Beef and Vegetable Stir-Fry

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons dry red wine
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoon grated, peeled ginger root
• 1 lb boneless round steak, fat trimmed and cut across grain into 1 1/2 inch strips, raw
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 medium onions, each cut into 8 wedges
• 1/2 lb. fresh mushrooms, rinsed, trimmed and sliced
• 2 stalks celery, bias cut into 1/4 inch slices (about 1/2 cup)
• 2 small green peppers, cut into thin lengthwise strips
• 1 cup water chestnuts, drained and sliced
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/4 cup water

Directions

1. Prepare marinade mixing together wine, soy sauce, sugar and ginger. Marinate meat in mixture while preparing vegetables.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large skillet. Stir-fry onions and mushrooms 3 minutes over medium-high heat.
3. Add celery and cook 1 more minute. Add remaining vegetables and cook 2 minutes or until green pepper is tender crisp. Transfer vegetables to warm bowl.
4. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to skillet
5. Stir-fry meat in oil about 2 minutes or until meat loses its pink color.
6. Blend cornstarch and water. Stir into meat. Cook and stir until thickened.
7. Return vegetables to skillet; stir gently and serve.

Makes 6 servings- Serving sizes: 6oz portion of beef and vegetable mixture.

Nutritional Information:

• Fat: 10.2 g
• Carbohydrates: 18.4g
• Calories: 245.5
• Protein: 19.0 g

Staying Hydrated while Exercising!

So you know how much an average person sweats during one hour of vigorous exercise? One quart! Exercise saps a lot of water from your body. What can you do to make sure you stay hydrated?

• Start paying attention to your fluid intake 2-3 hours before you are going to exercise. Drink 2-3 cups of water during that time, and then drink another cup immediately before you start exercising.
• Once you start exercising, keep drinking water frequently. A good rule of thumb is to drink one cup every 15-20 minutes. Keep a water bottle with you. Take breaks to head to the water cooler. Do what it takes to keep yourself hydrated.
• When done exercising, you need to keep replenishing your fluid levels. Its recommended you drink another 2-3 cups within two hours after you have finished. Then drink water regularly afterwards.

Without this extra water, your muscles will become dehydrated. Muscles movement depends on how hydrated you are, so if they are dry, they will not work as well. As a result, your workout will not be as productive as you would like.

Do your body a favor and replenish that quart of fluids your body is losing while you work out. Your muscles will thank you later!

Cajun Chicken Caesar Salad

Ingredients:

• 1/2 Large boneless skinless chicken breast
• Cajun spice (to taste)
• Hot Sauce (to taste)
• 2 Cup romaine lettuce
• 2 tablespoons reduced fat Caesar salad dressing
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Sprinkle spice and hot sauce on chicken breast, catering to your own taste, and grill chicken on skillet or grill (chicken is done when light pink has disappeared from center)
2. Toss lettuce, dressing, and chicken to evenly distribute throughout salad. Add Parmesan cheese to taste, and serve.

Makes one serving.

Nutritional Information

• Fat: 3.3g
• Carbohydrates: 7.4g
• Calories: 196.1
• Protein: 31.7g

Recipes from "Sparks People"

10 Tips for Starting a Wellness Program Today!

It is never too late to begin your journey in wellness! Here are 10 steps you can take today to get started.

