2010 Dietary Guidelines Target Obesity

By the end of the year, the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA), which recommend optimal dietary choices for U.S. citizens, will be released. What will they look like this time around? The DGA will focus on recommendations for reducing obesity and improving health, said Robert Post, Ph.D., Deputy Director of the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture’s (USDA) Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, at a press conference hosted by USDA and the Institute of Food Technologists on July 19, 2010. The Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee Report, released in June 2010, will shape the final version of the DGA. Every section of the report addresses the relationship between obesity and diet, as well as the effects of sodium intake on blood pressure. In addition, the report addresses eating behaviors, such as breakfast consumption, snacking and fast foods, and recommends a shift in food intake patterns to a more plant-based diet of vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts and seeds.

Institute of Food Technologists, July 19, 2010.

Yoga Circle - October Schedule

Hope this finds you enjoying fall! Here is the schedule for October.


Oct. 2 Krystyn
Oct 9 Tomo
Oct 16 Tracye
Oct 23 Wendy
Oct 30 Krystyn

peace,
Tracye

Time Change

Barre None is moving to a more convenient time, 9 a.m.  I moved it to an earlier time to make it more convenient for moms dropping their kids off at school.  Now you can come directly to the studio instead of going home first!

Barre None

The Barre None class is back starting Monday, Sept. 13th.  Holly Cosner will be leading the class every Monday and Wednesday from 10-11 a.m.

Barre None focuses on small isometric contractions to develop strength without stressing joints.  This type of exercise is performed by dancers to produce long lean STRONG muscles.

Give it a try!!!

Waste of Money

"Waste of money" that's the conclusion of researchers who compared the effectiveness of nine popular weight-loss supplements compared to a placebo.  The weight loss supplements tested were L-Carnitine, polyglucosamine, cabbage powder, guarana seed powder, bean extract, Konjac extract, fiber pills, sodium alginate formulations and selected plant extracts.  While the advertising makes these supplements tempting to try, there's no good evidence that they provide additional weight loss.  Most supplements include recommendations for healthy eating and exercise, which is the likely reason for any weight loss experienced.  So save your money - or invest it in a good pair of exercise shoes :)

For more information about this study, see International Congress on Obesity, June 2010.

Black Bean Lasagne

1 chopped onion
1 tsp olive oil
1 cup chopped tomatoes or 1 small can diced, low salt
1 ½ c. frozen corn or fresh off the cob
1 15-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 Tbl lime juice
1 tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
1 large bunch of thinly sliced Swiss Chard (I like the red chard)
2 c. crushed baked tortilla chips (I bake corn tortillas in a toaster oven until crisp)
8 oz. grated low-fat cheddar cheese
2 c. red salsa, medium or mild
low-fat sour cream, optional

Saute onions in the oil until translucent. Stir in tomatoes, corn, black beans, lime juice, salt and pepper. Continue to saute until just heated through.

Meanwhile steam swiss chard for 1-3 minutes, until just wilted but still bright green. Drain immediately. (May blanch greens instead of steaming but more of the vitamins are lost.)

Lightly coat an 8x8 casserole with cooking spray. Spread half of the chips on the bottom. Spoon the greens over the chips and sprinkle on about 2/3 of the cheese. Arrange greens evenly over cheese and spoon on ½ of the salsa. Finish with the rest of the chips and top with the remaining salsa and cheddar. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling.  Serve with sour cream.  I also top mine with "hot" salsa for more pizzazz (I make it with mild salsa since my child doesn't like spicy).

Per 8-oz serving (made with low-fat cheese): 245 cal, 16.4 g protein, 4 g protein, 40 g carbohydrate.


Some tasty variations: 
1.  Replace swiss chard with sauteed zucchini and use monterey jack/feta mix for the cheese.
2.  Use blue corn tortilla chips instead of yellow

Yoga Circle - September Schedule

Sept. 4 Wendy

Sept 11 Tomo

Sept 18th Tracye

Sept 25th Krysten