Healthy Recipe, Curried Chickpeas with Spinach and Tomatoes
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  1. Healthy Recipe, Curried Chickpeas with Spinach and Tomatoes

    This bold-flavored vegan entrée tastes like it’s been simmering for hours yet takes less than 30 minutes to prepare. It’s adapted from Kat Ashmore’s “Big Bites: Wholesome, Comforting Recipes That Are Big on Flavor, Nourishment, and Fun” and consists of inexpensive staples you already have. Canned chickpeas are the principal protein source, delivering vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Pair with greens and a whole grain, such as brown rice. Serves 2-3. – Susan Puckett

    Ingredients

    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 1 medium onion, diced
    • 2 or 3 garlic cloves, minced
    • 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
    • ½ teaspoon curry powder
    • ¼ teaspoon cumin
    • Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)
    • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
    • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
    • 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
    • 1 medium tomato, diced
    • ¼ to 1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk
    • 1 (5-ounce) bag of baby spinach (about 5 cups)
    • 1 or 2 cups cooked brown rice for serving
    • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro for serving (optional)

    Instructions

    1. In a large, heavy saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring, for 3 or 4 minutes, until tender. 
    2. Add the garlic, turmeric, curry powder, cumin, cayenne (if using), tomato paste, ½ teaspoon salt, and a few grindings of black pepper. Cook, stirring, for a minute or two or until the mixture is fragrant and the tomato paste darkens.
    3. Add the chickpeas, ¼ cup water, and the tomato, and bring to a simmer. Cover the pan, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer for 5 more minutes. 
    4. Stir in ¼ cups of the coconut milk and the spinach, in batches if necessary, stirring as it cooks down. Add another ¼ teaspoons of salt and simmer, uncovered, for 3 to 4 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated. Add a splash more coconut milk if you prefer a creamier consistency. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired.
    5. Serve over rice and sprinkle with cilantro, if using. 
  2. Keep Your Back Strong against Pain

    Up to 80% of adults in Western countries have back pain at some point. It’s chronic for some and can be debilitating.

    It can be hard to figure out why it’s happening or how to feel better. And everybody wants a magic pill.

    But we know there’s a better way: movement. 

    A fitness program that combines strength, flexibility, and aerobic fitness is beneficial, the National Institutes of Health says. “Increasing core muscular strength can assist in supporting the lumbar spine. Improving the flexibility of the muscle tendons and ligaments in the back increases the range of motion and assists with the patient’s functional movement. Aerobic exercise increases the blood flow and nutrients to the soft tissues in the back, improving the healing process and reducing stiffness that can result in back pain.”

    Let’s discuss the best exercise options for you. In the meantime, review these five facts about low back pain in America.

    1. Low back pain is the second most common cause of disability.
    2. It costs $90 billion a year.
    3. Exercise helps; doing nothing and hoping for the best just delays recovery.
    4. Studies show that lumbar spine and hamstring flexibility, core stabilization, and muscular strength significantly reduce low back pain.
    5. If you have low back pain, first see your doctor to rule out serious causes. Then start moving. See us to learn more about strength training, aerobic exercise, yoga, Pilates, tai chi, etc.
  3. Forget the Scams: Keep It Simple

    Hey, have you heard about the new miracle fat-loss product?

    It’s a special tea.

    Or a lollipop.

    Or a rubber vest you zip tight around your abdomen.

    Or… or… or…

    We’ve all seen countless “too good to be true” products promising help with losing weight, melting fat, and boosting metabolism.

    It’s easy to chuckle at most of these. They might seem harmless to more than your wallet, although that’s not necessarily true of all of them.

    Health scams cost consumers countless millions. Older people are often the target of phone and email rip-offs; those might not be related to health and nutrition products, but they show how con artists prey on the vulnerabilities of older people.

    Hormones change as we age, for men and women. Our metabolisms slow down. Fat gets distributed in new ways. For correct information and strategies, trust us and your doctor – not someone advertising a quick solution or miracle cure on the Internet.

