Holiday Cioppino

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This is a simplified version of the classic Italian seafood stew. The vegetable base can be made ahead of time and frozen. When ready to serve, simply thaw and stir in the fish, crab, shrimp and clams to finish cooking.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for brushing
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1 bulb fennel, trimmed, cored and thinly sliced
• 1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
• 1 can diced tomatoes, with their liquid
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 1/2 cup white wine
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon chopped oregano or 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon chopped thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 demi-baguette, cut crosswise into thin slices
• 1 pound thick skinless white fish fillets, such as cod, cut into (1-inch) pieces
• 1 tub lump crab meat
• 1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 pound mussels or clams, cleaned
• 2 tablespoons chopped basil
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Serves: 8

Method:

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add garlic, red pepper flakes, onions, fennel and bell peppers and cook until softened and onions and fennel are translucent. Stir in tomatoes with their liquid, broth, wine, tomato paste, oregano and thyme and bring soup to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, brush baguette slices all over with oil then arrange in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Bake, flipping halfway through, until toasted and golden, 8 to 10 minutes; set crostini aside.

Stir fish and crab into pot with broth mixture and simmer for 5 minutes. Add shrimp and mussels, cover and simmer until shrimp are just cooked through and mussels have opened, about 5 minutes more. (Discard any unopened mussels.)

Stir in basil, salt and pepper then ladle into bowls and serve with crostini on the side.

Source: Holiday Cioppino – Whole Foods

Image Credit: Holiday Cioppino

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King Crab Legs with Sour Cranberry Sauce

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Dried cranberries and cherries make a uniquely delicious, chutney-like sauce for succulent king crab. Have your fishmonger steam and crack the crab legs (or do it yourself with a heavy knife) so they will absorb more flavor as they heat and the meat will be easier to remove from the shell.

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup dried cranberries
• 1/3 cup dried cherries
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar
• 2 shallots, chopped, divided
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 pounds steamed king crab legs, broken into pieces, shells of large pieces cracked
• Several sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley

Method:

Combine cranberries and cherries in a small bowl and cover with boiling water. Let sit for 30 minutes, then drain, reserving soaking liquid. Combine fruit, vinegar, 2 tablespoons of the shallots, 1 tablespoon of the oil, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and pepper in a food processor and pulse until chopped. With the motor running, pour in reserved soaking liquid and process until a thick, chunky sauce forms. Scrape into a bowl and refrigerate for up to 2 days; bring to room temperature before serving.             

Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large heavy skillet or pot over medium-high heat. Add remaining shallots and crab legs and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook, tossing, until heated through, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer to a platter and use scissors to snip parsley leaves over crab. Serve with sauce for dipping.

Source: King Crab Legs with Sour Cranberry Sauce – Whole Foods

Image Credit: King Crab Legs with Sour Cranberry Sauce

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Hardcore Squat Programs to Try

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The squat are known as the “king of all exercises,” but not everyone seems to take advantage of it. They are easy to do, and require minimal equipment.

They promotes toned legs – summer-ready ones, actually! They burn more fat than most other exercises. But beyond aesthetics, it also strengthens your whole body, making your day-to-day activities easy and hassle-free.

Before we proceed to different hardcore squat programs to try, let’s first learn how to do a correct and perfect one. If you keep on doing your moves wrong, you won’t gain anything. Read more in this article by trainer Tony Gentilcore on Men’s Health:

How to Perform a Perfect Squat

“Only Siths deal in absolutes,” is my go-to quote from my favorite movie, Star Wars. That’s because—unlike another money line from that film, “these aren’t the droids you’re looking for”—I constantly consider the quote in my day job, where I help regular Joe and pro-athlete clients alike achieve their fitness goals. Read more…

Moving on, here are some variations to keep your workout sessions exciting, as compiled by Christina Simonetti on Men’s Fitness:

7 SQUAT VARIATIONS TO BUILD MUSCULAR LEGS

You know that the humble squat is one of the best exercises there is for shoring up lower body strength—and you’re probably already working them into your fitness routine pretty regularly. Good for you. Outside of building muscle, squats can amp up Human Growth Hormone production, improve your flexibility, reduce your risk for injury in your other athletic endeavors like running, and more (just check out 7 Reasons to Never Neglect Squats!)  Read more…

Finally, check this program from certified strength and conditioning specialists Matt Tuthill and Kyle Hunt on Muscle and Fitness:

THE HARDCORE SMOLOV SQUAT PROGRAM

The words “Russian strength method” are all but synonymous with victory to those who recall the thick-limbed, barrel-chested athletes who ran roughshod over the rest of the Olympic weightlifting field for a few decades of the mid- to late-20th century. In the process of leading their athletes to dominant performances on the international stage, the revolutionary Russian strength coaches gave birth to the first hard-science programs for increasing strength—programs like the conjugate method and block periodization, which have stood the test of time and are still used regularly today. Read more…

Squats can be boring. In fact, they’re one of the top exercises that gym people avoid on leg days. So these hardcore squat programs are needed to continue to rock your squat routines. Plus, they will also help maximize your gains!

