Lynbrook | New Hyde Park | NY

Nutrition

Recipe of the Week: Seedy Cherry-Quinoa Bars

Serves: 12

Ingredients:

  • Nonstick vegetable oil spray
  • 1 cup chopped almonds
  • ½ cup raw quinoa, rinsed
  • ¼ cup raw pumpkin seeds
  • ¼ cup raw sunflower seeds
  • 1 cup dried tart cherries
  • 2 tablespoons brown rice syrup
  • ¾ teaspoon kosher salt

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°. Coat 8×8” baking pan with nonstick vegetable oil spray; line with parchment, leaving overhang on all sides.
  2. Toast almonds, quinoa, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds on a rimmed baking sheet, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 10–12 minutes. Let cool.
  3. Reduce oven temperature to 200°. Process cherries, brown rice syrup, salt, and 2 Tbsp. water in a food processor until smooth.
  4. Transfer to a medium bowl and stir in toasted almond mixture.
  5. Press firmly into prepared pan and bake until no longer sticky, 20–25 minutes. Let cool, then cut into bars.

*Bars can be made 2 weeks ahead. Store airtight at room temperature

Nutrition Information:
Calories 150
Fat 7g, Carbohydrates 19g, Fiber 5g,  Sugars 7g, Protein 4g

 

Original recipe can be found here!

Recipe of the Week: Skillet Apple Pork Chops

Total Time: 26 Mins
Serves 4 (serving size: 1 chop and about 2/3 cup apple mixture)

Ingredients: 

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 4 (6-oz.) bone-in pork chops
  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
  • 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
  • 1/2 cup unsalted chicken stock (such as Swanson)
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
  • 2 medium apples, thinly sliced
  • 1 small red onion, thinly vertically sliced

Directions:

  1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons oil to pan; swirl to coat. Sprinkle pork chops evenly with 3/8 teaspoon salt and 3/8 teaspoon pepper. Add pork chops to pan; cook 5 minutes on each side or until pork chops are done. Remove from pan.
  2. Combine stock and mustard, stirring with a whisk. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to pan; swirl. Add remaining 3/8 teaspoon salt, remaining 3/8 teaspoon pepper, sage, rosemary, apple, and onion to pan; cook 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in stock mixture. Return pork chops to pan; cook 3 minutes or until liquid is reduced by half.

 

 

Original recipe can be found here!

Fall Prevention in Autumn

As the leaves begin to change, Team Peak dedicates its time and resources to Fall Prevention Awareness month. There are a number of Fall Prevention Programs available, including the ones here at Peak Fitness and Physical Therapy! Before you ask about or programs, here are some helpful tips to get you started.

  • Research shows that fall risk is increased by things such as age, weakness, confusion and unsteady movement. Luckily, that same research also shows that if we pay particular attention to these risk factors, our fall risk decreases. A consistent exercise program will not only help keep you on your feet, it will help keep you healthy and strong (Rubenstein, 2006).
  • Wear the appropriate footwear. Consider the changing weather as a cue to ditch the unstable sandals and opt for some better fitting sneakers. This is especially important if you are going to be doing activities like raking leaves, picking pumpkins, etc.
  • Get a balance assessment. Ideally, we can start an intervention before a fall incident Get your eyes, ears, strength, mobility and gait assessed by a qualified professional to help set you up for success (Moylan, Binder, 2007).

 

By Matt Rhodes

 

References:
Moylan and Binder, 2007. Falls in older adults: risk assessment, management and prevention. American Journal of Medicine 120(6).

Rubenstein, EF, 2006. Falls in older people: epidemiology, risk factors and strategies for prevention. Journal of Aging 35.

 

 

 

Cholesterol: The Good & The Bad

Increased exercise and a healthy diet can create positive changes within your body other than just losing weight. Cholesterol levels are just one of many indicators for cardiovascular disease. While those who are overweight have a higher risk for developing cardiovascular disease, those people are not the only ones at risk. Nutrition and exercise play a large part in one’s cholesterol levels. High cholesterol means that there is an imbalance of fats circulating in the blood stream. Cholesterol is a fatty substance that your body uses to make hormones and metabolize food. Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) is referred to as the “bad cholesterol.” A high LDL level may put you at risk for cardiovascular disease. This type of cholesterol is linked to a buildup of plaque within the arteries, which can eventually obstruct proper blood flow to the heart and other organs. High-density lipoprotein (HDL) is the “good cholesterol” which carries cholesterol from other parts of your body back to your liver and it will remove the bad cholesterol from your body. Higher HDL levels have proven to protect against heart disease. Triglycerides refer to fat content in the blood. This is the kind of fat that people eat, which found mostly in vegetable oil and animal fats.

High cholesterol, however, is not always associated with your weight. Several factors play a role in your cholesterol levels including exercise, nutrition, and genetics. These factors combine to form a baseline for one’s risk of developing high cholesterol. Consuming a diet that is high in fat, such as high-fat meats, fried foods and high-fat cheeses, will increase your risk of developing both high cholesterol and obesity.

