June 2009

Posted on 09. Sep, 2009 by Ellen in Canola Recipes, Health & Fitness

In this edition of Be Well, Chinweoke talk about why cardio is good for us. Kristy gets us off and running with an easy to follow running program and I will fill you up with some great recipes that will become some new family favourite just in time for Father’s Day!

Be Well…Ellen

Cardio and the effects on your body

We often hear that we need to incorporate cardio into our daily physical activity, that it is important in maintaining a healthy body. Health Canada states that adults should engage in at least 30 minutes of physical activity everyday, while children should engage in 90 minutes everyday. So what exactly does it mean to get cardio into your exercise routine, and what benefits does it have on your body?

Why is cardio exercise important?

It is important to the health of the body because as blood circulates throughout the body it removes waste materials from tissues and delivers oxygen from the lungs back to the body. When cardio exercise is done regularly it improves the ability of the body to complete this action, ad can improve overall health.

What are the benefits of cardio exercise?

Regular cardio exercise provides benefits of more energy to do daily activities, reducing chances of disease such as diabetes and reducing or controlling high cholesterol. It can also help to maintain a healthy weight, and lose excess body fat. Incorporating cardio exercise to your physical activity is a great way to add variety to your workout routine.

What activities can I do for cardio exercise?

Activities that increase heart rate and respiration are cardio exercises such as jogging, running, rowing and cycling. If you are new to cardio exercise do not push yourself beyond your limits. Doing more than the body can handle can lead to injury. Take small steps like starting off with cardio twice a week, and do short intervals such as a ten minute up hill walk, or fifteen minute bike rides in the evening. Work your way up to longer sessions and more intense activities such as jogging or rollerblading three to four times a week.

If you prefer to workout indoors you may choose to jog on a track or do sprints on the treadmill.

If you are an outdoor person, try rollerblading in the park. Whatever you choose you are taking steps to better your overall health, get up, get out and have fun!

Live Well…Chinweoke

Keep your eye on the prize!

Welcome to spring everyone! What better way to celebrate the beginning of a long and hot spring/summer season (optimism is everything) than by exercising outside?!
Running is such a great way to get exercise! Don’t be discouraged if you are not “good” at it right off the hop.

Running is something that can be learned and something that gets easier over time. Running is a great activity to get into though because you don’t need anything more than a good pair of running shoes.

Running is mostly a cardiovascular workout which means it is great for building endurance and burning fat. Here is a few weeks worth of work-out plans to help get you started. Be sure to warm up before each run, and cool down and stretch afterwards.
Weeks 1 & 2:

• Run for 1 minute, walk for 4 minutes – repeat until your total time is 20-30 minutes
• Run as hard as you can for that one minute!!

Week 3:

• Run for 20 minutes straight – when I say run, I mean keep a pace that you know you can maintain for up to 20 minutes

Week 4:

• Map out a 3 km route and run that – 3 km may sound long but by this time it will probably only take you between 20-30 minutes

Week 5:

• Continue on your 3 km run until you can beat your first time by 5 – 7 minutes

Week 6 and beyond:

• Increase your distance to 5 km and keep increasing your distance until you are at a time and pace that you desire

Options for breaking the monotony:

• Every week you could have one workout that is an interval training workout à Run 1 minute, walk 2 minutes. Interval training is an excellent way to change up your exercise routine because it always has your body guessing. It can burn more calories than just straight endurance running because of the stop/start factor.
• Change up your route. Find a few different places that you like to run and change it up that way.
• Take an energetic pet… or friend! Having someone to run with will help pass the time faster and help with the accountability of staying with the program.

A few helpful tips when running:

• Get a good pair of running shoes
• Try to keep your hands free from holding anything. If you are holding something in your hand, it will tense up that whole side of your body and you will get tired faster.
• Make a great playlist!
• Write down your progress so you can tell how much you have improved.
• If you tend to get shin splints, sore knees or joints, try running on a softer surface such as a track. Try to stay off the concrete.
• BREATHE! Try to keep a nice steady breath no matter how hard you are running. The more oxygen getting to your body the less cramps and other uncomfortable circumstances you will encounter.

Be patient with yourself and give yourself a chance to get great at running! Good luck and enjoy the beautiful weather!

Keep Well…Kristy

June is a wonderful time to think of picnics, farmer’s markets and grilling and of course to celebrate Father’s Day. The 3 recipes chosen for this month is an ode to dads. There is a delicious BBQ Manitoba Honey Chicken breast that give you unless possibilities.

