Kathi's Blog - Kathi Casey, Author, Baby Boomer Health and Wellness Coach, Amazon International Bestselling Author

Hope you had fun experimenting with grains, onions and lamb!

Today, let’s talk about exercise. First of all, when you complete a regular aerobic exercise routine, all of your body functions improve. Your heart is able to circulate blood more efficiently and the exercise helps your body sweat out those extra stress hormones like cortisol which compromises our immune system. Now, I’m not talking about running for an hour… According to some recent studies, that can have the opposite effect on your immune system. I’m talking regular, moderate exercise. Moderate exercise is something like 20 -30 minutes of brisk walking, hiking, or biking.

Secondly, when you add a meditative Yoga practice to your morning routine, you give those stress hormones a double whammy. The less stress hormones in the body, the healthier your immune system.

Ommmmmmmm

Best of Health,

Kathi

Dr. Oz is one of my favorites, not because he is cute (which he is) but because he ALWAYS gives us research that includes many options for treatment. He’s not all about “here’s a pill, come back in a week.” I ‘m running a teleseminar series on achieving permanent weight loss right now, so I found his show, on how sleep deprivation can prevent us from losing weight, fascinating!

Dr. Oz figures that we could lose 14 pounds a year by just getting one more hour of sleep each night, without doing anything else! Holy cow! He included some great no or low-cost solutions for getting a good night’s sleep. Do you sleep well, all night? I know that many of us Boomers have a difficult time sleeping, so here is the link to his four step plan for better sleep. 14 pounds for doing nothing… Let’s try it!

http://wwwdoctoroz.com/videos/4-steps-lose-weight-while-you-sleep 

Best of Health,

Kathi

I can’t believe the number of people who are fighting a cold right now. Thanking God and my strong immune system that I am not one of them.

There are lots of ways to beef up your immune system this time of year so I’ll bring a few of them to you here today, and next week.

Firstly, zinc is a mineral that your immune system loves, and when it’s combined with sulfur, which helps our body absorb the zinc better, you get a powerful immune system boost. This is great news for us garlic and onion lovers because these two pungent foods are excellent sources of sulfur compounds!

So, think of combining whole grains which contain zinc - like brown rice, legumes and whole grain breads, with onions and garlic this week. One of my favorites is brown rice with carmelized onions. And I always throw in at least a couple of garlic cloves for good measure.

A few other foods you may want to toss in that are high in zinc are sesame seeds, tahini, lamb, and green peas. Experiment this week and let me know your favorite!

Best of Health,

Kathi

 How many New Year’s resolutions did you make?

The other night at dinner I overheard some people talking about not making any New Year’s resolutions because they believe the world is going to end some time between now and Dec. 21^st, so why bother.

That made me smile. They’re going to be mighty surprised when Dec 31^st arrives, don’t you think?!

If you’re going to resolve to change something in your life this year, make your goal measurable. For instance, if you want to get more aerobic exercise, make the goal to take a Zumba class once a week for the entire year, or get up early and swim at the pool for 30 minutes before work once a week. You get the idea. Measurable and firm. Put those commitments in your calendar just like any doctor or business appointment. Aging well is just as important as any business meeting – even more so to those who love you.

Best of Health

Kathi

 Here’s a healthy replacement for a holiday favorite – green bean casserole. I think this one tastes better than the old high fat, cream laden dish!

Garlic is a potent anti-oxidant and pine nuts contain about 31 grams of protein per 100 grams of nuts, the highest of any seed. They are rich in magnesium,  which helps alleviate muscle cramps, tension and fatigue, and they have the highest concentration of oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat that aids the liver in eliminating harmful triglycerides from our body. Wow! Lots of benefits, low in fat and tasty as can be!

Steam 2 pounds green beans until they are tender but still crisp, about 3 to 4 minutes, then drain.

Heat 1/2 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook 2 ounces of thinly sliced prosciutto, stirring constantly, until crispy, 4 to 5 minutes. Drain on a paper towel.

Then heat 2 more teaspoons oil over medium heat. Add the beans, 4-6 cloves of minced garlic, and salt and pepper to taste. Brown the beans (3 to 4 minutes), Stir in 1/2 cup toasted pine nuts, 1 teaspoon of freshly grated orange zest and the prosciutto. Season with a splash of orange juice and enjoy!

This tasty little dish will be a hit with your family and has only 99 calories; 5 g fat (1 g sat, 2 g mono); 6 mg cholesterol; 10 g carbohydrates; 5 g protein; 4 g fiber; 264 mg sodium; 196 mg potassium. Yummm!

Best of Health,

Kathi