Live Healthy NYC: Red White and Blue- These Colors are Healthy For Y...

Live Healthy NYC: Red White and Blue- These Colors are Healthy For Y...: "When it comes to July 4th celebrations, I'm sure it's easy to think of healthy colorful foods. Red - strawberries, watermelon, raspberrie..."

Red White and Blue- These Colors are Healthy For You!

When it comes to July 4th celebrations, I'm sure it's easy to think of healthy colorful foods. 

Red- strawberries, watermelon, raspberries, cherries, rhubarb, tomatoes, red pepper.

White- cauliflower, sweet white corn, onions, garlic, potatoes, part-skim mozzarella cheese.

Blue- blueberries, blackberries, eggplant (dark purple looks blue!).

But, how do you pair healthy foods with this holiday? Here are some low-cal festive red, white, and blue foods to enjoy this holiday:

Organic blue corn chips, tomato salsa, and white corn.

Tomatoes and part-skim mozzarella cheese with balsamic vinegar.

Veggie plate served with hummus (you can make it really white by using northern beans instead of chickpeas) or light ranch dressing.

Potato salad made with red, white and purple (they look blue).

Low-fat vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt or Greek yogurt topped with berries and drizzle blueberry syrup.

Fruit plate served with cubes of angel food cake.

Enjoy!

For more information on living healthy contact me at rachel@livehealthynyc.com

The Time is Ripe for Berry Picking!

The time is ripe for strawberries. 

Strawberries are low in calories ( 1 cup has only 55 calories). They are good sources of folic acid, potassium and fiber. 

Did you know that fresh juice from sieved strawberry pulp has a cooling effect on feverish patients. For a cooling and purifying drink, either pour water on crushed berries or chop the berries roughly and whirl in a blender with a little water. 

How about this tidbit- strawberry juice combined with honey will reduce inflammation or sunburn. Rub the mixture thoroughly into the skin before rinsing off with warm water and lemon juice.

And, strawberries can also play a part in helping you to reduce the risk of cancer or heart disease.

A great healthy recipe to substitute for store bought jam is Homemade Strawberry Jam:

Ingredients:

2 cups of sugar

1 large lemon, zested and juiced

1 1/2 pints fresh strawberries, hulled and halved

Directions:

Combine sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice in a small sauce pan and cook over very low heat for 10 minutes, until the sugar is dissolved.  Add the strawberries and continue to cook over low heat for 20 minutes, until the berries release some of their juices and the mixture boils slowly. Cook until a small amount of the juice gels on a very cold plate (you can keep one in the freezer). Pour carefully into 2 pint canning jars and either seal or keep refrigerated. Use immediately or follow canning guidelines.

Live Healthy NYC: BBQ For Fun!

Live Healthy NYC: BBQ For Fun!: "June is a great month to bbq - whether it's Father's Day (this Sunday) or just getting together with friends, take charge of the grill, fir..."

BBQ For Fun!

June is a great month to bbq- whether it's Father's Day (this Sunday) or just getting together with friends, take charge of the grill, fire it up, and make a healthy bbq!

Everyone loves the classic burger with american cheese, lettuce, tomatoe, and onion. But you can get creative and add any type of cheese you'd like. Why don't you try stuffing the burger with mozzerella cheese, grilled red peppers, and adding marinara sauce (instead of ketchup and mustard)!

For the vegetarian in the group, instead of the traditional "veggie" burger, try a "Mediterranean Portobello" burger. What, you don't know how? Here's the "how to":

Ingredients:

1 clove minced garlic

1/2 tsp salt

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

4 portobello mushroom caps

4 large slices of country sourdough or whole wheat bread

roasted red peppers, sliced

chopped red or yellow tomatoe

crumbled feta cheese

chopped pitted Kalamata olives

1 tbsp red-wine vinegar

1/2 tsp dried oregano

mixed baby salad greens

Put it together:

Pre-heat grill

Mash garlic and salt together until smooth paste. Mix with a little of the olive oil and lightly brush over mushrooms and then also on each side of the bread. Combine red peppers, tomatoe, feta, olives, vinegar, oregano, and remaining olive oil in a bowl. Grill the mushrooms until tender and grill the bread until crisp. Toss the salad greens with the red pepper mixture. Place the grilled mushrooms on top of the bread and top with the salad mixure! Enjoy!!!

