Author: schwma09@uwgb.edu

Spicy Asian Veggie Pasta

(Gluten-free)

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces angel hair rice pasta
  • 1/4 cup gluten-free tamari
  • 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 cloves minced garlicSpicy Asian pasta
  • 2 teaspoons sesame oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (more if you like it hot)
  • 1 teaspoon peanut oil
  • 1 cup chopped red, yellow, or green pepper
  • 1 cup sliced sweet onion
  • 1 cup broccoli florets
  • 1 cup shiitake mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 cup grape tomatoes

 

Directions

Cook pasta according to package directions. Make sauce by combining tamari, rice wine vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, sesame oil, and red pepper flakes together in a small bowl. While pasta is cooking, heat peanut oil in a wok or large frying pan. Stir-fry peppers and onions. Add broccoli and mushrooms when onion and peppers begin to soften. Stir in tomatoes and sauce. Add noodles and mix well. Can be served hot, at room temperature, or chilled (as a side dish to grilled salmon, for instance).

Serves 8

Each serving contains about 145 calories, 4 g protein, 2 g fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 28 g carbohydrates, 1 g fiber, and 515 mg sodium.

To make this recipe gluten-free, use only spices or condiments that are gluten-free. Read food labels carefully and contact the company if you have any questions.

Recipe from the StayWell Company, LLC.

 

Add Joy to Your Life Today

The secret to happiness, like the secret to success, has long been studied and debated. What makes one person happy could well stress out someone else (take skydiving, for example). Still, psychologists and other researchers have found that some activities and mind-sets appear more than likely to increase joy and contentment.Joy

Help other people. Doing things for others obviously helps them, but research shows it can increase your happiness, too. Big projects that involve a lot of time or money are great. Yet small gestures, done with sincerity, can also do the trick. Call a friend or family member you haven’t spoken with in a while, smile at a stranger, hold the elevator or subway door, let someone merge in front of you on your way to work, and commit other random acts of kindness.

Share a laugh with someone. Not only is laughter the best medicine, it brings people together, increases joy, and counteracts conflict and stress. To add laughter to your day, spend time with happy, funny people, watch funny movies or TV shows, or read the funny pages in your newspaper or online. You could also spend time with children, choose a funny screensaver for your computer, or ask friends and family to tell you the funniest thing that happened to them today.

Take time to play. Playfulness helps anyone of any age be more resilient, happy, flexible, and creative. It teaches us to manage and transform stress and negative emotions, too. It’s easy to be playful with pets and children. But looking for ways to play with grown-ups at work and home is a great way to increase the strength and health of your relationships.

Embrace joy by trying one of the above suggestions today.

Article from the StayWell Company, LLC

Black Bean Chili

Black Bean Chili(Gluten-free)

Ingredients

  • 1 pound dry black beans
  • 2 cups onion (about 2 large), chopped
  • 1 cup red, yellow, or green bell pepper, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder
  • 2 teaspoons cumin
  • 2 teaspoons dried cilantro
  • 1 28-ounce can tomatoes

 

Directions

Soak beans according to package directions. Rinse. Add all ingredients except tomatoes to 3 quarts of water. Bring to boil, then reduce to low heat. Simmer for about 2 hours, until beans are soft and water is gone. Add tomatoes. Cooking until tomatoes are heated. Add salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with fat-free sour cream and chopped scallions.

 

Serves 6

Each serving contains about 333 calories, 20 g protein, 2 g fat (5% calories from fat), 0 mg cholesterol, 63 g carbohydrates, 15 g fiber, and 204 mg sodium. To make this recipe gluten-free, use only spices or condiments that are gluten-free. Read food labels carefully and contact the company if you have any questions.

Recipe from the StayWell Company, LLC.

 

A Better Alarm Clock May Be The Ticket To Better Sleep!

If you have a tough time getting out of bed in the morning, a fun alarm clock that eases the transition into your day may help. Try these alarm clock tips to help get out of the bed more reliably!

Look for an alarm clock that’s functional, not just pretty. Make sure the buttons are easy to find when you’re groggy first thing in the morning.

Skip alarm clocks that emit bright blue light that can interfere with sleep. Opt for one that uses softer amber, orange or red to help you sleep more soundly.

Choose an alarm clock that wakes you with a sound that you enjoy, whether that’s the news, your favorite music or nature sounds. Consider one that gradually increases the volume to gently rouse you.

Look for fun features that make sure you won’t oversleep. Some alarm clocks have a light that turns on slowly at the time you should wake. Others vibrate the bed to help wake you.

Article from the StayWell Company, LLC

alarm clock

Ciabatta Pizza

(Gout-friendly)ciabatta-pizza

Ciabatta, the Italian flat bread popular in paninis (toasted sandwiches), makes a handy pizza base. You can reduce the carbs and calories slightly by pulling out some of the soft interior of the bread.

Ingredients

  • 1 loaf ciabatta, about 12 by 6 inches (about 1 pound)
  • 2 cups tomato sauce (no salt added)
  • 1 small zucchini, sliced in 1/4-inch rounds
  • 1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
  • 2 cups shredded part-skim, low-moisture mozzarella cheese
  • 2 tablespoons basil

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut ciabatta lengthwise and remove some interior bread if desired. Place each half crust-side-down on a cookie sheet.

