Let's talk about my mom for a minute, cause I'm super proud of her. But first, some backstory. I grew up with a very active dad. He was playing softball, always playing catch with us kids, and guarding me while I practiced basketball. My mom was never allowed to be in sports as a girl back in her day, so she would always tell me that she wasn't as active as she ever wanted to be. My mom loves to walk; she loves to spend time with God while she's walking. She loves to take pictures and truly take in every aspect of beauty while she's walking. She also does workouts at home a bit, and she also participated in the Adult Education workout class offered at the High School.
She has struggled with her weight for years. She has done pretty much every diet known to man throughout the years. She's very disciplined when it comes to sticking to something for a period of time. She had a lot of pain with her mother and brother dying of cancer. She has struggled with the weight off and on. She recently started a new nutrition plan, NOT a diet, and has lost 35 pounds in 4 months. She has learned to change her lifestyle and her way of thinking towards food, and she also still walks. She recently won the Biggest Loser competition in town, which was a competition to help encourage people to start living healthier lifestyles. She lost 25.5 inches, and 9.9% body fat! So proud of her!
I talk about all this because my mom is almost 68. Her goal, as she says, is to be "strong by seventy." Age is just a number, and it's NEVER too late to start taking better care of your health. My mom is the perfect example! Some people workout and eat right because they care about the way they look, but for most people, it's about being healthy. Did you know that heart disease is the leading cause of death for men, women, and people of most racial and ethnic groups in the United States? (CDC.gov)
I had asked Vanessa Janssen to share a little about her journey with fitness with you today.
These are her comments: "I've always been in fitness. There were some periods where I was more active than others, but it's always been a part of me. Staying active and eating lots of raw foods.
I have this dream of being a PE teacher, helping young people get away from the TV, and get excited about staying active. I have a B.S. in Health and Fitness, and I'm just missing the teaching cert. I'll be going back to get my masters in Ed starting in the fall.
I made a goal to run a marathon in 2018 to raise money for World Vision. That was fun and started my love for running. I've since done two 1/2 marathons and lots of small races, including the Fort Benton 10k with my daughter. I'm organizing the 6k next month here in Big Sandy, another fundraiser for World Vision.
I worked for the YMCA and loved it. When moving here, I was surprised and excited to learn that there was a fitness center (lift) in a town this size. I've been going there five days a week for over a year now. And am grateful that Julie Meyers is offering equipment rentals and home workouts during this pandemic.
I think it's essential to stay active, and I rarely sit down for long periods. My idea of relaxing is cleaning my house or building something."
Today's recipe comes from my mom's nutrition plan.
Cabbage Steaks with Homemade Thousand Island Dressing
Parchment paper
Olive oil cooking spray1 large green or red cabbage, cut in half lengthwise into 1/2 inch half-moon steaks
1/2 tsp garlic powder 1/2 tsp onion powder 1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp paprika2 tbsp reduced-fat fat plain Greek yogurt 2 tbsp mayonnaise2 tbsp ketchup
1 to 2 tbsp finely chopped bell pepper
1 to 2 tbsp finely chopped onion 1 tbsp chopped butter pickles 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp water
1 pinch ground cayenne pepper (optional)
1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Line large baking sheet with parchment paper
3. Place cabbage on a prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle evenly with garlic powder, onionpowder, salt, and paprika. Lightly coat tops with spray. Bake for 1 hour, or until cabbage is
tender.
4. While cabbage is baking, combine yogurt, mayonnaise, ketchup, bell pepper, onion,
pickles, vinegar, water, and cayenne pepper (if desired) in medium bowl; whisk to blend.
Refrigerate, covered, until ready to serve.5. Serve 2 to 3 half-moons of cabbage with 2 tbsp dressing
Today's quote: "Good nutrition will prevent 95 percent of all disease." ~Linus Pauling
