Category: Fitness

family, Fitness, Meals

Healthy Eating By Alicia Coleman

aliciacoleman

In an effort to keep my promise to myself about eating a healthier diet, I’ve brought a new meal to the table.  Here’s a recipe for a very tasty and healthy meal.  I love soup and nothing beats it on a cool winter’s evening.

Cream of Wild Rice Soup

Ingredients:  Serves 4

  • 1 1/2 cups diced yellow onion
  • 1 cup died carrots
  • 1 cup diced celery
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 1/2 cups diced kale
  • 1 tablespoon minced parsley
  • 2 cups reduced sodium vegetable stock
  • 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 cup unsalted white beans, prepared
  • 2 cups 1 percent milk
  • 1/2 cup wild rice, cooked

Directions

wild rice soup image2

Saute onion, carrot, celery and garlic in olive oil in a soup pot until lightly brown.  Add kale, parsley, stock and spices.

In blender, puree beans with milk.  Add bean mixture to soup, bring to simmer and add rice.  Cook for 30 minutes.  Serving size: about 2 cups.

Blended beans in this recipe provide real creaminess without the fat–and the bonus of fiber.  (Recipe from the chefs at the Mayo Clinic)

Serve with a crisp green salad.  Delicious!

Calories: 229

challenges, Fitness, writing

Tracking My Fitness Goals by Alicia Coleman

aliciacoleman

One of my New Year’s goals involves increasing my physical activity and eating healthier meals.  I’ve found a program to help me.  It’s called Lose It!   A friend mentioned it in a blog post a few weeks ago. It’s a program for tracking daily meals, physical activity and participation in challenges.  Competition with others or working together to achieve common goals is encouraged in the Lose It! community.   Some of the challenges include increasing water intake,  eating more vegetables, daily log-ins or challenges to stay within your caloric budget for a month.  bathroom scale

My personal challenges are increased water intake, daily log-ins and making an effort to stay within my caloric budget.  On Saturday, I went over my caloric budget.  My family and I ate at a  favorite restaurant. The next day, I adjusted my intake and increased activity.

Since I’ve starting the program, I’ve lost three pounds.

There are Apps for iPhone, Android phones, iPod Touch and iPad for people who want to track on the go. There is also a premium program that allows connection to other fitness Apps for a better tracking experience.

Writing is a sedentary job.  Keeping your butt in the chair is good for your writing career, but not so good for your body and your heart.

What programs or activities do you use to keep fit and healthy?