Author Archives: Kelly Daneri
Are You At Risk for Diabetes?
November is American Diabetes Month. In this special topic issue, follow these five steps to understand your risk for developing diabetes, how to prevent diabetes, and how to manage diabetes:
- Step 1: Know who is at risk
- Step 2: Know your risk
- Step 3: Prevent or delay diabetes
- Step 4: Be on guard
- Step 5: Stay alive
Five Ingredient Friday: Crock Pot Salsa Chicken
Eating healthy doesn’t have to be complicated. Here is another quick and easy meal that will be on the dinner table in no time!
Crock Pot Salsa Chicken
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (fresh or frozen)
- 1 jar of your favorite salsa
The recipe could technically end there, however, you can also add:
- 1 can of black beans (drained and rinsed)
- 1-2 cups frozen corn
Pour half the jar of salsa into the crock pot. Place chicken breasts into the crock pot and cover with remaining salsa. Set the crock pot on low for 4-6 hours if using frozen chicken breasts or 2-3 hours on low for fresh chicken breasts. Cooking time may vary depending on your crock pot. Make sure chicken is cooked through before serving. Add black beans and corn during last half hour of cooking time, just so they’re heated through.
Chicken may be served whole over brown rice or shredded and served in tortilla shells, over a salad or on a whole wheat bun. Leftovers freeze well! Serves 6.
Each serving is approximately 350 calories.
November Personal Best
Join Us For a Lunch and Learn: Emotional Eating
Join us for a Lunch and Learn sponsored by Healthy Horizons on Tuesday, November 6th!
Emotional Eating: Triggers, Toxins, and Tools for Intervention
- When: Tuesday, November 6th @ 12:05pm
- Where: Pharmacy Building Room 150
Do you often wonder “Why do I have difficulty with my eating? Is it me, or, the food I’m eating?” The answer to your question is that it may be both you and the foods you eat that contribute to the situation. A program on November 6th at 12:05 will address “Emotional Eating: Triggers, Toxins and Tools for Intervention”. Dr. Carol (Hagans) Wroblewski will be presenting on both the emotional components of emotional eating along with sharing information about the foods you are eating that are called “hyper palatable.” Hyper palatable foods are foods that are high in fats, sugars and salt. Healthy Horizons is offering this program to help you cope constructively with the challenges of the upcoming holidays that start with candy at Halloween and end with the after-Easter sales. You will leave with practical information that will support healthy decisions you make every day to support your health.
Light snacks will be served. Please feel free to bring your lunch to enjoy during the presentation.
Questions about this program? Please contact Healthy Horizons at healthyhorizons@butler.edu or extension 8143.
How to Use an Elliptical Trainer
Th elliptical trainer can be a great low-impact alternative to walking or jogging, and can offer some great advantages over the treadmill.
- Less stress on your joints
- Can be pedaled in reverse to work your calf and hamstrings
- Most include hand rails or bars to get an upper-body workout
Here are a few videos to help you get started with your elliptical workouts:
How to Use an Elliptical Trainer
Using an Elliptical Trainer to Tone Your Thighs
Meatless Monday Meal Planning
If you’ve jumped on the Meatless Monday bandwagon, you might be looking for some more recipes to add to your weekly menu planning. There are tons of recipes online to take the guess work out of what to make for dinner.
One of my favorite websites for healthy recipes is WebMD, as their site provides all the nutritional information for the featured recipe. They even have a free newsletter you can sign up for so the recipe of the day is delivered right to your inbox every morning.
Check out their Recipe Finder where you can search recipes based on certain categories like diet preferences–such as vegetarian, main ingredient, cooking method, etc.
Take a look at this recipe for Vegetable Satay, that replaces the usual chicken with broccoli and cauliflower.
Five Ingredient Friday: Seared Skirt Steak with Cherry Tomatoes
Red meat, in moderation, can be a great source of protein for your diet. Skirt (or flank) steak is a very flavorful cut of meat, meaning a smaller portion will leave you very satisfied.
Seared Skirt Steak with Cherry Tomatoes
Recipe adapted from Women’s Health Magazine
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes
- 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 4 cups arugula
- 12 oz skirt or flank steak
- 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- Salt and pepper (optional)
Prepare a cast-iron or stainless-steel pan (or grill pan) with non-stick cooking spray and heat on medium high. When the pan is very hot, season steak with a few pinches of salt and pepper (optional) and add it to the pan. Cook steak for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until it’s caramelized and slightly firm to the touch. Remove it to a cutting board to rest.
Meanwhile, lower the heat to medium and add tomatoes and garlic to the pan. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until garlic is lightly browned. Add balsamic vinegar and cook for 2 additional minutes, until the skins of the tomatoes start to split. Remove the pan from the heat; add salt and pepper (optional).
Slice steak thinly against its grain. Divide arugula between 2 plates, top each pile with steak slices, and pour on cherry tomatoes and pan drippings. Serves 3
Each serving is approximately 300 calories.
Workout Wednesday: Getting Started with a Fitness Routine
One of the hardest parts about starting a new fitness routine, especially if you have not been active for a while, is getting started. The American Heart Association has outlined some important steps to keep in mind when starting a new exercise program:
- Safety is important! Consult with your healthcare provider before starting your exercise program.
- Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity 5 days a week. Don’t forget that those 30 minutes can be split up into smaller sessions to fit your busy schedule.
- Try to measure the intensity of your workout so you know if you are pushing yourself too hard or not hard enough.
Walking is a great way to ease yourself into exercising again. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute has outlined a great 12-week walking schedule to help you get started.
| Week | Warm-up | Brisk walking | Cool-down |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 minutes | 5 minutes | 5 minutes |
| 2 | 5 minutes | 7 minutes | 5 minutes |
| 3 | 5 minutes | 9 minutes | 5 minutes |
| 4 | 5 minutes | 11 minutes | 5 minutes |
| 5 | 5 minutes | 13 minutes | 5 minutes |
| 6 | 5 minutes | 15 minutes | 5 minutes |
| 7 | 5 minutes | 18 minutes | 5 minutes |
| 8 | 5 minutes | 20 minutes | 5 minutes |
| 9 | 5 minutes | 23 minutes | 5 minutes |
| 10 | 5 minutes | 26 minutes | 5 minutes |
| 11 | 5 minutes | 28 minutes | 5 minutes |
| 12 | 5 minutes | 30 minutes | 5 minutes |
Interested in more information about starting a walking routine? The American Heart Association’s Walk More section has a variety of resources from injury prevention to a winter walking guide.
There are some great walking routes right here on Butler’s campus to help you get started!
Meatless Monday: Spaghetti Squash Marinara
Remember our post about butternut squash? Spaghetti squash is another great produce item to take advantage of during the fall. And, to make things really easy, it is prepared quite similarly to butternut squash. So, if you’ve mastered that, you’ll be a pro with today’s recipe!
Spaghetti Squash Marinara
Adapted from Michael Chiarello
- 1 spaghetti squash
- 4 cups of marinara
- 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese
Unlike the video below, carefully split the squash open lengthwise with a large butchers knife. Scoop out the seeds and discard. Brush the squash with 2 tbsp. of olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper (optional). Roast squash in a 450 degree oven until soft, about 30-35 minutes. Remove squash from oven and let cool. Pour marinara sauce into a saucepan and heat over medium. Once the squash has cooled, using a fork, scrape the squash into the saucepan with the marinara. The squash should come out in long, thin strands that resemble spaghetti. Stir squash and marinara sauce together. Serve and top with Parmesan cheese. Serves 4.
Each serving is approximately 200 calories.
Prefer to watch how to make it?