BE HEALTHY

Your Path to Great Health in Michigan

Recipe: Classic Guacamole

by Cheryl Prichard

Sunday January 04, 2009, 1:38 AM

Makes about 1-1/2 cups. Prep time: 15 minutes Recipe from Calavo. Visit their Web site for more avocado recipes. www.calavo.com

Ingredients:
2 ripe medium Calavo® avocados, peeled, pitted, diced
1 large ripe tomato, diced
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
Juice from 1 large lime
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black
pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt

Continue reading "Recipe: Classic Guacamole" »

Help Kids Eat Better: Guide Shows Parents How to Make Wiser Food Choices

by Joe Gray/Chicago Tribune

Sunday January 04, 2009, 1:35 AM

Seventeen percent of U.S. kids are overweight. One-third of those born in 2000 will develop diabetes in their lives. The statistics are grim. Most of the problem lies with what children eat, despite a general drop-off in exercise, according to authors David Zinczenko and Matt Goulding, respectively editor in chief and food and nutrition editor for Men's Health magazine.

It's the type of food and how much children eat that has changed from a generation ago. Portions are larger and supermarket shelves are crowded with processed foods with long lists of confusing ingredients.

Continue reading "Help Kids Eat Better: Guide Shows Parents How to Make Wiser Food Choices" »

Master The ABC's of Change

by Marilynn Preston

Sunday January 04, 2009, 1:15 AM

The path to a healthier, happier lifestyle is a crooked one. That's because positive change -- walking more, eating smarter, and taking the stairs instead of the escalator -- is rarely a linear event. Very often it's one step forward, two steps back and an energizing leap ahead when the time is right.

The time is right. With the new year here we have an opportunity to clean our slates, sharpen our pencils and settle down to study whatever it is we need to learn.

Continue reading "Master The ABC's of Change" »

Nastia Luikin's Mom Offers 5 Strategies to Keep a Family Fit

by Cheryl Prichard

Sunday January 04, 2009, 1:00 AM

Anna Liukin, 38, wanted most of all for her daughter, Nastia, to be happy and fit. Even after her daughter became the 2008 Olympic individual all-around gold medalist, and tied with Shannon Miller as the American gymnast having won the most World Championship medals, Anna Liukin wants health and happiness most of all for her daughter, now 18.

Anna, a former rhythmic gymnast, talked to us from the World Olympics Gymnastics Academy in Plano, Texas that she and her husband, Valeri (a 1988 Olympic gold medalist), own with former Soviet champion athlete Evgeny Marchenko. Here are her five top tips for keeping her family strong.

Continue reading "Nastia Luikin's Mom Offers 5 Strategies to Keep a Family Fit" »

Recipe: Apple Orchard Salad w/Apple Cider Viniagrette

by Cheryl Prichard

Friday January 02, 2009, 1:46 AM

Apple Orchard Salad
Makes 6-8 servings. Prep time: 15 minutes
From Michigan Apple Committee. Visit them online at www.michiganapples.com for more great apple recipes.

Ingredients:
4 cups cooked chicken breast, diced
8 cups spring greens
4 fresh Michigan Gala apples, sliced thin
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
1 cup glazed walnuts
1 cup apple cider vinaigrette (recipe follows)

Continue reading "Recipe: Apple Orchard Salad w/Apple Cider Viniagrette" »

Editor's Note: Turn off the anxiety

by Sheri Stetson-Compton

Sunday December 07, 2008, 2:28 PM

I'm anxious about viewing my 401K statement (which I haven't looked at since September). I'm anxious about Michigan's economy given GM's stock price, which is $2.92 at the time of this writing. I'm anxious about the impact of government bailouts on my children's financial future and I'm anxious about meeting my deadline to have this letter written. What are you anxious about? I know there's something.

This kind of angst is all too common these days, and it is at best unpleasant, and at worst unhealthy. This issue of BE Healthy is dedicated to helping you and me turn off the anxiety through powerful sources of positive energy that are all around us. Where do these stress-zapping auras lurk?

Continue reading "Editor's Note: Turn off the anxiety" »

Keys to Long Life: BE Active and Emotionally Stable

by Drs. Kay Judge and Maxine Barish Wreden

Sunday December 07, 2008, 2:23 PM

The secret to a long life is actually pretty simple, according to recent research from the National Institute on Aging.

After tracking more than 2,300 people for more than 50 years, researchers there found that calm and active people lived longer than their counterparts.

These findings came from data collected by the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging -- the oldest running study on aging -- and were published in the July/August issue of the journal Psychosomatic Medicine.

Continue reading "Keys to Long Life: BE Active and Emotionally Stable" »

Your Questions. Our Experts: Carrots and diabetes

by BE Healthy Readers

Sunday December 07, 2008, 2:17 PM

QUESTION:
Should I avoid carrots because I have diabetes and I've been told carrots are rich in sugar?
-- B.T., East Grand Rapids, MI

ANSWER:
This myth comes from a misinterpretation of the glycemic index. This is a relatively new way of measuring exactly how quickly or slowly carbohydrates, another way of saying sugars and starch, are digested.

Continue reading "Your Questions. Our Experts: Carrots and diabetes" »