May 2003

It is hard to believe that summer is almost here. With longer days, and more moderate temperatures, now is the time to get outside and rejuvenate your fitness routine. Memorial Day weekend, the official kickoff to summer, will be here in a few weeks. Why not take a minute to reflect on those healthy resolutions that you made over 5 months ago? If you've fallen off-track, let this welcome change in seasons get you reacquainted with the "healthier you".

Included in this month's newsletter are nutrition tips, as well as tasty recipes to guide you through the month of May. In the "Fresh at the Market" section, I will point out this season's best produce picks. These picks should help you achieve the National Cancer Institute's new recommendation to eat 7-9 servings of fruits and vegetables daily. I will also provide information on your favorite summertime drinks, as well as some ideas for a healthy Memorial Day menu.

May Nutrition Tips: Here Comes the Sun!

Keep Fit & Cut Your Risk: A new study from the American Cancer Society, released in the April 24th issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, offers the strongest evidence yet that being overweight increases your risk of dying from cancer. Researchers suggest that as many as 90,000 cancer deaths in the U.S. each year may be related to obesity and could be prevented. Researchers found that 14% of all cancer deaths among men and 20% of all cancer deaths in women were associated with being overweight or obese. So what does that mean for you? This may just be another convincing reason why achieving and maintaining a healthy weight is so important. With the weather warming up, now is the time to increase your activity. Let's get rid of those winter blues... spring and summer are here to stay for awhile so get moving outdoors!

Don't Drink Up Too Many Calories: As the weather warms, our thirst for barbeques and parties increases. You are more likely to meet a friend for drinks, or go to "Happy Hour" on a warm spring afternoon. Before you know it, you could be drinking up more calories than you bargained for. As a general rule, avoid sweetened drinks! The sweeter they are, the more calories they are hiding! Here's a look at what your favorite "warm weather" drinks are adding up to:

Heavy Hitters:
- Piņa colada (8 oz.), 464 calories.
- Mudslide, 441 calories.
- Margarita (8 oz), 300 calories.
- Long Island iced tea (8 oz.), 227 calories.
- Martini (3 oz.), 187 calories
- Beer (12 oz), 150 calories

Better choices on the social scene:
- Bloody Mary (1.5 oz. vodka, 6 oz. tomato juice, dash of Tabasco and pepper), 131 calories
- 5 oz. Red or White Wine , 105 calories
- 12 oz. "light" beer, 100 calories
- Vodka and diet soda or club soda, 100 calories.
- White wine spritzer (4 oz. white wine topped with club soda), 80 calories.

Fresh at the Market: Mangos and Peas

Mangos
This month, keep your heart young by treating yourself to beta carotene-rich mangos. According to recent research, diets high in beta-carotene may be protective against cardiovascular disease. Studies suggest that people with the highest intake of beta-carotene had the lowest risk of suffering a heart attack.

Mangos come in different shapes, sizes and coloring depending on their ripeness. The colors range from yellow to green to orange or red, and ripeness can be determined by either smelling or squeezing. A ripe mango will have a full, fruity aroma emitting from the stem end. They can be considered ready to eat when slightly soft to the touch and yield to gentle pressure. Mangoes contain only 54 calories per 1?2 cup; and will provide you will 1.5g of fiber, 23mg of vitamin C, 12mcg of folate, and a whopping 1925mcg of beta carotene! Toss some mangoes into your salad, use them for a fruit smoothie, or simply cut one up and enjoy!

Peas
Sweet and tasty peas come into high season this month. These green gems deliver one of the highest doses of folate and lutein. Folate is an important B vitamin that may help prevent heart disease and lutein is an antioxidant that may help protect against the eye disease, macular degeneration. Per 1/2 cup, peas are also an excellent source of vitamin C (29mg) and fiber (~4g).

Snow peas are another great choice this month. These "immature" peas supply less protein and are lower in B vitamins than green shelled peas, however, snow peas provide almost twice the calcium, 100 % of the RDI for Vitamin C, and slightly more iron than green peas.

It is best to serve fresh peas the day they are purchased. If they must be stored, place them in a perforated plastic bag in the refrigerator. Do not wash them before they are stored. Peas are now at their peak of sweetness and eating them in salads, stir-fries, or even raw, may just help you reach your peak of health.

A Healthy Kickoff to Summer: Memorial Day Recipes

Teriyaki Kabobs - Low in fat, calories and carbs!
Makes 18-22 kabobs, about 5 servings

Ingredients
1 pound of boneless skinless chicken breasts (may substitute with swordfish, shrimp, extra firm tofu, or lean beef tenderloin), cut into 1-inch cubes.
1 1/2 pound of white button mushrooms, clean and remove bottom of stem
2 zucchini - cut crosswise into 1/2 inch pieces
2 yellow squash - cut crosswise into 1/2 inch pieces
2 red bell peppers - cut into 1/2 inch squares
2 red onions or Vidalia onions, cut into 1/2 inch wedges
20-25 wooden skewers

For Marinade:
1/2 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
3-4 garlic cloves, crushed
2 teaspoons grated ginger (may use bottled ginger juice)
juice of 1 lime
3 teaspoons honey
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
dash of red pepper flakes

Directions

1. Prepare the marinade by whisking together all 'marinade' ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Transfer 3 tbsp of the marinade to a medium sized bowl. Add the chicken to the medium bowl and add the vegetables to the large bowl -- toss well to coat evenly. Allow to marinate for 30 minutes at room temperature or up to 4 hours in the refrigerator.
2. Preheat the broiler or prepare the barbeque? line the broiler pan or the top of the barbeque with aluminum foil and coat with non-stick cooking spray. Soak 22 wooden skewers in water.
3. Remove the meat and vegetables from the marinade and pat dry. Throw away the chicken marinade, but save the vegetables marinade to use during cooking.
4. Thread the skewers with chicken and vegetables making sure that each kabob has a nice variety of vegetables.
5. Place the kabobs 2 inches apart, about 4 inches from the heat source. (You may need to work in batches, if you don?t have enough room to cook all kabobs at the same time.) Turn the kabobs once or twice, and cook until chicken is no longer pink on the inside and vegetables are tender, about 5-8 minutes. Brush kabobs with remaining marinade half way through cooking.

Spinach Salad with Mango and Walnuts
A nutrition powerhouse! High in mono-unsaturated fat, beta-carotene, iron, and folate! Makes about 6 servings

Ingredients
1 10-0unce bag of pre-washed baby spinach leaves
1 large mango, peeled, pitted and cut into thin wedges or small cubes
1/4 cup of walnut pieces (may toast walnuts for increased flavor)
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon water
salt
pepper

Directions
In a large salad bowl toss the spinach leaves with the mango and walnuts. Whisk together the oil, vinegar, honey, water and a dash of salt and pepper. Drizzle the dressing over the salad, and toss until coated.

Nutrition information per serving: 108 calories
2.3 grams of protein
11 grams of carbohydrate
2 gram of fiber
7 gram of fat

I hope you have a healthy and happy spring! And, as always, please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns!

All the best,
Sara
Sara Ryba Nutrition

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