Healthiest You Ever by Meera Lester

Author:Meera Lester [Lester, Meera; Khaleghi, Murdoc; Reynolds, Susan; Aved, Brett]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-4405-3116-3
Publisher: F+W Media
Published: 2012-05-04T16:00:00+00:00

WEEK TWENTY-EIGHT

DIET AND NUTRITION | MONDAY

“As a kid, I got three meals a day. Oatmeal, miss-a-meal, and no meal.”

—Mr. T.

Eat Oatmeal Often

Oatmeal is a marvelous choice for healthy fiber, both soluble and insoluble. Insoluble fiber slows down the digestion of starch, preventing a sharp rise in blood glucose levels after a meal. Soluble fiber aids in the processing and elimination of food, moving it quickly and efficiently through the bowels. Studies have shown that eating foods that are high in soluble fiber may help to lower LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) without lowering HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol). Whether you choose steel-cut oats (the most roughly cut and least processed), rolled or “old-fashioned” oats, quick oats, or instant, all types of oats are effective at reducing cholesterol. To get the daily 3 grams of soluble fiber recommended for lowering cholesterol levels, you’ll need to eat 2 ounces of oat bran (2/3 cup dry or about 1½ cups cooked) or 3 ounces of oatmeal (1 cup dry or 2 cups cooked). To increase the fiber benefits, add walnuts and raisins or fruits, such as blueberries or blackberries.

BASIC WHOLE-WHEAT PANCAKES

Serves 6

½ cup whole-wheat flour

¼ cup quick-cooking oatmeal

1 tablespoon Splenda

½ teaspoon baking powder

1/3 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 cup egg white substitute

1 cup skim milk

Add blueberries, bananas and pecans, cranberries and walnuts, or cinnamon and raisins to the batter before you cook the pancakes. Come up with fun toppings of your own.

1. In a bowl, mix all dry ingredients together. In a separate bowl, mix all wet ingredients together. Gently fold dry ingredients into wet ingredients.

2. Coat skillet or griddle with nonstick spray. Pour 1/3 cup batter per pancake onto skillet.

3. Cook on medium-high heat until pancake develops bubbles on top. Flip the pancake and brown on the other side.

PER SERVING: Calories 64 | Fat 0g | Protein 4g | Sodium 141mg | Fiber 2g | Carbohydrates 12g

STRENGTH | TUESDAY

“Another myth is that strength training is expensive, time consuming, and complex. In fact, it shouldn’t take more than thirty minutes per session.”

—James Peterson, PhD, sports medicine consultant

Add Lunges to Your Daily Workout

Lunges provide multiple benefits for your lower body, your legs, your inner and outer thighs, your hips, and your knees. There are three types of lunges that you can easily add to your daily workout. Complete an average of two to three sets with ten to twenty reps per set.

Stationary Lunge: Stand with feet hip width apart. Step one foot back, placing the ball of the foot on the floor. This is the starting position. Stabilize and balance in this position before moving into the lunge. Bend both knees to about 90 degrees (the back knee will almost touch the floor), then return to the starting position. If you find it hard to stay balanced, use a chair or wall to stabilize yourself throughout the movement. The motion should be straight down and up. With practice your balance will increase as will your lower body strength.

Reverse Lunge: Start with the feet hip width apart. Step one foot back and bend both knees about 90 degrees into a lunge.

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