Lynbrook | New Hyde Park | NY

health

Simple Exercises to Strengthen Your Ankle

As the weather gets warmer, the desire to get outside to exercise naturally increases. If you’re like most people then you’d much rather get your cardio done by doing something fun and distracting like sport, rather than being on a treadmill inside. That’s great, and sports are the best way to burn a ton of calories without even thinking twice about how long you’re playing. Unfortunately playing sports comes with its own risks and one of the most common injuries a sprained ankle. Although it doesn’t sound like much, a sprained ankle varies in severity and can be anywhere from a slight roll to nasty, crippling injury.

Speaking from personal experience, not less than a week ago I was playing basketball, jumped up for the ball and came down with all my weight and ended up rolling my ankle. Not only is this terrifying but an eye-opener as well. Escaping with just a bad “grade 2 sprain,” I could have easily fractured a bone or worse. Why wasn’t it worse? Luck, maybe. The fact that I have a strong muscular foundation surrounding and supporting my ankle is what kept me from completely shattering it. The muscles around your ankle hold it together, think of it like a house; you wouldn’t want your house built out of sticks. Same premise applies.

Here are some exercises to help keep your ankle strong and supported:

1) Single Leg Medicine Ball Toss:

Square off with a partner and toss a medicine ball back and forth while standing on one leg. Make it harder by balancing on a foam pad. Shoot for 60 seconds, 5 times.

2) Balance Foam:

Use one foot to stand on a balance foam for as long as you can without toppling over. Focus on stabilizing at the ankle. Do 5 sets for maximal time.

3) Resisted Ankle Pumps:

Sit down and place a mini resistance band around both feet. Strengthen your ankles by rotating your feet upward and outward, against the resistance. Do at least 3 sets of 15.

4) Calf Raises:

This exercise teaches your ankles to have control when your body shifts weight. Stand with your feet about hip-width apart, shift weight onto your toes, and slowly lift your heels off the ground. Keep your ankles in a neutral position to prevent them from rolling out

 

By Tyler Palmquist

Recipe of the Week: Shrimp and Veggie Stuffed Zucchini

Prep: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

  • 1 extra large zucchini
  • ¼ c olive oil
  • 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1 shallot, finely chopped
  • ½ lb. large shrimp, shelled, deveined, & halved
  • 1 large tomato
  • 8 cremini mushrooms
  • ¼ c grated Parmesan cheese
  • 8 leaves fresh basil, torn
  • Salt & Pepper, to taste
  • Garlic Powder, to taste
  • ¼ c grated Parmesan cheese, divided

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven’s broiler and set the oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source. Grease a baking sheet.
  2. Cut the zucchini in half the long way, and scoop out the seeds and pulp, leaving a thick shell of flesh. Brush both halves of the zucchini with about 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and place them, cut sides down, onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake until the zucchini are hot and beginning to release beads of moisture, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove the zucchini from the oven.
  3. Reduce the oven heat to 450 degrees F.
  4. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet over medium-low heat, and cook and stir the garlic and shallot until translucent, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool.
  5. Place 1 tablespoon of olive oil, the shrimp, diced tomato, mushrooms, 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese, basil, and the cooked garlic and shallot into a bowl, and stir to mix. Season to taste with black pepper, salt, and garlic powder. Stuff the mixture into the zucchini halves, and sprinkle each zucchini with about 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese.
  6. Bake the stuffed zucchini in the preheated oven until the cheese is browned and the filling is cooked through and hot, about 20 minutes.

 

Motivation v. Discipline

The road to success is paved with many stones; they may be labeled as: right place- right time, effort, discipline and motivation. Motivation and discipline often get lumped together as the same thing; however, they are very different from one another.

Motivation is your fuel on the road. Motivation is what helps you get going; it’s the fire in the beginning, the light at the end, and the helping hand along the way. Motivation attributes to the start of a journey and serves as a break from the day to day grind; it can come in the form of a number on a scale, a bigger paycheck, or a smile from someone you’ve helped.

Call it guts, grit, effort, fortitude or whatever you want- just don’t call it lazy. Discipline is the metaphorical meat and potatoes of success. Discipline comes into play when you wake up at 5:00 AM to make the train; it’s staying late at work to finish up that big project; it shows up at midnight when those cookies in the kitchen are calling your name; and it’ll be with you when you lose that extra pound, get that promotion or beat that mile time. Simply put, discipline is the ability to stick to the program, put in the work, and travel the long road to success.

The successful person uses both motivation and discipline to their advantage. Motivation is easy to find- we want our clients to set small goals throughout the week or month and set small rewards accordingly. Often a new pair of sneakers or some well fitting jeans after a month of weight loss usually does the trick! Find joy in going the extra mile to help someone out or put on your favorite song while heading to work or the gym. Discipline is tougher to hold on to; there are no tricks to discipline and it takes practice. When temptation rears its ugly head, remember why you started, how far you’ve come, and how far you can go.

 

Matt Rhodes, M.S., C-EP

Recipe of the Week: Moroccan Lentil Soup

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 5 ½ hours
Serves 12

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups chopped onions
  • 2 cups chopped carrots
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
  • 6 cups vegetable broth or reduced-sodium chicken broth
  • 2 cups water
  • 3 cups chopped cauliflower
  • 1¾ cups lentils
  • 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 4 cups chopped fresh spinach or one 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed
  • ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice

 

Directions:

  1. Combine onions, carrots, garlic, oil, cumin, coriander, turmeric, cinnamon and pepper in a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker. Add broth, water, cauliflower, lentils, tomatoes and tomato paste and stir until well combined.
  2. Cover and cook until the lentils are tender, 4 to 5 hours on High or 8 to 10 hours on Low.
  3. During the last 30 minutes of cooking, stir in spinach. Just before serving, stir in cilantro and lemon juice.

