Monday, January 13, 2014

{Book Club}: Younger Next Week Review AND Giveaway!

We’re big fans of fellow registered dietitian, Elisa Zied. We admire Elisa’s relatability, her encouraging #moveitorloseit social media posts, and her articles on the Parents.com blog, which provide helpful and insightful health advice for families. When we heard she was coming out with a new book, titled Younger Next Week, we couldn’t wait to grab a copy.

In Younger Next Week, Elisa points out that our society’s new revved-up lifestyle is unfortunately leaving many multi-tasking women exhausted, overwhelmed and stressed out. And we can relate; between the pings and dings on our iPads and email inboxes, and rings on our phones – it can be hard to find a free moment throughout the day to just unplug. Watch this episode on Elisa’s Stressipes web series and you may relate. We truly feel that every woman -- from college students and beyond can connect with Elisa's message.

In fact, according to a 2012 Stress in America survey by the American Psychological Association, 30 to 45 percent of women in U.S. reported being so stressed they feel fatigued, nervous, anxious and overwhelmed. 46 percent of the women reported making unhealthy food choices and overeating while 31 percent reported skipping meals -- neither which do much to improve our ability to manage stress, improve our self-esteem, or promote optimal health.

The overarching message of Younger Next Week is to help women restore their vitality and slow down the clock by trading in their anti-wrinkle cream and plastic surgeon’s scalpel for a knife and fork, and stress management techniques. In the book’s chapters, Elisa debunks many common diet myths (we’re big fans of that!), answers those burning nutrition questions surrounding hot topics including coconut oil, eggs, and caffeine, and also offers her own Stressipes (rhymes with “recipes”) – food, fitness, and lifestyle remedies to help us better cope with stress, the greatest vitality buster of them all. Ultimately, the reader is given strategies for restoring vitality through Vital Foods and Vital Moves. The book wraps up with a 7-Day Vitality Plan. The reason we love the plan? It’s not about adopting a rigid diet; it’s based on sound information and maintainable habits that will help you feel happier, healthier, and nourished. The plan includes “daily goals and weekly goals to help you move it, lift it, laugh it off, connect, reflect and sleep it off.” We love that.

Below is one of the 30 delicious recipes in Younger Next Week (reprinted with permission). Since making this recipe the first time, we've made it two more times; we hope you love it as much as we do! Be sure to scroll down to the bottom of the blog for details on the giveaway!

Blueberries with Ricotta Cream

Ingredients:

2 cups fresh blueberries

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

½ cup part-skim ricotta cheese

¼ cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt

½ teaspoon lime zest

Instructions:

In a medium bowl, combine the berries, sugar and lime juice. Cover and refrigerate.
Mix together the ricotta cheese, yogurt and lime zest in a small bowl. Serve the blueberries with a dollop of the ricotta cream.

Younger Next Week GIVEAWAY

Do you want your own copy of Younger Next Week? Elisa is giving away a copy to one lucky reader!

To enter to win:

A winner will be randomly selected on Friday, January 24^th at 8:00am PST.

If we don’t hear from you in 48 hours, a new winner will be drawn. Giveaway open to US and Canadian residents.

Good luck!!

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Untraditional Traditions & Savory Wild Blueberry Compote

By posting this recipe we are entering a recipe contest sponsored by the Wild Blueberry Association of North America and are eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. We were not compensated for our time.

The holidays have stretched on for a few extra weeks this year as travel and work schedules didn’t quite line-up with everyone in December. So, we ate dinner and opened gifts with a few family members last night; it was the perfect thing to look forward to this week since the holidays have technically ended. We wanted to have something special for dinner that wasn’t too labor-intensive to prepare. Since baked salmon is often so well-received in my family, I decided to add a special touch with a slightly sweet, yet tangy Wild Blueberry Compote, inspired by this month’s Recipe Redux contest. And with the intense flavor frozen wild blueberries offer, it was even better than expected.

This meal was also great from a health perspective since wild blueberries are packed with anti-inflammatory properties, and have been linked to heart and brain health, as well as cancer and diabetes prevention. We’ve touched briefly on the benefits of frozen berries before too – they are frozen at their peak of harvest, locking in their intense flavor and antioxidant power.

Although it may not have been a traditional holiday meal, sometimes untraditional traditions can be more fun.

Wild Blueberry Compote

Ingredients:

Zest and juice of ½ lemon

3 tablespoons balsamic vinaigrette

½ teaspoon thyme

½ cup low sodium veggie broth

1 ½ cups frozen wild blueberries

salt and pepper, to taste

1 ½ tablespoons butter

Instructions:

1. In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice and zest, balsamic vinegar, thyme, and veggie broth.

2. Transfer ingredients in the bowl to a small pot on the stove. Add blueberries, and turn on stove to low heat.

3. Simmer for approximately 18 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. After 5 to 10 minutes, use your spoon to mash blueberries and to release their juices. By the end of the 20 minutes, compote should be thickened.

4. Add butter to the mixture just before serving.

Serve over citrus salmon.

Enjoy, preferably with those you love.