Posts by Debra Mcduffee at That's Fit

There's a right way to do sit-ups

Posted: Oct 13th 2008 4:00PM by Debra McDuffee
Filed under: Fitness, General Health

I used to be one of you. I'd slave away, doing set after set of crunches, knowing I was working my abdominals, yet seeing minimal results. I'd heard that during Alias, Jennifer Garner did 1000 crunches everyday. Sure, I wasn't doing that many, but I was pretty fit ... and pretty discouraged.

Pilates has changed my point of view on sit-ups, and it has also changed my shape for the better. My posture has improved, my tummy is flatter, my waist is cinched in -- all because I do crunches the Stott Pilates way.

Want to know the secret?

Continue reading There's a right way to do sit-ups

Cook with your squashy harvest

Posted: Oct 10th 2008 2:00PM by Debra McDuffee
Filed under: Food and Nutrition, Vegetarian, Healthy Recipes

Alas, our farm days are over for this growing season. Our CSA farm closes up shop this week, a bit early due to the wet, wet summer; you should see the poor tomato plants. But the rain didn't ruin everything, as we have big, beautiful butternut squashes, just waiting to be cooked and gobbled up.

Butternut squash is loaded with vitamin A as beta carotene, vitamin C and fiber, along with B vitamins, so you really can't lose by making the most of your winter squash.

One of our favorite dishes is a simple pizza with tomato sauce, roasted butternut squash, shallots and sage leaves, topped with prosciutto and feta cheese. How's that for a fun way to eat your squash?

Gallery: Cooking with winter squash

Continue reading Cook with your squashy harvest

Healthy recipe: Apple halibut kabobs

Posted: Oct 9th 2008 5:00PM by Debra McDuffee
Filed under: Food and Nutrition, Healthy Habits, Healthy Recipes

It's that time of year ... early Fall, when apples abound, but warm enough that you can still grill without a parka. So what's this all mean to you? Another fabulously delicious recipe to make, which includes apples on your grill: Apple Halibut Kabobs.

Grilling is a healthy coop all to itself because you use so much less fat than you would if pan-frying or even oven roasting. Yes, healthy fats are good for us in moderation, but you'll get those in the halibut -- so grill while you still can.

You want more healthy reasons to make this recipe? How about the loads of vitamin C in the apples and peppers? The onions and thyme lend their own healthy benefits as well.

Continue reading Healthy recipe: Apple halibut kabobs

5 healthy crock pot meals

Posted: Oct 8th 2008 2:00PM by Debra McDuffee
Filed under: Food and Nutrition, General Health, Healthy Habits, Healthy Recipes

The days are getting shorter ... and colder! You don't have to resort to canned cream of mushroom soup to prepare a hearty meal in your slow cooker. There are healthy recipes to be had and precious time to be saved.

You can't go wrong with Crock Pot Black Bean Chili -- beans for protein and fiber, peppers for vitamin C, and herbs and spices for all of their numerous health benefits.

Crockpot Chicken Curry is loaded with zesty flavors, from fresh gingerroot and mango chutney to crushed red pepper and cilantro. This one could be -- dare I say it? -- company food. Serve it over brown rice.

Continue reading 5 healthy crock pot meals

6 food mistakes parents make

Posted: Oct 7th 2008 11:00AM by Debra McDuffee
Filed under: Food and Nutrition, Healthy Kids

Got a picky kid? You might even have a picky spouse! Knowing the right ways to help your family members become healthy eaters isn't easy. Every person is different, so hitting on that one solution is always a tough one.

So it's a good thing the New York Times is telling us about six food mistakes that parents make. If we see ourselves in some of these, then we'll know where to start.

Join me after the jump to read about the six mistakes and my take on them.

Continue reading 6 food mistakes parents make

All-in-one breakfast muffin saves you money

Posted: Oct 6th 2008 4:00PM by Debra McDuffee
Filed under: Food and Nutrition, Healthy Habits, Healthy Recipes

Hey, have you heard about the importance of a good breakfast? OK, I jest, because we all know that a healthy start to our day is one of the most important things we can do for ourselves. From helping keep us slim to supplying our bodies with enough energy to tackle our busy day, a good breakfast does it all.