    But even among people with healthy skepticism, some of these ads can be effective and get us curious to try the “latest thing.”

    Anthony Wilkins is co-owner of a studio for mature women, and he says clients frequently ask him about a new product. Maybe they’re told they must sweat a lot or suffer soreness to prove they got a good workout. The false ads often promote similar falsehoods. So, Anthony started addressing them in a series of posts on social media. Here are three of his “favorites.”

    Fat Fact #1: Muscle does NOT weigh more than fat!
    “This myth should die now and die fast! One pound of fat weighs the same as one pound of muscle, and that same pound of muscle takes up less space than that of fat. This means that you cannot have lost any weight but still be much leaner and drop inches… If you are doing the right things consistently, look for other wins that you have besides simply what you weigh.”

    Fat Fact #2: You cannot spot reduce and lose fat EXACTLY where you want to!
    “You can train certain body parts to improve them, but you have no control over where you lose fat. Genetics play a major role in your body composition, and you can only change so much. Your focus instead should be on maintaining a consistent level of strength training and good nutrition habits, which will lead to long-term fat loss success.”

    Fat Fact #3: Wearing a waist trainer will not make you healthier!

    “It will give you the appearance that you have a slim waist when you wear it. But it does not burn fat, build muscle, or do anything else health-related. Where exactly do your internal organs go when they are squeezed together, anyway?”

    There is no quick fix. There is no miracle cure. The key for long-term, healthy living is consistently exercising and eating well.

    We’re here to help with these realistic goals. Our only promise? You’ll never regret it. 

  4. Healthy Recipe, Waldorf salad

    This version, lightly adapted from one in “Start Here: Instructions for Becoming a Better Cook” by Sohla El Waylly, pops with flavor and crunch supplied by grapes, toasted walnuts, and blue cheese. It’s a sturdy alternative to flimsy lettuce salads and a great way to use up a half-bunch of celery before it dies in the crisper. It easily accommodates leftover bits of rotisserie chicken, boiled shrimp, hard-boiled egg, or other proteins to make it a nutrition-packed meal. Serves 4. – Susan Puckett

    Ingredients
    Dressing: 

    • 1/3 cup buttermilk
    • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
    • 1 tablespoon mild honey
    • 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
    • 1 tablespoon lemon juice, plus more, to taste
    • Kosher salt and coarsely ground black pepper

    Salad:

    • 8 medium celery stalks (leaves plucked and reserved)
    • 1 small sweet, crisp apple, such as Gala or Fuji
    • 1 cup seedless grapes
    • ¼ cup coarsely chopped, toasted walnuts
    • ¼ cup coarsely crumbled blue cheese

    Instructions

    1. Make the dressing: In a large bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, mustard, honey, olive oil, and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
    2. Make the salad: Thinly slice the celery crosswise on the diagonal—core and thinly slice the apple. Cut the grapes in half. Add the celery, apple slices, and grape halves to the bowl of dressing and toss to combine. Taste and add more lemon juice, salt, and pepper if desired.
    3. Divide among serving plates and some of the dressing in the bowl. Top with blue cheese, nuts, and celery leaves, and serve. Leftovers may be stored in a covered container in the refrigerator for a day.
  5. The ‘Accidental Icon’ on Fashion & Fitness

    How do you want to be seen now and as you mature?
     
    If you’re like most people, you want to continue aging as your fabulous self, not as some stereotype society imposes on “older” people.
     
    That’s the lesson from Instagram star Lyn Slater, a 70-year-old fashionista out with her first book, “How to Be Old: Lessons in Living Boldly from the Accidental Icon.”
     
    Whether you’re also “fashion forward” or prefer jeans or athleisure, this approach is spectacular for continuing to mature in a healthy, positive way—enjoying what you want for as long as possible.
     
    Slater presents “an alternative model of older life: someone who defied the stereotypes, refused to become invisible, and showed that all women have the opportunity to be relevant and take major risks at any stage of their life,” her publisher says. “Youth is not the only time we can be experimental.”
     