Spread sauce evenly on both pieces. Layer zucchini and mushrooms as desired—mixed or half and half. Top with mozzarella and sprinkle with basil. Bake 12 to 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Makes 8 slices

Each slice contains about 263 calories, 13 g protein, 8 g fat, 15 mg cholesterol, 36.5 g carbohydrates, 2 g fiber, and 554 mg sodium.

This recipe is gout-friendly because it contains food moderate in purines.

Recipe from the StayWell Company, LLC.

Color Your Stress Away

Sharpen your colored pencils and dig out your favorite markers because staying inside the lines isn’t just for kids. Adult coloring books are one of the hottest trends! These coloring books look a little different from what you may remember using when you were a child. Instead of featuring cartoon characters with generous room to fill in the outline, coloring books geared toward a more mature crowd often contain tight spaces and intricate designs.

Color Yourself HappyColoring

The great news is that coloring may be even more than a fun activity. Research shows that it can be a healthy way to help you de-stress and unwind. A study in the journal Art Therapy: Journal of the American Art Therapy Association found that just 30 minutes of an artistic activity, like coloring, is enough to reduce anxiety levels.

  • If you’re feeling stressed out, give yourself permission to step away and do something else to help take the edge off.
  • Taking 20 minutes to do an activity that makes you feel good, such as coloring, can help you feel less overwhelmed when you return to the stressful activity later.

So pick up an adult coloring book today and enjoy some relaxing, creative time!

Article from the StayWell Company, LLC

Dark Chocolate Chip Oat Bars

(Gluten-free, gout-friendly)

You don’t have to tell anyone these are homemade, healthy (gulp!) granola bars.

Just let your guests enjoy the chewiness of the oats and dense chocolate flavor from the highest-quality dark chocolate you can find.

 

Ingredients

  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 cup fat-free yogurt (plain or vanilla)
  • 1/2 cup artificial sweetener brown sugar blend
  • 1-1/2 cups gluten-free quick oatsDark choco chip oat bars
  • 2 tablespoons milled flaxseed
  • 1/4 cup bittersweet chocolate chips or bittersweet baking bar broken into small chunks
  • Cooking spray

 

Directions

Whisk egg with yogurt and brown sugar. Blend in oats and flaxseed. Add chocolate chips. Spread mixture in an 8-inch-square pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes. Cut into bars.

 

Makes 12 bars

Each bar contains about 125 calories, 4 g protein, 3 g fat, 18 mg cholesterol, 20 g carbohydrates, 2 g fiber, and 12 mg sodium.

To make this recipe gluten-free, use only quick oats that are certified gluten-free. Read food labels of ingredients carefully and contact the company if you have any questions.

This recipe is gout-friendly because it contains food moderate in purines. You should limit the amount of oatmeal you eat to less than 2/3 of a cup (uncooked) per day.

Recipe from the StayWell Company, LLC.

 

Aim for 10,000 Steps!

You know that physical activity is good for you, and that walking is an easy, low-impact way to get moving. But how far do you need to walk before you start seeing benefits? And what exactly are the benefits of walking?

The National Institutes of Health recommend you take about 10,000 steps a day, which shakes out to roughly 5 miles. That may sound like a lot, but remember, you don’t have to do it all at once.

If 10,000 steps a day seems daunting, it’s OK to ease into it. First, use a step tracker for a few days without trying to change anything. This gives you a baseline for your fitness. If you currently take 5,000 or fewer steps a day, aim to increase by about 3,000 at most. Start working toward 10,000 steps today!

Article from the StayWell Company, LLCwalking

Cream of Broccoli Soup

(Gluten-free)

Ingredients

  • 1 cup powdered nonfat milk
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 4 cups cold water
  • 2 tablespoons low-sodium chicken bouillon powder
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons dried basil
  • 1 onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
  • 3 cups fresh broccoli or 1 10-ounce package frozen broccoli, chopped

Directions

Dissolve powdered milk and cornstarch in cold water. Add bouillon powder, basil, onion, and broccoli. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer till broccoli and onion are soft, about 5 to 7 minutes.

Serves 6

Each 1-cup serving contains approximately 84 calories, 17 g carbohydrates, 5 g protein, less than 1 g fat, 82 mg sodium, and 2 g fiber.

To make this recipe gluten-free, use only spices or condiments that are gluten-free. Read food labels carefully and contact the company if you have any questions.

Recipe from the StayWell Company, LLCbroccoli soup

Add broccoli into your day today!

Government guidelines recommend that adults eat more than 4 cups of fruits and veggies each day. A perfect vegetable choice is broccoli, which has been around for more than 2,000 years. Broccoli has lutein and zeaxanthin, phytonutrients that preserve good vision and may prevent cataracts. In addition, it has many cancer-fighting compounds, including vitamin A (beta-carotene), vitamin C, and fiber, and may reduce the risk for colorectal cancer. Broccoli also contains folic acid, which helps decrease certain types of birth defects.

 

A half-cup of broccoli counts as one serving. Here are some ways to enjoy it:

  • Dip raw florets into a small amount of guacamole or low-fat dip.
  • Add chopped fresh or frozen broccoli to soup for a hearty stew.
  • Top baked potatoes with broccoli and a little low-fat cheese.

Article from the StayWell Company, LLC

Broccoli pic