BBQ Manitoba Honey Chicken Breast

1/4 cup canola oil 60 mL
2 cloves garlic, minced 2
2 Tbsp brown sugar 30 mL
1/4 cup honey 60 mL
2 Tbsp cider vinegar 30 mL
2 Tbsp lime juice 30 mL
4 green onions, finely chopped 4
4 Tbsp finely chopped fresh oregano 60 mL
salt and pepper to taste
4 chicken breasts, pounded 1.25 cm (1/2 inch) thickness 4

Directions:
Combine all ingredients, except chicken breasts, in large re-sealable plastic bag. Mix well. Add chicken breasts and let marinate, in refrigerator, 4 hours or overnight. Grill breasts on barbecue, over medium heat, approximately 5 minutes per side or until cooked and juices run clear.

Serving Instructions: Serve as dinner entree or use for chicken sandwiches or salad.

When serving with salad use Canola Lime Salad Dressing.

For more information on Manitoba chicken, go to www.chicken.mb.ca.

A unique Canola Buckwheat Honey BBQ Sauce. You can find buckwheat honey at the St. Norbert’s Farmer’s market and other farmer markets in Manitoba.

Canola Buckwheat Honey BBQ Sauce

3 Tbsp canola oil 45 mL
1 onion, very finely diced 1
2 garlic cloves, minced 2
1/3 cup crown royal 75 mL
1/2 cup ketchup 125 mL
3/4 cup buckwheat honey 175 mL
1/4 cup cider vinegar 60 mL
1/2 cup strong brewed coffee 125 mL
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce 5 mL

Directions:
Heat canola oil in a saucepan over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté over low heat till onion is transparent. Add remaining ingredients and simmer over medium low heat for 15 – 20 minutes or until the mixture is thickened and reduced to about 1 cup.

For more information on locally produced honey, check out the Manitoba Bee Keeper’s Association.

Another good website is from the Canadian Honey Council.

Farmer’s Markets open in June, for more information on them, go to www.manitobafarmersmarkets.ca.

And something hearty for dad after that golf game or fishing trip.

Try the Manitoba Panini Melt. It can be grilled on the BBQ or in a sandwich press.

Manitoba Panini Melt

1/4 cup canola oil 60 mL
3 Tbsp red wine vinegar 45 mL
1 clove garlic, minced 1
6 oz ham slices 170 g
6 oz turkey slices 170 g
4 oz deli salami slices 125 g
2 cup grated aged white cheddar cheese 500 mL
1 cup large basil leaves 250 mL
1 -16 oz loaf ciabatta bread, cut into half horizontally 1 – 500 g

Directions:
In a small bowl, whisk together canola oil, red wine vinegar and garlic. Set aside. Layer meats, cheddar cheese and basil leaves on bottom section of ciabatta bread. Drizzle canola oil mixture over cut side of ciabatta bread (top portion). Press top of bread onto bottom layer. Brush sandwich with rest of dressing. Grill sandwich, on barbecue, over low heat until bread is golden brown and the cheese melts, pressing occasionally to compact the sandwich, about 5 – 10 minutes per side.

Culinary Tip: Use a foil covered brick or a pizza stone to flatten the sandwich while it is cooking.

Eat Well…Ellen

Check out this video of Ellen preparing the Rhubarb Biscuits on the Great Tastes of Manitoba Cooking Show. A great Father’s Day treat!

Rhubarb Biscuits

What’s New in Winnipeg?

With summer just around the corner and June a busy month with soccer, dance rituals, field trips, birthday parties, wedding shower, Jazz festival, Red River Ex. The list is unless. You can look to a neat Winnipeg business Supper Central.

Supper Central takes the shopping, chopping, and cleanup out of your daily meal routine!
Every month we offer twelve new menu items that serve families of 4-6, or can be split to serve 2-3 people. With an average serving cost of about $4.00, the benefits are endless!

Join us for an assembly session where you create numerous meals in one session based on our simple instructions and recipes, or you can put in an order and just pick it up! We also have fresh and frozen options in our “Made to Take” cooler if you need something tonight. All our meals are freezer ready or can be enjoyed fresh!
Visit our website at www.suppercentral.ca and let us show you how we can make “our meal ideas, your meal creations”!

Summer is almost here! That means fresh berries, BBQ, picnics, and more! Share your favorite summer food, meal or recipe using canola oil and you could win an awesome canola prize pack. Click here to share your favorite summer food, meal or recipe.

Congratulations to Janet Dickson of Killarney for winning our Bone Strength Challenge.

Ellen

Ellen is two things: bossy and a foodie. She loves to tell everyone why they should cook with canola oil by indulging in her love of cooking and teaching.

Tags: canola, cardio, chicken, exercise, farmer's market, honey, recipes, rhubarb, running