    Fitness is a big part of living your best life at any age, including for Slater.
     
    “I bike at least 18 miles four times a week,” Slater writes. You save your joints, get to ride through beautiful scenes and nature if you are lucky enough to have some nice trails around, the wind on your face, when you are flying downhill, makes you feel free and energetic, and you get to meet amazing people along the way.”
     
    Well, there’s nothing “accidental” about any of that!

  6. Make the Right Investment in Your Health

    At 62, Jeff Lasater is dedicated to staying in shape. 
     
    He lifts weights three times a week and runs three times a week.
     
    “I don’t want to live to be 80 if I’m not healthy,” says Jeff, who was introduced to fitness by his daughter and son-in-law. “They were worried about me having all that idle time at night. And I feel good. I enjoy it.”
     
    Jeff knows that every workout is an investment in his health – the best investment we can make.
     
    Polls show that we value our health more than anything. People over 50 say they want to maintain their independence and enjoy the life they want to live for as long as possible.
     
    But we all know about the obesity epidemic, with too many people not exercising nearly enough. 
     
    Studies prove beyond a doubt that exercise slows the aging process. It makes us stronger and more flexible and gives us better endurance. It’s also good for heart health, brain function, depression, and social interaction.
     
    So, while aging is inevitable, becoming frail and immobile is not.
     
    A Broader View
    The phrase “functional fitness” provides a great way of approaching exercise and diet for active adults.
     
    “Functional fitness is the term we use to describe fitness as it relates to our body’s ability to function, performing the tasks we ask of it,” says the Functional Aging Institute, which advocates for healthy living for people over 50. “And it’s so much more than we traditionally think of regarding fitness.”
     
    Functional fitness includes balance, mobility, emotional health, strength, and endurance. The goal isn’t to lose a certain number of pounds or fit into a dress.
     
    It’s to help you enjoy everything you like for as long as possible.
     
    The institute offers a handy self-assessment. Rate yourself on these everyday tasks: 
     
    • Climb stairs without using a handrail
    • Go on a brisk 20-minute walk while talking with a friend
    • Pick up and carry a toddler for five minutes
    • Play a sport like you did five years ago
    • Get a good night’s sleep regularly
     
    That’s a Sound Investment
    This approach makes sense for people who want to invest in their health, whether they’ve been active their whole lives or not. Functional fitness is about living better, by your definition.
     
    It requires guidance, diversity of movement, and, to a degree, thought. If you keep repeating the same few motions, you’re not making a diversified investment in your health.
     
    Come in and talk to us about your goals for fitness. Maybe they’re about hobbies, health, family, travel, or appearance.
     
    Regardless, your health is your most important investment. It’s never too late to start or to refocus your efforts.
     
    Jeff Lasater says he’s aiming to prolong his quality of life as long as possible. “I’ve watched people who aged gracefully,” he says. “And they all did some kind of exercise regularly.”

  7. Healthy Recipe, Shrimp Bowls

    Try this health-packed, one-bowl meal adapted from a recipe in Michelle Braxton’s “Supper with Love.” No fancy ingredients are needed. The trick is to cook the vegetables and shrimp separately but in a hot pan to turn the surface a nice shade of golden. A dab of butter is added at the last minute when the shrimp are almost done, along with the garlic and tamari, bringing out the garlic’s aroma without burning it.  Squeeze citrus over the shrimp, and you’re ready to assemble your bowl with the cooked veggies and grain of choice. Serves 3-4. RECIPE HERE – Susan Puckett

    Ingredients
    3 or 4 tablespoons Spicy Mayo Sauce (recipe below)

    Shrimp and Vegetables: 

    • 1-pound large shrimp peeled and deveined (thawed if frozen)
    • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
    • 6 or 7 grindings of freshly ground black pepper
    • 1 tablespoon canola or other neutral oil (plus more as needed)
    • 1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
    • 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
    • 1 red bell pepper, cored and cut into strips or bite-size pieces
    • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
    • 1 garlic clove, minced
    • 1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce
    • ½ lemon or lime

