Quick Tuna Casserole

If you are looking for a quick-fix for dinner - look no further than this tasty tuna casserole. It is rich in flavor and nutrients and only takes minutes to prepare.

Yields 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 can (10-3/4 ounces) reduced-fat reduced-sodium condensed cream of celery soup, undiluted
• 1/2 cup fat-free milk
• 2 cups cooked yolk-free wide noodles
• 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
• 1 can (6 ounces) light water-packed tuna, drained and flaked
• 1 jar (2 ounces) diced pimientos, drained
• 2 tablespoons dry bread crumbs
• 1 tablespoon butter or stick margarine, melted

Instructions:
In a large bowl, combine soup and milk until smooth. Add noodles, peas, tuna and pimientos; mix well. Pour into a 1-1/2-qt. baking dish coated with non-stick cooking spray. Bake, uncovered, at 400 for 25 minutes. Toss bread crumbs and butter; sprinkle over top. Bake 5 minutes longer or until golden brown.

Nutritional Analysis:
One serving (1 cup) equals 255 calories, 6g fat, 31g carbohydrate, 18g protein

Top Ten Benefits of Exercising

• Decreased Risks of Coronary Disease (CHD)
• Reduced Hypertension
• Improved Blood Lipids and Lipoproteins
• Enhanced Cardiac Functions
• Enhanced Bone Health
• Lower Smoking Risk
• Healthier Weight & Body Fat
• Better Control of Blood Glucose
• Increased Muscular Strength and Flexibility
• Increases Self Esteem

Start the process of getting fit: get your Fitness Program 4 Life today!

Frequent TV Watching Linked to Obesity

Are you ever tempted to pick-up your TV remote instead of exercising?

After testing almost 10,000 people, a recent study suggests that frequent TV viewers are 50 percent more likely to be unfit and at higher risk of obesity than those who are infrequent viewers.

According to Larry Tucker at Brigham Young University, the more we watch television the less likely we are to be fit.

The participants from 75 companies nationwide underwent a test to measure physical fitness and a skin fold test to measure body fat. Their fitness levels were then compared with reported levels of television viewing, ranging from frequent (more that four hours a day) to infrequent (less than one hour a day).

As television viewing increased, the share of physically fit adults decreased significantly, from 19 percent to 9.5 percent. Frequent television watchers showed the lowest level of fitness, followed by moderately frequent watchers, then moderate viewers, and lastly, infrequent TV watchers.

Compared with infrequent TV viewers, the number of physically fit adults was 27 percent lower among moderately frequent viewers, and 50 percent lower among frequent television viewers.
The study found that frequent television viewers are most often male, more likely to smoke, be more obese, more sedentary and work fewer hours than those who viewed less television.

On a personal note, this could lead to severe laziness! So get off the couch and get on to business! I will help you: click here

Transformation from within

Accepting the responsibility that you have the power to transform your life is a trigger to any meaningful behavioral process of change. You must learn to release any negative resistance to change. Limitation and refusal to improve your current negative state of mind will only lead to your investment remaining the same.

There is a saying that goes something like "doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results is the definition of insanity."

Holding onto beliefs that no longer work in your current life situation will translate into stagnation or further degradation. Bring your attention to a new state of mind; a positive mental attitude fueled by a core desire to live a full and meaningful life.

Fitness of the mind will cultivate and support fitness of the body. Nurturing your positive thoughts by allowing them to smoothly manifest the perfect healthy body is what you can bring into awareness in your daily life. Moment after moment you flow and moment after moment you glow. I wish you all a life full of positive moments!

Asparagus Avocado Medley

This colorful salad is the perfect side to your Holiday meal. It is filled with crisp asparagus and creamy avocado and coated in a tantalizing dressing. Take this along to your next Holiday get together and expect rave reviews.

