PATHWAYS TO
WELLNESS
NEWSLETTER
J A NUA RY 2014
New Year’s Resolutions?
(Excerpts and ideas from www.huffingtonpost.com)
Here are some ideas to help you jump start the new year, no matter what you have
resolved to do in 2015! Don’t make lofty goals that you may never achieve, instead,
make a plan to accomplish small goals throughout the year:
Try these:
• Snack smarter – Make a resolution to
snack healthier this year in order to add
more good-for-you nutrients in your
daily diet.
• Spend more time outdoors in 2015 – In addition to absorbing more Vitamin D,
being in nature can make you feel more
relaxed and less anxious.
• Make a habit of positive self-talk – It’s
is true that optimists, on the whole, enjoy better health and lower stress levels than
their glass-half-empty friends.
• Eat breakfast - Eating a healthy, protein packed meal in the AM can stave off hunger
and get you in a healthy mindset for the day to come.
• Get more sleep – A minimum of 7 hours of sleep can help your mood and ward off
stress and anxiety.
• Get off the scale – Forget about pounds and inches and focus on how you feel. If
your body feels great because you are treating it well, you know you are doing the
right thing.
• Find fruits & veggies you love – Instead of creating a restrictive diet this year,
gradually add more and more fruits and vegetables into each meal.
• Be grateful – Take a few moments each day to think about what you are most grateful
for. Oftentimes, the daily problems you are facing will feel less daunting when you
realize how many other things you are thankful for.
• Give yourself some credit – Make a list of all the things you made happen this year
and remember, small victories are still victories.
• Get motivated! – Ask yourself what drives you forward, the reasons you get up in the
morning. Consistently remind yourself of them and use them to make things happen in
your life.
• Reward yourself – When setting goals and making plans, be sure to set aside time to
indulge yourself and earn a reward or two along the way.
• Give back – Volunteer work, helping an elderly relative or neighbor, getting involved
in your community, or even just donating to a charity you are passionate about can
leave a positive impact in your life and the life of others. In helping others, you
help yourself.
Healthy Recipe Substitutions
(Article Excerpt from www.diabeticliving.com )
Make your favorite recipes healthier with a few simple substitutions, and you’ll save
on calories, carbs, fat, and sodium. We’ll show you how to enjoy classic recipes on a
diabetic diet.
- By Elizabeth Burt, R.D., LD; Reviewed by
Hope Warshaw, R.D., CDE, BC-ADM
Some healthy substitutions:
• Use Fat-Free Plain Yogurt,
Not Sour Cream
When your recipe calls for: Sour cream
Use this instead: Fat-free plain yogurt
Best for: Sauces and some
baked goods
• Use Applesauce and Buttermilk,
Not Oil
When your recipe calls for: Vegetable oil
Use this instead: Equal parts applesauce and buttermilk
Best for: Muffins, quick breads, and cakes from mixes
• Use Yogurt and Cottage Cheese, Not Sour Cream
When your recipe calls for: Sour cream
Use this instead: Equal parts low-fat yogurt and no-salt-added low-fat cottage cheese
Best for: Dips and salad dressings
• Use Fresh Herbs, Not Seasoning Salt
When your recipe calls for: Seasoning salt
Use this instead: Salt-free dried herb blends, fresh herbs, garlic, or fresh peppers
Best for: Entrees, side dishes, dips, and sauces
• Use Ground Turkey, Not Ground Beef
When your recipe calls for: Ground beef
Use this instead: Lean ground turkey breast
Best for: Meat sauces, burgers, meat loaves, and tacos
• Use Fat-Free Evaporated Milk, Not Heavy Cream
When your recipe calls for: Heavy cream
Use this instead: Fat-free evaporated milk
Best for: Custards, desserts, and quiches
• Use Reduced-Fat Cheese, Not Regular Cheese
When your recipe calls for: Cheese
Use this instead: Low-fat or fat-free cheese
Best for: Sandwiches and salads
• Use Trans Fat- and Saturated Fat-Free Margarine, Not Shortening
When your recipe calls for: Shortening
Use this instead: Trans fat- and saturated fat-free shortening or margarine
Best for: Cookies and piecrusts
• Use Prunes, Not Oil
When your recipe calls for: Vegetable oil
Use this instead: Pureed prunes
Best for: Brownies and dark quick breads
• Use Trans Fat- and Saturated Fat-Free Margarine, Not Shortening
When your recipe calls for: Shortening
Use this instead: Trans fat- and saturated fat-free shortening or margarine
Best for: Cookies and piecrusts
• Use Quinoa, Not White Rice
When your recipe calls for: Dry white rice
Use this instead: Uncooked quinoa or whole wheat couscous
Best for: Casseroles, baked dishes, tacos, and pasta salad dishes
• Use Whole Wheat Flour, Not All-Purpose Flour
When your recipe calls for: All-purpose flour
Use this instead: Whole wheat flour and all-purpose flour blend
Best for: Cookies, breads, and muffins
5 Minute Workout
(www.fitnessmagazine.com ) Workout by Jade Alexis, trainer with Reebok Sports Club/NY in NYC
Made-for-TV Workout: 5 Fast Exercises
Tone up head to toe in front of the tube – all before your favorite character returns from
commercials! All you need is couch, a TV remote control, and a throw pillow.
Try these tips:
1. Couch Push-Up
Targets: Chest, arms, abs
Begin in push-up position with hands on
side of couch, palms under shoulders,
legs extended and feeton floor, hipwidth apart. Keeping back straight and
abs engaged, bend elbows to lower
chest toward couch. Push back up.