You have to incorporate them into your workout routines because they tone your butt, strengthen your core, build more muscle, enhance mobility and balance. They are basically an effective move that will work your whole body in one. And since they will make you stronger, you’re safe from injuries or accidents that may come your way.

So whether you’re an athlete, bodybuilder, weightlifter, martial artist, or just someone who’s interested in building more muscle, the squat is totally a must!

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Effective Routines that Reconstruct Your Body

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This year is coming to an end, and you’ve probably written your New Year’s resolutions. The majority of you have the “exercise for at least god-knows-how-long every week and lose weight” in their lists, but come middle of the year and not a single of these resolutions are still being followed. Guilty?

News flash – the body needs some reconstructing every now and then because it gets damaged, too, even without you knowing it. Your role is to make it stronger, healthier, and better than today.

So, how do you reconstruct your body? Here are five simple steps shared on Life Hack:

Rebuild Your Body in 5 Easy Steps

When looking back at their lives, the phrase that will come to mind for many people is “what if”. The lives of too many people are controlled by procrastination and lack of motivation. What if you could stop this today and achieve the figure you have only dreamed of in five simple steps? Would you start today or regret it next year? Read more…

For more tips, read this informative article on Men’s Health:

Rebuild Your Body

There are plenty of good reasons not to do your workout: job pressures, family commitments, and painfully long workout sessions that are equal parts boring and complicated. Read more…

As for the workout mentioned, it says there that you can do them in less than an hour and a half. But keep in mind that the minimum hours required, to be able to gain more out of your exercises, is an hour. That said, you have to keep your workouts around an hour and above.

Finally, here are a few workout routines you can try, as written by Mike Simone on Men’s Fitness:

THE ELIMINATION WORKOUTS: ROUTINES THAT RECONSTRUCT YOUR BODY

Wouldn’t it be awesome if you could just pick and point where you wanted to cut body fat from your body? It would! But unfortunately it’s not exactly possible. Your body is going to burn fat based on where your good ol’ genetics want it to. But don’t stress over the whole “it’s genetics” thing. We’ve got the solution. Just because you can’t spot reduce, doesn’t mean you can’t muscle produce. Read more…

So for the year to come, it’s better not to write any resolutions at all (just kidding!). But seriously, plan something to improve your body, and make sure to be committed to it. There are lots of ways you can attain that. And when you do, you’re not only rewarding yourself with a killer physique, but also boosting your overall health, and reducing risk of diseases.

Keep in mind that this isn’t just about scoring a sexier you. Your goal is to replenish your well-being, from physical to mental to emotional health, as well.

It’s very important that you put enough effort to reconstruct your body, or else you’re going to suffer from various conditions like muscle weakness, increased risk of infection, decline in appetite, changes in sleep routines, stomach problems, to name a few, later in life.

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Why a Vegetarian Diet is Ideal

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Vegans and vegetarians are growing in number. In fact, there are about 22.8 million Americans who are following a vegetarian-inclined diet, and 7.3 million of them are fully vegetarian. This is just a proof that more and more people are transitioning into a healthier lifestyle.

But why a vegetarian diet is ideal is not known to everyone, maybe because they cannot stand removing meat from their diets. It’s completely normal since we all grow up in a world of carnivores.

Well, you might think that vegetarianism is just eating plant foods, while eliminating all animal products, but there are actually different types. Learn the seven types discussed by certified holistic vegan chef Catherine Gill on Care 2:

7 Types of “Vegetarianism” and Their Environmental and Health Benefits

Although the word vegetarian was coined in the year 1839, and used thereafter as a term referring to a primarily plant-based eater, this particular lifestyle and diet choice has been in existence since practically the beginning of time. In fact, famous vegetarians who lived before then include Confucius (551- 479 BCE), Plato (428- 348 BCE), Leonardo da Vinci (1452- 1519) and Henry David Thoreau (1817- 1862), just to name a very few. Read more…

In short, you can still consume animal products even if you are vegetarian. Vegan, on the other hand, is pure clean eating, which is composed of all natural plant foods.

