Magical Leek Soup!

Made famous from the book "French Women Don't Get Fat", Dr. Miracle's "Magical Leek Soup" has made it's way to America from France. (I have a picture of Hilary Swank because she came up in the google search, and appearently she will be in the movie? Plus, maybe, if you do this detox you can look like her!! lol)

I guess this recipe has been used for generations of French women to detoxify. If you check out my early blog about fasting, you will see I am a supporter of fasting and believe it can provide many benefits to your body and mind. But, fasting can be hard. So having the support of a nutrious liquid over the course of a 48 hour fast can be very helpful. Leeks are also a known diuretic, speeding up the detox process.

If you like the taste of leeks, or just want to try something new, this may be for you!! Let me know how it works for you!

Recipe for Magical Leek Soup
Serves one for the weekend

2 lbs. leeks
Water to cover in a large pot

1. Clean leeks and rinse well to get rid of sand and soil. Cut end of green parts leaving all the white parts plus a little of green.
2. Put leeks in large pot and cover with water. Bring to boil and simmer with no lid for 20-30 minutes. Pour off the liquid and reserve. Place the leeks in a bowl.

Instructions:
The juice is to be drunk (reheated or room temperature to taste) every 2-3 hours, a cup at a time.
For meals or whenever hungry, have some of the leeks themselves, ½ cup at a time. Drizzle with a few drops of extra-virgin olive oil and lemon juice. Season sparingly with salt and pepper. Add chopped parsley if you wish.
This will be your nourishment for both days, until Sunday dinner, when you can have a small piece of meat or fish, with two vegetables, steamed with a bit of butter or oil, and a piece of fruit.

Fat Kids

Well, it's not a very nice title. We're told not to call people fat. Especially kids. But fat is fat, and these days 33% of children are obese...that's not good. So, call a spade a spade and know when to make changes for your children.

In a recent study published in the journal Obesity it was shown when nutrition and exercise education was given only to parents, their children shed about the same amount of weight as kids who took part in the weight-loss classes with their parents.

It has long been established that weight-loss education for families is effective at helping children lose weight and keep it off. A 1994 study published in Health Psychology found that about one-third of overweight and obese kids who attended educational classes in childhood had decreased the amount that they were overweight by 20%. 10 years later, and 30% were no longer obese.

These findings have contributed to my personal interest in health education. The reason I write this blog, and the reason I began my own company, Wellness Initiatives. Currently, I am designing a wellness program for kids aged 12-14 that will teach them, one-on-one, the skills they need to lead a happy, healthy life. But this new research may mean that I need to make sure I include the parents a little more than I had already planned to!

 So...does this research mean it's YOUR fault your kid is fat? Well, frankly, yes. More than likely it is.

So what can you do? You can participate in a health class or educate yourself online or through books. You can enroll your child in a program like Running Start or a wellness summer camp. Either way, it's important that you give your child the skills to make healthy decisions in their own life in the future. And for now, make sure you provide fruits and vegetables at home and encourage exercise and other good eating habits.

If we establish healthy living early on, the chances of us staying healthy throughout our lives is increased phenomenally. So, give your kids the tools they need to live a happy, healthy life!!!

Corporate Wellness and Productivity

When you feel good physically, you feel good mentally. So, if you have healthy, fit and active employees, chances are you have more productive employees. A correlation between health and productivity has never been made using proper scientific methods, although I'm sure this type of research is not far off in the future. What we do have is our intuition and personal experiences, as well as the testaments of successful companies, to tell us that this correlation is real and accurate.

What type of program should your company have? Well, that depends on the needs and wants of the employees. Doing a small survey to see if your employees would use an on-site gym or fitness classes, if they would like seminars or a running group would be helpful. As would an evaluation of their current health, using an HRA (Health Risk Assessment). With this information, a taylored wellness program can reduce your insurance costs and absenteeism, and improve productivity, employee satisfation and be a great recruiting tool for new desireable employees.

If you are looking for a wellness coordinator or consultant, contact me at khand@wellnessinitiatives.net and I can offer some guidance!

Quote of the Day

Stay young forever??....

All parts of the body which have a function if used in moderation and exercised in labors in which each is accustomed, become thereby healthy, well developed and age more slowly, but if unused they become liable to disease, defective in growth and age quickly.