Yields 7 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 lb fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-1/2-inch pieces
• 8 medium fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 1 large ripe avocado, peeled and cubed
• 1 medium zucchini, diced
• 1 large tomato, seeded and chopped
• 1 medium red onion, sliced
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons olive or canola oil
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Instructions:

Place asparagus and two tablespoons water in a microwave-safe dish. Cover and microwave on high for 3 - 6 minutes or until crisp-tender, stirring once; drain and cool. In a large bowl, combine the asparagus, mushrooms, avocado, zucchini, tomato and onion; toss gently. In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the remaining ingredients; shake well. Pour over salad and toss gently to coat. Cover and refrigerate until serving.

Nutritional Analysis:

One serving (1 cup) equals 122 calories, 9g fat, 11g carbohydrate, 4g protein.

It's Not About Your IQ!

The other night I took the family out to dinner. We went to my favorite place in Tucson , a restaurant called "La Salsa". They have the best healthy Mexican food in town.

While ordering, a gentleman with a wheelchair entered the restaurant. It was obvious that he was homeless and not very clean either. Needless to say that no one was really paying attention to him.

Then an interesting event happened. After paying for his own food (Peter was his name) he came and sat at the table near ours. The kids were very curious, as you can imagine. Peter started communicated with the kids by exchanging smiles and some pure and innocent energy I guess.

A few minutes passed and Peter started asking about the kids' names. A conversation started between him, my wife and I. In that conversation we learned that Peter was indeed homeless since 1985, was 65 years old, spoke four languages (I can attest to that because we spoke together in all four) AND he had a degree in psychology.

At that point my wife and I looked at ourselves and couldn't believe what we heard. Then something in my mind struck me; it occurred to me that Peter was not the victim of his physical disability but that he had made a choice to be homeless. You may be thinking that there are other circumstances to his life situation, and I agree, but I am here to tell you that after speaking to him, I came to realize that it was HIS choice.

You see, Peter created a process of thinking that manifested what he did NOT want but unfortunately had spent too much focus and energy on that.

So it's not about your IQ - like Peter you maybe very intelligent, or maybe even smarter, but if you don't decide to take a daily step forward towards WHAT YOU REALLY WANT, you won't get it, and you will find yourself right were you DID NOT WANT TO BE.

Later in the car both the kids thought, and in fact said "Daddy, that man is beautiful." I think they were connected to Peter's energy, his beautiful and untouchable self, his SPIRIT. No matter what you are or do on a mental and physical plan, in your heart you are and will remain beautiful FOR ETERNITY!

Yogurt-Marinated Chicken

Give your traditional old chicken dinner some spunk with this exciting new marinade. Your taste buds will celebrate over the tender taste of yogurt and garlic with a hint of spice.

Yield: 6 servings.

Ingredients

* 1/2 cup fat-free yogurt
* 3 cloves garlic, minced
* 2 tablespoons lemon juice
* 1 tablespoon canola oil
* 1 teaspoon sugar
* 1 teaspoon chili powder
* 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger or 1 tablespoon minced fresh gingerroot
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
* 6 bone-in skinless breast halves (6 ounces each)

Instructions

1. In a large re-sealable plastic bag, combine the first none ingredients; add chicken. Seal bag and turn to coat; refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.
2. Coat grill rack with nonstick cooking spray before starting the grill for indirect heat. Drain and discard marinade.
3. Grill chicken, covered, bone side down over indirect medium heat for 20 minutes. Turn; grill 20 - 30 minutes longer or until juices run clear.

Nutritional Analysis: One chicken breast half equals 149 calories, 4g fat, 2g carbohydrate, and 25g protein.

Want more recepes? Click on the title of this article

The Triple Threat

There are three main components to quick and healthy weight loss. These are

1. A balanced, calorie specific meal plan
2. A consistent aerobic routine
3. Regular resistance training

Be sure to include each component into your weight loss plan for exciting results!

Who is the F.I.T.T.E.S.T. of us all?

