We are nearing the end of our ten week wellness challenge with the Iowa Food and Family Project, unfortunatly not without an injury. I’d like to blame my time at the gym, but it is far more likely from moving something I should have asked for help to move. Consequently I hurt my back and I have been whiny and feeling sorry for myself. When I don’t feel good I want to feed my pain — which doesn’t really work. So what do you do when you are struggling to exercise — I started swimming almost everyday and skipped the walking, bike and weights for awhile. It has been marvelous therapy for my back and between sessions at the chiropractor and swimming my days are much better. Any kind of water exercise is great anytime and since swimming is a non-impact sport, you can exercise safely, knowing that you’re not doing damage to your body. Swimming also hits all of those benefits you look for in exercise.
- It builds strength — moving through the water provides constant resistance and helps you build muscle
- It is easier on your joints — making it a perfect exercise while recovering from my back issue
- Helps you become more flexible –because you are buoyant in the water you can move like a Prima ballerina
- Great for your heart — bonus an aerobic exercise where you feel refreshed and not sweaty.
- Burns lots of calories — 30 minutes of the backstroke will burn 298 calories for 155 lb person, the same as running a 12 minute mile at 5 mph
If you too find yourself giving up, and even if you can’t swim – check out a water exercise or therapy class at your nearest pool!
The Iowa Food and Family Project has generously donated a $25 Scheels Gift Certificate for me to give away to a lucky reader. I will be giving it away Friday, April 10, 2017. To register all you need to do is make a comment on this blog about your strategies for getting through the aches and pains we all get working out.
The recipe I am sharing in this blog is a healthy recipe which is one of my husband’s specialties when he volunteers to cook supper. I love watching him make these — I grab a glass of wine and chat him up while he is working away. Because of his engineer background he is much more precise making them than I would be — cutting them all into equal sized pieces and then carefully topping each piece. It really does make it much easier than cutting them after they come out of the oven, provides better portion control and is neater for sure! These are easy and fun to make with kids, you can experiment with a variety of other toppings, however they also make a nice appetizers for a party served with a variety of hot sauces, salsas, avocados, sour cream and limes.
Brown lean ground beef, turkey or chicken
Dice tomato, peppers and onions
My engineer husband likes to cut these before they are baked to make easy, bite size pieces — this is a great idea for making appetizers!
Top the tortilla with browned meat
Add veggies and top with a cheddar cheese — Bake at 400 until cheese has melted and tortilla starts to brown — about 10 minutes. Watch carefully.
Serve with your favorite hot sauce, salsa, avocado, and light sour cream for a fun, light supper.
- 1 pound ground beef, turkey or chicken -- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 package of your favorite taco mix (optional)
- 1 green pepper diced
- 1 medium onion finely diced
- 2 to 3 roma tomatoes diced
- ½ cup to cup of cheddar cheese (or whatever you like)
- Burrito sized tortillas
- ***Optionally add diced jalapenos, black olives or other favorite taco toppings
- Brown ground meat
- Add taco mix per instruction on pkg
- On a cookie sheet lay out tortillas and pre-cut into squares (optional)
- Top tortillas with meat, veggies and cheese
- Bake at 400 for about 10 minutes until tortilla is lightly brown and cheese has melted. Watch carefully.
Keep it simple and enjoy!
–Mary
Such a good idea! Why have I never thought of this?! Thanks for sharing!!!
Thanks Katy — I can’t take credit — this came from my hubby!
Lots of water and maybe a little bit of ibuprofen: )
How awesome Eric !!
Great idea for when the grandkids come over they can help make them !!
They always say “no pain, no gain” ! Congratulations Mary on swimming so much 🙂
I like what you said about watching an engineer cooking. My husband and son are both engineers and they are so precise in their cutting and measuring, it is truly a treat to watch them in action. These look so yummy! Glad you are on the right track with your back. For exercise I do something called ‘Classical Stretch’ and it takes all my aches and pains away.
There are all sorts of interesting things engineers do in other everyday activities too — a friend of mine said her engineering husband even ate his cookies differently so the crumbs wouldn’t fall on his sweater…LOL
This is the second time I’ve hear someone talking about “Classical Stretching” I just watched something on the PBS fundraiser — I timed my donation so I could get those DVD’s — good to know someone who has had a good experience with it! Thanks!
I like to stretch in the morning and then a hot shower to relieve any aches and pains. I plan to try the Mexican pizza this weekend while remodeling a bathroom. Looks quick and easy to serve! Thanks for the idea!!
I just ordered a “classic stretching” DVD so I do the right stretching — thanks for the reassurance it’s the right thing to do.