Lynbrook | New Hyde Park | NY

physiologists

Recipe of the Week: Peach and Blue Cheese Salad

Total: 10 min
Active: 5 min
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

  • 6 firm peaches, pitted and quartered
  • 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • Kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup almonds
  • 3 to 4 cups baby arugula
  • 1 cup of your favorite blue cheese

Directions:

  1. Heat the grill to medium or the oven to 250 degrees F. Add the peaches to a large bowl, drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and toss to coat. Grill for 1 minute per side or warm for 2 minutes in the oven.
  2. Meanwhile, make the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic, vinegar, mustard, honey and remaining 1/4 cup olive oil. Season with salt.
  3. Gently mix together the warm peaches, almonds, arugula and blue cheese in a large mixing bowl. Toss with the dressing.
  4. Cook’s Note: I love this served right on top of a steak but it is also great as a side salad.

 

Recipe courtesy of the Cooking Channel- find it here!

 

Adding Variation & Increasing the Fun

If you’ve ever spoken to a physiologist about an exercise routine, you know the #1 rule is to make it fun. Find a workout or activity that you enjoy doing, and you’ll never have to force yourself to do it. It may be hard to believe, but banging weights around in a gym can get boring for people from time to time. When that happens, try to change up the workout to something different and new to keep the fire alive! Find a new route on your walk/run, try a new exercise or routine to avoid that horrible “Oh great, THIS again” feeling. The term most health professionals would use for this is “The Variation Principle.”

Here are a couple of routines you can try to help vary your workouts!

Beach Day Cardio:

Now, cardio workouts may seem more challenging, but with a change of scenery and giving yourself some variation, you can get it done with a smile on! The lifeguard stands down in Long Beach are about 500 feet apart, depending on crowds. 5 stands out and 5 stands back is about a mile!

  1. Run between a set of stands, then jog between a set of stands for a great interval cardio session! Modify by alternating between jogging and walking. Up the intensity by switching between sprinting and jogging.
  2. Try moving through the soft sand for a set, and then to the packed sand for a set (tougher than it sounds).

Fun in the Sun Circuits

Looking for a great total body workout that won’t kill your beach time? These total body circuits don’t require any equipment at all, only your body!

#1

  • Plank for 20 seconds
  • Jumping Jack or Jog for 15 seconds
  • Bodyweight Squat for 12 reps
  • Pushup for 10 reps

Repeat 4 times!

#2

  • Shoulder Circles 20 fwd, 20 backward
  • Walking Lunge 8 each leg
  • Flutter Kicks for 20 seconds
  • Mountain climber 20 seconds

Repeat 4 times!

 

By Matt Rhodes

Recipe of the Week: Cauliflower Fried Rice

Ingredients:

  • 1 medium head cauliflower, stem removed
  • OR 1 package fresh or frozen pre-riced cauliflower
  • 3 teaspoons canola oil
  • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten (1 egg white, optional)
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • One 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
  • 1 cup frozen mixed peas and carrots, thawed
  • 1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions
  • 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons sesame oil
  • Optional add-in for more protein: 2 cooked chicken breasts, diced
  • Hot sauce, for serving, optional

Directions:

  1. Cut the cauliflower into chunks. Working in batches, pulse the cauliflower in a food processor until course in texture, like rice. This recipe uses about 4 cups of cauliflower rice. If you have any leftover, save it for another use.

1a. If you’re using pre-riced cauliflower move to step 2.

  1. Heat a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 teaspoon of the canola oil. Add the eggs and quickly scramble. Transfer the eggs to a plate and set aside. Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons canola oil. Add the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring constantly, about 1 minute. Add the peas and carrots, scallions and cauliflower. Stir-fry until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.
  2. As the vegetables are cooking, whisk the soy sauce and sesame oil together in a small bowl. Stir the sauce and chicken into the cauliflower mixture. Cook an additional minute or 2. Stir the cooked eggs back into the mixture. Serve with hot sauce and additional soy sauce if desired.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 servings, Serving Size: 1 1/3 cup
Amount per Serving:

  • Calories: 108
  • Total Fat: 3g
  • Sodium: 868mg
  • Carbohydrates: 14g
  • Fiber: 6g
  • Protein: 9g

 

Recipe adapted from The Food Network. Original recipe can be found here!

