SEAFOOD!! YUMMMY :) :)

How to keep Seafood in your Diet!

If you are a broke college student like myself the only seafood you may consume is of the canned variety! The way i look at it is, if that is all you can afford then that is okay! I try to catch the fish sales at the butcher at our local grocers too but even then it can be a bit pricey.

Seafood is rich in omeg-3 fats and a wide range of nutrients including EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid). The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends eating 8 ounces of seafood (exceptions include young children and pregnant women) of different seafood. Maintaining this weekly consumption of seafood in your diet can help prevent heart disease.

I know some of you are worried about the health risks that go along with eating seafood regularly but according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Fish advisories

"Moderate, consistent evidence shows that the 

health benefits from consuming a variety of seafood 

in the amounts recommended outweigh the health 

risks associated with methyl mercury, a heavy 

metal found in seafood in varying levels"(2)

Some of the variety of seafood that contain higher levels of EPA & DHA are salmon, anchovies, herring, sardines, Pacific oysters, trout, and Atlantic and Pacific mackerel.

If you look at the link below you can find MyPlate's  "10 Tips to Help You Eat More Seafood". This is a great starting point for those of you who do not regularly consume seafood and need help on how you can add it to your diet!

http://www.choosemyplate.gov/food-groups/downloads/TenTips/DGTipsheet15EatSeafood.pdf 

Whenever i can afford it (RARELY! HA!) i splurge and buy Salmon :) It is one of my favorite seafood and below is a recipe for how a prepare it! My absolute favorite is Herb-Crusted Salmon with a side salad of mixed greens!

Salmon

1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs

2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano

2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary

2 teaspoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon rind

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

2 garlic cloves, minced

4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets (about 1 inch thick), skinned

Pam Cooking Spray 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1. To prepare salmon, combine the first 7 ingredients in a shallow dish or pie plate. Lightly coat both sides of fillets with cooking spray, and sprinkle evenly with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Dredge both sides of fillets in breadcrumb mixture.

2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add fillets to pan; cook 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium; carefully turn fillets over. Cook 4 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork or until desired degree of doneness.

Salad
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

4 cups mixed salad greens

3. To prepare salad, combine juice, oil, mustard, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl. Add mixed greens; toss gently to coat. Place 2/3 cup salad on each of 4 plates; top each serving with 1 fillet.


References: 
(1)http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/Publications/DietaryGuidelines/2010/PolicyDoc/Chapter4.pdf

(2)www.epa. gov/ishadvisories

http://www.cookinglight.com/eating-smart/nutrition-101/heart-healthy-seafood-recipes-00412000082861/page3.html

Pilates!

Pilates:

As make my way on my new journey of trying ( by trying i mean try to do the moves correctly and not die during the class) every single exercise class offered at the gym by my house, i have thoroughly enjoy Pilates! I am sore after every single class!! The classes are an hour long and though you aren't jumping around doing cardiovascular workout you sweat...and i mean sweat... I always wake up in the morning with muscles i didn't even know existed hurting. Which is an awesome confirmation that you actually did something right in the class! Trust me you may look like a fool when you first start but no one can just begin something new and be an expert. Each week it go it gets easier and easier!! 

Before justifying why Pilates is such a great workout to improve your health i think it is good to clear up the general difference between Pilates and Yoga. Pilates is about challenging your body strength in unstable positions while moving your limbs (Sounds fun right?!). Yoga, which inspired Pilates, is made up of static poses and is far more spiritual than Pilates. 

Fun fact: Pilates was created by a man named Joseph Pilate in the 1920's!

So why is Pilates so great?!?!

Benefits of Pilates:

• It is a workout that everyone can do, from beginner to expert, there is always a modified version.
• It improves your flexibility 
• It improves stabilization of your spine and posture
• Increased muscle strength and tone, focusing on your abdominal muscles, lower back, hips and buttocks (the ‘core muscles’ of your body)
•  You evenly condition your body during the course of the workout
• The smooth continuous motions of Pilates can help train your body to make safer, more controlled motions better preventing injury. 

Of course the benefits list of Pilates goes on and on but why not discover some of the benefits yourself and go try it! 

Here is a link to Self Magazine's website that allows you to calculate the approximate amount of calories you could burn in an hour long Pilates class! According to this calculator i burned ~350.06 calories, a bit specific but i'll take it.

http://www.self.com/calculatorsprograms/calculators/caloriesburned/Pilates/result?weightPounds=150&duration=60&activity=&met=4.9&submit= 

Now i know i usually post a food along with a workout but today i am going to mix it up with just a workout and post about a food along with a recipe next!




References: 
https://www.pilates.com/BBAPP/V/pilates/benefits-of-pilates.html

Popeye's Favorite Food and Push ups!

What is Popeye's favorite? SPINACH OF COURSE!

For those of you who don't know, Popeye's favorite food is SPINACH! Whenever Popeye needed extra strength or energy he would just simply open up a can of spinach and mow down. So what health benefits of spinach gave Popeye all this extra strength and energy?

Health Benefits of Kale:

• Rich in phytochemical's called lutein and zeaxanthin that benefit the retina of the eyes and can help protect against vision loss.
• It contains a good amount of a powerful antioxidant, vitamin A, which can help boost the immune system and help protect against some chronic disease's and cancer.
• High concentrations of magnesium, which protects against osteoporosis, and is important to bone health. Magnesium and vitamin D work together in the bones to increase calcium C absorption. 
• Just one cup of kale contains approximately 40% of your daily Recommended Dietary Intake. 
• Kale is composed of approximately 80% of water, making its calorie count very low. A 100 gram serving of kale contains approximately 49 calories.
• Kale is a good source of insoluble fiber which aids in digestion and helps keep you regular. 

There are many different types of kale: curly kale, Lacinato Kale, Premier Kale, Redbor Kale, Siberian Kale, Walking stick Kale...The list goes on but, don't let it be intimidating! Whether you go with curly or Siberian the fact that you are eating it out is what counts. 

PUSH UPS. PUSH UPS. PUSH UPS!

 I felt that talking about push ups after discussing one of Popeye's favorite 

foods is only appropriate. I mean come on, Popeye didn't get those arms 

just by eating spinach.

Now before discussing the benefits i think it is important to know how to properly do a push up. Below is a link to a short video of how to correctly preform a push up, i apologize ahead of time for the creepy voice but, bare with me cause i think it is a great visual.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eSM88TFzAs 

Benefits of push ups: 

• Build your upper body strength by working out your chest, front of your shoulders and the back of your arms.
• Push ups help build and strengthen your core muscles (mostly your midsection).
• They benefit cardiovascular system when done at a fast pace.
• While increasing your core muscles, push ups strength your back which increases its stability. 

Now i know, doing the same thing over and over again can be repetitive and boring but, it will be worth it. Below are a couple examples of different ways you can do a push up to avoid boredom:

Front clap                                                                             Wall Push up

Wide grip                                                                                 One leg 

                                                                   

Diamond                                                                                                  Modified knee

Referrences: 
http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/3030?

fg=&man=&lfacet=&count=&max=25&qlookup=kale&offset=&sort=&format=Abridged&reportfmt=other&rptfrm=&ndbno=&nutrient1=&nutrient2=&nutrient3=&subset=&totCount=&measureby=&_action_show=Apply+Changes&Qv=1&Q5759=1.0

http://blog.aarp.org/2013/03/25/hail-kale-why-you-should-or-shouldnt-eat-it/