Heart Healthy Lasagna Recipe
If you would like a more heart-healthy version of this beloved dish, check out the video below.
Getting Started – Tips for Long-term Exercise Success
Walking, swimming, cycling, jogging, skiing, aerobic dancing or any of dozens of other activities can help your heart. They all cause you to feel warm, perspire and breathe heavily without being out of breath and without feeling any burning sensation in your muscles.
Whether it is a structured exercise program or just part of your daily routine, all exercise adds up to a healthier heart. Take the first step by walking. It’s free, easy to do and when you have a walking companion, you’re more likely to stay motivated.
Here are some tips for exercise success:
Dress for success!
- Wear comfortable, properly fitted sneakers or flat shoes with laces.
- Wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothing appropriate for the weather and the activity.
Make the time!
- Start slowly. Gradually build up to at least 30 minutes of activity on most or all days of the week (or whatever your doctor recommends).
- Exercise at the same time of day so it becomes a regular part of your lifestyle. For example, you might walk every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday from noon to 12:30 p.m.
- Find a convenient time and place to do activities. Try to make it a habit, but be flexible. If you miss an exercise opportunity, work activity into your day another way.
Keep reasonable expectations of yourself.
- If you have a high risk of coronary heart disease or some other chronic health problem, check with your healthcare provider before beginning a physical activity program.
- Look for chances to be more active during the day. Walk the mall before shopping, take the stairs instead of the escalator or take 10–15 minute breaks while watching TV or sitting for walking or some other activity.
- Don’t get discouraged if you stop for a while. Get started again gradually and work up to your old pace.
- Don’t exercise too vigorously right after meals, when it’s very hot or humid, or when you just don’t feel up to it.
Make it fun!
- Choose activities that are fun, not exhausting. Add variety. Develop a repertoire of several activities that you can enjoy. That way, exercise will never seem boring or routine.
- Ask family and friends to join you — you may be more likely to stick with it if you have company. Or join an exercise group, health club or community center. Many churches and senior centers offer exercise programs too. (Remember to get your doctor’s permission first.)
- Use variety to keep your interest up. Walk one day, swim the next, then go for a bike ride on the weekend.
- Use music or audio books to keep you entertained.
Track and celebrate your success!
- Note your activities on a calendar or in a logbook. Write down the distance or length of time of your activity and how you feel after each session.
- Keep a record of your activities. Reward yourself at special milestones with non-food items, like a small gift or shopping trip for yourself. Nothing motivates like success!
- Visit heart.org/physicalactivity to find all the resources you need to get moving and stay motivated.
Register Now: Self-Defense Class
Feeling confident and assured are great things. In today’s world, safety ranks right up there also. If you would like a chance to grow in all three of these areas, there is an opportunity to do so right here on campus. All staff and faculty are invited to register for a Self-Defense Class, jointly sponsored by the Health and Recreation Complex (HRC) and Healthy Horizons.
Register if you can attend both classes:
- Tuesday and Thursday, March 20th and 22nd
- 12:00-1:00 PM
- HRC 154
- No special attire required.
Class is limited to 20 participants. A non-refundable $10 registration fee is due upon registering. Register at: https://butler.formstack.com/forms/fs_self_defense
This link provides the registration, release and payment form.
Once registered, you will receive a confirmation email. We look forward to seeing you in class.
Get Rid of Unwanted Medicines
The National Safety Council recommends you take unwanted or expired medicines to a prescription drop box or take-back event near you. NSC offers free Stericycle Seal & Send envelopes, so you can send your unwanted medication to be safely destroyed.
Greek Veggie Balls with Tahini Lemon Sauce (Vegan)
By Sharon Palmer
These delicious vegetarian “meatballs” feature black-eyed peas, flaxseed and Medjool dates for the perfect savory-sweet appetizer at your next holiday fete. Black-eyed peas and flaxseed pack protein and fiber while dates add extra nutrition and a sweet flavor. This is the perfect way to do Meatless Monday, or fit in more plant-based meals during the week.
Ingredients:
Veggie Balls:
- 2 (15-oz.) cans black-eyed peas, rinsed, drained (or 3 1/2 cups cooked)
- 1 medium red onion, finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup ground flax seeds
- 1/2 cup whole-wheat breadcrumbs (may use gluten-free)
- 1/2 cup nut meal (i.e., almond meal, hazelnut meal, or peanut meal)
- 5 large Medjool dates, pitted, finely diced
- 1/4 cup finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tsp. fennel seeds
- 1 Tbsp. oregano
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper
- Pinch sea salt (optional)
- 1 large lemon, juiced
- 3 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
Tahini Lemon Sauce:
- 1/3 cup tahini
- 2 lemons, juiced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 tsp. black pepper
- Water, as needed
- Smoked paprika
Makes 7 servings. Yield 28 veggie balls.
Per Serving (veggie balls and tahini sauce): 385 calories, 17 g total fat (2 g saturated fat), 50 g carbohydrate, 12 g protein, 11 g dietary fiber, 70 mg sodium.
Prep Time:60 minutes
Cook time:30 minutes
Directions
- Place drained black-eyed peas in large mixing bowl and mash with potato masher to achieve a smooth texture with some lumps.
- Stir in onion, garlic, flax, breadcrumbs, nut meal, dates, tomatoes, parsley, fennel seeds, oregano, pepper, and salt, if using. Mix well.
