| Dear Deana,
Welcome to the July 2012 edition of the Eat Smart, Move More NC newsletter! Each month we strive to provide you with tips and tools to help you eat smart and move more every day!
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Slim Down Your Celebration
 Does July make you think of fireworks, fun and frozen desserts? Summertime brings many of reasons to celebrate, but all too often people celebrate with home-style recipes that pack on the pounds.
Don’t panic. There are plenty of healthy foods you can prepare for those parties and picnics.
July is National Grilling Month for a reason. Keep the party outside and toss something tasty over the flames.
Grill It Up!
- Marinated skinless chicken breast is a great alternative to fried chicken.
- Skip the fish fry this month, and put fish in a basket on the grill instead.
- Craving burgers? No problem! Get 95% lean ground meat, and pile on the leafy greens and juicy tomato.
- Grill some portabella mushroom caps for those guests that would prefer to skip the meat.
- Serve these entrées up on 100% whole-wheat buns or sandwich thins.
Also consider the beverages you’re serving.
Drink It Up!
- Water is the best thirst quencher, so put a pitcher of ice water on each table or fill up a cooler with bottled water.
- Serving tea? Make it unsweetened and add plenty of lemon.
- If you are serving alcohol, provide light beer. Remember that the calories in alcohol still adds up so don’t overdo it.
- Prefer a sweeter cocktail? Make sangria with fresh fruit instead of using syrupy mixers.
Do you need a side dish to bring to the next event?
Mix It Up!
- A crisp green salad with cucumbers, blueberries and a splash of vinaigrette is lighter and more refreshing than one served with a creamy dressing and croutons.
- Roasted potatoes with rosemary make a wonderful replacement to traditional potato salad.
- Keep it easy, and serve fresh vegetables with hummus.
- If munchies are a must, bring tortilla chips with fresh salsa instead of potato chips with a heavy dip.
- For National Baked Bean Month, give your traditional pork and beans an overhaul without sacrificing the flavor. Or, celebrate Eat Beans Day this July 3rd with our recipe of the month.
End on a Sweet Note
Freshen It Up!
- Pay homage to national berry month & serve up some strawberries with a dollop of whipped cream.
- Skip the ice cream and bring watermelon, a simple summer favorite.
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Pick a Park and Play
Don’t let the hot summer sun keep you inside. July is National Recreation and Parks Month. It’s a great time to enjoy the shady trees and refreshing water found in many of North Carolina’s parks.
Parks provide exciting places to swim, go fishing, canoe, bike on paved or dirt trails, cool off in waterfalls and watch wildlife. Check out the options at these state parks to help you choose your next adventure.
Are you into hiking? Go for it, and follow these tips to ensure you have a great time:
- If it’s you’re first hike, go in the morning when it’s cooler
- Wear comfortable, sturdy shoes with good ankle support and breathable socks
- Put on an insect repellent clip-on or bracelet
- Wear a wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses and sunscreen
- Take a backpack stocked with some snacks such as dried fruit and nuts
- Bring a quart of water per person for every two hours you plan on hiking
Here are 15 of the top 100 trails in North Carolina:
1. Daniel Boone Scout Trail, Blowing Rock
2. Duke Forest, Durham
3. Eno River State Park, Durham
4. Umstead State Park, Raleigh
5. Mount Pisgah Trail, Brevard
6. Dupont State Forest, Brevard
7. Table Rock, Linville
8. Black Mountain Crest Trail (Trail #179), Burnsville
9. Frying Pan Trail, Waynesville
10. Kitsuma, Black Mountain
11. Bent Creek, Asheville
12. Appalachian Trail 010: Wallace Gap to Wayah Gap, Franklin
13. Smoky Mountains National Park, Cherokee
14. Colbert Ridge Trail (Trail #178), Burnsville
15. Brevard-area Pisgah National Forest, Brevard
The little ones will also love hiking, exploring and tracking your adventures on special, interactive trails through the Kids in Parks program.
So get out there and get moving! Maybe you’ll love it so much, the next time you visit you might just decide to pack a tent and make a weekend of it.
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Aisle by Aisle 
Not sure which foods to choose in the grocery store? Clear up the confusion with Aisle by Aisle: Choosing Foods Wisely – a series of 12 free online videos to help you navigate your grocery store aisles.
Here are two more videos to help you shop:
Not sure if you should choose whole grain, whole wheat, multi-grain or white-wheat bread? Clear up the confusion with this video.
Cereal is a great way to start your day – learn which cereals will maximize your morning and your health!
Look for the full series of videos and download the tip sheet for each video on MyEatSmartMoveMore.com. |
| Summer Olympic Games Begin |
On Your Mark, Get Set…Olympics! 
Olympic Games 27 July – 12 August
You don’t have to run marathons to get in on the action of the Olympic Summer Games. It is amazing and inspiring to see what the Olympic athletes can do. Let their energy motivate you to work on setting a fitness goal for yourself. Perhaps you could try a new sport like tennis, badminton, horseback riding or canoeing. Why not sign up for a local 5K walk or run? You may even enjoy jumping on a mini-trampoline as you watch athletes compete in the trampoline event on August 3rd and 4th.
