EXERCISE: IT'S WHAT'S BEFORE DINNER

I was never the last one picked for the school-yard sports teams.  But I was probably next to last.  (Good thing I was the more social of the last 2 to be picked).  I truly have zip athletic ability.  Can't catch, can't throw a ball from here to there, certainly can't run.  And I'm not competitive.  BUT, I've become a fitness enthusiast.

I know, and you know, that it's important to exercise for your health.  Goes right along with eating right.  Exercise helps with blood pressure, mood, digestion, sleep, cholesterol and theoretically helps with weight control.  (I say theoretically because I'm still a chubette, but that's a topic for another time).   There's little downside to exercising and if I can do it, anybody can.  I started working out at a local gym ("Lean Jeans") because some of the dietitians from work joined there too.  We took classes and worked out on the gym equipment together, which was a lot of fun.  That was 30 years ago!

Though Lean Jeans is long gone, as is that original job, I've always managed to stay focused on fitness.  And I've managed to find activities that are self-directing and non-competitive.  I've joined other gyms, trekked loads of hiking trails, swam laps, worked with trainers, zumba-d and walked while others drove.  As the years go by, I allow nature to direct me in my exercise regimen.  And what I've discovered is that I can pretty much do whatever I did 30 years ago.  (Well, I can't get up from the floor without assistance anymore).  But, I feel strong.  I feel good.  And I think that's because I exercise regularly and perhaps a little fanatically.  My latest regimen is spinning 3 times a week, and weight training once a week.  Then, on Thursdays, (ugh, here's the dietitian regimen mentality again--it has to be Thursday) I use the elliptical machine for an hour.  I admit I also use this time to watch reruns of Law and Order on the individual tv atop the exercise equipment.  This assures that I stay on the machines 'til I see who gets prosecuted at the end of the show.  I especially love it when Jerry Orbach is in the cast!  And twice a month, my hubbie, Broccoli Rob, and I go contra dancing, a really fun way to sweat and socialize.

So how do you make time for exercise?  You make it a commitment.  Like a non-negotiable part of your day.  Say you're gonna do it, and do it.  When my kids were small, I awoke at 6 am and went to the gym or walked in the neighborhood and was back in time to get the kids off to school.  When I needed to get away from the laundry, I joined a women's day-hiking group which forced Broccoli Rob to assume active home duties on the weekend.  Nowadays, I go to the gym right after work, before dinnertime.  I pack my gear in the morning and have it ready in my car.  You all know what happens when you come home first and then plan to go out later--intrusions, other plans arise, the couch calls.  Getting my exercise in right before dinner is great for improving that energy slump at the end of the day and empowers me for the rest of the evening.

I actually look forward to exercising and little gets in my way of assuring I get in my 5-6 hours weekly.  However, if you dread exercise, you're not going to want to do it.  Then you need to change your attitude.  Find something you might like and experiment.  Don't worry about what you look like at the gym--no one is looking at you anyway.  There are mirrors all over the gym so people can watch themselves and not you.  Since exercise is so important for good health, you need to start and continue.  I've read that it's never to late to start exercising.  Start small such as with walking around your block.  All that takes is a decent pair of sneakers and the ability to put one foot in front of the other.  Dollars to donuts you can easily find a buddy to walk with to keep you motivated.

For all those who were picked for the sports team ahead of me, I hope you're walking the walk.  Hope you're throwing, catching, running, what have you.  What I wouldn't give to play a little dodgeball again in the school yard!  Bet I could kick a home run!!

It's Not Easy Eating Greens (but it should be)

I love Dr. Andrew Weil, the integrative medicine guru.  Well, I love his philosophy and his recipes, which are based on mostly organic, mostly vegetarian, unprocessed foods.  Last Friday, he offered his 2011 newsletter for free through a download and I sat down and read every word.  And I made my shopping list as I was reviewing his recipes.  This gets a dietitian excited.  Marched myself to the indoor farmers market after work with the vision of cooking all day Saturday.  I may have been a little overly ambitious--picked out 8 recipes and color coded the page tabs (yeah, dietitians are like that)--but I made 6 items so far and plan to make the other 2 sometime before the remaining veggies go bad.

I laid out my beautiful, colorful veggies on the countertop to keep me focused.  I'll always remind you of the importance of fresh veggies in your diet.  Buzzwords like phytonutrients, fiber, antioxidants are all there in these plants.  You gotta eat this stuff, and, as we get to know each other better, I'll remind you to toss out that crappy food in your pantry and fridge.  Told you I was going to start speaking my mind.  So anyway, here's the celery, parsley, onions, garlic, potatoes, leeks, carrots, red pepper, beets, 2 kinds of 'shrooms, parsnip, turnip and cabbage.  Oops, the lemons aren't veggies, but they still look great in the pic.

I decided to try my hand at Dr. Weil's recipe for homemade broth for the first time, primarily to cut down on the amount of salt in the canned/boxed varieties.  The broth was then used in 2 of the other recipes.  Here's the pot of cut up veggies for the broth.  Pity that the cooked veggies get strained out when you're finished, so that you wind up with just the clear broth.  (But I munched on the cooked carrots from the mash while I continued cooking).

And, here's what was created from these glorious veggies...

So, even though it doesn't look like a lot of food here, there's good, nutritious, filling food.  Got 2 ½ extra quarts of vegetable broth to put in the freezer and use another time, cabbage & mushroom saute, roasted root veggies, a pot of mushroom barley soup (top right-hand corner of the pic) and roasted balsamic beets.   Everything was so de-lish.  And nu-trish.