboiled, drained and cooled)
1/2 cup chopped green onions or shallots
2 fresh jalapeño peppers, seeded and minced, or 1 whole pickled jalapeño pepper, minced (not seeded)
3 fresh plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 avocado, peeled, seeded, and cut into chunks
1/2 cup fresh chopped cilantro
1/4 cup fresh chopped basil
2 Tbsp lime juice (about the amount of juice from one lime)
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 to 1 teaspoon of sugar (to taste)-(i used splenda and it tasted just as great)
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Make sure to rinse and drain the beans, if you are using canned beans.
In a large bowl, combine the beans, corn, onions, jalapeno chile peppers, tomatoes, avocado, cilantro, basil, lime juice and olive oil. Add sugar and salt and pepper to taste. (The sugar will help balance the acidity from the tomatoes and lime juice.) Chill before serving.
Serves 6 to 8.

(Thanks so much Liz! I LOVED this salad!)

Recipes From You: Roasted Asparagus and Roasted Mushrooms

I got a few recipes from you via email, but not a whole bunch, so I'll post all the ones that I recieved through time. Thank you by the way for sending me these, it's so exciting and refreshing to try new things that are simple and delish!

Starting with 2 sides that are extremely easy, healthy and really good! I've posted similar side recipes, but of course new and improved are always better:)

Roasted Asparagus

preheat oven to 350

place washed and trimed asparagus on a baking sheet

drizzle olive oil and black pepper on top

cook for 10 minutes

Roasted Mushrooms

Heat olive oil in frying pan

put in washed and quartered (if big, halved if small) mushrooms

drizzle with balsamic vinegar and italian dressing

let cook for a five minutes or so, until soft

can top with feta or parmesan cheese, but still delish without.

Thanks so much Leslie!

The Benefits of Sex

(WARNING: IF YOU'RE UNCOMFORTABLE ABOUT SEX TALK, DON'T READ ANY FURTHER!)

Now, when I think of health, I think of every aspect of anything we do in our daily lives and how it affects it. Whether it be what we eat, how we spend our energy, what kind of vitamins we take...all of which amount to our overall health.

Well, these things aren't the only options we should be considering to be healthy or to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Sex is HUGE when it comes to keeping healthy and benefiting us in more ways than the obvious:).

Here are 10 ways that sex are beneficial to your health:

1. Sex Relieves Stress
A big health benefit of sex is lower blood pressure and overall stress reduction, according to researchers from Scotland who reported their findings in the journal Biological Psychology. They studied 24 women and 22 men who kept records of their sexual activity. Then the researchers subjected them to stressful situations -- such as speaking in public and doing verbal arithmetic -- and noted their blood pressure response to stress.
Those who had intercourse had better responses to stress than those who engaged in other sexual behaviors or abstained.
Another study published in the same journal found that frequent intercourse was associated with lower diastolic blood pressure in cohabiting participants. Yet other research found a link between partner hugs and lower blood pressure in women.

2. Sex Boosts Immunity
Good sexual health may mean better physical health. Having sex once or twice a week has been linked with higher levels of an antibody called immunoglobulin A or IgA, which can protect you from getting colds and other infections. Scientists at Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., took samples of saliva, which contain IgA, from 112 college students who reported the frequency of sex they had.
Those in the "frequent" group -- once or twice a week -- had higher levels of IgA than those in the other three groups -- who reported being abstinent, having sex less than once a week, or having it very often, three or more times weekly.

3. Sex Burns Calories
Thirty minutes of sex burns 85 calories or more. It may not sound like much, but it adds up: 42 half-hour sessions will burn 3,570 calories, more than enough to lose a pound. Doubling up, you could drop that pound in 21 hour-long sessions.
"Sex is a great mode of exercise," says Patti Britton, PhD, a Los Angeles sexologist and president of the American Association of Sexuality Educators and Therapists. It takes work, from both a physical and psychological perspective, to do it well, she says.

4. Sex Improves Cardiovascular Health
While some older folks may worry that the efforts expended during sex could cause a stroke, that's not so, according to researchers from England. In a study published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, scientists found frequency of sex was not associated with stroke in the 914 men they followed for 20 years.
And the heart health benefits of sex don't end there. The researchers also found that having sex twice or more a week reduced the risk of fatal heart attack by half for the men, compared with those who had sex less than once a month.

5. Sex Boosts Self-Esteem
Boosting self-esteem was one of 237 reasons people have sex, collected by University of Texas researchers and published in the Archives of Sexual Behavior.
That finding makes sense to Gina Ogden, PhD, a sex therapist and marriage and family therapist in Cambridge, Mass., although she finds that those who already have self-esteem say they sometimes have sex to feel even better. "One of the reasons people say they have sex is to feel good about themselves," she tells WebMD. "Great sex begins with self-esteem, and it raises it. If the sex is loving, connected, and what you want, it raises it."

6. Sex Improves Intimacy
Having sex and orgasms increases levels of the hormone oxytocin, the so-called love hormone, which helps us bond and build trust. Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh and the University of North Carolina evaluated 59 premenopausal women before and after warm contact with their husbands and partners ending with hugs. They found that the more contact, the higher the oxytocin levels.
"Oxytocin allows us to feel the urge to nurture and to bond," Britton says.
Higher oxytocin has also been linked with a feeling of generosity. So if you're feeling suddenly more generous toward your partner than usual, credit the love hormone.

7. Sex Reduces Pain
As the hormone oxytocin surges, endorphins increase, and pain declines. So if your headache, arthritis pain, or PMS symptoms seem to improve after sex, you can thank those higher oxytocin levels.
In a study published in the Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine, 48 volunteers who inhaled oxytocin vapor and then had their fingers pricked lowered their pain threshold by more than half.

8. Sex Reduces Prostate Cancer Risk
Frequent ejaculations, especially in 20-something men, may reduce the risk of prostate cancer later in life, Australian researchers reported in the British Journal of Urology International. When they followed men diagnosed with prostate cancer and those without, they found no association of prostate cancer with the number of sexual partners as the men reached their 30s, 40s, and 50s.
But they found men who had five or more ejaculations weekly while in their 20s reduced their risk of getting prostate cancer later by a third.
Another study, reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association, found that frequent ejaculations, 21 or more a month, were linked to lower prostate cancer risk in older men, as well, compared with less frequent ejaculations of four to seven monthly.

9. Sex Strengthens Pelvic Floor Muscles
For women, doing a few pelvic floor muscle exercises known as Kegels during sex offers a couple of benefits. You will enjoy more pleasure, and you'll also strengthen the area and help to minimize the risk of incontinence later in life.
To do a basic Kegel exercise, tighten the muscles of your pelvic floor, as if you're trying to stop the flow of urine. Count to three, then release.

10. Sex Helps You Sleep Better
The oxytocin released during orgasm also promotes sleep, according to research.
And getting enough sleep has been linked with a host of other good things, such as maintaining a healthy weight and blood pressure. Something to think about, especially if you've been wondering why your guy can be active one minute and snoring the next.

(Source: article by Kathleen Doheney, WebMd)