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“Seven Bean Salad”

Posted on by Lenny Variano

Ingredients

1/2 cup lima beans
1/2 cup pinto beans
1/2 cup navy beans
1/2 cup chickpeas
1/2 cup great northern beans
1 can corn
1 red onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium carrots, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 bell pepper, diced (any color)
1 teaspoon dried thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh parsley, chopped
Olive oil
Lemon Juice

Directions:
1-In a skillet warm up olive oil and garlic.
2-In a bowl mix all the ingredients, add the garlic infused oil and the chopped parsley. mix and serve.
(use lime and cilantro instead of lemon and parsley for a summer version)

*I prefer using Brads canned beans
*Recipe courtesy of Chiara Scandone    Enjoy!!

Simple Changes that may Help…

Posted on by Lenny Variano

  • Sit down and eat…Sitting while eating encourages more mindful eating. It can lead to better portion control and will result in consuming fewer calories. Standing encourages rushed eating and loss of fullness cues.
  • Put off dessert…Instead of going for dessert immediately after dinner, take a short walk. Even 10 minutes can lead to better glucose control, and boost digestion, after which you can treat yourself.
  • Eat with Chopsticks…If you are a fast eater, try chopsticks for a couple of meals. It can encourage slower eating which will train your body to slow down and enjoy the meal. You will consume less calories without trying. I personally have more food on me when I eat with chopsticks, but don’t let that discourage you.

Try this Instead…

Posted on by Lenny Variano

Here are interesting alternatives to some commonly eaten foods. Trying them can expose your palate to different taste sensations and expand the variety of foods in your diet.  


  • If you enjoy artichokes try sunchokes (Jerusalem artichokes). They work well in a salad or stir-fried with shallots, carrots, and cashews.

 

 

  • A wonderful substitute for cucumber isIt can be peeled, grated and added to coleslaw.

 

 

 

  • It you like water chestnuts try jicama. Peel, dice, make into a salad withapples, garbanzo beans, oil and white balsamic vinegar.

 

  https://strongself.net/jicama/

Grip-Strength and Health…

Posted on by Lenny Variano

Is grip strength important? Is there a connection between grip strength and health? In business, a strong handshake will generally make a good first impression. However, the strength of your handshake may be an indication of overall health and longevity. Researchers are connecting grip strength to overall muscle strength, heart health, and doing simple tasks as people age (carrying objects, preventing falls etc.). Grip strength is measured in 3 ways. “Crushing Strength” refers to how strongly you can grip using all your fingers as well as the palm of your hand. “Supporting Strength” indicates how you can hold onto something or hang from something. “Pinching Strength” is how firmly you can pinch an object between your fingers using your thumb. If you are into weight training, grip strength will enable you to increase weight load. If your aim is to increase grip strength, walking carrying heavy bags, wrist curls, or just hanging from a bar are some simple ways to accomplish this. More research needs to be done so that the connection between grip strength and health can be better understood. Education focusing on increasing grip strength can influence the outcome of a person’s health.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2095254620300752
https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/14/health/handgrip-strength-cardiovascular-disease-study/index.html