Mark's Weekly Wellness Blog

Victoria's Kitchen Corner

2010-08-28T13:53:00.002-04:00

Hoping you have had a wonderful summer! I wanted to share this healthy recipe with you. I know a lot of you enjoy croutons on your salad. The ones that you get in the store and restaurants are mostly unhealthy. Below is a simple recipe that is so much tastier. Enjoy.

Whole Wheat Croutons
Makes Eight 1/4-Cup Servings

4 slices (about 2 cups) of whole grain bread, cut into cubes
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
1/3 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon herbs de Provence (basil, fennel seed, lavender, rosemary, sage, and thyme)

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
2. Lightly spray the bread cubes with extra virgin olive oil. Sprinkle with the salt, pepper,
herbs de Provence. Spread the bread cubes evenly on a baking sheet.
3. Bake until crispy, about 8 minutes. Allow to cool

Emotional Energy

2010-04-29T13:56:00.003-04:00

I believe that we all have a certain allotment of emotional energy. My emotional energy gets spent in mainly 3 areas: Loving my wife and being with my children; trying my best to run an honest and ethical business in which I can help my clients become healthier and at the same time gain financial stability for my family and me; and lastly, devoting myself to my own exercise program. I had planned on utilizing any emotional energy left over for my wellness blog, however, 9 months ago, I began to pursue a lifelong dream of mine: Authoring a book. My book is on Emotional Prosperity and I expect to have it completed by 2,011; stay tuned. In the meantime, any questions or concerns please email them to me or post a comment on my website and I will be happy to help you with any fitness, nutrition or emotional questions you may have.

Thank you!

Self Acceptance

2009-08-06T12:59:00.002-04:00

I have been doing alot of introspection this summer. This is the reason why I have not posted in 2 months. My last post purported the importance of breakfast. After that post, I became somewhat disillusioned. I want to help my readers become healthier, however, becoming healthy is not rocket science. I am going to simplify: Eat less, move more; eat more fruits and vegetables while limiting animal protein; break a sweat as many days of the week as possible with aerobic exercise (the more the better); and lift weights to keep your muscles and bones strong to enhance an independant lifestyle. There it is in a nut shell. Anyone who tells you otherwise, including me, is just trying to sell you something.

For me, this summer has been all about self-acceptance. I have been doing some fabulous reading (if you are interested in the authors or book titiles, please let me know and I will be happy to share this information) and have come to the conclusion that transmutation (change) can only occur through self-acceptance. I have begun to stop judging myself which in turn has not allowed my victim mentality to surface. If any of us have addictions or habits we would like to change, accepting those behaviors is the first step to emotional freedom from them. It sounds counterintuitive. Previously, I always thought that by accepting a bad behavior I was more likely to continue doing it, however, what keeps us trapped in our negative mind patterns (over-eating, alcoholism, drug addiction, gambling etc...) is the guilt and shame that come from the behavior. If there is truly a desire to stop these destructive behaviors, then self-acceptance is the first step to a happier and healthier you!

2009-08-05T20:46:00.005-04:00

Victoria's Kitchen Corner: Gazpacho
Serves 8 to 10

You can serve this with a salad and call it dinner or have it for lunch. Either way it should be chunky and spicy but not hot.

To get just the right texture, chop each vegetable separately in a food processor. Do not overprocess or puree or it will taste like V-8 in a bowl.
Hothouse (English or seedless) cucumbers are the long thin ones usually sold individually wrapped. (Better flavor and fewer seeds)

2 hothouse cucumbers
halved and seeded, but not peeled
3 red bell peppers, cored and seeded
8 plum tomatoes
2 red onions
6 garlic cloves, minced
46 ounces tomato juice (6 cups)
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
1/2 cup good olive oil
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

Roughly chop the cucumbers, bell peppers, tomatoes, and red onions into 1-inch cubes. Put each vegetable separately into a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse until it is coarsely chopped. Do not overprocess!
After each vegetable is processed, combine them in a large bowl and add the garlic, tomato juice, vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Mix well and chill before serving. The longer gazpacho sits, the more the flavors develop.

Enjoy!

Break the Fast!

2009-05-27T13:32:00.004-04:00

This expression was coined up in the early 18th century and is how breakfast got its name. Break the fast from the previous night's meal by getting off to a nutritious start early the next day is the key to weight management and lasting energy all day long. Usually, those who are logy and lethargic throughout the day do not eat an adequate breakfast. I truly believe from my experiences working with hundreds of clients that nobody gains weight at breakfast and lunch, we all gain it at dinner.

