August 2011 Tips and Recipes

Beat the Heat

Before diving into this month's ezine I just wanted to update everyone on a couple of items. First, my computer was down and out for many weeks during the month of June (hence no ezine that month). Of course this meant I was many weeks behind on everything, on top of making sure all my files got recovered correctly, therefore no ezine last month. Good news is that everything is back up, files recovered and getting back on track. So I am back on schedule with the monthly ezine coming out the first Monday of each month.

Secondly, many have been asking about the iPhone App. The programmer has a working version which has been tested. There are some changes needed (which is typical in the programming world) so it's back in the hands of the programmer. I should have the next version to test in the next week or two. If all goes well, we will be submitting it for approval to iTunes by end of August or first of September. I will make an announcement on the website when it's ready for the public.

Lastly, if you have recently tried to request a new restaurant for the Weight Watchers points you may have noticed the form is gone. This is just temporary. I need to first catch up on existing requests, complete the testing for the iPhone app and do some much needed work on other parts of the website. This includes adding a forum in the next month or so. This way everyone can share their tips and experiences with others so that we all gain (which in this case means lose weight) from the knowledge of others. So watch for the forum and be ready to join in on the conversations and sharing.

Now on to this month's ezine. I am not sure how many of you are staying cool this summer, but I know things are heating up in many places. I know it's hot and humid where I'm at and that can put a damper on the weight loss goals. So this month's ezine is dedicated to beating the heat and keeping your cool in order to push forward on your weight loss goals.

Weight Loss Tip

Cool Foods

If the summer heat has you craving too much ice cream and refreshing beverages (and I don't mean water and diet pop), then curb those cravings with some “cool” foods. When the temperature outside rises, often we find ourselves wanting that cool refreshing ice cream cone and a cold beer to quench the thirst. While these help cool you down, they don't exactly help you reach your weight loss goal. So instead of scooping another dish of ice cream or grabbing another cold one, try some of these cool, yet healthier, options to help you beat the summer heat.

Jello

There's always room for Jello (sugar free Jello that is). This cool treat is a great go-to cool snack that can satisfy your ice cream craving but save you lots and lots of calories. Add a heaping teaspoon of cool whip for some added creaminess. Of course, this adds a bit more calories but still does not come close to what a bowl of ice cream would cost you.

Energizes Muscles

Without the right amount of water and electrolytes, your muscle cells can shrivel which can lead to muscle fatigue. When your muscles don't have enough fluids they can not perform as well. Maintaining muscle tone is important not only for your health, but helps promote weight loss by speeding up your metabolism.

Crisp and Cool Veggies

Don't heat up your favorite vegetables when the temperatures are too hot outside. Instead, keep them cool and eat them raw. Take your favorites right from the fridge (or even frozen and thawed) and add them to a tossed salad. You can buy a mixed frozen vegetable package and add a cupful to your salad once they are thawed (but still cool). This will not only add some healthy nutrition to your salad, but will add some nice color making it an inviting dish for lunch or dinner.

Frozen Fruits

Another great way to keep it cool is to keep your fruits frozen. Be sure to buy the unsweetened frozen packages of mixed berries and fruits. Then with your next cup of yogurt, simply grab a few fruits, let them thaw slightly and then drop them in and stir it up with your yogurt.. It will be like biting into a frozen fruit ice cube but with great nutritional value. Of course you don't want them too frozen, so be sure to thaw them ever so slightly. You can also add some fresh (and refreshing) fruit to your cereal, salads and more.

Homemade Popsicles

Remember when you were a kid and mom use to pour Kool Aid into the popcicle tray and make homemade popsicle? Okay, some of you are too young to remember those days. But for those of us old enough, these were such a great summer snack for kids. Of course today we know that all the sugar you add to the Kool Aid wasn't always the best thing. So instead of a sugary version of those long remembered popsicle, why not make a remix of these with some healthier ingredients. You can use diet lemonade or soda to give you a quick frozen treat for the summer. Try using some no sugar added fruit juices and make all kinds of different flavors. You can pick a new flavor each “hot” day of the week. You can even take some of your frozen fruits, blend it up and then have a frozen fruit bar to get in your fruit for the day. Be sure to check out this month's recipes down below for a really unique and healthy blend of ingredients for your homemade popsicle.

