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	Tuesday August 30, 2011
5 Ways to Power Up with Veggies Five servings of vegetables a day may seem like a daunting dietary challenge. It can be make you feel like you're pushing a giant head up lettuce uphill, only to have it roll down again the next day.  It doesn't have to be that way. Eating enough vegetables is much easier than you think. Just a half a cup of raw, cooked, canned, or frozen vegetables equals a serving. Other one-serving examples: Three-quarters of a cup of 100 percent vegetable juice, one cup of leafy veggies such as lettuce, or half a cup of beans or peas. To motivate you to eat more veggies, there's a pretty simple equation: The more vegetables you eat, the less you'll weigh (and healthier you'll be). The reason? Vegetables are low in calories and are packed with fiber, vitamins, minerals, and other powerful nutrients that fight disease. You'll feel fuller and less likely to munch on other stuff that's not as good for you. And for people with diabetes, the low Glycemic Index (GI) of vegetables makes it easier to control your blood sugar, along with helping you maintain a healthy weight. If you haven't been a veggie fan, here are five easy and delicious ways to eat more vegetables: Be fruitful. Eat vegetables like they're fruit. Halve a cucumber, a whole tomato, and a stalk of celery, or a crunchy carrot. They're as pleasant to munch on as an apple. Another sneaky fruit-like vegetable is the broccoli stalk. Shave off the outside of the stalk and you'll be surprised at how juicy and tasty the inner part is. Stack with lettuce. When having a sandwich, go easy on the meat and add more of the green stuff and tomatoes. The meat should be no higher than the thickness of a standard slice of bread. Then, pile on enough lettuce and other vegetable to make a towering sandwich of health. While your tower may be the height of the Empire State Building, you'll earn the svelteness of the Eiffel Tower. Swap meat entrées. Exchanging a meat serving for a vegetarian one once a week means you'll also skip fat and cholesterol. And just so you won't miss the meat as much, make it a strong-flavored vegetable such as broccoli. Check the web for meatless recipes that make filling, robust meals from veggies and whole grains. Start your day right. One reason we don't eat enough vegetables is that we think of them as a side dish to dinner. To change that attitude, try making a breakfast of scrambled eggs with sautéed veggies such as peppers, mushrooms, zucchini, asparagus, or onions. Boost a soup. When you have a low-sodium soup, stir in a bag of precut broccoli and carrots, either fresh or frozen, and you have a super-fast, easy lunch or dinner. As the soup simmers, it'll cook any frozen veggies. Plus, you'll boost the soup's nutritional value and fiber. Spinach and Goat Cheese Omelet Add a little European flair (and lots of veggies) to your breakfast with this French-style, folded omelet. As one of the fastest protein-rich meals you can make, this omelet is an excellent dish for solo dining and can use up any leftover vegetables you have at hand. Serves 1 Ingredients: 2 cups baby spinach, rinsed 2 tablespoons crumbled goat cheese or feta cheese 1 tablespoon chopped scallion 1 large egg 2 large egg whites 1/4 teaspoon hot red pepper sauce, such as Tabasco Pinch of salt Pinch of freshly ground pepper 1 teaspoon olive oil  Preparation: 1    Bring an inch of water to a boil in a large saucepan. Drop in spinach and cook just until wilted, about 30 seconds. Drain, press out liquid and chop coarsely. Or, place spinach in a microwave-safe bowl, cover with vented plastic wrap, and microwave at high power for 1 to 2 minutes. Place the spinach in a small bowl. Stir in the cheese and scallion. 2    Blend egg, egg whites, hot sauce, salt, and pepper briskly with a fork in a medium bowl. Heat oil in a 7- to 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Tilt the skillet to swirl oil over surface. Pour in egg mixture. Immediately, stir egg mixture with heat-resistant spatula or fork for a few seconds. Then, use spatula to push cooked portions at edges toward the center, tilting the skillet to allow uncooked egg mixture to fill in areas around edges. Sprinkle spinach mixture over the omelet. Continue to cook until almost set, and the bottom is light golden. The entire cooking process should take about 1 minute. 3    Use spatula to fold one-third of the omelet over the filling. Tip the skillet and, using spatula as a guide, slide the omelet onto a plate so that it lands, folded in thirds, seam-side down. Per serving: 235 cal, 15 g fat (6 g sat), 4 g carbs, 20 g protein, 1 g fiber, 228 mg chol, 471 mg sodium 3 Low-Impact Exercises with High Calorie Burn Here's a little secret those gung-ho, no-pain-no-gain personal trainer types don't want you to know: Burning lots of calories doesn't have to be all that hard. Of course, exercise helps manage blood sugar and is an essential part of weight control. But, intense, body-wracking effort isn't required to burn calories. You can ease into exercise with some low-impact activities and still burn lots of calories. Here are three ways to stoke your inner furnace while keeping your knees, back, and muscles free from pounding. Shhhhhh! It's our little secret. Swimming. With the water to buoy your body weight, there's very little strain on your joints and feet. A slow pace will burn 476 calories per hour, but turn up the speed and effort and you burn up to 680 calories per hour. By comparison, a 150-pound person running 6 mph burns 680 calories. If you weigh more, you'll burn more; weigh less, burn less. Cycling. It may surprise you, but pumping pedals is easier on the knees than running. And doctors often suggest riding a bike for back pain. For a moderate-effort ride of 12 to 14 mph, you'll burn 544 calories. Add a little bump of 1 to 2 mph increases that to the whopping 680 calories per hour. Rowing. Even though you're sitting, rowing is a full-body workout, strengthening your core, legs, and back muscles. Because rowing engages so many muscles at once—but doesn't jar your body like running—it burns 476 calories per for a moderate effort, but for 50 percent more effort, you can burn 578 calories per hour.   Until next issue, here's to good health! Neil Wertheimer Editor in Chief, Reverse Diabetes	Advertisement 30 Minutes to a Healthy Heart A renowned heart specialist reveals his special treatment that reduces the risk of heart attack. Kitchen Cabinet Cures 1,001 Homemade remedies for your good health. 90% of all heart attacks can be avoided!        -- 30 Minutes to a Healthy Heart
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