Tasty Tuesdays

Asian style Curry Veggie Stew

Makes 6 servings
Traditional curry dishes are high in saturated fat due to the use of coconut milk. This recipe uses no coconut milk, but maintains its spicy, curry flavour.

Ingredients

• ½ cup (125 mL) cauliflower florets
• 1 cup (250 mL) russet potato, peeled, cut into large chunks
• 1 cup (250 mL) yellow winter squash, peeled, cut into large chunks
• 1 cup (250 mL) Chinese cabbage cut into squares
• ½ cup (125 mL) long beans, sliced
• ½ cup (125 mL) tomato, quartered
• 3 tbsp (45 mL) onion, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 whole green chillies, sliced
• 2 cups (500 mL) oyster mushrooms, sliced
• 1 ½ tsp (7 mL) canola oil

Curry broth

• 1 tbsp (15 mL) non-hydrogenated margarine
• 1 ½ tsp (7 mL) canola oil
• 3 tbsp (45 mL) onion, thinly sliced
• 1 tsp (5 mL) fresh ginger, minced
• 1 tsp (5 mL) garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp (25 mL) flour
• 1 tbsp (15 mL) curry powder
• 2 ½ cup (625 mL) sodium-reduced chicken stock
• ½ tsp (2 mL) garam masala (mixed Indian spices)
  

Directions for the curry broth

1.Heat canola oil in a skillet and sauté garlic, ginger and onion slices on low heat until they are brown. Set aside.
2.Heat margarine in a medium pot. Add flour and sauté on low heat.
3.Add curry powder and mix well.
4.Add chicken broth little by little, stirring well.
5.Add the onion, garlic and ginger into the sauce.
6.Simmer the sauce until thickened. Finally, add garam masala to complete the curry soup.

Directions
1.Heat oil in a large pot. Brown garlic for a few minutes. Add onion and stirfry for 2 minutes before adding mushrooms. After the mushrooms become soft, remove them, leaving as much onion behind as possible.
2.Stir in potato and squash to the large pot with the leftover onion. When potato and squash are semi cooked, add the rest of the vegetables and simmer for another 8 minutes before adding curry soup. Simmer for another 10 minutes to intensify the flavour.
3.Enjoy with whole-grain brown rice.

Nutritional information per serving
(1 1/3 cup / 275 mL)

• Calories: 117
• Protein: 4 g
• Total fat: 5 g
• Saturated fat: 1 g
• Dietary cholesterol: 0 mg
• Carbohydrate: 16 g
• Dietary fibre: 3 g
• Sodium: 181 mg
• Potassium: 521 mg

Just Another Manic Monday

Organize your Desk

Place pictures of your spouse or lover in the upper-right corner-the relationships area.  Move your phone, business careds, and paperweights to the upper-left corner, which is the wealth section.  Place your computer to the right-hand side of your desk, leaving the area in front of you open to work on projects. 

13 Do's and Taboos to Feng Shui Your Office

• DO sit in the corner farthest from the entrance to the room to have a “command” position.
• DON’T sit in line with the door, as you will be in the path of negative energy.
• DO keep your back toward a corner or a wall for support. If a post protrudes from the corner or wall, correct it by covering it with a hanging plant’s draping foliage.
• DO sit with a tall building behind you to provide the support of a “mountain” if your back is to a window.
• DON’T face away from the door if you are conducting business from home. Business will symbolically come to you through the door, so don’t turn your back on it.
• DON’T arrange your workspace so that you look straight out into a corridor or see the stairs, storage rooms, closets, elevators, escalators, or toilets.
• DO put your computer in the North or West area of your office to enhance your creativity. Place the computer in the Southeast if you use it to generate income.
• DO place an aquarium or tabletop fountain in the East, North, or Southeast. A small aquarium with black or blue fish in the North area of your desk or office will activate your business and career success. Guppies or a single arrowana are ideal for an aquarium made of glass and metal.
• DO place a safe, which is usually constructed of metal, in either West or Northwest, which both represent the metal element. The safe symbolizes the prosperity and financial security of a business.
• DO have a good balance of yin and yang when decorating your workspace. Balance light and dark colors, soft and hard surfaces, and smooth and rough textures in your choice of window treatments, furniture, and flooring.
• DON’T have any mirrors in your office, as they can reflect negative energy from clients to other people in the room. You should always maintain control over the energy in your office.
• DO treat the files in your office with respect. They represent your past, present, and future business.
• DO keep the cords to your office equipment well hidden. This elimates clutter and allows for the free flow of chi.