If you do sit down to watch the games, make a party of it, and enjoy recipes from around the world. Find out what nations are competing, and ask each guest to prepare a healthy dish from a different country in the games. Do you want to keep it more low key? You could make your family a new dish each night. Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Serve up spicy lentils from South Africa
- Bruschetta from Italy would make a great appetizer
- Try a vegetable stir fry, a favorite from China
- Enjoy one pot vegetable chili like they do in Mexico
- Tandoori shrimp from India will be a hit at your Olympics dinner
- Mix up some rice and beans to represent Brazil
This summer, be sure to catch the spirit of the Olympic Games!
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Tell Us About Your Success
Have you made eating smart and moving more a part of your life? We’d love to hear about your successes!
Even achieving small goals is a success. Share your experience and inspire others. Have you lost weight? How has eating smart and moving more impacted your life? What tips and suggestions could you offer others? What obstacles did you overcome? Send us a short email telling us your story. If your story fits our needs, we’ll email you a form to complete and send back to us in order for your story to be considered for our website. We look forward to hearing from you!
Check out the stories of others just like you who have found success and achieved their goals by eating smart and moving more! |
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Eat Smart, Move More NC Online
Don’t miss out on tips, pictures, articles, events, videos, discussions… all of the latest on how we can all eat smart and move more wherever we live, learn, earn, play and pray.
Two easy ways to find more online: 1) Through our Facebook Page 2) Or on Pinterest.
Hope to see you there! |
| Christine’s Inspiration and Motivation For July |
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Vacation Time
Its vacation time! Many of us look forward to this time of year. It is a time to break away from the stresses of home and work and head out for some fun. No matter if it is a honeymoon, family or class reunion or just a family getaway, vacations are times when we let go of the daily grind and feel free to just relax.
Just because you want to relax doesn’t mean that you have to abandon your fitness and diet regimen. I concur with Julie Bishop who said, “I believe that the best buy in public health today must be a combination of regular physical exercise and a healthy diet.” Use vacation as a time to explore new healthful foods and exercises that you otherwise might not try. There are healthy choices at most sit-down restaurants.
Experiment a little. Maybe try some grilled or blackened fish with mango salsa or lobster. There are ways to treat yourself other than the dessert menu. Also, take advantage of any exercise classes that may be offered where you are staying. Many health clubs offer very reasonable rates for daily or weekly passes so check with the desk of your hotel. If you stay somewhere that has a pool, you have a workout readily available. When you take the kids for a dip, work in a few laps as they splash around, you’ll get family time and exercise rolled into one. Also many hotels have workout rooms for guests.
Another way to stick to the healthy lifestyle you’ve been diligently working on is to pack snacks for travel. One problem many of us run into is being so hungry that we’ll eat anything we can get our hands on. This can mean all kinds of junk food. Instead of mindlessly cramming yourself with gobs of fat and calories, try packing some fresh fruit, water, or whole wheat crackers, and crunchy vegetables. If you’re willing to pack a small cooler, the possibilities are almost endless. Turkey sandwiches on whole wheat bread, low fat cheese, or vegetables with light ranch dressing are all great options that fit easily in a cooler. Even if the snacks aren’t quite what you’re looking for at that particular moment, you will at least know how many calories you are eating and may help even out splurging at dinner if you give in to temptation. In addition, when you have snacks with you there’s no waiting in line or paying expensive airport and quick-stop prices.
For those of you who want to vacation without the worry of sabotaging your diet and exercise program, there are vacation destinations designed just for you. Fitness cruises, weight loss camps and spa retreats are all designed to help you have a wellness-centered vacation. These destinations aren’t just filled with exercise class after exercise class; there are usually classes, trips, spa services and spa meals. Ladies it’s the kind of vacation you will enjoy with a few of your closest girlfriends!
There are a number of things that you can do to make your vacation enjoyable without destroying all your efforts toward living a healthy lifestyle. Remember that what you eat on vacation may haunt you when you get home. Don’t deprive yourself, but rather practice moderation and make informed choices.
Thoughts to ponder:
“Vacation used to be a luxury, however, in today’s world, it has become a necessity.” ~ Unknown
“A vacation frequently means that the family goes away for a rest, accompanied by a mother who sees that the others get it.” ~ Marcelene Cox
Christine Smith, MS, is an Extension Agent in the department of Family & Consumer Sciences with NC Cooperative Extension, NCSU, Wayne County. Information on other services available can be found online at http://wayne.ces.ncsu.edu/ or call me at 731-1525 for additional information.
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Eat Smart, Move More NC is a statewide movement that promotes opportunity for healthy eating and physical activity wherever people live, learn, earn, play and pray.
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Sauteed Kale with White Beans and Garlic
Summary: this recipe is a nutritional powerhouse – high in dietary fiber, vitamin A and vitamin C – and it cooks up in 15 minutes or less!
Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 1/2 pounds kale, rinsed, stems removed, roughly chopped
2 (15-ounce) cans cannellini or other white beans, drained, rinsed
Instructions
1. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring often, until golden brown, about 5 minutes.
2. Add greens (in batches if needed) and cook, tossing often, until wilted and bright green, 3 to 4 minutes.
3. Add beans to skillet and heat thoroughly, mixing with kale.
4. Serve.
Nutrition Information
(Per Serving) Calories: 160; Total Fat: 4.5g (Saturated Fat: 0.5g); Cholesterol: 0mg; Sodium: 260mg; Total Carbohydrate: 24g; Dietary Fiber: 6g; Protein: 7g
Preparation time: 5 minute(s)
Cooking time: 10 minute(s)
Number of servings (yield): 8
Visit the Eat Smart, Move More NC Recipes Page for printable versions of all our recipes! |
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