1. Write out your goals and desires. What is your overall goal for 3 to 5 year? Set 3 month and weekly goals based on your wellness vision. Goals should be SMART: Specific, Measurable, Action-based, Realistic and Time-oriented.
2. Ask What, When and How. Make a list of the hurdles that keep getting in your way. Then determine which ones are true obstacles, things that you will have to work around or find solutions to.
3. Have a plan. Most tasks do not work with out a plan in place. Lay out a plan for accomplishing your goals, as well as solutions for overcoming the hurdles.
4. Start a Journal. Write down your goals, desires, barriers, obstacles, excuses, solution and plan. Then you can track your progress, write down your thoughts and stick to your plan.
5. Begin your journey where you're standing now. Accept where you are and where you need to be and begin the stops necessary to bridge that gap.
6. Take one step at a time. What happens when you leave out an important ingredient in a recipe? Doesn't work so well, does it? You must take certain steps in order to reach a place of well being and make it fit your lifestyle.
7. Learn from your setbacks. Making mistakes and experiencing failure is all a part of being human and living. Rather then getting down on yourself, take that setback and turn it into something positive.
8. Spend some time "cleaning house". Create a list of your activities and decide which ones aren't contributing to your overall purpose in life. Get rid of those items that are not meaningful to your life and concentrate on those that will help you get to your overall goal.
9. Stop comparing yourself to others. We're bombarded by images of "perfect" bodies every day. Stop comparing yourself to a fantasy and just be the best YOU that you can be.
10. Reward yourself. It's OK to feel good about yourself. And it's OK and beneficial to reward yourself for your accomplishments not matter how small they may seem.

Take these steps and get started on your Wellness Program Today!

Poppy Seed Bread

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream
• 1 cup egg substitute
• 1/2 cup sherry
• 1/3 cup poppy seeds
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1 pkg instant fat free, sugar free vanilla pudding
• 1 pkg yellow cake mix

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients together using the minutes required by the cake mix instructions. Pour batter into sprayed bread baking dishes (2/3 full).
2. Back at 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until inserted toothpick to the center comes out clean.

Makes 36 servings

Nutritional Information:

• Fat: 4.8 g
• Carbohydrates: 13.7g
• Calories: 107.2
• Protein: 1.8g

Portion Sizes

No More Portion Distortion:
Knowing portion sizes is just as important as knowing how many portions to eat! The list below includes the number of portions that are recommended daily for most adults and children, and matches standard SINGLE portion sizes with an easy way to visualize its real size.

Bread, Grains, and Pasta:
A single Serving, Is about the Size of.....
1-ounce slice of whole wheat bread-- Index Card
1/2 bagel-- Can of Tuna
1/2 Cup of rice, cereal. or pasta-- Small Walkman
1-ounce muffin-- Cupcake wrapper
4-inch pancake --CD
2-ounce piece of Italian bread --Bar of soap

Recommended Daily Servings:
Kids ages 6-12: 6-9 servings
Teen Girls: 6-9 servings
Teen Boys: 9-11 servings
Adults: 6-11 servings

Easy to Please Breakfast Yogurt Parfait

Ingredients:
1 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup crunchy low-fat cereal or granola divided
1/2 cup fresh fruit, sliced (strawberries, blueberries, bananas)

Preparation:
To assemble parfait, begin with spooning half of the yogurt in the bottom of a bowl or tall glass. Add 2 tablespoons cereal and 1/2 cup fruit. Spoon on the rest of the yogurt. Top with remaining 2 tablespoons of cereal.

Substitution Idea:
Use any flavor of yogurt as a base. You can also subsitute canned fruit (drained) for fresh fruit.

Nutritional facts:
Calories: 408
Total Fat: 5g
Saturated Fat: 2g
Cholesterol: 12 mg
Sodium: 276mg
Carbohydrates: 75g
Dietary Fiber: 5g
Protein: 16.5g
Calcium: 45% Daily Value

Fitness Myth! What is true and What is a Myth!

Fitness Myth: If you can't exercise hard and often, there's really no point!

Truth: Even moderate activity is shown to reduce your risk for heart disease and stroke. If you don't have 30 minutes in your day to exercise, try splitting it up into 10 minute segments instead. Everyone can find 10 minutes to spare sometime during the day! There are simple tings you can do to increase your activity without having to go to the gym: take the stairs instead of the elevator, jump rope or do body weight exercises (push up, crunches) at commercial breaks, take a short walk after lunch. Remember that any exercise is better than none!