Tough to find time for a good breakfast, sometimes, isn't it? What if you could have a solution for a balanced breakfast that is full of nutrition, easy on the pocketbook (about 50 cents each) and a snap to prepare? If that sounds appealing, then you'll want to try this recipe for all-in-one breakfast muffins.

Loaded with protein like eggs, ham, and cheese, these muffins will stick to your ribs so you won't crave the sugary snacks come mid-morning. Plus, scallions and peppers add veggie nutrients.

Continue reading All-in-one breakfast muffin saves you money

Healthy recipe: Curried tuna, carrot and hummus couscous

Posted: Sep 30th 2008 2:30PM by Debra McDuffee
Filed under: Food and Nutrition, Healthy Habits, Healthy Recipes

Sounds amazing, doesn't it? Curried tuna, carrot and hummus couscous. The mouth waters just thinking about it.

But wait -- there's more. This healthy recipe's got a couple of sources of lean, complete protein: tuna and hummus. Its overflowing with nutrition from veggies too, like carrots, garlic, red pepper, onions and greens (rocket or arugala). And the health benefits of the turmeric in curry are plentiful.

The fun begins, though, when you start imagining all of the ingenious substitutions you could make to boost the nutrition and healthfulness of this recipe. Join me after the jump for some specifics.

Continue reading Healthy recipe: Curried tuna, carrot and hummus couscous

Healthy Recipe: Apple turkey picadillo

Posted: Sep 26th 2008 2:00PM by Debra McDuffee
Filed under: Food and Nutrition, Healthy Recipes

A pica-who? I didn't know what a picadillo was either, but I was sure enamored with this delicious recipe.

This traditional Latin American dish usually consists of ground beef and seasonings, sometimes with veggies added. It can be used to stuff a taco or served with beans and rice.

So the apple turkey picadillo recipe I fell in love with is definitely a twist on tradition, but a clever and welcome -- and healthy! -- one, in my opinion. Imagine the sweet-tart of the apple combining with the cumin and Worcestershire sauce ... I can almost smell it sauteing on the stove.

Continue reading Healthy Recipe: Apple turkey picadillo

Be nutty and try this recipe

Posted: Sep 25th 2008 12:30PM by Debra McDuffee
Filed under: Food and Nutrition, Vegetarian, Healthy Recipes

Maybe it's true that we are what we eat, but what does that make us if we try this nut loaf recipe? Heck, there's nothing wrong with being a little nutty if it comes from eating this tasty dish.

Nuts, mushrooms, veggies, and fresh herbs make the bulk of this recipe, with eggs and a few this-and-thats. So healthy proteins and fats combined with the nutrients of onions, leeks, carrots, and celery. Can it get any better?

Just a few tweaks and we've got a vegetarian mainstay full of healthy perfection:

Use wild mushrooms, not just white ones, to help boost your immune system.
Use brown rice cooked in broth instead of rice pilaf.
Instead of breadcrumbs, just pop a slice of sprouted grain bread in the food processor and use that for more nutrition and better digestion.

10 balanced breakfasts for kids -- and adults

Posted: Sep 24th 2008 11:00AM by Debra McDuffee
Filed under: Food and Nutrition, General Health, Healthy Habits, Healthy Kids

As adults living in a fast-paced world, we may be a little lax in assuring we eat a balanced breakfast every morning. Sure, a granola bar or a banana on-the-run may not be the end of the world, but even though those things may have some nutrition to them, they are not balanced breakfasts.

One thing we don't want to do is pass this tradition on to our kids. Today's lifestyle demands a lot from these little people too, and a balanced breakfast will give them a good start to tackle the world, one day at a time.

Dr. Sears, one of the most down-to-earth famous pediatricians out there, has some ideas about balanced breakfasts for kids. Complex carbohydrates and protein should both be present, so he suggests to think whole grains plus dairy plus fruit.