For more healthy bbq ideas and more, contact me at rachel@livehealthynyc.com

Live Healthy NYC: Beat the Heat- Be Cool!

Live Healthy NYC: Beat the Heat- Be Cool!: "We didn't think it would get this HOT this quickly! And HOT and STEAMY it has been! So, when you want to stay cool, there are foods that..."

Beat the Heat- Be Cool!

We didn't think it would get this HOT this quickly! And HOT and STEAMY it has been! So, when you want to stay cool, there are foods that will actually keep you cool and satisfied during this heat storm. 

Start with watermelon, cucumbers, celery, iceberg lettuce, and tomatoes. The high water content in these fruits and veggies helps to keep you hydrated. And, did you know that when you are sufficiently hydrated, your body effectively releases heat. 

Add spice to your meals! Believe it or not, spicy foods are actually capable of cooling. The spice induces sweat, which is your body's way of lowering its internal temperature. 

Eat greens! Salads are a terrific natural blood thinner which can help you release body heat and cool down. A spinach salad with watermelon, cucumbers, and feta cheese is a great refreshing eat!

Mint is also a great summer cool down. Menthol, one of mint's main components, triggers sensors in the body that cause you to feel cool. It is also known to have calming properties, which can help you to stay cool when faced with the heat! Add mint to your ice tea, your seltzer, even a side dish of grains.

And drink drink drink! Water is the best option!

A great lunch or dinner idea is  a no-cook Mexican Chicken Salad. You can either cook boneless, skinless chicken breasts or you can buy fully cooked chicken (either a whole roasted or grilled chicken breasts). This salad has a long list of ingredients, but is put together really fast!

You need cooked corn, choped red onion, grape tomatoes, can black beans (rinsed  and drained), chopped red bell peppers, mixed lettuce, avocado (peeled and chopped), shredded cheddar cheese.

Combine cooked chicken, corn, red onion, tomatoes, black beans, and red peppers in a large bowl. 
Stir in dressing (1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, 3 Tbsp honey, 2 tsp cumin, 1 Tbsp chili powder, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper, 2 Tbsp olive oil)
When ready to eat, combine the above with lettuce. Serve with avocados, cheese and whole wheat tortillas, low-fat sour cream, and fresh salsa.
Enjoy!

Live Healthy NYC: Protect yourself!

Live Healthy NYC: Protect yourself!: "Everything we do is purposeful- from the moment we wake-up in the morning and put our feet on the ground to the moment we get back in bed af..."

Protect yourself!

Everything we do is purposeful- from the moment we wake-up in the morning and put our feet on the ground to the moment we get back in bed after a long hard day. How the day begins, what we say, what we wear, what we eat and what we do along the way has meaning. 

Everything, whether we like it or not, impacts our own lives and those around us. So, be proactive and make each moment count! 

Just the other day, the news was filled with information about the "cellphone radiation" and how it may cause cancer. I'm not advocating throwing away your phones (although, think of all the free time we'd have!), but what I am advocating is using an earpiece. The World Health Organization concluded that cellphones are possibly carcinogenic. There is growing concern that the low levels of radiation emitted by cellphones increase the risk of a rare type of brain tumor called a glioma. Now, while this is a rare type of cancer and individual risks remain minimal, there is concern that heavy cellphone use might lead to cancer or other health problems. 

Well, this hit home. A little more than 5 years ago, my dad was diagnosed and later died from a glioma. Was it the cellphone that he was always using that lead to this? Who knows? When I told my kids that they were going to have to use an earpiece, they whined that it wasn't cool. When I told them that I didn't think it would be cool to have kids with cancer, they piped down and immediately went to get the earpiece that came with the their phones. I too went out and purchased a blue tooth. 

We aren't certain yet whether cellphones cause a "real" health risk or not. But, we do know for sure that we can take a precautionary approach. And that is to use an earpiece, thereby keeping the phone away from the head. 

It's only smart to try to do what we know we can to live healthy.