Now let’s move on to the general benefits. Read this article written by Marnie Soman Schwartz on Shape:

12 Reasons a Vegetarian Diet Is a Good Idea

As a former vegetarian, I’m pretty sure I won’t ever go back to full-time veggiehood. (Wings are my weakness!) But my meat-free years taught me a lot about healthy cooking and eating, including what to do with tempeh, how to make broccoli sing, and the trick to turning a can of beans into a meal. I still use those skills all the time—I’d call my diet vegetable-leaning—so I’m excited to share the veggie magic in honor of World Vegetarian Day (coming up October 1st). Whether you’re already a vegetarian, considering making the leap, or could simply use a nudge to eat more meatless meals (part-time vegetarians get health benefits too!), here are 12 reasons why eating a more plant-based diet is a good idea. Read more…

Everyone can benefit from a vegetarian diet, but it’s particularly ideal for those who will undergo beauty and body competitions. See the diet plan in this article on Vegetarian Bodybuilding:

WHY A VEGETARIAN DIET IS IDEAL FOR BIKINI COMPETITORS

The foods you put into your body play a tremendous role in how you will look on stage and stand up against your competitors. This article will take the guesswork out of the bikini competition diet and break down the many aspects of competition prep to give you a competitive edge. Vegetarian diets are ideal for bikini competitors, and here’s why. Read more…

In a nutshell, the top reason why a vegetarian diet is ideal is that it promotes optimal health. This fact dates back to the ancient time when there are no such things as surgeries, antibiotics, and other modern medicine. Fruits and vegetables are loaded with essential nutrients and antioxidants that will reduce your risk of almost every disease there is.

Among the top plant foods, which are included in almost any vegetarian dishes, are avocado, tofu, cauliflower, broccoli, sweet potato, pumpkin, leafy greens, nuts, seeds, herbs and spices.

To maximize the benefits you get from these plants, choose organic. They were not exposed to harmful chemicals from fertilizers and herbicides, unlike the regular ones. Moreover, if you choose to follow a vegetarian-inclined diet, but still consume animal products every now and then, it’s better to purchase grass-fed meat products.

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Capsule Filled with Natural Oils Curbs Appetite

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With lots of temptations, especially around the holidays, it’s just so hard to control appetite, and battle your cravings. Oh, hello to binges and overindulging.

But there’s a more serious issue behind this. These factors are actually one of the reasons why the rate of obesity continues to grow over the past years. In fact, there are 600 million people worldwide who are obese.

A solution is being proposed, though. There’s a newly-made capsule filled with natural oils that can curb cravings and appetite. Read more in this report by Anna Hodgekiss on Daily Mail:

The gastric bypass in a PILL: Capsule filled with natural oils suppresses appetite and stops ‘even the hungriest person from eating’

A ‘fat pill’ that could reduce the need for gastric bypass surgery and help solve the obesity crisis has been developed by British scientists. Read more…

The article mentioned that the other ways, such as lifestyle interventions, have not worked, so maybe this capsule filled with natural oils may help. I sure hope that it’s really “natural” as some products claim so, but are actually far from it.

A little, but can be effective, solution is minimizing portion sizes of packaged foods and at fast food chains and restaurants. Of course, no matter how hard it is, we all should reduce processed meat and other foods consumption (especially for kids!), as well as avoid soda, because they have really high amounts of sugar, bad carbs, unhealthy fats, and other additives.

Enough sleep and exercise is also needed, so make sure you get enough of your daily dose of the two.

Image Credit: The gastric bypass in a PILL: Capsule filled with natural oils suppresses appetite and stops ‘even the hungriest person from eating’ – Daily Mail

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Kids Need More Vitamin D This Winter

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Vitamin D is an essential nutrient to strengthen your bone, regulate blood sugar, boost the immune system, and more. Sun is the well-known source of it. But with the winter coming in, it’s just hard to get enough since most of the days are gloomy and cold.

The kids need more vitamin D, in particular, because lower levels has been linked to severe asthma in them. And since this nutrient promotes better bone health, they may be weaker when they’re older.

Luckily, supplements are available for consumption. Read more in this report by Katherine Hobson on NPR:

With Winter Here, Many Kids Could Use Vitamin D Supplements

My 3-year-old drinks milk, but not very much of it, and that could be a problem for her.

We live in the Northeast, where the sun’s rays are weaker. And now that the days are shorter, my kid arrives at day care a few hours after sunrise and leaves when it’s dark. That all made me wonder whether she’s getting enough vitamin D, and if not, what we should be doing about it. Read more…

Supplements can be practical since both the adults and kids need more vitamin D this season, but we should not rely on them alone.

Focus on your diet. Eat more fatty fishes, eggs, mushrooms, yogurt, oatmeal, and cheese, as well as drink fortified milk and orange juice. You can still try to get some from the sun, too. The recommended time of exposure is about 20 to 25 minutes, but you can stay for longer this winter.

Always make sure you’re getting enough of the essential nutrients, or else you’ll be at a heightened risk of different illnesses and conditions, including skeletal diseases, metabolic disorders, infections, heart diseases, diabetes, cancers, cognitive disorders, depression, and more.

Image Credit: With Winter Here, Many Kids Could Use Vitamin D Supplements – NPR

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