Beating the Dog Days of Summer

If the hot weather is getting to you, heading to the beach or pool can be a relaxing way to escape the brutal summer heat. Immersing yourself in the cool water can help to reset your body temperature to normal levels, especially after exercise. Going for a swim in a pool or in the ocean is a great way to exercise while avoiding the heat. However, it is important to understand two things: you still sweat (a lot) while in the water, and despite being fully immersed in water you can still become dehydrated!

It may be hard to tell because your skin is already wet, but just like any other form of exercise, you still sweat while swimming. Swimming is a taxing, total body workout and comparatively is one of the top calorie burning exercises you can perform. Burning calories raises internal body temperatures which causes us to sweat. Cool water can initially combat the rise in body temperature but only to a certain point, then the body has to cool itself down by sweating.

We lose a tremendous amount of water and electrolytes when we sweat. Our bodies can’t soak up the water around us, hence we must drink enough fluids in order to replace what is lost. You should fill up on fluids before and after a water workout (and depending on the duration of the workout, you may need to hydrate during). Dehydration can cause symptoms such as cramping, dizziness, and fatigue; so it is important to continually hydrate throughout the day. Here is good formula to estimate how much water to you should consume daily:

–        Body weight (lbs) divided by 2 = ounces of water you should drink each day

o   Ex. 200 lbs/2 = 100 , recommended to drink ~100 ounces of water/day

Remember, even though you are cool in the pool it’s necessary to put some water back in your body!

 

By David McCalla

Recipe of the Week: Taco Stuffed Zucchinis

TOTAL TIME: 1 hour 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

  • 4 medium (32 ounces) zucchinis, cut in half lengthwise
  • 1/2 cup mild salsa
  • 1 lb 93% lean ground turkey
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp kosher salt, or to taste
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 tsp oregano
  • 1/2 small onion, minced
  • 2 tbsp bell pepper, minced
  • 4 oz can tomato sauce
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1/2 cup reduced fat Mexican blend shredded cheese
  • 1/4 cup chopped scallions or cilantro, for topping

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Preheat oven to 400°F.
  2. Place 1/4 cup of salsa in the bottom of a large baking dish.
  3. Using a small spoon or melon baller, hollow out the center of the zucchini halves, leaving 1/4-inch thick shell on each half.
  4. Chop the scooped out flesh of the zucchini in small pieces and set aside 3/4 of a cup to add to the taco filling, (squeeze excess water with a paper towel) discarding the rest or save to use in another recipe.
  5. Drop zucchini halves in boiling water and cook 1 minute. Remove from water.
  6. Brown turkey in a large skillet, breaking up while it cooks. When no longer pink add the spices and mix well.
  7. Add the onion, bell pepper, reserved zucchini, tomato sauce and water. Stir and cover, simmer on low for about 20 minutes.
  8. Using a spoon, fill the hollowed zucchini boats dividing the taco meat equally, about 1/3 cup in each, pressing firmly.
  9. Top each with 1 tablespoon of shredded cheese. Cover with foil and bake 35 minutes until cheese is melted and zucchini is cooked through.
  10. Top with scallions and serve with salsa on the side.

 

NUTRITION INFORMATION:
Yield: 4 servings, Serving Size: 2 halves
Amount per Serving:

  • Calories: 286
  • Total Fat: 12g
  • Carbohydrates: 18g
  • Sugar: 6g
  • Protein: 28g

 

Original recipe from SkinnyTaste.com can be found here!