Fitness Fashion Fridays

Joe Fresh can be found at Loblaws.  The clothing is comfortable and affordable.  Here are a few pieces that I really like.

Women

Yoga Layering Tank ($19)

Yoga Pant ($29)

Men

Active Tee ($12)

Active Short ($16)

Tune Me Up Thursdays

I would like to pay tribute to the great Led Zeppelin....and what better way of doing this than by featuring a tribute band.  The Crunge is a Zeppelin tribute band with a chick lead singer!!  Totally rad right?  Here are some live performance and jam sessions.   Oh ya, and if you live in Washinton DC, you can totally check them out by attending Zepfest 2011 as they will be one of the featured bands.

Misty Moutain Hop
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3bSBZm1G3U 

The Immigrant Song
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3XnfNuoCrY

Rock and Roll
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKiEycxDXbY

Kashmir (Acoustic)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6dCkFFJJpY

Workout Wednesdays

Week 5 of our training program:

Bring a watch or stop watch to every run to ensure proper timing of intervals.

Beginner Runner:
Warm-up for 5 minutes: brisk walk-jogging pace

Jog 5 minute, walk 1 minute
Continue this interval time for 30 minutes.
Cooldown for 5 minutes: jogging-brisk walking pace 

Intermediate Runner:
Warm-up for 5 minutes: brisk walking pace
Jog 7 minute, walk 1 minute
continue this interval time for 40 minutes.  
Cooldown for 5 minutes: jogging-brisk walking pace

Advanced Runner: 
Warm-up for 5 minutes: brisk walking pace
Jog/run 10 minutes, jog/walk 3 minute(hill)[increase hill gradually as time elapses; decrease hill gradually as time elapses]
continue this interval time for 55 minutes.  
Cooldown for 5 minutes: jogging-brisk walking pace 

See you at the finish line!

Have a Fit Day,
Alexis Gradini-FLMP, CSEP-CPT OFC, CPR, First-Aid
Fizzique|President
www.fizzique.ca
fizzique@bell.net
Twitter: @TrainFizzique

Tasty Tuesday's

It's cold season and germs are flying around the office and schools.  I have been doing my best to stave off any illness and so far (knock on wood, fingers and toes crossed) I haven't picked anything up.  Here are some natural sore throat remedies to help take care of yourself during the cold and flu seasion.

Natural sore throat remedies
A sore throat burns, feels scratchy and may cause pain that makes it hard to talk or swallow. The usual cause is a virus or bacteria, though throat irritation may also be caused by smoking, dry heat, postnasal drip or an allergic reaction. Try these sore throat remedies to feel better fast.

What you can do for a sore throat
• For fast and effective sore-throat relief, nothing beats an old-fashioned saltwater gargle. Salt acts as a mild antiseptic, and also draws water out of mucous membranes in the throat, which helps to clear phlegm. Dissolve a half-teaspoon salt in a glass of warm water, gargle and spit out. Repeat up to four times a day.
• Alternatively, gargle with a baking-soda solution. Dissolve one-half teaspoon of baking soda in a glass of warm water.
• Run a cool-mist vaporizer or humidifier in your bedroom. Adding moisture to the air will help keep the air from drying out and prevent the lining of your throat from becoming too dry. If you don’t have a humidifier, place a bowl of water on your radiator or heating vent each night. It will work as well as a store-bought device.
• Quit smoking. Cigarette smoke is extremely irritating to the lining of the throat. Breathe through your nose, rather than your mouth. It’s a natural way to humidify the air you breathe.
• If you’re plagued with a sore throat that seems to come back time and time again, buy a new toothbrush. Bacteria collect on the bristles, and if you injure your gums as you brush, they can enter your system and re-infect you.
• Bolster your immune system during cold and flu season with vitamins, herbs and good nutrition. The obvious supplement candidates are vitamins C and E, the minerals zinc and magnesium, and immune-boosting herbs such as goldenseal and astragalus. Also cook or supplement with garlic, ginger, shiitake mushrooms and reishi mushrooms, all of which have immune-boosting properties.