Recently Men's Fitness released their annual list of the top 10 fittest and fattest cities in the country - did you see it? I couldn't pass up this opportunity to point out the factors that go into making a city fit or fat, and how this filters down to our own lives and individual fitness levels.

But first, let's take a look at the list...

Top 10 Fittest Cities

1. Albuquerque, N.M.
2. Seattle
3. Colorado Springs
4. Minneapolis
5. Tucson, AZ
6. Denver
7. San Francisco
8. Baltimore
9. Portland, OR
10. Honolulu

Top 10 Fattest Cities

1. Las Vegas, NV
2. San Antonio, TX
3. Miami
4. Mesa, AZ
5. Los Angeles
6. Houston
7. Dallas
8. El Paso, TX
9. Detroit
10. San Jose, CA

So what makes a city fit or fat? According to Neal Boulton, editor of Men's Fitness, the survey examines lifestyle factors in each city such as number of fast food restaurants and the average amount of television each household watches. All of these lifestyle factors were tallied to rank each city as either fit or fat.

We will touch more on lifestyle factors later...

You may be wondering, as I was, what motivated Boulton to create such a list. His answer, "to motivate folks to look at simple things in their lives they can do to be healthy." He is concerned that America is always going to be a fast-food nation where people have long commutes and busy lives. But instead of a soft drink during the commute, he suggests, they can choose water; instead of a fast-food snack, they can eat almonds.

Another reason he publishes the list is to grab the attention of mayors and governors - after all, what mayor wants their city to be named the fattest in the nation?

"There's a consciousness among mayors that they can motivate the population and go beyond the PR.," said Boulton. "It's more than just having a mayor run the marathon. That doesn't motivate people. What motivates people is starting a Fit City program. ... It takes action."

Let's look at the top 4 lifestyle factors that were used to compare cities, and examine how each one has a hand in your own fitness level:

1.Number of Gyms: While you don't control the number of gyms in your city, you do have control over your own workout schedule. Take the time to exercise, preferably 3-5 times per week, and watch you personal fitness factor skyrocket.

2.Nutrition: This is broken down into the percentage of people in the city that eat 5 or more servings of fruits and veggies each day. What a great goal to have for yourself - imagine actually eating 5 or more servings of fresh fruits and veggies every day. It is a simple goal, but one that will dramatically increase your energy level.

3.Exercise/Sports: This is calculated by the number of city residents who are involved in fitness-related activities. Here is a simple way to join in this number: get started on a fitness program today - simply call me and together we will create a program that is designed around your goals.

4.Junk Food: Surveyors looked at the total number of fast-food places, pizza parlors, ice cream and doughnut shops in each city. Again, you don't have control over the number of fast-food joints in your city, but you do control the frequency in which you partake in less-than-fit-fare. Enjoy in moderation.

Frankly it doesn't matter what city made the fit or fat list. The fact of the matter is that you and I have full control of our lifestyle and eating habits. And best of all I'm here to help guide you to your fitness goals. Now all you have to do is click on the title of this article and you are on your way to total fitness.

(520)744-5108 info@tripleimpactcoaching.com

Nordine's Mindful Tip for the Spirit

Stones That Heal the Heart
When I feel that my mind is running wild and my heart feels sad, I go out into nature and pick up one stone for each of my hindering, negative thoughts. I write on each stone the thought I want to let go of. Doing so helps me transfer the negative into what I like to call "the source of everything'". After all, aren't we all made from the same stuff stones are made from?

I hold on to each stone, take a deep breathe and say: “I am letting go of a negative thought, knowing that I have the power to receive a new and empowering thought.” With all my heart and physical strength, I throw each stone as far as I can.

This tremendously relieves the mind and refreshes the soul. I do this when I'm at Miraval, as it's there that I learned this exercise.

If you are visiting Miraval, near Tucson, Arizona, and want to work with me, please book your session at (520) 825-5155 ext: 4512

Check out Miraval at www.miravalresort.com