 

Serving size: about 1¼ cups
Per serving: 153 calories; 2 g fat; 10 g fiber; 28 g carbohydrates; 9 g protein

3 Tips for Keeping Your Nutrition on Track

While making resolutions can be super easy, it’s keeping them that can get a little bit tricky. Resolving to lose weight is #1 on many people’s list of goals this year; however, by February it can be challenging to keep up with those resolutions if you’re not giving yourself that same initial push. Maybe your exercise routine is still working strong, but nutritional changes have fallen off the wagon again. Here are a few ideas to keep your nutritional habits heading in a positive direction!

1. Education
Googling the newest diet plans may not spark the motivation you are looking for. Do a little research about healthy eating and compare that with your current nutrition. Ideally you want to be making healthy lifestyle changes and it’s important that they are realistic. Here are some questions you may want to start with: What are sources of lean protein? How can I get protein without eating meat? What is a complex carbohydrate v. a simple carbohydrate? How many grams of sugar should I have in a day?

2. Journal Writing

Journaling both your exercise and nutrition is an important part of holding yourself accountable. Writing throughout the day will help you stay on track rather than trying to jot everything from three days ago down in a notebook. If you write as you go along, you may find inspiration from your healthy breakfast to keep that trend going. Knowing that you have to record what you ate may make you think twice about your dessert choices. This method has proven to be successful when trying to lose weight- that’s why the members of our Weight Loss Program keep journals!

3. Check-In With Your Goals

Setting long-term goals is very important, but be sure to have smaller markers along the way. This way you can reassess your progress throughout your journey if needed. Make sure you utilize your nutrition journal and time with your Exercise Physiologist. Write down any questions you have because they are your #1 resource! Talk with friends or family who have set similar resolutions for themselves and help each other our- you’re all in this together. Not only will you hold yourself accountable, but you can help each other along the way!

 

By Louise Mills-Strasser

Recipe of the Week: Slow Cooker Peasant Stew

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 4 hours
Serves: 6

Ingredients:

  • 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 1.5 lbs
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • salt and pepper
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 2 (10 oz) cans Diced Tomatoes with Green Chiles, undrained
  • 1 (16 oz) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 (16 oz) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
  • ? cup fresh cilantro

Directions:

  1. Rub the chicken thighs with cumin, sprinkle with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium high heat. Add the chicken thighs and cook about 5 minutes or until browned on all sides.
  2. Pour undrained cans of tomatoes into slow cooker. Stir in onion. Place browned chicken on top and cook on Low for 3 to 4 hours. Add in the beans and cook for an additional hour.
  3. Garnish with cilantro and enjoy!

 

Original recipe can be found here!

Recipe of the Week: Three Bean Barley Soup

Prep Time: 30 m
Cook Time: 2 h 15 m

Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 1 large stalk celery, diced
  • 1 large carrot, diced
  • 9 cups water
  • 4 cups vegetable broth
  • ½ cup pearl barley
  • ? cup dried black beans
  • ? cup dried great northern beans
  • ? cup dried kidney beans
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano

Directions:

  1. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, celery and carrot and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add water, broth, barley, black beans, great northern beans, kidney beans, chili powder, cumin and oregano. Bring to a lively simmer over high heat. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the beans are tender, 1¾ to 2½ hours (adding more water, ½ cup at a time, if necessary or desired).
  1. Slow-Cooker Variation: Use 2 cups water (instead of 9 cups) and combine all ingredients in a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook until the beans are tender, about 4 hours on High or 7 to 8 hours on Low.

 

Original recipe can be found here!

 

Recipe of the Week: Zucchini Frittata

Makes: 2 servings
Prep: 35 mins
Start to Finish: 35 mins

Ingredients

  • 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • 1 cup diced zucchini, (1 small)
  • 1/2 cup chopped onion
  • 1/2 cup grape tomatoes, or cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1/4 cup slivered fresh mint
  • 1/4 cup slivered fresh basil
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
  • Freshly ground pepper, to taste
  • 5 large eggs
  • 1/3 cup crumbled goat cheese, (2 ounces

Directions

  1. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add zucchini and onion; cook, stirring often, for 1 minute. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low; cook, stirring occasionally, until the zucchini is tender, but not mushy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, mint, basil, 1/8 teaspoon salt and a grinding of pepper; increase heat to medium-high and cook, stirring, until the moisture has evaporated, 30 to 60 seconds.
  2. Whisk eggs, the remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt and a grinding of pepper in a large bowl until blended. Add the zucchini mixture and cheese; stir to combine.
  3. Preheat the broiler.
  4. Wipe out the pan and brush it with the remaining 2 teaspoons oil; place over medium-low heat. Add the frittata mixture and cook, without stirring, until the bottom is light golden, 2 to 4 minutes. As it cooks, lift the edges and tilt the pan so uncooked egg will flow to the edges.
  5. Place the pan under the broiler and broil until the frittata is set and the top is golden, 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 minutes. Loosen the edges and slide onto a plate. Cut into wedges and serve.

Nutrition Information

Per Serving: 376 calories, 28g fat, 10g carbohydrates,  21g protein

 

Original recipe can be found here!