Continue reading 10 balanced breakfasts for kids -- and adults

Healthy recipe: Black bean and tomato quinoa

Posted: Sep 24th 2008 9:30AM by Debra McDuffee
Filed under: Food and Nutrition, Vegetarian, Healthy Recipes

Are you all getting that I love quinoa yet? Well, why wouldn't I, when it is such a healthy source of protein, is versatile and very easy to prepare.

My latest quinoa recipe find is Black Bean and Tomato Quinoa, touted as a side dish on Epicurious, but to me, a perfect vegetarian entree when served with a green salad and some whole grain bread.

This flavorful dish sports quinoa and black beans as hearty and nutritious sources of protein, zesty lime, the powerhouse tomato and scallions and fresh cilantro.

Continue reading Healthy recipe: Black bean and tomato quinoa

25 "light" tomato recipes -- but are they healthy?

Posted: Sep 23rd 2008 12:00PM by Debra McDuffee
Filed under: Food and Nutrition, Vegetarian, Healthy Recipes

Tomatoes are abundant right now -- trust me. I have three large bags full of them from our CSA Farm, and some fresh tomato sauce simmering on the stove as I type.

Needless to say, I've been scouring the internet looking for some new tomato recipes to try that take advantage of the healthy tomato, bursting with vitamin C and lycopene. So I checked out the top 25 tomato recipes on Cooking Light, and what do you suppose I found?

Well, good and bag things, really. Here's a breakdown of the recipes that ... caught my eye, let's say, and what you might decide to substitute for a healthier choice.

Continue reading 25 "light" tomato recipes -- but are they healthy?

Blackberries destroy cancer in your genes

Posted: Sep 18th 2008 11:30AM by Debra McDuffee
Filed under: Food and Nutrition, General Health, Vegetarian

We know they are chock-full of antioxidants and other valuable nutrients, but did you know that research has shown that black raspberries can actually alter your genes?

In animal studies, genes that were altered with cancer were returned to normal when black raspberry powder was consumed.

OK people, that's huge! Why aren't you eating black raspberries all the time, every day, at each meal? I jest, because we can't jump on every medical study bandwagon and eat multitudes of foods that are good for us.

Gallery: Black raspberry serving ideas

Continue reading Blackberries destroy cancer in your genes

Tofu: Not a healthy health food

Posted: Sep 17th 2008 11:00AM by Debra McDuffee
Filed under: Food and Nutrition, General Health, Healthy Habits, Vegetarian

caprese salad with tofu instead of cheese

Many vegetarians champion tofu for its meatless protein and versatility. They also eat quite a lot of it, and some sources are saying -- and have been saying for a while actually -- that no good can come of this.

Basically, because tofu is an unfermented soy product, there are chemicals left in the soy that are not only indigestible, but also rob your body of other nutrients. Phytates block mineral absorption and trypsin inhibitors block protein digestion.

In this video interview, Dr. Kaayla Daniel says she isn't so much worried about the people who eat a couple of chunks of tofu in miso soup and the like, but more the vegetarians who eat slabs of tofu daily as their main source of protein. She also says that eating tofu is still safer than ingesting soy protein isolate or hydrolyzed soy protein, ingredients found in many processed foods like veggie burgers.

Continue reading Tofu: Not a healthy health food

Healthy recipe: Green tomato rice

Posted: Sep 17th 2008 10:30AM by Debra McDuffee
Filed under: Food and Nutrition, General Health, Healthy Recipes

Fried green tomatoes, step aside: there's a healthier dish in town. Full of flavor and nutritious goodies, green tomato rice may become the new "in" side dish using the popular unripe fruit.

We don't want the trans fats that frying gives us, and bread crumbs have almost no nutritional value. And we certainly don't want the calories in fried green tomatoes -- 312 calories in just one tomato! Brown rice, on the other hand, supplies B vitamins and fiber, and garlic, thyme and jalepeno all have their heart-smart health benefits.

To get the most from green tomato rice, be sure to use brown rice (and increase the broth slightly) and nitrite-free turkey bacon; then enjoy your new green tomato staple side dish!

Gallery: Green tomato rice ingredients are healthy

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