Hippocrates

Workout at Home

To fit a quick workout in your day, the best thing you can do is workout at home. Having said this, there is minimal equipment that will vastly improve your exercise options. A Jump Rope, Dumbbells, a Fitness Ball and an Exercise Mat are all you need to have great variety and results in your workout.

Here are some simple, classic exercises to get you started:

Squat and Press
A full body move that will work everything from your major muscle groups, like your hamstrings and shoulders, to your minor stabilizing muscles. Do this move for a few days and feel enormous improvements in endurance and strength.







Side Plank with Arm Raise
Starting in regular plank position on your yoga mat, turn onto the side of your foot and your forearm. Once balanced, raise your other arm straight into the air. Looking up at this arm will help you maintain the position. This is great for every part of your body. Can especially whittle down those love handles and tone your back! Rotate from side to side.

Lunge with Bicep Curl

Just like the squat and press, doing a basic lung while again incorporating your arms is a great way to raise your heart rate and have a fast and very effective workout. Make sure you front knee does not extend past your toes and focus on stabilization and muscle contraction throughout the move. You do not have to incorporate stairs into this!

Butt Blaster on the Ball!

This is my fav ball move. With your back flat on the floor and your ankles resting on the ball, pull the ball towards you and lift your butt off the floor. Feel the burn and blast your butt!!





Any questions about specific workout moves, feel free to post a comment!

Kale - The newest Superfood

I love to try new foods. Many people relate healthy eating with bordom in the kitchen, but that doesn't have to be the case.

Kale has been named a superfood. Which means it is extremely valuable in your diet and definitely worth trying. One cup contains only 36 calories, and provides 192% of the daily value of vitamin A and almost 90% of your daily value of Vit C. The ten to fifteen organosulphur compounds it contains have been proven to be highly effective against many cancers. Kale also contains high amounts of B6, manganese, calcium, copper, and potassium. Enough reasons to try it yet??

So, how do you eat it? Well, some people find it can be bitter, but by chosing Kale with smaller leaves, you will find the flavor can be very complementary in many dishes.

Here's a recipe worth trying:

Raw Tuscan Kale Salad
If you don't have pecorino, freshly grated Parmesan would be a reasonable substitute.

1 bunch Tuscan kale (for ex: black or lacinato)
2 thin slices country bread, or two handfuls good, homemade coarse breadcrumbs
1/2 garlic clove
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup grated pecorino cheese, plus aditional for garnish
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly squeezed juice of one lemon (~1/4 cup)
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Trim the bottom few inches off the kale stems and discard. Slice the kale into 3/4-inch ribbons. You should have 4 to 5 cups. Place the kale in a large bowl.
If using the bread, toast it until golden brown on both sides and dry throughout. Tear into small pieces and pulse in a food processor until the mixture forms coarse crumbs, or crumbs to your liking.
Using a mortar and pestle or a knife, pound or mince the garlic and 1/4 teaspoon of salt into a paste. Transfer the garlic to a small bowl. Add 1/4 cup cheese, 3 tablespoons oil, lemon juice, pinch of salt, pepper flakes, and black pepper and whisk to combine. Pour the dressing over the kale and toss (Dressing is thick, so it may need to be well tossed).
Let the salad sit for 5 minutes, then serve topped with the bread crumbs, additional cheese, and a drizzle of oil.

Adapted from the Raw Tuscan Kale Salad with Chiles and Pecorino recipe in Melissa Clark's In the Kitchen with A Good Appetite.

Move of the Day...Get the Wiggle out of your Wave!

Triceps Kickback!

Using a cable at the gym, or weights in your own home, this simple move will tone up your arms.

Set-up: Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and hold the weight or the D-handle for the pulley. Bend forward to 45 degrees with your knees slightly bent.

Action: Keep your arm close to your body and extend your elbow posteriorly in a straight line. Do not lock your elbow and keep your wrist strong. Focus on the movement and the contraction of your triceps. Return slowly.

As with every exercise, focus on the movement and the muscles being used. Both contraction and relaxation should be slow and controlled for max benefits.


Pictures taken from Oxygen Magazine.