Fast & Easy Dinner: Mediterranean Salmon and Noodle Bowl

It's the middle of the week and you're feeling rushed, tired, and not in the mood to make dinner. Why not take some help from the grocery store and throw together an easy pasta and salmon dish? The secret ingredient is a bottle of balsamic vinaigrette salad dressing. It's quick and uncomplicated, and shhh, I promise I won't tell. Toss the dressing with fresh fettuccine, wilted spinach, and jarred roasted red peppers, then plate with thick-cut salmon fillets. It's healthy, filling, and just the sort of meal to get you through hump day. Want the recipe? Read more.


Mediterranean Salmon and Noodle Bowl
From Better Homes and Gardens

Ingredients
1 9-oz. pkg. refrigerated fettuccine
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 lb. skinless, boneless 1-inch thick salmon, cut in 8 pieces
Salt and ground black pepper
6 cups packaged fresh baby spinach
1/2 cup jarred roasted red or yellow sweet peppers
1/2 cup reduced-calorie balsamic vinaigrette salad dressing
Directions

1. Prepare pasta according to package directions.
2. Meanwhile, brush 1 tablespoon olive oil on salmon. Sprinkle with slat and pepper. Heat an extra-large skillet over medium heat; add salmon. Cook 8 to 12 minutes or until salmon flakes, turning once. Remove salmon; cover and keep warm.
3. Add spinach, sweet peppers, and remaining oil to skillet. Cook and stir 1 to 2 minutes, until spinach is wilted.
4. Drain pasta; add to skillet. Add dressing; toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Divide spinach-pasta mixture among four bowls. Top with salmon.

Serves 4

4 Best Foods For Runners.

For all my runners like me (or trying to be) here are four foods that are good for you.
Health.com's Jenny Hadfield, a certified personal trainer, shares her top picks for foods for runners.

1. Almonds. They're portable, which is great, but they're also high in the antioxidant vitamin E, which helps prevent achy muscles.

2. Oranges. Running can damage muscles, and oranges are an excellent source of vitamin C, a nutrient that helps them heal.

3. Sweet potatoes. This yummy veggie is high in energy-giving carbs and beta carotene, plus minerals like potassium and magnesium, which runners lose through sweating.


4. Tuna. To keep muscles working optimally and to support rebuilding of muscles, runners should aim for about 60 to 90 grams of protein per day. (That’s more than non-runners need.) And, tuna is an easy source of protein--a 4 ounces provides about half of your daily protein requirements.

Four Healthy Eating Habits!

“Everything you eat should make you stronger, like whole grains for your heart or veggies for immunity. Make 85 percent of your choices this way and you’ll be healthier and thinner.” 

“Switch from olive oil to canola oil for cooking. Canola has less saturated fat and a lot more omega-3 fatty acids, which have been shown to do everything from lift mood to fight heart disease.”

“Have a vegetable or fruit at every meal. Boom, healthier.” 

“Eat global. Spices like cinnamon and turmeric in Indian and Thai cuisines add flavor and have health benefits, like fighting cancer.

Click here for more health tips that every woman should know.......

 

 

 

The Whole World Has Opinions on Obesity

What began as an American epidemic has gone global and the health issues surrounding obesity are now felt around the world. According to a World Health Organization report, one billion adults are overweight worldwide and three million are considered obese. These figures prompted Reader's Digest to poll 16,000 people from 16 countries about weight and weight loss.

• While 70 percent of Russians are more likely to blame their genes for their weight issues (in the US the figure is only 20 percent), the French are most likely to point the finger at the US for having a hand in the international obesity epidemic. The French believe American fast food has created poor eating habits worldwide.
• Using cigarettes and appetite suppressants are no way to shed pounds, but in Russia,18 percent of women admit to smoking cigarettes in order to lose weight. In the US, only five percent employs this hazardous technique.

To learn which country wishes there was a magic pill for losing weight read more.

• China has the highest usage of diet pills with 37 percent reporting trying to drop pounds with the help of a pill. The gender split, however, is enlightening for 48 percent of Chinese women admit to taking diet pills compared to 18 percent of men.
• The gender split in the US on the state of our mates, is interesting as well — 51 percent of married women in the US would like to see their husband lose weight while only 47 percent of married men wish the same thing about their wives.
• Internationally, the pressure to feel thin is highest in Brazil with 83 percent responding that there is too much emphasis on weight. The Brazilians are followed by India (68%) and the US (62%). 

Source

10 Things To Do Instead of Dieting.

Police your portion control.
One in four Americans eats everything he or she is served, regardless of how much food it is. Bigger is certainly better when it comes to paychecks and heel heights, but not when we’re talking about food portions. So the next time you’re about to down some macaroni and cheese, keep in mind that “the clean plate club” is one group you don't want to be in!

Choose fat burners, not fats.
Some magical foods actually satisfy you, for various reasons. Add these to your shopping list and incorporate them into your diet: grapefruit, apples, olive oil, flaxseeds, sunflower seeds, lecithin, garlic, blueberries, and almonds. (Just not too much garlic, if you want to stay cool with your coworkers and boyfriend.)

Wear heels. Always.
We know, we know: High heels can hurt like a biotch and be insanely expensive. But trust us, they’re still necessary. They will instantly add sexiness to any outfit, regardless of the body that sits on top of them. They also make your legs look longer and, therefore, the rest of you appear thinner.

Discover your signature style.
You know that girl who can make guys salivate just by wearing a plain white Hanes tee and comfy jeans? That's because it’s not just what you wear, but also how you wear it. According to Spencer, everything you put on your body gives off signals that can captivate a room…or turn people off. So rock the clothing that gets you the most compliments and makes you feel good, even if it’s a V-neck sweater you bought on clearance five years ago.

For people like me long to be healthy and fit, but finds it hard to diet,  these tips should be helpful.
Click ...here  for full article.

How To Start Running.

Many of you listed starting running as a goal for 2010. A noble goal for sure, but having a little outside structure helps. After lacing your sneakers, check out the Couch to 5K running schedule over at Cool Running. Having a schedule not only makes you accountable, but it might save you from overdoing it and giving up your goal due to post-workout pain.
The Couch to 5K plan eases you into running three miles by combining intervals of running with walking. Over the course of eight weeks, you condition your cardiovascular system and your legs while slowly increasing your running time, eventually running for 30 minutes straight, which is about the time it takes to run a 5K. It is a great way to start running, and the schedule has you running only three times a week, making it easy to fit into a busy life. The workouts are listed by both distance and time, so you can use it on a treadmill by adjusting the speed up and down.
Check it out and try the program. Chances are you will get hooked on running. My only caution is 5Ks are considered a "gateway" race to marathons and triathlons.

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