Wet Workouts

When you think of exercise you generally think of getting hot and sweaty. Which is probably the last thing you want to do in the summer heat. But there are a few ways to burn calories, build muscle and still stay cool.

Water Aerobics

The first type of exercise I think of when I want to stay cool is to jump in the water and workout. Water aerobics is a great summertime exercise. You will burn calories and build muscle, all while staying out of the summer heat. The added resistance the water gives you while doing your exercises helps burn fat and calories and tone the muscles.

Water Sports

Although we don't often refer to sports as exercise, it is a great workout and can burn those extra calories. Some great water sports include water skiing, tubing swimming and even fishing. While some of these will burn more calories than others, all will give you some extra activity to help you reach your fitness goals, all while staying cool in the water.

Other Summertime Activities

These activities may be above the waterline, they are still a cooler way of getting your workout in versus running or jogging around the track. You can strap on a pair of roller blades and roll around the block instead of jogging. While you will still feel the summer heat and probably break a sweat, you won't feel the summer heat and exhaustion near as much as sprinting your way through the neighborhood. Other summertime fun includes playing Frisbee with the kids or dog, renting a paddle boat at your local pond or lake, and taking your bike for a spin to feel the summer breeze – and burn some calories.

Be sure to cool down after any workout, especially during the summer.

To help you beat the heat, and to make up for the 2 missed ezines, there are 3 cool and healthy recipes for you this month.

Yogurt Cheese Dressing on Asparagus Tomato Salad

This twist on a salad combines some cool veggies with a cool yogurt dressing with lots of healthy nutrition as your dinner side dish.

What You Need:

• 1 Package chopped Frozen Asparagus, thawed (10 oz)
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 2 tbl green onions, chopped or thinly sliced
• 3 tbl non fat plain yogurt
• 1 tbl parmesan cheese
• 2 tsp yellow mustard
• Mixed Green Leaves (2 to 4 cups)

How to Make It:

1. Thaw asparagus and drain well.
2. Combine tomatoes, onions and asparagus.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the yogurt, cheese and mustard. Whisk to blend together.
4. Add the yogurt dressing to the asparagus and tomatoes and stir until well coated.
5. Place mixed green leaves on 4 plates.
6. Top each plate with the asparagus and tomato mixture and serve.

Number of Servings: 4

Nutrition Information Per Serving

Calories 40; Fat 0.7(g); Fiber 2(g); Protein 4(g); Carbs 6(g); sodium 43(mg)

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To turn this cool dish into an entree, add shrimp, tuna, turkey or your favorite lean protein.

Apple and Spinach Salad

This is yet another tasty and cool salad to add to your summer meals. With the sweet taste of apple and the crisp spinach, you will beat the summer heat while enjoying this healthy side dish.

What You Need:

• 8 cups fresh baby spinach leaves
• 1 large apple thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
• 2 tbsp of each lime juice and orange juice
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 2 tsp honey
• salt and pepper to taste

How to Make It:

1. Combine juices, honey, mustard and salt and pepper.
2. Whisk to blend together.
3. Place spinach in and apples in a large bowl.
4. Add the dressing mixture tossing to coat evenly.
5. Top with blue cheese and serve.

Number of Servings: 6

Nutrition Information Per Serving

Calories 60; Fat 2(g); Fiber 2(g); Protein 3(g); Carbs 9(g); sodium 251(mg)

Org Pts 1; Pts + 2

Rhubarb Strawberry Applesauce Popsicle

For all you rhubarb lovers, this is a unique and sweet popsicle I bet mom never made. So give it a try and cool down the heat with this tasty frozen treat.

What You Need:

• 2 cups rhubarb, diced
• 16 oz strawberry applesauce
• 2 tsp sweetener

How to Make It:

1. Place rhubarb into a microwave safe dish and microwave until softened.
2. Add the applesauce and sweetener to the rhubarb.
3. Place into popsicle trays and freeze.

Number of Servings: 4

Nutrition Information Per Serving

Calories 33; Fat 0(g); Fiber 1(g); Protein 0.5(g); Carbs 8(g); sodium 2(mg)

Org Pts 0; Pts + 1

Exercise 4 Weight Loss 2 Achieve Fitness and Health

Best wishes from your diet buddy