    For assembly: 

    • 2 cups cooked brown rice, quinoa, or other grains
    • ¼ cup sliced green onions
    • 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds 

    Instructions

    1. Make the Spicy Mayo Sauce as directed below; refrigerate until serving.
    2. Place the shrimp in a bowl and season lightly with salt and pepper; set aside.
    3. Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large nonstick or cast-iron skillet. Add the zucchini slices, onions, and bell pepper and cook undisturbed on one side for about 3 minutes or until vegetables caramelize. Give it a stir and sauté until the onions and peppers are softened and the zucchini is cooked through but still a bit firm, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer the vegetables to a bowl and set aside.
    4. Add more oil to the skillet if needed and set on medium heat. Add the shrimp and cook on one side until pink and slightly caramelized, about 2 minutes. Flip the shrimp and cook on the other side a minute or two longer until pink and opaque, taking care not to overcook. Add the butter and once melted, add the garlic and tamari and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. 
    5. Squeeze the lemon or lime juice over the shrimp and season with salt and pepper, if desired. Remove from the heat. 
    6. Assemble the bowls: Add a scoop of rice or grain of choice to each bowl. Top with shrimp and vegetables. Drizzle with some Spicy Mayo Sauce, sprinkle with scallions and sesame seeds, and eat.

    Spicy Mayo Sauce 
    Makes about 2/3 cup

    Ingredients

    • ½ cup mayonnaise (vegan is fine)
    • 1 tablespoon Sriracha or other hot chili sauce, or to taste
    • 1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce
    • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
    • 1 tablespoon water, plus more, as needed

    Instructions

    1. In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, Sriracha, tamari or soy sauce, sesame oil, and 1 tablespoon of water, or enough to achieve the desired consistency. 
    2. Transfer to a small airtight container and refrigerate until ready to serve, or up to a week. 

    —  Susan Puckett is an Atlanta-based food writer and cookbook author.

  8. Female Pioneers of Fitness Paved the Way

    March is Women’s History Month in the U.S., a great time to remember that fitness, as we know it, didn’t always exist. 
     
    For earlier generations, gyms weren’t common, very few people lifted weights, and hardly anyone exercised for health or fun. Women, especially, were discouraged from exercising.
     
    It wasn’t just men like Jack LaLanne and Arnold Schwarzenegger who brought fitness to the masses. Whether you’re male or female, here are five women often overlooked in the development of today’s fitness industry.
     
    1. Bonnie Prudden. The fitness pioneer, rock climber, and mountaineer compared American children to Europeans and found them lacking in activity. Her report to President Dwight Eisenhower led him to form the President’s Council on Youth Fitness.
    2. Lotte Berk. The German-born dancer developed a method of exercise that drew on ballet basics and the idea of “core” stability. Forms of her teaching are offered in today’s barre classes.
    3. Katherine Switzer. In 1967, she became the first woman to run the Boston Marathon as an official competitor. As she was running, a race manager tried to grab her bib number so she’d be disqualified. She finished.
    4. Judi Sheppard Missett created Jazzercise in 1969, eventually helping to launch the aerobics craze that brought millions of women (and men) into fitness studios.
    5. Elaine LaLanne. Jack’s widow is known as “the first lady of fitness” and was inducted into the National Fitness Hall of Fame in 2017. As of October 2023, she was still exercising daily at age 97.

  9. ‘Tough Love’ Turned His Life Around

    Near the end of his 27-year career as a sheriff’s deputy, Mike knew he was dangerously overweight. The job’s stress, long hours, and a pair of work-related injuries had slowly packed 218 pounds onto his 5’9” frame.

    But it took “tough love” from a friend and fellow officer to get him to do anything about it.

    “Hey, I’ve got to talk to you,” Steve told him above, with Mike. “I’m saying this because I care about you. My gym is starting a six-week course, and I want you to come work out with me. You’re fat.”