The 5 best choices one can make in the morning are: 1. A High Fiber cereal with at least 3 grams of fiber and fewer than 10 grams of sugar. My personal favorite is Shredded Wheat. 2. Whole Wheat Bread. Make sure the first ingredient is Whole Wheat flour. 3. Greek Yogurt, it is the healthiest due to its high protein content. 4. Fruit, If a diet tells one to avoid any type of fruit, avoid that diet at all costs! Fruit is mainly water and natural sugar. Our bodies process this sugar much differently than sugar that is in candy or donuts. 5. Eggs! This is the perfect food. Please eat the yolks as well. The Yolk is where all the vitamins and minerals are and dietary cholesterol has practically zero affect on your blood cholesterol.

Mix and match these 5 superb breakfast choices and watch your waistline go down and your energy levels skyrocket!

Nutrition Tip # 3:

2009-05-12T14:41:00.003-04:00

Eat Less, Move More! Believe it or not, this is how one loses weight. It is basic and boring, yet, effective and the only scientifically proven way to win the battle of the buldge. Diets do NOT work, healthy lifestyle changes do. The expression "Eat breakfast like a king; lunch like a queen and dinner like a pauper" is the secret to lifelong weight management. In my next post I will tell you the top 5 choices for breakfast; please stay tuned!

Victoria's Kitchen Corner: Shrimp Scampi

2009-05-12T13:52:00.004-04:00

I serve this with roasted asparagus and a spinach and tomato salad. You may use whole wheat linguine or brown rice as an accompaniment. Whole wheat crusty bread would be a nice treat to soak up the sauce.

Shrimp Scampi
Serves 4

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 large cloves garlic, minced (about 4 teaspoons)
2 medium shallots, thinly sliced (about 1/3 cup)
2 pounds of large shrimp (about 20), peeled and deveined
1 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (1 lemon)
1/2 tablespoon of unsalted butter
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus more for garnish
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and shallots and cook, stirring until softened but not browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Add shrimp and stir occasionally until cooked just through, about 2 minutes. Transfer shrimp to a plate. Then add the wine and lemon juice. Cook for 3 minutes for the alcohol to evaporate and the liquid to reduce. Whisk in the butter, add the parsley with the salt and pepper. Return the shrimp to the pan and add any accumulated juices to the skillet. Toss to combine. Garnish with additional parsley and serve immediately.

Nutrition Tip #2: Read Between the Lines

2009-04-28T14:04:00.001-04:00

This is a statement that I live my life by when discerning from various Health and Nutrition studies: Health and/or Nutrition topics are often controversial; the science is complicated; complicated science is subject to interpretation; interpretation depends on point of view and point of view can reflect vested interests.

In other words, please always read who is sponsoring the individual studies AND how they look to benefit from a promising outcome. Trust me, if statin drugs (Lipitor, Crestor etc..) prove to be a boon in the prevention of heart disease (which appears to be the case), Pfizer will have a press release within 5 minutes of the finished study. However, if it turns out that these same statin drugs' effectiveness are compromised by taking individual antioxidants (vitamins A, C, E and Selenium) in pill form (which is also true), that study will be swept under the rug faster (which it has) than one can say "I am getting duped by Big Pharma"!

Nutrition Tip #1: Detox Diet?

2009-04-02T23:06:00.000-04:00

These days it seems that everywhere we look there happens to be a detoxification (detox) diet. These diets purport amazing health panaceas and longevity. I even hear my clients talking about them from time to time. Detox diets do two things: they make money for their advertisers and can be potentially dangerous to our health.

There are 2 ways to naturally detox our bodies; one internally and one externally. The first way is one in which we have less control. Internally, the Liver does the brunt of the work while the Kidneys assist. The Liver is the great detoxification organ in the human body. Eating healthy is a fabulous way to support the Liver. The second way is 100% in our control. Every time one sweats they clear the body of toxins and other impurities.

So the next time you think about embarking on a detoxification diet, instead, go for a jog and then make yourself a salad!

Victoria's Kitchen Corner: Tuscan White Bean Soup

2009-04-01T23:51:00.000-04:00

I will serve this with whole wheat crusty bread and a salad for lunch or as a light dinner. Use grated Romano Cheese on top, sparingly.

Tuscan White Bean Soup
Serves 6

1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 medium-size onion- finely chopped
2 large cloves of garlic-peeled and pressed or finely minced
4 cups cooked or canned (drained and rinsed) cannellini beans or other
White beans such as Great Northern or navy
2 cups canned chopped tomatoes, with their juices
1 fresh sage leaf
4 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley leaves

Heat the oil in a heavy 4-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until the onion begins to soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir the beans, tomatoes, and sage leaf. Add the broth. Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover the saucepan, and simmer for 40 minutes. Remove and discard the sage leaf.

Transfer the soup to a food processor or blender and puree or use an immersion blender. Return the soup to the saucepan. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Reheat before serving if necessary. Stir in the parsley just before serving.

Up and Running!

2009-03-29T23:29:00.000-04:00

Welcome to my blog! I will be posting fitness and nutrition tips to help you improve your health and increase your energy. Also, check in regularly for some delicious recipes from my wife, Victoria.