More sore throat remedies
• Honey has long been used as a sore-throat remedy. It has antibacterial properties, which can help speed healing. It also acts as a hypertonic osmotic, which means that it draws water out of inflamed tissue. This reduces the swelling and discomfort. Add several teaspoons to 1 cup of hot water or herbal tea.
• Hot lemonade with honey can also relieve pain. Combine the juice of half a lemon with hot water.
• Horehound reduces the swelling of inflamed throat tissue. It also thins mucus, which makes it easier for you to clear it from your throat. To make the tea, steep 2 teaspoons chopped herb in 1 cup boiling water for 10 minutes; strain and drink.
• Slippery elm contains mucilage that coats the throat and eases the soreness. Steep 1 teaspoon of the inner bark in 2 cups boiling water, strain and drink.
• Like slippery elm bark, marshmallow root (Althea officinalis) contains throat-coating mucilage. To make the tea, steep 2 teaspoons dried herb in 1 cup boiling water for 10 minutes; strain and drink. Drink three to five cups a day to help a sore throat.
• Take vitamin C three times a day. Whether your sore throat is caused by a cold, the flu or strep, this vitamin will help boost your immune system and fight off infection. Reduce the dose if you develop diarrhea.
• Echinacea. This herb’s antibacterial and antiviral properties will speed healing.
• Garlic, as another aid to fight off infection. Dried garlic has potent antibacterial and antiseptic properties.
• Zinc lozenge. In one study, people who sucked on a lozenge containing about 13 milligrams of zinc every two hours got rid of viral sore throats three to four days quicker than those who didn’t. But too much zinc can actually compromise immunity, which is why you shouldn’t take the lozenges for a long time.

Spotlight Mondays

I am super excited to be featuring Liz Smith as our first professional on our blog.  Liz is a wonderful, elated, motivational individual that not only puts me in a better mood every time i'm around her, but her energy also rubs off on her participants.  Liz is a certified Groove Instructor. 

Groove was brought to life by another amazing individual, Misty Tripoli.  I have had the pleasure of participating in both Misty and Liz's classes and they are like no other.  When you've finished Grooving, you're sweating, you feel like you just had so much fun, and you feel like a new person.  This format really helps individuals feel comfortable in their skin, explore themselves, and just have FUN!  After all, fitness is supposed to be about having fun, not being in pain to the point where you can't walk the next day.

So, what is Groove?  Read below to find out what this amazing, fun and self-fulfilling fitness class is all about. 

Liz Smith-Groove Instructor

1) What is Grooving?

Groove classes are about bringing FUN and SIMPLICITY to dancing so that everyBODY feels successful and motivated to participate.

2) What fitness level is Grooving intended for?

EveryBODY and everyONE can groove.  Grooving is for every fitness level and every age group.

3) Where can someone attend your classes?

My groove classes are available in the High Park area or in Etobicoke near Lakeshore and Islington.

4) What is 1 benefit individuals can gain from Grooving?

There are so many benefits that individuals can gain from grooving, but the 1 I like the most is the smile that everyone has on there face during each class.  The FUN factor is an amazing feeling.

5) What sets Groove apart from other dance based classes?

What sets GROOVE apart is the fact that you do not need any dance experience.  Grooving allows participants to get fit, have fun and find your inner groove through movement to music.

6) Where in the world is Groove offered?

Groove classes are offered all around the world.  You can find a class by simply checking the Groove website.

7) Why do you love teaching Groove?

I love teaching Groove classes because of the way it makes me feel.  I love seeing the joy participants have during each and every class.  There is no other class like it in the world.

If you have any questions for Liz, please send them to us and we will gladly pass them along.