    Mike, 51, didn’t like hearing it. But the next morning, when he looked in the mirror, he knew Steve was right. After a six-week “boot camp” style course, Mike was down 16 pounds and hasn’t looked back. Now, he works out four times a week, watches what he eats, and keeps getting leaner and stronger.

    His motivation was based on love, too. “If I have a heart attack, who’s going to take care of my kids,” said the father of three youngsters (and three adults). “I’m determined because I want to be healthy. And I love the adrenaline high of working out.”

    Job-related Obesity 

    Being overweight is common among police officers, firefighters, and security officers. For example, The FBI has said that 80 percent of law enforcement officers are overweight. The New York Post had a 2018 headline that said, in its typically brash style, “Fat cops are weighing down the NYPD.”

    However, the leading causes of obesity are common to many in other professions. They include:

    • Inactivity. Despite the action in TV dramas, much police work involves sitting. 
    • Bad diet. We all know the “cops and donuts” clichés. Blame poor eating at least partly on challenging work schedules.
    • Stress. Police officers are in danger all the time and constantly exposed to violence, death, and intense situations. 

    Mike found that losing weight involves more than a quick decision and a snap solution. “It’s a lifestyle change,” he says.

    When the Man in Blue Got Buff

    Mike’s friend Steve found a way to deal with all of that long before he gave Mike that “tough love” pep talk. Steve is a longtime triathlete – super-fit and trim.

    He took Mike to a gym, where Mike was intimidated by the number of people with ripped muscles. “And I’m not just talking about the guys,” Mike says. I couldn’t even do a pull-up. That was a slice of humble pie.”

    Mike quickly grew to love the combination of strength and cardio training, the variety of the workouts, and the friendly community he found there.

    He recently retired from the sheriff’s office and has incorporated his new job into his healthy lifestyle. He dropped to 185 pounds, has participated in competitions, and hopes to become an instructor.

    “If you want something in life, you’ll find a way,” he says. “I was at a breaking point: to keep going and get fatter or make a change. Tough love is probably the best thing you can give someone.”

  10. Healthy Recipe, Mediterranean Breakfast Couscous

    If you’re hankering for an energizing, delicious switch from your breakfast routine, Suzy Karadsheh has just the thing in “The Mediterranean Dish” — couscous! We normally think of the teeny grain-like pasta as a base for a savory stew or a side dish for bold-flavored kebabs. Still, couscous can also stand in as a healthier alternative to sugary cereal, as this adaptation of her recipe demonstrates. Serves 4. – Susan Puckett

    Ingredients

    • 1 ½ cups water
    • 1 ½ cups Moroccan instant couscous
    • 2 tablespoons ghee or unsalted butter
    • 4 teaspoons brown sugar (or to taste)
    • ½ to 1 cup chopped, toasted nuts (walnuts, pistachios, hazelnuts, almonds)
    • ½ to 1 cup dried fruit (raisins, dried cranberries, chopped apricots, sliced dates)
    • ½ cup sweetened or unsweetened flaked coconut (optional)
    • Whole milk, almond milk, or another non-dairy alternative, warmed
    • Flaky sea salt 

    Instructions

    1. Bring the water to a boil over high heat in a medium saucepan. Add the couscous, stir, immediately turn off the heat, and cover with a lid. Let the pan sit undisturbed for 10 minutes, allowing the couscous to absorb the water and double in size—fluff with a fork.
    2. Meanwhile, melt the ghee or butter over medium-high heat in a medium nonstick skillet. Add the couscous and allow it to toast for 3 to 5 minutes, flattening with a spatula and stirring until the grains crisp a bit and slightly deepen in color. 
    3. Remove from the heat and place a scoop of toasted couscous in each cereal bowl. Sprinkle each with brown sugar, nuts, dried fruit, and coconut (if using).
    4. Pour some warm milk over and dig in. Add a sprinkling of salt if you like.  


Your Personal Best Location
Your Personal Best Training Studio
Doddridge Plaza
3765 S. Alameda, Ste 102
Corpus Christi, TX 78411
(361) 857-5087 info@ypbtrainingstudio.com