Recipe of the Week: Confetti Kale Slaw

From the Natural Gourmet Institute

Yields: 8 cups
Prep: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 large firm apple, shredded (1 to 2 cups)
  • 1 cup green or red cabbage, shredded
  • 1 cup carrots, shredded
  • ¼ cup scallions, minced
  • 3 cups lacinato kale, chiffonade (I used regular curly kale but it does change texture)

For the dressing:

  • ½ cup orange juice
  • ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • ¼ teaspoon sea salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:

  1. To make the dressing: whisk together the orange juice, lemon juice, vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.
  2. Prepare the apple (peeled or no peel) and vegetables and place them in a bowl as you go. Shred the apple on the large hole side of the grater and toss well with the dressing Thinly slice the cabbage and then cut across the slices about every inch. Peel the carrots and shred on the large holed side of a hand grater. Mince the scallions.
  3. To shred kale: rinse the kale and shake off excess water. Strip leaves from large stems and pile on a chopping board. Gather the kale into a compact mass and thinly slice. Then cut down across the slices, chopping the kale into 1 to 2 inch pieces. Add kale to bowl and toss well.
  4. Delicious served right away, but the sweetness intensifies as it sits. Keeps for 2-3 days.

Recipe of the Week: Spicy Watermelon & Feta Salad

A great summertime snack- so easy to prepare and the sweet and spicy mixture is just right!

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

  • 6 cups cubed watermelon
  • 1 cup red onion, julienne cut
  • Juice of 2 limes
  • Pinch of cayenne pepper
  • Pinch of sea salt
  • 1 cup crumbled reduced fat feta cheese
  • 2 tbsp chopped fresh mint leaves

Directions:

Combine watermelon, red onion, lime juice, cayenne, sea salt, and mint. Mix until well combined, then gently toss in the feta cheese. Serve!

Nutrition:
Calories: 109
Fat: 3g
Carbohydrates: 18g
Protein: 6g

 

Original recipe from sarahfit.com!

Electrolyte Replenishment and Exercise

Moderate to high intensity exercises, as well as, exercising in the heat causes the body’s temperature to rise. This increase in temperature can cause you to sweat, which is one of our body’s natural functions that helps with thermoregulation (maintaining body temperature). The bodily fluids that make up sweat are mostly water and electrolytes.  Electrolytes are ions found in the body, including sodium and potassium, which help to trigger events such as muscle actions. Therefore, when we sweat, we can lose a significant concentration of electrolytes, hindering our body’s ability to control our internal temperature, perform movements, and other important functions such as our respiratory rate and neurological function.

By consuming electrolyte beverages or gels at appropriate times relative to our bout of exercise, we can help prevent excessive loss of these electrolytes through sweating, ultimately aiding our performance and preventing fatigue or injury. There is a wide variety of electrolyte replenishing drinks, including Gatorade and Powerade, which can be consumed during and after exercise in order to help maintain proper electrolyte concentration.  However, take note that some of these drinks contain a high amount of sugar which can actually be counteractive towards our metabolism. A simple solution is mixing these drinks with water; another is adding electrolyte powders such as Hammer Fizz, Nuun, or Nathan Catalyst into a bottle of water.

The body is able to replace, at best, about one-third of what it loses during exercise. This is true for fluids, calories, and electrolytes. If you try to replace all the fluids at once, you may put your body in a state of dilutional hyponatremia (overly diluted blood sodium levels) or water intoxication. If you attempt to replace all the fuel you’ve expend, your stomach could back up in total rebellion and refueling will come to a halt. Likewise, trying to replace in equal amounts all of the electrolytes you lose, a number of hormonal triggers may create all sorts of problems such as gastric distress, edema, muscle spasms, and cramping (Eichner).

Based up on the research in this field, it is best to not chug whichever electrolyte replacement drink you consume. Consuming smaller amounts, such as 6-8 fl oz at the beginning of exercise as well as 6-8 fl oz at the end (for a 30 minute exercise) should be more effective and less stressing on the body than chugging the drink at once.

 

By Anthony Locast

Eichner, E.R. “Genetic and Other Determinants of Sweat Sodium.” Current Sports Medicine Reports 7.4 Supp 1(2008): 236-S40.