Making small changes to your nutritional habits and exercise routine may help to reduce your cholesterol. Instead of focusing on changing your caloric intake, be mindful about the types of foods you eat which will help contribute to healthier cholesterol levels. Regular exercise may also contribute to increasing your good cholesterol levels. However, if weight loss is also a concern, research studies suggest that weight loss may help reduce your LDL and triglyceride levels, while increasing HDL.

 

By Louise Mills-Strasser

Recipe of the Week: Stuffed Acorn Squash

Makes 2 servings!

Ingredients:

  • 1 acorn squash
  • 1 pound grass-fed, organic ground beef (ground turkey would work, too)
  • 1 chopped onion
  • 1 finely-chopped apple
  • ½ cup chopped cranberries (fresh, not dried)
  • ¼ cup chopped pecans
  • 1 tsp thyme
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • ½ tsp sage
  • unrefined coconut oil
  • salt, pepper

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to ~400 degrees.
  2. Cut the acorn squash in half, and scoop out the seeds and strings.
  3. Place the squash cut side up in a large baking pan, and put a tablespoon of water into each “cup”, and pour ¼ cup of water into the bottom of the pan.
  4. Loosely “tent” the pan with aluminum foil, and bake for 30-35 minutes.
  5. While squash is baking, chop the onion, apple, pecans and cranberries.
  6. Saute the beef and onion in a little coconut oil for 2-3 minutes, then add pecans, cranberries, and herbs. Add salt and pepper. Do not completely cook this mixture.
  7. Pull squash out of the oven, spoon the mixture into the “cups” (heaped to overflowing is okay).
  8. Bake uncovered for another 15-20 minutes.

 

Original recipe from Whole 30 can be found here!

Recipe of the Week: Egg & Veggie Bake

PREP TIME: 10 mins
COOK TIME: 40 mins
TOTAL TIME: 50 mins

INGREDIENTS

  • 12 large eggs
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 1 bell pepper, diced
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 2 cups roughly chopped kale
  • 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
  • 1 cup milk
  • salt + pepper, to taste
  • olive oil or butter

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Grease a large casserole pan with oil or butter.
  2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  3. Add oil to a pan and stir in onion. Cook until translucent (about 3 mins)
  4. Add in bell pepper and cook for one more minute.
  5. Crack eggs into a large mixing bowl. Whisk well.
  6. Add in milk and stir.
  7. Add in cooked onion and bell peppers, tomatoes, kale, cheese and salt and pepper and stir to combine.
  8. Add mixture to casserole pan and bake for 30 mins or until cooked all the way through.
  9. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting in.

 

Original recipe from the Healthy Maven can be found here!

Recipe of the Week: Confetti Corn

Total:30 min
Prep:15 min
Cook:15 min
Yield:6 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons good olive oil
  • 1/2 cup chopped red onion
  • 1 small orange bell pepper, 1/2-inch diced
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • Kernels cut from 5 ears yellow or white corn (4 cups)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons julienned fresh basil, minced fresh chives, and/or minced fresh parsley leaves

Directions

  1. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large saute pan. Add the onion and saute for 5 minutes, until the onion is soft. Stir in the bell pepper and saute for 2 more minutes.
  2. Add the butter to the pan and allow it to melt. Over medium heat, add the corn, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 7 minutes, until the corn just loses its starchiness. Season to taste, gently stir in the basil or other green herbs, and serve hot.

 

Original recipe from The Food Network can be found here!

Keeping BBQ Season Alive

One of the best parts about summer is having the leisure of walking outside and easily throwing some meat and vegetables on the grill. The perfect way to meal prep ahead of time and have yourself food for the next week. BBQ-ing is a very healthy way to prepare your food and it requires minimal effort. When you are cooking for the family, it is a great way to have a big variety of food and make everyone happy.

September means it’s back to school time and we often tend to fall off the nutritional wagon. As our schedules become busy with activities, stress levels start to get higher and nutrition becomes a second priority. We want to avoid falling into take out and fast food trap in order to maintain the progress you made over the summer. Unfortunately, the last thing you want to do when you come home from work or school is cook a full meal and follow that up with a sink full of dishes. Look no further than your BBQ for the answer! One great way to give yourself food for the week is to BBQ in bulk, throw a couple packages of chicken breast on the grill and your family will have food for the next four days. Tired of chicken breast? Shrimp, burgers, steak, salmon, etc. are all great options to serve as lean protein with each meal. Try also grilling vegetables as a nice alternative to steaming, boiling, or sautéing. Having these ready to go will alleviate stress by not having to worry about cooking and help to avoid grabbing something “quick & easy.” Preparation is key when it comes to weight loss and if you have the tools already at your disposal then it only makes sense to use it for as long as possible. Keep BBQ season alive and utilize it until it’s too cold to step outside…then throw on a jacket and BBQ some more!

 

By Tyler Palmquist