Do 15 reps.
2. Remote Reach
Targets: Abs, obliques
Lie faceup on floor with knees bent, abs engaged, holding remote control in right
hand. Lift left knee to 90 degrees, straighten right leg and raise. Lift upper body;
twist torso to left, reaching right hand under left leg. Grab remote with left hand and
lower upper body.
3. Ice Skater
Targets: Abs, glutes, hamstrings, quads
Place pillow on floor. Stand to right of pillow, feet hip-width apart, knees slightly bent.
Lift left leg a few inches off floor and squat, keeping right knee behind toes.
Jump over cushion and land on left foot; reach right hand down to left toes.
Do 10 reps, alternating sides. Repeat on other side. Do 12 reps, alternating sides.
4. Pillow Crunch
Targets: Abs, inner thighs
Lie faceup on floor with knees bent, legs together, abs engaged. Place pillow
between knees and lift legs off floor, knees bent 90 degrees over hips. Place hands
behind head and exhale to crunch up while squeezing pillow with legs. Keep elbows
out and eyes looking up. Inhale to lower. Do 15 reps.
5. Lunge Touchdown
Targets: Glutes, hamstrings, quads
Stand with feet hip-width apart, abs engaged, with a pillow 3 feet in front of you.
Lunge right foot forward, keeping knee behind toes, and grab pillow.
6. Lunge Touchdown, Part 2
Push off right foot and stand up, lifting right knee while pressing pillow overhead.
Hold for 1 breath; lunge to return pillow to start. Do 10 reps, alternating sides.
Originally published in FITNESS magazine, October 2007
FOR EVERYONE
Lunch & Learn Event
January 22nd , two half hour
sessions, 12:00pm & 12:30pm
in Room G07A
This Lunch & Learn will be about
pre-diabetes, risk factors for
diabetes, and an overview of the
“Small teps to Diabetes” program
that we hope to begin here at
Mountwest. Please bring your
lunch and join us!
ITC Kabel
Steps to Diabetes Prevention
We will be offering this program
beginning in January 2015. If you
wish to participate, please click on
the link provided in this newsletter
to access the brochure online OR
you may pick up a brochure and
risk assessment quiz outside of
Suite G12 on the Ground Floor at
Mountwest. Contact Bethany Perry
at 304-710-3501 or
[email protected] to register.
West Virginia University Extension
Service’s Diabetes Prevention
Program aims to help West
Virginians lower or eliminate their
risk for diabetes through lifestyle
coaches, group support and
learning activities.
The program is based on a trusted
system called Group Lifestyle
Balance, where participants work
to decrease body weight through
permanent lifestyle changes.
Over the course of 10 months,
participants will meet with their
WVU Extension coach and fellow
classmates to develop skills such
as making healthy food choices,
becoming more physically active
and dealing with stress.
In past studies, participants have
lowered their risk for developing
Type 2 diabetes by 58 percent.
Yoga Classes
Please email Bethany Perry at
[email protected] if you would
like to participate in Yoga classes
here at Mountwest starting in early
2015. We can only offer this class
if enough people are interested in
participating, so please contact us
by January 15th .
Details about cost and days/times
will be announced in January if
we have high interest. For PEIA
members, the cost of the class will
be covered.
HEALTHY RECIPE
BAKE THE ULTIMATE
(HEALTHY!) BROWNIE:
(Recipe from www.jillianmichaels.com)
Trust me, I know there will be times when you
are going to crave some of that ooey, gooey
chocolately stuff. So, instead of getting personal
with the office vending machine, whip up a
batch of these amazing, indulgent, moist fudge
brownies. Not only will they be the perfect
answer to that cocoa craving, you won’t be left
with that bitter aftertaste of guilt for derailing
your daily calorie limit. So, go ahead and treat
yourself. You deserve it!
Fudge Brownies Ingredients
• olive oil cooking spray
• 2/3 cup mild honey, such as clover or
orange blossom
• 1/3 cups natural, unsweetened
cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup white whole-wheat flour
• 1/4 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Preparations
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray an 8-inch
square pan with olive oil. Set aside.
Place the honey in a large glass measuring
cup. Microwave on high power until the
honey is runny and just bubbling, 45 to 60
seconds. Add the cocoa and stir with a fork
until well combined. Let cool to
room temperature.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, place the flour,
baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk
until well combined. In a large bowl, combine
the applesauce, oil, egg, and vanilla. Whisk
together until well blended. Add the honeycocoa mixture and whisk until smooth. Add
the flour mixture to the liquid mixture and stir
until no traces of flour remain. Scrape the
batter into the prepared pan.
Bake until the surface looks dry around the
edges of the pan and a toothpick inserted
in the center comes out with moist crumbs
clinging to it, about 25 minutes. Do not
overbake. Place the pan on a cooling rack
and let cool completely before slicing into
16 squares. (Store the brownies in an airtight
container at room temperature for up to
3 days.)
Makes 16 (2-inch) brownies
Prep Time: 5 mins
Cook Time: 25 mins
Total Time: 30 mins
Contains: Wheat/Gluten
• Contains Egg
• Vegetarian
• Good for Leftovers
Nutrition Facts
Number of Servings: 16
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 86.2
Total Fat: 2.2 g
Sodium: 63.6 mg
Total Carbohydrate: 16 g
Protein: 1.3 g
The Pathways to Wellness Newsletter will be published monthly as a component of Mountwest’s Campus
Wellness Initiative with the goal of “working to ensure the health and wellness of Mountwest.”
For additional information, please email [email protected].
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