- Add lemon juice to moisten and mix well to create a slightly moist mixture.
- Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make Tahini Lemon Sauce. Whisk together tahini, lemon juice, garlic, and black pepper. Add enough water to make a smooth sauce, according to your desired texture. (A thicker sauce is preferable served on the side with appetizer veggie balls, while a thinner sauce is preferable served on top of an entrée serving of veggie balls.)
- Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Roll veggie balls into 28 golf-size balls with your hands, and place in skillet. Cook balls, turning regularly, so that all sides are browned, for about 15 minutes. Remove, place on paper towels to drain excess oil. Add remaining olive oil to skillet and cook remaining veggie balls using same technique.
- Serve with Tahini Lemon Sauce garnished with smoked paprika.
About the Author
Sharon Palmer, RDN, The Plant-Powered Dietitian™, is an award-winning food and nutrition expert, journalist, and editor.
http://www.aicr.org/health-e-recipes/2016/greek-veggie-balls-with-tahini-lemon-sauce.html
Self-Defense Class
Feeling confident and assured are great things. In today’s world, safety ranks right up there also. If you would like a chance to grow in all three of these areas, there is an opportunity to do so right here on campus. All staff and faculty are invited to register for a Self-Defense Class, jointly sponsored by the Health and Recreation Complex (HRC) and Healthy Horizons.
Register if you can attend both classes:
- Tuesday and Thursday, March 20th and 22nd
- 12:00-1:00 PM
- HRC 154
- No special attire required.
Class is limited to 20 participants. A non-refundable $10 registration fee is due upon registering. Register at: https://butler.formstack.com/forms/fs_self_defense
This link provides the registration, release and payment form.
Once registered, you will receive a confirmation email. We look forward to seeing you in class.
Early Family Involvement in Sports – What Olympians Have to Say
The dedication and athleticism on display during the Winter Olympics is awesome to watch, both as exhilarating entertainment and as a reminder of just how impossible these feats can seem for us mere mortals.
But a few of the U.S. Olympic Team’s veteran athletes say the passion for their sport began early and with their families – and that lifelong fitness for all of us can begin the same way. In fact, more Americans already could be getting a jumpstart. Participation in winter sports grew by 5 percent this past year, according to trade association statistics.
“For me it was a family activity, to enjoy the outdoors with my siblings, parents and friends,” said cross-country skier Andy Newell, competing in his fourth Olympics. The 34-year-old Shaftsbury, Vermont, native was on skis as soon as he could walk and eventually went to a “ski academy” high school.
Kikkan Randall, the most decorated skier on the U.S. cross-country team, is continuing the legacy of fitness her parents started when she was a toddler. Her son, Breck, who turns 2 in April, already is on skis.
“My parents were great. They introduced me to physical activity, sports, being outside a lot,” said 35-year-old Randall, who grew up in Anchorage, Alaska, and is competing in her fifth Olympic Games. “My dad put me on skis the day after my first birthday, which officially, I think, was before I could walk.”
Both Randall and Newell have been credited with fostering new star skiers every season, helping to grow the U.S. cross-country team and boost its chances for a medal in Pyeong Chang, South Korea, where Opening Ceremonies on Friday kicked off the Games. A U.S. cross-country medal would be the first in more than 40 years, since Bill Koch earned silver in the 1976 Innsbruck Games.
Freestyle skier Shannon Bahrke Happe remembers those heady days of Olympic medals and pushing her body to the limit. She brought home the silver and bronze in 2002 and 2010.
“Everything we did had a purpose, and that purpose was to have the strength, to ski the moguls as fast as I could and with the best form, agility and quickness on the jumps,” said Happe, who retired in 2010. “Every single thing I did in the gym was directly related to what I wanted to do out on the hill, to reach my goal, my dream.”
Today, Happe’s exercise goals are entirely different. She runs a corporate motivational company and is the ski champion at Deer Valley Resort in Utah. She also just finished a children’s book, “Mommy, Why Is Your Hair Pink?” a riff on her pink locks and a way to inspire kids to find their own personal courage.
“Fitness changed completely,” said Happe, who is five months pregnant and has a 4-year-old daughter, Zoe. “Instead of having all the time in the day to do what I wanted and have fun, I would have one hour a day, and I had to make it count.”
She found a gym with childcare and even a class her daughter can attend. “It’s about teaching my daughter that it’s not something we just talk about,” she said. “It’s fun and can be done with friends. It’s a lifestyle thing.”
For further information check out the website: https://news.heart.org/becoming-an-olympian-probably-not-but-lifelong-fitness-is-still-within-reach/
A Breath of Spring for the Soul
2432 Conservatory Dr., Indianapolis, IN 46203
Lunch ‘n Learn: Pills, Rings, IUDs Oh My! A Contraceptive Agent Discussion
Staff and Faculty, please bring your lunch and join Healthy Horizons at a Lunch ‘N Learn on Wednesday, March 7th at noon in the Pharmacy Building Room 106B.
In the United States, approximately 61 million women are of reproductive age. Almost half of all pregnancies are unintended. In addition to preventing pregnancy, some contraceptive agents can be used for other medical reasons, such as acne and abnormal bleeding. This Lunch ‘N Learn will discuss the most common forms of contraception. Please RSVP to healthyhorizons@butler.edu if you wish to attend.